I'm looking for help with an intermittent problem. Occasionally when I try to connect to my ISP, I can hear the modem dialing as always and then it seems to get "stuck" in a loud screech and the call isn't completed. I get a "678 - can't connect" error message. When that happens, I can't connect again until I use System Restore to go back to another time when the modem was working.

This happens after I have successfully logged on many times in the day - or it can happen first thing in the morning - there doesn't seem to be a pattern.

My ISP suggested a virus, but I scan daily and update my Norton Antivirus. They also suggested a possible "corrupt" download - I download very little, but I did uninstall the few things I had downloaded, deleted cookies, ran another virus scan and it still seems to happen.

Dell suggested updating the driver - although I can't tell if the driver link they have sent me is newer. It has a more recent release date than the one I have - so I'm guessing it is updated - and it is the one you have here on this site as well.

I'm looking for any other possible causes of this problem. I haven't updated the driver yet, but that is my next move if I don't come up with something else that is a possible cause.

I appreciate any help anyone can offer.

I did update and install the driver and (knock wood) it has been fine so far. Problem is, I could go several days without it happening and then it suddenly would happen for no apparent reason. So, I'm hopeful, but not totally sure that has adddressed the problem.