Dial-up Connection Troubleshooting

Information every dial-up Internet user should know for a safe, happy Internet experience.

Understanding your dial-up connection

The modem in your computer connects to an analog phone line. This line does not connect directly to Citadel Network, but first connects to the telephone company, usually through miles and miles of wire that was installed many years ago. At the telephone company, your call is connected to banks of digital lines that run a short distance from the telephone company to Citadel Network.

While it is possible for there to be a problem with the digital lines from the telco to Citadel Network, such a problem would affect all users and would be quickly detected and corrected. At least 99% of all dial-up connection problems are on the analog line from the telco to the customer, or with the computer itself.

Types of Dial-up Connection Problems

There are several distinct types of problems you might encounter with your dial-up connection.

Dropped connections
Slow connection speeds
Slow performance, even though the connection speed is good.
Connection works, but web browser always says "Page cannot be displayed"
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Dropped connections and slow connections speeds can be caused by poor phone line quality or a problem with the modem (the card in the computer that connects it to the phone line). There have been a number of cases where users experienced trouble when it rains, which indicates water getting into their phone line somewhere.

There has been the occasional case where a user connects to one access number at a significantly lower speed than other access numbers. This is a strong indicator that there is software trouble with the modem. This is usually corrected by obtaining the latest driver from the modem manufacturer. If the modem is not a V.92 model, it is a good idea to upgrade the hardware to V.92, which will also give modem-on-hold support and V.44 compression. Upgrading hardware is especially recommended if you have a pre-V.90 modem (K56Flex, X2, etc.). The Zoom 3025C is a good choice that is also inexpensive (< $30).

Slow performance even though the connection speed is good can be caused by a virus that is using your bandwidth to try to spread to other computers, or by spyware that is downloading pop-up ads.

If you get a "Page cannot be displayed" message no matter what address you type in, and you are sure you are connected, then it is likely there is spyware on your computer. There are some specific types of spyware that break a part of your computer operating system called DNS (domain name service), which is used to look up web addresses. The most common of these is NewDotNet.

Remedies

Modem problems can sometimes be corrected with updated modem drivers (software available from the modem manufacturer). Sometimes replacing a modem with a better model can make a big difference.

Viruses and spyware should be removed. See our virus page and our spyware page for more information.

The worst thing that can happen is that the problem be in the phone line. Most phone companies will not fix noise on a phone line unless it is bad enough to hear. Electrical line noise severely impacts modem performance long before it gets bad enough to hear. To make matters worse, it is common practice for phone companies to install line splitters when they run out of physical lines in an area. This line splitter prevents a V.90 connection and so limits your connection speed to 28.8 at best. It is nearly impossible to get the phone company to tell you if there is a splitter on their line.

Prevention

Here are some preventative steps you can take to protect your computer.

Lightning Make sure both the power line and the phone line have quality surge protectors that are propertly installed.
Viruses Only use your Citadel Network hosted email. Every message sent to a @cnz.com address or other address hosted by Citadel Network passes through multiple virus scanners before being put into your inbox.
Viruses and Spyware Do not download from untrusted sources. Be careful of pop-ups asking you to install something.
Viruses and Spyware Use Firefox for web browsing and Thunderbird for email, instead of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. These programs are also friendlier and easier to use.

Surge Protection

It is imperative that you have surge protection on both your power line and your phone line. Simply turning your computer off when it storms is no protection at all. If you also want to protect your computer from rebooting when the power flickers, you can get a UPS (battery back-up) for your power line.

Here are some recommended products for surge protection.