SmartLink SmartUSB56 V.92-V.44 USB

Soft V.92-V.44 USB Twin-Chip Chipsets

Usage: To find other modems in the same chipset Family.

All drivers, downloads & info on this site are found via the modem.
Each Modem Manufacturers’ page also has external web-links, where available.

General Information

This is a development of STMicro’s Pegas.usB chipset - indeed, “development” hardly seems the correct word, since the exact same chips are used, as is the software that makes it a modem.

One specific feature of this chipset is the very small size achievable by modems, largely because the modem can draw all it’s power from the USB line.

Soft modems have a computer-interface + telephone line-interface in hardware; everything else that makes it a modem happens on the computer’s CPU in software. Soft modems have been notorious in the past for their poor performance, suffering defects ranging from summarily shutting the computer down on connection (!) to drop-outs and line-hangs. This has been mitigated in recent times by:

1. Speedier computer hardware
2. Constant driver improvement
3. More reliable computer OSs

SmartLink are not really a chipset manufacturer--STMicro supply the silicon--but rather a software, design & marketing company. In stark contrast to other companies, they have not only constantly improved their drivers (all chipset mfcs do this) but have also made sure that these updated drivers are available to the public in a generic form which will work with all modems that contain one of their chipsets. It is also pleasant to see that their drivers include Linux, even if the majority development occurs on the Windows platform.

Extra Info

Country (how to find)

ati7 in More Info & changed via the Control Panel applet (Modem Settings).

Driver Version (how to find)

ati2 in More Info

Known Problems

v3.60.03: Matthew advises Windows XP connections considerably improved from erratic 49.3/33.6k (with 3.00e) to a steady 48k. Matthew also reports “one odd thing was that with the new driver, echoing can be heard while it dials”.
v3.04.00: Karen Tamrazyan advises AT#UD (Unimodem Diagnostics) are not reporting correctly.
v2.92.04ND: (Early V.92) odd connection problems with non-V.92 ISPs, such as AOL. Typical symptoms are a dropped connection with a call-waiting notification - particularly strange if your line does not have this feature active! Fix: drop to V.34. Use Safe-Mode 2 (Modem Helper in Modem Settings in Control Panel).
v2.92.04: (Windows XP) Simon Zerafa advises resolves issues with BSOD’s and PC reboots when using AOL v7.0 (see also other AOL 7 problems).

• Windows 2000 systems need at least 64 MB RAM - less may result in system crashes.
• Wake-up-on-ring (and possibly power-down) does not work with some motherboards - SL blames the M/B designs.
• no/dropped/V34 connections may be caused by certain graphics cards hogging the PCI bus (Smart Link fingers 24 graphics cards at FAQ #19 - this site) - drop hardware acceleration until the problem goes:- see Control Panel, Display, Settings, Advanced, Performance
• no dial tone - try putting ATX3 in Extra Settings

Uninstaller

Supplied with latest drivers.

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