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Zoom 56K-Dual 2919 Plug-in card Fax / modem

Zoom 56K-Dual 2919 Plug-in card Fax / modem

Product summary

CNET Editors' ChoiceSep 98

The good: Dazzling price and performance, excellent documentation.

The bad: Bare-bones software bundle, few telephony features.

The bottom line: A no-frills, high-speed bargain; our top internal 56K pick.

Specifications: Package type: Retail See full specs

See all products in the Zoom 56K series

CNET editors' review

  • Reviewed on: 09/28/1998
If you're looking for an internal modem worth cracking open your computer to install, Zoom's 56K Dualmode is nothing less than fabulous. And at a price of only $109, it's bound to fit the budget of even the most frugal buyers.If you're looking for an internal modem worth cracking open your computer to install, Zoom's 56K Dualmode is nothing less than fabulous. And at a price of only $109, it's bound to fit the budget of even the most frugal buyers.

In our V.90 performance testing, the Zoom Dualmode internal transferred data at an impressive 45.7 kbps. But what really qualifies it as an Editors' Choice is its ability to adapt to even the most contaminated of line conditions. In situations that made other modems falter or slow to an absolute snail's pace, the Dualmode proceeded with relative ease, rarely dropping below 40 kbps. Enabling compression further enhanced speeds, resulting in throughputs up to 90 kbps. While raw speed over analog V.34 calls wasn't quite as inspiring, the Zoom still managed a respectable 30.4 kbps, which, again, no amount of noise or distortion could trip up. In handling impairments, the internal was more persistent and flexible than the external Dualmode, but both were trustworthy in maintaining connections and performing data transfers.

Like most internals, the Zoom Dualmode supports plug and play. Once you insert it into an empty ISA slot and restart, Windows 95 automatically recognizes the modem and prompts you for the drivers included on a floppy diskette. Zoom's Quick Start guide is one of the most detailed we've seen for performing jumpered installations in non-plug-and-play operating systems like Windows NT. It's also one of the few guides to offer a brief description of the modem's faxing and voice features. The Dualmode comes with a Zoom Link CD-ROM, which includes Communicate Lite and a variety of other software titles.

If your ISP hasn't yet upgraded to V.90, the 56K Dualmode will be able to automatically detect K56flex at the central site and communicate accordingly. Also, once you're using V.90 exclusively, the Dualmode's flash ROM allows you keep your modem up-to-date with the latest optimizations. Zoom posts new firmware revisions on its Web site for free download and is one of few companies to offer a 7-year warranty. The internal Dualmode is also available in a PCI version.

If you're ready to make the leap to V.90, Zoom's Dualmode 56K internal will save you a COM port and give you the most dependable performance money can buy.

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