Dial up connection problems

Back to the original post please.......Is the clicking still on your phoneline Caveat?
 
Caveat said:
Hi

Having problems getting connected from time to time on my home PC - error messages tend to be either "no dial tone" or "no response from PC".
Sometimes connects first time but sometimes takes up to 5 attempts.

According to the PC, the modem is fine and there do not seem to be any physical problems with e.g. cable/sockets etc. Last night was particularly bad - after about 15 attempts it would connect (at the bewilderingly slow speed of 4-7bps) only to disconnect about 2 minutes later. Got momentarily connected twice then I just gave up trying.

There is also a rhythmic clicking on our phone line - not sure if this is related? (and no, I've no reason to think the phone is being tapped)

(Can't get broadband in our area BTW)

Any ideas anyone?
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Could it be a faulty phone in your home which keeps "lifting the reciever" so to speak and making an open (engaged) line to your house? That would disable the modem from connecting to the internet.

Could you get another BB like the new mobile bb from Vodafone? - Has a 5GB limit but much better than the "crucifiction" that is: dial-up.
 
Thanks for replies all

Yes, clicking still on phone line. No electric fencing that I'm aware of but I'll check properly this weekend and will also check neighbours for the same problem - presumably if it affects me it will affect them too. That is, if it is electric fencing at all.

Anyone know how near the fencing needs to be to cause a problem?

How extensive is the "line test" does anyone know? Are e.g., Eircom saying that there is no problem whatsoever with the phone line from the nearest outside pole right into my house and all the way up to my phone socket?

AFAIK, no problem with the phone set either - but can bring another phone home to check. This is getting very frustrating.
 
Modems live a hard life as they are exposed to all kinds of voltages from telephone lines. In my dial connection lifetime (8 years) I had to change the modem twice and there was very much improvment. However there is a certain amount of guesswork here and you could change modem and have no improvment.
 
Caveat said:
Thanks for replies all

Yes, clicking still on phone line. No electric fencing that I'm aware of but I'll check properly this weekend and will also check neighbours for the same problem - presumably if it affects me it will affect them too. That is, if it is electric fencing at all.

Anyone know how near the fencing needs to be to cause a problem?

How extensive is the "line test" does anyone know? Are e.g., Eircom saying that there is no problem whatsoever with the phone line from the nearest outside pole right into my house and all the way up to my phone socket?

AFAIK, no problem with the phone set either - but can bring another phone home to check. This is getting very frustrating.
Click to expand...

What about trying the PC/modem on another (e.g. neighbour's) line as I suggested to see if the problem may lie with the PC/modem? What about getting another PC/laptop to try on your own line? Are you connecting the PC to the line where it first enters the house and thereby avoiding any (possibly dodgy) internal phone wiring/connections? Process of elimination stuff as ever with technology problems.
 
Just to update:

Phone line 'clicking' solved by visit from Eircom guy - so there was a line problem then :rolleyes:

Dial up connection now fine too.

Thanks for all the feedback/suggestions!
 
Sounds OK so. Note that the connect speed just sets the limit on the ongoing throughput speed which could be lower so you have to measure it using a speed tester like the one mentioned above. But it sounds like you're getting in or around the best performance out of a dial-up connection.
 
40-45 Oh god I'm so glad I've got BB. When I was on dialup I maxed out at 39 kb/s the average was 32 kb/s dropping frequently to 12kb/s. Sorry to rub it in Caveat but you just brought back some really bad memories.
 
But Caveat has no other option than dial-up it seems and is getting the best out of what he has.
 
Caveat said:
Just to update:

Phone line 'clicking' solved by visit from Eircom guy - so there was a line problem then :rolleyes:

Dial up connection now fine too.

Thanks for all the feedback/suggestions!
Click to expand...
Yeah, as mentioned in other threads, it all depends on who you get. The main problem with eircom (and other Irish utility companies) IMO.

Congratulations on your perseverance!

PS you could always look at getting satellite if all you do is download/browse (the upload speed is based on the phone line, with the download based on the satellite download speed). From memory when I looked at it a couple of years ago, it was quite pricey.
 
yoganmahew said:
From memory when I looked at it a couple of years ago, it was quite pricey.
Click to expand...

Well, considering that I'm someone who thinks sky/LCD tvs/anything more than the cheapest mobile...etc etc are wastes of money, alarm bells are going already!:eek:
 
Caveat said:
Well, considering that I'm someone who thinks sky/LCD tvs/anything more than the cheapest mobile...etc etc are wastes of money, alarm bells are going already!:eek:
Click to expand...
You'd probably spend more on dial-up than you would on any other BB package. ;)
 
Sn@kebite said:
You'd probably spend more on dial-up than you would on any other BB package. ;)
Click to expand...

Well not much choice in the matter in that respect considering we can't actually get BB.

We spend about 5 hours a week on line - I didn't think there would be any dial up package that would be cost effective based on that - is there?
 
At 5 hours a week online something like UTVip Lite at €9.99 for 30 hours flat rate dial-up access might be suitable if you haven't already thought of it.
 
Obviously check first that you're not already spending less than this as it is! Also check in case there are other similar/better flat rate dial-up ISP offerings around.
 
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