Super Fassssss Dial Up

While reading a few HiJackThis logs here at the forum I noticed a few posters had infected their computers by installing software that promises Super Fasssss Dial-up connections.
So, can a dial-up connection really be made faster? That can't be answered with a simple
yes or no...an still be fair to the reader......
Phone Lines have limitations...plus there are laws involded....in the U.S. 53000 bps is supposedly the max.....most people are lucky to get 48000 bps......a few obtain 50000 bps....
By OverClocking your computer MAYBE you will see improved connections....but BEWARE that OverClocking can damage or burn-out a CPU long before its time.
So, is there anyway a person can improve a dial-up connection....YES! An NO I wont be the person to tell you how....WHY,, because usually it involds playing in the registry.....instead this post is more related to the Newbies.......who should think twice before installing some un-known software that promises fassssssssssssss dial-up's
The very operating system itself would need tweaking......no program I am awear of does this......however, there are HONEST programs that can be used to improve a dial-up......
But first it begins at home....all the programs ever made wont help one bit if your modem is set to dis-connect in 20 minutes.......these are things that must be considered....an many more! So, best suggestion...make do or get cable or dsl......

 

I think you will agree that an elephant does not fit through a straw, no matter how hard you su try.
The guaranteed result of looking for, downloading and installing dial-up optimizers is wasting your time and slowing down your computer, be it by installing spyware or other culprits.

IMO none of them is worth the hassle. What you can do is tweak the connection as RedLobster indicated.
http://www.dslreports.com/tools is a good place to start, even though it would seem to be for broadband users, some of their tools also work if you are on dialup.

Regards,

Pieter

 

when I had dial up with the same ip I have DSL with I once called and ask their support about how to increase dial up speed. The were supplying dial up at 51k and they said that there is a federal rule that limits dial up to no more than 53k. If that is all the Ip is allowed to put down the pipeline it would be real hard to exceede that.

 

Yes, 53k is the federally-mandated (in the US) 'speed limit' for a dial-up connection, and yes, while there are some tweaks that can be made here and there (most notably in the registry), I've generally found them to be of dubious value - just like all of those optimizing programs.

Many dial-up ISPs, however, now provide some sort of 'accelerator' which promises 'up to 5X faster' surfing.

One type is that provided by Earthlink, the PropelAC program, which stores elements of previously-viewed pages on your hard drive so that they don't have to be downloaded again, thereby saving time. This comes at a cost, though: all of this crud on your hard drive. It doesn't actually speed up anything and, if these files are deleted, you're right back where you started from. This service was a big part of my problems with Earthlink.

Another type is like that provided by my current ISP, where your surfing is routed through a proxy server, where things are compressed, stripped and otherwise reduced for faster transmission. Nothing is stored on your drive(s) and, yes, my surfing is a bit faster through the Webrunner proxy. I have no complaints, and both of my ISPs consistently provide 52k.

 

Basically what these dial up accelarators is a fancy pre fetch. Most of them that I have ever seen an actually performance test on fail to really supply any advantage. I have never used one of them that is just what I have read on various web sites

 

Hi, bigc - I'm not knocking the tests by any means, and I was skeptical of Webrunner after my experiences with Earthlink and PropelAC, but I've got to go with the evidence of my own eyes.

By the way, have you managed to find and zap Zachary Smith yet? I haven't had time to check on 'The Infinity Chronicle' recently!

 

Have an old map as to where he might be. Going to check it out with a full clip

 

I've found that connection speed typically also varies a little depending on the specific modem you're using. Too bad I couldn't remember which ones gave me which performance (all on the same phone line, by the way).

The best one I had (and I think that one was ESS) had an "ideal" connection speed of 49.333K, with its next-best that I could count on at 48.0. Once in a while it would give me 50+, but those tended to be unsteady and unreliable connections.

My current one (a Lucent) usually gives me 48, occasionally drops back to 45-something.

 

was just going to ask this question....in canada i am getting 10mbps, woul dlove to speed this up!!!!!!
just seen a pop up for pc booster

p[hats

 

As far as I know, the best way to speed up your connection is to switch to DSL.

Btw, what the heck is the point of a dial-up speed limit?

 

If u really want to know what your true dialup speed is, then try this site out and u will see what your true connection speed is.

http://www.numion.com/yourspeed/



The MUL

 

ooooo, I got 24kbps. I hate dial-up, I need a new ISP.

 

Dial-up speed will be affected by the quality of your phone line and the modem you use. A poor modem can have a dramatic effect (in one case, a system was reporting 31666kbs - when I hooked my laptop up I received a 52000kbs connection on the same line) so using a well-known type like Lucent or USRobotics can help. Poorly-wired extensions can be another cause - try connecting to the main phone connection instead to see if this gives a significant improvement.

Your phone company can also help matters (if they wish) by increasing the "gain balance" on the line - this is the amount of amplification done by the local exchange and increasing this can reduce the effect of line noise thereby allowing modems to negotiate better speeds.

The best speed you should be able to get with a modem is 5KB/s. To improve performance further, ensure the modem is using compression (check its Properties) and run an ad-filter to cut down on unnecessary downloading - in extreme cases consider disabling graphics/images completely (most of the important stuff is text so losing the graphics is not as bad as it may seem). Also switching to Opera or Firebird will give an apparent speed boost since they render pages faster than IE (Opera will give you more feedback on page download speed and progress). Finally check that you have nothing else using the network connection - adware, background downloads, etc.

One piece of software (which I found useful in my dialup days) for giving feedback on your network connection (and offering modem diagnostics) is Lucent's VitalAgent (old-timers may remember it as NetMedic). Note there is a component (VCC.EXE) which will attempt to send data out about your connection - it is unnecessary and can be blocked using your firewall.