🚀 go-pugleaf

> > Almost all the
> > ISP's are ramping up for X2 technology. 

Not true. Most ISP's are *NOT* ramping up for X2 and will never support
X2. That's because most ISP's use terminal servers with digital modems
from manufacturers like Ascend, Livingston, Cisco, Computone, Microcom,
and
about a dozen others, that have all decided to support K56flex from
Rockwell/Lucent. If you buy one of the many modem brands that will be
supporting K56flex, then you will get true 56K connections to these
ISP's.

On the other hand, if you buy a USR X2 modem you will only be able to
connect at 53K maximum to an ISP with USR TC terminal servers if you can
find one. This is very reminiscent of USR's HST fiasco of a few years
back.

Believe me, I've been talking to hundreds of ISP's about this and most
of them are *NOT* very pleased with the way USR is trying to twist their
arms to
buy the expensive USR Total Control terminal servers. The Livingston PM3
units are much more modular and cheaper as well.

Some other factors to consider is that if there ever is an ITU standard
for
56K it is likely to be a lot closer to K56flex than X2 because X2 cannot
meet
FCC (and presumably CRTC) regulations for power levels on the phone line
unless it is clamped at 53K. On the other hand, K56flex can go up to 61K
before it runs into the same problem.

Initial tests with X2 have shown that you don't get a 100% speed
improvement over 28.8kbps. In some cases the increase in speed can be as
low as 28% and
these tests were done on uncongested networks.

As usual, new technology is for pioneers who don't mind getting their
fingers burned and who don't mind finding out that their modem is
obsolete next year when the standard is in place.

-- 
Michael Dillon                   -               Internet & ISP
Consulting
Memra Software Inc.              -                  Fax: +1-250-546-3049
http://www.memra.com             -               E-mail:
michael@memra.com