Help setting up Lucent Win Modem.

[riddellcomp]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
Confused,
We used the add/hardware wizard and chose "PCI Communications device" becasue it detected the modem as that. We also tried different drivers and managed to install the drivers without being prompted for a com port however when we ran the diagnostics we had an error message "Com Port 3 is already open."
I originally sent him the internal modem just so we could set him up on the internet and let him play around a bit. After reading your posts we have gone with another option. I have sent him an old 33.6 k external modem just so he can get things setup and give it a try. I know it will be slow but he is a new user so shouldn't notice it that much. In the mean time he is looking for a second hand external 56k modem. He is a TV, stereo, video tech by trade so is asking around his contacts and should source one at a good price sooner or later. I knew that internal modems used part of the cpu but I didnt realise that it would use that much.

Actually as I type this dad just phoned and said he has got hold of a Maestro 56k external modem so we will give that a go and hopefully he will be online in the next half hour or so.
Thanks again for your help.

[riddellcomp]

Well things havent really got much better. We removed the internal modem and all references to it, connected up the new Maestro Companion 56k modem and re-started Windows. It did not detect the modem so we went into the modem icon in the Cp. Under the add new modem setup it wouldnt detect the modem automatically although the modem lights did flash whilst searching COM1.
We used the select from list option and tried the Standard 56k modem option however although the drivers installed properly we couldnt bring up "more info" in the diagnostics tab. We then went through and installed the modem again and this time used the driver under Maestro for a Companion 28k modem as that was the fastest modem driver option.
But once again the modem won't respond on the diagnostics, More info tab.
I know that we should be using the correct driver but the person who gave my dad the modem said he wouldnt need them and to just let Windows detect the modem. However this didnt happen. I might add that it did detect the internal modem when we first installed it so I dont think its a plug and play problem.

If the modem responds on com 1 whilst detecting modems why do we get a message saying the modem could not be found?
I know some of you are going to say that I need to use the correct drivers however the previous owner of this modem said he never needed them. I am assuming that we do not need the phone to be plugged into the modem whilst we do all of this? Only when we want to dial in, or am I wrong here?

Does anyone have any ideas? I have e-mailed the drivers to my dads mate who will copy them to floppy for him but I dont have much faith in it working.

Thanks in advance.

[NooNoo]

check the com1 port in device manager is not clashing with anything else. Check in bios that the com1 port is enabled. The only other thing it could be is that the cable between the computer and modem is bad.

[riddellcomp]

Thanks Noo Noo I will give that a try.
If the Com port and cable is okay is there anything else we could try? The previous owner of the modem said it was working fine when he last used it. He upgraded to ADSL so didn't need it anymore.

[riddellcomp]

Well I am not sure why, perhaps because today is Saturday but we managed to finally get it to work with standard Windows modem drivers. We didn't really do anything different that we had already done but it just seemed to detect the modem this time on COM1. I just received my first test e-mail from my dad so he must of managed to follow my instructions in using OE.

Thanks again for the ehlp.

[confus-ed]

Glad its fixed ... finally ! don't you just love computers ?!?

Dunno what was going amiss, maybe the parent/son interface was having intermitent communications difficulty ? - seems that's all fixed up now though !

[riddellcomp]

Glad its fixed ... finally ! don't you just love computers ?!?

Dunno what was going amiss, maybe the parent/son interface was having intermitent communications difficulty ? - seems that's all fixed up now though !

ROFLMAO Yes perhaps that was the reason why. I just copied your reply and sent it to Dad in an e-mail. As you know its hard enough trying to explain things to someone who's never used computers when your in the same room as them. Let alone when you live on the other side of the country.