Customer Reviews

USRobotics USR5637 56K USB FaxModem for Windows, Mac, Linux

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

If you're looking for a Linux dial-up modem, this is the one to get. It's truly a hardware modem and uses the USB communications device standard. Linux detects the device using the standard USB communication driver and it woks with "pppd" and KDE KPPP.

If you're looking for a Windows modem this is still a great modem but you can get less expensive software modems. One advantage for Windows users is the bundled BVRP Phone Tools fax, terminal and phone book software. I've used this software with other US Robotics modems and it works great on all versions of Windows from Windows 2000 through Windows 7. Please be aware that it only works with the US Robotics modem and not other modems you may have installed. Since the modem is a true hardware modem it won't use as much of the computer's processing to communicate over dial-up. It's also less likely to cause operating system problems and crashes since it doesn't use a special OS service or driver.

The modem is light, small and well constructed. It comes with a decently long phone cord including a ferrite donut to cut down on radio interference. It works fine with any phone cable but the phone cable may affect nearby radio devices without the ferrite donut. I haven't had any problems with any phone cord.

There is a small green power light and a small phone communication light to show what the modem is doing. I thought those were a nice feature since I could tell immediately when the OS detected the modem (the power light came on). I also could tell when the modem was communicating because the data light would blink.

As I mentioned the software included is BVRP Classic Phone Tools for Windows. It has a CD with drivers and software, including a "README" file for Linux users. If you're having trouble figuring out the Linux device name, look at the Linux README on the CD.

A printed manual is included, but it doesn't have a lot of information. There's just enough to get the modem installed and working so you need to read the Phone Tools documentation. The printed manual is in multiple languages and that makes it seem like it has more than it actually does.

It may not be obvious but this modem also can send and receive faxes. The Phone Tools software for Windows has a fax capture driver that will let nearly any program print a document to the fax. Phone Tools gives you a chance to add a cover page and review the document before you send it. My only complaint about the print to fax driver is that you have to print all the pages using the same program. You can't add more pages to a fax after creating it. I've had to resort to pasting multiple pages into word documents or merging Acrobat documents so that I can make everything into one fax. Considering what the software does for the price it's a great program.

The modem does get warm after a while but not even enough to be uncomfortable to hold in your hand. I haven't had any problems with long-term operation and it communicates as fast as the phone line quality allows. The best part is that it doesn't have any noticeable effect on the speed of the computer and doesn't require any special software.

My only complaint about the modem is the price, but it isn't exorbitant compared to other true hardware modems for PCI or PCMCIA. Since it uses USB it is much more compatible with any computer, from a desktop to a netbook. Almost everything has a USB port and most operating systems support the USB communications device standard. Even though it's not cheap this modem will be useful for a long time, even with the inevitable computer technology changes. A PCMCIA or Expresscard modem might not be compatible with older or newer laptops and is no more convenient to plug in and use.

For Linux, you only need to buy one of these modems and connect it to whatever computer you happen to be using. Linux HAL detects it and you can use it immediately after plugging it in. You don't have to reboot or type in shell commands. If you're hesitating about the price, consider that it will save you time on every Linux computer where you need to use dial-up. The software modems included with most computers (especially laptops) are hard to get working and may stop working when you install newer versions of Linux. Also the software modem drivers tend to require undesirable kernel options such as no preemption in order to work. You have none of those issues with this little modem because it uses no extra software on Linux.

The bottom line is that this modem is worth every penny in spite of the rather high price. Amazon super-saver shipping takes a bit of the sting out of the price.

This USB modem works well with Mac OS X Leopard for web surfing, however the installation guide is not up to date for OS X 10.5.6 Leopard users. I had to figure out on my own how to install it. If you have OS X 10.5.6 or later do this:
for STEP THREE: INSTALL THE MODEM DRIVER MAC OS X 10.4.3 OR LATER
complete steps 1 through 5 then click on the ADVANCED button. Then do step 6, select the modem tab, in VENDOR select other, in MODEL select USRobotics 56K USB modem. Check Enable error correction and compression in modem. In Dial Mode select "Wait for Dial tone before dialing" in drop down menu. Set Dialing to Tone and Sound to On or Off. Click OK.

Once I did this I was able to connect to the internet using AOL. In fact I am writing this review on a macbook with the USR5637 and AOL.
Unlike the Apple USB modem this one comes with a thick telephone cable. The performance is good, it seems to speed up surfing a little bit. I bought this from Amazon and am pleased with the results so far.

I just got this modem from Amazon a few minutes ago, plugged it into my 2 g surf Asus Eee (which does NOT have a dial-up modem) Asus Eee PC 2G Surf (7" Screen, 800 MHz Intel Celeron Processor, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Sky Blue set up number to dial, account number and password, and it works GREAT! No Linux commands were required... it just works! I am typing this review on the Eee through the US Robotics modem. Highly recommended for any Eee user that needs dial-up.

Update 7/29/08: I am typing this update on a MacBookApple MacBook MB403LL/A 13.3" Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive) White the modem works fine with it as well!

Update 10/26/08: It works fine on a MSI Wind as well MSI Wind U100-279US 10-Inch Mini Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Atom, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 6 Cell Battery, 802.11 b/g/n+BT, XP Home) White

Pros:
1. Small, convenient, takes up little room on my desk.
2. Vista compatible. That's rare, if my searches are any indication.
Cons:
1. Delicate. My first one quit in 2 days. (The company exchanged.)
2. Temperamental. Especially when hot. Try not to use for more than 5-6 hours, or it will simply develop static and kick you off line. It can even disrupt your landline service if plugged into the same UPS.
3. Once heated up, it takes hours to cool down again.

