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Just got my notebook back from Asus with a replacement motherboard, and
inbuilt modem (Smart Link 56K Voice Modem) can't find a dial tone. Cable
is still OK - tested it with phone & it works as it did 3 weeks ago when
last used.

Windows XP Home (SP2) troubleshooter suggests the com port ( on Com 3) may
be turned off, and to open device manger and select the appropriate com port
to enable. Device Manager shows no Com ports at all - just the printer
port. Before I brave the help desk - anyone got any suggestions on possible
solutions?

Charlie G.

Charlie G wrote:
> Just got my notebook back from Asus with a replacement motherboard, and
> inbuilt modem (Smart Link 56K Voice Modem) can't find a dial tone. Cable
> is still OK - tested it with phone & it works as it did 3 weeks ago when
> last used.
>
> Windows XP Home (SP2) troubleshooter suggests the com port ( on Com 3) may
> be turned off, and to open device manger and select the appropriate com port
> to enable. Device Manager shows no Com ports at all - just the printer
> port. Before I brave the help desk - anyone got any suggestions on possible
> solutions?
>
> Charlie G.
>
>
Look in the bios setings and see if it needs to be enabled.

Try downloading and installing the driver from the manufacturers site.

On Wed, 8 Mar 2006 22:52:26 +1300, "Charlie G" <>
wrote:

>Just got my notebook back from Asus with a replacement motherboard, and
>inbuilt modem (Smart Link 56K Voice Modem) can't find a dial tone. Cable
>is still OK - tested it with phone & it works as it did 3 weeks ago when
>last used.
>
>Windows XP Home (SP2) troubleshooter suggests the com port ( on Com 3) may
>be turned off, and to open device manger and select the appropriate com port
>to enable. Device Manager shows no Com ports at all - just the printer
>port. Before I brave the help desk - anyone got any suggestions on possible
>solutions?
>
Download a driver from Asus.

"Charlie G" <> wrote in message
news:vPxPf.4798$...
> Just got my notebook back from Asus with a replacement motherboard, and
> inbuilt modem (Smart Link 56K Voice Modem) can't find a dial tone. Cable
> is still OK - tested it with phone & it works as it did 3 weeks ago when
> last used.
>
> Windows XP Home (SP2) troubleshooter suggests the com port ( on Com 3) may
> be turned off, and to open device manger and select the appropriate com
> port to enable. Device Manager shows no Com ports at all - just the
> printer port. Before I brave the help desk - anyone got any suggestions
> on possible solutions?
>
> Charlie G.
Latest drivers loaded, no option in bios to enable....

Any other suggestions? (apart from dropping the whole thing from a great
height)

>
> "Charlie G" <> wrote in message
> news:vPxPf.4798$...
>> Just got my notebook back from Asus with a replacement motherboard, and
>> inbuilt modem (Smart Link 56K Voice Modem) can't find a dial tone.
>> Cable is still OK - tested it with phone & it works as it did 3 weeks ago
>> when last used.
>>
>> Windows XP Home (SP2) troubleshooter suggests the com port ( on Com 3)
>> may be turned off, and to open device manger and select the appropriate
>> com port to enable. Device Manager shows no Com ports at all - just the
>> printer port. Before I brave the help desk - anyone got any suggestions
>> on possible solutions?
>>
>> Charlie G.
> Latest drivers loaded, no option in bios to enable....
>
> Any other suggestions? (apart from dropping the whole thing from a great
> height)

Have you tried completely uninstalling the driver software from Add/Remove
Programs, and make sure the device is uninstalled from device manager
(should happen when u remove the software). Then see if windows picks it up
again when you restart.

It sounds like a software/driver issue due to the missing com port.

