Modem Connections, Problems, and Solutions by Myrddin

When your computer dials the Internet, your computer makes a normal telephone call, just like you would. Once our system picks up the phone, the two modems, yours and ours, begin what 'negotiating' the line speed. This is what you hear when it does all the screeches and hissing. Negotiation is where the modems talk faster and faster to each other, to see how fast they can go and still understand what the other says. Once the negotiation is done, your computer sends the username and password, and if they are correct you are connected to the Internet.

The negotiation step can also occur in the middle of a call, if the modems are having trouble hearing each other. This is known as a 'retrain', and while it happens your Internet connection goes nowhere for 30-60 seconds. You cannot hear retrains unless you listen in on another phone... they sound the same as the dialup negotiation step though. If a retrain fails, the line will disconnect, dumping the call completely. Retrains in the middle of a call also mean that the speed your modem reports is no longer accurate... your connection could change speed mid-call, and you would not know.

Problems with a connection can be caused by many things:

Connection issues can result in slow speeds, lost connections, difficulties dialing up, or times when you are connected but cannot go anywhere. Unfortunately, most of these problems can ALSO be caused by software issues too... problems with Windows or the programs on it. This can make it difficult to tell whether it is a phone problem or not. Unfortunately, the phone companies only guarentee a line good enough to make a 14.4 speed connection... if you are only getting a connection of 24, the phone company will do little for you.

A first step to fixing connection problems is making sure you HAVE a connection problem. Using Dotnet's speed test will tell you exactly how fast your connection is going. Run it a few times to get an average result. A normal quality modem connection should get between 20 and 40 kilobits per second (kbps). Connections slower than 20kbps will feel sluggish, and connections slower than 10kbps will be nearly unusable. If your speed is above 40kbps, but the Internet still feels sluggish, then it may not be a connection issue. Check out the Old Computer or Spyware sections for other reasons your connection could feel slow.

One of the easiest and most effective (but not the cheapest) thing you can do to improve your connection is to get a better modem. Chances are, your computer contains the cheapest modem the manufacturer could get away with. Due to market pressures, modems have not improved in the past 5 years... in fact, they have gotten worse. The best modems are no longer even made... you can only buy them used from eBay. Used US Robotics Courier modems usually sell for $20 to $40, and are the best way I know of to dial up to the Internet. Of the many customers I have encouraged to get this modem, every single one had better connections than with their previous modem.

If you do not wish to buy a new modem, you can attempt to improve your current modem. There are several sites that discuss ways to fix modem problems, though they can get rather technical. Unfortunately, modems are a complicated device, so it is hard to avoid the technical end of it. My favorite site to visit is Modemsite, which has a wonderful array of information on how to improve your connection quality. Unfortunately, portions of the site do require that you pay money, but the cost is only $1.59 for a month of access, and the site is worth it.

The phone lines and equipment in the house can also be part of the problem. As a test, unplug every phone device (phone, cordless, answering machine, fax machine, etc) from the wall, so ONLY the computer is plugged in, and try using the Internet. Also check the basement wiring, ensure there is no condensation or mold in the box where the phone lines are wired.

Another common problem with the connection is having it disconnect at inappropriate times, when you did not tell it to. A very common cause for this is actually very easy to fix... if you notice that the disconnects only happen when you check mail, then the problem is likely a setting in your email... look here for the way to fix email disconnects. Another cause is caused by idle disconnecting, which also has an easy fix. But some disconnect problems are harder to fix. Some modems or phone lines just do not behave well, and have difficulty maintaining a connection at all. Sometimes the line noise is loud enough for you to hear... a hum or click on the phone. But more often, it's like a dog whistle... silent to humans, but loud and annoying to the computer, and thus causing frequent drops on your connection. Modemsite can help with this kind of disconnect too, and our phone support can also help track down this problem and find solutions. Unfortunately though, sometimes the problem is in the phone lines, and there is little we can do.

Q. Sometimes I get a fast connection, sometimes slow. Why does it change?

A. Even with the same modem and lines, negotiation does not always reach the same speed... it is common to dial at 24k one call, then 40k the next. Part of the cause is that your call does not go over the same phone company wire each time... the precise route changes every call. Just like commuter traffic, conditions can vary.

Q. I have to try many times to connect, but once I connect it works fine.

A. Certain problems with the configuration of phone company digital lines can cause a problem with only some of the wires in a bundle. Unfortunately, this misconfiguration is easy to make, and hard to detect. The end result is that only some of the possible paths for your call will work fine, with no issues... other paths are just off enough that most modems are not able to negotiate a connection at all. There is little you or I can do for this problem.