Dialup FAQ and Troubleshooting

General Dialup Questions

Dialup Troubleshooting Questions

Modem Troubleshooting Questions

Initialization String Questions

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General Dialup Questions

How does dialup access work?
Your modem and your computer’s dialup software make a call to Cruzio’s modem pool when you click the “Connect to Cruzio” icon on your desktop. A modem at Cruzio answers the call and negotiates with your modem about the speeds and protocols the session will use. Your computer’s software sends your login and password information to Cruzio where it is authenticated. Then your connection is complete and you can do whatever you want on the Internet.
Why didn’t Cruzio give me software when I signed up?
Because you don’t need it. Your computer already comes packaged with dialup software, at least one Web browser program and at least one email program. ISPs that give you software just package those basic software programs into one big pile. That’s all fine and good until something goes wrong!
Does Cruzio support the v.92 protocol?
Yes! All Cruzio modems in the 56k modem pool are v.92 enabled. These include all modems accessed via numbers local to Santa Cruz county. Additionally, most of the modems available to customers using our nationwide access numbers are also v.92 enabled.
Why doesn’t my 56K modem ever connect at 56K?
FCC rules are that speeds over analog lines be limited to 53kbps. Also, the technology used in these modems requires a more or less pristine, perfect, dry, noise free phone line to achieve speeds faster than 33.6kbps. The 56k technology is still analog. That means high frequency audible tones are sent over the wire. Additionally, telephone company facilities were never intended to support the frequency ranges used in the modems.
How can I make my dialup connection faster?
Cruzio offers a Dialup Accelerator that is FREE to all dialup customers. This service can greatly increase the speed of Web browsing and email for dialup users. It does this by compressing and caching graphics, keeping them close to Cruzio for quicker retrieval. The Cruzio Dialup Accelerator also features a built-in pop-up and advertisement blocker! Check out the Dialup Accelerator FAQ for more info and to download the program.

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How can I use my dialup connection outside Santa Cruz County?
Cruzio offers dialup numbers throughout the United States. Just use our Find a Dialup Number tool. Enter the city and state of your location and click Get Number. If no numbers are listed in the results, try searching the next largest city or town nearby.
Once you’ve found a number, follow the instructions for nationwide dialup setup to change your computer’s settings.

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Dialup Troubleshooting Questions

My computer is unable to connect and is giving me the following message. What does it mean?

Windows

  1. Error 691: “The computer you are dialing in to cannot establish a Dialup Networking connection. Check your password, and then try again.”

    In almost all cases, this is caused by an incorrectly typed login or password. The formula for a correctly typed Cruzio login or password is typically the following:

    A 5-character login consisting of a lowercase ‘x’ and four numbers. Example: x1234

    An 8-character password consisting of four lowercase letters, followed sequentially by two uppercase characters and two numbers. Example: xxxxXX12

    The only exceptions to this rule are the following:

    Static Dialup customers, your login starts with the word ‘stat’ and is followed by four numbers. Example: stat1234

    DSL Backup Dialup logins start with the word ‘backup’. Example: backup1234

    DSL users with Static IP Addresses have logins that start with ‘sback’. Example: sback1234

    You can call Cruzio technical support at 459-6301 option 4 to have us confirm that you have the correct username/password combination and that your account is paid up and active.

    The rest of these errors are misconfigured or corrupt Microsoft Dialup Networking software or multiple Winsock.DLL files. You should call Cruzio technical support to see if we can help you configure this correctly. Make sure to have your Windows Operating System CD-ROM in hand when you call.

    Please note: It is at our discretion whether we decide to help you make changes of this sort to your Windows operating system. Cruzio will not be held accountable for any instability or damage that may result from modifications of this kind.

  2. Error 630: “The computer is not receiving a response from the modem. Check that the modem is plugged in, and if necessary, turn the modem off, and then turn it back on.”This means precisely what it says. The actual hardware component called the modem is unable to communicate with the rest of the computer. This can mean that the modem, if external, is not connected properly. In this case, simply check the connections to the modem, making sure that they are secure. Also, turning off the power and turning it back on can help to reset the modem.

    In some cases this means that the installed software (driver) by which the modem communicates to the rest of the computer is not installed properly. You may want to consider reinstalling the driver software that came with the modem. The directions that explain this procedure can be obtained from the manufacturer of the computer or modem. Sometimes these instructions can be found on the driver floppy disk or CD-ROM in what is called a README file.

