There are many different reasons for line dropouts.
As there are no current issues with our servers, which would cause
you such problems we ask that you go through the following steps
first before you call us. |
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If another device, such as a telephone, fax or answering
machine, is plugged into the telephone line at the same time
as the modem, it might interfere with the modem's operation
and cause it to disconnect, even if you are not using that device
while using your modem. For example, some telecommunication
equipment, such as telephones that have built-in 'memories',
which draw electrical current from the telephone line in order
to recharge their internal batteries. This charging process
can cause modems to disconnect. Also, some fax machines will
regularly test the telephone line to ensure that it is still
operational by sending electrical pulses along it, which may
also interfere with modems.
To avoid such problems, it is recommended that you unplug all
other devices so that the modem has sole use of the telephone
line. |
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| Your modem should be plugged directly into the telephone
jack. Telephone extension cords and telephone adapters may degrade
the quality of the connection, which can result in disconnections. |
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| If your modem shares a telephone line with a telephone, and
someone lifts the telephone handset while you are logged on,
the modem connection may be dropped. |
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| If you are accessing the Internet from your office, and your
office has a number of staff with individual telephone numbers,
it is likely that your telephone system uses PABX equipment.
PABX equipment is notorious for the problems that it can cause
with modem connections. Speak to your office IT manager or your
Telstra business representative to arrange a direct telephone
line for your modem that bypasses the PABX equipment. |
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The audible 'beep' made by the call waiting system to signify
an incoming call, can disrupt a modem connection, causing the
modem to disconnect. Therefore, Australink recommends that you
disable call waiting before connecting to the Internet to avoid
such disruption.
To disable call waiting, plug a standard telephone handset into
the telephone line used by your modem and dial #43# on the handset
(be sure to unplug the telephone handset before connecting).
To re-enable call waiting, dial *43#. |
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| When a mobile telephone is in use, the communications between
it and the nearest base station may interfere with your modem.
Even when your mobile phone is switched on but not in use, it
still regularly communicates with the base station, which may
also interfere with your modem. Australink recommends that you
move your mobile phone away from your modem, preferably into
another room, while you are online to avoid interference. |
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| Telephone lines occasionally experience 'line noise' (crackling
static that can be heard in the background during a telephone
conversation) which can interfere with modem operations and,
in extreme cases, cause the modem to disconnect. Line noise
is often caused by corrosion of the copper telephone wiring
in your home or office, recent heavy rain or high humidity.
To check for the presence of line noise, plug a standard
telephone handset into the telephone line used by the modem
and make a normal telephone call to a friend. Listen for static
during the conversation.
Another alternative is to take your PC (or just your modem)
to a friend's house and use his/her telephone line to connect
to the Internet. If you do not experience the same problems
that you experience at home, then you know that it must be
a local problem (either with your telephone line or the equipment
that you have plugged into it).
You can report line problems 24 hours a day, seven days a
week by calling Telstra on one of the following numbers: 13
2203 (residential services) or 13 2999 (small business services). |
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| It may be that the difficulties that you are experiencing
have nothing to do with your computer's settings or telephone
line - it may be that your modem is faulty or incompatible
with Australink hardware. The best way to test this is to
borrow a friend's modem (preferably one that is a different
brand or made by a different manufacturer) and see whether
you experience the same problems using this modem. If not,
then the problem may be caused by a fault with your modem
or an incompatibility. |
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| Given the enormous variety of modems available, it is
impossible to provide general advice on suitable modem settings
for all types and brands of modems. However, below is a collection
of some of the most common problems. Please note that before
trying any of these suggestions listed below, you should check
the manual supplied with your modem for recommended modem
settings and procedures for troubleshooting connection difficulties.
You should not to attempt any of the suggestions listed below
unless the modem manual endorses such procedures. If you are
not sure whether a procedure is endorsed, please contact your
modem manufacturer support centre. Australink accepts no liability
for any loss or damage which may be caused by you performing
any of the following these procedures on your modem. |
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| For various reasons, some modems do not work well at
high speeds. If you configure your modem with a lower maximum
speed setting, you may achieve a more reliable and stable
Internet connection. In General this can be changed by:
- Double click the My Computer desktop icon.
- Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon.
- Right-click the Australink Home icon and select the Properties
option.
- Click the Configure button.
- Click the Maximum Speed drop-down menu and select a slower
speed setting.
