Recently I purchased a new computer plus a new 56K modem. The computer is running Windows XP Home Edition. My ISP set-up gave me no problems using my old computer, however, as soon as I tried accessing the internet with my new set-up I had five different error messages (718, 678, 734, 721, and 797). The connection only takes place after I turn off the computer and back on again (of course) and only then after several more attempts. When a connection is established, the access time is unacceptable (up to a minute). I have contacted the ISP who suggested putting two commas in front of and after the phone number (done) and extra modem initialisation command (at&fx3). But neither suggestion has fixed the problem. Can you help?

Your problem is almost definitely related to your modem, as the error codes mean that a connection cannot be established (for a list of all dial-up networking error codes see www.modemsite.com/56k/dunserror.asp). The initialisation string ‘at&fx3′ which your ISP gave will force the modem to dial, even if there is no dial-tone present. If your modem is external, ensure the modem is switched on before the computer (as some operating systems will not recognise the modem if it is turned on after the computer, unless you refresh the devices). It may be worthwhile to refresh the devices anyway. To do this, open the ‘System’ control panel and click the ‘Hardware’ tab. Click the ‘Device Manager’ button. Right-click on the computer’s name at the top of the list and click ‘Scan for hardware changes’. Once this has completed, close the box and try to dial. If you still have problems, make sure the correct drivers are installed for your modem. Where the drivers came on a CD with your modem, make sure they are the correct drivers (I have seen a CD with the completely wrong drivers included for its modem). It may even be worthwhile to uninstall the drivers from the manufacturer and just install the generic Windows modem drivers. At this stage I am considering the possibility that your modem is faulty. You should not have to go through all these processes just to get a simple modem working, and the fact that your ISP cannot solve the issue adds even more fuel to this speculation. I suggest that you take your modem back to the place of purchase and ask for an exchange or, if possible, connect a friend’s modem to your computer to check if this is a modem problem or computer problem. If the problem persists with the different modem, indications point to the problem being computer related. In this case, please contact me again.