Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

> At 31.2K speed (confirmed by eznet log) the radio has been playing with 0%
> (!!!!) loss for about 10 minutes now even when I type email.  This leaves
> me 31-24=7K for email which is annoying but not impossible and the radio
> sounds REALLY nice.  I should try streaming audio with my other
> modems/computers at 31.2K.  They tend to lose bits and then stop playing.

With a known-good SB Live card that sounds really good most of the time.

See http://www.HiWAAY.net/support/faq

"How do I force my modem to connect at a particular speed"
and
"What can I do about frequent disconnects"

Modems sometimes connect at a higher speed than they can maintain, 
particularly if the ISP is near the phone company and has little line 
noise, and you are not, which fools the newer 56K modems, and this makes 
them keep retraining and also lose the connection and have a very slow 
transfer rate.

They suggested noting the speed you usually connect at and going down one 
notch.  They list AT commands for USR, Rockwell, Motorola, and Lucent.
(I used Motorola commands once to make a PCMCIA 56K Flex modem work at 
33.6K instead of disconnecting).

I went from 45333 (&n30) to 44000 (&n29) and it played streaming audio 
uninterrupted for 30 min while I was typing up the results at my shell 
account, then abruptly disconnected me.

Now I am trying 42666.

NZ mms://202.7.7.90/rnz-cfm sounds like it is overdriving my speakers even 
at low volume.  High-pitched rattle.  During the weather report (max 25 
light winds - while we are having min -20 C gale-force winds here), with 
what now sounds like Scottish rather than the nasal uppercrust BBC, it 
sounded quite bad.  But they played Hummels' Bassoon Concerto.  Does 
anyone else notice sound quality from rnz?  Other stations sound okay on 
my setup.

Apart from this, no lost notes (in 30 min before I got disconnected).
42666 is still adequate for typing and listening.   No retrains.

A software fix.

Other computers in the house also disconnect suddenly.  I had only been 
attempting streaming audio on this one, which is farthest from the outdoor 
jack.  We recently replaced the outside phone connection after an ice 
storm disintegrated it, about the same time I replaced the computer. Maybe 
the outside phone lines are just noisier after the severe ice storms. 
Lots of trees went down.

I will set all my modem speeds down a notch, or if needed, two, from where 
they connect automatically, to eliminate all the cutting out of streaming 
audio.  Finally internet radio will be worth listening to.

We are not near the phone company.  Are you, Steven?