We recommend anyone considering purchasing a new modem buy a 56Kbps-V90 modem. Most (if not all) ISP’s will have provision for 56Kbps access. Please note that 56Kbps modems only operate at 56Kbps speeds in one direction - from the ISP to your PC. Any data sent from your PC to the ISP (such as e-mails) will be sent at 33.6kbps. This may seem a little strange, but during normal browsing, most of the data traffic comes from the ISP to your PC (web pages and downloads etc) therefore 56Kbps modems do actually offer a performance increase over 33.6kbps modems.
You should ensure the Modem bit rate is set to an appropriate value for your modem – this is achieved by selecting START-SETTINGS-CONTROL-PANEL-MODEMS and then select the properties button - the following screen will appear:-