Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!uunet!tellab5!vpnet!cgordon
From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (gordon hlavenka)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Modem Protector at Phone Extensions
Message-ID: <1991Mar06.195753.24293@vpnet.chi.il.us>
Date: 6 Mar 91 19:57:53 GMT
References: <1991Mar5.004153.13129@odetics.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: Vpnet Public Access
Lines: 31

In article <1991Mar5.004153.13129@odetics.com> 
frank@odetics.com (Frank Merrow) writes:
>It seems to me there was "some device" that could detect
>the modem carrier and would disable the rest of the phone
>extensions in the house while the modem was in use.  What
>would such a device be called and where would I get one?

Radio Shack sells a gizmo for about $7.50 which will take care of this.

The device senses loop voltage, and if the voltage is below a threshold
(indicating a phone is offhook) then the instrument connected to this device
is not allowed to sieze the phone line.

Applications:  

     To kick off the answering machine when you pick up any phone in the 
     house, connect the answering machine through one of these boxes.

     To protect your modem or FAX, connect _each phone_ through a box, and
     connect the modem/FAX directly to the line.  Notice that this requires
     a box for every phone in the house.  Also be aware that in this configur-
     ation, you will not be able to "conference" two phones (like when every-
     one wants to talk to Grandma).

I don't know of something to connect to the _modem_ to protect it.


-- 
-----------------------------------------------------
Gordon S. Hlavenka            cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
Disclaimer:                Yeah, I said it.  So what?