Here´s a tech question

    There is very little that can be done to increase the speed of the 56k modem. This is due to the fact that the phonelines cannot support anything faster than 56k unless different technologies are used; eg. ADSL. The only thing that might make a difference is the V.92 standard with came out a few years ago. Although even that was a simple improvement over the V.90 standard. There are tweaks you can use, especially in the registry, but they don´t do much. The connection speed maybe slow because there is a lot of traffic or interference, you may be a long way from the Exchange, and a heap of other factors. Modems are temperamental at the best of times. The fastest connection speed I have ever achieved is 50.6k, and I´m within two blocks of the Exchange! My average connection speed is 49.2k. If you want some tweaks let me know, and I´ll give you some links.

    Yea, while the SP1a update is still downloading I´ve been researching the modem strings and handshake tones. Looks like the firmware available from this SP1a update automatically disables V.92 for some reason...BUT the version is 8.27 and I found a 8.30 version. Right now the firmware driver version installed is 8.23. So I´m going to let the SP1a update the version then overwrite it (after testing of course) to the 8.30 verison. Did I ever mention how much I hate dealing with modems in general? <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> BTW, I´m not looking to get anything faster than 46,999 or 49,999. But 28.8 is sloooow man. The modem that´s in there now was on a comp that has Win98 and I know it connects to the exact same ISP consistently above 45,000. Edited by - Stinger on 2/20/2004 9:07:41 PM

    but is it on the same phone line, Rob? some phone lines will not let you go above 28.8 because they are in effect &quot;split&quot; lines (we call it DACS-ing) so the 56.6 nominal maximum is immediately split to 28.8 or less, regardless of the capabilities of your modem. I can walk across the room at work, stick a modem in one poit and get an average conn speed of 33.6 to 44, walk back, put it on another line, and never get mmore than 28.8, because that line´s DACS-d and t´other one isn´t. Edited by - Tawakalna on 2/21/2004 2:53:50 AM

    "for once, i`ll actually tell you what i was thinking; but maybe i won`t have anything to say.."

    I actually have an RJ-11 patch cable linking the phone to the modem so that I don´t have to keep swapping the phone line in and out, and some people will tell you that it slows performance. I haven´t noticed much difference and I´ve tested. Just thought I´d mention it. Stinger, it is likely that you have a &quot;dirty&quot; line which may be affecting your modem performance. Telephone companies will do free line tests is you ask them, and it may be worth checking out because, at the very least, you can eliminate that as the cause of the problem. Also, how far are you from the exchange?

    Well, update SP1a done and no improvement (yet) on the connect speed. Taw I´ve connected with this modem on the same phone jack with another comp using Win98 at 50,333 once and consistantly over 45,000. I updated the firmware after the SP1a had it´s chance and still no improvement. My modem is no longer a Lucent Win modem tho, it´s an Agere Win modem. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> THis was about the only thing that was expected. I noticed after this major upgrade there´s a bunch of new updates available that were not before the SP1a deal. Back to downloading. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> I am reminded once again why I hate playing with modems...there´s little rhyme or reason to them....does not compute. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

    I´d give your telco a ring and get them to test the line either way, it shouldn´t cost you anything, well it doesn´t here. You may have some line degredation or there may have been a ham fisted operator messing around at your local exchange. I´ve seen it happen on a lot of the 9.6k PPP lines we use for remote sites at work, Im constantly nagging the telco to get line checks done.

    Just to be sure you´ve done that: Start &gt; Connect to: hover over your modem, click right mouse and click properties. In general tab on &quot;connect using select window&quot; select your modem again below click configure. In modem configuration window select maximum speed to 115200bps, also enable all hardware feat. in box below. Note that winModems highly depended on their drivers (unlike real modems). So as always, even though now days its hard to find old drivers, get WinXP/2000/NT drivers(in this order). Im pretty sure NT drivers might work.

    Yea moby, check check check on all those ideas. At least we have some people that have obviously dropped their own breadcrumbs in their modem fighting past replying in this thread. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> What I find surprising and ironic is Microsoft´s move to a driver that actually disables newer technology (V.92) in their latest greatest update. Not like them to do that in reality. Next up, the Driect X 9.0b upgrade. Be back in an hour or so. Hopefully since this has communication aspects maybe this one will do the trick. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Yea, and monkeys will fly out of my ..... Edited by - Stinger on 2/21/2004 5:24:10 AM

    that update will do nowt to fix this problem, I´m sure of that. These are software modems, internal, right? Try an external, summat like an MRi or a 3COM. I rarely use internals unless I´m asked to do so, and for myself when i do use a modem it´s a 3COM external v.Everything (bl**dy good modem) btw while I think about it, have you got anything else hammering your b´width? like auto-update notification, RA/RDP. error-reporting, auto-search for n/w printer (just to help you maximise what you do have!<img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>) just a thought.. what PCI slots yer modem in, sometimes they share resources on certain slots with other devices and the PCI bus doesn´t always allocate those resources well, thus causing bottlenecking. That won´t affect your connection speed but it might improve the performance of yer modem inside the machine. Also don´t forget that at the mo´ every f***er and his uncle, aunt, cat and dog, are doing updates from MS so the servers are chogged.

