Robert Davis rdavis@nyx.net

Page last modified, URLs and HTML verified ... 13 February 2000
On this page:

- Specific information about the Sportster 56K

On other pages:

- To the second hints page

- Net security and the Amiga

- Return to my home page

Some important stuff:

Using 56k modems with your Amiga

Amiga requirements

Return to top of page. or goto remote system requirements.
Also, see specific information about the 3Com/USR Sportster.

To use a higher speed modem, your Amiga must be able to send and receive data to and from the modem at 57600 bps or faster, preferably 115,200 bps. Almost certainly, this will require a serial port other than the built in Amiga serial port which is not useful at higher speeds. (Remember that your Amiga serial port was designed back when a 2400 bps modem was state of the art.)

On my A3000, I use a GoldenGate II bus card and a PC-ISA type 16550 buffered UART card which works well at 115,200 bps. Those speeds are also useful even if your modem is a v.34 or v.34+ type, with line speeds of up to 33,600 bps.

There are many serial port options available for the different models of the Amiga. Older machines with a 68000 cpu and only a 7.15 Mhz system clock may have big problems with any high speed serial transfer, so you should plan on a CPU upgrade if you want faster Internet access.

Also, the serial port preferences settings on your Amiga do not apply when you use any modern communication program or TCP/IP program. Read that sentence again, ignore the preferences serial port settings.

Remote system requirements

Return to top of page.or goto Amiga requirements. Or check out some links to manufacturers.

The current state of the art for modems connected to telephone lines is like this:
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) can have a true digital connection to the telephone company switching equipment for a very high speed connection. Not all do have such a connection.
If the ISP does have the digital connection, then the ISP may choose to use a bank of modems which will send data at up to 53K (in the USA) or 56K (elsewhere). That particular type of modem can receive data at a different rate from which it sends data. Your upload data rate is limited to 31,200 bps. Note that data rate is not 33,600 bps.

Other modems, using the v.34+ standard, receive and send data at the same rate. Therefore, data transfers at 33,600 bps are possible with v.34+ modems at both ends of the connection. But your v.34+ modem will only connect to a so-called 56K modem at the remote modem's maximum data rate of 31,200 bps.

So here is a set of rules for modem (not just Amiga) users:
Your modem connection is always determined by the least capable of the two modems involved.
If you call BBSes, and want maximum speed on a telephone connection, get a v.34+ modem, which can connect as fast as 33,600 bps, but may not.
If you call an ISP, and want maximum speed on a telephone connection, get a modem compatible with the system used by the ISP. Your choices are usually v.34+, X2 (almost always 3Com/US Robotics), K56flex (Rockwell chipset, non-USR modems) or v.90 (the standard which should work, eventually, on all ISPs)

Here are some links to general information about high speed modems ...

Be prepared for a sales pitch at all of those sites.

Return to top of page.

Specific stuff about the 3Com/USR Sportster v.90 External Modem

Return to top of page.