I'm trying to run Procomm, with an internal Hayes Smartmodem 1200B 
in an IBM PC.  Sounds like it should be simple enough.  The modem
is in slot 1, both modem and Procomm are set to COM1.  The modem
dials and connects to external systems.  Line settings are those
which are known to work for those systems.  Problem:  No
"Connect", or any other ASCII is seen on the screen.  The blinking
cursor blink, and moves to the right or down to the next line
when <Enter> is pressed.  Where's the problem?

19 responses total.

   THe first question is, are you able to talk to the modem directly?
Get into procomm, and see if an "AT" <return> will give you an OK
message.  If you can't get the modem to respond in this fashion, you
have a fundimental problem talking at all.  If you can do an AT, then
something in the initialization section of procomm.
   Have you had success with this computer talking to modems before/
?

Problem solved, but setting the modem and procomm to COM2.
It didn't work when both were set to COM1, which I don't
understand.  Anyhow, it's working now.

for some reason (and i'm not even technically competent, let alone an
expert), all the hayes-compatible internal modems i've seen need to be
set to com2. don't suppose anybody knows why?

Possibly you have a serial port that's already com1?

   Well, it might be that all the systeme you've seen already have a
serial port as COM1.  Since the modem card looks like a COM port
if you already have a serial port, you need to put it as COM2.

Probably so, as there is a serial port in there also.

   Yup.  Amazing, how these things work (I once blew a couple of hours
on this problem).

My fathr was just setting up his system, and had to go from com1 to
com4.  He still cannot connect to Merit, but he can connect to other
systems local to him.

   Perhaps its the parity/data bit settings that it confusing him?

        This is item #226 in agora and #21 in micros.

Setting it to COM2 (modem & software) made it work.  Didn't work
with both set on COM1

I'm connecting a Zenith 151, with ProComm 2.4.2, to a Mac SE, with
Versaterm 4.0, for file transfer, using 8N1 @ 9600 baud. Works fine
*except*:
1. In ProComm Terminal Mode I can use Alt-F4 for DOS gateway, and Alt-F
for files, and that all works. But in ProComm Host Mode, from the Mac, while
U)load and D)ownload and G)oodbye work fine, F)iles and S)hell hang up
the Zenith, requiring a cold reboot. I am using COM1 to the Mac
*Printer* port, with DIRECT ProComm mode.
2. Alt-A will not invoke a wordprocessor (Volkwriter) unless the ProComm
default directory is the wordprocessor directory. If the ProComm default
directory is (say) C:\Modem\ProComm, and the editor call is C:\VWD\VX
(for Volkswriter), some HD reads occur - but then the machine hangs up
and a cold reboot is necessary. 
I have a path to C:\Modem\ProComm, and SET Procomm=C:\Modem\ProComm\ in
Autoexec.bat. Can anoyone suggest more things to try, to surmount the
"hangups"? Oh yes - I have BIOS Ver. 3.1E in the Zenith - the "latest".

(Where are all the Zenith 151 afficianados? Senile :?>) Further to the
previous, I have posted the following to crlt:micros on MTS, and will
post it here too, hoping to find that rare bird that can remember the 151:
16:238) Rane Curl: Re #230: "Problems with F)iles and S)hell in Host Mode in
  ProComm2.4.2 on a Zenith151 + DOS3.3+ hangups": The ProComm manual says
  about S)hell: "..do not run programs that write directly to the screen
  buffer. This will cause the host machine to appear to lock up. If the host
  machine is running DOSedit, CED or a similar program, backspaces, escapes
  and possibly other key sequences can lock up the machine. This problem
  arises from DOS and the other programs, not ProComm: there is nothing we can
  do about it. In addition, some machines we have tried the host mode on do
  not pipe I/O to the correct port. We have not yet determined if this is a
  DOS or BIOS problem, but be aware that it may occur." Does this give anyone
  any clues to the problems described in #230, and perhaps their cure (such as
  redirecting writes away from the screen buffer, etc)? If yes, please make
  suggestions for things I might try. Thanks! 

   Have you talked to the people that wrote procomm yet?

ProComm doesn't give a technical support phone number (!!!). They say
to dial into CompuServe, which has at least a ProComm support bb. I do
not have and do not want a membership in CompuServe. ProComm does has
a general use bb, with a message board, and I've posted my query there.
I'll check in a few days to see if anyone knowing anything is watching
that. (I can imagine that these companies that are trying to make a
profit on a thin shareware licensing market, have trouble supporting
staff to support an ever growing body of users. Its a weak link in the
system.)

UoM supports ProComm on DOS machines - help line ##, if you have some
sort of UoM connection, is 764-4357. Or you can drop around to one
ofthe sites during the dayand ask a consultant for the same help.
  .

If you are student, staff, or faculty at UM (which fits Rane, I believe).
They've been getting touchy about giving out free service to people not
connected with the UM lately, tho.

I've posted this inquiry on a UM MTS conference, and that usually reaches
the consultants, too. Also, this is ProComm 2.4.2, not what they are
selling now, so one needs to find the "old timers". ANYWAY, I got a
response on the ProComm BBS, who suggested downloading ProComm 2.4.3. 
There was even a "FIX" .EXE for a HOST MODE S)hell problem (which isn't
described, however). So I've downloaded a quarter meg or so, which will
keep me quiet for a while........(what did we do with all this time, BC?)

Response not possible - You must register and login before posting.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss