Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with modem

What do I need to get this laptop online?

Frasermoo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:16:53 -0800

Help me get a laptop online please. I have been given an old laptop, Dell Latitude CPx 650. It needs a battery, and CD drive which I'm ok with, but what card do I need to get it online?

Ideally I'd like the option to go wifi and cable.

Ta.

Help with IPAQ

CollectiveMind — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:25:01 -0800

I have an HP iPAQ 2750. Around the same time it was manufactured, lots of aftermarket hardware and software came out with promises to enhance the device. One of those applications was a GPRS/GSM plug in modem (via the CF Card slot) and software from a company called Enfora. The modem was bundled with software from a company called BVRP. There was other software without a modem which also installed phone tools on the PDA from another company called WebToGo. HP sells the modem from Enfora which it claims is compatible with the iPAQ. But after many tries to install it, it seems ActiveSync 4.0 (which is what the iPAQ came with) was preventing it. I upgraded to ActiveSync 4.5 but still no luck with the Enfora/BVRP software.

I assumed the modem to be generic enough to work with any phone tools software, so I found different phone tools from WebToGo. Their phone tools did load onto the iPAQ. But after lots of calls to TMobile and more onliine chats with HP, I can't get the modem to see the TMobile network - this even after getting TMobile's cell to network number (*99#) and its modem string and web address.

I also thought there might be some issues with Windows Mobile 2003. I tried to upgrade to Windows Mobile 5, but the connection kept dropping. After going through that a few times, I decided the upgrade was more trouble than it's worth. Besides, all of the hardware and software says they work with Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 anyway and the latter is what the iPAQ came with. So I decided that probably wasn't the problem.

I know I could just buy a smartphone, but I really like the iPAQ. But I don't want to keep carrying an iPAQ and a cell phone around - cluttered. If there are hackers who can break open an iPhone, it seems there should be somebody who can make this work? It seems like I'm almost there. Does anybody have any advice?

Recommend a DSL modem

SECONDHANDSMOTE — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:43:29 -0800

Recommend a Speakeasy compatible DSL modem (in Portland, if that helps.) I need recommendations for a DSL modem that will work with Speakeasy's service in Portland, OR. I am getting service in a few days, but they're cutting me a deal and starting service almost right away because I 'own' my own hardware 'already'. They are using the "Broadxent 8012-V" Link and I'd like to purchase my own modem that is compatible with the same services.

What is my best option to connect via dial-up using my Eee PC?

remi — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:13:18 -0800

I have a Eee PC 701 4G laptop running Xandros Linux. I also have an Apple USB modem, and a Samsung SPH-A580 cellphone with USB connector and unlimited Internet access. Are there any ways for me to connect via dial-up with what I currently have? If not, any other recommendations? I am visiting my family this summer and they only have dial-up. DSL and cable Internet are not available in the area.

Like I mentioned above, I have an Apple USB modem which of course works great with my Mac mini. I believe I also have a Windows driver for it on my MacOS X Leopard installation disc. (The modem driver seems to have been installed on my Mac mini's Windows XP with the help of Boot Camp.) But when it comes to using it with my Eee PC, or any other Linux system, I'm lost. I believe the modem has a Motorola chipset, but I don't know which. Is it possible to use it with my laptop? Is there a native driver or will I need to use ndiswrapper?

I also have unlimited Internet on my cellphone, but it is an old model: a Samsung SPH-A580. I don't even know on which band it connects to. (Certainly not 3G!) I have a USB connector for the cellphone, but I have no idea what I can do with it. When I tried it on a Windows computer, it seems to pick up my cellphone as a modem. However, I have no idea how it use it as such. Can it be done on my laptop?

Also, like any other Eee PC, my laptop has an empty RJ-11 port without a connector or a modem inside. If I choose to install one, is it easily feasible? Is it expensive? Is it difficult to set the driver?

