#Cis vs Modem problem
19 messages in this thread
Hi All;
<<a problem I've been having on and off for about a week and a half. I'm
noticing that my local access number to CIS has been very erratic. Before this
started, my connections were always very quick and stable at 14.4. Since this
started, I am sometimes unable to connect, and have to redial several times.
My connection sometimes occurs at odd baud rates (other than 14.4). My modem
seems to be working o.k. I sent a message to Customer Services and got the
usual form response saying that they are very busy and that they hope to
provide an answer "soon". Some support! I wonder if any other users, especially
in northern New Jersey, have encountered similar problems?>>
I received a reply from Betty Clay with what seemed like a very logical
scenario involving intermittent modem problems at the Cis node. I told Betty
that the problems seemed to have disappeared. After about 3 days of trouble
free on-line access, I have now started to experience the same phenomenon. A
while ago, I tried to log onto Cis with AP and had to redial 4 times before
getting a connection. The connection was at 12k (usually 14.4k). My AP setup is
at 14.4 for the first phone number, and I have the other numbers set at
inactive!?!.
Another strange thing that has been happening for the last +/- 2 weeks is that
the auto-answer light on my modem frequently blinks and sometimes goes off for
a few seconds. I have tried to pick up a possible incoming call when I have
been at the computer and noticed this, with Term. I don't get any connection.
My modem line is a dedicated line, and the number of course is unlisted.???
I finally got an answer to my query to Cis Feedback (after 5 days) suggesting
that there have been no known problems with my access line.
I wonder if the problem lies elsewhere? Could my serial port be causing this? I
am using the serial port on my GVP '040 accelerator.
Any helpful suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I also posted this same
message in AUser Forum hoping someone who might help may not access both
forums.
Pax Vobiscum! Hank
from northern N.J. running A2000 GVP'040@33
>I'm noticing that my local access number to CIS has been very erratic. Before
this started, my connections were always very quick and stable at 14.4. Since
this started, I am sometimes unable to connect, and have to redial several
times. My connection sometimes occurs at odd baud rates (other than 14.4).<
Me too! B-)
Let me explain. It started for me around February-March. I cannot tell you
exactly because the problem occurs in a random manner. I joined CI$ around
autumn '92, and I remember that the connection in Madrid was rather reliable.
Only few times the line was busy, but that was all.
I started to connect from Munich on autumn '93, and I remember that the
connection was even more reliable, and it was really difficult to find the line
busy. Then, I moved to berlin in March '94, just to find the same connection
reliability.
But since February-March this year, sometimes I have to call even 4-5 or 6
times to get a connection, and then, a much longer time than usual passes from
the "carrier detected" light on until I see CONNECT 14400. Right after that,
the CI$ node starts to send question mark characters like crazy (something like
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????, and so on) and I have to abort the connection, because this can
last for several minutes. If I get a CONNECT 14400/V42 I now that everything is
OK.
I complained to customer service, and they said that, due to the higher
connection speed, the commands in the init string should be more accurate. They
gave me a init string for my modem (GVC 14400 V.42bis/MNP5) and MacCIM (for the
Emplant side of the Amiga) but the problem remains the same. I know that the
problem is on their side for sure, because I find the same sympthoms in both
AutoPilot and MacCIM and MacPPP.
I blamed the CI$ congestion, but after thinking twice about it, what really
should occur should be that you should find the line busy, and that's it,
because here in Germany every local call costs 0,23 DM and every four tries I
spend 1DM (=0,70$), so it's not funny at all!!!
I've been trying to complain all last week, but the customer service phone was
engaged all the time. I'll try again this week.
You had no problems before with the GVP '040 serial port, right? Why should you
have problems now? Now you know who is the culprit.
Hope this helps
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
Rafa;
<You had no problems before with the GVP '040 serial port, right? Why should
you have problems now? Now you know who is the culprit.>
I'm not really sure! Paul Dowgewicz from Connecticut has been having similar
problems and had the phone company check his line.T hey told him it was the
phone line's fault.!??
<But since February-March this year, sometimes I have to call even 4-5 or 6
times to get a connection, and then, a much longer time than usual passes from
the "carrier detected" light on until I see CONNECT 14400. >
My symptoms sure sound like yours!!!
Pax Vobiscum! Hank
from northern N.J. running A2000 GVP'040@33
Hi Hank,
> I tried to log onto Cis with AP and had to redial 4 times before getting a
connection. The connection was at 12k (usually 14.4k). My AP setup is at 14.4
for the first phone number, and I have the other numbers set at inactive
I know, that this will *not* help you, but here in Europe the nodes of CIS are
often so busy, that it is *usual* by now, to have to dial twice to get one
connect!
As far as I have heard the roumors, CIS-Members have doubled (!) the last 6
months! That will cause trouble.
Anoter possibility is, that the quality of your phoneline has fallen. In that
case your modem and the one of CIS will reduce speed. Only to *not* exchange
pure garbage. This will happen automatically. (I have heard of an AT command,
where you can forbid that [I don't remember it now <sigh>] but there will be a
severe danger: In case of a bad line, occuring during a connection, you are
thrown out.)
Hope that helps you
cu
Ernst
>=====on AutoPilot_1.80 [what else?] for AMIGA—–> from Europe/Austria/Vienna
Thanks for the input, Ernest;
I think maybe the increased load has something to do with it. I'm going to go
ahead and have the phone company check the line, anyway, just to be sure.
Somehow, I don't picture Cis admitting that it is their problem.
