Weird modem problem on new computer

[turbot2496]

My old desktop fried so I shot down to Wal-mart and bought a emachine to replace it. Try to hook up to the net and the sucker just gives me an error#678 isp not responding. You can hear the modem connecting, handshake etc. but then it breaks into this tone that doesn't stop and times out giving the error message. Well get ahold of Isp and we try everything to no avail. I can hook my laptop up to the same phone line that is running into the new desktop and hook up to the internet fine, but new emachine can't. Isp gives up and says I have a hardware problem. Call emachine and after driver reinstall and everything else they say #678 is a problem with ISP even though my other computers hooked up just fine. Called smartlink(makers of the modem) and after more driver reinstall they say problem is with ISP. Anyway emachine going back to Wally world thursday for full refund. Anybody have a modem problem like this??

 

[Buick From Hell]

Yup--couple of years ago, had a Lucent modem that would dial and everything, but it only worked downstream, nothing upstream so my computer couldn't "authenticate" (I guess...)

Anyway, bad modem, and it sounds like yours is too...

 

[striker_29]

What happens when you query the modem?

 

[VADER]

I recently got a new computer, and had trouble getting online through dial up. Turns out, I plugged the phone line into the LAN connection instead. Plugged it in right, and it works fine. Also, my firewall was keeping it from connecting at one time.

 

[turbot2496]

Weird and Weirder

Well I got the new computer to hook up to AOL but no luck with my old ISP. I guess the modems are uncompatible or something. Anyway laptop and new computer work on aol but connection is only half as fast as with the old ISP so I guess the new comp is going back to Wally World. Aol is 5 bucks a month more expensive and half of the speed of my other ISP. The laptop has a lucent modem in it that seems to be compatible with both aol and my old isp. Weird.

 

[Buick From Hell]

Noooo!!! not AOHELL!!!!!

ARRGHH!!! IT'S A TRICK!!!

You just jogged my memory, mine did the same thing...AOL knows how to connect "one-way" modems! (and that explains your half-as-fast problem)... I'm going to bet it has to dial up twice to connect??

Why not just yank the modem out of your old computer and try it? The new computer should have a driver for it...

 

[turbot2496]

Already thought of that

Modem in the old computer won't fit in the new computer. It is a different kind of card that won't plug in to the new computer. I have a friend thats gonna lend me a modem. Are there alot of modems that will only hook to AOL?? hmmmm.

 

[Buick From Hell]

When my modem went bad, it would dial up, connect, then disconnect and give me some error message.

What was happening, was that it was connecting with the ISP, but the ISP couldn't authenticate because the modem wasn't working right, it would time out...

The way AOHELL does it (or did it with mine anyway) is you dial up and connect... and if it times-out waiting to authenticate it'll just immediately redial. When it connects again, AOHELL's server considers that "authentication". Get's you online at least.

As far as I know there's no "special" modems. Hopefully the one you borrow will work okay!

 

[Chuck Leeper]

E-machine??

If you are planning to return the E/M, I'd suggest you get something else. I have one, a T2260, that the motherboard took a crap in. It took them 2 months to get it fixed. I have the in-home 3yr warranty thru Comp USA, and they too jerked me around trying to "verify" the warranty. The damn thing was only 5 mo old when this happened.
I called and e-mailed E-machine tech ctr and home office... Got some Bull$hit about "you have to take it up w/ your supplier. We only answer tech ??'s"

As you can tell, I'm not all that happy w/ this POS!!