Baud rate speed

I hope this is in the correct section. I am asking this question for a friend.

What would cause a computer with a 56K Modem to connect at a slower Baud Rate than a computer with a 33.6K Modem.

He is using the same ISP, IE, W98, Dial up

Computers are not connected together. Same phone line

 

Both Internal, both external?

What are the respective connect speeds?

Mfg., model?

Drivers?

Check the port speed in the configuration.

 

Bitbyter, I know the connect speeds and the MFG. the rest of the info I will have to get.


NEC 33.6K modem 28800bps

Dell 56K modem 14400bps

 

It would surprise me if the modems were from NEC or Dell. Both of them use modems from 3rd party manufacturers. Among others, for instance, Dell has used Aztech and US Robotics modems.

Using the correct drivers for the specific modems and specific OS's may be important to the operation of the modems.

Make sure that your init strings for the modems are not restricting speed.

I've had lots of problems with Aztech and Rockwell modems; not many with USR modems. Aztech and Rockwell modems seem to fail at a "younger age" than, say, USR or Hayes or Zoom. Failure may not be complete -- that is, it is possible that you would see reduced performance rather than no performance.

The only way I've been able to determine that my phone lines were capable or incapable of delivering a certain speed was to test the lines using a computer and modem that I knew were capable of it. In other words, my laptop and modem connect at work at 48K. Therefore, I know that my laptop and modem as configured will communicate at 48K. When I take it home, I get 26k. That's the fastest that any modem at home will connect. The CO is over 28,000 feet from my house. Hence, when I get 26k out of my 56k modem at home, I don't blame the modem.

The "speeds" you show are relatively slow. This could possibly indicate attenuation, due to age of phone lines, distance from the CO (central office), interference, bad connections, or incorrect configuration. You know that the line will, at least, support 28k. One modem may handle noise on the line better than the other modem.

OTOH, at 28k, we're not worried about V.92 or V.90 handshaking... ...though it would be interesting to know that your ISP supports the same 56k protocol that your modem understands.

Do you know that the access phone number being used supports higher speeds?

What else is plugged into the modem besides the line? If you have a fax machine, answering machine, or phone set plugged in, unplug 'em. I know you didn't daisy-chain the modems. And you've tried connecting without any intervening surge protection devices between the modem and the wall plate. You are not attempting to connect the modem to the wall plate with 150 ft. of silver satin. You are not connecting the modem through an adapter for the wall plate. You've checked all of the phone wire terminals to make sure that the connections are snugged down (not loose.) You don't have a cordless phone plugged in. All of these things can produce noise on the line.

In the configuration for your modem, check the port speed. This is the DTE speed for your modem, the speed configured for your-computer-to-your-modem communications. Set it for 115k if it is not already.

Read your modem documentation and see what AT commands will report the connected modem status. If you're lucky, you can do this with supplied modem interface software.

I use external modems. It is easy for me to swap the modems to see if the modems behave differently with different systems. I've also been known to use an A-B switch box to give the services of one modem to several computers (not simultaneously) and any switch over is made with the modem powered down.

 

Bitbyter Thank you for the information. Appreciate your time.