Q & A
Last Updated: 06/20/00

Q 1. How do I know my modem is using Taicom Brand's?

Q 2. What do I have to check before installing my Taicom modem?

Q 3. How to know whether the modem is installed correctly or not in Windows95/98?

Q 4. I install the MR56SVS modem in Windows NT4.0 (server version), and I make certain the telephone line connectes to the LINE jack as well as the telephone set connects to PHONE jack. However, I can't use the phone to answer an incoming phonecall, why's that?

Q 5. How do I find out the protocol, Transmitting / Receiving speed and data compression of my MR56SVS modem?

Q 6. What is the initial string for my modem?

Q 7. How do I find out the two profiles in MR56PVS-H, its firmware version and its current or selected values?

Q 8. How do I know my modem is ACF chipset (have ability to download the Rockwell Firmware Upgrade to ITU V.90 Utility) or HCF chipset modem?

Q 9. In order to get a connection of 56000 as my ISP provides, I downloaded flashcom file from the Taicom web site and has finished the flash activity. Yet I found my modem's stopped working.What happened?

Q10. How do I find out the firmware version of my modem?

Q11. How do I adjust my modem speed to 28800bps?

Q12. How do I know my modem is 33600bps (33.6kbps) or 56000bps (56kbps)?

Q13. I have an internal Taicom 56000 fax modem of MR56PVS-UK-CD-PC, also ticked on the top of the box is PVS. It only allows me to connect at 33600. Now knowing that my ISP provides a 56000 connection speed, is there any way I can have it driven to 56000?

Q14. What things I have to take care before upgrading to V.90?

Q15. How do I know my modem can be upgraded to V.90? (Firmware upgrading)

Q16. How to setup modem under Linux OS?

A 1. Please use the following steps and you will know it.

(1). From [My Computer], double click [Control Panel].

(2). Double click [Modems].

You can see the model for your modem. (such as TAICOM_MR56SVS_56000). If you can see TAICOM word. It means your modem is using Taicom Brand's. Or it is using OEM or ODM Brands.

A 2.You have to check and find the used IRQ's and the available IRQ's on your computer.

1. Click [My Computer] using the right button on the mouse.

2. Click [Properties] using the right button on the mouse.

3. Click [Device Manager] tab using the left button on the mouse.

4. Doble click [Computer] icon using the left button on the mouse.

5. Check the IRQ and Hardware under [Setting and Hardware using the setting].

A 3.You can use the following procedure to check whether your modem is installed correctly.

1. From [My Computer], double click [Control Panel].

2. Double click [Modems].

3. Select [Diagnostics] tab.

4. Choose the [COM] port where the newly installed modem device is. Click on [More Info] if the Command and Response box displays results from ATI1 to AT+FCLA..., it indicates that your fax/modem is set up properly.

A 4. This happened because the default setting of the RAS (Remote Access setup) of windows NT4.0 server is in "Receive calls only". Therefore, this has set your modem up at the auto answer mode to automatically respond any calls. To change this just select one of the other two "Dial out only" or "Dial out and Receive calls" by clicking Configure...button in Remote access setup windows. After this, if you still have the same problem, we suggest you to remove RAS service and your modem. Then restart your windows NT4.0 server and reinstalled your modem and RAS service.

A 5.You can type at\v1 before you dial your ISP to make a connection. For example, the following is the connecting process and can been seen under Windows 95/98 HyperTerminal.

• at\v1:OK
• atdt0204274330
• CONNECT 57600/K56/LAPM/V42BIS/31200:TX/34000:RX
• Connected to asd-il:S51
• You can see the 57600 is the DTE speed your windows 95/98 assigned default for this com port.
• K56 means K56Flex modem.
• LAPM is Link Access.
• Procedure for Modem (it is very similar with HDLC protocol) for error correction.
• V.42BIS is ITU-T data compression.
• 31200 is TX speed (upload string), 34000 is RX speed (Download string)

A 6. Before installing your modem, the initial string is called default factory (it is equivalent to type at&f command). Once you installed your modem with driver, the initial string will vary depending on our modem driver, which is the file with a "inf" extension name (such as Tai-w95.inf). If you run some other communication software, the initial string will vary depending on the software at use (such as ATE1V1X4&C1&D2S0=0+IFC=2, 2;+VCID=1). It is the initial string for "QuickLink Message Center III for Terminal mode to Rockwell HCF modems.

