Dell Dimension L c Series, Reference And Troubleshooting Manual

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Checking Inside Your Computer 6-3
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In general, modem malfunctions may be caused by any of the following problems:
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Incorrectly seated modem in the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot
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Interrupt request (IRQ) conflicts
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Incorrect drivers installed
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Incorrect software 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.
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 rotate the power supply as described in
“Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover” and “Rotating the Power Supply
Away From the System Board” in Chapter 2.
4. Remove and reinstall the modem, fully seating the card in its connector (see
Figure 6-1).
5. Rotate the power supply back into position, replace the computer cover, 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 Configuration 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
service provider (ISP) for information about their service.