- What is V.92?
V.92 is a new dial-up modem specification from the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) that introduces three new features that will add convenience and performance for the modem user. The three features are quick connect, modem-on-hold and PCM Upstream. It was released for public comment in July 2000 and was ratified to become standard in November 2000.
- What makes a V.92 modem faster than V.90 modem?
The QuickConnect feature of a v.92 modem works to cut the modem negotiation or handshake time by up to 50% so you can be online quicker. Also the V.92 feature called PCM Upstream will allow you to upload email attachments and send large files from your computer to someone else up to 33% faster. The main feature that makes a v.92 modem faster than a v.90 modem is a new compression protocol call V.44. It is based upon a compression scheme used by Hughes Network Systems (the Statellite & DirecTV company). V.44 can speed up your casual web browsing as much as 50%. Be aware that v.92 modems are not required to have v.44 included. It is rumored that some modem vendors are issuing upgrades & selling new modems without v.44. A new v.92 modem or v.92 upgrade that does not include the v.44 compression protocol would NOT provide for the advertised "increase in web browsing speed." Please be sure that when you get a new v.92 modem or v.92 firmware/driver update, you inquire about the inclusion of v.44. If it's not there, it may not be worth your trouble to buy the modem or get the update.
- What is V.44
V.44 is a new link-layer compression standard from the ITU based on technology developed by Hughes Network Systems (the satellite & DirecPC company), V.44 be used in conjunction with v.92 to 56k modems have a faster data tranfer rate. Although some say V.44 will replace the current V.42bis compression technology, V.42bis is not going away. V.44 & V.42bis will both be available on V.92 modems but does not require a V.92 connection to be used. V.44 will work with v.90-speed and below connections as long ask you are dialing into a V.92 ISP. V.44 offers up to a 6:1 compression ratio compared to the 4:1 maxiumum compression from V.42bis.
- What will V.44 do for me?
V.44's higher compression ratios mean that more data can be downloaded in the same amount of time when you compare it against a connection utilzing v.42bis compression. The most significant improvement will be noticed when you are browsing and searching the web, since HTML text files are highly compressible. For most users, data throughput will be increased by 20 to 50%. Be aware that if you are surfing a graphics intensive site, that you will not see such a dramatic increase in speed. This is due to the fact that most web site graphics are already in a compressed format such as JPEG, GIF and/or PNG. These file types will probably be compressed no more than 5% by v.44 for data transsmission. Sustained data file downloads will only be sped up depending on the type of data file it is. Any zip, rar or compressed file type will not be as easily sped up as a large word document, text file, or web page.
- Why do I need or want V.92?
Although broadband connectivity (DSL, Cable, Satellite & Fixed Wireless) are all the rage right now, in reality, most people around the world only have access to analog phone lines. Dial-up modems will remain the primary means to get on the Internet for several years, so it is important to improve the user experience on this technology.
- What will QuickConnect do for me?
Very simply, QuickConnect (QC) will shorten the time it takes to make a connection by remembering the phone circuit's characteristics and storing them for later usage. Typically, the modem handshake (all that screeching noise you hear) takes from 25 to 27 seconds for a good connection and upwards of 45 seconds if you're having problems. Surveys indicate that people are quite irritated at this length of time. QuickConnect will cut the modem handshake time in half for most calls, a significant improvement.
- Will QuickConnect work for me while I'm on the road with my laptop?
Yes. Since QuickConnect actually saves the phone circuit's unique characteristics every call. On the following calls, the QuickConnect technology will compare the characteristics of the previous phone call's circuit to the current one. If they match you'll get a QuickConnect - a faster handshake time. People usually make more than one connection from the same phone line (e.g. hotel) when they are travelling.
- What will PCM Upstream do for me?
PCM Upstream boosts the upstream data rates between the user and ISP to reduce upload times for large files and email attachments. A maximum of 48 Kbps (48000bps) upstream rate is supported. PCM Upstream will work particularly well with new equipment such as Internet-connected digital cameras (web cams), which primarily upload rather than download information.
- Will PCM Upstream affect my downstream data rate?
This is a debated question. While the USRobotics v.92 whitepaper does say that the downstream rate will suffer while a PCM Upstream speed upload is taking place, others do not mention this at all. Are the other vendors convienently leaving out this information or is there just something different in the way USRobotics is implementing PCM Upstream that is causing this. It is definately possible that USRobotics is doing something different than the other vendors, especially given it's V.92 Modem Control Center application that allows you to manipulate a vast amount of settings for the modem, including upstream and downstream rates. The few people I've talked to regarding the USRobotics Control Center application have been so confused by the number of options to choose and change that they were beginning to doubt their wisdom of choosing a USRobotics V.92 modem over the others. One location states that PCM Upstream may affect your downstream data rate by 1-2 speeds. In other words, if you were connecting at 45333 in V.90, with PCM upstream, your downstream data rate may be 44000 or 42667. If PCM Upstream is not important to you then, it can be disabled through the modem control panel via an init string while keeping the QC and MOH features intact.
- Are QuickConnect, Modem-on-Hold and PCM Upstream supported in V.34 mode?
