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Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : Ah, the perils of crappy modems.


brentmisato
07-07-2003, 12:54 AM
I'm having a problem with my modems. Two of them to be precice.

1) I have an internal US Robotics 56k Win, passes all the diagnostic tests, dials, it'll even let you use a regular phone through it. However, it won't pick up a dialtone whatsoever. Nothing happened to it either, I'd gone outside for a smoke one day, had been using it perfectly for over two years with no hitch, evn when I upgraded to ME (and a month afterward, XP Pro) seems to work just wonderfully in theory, but I simply can't get a dialtone to come up. I can even get said tone from a phone attached through it, which I think is just odd.

2) So I got an external modem, specifically, a hand-me-down External by the name of 'Modem Blaster model DE5625'. It seemed to be a godsend initially, but the thing seems to randomly stop downloading, and the 'Clear to Send' light also randomly goes out. At first I thought it was people calling me, but determined that to be wrong. The real kicker is that I had to give up Everquest, because the CS light would always go out within five minutes of me signing in, if not while signing in, and I could never stay connected (as any EQ'er will tell you, going LD can sooo get you killed). I've only been able to find one version of the driver for this thing on the net, and it's not signed for XP.

3) I'm poor. I can't afford my own, much better internet service, so I have to go through my female's AO(explitive deleted)L account and that just makes things ten times worse, simply because it's AOL, and not a real ISP. If I had my way, I'd be connecting through the RJ-45 port on the back of my box, but I can't.

Any sugguestions welcome. I've done all I can think of.

omendata
07-07-2003, 01:02 AM
check the usr website - they have a fix!

or this thread
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140786

Eric Legge
07-08-2003, 05:33 PM
The only time I could use the phone but couldn't get a dial tone with a 56K modem was when one of the wire connectors in the phone box connected the wall somehow came out of its groove and was touching one of the other wire connectors.

If you look at the phone jack, it has grooves that fit into slots in the wall socket. These slots have wires in them. One of them had come out and was touching the wire in one of the other slots.

When I used a screwdriver to put it back in its slot I could dial out with the modem and phone.

I think this happened because I have to remove the phone jack and put the modem jack in to go online.

Eric,
http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

brentmisato
07-08-2003, 07:56 PM
Now my computer won't recognise the external. How hillarious!

I just looove things randomly ceasing to work.

omendata
07-08-2003, 08:06 PM
The threads getting rather long Eric - hes already got another modem that works

Its the USB side of things thats the problem!!!

Have you actually installed the updated drivers from the website or even looked at the website yet - that should always be the first place of call - also flash your modem if you can!!!

omendata
07-08-2003, 08:11 PM
Nope - wrong thread - take a look at the other thread going on here - its a corker!!!

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140786

And its US robotics again

I dunno - Hayes modems never gave me this much trouble!!!

BipolarBill
07-09-2003, 01:48 AM
One of the problems is these new "all-in-one" telco packages. They often include an answering service. You know the one - you pick up the receiver and hear a staccato dial-tone. That means there are messages waiting. It also means that the modem wacks out because there is no steady dial-tone. Configuring the modem to not wait for a dial tone usually fixes this.