Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Howard_Reed_Johnson
From: Howard_Reed_Johnson@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: direct connection of two dte devices
Message-ID: <34583@cup.portal.com>
Date: 6 Oct 90 11:36:50 GMT
References: <13834@ulysses.att.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 30

> From: wtl@ulysses.att.com (Bill Langin[ftd])

>      I have two modem's I want to connect directly.
>      Can I just take the modular telephone cord out of the wall and directly
> connect the modems or do I need special cable?
>      I have heard I need "twisted pair" cable, but I thought that was just a
> type of wire and may be a synonym for regular modular telephone cable.
>      Suggestions are appreciated.

I just read through a flood of followup articles to your request, but
there was a lot of misinformation there (typical for Usenet--I can often
tell which answers are the best ones, often by recognizing the authors'
names).

My experience is this:  If you just want to connect a couple of typical
Hayes-compatible modems for a one-shot transfer, just take an ordinary
RJ-11 phone cable and plug them into the two modems.  Often, one of the
machines is running software I've installed.  I start by issuing the
ATO command from the other machine, followed by the ATA command from my
machine.  At this point, communicate normally, and invoke file transfers
manually from both sides.

Of course, if you have a null modem cable for your *serial* ports, you
can bypass the modems and get better throughput.  If you do this on a
regular basis (e.g., laptop file transfers), consider Lap Link or
Brooklyn Bridge (about $100 for either, cables included) since they
can use printer ports for even faster transfers.

On the other hand, if you want to set up a network or BBS without using
phone lines, none of this advice applies to your situation.