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Practical Peripherals have extended their upgrade offer to August 31, 1997.
We haven't heard back from any of our contacts regarding the K56flex 53K vs 56K issue. Look for more information next week.
Special Report:
K56flex 0.5 vs K56flex 1.0
When is K56flex not K56flex? Answer: when the version numbers don't match.
Once upon a time, Rockwell planned to develop a protocol called K56Plus, and Lucent planned a 56K protocol called V.flex. Amid much fanfare, the two companies joined forces to make an interoperable protocol called K56flex.
Recent Lucent K56flex chips are really K56flex, but until very recently all Rockwell chipsets were more like K56Plus. This was discussed in a recent Electronic Engineering Times article. Rockwell and Lucent refer to the K56Plus-like protocol as version 0.5, while the full K56flex is version 1.0.
The result is that some Lucent chips and some Rockwell chips don't interoperate at speeds above 33.6. I've confirmed this in conversations with Lucent. I've also confirmed this in practice by dialing into ISPs that use Lucent-based Livingston Portmasters with a Rockwell-based modem: I never achieved a connect speed greater than 33.6.
However, because all but the earliest Rockwell chips are upgradeable, they can be flashed to version 1.0 with a firmware update. According to an anonymous source within the industry, Rockwell recently released the new code to its modem vendors:
In order to get full compatibility between Rockwell and Lucent you need to have K56Flex 1.0x. This also solves lots of problems with the earlier K56Flex 0.5x (which was actually not really K56Flex, but Rockwell's own 56kplus). This is the reason for the recent BestData and Supra firmware updates. In the next 10 days you will see most all K56Flex modem manufactures release this update. An "ati3" will show V1.009-K56_DLS after the upgrade. Rockwell released this code to the modem manufactures nearly 5 weeks ago. It is important to note that a 0.5x modem WILL NOT connect to a 1.0x server (such as a PM3 (which currently has Lucent 1.0x code) and the Ascend boxes (which don't have 1.0x code yet). It also means that modem manufactures that don't release an update will be left with a 56K modem that won't connect to anything at 56K. It is well worth the upgrade since the Rockwell 0.5x has lots of problems. The 1.0x code is easily identified by a "test tone" that occurs before the negotiation starts.
The same anonymous source sent along a .wav file of the sound of a true K56flex connect.
Weeks ago, 56K.COM broke the news that Diamond Multimedia would be providing free upgrades to the ITU 56K standard. Diamond now has an official statement on their web site. We have a list of all modem makers guaranteeing free upgrades.
Diamond has firmware updates for the SupraExpress 56e and 56i modems.
Boca Research has a co-marketing offer for ISPs to sell Boca modems.
Communications Week has an excellent 56K piece, "Should You Make the Leap?"
The 56K.COM redesign survey is still ongoing. The votes are almost two-to-one in favor of the grey design.
53K vs 56K revisited
In the August 1 news, I quoted a Lucent product manager as saying that K56flex doesn't suffer from the FCC-mandated power restrictions that limit x2 to 53K in the U.S. That article prompted a lot of email from both the x2 and K56flex camps.
A USR employee noted that Rockwell's own web page at http://www.nb.rockwell.com/K56flex/ states in an asterisked footnote that:
"Actual speeds vary depending on line conditions. Due to FCC limitations, speeds in the U.S. are less than 56 Kbps."
Yet in the same Communications Week article mentioned above, Mike Ziehl, communications product marketing director for Rockwell, says otherwise:
"Our product allows 56K connection while living within the FCC power limitation," Ziehl says. "It's just the general noise interference in the local loop that makes it unlikely that you'll achieve 56K.''
It sounds as though Ziehl made this statement in direct response to a question about the statements made on Rockwell's web site or packaging. The person who wrote the Rockwell web site verbiage may have confused line noise issues with FCC regulatory issues.
As a further contradiction, a Rockwell public relations spokesperson contacted by phone on August 5 said that K56flex is indeed subject to FCC limitations and promised to send an official document stating as much, but it did not arrive before press time.
Whatever the case, the K56flex camp has a corporate communications problem. I have calls in to people at Rockwell and Lucent for further clarification. Look for a followup in Friday's news.
Ascend has announced a toll-free K56flex test line. The line provides a full PPP connection and an FTP site where you can download files to test your modem's throughput. You may also want to try Motorola's K56flex test line. Neither of these will tell you if your phone line will support 56K. For that, you can try the U.S. Robotics test line, though I hasten to note that the results can't be guaranteed. The USR line sometimes gives both false positives and false negatives. Bear in mind that these test lines are long distance calls, which may be routed through circuits that are significantly better or significantly worse than the local circuits used to connect to your ISP.
3Com is offering a $439 fast Ethernet/x2 modem PC Card bundle. The kit includes 3Com's CardBus Fast EtherLink auto-switching 10/100 Mbps network card, and the MegaHertz XJ5560, a PCMCIA card with support for caller ID, cellular, speakerphone, and answering machine. 3Com has a press release.
MacWEEK has a story, "ISDN slows while 56K, DSL gain."
BestData posted a firmware update at http://www.bestdata.com/flash.htm.
Zoom will bundle a trial version of the PeakJet web accelerator software with their modems. Peak has a press release.
Vote on 56K.com's new design!
As you've probably noticed, there's a new design for the front page. There are also two other designs, called Black 1 and Black 2. For reference, the original design is still online. Which do you like best? Fill out this form to vote!
For ISPs only
Livingston has an offer for ISPs ready to upgrade their Livingston PortMasters to K56flex. If you're an ISP that offers K56flex with Livingston Portmasters, be sure to fill out the Livingston ISP registration form, which will add you to Ascend's list of K56flex ISPs. U.S. Robotics maintains a list of x2 ISPs.
Xircom is giving away a free Xircom CreditCard Ethernet 10/100+Modem 56 to ISPs in the United States, Canada, and Latin America when they buy a qualifying K56flex product from Ascend Communications, Bay Networks, or Cisco Systems between August 1, 1997 and December 31, 1997. Details are in the press release.
56K.COM is written and maintained by Les Jones. Artwork by Mark Maxwell. Copyright 1997 Softwords.
