Hardware - - 2K/XP External Modem.

chris h · #1 05-26-2002, 03:54 AM

Does anybody use an external modem with either of these system ?

Mike Needham · #2 05-26-2002, 04:45 AM

Sorry to appear less than sharp, but I presume you mean analogue modem? (56k etc) and not cable or dsl modems?

d_kendal · #3 05-26-2002, 11:11 AM

hi chris,

I have a 33.6k external modem (US Robotics) that I use with Linux since my internal one is a winmodem and I couldn't get it to work. I haven't used it in Windows XP, but I just installed it (it works fine), so if there's something about it you need to know just ask me.

- David

chris h · #4 05-26-2002, 12:29 PM

Sorry to be vague. When I had 98 installed it used to pick up my external modem (analogue) whether the latter was switched on or not. This is not the case with 2K or XP and you have to go hunting in device manager to refresh hardware if you have forgotten to switch it on. I thought there might be a fix for this but have been told...........quote

The reason the Win2k doesn't plugin and play the modem is because of serious security issues with the plugin and play technology in allowing arbitrary code execution by viruses and hackers. So plugin and play has been disabled for vulnerable pieces of hardware like LAN's networks and modems.

Its only a minor irritant and if it keeps one more virus/script off my machine I can live with it.