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General Product Information
- What is 56K?
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The term 56K refers to a new generation of modems that improve the speed of communication between personal computers and the Internet. The previous speed standard provided communication at speeds as high as 33,600 bits per second (bps). The new 56K modems increase that speed to a theoretical maximum of 57,600 or 56 Kbps.
In the past, two different technologies emerged enabling 56K communication: K56flex and x2. They have been replaced by a new, international standard for 56K data communications known as v.90.
In actual practice, the theoretical maximum speed is rarely achieved. See below for an explanation of the factors that can influence the speed that your computer connects at.
- Which standard does Southwestern Bell Internet Services offer?
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Southwestern Bell Internet Services will upgrade our network to v.90, the new international standard for high-speed modem communication, replacing our original adoption of the K56flex and x2 standards. v.90 offers connect speeds up to 53Kbps.
The v.90 standard has been ratified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and all major modem manufacturers have announced their support for it. v.90 replaces two different, older technologies, K56flex and x2, which were previously used to enable high-speed communication. Upgrading to the new standard allows Southwestern Bell Internet Services to provide the highest connection speed possible with an analog modem, while ensuring compatibility with the type of equipment our customers are most likely to own.
- Do the three standards work interchangeably?
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Unfortunately, no. The three standards require both ends of the communication link to be compatible with the standard. This means that the ISP's dial-in servers and the subscriber's modem need to have the same standard, whether it be K56flex, x2, or v.90. Generally, none of the standards are interchangeable. If the ISP has K56flex and the subscriber has x2, communication at 56K speed is not possible.
Recently, some modem manufacturers have been selling x2 and K56flex modems with the promise of a free or for-a-fee upgrade to the universal v.90 standard when the software to upgrade the modem is available. Also, some v.90 modems may be backward-compatible with either one of the older standards - but not both!
If you have questions about whether your modem is compatible with or upgradable to any of the 56K standards, please contact your modem manufacturer or computer dealer for details.
- When will the v.90 standard be available in my area?
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Southwestern Bell Internet Services will rollout the v.90 standard throughout April and May 1999. Click here to see when v.90 is scheduled for your dial-in location.
- How do I know if my modem is compatible?
- There are several different classes of 56K modems:
K56flex modems, advertised as "56K" modems, allow connections up to 53Kbps. This older technology is being replaced by v.90 technology in Soutwestern Bell Internet Service's network. However, K56flex modems will continue to connect at speeds up to 53Kbps after our network upgrade.
x2 modems use another competing technology to enable high-speed communication, but it is also being replaced with the v.90 standard. Some of Southwestern Bell Internet Services dial-in locations are compatible with both x2 and v.90, while others are compatible with K56flex and v.90. To check which technologies are supported at your local dial-in location, check our
Local Access Numbers. x2 modems will continue to connect at speeds up to 33.6 Kbps at those dial-in locations that are K56flex and v.90 compatible.
v.90 modems will connect with Soutwestern Bell Internet Service's network at speeds up to 53Kbps. Recently purchased modems are most likely v.90-capable out of the box. However, if you own a K56flex or x2 modem, a software upgrade to v.90 may be available from your modem manufacturer.
Slower technologies such as v.34 (28.8 or 33.6) and v32bis (14.4) will continue to connect at speeds up to their advertised maximum on Soutwestern Bell Internet Service's network.
| Modem type |
Maximum Speed on Southwestern Bell
Internet Service's network |
| v.34 |
33.3Kbps |
| K56flex |
53 Kbps or 33.6 Kbps depending on your dial-in location |
| x2 |
53 Kbps or 33.6 Kbps depending on your dial-in location |
| v.90 native |
53 Kbps |
| v.90 (upgraded from flex) |
53 Kbps |
| v.90 (upgraded from x2) |
53 Kbps |
If you're not sure which type of modem you have, check with your modem manufacturer's web site or technical support line for more information.
Features, Capabilities and Requirements
- Is there a charge for 56K Internet access?
- 56K access is included with our basic dial-up service at no extra charge.
- Do I need to reprogram my dialer in order to connect at 56K speed?
- There are two settings in your dialer that you may need to change in order to connect at 56K speeds.
First, some of our dial-up locations have separate numbers for 56K connections and for lower speed connections. If you connect to one of these locations, you will need to reprogram your dialer to access the 56K number. In most locations you will not need to change your dial-in number. To find out whether you need to make any changes to your dialer, see our Local Access Numbers. If you do need to make a change, please visit our Help page for on-line instructions for reprogramming the dial-in phone number.
Another dialer setting that may affect your ability to connect at 56K speeds is the modem’s port speed. For 56K connections, it is best to configure your dialer for a port speed of 115200 bps. Please see our on-line instructions for changing the dialer port speed if you are using Windows95, Windows 3.1, or Macintosh.
- If I have an x2 Modem, can I still use Southwestern Bell Internet?
- Yes, most definitely. Some of our dial-in locations support 56K connections using both x2 and v.90 modems, while others support 56K connections using K56flex and v.90 modems. If you connect your x2 modem to a 56Kflex/v.90 dial-in location, you will continue to see speeds up to 33.6 Kbps. If you connect your x2 modem to an x2/v.90 dial-in location, you will see speeds up to 53.6 Kbps. To determine if your dial-in location is x2/v.90 or K56flex/v.90 compatible, refer to our Local Access Numbers.
Troubleshooting
- I have a 56K modem, but I am connecting at a slower speed. Why?
- Southwestern Bell Internet Services supports v.90 Internet access technology. If your modem is an x2-based modem, which is a separate 56K technology incompatible with v.90, you will connect at speeds of 33,600 bps or below.
Connection speeds are also highly dependent upon the conditions of the local phone lines (otherwise known as the Public Switched Telephone Network, or PSTN).
In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. regulatory body that has authority over the Public Switched Telephone Network, has capped certain types of data-transmission rates at 53,000 bps, which limits the maximum connection speed of ALL 56K modems.
Another factor is that the 56K standards allow maximum download speeds of 53,000 bps, but only upload speeds up to 33,600 bps. The standards were designed this way to take advantage of the fact that the size of the information your computer receives from the Internet is normally much larger than the size of the information you send into the Internet. The extra "data pumping" power is applied where it's needed the most.
Finally, in our independent tests of the v.90 standard, we have encountered typical connection speeds much lower than 53,000 bps, with an average speed of 42-46,000 bps.
All these factors influence the actual speed at which your computer communicates with the Internet. It is better to think of 56K as a theoretical maximum rather than an expected or guaranteed rate.
- How do I get my modem to display the real connect speed?
- If your computer reports that you are connecting at 57,600or 115,200, this higher speed is the speed between your computer and the modem (DTE or port speed). The connection speed that you actually want shown is the speed between your modem and Southwestern Bell Internet Service's access port (DCE or connect speed).
The speed that is displayed is dependent on the way your modem is installed within your computer. For most modems, you can add a "W2" to your modem initialization string using our instructions for Windows95, Windows 3.1 or Macintosh. If this does not work, you will need to contact your modem manufacturer for help changing your modem setup to reveal the true connect speed.
- What do I do if I am having problems connecting to Southwestern Bell Internet Services with my new 56K Modem?
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Please make sure your computer and modem are properly configured for communication at 56K speeds. Click here for a listing of initialization strings that are recommended by the manufacturers of some popular 56K modems.
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