Modem - A hardware device usually attached to a computer which allows the computer to communicate with another remote modem over a telephone line. A modem does for computers what a telephone does for humans. Just as a telephone set allows two humans to speak to one another over telephone wires, a modem allows two computers to speak to each other over telephone wires. For an advanced discussion of modem technology, click here.

Three things that can affect your modem's functionality are:

Settings - Speed & Flow Control can affect slow throughput, or even getting connected in the first place.
Init Strings - Commands to alter the way your modem acts. This is a step deeper than Speed & Flow.
Drivers - Software that allows your Windows OS to speak to your modem. Reinstallation is often required.

Two modem settings in particular can really affect your modem's performance: Maximum Speed and Flow Control. Slow performance, sporadic behavior, or even getting connected can all be influenced by these two settings.

Speed - By default, Windows sets your modem's speed to 115200 bps. This is more than double the speed of a 56k modem. In fact, actual speeds obtained with a 56k modem are typically less than 42k, and often less than 28k. If your PC is trying to speak to your modem two to four times faster than the modem can actually handle, your modem's performance can degrade. Most people actually see higher throughput by slowing their modem. So, it's best to set the modem's speed no higher than 57600.

Flow Control - Most modern modems are Internal Modems (PCI slot) and require special settings in order to function properly. This is because they are "software-driven" modems (a.k.a. - "WinModems"). "WinModem" is a widely used term to refer to any modem that does not handle all of the functions of a traditional modem, but depends upon an operating-system driver in order to work. Click here for an Advanced Discussion of Software Modems.

External modems, V34 modems and laptop modems are highly unlikely to be "Software" modems.

Internal modems are most typically "Software" modems. If the name of your modem contains the words "56", "v90", "Soft", "Win", there is a very strong chance it requires "Software Flow Control".

The most common "win" modems are:

Soft Modems

HSP Modems

PCTel

LT Win Modem

Lucent Win Modem US Robotics 56k Win Modem

Rockwell/Conexant HCF, HSF, Soft56

AMR Modems

many USB modems

BCM

ESS SupraMax 56k

Motorola SM56

Zoltrix

Shark

IntelHam

Before your modem dials a phone number, your computer software initializes your modem by sending it a series of commands (strings or AT commands) known as initialization strings (commonly referred to as init strings). Strings configure the modem's parameters for error correction, data compression, flow control, etc.

You can add init strings to change the operation of your modem. These are typically not required, but can be useful in correcting connection problems.

Init strings can be used to force a V.90 56k modem to act like a V.34 33.6k modem, which often improves throughput. V34 is much more stable and handles older static-prone phone lines better. If you are already connecting at under 34k, you should experience higher throughput and more stable connections by forcing the modem to use V34.

Note: Before trying init strings, try altering Maximum Speed & Flow Control, as described above.

A driver is a small piece of software that works in conjunction with your operating system to communicate with a specific piece of hardware i.e., printer, sound card, video card, modem, etc. Each time you install hardware, there must be a driver to accompany that piece of hardware. However, just as with any software, drivers are prone to bugs, corruption, and various incompatibility issues with the operating system. For this reason, hardware manufacturers upgrade their drivers to improve compatibility and performance. Modem initialization strings can also improve compatibility and performance.

Before upgrading your driver, try changing the Settings or adding Init Strings.

Once you've done that, click here for help with finding and installing drivers.