Cheap U.S. Robotics 005686-03 56K V.90 External Fax Modem (Electronics) Price

The hardware has features that competing products lack, like seven status lights, a volume dial on the side, and an on/off switch. 3Com has printed a list on the bottom of the modem showing what the status-light abbreviations mean (like "CD" for carrier detect). A row of DIP switches on the back might intimidate novices, but they're preconfigured, and the settings are also listed on the bottom of the modem.

The included software nicely complements the hardware. Extras like fax software and PKZIP (for compressing large files before sending over the Net) are nice, and the configuration software is excellent. Installation in Windows 98 was practically automatic. All we really needed to do was connect the modem to the PC and plug it in. The software took care of all the behind-the-scenes dirty work.

Our performance tests indicated that the 56K Faxmodem's internal hardware makes for terrific speed. It consistently matched or exceeded the connection speeds, transfer rates, and latency reported by other external modems we've tested.

If you're purchasing a modem based solely on price, take into account the fact this product doesn't come with the requisite RS232 serial cable. Most users will need to purchase a special cable with a 25-pin connector on one end for the modem and a 9-pin connector on the other end to interface with a PC serial port. Aside from this oversight, the U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem is a quality product worthy of your attention. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Fast, solid connections
• Doesn't use the computer's CPU
• Excellent software package
• Plenty of status lights
• Quality construction

Cons:

• No serial cable included
• Relatively expensive