You could always get a PCMCIA modem

Steve

"Stephen Williams" wrote..
<snip>
> >
> Have you tried completely uninstalling the driver software from Add/Remove
> Programs, and make sure the device is uninstalled from device manager
> (should happen when u remove the software). Then see if windows picks it
> up again when you restart.
>
> It sounds like a software/driver issue due to the missing com port.
>
> You could always get a PCMCIA modem
>
> Steve
Yeah, tried all that & tried the PC Card out of the old laptop - it worked
fine. Spent hours on Asus site making sure all their suggestions had been
tried, then emailed their (Taiwan) support. The answer came back to try the
website. Very helpful!

Gave up & rang the NZ help line next morning. They spoke to the tech who
replaced the motherboard last week. Modem is onboard so it's back to Asus
again.

On the plus side, Asus had the grace to sound embarressed, & are very quick
in the turnaround (three working days). Gave it back to Dick Smiths before
that - took a month the first time & two weeks the second. Teach me to buy
from DS rather than wait for a decent store to open on Monday!

What is annoying though, is Windows habit of reporting in modem diagnostics
the modem is working correctly when it is cooked!

Thanks anyway for all the helpful suggestions people!

Charlie

"Charlie G" <> wrote in message
news:jHtRf.6111$...
>
Snip

> What is annoying though, is Windows habit of reporting in modem
> diagnostics the modem is working correctly when it is cooked!

Snip

Actually I wouldn't blame 'Windows' so much as modern software diagnostic
algorythms being used for hardware diagnostics. I find it quite common with
modems that have been hit by lightning / power surge for Windows to report
all is well but when I pull the modem there is telltale black burn marks
near the socket.

The lightning / power surge can have enough energy blow something between
the socket and the relay while the relay is Open (ie off line) or with the
newer solid state relays burn the line side of the isolator chip out, but
not enough energy to jump the relay gap or isolator and burn out the rest of
the modem. Don't forget most of today's modems are software anyway.

My pick would be a manufacturing flaw between the isolator and the socket,
that way the diagnostics report all OK but then can't connect to the line
for a dial tone.


Cheers
Paul.

Just because it is a diagnostic, then it will verify everything? Of
course not. It is a Windows diagnostic. Its function is to verify
that Windows can talk to the peripheral's computer. Windows talked
just fine to the modem's computer. Why then would anyone recommend
fixing the BIOS or reloading drivers?

Windows talked just fine to the modem. But the modem's computer
could not talk to the phone line. That is what a hardware diagnostic
would have reported. That is why more responsible hardware
manufacturers provide a comprehensive diagnostic with their products.
Apparently the onboard modem did not come with a comprehensive
diagnostic. If it had, the manufacturer tech could have asked you to
run the diagnostic and immediately identified the problem.
Furthermore, if the manufacturer provided any decent diagnostic, then
modem hardware would have been working right the first time.

These modem failures are common in its DAA section. That is the
hardware between the modem controller chip and phone line. A most
common failure point is the transistor that drives the off-hook relay -
a relay that connects phone line to modem chip. Windows diagnostic
would never - and should never - test for this hardware. That hardware
diagnostic should be provided by the manufacturer who provided the PC
board containing the modem. But some manufacturers are not so
responsible.

Meanwhile, due to that missing diagnostic, then others were
speculating - sounds like a software/driver issue. Not for one minute
as the Windows diagnostic accurately reported. Well, these failures
are events from which we learn.

Charlie G wrote:
> Yeah, tried all that & tried the PC Card out of the old laptop - it worked
> fine. Spent hours on Asus site making sure all their suggestions had been
> tried, then emailed their (Taiwan) support. The answer came back to try the
> website. Very helpful!
>
> Gave up & rang the NZ help line next morning. They spoke to the tech who
> replaced the motherboard last week. Modem is onboard so it's back to Asus
> again.
>
> On the plus side, Asus had the grace to sound embarressed, & are very quick
> in the turnaround (three working days). Gave it back to Dick Smiths before
> that - took a month the first time & two weeks the second. Teach me to buy
> from DS rather than wait for a decent store to open on Monday!
>
> What is annoying though, is Windows habit of reporting in modem diagnostics
> the modem is working correctly when it is cooked!
>
> Thanks anyway for all the helpful suggestions people!
>
> Charlie