At 05:53 PM +0000 01/01/2003, pdimage.fsnet.co.uk wrote: > >Until recently I was connecting at 48000 via my 56k Us Robotics modem. >>Now no matter what I do I connect at 31200. I have called the provider >>and tech support to not avial. They tell me my line is clear and that is >>just how it is. So I went and signed up with another provider and guess >>what the same speed. So I changed to a different modem and same thing.I >>have made sure I have the current mode scrips and such also. Right >>before this happedn I was getting alot of authentification errors. Now I >>am wondering if there is anything else anyone can think of to try? I am >>think the only thing left is to go DSL but not sure I won't have the > >same problem. I am desperate for speed.........
I'm jumping into the middle of this modem thread, so please bare with me... Sometimes it helps to debug a problem if you know more about the hardware & technology involved. So, simplifying quite a bit here... The number the modem reports to you isn't exactly what you think it is. The V.90/V.92 protocols do all sorts of mid-stream fall-forward, fall-back, and split-speed operations. The number the modem initially reports, that you see in the Remote Access control panel, is just that: the *initial* connection speed of your downlink. About 15 to 30 seconds later, it quietly renegotiates the up and downlink speeds based on the error rate its seeing! This renegotiation repeats periodically - the transmit and receive speeds falling forward or back depending on the error rate. IOW, it is quite normal to see an lower initial connect speed of 24000 to 48000. What matters is how your connection performs a minute later, and thereafter. How do you directly find out your "current" connection rates? On a PPP-based link on a Mac, you can't; Open Transport just won't let you "sneak in" to query the modem. (Although USR Courier modems maintain history information, so they can be queried if you're fast - unplug them from the computer before OT can reset 'em!). So, really, the best you can do is run some local ftp's or variable ping tests (such as the one in IPNetMonitor) to observe your average throughput. (I don't advocate depending on the tests provided by DSL Reports et al because they add too many variables - many hops, and server performance issues. The best tests are one or two hops only). Of course, your speed issue could also be totally unrelated to the actual modem link. How fast are your DNSlookups? If your ISP's DNS sucks then your total surfing experience will have a built-in delay! All that being said... To debug your current link issues, first look to phone line noise problems. The two most important "line" pieces are the one between the pole outside and your home, and the one between the box in your home and the modem. Both can be easily damaged by hot, cold, wet weather. 1. Check for audible noise on your line. If there's audible noise, you just aren't going to be a stable V.90-speed link. Do this by going to the box where your phone line(s) first enter your home. Unplug ALL the internal house wiring from it (usually they're done as RJ-11's). Plug in a wired phone (not a wireless handset) directly into the line. Press a single number to get rid of the dial-tone, then listen hard. If you hear any hum, crackling, echo, or cross-talk, get your phone company out to fix it. At this point the phone line should be audibly *silent*. 2. Check for audible noise inside your home. If #1 showed that the line outside your house is quiet, do the test again but with your other phones and answering machines hooked up. If you hear noise, locate the offending piece of equipment and give it an appropriate burrial. :) HTH, - Dan. (an old hand at fixing telecom/modem problems) -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> - South Jersey, USA, Earth <http://cronus.spaceports.com/~darmok> - Billions of people walking around - like Happy Meals with legs. -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
