The Coastal Telco Services modem pool now supports the latest V.90 56k modem standard along with the US Robotics X2 56k implementation. We do not support K56Flex, which was developed by Rockwell, Lucent and other companies.
Q. Will K56Flex modems work with Coastal's modems?
That depends on the modem. Most new 56k modems support the v.90 protocol along with K56Flex. Some, however, will only connect at the slower V.34 speeds (roughly 28.8, the same as before). Some modems may need an upgrade to their firmware or drivers.
Q. How do I know what modem driver I have?
If you are using Windows 95/98, go to Start / Settings / Control Panel and double click the Modems icon. Click on Diagnostics, highlight the Com port that corresponds to your modem and click the More Info... button. After a moment, a window with commands and responses should appear. Look for the line that begins ATI3 and write down the response. This usually tells the version of software driver code the modem is using.
Here are some typical examples:
Command
Response
ati3V2100_K56_2MZoom with v2.1 firmware
ati32.1.2.119.1Boca Winstorm 56k
ati3Compaq_56k_DF ISA Modem 1.6.04Compaq 56K with version 1.6.04 firmware
I've identified my modem. How do I get new drivers?
The first place you should look is your PC manufacturers website. Compaq, Hewlett Packard and other manufacturers keep current on modem software. The next place to look is your modem's manufacturer webpage. Diamond MultiMedia, Boca Research, and Zoom are some of the most popular.
Mine says LT winmodem. Who makes that?
The modem can be made by any number of manufacturers, but the chipset is made by Lucent Technologies. To get the best results, you'll need the latest drivers. Version 5.75 is the latest and works well with our modems. Just download the file, exit from the Internet and doubleclick the new icon. Follow the onscreen instructions, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
Note: With firmware version 5.44 & higher, the modem is renamed from "LT Win Modem" to "Lucent Win Modem". If your modem is renamed, you will need to adjust Dial-Up Networking connections.
You didn't list my modem. Is there a more comprehensive list of manufacturers?
Where can I find more information about 56k modems?
56k.com has a lot of good info with links to a multitude of modem manufacturers. 56k=v.unreliable also has some troubleshooting information interspersed with a lot of opinion.
