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A. This can be caused by several things:

• If it is an external modem, is it turned on? If you are using Windows XP the modem must be on when you turn on the computer, otherwise it will not be recognised by Windows, so you will need to re-start the computer with the modem switched on.
• Make sure the phone line is not in the wrong jack on your modem - some modems have two jacks, one for the telephone line and one for the telephone handset. There is usually a label above each jack on the modem.
• Is there another device on the same telephone line (e.g., a telephone answering machine) that has been left off the hook?

Check the actual phone line (or extension cable):

• Ensure the phone line (or extension) you are using is working - connect a telephone handset to the phone line you use to your modem and make sure that you can get a dial tone. Also try dialling the modem dial-up number (0198307070) from this handset - do you get the noise of a modem picking up the call, or do you get a Telstra message?
• Is there any damage to the phone line running to/from the modem to the phone jack on the wall? Check for kinks or twists that may have exposed wires or otherwise compromised the quality of the cable.

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then your phone line (or extension) may be the cause of the problem and you may need to replace the cable or have it checked by Telstra

• Is your modem dialling the correct number - 0198307070?
• Is the phone jack working? To test this, plug in a working phone and see if there is a dial tone.
• Is the phone cable plugged into the "line" jack on your modem, not the "telephone" jack?
• Make sure that the phone cable is not defective by plugging a working phone into the "telephone" jack of your modem. If there is a dial tone, the phone cable is working.
• Use a soft brush to clean any dust that may be adhering to the phone cable connection
• Do you have call waiting? If so, disable it and then try the connection again.
• If someone picked up the phone while you were online, you might have been automatically disconnected. Try connecting again.
• Ensure that your modem is working properly via the Modem Properties in the Control Panel

More internet connection troubleshooting tips are available at this site: http://www.computerfirstaid.biz/connectionproblems.html

A. When talking about "speed" two terms need clarification: "line speed" refers to the speed of data transmission between your modem and your ISP and "throughput speed" means the speed of data transmission from the Internet site you are visiting, right through to your computer. While line speed is an important measure of modem performance, higher throughput speeds mean faster browsing, chat and downloads and these are what most Internet users are trying to achieve.

If your connection is generally good, then the website you are visiting or downloading from may be experiencing difficulties. If it is a popular site and is being visited by many users simultaneouslyIf y, you may experience lower 'throughput speeds'. If it is the site itself that is busy then you might need to revisit that site at another time (it may be faster when people in the Northern Hemisphere are in bed).

If you constantly experience slow connection speeds, you may live in area with poor quality phone lines. If the speed is particularly low or if you are experiencing frequent disconnections, you can contact your telephone company as request a line check (see 6 below).

A modem initialization string may also assist (see 5 below).

A. The idle time-out setting is often the cause of disconnections and can be easily fixed by following the steps below (requires Internet Explorer 5 or above):

• Go to the Control Panel
• Open Internet Options
• Click on the Connections tab
• Click on the Settings button
• Click on the Properties button (underneath the Advanced button)
• Untick the box beside "Disconnect if idle for"
• Click OK, OK, OK

A. A string of characters that sets a modem into action, usually starting with "at" for "attention". Because the string used varies according to type of type of modem, there are literally hundreds of different initialization strings. However many of the commonly used modems will respond to one or other of the following:

• external modem with a Rockwell Chipset: at+ms=11,1
• internal modem with a Rockwell Chipset: at+ms=v34,1

The string is added to the modem via the Phone & Modem Options Applet (or Modems in W95,W98, Me) in the Control Panel, under Advanced Settings.

If in doubt, ring the Support Line on 1300 55 45 67 for assistance and remember that in order to assist you, we will require you to have your computer turned on and for you to sit at it with your phone (you do not have to be connected to the internet).

A. If you are having problems with your dial-up connection (e.g. frequent drop-offs, excessively slow line speeds) we may suggest you request a MOLDS (Modem Online Diagnostic System) Test. If you are a Telstra Customer, ring Telstra (Residential 132203) and book an appointment. Telstra will then call you back with a phone number for your modem to dial. After sending test data through to your computer for approximately two minutes at speeds of up to 33.6kbps, their computer will tell you the maximum speeds your modem reached, the amount of times it had to re-request information, signal attenuation etc.

Note: If you are not a Telstra customer you need to contact your own phone provider and have them contact Telstra on your behalf.