How to install and configure an internal modem

From ArticleWorld

Nowadays, there are few occasions on which you will want to use an internal modem instead of an external one. Nevertheless, this guide applies if:

• You absolutely need an internal modem. This can be the case when external ports are already in use, or behave unreliable.

• Your computer had an internal modem when you bought it, and you are using a fresh hard drive on which you are just installing an operating system.

• You need to re-install the modem's drivers.

If none of the above apply and you have not bought an internal modem, you should probably go for an external one. They are easier to troubleshoot and less of a hassle to properly install.

Procedure

1. Unpack the modem. The modem itself will look like a regular card, somewhat like an undersized graphics or sound card. Along with it, you should have a number of cables, one or more floppy disks and/or CDs with drivers and probably a manual.

If you already have the modem inside your computer, you can obviously skip steps 1-5 and move directly to step 6.

1. First, mount the modem on your motherboard. Turn off the computer and unplug it from any power source, then disconnect all its peripherals. Remove the outer case (be careful: this may void your warranty in some cases) and look on the motherboard. Your modem will most likely be a PCI one, but ISA modems are quite common as well. The slots themselves are usually labeled; if not, the motherboard's manual should explain how to identify a slot's type.
2. Push the modem into its slot until it fits firmly. Do not push too hard. A gentle push should do. A card will only fit in one kind of slot, so if it does not cooperate, make sure you are trying to mount it in the correct slot before pushing harder.
3. Put the cover back and plug all peripherals as well.
4. Connect one end of the modem cable to the phone jack you will be using. The other end goes to the modem's port. Now plug your computer to a power source.
5. Reboot your computer. In general, the operating system should detect the modem automatically and ask you for the drivers. If this does not happen, make sure that the modem is powered on and properly connected. If it is, install the drivers manually. The disks you received should have a setup program that does this automatically. If not, you should refer to Windows Help for details about installing drivers, since this depends on the Windows version that you are using.
6. Use the modem's configuration program (or Windows' Network Connection section in Control Panel) to set up your computer for use with your ISP. You may need to contact your ISP for details on this, as the procedure varies greatly from one ISP to another.