It is recommended that you select a slower speed (such as
19200) and then test your connection. If the disconnections
cease, try raising the speed *to the next setting (38400)
and test this connection speed for stability.
- Repeat this with increasingly faster speeds until you
find the optimum speed setting.
* Modems sold as 56K (V.90, K56Flex and X2) are capable of
line speeds up to 52kbit/s, but the telephone network is designed
for voice calls and has a guaranteed data speed of 2.4kbit/s.
In practice, most customers achieve modem speeds significantly
higher than 2.4kbit/s, but rarely 52kbit/s. |
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| Some modems use data compression to achieve faster data
throughput. However, this may cause instability as it places
additional strain on your already overworked modem. Disabling
data compression may improve your connection stability.
- Double-click the My Computer desktop icon.
- Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon.
- Right-click the Australink Home icon and select the Properties
option.
- Click the Configure button.
- Click the Connection tab.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Toggle the Compress data option so that the checkbox
is not selected . (If there is no Compress data option,
or if it is greyed out, then this feature is not available
for your modem).
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| Some modem manuals recommend that you add special modem
initialisation (or "init") strings (a series of
numeric commands) to your modem settings in order to improve
their efficiency and enhance the stability of online connections.
If your manual does not contain instructions for adding modem
initialisation strings to your modem configuration, you can
follow these steps:
- Click the Start button
- Select the Settings option
- Select the Control Panel option
- Double-click the Modems icon
- Click once on the installed modem
- Click the Properties option
- Click the Connection tab
- Click the Advanced button
- In the long rectangular box labeled Extra settings ,
type in the init string.
- Finish by clicking OK.
There are numerous resources available on the web for modem
init strings. Most are specific to the manufacturer of the
device. Generic strings can be used but it is recommended
that you use specific drivers. Check the modem documentation,
web site or call the manufacturer. The init string will be
used on every dial-up networking connection that uses that
modem. If you have more than one modem, you will need to repeat
the above procedure for all installed modems.
| Generic Strings |
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To set a modem to factory default: at&fx3%c0
Tip: You may also want to try one of these generic
init strings:
AT&F
AT&F1
AT&F&C1&D2
AT&F1&C1&D2
Tip 2: For K56flex modems, try one of these generic
init strings:
AT&F+MS=56
AT&F+MS=56S202=32
AT&F1+MS=56
AT&F1+MS=56S202=32 |
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| Specific strings for selected modems with
known Issues: |
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ACER
Acer 56K PCI AT&F%C1&D2N3^M
FM56-H S36=7S48=128
HCF 56K Data Fax PCI AT&F&C1&D2+ES=3;+DS=0;
COMPAQ
56K DF AT&F
56K VSC AT&FW2^M
56K DFI &FX3&C1&D2&K3
ATX4%C1N1J1B0B15B2N4&K4
HCF 56K PCI AT&F&C1&D2&K3
V90 ATX4%C1N1JQB0B15B2N4%K4
Presario 33.6 DF 56K AT&F&Q6
D-LINK
DFM-560E AT+MS=56,1,300,38000
GATEWAY
Telepath 56K Winmodem AT&F&D0S0=0S15=128S32=34
Telepath with X2 AT&F&C1&D2S7=60
IBM
Mwave 28.8 AT&FX3&C1&D2&K3
ATS28=18
33.6 Data/Fax VOD ATS28=18
LUCENT
LT Winmodem AT&FX3&C1&D2%E2-V90=0
AT-V90=0
MOTOROLA
SM56 AT&F&D2&C1V1S0=0E0*bo4*ba4+a8e=1,1
PACKARD BELL
Sound4 AT&C1&H3&A2&D2&K3S10=255
56K Winmodem4 ATZ
ROCKWELL
HCF AT&F&C1&D2&K3
HCF +MS=V34 in all caps (uppercase letters).
non HCF modems +MS=11
US ROBITICS / 3Com
56K Voice Win ATS10=254
X2 Winmodem Voice ATS10=254
56K Fax INT AT&F1
USR 56K Internal ATS15=128 |
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Modem manufacturers continually tweak and refine their modem
software in an effort to ensure the peak performance of their
products. You should ensure that you are using the latest driver
software for your modem. Most manufacturers make copies of their
latest software available for download on their Web sites.
As a general rule, the updated software will include a setup
program, so installation is simply a matter of downloading the
setup software and running it.
