| This
guide is designed to assist you if your connection
seems
unstable, you are experiencing "dropouts" or
if the performance seems to be below what you normally
receive.
By working through the information below you will be able
to make sure your connection is as finely-tuned as possible.
General
Modem Hints
-
If
you are having persistent problems with your connection,
eliminate ALL double adapters from the phone line, and
plug your modem directly into the PRIMARY Telstra socket.
This will eliminate your additional communication devices
as causes of interference. It may be possible to add
back devices one at a time to ascertain which one is
causing the problem. Some Telstra touchphone models
have design features that make them a MAJOR contributing
factor in disconnects and poor performance.
-
If
you have a mobile phone, ensure it is WELL AWAY from
your modem. If you have ever had it close to your radio
when a call has come in you will understand why. The
burst of static that accompanies a Mobile Phone's network
scan WILL carry into the modem circuits and interrupt
the flow of data.
-
Programs
which run in the background cause problems
with internet
connections. Every program that is running takes CPU
(processor) time, and net connections often "freeze"
or "drop-out" if a program takes 100% of
the processor to complete a task. On some computers,
virus
scanners and the FINDFAST program from Microsoft Office
have given almost 100% disconnects when they activate
during net connects. On others they slow down the net
so much it is unusable.
-
Ensure
that ALL Telstra EasyCall services are disabled on the
phone line you are using for the internet. The signals
put out by these services will terminate calls very
abruptly. Most important of all is to ensure that CALL
WAITING is disabled :
To
DISABLE : # 4 3 # on your phone handset
To
ENABLE : * 4 3 # on your phone handset
- Plug
a phone handset into your phone socket, press "1" on
the keypad and listen. If you hear crackling,
echoing, buzzing or voices, it may well be a
fault on your line,
and Telstra Faults Service should be called to check
on the problem.
- You
should also consider the quality of the modem
itself.
Many users spend a lot of money making sure their computer
is as good as possible, then will buy the cheapest
modem
they can get, and expect it to perform to the same standards.
We have seen too many people have problems recently
because
they saved $10 by buying "the cheapest" modem.
High quality Australian-made modems can now be purchased
for around the same price as all the cheapest imported
modems. By choosing a quality brand, insisting on a Rockwell
chipset, and favouring modems built for Australian conditions,
you should suffer minimal problems, and have a satisfying
net experience.
- Most
PC Communication ports don't run well at high speeds -
because up until recently most modems were 28.8kbps or
lower, the hardware was never under the kind of strain
it is now placed under with data being pounded down the
line.
- Dropping
your port speed will often stabilise your connection
AND
speed things up, as there are less "lost packets"
and "timeouts" being caused when the buffers
on the communications port overflow.
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