Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #142 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 6 Jan 85 05:59:58 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Sun, 6 Jan 85 0:27:08 EST Volume 4 : Issue 142 Today's Topics: Orlando call return service 511 New Countries Dialable by AT&T soon TOUCHSTAR--A New Ripoff? TOUCHSTAR Codes? New Safety for Pacific Bell Calling Card Users Long-haul: analog or digital? Low price for telephones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2-Jan-85 16:24:12 PST From: Lauren Weinstein Subject: Orlando call return service To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Hmmm. That service seems to have a rather serious potential problem. Since you don't know the phone number of the person who just called you (that you didn't answer), you have no way to know HOW EXPENSIVE a return call will be initiated. And you won't know unless you get through to the other end. Of course, if you could see the person's number ahead of time (the number of the person who TRIED to call you)... But *useful* calling number display services would seem to be some ways off, and then the legal hassles will start... (For example, would you want every store you called with a random query to record your number and add you to their phone inquiry database?) --Lauren-- ------------------------------ From: hou4b!dwl@Berkeley (d.w.levenson) To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Date: 2 Jan 1985 8:30 EST Subject: 511 Another contributor asks why, when he dials 511, his phone was left completely dead for some time. While 511 does not do that in New Jersey, there is a longer number which does. The effect is that the line is left with no battery, no ground, and a very high-impedance termination at the central office for 30 - 45 seconds (depending upon which CO, I think). This is a useful option for field repair craft. When trying to find a short to ground, a short between tip and ring, or any one of a great many potential loop faults, it is much simpler if the line can be temporarily disconnected from the CO. Our friend in Florida has probably discovered a code which allows field craft to disconnect the CO (for a limited time) from a line under test without bothering the CO craft. Dave Levenson AT&T-ISL, Holmdel ------------------------------ Date: 03-Jan-1985 2158 From: covert%castor.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (John Covert) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: New Countries Dialable by AT&T soon Nine new countries go dialable by AT&T on 2 February: Brunei 673 Gibraltar 350 Lesotho 266 St. Pierre & Miquelon 508 Swaziland 268 Tanzania 255 Uganda 256 Zambia 260 Zimbabwe 263 Useful information, no? (Actually, St. Pierre & Miquelon interests me; I'd like to go there some day. Gibraltar, too.) /john ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 85 16:56:26 EST From: The Home Office of To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: TOUCHSTAR--A New Ripoff? I suppose fairness dictates a "wait and see" attitude since the Bell "System" isn't much of a system any more. Nevertheless, TOUCHSTAR, as reported here, allows tracing of annoying (or any) telephone calls received at your phone. But now they want $9.00 for it! Some years back, we were plagued with criminally-annoying phone calls at home; the local BOC installed some sort of "tracer" at the central office to log time and source number of incoming calls. The only requirement was that we first report the annoying calls to the police and agree to prosecute the perpetrator. We then reported date and time of annoying calls and the phone co. compared these with their logs. No suspect was ever identified, but that's now it worked. Now, it sounds like we'll have to pay for "protection?" Brint ------------------------------ Date: 4 Jan 1985 14:30-PST Subject: TOUCHSTAR Codes? From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow To: telecom@MC I'd be interested in seeing a complete list and laconic description of all the various TOUCHSTAR codes. Anyone in the Orlando area have the poop or be willing to *88 and transcribe? g ------------------------------ Date: 4-Jan-85 15:42 PST From: Steve Kleiser Subject: New Safety for Pacific Bell Calling Card Users To: TELECOM@BBNCCA From the December 1984 issue of Openline (insert with bills). QUOTE: We've come up with two new ideas that will make your Pacific Bell Calling Car d even safer to carry and use. One idea involves something *we've* done. The other is a simple thing that we're strongly recommending *you* do. Both ideas have the same objective: keeping your Personal Identification Number (PIN) *your* personal secret. What *we've* done is this: all Pacific Bell Calling Cards issued from now on will be printed *without* a PIN on the card itself. Instead, the PIN will be printed on the holder that the card is mailed in. If you receive this new car d, it will be necessary for you to treat the PIN number on the holder just as yo u would other personal identification numbers you may have used - memorize it, and then keep the printed version in a safe place. (It's