How to Fix an Error 691 on Dial-up

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

If you have dial-up, chances are, every once in a while, it won't connect and you're stumped. An error 691 is a typical connection error. Try the following solutions to get back online as quickly as possible.

First of all, a 691 error indicates that the dial-up connection was not able to verify that you have an account. This means that though your modem was able to establish a connection, you were not able to access the Internet, basically, because you don't have permission. This is what keeps people who don't have an Internet provider from setting up a connection on an access number and using the Internet without paying for it. Here is a few things you can do:

*Check your username. Even if your login information hasn't changed, many times the saved information becomes in one way or another lost or corrupted. If you don't have direct access to your username and password the way you normally connect, go to your control panel and look for your network connections.

Note:If you are using an XP, you may see Network and Internet. Click on that and Network Connections will be on the bottom of that page. If you are using a Vista, the process is somewhat more lengthy. From the control panel, look for Network and Sharing Center. If you see Network and Internet, click on that and then you will see Network and Sharing Center. From there, click on Manage Network Connections under Tasks on the left side.

Once you have located Network Connections, you should see your dial-up connection listed. If you have more than one, there should be a checkmark notating the default dial-up connection. Double click on this connection. You will see the username listed. Is it correct? Are you supposed to include the entire address, for example, user_name@company.com/net? This is often the cause of a 691.

*Check your password. The password is listed directly under the username and will show up as stars, dots, or "To change the saved password, click here." NOTE: You cannot assume that the password dots will directly correspond with the number of characters in your password. Often, Windows encrypts the actual number of dots for security purposes, so you can't always depend on the number of dots indicating whether your password is saved. Any time you get a 691 it is good practice to retype your password. Even if you are convinced that no one has changed your password since the last time you connected it is still possible for the password to be the culprit.

For example, when you clear saved passwords on your Internet Options, sometimes your dial-up password can go too. And other times, it's unexplainable, but your password simply didn't accept and needs to be retyped. This has happened many times, for one reason or another.

*Try another access number. This is certainly not guartanteed to resolve this error, but is certainly a process of elimination. Every once in a while, an access number will be malfunctioning and causing you to get a 691.

*Check whether you are paid up. Have your forgotten to make a payment? Have you received any billing/failure to bill notices from your ISP? You will get a 691 if your account is suspended for non-payment. If your credit card is charged automatically for your dial-up service, you may have forgotten to give your ISP your updated expiration date or new number. Perhaps you didn't have sufficient funds on your account. Call your ISP or check your latest statement to make sure there has been no interruption in your monthly payments.

*Recreate the dial-up connection. If you created the connection manually, delete and recreate your dial-up connection if you are sure you typed the username and password correctly. If you have a software cd, you can uninstall and reinstall the connection. Sometimes your dialer becomes corrupted and cannot connect for this reason. If you do not know how to do this, your ISP can assist you.

*Call your ISP. When all else fails, your ISP knows best. They will be able to test dial your account to see if your error can be duplicated. They can also verify that you have the correct username and password entered. They may have terminated, suspended, or otherwise withheld the service for one reason or another. Every once in a while, a 691 is a result of some complicated computer error. They may be able to walk you through a troubleshooting procedure to resolve this situation. Either way, they should be able to determine the cause and solve your problem with little effort.