Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC
Install The Modem
The modem I'm using is made by Zoom Telephonics, one of the best in the business. It's the Zoom/Modem V.92 PCI, model 3025, and it includes support for V.44. Here is how I did the install. Naturally you should consult the installation procedure that comes with the modem and use it if there appears to be a discrepancy.
As usual, better drivers than what are provided on the CD-ROM are available on manufacturer's web-site. The drivers can be retrieved from the Zoom Telephonics support page. Here is how I navigated to find them, which may look different today, but it should still give you the idea.
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Click on "Technical Support".
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Click on "Dial-up Faxmodems".
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Click on "PCI".
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I have model "N", so I clicked on "Zoom/Modem V.92 PCI" for model 3025N.
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Click on "V92_812Moh".
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Clicking on "v812MOH.exe" downloads the file. Only this file is needed.
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The installation instructions that come with the Zoom modem indicate that, in the case of Windows XP, the modem drivers should be installed prior to the modem itself. Ok then. Let's do that.
Navigate to where the Zoom modem driver download file is located and double-click on it. This box appears. Click "OK".
It should not be necessry to change of the UnZip options. Click on the "Unzip" button.
The files stored in the Zip archive are extracted. Click "OK".
The Zoom V.92 PCI modem setup welcome screen appers. Click the "Next" button.
The drivers install and the completion window appears. Leave "No, I will restart my computer later" selected and click the "Finish" button.
Power down the computer. Flip the switch on the power supply into the off/0 position. Unplug everything from the back, including the video cable, keyboard cable, mouse cable, speaker wire and power cord.
As is usually the case with PCI cards, the Zoom V.92 PCI modem card can be installed in any PCI slot. The ABIT KR7A-133 has six PCI slots. They are white and run vertically in this picture and are circled in blue. I chose the slot circled in red in the picure, which is PCI slot 6. As with the PCI slot selection for the sound card, the only reason for choosing this particular PCI slot was for cooling purposes, to space out the cards within the interior since they all generate an amount of heat.
Remove the slot cover on the rear of the PC corresponding to PCI slot 6, which is the first slot cover from the left in the Antec KS-282 computer case. The modem card inserts into the PCI slot with direct downward pressure, just as the sound card inserted into its PCI slot and just as the video card inserted into the AGP slot. As you know by now, the PCI cards are keyed to the PCI slots so they will insert facing in only direction. As usual, secure the modem card into the PCI slot with a slot screw, but don't over tighten so much that you might twist the card within the PCI slot. Here's how the interior looks with the modem card inserted into the PCI slot 6 and the card secured with the slot mounting screw.
Here's how the rear of the computer case looks now that the modem card has been added.
The Zoom V.92 PCI modem card provides two phone jacks. There is etching next to each connector indicating what each is for, which you might just be able to make out in the enlarged picture. In the picture, the top one is for "Line" meaning it is the jack for the telephone line. The bottom one is for "Phone" meaning it is the jack for the telephone.
Plug the telephone line coming from the wall jack into the jack labeled "Line" on the modem. Reconnect everything else in back, including the video cable, keyboard cable, mouse cable, speaker wire and power cord.
Power up the computer. Windows XP will detect the new hardware, the Zoom V9.2 PCI Voice Faxmodem card, and prompt to install the software drivers for it. There's no point in registering the product now, before the drivers are installed, so I clicked the "Register Later" button.
Leave "Install the software automatically (Recommended)" selected and click the "Next" button.
This scary looking warning appears, going on and on about the software not having passed "Windows Logo" testing, whatever that is, and the potentially disastrous consequences thereof. Oh, yes, I'm sure the world will just end if I proceed. But seriously, this warning appears to be fairly common with modem drivers. I clicked "Continue Anyway".
The drivers install and this completion window is displayed. Click the "Finish" button.
Checking the Device Manager, an entry now appears for "Modems" and no device conflicts have been introduced. A device conflict, if one existed, would be flagged by a large yellow question mark or large yellow exclaimation point. Double-click on "Modems" to see what modem is recognized.
The modem is shown to be the "Zoom V.92 PCI Faxmodem". That's good. Right-click on the line "Zoom V.92 PCI Faxmodem" and select "Properties" on the small pop-up window to see more details about the modem.
The "General" properties tab appears, confirming information such as the PCI slot that was used. Click on the "Driver" tab.
The "Driver" tab includes information such as the driver version number of the Zoom V.92 PCI Faxmodem. The version appears to match the name of the driver file that was downloaded. Everything looks just fine.
Exit the Device Manager and return to the desktop. Congratulations! You did it! You built a computer! Ok, before you get too cocky, let's run some tests. I haven't forgotten the case fans, either. May as well wait until the tests work before we put the final touches on the computer.
You can install whatever ISP software you like to use at this point. For example, you can use the ubiquitous AOL installation CD. You must have several of those by now from the boxes you've opened thus far. The free hours can come in very handy considering some of the downloading that will be done.
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Here's how the rear of the computer case looks now that the modem card has been added.
The Zoom V.92 PCI modem card provides two phone jacks. There is etching next to each connector indicating what each is for, which you might just be able to make out in the enlarged picture. In the picture, the top one is for "Line" meaning it is the jack for the telephone line. The bottom one is for "Phone" meaning it is the jack for the telephone.
Plug the telephone line coming from the wall jack into the jack labeled "Line" on the modem. Reconnect everything else in back, including the video cable, keyboard cable, mouse cable, speaker wire and power cord.
