okay i know this is WAY old tech BUT i'm still curious, i know 1 way of doing what i want a litle bit anyway, use hyperterminal to directly link 2 modems no isp in between, done this with a few hardware modems i got around NOTE doesn't seem to be possible with software modems or as they also are called winmodems.
anyway the 2 modems i've gotten to work right now are 2 external us robotics modems 1 56k and 1 33.6k, shame i don't have another 56 but meh.
in hyperterminal on pc 1 i type in ATD to call then right after on pc2's terminal ATA to answer and they actually talk to each other via a normal telephone line linking them together NOTE DIRECT no isp, they squeal 'n stuff

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anyway... what i'm trying to do is have 1 pc as a gateway to internet via a dialup modem but the "gateway" pc has to have it's modem so it answers right away, no extra running over to it so it answers.
and before someone asks why i'm "poking" with this old tech is cause i'm a litle curious and also becuase i'm trying to get my parrents a taste of internet yes i know modems are slow and there are other ways BUT i live in a house about 100m from theirs and only i have a internet conenction, optic fiber actually, and they only have what's left of a very old telephone line that goes between our houses, i could try a ethernet cable but usualy those usualy can't go over 100m and i bet it's more between the houses also a road in between so adding a new ethernet line is also next to impossible, also a deap ditch is inbetween causing even more problems so now you know, if i could get this to work they atleast could try the net without them hanging over my shoulders every time they want to see something

so if someone has any ideas how to accomplish this 2 modem thing please tell, i used to use modems to access internet over that old telephone line when i was younger and lived in their house and it's still connected into both houses even if it's not connected to a ISP anymore, yes the line is dead no phone signal

hope someone has any ideas.