Computer problem - need help

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Laptop Computer #1 has a dial-up modem.

 

I plug Laptop Computer #1 into the phone jack at home. I try the dial-up and it does not work with any of the access numbers. Listening on the telephone extension, I hear the standard telephone error message “Your call cannot be completed as dialed – please hang up and try your call again”.

 

I plug Laptop Computer #2 into the phone jack at home. Using the same dial-up service and access numbers, it works fine. I also try my desktop system at home – works fine as well.

 

I take Laptop Computer #1 to my neighbor’s house and to the office (using the fax machine line). The dial-up works fine with every access number at both of these locations.

 

I pick up the home telephone and manually dial the access numbers – they work fine, because I hear the connection tones on the other end.

 

I can get the dial-up on Laptop Computer #1 to work at home by doing the following:

- Clicking the “dial” button onscreen to connect (this gives me the telephone error message described above).

- Unplugging the telephone wire from the laptop, then plugging it back in 5 seconds later.

- Picking up the telephone extension and manually dialing the access number. Once I hear the connection tones, I hang up the telephone extension. The internet then connects about 10 seconds later on Laptop Computer #1.

 

So what we have is, Laptop Computer #1 cannot connect to the internet at home, but it can connect everywhere else. But I can connect to the internet at home with my other computers using the same internet service.

 

Any ideas on the problem and how to fix it?

[stuckincincy]

Just a guess - disconnect a phone set that's currently connected, and try laptop #1 again. I don't know what it means these days, but used to be you could only hook up so many extensions (REN ring equivalency number or some such) because of current draw(?).