    In most cases, however, the modem is an internal component (the phone jack on the back or side of your PC), and it’s not possible to check the connections or turn only the modem off and on. Also, in most cases, this error message is received when the hardware has undergone some sort of trauma (power surge, physical stress, etc.) and performing these steps will not solve the problem, but you’re welcome to give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous.

    Instead, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the modem so that they can perform some diagnostics to determine whether or not the modem is working properly.

  3. Error 645: “Dialup Networking could not complete the connection to the server. Check your configuration and try the connection again.”This problem is usually easily solved.

    In Windows XP: Verify that your login and password are correct. If this solves the problem, skip all the remaining steps.  Click Start and choose Programs -> Accessories -> Communications -> Dialup Networking. Right-click the icon for your connection, and then choose Properties.

    In Windows 95 or 98: Click the Server Types tab, click to clear the Require encrypted password check box, and then click OK. You may also receive this error in Windows 95 if TCP/IP is not installed and a dialup connection is attempted, in which case, you should contact the computer’s manufacturer to have Tech Support help you reinstall this component.

    In Windows ME: Click the Security tab, click to clear the Require encrypted password check box, and then click OK.

  4. Error 650: “The computer you’re dialing into does not respond to a network request.”Double-click the My Computer icon, double-click the Dialup Networking icon, locate your connection icon for Cruzio, right-click on this icon and select Properties, and go to the tab labeled Server Types. Is ‘Log On To Network’ selected? Please deselect it.

    If ‘Log On To Network’ is not selected, this may also mean that you either have no winsocks or they are corrupt. Please reboot your computer. If the problem persists, give us a call here in Technical Support at 459-6301 extension 4, so that we can help you reinstall your Communications components.

    Please be sure to have your Windows 98 CD-ROM with you when you call.Please note: It is at our discretion whether we decide to help you make modifications of this sort to your Windows Operating System. Cruzio will not be held accountable for any instability or damage that may result from modifications of this sort.

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Mac or Windows

  1. Error 680/No Dialtone/Could Not Detect a Dial Tone:These errors can be caused by one of several things, commonly, a modem which is unable to hear a dial tone because:
    • The phone cord is not plugged into the modem or the phone jack properly. Unplug and replug both the side of the phone cord which goes into the modem and the side which goes into the wall jack. If you have a spare telephone cable, try swapping this out to see if the line you were using is problematic.
    • The modem may be plugged into a dead wall jack. Try plugging a telephone into the wall jack to see if you hear a dial tone. Can you make an outgoing call? If not, contact AT&T by dialing 611; they can, more often than not, help fix this problem while you’re still on the telephone with an AT&T representative.
    • The modem may be faulty or has a bad driver or script installed. Consult the manual or software that came with the modem. If you feel confident reinstalling the driver or script that came with the modem, give it a try. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, call the modem manufacturer’s Technical Support.
    • The phone cord may be plugged into the wrong port on the back/side of the computer. The modem port should be labeled (though not always clearly) by either the word “line,” a modem icon, or by an icon which looks like a telephone handset. Consult the manual that came with the computer to verify the modem port.
  2. My computer just dials repeatedly, each time asking me for my password. How do I get it to connect?

    If you’re on a Windows computer, stop this process completely. Close any windows that you have open. Double-click the icon My Computer, double-click Dialup Networking, locate your connection icon for Cruzio and double-click it. Do not click “Connect.” What shows up in the “User name” box?

    Most often, this is caused by an incorrectly typed username or password. The formula for a correctly typed Cruzio login and password is:

    A 5-character login consisting of a lowercase “x” and four numbers. Example: x1234

    An 8-character password consisting of four lowercase letters, followed sequentially by two uppercase characters and two numbers. Example: xxxxXX12

    The only exceptions to this rule are the following:

    Static Dialup customers, your login starts with the word “stat” followed by four numbers. Example: stat1234

    DSL Backup Dialup logins start with the word “backup.” Example: backup1234

    DSL users with Static IP Addresses have logins that start with “sback.” Example: sback1234

    You can call Cruzio technical support to confirm that you have the correct login and password and that your account is paid up and active.

