Answers
to commonly asked questions about Dial-ups.
What is V.92 Modem?
V.92 is the 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™ (MOH) and PCM Upstream.
What does ITU stand for?
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is a formal, worldwide
telecommunications standards body. The ITU is a charter organization of the
United Nations (UN), and is based in
Why is a V.92 modem faster than V.90 modem?
The quick connect feature of a V.92 modem cuts the modem negotiation or
handshake time by up to 50% so you can dial-in faster. The main feature that
makes a V.92 modem faster than a V.90 modem is V.44 the new compression
protocol. It is based upon a compression scheme that can speed up your web
browsing as much as 50%. Not all V.92 modems are required to have V.44 data
compression.
Do I need or want V.92?
Although broadband technologies (DSL and Cable) 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.
Compare V.92 modem speeds to ADSL and Cable speeds?
The V.92 modem is a regular dial-up modem with increased speed. ISDN
(64-128Kbps), ADSL (640Kbps and up), Cable (1000Kbps and up) and other
broadband connections have a higher "raw power" connection speed so
they will continue to be faster than a V.92 modem.
What does 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.
Will quick connect work for me when I am away from home with
my laptop?
Yes. Since quick connect actually "trains" the modem on the first
call, all the following calls will be quick connects - faster handshake times.
People usually make more than one connection from the same phone line (e.g.
hotel) when they are traveling.
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
upstream rates is supported. PCM Upstream will work particularly well with new
equipment such as Internet-connected digital cameras, which primarily upload
rather than download information.
Can I upgrade my V.90 modem or will I have to buy a new V.92
modem?
Some of the older V.90 modems that were upgraded from x2 or K56Flex to V.90 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 capabilities. All other modems should be V.92
upgradeable.
When will V.92 modems be available?
V.92 modems are available now.
Does my ISP support V.92?
Historically, new communication standards are made available in client modems
before the network modems, and this will be the case with V.92.
Industry-leading network equipment companies have tested V.92 and a number of
ISPs have V.92 ports available. Of course, not all ISPs will upgrade to V.92 at
the same time. You can email your ISP and ask them when they will launch the
new standard.
What will MOH do for me?
Many households use the same phone line for both voice calls and data
(Internet), so when the user is browsing the Internet, an incoming call cannot
get through. MOH allows you to receive an incoming call and stay connected to
the Internet (Call-Waiting service from your phone company is all that is
required). It also works in reverse; you can initiate a voice call while
connected and keep the modem connection.
Who determines how much time I have to choose to take an
incoming call?
Your ISP defines the “hold” time. The V.92 specification allows for hold times
to be anywhere from 10 seconds to infinite.
Will I have to redial to get back to the Internet?
No. When you hang up the phone you can resume browsing.
Can I make a call and stay on the Internet?
Yes. Initiating calls
is easy with MOH. First, a MOH 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.
How long before the Internet connection is dropped?
Again, your ISP determines the hold time. For example, the MOH application can
display the time allotted and also display a countdown so you will know how
much time you have left for the phone call.
What services do I need to use MOH since there are different
types of CallerID available from the telephone companies.
For the purposes of this document, we will use Telco terms that are used in the
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.
Do international Telcos support
Call Waiting?
Most international telcos support Call Waiting, however it is up to the modem to support the
various CW tones in the driver. Please check with your modem manufacturer.
Which countries support Call Waiting CID?
Not every international Telco offers CID on Call Waiting as a commercial
package, even if it is supported in the Telco equipment. First, check with your
telephone company to see if Call Waiting CID is offered as a service. Second,
check with your modem manufacturer for a list of countries supported.
Where can I get a MOH software application?
We expect that most modem manufacturers will supply a Modem-on-Hold applet with
the modem driver. Check with your modem manufacturer for details.
What is V.44?
A new link-layer compression standard based on technology developed by Hughes
Network Systems, V.44 will replace the current V.42bis compression technology.
V.44 offers a higher compression ratio than V.42bis.
What does V.44 do for me?
Higher compression ratios mean that more data can be downloaded in the same
amount of time. 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%.
Is
this the last standard development for analog dial-up modems?
New features are proposed to the ITU every year, so it is not out of the realm
of possibility that we will see new developments for the analog modem in the
next year.
What is meant by the term NetWaiting™?
NetWaiting is bundled with the Conexant V.92 modem chipset and driver. In NetWaiting's initial release, Call Waiting is supported for
the
NetWaiting, like all MOH applications
requires the user to have Call Waiting service with their telephone company.
Additionally, Call Waiting must be enabled. Some ISPs (e.g. AOL) automatically
turn off Call Waiting in their dial up scripts.