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Oct. 11th, 2006
Interesting tech
Oct. 11th, 2006 07:43 pmWhile visiting Stuff ( a local used electronics store) Sunday, I took a closer look at one gizmo I'd seen before.
It was an Actiontec Dual PC Modem.
When I'd first looked at it I just noted that it was a modem that'd let you connect two computers to it. But this time, I was bored (waiting for a friend to finish looking at something) so I read the box more carefully.
Yes, it was a dialup modem for use on a regular phone line. But it didn't have a serial port. It had two *ethernet* ports. And apparently could support a *lot* of computers.
In short, it was an analog modem and two port *router* combined in one box.
I could see some uses for it, with friends who had problems with with their high speed connection or who couldn't afford one. And it'd make a nice emergency backup setup (my current router has a serial port to hook a modem to, but costs a *lot* more than I suspect this modem cost new)
I tested it out today and it works fine.
Alas, it won't work for folks who use AOL, NetZero or one of the other ISPs that require proprietary software to connect to them. Which rules out one set of friends I thought might be able to use it. Still, it's a nice gizmo and worth the small amout I paid for it.
It does seem to be discontinued though. Probably a case of "too little, too late". This was not merely *possible* but (as a combo of an external modem and one of several routers) *available* 10 years ago. It's just that nobody tried to provide it as an all-in-one *consumer* device until 2002. Which was probably too late.
It was an Actiontec Dual PC Modem.
When I'd first looked at it I just noted that it was a modem that'd let you connect two computers to it. But this time, I was bored (waiting for a friend to finish looking at something) so I read the box more carefully.
Yes, it was a dialup modem for use on a regular phone line. But it didn't have a serial port. It had two *ethernet* ports. And apparently could support a *lot* of computers.
In short, it was an analog modem and two port *router* combined in one box.
I could see some uses for it, with friends who had problems with with their high speed connection or who couldn't afford one. And it'd make a nice emergency backup setup (my current router has a serial port to hook a modem to, but costs a *lot* more than I suspect this modem cost new)
I tested it out today and it works fine.
Alas, it won't work for folks who use AOL, NetZero or one of the other ISPs that require proprietary software to connect to them. Which rules out one set of friends I thought might be able to use it. Still, it's a nice gizmo and worth the small amout I paid for it.
It does seem to be discontinued though. Probably a case of "too little, too late". This was not merely *possible* but (as a combo of an external modem and one of several routers) *available* 10 years ago. It's just that nobody tried to provide it as an all-in-one *consumer* device until 2002. Which was probably too late.
| Your Brain is 53% Female, 47% Male |
 Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve |
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