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If you are using your plain old telephone line to access the Internet, you are not alone. Those of us who use these so called “dial-up” connections still vastly outnumber those with faster broadband connections (like cable and DSL). Today most dial-up users have 56K modems, but my e-mail tells me that many of you are unhappy with the connection speed that you are attaining. So, here are a few tips for how to achieve higher connection speed.
Current Speed
First, you need to find out how fast you are currently connecting. Use your mouse to hover the cursor over the icon of the two computers that appears on the bottom of your computer screen when you are connected to the Internet. A small pop-up message will appear telling you the speed of your current connection. Because of FCC rules, the maximum connection speed that you can expect when using a 56K modem is 53K.
If you are connecting at anything over 50K, give yourself a pat on the back and have fun surfing the Internet. If you are connecting at less than 50K, read on.
Communication Settings
Remember that Internet connection speed can be affected by the amount of traffic on the Internet, so you may connect at different speeds at different times of the day. If you regularly see connection speeds of less than 40K, you need to check your communication settings. Click on My Computer, then Control Panel, then Modem or Phone/Modem Options. Find and highlight your modem, click on Properties, and make sure that your modem is set at the highest speed. Also, find your modem in the Device Manager. Highlight the name of your modem (you may have to double-click on the name Modem) and then right-click and choose Properties. Make sure the port speed is set higher than the default 9600 kbps. Apple users can click on the Apple Menu and choose Preferences, then Configure to check the port speed for the modem.
Telephone Connection
If you have checked your settings and are still connecting at slow speeds, the telephone line is the next place to look. Connect your computer directly to the wall jack with the shortest possible new telephone cable. In trouble-shooting connection problems, I have found that splitters used to connect the telephone line to a fax machine or another device sometimes slow down the connection. Overly long cables and old cables can also cause problems. If you still have a problem, unhook the cable from the computer and plug it into a regular telephone. Pick up the receiver and listen. If you hear any snap, crackle, or pop sounds, notify your telephone company that you have line noise. Ask them to check this out as line noise can slow down connection speed considerably.
Check With Your ISP
Still not connecting speedily? Call your Internet Service Provider. Many providers have different telephone numbers for different types of connections. If you happen to be dialing in to the wrong telephone line, you may never reach a good speed until you change your dial-in telephone number. Your ISP can also give you other information that may help your dilemma. If, however, after you have checked with your ISP, you still get consistently poor connections, if may be time to try a different Internet Service Provider.
Consider Broadband
If you use the Internet a lot and still have trouble with your dial-up connection, why not just chuck it and switch to a broadband connection like cable? If you can afford the extra monthly cost, broadband can give you a noticeable faster connection speed without much hassle.
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