Re: Linux Based Caller ID Solution for the UK

[Stuart Grimshaw <stuart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Mar 16, 2004 at 08:38:50PM -0000, david_dabs wrote:
> Hi guys, looking for a recommendation for a caller id solution for
> the UK.  Ive read around a bit and it seems that getty under linux
> can do this with some modems it just doesnt seem clear which.  I
> guess what Id really like is a dedicated device that will log the
> phone numbers to a flat file that I can script around my own web
> interface etc or that triggers an event that I can catch somehow,
> like on incomming calling run X executable and pass phone number of
> the command line to it.  So please any suggestions and shameless
> plugs to products others are using would be truly helpful.

The quick answer is that there is no UK modem that offers reliable Caller
ID in the UK. There are a few people who have managed to get a workable
system, but most people have not. Ten people can use the same model of
modem, and for one it will work, while the other 9 it will not.

There are two reliable ways to acheive caller ID, one is to buy a dedicated
hardware solution, such as the Meteor (Letsautomate & Simply sell em)

If you're handu with a soldering iron, you can also modify a BT caller id
box to get it to output down an RS232 serial line. I'm in the middle of
doing this and is Maplin weren't so crap I'd have finished it by now. Have
a look at Jon Payne's circuit (http://www.photon.dyndns.org/projects/btcd50conversion/index.html)
for details

> Also does anyone know of any forums for fix your hardware, I
> recently picked up and 15" tft screen for ?20 because after a few
> seconds it would cut out, after a little tinkering inside found it
> was the connection to the neon tubes and it dawned on me that there
> must be a forum for tips for DIY repairs?

http://www.repairfaq.org/ is the
FAQ for the sci.electronics.repair newsgroup, they may be able to help ...