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New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:41 pm
by brourke228
I've been working on this for a while now and finally got it set up correctly. Through this method you will be using a network device (Netopia R2000/R2020/R2121) to automatically accept Dreamcast's modem calls and extend your LAN over a phone line (to Dreamcast). The end result is that you will have Dreamcast on the same subnet as all other devices on your broadband network, it will have internet (obviously), and all port forwarding etc. will be dealt with right on your broadband router just as with your computers. Essentially your broadband router will not be able to tell the difference between this and a BBA.

**I highly recommend reading this whole guide in advance if you plan on doing this so you know exactly what you need.

This is not the cheapest setup, but if you can find the materials for a good price then it's totally worth it. Since this method of connection is completely seamless to connect like a bba, but allows you to connect to anything since it's still using dial up.

Here is what you need to set this up:
-Netopia R2000/R2020/R2121
-Router (any broadband router should do)
-Phone Line Simulator (I'm using a Teltone TLS3) **See Below for Phone Simulators confirmed to work with this
-Dreamcast w/ 56k Modem (Model A and B will both work)
-2 Telephone cords (If connecting two Dreamcasts simultaneously you will need 4 telephone cords, and 6 for three simultaneous Dreamcast connections)

These are the Phone Line Simulators which have been used so far and are confirmed to work:
    -Teltone TLS2
    -Teltone TLS3
    -Teltone TLS-3B
    -Viking DLE-200B
    -Skutch AS-26

So onto the features of this connection method:
-19Kbps connection speed (Theoretical max of 33.6Kbps per line, using an added V92 serial modem it would be 48Kbps)
-130ms latency (over LAN)
-No phone line is required
-Dreamcast will be on the same subnet as PC's on your network (ie, if your router is 192.168.1.1, then Dreamcast can be anything from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.255)
-As a result of being on the same subnet, it is managed completely by your broadband router as with all modern network devices ( You can even put Dreamcast in DMZ if you so choose)
-The Netopia R2000/R2020 will automatically answer Dreamcast's call
-This works with model A and model B Dreamcast Modems both without the use of a line voltage inducer
-The phone line simulator will supply the dial tone for Quake 3 and any other game which does not support blind dial
-You can connect 2 (3 if you attached a serial modem) Dreamcasts simultaneously so long as there are sufficient lines on your phone line simulator.
-Because Dreamcast is seen on the same subnet as other PCs on the LAN, you can use drdns and connect to PSO using the same method as a BBA without the need to use a codebreaker or autoconnect disc.

I am not going to go into detail on how to set up a third simultaneous connection with the use of an external 56k modem connected to the Netopia router's serial port because I do not have a serial modem to test with and it requires some configuration options to be changed. As a result, this guide is for connecting one or two Dreamcasts simultaneously to Netopia router.

**Note that I am using a Netopia R2020 in this guide. However the setup should be near identical to the setup of a Netopia R2000 or R2121.


Before I start the guide I would just like to say that if you are purchasing a phone line simulator to make sure it either includes the documentation, or it is available online. The reason I say this is that you will need to know what telephone number to tell Dreamcast to dial in order to reach the other line on your phone line simulator. For example on mine I must dial "40" to reach line 1.


Okay so on to the guide..
STEP 1 - Initial Setup

So first grab your Netopia router. Inspect the back of it and make sure the uplink button is not depressed. It should be in "normal" mode.

Now plug the power cord in and get an ethernet cable and connect the Netopia router directly to a computer with any of its 8 LAN ports. Make sure the computer you are connecting it to is not connected to any other networks (To avoid any IP conflicts). Now press the power button and turn on the Netopia.

The default ip address of the netopia router is 192.168.1.1 . However this device is not managed from a web interface like most routers. It is managed from a terminal/command prompt. Don't let this turn you off it's actually quite user-friendly. So to access your netopia router first open up a terminal (linux) or command prompt (windows). Then type this:

Code: Select all

telnet 192.168.1.1


**In windows if the command "telnet" is not recognized you must enable it first. To do this go to Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off, then check "Telnet Client" and hit OK.

If you bought your Netopia second-hand and for some reason the IP address is not initially 192.168.1.1 you will need to do a hard reset first using a metal paper clip. For more info on how to do this check the section at the end of this guide.

