3Com is best known to most for their ethernet products. One of 3Com's founders,
Rober Metcalfe, is credited with inventing ethernet. To many, their ethernet cards are considered the best around, as are their hubs, etc. Unfortunatly, their
price often reflects this, being very much above their competitors.
After they bought out
US Robotics, 3Com dominated the
modem industry for a time as well. This is becomig of less and less importance, since modem sales have been slipping due to
broadband access becoming more common. 3Com seems to know this, as new development in their modems seems to be non-existant.
Recently 3Com has both left the
enterprise networking market, and spun off the
palm pilot division into its own company.
3Com still makes good products. However, there is a big problem. Like most large, long-running companies,
decay has set in. There seems to be less innovation coming from the company, and some product lines seem
stagnent. The worst however, is their
tech support. It is
horrid. Phone support is nothing but on hold waits, and the
run around. Email support is worse, if an answer is given, it generally takes several days.
3Com is still a good company, they just seem to be in
decline.