What is V.92?
V.92 is the latest standard in dial-up modem technology. With your V.92 modem and V.92 Internet access, you will be able to:
Get rid of your second phone line!
If you have Call Waiting from your local phone company, your V.92 modem with its Modem On-Hold software can let you know you have a call. You will be able to put your modem "on-hold" and answer your phone, and then talk without losing your Internet connection! The amount of time you can talk depends on your Internet Service Provider's implementation of V.92.
If you have caller ID, your V.92 modem will also let you know who is calling!
Get online faster!
Using V.92 technology, your V.92 modem learns and remembers how you usually connect to the Internet. This shortens the time it takes for your modem and Internet Service Provider to connect, so you can start surfing faster.
Surf the Web and download files faster!
Some V.92 modems also include V44 compression, to speed up data transfer when you are surfing the Web or downloading compressible data like emails, BMP files, Message Boards, and HTML files including Web pages. The improvement you get from V.44 depends on the type of data you are downloading.

How do I take advantage of V. 92?
First, you need a good V.92 modem. Please see below for suggestions.
Second, you need to be 3.5 miles or less from your local telephone company's central telephone office, which you are if you are currently using a V.90 or V.92 modem to connect at speeds between 33,600 and 56,000 bits per second. And to use V.92 to receive phone calls when you are online, you need Call Waiting service from your local telephone service provider.
Third, you must connect to the Internet via a V.92 compatible access number. A number of regional Internet Service Providers offer V.92, and V.92 is now nationally available in a large number of locations from NetZero. Please consult these Internet Service Providers's Web pages for details regarding availability.

Are V.92 access numbers available everywhere?
No. Currently, V.92 access numbers are widely available in many cities throughout the USA, but they are not everywhere. V.92 access numbers will continue to be added in the future. If you know of Internet Service Providers with V.92 who are not shown on Modemsite.com, please go to Modemsite-com and fill out their simple form to let them know.

How can I tell if my modem is V.92 compatible?
First, make sure that the modem is labeled as a V.92 modem. If you have an external modem, you will normally see V.92 indicated on the front panel or on a label at the bottom of your modem.
If you're still not sure and you're using Windows 95 or later, click on the Start button. Click on Settings. Click on Control Panel. Select the Modems Icon from the Control Panel. When this opens you will see two tabs on the top, one named General and the other Diagnostics. Click on the Diagnostics tab. You should see your modem with the COM port it is assigned to. Click on the COM port next to your modem and then click on the More Info. Tab below the window that shows your modem. A box will open telling you to wait while the computer talks to the modem. When that communication is done, another window will appear. In the lower half of that window, a list of AT responses from your modem will be listed. If the response to the ATi3 command does not say V.92, the modem probably does not support the V.92 protocol.

Do all V.92 modems work the same?
No. V.92 is complex, and the V.92 modem hardware and firmware should have proven ability to interoperate with an ISP's V.92 service. Some modems have solid V.92 modem hardware and firmware, and some do not. Some modem companies take interoperability testing very seriously, and others do little or no interoperability testing.
If possible, check to make sure that your V.92 modem supplier has a Web site with "fresh" V.92 firmware and drivers, and that your V.92 modem uses that firmware.

Do I need anything special to use the Modem on Hold feature?
In addition to Call Waiting service from your telephone service provider, you will need Modem On Hold software to monitor calls, display incoming call information, and manage the Modem On-Hold process. This software should come with your modem; but if not, you will need to contact your modem vendor's tech support or download it from their web site.
If you are buying a new V.92 modem, you should check that it comes with Modem On Hold software and ideally that it has been tested with your Internet Service Provider's V.92 service.

Will my V.92 modem work over a connection that is not a V.92 connection?
Yes. V.92 modem will allow you to connect to the Internet and surf as you normally would over non-V.92 access numbers. However, you will not be able to take advantage of the special features of your V.92 modem, including Modem On-Hold and Internet Call-Waiting.