Now you see this:
Image

**A few notes on how to navigate through the netopia interface in cmd prompt/terminal... Up and down arrows move between options. Enter button selects an option. Esc backs out of an option. Tab enables/disables some options. When typing in values such as an IP address, type the whole value in first then hit enter.

First what you want to do is change your Netopia router's IP address to one that is on the same subnet as your broadband router. You also must set the default gateway to your broadband router's IP address and set the primary DNS to your broadband router as well or a different DNS if you so choose. To do this navigate to System Configuration > IP Setup Below you can see how I have it configured. My broadband router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 and I set the Netopia to 192.168.1.2 .
Image

Then on the same screen navigate to "IP Address Serving" and change "IP Address Serving Mode" to Disabled.

Now back out to the main menu of your Netopia router. Go to Utilities & Diagnostics > Restart System and hit continue. This will reboot your Netopia router. Make note of where is, as you will need to reboot after all main configuration changes to your Netopia router.

**Be aware that once changing the Netopia router's IP and powering off you will no longer be connected to it. And unless you have a static IP setup you will also not be able to connect after disabling DCHP. However this won't matter once you are at the next step since your gateway will be your broadband router. Just be aware the next time you type "telnet [ip]" it is the new IP Address you changed your Netopia router to.


STEP 2 - Integration with LAN / Firmware Upgrade

Okay, now disconnect your Netopia Router from your computer and connect it to one of the LAN ports on your broadband router. And connect your PC to your router again. Then connect a telphone cord to one of the Line ports on the Netopia router (it doesn't look like it will fit but it will). Connect the other end of the cord to a line on your phone line simulator. Then on a separate line of the phone line simulator connect it to your Dreamcast modem.

Image


Once everything is reconnected use telnet again this time to the new IP address you assigned to the netopia router.

Code: Select all

telnet [new ip]


Now what we are going to do is upgrade the firmware to the newest version. It may not be necessary to upgrade the router firmware depending on which version your Netopia router is already running. However, I highly recommend you do to avoid any complications in going through my guide, as I have the latest version.

You should now have internet access to the netopia router. So from the main page navigate to Utilities & Diagnostics > Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Next type in the following:

Code: Select all

TFTP Server Name:  ftp.netopia.com
Firmware File Name:  nir4113.bin

Then hit enter on "GET ROUTER FIRMWARE FROM SERVER" as seen below. Be sure to not lose power or internet while upgrading. :D
Image

After the firmware is done downloading, your Netopia router will automatically reset and start making a light show with its LEDs.

**If for some reason your Netopia router fails to connect to the netopia ftp server and you believe it is in fact connected to the internet, you can do the following.. Download the file attached to this post named "nir4113.rar". Then extract the winrar archive and host it on a local PC using FTP server software such as filezilla server. On your Netopia router, then change the server name from "ftp.netopia.com" to your local PC's IP address and select "GET ROUTER FIRMWARE FROM SERVER".


*****The netopia ftp/tftp doesn't appear to work anymore or no longer has the netopia r2020/r2000 firmware stored on it. Therefore, unless something changes, the above method in quotations will not work. Instead do the following to update your netopia firmware:

1) Download & install Tftpd from here: http://tftpd32.jounin.net/tftpd32_download.html

2) Create a folder on your desktop and name it like "TFTP Folder" or something similar.

3) Open Tftpd and go to settings. In global tab, Uncheck "Enable IPv6". In tftp tab for base directory browse to the TFTP Folder you created and then click OK.
Note that your PC's local IP address is listed next to server interface on the main window of tftpd in case you don't know it.

4) Download nir4113.rar which is attached to this post and extract nir4113.bin to your TFTP Folder.

5) Open up a telnet connection with your netopia router and go to Utilities & Diagnostics > Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). Set the TFTP Server Name to your PC's local IP address. Set the Firmware File name to nir4113.bin . Then click GET ROUTER FIRMWARE FROM SERVER and it should download and install the firmware directly from your computer, assuming your PC isn't blocking tftpd with firewall.



