I have a 56k modem, why can't I connect at 56k?

A "56k" connection is virtually impossible to achieve. The FCC (Federal Communications Committee) has declared that no one will get a connection over 53k. As most of the phone lines are only rated for 9600 baud, the average "good" connection will be around 40-43k. 56k have only been achieved in "Laboratory Conditions" i.e. perfect conditions. There are several reasons and factors that will cause you not to get a fast connection. The first thing is the distance between you and your local ISP. Another factor is how many digital to analog or analog to digital switches you must go through. 56k technology is based on one of these switches. There is  analog to digital switch when you dial out and connect to the ISP. If there are any more switches after that, your connection speed is lowered. Another factor that might help is by reducing the connection speed to 38400.