Microsoft KB Archive/240996

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Troubleshooting Distinctive Ring

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Q240996

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 95
 * Microsoft Windows 98
 * Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

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SUMMARY
This article describes how to troubleshoot Distinctive Ring functionality.

MORE INFORMATION
Distinctive Ring requires:


 * Distinctive Ring service from your phone company.
 * Distinctive Ring support in your modem hardware (that is, the modem must support true Distinctive Ring, and not DRON/DROFF).
 * A Windows modem .INF file with Distinctive Ring support.
 * A Windows TAPI Service Provider such as Unimodem V that enables the operating system to "see" incoming Distinctive Ring responses from the modem.

How to Configure Distinctive Ring in Windows 9x
Make sure you have Unimodem/V installed on your computer.

Depending on the release date of your Windows 95 software, you may have Unimodem (shipped with earlier versions) or Unimodem V (shipped with later versions of Windows 95 and Windows 98). Unimodem is the Windows 95 TAPI standard for modem communication. Unimodem V is a more recent Windows 95 TAPI standard with enhanced voice capabilities. To determine which version of the TAPI files you have:

 Click the Start button, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders. The Find All Files window appears. Click the Name & Location tab. In the Named field, type: Right-click the file, and then click Properties. Click the Version tab. In the Item Name list, click Product Version. The version number appears in the Value list. Use the list below to determine whether or not Unimodem V is installed on your computer.  If you do not have Unimodem/V TAPI files installed on your computer and you want to use a phone service that requires it, you must install Unimodem V.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

"Download.gifoad Unimodv.exe now]" For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: "Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services" Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

NOTE: The file is for Windows 95 only. </li></ol>

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click Modems.

Select the modem that is installed on your computer, and then click Properties.

On the Distinctive Ring tab, select the "This phone line has Distinctive Ring services" check box, and then click the appropriate type of call for each ring pattern provided by your distinctive ringing service.

NOTE: If the Distinctive Ring tab is not shown, the modem may not have this capability.

Testing the Distinctive Ring Feature
The best way to test the Distinctive Ring feature is to use a terminal data program, such as the HyperTerminal program in Windows 95/98.

To use HyperTerminal:


 * 1) Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click HyperTerminal.
 * 2) Double-click hyperterm or hyperterm.exe.
 * 3) Name the new connection test, and then click OK.
 * 4) Change the "connect using" setting to "Direct to COM X", were "X" is the COM port used by the Caller ID device.
 * 5) Click OK on the Port Settings window.

To test your modem:


 * 1) Type the string ATZ, and then press Enter (OK should then be displayed on the screen).
 * 2) Type the Distinctive Ring string to be tested.
 * 3) If OK is displayed, continue on to the next step. If ERROR is displayed, the modem may not support Distinctive Ring and you should try a different setup string.
 * 4) Have someone call your computer and watch the terminal screen.
 * 5) If Distinctive Ring is working, the word RING, followed by a letter or number is displayed.
 * 6) If Distinctive Ring is not working, only the word RING is displayed for each incoming ring. If this is the case, try another setup string and go back to step 2.

Other results could be RING B, RING C, RING 1, RING 2, RING 3.

NOTE: If your modem is outputting DRON/DROFF messages, this is a non-standard implementation of Distinctive Ring. This implementation does not work with TAPI-based software, as UnimodemV does not support this format.