External modems
External modems are peripherals physically located outside the computer. They attach to the computer through an interface cable. In general, external modems are interchangeable between different types of computers as long as the cable has the correct connections. On older (beige) Macintosh computers, external modems are connected to the modem port. On Windows computers, external modems may be connected to the serial (or COM) port. External modems now on the market offer the convenience of connecting to a computer?s USB port.
There are several advantages to using an external modem. They are easy to connect and do not require opening the computer to install. They are portable and can be easily transferred or shared between computers. Also, they often have lights that indicate when the modem is transmitting and receiving data. These lights are helpful in troubleshooting a modem that is not transmitting properly.
Internal modems
Internal modems are computer cards (boards) that are installed into a computer. Internal modems must be compatible with the computer into which they are installed. To install an internal modem, simply remove the cover from the computer and locate an available PCI slot. After the modem card is secure, replace the cover and insert a telephone line into the card?s jack.
Internal modems have several advantages over external modems. They require no desk space and are usually less expensive. They also help to reduce cable clutter by eliminating the need for a separate power cable and the cable that connects an external modem to the computer.
These modems can also be a hardware modem (true modem) or a software modem. And both has also their advantages and disadvantages. Pero when it comes to speed, a hardware modem has it's advantage lalo na if you have a slow processor. It gives less load to your cpu. And whatever tweak you do to your dial-up modem, you can never get pass the 56k limit because of the design of the phone network.