I am trying to use what I already have, but if neither the USB modem or cellphone can be used, I'm opened to suggestions. Any other easy and inexpensive ways for me to use my Eee PC to connect via dial-up?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

How come my dialup connection in OS X (10.5.x) is so crappy?

jammnrose — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:58:16 -0800

WTF? Dialup on my MBP (OS X 10.5.x) is all wacky. Dialup provider? External USB Modem? Phoneline? Dialup under Leopard is all funky. Upload forms (e.g. posting a picture) do not work under any browser. SSH shells are way too slow. FTP doesn't work (connects fine, but upload is broken/always timesout). Sometimes I'm still connected but I don't get any replies from servers/DNS etc.
10.4.x worked fine, still slow, but not as many problems.

I was away at college for a while (also when I got 10.5). After I've been back is when I've had the problem.

Could this be a problem with 10.5.x or could it be my ISP getting crappy? Problems with the phoneline or house-hookup?
I'm using a MBP with the External USB Modem.

I found a few apple-forum posts with some similar issues with the USB Modem, but mostly system hangs, which is not the case here.
I just have a general sh*t connection.
I've also tried tweaking the TCP settings which don't seem to help.

Are there any tweaks or fixes out there for this sort of thing?

How dumb would it be to reset the modem/router provided my my ISP?

jcruden — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:38:11 -0800

How dumb would it be to reset the modem/router provided my my ISP? The modem/router in question is a Paradyne 6381-A3.

My ISP is a small town operator, not Comcast, Verizon, etc.

The reason for this is that I want to try and get port forwarding working, and the problem is that I can set it up all I like on my Linksys wireless, but the modem is also functioning as a router and it's not configured as I would like.

I have directly connected to the device, but I can't get the admin interface to come up. I have tried the IP the manufacturer says is the default, as well as a few educated guesses and I can't get anywhere. From the manual, it seems that this device should have a nice little web interface, and it does offer the option to set up a DMZ (which I would like to put the Linksys in), but I just can't get at it.

Now I'm not sure wether my ISP has set up the device to either not respond to http requests for the admin interface (if that's even possible), or if they've put the interface on a different IP from the default (which then leads me to believe that they would have also set the password to something I wouldn't easily guess).

There is a reset button, and what I'm concerned about is wether triggering it is likely to also wiping the credentials it uses to log into the DSL network. When they installed the DSL, the installer literally just plugged it in, attached the phone line and then connected it to the wireless router and it worked. There was no set-up done here.

Can they be controlling access on their end, or is it very likely that it was set up prior to their arrival here and it is very likely that pressing reset is going to wipe the credentials it needs to connect and leave me internet-less?

If I lived closer to their offices, I would press it and try my luck, but they're over 20 miles away, and I doubt that my follies are going to be a high priority for them to rectify.

So, basically, what's the risk of resetting the thing?

Help determine cause of my Internet shut-outs.

gregb1007 — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:24:47 -0800

Help determine cause of my Internet shut-outs. Ok, in order for you guys to try to figure out why my Internet connection goes down, I'll write up the details of the situation below.

I gut shut out of the Internet today because from about 6pm to 1 am in the morning, my cable model would only send packets but not receive them. Windows troubleshooting diagnosed this as a DNS problem. I would do multiple resets of router and cable modem, as well as plug in the cable modem directly to the computer with the router turned off. Each time I unplugged in and replugged in the modem, I would also sometimes reboot the computer. Nothing helped. Then the Internet connection came back on its own. Now, I am in the Boston area and using Comcast, and I had their tech support come over and check out the problem once, however this didn't do much. By the time the technician would come over, the connection was already back up and he couldn't detect anything dysfunctional. Unfortunately, these down times happen every so often, so I am still frustrated.

To sum it up, what do you think the problem is? Is it a Windows bug or is it the cable modem? Perhaps it is the cable wiring within my home that is at fault. (It can't be the cable service in general, since when I called support, their network was fine and I was the only one to complain.) Btw the model of my cable modem is Motorola SB4200, while the router's is DLInk 614+

Touch into iPhone via Crackberry

TrashyRambo — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:57:34 -0800

How can I use the data connection for my Blackberry Curve on my iPod Touch? So work gives me a Blackberry Curve with unlimited data and wifi. I already have an iPod Touch which has built in wifi. Surely there's got to be some way of making the two talk to each other wirelessly so my Touch behaves more like an iPhone. But I can't figure it out. Can you?

