MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

Lesson 2 Configuring Dial-Up Connections
15-21
you specify whether Windows should wait for a dial tone before dialing numbers.
Users in some locations might find that their modem does not recognize the dial
tone used in that area, or users might need to dial the phone manually.
■ Diagnostics The Diagnostics tab lets you issue a query to the modem to determine
whether it is receiving and sending commands properly. Click Query
Modem and wait a few moments to see the result. This command is the single
most useful modem troubleshooting tool in Windows because it helps you determine
whether a modem is working properly. If the query returns an error stating
that it cannot communicate with the modem, you know you must troubleshoot the
modem itself. If the query returns results, you know the modem is working and
the problem lies elsewhere—most likely in the dial-up connection configuration
or in the application trying to make the connection. The Diagnostics tab also lets
you enable logging for the modem.
■ Advanced The Advanced tab lets you configure initialization commands for the
modem—commands that control how the modem sends and receives data.
Mostly, you do not need to worry about using extra initialization commands
because the most common uses for these commands (such as waiting for a dial
tone, dialing 9 to get an outside line, or using a code to disable call waiting) are
all configurable options within Windows.
■ Driver The Driver tab displays version information about the modem driver;
and provides tools for updating, rolling back, and uninstalling drivers. For more
information about using the options on this tab, see Chapter 6.
Note Many modems are compatible with Windows XP. However, many difficult-to-detect problems
are the result of older, incompatible modems. Plug and Play modems are cheap enough
these days that it is usually easier and more cost-effective to replace an old modem than
troubleshoot it. To find hardware that is supported by Windows operating systems, visit the
Windows Catalog on the Microsoft Web site.
Configuring a Dial-Up Connection
Dial-up connections work much like LAN connections, but have additional options
that let you control when the connection is dialed, the number for the connection,
and other criteria for use. To create a dial-up connection, you use the New Connection
Wizard (which was covered in Lesson 1, “Configuring Local Area Network (LAN)
Connections”) to create a connection to the Internet or to a private network.
After the dial-up connection is created, you can view the connection in the Network
Connections window, as shown in Figure 15-10. Right-clicking a particular connection
provides a shortcut menu with commands for working with the connection.