Why can't I connect at the same speed consistently?
There are two main reasons why you may not be able to connect to AOL at a consistent speed:
- Technological limitations:
The telephone system is an analogue network, originally
designed to carry voice calls only and hence not ideally suited
for transmitting computer data. As a result, the speed of an
Internet connection made via modem is never 100% consistent - a
certain amount of variation is normal and unavoidable.
- Line noise: Occasionally your AOL connection speed may be affected by static, stray noise or other intermittent faults on your telephone connection. If you are experiencing wildly erratic connection speeds, try the following:
- Make an ordinary phone call using the same line and listen for any static, crackles or any other unusual noise in the background.
- Try disconnecting any extra devices that you may have connected to the same phone line: answering machines, fax machines, extra telephone extensions, etc.
- If you have a spare telephone cable, try using that to connect your modem to the phone socket instead.
- Ensure that the cable connecting your modem to the phone line is as straight as possible and has nothing resting on it. Using extension cable can also cause additional problems as the longer the cable the more likely the connection is going to be variable.