Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!homxb!homxc!rps
From: rps@homxc.UUCP (R.SHARPLES)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Com3 and Com4
Summary: Question about com3 and com4
Message-ID: <4256@homxc.UUCP>
Date: 17 Nov 88 22:19:58 GMT
References: <2677@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> <10569@s.ms.uky.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 23


> [much discussion about how to talk to com3 and com4]

I have a different question about COM3 and COM4: 
I have a PC's Limited 386 with a modem and a serial card that provides
two serial ports.  The card can be configured as COM 1&2, 2&3 or 3&4.
The modem can be configured as COM 1, 2, 3 or 4.  The way I have it set
up is the modem is COM1, and the serial ports are COM2 & 3.  I have 
MS-DOS 3.3 and the instructions for the MODE command specifically mention
that you can specify COMn as a device with n = {1,2,3,4}.  However, 
MODE COM3:96<cr> results in the message "invalid parameters".  The command
MODE COM4:96<cr> produces "invalid parameter 'com4'".  The MODE command works
fine with COM1 and COM2.  Software that uses the respective COM ports works 
fine.  So what is with the MODE command and COM3?  

Russ Sharples
homxc!rps

NOTE:

The above in NO WAY reflects the opinions of AT&T.
These opinions are my own and the results of un-scientific and 
highly irregular analysis methods.