Internet stops for 30secs every 5 minutes

Using Windows 9, IE 6.0. USB Broadband modem.

For the past year my internet connection freezes for 30 seconds or so every 5 minutes. I just lived with it. When it happens I ususlly check emails (which works interestingly, by switching through the household users in Outlook express).

Recently changed computers to a newly re-built one with a clean Windows 98 instllation, and internet is just fine. I had 10 days of bliss and then....

New computer decides to blow a power supply unit, so back to the old one, with it's intermitment internet.

Any ideas? It's not task scheduler, and I can't see any 'funny' procsess when I ctrl-alt-del.

regards
bella.

 

Outlook and OE can be set to check for e-mail every five minutes. Might have something to do with it.

 

Yes, OE set to check mail "every 10 minutes" - not often enough for this problem, but I've moved it to every 20 minutes to see what happens.

 

Well since I'm only good with ID ten T type errors (ID10T) hopefully someone else will have suggestions.