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Hi I posted this under Toshiba Modem Mystery. But since that is an old one and seems to be resolved I guess I will put it here afresh as this is a different type of problem and I cannot use the paper trick as my laptop does not seem easy to open at the bottom.


I have a Toshiba Satellite A-100 laptop with agere software modem. I am having some different problem. I have a desktop at home Netvista IBM model and it connects to the internet through the same wires and telephone lines without any problem. But when I use the same telephone wires and power socket for my laptop I have problems. I tell you about the telephone wire and power line to tell you that I am having a doubt that there is some power interference between my chargings system (battery) and my modem and yet the same power lines are okay when I work with Netvista. The problem is as follows:-

When I click "dial" I hear the sound of static in the line. Hence I presume the modem does not connect easily. Btw when the modem connects properly there is no static and the sound of the handshaking is followed by a metallic rippling sound and I have noticed that when that sound comes my modem connects perfectly. So in this case the modem connects after a lot of time and sound and then the data does not flow. The pages do not open. This problem does not happen when I take out the power cord. When the laptop is on battery the modem connects easily and also the speed is okay. In fact I have seen if I am connected (after a lot of tries) when connected to power, the modem speed improves and becomes perfect if i take out the power cord.
This is happening everytime at home when I connect with power supply on.

Another problem I find is that the modem seems to hang the system for a long time and I am not able to work. After some time it allows me to work, but the above internet connection problem remains till I remove the power supply cord.

However at office the supply is through our office UPS. [Hmm this can be have some pointers because at home I do not use the UPS which is used for my netvista desktop) and connect directly to the same source of power]. There the problem of connection is not there though the hanging problem is there still.

Now I will have to understand what you said about the paper sticking but if anybody can tell me the reason for my problem i will be grateful. I tried the "Talk to Toshiba" option and talked to somone overseas but even he could not help. And like one of our friends above, I do not find it desirable to take my laptop to the service centre and that too just AFTER ONE MONTH of purchase (since the problem is from beginning!!!).

Btw I have windows SP-2, and dual core T2500 processor etc.

Thanks to all.

If its only a month old you have to take it back or else you risk breaking any warrantly.

Regards

Yes. I know that so I am not all thinking of opening up anything. :-)
But the problem is the problem may not happen at their office. It does not even happpen at my office but only happens in my home and that too sometimes gets okay when I uninstall and then reinstall the driver but again not every time I uninstall and re-install.

I think the problem may be hidden in these findings:-

1. If I use the same power source where my desktop is connected the problem happens. The only difference is that the desktop is connected via an UPS and the laptop directly. So it may be that there is some electrical disturbance which is affecting my power supply to the laptop just enough to create an interference with the modem but not enough to create any other problem or at least detectable ones. But then the question comes why should there be an interference between the power input to the laptop and the modem? That may be a Toshiba Hardware Problem.

2. The driver is getting corrupted since I find sometimes it works when I uninstall and re-install. But then why shld it get corrupted? I have no unusual programs running in my laptop. And since the problem does not get rectified by every uninstalling and reinstalling there seems to be some other reason.

So one my taking the laptop to their office will not help as the immediate response of all these people is to pooh pooh off the suspected problem in their product and shifting the same to my house and yet when my house does not seem to have any apparent problem in the power supply as right now I am in my house and using my laptop and on power supply!!

So it is still a mystery. Of course I am determined to solve this and maybe some day someone here will be able to help ny adding something.
Thanks IDIDMYC600

Defective internal Modem in the Laptop, they do go bad. Have it serviced or send it back to where you got it. When it get serviced they'll remove the defective modem and replace it with a new one.

You've discovered a major condition that apparently correlates to the failure:
it ONLY fails in your home office when attached to your UPS.
Try it without the UPS and just plug directly into the A/C outlet.

chase this some more; visit 2-3 other locations and attempt connection
via their phone lines -- using your laptop battery AND via A/C powered.

There are others reporting modem connection problems which occur
one source of power but not the other -- tending to support your finding
that there is electrical noise at the root cause of the problem.