Chapter 8
Modem Sharing
The modem sharing feature of Integrated Remote Console (IRC) allows you to use the same modem for hardware and operating
The modem sharing feature does not require any additional software or drivers to be installed on the managed server. In this mode, IRC owns the configured modem and performs the function of modem arbitrator. If IRC detects the operating system attempting to access the modem or if an incoming call is identified as destined for the operating system, the modem is given to the operating system, allowing the connection to complete normally. Once IRC has relinquished the modem, it monitors the modem usage, reclaiming the modem once the call completes and 60 seconds of inactivity is detected.
For incoming calls, it is essential that IRC configure the modem in a way that the operating system will expect and understand. Consequently, the communication settings of IRC must be identical to the communication settings used by the operating system. In addition, the modem must likewise be configured identically. This is accomplished through the primary and secondary initialization string configuration settings of IRC.
To aid in the proper selection of these strings, Appendix A contains a table of commonly used modems and the suggested initialization strings. It is strongly suggested that you use one of these modems along with the recommended initialization strings. If your modem is not listed in this table, see Chapter 6 in conjunction with your modem’s AT command reference to determine the proper string. Advanced Windows NT 4.0 users can use the procedure found later in this chapter to extract the operating system initialization strings.
