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Forums | USR | Courier V. Everything 33.6 X2 Upgrade - Need Help!    Watch  
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crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/7/2001 12:21:35 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
I recently bought 2 Courier V.Everything 33.6 internal modems (25 Mhz) & have since been unable to upgradde to X2/V.90. You can do the Unimodem driver & flash ROM updates using the USRSDL25.exe file available from USR, BUT when you follow the instructions provided after expanding that file & try to upgrade to X2/V.90, you are required to contact 3Com at 1-888-I-WANT-56 or USR at http://totalservice.usr.com for an enable key. The 3COM phone number is out of service, as is the www.3Com.com/x2 website the message tells you to go to instead - 3Com no longer supports USR modems. The totalservice website address at USR is also defunct. USR tech support doesn't have enable keys and doesn't know when & if they will in the future. So, I'm screwed. A link posted by "Iqqua" in a related Courier topic for a X2 upgrade hack only applies to 20.16 Mhz modems so won't work for my 25 Mhz. The freelsd website link looks like it quit being updated in 1998 & so I'm not sure I'll get a response to an e-mail sent there. Any advice on how to upgrade these at this point? Thanks!
dusthazard
Tl Posts:
88

USA
Posted - 8/8/2001 12:10:26 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Did you try shooting an email over to them? I doubt they'll be much help, they never are. But, I guess it could be worth a shot. They have a file at their current site called the Modem Upgrade Wizard. Is that what you tryed to use? I think you can find the Modem UW at http://modemupdate.usr.com/

Good luck to you!

crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/8/2001 7:05:48 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Yeah, I sent their techie-by-email support an e-mail going into my problem in detail - they responded with:

"We are unable to adequately address your issue through email. Please contact our telephone support directly at one of the following numbers, depending on your product:
801-401-1141 for Sportster modems.
801-401-1142 for Courier and ISDN products.
801-401-1143 for wireless networking products, and routers.
801-401-1144 for PCMCIA modems.

These lines are open Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm MST."

So... I called the courier number - 1st time I got an oriental gentleman who didn't really understand my issue so I let it pass, as part of our problem was the Kings English. 2nd time they told me to call the Courier support line at 888-326-6099 - when I did they told me to call 801-401-1141....you get the idea.

I have tried two versions of the Modem Update wizard - an earlier download from 3COM which seems to work but, of course wants my credit card to charge me $60 per enable key & then won't work (since 3Com no longer supports USR updates I suppose), and an updated version from USR that when I run it for some reason initially won't detect my modem but which, after clicking around, eventually tells me that it's not upgradeable. This may be because I've already run the Unimodem driver & flash ROM upgrades. I finally contacted a helpful USR tech rep by the name of Isreal who checked with his supervisor. Supposedly they are working on getting enable keys and X2 upgrades through the USR website support page, possibly in a month (that sounds incredibly optimistic!). No word on cost, but I'll have to pay for each of the modems I have - one key won't cover both. It's beginning to look like if I want 56K I should go back out to Ebay and get some 56k Couriers - the upgrade cost, if $60, just ain't worth it.

Interestingly enough, on Ebay a lady is selling Courier V.Everything modems which she says were v34 33.6 models that have had the firmware flashed to X2&V.90 & are 56K. She is saying that no enable key was required and that the "crinf.zip" and "sdl25.exe" files are all that's required. Perhaps her modems were already X2 capable and just needed the V.90 updrade. Mine aren't - when I run ATI7 in Hyperterminal, my options are: "HST,V32bis,Terbo,VFC,V34+". They're 25Mhz models so don't need a daughterboard upgrade, but without the X2 capability, which requires the enable key (or so 3Com/USR say) I can't upgrade to V.90. On the "Couriers" topic in this forum a guy named Iqqua obtained a upgrade hack through a Russian website - but that apparently applies only to the 20.16 Mhz courier & elsewhere on this site I've found info indicating that using the Russian flash irrevocably changes your modem so that future upgrades can't be used, voids warranty, etc. Seems like I need a serious old tech head who's been around the block plenty to offer up a solution, if there is one.....

dusthazard
Tl Posts:
88

USA
Posted - 8/8/2001 9:34:45 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
I've looked and looked around the 'Net and could not find any solutions for the problem you are having!

I am not familiar with the Courier since that was way back when I didn't even have a PC. Ha. Maybe you could download the crinf.zip and install those .INF (?) files and then use the proper SDL file for your modem? What would happen if you skipped X2? Would V90 not be available or would the flash just refuse to progress?

Hm. USR does seem to be falling apart these days when I compare them to the "good" history they have had.

