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Publisher: Jonathan Leger Issue #010
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======== This Week's Feature Article ================================
---------------------------------------------------------------------
HOW-TO : CHOOSE AND INSTALL A NEW MODEM
NOTICE:
!!Read this article even if you are not going to replace your modem!!
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======== Feature Article ============================================
---------------------------------------------------------------------
HOW-TO : CHOOSE AND INSTALL A NEW MODEM
NOTICE:
!!Read this article even if you are not going to replace your modem!!
=====================================================================
by Jonathan Leger

Even if you are not thinking of replacing your modem, you will want
to read this article. It describes problems that can cause your
modem to operate more slowly than it should, and these problems often
have solutions. So read on to find out if you're getting the most
out of your modem!

You can install a new modem in your computer in three simple steps.
But before I describe how to do this simple task, I am going to go
over 1) what your modem is exactly, and 2) whether or not you really
need to replace it.

First of all, let me describe what a "modem" is and what it does. A
modem is like your computer's phone. It uses this 'phone' to dial up
another computer in order to talk to it, in much the same way that
you would dial up your Aunt Bee to have a chat. The computer's
phone, its modem, allows it to communicate with the outside world
over your ordinary, every-day phone line. It's a really handy little
device, one that makes the internet a reality for the home user.

Secondly, let's see if you really need a new modem or not. Ask
yourself these questions:

[1] Am I replacing my modem because my internet connection is slow?
[2] Do I have an older computer, say, more than three years old?
[3] If I have an older computer, am I still using the modem that it
came with?
[4] Does the modem in my computer not work at all?

Look at the chart below to see which section of this article you
should read first to find out whether or not you really need a new
modem. You should read the whole article for a more balanced view
of your computer and modem and problems associated with them, but
look into the section suggested in the chart first, and see if it
doesn't describe your problem.

[ Chart I : Do I need to replace my modem? ]

Questions Answered | Questions Answered | Section to Read First
"Yes" | "No" |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1, 3 2, 4 "Is it a Slow Modem, or
Line Noise?"
1, 2 3, 4 "Is it a Slow Modem, or
a Slow Computer?"
1, 2, 3 4 "Choosing Your New Modem"

4 1, 2, 3 "Choosing Your New Modem"
---------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------
Is it a Slow Modem, or Line Noise?
==================================

If you answered "Yes" to question one, but "No" to question two,
then this means you have already recently installed a new
modem in your computer, or had one installed. If this is the case,
did you have the new modem installed because the old one no longer
worked, or because it was going too slow? If you had a new one put
in because the old one was too slow, and the new one is also too
slow, there is a good chance that you are having problems with your
phone line being "noisy", and that your modem is not the problem.

I live in a rural area of Louisiana, and in our shop we can connect
to the internet at a maximum of about 31,000 kbps, even though the
modem in the computer is rated at 56,000 kbps. That's just over
HALF the rated speed of the modem! Why does it connect so slowly?

Because the phone lines where our shop is located are OLD, and old
phone lines have a lot of static and noise on them. Now, when you're
talking on the phone, it might sound crystal clear, because a little
pop or a crack here and there isn't going to be noticed when talking,
especially if the "noise" is in a range that the human ear can't hear
anyway.

But your computer sure can hear those noises, and it doesn't like
them at all! Because of this it is forced to "talk" more slowly,
"speaking" more clearly, so that the other computer can "hear" and
understand what it is "saying".

What can you do about a noisy phone line? Well, first of all, call
your phone company and have them run a line noise test (it's free,
and can be done often while you're on the phone with them). If they
say that you have noisy phone lines, it is their responsibility to
fix it if the noise is coming from the wiring outside of your house.

If, however, the phone company determines that there is line noise,
but that it's coming from the wiring in your home, you will need to
run a new phone jack, using new wire, into the room where your
computer is. This will give you a clear connection to the phone
company, and should improve your modem's performance.

Rural telephone companies, however, are notoriously LOUSY (don't get
me started on our local phone company...), and will often not admit
to having a problem with their lines. This was the case with a
customer of ours, who would periodically get kicked off of the
internet. His modem would just hang up on him for no reason.

He called and asked us about it, and I suggested he have the phone
company test his lines. He did, but they told him that there wasn't
a problem. But he was getting kicked offline, and we'd tested his
computer in our shop and found no problems at all with his modem. We
could stay online for hours with no problems. It had to be his phone
lines.

So this customer bought a handy little device from WalMart called a
noise suppressor. It's a little device that you plug your phone line
into, and then plug your modem into the other side. A noise
suppressor does exactly what it's name implies: it removes line noise
from the phone line. After plugging his computer into one of those
little babies, he no longer gets kicked offline. So if you're having
a similar problem, consider looking into those measures BEFORE trying
out another modem in your computer.

