ART MATRIX - LIGHTLINK
                                            PO 880 Ithaca, NY 14851-0880
                                            (607) 277-0959      Voice
                                            (607) 277-8913      Fax
                                            (607) 277-5026      Modems
                                            homer@lightlink.com E-mail
                                            jes@lightlink.com   E-mail
 
                                            09/01/03 8:04pm
     Windows 95/98/ME/XP
     FORCED ERROR CORRECTION

     The single most important modem setting that fixes the vast
majority of connection problems is called 'required to connect' in
Windows 98/ME and 'Forced Error Correction' in XP.

     Error correction is necessary to have a solid connection, it
allows the modem to filter out noise and not take noise as data.

     By default your modem will try to *NEGOTIATE* for error
correction implying that if the line is not good enough it will sign
on with out it.  This is disasterous and almost ALWAYS results in a
disconnect soon after.  Most modems negotiate for error correction
sucessfully every time, but on marginal lines sometimes they fail,
then you get on, but its a bad connection so you get dumped.

     The answer to this is to *FORCE* the modem to use error control,
this bypasses the negotiation phase, and forces the modem to use it
whether it wants to or not.  If the line is so bad the error control
just can't work, the modem will not sign on at all.  The end result is
that if the modem DOES sign on, you know you have error control
working and much less chance of getting booted at the next noise
burst.

     WINDOWS 95/98/ME

     Goto MY COMPUTER -> DIAL UP NETWORKING, put mouse on
lightlink/onlineimage icon, hit with RIGHT button, pull down on
PROPERTIES.

     Hit on CONFIGURE, make sure modem speed is set to 115200, ->
CONNECTION across the top, -> ADVANCED lower right.

     Upper left USE ERROR CONTROL, REQUIRED TO CONNECT, AND COMPRESSED
DATA should all be on.  It's that REQUIRED TO CONNECT that is often
off.  Turn it on and make sure it stays on!

     Upper right USE FLOW CONTROL and HARDWARE should be on.

     In modem EXTRA SETTINGS put S10=20, this will increase your
modems tolerance for momentary breaches in the carrier signal due to
noisey phone lines.

     Hit OK all the way out, *NOT THE X IN THE UPPER CORNER* to make
sure your work is saved.  Next time you sign on, forced error
correction should be in effect.

 
     WINDOWS XP

     Windows XP makes it a bit harder to find the forced error
correction setting, so for many this has never been turned on.  So it
is vitally important that anyone running XP do so as soon as they can.

     Goto START -> CONTROL PANEL -> PHONE+MODEMS -> MODEMS, highlight
the modem you are actualy using if more than one is listed, ->
PROPERTIES, -> ADVANCED.

     Under EXTRA INITIALIZATION COMMANDS put S10=20

     Then -> CHANGE DEFAULT PREFERENCES

     Make sure things look like this.
 
     Port Speed:    115200
     Data Protocol: ForcedEC    <-- ***THIS IS THE ONE YOU NEED***
     Compression:   Enabled
     Flow Control:  Hardware

     Hit OK, then OK again, this should put you back in the Control
Panel.

     Goto NETWORK CONNECTIONS, put mouse on Lightlink/Onlineimage
icon, hit RIGHT button, pull down on PROPERTIES -> CONFIGURE.

     Modem speed should be set to 115200.

     THe following should all be checked on.

     ENABLE HARDWARE FLOW CONTROL
     ENABLE MODEM ERROR CONTROL     <- ForceEC above will force it
     ENABLE MODEM COMPRESSION

     Hit OK, then hit on OPTIONS.

     Notice IDEL TIME BEFORE HANGING UP IS SET TO 20 MINUTES.  That
means if you walk away from your machine for 20 minutes it will hang
up on you.

     Hit OK, and then quit out of the Control Panel.
 
     Homer