Why am I constantly getting disconnected?

• Your connection has been idle (you haven't sent or received any data) for 20 minutes. Downloading a web page, sending or receiving email, playing an on-line game, etc., are all examples of an interactive connection. Composing an email message or reading a web page or email message are examples of inactivity, since these things happen entirely on your computer without data coming or going. Like most Internet providers, we do this to ensure that modems are available to customers when they need them. A connection that's idle half an hour is probably no longer in use.
  
• You attempt multiple logins.

Here are some specific measures you can take to resolve other disconnection problems:
 

• Check your phone line for obvious signs of noise. You can do this by picking-up your telephone (while you are not connected) and dialing a few digits to eliminate the tone. Listen carefully to the dead air for any static, crackles, voices, etc. If you hear any of this, chances are you won't make a firm connection. If your modem uses a dedicated phone line, you may have a noise problem and not realize it. Connect a telephone to the line so you can listen for noise.
  
• Realize that the noise you hear could be caused by a worn cord, a poorly-wired wall jack, the phone itself, or some other problem in your house. If possible, also check for noise from another location in the house, or using a different telephone.
  
• You can completely eliminate your house wiring as the source of the problem if have access to your Network Interface Device (NID). This is a box mounted on the side of your house, usually near the electric meter, where your phone company's line connects to your house wiring. If you can get a long enough phone cord or move the computer to a room near the NID, you can open the box and disconnect the modular phone plug inside (your house wiring) from its jack (your phone company's line). (Be sure to read any instructions or warnings on the box.) Then you can connect your modem line directly to the jack, bypassing your house wiring. Connect the the Internet, and if the disconnections continue, your inside wiring is not the problem.

• You will need to contact your local phone company about any possible noise problems. Bee.Net has no control over the quality of your phone line. They will be able to check your line for shorts, grounding, crosses, voltage, circuit loss, general noise, etc. They can run basic tests from their office, but to thoroughly test your line, a serviceman will need to come to your house.
 
• In rare instances, customers have encountered CB or HAM radio signals bleeding into their phone line. The source is usually an individual in the neighborhood broadcasting with more wattage than allowed by law, or using an improperly-grounded transmitter. In this case your phone company will be unable to help, and you will need to contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
 
• Do you have Call Waiting on this line? A Call Waiting tone will cause enough interference to disconnect some modems. Make sure you disable it in your dialer. Consult your phone book or local operator for the correct code (many phone companies use *70). When you finish your Internet session, Call Waiting will be restored automatically.
 
• Do you utilize a splitter, surge protector, wireless phone jack, or some extra pass-through on your modem line? Any of these may degrade line quality to the point of causing disconnections. Try running the phone cord directly into the wall.
 
• Are there any other phones, answering machines, fax machines, etc., on this line? Disconnect these devices and see if the problem goes away. Cordless phones are a common problem because they can act as a "transmitter", picking-up radio signals and broadcasting them through your house wiring.
 
• Noise may also be caused by an old, worn, or extremely long phone cord. Use only seven feet of cord or less, if at all possible. If you suspect the cord may be damaged, replace it. If you have an external modem, try using a different serial or USB cable.
 
• Extreme weather (rain, heat, snow, etc.) can sometimes cause enough interference to disrupt a data connection.
 
• If you live in an area where more than one dial-up number is a local call, try dialing the other number.
  
• Make sure you are using the proper and most updated modem firmware or driver. This is done by contacting your modem or computer manufacturer or by downloading the update from their web page. This is especially important if you have a "56k" modem, since the technology is still evolving and some manufacturers release new code every couple months. As Bee.Net upgrades its modems, you need to upgrade yours as well. Failure to do so could result in disconnections, slower connection speeds, and possibly the failure to connect at all.
 
• Some modem brands are simply more usable than others, and better able to handle changing line conditions. Using a high-quality modem on bad phone lines may help correct disconnection problems, but using a cheap modem on bad phone lines may make the problem even worse. Disconnections can also be caused by a software-based modem which is not completely compatible with your computer or the software you are running.
  
• All major dialer programs, including those for Windows and the Macintosh, include an option for an idle timeout. If this option is on, your computer will disconnect itself after a set amount of time if you are not sending or receiving data. Some poor implementation may actually check for just keyboard or mouse activity, instead of modem activity. We recommend disabling this feature.
 
• Try adding two or three commas (,,,) after your dial-up number. This will sometimes improve a connection by making your modem pause slightly after it dials and ignore some of the tones initially sent by our modem.
 
• Check to see that you have hardware flow control (RTS/CTS) and error correction enabled.
 
• Try lowering your port (DTE) speed to 57600, 38400 (generally, V.34 modems only), or lower if necessary. Note that lowering the port speed too much will affect your connection speed and/or your throughput.
 
• Sometimes using modem initialization strings will improve your connection. ATZ, AT&F, AT&F1 and AT&F2 are common strings to try. Check your modem's documentation for other specific strings and settings. If you have a 56k modem, you may need to disable 56k speeds if your line quality is too poor for a 56k connection and your modem is constantly struggling.
 
• A damaged and/or dying modem can also cause disconnections. Modems can be damaged and/or made completely useless by an electrical surge through the phone line (which commonly occurs during thunderstorms) or through the wall AC outlet (external modems only). Like any component, modems will also decrease in performance over time. Sometimes they simply give out because of heavy use or old age.