PCI-Express 1x 56k modems?

[Man-wai Chang ToDie]

Any manufacturer producing them?

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[Paul]

Any manufacturer producing them?

They are more likely to be USB connected, use the older
PCI slot, or there are still a few connecting to a COM port.

Not all functions have native PCI Express x1 versions yet.
Some add-in cards, use a PCI chip, and add a PCI to
PCI Express bridge chip. That doesn't involve the R&D expense
of making a native version of chip.

Native versions are available for things like Ethernet (NIC)
chips. You can get those in PCI Express. You can also get
SATA controllers with PCI Express interfaces. A lot of the
other cards, are bridged designs.

This is an example of a bridged design. This is a
PCI Express x1 USB card. The large chip on the left
is a PCI type USB chip. The smaller chip on the right,
is the PCI to PCI Express x1 bridge. Cards like this
may be $20 more expensive than regular cards, which is
why they don't sell.

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/15-104-264-02.jpg

Paul

 

[Man-wai Chang ToDie]

They are more likely to be USB connected, use the older

PCI slot, or there are still a few connecting to a COM port.

Not all functions have native PCI Express x1 versions yet.
Some add-in cards, use a PCI chip, and add a PCI to
PCI Express bridge chip. That doesn't involve the R&D expense
of making a native version of chip.

I am wondering whether PCI cards (not PCI-Express ones) would have
problems finding a PCI slot in the future motherboards...

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[Paul]

I am wondering whether PCI cards (not PCI-Express ones) would have
problems finding a PCI slot in the future motherboards...

That day may come. But there doesn't seem to be the same
pressure to eliminate PCI, like there was to eliminate the
IDE connector.

Paul

 

[JAD]

have they dropped entirely the CNR /ANR sockets?

 

[Man-wai Chang ToDie]

have they dropped entirely the CNR /ANR sockets?

How many products had been released for them? I seldom saw them.

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[DevilsPGD]

That day may come. But there doesn't seem to be the same
pressure to eliminate PCI, like there was to eliminate the
IDE connector.

That's a chicken and the egg problem, no? Until there are enough PCI-E
cards, a motherboard without PCI slots probably won't sell very well.

(Personally, I'd buy one if the price and performance+feature set was
appropriate, I'm all for simplifying motherboard designs, but alas, not
enough of me out there to justify it. Yet.)

 

[DevilsPGD]

have they dropped entirely the CNR /ANR sockets?

Maybe not entirely, I found one in my wholesale lists, although I can't
even find any existence of that model number, so it might be a typo.

 

[Man-wai Chang ToDie]

That's a chicken and the egg problem, no? Until there are enough PCI-E

cards, a motherboard without PCI slots probably won't sell very well.

That may be your (and maybe my) belief. But in reality, look at those
new motherboards. They rather give you 4 PCI-E 16x slot than giving you
3 PCI slots. I suspect that soon, the PCI bus function would be removed
from all motherboards.

(Personally, I'd buy one if the price and performance+feature set was
appropriate, I'm all for simplifying motherboard designs, but alas, not
enough of me out there to justify it. Yet.)

The only justification for removing the 56K modem function from the
world is the spread of cheap broadband services. I don't see that
happening. The ISP still charges customers' BB service 3 to 4 times more
than 56k dial-up service.

SO where is the logic for all these? Are internal controller-based
modems a huge military and security risk? Or is it really a business
decision?

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[DaveW]

Sorry, no.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> Man-wai Chang ToDie

That may be your (and maybe my) belief. But in reality, look at those
new motherboards. They rather give you 4 PCI-E 16x slot than giving you
3 PCI slots. I suspect that soon, the PCI bus function would be removed
from all motherboards.

I haven't personally bumped into one with 4 PCI-E 16x slots, although I
haven't bought one in many moons with less then two (and all of the
desktops in my house have two PCI-E 16x cards installed)

The only justification for removing the 56K modem function from the
world is the spread of cheap broadband services. I don't see that
happening. The ISP still charges customers' BB service 3 to 4 times more
than 56k dial-up service.

That really depends on your area. Around here, $16.95/month gets you
lite DSL (256Kb/128Kb), cable modem is $19.95/month (plus you get
discounts on your cable service)

The telco sells dialup for $12.95/month for 12 hours, and $25.95/month
for unlimited. $19.95/month seems to be the going rate for the largest
local ISP's dialup account (unlimited)

SO where is the logic for all these? Are internal controller-based
modems a huge military and security risk? Or is it really a business
decision?

If I had to guess, business decision. How many people do you know that
buy a new PC on a regular basis, but are on a dialup modem?

How many of those would be just as happy with a $30 PCI modem that moves
from PC to PC as they upgrade?

At least in my circle of friends, family and business contacts, I have a
couple dialup users left, but not one of them has bought more then one
PC in 5 years.

Given that PCI modems are under $30 for those who want 'em, why waste
the extra components for the majority that doesn't?

Now in other areas the situation might be different, but unless a
majority make onboard modems a purchasing decision, it's purely a
business decision.

As far as security, I'd argue that there is little security risk since
installing a modem (even if there is on-board support) requires opening
the case, installing a card, enabling it requires access to the BIOS
(assuming a properly secured environment, with unneeded security risks
turned off)

An attacker could just install their own PCI card or enable and use USB
instead if they could accomplish the above, so who cares about a bit of
onboard modem circuitry?