[PLUG] Skutch AS-4A line simulator...

[Michael C. Robinson]

Does anyone have a good HOWTO on how to set a dial-up server where the
phoneline is a Skutch AS-4A telephone line simulator?  A ring button is
on the box, I wonder how that is different from a normal phoneline where
you get a dial tone when you pick up the unit and dial a number to cause
ringing at the destination?  To achieve ringing you pick up one handset
and push a ring button on the simulator.  I guess on a real phoneline
that a central wire center waits for you to dial a number and decides
which line to set to ring.  A real phoneline has on-hook, off-hook, call
waiting, etc. states where you only ring if your off hook and being
called.  What is ring and how does it affect setting up modem to modem
communications?

I guess the Skutch AS-4A doesn't have any processing power to understand
numbers, my phone numbers could be 0 and 1 since it's an isolated phone
system.  Apparently it's designed for plugging into a voice card and a
handset, though I don't know much about that.  Can modems connect to
each other without dial-tone or ringing?  There doesn't seem to be a
simulated dial tone unless your supposed to hook up an audio feed
for that.

Plugging a handset into each jack on the simulator it seems that you can
just have two people pick up the handsets and talk to each other without
even bothering with the ring.  If you push numbers on one handset you
hear it on the other.  At least having wiring for a second phoneline
that is no longer used I can minimally set up a local communications
system using my simulator.  Being around $20 it's worth fooling with
unlike more expensive simulators that cost $300+.  For the cost of a
more accurate simulator it's cheaper to order a second line from the
phone company for a couple of months and learn how to build a dial-up
server using that.  Still, a simulator is more convenient in that
it gives you two lines isolated from your phone service to work
with allowing elimination of things like call waiting, etc., without
costly telco visits.

     --  Michael C. Robinson