Anyone know if you can get a bog standard 56k modem to plug into an office switchboard and dial out from there ?

I know I can get the modem to dial 9 for an outside line, but I was wondering if there's a special cable I could use instead of the normal one to get a dial tone and dial out on ?

I assume the switchboard uses a different wire arrangement to your domestic phone socket.

-DazV

 

You will probably find it is a digital switchboard, you need an analogue line to use any normal modem !

You cannot connect through a digital switchboard with a standard modem as far as i am aware !

 

Although the switchboard might be digital, the phones are still analogue.

What sometimes happens is the the modem will not connect at full speed or at all. You can get around this problem by adding 'switches' in the modem config to force it to connect at 33k or 28k. This usually works.

Changing modems sometimes works.

I can connect through our office digital switchboard at up to 46k no problem.

 

Very much depends on the switchboard (aka PBX or PABX) in use.

Some PBX's use bog standard analogue phones. Other's can mix digital and analogue handsets by adding different cards or modules to the PBX.

Try using the fax line (if there is one) and see if you have any more joy.

Chris.

 

I remember now having a problem at a different office - could not use the modem using the phone's line. Using a 'fax' line worked ok.

Nothing is a simple as it seems

 

I've managed from client sites before. In fact my laptop is currently doing just that. (I'm not using it for Scoobynet though as it is too slow).

Just put in the dial-out prefix and give it a go. Ask your phone exchange bods first though.

 

No use, can't get a dial-tone.

...So I was forced to install a multiPOP email server which not only now collects the works' emails, but also my private ones too, which I can collect from any of the workstations on the LAN - sauteed.

The bloody modem in the switchboard would've been a lot quicker though!

DV