[clug] Configuring a modem to answer

Darren Freeman daz111 at rsphysse.anu.edu.au
Mon Nov 8 00:56:09 GMT 2004


On Sat, 2004-11-06 at 18:26, Michael Still wrote:
> Hey all,
> 
> I have a modem which I have configured on a spare phone line to answer 
> and do the mgetty / ppp thing. When I ring the modem from a test 
> machine, I can hear it answer, but there is this consistent beeping over 
> the top about once a second, for about 20 - 30 seconds, and the 
> handshake fails.

This is going back a while but I ran a BBS from a 28.8k modem so at
least I once knew the answer =) It's all part of the standard Hayes
instruction set so look it up. Googling found this:

http://seriss.com/people/erco/unixtools/hayes.html

ATS0=x sets up answering after x rings, x=0 means don't answer.

Sounds to me like your dialling modem is not initiating the connection
properly. Maybe you have a third modem/fax/human who is answering at the
same time?

The beeping (assuming the line is quiet otherwise) is your receiving
modem asking if anybody is there. The dialling modem should chime in
with a carrier and a couple of seconds later everybody is happy. Maybe
the answering modem never hears the carrier and keeps asking if anybody
is there?

I used to be able to orally emulate the dial-tone so I could get my
modem to think it was dialling out and save a phone call when my friend
was already on the line. Those were the days =) Useful for playing
Duke3D which would crash often enough to warrant such tricks.

> I assume that I need to put the modem which is answering (a v.90 modem 
> if that matters) into funky ISP answer mode.

It's not that funky, there's one register that needs to be set for
auto-answer after a certain number of rings. I think the URL above looks
comprehensive enough. Try setting up the modem from minicom and see if
it still fails. Then try another modem to replace each one in turn. Then
purchase a cheap PABX to replace the phone company which is usually at
fault with any comms failure IMHO ;) Then lay a few lines to CLUG
members and run it as a co-op...

> How do I do that?

Get a PABX and make sure it has a manual. Hang around demolitions sites
and try to nick phone cable from the industrial bins. Often these still
have phone sockets attached.

> Thanks,
> Mikal

You're welcome so long as I get free connection :)

Have fun,
Darren




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