[Cube] Toasted Modem

[Don Zahniser]

Anybody reading this note and the previous one might notice that they were  
sent to the list over two weeks ago!  My Cube is still running fine,  
without the modem.  I did have a problem with the USB bus 'disappearing'  
(i.e. - keyboard and mouse going dead, other USB stuff not working), which  
was temporarily fixed by rebooting. It would work for a few minutes, then  
blip out again.  I ended up pressing the CUDA switch, which seems to have  
cured that problem.  I then went through the network preferences and  
deleted the configurations looking for the modem, just to make sure  
nothing got confused.  The Cube has been running like a champ since.

In the meantime, I've answered my own questions, as noted below.

On Fri, 29 May 2009 07:03:09 -0400, Don Zahniser  
<dzahniser at rochester.rr.com> wrote:

> Hi, All -
>
> Tried to send this yesterday, but it didn't seem to go through...
>
> This afternoon we had a thunderstorm roll through.  I normally keep my  
> modem on my Cube detached from the phone line, but I forgot that I had  
> had to send a fax a few days ago.  There was a lightning strike nearby;  
> we got a surge through the phone line, and probably the power line as  
> well.  I heard a 'bzzt' from the neighborhood of the Cube, and thought I  
> saw a flash.  After the storm passed by, I checked out the Cube, and  
> everything works except the modem.  I pulled the modem out and took off  
> the plastic sheath, and - lo and behold! - there is carbon at the point  
> where the phone line connector wires are connected to the circuit board,  
> and on the opposite side, between the connector and what appears to be a  
> grounding tab.
>
> Obviously, I need a new modem if I am to continue to use the dial-up and  
> fax capabilities of my Cube.  So:
>
> 1) Anyone know if the internal modem from a Yikes or Sawtooth G4 will  
> work in a Cube, or

 From looking in my son's Yikes, it definitely does not use exactly the  
same modem. There is shielding behind the modem port that will not fit the  
modem I removed from the Cube, unless the modem is mounted in a different  
configuration.  I did some reading on the internet, and supposedly the  
modem from some of the contemporary G4s is the same part number as that in  
the Cube, but they are physically different in that the Cube's modem has  
the phone line connector soldered to the board.  Apparently, the 'same'  
modem is used in the Pismo, of which I have a spare, so I looked at the  
disassembly guides for that, and again it is one with soldered-on  
cable/wires going to the modem port on the rear of the laptop, not with an  
integral modem connector.
>
> 2) Does anyone know where I can get a replacement inexpensively?  I'm  
> out of work right now, and have to do everything 'on the cheap', or not  
> at all...

I did find an inexpensive source on Ebay, but times being what they are,  
even that would be beyond prudence, so my working Pismo will take up fax  
duties for awhile.

  - Don

-- 
Don Zahniser