Optimize your dial-up connection: Simple but effective

Do not be discouraged if you are using a dial-up connection. This connection works not so badly and you can basically get better performance from that connection than you still think. Most dial-up users are still unaware that there are many ways to speed up their connection. You won't be able to reach the speed of broadband but you can get 10% to 20% faster execution with just a little cost or even a penny.

 

1. Upgrade your modem

If you are so far away from your phone company's closest central office that the maximum speed you can only reach is 33.6 Kbit / s, then you don't necessarily have to move. . In our opinion, you should ask your Internet service provider (ISP) to see if they support V.92 modems? The maximum download speed allowed for a dial-up modem is 53 Kbit / s, but the upload speed for standard V.90 modems is only 31.2 Kbit / s. The V.92 technical feature allows you to upload up to 48 Kbit / s. This can be a significant benefit if you are working on downloading a lot of network files.

2. Two modems are better than a modem

A few years ago, Diamond Multimedia (now owned by Best Data) came up with the idea of ​​running two coordinated modems, using data pipes from each device to create a large combined pipeline. More for a faster Internet connection . This idea came shortly before the world found a way to do so with software and so Microsoft named this technique PPP Multilink and recommended this feature to all Windows versions from Win 98 and above. Windows XP provides Multilink feature automatically. Once your modems are installed, click on the Network Connections section of Control Panel, right-click on your dial-up ISP connection and select Properties. Go to the Networking tab and with PPP specified in the dial-up server field, click Settings. Check Check Negotiate Multi-link For Single Link Connections and remove the checkmark in Enable LCP Extensions. Windows will automatically only use more than one modem on the base when needed. However, please be aware that Multilink will only work if your ISP supports this feature and you may have to pay an additional monthly fee if your account is of the type allowed to use Multilink .


3. Refine the properties of TCP / IP

Networked features built into Windows sometimes don't have everything set up to achieve maximum compatibility or performance. TCP / TP ( Data Transfer Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is the protocol used for Internet communications, so we will focus on optimizing it. Go to Network Connections in Control Panel, find the dial-up ISP icon, right-click it and select Properties. In WinXP, click the Networking tab. You will see a list in the section This Connection Uses The Following Items :. The protocol you want to see is Internet Protocol (TCP / IP). If you see NWLink IPX / SPX / NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol, select it and click Uninstall, then click Yes.

If you select Internet Protocol and then click Properties, you will see options to get IP addresses and DNS (domain name servers) automatically or fields in which you can manually enter addresses. This one . In WinXP, it is located under the General tab while it may be under the IP Address tab in previous versions of Windows. For both items, you should have these addresses filled out automatically. In previous versions of Windows, go to the WINS Configuration tab and check Disable WINS Resolution. Under the DNS Configuration tab , the Disable DNS entry must be marked and everything under the Gateway tab must be left blank.

4. Watch out for line interference

The leading reason for switching to digital speakers is to avoid distortion (distortion) from nearby electronic devices spreading and o analog speaker wires. Breaking out analog wave patterns is easy, but it is much more difficult to break the sequence of numbers 0 and 1 .

Also, line noise that you sometimes hear in speakers can also be obtained in your phone line. If the distortion is sufficient to disturb the data packets sent between your system and ISP, the computer receiving the data will notice that 'I am not receiving. Can you send it back? '. The re- sending of data packets will cost a significant portion of the overall throughput. Phone companies often only ensure the quality of the line is good enough for voice calls , not for data.

The best way to minimize interference into your phone line isto use the shortest wires possible.Perhaps this means adding aphone jack near your computer.You also need tomake near the modem andphone line, especially yourspeakers have as few sources of electromagnetic generator as possible.Finally, in the worst case, try to pull all other devicesthat are plugged into that phone line anywhere in the building.Sometimes, fax machines and other devices can generate line noise, evenif they are not used.

 

Turn off the videos and

images are not relevant to optimize the bandwidth for information.

