Modem problem causing HOMICIDAL RAGE!

[bgates]

I've been having this problem for the past few months, and it seems it's getting more frequent. I use a USR v.92 "performance pro" to connect with AOL on my main PC (asus a7v266-e, amd xp 1900). Everything SEEMS fine, until my modem just stops receiving and lets me stay "connected" to AOL for several (and I mean a long ass time with nothing going on) minutes until it finally says "Goodbye."

My old PC downstairs uses a USR v.90 modem to connect to AOL....but I never get disconnected from it. It's a P3 600 on a Tyan Trinity mobo.

I have no idea if this is a motherboard problem or what. I never seemed to have this problem until I upgraded my motherboard and cpu. No setting seems to clear this up, so I'm left to believe that my computer has some type of crazy incompatibility problem with modems. Both my PC's are running WinXP and AOL 7.0.

Does anyone know why a modem just stops receiving data?? I've returned 3 different modems, all with the same problems!

Dammit...I just heard "Goodbye" as I was typing...

 

[Stain]

Are you able to test this problem at all using a different ISP? Have you tested the modem from the downstairs computer in your newer one and the performance pro modem in your old computer?

Oh yeah, call AOL and bitch, they will give you free service if you do it enuff

 

[wseaton]

The problem has something to do with newer modem negotiation protocols and the ISPs firmware. Yelling at AOL wont help because they lease the lines from a local provider. I'm running into this all the time with Earthlink and it's annoying as hell.

*Manually* set a *limit* on your modem's transfer speed. Set it for 38.4 at first and then bump it up to 57.6 if that goes well. Full out 115.2 is causing me nothing but problems with various ISPs using expensive USR modems on all OS's. Note - I have no problems connecting to my RAS servers.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by wseaton on 07/15/02 03:12 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[bgates]

Hmm, I guess I'll try lowering it then. I can't try my v.90 in my new computer, since it needs an ISA slot, but my new modem causes disconnects even on my old computer.

It doesn't seem to happen as long as I do stuff on the internet, but as soon as a go idle or something, it drops me. That's why it's so irritating, especially when I have to download large files.

 

[BGates2B]

Have you tried adding a string to the modem dialing properties? <A HREF="http://www.modemsite.com/56k/v92c.asp" target="_new">Here is a list of V92 commands </A>and you might want to try the one that disables the modem-on-hold command. See if that clears up your problem.

Oh, and no, I don't want to be you, not unless you carry no less than a few thousand dollars in your pocket as spare change

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/myanandtech.html?member=87962" target="_new">My Rigs </A>