Classic British Flight Sim

As in can't get on - at home obviously.

Well the PC claims that it is connected but nothing is coming in, and it won't connect to send stuff out. We have had several instances over the last few weeks when the internet connection just got dropped for no apparent reason.

After several discussions with the ISP help staff - who actually were helpful so I won't mention their names in case that is a breach of an ethical code - I'm still not conected.

I've replaced the cable to the phone socket, connected through a different socket, switched off firewalls and anti-virus (only when asked), ditched spybot and malware byte for the time being, and reloaded the ISP connection CD, all to no obvious gain except for speed of startup. The modem is a bog standard USB ADSL lump supplied by the ISP, and I'm running on XP. I've pinged a couple of suggested addresses and got return rates between 0% and 50%, but mostly only about 25% return rate.

Just to show the level of desperation I actually ventured into PCWorld to see if I could pick upa cheap USB modem on Sunday, but made the mistake of waving a Zoom unit at one of the salesmen to check that it was a broadband unit. He then tried to flog me a wireless router modem (for one PC???) and claimed the one I was holding was only 56k (spheroids - their own website says 8000k). At that point I left the store empty-handed.

So, is the problem likely to be with the modem - it is over four years old? If so any suggestions for a bog standard USB modem to give a try?

No idea Allan

But a friend of mine recently had trouble with his connection....in this case a router and bascically it was three years old and just no longer working properly. :-(

A new unit...of course far superior to anything the old one ever was fixed the problem.

Perhaps your four year old unit is just too long in the tooth

Garry

I think John Payne had a similar issue not that long ago. All appeared to be ok but it obviously wasn't. He got a replacement hub/router from Linksys as it was still under warranty. Some things just fail unfortunately.. regardless of how old they are :-(

ATB

DaveB :tab:

And USB modems are a mystery to me.

Won't the ISP provide a new one if they can't get that one working?

If not, and you do need a new one, then consider getting one that links via the ethernet port. It tends to remove the complexity of using USB.

Edit: as I'm writing this, one thing occurs to me - have you added any USB gadgets to your PC recently? Last weekend I had to diagnose for a friend why a new printer wouldn't work when the USB mouse was connected and vice versa. It seems the current draw was too great with both connected. So I added 3 more USB ports via an add-in card and now all works fine.
So try removing "non-essential" items from the USB ports and see it that makes any difference.

Ian

DaveB wrote: Some things just fail unfortunately..

Been reading my medical notes again?

Well I got hold of a new modem and it is now re-downloading several years worth of anti-virus definitions.

Actually I recently got a 7 port powered USB hub to take some of the strain off the old PC, but that was in place for several weeks before the problems started.

Talking of problems, Garry's comment about four year old units being too long in the tooth didn't go down too well when I tried to extrapolate the theory to a 5* years old wife. :roll:

Still, I can just about see out of one eye for now.

That's how things rock n roll mate. When I got my BB connection however many years ago that was.. it was only 512mb at the time (ONLY 512mb he says). BT then upgraded it to 1mb and in pretty short order 2mb.. which is where I still am. A while passed (eons in the life of technology but months in reality) and I got another email asking if I wanted to upgrade to 8mb for free. All I had to do was sign another contract for 12months and the deed would be done. I had no intention of moving so looked into it a bit further. I was unsure if my BT Router/hub and BT USB Wireless modems would work so checked the compatibility on BT's site. There was no sign of any of the kit I have.. it's as if BT had never sold it! :roll: Remembering that my initial purchases cost an arm and a leg (3 wireless modems and the Voyager 2000 Router.. router over a ton and the modems around thirty quid each) I didn't feel in a position to take the risk :roll:

Glad you're sorted anyway Allan ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Dave

You might have pushed them into giving you a HomeHub for free. That's what I managed last time when they wanted me to sign up for another 12 months. I am still not convinced that it is better than my old DG834 but it does have a radio network built in.

Ian

Hi Ian

The BT Homehub wasn't available at the time and I note now that BT are careful to add 'For new customers only' :roll: If I get someone on the dog and bone who speaks English as their first language next time.. I'll give it a go ;-) I get updates and offers at various times as all BT BB users do but I've noted a continual drop in bandwidth as each offer comes out. My contract is (was) BT Yahoo Broadband which at the time was option4.. the most expensive at £30 per month (plus line rental et-al). I went for this because it was the only option available that offerred multiple email accounts plus unlimited useage (unlimited unless you were downloading films 24hrs per day) What BT offer now for a first time user probably looks ok but is much curtailed from the original option 1, 2, 3 and 4. It might be useful for me to threaten to leave BT (I have an ISDN2e account with them too) unless they come up with something to my benefit. We'll see how I feel next time an 'offer' comes my way ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

just noticed this - and wondered when Linksys was mentioned -- we use a Mac Airport hub - which in five years has been replaced once (Only to find that it was
a problem witht eh airport but with Cox (our server) -- however someone has a Linksys hub very close to our house and occasionally it will override the Airport even though ALL the computers in the house are linked to it as a primary -- a couple of times with out knowing it I have tried to log in to the net whilst hooked to this Linksys hub and have not been able to. Plus it has a lot poorer connection than the Airport I can usually tell if it has accidently logged into it as the response speed is MUCH slower --- I'll stick with the Apple (living with a dedicated Left brainer has its advantage's)

Leif