 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Sharing the Line Major Keary |
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The Fax machine, an essential piece of equipment for business, is now a common thing in the home and home-office. A dedicated line is the ideal, but represents a high installation cost plus ongoing rental. Home users and a lot of small businesses don't want that expense, but what is the alternative?
A Shared Line
Sharing an existing voice line with the Fax (or even a modem) is the answer. There are plenty of devices around that enable a Fax and voice phone to coexist on the one line. The problem is often one of reliability and which takes priority. Most equipment gives priority to the Fax, but users generally want voice priority.
Easy-Connect
There is a line sharer that meets the needs of average users. It is the Easy-Connect Plus. There is a standard version, about $30 cheaper than the Plus, but it doesn't react to silent Fax.
Easy-Connect is a sophisticated device in a small (95x89x32 mm) box. It has three RJ11 (US-type phone) sockets that connect to the Telecom line, the Fax, and a telephone handset. The necessary cables and Australian-plug converters come with the package.
The device is connected to a telephone plug; two other lines link it with a Fax and a telephone. When nothing is happening it consumes .5 Watt - during a call it consumes .75 Watt.
Users want to be as free as possible from limitations-what gets plugged in where - that can make it difficult to place equipment in the most convenient location. Unlike some other systems that have to be connected to the socket plug on the line, Easy-Connect can be plugged into any extension.
The Silent Fax
Some Fax machines, generally older ones, don't send a tone when calling. They wait for the other end to say, in effect, "I am a Fax machine ready to accept your call". Modern machines send a signal-called a CNG tone - at three second intervals, which tells any like device at the answering end, "Hi, I'm a Fax and I want to send something". The Easy-Connect Plus is programmed to recognise silence as indicating there is one of those dumb machines at the other end.
However, if there is a period of silence on the line it may trigger the Fax. Usually, even if the handset is put down, there is enough background noise to satisfy the Easy-Connect that a voice call is in progress.
First-In Best-Dressed
Users with a single line usually want a chance to answer the phone before any other device cuts in. In other words, they want voice priority as the default.
When a call is received through Easy-Connect it waits for the user to lift the handset and answer. If the phone rings eight times it automatically diverts the call to the Fax. The number of rings can be set from none to ten by means of switches- the factory setting is eight. If the user picks up any handset on the line and hears a CNG tone from a calling Fax, all that needs to be done is wait until a click is heard (that's the line sharer switching the call) and hang up.
If there is silence it probably indicates a silent Fax. Pressing "3" on a touch phone, or dialling "3" on the old rotary kind, diverts the call to the Fax.
But I have an Answering Machine, Too
Not a problem. Just make sure that when; recording your OGM (outgoing message) you wait about five seconds before speaking. Even though the answering machine has picked up the call, the Easy-Connect will have time to detect an incoming Fax. Callers who want to send a Fax can press "3" (but from only a tone dial phone) to automatically switch the call to the Fax.
Recorded messages should be kept short so as not to cause silent Fax machines to hang up. So, you will have to change those long-winded orations pleading with callers to speak to your answering machine.
The recorded message should contain some information instructing manual Fax callers to press "start".
What About My Six Extensions?
Lots of extensions on your line? Usually that poses problems as to what gets plugged-in where. Some line sharers are very fussy. Easy-Connect imposes just on requirement: it and the Fax have to be together. That is to say, you have to connect the Fax to the phone line through the line sharer. An answering machine can be on any other extension.
The Easy-Connect manufacturers also make a neat message stopper. It connect to the answering machine and stops it soon as a handset connected to any extension is lifted. The device is also useful to prevent interference from phone on other extensions. When fitted to any one of them it will disable that phone when a call is in progress from any other.
What About PABX
Systems that have multiple lines - Commander, Key Systems, or PABX - can be integrated with Easy-Connect. For example, if a system has three lines it may be desirable to advertise the third one a a Fax number. A technician can install the line sharer so that Fax traffic will use the last line, but that line will also be available for voice when the other lines are busy.
If it is a manual transmission (that is, someone is at the other end and says they would like to send a Fax), you just tell them to press "start" and hang up - the call is automatically diverted to your Fax.
I Have a Modem, Not a Fax
Not a problem. It works exactly the same way if your modem is in host mode. In other words, a BBS -albeit a small one-can share with voice calls. It is advisable to fit a message stopper to other extensions. Most of us have had the experience of someone else trying to call out in the middle - or worse still, just near the end of-a 5 MB download.
Other Features
The device allows users to do some fancy things. Press or dial "4" to divert a call to the Fax (or modem) and then resume voice when the transmission is complete. You can interrupt a conversation to receive a Fax or modem transmission and resume talking when it has been completed. Saves extra calls.
Incoming calls can be diverted to the Fax or modem until the next time any handset is lifted on your line by pressing (or dialling) "7". You are thus able to change the shared line to a dedicated line. Simply picking up any handset on the line and immediately hanging up will cancel that mode.
While not always reliable on Australian telephone systems, there is a call-on-hold facility. Pressing (dialling) "8" will put a call on hold for two minutes; if the call is not resumed within that time the handset immediately connected to the Easy-Connect will ring.
Incoming tone commands (someone polling an answering machine, for example) can be overridden by pressing "9" - but it works only on tone-dial phones.
And There's More
Another version, Easy-Connect Pro, is designed to share one line between a Fax and modem.
If the level of traffic is not so great as to warrant a dedicated line, sharing with the Fax is an ideal solution.
Modems and Fax machines make different noises - each speaks its own language - and this device is able to distinguish between them and divert the call accordingly.
It is able to be used as a scanner by using a Fax machine to send data directly to the computer. However, I suspect the "modem" has to be a Fax-modem; while the device can tell what is Fax-speak and what is modem-speak, it may not be able to make one communicate with the other.
All models of the Easy-Connect have built-in lightning protection for connected equipment.
Reprinted from the October 1994 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
