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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
Click
HERE for some humourous reasons (maybe this has happened to you)
56k
- V.90 Information CLICK
HERE |
