“Of Mice and Megabytes Supplement”

NEW TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES MODEMS
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A new dial-up modem standard, with the alphanumeric designation of v.92, provides a much-needed user feature: Internet-on-hold.

There are varying levels in which you can benefit from these modems but at the very least your telephone line must have call-waiting service. Caller I.D. is desirable but not necessary. To take advantage of all the features, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) must provide v.92-conforming dial-up phone numbers. If so -- and you have call waiting and caller I.D. -- a small on-screen window pops up to let you know you have an incoming call when you’re online. The caller is identified and if you choose to answer the phone, the Internet connection is put on hold. You can resume your Internet activity after finishing the call.

If your ISP doesn’t provide a v.92 connection, then your only choices are 1) answering the call and disconnecting from your ISP, or 2) ignoring the call altogether. Most ISPs currently support only the older v.90 standard. For a listing of v.92 ISPs as well as information about other features unique to v.92 (faster downloads, quicker connect times), visit v92.com or modems.com.

Re-printed from the Rafu Shimpo, November 2002. Copyright©2002 Rafu Shimpo. All rights reserved.