Does anyone know how to improve the speed of a dialup connectin?

I just moved to a new place and found that my dialup speed dropped from 46K at my old place to 26K at the new place when dialing the same number. What a pisser. If line quality keeps me connecting at this pathetic speed I may have to suck it up and pay the big bucks for broadband. What a waste. I suppose I could use this as an opportunity to cure internet addiction.

You might be SOL at your new location. Connectivity speed depends on a lot of factors, two of them being the quality and the noise level of the phone lines.

Fastest dial-up speed I ever had (in Denver, Colo.) was 56,600. Yes, I know the FCC restricts the speed to 53K, says so on every box of every 56K modem sold [i]here[/i]. *Wink Wink*. Try www.ebay.DE for modems that don't have this limitation built in. Just to have a look at them of course, for the novelty...

Also, old ISA 56K modems are better than new PCI 56K modems, which are a in turn a bit better than external modems. Modern PCI modems rely on the CPU and the onboard soundchip to operate, "antique" 56K ISA modems have their own CPU and sound generators. So with a ISA modem you'd have less load on your computers CPU than with any of those POS el cheapo PCI modems they sell these days.

So true.  The WinModems suck!  But try finding a computer built recently with an ISA slot.  They don't seem to make those anymore.

AlClenin, I recommend switching to DSL or Cable modem if it is available in your area.  It's so much faster and more reliable.  You'll really enjoy your surfing a lot more.

I had cable for a while, and it was nice, but paying $19 per month instead of $50 per month was nicer. I've really regressed over the last 4 years. I went from having access to a T1 in my dorm room, to having cable modem in my first apartment during grad school, to having 46K dialup at my second apartment at my first job, to having this, 26K dialup. Strange, the more money I make the slower the internet connection I have. Maybe I'll get a raise on Tuesday.

They don't. ISA is old and approved and reliable, so away with it. What I said about the modems also applies to soundcards, btw. Best sound and least load on the computer I ever had was (actually, is) with a Soundblaster AWE64 ISA. That's why I'm still hanging on to my home-built PC, based on a Asus P2B, 768 MB RAM (maxed out), currently a PIII 500 (can be upgraded to 1.1 Ghz Celery), 32 meg TNT2 M64 AGP, 16xDVD, 4x4x32 CD-RW, TV tuner, and what not :) No machine sold for under $1,500 can keep up with it :o)

I guess when I think that I moved from downtown milwaukee to over 30 miles out it puts the loss of a little internet speed seem less bothersome.

One of the best things you can do to increase the speed of your dialup connection, is to set your UART settings to their max.

The UART controlls how fast your computer allows bits to travel in and out of your serial ports.  Since your modem uses a com port (which is serial), increasing your UART settings allows the data to be transmitted faster and received faster.

By default, Windows sets the UART to 9600.  This is incredibly slow, and totally uneccessary.

To change your UART settings, go into your device manager and click on your Com ports.   each of your Com ports, right click and choose properties.  On the Port Settings tab, choose the highest available setting on the "bits per second" window.  Close all windows and reboot.

Something simple to try is a different dial up number. I'm using Earthlink and have several different numbers available to dial into. Sometimes trying a different number makes a huge difference in connection speed. Dial up speed is also effected by distance from the Tel Co central office, cable conditions, office type, ISP, and if your service is on a pair gain device. Waiting for the day they make wireless or satellite modems cheap and practical.