dial-up modem speed question

[pokerswami]

I'm using a brand new Dell computer and its built in dial-up modem. When I sign on to AOL, the sign on window shows the connection speed, usually 40000, 42666 or 44000. My old Windows 95, 166Mhz machine with its add-in card modem using AOL 6.0 used to indicate 56K at sign-on.

Was this because the old software just automatically showed the highest theoretical connection speed instead of the actual speed?

Also, is there any way for me to see how fast my connection is actually working at any particular moment, as some times it seems to slow down, and I'd like to be able to check to see what is actually happening, communication speed-wise?

Thanks for your help.