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Q. What exactly is the 56K Speed FAQ?
A. A FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions, which serves to inform people of the most common questions and answers on a given topic. This Connect FAQ exists to give you, our valued customer, a bit of insight on what 56K is all about, and why your ultimate connection speed is completely beyond our control. Here's how to get the most out of 56K.

Q. Why do I need to read this FAQ?
A. The largest volume of our support calls come from customers who wonder why their connection speeds fluctuate. There are many reasons for why this may happen, and most of them are not commonly known. here's where we present the facts...

The Connect 56K Speed FAQ

Q. How does 56K work? ?
A. To understand 56K, you have to know how traditional analog modems work.
Information inside your computer is digital: all of the data is stored as 1s and 0s. Normal phone lines are analog: they transmit data as a series of electrical waves. Your "modem" is a MOdulator/DEModulator: it modulates (changes) outgoing data from digital to analog, and demodulates incoming data from analog to digital. You can think of it as a high speed converter.
Above a certain data transfer speed (called Shannon's Limit) the signal-to-noise ratio of any medium becomes too low to reliably transfer data. The analog phone line is the limiting factor in the speed of data transmission because it's simple electricity flowing through copper. It's noisy and very old-fashioned. Compare this to the sound difference between a record player and a CD.
Today's telephone network is increasingly digital. In particular, the link between the phone company and Connect is 100% digital. Digital lines still have noise, and are still subject to Shannon's limit, but they have much less noise and a much higher ceiling. Thus, 56K is able to happen if conditions are right. Modem companies created techniques to take advantage of the digital portion of the phone network to achieve higher speeds than were not possible with a pure analog link. These new techniques treat the phone system as a mostly digital network that just happens to have an analog portion at one point.
There are several consequences to the reliance on a half-digital connection. An Internet service provider (ISP) must have digital phone lines to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to offer 56k. Connect has those lines.

Q. is it possible my speed problems are due to your equipment?
A. Absolutely not. As stated earlier, our Modems are located directly inside a telephone company which is located next to one of the biggest fiber-optic loops in the Southeast. Once your call passes from your telephone company to our digital lines, it is instantly passed to our US Robotics/3COM Courier modems, which are well-known by the Industry as the most reliable, compatible and trouble-free modem ever made. Additionally, we keep our equipment at the absolute latest software revision, so we remain 100% compatible with the new modems that are being released each day. All of our dialin hardware is monitored for performance problems every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day by us and the telephone company. It is a testament to our equipment's reliability that many components can run for up to two years before needing a restart.
In service areas where the phone lines as known to be 56K compatible, we regularly see speeds of 48,000 through 53,333 from all brands of modems that have the latest V.90 drivers. In areas where we know 56K is not possible, many customers still enjoy higher V.34 speeds than they would ordinarily get, up to and including 33.600 and 31,000. We have conducted extensive tests to ensure that our equipment promotes the fastest connection possible for your local telephone conditions.

Q. Why did my connection speed drop?
A. Connection speeds usually decrease due to changes or upgrades at your telephone company. - Your phone company is always changing the path calls take when you make them, so your connection speeds may vary weekly. Also, after heavy rains, you will probably get lower connect speeds for up to a week, because the telephone company's underground lines get moisture in them. Third, speeds can suffer from heavy call volume at your telephone company during peak hours. Speeds can also decrease if you inadvertently modify a system file on your computer. Your computer manufacturer can help you determine if this is the case.
Finally, connection speeds can decrease due to a bad phone jack, bad phone cord, or your phone line being placed too close to a source of radiation, such as a microwave, monitor or fluorescent light. Try moving your phone cord away from these objects, try a different phone cord, and plug a phone into the same jack your modem is plugged into. Listen to the dialtone, if you hear hum, static or a faint dial tone, this may be causing poor connect rates. Contact your telephone company for details. Do NOT mention modem speed problems. Your phone company will not send a repairman to troubleshoot this. Simply say you are hearing static, hum or other interference on your line, and would like it checked.

Q. Some ISPs claim to have an 100% Digital Network. Is this true?
A. Sort of. The ISP's network ends when it reaches the telephone company. From that point on, it's pure analog telephone service. Since 56k requires the ISP have digital lines to the phone company. This is a misleading claim made by many ISPs. As a rule of thumb, any ISP who offers 56k Internet can claim a 100% digital network.

Q. I used to get high 56K speeds (45000-53333) but now I get less than 45,000. Why?
A.Quite frankly, 56K is a technology that pushes the limits of the telephone company's system. It requires absolutely pristine telephone line conditions to exist between your house and the telephone company. Once your call hits the phone company it becomes 100% digital all the way to our modems. So, line quality beyond that point is not an issue. Slower rates are almost always due to varying levels of noise in your city's local telephone lines. Call volumes (like during holidays, or evenings) can increase this noise, which may also have an impact on connection speeds. Additionally, every time you place a call, it may select one of several different paths to your telephone company. If one path is noisier than the other, your connection speed for that call will suffer. For a minor connection speed drop like this, the cause is almost always a temporary condition in the phone company. We advise seeing if the situation corrects itself over the course of a week. If it does not, it is likely the phone company has made some wiring or routing change that is causing the problem.

