cheap 56k modems suck!

[ablang]

Has anyone else noticed that cheap 56k modems suck? I bought one of those 56k internal modems free after rebate to replace my aging 33.6k modem ($40 after rebate 3 years ago), and I noticed that the 56k modem seems to connect at the same rate the 33.6k modem did!

Not only that, but I get way more disconnects with the cheap modem, than the one I paid $40 for.

[darrell]

I have to agree with Wyvrn. I have a 56K LT modem that uses the Lucent chipset. Its pretty much the best one i have had. I paid $10 (after $20 rebate) a couple years ago. I've had some that used US Robotics chipsets and have gotten crappy speed. The lucent isnt the greatest, but atleast i can download at 5.6kbs while connected to my ISP at 48.0kbs.

darrell

[wyvrn]

Not all of them. Try an LT Winmodem or a Diamond SupraMax. Good modems for $20 or less.

[wyvrn]

Server burp.

[This message has been edited by wyvrn (edited 03-20-2001).]

[Roland Maedler]

Its not rigth..I bougt a 56k Modem for 99 Swiss Franks and its works great(PCMCIA)

[mtpros]

Just a quick question. Is the modem a Conexant softk56 modem? If so have you tried this init string AT+MF=V34? This initilization string will force your modem to connect at 28,800 but it will be a very stable connection that should make your disconnection problem go away. I know its not the answer you were looking for but it is an alternative that is free til you get something better.

The initilization string goes in the extra settings field for your modem. To get there go to control panel. Double-click "Modems". Highlight your modem and click the "Properties" button. Click on the "Connection" tab located at the top of the window. Click the "Advanced" button in that window. Next you should be in a window called "Advanced Connection Settings" near the bottom is a field called "Extra Settings" this is where you place the initilization string I hve given you.

Let me know if this helps again this init string is only for a Conexant Softk56 modem, which tends to be the cheap modem of choice.

[KMBALO]

I have US robotics 56K Pnp FAX, it's great for dial up

[Hellmund]

I've got a generic 56k with a Rockwell(Conexant now) chipset. Runs fine, I can get up to 5.9kb/s at times.It hardly ever disconnects. But remember there is a reason they're cheap, they're lower quality, sometimes you get lucky though. I've got generic PC100 Cl3 which run's 115mhz FSB with Cl2.

[marc666]

motorola under $20 they both connect well and comes with dirvers for jus bout all os including win2k

[daverme]

Time for a reality check. To my knowledge, the phone company will NEVER gaurantee that their phone lines can achieve ANY speed, much less 56K. Could be the modem is fine but the phone lines suck !!!

That is the case in my house; with a brand new USR 56k PCI modem my wife always gets 44k in her office. If I take her machine to MY office (different phone line) the best I can get is 32K.

[ablang]

I was thinking phone lines too, but is that still possible when your neighborhood (NEW) is barely a year old?

[Mntsnow]

Yep could be if they didnt do a good job hooking your neighboorhood up to the distibution block for your area. Also to get full 56k support you can only have 1 (one) digital to analog hop. (usually that one is the one at your home)

[Bovon]

I went thru 5 #@?! winmodems when I first went online 6 years ago, and 4 ISPs. The absolute worst modem I had was a Rockwell chipset. (I know, some ppl have good results...but they are in the minority, and only if it is compatable with their servers modem...many are not) The LT modems with the Lucent chipset are pretty good, but only if your phone lines are very good...no noise, and you live within about 5 miles of the telephone equipment office. I finally bought a US Robotics 56 K V90 ISA hardware modem, and all of my troubles dissappeared.

One thing that can make any modem not connect and stay connected is the computer power supply. Many cheap power supplies do not have good filtering, and 'noise' or hum shows up in the 12 and 5 volt output of the supply. A modem cannot stand any noise/hum. This is not something you will hear. It is inaudible to the ear...but is there, nonetheless. Old power supplies quite often loose their ability to filter properly due to ageing of the filter capacitors inside.