not a good idea to carry your written PIN on your person unless you disquise it so only you can figure it out.) Now, here's what *you* can do if you already have a Pacific Bell Calling Card with your PIN printed on it: First, *memorize* your PIN, then write it somewhere safe. Then simply erase the PIN from your Calling Card. It will rub right off using any ordinary pencil eraser. Your card will then be as safe an d secure as the new ones. UNQUOTE [note: this is not the AT&T hard plastic card, but the same thing (same numbe r) on a flimsy plastic card with Pacific's name on it. Amazing - they're finally getting smart??] ------------------------------ Date: 4 Jan 85 18:17:08 PST From: Murray.pa@XEROX.ARPA Subject: Long-haul: analog or digital? To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: Murray.pa@XEROX.ARPA From TELECOM Digest of 24-Dec: "most long-haul toll circuits are still analog". Is that really true? I'd really expect things to be mostly digital by now. I have been hearing about digital stuff for many many years, and long distance traffic has been growing at a huge rate for as long as I can remember. Even with a large pile of existing equipment at the start, the compounding should make it mostly digital by now. Does anybody have the statistics handy and/or can you tell me where to look to get it? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Jan 85 15:38:16 PST From: "Theodore N. Vail" To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: Low price for telephones While I have seen numerous telephones for sale at under $10.00, they have always been (until today) the "made in Singapore" variety with an expected lifetime of about one year. Today the Broadway Department Store (a local chain not noted for low prices) is selling model 500 dial telephones for $9.95 and model 2500 touchtone phones for $24.95. They bear the PacTel label and are obviously the same quality as the old Western Electic telephones with the same model numbers. They are built like battleships and have an expected life (to first failure) of about 20 years. Moreover, they can be fixed if they break. Across the aisle, essentially identical AT&T telephones were selling for three times as much. Is PacTel giving up selling the old-fashioned sturdy telephones? ted ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #143 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 8 Jan 85 04:38:04 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 7 Jan 85 23:08:46 EST Volume 4 : Issue 143 Today's Topics: Circuit Switch Digital Capability What about party lines? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 6 Jan 85 02:55 EST From: Paul Schauble Subject: Circuit Switch Digital Capability To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA I have recently been reading about a new data transmission system called CSDC. This basically extends the 56kb digital trunk to the subscriber's location and provides 56kb full duplex data circuits. I would like more information on this. In particular, I need tecnical specs and information that the telephone companies are willing to release about the commercial availability of the service. Does anyone have any references, or know where I should look?? Thanks Paul ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Mon Jan 7 22:26:00 1985 Subject: What about party lines? To: bbncca!telecom While idly reading my phone book the other day, I noted that it says that the rules for connecting equipment to party lines are different from those for private lines. Anybody know what they are? I know on two-party lines that it's usual to put a diode in series with the bell and to polarize the ring so that each party only hears the phone ring for his own calls. But the last I checked, there was no way except for the honor system to tell which party on a line is making a given toll call, either by having an operator cut in and ask for the calling number, or by having a "circle digit" that one dials afte r the "1" or "0" but before the desired number. So what happens when equal access, TouchStar, and all the magic of modern telephony comes to party line customers? I expect that there always will be party lines, because they're a lot cheaper than private lines. I wonder how many party lines there are in Boston and Cambridge? The phone book gives the monthly charges, so there is presumably a tarriff. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #144 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 8 Jan 85 22:56:27 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 8 Jan 85 17:02:53 EST Volume 4 : Issue 144 Today's Topics: Party Lines Party lines party lines TOUCHSTAR and calling-number displays questions about touchstar service ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 08-Jan-1985 0146 From: covert%castor.