Are there any full controller based PCI slot internal modems except for the
USR PCI internal, the Zoom PCI internal and the ActionTek PCI internal
products?  The ActionTek works fine under OS/2.  And although the other two
are available, external versions of the latest products do not work well
here over line and connect compatibility issues in OS/2 boxes in very
trashy POTS phone line issues.

The USR was my first test choice to work against a complete ZyXel operation
from a poor rural phone line site.  It wouldn't connect at all with the IP
provider miles back into town,  The Zoom would connect fine to the IP
service, but wouldn't connect to the ZyXel modems in this very poor line
quality location.  Thus I'm reluctant to test the USR and Zoom PCI internal
products, although I'd really like more than the ActionTek product for
availability purposes.  ZyXel makes no internal modems I think.

                               Then ..

As a second thought, what comment here would any of you offer relative to
future plans from Intel, for example, to do away with the whole
now-existing interrupt controller concept, and the loss of any actual
harware comm ports on soon to be released new motherboards?

What will the really large total number of customers who use hardware
serial ports for external technical control of such things as water and oil
well field controller operations, and major telecommunications work?  I,
for one use four serial ports on PC's at one time under OS/2 for
telecommunications site control.  Direct control of everything from modems
for the site, direct hardware interface for antenna and site controls for
them in merged logging programs, as well as complete control of HF digital
CW interfaces, logging, and antenna QSK full break-in service for my KW ham
radio site.

That means, as does well service use, as I know it, that we must have
access to the real line level status and direct UART control for the serial
ports.  I do this currently with special ISA buss multiple comm port
plug-in cards.  I *THINK* that at least one vendor has this also available
in PCI slot versions.  These all have complete sharing drivers and so, if
you want them,for OS/2 use although I'm using Ray Gwinn's SIO and SIO2K for
a general interface now.

But what is going to happen when we have no more actual serial port comm
operations?  From what I've been told, but know little about, you can
forget doing this with conventional USB to serial port stuff.  And in about
another year what do we do when Intel tosses out the whole now current way
of handling interrupts for the actual CPU?

Inquiring mind wants to know what people think here?

Thanks!

W5WQN

--> Sleep well; OS/2's still awake! ;)

Mike {at} 1:117/3001

--- Maximus/2 3.01