 CCIL
Help Desk strives to satisfy user requests by responding
within 24 hours.
One of the problems that dialup service have is the user can
not logon to their ISP. Either the ISP is having connection
problems, or the user modem configuration is preventing
them to logon. The following article may help the user to fix
their problem when they are unable to find help online.
Diagnosing
Modem
Problems
Our Help Desk sometimes receives requests from our users to
fix their dial-up connection problems. Generally, either an
internal PCI modem or external modem is installed on the user
PC. Both types have their own set of programming that set them
apart. They perform the same function. They are complex
devices that translate digital and analog data back forth into the appropriate form
for communicating with other computers. All that conversion and communication
offer plenty of chances for problems, but the following troubleshooting suggestions
should help you solve them.
Slow Connection Speed
● If both your modem and
your Internet service provider (ISP) support connections of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps), but you
rarely connect faster than 21.6 or 24 Kbps, phone line conditions may be the problem. Try hanging
up and dialing again and try dialing an alternate access number. If your modem connects
at a faster speed, it did not cause the initial slowdown.
Poor
Connections
● If poor connections persist, verify that the speed
of your computer's serial port is set for 38400bps
or higher. To adjust
serial port speed (the speed at which the computer connects to
the modem), click Start, Settings, Control Panel, then
double-click Modems. Select the modem you want to check and
click Properties. Verify the
entry in the Maximum speed drop-down box.
If it's less than 38.4Kbps, increase it.
Fails
to Dial
● If your modem fails to
dial, check the obvious possibilities. Verify that line and phone cables attached to the
modem are plugged in, attached correctly, and in good condition. Make sure you're using the line jack to connect the modem
to the telephone line and the phone jack to
connect to the telephone. If you've reversed
line
and phone cables, the modem won't work. One of the cables may be wired incorrectly.
Loose
Hardware
● If the modem is an internal unit, verify
that the card is firmly seated in an expansion slot. If it
isn't fully pushed
in, the computer cannot recognize it. If the modem is an external
unit, check the power cord and power
switch, then check the serial cable
and connection. Occasionally a cable
will fail. Try replacing the cable
with one that works. Verify that the serial port is turned on
by checking the
computer's CMOS settings at Setup.
On most computers, pressing F2 at startup
lets you access Setup settings. The setting for the
serial port should indicate that the device is enabled
and not in conflict with another device.
Location
Settings
● Location Check. If the modem cuts out before a call
completes, check your location settings. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel. Double-click Telephony and
then dick the My Locations tab. Verify your area code and country/region settings. Click
the Area Code Rules button to examine additional settings. Make changes if necessary and
click OK.
Configuration
Settings
● Use the Modems Control
Panel to test your modem's
configuration. Click your modem to select
it, then click the Diagnostics tab. The Modem Properties dialog box displays the COM ports
(serial ports) in your PC. Click the COM port
assigned to your modem, then click the More
Info button to send test signals to your modem. If the device
is working, More Info responds with data about the serial port, IRQ (interrupt)
setting, I/O Port Address, and Universal
Asynchronous Receive/Transmit ( UART)
chip installed.
Conflicting
Configuration
● If Diagnostics responds with a Couldn't Open Port error message, your
modem is incorrectly installed.
The device may be set up to use the same
I/O port address or IRQ setting as another device. To determine whether there is an I/O or IRQ conflict,
right-click My Computer, click Properties,
click Device Manager, then look for
devices marked with a
yellow exclamation point, which indicates a resource conflict. Click the offending device to
select it, dick Properties and the Resources tab. Remove the checkmark from Use Automatic Settings
and choose a non-conflicting configuration from the Setting
Based On drop-down list. Do not
use a modem on COM3 if your mouse is configured to use COM1 because both ports often
use the same IRQ setting. Similarly do not set up two devices for use on COM2 and COM4. Leave the
modem on COM2 and switch the other device to COM1. Click OK. Click OK again.
Can
Not Detect Modem
● If
the Device Manager has no entry for Modem,
Windows did not detect the device at startup.
You'll have to install it manually. Turn off
the computer and connect the necessary cables
and power cords. If you have a slot-based modem, make sure the
card is seated correctly.
Start up your PC and at the Windows Desktop,
click Start, Settings, Control Panel. Double-click
Modems. Click Add to run the Install
New Modem wizard. Select Don't Detect
My Modem, I Will Select It From A List. Click
Next and choose your modem's manufacturer
from the Manufacturers list and the model from the Models
list. Select the Communications
port your modem is using and
click Finish. Test the installed modem by clicking
More Info on the Diagnostics tab of the Modems
Control Panel.
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