At this time, only Windows client setups are described here. On the
client PC, a COM-port redirector for TCP/IP is required. The best
program for this purpose I have found is
DialOut/IP from Tactical Software for
Windows 3.1 and
Windows 95. (The Windows
3.1 version can be used under Windows
NT for 16-bit applications only. A 32-bit
version for Windows NT is due late summer
1997.)
DialOut/IP presents the shared modem on
a new virtual COM port that it adds to Windows.
This virtual COM port can be used by Windows
programs as if the shared modem is directly connected. Most client
applications (including Windows 95 dial-up
networking) accept this and work as if there were a real COM port and
modem, with the general exception being fax applications or any others
that need access to UART control lines. DialOut/IP
can be configured to provide telnet protocol processing, but that
feature applies to certain modem pool products and not to the
Linux setup described in this file. Note
that, despite its name, DialOut/IP
can be used also by applications that wait for incoming calls.
On http://www.tactical-sw.com/
there is a page for downloading a fully functional evaluation
version that times out in 1-2 weeks. Installation and configuration
is handled by a setup program, with installation details in the
README.TXT file. When you run
DialOut/IP, you enter the IP address
and port number of the shared modem.
DialOut/IP is a commercial product that
is licensed on a per-modem basis, that is, the price depends on the number
of modems that you are sharing. The license states that you can install
the software on any number of PC's that access the shared modems.