Zoom 3090-00-00 V92/V44 USB External Controllerless Fax Modem

List Price: $69.99 Discount Price: $17.46

Features:

• Compact, USB modem for easy portable and desktop use
• Conforms to new ITU V.92 and V.44 standards
• Plug-and-play installation
• Allows you to take phone calls while online
• Built-in fax capability with Group 3, Class 1 Fax specifications

Accessories:
Targus PAUH212U 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub	Targus PAUH217U 4 Port Ultra Mini USB 2.0 Hub

Customer Reviews:

I'd give it zero stars if I could [Posted on 2003-03-13]
I bought this modem to overcome terrible phone lines made worse by constant construction and HOW this modem made the top of a multi-unit comparison I'll never know. Since the day I installed it it's been non-stop frustration.

Even as late as 2002 the XP drivers for the modem--online or not--cause more trouble than they solve. Even at the highest speeds I can connect with, all I usually get are "Cannot Find Server" screens because of the transmission lag, despite Zoom's highly touted increase in speed with USB. 33,600 is somehow slower than 2,400 and there's just no excuse for that.

It's difficulty with XP is only surpseed by its obnoxious tech support whose sole piece of advice is always "reboot your computer," who are easily some of the rudest tech support operatives I've ever encountered. The whole experience with it has been far far more trouble than it's worth.

My recommendation is to avoid this product as if your life depended on it. If Zoom is your only recourse to solving connection difficulties, you're better off without the Internet in your life at all.

works, but not ideal [Posted on 2003-06-27]
I got this product because my old faxmodem died and I needed something. It was the cheapest external I could find (and even cheaper with a rebate from Zoom).

Plusses:
- USB means you don't need an AC adapter (it supplies power as well as connectivity).
- No need to plug into a serial port.
- In my tests of FAXing and connecting via dialup, the modem works fine.

Minuses:
- See the little colored lights in the picture above? In the modem I got, these are replaced with pieces of opaque plastic that don't light up at all. I like seeing the lights -- helps me know what's going on. Sorry, no lights any more. Probably a cost-cutting measure.
- See the area where sound is supposed to come out of the speaker? Sorry, no speaker. Probably as another cost-cutting measure, the sound comes out of your PC speakers (and is rather loud even on the lowst L1 setting).
- Want to use it on Linux or Mac? Sorry, it's supported only under Windows.

As for the problems connecting that other people have experienced, I didn't see them. I think perhaps they have been resolved in current versions of the drivers.

The verdict? I'm keeping it because I rarely use a modem any more except for the occasional outgoing FAX (I'm on DSL). But without lights, a speaker and simple compatability with other systems, this is a modem I would pass up if I had to really rely on it all the time.

good [Posted on 2003-09-04]
when i had just purchase this item it was good because i was running window 98 but now i had upgrade to window xp and it require for your computer to run 730mg and faster my computer only run 500mg. so if i want it to work again i would have to go back to window 98.

can't stay connected! [Posted on 2004-04-14]
What's the point of having a modem if it doesn't work properly? I haven't been able to stay connected to the internet. Looking at the connection signal at the bottom of the window, after about 30 seconds, the transfer signals are off. Shortly after I can disconnected. First I thought it was my computer or my ISP but I barrowed another modem and I stayed connected for hours!

Not microsoft digitally certified [Posted on 2005-04-10]
You'll get a strong suggestion from MS Windows XP not to install it for that reason. Aside from that problem, another is that it's controlless, meaning forget about using with Linux, and expect poorer performance (for instance, I could not download Open Office with it though I tried about ten times, my old serial modem did so the on first try). Also, it lacks modem lights, which are useful for a quick check of whether or not it's on, and/or receiving/sending data. It's marketed for travel use with a laptop, and may well be fine for that purpose; I was wrong to think it could be used as an all-purpose desktop modem.

Click here for more details and discount information...