i have been having big problems for a while with my acatel speedtouch usb adsl modem , im running xp pro , i also have a abit kr7a raid mobo with via chipset (which may be part of the issue) .
For a while things were fine then my pc started crashing on start up with an error 'incomplete irp request' or something like that . I have tried everything i can and have spent endless hours trying to resolve this . My isp says its down to my pc so they cant help me .

things ive tried

usb driver from abit website
latest modem drivers
turn off assign irq to usb
installed latest mobo bios
latest via patch was installed when xp was installed
tried plugging it into my belkin powered usb hub
removed other usb devices
tried all usb ports on my pc

i have tried other things but the state its in just now its not crashing but the modem icon on my taskbar stays yellow on start up and it takes a few mins to turn green so im able to use it .

Have tried drivers 1.3 / 1.4 /1.6 , defragmented , run regclean , norton disk doctor . It was a fresh xp installation as well .

In the past when i have had it working and i made a ghost image so if thing go bad i can restore back till when they were good , well after it running ok for a couple of weeks or so , it starts playing up again , so i restore my ghost image and on restart the modem still aint working right even tho it was fine when the image was made , very strange . Then i end up messing around with the drivers until i get it going again , it becomes a real nightmare and ive lost count of the amount of times ive restored from a ghost image because the drivers for this modem just dont seem to work well .

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated as im really fed up with all this mucking about .

I read there is issues with the modem/drivers and the via chipset but im not sure if it applies to my mobo , its the kt266a chipset on my mobo .

I emailed acatel support and i got this reply back "The solution for this sort of problem is to install a PCI USB card with an "Opti" or "Lucent" chipset made by Belkin, for example, as this will move the conflict you are having away from the computer motherboard."

Now i dont wanna buy a pci/usb card if its not a guarentee to work , can anyone tell me if this makes sense , i have 4 usb ports on my pc and a 4 port usb hub plugged into one of them so im not chuffed at adding another couple of usb ports just to use this damn modem .

If I were you I'd cut my losses and get a decent modem or router. Probably not what you want to here but I think its the best solution. I had one once and tried it with 3 pc's and two different hubs and it still wouldnt work.

at the end of the day it may be worth me buying something new as its becoming a real pain in the *** . I may try my isp and see if they can supply me with a better modem as they supplied this one .

Cant offer you a solution m8 but i'd agree with the Captain, I signed up with BTO who supplied me with a 'frog' modem which worked without probs on my system but I had an Intel 815 mobo at the time,since changed to an 845 mobo and got rid of the Alcatel and bought a D-Link DSL504 router...

Read numerous stories on the ADSL guide website about people with VIA chipset mobos having endless problems with the Alcatel modems. With the amount of time and effort you've spent and all the hassle it may be worthwhile biting the bullet and getting your wallet out m8....

Hope you work it out

Smiffy

cheerz smiffy what is a dlink dsl504 router ? are they chaep and do they perform better than the asdl modems ?

Not sure about the dlink routers but I use a Solwise 705 and can't fault it. Its available from www.solwise.co.uk for about a hundred notes. Always on connection so just plug the laptop in and im away, no waiting for the connection to sync etc. They also do the 715 with built in4 port switch if you don't already have a hub/switch.

You tried installing service pack 1?

Those speedtouch usb modems are annoying. They work ok if everything is just so. Mine used to work fine unless I was sending at max rate then the moden would crash after about 20 mins!

Best bet is to get a modem / router. They connect through a network card so you will need one of those as well.
If you have to send a logon id & pwd to connect make sure you get a modem that supports PPPoE / PPPoA.

Try ADSL guide (http://www.adslguide.org/qanda.asp?faq=DSLHardware) for more info.
N.B. this guide is based on UK setups.

Originally posted by rabby2
cheerz smiffy what is a dlink dsl504 router ? are they chaep and do they perform better than the asdl modems ?

Hi m8

Well I can only speak from personal experience and say that it was a excellent investment for me (£108.75 inc vat & del from e buyer).

Basically (Very) it's a 4 port switch/router,built in firewall,web browser based software. The setup is really straightforward,connect to ADSL Line, plug in your NIC and fire up your web browser and type in 192.168.0.1 to access the setup software.

In terms of performance I cant say that I find it any different to the Alcatel modem but it does allow me to have my systems at home on the web at the same time using ICS (keeps 3 kids happy).....

I have made tech support calls, not hardware related,and have been impressed with the service so far....

hth

Heres a link to the review

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware/reviews/2001/q4/dlink_dsl504.asp

Smiffy

Can i ask one question :-

Is your USB hub powered by the PC or by the mains ?

my hub is powered by the mains m8

today my isp told me im on my own , they only stock and supply the speedtouch usb modem , and they dont charge for it (apparently) so i cant even sell it as they will want it back if i ever cancel , so even though they have supplie dme with a modem that is not very compastable with the hardware on my pc i have to buy a modem out of my own pocket , damn cheek so it is.
So it looks like i need to buy one to suit my needs .
I was told it needs to be dsl compatable modem and its for a cable connection and not a bt connection , so whats my best / cheapest options here .

I actually have a alcatel usb modem and a via chip set, i've had no problems what so ever.

I did read somewhere that these things pull maximum current through your usb, so some motherboards will be fussy, the write up went on to say get a usb hub that is externally powered, i'll see if i can find the info it might be of some use.

I tried running a speedtouch modem through a powered hub (Belkin) but the power regulator in the hub just overheated after about 40mins.

Like littlejack, I have the same modem with a via chipset and have been running it for ages now with no problems what-so-ever.

I got a KG7-R had similar problems bugged me for 9 months. Finally got round to flashing my mobo bios now I dont hear a peep from it. It's been well behaved ever since (touch wood)

rabby2 I have the mentioned adsl modem. I had a few problems myself when installing it. Turning the yellow indication light to green was very fustrating. However, the problem I had was latest NEC usb 2 drivers from windows. My MB is an msi with usb integrated.
I also searched the http://www.adslguide.org.uk/ forums for speedtouch. I think I got an answer there. Sorry its 6 months ago since I did it.

thanks for all your info guys , at the moment its working ok but i dont hink it will stay like that for long before it plays up again , ill look into some of the info you have given me and also seriously consider buying a new one because it creates havoc when i cant get online , cheerz.

Is it possible to set up Lexmark Fax Software to work with ADSL rather than a modem? Because I use ADSL the software says it can't find a modem on my laptop.