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The 56K Speed Survey has been updated with reports from twenty-five more readers. Use the survey to find out what kind of performance 56K modem owners are getting.
Many people have asked for an address for Harmony modems. Someone just added Harmony to the Modem Manufacturers link board. Their address is http://www.harmonyusa.com/. A big thank you to the person who posted the link!
News.com and Wired have more information about Shotgun, Diamond Multimedia's 112K modem (see November 5 news, below).
PC World has reviews of 56K internal and external modems, including the IBM 56K Modem Internet Kit, U.S. Robotics Courier V.Everything, Zoom FaxModem Model 2819, Diamond Multimedia SupraExpress 56i, Motorola ModemSURFR, Global Village TelePort x2, U.S. Robotics Sportster, and Zoom FaxModem 56Kx. I've added these latest reviews to the 56K Modem Reviews page.
PC Week and InternetNews.com report that AT&T WorldNet is now offering 56K in eleven cities. Fifteen more cities will be 56K-capable by the end of November, and AT&T will upgrade all of its POPs to 56K by June, 1998. The company will initially support x2, but will add support for K56flex. The higher speeds will be available at no extra cost. Business Wire has the AT&T press release, which lists the first cities that will go 56K. 3Com is offering $50 rebates for AT&T WorldNet customers who purchase selected 3Com modems before January 17, 1998.
Jason Jordan writes:
I purchased a Netwave MX 33.6k/56k/ISDN modem from Creative Pacific (Manufacturer: Vivid (www.vivid.com.sg). It works great at 33.6k but they have not yet provided 56k software. I emailed them and the response was that they would provide it 3 months after the 56k standard is introduced.
This makes me NOT happy 8-). Could you please let me know if any of the other firmware available for other modems can be used on mine - or could you ask the question on your web page on my behalf?
I've added a new page to the Modem Link Board. The Free Modem Manuals page is the place to look for the manual that didn't come with your modem. Twenty-seven manufacturers are on the page already. If you know of an online manual that isn't listed, you can add a link to it.
Best Data is offering 56K upgrades for owners of earlier Best Data modems. The offer expires December 30, 1997. For other manufacturer's upgrades, visit the 56K Upgrade Guide.
Scott Berinato of PC WEEK covers new remote access servers from Cisco and Perle Systems.
Shotgun
Diamond Multimedia has announced plans for a 112K modem named Shotgun. Like other analog modems that achieve speeds higher than 56K, Diamond Multimedia's Shotgun breaks the 56K limit with the double-barrelled approach of combining two phone lines, using a technique known an inverse multiplexing or bonding.
The expected price is a blast: less than $200, and "significantly less" for owners of SupraExpress 56K modems. Product introduction is expected early next year.
Shotgun is designed to use the second line intelligently. The second line isn't brought up unless the first line is saturated, leaving the second line available for incoming calls, at least part of the time. In someone picks up the phone in another room, the second line drops so it can be used to make a call,without disrupting the Internet connection.
To make all of this possible, Diamond Multimedia licensed Ascend's Multichannel Protocol Plus technology. However, that may mean that only ISPs using Ascend servers can support Shotgun.
Samuel Peery of Reuters and Carmen Noble of PC Week have stories, and Business Wire is carrying the press release.
For more information about bonding, see "Special Reports - Bonding: 112K and Beyond." I've updated the page with Shotgun information and a link to Microsoft's Windows 95 DUN 1.2 upgrade, which allows bonding at the OS level.
Rockwell has announced CDSL (Consumer Digital Subscriber Line), a one megabit per second DSL technology that will cost less to install because it doesn't require a splitter at the customer's premises. Rollout is expected in the second half of 1998.
Firmware updates galore
As research for a new page, I spent the weekend visiting the web pages of nearly 100 modem manufacturers. The new page should be up by Wednesday. Meanwhile, I've updated the inits and drivers and firmware listings.
Apache Micro is offering 56K upgrades http://www.apache-micro.com/up56k.htm
Apache also has V1.00 K56flex firmware updates.
Actiontec has K56flex 1.1 upgrades for FM560LK / MD56002 PC cards at http://www.actiontec.com/56upgrad.html.
Digicom Systems has V.1002 firmware updates for the DI5656. They caution that is only for use with the DI5656.
E-Tech has new 56K firmware at http://www.e-tech.com/56.html.
LASAT has V1.0 firmware upgrades for the Safire 560.
Modular Technologies has V1.12 updates and Windows 95 drivers at http://members.aol.com/modulartec/drivers.
Netcomm Limited has V.134 firmware at http://www.netcomm.com.au/services/index.htm.
Pace has V1.001 upgrades for the Pace 56 Voice, and V.1002 upgrades for the Pace 56 internal.
Viking Components has V1.000 upgrades for the FM56KI & FM56KISP.
Xircom has a number of flash upgrades.
Zoltrix has V1.120 firmware and AOL drivers.
56K.COM is written and maintained by Les Jones. Artwork by Mark Maxwell. Copyright 1997 Softwords.
