do any chain stores still sell dialup modems?

[Syrinx]

I think I need a new one, and I can't find one anywhere.

I could order one online, but I would prefer to buy it from a local store.

I know this is a pathetic question, but it needs asking. :D

[RoyGBiv]

1. I really don't think so...

This is not an authoritative answer, of course.

But ... if you need one, I have about a dozen laying around doing nothing and need some place to send them. :)

[Syrinx]

2. really?

Do you have an external, serial V92, that actually works? Being a linux guy and all. ;)

[RoyGBiv]

3. Not an external, unfortunately ...

I really do have a dozen (well, 14 actually now that I count them) internals. I would be glad to part with them.

I do have a 4800 baud external ... that works. Really. Not that it is worth anything, just saying.

To give a serious answer to your original question, I have not seen a dial-up external modem in a store in awhile. To this day I could get internal v92 externals at this place in OKC called PC-Club. Haven't found a similar place in Houston since I moved here, so I dunno. Fry's might have one.

[Syrinx]

4. I don't think we have a Fry's

I've been everywhere in town that I can think of... places like Circuit City, OfficeMax, Office Depot, etc.

I was thinking of trying CompUSA in Birmingham, but it seems a long-shot. I did buy a used one from a guy that runs a store here, but of course it turned out to be useless, and he turned out to be a crook. I probably burned $30 worth of gas to get back the $20 I paid him for the thing. It was the principle of the thing... and he is practically never at his store. I ran into a woman there that has been trying to get her laptop from him since before Christmas!

Guess I will try re-installing the firmware as a last resort, but that will involve installing Windows, something I don't really want to do.

[RoyGBiv]

10. Out of curiosity ...

Are you not willing to do mail order?

I know Newegg still carries externals, and I figure other places online do as well.

[Syrinx]

11. mail order is okay

It's just that it's more hassle to do returns. Sometimes shipping costs more than the item being shipped.

Like now. It turns out I don't think there is anything wrong with my nearly decade-old Zoom modem.

I'm not totally sure what solved my problem.

I called the phone company and asked them to check for loose connections and bad relays between here and the central office. I suspect that was what was causing the problem. But I also downloaded the latest firmware for my modem from the Zoom website. I had to dig out an old 8-gig hard-drive to install Windows 2000 onto, so that I could flash it.

Maybe I should have installed Windows on a partition of my "real" hard drive, but I didn't remember the details of the process and didn't want to risk trashing all my data... I think it may have been as simple as running "grub" from the Ubuntu install disk, but I wasn't sure, and just decided to be safe.

Anyway, now I'm blazing away at somewhere between 38 and 43 kbps. :D

I guess my only prospects for getting anything approaching broadband speeds are the aircard approach or satellite, both of which are expensive, and not very reliable, or shelling out a couple grand to run cable, which I can't really afford.

I guess I could move, but that is cost prohibitive, as well. :)

As always, thanks for your advice! You are a helpful dude.

[RC]

5. Best Buy had some a few months ago.

I bought a USB modem. I can't remember what it cost, but it was under $20.

http://www.zoom.com/products/dial_up_external_usb.html

[Syrinx]

8. I'm really after a serial modem

I mainly use Linux and serial modems are the easiest to get working. I think we have a Best Buy. I'll check there. Thanks.

[charlie]

6. Do you have a Goodwill nearby?

Call them up and see if they have a computer center. The one near me has a geek shop where they refurbish hardware. And of course, being a Goodwill, most of it is way-old legacy stuff, like 56, 33, and 14 modems.

[Syrinx]

7. I rummaged around a place like that recently

It wasn't a Goodwill store specifically, but a similar kind of place. I didn't find anything usable, but maybe I'll try again.

[charlie]

9. It probably wouldn't hurt

to drop an ad or two on your local Craigslist while you're searching. Your town might have a few like Roy with modems they're willing give to someone who'll pick them up. Heck, I've even got a near-new modem somewhere in the stacks of boxes in my garage.

[Syrinx]

12. I *think* I got the problem solved

See post #11. :)

[WhiteTara]

13. I have two...Netgear RM 356

if it would help you, I'd sell it. PM me and we can talk. I'm not a local store, but it's sort of local DU

[sam sarrha]

14. try here..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825130010

$8 Zonet ZFM5621CF 56Kbps PCI Bus (Plug & Play) Conexant/Rockwell V.92 PCI Modem

Model
Brand Zonet
Model ZFM5621CF
Spec
Interface PCI Bus (Plug & Play)
Cable Interface 2 x RJ11 ports
Standards V.92 and earlier ITU standards, Bell 103, Bell 212
Max DTE Rate 115.2 kbps
Max Transmission Rate 56Kbps
Max Fax Speed 14.4 kbps
Features
Features Use PCTEL software modem solution
Integrated PCI interface comply with PCI V2.2, specification comply with PCI bus Management Interface specification V1.0
Low Power Consumption
Fast Connection
Modem on Hook (MOH)
V.92 technology allows data to be uploading at speed up to 48Kbps toward a digitally connected central site modem
EIA Class 1 Command set Group 3
Voice/Fax/Data auto detection
Tone/Pulse Dialing Support
High-Throughput Virtual UART, DTE rate up to 115,200bps
Ties AT Command
DTMF detection
Answering Machine Function
Auto speed selection

Data Transmission:
BELL 103 and BELL 212A K56 flex and V.90 , V.92
ITU-T V.21 (300 bps)
ITU-T V.22 (1200 bps)
ITU-T V.23 (1200 bps)
ITU-T V.22 bis (2400 bps)
ITU-T V.32 (9600/4800 bps)
ITU-T V.32 bis (14400/12200/7200 bps)
ITU-T V.34 bis (33600/28800)

ITU-T V.92:
Quick connect
Modem On-hold
V.44 data compression

Fax Transmission:
Send/Receive G3 Fax
ITU-T V.27ter (4800 bps)
ITU-T V.29 (9600 bps)
ITU-T V.17 (14400 bps)
Upstream 56K

Error Correction and Data Compression:
MNP 2-4/V.42 LAPM
MNP 5/V.42 bis

Command Set:
“AT” Command, Fax Class 1

Communication Model:
Asynchronous

Transmit Level
-13dB ± 2dB (Country depend)

Flow Control:
XON/XOFF
Default (RTS/CTS)

Auto Dial and Auto Answer
Programmable Volume Control
Power Consumption: PCI +5V
OS Supported: Support Win 98SE, Win ME, Win 2000, Win XP
System Requirement: P450 MMX + 128M RAM
Escape Code: TIES
Upgrade: Software