Top 10 Modems

With dropping prices and faster speeds, 56-kbps modems now outrank almost all 33.6-kbps units we've tested. In fact, only one 33.6-kbps modem makes the chart: Hayes's Optima 33.6. Zoom's FaxModem 56K--retested with new firmware--and Diamond's SupraExpress 56i Sp move up a notch thanks to easier installation and a $20 price cut, respectively. Two new modems from Boca did not make the list, due to scant features and mediocre support.

Top 10 Modems (chart)

SUMMARY

IBM 56K Modem Internet Kit PRO: Feature-rich, round-the-clock support, very good software bundle. CON: Slowest 56-kbps download rate. x2 protocol, 8-bit ISA card, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80, Distinctive Ring, voice mail, speakerphone, DSVD, Caller ID, QuickLink Message Center fax/data software. IBM 800/772-2227 www.pc.ibm.com

Looking for a low-price x2 modem complete with voice mail and speakerphone for your home or small office? At $149, IBM's 56K Modem Internet Kit--this month's 56-kbps Best Buy--costs $40 more than Shark's Leopard 56K and $10 more than Diamond's SupraExpress 56i Sp, two other voice-equipped 56-kbps modems on our chart. But, unlike the Shark and Diamond modems, the IBM unit caters to SOHO users with round-the-clock support and Plug and Play installation. It also lets you indulge in some multiuser game play over the Internet, using the modem's Digital Simultaneous Voice/Data feature and the supplied microphone and stereo headphones. You can use QuickLink's Message Center to make use of the modem's voice mail and speakerphone capabilities, and the unit offers support for Distinctive Ring and Caller ID.

Aside from these features, the software bundle is one of the best we've seen. In addition to QuickLink, you get IBM Antivirus, IBM Home Page Creator, IBM Internet Connection Phone, IBM VoiceType Connection and VoiceType Control, Netscape Navigator 3.0, and Net Nanny Lite. The chief drawback is that IBM doesn't guarantee a free modem swap, but will provide a free software or firmware upgrade to the upcoming 56-kbps standard.

SUMMARY

Diamond Multimedia SupraExpress 56i Sp PRO: Loaded with features, long tech support hours, smooth installation. CON: Slowest 33.6-kbps transfer rate. K56flex protocol, 16-bit ISA card, 230.4-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80, Distinctive Ring, voice mail, speakerphone, Caller ID, microphone, audio cable, COMit and FaxTalk fax/data software. Diamond Multimedia 800/727-8772 www.diamondmm.com

Diamond Multimedia's new $139 SupraExpress 56i Sp is a feature-rich modem that's affordably priced. Unlike its bare-bones $120 SupraExpress 56i sibling (which appeared in fourth place on our November chart), this modem includes a lot of SOHO functions, including voice mail, speakerphone, and Caller ID. It also comes with COMit--an adequate communications package--and FaxTalk software--a very basic fax program. One drawback is that the SupraExpress 56i Sp was a bit slow in our tests.

The SupraExpress 56i Sp did manage to install without a hitch in our test PCs. The documentation was easy to follow but is a little technical in some places and could use more illustrations. If you run into installation problems, tech support is available 14 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on Saturday. The call to tech support is not free, however. Diamond backs its modems with a five-year warranty, average for the industry. The only thing that's a little worrisome is the company's upgrade policy. Diamond is currently promising to only provide a free software upgrade to the future 56-kbps standard.

SUMMARY

3Com Courier V.Everything 56K Internal PRO: Fast performer, toll-free support, terrific software bundle, unconditional free upgrade to 56K standard even if a modem swap is required. CON: Expensive, weekday support only. x2 protocol, 8-bit ISA card, 230.4-kbps PC-to-modem speed, Distinctive Ring, callback, Caller ID, RapidComm fax/data package. 3Com/U.S. Robotics 800/877-2677 www.3com.com

No modem we've seen is all things to all people, but the Courier V.Everything comes closest to that ideal. While $260 is a lot to fork out for a modem these days, this x2-based unit delivers the features that suit almost everyone's Net surfing needs. For starters, the Courier V.Everything 56K Internal is the fastest in the group. This Plug and Play unit also installed without a problem in our tests.

