In a message dated 04/02/2004 1:00:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> On some days when the connection is supposedly slow, I can work very
> quickly. On some days when the connection is supposedly fast, the computer
> seems sluggish.
>
> Is there another factor that governs the speed of Internet activity? If so,
> what is the meaning of the modem speed?
>
> David Grossman
>

There are several factors. When you connect to a particular server near you,
your connection speed and ability to receive and transmit information can be
dependent on whether the servers are compliant with the new V92 standard or the
older, more prevalent V90. Also the amount of traffic being routed through
the server at any one time has an impact. Early in the morning at late in the
afternoon many businesses are using up a lot of bandwidth with their
transactions, particularly banks. In the early part of the evening, many people sign on
to retrieve e-mails and such increasing traffic. Weather conditions can have an
impact on your phone lines, particularly during cold weather or during and
after rain. You can play around with different numbers at different times of day
to find a server that will give you the best connection and you can try
signing off and resigning on to see if you get a different bit rate. You can be
trying to contact the server at the same time tens or hundreds of other requests
are being made and be caught in a "traffic" jam. With a dial-up connection,
there is a lot left to be desired and it will take some experimentation to find
a good combination of times and access numbers to get satisfactory results.
There are programs and web sites that will offer some help on the Windows side
via registry settings for packet size that will help, albeit marginally, to
increase page loading speed. Alas, the dial-up modem is the Model "T" on the
Internet Autobahn!

Chris Ryan
[log in to unmask]

        The NOSPIN Group provides a monthly newsletter with great
       tips, information and ideas: NOSPIN-L, The NOSPIN Magazine
           Visit our web site to signup: http://freepctech.com