To access the Internet as fast as your modem will allow it, you need to tweak some of the settings in your Dial-Up Networking (DUN), Network and Modem panels:

Right-click on your \"My computer\" icon, click Open, (double)-click the Dial-Up Networking applet, right-click on the appropriate connection icon (usually bears your ISP\'s domain name, i.e. AT&T Worldnet, Prodigy, EarthLink, MindSpring etc) and select Properties. Click the \"Server Types\" tab, and under \"Allowed network protocols:\" deselect \"NetBEUI\" and \"IPX/SPX\". Make sure \"TCP/IP\" is the only option checked, unless you\'re connected to a network. :)

Then uncheck these items in the \"Advanced options:\" area: \"Log on to network\", \"Enable software compression\", \"Require data encription\" and \"Record a log file for this connection\". If your ISP allows it, check the \"Require encrypted password\" box (optional). Click the \"TCP/IP Settings...\" button. Enable both \"Server assigned IP address\" and \"Server assigned name server addresses\" check boxes, to let your ISP pick up the DNS addresses automatically for you, especially useful for ISPs that change them dynamically every time you log on.

Deselect \"Use IP header compression\" and check the \"Use default gateway on remote network\" box. Click OK until you exit your connection icon completely.
NOTE: Experiment with the \"Enable software compression\" option. Enabling it might speed up your file transfers over the internet (on my machine disabled is faster).


Now open the Control Panel Network applet, select \"Dial-Up Adapter\", right-click on it, click Properties and select the \"Bindings\" tab. Select \"TCP/IP\" as the ONLY protocol. Click OK until you get back into the Network main screen. Select \"TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter\", click Properties, select the DNS Configuration tab: click \"Disable DNS\". Select the WINS Configuration tab: click \"Disable WINS Resolution\". Click OK until all applets are closed. Reboot your computer when prompted, pop in your Win98/95 Setup CD-ROM into the appropriate drive, and answer Yes to reinstalling the networking drivers.

Reopen your Dial-Up Networking folder, right-click your connectoid (same as above), select your modem from the list, click Properties, and browse to 115200 (or the highest number available from the drop down list) in the \"Maximum speed\" area. Click the Connection tab and select these options:
Data bits = 8
Parity = none
Stop bits = 1
In the \"Call preferences\" area check only the \"Wait for dial tone before dialing\" box. Click the \"Advanced...\" button. Select only: \"Use error control\", \"Use flow control\" and \"Hardware (RTS/CTS)\", and deselect all others. Select Standard for \"Modulation type\". Add any extra settings you know work better with your particular modem (study the manual or go to your modem vendor\'s web site for details). I use S11=50 with my \"U.S. Robotics 56K Fax INT PnP\", which will speed up the dialing process from 100 milliseconds (default) to 50 milliseconds (or even lower: i.e. S11=30). Click OK once. Click the \"Port Settings...\" button. Drag both sliders all the way to the right for both \"Receive Buffer\" and \"Transmit Buffer\" settings. Check the \"Use FIFO buffers\" box. Click OK until you close the Modems applet.

Connect to your ISP using the appropriate Dial-Up Networking icon on your Desktop, usually bearing your ISP\'s domain name (most common examples are listed above).
Enjoy the Internet speeed boost!

[Props to Bill... Bill is some guy who use's the same ISP I do and left this reply to a thread on their forums on my topic of acquiring a better connection speed.]

These settings didn't improve my overall connection speed (still 26.400kps) but I guess I dont have much choice in the rural area I live in. It did however speed up server log-on and improved the data flow rate. Avgerage download speed went up from about 2.7kps to 2.9kps and latency seems to be less to other players on the MSN Zone.