# The annoying noise when connecting to the internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2000, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236 "2000-08-14T01:22:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/21 "2000-08-16T19:17:27Z")
If you listen in on the data after it’s been connected, the data will sound like the “shhhh” static sound of white noise, like when you turn to a TV channel that has no station (if someone has cable, does it still do that?). If you pick up the phone line while the computer is connected, I’ve seen that sometimes it will cause the modems to go through their testing sequence again, then the plain noise sound will start again. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/22 "2000-08-16T19:59:02Z")
If you listen in on the data after it’s been connected, the data will sound like the “shhhh” static sound of white noise, like when you turn to a TV channel that has no station (if someone has cable, does it still do that?). If you pick up the phone line while the computer is connected, I’ve seen that sometimes it will cause the modems to go through their testing sequence again, then the plain noise sound will start again. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/23 "2000-08-16T21:36:11Z")
Hey, triple post. A bit much with the mouse, kiddo. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/24 "2000-08-17T01:41:49Z")
The noise does have a name, usually “carrier sign” or just “carrier”. waaaay back in the day, when I had a 2400 bps Hayes modem and that was quite the height of technology, I had to wait for the carrier, then do something (hit + & - repeatedly, IIRC) to complete the connection. You hear the very same noise out of a fax machine to let you know a connection has been established. On old fax machines you had to wait for the carrier before hitting “send”. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/25 "2000-08-17T10:21:35Z")
I am rather fond of the buzzing noise. Hearing it indicates that my modem is not broken and that the place I am trying to dial is not busy. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/26 "2000-08-17T14:17:10Z")
I also rely on it to monitor how the connection progresses. Sometimes I’ll turn the speakers off and then it feels like connecting is taking forever and I have no idea if it is progressing or not. If you can hear that it is not connecting (no answer fron the other modem) you can abort and start over again without waiting forever. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236/27 "2000-08-17T16:58:20Z")
As stated, if you hear a busy signal (or “lines are busy” message) instead of the normal connection noise, you know to hang up and try again. There are also the times when you get a wrong number, and someone goes “Hello. Hello? Grr…” (Yep, that was me.) Since I have a laptop for work, some places dial 9 to get out, and others don’t, so you can listen and know immediately if you got it wrong. At home, I have an old external Multitech 28.8 (hey, it was free, left over from work…) with an adjustable volume knob on the back. It’s a little easier on the ears that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-annoying-noise-when-connecting-to-the-internet/29236.md?page=1)