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Modem/Fax Setup 4-1
Chapter 4
Modem/Fax Setup
When plugging your PC card into a phone line, make sure you use an analog line.
Lines used by standard household telephones, Fax machines or other modems are
analog phone lines. Do not use a digital line. The PABX (Public Branch
Exchange) or digital phone lines carry high voltage and current which can damage
your modem. The modem function can be activated by the computer’s Super
Client driver when the PC Card is inserted, or can be activated by the Client Driver
program supplied with the PC Card.
Please refer to the Comunication Utility User’s Guide for detailed instructions on
configuring your modem software. If you are using other third-party software,
then please refer to the appropriate manual.
A few basic modem concepts are listed below for your reference.
• COM Ports
The COM port handles traffic between the modem and your PC. The PC card
can be assigned to any COM port.
COM ports are also used by pointing-devices such as mice, joysticks and
track-balls. You must select an available COM port and IRQ number. Consult
your PC user’s manual for more information on how to determine which COM
ports and IRQs are available.
• Modem Speed
Modem speed (speed at which data travels) is measured in bits per second
(bps). Modem speed can range from 300 bps to 33,600 bps.
When two modems set up a communication link, they go through the process
of identifying each other and determining common rules by which they can
communicate. This action is called “handshaking.” For modems using higher
data transfer rates to communicate with those running at a slower rates, they
must slow down their own transfer rate to match that of the slower modems.