1. W95-11D.ZIP Driver
2. MODEMS.TXT File Contents

MODEMS.TXT Driver File Contents (W95-11D.ZIP)

				MODEMS TIPS
		    (C) 1999 by CptSiskoX@hotmail.com




Foreword: Feel free to submit any modems tips you may have and would like
included here, to CptSiskoX@hotmail.com.

Please visit my home page:
http://members.fortunecity.com/computingx/

These tips are also available for download from AXCEL216's website:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/95.htm
Enjoy.

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Search for drivers here:
http://members.fortunecity.com/computingx/drivers.html

I do welcome your feedback with comments about these tips & tricks, and of
course I do benefit greatly from hearing the specifics about tips and tricks
you have found.
Please do NOT write me asking for specific drivers or other manufacturers'
support materials as I have none.
If you need a tip not covered in this file, please try AXCEL216's top-notch
site:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything that happens as a result of
using any of this information which is provided as-is and has no warranties
implied or otherwise.


Updates:

2-4-98	Most Current Drivers
	Factory Settings/Default Modem String
	No Dial Tone and Modem Speaker Volume
	Short Cord
2-7-98	How To Identify Your Modem
	HyperTerminal AT Commands
	WinModem in DOS
2-21-98 Unplugging Devices From Modem's PHONE Jack
2-22-98 MaxMTU Fix
3-9-98	Max ISDN Speed
3-20-98 MaxMTU Fix - (Updated)
3-31-98 Build a Bigger Buffer
4-12-98 Powerful Ports
	Buff Buffers
	Correct Modem Setup
	Faster Data Transfer and Connection Speeds
	Say Goodbye to Line Noise
5-24-98 Data Compression Blues
6-16-98 Restart Your Modem
	Call The Better Business Bureau
7-7-98	Cut Connection Time
	Using the Right Protocols
7-26-98 Warning About US Robotics/3COM Modems
9-6-98	Avoid Disconnections Using Most Modems
10-4-98 Getting Rid of Lost Characters
12-6-98 Adjusting NT 4.0 Port Settings
1-6-99	Adjusting NT 4.0 Port Settings (Updated)
	Installing Plug N Play Modems in Windows NT 4.0
6-28-99 Setting Up Internet Connection Sharing
	Faster, More Reliable 3COM/US Robotics Connections
10-1-00 Updated Links and revised text, no new tips added



Most Current Drivers



First and foremost, my advice is that you should always have the most current
drivers for your modem. These are most often available free of charge from
your modem's manufacturer's web site. If you don't know the correct website
for your modem manufacturer, check your documentation that came with your
modem.



Factory Settings/Default Modem String



If you cannot get your modem to initialize, try using AT&F1 or ATZ as your
initialization strings. AT&F1 usually will return a modem to factory settings.
ATZ should reset your modem to default settings.



No Dial Tone and Modem Speaker Volume



If you cannot get a dial tone, be sure that your modem is properly plugged in
and connected to your system as well as the telephone jack.
If applicable, make sure that your modem's speaker is turned up enough so that
you can hear dial tones, busy signals, and handshakes.
(Handshakes are the noises the modem usually makes as it is connecting with
another modem). This will help you determine whether or not your modem is able
to obtain a dial tone and even dial out. If it is able to get a dial tone and
dial out, but cannot connect, it may be a problem with the modem you are
trying to call. In Windows 95/98, you can change your modem speaker volume in
the Control Panel, Modems. Select your modem, and click on "Properties" to
raise or lower your modem's speaker volume. If you still cannot connect to the
number, try using a different local access number.



Short Cord



Try not to use a long telephone cord, as longer cables tend to have some
signal degradation, which means slower connections and file transfers.



How To Identify Your Modem



Lots of people have asked how they can tell who made their no-name modem.
Sometimes it's not important to know the exact manufacturer. The most common
commands between modems are often the same. If you are using Windows 3.x, you
probably don't need any specific modem driver. Lots of modems use a common
chipset (such as Rockwell) on a board. Most of the time, you can find the
chipset name printed on the largest chip on the modem, and sometimes you may
find it by entering some of the AT "ID" commands (ATI1, ATI2, ATI3, etc.) in
the screen of a communications program such as the Terminal and/or
HyperTerminal programs. Terminal comes standard with Windows 3.x, and
HyperTerminal is included with Win95/98.
The ATI commands usually run up through 10 or 12, and you can learn a lot from
them, such as the values in the s-registers, and sometimes even a list of
modem commands. One of the ATI commands will usualy return some modem ID or
chipset ID (Rockwell chipset ID's usually start with an "R").
If you know the chipset name, you can probably find drivers that you can
download on the manufacturer's web site.



