Xircom RealPort

Xircom has always been the master of the multifunction PC Card. Its last visit to PC Pro was with the CEM56-100BTX (reviewed issue 44, p168) - a clever mix of Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, 56K modem and GSM.

The RealPort shares these capabilities but adds a feature that makes it unique. Instead of using cumbersome LAMs (line adaptor modules), the RealPort has the full range of standard sockets built into the card. If you want to network your laptop, just plug in a 10BaseT cable with an RJ-45 connector. Phone connections are also easy, as the RealPort has two RJ-11 sockets ready to go. The biggest problem with LAMs is losing or breaking them - you can't just nip down to the local computer shop and pick up a new one. However, you won't experience any such problems with the RealPort, as you only need a length of cable with standard connectors.

Starting from the left, there's a GSM mobile port, which is compatible with a wide range of handsets, but you should check before buying. Above this is a row of four status lights showing network activity and link status, along with modem carrier and receive/transmit information. Two RJ-11 sockets are provided for line-out and handset connection, next to an RJ-45 network port. Standard fax services are supported, but the usual software bundle of Delrina WinFax and WinCom Lite is no longer included.

When I slotted the card into my Pentium/133 laptop, one problem became immediately apparent. As the RealPort doesn't sit proud of the laptop socket, the legend for the connectors and the status lights are awkward to see. It's irritating but not critical. That aside, the RealPort worked well enough. For network speed trials I logged into a Fujitsu teamserver running NetWare 4.11 and ran Novell's Perform3 utility, which reported a top speed of 7.1Mbits/sec over standard Ethernet. It's slightly slower than the CEM56-100BTX but good enough. For Fast Ethernet connections you won't see a ten-fold increase in network performance, because the RealPort is a 16-bit card. This acts as a massive bottleneck and the card's highest Perform3 throughput figure of just 10.5Mbits/sec confirmed this.

I downloaded some files from my local ISP's FTP site to test the RealPort's modem performance. The best speeds were achieved with a 3.8Mb Word document, retrieved at an average of 79.5Kbits/sec; noticeably slower than Pace's NB 56 Voice (reviewed below). The RealPort can be upgraded to V.90 status, but Xircom has been dragging its heels. When I reviewed the CEM56, I was told an upgrade would be available as early as May, but this was subsequently put back to August. By the time you read this review, Xircom should have posted a beta version on its Web site, supporting both V.90 and K56Flex, with the final version ready for release by September.

At a surprisingly reasonable price point, the RealPort provides an innovative solution to the problems multiple communications pose mobile users. Its performance isn't radical, but the lack of any proprietary cables more than makes up for this.

Author: Dave Mitchell