Looking for a great Modem :-)

[Paul]

Just now I tried to look for the VirtualBox that I started way back.
I started a search and immediately Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager opened
up and asked about a download. I said yes and it did download Version
4.1.10 but it has problems installing. It tried several times without
success. Does the VirtualBox need a real hardware modem?

One trick, when you want to install Win2K in VirtualBox, is you have
to look in the "disk interface" section, and "tell" VirtualBox what CD
you want to install from. I'm not really all that crazy about
this interface. It's annoying.

http://techhamlet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/virtualbox-settings.jpg

Under "Storage", one of the items in there, looks like a CD icon.
On the right, you can specify a physical CD/DVD drive to map
to the CD icon. Or, you can tell VirtualBox to treat a particular
ISO9660 file (i.e. win2k.iso) to be your fake CD drive (use the "browse"
thing, to bring up an explorer box). I keep ISO copies of installer CDs
here, for the purpose of using them in virtual machines.

If the VirtualBox update fails, you can always uninstall the old
version, then download and install the full new version. And
make sure you get whatever file adds USB passthru. I think
at one time, that was a separate file, but I don't remember
having to download it separately, the last time I set up VirtualBox.

*******

Again, looking at the "Settings" window, notice on the left there
is a "USB" entry and a "Serial Ports" entry. If your computer
has a physical "COM1" and "COM2", those can be passed thru in
the Serial Ports entry, such that VirtualBox can "see" the physical
modem. You'd need one of these kinds of modems, on a serial port,
for that to work.

(Modem with serial port on the back, either 25 pin or 9 pin)

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/25-104-011-Z04?$S640W$

Even a USB modem can work. In that case, there are two potential
ways to get it to work. Either install the modem driver in the
host OS, and have the modem show up as a virtual COM port
and pass that thru via the COM menu. Or, use the USB menu, set
up a VID/PID (device identity) filter value in the USB menu,
such that any messages from the guest OS, go to the USB modem.
A USB modem, would be one that looks like this (no speaker).

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/25-104-006-06.jpg

Anyway, that's basically how I'd try and set it up. Still
plenty of gotchas. They should really rip apart the VirtualBox
interface and do it again - even if it meant making a
xerox copy of how Virtual PC 2007 works.

Paul

 

[Loony]

Hlo Evrywun

I have bought a two modems in the past few years and found nothing but a
huge mess. The most recent one was ColorFaxLite. It is only a part of a
real fax device. The rest of it is a part of Win 7. That makes a lot of
mess.

My real idea of a fax device is Symantec WinFax Pro. It was external and
relied on the CD - not on a mess in a computer just waiting. I had that
WinFax Pro running for at least 6 years and never had a single problem.
Unfortunately nobody ever tried to modify it a little to reach Win 7.

Anyone know of a self-contained fax modem that does not rely much on
whatever crap is already in the computer.

TIA

A FAX Modem, just does the data transmission part. A device like this one
doesn't store any data at all. There's no place to keep a fax in this.
But this is still an excellent modem, if a bit expensive. The price
just keeps on rising.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825104011

*******

This one, is actually cheaper than a US Robotics modem. And
it's a real FAX machine. There is not even a USB connection
for interfacing to a computer. So this will waste paper
and ink, when you are receiving incoming faxes. While on
outgoing, you'd have to print off the thing to be faxed first,
then stuff it in the input tray. There will be no software
CD with this thing, as it's not a computer product.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828115006

*******

Compared to the previous one, this one is amaxing. I expect the
price on this has dropped a lot, since it was introduced.

This one is $70, and has more "computer stuff" to it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113671

"Brother MFC-J425w
Printer SPEC InkJet, Color, 4 seconds per page, 1200 dpi
Copier SPEC 1200 dpi
Scanner SPEC 1200 dpi (optical)
Fax SPEC 6 seconds per page, fax memory 170 pages
Paper Handling 100 sheets printing
Computer stuff USB, Ethernet, Wifi 802.11b/g/n

Unattended fax, copy or scan using up to 20-page Auto Document Feeder"

The only thing missing on that one, is the kitchen sink. $69.99
At that price point, you get a telephone cord, to connect the
MFC-J425w to your RJ-11 phone jack on the wall. But it is missing
an Ethernet cable, and a USB cable. The line cord, appears to be
a captive one, coming out the side of the machine. If you have a
Wifi router, then you should be able to get the MFC-J425w talking
to the computer through that. But if the software sucks, that
$69.99 box can run all by itself. It doesn't need a computer.