---------------------------------------
Is it a Slow Modem, or a Slow Computer?
=======================================

My father has an older computer--it's about 5 years old actually. At
home he gets a great connection speed, a full 49,000 kbps (which is
about the best real-world connection I've ever seen anyone get with a
home phone line). When downloading files from the internet, that
baby books! It really does a great job. But web pages load and move
rather slowly. Why?

The answer is simple: his modem is fast, but his computer is slow. A
web page is a complex combination of pictures and words, and the
computer has to figure out where to put each picture on the screen,
and how to set the words alongside the pictures, and how to redraw
portions of the page as you scroll up and down, etc. That takes some
processing power, and my pop's old machine just doesn't have a lot
of that!

The solution in this case was not a new modem, it was a processor
upgrade. I installed a new processor for him, and now web pages move
much more quickly--still not as fast as my blazing "I eat graphics
for breakfast" machine at the shop, but hey, it's certainly
tolerable. So if you have an old computer, and have a fast modem,
get a good connection speed to the internet, but web pages move
slowly, you probably should think about upgrading the PC.




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-----------------------
Choosing Your New Modem
=======================

If you have already purchased a new modem, you can skip down to the
section entitled "Installing Your New Modem". Otherwise, read on.

When shopping for a new modem, there are a few things that you will
need to consider. First of all, is your computer running Windows 95
or Windows 98? If so, then you have the option of buying what is
called a "WinModem" (more on what that is exactly in a little bit).

If, however, you are running an older operating system, such as
Windows 3.1, you have to be sure that you do not buy a WinModem,
which can be difficult because WinModems are by far the most common
modems in the market right now.

So what is a WinModem? A WinModem is a modem that relies on Windows
95 or Windows 98 to handle some of the "talking" for it, which makes
the modems require less parts, which makes them a lot cheaper than
a non-WinModem. But if you have an older operating system like
Windows 3.1, the modem will not work.

Now, some people rant and rave and claim that WinModems are no good
and that they cause problems and that many internet services wont
support them, etc. I will agree, that WAS the case when the WinModem
first made its presence in the market some years ago. But we've had
nothing but good experiences with today's WinModem at our shop, and
so I would recommend using them to anybody.

The second thing to consider is whether the modem that you need is
an ISA modem or a PCI modem. ISA and PCI are terms that describe the
kind of slot the modem fits into. Think of the "slot" as an outlet
on the wall. You don't want to plug a 110 volt appliance (like your
hair dryer) into a 220 volt outlet (which is for much larger
appliances like electric clothes dryers). If you do you will fry
that little hair dryer!

Now, to calm your nerves (after speaking about frying your hair
dryer), let me reassure you. You CANNOT put an ISA modem into a PCI
slot, or vice versa. They are completely different sizes, and you
will not be able to "mess it up" by putting the modem into the wrong
slot. If it fits there, it's made to go there! So don't worry.

To find out if the modem you need is ISA or PCI, shut down your
computer and unplug it from the wall. This is important: ALWAYS
unplug your computer before tinkering with it inside. This keeps
you from shocking yourself, and also from shocking the parts you
are tinkering with. Once the computer is unplugged, though, you are
safe, so don't worry about getting zapped.

Once unplugged, take the case off of your computer, and look for a
row of slots near the back of your computer. If you have a newer
computer, you will probably have a few little white slots and a few
big black slots. If you have an older computer, you might have only
big black slots.

If you have a really new computer, you might have a tiny brown slot,
but it will probably have a card plugged into it. The tiny brown
slot is a video card slot for AGP cards. I'm just telling you that
to satisfy your curiosity. It doesn't affect how you install your
modem. 8) If you have an older computer and it has a REALLY LONG
black slot that's longer than all of the others, that is a VESA slot,
and, like the AGP slot, is made for video cards and doesn't concern
our modem replacement task.

The little white slots are PCI slots, the big black slots, ISA. PCI
is the newer technology, ISA is the older technology. If you have a
white slot (PCI) without a card plugged into, I suggest that you buy
a PCI modem even if you have ISA slots open, too. PCI modems are
generally better than ISA modems. Even if you already have a modem
in your computer that is an ISA modem, and you have a PCI slot open,
buy a PCI modem, you'll be better off. But if all you have are black
slots (ISA), an ISA modem will work just fine, too.

One last point: if you have Windows 95 or Windows 98, you will want a
Plug-N-Play modem. That's a modem that Windows will automatically
recognize when you put it into the computer. You might still have to
install some software for it, but it will be an easier task to
accomplish.

