Unable to establish a dial-up connection

I cannot establish a dial-up connection with ISP. I can create a new dial-up connection in Windows XP, Home Edition, SP1, but after I reboot, it does not show in the Network Connections window. If I try to create another dial-up connection with the same name, Windows tells me and asks me to use a unique name. When trying to connect with the new dial-up connection, I get an error message: 720 - "A connection to the remote computer could not be established. You might need to change network settings for this connection..."

Also, there is an issue with password. When I go back to look at the settings, it looks like the password that is stored is a 16 digit/letter password when the password I originally used was 8 digit/letter password.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what has happened and how to correct it. I was told by the ISP service tech to reinstall Windows, but I thought I would check here first. Thanks for any help and sorry for the long post. ChuckJ.

 

I'm pretty sure you ran Network Setup Wizard, which requires a reboot after configuring. This is the wrong wizard. The New Connection Wizard doesn't require a reboot. You need to run the New Connection Wizard and follow these steps:

Connect to the Internet
Set Up My Connection Manually
Connect Using a Dial-Up Modem
[type in name]
[type in number]
[type username/password]

If you have a CD or something, use the other option instead of Manual. When set up it doesn't require a reboot.

If you ran the New Connection Wizard, try following the above steps. As said above, more dots are added to the password for security reasons.

I get that error sometimes, but for me that's the ISP's way of saying "Something's wrong over here so you can't connect right now."

 

Thanks for the fast response. First, the connections seem to remove themselves. I create one and it is there until I shut down the computer but is doesn't show up on the "Network Connections" screen when the computer is started again. Even after I create the connection, while it is still available, the connection doesn't work. The password and username works on another computer where the connection was created the same way.

The connections show up in the "Internet Options" window, accessed through IE, Tools menu and I can remove them from there and I can add new connections there. But none of them work on this computer.

Thanks for putting me straight on the more dots for the passwords. That certainly makes sense. I appreciate the information and anything you can do to help me get this computer fixed is appreciated. ChuckJ.

 

ok thanks