what is modem and how can i tell if mine is bad?

Question

I unpluged my computer to give to my son when I got my new one. He plugged it in and couldnt connect. Some tech somewhere is telling him the modem is bad. How could that be? It was working fine when it was unplugged.

Answer 1

First, connect a known-working phone to the phone jack using the same cable you are using for your modem's connection, and check for a dial tone.

If you do NOT get a dial tone, try swapping out the cable with another known-working cable.

If you still do NOT get a dial tone, it may be that phone jack. You can test that by going to another phone jack in the house.

If you DO get a dial tone, you may need to check how your son is connecting the phone cable to the computer. There are two port connections to your computer, so make sure he is using the first port on the modem.

If modem is still not dialing up, run a diagnostics using the following steps:

Go to Start Menu and click "Control Panel"
Click "Network Connections"
Click "Phone and Modem Options" link on left
Click "Modems" tab from Properties window
Click "Diagnostics" tab from the Properties window
Click "Query the modem" to start diagnostics

At this point, you should be able to get a basic understanding of whether the modem needs to be replaced.

When in doubt, refer to Wndows Help and Support listed in the Start Menu. XP has a great help program that will guide you through any troubleshooting issues.

Good luck!

Answer 2

A modem is what can allow you to connect to a remote server. It is like calling a certain number on your computer to access the internet through them. try going to the control panel by going to the start button and clicking on control panel. Then click on your printers and other hardware icon. You will then need to click on the phone and modem options icon. Click on the modem tab at the top of the window. If a modem shows up in the white box then you're modem is installed. With the modem highlighted either in blue or gray, click on the properties tab at the almost bottom right of the page. About half way down the page, it will tell you if your modem device is working properly. If it does not show up you may need to reinstall your modem or it is just bad. Do you have the installation CD to the modem? If the modem does not show up, then try inserting the installation CD and installing the drivers again. After everything is installed, it should recognize your modem again. If it does not, you could try opening your computer and checking the modem to see if it is fully connected. Look on the back of your computer to see where the phone wire plugs into your modem. Use that to find the modem inside your computer.
I hope that helped.

Answer 3

A dial up modem can and will go to crap at any given moment.they are cheap to purchase and can be installed by yourself. they generally run 15.99 and can be purchased at wal-mart