Newbie question: modems/paging

[karlp at ourldsfamily.com]

> Shane Presley wrote:
>> Hello there,
>>
>> I hope this is the right list, if not, please point me in the right
>> direction.  I'm very new to red hat, and Linux in general.  My
>> background is Windows and Solaris.  I am ordering a Dell server w/
>> RedHat ES on it, for an opensource monitoring package (Big Brother).
>> I'll need a modem on it to do dial-out paging. Does anyone have any
>> experience with this?
>
> We use a similar thing with BigBrother and Linux.  Works fine.
>
>> Will an external US Robotics serial modem work.  How about USB?  Are
>> the drivers included in RedHat or will I need to get them from US
>> Robotics.
>
> Stick with the external serial modem.  Most USB and PCI modems are
> "winmodems", which are far more trouble than they're worth.  A serial
> modem "just works", regardless of OS or driver availability.

Not so fast, Rick.. Some companies are now making winmodems that are
external/serial modems. They are a BPIA. So, RULE OF THUMB: Check the box
and if it says "compatible with Windows NT 3/4" you're in business whether
it's an int or ext modem.

>
>> How about paging software?  I dont think Big Brother comes with it, so
>> I'll have to fire off an external script?
>
> No, BB doesn't have a pager system, but it will use one if you set it
> up.  There are several options.  You can set up BB to send email to the
> pager through the pager company's gateway, or you can get one of the
> open source pager packages such as QuickPage (http://www.qpage.org).
> I've used both mechanisms.  Before I set up QuickPage, I even set up a
> version that called a kermit script that talked to the pager company's
> modem.  Mondo ugly, but it worked.

I use procmail to page me when emails from certain criteria are met. Would
this type of thing work?

Karl





> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> - Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
> - VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
> -                                                                    -
> -              Death is nature's way of dropping carrier             -
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