JC> At other times I can dial out, connect 28.8 /etc /etc like it should.

 DH> IMHO, you've met a S3 "upgrade".  The dial tone has changed.

You mean an Alcatel System 12? Ashley Simmons of Telstra and a member of
Austel Working group 2/1 claims that the problems with dial tone detection
are usually due to the detector looking at the dial tone's envelope and not
at the modulation products. 

Warwick Conner, the other Telstra member of Austel Working Group 2/1
expressed some concern to me that mandatory requirements for CPE Loudness,
non-generation of noise, attenuation/frequency distortion limits and the
accuracy of dialed digits might be dropped in future regulatory
requirements.

--- msgedsq 2.1