OT: A computer annoyance - help wanted!

[Atrocities]

Sounds like a network reallocation of resources issue to me. When you go from say DSL to dial up, your system has to reconfigure everything for that connection. Depending on your system that could cause a period of delay as your CPU is taxed to deal with the redistribution of network resources. Additionally depending upon who the dial up provider is, say net zero, their software, when activated, takes over your system and for a lack of a better term, has a party. Those dial up bastards need to make money so they build in malware and other "proprietary" software into their dial up software that when activated, start a tone of other programs that in turn swamp the cpu with resource demands.