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Introduction
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If you've got a question, simple or complicated, strange or common, send it to us. We'll try to answer as many questions as we have time for. And who knows, maybe your question will be the basis of a future article? Send your questions to any of the electronic addresses listed elsewhere in this issue.
Instant Freeze
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Q: Every time I try to run MicroPhone, I get a freeze and need to restart my computer. This didn't happen before. What went wrong?
- C. Andrews
Los Angeles, CA
A: Sounds like you are suffering from an INIT conflict. INITs are those things that load when you start your Macintosh. You see their icons parade across the screen after the "Welcome to Macintosh" message. Some INITs cause conflicts with the serial port. If you've just installed new software or hardware, this may be the problem. To see if you are experiencing an INIT conflict, try restarting your computer with the shift key held down, as this will prevent the INITs from loading. If this works, you'll need to figure out which INIT is causing the conflict. See if you can identify any new ones and remove them.
Modem Won't Answer
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Q: I can't get MicroPhone to answer the phone. I have it set to Wait for Call, but all I get on the screen is a series of RING messages. Why won't MicroPhone answer?
- D. Ernesto
Orlando, FL
A: You might need to tell your modem to ignore DTR. Some modems that are set to look for DTR will not answer the phone if DTR is not present, even if you've told the modem to answer (i.e., ATS0=1). To tell the modem to ignore DTR, use the &D command:
AT&D&W
The &D command tells the modem to ignore DTR and the &W command saves the setting permanently, so if you turn your modem off and on, the setting remains.
Redial Ad Infinitum
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Q: For some reason, MicroPhone keeps insisting on redialing my BBS phone number. It connects, then hangs up and redials, ad infinitum. I don't think I did anything to cause this behavior. What could make it do this?
- A. Levin
Newark, NJ
A: You might have inadvertently checked the "Do Script" checkbox in the specifications for that service. If you are running a script called "Log On" that performs a Dial Service, and the service has the "Do Script" checkbox checked to run the "Log On" script, you get yourself into an infinite loop. Go to the Phone menu, choose Modify Service, choose the service and see if the box is checked. If it is, uncheck it and save your settings.
Where's 14400 bps?
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Q: I have one of the new V.32bis modems that support uncompressed speeds of up to 14400 bps. MicroPhone does not have this baud rate in its communication settings. What baud rate should I choose?
- V. Orio
New York, NY
A: In order to gain full function from your modem, including its ability to receive compressed data, you should always use a setting higher than the modem itself. For your modem, you should use 19200, 38400, or 57600 to take full advantage of your modem's capability. Experiment with each setting and see what works best for you.
