Poor
line quality is the cause of many connection problems, including
stalling, disconnections, slow connections, and multiple-attempt
connections. The following tips may increase your line quality and
correct connection difficulties:
- Check the voice quality.
Is there static, humming, popping sounds, or distortion on the line
when you listen through a handset on the line? If so, have your
telephone company's customer service check the line for trouble and
correct the line noise.
- Remove all devices.
Other devices on the line, such as splitters, extensions, fax machines,
some cordless phones, surge protectors, and answering machines can
cause line quality problems. Remove all devices and try the connection
again.
- Check your wiring. Use shorter phone cables and swap out the line with a new one to guarantee the line is free of damage. Click here for more advanced tips.
- Get a direct line.
Are you connecting through a hotel or office phone system where you
need to dial a 9 to get an outside line? Dialing through a phone system
hinders your modem's ability to get connected at high speeds. Get a
direct line out if possible to avoid line quality problems.
- Contact your telephone company.
Even if there is no noise on the line, there may still be an issue with
the phone signal between your location and the central office. Your
telephone company can test the line to see if any problems exist.
Other tips
Some
modems experience extreme difficulty when connecting on a line with
poor signal quality. Here are some recommendations for your modem that
may help:
- Update modem firmware. Search the Internet or your computer manufacturer's web site for updated modem drivers.
- Add commas.
This simple solution can help correct modem connection difficulties in
some cases. Simply add three commas to the front of the number in your
TOAST.net connection and try connecting.
- Try a different modem. We have found that modems made by Lucent, Agere, Zoom, or USRobotics handle poor line quality better than most others.
- Advanced troubleshooting can be found by clicking here.