What is a WinModem, software modem, or controllerless modem?
The terms “WinModem,” “software modem,” and “controllerless modem,” all describe the same type of modem device: They are a relatively new type of modem that is less expensive to manufacture but have also raised concerns about their often poor performance. What makes them different is that they do not have the physical communications port controller circuitry that traditional hardware-based modems have, hence the name “controllerless modem,” as they are sometimes called. Instead, much of the modem’s work is done by the rest of the computer’s resources, like the microprocessor, system memory, etc. In fact, if you look at a WinModem, you will see that there is very little electronic circuitry on the modem expansion card. They are typically PCI cards that occupy an expansion slot inside the computer’s case, but sometimes that little bit of electronic circuitry is built right into the computer’s main board. Are WinModems “bad?” WinModems are not “bad.” It is just that hardware-based modems