If your modem manufacturer has not released any new driver software
for your modem, or if it does not solve the disconnection problem,
you should install the default Windows 95/98 "universal"
modem driver (which should work with all modems). |
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| External modems connect to your computer via one of the communications
ports located at the rear of your computer. These communications
ports are, in turn, connected to a piece of hardware known as
a "serial card" (although on newer PCs, these are
often built into the motherboard). The most recent PCs have
high-speed serial cards, specifically designed for use with
high-speed modems. Some older PCs, however, have slower serial
cards, which can have difficulties keeping up with faster modems.
Consequently, if you use a fast 56K modem in conjunction
with an older PC, you may experience unstable connections.
Consult your sales documentation or speak with the vendor
to ascertain what type of serial card your PC has and whether
it is suitable for the speed modem that you are using. |
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| External modems can become quite hot during their normal
operations. However, if they overheat, they may start to perform
erratically. To combat this, place your modem away from your
PC, preferably in a well-ventilated area. |
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| Some home and business alarm systems have a "back to
base" feature, which allows the alarm to be remotely monitored
by a security service. Such services make use of your telephone
line and may interfere with your modem. If this is the case,
try using another telephone line or consult your security service
for possible solutions. |
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| Australink Internet idle timeout settings.
The Australink Internet service will automatically disconnect
users if they have been 'idle' (that is, if there has been
no data uploaded or downloaded via the modem) for a set period
of time.
This is a safety mechanism designed to protect users against
incurring large bills in the event that they accidentally
leave themselves logged on.
Software timeout settings.
Some Internet software will automatically disconnect the
modem if it detects that the modem has been idle for a certain
period, or after a certain task has been completed. This can
occur independently of Australink idle timeout settings. Outlook
Express, for example, may be configured to automatically disconnect
the modem once it has finished sending and receiving email.
If this is the case, it will automatically hang up your modem
after you have checked for new email messages. To turn this
setting off, follow these steps:
- Click on the Tools pull-down menu.
- Select Options to display the Options dialog box.
- Click on the Connection tab.
- Ensure that the box titled "Hang up after sending
and receiving" is unchecked.
Similarly, Internet Explorer will automatically disconnect
the modem if it detects that your modem has been idle for
20 minutes. You can change this setting by following these
steps:
- Click on the Tools pull-down menu and select Internet
Options.
- Click on the Connections tab.
- Highlight your modem in the Dialup settings window and
then click on the Settings button.
- Click on the advanced button.
- Disable the Disconnect if idle for setting or increase/decrease
the setting to suit your needs.
Other Internet software that you install may have similar
configuration settings. Be sure to check that they are not
activated. |
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| Electrical appliances located near your modem or modem cable
can interfere with your modem, as they may be emitting strong
electro-magnetic radiation (EMR). Try moving the electrical
appliances away from your modem or switching them off. Known
problem equipment includes refrigerators, mobile phone chargers
and faulty fans. |
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| Only one person can use a Australink Internet account at
a time. If someone else logs in using your account at the same
time that you are using it (for example, if the members of your
family share a common account), you may be disconnected. (There
is an exception to this rule if you use our $11 per month or
a data prepaid plan, you will just be charged for the total
amount of usage from each separate connection made.) |
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| You should only use the power supply provided with your modem
by the vendor. Although other power supplies might work, they
may cause the modem to act erratically, resulting in lost connections. |
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| Please consult our help documentation for the correct Internet
settings for your Operating System. |
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| It is possible to "attack" a person's computer
over the Internet, causing either the computer to freeze or
the modem to disconnect. Such attacks are rare and infrequent,
but you can take steps to protect yourself from them. If you
are running Windows 95, you should download and install the
Windows Dial-Up Networking update, which will protect your PC
from these types of attacks. Windows 98 already incorporates
these upgrades. Use of Personal Firewalls
If you find that you are being disconnected every 1-2 hours
on the hour or even possibly every 15 minutes you most likely
are using a Firewall, if this is the case please contact us
further and we will be able to send you the specific settings
to prevent further disconnections.
If you are using Windows XP then please follow the below
guide to disable this function on your machine:
- Click on Start
- Go to Connect to
- Right click on the Australink icon and select Properties
- Click on the Advanced tab
- To disable the firewall protection you can just untick
the box that says protect my computer.
If you do not want to disable it, then click on Settings
, the ICMP tab and then tick Allow incoming echo requests.
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| If everything you tried and
failed, please contact us and we'll sell you an Apple Mac system.....
Easy and infallible..... |