Windows XP Error 678 when dialling up

[Guest]

I have a new computer running Windows XP. When trying to dial up using the
modem from home I get the message "error 678, the remote computer did not
respond". ISP said no problems at their end, so took the computer back to the
shop who tested it in front of me and it worked fine, so the modem is OK.
Tried with a known good cable at home. Still no luck. Phoned the ISP who said
no problems at their end and to check with the phone company. Phone company
have checked the line and say it is OK. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

 

[XPUSER]

I have a new computer running Windows XP. When trying to dial up using the
modem from home I get the message "error 678, the remote computer did not
respond". ISP said no problems at their end, so took the computer back to the
shop who tested it in front of me and it worked fine, so the modem is OK.
Tried with a known good cable at home. Still no luck. Phoned the ISP who said
no problems at their end and to check with the phone company. Phone company
have checked the line and say it is OK. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

==================================================
I could be wrong, but it sounds to me that you have narrowed
the problem down to the phone connection / wiring inside your abode.
==================================================

 

[Guest]

The phone engineer actually came into my house and checked the line from the
socket that I use for the modem connection, and said it was OK, so I don't
think this is the problem. Thanks for the thought though

 

[Jordan]

Phone companies tests do not include checking for data/FAX connections.
When they say that your phone connection is fine they only mean for VOICE
calls. They purposely mislead you when they tell you that the phone lines
are fine because they know that when you are in certain locations where
there are numerous lines or you are far away they have to mess around with
the line to improve the voice quality which degrades the data quality.

Back in 1996 we moved into a new building and use a modem pool for Internet
access. One day in 98 we could not get a connection over 9600bps. We had
the phone company come out about 6 times to see what was going on and why
all 10 lines now had this problem. After beating them over the head over
this for weeks they finally came forward and admitted that since they were
running new lines down our street extentions they had to put coils on the
lines to improve the voice quality which degrades any data quality.

We told them that we wanted them to fix the problem but they said that as
long as we can pick up the phone and hear someone on the other end there is
definetly no way they will every do anything more. If we want to do
anything regarding data transmissions such as FAXing or Internet access,
they only way they will support it would be if the line was a digital line
specifically for data (ISDN). As you probabaly know ISDN is a fortune.

You would think that with the wide spread use of modems they would take care
of this problem. The fact is they are coming out with DSL all over the
place where THEY can charge you $35 buck for Internet access rather than you
pay AOL or MSN $22.

You are going to see the same scam that happened years ago with Cable TV.
Remember being able to by a TV and get at least 8-12 stations were you would
be able to see CBS, NBC, and ABC clearly. Name a single TV for sale now
that can receive any station clearly without cable or some sort of extra
antenna. TV Stations dropped back their transmitters and TV mfgs dumbed
down their receivers because everyone was screwed into having to have cable.