Possible causes

• The internal fax modem is not installed or not connected.
• The external fax modem is not connected or turned on.
• The telephone line is connected to the wrong connection on the fax modem card.
• The telephone line from the computer to the wall jack is defective or the wall jack is defective.
• Excessive static or line noise is distorting the fax modemís transmission or reception of faxes or modem communications.
• Call waiting is interrupting the fax modemís transmissions.
• The fax modem is not configured for the correct COM (serial) port and /or IRQ (interrupt) setting in your System Setup or CMOS.
• Newly added software is conflicting with the communications program.
• The communications program is corrupt and needs to be reinstalled.
• Windows 95 detects a conflict between the fax modem and another device in the computer.
• Windows 95 is not properly identifying the fax modem.
• The baud rate of the modem needs to be lowered to communicate correctly with another fax machine or modem.
• The fax modem needs to be reseated in the computer.
• Newly added hardware is conflicting with your fax modem.

Basic fax modem troubleshooting:

Telephone line connection to the fax modem card - The physical telephone line that connects your fax modem to the wall jack must be plugged into the Telco or Line jack on the fax modem. The jack labeled phone is strictly for a voice phone. Make sure that the line coming from the wall is plugged into the correct jack. If the telephone line is plugged into the wrong jack, you will receive "No Dial Tone" or "No Carrier" error messages in your communication software.

Telephone line defects - The telephone line from the computer to the wall should be checked to make sure that a regular telephone works when it is plugged in. If another phone line is available, try using it to eliminate any possibility that the phone line is defective. If you are using a telephone line splitter, remove it from the telephone line and connect the telephone directly from the wall into the jack on the fax modem.

Telephone line static or noise - Excessive static or line noise distorts the fax modemís ability to communicate with other fax modems. Make sure no heavy object, such as a file cabinet, chair, etc., is setting on the telephone cable. Have your local telephone personnel check your telephone lines to make sure that the lines do not need any modifications to reduce static and noise.

Call Waiting - Call waiting can interrupt the fax modemís ability to communicate because of fluctuations in the signal from the telephone line when another call is coming into the line. To disable call waiting when you are using the fax modem, the telephone number needs modification. Consult the communications software documentation for information on changing the fax modemís initialization string. Add *70 to the beginning of the telephone number and try using the communications software again. (*70 is a function in the phone system itself that turns off the call waiting-- not just when you are using a modem).

Resolving fax modem difficulties:

COM port and IRQ settings - The fax modem requires a COM (serial) port address and an IRQ (interrupt request) in order to function. The COM port and IRQ for the fax modem can not be used by anything else within the system. The only way to be absolutely sure what these settings are is to consult the fax modem Userís Guide and compare the settings with the physical jumpers and switches on the fax modem card. If another device is using the COM port or IRQ that your modem is attempting to use, the fax modem will not work.

COM port and IRQ setting in System Setup or CMOS - Your computer, by default, uses certain COM port and IRQ settings for serial connections on the back of the system. If these settings are not modified, the internal fax modem will not work. Consult your Computer System Technical Reference for information on entering Setup or CMOS and for the location of the Onboard COM port or Serial port settings. Follow the on-screen instructions to Disable the COM port setting that your fax modem is using. For example, if your fax modem is using COM1, IRQ4, highlight Onboard COMA or Serial port 3F8H and change the setting so that it says Disabled. Follow the on-screen instructions to Save and Exit Setup. Once the system has finished rebooting, try to access your fax modem with your communications software. Note: If the fax modem is connected to the serial port on the rear of the computer, do not disable any of the Onboard COM ports or the modem will not function.

Valid COM port and IRQ values or combinations - It is important to remember that computers have standard sets of COM port and IRQ values or combinations. COM 1 and COM 3 share the IRQ setting of 4 while COM 2 and COM 4 share the IRQ of 3. The most common addresses (COM port) for fax modems are COM1, IRQ4 or COM2, IRQ3. Other combinations are available but make sure that you are using valid combinations or your modem will not work. For more information on COM port and IRQs, reference the computer section of your local book store. The following chart contains the default COM port and IRQ values as well as valid combinations of IRQs. Note: The IRQ highlighted setting is the standard IRQ for the COM port.

