How to use an Apple USB Modem under Parallels (Build 3188)

[WTAP]

How to use an Apple USB Modem under Parallels (Build 3188)
----------------------------------------------------------

Last Modified: 1st May 2007
By: Grant Bayley (gbayley at wiretapped net)

Introductory Notes:
-------------------

The Apple USB Modem is a Motorola SM56 'winmodem' device for which Apple
supplies Windows XP drivers through the BootCamp application. The problem
that users have found with this driver when used under Parallels during
the early months of 2007 is that performance is (at best) unreliable and
(at worst) unusable. Parallels users have therefore been effectively unable
to use Apple's USB modem in this environment for custom applications such
as dial-up banking services (such as National Online in Australia).

SerialClient was developed to 'pair up' with the ability of Parallels to
'connect' a COM port under Windows to a socket/stream/file under Mac OS X.
The 'pairing' is between this socket/stream/file and Mac OS X's IOKit drivers
for such things as the USB and Bluetooth modem(s).

The problem has been that from the Windows perspective, we just want the
'modem' to do nothing other than dial up - we don't want any diagnostics,
flow control settings, modem volume settings etc. We want Mac OS X to
do the 'heavy lifting'.

After a bit of fiddling around, I gutted an old Motorola INF file for a
ModemSURFR device, taking out basically all the initialisation strings
and settig them to null (so don't think there was any real brainpower
involved on my part). Sure enough, when I used this 'driver' to connect
up the 'modem' on COM1 that Parallels and SerialClient had provided,
it dialled and connected to the required dial-up service on the first try.

Instructions:
-------------

0) Download the INF file for the Apple USB modem here:
http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf

1) Make sure you're running Build 3188 of Parallels Desktop for Mac (or later)

2) Make sure you've downloaded the latest version of SerialClient from
the developer's website: http://eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php

3) In Parallels, stop your running VM and select Edit -> Virtual Machine.

4) At the bottom of the VM Configuration window, click Add. Select Serial
Port, click Next. Select Use a socket, click Next. The default socket
name of /tmp/serial is fine. Select the Server socket role on the pull-
down menu. Check the Connect the Serial Port at startup checkbox. Click
Finish.

5) Start your VM

6) In the Mac OS X environment, start SerialClient. Set the Stream Path to
be the same as the socket as in step 4 (typically /tmp/serial). Set the
Serial Port to be usbmodem. Set the other options to suit your requirements.

7) Click Connect in SerialClient. The button should now read Disconnect if
everything's working so far.

8) Back in the Windows XP environment in Parallels, go to the Phone and Modem
Options Control Panel. Set any required Area Code & Dialling Prefixes if
you're opening this for the first time. Click on the Modems tab at the top
and click Add at the bottom of this window. Check the Don't detect my modem
checkbox and click Next. Click the Have Disk button and locate the
Apple-USB-Modem.inf file supplied with this text file. From the Manufacturer
column select Apple Computer Inc. Select the Apple USB Modem (via SerialClient
& Parallels) model on the right hand side. Click Next. Highlight the COM1
port and click Next. Windows will have a whinge about this driver not having
passed Windows Logo testing. Click Continue and prepare for ultimate doom.
Once the modem is 'installed', click Finish.

9) Now, set up your dial-up connection in Network Connections in the regular
fashion.

10) Try getting your Network Connection to dial. You should hear the Mac
dialling on the PC's behalf and the connection should otherwise behave
normally.

Notes:
------

* This hack-up to get the USB modem to work will probably only be useful until
the Parallels developers give users the option to hook up PC COM ports directly
to Mac OS X IOKit devices. Once that happens and they provide a driver in
the Parallels Tools for things like the Apple USB Modem, this document will
be obsolete.

* As the developer of SerialClient notes, most of the settings for baud rates,
parity, flow control etc should be set in SerialClient rather than in Windows
in the Phone and Modem Options Control Panel.

* The way the 'driver' provided by the INF file is set up, none of the volume
control, flow control etc checkboxes & slider controls will have any effect
whatsoever - they've simply been negated for simplicity. I'm sure some smart
cookie could add some back in by digging up the SM56's command syntax, but
if they're not required, why bother?

