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Peripherals
- March 2009:
Modems
Modems are one of the most used, and least understood,
peripherals in use by most PC users today.
You need a good modem to connect to the Internet, to an
intranet such as an office network, or even to another
computer (think can-and-string here). The biggest question
is what speed do you need? (We're talking the speed at which
the modem sends information out and brings information to
your PC.) With the hype that surrounded the 56k modem
(that's 56 kb per second, quite fast), and the advent of the
V.90 modem that combines the two incompatible x2 and K56flex
technologies (think VHS and Beta here), you'd do well to
wait until the V90 modems have established themselves --
which they have. Need one now? If you don't trust the V90s,
you can buy a Hayes-compatible 56k and start surfing
tonight, but I would make sure that the one I bought was
upgradeable to V90 specifications. (Check the "Bleeding
Edge" section
here
for info about new connections like ADSL and T1 that leave
today's modems in the dust.) Speed demons might want to
think about the "modem doubler" software programs that claim
to increase your surfing speed by combining the bandwidths
of two phone lines...unfortunately, test results for two
such programs, DynamicDuo and Web Overdrive, were
disappointing and caused problems with the test computers'
settings. Note: the V.90 standard is being supplanted by an
upgrade, V.92.
Modem trouble? Many times the problem is located in the wall
jack and not the modem itself - check this by plugging a
working phone into the wall jack and seeing if it works. If
the modem doesn't work but the wall jack does, you should
replace the modem's cord. Listen to it -- can you hear the
modem trying to dial out? You can turn the modem volume up
in the Control Panel Modem applet. Assuming that works, try
going through Control Panel/Modem/Diagnostics and going
through the troubleshooting menu. If this doesn't do it,
check in Device Manager to see if Windows has even
recognized the modem. Look for a yellow exclamation point
over the entry for your modem. If it's there, you could fix
the problem by changing the modem's serial port or IRQ (do
this by clicking the Properties button, then the Resources
tab), or you may need to remove conflicting hardware. You do
all of this and your modem still doesn't work? If you're
using an internal modem, shut everything down and open the
PC case. Make sure that the modem is securely in its port
and that the IRQ and COM port jumpers are properly set.
Close the case, restart the PC, and check it out. If it
still balks, check that the modem's COM port is enabled in
the BIOS, and remove and reinstall the drivers. Still
failing? Take it to the shop. If it's an external modem,
your power supply may be bad. Does the light go on when the
modem is powered up? If no, turn the modem off and check the
serial port connections and the DIP switch settings for IRQ
and COM ports. Turn it back on. If it still doesn't work,
try replacing the data cable, or even hooking the modem up
to a different PC. Still doesn't work? Check that the
modem's COM port is enabled in the BIOS, and remove and
reinstall the drivers. Still failing? Take it to the shop.
(I realize that some of this info is techie stuff - get help
if you need it. I would.) Some users don't like the little
modem icon in their system tray: to get rid of it, open the
Start menu, select 'Accessories', and then 'Dial-Up
networking', Right-click on the connection you want to
change. Select 'Properties', Click 'Configure...', Select
the 'Options' tab and uncheck 'Display modem status.'
Does your modem squeal louder than Ned Beatty in
Deliverance? Set the speaker volume in the Control
Panel/Modem applet and quit waking the neighbors or you may
need to go through Start, Programs, Accessories,
Communications, and select Dial-Up Networking. Right click
your key dialup connection. Select Properties and the
"Configure" button under "Connect Using". You should see a
volume level for the modem you have installed internally or
externally. No volume level? If you're running Win 98 or ME,
you can go through the Modem applet, select Properties,
choose the Connection tab and the Advanced Settings buttons,
and find the "Extra Settings" field. In the field, type ATM0
(that's ATM and a zero, not a capital O) and click OK.
If you're one of those rare people who need to use both a
dial-up (modem) connection along with DSL or another
non-modem connection on the same machine, here's how to set
your Internet connection so that it ignores the modem. In
Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Option. Click the
Connections tab, and make sure that the button next to
"Never Dial a Connection" is checked. Then, when you need to
connect to the IRS, simply launch your dial-up connection
manually. Simple.
Make hard copies of your modem settings for future
reference. First, go to the Control Panel and open the Modem
icon. Once open, click on every button, setting, and tab
(except Add and Remove). Each time a new window pops up,
press Alt + Print Screen together. At the same time, have
Word (or other word processor) up and have a blank document
available. After each Alt + Print Screen you perform, go to
the word processor and select Paste on a different page.
Each screen will print EXACTLY as it appears on your
computer and you can type some notes below the page giving a
brief explanation of where the screen is located and what to
do. This will serve as a hard copy backup for your modem
settings in case something happens. Place these papers
somewhere safe, where you can easily find them when you need
them.
A lot of modems fall into a subcategory called "Win modems,"
which basically means that they rely on the internal
software inside Windows. "Hardware" modems, which are
advertised as running under DOS, bring their own software to
the table. Since Windows isn't the best choice to run your
modem, you're a bit better off going with a hardware modem.
Avoid any Win modem, internal or external, that lists a
specific version Windows as a system requirement. It's okay
if it says it runs on all versions of Windows.
Video and
Sound
The current high-end programs work best with a graphics card
that supports 3D. If you're shopping for a new PC, make sure
you get it. If you're a diehard gamer, you might want to add
a 3D board (preferably Voodoo2-compliant) to supplement your
2D board, but otherwise a 3D/2D board should do you just
fine. Since even the most business-like apps currently use
3D graphics in their operation, going strictly 2D isn't a
smart option anymore.
