This could mean good-bye for awhile!

[GeauxLSU]

Paul. If you phone lines are bad, I don't believe DSL will work. That was my point. SOmeone said to switch to a DSL or maybe you mentioned it...

Anyway. Cat 5 is short for category 5 you can buy it at lowes or home depot. it is abetter quality line used coomputers networks etc. it has more than the standard 4 strands that most phone line comes with. In fact. unless you have multiple phone lines, you really only need 2 of the wires.

you can run the wires yourself as I mentioned.

Just a little more info, cat 5, 6 , 7 and 7+ are all better than POTS (plain old telephone service - which used to be cat 3 and below) wiring but unless it is installed and most importantly terminated correctly, you aren't going to gain much if anything at all. Category 5 cabling is currently the LOWEST grade of commonly used data wiring. Wiring is a chain. You are limited by the 'weakest' link. Which, depending on the age of your home/development, the problem may be in your walls or may be in the street going to the local exchange. ALL phone wiring is four pair wiring (with rare fiber exceptions) and yes you need only one pair for a duplex phone conversation. (Computer networks, though perhaps operating on the same type of wire will utilize at least two pairs for an ethernet connection.)
I'd suggest you call the phone company RIGHT NOW and sign up for their 'wiring plan'. It's cheap (maybe $3 a month or so). AFTER you've verified you're under the plan call them all. Then it's their problem.
There is still a possibility you could be having a problem with your PC (modem drivers or something) so I'd also try a different machine (maybe a laptop) if you have the ability to do so.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[GeauxLSU]

Or trade an electrician the work for a guided turkey hunt.

Please don't have an electrician run DATA wiring. He 'may' know what he's doing just like someone who hunts 'may' know how to fish, but I can't count the times I've seen data jobs REALLY messed up by electrical guys. They are NOT the same animal. OK, I'm moving on now.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[QuakerBoy]

Phil,

for a single computer or 2 computers running off a dialup or DSL. You don't feel Cat 5 would be suffieient?

Also, I had a "trained technician" from the phone company come to my house one time and "fix" the problem. Which I then went and corrected myself after they left?

In your business you are dealing with major networks communicating with each other and Mass amounts of information. Not a phone/dsl line hooked up to the net. I agree with having to make the connections correctly...but it's not rocket science in a home.

 

[GeauxLSU]

Phil,

for a single computer or 2 computers running off a dialup or DSL. You don't feel Cat 5 would be suffieient?

Also, I had a "trained technician" from the phone company come to my house one time and "fix" the problem. Which I then went and corrected myself after they left?

In your business you are dealing with major networks communicating with each other and Mass amounts of information. Not a phone/dsl line hooked up to the net. I agree with having to make the connections correctly...but it's not rocket science in a home.

Rich,
Cat 5 is more than adequate for a small home network doing little nothing more than web surfing and home office apps. My only point was to highlight it's not the 'Cadilac' of data wiring. Just the opposite actually. Didn't mean to imply it wouldn't work just expounding on the whole 'category' thing. You are correct in that it is not rocket science (at least the physical connection part). You're not going to kill yourself and your not going to brown out your state's electrical grid, but it is VERY easy to degrade your performance by improperly terminating or pulling the wire and you would NEVER know it by appearance alone. I only meant to remind people that if you get a guy who's primary experience is electrical, it is similar to data from an appearance standpoint (wire is wire right? Wrong.) It is really two completely different things/skills sets. Hence my hunting and fishing comparison.
The copper in the wire in DP's house did not go bad. He either has a driver problem or a connection/termination problem somewhere.
Step one - Try a different computer.
Step two - Get the wiring plan and get the phone company to come fix it.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[QuakerBoy]

gotcha......

 

[bubbabuck]

Wonder why you guys have so much trouble with AOL ??? I've had them for about 5 years now and have NEVER had a problem at all... sure I get kicked off line every once in a while, but its no big deal.

As far as the price goes, a call threating that you are changing to a cheaper ISP will usually get you a price that matches the smaller companies.

No wonder the BRAVES can't afford to keep any talent, everybody has bailed out on AOL !!

Since dumping AOL and going to Earthlink.....I have not been Dropped once !!

 

[DaddyPaul]

After another night of trying like ELMO to get on I finally did this morning at about 7:30! Here is another issue. AOL says it is not their access numbers it is my computer or wiring. OK check this out. I uninstalled all software.......again, and re-installed it. When I set up a new connection I dial into the normal access number for my area. Doesn't work! My computer then automatically dials in again, only this time it dials into a 1-800 number for AOL? I have never selected a toll free number in the set up process? Here's the real kicker. It signs on everytime with the 1-800 number without a problem whatsoever? What does that tell you?

Frustrated as all ELMO,
Unconnected in Lake Butler

 

[GeauxLSU]

Here's the real kicker. It signs on everytime with the 1-800 number without a problem whatsoever? What does that tell you?

But you said the AT&T isp (or whoever it was) you tried didn't work either? Can you force your computer to just dial a local number, any number to see if it goes through and rings? Do you have access to a laptop or know someone that does that can try and dial up from your home?
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[DaddyPaul]

Phil no laptops for me or anybody I know. This is just crazy that it will dial into and connect with this 1-800# but won't with the local access numbers? I am in contact with the Customer Service dept. to try to find out where the 1-800# even came from. It just started doing this yesterday? I hope it is some kind of "surcharge" number so I can holler at some more people at AOL! I'm getting just a little touchy about this if you can tell. Fixing to go check out some Net Zero info when I leave here.

 

[huntnnut]

Please don't have an electrician run DATA wiring. He 'may' know what he's doing just like someone who hunts 'may' know how to fish, but I can't count the times I've seen data jobs REALLY messed up by electrical guys. They are NOT the same animal. OK, I'm moving on now.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

Phil, I resemble that remark...