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Mac

  1. Authentication Failed: As it says, the Username/Password being entered is not being accepted by the server you’re dialing into. The formula for a correctly typed Cruzio login and password is:A 5-character login consisting of a lowercase “x” and four numbers.
    Example: x1234An 8-character password consisting of four lowercase letters, followed sequentially by two uppercase characters and two numbers.
    Example: xxxxXX12The only exceptions to this rule are the following:Static Dialup customers, your login starts with the word “stat” followed by four numbers.
    Example: stat1234DSL Backup Dialup logins start with the word “backup.”
    Example: backup1234DSL users with Static IP Addresses have logins that start with “sback.”
    Example: sback1234 You can call Cruzio technical support to confirm that you have the correct login and password and that your account is paid up and active.
  2. “The Connection Attempt Failed, The Port May Already Be In Use By Another Application”This means one of two things:
    • The modem is plugged into a port (modem/printer/etc.) which is not selected in the Modem Control Panel, in which case you should go to the Apple Menu (the Apple icon in the upper left-hand corner) to Control Panel -> Modems, making sure that the port which the modem is physically plugged into on the back of your computer is the one actually selected.
    • The modem may be faulty or has a bad modem script installed. Consult the manual/software that came with the modem. If you feel confident reinstalling the script that came with the modem, give it a try. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, call the modem manufacturer’s Technical Support.

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I know that my login and password are correct. Why are they getting rejected?
Make very sure that you’re typing your Cruzio login and password exactly as they appear. If you see a letter in uppercase, type it in uppercase. Is the Number Lock light on your keyboard lit? If the light is not lit and you’ve been using the 10-digit keypad on the right side of your keyboard to type the numbers in your password, please enable the Number Lock on your keyboard, erase and retype the password.

Try typing your login and password in a blank document; either a Notepad or TextEdit document will do. Do all of the characters appear as they’ve been typed? If not, and you’ve checked that both ‘Number Lock’ and ‘Caps Lock’ are not enabled, contact your computer’s Tech Support. Your computer might need to have some diagnostics performed to verify that both the keyboard and computer are functioning properly.

Although your paperwork may show a login and password that you remember being current, things change. There may have been an instance where, for emergency purposes, you had to call us up here in Technical Support and have your login or password changed. Call Cruzio Tech Support to verify your login and password.

Are you sure that your bill is completely up to date? Contact Cruzio Customer Service to verify that this is the case.

When I try to dial the Internet, I’m getting “Illegal Operation” errors of “Type 1”, “Type 2”, or “Page Fault” errors. What do I do?
Reboot your computer. Does this solve the problem? If not, take note of any changes that you’ve made to your computer the last few times that you used it and call Technical Support for the manufacturer of the machine. You may also want to consider having the machine looked at or overhauled by one of the many consultants in our local consultant listings.”Page Fault” and “Illegal Operation” messages are Windows errors that indicate that there is a conflict occurring between one or more processes running on your computer. The best people to help are those endorsed by the manufacturer of your computer or those certified to work on the operating system.

Errors of ‘Type 1’ or ‘Type 2’ on a MacOS machine indicates a lack of system resources. This may mean that the applications that you’re trying to run require more RAM or a faster CPU than you have installed. Again, contacting the manufacturer or a consultant is recommended.

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Recently my connection speed has decreased drastically. What can I do to improve it?
If you live in a rural area of Santa Cruz County, approximately 7 miles or farther from the AT&T switch office, there may be a pair gain box installed on the copper phone wire that goes to your neighborhood. A pair gain box splits 19 phone lines into 1100 phone lines to enable the dial tone to reach distant homes. Pair gain-serviced phone lines will cause reduced modem speeds. 56k modems may only reach speeds of 26k to 40k.
Regardless of the existence of a Pair Gain box, the data that is being transferred between our computers and yours has to travel over common telephone lines. In certain cases, these lines are over half a century old. The inconsistencies or slowness experienced on these lines are variable. We recommend contacting AT&T at 611 to have the continuity or transfer abilities of your telephone line tested. They are, more often than not, able to test the lines with you on the line, while speaking to a AT&T representative.

