dial-up difficulties - anyone remember how to fix dial-up?!?

Inspiron 1501 manufactured 2006 (I think?). Vista home basic. Have tried twice to update to SP 1, after going through more than an hour of downloading and whatever, SP 1 upgrade failed. Twice! Blech!

Moved out of NYC recently to the boondocks upstate (very pretty, but limited internet & cellular access) and when at home, not piggybacking on WiFi at McDonalds or the local library, I am limited to dial-up. And lately, dial-up has been very dodgy. Stopped at Malware forum and got rid of all that stuff first.

Using Chrome browser. Disabled IPv6. Better but not by much. Too often get "Resolving Host..." "This webpage is not available," "Network unavailable," or just get disconnected altogether.

WTF? Can anyone here help, or refer me to another site where they still deal with such antiquated issues?

 

It's been a long time since dial-up, but one thing I can say is that a server connection can "time out" if the download is taking too long.

Have you considered satellite?

 

Satellite cost too much and is more dodgy then dial up most of them time.Especially if you live near an airport like me.

Well my first question is who is your dial up ip.AOL,Netzero,Etc etc.

Dial up can be very dodgy any more be cause most people are not using it any more and is less reliable.

Have you tried to reset your modem or Ip address on your computer.

Some times if you use command prompt.

And use the Ipconfig /flushdns it might resolve some of the issue.

 

<< Satellite cost too much and is more dodgy then dial up most of them >>

Hughes is the satellite around here and has a VERY BAD reputation.

There is also Time Warner/Road Runner but they would need to run a cable from the telephone pole and they have a VERY BAD reputation as well.

<< Well my first question is who is your dial up ip.AOL,Netzero,Etc etc. >>

AT&T.

<< Have you tried to reset your modem or Ip address on your computer.>>

Nope.

<< Some times if you use command prompt. And use the Ipconfig /flushdns >>

I have seen references to doing that somewhere. I can try. I also understand this is a problem that is common with Chrome. I've searched for "chrome-search://local-ntp/local-ntp.html" because I've found this in my history, and I've also searched for "resolving host" and "this webpage is not available" and keep coming across complaints about Chrome, but I could not find a problem specifically with regard to a dial-up connection. :confused

 

I used to be armed with uber init strings that could fix anything.

Pity I can no longer remember them (that was 13 years ago!)

 

How poor is your cellular reception exactly?

When mobile, I use a free program called PDAnet with my Android phone tethered to my laptop. It also works via Bluetooth. I also have a completely unlimited plan with Net10, so it's a flat rate of $45 a month with the auto billing discount.

There are versions for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and PalmOS.


http://www.junefabrics.com/pdanet/

 

Exactly--I used to have one or two init strings that fixed everything. I wonder where on the 'net I could start digging and unearth one of those things? Any ideas?

 

Excellent information, thank you for this, it will come in handy. Funny enough, I don't even use the cell I have, so you could say I just don't get reception at all. I really haven't found much use for it--if I'm really in a spot, there always seems to be someone nearby who will lend a phone. After an exhausting and complicated move out of NYC to the countryside, the phone charger has been misplaced somewhere in the jumble of stuff, so the phone is near dead, and it's no use at the moment to call to activate it. Sigh.

That being said, I'm also thinking of rescuing a horse at auction from going to slaughter, so that I can hitch the animal to the ~1840 wagon we found in the woods--so I can go "to market to market" the old fashioned way. In the face of information/technology overload, I am a bit contrary - LOL! All things considered, it's astounding I am so addicted to computers & the internet.

 

Greetings, Miss Leigh.

Back in the day TCP Optimizer was the cool tool to use. I think it's since progressed to being mainly a broadband tweaker, but you never know - there may be some stuff for dialup hidden away, and if anyone knows where the old init strings and modem fine-tuning tips are it'll be the guys at SpeedGuide.net.