Modems: Which baud rate should I use for my modem?

The baud rate settings for dialup modems are used as maximums. It is probaby in your best interest (speed wise) to set the baud rate to the highest setting available. The modem will negotiate the approprate speed up to that setting.

The only reason you may need to select a lower rate is when communicating with another device. If you have a palm pilot attached to your computer via the modem you may have to lower the setting. Typically, a palm pilot can only listen at the 9600 speed. You will want to select this as the maximum baud rate so the computer doesn't speak too fast for the palm pilot.