Category : Communication (modem) tools and utilities
Archive   : WHATLN25.ZIP
Filename : WHATLINE.DOC
WhatLine is a utility designed to squeeze the most out of a
single telephone line. Equipment that required dedicated
lines can now share a single line and save money. Use up to
three phone numbers on one telephone line.
WhatLine with One phone number:
Your answering machine or FAX machine can share the line with
a modem. The answering machine will pick up messages in the
normal manner. When you call in with your remote PC,
WhatLine will have your Modem answer the line or execute any
program you prefer.
WhatLine with Multiple phone numbers:
People, Fax, Modem, answering machine, voice mail can share a
single phone line. Dedicate phone numbers not phone lines.
WhatLine identifies the three different ring patterns used by
the Identa*Ring service offered by the Telephone Company.
WhatLine will execute a program based on which phone number
was dialed. Identa*Ring is a service mark of Bell Atlantic
and may have a different name in your area.
WhatLine's Time Event feature:
The Time Event feature will execute any program at the time
specified with the /T=hh:mm start-up option. WhatLine
monitors calls as described above until a Time Event occurs,
then your computer will execute a program(s) of your choice.
Call remote computer systems and pick up or send Email when
telephone cost are lowest, do backups or run your aquarium
program that puts the little fish on the screen. When the
Time Event is complete, WhatLine will wait for more incoming
calls.
Miscellaneous:
Delay WhatLine from passing control to a device / program so
you can answer the phone yourself, then use Release when you
want WhatLine to handle the calls. Delay only the phone
line(s) you chose, other dialed phone numbers will be handled
by WhatLine.
The screen displays activity of incoming calls so you can
monitor the time, date and total number of calls for each
available phone number.
I use WhatLine to manage one phone line with two telephone
numbers. I run two different configurations of Watson Voice
Information Systems by Natural Micro Systems, one system for
my use and one for a client. Each has voice mail, file
transfers and interactive Voice Information Systems. Daily
reports and disk `housekeeping' are run as a Time Event.
WhatLine v 2.5 Start up Options
Syntax C>WHATLINE /p /QL=x /RS=x /RL=x /Dn=r /A /B /T=hh:mm
Replace lower case letters with a decimal number.
/p The number of your Com Port [1 to 4]. WhatLine
defaults to Com1: if omitted.
/QL=x Used to fine tune the Quiet Long period response.
x is a time value in seconds. x is a minimum value
the default is 3. This option is not normally
needed and is provided for timing variations that
may occur with some telephone systems.
/RS=x Used to fine tune the Ring Short period response.
x is a Maximum value. The default is 1.25
seconds. This option is not normally needed and is
provided for timing variations that may occur with
some telephone systems.
/RL=x Used to fine tune the Ring Long period response. x
is a Minimum value. The default is 1.3 seconds.
This option is not normally needed and is provided
for timing variations that may occur with some
telephone systems.
/B Bypass the opening screen. Use this option if you
start WhatLine from a batch file.
/A Use to share phone Line1 with a Answering or
Fax machine and Modem or other program.
/T=hh:mm Time Event executes WLT.BAT at a set time. Time
hh:mm must be in 24 hr. format. A Time Event will
repeat daily until reset.
/Dn=r Delays passing control for r number of rings when
phone number n is called. May be used more than
once on the command line to delay more than one
phone number. Has no effect if used with /A.
/U User test mode. Is WhatLine compatible with your modem.
Files used by WhatLine
WHATLINE.EXE The executable program file
WLT.Bat Holds commands to run with Time Event
LINE1.BAT Holds commands to run for phone number 1
LINE2.BAT Holds commands to run for phone number 2
LINE3.BAT Holds commands to run for phone number 3
WHATLINE.DOC This file
WhatLine v 2.5 Using WhatLine
Commands to be executed when each phone number is dialed are
placed in corresponding batch files. When phone number 1 is
dialed, LINE1.BAT executes. When all commands and or
programs in LINE1.Bat are completed, control returns to
WhatLine. LINE2.BAT and LINE3.BAT hold the commands and or
programs to be executed for phone numbers 2 or 3,
respectively. WLT.BAT contains the commands and or programs
to execute as a Time Event when set with the /T=hh:mm start-
up option. Programs must start-up and terminate unattended
if you want control to return to WhatLine. I use BitCom
from Bit Software for modem communications, the script
language is easy to use and allows for unattended
operation.
