USB Modem redirection to a VM

[qmacker]

I've been hacking away for ages trying to get a dial-up modem to work inside a View desktop, running any version of Windows. vSphere 4. VMware View 4.6.0 build-366101.

Tried hooking up two different types of USB modem directly to a thin client (Samsung NC240). Lots of other USB devices redirect fine this way (printers, flash drives, etc.). Not modems. Tried on Windows 7 64-bit. XP 32-bit. Always seem to have a problem with the driver - machine freezes halfway through the installation - doesn't matter which manufacturer of modem, or which driver I use (drivers work fine on "real" computers running Windows 7 or XP). After restarting the virtual machine, the device then shows up in Device Manager. However, it doesn't work. If you try and dial-up with it, it crashes/resets the entire VM (Win7 or XP).

I then tried a different way: Using Fabulatech's USB-over-Network, I attached the modem to a KNOWN GOOD WORKSTATION (not a VM), and then shared it using USB-over-Network. I installed the software on the VM and connected to the target machine with the modem. Again, the VM detected it, but it simply won't work and has the same driver issues.

Should I go out and buy 3rd modem to try? Maybe a 4th and a 5th as well? I've been at this business long enough that I just "know" when something "ain't gonna work." I wonder why? It's just a modem, for heaven's sake. The modems show up as the following in Device Manager, depending on which one I try to install:

Agere Systems USB 2.0 Soft Modem

Motorola SM56 USB Data Fax Modem

NOTE: The modem works absolutely fine with a standalone XP computer using the same driver disk. It just doesn't want to work on a virtual machine.

There's an old thread here on the subject, but no solution to my problem: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/180499

[RDPetruska]

Thread moved from VMware Server 2 to VMware View™ (with View Manager)

[gunnarb]

To start I'd drop the USB modem, and just get a USB to serial cable, then find an old serial modem.  At least there is support for the USB to serial adapaters.  However, I highly doubt a modem is going to work if you need it for any kind of dial up service.  If you think about it, it does make sense.  A modem "syncs" with the modem on the other end.  During the handshake process both modems continue to dumb down there baud rates until both can talk in sync.  Being that this modem would have to pass over a VDI session which is remote, the modem would never be able to talk in sync and therefore it would be worthless.  If its not something that has to do a handshake you might have a chance, but I have a hard time beleving this coudl work (even forgetting driver issues).