Of the five cards we tested, the 3Com Megahertz 10Mbps LAN+56 Modem was our overall favorite. This card family offers LAN protocol flexibility, a solid set of x2-based modem features, and power-conserving modes, all at a competitive price, backed by a full year money-back guarantee. We were astonished by this card's x2 download results for compressible content and satisfied with all but its LAN FTP receive performance.
For K56flex, international, or cellular use, we'd choose Xircom's CreditCard Ethernet 10/100 + Modem 56. This card has the broadest LAN/modem feature set, excellent diagnostics, and performed competitively in both LAN and K56flex file download tests, despite being nudged out in some connect speed tests. At $379 we think this card represents a good full-featured value for enterprise use.
If you're looking for a bargain at the expense of a few features, check out Silicom's EtherModem56.
By Lisa Phifer
From Internet World magazine, Volume 4, Issue 6, February 16, 1998.
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