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SETTING UP A MODEM
Procedures for installing and troubleshooting a modem
Setting up your modem
Setting up a modem can be a complicated procedure, depending on
your computer's configuration, but these instructions will work
for most systems.
- If you have an INTERNAL modem, find out what COM port
your modem is set for. Consult your modem manual for help. The
COM port is usually set by changing small switches or jumpers
on the modem card. Plug & Play modems are configured using
a software program that comes with the modem.
If you have an EXTERNAL modem, find out what COM port your
modem is connected to.
- Start Preferences and select Modem. Choose the COM port setting
for your modem.
- Click on the Speed and Format Options button.
Set the baud rate of your modem.
Set the parity (usually None), word length (usually 8), and stop
bits (usually 1). These settings have to match the settings of
the receiving modem. If you're calling a major online service
or bulletin board system, these settings should be listed with
the modem phone number to call, usually in the format N,8,1 (N
for No parity, 8 for word length, and 1 for stop bits).
Leave the handshake setting on None.
- Close Preferences and start NewComm. To test your modem, enter
AT and press Enter. Your modem should respond by answering OK.
If it doesn't answer with OK, go to the Troubleshooting section.
- To dial a number, select Quick Dial from the Dial menu and
enter a number. Click the Dial button. Your modem should function
normally.
Troubleshooting
If your modem doesn't work, follow these suggestions to try to
remedy the problem.
- Run Preferences and click the Computer button. Make sure the
COM port for your modem is turned on.
- In the Computer section of Preferences, the interrupt settings
are displayed for the COM ports. No two devices on your computer
can use the same interrupt. For example, if your COM1 has a 4
underneath it and your COM3 also has a 4, the interrupt signals
will conflict with each other if your mouse is using COM1 and
your modem is using COM3. In a case like this, the best solution
is to put your mouse on a different port, such as COM2, that has
a different interrupt setting. If you do this, you'll also need
to change the settings for your mouse in the Mouse section of
Preferences.
- If you can't move your mouse to COM2, you need to change the
interrupt setting on your modem.
For an internal modem, the interrupt is set on the modem
itself. Look in your modem instructions for the correct way to
change it. Sometime the instructions refer to interrupt settings
as "IRQ" settings.
For an external modem, the best solution is to use a COM
port with an interrupt that won't conflict with another device.
Not all modems allow you to change the interrupt setting.
- Once the interrupt setting has been changed on the modem,
go back into Preferences and click on Computer. The new interrupt
setting should be displayed below the modem's COM port. If the
wrong interrupt setting is displayed, change it. Click on OK.
- Click on Computer again. The interrupt setting you selected
should be displayed. If a different interrupt setting is displayed,
or you received an error message, your modem is not set for the
interrupt you selected. You need to change the interrupt setting
on the modem itself before your New Deal software can use that interrupt
setting.
Common IRQ assignments in an IBM compatible system
- IRQ0 -- Timer (Called 18.2 times/per second)
- IRQ1 -- Keyboard
- IRQ2 -- Second 8259 (cascading interrupts )
- IRQ3 -- Serial interface 2 (COM2)
- IRQ4 -- Serial interface 1 (COM1)
- IRQ5 -- Hard Disk (XT computer) or second printer (AT computer)
- IRQ6 -- Diskette (floppies)
- IRQ7 -- Printer (LPT1 & PrtScr)
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