COM port Setting & Address	IRQ
COM1 - 03F8	4
COM2 - 02F8	3
COM3 - 03E8	2,4,5
COM4 - 02E8	2,3,5

Software corruption errors - Corruption in the communications software program may be causing problems when you try to access the fax modem. To verify the communications program is not corrupt, delete and reinstall the program. If the fax modem still does not respond correctly, try dialing in the HyperTerminal application that is part of Windows 95.

To access HyperTerminal, click the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click the word Programs, then click Accessories, and finally click HyperTerminal on the menu. The HyperTerminal window appears on the screen. Double click the Hypertrm icon to open the program. The New Connection - HyperTerminal window opens. In the Connection Description, type a name for the place you are trying to connect to in the Name: box and select an Icon:, then click the OK button at the bottom of the window. The Phone Number window appears on the screen. In the Phone number: box, type the phone number of the place to which you are trying to connect. Once this is complete, click the Dial button at the bottom of this window to dial the modem. The Connect window appears on the screen. To view or modify settings such as stop bits, data bits, software compression, click the Modify button on the upper right hand side of the screen and make appropriate changes for the connection. To view or modify settings such as Dial using Calling Card:, dialing location, country, area code, etc., click the Dialing Properties button on the right hand side of the screen. Make appropriate changes for the connection. Once all these changes are complete, click the OK button, then click the Dial button on the bottom of the Connect window to dial the modem. If HyperTerminal connects to the desired location, the difficulty is probably due to software corruption or incorrect modem settings within the communications software. Delete and re-install the software to make sure there is no corruption in the software. Try to use the fax modem again. If HyperTerminal does not connect to the desired location, proceed to the HyperTerminal diagnostic mode section.

HyperTerminal diagnostic mode - If Windows 95 does not correctly identify the modem, or if another device driver or software application is interfering with the fax modem, the modem will not function properly. To determine if Windows 95 communicates with the fax modem, HyperTerminal must be set in a diagnostic mode. To do this, click the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click the word Programs, then click Accessories, and finally click HyperTerminal on the menu. The HyperTerminal window appears on the screen. Double click the Hypertrm icon to open the program. The New Connection - HyperTerminal window opens. In the Connection Description window, locate the Name: box and type:

test

for the name of this connection. Select an Icon:, then click the OK button at the bottom of the screen. The Phone Number window appears on the screen. In the Phone number: box, type in the phone number of the place you are trying to connect to. In the Connect using: box at the bottom of this screen, click the down arrow beside the current setting. From the list, click once on Direct to Com 1 to select it. Click the OK button at the bottom of the screen. The COM1 Properties window appears on the screen. In the lower left hand corner of the window, click the Restore Defaults button, then click the OK button at the bottom of the screen to proceed to the HyperTerminal window. Commands are now typed directly to the modem. To view information, such as fax modem speed and supervisor information, type:

ati3

and press Enter. Once this is complete, click the X button in the upper right hand side of the window. When asked to save changes to HyperTerminal, click the No button to exit to the Windows 95 desktop.

Newly added software - Some software programs may interfere with the fax modemís ability to communicate. If you have added any new software to the system, remove ALL references of the new software. If this is not possible, reinstall the fax modem communications program. Make sure that no other software communication program has control of the fax modem. Exit all programs except the communication program and try accessing the fax modem again.

Fax modemís baud rate - The baud rate of a modem is the speed at which it communicates information. Even though the fax modem in the computer is capable of sending and receiving data at a faster rate, other fax modems may not interpret information as quickly as your fax modem. Telephone line reliability may also hinder accurate transmission of data. If you are receiving error messages referring to communication problems, lower the baud rate of the modem software. Consult the communications software documentation for specific information on changing the fax modemís baud rate.

Fax modem card connection - Make sure that the fax modem card is securely seated in its slot in the computer. Power the computer off. Remove the outer case from the computer as instructed in your Userís Guide. Once inside the computer, locate the fax modem card. Remove the screw that is holding the card in the computer. Gently but firmly pull the fax modem card straight out of the computer. Align the card in the slot that you just removed it from and push it firmly back into the slot with the heels of your palms. Slide the case back on the computer. Power the computer back on and try to access your modem again with your communications program.

Newly added hardware - If you have added any new hardware, such as network cards or sound cards, remove it. The hardware may be trying to access the same COM port or IRQ as your fax modem card. Once you remove the new hardware, try to access your fax modem with your communication software.

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