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Trouble Shooting Connections Also we have a Modem FAQ Area. 3. My software says my modem or my serial port is busy. 4. What's the best Init string for my modem? 5. I've got a 28.8 - 56K modem but it's only transferring at... 6. I keep getting kicked off. What's the deal? A. The standard way most folks access the Internet is through PPP, or Point to Point Protocol. First, in order to establish communications with Erienet (or any service provider for that matter), you have to have software that understands PPP. So, before you start looking at web pages, before you check your mail, and before you download the latest patch for Microsoft Word, you have to establish your PPP connection. Some folks are probably saying they never had to do this connect thing: "All I do is double-click Netscape, and my modem dials." It's true. Some programs will patiently wait while your PPP software makes the connection. But some won't. Sometimes relying on this auto dial feature will work, and sometimes it won't. And when it doesn't, your computer will act very strangely until you restart it. Erienet recommends always connecting before you attempt to use any network programs. Every PPP program has an Open, Connect, or Dial button somewhere. Find it, and click it. Once the modem's done moaning and wailing, off you go. This connection method will be more trouble free, and when there is a problem, it will be easier to track down. Q. I can't get connected. What am I doing wrong? A. Every situation is not the same, so it can be really hard to tell what's wrong, but some of the most common problems follow. Capitalization and usernames: Usernames and passwords are case sensitive. That means "Jon" is not the same as "jon." Make sure your Caps Lock key is not down by accident. Lots of DOS users are used to doing this. Also make sure you use your username and not your email address. Your email address has the "@erienet.net" thing on it. Your username does not. Call Waiting Cancel: Call waiting is a nice feature, but it really messes up the modem's communications when you get one of those beeps when you're online. Just program your dialer to dial "70#," before dialing our modem number. The 70# disables call waiting for the duration of the current call and the comma waits 2 seconds for a second dial tone before dialing our modem number. If you have call waiting and you get a busy signal when dialing 70#, you'll need to call 611 (telephone repair) so the phone company can fix your phone line. Phone Line's Plugged In: I know, I know. You're asking what kind of idiot wouldn't plug their phone in. Well, it happens to the best of us. It seems like such a given that your phone line would be plugged in, that you just don't think about it. Remember that you have to have a dial tone before you can dial! Cordless Phones and Answering Machines: Strangely enough, cordless phones and answering machines that are plugged into the same phone line or just in the same area as your modem can wreak havoc, even if they are not in use. If you're having connection problems, try unplugging these devices. Poor Phone Lines: I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes the local phone company offers less than adequate phone service. Whoa! Keep your shirt on! I was as amazed as you are at this revelation. If you hear a lot of clicks or static when you're on the phone, then you can bet your modem's hearing those same noises. Modems don't like funny noises. Call 611 and have them check your line. They'll probably tell you it's fine, but if you keep hammerin' on them, they'll eventually take a look at it. Other Anomalies: Wind, rain, and local road construction, can make phone lines less than clear, and this DOES occur! Q. My software says my modem and/or my serial port is busy or is in use? A. There are a few reasons this happens. On all computers, communications and fax software can interfere with what you're trying to do. The fax software sometimes controls the serial port while it's listening for incoming faxes. Disable your fax software to test this out. On some Windows based PCs, there's a little helper program (like TabWorks for Packard Bell) that acts as a front end for your operating system, allowing easy access to features like voice mail, faxes and things like that. Disable it as well. Finally, on PC compatibles, this message could be a sign that you've got a communication conflict with some of the cards installed on your computer. For example, your modem might be using COM 2, but you've got the external serial port also set for COM 2. Not good. You'll need to contact your computer manufacturer to solve this one. Q. What's the best init string for my modem? A. With so many modem manufacturers it's really, REALLY hard to keep up with it all. Your best bet is to check with your modem's manufacturer. Tell them you are connecting to LUCENT/LIVINGSTON PORTMASTER 3's, and that you're using PPP. They should be able to give you the best possible string to use. Also, most new software automatically detects the type of modem you have and uses its own init string. Usually this works okay, and sometimes it doesn't. Just be aware. Q. I've got a 28.8 - 56k modem but it only transfers at XXX A. The Internet's a big web of networks. If one of the networks in between you and the place you're downloading from is really busy, then you're going to see sluggish performance. There's nothing that can be done, besides trying again some other time. Another reason could be the server you are connecting to is really busy. Every time Netscape comes out with a new version, for example, their servers are swamped with people trying to download their software. There is a big difference between 50 people downloading from one machine and 5000 people doing the same. Line quality can also come into play again. 