[KLUG Members] Internal modems suck!

[Adam Williams]

>Okay, I admit it, I'm spoiled by Linux.  I hate to reboot.
>Especially for some stupid hardware thing.

Amen, preach it brother!

>My problem is my new internal modem screws up every week or so,
>(dial tone sounds funny, and can't connect) and the only way I've
>found to fix it is to do a hard reset of the modem.  Since it's
>an internal modem, that means I have to shutdown and cycle power
>to my PC.  Then it works fine . . . for another few days.  :-(

Yep,  I've had modems that did this.  I usually solved it by buying a
new one,  but since your one cheap #$*&#%^ @#^&#....

>I've tried all the software resets that I can think of (ATZ, AT&F1)
>and nothing fixes it short of cycling power to the PC. 
>I realize this is a long shot, and I'm probably going to need an
>external modem to avoid rebooting, but I'll ask anyway.  Is there 
>any neat trick, I've never heard of, that can reset an internal 
>modem so I don't have to shutdown???

Yes.  If the back (where the external side of the I/O cards point) of
the motherboard is away from you the right side of the ISA slot is side
A and the left side is side B.  You can look at the "pins" of the card
where it goes into the slot to determine what it draws for voltage,
slice the trace and attach a wire to each side of the cut.  Then put a
NC push-button in the wire.  You've just installed a hard reset button
on your modem.  Counting from the back towards you on the B side - 

pin 3	+5v
pin 5	-5v
pin 7	-12v
pin 8	+12v
pin 29	+5v

>This particular modem is an USR, but I've seen problems like this

Supposedly the premier modem OEM,  I've never been too happy with a USR
modem.

>with every kind of modem I've ever used.  (external modems are 
>just easier to fix :)   I should have known better than to get an 
>internal modem . . .   I'd probably never notice it on a windoze 

Yes you should! :)

Even wondered if the power supply in your box was a bit flaky?  That can
cause odd little problems like this.

>box where I'd need to reboot more frequently than the modem screws 
>up, but I'm not running windoze and I hate to reboot!
>Internal modems suck!!!  Well, all modems suck, but I'm stuck
>since I can't get broadband of any form at my house.   :-(