Dedications:
------------

To Oxana and Red. Keep riding, keep smiling :)

[mlle]

That looks great.

Do you know whether it will wrk under Windows 2000 please?

Regards

[Alex W]

Hi. Thanks for the help. Things were great during the setup until I got to step 6 - "usbmodem" was not one of the options in the drop-down options for the Serial Port choice, only Bluetooth-PDA + Bluetooth-Modem. What have I done wrong?

[stevekennedy]

Alex W

I had exactly the same experience as you. Hope somebody knows how to solve our problems.

Steve K

[bblinzler]

Okay, I got as far as step 8 but then when loooking for the "Apple-USB-Modem.inf file which I stored in the Parallels shared folder it was not found by windows. Step '0' says to download the file when i clicked on the link a second window appeared with the file so I save it to the Parallels shared folder. Anyone know what I did wrong. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Bruce

[WTAP]

Hi Alex & Steve,

In both cases, you don't want the USB modem visible (ie connected) to the Windows environment, so if you check in the USB devices menu and/or in the buttons in the bottom right, you don't want a tick next to the modem.

Essentially, you want the Mac to have sole control of the modem.

Once it does, it should show up in the list in SerialClient.

I presume you have it connected to the Mac at that point?

Grant

[WTAP]

bblinzler,

Try downloading it to a folder on Windows that's a bit easier to get to - perhaps the Desktop in Windows.

You actually don't need to access the file at any stage in the Mac environment, so why put it in the shared folder?

I'm monitoring the thread (and the release of 3.0), so if anybody needs any more help, post away. Any hints from Parallels or the beta testers whether 3.0 duplicates any of the role currently fulfilled by SerialClient? If so, perhaps we can tell everybody to wait out the next couple of weeks...?

Grant

[bblinzler]

Okay, how do I download to the windows side. I cannot connect when in windows.

[bblinzler]

Now, Iwas able to get it onto the Windows Desktop and can open it, but in following directions, windows cannot find it.
I got as far as "Click the Have Disk button and locate the
Apple-USB-Modem.inf file supplied with this text file" but can not locate it . I have put on the desktop and in 'My Documents' but when browsing it does not show up.

[Alex W]

Hi Grant,

Thanks for your help. All working now - didn't quite understand exactly where to find what you said to look for in your reply but went over the Mac USB config settings a few times + managed to get them right. Can dial / am dialling out from Win XP in VM to using Apple USB Ext modem. Great! Thanks again.

Alex.

[scottinlondon]

I have not been able to use the moden in Parallels and I have gone through the steps and realised that step 7 states:

7) Click Connect in SerialClient. The button should now read Disconnect if
everything's working so far.

However, when I click connect, the button does not read disconnect. Therefore I have no idea what I did wrong or what to do.

Any help will be great.

[Alex W]

You need to have the USB modem plugged in BEFORE you open/start the VM + then the SerialClient (I didn't at first) - if not, the SerialClient doesn't know that the "USB-modem" is an option to use. This should maybe be step "4a". Then start the VM + wait till Windows loads. Then go back to the Mac desktop and open the SerialClient, select the usb-modem from the list + then click connect. Then steps 8, 9, +10 + it should work.

[mskreind]

I am trying to get the Apple External USB Modem to work in Windows XP in Parallels. I am not a skilled computer user and I do not know what to do with INF File for the Apple USB Modem. How do I download this file, and where do I put it?

[bobbow1]

How to use an Apple USB Modem under Parallels (Build 3188)
----------------------------------------------------------

Last Modified: 1st May 2007
By: Grant Bayley (gbayley at wiretapped net)

Introductory Notes:
-------------------

The Apple USB Modem is a Motorola SM56 'winmodem' device for which Apple
supplies Windows XP drivers through the BootCamp application. The problem
that users have found with this driver when used under Parallels during
the early months of 2007 is that performance is (at best) unreliable and
(at worst) unusable. Parallels users have therefore been effectively unable
to use Apple's USB modem in this environment for custom applications such
as dial-up banking services (such as National Online in Australia).