5. Download the drivers (drivers)

We cannot overemphasize the importance of making sure you have downloaded the latest drivers for your modem and the latest patches and service packs for your operating system . These free updates can improve your stability and improve your communication performance.

Admittedly, finding the right modem driver can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially if you are using an integrated modem on the motherboard. However, if you are using an integrated modem, the support from your motherboard or system manufacturer needs to show you in the right direction.

6. Fine tune the speed of the COM port

COM ports (communications) are places that your modem uses to communicate with the outside world. Right-click My Computer, select Properties, select Hardware, Device Manager, and click the plus sign next to Modems. Right-click your dial-up modem, select Properties, then go to the Modems tab and note which COM port the modem is using. The most common is the COM 2 port, followed by COM 3. Now, go back to Device Manager, click the plus sign next to the Ports text and double-click the modem's port. Go to the Port Settings tab. The first field, Bits Per Second, needs to be set to 115200, which is the default for a 56 Kbit / s modem. If this value is already set, increase it to 128000. While you are there, click the Advanced button. Make sure that the Use FIFO Buffers button is selected and that Receive and Transmit Buffers are set to the highest level.

If you accidentally use older hardware, you may find that the fast speeds of this port will cause disconnection or other communication errors. Reduce the port speed until your modem is stable.

7. Fixed MTU

The MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) is the default package size that Windows uses to communicate with a remote computer. The default MTU setting in Windows, optimized for LAN traffic, is 1500, but the correct MTU value for Internet connections is much lower. Therefore, Windows is forced to settle a reasonable setting for each type of communication with the modem through a wrong test process and this process will take time.

Many users said they have achieved their dial up rates doubled or even tripled (depending on the type of data and application) by optimizing their MTU settings, but doing so This requires a scan of the Registry, which is new and dangerous for novices. There are dozens of programs you can buy to do this tough job , but in our opinion, use the free TweakDUN utility at http://www.pattersondesigns.com/tweakdun . This program also made a lot of small improvements to the settings other than MTU.

8. Are you frustrated with the download manager?

People who download often can benefit greatly from using a program that manages downloads. Most of these programs help restart the inherited sessions that were interrupted during download. However, some programs may scan any mirror symmetrical site for a specific server, locate that specific file to download on those servers with the best response time and Download the file to multiple streams simultaneously from the optimized servers.

In general, this "partial" approach to downloading can result in improved download times of up to 300%. Perhaps the most famous is Download Accelerator Plus ( http://www.speedbit.com ). This program will be free if you accept the accompanying ads. In contrast, the ad- free version costs $ 29.95.

9. Insert and o quick access memory

Quick access memory (cache) is a storage area in your computer that stores predictable data the next time you request it. For example, in Internet Explorer (go to Tools, Internet Options, select the General tab, go to the Temporary Internet files area, select Settings) a given amount of space on your aging hard drive to store files and components. part of the page you encounter during the Web surfing process. This way, the next time you revisit the site, the browser only needs to load those components from your hard drive instead of the more time-consuming process to download them again. If you have enough hard drive space, you can experiment with increasing the amount of cache space to improve your web surfing time.

10. Turn off the graphic components

In the past, when the Web was not available, there were no images on the Internet but only text and text. Because the modem's speed has increased over time, people feel compelled to fill this data pipeline with more graphic components than ever before, and all this makes it a great experience. Your surfing experience.

Fortunately, modern web browsers allow you to turn off nearly all of these graphical components . To do this in IE, click Tools, Internet Options, go to the Advanced tab, and in the Settings list go to the Multimedia section. Please uncheck the Play Animations In Web Pages boxes, Play Sounds In Web Pages, Play Videos In Web Pages and Show Pictures.

Are you ready to speed up? So there are 10 ways to significantly increase your narrow 56 Kbit / s dial-up connection, which only takes a little or even a penny. However, if you strictly adhere to the list of these tips carefully, do not be surprised if after a while you start to witness the ivory effects diminish in response to the efforts. Your increasing ivory force . After all, you can only do so for a dial-up connection, but at least make the most of them.

Minh Chung