Modem issue

[KimWBedford]

Help! I have a Dell Inspiron 3800 laptop from work. No one will help me with this issue. At work, I use a network connection. No biggie. However, I am trying to set up a Dial-Up connection at home and I am receiving a line failure. The diagnostic says that the modem is working properly (by the way, LT Win Modem) but it cannot detect the line. I have check the phone cables, tried several, and check the the outlets (plugged in a phone and received a dial tone.) Can anyone help me?

[Highlife Man]

Hi!

What operating system are you using? Do you get a specific error message or is it basically "cannot detect line" or "line failure" or even "cannot detect dialtone"?

One thing you could try is updating the drivers/firmware for the modem. There are other things also but if you could reveal to us your operating system and the exact error message we'll get crackin on a solution for you.

Here is nice site for information about your modem: LT Win Modem Information Page

Also the Dell Forums will come in handy on this one I think:
http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums

[KimWBedford]

I am using Windows 2000. I did go to the LT info page but had trouble finding a specific answer (maybe I gave up too quickly.) I did update the driver though.
I will check out the delltalk site if you can't help me.
Thanks for your help!

[Highlife Man]

Is there a specific error message you are getting when you try and connect?

Such as, "line/DAA test failure" ?

There is a chance that the modem just clunkered out and needs a replacement...

Another idea could be to uninstall the drivers, reboot, and let windows2000 find the drivers or save the latest drivers to your harddrive and point to them when windows asks for them but maybe you already tried that when you updated the drivers the first time....

[KimWBedford]

When I try to connect, I receive "No Dial Tone." But when I run the diagnostic program, it says that the Line/Daa test is failing.
I did not unistall, I just searched for updated drivers and installed them.
Maybe the modem is bad except that the Diagnostic Tool, if working properly, says that everything else passes the test.

[Highlife Man]

I think that "Line/Daa test is failing" signifies modem hardware failure and you will need to get an internal or external modem to replace it if you wish to use dial-up away from work.

Here is a page with some more diagnositic tips:
http://modemsite.com/56k/lightning.asp

etc...

[KimWBedford]

Thanks for your help. I will probably try a few more things then give up!

[Redneck Geek]

Originally posted by Highlife Man
I think that "Line/Daa test is failing" signifies modem hardware failure

My experience with modem problems (2-1/2 years support for a small dial-up ISP) confirms this assessment. An electrical surge has blown the interface where the phone jack connects with the modem. Your modem will respond to all your tests because "technically" it is working according to your computer but the physical link to the phone line is broken. Try a new modem, I suspect this will fix the problem. I hope this helps.

[KimWBedford]

You know what, I think it is a conflict with the network card. I tried another laptop (we have 3 just alike) and received the exact same results. Thanks anyway.