Note: Although this guide was originally intended as a guide for UK ex-Freeserve Unlimited customers, I have also had a lot of enquiries about the dialler provided by Callnet. Although I can't personally vouch for it, I have been told that these instructions will work for the Callnet dialler too. Both diallers are apparently exactly the same, the only difference being the PIN code. Whenever a PIN code is referred to, Callnet users should use 000 instead of 126. Lineone/Quip! also gave these boxes to customers to route their phone calls automatically to the Quip! network but I don't have that PIN. However the PIN can be easily found within a few hours using a modem and a comms program with scripting support e.g. TeraTerm.

Link to PIN discovery dialler script: Macro for TeraTerm

Link to the manufacturer's information sheet: Orchid DSD2 Product Information And Manual Programming Guide

A Guide To Reprogramming the Freeserve Dialler

If you are an ex-customer or soon to be ex-customer of Freeserve’s Unlimited access scheme, then you will probably have a dialler box (pictured left) that you may think that you no longer have any use for.

Freeserve have told the customers that have left or “upgraded” to Anytime to dispose of the dialler box as they will no longer be offering the 162 calls option.

However, this seems to be an awful waste of a perfectly good device, and if you are one of the customers who were made to pay £20 for it, you may be a bit reluctant to throw it away. I didn’t pay the £20 and I am still reluctant to throw it away!

Before you chuck the thing in the bin – Stop! Don't do it!!

It can be easily reprogrammed to be of use to you once again. Anyone with a spare ten minutes can easily program it to work for other discount indirect carriers, such as 18185, 1899, Sky Talk, Alpha Telecom, NTL and all the others. There are lots of them around at the moment, all claiming to offer cheaper calls than BT by dialling an access code before the number. Consult the newsgroup uk.telecom for advice on which provider to choose. A list of indirect access codes is maintained by Ofcom and can be downloaded in MS Excel format here.

A lot of these providers do not provide a dialler, and rely on you dialling the access code every time. It can be difficult getting every member of your family to remember to do this.

This step-by-step guide will tell you how to set-up the “defunct” Freeserve dialler to automatically dial the access code for your provider.

For demonstration purposes in this guide, I am setting up the dialler for Sky Talk. The code for the service is 140. If you are using a different service, please substitute 140 for the appropriate access code.

Setting Up the Dialler

The dialler can easily be programmed by inputting various codes using either a touch tone phone or a modem with suitable software.

Some of the programming sequences can be quite long, so, due to time limits and to make things easier it is best if you use either a computer with modem, or a telephone with a memory. If you don't have access to a computer with modem, or a memory telephone, don't worry. It is possible to do it by hand with a telephone.

Personally, I found that the easiest way was to use a computer with modem, as it makes entering long strings a lot easier since you can actually see the command before you dial it.

Inputting the Commands

Using a modem

If you are using a modem, you will also require a simple dialling program. The Phone Dialler program that is built into Windows 95, 98, ME, etc is perfect for this. You could use any similar program though.

To program the dialler, enter the required command into your program and press dial. When the modem has finished dialling. The instructions ask for the handset to be replaced to complete each command, so click "Hang Up" when the modem has finished dialling.

Using a memory telephone

Store the commands in your free memory locations in your phone (see your phone's manual if you are unsure how to do this). Then pick up the phone, activate the memory dialling and hang up when it is complete.

Using a manual dialling telephone

To enter commands, pick up the phone, enter the command using the buttons on the phone, and hang up when finished.

Important: Due to the way the dialler works, there is a time limit on how long you can take to enter the commands. If you haven't completed the command within roughly 20 seconds, the dialler will be interrupted by the network message “the number you have dialled has not been recognised”, and the command entered will not be successful.

You should find that when using a modem or a memory telephone, that this problem will not occur. Even when using a manual dialling telephone, it should not occur with most of the shorter commands, provided that you enter them quickly enough.

If you do find that you this message keeps cutting in and causing a problem, there are ways round it.

Programming the Dialler

Setting the area code

The dialler is currently set to only accept and reroute calls beginning with 01 and 02, which are national calls. Everything else, including local calls will be routed through BT.

You can set an area code which means if you dial a number beginning with 2 to 9 (as all local numbers do), the dialler will automatically dial the carrier access code followed by the area code.

The manual says to do the following:

Pick up handset, Dial * * * STD code * 4, replace the handset.

This is straightforward enough using a touch tone phone. Using MS Phone Dialler, you simply have to type the number, press "dial", and then "hang up" when it is finished.

If the area code is not programmed all local calls will be routed over the BT network.

If you ever need to delete the area code use * * * * 4

Programming exception codes

"Exception Codes are codes that can be programmed into the dialler that will not route over the Networks previously programmed, i.e. 0800 (freephone), 0891 (premium rate numbers), 0345 (lo-call). Codes programmed in this form will not route with the Carrier Code. The Dialler can store up to 23 separate codes using 1 - 5 digits."

The Freeserve branded dialler is set to exclude all non-geographical numbers. If your carrier will support them, you will probably want to route all non geographical calls through the dialler. Sky Talk will accept non-geographical numbers and so will a lot of other indirect carriers. Ask your carrier if you are unsure.

If your carrier will not accept non-geographic calls, you can go to the testing stage.

