Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem that
dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would be nice
if the pages were a bit faster too.

Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?

Spend your money on DSL...


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm



"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
| Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like
to get a modem that
| dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics
modem. It would be nice
| if the pages were a bit faster too.
|
| Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
|
|

In news:%(E-Mail Removed),
Ron <(E-Mail Removed)> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a
> modem that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics
> modem. It would be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?

My current is fairly decent:

Name Intel(R) 537EP Modem

My ISP has image/text compression software that speeds up my load speeds (it
doesn't really improve the connection but it does make it so that you
download less information - quite a bit less) and that's been pretty good.

Galen
--

"You know that a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his
trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will
come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all."

Sherlock Holmes

Sorry, US Robotics is the best brand on the market.


--
--------------------------------------------------
Donny Broome
donny AT broomeman DOT com
Kill Spyware! Visit:
http://www.broomeman.com/spyware/
--------------------------------------------------


"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem
> that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would
> be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
>

consider disabling eye candy in the web browser.
eg
disable animations / avi's
disable graphics (ok, big drop)
get a firewall product that will block advertising sites.
go halves with a good neighbour and setup a WAN with DSL.

the USR modems do connect about as fast as any... there are ways this can be
sped up, but the shaving is marginal.

run antispyware to make sure you have no scumeware...

"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem
> that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would
> be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
>

US Robotic modems are the top of the line in 56K modems. Just stay away
from most Winmodem units as the modem control software is stored in your
Windows. Winmodems are subject to the "speed" on which it accesses its
control so it is affected by the speed of your Windows.


"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem
> that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would
> be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
>

A client of mine had a connection speed of 26.4.. replacing the line from
computer to phone jack took it to 50.6..

USR modems are the best, and hold their connection better than most..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem
> that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would
> be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
>

1) Your modem is PROBABLY just fine - what connection speeds are you
getting? At login time it should tell you in the "baloon" popup, and you
can read the modem log after logoff to see what kind of rates you're
getting, and if the data rate was renegotiated or "fell back" during the
session.

If you're not getting a good 45K or better, it's probably your phone line.
Check w/ your ISP to see if there is an alternate phone number, and try
them all. Mine has a 1-500- number in our area, which is a special
non-toll exchange that connects me directly to their modem pool w/o going
thru the local switches; I get a 49K connect always, versa a 35K connect
calling the local number. [This works w/ my ISP because they actually
contract out their modem pool "needs" to verizon, my local phone provider.
Many ISPs do the same sort of thing, ask.]

[One newbie mistake: be sure that the modem's PORT SPEED is set to 115K or
higher. Many assume since it's a 56K modem they should set the port speed
to 56K. No, the modem talks at up to 56k (modem to modem) but since the
data passed can be compressed 2-to-1 or more, once it gets into your
machine and is decompresed the modem needs to "deliver" the data at a
faster speed in order to not back up. Virtually all driver setups do set
the port speed to 115K, but unknowing users sometime set it back to 56K,
thinking they're doing the right thing. (w/ "soft" modems (the $10
variety) this doesn't really matter, since the ports are virtual anyway).]

2) Take a look at Privoxy (ww.privoxy.org). It's a web proxy that you
install on your machine and tell your browser to "go thru". It filters
out browser requests for most ads and other junk, thus reducing the number
of things that it has to wait for from the server - hence pages are built
much faster. Really does help w/ dial-up speed. And its filters also
protect you from java/javascript "baddies" and other types of HTLM/web
site "abuse", making surfing much safer.

Privoxy CAN BE very technical, but its default setup works great right
"out of the box", you do not need to dive into its complexities at all
(unless you want to - it is HIGHLY configurable). Read the getting
started stuff, do the install, and you're off. And its handy tray icon
allows you to enable/disable it w/ a click, so if you do visit a site that
the filter "breaks", it's very easy to disable Privoxy and simply reload
the page. But, 99% of sites display just fine, and AD FREE!!!

3) DU Meter can be a very valuable tool for monitoring the bandwidth
usage of your modem. It presents a real-time graph of upload/download
rates - very useful for keeping an eye on transfers and for knowing
almost instantly if your modem changes rates.

http://www.dumeter.com/

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
Yves Leclerc <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>US Robotic modems are the top of the line in 56K modems. Just stay away
>from most Winmodem units as the modem control software is stored in your
>Windows. Winmodems are subject to the "speed" on which it accesses its
>control so it is affected by the speed of your Windows.
>
>
>"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem
>> that dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would
>> be nice if the pages were a bit faster too.
>>
>> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?
>>
>
>


Get an external USR V.everything modem cheap on ebay. $30 the last
time I looked. Make sure you get a recent one that's 58kb and not one
of the slower versions. The best modem ever made.

There is a fair chance your connect process can be sped up some by
tweaking your modem to try the one your ISP expects, first.

--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

"Ron" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote...
> Unfortunately I am still on dialup, but would still like to get a modem that
> dials and connects faster than a typical US Robotics modem. It would be nice
> if the pages were a bit faster too.
>
> Can anyone recommend any particular models or brands?

Brand is not as important as:

V.92 compatibility. It may get you a better connection than V.90,
especially if connecting with another V.92.

Flashable/upgradable firmware rather than "Winmodem." If it is compatible
with DOS, Linux, etc, it is likely a firmware implementation; if it "requires
Windows," it's a software implementation.