Modems & Connections
Honestly, there are probably 1001
variables that come into play when you start talking about internet connections
and your computer. Anything from excessive noise on your phone lines to a
dying modem can cause you to experience symptoms such as frequent disconnects
and low connection speeds.
What Sort of Performance Should I Expect From My
Modem?
Modem and line performance is one of the biggest
issues affecting your connection to the internet. Given that Country I Link
modems allow for a full digital 64Kbps connection, the factors that affect the
speed of your connection to the internet are:
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Any noise in the telephone lines. Any hum, snap,
crackle or fuzz in your telephone line affects your modem connection. This
noise may be introduced anywhere between your local CO (central office, the
local 'hub' into which local telephone calls are routed) and the back of your
computer. To make an analogy, electrical signals are much like sound; in a
very noisy room you will have trouble speaking with another person in the same
room.
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The distance between you and your CO. Electrical
signals lose strength over distance. Our own customer connection stats
show that connections within a town usually achieve above 40K, and connections
more than four or five miles from the CO are usually 31.2K or below.
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Your modem software may be outdated. Updating modem
software for winmodems can do wonders. Manufacturers are constantly updating
their modem drivers to reflect new ways to compensate for line conditions,
include new protocols, or allow the modem to other modems.
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Educational Reading
Expecting 56K? This is an excellent article.
CO Finder -from DSL Reports. Find out where your CO is located and calculate the
distance.
Don't Blame the Modem (Improving Connection Speeds)
Why Don't High Speed Modems Work At Their "Rated" Speed?
Internet Connection Questions
Answers to our most frequently
encountered connection problems.
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Why won't my
modem connect to the Country I Link?
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If you are
having trouble connecting, do not hesitate to
call
our technical support staff.
If you find you cannot connect to Country I
Link, it may be a hardware or line problem. There are
several manufacturers of Internet equipment, and not all of them are
compatible. Such compatibility issues can usually be fixed
by a "patch" for your modem drivers. Contact our technical support staff
for help downloading and installing patches.
Alternatively, your telephone lines may sound perfectly fine when you're
speaking to someone on the phone, but may not be appropriate for data
transfer. Contact our technical support to learn more about having your
line tested.
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I can
connect fine, but why do I sometimes get disconnected?
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Option 1:
Call Waiting If you have call waiting as a feature on your phone, it may
be knocking you off the Internet each time there's an incoming call. To
disable call waiting, do the following:
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Double-click on
the My Computer icon on your desktop.
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Double-click on
Dial-Up Networking.
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Find the
Country I Link Connection in this folder.
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Right-click on
that connection, then select Properties.
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Verify that the
box labeled Use Area Code and Dialing Properties is NOT checked.
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In the Phone
number line put in the code to disable call waiting (normaly, *70,)
i.e. *70,694-0294
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Click Apply OK
Close the My Computer window.
Option 2: Adjust Buffer Speeds Your modem may not have the
appropriate speeds and buffers set for optimal performance. To correct
this, do the following:
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Go to Start >
Settings > Control Panel.
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Double-click on
the Modems icon.
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Click on
Properties; this will bring up a window with modem speeds.
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Move the
Maximum Speed slider to 57,600.
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Make sure that
Only Connect At This Speed is not checked.
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Click on the
Connection tab.
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Click on the
Port Settings button.
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Move both slide
bars until they are 3/4 of the way to the right.
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Click OK.
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Click Close.
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Restart your
computer and connect again.
Option 3: Incorrect settings in Outlook Express If you are using
Outlook Express, it may be set to hang up after sending and receiving
mail.
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Open Outlook
Express.
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Click on Tools
> Options > Connections.
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Make sure the
box labeled Hang up after send/receive is unchecked.
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Click OK.
If none of these solutions allow you to maintain a constant connection,
please call our technical support for further assistance.
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Why does the phone
ring without picking up when I dial Country I Link?
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Check the phone
number you are dialing from and verify that it is a
Country I Link access number.
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From the
desktop, double-click on My Computer.
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Double-click on
Dial-up Networking.
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Right-click on
Country I Link and choose properties.
