trouble with internal modem 466 mhz G4

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Timothy Miller - 16 Sep 2005 00:21 GMT

Howdy,

If anybody can help, or even just make an educated guess, I'd sure
appreciate it.

Recently, I realized that sending certain faxes from my computer would
be very handy. OS 10.3.9. 466 MHZ G4. The internal modem is the one that
shipped with the machine when it was new. It shipped with OS 9.0, but it
works just dandy with OS 10.3

I got the dreaded "there was a software fax error" message when I tried
to send a fax. I found the tech bulletin. Usually this error means a
folder called "lock" deep in the bowels of the OS is missing. I followed
the instructions. The folder was there, where it belonged. Further
investigation showed that the modem was not getting a dialtone. I
couldn't connect to my dialup ISP. I can't remember if I ever tried with
OS X. Bad phone lines, wires and plugs turned out not to be the problem.
Vexation.

I tried restarting with OS 9.2. The modem worked fine.

Restarting in OS 10.3, the modem started sensing a dialtone. However, I
still get the dreaded "there was a software fax error" when I try to
send a fax. It still won't connect to my dialup ISP. It now starts PPP,
but disconnects. The log says "modem script failure." Oh yeah... The OS
X system profiler can't seem to find the modem.

Should I try to look for firmware or modem script updates for this
modem? Where? Should I replace the modem? With what? I'd like it to work
transparently, like the original one. I don't want to mess with modem
scripts, driver installation ordeals, etc., if I can avoid it.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

Tim

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Fred McKenzie - 18 Sep 2005 05:49 GMT

> If anybody can help, or even just make an educated guess, I'd sure
> appreciate it.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> shipped with the machine when it was new. It shipped with OS 9.0, but it
> works just dandy with OS 10.3

Tim-

Since your modem works under OS 9, the hardware is most likely OK.
However there could be a firmware update needed for either the computer or
the modem. I don't know whether firmware updates appear in the automatic
Software Updates list or not. At the Apple web site, a search for
"firmware update" returned 303 results.

I've upgraded to OS X on three older machines, two of which have built-in
modems and one with an external. There have been a few problems but I've
always managed to get them to work by correcting my own mistakes!
However, I've never tried sending a Fax under OS X.

If I understand you, you can't even get yours to work with a dial-up ISP.
Perhaps your modem script failure report is telling the truth, and
something in your modem's setup is incorrect.

If you go to the System Preferences Network panel, set it to Show:
Internal Modem and click on the Modem screen, how does it look? Is the
selected modem correct? If you had a radically-wrong modem selected, that
would explain why it doesn't appear in your System Profiler.

I have mine set to "Show modem status in menu bar". That might give you
some additional insight into what is happening.

I see that there is also a System Preferences for Print & Fax, but it only
appears to control the reception of a Fax.

One other idea is to listen to the phone line on a telephone connected to
another outlet. If the modem is trying to dial, you should hear something
besides the dial tone.

Fred

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Mac Forum / General / Networking / September 2005

trouble with internal modem 466 mhz G4