Ethernet vs. USB modems

In almost almost every situation replace a USB modem with a modem that has an Ethernet connection. The reasons for this are numerous and include:

• In the comms arena Ethernet vs. USB really is a no-brainer.
• Ethernet is a communications standard with 25 years pedigree.
• Off-loading the comms software to the Ethernet card reduces the processing load on the CPU: in the case of USB this activity must be carried out by the CPU thereby impacting performance of the PC.
• Use USB for what it is good at, e.g. adding peripherals (scanners, cameras, web-cams, hard-drives, etc) easily, and use Ethernet for what it is designed for (comms); i.e. don't waste USB ports on things they weren't designed for.
• The majority of routers, with both its wired and wireless capabilities, gives instant ability to extend the network. All that the PCs require is either a wireless card or a standard Network Interface Card (NIC) which it pretty well standard in PCs these days. An extension via USB is often not as simple as that.