Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Thu, 9 May 91 17:48:50 EST From: Yoram Eisenstadter Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Touch-Tone vs. Rotary - A Frustrating Experience Message-ID: Organization: Columbia University Department of Computer Science Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 351, Message 7 of 10 Lines: 22 In article det@nightowl.mn.org writes: > The only potential disadvantage that I see is if I want my Unix box to > call long distance and use some sort of calling card code number or > something like that that requires touch-tone. The ability to use DTMF tones for non-dialing purposes does *not* depend on your subscribing to Touch-tone service (despite the lies that some local phone companies, like NY Telephone, will tell you). Having your modem dial the phone number in pulse mode, then switch to tone mode to enter the credit card number (after a suitable pause) works just fine on a pulse line -- I've done it. Once the actual phone number is dialed and you hear the "bong", you're talking to the long-distance carrier, which doesn't care whether you pay the local phone company's ripoff rates for touch-tone or not. The same principle applies to accessing services like bank-by-phone from a dial line -- just switch your phone to tone-dialing once you're connected.