Resolving Software And Hardware Incompatibilities; Modem - Dell Dimension XPS 50 Reference Manual

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In general, modem malfunctions may be caused by any of the following problems:
Incorrectly installed modem
Interrupt request (IRQ) conflicts
Incorrect information (.inf) files
Multiple drivers installed
Incorrect Plug and Play configuration
To troubleshoot a modem card, perform the following steps:
1. Check for modem IRQ conflicts.
Refer to "Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities" in Chapter 5.
Resolve any modem IRQ conflicts, and restart the computer system.
2. Verify the modem configuration.
a. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
b. In the Control Panel, double-click Modems. If there are multiple entries for
the same modem, remove those entries and restart the computer. If there
are modems listed that are not part of the system configuration, remove
them from the list. If you are using Windows NT , check the modem proper-
ties and then proceed to step 3. If you are using Windows 2000, double-click
Phone and Modem Options in the Control Panel.
c. Click the Diagnostics tab.
d. Highlight the COM port that the modem is using.
e. Click More Info to verify that the system can communicate with the modem.
If the modem reports information to the system, the modem is operating
properly.
3. Remove the computer cover and support beam as described in "Removing and
Replacing the Computer Cover and Support Beam" in Chapter 2.
4. Remove and reinstall the modem, fully seating the card in its connector (see
Figure 6-1).
5. Replace the computer cover and support beam, connect all external cables, and
turn on the system. Enter the system setup program as described in Appendix B,
"System Setup Program," and verify that Serial port A on the Peripheral Configu-
ration submenu is set to Auto.
NOTE: If you have persistent problems with low connection speeds, contact your
telephone company to check for data noise and imbalanced lines or your Internet ser-
vice provider (ISP) for information about their service.
Checking Inside Your Computer 6-3