# Modem help needed, force 28.8kb/s - how? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629 "2004-01-09T13:23:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/1 "2004-01-09T13:23:50Z")
One computer I frequently use connects on a good day at 28.8 and normally at 26.4kb/s. This is due to the 10+ mile run to the Verizon CO. But my modem wants to at least try to connect at 56k (which I understand is sort of a digital signal, as everything over 33.6 is), after failing to get the higher speed, it then tones out and started the older handshaking (sometimes the call is lost during the ‘tone out’) then settles on about 26.4. Even when the connection does not drop it takes a long time to go through this double handshake. Is there a way to just have the modem start with 28.8? How? In XP when I get the connect message, through the menues I can sellect the speeds of the modem but : it goes from 19.9 to 33.6 with nothing inbetween, and when I set it to 33.6 it doesn’t seem to make any difference. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/2 "2004-01-09T13:41:21Z")
I was going to suggest telling Windows to use the default modem drivers, which I think will have the option to connect only at a given speed, including 28.8, but the important thing there is that the setting says ‘only connect at this speed’, rather than 'do not exceed this speed for connection. Actually, maybe you can tell it to use the default 28.8k modem driver. I can’t remember the exact procedure offhand, but it involves clicking ‘update driver’ in the device manager dialog, then choosing ‘select from a list of drivers’ at some point. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/3 "2004-01-09T17:47:34Z")
\>\> it involves clicking ‘update driver’ in the device manager dialog, then choosing ‘select from a list of drivers’ at some point. I doubt it. You probably need an initialization string. You should check your modem’s AT command set. In mine it’s commands B, N and S37. Check for your specific modem. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/4 "2004-01-09T22:59:32Z")
Just to add, I would like to try 28.8 and drop down as required, There is no point trying anythign faster and the ‘digital’ range seem like a sepperate handshake which I want to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/5 "2004-01-09T23:47:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*I doubt it. You probably need an initialization string. You should check your modem’s AT command set. In mine it’s commands B, N and S37. Check for your specific modem. \*\* I think you misunderstand me; I’m talking about changing the Windows modem driver to one that is limited to 28.8k - it won’t be the ‘right’ driver for the modem, but it may still work as there is quite a bit of intercompatibility between modems and the generic Windows drivers generally work. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/6 "2004-01-10T00:11:19Z")
I don’t misunderstand you, I just think that is the wrong way to go about it and asking for problems. The modem has a command which can tell it to start handshaking at a certain speed and it seems to me the correct way to go about it is to use it. It seems simpler to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/7 "2004-01-10T00:29:44Z")
Fair enough; just out of interest, does that command set an upper limit, or does it try to make the modem connect at a given speed only? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/8 "2004-01-10T11:30:44Z")
Well, every modem is different and you need to see the AT command set for that modem but you can probably do both. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modem-help-needed-force-28-8kb-s-how/223629/9 "2004-01-10T18:45:43Z")
You can set the modem through the initialization string to connect at a certain speed. Search for “Hayes modem commands”. Although I couldn’t quickly find an S37 command for 28 speed. The other choice is through the Window’s configuration. Go to the control panel and look at _all_ the modem settings.