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I get disconnected frequently for no reason. What is causing this? How can I fix this?
If you’re a Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express user and you notice that this problem occurs when you open up this program and check for new mail, this problem may be a setting inside of the application. Here’s how to correct it:In the Outlook Express menu, choose Tools -> Options. Select the Connection tab and uncheck “Ask before switching dialup connections” and “Hang up after sending and receiving.”In the Outlook 2000 menu, choose Tools -> Options. Click the Mail Delivery tab and uncheck “Hang up when finished sending, receiving and updating.”If you’re not an Outlook user and you’re still getting disconnected at random intervals, please contact Technical Support. We can help to determine the source of the problem, whether it’s a misconfiguration or (often inaudible) noise on your telephone line.

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I get disconnected frequently when downloading large files. How can I fix this?
The most common reason for frequent disconnection problems, where the modem hangs up (usually between 8 to 15 minutes) is that other devices are connected to the same telephone line that the modem is plugged into.

It is important to unplug all phones or faxes connected to the same phone line that your modem is using. Also, it’s not a good idea to plug the phone line your modem uses into a power surge protector or other kinds of electronic devices or switches.

The reason behind this is that the phones and faxes recharge their memories from the telephone line. When this happens, it puts electrical noise onto the line, causing unreliable network connections or even making the modem disconnect.

You also should check that your email program is set to check for mail every 5 minutes. Cruzio has an automatic 15 minute time-out to disconnect users whose connection has been inactive for more than 15 minutes. Often when reading and answering email or reading a Web page it may appear to our automated server systems that you have left your computer, so it automatically disconnects. By setting your email program to check mail every 5 minutes, your computer will keep our automated system from disconnecting you.

Sometimes when downloading large files from websites, your modem disconnects before the download is complete. This can be very annoying due to the time it takes to download a large file. When your computer contacts a host computer to download a file, the file is broken up into packets and sent to your computer. At the same time the host computer is also sending packets to other computers that have requested the same file. The host computer sends the first packet to each computer, then sends the second packet to the group in order, and so on. If there are a lot of computers asking for the same file, there may be a long wait between delivery of each packet. This delay can cause your computer to disconnect prematurely.

Listed below are download sites of two shareware programs that will help with this annoying problem:

Windows

GetRight allows graceful recovery and resuming if you are disconnected in the middle of saving a file from the Web to your hard drive. For example, if you have finished getting 95% of a 10 megabyte file and get disconnected, GetRight just finishes getting the last 5% without restarting from the beginning. The only drawback of this program is that the server you are downloading from must support partial requests.

Mac

Monica is a very efficient download manager. Just drag and drop or paste the URL of an HTTP or FTP file into Monica and it will queue the files and download them later at your request. Monica will restart lost connections and resume downloads if this option is available.

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Why do I get disconnected during wet weather? How can I fix this?
When the wet weather starts, phone disconnects and static start to occur with more frequency.

Your phone line connects to your home at a little junction box. Most houses more than a few years old have junction boxes which tend to be home for spiders, tons of dust and dirt and often some form of invasive climbing vine.

Add rain and this material conducts electricity a little better, voila! Shorting phone lines.

If you are experiencing random disconnects, one of the best things you can do is make sure your phone terminal box on the side of your house is dry and clean. Be careful if you mess with wires. A good rule of thumb here is: If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t do it. If the problem persists, call AT&T at 611 and ask them to test your line for static or line noise. Even if your phone box is dry and clean, the cross connect “bulb” at the telephone pole or the line junction box on the corner might have the same problem. We’ve seen whole neighborhoods, especially in SLV and in the outlying areas, experience disconnect and line noise problems during and after storms.

If you are still seeing modem problems and have checked your outside wiring and asked the telco to do a line noise check, please contact Cruzio support, and we’ll work with you to figure out what’s happening.

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Why is my 56k modem not performing like it did when I first bought it?
You may need to update your modem firmware.56k modems need to update their firmware to keep up with current technology. Cruzio updates it’s 56k modem pool firmware as we receive updates from the manufacturer.

Firmware is software that resides in the modem hardware that can be electronically reprogrammed by software. Most 56k modems have so-called flash ROM, or software-upgradable firmware.

Check the website of your modem manufacturer for firmware update information.

Things can go wrong during the flashing process, rendering the modem inoperable. Exercise caution. Read and understand the directions before starting the upgrade process. Don’t try to run other programs while flashing the firmware, and only use firmware updates intended for your specific modem. If something does go wrong during the update, you will need to contact the modem manufacturer for a replacement.