[OPTIONAL]I also just found the lastest firmware for the internal 56k modems inside of the netopia.. Netopia doesn't appear to host this file anymore, but i found it archived at tellurian.com. These use a separate firmware from the netopia router itself. I installed this firmware as well, so I know it does work. I'm not sure if the performance is much different though so I would say this is optional. I will attach this firmware to the post as well though. If you wish to update the 56k modems' firmwares, it is quite similar to updating the netopia firmware. To do so:

1) Download the v220.rar file attached, unrar v220.bin to your TFTP Folder.

2) Then again go to Utilities & Diagnostics > Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) on your netopia router via telnet.

3) Set the file name to v220.bin , the server name to your PC's local ip, and then click GET WAN MODULE (MODEM) FIRMWARE FROM SERVER...

I did notice when I updated the modem firmware that it stopped at 100% complete and did not go back to idle in tftp transfer state. I just rebooted the netopia at that point and it seems to have updated correctly. In Statistics and Logs > System Information I now see "V2.210-NC-V90_2M_DLS" for my modems' version. The v220.bin file corresponds to v2210c modem firmware so it appears to be correct.




STEP 3 - Configuring Dial-in on your Netopia Router

First go to WAN Configuration > Add Connection Profile. On that page:

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Profile Name:  Your Choice
Profile Enabled: Yes
Encapsulation Type: PPP

Image

Next go to "Encapsulation Options". Here use this configuration:

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Data Compression:  None
Send Authentication:  PAP
Send User Name:
Send Password:
Receive User Name:  dream
Receive Password:  dreamcast
Channel Usage:  Dynamic
Dial on Demand:  Yes
Bandwidth Allocation:  Auto

And here is an image of that...
Image

Now back out back to the connection profile page you were just on. Go to "IP Profile Parameters". Use this configuration:

Code: Select all

Address Translation Enabled:  No
IP Addressing:  Unnumbered
Negotiate LAN IP Addr/Mask:  No
Remote IP Address:  192.168.1.10  (This is Dreamcast's IP Address.  Set it to whatever you like on the same subnet as your LAN)
Remote IP Mask:  255.255.255.255

Then go to "Remove Filter Set" and hit enter. Heres the image of this page:
Image

Back out again to the configuration profile page. Now go to "Telco Options" and hit enter. Config for this page is the following:

Code: Select all

Dial:  Dial In Only
Dialing Prefix:
Number to Dial:
Alternate Site to Dial:
Idle Timeout (seconds):  0
CNA Validation Number:
CompuServe Login Enabled:  No

Image of the telco page:
Image

Now go back out again to the connection profile page. Go to "COMMIT" and hit enter. Now reboot your Netopia router as done previously in the guide (Utilities & Diagnostics > Restart System and hit continue.)

Congratulations!! You have now configured the netopia for dial-in from Dreamcast. If you plan to connect multiple Dreamcasts simultaneously you will need to create a connection profile for each Dreamcast using a different user/pass and remote IP address for each. However all other settings will remain the same. For the remainder of the guide I will be assuming the user/pass used is dream/dreamcast as configured above.


STEP 4 - Exploring Some Features of your Netopia Router

Feel free to check out the different features on your router now that it is configured.

In Statistics & Logs > WAN Event History you can see in real time what your modems are doing. This is useful to see whats happening when your modem is connecting to Dreamcast.

In Statistics & Logs > General Statistics you can see in real time how much data and packets are being sent and received by the netopia router, modem 1, modem 2, and the serial port.

In WAN Configuration > WAN (Wide Area Network) Setup > MODEM (Wan Module 1 and 2) Setup you can change the modem speaker volume or disable it. You can also specify when you want it to make noise.


STEP 5 - Configuring Dreamcast

Put your Dreamcast web browser in and go to internet options. Use these settings:

Code: Select all

Your Real Name: (Anything will work here)
User Login: dream (Put in the user name that you typed in your connection profile)
Password: dreamcast (Put in the password that you typed in your connection profile)
Dial Up Number: 40 (Type in the number associated with the line on your phone line simulator which is being dialed.  Find this out in your phone line simulator manual/documentation.  On the Teltone TLS3 dialing "40" rings the first line)
Backup number: (Leave blank)
DNS1: 0.0.0.0
DNS2: 0.0.0.0

Area code you are dialing from: (Leave blank)
Long distance call prefix: (Leave blank)
Call waiting prefix: (Leave blank)
Outside dialing prefix: (Leave blank)
Modem Init: AT&F0 (usually the default. Last character is the number zero)
Dial: Tone
Dial area code: Off
Blind Dial: Off



Thats it!!! You can now go and connect with your web browser or any working game which uses dial up. I suggest putting your Dreamcast in a DMZ from your router to avoid any port issues otherwise you can port forward from your router if need be to the ip address you assigned Dreamcast in the connection profile on your Netopia router.

