Modems & Remote Admin

Hi,
Here is my problem. I have four computers with modems. I want pc11 to communicate with pc12 and pc21 - with pc22. The trick is to make all this to work with 1 phone line. I am attaching a simple graphic of what I want.

Best regards!

There's a way to connect two modems directly to each other. Can't remember how to do it though, I'll see if I can dig that up. You can forget about hooking up 4 though, that just isn't going to work. You'll need a PBX and even then you won't be able to hook all of them up simultaneously.

Modems/serial lines create point to point connections. What you want is more or less a shared/bus like connection a la ethernet.

If this can help - I need modem11 to communicate only with modem12 and modem21 only to communicate with modem22.

Then why use modems? Just use 2 null modem cables.

I am open to suggestion. What is the trick with these null modems. I want to say that it must be by phone line, because the distance is several kMs.

What sort of modems are they.............56.6 dial-up or broadband (DSL/ADSL)?

Null modem cables are for local connections over short distances, so they won't work for you IMO.

Ah.. Is there a "real" telephone network between the modems?

They are dial up modems.
SirDice what do you mean "real" telephone network? The cable is from the telecommunication company.

Hmmm, I suspect that they will be WinModems as well, so you won't find a router that will play nice with them.

I guess that leaves you with something like ICS:

http://www.homenethelp.com/ics/

How ICS can help me? Actually I want to connect modem11 and modem12 via RAdmin (or something similar) and modem21 and modem22 in such way.

If I understand you correctly, you have two computers but only one dial-up (voice) telephone line?

Your problem is how do you share that line?................. ICS permits you to do this. Remote administration tools do not.

Your other options would be to:

1. Get a broadband connection.
2. Get another telephone line.

:)

The other phone line is the last solution. Can I do this with DSL modems instead dial up and use some remote administration tool?

Now I'm starting to get confused DSL/POTS/Radmin?!?!? Let's start over and tell us what you want and where the machines are.. We'll try and figure out a way to connect them ;)

The first time I read the question I thought you wanted to directly connect the modems without the use of a PBX/POTS/Telco, it's possible to connect 2 modems together this way (both modems need to be set in "transparent mode").

With "real" telephone network I mean POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) aka your normal regular phoneline. You dial a number and the other end rings :D

So these 4 computers are 2 on 2 different locations? And there's only one phone line at each location? And you want to connect all 4 to each other? What type of connection (Remote admin, filesharing etc)? Any networkcards in any of the machines?

One way to do it is use a ethernet crosscable to connect the 2 machine's on location A, do the same on location B. You can use the modem as an "uplink" and use ICS to "share" the connection of the one pc that can dialout. Next is to configure one PC on say location B to recieve calls. The pc on location A calls to that PC's number. A bit of networking magic should connect it all.

[PC A2]{nic}--(ethernet crosscable)--{nic}[PC A1]{modem}--(POTS)--{modem}[PC B1]{nic}--(ethernet crosscable)--{nic}[PC B2]

Hi there SirDice,

I will leave this one in your capable hands :D My personal view would be that DSL is the way to go, unless the connections are low volume and infrequent............... 56.6 is bad enough at the best of times, let alone if it were shared between two machines.

One thing I did wonder about was whether this was two way traffic (apart from establishing a connection)?

Ok. Here is a simple scheme:
I have pc1 and pc2 at work and pc3 and pc4 at home. I want to RAdmin pc1 from pc3 and RAdmin pc2 from pc4. But the trick is that this must be done only with 1 phone line. pc1 and pc2 are with win98, but pc3 and pc4 can use win98 or winXP.

Digi ports

Might be able to find one cheap these days. **** I got like 10. Or a simple fax line switch. These switches were popular so someone could use a fax on their phone line.

Or some multi port data polling device that looks for a key sequence you initilize when dialing.

Examplerama:

http://www.faxswitch.com/polnet_next.html

http://www.digi.com look for older serial to serial servers

http://www.amazon.com/ComSwitch-7500.../dp/B0002B0IBI

look around some may be cheap on sites. Old ****.

My turn to muddy the waters.

Dump two of the modems. You only need one modem at each end. Break down and buy 2 Nic cards. Network the computers at each side (work/home). No hubs required just a cat5 crossover cable.

Use a proxy server at each side for the sharing and control of the link.

There is proxy server software available, some of it's free and some of it has to be paid for.

If you want to use DSL, you'll need new modems. You'll use the internet for infrastructure and set up a Virtual Private Network. Then you'll get a headache keeping it secure.

Hmmm. So you tell that I can connect the pcs at work in LAN and pcs at home to another LAN. Then I connect the 2 LANs via modems and I will have access to the computers at work ... ?

Yes you could set up that network. I did make one mistake, you'll need 4 Nic cards, one for each box, as well as the proxy software for each LAN

Once the LANs are set up, you should be able to do the remote access, you'll need to know the IP addresses for all of the computers.

