dial-up "real" connection speed

[Needtoknow]

Hello,
I have a dial-up connection(because I am too cheap to pay for anything else) and it typically connects between 38,000 and 44,000. I figure that is the top end due to line noise or something.
Anyway, sometimes I connect at 24,000 which seems to be the low end for connecting. I can disconnect and reconnect and usually get a faster speed and can really notice the difference.
But, sometimes, it will "catch"(like now) and connect at 115,200. Is that physically possible?
Is there some limit to the speed of a dial-up(I thought legally 56k) but is there a physical barrier in place that would prevent an actual connection at that speed?
It "seems" like it downloads quicker, but who knows?
Thanks

[cuffs007]

hey

the 115,200 is most likely the max your modem will accept.. you can find that speed selected in the modem properties... it's rare you'll hit that high ever again...

but, more to the point, what you want to really pay attention to is your "through-put" speed, not your connection speed... you can connect at, let's say 31.2, but the rest of your session is in the upper 40's or so... there are free programs out there that will track your connect and throughput speed... you may find it interesting to watch how it can fluctuate during an internet session... you may want to ask your local telco and ISP if they have V.92 compatibility.. check out www.v92.com for more info

[imbest123]

From the experience I had with dial-up, I found that no matter what speed I connected at it always went the same speed.

[Needtoknow]

hey cuffs,
yeah, v92 is supported by my isp, but I had to use a modem string to "kill" it in order to connect, not sure why but spent a long time at one point with their tech help and finally wound up with this string and connection is consistent, but v92 is dead.
I will look for the programs you mentioned, I have seen the speed fluctuate during a download.
Thanks

EDIT:
I have looked and found many programs that are kinda sorta but not one that monitors the speed of the connection.
Amount of info moving is as close as I have gotten and that was at Major Geeks..
Anybody have any links/ideas about connectivity speed downloads??
TIA

[glc]

When it says 115200, it's reporting port speed, not true modem speed. This is usually due to 2 possible things - not having the optimal modem driver, or a dialup server at the other end not reporting the right data back to your modem.

What OS and what modem model are we dealing with here?

[Needtoknow]

Hello glc,
(winmodem)
(Creative) Broadxent pci di3631 on 98se.
I have never found updated drivers anywhere, only the ones on the original disc.
Hal

[reboot]

Drivers here: http://www.americas.creative.com/sup...Fcentric%3D230

[Needtoknow]

Hi Jim,
I was all excited when I saw that link to Creative...
The next step in, after you tell it the OS is 98se, it tells you no drivers are currently available for that combination.
Thanks

[reboot]

Bah, sorry, what a waste of time...
Have you searched around at www.driverguide.com ?
BTW, to get correct speed reported, in the extra settings box, under advanced modem properties, put W2

[Needtoknow]

Hi JIm,
Can I have that in the box in addition to the other string
which I seem to "must have" to connect? (ms=v90,0)
Thanks

[reboot]

Sure, do it like this: W2+MS=V90,0

[Needtoknow]

Hello,
I added the w2, but the connection speed appears the same.
Is it supposed to fluctuate, and do I read it in the little "connection" icon.
Hope I am not over complicating this?
Thanks

[glc]

Instead of W2, you can try S95=1 - see if that makes a difference.

You can also try getting a decent hardware based modem, if you need PCI, the USR 2977 is hard to beat for $40. USR's seem to be the best for marginal quality phone lines and a hardware based modem will use less system resources.

[reboot]

If your connection speed is reading anything less than 56000, then it's probably semi-accurate. If it's reading 59600 or 115200, then W2 isn't working, and S95=1 just might. I have also heard of some using S95=0, although that seems backwards to me, as the 0 is supposed to report port speed.
Go with GLC, and get that USR. It's my second favourite modem, next to the Diamond Supra Express, which you can't get any more.

[azscary]

When it says 115200, it's reporting port speed, not true modem speed.

That is correct GLC.

As to the v.92 protocol, most ISP's have not yet got onboard with v.92 compatible POP's and that is why you had to drop the protocol.

Earthlink offers a FEW v.92 capable, but usually only in the larger markets.

Keep in mind most dialup access is provided through a lease agreement between the ISP and the telco and the ISP rarely owns its own POP. Convincing the telco to revamp the POP to v.92 is not always an easy thing to do.

My experience with dialup is that as was mentioned by GLC the hardware modems are the best. Whenever you see "winmodem" or "soft" modem what that means is that the contoller chip is not on the modem (cheaper) and the modem depends on the resources of the computer to perform that function which results in poor connection speed, disconnects when a lot of resources on the computer are being used, and VERY slow performance on the entire computer. The hardware modems have the DSP controller chips onboard the modem and so are far better. Almost all external modems are hardware modems and I agree that USR is one of the better ones, but I have had extremely good luck with the PCI modems from Hayes that have the chips onboard.

The modem box will say either DSP or Controller chip onboard which indicates that it is not a winmodem.

To get the appropriate string for the modem it is necessary to know which of the 4 major chipsets it has. If you go into the modem properties from control panel and run the diagnostic function it will give you several ATI command responses.

ATI responses 1 - 7 will give you the information necessary to determine the chipset and then you can get the proper string.

[reboot]

Almost all external modems are hardware modems and I agree that USR is one of the better ones, but I have had extremely good luck with the PCI modems from Hayes that have the chips onboard.

To be specific, external serial modems are all hard modems.
Some USB modems, are also Winmodems, possibly the worst of the worst, and a thoroughly stupid idea.
Hayes no longer makes modems, and haven't for at least 3 years.
PCI modems that are "hard" (have onboard DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and Data pump) are VERY rare.
USR makes one model still (probably the best).
Others were made by Actiontec, Multitech, and GVC, although I don't think any of them are still being manufacturered.
ATi3 response will (should) give driver version number. Even if the modem doesn't specifically say what it is in ATi 5, you can usually at least find out what chipset it is by driver version number. Drivers from multiple manufacturer's will work on multiple modems. eg. A Diamond driver will work on a Zoltrix modem. A Zoltrix driver for a Rockwell chipset will work on just about all other Rockwell chipset modems.
If the box says it "requires Windows..." it'll be a soft modem, aka "Winmodem" a term actually coined by USR.

[azscary]

Hayes no longer makes modems, and haven't for at least 3 years.

That is incorrect as I have purchased several Hayes modems for custimers computers in the last 3 years. They may not be available in Canada, but they are here.

Here is a list of 24 sites that carry Hayes modems and some of them are v.92 which only came out in the last 3 years.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_a...ac947aa185f597

[reboot]

Grin. They might SAY Hayes, but they're made by Zoom, who bought the defunct/bankrupt Hayes' name in 1998.

[azscary]

The box the modems I bought came in said Hayes, but I did not look at the fine print. According to the web site you are correct and they are made by Zoom, but the boxes still say Hayes, GRINS back.

[glc]

And the only Zoom/Hayes PCI modems that are hardware based use a Lucent chipset - which is fine on a good phone line but awful on marginal lines.