The first step in installing your external modem under Windows '95 will be to connect your modem to your PC. Your external modem will connect to your PC via an RS-232 serial cable. One end of the cable will connect to the back of your modem, while the other end will connect to either a 9 pin or 25 pin male serial port on the back of your PC. While installing the modem, it would be best to have your system powered down.

After securing your modem to the serial port, power up your system and boot Windows '95. Once the system has finished booting, it is time to configure your modem.

Open up `Control Panel' on your desktop. You can find this option under the `Start' menu under `Settings'. In Control Panel you will see an icon labeled `Modems'. Double click on that. This will open the modem setup and configuration portion of Windows '95. Once there, remove any modems that may already be installed in your PC. You can do that by highlighting the modems that you wish to remove and clicking on the button labeled `Remove'. Next, choose the button marked `Add'. You will then choose the `Next' option to have Windows '95 search for your new modem. Windows '95 will at this point search your COM ports for modems. It may run the `Add New Hardware' wizard at this point in the installation. Your internal modem is actually seen as if it were another serial port on your PC. Windows '95 will detect your modem as a serial port and configure the new port accordingly.

Once the setup wizard has completed looking for new modems, it will display a list of modems that it has detected. There will be a button on the left hand side of the pop up menu marked `Change'. This will allow you to select a different driver for your modem. In many cases, Windows '95 will show that it has detected a Standard Modem. That is quite normal. The Standard driver will work just fine with your modem. You can also select your exact modem model from the list. Windows '95 contains a detailed listing of drivers for the various Hayes modems. Once the correct modem is listed, click on `Finish'. Windows '95 will then add the correct drivers for use with your modem.

Why do some of the ATi commands report "ERROR" when Windows '95 runs its diagnostics? Is my modem broken?

It is normal for those commands to report an error message. Those ATi commands are not supported by your modem and will report an error message. Many applications, such as Windows '95, will send a series of AT commands to your modem to identify it. Not all modems will use the same commands to identify themselves.

Why can't I set my Windows '95 software to 230.4K bits/s, my modem and serial card support it? Do I need a new driver?

Currently, the maximum DTE rate (the speed between your modem and your computer) supported by the Windows '95 COM drivers and Windows '95 native applications is 115.2K bits/s. That is a limitation of the operating system and not the hardware. The only way to utilize the higher speeds supported by your high speed modem or high speed serial card, is to use an application that internally supports the 230.4K DTE rate. These applications are known as legacy applications. Windows '95 native applications, on the other hand, do not contain internal COM drivers and will use those built into Windows '95. The Smartcom Message Center software will work under Windows '95 and will support 230.4K.