This article discusses the V.90 56K modem standard. When you use a V.90 modem, you may be unable to establish a V.90 connection if there are problems with the phone line, modem, or your Internet service provider (ISP).

A V.90 connection relies upon the modem, the telephone line, and an ISP.

The modem must support the V.90 standard, but its maximum default transmission speed can vary. For example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that no telephone device may exceed a certain power level during a transmission. Some modems support the V.90 standard, but use a 53.3K transmission speed to conform to the FCC rule.

To determine if your modem supports the V.90 standard, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click Modem.
2.	On the Diagnostics tab, click the modem, and then click More Info.
3.	Locate the line that begins with "ATI7." If your modem supports the V.90 standard, "V.90" should be listed beside this option.
4.	Click OK.

The reliability of the connection depends upon the quality of the connection from the phone line to the local telephone switch, the ISP's connection to its telephone switch, and a telephone route that can connect the two switches together (some ISPs use a local number for you to connect to and then the call is forwarded). These connections must support the V.90 standard and be able to sustain the transmission speed.

Because the telephone route connection can change depending on the phone traffic, try connecting to your ISP during different times of the day over a period of time. Also, you can contact your telephone company and inquire if the phone lines used support V.90 connections.



The ISP must have telephone lines and modem servers that support V.90 connection speeds. It is possible that although the ISP's modem server supports V.90 connections, some of the connecting phone lines may not. Also, the telephone number that you use to connect to your ISP may not support V.90 connections. In this case, you may need to contact your ISP to determine which of their telephone numbers support V.90 connections in your area.