Simulated telephone

[Jason T]

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