Pax Vobiscum! Hank
from northern N.J. running A2000 GVP'040@33
Hank,
I agree! but if your phonecompany tells you, that the line is o.k. go and tell
CIS! Perhaps there is a ruined modem, causing your problem or something else.
Perhaps they are switching to 28.800 and this could cause a problem too.
cu
Ernst
>=====on AutoPilot_1.80 [what else?] for AMIGA—–> from Europe/Austria/Vienna
Ernest;
According to a list of local access numbers posted by Cis in one of their
basic services, no changes to 28.8k areplanned for my access line in the near
future.!?
I'm certainly going to sound off to them if my phone line checks out allright.
Pax Vobiscum! Hank
from northern N.J. running A2000 GVP'040@33
Hi Hank,
>no changes to 28.8k areplanned for my access line in the near future.!?
Same game as in Vienna, Austria, where my node is situated. They told us, that
they will not change to 14.400 till the end of the year. Now we have 14.400 and
sometimes we can connect with 28.800. When we ask, if they plan to switch to
28.800 they say "No changes are planned for the near future, there must be a
deffective modem which is loosing the setup" <vbg>
cu
Ernst
Ernst
>=====on AutoPilot_1.80 [what else?] for AMIGA—–> from Europe/Austria/Vienna
>Same game as in Vienna, Austria, where my node is situated. They told us, that
they will not change to 14.400 till the end of the year. Now we have 14.400 and
sometimes we can connect with 28.800. When we ask, if they plan to switch to
28.800 they say "No changes are planned for the near future, there must be a
deffective modem which is loosing the setup" <vbg><
Very big ROFL!!!
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
Ernst:
< When we ask, if they plan to switch to 28.800 they say "No changes are
planned for the near future, there must be a deffective modem which is loosing
the setup>
At least they admit their shortcomings!
Pax Vobiscum! Hank
from northern N.J. running A2000 GVP'040@33
>I'm going to go ahead and have the phone company check the line, anyway,<
I know I have a crappy line, but when there is a problem with it, the TST light
of my modem starts to blink like crazy, or even gets off, until the connection
gets better, and then the TST light becomes steady again, and the connection
and data exchange continues.
>Somehow, I don't picture Cis admitting that it is their problem.<
It's THEIR problem. It worked MUCH better before.
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
Hi,
that sounds like a fall-down, which means that the modems go to a lower speed
because of a bad line.
cya
Jochen Antesberger from Neuburg a.d. Donau – Bavaria/Germany
Titanic – Hindenburg – Challenger – Intel Pentium … what comes NeXT?
Jochen
It could be that. But my line is as bad as it was before! B-)
Regards
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
>I know, that this will *not* help you, but here in Europe the nodes of CIS are
often so busy, that it is *usual* by now, to have to dial twice to get one
connect!<
If the line were too busy, the CI$ modem should refuse the call (i.e. you
should get a "BUSY" answer). Otherwise, you are charged for a useless call!!!
>Anoter possibility is, that the quality of your phoneline has fallen. In that
case your modem and the one of CIS will reduce speed. Only to *not* exchange
pure garbage. This will happen automatically.<
That's it. Sometimes I get a 9600 connection automatically. That's part of the
"handshake" process between the two modems, and it hapens until you get the
CONNECT message from the modem.
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
Hi Rafael,
>If the line were too busy, the CI$ modem should refuse the call (i.e. you
should get a "BUSY" answer). Otherwise, you are charged for a useless call!!!
Thats the theory! I agree! But (the last days are better now) it was usual,
that you could hear a free line, but no modem was answering. Or it was
answering and 2 seconds later you were thrown out. Or you could hear a free
line, but the modem was answering and disturbed by that beep beep! Real crazy!
And expensive! :-(((
Ernst
>=====on AutoPilot_1.80 [what else?] for AMIGA—–> from Europe/Austria/Vienna
>Thats the theory! I agree! But (the last days are better now) it was usual,
that you could hear a free line, but no modem was answering. Or it was
answering and 2 seconds later you were thrown out. Or you could hear a free
line, but the modem was answering and disturbed by that beep beep! Real crazy!
And expensive! :-(((<
Aha!!! I'm not the only one!
Thanks Ernst.
Rafa <Motorola Inside>
…via AutoPilot 1.80 from Berlin
Hi Rafael, >Aha!!! I'm not the only one!
No! there is a growing crowd of people, which have their difficulties wich
going online!
Ernst
>=====on AutoPilot_1.80 [what else?] for AMIGA—–> from Europe/Austria/Vienna
> If the line were too busy, the CI$ modem should refuse the call (i.e. you
> should get a "BUSY" answer). Otherwise, you are charged for a useless
> call!!!
It often happens. I get a mixture of engaged signals, calls where CIS answers
but I don't get a CONNECT message and calls where I get a CONNECT message but
don't get a Host Name prompt. Some days it happens several times before I can
get on, somedays I get on first time.
Peter Wade
Autopiloting from London, England
>I get a mixture of engaged signals, calls where CIS >answers but I don't get a
CONNECT message and calls > where I get a CONNECT >message but don't get a Host
Name prompt. >Some days it happens several times…
I complained about this happening on the main London node, 570 5000 (490 8881
still OK) and they said they'd had hardware probs this last week. No offer of
credit for phone bill. Surprise.
Seems to work OK now.
Or it did until now – just gone down again.
Incidentally I use AP, set serial speed to 57,600 and have a 28k modem
The dialling message at the top of the AP window says "connecting 28800" but I
don't think it is – whenever I try to download I only get ~ 1600 cps whereas on
CIX I get ~ 5/6000