My dial-up connection has been behaving strangely lately when it connects. It often takes 2-3 attempts, with the error message saying either the other computer doesn’t answer, or it’s unable to establish the connection. Once connected it’s fine.
I haven’t changed any settings in my computer. Nothing about my phone line or service has changed.
When I called up the IP, they claimed it was probably due to some of my Windows dial-up files being degraded over time. I’m using Windows ME.
I agree with the BS theory. For all of Windows ME’s faults, degrading files like that isn’t one of them. There’s something amiss at their end, and the techie is either an idiot or feeding you a line. If he mutters something about PBC&K*, you’ll know he’s feeding you one.
Well, they don’t “wear out.” But it is possible for any file to become corrupted, particularly so if the hard disk is physically degrading. It’s funny, though, that connection succeeds on the 2nd or 3rd attempt. Does your dial-up routine automatically try another phone number?
Perhaps he was confused and meant your phone line can become decgraded over time, which is true. I wouldn’t buy it though. Files themselves don’t become corrupt, but the HD sectors they reside on can become weak when a HD is starting to fail. Run a thorough HD integrity test. I used to have an older DOS program that would time reads and writes to a sector and report ones that were slow and then offered to move the data elsewhere and mark the sector as unusable. I might just use the guy’s “explanation” to go out and get me a bigger and faster HD anyway.
THere is something called OS decay which means over time installing and uninstalling programs (esp shareware) the system become bogged down with lots of useless crap and slows down and could cause errors.
I have been a professional in the field of PC technical support for 4 years.
While some files in Windows DO get messed up over time, corruption of those files would result in a CONSISTENT inability on your part to connect to the dial-up server.
The problem must be either
A) your modem has gone bad
B) one or more of their modems is bad or has gone bad
or
C) you are getting a bad path from your place to theirs via the telco system. Different calls from the same destination to the same originating point can wind up using different hardware on our current telephone system.
Take your pick from A, B or C. If you’re really unlucky, it could be all 3.
Well I work for a small ISP in Monaco and I must say that while I have no technical proof for this I do experience the dreaded windows files gone bad problem VERY often.
The main clue is the usual can’t connect problem or can connect only after a few attempt.
99% of the time this can be solved by re installing the network files of windows
that would be the following :
tcp / ip
MS network client
remote access card
Of course 99% of the time the client don’t have the windows CD or the cab files needed to do that re install and it is my fault, obviously…
:rolleyes:
NINJA
I Have ME. When this happens it was because my ISP changed their dns. Anyway, almost all ISP’s have more than one dialup number, use another nbr. Its really easy to set up another nbr with ME & the net connection wizard. Also, are you using a
full computer maintenance software package?
Other than what Ringo and K2Dave said, the answer’s “no”.
When I was doing telephone tech-support, the term we used amongst ourselves was “bit-rot”
When faced with a truely abusive customer (and I’m not just talking frustrated and cranky: I’m talking psychotic here), I’d trot out the 'I’m sorry sir, Windows files degrade over time. You’ll have to back up your important data can call back for a format and restore of your system."
The thiing about dial-up connection is it is analogue and subject to the same kind of problems a regular phone call does. There are other problems such as the server on the other end being full or down.
First of all, what happens when you try to dial in? Do you have the volumn turned up so you can hear it? Does it start the handshake, then keep repeating? Does it go through the handshake normally then disconnect when its trying to log in? Do you get a busy signal? etc…
I second everyone else. Unless you were playing around with something, or just installed a new program and things started not working. Nothing should have happened to corrupt those files nor have I ever heard of dial up connections getting corrupted. Windows files can get corrupted from a variety of things, but no the dial up networking type as they are never edited by programs. Guy was feeding you a line because he didn’t know and didn’t feel like putting in the effort to find out. God I hate helpdesk people.
