Robert Osborne wrote in a message to Rick Collins/All:
RC>In spite of what you read here, most modems for sale today are easier
RC>to configure and "set up" than were modems of the past.  Most have
RC>standard factory defaults so the init string need be no more than
RC>AT&F or AT&F1.  Most internals continue to have jumpers to select the
RC>comm port and IRQ, even if they also support "plug and play".
 RO> What about externals?  How are they configured for comm port and
 RO> IRQ.  I see several used modems for sale, both internal and
 RO> external.  Most do not have documentation with them as to how to
 RO> configure.
An external modem does not have to configure for comm port and IRQ.  All they 
have is an RS-232 port.  The comm port internal to your computer must be 
configured but that has nothing to do with an external modem's configuration.
 RO> I also thought that there is some limiting speed over the
 RO> communication media being used.  Ie 28.8 was the upper limit for
 RO> telephone lines? Maybe higher for cable lines or fiber optic.  Is
 RO> it also not true that the newer modems don't really transmit at
 RO> higher rates, but instead compress and decompress the data on the
 RO> fly to obtain faster rates of data thru put?  When did they start
 RO> all this and at what modem speed did compression take place?
Not quite right.  A modem can transmit uncompressed data at speeds up to 
33,600 bidirectionally and up to 56K in one direction using either x2 or 
K56Flex.  The data compression and error correction add on to those speeds -- 
you could purchase a 2400bps modem with error correction and data compression 
though I haven't seen one for sale in a few years.
Regards,
       David
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