[Kermit]

I have been having many problems with the Internet (Internet Explorer 6) lately. Firstly, I often cannot connect to the Internet at all. Most of the time during an unsuccessful dial-up I receive the error code 678, which says I cannot connect to the remote computer. Other times I have even received a message that there is no dial tone or the line is busy. My connection speeds have ranged from 1.5 Kpbs to 49.2 Kpbs. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason why or when these malfunctions occur. Sometimes I connect immediately at high speeds. I have undertaken extensive troubleshooting procedures, particulary regarding my modem and telephone wires. The telephone company said there are no problems on the line. I now have a new modem installed which seems to be slightly more stable and predictable. With it I can usually connect at 44-46.6 Kpbs after 1-2 attempts. But the disconnects continue. I have performed extensive diagnostics tests to the computer and have cleaned the hard drive and registry. I have no Spam or viruses. I have brought the computer to a professional, who said it passed all diagnostics tests. I have contacted a computer geek who advised me to check MSCONFIG SERVICES for any file(s) that may be adversely affecting the computer. I have now disabled several files in that location. But the problems still exist! The unpredictablility of it all complicates troubleshooting procedures. Sometimes I can remain on the Internet for hours without interruption; other times I am disconnected only seconds after connecting. For some reason I suspect my Norton Anti-Virus software may be the culprit. But when I disable it no changes are noted. Any ideas?

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you don't list the name of your internet provider... many of the national ip's have trouble keeping people connected, some are worse, like Netzero which seems to boot uses off randomly, every 5 to 45 minutes with errors like 'you have been disconnectd for some unknown reason'. But they all should be looked at as possible problem areas.

You may also have a problem using a win modem... if your system has an older cpu, the winmodem may be using too much of it's processes (you need at least a 600mhz cpu with a winmodem, and preferably a 1 gig or better). Win modems are the cheap ones (15-30 dollars) and aren't really modems, they're more like port converters, relying on software to emulate a modem. With real modems, like better US Robotics and external modems, the modem itself does most of the work, so put very little strain on even a very slow cpu (they worked fine on 4.77 mhz).

Unfortunately, in this day when most local bbs's are gone, you can't just dial up one of them and see if your modem stays connected any better (unless you live in a highly populated area, then you might still have a local bbs around). You might also try calling a friend with a fax machine and sending a very long fax to see if it stays connected.

But, with all the tests you've run, I'm guessing the problem is with the dial up service, not your computer. The only other thing I can think of is you have call waiting and you haven't disabled it in your dialup options screen

[Tim Wellman]

you don't list the name of your internet provider... many of the national ip's have trouble keeping people connected, some are worse, like Netzero which seems to boot uses off randomly, every 5 to 45 minutes with errors like 'you have been disconnectd for some unknown reason'. But they all should be looked at as possible problem areas.

You may also have a problem using a win modem... if your system has an older cpu, the winmodem may be using too much of it's processes (you need at least a 600mhz cpu with a winmodem, and preferably a 1 gig or better). Win modems are the cheap ones (15-30 dollars) and aren't really modems, they're more like port converters, relying on software to emulate a modem. With real modems, like better US Robotics and external modems, the modem itself does most of the work, so put very little strain on even a very slow cpu (they worked fine on 4.77 mhz).

Unfortunately, in this day when most local bbs's are gone, you can't just dial up one of them and see if your modem stays connected any better (unless you live in a highly populated area, then you might still have a local bbs around). You might also try calling a friend with a fax machine and sending a very long fax to see if it stays connected.

But, with all the tests you've run, I'm guessing the problem is with the dial up service, not your computer. The only other thing I can think of is you have call waiting and you haven't disabled it in your dialup options screen

[Kermit]

Thanks for your help. I have a small ISP named 5starinternet. I've had no problems with them before. They have given me DNS IP server addresses (primary and secondary) for my Internet protocol (TCP/IP) to assist me in my dial-up, but this has not helped. Tonight, when I could connect, I have been disconnected sometimes as frequently as every 5-10 seconds. So it's not like I'm staying online forever. On the other hand, for a while yesterday I was online for hours with no problems. It's this inconsistency and unpredictability that has really complilcated the troubleshooting. I have tried 3 different modems (the best I could find) by 3 different manufactures and they all work about the same. With all the time I have spent troubleshooting the modem and the telphone wire, I have all but eliminated those as the cause. Also, a neighbor uses the same lines (different ISP) and does not have these problems. I am considering downloading the PC-Cillin Anti-Virus 30 day free trial, but I don't know what effect this would have on my Norton Anti-Virus. I really don't want to lose all those Norton updates by uninstalling this program. Recently I did a System Restore and I had to re-install 38 Mbs of NAV updates when the dust settled. It took me all day with my sick system. I am also considering a repair of Windows XP. I did this once before, but I don't remember where I found the guide. It's not quite as destructive as a full format. But if the problem is not with the computer, as you suggest, this would be an exercise in futility. Whoever steers me in the right direction would be a real hero in my book.