SerialClient was developed to 'pair up' with the ability of Parallels to
'connect' a COM port under Windows to a socket/stream/file under Mac OS X.
The 'pairing' is between this socket/stream/file and Mac OS X's IOKit drivers
for such things as the USB and Bluetooth modem(s).

The problem has been that from the Windows perspective, we just want the
'modem' to do nothing other than dial up - we don't want any diagnostics,
flow control settings, modem volume settings etc. We want Mac OS X to
do the 'heavy lifting'.

After a bit of fiddling around, I gutted an old Motorola INF file for a
ModemSURFR device, taking out basically all the initialisation strings
and settig them to null (so don't think there was any real brainpower
involved on my part). Sure enough, when I used this 'driver' to connect
up the 'modem' on COM1 that Parallels and SerialClient had provided,
it dialled and connected to the required dial-up service on the first try.

Instructions:
-------------

0) Download the INF file for the Apple USB modem here:
http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf

1) Make sure you're running Build 3188 of Parallels Desktop for Mac (or later)

2) Make sure you've downloaded the latest version of SerialClient from
the developer's website: http://eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php

3) In Parallels, stop your running VM and select Edit -> Virtual Machine.

4) At the bottom of the VM Configuration window, click Add. Select Serial
Port, click Next. Select Use a socket, click Next. The default socket
name of /tmp/serial is fine. Select the Server socket role on the pull-
down menu. Check the Connect the Serial Port at startup checkbox. Click
Finish.

5) Start your VM

6) In the Mac OS X environment, start SerialClient. Set the Stream Path to
be the same as the socket as in step 4 (typically /tmp/serial). Set the
Serial Port to be usbmodem. Set the other options to suit your requirements.

7) Click Connect in SerialClient. The button should now read Disconnect if
everything's working so far.

8) Back in the Windows XP environment in Parallels, go to the Phone and Modem
Options Control Panel. Set any required Area Code & Dialling Prefixes if
you're opening this for the first time. Click on the Modems tab at the top
and click Add at the bottom of this window. Check the Don't detect my modem
checkbox and click Next. Click the Have Disk button and locate the
Apple-USB-Modem.inf file supplied with this text file. From the Manufacturer
column select Apple Computer Inc. Select the Apple USB Modem (via SerialClient
& Parallels) model on the right hand side. Click Next. Highlight the COM1
port and click Next. Windows will have a whinge about this driver not having
passed Windows Logo testing. Click Continue and prepare for ultimate doom.
Once the modem is 'installed', click Finish.

9) Now, set up your dial-up connection in Network Connections in the regular
fashion.

10) Try getting your Network Connection to dial. You should hear the Mac
dialling on the PC's behalf and the connection should otherwise behave
normally.

Notes:
------

* This hack-up to get the USB modem to work will probably only be useful until
the Parallels developers give users the option to hook up PC COM ports directly
to Mac OS X IOKit devices. Once that happens and they provide a driver in
the Parallels Tools for things like the Apple USB Modem, this document will
be obsolete.

* As the developer of SerialClient notes, most of the settings for baud rates,
parity, flow control etc should be set in SerialClient rather than in Windows
in the Phone and Modem Options Control Panel.

* The way the 'driver' provided by the INF file is set up, none of the volume
control, flow control etc checkboxes & slider controls will have any effect
whatsoever - they've simply been negated for simplicity. I'm sure some smart
cookie could add some back in by digging up the SM56's command syntax, but
if they're not required, why bother?

Dedications:
------------

To Oxana and Red. Keep riding, keep smiling :)
In step 8 at the "Highlight COM1" stage there are no COMs to select and the next button is greyed out so I can not complete the installation. When I came to this step by opening the Apple USB Modem file I downloaded, the selected ports is clicked yet no options are shown in the dialog box, and I can't change anything except to choose the back or cancel buttons. Help!

[bobbow1]

In step 8 at the "Highlight COM1" stage there are no COMs to select and the next button is greyed out so I can not complete the installation. When I came to this step by opening the Apple USB Modem file I downloaded, the selected ports is clicked yet no options are shown in the dialog box, and I can't change anything except to choose the back or cancel buttons. Help!

