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Mac Forum / General / Networking / February 2006Modem mystery
Re: PowerBook 1GHz PowerPC G4, 768 Mb, OS X 10.3.9 Modem Model: LastDash Firmware Version: APPLE VERSION 2.6.3 Country: B5 (United States, Latin America) Driver: InternalUSBModem.kext (v2.6.3) Interface Type: USB SKU Name: UCJ Modulation: V.92 Hardware Version: 4.0 When I got this notebook 21 months ago, the internal modem would connect at speeds between 30 and 40 kps. Over some weeks or a month or so, the connect speed settled down to 26.4 and almost never higher. I had lots of connection problems, including "modem error," "no dial tone," and simply calling the wrong number. The interesting feature to this poor performance was that the likely success of any new attempt to connect appeared to improve when the modem was "warmed up." It felt as if the modem would lose some ability with hours of non-use and would improve as it was exercised. Four weeks ago, I upgraded OS X to 10.3.9. The modem behavior immediately improved, with consistent connections at 30 to 40 kbs. During the past week however, the performance has declined so that now the connection is always at 26.4 kbs. Some semblance of the prior "warm up" behavior is still evident, although not as consistent. We are 5 miles from the local telco office, and the line has a history of being noisy. However at this time (past months), the line seems quiet. Before upgrading the OS, I tried connecting over a line normally used by a different computer that always connects at 40+ kbs. My PowerBook would still only connect at 26.4. I haven't repeated this experiment post upgrade. Any ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated. -Larry Naples, NY (Note: reply email address requires manual fix) > When I got this notebook 21 months ago, the internal modem would connect > at speeds between 30 and 40 kps. Over some weeks or a month or so, the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > modem would lose some ability with hours of non-use and would improve as > it was exercised. I am not familiar with your hardware, but this sounds very much like a connector problem. Check every connector possibly involved, disconnecting and reconnecting each a few times. (That can sometimes remove corrosion or realign things slightly out of kilter.) If your modem is on a daughterboard or card, remove and reinsert it a few times. -- Do all the above carefully! You do not want to create additional damage! It also might also be a "cold solder joint," where a soldered connection is not up to snuff simply because the temperature of the solder was not what it should have been when the joint was soldered. With CB radios and similar equipment, a technician skilled with a soldering iron can try to guess which joint is bad and resolder. Sometimes he will get lucky and correct the problem. I am not sure I would try this with a computer. What is the warranty on your equipment? If still under warranty, you might be able to get a replacement. Cheers! jim b.  SignatureUnix is not user-unfriendly; it merely expects users to be computer-friendly. > If your modem is on a daughterboard or card, > remove and reinsert it a few times. Eh, before tearing apart my PowerBook, I'd try it on another phone line since that is one of the variables most easily changed. >> If your modem is on a daughterboard or card, >> remove and reinsert it a few times. > > Eh, before tearing apart my PowerBook, I'd try it on another phone line > since that is one of the variables most easily changed. Yes. Take it to a neiboutrs or friends (I suppose that could be the same place?) and try it there. Sometimes dial up connections are rather fussy with the line and maybe the phone company can do something? SignatureCheers! Dennis Remove 'Elle-Kabong' to reply Thanks, folks, for your many good suggestions. Regarding this suggestion, I have done the experiment and found that the telephone line used makes no difference. I've tried several different lines in several different cities! I've also tried alternative telephone cables, with no change in behavior. The most baffling symptom that I see is that upgrading the OS changed the behavior significantly and consistently, but the behavior returned to a prior state after two weeks or so. That suggests to me that there is a file associated with the modem driver (the driver is apparently built in to the OS) that stores the history of calls and error rates. ??? -Larry Naples, NY >>>If your modem is on a daughterboard or card, >>>remove and reinsert it a few times. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > place?) and try it there. Sometimes dial up connections are rather fussy > with the line and maybe the phone company can do something? > > When I got this notebook 21 months ago, the internal modem would connect > > at speeds between 30 and 40 kps. Over some weeks or a month or so, the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > modem would lose some ability with hours of non-use and would improve as > > it was exercised. Seriously, this may be a conspiracy to end dialup. Apple is not offering internal modems and allegedly not supporting external modems on their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. Try to make one work and let me know what happens. What about their lower end machines yet to come? AOL has raised the cost of dialup equal to DSL, Apple has raised the prices on it's external modems, some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. Is there an attorney in the house; can I mention "class action?" If you live in a rural area, you may be looking at no internet or paying more for wireless or dialing long distance to get online. > Seriously, this may be a conspiracy to end dialup. Apple is not > offering internal modems and allegedly not supporting external modems on > their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. Then what the hell is the Apple USB Modem ($49) for?? > Apple has raised the prices on > it's external modems, some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. What the hell are you talking about? I can only find one modem on Apple's online store, the above-mentioned item. Its price has not been raised. Where are these alleged price-raised non-working modems, unless you're just talking out of your a.s? > Is > there an attorney in the house; can I mention "class action?" Can I mention you're an idiot? You've spewed quite a load of crap and almost all of it false. > > Seriously, this may be a conspiracy to end dialup. Apple is not > > offering internal modems and allegedly not supporting external modems on > > their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. > > Then what the hell is the Apple USB Modem ($49) for?? An overpriced, piece of crap when it doesn't work. > > Apple has raised the prices on > > it's external modems, some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. Do you consider $50 for an approximately 4 by 1 inch piece of plastic with a short USB connector on one end and a phone line jack on the other a good deal, especially when it doesn't work? I do not and the price rise comes in when you discover how much the original internal modem cost apple when it manufactured them in the box. A whole lot less. Apple has overpriced it's modem to encourage flight to Airport and other alternatives. AOL increased it's dialup rate to equal the cost of DSL, encouraging movement away from dialup. MacWorld in in review of the new intel macs mentions the de-emphasis Apple is placing on the 56K modem. Get your head out. > An overpriced, piece of crap ... > Do you consider $50 ... a good deal, especially when it doesn't work? > I do not and the price rise comes in when you discover how much the > original internal modem cost apple when it manufactured them in the > box. A whole lot less. Fine, do they leave every piece of legacy hardware in every computer they make? Where does the line get drawn? Taken to the extreme, are you expecing Apple to continue to include 5.25" and 3.5" floppy drives, parallel ports from the Lisa, serial ports, NuBus slots, old-style 15-pin monitor connectors, HDI-30 SCSI ports on the PowerBooks, and so on? Or can you accept that the rapidly-growing majority of customers are using newer technology, and the limited space inside the machine should cater to the current state of technology? Dial-up is dying fast. I'm sorry you're still using it, but it's not Apple's job to continue to support dying technology in new-generation machines. They're offering a modem to bridge that gap for people just like you. It sounds like you got a bad one, but here's a news flash: I've gotten bad *internal* modems, too, in laptops. And that's a whole lot more inconvenient than what you're dealing with. > Apple has overpriced it's modem to encourage flight to Airport and other > alternatives. AOL increased it's dialup rate to equal the cost of DSL... AOL's prices have gone up (they've always been too high), but DSL prices are coming *down*. That's why they're so close. Neither of these issues is Apple's creation. SignatureGarner R. Miller Clifton Park, NY =USA= http://www.garnermiller.com/ > Do you consider $50 for an approximately 4 by 1 inch piece of plastic > with a short USB connector on one end and a phone line jack on the other > a good deal, especially when it doesn't work? I do not and the price > rise comes in when you discover how much the original internal modem > cost apple when it manufactured them in the box. A whole lot less. So technically, Apple did NOT raise the price of its modem. You're comparing apples to oranges: an internal vs. an external that has packaging and a casing. In fact, you are making claims that once challenged, cannot be factually substantiated *as per your original rant*. Since you allege to know so much about Apple modem costs, why not enlighten us all as to the cost of the internal modem? Warning: I know people at Apple and can substantiate or debunk your response. > Apple has overpriced it's modem to encourage flight to Airport and other > alternatives. You may feel this way, but it's your opinion. Reality is that fewer and fewer people are using dialup and putting a modem in every computer no longer makes financial sense. That's why Apple started offering a modemless AirPort Extreme -- studies showed that about half or fewer of AirPort Extreme users actually used the modem. There's a bigger picture that companies have to look at -- too bad you are unable to do so. > You may feel this way, but it's your opinion. Reality is that fewer and > fewer people are using dialup and putting a modem in every computer no > longer makes financial sense. That's why Apple started offering a > modemless AirPort Extreme -- studies showed that about half or fewer of > AirPort Extreme users actually used the modem. There's a bigger picture > that companies have to look at -- too bad you are unable to do so. And this is another reason that the PC will continue to have a larger user base than Apple. The PC hardware and software developers will continue to provide product and support a large number of 56K modem and dialup users, at least until the phone companies lay fiber optic cable everywhere or make affordable satellite internet available even in rural areas. But, since money seems to be the determining factor, in just about every decision, instead of customer service, I suspect that may take awhile. I'm not looking at Apple's corporate decision making process that guarantees their continued financial success. I don't care about how much money they make for their stockholders. I'm a customer who likes Macs but I'm being dropped in terms of the hardware I need for my work and choice of place to live. So, I have to make decisions as well. > And this is another reason that the PC will continue to have a larger > user base than Apple. The PC hardware and software developers will > continue to provide product and support a large number of 56K modem > and dialup users, The fact that Apple provides product and support for a large number of 56K modem and dialup users completely escapes you, doesn't it? > I'm a customer who likes Macs but I'm being dropped in terms of the > hardware I need for my work and choice of place to live. So, I have > to make decisions as well. I'm beginning to doubt that you have the hardware that you claim to have. