Dial-Up Modem Problems
Hundreds of modems are
available on the market, all with their own peculiarities and idiosyncrasies.
Some modems can present a challenge for the user. You will find that in order
for the modem to perform correctly both modem hardware and modem software - the
driver - need to be setup and configured properly.
This page will give you a
list of factors that can affect the performance of your modem and things that
you can do to improve your connection.
http://www.56k.com/trouble/#disconn
Buying a
modem
Installing a modem
Protecting your modem
Modems and Call Waiting
Connection Error - No dial tone
Connection Error - Modem is busy or not responding
Buying a modem
Most of the time this rule will apply: "you get what you pay for". There are
good and bad modems and the performance will vary between them. Every couple of
months you will find a modem review in one of the Computer Magazines. They are
reliable tests that compare the performance of the common modems.
ZDNET Modem Reviews and
CNET Modem Reviews are two good online sources.
Installing a modem
When you install a modem make sure you install it with the shipped,
correct modem driver. How your modem is installed will affect its performance.
You can follow instructions on the correct installation procedure from your
modem manual. Please note that the connect speed between your modem and your
computer needs to be at least double the speed at which you want your modem to
run. Set the port speed in the modem properties to 115200. If you are running
standard win95 modem driver, you will not be able to do that. You should
download a new driver update for your modem from the Internet. Look for the web
site of the modem manufacturer, it should be included in your manual. If it is
not, use a search engine to find it.
Protecting your modem
Your modem is one of the most delicate parts of your computer. Any electrical
surge can cause it to malfunction or not work at all. It is especially
susceptible to lightning. To fully protect your modem you need a special surge
protector. It protects the phone line as well as your modem power supply and
power supply for your computer. Visit a local computer store to purchase one.
Otherwise you will need to make sure that both power and phone line are
unplugged from the modem when you are not using it. Though a surge protector
can help protect your modem and computer system to some extent during a thunder
storm, it is not full proof. During a thunder storm, you should make sure that
both the power and phone lines are unplugged from the modem and computer
regardless of whether you have a surge protector installed.
Modems and Call Waiting
If your modem disconnects
you unexpectedly, you may have call waiting turned on. If a call comes through
with call waiting enabled, your modem will usually drop the connection. To
disable call waiting on your modem click the Start button and choose
Settings and then choose Control Panel. In Control Panel,
double click the Modem icon. In Modems Properties, put a check in
the box beside "To disable call waiting dial:" and type *70 in the white
box on that line.
Many of today's modems can
recover from significant line noise hits - including the call waiting tone that
you may get if you have the call waiting feature on your line. If you have call
waiting, in most areas, you are able to disable it prior to placing a call by
dialing a code (usually *70) before dialing your ISP's number. If a person tries
to call you while you are on the net, they will get a busy signal. If you don't
disable call waiting and your modem doesn't disconnect on the call waiting tone,
the caller will hear your phone ringing and ringing and ringing. You might be
able to get your modem to disconnect on call waiting tone by lowering the modems
disconnect on loss of carrier register. Consult your modem documentation for the
register and values. The process is not a simple one and varies according to the
modem used. You will most likely have to pay a computer technician to make the
changes.
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Modem Speed Issues
First, static electricity caused by radio signals, power lines, and other
sources interfere with most 56K modem signals, forcing them to fall back to
42-50Kbps. Other devices on the phone line or devices the phone line runs
through (like splitters) can slow down your connection speed. 56K modems also
require a clean, straight through telephone connection to the telephone
company's central office switching center. Phone company PBX switchboard systems
and other phone equipment can alter the phone signal and force 56K modems to
fall back in speed. Finally, the FCC doesn't allow 56K modems to use the full
range of signals that phone company equipment can generate. They're concerned
that it'll cause static interference to other phone lines. So no 56K modem in
the United States ever connects at 56K. Most 56K modem users seem to connect at
speeds of 44-48Kbps.
Second, you must look at
how bandwidth or modem speed is measured. Much of the confusion in about
bandwidth speed comes down to how we "count" file sizes and
transmission rates. File sizes are measured in "K" for Kilobytes. A
Kilobyte (abbreviated either K or KB) is comprised of one thousand bytes, a byte
is comprised of eight bits, a bit (short for "binary digit") is the smallest
unit of measure of file size (literally a 1 or 0 in binary code).
