Modem fried? I hope not, but things look grim.

ChemicalIronyChemicalIrony
edited February 2006 in Hardware
About a two weeks ago, we took our surge protector to our new home to use on the computer our friend had - he didn't have one on his, and we were going to be using it. We visited long enough for me to work on the computer at our old place, and I figured - eh, what's the harm? - and hooked it up minus said surge protector. Well, I didn't know this house had a history of getting struck by lightning (it's happened on the phonelines before), and upon my return last Tuesday, the phone was down, and the modem didn't work.
The phone line is repaired, and we tried various lines connecting to the modem, but it doesn't register a dial tone(AOL tells me that the modem did not detect a dial tone on the first try, and to check to see if anyone's on the line the second time). What worried me more is that my husband installed a sound card with the modem (he says they're connected), and the sound on the computer doesn't work either.
A friend online told me it's not hopeless, and that my modem is okay, but I'm not convinced. I've already lost a modem to this at my parents' house - with a surge protector. AOL supplied a new one then, but the chances of that happening again are slim, so I figured I might as well check on it before throwing the modem out in the cold.

Comments

  • DonutDonut Maine New
    edited February 2006
    Afer reading your post about the old pc your trying to get running I came back here, I was wondering if I was missing something? Is there something special about the phone modem in this machine? Or is this some kind of DSL modem?
  • ChemicalIronyChemicalIrony
    edited February 2006
    He doesn't know. It came from a Windows 95 version of a Packard Bell, and the only difference was that it had a sound card attached to it. He had to install it because of the last phone line incident there. ( I think it's a regular 56K, but it may be a 28K.) He said the name of the modem has a "PCI" in it. All I know is that lightning hit the phone lines, and now the internet and sound doesn't work. I would look myself, but I don't dare touch the inside of a computer, as I've had bad luck with a floppy drive.
  • DonutDonut Maine New
    edited February 2006
    If it came out of a white slot on the motherboard then it's pci. (white slot 2-1/2 to 3" long). I don't know what shops are in your area that you could buy a new modem. Maybe some repair shops might have a used one you could get cheap.

    If you don't mind shopping online, Newegg.com is a very popular place to shop, a few weeks ago I was pricing 56k modems, you should be able to get one for less that 20.00.

    I would also strongly advise you to get another surge protector, if the one you have has taken a hit it may not have many lives left. maybe one with the phone line protected would be a good idea.
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