Conexant says yes that all three are suppored in V.34 mode, but I feel this is wrong (possibly a typo on their part). Why? Because these are technologies built into a v.92 specific connection. If they were "modular" meaning separate features for a modem, they should not be wrapped into a full blown ITU-T analog modem connection protocol. They would be "overlay" protocols that would work no matter what the connection protocol was.
UPDATE Some sources, including the Conexant/BVRP Netwaiting (tm) release notes, say that MOH will work in limited capacity. MOH would only be able to detect the call waiting tone, provide caller ID information and allow you to pick up the call, but would immediately disconnect your Internet connection and NOT let you go back to it. This means you would have to reconnect to your ISP the normal way and not via the MOH application. Another thing to remember is that the V.44 compression protocol, while usually bundled with the v.92 modem, works independantly of a v.92 connection (as long as your ISP has v.92/v.44 modems).
- Will I be able to upgrade my V.90 modem or will I have to buy a new V.92 modem?
Unfortuantely this depends on your hardware itself. Some of the older v.90 modems that were upgraded from x2 or K56Flex to v.90 just do not have the hardware needed to implement v.92. In those cases, you would have to buy a new modem to get v.92 capablities. All other modems should be V.92 upgradable via a free firmware update or software driver update. Please check with your computer or modem manufacturer for further details on their v.92 upgrade plans before you decide to go out and buy a new v.92 modem. You just may be getting v.92 for free. ;=) But you need to be wary of free v.92 upgrades. Due to the advancements in the semiconductor industry, most modems these days have more powerful chips on them than they did just a few years ago. This extra power will most notably be used by the addition of the v.92 & v.44 protocols to your modem. If you have an older modem that has a less powerful chip, but that does get upgraded to v.92 & v.44, it is possible that the increased performance may not be as noticable. It may even be possible to get a v.92/v.44 connection that gives you decreased bandwith performance than the modem did before you upgraded. It is also possible for a vendor to provide a v.92 upgrade, but not include the v.44 compression protocol with it due to the increased hardware requirements needed for v.44 to work properly. A v.92 modem upgrade that does not include the v.44 compression protocol would NOT provide for the advertised "increase in web browsing speed." Please be sure that when you get a v.92 firmware/driver update, you inquire about the inclusion of v.44. If it's not there, it may not be worth your trouble to update.
- When will my ISP support V.92?
T-One.Net supports V.92
- Modem-on-Hold (MOH)
- What will Modem-on-Hold do for me?
Many households use the same phone line for both voice calls and Internet connectivity, so when the user is browsing the Internet, an incoming call cannot get through. Modem-on-Hold allows you to receive an incoming call and stay connected to the Internet. NOTE: Call-Waiting service from your phone company is required. It also works in reverse; you can initiate a voice call while connected and keep the modem connection. While the last statement is true as far as the standard goes, it is up to the individual modem chipset manufacturers & modem vendors to decide exactly how they will implement MOH. It has already been found that the current version of the Lucent/Agere MOH application will not let you use MOH at will. It requires an incoming call with call waiting to begin working.
- How much time will I have if I choose to take an incoming call?
T-One's hold time is infinite.
- Do I have to pay my ISP extra for Modem-on-Hold capabilities?
Not with T-One
- Do I have to redial to get back to the Internet?
No. When you hang up the phone you can resume browsing.
- Can I stay on the Internet and make a phone call?
Not always. As stated above, it depends on the features your modem manufacturer & the chipset vendor decide to include in the MOH application. If this feature is included then, initiating calls would be easy. First, a Modem-on-Hold application is executed. This program suspends the data connection between your modem and the ISP so you can pick up your phone and make an outgoing call in the usual way. The application puts the modem "on-hold", flashes the hook, and a dial tone appears on the extension handset so you can make a call. When your call is complete, the modem will detect an extension on hook, flash the hook twice, and return to the data (Internet) connection. The MOH application from BVRP & Conexant called Netwaiting (tm) does include this feature.
- How long will I have before the Internet connection is dropped?
T-One's time is infinite.
- There are different types of CallerID available from the telephone companies
- What services do I need to use MOH?
First and foremost, you must have Call Waiting in order to take advantage of MOH. CallerID (CID) is not required. There are 2 types of CID, type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 CID is a service that allows a telephone subscriber to receive information on the incoming call BEFORE the user (or modem) takes the call by going off-hook. Sometimes called on-hook CID, it does not require Call Waiting, but it does require hardware support on the modem board if you want to use this feature via the modem. This is because without specific hardware support, there is no data path from the telephone line to our modem device when the modem is in the on-hook condition.
Type 2 CID (also referred to as CID on Call Waiting) does not require hardware support on the modem board. Type 2 CID is not required for MOH to work. However without type 2 CID support from the telco, the user will not be able to receive details (telephone number) of the incoming third-party call. For the purposes of a MOH discussion, we will only refer to Type 2 CID.
In summary, for MOH functionality, the user must have Call Waiting service from their telephone company at a minimum. Optionally, for CID on CW, the user must have CID on Call Waiting (not just CID) service from the telco. You do not have to have CID2 in order for MOH to work, but you would not be alerted to the identity or number of the caller.
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