The latest standard for 56K and Speeding up your modem

Since 09-26-03

From: WASP188@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 11:30 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: The latest standard for 56K / Speeding up your modem

The latest standard for 56K

Q. I don't have access to broadband, so I'm using a 56K dial-up modem. I understand there is a newer standard available for 56K, called V.92. Is that faster? Is it worth buying?

A. As you say, V.92 is the most recent standard for 56K modems. You are probably using a modem with the older V.90 standard. V.92 is faster if it includes the V.44 standard.

To take advantage of the V.92 modem, your Internet service provider must have V.92 equipment. V.92 modems have been out for three years, so most ISPs have them. But some probably do not.

Here are V.92's features:

1. It will connect more quickly with your ISP's modem. The connection occurs during the handshake--the seemingly interminable screeching that modems go through. V.90 modems usually take more than 20 seconds to connect. That's a real bone of contention for many people. V.92 modems cut the connection time in half.

2. It will allow you to take calls without breaking your Internet connection. This is called Modem on Hold, or MOH. It requires that your telephone company offer call waiting service. And you have to subscribe to it, of course. Most V.92 modems can also offer
caller ID in conjunction with call waiting, if it is available from your telephone company. In addition, you may be able to initiate a call without breaking your Internet connection, if your modem supports that.

3. PCM Upstream will allow you to send large files (such as photos, songs and video) faster. The maximum upload speed is 48Kbps. If you are not sending large files, this feature will offer little benefit.

4. Faster downloads are available through the V.44 standard. This is complementary to V.92, and not all V.92 modems have it. If you find a V.92 modem at a low price, V.44 may be missing. So check the specs closely. V.44 is a compression standard, and can speed up your browsing by 20-50 percent. The speedup is most apparent when you are downloading text. Pictures and graphics are already compressed, so you'll gain less with them. The same is true of ZIP and other compressed files.

V.92 modems range from $20 to $100. V.44 is likely to be missing from the less costly modems. Check the specifications on the box closely before buying!

Because this standard is a few years old, most ISPs support it. Check with yours. You can also check online. Try these sites:
    http://www.v92isps.com/
    http://www.modemsite.com/56k/v92isp.asp

Be sure to ask if your ISP, or any ISP in which you are interested, supports all V.92 services.