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (John Covert) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Party Lines On two party lines, the technology for automatic party determination has been available and installed in some areas for ages. It requires a specific "party determining" set-up which can't be achieved by a layman, or so the telephone company believes. In ESS it's even possible for one party of a two party line to have three-way calling and for the other not to. Call waiting is not offered, though it would be possible to apply it to the line if the user is the called party and provide a busy signal otherwise. /john ------------------------------ Date: 8 Jan 1985 08:35:52-EST From: prindle@NADC To: telecom@bbncca Subject: Party lines Here in PA and NJ, the normal hookup for 2 party lines involves use of a thir d wire into the instrument which is grounded outside the house. For ringing, the ring signal is impressed between the tip and ground for one party, betwee n the ring and ground for the other (thus the designation of tip-party and ring-party). For calling line identification, the instrument is wired so tha t one party (can't remember which) has a phone which imposes a fixed resistance (about 2400 ohms) between one side of the line and ground whenever it is off hook (the resistance is derived from the bell coils), while the other party has a phone which is completely isolated from ground (DC wise) when off hook. The calling party is identified at the CO by detecting the absence or presenc e of this resistance. The local telco tells party line customers that they may purchase their own phones but must make sure that the phone can be rewired for party line use (ie. accept the 3 wire ringing and generate the required identification resistance); most non-basic-500 style new phones cannot be. The manufacturer is supposed to provide instructions for the modification, or the telco will do it on a carry in basis. Even though the mod to 500 series sets is fairly simple, I've seen an installer botch it the first time. If done incorrectly you can get strange symptoms like the clapper on the bell ringing every time you dial the phone or any other extension, or the bell ringing for the wrong party, or both parties, or the calls you make getting charged to your party! Because of these difficulties, most telcos are phasing out party lines by allowing only current owners of party lines to continue to have them, not accepting new orders for party lines. It has reached a curious point now, there are so few party lines in most areas, that those who have them effectiv - ely have private lines because there is a low probability of finding another party line customer along the same line with which to share! Frank Prindle Prindle@NADC ------------------------------ Date: Tuesday, 8 Jan 1985 06:05:48-PST From: goldstein%donjon.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Fred R. Goldstein) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: party lines Party lines have several special tricks to distinguish between the different rings. 2500-set manufacturers provide several different resonant ringers, so the CO can send a specific ringing frequency down the wire and only the right set will ring. One technique is called harmonic ringing (multiples of 16 2/3 Hz?) and another is called decimonic ringing (20, 30, 40, 50... Hz). Then you can put the ring voltage on only tip, or only ring, to ground, etc. Obviously, for a party line customer to provide his own telset, he'd need to know exactly which ringer and configuration he needed; the original registration rules knew that this was difficult so they left it in telco's hands. I don't really see a huge competitive market for decimonic bells in department stores! There are also devices that enable automatic number identification to work on a party line, by some slight-of-hand DC circuit hacks, along with privacy on calls; the effect is that a party line (up to 4 parties, I think) can appear to be a single-party line with a poor blocking grade of service. Northern Telecom builds them for the Canadian market and I'm sure some US companies have the equivalent, but I'm not sure if they ever made "Bell System Standard". Party Lines are no longer offerred in Boston. Massachusetts has a policy by which every exchange offers either 1MR measured residence service ($3.24/month) or 2FR party line service (about $6). Party lines are found in the boonies and a few outer suburbs; they aren't worth the effort in town where local loops tend to be short. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jan 85 12:30:17 CST From: Will Martin -- AMXAL-RI To: telecom@Bbncca.ARPA Subject: TOUCHSTAR and calling-number displays One of the earlier messages about TOUCHSTAR mentioned that the process that displays calling numbers would NOT display unlisted numbers, and theat the writer agreed with that design. If this is the case, I think I disagree with that being a correct implementation. If someone calls me, by the act of so doing this they have given up any right of confidentiality of their number. It doesn't matter if they called me by mistake or intentionally -- when they called me, and interacted with me, they have imposed upon me, and the least they owe me is identification. Up until now, there was no simple way for them to be forced to pay that cost (e.g., identifying themselves to me by calling number); they