Are you doing the AOL Bump Boogie?

Written by:  Dan Daily 

Hi Gang!

So, AOL likes to bump you eh?  Happens all the time?

What can you do about it?  How can you avoid it?

There are many reasons why you get bumped off of AOL.  Today we'll cover as many as I can think of.  If you check all these items out, I'm sure the amount of bumping will slow down considerably.

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Lets Look at your Computer, and Your Software

     AOL is a good program, it's connection with your modem generally is a good one.  So why all the bumps?  The first thing to check is your settings at the start up screen.  Make sure AOL has your modem picked out as it's own.  For details on how to do this, go back to "Living With Your AOL Pt. 1"  AOL5 very rarely makes a mistake in this area.  It underwent huge changes for modem selection.  In fact, AOL4 has incorporated these changes as well.  Many improvements in AOL5 have been back loaded into the newest versions of 4.

What connection speeds are you getting?

  I know the startup sequence only gives you a 1/2 second glance at your speed, but pay attention.  Check all your access numbers one by one.  Do this at different times of the day.  Write down each numbers connection speeds.   After a couple of days of this, you'll have a nice chart to go by.  Use only the numbers with the most consistent high connections as your primary sign on numbers.  Realize that these numbers will probably also be the most problematic as far as being bumped goes.  What?  Stay with me now:  Now, find your one or two numbers that usually connect a little slower, but always connect at the same speed.  These will be your work horse numbers.

    When you are having a particularly bad day, switch to these numbers.  I think you'll find that though they are a little slower.  They ALWAYS connect at the same speed, and bump far less than the fastest numbers.  I have one Buffalo number.  It always connects at 52.  I couldn't get a 54,600 out of it if my life depended on it.  But whenever I have problems, I switch to it.  You know?  That number has never bumped me once.  Really!  Maybe it's just a less used number, it's very rarely ever busy either.  But I always start with the fastest.  I have a need for speed.  

And you all know how I feel about speed.  LOL

    First, and probably the most common reason for bumping is "Line Noise" on your telephone line.  This sometimes can be corrected, and sometimes can't.  Pick up your phone, listen to the dial tone.  Hear any fuzz?  Call someone, tell them to be quiet, any fuzz?  Do this on a hard line, not your cordless.  If noise is apparent, this is probably the culprit.  There are many reasons for fuzz.

    The first thing to check for is a bad connection.  Not just your computers connection, but every phone in the house.  Any loose plugs?  Don't know?  Here's how to check; go all around your house; when you get to each phone, pick it up.  While listening to the phone, play with the cord.  If you hear any clicking or noise going in and out, it is a bad connection.  This can play havoc when you are online.  If you are on the computer, and that phone is even moved a little.  BOOM!  Bump city here we come.

    So, you're starting to get the idea huh?  Now repeat that test with all the rest of the phones in your house.  This is by far, the biggest reason for bumps.  A good test would be to just unplug the phone and go online.  I'd bet your bump rate just dropped considerably.  Modems are quirky gadgets, they want everything just perfect.  

The amount of extension phones you have on the line, can even effect bumps.  Each phone on the line, adds a certain amount of resistance to the line.  I used to have a separate line just for my computer, it had just one extension on my desk and I rarely got bumped at all.

An expensive solution I grant you. 

But test it.  On a really bad day, unplug the phones, did it make a difference?  If it did, you have to ask yourself one question; "Do I need all these extensions?"  And if you answer that yes?  What can I tell you...

Rules for Being Bumped.

    If all of the above check out fine, and your computer is all set up properly, it's time to look at your habits.  What time of day do you go on?  This can have a profound effect on bumps.  Take it from me; I can tell you the exact time the kids come home from school.  Exactly 3:15 PM eastern.  At that time every day, only during the school year, AOL gets really slooow.  It's like clockwork.  Every hour after that it just gets worse as other time zones are releasing their kids.  This is called "Peak Time."  If you are on during peak time, bumps happen far more frequently.  The lines to the servers are jammed, making it much easier for errors in the digital packets.  Your modem will only take so much of that, and POOF!  Gone.  The toughest times to be on AOL, or the web for that matter, is between 5:15 eastern, (3:15, pacific. (the rest of the kids)) to about 9:30 eastern.  Bumps will happen far more frequently in this time period.  

If you can change your habits a little, the benefits may be substantial.

Finally;  The dreaded AOL Timer!

    Yes, believe it or not, the AOL timer is a big culprit as well.  (LOL)  What most people don't realize is; if you spend a lot of time on the Internet, AOL counts that as being inactive.  All the Internet is to AOL is a switch that it clicks for you.  It knows nothing of what you are doing there.  As far as it's concerned, you made a request to get there, and haven't requested anything since. (most people don't realize this) The best way to defeat this problem is to get an anti bouncer.  But, not just any.  The bouncer has to be able to start an AOL function, not just click the box.  I use an excellent program.  It's called "Terminator" it's from TPA software, and you can get it on the net.  The first 15 days are free, and it costs around 10 bucks.

It does much more than just answer the AOL clocks.  It has a kill the hour glass function, it dismisses those annoying buddy chat invites, it has a one button IM shut off; when you don't want your IM's on; and upgrades are free for life. 

I highly recommend this product. It's worth checking out at tpasoft.com or just click here;  TPA Software   And no, I don't get any money for recommending them.  Hmmm maybe I should ask.  Being on a cable modem, I don't get those timers any longer.  But I still use the program for everything else.  It's really nice.

So!

That's it for today gang!  I hope this information will come in handy for you, while you continue on your quest.  Quest? 

Yes, the Quest for computer Sanity!!!

Stay tuned.
                                       Danny