This is a strange one... Trying to connect to internet through aol, get halfway through making connection, modem makes usual white noise/screeching then all of a sudden BOOOIIIINNGGG I get a noise like a sonar in an echo chamber and don't get online. AOL seems to think this is a firewall issue but after I switch all the firewall/security settings off it still does this BOOOIIIINNGGG and doesn't connect??? Anyone know what I'm talking about??

Sure, I have heard that - happens with alot of newer modems. Any way - what is going on is that the connection is established and then your modem and the remote computer want to negotiate a a method of transfering data, give you your IP address, etc. This looks like where you are running into the problem. I would go into the modem properties and turn on the modem logging, then look at the log and see where it is hanging. May be your connection speed is set too high. You have very good phone lines?? Modem may "connect" at that speed, but will not reliably transfer data. May help to tell us which make/model modem you have and your connection speed, etc. Used to be quite a number of local BBS's one could call to test the modem. Not so many anymore. Rule #1: Good Computers don't go down. Rule #2: There is no such thing as a good computer.

Also you could Go to this web page: Search the Knowledge Base Under "Advanced Search": Next to the word FOR, type: AOL Then click the arrow button. You can now look through some articles for yourself, to see if there is any help there.

I had tried the modem speed and connection time already, this laptop has Umpteen other problems as well. It is new however and badly setup so I 'm just going to wipe it clean and reload whats useful. I will check to see if the modem noise still has added SFX. Thanks

BOOOIINNNGGG it still does it but at least it's working now, it's also running a hell of a lot quicker than it was, so all sorted.