The Phone and Modem Options applet lets you add, remove, and set the properties of the modems connected to your system. You can also declare dialing rules (long-distance numbers, call waiting, credit card calls, and so on), and add and remove telephony drivers.
The Windows Telephony InterfaceWindows XP has a telephony interface, essentially an API that provides the means (hooks) for communications applications to work through the operating system. In fact, this interface is called TAPI. Through TAPI, the operating system provides a standard way for communications applications to access COM ports and devices such as modems and telephone sets when handling data, fax, and voice transmissions. TAPI empowers applications to make, answer, and hang up calls; put calls on hold; perform call transfer; record voice mail; and make conference calls. Fully TAPI-compliant applications should be able to work with conventional telephone lines, PBX and Centrex systems, and with specialized services such as cellular, ISDN, and DSL. Much like the way process contention is handled by TCP/IP for network transmission or by the process scheduler for CPU usage, TAPI allows multiple communications to request the same resources, without a data collision occurring. The advantage to the end user is that you don't have to shut down a program that's waiting for incoming calls before you use a different program to send a fax, for example. Nor do you have to keep entering modem, phone number, dialing options, and COM port settings into each new communications program installed. These settings, just like printer settings, are stored in the system and are available for every communications program, such as HyperTerminal or dial-up connections through Network Connections. The Phone and Modems applet in the Control Panel offers a central location for altering some TAPI settings, as well as for installing and configuring modems and telephone devices. Installing and configuring a modem were covered in Chapter 8, "Internet and TCP/IP Connection Options," so I'll dispense with the basics of modem installation here. Refer to that chapter if you're hooking up a new modem. TIP You can use cell phones for data communications, for example, from a laptop in the field. Remember two points, though. The phone must be set to run in analog mode. Also, in the best of circumstances, you will get only 9600bps throughput because of limitations in the cellular transmission channel. To set up cellular communications, you need a modem that is compatible with the cell phone you have and a cable designed specifically for connecting your model of phone to that modem. I use a standard Motorola "flip phone" with a Megahertz cellular-ready modem. With this combo, not much fiddling is required, but I made sure before I purchased the modem that it would work with my make and model phone. As for settings, I did drop down the transfer rate to 9600 baud, and because my phone is analog/digital, I have to force it into analog mode for each call. This extra step is a bit of an annoyance, but I'll survive. Then I connect the cell phone to the modem, power up the phone, and initiate the dialing sequence. With any luck, I get on the Internet. Don't forget the per-minute cost of cellular connections! The charges can add up. If you do a lot of on-the-road connecting, check out one of the wireless connection options such as Ricochet's or Hughes's service, which are typically offered at a reasonable flat rate for a full 24x7 connection. TIP Windows XP supports modem aggregation, which is also called PPP multilink dialing. It essentially allows you to group modems together to increase the connection bandwidth. This process is a little tricky and requires multiple phone lines and multiple ISP accounts to work, as well as an ISP that supports synchronization of multiple modems. In general, your default TAPI and modem properties will probably work fine and won't need to be changed. If you do need to change them, remember that changes affect all applications that use the modem whose properties you modify. To change the modem properties after installation is complete, open the Control Panel, and double-click the Phone and Modem Options icon. Dialing RulesOn the Dialing Rules tab of the Phone and Modem Options dialog, you can set up your dialing locations and rules pertaining to those locations, such as phone number prefixes for outside lines, calling card access codes, and so on. If you move around (road-warrior style), you can add some new locations to the default one that's already set up for you as the current user. You can either edit or add a dialing location from this tab. Table 24.12 describes the settings.
Area Code Rules TabOn the Area Code Rules tab, you can set details about the use of an area code, specifically the use of the 1 prefix for certain exchanges. If you have to dial 1 (but no area code) for certain areas, you can add those prefixes here. Click New to create a new rule, and fill in the resulting dialog box. Calling Card TabYou might not need to worry about calling cards at all if you travel using an ISP that has many points of presence. The larger ISPs such as Mindspring, CompuServe, and AOL have local dial-up numbers from most major cities. Some also have 800 numbers that you can use when connecting phones from remote locations. If you need to bill your connection to a telephone company (or long-distance service) calling card, though, you set those options on the Calling Card tab. TIP If you use more than one calling card, you can create a different location for each one. Telephony programs, such as Phone Dialer or the Send Fax Wizard, normally let you change the location before dialing. As you probably know from using a calling card for voice calls, to place and charge a call with a calling card, you dial a special string of numbers that includes a carrier access code, your account number, and the number you're calling. In some cases, you have to call a service provider, enter your account number, and wait for a second dial tone before you can actually enter the number you want to call. To assign a calling card, follow these steps:
Setting or Editing Calling Card ScriptsIf you get into editing the calling card rules for a location, you're in pretty deep. There's not enough room here to walk you through a description of every setting and how the dialog box works, but I can give you a few tips. For more details, consult the Windows XP Resource Kit. Basically, you can set up and edit a sequence of events, like a script, in the Edit Calling Card dialog. You can not only change the sequence of events, but you can also enter any specific numbers or other codes. When you make the call, the events progress from the top of the box to the bottom. You can set up a script for each kind of call: local, long distance, and international. You can use the Edit Calling Card dialog box when you have to fine-tune a calling card's dialing script. Do so only if the presets for your calling card service don't already work. The six buttons below the steps list insert new steps into the script. Some services require you to wait for a "bing" tone before continuing with the dialing. If the tone your carrier plays isn't detected by your modem, try experimenting with different pause lengths instead. You typically are allowed a few seconds to enter the remainder of the sequence, so the pause amount may not be critical as long as you have waited for the bing. If a connection isn't working, and you're fine-tuning these events, it sometimes helps to lift the receiver of a phone on the same line and listen (or turn on the modem's speaker), monitoring the sounds. You'll be better able to figure out where a sequence is bombing out. Setting Modem PropertiesSo much for dialing rules. The second tab in the Phone and Modem Options dialogModemsis for setting modem properties. Accessing a modem's properties opens the same dialog box as when accessing a device's properties through the Device Manager. Typically, you don't need to change your modem properties, so unless you're having difficulty, remember this old adage: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. To alter a modem's properties, follow these steps:
TIP Notice that you can add and remove modems from this Properties dialog box, too, although you can do so just as easily from the Add Hardware applet. You can dig pretty deeply into the tabs on a modem's Properties dialog box, especially the Advanced one. As per usual Microsoft strategy on its communications stuff, if you're used to pre-Windows XP dialogs, you'll find things have shifted around, and you'll have to do a little hunting. Table 24.13 lists a few notes about some of the more salient settings.
Diagnostic PropertiesYou can click the Diagnostics tab in the original Modem Properties dialog box to make it active. The Diagnostics tab asks the modem to identify itself. It can further test the modem's capability to respond to the standard AT command set, display the contents of its internal registers, and display its settings. Click Query Modem to make it so. The results of the diagnostics query will make sense only if you compare them to the expected results in the modem's manual. If things don't look square, you should look for troubleshooting information in the manual or contact the vendor for modem-specific repair options. |