I feel I have to reply to this posting just to give another side to
the issue. My ISP just upgraded its whole operation to 56K flex modems
on digital lines. Having waited a good while to upgrade my modem, I
got a Zoom 56K flex modem. This model is at least a couple of months
old. I am continually connecting at 50000bps. There are so many
variables to the 56k modem equation that I am reluctant to blame any
one part.

Will Stephenson
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Good Morning to you PCBuilders!

After reading the following article by Boardwatch magazine:

http://www.boardwatch.com/mag/98/mar/bwm24.html

I was astonished to learn of the average low connection rate by
56KFlex
modems. I have been using Rockwell based modems in my business and
home for
the last 9 months and have always thought that the inadequate
connection
rate was based upon: 1) bad phone wiring in both my home and business,
and
2) that my locations were too far away from the "digital source"
(according
to the Bell South techs).  My highest connection rate ever was at
34000 bps
(using GTE, AOL and MSN as providers).
After reading the fine (if not lengthy) article, I proceeded to go and
purchase the new V90 USR modem, joined up with Mindspring, and test to
see
if there was a difference.....And there was!
My first connection (same location, same wiring) with the USR modem
was at
52000!
I now regularly get connections at 52000, 53333 and even at (hard to
believe) 54544!
I also checked to see (via test downloading some files) if the
connection
reporting was accurate. Downloading a file though www.hotfiles.com
(ZDNet's
file site) before would download at an average of 3.5 kbps, now the
average
is between 5.2 and 5.5 kbps!

Just a thought to any of you who are having trouble connecting at V90
speeds
with Rockwell based modems; you might want to give X2 (now V90) a try,
it
sure worked for me!

Earl Douglass
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