My cd/dvd drawer is stuck on my work modem. I have tried the paperclip in the little hole under drawer but it still will not work

Is it stuck open or closed?

For stuck closed, the hole is for opening the tray. Depending on the drive, a good amount of force may be needed to pop the tray out enough to pull on it. The paperclip pushes on a lever in the tray mechanism. It also helps if the computer (modem?) is off so nothing has the drive in use.

Stuck open is typically the result of the tray being handled roughly and traveling past a stop or a damaged or slipped tray mechanism. Often the drive has to be disassembled to reinstall the tray, however some trays can be reinstalled with a bit of dexterity and long pointy tools.