Instructions for Upgrading Your Courier V.Everything to x2
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(Note: FLASH code file name change! "sdl.exe" is either "usrsdl.exe"
or "usrsdl25.exe")
Upgrading your Courier modem (analog) to operate at x2 speeds is a
three step process:
Step 1: Verify that your modem hardware configuration will support x2
Step 2: Upgrade your system firmware
Step 3: Enable the x2 feature key
Each of these steps is described in more detail below.
Step 1: What Options Are Available to Me if I'm Among the
------ Few That Needs a Hardware Upgrade to Utilize x2?
For most Courier owners, upgrading to x2 will be a two step process.
First, firmware supporting x2 must be downloaded to the modem.
Second, you dial a BBS to configure the x2 security feature and enable
speeds of up to 56kbps. No hardware upgrade is required.
For some older Courier models, a hardware upgrade or exchange may be
required.
If you have a Courier V.34 modem you will not need any type of
hardware upgrade. Your modem can be upgrade to x2 with the firmware
flash and key enable only. If you have previously upgraded your
daughterboard to V.34, you also will be able to upgrade your modem
with a firmware flash and key enable.
If you are not sure if your modem is V.34, you can check the clock
frequency. An easy way to do this is to use the ATI7 command to
display the configuration profile screen. In particular, your are
interested in seeing what is displayed on the Clock Freq line.
_ If the Clock Freq = 25Mhz then the modem is 25Mhz, and is flashable.
_ If the Clock Freq = 20.16Mhz and "options" DOES include VFC, then
the modem is 20Mhz, and is flashable.
_ If the Clock Freq = 20.16Mhz, but "options" DOES NOT include VFC,
then the modem is a V32terbo and therefore requires a daughterboard
upgrade.
_ If the Clock Freq < 20.16Mhz, the modem is not flashable and will
require a Trade-Out.
How Do I Obtain a Hardware Upgrade If I Need One?
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If Your Modem Requires a Trade-Out:
The following Trade-Outs are available:
Option Price
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Trade-Out Trade-Out for a new Courier V.Everything 56k $199.00
(Internal, External, or MAC)
Orders can be placed at the BBS "Trade-in Door" at 847-982-5092 (the
BBS can be accessed 24 hours per day) or by calling 1-800-231-8770
(Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST USA). Select Option #3
(additional options) then Option #5 (order hardware upgrades).
Orders can be billed to a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American
Express). After receipt of an order, U.S. Robotics Customer Network
Services will mail a detailed letter with the description of
the process for the order to you. IMPORTANT: You should not mail in
any modems to U.S. Robotics until after you receive the instruction
letter.
Note: Requests for trade-in outside the U.S. and Canada must be
referred to the local U.S. Robotics office.
If Your Modem Requires a Daughterboard Upgrade:
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Daughterboard Price
----------------------------------------
Daughterboard Upgrade Kit $99.00
Orders can be placed by calling 1-800-231-8770 (Monday through Friday,
7:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST USA). Select Option #3 (additional options)
then Option #5 (order hardware upgrades).
Orders can be billed to a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American
Express). After placing an order, you will receive a daughterboard
upgrade kit in the mail.
Note: Requests for daughterboard upgrades outside the U.S. and Canada
must be referred to the local U.S. Robotics office.
IMPORTANT: After obtaining your daughterboard and installing it in
your Courier modem, you will need to update the firmware on your modem
and configure the x2 security feature to complete the upgrade to x2.
If you do not have an x2 enable key, please see the information below
for instructions on how to obtain an x2 enable key. The $99 for the
daughterboard upgrade does not include the cost of the x2 enable key.
What If I Registered With U.S. Robotics for a Free Upgrade to x2, and
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My Modem Requires a Hardware Upgrade?
-------------------------------------
Products registered with U.S. Robotics prior to February 28, 1997 are
eligible for a free x2 upgrade.
The free x2 upgrade covers the firmware update and configuring the x2
security feature. If the modem requires either a trade-in or a
daughterboard upgrade, this must be purchased even if the owner
registered for a free x2 upgrade.
Step 2: How Do I Upgrade the Firmware in My Modem to the Version
------ that Supports x2?