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > > And this is another reason that the PC will continue to have a larger > > user base than Apple. The PC hardware and software developers will [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > The fact that Apple provides product and support for a large number of > 56K modem and dialup users completely escapes you, doesn't it? It escapes you that they do not - look at the message boards at Apple tech support filled with unanswered questions and unresolved issues concerning the external modem. > > I'm a customer who likes Macs but I'm being dropped in terms of the > > hardware I need for my work and choice of place to live. So, I have > > to make decisions as well. > > I'm beginning to doubt that you have the hardware that you claim to have. That's okay - you obviously thing I'm a PC troll just here to stir up trouble. I've found that to be true at all the Mac newsgroups - anyone who says anything negative at all about Apple is labeled a troll and dismissed or kill filed because most Apple users are hypersensitive about criticism concerning their beloved machines. > > The fact that Apple provides product and support for a large number > > of 56K modem and dialup users completely escapes you, doesn't it? > > It escapes you that they do not - look at the message boards at Apple > tech support filled with unanswered questions and unresolved issues > concerning the external modem. Notice that those discussion groups are for users; I don't know of any case where Apple employees participate in those discussions. > > I'm beginning to doubt that you have the hardware that you claim to > > have. > > That's okay - you obviously thing I'm a PC troll just here to stir up > trouble. Well, that's how you have been acting. > I've found that to be true at all the Mac newsgroups - anyone who > says anything negative at all about Apple is labeled a troll and > dismissed or kill filed because most Apple users are hypersensitive > about criticism concerning their beloved machines. And that is exactly what an anti-Apple troll would say. The fact is that on these newsgroups, there is quite a bit of valid criticism of Apple the company and of its products, and those critics are not labeled nor treated as trolls. The key word is "valid"; another key word is "substantiated", but that's very close to "valid". SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > But, since money seems to be the determining factor, in just > about every decision, instead of customer service, I suspect that may [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > my work and choice of place to live. So, I have to make decisions as > well. Good thing you're not an executive in a publicly-held corporation. You'd put customers' needs ahead of corporate needs. You'd get fired soon. You're also wrong that customer service doesn't play a role in corporate financial decisions. Where I work the support department gets to submit their costs for products. It gets consideration when the retail price is determined. Mileage may vary in other companies. My guess is you don't have experience in a corporate product environment and are just pulling your theories out of thin air. You didn't answer my question about the cost of an internal Apple modem. I'm guessing you don't really have that information and just lied to us or exaggerated to make your argument look good. I'm sorry Apple doesn't make something that works for you. Instead of whining about it, sell the damn thing and go buy a PC. No worries. > > But, since money seems to be the determining factor, in just > > about every decision, instead of customer service, I suspect that may [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > I'm sorry Apple doesn't make something that works for you. Instead of > whining about it, sell the damn thing and go buy a PC. No worries. I haven't always been successful, but, in my business, I strive for the goal of satisfied customer service over excessive profit and I don't try to eliminate the smallest segment of the market by removing product line and support. You're right - I'm not a corporation - although I've worked for more than one and I despise the attitude that the corporation and the bottom line is more important, at all costs, than the customer. This is a major cause of problems in the world today - greed at the top over customer service which has all but disappeared into a maze of webpages and menu selections while listening to a recorded voice. I'm guessing that you don't know that I've been a hardware tech on PC and Mac platforms for a number of years and I know that the cost of an internal or external USB modem for a Mac is negligible. Even the Airport Express and Extreme products are overpriced for what is actually inside them. The packaging you speak of for the Apple external modem consists of a thin, plastic bag that is closed by a folded piece of thin cardboard with a staple on each side. The modem is constructed, probably (since I haven't broken one open,) of only a small chip and maybe a small resistor or two and a capacitor on a small PC board, enclosed in a thin plastic 3x1 inch cover with a phone jack at one end and a short USB line and connector at the other. This is cheap hardware and, in the Apple tradition, it looks it. Most of Apple hardware is cheap - it gets the job done, but it is not extremely durable - it will last but takes very little rough, physical handling. I wish you would get the true cost of