Help Needed Creating AppleScript for Dial Up Access and Updates

Hello,
Due to my location I can only access the internet via Dial Up. I would like to create a script that wakes up my Mini early in the AM, dials my ISP and checks to see if there are any Apple Updates. I'd like to do this at night so my family doesn't have to compete with updates when they are using the computer.
I've done the Apple Scripting tutorials and have a feel how to do the basics. But I cannot find any information on how to access the USB Modem (US Robotics), get it to dial, access the "Check for Updates" page, download, install and then disconnect.
Can anyone point me to a functional script that will do this or tell me where I can find the modem related scripting commands?
Thanks

1). Does your script both get and install updates if they exist ? If not what should be added to accomplish that?
If you use man softwareupdate to look at the command line options for softwareupdate you'll find:
-i | --install
Each update specified by args is downloaded and unarchived,
and also installed. The install flag requires root. args
can be one of the following:
item ... One or more update names.
-a | --all All appropriate updates.
-r | --req All required updates.
So '-i' tells softwareupdate to install the updates, and '-a' tells it to install all available updates, as opposed to a specific update, or 'required' ones.
2). Can you suggest an addition to the script that will disconnect the dial up modem and then shut down our Mac Mini?
That's going to be harder because, as written, the script performs the softwareupdate in the background. It does that so that you don't run into timeout issues (by default AppleScript will timeout after a certain period, canceling the script in progress). Since it's not clear how long the updates will take to download and install it isn't possible to predict what the appropriate timeout should be.
The easiest way to disconnect would be to just configure the dialup connection to disconnect after a certain period of idleness (System Preferences -> Network -> Modem -> Advanced -> PPP -> Options or some such). If that doesn't suffice let me know and I'll craft up a revised script.

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Message was edited by: Joe15000
Message was edited by: Joe15000

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DDC block report generated by SwitchResX for display
PhilipsTV
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0 | 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 41 0C 51 95 01 01 01 01
1 | 06 10 01 03 80 42 25 78 0A 0D C9 A0 57 47 98 27
2 | 12 48 4C 20 00 00 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
3 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 1D 80 D0 72 1C 16 20 10 2C
4 | 25 80 94 72 21 00 00 9E 01 1D 00 72 51 D0 1E 20
5 | 6E 28 55 00 94 72 21 00 00 1E 00 00 00 FD 00 31
6 | 3D 1C 2E 08 00 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 00 00 00 FC
7 | 00 4C 30 36 48 44 20 76 31 20 31 36 3A 39 01 29
Valid DDC block: checksum passed
EDID Version........1.3
Manufacturer........PHL
Product Code........20885 (5195) (9551)
Serial Number.......16843009
Manufactured........Week 6 of year 2006
Max H Size..........66 cm
Max V Size..........37 cm
Gamma...............2.20
DPMS Supported Features:
Display type:
RGB color display
Input signal & sync:
Digital
Color info:
Red x = 0.625 Green x = 0.280 Blue x = 0.155 White x = 0.283
Red y = 0.340 Green y = 0.595 Blue y = 0.070 White y = 0.298
Established Timings:
640 x 480 @ 60Hz
Manufacturer Reserved Timings:
Standard Timing Identification:
Monitor Description blocks:
Descriptor #0 is Timing definition:
Mode = 1920 x 540 @ 50Hz
H. Active...............1920 pixels
H. Blanking.............720 pixels
V. Active...............540 lines
V. Blanking.............22 lines
HSync Offset............528 pixels
HSync Pulse Width.......44 pixels
VSync Offset............2 lines
VSync Pulse Width.......5 lines
Pixel Clock.............74.25MHz
Horizontal freq.........28.12kHz
Vertical freq...........50.04Hz
H Image Size............660mm
V Image Size............370mm
H Border................0 pixels
V Border................0 lines
Interlaced
Sync: Digital separate with
* Positive vertical polarity
* Positive horizontal polarity
Descriptor #1 is Timing definition:
Mode = 1280 x 720 @ 60Hz
H. Active...............1280 pixels
H. Blanking.............370 pixels
V. Active...............720 lines
V. Blanking.............30 lines
HSync Offset............110 pixels
HSync Pulse Width.......40 pixels
VSync Offset............5 lines
VSync Pulse Width.......5 lines
Pixel Clock.............74.25MHz
Horizontal freq.........45.00kHz
Vertical freq...........60.00Hz
H Image Size............660mm
V Image Size............370mm
H Border................0 pixels
V Border................0 lines
Non-Interlaced
Sync: Digital separate with
* Positive vertical polarity
* Positive horizontal polarity
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Horizontal frequency range.......28-46 kHz
Vertical frequency range.........49-61 Hz
Maximum bandwidth unspecified
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L06HD v1 16:9
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(1280x594 60Hz NTSC) gives fairly stable
image, big black border on
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