Connection Problems
A connection issue is one related to the process of your computer accessing the
Internet in general, whether it be with a modem or high-speed Internet device.
You may try the solutions listed below before contacting Internet support.
Most Commonly, Line Noise: Most often this is a phone line noise problem
that can often be coupled with a poor modem quality. Some areas seem to be
affected more than others. Generally the farther out from town you
live, the greater the difficulty.
Poor line connection: A poor connection or an inline device, such as a
voice phone, fax, or answering machine can cause a minor fluctuation in the phone
line signal which might cause your connection to drop.
Incorrect installation (software): Sometimes the wrong drivers can affect
modem performance. Verify that the correct drivers are installed, or even try a
different driver to see if it improves connection performance.
Solutions:
- Eliminate possible failure points.
Although it may seem futile, you should at least attempt to eliminate the
possible connection failure points between your computer and your phone line.
Eliminate all other
devices between your computer and the phone jack. This includes answering
machines, caller ID boxes, fax machines, and even voice telephones.
The number and quality of phones using your phone line can also adversely affect your
connection quality. The number of telephones hooked up on the same line has some effect
on the overall quality of your phone line. For the purpose of your test,
temporarily unplug all other phones using the same phone line as your modem.
If there is no improvement after isolation your modem, it is probably something else.
- Faulty modem
Although we cannot
endorse a particular brand of modem, quality modems are inexpensive now that
you may want to buy a new one if your modem quality is in question. Contact our
support department if you suspect
you may have a poor modem.
- Incorrect modem install.
If you have a modem that requires the correct drivers to operate correctly and you
are using a generic modem driver, this can adversely affect performance. Try
reinstalling the modem or using a different driver to see if this helps your
connection problems. If you are uncomfortable with this procedure, our
support department will
gladly assist you in checking your modem drivers.
- Change connection speed.
If you have eliminated failure points and modem faults from the equation.
The best you can do is to attempt to stabilize
your connection by reducing the actual connection rate.
Although this sounds like a sacrifice, a slower connection will actually increase
your data transfer. The slower your connection rate, the easier it is for you modem to cut
through the noise and the more stable your connection will be. A stable connection
at 26.4 will almost always send data faster than an unstable connection at
33.6 because there is no corruption.
In Windows 95-98, the modem can be forced to a slower speed by:
- Select "Start", then "Control Panel,"
- Double-Click the "modem" control panel
- Select the "Properties" (not Dialing Properties) button
- At the bottom of this box you will see a drop-down list for your connection speed,
probably set to 115,000 or 57,600. Select the next lowest speed (probably 38400).
- Click OK, then click OK again, and try connecting.
If the problem persists, try reducing the connection speed again and again until
your connection stabilizes. If you go as low as 14400 and still have connection
drops, please contact our support department,
as we may need to provide you with special modem initialization strings to
force your modem to a slower speed or there is something else wrong.
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