disconnect

I have Windows XP on my computer. I get disconnected from the internet one or twice a session. My internet provider told me I have a bad modem. But when I brought my modem to a computer repairman he told me that there is nothing wrong with my modem. Needless to say I am quite frustrated. Is there any "foolproof " test that I could give to my modem to determine whether my modem or internet provider is at fault? Thank you very much.

 

Hi abx

Assuming this a "dial-up" ISP service. Call some neighbors, local friends that could be on the same service... are they experiencing similar problems. Also keep in mind inbetween your modem and the ISP is the telephone line. Does it sound clean, any noise or static. Do you have "call waiting" service? If yes, check if it is disabled in your modem dialup string. Some modems get confused if they are exposed to these signals. Could you borrow a modem from a friend or local repair shop to see if problem continues.

 

I get this complaint a lot. My first question to the customer is always, "Do you use AOL as your internet service provider? ". If the answer is "Yes ", there is no need to go any further in most cases. AOL will disconnect when it wants to and that fact simply will not change.

The test I use is to borrow the sign-on information of a friend for an ISP other than the one you use, yourself, one that uses standard dial-up networking. Create a dialer, use his user name and password and see how long you stay connected. If the problem repeats itself, then you can look to your machine or phone lines for the problem. If not, you have proved conclusively it is the fault of your ISP and you now have the evidence to pound the point home with them and have them quit blaming your equipment.

By the way, when the problem really gets tough, it is a common practice for the ISP's tech support to give up in frustration and blame your equipment. Sometimes it is the customer's equipment; but, I have found it is more often the ISP's.