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FlyFool

4 Posts

9254

April 24th, 2007 07:00

frequent dropouts after Internet connection

Hi folks, I'm no newbie, but hardly an expert. I'm a home user and not a professional, I've owned computers for 30 years and am currently using a Dell Dimension 8300, with a 3 GHz processor, 512 MB of memory, and add-on GeForce 5900XT video and Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound cards. My problem is that I'm subject to frequent losses of my dial-up Internet connection. It started when my ISP forced me to switch access numbers 6 months ago and so I blamed them, but after trying a new ISP the problem remains. I heard somewhere that video cards could cause dial-up connection problems. I had a total system crash (thanks to a hard drive failure) a year ago and only recenbtly upgraded the drivers for my video card and for a single night got a totally stable, if slow, connection. Since then it's been the same old same old. This is driving me nuts! In the middle of downloads, or checking e-mail. or any normal online activity, I just get dropped. My ISP tech "support" (via the Philippines) had me re-install my dial-up software but it didn't help. Anybody have any ideas about this? Thanks in advance, you wonderful people, Paul

ManyDimensions

1.3K Posts

April 24th, 2007 20:00

FlyFool,
 
You did not mention what operating system is installed so I will assume Microsoft Windows. Normally this type of problem is caused by an IRQ conflict. Many times the IRQ is shared with either the video or audio interrups.
 
Using control panel, hardware, device, advanced, you can alter the settings for one or more of the devices to see if you can find one memory area that is not shared. Windows 98 up to Vista will allow manipulation of device settings.

Gina Q

1.7K Posts

April 25th, 2007 16:00

Please try updating the driver for your modem first. If that does not work you may need to adjust the setting for how fast things go through the modem. It may be that your ISP does not support the new v92 speed and needs you to use v90. You do not tell us which modem you have so I cannot get the code string for you to make this change.

fireberd

9 Legend

 • 

33.3K Posts

April 26th, 2007 09:00

In most cases it is the telephone line.  Either the telco line external to the residence or the "inside wiring" in the residence or the 4 wire RJ-11 cable between the modem and the telco wall jack (or a combination of several).  Another cause is cordless phones and/or a voice phone or answering machine.  I've never seen a video card cause communications line issues and I've worked with data lines/modems and computers for over 30 years.
 
However, it will take some effort on your part to isolate where the problem is.  Step one would be to disconnect all voice telephones and answering machines in the residence and then go on line and see if you get drop outs.  If you don't get any drop outs, it's either one of the telephone devices or the inside (in the residence) wiring for that device.  If you still get drop outs, then that isolates it to either the inside wiring/telco jack for the modem or the telco line external to the residence.  Try connecting the modem to a different telco jack in the residence and see if that solves the problem.  If it does then the wiring and/or jack that you are using is bad.  If it still has dropouts on another line then it's most likely external to the residence and in that case a call to the local phone company is in order (but be prepared as it may take a while, depending on the problem, as most phone companies are hard to convince there is a "data" problem on the "voice" line or since has worked OK one time it is an "intermittent").

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