A 7. Please follow the procedures below in the "AT command mode" and type:

at send AT command to modem
OK modem responds OK
ate1 Enable echo function
OK Modem responds OK to DTE ( Hyperterminal simulate Data Terminal equipment ) at&v See two profiles in Modem; modem respond the following message:

ACTIVE PROFILE:
E1 L1 M1 Q0 T V1 X4 &C1 &D2 &G0 &T0
S00:000 S01:000 S02:043 S03:013 S04:010 S05:008 S06:004
S07:050 S08:002 S10:014 S12:050 S16:000 S18:000 S29:070
STORED PROFILE 0:
E1 L1 M1 Q0 T V1 X4 &C1 &D2 &G0 &T0
S00:000 S02:043 S06:004 S07:050 S08:002 S10:014 S12:050
S18:000 S29:000

OK
at+ms? Reporting current or selected values
+MS: K56,1,75,33600,75,56000
------ K56: K56Flex Modem
------ 1: Automode------ 75: The transmit Minimum speed
------ 33600: The transmit Maximum speed
------ 75: The receive Minimum speed
------ 56000: The receive Maximum speed
OK

A 8. Your modem should be 56kbps modem and have ROM size (1M or 2M bytes) and have modem chip with downloadable ability. You can follow the following steps to know it.

(1). From [My Computer], double click [Control Panel].

(2). Double click [Modems].

(3). Select [Diagnostics] tab.

(4). Choose the [COM] port where the newly installed modem device is.

Click on [More Info] Pls. attention ATI3 and its response ( like V2.083-K56M_2M_DLS or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP), if you can see the firmware version is V2.083-K56_2M_DLS (DLS : Downloadable Serial port use for External Standalone Set) or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP (DLP : Downloadable Parallel port use for Internal Plug Card), 2M means 2MB ROM size or it is 1MB for Rockwell ACF modem chip with downloadable ability. Pls. attention ATI3 and its response ( like V2.1.2.110 or V2.1.2.135 for PCI driver version ) for HCF chipset. You only download the up to date driver rather than download Firmware Upgrade to ITU V.90 Utility. For HCF modem, it has had k56 and V.90 models in it.

A 9. Most ISPs will tell you their services are using 56kbps modem. Yet you have to ask them what kind of modems they offered. As we know, there are 56kbps modems that use different chipsets (such as Rockwell, TI, Lucent and so on) or software based modem (such as US-Robotics called X2 modem). Before the finalization of V.90, Chipset Suppliers have been using their proprietary protocol which can't meet the V.90 and only available for their own protocol. Once V.90 is released and finalized, they'll have to upgrade their modems to V.90 via downloading the relative firmware version to do flash activity (such as Rockwell's flashcom.exe) and upgrade to V.90. Different ROM size (such as Rockwell 56kbps modems offer 1MB or 2MB). Different countries have different firmware versions (for example, dial tone or busy tone may be different). So, you need to find out your work environment and download the correct firmware version to upgrade your modem. It'd even fail you when you try to return to original version. If you're sure the original one is replaced, contact your local distributor to obtain the old one back.

A10. You can follow the following steps to check the firmware or driver version of your modem.

1. From [My Computer], double click [Control Panel].

2. Double click [Modems].

3. Select [Diagnostics] tab.

4. Choose the [COM] port where the newly installed modem device is.

Click on [More Info], then please pay attention to the response followed ATI3, it is the firmware or driver version of your modem. , like V2.083-K56M_2M_DLS or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP, it means your modem firmware version is V2.083-K56_2M_DLS (DLS : Downloadable Serial port for External Standalone set ), or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP (DLP : Downloadable Parallel port use for Internal Plug Card), 2M means 2MB ROM size or it is 1MB for Rockwell ACF ISA modem. If, like V2.1.2.110 or V2.1.2.135 it means your modem have this driver version for Rockwell HCF PCI modem.

A11. Type AT+MS=11,1,28800,28800 into the open box under Extra settings of Advanced Connection Settings window.

A12. There are two ways to help you to know whether your modem is 33600bps (33.6kbps) or 56000bps (56kbps). The first way is called "OFF LINE" way to know the speed of your modem It means your modem don't need to be installed in your PC or your modem has been removed form your PC. You can directly view the printing of the biggest chipset on your modem card (also called as internal modem from some people) or your modem set (also called as external modem from some people). you can see like RCVDL56ACFW/SP RCVDL56ACFW/SP RLVDL56DPF/SP R6772-22 R6771-22 R6785-61 ROCKWELL 97 ROCKWELL 97 ROCKWELL 97 9814 B57736-5 9808 B56575-3 9822 b600952 MEXICO MEXICO HONG KONG RCV336ACF/SP R6741-21 ROCKWELL 96 9724 B31257-2 MEXICO If you can see the word 56 in the first row, then your modem is 56kbps modem. If you only see the word 336 in the first row, then your modem is only 33.6kbps modem. The second way is called "ON LINE" way to know the speed of your modem. It means your modem need to be installed in your PC correctly, via the following procedures to know whether it is 56kbps or 33.6kbps modem.

