There are a variety of reasons why your connection may be slower than your modem's rated speed or may drop from time to time. Usually, this is a phone line issue that's outside of our control, but here are some things to check:

1. We've had reports that some WinModems have problems staying connected.  In particular, at least one customer reported that they had serious problems with a PCTEL Platinum modem that was included in a brand-new Compaq computer.  When they replaced it with a USRobotics modem, all of their connectivity problems went away.
2. You may need to reinstall the communications software on your PC.  One customer recently had problems with a brand-new Dell computer, and finally resolved them when he uninstalled the communications drivers and reinstalled them from the Dell CD.
3. Your connection from the wall jack to the modem is too complex.
   • Try running the phone cable from the wall to the modem with no other connections (phone, fax machine, etc.)
   • Don't run a phone line extension cord over 15 feet.
4. Line noise may be affecting your connection.
   • A modem starts trying to connect at it's highest speed and negotiates with the other modem on a speed that is appropriate for the line conditions. Call your phone company to have them check your lines.
   • Keep your modem and cables away from "electrical noise sources" such as motors (vacuum cleaners, refrigerators etc.) and fluorescent lights.
5. Call Waiting can interrupt your connection
   • Try adding "*70," to the front of your dialup phone number
6. Random bad connection
   • Occasionally a call will go through a bad circuit. Hang up and try again.
7. Wet/Frozen Phone Lines can also cause problems with connections
8. Check your dialer's Idle Timeout settings and make sure it is set for 20 minutes or more
9. Our Terminal Servers will automatically log out connections that are idle for 20 minutes
10. Bell South/MCI problems
    • Call your local phone company to have them check your lines