Holy grail - speeding up 56k?

Zaphod Beeblebrox

OK I know this will have been posted a million times by now, so sorry and please go easy on the flaming

I use my comp mainly for games and online games in particular. So far I can play any game - as long as it's a Half Life mod that is. My conn is simply too slow for anything like Q3. But now it's too slow even for HL mods. So I'm going to ask a really stupid question:
Could all the kind and generous people out there please please post any information at all on speeding up a 56k EXCEPT changing ISP - I don't own the house so I can't change ISP. Will any type of modem be better than the one that came with my computer? Are there any windows settings I can change? Anything at all? Please help, before I go out and buy a chainsaw.

Stuff that might help:
OS: Windows 98se (but getting XP soon)
Modem: SupraExpress 56i V PRO

Thanks

Fidelis

"I don't own the house so I can't change ISP"

The isp isn't something that will affect the house, it's simply a phone number to dial-up. I have both an Eircon & Oceanfree dial-up otpion. It's not something that requires any hardware, simply a phone number that you get off those 'free' cd's.

Secondly, alot of it depends on the quality of the line going into your house. I for example have an excellent line out of pure luck. I'm on an untweaked generic 56k winmodem and somehow manage to get pings of 130 in counter-strike

You might be at the limit of your lines capability. It may not be entirely possible to go any faster.

Another thing is ext. modems. They don't suck up as much of the cpu as winmodems do and lets your pc deal with whatever games you happen to be playing.

There are stings of code that you can insert into the properties of the modem setting in the control panel but personally they haven't done anything for my speed because I don't think I can go any faster

po0k

If you want pure ping, put the speed of the COM port up as far as it'll go, tell the modem (in modem properties) to go as close to that as it's capable.
Turn off data compression and in networking properties (win98) don't use IPX ehader compression (which, along with NetBEUI, you shouldn't be using in you Internet conenction anyways - in Connection settings).
Get a Proper Internal Rockwell Hardware modem/ISDN(if your rich).
There are a few programs you can use to change the MTU and RWIN and a few other well-hidden settings int he windows registry that will affect the connection slightly.
Another one is to really read up on your particular modem and fiddle with INIT strings. Best way of doing it afaik.
A modem naturally adds 50ms to your ping cos it was origionally designed as a terminal device and no-one can possibly type stuff faster then 50ms so it waited 50ms before sending data to see it it could bunch a bit more together and send it in one burst. The net likes to send ikkle bitty packets regularly, and the modem is not designed to do this.
Apple had a WorldCom device that wasn't quite a modem, more like a PSTN TA I think. I never heard of it till I read an article somewhere. i have it at home. might post it up or something....

Boston

actually, there are serveral ways to slighlty encrease performance, it i remember my tweakign days, why do you ask on the tweaking board. they should have some decent tips

TacT

better still do a search right here on boards, there have been hundreds of threads from peeps wishing to get more speed from their modems.............I've even lost count as to how many replies I've given on each of the threads

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Tweaks, commands, drivers, everything. Sod it, I give up
One last favor to ask before I end my life.
What's the best modem (as in normal, not DSL/cable) money can buy? USB/serial,external/internal etc? And what's the best ISP for gaming?

Thanks,
an angry young man

BioHazRd

Whatever about what type of modem to get - Avoid winmodems at all costs - they are the spawn of the devil. They are often available as "PCI internal modems", however I do believe that it is possible to get a pci hardware modem. My own favourite is a Rockwell 56k ISA modem. I know it's old, I know ISA will not be around for much longer, but it is a hardware modem and it ha NEVER let me down.

As regards ISP's for gaming, I don't have much online gaming under the belt as I much prefer to have a ping in double figures on a LAN. You could always try DNA Games . They say that you can get low ping rates if you use a utvinternet dial up account.

Good luck