Modem Buying Guide

By: Hannah Miller Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Modems are crucial to dial-up service. If you do not have a modem, it would be like trying to make a phone call without a telephone. A dial-up modem is the machine inside or attached to your computer that makes the dial up "phone call" to your ISP's modem. Many times if you cannot connect to the Internet, it is because of the modem or modem-related. Here are a few examples:

*Error 633 means the modem is already in use. This means the modem is or thinks it is already connected to another connection.

*Error 692 means there is a hardware failure in the modem. Therefore, you must replace the modem as it is not functioning. Sometimes reinstalling the modem works, but it is not likely.

*Error 680 means the modem cannot detect a dial tone. The most likely cause for this error is that the phone cord is not properly connected to the modem. This would be like trying to use a telephone without have a phone cord plugged into it's base.

*Error 678 means the modem could not make contact with your ISP's modem. Usually this happens because the line is too noisy or the modem cannot communicate for other reasons, like it being unstable, etc.

As you can see it is important to have a good working modem if you want to have good dial-up service. Not only can modems or modem related problems keep you from getting connected, it can also cause you to get a slower connection or get disconnected.

Modems have been improving over the last decade to compress at faster and faster speeds. At one time 28.8 kilobits per second was the optimum connection speed. Now it has doubled to 56K , thanks to upgrades in modems. If you have a slow connection (especially if you have an older computer), you may still have an older standard of a modem. Standards are the different types of upgrades that have been done over time. If you get a V.92 standard modem, you have the best and latest modem and you should be able to get faster speeds.

Modems can be bought online or almost any computer store or department store. You can probably find the best deals and the biggest variety of brands on the Internet. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

*Make sure it is the latest standard, V92.
*Make sure that it will be compatible with your computer.
*Don't ever buy a used modem.
*Most modems cost between 20-40 dollars.