The Courier caters to the consumer, but it also comes with features typically found in corporate modems. In addition to standard fare such as support for Distinctive Ring and Caller ID, you get security features like callback and password-protected access to the modem itself. Still missing: SOHO features such as voice mail, speakerphone, and simultaneous voice/data operation.

The CD-ROM that comes with the V.Everything is loaded with software. Besides the capable RapidComm fax/data program, you get Stampede Remote Office and over a dozen other programs.

Most people would be satisfied with the download speed of any modem reviewed here, but those who surf the Net for a living will appreciate every kilobit per second they can squeeze out. The Courier is the fastest 56-kbps modem on the chart, sending a megabyte of data almost half a minute faster than our number one contender, IBM's 56K Modem Internet Kit.

3Com/USR's support policies include a five-year warranty, toll-free tech support, and cross-ship replacement. The company guarantees a free upgrade to the 56-kbps standard, even if it means a modem swap, and will pay shipping and handling to boot.

SUMMARY

Zoom FaxModem 56K PRO: Generous support hours including Saturday, free upgrade to upcoming 56-kbps standard, $30 price drop. CON: Support call is on your dime, installation routine has a problem recognizing PCs with an AMI BIOS. K56flex protocol, 16-bit ISA card, MNP-10EC error control, 230.4-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80, WinFax Lite and COMit fax/data software Zoom Telephonics 800/631-3116 www.zoomtel.com

If you're looking for a low-cost entrée to high-speed Web surfing and have some technical savvy--or at least are willing to spend time with tech support--check out Zoom's $119 FaxModem 56K. A $30 price drop makes this modem the second cheapest 56-kbps modem on the chart.

This K56flex unit has few frills and is no fun to install. Plug and Play did not work with our Quantex test PC, which uses the AMI BIOS, so we had to set its COM port and IRQ by using jumpers on the board. Even if we had been able to install the modem successfully as a Plug and Play device, the manual neglects to explain how to proceed with the software installation. But if IRQ sounds as daunting to you as IRS, you have plenty of opportunity to ask for help: Calls to Zoom tech support are not toll-free, but technicians are available 14.5 hours every weekday and 8 hours on Saturday. Zoom's warranty runs for a lengthy seven years.

The only software that comes bundled with the FaxModem 56K consists of the fax and data packages, but both of them get our nod of approval: COMit is a capable data communications program, and WinFax Lite has strong viewing features and an easy-to-use phone book.

The 56-kbps standard is due out next year, and Zoom just committed to providing an upgrade to its current 56-kbps customers for free, even if it means swapping modems; the only cost to the customer will be a $19 shipping and handling charge. A software upgrade may be all that's needed, however. The FaxModem, like all other 56-kbps modems reviewed here, has a software-upgradable digital signal processor.

SUMMARY

Shark Multimedia Leopard 56K PRO: Good price and features, easy installation. CON: No support on weekends, no cross-ship replacement. K56flex protocol, 6-bit ISA card, MNP-10 cellular protocol, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80, Distinctive Ring, voice mail, speakerphone, VoiceView, ASVD, microphone, Caller ID, DialTone fax/data software. Shark Multimedia 800/800-3321 www.sharkmm.com

At $109, Shark Multimedia's new Leopard 56K is the least expensive 56-kbps modem on the chart this month. It offers SOHO features such as voice mail, speakerphone, and Caller ID. It also comes with an adequate software package, DialTone fax/data software. Overall, middle-of-the-road performance and substandard support policies hold this modem in fifth place.

We installed the Leopard 56K without any hassles. Its brochurelike documentation provides helpful installation photos, but the software setup portion has very small, hard-to-read screenshots. One glaring drawback is the company's below par support policies. It includes a fairly short three-year warranty (most modem companies offer five years) and 10-hour weekday tech support. The company doesn't provide a cross-ship replacement for your modem either. In addition, Shark currently guarantees only a free software upgrade to the upcoming 56-kbps standard.

