Lucent Win Modem

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I’ve bought a new PC that has Win XP installed. It also has a Lucent Win Modem. I have set up an internet dial-up connection using exactly the same settings as my old PC (WIN 98SE with a Diamond SupraExpress Modem). Have also downloaded and installed the latest driver for the Lucent.
The problem is that I can’t get the new machine to connect at anything faster that 28.8 KB – the old PC connects at 31.2 KB using exactly the same phone socket. This is not great, but it beats 28.8 KB. Have looked at various internet sites for an answer but can’t find one. I’m wondering if there is some setting in the modem firmware that needs changing.

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George,
I think the first big problem is that you have a WIN modem. They were known as being the slowest, crankiest, so called 56k modems around.
( besides using part of your system memory to operate )

Why not swap it with your Supra express modem? I assume you have checked the modem settings at control panel | modems | property | connections | port settings | and set both transmit and receive speeds to maximum? Also , modem MTU settings are defaulted to 1500, which is really for broadband use, not dial up.

Also there are any number of modem speedsettings progs around. Have you tried ones like, http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/31351.html%5B/url%5D ?

Before I went to DSL, i had a Lucent WIn modem for a SHORT time and the best thing I did was to get rid of it.

Bob

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Thanks for your suggestions. I’ve put the old SupraExpres modem in my new PC, and XP detected and installed it OK – even had a built in driver. But I can still only get a connection at 28.8 KB instead of 31.2 kB with the old PC. Seems very weird – looks like XP is doing something different from WIN 98 – any suggestions?

George C

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Does the connection actually seem to be noticeably slower? The difference could be just one of accuracy in reporting the connection speed. In any case, it does seem a little slow. There are a few things you can try to improve things:

1) The further the modem is from the master socket (the first socket from the Telco’s feed, from which all the others chain), the worse the connection speed will be.
2) Long extensions reduce the signal strength and so the connection speed.
3) The more phones you have, the weaker the signal will get. If you have recently added another phone, that could have caused the drop-off.
4) Noise on the line, particularly noticeable in more rural areas, reduces connection speed and can cause disconnections. There are fairly inexpensive filters you can get to clean up the line signal.

Finally, I have found that I get a significantly better connection using my external USRobotics serial modem, than with any internal modem I have tried.

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George,
Besides the things that Sparky suggests, ( particularly the noise, you can check by using your regular phone and just dialing one digit to get rid of dial tone, then listen carefully for static type noise or a low hum in the back ground. Report to the Telco if you do hear any )

I would also check the modem mfg. website for an updated modem BIOS for you modem.

You could try to go to network connections in the control panel and delete any existing connections shown, then click on “make new connection” to use the wizard to configure a new modem connection for you.

Go to the Device Manager, ( right click my computer | properties | hardware | device manager. Click on port settings and make sure the port speed is set to max, not the default of 9600 of all things.

Try these things as a starter.

Bob

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Thanks for your help everybody.
It really is slower – not just a reporting error. Also confiormed by a modem sniffer ptogram (ModemChk.356).
The line doesn’t seem particularly noisy on a normal speech connection, but I might try and get hold of a filter.
I’ve set up a separate connection to the same ISP, usinga different phone number (a pay per minute line, rather than my usual pay per month for unlimited time). This connects at 33.6KB! So it looks as though it’s an ISP/line problem rather than a software or hardware one. I rang the ISP helpline and didn’t get much help – they seemd to think that 28.8kb was doing pretty well.
Next step is to phone the phone company and see if they can do anything – it’s been suggested that increasing the gain might help.
Thanks again.
George C

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George,
It looks like you definitely DO have a line noise problem.
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The line doesn’t seem particularly noisy on a normal speech connection
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There should not be ANY noticeable noise or interference on the line at all ! I also doubt that a filter will help you, since all they will do is reduce your already limited bandwidth even further. Filters are necessary on DSL lines in order to separate the lower frequency “voice” spectrum from the higher DSL rates.
My advice is to get on the pipe to your local Telco and report the noise condition and then STICK TO YOUR GUNS until they rectify the noise completely. It CAN be done, even though they might claim you line is “clean”. Audible noise means SLOW connects. Period. Increasing the gain is not an alternative since individual lines are not set to be adjusted to higher than normal limits. This will only allow for “cross-talk” between other cable pairs in your local cable.
So….go after them, George.

An ex-telco data transmission engineer.
Bob

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