Dial up modem suddenly slow??

[Eryk]

Hey

I have a Lucent Win modem on my old computer using dial up... and these past few weeks the connection has went from 24kbps to a sad 9kbps... what is wrong??

ever since the slow down, i have tried downloading new drivers but they dont seem to work...

what is wrong

thanks

eryk

[tony_j15]

It can be related to many things. I had to have my phone line changed cuz a bulldozer cut it, and now I can only connect at 46k instead of 52k. So check your lines. Different software programs can effect performance as well. Or, maybe your modem is dieing. Do you have another one you could slap in and check?

[osprey4]

Do you have other phone jacks you could try?

My dial-up, which I use only to fetch my work e-mail thankfully, has never gone higher than 26k, but on one phone line it's even lower. I've queried neighbors and it seems to be a neighborhood problem.

[Xeroid]

Check your house wiring too. If possible go outside to the box where the phone line comes in. There's usually a phone jack inside the box. If you log on using it and don't have a problem, your house wiring may be a possible cause.

I use a laptop to do this. If you don't have access to a laptop you might be able to use a loooooooooong phone cable.

[Eryk]

stupid wiring... o well. thanks ill try a diff phone jack first before i get up to go outside

[Eryk]

okay... i almost tripped over all the wires cause i had to bring my comp into the middle of the room to test... and it has no improvement... do you think i should go and just buy a new modem??

[Xeroid]

When you tested, did you use the outside jack or just another inside jack? When you plug a phone into your jacks do you notice much noise on the line? We get a lot of calls for problems like this and it's the phone line. I carry a little portable phone so I can listen to the quality of the phone line while making a call to an associate.

[meese]

Call your phone company an have them check your line. They can do it from there office while your on the phone. Also make sure you don't have anything connected to any of your phone jacks that may be loading down the line. (Like one of those things from radio shack that lights when your phone rings) or something. I seriously doubt its your modem.

[DoctorReno]

Yes your phone company will come out and check the line for free. Often times there is something that is causing interference or noise downline from you and they will repair it.
Good luck.

[woodbutcher]

Mike is correct, it very well could be the phone line.
Unfortunatly, alot of older wiring was done back in the days when a dial tone was the most important test and and the computer using the phone line was not even a thought.
As a contractor i've rewired more then one house that had "old" wiring in it.
If nothing else and you have acces to the basement or attic it would not be a bad idea to run a new phone line directly to the outside service box. I have done this many times for clients for use as a dedicated modem line and have always seen a improvement. One occasion we went from 14 to 48 k by simply installing a new line.

WB