Transmission rates are measured in the number of bits that we can send
through a network within a given period of time. Now that we can send thousands
of bits per second through a phone wire we measure transmission rates in
kilobits per second, or thousand-bits per second. You may see this abbreviated
kbps or Kbps. Transmission rates are measured in kilobits (not Kilobytes) per
second. Since there are eight bits per byte that means you are getting eight
times less data pushed through the network than you might have thought. In other
words a 56k modem (more precisely a 56kbps modem) is moving only 7 Kilobytes of
data every second (56,000 bits = 7,000 bytes). That means a 56Kbps modem can
only move 7K of data per second.
Your modem connection
shows some huge amount like 115200 - what's happening?
Your modem has been setup to show the port speed, which can be changed in modem
properties on your system. It is reporting the speed between your modem and your
computer instead of the speed between your modem and the ISP. To show the actual
connection speed add w2 to your initialization string.
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Connection Error - no dial tone
If your modem cannot recognize the dial tone, test the line to make sure that
the phone line is working by plugging a telephone into the same socket and
making a call. Make sure that the phone line is plugged into the correct jack on
the modem (usually: "Line"). Unplug and plug the phone line in again to ensure
you have a good connection. If the modem is external, make sure it is turned on.
Verify that the "Wait for
dial tone before dialing" option is enabled. To do this, click Start,
then Settings, and then Control Panel. Double-click Modems.
Click your modem, and then click Properties. Click the Connection
tab. Select the Wait for dial tone before dialing check box. Click OK,
click Close, and then close the Control Panel.
Adding commas (which
causes pauses before dialing) in front of the number you are dialing can
sometimes help. Open up the dial-up networking icon for your connection and add
two or three commas in front of the phone number.
If these steps do not
adequately resolve the issue, the computer manufacturer, or the modem
manufacturer may be able to provide further assistance. Also, consider replacing
the phone cord itself or having the line or phone jack checked. Less experienced
users should contact the technical support number for their computer or enlist
the help of a computer technician.
Connection Error - modem is busy
or not responding
This error usually occurs
when the modem settings are incorrect. Either the modem settings are in conflict
with another device, the registry contains incorrect or damaged communications
settings, or the modem is being controlled by another communications program.
Less experienced users should contact the technical support number for their
computer or enlist the help of a computer technician.
Advance users can find more
information in this
microsoft support article.
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Modem Disconnect Troubleshooting
Modem
drop-offs are the most common problem associated with modem usage. Some Internet
service providers who offer "unlimited" access will kick you off after your
account has been inactive for a certain amount of time. This is not our
practice. There can be a lot of reasons for the
drop-offs. From noise on the line to some settings on your computer. Below you
will find some tips that can help reduce the problem and hopefully fix it.
Your modem
hangs up every 5 to 20 minutes
Your modem disconnects unexpectedly
Your modem hangs up while downloading a file or recieving
email
Your modem hangs up after sending and recieving email
Your modem hangs up every 5 to 20 minutes
Most problems relating to unwanted disconnection from the Internet are
caused by a device attached to your phone line. Many devices including faxes,
phones, answering machines and Caller ID boxes use the phone line to power
memory features. This can cause the line voltage on your phone line to drop and,
thereby, disconnect you from the Internet.
To isolate the cause of
the interference:
- Unplug all devices (all
phones, faxes, caller ID boxes, answering machines, etc.) on all outlets in
your house except your PC.
- Connect to the Internet
and see if you continue to get disconnected.
- If the problem
continues, contact repair.
- If you do not get
disconnected, the problem is one of the devices you have attached to your
phone service.
- Reattach one device,
then connect to the Internet and see if the problem returns.
- Continue reattaching
one device at a time, testing your internet connection each time, until the
problem returns.
The
problem is with the last device you attached before the problem returned
Choices
for solving the problem
Once you have
located the device causing disconnection from the Internet, there are only three
ways to fix the problem:
- Purchase another line
and put only the problem device or your computer on that line.
- Unplug the problem
device from the outlet each time you access the Internet
- Replace the problem
device by purchasing a similar device making sure to refer to the technical
specification documentation of the device to ensure the device does not pull
power from the phone outlet.
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Your modem hangs up
while downloading a file or recieving email
This usually occurs as a
result of your Internet settings.
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Your modem hangs up
after sending and recieving email
This usually occurs as a
result of your email option settings.
Your modem disconnects unexpectedly
You may have call waiting turned on. If a call comes through with call waiting
enabled, your modem will usually drop the connection. To disable call waiting on
your modem
Telephone double adaptors
and very long extension cables can cause drop-offs. If you are getting poor
performance from the modem and a lot of drop-offs, buy a new phone cable that is
no more than seven foot long. Try plugging the modem directly into the phone
line with no other devices attached anywhere in the house. It might make a
difference.