Should DHCP be running on the DSL modem or on the wifi router?

neilkod — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:25:56 -0800

DHCP served up by the DSL Modem or the wireless router? I received a new DSL modem (actiontec m1000) and have a chance to correct all of my networking wrongdoings of the past. Besides the actiontec, I have a Linksys wrt54g 802.11b/g router, a couple of laptops, and an Xbox with the MS wireless adapter. Previously, the wrt54g acted as a dhcp server, and the only way I could (seemingly) access my DSL modem was to plug a machine directly into it and telnet into 10.0.0.1.

I'd like to know which services are appropriate to run on the modem and which should be running on the wrt54g. I'm running standard linksys fw right now, I used to run the custom stuff a few years ago but I never really saw the advantage of it, so I switched back. I'm willing to give the custom firmware another shot.

Additionally, whenever I would connect to Xbox Live in H3, I would receive a message about NAT not being configured to the fullest-I dont really remember the exact error, hopefully one of you knows about it.

I need a new old DSL modem!

ScarletPumpernickel — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:07:00 -0800

Help me find and buy a working Fujitsu/Orckit Speedport DSL modem in Los Angeles for use with Verizon DSL. DSL abruptly stopped working after many years of solid service. No reconfiguration of any kind. Stopped during heavy rain, which always seems to cause cable/phone probs in L.A.

Verizon puts me through variable isolation and troubleshooting by the numbers. Says the modem is most likely kaput, but won't replace the Fujitsu. They want to move us to ATM, cutting off our service for an additional week to ten days (!)

So I want to buy a replacement cheap crappy Fujitsu modem and get back to my surfing. I found several on ebay, but I'm going to end up waiting 7-10 days for delivery.

So who can sell me one in Los Angeles, fast?

Fujitsu/Orckit Speedport DSL modem (model ORfast-R3-A-SA-Br-POTS-US)

Thanks!

Voice over internal modem?

ooklala — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:29:16 -0800

Is it possible to use the modem in an iBook running Tiger to send and receive voice messages? Is there any way to send sound (i.e. a song playing in itunes) over the internal modem? I know it is possible to hear what is going on in the modem but is it possible to send voice (not just data) over my macs internal modem with only software? What about low cost hardware to do this?

Recommend a good ADSL modem + wireless router

adrianhon — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:43:12 -0800

Recommend a good ADSL modem + wireless router (G or N) that can also mount an external hard drive as a network share - for the UK My current Belkin ADSL modem/wireless router is frequently crashing, so I'm looking for something new. I was aiming to get the Airport Extreme, but I'd have to get a separate ADSL modem and I just can't be bothered with that (plus it's pretty expensive). I'd prefer something with decent range, since I have a lot of walls in my flat, and the network share thing would be very useful, although I'm not terribly bothered about whether it's a fully-featured NAS or not.

Wireless networking problem

fire&wings — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:31:53 -0800

Someone else's wireless network appears to be interfering with my own wireless connection - help required. I have a home wireless router with several computers connected to it and generally have no problems at all with my internet connection. However, very occassionally I will be disconnected and will have to manually reconnect. After this the connection might be fine, but it is also sometimes sluggish, patchy, and the strength of my connection might drop from the usual 5 bars to 1/2/3 bars.

This ALWAYS coincides with the appearance on my connection list of another particular wireless network, and the problems disappear when it does. I live in a fairly quiet area and most of the time my own network is the only thing in my connection list. When this other network appears I am disconnected and I experience the patchy speeds and problems mentioned above. Other networks in the neighbourhood appear from time to time with no problems - it is only this particular one that seems to affect my own connection. I have been watching this happen over the space of 1 year+ and the problem spans my old computer and my new laptop. This seems a little strange to me, but I would not be asking if I wasn't sure my connection problems relate to the appearance this specific network. What is happening here? My own connection is 802.11g, WPA/TPIK etc and I have no special connection or dsconnection settings. On my last computer the connection was managed by Windows, now it is Intel PROset wireless and the problem is exactly the same.

