I have recently been having a problem with my PCs that I hope that
someone can help me with.

The PC that I use for the Internet encountered a dialler that tried to
install itself from the Internet. The dialler wouldn't let me refuse
to install it and so I therefore pulled the plug and broke the
connection. Unfortunately, the PC kept locking up after that. Only
after cleaning the system of all of the dead files and running
anti-viral software, did I manage to get it to work properly. However,
when I plugged the dial-up cable from the phone socket into the back
of the PC, every telephone in the house started to ring.

Although this could have suggested that I had too many phones tied
into the system and a REN problem, I suspected the modem settings (as
the PC had worked without a problem before in exactly the same
configuration for well over a year).

As much as I tried playing with the Internet and modem settings,
plugging in the cable continued to make all of the phones ring (even
with the PC switched off). When I switched the PC on and tried to make
the Internet connection, the machine kept telling me that it either
couldn't detect the modem, or a connection. The windows control panel
however, confirmed that the modem was properly installed.

I contacted my ISP and they advised me to re-install the software and
insisted that if this didn't work I had a problem with the telephone
line, or the modem, rather than their software. I tried installing the
same software on a separate PC and the same thing happened again. All
of this rather pointed to the phone line, but the telephones in the
house and my answering machine are all working properly.

I simply cannot figure what is happening. Can anyone offer some
assistance?

Regards

WAL