Any way to speed up a 56K connection?

[jtr1962]

The reason I'm asking this is because I'm at the end of my rope right now. I was doing a 50MB download with Opera, which lets me stop and resume downloads. However, even with this feature sometimes errors occur and the entire download starts over again. This happpened twice already with the same download-first at around 16MB and just now at 44MB. Another $%!@#$ 15 minutes and I would have been done, but noooo, my stupid connection had to decide to have an error right then and there instead of when I first started. :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x I still have the 44 MB piece but it's useless. Does anybody know of any way I can somehow get it to start resuming from that point on? Opera gave up on it, and I have no idea what to look for.

Second question is does anybody know how to hack the phone lines to increase modem speed? I once heard of somebody who did this and they were getting about 10x faster speeds than 56K but I haven't been able to find the link. At least if I get a stupid error I won't have to waste another two hours only to get yet another error. Being that I'm three blocks from the phone exchange and the lines are all digital my modem shouldn't be forced to run at the same speed as somebody in the middle of nowhere. The dumb 56K FCC BS is just a way to force people to pay $50 per month for broadband when most phone lines could be just as fast. To make matters worse, sometimes my modem just decides on it's own to drop me down to 28K and then I need to disconnect and reconnect to get back to 56K.

In the meantime I'm starting the download yet again. :x It might be nice in the future if people would just break a large download into smaller parts. Many people either only have 56K in their area, or just can't afford anything faster.

I think I understand why Cougtek's machines end up with bootprints and dents on them. I'm very tempted right now to hit my modem with a hammer.

 

[blakerwry]

The reason I'm asking this is because I'm at the end of my rope right now. I was doing a 50MB download with Opera, which lets me stop and resume downloads. However, even with this feature sometimes errors occur and the entire download starts over again. This happpened twice already with the same download-first at around 16MB and just now at 44MB. Another $%!@#$ 15 minutes and I would have been done, but noooo, my stupid connection had to decide to have an error right then and there instead of when I first started. :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x I still have the 44 MB piece but it's useless. Does anybody know of any way I can somehow get it to start resuming from that point on? Opera gave up on it, and I have no idea what to look for.

use getright, it's a downlaod manager that supports resuming and works wonderfully. Free 30 day trial.

Second question is does anybody know how to hack the phone lines to increase modem speed? I once heard of somebody who did this and they were getting about 10x faster speeds than 56K but I haven't been able to find the link. At least if I get a stupid error I won't have to waste another two hours only to get yet another error. Being that I'm three blocks from the phone exchange and the lines are all digital my modem shouldn't be forced to run at the same speed as somebody in the middle of nowhere. The dumb 56K FCC BS is just a way to force people to pay $50 per month for broadband when most phone lines could be just as fast. To make matters worse, sometimes my modem just decides on it's own to drop me down to 28K and then I need to disconnect and reconnect to get back to 56K.

Your speed is probably the problem... drop down a notch or two from where you're connecting and you'll probably run just fine (48000 -> 42000 or 42000 -> 36600...)
Tell me what modem you have and I'll tell you how to do it and give you instructions for whatever speed you want.

the Digital -> Analog -> digital -> analog conversion could be killing you as well.. those digital phone lines are no help to modem users.

In the meantime I'm starting the download yet again. :x It might be nice in the future if people would just break a large download into smaller parts. Many people either only have 56K in their area, or just can't afford anything faster.

I think I understand why Cougtek's machines end up with bootprints and dents on them. I'm very tempted right now to hit my modem with a hammer.

yes, it's very frustrating, where I live I can't connect faster than 26400 because of local phone lines.. im not even in the middle of nowhere.. I live in the middle of the burbs in one of the richest countys in the country.

The only thing you can do is to make the phonelines in your house (and maybe going to your house) as good as possible by re-wiring and re-routing.
You can also try different providers(or different numbers of the same provider) in your area and you might be able to get more stable or faster connections.

 

[jtr1962]

I'm using a Motorola ModemSURFR 56K External PnP. Since it connects through my serial port, the connection speed always appears as 115200 bps regardless of the speed the modem is actually connected it.

Part of the problem with dropping down in speed here are the cordless phones in my house. People forget to turn them off when not in use, so sometimes when people walk by the phone the vibration puts the phone off the hook(at least electronically). This either slows down or cuts off my connection. The phone lines here are mostly new even though the house is 51 years old. The phone company ran a new connection from the street a few years ago, and I put in the line going to my PC. I'm even using a DSL-type high-speed wire to connect to my wall jack instead of the usual phone wire.

