USB Bandwidth

[Tim Baxter]

I've just converted from dial up modem to broadband. I've remove the dial up modem and the b/band modem plugs into a previously proved USB slot. The b/band software cannot connect to my ISP and gives 'no dial tone' error message. Investigating further the modem software complains that the USB bandwidth is too low and tries to configure the modem to work with it, this fails. There are no other devices attached to the USB slots. I'm running Win98. Any advice please?

[jacey]

Is your modem showing green lights? What ISP do you use?

[Hammer]

Do you have a filter between the phone socket and the modem?

[Tim Baxter]

Thanks for your replies. Yes there is the DSL filter fitted between the modem and phone line. The modem is a Sagem and is showing solid green power light and flashing green ADSL light. My ISP is Tiscali who are on the case but at the moment are having the line checked and are going to send a replacement Modem.

[kempie]

Could the problem be a USB 2.0 modem plugged into a USB 1.1 port?

If your PC had Win98 installed from new it would only have USB 1.1 ports as standard (assuming a USB 2.0 controller card has not been installed).

[Tim Baxter]

Thanks kempie, it possibly is but I understand that a USB2 device fitted to a USB1 socket will automatically slow to USB1 standard.  Do you think that this would cause restricted bandwidth?

[kempie]

This answer still assumes you have USB 1.1:

USB 1.1 operates at 2 data transmission rates; full-speed is 12 Mbps and low-speed is 1.5 Mbps. Although 1.5 Mbps is probably faster than your broadband connection it is not just a matter of comparing speeds; a USB modem cannot work unless operating at the higher rate of 12 Mbps.

All this means that the modem should work unless for some reason (e.g. a problem with the port or the cable etc.) the connection has defaulted to low-speed.

There were issues with USB drivers in Win98. Have you ever updated these drivers? It could also be relevant as to which version of Win98 you run, since problems found in Win98 were 'addressed' in Win98SE but this newer version had problems of its own.

All of this could, of course, be nothing to do with the issue but you may find this site useful.

[Tim Baxter]

Thanks for your help, sorted now, turned out to be phone ext fitted to sky box which needed an extra filter.  Cheers.