[Coco] Modem ISP Problem (sort of OT)

[Stephen Castello]

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 21:13:46 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:

>Since we all have to connect to the Net to use this group, this is not  
>totally OT.
>Anyway, why would a vintage 2000 56KB modem stop working with some dial-up  
>sites and not others?
> 
>My ISP has three phone numbers -- two local (toll free), and one in a  nearby 
>city (Portland, ME) that costs me 15 cents/minute.  About a month  ago (after 
>some storms went thru the area, maybe), the two local sites stopped  working 
>with my modem, but the money-sucking site still works same as  ever.
> 
>The two local sites answer the phone and go thru all the swish-swish and  
>dang-a-dang-bong protocol sounds, but after a minute of this chatter my PC gives  
>up and moves on to the next phone number.  I can't tell which sounds  
>originate at my end versus the ISP end.
> 
>The weird thing is that a neighbor's PC still works just fine on the  local 
>sites!  Maybe her modem is more modern in some way?  Mine is a  US Robotics 
>0701, external.
> 
>I've reported this to the ISP (AOL), got a form reply that "they're  working 
>on it", but I doubt it.
>I suspect the local sites have been reconfigured to no longer support my  
>modem's protocol, but the Portland site still does. 
> 
>Anyway, maybe there are some modem gurus out there with theories.
>Change some modem internal settings?
>Re-flash the modem's internal ROM (if possible)?
>Buy a new (internal) modem card, and save this one for my Linux box if I  
>ever put it on line?
> 
>Thanks, Mike K.
> 

Pick up a regular phone and dial those two numbers, do you hear any
crackling or any kind of noise?  If you do, call the phone company and
complain about it.

Stephen
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