Modem keeps 'stopping' need help plz
Richard West
My problem is that sometimes the modem just 'stops' for quite a while, the
send/recieve lights just go off totally and it hangs. This is particularly
bad when playing online games.
I don't mean just occasionally, it happens to me all the time and sometimes
seems to build up so it just keeps stopping more and more until I'm forced
to reconnect.
If someone could help me I'd be very grateful
Thanks in advance
Richard West
Hooda Gest
Richard West wrote in message <7qmcgi$mgd$1...@plutonium.btinternet.com>...
>I have a 3com USRobotics 56k voice fax/modem.
>My problem is that sometimes the modem just 'stops' for quite a while, the
>send/recieve lights just go off totally and it hangs. This is particularly
>bad when playing online games.
I call that "stalling" and it is usually the result of a retrain attempt or
the modem is handling way too many errors.
Here's a possible cure...
USR modem stalling and Unable to Retrain problems---
It means the modem is having a lot of trouble maintaining the speed at
which it thinks it should be able to stay connected.
To determine if the USR modem is the cause of the problem and can be
adjusted to overcome it, you will need to go dump some data after a normal
session online. To do this, follow the next few steps...
1. After disconnecting from the ISP, open a terminal program that does not
initialize the modem with ATZ (Hyperterm will do just fine).
2. Send the modem ati6i11 and save the results either to the printer or a
file (whichever you feel more comfortable with)
3. In the first part of the display, look for high numbers in Blers (in the
thousands if the call was over 20 minutes, high hundreds otherwise),
Retrains (anything above 0), Link Timeouts and Link Naks (more than a few).
In the second part, look for the Speedshifts portion (not available on
Winmodems)and look for a value higher than 1.
If you found the "bad" numbers indicated in step 3 then do the following...
In the ati6, you will see what speed the modem was last connected
at. Examine that. If it is high, or fairly so, you might consider
trimming the range in which the modem operates to bring it down a notch
or two. For instance, if the speed was 49333 then try limiting the upper
limit to say 48000. You can do this through the use of the &Unn&Nnn
command parameters. You must use both parameters or it will not work the
way you want. To find the values, go into a terminal program and
enter...
at&$
Choose a value for &U that is low enough to be comfortable, like the
value for 19200. Choose the value for the &N that reflects a step or two
down from the speed shown in that ati6 you dumped.
Put these values in your Extra settings box and try that.
No guarantees but it's worth a try.
Hooda
Bob Noble
But there is never a retrain granted.
What does this mean or is there anything to fix it.
I'm using a usr 56k dual modem PnP.
Thanks
--
Bob Noble
Home of PC-Newbie list
http://www.sonic.net/bnoble
Hooda Gest <be@one_with.com> wrote in message
news:7qmtue$ubq$1...@nntp3.atl.mindspring.net...
Hooda Gest
Bob Noble wrote in message ...
>I get retrain requests of one or two often.
>But there is never a retrain granted.
>What does this mean or is there anything to fix it.
>I'm using a usr 56k dual modem PnP.
How's the Blers, Link Naks and Timeouts? You'd probably do a little better
if you knocked the speed down a little. Ideally, your modem should never
request or go into a retrain if you want the best performance.
If the modem isn't the Winmodem then you can see speedshifts in the ati11
results. These are quick adjustments that the modems make when they receive
too many errors or the line quality seems to improve enough to warrant a
change. You shouldn't get any of these either when your modem is operating
at an optimum speed for the conditions.
Hooda
Bob Noble
I was connecting at 48 to 52000 but that has going down to about 45k.
So, my phone line is likely going bad.
Here is a diagnostics on about a fifteen minute call.
ati6i7i11y11
U.S. Robotics 56K Voice INT Link Diagnostics...
Chars sent 39693 Chars Received 300328
Chars lost 0
Octets sent 23048 Octets Received 197806
Blocks sent 923 Blocks Received 1919
Blocks resent 24
Retrains Requested 1 Retrains Granted 0
Line Reversals 0 Blers 921
Link Timeouts 64 Link Naks 2
Data Compression V42BIS 2048/32
Equalization Long
Fallback Enabled
Protocol LAPM
Speed 40000/26400
V.90 Peak Speed 45333
Last Call 00:18:34
Disconnect Reason is DTR dropped
Configuration Profile...
Product type US/Canada Internal
Product ID: 66174981
Options V32bis,V.80,V.34+,x2, V.90
Fax Options Class 1/Class 2.0
Line Options Caller ID, Distinctive Ring
Voice Options Speakerphone, TAD
Clock Freq 92.0Mhz
EPROM 256k
RAM 32k
FLASH date 4/22/98
FLASH rev 4.7.35
DSP date 4/22/98
DSP rev 4.7.35
U.S. Robotics 56K Voice INT Link Diagnostics...
Modulation V.90
Carrier Freq (Hz) None/1920
Symbol Rate 8000/3200
Trellis Code None/64S-4D
Nonlinear Encoding None/ON
Precoding None/ON
Shaping ON/ON
Preemphasis (-dB) 10/8
Recv/Xmit Level (-dBm) 27/9
Near Echo Loss (dB) 9
Far Echo Loss (dB) 0
Carrier Offset (Hz) NONE
Round Trip Delay (msec) 12
Timing Offset (ppm) -4841
SNR (dB) 0.0
Speed Shifts Up/Down 2/3
Status : uu,5,12N,12.1,-0,0N,0,41.9,24.3
Freq Level (dB)
150 13
300 11
300 11
600 10
750 10
900 10
1050 10
1200 10
1350 11
1500 11
1650 11
1800 12
1950 12
2100 13
2250 14
2400 15
2550 16
2700 17
2850 19
3000 21
3150 24
3300 27
3450 32
3600 38
3750 46
OK
The modem is a usr 56k dual mode PnP oem type internal with Win98.
