Other Support Topics  .V90 & 56K Modem Basics 
TO TEST YOUR MODEM'S SPEED RIGHT NOW |
| 1) X2 (U.S. Robotics, USR, or 3Com protocol). Upgrade USR and 3Com X2 to V.90 Now! |
| 2) K56 Flex, also known as the Rockwell / Lucent protocol. Upgrade K56 Flex to V.90 Now! |
There were dozens of different manufacturers making modems for both 56K modem types. Some manufacturers even make modems for both types. All of these manufacturers are now making the V.90 modems. BE SURE YOU ARE PURCHASING THE PROPER MODEM. TO ACCESS JVLNET AT 56K YOU MUST PURCHASE A MODEM THAT IS CLEARLY MARKED V.90. We strongly recommend using a hardware controlled (controller based) modem, rather than one that is software controlled (Winmodem). Many modern computer manufacturers are including poor quality modems in their systems that are software controlled. They are subject to problems such as frequent disconnects, slow connection speeds, and the inability to get connected at all.
You may also purchase any modem that states it is upgradable to V.90. These modems may not access JVLNET at 56K today, but will be able to access JVLNET at 56K as soon as you upgrade them to the V.90 release. As a matter of fact, there are still many very good 33.6 and 56K modems being sold at very cheap prices right now that can be upgraded to the new V.90 protocol. Do not purchase a 33.6 modem unless it specifically claims it is upgradable to the new 56K or V.90 protocol.
Second
Even if you do have a K56 Flex or V.90 modem, and dial into JVLNET on the proper 56K modem
pool numbers, you may still not get speeds over 24.4K because of your phone company
limitations. Your local phone company does not have to allow your phone line to exceed
24.4K by Wisconsin tarriff. Many areas of the 608 area code are "clamped" to
24.4 by your local phone company, and there is nothing you can do about it. Many other
areas currently have up to 50K limits. It is not expected that the phone company will
increase the baud rate limits, and in fact, may very well start to decrease the limits
down to the tarriffs minimum of 24.4K. Due to federal regulation, 56K modems will never connect higher than 53K on any standard phone line. What is a 56k-compatible line?
Third
Even if you have the right K56 Flex modem, and you are calling the right JVLNET 56K modem
pool phone number, and your local phone company is allowing your phone line to receive
data at baud rate speeds greater than 24.4K, you may still not establish a connection with
JVLNET at exactly 56K. Expect to establish rates between 28.8 and 50K, depending on the quality
of your phone line, the length of phone line between you and the main phone company
switching equipment, the quality of your phone jacks and internal phone cables and
connectors, as well as a dozen other variables out of our control. It seems some areas
always log on at 48,800 and some other areas always log on at 28,800. We suggest you
contact your local phone company and request a "quality Check" of your phone
line all the way from your modem to the phone company central office.
Also
Below find additional 56K modem tips, as we get them. We will post them with the most
current on the bottom
- For K56flex modem operation, the client-side modem must be operating with K56flex v1.0 software or higher. In many cases this will mean that the client-side modem will require a flash upgrade and, in a small base of modems, a hardware exchange may be necessary. To determine if a client-modem is K56flex operational, a user can place the modem in the command mode and communicate directly with the modem using the AT command syntax. To enter AT commands, you must attach your modem to a computer's serial port and enter commands directly from terminal emulation software such as Windows 95's HyperTerminal program. To use AT commands in terminal mode to verify software version, do the following: Start your data communications program. At the screen prompt type in ATi3 followed by a carriage return (or enter). Note the modem's response on the computer screen. If the modem responds with V1.0-56K_DLS (or higher), a K56flex modem connection is possible. If the modem responds with an earlier version of software (such as V0.519-K56_DLS), please contact the modem vendor's web site for the latest firmware upgrade.
- 56K is the short way of saying 56K BPS, or 56,000 bytes per second. This is what we refer to as the baud rate.
- Common Questions that are answered directly by Lucent / Livingston, the manufacturer of the K56 Modem chip.
- How to add a JVLNET 56K dial up session icon to your Windows 95 Desktop, and keep your existing JVLNET 33.6 dial up session setup as a backup.
- To see what maximum speed your modem and phone line will log on to JVLNET at, if you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, run Hyperterm and enter the number 741-3300 if in Janesville, or 524-8770 if in Reedsburg. The baud rate will be displayed on the bottom frame after the JVLNET modem answers. To locate Hyperterm on your computer, go to Start, then Find, then Files or Folders, then type in Hyperterm, then click on "Find Now".
- So far the Zoom K56 Flex / V.90 external 56K modem appears to be the best value and achieves access rates up to the 53,333 telco limitation. Zoom has a special 56K to V.90 update Zoom modems on-line page.
- Here is a phone number you can have your modem call to test your line and modem for 56K compatibility. Test your phone line and modem now.
- For more information on the V.90 standard please visit www.v90.com.
