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Setting up MultiLink on Windows
Once you have all the
mechanics set up, configuring MultiLink is easy.
1. To begin,
access the Dial-Up Networking folder. If you signed up with a new ISP, you'll
need to double-click on the Make a New Connection icon and create a new
connection just like you normally would.
2. Once you
create the new connection, or if your using an existing connection, simply
right-click on your connection icon and select Properties from the shortcut
menu. When you see the connection property dialog box, select the MultiLink tab.
Then, select the Use Additional Devices option to enable the MultiLink
configuration page.
3. To configure your two
modems to work together simply click the Add button. When the Edit Extra Device
dialog box appears, click the Device Name dropdown arrow and select the second
modem. At this point, you'll see your second modem appear on MultiLink tab, as
shown in Figure A, and can click OK.
Figure A: When
you select an additional modem, you'll see it on the MultiLink tab.
Making A
MultiLink Connection
4. To make a MultiLink
connection, just double-click on your connection icon in the Dial-Up Networking
window. When you do, you'll see the initial Connecting To dialog box as you
normally would. After the initial connection is established, you'll hear the
second modem begin dialing the second connection.
5.
As soon as Dial-Up Networking establishes the second connection, double-click
the connection icon in the system tray. When you see the Connected To dialog
box, select the Details button to expand the dialog box, so that you can see all
the details, as shown in Figure B.
Figure B: When
you click the Details button, you'll see additional information about your
connection.
As you can see, MultiLink allowed
me to connect to my ISP with two 56K modems at 100,000 bps. You'll always get a
connection that can be evenly divisible by two. The reason being that the
highest connection that the second modem can establish must match the speed of
the first connection.
Also, take note of the
Suspend button at the bottom of the dialog box. When you click this button, the
second modem hangs up and the connection speed drops down to one modem. This
comes in handy if you need to free up one of the phone lines to make a call, and
still want to be connected to the Internet.
When you disconnect the
second modem, Dial-Up Networking renames the button Resume. When you click the
Resume button, the second modem re-establishes its connection and again doubles
your connection speed.
Tip:
When using two modems to establish a connection with MultiLink, both modems
negotiate the highest connection speed that can reliably support under the
current conditions. There are many factors that can prevent them from
negotiating their maximum connection speed. These situations are fairly common
and aren't something you need to worry about. If you don't feel that the current
connection speed is satisfactory, just disconnect and try the call again.
Unfortunately, DSL and
cable modems aren't yet available in all parts of the country. However, you can
double your connection speed with two lines, two modems and LanZing®
Multi-Link.
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