Dennis Veatch wrote:
>
> I having problems with modems. It started out with an Amquest 56K internal and
> also happens with the USR 56K external. These problems occur in Windows98 and
> L-M 6.1.
>
> Problem 1; The modem goes off hook, there is the dial tone, the number is
> dialed, the dial tone comes back. Sometimes the modem resets itself, most times
> not. I have verified the modem settings that are software related and used a
> terminal program to verify individually the settings of the modem profiles and
> S registers, all are at factory defaults.
This is an indication of a bad phone line or a defective modem.
It
means that your modem is not putting enough of a load on the
phone company switch to hold the voltage below a certain threshold
(at the phone company). This could happen, for instance, in the
modem if it had a bad relay (switch contact, the thingy that goes
click inside), or in the phone line if there are bad/rusty/high
resistance connection.
With house wiring, it could well affect the wiring going the the
jack in the computer room but not elsewhere in the house.
Most phone companies provide an outdoor box with a modular test
jack. When the box is opened with a wrench, there is a swingout
protector that disconnects the house's wiring and exposes a
conventional modular plug for that line. You can plug in a
regular phone cord there for testing. Get yourself a brand new
50 or 100 ft phone cord and run it thru a window to your modem
and see if the problem disappears.
The US Robotics 56K external does not have the Rockwell Chip Set.
It has a US Robotics/3Com chipset that is manufactured for them by
Texas Instruments. The Rockwell is a piece of junk, but the
USR/3Com/TI is a very_good chipset. In fact, it is the best.
However your dial tone irregularity indicates a phone line problem
or a defect in the modem itself. In modems I have seen those
after
surges like a powerline falling across phone wires, or lightning
strikes. These can happen miles from your house and can fry
wiring, modems, etc.
You can borrow a modem from someone to eliminate the possibility
of
a bad modem. If the problem persists with the new modem, then you
use the long cord to eliminate the possibility of a bad house
wiring. If you have two phone lines in the house (two separate
numbers), try temporarily using the ohter line and see if the
problem goes away. If you determine it is at the phone company's,
a call is in order.
In Alaska, lightning is rare, but is very common out there. You
get a lightning strike a few miles away. The spike travels on the
phone wire and fries your modem, indoor wiring or the phone
company
wiring or outdoors protector on your house. If the failure is not
total, you get intermittent problems like you are reporting.
Another thing to check is your login procedure. Your successful
log in indicates that you are using a Script. Many ISP's, myself
included, do not require a script and in fact will reject your
call
after authentication. Just hang up on you after verifying
username
and password. This is a function of several things at the ISP,
and
different terminal servers can behave differently. Thus one call
may succeed, while others do not. This is because when you dial
the ISP's phone number the call may at random be assigned to
different
terminal servers.
If in Windows 98 you do not need a Script file or a Terminal
Screen,
then how come you are using one in Linux?
The fact that the ISP requested a hangup or termination seems to
me
to indicate that this is the problem.
Also, be careful who you talk to at the ISP. ISP's are flooded by
tech support calls. Ask me: I am an ISP and I can tell you that
clueless users can take up a lot of time. We get calls blaming
Nook Net for being out of service, and the message on their screen
is "No Dial Tone". Really.
What this means is that ISP's tend to employ minimum-wage young
techno-geeks in their support department. This is an entry level
position. It is a tedious job relating mostly to real_dumb
questions. Most of these kids are really not electronic
technicians
nor are they versed at all in the workings of their Terminal
Servers,
modems, etc. The fact that the kid that spoke to you told you
that
your USR External modem used a Rockwell Chipset is an indication
that he is clueless himself and he is just posturing as an expert
when in fact he is a dumbkopf himself.
What you need to do is to get past this first layer of ISP
technical
support and see if you can speak to the head honcho over there.
Most
ISP's, like myself, have literally seen -and fixed- everything you
can imagine. I am not down there to help you, and some of the
troubleshooting that you may need can only be provided on-site or
by interactively asking questions.
Both Linux client machines and Windows 98/95 have different tools
and procedures which can answer some of the questions. The PPP
logfile of Linux is unique; but there are corresponding log files
at the ISP and at your Windows 98 box. Any or all of these may
provide clues as to what is wrong, as will long phone cords,
voltmeters, desk telephone sets and spare modems. A good ISP
that actually provides technical support is armed with all of
these
tools.