As I said, the phone company can easily run higher speeds, especially in cities, than 56K. Remote or some not so remote areas might still be stuck at 56K, but at least this would give some people a chance to get higher speeds. We desperately need the FCC to add a few new standards.

BTW, the only other option for Internet where I am is Road Runner at $50/month. For what the cable TV costs us monthly(it's the same company-Time Warner), they should throw it in for $10 more. The wire is already here(exactly 4 feet from my PC), and I would be happy to buy a cable modem. The funny thing about this is that some people in otherwise Third World countries have cheaper/better access to high-speed Internet than you or I.

OK, I'm starting the download over so if everything goes well I won't be back here until about 4PM or thereabouts. If you don't show up here or at SR any more it means I got fed up and smashed my modem with a hammer CougTek style.

 

[mubs]

Most download managers are spyware. Better to use in-built ones like Moz has.

jtr1962, I looked in my archives - I have a cuple of word docs (3 pages + 2 pages) that I can zip and email to you; info on tweaking for max. speed. You probably know all of it already, but let me know if you want them.

Worst case, I'll be happy to download Opera for you, burn a CD and mail it to you.

 

[Howell]

The reason I'm asking this is because I'm at the end of my rope right now. I was doing a 50MB download with Opera, which lets me stop and resume downloads.

Does the download program you are using now let you resume downloads you started before your last reboot? If not, you need a new DL manager.

 

[jtr1962]

jtr1962, I looked in my archives - I have a cuple of word docs (3 pages + 2 pages) that I can zip and email to you; info on tweaking for max. speed. You probably know all of it already, but let me know if you want them.

Worst case, I'll be happy to download Opera for you, burn a CD and mail it to you.

It can't hurt to send me the docs. Usually my download speed runs from about 5.5 KB/sec to 5.9 KB/sec, so I don't think I'll be able to do much better, but it can't hurt to try.


Thanks for the offer with Opera , but I already have it installed

 

[mubs]

Vell, Vhat is your email address, Sir?

 

[jtr1962]

Does the download program you are using now let you resume downloads you started before your last reboot? If not, you need a new DL manager.

I use Opera exclusively for downloads. I can pick up where I left off usually, even after a reboot. Occasionally, however, an error occurs and Opera just loses track of what it already has, and then I need to start over again. This is maybe one out of 50 downloads. Since most of my downloads are <5 MB it usually isn't that big a deal, but when you're almost done with a 50 MB download it's very aggravating. As far as I can tell the cause is either the phone coming off the hook like I mentioned above, or a web page trying to load ad banners. I think the page I was loading from had an ad banner, and that might have been the cause of the same problem twice in a row. Third time around I just closed the page afer the download started, and the good news is I have it, finally. :jumpin:

 

[jtr1962]

Vell, Vhat is your email address, Sir?

I sent it to you in a PM.

 

[mubs]

And you have mail!

 

[Howell]

And to answer your original question: you can try channel bonding like Merc does.

 

[Mercutio]

Million and one creative ways to speed up your crappy modem connection.

First of all, I live in a hell that will send cold shivers down your spine: 14.4. 19.2 if the phase of the moon is right and I sacrifice a goat or something.

Now, to get to a speed that isn't considered unlawful under the terms of the Berne Convention, I use multilink PPP to get into the neighborhood of a 28.8 connection. Most people can't do that (requires two lines, two modems and an ISP that's either tolerant or ignorant AND has multilink-capable hardware on its end)

But... let's look at your single line first.

First, there's the way 56k works. Now, you all know Modem = Modulator/DeModulator, a device that turns digital data into analog noises, right? Well, with V.90, there's an extra assumption that things are coming from a leased (rather than analog) line, and because of that, v.90 devices "skip" a digital-analog conversion and therefore can receive data at a higher rate.
Which works great, except when local line conditions, either because of distance from the CO, additional linesplits, multiplexers (particularly common in "planned communities", commercial properties with shared facilities and apartment complexes) or simply the condition of your local line prevent that assumption from holding. 56k is right out the door for most people.

In the US, data connections over analog lines are essentially unregulated. Things have to be REALLY bad for the FCC to step in. 26.4 doesn't cut it. But if a line can't SUSTAIN a 14.4 connection (In other words, stable connections are only found at 9.6k or less), you have an actionable line quality issue.

So what can you do to make things better:
First, be sure your interior line is high quality and installed properly, just in case the problem is on your end.
Second, use a good modem. Winmodems cost $10 for a reason. External modems are usually better quality and more feature-complete. If nothing else, a good external modem has more registers for diagnostic information to help you find out where the problem is. I'm fairly convinced that the best modems ever made are USR Courier models, but I've found Supra externals worth the money as well.
Third thing: Use the right driver. If Windows says you're connecting at 115200, you're using the wrong driver. For externals it LARGELY doesn't matter, but USR drivers with USR modems seem to help a bit, and probably everyone here has worked a miracle by installing a better Winmodem driver at some point.