What we are going to do now is delete most of the exception codes from the dialler. Since you are not charged for freephone numbers, we shall program the dialler to ignore freephone numbers, but route everything else through the indirect carrier.

The manual says:

To program an individual code, pick up handset, Dial # * * Exception code * 01 (Up to 23), replace the handset.

To delete an individual code, pick up the handset, dial # * * * 01 (Up to 23), replace the handset.

To follow on programming exception codes dial # * * Exception code *

01 * Exception code * 02

We will set the exception codes up as follows:

• 01: 080 (all 080x numbers are reserved for freephone)
• 02: 0500
• 03 to 22: blank
• 23: 112 (dialler has permanent exception for 999 so 112 should be treated similarly)

NOTE: This is the part where the modem or memory phone comes in useful!!!

If you are using Windows Phone Dialler and a modem, copy and paste the following two strings into Phone Dialler and then input them into the Freeserve dialler:

#**080*01*0500*02**03**04**05**06**07**08**09**10**11**12**13**14**15**16

#***17**18**19**20**21**22*112*23

You will have to do it in two separate stages because there is a limit to the number of characters phone dialler can handle.

If using a memory phone, the way you do this will depend on the limitations of your phones memory.

When manually entering the numbers by phone, it is possible to do it all in one go. You may find that the "number not recognised" message disturbs you, so see the page on eliminating the dial tone. To enter the command all at once use:

#**080*01*0500*02**03**04**05**06**07**08**09**10**11**12**13**14**15**16

**17**18**19**20**21**22*112*23

If you have any problems at all with this, you may get the best result if you enter them all one by one, like this:

# * * 112 * 23 hangup

# * * 080 * 01 hangup

# * * 0500 * 02 hangup

Any other exceptions that you would like to include can be set individually.

Testing the Dialler

Before we do the final step of changing the access code, we will test the dialler to make sure that the area code and exceptions have all been programmed properly.

Dial * * # PIN * <any-non-existent-1nn-access-code> * 5

This will program the dialler to ring the non-existent code if the test is successful and you will hear an error message e.g. "The number you have dialled has not been recognised"

(Bob Lucas suggested that you may want to program your own mobile number as the temporary access code for this bit. This means that instead of hearing the error message during testing, your mobile phone will ring instead giving you proof that everything else is set up correctly. Obviously you wouldn't answer your mobile each time it rang.)

Now to test the dialler:

Firstly, from a phone connected to the dialler, dial your home phone number without the area code. If the area code is setup properly you will hear an error message. If you hear the engaged message, then the call is still going through the BT network meaning you have not setup the area code properly. Go back to here to do it again.

Next, try the following:

Dial your own number with the area code,

Dial your mobile number,

Try some 0845, 0870, 0990 etc numbers.

For all these numbers you should get the error message.

Next try an 0800/0808/0500 number. It should ring. Try to choose numbers that you know will be answered by an automated service, rather than disturbing someone who has to answer the phone.

If the area code and exceptions are set up properly, *any* number dialled should get the error message. The only calls that should still be going through the BT network are the numbers programmed as exceptions, network command numbers (numbers starting with 1), 112 and 999.

If this is not the case the exceptions are not setup properly. Go back to here to do it again.

Changing the carrier code:

If everything is doing what it should, then testing is complete and it is a simply a case of changing the carrier code.

The manual says:

To program a carrier code (up to 18 digits)

Pick up handset, Dial * * # PIN code * carrier code * 5, replace

handset

If you need to install a pause in the dialling sequence, i.e. for cable customers dial # after the carrier code, this will insert a one second pause. If you want a 2 second pause dial # twice etc..

The PIN code for the Freeserve dialler is set at 126. To program the unit for Sky Talk you would enter:

* * # 1 2 6 * 1 4 0 * 5

Now dial any number you want and it should ring!! And that's pretty much everything set up for your new carrier. You now have a useful dialler again!

Optional Extras

Here are a few extra features that the dialler has that you may wish to use.

International Calls

The dialler also includes the option to include a carrier for international calls (all calls beginning with 00). You may wish to use the same carrier as the one for your normal calls, but you do not have to.

To program an International Carrier Code (up to 18 digits)

Pick up handset, Dial * * # PIN code * international carrier code * 6,

replace the handset

To program the international carrier for Sky Talk you would enter:

* * # 1 2 6 * 1 4 0 * 6

Storing numbers in the memory

To store telephone numbers into Memory locations

Pick up handset, Dial * * * telephone number *1, replace the handset

Pick up handset, Dial * * * telephone number *2, replace the handset

Pick up handset, Dial * * * telephone number *3, replace the handset

Up to 18 digits can be stored into each memory. To dial a number in

the memory dial * # * 1 for memory 1, * # * 2 for memory 2 and * # * 3 for

memory 3.

Changing the PIN number

To re-program the PIN number

Pick up handset, Dial * * # Old PIN code * New PIN code *7, replace

the handset

Bypassing the dialler

If you ever need to bypass the dialler for any reason and route a call through your default carrier, (e.g if your carrier is giving you the network busy tone) then dial # # before the number and the dialler will not reroute your call.

I hope you found this guide useful. It was compiled from information posted in various newsgroups. Special thanks to Bob Lucas for providing a lot of the info and to anyone else who contributed.

Last updated 26 July 2001