131
Exploring Your Options
Exchanging data with another computer
5.375 x 8.375 ver 2.3
The following procedure is intended to support you if you
need to either upgrade your modem or reset the port to the
default settings.
DEFINITION: Although the terms are often used
interchangeably, the serial port and COM port are really two
different things. The serial port is the physical port on the back
of the computer. The COM port is a unique identifier the
computer uses to communicate with the serial port or other
serial devices.
If you’re having trouble connecting through the modem, you
may need to determine the current COM port name and
possibly change it.
To find out which port your modem is connected to:
1
Click
Start
,
Control Panel
, then
Printers & Other
Hardware
.
2
Click
Phone and
Modem Options
.
The
Phone and
Modem Options
Properties dialog box
displays.
3
Click the
Modems
tab.
Your modem should be listed next to one of the computer’s
COM ports.
4
Make a note of the COM port number.
5
To verify that the modem is set up properly, select the
modem you wish to check and then click
Properties
to
bring up the dialog box with information specific to that
modem.
6
Click the
Diagnostics
tab, and then click
Query Modem
.
Windows XP communicates with the modem and displays
identifying information reported by the modem. If Windows
XP cannot communicate with the modem, it displays an error