ModemBerry?

iknowizbirfmark — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:16:21 -0800

I keep hearing from people that I can use my TMobile Blackberry 8700G as a modem (I will probably get the TMobile Curve when it comes out in a few weeks, if that changes the answer or my options much.) by routing the traffic for my laptop through it, either using Bluetooth or a USB to mini-USB cable. But I also hear that I have to do some hacks or hide it from TMobile or and other things like that. Have googled a lot and most of what I find looks pretty complicated, but doable. Like this and this. Are there easy ways to do this? If not, will these old posts still work? If I am doing this for occasional access to a VPN is it crazy to think that this will work at anything approaching a reasonable speed? I have tired of driving around looking for open wi-fi networks while in remote areas (but areas in which I still have EDGE or other GPRS access), and I'm thinking about getting a true mobile broadband card for occasional use. But this would be nice if I could get it to work without too much trouble. Advise me, please!

Suggestions for hacking this cool little black box?

wfrgms — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:20:50 -0800

What neat electronic project can I build out of this old USRobotics Courier modem? So I inherited from my IT department this sexy 1980s USRobotics Courier modem much like one of these.

It has a black plastic case with a row of blood red LEDs. I have the power adapter (it turns on and lights up) and an old serial cable. I haven't connected it to anything to test it out, and I'm certainly not interested in using it as an actual modem...

I've always lusted after these old USR modems - they kind of have this Darth Vader look about them. Back in the BBS days these were Lamborghini Countach of modems...

I'm just looking for the seed of an idea for hacking this thing into something useful/interesting. I'm handy with a soldering iron and knowledgeable enough in building electronic gizmos.

I'd like to leave it as stock as possible and perhaps utilize the LEDs.

No, I haven't cracked it open to take a look inside, I'm not sure how everything is attached.

An immediate idea that jumps to mind is some how gutting it and replacing it with board that would measure network throughput and display load via the cool red LEDs... or something like that. Or maybe it could display sound card volume? Or the LEDs could be used as a cpu temp indicator?

Thanks for any ideas or thoughts or even ruminations about these handsome old modems...

Why does my DSL blink on and off when in bad weather? How can I fix it?

needs more cowbell — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09:50:01 -0800

Why does my DSL blink on and off when in bad weather? How can I fix it? It's not as straightforward as it seems... When it's raining--or even overcast and about to rain, or drizzling--my DSL goes out. But it doesn't totally go out--it'll work for a few seconds and then cut out, work for a few seconds and cut out. Resetting the connection or turning the modem off and on does nothing. My landline phone service is fine the entire time.

Last time it rained, I did some troubleshooting. I tried plugging the modem into the MAIN phone jack box outside the house and got a fast, perfect connection. When I tried it inside again, the connection was just as bad as before. Every phone jack inside my house was equally bad. And as usual, soon after it stopped raining, I got a perfectly decent connection with the modem plugged into an inside phone jack.

Questions:
1. Why does this happen?
2. How can I fix it besides trying to run phone wire out my window to the main outside jack? (Besides the inconvenience, in order to use the outside jack I have to disconnect the phone access to the rest of the house, and there's no space for a splitter inside the box.) The phone company is not so helpful, and if it's a problem with my wiring, it's not their responsibility anyway.

I've tried to look at the phone wiring in my house to see if there's a weak point (though I don't know why that would only make problems when it rains). It's definitely old, but it's hard to access and there's wiring for two lines plus an ancient alarm system (also hooked up to the phone line), so it's difficult to follow. I'm hoping there's something I'm overlooking that's easier to fix.

How do I get my computer to call my phone and play a sound file?

