The speed at which you connect to the Internet is determined by a number of factors:

	the speed of your modem
	the modem type and speed supported at the number you dialed
	the quality of the phone lines in your area
	the amount of traffic on the Net

Because of all these factors, you should not expect your connection speed to be exactly the same as the speed listed for your modem. Very often it is actually less.

Why doesn't my 56K modem connect at 56K?

Aside from the factors mentioned above, other circumstances prevent 56K modems from actually connecting at 56K. That is actually only the theoretical speed of the modem; in practice, the Federal Communications Commission capped the connection speed at 53K, and real-world access is generally in the 35-45K range for these modems. Despite these limitations, 56K modems still attain the fastest standard modem speeds currently available on the market. 

What does v.34 mean?

v.34 (pronounced "V-dot-thirty-four") is the name of the international standard established for modems connecting between 28.8Kbps and 33.6Kbps.

What does V.90 mean?

v.90 (pronounced "V-dot-ninety") is the name of the international standard agreed on for all 56K modems. Before that standard was reached, there were two different proprietary standards for 56K modems: one called x2 and supported by 3Com/U.S. Robotics; the other called K56flex and supported by Rockwell and Lucent. 

What is bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the amount of information (usually measured in bits-per-second) that can be sent through an Internet connection. Bandwidth is commonly compared to a water pipe — a large pipe (a high-bandwidth connection) can carry more water (information) than a small pipe (a low-bandwidth connection).

How can I connect to the Internet faster?

EarthLink offers a range of services for high-speed Internet access options, including ISDN (see below), cable, and frame relay.

What is ISDN?

Integrated Services Digital Network. A special kind of high-speed phone service that allows simultaneous voice and data transmission over the same phone line. ISDN lines provide transmission speeds of around 128Kbps, or double the fastest modems.

Is ISDN only for businesses?

No. EarthLink offers ISDN service for both homes and businesses.

What is LAN ISDN?

LAN ISDN allows you to connect a small- to medium-sized office network to the Internet using a single ISDN line.

ActiveSpeed automatically optimizes your internet connection boosting your internet speed. Works with ALL connections - America Online, Cable Modem, ALL phone modems, even DSL.