Problem connecting to internet on a laptop

leroy_yorel · 12-17-2005, 01:38 PM

I can connect wireless but whenever I'm not in a place that has wireless, I have to use dial-up. I can get connected at 28K. I'm sending and receiving but I can't go anywhere. I open IE and try to go to any site and I get the craptastic 'page cannot be displayed' deal. I also can't connect to MSN Messenger. I'm stumped on this one. I've turned off firewalls, virus protection, and LAN connections but still can't get it to work. The only possible lead I have is that it connects at 28K. And as far as I knew, 56K was the lowest you can go. And 28 is exactly half of that so I'm thinking 'Where the hell is the other half of that connection?'. But then I looked into it and apparently 28K does exist. So...I don't know again.

This is the best (and only) responses I got from another board:

" well, you're probably using a 56k connection but it will never actually go as fast as 56kb/s."

" Seeing as how I've never actually used Windows XP with dial-up, amazingly enough, I can't help you.

If you were using Windows 98, I'd tell you to WINIPCFG it in the Run menu and select the appropriate adapter, but with XP I have no idea..."

Thanks a lot.

Changeling · 12-17-2005, 04:29 PM

The good news is I have seen this before.

I'm sure its a settings issue. Check and compare the connection settings for both and make sure they are the same as far as is practical. Done that? Good, now check them again letter for letter space for space dot for dot. Copy and paste the settings from one to the other if you need to.

As for 56K not running at 56K thats easy.
The manufaturers gave us 56k modems a while back but before that we used 28k and 33K. We thought 56k was realy fast when it first came out!!

BUT..... very few servers (non broadband) can run at 56k because they had to work at the lowest speeds to accomodate the guys who still had 28K modems.

Here in the UK a 56k modem will only connect at 44k and thats on a good day!

A thought occurs.
Your using a laptop on dial up??!!!! Hmmm You wouldnt per chance be using a mobile phone (sorry cell phone) to do this would you???

It might account for the 28k connection speed. Further depending on which "cell phone" you use you might want to check the internet connection setting on the phone.

leroy_yorel · 12-18-2005, 11:07 AM

Where would I find these connection settings? That sounds like such a stupid question but I'm not seeing it.

That's some interesting trivia about 56K. I like learning things like that. When I connected today, it was at 26.4K so I guess it is just a 56K connection that isn't, uh, using it's full potential.

No, I'm not using a cell phone. I'm just plugging it into the phone jack in the wall.

**johnwill** · 12-18-2005, 02:07 PM

Actually, dial-up connections at slower rates are pretty normal, it depends on the phone line quality. It's not uncommon to get connections in the 2x range on 56k modems.

Changeling · 12-19-2005, 02:44 AM

Ok here's what I think is happening.

There is a whole heap of settings in within Internet explorer which control how your laptop connects to the internet. The wireless settings are fine, the dial up/modem settings also work.

The problem is your laptop needs to be told that is ok to use the modem/dialup connection to access the internet. At present internet explorer will only use the wireless setup.

In the old days, win 9x there was a setting to use "any available" conection. But XP doesn't have this option.

Ok open internet expolrer then its
Tools
Internet options
connections (tab)

Mine is set to "never dial a connection"
I suspect that yours may be set to "always dial my default connection"

Sure I have to connect manually everytime but i get to choose when I connect and which connection to use. I have desk top icons for all my connection configurations.

leroy_yorel · 12-19-2005, 07:44 PM

I'm pretty sure that I've already set it to never dial a connection but I'll look again. How about if I download FireFox on this computer and then put it on the laptop? Would FireFox maybe work?

Changeling · 12-21-2005, 08:42 PM

To be honest I have no experience of firefox. I can only suggest that you try it and see.

leroy_yorel · 12-25-2005, 02:48 PM

I ended up taking it to a computer shop. They still have it, too. I'm not so sure they know what's wrong with it.

