On Sun, 11 Feb 2001 11:14:01  

 Jeff Northon wrote:

>Why waste a PCI slot? 

I have three available PCI slots and no plans to put anything else into them.

>Get a USB modem like the Actiontec:
>
>http://www.actiontec.com/products/modems/x-modem/dlx_overview.html
>or
>http://www.zoomtel.com/modemsna.html

I selected the modem I bought because it *appeared* from the documentation to be the least expensive available modem with an on board UART and DSP.  My modem needs are modest: just e-mail and a text based web browser, but I do want something that will work with NetBSD.  

>Every company that can glue a chipset onto a PCI card has done so >with
>disastrous results.
>
>http://808hi.com/56k/index.htm

Yes, I agree.  People are getting less than what they deserve when they buy a computer with an "incomplete" modem, especially when there is no notice of the deficiency.  Maybe someone should bring a class action lawsuit.

>If you value your time at more than $1.50 per hour, always buy a real
>modem.

The value of the time isn't significant to me in monetary terms.  The value is *enormous* in other ways.  First, I'm just blown away by the generosity and courtesy prevailing on the NetBSD community mailing lists.  As but one fine example, Jason Thorpe is helping me learn to use DDB to dump the PCI configuration for my modem.  Second, I find value in the elegance and power of Unix and C.  I've begun to read K&R, and I'm doing the exercises.  I'm beginning to read McKusick, et. al., on 4.4 BSD.  I have Stroustrup on the shelf, but it'll be awhile before I get there.  :-)

>
>Jeff Northon
>

Thanks very much, Jeff, for your interest and for your helpful suggestions.  I looked at the resources you mentioned.  If I cannot get one of my modems working with NetBSD, I'll certainly recheck the resources and consider especially the particular modems you suggested.

Kindest regards,

Tom


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