Want to take advantage of V.92? The following information explains what new features are offered by our V.92 service and how you can benefit.

What is V.92? V.92 is a new dial-up modem specification that adds convenience and improves performance to dialup access. The two main features currently offered by V.92 are quick connect and Modem-on-Hold^™. Other improvements are expected in the near future.

What makes a V.92 modem faster than V.90 modem? The quick connect feature of a V.92 modem cuts the modem negotiation or handshake time by up to 50% so you can dial-in faster. The main feature that makes a V.92 modem faster than a V.90 modem is V.44, the new compression protocol. It is based upon a compression scheme that can speed up your web browsing as much as 50%, though not all V.92 modems have V.44 data compression.

What will quick connect do for me? Very simply, quick connect will shorten the time it takes to make a connection by remembering ("training") the phone line characteristics and storing them for later usage. Typically, the modem handshake (all that noise you hear) takes from 25 to 27 seconds. Surveys indicate that people are quite irritated at this length of time. Quick connect will cut the modem handshake time in half for most calls, a significant improvement.

Will quick connect work for me while I'm on the road with my laptop? Yes. Since quick connect actually "trains" the modem on the first call, all the following calls will be quick connects - faster handshake times. People usually make more than one connection from the same phone line (e.g. hotel) when they are traveling.

What will Modem-on-Hold^™ do for me? Many households use the same phone line for both voice calls and data (Internet), so when the user is browsing the Internet, an incoming call cannot get through. Modem-on-Hold^™ allows you to receive an incoming call and stay connected to the Internet (Call Waiting service from your phone company is all that is required). It also works in reverse; you can initiate a voice call while connected and keep the modem connection.

What telephone services do I need to use Modem-on-Hold^™? You must have Call Waiting in order to take advantage of Modem-on-Hold^™.

How much time will I have if I choose to take an incoming call? Our V.92 modems are set to allow up to 8 minutes on hold.

Do I have to redial to get back to the Internet? No. When you hang up the phone you can resume browsing.

Can I stay on the Internet and make a phone call? Yes. Initiating calls is easy with Modem-on-Hold^™. First, a Modem-on-Hold^™ application is executed. This program suspends the data connection between your modem and Cove's V.92 modems so you can pick up your phone and make an outgoing call in the usual way. The application puts the modem "on-hold", flashes the hook, and a dial tone appears on the extension handset so you can make a call. When your call is complete, the modem will detect an extension on hook, flash the hook twice, and return to your Cove connection.

How long will I have before the Internet connection is dropped? Our V.92 modems are set to allow up to 8 minutes on hold.

There are two types of CallerID available from Verizon. Does CallerID work with Modem-on-Hold^™? CallerID is not required to use Modem-on-Hold^™, but you can use "CallerID on Hold" with Modem-on-Hold^™.

Which V.92 modems does Cove recommend? For trouble-free performance, we continue to recommend hardware-based as opposed to software-based (e.g., HCF and winmodem) modems. Zoom and BestData are both good modem manufacturers. In general, make sure the modem supports V.92 and V.44 and is not just "V.92 ready."

Do V.92 modems work with Macs? At this time, the features described above do not work on V.92 Mac modems.

Can I upgrade my V.90 modem to V.92? Some V.90 modems may be flash-upgradeable to V.92. You will need to identify your modem's make and model and then ask the manufacturer. Be advised that some manufacturers' V.92 upgrades do not work correclty and others have occasionally caused significant computer failures. The safest bet is to purchase a new modem.