[jesschoen]

When I try to download the inf file in step 0, I click on the link and it shows only text. Is the link supposed to go to a downloadable file which is then installed in Windows in the usual manner or does something else have to be done? Thanks for any help.

James

[jesschoen]

I put the text in the apple-usb-modem.inf file in a saved file on the Windows desktop and used that file to set up the Apple modem in Step 8 of these instructions. It seemed to work OK to set up the modem.

However, at the earlier step 6, when I start up the SerialClient, it gives me only the choices for Bluetooth-PDA and Bluetooth-Modem and not the USB modem. I saw the comment above to make sure that the modem is not checked in USB devices in Parallels. It is not. I also connected the modem before I started the VM. Does anyone know what else to try to get the SerialClient to detect the USB modem?

Thanks very much for any help.

James

[Hugh Watkins]

surely once the connection is open to the internet shared networking enables me to log on to my banks internet site via WinXP sp2

or are there still some quaint direct dial up to a bank - command line and all that?

like a dial up BBS 10 or 12 years ago?

Hugh W

[jesschoen]

Mysteriously, this morning when I started Parallels and tried the Apple modem setup procedure again the USB modem setting was available in SerialClient. I selected it and was able to successfully send a fax. So the problem appears solved but I don't know how or why.

James

[Zuul]

Just went out and bought an Apple USB modem to use in Parallels for some development work I'm doing. Then found out it doesn't work! :( Your workaround was a godsend - thank you!!

~ Dana

[bscholin]

I get all the way through this except for step 8. Actually, I get through step 8, but Windows says "Windows is unable to install the modem".

I have tried several times, and all looks good up to that point. But that's not a very informative dialog. Any ideas what might be going wrong? Thanks.

[munsongeek]

I've done this and it went very smooth. I was even able to connect and upload small data files to one of my vendors. Large files would bomb out about a quarter of the way through. My work requires me to connect to a BBS type system running WildCat software and upload data files daily.

After using it this way, tweaking and adjusting speed, flow, etc. I'm unable to get a dial tone any longer. Even if I try Hyperterminal. Any ideas?

[munsongeek]

I wanted to add too, that downloads seem fine. It is the uploads that give me "bad packet" errors. some of the time, the error correction will eventually get the job done, but it's rare.

[mattham]

Thanks for this tip.
I have previously just used usb/serial adaptors & standard serial modems with great success, but last week I needed to set a modem up for a customer on a laptop to be mobile. (hence a serial modem was a nightmare to carry around).
I can say that this system still works fine with the latest Version (4560).
And to any aussies out there that need to use National Online - it works fine with the latest version of that too (would not work with the old 4. versions tho - so you need to update to the latest version of NOL)
Thankyou again.

Regards Matt.

[pearlgirl]

So, I followed all the steps for my 3.0 Build 4128 (thank you very much BTW for all your hard hacking) and it all worked until I went to connect and I got an error 692, hardware failure in modem. Very sad. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

[sportbiker]

Has anyone tried this with 3.0? Did it work? Which build?

[harperb]

This worked great for me on Leopard + Parallels 3 build 5584. Thank you for sharing this.

Only question is, is there a way to have the SerialClient automatically connect on login/startup/etc?

[prin5e]

Hello Parallels Community,

Are there any other work-arounds that don't require such long procedures for which to explain to a customer who is running Parallels?

Currently the site for SerialClient is fully down: eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php (http://eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php) . I''ve been trying, for some time now, to locate the program but to no avail.

The closest I've gotten to it, has been to go to the WayBackMachine (http://www.archive.org/web/web.php) but when you download the software it does not mount. (Seems it was not able to archive it correctly). I've tried searching through VersionTracker (http://versiontracker.com/macosx/) and CNET Download.com (http://www.download.com/), but no luck.

Any suggestions would be extremely helpful as a lot of customers use Parallels.

Thank You.

[sportbiker]

I can't help with a shorter method, but if you want a copy of Serial Client let me know and I'll e you a copy.

