Get Set for HIGH VELOCITY
Internet Access & Data Communications!
Upgrade your 56k Modem to V.90 Standard!
The wheel of technological progress is turning faster than
ever and Etisalat ensures that these developments are channeled into offering you better
services and products. V.90
is one such technological advancement that will offer you cheaper phone communications,
cheaper and faster internet access, and more telecommunication options in your home
and full interoperability.
This has been made possible by Etisalat upgrading its
Internet Dial up remote access servers (RAS) to V.90 standard.
The V.90 Standard - In Simple
Terms
For the past couple of years, two
groups - Us Robotics/3Com (X2), and Lucent/Rockwell (K56flex) have
been developing and marketing two different standards for 56k
Internet modem technology. To implement one
international standard, the FCC and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
developed the V.pcm or V.90. Both the X2 and K56flex groups had to comply to this standard
by April 1st 1998, which they have done.
V.90 is the ITU's
recommendation for 56k Modem Technology Standard.
It has replaced K56flex and X2 technologies and implements cross-platform compatibility
and inter-operability between 56k modems of different manufacture.
Etisalat, by upgrading its Remote
Access Servers to V.90, is all set to provide you high velocity communications. Are
you ready for it?. Click here for the ITU Press Release announcing the V.90 standard.
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How to Upgrade Your Modem to
the V.90 Standard
If you have a X2 or a 56kFlex modem, download the
appropriate upgrade software drivers from the links given below. The following sites also
contain detailed information
on V.90. If you are not sure what make your modem is - nothing to worry, if your
modem is an internal one, then your computer vendor is the one to catch. Click here
'Who made my modem ? for more
detailed information.
The following sites too contain comprehensive upgrade
explanations :
http://www.stcscomputers.com/v.90info.htm
http://www.stcscomputers.com/upgrade_k56flex_v90_consumer.htm
http://www.stcscomputers.com/x2ugrade.htm
http://www.k56flex.com
http://www.56k.com
http://www.k56flex.com/flexupgrade.html
http://www.magicxpress.com/index6.html
http://www.multitech.com/support/firmware/v.90
http://www.bb-grp.com/modemupgrade.html
http://www.j-mark.com/Drivers/v.9ofirmware.html
http://56k.com/links/v.90-upgrades/
All about
Modems
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Questions about the V.90
Standard and Modems that you would like Answered
By the way, what is a
standard ?
A standard is a technology agreed upon
by different vendors in a specific industry.
New standards are driven by market trends, technological advancements, and
consumer demand. Modem standards begin as proprietary technologies submitted by individual
vendors to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a formal worldwide
telecommunications standards body whose charter organization is the United Nations. The
ITU may adopt a proprietary protocol from an individual vendor. Or it may adopt a standard
based on technologies from different vendors. Standards
are initially "determined," then later ratified or "decided." A
determined standard is
based on a technical agreement between active union participants. Once determined,
the core technology of a standard won't change. Modem vendors develop and ship products
based on determined standards. Determined standards are later agreed upon by all members
of the UN and considered ratified.
(Source :
http://help.ibm.net/helplib/56k.html#b) |
I am no techno-freak, what
exactly is 56k Internet modem technology ?
56K is a modem
technology that allows a user with a 56K modem to download data
at speeds up to 53K (the FCC regulated limit) and send data at speeds up to 33.6K.
There were two competing 56K standards on the market; "X2"
from U.S. Robotics (now owned by 3Com) and "K56Flex" supported by Hayes
and Rockwell companies. These two standards are NOT compatible with each other (so you
cannot obtain a 56K connection with a Flex modem on an X2 service). (Source :
http://help.ibm.net/helplib/56k.html#b)
|
Hey, my Internet connection
is working just fine, why should I upgrade to V.90?
If you are connecting with a 33,600 or 28,800 modem and are happy with the speed
then you can forget the whole thing. Because contrary to popular belief , they are not
obsolete or slow, as speed depends on a lot of factors like the traffic on the Information
Superhighway, the speed of the computer or the state of your phone line.
Speedsters can have a field day with speed but even they
have to contend with the factors mentioned above. |
By the time we all hitch
the V.90 bandwagon, would the standard have changed?
Even if
the V.90 standards are not ratified there is nothing to worry as it is highly unlikely
that the technical aspects of the technology will change though compatible future
revisions may occur. But if it does software updates are bound to be made available. |
Should I upgrade to V.90
immediately ?
Until your ISP offers V.90, there's no advantage
in having V.90 on your end. If you're currently getting connections faster than
33.6, you can stay put until your ISP upgrades. If you have a K56flex modem and a K56flex
ISP, you should definitely not upgrade until your ISP upgrades. But in this case, as
Etisalat has upgraded, the choice is yours. |
Now that Etisalat has
upgraded to V.90, will they stop supporting K56Flex standard?
No.
Customers using K56Flex, Etisalat will continue to support their configuration. X2
customers should definitely upgrade to V.90. |
I am experiencing a few
glitches with my modem, what should I do ?
