Before running the MCT you must have two computers, preferably 486/50 or higher. The computers must have 16550 UARTs installed for high speed modem testing with external modems. Internal modems typically have 16550 UARTs present as part of the modem design. If in doubt, check using the Microsoft MSD utility.
A good slave modem is necessary and must have a verified and tested INF file itself. Any brand slave modem will work. Generally select any good quality 28.8 VFC or V.34 modem. The remote modem must have error control and compression capabilities and complete responses for states such as compression and error correction. If any modems to be tested have cellular capabilities, the slave modem must also have cellular capabilities. A good way to find a slave modem is obtain two identical 28.8 modems and write an INF and then run the MCT test between those two identical modems until all MCT tests pass. This provides a slave modem which is a reference against which other modems are tested.
Before running MCT, enable the modem event logging feature. See Full Debugging of a Modem INF File Using Modem Event Logs for instructions for enabling the logging feature and interpreting the log file your MCT session generates. The modem event log file in named MODEMLOG.TXT and is saved in the WINDOWS subdirectory. You may want to write a batch file that automatically opens MODEMLOG.TXT after each MCT run.
Before running MCT, you should also run a quick check to make sure modem is working:
1. Open a Command Prompt window (DOS box).
2. Type "ECHO ATDT 123456 >COMx" (without the quotes), where x is the number of the communication port the modem is associated with.
3. Listen for modem activity.
Windows 95 uses a database index to track INF files, storing the index in .BIN files in the \WINDOWS\INF directory. If you make changes to an INF during testing, you may need to delete all existing .BIN files, then delete and reinstall the modem so that the index is rewritten and the MCT uses your new INF file. Usually this is rarely necessary since Windows 95 detects any changes to available INF structures and presents a "gas gauge" as the INF database is rebuilt.
Because high speed responses may not be thoroughly documented for all modems, you may need to test for a variety of subtle responses using several types of high-end modems as remote slaves. An easy way to do this is set up two computers as slaves with one having a V.34 modem as slave and one having a VFC modem as slave. Have your master modem call the V.34 modem and note responses. Then change the phone number on the master and call the VFC slave modem to check for other responses.
Useful testing tools to drag and drop onto the start menu button (right click and drag) or onto the desktop of an MCT test computer are: