Telerama 56k/V.90 Modem Information

All of our access numbers are now V.90 enabled. There will be no extra charge added to existing or future Telerama subscriptions for the V.90 service. If you have any questions about our V.90 service please contact us.

56k.com - a resource for 56k modem setup and trouble shooting

How to connect with 56k / V.90

In order to get a connection faster than 33.6 using the new V.90 protocol you must first have a k56flex or V.90 capable modem. Secondly, you will need to have the latest firmware version for your modem. Most new modems are 'flash' or software upgradeable. Check your modem manufacturer's website for the latest firmware available for your modem.

To find out what firmware version your modem is currently running, you will need to do the following:

• sign off
• open a terminal program
• inside the terminal window type:
  ATi3 [hit ENTER]
  your firmware version will be displayed

  If your firmware version is not the latest version available for your modem, you might not be able to connect faster than 33.6 until you acquire the firmare update from your modem manufacturer.

  IT *IS* POSSIBLE TO BUY A BRAND NEW MODEM WITH OUT-OF-DATE FIRMWARE INSTALLED ON IT.

56K / V.90 Foibles

Many people are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 56K modem technology. Unfortunately, it doesn't always live up to all of the manufacturer's claims. Reviews consistently show that the new 56k modems only get 44K or so at best -- sometimes they run slower than a 28.8K modem. Many times the new modems won't be able to connect with the 56K protocols on the current phone lines. If you can't get consistent 33.6K connections now, you probably won't get 56K connections either. The speed increase only exists for downloads; uploads are still at conventional 28.8K speeds.

A lot of our subscribers with 56k modems are having good luck connecting at 56k speeds (speeds higher that 33.6Kbs). Unfortunately, there are some subscribers who own 56k modems, with the latest firmware installed, and they still cannot reach speeds above 28.8Kbs. This is a problem with the various telephone systems in the Western Pennsylvania area. We have no control over the state or condition of the telephone system in the areas that Telerama serves. As a result, we can't do anything to improve the connection speeds that fall short of those in the range of 56k (34000 - 53000bps).

From PCWeek's 56K modem review

Every real-world connection will experience some level of noise or signal degradation, and the level of noise will vary widely from one phone connection to the next. The other set of tests PC Week Labs used showed the connection rates of the different modems as line quality was reduced. We made 10 connections with each modem under ideal conditions, and then began adding line noise to gauge the impact.

With no line noise present, Motorola's ModemSurfr, Diamond's Supra Express 56 and U.S. Robotics' Courier x2 all connected at about 50Kbps, and the Courier x2 managed a one-time 54K-bps connection.

Taking off the kid gloves, we imposed the first of the 56K-bps testing impairments proposed by the Telecommunications Industry Association. This added a strong amount of IMD (intermodulation distortion) to the signal, simulating a typical form of distortion created at a phone company's central office site.

The results were dramatic. Diamond's Supra Express connections dropped to 42K bps, Motorola's ModemSurfr fell to 40K bps and Hayes' Accura dropped to 38K bps. U.S. Robotics' Courier x2 dropped all the way back to a 31.2K-bps connection, giving up on x2 and using the V.34 protocol.

Pushing the envelope further, we implemented the second proposed testing condition from the TIA and added a bit-robbing scheme that simulates the in-band signaling that is present in some T-1 span lines in the United States. This, combined with the IMD, pushed all but the Hayes Accura back to V.34 connections.

The Supra Express managed two 32K-bps connections, but it dropped back to 28.8K-bps for the other eight connections. The ModemSurfr and the Courier x2 consistently connected at 28.8K bps. Only the Accura managed to stay with K56Flex connection rates, consistently connecting at 34K bps.