Audio technology has integrated itself into PC-dom. While
the days of the IBM PC "beep" are long behind us, chances
are your system isn't anywhere near the cutting edge of
sound reproduction. New PCs are becoming more and more like
small, efficient "hi-fi" systems, with multiple speakers,
powerful amps, subwoofers, and a raft of technology being
inbuilt that formerly was the province of the audiophile
alone. If the salesman shows you a PC with 7 speakers, don't
balk - when you run the latest DVD-based programs, you'll
appreciate the enhanced sound. Dolby Digital (AC-3)
technology is being included on new sound cards, as are
Aureal 3D, QSound, and other esoterically titled goodies.
Watch for Microsoft's DirectSound to catch on. Music, both
pro and amateur, is flourishing on the Web, with RealAudio's
streaming audio feed, Liquid Audio's music feed (see
www.liquidaudio.com/ and www.amplified.com/ for
the buzz on Liquid Audio) or AT & T's slow and no streaming
a2b download (check www.a2bmusic.com/ for more info
about this particular technology) bringing in the sound,
along with live radio stations Web casting (check
spinner.com/ for plenty of free listening),
made-to-order CDs with your selection of songs burned into a
CD-R and delivered to you, or customdisk.com/, or
amplified.com/'s download of songs for your own CD-R.
Watch for increased bandwidth and new technology to make
more music available in more ways. The big magilla of Net
audio now is MP3, but new technology is bringing more music
to the Web than ever before, in more formats (Microsoft's
MSAudio 4.0, Lucent's EPAC, and other formats are making
themselves known out there). Some users are forsaking all
other music purchases in favor of free, or almost free, MP3
downloads. Will MP3 put the recording industry as we know it
out of business? Stay tuned.
PC users who want high-quality sound reproduction from their
PC speakers need to consider how their speakers are jacked
into their machines. If you don't particularly care, then
don't worry about it. But, if you're a big fan of CD audio,
MP3s, and/or video game music and effects, you need to have
the best possible analog output. Cheaper sound cards have
only one jack, and with those you don't have a choice. But
many midrange and higher-end cards have both "speaker
output" and "line out" jacks. The speaker output jacks use
small, inbuilt amps to power the audio signal, whereas the
line out jacks are dependent on the external, higher-quality
audio components elsewhere in your system. For a higher-end
system, the line out jacks are the better choice. Experiment
for yourself and see which one works for your system.
New hardware is coming out to help improve the sound
reproduction abilities of your PC. "Positional audio" uses
fancy sound processing to create a "surround-sound" like
field around the listener. Microsoft, Intel, and others are
working to improve the sound quality of PC speakers and
sound hardware, with the goal of making PC sound rival that
of home stereos. The USB ports promise to make connecting PC
speakers a snap, in some cases eliminating the need for
sound cards. And PC makers are phasing out the ISA bus in
favor of PCI-based audio hardware.
Scanners
One of the newer and most popular peripherals out there is
the scanner. I'm not going to go into any detail here about
getting your scanner to perform, I can steer you to a Web
site, www.scantips.com/begin.html, that will walk you
through the ins and out of scanning, beginning with a
definition. C|NET also provides a nice page of tips and
tricks at www.help.com/cat/1/614/38/ht/
?tag=dd.hp.scanners-text-5339.txt.ht.
Drivers
Want to upgrade your computer but keep your old monitor,
modem, sound card, or other peripherals? You'll want to keep
the drivers that came with these peripherals. You'll find
them all in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, C:\WINDOWS\INF, and
C:\WINDOWS\HELP folders, but separating them from everything
else in these folders is incredibly tedious and boring, not
to mention easy to screw up. So let the machine do the dirty
work. Create a new folder in your C: drive called DRIVERS
and copy the entire contents of the abovementioned folders
into the new one. It'll be huge, but don't worry, you aren't
keeping it. Once the upgrade is done, the peripherals are
connected, and the system is functioning, right-click My
Documents and select Properties. Click the Device Manager
tab. Now go through the listing for each device you've
installed and see if the device has the correct name. If it
doesn't -- i.e. the display adapter is listed as "VGA
Monitor," or the device has a yellow question mark or
exclamation mark by it -- then you'll need to reinstall the
old driver. Double-click the device's listing to bring up
the device's properties, and click the Driver tab. Click the
Update Driver button. The wizard will ask "What do you want
Windows to do?" -- choose "Search for a better driver." It
will ask you where to search; you'll check "Specify a
location," uncheck any other boxes, and point it to the
newly created C:\DRIVERS folder. Follow the rest of the
wizard through the process. Once you've done this for all
the peripherals, you can trash the C:\DRIVERS folder.
Miscellaneous
Expansion buses make attaching peripherals and other
components possible. The idea of open architecture based on
a simple expansion bus is what gave IBM PCs their "overnight
success" in the early 80s. The industry standard is the ISA
bus, the original 8-bit bus that appeared on the first IBM
PCs. While ISA buses exist on just about every machine in
existence, they are rapidly becoming obsolete in favor of
two newer designs, PCI buses and AGP buses. Why is this
important? You'll know when the brand new graphics card you
bought requires a newer bus, and your machine sports only
the old-fashioned ISA buses. If you're buying a new machine,
ask what buses are used; if you're sticking with your old
one, find out what's on your PC.
Lots of peripheral owners find themselves with questions
about their units, but can't make out the imprints and can't
find their manuals. Solution: Peripheral cards are legally
required to display a Federal Communications Commission ID
number. If vital contact information is missing or obscured
for whatever reason, you can search on the ID number at the
FCC OET Search Form page www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/. Fill
in the form's grantee and equipment product code fields to
search for the company's name and address.
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