Question: When I am on the Internet and I have a incoming call, why I am disconnected?

Answer: You probably have the call waiting feature on your phone. You will need to disable the feature. In order to disable call waiting add *70, before the number you dial to access the Internet.

Question: How can I tell if my DNS numbers are correct?

Answer: If you are using Windows 95 or 98, you do NOT need to put our DNS numbers in your system. In the dialer properties window you can choose "server assigned" for DNS numbers. If you are using a Macintosh or Windows 3.x, use the following two sets of numbers: 64.118.98.89 and 64.118.98.90.

Question: Why do I keep getting a dialog box asking asking for my password ?

Answer: This is a common problem, you need to make sure you have typed your log in username and password correctly. Remember you have to use lower case letters. Also, you may wish to check the box on your connect window that says "Save Password". It will then remember your password each time you sign on.

Question: I logged on fine yesterday, or just a little while ago and now I can't.

Answer: Try rebooting your computer. If you have an internal modem leave your computer off for at least 30 seconds. If you have an external modem be sure to turn it off for 30 seconds as well as your computer.

This "re-booting" will not only reset the modem, but may fix other quirks in your dial-up software. Try it, it can't hurt.

Question: After my modem dials I hear the telephone lady's voice telling me the number can not be reached, why ?

Answer: You may have entered a number 1, or the area code in front of the number to be dialed, or if you are on an office phone system where you need to dial a 9 or some other number to reach a outside line. You will need to place the number in front of the number to be dialed. Adding a comma ( , ) will add 3 seconds wait time if your office system takes a few moments to get a dial tone after dialing 9. (9,658-6700 means the modem dials 9, waits 3 seconds, then dials the number)

If you have voice mail on your telephone system, before starting to connect be sure you have no calls waiting for you. The "stutter" dial-tone indicating voice mail messages disrupts the modem.

Modem Questions

Question: Why can't I connect at 56kbs??

1. Your telephone line has a voltage regulation by the FCC which sets limits to your modem's maximum speed. The fastest one can possibly connect at is 50,000 or 51,000kbps.
2. If you have 2 telephone lines the telephone company will "MUX" (multiplex) your line. This is where they split the maximum voltage by 2, half going to each line.
3. A third reason is the initialization string. This is the most important since Window's port speed has nothing to do with connection speed. Get an initialization string from your modem's manufacturer that is compliant for 56kbps and you'll probably see improvement.
4. Another thing to remember is Windows does not always report connection speeds correctly.

Question: I bought an inexpensive modem but it keeps cutting me off. Is there something wrong with it?

Answer: Probably. The old adage in the online world is "Buy a $29 Modem, get a $29 Connection!". The shortcuts necessary to bring the cost of a modem down, often result in unreliability of those components. Our advice is always : "beware of very inexpensive modems. Most often you get exactly what you paid for."

Question: Why after what seems like a few minutes am I disconnected?

Answer: If you leave your connection idle for 20 minutes, our terminal server will disconnect the line. Idle time is any time when you are not actively using your connection. Any packet activity (i.e. downloading, retrieving mail, and accessing web pages) is considered active use of your connection and you will not be disconnected.

In addition to STI 's own inactivity timeout, your connection software may have an inactivity timeout of it's own. For example, Netscape Navigator has its own default timeout of 5 minutes. You can consult your software's documentation to correct this if you suspect it to be the problem. In addition, there is a timer in Windows 9x operating systems that many people don't even realize is set for automatic cutoff. Go to your CONTROL PANEL and choose INTERNET. In the resulting box choose the CONNECTION tab. If the button "Connect to the Internet using a modem" is checked, click the SETTINGS button next to it. You may see that Windows is causing your connection to be cut after XX minutes. If you don't want an automatic disconnection, just un-check the box next to the timing item.

Configuration problems:

The configuration of your communications software may also cause problems with your connection. A few of the things that you can double-check are that you have hardware handshaking active, or set to CTS/RTS. This ensures that communication between your computer and your modem are properly regulated. You should also avoid selecting any option that says "Connect at this speed only" which may force certain modems to disconnect under noisy conditions rather than change to a slower speed.

