Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!bbn!rochester!ur-tut!syap From: syap@ur-tut (James Fitzwilliam) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: Connecting a modem to a 2 line phone jack Message-ID: <1679@ur-tut.UUCP> Date: 7 Apr 88 05:12:28 GMT References: Reply-To: syap@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (James Fitzwilliam) Organization: Gadgetland USA Lines: 34 Even before this issue came up, I was going to post an article wondering why modem manufacturers don't provide some way of deciding whether data calls will be placed on Line 1 (Red/Green) or Line 2 (Black/Yellow). All that would be necessary would be a DPDT switch, or a relay and a transistor activated by one of the "future use" or "user-definable" registers. My Practical Peripherals modem (which I love, by the way -- inexpensive but not cheap :) has a register setting for "telephone jack type" which I was hoping would be such a selector. All it does, though, is create an off-hook condition for _both_ lines rather than just line 1 during a data call; the connection is still on line 1. The manufacturers are obviously aware of multi-line telephone systems. All units I have seen pass all four wires through for your telephone hookup, and my deceased Popcom had an 8-wire jack and generated 1A2 key telephone signals. Of course connection to the Red/Green pair should be the default, but let's think a minute here: If I add a second line to my house, it will go on Black/Yellow. If this line is for my computer, I won't want the modem connected to line 1 anymore, so I make or buy some sort of adaptor. If I have two lines for my business, I can't choose which line to use for data calls without repatching (or making a phone A/B box). This seems kludgy to me, especially when some available modems do everything but walk the dog and do the dishes. Anybody want to comment on this? Does anyone know of a modem which lets you select line 1 or line 2? James domain: syap@tut.cc.rochester.edu path: rochester!ur-tut!syap "Piano is my forte" (-: GEnie: FITZWILLIAM ========================================================================