Dual Channel 56K Modems?

[basnjas]

Help! I am moving to a new office tomorrow and am in the process of setting up internet connection. I'm spoiled now in the the place I'm currently renting from as they give me 500K+ connection through their network. I cannot get DSL at my new office (too far from central office for Verizon) and it will cost me approx. $125/mo. + ISDN modem + $200+ installation fee for ISDN. This seems like a lot of set-up money when I probably will not be at this location for longer than 1 year. However, I know that I will get frustrated with a single 56K connection.

Okay. So I contacted a company in Phoenix that offers dual 56K connection, or 112K. How it was explained to me is that I will need to get a modem with two connections or two modems that I will hook both my modem line and my fax line into. When I am on-line, I will get 2 1/2 times faster speeds than I would with regular 56k. And when I send or recieve a fax, Windows '98 know how to disconnect the fax line from the modem, thus slowing me down to 56K while the fax is getting sent/recieved and reconnecting when the line is no longer in use.

As I've never heard of this before, I need some advice. Does this work and if it does, is there something specific that I need to do in Windows '98 to make it run smoothly?

Then, would you recommend a two-channel modem or two single channel modems? Whichever way you suggest, do you have 1 or more modem suggestions that I should buy?

Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated!

[SARGE]

What you're referring to is multilink, which is a piece of cake with Win98. I use 2 separate modems. 2nd is setup on main line in house so it will disconnect on incoming calls, plus I can release it if someone needs to make an outgoing call. I'd like to try just 1 modem (Diamond makes one) where you can use 2 lines into it, but Reboot isn't too fond of them. Hate to spend the $ for an iffy. I connect in the 90's and throughput is higher, depending which pc/modem setup using.

[basnjas]

Sarge,

Thank you so much for your speedy reply. I'm glad to know that this will be a fairly easy thing to set up and use. Connecting at 90 sounds much better than 40-50, which is what I'd assume to do with a 56K.

So, if you were in the market now for an excellent single channel modem (like I am), which one would you get? I am not sure whether my computer has a USB port, but I think that it may.

Thanks again!

[glc]

USB modems suck CPU resources just like software controlled modems. I would get a Supra Express external *serial* modem - especially if your existing internal modem is a software model. Multilinking with 2 software modems will bring even a powerful CPU to its knees.

We ran multilink in one of our offices with a Zoom external and a Best Data hardware based internal ISA modem - can you say 101333 or 102667? The CPU was only a P2-266.

[basnjas]

Thanks glc!

If I do have an internal modem, do I have to use it? Would I be better off getting two external modems? Then again, that would require 2 serial ports, which I don't know if I have.

Who makes the Zoom and the Best Data modems? I checked on the Supra Express external through a link on this site and it was a 1-2 week delivery time. Any ideas where might have these in stock? Do CompUSA or Best Buy carry these?

[glc]

No, you dont *have* to use the internal modem, but if you have one, you might as well. It's possible but not advisable to use 2 *identical* modems. Zoom makes Zoom and Best Data makes Best Data.

Try http://www.pricewatch.com for the Supra. You want the "Supra Express 56e". If cost is not a major issue, an external USR Sportster would also be a good choice and they are widely available.

[yabuddy]

ive heard gaming stinks with multilink, anyone try it? ping times?? i might try it if pings are good......

[Jenni]

Before you spend all that money, have you checked to make sure that the phone lines in your new building are capable of 56k? I moved out of a mall type building recently, and the fastest connection we could get was around 32k. The phone guy told us that many mall type buildings weren't capable of 56k beacuse of the way they run the wiring.

[JCH]

Go to the e-store section of the Diamond website. SuprasonicII Dual line modem with all the software you need $80.00 in stock. In the steals and deals section Supra express 56k isa modem $49.00 in stock. Got mine in 3 days. Bought 2 for the same type project.

[LawyerRon]

FYI,
BestBuy does carry the Supra Express if you don't want to wait for mail order delivery.

[Xayd]

And CompUSA carries the Supra ISA, got one for my dad's box when I was in New Orleans two weeks ago. They're both the same chipset.

Xayd

[Charliey]

I think you need to make sure that your isp does multi-linking, or it wont work.