Unfortunately, with dial-up based Internet access, occasional disconnections are a fact of life in Maine. 56K modems need an extremely noise-free line to be able to approach the speed that they are advertised as being capable of. Anything that degrades the signal on your phone line can result in disconnections. If you are often experiencing disconnects from GWI, here are some things to check:

1. Check your phone line for any splitter devices. A splitter basically splits your phone line into multiple "branches" that can go to a computer, a phone extension, a fax machine, etc. Splitters can degrade the quality of the line. Try temporarily disconnecting the splitter if you are using one.

2. Do you use an extremely long run of phone extension cable? If, for example, you are using a 50-foot phone cable from the wall jack, this will also degrade the signal that is going into the computer. Try switching to a shorter piece of phone wire.

3. If you have several cordless phones, try disconnecting them temporarily. Multiple cordless phones can put an increased load on the phone line, which will degrade the signal and make it harder for your modem to maintain a connection with GWI.

4. Check for surge protectors that are connected to your computer. A surge protector with phone jack connections may protect your line from voltage spikes, but it can also degrade the signal as it passes through the protector. Try temporarily disconnecting the line from the surge protector if you have one.

5. Other telecommunications equipment: Line noise can be added by almost any phone device. If you have anything else connected to your line, such as a fax machine, caller ID box, etc., disconnect them and try again. Noise may also be caused by other uncontrollable factors such as nearby high voltage power lines.

The five checks mentioned above will fix most disconnection problems. The basic method is to use a process of elimination. Try disconnecting anything additional you may have on the line, and run a phone wire directly from the wall jack to your computer. Then you can start adding devices back to your line and try connecting in between. Eventually, the culprit that is causing the line noise will probably be easily identifiable.