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/28-113-671-Z06?$S640W$

The reason they can sell them that cheaply, is the "razor blade
marketing model". The ink cartridges are priced, to pay for the
machine eventually. The more you print, the more profit you'll
(eventually) make for Brother. Download the manual and make sure
that incoming faxes don't have to print! It would be in
Brother's best interests, if all incoming faxes were
printed, as it would help burn up those expensive cartridges
faster.

http://www.brother-usa.com/manuals/default.aspx?PGID=5&R3ModelID=MFCJ425W

If you install the software, the FAX machine can receive faxes into]
memory, and the computer can be used to "preview" the content.
You can then select "print" at that time. I do *not* see any
mention of transferring the received fax to the computer
hard drive. One of the other manuals, indicates the machine
will receive faxes into fax machine memory, if the paper tray
is empty, and will print them as soon as paper is placed in the
tray. I didn't read all the manuals, but so far, the most
resources you can save, are by using the computer software
"preview" option, which will allow you to look at a screenshot
of the fax. Perhaps you can do a "print screen" at that time,
if you want to save the fax without wasting paper or ink from
the cartridges (that makes Brother some profits)

So if shopping, remember the "razor blade marketing model".
If you only want to view faxes on the computer, they're only
going to give you that function begrudgingly.

The plain-jane modem, really doesn't know a lot about faxing,
but it does have the advantage it will never waste paper
or cartridges. It's just a stinker getting the software working.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825104011

HTH,
Paul

As usualy Paul, my thanks.

I am a long way from Neweggs these days - in Europe - so I may
have to do some searching here for the stand-alone fax machine.
If only time went by far more slowly :-(

 

[Loony]

One trick, when you want to install Win2K in VirtualBox, is you have
to look in the "disk interface" section, and "tell" VirtualBox what CD
you want to install from. I'm not really all that crazy about
this interface. It's annoying.

http://techhamlet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/virtualbox-settings.jpg

Under "Storage", one of the items in there, looks like a CD icon.
On the right, you can specify a physical CD/DVD drive to map
to the CD icon. Or, you can tell VirtualBox to treat a particular
ISO9660 file (i.e. win2k.iso) to be your fake CD drive (use the "browse"
thing, to bring up an explorer box). I keep ISO copies of installer CDs
here, for the purpose of using them in virtual machines.

If the VirtualBox update fails, you can always uninstall the old
version, then download and install the full new version. And
make sure you get whatever file adds USB passthru. I think
at one time, that was a separate file, but I don't remember
having to download it separately, the last time I set up VirtualBox.

*******

Again, looking at the "Settings" window, notice on the left there
is a "USB" entry and a "Serial Ports" entry. If your computer
has a physical "COM1" and "COM2", those can be passed thru in
the Serial Ports entry, such that VirtualBox can "see" the physical
modem. You'd need one of these kinds of modems, on a serial port,
for that to work.

(Modem with serial port on the back, either 25 pin or 9 pin)

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/25-104-011-Z04?$S640W$

Even a USB modem can work. In that case, there are two potential
ways to get it to work. Either install the modem driver in the
host OS, and have the modem show up as a virtual COM port
and pass that thru via the COM menu. Or, use the USB menu, set
up a VID/PID (device identity) filter value in the USB menu,
such that any messages from the guest OS, go to the USB modem.
A USB modem, would be one that looks like this (no speaker).

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/25-104-006-06.jpg

Anyway, that's basically how I'd try and set it up. Still
plenty of gotchas. They should really rip apart the VirtualBox
interface and do it again - even if it meant making a
xerox copy of how Virtual PC 2007 works.

Paul

Thanks Paul. I will copy from the above and save it until I can get to
the VBox.

PS, I have discovered a D-Link modem - DSL-23208 that I used last year.
It has an on/off switch, a 12V-1A, USB, LAN, Reset and DSL. Anyone want
to swap for a standalone fax machine?