intel 56k Soft :: Help

56k Soft Chipset Families

Usage: To find a modem chipset Family (then the modem).

All drivers, downloads & info on this site are found via the modem.
Each Modem Manufacturers’ page also has external web-links, where available.

Comment

Modem chipsets are the technical heart of what makes a modem a modem. These chipsets are usually produced as a Family (just like cars--different models within the same range) and--especially if the Family proves to be popular--the manufacturer will both keep updating the Family with new, improved chips, and also produce variants on the same theme (good for sales). Hence, lots of Families, all of the same Type. It therefore is frequently possible to buy a modem from the same mfc which has entirely different chips within it from an earlier--but supposed to be identical--modem. For the modem user this shouldn’t be a problem but, sometimes--to stay with the car analogy--the mfc forgets to tell you that they have changed the model from diesel to petrol. What that then means (in plain language) is that new drivers will not work with older models, and it will be necessary to find the precise chipset.

Few of these chipset manufacturers supply modems to the public (their business is with other businesses) yet they manufacture & supply many modems, known as “Reference Designs”, “Evaluation Boards”, or other names. Because of this, intel is also listed on this site as a modem manufacturer, although the modem names are often very obscure.

The businesses that receive the Reference Designs then often produce absolute copies of the original design as their own retail modems. This fact means that the chipset mfcs’ Reference Drivers (for the Reference Designs) will work with almost every modem with the same chipset, and allows the chipset mfcs to offer drivers on the web. The same fact also allows these chipset- and chipset family-pages on this site to be an excellent way of comparing drivers or info between all modems that use the same chipset. The only catch, of course, is that you need a good technical knowledge to find the chipset directly. Use the Identification pages if you have any problems with this.

Firmware

It’s as well to put in a cautionary note about the difference between Drivers and Firmware. They seem related, and the two terms are often used (or misused) in the same breath. They are chalk & cheese, however. For a start, one is safe & the other can be dodgy...

Drivers are for the Operating System of the host computer and are usually safe--the absolute worst that can happen with a wrong driver is that the OS may need to be re-installed, but this would not affect the modem in any way.

Firmware (the so-called Flash) is completely local to the modem and unrelated to the computer’s OS. The absolute worst that can happen with wrong firmware is that the modem will be permanently rendered useless, but this would not affect the computer OS in any way.

With modern analog modems selling for just a few pound Sterling, of course, opinions as to which of these two is the safe one & which the dodgy may vary.

Page Organisation

The chipsets are organised in the following hierarchy:

Manufacturer
 >> Chipset Family Type e.g. Soft Modems
 >> >> Chipset Family e.g. V.92 Soft Modem
 >> >> >> Chipset e.g. DFT V.92 Soft Modem (FCC)

Many (not all) drivers will work for any chipset in the Family, so every modem with a driver and/or other information is shown for both the Chipset Family as well as the Chipset itself. Do remember that some modem mfcs customise their models so that only their drivers will work with their modem. The unknown-modem search & EEPROM links (modem sheets) are provided for these modems.

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