Frequently Asked Questions about Minicom:

Q1: Why does my modem respond so SLOWLY to everything I type? Even the init
string seems to pause for seconds between each character.

A1: This is not actually a Minicom problem, but a hardware problem.  You
have an interrupt conflict in your computer. That means, some other device
is using the same IRQ as your modem. This happens quite often if you have
an internal modem set up as /dev/ttyS2 or /dev/ttyS3 (also known as com3 or
com4 on some other operating systems). By default, /dev/ttyS0 and
/dev/ttyS2 (or com1 and com3) use IRQ 4 and /dev/ttyS1 and /dev/ttyS3 (or
com2 and com4) use IRQ 3. So, if you have an internal modem, disable the
serial port using the same irq on your motherboard or i/o card (check the
motherboard manual), or change one of the ports to use some other irq
(probably with the setserial command in /etc/rc.d/rc.local or some other
bootup script).

Q2: When I try dialing out, minicom just says "you are already online" and
refuses to dial. Why does it do that and what should I do?

A2: Since version 1.82, Minicom doesn't begin dialing if the modem says that
you are online by keeping the carrier signal on.
Maybe your modem always keeps the carrier signal on. Consult the manual of
your modem for the right command to use the carrier signal properly.
On my modem, the command would be at&c1 but it may be different in your
modem. Save the changed modem settings or add &c1 (or whatever it is) to
your init string. 
If your modem is broken and can't handle the carrier signal, you may set
minicom to ignore DCD by going to the "modem and dialing" settings and
turning off the "Modem has DCD line" setting.