TimeTravelSpeed — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:52:55 -0800

How do I get my computer to call my phone and play a sound file? I'm looking for a (free) way to programmatically have my computer call my no-frills phone and play some audio file.

I've heard that there are existing apache modules that will handle pc to phone interfacing but haven't had any luck finding what I need. Preferably, I would be able to use some scripting language like Python or Perl to interface with the technology. Alas, it also should be Windows-compatible.

Sorry for the lack of detail: I'm a fairly experienced programmer, but this is unfamiliar territory for me.

Thanks for your help!

Can I use my Nokia N73 as a modem on my Macbook via USB?

PuGZ — Sat, 12 May 2007 23:00:40 -0800

Can I use my Nokia N73 as a modem on my Macbook via USB? I am able to utilise my 3G Internet connection through my N73 on OS X using Bluetooth, but this is appallingly slow. Is there any way I can do the same through USB?

What's up with my connection?

jourman2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:42:14 -0800

My cable modem slows down inexplicably at night. How can fix this? I'm in NYC and use roadrunner (Time Warner) cable for internet access. During the day, up to 6-7 PM I have great speed (testing in at 4-5 Mbps - right now on the speakeasy speed test I'm getting download speeds of 5044 kbps and upload speeds of 482 kbps). However from 7 PM-1 AM or so the speed slows down to 200-100 Kbps or less. Understandably, this makes surfing or downloading anything hard or impossible.

Is there something I can do about this? Or is just a fact of life with cable modems that when more people are home using their internet connections (which I assume is the reason for the slowdown) my connection becomes unusable for anything except basic, non-graphics intensive surfing.

I'm on a wifi connection (secured with WEP and MAC protection) with Windows XP. I have two roommates, but I've confirmed with them that they're not using bittorrent at night or anything.

I wish I could just get him an internet connection...modem help please.

omair — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:15:06 -0800

This may be an easy question, but it has been so long since I used a modem or any of the software that goes along with it.... I have a computer (A) running Windows XP that has only a modem and no subscription to any ISP.

If it dials into another computer (B), also running XP, what software can I use on A that will let me create a script that, upon a simple double-click of that script, will *automatically*
a) Dial the number
b) Establish a connection with (B)
c) Start up an FTP session
d) Download 3 or 4 files (the same ones every time)
e) Disconnect

What software must be running on B?

Is any of this software Freeware or very cheap (under 20 dollars)?

If I use something like Telix or ProComm (or maybe something that comes with Windows), I can probably get it to do steps a, b, and e, but can programs like these handle FTP? If so, would computer B need to have its FTP server running from within the software than answered the modem call from A? Or will any FTP server be enough?

Is there a less stupid way to do what I am trying to do?

(Unfortunately, everything does have to be automated because the user is a very old nearly blind man who will never accept anything less than a double-click to start a script/program.)

Thank you so much in advance for your ideas.

Which is a good DSL modem

Napierzaza — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:30:53 -0800

I want to get internet access in my apartment and I think DSL looks like a good idea. I live in Montreal and I think I'll need dry-loop (no phone line) to get it working. I'm going with a 3rd party (as in not Bell in Montreal Canada, not sure who yet) and I need to get my own DSL modem. Any recommendations? I saw a post that said Cisco 678 but that post was in 2004 so I'm not sure if that's still a good deal/idea. I don't need a router or wireless, and I'd like the best speeds and controllability as possible. Is the 678 still a good idea for just a simple modem? Or is there something better now?

Also there's a lot of choice for ISPs, so if anyone knows a good DSL provider, or even another cheaper net protocol service for me to get (with unlimited bandwidth) please suggest here too!

Router problems

Vindaloo — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:08:36 -0800

I need help figuring out why I cannot share a cable connection with my router. Ok, here's the situation, my friend has a cable modem which he uses to connect to the internet. We want to share the connection to a second computer so we bought a router and connected both computers to the router and the router to the cable modem.

