Just upgrade my o/s to xp pro from ME...
Whe connecting to internet connection speed is saying 33.3kps...
Used to be 50ishkps..
Checked in device manager says drivers are ok??
But modem is 56k GEneric hcf fax /modem..
Am i missing something...?

yep i could have this answered as well please cos mine runs at 28.8 :(

Sometimes mine connects at 28.8 but i still get download speeds of a 56k modem...
For example. When I download on kazaa when i connect at 49.2 it downloads at about 5kbps... And if I had a 28.8 modem and connected at 28.8 i would download at about 3kbps. But when my 56k modem connects at 28.8 once in a blue moon, it still downloads at 5kbps...

I notice with xp, if you do other things while it connects, you will get a slower "connected as" speed. But again - that doesn't matter. That number just means what the speed is right at the very moment it connected.
I wouldn't worry too much. Or maybe just try a clean install of XP - I hate upgrades.

yeah....if anyone can shed a bit more light on this id be intersteded - i have a sony viao desktop 1.7 gh 256 mb and 80gb running xp pro - my old machine used to be a 700 128 20 gb running win98se - and i used to get a really sh!t hot connection using whatever the modem that came with it (it was a self built setup) aroung 50 k now since using the sony in the summer ive only been getting around 30 - 40...and it may just be my imagination...but i think it is a bit slower.....any ideas how to speed it up?!??

Have you guys got the very latest modem drivers installed?

I've had a few probs with built systems running XP and modems and updating the drivers sorted them out. ;)