Thanks to The Dude, forumdude123, and caperjack for taking time to address my problem.
Since I first posted this months ago the problem has somehow managed to disappear. I deleted a bunch of old stuff I had long forgotten and allowed to pile up in folders and even got rid of some programs I no longer used. Afterwards, I noticed that my dial-up connection was smoother and I have not lost connection since. I'm still a novice at this but I wonder if dumping all that junk not only freed up lots of RAM but also improved my computer's performance. Caperjack is SOOO right on when he says not everyone can afford to purchase a newer computer. I am on a very strict budget and even a used PC is out of the question right now. I do have Windows 98SE and it works just fine for me. But once again I must thank you all for your insights into my problem.

janda5

A need for Speed is the only real reason to update computer,if you don't upgrade your software a computer can last for years .I have lots of customers still using PII/Plll 500mHZ computer ,i just sold a P166 for 40$ last week to guy just for email ,his P90 died .lol

dsl isn't really expensive. The average dial up cost is $15.99/month while dsl is around $17.99/month (only 24.00 extra per year)

yup ,you are right ,but like i said in some areas its not available ,only dialup in a lot of places around here ,i have at least 5 close family members who only have axecss to dialup ,and 2 of them live within 800 ft,of me ,one of them i have hooked to me wireless