How to speed up internet

[Rodney]

Thanx for all the help this is great, I checked and I do have a 56k v90
modem, there is no static on the line and with all the phones diconnected it
is still the 26.4 speed dial up.

Stacy,

johnf has been giving you good advice.

I live on an island and also have to rely on dialup, had to tweak things
to get the best overall download speed as measured in real time not just
the initial connect speed which is almost meaningless for downloading.
Something to consider is that all modems are not created equal. Really
good quality hardware modems often do a better job of dealing with noisy
lines that less expensive ones, even though both may be rated as 56K. I
have had good luck with 3Com (U.S. Robotics). Another thing I have found
is that limiting the "upper" connect speed on a slow line can have a
good effect on throughput. Briefly, it stops the modem from trying to
connect at the higher speeds which it cannot sustain and prevents the
"retraining" from trying to get those speeds during temporary line
condition improvement (which wastes d/l time negotiating). Result is
that, overall, a long download works out to be faster. If you need help
testing to find the best compromise for an upper speed limit, or how to
send the proper AT command to the modem, you should probably pursue the
issue in a modem newsgroup as it is not an operating system issue and
the experts here are OS experts.

Rodney

 

[frodo]

Thanx for all the help this is great. I checked and I do have a 56k v 90
modem, I checked the phone line and no noise. I don't get cable and as for
satalite they told me unless I own an apartment building it wouldn't be worth
it

Ok, your modem sounds ok. Are the drivers for it up to date? odds are
the built-in XP driver is what is being used, that's ok too, it should be
fine. But you could go to the modem maker's site and check. Does Windows
Update indicate there is a "newer" driver available? If so you may want
to get it. Then, validate your modem settings:

control panel | network connections, right click | properties for the
dial-up icon.

General Tab:
Configure Button:
Max Speed: 115200 (yes, 115200, NOT 56000!!)
Hardware Features: all 3 should be checked

Options and Security Tab:
nothing here re: speed issues

Networking Tab:
PPP connection (usually at least); Settings Button: Enable LCP
Extensions (checked usually), Enable Software Compression (your
choice, but since we already turned on HW Compression this is
probably unnecessary (FWIW, I leave it off).). Leave Multi-Link
UNCHECKED.

_ONLY_ TCP/IP should should be checked in the second box; other
items may be present (Win Client, File+Print Sharing), but they should
NOT be checked (for 99% of users at least).

Finally, go into device manager and check properties of the modem. Again,
max port speed should be 115200, you should have the "FIFO BUFFERS" box
checked and the sliders should be all the way to the right (14/16).

There should be NO "extra initialization strings". If there are any in
the entry, select them, right-click | copy and paste them into a notepad
temp file, save it (just in case) and delete the field. Hang onto the
temp in case you decide to put it back. Most "extra" strings really don't
do anything very valuable, except change to speaker volumn or the dialing
speed. Some actually force a lower connect-speed standard, in order to
connect to an old modem; you do NOT want that for this series fo tests,
your modem should automatically negotiate the proper connection w/ all but
the very oldest of modems.

That's about it really.

Make sure you are calling "the best" phone number that you can; if the ISP
offers multiple numbers try them all (as long as they're not long
distance!). And be sure to pick one that's stated as supporting V.90 or
V.92.

Ask the ISP is the local phone company has a 1-500 number that connects to
their network [1-500 numbers are special local-only exchanges that some
local telecoms use to connect to leased data network facilities; they
typically work great for V.90 connections because they are all digitial.
They do NOT incur long distance charges, they're considered a local call
even tho they start w/ a 1.].

Your modem driver MAY create a log file, connect, play around,
disconnect, then view the log file to see if there is anything funky in
there. Did it connect using V.90, or did it fall back? [log file is
typically created inside the \windows folder].

-----------

Notes:

There are LOTS of sites out there that will offer tweaks to make your
modem work faster. In XP, most if not all of these tweaks are TOTALLY
UNNECESARRY [prior to XP they were worthwhile, but XP seems to get it
right right out of the box]. So, do not waste time futzing w/ the
registry or with tools like CableNut or TCPOptimizer.

A very useful tool for monitoring your connection speed is DU Meter
(Download/Upload Meter). It presents a visual graph of the connection
activity, and can tell you if a download is running smoothly or if it's
intermittent. It's shareware w/ a 30-day free trial feature. Highly
recommended:

http://www.dumeter.com/

FWIW, a solidly working V.92 connection should give about a 6.0 KByte
download rate in DU (for a non-compressable file, like a zip or jpg). For
web page downloading (highly compressable) DU will show peaks of 13-15 KB
per second.

