56K Connection Speed FAQ
Not getting
full 56K
connection
speeds? Well,
first of all, FCC
regulations only
allow for about
53000 bps
connection
speeds. But if
you're still not
getting any
better than
28.8
connection speeds
with a fully V.90
compliant modem,
you may want to
read the following
3 things you need to get 56k speeds:
#1
The first one is easy. There are plenty of 56K modems on the market, with more arriving every day. We recommend 3Com Sportsters because they are the best at handling the less-than-perfect phone lines in Southern Maryland. You can buy this brand and many others at
Performance PCs in Dunkirk
#2
Chesapeake.Net
has all 56k Modems as identified on our
contact page
. Our
modems are
monitored
continously.
They will connect
to your modem at
the highest speed
possible given
the quality of
your phone line.
#3
The third requirement is most typically the reason that will prevent most people from using 56K. For 56K technology to work, there can only be one analog-to-digital conversion (A/D switch) between your home or office and the Closest Phone Company Central Office (CO). If there's more than one, you can't use 56K, and your connection will be limited to V.34 speeds (a maxumim of 33.6K but 26.4K is more common). This is not a condition that your ISP can take care of. Most likely if there are more than one A/D switches on your line, you are stuck with it. It is a method used by the phone companies to add more phone lines to a given area by creating branch points in existing phone lines. Its fine for voice-grade connections but immediately rules out any hope for a fast modem connection.
To find out if
your phone line
supports 56k
connections,
3Com/U.S.
Robotics has a
test line that
allows you to
dial in with your
existing V.34 or
56k modem.
The phone number
to call and other
details can be
found at
the page below
. 3Com strongly
recommends
calling the test
line multiple
times to get an
accurate reading.
If your phone line passes that test, you can
probably
use a 56K modem. It isn't guaranteed, though. The long distance call to the U.S. Robotics test line may be routed through different circuits than a call to your local ISP. The only 100% guaranteed test is to borrow a 56K modem and dial into your local ISP from your home or office. If you can't connect to a known 56k ISP, then your lines do not support 56k connections
Links
U.S. Robotics x2 Compatibility Test Page
http://www.usr.com/products/line-test.asp
Trying to
decide on which
modem to buy?
Well, not all
modems were
created
equal, even if
the all claim
V.90 compliance.
Your best bet is
to research
your purchase
first, and the
buyers guide
at 56k.com has some of the best, most thorough reviews available.
Please contact us at
support@chesapeake.net
if you
require
further
information or
assistance with
your
Chesapeake.Net
e-mail service, or call our Technical Support staff at
1-877-764-4638
.
All content and images copyright Southern Maryland Internet, Inc.
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