Ignorant wife needs help

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a pc i built several months ago had a similar problem during testing. always locked up on line. sometimes after 10 minutes. sometimes after 40.....it turned out to be sharing the same IRQ as the video card. but by then i was so sick of that freakin modem, i tossed it just out of spite! i did some research and decided on the US Robotics performance pro modem. it was a great choice. hardware based, with great drivers. this sucker connected at 25% higher rates over the same line as my win modem, plus ran so smooth it was almost silly. plus, no cpu drain while gaming. ive got cable, but if i didnt this is what i would be runnin, no questions.

ignore everything i say
 
I have a CNET modem which was $20. It had an unusual Lucent chip with X2 technology instead of the usual Lucent chip with K-Flex technology. I bought it because my USR Sportster went spastic after I loaded the v.90 upgrade about two years ago. (Stupid, my ISP didn't even support v.90). I chose the CNET because my ISP, prodigy.net, did not support K-flex (v.90 was not yet well established) and the CNET modem was the only non-USR/3COM modem I could find that supported X2. To my surprise, the thruput of the CNET was about 10% higher than the Sportster (when it was working).

Things have changed since then, v.92 for instance, and I don't know what to recommend.

Perhaps providing a list of modems to avoid would help.

Anyone want to post names of problematic Winmodems? (I have never heard of a good one). Some times the fact that a modem is Winmodem is not clear on the packaging.
 
Not necessarily true, I have seen some winmodem/USb modems out there.....worst of both worlds. And there are different types of winmodems, some that do nothing in hardware and really tax your processor, some that do some of the work in hardware, and others that do most of the work in hardware.

True hardware modems are the best but expensive and getting hard to find. Winmodem wise I have had good luck with supraMax modems myself, but as of late I have run across a modem that so far appears to be better.....its a (gasp) intel modem. Supposedly it is a hardware modem but I really don't think it is a true hardware modem, more of a hybrid. Myself, I have been on cable for quite some time and cringe at the thought of going back to 56k access. But, I sell, on the average 1-2 computers a week, and so far everyone has been happy with the Intel (in 6 systems so far). You can pick them up for about $10.00.


<A HREF="http://developer.intel.com/design/modems/products/md563x.htm" target="_new">http://developer.intel.com/design/modems/products/md563x.htm</A>

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by ncogneto on 07/16/01 10:14 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
I know what you mean since I've been on the cable as well. I think I would forget using the internet if I had to use a phone modem again. YUCK!!!
 
Sorry guys, I've been offline for the last two days. I've been sick as a dog. I'm getting to the point where I'm not vomiting every time I eat or drink water, so I figured I'd get on and see what I've missed. Here's what my system info says as far as any IRQ sharing that I'm not sure about:
10 VIA PCI Audio controller
10 Motorola SM56 Speakerphone Modem
10 ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
11 3D Prophet DDR-DVI
11 ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
12 VIA VT83C572/VT82C586 PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
12 VIA VT83C572/VT82C586 PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
12 Creative Sound Blaster PCI128
12 ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering

I don't know why there are two of the PCI IRQ steering things. Now, someone suggested loading optimal settings and running tests, but someone else said that that wasn't necessarily a good idea, so I'm confused, but I'ma go ahead and do it anyways. I'll post here as soon as all that is done. Yes, I have a buttload of MP3's I can play also. Matter of fact, that's one thing I've never had a problem doing. I usually load my playlist, and sit and listen for hours while I'm online, or whatever. Also, after the tests, I'll download updated modem drivers.
I know cable modem is better, but I got a list of modems from my cable company, and looked online. All the modems are $200.
 
Hiya,
Is your chipset KT133 by chance? If so or even if not, try removing your sound blaster Live card and re-enable onboard sound from your bios.

Also, did you ever disable onboard sound ? that could be causing the problem if you never disabled on board sound and had the sound blaster live in.
 
Ok, loaded optimal defaults, went in and made sure agp4x was on (it was), and onboard sound was off (it wasn't, I had to turn it off). Ran the 3D Mark test, passed with 2255 3D Marks. Loaded an MP3 in a loop, ran the test, and passed with 2143 3D Marks. Gonna go see about updated modem drivers now.....
 
Make sure your memory settings are set right as before for the faster speed. You can try turning on Fastwrites in the bios since your video card supports fastwrites (this should add a little performance to your system, if unstable then just turn off fastwrites. Otherwise sounds like your system is stable now except for the modem thing.
 
Ok, installed the new modem drivers (and backed up the old ones). Gonna go into AC and see what happens. I don't know what my old bios thingies were, so they're still at optimal defaults. I think someone told me to write the old ones down, but I flaked out and didn't do it, but I do have notes (everytime I try something, I write it down in a notebook) that have the advance chipset settings of the last time I changed it, before the optimal defaults, so is this what I change it back to, or do I leave it at optimal?
 
Leave it alone for now and see how the new modem drivers work out. Not good to change more then one thing at a time to test to solve a problem.
 
I would highly recommend that you at first lease the Cable modem, see if you like it. Then in a year or so buy one. I lease my modem and it gives me the flexibility to switch to another provider if I have to, and not be stuck with an expensive modem that I will not be using. Most cable providers will lease the modem for $10 a month, some will even give it to you for free if you bug them. If you spend more than 3 hours a day on the internet, it is the only way to go and will save you a lot of time, not having to wait. I can download a 20MB file in under 10 Min with my mediaone service. And no, I don't think I could ever go back to 56K dialup again.

If it works for you then don't fix it.
 
she doesn't have a sound blaster live she has a ensoniq audio pci......this card has no issues with that chipset, also as she can loop mp3 while running 3dmark2001 it would appear that here sound system is just fine.

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!
 
Your modem is still sharing an Irq with your sound card, this may be part of the problem, or it could just be the modem itself. First off try the new drivers and if still no help we can try moving that around as well.

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!
 
Well, so far so good. AC only froze twice the whole day yesterday, so I'm hoping those were just flukes. EQ plays fine so far, NOLF plays fine so far. My son has been able to play Command and Conquer, Revenant, Quake III, and others just fine (he's only 7 and plays better than mom, lol). Soooo, it looks like ya'll fixed me up good!!! Many thanks all around! =D

Tracy
 
I'm really impressed. This thread has been a good old problem solver. Notice how Fataliya gets from stranger to Journeyman (fifty posts) in one thread and no flames or bull. We need more members like her.

<b>
"Now drop your weapons or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby." :wink:
</b>
 
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