Random dial-up internet disconnects

[Andrew Shaw]

Hi folks,

I have a computer (XP Pro, SP1) with dial-up internet access that is
randomly disconnecting. Usual behaviour is that the first use of the day
will connect to the ISP and then immediately disconnect once it has
finished the user name/password exchange. Redialling will then work fine
with no changes.

I've swapped out the original internal modem for a known, working
external one and got exactly the same behaviour. (I still don't trust
internal modems!)

I'll be calling the ISP tomorrow to see if they have any hints from
their end, but I suspect they will just show a disconnect initiated from
my end, if I can even get them to look at their logs!

I have a second computer in the same house using the same ISP, but with
a different account, that is working fine so I suspect that the line
into the house is OK. There is a telephone extension lead on the problem
PC though as it is in a different room so that could be part of my
problem and I might try swapping that out tomorrow too.

The problem PC is a new one, but I didn't see this behaviour for the
first 2 weeks I had it when I built it. Its only started doing this once
I moved it to its home.

So apart from the telephone lead, can anyone think of something I might
have missed?

Thanks in advance

Andrew

 

[Michael D. Alligood]

Do they both use the same dialup number to the ISP (i.e. many big ISPs have
different dialup numbers to reach them.) I have seen some AOL numbers not
work as well as others.

--
Best of luck!

Michael D. Alligood
MCSA, MCP, CCNA, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW A, CIW CI

 

[Andrew Shaw]

Do they both use the same dialup number to the ISP (i.e. many big ISPs have
different dialup numbers to reach them.) I have seen some AOL numbers not
work as well as others.

Yes they do - I'm pretty certain.
I'll double check that when I'm there next - good thought.
They are both using the ISP's "budget" account which is the cheap and
cheerful one and has a different number to the other accounts.