HyperTerminal AT Commands



To send AT commands to your modem(s), run the HyperTerminal program
(HyperTrm.exe) which is usually found at Start, Programs, Accessories,
HyperTerminal. In the "Connection Description" dialog box, enter the name "AT
COMMANDS", choose any icon it offers, and click OK. On the "Connect Screen",
do not enter a phone number, but rather click the down arrow on the "Connect
Using" line and pick "Direct to Com#" (replace "Com#" with the communication
port your modem is on). Save this session. From now on, just double click the
"AT COMMANDS" icon to open a terminal screen within which you can communicate
directly with your modem by AT commands.



WinModem in DOS



If you have a WinModem and cannot get it function in DOS or DOS Mode, it is
due to the fact that WinModems will only function under Windows, and most do
not use a Rockwell chipset. These modems will only function under Windows
3.xx/95/98, although I have recieved information that suggests they might work
under Windows NT as well, however that is currently beyond the scope of this
file. If you cannot get your WinModem to function, I suggest checking your
manufacturer's website and downloading the most current drivers for it.
You may be able to access the Internet by using a friend, family, or
co-worker's computer in order to obtain the drivers if you cannot connect to
the Internet with your WinModem. You can then copy the drivers onto a floppy
disk and use them in your own computer.



Unplugging Devices From Modem's PHONE Jack



This tip appears courtesy of Ray (thor@micronet.net) and axcel216@aol.com.

If someone's modem is not connecting at its full potential the phone they have
coming out of their machine may be effecting it. Most modems have a jack for
"LINE" and "PHONE" the one labeled "LINE" being incoming and the one labled
"PHONE" being outgoing. If there is a telephone or caller ID box connected to
the "PHONE" (outgoing) jack, it may be affecting your Internet/Fax/BBS
connections. For Ray, it would only connect at 31200 while the telephone was
plugged into the "PHONE" (outgoing) jack, but when he unplugged the telephone
from the "PHONE" (outgoing) jack he was connecting at 33600 every time.



MaxMTU Fix



Some people have found that their Internet file transfers are quite slow,
often between 900-1,800 characters per second, even on a 56k modem. It might
very possibly be a result of a Windows 95/98 Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU)
problem. Look at the "Bytes received/sec." in System Monitor (SYSMON) and
compare it to the characters per second reported by your web browser. These
two numbers should be within 10%-12%; so if your "Bytes received/sec." is
3,300, your characters per second should be around 3,000. If the characters
per second are 900-1,800, you are getting a lot of unneeded retransmissions
that are quite possibly due to the Windows 95/98 MTU problem.
Microsoft has not released a fix for this yet, but if you download and run:
"http://www.aimnet.com/~jnavas/modem/tcpipcfg.exe" (no quotes) and change your
MTU value to 576 (the default is 1500), it will correct the MTU "bug" in
Windows 95 versions 4.00.950 (retail), 4.00.950a (OSR1) and 4.00.950 B (OSR2),
however, I have been unable to get TCPIPCFG.EXE to work when Microsoft
Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01 for Win95, or Windows 98 (with IE 4.01 SP1)
were installed on the system.

Update: [3/20/1998] A concerned reader ZRock (zrock@kermode.net) writes:
I just read your modem tips file and you should clarify the MaxMTU fix. The
setting 576 doesn't work for all ISP's it can range anywhere from 512 all the
way to 1500.... 1500 is where my ISP's setting is set and where I get the best
performance. I also noticed that just using MTUspeed to add the 1500 setting
made a difference even though it is the Win95/98 default. I also noticed more
of an improvement by installing Microsoft's Unimodem update (a huge
difference) then rebooting, uninstalling my modem (rebooting), then
reinstalling my modem drivers I jumped from 2.1 k/sec to over 3.0 k/sec.