Modem ID 66174981
I have tried the &u10&n25 and some variations, but am not satisfied with the
very low connects I get with these settings. 21k or less.
I think I am connecting to Livington gear and I can connect to USR gear, but
the connects are even worse.
I'm still wondering why I don't get the retrains to retrain?
My snr looks pretty bad too? :o)
Any interpretation of these diagnostics is welcome as I'm still trying to
figure out what it all means.
Thanks for any help,
Hooda Gest
Bob Noble wrote in message ...
>
>I was connecting at 48 to 52000 but that has going down to about 45k.
>So, my phone line is likely going bad.
If it's going bad, it can be fixed. Problem is in getting the telco to do
that if we find the problem to be in their part of the line.
>Here is a diagnostics on about a fifteen minute call.
>
>ati6i7i11y11
>U.S. Robotics 56K Voice INT Link Diagnostics...
>
>Chars sent 39693 Chars Received 300328
>Chars lost 0
>Octets sent 23048 Octets Received 197806
>Blocks sent 923 Blocks Received 1919
>Blocks resent 24
>
>Retrains Requested 1 Retrains Granted 0
>Line Reversals 0 Blers 921
>Link Timeouts 64 Link Naks 2
>
>Data Compression V42BIS 2048/32
>Equalization Long
>Fallback Enabled
>Protocol LAPM
>Speed 40000/26400
>V.90 Peak Speed 45333
>Last Call 00:18:34
>Speed Shifts Up/Down 2/3
Lots of Blers and Link Timeouts, plus 5 (total) speedshifts in the i11
portion. Your connect speed was probably 45333 and you dropped to 40000 so
it was defeinitely unhappy with line conditions.
>Disconnect Reason is DTR dropped
>
>Configuration Profile...
>Recv/Xmit Level (-dBm) 27/9
Receive level is a little "long".
>Near Echo Loss (dB) 9
>Far Echo Loss (dB) 0
>Carrier Offset (Hz) NONE
>Round Trip Delay (msec) 12
>Timing Offset (ppm) -4841
>SNR (dB) 0.0
This SNR is an erroneous reading. It might be more accurate (though none are
completely accurate) if taken while online.
>Status : uu,5,12N,12.1,-0,0N,0,41.9,24.3
Nothing very odd about this part. Looks pretty normal.
>Freq Level (dB)
>
>3300 27
>3450 32
>3600 38
>3750 46
The quick rolloff shows a problem but not severe.
>OK
>
>The modem is a usr 56k dual mode PnP oem type internal with Win98.
>Modem ID 66174981
>
>I have tried the &u10&n25 and some variations, but am not satisfied with
the
>very low connects I get with these settings. 21k or less.
With that setting, the top speed should have been 38666 and, based on your
numbers above, should have been fairly stable. If it isn't, then the problem
is more severe than it looks from this data dump.
>
>I think I am connecting to Livington gear and I can connect to USR gear,
but
>the connects are even worse.
>
>I'm still wondering why I don't get the retrains to retrain?
You are probably getting them. The "Retrains requested" are the ones your
modem makes. The "Retrains Granted" are supposed to be requests from the
remote modem.
I'd try to eliminate all of my inside wiring and devices as a cause. Any
device sharing the line with the modem is suspect. Anytime you run your
phone cable from the modem to the wall jack near an electrical device or
wire, you add a chance for EMF interference. Run a cable direct to the test
jack in the telco interface if possible. That should prove the trouble
outside. If you can hear any noise on the line when using it for voice then
you will have something to use to get the telco's attention.
Hooda
Bob Noble
Could you elaborate on this please.
I'm mostly just curious to try an understand some of these diagnostics a bit
more.
>Disconnect Reason is DTR dropped
>
>Configuration Profile...
>Recv/Xmit Level (-dBm) 27/9
Receive level is a little "long".
I'm going to run that extra line in the house straight to the computer.
I've had the phone company fix my noisey lines twice, when I could hear
noise on them, but this time I can't hear anything bad.
I doubt that I could get there attention this time,
Maybe I should blow my line with some high voltage? :o)
Thanks again for your help.
--
Bob Noble
Home of PC-Newbie list
http://www.sonic.net/bnoble
Hooda Gest <be@one_with.com> wrote in message
news:7qr398$2ce$1...@nntp4.atl.mindspring.net...
Hooda Gest
Bob Noble wrote in message ...
>
>Could you elaborate on this please.
>I'm mostly just curious to try an understand some of these diagnostics a
bit
>more.
>
>Receive level is a little "long".
By "long", I mean the sound level is low. It's an old telephony term. Long
is a high negative dBm number and "Hot" is a low negative number. dBm is
almost always shown in negative values for telephone purposes.
A low sound level can indicate problems or it can mean some other noise is
masking the sound.
>I'm going to run that extra line in the house straight to the computer.
That will help eliminate all inside wiring and devices and should point us
in the direction of the problem.
>
>I've had the phone company fix my noisey lines twice, when I could hear
>noise on them, but this time I can't hear anything bad.
>
>I doubt that I could get there attention this time,
>Maybe I should blow my line with some high voltage? :o)
If you had a lightning storm recently, there's a good chance that you did
get some high voltage into that line.
Hooda