Q. I have a 56K modem. What do I need to get 56K speeds?
A.: Three things:

  • 1. A 56K modem with a current v.90 driver dated after May-June 1998.
  • 2. An Internet service provider that supports 56K V.90 (Connect does)
  • 3. A phone line that supports 56K (Western North Carolina does in most areas)
    #1 is easy. There are plenty of 56K modems on the market, with more arriving every day. These manufacturers have web sites where you can download the latest drivers. BUT: Not all 56K modems are created equal! beware "HCF, HSP or other "software controlled" modems (AKA Winmodem). They're much cheaper, but rely on your computer's processor to operate. Thus, when you use your modem, your computer's overall speed will drop. In some cases, running lots of processor-intensive applications on your computer while using the modem can cause disconnects, lockups and even slower connect rates. Connect recommends the US Robotics Sportster (not the Sportster Winmodem) It currently sells for around $85 to 3, and is the most popular modem in the world- for good reason. It works well and doesn't burden your computer's processor.
    #2 Once you have your 56K modem, you have this taken care of by signing up with Connect.
    #3 is a big one that will prevent some people from using 56K. For 56K to work, you can only have one analog-to-digital conversion between your location and Connect. If there's more than one, your connection will be limited to V.34 speeds (a maximum of 28.8K or 33.6K). It is possible that your telephone company may upgrade the lines in your area at a later date, enabling 56K, but for outlying or rural areas, there is no guarantee of this.

    Q. I used to get high 56K speeds, but now I get 33,600 or below! Why?!
    A.: This major drop in speed which means your modem is now making connections at the older 33.6K standard (V.34) and not the 56K V.90. Typically, this occurs often after periods of extended or heavy rain. Many of NC's local phone services operate on underground phone lines installed in the mid 1950s, which are very susceptible to moisture. We have found that entire service areas have reported consistently lower speeds for several days following showers or storms. The water causes noise and distortion in the underground phone lines. This is a telephone company issue and it happens to all ISPs in the region. Connect cannot be responsible for this.

  • 2: When you place a call, it may travel one of several different paths to your telephone company. If one path is noisier than the other, your connection speed for that call will suffer. Phone companies upgrade and reroute routes daily, so you are at the mercy of where they route your call. While the general trend has been towards improving connections to outlying and residential areas, any modifications done to their network may impact your ability to get 56K speeds.
  • 3: Sometimes people who bought a computer several months prior will perform software upgrades (new modem drivers) and then reinstall their operating system, use a rescue disk, or inadvertently overwrite the newer modem driver with an older one. This is especially true of any user with a software controlled modem which currently include Rockwell HCF, HSP, Lucent or LT Winmodems, USR/3COM Sportster Winmodems and many other Winmodems modems that include a Rockwell or Lucent chipset. Major vendors that use these modems are Compaq, HP, IBM, Creative Labs, Hayes, Aopen and Diamond. These problems can typically be corrected by finding the latest 56k v.90 driver from the modem vendors website, downloading it, installing it and rebooting. We offer over 120 drivers for various popular modems on our free Connect CD, and out Internet Support reps are glad to help you find your modem manufacturer's homepage so you can get the latest driver for your modem.
  • 4: Continuing on the Software controlled modems idea, you should realize that what makes software controlled modems so inexpensive is the fact that their high-speed digital signal processor (DSP or "brain") has been removed, and your computer's processor is emulating, or "pretending" to be that chip. Modem manufacturer tests have shown that software controlled modems can take up to 25% of the computer's processing power to operate. This not only makes your computer run slower, it means that when you're using your processor to run applications, such as Microsoft Word, Access, or Internet Explorer, they have to steal some processor time from the modem. This can lead to disconnects, lower connect speeds, and quite frequently, system freezes. Most newer computers are very fast, so this performance hit will not be crippling, however on any machine slower than a Pentium II 400, software controlled modems will cause degraded performance. Microsoft Windows, especially on store-bought computers, typically starts up many programs when you turn on the computer. They are usually visible in the bottom right of your screen, near the clock. If you must use a Winmodem, consult your Windows documentation on how to stop these programs from starting up, and when dialing into the Internet, do not open any applications until the connection has been established. This may help increase your initial connect speed.

