How to Set Download Speed of a Port
If your dial-up modem or other external serial device seems to be performing poorly, it may not be communicating with the computer as quickly as it can. Windows gives users the ability to alter the speed at which devices communicate with the computer over the serial port. Change this speed to maximize the performance of your device.
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Instructions
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Click "Start," then click "Control Panel." Double-click "Device Manager."
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Click the plus sign next to "Ports" in the Device Manager, and locate the port number you would like to adjust.
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Right-click on the entry for the port (e.g. "COM2"), and click "Properties."
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Click on the "Port Settings" tab.
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Click the drop-down menu next to "Bits per second," and select the desired value. The suggested setting for 56k dial-up modems is "115200" or higher. Click "OK" and restart your computer. The new port speed will take effect after the computer reboots.
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Tips & Warnings
Changing the speed of a port in Windows maximizes the speed at which the operating system communicates with the device. However, it cannot change the speed of the device itself. This method cannot be used, for example, to make a 56k dial-up modem connect to the Internet at a higher speed.
If the port speed that you set exceeds the maximum communication speed of the device, the device may stop working properly. For example, a 33.6 kbps dial-up modem may only be able to communicate with the computer at speeds up to 57.6 kbps. If your device stops working after you raise the port speed, return to the Control Panel and revert it to its previous value.
