USB Modem Fails

Not sure if this is a Win2k issue or an application or hardware one, but here it is...

I have Win2k SP2 on my desktop, and access the internet via USB and ISDN (HomeHighway in the UK). Occasionally, the system fails to connect on dial up (normally, it connects within a few seconds). The problem seems to arise if I've been using Word for several hours; if I leave the PC on overnight with my current doc open, there's virtually no chance I can get a connection.

Testing the USB modem using the supplier's utility confirms the failure to connect. Shutting everything down and rebooting clears it.

Any idea if (and why) Word would cause this? If not Word, any suggestions?

Thanx.

 

Have you checked to see how much free resources you have when the failures occur? CPU and Memory useage of your running services?

You may have some app with a memory leak and it has just eaten everything.

Or it could be a USB issue of some sort. Any other USB devices hooked up? If so, do they work OK. If not, could you hook one up and see if it also fails in the same circumstances?

 

It happened again this afternoon. Bags of memory reported free and CPU running at about 30%.

Now I'm being thick here, but how do I view the available resources under Win2k - the above figures come from the standard Task Manager but how do I see about others?

As I said before, the modem test program fails when the dial-up problem occurs (this time telling me there was no dial tone)! A reboot fixed it fine.

I didn't have any other USB devices with me (my desktop has only recently been switched from NT4 to 2k so I've not needed it so far); my laptop is heavily into USB but, as luck would have it, all the USB bits (mouse, floppy, Palm cradle) were hooked into the docking station at my other office. Ho hum. Have to get something home to check that out.

Thanks, though. Any other ideas, anyone? The PC had been running for about 6 hours, with Excel and Media Player running; I'd fired up Word to view one doc (8MB long) about an hour prior.

 

I've had past problems with USB modems - different brands, different motherboards - ranging from corrupting the OS (when installing the w2k driver), driver installing OK but modem simply not working, modem working but disconnecting at odd times (and requiring a reboot to restore function). My impression is that the w2k drivers are simply not mature. I finally gave up trying to figure it out and, for stability, went to PCI modems.

 

I suppose I may have mislead you in calling it a USB modem - it is set up as that but I generally use it for ISDN access (nearest option to broadband where I live)! I also have a PCI modem and that gets used as a back up if I want to make a connection before rebooting and re-enabling the USB ISDN one.

Sorry if referring to it as a modem rather than TA has sent anyone up the wrong path.

Steve

 

Does the device wake up if you scan for hardware changes in device manager? Check the event logs for failed services.

 

Haven't tried a rescan - will do next time it occurs (which shouldn't be too long away ). I have check the event logs and haven't yet found anything that appears related (failed services or otherwise).

Steve

 

Finally managed to get through to a live person at the BT helpdesk (BT being, for non-Brits) our national teleco. When I described the problem, he replied "I expect the USB modem has shut down - they seem to do that. Just unplug it and plug it in again."

Just had the problem surface and unplugging was quicker than rescanning - it worked. So Unixfan, you win the coconut.

Many thanks for the help.