An excellent breakdown of what dial-up modems were saying to each other.

The Verge •

November 05, 2026 • 03:00 PM

• By Andrew Liszewski

1

Anyone who used the internet in the age of dial-up can probably do a terrible impression of their modem’s screeching handshake sequence. But do you know what all those tones and sounds were actually for? This explainer from the YouTube channel Mixed Signals breaks down all those weird sounds and why they were all important for connecting you to MSN Messenger. [Media: https://youtu.be/raik_i8VFvo?si=4hvr9HXd5pCr6RGx&t=189]

Anyone who used the internet in the age of dial-up can probably do a terrible impression of their modem’s screeching handshake sequence. But do you know what all those tones and sounds were actually for? This explainer from the YouTube channel Mixed Signals breaks down all those weird sounds and why they were all important for connecting you to MSN Messenger .

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