28.8's were the first modems to retrain themselves while connected. That is, if you hook up at 28.8, but then the line quality gets worse, rather than disconnecting, the modems will just slow down to accommodate the noisier line. Finally, the absolute best you can expect from a 28.8 modem is roughly 2.5 kbytes per second. From a 14.4 expect about half that. Remember that the "k" in 28.8k stands for kbits, which are much different from kbytes (by a factor of 8). Your modem will connect to us at the highest possible speed based on your phone line conditions. We have gone to great lengths to ensure no line noise is present on our incoming lines, by going to all digital PRI's. We use the highest quality dial in equipment. You should continually check with your modem vendor to verify that you have the LATEST modem software installed to get the best performance from your modem. Just check your modem vendor's website every once in a while and get their LATEST software. Upgrading your modem to the LATEST modem code is the most common fix to connection problems. Certain modems have a better track
record connecting at higher speeds than others. Generally, brand name (USR,
Supra, Hayes, Zoom, etc.) modems provide better connections than OEM or
generic brand modems.
Q.
I keep getting disconnected. What's
the deal?
2. Remember call waiting? If you have it, and haven't disabled it using 70#, then it's a problem you'll have to address. Call waiting signals WILL disconnect you. 3. Poor line conditions cause the vast majority of unexpected disconnects. If you can hear any noise on your line, then its very likely you will not be able to connect reliably. If you suspect line noise, give your phone company a call and ask to have your line checked for noise. 4. Modem incompatibility can cause random disconnects. We've seen this with some older generic modems, as well as some new 56k and V.90 modem types. If you have a newer 56k or V.90 modem, check the vendors website to see if there is an updated driver or a specific compatibility issue. 5. Replace the phone line from the back of your modem to the wall. Some low grade cable can cause problems. 6. Try calling from a different location. This is an easy way to see if it is your phone line conditions that are causing the disconnects. Still having problems getting disconnected? Here's help! First off, If you are having problems with your initial modem connection (you can hear the modem "handshake" but it never connects), try adding S7=120S9=20 to your initialization string. Disconnects generally happen for one of 6 reasons:
56K access depends almost solely on the quality of your phone line. (See also) There can be a maximum of one analog<->digital conversion that takes place between your modem and our terminal server. 56K will not work otherwise. The quality of the local loop (the copper from your house to the telephone company's central office) is also very important. Old copper can seriously limit the modem's performance. In addition, there may be loading coils on your line (used to improve voice bandwidth) if you live more than 3-4 miles from the central office. A similar thing might be happening if you're in a new housing development--there might be an SLC (subscriber line concentrator) serving the area--even if you're practically next door to the CO. Of course, another factor is your modem. You must have a modem that supports the K56flex protocol. X2 modems (for example, U.S. Robotics) will not work. The industry has tentatively agreed upon the real 56K standard, called V.90, and first generation standards based modems are beginning to appear now. If you're thinking about buying one, we highly recommend that you read as much information on the 56K site (http://www.56k.com) as you can stand to before you purchase one. (And you should read every word contained therein before being concerned about inability to make V.34+ connections.) You can use the U.S. Robotics 56K test line to see if your phone line is capable of 56K speeds. Note: This test is an estimate only; the only way to know for sure is to try it. We do not support the X2 standard, but K56flex and X2 have the same requirements for the phone line. The manufacturer of our hardware (Livingston, now Lucent ) endorses 56K modems from Zoom. We have tested Zoom 56K modems and obtained consistent 50K connections over an ISDN voice channel (which is, admittedly, a best case scenario for 56K), and 46-50K over a standard phone line. Your mileage may vary. We do not guarantee any particular
connection speed. |