🚀 go-pugleaf

"Andy Judge" <andy.judge@belgravium.co.uk> wrote in message
news:pg2sgu4m4dl7c7guuro38h2u0dp93u162a@4ax.com...
> In a word - HELP !
>
> I am trying to sort out a problem on my parents PC (unfortunately, they
are
> 160 miles away in Portsmouth !)
>
> The story...
>
> Their PC was in need of a sort out and they had been unable to get a
dial-up
> connection working with their USB modem for some time.  The decided that
they
> would like an updated PC, so when I visited them a couple of weeks ago, I
> upgraded them with a new MOBO/proc/mem/HD, and did a full re-install of
> Windows ME.
>
> Every thing went fine, and the new system is stable.  The only thing I
> couldn't get working was their modem.  I tried all the usual things, and
came
> to the conclusion that as the modem didn't work on their old PC, or their
new
> PC or my laptop, whereas my (PCMCIA) modem in my laptop did work with
their
> phone line, that the modem was duff.
>
> After I came home, M&D went and bought a new modem (USB from Novatech
> (www.novatech.co.uk) - a fairly generic Smartlink type thing - same as
their
> previous one).
>
> Same problem :-(
>
> It all installs happily, WinME happily talks to the driver (and I believe
the
> device as the lights come on when attempting to dial), Diagnostics check
out
> OK, but it just won't dial.  Picking up a handset, DigitalDot says "Please
> replace your handset".  Using Hyperterm, one can happily use AT commands,
but
> it WILL NOT DIAL (getting cross now...)
>
> M&D took modem back to Novatech who checked it and decided that it was
faulty,
> replaced it with another which does the same thing - ie NOT DIAL !
>
> BT have checked the line - OK - and anyway voice calls and my modem are
fine
>
> I got M&D to remove all other phones/wiring from master socket - to no
avail.
>
> I've run out of ideas now (which is a bit embarrassing as I am s/w
engineer
> come PC techie :-( )
>
> So, what does the panel think ?

The usual problem with modems in the UK being unable to dial is a phone
interface issue. That is, the telephone wiring requirements in the UK differ
from many other countries and a special cable or an adapter is required.
Another possible issue is country code (though I would think that shouldn't
be an issue with modems purchased within the UK). If you have already
addressed these with the vendors who are selling you these modems then I am
at as much of a loss as you are.


--

Hooda Gest
"The only thing I do immediately is procrastinate."

In message <_kpP8.46407$UT.3177469@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, 
Hooda Gest <Be_@One_With.Calm> writes
>
>"Andy Judge" <andy.judge@belgravium.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:pg2sgu4m4dl7c7guuro38h2u0dp93u162a@4ax.com...
>> In a word - HELP !
>>
>> I am trying to sort out a problem on my parents PC (unfortunately, they
>are
>> 160 miles away in Portsmouth !)
>
>The usual problem with modems in the UK being unable to dial is a phone
>interface issue. That is, the telephone wiring requirements in the UK differ
>from many other countries and a special cable or an adapter is required.

While this is true of US modems sold in this country, it isn't common 
with too many.  I have the problem with a USR modem that requires a 
2-wire phone cable instead of the usual UK 4-wire for the USR to work. 
Strangely the 2-wire works fine with all my UK modems but the 4-wire UK 
won't work with USR.

I wouldn't have thought that Novatech would be branding US modems - my 
(old) Novatech definitely works on a UK phone wire.

I'm not familiar with WinME so not a lot of help, I'm afraid.  It does 
sound like one of those obvious things which are only obvious once you 
have found them.
-- 
Duncan K
Downtown Dalgety Bay

"Duncan Kennedy" <obg@otterson-bg.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1MYW0wA27iD9EwSg@otterson-bg.co.uk...
> In message <_kpP8.46407$UT.3177469@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
> Hooda Gest <Be_@One_With.Calm> writes
> >
> >"Andy Judge" <andy.judge@belgravium.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:pg2sgu4m4dl7c7guuro38h2u0dp93u162a@4ax.com...
> >> In a word - HELP !
> >>
> >> I am trying to sort out a problem on my parents PC (unfortunately, they
> >are
> >> 160 miles away in Portsmouth !)
> >
> >The usual problem with modems in the UK being unable to dial is a phone
> >interface issue. That is, the telephone wiring requirements in the UK
differ
> >from many other countries and a special cable or an adapter is required.
>
> While this is true of US modems sold in this country, it isn't common
> with too many.  I have the problem with a USR modem that requires a
> 2-wire phone cable instead of the usual UK 4-wire for the USR to work.
> Strangely the 2-wire works fine with all my UK modems but the 4-wire UK
> won't work with USR.

The USRs are always internally wired to the US/Canada standard.

>
> I wouldn't have thought that Novatech would be branding US modems - my
> (old) Novatech definitely works on a UK phone wire.


I wouldn't either but I would make sure.


>
> I'm not familiar with WinME so not a lot of help, I'm afraid.  It does
> sound like one of those obvious things which are only obvious once you
> have found them.


I don't think it is inherently a WinME problem since WinME is essentially
Win95 plus a few unneeded enhancements. Drivers can sometimes make a
difference, especially if the modems are PCI internals and softmodems or
even controllerless. Also, USB modems can have problems with drivers under
WinME so you might consider that also. We always want PnP to work well but
we shouldn't count on it. In most cases, the Win98 drivers will work with
WinME but, unfortunately, not always.


--

Hooda Gest
"The only thing I do immediately is procrastinate."

Andy Judge wrote:
> 
> In a word - HELP !
> 
> I am trying to sort out a problem on my parents PC (unfortunately, they are
> 160 miles away in Portsmouth !)
> 
> The story...
>
Are you SURE the modem to phone socket cable is the right one. I had 2
once both looked exactly the same but one was a phone to phone cable the
other a phone skt to modem cable - try the cable on another modem


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