[prin5e]

WOW. That would be kewl as it would be very helpful. Did it work for you btw? eMail to seventraincreator@gmail.com (mailto:seventraincreator@gmail.com)

[andejo13]

Thanks so much for doing this! I followed your clear directions and it worked for me right away. I hope the Parallels developers come up with a straightforward procedure, but until then your efforts are much appreciated.

One question: Can you advise on the settings I should use for baud rate, parity, etc?

[andejo13]

Well, I thought everything was working fine, but then found out I have a problem. I hope someone can help. I downloaded and setup the modem driver on my virtual PC okay, and tried to use the Fax4Word addin program (Windows only, unfortunately) so I can send bulk personalized faxes for my job.

Everything seems fine on my end, and the faxes are received at the other end, BUT the text is all scrunched up at the top. I'm no computer pro, so I don't know if this problem is related to Fax4Word or the modem/driver. I'm wondering if the driver script was written only for use as a dial-up connection to the internet, and if something needs to be changed in it so it also works for faxing.

I would really appreciate help/advice from anyone out there!

[Xenos]

Hello,

Andejo13, could you please make a scan of a fax with text scrunched up? This could help us to analyze the issue.

Best regards,
Xenos

[andejo13]

I have one ready. Can you tell me how to get it to you? I don't see how to attach a file here.

[Xenos]

If you click "Post Reply" button, you will see Attach Files option under the field for the text of reply.

Best regards,
Xenos

[andejo13]

I attached the scan although I'm not sure how helpful it will be. You really can't read anything. Thanks very much for trying to help me with this.

[Xenos]

Andejo13, I am sorry, could you also provide us with a scan of the text you tried to send by fax? We are going to analyze the issue profoundly and will be able to answer you in two days. Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Xenos

[andejo13]

I'm sorry, but the system is not letting me upload the file because it's too big. I tried to zip it, but it's still too big. Can I send it as an attachment to an email address?

I really appreciate all your efforts to solve this problem.

[JOHN3012]

Sportbiker, [or anyone else!] can you send me a copy of serial client? That would be a big help!

I'm struggling to get ACT! for Windows running in Parallels and getting ACT! to see the Apple USB Modem.

Thanks!

email@johnhaynes.com

[andejo13]

Hi John,
See if you can access the attached copy of SerialClient.
Andejo

[JOHN3012]

Thanks andejo!

[Xenos]

Hello,

Andejo13, I've sent you a letter on the e-mail you used to register on the forum. Please attach the scan when answering that e-mail.

Best regards,
Xenos

[JOHN3012]

I've just used the 10 step procedure so ably developed and generously shared by WTAP, using the copy of Serial Client kindly sent me by andejo13, to connect my copy of ACT! 10 for Windows XP to the Apple USB Modem for dialing my contact list.

It worked first time, flawlessly!

Thanks to the Parallels forum for this synergy.

[Xenos]

Hello,

JOHN3012, thanks for the good news.

Andejo13, please install Apple USB modem driver

1. Insert the original Leopard DVD into the DVD drive of the Mac. Connect the disk to the virtual machine by choosing the "Default CD/DVD" drive under the "Devices - DVD rom" menu.
2. Hold down the Shift key in order to disable the autorun option and stop the Boot Camp drivers automatic installation. If the Boot Camp window appears, click on the "Cancel" button to cancel the installation.
3. Open My Computer, right click on the Boot Camp DVD disk, choose the "Open" option, browse to the "Drivers-Apple" folder.
4. Double click on the Apple USB modem driver EXE file and let it install.

Best regards,
Xenos

[Ned]

Hi

Thanks. But I tried a dozen time and can't get beyond Step 7. Each time I click on CONNECT the BUTTON flickers and then goes back to CONNECT again. No poroblem up until then. I went ahead anyway to see what would happen and in STEP 8 after clicking HAVE DISK button Windows XP VM was unable to loacte the .inf file even though it was on the desktop.

[Ned]

Right. I had the same exact problem. Still awaiting an answer. My Mac Ext Modem is connected; I use IMac 10.4 and Windows XP. I've gone through those ten steps a dozen times for a nearly a year and still can't get Windows to locate my modem.

