Modem

[mike_2457]

When I try to connect with my modem, I get a "no dial tone found" error message. My line is connected to "line" and my phone is connected to "phone" on the back of my machine. When I listen, there's a dial tone. My machine uses com1 for a mouse and I've disabled com2 in BIOS for my modem. I've tried an older 56K Zoom modem as well as a brand new modem. I've followed the troubleshooting instructions in Windows 98. Nothing seems to work. Any ideas anyone? I'd love some help here.

Thanks

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Thanks,
Mike

[BigBlue66]

Hey,

You might try the following, although I won't guarantee joy to be found.

1) Boot up in Safe Mode. Go to Device Manager and remove all instances of modems that you see. Reboot in normal mode and let Windows find and install the drivers for the modem again.

2) This is important: If you have a winmodem, you have to install the drivers using the setup.exe or install.exe on the disk that came with the modem. You can tell if you have a winmodem by several things, 1)It is a PCI modem (this is not always true but a good place to start), 2) the product number has HSF, HCF or winmodem in the description. (There are few others that I can't remember)

3) IF you have a winmodem, boot up in Safe Mode. Remove all instances of modems that you see in Device Manager. Power down and physically remove the modem. Boot up in normal mode and run the setup.exe or the install.exe file located on the driver disk that came with the modem. Power down and physically install the modem. Reboot in normal mode. That should fix it.

If none of the above fixes it, then you may have to re-enable com 2 in BIOS.

Good luck.

Big Blue 66


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Woe is me.

[spaceAlien]

> My machine uses com1 for a mouse and I've disabled com2 in BIOS for my
> modem.

Suspicious...

I always thought disabled meant "doesn't work at all." If mouse is using com1, then what is the modem using? How can the modem use com2 if it is disabled in the bios?

Am I missing something terribly simple here?

Grins --


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HEY YOU -- MODERATOR -- CHANGE MY STATUS TO "HECKLER"

[mike_2457]

Last night I booted up in Safe Mode, removed all instances of modems, physically remove the modem, ran the setup program, reinstalled PnP modem. No dial tone found. Checked the line into the modem, listened for dial tone,--Nothing. Ran line to another computer, got online fine. So, it's a modem setup not a line problem.

My modem is assigned to com2 in DM. However, the IRQ is interupt 11. This is funny, isn't it? It should be 3 or 4, I think. But, DM won't let me change the interupt. My Phone Dialer, and this may be IMPORTANT, tells be the modem is in use when it clearly isn't.

I needed to disable com2 in BIOS, inorder for my modem software to set my modem to com2. Otherwise, the modem was set to (virtual?) com3, which didn't work either.

I'm thinking of buying a PCI hardware modem that will allow me to set the interupt with jumpers. Crazy modems.

Comments, suggestions, vacation ideas ... ?

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Thanks,
Mike

[BigBlue66]

Yes, but if the modem is assigned to COM 2 by the setup program, and COM 2 is disabled in BIOS, I don't see how it would work. Have you tried re-enabling COM 2 in the BIOS???

Other than that, I am at a loss here. It could be a bad modem, it can happen. Not sure about the IRQ assignment. Is IRQ 11 being used by another component perhaps? You can check in Device Manager under Computer.

Do you have any ISA slots on your motherboard? If so, I would consider buying one for the ISA slot. Those are most often hardware modems and present far fewer problems.

Don't give up, never surrender. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif We will get it sorted out yet. First, enable COM 2 in BIOS. See if that helps. Second, check to make sure IRQ 11 is only being used by the modem.

Post back with those details and we'll go from there.

Good luck.

Big Blue 66


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Woe is me.

[alberto]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BigBlue66:
Yes, but if the modem is assigned to COM 2 by the setup program, and COM 2 is disabled in BIOS, I don't see how it would work. Have you tried re-enabling COM 2 in the BIOS

I used to think all the same like you. But with my new moterboard, EPOX KTA3, the only way I found to run properly my winmodem was disabling both serial ports (COM1 and COM2) in the BIOS. By luck, I have a PS/2 Mouse. The error I got was the same descripted here: "no dial tone found" with all the same simptoms that is suffering mike_2457.
I agree with you, is something without any logic for me. Maybe something crazy is happening with the P&P in Win98, because in the same machine I run Windows 2000 and all worked fine under Win200, even with the two COM in the BIOS.
The only thing I must to try (when I can) is to make a new attempt but this time with a hardware modem.

Hope this can help something

[Boo Radley]

When I first installed Window$ 98SE after buying my PC, I had an IRQ conflict between internal modem (Netcomm 56K) and the sound card, causing the modem to drop out when sound played. The modem was installed on COM 3.

The only fix for this was to 'disable' COM 2 in BIOS, remove the sound card and then re-install it. Even though the modem is still on COM 3, Window$ has assigned the modem the IRQ settings for COM 2, and now works well, with no conflicts.

Maybe the modem should be allocated to COM 3 in your case?

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Zed's dead baby. Zed's dead!

[sea69]

I'm thinking enable com2 and make sure that you have the right drivers.. the EXACT driver for that particular modem, and it may just work like 'magic'.. this is the same type problem I had last week.

the drivers were the solution... remember a 'software' modem is only half a modem, without the correct software it isn't even a good paperwieght.

(be sure when you install the drivers that is using windows provided ones that they are for THAT MODEM exactly, and if you do install new drivers be sure to 1st remove all the previous ones in safe mode.)



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sea1_69@hotmail.com

homepage (http://www.seanweb1.homestead.com/3.html)


;)~

[mike_2457]

Hi to all those who responded to my initial post. I have been quiet since July 17th, but I wanted to make sure I followed up with everyone. Especially, because everyone has been so helpful.

Basically, I tried all these suggestions. A few computer A+ techs have told me it's okay to disable com2 in BIOS. The PC can still assign com2 to the modem and the modem should work. You can't, of course, physically plug something into the serial port, however, and expect it to work once it has been disabled in BIOS.

Apparently, in my case, the modem isn't communicating properly with the system board. A computer store tried twice to install a modem. Each time, the modem's fuse went. A modem surge protector didn't solve the problem either. Instead of buying a new system board, however, I'm going to try an external modem. If that doesn't work, I won't use the machine with a modem I guess.

I'll let everyone know what happens. Thanks again for all the help and advice. This is a great forum.

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Thanks,
Mike

[mike_2457]

I purchased an external modem that works just fine.

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Thanks,
Mike