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There's not much we can do to help you increase your connection speed, but we can help you get online faster. Your PC is probably going through an unnecessary rigmarole every time you go online. Here's how to connect faster:

Make your modem dial faster. Double-click My Computer, double-click Dial-Up Networking, right-click the icon for the connection you want to speed up, and select Properties. Click the Configure button near the bottom of the dialog box. Click the Connection tab in the next dialog box, then select Advanced. In the Extra Settings box, enter:

S11=40

Click three successive OKs to get out of these dialog boxes, and try connecting. If the connection fails, change the 40 to a higher number (say, 45; you might have to choose an even higher number ) and try again.

Speed up the log-on process. If you're using your DUN connection solely for collecting e-mail and surfing the Web, and not for connecting to shared devices (those that appear in Network Neighborhood), you can cut the time it takes to connect by following these steps: Double-click My Computer, double-click Dial-Up Networking, right-click the icon for your DUN connection, and select Properties. Click the Server Types tab. Now deselect "Log on to network," IPX/SPX Compatible, and NetBEUI.