The quickest and easiest way to access the Courier x2 firmware is from
our TOTALservice Online web site, at http://totalservice.usr.com. If
you have not yet registered at the site, please take a moment to
complete the user registration screen. If you prefer, you can also
enter the site as a guest. After registering, following the
instructions on the main display to guide you to the location of the
Courier x2 firmware files.
If you prefer, you can also download Courier x2 firmware from the U.S.
Robotics Bulletin Board System (BBS). The BBS telephone number for
this purpose is 847-982-5092. If you are unfamiliar with using a BBS,
we recommend that you use any one of the commercially available
communications software packages that support Z-Modem. Some Courier
modems shipped with communications software packages (such as
"QuickLinkO" or "RapidComO") which could be used for this purpose.
You will also require a modem and an analog line.
Following are step-by-step instructions for downloading code from the
BBS.
1. Dial the BBS.
2. You will be prompted with the question "DO YOU WANT GRAPHICS?".
Type "Y" for Yes, or "N" for No, and hit enter.
3. You will be asked to enter your first name. Type "X2 COURIER" and
hit enter.
4. You will be asked what type of Courier modem you have. Options
include V.Everything, External I-Modem, or Internal I-Modem.
5. If you have a V.Everything modem, you will also be asked about the
clock frequency of your V.Everything modem.
6. Based on your responses to the questions, the system will start to
send the appropriate file to your PC, using Zmodem as the transfer
protocol.
7. After the transfer is complete, the BBS will terminate the
connection.
8. When the BBS connection is terminated, you will find the file that
the BBS downloaded to you on your computer. The file will be
located in whatever drive/directory that you specified in setting
up your communications package. The file will be a self-extracting
zip file with a ".exe" file extension. Simply double-click on the
file to extract it. Once the files are extracted, you are ready to
proceed with the installation.
The files you download from the TOTALservice Online website or BBS
will be a self-extracting zip file. One of the resulting files when
you complete the extraction will be an executable file (file ending
with .exe). Launch this executable file to begin installing the new
firmware on your Courier modem. Release notes are also zipped with
the file that you download.
Step 3: How Do I Configure the x2 Enable Key?
------
You will need your x2 enable password to complete the upgrade using
the BBS. If you registered for a free x2 upgrade prior to
February 28, 1997, the x2 enable password will be sent to you via
electronic mail. If you did not receive your enable password via
e-mail, you can call 888-USR-XTWO (888-877-9896) to obtain your enable
password. If you purchased x2 after February 28, 1997 by calling
888-USR-XTWO (888-877-9896), you will be given your x2 enable password
over the telephone.
To enable the x2 security feature, call the BBS at 888-877-9249.
Please use the login "X2 UPGRADE" when accessing the BBS to enable to
x2 security feature. This will automatically send you to the x2
registration application. You will be prompted to enter
you x2 Enable Key.
After successfully completing these steps, you will need to reset
your modem by turning it off, waiting a few seconds, then turning the
modem on again.
If you have difficulties using the TOTALservice Online web site or
BBS, you can contact our technical support hotline at 800-231-8770
for assistance.
How Do I Obtain an x2 Enable Key?
---------------------------------
Customers who register for a free upgrade will be contacted via e-mail
with information on how to implement the x2 upgrade, including their
x2 enable key. Questions regarding your registration can be directed
to 888-USR-XTWO. Questions regarding a corporate registration can be
directed to 800-231-8770 (option #5, x2 support).
After February 28, customers can obtain an x2 upgrade enable key by
calling 888-USR-XTWO. If you have a Courier analog modem, the key
will cost $60.00, and can be billed to a credit card (Visa,
Mastercard, or American Express).
After February 28, 1997, U.S. Robotics can also process requests for
upgrades to large quantities of modems for a single customer.
Customers interested in a bulk upgrade can fax their request to
the x2 Program Administrator at 847-342-6744, or can call 800-231-8770 (select option #5, x2
support).
Frequently Asked Questions
--------------------------
How Do I Know if x2 is Enabled in My Modem?
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Note: After updating the firmware in your modem and configuring the
x2 security feature, you must reset your modem. To reset your modem,
turn it off, wait a few seconds, then turn the modem back on again.
After resetting, an easy way to verify that x2 is enabled in your
Courier modem is to use the ATI7 command to display the "U.S. Robotics
Courier V.Everything Configuration Profile" screen. In particular,
you are interested in seeing if x2 is displayed on the Options line.
If you encounter problems with your Courier modem, please contact our
technical support hotline at 800-231-8770 for assistance.
I downloaded the x2 firmware to my modem, but I cannot establish an
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x2 connection. What might be wrong?
------------------------------------
Upgrading an existing modem to x2 is a two step process. Downloading
new firmware to your modem is the first step. The second step is
configuring the x2 security feature.
Also, did you reset your modem? After completing the firmware upgrade
and configuring the security feature for x2, you need to reset your
modem by turning it off, waiting a few seconds, then turning it on
again.
I don't know if my Courier modem has had a daughterboard upgrade or
not. How can I determine this?
If you are able to establish a modem connection at 28.8 kbps, your
modem has had a daughterboard upgrade. This is the easiest way to
tell if your modem has had a daughterboard upgrade.
You can also check the clock frequency. An easy way to do this is to
use the ATI7 command to display the configuration profile screen. In
particular, you are interested in seeing what is displayed on the
Clock Freq line. If your Clock Freq is greater than or equal to
20 Mhz, your modem will not require a daughterboard upgrade to support
x2.
I have installed and enabled x2, powered the modem on and off, and
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still seem to be connecting at v.34 speeds. What troubleshooting
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techniques are available to help me determine why this is the case?
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A helpful troubleshooting approach is to use the ATI11 command to view
the "U.S. Robotics Courier V.Everything Link Diagnostics" screen. In
particular, you are looking for the information displayed in the x2
status field. In this field, if x2 failed, you will be able to read
a message explaining why. Potential messages and your meaning are
listed below:
x2 disabled on local modem
_ This means that the user has set the s-register disabling x2 on the
Courier V.Everything.
3200 baud disabled on local modem
_ This means that the user has set the s-register disabling 3200
symbol rate on the Courier V.Everything.
Remote modem is not x2
_ This means that the modem that the user is calling (or is answering
from) is not an x2 modem
Multiple CODECs in channel
_ This means that there are multiple Analog to Digital conversions in
the network and x2 does not work in this situation.
Remote modem is not a Server
_ This means that the user has called another x2 client modem.
Channel will not support 3200 baud
_ This means that the channel is not capable of supporting 3200 symbol
rate. This is a requirement for x2.
Channel is x2-capable but feature not installed
_ This means that the user is calling an x2 server and the line is
good, but the user did not install the x2 feature (i.e. I7 will not
show x2 under Options.)
This is a powerful debugging tool which should help you determine why
you were not able to establish an x2 connection. If you need
assistance troubleshooting you can contact our technical support
hotline at 800-231-8770.
How do I know if my Courier V.Everything modem is a 20Mhz or 25Mhz
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model?
-----
An easy way to determine if your Courier V.Everything modem is a
20Mhz or a 25Mhz model is to use the ATI7 command to display the
configuration profile screen. In particular, you are interested in
seeing what is displayed on the Clock Freq line.
_ If the Clock Freq = 25Mhz then the modem is 25Mhz, and is flashable.
_ If the Clock Freq = 20.16Mhz and "options" DOES include VFC, then
the modem is 20Mhz, and is flashable.
_ If the Clock Freq = 20.16Mhz, but "options" DOES NOT include VFC,
then the modem is a V32terbo and therefore requires a daughterboard
upgrade.
_ If the Clock Freq < 20.16Mhz, the modem is not flashable and will
require a Trade-Out.
I Have an Internal Modem, But I Don't Know if it is a Sportster or a
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Courier. How Can I Tell?
-------------------------
Look at the back of your PC, at the slot where the modem is installed.
In some cases, the modem brand name will be printed on the back of the
modem, so that it can be read from the back of the PC.
If the name is not printed on the back of the modem, execute any of
the ATI commands (such as ATI7). The brand name of the modem should
be displayed at the top of the screen that prints out when you execute
this command.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.