LINE DROPS
56K Modem Problems/Modem Initialization Strings
Communication Towers and Antennae
Phone Line Plugged Into the Wrong Jack
Modem Chipset/Software Modems (Conexant/Rockwell, Lucent, etc.)
Line Drops / Dropped Connections - Their Causes and Prevention
One of the most annoying occurrences while online are dropped connections. A line drop occurs when your modem disconnects from the Internet, for no apparent reason in many instances. However, there are a variety of causes, and most are easily remedied.
One of the first things one should try if they experience frequent disconnections, is a "Cold Reboot" on their computer. A Cold Reboot is where you shut down the Windows operating system, and completely power off the computer. After a few seconds, power the computer back on and try connecting again.
Please note that the Cold Reboot is not the same as a Windows "Restart". With a Cold Reboot, you will be assured that your modem has been completely reset, and your Windows program has loaded all of the programs and drivers necessary for your modem and the Dialup Networking program.
56K Modem Problems/Modem Initialization Strings
A modem can use initialization strings (init strings) to optimize the modem's performance. Most modems nowadays come equipped with internal 56K winmodems. Popular brands are made by such companies as Lucent, Conexant and USRobotics, among others.
All of the PRiS communications servers support the v.90 56K protocol. Unfortunately, 56K technology is limited by the length of the local phone line loop (from the telephone company's central office to your home and back). To achieve the higher speeds, one must live within about 5km from the phone company's office. This presents a problem for rural members. Many of the internal 56K modems are overly aggressive at trying to establish and maintain the highest connection possible. As a result, this often causes difficulty for rural members to establish an initial connection (takes several tries), and frequently dropped connections. The good news is that almost all of these problems can be resolved by entering a modem init string into their connection settings. A highly beneficial init string forces the modem to connect using the v.34 (33.6K) protocol. This will result in a far more stable connection, and usually higher data throughput.
- The large majority of internal modems benefit from the init string: +ms=v34
- Depending on the chipset, USRobotics modems can use either the above string, or: s32=98
To enter a modem init string using Windows 95/98/Me:
To enter a modem init string using Windows XP:
Some very useful modem initialization strings, as well as general modem information and troubleshooting can be found at the following sites:
- Possibly the best site to begin looking for an init strings is at
Modemsite's page.
- Rosenet's Modem Site
This site is full of useful information and links.
- 56k.com
Call Waiting
Another cause of dropped connections occurs when you subscribe to your phone company's Call Waiting feature, but fail to disable it for the length of your Internet connection. An incoming phone call will cause your connection to drop. To avoid this, disable Call Waiting.
- For Windows 95/98/Me:
- My Computer
- Dialup Networking
- Double-click the connection you use to dial PRIS
- Click the "Dial Properties" button
- Put a check mark in the "To disable call waiting" box and select either "*70," or "70#," from the drop down list
- Click the "Apply" button to save the changes
For Windows XP:
- Start
- Control Panel
- Network Connections
- Under the "Dialup" section, double-click your PRiS icon
- Make sure that there's a checkmark in the "Use dialing rules" checkbox
- Click the Dialing Rules button
- Click Edit
- General tab
- Put a checkmark in the "To disable call waiting, dial" checkbox
- Select the 70#, or *70, option from the drop-down menu to the right.
- Click the Apply button to save the changes.
- Click the OK buttons until you return to the Control Panel.
This will disable Call Waiting for the length of your Internet connection.
Noisy Telephone Line
A noisy, static filled line is annoying when talking on the telephone. What would be a minor inconvenience during a telephone conversation, spells death to an Internet connection. Even a barely audible hum can plague your Internet connections.
To check for line noise, try plugging a telephone into the back of your modem (many come with a jack for an extension phone). Dial any single digit number except "0" (unless you wish to annoy the Operator) to get rid of the dialtone, then listen for static. Try wiggling the phone cord for both the modem and phone. If static exists, there are several things that might be causing it. A bad or loose connection in the phone jack, or the phone cord to your modem (make sure that the tab hasn't broken off the connector) might be the problem. Another common cause are faulty phone line splitters.
Another possibility is that another piece of phone equipment is interfering with your connection. Sometimes, inexpensive phones or fax machines will create interference. Temporarily unplug all other phones and faxes, and see if the connection improves. If it does, plug in the other equipment one piece at a time. This will allow you to identify the "noisy" piece.
Possibly, even the phone line to your house might be the culprit. Check the easy things first, to prevent being billed by the phone company in the event the trouble is located within your equipment.
Communication Towers and Antennae
If you live close to a communications tower or antenna, you may receive radio interference from it. When on the telephone, you will sometimes hear the radio or voices on your line. This interference will cause dropped connections while on the Internet. There are filters that can help greatly with this problem. Contact your phone company to have them install a free filter.
Phone Line Plugged into the Wrong Jack
Many modems come equipped with two jacks which accept telephone plugs. One is for the incoming telephone line, and is usually labeled Line, Telco, or has a picture of a phone jack next to it. The other jack is available for you to plug in a telephone, and it is usually labeled Phone, or has a picture of a phone next to it.
If one mistakenly plugs the incoming phone line into the Phone jack, you will often get a connection, but it drops it very quickly.
Incorrect Modem Installed
Modems require drivers to communicate with your computer. A driver is a little program that controls a computer device. If the modem driver installed for your computer does not match your actual installed modem, it will not work correctly, if at all.
If you are using Windows 95/98/Me, you can check which modem you have by doing the following:
- Click Start
- Settings
- Control Panel
- Click the Modems icon
- Under the General tab, you will see the installed modem/s. Make note of the modem.
- Click the Diagnostics tab
- Highlight the Com port next to the Installed modem
- Click the More Info... button
Your computer will communicate with your modem, and list the information for you. Take a look at the information listed next to the ATI3 and ATI4 sections. This should show what type of modem is actually installed in your computer. If the information does not match the previously noted "installed modem", you most likely will have trouble. You will need to install the correct drivers.
It is highly unlikely that Windows XP will have the correct modem drivers installed.
Modem Chipset and Software Modems
Traditionally, error correction and compression were performed within the chipset of the modem. Nowadays, many modem manufacturers rely on software to perform these tasks. This allows the manufacturer to sell their product at a lower cost to you. These modems are known as software modems, and include the various "winmodems".
Software modems use the main processor chip (CPU) of your computer to process the communication information. Because of this, your computer will need to be a relatively fast one for your modem to work efficiently and effectively. If you have an older computer, you will likely regret purchasing a software modem. Some software modems will drop the connection if a CPU intensive program such as a word processor, spreadsheet or graphics program is opened.
If you have a software modem, it is extremely important to have the correct software and modem drivers installed on your computer. If you do not, it can result in your modem being unable to maintain an error free connection, and line drops can result. Even worse, your modem may not work at all.
If you are experiencing trouble with a software modem, check to see if a newer version of modem driver is available for your model. Most modem manufacturers have a web site to visit where you can download them from (at no charge).
This page is maintained by the Peace Region Internet Society
This page was last modified Tuesday, 05-Apr-2005 12:35:42 MST