Old Internal 14.4k Modems, and their installation.
I've just remembered that my Pack-Mate III has a 14.4k modem in it.
I have heard that modems under 3.1 didn't need drivers.
However, on the Pack-Mate III, I am running pc-dos 3.30 and Windows 286/2.11.
My family is getting VOIP as our home phone soon as our home phone, and I hear that can slow down dial-up connections, but since my modem is only 14.4k anyways, it's not like it matters.
Back then the internet was a three or so years before it became a public thing, an another couple before it started becoming wildly used.
I'll probably be using it to try to Dial into some BBS's.
Would I need to install drivers for the modem, or would I just tell it what port the modem is set to?
I'm completely lost with how this stuff worked back then, as '89 was six years before I was born.
I have heard that modems under 3.1 didn't need drivers.
However, on the Pack-Mate III, I am running pc-dos 3.30 and Windows 286/2.11.
My family is getting VOIP as our home phone soon as our home phone, and I hear that can slow down dial-up connections, but since my modem is only 14.4k anyways, it's not like it matters.
Back then the internet was a three or so years before it became a public thing, an another couple before it started becoming wildly used.
I'll probably be using it to try to Dial into some BBS's.
Would I need to install drivers for the modem, or would I just tell it what port the modem is set to?
I'm completely lost with how this stuff worked back then, as '89 was six years before I was born.
Comments
Does anyone actually run a BBS anymore? I thought things like Bulletin Board Systems died out almost completely in the late '90s.
They are still around, I accessed a couple just like 3 months ago.
My modem is an internal modem card, connected to an ISA slot.
So you are saying all I need is a terminal program, and to know what COM Port the modem is set to, to tell the program what to use to dial, and I should be good?
I would guess that before doing that, I should find some info about the specific card, so I could know how to set the dip swtiches to put the card on COM1? My mouse and keyboard are ps/2 so both my serial ports are unused.
or, I guess I could just do trial and error by testing different COM ports with the terminal emulator.
EDIT:
After looking at the card, I noticed it has jumpers for the com ports, there's like 5 or 6 of them.
However jumpers are only on:
1-2
2-4
2-4
seeing how "2" is the only commonality between them, I'd make an educated guess that "com2" would probably be it.
It'll be a while before I can test it though, as the machine is currently being retrobrited.
If you need to set the Modem as COM1, then you must disable the COM1 serial port in Bios.
Or you could just set the Modem to COM3 or COM4.
As the modem came with your Packmate III, it may already be set to the proper COM port.
Yes,
I can't seem to find any info about the specific card, I tried different codes that I saw printed on it, but google comes up with nothing of use.
If you have two onboard COM ports, then you usually want the internal modem configured as COM3.
https://www.terapeak.com/worth/internal ... 587095454/
r2400b Best Data Systems, internal modem card.
I am now looking for information on it.
there are no jumpers on any connector which includes a "3" so I am thinking it is set to COM3 indeed, however jumpers are on all connectors which include a "2" so it's either COM3 or COM2 I'd think.
I'll try 3 first, then 2, and see. That is, if I can't find any information on how to set up toe COM port.
Yes, then you should be good.
There are a few things you should know. Your internal modem is using its own COM port. Your computer has already a few COM ports. Assuming your computer has 2 COM ports, these ports are COM 1 en COM 2. Then your modem is using COM 3 or COM 4. It depends how your modem has been configured. There are rules to configure a modem properly. If you still want to use COM 1 for a serial mouse, then you can't configure the modem to use COM 3. You can't use both ports at the same time. For example, you connect a serial mouse to COM 1 and also configure the modem to use COM 3. If you want to use the mouse while the modem is working, then that is not possible. Both ports are using the same IRQ. So the modem must be configured to use COM 4. If you still want to use COM 2, then you should configure the modem to use COM 3. You can't use COM 2 and COM 4 at the same time. These ports are using the same IRQ, too.
My guess is that your modem has been configured for COM 4. I think the manufacturer of your modem had configured the modem so that people still could use COM 1. A lot of people were using COM 1 for their serial mouse in those days.
By the way, there is no need to disable any COM port in BIOS. You won't have any issues, because you have only one device which is connected to a COM port.
As in, what port the card puts self on.
I haven't plugged the phone line in, but it should still attempt to dial right?
I am donwloading "Terminate" now, and will be testing that.
This seems more complicated than the terminal program I used on Windows 95.
I found these modem commands and used them: http://support.usr.com/support/3cxm756/ ... atcoms.htm
I finally plugged in a phone line to the "line" input on the back of the modem.
When I called my own home, I got a busy signal as expected.
However, when I called my dial-up access number, I got a connection, and logged in successfully with my ID.
then it gave me a bunch of characters on screen, and said "no carrier", but I guess that's because you can't use a terminal to connect to the internet.
EDIT: Managed to connect, create an account on, and reply to "e-mail" on this BBS:
http://telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/keep-bbs/