Odd request

[TrickyNicky]

Anyone know where a guy can find an analog phone line anymore? More spessificaly an analog phone line open to the public?

I need to download an operating system upgrade on my credit card terminal and can't do it at work or home because we have digital service. In the meantime my old operating system has been wiped clean leaving me without the ability to process credit cards. I know its a real long shot but hey, you never know right? I'm in the Nashville area BTW.

Thanks in advance.

[Guest Broomhead]

Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but there are pay phones at the end of Bellmeade Blvd.

[wildcat56]

Anyone with Att home phone service that is not uverse or voip should be able to plug and play.   I'm assuming you have voip through comcast .  And i dont think a payphone will work if you need to plug in a modem to download an update.. Have any friends that still have a home phone that doesn't go through comcast? They should be able to help.

Edited June 25, 2013 by wildcat56

[TrickyNicky]

Anyone with Att home phone service that is not uverse or voip should be able to plug and play.   I'm assuming you have voip through comcast .  And i dont think a payphone will work if you need to plug in a modem to download an update.. Have any friends that still have a home phone that doesn't go through comcast? They should be able to help.

You got it exactly right. I wish a pay phone was the answer, I'd be done by now.

I'm starting to believe that the whole world operates off of digital phone lines anymore.

This sucks! :(

[dralarms]

What exactly are you needing?

[dralarms]

Never mind. I see now. Wished I could help.

[TrickyNicky]

Just a regular old analog phone line through the phone company. For whatever reason my merchant service cannot download my new operating system through a digital phone line.

Guess it don't much matter now, I'm thinking anyplace that would have one I could use is about closed by now.

Oh well, it was worth a shot.

[wildcat56]

You would be suprised how many we have lost to the digital age but there are alot of folks who still have one.   Mostly older folks are still hanging on to there home phone.....know of anybody with a fax machine? There phone line would be perfect.... Call kinkos and ask if they would charge you the same for making a fax if you could just download and update.   Make it to the boro and you can use mine......Still have my home phone..... 

[TrickyNicky]

Never mind. I see now. Wished I could help.

Well thanks for the thought anyway.

I wonder what it says about me that after my family and neighbors you all are the first people I ask for help in a "crisis"?

[Murgatroy]

Anyone who lives way out in the sticks should still have analog service. My mother does, but that is the opposite side of the state from you.

[wildcat56]

Another thought...any mom and pop gas stations around? their credit card machine should still have an analog line.....

[TrickyNicky]

You would be suprised how many we have lost to the digital age but there are alot of folks who still have one.   Mostly older folks are still hanging on to there home phone.....know of anybody with a fax machine? There phone line would be perfect.... Call kinkos and ask if they would charge you the same for making a fax if you could just download and update.   Make it to the boro and you can use mine......Still have my home phone.....

 


Wow, that is an incredibly generous and kind offer, thank you so much! I would not feel right to impose however, it would be 10:00+ by the time I even made it out there and lord knows how long it will take to actually complete the download. Thank you again though very, very much.



 

Another thought...any mom and pop gas stations around? their credit card machine should still have an analog line.....

There's a bit of a rub, my brother works at the gas station down the street... A Mapco. We're still trying to contact the manager and see how they feel about letting me plug in. If that is they haven't joined the digital age anyway.





Thanks for the thoughts everybody, I'll let you all know what happens. (Being this far into it I'm sure 1 or 2 of you are feeling a bit vested in the story by now.

[c.a.willard]

Well thanks for the thought anyway.

I wonder what it says about me that after my family and neighbors you all are the first people I ask for help in a "crisis"?

I dont think it says to much about you individually.  I think it does speak volumes to the type of people who frequent this forum.  there are some truly good hearted souls on here.

[Luke E.]

We just had ours cut off recently.If all you have is an analog phone line and you won't or can't get cable and/or internet through them they treat you like a steaming pile. At least with AT&T that's the way it is. I have never heard of such bad customer service, they spoke to my wife in a way that made me (and them) glad they were in another country and lied about the service they were selling us and we received 2 bills before anyone ever showed up to set the line up. Sorry for the vent but maybe it will save someone the trouble in the future. I've got a fax line at the office in Murfreesboro so if you don't get it cured tonight feel free to contact me in the morning and come on out and download to your hearts content.

[Oh Shoot]

I actually do dial up on my Mom's plain ole phone line when I'm down in 'Nooga. Have kept a Netscape $6.95/month account for years just for that.

 

It's that or pay for broadband there but only use it for 6 weeks out of the year.

