Do you have a simple basic wired handset telephone available?

If so, plug the same cable you would plug into the laptop, into the telephone. Pick it up - do you hear a dial tone?

If not, work your way back by using another telephone-to-wall jack cable. Try other jacks in the house and note the results.

Still no tone, or only on some jacks, and your normal telephone works? Then you have in-home telephone wiring problems and may need to call someone - and it doesn't have to be the telephone company.

If you hear a lot of static during the tests, you may also wish to check the NID (network interface device) where you can unplug your house wiring (it uses a standard telephone jack/plug) and connect directly to the telephone company wiring.

Static and noise can sometimes cause a modem to report "no dial tone" errors.

Sometimes, simply unplugging and reinstalling, can clean up oxidized connectors which could be a cause of static/noise.

The NID is the gray box usually mounted on the outside of the house and is where the telephone company wiring ends, and your in-home wiring begins. If you do have static/noise when plugged into the NID, however, then it's a telephone company problem and you should contact them.

Sorry It is a Sony VAIO laptop

I have tried every phone jack, including the one outside in the box. I can hear static before dialing. All the jacks have a dial tone. I am connected to the net on the desktop and I can get and send mail, no problem.

I am trying to find out if the problem could be IN the laptop or with the server. I have a USB external modem and still no dial tone when I try to connect to juno on the laptop