Fax Modem Problem Created 15 years ago2009-01-20 20:33:54 UTC by satchmo

I bought a Zonet ZFM5621MT fax modem for $10 because I need to send faxes via my computer. My old fax machine finally broke.

However, I cannot figure out how to send faxes through this damn thing.

I thought I would just send the document to a fax/printer driver using the "Print" command, but there's no fax modem device under "Printers".

When I looked in the Control Panel under "Phone and Modem Options", the computer does not detect a modem.

When I powered up my computer after installing the modem into a PCI slot, Vista reports that it had successfully installed the driver for the hardware (it didn't specify what kind of hardware though, but I figure it must be the fax modem since it was the only new thing that I installed).

I also manually downloaded the fax modem driver from Zonet (the manufacturer), and I installed it. It also reports that the driver had been successfully installed.

However, I still don't see any modem under Device Manager or in the Control Panel.

What the heck is going on here? Contacting Zonet support is a failure, because I just got a voice mail. No one has gotten back to me after many hours of waiting.

Does anyone have any idea?

It's odd that nothing is showing up in the device manager, since it should show whatever you have inside your PC, regardless of whether it is actually working or not - possibly a problem with the PCI slot or the motherboard? Do you have another PCI slot to try the modem in? If so, you might try moving it to another one.

If that fails, I would remove the drivers and the hardware, and then reinstall the newer drivers you downloaded and the hardware again. I've had problems with a wireless modem that managed to resolve themself after removing the hardware and drivers and installing the newer drivers from the manufacturer.

Could be something wrong with your BIOS settings. I don't think it is, but it's a possibility.

possibly a problem with the PCI slot or the motherboard?

I doubt that's the case, since when I powered on the computer, Vista recognized that a new hardware was installed immediately and proceeded to automatically install the driver for it.

But after the installation claimed to be successful, I can't find the modem from the computer.

I'll look into the BIOS, and I'll keep trying contacting the tech support at Zonet.

Zonet support seems to suck, since they don't even have a live person talking to me. I could just leave a message and no one ever calls me back.

I have already reported the company to BBB.