1. What is a bit?Q. What is a bit?
2. What does the term baud mean?
3. How fast of a connection is it possible to receive from ACE InfoSystems?
4. Why is it that I rarely get connected faster than 26,400 bps even though I have a 33,600 bps modem?
5. What are some factors that influence the quality of a phone line?
6. What would cause my connection to ACE InfoSystems to get dropped?
7. What does ACE InfoSystems do to assure line quality at their facilities?
8. What is this 56k technology that I've heard about?
9. Does ACE InfoSystems support the new 56k technology?
10. What is the V.90 standard?
11. Does ACE InfoSystems support the V.90 standard?
A. A bit is the smallest amount of data you're likely to deal with. Each character that you see on the screen needs eight bits in order to be displayed. Modem speeds are typically measured in thousands of bits per second, for example, 28800 bits per second (bps). Most often you'll see bits grouped into thousands (kilobits or Kb) or millions (megabits or Mb). You probably have either a 14.4 Kbps or a 28.8 Kbps modem.
Q. What does the term baud mean?
A. Although you may hear the term baud used interchangeably with bits per second, this is not the case. A modem's baud rate is a measure of how fast a modem 'signals'- how many data bursts a modem sends per second. This is not the same as bits per second because every burst can contain several bits, so a 2400 baud modem can actually be sending data at 14,400 bits per second: each signal contains just 6 bits.
Q. How fast of a connection is it possible to receive from ACE InfoSystems?
A. All of the modems in our modem pool are capable of establishing a 56,000 bps connection but current FCC regulations prohibit the transfer of data at speeds over 53,000 bps
Q. Why is it then, that I rarely get connected faster than 26,400 bps even though I have a 33,600 bps modem?
A. Very few people can get a consistent 28,800(V.34 modem) or 33,600(33.6k modem) bps connection. Speeds of 28,800 bps or faster, require pristine line quality along the entire length of the connection. However, V.FC, V.34, and 33.6k modems are capable of pushing the limits of analog phone lines, commonly offering connect speeds of 21600, 24000, and even 26400bps or higher.
Q. What are some factors that influence the quality of a phone line?
Line Impairment:
Variations in line quality are typically the culprit for low connection rates. Everyone occasionally gets “a bad line” and has to hang up and call again to get a better connection. However, if you find that you never or rarely connect at rates above 19200 bps, you will want to investigate the line quality of your connections. Begin with the following:+ Try plugging the modem into a different phone line or wall jack. If you know someone else in your area with a high speed modem, ask what type of connections they make. Try making the connection from their location.
+If you encounter the same low connection rates, the problem may be resulting from impairments along the lines running to the local telephone company or within your home or office. Your telephone company or a private consultant may be able to help.
Software Setup and Modem Configuration:
In addition to line impairments, modem configuration and software setup can affect connection rates and throughput.Q. What would cause my connection to ACE InfoSystems to get dropped?
A. Dropped connections can occur when there is a sharp decrease in line quality during a call. V.34 modems will switch to rates as low as 4800 bps to compensate for these changes. Most modems will pause when there is noise on the line and wait to recover the connection, but occasionally this is not possible and the modems will disconnect from each other. Another perpetrator of dropped connections is call waiting. If you have call waiting on your phone line and have not inactivated it before connecting to the internet, the noise created by an incoming call may cause your modem to disconnect. In order to disable call waiting, simply insert *70 before ACE InfoSystems' phone number.
One last thing that can cause your connection to be dropped is inactivity. If the connection between your computer and our computer is idle (no data being transferred in either direction) for 20 minutes, you will be disconnected from the system. This is done out of fairness to other users; simply dial back in if you need to continue to use the system.
Q.What does ACE InfoSystems do to assure line quality at their facilities?
A. When you call ACE InfoSystems' modem pool, your call is transmitted over the copper wire installed between your home and the phone company. Once the call reaches the phone company though, it is carried on the rest of its' journey to ACE InfoSystems over a highly reliable PRI (Primary Rate Interface) digital circuit installed between their facility and the phone company.
Q.What is this 56k technology that I've heard about?
A. Using one of the new 56K modems or with a software upgrade for a existing modem, you can now receive data at 56 Kbps due to special equipment used at the site which you are connecting to the internet through. The speed at which you can send data remains 33.6 Kbps.
Q. Does ACE InfoSystems support the new 56k technology?
A. Currently, there are two competing 56k technologies - the K56Flex, and the X2. ACE InfoSystems supports both 56kFlex and v.90 technologies. (see below)
A. A standard was reached by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) recently to solve the problem of two competing 56k technologies. The standard, named V.90, ensures that new 56k modems will be compatible with any 56k provider. Many modem companies have been promising free upgrades to the final ITU standard for their x2 and k56flex modems. In most cases you will be able to download a firmware upgrade from the manufacturer. Check out the V.90 Upgrade Guide for more information.
Q. Does ACE InfoSystems support the V.90 standard?
- Further information about V.90 can be found at the following links:
- http://www.56k.com
- http://www.v90.com
- http://www.3com.com/56k/
- http://www.nb.rockwell.com/K56flex/
A. All of ACE InfoSystems modems support the V.90 standard while retaining K56Flex compatability.
For more information regarding modems check out these links:
Ask Mr. Modem
If you are having connectivity problems please call 833-1696 or email support to correct the problem. If you have any other modem problems such as hardware conflicts or problems with modem software not distributed by us please refer to the software manufacturer, software's help files,or any of the above listed references.