Cannot connect PowerBook G4 to DIAL-UP internet connection
I have a G4 PowerBook (the very last of the series made) but I cannot get a dial-up internet or e-mail connection. It is so long ago that I used dial-up that I have forgotten the intricacies. Also how do I know WHICH of the several Apple Internal Modems listed, is the one I have in my G4. The names on ABOUT THIS MAC do not correspond with the list I am presented with when I am trying to put in the correct information.
I have never used this G4 for dial-up and am starting to think that perhaps the internal modem is faulty. How can I check if the modem is still functioning properly, please?
Thanks for the response which was helpful. I am afraid I did not make myself very clear. I want to know if I can test if a modem is working WITHOUT entering all the information about my server or other settings. I am uncertain about my settings being right and thought the reason I could not connect was because the modem might be malfunctioning. Only by putting my correct internet settings into the Mac can I reach the stage of hearing the screeching noise you so well describe!
But you have told me which of the modems to choose from the drop-down panel. I was not sure whether this was the Apple Internal 56K modem (v92) or not, and you have settled this for me. I am still mystified that I cannot find out the name of the modem in the PowerBook. By going into About This Mac I can access modem info, but it does not correspond with the drop-down list or say 56K (v.92) which is what I would expect.
The helpline for my British Telecom internet provider is in Calcutta, India. I will get on to them again this evening. Many thanks.
First of course you'll need access to a dial-up connection! These are pretty rare beasts these days. My own service provider (Demon) does offer what it calls "Dial Companion" as a free option with its broadband packages. I Googled BT and dial-up and came across this
http://www.btinternet.com/new/content/help/dialinsoftware.html I don't know if its of any help. The other way to check if your modem is working is to launch an application called "Fax STF" if you have it. I believe my old PB came with it bundled. This will let you dial out to send a document as a FAX - you don't need to actually enter a working fax number just to to check its dialling, any number will do for the purpose of a test.
Thank you so much for your detailed response. I, too, many years ago used to have Fax STF, though on a separate disc. Even if I had not mislaid the disc (which probably would not now work with OS 10.4.11) surely it would need my internet provider's settings? When I phoned Calcutta on Friday, the lady I spoke to changed some of these, and I am now at sea without them and cannot even get as far as hearing the usual screeching noises.
I did note this recently from an internet site:
With a suitable terminal emulator (something like ZTerm), you should be able to send AT commands directly to the modem. If you type AT followed by Return, the modem should return an OK. Then try ATI (or ATI1, ATI2, ATI3 et cetera) followed by Return; the modem should respond with technical information. If one writes ATDTxxxxxxx (where xxxxxxx is a telephone number) followed by Return, the modem should dial the number (if you have two phone lines, you could check whether the other phone rings).
I now have the promise of another Calcutta helper that she will phone me this evening. The whole object of the exercise is that I will be able to take my second Mac to my husband's house and get a dial-up only connection there which will be better than nothing. He has vascular dementia and it would be good to have an internet connection. I already have Virgin broadband in MY house and do not want to take out two subscriptions if I can avoid it. I have had a longstanding BT dial-up address (all e-mails to which get re-routed automatically to Virgin) but BT require you to make one or two uses of the address every year to keep it alive.
I have grown so accustomed to the glories of Wi-fi broadband, I had forgotten how fiddly old dial-up systems were. I tried mobile dial-up at my husband's with "3", but his house fell into an area of no reception. I even went out into the open air in his square with the PowerBook and dongle to no avail.
My next suggestion comes with no personal experience or recommendation!
Again a bit of Googling for "dial up internet" produced some possibilities, these are two picked at random:
http://www.nippyinternet.co.uk/ and
http://www.freeukisp.co.uk/ There are many more - you would need to check what the phone calls would cost but for accessing web mail and the odd bit of vital surfing its a possibility.
Good luck!
Sorry - this pre-supposes your modem is working. If not you can still find external 56k V.92 usb modems. Apple no longer make them but I found one on Amazon by "Zoom" at £17.99.
Thank you again for your helpful suggestions. This evening the promised call from BT in Calcutta failed to materialise yet again, so I still am uncertain about my server settings. I have booked in to see a Genius at the Apple Store on Thursday afternoon and will contain myself till then. If they confirm that it is my internal modem that is at fault, I will do as you suggest and buy a Zoom USB modem. I see they are being offered on eBay for £12.99.
A propos the server-less outfits, I did try a couple of these yesterday, but got nowhere - probably because of a faulty modem, I don't know. But as you say their charges per minute are probably prohibitive.
Thanks again most sincerely.
I bought the USB Zoom modem and can now connect via dial-up to the internet. It must have been that my Mac internal modem was faulty all the time. Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction.
