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Why
is dial up up slow? Do
you double click
the network icon and check the connection speed?
If I feel my dial up is slow,
I'll
disconnect, redial and try again. I may also try an access
number to a different local city.
There is a wealth of products and information on the internet promising
56k connection and a faster modem speed. There is
very
little
information
explaining why sometimes dial up is slow no matter what you try.
Many
people can't connect at higher dial up modem speed due to the distance
they
live
from the
phone company.
If housing is situated too far from the phone company the
phone signal will
slowly degrade in quality the longer the distance the signal has to
travel. The signal will also become weak, making it
difficult
to get decent 56k modem speed due to diminished signal
strength. It
would
be necessary for the phone company to amplify the phone signal as is
before
it gets to your 56k speed modem. |
That
amplifier is known as a repeater or line
repeater. Line repeaters extend the reach of the phone company to its
customers. Unfortunately any
distortions get amplified and distributed as well. An amplified phone
signal is inherently flawed and will adversely effect 56k modem speed.
Phone companies may also opt to incorporate a line repeater within
their network because it makes the network less expensive to build and
maintain. Lets say 3 houses were built 10 miles from the phone
company. In order to get phone service to each house, the
phone company would have to run an individual phone line to each house.
Thats 3 phone lines, each 10 miles long.
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Now
imagine being able to run one phone line 9 miles to a line repeater.
The phone signal arrives at the repeater, is amplified then split into
3 signals. Each signal is then sent out to each home along 3 lines that
are only 1 mile long each. If
we didnt have line repeaters there would be a thick mass of phone
lines everywhere. You get the idea.
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Keep
in mind analog phone networks were originally built to carry
verbal communications, not digital dial up modem signals. That is why
sometimes depending on where you live, maximum
attainable dial up internet connect speed
on an amplified signal is 33.6k
or less. Call your local phone company to find out if you are
on a repeater. If you are on a phone network that doesn't have a
repeater between you and the phone company, you'll likely achieve modem
baud
rate closer to 56k modem speed. |
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