could volunteer it, or respond or not as they chose upon a request for that information. Now, with the implementation of TOUCHSTAR and similar systems, they can be compelled to properly identify themselves. After all, if the system ignores or refuses to display unlisted calling numbers, what good is the screening and nuisance-call-identification aspect which is so widely touted? All the caller need do is call from an unlisted phone. The "boiler-room" scam operations can merely have unlisted lines, as can obscene or harrassing callers. Yes, it is true that a business could use this to glean or discover the unlisted numbers of callers. However, would you refuse to give them your nunmber if they said "Mr. X is busy, can I have your number and he'll call you back?"; you might, but in most cases, you called to get some information, and you want it, so you will trade your number for the possibility of eventually getting the info you wanted. The chances of your actually calling a business which you would want to NOT know your number are minute. You probably wouldn't be calling them in the first place, unless you wanted to buy aluminum siding or whatever. Actually, the chances that a business would actually be set up to record such numbers, manually or automatically, seem slight. Most businesses don't keep the records they NEED to, much less extra stuff like this! Will Martin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jan 85 12:15:25 pst From: hpda!hptabu!dclaar@Berkeley (Doug Claar) To: 'Telecom-Request'@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: questions about touchstar service I have a couple of questions about the TOUCHSTAR service. First, I note that unlisted numbers are protected. Does this include protection from call back? I can see telephone soliciters getting unlisted numbers so that people can't touch them. Second, If a store puts your number on their telephone solicitation list, can you cure them of that by repeatedly calling them, or is that illegal (I think that it's called attack dialing?) Doug Claar HP Computer Systems Division UUCP: { ihnp4 | mcvax!decvax }!hplabs!hpda!dclaar -or- ucbvax!hpda!claar ARPA: hpda!dclaar@ucb-vax.ARPA ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #145 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 10 Jan 85 18:55:05 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Wed, 9 Jan 85 18:46:29 EST Volume 4 : Issue 145 Today's Topics: Re: Separate PIN on Pac Bell calling cards Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #143 DeathStar prices for TouchStar features. party lines "attack dialing"? Party Lines ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Jan 85 01:43:21 pst From: sun!gnu@Berkeley (John Gilmore) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: Separate PIN on Pac Bell calling cards I recently got a new Pacific Bell phone line and with it a PB calling card. The brochure they send with the card is even better than the Openline article -- it lists about 6 ways to disguise your PIN while carrying it safely with you. Things like: Write it in your phone list with a fictitious name and an extra 3 digits (or as an extension number); enter it as an amount in your checkbook, or an account number for some minor bill; etc. Amazing. Now if only the (ex-)Bell people building computers could get their shit this straight... ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!ihuxk!rs55611@Berkeley Date: 8 Jan 85 13:01:53 CST (Tue) To: ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #143 In addition to ONI, or Operator Number Identification, for identifying which party is originating a toll call, there is the more recent ANI, or Automatic Number Identification. In this scheme, the tip party phones have a resistance to ground (actually an inductor with a DC resistance of about 1000 ohms, when they are in the off-hook state. After the CO detects an origination from a party line, a check is done for the presence of this resistance, which is much lower than the normal leakage resistances to ground. Low resistance => Tip party. Thus, between this difference and the polarized ringer arrangements used for party line ringing, the customer equipment must meet different requirements than are needed for sngle-party lines. Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611 PS ANI has been around for quite a long time. