Below are the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) concerning v.92. Check here occasionally for new solutions to FAQs.

What is V.92?

What are the key enhancements of V.92?

What are the requirements for using V.92?

Is my modem v.92 capable?

What do I need for Modem-on-Hold?

What will Modem-on-Hold do for me?

What will V.44 do for me?

What will Quick Connect do for me?

What is the PCM Upstream feature all about?

What is V.92?

V.92 is a new dial-up modem specification developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Although broadband technologies such as DSL and Cable are becoming popular right now, in reality, most people in this country only have access to the internet via analog phone lines. Dial-up modems will remain the primary means to gain access to the Internet for many years to come.  Because of this, it is important for industry leaders to continually improve the performance and functionality for those who will continue using this technology.

What are the key enhancements of V.92?

V.92 provides key enhancements to the previous 56k v.90 technology. These enhancements include Modem On Hold, V.44 Compression, Quick Connect, and PCM Upstream. Each of these enhancements represents a substantial push forward to a more user-friendly dial-up experience.

• Modem on Hold allows you to put your internet connection on hold while you take or make a telephone call. The amount of time you are allowed to talk and keep the modem connected "On Hold" is determined by the ISP.  When done with the call, you simply hang up and return to your internet connection.

• V.44 compression allows greater data transfer rates than previously available with older 56k v.90/v.42bis modems. The higher compression ratio means that more data can be downloaded in the same amount of time when you compare it against a connection using the v.42bis compression standard.

• Quick Connect shortens the length of time it takes your modem to negotiate its connection to your ISP by about half.

• PCM Upstream allows faster uploads. Using v.90, the maximum upload speed is 31.2Kbps.  With v.92, it is possible to upload data at speeds up to 48Kbps. This new enhancement is especially beneficial when sending large e-mails, spreadsheets, photos, or uploading large files.

What are the requirements for using V.92?

• You must have a v.92/v.44 modem (Note: some modems may be packaged and promoted as v.92/v.44, but only be v.92 ready, meaning the user would have to download an upgrade from the manufacturer's website when available).

• Your ISP must support v.92 access on their dial-up network.

Is my modem v.92 capable?

Quite possibly. V.92-capable modems started hitting the market around the end of the year 2000.  If you have a new modem it may already support v.92. Even if your modem doesn't currently support v.92, many of the more popular modems were manufactured with the ability to be upgraded to v.92/v.44 using software drivers. If you have a modem that can be upgraded this way, all you need to do is download and install the modem driver from the modem manufacturer and you're ready to go.

What do I need for Modem-on-Hold?

You must have "Call Waiting" installed on your phone line by your local telephone company, a v.92-capable modem, and software (usually packaged with the modem) installed on your computer.

What will Modem-on-Hold do for me?

Modem-on-Hold works much like the current "Call Waiting" feature used in telephone voice conversations. If you receive a call while you're online, the modem-on-hold software will prompt you to take or ignore the call. If you choose to take the call, just pick up the telephone and begin your conversation. Your ISP's implementation of v.92 determines the amount of modem “hold” time that is allowed. The v.92 specification allows for hold times to be anywhere from 10 seconds to infinite.

What will V.44 do for me?

Higher compression ratios mean that more data can be downloaded in the same amount of time, thus faster access of web pages, downloaded files and email. 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 60%.

What will Quick Connect do for me?

Very simply, quick connect will shorten the time it takes to make a connection by remembering ("training") the phone line characteristics and storing them for later usage. Typically, the modem handshake (all that noise you hear) takes from 25 to 27 seconds. Surveys indicate that people are quite irritated at this length of time. Quick connect will cut the modem handshake time in half for most calls, a significant improvement.

What is the PCM Upstream feature all about?