How to Get a Dial-Up Modem Faster

Increase your dial-up connection's speed by reducing your virtual clutter.

Dial-up connections have been superseded by faster technologies, but for reasons of cost or availability, some people still use them to access the Internet. Though dial-up speeds are never going to match those of high-speed broadband, there are ways to get the most out of of your dial-up connection.

Instructions

1. Click "Start," go to "My Computer" and select "System Properties." Click the "Modem" tab and change the port speed to 115000.

2. Exit out of other programs or tabs while using your connection to help speed things along. If you are an advanced user, you can press "Ctrl-Alt-Delete," click the "Processes" tab, and terminate programs that you know are safe to end.

3. Clear your history and cookies after using your connection. Do this manually by accessing the sub-folders in "My Computer" or by checking your options under the "Tools" drop-down menu in your browser. If you use Mozilla Firefox, for example, go to the "Tools" drop-down menu, click "Options" and disallow the browser from saving history and cookies.

Tips & Warnings

• Ending processes that are important to the normal functioning of your computer can have myriad negative consequences. Be sure you know what you are ending.

• Changing your port speed to higher than 115000 can cause malfunctioning.

References

• Maximize Dial-up Modem Settings