ECN Forum Forums Technical Discussion Re: Computers and the Internet Telephony Applications

Anyone have suggestions for a really good (good = multi function + stable) Telephony based Application for use on a PC with Windows XP Pro?

I'm talking about an application which has fax-back features, answering machine / voice mail, and can be used with 2 or more POTS lines (I'll be using 2 separate call-in numbers).

I had one on a pre-loaded PC back in 1996, which had great possibilities - but was as unstable as a 2- legged table!
It worked great when it was tweeked just right, but tweeking took eons, plus some functions would send it to "Infinite Paradox Land", resulting in massive re-tweeking to get it working again.
Not very fun at all!

Any ideas???

It would be cool to write my own application, just think of how much fun it would be to unleash this on the Telemarketers that call me!!!
< insert evil laughter >

Scott35

***Bump***

Hello, is anybody in there???

Scott35

Hello hello! I'm here

Unfortunately I don't know of anything that will *exactly* meet all your requirements, as I don't keep up-to-date with what's available for Windows any more.

One avenue of thinking that is more or less cross-platform is that external modems these days typically have ansafone capabilities and fax, and the software that comes with them is very easy to convert for any platform because it normally needs only to sent AT command strings to activate the appropriate functionality. Modems like this are inexpensive nowadays. Provided your host computer has a pair of free serial ports, it might be a good way to do what you want.

The other advantage is that this method does not necessarily require the host computer to be left running at all times -- saves energy, less noise, etc. although whether or not this is true in your case depends on precisely what your requirements are.

Hope this is of some help.

j

Here's a reference.

http://www.zoom.com/products/dial_up_external_serial.html


I have an old zoom modem which I think is the model before this in the Spares box; not needed much since we went broadband, but it did do all the voicemail stuff, and faxes. It worked reliably and effectively for several years and I recommend them.

I am not sure if they are available for USB, but there is something quite reassuring about old-style serial technology for this kind of application, because I *know* I can make it work even in an emergency with even an emergency boot diskette and some sort of old DOS program like Telix or ProComm -- no need to worry about drivers and the like.

Hi!

We sell our customers adapters with which you can use the same telephone for voip, pstn, and fax, and anything.

If you need further info, check these products please.

(No commercial pres, we don't purchase devices, and I'm in Hungary. )

Linksys http://www.inphonex.com/products/linksys.php

Grandstream http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Grandstream+Handytone+ATA-286