Date: Sat, 03 Dec 2005 04:07:39 -0800 From: Daniel Rudy <dr2867@pacbell.net> To: Foo Ji-Haw <jhfoo@nexlabs.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: How do I know if my internal PCI modem works on FreeBSD? Message-ID: <43918A8B.8090506@pacbell.net> In-Reply-To: <028901c5f643$90936e30$c801a8c0@nexpc> References: <028901c5f643$90936e30$c801a8c0@nexpc>
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At about the time of 11/30/2005 10:50 PM, Foo Ji-Haw stated the following: > Hello there, > > I'm thinking of plugging in a Motorola PCI modem into my > FreeBSD box to act as a fax server (using HylaFax). I tried to > look for documentation on the installation or support of such > a modem on FreeBSD (Google, the Handbook), but found none. > Can anyone point me in the right direction, or better still: > tell me if my modem will work in FBSD 5.4? > > Thanks. > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > Please wrap your lines properly. Basically, it all depends on how much you spent for the modem. A $15-20 modem is more than likely a WinModem (software modem) which FreeBSD does *NOT* support without a third party driver. If the modem cost $70-100, and it is recongized as a serial port by the sio driver, then it probably will work. The reason why I threw the cost of the equipment into the mix was because the cheap modems don't have the controller, DSP, data pump, or other required hardware. All the functions of those components is emulated in the software of the host system. This is why that are known as software modems. A hardware modem costs much more, but it also has all the required hardware such as the controller, DSP, data pump, etc. so it can function independantly of the host system software. You can also generally tell by looking at the modem itself. Usually, if you see a chip that has what looks like version numbers on it, as well as one or more large square chips and lots of circutry, then you probably have a hardware modem. The best way is lookup the model number on the manufacturer's web site and see what it is. If it says it's only compatible with Windows, then more than likely it's a software modem. -- Daniel Rudy
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