Modem diagnostics

[arcee]

I have been having occasions where I get dropped from Internet within minutes or even seconds of being signed on. Then -- later, such as now -- I seem to have no trouble at all staying on. During the bad times, the browsing is very sluggish before I am dropped. Question -- Could this simply be telephone line congestion at times? (I use dialup.) Does weather have anything to do with it? -- I thought I should check my modem, and am wondering if there are any good freebies out there for modem diagnostics. With a search, I did find a couple interesting sites which have such software -- although it didn't seem free. www.troubleshooters.com www.modemdoctor.com
Would much appreciate help with my general questions as well as with the one about modem diagnostic software.

Thanks.

[ironside]

hi arcee
I have had similar problems when I was using dial up,It was one of the main reasons I got a cable connection.
Here where I live, every time it rains I couldn't get on line,our phone service got so bad that we couldn't hear when anyone called because of static,after numerous calls to our phone company we just could not get them to fix it.
could you tell us what kind of modem you have, How ever you could always try to change the set up modem string and see if it would help.
a good default string is at&f&c1&d2^m this Command will work on most modems

[tramtwo]

I have found that these so called helper apps do not help. The best thing to do if you find slugish performance is to disconnect and try again. There is a setting that you can change that may help a bit.

Start>>Settings>>Control Panel>Modems
Click on Properties and then Connections and then Port Settings. Slide the top adjustment one space to the left and click OK OK and Close. You may also want to check for updated drivers/firmware for your modem.

This is a great sight to have a look around for tips and driver information. http://56k.com

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[This message has been edited by tramtwo (edited 09 November 2000).]

[The Geeq]

This is the most common issue dealing with dial-up modems. Bottom line the #1 cause for this problem is: LINE NOISE! That would be static, radio waves, etc that will be there no matter where you are but sometimes some areas have some really crappy lines in the area and that will do it. There are ways around it by lowering the modem speem using an init string Check modemhelp.org for a init string for your specific modem. But first have your ISP check the access number to make sure it is not congested. Also make sure (this would be the last thing I would do) is reinstall the drivers for the modem to rule out that. Anything else would be a telephone company issue my friend!

[Junky]

LINE NOISE!

Just to add. I have used several different types and kinds of analog modems. I have found that the USRobotics/3Com ISA modem are the most resistant to line noise. This modem puts up with a lot of garbage and stays connected. The PCI PnP USR and 3Com aren't bad either. But the ISA is the strongest.