Most computers make this horrible noise when you first dial onto the internet. Now, I know WHAT the noise is (but not the technical term for it), but WHY? My alpha-geek buddies say it is a hangover from dinosaur times & you can’t turn it off. Why not?
You can turn it off. I’d tell you how, but I don’t remember what I did. I did it sort of by accident.
Feeling like an idiot,
Neenah
It’s the modems synching up. Sometimes the process is called “handshaking”. I’ve never heard of any more technical term for the process.
You can disable the speaker on most modems with the command “ATL0” (that’s a zero, notthe letter ‘o’).
elaboration on “handshaking”: There are a number of ways that modems can speak to each other. The language (“protocol”) of 14.4k is different then that of 56k. In fact, there’s several sub-languages for some of the speeds. The sounds you hear are the two modems trying to find the fastest common language that’ll work with the quality of line that connects them. When you have a poor quality line, you may hear several different types of squelches, as the modems walk through different permutations.
In Windows, you can turn the sound off by going to Control Panel/Modems/<Choose Modem>/Properties/General/<Change Speaker Volume to Off>
Thanks folks. But what is the purpose behind the noise? I mean, this old Dell lapyop I’m using right now makes NO other noises, not even the “windows sign on” or error beep, etc. Why does it make that horrible “handshake” noise. Why does the noise exist?
They just told you. That sound is the handshaking process. Modems communicate through electronic signals that are translated into sound by the speaker on your computer (or you phone, if you have ever dialed the wrong number and hit a modem.) You can instruct your program not to translate those signals to noise if you wish. (They told you how to do that, too.) Many systems turn the sound on as a default because it can actually help you debug the point at which communications fail if you have trouble connecting. Of course, since teh average enduser these days knows next-to-nothing about how communications protocols gunction, this feature is often no longer useful.
The best lack all conviction
The worst are full of passionate intensity.
*
But the noise itself lets you know that you’ve entered the phone number right, that you’re not receiving a busy signal, that the other computer is answering its line, etc. Most of the time it’s not too useful, but if the remote computer is not answering for some reason, it’s a simple and effective way of figuring out where the trouble lies.
Daniel, in case you missed it: the sound you hear comes from a speaker in the modem that is different than any speaker you may or may not have connected to the CPU. You can modify your windows speaker control to mute, then unplug and smash your speakers to smithereens, and you will still hear the sounds from your modem because your modem has its own personal speaker. That is why you generally need to touch the BIOS (either directly or through billehunt’s method) to turn off/down the sound.
Tom~
It’s useful for me, I’ve learned the sound of 49333k and 45333k connections being attempted. Anything after that, I imediately cancel the attempt and retry. I figure, if I’m paying for the connection, I should get a decent one.
Try ATM0 if ATL0 doesn’t work. The latter just sets the speaker volume to low with my modem.
``When I was little, my mother told me not to look into the sun. So one day when I was six, I did.’’ – Max Cohen in Pi: The Movie.
Not mine - my modem card has no speaker, but a little wire which connects to the sound card. The modem screeches come through the computer’s speakers. And it’s a pretty standard PC.
When I put in my upgraded SoundBlaster (for more realistic MIDI instruments, so I can have more fun while playing along with my banjo), the SB card had a slightly different modem connector which I never took the trouble to hook up, so my modem is now silent.
My PC was built, rather than coming out of any of the big factories, so I guess it isn’t standard. I hadn’t looked at other PCs to see how they were set up. I do know that I can pull my speaker right out and still get the modem screech and I can’t find a wire from the modem heading toward the sound card. (Not that I couldn’t miss it.)
It sure is fun having a couple of billion people doing the same thing with tools that all look different.
I’ve always assumed the noise was unavoidable, but wondered why you couldn’t just turn down the volume. Glad I came across this – I’m going to try to turn mine off. My s.o. works some goofy hours and is frequently asleep when I log on and don’t want that dial-up noise to wake him. (Besides that, it’s just plain annoying.)
To turn off the modem’s internal speaker click on the START button then select SETTINGS then CONTROL PANEL then MODEMS,a panel will pop up listing all the modems installed in the computer.
Single click on the modem listed in the box and then click on the PROPERTIES button, a new panel will pop up displaying the properties for it, drag the volume slider all the way to the side marked off.
Now click on the OK buttons and enjoy the quiet
Peace
t lion
Y’all have to remember that not all modems have an intgrated speaker.
For just such an occasion, the volume control in windows has a volume conrol for it. YOu may have to go into the properties of Volume Control to get at it, as it is not usually displayed by default.
This may be the case if the speaker volume slider in modem properties is grayed out.
Also, this handshake means that your modem is doing it’s job, and that if you can’t connect, it’s probably not your modem at fault.
Also, have you ever tried to connect and gotten an operator on the other end? You know, the nasal “I’m sorry. Your call did not go through…”
If you couldn’t hear that, you might not know that it is not your modem, but the number the dialer sw is dialing or the number itself.
You may not know these sounds from Adam, but the techs you call will (or should) and will be better able to assist you if you can let them listen to it.
“Winners never quit and quitters never win, but those who never win and never quit are idiots.”
And
“This site is more addictive than caramel-covered crack!”
The answers above show me one thing: ask a Techie question & you get lots of solid, good, useful info;THANKS. Ask a more “soft” question, like my rock=moon, and you get nothing really helpful.
The question that never ends…
Hmmm…must be a group of “young blood” for posters! This question comes back again and again. Even I am guilty of once having repeat-posted this question.
I think Cecil touched on this, too…
But, alas, the search engine is sluggish!
Moderator, if only you/we could consolidate repeeat-postings? An idea for future upgrades to the message board?
“They’re coming to take me away ha-ha, ho-ho, hee-hee, to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time… :)” - Napoleon IV