Tweak3D.net - Modem

Written By: Keith "Farrel" McClellan
Posted: February 19, 2000

Introduction

You probably already noticed the change in the title - I am splitting up the Modem and LAN tweak guides. As for why, let's just say a little birdie landed on my shoulder and whispered some very, very cool tidbits about LAN tweaking into my ear. Did you know that some IP numbers are faster than others? Well, anyway, if my new LAN tweaking guide isn't already up, it will be very soon - so make sure you check it out.

I've got a few new tidbits for this guide as well - this isn't just a divorce of one guide into two, but it is also a growing stage - an extra foot taller maybe? Well, anyway, enjoy.

Note - this guide is not for Windows 2000. This is probably the final update to the Windows 9x Modem Tweak Guide.

Drivers

The first step to successfully tweaking your network is downloading the newest drivers. For links to tons of drivers, check out the Drivers Headquarters. Another alternative would be to simply search the manufacturer's website; however, it is often faster to find the link on DHQ.

Dial-Up Adapter and TCP/IP Protocol Settings

Open up the Control Panel (once again), and double-click the Network icon. Under the Configuration tab, select the Dial-Up Adapter and click Properties. Go to the Bindings tab and uncheck all boxes except the TCP/IP box. Select the Advanced tab and set Enable Point To Point IP to No (unless you routinely accept incoming calls using your modem, in which case leave it enabled), IP Packet Size to Large (normally I would recommend Auto, but due to a bug it can cause problems with certain MTU settings above 576), and Record Log File to No. If you mostly use the Internet to download files and view webpages, enable IPX Header Compression, otherwise disable it. Next, select the TCP/IP protocol (if you have multiple copies of the protocol installed, use the one for your dial-up adapter/modem) and click Properties. Select the WINS Configuration tab, and choose the Disable WINS Resolution option. Click the DNS configuration tab, and select Disable DNS. Go to the Bindings tab. Uncheck all the boxes.

Note: Sometimes, certain ISPs will give you specific instructions for your network settings. If your ISP is one of these, you will probably be better off using their settings... they know their particular system better than anyone else could.

Next, open your Dial-up networking folder and go to the server-types tab. Make sure that TCP/IP is enabled (and compression if you want web pages to load faster, and don't care about ping), and everything else is disabled (unless you have specific instructions from your ISP otherwise). This will help you connect to your ISP faster.

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