Here is a link to a modem trouble shooting site...I liked to have become a permanent resident to this site when I was pulling my hair out a few years ago...
http://808hi.com/56k/trouble.htm

Forum
http://808news.com/forum56/index.htm

or
http://www.56k.com/

good info here as well
http://www.v90.com/

[CMonster]

"Time is money," it has been said; get a real modem - an external serial modem. You will never be sorry for purchasing quality.

[disciple]

the cmonster is right best money i ever spent was on my usrob external serial port modem. worth the bucks. now just waiting for dsl this month.

[Mogui04]

What are you wasting you're time with 56k for anyway? Especially when on a good day, you can only connect at 36k. You should invest in DSL or a cable modem, and get the external, with my experiances, they perform better that the internals.

[Darvocet]

Mtpros I must take issue here. The actual init string is AT+MS=v34. And this does indeed force a v34 connection at 28.8. However this is not needed in every case. The ISP I work for has several different dialup services in differing states. Our main service uses Livingston Portmasters and has almost no issues with any modem chipset. One of our other services in KY uses Ascend Maxes with the latest firmware and that is where the problems with the Rockwell based modems begin. Apparently it is something in the Max that is incompatible with the modems. Also the LT Winmodem is fine when ran with Win95-Win98 or NT but Win Me will require a driver update to version 5.92 as anything below that gives major problems because Lucent did not write the drivers for ME until 2 months after it was released...as hundreds of our users are finding out when they have just purchased a new HP Presario.

[ablang]

I finally figured out why cheap 56k modems REALLY suck. It's because it turns out I was using a "soft" modem. I guess sometimes there really is no such thing as a free lunch.

You can buy cheap CD-ROMs, floppy drives, mice, & keyboards, but I say don't skimp on the modem!

[torskdoc]

ablang;

"Soft" modems use a software driver that CAN be updated. However if your phone line has noise downline, load coils (line boosters?) between you and your isp you can get slow connects. Don't blame it totally on your modem. I live 18 miles from my isp(military base) , have two junctions with load coils (built in 1958)between them and me, and get consistent 46,000 to 52,000 connects with my Viking "Win-modem".

Call up your ISP and see if the line your calling in on is a 56K line....I'll bet it isn't.

Lots of troubleshooting tips and tricks at link, driver upgrades too.

Try it out
http://808hi.com/56k/index.htm

Larry

[Buji]

49333 on a winmodem here consistently. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Xeroid]

I use a Diamond SupraMax because I can't get "broadband in the boonies". I'm connected at 50667kbs right now! I seldom log on any slower than this.

Another thing that can affect your dial-up speeds is the phone wiring in your house. Is the wire routed near any AC voltage lines in your home? To improve my dial-up connection I ran my own wire from the box outside the house.

Your local hardware store should carry some type of signal cable. This is what I used. It has the conductors shielded. If you route this cable away from AC wires and ground the shield at the outside box, you would be surprised how much it helps! This cable is not very expensive.

Mike



[This message has been edited by Xeroid (edited 03-24-2001).]

[Loveless]

if you have crappy computer, you might want to get a hardmodem such as usr, dont ever getr softmodem such as pctel or motorola, or even SOME LT. you should see what we did with them at work. we had to extend a phone 20 feet away from its jack, and seeing how we dont have the long rj11, we used modems and short rj11 to link them. =X

[ablang]

I have a 56k soft modem with a Pentium 133 & 64MB RAM Windows98. Most often, surfing three browser windows simultaneously will stop the activity, so I guess a soft modem in this case doesn't work too well. I ended up going back to my 33.6k HARD modem.

[bighogjeep]

Actiontec winmodem and my phone line is noisy. i can hear other people talkin on it i usually log on at 34600 upto 40000, but in the gaming zone my ping is 200 or less most of the time. I had a rockwell chipset that my isp recomended and it sucked winmodems are pretty good for noisy lines. use the v.92 drivers