PRW.NET FAQ's : Dialup and Modems :
Why does my 56 K modem connect at less than 56 Kbps ?
All dial-in lines at PRW.NET are capable of V.90 connections and use digital trunks. V.90 is the market standard for 56 K modem connections. If your modem uses an older 56 K protocol (K56Flex or X2) you should consider an update. In most cases, V.90 updates to older 56 K modems are free. If your modem implements the V.90 protocol and still connects at or below 33.6 Kbps, the more common reasons are:
1. The V.90 implementation on your modem needs an update. The V.90 standard de V.90 was released in Feb-98 and we have seen many manufacturers (particularly with generic modems) issue updates to fix problems on their original implementations. You can visit the web site of your modem manufacturer to verify this. www.56k.com and www.windrivers.com list the URLs for most popular modem manufacturers.
Given the evolution of the V.90 standard it is generally advisable to use modems from a major vendor such as 3Com/USRobotics, Zoom, Diamond, etc. that has the resources to follow the changes in this protocol.
2. Your phone line is not capable of 56 K connections. For V.90 connections an important requirement is that in the path from the phone line used by your modem and that of the ISP there should be no more than one analog trunk or switch. 3Com/USRobotics offers a phone line that you can use to test if yioru line is capable of 56 K connections. Instructions can be found at:
| http://www.3com.com/56k/need4_56k/linetest.html |
The V.90 standard was developed to take advantage on phone line conditions that, although common, do not exist on all phone lines.
3. You can also get additional suggestions for improvement indicating your symptoms and modem type at:
| http://modemsite.com/56k/tshoot.htm |
If high performance is very important for you, the best solution is to request an ISDN line. ISDN is a digital line where noise or static are not an issue and connections are consistently 64 or 128 Kbps (one or two channels). You can read more about ISDN here.
If you can only use analog lines, we offer dual analog connections (two modems on two lines) to achieve higher conenction speeds. For more details check our services page at www.prw.net/services.
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