Rating: 
Summary: doesn't work
Review: I bought the USR USB fax modem last week and I wish I had checked here first. I have called Tech support three times (long distance call 801 area code) and exchanged multiple emails without resolution. I am about to return this modem. Problems:1) On my Win98SE computer: After tech support-aided removal of the automatically installed drivers, and reinstalling them twice, the best it would do was recognize the modem if I plugged the USB cable in while the computer was up and running. If I made a mistake and shut down the computer and rebooted, Win98SE would find "UNKNOWN DEVICE" and fail to recognize the modem. 2) Attempted to install it on brand new install of WinXP Pro (I did a clean install on a freshly formatted hard drive) - received "Drivers not certified by Microsoft" warning - Strongly advised not to install drivers - may make system unstable. I stopped install at that point (I happen to need a stable computer) 3) Similar "unsigned drivers" warning on Windows 2000. I do not know if it works but I did complete the install on this computer. In all honesty, I was able to use the modem on system #1 (Win98SE) provided I plugged the modem in after booting and unplugged it prior to shutting computer down. It seemed to maintain a good connection and connected faster than my old modem. I simply cannot be bothered with plugging the modem in and unplugging it every time I reboot the computer. That's crazy and excess wear and tear on the USB ports, not to mention inconvenient at the rear of the computer. Failure to do so installs multiple "UNKNOWN DEVICES" that prevent future recognition of the modem and require uninstallation.
Rating:
Summary: Would not install properly in Win98SE or WinXP or Win2000
Review: I bought the USR USB fax modem last week and I wish I had checked here first. I have called Tech support three times (long distance call 801 area code) and exchanged multiple emails without resolution. I am about to return this modem. Problems: 1) On my Win98SE computer: After tech support-aided removal of the automatically installed drivers, and reinstalling them twice, the best it would do was recognize the modem if I plugged the USB cable in while the computer was up and running. If I made a mistake and shut down the computer and rebooted, Win98SE would find "UNKNOWN DEVICE" and fail to recognize the modem. 2) Attempted to install it on brand new install of WinXP Pro (I did a clean install on a freshly formatted hard drive) - received "Drivers not certified by Microsoft" warning - Strongly advised not to install drivers - may make system unstable. I stopped install at that point (I happen to need a stable computer) 3) Similar "unsigned drivers" warning on Windows 2000. I do not know if it works but I did complete the install on this computer. In all honesty, I was able to use the modem on system #1 (Win98SE) provided I plugged the modem in after booting and unplugged it prior to shutting computer down. It seemed to maintain a good connection and connected faster than my old modem. I simply cannot be bothered with plugging the modem in and unplugging it every time I reboot the computer. That's crazy and excess wear and tear on the USB ports, not to mention inconvenient at the rear of the computer. Failure to do so installs multiple "UNKNOWN DEVICES" that prevent future recognition of the modem and require uninstallation.
Rating:
Summary: Very poor software
Review: I bought this modem based on reputation and it has been nothing but a pain (...). I've gone from using 15% processor usage to a steady 98%. I've fiddled and screwed with it till I'm ready to scream, and it still doesn't work properly. I get random power disconnection that freezes my computer. It works at a pretty steady 4.4, which is good, but my old Creative Modem Blaster did that, and it still let me restart without having to go to safe mode. Tech support was remarkably unhelpful. I do not recommend this modem for anyone with an older PC.
Rating:
Summary: Another disatisfied customer...
Review: I made the mistake of purchasing 2 of these since I believed US Robotics to be a quality brand. Both stopped working after about 7 days, wouldn't work on WinME, WinXP or Win2kPro. Couldn't find anyone to contact and gave up.
Rating:
Summary: Another disatisfied customer...
Review: I made the mistake of purchasing 2 of these since I believed US Robotics to be a quality brand. Both stopped working after about 7 days, wouldn't work on WinME, WinXP or Win2kPro. Couldn't find anyone to contact and gave up.
Rating:
Summary: This thing is junk!! Save your money.
