Monday, April 1, 2002		Article

Disconnections & wrong modem drivers
Vipul Verma

The most common application of computer these days is the Internet. Despite it being the most common as well as the most important application, an average user does not feel satisfied with the performance of the Internet and often complains of various problems ranging from slower speed to frequent disconnections. This problem haunts the users despite having the most modern computer system. What are the possible reasons for these kinds of problems and what are their solutions. The first problem related to the Internet is due to the fact that the users though invest their money in best available processor and motherboard, do not invest proportionately in hardware like modem. Thus normally in the most advanced P4 system also, a common user puts in the cheapest modem available. Though these modems are not bad and they are worth their price. But for stable and better performance use of advanced modems is always better. Modems like 3Com, Boca and even Indian modems like Dlink deliver good performance. Therefore as a rule of thumb, if the Internet performance is critical then one should opt for high-end modems, as these modems are well-equipped for poor line conditions. Moreover, these modems also feature the recent technological developments and thus can deliver good Internet performance whereas the cheaper modems, which can provide good connectivity in average conditions are normally not equipped with recent technological and proprietary technological developments and are rather very simple modems. The first step in better Internet performance begins with good quality modems. Under the second step, you should make sure that you use the correct driver only.

This is a common case with a majority of computer users that either they have the default windows modem driver installed or have a wrong modem driver. For example, the V.90 protocol is not being used by most of the ISP, but if you use this driver, no matter which modem you install, you will come across many problems including disconnection. Also, for better performance, you should upgrade your driver as and when the manufacturer of the modem releases it.

Normally, all hardware manufacturers maintain a database of the drivers on their Website. This is an important for improved performance of the Internet.

Next important thing critical for improvement in the Internet performance is the good condition of the telephone line. Normally, this is the most ignored thing as the user do not bother to check the telephone line if it is not giving any major noise.

However, this may not be the correct strategy as even minor disturbances could cause data loss and thus affect the Internet performance. Therefore, you must thoroughly check the condition of the telephone line from the nearest junction box of telephone service provider to your premises as any cuts, loose joints or major bend can cause disruption in the telephone.

Also avoid using extensions on the telephone line on which you connect to the Internet and disconnect fax machine before connecting the Internet. These measures will ensure better line condition, which is a pre-requisite for good Internet performance.

Next important consideration for the good Internet performance is the optimal settings in the computer. Normally, by default, a computer is not set for optimal performance and one needs to adjust for getting the most out of your hardware. The first critical setting in this regard is the speed of the COM port.

The internal modems are being set on the COM3 and COM4 ports and the external modems are being set on the COM1 andCOM2 ports. Based on the type of the modem you use, you should set the speed of the COM port to the maximum i.e. 1,15,200 BPS. However, if you encounter frequent disconnections at this speed, then you should set the speed at the second level or 57,600 BPS. By default, you will find this speed set at 9600 BPS. Raising this speed will boost the performance of your Internet considerably.

Also, you should disable the feature logon to network as this setting takes some extra seconds before registering your connection to the network. Also, remove the network protocols, which are not in use like IPX/SPX, NetBeu etc. and you should only keep TCP/IP protocol. This also helps in improving the performance.

There is another interesting finding for improving the performance of the Internet. According to this finding, the use of proxy server boosts the performance of the Internet in some cases. It is especially useful in case you visit some sites frequently as using the proxy server helps in loading these sites fast.

Another tip, which could be helpful in case of frequent disconnections, is related to advanced settings. Under this tip you can add an extra string to make the modem wait for longer duration, before disconnecting for inactivity. For using this setting, first of all click on My Computer and then click on Dial Up networking. Now in the Dial up networking window, right click on the icon of connection and then click on the properties. This will open the connection properties Window on your computer screen. Now click on 'Configure' and then in the following Window click on connection. Click on 'Advanced ' button near the bottom and then in the Advanced connection settings window write s10=60 in the Extra settings box. Then click OK. Now click OK for rest of the open windows and close them all. By enabling this setting, your modem will wait for one minute in case of inactivity before disconnecting your from the ISP. This setting is useful and delivers the results in majority of cases.