No Dial Tone From Modems

[owensdj]

Someone I know had an internal 56K modem that stopped working. Every time he tried to dial AOL, the system would say "no dial tone." I tested his modem in one of my computers and found out it was a problem with the modem itself. He bought a new US Robotics Performance Pro internal modem, and I put that in for him. After several months, his new modem had the same "no dial tone" problem. I tested the modem and found it it also was bad, so we sent it back to US Robotics for warranty replacement. The replacement has been working fine for several months, but last night he called and said he has that "no dial tone" problem again. :Q

Could there be something at his house that's damaging all of these modems? Is there anything a user could do at the keyboard that would damage an internal PCI modem? The US Robotics modem didn't have any problems being detected and installed by the system, it just couldn't dial out. The only thing I can think of would be lightning strikes damaging the modems through the phone line. After the first modem messed up, I told him to go buy something that has modem protection, but I don't know if he ever did.:Q

 

[woodie1]

If he isn't using a surge protector on the phne line then I would make him get one before you install a new modem.

 

[Zepper]

If you (or friend) live in a high to moderate lightning or wind area (wind can blow limbs onto power wires knocking them across phone wires), you really need to have the modem plugged into some kind of protection.
. One of these times it'll take his system along with it!!! I know, I worked at a PC service shop in the panhandle of florida (very high lightning area) for a while and we made tons of money in Spring and Fall from modem replacements and zapped systems.
. Since I worked there, I've taken to unplugging my computer and modem from AC and phone jack when I'm not using them and particularly when a storm comes up - just like abstinence, the only truly safe thing to do.
.bh.
Hoping again for some :sun:...