3Com U.S. Robotics 56K Voice User manual

56K PROFESSIONAL MESSAGE MODEM
User’s Guide and Reference
PN 1.024.1699-00

This manual covers installation and operating instructions for the following modem:
3Com U.S. Robotics 56K* Professional Message Modem external modem
3Com, the 3Com logo, and U.S. Robotics are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Any other trademarks, trade names, service marks, or
service names owned or registered by any other company and used in this manual are the property of their
respective owners.
Copyright © 1998 3Com UK Limited
220 Wharfdale Road
Winnersh
Wokingham
Berkshire RG41 5TP
All Rights Reserved.
* In accordance with the ITU standard for V.90 transmissions, this modem is capable of 56 Kbps downloads.
However, the download speeds you experience may be lower due to varying line conditions and other factors.
Uploads from users to server equipment travel at speeds up to 31.2 Kbps. An analogue phone line compatible
with the ITU V.90 standard or 3Com’s proprietary 56K technology, and an Internet provider or corporate host
site with the ITU V.90 standard or 3Com’s proprietary 56K technology are necessary for these high-speed
downloads. The ITU V.90 standard was officially determined in February, 1998 and is expected to be ratified in
September, 1998. See www.3com.3com/56k for details.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to 56K* Information Access 1
Product Features 2
Summary of Features 3
Answering Machine Features 5
Personal Message 5
Full Message 8
Voice Message Retrieval 9
Deleting Messages 11
Speakerphone Features 12
Modem Buttons 12
LED Indicators (Front Panel Lights) 13
Telephone Handset Digits for Remote Message Retrieval 15
Modem Installation with Windows 95 16
Determining Your Version of Windows 95 16
How to Connect the Modem to the Computer 17
Installing Modem Drivers with Windows 95:
Versions 950 and 950a (Moving Through the
"New Hardware Found" Screens) 18
Version 950b (Using the Update Device Driver
Wizard Screens) 22

Table of Contents
Modem Installation with Windows 3.x 26
Software Installation 28
Windows 95 28
Windows 3.x 28
Type of Modem 29
Initialization String 29
Flow Control 29
UART-Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter 29
Regulatory Information 31
CE Compliance 31
Electromagnetic Compatibility 31
Safety (Low Voltage Directive) 31
Limited Warranty 32

WELCOME TO 56K* INFORMATION ACCESS
1
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
decides the technical protocols that communications
devices must use to operate with each other.
Modems that comply with ITU standards can “talk”
to other standards-compliant modems and fax
machines worldwide.
The ITU has determined a worldwide standard for
56K modem technology. With a U.S. Robotics
modem, you can get 56K Internet access from any
service provider who offers the ITU V.90 standard
or 3Com’s proprietary 56K technology. 3Com is
working with providers everywhere to quickly
upgrade their service to the ITU V.90 standard.
∗In accordance with the ITU standard for V.90
transmissions, this modem is capable of 56 Kbps
downloads. However, the download speeds you
experience may be lower due to varying line
conditions and other factors. Uploads from users to
server equipment travel at speeds up to 31.2 Kbps.
An analogue phone line compatible with the ITU
V.90 standard or 3Com’s proprietary 56K
technology, and an Internet provider or corporate
host site with the ITU V.90 standard or 3Com’s
proprietary 56K technology are necessary for these
high-speed downloads. The ITU V.90 standard was
officially determined in February, 1998 and is
expected to be ratified in September, 1998. See
www.3com.com/56k for details.

PRODUCT FEATURES
2
Modulation Schemes
ITU-T V.90
x2™ technology
ITU-T V.34 (Inc 33600)
ITU-T V.32bis
ITU-T V.32
ITU-T V.22bis
ITU-T V.22
ITU-T V.23
ITU-T V.21
Error Control and Data
Compression Schemes
ITU-T V.42
ITU-T V.42bis
MNP 2-5
Fax Modulation Schemes
ITU-T V.17
ITU-T V.29
ITU-T V.27ter
ITU-T V.21
Fax Standards
EIA 578 Class 1 FAX
EIA 592 Class 2.0 FAX
Front Channel Link Rates
28000, 29333, 30666, 32000,
33333, 34666, 36000, 37333,
38666, 40000, 41333, 42666,
44000, 45333, 46666, 48000,
49333, 50666, 52000, 53333,
54666, 56000, 57333
Back Channel Link Rates
4800, 7200, 9600, 12000,
14400, 16800, 19200, 21600,
24000, 26400, 28800, 31200
V.34 Link Rates
4800, 7200, 9600, 12000,
14400, 16800, 19200, 21600,
24000, 26400, 28800, 31200,
33600
V.32bis Link Rates
4800, 7200, 9600, 12000,
14400
Additional Link Rates
300, 1200/75 (V.23), 1200,
2400
Fax Link Rates
2400, 4800, 7200, 9600, 12000,
14400

