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Dial up, yes dial up

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12 replies

by horrorshow247

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I went to a job the other day and this persons dial up was not working. The computer said when tryingto dial that it either had no dial tone or that the phone line was already in use. This was connected to a second phone line. There was no phone connected from the pc to the sencond phone outlet. They said that they have always had it like that and it works. The went on a weekend trip and came back and it has not worked since. The computer says it has 100% communication with the modem and the device mananger shows no problems. So I am stumped.

12 replies

by horrorshow247

I was hopeing for a response. Guess everyone is also stumped.

by ic-it

a bit confusing "This was connected to a second phone line. There was no phone connected from the pc to the sencond phone outlet."
Huh?
Is there a line coming from any outlet (wall jack) to the line in on the modem?
Go into the modem properties and turn the modem speaker way up. Listen for the dial tone as it initializes.

by horrorshow247

The line from the wall jack is going straight into the modem. It would not give me a dial tone at all when I tested it. What gets me is that they said that is how they use it.

by naughtymonkey

it is plugged into the correct port on the modem. Test it with a telephone if possible. If no dial tone with phone attached then change cable. If you have no dial tone it isn't the computers fault, it is the phone line or other physical wiring going to the computer.

by horrorshow247

That is what i said and told the people. I also suggested that they call the phoen company and they said they did. The phone company said all their stuff works fine. Big susprise.

by naughtymonkey

changing the cable and make sure it is plugged into the correct port.

Also, they may say it has always worked like this and they have not changed anything, but that doesn't mean you should believe them.

I have had many a call that nothing has changed, but something had changed. You just fix it and make up an excuse for what happened.

If you call them on a lie though they are likely to not ask for your services again.

by horrorshow247

I tried a different cable in the differnet ports and all the combos there in. Thank you for the help though. I was just hopeing i had not missed something. But have you head of a modem not being hooked to a phone, but just pluged straight into wall.

by naughtymonkey

if they have a computer room and need no phone in there then there would be no phone. Even then the phone is hooked to the modem and not the wall or goes into a splitter.

by thechas

Personally, I would just install a new modem and be done with this.

First, verify that the phone line itself is functional.

Plug a phone into the wall jack and verify the dial-tone.

Then, plug the phone into the output jack on the modem and verify the line passes through the modem.

If this all works, remove the modem and verify that there are no burnt components on the input line side.

Remember, all Windows does when it checks the modem is to verify that the controller chip functions and reports no errors.

Any number of components on the phone line side could fail and Windows would still report the modem as working.

As was stated elsewhere, you do not need a phone connected to the line in order to use the modem.

In fact, since this is a second line for Internet access, not having a phone on the line cuts down on phone spam. If you never answer the phone, they don't call back.

Chas

by miamipctech

It is quite frustation when it does not work because the software or OS will give you meaningless errors that do not help most of the time.

1) Always check the basics
a) test the line with a regular analog phone
b) replace the phone cable (they are very inexpensive)
c) if you are using splitters or couplers test then with a regular phone
d) sometimes it is the phone jack!
e) if available use a laptop to test setup
f) reseat the modem card, and re-install the software

2)The modem is dead.
I have seen it many times where the OS reports the modem as OK, but the modem is really not working. Lighting is a modem killer and phone lines carry electricity. That is why it is recommended that if you use dialup you get a power surge that has RJ11 or phone port protection.

Replace the modem if everything in step 1 check ok, but you are still having problems.

Ed

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