unable to dial out

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solfer · #1 Post by **solfer** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:19 am

Looking for some inspiration here...!

I've been passed a friend's T30 which he wanted formatted and XP reinstalled. He didn't have any of the drivers, so I've d/l'd them all from the IBM site.

Everything seems to be fine, except for the modem, which doesn't seem to want to dial out. I get an Error 680: There is no dialtone.

I've stepped through Microsoft's KB (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326681), but still can't dial out. I can successfully query the modem within the diagnostics tab.

If anyone can offer any more suggestions, I'd be very grateful!!!

TIA,

Website · #2 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:30 am

I know this might sound silly, but check to make sure that you have the phone line plugged into the Modem Jack, and not the Ethernet Jack. My wife was yelling at me when I was out of town last year, because her Compaq M300 wouldn't dial out. She thought that the modem fried. When I got home, I realized that she had the phone line plugged into the wrong port. It wasn't obvious to her, because it clicked into place. Though, in her defense, they are on opposite sides of the laptop, as opposed to being next to each other...thus limiting her ability to easily determine which one was correct. When they are next to each other, you can see which one is smaller.

solfer · #3 Post by **solfer** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:35 pm

Not silly - I've been there myself!! - because of which, I know that I'm definitely using the Modem Jack rather than the Ethernet Jack.

I've also tried 2 cables to eliminate the problem.. neither make a difference.

Are there any issues with network adapters conflicting with the modem? I've disabled the network adapter just in case, but it doesn't seem to make a difference...

Thinking of trying out a 56k USB modem (he doesn't have broadband) and hoping this might do the trick instead of the onboard modem...?

0rion · #4 Post by **0rion** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:55 pm

Have you checked that the modem card is securley plugged into the bottom of the motherboard, and that the wire running to the modem jack is plugged in to the card correctly?

Your problem sounds like most likely the wire has become loose from the card...hence no dialtone when the modem goes to dial.

Hope this helps,
Chris

Website · #5 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:06 pm

Orion brings up a very good point. Either the wires might have come loose, OR the seller removed the Modem. Removing the modem is possible, if the modem fried. A fried modem can prevent a system from booting.

#6 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:05 pm

solfer wrote:Everything seems to be fine, except for the modem, which doesn't seem to want to dial out. I get an Error 680: There is no dialtone.

I'm assuming you are trying to use the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) tool to connect. It also appears you are using WinXP, so if you verify that, yes you have a modem installed, try talking directly to it and see if that works:

Launch HyperTerminal (Start/Programs/Accessories/Communications)

If the "Default Telnet Program?" window pops up, verify that the "Don't ask me the question again" checkbox is NOT checked and answer "No".

This should open a HyperTerminal window and a "Connection Description" sub-window. Click on "Cancel".

Click on Files/Properties and change/verify that "Connect using:" points to the modem (my T23 system says "Win Modem #3"). Click on the "Ok" button.

You should now see the cursor blinking in the HyperTerminal window. Whatever you type will be interpreted as a command to the modem. The first thing you should do is enter the following:

at&f

Then hit the "Enter" key. You may notice that the "at&f" does NOT appear as you type. You should see this after you hit Enter:

OK
_

What you have just done is given the modem a "reset" command. You should now see whatever it is that you are typing. Enter this command:

at&v

And then the "Enter" key again. This should display a series of lines which then pauses with the line "Press any key to continue: ESC to quit.". In the first series of lines, you should see "Speaker Volume". Make a note of its setting (probably Medium). Also check the line "DialTone Detect". It should be set to "Enabled". Hit the space key a couple of times until you see the OK prompt. If you get these lines then you can be confident that you can communicate to your modem. When you are at the OK prompt, enter this command:

atl3 (that's an EL not an EYE; a tee EL three)

That should turn on the Speaker Volume to HIGH. You can verify this with another "at&v" command. Now, connect the phone line, make sure your laptop speaker volume is not muted and the volume up high and enter:

atdt

You should now hear a dial tone. If you don't get one, the modem is not picking up the line or for some reason it can't "hear" the dial tone. It would be useful to have another phone on the line which has an "in use" light to see if the modem is actually going "off hook". To cancel the command, hit the ESC key. Click File/Exit to terminate the HyperTerminal window. If you are able to get the modem to work this way, then your problem is in the DUN settings.

egibbs · #7 Post by **egibbs** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:36 am

Pull the cover off the Mini-PCI slot on the bottom and check that the cable is hooked up to the card.

solfer · #8 Post by **solfer** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:43 am

Thanks for all the replies. I've tried the Hyperterminal commands and get NO DIALTONE at the atdt command.

Haven't opened up the laptop yet, but here's some more info which is making this more confusing (for me!!).

I've got the same 56k modem (Agere Systems AC'97) in my own Acer laptop, and I'm getting the same results from that modem too, i.e NO DIALTONE.

I haven't used my line for dial-up recently as I'm on ADSL, so this made me wonder if that's where the problem lies... that was until I took the T30 back round to my friends (who isn't ADSL enabled), tested it on his line, and I STILL get the [censored] NO DIALTONE error...!!

Now to pull the covers off of both laptops... seems too much of a coincidence that both cards aren't playing ball..

#9 Post by **rkawakami** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:01 pm

solfer wrote:I've tried the Hyperterminal commands and get NO DIALTONE at the atdt command.

Okay, but do you hear anything?

FYI, I did a search about differences in dial tones between countries and found these two sites:

http://nemesis.lonestar.org/reference/t ... ddial.html
http://www.connectotel.com/tips.html

It's possible that the modem you are using does not detect the slightly different dial tone used in the UK (vs. the US I'm assuming). The fix is to provide the "X1" command string to tell the modem NOT to scan for a dial tone, just simply wait a few seconds (programmable in another modem command string) after picking up the line before dialing.

egibbs · #10 Post by **egibbs** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:36 pm

Are you using the same phone patch cord for all the tests? I've had them go bad.

Ed Gibbs

#11 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:46 pm

Take a magnifying glass and look at the rj11 port and make sure none of the wires are bent or pulled out of place also.

solfer · #12 Post by **solfer** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:35 pm

egibbs wrote:Are you using the same phone patch cord for all the tests? I've had them go bad.

Ed Gibbs

No, I've tried 2 now, same result from both.

solfer · #13 Post by **solfer** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:09 pm

Okay, but do you hear anything?

Well, nothing other than an initial 'click,' even after adding the X1 command string.

No bad connections on the RJ11 either.

If I had any hair left I'd be pulling it out right now

As a dial-up novice, getting the correct connection string looks like a near impossibilty!!

#14 Post by **rkawakami** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:56 pm

Since you said earlier that you have used two different phone line cords and tried connecting in two different places (your's and your friend's), is there anything else that is common with the phone connection? Are you using an in-line coupler? How about an adapter for US-style RJ11 to British? The reason I ask is that I found this:

http://kropla.com/phones.htm
http://kropla.com/phones2.htm

Also mentioned in the first article (and which I was reminded about since I had this problem many years ago), is it possible that both of you are using DIGITAL phone systems? Usually used inside businesses as a PBX (private branch exchange), digital systems will not work with your typical modem. Does your phone have a DATA port built-in? If so, try connecting there. However, if you are using a digital system, you may have already fried your modems.

Berny · #15 Post by **Berny** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:23 pm

Thinking of trying out a 56k USB modem (he doesn't have broadband) and hoping this might do the trick instead of the onboard modem...?

have you followed up this option? USB modem should have a LED for OH (off hook), being on when line is in use.

have you tried your computer on your friends phone line?

have you checked the cable? in germany there are some cables (e.g. for answering machines) that look like modem cables but these won't work !!!

bobbyj · #16 Post by **bobbyj** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:00 am

My mini-pci modem is giving me the exact same error. I think I've got a fried modem due to a lightning strike. Can't decide whether to risk replacing the mini-pci card itself or just grab an external modem.

#17 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:17 am

bobbyj wrote:Can't decide whether to risk replacing the mini-pci card itself or just grab an external modem.

It's a fairly easy operation to replace the modem. Open the panel covering the modem and network cards, carefully unplug the ribbon cable from the modem card (it's the larger one mounted in the connector which looks similar to what the memory modules sit in), release the card by gently pulling outward on the two metal clips, away from the edges of the card. Then it should tilt up at which point you can simply remove the modem from the MiniPCI slot. Installation is just the opposite operation.

bobbyj · #18 Post by **bobbyj** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:20 am

Many thanks for your response.

That does sound like a possibility, but I am worried about buying a modem on eBay (10GBP) and then discovering it doesn't work and that some other part of the setup is kaput, for example the socket. I think perhaps using an external modem would resolve these worries?

#19 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:37 am

bobbyj wrote:I think perhaps using an external modem would resolve these worries?

Sure, you can choose from either a USB or PCMCIA (PC Card) solution. You may even be able to find a serial port modem, but I'd stick with either one of the previously mentioned interfaces since there's a better chance that those pieces of hardware will come with modern operating system drivers (i.e. Windows 2000 and/or XP).

bobbyj · #20 Post by **bobbyj** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:27 am

Now that sounds good - a PC card solution. Do all IBM Thinkpads take the same PCMCIA cards, do you know? It's been ages since I've looked into these.

#21 Post by **rkawakami** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:06 am

bobbyj wrote:Do all IBM Thinkpads take the same PCMCIA cards, do you know?

There are some differences between the T2x Thinkpads in their support of the Zoomed Video port, but generally speaking, any standard PCMCIA 2.1/Cardbus 32-bit hardware can be used in the T2x series. They will take the TYPE III cards (two slots) which are ones which usually have a built-in, full-size RJ-11 jack. If you need to use another PC Card device at the same time you are using the modem, then you will need to get a TYPE II card (one slot) which will either have an X-JACK connector or a "dongle". The dongle cards can usually be used with other PC Cards at the same time without any problem since the external connector comes straight out from the edge of the card. The X-JACK modems can have problems when used with other PC Cards because of the way the RJ-11 plugs go into the pop-out jack. You will either have to disconnect the RJ-11 plug if you need to remove the other PC Card or if the other card extends outside the laptop's case (like a wireless card, for example), then there may not be room for the X-JACK.