Make sure your phone line simulator is powered on while using the Netopia router with Dreamcast otherwise it will fail to answer the call and report no dial tone. If you are connecting multiple Dreamcasts simultaneously you will need 2 lines on your phone line simulator for each Dreamcast you are connecting.

If you wish to connect multiple Dreamcasts to Netopia router which you do not plan on connecting simultaneously you can connect them using an RJ-11 splitter to a single line port on the Netopia router and configure them all to connect to the same dial in profile.

I have tested PSO, Quake 3 Arena, Max Pool, 4x4 Evolution, and StarLancer. With 4x4 Evolution, Max Pool and StarLancer it sometimes takes a couple tries for it to connect. If the Netopia router does fail to answer a call, wait for the Channel and Ready LEDs to go out before attempting to redial. Once the game is connected you should not have any issues.

The Netopia R2020 User Manual is attached if you wish to read more about it.

Feel free to leave any questions or comments. I will update this if anything needs to be changed. However so far this is working perfectly.

Here is a video of me connecting to Quake 3 Arena with the netopia:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgeNv2FS79w[/youtube]

Here are a couple photos of my Netopia R2020:
Image
Image

And here is a video tutorial which pcwzrd13 created for connecting DC using this method: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhXQjy-DsBs[/youtube]
This follows the guide fairly close, but some details might be slightly different depending on your setup with this.



**************************************
Teltone TLS2 & TLS3 Users
**************************************
There is no reason you have to use a TLS3 for this guide, other phone line simulators will work, but I figured I would include a short note on the TLS3 since most people following this seem to be using that as their phone line simulator.

So first of all I should say that my tls3 randomly stopped working about 8 months after I purchased it. Which I later found was because the fuse went bad (it didn't actualy blow). These things were manufactured in the early 90s so I guess it just went bad after years of use. If this happens to you, or if the Teltone occasionally doesn't turn on for some reason when you flip the switch you should replace the fuse in the back. You can replace it with a 0.315A 250V 5x20mm fuse which can be purchased at radioshack, or at your local electronics store. --> http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2103762

I'm not sure what the difference is between the "GS" and "LS" modes for the phone lines on this thing, but I found that the netopia only seems to work right when both lines are in "LS" mode.

***For TLS2 Users: Station 40 should be set to "LS" and Station 29 should be set to "GS" --Thanks to Atreyu187 for pointing this out

And finally, you may have figured this out but the phone number to the line labeled "STATION 40" is "40" and the phone number for the line labeled "STATION 29" is "29". On some of the higher model Teltone phone line simulators the phone numbers are programmable.

Here are the default phone numbers for all Teltone models:
TLS, TLS-2, TLS-3: 29, 40
TLS-3A-01: 29, 40, 101, 102, 201, 202, any 7 digit number, any eleven digit number
TLS-3B-01: 101/201, 102/202
TLS-4/5: 101/201, 102/202, 103/203, 104/204

For more info: http://www.teltone.com/support/faq.htm#tls
**************************************
Routers known to cause issues with this setup

There is an issue where Quake 3 Arena freezes when it is trying to retrieve the server list after connecting when the netopia is using my new router's (Linksys E3200) DNS relay. This hasn't been an issue with any other router I've used, but it is easily remedied by setting your ISP's DNS servers in the Netopia IP Setup instead of using your router's IP address or "0.0.0.0". If you experience anything similar, just set your DNS servers manually in the Netopia IP setup instead of using your router's DNS relay.