    Q. I used to get high 56K speeds, but now I get 33,600 or below! Why?
    A. Please Check It twice! Visit http://www.conninc.com/56ktest/ to see what your average speed really is. A common V.34 connection speed for Western North Carolina is 24,000.- That is a good speed. A 2400 connection is something else. 2400 baud modems went out of style in 1993. Typically, this speed only occurs when a modem has been damaged by electrostatic discharge or lightning. This can also happen for a day or so in some areas following those heavy rains I spoke of earlier, but if the problem does not clear up, and the modem refuses to connect at a speed higher than 2400 baud, The modem should be returned to the computer or modem manufacturer for replacement. If it is not under warranty, you can pick up a US Robotics Sportster (not the Sportster Winmodem) It sells for around $85 to 3. It is an excellent product with a good warranty

  • 2: Check the modem properties in your dialup networking connection. Make sure there are no AT commands (AT&F&DI&E2 etc..) in the "Extra Settings" blank (for Windows95/98). (MS=V34 for Rockwell is OK, though).And Check their modem properties to make sure the following are true:
  • Port speed should be set between 38400k and 57600k
    (Port speed is the speed the computer talks to the modem. Optimal speed comes at 38400, although you may get better performance with 57,600. Typically we want to avoid anything higher (115,200) or lower (19,200).
  • Error correction is enabled on your modem
    (and to be safe, check Required to Connect. You may have a few more failed connections, but the calls that do stay connected will be of a much higher quality)
  • No fax/answering machine software running when connecting.
    (Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to see running programs. Windows should only have Explorer, SysTray and perhaps Rnapp. Anything else is unneeded for Windows operation, and might interfere with the modem.)
  • Your modem has a current 56K V.90 driver
    If the driver date is prior to June 1998) There is probably a newer version available. Exceptions are the USR/3COM Sportster. Their V.90 driver was released in August 1998 and works very reliably to this day.

    Q. Why do I connect at 115200. Isn't the max speed 53333?
    A. Some modems don't work properly, and report the speed that the modem talks to the computer at (port speed). because the modem is physically plugged into the computer, it can communicate to the computer at a faster speed than it can communicate to another modem across phone lines. When this happens, you can estimate the true connect speed, by checking out http://www.conninc.com/56ktest/

    Q. I get a consistently higher connection rate with another ISP. Why??
    A. Typically, this is due to your modem driver. Several ISPs locally are running older software, which does make connection rates higher for a small percent of subscribers. However, the latest software ensures a more stable and uniformly fast connection. Upgrading your modem driver to it's latest software is the single best thing you can do to improve your connection speed. Contact your computer or modem vendor and ask them for the latest V.90 driver.

    Q. If the max speed is 53K, why is it called 56K??
    A. Marketing. Modem companies knew the FCC limited the maximum speed to 53K, but their modems were capable of 56K. Realizing that more people would buy a 56K modem than a 53K modem, they advertised them as such. Once the FCC restriction is lifted, 56K capable modems will be able to operate at full speed.

    Q. Why do I get frequent disconnects and low connect rates??
    A. If things seem to be going wrong form day one, the quickest and best way to fix it is to look inside your house first. Here's a checklist of little-known conditions that can affect your modem's connection speed and reliability.

  • 1. Faulty Phone Wiring Many houses built before 1975 conform to older phone wiring practices, which may mean your in-house phone lines are substandard for 56K. The easiest way to test this is to dial someone locally, ask them to turn on a radio or CD, and place the phone in front of it. your job is to listen. If you hear any hissing, crackles, hums or dropouts (quieter for a few seconds) it is possible you may be experiencing a poor phone connection. If this problem is in your house, and you do not have a telephone company service agreement, they will charge you to fix your wiring. if the problem is in their equipment (from the box outside your house on) they will fix it for free. When calling the phone company to check your lines, be sure to mention that you are having trouble placing voice calls. Telephone companies will not troubleshoot wiring problems to improve your modem connect speed. Additionally, your telephone company does not guarantee you any connection speed higher than 9600 baud and may refuse to perform a service call if you mention "modem". Phone companies provide verified data lines, which they will guarantee a speed, but these are at a significant cost, because they know that people who demand data speed and integrity will pay the high prices for them.
  • 2. Appliances, Phone Cords and Jacks Sometimes, things such as speakers, fluorescent lights, cellular phones, battery chargers and computer monitors can interfere with the signal travelling through a phone cord - even up to a few feet away. Try to keep the phone cord coming from your computer as far away from anything electrical as possible.
    Major appliances such as TV sets, stereos and Microwaves on the same circuit may cause your computer not to receive enough ready power, which can cause modems to behave erratically.
    - Perhaps the biggest problems come from phone jack adapters that allow you to plug two or more devices into one jack. Even if you are only using one at a time, these devices may split electricity flowing through the line, may be improperly wired, and can seriously affect your connection.
    Avoid any phone cord that is smashed, frayed or bent. it's also a good idea to replace any cords that have been in use for longer than 5 years in high traffic areas.
    Check inside the phone plug sockets on your modem and phone jack for any dust, debris or damage.
    In many modems, Call Waiting or three-way calling tones will not disconnect you, but they will cause your modem to lower its speed for that connection's duration. Connect support will be happy to show you how you can disable Call Waiting when you are online.

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