Specifications

25
Modems|
the telephone line or the Internet service provider. Users who
have problems merging onto the information superhighway call
their PC OEMs for support, which at $15 to $25 per call, directly
subtracts from the OEM’s bottom line. (In fact, Internet connection
problems will account for an increasing percentage of support
calls — and the cost of those calls continues to rise.) Sufficiently
frustrated users may even return their PCs, resulting in lost sales.
To help your end-users make the most of their Web experience,
Conexant introduces ModemXpert, part of the V.Next family
of modem features. This innovative application helps users
troubleshoot any problems they experience connecting to the
Internet with Conexant modems.
Diagnostic programs are usually designed by third-party
companies. As a result, they are often generic, addressing only
the most common modem features and issues. But ModemXpert
was designed by Conexant. With more than 30 years of modem
experience, we are able to anticipate the kinds of difficulties that
your end-users may encounter. In fact, ModemXpert is the most
powerful diagnostic program in the industry because it is actually
part of the modem software driver design. As a result, ModemXpert
addresses common problems and complaints such as:
• No dial tone
• Low throughput
• No connects
• Dropped connects
It also allows for accurate hardware tests prior to the return
(and the associated costs) of a functional modem. An automatic
Windows-based program is not only comprehensive, it is also
easy to use. In fact, it’s automatic. When ModemXpert detects
a connection problem, it pops up instantly to help users resolve
the problem. Furthermore, the program is intuitive, so it helps
even novice users establish or regain their Internet connections.
ModemXpert gives users the assistance they need, when they
need it. Pre-emptive alerts assist end-user problem resolution.
Because ModemXpert detects and solves Internet-connection
problems automatically, it reduces the need for users to call
you for technical support. Even if users do decide to call you,
this valuable product can help them describe their problems
more accurately to your support representatives, resulting in
faster and more accurate service. In either case, ModemXpert
increases customer satisfaction and helps you minimize your
post-sale support costs.
In addition, because satisfied users are more likely to keep the
computers they buy, ModemXpert minimizes returns — in
particular, those due to falsely perceived modem malfunctions.
This low-cost solution greatly enhances the value of the modem
and, thus, the PC. In the process, it increases customer satisfaction
and builds your bottom line. ModemXpert is available for license
at $0.25 per copy.
V.92 – The New Standard
V.92 is the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
standard that improves the dial-up modem experience in three
ways: quicker handshake time, faster upstream data rate and
modem-on-hold.
Quick Connect
This feature approximates the always-on connection of broadband
access solutions by enabling dial-up modems to complete a con-
nection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) significantly faster
than with V.90.
Preliminary tests show that, on average, connect times are 30 per-
cent through 40 percent faster with V.92 than with V.90. ISPs will
benefit from the time savings because they log millions of sessions
every day.
Quick connect works by “training” the client modem on the first
call. Analog characteristics and digital impairment information are
captured in a profile stored on the local disk drive or, for external
modems, in RAM. The V.92 modem looks for this local profile and
checks whether the server modem is V.92-capable. If it is, the V.92
modem proceeds with the quick connect handshake.
PCM Upstream
Using a new modulation for upstream data (a variation of Pulse
Code Modulation [PCM]), V.92 supports a maximum upstream
data rate of 48 KBps, as compared to 33.6 KBps for V.90. At the
maximum rate, this represents a 30 percent improvement in
upstream throughput. Users will also see throughput improve-
ments when uploading digital audio and image files.
Modem-on-Hold
Call waiting is a popular feature offered by many telephone
companies around the world. Unfortunately, a call waiting event
will disconnect a modem when it is in use, frustrating the user and
often prompting a call to the OEM or ISP support center. Modem-
on-hold allows the modem to remain online during a call waiting
event, and thereby reduces user frustration and support costs.
Computer users who must share an RJ-11 jack with the phone will
see two benefits. First, the modem will not be disconnected due to
a call waiting event. Second, the user does not have to stay off the
Internet to wait for an important phone call. The converse is also
true; the user can stay connected to the Internet and make an
outgoing phone call. After the voice call is complete, the user
continues surfing the Net. In this way, modem-on-hold approximates
another feature of broadband, because the user can make and
receive phone calls while staying connected to the Internet.
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