Product Features
3
Summary of Features
Key Features of the 56K Professional Message
Modem
The 56K Professional Message Modem is the first
product to incorporate a digital answering machine,
built-in speakerphone and external modem into one
design. The 56K Professional Message Modem also
features a bank of flash memory that allows you to
receive fax and voice messages without the
intervention of the PC. Voice messages can be
received even when the PC is not switched on.
Voice messages can be retrieved from a remote
location or locally by using buttons on the top of the
modem.
The 56K Professional Message Modem comes
with specially designed application software.
This product is not just a normal voice/ fax/ data
modem. The software includes all features
needed to manage both the 56K Professional
Message Modem in answering machine mode
and the normal fax and voice message mode.
In order to use the fax feature of the modem, refer to
the instructions for faxing that accompany your
software application.
56K Professional Message Modem
•Offers ITU-T V.90/x2 technology which allows
download speeds up to 56 Kbps
•offers features of an answering machine
through the six push buttons on the top of the
modem.
•works as a full-duplex speakerphone even in
the absence of the PC.
•is a feature-enhanced external modem with
added Flash Memory to store messages when
your PC is off.
•provides the full functionality of a standard
3Com brand modem.
•retains incoming fax and voice messages and
therefore is not just a pass through device.
•is capable of receiving and storing incoming
fax and voice messages without any
intervention of the computer.

Product Features
4
•can transfer stored messages to the computer at
a later time.
•enables remotely stored voice messages to be
accessed through a dial-up connection or by
using the push buttons on the top of the
modem.
•offers a built-in condenser microphone.
•includes software designed specifically for use
with the 56K Professional Message Modem.
The software allows the user to take full
advantage of all features in the product. Other
software can be used for all standard modem
functions. We recommend using the software
delivered with the product.
Flash ROM Upgradable
56k Professional Message modem supports software
download through flash memory. You can
download upgrades to obtain quickly and easily the
latest features.
Personal Voice Mail
The supplied communications software enables
business-quality voice messaging system with single
or multiple mailboxes for use in the home or office.
You can customise voice message greetings like a
standard answering machine, and even access your
fax and voice messages remotely.
Your modem will auto-detect incoming fax, voice,
and data calls and switch functions accordingly. Up
to one hundred documents can be pre-configured for
distribution via the Fax on Demand facility.

Product Features
5
Answering Machine Features
Before You Begin
Your new Professional Message Modem is set up as
an answering machine from the factory with the fax
capability disabled. In order to use the fax features,
a PC is necessary to adjust default settings. Also,
you will need to set a password, using a PC, for use
with the remote feature of the modem. Refer to the
software package to choose your 4-digit password.
It is also necessary to record a Personal Greeting
Message and Full Message to use with the
Professional Message Modem. The following
section provides full instructions of how to achieve
this.
Personal Message
Your personal message can be recorded in three
ways using the Professional Message Modem
(PMM):
1) from the software application,
2) from the modem buttons, and
3) remotely.
You may use either the internal microphone (hands-
free mode) or the connected handset (handset mode)
from both the software application and the modem
buttons. If you wish to record your Personal
Message remotely, you must use the handset of a
remote touch tone phone.
1) from the software application
Hands-free mode
1. Within the Independent Mode Greeting Screen,
click Record, and recite your personal message.
If the recording limit of 15 seconds is reached, the
recording will stop and a dialogue window will display a
warning message.

Product Features
6
2. Click Stop when you have finished.
3. To listen to your message, press PLAY from the
supplied software application.
4. Once you have recorded your Personal Message,
click on the ‘Download’ button in order to send
your Personal Message to the modem.
5. If you pick up the handset before clicking Stop,
the message will not be recorded. You cannot
switch back and forth between the handset mode
and the hands-free mode during the recording
process.
Handset mode
1. Select ‘Handset’ as the Input device from within
the Independent Mode Greeting Screen.
2. Pick up your handset before clicking Record in
the software application.
3. Click Record, and recite your personal message.
If the recording limit of 15 seconds is reached, the
recording will stop and a dialogue window will display a
warning message.
1. Click Stop when you have finished.
2. To listen to your message, press the PLAY
button from within the application software.
3. Once you have recorded your Personal Message,
click on the ‘Download’ button in order to send
your Personal Message to the modem.
Make sure you have completed your personal
message before hanging up the handset or clicking
Stop, otherwise your message will not be recorded.
Once you have started recording your message with
the handset, you cannot switch to hands-free mode.
2) from the modem buttons
Hands-free mode
1. Press Rec/>>>>, hold for 2 SECONDS, listen for
the tone, release the button, and recite your
message.