If you're dialing up online, disable network protocols you aren't using. Turn off IPX, dammit!

Now outside the house:
If your neighborhood doesn't have it, order Caller ID service. It's cheap, and it'll get a lineman out to do some work on your phone poll. There's a minor infrastructure upgrade that has to be done to make caller ID work, and I understand it can help make 56k a more attainable goal.

Second thing: Talk to a lineman, if you can. Guys half-ass stuff all the time, and you could be a victim of it. I've found it easier to talk to the service guys directly, and I haven't met one yet that can't be induc... I mean convinced to go up and have a look. You won't get very far if you try to get a service call for crappy data rates, but $20 to a lineman who is already in your neighborhood can help.

OK, let's say nothing is wrong, and having caller ID hasn't made things better (you don't have to keep it, either).

The next things that you can do may or may not help:

Limit your maximum connection speed. If you can't do v.90, settle back to v.34 and see if 33.6 or 28.8 is any better. Often, setting your modem to that lower speed helps to make connections more reliable (modems are constantly telling each other to speed up or slow down, even if Windows doesn't report it).

Disable your modem's hardware compression. Compression should help, right? Should, doesn't always. If you download lots of compressed files to begin with, you'll get a better data rate for shutting it off.

Adblock. Best argument for it.

Check your modem diagnostics. Every decent modem should report the dynamic range of its connection (should be a reasonable value, like 15db or so). Below 10, and you've got a line-quality issue somewhere.

The other numeric data in your modem is the number of "blers" you have. A "bler" is a request for a re-send of data. Lots of blers = high inefficiency. You may get a few hundred of these per hour. Thousands, and, again, you've got a line issue.

Find a list of Hayes commands and you'll learn how to turn on or off various kinds of compression and negotiation. Playing with those settings with even the vaguest idea ofwhat you're doing will help.

 

[blakerwry]

I couldn't find the command set specific to your modem (im used to dealing w/ software modems) but here is some general AT command set info

http://www.modems.com/general/extendat.html


If you have win98 or above use hyperterminal(hypertrm.exe) and test some of the commands out on your modem

Some basic inits for your modem I got from modemhelp.org (without any descriptions) are:
AT&FW2X4&C1&D3\J0\N3&Q5%C1S7=60
AT&F&C1&D2\K3
AT&F&C1&D2&K3\V1\N3L1S0=0
AT&D2&C1X4V1Q0S7=70W2\N3&K3


i'll re-read this more thoroughly when i get more time

 

[jtr1962]

I'll try a few of the suggestions here and see what happens. So far my lines look to be in good shape. I checked the lines coming off the pole to my house yesterday(I shimmied up the telephone pole). They seem to be in good shape as best I can tell(no corrosion, water damage). Of course, since I was holding on for dear life about 30 feet up it was a little difficult to get that good a look, but they appear OK. I'll double check my wall jack connections next time I move the stuff out to clean.

 

[honold]

i had terrible wiring in a relatively new house i lived in about 4-5 years ago, and my dialup suffered as a result of it.

i ended up running a cable straight from the box on the side of the house to my modem

 

[jtr1962]

You're not the only one. My sister had her house built new on Long Island about 7 years ago, and the electrical wiring left quite a bit to be desired. I think the phone line was OK though. It's getting increasing hard to find people who want to do that type of work, so it's a crapshoot as to whether you get somebody good or not. I do any new electrical, cable TV, and phone wiring myself now as a result(also a lot cheaper than paying an electrician $75/hour )

 

[Fushigi]

I just took the plunge and got broadband. It was installed about an hour ago. I've been waiting for it since I bought the house but it wasn't available before now.

Since the cost is really the difference in price between the dialup & the broadband, it's not that much more $ every month. Easily worth it since I can now telecommute more, which saves on car costs & the environment.

Because Comcast was running a special I also dropped the satellite in favor of digi cable.

- Fushigi

 

[honold]

watch out for filtering

cable cos almost always have rules against servers and enforce dynamic ips for residential users, which is fine. what's worse though is that many are actively blocking outbound vpn connections (pptp, ipsec, etc) and forcing users to pay for commercial service to be unfiltered.

 

[Buck]

Yes, plus they'll block port 80 (which you can work around).

 

[Fushigi]

watch out for filtering

cable cos almost always have rules against servers and enforce dynamic ips for residential users, which is fine. what's worse though is that many are actively blocking outbound vpn connections (pptp, ipsec, etc) and forcing users to pay for commercial service to be unfiltered.

