Solving Dial Up Modem Problems on Windows XP

[phoenixthoth]

i hope this is the right place for this. if not, i apologize.

I just bought a PCI creative modem blaster and I'm having some trouble connecting to my ISP. I've tried two ISPs and neither connect so I think it's a problem on my end.

I'm running windows XP

The drivers appear to have installed correctly and I can query the modem and get results, indicating that there is some life there. When I instruct my modem to dial via the ISPs' programs, it does dial and I hear the usual modem tones as the two modems connect. Normally, I hear the modem tones shut off as the modem continues to connect but currently, as soon as the modem tones die, I get booted off the line with a message like "unable to connect."

The two ISPs I've tried are WalMart connect and SBC Yahoo. On the second ISP, when I try to dial out to get access numbers, I get booted off the line as soon as the modem tones die off even though this normally indicates successful connection.

I tried looking at the IRQ for the modem and it was either in conflict or shared with a few other cards. I switched the modem to another slot in the hope that that would eleviate the IRQ issue and it did. The modem is now exclusively on IRQ 11 (ie no other devices share that IRQ except maybe hidden devices--come to think of it).

I have the updated driver though I would think the drivers from the CD would be good enough.

Any assistance you can provide would be very much appreciated.

 

[gnome]

Which slot is it in?

A couple of years ago I was having a hell of a time trying to get a pci modem to work in a computer I was building. Some tech support guy told me that pci modems like to be in slot #4 and sure enough, as soon as I moved it, it worked fine.

(I'm pretty sure it was slot #4, although there's a slight chance it might have been #3. Sorry, I'm not at home so I can't look in the box.)

 

[syano]

Use “dial-up networking” and enter the number of your cell phone or secondary home phone, or any nearby phone and just put anything in as logon name in pass… hit connect and see if you can get your cell phone or home phone to ring. If it doesn’t ring then we need to troubleshoot the modem, if it does ring then we need to trouble shoot the ISP…

Let us know if you need any help setting up dialup networking. It’s really easy.

I would recommend while troubleshooting this to get your hands on an account with an ISP that doesn’t require their software to connect to them. AOL requires their software so don’t use them… I’m not sure about WallMart and the other one you mentioned… but the bottom line is to connect using Windows Dial-Up Networking with a logon name, pass, and local access number (found prior to connecting)…and no third party software.

If the error message is no more specific then "unable to connect" then check “event viewer” to see if you can get a better description.

You have probably already done this, but if not then go to “device manager” and check to see if there is a yellow question mark or red circle under the modem section.

HTH,

P.S. PCI devices can share IRQ numbers with other PCI devices of similar type.

 

[Artman]

Do you get to the screen that says it is trying to verify the password?

I have had what you describe happen because I mis-entered part of my user name, the ISP couldn't find it and disconnected me.