I am very confused here - your subject says the modem is a Xircom Realport combo, your post calls it a 3Com Actiontec combo.  That is three different modem models by three different makers.  Please clarify.

Figured it out shortly after my posts!  Have an 8200 flashed to M50 for use with docking station...all the amenities of a loaded 8200 including the Actiontec/3Com Combo mini-pci modem/nic.  Added the Xircom modem for use with Linux as the Actiontec Md560 0RD (?) is a winmodem.  Would have to buy drivers to support it from Linuxant...Debian...Militarily Free....  Anyway solved problem by changing the interrrupts when docked...from 7 to 10.  The modem section in the device manager had  originally the dreaded exclamation (!) when undocked.  HMMMMMMMMMM.  But anyway...Now the modem in the Xircom works flawlessly in both OS's...Windows Home, Pro, Knoppix, Debian Sid, and SuSe 8.2

 

Also added a flash rom update that sped connection speeds up.  Not quite as fast as the Actiontec on good days but a back up for Linux when I'm not broadbanding it or at the university on a T1.

Thanx though!!!!!!!  Dell Posters are great!!!!!!

 

Just so you know for the future, the 8200 doesn't have the modem and NIC as a mini-pci card, but the modem is a daughter card off the motherboard and the 3Com NIC is a chipset on the motherboard.  The mini-pci slot in the 8200 is for a wireless solution.  Glad you got it figured out.