[Coco] Modem ISP Problem (sort of OT)

[Stephen Castello]

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 21:13:46 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:


>Since we all have to connect to the Net to use this group, this is not  

>totally OT.

>Anyway, why would a vintage 2000 56KB modem stop working with some dial-up  

>sites and not others?

> 

>My ISP has three phone numbers -- two local (toll free), and one in a  nearby 

>city (Portland, ME) that costs me 15 cents/minute.  About a month  ago (after 

>some storms went thru the area, maybe), the two local sites stopped  working 

>with my modem, but the money-sucking site still works same as  ever.

> 

>The two local sites answer the phone and go thru all the swish-swish and  

>dang-a-dang-bong protocol sounds, but after a minute of this chatter my PC gives  

>up and moves on to the next phone number.  I can't tell which sounds  

>originate at my end versus the ISP end.

> 

>The weird thing is that a neighbor's PC still works just fine on the  local 

>sites!  Maybe her modem is more modern in some way?  Mine is a  US Robotics 

>0701, external.

> 

>I've reported this to the ISP (AOL), got a form reply that "they're  working 

>on it", but I doubt it.

>I suspect the local sites have been reconfigured to no longer support my  

>modem's protocol, but the Portland site still does. 

> 

>Anyway, maybe there are some modem gurus out there with theories.

>Change some modem internal settings?

>Re-flash the modem's internal ROM (if possible)?

>Buy a new (internal) modem card, and save this one for my Linux box if I  

>ever put it on line?

> 

>Thanks, Mike K.

> 


Pick up a regular phone and dial those two numbers, do you hear any
crackling or any kind of noise?  If you do, call the phone company and
complain about it.

Stephen
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