Subject: Re: Sophisticated modems and Call Waiting
From: [email-masked]
Date: 25 Dec 87 01:41:01 GMT

Dave Levenson questions having two lines in the same hunt group when one is
used for modeming --

My modems will auto answer, but generally I don't use that feature, and I
usually leave it turned off via software. My configuration, which I think is
ideal, works like this --

We only give out one number to persons calling. This number is mainly for
voice. The second number is mainly for my outbound modem calls, and I never
give the number to anyone except a person I am expecting to receive a modem
call from.

Both lines have call waiting, and the ability to suspend same (*70). When a
call is in progress on line one and a second call arrives, call waiting will
notify us. The second call can be brought in, and under Starline, switched
to the second line by /flash/#2/announce/flash. I get the call on the second
line, my roomate goes back to the call already in progress on line one.

If we wish, implementing cancel call waiting on line one forces a second
incoming call to <hunt> to line two. If I am on the modem (i.e. cancel
call waiting by default) then busy is returned to the second caller. If
not, then line two rings and the call is answered.

If on the other hand we each have a call on a line and a <third> call comes
in, it will be via call waiting (usually on line one) and it can be
answered and retained on line one or transferred to line two, where again,
it will trigger call waiting. It can be answered by whichever of us is on
line two, and held or disposed of.

If I am on a modem call (almost always outgoing), then *70 is defaulted into
the dialing string...and an accidental wrong number, for example, which would
otherwise ring line two and disturb me is shunted via hunt to line one....

Line one appears on single line instruments in the kitchen and my roomate's
bedroom, and in the living room area. Line two appears on a single line
phone in my bedroom and on the two modems (I will never be in both places
at the same time). A Black Box swither allows either my Apple computer or
my terminal to use either modem....and allows either modem to use the phone
line, or allows the terminal to talk to the computer via null modem or
to the printer, etc.

Patrick Townson

(at the time this was written I was a user on Portal Communications.)