I recently got an old pc from a former co-worker. Due to space restrictions, I could only put 1 card into it so I installed a USB 2 card (4 ports) and bought an external USB 2 modem, plugging in into one of the two ports on the motherboard. After using it for about a week, I started getting a message that "the MSN [my ISP] servers were busy and to try again later. After a day of this, I called MSN tech support, who said the servers in my area were OK and it was a problem with my modem. By uninstalling and reinstalling the modem drivers (as well as a bunch of other stuff), he managed to get me back on-line but I once again couldn’t connect when I tried the next day. Since then, I’ve tried everything we did and also anything else can think of (even called tech support again. The second and third guys couldn’t help).
Any Dopers have any ideas of whats wrong and how to fix it?
Thanks in advance - DESK
If it is a USB modem, it is probably a winmodem. Did you get modem drivers from the installation cd, or from-
Aw, forget speculation. Could you please simply post the model number?
It may also help to know what kind of modem. IE: dialup, cable, DSL.
Also, to eliminate the USB card being the problem, try plugging some other USB device in, (such as a printer or mouse) to check its operation.
Sorry, about the lack of information; it’s a Best Data 56k Modem. I got the drivers from the installation cd and also tried the one I d/led from their site onto a flash drive at work.
I’m running Windows 2000 Pro, in case that’s any help.
I’ve used my mouse, external hd, flash drive, and printer from the same port the modem is plugged into, all worked fine. I’ve also tried using an old serial port mouse and unplugging all other USB devices. So far, nothing.
Thanks, DESK
I searched usent , and found a lot of unanswered questions. My advice is that it is a winmodem/crappy modem, and that you should buy one that connect through the serial port, a.k.a a real modem.
It’s clear from D.E.S.K.Top668’s link that the device in question is a hardware controller-based modem, not a Winmodem/softmodem. There’s nothing about the USB connection that necessarily implies “Winmodem” (and in fact, the datasheet shows that it works with the Mac, so it can’t be a Winmodem!).
I know people who have had problems using the MSN dialing software with their modems. Is there any way you could borrow a friend’s UserID and password for a non-MSN ISP, D.E.S.K.Top668, just to see if your modem works with that ISP? Or you could try calling a dial-up BBS just long enough to see if it works. If it turns out to be MSN/modem incompatibility, you’re probably going to have to change modems or your ISP.
[slight hijack]
A number of people I know who are still on dial-up (various ISPs) are reporting that they are getting kicked off (and having to redial) much more frequently these days – presumably changing line conditions? I’d hate to think that it was a telco conspiracy to make people move to DSL, but I wouldn’t put it past them…
[hijack]