US Robotics Gateway 2000 TelePath 33.6 ISA Modem x2 87173102 1.012.0478-B

US Robotics Gateway 2000 TelePath 33.6 ISA Modem x2 87173102 1.012.0478-B

The US Robotics Gateway 2000 TelePath is a 33.6 Kbps internal ISA dial-up modem built around U.S. Robotics' proprietary x2 technology, which enabled downstream speeds of up to 56 Kbps before the V.90 standard was ratified. Manufactured by U.S. Robotics for Gateway 2000 under the TelePath brand, this card was bundled with Gateway 2000 desktop PCs in the mid-to-late 1990s as their included modem solution. It installs into any 16-bit ISA slot and provides two RJ-11 jacks on the bracket — one for the phone line and one for a pass-through handset connection.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: U.S. Robotics, Inc. (branded for Gateway 2000)
• Part Number / MPN: 87173102
• Product Revision: 1.012.0478-B (R: 2)
• Type: Internal ISA dial-up modem
• Bus Interface: ISA (16-bit Industry Standard Architecture)
• Maximum Data Rate: 33.6 Kbps (V.34+); x2 Technology (up to 56 Kbps downstream)
• Technology: x2 — U.S. Robotics' pre-V.90 proprietary 56K protocol
• Connectors: 2× RJ-11 on bracket (Line / Phone)
• On-board speaker visible on PCB (modem dial/connect audio)
• Main controller IC: Texas Instruments (large QFP package, center of PCB — full marking partially obscured)
• FCC ID: CAEUSA-24478-M8-E
• UL Listed Accessory (UL file 70N3)
• Platform: TelePath for Windows (Windows 95/98 era)
• Copyright: U.S. Robotics 1997; PCB date code 98/15
• Included: ISA modem card only — no software, cables, or documentation

Applications

This card dates from the 1997–1998 period when ISA modem slots were standard in mid-tower desktop PCs and 33.6–56K dial-up was the mainstream consumer internet connection method. The Gateway 2000 TelePath line was the OEM modem solution shipped inside Gateway 2000 machines — among the best-selling consumer PCs of that era — making these cards a common sight in late-1990s Windows 95 and Windows 98 desktops. The x2 technology was U.S. Robotics' answer to Rockwell's K56flex before the industry settled on the V.90 standard in 1998; x2 modems required an x2-compatible ISP termination point to achieve the higher downstream rate, though they negotiated standard V.34 at 33.6 Kbps otherwise. Today, these cards are sought by collectors and hobbyists restoring period-correct 1990s PCs, by vintage computing enthusiasts running BBS or dial-up setups, and occasionally by industrial or embedded applications that still rely on POTS dial-up connectivity with ISA-slot legacy hardware.