How to Fix an Error 633 on Dial-up

By: Hannah Miller Click author's name for more of his/her articles

If you have dial-up, every once in a while, it won't connect for some reason and you're stumped. An error 633 is a typical connection error. The following solutions may resolve this problem.

For starters, an error 633 indicates that the modem was not able to establish a connection because it is being used already. Usually this happens because you are already connected with a different connection, your modem is malfunctioning, or something else is using your modem. Here is a few things you can do:

*Restart your computer. Anything that was using the connection will disconnect when your computer shuts down. Also, if you lose connection to the Internet, but your modem somehow doesn't drop the line, you will not be able to reconnect, but get a 633. Restarting the computer will reset your modem and resolve this malfunction.

*Look for other connections on the computer. If you have more than one dial-up service on your computer, you will get an error 633 if you click connect and another connection on the same computer is already connected. To check if you have more than one connection, you have to go to your Network Connections settings.

If you are using an XP, you may see Network and Internet first. Click on that and the Network Connections icon will be on the bottom of that page. If you are using a Vista, look for Network and Sharing Center on your Control Panel. If you see Network and Internet, click on that and then the Network and Sharing Center icon will show up. From there, click on Manage Network Connections under Tasks on the left side.

Once you have located Network Connections, you should see your Internet connections. The connections listed under the "Dial-up" heading are the ones you are looking for. If there are connections you are no longer using, just right-click on them and click delete. Then click "yes" to confirm the delete. If you don't know which connection to keep, the default connection is probably the one you are looking for. It will have a check mark or dot next to it.

*Check for automatically connecting software or equipment. Do you have a palm pilot or other connecting device that may be prompting and Internet connection on it's own? Is there any software running on your computer that connects or prompts a connection on its own? If so, you may need to remove, change options for, or disable this to keep from getting this error.

*Reinstall your modem. If you are sure that your modem is not in use and you've already restarted your computer, there is definitely a problem with your modem. You might be able to fix whatever is wrong with it by reinstalling it. There is no guarantee that this will solve your problem, but it might do the trick. If you don't have a CD for your modem, you may be able to reinstall it without one, however, if you decide to remove your modem, you may not be able to install it again because you don't have the necessary driver software. If you are not comfortable reinstalling your modem on your own, call a local technician. Not only can they reinstall your modem, they can access driver software online for you, or install a new modem if necessary.

*Replace your modem. Unfortunately, some modem problems cannot be resolved by reinstalling or you do not have the proper requirements to reinstall the modem properly. You can usually get a dial-up modem for about 20-40 dollars online or in a local computer store. Sometimes department stores have dial-up modems as well. Just check whether the modem is compatible with your computer. NEVER buy a used modem. You might end up with a worse situation than you had before. It's simply not worthwhile, especially considering a new one will most likely have the latest improvements, will last longer, will always included necessary installation equipment, and is more likely to work properly.