Modem or Mobo probs?

[J ZEP]

Hi, i have been looking at a system, Packard Bell iMedia, at first i thought it was a simple modem problem- wrong drivers etc..., however i am now starting to think the problem may lay deeper and perhaps be the mobo.

Its using: Aztech systems CNR 2800 - w modem (i have physically taken it out and this is definately what it is).

It connects alright, however the catch 22 is it basically freezes the system up once connected unfortunately... i have tried all possible drivers with same results.

I also tried my external "serial" connection modem, with exactly the same results, it connects fine, however seems to freeze up anything else happening.

This is why i am starting to swing toward wondering if its a mobo prob perhaps - with 2 different modems connecting etc... however giving same results.

I have noticed that after about 10 minutes it does seem to free the system back up - presumably when its warm maybe?

Any opinions would be appreciated please! I don't have another pci modem to try, as i guess that would be the final test, maybe one of the pci slots is still o.k? However the fact that both the cnr and serial are giving same results doesn't seem hopeful and the 1 cnr slot is apparently shared with PCI slot 3.

To be honest the mobo specs don't appear very flash...

Has anybody got any idea on what the cause could be or if perhaps i am maybe on the right track with the mobo? I am hoping it may be something really simple i am overlooking .

Thanks .


**** The mobo is a Packard Bell Columbia:
# Support for the Intel Pentium 4 FC-PGA2 processor in socket mPGA 478B.
# Supports Up to 512MB of system memory in 2 RIMM memory sockets.
# Allows connection of 3 PCI extension cards or 2PCI cards and 1 CNR (Communications Network Riser).
# Integrated audio functionality through the SigmaTel STAC9756T Codec.
# Integrated 3D graphics functionality (may be disabled when used with an add-on graphics accelerator card).

[SOHO Services]

Hi,

It doesn't sound like a hardware problem to me. A PCI modem and a serial modem work very differently as far as your motherboard is concerned.

It's possible that you may be infected with a virus or spyware. -- I have seen computers that do strange things only once connected to the 'Net, and usually spyware is the cause.

Can you clarify what 'freezes up' means to you? Does the mouse still move? Does the keyboard still work? - try hitting Numlock & check that the LED still switches off and on.

[Sweep]

What operating system do you use?

Are all motherboard drivers installed?

Can be a motherboard fault as I had to replace a motherboard when a modem (dialup) PCI did not work in a friends computer but worked in mine with similar symptoms. I had the exact same modem so we swapped modems.

Never seen a modem plugged into a CNR slot. Seen many a motherboard with a CNR riser or slot.

I think the motherboard is possibly shagged as it is said that you put a serial modem in with the similar result. This being an external serial modem it will plug into a com port I believe.

Back to the motherboard and possibly BIOS. Have you got a com1 and com2?

[drcspy]

i'd be miore inclined towards the virus/spyware problem........if as you think the mobo is shot then how come it's only affecting the cnr and serial ports.....why not the mouse/usb/keyboard/video connector ?.......

[pctek]

i'd be miore inclined towards the virus/spyware problem........if as you think the mobo is shot then how come it's only affecting the cnr and serial ports.....why not the mouse/usb/keyboard/video connector ?.......

I had one where USB, PCI and serial had problems. PS2 was fine. Faulty Southbridge was my guess and the supplier agreed.

[J ZEP]

Hi Guys, thanks for replies. O.k to elaborate a little more, one of the first things i did on this computer was do a full clean up etc...and put another stick of ram in, so its now got 512mb ram (which according to the new specs i found - (Aida had given a false reading for the mobo brand) is the max. it will take .
I do not believe it is spyware, as its coming up clean with Spybot, Xoftspy, Nav and ZA's spyware scanner.
When connected to the net, the 'cnr modem' gives a second icon in system tray (traffic lights) it appears to be doing something?, however, ZA is not showing anything trying to connnect etc... You would imagine its pulling all the resources, however that isn't so? I initially thought maybe it was something trying to update immediately on connection, but doesn't appear to be...

Anyway- once connected, it dials up normally on both modems (as a side note i haven't had much experience with the cnr modems either), then u see a bit of activity with the sys tray icons back and forth, (once again this led me to think something was trying to connect, but ZA says no), if once connected - i try to open anything - its just a no go, the mouse still works however, its just that nothing will open i.e Firefox, I.E or anything else, including My docs etc... it just doesn't open a thing!
NOW if i leave it about, ten minutes or so, after connecting, i can come back and use it as normal, everything will open etc...

From what you are all saying i don't know what to do next -
drcspy has suggested that the mouse/usb/keyboard/video connector ?.......would be no go if its the mobo - so thats encouraging!

Sorry, its using XP Sp2, from what i am hearing back today from the owners, who are relative novices, is it has been looked at before with regard to the modem... so what evers going on has been there for a bit by the sounds of things!

He is going to buy another PCI modem to try today, either way, it could do with a new modem anyway i think.

Anybody got any other ideas on what to try?

Thanks for all the replies so far .

P.S They dont' appear to have a recovery cd or anything along those lines, the one cd they got with it is actually called "Activ Doc and Recovery CD", however its just basically information about the system and how to create recovery cds (which it doesn't have any option to do either) - i queried them on if perhaps somebody else had created recov. cds at some stage, but they say no... And everything on the cd they have points to the fact they should have had recov cds with it/or had the option to create them (like hps etc...) there is no hidden patition or the like?? So that appears to be another dead end too... and it would probably be a good 5 yrs old at a guess. I have done alot of searching for the model etc... however really can't find much on that paticular model at all.

System specs:

Packard Bell - i Media M22005NW
Intel Celeron 2.0Ghz with 128 kb L2 cache
was 256 mb ram - now has 512mb ram in 2 x 256mb sticks, intergrated graphics of course, SiS650, using 32mb ram

Then the mobo specs tell me -

Packard Bell Columbia:
# Support for the Intel Pentium 4 FC-PGA2 processor in socket mPGA 478B.
# Supports Up to 512MB of system memory in 2 RIMM memory sockets.
# Allows connection of 3 PCI extension cards or 2PCI cards and 1 CNR (Communications Network Riser).
# Integrated audio functionality through the SigmaTel STAC9756T Codec.
# Integrated 3D graphics functionality (may be disabled when used with an add-on graphics accelerator card).

Any more suggestions to try appreciated thanks .

P.S the usb ports appear to work fine, as i have used my flash drive no probs with the front one, actually i might just test them all to be sure as well, i guess.

[drcspy]

dial it up.....connect it then double clik the conneciton icon in the sysetm tray so that you get a box up tellign you teh properties of the connectino......take note of 'sent/received' data levels........

[drcspy]

oh an another thing.........has this only happened since you upgraded the ram if so remove the new stick and try it as it used to be...

[B.M.]

If nothing posted previously works, how about swapping a copy of “hijack this” from your good computer, to your troublesome one, via CD, and posting the log?

Also, with XP, ewido is a good programme that has found spyware that other programmes have missed.

[Graham L]

After the ten minutes when it is " as normal, everything will open etc..." can you access the Internet? I suspect something in the software; whether deliberate by design, or deliberate by malign.

Has it ever been on a business network? I've heard of long delays while the OS spends a long time trying to set up security options from a network which isn't there.