Speed limits

A few tricks and tweaks can make your Internet connection faster

11/29/2001

By DOUG BEDELL / The Dallas Morning News

Do you suffer from modem malaise? Does your 56 kbps Internet connection languish at a paltry 28.8? Are you pulling your hair out waiting for teeny-weeny graphics to ripple onto your monitor?

Don't fret. You are in good company. Dial-up Internet subscribers vastly outnumber broadband users in the United States, and some very smart people are constantly working to find ways to squeeze every last kilobit-per-second out of home computer connections.

According to a new survey from Parks Associates of Dallas, Internet connections over standard telephone lines can be remarkably satisfying for the majority of 46 million American dial-up users. The firm's report estimates that 75 percent are content with the quality of their connections.

When consumers can consistently connect at 40 kbps or faster, they evidently find little need to upgrade to ultra-fast, more expensive broadband DSL or cable subscriptions.

If you'd like to join the satisfied, thrifty majority, there are plenty of tweaks and tests that might lead you to membership.

Here is some practical advice for those in the dial-up doldrums:

Check your settings

Even the slickest dial-up Internet connections never achieve the 56 kbps advertised for "56k modems." Theoretically, if you have a clean line with little background noise and a wonderful Internet service provider, you could only achieve a maximum of 53 kbps.

Notice the connection speed you see when you dial in. If you've got a 56 kbps modem and regularly see rates slower than 45 kbps, check the settings for your modem and communications port. In Windows, go to My Computer, then Control Panel, then Modem. Make sure you've got the maximum connection speed set as high as it can go.

Communications ports are listed in the Device Manager window under System in the Control Panel folder. Right-click to make sure the port speed is set beyond the default 9600 kbps rate.

For Macintosh users, go to the Apple Menu, then Preferences. Check the port speed for the modem by selecting Configure. Mac and Windows users with external serial port modems should check serial port speed.

Scrutinize your line

Pops, clicks, static and other telephone line aberrations can degrade Internet connection performance. If you have a line splitter attached to the modem for a fax machine or handset, it could add more noise, experts say. Try disconnecting all other devices and connecting to your Internet service provider again.

Use a standard telephone plugged into the modem line, press a button to get rid of the dial tone and listen. If you hear a lot of noise, it may be worth a call to the telephone company. Many telephone companies will conduct free line tests, or they may offer "line conditioning" service at an additional cost.

ISP dial-up roadblocks

Contact your ISP or go to its website for an up-to-date list of dial-up numbers. Some ISPs offer separate lines for different maximum speeds and modems. It may be worth experimenting with different numbers at various times of the day to find the best combination for your hardware and the ISP's equipment. Generally, performance is contingent on the distance to your ISP's central office and the number of switches your call has to navigate to reach the provider.

Consider switching ISPs when you get consistently bad performance. CNet has an easy searching mechanism for locating ISPs by area code at www.cnet.com/internet/0-3761.html.

Online speedometers

Several websites will give you a reading on the actual speed at which your machine is downloading Internet content. CNet (webservices. cnet.com/bandwidth), MSN (computingcentral. msn.com/internet/speedtest.asp), and Bandwidthplace (www.bandwidthplace.com/speed test) are some of the most popular test sites.

Numerous companies also make downloadable speed-checkers for the desktop. PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) offers a free download called NetPerSec. AnalogX (www.analogx.com/contents /download/network/nsl.htm) has a nifty new program called NetStat Live. And, for Macintosh computers, IPNetMonitor (www.sustworks.com/site/prod_ipmonitor.html) provides an abundance of information on the state of your connection.

Get a second modem

Many Mac and Windows systems are capable of MultiLink, a software technology that allows you to increase speed by plugging two separate phone lines into two different modems attached to the computer. Check your system documentation and ISP for details. ZDNet (www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2584801,00.html) has a tutorial on the process.

Add system memory

Computers low on RAM are slow on the Net. Adding memory can often help speed performance, even on bad Internet connections.

Tweak your operating system

Some utility software programs can provide tricks to increase the speed at which your computer receives and processes Internet data. Modem Magic 5.10 for Macintosh (macintosh.com/macara50.html) does an admirable job for Apple products. For PCs, Accel SpeedTec (www.montanasoft.com/speedtec/index.asp) and Internet Turbo (www.clasys.com/internet_turbo.htm) have both won awards for their performance.

Ramp up download speeds

A whole class of software programs called download managers can help users download large files on slow connections. These utilities essentially search out the fastest Internet route to the files you're trying to download. Many can also resume downloads after they are interrupted by an incoming telephone call or an ISP disconnection. Down- load.com has an extensive list of many at download.cnet.com/downloads/0,10151,0-3282264-106-0-1-0,00.html?tag=dir. Many experts tout Download Accelerator Plus (www.speedbit.com) as the ultimate, free solution to dial-up troubles.