The primary goal of the V.92 modem specification issued by the International Telecommunications Union is to improve the dial-up modem user experience. New features that offer reduced connection times and faster file downloads go a long way to meeting this objective.

The V.92 Specification

The process whereby two computers negotiate a connection via modems is known as the "Handshake Sequence". The V.92 Quick Connect handshake is up to 40 percent faster than the older V.90 standard. This improvement is achieved by "training" the client modem when the first call is received, by storing the connection characteristics on the client hard drive or on the client modem itself.

Modem-on-Hold Eliminates Dropped Connections

Dropped connections caused by call-waiting signals are a major source of irritation for many dial-up users. The V.92 specification addresses this problem with the new "Modem-on-Hold" feature. Now it is possible for the modem to go on-hold for up to four minutes without dropping the connection. This allows ample time for a user to take the incoming voice call and then resume web surfing.

In order to speed up transmission time, V.92 includes the V.44 data-compression protocol, which allows users to surf the Web up to 120 percent faster than the earlier v.42bis protocol. V.44 compression also increases email throughput and file processing times. In order to take advantage of V.44 compression, modems may need updated software. In addition to V.44, the V.92 specification includes PCM Upstream, which boosts the data rates between the user and the ISP, reducing upload times for large files and email attachments.