 

- OS

[ironsniper1]

I'm sure if you google there is a way to do it without a analog phone
What's te model aye I can find something, I'm pretty decent with old tech :)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Edited June 25, 2013 by luke9511

[Jonnin]

It should be possible to engineer a solution.

 

1) buy or acquire a modem (possibly, an external one)

2) download the update to your computer (this may be a tricky part, it may want ONLY the device, if so you may be able to get the files from the source with a phone call)

3) transfer to the device directly, probably requires making a crossover type phone cable (???)  or something (???).  It may also require an external power source as phone lines have power, but that is mostly to ring the phones, not the data portion, IIRC??  Its been a long time but I remember some trick to connect 2 modems/ computers together side by side with a funky phone line......   but the guys doing it were ubernerds.

 

??????   A lot of energy to do it, but if you can't find any other fix.

[mikegideon]

It should be possible to engineer a solution.

 

1) buy or acquire a modem (possibly, an external one)

2) download the update to your computer (this may be a tricky part, it may want ONLY the device, if so you may be able to get the files from the source with a phone call)

3) transfer to the device directly, probably requires making a crossover type phone cable (???)  or something (???).  It may also require an external power source as phone lines have power, but that is mostly to ring the phones, not the data portion, IIRC??  Its been a long time but I remember some trick to connect 2 modems/ computers together side by side with a funky phone line......   but the guys doing it were ubernerds.

 

??????   A lot of energy to do it, but if you can't find any other fix.

 

I'm guessing the problem is in the latency/coding artifacts in a VOIP connection. Lashing it up should be easy. getting the modems to talk over a VOIP connection, probably not. I can't believe any company is still doing file transfers that way.

[Jonnin]

I am talking about PC to device, no VOIP needed.  Just direct PC to device via a modem using a home-made phone line (crossover??).   I think it can be done, but not exactly sure.  I have not thought about phone lines in 2 decades.

 

--- maybe not.  The answer I got on trying to do this would be "more trouble than its worth" unless you just can't find a land line somewhere. 

Edited June 25, 2013 by Jonnin

[mikegideon]

I am talking about PC to device, no VOIP needed.  Just direct PC to device via a modem using a home-made phone line (crossover??).   I think it can be done, but not exactly sure.  I have not thought about phone lines in 2 decades.

 

We have a whole bunch of POTS lines in our building. They actually come in over fiber, and dial tone/battery/and ring voltage is generated for each one the in fiber mux in the basement. It's the same unit that AT&T uses to feed subdivisions. There's no such thing as pure analog service, and hasn't been for a long time.

 

There probably IS a way around Tricky's problem. Unfortunately, if his provider is too stupid to know how, he's probably better off just finding a POTS line.

[KahrMan]

sent you a pm

[Luke E.]

We have a whole bunch of POTS lines in our building. They actually come in over fiber, and dial tone/battery/and ring voltage is generated for each one the in fiber mux in the basement. It's the same unit that AT&T uses to feed subdivisions. There's no such thing as pure analog service, and hasn't been for a long time.

 

 There probably IS a way around Tricky's problem. Unfortunately, if his provider is too stupid to know how, he's probably better off just finding a POTS line.

 I make no claims to know much on the subject but i believe i still have analog service at my place, or at least available. I say this because the lines haven't been updated in 15 years or more. AT&T doesn't offer any service other than standard home phone and old school dial up internet due to the old phone lines. They were about to update them about 8 years ago which would have allowed us to have DSL internet but the government started talking about subsidizing the running of the updated lines to provide rural areas with internet.. All this accomplished was A. the phone company froze most all new line updates and B. gave congress the opportunity to start up a couple new committees to make it look like they are doing something to help their rural constituents. Notice it did nothing to help the rural constituents but rather hurt us due to the phone company not wanting to spend money that they may get for free with a little patience.

  Anywho back to my original statement/question, doesn't this mean i still have true analog? Or were you refering to something done within the phone company that makes it no true analog?

[TrickyNicky]

I promised an update and here it is:

My merchant service is overnighting me a new terminal with updated comm server, already downloaded the gift card app that started this whole mess and an updated modem so that in the future I can download new services with my digital line. No cost to me except the aggravation and time lost yesterday and last night.


I want to send out a public THANK YOU!!! to everyone here who offered words of advice or in some cases went so far as to invite into their homes and businesses to get my issue sorted out. You all are THE reason that this is IMO THE best forum on the net bar none for any topic. Thank you, thank you, thank you again to you guys, I am humbled by your alls kindness and generosity.


Nick