How to Repair an Internet Dial-Up Connection

Things don't always work out perfectly. The Internet is no exception. There are a couple things you can do to find the problem.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with internet connection.

1. 
    
   Check for a dial tone

   First, find out what works and doesn't work:
   
   Where does the connection fail? At the modem? Is there a problem with the user ID or password? Is the dial-up phone number correct? Is the phone line plugged in? Does the phone line work? Can you hear a dial tone?

2. Check your networking dialing and protocol configuration:
   
   You may need to include the number 9 in the configuration to dial an outside line.

3. 
    
   Listen for ping

   Dial the number from a phone:
   
   You should hear beeps or a signal crunching noise like a fax then a "ping". If this number doesn't work, try another one.

4. Check the Modem:
   
   Look in Device Manager to find any reported errors about the modem. Also you can print out the Modemlog.txt file from a computer with a good connection and compare it with the print out of the computer with the unsuccessful connection. Identify the point where the error occurs.

5. Make sure all components are installed:
   
   Be sure you have the dial-up adapter and TCP/IP with the correct configurations.

6. 
    
   Remove and reinstall

   Turn your computer off and on again:
   
   Sometimes the electrical connection between your computer and the dial-up doesn't "sync-up" at an optimum level. Turning your computer off and on resets the connection and allows for a re-link attempt. Starting with TCP/IP remove and reinstall each network component also resetting their connections.