-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Sutherland <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, October 10, 1998 9:23 PM
Subject: [PCBUILD] upgrading a Packard Bell modem/sound card


>My customer has a Packard Bell 75 mhz early-Pentium type machine. It has
>one of (what I understand is PB's) standard modem/sound card combination
>devices. Today I upgraded their memory, and they wanted to know about
>upgrading their modem too. The question is, I believe it would be fairly
>costly to replace the proprietary modem/sound device, so I wondered, would
>it be okay to just add a second modem in a free ISA or PCI slot? They have
>two ISA slots free and one PCI slot free. To me, as far as both cost and
>quality, this would be the most sensible solution. I'd just leave the
>modem/sound card device where it is and not use the modem.
>
>snip
>
>So, does anyone know of any issues involved in these PB machines, any
>reason why I can't just add another modem and leave the existing device as
>it is? Any problems expected installing a PCI modem instead of ISA? (I'd
>suggest PCI if I found a reasonably priced one...not el cheapo, just
>reasonable.)
>
>details:
>Packard Bell 75 mhz,
>model number is CAN F447CD (I expect the "Can" is for Canada, where I am.)
>now running Win95A (they got it with the machine but never installed it
>till now.)
>40 MB memory
>2 CD-ROM drives,
>abovementioned modem and sound card device
>no additional peripherals except a HP printer/fax multipurpose machine
>running from the printer port. Everything is as it came from the factory so
>far as I can tell, except for the memory upgrade.
>
>I have recorded additional details but did not think they are relevant for
>this query.
>
I have added a new modem to a Packard Bell 75 MHz Pentium computer, the
modem was a 28,800 though.  I was able to leave the 28,800 and add a 56 x2
modem also.  I left the 28,800 modem connected because Faxworks, the fax
program that comes with Packard Bell was a proprietary version and would not
work with the modem I added.  The Packard bell modem was installed on com1
and I installed the 56k x2 modem on com 3.  Since I only had one phone line
only one modem could be used at one time anyway. I had a Wacom Art pad on
com2 and it would not share irq's so I could not use com4. I left the
Faxworks program using the Packard bell modem and used the 56k x2 modem for
Internet access.  I used a splitter from the wall telephone connection to
get two lines so that both modems had access to the telephone.  The modem I
used was an isa version as the PCI modems were not available and I still
have not installed one.

Mary Wolden

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