Review: I purchased this modem in August 2003. Installed it in a machine running WinXP. Modem worked, but performance was terrible. Best I could get was 33.6K. This is compared to the Lucent internal Winmodem that came with my PC. The Lucent modem would get 50 - 52K easy. Finally in December 2003 I decided to call my ISP for help. They suggested that I first installed the updated drivers. I went to USR's site and downloaded the latest drivers. Now the modem quits working altogether. Start getting the message, No Dial tone. Call tech support, and because the modem is over 90 days old, I have to pay $8 for help. After a bunch of useless tests, they conclude the modem is dead. I send it back to USR and they send me another one a week later. Uninstall my Lucent modem and drivers. Install the USR and then drivers. Same result, no dial tone message. Call tech support again. Claim, USB port may be underpowered and that I may need a powered USB port. This in spite of the spec, "USB powered 'no external power supply required". I disagree, as nothing has changed in my system. I've not added any components since adding the modem. But just to make sure, I remove all USB devices accept the modem. Same result. After two disconnects with tech support, I give up. Re-installed the Lucent modem and will be pitching the USR in the trash. Save your money and stay away from this piece of junk. I bought USR because I thought they had a good rep. Was I ever wrong!!!!! Now I will likely spend more money and buy what I should have in the first place, a Multi-tech.
Rating:
Summary: Not for slower PCs and slower USB
Review: If you have a fast PC and fast (USB 2.0) USB bus, then this ought to work just fine for you. I recommend a powered USB hub for this modem, as it requires a lot of power to hold its internal relays open and keep your phone line open. Some USB cards only have 100 mA available, and this device requires the full 250 mA allowable by the USB specification. It did not work at all for me: I had to return mine because it could not hold the connection open, in spite of a top-name, well-powered USB hub. When it did connect the one time out of many tries, it was slow and dropped the connection after about a minute. A modem should truly be 'install and go' in that it should work perfectly the first time. Modems have been around longer than computers, and this is not black art. The setup software has to be de-installed and re-installed if it does not recognize your modem; this is asking the average user to do too much, and costs time. As a comparison, I went to a local store and bought a Zoom 3025, installed the drivers (as they recommend you do first), installed it in a PCI slot, plugged in my phone cables, and I was done, the PC buttoned up and I was connected; all within a half hour - as opposed to two four-hour sessions with the US Robotics box. Again, if you have a fast PC and a fast and powered USB connection, you should give this a try. It's a good concept, but it is definitely not downwardly compatible.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't get it to work in Windows XP
Review: The first warning of trouble was when Windows XP warned me that the drivers for this modem were not signed. The next sign of trouble was that when I established a connection, the speed was almost always inferior to what I'd been getting on my old Creative Labs V90 external serial modem. The final straw was that after any period of use, the drivers would crash Windows XP. Maybe it's just my USB 2.0 card ... Or maybe it's just the way my machine is configured. But for whatever reason, I couldn't get this modem to work without poor performance and crashes. I have no choice but to return it and either look for another modem or continue using my old one. For what it's worth, I have had mixed results in the past with other USB powered devices. I've been bitten several times by devices that draw power through the same cable they send and receive data through. I will be very reluctant to buy such a device again.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't get it to work in Windows XP
Review: The first warning of trouble was when Windows XP warned me that the drivers for this modem were not signed. The next sign of trouble was that when I established a connection, the speed was almost always inferior to what I'd been getting on my old Creative Labs V90 external serial modem. The final straw was that after any period of use, the drivers would crash Windows XP. Maybe it's just my USB 2.0 card ... Or maybe it's just the way my machine is configured. But for whatever reason, I couldn't get this modem to work without poor performance and crashes. I have no choice but to return it and either look for another modem or continue using my old one. For what it's worth, I have had mixed results in the past with other USB powered devices. I've been bitten several times by devices that draw power through the same cable they send and receive data through. I will be very reluctant to buy such a device again.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawless
Review: The US Robotics 5633 installed to the USB without a glitch. The connection speeds have been consistent at 49-50K with no disconnects.
This is my third US Robotics modem, and they've all performed well.
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