Good luck. I'll post back if I find any answer. But, I bet I won't. lol.

dusthazard
Tl Posts:
88

USA
Posted - 8/8/2001 9:35:18 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Just wanted to include this link -

http://www.usr.com/support/drivers-template.asp?prod=s-cour

miztahsparklez
Tl Posts:
5

Posted - 8/9/2001 12:23:22 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
sigh.. i have the same modem.. cant seem to find a driver for it tho. i flashed it.. but i read the other txt file and it said i needed x2 and i dont. so im kinda stuck where u are.. but without any drivers to use my modem. any idea where i can get drivers? (im building pc for grandma.. and i kinda wanted it to go faster) so any help would be appreciated.
crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/9/2001 12:47:48 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Do you know what the filename(s) is/are for the drivers you need? If you do then perhaps I could upload them to a site like www.driverguide.com or e-mail them to you (if they're not to large - I have the driver cd that came with the modem when new.
miztahsparklez
Tl Posts:
5

Posted - 8/9/2001 12:52:44 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
noop sorry.. sux for me.. tried usr site.. and windows dont like those drivers says x2 v90 or something after it. but i dont have either function.
miztahsparklez
Tl Posts:
5

Posted - 8/9/2001 3:15:19 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
i think i found what u want.. but i dont know how to use it

its in a zip file called pc_knf25

and it has a file called 31079725.xmd
and an instructions file called kn_sdl.eng

this is for the 25 mhz ones i know theres also the 20 mhz one too that i can get. if you want to try it out ill be happy to send it to you, unfortunately email may be delayed due to the code red virus so my cable modem is goin crazy right now as well as the email servers. but it should still be pretty fast.

crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/9/2001 4:48:58 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Where's you find the files, at USRobotics website? What makes you think these will work?

You can find some usefule drivers at:

http://www.usr.com/support/downloads-template.asp?prod=s-cour

http://www2.driverguide.com/cgi/drifound.pl?ID=us-robotics&NAME=US-Robotics

The trick is knowing which ones to use and how to apply them it seems.

dusthazard
Tl Posts:
88

USA
Posted - 8/9/2001 5:57:11 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Well, I do not think those specific files are, ahem, legal. But, I see nothing wrong with using them if the company doesn't even have a working option to use! I could not find any download spot for the file.

Good luck!

crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/10/2001 9:10:54 AM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
Dusthazard--

Can you tell me how to go about saving my current firmware flash in case something goes wrong during an update and I want to restore all my current settings?

v.Richard
Tl Posts:
6222

USA
Posted - 8/10/2001 12:39:02 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message  v.Richards Homepage
You cannot upgrade a Courier from 33.6 to x2 or V.90 without purchasing a key from USR (if they still will sell it) - unless you use the 'hacked' Russian version.

You can download current firmware from USR website;
All Couriers have a 'boot' mode that will allow you to re-flash a modem that was not flashed successfully.

Note - the modem will accept the USR x2/V90 flash, but will not operate in x2/V90 without the key.

Aloha,
Richard

crankpin
Tl Posts:
13

USA
Posted - 8/10/2001 1:37:42 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
v.Richard--

I was hoping you'd weigh in (great sites, this and Modemsite.com, by the way - much appreciated!).

There always a certain relief that comes with a sense of finality, even if disappointing, isn't there? Your message told me what I had expected all along - that I'm at the mercy of USR and their future course of action (or inaction) as pertains to providing enable keys for upgrading these two 33.6 Couriers I have.

Not incidently, a number of these modems are being sold on E-bay as upgradeable to 56k, or already upgraded, by flashing using the crinf.zip and SDL25.exe files available from the USR website. Of course, all these do is update the Courier Information File/Unimodem driver (using the crinf.zip file) and the flash ROM using the SDL25.exe. As you've indicated, the modem will accept the USR x2/V90 flash, but will not operate in x2/V90 without the key. There's going to be a lot of disillusioned customers out there going through the same experience and generating a lot of needless angst over this issue.

Which bring me to the "Russian version" you mention. I presume this is at the

http://flasher.webzone.ru/smf.html

website referenced elsewhere in another USR topic (or is it from somewhere else)?

Do you have, or know of someone who can comment who does, any experience using this site's files to do X.2 & V.90 firmware flash upgrades? It's not clear to me from looking at the site which files are to be used for Courier V.Everything V34 modem upgrades to X2&V.90 (my Product/Device ID is 00122314), nor the procedure to do so, although I guess that's in the SMF file somewhere). How did it work afterwards?

I understand the issue, after using the Russian or other hacker files, of voiding warranty, etc., and presumably, inability to use future USR updates if any become available. My question is whether it's worth, given the fact that I have a total of about $40 invested in these two Couriers, to try the Russian upgrade to get to 56k, if others have done so and had positive results. I sure don't get a sense from USR that they're are hot on resolving this issue, and from what I've seen of your previous battles with them over the years as reported elsewhere on your site, I am probably justified in not getting optimistic.

Would appreciate your additional comments. Thanks.

miztahsparklez
Tl Posts:
5

Posted - 8/13/2001 8:40:47 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
i believe it is the key for these modems and not just the flash upgrade.. as the site i believe i got it from offers cracks and keys for various things
miztahsparklez
Tl Posts:
5

Posted - 8/13/2001 8:45:00 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Message
hmm.. if i do flash it with this key that i found.. what happens if its bad or wrong? can i still use my modem.. and how do i flash it back? (this usr modem as u know is updated all by flash roms so the key has to be some sort of flash)
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