| Monday
July 3, 2000
My communication problems are intolerable. I have written a
long description with a few premature speculations in last week's View. See
that first.
Today I went over every internal phone connection with
Stabilant 22, on the theory that it is usually a cable. That has not
helped. Next is some serious experimentation with the modem. First, I
think I need to reinstall Outlook. It does seem that the line drops
whenever Outlook is finished with its cycle, unless something else is
using the line. Maybe Outlook is sending a "finished" signal
although it has been told not to?
But that will be tested also if I put the modem over here
where I can see the lights and hear anything, and perhaps get messages. I
don't have any real way to operate other than the relentless application
of logic and reductionism.
Ok, the experiments begin. First, I replaced the US
Robotics Modem with the Creative Modem Blaster that was used until the
current problems began; the first thing I did when the line was dropped
every time was to change modems. I let the Netwinder connect through that,
and as usual, it dropped the line after it did the assignments it was
given.
Then I brought the USR over here to Princess and connected
it directly to Port 2. Installation was simple. Turned on the modem.
Dialup networking already had a connection to the local Earthlink number,
the same one I have been connected through. Double click that. And it
connected and I have not been dropped yet.
Clearly my problem is in the Netwinder or in something
between here and there. I will next check all telephone cables but I don't
think this is a case of the housekeeper cleaning thing up (Roberta had a
printing problem while I was gone: the Ethernet connector to her NIC was
pulled part way out; fixed that in a few seconds). This looks as if the
Netwinder, although told to hang on to the line, is dropping it when it's
not in demand, and redialing on demand. Clearly what I have now works, but
of course I have no firewall at the moment. I have to fix that, possibly
through a different Linux box, possibly some other way such as a different
NT box. Something will be done and soon.
But my problem was not Earthlink. It is either a cable
here, or the Netwinder isn't getting the instructions I think I am giving
it.
At least I am not hearing the dialing process every few
seconds. The problem DEFINITELY WAS NOT EARTHLINK, which has me connected
at the moment at 44,000 and cleanly, and is not dropping me.
I was very pleased at the way the Netwinder worked, and I
don't know what happened. I'll keep looking. It's probably a cable.
Pournelle's Law says it will be 90% of the time...
And here is a frightening item:
Israel fears a Jewish civil war
By Tom Gross in Jerusalem
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000143789351982&;rtmo=lnPoHHHt&;atmo=rrrrrrrq&;p
g=/et/00/7/2/wisr02.html
Anyway, having solved the problem of line dropping -- at
least having found a workaround -- I am going to go write. With luck
Roland will know what's gone made with the Netwinder. It seems to have
decided to hang up whenever there is no active demand on the modem. This
is ungood.
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