[Tim Wellman]

you may want to download Hijack This and post your log in the Malware section on the off chance you have a dialer on your computer trying to make a connection

[Kermit]

Thanks for the quick response. Great service! I shall look into Hijack This. In the meantime, I have neglected to inform you of all the circumstances surrounding this incident. Several times when I am on the telephone I have been told, by the person on the other end of the call, that there is considerable noise on the line. This has occurred on different phones using different jacks during conversations with different people. I have never heard any noise on my end of the line. A check by the telephone company yielded negative results. Last night I received similar complaints of line noise, both from my ISP and from a neighbor. Now I believe the problems is periodic noise on the line. This would account for the good and bad behavior of the computer. I will now call my neighbor and ask him if he hears static noise. Then I will immediately call the telephone company to have them check it out again. Hopefully they will hear the noise during my call. I hope I haven't lost all credibility with them.

[lcjones]

My mothers computer is having the same problems wondering what you found out if anything . Hers will stay connected as long as you dont try to open outlook express or internet explorer. Just curious as to what you found.
thanks

[Kermit]

Icjones:

Too soon to tell at this time. I strongly suspect I'm having problems with the telephone line but I won't call the telephone company again until the noise returns, whenever that is I think it may have something to do with the phase of the Moon. One thing you've got to be careful about: do not tell the telephone company that you're having problems with your computer. They could care less! I've had some strange messages when I failed to connect, ranging from : Cannot find Remote Computer to "Line is Busy" to "Server and Customer Cannot Agree on Protocol." One time, I received the message "No Dial Tone." Since my telephone is connected to my modem, I lifted up my telephone receiver and there indeed was no dial tone. But I never receive noise on my end of the line. Only people I am talking to on the other end hear the noise (except the telephone company, of course). When I do have a strong connection and, evidently, no line noise, the computer flies on the Internet. I'm very satisfied. I'll post a message here when anything new develops. Good luck with your mother's computer.

[mackee5]

I'd also be curious as to any solutions. I have the same problem with constant drops and I suspect it has something to do with XP Professional. My wife is also connected to the same dial-up ISP in our house with a MAC and she doesn't experience the same problems. I also rarely get connection speeds over 10Kbps any more. I've redone the hard drive, replaced the modem, switched ISP's .... I'm puzzled!

[Kermit]

mackee5: I've gone through 3 modems and have determined that the problem was not with them. I now have a Creative modem that farily consistently connects at 46.6 kbps. I'm convinced this is the absolute maximum connection speed I can achieve with this modem. With the other two modems I could sometimes connect at 49.2 kbps, but one was slower with Internet browsing and the other had a slower download speed. In general my dial-up situation has improved. I almost always connect on the first attempt now with a connection speed from 42-46.6 kbps. I still believe the problem all along was noise on the telephone lines. As this has seemed to improve, so has my computer's performance. Since your wife is not having similar problems with her Max using the same ISP and telephone line for dial-up, I think it is safe to assume line noise and the ISP are not your problems. You might try connecting your computer to another phone jack in another room, though. And try replacing the telephone wire to your modem. Lately more and more small software features on my computer have stopped working or have not functioned optimally. When the MS Help and Support program ceased to function I called Microsoft and suggested I might have Win XP or SP2 problems. When they suggested I remove all software I installed, in reverse order, after the installation of SP2, rebooting after each removal, I hesitated. When they also suggested I uninstall Norton Anti-Virus with all its updates (38Mbs) I decided it would not be much more trouble to re-format my hard drive and re-install Win XP, which I did. Now the computer runs smoother and faster and programs I have had problems with in the past, including Help and Support, are now functioning satisfactorily. So you might want to consider a hard drive re-format. While I realize this is a drastic step to take, it just may be time to clean up your system and remove the files that might be giving you conflicts. Prior to this, though, I would suggest you run some good utility programs to check your Registry for errors and hard drive for Spam. Also you should run a virus check. I assume you have run Disk Defragmenter and Scan Disk. Sorry I don't have any simple answers here.