[promusic]

I use an iBook on the road to connect to the internet via a dial-up connection. I use a calling card and have to go through several menus and punch lots of numbers before the connection is made to my ISP. In OS9 I've used the Remote Access Dial Manually feature to accomplish this by using a telephone line splitter, plugging the hotel phone and iBook in simultaneously, doing all the dialing on the phone then connecting via the Dial Manually feature and hanging up the phone. This works fine as the iBook then connects to my ISP. Is there a Dial Manually feature in OSX? I can't seem to find one. Is there another way to accomplish this in OSX? Thanks.

[kcmac]

I can't really help with the manual dialing issue but I have a question for you.

Why are you using a card to make the call? Obviously, you are calling long distance to get access on the road.

Have you tried another ISP like Earthlink, etc that have thousands of local access numbers nationwide?

I travel a lot and often go back to the same cities. I simply set up locations for each city before I leave and just change to that location through the Finder file menu when I arrive. Very simple. Much easier than it ever was in OS 9. (Of course, I'm talking about automatic dialing...)

Connection is free. Even if you have a cheaper per month ISP than an Earthlink, etc. it more than pays for itself if you travel a few times a month.

[promusic]

Originally posted by kcmac:
I can't really help with the manual dialing issue but I have a question for you.

Why are you using a card to make the call? Obviously, you are calling long distance to get access on the road.

Have you tried another ISP like Earthlink, etc that have thousands of local access numbers nationwide?

I travel a lot and often go back to the same cities. I simply set up locations for each city before I leave and just change to that location through the Finder file menu when I arrive. Very simple. Much easier than it ever was in OS 9. (Of course, I'm talking about automatic dialing...)

Connection is free. Even if you have a cheaper per month ISP than an Earthlink, etc. it more than pays for itself if you travel a few times a month.

We don't have many services in Alaska and I've been with a local ISP for many years. In some places they've arranged for a "roaming" local number but not too many places. The calling card is dirt cheap (3.5 cents a minute) and I avoid the hotel long distance bill.

[kcmac]

Sorry, didn't notice you are in Alaska. Assume most of your travel is in the state?

Even so, it may be worth a look. Go to www.earthlink.net. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for "local access numbers." Click on that and then look for some locations.

Good luck to you.

[Xeo]

I'm not sure why what you did before wouldn't work. I think if you dial the first part of the calling card yourself, and leave the area code, and number in the Network settings, it should work. Just make sure the computer doesn't wait for a dial tone, and it will dial whatever number you tell it to. Then, when you're on the phone and it says "please enter the area code followed by the seven digit number, now" then press connect.

Seems like it should work to me.

[promusic]

Originally posted by Xeo:
I'm not sure why what you did before wouldn't work. I think if you dial the first part of the calling card yourself, and leave the area code, and number in the Network settings, it should work. Just make sure the computer doesn't wait for a dial tone, and it will dial whatever number you tell it to. Then, when you're on the phone and it says "please enter the area code followed by the seven digit number, now" then press connect.

Seems like it should work to me.

Thanks, but I've tried that with no results. part of the problem is the automated request to dial the number is followed by some BS advertising sentence or two before the number is put through and I guess that screws things up. At any rate, the Dial Manually from OS9 lets me wait through all the recordings until just the right moment to connect with no further dialing needed. I was just hoping OSX had a similar feature but I've never found it.

[butter71]

don't have a way to test this, see if this works --

turn off checking for dial tone.
set the phone number to be ',' (a pause)
dial the phone, enter the digits, listen to the ad, wait for the modem,
then hit the connect button.

[AKcrab]

I agree with the ',' comma suggestion. You may need a LOT of commas, but they do insert pauses into the string.

What part of AK?