all Apple products from your qcquaintances at the company and post them here on the group - but you won't because they don't want the world to know how truly inexpensive most of their products are to build. The most expensive item in an Apple computer is the software - it is quality and that is what you are paying for. Apple makes a good profit on most of its individual products - generally, more than PC world manufacturers. But PC developers and makers sell more product so they can build it sturdier and, in some cases, with more features. But I still prefer Mac OS X to Windows XP. > I wish you would get the true cost of all Apple products from your > qcquaintances at the company and post them here on the group In most cases, that's very confidential information, and could get a person fired--in any company. But the cost of goods is a small portion of the overall cost of a product. There's also the cost of labor and other manufacturing costs; the cost of manuals, disks, packaging, advertising, marketing, shipping, research and development, etc. Then there's the profit, and the profit of distributors and retailers--and their costs as well. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > But the cost of goods is a small portion of the overall cost of a > product. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > and development, etc. Then there's the profit, and the profit of > distributors and retailers--and their costs as well. Labor costs are not too high in China where most Apple products are manufactured. Apple manuals are mostly a few pages long on white, folded paper stapled together, DVD and CD blanks are quite cheap. Apple spends a lot on ads, marketing, r&d and dev, mostly on the software. The profit is large. SignaturePhillipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. > > There's also the cost of labor and other manufacturing costs; the > > cost of manuals, disks, packaging, advertising, marketing, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > manufactured. Apple manuals are mostly a few pages long on white, > folded paper stapled together, Er, no. > DVD and CD blanks are quite cheap. Apple spends a lot on ads, > marketing, r&d and dev, mostly on the software. The profit is large. In the most recent quarter, Apple's financials were "Apple posted revenue of $5.75 billion and a net quarterly profit of $565 million, or $.65 per diluted share, in this 14-week quarter." That comes out to about 9.8 percent. That's not a very large profit. Gross margin was 27.2%. Gross margin (gross income - cost of goods) / cost of goods. That's not a very high margin either. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > I know that the cost of an > internal or external USB modem for a Mac is negligible. Even the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > enclosed in a thin plastic 3x1 inch cover with a phone jack at one end > and a short USB line and connector at the other. Prove your claims. Give us all the cost of an internal modem. Or stop making claims you cannot back up. I know for a fact that your claims of what's inside the Apple USB modem are false. There are two pc boards inside and more components than you list. > Apple is not offering internal modems and allegedly not supporting > external modems on their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. Who alleges that? Apple offers its external modem as an add-on when buying those computers; if they weren't supporting it, they wouldn't be offering it with the computers. Further, if they weren't supporting it, they would have told you so when you called tech support. > Apple has raised the prices on it's external modems, No they haven't. First of all, there is only one Apple external modem. Secondly, its price has not changed since the day it was introduced. > some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. Again, who other than you alleges that? SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > No they haven't. First of all, there is only one Apple external modem. > Secondly, its price has not changed since the day it was introduced. Thirdly, they first introduced it within the past year. SignatureMike Rosenberg <http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida <http://www.cafepress.com/macconsult,macconsult4> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart > > No they haven't. First of all, there is only one Apple external modem. > > Secondly, its price has not changed since the day it was introduced. > > Thirdly, they first introduced it within the past year. As a direct result of excluding them from their new systems because they do not place importance on including dialup hardware in their new computers. This is a tacit lack of support for 56K. Many of us who live in rural areas have only dialup or cannot afford wireless. But, of course, the elitists who live in urban areas and who have DSL, wireless or cable access care nothing about our plight. > But, of course, the elitists who live in urban areas and who have DSL, > wireless or cable access care nothing about our plight. Who says no one cares? You have nothing to base that conclusion on. You bought a modem that appears to be defective. I care, and I'm sorry it happened, but what do you expect us to do? Exchange it. SignatureMike Rosenberg <http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida <http://www.cafepress.com/macconsult,macconsult4> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart > > But, of course, the elitists who live in urban areas and who have DSL, > > wireless or cable access care nothing about our plight. > > Who says no one cares? You have nothing to base that conclusion on. > You bought a modem that appears to be defective. I care, and I'm sorry > it happened, but what do you expect us to do? Exchange it. I expect to get support from the manufacturer and don't expect any sympathy from other users without a similar experience. I do expect civility but I'm