Stubbornly determined to install this ISA modem

[WhiteTornado]

Hi,

I have tried this many times and I am missing something so need help, scenario is: A 80486 comp, can't get to the specs of the mobo, comps runs good, installed Win95 on it, runs fine on my LAN with its ISA NIC, have plenty of older ISA modem, Zooltrix FM9628, Cardinal 3250 56k for exemple, no jumpers. I usually find their drivers, install them, then will get the message there is no modem detected. I use Modem from Control Panel to install the modem, direct Windows to the driver files, it will install the modem, then when I try to do the diag test, the modem is not responding, the modem usually installs on Com2, I am not sure how to tell it to go on an other com port if that would solve something.

I am usually told to forget about that has ISA modem, Win95, 80486 are a horrific combinaison. It might be true, but I somehow don't beleive it can't be done. I am not genned in on the ins and out what is preventing me from getting that handled.

Any help would be really cool.

Cheers!

 

[muradtalukdar]

I had the same problem with a lucent winmodem in a laptop. Is the modem itself okay? Have you checked to see if there are conflicts? You can go into Bios and see whtehr it tells you which port the modem SHOULD be on but that might not be the right one. Check what the IRQ is and see if that tallys with what you're getting in device manager for the modem after you install it.

I never did solve the lucent--I just bought a pcmcia card modem and done--it did the job.

 

[WhiteTornado]

Hi,

Ok, I tried this, removed the NIC card, as this was the only other thing on the board. It does not detect it, I have to do it from the modem icon in the Control panel, and it always goes on Com2 but it will not connect, in the diagnostic, the comp cannot talk to the modem, I have this problem on and on. Now the Com Ports controler card has many jumpers to change the com ports and to assign other IRQs etc. When I checked in the device manager in the ressources, I did not see any IRQ conflicts.

I wonder if there are some manual config I need to do with this controler card.

 

[WhiteTornado]

Hi,

I got to say embarassingly that I do not have 100% certainty that
this card works as I don't have an other comp at hand now to test it on, I know this is the obvious sequence to take. But I know I have ran into this situation so many times I really want to get this figured out.

To answer you I do not have any AT commands responses, the box is empty, it only says that it cannot talk to the modem.

In the past when I would try to install a PCI modem with the wrong driver it would put it on com 2 and I would get this exact scenario, and when I would get the right driver it would install on com3 and would work.

I wondered if this is what should happen with ISA cards.

Here it goes on com2 and nothing happens, like if I had the wrong driver. After trying half a dozen drivers, I came to this forum.

Now, I have the URL to the controler card to which the com ports are connected in this comp, it has many configuration jumpers, I don't know if this would be part of the solution, that there are some material configurations I should do with that, so I am including it here: http://www.pppr.sk/rainbow/manuals/pti-227b.html


Cheers

 

[Alexander]

I would say, go over the modem board again. Make sure there aren't any dip switches that you may have missed.. Settings on those are paramount. Where you can find info on how those should be set, your guess is as good as mine, but I would start at the manufacturer website.

Secondly, Install the modem in DOS. From there you can use any DOS based terminal program to do a "on the job" test for the modem. If you get a response there, then it is, obviously, something going on with 95. Not getting any "new hardware found" with an ISA card on a 486 isn't highly unusual. Plug and play stuff only worked on PCI ports from a few board manufacturers prior to the pentium class processor. If you were ISA, you were on your own.

Something else, and this is especially important if there aren't any dip switches.. There should be a DOS based setup program for the card. All of the ISA modems and NICs that I have ever installed always had a setup program that was basically like a BIOS panel for the card itself. It would allow you to set the Comm Port, IRQ and memory addresses on a flashable eprom on the card. You would then install the drivers for windows and go into the device properties and set the windows settings to match what you already setup with the card software. If there aren't any dips and you don't have that setup program, you may be outta luck because what is happening is windows is setting up a windows "standard" setting and it isn't what the device is actually set to. You may get lucky and stumble across it, but I would say the chances for that are pretty slim. Again, where you can find this program if you don't already have it...... your guess is as good as mine..

Hope this helps some,
Alexander

 

[Alexander]

I just took a look at that specs you sent on that controller card. Let me just say, it brought back nightmares...

(NO DAD!! I checked that jumper already, don't.... AHHHHHH... CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!)

*shiver*

 

[WhiteTornado]

Hi Alexander,

Your reply is very helpful, you cleared it up for me and it gives me the right approach now. I just need to go hunting for that program.

As far as PnP versus ISA, on this comp, Win95 actually detects and installed my NIC and it detected my Audio card (did not install it as I had to get the drivers first), from that I can conclude that if an ISA device has no jumpers, it does not necessarily means that it is PnP and that it will get detected, it is probably a different story for each individual board.

P.S. Sorry for bringning back exciting early days moments

Cheers