At this point you should know what kind of modem you need to buy.
Here's a chart that will give the run down on which modem you need:

[ Chart 2 : What kind of modem do I need to buy? ]

Operating PCI Slot ISA Slot Type of Modem
System (white) open? (black) open? to Buy
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows 3.x Yes No PCI Non-WinModem
(or older)
Windows 3.x No Yes ISA Non-WinModem
(or older)
Windows 3.x Yes Yes PCI Non-WinModem
(or older)
Windows 95/98 Yes No PCI WinModem
(Pref. Plug-N-Play)
Windows 95/98 No Yes ISA WinModem
(Pref. Plug-N-Play)
Windows 95/98 Yes Yes PCI WinModem
(Pref. Plug-N-Play)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

For a PCI WinModem you can expect to pay about $50-55. For an ISA
WinModem, about $60-65. For a PCI or ISA non-WinModem, around $100-
120.

-------------------------
Installing Your New Modem
=========================

On to the fun stuff! Installing your new modem. It's a pretty easy
task to perform. You will need a phillips head screwdriver. Unplug
your computer from the wall first (this is very important!).

Second, take the case off. To do this you will probably need to take
out a few screws from the back of the case. Be sure that you keep
these screws in a safe place so that you do not lose them. I like to
drop them in a cup or something so that they are all together and
cannot be easily dropped on the floor.

Once the case is off, if it's a tower-style case (if your case is
taller than it is wide), you will probably want to lay the case down
on its side. It will be easier to work with that way. If it's a
desktop-style case (wider than it is tall), you should be okay.

Now, if you have a modem already in your computer, you will want to
remove it from its slot. You will know which card is the modem
because it either 1) has a phone-line plugged into it (which you will
need to unplug) or 2) has two jacks in the back that a phone-line
will fit into. Before you remove the card, you will want to take the
screw out of the metal part that is facing the back of the computer.
It will have one screw in the top. Remove that screw. Be sure not
to drop it! Getting a lose screw out of a case can be a pain, let
me tell ya'! No fair having a screw-loose! ;) The card may be a
little difficult to remove, but don't be afraid to put a little
muscle behind it--you wont hurt the slot.

Once the old modem is removed (and you will want to remove the old
modem even if you are putting the new one in a different slot), you
can install the new one. It should fit easily into the slot, but
sometimes you have to push on it pretty good to get it to snap into
place, so don't just tap on it with one finger and expect it to go
in! You might need to push it pretty good. Once it's in, and from
side to side looks like it is level (one side is not sticking farther
in the slot than another side is), put the screw back into the metal
part that faces the back of the computer. That screw holds it snug
into the slot.

Now, put the case back on (do you remember where you put your
screws?), and plug the computer back in. Turn the computer on, and
get ready to install the software.

-------------------------------
Installing the Modem's Software
===============================

If you're running Windows 95 or Windows 98, your computer should come
up with a message saying "Windows has found new hardware and is
installing the software for it..." If the modem is one that is
already supported by Windows, you may not have to do anything else!
Windows will pick it up and just keep on going. That's what's called
Plug-N-Play. You plug it in and then get to play with it! But often
you will still need to tell Windows where to find the driver (a
"driver" is the software that tells Windows how to use, or "drive",
a device--in this case, your modem).

Here's where the manual that came with your modem comes into play!
Different modems come with different kinds of software (some on a
floppy disk, some on a CD-ROM; some have an installation program,
some require that Windows do it all, etc.) So you will want to read
the "How-To" section of your modem manual and follow the steps that
it has for installing the drivers.

I wish I could walk you through installing the software, but there
are just so many different kinds of modems out there. As always,
though, if you have trouble installing the software, give me a call
toll-free at 1-877-SABINE1 Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm (CST)
and I will walk you through the setup process. Or you can send me
an e-mail with a description of the problem you are having to:

mailto:windowstuneups-owner@egroups.com

I will do my best to get back with you within 24-48 hours.

----------
In Summary
==========

So there you have it! Hopefully by now you've got a speedy new modem
installed in your computer and your internet connection is just
moving right a long. Let's recap what it takes to install a new
modem in your computer:

[1] Make sure that you actually need a new modem, and that your
problem is not related to a noisy phone line or an old computer.
[2] Determine what kind of modem that you need for your computer.
[3] Unplug your computer and remove the case.
[4] Take out the old modem (if you had one).
[5] Put in the new modem.
[6] Close the case and plug the computer back in.
[7] Turn on your computer and install the software.

That's it!


----------------
About the Author
================

Jonathan Leger is a partner in United Technologies, a computer sales
and service firm engaged in cutting-edge technology such as wireless
LAN networking, traditional LAN networking in Windows workgroups, and
custom database programming.

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