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Connection Speed and Frequent Disconnects |
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Slow connection speeds and frequent disconnects are some of the most common and most difficult errors for any
Internet Service Provider (ISP). The list of possible suspects is nearly endless, so narrowing down the problem
could be difficult and on occasion even frustrating. We have attempted to put together the most common causes and
how you can correct them.
Bad phone lines:
The telephone company will only guarantee a connection speed of 28.8k, even though modems in this
day and age will transfer information much faster. If your phone line has any amount of static
(which the customer may not even be able to hear) this will cause low speed or frequent disconnects.
The reasons for this are easy; Modems use sound to communicate data from one computer to the next.
If you have static on the line that data (sent in a series of squeals and noises) will be corrupted
and impure, this causes problems with the connection. There are a few common causes for static on
your line:
Moisture in the line
One of the biggest causes of line static is when moisture gets into your line and this condition
can occur several different ways. In the case of newer lines the problem is caused by a break in
the plastic covering or by condensation. Older lines have this problem more often because of the
flimsy protective coating they used. Water can seep through the coating easily or the coating itself
is so old that it breaks and tears. If this is the cause for your line noise, the only solution is
to completely replace the bad section of line. To test your lines to see if there is a bad one, try
moving the computer to a different area in the house and using the telephone jack there. Don't try
to use a really long phone cord to go from the existing computer location, that will simply trade one
problem for another.
Junction Box
Most homes in America have more than one phone and certainly more than one phone jack. In order to
have a home setup this way the line coming into the house has to be sent to a junction box or a
singular jack somewhere in a centralized location of the house. This box provides a location where
the other jacks around the house are wired to. (Homes may vary, some may simply all branch off of
the main box on the side of your house, if this is the case you should check into having the lines
in your house re-wired by a professional) This location can be a hotbed of all sorts of troubles,
shorts in the wires, loose connections, and moisture could all be problems here if the junction
box is not adequately protected from the elements. If your junction box is the problem, the only
solution is replacing it and possibly some of the lines going to or coming from it.
Long Phone Lines
Many older homes have a ver limited number of phone jacks installed in them. When this occurs a lot
of people are forced to use extremely long phone cords and splitters to go from the nearest available
jack to their computer. The problem with this is that the lines that you buy in the store are not
installation grade lines that are shielded properly nor are they a high quality wire. These are
generally a cluster of very thin and fragile wire that resemble copper string than the good solid
copper wires used in installation grade phone line. These cheap lines cause signal loss and any other
devices such as splitters or other plugs only make it worse. Splitters are notorious for not only
degrading the signal but allow outside signals to sink into the line (The neighbors cordless phone,
radio signals, or general electronic noise produced my any device). The only way to fix this problem
is to have a professional install a new jack in your home as close to the computer as possible. They
will generally use the best line possible during the installation and proper wall outlets.
Proximity to other Electronics
If you cannot have a new jack installed and must use a phone line that is longer than recommended,
make sure that it does not run past any other strong electrical devices. TV's, Stereos, Microwaves,
and even Washers and Dryers put out electro-magnetic waves that can cause slight or severe static
on your line. If this is the case, try to move the line away from these devices so that your phone
signal will be stronger and more reliable.
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Network Settings:
In order to have a good stable connection your Network settings must be properly setup. If it
isn't you will have a wide range of troubles. To check your Network settings you need to do
the following:
(NOTE: Anytime you enter your Network settings and don't make a change
you should click the CANCEL button to exit so that Windows doesn't attempt to reconfigure your
network. This is vital because your Windows Installation disk may be required and without it
some errors to your system could occur.)
Windows 95/98/98se/ME
- Click on Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- Double Click on Network
Now you should see a list of components, and below are the components that are
essential to good connection with our service.
- Client for Microsoft Networks
- Dial Up Adapter
- TCP/IP
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Windows 2000
- Click on Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- "Network and Internet Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon
- Put the mouse pointer (
 ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Network Tab
Now you should see a list of components, and below are the components that are essential to good connection with our service.
- Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
- Client for Microsoft Networks
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Windows XP
- Click on Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- If your Control Panel is in Classic View (White backgroud, icons only)
- Double Click "Network Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon under the Dial-Up Heading
- Put the mouse pointer ( ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- If your Control Panel is in Category View (Says Pick a Category)
- Click on "Network and Internet Connections"
- Click on "Network Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon under the Dial-Up Heading
- Put the mouse pointer ( ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Network Tab
Now you should see a list of components, and below are the components that are essential to good connection
with our service.
- Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
- QoS Packet Scheduler
- Client for Microsoft Networks
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If you don't have these three components in your network, please call 1 866 458-4638 so that one of our
Tech Support Agents can assist you in placing them there.
IP Header Compression:
IP Header compression is used by systems to pack certain information in the packets of data that are sent
across the TCP/IP connection. In a little more basic terms, this information is used to authorize and verify
the information coming across from your computer to our servers. Why will this cause problems with your
connection speed? It's like two people talking different dialects of the same language, and when that occurs
you have a more difficult time understanding each other. They are both expecting the sentences to contain certain
structure and content, and when they aren't there it takes a few moments to understand and process that info.
Same thing with computers. To correct this problem, follow these steps.
Windows 95/98/98se
- Double Click on "My Computer"
- Double Click on Dial Up Networking
- Right Click on your KVINet Icon
- Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Server Types Tab at the top
- Click the TCP/IP Settings Button near the bottom
- If there is a check in Use IP Header Compression remove it
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Windows ME
- Click on Start
- Click on Settings
- Double Click on Dial Up Networking
- Right Click on your KVINet Icon
- Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Networking Tab at the top
- Click the TCP/IP Settings Button near the bottom
- If there is a check in Use IP Header Compression remove it
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Windows 2000
- Click on Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- "Network and Internet Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon
- Put the mouse pointer ( ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Network Tab
- In the list of Installed Components select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
- Click the Properties button below it
- Click the Advanced Button near the bottom
- If there is a Check Mark in "Use IP Header Compression" remove it
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Windows XP
- Click on Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- If your Control Panel is in Classic View (White backgroud, icons only)
- Double Click "Network Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon under the Dial-Up Heading
- Put the mouse pointer ( ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- If your Control Panel is in Category View (Says Pick a Category)
- Click on "Network and Internet Connections"
- Click on "Network Connections"
- Find your KVINet Icon under the Dial-Up Heading
- Put the mouse pointer ( ) over your KVINet Icon
- Click the Right Mouse button on the KVINet Icon
- When the little menu comes up, Left Click on Properties
- Click on the Network Tab
- In the list of Installed Components select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
- Click the Properties button below it
- Click the Advanced Button near the bottom
- If there is a Check Mark in "Use IP Header Compression" remove it
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Modem Driver:
On occasion the driver for your modem may become corrupt. This can be cause by numerous things from
viruses to everyday wear and tear on the computer (See our section on Daily Maintenance to avoid this
problem). To re-install the modem you have several options.
The first is to call your Computer Manufacturer (Dell, Gateway, HP, Compaq, etc...) and speak with
their Technical Support staff, KVINet does not assist in the installation of hardware or software
that we do not provide.
If you installed the modem yourself or have a home built PC, then you need to un-install your modem and
install it again. You should have a driver CD that came with the modem or computer for this purpose. Once
done we always recommend that you goto Windows Update to make sure that you have the newest version of
your drivers.
The second way is to visit www.56k.com or
www.windrivers.com and download the latest
driver for your modem. We cannot assist you installing your modem drivers so be careful and make sure
that you have the correct one. To check what kind of modem you have follow these steps:
Windows 95/98/98se/ME
- Click on your Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- Double Click on the Modem icon
- Your Modem will be displayed here
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Windows 2000/XP
- Click on your Start Button
- Click on Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- Double Click on the Phone and Modems icon
- Click on the Modems Tab
- Your Modem will be displayed here
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Modem Strings:
Modem strings are sets of commands to force or disable certain modem functions and in the earlier days
of telecommunications these strings were highly needed. Even now in some cases your modem may be trying
to send information faster than your phone line is able to (Static, Poor Lines, etc..) and you may need
to have a modem string placed to stabilize your connection. Generally this will result in slowing down
your connection to some degree but it will solve the disconnection issues you may have.
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