Max ISDN Speed



Unless you use ultra-high-speed serial boards or special buffers, an external
serially connected ISDN modem will always result in slower performance than an
internal ISDN modem. This is because the 16550 UART maximum is 115.2Kbps, not
the 128Kbps a dual-channel ISDN connection is capable of reaching. If you want
to get every drop of performance out of your ISDN modem, use an internal one.



Build a Bigger Buffer



Any modem user has probably received an important transmission with characters
missing. There is no way to find and retrieve the lost characters, but you can
increase your odds of receiving data intact by adding a line or two to your
SYSTEM.INI file. Before starting, it's important to understand how Windows
handles incoming data transmissions. Your modem sends the data it receives to
Windows' COMM driver. This stores the received data in a memory buffer until
your communications program retrieves it. Unfortunately displaying and storing
all the received data keeps your communications program working overtime. As a
result, it can't always retrieve data from the COMM driver as often as it
needs to.
By default, Windows sets aside just enough buffer space to store 128 incoming
characters. Unfortunately, once a modem has been connected, data flows
continuously. Your computer can temporarily stop the flow of data, but doing
that takes time. Meanwhile, data continues to arrive and must be stored in the
COMM driver buffer. If your communication link is slow, or your communication
program is fast, a 128-character buffer might suffice. But with a fast modem
or a slow program, it's possible for more than 128 characters to arrive before
your program can process them. In that case, the COMM driver has no place to
store the 129th character and those that come after it.
Luckily, you can expand Windows' COMM buffers. By adding a line to the
[386enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, you can create a buffer as large as
10,000 characters. Actually since the COMM driver maintains a buffer for each
of your PC's COM ports, you can add up to four lines, each controlling the
size of a particular port's buffer. Each line should resemble this:
COMxBuffer=num
Replace the x with a number between 1 and 4 to indicate the desired COM port,
and substitute num with a number from 128 to 10,000 to set the buffer size.
You have to exit and restart Windows for the change to take effect. Use a text
editor when editing SYSTEM.INI.
As for how big should your COMM buffer be, if characters are being dropped
from incoming data transmissions, create a new buffer of at least 2,048
(2KB) characters. If problems persist, increase the size of the buffer to
4,096 (4KB) or even 8,192 (8KB).



Powerful Ports



Often, Win95/98 systems arrive with the COM ports set for 9,600bps, but if
you're using a 14.4Kbps or faster modem, increase that.
Open the Control Panel's System applet and click on the Device Manager tab.
Expand the Ports entry, double-click on each serial COM port and follow these
steps. Click on the Port Settings tab. Make sure your Bits Per Second entries
read 115,200 or higher (or at least 57,600), and the Flow Control is set to
Hardware. Next, click on the Advanced button and then select the "Use FIFO
buffers [requires 16550 compatible UART]" option.



Buff Buffers



You can experiment with the Receive and Transmit Buffer options in modem
properties in Win95/98, but I suggest you just configure both to the highest
setting and bring them down if communication problems arise.



Correct Modem Setup



If Windows 95/98 didn't recognize and install your modem correctly, it may not
be using the right AT initialization string for a dial-up connection which
could hamper performance. To check this setting, open the Modems applet in the
Control Panel. The modem brand and type should match the one installed on your
system. If it doesn't match, highlight it and click on the Remove button in
the Modems Control Panel; then click on the Add button and follow the wizard
to install the correct one.



Faster Data Transfer and Connection Speeds



For Win95/98, in the Modems Control Panel, click on the Properties button.
Under the General tab, make sure the "Maximum Speed" is configured to 115,200
or higher (or at least 57,600). Open the Connection tab, click on the Advanced
button and check the User Error Control, Compress Data and Use Flow Control
(Hardware) options.



Say Goodbye to Line Noise



Line noise is one of the easiest things to detect. This is almost never a
problem on ISDN, DSL, or cable modems. But on a regular analog telephone line,
this can have a major impact. One rather crude method of testing for line
noise is to pick up the telephone receiver (while not connected by your modem
on the line) and listen for static-like, crackling sounds. These are often
indications of line noise. It can be caused by faulty wiring, moisture, and
several other factors. The best way of getting rid of it is to use as short of
phone cords as possible with your modem, and if problems still persist, call
your telephone provider and have a technician come to your home and analyze
your line quality. Don't let them leave until it is *crystal* clear to the
point where you can hear a pin drop.



