# laptop modem



## daksmom (Oct 22, 2000)

I have a laptop, albeit a used laptop, but it's a laptop. I started having trouble with it about a week or so ago. When I turn on the laptop, it beeped twice. That meant the modem was ok. But about 3 weeks ago, while I would be online, the laptop would beep twice, then I would lose the online connection. A few seconds later, the laptop would beep again, and I could re-establish the online connection. I don't know if I somehow uninstalled the modem, but when I go to the control panel, and double click on system, then click on device manager, the modem isn't listed on the device manager. When I double click on modem on the control panel, the modem is listed. But, when I double click on pc card on the control panel, the window says that both sockets are empty. The pc card I have isn't listed in the choices of pc cards to install, so I don't know if the "brand" I have is an off brand or not. Could I have possibly uninstalled the modem? Could I have possibly turned off the socket? Is there a history file, or some other related file I can go to to find out what I did, if anything, for the modem to not work now? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi daksmom -

Let me get this straight -- the modem is a pccard modem, right? Have you removed it and re-inserted it to make sure it is secure?


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## daksmom (Oct 22, 2000)

Hi Jody,
Yes, the pc card is the modem. It is a 56k fax modem. I have taken it out, and put it back in numerous times. It should automatically reinstall, but it doesn't. Could the socket be turned off? Is there a history file I can go to in the computer to see if I mistakenly uninstalled the pc card (modem)? I have Windows 98 in the laptop. I have gone to Files on the Start Menu, clicked on Files and Folders, and when the window opens, I click on the date tab and type in the date that I can remember not seeing the pc card listed in the pc card properties on the control panel. When the modem started acting up, I could not connect, and a window would come up saying that COM port 1 is busy or invalid. Yet, when I click on modem on the control panel, it's listed, and it's listed in COM port 3. Is there a way to find out what is holding COM port 1 open, or what is making it busy or invalid? I will take any and all suggestions.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

What operating system are you using?

What make/model of modem PCCARD is it?

Do you have the drivers for the card?

Let's check your Device Manager to see what's up. (I'm assuming Windows 98). Click Start/Settings/Control Panel/System. Click the Device Manager tab, then click the little + next to "Ports". Do you see anything that has a yellow exclamation point there? What is listed?

Also - click the little + next to "Modems". Is your modem listed there, and if so do you see any exclamation points there either?


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## daksmom (Oct 22, 2000)

Jody,
The odd thing about the modem in my laptop is that the night the modem started acting up, I went to the device manager to see what was up, and the modem wasn't listed under the device manager. The pc card is a Zonet 56kbps fax modem. That must be an off brand, because I can't find that brand on any web site for pc cards. As for System on the control panel, Modem is not listed. It should be, because a friend also has a laptop, and both the modem, and pc card are listed in the System Properties window on the control panel. My pc card is listed. The card is listed under PCMCIA socket in the device manager. Listed is "Toshiba ToPIC97 CardBus Controller". On the control panel itself, under modem, in the properties window, on COM 3 is listed 56Kbps Fax Modem PC Card. Nothing is installed in COMs 1 & 4, and there is no COM 2. On the device manager, COM 3 isn't listed in ports. On the control panel under PC Card (PCMCIA), in the properties window, there are two pc card icons, and next to both of them it says "(Empty) - Socket 1, and (Empty) - Socket 2. What was listed in the device manager with yellow exclamation points, I installed, just trying to see if another modem would work. When they didn't, I uninstalled them. My system is Wondows '98. And, on the control panel, modem is there, but when I go to device manager, modem is not listed. Keep in mind that both modem and pc card should be listed. At least, that's the way my friend's device manager is. Do you know how to reinstall the sockets? Is there a history of some sort I can do to see if I actually uninstalled the modem by mistake? Is there some way to get to the original modem configurations and restore them? I'm not a programmer. In fact, I'm VERY computer illiterate, so give me easy to understand things to do. Thanks once again.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Don't sell yourself short - you are hardly computer illiterate! 

When you are in Device Manager, remove the PCCARD and see if the Modem disappears in Device Manager. Reinsert it and see if it appears (you can 'hot swap' PCMCIA cards while the system is on). Do you hear a noticable "beep" sound when you remove it and when you reinsert it? Your previous beepings could mean a loose connection or not "snug" card insertion. With the card inserted snugly, does your sockets in Device Manager still show "empty"?

Here is a link to your Zonet card's driver download page. I don't suspect drivers at this point, but it doesn't hurt to download the latest drivers.


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