I use these 3com modems for dialup backup in case the DSL or cable connection goes down at commercial customers. I also keep a spare handy for the inevitable emergencies (like when the customer forgets to pay the DSL bill and it takes the DSL provider 10 days to restore service).
No drivers at all. You just plug it into an ethernet port on your computer(s). DHCP in the 3Com 3c886A assigns the computers their IP addresses. Point a web browser at the 3C886A, login, configure, test, and you're done. Setup is almost exactly the same as a DSL router, except that the WAN connection is a dialup modem instead of a DSL account.
Yes. It's really only useful for bonded (multilink) systems. Other than the 2nd modem, they're identical.
Not really. None of mine have blown up and done anything disgusting.
The only oddity I ran into was setting the idle timing. It was somewhat difficult to get it to stay hung up and not dial when the computers came active. The cute graphics on the main status page were more confusing than useful.