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un-filtered DSL line ,damage to analog modem?


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I don't know if this has been talked about before on here so sorry if it has.

 

I take a PC into work and often connect to AOL via it's built in 56K dial up modem to check check personal e-mails etc when i get a chance.

over the last few weeks i have have had problems with my PC freezing up when i try to get on line. I have to unplug the PC ( from mains) and restart it. Some days it works fine and i can get online, other days it freezes as above!

As theres not much on that PC i formatted it with the restore disc that came with the PC and the first day it got on line fine, the next it's freezing up again?

Some one said perhaps the modem is on the way out? but if you look in device manager it says it is working properly .

I have just remembered that about 5-6 weeks ago some one else has had broadband enabled on that phoneline and like me only plugs his PC ( and broadband modem and filter) into that phoneline when he is here.

So since then i have been using my dial up modem or phone in that socket without a filter inline.

Obviously it's not effecting his broadband as he takes his set up away with him when i'm here but could this 'un filtered' DSL line be giving my dial up modem/PC system a hammering?

By the way, when i also try to start a free trail of another ISP compuserve the PC freezes as it trys to initiate the modem.

Also if i go into the control panel and go to 'Phone and Modem options' it says the modem is working properly , but if i go onto the 'troubleshoot' section and select any of the three check options the PC freezes up?

Has any one got any ideas as to what could be up, or whether the un filtered DSL line has damaged my dial up modem or system? I will try bringing in a spare filter to use next time to see if that helps/works but the damage may have been done if that was to blame?

The PC is covered by a service/repair plan but trying to sort it myself first in case it's something simple i'm doing wrong.

I'm using XP Home edition and it's been up and running for two years, i did have service pack 2 downloaded but have now lost that in the restore and haven't been able to get online long enough ( dial up) to download it yet.

Thanks in advance for any pointers. :)

Use a Lure Instead !! ;)

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you can get sp2 in one of the pc mags for free

 

abroadband line should'nt screew your modem

when did you last clean the inside (sounds like an overheating problem,

make sure all your pci cards are pushed in ok same with ram AOL biggest nightmare to hit the uk it totaly wraps it self round your pc software very hard to remove , make sure you have it totaly dissabled before you try an other isp, goto device manager check for conflicts on the graphics/sound cards . goodluck

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Presumably if it's a two year old restore disk (or thereabouts) it is an old version of Windows XP (or an original one more to the point).

 

Thinking back I had a load of clients with blaster virus issues and other such crap which all exploited the same security loophole in XP and 2000. Thinking about it if you connect fine initially and then start to hit problems after a day or so it is MORE than possible that in this time you are being infected (it really doesn't take that long).

 

Viruses these days (and malware) do not all require email to spread!! Very important note that most magazines are very lame on pointing out!

 

A quick test would be to get a firewall on before connecting to the Internet (i.e. download one on another PC - Zonealarm or Tiny will do), get it installed immediately after installing Windows and then fire up the Internet. If it runs for a day or two that would indicate viruses/spyware could be the problem (Search180 seems to be doing the rounds as well at the moment and it had a machine of mine playing up like a b'stard not long back).

 

The microfilter shouldn't be an issue. You might get a small bit of additional interference but the error correction on a 56k modem should sort it out anyway. I've done this lots of times and it's never been a problem.

 

Compuserve/AOL - Ditch in favour of a real ISP who uses standard software. I'd personally reccomend Tiscali (never had an ounce of trouble).

Ian W

 

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Not very clear

 

"A quick test would be to get a firewall on before connecting to the Internet (i.e. download one on another PC - Zonealarm or Tiny will do), get it installed immediately after installing Windows and then fire up the Internet. If it runs for a day or two that would indicate viruses/spyware could be the problem (Search180 seems to be doing the rounds as well at the moment and it had a machine of mine playing up like a b'stard not long back)."

 

Read more than a day or two....i.e. if your problem does not reoccur!

Ian W

 

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Thanks for those answers.

i have since checked all the cards and RAM are not loose and still no joy.

Phoned the cover plan people and they ask me to do a few checks on things over the phone. Seems they think somethings dead on the motherboard so they have aranged a home visit to replace the mother board Friday. Whether their engineer will come to the same conclusion is a different matter.

Iv'e taken onboard about installing a fiewall before going back online thank you.

If it turns out to be some thing on the motherboard then i will be glad they twisted my arm into taking the extended cover :)

 

[ 02. June 2005, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Richard Harvey ]

Use a Lure Instead !! ;)

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Hmm...

 

What did the coverplan cost *out of pure interest* a brand new replacement mobo these days, for a two year old machine is probably about £15 to £30 - fitting is really simply a matter of pulling out your cpu/memory/cards and putting them back exactly as they are.

 

I cannot recall how many times I've heard of coverplan changing mobos. Really they VERY RARELY go wrong, and it is very interesting to see how many people have them changed unneccessarily. The vast majority of people I've seen with mobo faults turn out to be knackered ram, and even more turn out to be viri (or viruseses).

 

If he strikes out next week, let me know what your model of PC is and I'll see if I have any notes from previous jobs.

Ian W

 

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PC sorted last Friday and all up and running now. Zone Alarm downloaded on another PC as advised and installed before getting back online.

The engineer turned up ready to replace the M/B and found that it was the connections between the PCI card modem and it's socket. Even though i had tried making sure it was pushed home tightly dust/grit had worked it's way in and broke some of the contacts even though in device magaer it said modem was working correctly.

Took the guy all of 15 mins to sort it out and leave and he also gave me the service pack 2 on a ROM Disc, very nice man :)

No embarrassment from me as i had tried making sure everything was in it's place tightly and i don't know much about the insides and workings of PC's plus thats what the service plans for. It cost £99 for total of 3 years from new.

I know a lot of you guys can take your PC's apart with your eyes closed but when your not confident to do stuff yourself the labour changes soon clock up if you have pay yourself.

Having said that next time somethings not working as it should i will carefully take things apart and dust with a soft brush etc to try and solve it first.

Thanks for all the feedback on this one :)

Use a Lure Instead !! ;)

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Good your sorted.

 

In my experience though a lot of these guys they send are trained fitters, and many don't even have a go at looking at viruses, spyware and other such problems.

 

Thats all well and good when it's a hardware fault (like in your case), but when the problem is more deep-rooted they often just format and reinstall - in one or two instances not fully explaining the consequences of which to the user!!

 

The vast majority of faults with computers end up being software - and I have seen plenty of instances where *ahem* majaor chain store service guys have gone in a bit heavy handed to solve something that's relatively simple!

Ian W

 

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