Compare the phone number listed there to the list on our access number
page; if it doesn't match one of those listed, odds are you're set up
for the wrong number. If you have a wrong number, you may change
it to one that is listed in your area. HOWEVER, it is your
responsibility to check with the phone company to make sure that any
number you dial is a toll-free call.
Country I Link is not responsible for the charges incurred by
long distance calls from our users.
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Why does my computer tell me the modem has no
dial tone?
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Your lines may
be incorrectly plugged in. Check your connection between your
modem and your phone jack. Most modems have 2 jacks, one labeled Phone
(or with a picture of a phone) and one labeled Line (or with a picture
of a line). Your phone line should be plugged in to the jack that says
Line.
You may have voice mail service. The tone that indicates that you have a
message waiting is not recognized as a dial tone by the computer.
If you have voice mail service, do the following: From the
desktop, double-click on My Computer. Double-click on Dial-up
Networking. Right-click on Country I Link
and choose properties. Click on the Configure button. Click on the
Connection tab. Uncheck the box that says "Wait for dial-tone before
dialing." Click Close. Attempt to dial up again.
If the phone line is connected properly, voice mail is disabled, and you
are still getting a "No Dial Tone" message, your modem may be faulty.
Contact your hardware vendor or repair service to get it checked out.
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Why am I getting
a busy signal when I dial-up to Country I
Link?
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Windows may be
trying to dial an area code or a telephone code before dialing the phone
number.
From your desktop, Double-click on My Computer. Double-click on the
Dial-up Networking folder. Double-click on the
Country I Link icon and look at the
phone number line. If you see more that 7 digits, open Dial-up
Networking again. Right-click on the Country
I Link icon and select Properties. Uncheck the box labeled Use
area code and dialing properties. Click Close. Attempt to dial up again.
If you still get a busy signal when dialing in, please contact our
technical support.
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Why do I
hear a person's voice through the computer when I dial-up to
Country I Link?
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Check the phone
number you are dialing from and verify that it is a
Country I Link access number.
You may be dialing up to one of our office voice lines!
From the desktop, double-click on My Computer. Double-click on
Dial-up Networking. Right-click on
Country I Link and choose properties. Compare the phone
number listed there to the list on our access number page; if it doesn't
match one of those listed, odds are you're set up for the wrong number.
If you have a wrong number, you may change it to one that is listed in
your area. HOWEVER, it is your responsibility to check with the
phone company to make sure that any number you dial is a toll-free call.
Country I Link is NOT
responsible for the charges incurred by long distance calls from our
users.
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Why does
the system keep asking me for my password? I'm sure I've typed it in
correctly.
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Option 1:
Entry Error
You may be entering your username or password incorrectly:
Make sure the "Caps Lock" light on your keyboard is not on. Your
username and password should always be lowercase. Also, you should
be entering your full Country I Link
e-mail address as your username. In many cases your connection
will not work if you do not do this. You need to make sure you are
dialing the correct access number as well. If the system still
will not accept your username and password, please contact our technical
support staff.
Option 2: Hardware Error
Close all programs. Click Start Shut Down. Choose Shut down the computer
and click Yes. When you see a window that says It is now safe to turn
off your computer, do so. Wait 15 full seconds. Power up your computer
and try the connection again.
How do I make my computer automatically
disconnect when I close my Internet Browser?
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If you are
using Windows 95/98/XP/VISTA:
Open your Internet Browser. Click on Tools and select 'Internet
Options'. Click on the 'Connection' Tab. Highlight the
Country I Link icon. Click on
the Settings button on the right. Click on the 'Advanced' button
on the bottom. Put a check mark in the box labeled Disconnect when
connection may no longer be needed. Click OK OK OK. Your
browser should ask you if you want to disconnect from the Internet the
next time you shut it down.
If you are using Windows ME:
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Click on Start
Settings Control Panel Dial-Up Networking. Right-click on the
Country I Link icon and click
Properties. Click on the Dialing tab. Put a check mark in
the box labeled Disconnect when connection may no longer be needed.
Click OK OK OK. Your browser should ask you if you want to disconnect
from the Internet the next time you shut it down. If you still do
not automatically disconnect from the Internet when you close your
browser, please contact our technical support for further assistance.
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@2005 Country I Link. All Rights Reserved. Send
Comments or Questions to
webmaster@countryilink.net
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