How do I confirm that my V.92 modem is connecting in V.92 mode?
For some external modems, simply look at the V.92 indicator light on the front of the modem while you are connected to the Internet. If the light is displayed, you have a V.92 connection.
With other modems you should do the following after disconnecting from the V.92 service. Go into a terminal program such as HyperTerminal in Windows and issue the command ATi11 ("11" is eleven), or AT#UG . If the Last Connection status shown is V.92, your modem connected using V.92.
If you would like to use HyperTerminal to enter the ATI command, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories (and then to Communications, if available), and click HyperTerminal. The HyperTerminal folder will open.
2. Double-click Hypertrm.exe. The HyperTerminal application will launch.
3. In the Name: text field, type "test" (without quotes) and click OK.
4. In the Phone number: text field, type "123" (without quotes).
5. Next to Connect using:, select your modem and click OK.
6. When the data screen appears, type AT and press Enter. You should get an OK response.
Note: If there is no response, type ATE1 ("1" is one) and press Enter.
7. Now type ATi11 ("11" is eleven) and press Enter. If the Last Connection status is V.92, your ISP is V.92 compatible. For some modems, instead of Ati11 use the command AT#UG
If HyperTerminal is not installed, consult your Windows Help Files to install it.

How can I use one phone line for both voice and data?
The V.92 standard lets your ISP or online service put your data connection "on hold" while you pick up a voice call using your "call waiting" service. When you finish with the voice call you can instantly resume the connection as though you had never left.

Do I need a special service or new ISP?
No. But you may not be able to take advantage of all these features right away. While your current ISP will almost certainly support V.92 and V.44 at some point, it may take a while before the equipment manufacturers that your ISP or online service uses sends them an upgrade, or until they implement the upgrade. However, V.92 and V.44 are true international standards, so over time you can be assured of nearly universal support. In the meantime you can use the V.90 protocol, which is also in your V.92 modem, until your ISP switches over.

Does V.92 "QuickConnect" work on all calls?
This feature of the V.92 standard allows the modem to "learn" and "remember" the variables associated with calling a specific telephone number and connecting to a specific modem associated with that number. This feature will be most effective when you repetitively call the same number - such as that for your on-line service or internet service provider. The modem will then be able to use its stored profile and deliver the advantage of a quicker connection.

Does V.44 work equally well on all file transfers? Which are most improved; least improved?
V.44 compression is optimized for the types of files associated with internet use including WEB pages, graphics and documents such as .pdf files. As with all compression the amount of improved performance varies both with the actual format and with the content of individual pages.
For reference, WEB searches show the most visible improvement, especially searches on WEB stores or areas that have high amounts of text and numerous small images. The most improvement is in standard WEB browsing. Email and downloading of ASCII type text files show noticeable but more modest improvement

Will a V.92 modem work automatically with earlier modems? V.90, K56flex, X2? With 33.6k, 14.4k, 9600 and 2400 modems?
A V.92 modem will automatically negotiate and connect at the best achievable shared speed down to 2,400 bps. The negotiation and the related connection time may take longer if the connection does need to be negotiated down to a very low speed as the higher speeds are attempted first. However the connection between a 56K V.92 and a 56K V.90 will take approximately the same time as between two current V.90 modems.

Does "Internet On Hold" work without Call Waiting? Without CallerID?
Internet On Hold does require that the user have Call Waiting service from their local telephone company. V.92 provides enhanced support for Call Waiting service so that the user is notified of an incoming voice call and has the option of picking up the call and leaving the Internet on hold for an extended period of time. The maximum on hold time will be determined by your Internet Service Provider or On Line Service.

How do V.92 modem speeds compare to ISDN, ADSL and Cable speeds?
First, remember that V.92 is asymmetric in nature, the same as ADSL. It offers download speeds from the WEB which are higher than it's upload speeds. This means that it is inherently different from ISDN and has been optimized, like ADSL, for Internet access. In fact it is optimized primarily with V.44 compression rather than with purely higher transmission speed as found in ADSL and Cable.
Because of this it is not possibly to directly compare the different devices except in terms of the Internet experience itself, including Web browsing. Given optimum V.92/V.44 performance of approximately 300,000 bps, this still means that that it will operate at less than half the speed of most broadband services (which range from 600,00 bps to 1,500,000 bps).