Broadband Columbia SC

Posted by : Joe DeRouen

With the recent demise of Excite@Home Internet service, delivered over the AT&T cable broadband network, many PC users are leery of committing to broadband. Sure, AT&T replaced the network within a week, but many hours of productivity were lost while waiting for the fix. Even if your provider isn't about to go under, there are lots of problems that can happen between whatever flavor of Windows you're using and your broadband connection. And while you might not be able to stop the next Excite from going belly-up, there are things you can do to diagnose, solve, and prevent high-speed snafus on your Windows PC.

Driver problems

First and foremost, there are driver issues with Windows XP and certain DSL and cable modems. While most Alcatel modems, for example, are compatible with Windows XP, the Alcatel SpeedTouch USB modem is not. And of course, the problem doesn't limit itself to Alcatel modems; many different brands come with drivers that aren't Windows XP-ready.

If you recently installed Windows XP and are having problems using your DSL or cable modem, the first thing you should do is check the manufacturer's site for driver updates. (Alcatel recently posted a new Windows XP compatible driver for the Alcatel SpeedTouch USB.) Upgrading a modem driver is usually easy and painless, and the Alcatel site (as well as most other modem manufacturers' sites) offers explicit instructions for doing so.

Interfacing with your modem

Driver pro...

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