Another solution is to use a dsl router at each side and plug the boxes into the ports of the dsl router.

10x fourdc, I'll try it :)

Remember to consider the direction and volume of traffic. If you go with shared dial-up, it will be pretty slow.

That wouldn't be much of an issue if all you are doing is remote management such as troubleshooting, but, if there are sizable file transfers involved, I would certainly go for DSL ;)

I want only to RAdmin, there will be not file transfers, only RAdmin

In which case go for the dial-up option as it is cheaper.

Hey, if things change dramatically in the future you will still have the option to go DSL, and will have saved money in the meantime ;)

EDIT: I have added a bit to your thread title to make it easier for people doing searches :)

Hi,
The trick is to connect two modems via phone line, but not throught the phone - only Line-to-Line cable, without dialing a phone number. I am not sure that this is possible, but this is what I need.

I am afraid that is not possible, your telephone line is routed through an exchange, so it needs the number to know who you want to connect to.

As described, the suggested solutions are to link the two computers at either end, then connect two of them along the telephone line. You would first contact your ISP/Telco via the modem.

I have seen dedicated private lines, but they are prohibitively expensive, and they still need to "dial" to let the other end know that you want to connect.

Is it that you want to have your voice connection AND the network connection at the same time? If that is the case then you need to go for the ADSL/DSL option. :)

I dont't need a voice communication. Just want to connect two computers by phone line, but without phone number and to rAdmin the one computer from the other. I have some dial-up modems (internal and external), but if it cannot be done with theme, would DSL modems can help ?

Well, you cannot connect them through a telephone line without dialling a number............ that is why they are called "dial-up modems", because they are using your voice telephone line.

As I said, that is routed through a telephone exchange, so a number is required. You actually call your ISP and then make an internet connection.

With DSL, you just plug the two computers into the DSL router/modem. You need to get a router/modem that supports two connections, and have one at either end.

Technically you still "dial up", but that just lets your Telco/ISP know that you want to make a broadband connection (in my case it dials 0,38 which is obviously not a telephone number :)) You then need the IP address of the machine you want to contact.

Obviously, the other machine has to be switched on and connected to the internet.

This brings up two problems as I see things:

1. Dynamic IP addresses................ your address to find the other two computers will change every time you boot? This will depend on your ISP.

2. You are running Windows 98 on the two "work" computers.......... I would say that was not a great idea for a machine left on and connected to the internet. Even if you use VPN.............. they are still in the firing line?

I am assuming that you wish to administer these machines whilst they are unattended?

EDIT: In fact, I wouldn't even take that OS onto the internet period (full stop) because it isn't supported by MS and is wide open to things like the animated cursor vulnerability, amongst others. There are no patches for it these days :eek:

I don't talk about internet or ISP. The only connection that I will use is the phone line, which is direct between two computers - pc1->phone line->pc2. There will be not ISP or any other connection. Only that cable.

Hi, I think that I now understand................. you have a single direct cable connection between the two sites?

If that is the case, I shall have to give it a bit of thought........... to be honest I have not encountered that technology for over 20 years! :eek:

It is something like a security or fire alarm? ..................it is dedicated to the one task?

Also, will you want to connect both computer pairs at the same time, or would you use one then the other?

Hi,
Lets talk about only 2 computers. This is not some sort of alarm - I need to rAdmin the office computer from home. I just have such line. Yes it is the most secure solution for now and that's why I want to use it.

Hi, It is OK, I knew that it wasn't an alarm system, it is just that those connections are so expensive in my country these days, you only see them used for alarms :D

This is a whole new situation, as I and our fellow members, probably did not realise that you had a dedicated connection (line).

Now, I have a few more questions:

1. Do you need two computers at home to connect, or could you manage with one? I would include connecting the two at home if required, as a local network.

2. I assume that you need the two at work to be effectively independent?

Please ignore my comments on IP addresses, with a dedicated static link the addresses remain the same unless you choose to change them.

Also, as a dedicated line, there is no internet, so no security risk, UNLESS you let something onto a machine that does connect to the internet. :)

Hi,
Ignore the two couples. I need to connect only two computers - one at home, and the other - at office. Only these. And this must work without human operator - all must be stand alone. I am making experiments now with some AT commands. I will write if I have any success ...

Well there is a dialup solution.

You get an extra line at each end. You have the modems connect and then leave them connected forever. It will be expensive.

I found a way, but cannot realize it at all. Here is what I found:
I connect the modems by "line" port. I use AT command ATD to connect the client to the server. This command makes the modem dial, without waiting for a signal. In the other side a must make the server modem to answer without waiting for a ring. This can be done by ATA command. The problem is that I cannot figure out how to initialize the server modem with this command. I connected them in this way only via Hyper Terminal, but it doesn't works for me.