Technical problems
with modems should be taken to the modem manufacturer or the computer vendor in case of
internal modems. |
How can I solve the
'chopiness' or performance problems that I experience
with my V.90 modem ?
Get the latest version of the V.90 code
from your modem manufacturer or upgrade the software version. Some software like Real
Audio Player have fixes available to download. |
Why does it take a long
time for my V.90 modem to 'handshake' and connect ?
The V.90
protocol establishes a thorough and longer handshake to ensure that you have the best
connection. It has to test and detect the best protocols available between the two modems
to attain the fastest speeds. |
Why does my Lucent LT Win
modem keep getting disconnected ?
To rectify this
problem, try use the initial string AT&FX :
To initialise :
1. Set Windows 95/98 Dial up Networking to use software
flow control.
To do this : |
2. Double click 'My Computer', then double click the
'Dial up Networking'
folder. |
| 3. Right click on your 'Connection' icon and choose
'Properties'. |
| 4. Click on 'Configure', then click 'Connection'. |
| 5. Next click on 'Advanced'. |
| 6. Check (tick mark) the 'Use Flow Control' and select
'Software(XON/XOFF)'. |
| 7. In 'Extra Settings' enter 'AT&FX'. |
| 8. Click OK to save changes. |
Then :
| If the above steps don't work, try lowering your
connection speed to 57600. You can do this from the 'Properties' option in your 'Connection'
icon. But this will affect your download speed, so try this only after you have
tried everything else. |
|
How can I get my modem to
report the true connect speed ?
Install the correct drivers
for your modem be it for Windows 95 Dial Up Networking (install correct '.inf' file or
Apple's PPP for Open Transport (install correct CCL file). Drivers are normally included
in the disk that comes with your modem. These drivers interpret the result code from the
connection and translate it into an accurate connect speed. |
If I upgrade to V.90, will
I still have backward compatibility with K56Flex modems?
No
problem. Upgraded K56Flex modems will still be able to connect to either K56 Flex or V.90
hosts and achieve faster-than-33.6 speeds (dependent on phone line quality). |
Who made my modem ?
Information for both Windows PC and Mac users are given here :
http://www.56k.com/trouble/noname.shtml |
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All about Modems
What is a modem?
A modem is an electronic device that works with your computer
and another computer to communicate over voice-grade telephone lines. The term modem
describes the function of the equipment, "mo" for modulating, and
"dem" for demodulation. The most popular application of modems are those that
connect over standard telephone lines, however other types of modems exist for other
specified applications. |
Types of modems
1. Internal
Internal modems are found inside the computer on printed
circuit boards featuring the
dedicated communications processors.
2. External
External modems are separate from your central
processing unit (CPU) and are
connected by external cables to the computer. They
typically feature external lights
identifying ready status or current activity. These units
also feature their own power
source. |
PCMCIA / PC Card
PCMCIA ("PC Card") modems are like a hybrid between
internal and external modems; their design is more like an internal modem, but in theory,
any computer with
a PCMCIA slot should be able to use a PCMCIA modem. |
Special Circuit Modems
ISDN, DSL, CABLE, and SATELLITE modems are not built for use over standard
telephone lines. |
Modem Speeds
The speed of a modem is determined by a variety of factors
including modem compatibility, hardware, software, processing speed and connection medium.
Degradation in the performance of any of these components may result in a less than
optimum transmission speed.
In addition, transmission speed is also affected by
internet traffic volume which often creates more impact than modem capability.
There are a variety of products on the market that claim
specified speeds, most current new modems support the V.34/V.34bis (28,800/33,600bps)
communications standard. Modems now also include error-correction and data
compression.
V.34 Modem Technology
The most common dial-up data modem is the V.34 modem with
speeds up to 33.6 (V.34bis) To achieve optimal speeds the V.34 modems must connect to
another V.34 modem.
The V.34 standard provides key technologies to support
faster and more efficient modem Transmissions. |
K56flex and x2 Modem
Technology
These modems were introduced to
utilize telephone facilities that had only one A/D conversion in the connection path. This
connection is asymmetrical in nature because the downstream speed (receive) has one D/A
conversion in which no information is lost during the conversion. The upstream (transmit)
direction (a) can only have one A/D conversion, (b) encounters quantization error, and (c)
is limited to V.34 speeds.
These modems are most successful for dial-up Internet
Service Providers (ISP) where the ISP has a digital interface to a local telephone switch.
One end of the circuit has to be digital and only one A/D conversion is allowed. Usually
only subscribers on POTS copper facilities can utilize this type of modem. When this
technology was introduced two separate modem schemes were used, K56flex and x2. These two
types of modem cannot be interconnected. |
V.90 Modem Technology
The ITU became involved in the 56k modem issue and drafted a
standard called V.90 that has been finalized and adopted. This standard will define and
standardize issues such as handshaking, initialization sequences, protocols etc. Even
though standards will recommend and define, vendors designs and modem quality will still
be a variable in connect and throughput speeds.
(Source :
http://www.uswest.com/com/contacts/fast_facts/modemdata/modem1.html) |
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