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View Full Version : ROFFLES!!! uhhh internet just "hangs/drops out" randomly for a bit...!


ToiletSeat
28-07-2002, 11:42 AM
doh!! ok here's a BIG BIG BIG one :) but it's one hell of a goodie and got me.... ne help appreciated guys...

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this is what i sent to people i was trying to get help from but without any success... so it's formal :)
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I am experiencing difficulties with my line while connected to the internet, most noticably during gaming (such as while playing the ever popular first-person-shooter "CounterStrike").

I have always had problems with the phone line regardless of what modem/computer/isp I use as I have tried to fix this problem NUMEROUS times before, but it is REALLY annoying now and I am at a point where I will do almost anything for it to be fixed!

Here are my system specs as of now:

Windows2000 [With all crucial automatic updates off "Windows Update" eg. SP2 etc]
Abit KT7A-RAID motherboard [With latest 4in1 drivers]
AMD Athlon 1.333GHZ
256MB CAS3 SDRAM
External Dynalink V1456VQE 56K/V.90 Voice/Fax Modem [With latest firmware and driver updates off www.dynalink.com.au]

Modem is connected on COM1. There is nothing on COM2. The mouse is USB. Keyboard on PS/2. There are no system IRQ conflicts on this system. PSU is an enermax 350W.

I have tried another 2 different modems. I have tried a different computer with completely different hardware. I have tried various ISPS, including Paradise, Xtra, Ihug, Globe, and Clear. I have also tried formatting the HDD and reinstalling everything - the problem still exsists. I have tried resetting CMOS on the motehrboard and updated the BIOS. The problem exists whether I am on Win98 or Win2000 - I have tried both OS's. I have tried having several friends over with their whole computer and modem and using their ISP/settings etc - ie. just using my line - and the problem still exists!!!

The problem is that the line keeps on "dropping" for approximately 30 seconds or so. Sometimes more... up to 60seconds even or longer! It does vary and is completely random it seems. After this time period, the connection is "alive" again and starts transferring data. This is noticable on an external modem easily as you can see the "SD" and "RD" (send and receive of data) as lights flashing. This problem happens all the time whenever I am online, and occurs widely as mentioned - can vary between just 2-3 minutes between each time it happens, or sometimes occurs every 10mins or so. However, lately the problem has become worse and at random times started just "dropping out" altogether, and it never becomes "alive" again at all!!! But yet, I'm still "connected" - so then I have to go to disconnect myself and then reconnect to Xtra again for it to work. This is extremely annoying as I can't leave things downloading as sometimes I will just get "dropped" (but not disconnected - cause if the connection is disconnected, it will automatically reconnect and start downloading again but now of course it doesn't).

I have had my line checked for line/ground noise etc by telecom 3 times already in the past. They say the line is fine, and because I called them up 3 times to check it out they just kinda left it and got annoyed I suppose but that's because they didn't do anything about it or really give me any feedback since I was not with Xtra back then, but now I am :)

Also, something else that may help you with this problem, is that when I play Counterstrike, my ping to most servers (all NZL ones) is usually around 130-200 on a full server. And I get barely any loss: a bit like 2 or 3. But choke does range from anywhere usually from around 5-70!!! But many people say 50 choke is normal for 56k??? The thing is when the connection "drops", it just lags/freezes there till it becomes "alive" again, and then obviously choke is like 100+!!! for a split second or two till it regains itself. But this problem is not really counterstrike related, it's the actual phone line I believe since it applies to anything I do over the net cause I notice this "dropping out" all the time eg. surfing, any gaming, downloading - someone correct me if I'm wrong.

We also have 2 lines in our building (business on ground floor for the parents and our house is on top of it).

One line is used for our business on the ground floor and is a business line. It has 3 connections in the house: 1) Downstairs in the dairy as a phone 2) On the other side of the house as a phone 3) Here in this room as a phone

The other line is used purely for the internet and is a residential line in the house. It has just 1 connection in the house: 1) Here in this room for the computer.

There is nothing connected to the line (eg. double jacks, faxes, etc). It is JUST the line from the modem. However, the two jacks at the wall (the one for the phone line, and the one for the internet) are RIGHT beside each other. I am wondering if this has something to do with it?

Also the phone line (1st line) in the dairy is used for EFTPOS transactions as well. Does this have anything to do with the problem? I tried to see if at the time of an EFTPOS transaction if it affects my connection, but it doesn't appear to. But can you confirm?

