password protection on auto answer???

[pbxphoneman]

Do most analog external modems have the ability to prompt the caller for a user name and password? I have a few RS232 devices that I need to remotely monitor without PC's hooked to them and the devices don't have any kind of login process to protect themselves from a hacker.So I have to unplug when not testing.


thanks,
Todd

 

[pansophic]

Some modems have this type of functionality, it is called "call back" or "dial-back" security in most manuals, so that is what you should be looking for. I believe that all USR Courier modems have call back security built in. I know that some of their Sportster product line does as well, but I think that it is only the ISDN model.

That said, I'd recommend that you use something like a Teltronics SEB:

http://www.teltronics.com/sebii.html

or ION Networks' Sentinnel:

http://www.ionnetworks.com/

Both provide some level of authentication, and the ION Networks product allows the use of one-time passwords and two-part authentication.

Both also have products that allow you to hook multiple serial devices to a single modem, providing you some cost savings in telephone lines, but it will take a lot of months to pay for the devices.

pansophic