Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Outside device interferes with DSL connection

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Tue, 06 Jul 2004 12:58:17 -0400

Outside device interferes with DSL connection
By Bill Husted , Palm Beach Post-Cox News Service
Monday, July 5, 2004

Question: I have DSL service with BellSouth. It works fine during the
day, but at night, usually from about 7 to 11:30, the connection is so
weak that e-mail won't download and I cannot connect using my browser.

The connection tries to connect, even showing the number of e-mails for
each provider, but it won't download. I've spent hours on the phone with
BellSouth, and we've run the same tests over and over (since I always
talk with a different person each time I call). Apparently it is
something which interferes with the signal during those hours. It also
happens sometimes during weekend days and holidays, leading me to
believe it is something that someone else is using, such as a shortwave
radio, during the time that person is home from work.

This happens every night, not just periodically! I am retired, so I use
the Internet often during the day with no problem. But at night, when I
really need to access the Internet at high speeds, I am stuck with the
slow speeds using my dialup modem. What could cause this? -- Carol Tapp,
Kennesaw, Ga.

Answer: You did a good job describing your problem and even diagnosing
it. No, I don't think it's a shortwave transmitter (and I'll tell you
why later). But yes, I do think you're right on track when you guess
that the cause is "something that someone else is using."

My first guess -- and I've actually seen this specific problem with a
friend's DSL service -- is that a lighting system that kicks on
automatically at your house or a neighbor's house and is causing
interference. Or it could be a defective lighting system that is being
switched on manually at night.

A system that is working properly shouldn't cause any problems, but if
there is a malfunctioning unit, it could be causing the electrical
interference you describe. The consistency of your problem -- it happens
every night -- makes me almost sure that it is some device or appliance
that is only turned on at night. It's that consistency that tells me a
shortwave transmitter is not causing the problem -- it's very unlikely
that the transmitter would be used every night and only at those times.
Frankly, I think BellSouth should help you find the problem. After all,
you're paying for the service 24 hours a day. And I'm sure BellSouth
expects to be paid the full amount of your bill each month. So my first
advice is to try BellSouth again. If you get no satisfaction from the
first person you talk to, ask to speak to that person's boss. Keep going
up the chain of command until someone listens.

Meanwhile, here's a way you can try to find the cause of the
interference yourself. Get a battery-powered radio. Tune it to the AM
band and find a frequency that isn't being used. Then walk around your
house, then your yard. Listen to the background level of static. If the
static peaks when you are near some object, like a light pole or dimmer
switch, that's the culprit.
Question: I like to take slides with my 35mm camera and show them in the
old-fashioned way with a slide projector and screen, so they can be
shown to a small group. In what way could I use a digital camera to do
the same thing, i.e., have a "slide show" for a small group? -- Tom
McAleer

Answer: It's fairly easy to find photo processors that will convert a
digital image to a slide. But the service is not cheap, especially if
you plan to have the slides made fairly regularly.

If slides are your real joy, you may be better off staying with the 35mm
camera.

Or, if you decide to convert to a digital camera, there is a way to
project your images. Many manufacturers now make devices commonly used
for business presentations that project digital images onto a screen.

While these were once too expensive for home users, they are coming down
in price. I see good ones for about $1,000. While that sounds like a lot
of money, and indeed it is, keep in mind that once you have it, you will
never again need to buy slide film or pay to have it processed.

If you shoot dozens of rolls of film a year, I think you'd more than pay
for a device like that in a year.
Thanks from a reader: I read your column in The Palm Beach Post every
Monday, and today I hit the jackpot. Thank you! I wanted to do a backup
on my new Dell computer, and there was no backup. I talked to lots and
lots of Dell technicians, and not one could tell me how to back up my
computer. Today I followed your instructions. Although it was hit and
miss for a bit, as I am an amateur, I installed the backup on my
computer. Thank you a million times over. -- Ruth Berndt, Okeechobee
Bill Husted writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Send questions
to [email-masked]. Include your name, a phone number and where you
live.

[email-masked]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/business_046e223692d1212100d5.html

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