[Ned]

sportbiker:

I'd really appreciate a copy of that serial client file also.
Much thanks,
nedburke@earthlink.net

[gfs]

I made several attempts to use a modem directly with Windows XP and Parallels on the Mac.

Was skeptical about this tip, but the instructions are excellent and it worked like a charm.

Thanks.

[gfs]

Like others here, I was able to get windows to dial out and even -try- to send a fax. BUT, it isn't able to send a complete fax page. It seems that by eliminating the hardware/software control parameters in the initialization file, larger uploads (like a fax) get truncated each page. I wish I knew how to put those parameters back into the .inf file, but I was unsuccessful in copying the right string from a windows modem into the modified Apple driver posted on this forum. Close to a solution but no cigar.

[andejo13]

Xenos,
I am not using Leopard -- I have Tiger 10.4.11. Do I need to upgrade to Leopard for your solution to work?
Thanks, Andejo13

[Xenos]

Hello,

Andejo13, you don't need Leopard as Host OS to follow the instructions because you are going to install the driver on your Guest OS. Leopard disk in this case is the data storage were you can get the driver.

Best regards,
Xenos

[andejo13]

Sorry to be dense here, but I don't understand your reply. Where do I get the driver?? If not the Leopard disk...what kind of data storage are you talking about?

[Xenos]

Hello Andejo13,

You should find Leopard disk somewhere - not to install the OS, for drivers only. There is no other legal way to get Apple drivers.

Best regards,
Xenos

[JOHN3012]

Opps! Back on the 18th, my modem responded perfectly the first time after using the 8+ steps. Now after populating parallels with other programs, and importing a full set of data into ACT!, my modem now does not respond.

I get the immediate error message "A call could not be placed on the line. Please check the line is connected and valid."

I tried the usual Windows fix by uninstalling and re-installing the serial port using SerialClient to no avail. Device Manager shows the modem connected and working with no conflicts, altho a query to the modem gets no response ...

There are a lot of options to select for the modem; I've tried many in ignorance, none work. Is there a modem guru out there who can help? Is there a port that needs opening?

Port Speed - I've selected 19,200
Data Protocol - Standard EC - [or Forced EC - Disabled - Cellular]
Compression - Enabled - [or Disabled]
Flow Control - Hardware [or Xo/Xoff - None]

I think I've got these right:
Data Bits - 8
Parity - None
Stop bits - 1
Modulation - standard [or Non-standard Bell, HST]
Flow Control - None

[kitesurfer]

Hi,
I tried to follow your instructions, there are 10 files in drivers-apple but no usb-modem?

Is Leopard DVD, can you help me
Thanks

[Xenos]

Hello,

John, try the following:

1. In you Guest OS go to Parallels Desktop menu bar -> Devices and enable your modem;
2. Insert Leopard installation DVD in your Mac and stop installation process if it starts;
3. In Parallels Desktop menu bar -> Devices -> CD/DVD-Rom enable default CD-Rom and wait till drivers installation finishes.

Your modem is supposed to start working after this.

Kitesurfer, please install all BootCamp drivers the way suggested in steps 2 and 3 above.

Best regards,
Xenos

[norky]

I had success using the modem with serial client. I have also found the following :


1. Always connect your USB modem prior to installing / running serial client. It won't be in the list if SerialClient is run first.

2. It is important to have the VM up and running before running SerialClient. Just having parallels open with the VM either stopped or paused won't suffice. If the VM is not running, SerialClient would hang or when you hit Connect, the button would change to Disconnect then quickly back to Connect

[skierd]

Dose this work with build 5582 and Vista


How to use an Apple USB Modem under Parallels (Build 3188)
----------------------------------------------------------

Last Modified: 1st May 2007
By: Grant Bayley (gbayley at wiretapped net)

Introductory Notes:
-------------------

The Apple USB Modem is a Motorola SM56 'winmodem' device for which Apple
supplies Windows XP drivers through the BootCamp application. The problem
that users have found with this driver when used under Parallels during
the early months of 2007 is that performance is (at best) unreliable and
(at worst) unusable. Parallels users have therefore been effectively unable
to use Apple's USB modem in this environment for custom applications such
as dial-up banking services (such as National Online in Australia).

