Old laptop and the Internet

[Groundgripper]

Some time ago, I acquired an old laptop (IBM ThinkPad 765; P166, 5.1 GB hard drive, running Windows 98SE) that I thought I could use for dial-up internet connection in the evenings when wife is watching something on telly I’m not interested in and I can’t be bothered to go up to the study to use my main machine. (And thereby avoid the harangues along the lines of “you spend more time with that computer than with me”, etc.) It came with a V92 PCMCIA modem which the machine refused to recognize at all. My local repair man could not get it to work either on my machine or on one of theirs but got another, apparently identical, modem to connect OK. (I stress apparently identical, having exactly the same instructions down to the same font, same spelling errors, etc., but called a V90 modem on the box).

The problem is that, although the modem will communicate and connect to any one of three ISPs, the internet connection is repeatedly terminated at random times. Sometimes it will work for twenty minutes, sometime (and more frequently) for about two. As you may imagine, not only is this extremely frustrating but also costly on a dial-up connection, thereby negating one of the reasons for getting the computer in the first place.

I use Windows 98 off the same CD which I used on an old PC for some 5 years without (many) problems, certainly not internet related, so don’t think that has any bearing on the problem.

Has anyone got any ideas where the problem may be, or have I just got one of those laptops which give trouble anyway?

[Voidhawk]

Could be a faulty phone lead or extention lead. Try connecting through a different lead or through the line your main computer is using, to see if it makes a difference.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Groundgripper,

I would first test the connection, as Voidhawk mentioned, by plugging the Notebook into the connection that you use on your Desktop. Just pull the phone cable out of the back of the Desktop's modem and plug it into the Notebook.

If you still have the same problem as downstairs, then I would look at a fresh install of Win98SE. (If it has been several months since a fresh install was done.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Groundgripper]

Voidhawk, Richard,

thanks for the suggestions. I've already tried both of them (I think):

plugging the notebook in to the same phone connection as my desktop - same problem.

It could be the lead from the phone socket to the modem, I'll try to get a replacement lead and see if that works. I can't try your suggestion, Richard, unplugging the lead to the desktop at the modem and connecting that to the laptop because that lead has a different plug to the lead to the laptop modem which is a PCMCIA card. (Desktop modem socket is a standard US phone connector, laptop modem socket is a flat plug.)

Re-installing W98 doesn't seem to make any difference (that was actually one of the first things I tried - several times! - and the repair place I took it to also tried that). Although I did wonder if the installation for a laptop differed in any significant way to that for a desktop - I seem to remember that there was an option like that during the installation procedure. I thought I'd got it right, maybe not!

It just seems very strange for two apparently identical modems both give trouble, makes me think that there is something inside the machine!

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Groundgripper,

From what you just said, I would first try a new phone cord and if that does not fix the problem, replace the modem.

It sounds like you have done everything would have tried.

Take Care,

Richard

[TR4A]

What about the modem driver?

[Mac the Knife]

Are'nt PCMCIA modems all softmodems/Winmodems? These are VERY driver dependent.

Never had much luck with the Conexant piece of garbage I was given in spite of days of fiddling, tweaking, driver updates and whatnot. Just kept dropping the line unexpectedly just as is happening with you.

[Tinstaafl]

Not all PCMCIA/PC-Card modems are softmodems. New ones probably but hardware modems exist too.


I have a Xircom PC-Card Ethernet/V90 combo that is hardware based.