The router is a Linksys BEFSR41 v4 and when a single computer is connected to it the internet works perfectly. However the instant we connect the second computer to the router, the connection on both goes haywire, disconnecting every 4 seconds or so. After spending 2 hours with technical support they suggested returning the router, saying that it was probably a hardware problem with the router itself.

However, this is the second router to give me this problem; the first one I tried was a D-Link EBR-2310 and after 2 hours on the phone with their tech support they also told me to return it. Therefore I'm thinking that the problem may not be the router but perhaps the modem itself, is it possible that the modem for the cable connection has compatibility issues with my router?

If anyone has any suggestions, or can point me in the direction of a good techie forum, I'd love to hear it. I've tried everything I can think of, and I am getting very frustrated.

To match modem/router vendors or to not match?

kookoobirdz — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:46:37 -0800

Is there any advantage to having a router and cable modem made by the same company, or is it better to go best of breed in both cases regardless of maker? Quick version:
Buy a Linksys cable modem to work in concert with a Linksys router due to same-brand advantages you will list for me, or instead get a more highly recommended Motorola modem. Which to do and why?

Detail:
I'm getting cable internet. Going to buy my own modem and wirless router rather than get either through Comcast. From all I've read, the Linksys WRT54G has long been the favorite basic home router, especially amongst those who like to use alternate/better firmware, and still exists now in the form of the WRT54GL. So I'm set on getting that - not looking for other recommendations.

I figured since I was getting a Linksys router that I ought to get a Linksys modem because... I don't know, maybe they play nicer together than different brands would. Maybe they're made that way and tested that way and maybe configuration and intercommunication work more easily. So I figured I'd get their BEFCMU10 EtherFast Cable Modem. I've never heard anyone recommend it unsolicited but reviews seem OK. What I have heard raves about over and over is the Motorola SB5100, now doing business as the SB5120. Though small differences have been noted, it still seems to be le bomb and is known to play nicely with Comcast and be support-friendly from their perspective.

One advantage I can think of for having the same brand of router and modem is the support angle. There's nothing worse than one company saying, "That's a modem issue, we can't help you with that" and the other company saying "That's a router issue, we can't help you with that". So that might be nice, so I don't lose all my hair.

But are there any other technical or ease-of-use advantages? Or, given the resounding praise for these two units from different makers, would you advise going with that mixed setup regardless of any disadvantages stemming from different makers?

note: don't care about aesthetics of having color coordinated boxes, or about tidy stackability.

note: don't want an all-in-one box

How do I use my 'always on' internet on my mobile phone as a modem for my laptop?

remcobron — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:01:24 -0800

How do I use my 'always on' internet on my mobile phone as a modem for my laptop? I own the T-mobile equilvant of the HTC TyTN with Windows Mobile 5.0 and a HP laptop with Windows XP. On my mobile phone I have T-mobile 3G internet with always on functionality. I would like to use my mobile phone as a modem with internet connection for my laptop so I can access the internet with my laptop no matter where I am. I connect to my mobile phone with an USB cable (I tried bluetooth but couldn't get it to work...). Does anyone know how to accomplish this? Maybe there are software applications that can do this for me? All tips are welcome!

Windows networking problems for modem connection

jacobsee — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:04:00 -0800

I'm trying to set up an non-internet-connected Windows XP computer to receive incoming connections via modem. Somewhat reproducibly, the "Incoming Connections" icon in the Network Connections dialog goes away after a reboot. I've seen this on several computers, both XP SP1 and XP SP2. It doesn't always happen but it happens quite often with this latest machine. I've also just discovered that the icon can go away and I can still connect in certain situations. For example, logged in with VNC I can restart the computer and then dial back and connect again a few minutes later. Interestingly in this case, the Server IP changed (auto-assigned in the 169.254.X.X range). Not sure if that means anything...

Now I'm trying to reproduce the problem and can't get it to happen again, whether I restart/shutdown directly or remotely. I'll fill in more clues as I find them. Does anyone have any insight on how this stuff works or things I can try to shed more light on the problem?