[casst]

Hi, I really hope this is something that can be fixed at home, I don't want to have to bring it into town and pay to get it fixed.

Last night I was on the internet on my laptop, and it was working great. This morning I went to connect and all I get is an empty dialtone (like the one you hear when you pick up the phone) I have dialup by the way. It won't dial the phone number it needs to. I connected to my spare phone and it works fine, I connected to my sisters laptop it works fine, I connected to the home computer and it works fine. I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I put in the passwords/usernames and phone number all over again, I compared the settings on my computer to my sisters, and they were fine. I really need my laptop to work.

Hope you can help,
C.

P.S. I don't know if this will help but my my laptop is a HP Pavilion and it's running on Windows Vista

[etaf]

I connected to my spare phone and it works fine,

can you explain this some more

Can we have full details of how connected - how many phone lines / extensions

Whos connected to what phone line, and what kit works and what does not work - put it on seperate lines
ie
2 phone lines - phone A and B
3 PCs - My laptop - sisters laptop - main PC
My laptop - worls on phone B but not on phone A
etc
A little confused on what was working with what above

[casst]

ok,

I have two separate phone lines in my house, one for internet and one for the phone. We keep an old phone in the house to check the connections on the internet phone line.

When I said I connected the spare phone to the phone line, that's what I did.

My sisters laptop works on the internet line.
Our home computer works on the internet line.
Our spare phone works on the internet line.

My laptop does not work on any of the phone lines.

Like I said, I tried going through the settings and everything was fine. I went to the modem settings and it said it was working fine (though our other computer said that as well and my dad had to replace it, so that could be the problem, but my computer is brand new) I tried re-setting the connection (deleted the dialup connection, and set it up all over again)

When I go to connect to the internet it'll make the sound that it's supposed to make (the dial tone you get when it first opens the port or whatever, like when you pick up your phone, before you dial) but it won't dial the number my ISP gave me, it'll just make the dial tone sound until it says it couldn't connect.

I hope that clarifies things a little bit more.

[etaf]

A lot more thankyou

What windows do you have XP, windows7 ??

Open the dialup box and see what telephone number you have entered - you should hear the noise of the PC dialing the number
so a dialtone for a little while then the beeps of the numbers being dialed - then the noise of the modems handshaking

Do you use a different number to for dialup at all - sometimes its worth using a normal phone and dialing to make sure the modem at the other end is auto answering and you here the noise of the handshake start.

[casst]

I entered the right number, it still won't dail the number

I'm running on Vista

how do you use a normal phone to dial to make sure the modem at the other end is auto answering?

[TerryNet]

Here are some more random thoughts that may help if etaf's advice doesn't lead to a solution.

I don't know whether a firewall (security suite) will block the modem from dialing, but suggest you check that if you are using any firewall other than Vista's.

Are you getting any kind of error message from whatever application you are using to try to call?

I am looking at Windows 7 now, but Vista is probably identical or very similar. In Device Manager right click on your modem - Properties - Diagnostics tab. Click on Query Modem. You probably won't learn anything there, but if the modem won't respond you know there's a problem. Also click on View log. It may not make much sense to you (or me!), but you can scan it for error messages, which could give a clue.

Finally, Microsoft no longer includes Hyper Terminal, but there is a version for Vista that can be trialed for 30 days. I used to use that for a modem tester--you can even dial your other line or cell phone--if it dials and your phone rings you know the modem is working.

[TerryNet]

how do you use a normal phone to dial to make sure the modem at the other end is auto answering?

Just dial the same number you told the modem to dial. (Hold the phone away from your ear.) If you hear some horrible screeching the remote modem answered.

[casst]

ok, the remote modem answered when I manually dialed, but my computer still won't dial the number, it just makes the dialtone noise is there something that would make it just not dial, something that would stop it from dialing? I checked the modem through device manager like you said, and it responded.

[etaf]

how do you use a normal phone to dial to make sure the modem at the other end is auto answering?

just ring the number and you may hear a ring then the noise of the modem trying to handshake with you

but if your sister uses the same number and that works - then you know it works

[TerryNet]

... is there something that would make it just not dial, something that would stop it from dialing?

I've used dial up very little for the last 8 years, so I'm not familiar with what the typical problems are now. The only thing that comes to mind is a firewall. I understand this worked for you before, but firewalls can do strange things. Most new (brand) computers have some security suite (Norton and McAfee being most common) installed when you buy it.

[etaf]

are there any modifiers in the phone number
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...al-up-settings
like a pause , or card $
dial up and internet explorer are often linked
control panel
internet options
connections tab
whats there for dialup - is dialup ticked

[casst]

I checked the firewalls that might be on my computer all my antivirus software is expired, I have to update it.

there are no modifiers in the phone number

under internet options it says "never dial a connection" "dial whenever a network connection is not present" "always dial my default connection"

there isn't a dialup option to tick

[TerryNet]

Actually those are the dialup options. You want the 2nd or 3rd one.

Some expired anti-virus applications will also block networking, but I do not know whether that extends to even blocking dialing.