SerialClient was developed to 'pair up' with the ability of Parallels to
'connect' a COM port under Windows to a socket/stream/file under Mac OS X.
The 'pairing' is between this socket/stream/file and Mac OS X's IOKit drivers
for such things as the USB and Bluetooth modem(s).

The problem has been that from the Windows perspective, we just want the
'modem' to do nothing other than dial up - we don't want any diagnostics,
flow control settings, modem volume settings etc. We want Mac OS X to
do the 'heavy lifting'.

After a bit of fiddling around, I gutted an old Motorola INF file for a
ModemSURFR device, taking out basically all the initialisation strings
and settig them to null (so don't think there was any real brainpower
involved on my part). Sure enough, when I used this 'driver' to connect
up the 'modem' on COM1 that Parallels and SerialClient had provided,
it dialled and connected to the required dial-up service on the first try.

Instructions:
-------------

0) Download the INF file for the Apple USB modem here:
http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf

1) Make sure you're running Build 3188 of Parallels Desktop for Mac (or later)

2) Make sure you've downloaded the latest version of SerialClient from
the developer's website: http://eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php

3) In Parallels, stop your running VM and select Edit -> Virtual Machine.

4) At the bottom of the VM Configuration window, click Add. Select Serial
Port, click Next. Select Use a socket, click Next. The default socket
name of /tmp/serial is fine. Select the Server socket role on the pull-
down menu. Check the Connect the Serial Port at startup checkbox. Click
Finish.

5) Start your VM

6) In the Mac OS X environment, start SerialClient. Set the Stream Path to
be the same as the socket as in step 4 (typically /tmp/serial). Set the
Serial Port to be usbmodem. Set the other options to suit your requirements.

7) Click Connect in SerialClient. The button should now read Disconnect if
everything's working so far.

8) Back in the Windows XP environment in Parallels, go to the Phone and Modem
Options Control Panel. Set any required Area Code & Dialling Prefixes if
you're opening this for the first time. Click on the Modems tab at the top
and click Add at the bottom of this window. Check the Don't detect my modem
checkbox and click Next. Click the Have Disk button and locate the
Apple-USB-Modem.inf file supplied with this text file. From the Manufacturer
column select Apple Computer Inc. Select the Apple USB Modem (via SerialClient
& Parallels) model on the right hand side. Click Next. Highlight the COM1
port and click Next. Windows will have a whinge about this driver not having
passed Windows Logo testing. Click Continue and prepare for ultimate doom.
Once the modem is 'installed', click Finish.

9) Now, set up your dial-up connection in Network Connections in the regular
fashion.

10) Try getting your Network Connection to dial. You should hear the Mac
dialling on the PC's behalf and the connection should otherwise behave
normally.

Notes:
------

* This hack-up to get the USB modem to work will probably only be useful until
the Parallels developers give users the option to hook up PC COM ports directly
to Mac OS X IOKit devices. Once that happens and they provide a driver in
the Parallels Tools for things like the Apple USB Modem, this document will
be obsolete.

* As the developer of SerialClient notes, most of the settings for baud rates,
parity, flow control etc should be set in SerialClient rather than in Windows
in the Phone and Modem Options Control Panel.

* The way the 'driver' provided by the INF file is set up, none of the volume
control, flow control etc checkboxes & slider controls will have any effect
whatsoever - they've simply been negated for simplicity. I'm sure some smart
cookie could add some back in by digging up the SM56's command syntax, but
if they're not required, why bother?

Dedications:
------------

To Oxana and Red. Keep riding, keep smiling :)

[RonSue]

I am having the same problem. When I go to step 8 and enter the control panel,phone and modem option control panel, I then click the modem tab, I click the add button, then the don't detect my modem checkbox. I then click next and click the tab Have Disk button. It does not locate the Apple-USB-Modem.inf file even though it is loaded in the My Documents folder. I click on the My Documents folder and it is not there even though I can close out this portion and go back to My Documents folder and there it is. How did you solve this problem?

