[pc110] PRETEC 56K CF modem (MY TEST RESULTS)

jg (jgom nospam at bigfoot.com)
Tue, 5 Jan 1999 14:59:40 -0800

Well, unfortunately the 56 K modem as mentioned & stated before from
others... Does not work in the PC110.

Tried it this morning, I don't think a special driver will even let this
thing work as it appears to be a BIOS issue...

If you plug it in, the PC110 will not boot, it freezes...
The RAM memory count displays & then it errors out & beeps twice,
displaying "ERROR 00174", I click ok & it just reboots doing the same thing.

The PRETEC 56 K CF card is a no go in the PC110 compact flash slot...

However it does appear to work in the standard PCMCIA slot with a CF card
to typeII adapter (it's included with the modem which is cool). <pause>
(1 & 1/2 huors later at work...)
No wait, it won't work...
Well at least I have given up...
Can't get it to intialize...
I installed the Point Enabler via DOS & it does recognize , displaying &
beeping telling me the modem was found at COM2/IRQ3...
Hpwever teh moedm will not intialize under anything I tried (ProComm,
Arachne...), Hmmm... I even tried swapping the settings under BIOS for
serial devices...

Luckily I bought another PCMCIA modem today as well to compare... As luck
would have it it's also a Pretec brand 56K v.90 (hey! only $69.99) ...

Well that one worked, under DOS just fine, logged on at 50+K to my ISP
using Arachne...

Doesn't have a big dongle either, just a llittle plug that sticks in with
about 3 feet of phone cord.. Still gets in the way of usng the PC110
pointer though... Blahh...

But back to the 56K CF card..
Seems wwe'll have to keep waiting or hoping for big CF or Type Storage
cards.... They should be coming soon, as this type of storage is getting
popular for cameras & stuff...
Oh, and another thing neither card would work unless it was in the TOP
PCMCIA slot on the PC110, The Point Enabler would not see it unless it was
in teh top slot, hmmm....

Hey, maybe someone can contact T-ZONE with regards to this? Is their even a
slight inkling of hope a BIOS upgrade could be written by IBM? Tzone/ADO?
US folks??? Maybe release the intricacies of teh PC110 & let asome of the
wizards here try & muster up a BIOS upgrade for the PC110??? One which
would allow the CF slot to take serial devices....
That would be nice...

Well, at least I tried!

Now I'm off to Fry's after work to return it & get my money back. Thats
something to look forward to, (Nice way to boost ones stress level - return
lines at Fry's)... Actually I am gonna return both modems, cant use it, why
keep it..

Damn!!!!! Almost eh?