I'm getting a no dial tone error with my modem. Is it possible that a short in the phone jack trashed my modem? I'm having trouble with the phone jack. The phone does work but if I bump or move the cord the thing will cut out on me. I have just reinstalled Windows 98se. The problem with the modem started before I reinstalled windows. Windows does see the modem and I have the drivers installed.

Plug a Phone into the Modems Phone jack.
Then work on the wiring from the Modem to the wall outlet.
When the Phone works then the Modem should work.

Agree with Rick..you might need a new wall plug gizmo. But another thing that I noticed recently because configuring new puter across the room from wall plug is that it has to be "all the way" into the wall too. Sometimes you hear a "click" on the jack and think it's in, but the cord is not all the way into the wall. Would get the "no dial tone" message. And I too noticed that if I moved the cord, my connection changed..so not a good phone cord. The shorter the cord, the better..and in your case, a "new" phone cord might help too. Also, we run all our phone cords through surge protectors because we live in a "iffy" power area and lots of people in this area have lost phones from surges. We have seen fried modems from that too..so a surge protector with phone protection is a good idea.

Ok, here's what I've done. I pluged the phone into the modem got a dial tone on the phone and couldn't conect. I took the modem out and tried it in my computer on my W98se partition and it didn't work. I also ran modem Id utility I got from US robitics and it said there was no modem. I think it's dead. Like you said Kay you've seen a surge kill a modem I think that's what has happened with me.

So here is were I stand. I have an other modem I pulled from an other computer but I have no idea who made it. How can I find out who made the thing. It has lucent chips.

Lucent
v90p
t-recv
99475-2747943
98 Lucent

Lucent
1034c-j
0004T
27243741

It looks like you have a Lucent / Agere Soft Modem. Here (http://www.modemsite.com/56k/lucentamr.asp) is a page that describes the modem and the different available drivers.

You might want to poke around that site and see if you can determine which driver might be best for you.

Good Luck,
Computer Mutt

Perhaps a long shot...

There are some phones, and perhaps modems, that may need to have the actual phone wiring polarity checked.

Some phones are not bothered if the polarity is reversed, others are sensitive and will not work. I was ready to pull hair once trying to troubleshoot a phone that would not work another phone I had would. It would work in the modular test jack where the line first came into the house and in one other jack but not in three other extensions.

What I found was that the electricians had inadvertantly reversed the polarity on those three, and this particular phone would have none of it! :D

If you are not sure, there is an inexpensive device you can pick up from Radio Shack that plugs into the socket and will display on the LEDs whether the polarity is correct.

If, however, it worked before, this might be a moot point. Although, I might have saved someone from premature baldness. :rolleyes: If you suspect that you were hit with a surge, I'd pull the phone jack from the wall and check for possible damage or a loose connection.

What does the Control Panel > Modems, "Diagnostics" show. If it shows responses from your modem then it is OK, and your problem is the phone line. If the Diagnostics show a modem problem you may have the wrong driver installed, a possibility with sofware modems. Also if you've been uninstalling/installing drivers you may need to re-do the dial-up connection entry for your ISP as it may be pointing to a non-existent modem.

Most likely your missing one section of the "device driver" software layer. Often there are two components to "winmodems". One provides a "softport" one binds the modem device to the port.

You can have the modem installed and "look OK" but not work.

Find the right driver and install and all would be OK. Except lots of times people don't remove the previous driver correctly and the new correct driver won't even install..... (it thinks it's already there)

If techs studied the "inf" files for these devices they would get a better handle on what is going when installing. However alot of these "weasels" are compiling these drivers into "setup.exe"s that pretty much screw you....oh and have a nice day....!

Thanks All. I just today got access to the site Mutt posted. It took a couple days to get that conformation email from them. So I'll get the drivers later tonight. I'm also getting a new phone jack. So hopefully I'll have the wife's computer back on line tonight and I won't have to share any more. :)

Okay..I am totally baffled. I posted on this thread yesterday, and submitted it, and read it..and POOF, not here anymore. Extremely weird.

Short recap..wanted to concur with sleddog and make sure you check through your DialUp settings again. I can't remember which error I got a couple of weeks ago, but somehow it had gotten set on "pulse" instead of "tone" dial..and the modem was listed under "Additional Devices." Both are things that we would not have done on purpose, but nevertheless were misset. And, when you're done, wouldn't hurt to check Safe mode for ghosts.

And good luck! My husband changed my newer puter over to my workstation last Sunday, and it was an act of will power not to hover over him anxiously as he installed drivers for printer, scanner, etc. I did manage to leave him be..but then heard the modem and came running back in here to make sure he remembered to turn on ZA (I don't have it turning on automatically). I am sure that your wife is less of a worry wart..but good luck, just the same.:)

If you are not sure, there is an inexpensive device you can pick up from Radio Shack that plugs into the socket and will display on the LEDs whether the polarity is correct. I HAVE ONE! Where IS it? Not a clue!!! I know it's not in my pocket protector!?! :p

setoguru,
I'm having a most similar problem as you. I inherited an HP PII 233 board with a 56kISA modem with Caller ID. Can't seem to make it work even to perceive a dial-tone. I have been watcing your thread intensely for about a week! If I'd have found a solution for my prob, you'd already have had a reply from me.

check Safe mode for ghosts.EXCELLENT IDEA KAY! I am the worst one here to ever use Safe Mode to look for hidden/ghosted errors. :( Haven't done that yet... and the thing is too disassembled to try immediately :(

What I HAVE done is try it 'every which way to Friday'. Uninstall, reinstall, with modem in, without, delete new connection first, then modem, On-modem speaker 'crackles' when I try to have it dial up a connection. And reports: "Modem cannot find a dial tone". I been hung on that part fer 3 days... It's a 3COMM, yay or nay? Everytime I install it I cannot install the newest drivers. Windows (auto) puts in their own. Period. Can't find the opportunity to pt the drivers I've D/Led in :confused:

Needless to say, I'm already shopping...

Edit: I must have TGIF on the brain,,, It's supposed to be Every which way to Sunday! :o Forgive me?

Have you made sure that there are no conflicts in Device Manager? Modems are notorious for targeting specific IRQs and creating conflicts. :(

The polarity devices look really strange with that little pig tail connector hanging out of a pocket protector! :( I'd avoid that! ;)

It's up and running and it gets better connections than the US Robitcs that went south. I uninstalled the old moden and the drivers. I used generic Lucent winmodem drivers. I put in a new phone jack also.

Thanks all.

Kewl! :D However, Set, it's wonderful to know that you were sharing with your Sweetie during a time of lack! ;)

:D :D Whyzman! Like he had a real choice on whether or not to "share" his puter..:D Can you say "marital harmony"???

Fruss: I think buying a new one is a good idea truthfully. We bought a US Robotics last year for this one I am on..and it was the only modem we've ever had that required a line in msconfig's StartUp to work. I called, got shuffled from number to number for a bit because tech support contracted out to independent parties..but was told that the modem driver had to turn on in StartUp or the modem wouldn't "turn on" to surf. Seems shabby to me..and so when we decided to tackle this one again this year, we bought a Performance Pro. Working good, but not really any better than the lowly HSP winmodem that came with my other puter from a shop in ABQ. What I am saying is that we've picked up quite a few "cheaper" modems for poor friends while shopping in ABQ, and they're working fine..so you don't need to spend a lot of money on one.