Another thing is, I can "restrict" my line to 33.6K only. I found this out on 56.com. By adding the INIT string to the settings for the modem (in control panel in windows) "+MS=11" it allows me to connect @ 33,000BPS. When I do this, the connection is stable - it doesn't drop. But it's slow of course which is useless as then my ping in Counterstrike definately sits around 300ms now and it's far too laggy to play.

Is there something I can do to improve this problem? Highspeed options are out of the question as they are currently not available in my area (includes dsl, cable, isdn). Ihug's satelitte service is only downstream so upstream the problem still occurred as I had the service for a while, but disconnected the service as it got a bit expensive and showed no improvement for gaming obviously.

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OK!!! Any help guys? Damn this problem is sooooo annoying I can't do anything online with meaningful purpose :) It just kills my time online... I somtimes can't even be bothered to come on!!!

Sweet, c'mon let's see some replies :P :cool:

Deviant
28-07-2002, 12:23 PM
Ever heard of a Rural modem? I have a friend who will be selling one soon, they are about 2-3 times the price of a normal modem. They have better filtering and more output signal power for use in rural areas.

How far from from your exchange are you. When high speed connections like jetstart aren't availabe, it's because you are too far away from an exchange, or you have a really old exchange that needs upgrading.

Not anything you can do about it if a Rural modem doesn't help. You have covered all your bases.

Deviant
28-07-2002, 12:24 PM
BTW, the only place you could really get rural modems from was from Telecom from memory, and they just reciently stopped importing them, so they be get very hard to get a hold of soon.

My mate had to get one, cause he wen't to Woodbourne Airbase for 11 months (15 km out from Blenheim, middle of no where), but he just just got back to Auckland reciently.

Control_Phreak
28-07-2002, 12:31 PM
Originally posted by ToiletSeat
I am experiencing difficulties with my line while connected to the internet, most noticably during gaming (such as while playing the ever popular first-person-shooter "CounterStrike").

I stopped reading as soon as I read that :D

Get a real game... like MOHAA/RTCW/AA :p

Agent666
28-07-2002, 12:35 PM
do you get the same dropouts on the business line downstairs?
do you get the same dropouts if you disconnect the eftpos altogether?

Agent666
28-07-2002, 12:36 PM
www.tastech.co.nz have rural modems on there site........ dynalink

ToiletSeat
28-07-2002, 01:15 PM
Hey,

thanks for the replies - well if you don't like counterstrike that doesn't mean it's not a real game :/ it may be old but still funt o play and popular... and besides, if you did keep reading it does not occur just when i play counterstrike (that just happens to be the only game i play)... it happens whether i'm just browsing or downloading stuff over night as well cause i use DU meter and i see the the bits where it just dies out and then starts goin again (and no that's not where i am starting a new file in a queue!!!)

as for where I live... yea i spose i do sort of live in a rural area - it's just on the end of upper hutt in wellington before you go up the windy hills to masterton...

not sure how far i am away from the exchange - how can i find out?

have not checked that out with the business line but not sure if the olds would be too keen on me sitting on there online because it's charged by the minute but since that would be a good test i spose i'll have to - i'll see what i can do about that

haven't tested without eftpos either - but that would not be an option cause the eftpos would have to stay regardless: but i spose if that was the cause then there's not much i could either way anyway!! heh...

jetstart/cable is available down the road about 2-3mins drive away!!! but to get there u do pass farmlands and the works so i spose it is sorta rural... i live 7mins drive from city centre... hmmm

does anyone have a rural modem in wellington that i could perhaps "borrow" and "test" with? :)

thanks guys

varkk
28-07-2002, 01:17 PM
I have the same problem as well, connection just dying for periods, I also have disconnections at random intervals as well, We have also had our lines tested by Telecom engineers but they say they are fine. We are on Xtra :( but all they say is it is a phone line prob, get it tested, the people come out test our line and says it is fine...also we do have DSL available, but my parents won't get it("well since the line is so bad DSL won't give any performance") Also a friend down the road can get better connections on their computer, and they are further from the exchange than us!


so in summary NZs comms infrastructure sucks

ToiletSeat
28-07-2002, 01:24 PM
haha... yea i feel for u man... it sux... damn frustrating

sounds weird for u that ur friend down the road is ok though? have u gone thru as much trouble as i have? eg. tried someone else's computer at ur house? tried diff isps or diff modems? etc?

i don't know what to do now... i'm gonna try and get a rural modem and see if that helps i spose is my next realistic step...