Vista uses wrong modem

I keep having this problem with my WWAN connection: I try and connect but it fails. Then I check the properties of the connection and Vista has substituted the wrong modem.

I assume that this is because it is not recognizing the WWAN modem in the Express Card slot. This is a recent behavior though - it used to always recognize it.

So if I reboot then Vista will recognize the Express Card modem and everything works.

But this is getting annoying having to reboot while trying to use the connection on the train.

I am also having trouble with Vista sometimes failing to recognize USB devices, but having no problem recognizing them after a fresh reboot.

I suspect that if the laptop has a sleep, then this can cause the problem. Sometimes the laptop does not wake up from sleep. I suppose sometimes it doesn't completely wake up.

I have disabled the internal modem (which is never used under any circumstances) but that doesn't stop Vista from substituting this useless modem when it wants to ignore the correct Express Card modem.

 

How did you disable the internal modem?

Try disabling it in Device Manager, if you haven't disabled it there.