For instance in recalcitrant cases I go to the customer house with
my laptop. It runs Windows 95, and has a PCMCIA modem that I know
works very well. I can plop it down next to the customer computer
and fire up using HIS login and password and demonstrate to him
tht his phone connection and Nook Net is fine, and that the
problem
is inside his computer. As an example.
Or, I could also have trouble, in which case it could be a phone
line. Lastly, assuming the problem is in his computer, I can use
my external USR 56K (the most bulletproof modem I know!) and show
him he has a poor modem. Rockwell WinModems are really, really
bad. the new .160 and later drivers for them make them barely
acceptable. The Lucent LT WinModem with the new 566 driver seems
to do well too, but earlier versions have lots of problems. Poor
thruput regardless of reported speed with WinModems is endemic.
A new driver can sometimes help. It takes a Pentium 166 minimum
to handle a WinModem. Less than that, the WinModem is paused
every time the mouse cursor needs to move or the disk drive
is accessed. WinModems, as a rule, do not handle poor line
conditions. They disconnect, or spend all their time in
retraining
and changing speeds and do not handle data for 15 or more seconds
at a time. Then they resume for a while, and then again the same
thing. Very bad. And the Rockwells are the worse. Actually, the
Cirrus Logic are the worse, but they are discontinued and never
were very popular. Alas, all new computers come with WinModems
and most are Rockwells.
Try and tell an owner his brand new Hewlett Packard $1,500
computer has a piece of shit modem and see what happens. With
some customers, what I do is LOAN them the USR external 56K for
a week or so, and after they use it a week their eyes are opened
and understanding settles in their souls and they spring for a
better modem - after consulting with me first so they do not get
another piece of junk. Or, they can buy the one I left there.
In most cases, that is what happens and I get to sell a USR
external 56K Sportster at List price. :-)
You already have the best modem made, for all practical purposes.
Most modems, the big thing is the Chipset. Alas, most externals
come with Diamonds.
How can you tell, here is the clue:
1. On a 33.6K connection, V34 analog, all sound the same.
2. On a Rockwell, when you dial out and the modems connect, yhou
will hear first the Eeeeeh-Ohhhh, Eeeeeh-Ohhhh of the 33.6K
initial connection. If you hear more than one repetition of
this double eeeeh-ohhh, it means that you are retraining for
a lower speed. Bad.
3. Then there is much hissing, now comes the important part.
(a) The rockwells will growl like a dog, followed by a
beep and you get silence and you are in.
(b) The Lucent will go click click click click like a ratchet
being turned, then the beep and then silence.
(c) The USR/3Com/TI will go Booooong....Boooooong like Big
Ben in the fog. Then the beep and silence.
Of course, these noises can change depending on what the ISP has
at
his end. But its a starting point.
At the ISP end, you can have USR, Rockewell or Lucent equipment.
I
have Lucent. No one could make the Rockwell work here (Cisco,
Ascend), but the Lucent Portmaster works well. Like I said,
Rockwell
really does not have their shit together.
A lot depends on intervening Telco equipment.
4. If the noises are no clue, in Windows 95 go to Control Panel,
Modems. There you will see your modems listed. Go to
Diagnostics.
In Diagnostics highlight the appropiate COM port, then hit more
info. That sends the modem a series of ATI commands. ATI3 and
ATI4 will reveal the modem type. Usually you will see things
like Rockwell HCF or Rockwell HSP. Or there is no clue but you
will see version numbers with embedded digits like .538.
Basically
embedded digits in the .100-.200 range are Rockwell, and digits in
the 400-600 range are Lucent. Robotics and TI will state so.
Some of this information is not appropiate to your problem, but
as long as was giving a speech here on the list I thought that I
would spiel out the propaganda.
You can find the final authoritative answer as to which modem is
WinModem or not, along with a host of data on ALL and EVERY modem
ever made, at http://www.o2.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html this is
the final authority on modems and should be a bookmark for
everyone
on this list that has a modem, or will ever help a friend with a
modem.
Good luck!
--
Ramon Gandia ============= Sysadmin ============== Nook Net
http://www.nook.net [EMAIL PROTECTED]
285 West First Avenue tel. 907-443-7575
P.O. Box 970 fax. 907-443-2487
Nome, Alaska 99762-0970 ==== Alaska Toll Free. 888-443-7525
