Does weather effect dial-up modem frequencies?

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:10 am

I was wondering, does weather effect a dial-up connection? I've noticed that my internet always shuts off when there is a storm around here but I can't figure out why. However, I noticed recently that we had a couple of storms and I could still stay on-line just fine. So I'm wondering if my problem lies elsewhere? Could it simply be an ISP problem or a modem problem? I dail in three different numbers that go to three different out-of-town locations so I don't think it could be my isp. That is why I figured it was probably an overhead storm on my end, possibly causing some kind of electrical interference. Though the storms we have been having aren't really electrical storms but more like small snow flurries and a few rain showers here and there. :\\ Some days I've looked out and the sky is nearly clear. I know it causes problems with wireless, which is understandable but dial-up?

Most of the time I just ignore the issue but the past few months have become very irritating.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:28 am

do you know if your telephone lines are above or below ground?

akula65 · Post by **akula65** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:05 am

I had the same problem when I lived in midtown Anchorage, Alaska. Not only would dial-up flake out, but I would lose phone service entirely on an intermittent basis (you pick up the receiver and all you get is static and no dial tone). There is no question that the problem had a correlation with precipitation, but I have no idea where the physical location of the problem was. I complained to the phone company, and I recall someone examining the junction box on the first floor of my building (I lived on the second floor of an apartment complex), but nobody managed to isolate the problem.

SuperSheep · Post by **SuperSheep** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:35 am

Couple of good articles on getting the most out of your connection and problems that affect dialup...

Smart Computing

Forum talk(past halfway weather related)

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:06 pm

OOH - I'm feeling all melancholy and nostalgic with this talk of dial-up!

Thank goodness those days are GONE!11!!1!one!1

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:19 pm

They run on regular phone lines so they are above ground.

Ugh, I've always wondered what this annoying problem was and there seems to simply be no answer that I know of.

From what I understand, a buddy of mine claims that Verizon will have DSL available next month. I guess they are just barely installing it in my town. Finally. Guess Verizon can even find the ass-end-of-the-world, towns such as mine. I have also heard rumors that Cableone are working on bringing in cable internet this next month as well. So maybe I'll do some calling around. I hear Verizon is $14.99 a month. $5 cheaper than my $20 dial-up BS.

Anyway, I will be one of the first guys to get it if it is all go.

I can't get wireless though because of all the trees surrounding my house. Hopefully there won't be some sort of other problem to get in my way this time. Shouldn't be though.

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:25 pm

Good luck with that. Hit me up so that we can finally get a game going just like the good ol' days.

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:42 pm

Might be power glitches too -- a UPS is your friend

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:26 am

Back when my DSL was running at 20,000 feet range, in winter it would sinc at around 1 mbit after 45 seconds, in summer it once took it over a week to sync at 640k.

Now that it is only at around 200 feet, it syncs at 24/2 mbit in 30 seconds.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:29 am

Heh, no DSL. I called Verizon yesterday and nothing. My friend I think is confused with Wireless. I asked him repeatedly if it was DSL or Wireless. I called three different guys at Verizon and all three denied his claim.

Another friend whom I trust a WHOLE lot more than this one said that he saw a Cable One truck outside of town and some guys installing something just outside of town. He asked the local library and they claimed that they are installing cable. My Dad also said he saw this same truck so there is a good chance that at least cable is coming through.

The reason we can't get DSL through Verizon is because it runs through Qwest and our only phone service is Frontier. :\\

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:12 pm

There were SBC trucks in my hood a year before DSL was finally avaiable. It takes time.