ARCHIVED: In Windows XP, how do I adjust the speaker volume for my modem?

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Using the control panel

To adjust the volume level of your modem, first try adjusting the sound using the Modem control panel:

  1. From the Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel.
  2. Double-click the Phone and Modems icon.
  3. Select the Modems tab. Highlight your modem and click Properties.
  4. On the General tab, there should be a speaker volume control. If it's grayed out, then your modem driver does not support this function, or you may have the incorrect driver for your modem.
  5. Adjust the sound level using the sliding control. Usually, there will be two to four levels. Typically, the leftmost setting is off, and the rightmost setting is as loud as the modem will go.
  6. Click OK, then OK again. Finally, click Close.

Using a modem initialization string

If you can't adjust the sound using the Modem control panel because the speaker volume control is grayed out, you can try using a modem initialization string to turn your modem's sound on. These commands will control the speaker on most modems:

M0 Speaker always off
M1 Speaker on during connection
M2 Speaker always on (very noisy)
L0 Lowest volume
L1 Lowest volume (redundant)
L2 Medium volume
L3 Maximum volume

Note: The character 0 is a zero, not the capital letter O.

To enter these codes as an init string in the Modem control panel:

  1. From the Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel.
  2. Double-click the Phone and Modems icon.
  3. Select the Modems tab. Highlight your modem and click Properties.
  4. Select the Advanced tab and enter the string in the "Extra initialization commands" field. Usually you need to start the string with at&f . For some modems, you may need a 1, 2, or x after the f, for example, at&f1m1 to turn the modem sound on while it's trying to connect.
  5. Click OK, then OK again.

This is document aipp in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2018-01-18 12:51:23.