I have a US Robotics v.Everything modem that I occasionally used for fax and Internet dial-in backup access. However, that modem connected to my previous PC using a plain RS-232 9-pin serial port. My new computer doesn't have such a vintage serial port.
Ideally, I'd like to get my current modem working with my new computer, since modem technology hasn't really advanced past what the v.Everything could do. Here's what I'm thinking along that line:
(1) Get a PCI card that adds an RS-232 port. I had some of these as ISA cards, back in the day. So, if such a PCI card existed, would there be 64-bit Windows drivers to get it to work? Would I then be able to add my modem with it?
(2) Are there serial-to-USB adapters available that have 64-bit drivers available? Would I then be able to add my modem with it?
Alternatively, what other decent modems exist that will work with either Windows Vista or Windows 7, 64-bit editions? Internal (PCI) or external (USB) are options, but I would prefer external. Note: I have found plenty of modems that claim Vista compatibility, but the marketing information is generally lacking when it comes to mentioning 64-bit support.
Best Answer
At my previous job we often had to deal with console ports on networking equipment, meaning we had to have access to a serial port even though our current laptops didn't have one.
We used something that works like this, just not that particular model. This should work fine for connecting a modem to.
When it comes to modems I would steer clear of internal modems and try to find an external one if possible, since the compatibility of internal ones is usually very limited and the driver development often abandoned.