akcs.richie@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Richard Schwarzbach) (02/22/90)
I am a new UNIX user and am looking for a software program which will allow sharing of a single phone line between a FAX and a MODEM. A shareware program exists in DOS which accomplishes this as follows: To contact the MODEM, dial in, allow 1 ring, hangup. Redialin within 1 min and the MODEM answers. Otherwise the MODEM ignores anf the FAX can pick up on subsequent rings. Does anyone know of a similar program for UNIX. I am running 386/ix. Thanks Rich Schwarzbach
darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) (02/23/90)
In article <25e307cd-3b6comp.unix.i386@ddsw1.MCS.COM> akcs.richie@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Richard Schwarzbach) writes: >sharing of a single phone line between a FAX and a MODEM. A shareware >program exists in DOS which accomplishes this as follows: > >To contact the MODEM, dial in, allow 1 ring, hangup. Redialin within 1 min >and the MODEM answers. Otherwise the MODEM ignores anf the FAX can pick up >on subsequent rings. There is actually a device which will handle this transparently to the user. When the phone rings, it puts the line off hook but continues to send the ring tone so that it seems like the phone is still ringing. It then tries to do FAX handshaking. If successful it connects to the FAX line otherwise it connects to the modem line (or voice I suppose) and the fake ringing stops. Unfortuanately I can't recall the name of the device or the manufacturer. Does anyone know of this? -- D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy@druid) | Thank goodness we don't get all D'Arcy Cain Consulting | the government we pay for. West Hill, Ontario, Canada | (416) 281-6094 |
woods@robohack.UUCP (Greg A. Woods) (02/24/90)
In article <1990Feb22.174344.19266@druid.uucp> darcy@druid.UUCP (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) writes: > In article <25e307cd-3b6comp.unix.i386@ddsw1.MCS.COM> akcs.richie@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Richard Schwarzbach) writes: > >sharing of a single phone line between a FAX and a MODEM. > > There is actually a device which will handle this transparently to the > user. When the phone rings, it puts the line off hook but continues > to send the ring tone so that it seems like the phone is still ringing. > It then tries to do FAX handshaking. If successful it connects to the > FAX line otherwise it connects to the modem line (or voice I suppose) > and the fake ringing stops. I considered building one, but it's not as simple as it sounds. Your intermediate device must replace a good part of either your FAX or modem, since it is very difficult to pass off a call once you have already done the handshaking necessary for either connection. Once you have negotiated the call, you are stuck. It may be possible to try detecting the originate tone of either device while generating ring to both devices. Upon recognizing the tone, check that the desired device has gone off hook, and then connect the call to it. This was the approach I was working on anyway. Our FAX (Toshiba, I think) tries to connect, then rings its handset if the connect fails. Unfortunately it does not ring the downstream phone line too, though I suspect it would be too late anyway. My simplest solution was to put a timer switch on the FAX, and have it simply shut off after business hours. The FAX electronics are smart enough to make it transparent to the downstream phone when the power is off. -- Greg A. Woods woods@{robohack,gate,eci386,tmsoft,ontmoh}.UUCP +1 416 443-1734 [h] +1 416 595-5425 [w] VE3-TCP Toronto, Ontario; CANADA