"Caroline" bravely wrote to "All" (16 May 04 01:36:50)
--- on the heady topic of " PSU Fan Direction"

Ca From: "Caroline"

Ca "Ricky Eck" wrote
Ca C wrote
I am still getting
some spontaneous Internet disconnects but am now suspecting the phone
lines and
weather variations in my area.


I forgot to answer this. I wouldn't suspect anything to so with the
computer it's self. See the way how a modem works (I am going to use basic
language here), is a complex language that can be described as different
tones of noise. But there is a method to it's madness.

Ca It's not madness. It's not complex. It is engineering, in which I have
Ca three bachelor's and higher degrees. ;-)

What sounds like
static and noise to us, is really a complex language between the two modems.
If there is any type of interruption between this communication, it could
cause your internet connection to be lost.

Ca Yup.

Ca snip obvious

Ca This Gateway 900c desktop as purchased in early September, 2001 has an
Ca integrated modem. For a month I had terrible problems trying to get it
Ca to connect to the internet. I spent dozens of hours working with
Ca Gateway and America Online (my ISP then) to figure out why. They kept
Ca blaming each other for the problem, of course. Finally a Gateway tech
Ca and I narrowed it down to the strong possibility that the integrated
Ca modem was too sensitive to my older home's phone line noise. Gateway
Ca said, "Too bad your house can't make use of our superior modem." I
Ca said, "Not so fast. Your modem is not superior; my old computer's
Ca external modem works fine and is the superior one. I'm sending your
Ca computer back for a full refund, per the warranty." The tech turned me
Ca over to a manager who agreed to pay for an external modem. I kept the
Ca computer.
Ca I have used the external modem ever since.

Ca I did a modem noise check of my phone lines (in my new home) several
Ca months ago. It was somewhat high but then things settled down and I
Ca wasn't getting disconnected. Now the problem has returned.

Ca What I probably should do to troubleshoot further is graph disconnects
Ca per day vs. weather trends. Also, maybe I'll try the internal modem.

Ca Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I have ideas where to go with
Ca this. And as I mentioned in the other thread here on power supplies, my
Ca computer is far from crippled.

Some modems have trouble with being too sensitive. I've heard of a
trick of using a variable L-pot to attenuate the phone line signal the
modem receives. I've never had to use this tip so I can't say.

However a common cause of noise in a phone line is dirty RJ phone
connections. Replace those that cleaning doesn't seem to help.
There can be a lot of connectors on a phone line and each is a
potential source of noise.

Asimov
******

.... If plugging it in doesn't help, turn it on.