Is this a Hardware or Software Modem?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2043894203&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1028756507&indexURL=0&rd=1

Is this a Hardware or Software Modem?

If you can't see the page, please look in ebay.com, search, search by item number, item number 2043894203

The reason I'm asking is that I won the auction assuming by the look of it that it was a hardware modem. I then received an "L" shaped modem, that was clearly a software modem. I contacted the seller and she told me she had quite a few of these and scanned another one. That one looked just like the photo in the auction. She agreed to swap. Will I be receiving a hardware modem this time

http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/modem/sw.htm

The eBay modem shown is a 3com 56k Faxmodem - a hardware modem.

Software modems replace part of their circuitry with software requiring slightly more CPU time, but are just as fast as hardware modems for downloading.

I don't know how you could tell software from hardware modems by just looking at the card. Software modems will only run under Windows - example U.S. Robotics Winmodem.

Get a cable modem!

It is a hardware modem

Go to the USR website: click here (http://www.usr.com/support/overview-template.asp?prod=s-modem)

I agree with Gwallen that broadband is better than dial up, but I disagree with him about modems.. I find that hardware modems are superior, have less freeze ups, use less cpu cycles and generally work better. If this is new, it's a good price.....

Thanks for all the info. The 1st one she sent was clearly new. I'm waiting for the 2nd (hardware) and guess it will be new as well. I'm trying to get broadband in my area and am working on it. It seems I'm a glitch in their system trying to get unglitched.

classicsoftware:

Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that software modems were any good at all. I certainly would never get one for all the reasons you mentioned. Nevertheless, the one I have owned in the past was just as fast at downloading as a hardware modem.