3Com 000839-08 User manual

This manual covers installation and operating instructions for the following 3Com modems:
Sportster®33.6 kbps internal and external modems
3Com, the 3Com logo, U.S. Robotics, the USRobotics logo, and Sportster are registered
trademarks; Connections, Total Control, Courier, RapidComm, x2, and the x2 logo are trademarks
and Towne Square 2000 is a service mark of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. Windows and
Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. CompuServe is a registered
trademark of CompuServe Inc. America Online is a registered trademark of America Online Inc.
Netscape Navigator is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corp. Any other trademarks, trade
names, or service marks used in this manual are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright © 1997 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries
7770 North Frontage Road
Skokie, IL 60077-2690
All Rights Reserved

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ii
Before You Begin (Windows 95 Users) 1
Internal Modem Installation with Windows 3.x 4
A Word about COM Ports and IRQs 4
How to Use ComTest to Determine Your Modem’s Settings 6
Testing an Installed Modem 9
What to Do with ComTest’s Recommendation 9
How to Change the Modem’s Settings 12
How to Insert the Modem into the Computer 14
Internal Modem Installation with Windows 95 21
Plug and Play Installation 21
How to Prepare for Plug and Play Installation 21
How to Insert the Modem into the Computer 23
Installing the Modem Drivers 27
External Modem Installation with Windows 3.x 35
How to Determine Which Serial Cable to Buy 35
How to Connect the Modem to the Computer 36

TABLEOFCONTENTS
iii
External Modem Installation with Windows 95 39
How to Determine Which Serial Cable to Buy 39
How to Connect the Modem to the Computer 40
Installing the Modem Drivers 42
Manual Modem Installation 50
Software Installation and Testing 58
Software Installation and Registration Using the Setup Wizard 58
Sending Your First Fax 74
Installing Other Fax/Data Software 77
Type of Modem 77
Initialization String 77
Flow Control 77
UART (External Modems Only) 78
Using Modem Station 79
Why Modem Station? 79
What Does Modem Station Do? 79
Installing Modem Station 79
Starting Modem Station 82
Using Detect New Modems 84
Using Terminal 86
Using Modem Configurator 88

TABLEOFCONTENTS
iv
Using Modem to Computer 91
Using the Extended Information Screens 96
U.S. Robotics Modem Update Wizard 103
Installation 103
Operation 108
Troubleshooting and Online Help Resources 116
Online Help Resources 122
Are You Still Having Problems? 126
If You Need to Return the Modem to Us 127
RapidComm Troubleshooting Tips 127
A Note to Users with Older Versions of RapidComm on Their Systems 128
Glossary 129
Technical Quick Reference 143
Front Panel Lights (External Modems) 144
Command Summary 145
DIP Switches (Modems with DIP Switches Only) 160
S-Registers 162
The Serial Interface 172
Regulatory Information 174
Manufacturer’s Declaration of Conformity 174
Caution to the User 175

TABLEOFCONTENTS
v
IC (Canada) 175
UL Listing/CUL Listing 175
Connecting to the Telephone Company 175
Fax Branding 176
Radio and Television Interference 176
For Canadian Modem Users 178
Limited Warranty 181
Index 184

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
1
Your Sportster modem is a Plug and Play
device. Windows®95 can automatically
identify a Plug and Play device and determine if
your system has the resources necessary to
support the device. However, Plug and Play
will not work if you do not have resources
available or if devices on your system are not
reporting resource usage correctly. Here’s
how you can verify that your system has the
necessary resources before installing the
modem.
1. Click the Windows 95 Start button, point
to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. When the “System Properties” screen
appears, click the Device Manager tab.
4. Double-click Computer and the
“Computer Properties” screen appears.
5. Select the option at the top of the screen to
show Interrupt Requests (IRQs).
You will see the IRQs your system is currently
using. If IRQs 3, 4, 5, and 7 are being used,
you need to free an IRQ before you begin
installation. This process involves moving a
device from the IRQ you want to use to a
different (and usually higher) IRQ setting.
Please read the documentation for (or contact
the manufacturer of) the device that is currently
using the IRQ you want to use for your modem
to learn more about what you should do to free
the IRQ for your modem.
Be sure to read the section titled “U.S.
Robotics Modem Update Wizard” on page
101 for information on upgrading your 33.6
faxmodem to x2™technology, allowing
downloads of up to 56 kbps.

BEFOREYOUBEGIN
2
Determining Your Version of
Windows 95
Follow these steps to determine your version
of Windows 95. This information will be
important during installation.
1. Click the My Computer icon on your
desktop with the right mouse button.
2. Click Properties.
3. In the “System Properties” screen, look at
the system information under the General
tab (circled in the following screen image).
The number following the text “Microsoft
Windows 95” will end with “950”, “950a”,
or “950b”. This indicates your version of
Windows 95. Write this number on the
blank below for later reference. Then click
OK.
Windows 95 version _________________

BEFOREYOUBEGIN
3
Upgrading to x2™Technology
Be sure to read the section titled “U.S.
Robotics Modem Update Wizard” on page
101 for information on upgrading your 33.6
faxmodem to x2™technology, allowing
downloads of up to 56 kbps*.
∗IMPORTANT! All x2 products are capable of 56
kbps downloads; however, due to FCC rules which restrict
power output of the service providers' modems, current
download speeds are limited to 53 kbps. Actual speeds
may vary depending on line conditions. Uploads from
users to service providers travel at speeds up to 28.8
kbps. An x2-capable modem, an x2-compatible analog
phone line, and an x2-capable Internet Service Provider are
necessary for these high-speed downloads.

INTERNAL MODEM INSTALLATION WITH WINDOWS®
3.X
4
You’ll need these items from your
Sportster ®modem box:
modem phone cord
Connections™CD
Plus:
a screwdriver (not included)
AWordaboutCOMPorts
and IRQs
Most computer accessories — a mouse,
sound card, enhanced graphics card, scanner,
etc. — require a special connection through
which they can communicate with the
computer. For some devices, this connection is
called a communications (or COM) port. Most
computers have 1 or 2 COM ports, but they
can have up to 4. Although internal modems
do not connect to COM ports directly, they do
require a COM port setting, which is
determined by the setting on the modem’s
COM jumper pins.

INTERNALMODEMINSTALLATIONWITHWINDOWS3.X
5
Each COM port uses an interrupt request
(IRQ). An accessory uses an IRQ to get the
attention of your computer’s centralprocessing
unit (CPU) so that the accessory can perform
a task. The computer stops what it’s doing,
depending on the priority of the request, to
help the accessory perform its task. When two
accessories share an IRQ, it’s like two people
asking different questions in unison to a third
person. Just as the person being asked the two
questions cannot understand either request, a
computer can lock up or otherwise fail to
communicate properly with your modem when
there is an IRQ conflict.
DKEY POINT: Accessories cannot
share COM ports and should not share
IRQs. When accessories try to share
settings, they will either not work
properly or not work at all.This section
of the manual will help you understand
the COM/IRQ settings on your new
Sportster modem.
U.S. Robotics has set your modem to a default
Plug and Play setting geared towards
Windows 95 users. In this configuration, the
shunts used to set your modem’s COM port
and IRQ settings are hanging from single
jumper pins and will not affect your modem’s
settings. As a Windows 3.x user, you need to
run the ComTest program (on the
Connections CD) to determine what settings
your modem should use.