Good Luck

 

[Rish]

Johnf;
Surely you have not been around computer dial-up modems very long.
Perhaps you might try reading more on the subject. Most people in this group
knew exactly wht the OP meant when 19.2 was quoted.
common modem speeds = 300,600,2400, (etc) then it goes to about 12,000,
19,200,24,000, 24,600, 28,800, 33,600, 42,260, 44,000, 53,000, and I
probably missed a few numbers in there also.
This is "bps" Which is "Bits Per Second" (if not I will be most accurately
corrected, just read on)

 

[johnf]

Don't make unfounded assumptions.
I began with a 26.6 in 1996. As I said, a 26.6 modem = 26.k K-bits/sec.
Are those other astronomical numbers you're quoting a U.S. 'version' of
recognised modem speeds or are you talking about old-fashioned, completely
outdated 'bits'??
If you download anything, does it show the download speed in 'b/s'? I doubt
it!
If you go to any site, it shows the download speed as 'xxxKB/s.'

 

[Rish]

Well dipstick, I started on Delphi in 1973 with a 300 Kbps modem on a COCO
computer! You are reading too many TRASH sites and Idiot Blogs to find the
information that apparently has passed right over your head.
And right now I am downloading a file at 44,000bps
READ AGAIN 44,000bps.
Now ONE MORE TIME 44,000bps
Get with it or get over it.

 

[johnf]

I doubt whether you deserve a reply to that insulting rubbish, but -
Go and either do your homework to try and help Stacey, (which is the whole
purpose of this NG) or find someone else to try & insult on another thread.
(A potential or permanent self-ordained pigheaded Troll? - who has to see
strings of 00000's in front of their eyes and still can't comprehend we're
in 2005, not 1973 - and I can still give you at least 20 additional years in
Electronics experience, but still somehow manage to keep up with changing
technology)

 

[Rodney]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

[edited out to save space]

Frodo, your advice is excellent for an urban setting. However it
appeared to me that Stacy is in a rural setting. Nevertheless, most of
your advice is valid and appropriate. A ceiling connect speed on a line
that may not be able to ever achieve a full 53K, may (stress the may,
until tested) actually get a better data throughput over the long run.
This can be due to excessive fall-back, fall-forward as the modem
retrains to short term line conditions on long lines (which rural line
often are and Stacy did say the ISP told her about the quality of the
lines in the area), thus a ceiling command can be appropriate as an
extra initialization string. It worked for me, consistently and fully
tested.

Rodney

 

[Freda]

I entirely agree with Rodney for lines off rural exchanges.
I have a situation 6.kms from exchange in rural area and
locking its max speed to 28800 stops all hassles.
Usual connect speed is 26400
If the modem is left to autorange up to the 50K+ range
then it doesnt alway sconnect at all and definitely says
goodbye a short time later as it tries to keep the speed up
and line conditions dont want to let it.
Freda

 

[Justin J.H.C. Schubert]

And you will Never achieve 56K on any Modem.

All you can Hope to do is stabilize your current speed.

No matter How you set it.......it is well known that you can Tweak the
Modem but using the F1 or F&1 string by default is the best in my Opinion
If you fiddle with it too much you will have None connect or Failure to
connect.
Ok lets say your connection from your server is Rated at 33.3Kb/s you will
get at most 28.8Kb/s and at the Least 14.4Kb/s or Heaven forbid 8.8Kb/s.
ALL PROVIDERS!!! Recommend that you set your Baud Rate one Kb/s higher
Example 33.3Kb/s set to 44.4Kb/s
and so on.
I have been told by Providers and I have found this our my self the Most
you will get out of a USRobotics 56Kb/s Ver 9.0 Voice/Fax modem (or any
other model)is 44.4Kb/s unless your with in 50 Feet of a FOL exchange......
Simple fact of two Wire Copper and the Fact that you are Converting a
Digital Signal from the Computer to analog tone pulses sending them Over a
Phone line to your Server and the Server dose the opposite.....this all
slows the signal.......you WILL NEVER reach 56Kb/s on a modem except by some
enormous Fluke......Ok
You can only hope to Stabilize the speed if you are running at 28.8Kb/s
you need to Break down your String the Default string is all well and good
but it has Data compression on and Flow Error controls on which you do not
need...
I have set the string to F&1 or F1 or Factory 1 and Factory 2 your Modem
Book will have more detailed info... Data comp and Flow Control are the
slowdowns in most cases you will have to experiment with your modem but most
of the best strings commands are short.

I entirely agree with Rodney for lines off rural exchanges.
I have a situation 6.kms from exchange in rural area and
locking its max speed to 28800 stops all hassles.
Usual connect speed is 26400
If the modem is left to autorange up to the 50K+ range
then it doesnt alway sconnect at all and definitely says
goodbye a short time later as it tries to keep the speed up
and line conditions dont want to let it.
Freda

--
Please reply to the list as my email is a dummy address

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

[edited out to save space]

Frodo, your advice is excellent for an urban setting. However it appeared
to me that Stacy is in a rural setting. Nevertheless, most of your advice
is valid and appropriate. A ceiling connect speed on a line that may not
be able to ever achieve a full 53K, may (stress the may, until tested)
actually get a better data throughput over the long run. This can be due
to excessive fall-back, fall-forward as the modem retrains to short term
line conditions on long lines (which rural line often are and Stacy did
say the ISP told her about the quality of the lines in the area), thus a
ceiling command can be appropriate as an extra initialization string. It
worked for me, consistently and fully tested.

Rodney