🚀 go-pugleaf

Dale Walker asks about dialling in from a home computer to an office
computer, which will then do comms over a leased line. There's one modem
in the home computer, two in the office computer.

"What is the best way of connecting two modems to one computer?"

I assume that machines at both ends are PC-clones running MSDOS or
Windows.

I have done this. Use remote control software; I used Carbon Copy for
DOS at the time, but might choose Reachout if doing it today.

You run remote host software on the office computer, viewer software
on the home computer. The home computer connects to the office computer,
and effectively takes control of it: you can do anything the office
computer can do normally  from home (so long as this doesn't involve the
COM port you're using for remote control!). In particular, you can dial
out on a modem connected to the other COM port. Which is exactly what you
want.

"Do I have to be careful which com ports I use (I know not to use the
"same IRQ as the mouse)?"

If you are using a PC-clone, don't use COM1 and COM3 simultaneously,
nor COM2 and COM4. Use different IRQs for the two ports.

"Is it possible to use both modems concurrently?"
Yes

"Will Laplink allow this?"
I shouldn't think so, but don't know for sure. Use Carbon Copy, Reachout,
PC Anywhere, etc.

I don't think this is what you want, but it is possible, with suitable
hardware and software, to dial up a full network connection (your home
computer becomes a full network workstation).


Small print: the host computer will be running the remote control host
software as a TSR. This uses up memory, so you may want to do things to
free up memory (load high, use QEMM, etc.).

"TIA."
"My pleasure, in retrospect.

HTH,
--
Michael Salem