The modem can also affect
the the quality of your connection. Most of the time this rule will apply: "you
get what you pay for". There are good and bad modems and the performance will
vary between them. Having a high quality modem and updating your firmware and/or
drivers regularly can improve the quality of your connection.
If you have a burglar
alarm which automatically dials and transmits data, this will affect your line
quality. Ensure your modem communications are not carried out during alarms
communication cycle.
Actually, anything
electric can cause interference with your modem. Check what is turned on that is
in close proximity of the phone line/modem. Things you might want to watch out
for are TV's, radios, microwave, refrigerator (especially when it cycles on and
off), washing machine going in to a spin cycle, air-conditioning cycles etc. Do
you get a better connection when those things are off or on another power
circuit? Try a surge protector. It protects the phone line as well as your modem
power supply and power supply for your computer. Visit a local computer store to
purchase one.
Other things that can
create problems with modem drop-offs are the phone lines. Especially if the
problem becomes more apparent when it is raining. Loose or old line wiring, poor
splices or taps, or loose connections to outlets anywhere in the house can cause
problems. Any connection to ground will cause a hum.
For ways to improve the quality of
your Internet connection
change disconnect settings for internet explorer
Disconnect settings in
Internet Exlporer can cause your computer to experience frequent disconnects
when downloading large files or downloading email. To prevent this from
happening, follow the instructions below:
-
Click the Start
button then choose Settings then Control Panel
-
Double click Internet
Options icon and Click Connection tab to continue.
-
Click wmd under Dial-up Setting and then click the Settings button to
continue.
- click the Advanced button to continue.
Makes sure "Disconnect
if idle for" is not checked. To exit, click OK until you return to Control
Panel, then close the control panel to return to your desktop.
change disconnect settings for outlook express
- Open Outlook Express.
- Select the Tool
pull-down menu.
- Go to Options
- Choose the
Connections tab.
- Make sure that
Hang up after sending and receiving is not ticked, unless you want to
disconnect from internet everytime you check or send email.
- Click OK to
finish
change disconnection settings in eudora
- Choose The Tools
pull-down menu, then choose Options.
- Choose the Internet
Dialup icon on the left. Make sure that Hang up after sending and
receiving is not ticked, unless you want to disconnect from internet
everytime you check or send email. Close connection on Exit will
disconnect you from the Internet when you close Eudora.
- Choose the OK
button to finish
How to
Improve Your Internet Connection
Preliminary Measures
Minimize other equipment - Make sure your modem is plugged directly into a
wall jack, and is not going through any phone splitters or other phone equipment
such as answering machines or fax machines. Splitters and other phone equipment
have a tendency to add noise to the line, which will reduce the connection
speed.
Buy a New Telephone
Cord - Old or
damaged phone cords can reduce signal strength and quality, thereby contributing
to slower connection speeds. Also, make sure that the cable you are using to
connect your modem to the jack is as short as possible - the longer the cable,
the more susceptible it is to noise and data transmission problems.
Upgrade Your Modem
- Updating your firmware and/or drivers regularly can improve the quality of
your connection. Modem manufacturers are constantly improving their technology
and pass that on to the consumer through firmware and drivers. Upgrading your
modem can fix bugs that the manufacturer found with their product after it was
put on the market, compatibility
with new technologies, as
well as increase the stability and speed of your Internet connection.
Upgrades for modem drivers and firmware can usually be found on your modem
manufacturer's web sites, and are available free of charge.
Less experience users should
contact the technical support number for their computer or enlist the help of a
computer technician. Advance users can find more information at
56k.com
or the computer/modem
manufacturers web site..
Try a direct connection - If you do not see any improvements with the above
steps, you may want to try plugging your modem directly into your main phone
jack, which is wired directly into your home or office from the phone company's
wiring box. This jack is usually found in the telephone wiring box outside of
your home or office. If you are unable to achieve decent speeds while plugged
directly into this jack, then the issue is with your phone line leading back to
the switching station. If you are, in fact, able to achieve a higher speed while
plugged into this jack, but are unable to receive this speed from the jack where
your computer is usually plugged in, then this means it is an issue with that
particular jack in you home or office.
To Ensure Data Quality
Lines
If we are unable to find a
problem with your telephone line, you are left with the following choices to
improve your connection:
Buy a
New Modem - Most
of the time the rule will applies: "you get what you pay for". There are good
and bad modems and the performance will vary between them. Every couple of
months you will find a modem review in one of the Computer Magazines. They are
reliable tests that compare the performance of the common modems.
ZDNET Modem Reviews and
CNET Modem Reviews are two good online sources.
Use
Data Quality Cabling