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V.90 modems: Should you wait for ISPs to upgrade first?

May 28, 1998
Web posted at: 12:31 PM PT

by Dean Andrews

(IDG) -- For modem buyers, the phrase "new standard" is supposed to conjure up images of easy connections, high performance, and smooth sailing on the Internet. More typically, though, new standards introduce compatibility headaches, waste time, and bring a deluge of configuration problems.

After testing the first units to sport the new V.90 standard for 56-kilobits-per-second modems, I suggest that you brace yourself for some rough waters ahead.

A Bad History

Shopping for a 56-kbps modem has never been easy. Last year, modem manufacturers flooded the market with devices that supported one of two incompatible 56-kbps technologies: x2 and K56flex. This meant that if you happened to have an x2 modem and your local Internet service provider supported only K56flex, your modem performed like an old 33.6-kbps device.

In February 1998, after considerable industry infighting, vendors agreed on V.90 as a 56-kbps standard. As we went to press, vendors had begun shipping V.90 modems, and when you read this, they will be posting V.90 software upgrades for existing modems. However, ISPs will likely take until midsummer to complete the V.90 upgrade; until then, users will have to deal with the 56-kbps compatibility glitches.

The good news is that V.90 works. To test compatibility, I used three new V.90 modems to dial directly into a V.90 server. I connected at top speeds without a hitch. I also upgraded a modem based on older x2 56-kbps technology to V.90 and experienced no compatibility problems.

The new modems are rather modestly priced. And vendors appear to be keeping their promises, offering V.90 upgrades of their existing 56-kbps modems for free.

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56K Concerns

Only Netcom and some regional ISPs are likely to have established V.90 connections by the time you read this. Others providing 56-kbps service will continue to use hardware that supports only x2 or K56flex. Moreover, all new V.90 modems will support either x2 or K56flex, but not both. So if you opt for a V.90 modem and your ISP hasn't upgraded to V.90 hardware, you'll still have to choose a modem that supports the ISP's current x2 or K56flex hardware.

The upgrade process is another concern. Downloading the V.90 code off the Web and uploading it into a modem is clumsy and tedious. And--surprise--even if you do buy a new V.90 modem, you'll still need to upgrade the flash ROM at some point as vendors fix bugs and optimize their V.90 code for better performance.

Finally, until your ISP upgrades to V.90, you may need to flash your modem back and forth between older 56-kbps protocols and V.90. Why? Say you have more than one ISP, and one has upgraded to V.90 while the other hasn't. Some modems, particularly inexpensive K56flex-based products, such as Boca Research's 56K Home Office Modem, can't automatically switch between the older 56-kbps protocol and V.90. As a result, you'll have to manually reload the V.90 software into the modem when you change ISPs--or paddle along at 33.6 kbps.

V.90 Modems Connect

I evaluated three new V.90 modems: 3Com's $180 (external) U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem, which also supports the x2 standard, and Diamond Multimedia's $100 (internal) Supra Express 56k and Boca Research's $130 (internal) Tidalwave 56K, both of which also support the K56flex standard.

With each of these modems, I dialed into a V.90 server at 3Com/U.S. Robotics. (3Com has been a key force behind the x2 protocol.) All of the modems connected via V.90 at speeds above 40 kbps and successfully downloaded test files. The 3Com server was the only V.90 server available at press time. To fully test compatibility, I would want to dial into a server sporting V.90 hardware from a vendor that previously endorsed K56flex. Industry experts say that this scenario should not pose compatibility problems, however.

Next, I tested backward compatibility. I used the U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem to dial over the Internet into an x2-only server from Netcom. Then I used the Diamond and Boca modems to connect to Erols Internet's K56flex server. In all cases, I connected via the older protocols at rates faster than 40 kbps, and the modems automatically detected that the server had older 56-kbps technology.

Onerous Upgrades

Flash-upgrading modems has always been a horror show that required the use of cryptic, poorly designed utilities. With V.90, it appears that vendors like 3Com have made some improvements, but flashing is still a hassle. Here's the basic procedure: You browse your modem maker's Web site for the software upgrade, download the software, and upload (flash) it into your modem.

Many vendors say they will provide utilities to manage the upgrade for you. These programs automatically identify the protocol your modem runs and the upgrade you need to achieve V.90.

At press time, only 3Com had posted V.90 flash ROM upgrades on the Web. 3Com also posted two upgrade tools: The Web-based Modem Upgrade Advisor lists existing modems and informs you if and when an upgrade will be available; the Modem Update Wizard software manages the upgrade for you.

When I sought to upgrade an external x2 U.S. Robotics Sportster 56K Faxmodem to V.90, the process went quite smoothly. After locating my product listing in the Upgrade Advisor, I downloaded the Update Wizard software. The Update Wizard is a friendly Windows 95 program that dials into the 3Com server, uploads your modem's model information, downloads the appropriate upgrade, and then flashes the modem with the new firmware. The process was quick and reasonably painless. After upgrading, I was able to connect both to 3Com's V.90 server and to an x2 server.

However, when I tried to upgrade the internal 3Com U.S. Robotics Sportster x2 modem that came preinstalled on my Dell Dimension XPS, things got a little ugly. The Upgrade Advisor utility didn't list my modem. Then 3Com told me that the upgrade info for preinstalled modems had not been posted but would be available by late April.

Additionally, not all 3Com modems can be upgraded via software. For example, if you have an older Sportster 33.6 modem that you upgraded to x2 by obtaining a chip replacement, you may have to send it back to 3Com and get a new board to receive the V.90 upgrade. (These earlier upgrades didn't have the same flash ROM capability that more recent upgrades provided.)

And finally, if you own a 3Com Megahertz XJ1560 or CC1560 PC Card modem card, you should be aware that the original V.90 upgrade software for these modems caused a few products to stop working. The company has removed the upgrade from its Web site and won't restore it until the problem is fixed, according to 3Com vice president Rich Redelfs.

Others' Upgrades

By the time you read this, Diamond Multimedia and Boca Research should both have posted their upgrades on the Web. Boca Research's upgrade tool includes both K56flex and V.90 and should already be available.

Once you download the tool, the protocols reside on your hard drive, enabling you to flash between the protocols without having to download the code from the Web each time. Details on Diamond's upgrade tool were scant at press time, but the company plans to have the upgrade posted to the Web by the time you read this.

Proceed With Care

If you can't wait until the V.90 transition is completed this summer and are already shopping for a new modem, consider buying a V.90. These products are reasonably priced. The models I examined cost between $100 and $180, which is comparable to what vendors have been charging for their x2 and K56flex 56-kbps modems.

Just make sure that the new modem supports the older 56-kbps technology offered by your ISP. And remember that even new modems will have to be flash-upgraded.

If you're looking for a bargain and have patience and spare time, you might be able to pick up an old 56-kbps modem for cheap and upgrade it. But if you're happy with your current modem--be it a 56-kbps unit or slower--wait a few months until vendors have ironed out the kinks in their V.90 products.