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boosting
modem speed *
> beginners part
> Drivers
First of all, check that you have the latest drivers for your modem. Go to your manufacturer's website with the references of your hardware to get info on this subject, or else go to Drivers Headquarters.
> Creating an additional cache to speed up your downloads
Open file SYSTEM.INI (in your Windows directory); to do so, right-click
the file while keeping the Shift key pressed. Then choose "open with",
then notepad.
In this file, locate the header [386Enh]. Under this header, create a
new entry named: ComxBuffer=1024 (where X
is the number of the port on which your modem is connected). This entry
will create a cache that will enable you to gain valuable seconds when
you download from the Internet.
> FIFO buffers and port settings
Here are some additional settings which will enable you to optimize the performances of your modem.
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First, change FIFO settings. To do so, right-click on My Computer then Properties. Then click on the Device Manager tab. Locate the Modem line, double-click it, then double-click your modem. Click the Connection tab, then the Port Settings button. Slide the cursors all the way right. If your modem does not work properly after this modification, you may want to restore the previous settings. |
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Close the window and click on Advanced. Make sure that your modem uses Hardware flow control, Data compression, and Error controls for optimal performances. It is also important that the flow control is set to Hardware because the software mode takes much more on the CPU. |
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Go to the Device Manager. Double-click on the Ports section, then double-click on the COM port used by your modem. It displays a Properties window similar to the modem's one. Click on the Port Settings tab. Set Bits per second to 115200 or more. Change the flow control to Hardware. Then click on the Advanced button to see the same small FIFO window as described above. Again slide the cursors all the way right. |
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> Dial-up Networking and TCP/IP
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Open the Control panel and double-click the Network icon. Under the Configuration tab, select the Remote Access Card then click Properties. Go to the Bindings tab and uncheck all boxes except that of the TCP/IP. Click on the Advanced tab and set Activate Point To Point IP to No (unless you normally do not accept incoming calls through your modem, in which case leave it activated). Set the IP packets size to "Large" (I would recommend Auto, but because of a bug some MTU adjustments higher than 576 can cause problems). Put Log File on No. If you use the Internet mainly to download images and to visualize Web pages, activate the IPX header compression, otherwise disable it. |
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Then, select the TCP/IP protocol (if you installed several versions
of the protocol, choose the one that is used by your Dial-up networking
card/modem) and click Properties. Select the WINS Configuration tab and
choose the Disable WINS resolution option.
Click on the DNS Configuration tab and choose Disable DNS.
Go to the Bindings tab. Uncheck all boxes.
Note: Sometimes, some ISPs can give you specific instructions
for your network settings. If your provider is one of these, you may want
to keep their settings...
> Initialization string
In order to definitely customize your modem, you must have an initialization string that suit your needs. For more information on this topic, please refer to your modem manual or to the manufacturer's site. They surely contain all necessary information. Instructions vary from one modem chip to another, however there are "generic" commands that can be used with every modem. Try this out:
> AT&F (resets settings - often close to optimum settings)
> AT&F1
> AT&F&C1&D2
> AT&F1&C1&D2
For K56flex modems:
> AT&F+MS=56
> AT&F+MS=56S202=32
> AT&F1+MS=56
> AT&F1+MS=56S202=32
To use these init strings, click on Start\Settings\Control Panel. Double-click on Modems. Click on Properties. Click on the Connection tab. Click Advanced. In the box located under Additional settings, enter your new initialisation string [see -French- screenshot of this window].
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