Using an iMac 56K internal modem, how can I connect reliably to the IUB dial-up service?

Connections for 56K modems can be problematic and are subject to different variables, including the signal-to-noise ratio of local phone lines. If you are experiencing difficulty maintaining a stable connection to the Indiana University Bloomington modem pools with your iMac, Apple Downloads offers the following two solutions. For other system updates from Apple, see:

Install the Apple Modem Updater

The Apple Modem Updater patches your modem's firmware, updating the communication protocols. Before downloading and running the update, make sure that it isn't already installed. For instructions on how to check your modem for the firmware update, see the following Apple Knowledge Base article:

If the update is not already installed on your computer, you can download it from:

Install the iMac Internal 56K (v.34 only) modem script

Mac OS X

Mac OS X comes with the iMac Internal 56K (v.34 only) modem script pre-installed. To use it, do the following:

1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... .
   
   
2. In System Preferences, from the View menu, select Network.
   
   
3. Next to "Configure:" or "Show:", make sure you have Internal Modem selected, then click the Modem tab.
   
   
4. Next to "Modem:", select Apple Internal 56K Modem (v.34) .
   
   
5. Click Save or Apply Now.

Mac OS 9.x and earlier

If you still experience dropped connections after installing the Apple Modem Updater, try installing the iMac Internal 56K (v.34 only) modem script. This script makes a slower but more stable connection. You can download it by selecting iMac_v34_Only_Modem_Script.smi.bin from the file list at the following link:

To install the modem script, follow these steps:

1. After downloading and decompressing the script, from the desktop, double-click the Hard Drive icon.
   
   
2. Drag the script to your System Folder. Do not open the System Folder, just drop the script on the closed folder.
   
   
3. The following message will appear:

   "This item needs to be kept inside the Modem Scripts Folder in order to be available to the computer. Put the script into the Modem Scripts Folder?"

   Click OK.

To use the iMac Internal 56K (v.34 only) script, from the Apple menu, select Control Panels. Then select Modem. From the pop-up menu, choose iMac Internal 56K (v.34 only) .

Also see:

• Which Apple Macintosh models have Ethernet built in?
• At IUB, what is Carry-in Consulting?
• In Mac OS or Mac OS X, if I am having difficulty establishing or maintaining a PPP connection, where may I find alternative modem scripts?