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Jan 1985 08:53-PST Subject: DeathStar prices for TouchStar features. From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow To: Telecom@MC Complements of vax135!petsd!peora!jer@Berkeley, here are the TouchStar codes from the Orlando phone book. Some of them look pretty nifty, however, the prices are egregiously high. At a glace, it looks like your feature code bill could quickly overtake your long distance bill if you don't watch your usage. *60 - block the last call you received; caller gets a recorded message saying you have the call blocked. To deactivate, dial *80. Cost: .50 for each group of 3 numbers, plus .10/day. *69 - call return. Call back the last person who called you. Rate: .25/usage. *66 - Repeat dialing. Retry every 40 seconds for the next 30 minutes to call the last number you dialed. Rate: .25/usage. *61 - Call selector. Gives a "special ring" for "special people." Dial *61 plus the number; to deactivate dial *81. Rate .25 for each list of 3 numbers, plus .05/day. *57 - Call tracing. Records the call at the So. Bell security office; you must call So. Bell and give them the time and date, and they will "investigate further." Rate: $5.00/usage, or a one time $9.00 charge + $3.00/usage. *63 - Preferred call forwarding. Forward only the calls you want to forward. Requires that you have the call forwarding custom calling service. Dial *63 plus the number you want to forward. Cost: .25/list of 3 numbers, plus .05/day. To cancel dial *83. Other features: CALL MONITOR - displays the number of the party calling you after the first ring on a special call monitor unit. CALL TRACKING - enables certain businesses only to list the numbers of incoming calls on computer equpment. For customers who don't want this information displayed, there is a feature called "display delete": dial *67 before making the call and the word "private" will appear instead of the number. Non-published numbers always display "private". No information is given on the cost for these items. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8-Jan-85 15:29:44 PST From: Lauren Weinstein Subject: party lines To: TELECOM@MC Actually, there have LONG been ways to determine which party (at least on 2 or 3 party circuits) are making calls. The techniques usually involve shorting or pulsing sleeve to ground and similar techniques. In old Automatic Electric Type 80 phones, there was a little harness attached to the dial mechanism that would pulse to ground 1 - 3 times depending on the party making the call. Of course, with touch-tone, other techniques are used. It should also be noted that the technique of having a diode to direct party line ringing is by no means universal. Other "popular" techniques include ringing tip->ground vs. ringing ring->ground, and (quite common) harmonic ringing -- where ringers will only respond to particular frequency ring currents. (The above descriptions are simplified to save space...) --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jan 85 7:57:47 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: "attack dialing"? Re: "Second, If a store puts your number on their telephone solicitation list, can you cure them of that by repeatedly calling them, or is that illegal (I think that it's called attack dialing?)" It does sound illegal (so there'd better be a good way of getting your number off such a list). The following is excerpted from Northeastern Maryland call guide (check for laws of other states, but don't be sur- prised if they're pretty much the same): "Abusive calling: It is a criminal offense under Maryland and Federal Laws for any person to make use of telephone facilities and equipment for: Repeated calls--If with intent to annoy, abuse, torment, harass, or em- barrass one or more persons." (Also mentioned are anonymous calls and obscene comments.) ------------------------------ From: hou4b!dwl@Berkeley (d.w.levenson) To: Telecom-Request@BBNCCA Date: 8 Jan 1985 15:44 EST Subject: Party Lines How do Party Lines differ from individual access lines? Incoming calls: Party-selective ringing is done in several ways. In most of the Bell System, there are a Tip party and a Ring party on a two-party line. The ringer(s) in the Tip party's telephone(s) is(are) connected between the Tip (0-volt) side of the loop and earth ground. The ringer at the Ring party is connected between the Ring (-48-volt) side of the loop and earth. The CO normally grounds one side of the loop and applies ring voltage to the other. It can then ring one party or the other by flipping the loop during ringing. Other systems for selective party-line ringing include polarized ringing with diodes in the phones, and frequency-selective bells, with one party ringing at 16 Hz, one at 20, one at 23, etc.. Four party selective ringing is obtained by combining the Ring/Tip selection with polarized ringing. Outgoing calls: When the Tip party goes off hook, the telephone instrument is wired to apply a high-impedence ground (through one of the ringer coils, I think) to the tip side of the line, for party identification. The Ring party does not apply a ground. Thus the CO can identify the originating party automatically on two-party lines. I don't know of any similar technique that works on four-party lines. This, incidentally, is why party-line customers have phones which are hard-wired, not modular plug-ins. It is why those customers are not permitted by the tariff to use customer-owned and installed equipment. It is too easy to commit toll-fraud by using an instrument which does not provide automatic party identification. At least one manufacturer of station equipment is now offering to telcos a station-protector which provides ringing-selection and party-identification using standard stations with bridged ringer wiring. If the local telco installs one of these at the building