12-17-2005, 01:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
leroy_yorel Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 17 OS: XP	Problem connecting to internet on a laptop I can connect wireless but whenever I'm not in a place that has wireless, I have to use dial-up. I can get connected at 28K. I'm sending and receiving but I can't go anywhere. I open IE and try to go to any site and I get the craptastic 'page cannot be displayed' deal. I also can't connect to MSN Messenger. I'm stumped on this one. I've turned off firewalls, virus protection, and LAN connections but still can't get it to work. The only possible lead I have is that it connects at 28K. And as far as I knew, 56K was the lowest you can go. And 28 is exactly half of that so I'm thinking 'Where the hell is the other half of that connection?'. But then I looked into it and apparently 28K does exist. So...I don't know again. This is the best (and only) responses I got from another board: " well, you're probably using a 56k connection but it will never actually go as fast as 56kb/s." " Seeing as how I've never actually used Windows XP with dial-up, amazingly enough, I can't help you. If you were using Windows 98, I'd tell you to WINIPCFG it in the Run menu and select the appropriate adapter, but with XP I have no idea..." Thanks a lot.

12-18-2005, 02:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,684 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Actually, dial-up connections at slower rates are pretty normal, it depends on the phone line quality. It's not uncommon to get connections in the 2x range on 56k modems. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

12-17-2005, 04:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
Changeling Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 423 OS: XP, Waiting for Vista serivce pack 1 before I commit.	The good news is I have seen this before. I'm sure its a settings issue. Check and compare the connection settings for both and make sure they are the same as far as is practical. Done that? Good, now check them again letter for letter space for space dot for dot. Copy and paste the settings from one to the other if you need to. As for 56K not running at 56K thats easy. The manufaturers gave us 56k modems a while back but before that we used 28k and 33K. We thought 56k was realy fast when it first came out!! BUT..... very few servers (non broadband) can run at 56k because they had to work at the lowest speeds to accomodate the guys who still had 28K modems. Here in the UK a 56k modem will only connect at 44k and thats on a good day! A thought occurs. Your using a laptop on dial up??!!!! Hmmm You wouldnt per chance be using a mobile phone (sorry cell phone) to do this would you??? It might account for the 28k connection speed. Further depending on which "cell phone" you use you might want to check the internet connection setting on the phone.

12-18-2005, 11:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
leroy_yorel Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 17 OS: XP	Where would I find these connection settings? That sounds like such a stupid question but I'm not seeing it. That's some interesting trivia about 56K. I like learning things like that. When I connected today, it was at 26.4K so I guess it is just a 56K connection that isn't, uh, using it's full potential. No, I'm not using a cell phone. I'm just plugging it into the phone jack in the wall.

12-19-2005, 02:44 AM	#5 (permalink)
Changeling Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 423 OS: XP, Waiting for Vista serivce pack 1 before I commit.	Ok here's what I think is happening. There is a whole heap of settings in within Internet explorer which control how your laptop connects to the internet. The wireless settings are fine, the dial up/modem settings also work. The problem is your laptop needs to be told that is ok to use the modem/dialup connection to access the internet. At present internet explorer will only use the wireless setup. In the old days, win 9x there was a setting to use "any available" conection. But XP doesn't have this option. Ok open internet expolrer then its Tools Internet options connections (tab) Mine is set to "never dial a connection" I suspect that yours may be set to "always dial my default connection" Sure I have to connect manually everytime but i get to choose when I connect and which connection to use. I have desk top icons for all my connection configurations.

12-19-2005, 07:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
leroy_yorel Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 17 OS: XP	I'm pretty sure that I've already set it to never dial a connection but I'll look again. How about if I download FireFox on this computer and then put it on the laptop? Would FireFox maybe work?

12-21-2005, 08:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Changeling Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 423 OS: XP, Waiting for Vista serivce pack 1 before I commit.	To be honest I have no experience of firefox. I can only suggest that you try it and see.

12-25-2005, 02:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
leroy_yorel Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 17 OS: XP	I ended up taking it to a computer shop. They still have it, too. I'm not so sure they know what's wrong with it.