SUMMARY

Wisecom Accelerator Pro 56000 Internal Voice Fax Modem PRO: Nice features, toll-free tech support, free software-only upgrade to upcoming 56-kbps standard. CON: Documentation too technical, short 8-hour weekday tech support, no cross-ship replacement. $129, 16-bit ISA card, K56flex protocol, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, voice mail, speakerphone, DSVD, Caller ID, SuperVoice fax/data software. Wisecom 888/947-3266 www.wisecominc.com

This voice-enabled Accelerator Pro model is nicely priced and has average performance. But substandard support policies and difficult installation (it failed Plug and Play installation on a PC with a Phoenix BIOS) kept it off our chart.

SUMMARY

NewCom Internal 56-kbps Data/Fax Modem PRO: Inexpensive, toll-free support policy includes weekends. CON: Slow, no cross-ship replacement, free upgrade to 56-kbps standard only covers software. $99; x2 protocol, 16-bit ISA card, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, distinctive ring, voice mail, speakerphone, VoiceView, password protection, Caller ID, QuickLink II fax/data software. NewCom 800/563-9266 www.newcominc.com

NewCom's latest modem is one of the lowest-priced 56-kbps units we reviewed this month. However, it missed our Top 10 list due to second-rate performance; it was about a minute slower in transferring a megabyte of files (in our 33.6-kbps tests) compared to others on our chart. In addition, the company's support has some holes. While you get toll-free weekend support (which very few modem companies provide), NewCom does not offer a free replacement for defective units, nor does it guarantee a free modem swap--should that be necessary--when the 56-kbps standard is released.

SUMMARY

3COM/U.S. Robotics Sportster 56K Internal Faxmodem PRO: Nice features; fine software bundle; free upgrade to 56-kbps standard CON: Fairly expensive; technical support requires a toll call; installation can be a spotty process $199; uses x2 protocol; 8-bit ISA card; distinctive ring; Caller ID; U.S. Robotics RapidComm fax/data package 3Com/U.S. Robotics 800/877-2677 www.3com.com

The Sportster's strongest suits are its excellent software bundle and the company's unconditional upgrade policy to the 56-kbps standard, even if it involves a modem swap. But the modem failed to install on one of our two test systems, and it was slow in our 56-kbps ISP tests.

SUMMARY

Hayes Optima 33.6 Internal Business Modem PRO: Fastest on chart, cross-ship replacement. CON: Expensive, no weekend support, long 8.5-inch card may block other PC components. 16-bit ISA card, Flash ROM, 230.4-kbps PC-to-modem speed, Distinctive Ring, voice mail, callback, password protection, Caller ID, SmartCom Message Center LE fax/data software. Hayes 770/840-9200 www.hayes.com

The $189 Hayes Optima 33.6 holds this month's Best Buy spot for internal 33.6-kbps modems. Although it's the second most expensive 33.6-kbps modem on the chart, the Optima 33.6 is also the fastest. It smoked on clean telephone lines, and when we tested it on poor lines, it was less likely to throttle back to a slower speed than most of its competitors.

Hayes' top-of-the-line analog modem, the Optima 33.6 Internal is aimed at the business market. It doesn't include any games, but comes bundled with Hayes' own SmartCom LE fax/data software--a solid package. The metal mounting bracket of the ISA card has both microphone and speaker jacks, so you can use your PC as a telephone or an Internet phone, providing you supply the microphone and speakers. The Optima supports Distinctive Ring and Caller ID and is Flash ROM upgradable.

The Plug and Play installation was flawless. The only potential problem is the card's size: At 8.5 inches long, it's the biggest on the chart and could get in the way of cables or other ISA cards. The Optima 33.6 has a terrific printed installation guide, but little documentation other than that. Its documentation for technical users is available only on disk, not in printed form, which might be a hassle for some people. Hayes' telephone support policies are barely adequate at 10 hours a day on weekdays with no weekend or toll-free support, but the company will provide cross-ship replacement of your modem, which means Hayes will send you a new modem while you send the company the inoperable one.

SUMMARY

PRO: CON:

Beyond the Top 10

The two new modems we tested this month, both from Boca Research, didn't make the Top 10, due mainly to inadequate support and relatively few features. We also retested Zoom's FaxModem 56K, which is now shipping with updated firmware. It ran a tad slower than the previous version we tested, but it passed our Plug and Play test this time around, moving it up a notch into fourth place.

Boca 33.6 Internal Fax Modem

SUMMARY

PRO: Easy-to-follow documentation, inexpensive. CON: A little sluggish, few extras. $60; 33.6 kbps, 16-bit ISA card, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80 videoconferencing support, Caller ID, QuickLink Message Center software. Boca Research 561/241-8088 www.bocaresearch.com

At $60, this basic 33.6-kbps internal model is one of the lowest-priced modems we've seen, and it's a breeze to install. Its manuals come complete with helpful illustrations. However, it ran 19 seconds per megabyte (about 13 percent) slower than Hayes's Optima 33.6, which is in ninth place this month. And while Boca provides weekend support, the call costs $2 per minute.

Boca 56K Internal Fax Modem

SUMMARY

PRO: Affordable, fast. CON: Support call is on your dime, slim features, upgrade to 56-kbps standard is free only for software upgrades. $119; 56 kbps (K56flex), 16-bit ISA card, 115.2-kbps PC-to-modem speed, V.80, Caller ID, QuickLink Message Center software. Boca Research 561/241-8088 www.bocaresearch.com

This 56-kbps modem was relatively fast on our TAS 33.6-kbps file transfer tests, and it was easy to install. But three lower-priced 56-kbps modems in our Top 10 have more features, including voice mail and speakerphone, than this Boca model. And like the company's 33.6-kbps model, also reviewed this month, there's a $2-per-minute charge for weekend support.

How We Test

All systems are tested with PC WorldBench 98, PC World's application-based benchmark. We run automated scripts on six popular business applications, performing common tasks as described below. The PC WorldBench score is a sum of the normalized, weighted result of each application script. A higher PC WorldBench score is better.

A system's PC WorldBench 98 score is based on its speed relative to our reference platform: a Gateway G5-200 MMX, with a Pentium MMX-200 processor, 32MB SDRAM memory, 512KB secondary cache, Western Digital AC22000L 2000MB IDE (Ultra DMA) hard drive, and an STB Nitro 3D graphics board with 4MB EDO DRAM. The reference PC's WorldBench 98 score is set at 100. A PC with a score of 200 would therefore be twice as fast as the reference PC.

We test each system as supplied by the manufacturer. All tests are configured with an HP LaserJet 4 as the default printer. We disable any power-saving features. We set the video resolution to 800 by 600 in 64 colors for desktops, and 800 by 600 in 256 colors for notebooks, using the supplied video driver where possible. We load the test applications, files, and the test automation software and scripts.

Word processing

Lotus WordPro 97 (10 percent) We open files of different sizes, search for text, change fonts, enter text, save files, and jump to a particular page. We also copy and paste, check spelling, scroll, change document views, and insert one file into another.

Microsoft Word 97 (10 percent) We open multiple documents, format text, copy and paste, close files, scroll, and save files. We also change document views, insert text, check spelling, repaginate, count words, check print preview, and do mail merge.

Spreadsheets

Lotus 1-2-3 97 (20 percent) and Microsoft Excel 97 (20 percent) Using a variety of worksheets, including an automobile statistics sheet, a multisheet federal income tax workbook, a variable-rate mortgage worksheet, and an analysis of life insurance policies, we perform common functions and tasks including opening a file, formatting, entering data, sorting, recalculating, data query, print preview, printing, and saving the file.

Database Corel Paradox 8 (20 percent)

We simulate an order-entry system. We import tables and post a series of orders, looking up customer and product data in the process. We perform a variety of queries, edit data, and create reports.

Graphics

Micrografx Picture Publisher 7 (20 percent) Using an assortment of graphics, we perform functions including opening and saving files, zooming, scrolling, changing palettes, posterization, image masking, hue shifting, feathering, and copying and pasting.