D-Link DIR-615
The issue with the DIR-615 is a pretty major one and it appears to be specific to this setup (ie dialing into the netopia on your LAN). I noticed this when i bought one to replace a Netgear router about 6 months ago. Essentially what happens is every time something dials into your Netopia router the D-Link DIR-615 acting as primary router on your network instantly crashes and reboots, disconnecting all clients on your LAN including PCs and such. This happened using the latest firmware version for the router which I believe is 3.13NA. The fact that this router can crash from certain network activity is alone reason for me to advise anyone not to use this router if it is an option. However there is a solution to this problem if you already own one. Instead of returning the router I decided to install DD-WRT( http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index ) on it which is a custom router firmware and this completely resolved the issue I was having which is purely software-related.

D-Link DIR-655
The problem with the D-Link DIR-655 should actually be an issue for anyone using a dial-in server on their LAN (whether PC-DC server or this setup) when using this as their primary router. As far as I can tell it effects only 2 Dreamcast games, that is 4x4 Evolution and StarLancer. This problem occurs with the latest firmware version 1.35NA. So the problem with this router is it blocks both incoming and outgoing TCP packets with 4x4 EVO and Starlancer, preventing either game from connecting. In the router logs it shows an error message indicating that it sees the TCP packets from both games as being invalid. This is the exact error message:

Code: Select all

Blocked TCP packet from 192.168.1.10:6898 to 69.15.25.124:80 as control SYN:PSH in not valid
I have tried disabling disabling the router firewall, disabling packet filtering, putting dreamcast in DMZ, all to no avail. Incidentally this has also prevented me from getting a 4x4 evolution server set up which is how I discovered this issue, just recently. I don't know of any solution for this atm if there even is one and unfortunately this router seems to be incompatible with custom router firmwares so it is not an easy fix like the DIR-615. I will most-likely be replacing this router for this reason. This issue however does NOT effect PSO, the web browser, Max Pool, or Quake III Arena for whatever reason.

**************************************
How to do a hard reset of your Netopia Router

So for some of you it may be necessary to do a hard reset of your netopia to get to back to factory default settings. I didn't have to do this, but I know some other people who followed this guide have needed to. For some reason there is no explanation in how to do this in the user manual and it isn't exactly straight forward so I'm gonna explain how you go about doing this.

You will need a metal paper clip first of all. Make sure your netopia is plugged in and powered on. Then what you want to do is flip it over and locate the slot in the picture below which is about halfway up.
Image
Now insert your folded metal paperclip into the slot until you meet resistance. You will hear the router click if you have pressed the reset button properly. You will then be back to default settings.

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:53 pm
by Bob Dobbs
Great guide! The positive is that you can do all things DC online as opposed to the BBA, which can only browse the internet, play Q3 and PSO. This does justify any costs involved when compared to the cost of getting a BBA per DC online game item.

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:24 am
by Gary_b
how much did it cost you for everything?

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 am
by brourke228
I got some insane deals on ebay . I payed $24 for the Netopia and $47 for the Teltone TLS3 both with shipping included. I don't see any on ebay for that cheap right now though. There are some lots though if you wanted to throw down with someone else. They are both old pieces of hardware so the price varies quite a lot. However both the Netopia r2020 and the Teltone TL3 i bought sold for ~$500 each when they were new. You don't need to buy the same phone line simulator as me though. I've seen some on ebay for as cheap as 40$.

If you wanted to do this, but can't justify spending the money all at once I would recommend first buying phone line simulator. You can create a dedicated dial in server with a PC that will automatically answer Dreamcast using the method described in STEP 10 of my other guide: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2427

As of right now though I can't find any working substitute for the Netopia router. There was a 3COM device I was trying to get working for a while, but it lacked the ability to set one of its LAN devices as a default gateway so it was impossible to share internet over the phone line to Dreamcast.

If anyone knows of any similar analog routers like the Netopia in the guide let me know!

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:18 pm
by TeamXlink
brourke228 wrote:There are some lots though if you wanted to throw down with someone else.


That is a great idea.

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:52 pm
by Dingo
Save even more money:
http://veryuseful.info/linesim/

Build the line simulator yourself! :D

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:18 pm
by Kaizoku ChaosStar
I have a broadband modem that works as both router and phone line (Don't know the exact name. Let's just say that this router/modem makes me able to connect phones to phone line outputs throughout the house, as well as Internet service).

If Netopia isn't strictly neccesary, can I use this instead?

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:47 pm
by brourke228
Kaizoku ChaosStar wrote:I have a broadband modem that works as both router and phone line (Don't know the exact name. Let's just say that this router/modem makes me able to connect phones to phone line outputs throughout the house, as well as Internet service).

