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213

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.
  1. 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.
  2. Start Preferences and select Modem. Choose the COM port setting for your modem.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  1. Run Preferences and click the Computer button. Make sure the COM port for your modem is turned on.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

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