Bush PC Internet Connection Help

• Make sure you don't have a virus.
• Disconnect all phones and faxes, so that only the modem is connected, then retest. (The cheap Telstra handsets are particularly problematic.)
• Call Waiting and Message Bank are also possible causes. If you have either of these enabled on your phone service, you may want to disable them.
  Add *44 to the beginning of the phone number in the modem set up to disable Call Waiting.
• If you use electric fences on your farm, turn them off and see if it makes a difference. If there are irrigation channels or creeks nearby, repeat these tests when they are completely dry.
• If you can manage to borrow another computer, use it to test your phone line.
• If your modem has a country setting, make sure it is correct.
• Make sure your modem is using the correct driver.
• If you are not using a surge protector on your phone line, install one. (We use and recommend Belkin surge boards.) Everyone should use a surge protector on their power and phone lines, even those on solar power.

Try these ideas to lower the modem speed.

• Make sure your modem is using the correct driver. Without the right driver, the reported speeds will not be correct.
• From the Start menu, select Settings, Control Panel, Modems. Select your modem, then click on properties. In the "Maximum Speed" setting, select 38400 or 19200. If it is available, click on the "Only connect at this speed" checkbox. In practice, this almost never works, but it is worth a try. Unfortunately, sometimes Windows cannot control modem speed properly.
• Some rural ISPs provide alternate phone numbers that only work at a lower speed. Look at the help or support section of your ISPs web site to see if they offer alternate numbers configured for lower speeds.
• If your ISP does not provide a low speed number, you'll have to control the modem speed at your end of the connection. From the Start menu, select Settings, Control Panel, Modems. Select the modem you are using and click on Properties. Select the Connection tab and click on Advanced. In the Extra Settings at the bottom of window, enter one of the following:
  • AT-V90=0
  • AT+MS=11,1,9600,33600
  • AT+MS=V34
  Then click on OK three times. Try your Internet connection and see if it has improved.
  Advanced users may like to try these other ideas.
  
• Even the federal government has jumped on the bandwagon, and is now offering a self help site to help you test and improve your connection speed.

What speeds should you be able to get?

• Our equipment is set up correctly, and on a good rural line we can get 33 kbps.
• An average rural line will achieve 16 - 28 kbps.
• If you're on a split line (pair gain), you're limited to 14.4 kbps (even our mobile can do that, signal permitting).
• If you're line has an intermediate radio link (excluding microwave), you may be limited to 9.6 kbps.
• If you're on a satellite line, you're limited to 2.4 kbps.
• Our elected officials think that 19.2 kbps is available everywhere, and want to sell Telstra.
• Telstra guarantee that you can get 2.4 kbps (our sat phone can do that, anywhere).
• We've helped customers with connection speeds as low as 0.3 kbps!
• Don't necessarily expect that you should be able to get the same speeds your neighbour can get. It just doesn't work that way.

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