service entrance, the customer can then plug in any standard telephone equipment without `harming the network'. -Dave Levenson ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #146 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 11 Jan 85 22:49:03 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Jan 85 17:18:20 EST Volume 4 : Issue 146 Today's Topics: Touchstar and Caller's Anonymity Touchstar display delete / new Long Distance plan Re: Touchstar display delete / new Long Distance plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jon_Tara@Wayne-MTS Date: Wed, 9 Jan 85 03:04:12 EST From: Jon_Tara%Wayne-MTS%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA I just heard a rumor that ATT will no longer guarantee non-satellite transmission on domestic dial-up connections. 1) Is this true? 2) Did ATT *ever* guarantee non-satellite connections? I *have* noticed some awfully suspicious-looking delays in my XMODEM data transfers lately. At first I thought my long distance carrier was pulling my leg when they said they use only ATT WATTS lines, but now I've noticed the delays on ATT. (Which brings up another question: questions 1 and 2 above repeated for WATTS...) Between this and the (soon) wide avaiability of 2400bps modems, guess it's time for the BBS people to come up with a new public-domain protocol for file transfer. Most recent micros should be able to handle incoming characters as interrputs or DMA, and continue to receive while computing CRCs, writing to disk, etc. and should be able to do away with the silly turn-around after each block. Suspect the quick-fix will be increasing block size... I shudder to think what this is doing to Kermit, with it's 64 byte default block size. ------------------------------ From: hou4b!dwl@Berkeley (d.w.levenson) To: Telecom-Request@BBNCCA Date: 9 Jan 1985 8:46 EST Subject: Touchstar and Caller's Anonymity While unlisted numbers may be unavailable to the TOUCHSTAR-equipped recipient of incoming calls, nuisance calls may still be traced. If the called party inputs the appropriate *+ code and then notifies the telco that the `marked' call was a nuisance call, the telco can probably take the appropriate action, even if the called party does not know who has been `fingered'. Calls from businesses may come from un-numbered (outgoing only) trunks or from WATS trunks which have non-dialable numbers. They may arrive from out-of-town central offices which are not-yet CCIS-equipped. Subscribers who buy TOUCHSTAR service, for the time being, will not be guarranteed identification of *every* call received. Dave Levenson AT&T Holmdel ------------------------------ From: vax135!petsd!peora!jer@Berkeley Date: Thursday, 10 Jan 1985 19:32-EST To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Touchstar display delete / new Long Distance plan Recent contributors have suggested that callers can disable the callback feature, or that it will not work if the number is unlisted. This is not correct. Only the DISPLAY of a number is inhibited by display delete or unlisted numbers, according to the documentation in the phone book. Second, I have a question on a new topic. Recently we see on TV that AT&T has introduced "something rather radical", something that cigar-smoking men in large armchairs find more interesting than the newspaper: a plan whereby you can call anywhere in the US for $10/hour, "and the next hour is even less." It had been my understanding that AT&T was presently constrained from offerin g rates equivalent to those offered by MCI, Sprint, etc., "to encourage competition." So how do they offer this new service? One thing I notice is that the new $10/hour service resembles outward WATS a lot ... is the new service, from an accounting/legal standpoint, somehow equivalent to WATS? or does it in some other way circumvent this restriction? Or is it not really less expensive than the more conventional AT&T rates? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 85 14:31:55 EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: Re: Touchstar display delete / new Long Distance plan To: vax135!petsd!peora!jer@ucb-vax.arpa Cc: telecom@bbncca.arpa AT&T is offering $8.50/hour service to any point in the US. It's called "Reach Out America" service (I have it on my phone). The restrictions are that you can only use it on the night-weekend rate times, and for an additional fee you can get 15% off evening calls. Day rates are still the typical high AT&T rate, so they aren't competing with the other's price wise. I don't think AT&T is restricted from offering off-peak calling bargains, just peak ones. --Jsol ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #147 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 14 Jan 85 22:20:42 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 14 Jan 85 16:46:43 EST Volume 4 : Issue 147 Today's Topics: Reach Out America $10 per hr. rate Advance Toll Payments "attack dialing"? Frigging obnoxious tel solicitors; fact & advice (?) Re: $10 per hr. rate Re: Advance Toll Payments ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 12 Jan 85 10:22:03 est From: