Over the last several years, phone companies have replaced most
of the analog lines connecting their Central Offices (CO's) with digital equipment.
Analog technology sends data as a continuous wave, which can persist over long
distances and adverse conditions, but may arrive distorted from its original
form. Digital technology sends data as 0's and 1's and is more sensitive to
interference, but when properly administrated will pass from point to point
with 100% reliability. This greater reliability allows for higher speeds and
is the basis behind 56k modems. The connection between your local Central Office
and your house is still analog, however. Data you request from the Internet
arrives at the Gazette Record's equipment in a digital form, and we pass it
to a nearby CO, still fully digital. Provided the data reaches your local CO
without being converted to analog anywhere along the way, these faster digital
connections give you a faster download speed. Due to the many variables involved,
the average "56k" connection actually falls in the range of 42k to
48k. Uploads from your computer are still limited to 33.6k, however, because
data moving from analog to digital lines cannot take advantage of the faster
speed. Here are some things to troubleshoot when this process breaks down:
If the data is converted to analog at any time before reaching
your local CO, you will not get a 56k connection. Your modem will connect using
the next best protocol, V.34 (28.8k / 33.6k). Phone companies are free to change
your call routing at any time, so you could go from a 52k connection one day
to a 28.8k connection the next day. If you are in an office environment, dialing
through a PBX system may also add an extra digital to analog conversion. Try
dialing on a direct line instead of one that requires an 8 or 9 to reach an
outside line.
The distance between you and your local CO affects whether you
get a 56k connection, and the actual speed you get. In general you need to be
within 18,000 feet, or about 3.5 miles. This is not physical distance but the
total length of phone wire, which may not travel in a straight line. The closer
you are, the better. If all other factors are equal, someone living next to
a CO may connect in the 50's, while someone at the edge of this limit may connect
only in the 30's.
The quality of the phone line between you and your CO also affects
your chances for 56k, and your actual connection speed. The phone line is not
just what's in your house, but the lines on your street and in your neighborhood.
Some phone companies will use multiple trunks in an area, and when the first,
higher-quality trunk is full, calls may be moved to a second, lesser-quality
trunk. Using a short length of phone cord between the wall jack and the modem,
and disconnecting other devices from the line (cordless phones, fax machines,
answering machines, surge suppressors, splitters, etc.) may improve your chances
slightly.
