Do I have a weak telecom?

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For at least 6 months my internet connection has been unpredictably unstable. The funny thing is, when I get a disconnection, it does not behave like a normal disconnection. It is more like a cut-off. When a true disconnection happens, phone equipment and modems are sent a signal from telecom/ISP that a disconnection has occured. To which then my ISP client disconnects automatically, which is rare. All other times, as in 95% of the time, I get a cut-off, where the modem is confused and does not recognize it as a disconnetion, thus I have manually disconnect and reconnect. These cut-offs occur randomly, number in the range of 50+ per month, no exaggerations. I use a US Robotics Pro Modem. Some statistics you may want to know:

- My other PC suffers the same problem
- Neighbors in the area report the same problems
- Same problem has occured with multiple ISPs
- Verizon is my telecom, and when I had them as and ISP, same problems occured (now I have Earthlink).
- Regardless of what I am doing on net, browsing, MMO gaming, email, cut-offs occur
- Sometimes I seem to have cut-off black out periods, where I am cut-off several times within a 10 minute period
- One time when I played and MMO, City of Heroes, I was cut-off 8 times within a 15 minute period. And yep, I relogged everytime because my team need help in fighting and archvillian, I was the only main damager (we finally buryed the AV)
- I did a complete reinstall in the past, no changes
- Whether I use SP1 or SP2, same problem
- I have switched modems between both PCs, same problems
- I have updated drivers in BIOS, video, sound, and modem
- We have had 3 technicians out here, and so have the area neighbors have had technicians out here
- My first bottle neck backbone from my telecom (Verizon) is a relay box dated in the 1970s/80s. The box only supports up to 28.8k speed. The relay box is also overloaded, having absolutely no spare lines
- The technicians believe that the telecom grid out here is dated and cannot handle internet bandwidth, it can just barely handle phone calls
- In my modem settings turning compression off does not solve the problem. Note that error control must be left on, or data transmissions are slow and unstable.
- Lowering the speed of the modem actually makes my connection less stable! You'd think it would not since the relay boxes are slow.
- Cut-offs are random and happen just about anytime
- One of the technicians also believes that the relay boxes are more susceptable to bad wheather and thus cut-offs occur more often during these times. But even on a summer Sunday, I have had cut-offs out the ying-yang
- The relay box down the road was so full one time that they had to give someone DSL (as in pratically GIVE it away) in order to free up a phone line so someone could have a phone
- I have tried to adjust all types of settings and still the cut-offs persist
- I use premium phone cable, the expensive stuff! Note that I have directly connected to the telco box outside and the cut-offs still persist, and that is with both phone lines
- Verizon is unable to provide DSL here, about a mile away from the folks who have DSL down the road. Note that Verizon, from some stupid reason, has fiber optic running across the powerlines just outside the door
- I have extensive internet security software, yet I do keep things like virus auto scan off, so my PC is running fast tip-top shape
- If I am lucky, I can go several hours without cut-offs. But in most cases, and most days, I generally have 3 cut-offs at least.
- I have placed my modem in a different PCI slot
- My system is kept cool, floating around 40 degrees, except for maybe the power supply, which is understandable. 2 side intake fans, 2 exit fans, PSU area wire intake fan, dual fans built into PSU, fan on processor and video card, and two front intake fans for the SATA hard drives. I think that's all of them. There should be very little turbulance, I made sure my CPU fan was facing the proper direction.

So what can I do? At first I thought this was a CPU voltage problem, but the same thing happens to the other PC as well. Are these constant ruthless cut-offs the working of a mad organization of evil scientists known as Verizon bent on taking over the world :suspiciou , or is there something lurky dark and decrepit in my PC? Can Verizon, if it is the telecom, be criminally charged with cyberterrorism? What about the FCC, can those fedboys do anything? I will be starting up and online degree and I am just not going to tolerate these rediculous cut-offs. I'm about ready to take a 12 lbs. sledge :knock: to that relay box down the road unless I am able to find some other solutions. Thx for any help.
 
With such lousy telephone-equipment, your best bet is, either run a mile long line to the nearest neighbour with DSL and ask if he can get a second DSL line for you; or, get satellite broadband.
Most drastic would be to move house!
 
If the phone company isn't willing to upgrade their boxes anytime soon, you have to get off dialup. If you can't get DSL, can you get cable? Is there any dish ISPs out there that use point to point connection? As in, you have a dish that points strait at their dish up on a mountain somewhere?
Lastly, I'd go for satellite.

All-in-all though, I highly doubt there is a single thing you can do to get a better connection. Except maybe buy the most expensive hardware, external modem money can buy. At least it might be able to maintain your connection better.
 
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