Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I have access to the Internet with a dial-up connection?
  • Most people can have Internet access through a dial-up connection. A dial-up connection requires a telephone line to connect with an Internet Service Provider ( ISP).
• Can a common dial-up connection be used for multiple computers simultaneously?
  • Yes, it is possible for a whole “LAN” network to be connected to a dial-up analogue connection modem, where the network shares the available analogue bandwidth. Even though this solution may seem “slow” compared to any broadband connection, it still works.
  • This method allows multiple persons/computers at home to be online simultaneously, and this is an effective transitional stage, to move from a dial-up network to a broadband network. Installing your network in that manner, you may have your local LAN network configured and tested to run, (with your existing dial up account) before you attempt to turn it to a broadband network. This solution spares you the headache of trying to fix organizational and configuration problems of your local LAN network and simultaneously to try to fix a broadband organization (because your local LAN network organization will be fixed before you add broadband network in the “mixture”.)
  • One way to implement this, is to purchase or build a “router” with network address translation (NAT) capacity, which may operate with an external modem. If your local LAN is “small enough” (max. 5 devices using the Internet), and you have an old computer which you wouldn’t mind donating for a “good cause” (even a 386 with only 32MB RAM computer would suffice) you can build a quite decent combination of router/firewall, with the computer “donor” and a few ethernet cards.
  • You must then connect your external modem with the router and configure the router so as to dial on demand (i.e. whenever a PC attempts to access Internet in your local LAN, and gets no connection, the router will call your ISP) using your existing dial-up account.
  • You may then connect any number of computers on the router (or on a switch connected to the router) and configure the computers using that router as their gateway to the Internet.
  • With this organization, things operate more or less like a regular local LAN (Internet access), the only difference being that the Internet gateway (router with external modem) is much slower compared to a broadband gateway. In this case, all computers (in your local LAN) are indicated as being “always connected” to the Internet, so you can finally forget about your dial up networking.
    
    
• Do I need an anti-virus program?
  • Yes, since Trojans etc. can be found in the Internet and emails. When you visit a website, open your emails or download files, it is possible to be infected, if you do not dispose of the necessary protection for safe Internet browsing. A virus is defined as “a program or part of a code which is loaded on your computer without your knowledge and runs against your will”. Even a simple virus is considered dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory of your computer, driving the system to failure.
• Do I need a firewall even if I have a 56k modem?
  • Yes. You will probably not be a target most of the times, however it is advisable to install a firewall.
• Does ΟΤΕnet Telecom provide Internet access through an ISDN network?
  • o ΟΤΕnet Telecom provides ISDN to all nodes through numbers 80901607 and 80901234. An ISDN connection provides speeds of 64 Kbps or 128 Kbps.
• How much time is required for a dial-up connection to be achieved?
  • Approximately 7 to 30 seconds.
• Port Already Open/ Modem Won’t Hang Up
  • If you receive an error message ‘Port Already Open’ during your dial-up, Windows are informing you that another device is using the modem.
    If another device is indeed using the modem (i.e. a voice/fax program or you are already connected to a dial-up connection) the proper solution would be to terminate the other device connection or to deactivate the auto-answer settings on its software.
  • Sometimes Windows are “confused” and it might seem that the only solution would be to restart your computer. With WINDOWS 95/98 you can most of the times regain access to the port by terminating the rnaapp Task:
    Press CTRL, ALT & DELETE – a Windows pop up will appear on your screen: Windows Task Bar Close Program. Search for Rnaapp task, select Rnaapp task, and click on End Task.
  • Port and Line speed: What are these?
    o Port speed is the speed between your computer’s serial port and your modem. Port speed may usually be set at 110, 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 BPS and recently at 230400 (up to 921600). Line speed is the speed between your modem and the modem at the other end of the telephone line. Depending on the modem, line speed could be 24000, 28800, 31200, 41333, 42666, 45333, 48000, and 50666 BPS. Maximum speed is 56000 BPS. These settings concern only dial-up connections.
    
    
• Proxies are helpful!
  • The use of high speed proxies in your search machine may significantly speed up your website browsing and/or the file downloading procedure. They can also enhance your Internet security.
• What hardware do I need for a dial-up connection?
  • A modem. Most, if not all, computers purchased today have a built-in 56K modem.
  • When external modems are used, it is much easier to detect and resolve errors. Furthermore it is not required to reboot your computer if you need to reset your modem, which is usually required in the event of internal modems.
• What is a local LAN modem?
  • A local LAN modem is a modem running in a local area network and is basically a 56K modem with a built-in router and switch. These modems may provide the same connection to multiple computers, but for each computer surfing on the web, speeds will be extremely slow. Such modems are generally safer because they provide each computer with its own IP address.
    
• What is a modem?
  • A modem transforms outgoing digital signals coming from a computer, to analogue signals, which may run through telephone lines. Then, it transforms the incoming analogue signal to a digital signal for your computer to understand.
• What is an ISP?
  • ISP or Internet Service Provider provides you with Internet access. With a dial-up connection, your computer calls a number and connects with another computer. That computer is connected to the Internet through a high speed connection.
• What is the difference between a hardware modem and a software modem?
  • A software modem is a modem which can connect to your computer’s PCI slot and uses Windows to execute all of its basic functions. It uses your computer to process data received by the modem, which may slow down your downloading speeds and increase latency.
  • A hardware modem may connect to the Internet either through a PCI slot, or through a serial/USB. Hardware modems have their own on-board controllers, therefore, your computer does not need to do all the job. Hardware modems under normal circumstances provide you with better downloads and reduce ping times.
    
• What is the fastest speed for Dial-Up connections?
  • In general you can connect with speeds of up to 40 – 50k but this could be affected by various factors, the most important being your ISP standards.
    o Maximum speed for dial-up depends on your modem. Most people dispose of a 56k modem, which is the fastest modem for dial-up. Many factors may play a role when defining the fastest speed, yet, maximum speed for a 56k modem is 53Κb or around 6.6ΚΒ per second. Upload speed does not exceed 33.6Kb or 4.2KB per second. These maximum speeds may only be achieved under the optimal circumstances, which most people would find hard to achieve.
• Why do I sometimes have trouble connecting?
  • If you were able to connect before, but suddenly you cannot, the first thing you have to attempt is to reset your modem. If your modem is external, you can just switch it off and then switch it on. If your modem is internal, then you have to shut down your computer and restart it. This should be the first thing you always do, given that usually the problem is that your modem must be properly reset.
• Why is my connection so slow?
  • Your connection speed can be associated with various factors. It depends on the server which you have called, and also the speed of the computer from which you receive data. If the computer which stores the website you are visiting is slow or overloaded, then the transfer of data to your home computer will be accordingly slow. If you realize that the website is extremely slow, you should try again at non-peak hours, or find an alternative website. If all websites you are visiting are slow, it could be due to a problem with your computer settings. Telephone lines have large effect on dial-up connections – length, load coils, resistive crosses, taps and other things which do not affect voice quality, which would necessitate to fix them, they will, however, have a negative effect on data speeds. When an analogue modem connects, this horrible squawk noise, derives from the communication of the two modems which talk to each other, checking the connection quality and the maximum speed they can handle through the connection.
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