RE: tlug: Linux telecom nexus

[Jonathan Byrne - 3Web <jq@example.com>]

On Tue, 2 Jun 1998, J. David Beutel wrote:

> to improve reception and make cheaper outgoing calls.  I thought that
> if I bought a PHS station, it would relay PHS calls to my PHS as well
> as letting me make land-line calls with my PHS.  Now I'm not so sure.

A PHS has three modes: public (it functions as a PHS), Cordless (it
functions as a cordless phone), transceiver (it functions as a
walkie-talkie).  But you have to choose which one you want to do; they
don't do them all at the same time.

 
> It gets complicated because I'd also like to use a voice modem and Linux
> for voice mail and fax, on the same number.  If I'm not at home, I'd
> like my PHS station TA to ring an analog line to my Linux box, as well
> as the rest of the network ringing my PHS whereever I am.  I suppose

That won't be easy.  Having your computer function as a
fax/answering machine when you're not home isn't hard.  Just plug a voice
modem into an analog port on your TA and a serial port on your computer
and set up the software and you're set.  Assuming there is combination
voice/fax software like that available for Linux.  The harder part is
getting it to call you on your PHS when you have a message.  That's the
kind of software that if you really want it, you may have to write it
yourself.  The big challenge, of course, is getting it to give you the
message and accept commands from your PHS.  Dialing the number is the easy
part :-)


> that's not possible.  How does PHS work?  Does the PHS station report
> the location of the PHS handset to the PHS subscriber network via
> the D channel every minute or two, so the network knows where to route
> the calls?

I don't know the mechanics, but it does keep track of where you are, and
I've never heard of a conference call capability on PHS.  Has anyone else?

> But apparently the NEC Aterm IW60, at least, doesn't even use PHS,
> or else it would work with all the PHS PDAs, wouldn't it?  It must
> be using some extra, stupid cordless mode, or what?  If I cannot have
> just one number, and the PHS provider's voice mail is nice enough,

You cannot have just one number.  An NTT number and a PHS number are two
different things and can't be made one.

> then perhaps I should use it instead of Linux.  But then I can't do
> cool stuff like email myself notifications of voice mail messages.
> Do the PHS voice mails do some such thing already?  Does the service vary
> between the 3 PHS providers?

They don't e-mail the notification.  That would be, well. kind of useless.
DDI sends a notification right to your PHS when you're back in range,
telling you you have voice mail.
Astel will beep you if you have a pager.  This isn't as useful as DDI's
system, IMO, since if you're out of range of a PHS antenna, you'd have to
use a public phone to get your voice mail anyway.  I'm not sure what NTT
does, or if Astel uses that system now or not.  It's been a whle since
I've had an Astel.  The best thing to do on this is ask the three PHS
vendors what their current services are.

> I am going to get a fancy PHS that will also be a PDA with a decent sync,
> an email reader, and a (albeit limited) web browser.  The web browser,
> in particular, I plan to use as a dictionary, especially for kanji,
> served off my Linux box (rather than going thru an ISP).  So kanji display

A lot of PDAs already have dictionaries in them (not as good as edict,
though), so you may not need to connect all of the time.  If this PHS is
something you also want to talk on, not just use for data communications,
you might want to reconsider the all-in-one idea and look at some PDAs
that will accept a PC card and use a regular PHS, since a PDA pressed up
against your head probably doesn't make a very comfortable telephone :-)
An earphone-mic setup is probably essential to use with one of those.e

Getting a machine that does Japanese shouldn't be a problem, since this
is, after all, Japan :-)

If you do find a way to make the whole setup work as envisioned, we may
ask you to write it up for a TLUG how-to :-)

Jonathan Byrne
Media and Content Section
3Web - Your Internet Solution! <URL:http://www.threeweb.ad.jp/>

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