Connection Problems

You may get this message: The computer you're dialing into cannot establish a Dialup Networking connection. Check your password, and then try again.

    1. Check to make sure your username and password are correct. Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive, so make sure they are in all lower case.
    2. Usernames are the full email address.
    3. Also, check for additional spaces at the beginning or end of either the username of password. They can't be seen and are easy to miss.
    4. Your account may have been placed on hold. Call to make sure your account is active.
    5. Reboot by completely shutting down the computer the right way, this fixes a lot of problems.

Computers at times may revert back to Windows default settings. If you are experiencing any of the following problems:

      1. You get the error message "Unable to Establish Connection" with no further Explanation.
      2. You can log on, but can not surf the Internet.

        Please check your:

If you have friends that can't log on, please share this information with them.

Connection Concerns

Does it matter how long I am online?
Your account gives you unmetered access to the Internet. You will not be charged extra for heavy useage. Common courtesy, however, dictates that you not abuse that privilege and interfere with other Momentum Online's customers' ability to get online. It is expected that a regular dialup customer will only stay online an average of 8 hours per day or less, so please remain connected only as long as you are actively surfing the Net.

Why do I sometimes get busy signals?
Momentum Online works hard to eliminate busy signals, but they are still an occasional fact of life on the Internet. You get a busy signal if too many users are trying to connect to the Internet at the same time. We are continually expanding our capacity by ordering new modems and new phone lines, meaning fewer busy signals. And a bonus to encountering virtually no busy signals is that rather than staying connected while you take a break from your surfing, it is easy log off and then log back on again. If everybody does this, busy signals will become (and remain) a thing of the past.

Why won't my password save for my dialup connection?
Large numbers of Windows 95/98 Dial-up Networking users have found themselves up late on a weeknight pulling their hair out over why the Save Password option in their Connect To dialog box doesn't work. Symptoms range from being able to select the box and it not working, to the box being completely grayed out and inaccessible. This is a Windows bug, and there are available fixes to the problem. For more information, click here Fix page.

Why doesn't my modem connect as fast as it is supposed to?
The speed at which you connect to the Internet is determined by a number of factors:

  • The speed of your modem
  • The modem type and speed supported at the number you dialed
  • The quality of the phone lines in your area
  • The amount of traffic on the Net

Because of all these factors, you should not expect your connection speed to be exactly the same as the speed listed for your modem. Very often it is actually less.

Aside from the factors mentioned above, other circumstances prevent 56K modems from actually connecting at 56K. That is actually only the theoretical speed of the modem; in practice, the Federal Communications Commission capped the connection speed at 53K, and real-world access is generally in the 35-45K range for these modems.

What is bandwidth?
Bandwidth is the amount of information (usually measured in bits-per-second) that can be sent through an Internet connection. Bandwidth is commonly compared to a water pipe -- a large pipe (a high-bandwidth connection) can carry more water (information) than a small pipe (a low-bandwidth connection).

My Connection Dialer won't pop up in Internet Explorer