From: "Demetri Kolokotronis" :Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 6:57 PM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Modem


> Have new modem installed on COM3, when there are actually just COM1 and
> COM2. Does the fact that modem is installed on COM3 definitively state
> this is software modem?
>
> Modem software says modem should be installed on IRQ5 or IRQ7. Modem
> installed on IRQ11. How can modem IRQ be changed to 5 or 7?
>
> Demetri Kolokotronis
> ________________________________________________________________

Demetri,

What brand of modem are you installing?  Which software says it should be
installed on IRQ 5 or 7.  Is the modem working?  IRQ 5 is usually used by a
sound card and IRQ 7 is usually your first printer port LPT1.  Com 1 and
Com3 share IRQ 4 and the modem should work just fine on that IRQ.  Com 2 and
Com 4 share IRQ 3.  IRQ 3 and 4 were the standard IRQ's for modems.  Some
older programs and some games can't find the modem unless it is on IRQ 3 or
IRQ 4.  The fact that the modem installed on Com3 with IRQ 11 does not
indicate that it is a software modem but that Plug and Pray probably
installed it.  To change the IRQ, depends on the OS, with Win95 you could
usually go into Device Manager and manually change the IRQ by unchecking the
"Use Automatic Settings" box, highlighted the IRQ and selecting the "Change
setting" button.  Win98 will not allow you to do this, you will either have
to go into the BIOS to change the IRQ for the PCI slot for a PCI modem, move
a PCI modem to a different PCI slot if the BIOS does not allow you to assign
IRQ's to the PCI slots, or reserve the IRQ for a legacy ISA device if the
modem is ISA.

Hope this helps,

Mary Wolden

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