Dial up modem got you down? Constantly getting kicked off the phone line because of static? Think the chipset on your modem is infected? Do some of your own preventive medicine. The most overlooked thing in the computer today is the modem driver. Most people don’t even know the modem has a driver. Sure, the video card and sound card have drivers. Everything needs a software driver in order to be used, and more often than not, a driver upgrade from the manufacturer’s website can increase performance, reduce the number of times you get kicked off, and most importantly, they can sometimes even upgrade to the next standard. Most Win modems can simply be upgraded to V.92 with a driver upgrade. This upgrade will provide upload speeds on normal 56K modems to go up in the lower to mid 40Kbps range, from 36.6Kbps.
If it’s not the driver that’s infecting your connection, you’ll have to transplant. Modems are getting cheaper and cheaper by the day, and a high quality 3COM Modem for around US$50. A quality non-Win Modem can usually solve the major problems of connection stability, and sometimes even increase speed notably.
Of course, if worst comes to worst, you can look into high bandwidth solutions. Two solutions that are the most widely available are Cable Modems, and DSL Modems. Cable Modems use the Cable TV lines already built into your home if you have Cable TV. Prices range from $30-$75 per month. There are a few concerns with Cable. You are on a shared network with everyone on your block, and this can lead to bandwidth problems, along with security problems. Although these problems are slowly being solved, they are still around. DSL on the other hand uses the Phone lines you already have in your home, although a small upgrade at your switch box might be needed. DSL costs a little more than Cable, but provides you with your own line to the internet, and security problems are minimal compared to Cable.
Heat Stroke of Bad Luck
With computer chips getting faster and faster, while consuming more and more power, heat buildup is becoming a major concern. Back in the days of the 386, you would be called crazy if you worried about the heat put out by this chip. Times have changed since the late 80s. Now, if you don’t worry about heat on your main processor, and even video card, you’re called crazy. Some people are willing to spend up to $30 on a piece of metal that cools your main processor down by 2-3 extra degrees. Although some might think that 2-3 degrees are crucial when it comes to overclocking, I think it’s crazy. Unless you overclock, or have one of those big, bad, 1GHz chips, the usual US$10 heatsink and fan do just fine. A good intake or exhaust fan in your system case can do a lot more cooling for the dollar compared to a heat sink. If the air in the case is hot, the heat from the chip has less and less places to go, so changing the air in your case over is much more important than a CPU heatsink. If you’re worried about the temperature in your case, your money is better spent on the whole case, than on the chip.
