Broadband probs/ dial tone

[Jim Roper]

i'd recommend ditching the usb modem and spending a few quid on a router.

 

i've never been confident using usb for modems, wifi etc.

 

That's the next step. I've got a dsl router but not with a built in modem.

I'll order one from somewhere in a minute.

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

Excalibur - yes, seems like a line issue - suggest trying to log a couple of incidences where you know the line to have dropped (and if possible for how long) and reporting it to your ISP.

 

Whilst I am not a big fan of USB ADSL modems the cheap alcatel efforts given away by most companies do perform pretty well (all things considered). Personally, I've got a US Robotics 9100 Router (wireless) which came from ebuyer, with a free wireless fob, for about £40 - that is a very good deal all things consideed!

 

Either way though - your hardware (unless completely knackered) is unlikely to be the cause of the syncing fault - definitely try your ISP and/or exchange line provider (usually BT) first!

[Excalibur]

Excalibur - yes, seems like a line issue - suggest trying to log a couple of incidences where you know the line to have dropped (and if possible for how long) and reporting it to your ISP.

 

Whilst I am not a big fan of USB ADSL modems the cheap alcatel efforts given away by most companies do perform pretty well (all things considered). Personally, I've got a US Robotics 9100 Router (wireless) which came from ebuyer, with a free wireless fob, for about £40 - that is a very good deal all things consideed!

 

Either way though - your hardware (unless completely knackered) is unlikely to be the cause of the syncing fault - definitely try your ISP and/or exchange line provider (usually BT) first!

 

That's roughly what I hoped/expected someone would say! Thanks as usual everyone for your valuable input.

[Jim Roper]

I've had to go into the registry and delete the speedtouch stuff to get mine to install at all.

It kept asking for a file stci.dll. When I found it, it wouldn't recognise it, so I did a search in th registry for the file and anything associated with it and deleted the lot.

Seems to have worked this time!

[Jim Roper]

I spoke too bloody soon!

 

Just tried to shut down and restart and I get a message that my username and password are wrong.

Had to plug into next door's router again.

 

Wish I'd gone to Metronet or Nildram now!

[corydoras]

My tuppence worth. First of all VPIs and VCIs have got nothing at all to do with phone numbers or dialling.

 

 

A VPI identifies a unidirectional transport of ATM cells belonging to a bundle of virtual channels.

A VCI describes a unidirectional transport of ATM cells.

 

I would go along with Jeepster on this one. Ditch your USB ADSL modem and buy yourself a proper ADSL router from Netgear, Linksys or even better if you can afford it go for a Dreytek.

[Peter Sharpe]

If it's any consolation, I don't think it's anything to do with your ISP. I'm with Tiscali and get exactly the same problem. It nearly always happens if I boot the machine up and then go down to make a cup of tea before connecting. I have a feeling that there could be a time out operating somewhere, but it is always cured by re-booting the PC. A bit of a nuisance, but it only happens about once a week.

 

p.s. That got me thinking. I went into the Control Panel, looked at the modem properties and there was a tick box telling it to disconnect the modem if not connected to the internet within 60 seconds. I also increased the potential speed to maximum, which will probably cause it to blow up

Edited February 28, 2006 by Peter Sharpe

[Guest Ferret1959]

Has anyone had this prob, or know the cause/solution?

 

I went to broadband recently, and received a Speedtouch 330 Modem. Normally it is faultless, but now and again ( usually in daytime, and even while online ) the connection disappears, and the error message " no dial tone etc "appears. Is it my modem, BT's line or my service provider ( Wanadoo) ? I dimly remember a post once explaining about broadband modems needing a dial tone!

 

 

I had the same problem, took 4 months to convince my ISP it was a line fault and to get BT off the office stool and fix it.

Bad connection at the pole connection.

I told them what it was but try telling that to a scripted Injin.

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

Cory, the VPI and VCI comment I made was with reference to some USB modems and the methods (some) use to set the VPI and VCI settings.

 

It is definitely the case that some modems can be set to dial 0,38 (like my original ADSL USB modem), and that specified the VPI and VCI settings for the connection.

 

As an example I chucked ADSL 0,38 into google (or similar) and got the following example from Eicon for their DIVA USB ADSL modem.

 

http://www.eicon.com/support/helpweb/adsl/..._Connection.asp

 

So, by definition - in some cases - with some modems - it is necessary to specify a dialup number as the VPI and VCI . I've seen this with lots of usb modems and a few (older) routers, so it's not entirely unheard of. By the way, I fully appreciate it's not dialling that number, but simply using the dialling system as a method of passing parameters to the modem!

Edited March 1, 2006 by UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk

[corydoras]

Cory, the VPI and VCI comment I made was with reference to some USB modems and the methods (some) use to set the VPI and VCI settings.

 

It is definitely the case that some modems can be set to dial 0,38 (like my original ADSL USB modem), and that specified the VPI and VCI settings for the connection.

 

As an example I chucked ADSL 0,38 into google (or similar) and got the following example from Eicon for their DIVA USB ADSL modem.

 

http://www.eicon.com/support/helpweb/adsl/..._Connection.asp

 

So, by definition - in some cases - with some modems - it is necessary to specify a dialup number as the VPI and VCI . I've seen this with lots of usb modems and a few (older) routers, so it's not entirely unheard of. By the way, I fully appreciate it's not dialling that number, but simply using the dialling system as a method of passing parameters to the modem!

You may be right. As a techy, I would rather carve off my left nut with a rusty old Opinel rather than connect my system to the internet using anything plugged into a usb port, I would not know.

 

At home I have my router connected to a PC running Smoothwall 2.0 firewall. This has got two NICS. One connects to the router, the other to my internal lan. Rein on USB!