Re: Fax machine answering incoming phone calls

I am not sure it's a "Modem Problem" in the sense that there's something
wrong with the modem but it does sound like something has the modem set up
wrong.

Have you ever installed anything like Norton PCAnywhere that might allow
someone to dial into your machine in order to help you? The reason I ask is
because the problem sounds like your modem has been given an auto answer
command but we don't yet know if this a one-off issue or whether something
installed on your machine is doing it (Say) every time you reboot.

What you can try is to find your control panel (Start>settings>control
panel) and then click on phone and modem settings.

On the middle tab - modems - you should see your modem appear. Click on
properties and then when that page shows up click on advanced.

In the text box there you can type ATS0=0 and then you can use OK to close
those pages again. AT is a Hayes modem command (Attention) and S0 (Setting
Zero) is the register or setting that determines how many rings it takes for
the modem to answer. =0 means that it's set for Zero rings, in other words
it won't ever answer.

Next time you dial up the internet it should apply that command, although
there's no way to know for sure this will work because as above we don't
know yet if this is just a stuck setting or whether something keeps doing
it. If you use Windows Messenger maybe someone could help you online.

You can also communicate directly with your modem and ask it what's going on
using the utility HyperTerminal which is included in your
programs>accessories>communications folder, but I don't have a modem here so
can't be exact about what you will see, have a look at this page and see if
that is something you want to try.
http://www.modemsite.com/56k/x2-hyperterm.asp

It won't look exactly like the website, you will have different ports and
devices, but once you get the OK response thing going then you can easily
set ATS0=0 from there. If it goes away and stays away problem solved, if it
happens again then something is changing it and needs investigating further.

Charlie


"Gramma" <Gramma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:CBC3F31E-8875-4AED-A64D-4D930FA8BD59@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It is HP Photosmart D7100; however, I contacted HP and was advised that
there
is no fax software in this model. Have uninstalled/reinstalled AOL program
and had msgs frm them re access numbers, etc. but still have to unplug the
dual phone/computer wall connection in order to receive incoming calls
without the interference! Don't know what else to check about my modem
settings and it sounds like a modem problem, what do you think?

"Charlie Tame" wrote:


"Gramma" <Gramma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8843C5BF-7F85-41FF-B267-391642F82453@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WINXP Home Ed. Recently installed new HP Photosmart printer and AOL
dial-up
internet connection with just one telephone line modem.

Since then I am having a problem with incoming phone calls schreeching
interference that sounds like a fax machine even though I am not on the
internet.

QWest repair came today and told me that a fax machine is answering my
incoming calls so it is not a phone problem but instead a fax software
problem. I do not have a fax machine so never set up fax software. He
also
advised that I would have to unplug my computer wall connection to
receive
incoming calls. I've never had to do this in all these many years.

This has been so frustrating since there was a death in the family and
I
was
not able to get the incoming calls so was notified by e-mail.

Pls help this 80-yr-old in great grandmother language!

Well, it seems like there are a couple of likely things.

You said HP Photosmart but not the model number, it is not some sort of
"All
in one" printer that is also a fax machine is it? If it is an "All in
one"
then it should not be connected to anything except the computer,
certainly
not the phone line. I don't think this is the case but have to ask
because
with "All in one" machines it's not uncommon for people to plug
everything
to everything just because wires are included. This is what I mean by all
in
one http://audiovisual.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/ps_14996073/100052213.html

If there is any type of phone connector on the printer at all it should
NOT
be connected.

There are two ways to achieve fax with a printer, the all in ones often
have
their own built in modem and if that is plugged in it will try to answer
the
phone all the time, or they use the computer's modem which is where we
consider the following:-

If it is only the PC connected to the phone line then some "Software"
somewhere has set it up either to receive faxes (Which may be something
HP
installed and won't necessarily show up where you have been told to look
so
far) or else the modem has been set in auto answer mode. In Auto answer
mode
it will probably sound like it's screeching, in fax mode it will "Chirp"
periodically to try and find a fax at the other end. I think if you can
specify the printer model we may be able to find something in the
software
that came with it.

Charlie





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