Totally O.T. dial up connection

[Rab]

I know this is way off topic but i just don't know who else to ask
A friend of ours has just bought a Dell computer from an auction
everything seems fine with it and all systems are working fine except 1.
Whenever they try to connect to the internet via the modem it sounds like all you can hear after the modem makes the dialing sound is an engaged tone??? or thats what it sounds like to me a constand beep beep at about the same speed as an engaged tone.
I phoned BT to check the line they say its ok
I phoned Tiscali to make sure all the settings were right and still the same
I even tried to set up a conection with MSN and Wanadoo and it's the same so it must be the computer.
It was used in an office and was connected via a LAN connection looking at the way it was when i had a look
could this have buggered the modem or am i clutching at straws?
It is fairly new running on windows XP and it looks to be a 2.6 processor with a 120gb hard drive 512mb of memory so it's not short of anything but it's driving me mental
i've been at it for almost 2 days now and still it beats me
Please, Please somebody give me a clue
Could the modem be shot?
If i replace it and it does the same thing i'll be back to square 1 and light to the tune of 1 modem so i want to get it right first time (first time lol i wish.)
I'm off for some fresh air before i kill something.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Craig]

have you tried reloading the driver for the modem?

 

[Scottemotive]

Rab,

Dont stress it, modem are like £10 new anyway even if it is broke, right ok you hear it dialing but it does not sound a handshaking tone.

* Does it make the engaged style noise mid way through dialing?
* try dialing the number your trying to connect to via a mobile or other phone (not the one your connecting through) IF successful then
*try dialing this number on the line your connecting through if sucessful:
*its possibly a modem config
*goto control panel, phone and modem options, see if there are prefixes there or numbers that shouldnt be, in "locations" make sure your using Tone dialing and not pulse
* in "modem" make sure the modem has a com port assigned to it.


else: the number or dialing code your trying to connect to is barsred or its somthing to do with the line.

let me know your results

end if

scott

 

[Rab]

Hi,

Right here goes, i've checked the modem is ok doing a check in modem properties and it all seems fine when it dials it sounds fine and at the end of the dial it goes beep beep far about 10-20 seconds then tries to re-dial
The computer that this one replaces was connecting just fine so the line is good i even had it re-checked just to be sure but no matter who i try to connect with MSN, Tiscali, Wanadoo i get the same sound which makes me think that it can't be the number i'm dialing so it must be the computer.
Would a modem that seems to dial out then give this tone be working fine or could it still be "Tommy ducked"?

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Wimmy]

Maybe one thats been overlooked:

Have a look in your modem seetings to see if its dialing 9 for an outside line

 

[Rab]

Thanks Wimmy but it's not
Why can't companys make things with 1 setting on them like light bulbs on or off.
I'm going mental over this and now my sister-in-laws has gone tits up and she can't get on the net either.
Whenever you click on the big E page flashes for a second on the screen and goes off then nothing?????????????????/
Why me?

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Anonymous]

I had a similar problem years ago, i think that turned out to be the modem...

Try dialing your mobile phone with your modem, that way you will know if the modem is shot

Daz

 

[Rab]

So change the phone number it dials to my mobile number and see if it rings?
I'll try that.
Could the cable connecting the computer to the phone line have anything to do with it?
Again i'm just clutching at straws i've tried 3 different cables and it's still the same so i think i just answered my own question.

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Craig]

did you try reloading the driver?
have you tried a different modem lead?

 

[Rab]

The driver if ok
Modem lead? do you mean the cable from the modem to the phone line
if you do i've tried 3

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Craig]

oh well worth a try, my mate brought a second hand pc and it came with a telephone lead, it took us ages to find the problem

 

[Roberto]

Go DSL...much easier

Seriously tho' I'd do a complete uninstall, get the very latest drivers, re-install and do the settings manually. If that fails, try a new modem, or go broadband.

Rob

 

[Rab]

Think i'll sugest a new modem if that still doesn't work i'll only be down a tenner.
Thanks for all the help lads
I'll do it tomorrow night

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[pete]

I have one long word to say 'broadband'. You just cant beat it, iv been through all the dial up problems you speak of. You never escape the problems with dial up's. I could go on and will give you more info if needed.

Pete

Pete

 

[Rab]

Pete it's not my machine it's a friends and i've tried to convince them to go down the broadband road but as always happens i get ignored and a couple of months after i repair there machine i'm back again and it's worse than it was the last time i sorted it.
My sister-in-law is the same, i've finally convinced her to get broadband then she told me her computer wouldn't let them on the net and after looking at it tonight it's in such a mess i'm considering re-formatting the whole thing and starting again.
But at least she will be getting broadband after i've cleaned it out.

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes modems can be fussy about which PCI slot they go into, try it in a different slot, however it sounds like it isnt detecting a dial tone... Is it plugged into a long phone extension lead? Cheap modems sometimes cant cope with the signal losses on a long lead. Also you may be using the wrong time of modem cable - some modems have 4 wires connected, some have 2...

All of these problems would be fixed by just buying a new modem for a tenner tho

Jonathan

 

[LightWarrior]

broadband isn't always the solution you think guys.. sometimes thats complicated too.

 

[Rab]

Thought i'd give everyone that heed an update on what happened with my friends computer.

I bought and fitted a new modem and at first it was just the same but after about 15 minutes of swearing at it (i found it helped) it started to connect.
Then when i thought everything would be ok it turns out that no site i try would load???
It's connecting at 31.2kbs after being on broadband i wanted to slit my wrists it's awful.
For anyone still on a dial up connection, WHY?
I finally got on one site but after updating the anti-virus and re-booting it was back to getting no pages
So i just told them it was a crap dial up connection and came home.
Anyone got a clue as to why i could load no pages or why when i did get one it took so so so long, longer than it ever did when i was on dial up?

Rab.
"This is a LOCAL website for LOCAL people we'll not have any trouble here"

 

[blackbravo]

do they live ou tin teh country like the middle of no where, when i live itmon the dial up connection ws PANTS bt said it was beacause i was so far from the telephone exchange,
just my 0.02
Pete

Pete

 

[Dave]

It could be a couple of things if its connected but not getting any web pages. Its either tcp/ip problem or a firewall issue blocking access. Is it XP? When you are connected, goto start-run, type in command and then type in ping www.google.com or some web site.

If it comes back with a reply, it is prob not firewall.