The Comcast rep said "we don't care what you do on your end." Home network, VPN, etc. are all fine and there are no bandwidth limits. I've no need for a server locally so I don't care about static vs. dynamic IP. This message is passing through the VPN to work.

I'm getting ~250KB/s sustained download right now if the server is fast enough.

- Fushigi

 

[honold]

cool! congrats

 

[Howell]

I'm getting ~250KB/s sustained download right now if the server is fast enough.

- Fushigi

For some really fast DLing get a download manager that will segment files. It's no big deal for files under 30MB or so but really handy for ISOs and such.

 

[Fushigi]

For some really fast DLing get a download manager that will segment files. It's no big deal for files under 30MB or so but really handy for ISOs and such.

Any recommendations?

 

[blakerwry]

For some really fast DLing get a download manager that will segment files. It's no big deal for files under 30MB or so but really handy for ISOs and such.

Any recommendations?

getright





Jtr, if you were to go the cable route, I got road runner.. it seems a couple years ago... they offer a "DIY" installation so you don't have to pay any install fees, plus you know it's done right. They also regularly offer specials like 1/2 price for first 3 months, etc... (atleast in my area)

Personally, I really think it's worth it. 2Mbit down, 384Kbit up always on broadband connection with no filtering or blocking.

 

[jtr1962]

Jtr, if you were to go the cable route, I got road runner.. it seems a couple years ago... they offer a "DIY" installation so you don't have to pay any install fees, plus you know it's done right. They also regularly offer specials like 1/2 price for first 3 months, etc... (atleast in my area)

Personally, I really think it's worth it. 2Mbit down, 384Kbit up always on broadband connection with no filtering or blocking.

I've heard good things about Road Runner myself. The main thing stopping me is the cost-$50/month vs $9.99/month. The phone plan we're on allows unlimited local calling so phone costs for dialup are a non-issue. Given that I only average about 30 MB/day downloading(about 90 minutes worth) it's pretty hard for me to justify spending that kind of money. Quite often I'm typing posts for SR or SF, which I'd do anyway, while the downloads are going so I'm not really spending any more time online than I would if I had Road Runner. Hopefully the price of RR will come down. If Bluelight goes under and I'm forced to choose among MSN, AOL, or Earthlink, all of which are over $20/month and stink for the most part, it's a no brainer to get Road Runner. I still think Time Warner could get a huge amount of extra customers signed up by taking those who already have their cable TV and offering RR for a small additional monthly fee(say $10 to $15). Things were so bad with me financially last year that I was considering dropping my dialup service. Things are a bit better now, but I just plain can't afford $50/month for Internet right now.

BTW, I tried some of the tweaks in the files mubs sent me. I'm not sure yet if it made any difference, but it does seem like my downloads are mostly in the 5.7 to 5.9 KB/sec range whereas before they were around 5.4 to 5.6 KB/sec. I'll take any incremental improvement I can get at this point.

 

[Newtun]

Try to get a reference to your modem's AT command set. You could get it to report the DCE speed (modem-to-ISP) instead of the DTE speed (PC-to-modem). It can also tell you the protocol. Another real handy command some modems have is the ability to do a report after you disconnect. On my Zoom, it is "at&v1". The report has the last receive rate, and if you could sample this for a while and find a stable value, you could force the initial connection to that speed, as blakerwry suggested.

This won't help downloads, but helps very much for loading text, such as HTML: v90 compression can be up to 4 to 1, and if you're getting 56k-ish connections and only have DTE of 115200, you're limited closer to 2 to 1. There are tweaks to enable a higher COM port speed, 230400, and get that 4 to 1 compression. I had a web site with further info, but it's gone 404. It was for Win98. I did print it, and it looks like there are 3 steps, a reg hack to enable the 230400 Max speed, a new version of the serial.vxd driver, and a utility SHSMOD, to enable 230400 for (some) COM ports. Googling SHSMOD may give you more info. Also, if you have a free slot, a PCI serial card might give you higher DTE speeds. (This assumes that your modem can also get those DTE speeds.) But this tweak really made my Zoom zoom, for web surfing and telnet-ing in to work.

 

[jtr1962]

Thanks for the tip. I managed to find the SHSMOD utility. I had done the registry tweak a while ago to get my modem to connect at higher than 115,200 bps but my ports seemed to bottleneck it. Anyway, the utility works and I'm connected at 230,400 bps. Text page loads do indeed seem much faster. 460,800 and 921,600 bps just plain don't work with my modem, but I don't think they would give much advantage, even with text compression.