Yes SmartMax is a Serial modem and yes it can hold configurations similar to the Modmax but with the SmartMax you have to use the web interface in order to fully configure your modem.
Web configuration will require using a USB cable between your computer and the SmartMax LAN USB port; also you will need to install the USB Ethernet/RNDIS Driver for the SmartMax.
Saying that, you can still do some configuration on the serial port, but not before initial Web configuration.