USRobotics 56kbps External Voice... P..a..u..s..e..s!

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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Maybe someone has an idea what this problems is... My USR 56kbps (with updated drivers) will pause for a sec, or even minutes while surfing. It will be chugging along and then it just stop... think for a bit then will keep going. Unfortanantly I have no access to HSD until November but any ideas? It does it with Win98/WinME/Win2K it doesn't matter. The ISP doesn't matter either MSN or Prodigy.
 

rmblam

Golden Member
Aug 24, 2000
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Nope, if it is external then it is a controller based modem; not a winmodem (contolleress and cpu dependent). Your likely problem is your available memory. The more crap you have running in the background the more your surfing will slug depending on what you are doing. Hit cntrl + alt + delete and see how much stuff is running. A lot? Go to start/run/ msconfig and select the startup tab. Disable (uncheck) whatever is unneeded/unwanted at bootup. Example: Loadpower profile, scheduling agent, findfast, office startup, yahoo pager, etc... I'd leave scanregistry alone for one...

I'd start there first. Get more memory if you have to. Windows 98 = 128mb best. More is overkill. Defrag your harddrive, set it as network server under performance, and set your virtual memory to 128 or 256mb for min and max. That might help a little also.


LOL!!! I guess I should've read his specs a little better. After 12 hours at work I miss the obvious sometimes. WHoo00. More sleep less coffee..
 

Sir Fredrick

Guest
Oct 14, 1999
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Dude, with 512MB, memory can't be the problem.
Didn't notice that it was an external. Is it on the COM or LPT? If it's on the LPT, is it set to EPP, ECP, or...?
I don't remember what setting is best, but I know some settings will cause 100% CPU utilization, or will just have really sluggish performance. Hopefully someone else will have a better answer for you.
 

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
482
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In Win98/ME I run at about 96-98% free on system resources! Also with 512MB RAM it ain't memory. With my CPU at 550 or O/C at 733 it does it... it F-ing anyoing, please any ideas on this will be great! I can't wait to get my cable modem in Nov! Its on COM 1 I believe.
 

Conroy9

Senior member
Jan 28, 2000
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does the computer freeze or just the surfing?
if you're surfing/downloading from 2 places, do both freeze?
can you stop the page load and try to load another page?
does the other page also wait to load?

Conroy
 

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
482
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System is all good... just surfing, I can open another window and it to will sit and wait. The network status icon just sits there, then all of a sudden it goes, then its dead again then it goes, is it just a bad modem?
 

Conroy9

Senior member
Jan 28, 2000
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hmm.. do you use your phone line for voice? is there any noise on it?
if not, i dunno..
 

thorin

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
7,573
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Well there are a few things you can try

1) Reinstall windows.
2) Remove and reinstall driver.
3) Test it on a friends sys.

Thorin
 

oneeighty

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
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It may not resolve the stalling issue, but it probably won't hinder performance any further. Update the modem firmware. Use the Modem Upgrade Wizard to get the latest firmware:
3Com Modem Upgrade Wizard

Here's one of the best resources for troubleshooting 56k modem probs:
56k= v.Unreliable

The modem is connecting too aggressively. So, the pauses are due to retraining and on-the-fly "down/upshifting". In that case you need to limit the connect speed to get a sustainable connect rate.

&Ux&Nx
is the init string
where x is some number that corresponds to a connect rate; say x=18=28800
U = floor connect rate
N = ceiling connect rate

Try &U17&N21, which corresponds to 28800 and 33333 respctively. If that works then you can gradually increase the ceiling rate until you find the "sweet-spot".
If you need to, look here for another explanation of the prodedure:
Limiting CONNECT Speed
 

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
482
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thanks for the suggestions, I have replaced M/B for different reasons but the problem continues. Like I said the O/S doesn't matter Win98/ME/2K all the same... Oh and I forgot this little thing... It will randomly start my PC when the phone rings... now I have all the power features disabled including powerup on ring/LAN/COM activity... puzzles me beyond belief, with both motherboards ASUS P3V4X and Gigabyte 6BXE... I am confused AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
 

Conroy9

Senior member
Jan 28, 2000
611
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can you try borrowing a friend's system or modem and seeing if that has the same problems, or bring your system or modem to somewhere else to see if it has the same problems?

(if you tried the other people's suggestions already, i still think it might be the line?)
 

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
482
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well I'm at work so I definately will try these when I get there... I do live out in the middle of nowhere! the phone lines seem to be clear to me... but the fastest I can connect is 26,400 YUCK!
 

Rickr

Senior member
Oct 21, 1999
339
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It sounds like a handshake problem to me. In the com port settings, try changing from Hardware to XON/XOFF or vice versa.

 

DaddyG

Banned
Mar 24, 2000
2,335
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It could be a last resort but have you tried the Modem Log under Advanced Settings. If the problem occurs pretty randomly you probably will have a large log file to wade through. Also, have you set the comm port IRQ (irq 4 if its on comm 1) to legacy ISA device to make absolutely sure nothing shares ??
 

bernse

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2000
3,229
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I have that problem too when I had an ISA internal. Never did figure it out. Solved it by getting a fat ADSL pipe ;)

The funny thing was, is that it never did it before, than all of a sudden Whap! It started doing it. I reformated and still did it. Never had any noise problems on the line either. Weird one, I must admit. I am glad I don't have that problem anymore though. Wish I could help.

Eric
 

Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
482
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Sorry... NIC didn't help! I am confused... the drivers I have are up to date 06/2000. Maybe I will just have to live with it until I get my cable in NOV! Hoping I get to Beta Test 30mbp download... yippe!