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My modem is not reporting the true connect speed. Why?
According to 56k.com: “You must install the correct drivers for your modem. For instance, you would need to the correct .inf file for Windows 95 Dialup Networking, or the correct CCL file for Apple’s PPP for Open Transport. The drivers interpret the result code from the connection and translate it into a connect speed. Without the driver, you won’t get an accurate connect speed.”
Also, just because your modem works, it doesn’t mean you have the best set of drivers installed to operate your modem. Many dialup modem users might be using generic versions of their modem’s driver, which might not report the true connect speed. In this instance, if it is important that you know your true connect speed, or are otherwise not satisfied with your modem’s performance, you should upgrade your modem’s driver to the correct version in order to remedy these problems.

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Dialing Cruzio, I get a “Opening port….error 692”?
When trying to establish an Internet connection with Cruzio, you may get the following error message: “Opening port….error 692: There was a hardware failure in the modem (or other connecting device)”This error means that the computer dialer was unable to contact the modem. Reasons for this are:

  • The dialer is trying to dial a modem that is no longer installed on the computer. You must install a modem on this computer.
  • There is more than one modem installed on the computer. The dialer is trying to dial a modem that is no longer connected to the computer. If this is the problem, simply reconfigure the dialer so that it is dialing with the modem that IS connected to the computer.

    Windows 95 or 98

    1. On the Windows Desktop, double-click on My Computer.
    2. Double-click the Dialup Networking Folder.
    3. Right-click the Cruzio connection and go to Properties. If you have more than one, then identify the one that produced the error message.
    4. Under the “Connect Using” field, do you have more than one modem on the drop-down list? If you do, select the other modem(s) on the list and try dialing with those selected. Otherwise, you do not have more than one modem installed on this computer.
  • The dialer is trying to dial a modem that is not functioning properly, or that has wrong drivers installed for it. You must reinstall your modem drivers.

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How do I test my modem to make sure it is responding properly?
To verify that your Operating System is able to issue commands to your modem successfully:Windows 95 or 98

  1. Start/Settings/Control Panel
  2. Double-click Modems Applet
  3. Select Diagnostics Tab
  4. Select the comm port that your modem is connected to.
    • If your modem is responding properly, your modem should respond to the ATI commands issued to it by the computer.
    • If modem diagnostics reports that it is “unable to open comm port..” or “port is already open”, then it is possible that there is fax software or some other application grabbing the comm port away from the dialer. You would need to disable these applications. Also, it is possible that the Operating System is trying to query the modem on the incorrect comm port. Usually, you will need to reinstall/update your modem drivers so that the OS configures the modem on the correct comm port.
    • If modem diagnostics reports “..the modem failed to respond..”, then you should reinstall your modem drivers.

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What is an initialization string (“init string”)?
Every modem has features that can either be enabled or disabled using an init string. Features such as turning off the modem speaker, or turning on pulse dialing, or commanding the modem to wait a specified amount of time before timing out the connection, etc. Modem users can use Init Strings (written in the AT command language developed by Hayes) to communicate with the modem.
An example of an LT-Winmodem 56k and V90 modems possible init string is:

AT&F&C0&D0S38=0

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Do I need to use an initialization string with my particular modem to connect to Cruzio?
If it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. Most of the time, it is not necessary to customize an init string for your modem. However, if you are experiencing trouble connecting to Cruzio with a particular modem, and another modem you own connects to Cruzio just fine using the same telephone line, this is one possible indication that your non-working modem might need a new software driver, or if that doesn’t work, to be initialized with a proper init string to connect to Cruzio.

Most of the time, dialup modem users do not need to specify a special sequence of commands to the modem to initialize it correctly. A modem will generally initialize itself correctly and work right out of the box once it is installed with the latest software drivers and firmware. The modem manufacturer usually does a pretty good job of setting up the modem initially with the best possible sequence of commands to make it work in the most situations possible.

However, sometimes modems have difficulty connecting to certain modem pools over certain line conditions, so it might be necessary to customize an init string for your particular situation.

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Where can I find an init string for my modem?
Try Modem Help. If that site doesn’t help, then contact your modem’s manufacturer.

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