If you are using an older computer, it may be possible that your computer is incapable of handling higher speed connections. You might try lowering your baud rate. It may be possible to upgrade your computer's UART chip in order to handle the speed.

Buffer size:

By reducing your transfer buffer size under Windows 9x operating systems, you can improve communications reliability. To decrease this buffer size, go to the "Modems" control panel. Select your modem and go to Properties. On the Connection page is a button for Port Settings. Select this and slide the sliders in the pop-up window over to the left one notch.

PCMCIA modems, especially earlier models, have shown a tendency to overheat. This problem will result in bad performance after the modem has been in use for some amount of time. This problem can be alleviated by providing better ventilation (cooling) to the area, and by contacting the manufacturer.

Question: What Modems do you recommend?

Answer: All modems do not seem to perform equally. We recommend US Robotics 56K/V.90 modems or Zoom 56K/V.90 modems. When purchasing a new modem, you may wish to avoid purchasing generic brand modems or WinModems. WinModems are usually less expensive than "real modems" however they may tax your systems' resources. This can lead to connection problems, slower connection speeds, or disconnects.

If you are experiencing connection problems, please go to the website of your modem manufacturer and insure you have downloaded the latest modem driver and firmware upgrade for your particular model of modem.

Question: My 28.8 modem or 33.6 modem does not connect at those speeds ?

Answer: You may not achieve 28.8 connect speeds, or 33.6 connections. A 26.4 connection is very common and won't adversely affect your transfer. There are several factors involving what speed you may receive. Initialization Strings may be used to help with connection speeds. Many times, simply changing the initialization string that your modem uses can improve your connection.

Some basic strings to try are ATZ, AT&F, or AT&F1. If you know the brand and model of your modem, you should consult your modem's manual or the manufacturer' web site. You can also check out the following web sites:

For even more information about connect speeds please see the following pages:

Question: My 56 K modem connects, but why is the speed very slow?

Answers:

A good starting point for any inquiry about the K56flex technology is the K56flex home page. Current news, FAQs, and fixes are available there.

K56Flex (and X2, for that matter) is NOT twice the speed of a 28.8 modem or a 33.6 modem. Line noise, compatibility, and legal restrictions keep your connect speed down below the 56k mark, regardless of what your modem manufacturer claims. It has been our experience that K56Flex modems are extremely sensitive to line noise. Most consumers report more frequent disconnecting, and an insignificant increase in download speeds. This is something the modem industry hopes to clear up with programming and firmware upgrades from the modem manufacturers. This is still a budding technology, and it will be a while before all the kinks are ironed out.

Windows95 may not be reporting the true connect speed that you've achieved with your modem. It has come to our attention that older Windows drivers don't have the ability to report the connection speeds above 33.6. It is EXTREMELY important, in this case, that you install the modem from the driver disks that come with your new K56Flex modem. Do not just let Windows detect your modem. New drivers and .inf files may be available directly from Microsoft's page. We'll add a link if we find them.

Get the Current Firmware:

V.90 is still an emerging technology. STI upgrades our Portmaster Access Servers to the latest version of the Input/Output System (IOS). If you are still running an X2 or k56 modem without the V.90 upgrade, guess what? Dropped connections, slow connections, followed by general unhappiness and gnashing of teeth.

We strongly recommend that you go directly to your modem manufacturer's web site to obtain the latest software image. Just because your modem is new, that does not necessarily mean that it originally shipped with the current firmware release. Some of the most common modem vendor's web sites are listed below. At the web site, be sure to look for or search on K56flex flash updates, and if possible with your model V.90 upgrades:

• US Robotics
• Best Data
• Boca Research
• Supra Modems
• Motorola
• Zoom

Question: I am buying new modem, what brand should I buy ?

Answer: All V.90 modems do not seem to perform equally. We recommend US Robotics V.90 modems or Zoom V.90 Modems. We find users having problems with USR 56k WinModem which appears to have difficulty communicating with online services.