56K modem is only connecting at 26.4k (26400 bps)

Solution:

The major limiting factor in 56K connections is the number of Analog to Digital (A/D) switches between your modem and the modem you are dialing into. If there is more than one A/D switch, a 56K connection will not be possible. Since this would be a phone company controlled situation (and therefore out of the hands of the person making the phone call), we'll concentrate instead on other wiring possibilities.

Poor line quality and line noise are also factors in reduced connection speeds and unfortunately tend to pop-up more often these days. Here's a few simple steps to see if anything in your own home phone wiring might be causing you connection problems.

Direct Connection

The 'best' connection you can use would be a so-called 'direct connection' - meaning the physical phone line your computer uses doesn't connect to any splitters or through another telephone. For most people this isn't the case since the cost of adding a second phone line isn't realistic. That leads us to the next possibility...

Other Devices

If the modem shares the overall phone line with any other devices, especially powered devices, the phone line can have it's overall sound quality (fidelity) corrupted. The most common suspects for this problem are: cordless phone basses, answering machines and fax machines.

To test this, disconnect all other telephone devices at the wall jack that they plug into. Once you have only the modem using the phone line, try your connection again. If your connection speed jumps up (over 40000 kbs), you can then reconnect the individual items back into the phone line until you see your connection speed drop. At that point you know what device is causing the problem and you can contact the manufacturer for assistance in resolving the problem.

To date, this solution has identified fax machines as being the major source of 'dirty' phone lines. If you have a fax machine on the same line with your computer, disconnect it and try your computer's connection before any other troubleshooting.

External Noise (RFI)

It's also possible that any noise could be coming from a source external to your home or office wiring; Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is a condition where radio signals are able to enter the phone wiring and are 'heard' by the modem. Very similar to hearing a crossed-phone conversation.

There are a number of filtering devices that can help: One the the best 'bang for the buck' items is typically referred to as a 'choke' - typically comes 2 to a package in most main-stream electronics stores. These items are rectangular plastic cases enclosing a metal form that can be opened and closed. The idea is to wrap the phone cord around the form, then close it - causing an electronic 'bump' that filters out external radio noise.

Weather

Weather can and does play a significant factor in overall phone audio quality - and this then effects the modem's ability to correctly negotiate a connection. Just like with normal voice communications the better the weather, the better the connection.

In some cases weather-related problems can be traced to mechanical problems with the phone line - typically a loose connection somewhere. Making sure all the physical connections are tight and clean may help with a weather-based connection problem.

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