• Click Start and point Settings as well as Control Panel.
• Double-click Modems If you can see like the word 56 in OM_MR56SVS_56000 or other brand modem model (Aopen_FM56_EX_56000 or others), then your modem is 56kbps modem.

A13. First check if both you and your ISP have the same V.90 modems such as Rockwell ITU-V.90 or US Robotics X2 V.90 or Rockwell K 56Flex chipset modems. If so, your modem then is capable of downloading up to a speed of 56kpbs, depending on the telephone line quality you are using. If not, the maximum speed will only be up to 33.6kbps(ITU-T V.34), depending on the telephone line quality. Rockwell K56Flex is using its proprietary protocol which can not meet ITU-T V.90, but can transmit (upload) upstring up to 33.6kbps, and receive (download) downstring up to 56kbps with the otherK56Flex modem. Rockwell ITU-V.90 is using ITU-T standard protocol which can meet ITU-T V.90. It can transmit (upload) upstring up to 33.6kbps and receive (download) downstring up to 56kbps with the other ITU-V.90 modem.

A14. First of all, check your modem to see if it is ITUT V.90 or K56Flex. Under Windows 95/98, you can click [More Info...] button to get the firmware version (such as ATI3 V2.083-K56_DLS which is V.90 56kbps modem with downloadable function. The version is V2.083) . There's no need to upgrade to V.90. If AtI3 is V1.200-K56_DlS which is K56Flex modem with downloadable function ( version V1.200). Secondly check the chipset Model ( such as RCVDL 56ACF/SP R6721-21 for internal plug card modem, RCVDL 56ACF/SP R6762 for external standalone desk modem), then find ROM size (such as 1MB 0r 2MB) and finally download the relevant flashcom version.

A15. Your modem must be 56kbps modem and have ROM size (1M or 2M bytes) as well as have modem chip with downloadable ability. You can follow the following steps to know it.

(1). From [My Computer], double click [Control Panel].

(2). Double click [Modems].

(3). Select [Diagnostics] tab.

(4). Choose the [COM] port where the newly installed modem device is.

Click on [More Info] Pls. attention ATI3 and its response (like V2.083-K56M_2M_DLS or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP), if you can see the firmware version is V2.083-K56_2M_DLS (DLS : Downloadable Serial port use for External Standalone Set) or V2.083-K56M_2M_DLP (DLP : Downloadable Parallel port use for Internal Plug Card), 2M means 2MB ROM size or it is 1MB for Rockwell ACF modem chip with ownloadable ability.

A16. If you have a modem connected to your PC, it will be connected to one of four communication ports. The PC names for these ports are COM1, COM2, COM3 and COM4. These ports can also be used for other serial devices such as your mouse. Usually, your mouse is connected to COM1 and your modem is connected to COM2, though in many cases your modem may be connected to COM4, find out which ports your modem and mouse are connected to; you will need to know this to access your modem. On the PC, COM1 and COM3 share the same access point to your computer; the same in COM2 and COM4. For this reason, you should never have your mouse on COM1 and your modem on COM3 at the same time. You would find your mouse cutting out whenever you used your modem. If your mouse is on COM1, then your modem should be either on COM2 or COM4. (For Plug-and-Play modems, you may have to disable Plug-and Play aware feature in your motherboard's BIOS setup.)

In Linux, the four communication ports have different names than those used for the PC, modem ports begin with the name /dev/cua with an attached number from 0 to 3, (notice the number begins from 0, not 1.)/dev/cua0 is the first port equal COM1, and /dev/cua1 is the second port; the third and the fourth ports are /dev/cua2 and /dev/cua3. In many Linux communication programs, you will need to know the port for your modem. This will be either /dev/cua1 for COM2 or /dev/cua3 for COM4. Some communication programs try to access the modem port using the name /dev/modem. Currently, this name does not exist in your systems. It is under another name, according your modem port really is. Once you know what your modem port is, you can easily create this alias using the 1n-s command. Follow the step, you will easily create a modem for the COM2 port, /dev/cua1. If your modem port is dev/cua3, you would use that instead. (You have to be logged in as root user to execute this command.) The following example sets up as list. Command line #1n-s /dev/cua1/dev/modem