56K Modems - are they worth it?

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56K Modems - are they worth it?
Dr Nigel Farrier

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Modems have come a long way in the last few years. Why, it only seems like yesterday that I bought home my brand spanking new 9600bps modem and went BBSing! Now I have an old 33.6Kbps modem as 56K is the latest on the market. But is it worth upgrading? Probably not just yet. The main problem that is bedevilling the modem market at the moment is that there are currently two 'standards' for the 56K modems neither of which are compatible. These were introduced by the two main chipset manufacturers. US Robotics have their X2 standard and Rockwell have their K56flex. The ITU (International Telecommunication Union) will eventually decide upon a standard (and it might not be either of the above!) but probably not until next year (1998). In the meantime if you intend purchasing a 56K modem for the internet you had better make sure that it is compatible with your Internet Service provider (ISP) and that it will be upgradable to whichever standard makes the grade.

Unfortunately you still will not get the full 56K rate. Firstly that rate only works from your ISP to you and you still can only transmit data to your ISP at 33.6Kbps. That is not too bad as most of us download megabytes more than we ever send. The second problem is that no matter how hard you try all of the modems will only download at around 43Kbps as a maximum. Still that is about 30% faster that currently available.

The reasons for this are mostly technical to do with analogue to digital conversion and vice versa along with the noise on your line (some lines are noisier than others). Remember that Telstra only tests their lines to 9600bps and if the line passes at that rate they will say there is nothing wrong!

So before rushing out and spending a little bit extra (around $100) on a 56K modem over a 33.6K variety remember the following salient points:

1. Make sure your ISP can offer 56K connections (mine can not yet)

2. Check whether they have X2 or K56flex or both and make sure you log into the right one

3. Ensure that any modem you purchase can be returned if it does not work on your telephone line for a refund (or possibly an exchange)

4. Ensure that it can be upgraded (should be free) to whichever 56 standard wins out at the end of the day

5. I always recommend purchasing a known brand such as US Robotics , Netcomm etc as they are much sturdier than some of the other 'cheaper' makes

Come on cheap ISDN lines!!

NEWSFLASH (19/2/98) - the new standard has just been announced and is called v.90. The chipset manufacturers are just beginning to deliver the goods. If you have already bought a 56k modem it is now time to start pestering your supplier to find out when you can get an upgrade. If you are intending to buy a new 56k modem make sure it is compatible with the new standard or put off the purchase until they are released.

Dr Nigel Farrier
Golden Bay
West Australia

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This page was last built on 14/6/99; 12:46:36 AM.
It was originally posted on 14/6/98; 7:30:48 AM.
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