56k winmodem model 5683 slow connection speeds.

[dadwebb]

I am using a pentium 233 Mhz with 32meg ram mediavision sound card<br>
I currently use com2 IRQ 9. my local loop is about 4 mi. with load<br>
coils spaced 1mi appart. My link diags show my 3db bandwidth from<br>
350 to 3150, from 3000 hz to 3750 I loose 22db, my snr is 30db,local<br>
echo 23 farend 58 db. I tried using &N&U going for 28k or better, but no luck (wouldnt connect) what communications parameter is sticking me? oh, my vxd date 04/09/98 rev 2.60

 

[reskew]

While your SNR seems to low to do much better than 28k (see

http://www.3com.com/technology/tech_net/white_papers/500659.html

for information about SNR) you may also improve your modem performance by properly relocating it. If you modem installed on com2, but didn't choose irq3, then the system may be seeing the resources of the disabled port as active. Irq9 is a shared resource by design and is not a preferrred location for a high speed device. Remove the winmodem, make sure both serial ports are correctly set in the bios and then free irq5. Now the winmodem should reinstall to com3/irq5 and this may improve your connections.

 

[dadwebb]

THe system resources see irq3 as com5, this is physically unused.<br>
When I originally installed the modem it went to Com3 I dont remember the IRq but since my media vision is using irq5 it didnt<br>
go there also my bios had Com2 disabled, since the modem wouldnt<br>
work I kept trying, and finally it landed where it is. I think Im<br>
gonna leave it alone until I have more reason to change, like puting<br>
in a different modem. Since the installation instructions do not<br>
say not to use IRQ9 I question your suggestion, would changing it<br>
actually improve throughput but not connect speed? I think the only<br>
way to prove this out is for me to get a portable and check the line<br>
with it, if I get a higher connection speed then I will have to get<br>
out my goggles and long nose pliers and do as you suggested, I<br>
just dont want to be without my modem. Since the &N&U didnt work does that suggest a change to com3/irq5 is needed ? thanks for you<br>
input

 

[reskew]

If you have serial port two disabled and the system creates a com5, you are experiencing a ghosted port - windows is not accepting the disabled setting in the bios. Since irq9 is connected to irq2 on the 8259 chips, it is never really free. Okay for a low demand device like a soundcard, but not a winmodem.<br>
Move the sound card off irq 5 per the manufacturer instructions. Remove the ports and uninstall the winmodem in windows. Delete the drvidx.bin and drvdata.bin files. Reboot and set the serial ports to 3f8/irq4 and 2f8/irq3 in the bios. The winmodem should install to com3/irq5. Since this will not affect your SNR, it may not improve your connections, but should affect throughput.

 

[dadwebb]

Have moved sound card to IRQ10,,during this process the modem automatically jumped to IRQ5 now have Com2 with IRQ5 with Com2 <br>
enabled in bios. The Ghost Com5 is still there. Having moved the <br>
IRQ to 5 am I out of the woods? I really dont want to unistall the<br>
modem if I dont have to. I noticed last night that indeed I was getting timeouts with my ISP and reflected on your instructions and<br>
finally got up enough nerve to change this beast. My connection is<br>
still 26.4 but I expected that. I will check my download thruputs<br>
and see if they appear to improve.

 

[dadwebb]

Since my modem now connects Com2/Irq5 I noticed an improvement in<br>
the time for me to download newsgroup headers and also graphic files<br>
so at least I have an improvement. I wish there was a program that<br>
could run a line test and report which impairment is knocking my linespeed down. Does anyone know?

 

[reskew]

Sorry about the delay in my reply. If the modem installed to com 2 and IRQ5 there are still some issues to adress with the install. In device manager you should show com1, com2, and lpt1 in "ports", plus USRobotics 56k Win Int in the modem section. The modem should have installed to com3 and irq5. If the com2 port isn't showing in "ports" then remove the winmodem from "modems" and run Add New Hardware to find the port. Then reboot and the winmodem should install to com3 irq5 on its own. This should improve throughput further.<br>
The aty11 entered after a connection in terminal won't tell you where your impairment is coming from, but it will give you an understanding of your line conditions.<br>
The db values from 150 to 3300 should be below 25, the value at 3750 should be below 50, the delta between 3300 and 3750 should be less than 25. If the majority of these values are too high I would expect to find old or poor telco equipment between you and your CO. If most of the values are okay, but one or two are very high, I would look for a loose connection. Try running the test from different jacks in your house, with other telco devices (answering machine, phones, etc...) removed from the line. Also try a friend or neighbor's house if possible. Document the results carefully by copying the terminal screen to notepad and adding descriptions of the location and time. Always try to connect to the same number and try both dialing directly and dialing with a long distance carrier access code. (atdt 1010288,5551234 where 5551234 is your local ISP should route through AT&T and yield different results.)

 

[dadwebb]

I have used Com2Irq5 for over a year since my last reply, while from time to time I have had some unusual problems they all went away after rebooting. Over this last xmas and newyear holiday I decided to try your suggestions, I installed a new 13gig hard drive using a SIIG Ultra DMA 66mps card. I installed Win98 and try as I might could not get the modem to work as Com3IRQ5, it would from time to time open Com3IRQ5 but not more than two times before the port would not open and I would get error messages says the modem was not responding or not properly installed. I installed the Win98SE the results were the same. I went to the USR site and followed the step by step instructions to remove the modem from the Registry and the hard drive and then followed their reinstallation instructions. The Modem did the same thing connected twice as Com3 IRQ5 and then failed to open ports, I checked the modem port activity using the modem docking station program supplied on the Connections CD that came with the modem. I have given up trying to reinstall it on Com3IRQ5 Ive returned to my original 4.3 gig hard drive and my new 13 gig is now the slave. Before I try anymore modem tests Im going to buy an external 56k faxmodem, modems should not be this hard to install, as far as im concerned USR should recall the 5683 and admit they are a piece of crap, if I could I would gladly return the internal modem for an external modem but I dont think they will do that and I just have to write it off to experience.<br>

 

[Perpetual]

I have a 5683-03 winmodem, and I have obtained excellent connection speeds under Windows 98... However I cannot use the modem know because I have switched to Windows 2000. Most of the time I got 53.3kbps connections and My downloads have exceeded 6k/sec.. Anyway I was wondering if any of you have came accross drivers for this modem for Windows 2000. I have searched the web, and I have taken every measure I could possible think of. I dont think there are any beta drivers (INF's). Please let me know.