Troubleshooting

Modem Didn't Dial ISP

When I attempted to make a connection to my ISP, the modem didn't make an audible attempt to connect.

There are four possible problems here:

• Your phone line may not be correctly plugged into the modem. Be sure the phone cable is plugged into the correct jack on the modem.

• The phone line may not be working. Try an extension phone in the same wall jack to see if there's a dial tone.

• The modem may be working but its speaker volume may be turned down. (This has fooled me more than once!) Some external modems have volume knobs. You can set the volume on an internal modem by opening Control Panel, Phone and Modem Options. View the Modems tab and select Properties. Select the Modem tab and adjust the volume control.

• There may be a hardware problem with the modem. Open the Modem properties as described in the previous paragraph. View the Diagnostics tab and click Query Modem. After 5 to 15 seconds, you should see some entries in the "Command/Response" list. If an error message appears instead, your modem is not working properly. If it's an external modem, be sure it's powered up. If it's an internal modem, see Chapter 30. Try to update the modem's driver software.

Modem Dialed ISP but the Connection Failed

When I attempted to make a connection to my ISP, the modem made the call, but the Internet connection still failed.

Windows should indicate what sort of problem was encountered. You may have typed your account name and password incorrectly. Try one or two more times. If it still doesn't work, a call to your ISP is the best next step. Your ISP may require you to enter the account name information in an unintuitive way (Earthlink, for example, requires you put "ELN\" before your account name.) Their customer support people will help you straighten this out.

Can't Reach Any Web Sites

My Internet connection seems to be established correctly but I can't reach any Web sites.

Troubleshooting connection problems is such a large topic that an entire chapter is devoted to it. If you're having trouble, turn to Chapter 14, "Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection," for the nitty-gritty details.