Altos 586 using a 2400b Modem

[Rick Tucker]

In article <233 at willow.MV.COM> shawn at willow.MV.COM (Shawn M. Rogers) writes:
>Hi,
>
>I've got a client using an Altos 586.  I would like to provide support
>via modem since their site is somewhat far away.  The machine has 1
>port available (tty6).  
>
>According to the manual, the jumpers at location E-17 on the motherboard must
>be changed from 4-6, 1-3 to 3-4, 5-6.  I made this change.  I then ran 
>'pconfig' and configured tty6 as a 2400 baud modem port.  The manual says that
>the following command must be issued by root, which I did:
>
>    disable tty6
>    /etc/modem tty6
>    enable tty6
>
>The Problem:  The modem is not answering the phone, so I cannot get a login. 
>The type of modem being used is just your basic 2400 Hayes compatible type
>modem.  The cable I'm using was made using the pinouts in the manual.
>
>Any help getting this thing working would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Why can't you move one of their printers to port 6 and then use the free
port for your modem?


I have run into two problems with Altos 586/986 boxes in the past dealing
with modems.
1) There is a bug in some versions of the xenix where the ttys
file gets an incorrect character telling it what the baud rate is.
the ttys line for 2400 will look like:  1qtty6
when if fact it should look like        16tty6
Note there are also two recommended wiring diagrams for altos 586
connected to modems.
Type 1 modem (async)
Altos		modem
25db		25db
1	-	1
2	<<-	3
3	->>	2
4	<<-	8
5	->>	4
6	->>	20
7	-	7
8 -----+	5  not used
       |
20  <<-+	6  not used
----------------------------
----------------------------
Type 3 nullmodem
Altos		modem
25db		25db
1	-	1
2	<<-	3
3	->>	2
4-<<---+  +->>--4
       |  |
5------+  +-----5
6	->>	20
7	-	7
20	<<-	6


I never really had much luck with the /etc/modem command.  If it is
only you dialing in, you might consider setting it up as standard
/etc/getty and 
Note you might need a little shell file to disable /dev/tty6 and
then enable /dev/tty6 in case you lock up the port.


2) the other problem was that with *SOME* modems, the modem would
start answer not give carrier and then immediately hang up the line.
After many frustrating nights I found the following was happening.
Altos recommends that you set dip switch 3  on a US ROBOTICS 12/2400
down.  What I found was the modem was sending the word 'RING' to 
the computer, the computer was then responding with login or passwd
and the modem would hang up.
I found if I set the dip switch up this did not happen.  
Dip switch three on the US ROB is  result code display
                                     up is quiet, down is result codes
*******  DON'T FLAME ME HERE FOR APPARENT STUPIDITY, 
IN THE OFFICAIL *ALTOS* SETUP MANUAL ON MODEMS, IT CLEARLY STATES SET
DIP 3 DOWN ******************


-- 
========================================================================
Rick Tucker                        |     ^^  T W I N   P E A K S  ^^ 
rickt%indcon at wybbs.mi.org          | "The owls are not what they seem."
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