24 Aug
2010
24 Aug
'10
12:54 p.m.
On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 2:08 PM, Michael Lee <mikelee at tdh.com> wrote:
PBX Simulators, different makes and models out there
and while currently it
appears the ones on ebay cost more than it would new, they can usually be
obtained for a reasonable cost. ?The models I've used have a handful of POTS
jacks, 4 or 8 of them, and it gives basic tone and dial, you just dial 1 for
POTS 1, etc.
There are a number of line simulators out there for POTS testing that
cost way more than they should. Another route is a small office PBX.
I have a Panasonic (model# not handy now but I can supply it later)
that cost me $75 and supports 4 POTS lines and 12 internal lines.
Each internal line has an extension # and is dialable. The Panasonics
are nice in that they are analog/digital hybrids. You will need one
Panasonic digital set to program it (although I see some companies
have serial interfaces and DOS-based programming software) but all
lines can handle purely analog sets. I have used mine to demo a
number of WE500 sets, so they do seem to provide ample current for
ring voltage (not that modem users will care much about that.)
I have not used mine yet for modems, as I have a smaller 4-line
benchtop simulator that's a bit more convenient, but I know the
Panasonics often had fax machines hung off of their line ports, so it
should be quite doable.
For those attending VCF-MW, I will probably bring one of both units
with one port being used for a modem attached to a terminal server so
equipment like the OP mentioned (and of course the Silent700 terminal
:) can access our host system(s.)
We're gonna lay a lot of copper at this thing :)
--
jht
-j