Com ports change, how does this happen

[Naz]

I have a computer I built ~3 years ago running winxp now.

I have a modem that I wanted to get on com port 1 or 2, it was on 3.
I kept changing it and I don't guess I have a com port 1 or 2.

let's say if your looking into the tower at the mobo and you have 5 slots.
After putting my modem in everyone of them then going to the control panel and seeing which com port it was in this is what I get.

---------------- com port 5
---------------- com port 3
---------------- com port 4
---------------- com port 3
---------------- com port 4

Modem is currently in the bottom slot (4). I was trying to get it into eithe 1 or 2. Any suggestions why I don't have 1 or 2. How do the ports change like indicated above?

Thanks,
Naz

[John Prophet]

a "com" port is really just an "address" assigned by the comp....

shouldnt matter much which com port it assigns......

soem modems may be pre-disposed to grab certain 'com" ports etc..or it may depend on whats open etc....

one thing you can do is go into the bios and make sure the "serial ports" are turned off....usually there are two serial ports and they also get "com" ports assigned.....so go in the bios and if you see "serial port" turn it off....(unless you have a ups or serial mouse hooked up)

[FatalException]

The above posting is correct. Since your system is older, it may have two serial ports on the back, each one using a virtual com port. Since they are built into the motherboard, they get priority... and get com 1 and com 2. Disable them in the BIOS to fix this.

As far as your test with the PCI slots and switching around the modem - it doesn't matter. The com address is assigned usually at random, regardless of the PCI slot the card is in. Windows just grabs a com port number and assigns it to the card.

Why do you want this on com 1 or 2? Perhaps if you told us the root of the problem, we could better help you fix it.

[Naz]

Your right, now that you mention it I recall I do have two serial ports ( com 1 and com 2) on board of the mobo. Sense you ask I using winfax pro 10.03 and I can receive a fax just fine but I can't send a fax. The modem appears to dial out and I get "no carrier" every time. I went to the program set up -> modems -> properties and my modem is set TAPI and the other options are com 1 and com 2. I was going to try to get the modem on com 1 or 2 and change the settings and see if that makes a difference.
Is it possible my modem can receive but not send? It dials but like I said I get no carrier whatever that means.

Thanks for you help!!
Naz

[John Prophet]

have you checked the help files for that program to see what they say about it?

I remember using winfax pro...been a while though...I know you have to get the numbers right to dial out....I had it wrong at first..as far as the spaces in between with the area code etc....

----

also, if you have microsoft word. winfax pro will mess it up and you have to go take out a file that winfax puts in the word folder....so if you are experiencing word problems after installing winfax....its a known issue.

JP

[Gilthanaz]

Com3 and Com4 don't actually have an associated port, rather they are just a name assigned to a device. I used to have a serial modem and some other device in com2. It saw my mouse in the ps/2 port as com3. Kinda comfusing. Did you want it in com1 or com2 becuase of an IRQ confict? Because com1 and com3 use the same IRQ( 4 i think), while com2 and com 4 use another (3 i beleive).

[Naz]

I don't really care which com port the modem is in. I just want to trouble shoot winfax pro. I'm not having any problems with ms word sense installing winfax. I'm assuming the phone numbers are right because I have sent out about 5-6 faxes and now I get no carrier. All I did was add a comswitch 3500 in the phone line so my fax would only answer the distintive ring. I took the comswitch out of the loop and plugged the phone line from the wall to modem and still got no carrier so I figured the comswitch is not interfering.

Naz