Why is my modem taking longer and longer to connect?

Actually, that’s not at all the assumption that I would make.

I’m thinking that the software’s probably just fine, but that the
problem lies elsewhere – in the modem, the phone line or the ISP.

Let’s look at each, and how a software setting or two might help
diagnose.

Nine times out of ten the problem you describe is due to something
very, very simple: a busy signal.

With dialup modems becoming less and less common, ISPs are likely
cutting back on what’s called their “modem pool” – the number of
available modems they have at their end to receive your call. If those
are all in use by other customers at the time you call in, then you’ll
either get a busy signal, or no answer at all. With most computers set
to remain silent when you dial in, you’d never hear this.

However, Windows should eventually time out and tell you “no
answer” or “busy”. So be sure to let Windows keep trying until it gives
up and reports the error.

There are two other quick ways to diagnose this being the issue:
when it happens, immediately pick up your own phone and dial the modem
number. If you hear a familiar busy signal, or continuous ringing,
you’ll know this is the problem. If you hear a high-pitched tone
(called the “answerback tone”), then a modem was available and the
problem likely lies elsewhere.

Another option is to investigate the settings for your modem in
Windows to enable the speaker during dialing. Available on most modems
when you turn the speaker on you’ll actually hear the modem dial and
you’ll hear the response – be it answerback, busy or no answer.

One other thing to try is to use a different phone number to dial in
to your ISP. Many if not most ISPs that provide dial-up service
actually do so via several different incoming phone numbers. Sometimes
those route differently or to different modem pools. It’s worth a try
to see if this makes a difference.

If we assume that the problem is not the ISP’s
availability, we move on to other ideas.

Dial-up modems depend highly on the sound quality of your phone
line. Typically noise is what makes the difference between a 22.8kbps
connection versus a higher speed. In the worst case, the noise can be
bad enough to prevent the modems from making that initial
connection.

The reason I don’t think this is what you’re experiencing
is that normally this would result in that handshake you do hear going
on for a long, long time until your modem finally gives up.

There remain other less likely possibilities:

• Your phone company could be having capacity problems and are unable
  to connect your call. Again, configuring your modem so you can listen
  to the dialing sequence would help diagnose this. It’s likely you’d
  experience this on normal voice calls as well.

• The ISP’s phone company could be having capacity problems, and are
  unable to connect your call. You’d only see this on calls to your
  ISP.

• The ISP could have a broken modem in their pool. You could try and
  try and each time reach that same broken modem, until someone else
  tries, or frees up another working modem, at which point you’d connect.
  I’d expect your ISP to be on top of this, as I would also expect others
  to be complaining. But then, not all ISPs are diligent, and as I said,
  many are starting to devalue their modem pool.

And lastly, it could be your modem. It’s possible that your modem
has somehow deteriorated and is starting to have problems. The only way
I know of to diagnose this specifically would be to try a different
modem.