26.4bps

[Paine]

Just got my son a new computer with XP. Needless to say I still have my 98 and have no intention of getting XP so this problem has left me a bit miffed. Everytime my son gets online, he is at 26.4bps. I have used the XP help files and nothing worked. I checked the moden, modem speed, I used the same cord that mine uses, so I know it is not that. I used a jack my husband has and his works, so it wasn't that. Reinstalled the modem. No line interferece, no static. Basically, I have done everything that I can think of and have run out of options. How hard can this be?!?!?!?! I also looked in the archives and didn't see this question, so I think I am safe. Anyone?

[SwordFish_13]

Hi

You have Dial up connection Don't you .,... Me too.......Have you checked the Modem Properties ............., check out the Maximum speed , ...........what's it specifid there , increase if needed. ..............And in dial up connection i do sometime get that kinda Speed but generally Disconnectiond and dialing again helps sometimes ............... it also depends on the quality of pelephone connection you have it might show max speed but actually work on speed much less than that...

[nihil]

I am assuming that the 26.4 is the reported connection speed?

http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/

You might try that site and see what the comparison really is. I do not trust 98 or ME system statistics, I have seen modems reported at 115200Bps, virtual memory as a negative value larger than the whole hard drive, and the processor usage figures are a total fiction.

Make sure that the maximum port speed is set to 115200

If you are finding your actual Win98 connection is similar to your son's, then it is a telco problem, get them to check the line and see if they can increase the "gain"

If your actual speed is much higher (after setting his port speed above) then I would say that there is probably something wrong with your son's modem and I would replace it. Remember you can get a variation of around 5000Bps between different makes and installations.

Hope that helps

[Paine]

The computer that is connecting at 26.4 has XP. I did check the properties, it is at 115200, and it is a 56k modem. I querried the modem and it states 56k and that everything is working properly. I use Earthlink dial up (we live where DSL is not available) and that is the connection speed. But I have two ISP's so I also connected to the local ISP and it still came up 26.4. There is something wrong on the computer side. It is brand spanking new (this is what I get for not building it myself) and I have never run into this problem before. I even lowered it to see if it was set too high (which 115200 shouldn't be too high) and again, this didn't work. I'm at a total loss here....

[cheyenne1212]

You have two ISP's? As in you have two accounts with earthlink, or you have 2 separat accounts with two separate companies?

[nihil]

Hi Paine,

Can you log onto the link I gave you, firstly with the XP box and then with the Win98 box, and run the speed test. I would like to know what it detects your true connection speeds to be.

Incidentally, 26.4 is a magic number in dial-up connections............don't ask me why.

What we need to do is prove that your machine connects at significantly faster than your son's. If that is the case, and the settings are correct, which you have checked, I would say that the modem is the problem.

If the readings you get from the test site are actually very similar then it is your telephone line/telco

Cheers

[Paine]

cheyenne1212, I have 2 different ISPs. I have Earthstink and a local ISP Communications something or rather. I take online classes so I always need a backup in case one goes down for whatever reason.

Nihil, I went to the site you gave me and was in for quite a shock. Mine came up at 42.2 and my son’s came up at 22.7. Both are slow and pathetic. I was thinking there was something wrong with his modem as well, but it is freakin’ brand new. It is an onboard modem so I guess I’ll have to call the manufacturer and try to get them to send me a new one. That is if I kept the receipt and all of the info (hope, hope). So you think it is a modem problem then eh? K-rap.

[nihil]

Hi Paine,

1. I think that we have proved that there is something wrong with your son's modem. That could be tested by attaching a known "good" external modem to his computer. If that performs just as badly, then I would suspect the MoBo itself. But as it is integrated in this case, it does not really matter which?

2. We know that the problem exists with two different ISPs, so it is probably not them.

3. I would normally expect a 56.6 dial-up to give between 44Kbps and 51Kbps, so your one is not too far out. Sometimes the telephone engineers can increase the "gain" on your line, which might help a bit. I have a 56.6k in this machine that gives me 49.3k, yet I have a computer engineer friend who is only getting 43k, and he lives about 500 yards away!

Good luck

[Paine]

Thanks Nihil, I guess I'll call the manufacturer and pry a new one out of them. I'll never again get a pre-built computer. My husband and I built ours, and I should have done the same for our son. Another lesson learned. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Maybe if I hang around you guys long enough, I'll become computer literate through osmosis....

[Nokia]

You could alway just but a PCI modem and disable the onboard one! May be easier that going through all the hassle of getting a new one out of the manufactures.

I dont know about in America but you can get a pretty good one for £15 in the UK!

And you have built a machine before so it should only be a two minute job! And if it does'nt improve you connection speed you can aqlways take it back the same day and say you dont want it!!