I got this as I recently finally upgraded to a MacBook Pro which, of course, doesn't not have a built in modem. As I usually need to keep up with emails and do some work when I visit my mom (who is on dial-up) I needed a modem. I kept debating between this and the Apple one, but opted for this one as, well, Apple discontinued theirs, which suggests a shorter life span. I'm still on Leopard, but when I'm sure my pro applications will work and jump to Snow, all my research suggests it should work fine then too.

It was very easy to set up and get running. Faxing was really easy. Only problem I had was that I stupidly forgot to set up the *modem* portion of my computer (I had faxed first from home to make sure it worked before going there). But when I did that there was no problem at all. It's not the tiniest thing, but then again, my last modem was a Global Village, so it's a LOT smaller than that!

Bought this modem to access the internet with my Asus Eee (which did not come with an internal modem for dial up). It comes with software to install on windows and mac, but for linux-just plug n play! Good quality-it does the job! Highly recommend it!

I've used Apple's USB 56K modem troublefree for years. But upgrading to Mac OSX 10.6(.2) introduced a surprising problem ... when started in 64-bit kernel mode, a warning appears that "Apple Modem" drivers do not work in Snow Leopard's 64-bit mode [although modem works fine in 32-bit mode Snopard]. First came a fruitless trip to Apple driver downloads; turns out that Apple has dropped the modem from production; so driver support likely will be dropped too. The reason may be that Apple's modem is a >software< modem, requiring heavy-duty operating system drivers. That set me looking for alternative on-the-road solutions.

User reviews and specs show that USB >hardware< modems [where signal processing occurs upfront] are much less op-sysem software dependent, thus can be installed on many platforms, requiring only a simple relay coupler. Since US Robotics is a Windows-oriented manufacturer, I had my doubts - but tech service assured me it would work on the Mac - and so it did! Just be sure to download the latest Mac OSX 6 driver, and you won't even need installation CD. Modem tested flawlessly in Mac Snow Leopard -- whether 32-bit or 64-bit kernel mode. The modem delivers just basic connection functions ... but that's all you need after all. Fancier functions, such as hold on call-wating, aren't (?yet) supported for Mac or Linux.

One caveat: this device needs just about all the 500 mA of an onboard USB connector; although nominal power use is listed as 180 mA, System Profiler shows 260 mA resting usage -- enough to kick off a power overuse warning from my external (and powered) USB hub.
As to speed, a hardware modem theoretically should be (and probably is) faster than a software modem but at these snailmail speeds the difference isn't all that awesome.

While this is easy to set up, it failed to work with Snappy Fax software. The Zoom 56k modem worked fine, and has far better support for faxmodem protocol.

Would not recommend this modem if you're looking for compatibility with fax modem standards.

The US5637 modem will not work in Windows 7. I have a Dell Inspiron 15. The 64 bit drivers for Windows 7 download and install correctly. According to my computer, everything is working properly and the green power light on the modem is on. I can even query the modem and get a response. The Device Manager shows the drivers have installed properly. However, I am unable to get a dial tone. When I try to dial a number, I get an error message that there is a problem with my modem. The computer cannot find the modem.

I have had several Information Technology computer experts from two different universities unsuccessfully attempt to solve this problem. I have emailed US Robotics support and talked to their Tech Support people on the phone. They blame the problem on the fact that my version of Windows 7 (Home) does not have the "network manager" program. This problem appears to be common with people who have purchased this protect (Google USR and Windows 7) and neither US Robotics nor Microsoft has done anything to solve it.

The bottom line is that I know own a piece of junk which I have invested more $100 in (including tech support payments).

If anyone can recommend a modem that can reliably work in Windows 7, I would appreciate it.

Works great for me now, including at home where I have AT&T U-Verse digital phone service, but the installation and usage documentation for Mac OS X are pretty weak. It took me quite awhile to get it working, so hopefully the following tips can save people some time. For a long time I was getting nothing but the infamous "Waiting for modem to become available" message, and was about to return it to Amazon.

First of all, lots of the documentation for many US Robotics faxmodems misleadingly says that they "... must be plugged in to an analogue phone line only. Plugging [it] in to a digital phone line may damage the modem. Most office phones are wired through digital lines. Be sure you know what type of line you have." Similarly, the Minimum System Requirements from the USR5637 spec sheet call for an "analogue phone line." This looks like a dealbreaker for those of us with digital phone service at home, but not so fast: it turns out that US Robotics is only warning us against old-style office PBX digital phone systems. From their FAQ at [...], they clarify that "Today, telephone lines are often marketed or advertised as digital phone service. In this case, the electrical characteristics of these phone lines are still analog. Our cautionary statement was not intended to cover this case."

Secondly, once you've followed the installation instructions, if you're only trying to send a fax (not connect to an ISP via dial-up), you have to Print (from any application) to the "USB Modem" driver. Leaving the "Printer" dropdown at the top set to your usual printer and only choosing "Print to Fax..." from the lower-left PDF dropdown does *not* work (for me). Once you select "USB Modem" in the Printer dropdown menu, the Print button at lower right changes to Fax, and all should be well.

Good luck everyone! You will probably also want to go to the US Robotics support page at [...] to download and install the latest firmware and drivers.