When WhatLine is loaded the display window shows the current
time and the com port being monitored. As calls are
processed the display window is updated with the time and
date of the last call, and the total calls for each of three
possible phone numbers. The display window relocates every
minute to prevent screen burn-in.
F1:Help Show a list of options available to you, press
F1 again to clear the help line.
F2:Hold Use this function to hold WhatLine from passing
control to the LINEn.BAT file when one or more
phone number is called. This is good for those
times you may want to answer the phone manually.
The display window will indicate which line(s)
is on-hold.
F3:Release Use this function to Release a line placed on
hold with F2. WhatLine will then pass control
according to the value set with the /Dn=r start-
up option.
F4:DOS Use this to execute DOS commands or programs.
Type Exit to return to WhatLine.
ESC:Quit Terminates WhatLine and returns to DOS.
To share one phone number with an answering or Fax machine
and a modem, you must use the /A start-up option. Place the
commands and/or programs to be executed in LINE1.BAT. Set
your answering machine to answer on the fourth ring, when
the phone rings the answering machine will pick up messages
in the normal manner. When you want to connect to your
modem, dial your telephone number, let the phone ring twice,
then hang up. Wait 8 seconds and call back, WhatLine will
load your modem software. When you finish the
telecommunication session, or if you do not call back within
60 seconds, WhatLine will have the answering machine answer
the phone.
WhatLine v 2.5
This program works with Hayes compatible modems. WhatLine
does not control the modem or change any settings. WhatLine
monitors the UART chip for telephone line status.
If you are using a PC with a very slow access disk drive,
using a RAM drive like VDISK.SYS will speed up overall
response time. If you use a RAM drive, be sure to backup any
files that are changed. If power is lost or your system
crashes, all data on the RAM drive will be lost. Use the
Time Event feature to automatically backup these files to a
physical disk drive.
The examples in this document illustrate some of the ways
that WhatLine can be used. WhatLine is not limited to these
suggested applications. Please let me know how you are using
WhatLine, or what other features would be useful in future
releases.
This program is distributed as Shareware. You may copy and
distribute this program freely. Since I have been using
WhatLine, my monthly telephone savings has been more than
the $20.00 Registration fee.
Users of WhatLine are required to register their copy. Upon
registration you will receive a disk with the latest version
of WhatLine and some other Utilities you may find useful. My
lawyer asked me to mention that I am not liable for anything
that may result from your use of this product.
If you have trouble
If the address of your Modem Status Register is 3FE hex for COM1
or 2FE hex for COM2 and Bit 6 is the Ring Indicator Bit Whatline
2.5 should work on your system.
Try WhatLine /U and ring the phone line WhatLine is monitoring.
If the words RING and QUIET appear at the proper times WhatLine
2.5 will work on your system.
With the /U start up switch active and the Last Call display on
screen, ring the phone. A RingTime value will be displayed.
This is the duration of the ring period in seconds. This time
period may not be a constant value. Repeat this a few times for
Line1 and Line2 to come up with a average value. Use these average
values to help determin the RingLong and RingShort settings below.
A LINEn.BAT file with no commands in it will make this process very
easy.
The value of x for /RL=x must be less than Long-Ring time for Line1
and greater than the Short-Ring time for Line2.
The value of x for /QL=x must be less than then the Quiet-Long time
for Line1 and greater than the Quiet-Short time for Line2.
The value of x for /RS=x must be greater than the Ring-Short time for
Line2.
Try changing these values in small steps until you get some sort of
reaction.
Send Your $20.00 Registration fee to:
WhatLine 2.5
Advance Systems
PO Box 274
Swarthmore, Pa. 19081
Jim Savoia WhatLine v 2.5 (C) 1990 Advance Systems
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