Return to FAQ

Modems & Hardware

Q: What should I check before asking tech support a modem related question?

The following is a list of items to check before asking tech support for assistance in resolving your modem problems. When writing to tech support, be sure to mention that you have checked the following list. If you do not, you will be told to read this section. I cannot assist you until you have tried all of the following.

Make sure you have &D0; in your modem init string
Make sure you have set flow control in Control Panel under Ports to be hardware
Make sure you are using RTS/CTS flow control with your modem
Replace comm.drv with wfxcomm.drv if using Windows 3.1.(see the manual)
If you have an internal modem, be sure to disable the corresponding com port on your I/O card
Make sure you have a 16550 UART
Disable the fax option (if enabled) and see if that makes a difference
Disable compression on your modem and see if that makes a difference
If at all possible, try a different modem. Sometimes a faulty modem won't show up until you try to run a BBS with it. Please do not attempt to run PowerBBS with cheap no-name modems. Stick with reliable companies like Intel, Supra Zoom, Hayes, USR, and Boca.
Lock your com port at a slower speed.
Try swapping your I/O card with another . Faulty I/O cards can cause very strange problems that seem like software problems.

Q: Why won't PowerBBS answer incoming calls?

A: PowerBBS does not answer incoming calls, your modem does. There are two methods by which a modem will answer a call. The first method is in response to the command ATA. PowerBBS will use this method with your modem if you check Answer by True Ring Detect in Config under Modem setup. PowerBBS waits for the modem to send RING. When PowerBBS receives RING from the modem, it sends the command ATA to the modem to answer the call. It is up to the modem to negotiate the call. Be sure to use S0=0 in your modem i nitialization string if using Answer by True Ring Detect.

The other method of answering calls is by Automatic Answering. In this case the modem automatically answers the call after a set number of rings. You set this number in your modem initialization string. Use S0=# where # is the number of rings before the modem answers the call. We recommend using S0=1. Do NOT check Answer by True Ring Detect if using automatic answering.

In either case, it is still up to your modem to negotiate the handshake between the two modems. Upon a successful handshake your modem will send a CONNECT message. PowerBBS does not do anything with the incoming call until CONNECT is received. If your modem is not sending a CONNECT message, most likely it is not negotiating a proper handshake. Check the list of items at the beginning of this file for things to check.

Your feedback is appreciated!