OT: Philips "Easy-Connect" modem

From: ajp166 <ajp166_at_bellatlantic.net>
Date: Tue Aug 29 22:15:22 2000

>I found that if I shut down and _remove_ the modem and then install
windoze 95
>on a _clean_, freshly formatted disk and then shut down and re-install
the
>modem, _then_ the parts of w95 that need to will see the modem
(remember, it's
>a plug-n-pray modem that I have -like you'd said your friend's was). My
m'board
>is supposed to be "Plug-n-Play" but in this case there are probably
subtle
>things that made it mostly plug-n-pray for sure.


Yes there are. To get plug and pray to reset you need to enable the reset
in the bios.
the next power up it will enumerate the modem.

two caveats... not all winmodems (HSP) work in all systems. And if the
BIOS
is not P&P you may have to go into the control Pannel | system and
actually tweek the
driver to point at every possible address the modem can be at (less than
a dozen).
Usually it W95 messes up and puts the wrong stuff at the wrong IRQ and
this is
worse when IRQs are near all full!

I know I do this EVERY day on 5x86/133 through P166 systems that are OLD.

Also keep in mond that the autoprobe function of the system can and does
fail to find stuff or if it has the worng IRQ/Address misidentifes it.

>Although I have some experience with installing PNP hardware onto w95/98
>systems, it seems to me that while installing the w95 onto a previously
>hardware configured box, the PNP majic of the system will not correctly
detect
>and install the PNP hardware into the new system. Maybe this is old hat
to some
>of you that had come against this problem, but it's new to me as I'm not
one to
>buy lots of hardware stuff to play with and try out and otherwise tinker
with
>my machines. The machines are tools for me and I put my money resources
into
>s/w tools I need or my old radio collection (as Hans F. and Wm. Donzelli
can
>attest ;)


It's fairly straightforward. I do this enough to be comfortable with it.
Previously
installed means no new disk or reinstall of the OS (unless it was to
refresh a
few files) as the OS stores all the setup in REGISTRY, INFs and DLLs.

For those not timid at heart, the registry is very editable and can
usually stand
cleaning up.

FYI the most common problem is that I find the P&P want to put NIC at 210
and IRQ3 or 5 with is often already commited to COM1 and LPT2. Manual
setting of the OS (in the system pannel) is enough to fix that.

BEWARE... W95 by default installs NETBUEI as the only protocal! You
must
make sure that the TCP/IP protocal is installed and also the adaptor
(networking pannel). Then go to the DUN (DIAL UP NETWORKING) and set
up the dial out. FYI: use MSDUN13 (from the MS site.) as the OSR2 DUN
has
problems arounf DHCP and some other junk.

I usually install W95, then setup the networking, install MSDUN13 and
then
follow with layered products (err uhm applications). HINT: install MS
internet explorer
before netscape then make netscape the default if you prefer it. Also if
you use MS
Internet explorer/OutlookExpress Use 4.01SP2, it has fewer of the
active-x and COMx
controls and can be hardened more than the IE5 versions (they are very
virus prone).
Last item in is a ANTIvirus with currrent signatures, I lke SYMANTEC but
MCAfee
seems to work as well. In any case instal and enable it.

>BTW, I'm using w95 OSR-2 also. 8-24-96 is the majority of file dates on
the
>distribution.


Same here. Also known as 95B or 400.950. That was the last version
unless you
have 95C (I do) which is the OEM disti copy.

Myself I've run 95, 98 and NT4/SP4/workstation and NT beats 9x hands down
(except for games). It will give untuned Linux (caldara openlinux2.3) a
goor run.
NT like Linux is intimidating for the novice to install and setup. Done
properly
with known good drivers they all work. Keep in mind one thing, I HATE
Micros~1!


Allison
Received on Tue Aug 29 2000 - 22:15:22 BST