 

[HighTechRedneck]

You certainly need to dump AOL and move on but...... If that's not an immediate option, go to Radio Shack and buy some 4-wire telephone cable and a wall-mount jack. Go find your telephone interface box(should be on outside of house), open the side that says "customer access" or something similar. Tie one end of your newly bought cable into the terminals, just match the colors, it's easy. Then, run that cable into your computer room. Run it under the house if possible but, just for a test, you can run it in the window. Hook the other end of your new cable into the phone jack you bought. Again, just match the wire colors, it's easy. All you'll need is a flat-head screwdriver. Then use this newly wired jack for your modem cable. If it connects at full-speed then you can be certain it is a problem with your internal phone wiring. I have had this problem before with both dial-up and DSL. Old as dirt wiring can be worse than you'd think. If it DOES work faster with the new jack, you can try this to see if it helps your existing jack: Remove the old jack, cut the wires back and strip them back about 1/4". Put a new jack in. Then, go out to the telephone interface box again and one-by-one cut back and re-strip each wire that goes from the terminals into your house. This will give you fresh, un-corroded connections. This may fix your problem and you won't have to run a new cable Good Luck!

 

[DaddyPaul]

Here's the thing I still don't get! If I uninstall my AOL software and then re-install it, it will try to connect twice with no luck. Then it will automatically dial a 1-800 number which is toll free (I called them to make sure) and connect with no problem and I can surf with y'all at Woody's. I also just for the heck of it dialed into one of the 1-800 surcharge numbers and it connected again with no problems. Doesn't this tell me that my computer is working OK and the problem lies with the access numbers? I am really losing my mind over this junk!

 

[GeauxLSU]

HDoesn't this tell me that my computer is working OK and the problem lies with the access numbers?

I would agree but didn't you say you tried a free AT&T number and it didn't work either. I suppose it's conceivable your 800 numbers are routing to a different exchange but I wouldn't know how...
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[reylamb]

I vote for a wiring issue also. While it is strange it works ok on the 800 number for AOL, with the AT&T problem I would lean towards the physical house wiring. It is conceivable that the problem is coming from another wall jack and not necessarily from the jack you are using. It is also conceivable that something has eaten through the wiring within the walls of the house and is causing an intermittent problem.

Heck, I am still running Cat3 for all of the voice service at the TV station, it is sufficient for voice, and is dirt cheap. Granted it is not up to par when compared to the 6 and 7, but it works fine for voice, and normally for modems.

Since the problem just recently began, it is also possible that the problem lies outside the house with Mama Bell's equipment. Do you have any static on any of your house phones that is new?

 

[Dep6]

Well when I tried to use AOL as an ISP I am so far out in the sticks that AOL has no local dial up numbers to use and where I would be careful, when I used the 800 numbers for a short time, they charged 6.00 an hour extra for the 800 access. So you might want to ask that question while your feuding with AOL on the telephone there sir!!

 

[dbodkin]

DP,
This aint gonna fix it now ... but I got to ask. Is DSL or cable an option. I ask this because switching to broadband would probably fix you up. Dialup is ancient. If you can switch cut your losses and move on. Now if it isnt an option I suspect a trunking issue since the 800 numbers work all the time.. They do work all the time right??? It may sound crazy but it does happen. I had what I thought to be a dead phone line (I had deinstalled after getting broadband) Then a couple months ago I heard a phone ringing in my basement. It's my old phoneline but with someone elses phone number. I verified it by dialing my home with CID. Wires get crossed and switches get flipped...

 

[DaddyPaul]

The maintenance department will re-wire the house for free if that is deemed to be the problem (my house is state property). Since it is free labor I reckon I will get them to do that and see if it works. If re-wiring doesn't change things I guess I will give the phone company a call. It just boggles my little mind that it won't connect to the local access numbers but has absolutely no problem with the 800 #'s? I am only connecting at 26,400 bps? Would this have anything to do with anything? My modem is a 56K, v90 or something like that?

 

[GeauxLSU]

The maintenance department will re-wire the house for free if that is deemed to be the problem (my house is state property). Since it is free labor I reckon I will get them to do that and see if it works. If re-wiring doesn't change things I guess I will give the phone company a call. It just boggles my little mind that it won't connect to the local access numbers but has absolutely no problem with the 800 #'s? I am only connecting at 26,400 bps? Would this have anything to do with anything? My modem is a 56K, v90 or something like that?

DP, I would NOT rewire your house before just connecting a home run from the box directly to your modem. Just run it on the ground and through the window. You're just using it to check connection afterall. You'll be able to verify if it's an internal wire problem in 5 minutes without having to rewire your entire home. If if works, switch the pairs at the box in your house and in the jack you're using. Or you can even try that first if you don't have access to some 4 pair wire.
The more you talk about this, the more I'm thinking it's a problem at the exchange switch with your carrier. Have you tried to dial a long distance AOL number (toll number)?
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[DaddyPaul]

Phil I dialed into one of the $6.00 and hour number just to see if it would connect and it did without a hitch? My Mom lives about 5 miles from me and is getting on with the numbers I am having problems with? I also downloaded the NetZero software and tried to dial into them, no luck! Has to be the wiring or something with my puter.

 

[GeauxLSU]

Phil I dialed into one of the $6.00 and hour number just to see if it would connect and it did without a hitch? My Mom lives about 5 miles from me and is getting on with the numbers I am having problems with? I also downloaded the NetZero software and tried to dial into them, no luck! Has to be the wiring or something with my puter.

If the NetZero number is going through the same exchange, it's a phone company (switch) issue. You mom could be across the street and be going through a different exchange. AOL, should be hounding the carrier to get it fixed though...
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil