lost dialup connection - what to tell newbie, w98se?

Hi, a friend 60 mi. away (can't haul PC here) recently has his dialup connection suddenly stop working- the connection is completed, then quickly (< 1 min. usually) disconnects itself.
PC=dell, bought 2001 or 2002, but warranty expired
internal 56k modem
sonic.net (they gave up advising him on this)
w98se.

He's a newbie (e.g, scandisk is a new feature to him) & I'm still working with him on the specific control panels. We checked the modem setting & the network CP and all seems well there.

Does he need to use the "system restore" disk Dell provides (it's not an OEM w98se, but the Dell disk that has w98se on it I think). Would that be the simplest way? What about System File Checker (SFC) (wouldn't it be easier just to use the restore disk)?

Any other pointers to obvious places we should check (over the phone is how we work)? (we will look at DUN & auto disconnect missettings, for example.) Thank you.

 

larkin--If your friend is paying an ISP or email provider for the dialup service, he should phone them and ask for help.
Could also look at the settings in Control Panel|Modems|Connection tab. Is box "Disconnect if idle..." checked? If so uncheck|Apply|OK.

 

We checked all the modem settings and were ok, no auto disconnect enabled.

Sonic.net is the ISP mentionned in my note. They are not going to help him more on this one. A suggestion to change ISPs would be dumb, superfluous and unwelcome. Real advice welcome.

Thanks for reply but I'm looking for more detailed guesses, the ones you gave so far were "been there, done that" or about to be done. I need suggestions I didn't already think of on my own or plan to take, & advice on value of restoring from Dell CD. Thank you.

 

larkin--

Congratulations!! You just made my Ignore List.
Awfully hard to know what you "didn't already think of on my own or plan to take "
Your response is probably the rudest I have ever seen on this BBS, and I have seen quite a lot.

 

OK. You want details and guesses ? I am thinking Driver Problem.

Modem itself has gone bad.

Some other hardware may have been changed causing a conflict. ( IRQ ) ( maybe sound card )

Has any thought been given to removing the Modem. Restarting Windows at least once with out it. Then Replacing it and see it Windows will pick it up.

Of course the drivers for Modem should be handy first.

Internal modems can be a REAL PAIN if they go haywire.

If all else fails. Remove the Internal Modem entirely and but a GOOD modem on. An External ?

Please dis-regard any or all of the above if they have been tried or planned as I can not see the machine or read your mind from here.

BillyBob

 

larkin: re-read your first response to Welshjim. I don't know if it was meant that way but I have to agree with him that it was a rude thing to say to someone who was trying to help.

And I need suggestions I didn't already think of on my own or plan to take would require mind readers. We don't have any on here that I'm aware of.