On Feb 9, 7:25 am, Jethro <Wil...@somewhere.org> wrote:
> ...
>> 2) check the jacks to make sure that there aren't bent/corroded pins
>> that could be causing an intermittent problem
>
> Looked and all seems okay.
>
>> 3) make sure that you have an appropriate, up-to-date driver (look at
>> the card to determine make and model, not just within windows)
>
> This is most likely - but I have tried ones I could find from
> Driverguide - all to no avail.

All those actions and more are made completely irrelevant by the
Hyperterminal test.

Hyperterminal test also breaks a hardware problem down into parts.
First half was main computer talking to modem computer. That is
obvious when you press a key and the modem's computer echos a
character to screen. Therefore drivers are perfectly good. Second
part is when modem's speaker volume is up to maximum and dialing using
the ATDTxxxx command. That test defines a connection from modem's
computer to telephone network.

If a connection is made, no connector corrosion exists, the drivers
are OK, and reseating a modem accomplishes nothing. Those are actions
done from wild specualtion; not by following the evidence.

If modem is defective, then the Hyperterminal test typically will
talk to modem's computer, but modem's computer will not talk to
telephone network. Modem failures are most often on the DAA side - an
interface between modem's computer and telephone network.