    "for once, i`ll actually tell you what i was thinking; but maybe i won`t have anything to say.."

    Yea, I hear that. Direct X 9.0b didn´t work, surprise surprise huh? The IRQ the modem is sitting on isn´t an issue. I´ve got 2 others open and available if it was. Nothing else seems to be running in the background that would affect thoroughput. Ran Spybot, ran defrag, ran to the sotre while the last download was doing it´s thing. This next download is going to take 5 hours plus so I might just run into work and earn some money and get my mind off this problem for a few. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> I´m thinking this could all be because of Win XP for this reason. When the modem was in the other Win 98 comp, the handshake was normal. When it´s in this Win XP machine and all other things are equal (same ISP number, same modem) the handshake goes through a double initiation. From what I´ve read that´s the &quot;hey, I want to use V.92 technology&quot; conversation and my modem is forgetting the password to get by. BUT it should still connect at V.90 AND connect faster than 28.8 for gawds sakes. Maybe it´s reverting back to 56kflex? Hmmm. I might have to delve back into playing with initiation strings tonight to &quot;chat&quot; to the modem and see what is really going on. If I remember right, doing this is one of the reasons why I really hate messing with modems. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

    Try RE-installing windows/clean install. ALso did you say Directx 9.0b dosent´t work? If so re-install/clean install may be a even better Idea and hassle

    Demouser: I have no wish to join the play, but rather to see it enacted. My only concern is to avoid having the lands of Microsoftia bare down on myself. If you can`t read this you are a retard

    you´re absolutely sure you´re using the correct modem driver, yes? that it hasn´t set itself up as a standard 56k flex? I think XPs ability to locate drivers is excellent, BUT sometimes it does come up with some strange choices; for example, i set up a printer the other day and XP insisted on setting it up as Spanish, not English, so I cancelled and chose the dam, correct driver myself. Similarly, It insists on setting up Conexant 56k externals as someone elses WinModem Pocket externals, so I have to override that to. it´s not that it selects the wrong driver as such, but i do find limited functionality with some of the drivers XP chooses, so I usually do a bit of digging and push the right one in, which then gives me the functionality Im after.

    "for once, i`ll actually tell you what i was thinking; but maybe i won`t have anything to say.."

    Hi guys. Not professing to know any better than anyone here at all. Believe me! But doesn´t 56k cabapility also depend on the UART chips on internal modems? By a very wild long shot.... how old and/or cheap is the mobo on that computer? Edited by - Indy11 on 2/21/2004 1:31:10 PM

    you´re talking about FIFOs, good idea but not relevant in this case, unless for some bizarre reason Rob´s changed them from the defaults, and it would only matter if he was using the physical serial ports COM1 and COM2 not the software ones internal modems use (usually 3, 4 or 5) just a sec.. it worked fine on 98se, but you get about half the speed on XP, is that right? Edited by - Tawakalna on 2/21/2004 1:35:44 PM

    "for once, i`ll actually tell you what i was thinking; but maybe i won`t have anything to say.."

    yep, I lose almost half the speed from Win98 ---&gt; WinXP. All downloads are done now. The modem sits on COM3 by the way. I think I´m only left with initiation strings. UUGHHH!!!! That double handshake might be a key indicator of the problem. Funny thing is I have about 4 different ISP´s I can actually log into (working on setting up other comps and remembering passwords does have it advantages sometimes). All of them .... 28.8 connection like clockwork. You know, I wonder if going off-line on my DSL might make a difference while I´m trying the same phone line with this modem. In theory it should make no difference whatsoever since they use different frequencies...but who the hell knows. I appreciate all the feedback thus far, it´s been keeping my troubleshooting skills sharp.

    Indy - The UART chip is the chip required for external modem use through the COM ports. I do not recall it being necessary for internal modems. Stinger - You have an internal modem!?!? I feel sorry for you! Damn cheap things, steal time away from the CPU because it can´t process much on its own, resource-hungry... sorry. I had one once, but I switched to external years ago. As I said before, I´d get the phone line checked. Until that has been eliminated as a cause, we´re assuming too much.

    Esquilax , yea, internal modem. I concur. I did the normal checks a user can do for line noise and it´s pretty crisp from what I can tell. It appears as though I´m not the first lost soul to run into this degredation of connection speed when going fr