Product Features
7
2. Press Stop/Play when you have finished your
personal message.
3. Your message will automatically play back after
a tone.
A tone will sound if the recording limit is reached.
Handset mode
1. Pick up your handset before pressing Rec/>>>>.
2. Press Rec/>>>>,hold for 2 SECONDS, listen for
the tone, release the button, and recite your
message.
3. Press Stop/Play when you have finished your
personal message.
4. Your message will automatically play back after
a tone.
A tone will sound if the recording limit is reached.
If you hang up the handset during the recording
session, your message will not be recorded.
3) remotely
1. Pick up the handset of your touch tone telephone
and dial the number of the phone line to which
your modem is connected.
2. Enter your 4-digit password using the keypad on
your touch tone phone.
3. Press 7, listen for the tone, and recite your
message.
4. Press 0when you have finished.
5. Your message will automatically play back after
a tone.
A tone will sound if the recording limit is reached.
If you hang up during the recording session, your
message will not be recorded. You will have three
chances to enter the correct password. A tone will
sound when you have incorrectly entered your
password. After the third incorrect attempt, your
modem automatically disconnects.

Product Features
8
Full Message
Your full message can be recorded using the
supplied software application.
You may use either the internal microphone (hands-
free mode) or the connected handset (handset mode
from the application software).
Hands-free mode
1. Within the Independent Mode Message Full
Screen, click Record, and recite your Full
Message.
If the recording limit of 15 seconds is reached, the
recording will stop and a dialogue window will display a
warning message.
2. Click Stop when you have finished.
3. To listen to your message, press PLAY from the
supplied software application.
4. Once you have recorded your Full Message,
click on the 'Download' button in order to send
your Full Message to the modem.
If you pick up the handset before clicking Stop, the
message will not be recorded. You cannot switch
back and forth between the handset mode and the
hands-free mode during the recording process.
Handset mode
1. Select 'Handset' as the Input device from within
the Independent Mode Message Full Screen.
2. Pick up your handset before clicking Record in
the software application.
3. Click Record, and recite your Full Message.
If the recording limit of 15 seconds is reached, the
recording will stop and a dialogue window will display a
warning message.
4. Click Stop when you have finished.
5. To listen to your message, press the PLAY
button from within the application software.
6. Once you have recorded your Full Message,
click on the 'Download' button in order to send
your Full Message to the modem.

Product Features
9
Make sure you have completed your full message
before hanging up the handset or clicking Stop,
otherwise your message will not be recorded. Once
you have started recording your message with the
handset, you cannot switch to hands-free mode.
Voice Message Retrieval
Voice messages can be retrieved in three ways:
1) from the software application,
2) from the modem buttons, and
3) remotely.
Messages will be stored on the PC only when
retrieving them through the software application.
Messages can be transferred from the modem’s
memory to your PC using your software application.
Fax messages stored in memory can only be retrieved
in your fax software application.
Messages can be played back through either the
internal speaker (hands-free mode) or the connected
handset (handset mode) from the software
application and the modem buttons. Remotely,
recorded messages can be played back using the
handset of a remote touch-tone telephone. The
number of voice messages is indicated by a tone for
each new voice message. For example, if you have 4
new messages, you will hear 4 tones.
Fax messages will not be indicated by a tone.
1) from the software application
Hands-free mode
1. Select ‘Microphone’ and ‘Modem Speaker’ as
the respective Input & Output devices from
within the supplied application software
2. Click Play to play back your message through
the internal speaker.
3. Click Stop to end message playback.
4. Playback stops automatically at the end of the
message.

Product Features
10
Handset mode
1. Select ‘Handset’ as the Input & Output device
from within the supplied application software
2. Pick up your handset before clicking Play.
3. Click Play to playback your message.
4. Hang up the handset to stop the play back of
your message.
2) from the modem buttons
Hands-free mode
1. Press Stop/Play to playback your stored
message(s).
2. Stop message playback by pressing Stop/Play
again.
Playback stops automatically at the end of the
message(s).
Handset mode
1. Pick up your hand set before clicking Stop/Play.
2. Click Stop/Play to play back your message(s).
3. Hang up the handset to stop the play back of
your message(s).
If you want to switch to hands-free, press SPKR on
the modem before you hang up the handset and
continue playing the message(s).
Playback stops automatically at the end of the
message(s).
Playback ends by hanging up the handset. In the
hands-free and handset modes, press REC/>>>> to
skip to the next message and press DEL/<<<< to
repeat the current message. Use Volume up (ÄÄ)and
volume down (ÅÅ)to adjust the volume in the hands-
free and handset modes.
3) remotely
1. Pick up the handset of your touch tone telephone
and dial the number of the phone line to which
your modem is connected.
2. Enter your 4-digit password after the tone.