Data Compression Blues



If you are experiencing random dropped connections, try turning off data
compression. Also making sure that error correction is on and flow control is
set for Hardware (RTS/CTS) usually helps. Data compression set "on" is a
default configuration in most modems. When Win95/98 detects a modem, it tries
to load an initialization (.inf) file for that modem brand and model. If
Win95/98 isn't sure what modem is installed, it loads a default file named
modem.inf. With modem.inf being used, Windows may or may not send the correct
command to disable data compression. If this happens, read your modem
documentation and enter the AT command to disable data compression. Click
Start, Settings, Modems, Properties, Connection, Advanced, and then type the
AT command(s) in the Extra Settings box.
Modems have limited buffer space for both error correction and data
compression. Error correction is necessary to provide an error-free
connection. Also, when errors do happen, modem buffer space is needed to
correct them. Modems have error thresholds that, when exceeded, will cause
serial overruns and will hang up the call, resulting in a disconnection.



Restart Your Modem



Sometimes modems will "lock" into a mode and won't respond to any
initialization or "AT" commands. Often times, powering down the PC and turning
it back on a few moments later will reset the modem to its default state and
it will again accept your commands. It may only be necessary to exit Windows
if you are using Win 3.x or if you are using Windows 95/98/NT then restarting
the PC by using the "Start, Shut Down, Restart the Computer" option, which is
a little faster than having to completely power off the PC.
Rather than wasting time with a completely non-responsive modem (assuming it
had been working prior to its non-responsiveness) this will often fix the
problem.



Call The Better Business Bureau



Has a modem company mistreated you as a customer or not come through on a
promise they advertised on the box your modem came in? Were you promised free
upgrades only to find it's a hassle to get them to deliver on it/them? Then
you aren't alone. If this has happened to you, then you can visit The Better
Business Bureau at www.bbb.org an submit a complaint, stating what had
happened and providing all relevant information. This isn't by any means
limited to modems, but in this case it was. If any company, computer-related
or otherwise tries not to deliver on their promises, I would definitely say
this is a course of action you have open to you. The page you will need to
visit to actually complete the complaint is:
http://www.bbb.org/complaints/consumerform.html
Do *NOT* mention me in your complaint please as I have NOTHING to do with your
individual complaints. I am NOT affiliated with The Better Business Bureau in
any way and do not wish to associate myself with them, but they may be able to
help you if you've been mistreated by a company.



Cut Connection Time



If the "Log on to network" option is selected, Dial-Up Networking tries to
find a Microsoft Windows Network. If it doesn't find one, the connection will
time out. To disable the "Log on to Network" option, follow these steps. Click
Start, Programs, Accessories, Dial-Up Networking. Right click the connection
you use to connect to your Internet Provider. Click Properties.
On the Server Types Tab, clear the check box for the "Log on to Network"
option and then click OK.



Using the Right Protocols



This tip is to ensure that you are using the right protocols when connection
to your ISP. Windows 98 by default installs NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, and TCP/IP
protocols to the dial-up adapter, but most ISPs only require TCP/IP to connect
to the Internet.
To disable unnessary protocols in the connection, click on Start, Programs,
Accessories, Dial-Up Networking, right click the connection for your ISP and
click Properties. On the Server Types tab, under "Allowed Network Protocols"
clear the NetBEUI and IPX/SPX checks. To make sure that you have the right
protocols, in this case, TCP/IP, click Start, Settings, Control Panel,
Network.



Warning About 3COM/US Robotics Modems



Many people have been writing and reporting complaints with US Robotics/3COM
modems under Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98. Windows 95/98 seem
to have trouble detecting and/or installing the proper drivers for these types
of modems, especially newer ones. If this happens to you, try installing the
driver from the US Robotics/3COM CD-ROM that came with the modem or download
the newest drivers from their website by using another computer with a
functioning modem, then copying them to the machine having problems by using a
floppy disk. Point the setup program to the correct drivers and select your
modem from the list. This should get Windows 95/98 to recognize your modem
correctly and get it working.



Avoid Disconnections Using Most Modems



Try putting this in your "Extra Settings" box in Win95/98's Modem Control
Panel applet if you suffer from random disconnections. It has been known to
help improve reliability substantially on many modems.
Here is the INIT to try: "ATS15=128 &K3 S34=32 S12=0" (no quotes).
This is best for use with US Robotics and 3COM modems but should work with
many others as well.



