The vast majority of Caller ID installations are in multi-user environments. It is common in many of these environments that the incoming phone lines are close proximity to LAN switches or other Ethernet connections. This is a convenient location to connect an EL device. Simply connect the phone lines and then attach an Ethernet cable to either the LAN switch or an available Ethernet jack.

The Caller ID application would reside on each computer intended to receive the data. When the phone rings, the device captures the Caller ID signal and transmits the data through the LAN via a broadcast UDP packet. The application allows each computer to receive the data and reacts appropriately, such as matching the caller phone number to a database record and allowing a pop-up screen.

The above configuration requires the EL to send a broadcast UDP. Set the destination IP address of the device to 255.255.255.255 to send broadcast UDP packets. More on setting EL parameters is described in the section entitled Chapter 4, Sending and Receiving Commands