If Netopia isn't strictly neccesary, can I use this instead?


That sounds like a DSL modem. Just because there is a phone line on it doesn't mean it has a 56k modem inside of it. It could also be a DSL or ISDN modem.


I was just doing some more research and there is a company called Ramp Networks (now part of Nokia) which makes this type of router as well. The webramp 200i may work for this type of setup. I can't guarantee this though. I see one on ebay for real cheap. They may have other models as well.

I would assume the configuration would be similar for all analog 56k routers. So if you decide to go with a different router you could use this guide as a reference, but I won't be able to help with any specifics. I have tested the 3COM OfficeConnect LAN Modem and it doesn't work as I stated earlier because it can't be assigned a gateway address so don't get one of those.

I will list any other similar networking devices if I find any. If anyone else finds an analog 56k router I haven't listed I would really appreciate if you could make a post about it. The more options the better.

These analog 56k routers appear to have been an early alternative to broadband. The main reason they exist is to provide dial out access and combine the bandwidth of multiple modems. However luckily they all seem to provide dial in as well.

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:22 am
by Kaizoku ChaosStar
brourke228 wrote:
Kaizoku ChaosStar wrote:I have a broadband modem that works as both router and phone line (Don't know the exact name. Let's just say that this router/modem makes me able to connect phones to phone line outputs throughout the house, as well as Internet service).

If Netopia isn't strictly neccesary, can I use this instead?


That sounds like a DSL modem. Just because there is a phone line on it doesn't mean it has a 56k modem inside of it. It could also be a DSL or ISDN modem.


I was just doing some more research and there is a company called Ramp Networks (now part of Nokia) which makes this type of router as well. The webramp 200i may work for this type of setup. I can't guarantee this though. I see one on ebay for real cheap. They may have other models as well.

I would assume the configuration would be similar for all analog 56k routers. So if you decide to go with a different router you could use this guide as a reference, but I won't be able to help with any specifics. I have tested the 3COM OfficeConnect LAN Modem and it doesn't work as I stated earlier because it can't be assigned a gateway address so don't get one of those.

I will list any other similar networking devices if I find any. If anyone else finds an analog 56k router I haven't listed I would really appreciate if you could make a post about it. The more options the better.

These analog 56k routers appear to have been an early alternative to broadband. The main reason they exist is to provide dial out access and combine the bandwidth of multiple modems. However luckily they all seem to provide dial in as well.


What does a phone line simulator look like?
Is it the outputs that redirects the phone line throughout the house?

BTW, I once forgot to remove the phone cable between my Dreamcast and one of these outlets when experimenting. Both my phones would make a scurry noise, even when talking. When I removed the phone line between DC and the wall outlet it worked fine again. Is this a good sign?

Re: New method for connecting Dreamcast!

Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:43 am
by Dingo
What does a phone line simulator look like?

They look like a box with 2 or more phone jacks, and a power cord.

Here is a schematic for building one. It's not as complex as it might seem:
Image

What it does is it will allow you to connect 2 telephony devices and make calls to each-other. Think of it as a local, private, telephone system. Telephony devices (phones, faxes, analog modems, teletypes, etc...) won't work simply connected back to back, they need certain line voltages (to run their internal circuitry), dial tones, and other external circuits (including something to generate a high voltage 'ring' signal) to signal a call is coming to the other device. When you connect to a wall jack (and have phone service hooked up) this functionality is provided by the hardware at the phone company along with all the detecting and switching services that are needed to decode the numbers you dial and connect you to the right number.

A simple phone-line simulator provides the basics of the external system you need to use one phone device to call another phone device. Since you will only be connecting to one other device in this case, you don't need to decode phone numbers or do any line switching in that respect, which simplifies things quite a bit. It will allow you to connect 2 analog modems back to back as though they were on a real telephone system.

If your house has phone jacks but you don't use your land line for anything anymore, you could essentially hook one end of the phone line simulator up to where the phone company's line would come into your house and the other end up to a computer or router like is shown here that is set up to share your broadband. At that point you could plug your DC into any phone jack in the house and make the call to your router... your own personal, in-house, dial-up ISP.