Product Features
11
3. If the password is correct, the number of new
messages will be indicated by that number of
tones.
4. Press 9to repeat the new message count.
5. Press 1to playback all new messages.
6. Press 2to playback all stored messages, new and
old.
7. Press 3to skip to next voice message.
8. Press 6repeats current voice message.
9. Press 0to stop message playback and continue
with any steps 4 through 8.
10. Press * and hang up the handset to end remote
operation.
Your PMM automatically hangs up after 5 seconds, if
no buttons are pressed.
Deleting Messages
The Professional Message Modem memory has
limited space to store messages. If this limit is
reached during the reception of a message, the
message is cut off and flagged. No new messages
will be stored until the old messages are erased. You
can free up memory space in three ways:
1. Load the supplied application software to
retrieve and erase all the voice and/ or fax
messages in memory.
2. press DEL/<<<< on the modem buttons for 2
SECONDS, and
3. remotely by pressing 44 on your touch tone
phone.
In the last two options, deletion is denied if the
memory has any new messages that have not been
retrieved. If you are trying to delete your messages
and you still have new voice messages and/or
new/old fax messages, this request will be denied.

Product Features
12
Only if ALL of your old voice messages are present
and there are no new/ old fax messages in memory
will you be able to delete your messages and free up
memory in your modem.
The delete functions erase all messages in memory.
You cannot delete select messages.
Speakerphone Features
The PMM works as a speakerphone when the PC is
not on. You can receive incoming calls by pressing
SPKR. You may use the connected handset to dial
out. You can switch between handset and
speakerphone any time using SPKR. If the handset
is hung up, the call will be aborted.
The volume up (ÄÄ)and volume down (ÅÅ)will be the
only buttons working in the speakerphone mode;
STOP/PLAY, REC/>>>> and DEL/<<<< will not work
in speakerphone mode.
Modem Buttons
SPKR
Speakerphone
1) switch between hands-free and handset modes
during playback,
2) answer incoming calls as a speakerphone, and
3) switch between speakerphone and handset
modes.
STOP/PLAY
Stop/Play
1) stop and start the playback of voice messages,
2) stop recording your personal message, and
3) stop playback of your personal message.
DEL/<<<<
Delete/Repeat
1) erase messages,
2) repeats the current message.

Product Features
13
REC/>>>>
Record/Fast Forward
1) record your personal message,
2) skip to the next message.
ÄÄ and ÅÅ
Volume up/Volume down
1) control the volume during personal message
playback in hands-free mode,
2) control the volume during message playback in
hands-free mode, and
3) control the volume of the speakerphone.
LED Indicators (Front Panel Lights)
The PMM has five LEDs—two of which are bicolor
(red/green).
PWR/MEM (Bicolor LED)
Power/Message Memory
1) constant red indicates that auto-answer is off
and the modem will not answer any calls when
the PC is off.
2) constant green indicates that auto-answer is on
and your modem is ready to accept messages
when the PC is off.
3) rapid green and rapid red flashes indicate that
the message memory is full.
MSG (Bicolor LED)
Message
1) blinks red once for each new fax message
2) blinks green once for each new voice message.

Product Features
14
RD
Received Data
flickers red when the modem is receiving data.
SD
Send Data
flickers red when the modem is sending data.
OH
Off Hook
constant red when the modem is off-hook.

Product Features
15
Telephone Handset DTMF Digits for Remote Message Retrieval
Digit(s) Function
1starts playback of all new voice messages
2starts playback of all stored voice messages (new and old)
3skips to the next voice message
44 deletes old voice messages in memory
5not used
6repeats the current voice message
7records personal message
8not used
9repeats the new message count
01) stops playback of all voice messages
2) stops the recording of your personal message
3) stops playback of your personal message
*hangs up the modem
#not used

INSTALLATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL MESSAGE MODEM
WITH WINDOWS 95
16
You will need these items from your 3Com
U.S. Robotics Professional Message Modem box:
modem phone lead
power adapter serial cable
Determining your Version of
Windows 95
1. With the right mouse button, click the My
Computer icon on your desktop.
2. Click Properties.
3. In the “System Properties” screen, look at the
system information under the General tab. This
information is circled in the screen shown to the
right. The number following the text “Microsoft
Windows 95” will end with “950,” “950a,” or
“950b.” This indicates your version of Windows
95.