Getting Rid of Lost Characters



Sometimes modems will experience interference in their connections and data
transmissions. Often, this can be attributed to having other lines touching
the telephone cord that connects your modem to the telephone jack. Being in
contact with cable TV, printer, monitor, and even joystick cords or cables can
cause data corruption and interference in some cases. If you are experiencing
these kind of unexplained problems but seem to have no line noise on your
line, this could be a possible reason why it is happening. To get rid of this
problem, make sure that your telephone cord isn't touching any other cords or
cables, and then try your connection again. Hopefully, you'll have better
luck.



Adjusting NT 4.0 Port Settings



If you want to increase the port speed to your modem under Windows NT 4.0, you
may have tried to find the "Device Manager" in the Control Panel by opening
the "System" applet. Windows NT 4.0 keeps its port settings in the Control
Panel in the "Ports" applet. Simply open it and select the port(s) you wish to
adjust, then make the desired changes and close it. You may be prompted to
reboot. Upon rebooting, your new port settings will have taken effect.

It will also help boost performance if you open the "Modems" applet in the
Windows NT Control Panel and select your modem, then click "Properties" and
select the desired maximum speed. The speed settings for the "Ports" applet
and the "Modems" applet should be the same for best results.



Installing Plug N Play Modems in Windows NT 4.0



Windows NT 4.0 does not officially support Plug N Play devices. Luckily, you
can install support for ISA Plug N Play devices such as modems in Windows NT
4.0. Without this support installed, Windows NT very well might not detect
and/or recognize your modem.

To install this support, simply insert your Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM and navigate
to the X:\Drvlib\Pnpisa\X86\Pnpisa folder/directory.
Right-click the "Pnpisa.inf" file and choose "Install" from the resulting
menu. Reboot Windows NT 4.0 and it will recognize most Plug N Play devices
such as modems - just as Windows 95 and Windows 98 do.



Setting Up Internet Connection Sharing



This tip assumes you have at least one machine running Windows 98 Second
Edition, a network interface card in each machine you plan to use with ICS
[Internet Connection Sharing], and at least one Internet connection [Dial-Up,
Cable, DSL, ISDN etc.]

If you are running any previous version of Internet Explorer 5.0 on the host
computer [who's connection you wish to share] you should first uninstall it
before upgrading to Windows 98 Second Edition.

Once Windows 98 Second Edition has been setup on the host computer, you must
do the following: "Start, Settings, Control Panel." Once it opens, click on
"Add-Remove Programs." Click "Windows Setup" and select "Internet Tools" from
the categories. Place a check in "Internet Connection Sharing" and click OK.
Follow the instructions that come up on the screen. The "Sharing" button is
now present in IE5's Connection tab of Internet Settings window. [Found on the
"Tools" tab in Internet Explorer 5.0]. Click it.
It will create a client disk. You must run the file from the client disk so
your other machines may access the connection you have shared. The other
machines may be running Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows 98, Windows 95,
Windows NT, Macintosh, Linux or almost any operating system that supports the
TCP/IP protocol. You must have TCP/IP installed on each machine you wish to
use with ICS and bind it to the network interface cards in each of them. You
may do this by clicking "Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network" and
following the instructions. Windows Help, "Start, Help" has more information
about how this is done. Do NOT set the client machines to use a proxy server.
ICS is not compatible with some versions of CompuServe, AOL, and other ISPs
that use proprietary software to connect. For assistance, contact the
appropriate ISP. Microsoft Corporation has posted some information about
configuring and troubleshooting ICS to its Knowledge Base Center at
http://support.microsoft.com/



Faster, More Reliable 3COM/US Robotics Connections



Thanks to Ojatex@aol.com for submitting this tip.

If you have a 3COM/US Robotics 56k Sportster modem, internal or external, you
may be able to improve your connection speed and reliability by using this
string in your "Extra Settings" box. To get there, click "Start, Settings,
Control Panel, Modems." Select your modem and click "Properties, Connection,
Advanced." Then click "OK" three times. Then connect to your Internet Service
Provider. The string you may wish to use is:

ats27=64s15=128s11=50s28=0s36=7&F1M0