[John@Parallels]

Try to put it on dick c:

[RonSue]

Please see post #59 and tell me what I am doing wrong. By the way, I have put the inf. file on the desktop, in My Documents, and in the disk C folder and it still doesn't recognize it.

Ron

[John@Parallels]

Could you provide screenshots for disk c:, where file is located, and for error you are receiving?

[RonSue]

QUESTION #1 -I am not real computer savy. How do I provide you with a screenshot of my C drive.
QUESTION #2 - The Apple-USB-Modem.inf file is located on the desktop.
QUESTION #3 - No error message occurs. In step number 8, when I go to the PHONE/MODEM panel in control panel and then hit the modem tab, as directed I push the tab for HAVE DISK. It asks for its location. It will not show that I have that file anywheres on my computer. It simply does not locate it. Thus, the file is not recognized.

[John@Parallels]

1. Action -Make ScreenShot
2. I asked to put on disk c:

[RonSue]

I have taken a screenshot of my C drive. Then pasted it onto my desktop. I came in to reply to your message and tried to add it as an attachment. But it would not attach. Suggestion?

Ron

[RonSue]

Hello
Figured out a way to send the screenshot to you. Is this what you needed. I have sent it as an attachment.

Ron

[John@Parallels]

Thank you, something is incorrect, I can see that extension of file is not inf, even you can see it ends with inf
Make sure that you cleared Hide extension for known file types
in Tools -Options - View
in My Computer,
You will see txt extension added to this file

[RonSue]

Hello
You wrote
Make sure that you cleared Hide extension for known file types
in Tools -Options - View
in My Computer,
You will txt extension added to this file

I did this but it still does not find it. I have also included an attachment with the screenshot to show what I did.

Ron

[John@Parallels]

How that file is sown now on disk c: - it should change its icon

[ictms-erik]

How does this relate to parallels desktop version 4.0? Is the external Apple USB Modem natively supported or do we still have to use the SerialClient workaround?

Erik

[John@Parallels]

What do you mean Parallels Desktop version 4, there were problem with file extensions

[ictms-erik]

Since I received this message in my inbox I am assuming that version 4.0 is released....:-) I was wondering if the modem problem still exist in this new version. Although the workaround with SerialClient works, I would like to know if it is now natively supported within parallels

[John@Parallels]

Apple USB modem doesn't have support for Windows, I am not sure , why do you think Apple should create drivers for Windows?

[ictms-erik]

I was talking about the SerialClient workaround, not about the drivers... You have to connect the com port to /tmp/serial and start SerialClient on OSX and connect before you can address the modem in Windows. This is what I thought this thread was about. I was hoping SerialClient was not needed anymore in version 4.0

[John@Parallels]

I understand that, but serial client workaround addresses problem with missing drivers for Apple modem for Windows

[ictms-erik]

Hi John,

does this mean that other modems do work? If so please provide a modem type and manufacturer that will work from a windows guest OS on a Apple iMac.

[John@Parallels]

There are too many modem manufacturers, it is hard to test every model
We constantly collect information from users.

[ictms-erik]

Just one would do... the solution with the apple modem and serial client is not considered as a problem free setup. We need to fix this or the Mac will learn how to fly... :-)

[Julio]

I can`t open http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf to download the INF file for the Apple USB modem.
Can you help me
I´m from spain
Thanks
Julio

[Julio]

can you send me the INF file for the Apple USB modem?
I´m from Spain
e-mail: najdosky@gmail.com
Thanks
Julio

[samvenning]

I am also trying to get the Apple USB Modem working with Parallels 4 (Build 4.0.3810.351321) and Microsoft Windows XP Pro. I'm not having much luck. Grant Bayley's skeleton INF file is no longer available at:

http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf

Parallels support hasn't yet been able to offer a solution.

[Eric Tu]

my email is

erictu@hotmail.com

can someone please email me the apple usb modem inf file.

much appreciated!!!

Regards,

Eric

[Roger Miller]

Has the INF file been removed from the following location? http://www.wiretapped.net/~gbayley/apple-usb-modem.inf
If so, is it available somewhere else?