Need a modem that works with office digital phone line

[TheAggie]

For remote diagnosis we use a standard analog modem and PC Anywhere to access a remote PC. Lately the big problem has been in getting an analog phone line to connect the modem to (both here in the office and at the remote sites). Is there something we can use to allow us to do this with a digital phone line (I think it is called a DSP port) on one or both sides. Keeping it under $100 would be helpful.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[KimLeece]

How about this?

http://www.modemsite.com/56k/subwv92.htm

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[pansophic]

If you are installing the modem at the remote site, you should be able to get the telephone company to install an analog phone line for you. That has traditionally been charged to the customer whose system is being supported. A line from the telco provides connectivity even when the system has a catastrophic failure, and costs less than $30 each month.

While your techs are on site, and need an analog connection, they can use a Konexx analog adapter. You have to dial the phone number on the telephone keypad and make the connection manually, but it works like a champ. The speed is also relatively low, but it beats a cellular modem. And since most systems still operate at 9600 bps, speed isn't all that necessary.

http://www.ahernstore.com/konexx.html

pansophic

 

[TheAggie]

Kim,
The modem at

http://www.modemsite.com/56k/subwv92.htm

looks like a regular analog modem. Did I miss something?

Pansophic,
Konexx looks like it may be a good fit. The one like you refer to connects to the handset line and thus can be used with any phone but (as you mentioned) can not do automated dial out. This has a big disadvantage in that we want the remote site to respond to incoming calls and also to be able to automatically call out to deliver performance data from the site.
Konnex does have a different style (called a DPI) that connects directly to the phone line and thus (I believe) can dial out and receive calls. It is more expensive (which seems to be no longer a foator) and also must be purchased for the specific type of PBX you are connecting it to (a logistical mess).
Also regarding the availability of analog lines, it is interesting to note that one of our customers that is still waiting on getting an analog line is a major telephone company (don't want to mention it here). Regarding speed, some of the files we are transferring are quite large (>1MB even aftery they are zipped) but 33K may be sufficient.
Regarding onsite service ("while your techs are on site&quot, that varies. Some sites have 24h onsite but others have regional support. Also, some are international and the remote capability has been especially helpful there as those sites often have regional support and the regions are often large. Getting files from international sites used to take days if not weeks before we had the remote connections.
I have passed the Konexx info of to another individual who is going to evaluate both styles for use both here and/or at the remote site. I'll try to remember to post a response to note that that goes.

Thanks,
Mark

P.S. In case you were curious, TCP/IP would be an ideal alternative but there is a security concern for most of our customers as that systems have access to live customer data so for name we must use a point-to-point connection. A VPN and/or firewall would probably not even address the security issues at present.

 

[pansophic]

Interesting. Unless you use a third party authentication device on the modem, like an SEB, the VPN is generally more secure. I've written many scripts to hack into phone systems for proof of concept work. The best most phone systems will do is bump off your telephone connection. Simply dial back up and get another three tries. VPNs are MUCH smarter than that.


pansophic

 

[TheAggie]

Pansophic,
You're probably right regarding the security of a VPN but for some reason point-to-point has a (probably false) perception of being safer and since we have the interest of having the connection it is easier to accomodate.

Mark

 

[pansophic]

What model/brand of telephone system are you trying to support? I've found very few systems that did not support annalog connections. And fewer where you couldn't get an analog line directly from the Telco, which provides a fail-safe if the system stops providing dialtone (an absolute necessity in my opinion).

With only one or two exceptions have I ever supported a system that didn't have a Telco provided analog line with a modem to allow remote support.

What are these customers doing for faxes? Got to get analog dial tone to those somehow.


pansophic

 

[TheAggie]

At work I have a Lucent/Avaya 6408D (I think). I am not sure what our customers have (there are quite a few of them) but I imagine it varies.
One of the pushes for the interest in working directly with a digital line came internally as our department is getting charged for each of the analog lines we have (I think it was aroung $100/mo). This is why the issue of price is now a lot less of a factor. This made me think that maybe this is what is happening at our customer sites and thus would explain why getting the analog lines has been difficult.
I know that for FAXes, I now receive and send them from my desktop via a remote service. Certainly there are still the old style FAX machines around but their numbers are diminishing. Also, regarding the customer site, lack of a line for a FAX is just an inconvenience. Lack of an analog line for us can delay the install of one or more $500K machines. That is money.

Mark

 

[pansophic]

So the justification for a $100 phone line is all that much greater. I certainly wouldn't mind paying $100 a month for a $500K contact to be completed.

And the efaxes only allow the sending of documents that are on the PC. I don't know of a single contracting office or legal office that doesn't maintain a traditional fax for sending. Original signatures are the rules of best evidence, and almost no one is comfortable with digital signatures on legal documents.

Your problem with attempting to move to a digital connection is that EVERY system uses a proprietary digital interface for its digital lines. Most of these are incapable of communicating directly with an analog modem.

In some cases, you will find ISDN BRI circuits for digital phones, but it is certainly the exeception. Unfortunately, they generally have to be reconfingured for use with an ISDN modem. I know for a fact that the Avaya ISDN phones have a different software configuration from my USR ISDN modems. It just means that I can't move them. Not very suitable for your application.


pansophic