"Beaker" <beaker1119@yahoo.com> writes:

> Since you can't visually tell them apart, I'm wondering -  are there any
> inexpensive diagnostic devices available for testing RJ11 ports?  By
> inexpensive, I'm thinking something along the lines of those three-prong
> electrical outlet testers - typically $4-$8. Would be real handy it seems...

It isn't $8, but a company called Road Warrior sells a little device
called the "Modem Saver Plus" which does that - before connecting a
modem to a line, you plug in this little doo-hickey press the "test"
button. If the red LED lights up, you shouldn't plug the modem into
the line. It can also tell if the two wires are swapped - I never knew
that made a difference, but once last summer it made the difference
between a very bad connection (22kbps) and no connection at all.

Their website is at www.warrior.com, and according to it these little
things cost $39.95. Luckily mine was a gift from my brother ;-)

I just opened the thing up and there isn't much to it - just a few
resistors and diodes, one 8 pin IC, a momentary switch, an RJ11 jack,
and a little two layer circuit board. Probably the most expensive item
is the lettering on the board that says "Patent Pending" :-P. Surely
there must be something similar on the market for less...