hpa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Peter Anvin) (01/08/91)
Here is a problem that it takes the expertise of comp.dcom.telecom to solve: I live with a roommate in a room with only one phone outlet, in a building only wired for one phone line per room. I use my modem frequently, and it has become a problem with the incompatibility of the modem and a regular telephone; in other words it is easy to pick up the headset when the phone looks free, just to ruin a modem connect, and vice versa I don't want autodialing programs, such as my FidoNet mailer, to try to call out while my roommate uses the phone (it generates significant amounts of noise if it tries to pick up the line). Therefore, I would like to get a "first come, first serve" phone switch to plug into the single phone outlet, and once *either* of the two output lines goes off-hook, the other one should be automatically disconnected from the main line. ALSO, if possible I would like the device to capture distinctive ringing and depending on type of first ring ring either the phone (with answering machine) or the modem (with autoanswer). This is not as important, though. If there is such a device on the market, or if someone knows how I could build a device like this myself, I would like to know. I wrote this article offline earlier; I saw something in the last 50-or-so messages about a device to capture Distinctive Ringing. Could that device handle the first part of this problem as well? H. Peter Anvin +++ A Strange Stranger +++ N9ITP/SM4TKN +++ INTERNET: hpa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu FIDONET: 1:115/989.4 BITNET: HPA@NUACC RBBSNET: 8:970/101.4
tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) (01/10/91)
In article <15894@accuvax.nwu.edu>, hpa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Peter
Anvin) asks about a distinctive ringing-based call director that can
also keep the attached devices from interrupt each others' calls.
My understanding is that the "RingDirector/4" box supports not only
distinctive ringing direction of incoming calls to specific ports on
the device (up to four numbers), but also handles exclusion (keeps a
device, once off-hook, from having its calls interrupted by another).
It wouldn't hurt to call the company and find out. The manufacturer
is Lynx Automation, 2100 196th St SW #144, Lynnwood WA 98036; +1 206
744 1582. The device costs $149.
Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer | Voice +1-404-449-8791 Telex 151243420
Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. | Fax +1-404-447-0178 CIS 70271,404
P.O. Box 105203 | UUCP uunet!hayes!tnixon AT&T !tnixon
Atlanta, Georgia 30348 USA | Internet hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.netdburke%vaxa.decnet@nusc-npt.navy.mil (VAXA::DBURKE) (01/12/91)
Responding to "hpa" <hpa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>: Your local Radio Shack has a box called Teleprotector (registered trademark) R.S. P/N 43-107 for $7.95. Just put one on the modem, and a second one on the telephone. It will then be first-come, first-serve. AutoLine+ from ITS communications in N.Y. will do lockout and distinctive ringing. The box works well. If you need the phone # for ITS, respond directly and I'll dig it out. Dave
dnjmb%sung@uunet.uu.net (Jeff M. Byrd) (01/19/91)
There is another company that sells a line sharing device that uses the Bell Companies' "Distinctive Ringing" Service. The device is called "Fone Filter" and can route the call based on the ring pattern to one of 3 devices. It is telephone line powered and requires no power transformer. I have used one for over a year in two different parts of the country with no problem. The "Fone Filter" sells for $99.95 and can be ordered directly from the factory listed below. To Order the "Fone Filter": South Tech Instruments 1-800-999-FAXS (1-800-999-3297)