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From: tad@ssc.UUCP (Tad Cook)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Distinctive Ringing Fax/Phone Switch
Message-ID: <14520@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 9 Nov 90 17:34:10 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 803, Message 12 of 13


In article <14425@accuvax.nwu.edu>, inesc!jmc%eniac@relay.eu.net
(Miguel Casteleiro) writes:

> In article <14293@accuvax.nwu.edu>, dhesi%cirrusl@oliveb.atc.
olivetti.com (Rahul Dhesi) writes:

> > I recently purchased a fax/phone/modem switch that claims to do just
> > that.  [...]  It is supposed to be able
> > to select one of two devices based on distinctive ringing.  

> Can someone please explain how do this devices work?  Do they answer
> to the phone line, and then decide based on the tones what type of
> call is it?  And then, do they simulate the calling tone to the fax
> and the modem?  If so, aren't this tones diferent from country to
> country?

No, the beauty of it is that they don't have to answer the phone,
because they can tell from DISTINCTIVE RINGING what device the call is
for.  So I have the telco assign 555-0001 to my voice calls, 555-0002
for my modem calls, and 555-0003 for my fax calls.  The telco sets it
up so that all calls coming into my line when 0001 is dialed result in
normal ringing cadence, 0002 causes a double ring, and 0003 causes a
triple ring.  The fax/phone/modem switch will divide the call among
one of three outgoing RJ11 jacks according to the ringing cadence.

In the example above, the numbers don't have to be consecutive.  The
telco just assigns three different telephone numbers to one line, and
each one causes a different style (rhythm) ringing.

> In short, suppose that I have a dumb fax and a dumb modem, can I
> interface one of this devices between one phone line and them?

Yes ... assuming that your telco offers DISTINCTIVE RINGING as a
feature.

One manufacturer of these devices is ITS Communications of Endicott,
NY.  They make the AutoLine Plus.


Tad Cook  Seattle, WA  Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA  Phone: 206/527-4089 
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