dialup access problem

[RB]

I have a friend who has dialup interenet conncection. His setup was working
fine last nite. This morning he doesn't get a dial tone and can't go
online.

I checked out his phone cable to make sure it was plugged in right at the pc
as well as at the wall jack.

I also disconnected his pc and plugged a phone into the wall jack. The
phone worked fine.

I think I know where this is headed, but just want to ask and make sure.

Now, I'll add in that we've had lots of storms and lightning each day for
awhile now.

In the past, when my pc was on dialup, I periodically got my modem fried by
lightning surges. I suspect this is what's happened to my friend's modem.

However, gotta ask if any other cause is likely. If not, we get a new modem
tomorrow and try it.

 

[Ken Weitzel]

I have a friend who has dialup interenet conncection. His setup was working
fine last nite. This morning he doesn't get a dial tone and can't go
online.

I checked out his phone cable to make sure it was plugged in right at the pc
as well as at the wall jack.

I also disconnected his pc and plugged a phone into the wall jack. The
phone worked fine.

I think I know where this is headed, but just want to ask and make sure.

Now, I'll add in that we've had lots of storms and lightning each day for
awhile now.

In the past, when my pc was on dialup, I periodically got my modem fried by
lightning surges. I suspect this is what's happened to my friend's modem.

However, gotta ask if any other cause is likely. If not, we get a new modem
tomorrow and try it.

Hi...

Suspect that you've got it... the only thing you
didn't mention checking is the cord between the
modem and the wall jack. Why not plug the phone
into the extra jack on the modem just for the
heck of it?

Ken

 

[RB]

Will do. Thanks for that tip.

I'm afraid his modem is fried, though.

 

[w_tom]

Plug phone into other jack on modem. That way if phone
works, then phone line is properly connected through modem.
Furthermore, appreciate how modem is damaged. The naive will
claim a surge enters on phone line, damages modem, then stop.
But electricity cannot flow without both an incoming and
outgoing path. If incoming on phone line, then where is the
outgoing electrical path to earth ground?

Lightning damages modems because modem completes an
electrical path from cloud to ground. First electricity
(lightning) passes through everything in that circuit. Only
then does one part fail - typically the DAA section of modem.
Often modem can be repaired by replacing PNP driver transistor
to off hook relay (which hints at the credibility and
experience behind this post).

Lightning strikes the AC electric lines highest on poles;
not telephone lines protected by those AC electric wires.
Lightning seeks earth ground. Incoming on your AC electric,
into computer on wire that bypasses power supply, through
motherboard and modem, then outgoing to earth ground via phone
line.

Why does lightning seek earth ground via phone line? Phone
lines already have protection provided and earthed by the
telco in that little gray box - the NID. 'Whole house'
protectors are so effective and so inexpensive that telcos
install them for free. But is a 'whole house' protector
installed on your incoming AC electric? Therein lies the
incoming source of damage to modems, portable phone base
stations, and answering machines.

Replace the modem. But also fix the reason why modems are
damaged. Further information is provided in previous
discussions:
"RJ-11 line protection?" on 30 Dec 2003 in pdx.computing at
http://tinyurl.com/2hl53
See all posts from 30 Dec 2003 through 12 Jan 2004.

 

[Joerg]

Hello RB,

You can plug in a splitter (two phones into one jack). Plug in a phone,
hear the dial tone. Plug in the turned-off modem and listen on the
phone. If the dial tone has now disappeared chances are high that the
modem is indeed fried.

One poster asked where the electrical path is: Many modems have a metal
oxide varistor (MOV) across the phone line terminals to protect against
excessive voltages. When a really large surge comes along these can
short out for good. They are sometimes replaceable but that might be
more hassle than a new modem since modems became so cheap.

Regards, Joerg

 

[Nigel]

I have a friend who has dialup interenet conncection. His setup was
working fine last nite. This morning he doesn't get a dial tone and
can't go online.

I checked out his phone cable to make sure it was plugged in right at
the pc as well as at the wall jack.

I also disconnected his pc and plugged a phone into the wall jack.
The phone worked fine.

I think I know where this is headed, but just want to ask and make
sure.

Now, I'll add in that we've had lots of storms and lightning each day
for awhile now.

In the past, when my pc was on dialup, I periodically got my modem
fried by lightning surges. I suspect this is what's happened to my
friend's modem.

However, gotta ask if any other cause is likely. If not, we get a new
modem tomorrow and try it.

Does he actually get the dialup prompt when opening Outlook or Internet
Explorer ?

I'm assuming that you've checked the dialup settings (Always dial my
default connection, 8 N 1, TCP/IP,etc) and checked what report you're
getting under the Modem Properties tab.

You might also want to examine the modem's .log files - this can sometimes
give a clue on what's happening.

 

[Matthew Domb]

You might want to check if the modem is listed as being connected on the
control panel.

Double-click on my computer, double click on the control panel icon,then
double click on "System" icon.

Click on the Device Manager tab and expand the listing "Modems"(click on the
plus sign). Check to see if the modem is listed (the name may not be exactly
the same. if it lists terms like V90, 56K, that is the one you want).If it
has a little yellow exclamation point,double click the name and reply with
what it shows there.

- Matthew Domb