learning that trait of virtue is lost on many who are almost completely self-indulgent and self-obsessed. > I expect to get support from the manufacturer... And didn't you say that you were told you could exchange it? If a company sells you a product that turns out to be defective, isn't exchanging it for another the ultimate in support? > I do expect civility but I'm learning that trait of virtue is lost on many > who are almost completely self-indulgent and self-obsessed. For the most part, if you act civilly, you're treated civilly in return. Buy a defective product and, rather than just exchange, post repeatedly to whine about it and talk about conspiracies is NOT acting civilly. Actually, the responses you've been getting have been pretty mild. SignatureMike Rosenberg <http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida <http://www.cafepress.com/macconsult,macconsult4> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart > I expect to get support from the manufacturer and don't expect any > sympathy from other users without a similar experience. I do expect > civility but I'm learning that trait of virtue is lost on many who > are almost completely self-indulgent and self-obsessed. Maybe if you showed some civility yourself, you would get civility in return. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > As a direct result of excluding them from their new systems because > they do not place importance on including dialup hardware in their > new computers. This is a tacit lack of support for 56K. If they lacked support for 56K, they wouldn't have made the USB modem in the first place. The fact is that more and more people are switching to DSL, cable, community wireless or satellite broadband. Space is at a premium inside the computers, and heat generation is an issue. Apple can take care of both of those problems by omitting the internal modem. Instead of an internal modem being standard, Airport Extreme and BlueTooth are standard. Personally, I currently don't have any need for any of those three, but I can foresee that I may have more need for bluetooth or airport than for a modem down the pike. (Although I don't have a need for BT, I've already used it to transfer files to my housemate's Mac.) > Many of us who live in rural areas have only dialup or cannot afford > wireless. But, of course, the elitists who live in urban areas and > who have DSL, wireless or cable access care nothing about our plight. Ooohh, because we live in a metropolitan area, we're elitist? SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > > Many of us who live in rural areas have only dialup or cannot afford > > wireless. But, of course, the elitists who live in urban areas and > > who have DSL, wireless or cable access care nothing about our plight. > > Ooohh, because we live in a metropolitan area, we're elitist? Not at all - I've lived in urban areas myself. But, I did find more elitist attitudes there, probably because there was a larger, more affluent and materialistic population with higher levels of education, all of which breeds elitism. Most people who make more money, have more things and consider themselves to be more educated, in the secular sense of the word, have a tendency to display a narcissism that manifests itself in ego concerning what they have, who they know, what they know. > > > Many of us who live in rural areas have only dialup or cannot > > > afford wireless. But, of course, the elitists who live in urban [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > affluent and materialistic population with higher levels of > education, all of which breeds elitism. I think it's that you've found people who don't suffer fools gladly, and have simply labeled it "elitism." > Most people who make more money, have more things and consider > themselves to be more educated, in the secular sense of the word, > have a tendency to display a narcissism that manifests itself in ego > concerning what they have, who they know, what they know. And you, of course, are superior to them. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > > > > Many of us who live in rural areas have only dialup or cannot > > > > afford wireless. But, of course, the elitists who live in urban [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > I think it's that you've found people who don't suffer fools gladly, and > have simply labeled it "elitism." So, because I disagree with you, I am a fool? Who is the superior, elitist here? > > Most people who make more money, have more things and consider > > themselves to be more educated, in the secular sense of the word, > > have a tendency to display a narcissism that manifests itself in ego > > concerning what they have, who they know, what they know. > > And you, of course, are superior to them. I consider that a person is above their possessions - it is much more important who a person is inside - in the spiritual sense - than any external qualities or add-ons. Some people are the sum of their possessions and do not have a clue as to who they really are or what is really important. I'm not making a personal criticism toward you - as I don't even know you - just making a general statement. > > > Not at all - I've lived in urban areas myself. But, I did find > > > more elitist attitudes there, probably because there was a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > So, because I disagree with you, I am a fool? Who is the superior, > elitist here? No, because you have been acting like a fool. > > > Most people who make more money, have more things and consider > > > themselves to be more educated, in the secular sense of the word, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > is really important. I'm not making a personal criticism toward you > - as I don't even know you - just making a general statement. You made a generalization that people who lived in metropolitan areas make more money, have more possessions, and are elitist and narcissistic--with the implication that you are none of that, and therefore are superior to them. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > Space is at a premium inside the computers, and heat generation is an > issue. Apple can take care of both of those problems by omitting the > internal modem. Form over function. > > Apple is not offering internal modems and allegedly not supporting > > external modems on their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > offering it with the computers. Further, if they weren't supporting it, > they would have told you so when you called tech support. I personally called Apple support concerning an Apple USB external modem that was causing kernel panics and freezing the system upon dial out. This is a given because when removed the system works fine. I was given a lot of lip service but no resolution to the problem and an admission that it must be a modem problem because the new iMac couldn't possibly be the problem. But, I was encouraged to take my system to the store and have it tested and replaced immediately. I've been testing it myself already but a trip to the store with a new, off the shelf modem would certainly confirm it. Did you know that it is possible to manufacture hardware that doesn't work and write software code that causes hardware to malfunction. This can either be by design or just an area that was not of particular importance that may be addressed later by a software update. When people get tired of trying to get their USB modems to work, they buy an Airport Express or Extreme and Apple makes more money. Apple tacitly is encouraging the move to Airport and Bluetooth and leaving the USB external modem behind whether you wish to accept it or not. > > some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. > > Again, who other than you alleges that? Take a trip to the Apple support website and do a search on Apple USB external modem and variations thereof and read through hundreds of posts concerning problems with units that do not work and that cause system problems. Amazing how many blind Apple shills still exist. > > > Apple is not offering internal modems and allegedly not > > > supporting external modems on their new iMacs and Mac Book Pros. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > modem that was causing kernel panics and freezing the system upon > dial out. <non responsive tirade snipped> Again, who alleges that Apple is not supporting external modems on those new computers? If it is a hardware problem, the only way for Apple to diagnose it is for them to have access to the hardware. > Apple tacitly is encouraging the move to Airport and Bluetooth and > leaving the USB external modem behind whether you wish to accept it > or not. Bluetooth has nothing to do with it because it has only a ten meter range. Airport has nothing to do with it because it's good only for a LAN unless there's a community WiFi network. > > > some of which, allegedly, do not work at all. > > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > posts concerning problems with units that do not work and that cause > system problems. I've read them; they do not support your thesis that the modems do not work at all. > Amazing how many blind Apple shills still exist. What is not amazing is how few self absorbed whiners like you there are. You should get together with "Bible John"; he's still whining that Apple doesn't have built-in floppy drives any more. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > Bluetooth has nothing to do with it because it has only a ten meter > range. Ten METERS? Good lord, is Apple trying to force the metric system on all Americans?! ;-) SignatureMike Rosenberg <http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida <http://www.cafepress.com/macconsult,macconsult4> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart > > Bluetooth has nothing to do with it because it has only a ten meter > > range. > > Ten METERS? Good lord, is Apple trying to force the metric system on > all Americans?! ;-) Apple didn't write the Bluetooth specifications. Sure, I could have written 33 feet, but that would cause some people to wonder why such an odd number. :) Either that, or Apple really is trying to force the metric system on Americans. ;) SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > We are 5 miles from the local telco office, and the line has a history of > being noisy. However at this time (past months), the line seems quiet. Larry- You clearly have the symptoms of a poor phone line. You can't fairly judge your modem because of the poor phone line performance. The modem errors and wrong numbers are a sign of a hardware problem in the computer, possibly unrelated to the connection speed. The "no dial tone" report could go either way. Is it possible to access the modem? If you could unplug and re-plug its connectors, you might clear up a loose connection problem. I suppose you have already tried a different phone cord. Don't rely on the connection speed of a different computer. Some will report a high initial connection speed and immediately drop to a lower rate. You are left thinking how great the modem is, when actual data transfer rates are no different than for the one that reports the lower connection speed! Fred > > We are 5 miles from the local telco office, and the line has a history of > > being noisy. However at this time (past months), the line seems quiet. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > connectors, you might clear up a loose connection problem. I suppose you > have already tried a different phone cord. If you have access to your telephone junction box (either indoors or outdoors, usually where the phone line enters the house), make sure everything is clean there. You may want to loosen and then re-tighten all the screws holding the wires. SignatureLarry Weil Lake Wobegone, NH |
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