No Dial Tone
The three most common causes of a no dial tone error are:
- Voice mail on the phone line
- The phone line is not connected properly
- Hardware problems with the modem
The first step for any No Dial Tone error, is to make sure that there is a dial tone on that phone line. If you only have one phone line, and the other extensions are working fine, try connecting a phone to the jack that the computer uses and check for a dial tone. If you have two phone lines, you may want to check the second line for a dial tone by unplugging the computer line and connecting a regular phone to it. If there's no dial tone on the line the computer uses, you will want to contact the phone company.
Once you've verified that there is a dial tone on the phone line, there's a few other things to check:
- End task for "rnaapp". Reboot
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and look for "rnaapp" in the task manager. If it is there, select it and click "End Task". Try to connect again. If you are still not able to connect, close all programs, shut down the computer, wait 60 seconds, reboot and try to connect again.
- Voice mail on the phone line
This only applies if you have voice mail service on the phone line that the modem connects with. When you have a voice mail message waiting and pick up the phone, normally you will get a broken dial tone sound, or some beeps. Your modem may interpret this as being no dial tone. The easiest solution: check your voice mail. Another solution would be to have the modem ignore the dial tone, this means that it will not even check for a dial tone before it tries to connect. To do this:
Windows XP: Open your Control Panel, then Double click the Phone and Modem Options icon. click onto the Modems tab at the top, highlight your modem, and click the Properties button. Click onto the Modem tab, then uncheck the Wait for dial tone before dialing option. click OK on each of the open windows to save your changes.
Windows 2000: Open your Control Panel, then Double click the Phone and Modem Options icon. Click onto the Modems tab at the top, highlight your modem, and click the Properties button. Uncheck the Wait for dial tone before dialing option on the General tab. Click OK on each of the open windows to save your changes
Windows 98 & ME: Open your Control Panel (Start button, Settings, Control Panel), then Double-click the Internet options icon. Click onto the Connection tab, and highlight your Dial-Up Connection. Click the Settings button to the right, then click the Properties button. Near the bottom in the Connect Using section, click the Configure button. Click the Connection tab at the top, then uncheck the Wait for dial tone before dialing option. Click OK on each of the windows to save your changes.
Macintosh OS X: Click the Apple menu and open the System Preferences. Click Network, then choose the Modem tab. Uncheck Wait for dial tone before dialing. Click Save.
Macintosh OS 8-9: Click the Apple menu in the upper left corner. Go to the Control Panels and choose Modems. Put a check in the Ignore dial tone box. Close the Modems Control Panel, choose to save the changes when prompted.
- The phone line is not connected properly or is damaged.
Check the phone line connections, the cord should go from your computer to your wall. Most modems have two jacks, and they're usually marked Line or Jack and Phone. Check where the line is plugged in - it should be in the one marked Line or Jack or Wall. If you can't tell or the jacks aren't marked, try switching it to the other then giving it another try.
If you are using a surge protector, remember that the line has to go from the computer to the surge protector, and then from the surge protector to the wall.
If you're still having problems once you've made sure the cord is plugged into the computer and the wall securely check for any damage on the phone line itself. If the cord is crimped, cut or damaged in any way, the signal may not get through properly. This is especially important if you have small pets - dogs and cats like to chew cords! It's sometimes best to replace it with an all new cord.
- Hardware problems.
Everything checks out - there's a dial tone on the line, you've switched the cord, and you're still getting no dial tone errors: There's a chance then that the modem may be damaged in some way and is not functioning properly. You will want to contact either the computer or the modem manufacturer for further help.
- Low system resources.
If you have a software-based modem, check the system resources usage in the Resource Meter included with most versions of Windows. If the modem fails to dial, it may be due to a lack of system resources. You will typically need at least 15% free resources to use a software-based modem properly.
Try dialing with Hyperterminal. If you can dial with Hyperterminal but not using Dial-up Networking, check your connection settings to be sure the modem is selected.
There may be a program that is loading and stealing the com port the modem is using. Check your start-up folder and look at the icons that are in your system tray that may be using the port. In addition, you can view the Startup tab in the the System Configuration Utility to see what programs are loading: Go to Start -> Run and type "msconfig" in the Open: field and click "OK". Click the "Startup" tab and look at the list of programs.
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