ulysses!smb@UCB-VAX (Steven Bellovin) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Reach Out America Cc: vax135!petsd!peora!jer@UCB-VAX There was indeed a great deal of regulatory controversy when AT&T filed the tariffs for "Reach Out America" (the late-night discount calling plan). AT&T's claim was that the plan would stimulate demand; hence, by charging less, they'd increase revenues with little increase in costs. That's very attractive to regulatory agencies.... Besides, it's not reasonable to say that AT&T shouldn't be allowed to compete with MCI et al.... --Steve Bellovin AT&T Bell Laboratories "The preceeding statements are my own personal opinions, and do not necessari ly reflect the opinions of AT&T, AT&T Bell Laboratories, etc." ------------------------------ Date: 12 January 85 12:17-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest (.ARPA) Subject: $10 per hr. rate $10 per hour rate comes out to $0.166 per minute. I've not heard of of the $8.50 rate ($0.141/min). Is there some clause that says that you pay for the hour wether you use it or not? I have SBS, they charge $0.11/min to a neighboring state, $0.15 within a 'region' (whatever that can mean) and $.17 'coast to coast'. (these rates are all late night/weekend rates.) AT&T actually wins if you call 'coast to coast' all the time. But I don't always spend an hour on the phone long distance each month. Has anyone seen any other long distance service which is more econimical? I'd like to see a company offer flat rate long distance. But I'm sure it would just be abused. (by flat rate I mean, pay one price each month) -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Sat 12 Jan 85 11:18:39-PST From: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Subject: Advance Toll Payments To: Telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA I received a surprising phone call from Pacific Bell recently. They had discovered that during the first 11 days of that particular billing period, I had made a number of long distance (overseas) phonecalls and "based on their pro- jection" my phonebill would end up totalling $700 or so for that month. They therefore demanded *immediate* payment of "advance toll charges" so far accumulated (about $200). I gave up arguing with them since I knew the billing period ended on the 19th and it was the 14th when they called me up, in other words, I *knew* that the total bill for that month would be almost exactly what they wanted in advance. Immediate payment meant *the next day* or else my phone would be dis- connected and re-connection charges would be applied. I'm sure glad I was not out of town when this happened. Has anyone had similar experiences? Why on earth do they apply this weird statistical formula which says if you use you phone alot at the beginning of the month then they "project" your usage will be the same for the rest of the month? And why do they give you absolutely NO grace period for "advance toll" payments? I guess the answer is as always: "We don't care, we don't have to, we're the Phone Company" <370> ------- ------------------------------ Date: 13 January 1985 09:12-EST From: Howard D. Trachtman Subject: "attack dialing"? To: cmoore@Brl-Vld.ARPA "Second, If a store puts your number on their telephone solicitation list , can you cure them of that by repeatedly calling them, or is that illegal (I think that it's called attack dialing?)" It does sound illegal (so there'd better be a good way of getting your number off such a list). The following is excerpted from Northeastern Maryland call guide (check for laws of other states, but don't be sur- prised if they're pretty much the same): "Abusive calling: It is a criminal offense under Maryland and Federal Law s for any person to make use of telephone facilities and equipment for: Repeated calls--If with intent to annoy, abuse, torment, harass, or em- barrass one or more persons." (Also mentioned are anonymous calls and obscene comments.) I would hope this is illegal. Just the other day I was wondering what would happen to a company with an 800 number that got attack called on it. Even if the bill never got paid, tying up an order line might kill them. --Howard-- The above was for thought purposes only. Do NOT repeat this stunt at hom e. ------------------------------ Date: 13 January 1985 04:56-EST From: Howard D. Trachtman Subject: Frigging obnoxious tel solicitors; fact & advice (?) To: hpda!hptabu!dclaar @ UCB-VAX Date: Tue, 8 Jan 85 12:15:25 pst From: hpda!hptabu!dclaar at Berkeley (Doug Claar) To: 'Telecom-Request' at BBNCCA.ARPA Re: questions about touchstar service I have a couple of questions about the TOUCHSTAR service. First, I note that unlisted numbers are protected. Does this include protection from call back? I can see telephone soliciters getting unlisted numbers <*> {convention invention} Um, this is the default case even in phone rooms that are "less obnoxious". The people in the room don't even know the phone number. Frequently, they bought the phones in blocks, and if a couple people in a row are not at their phone, you will hear one phone ring about 1 or 2 rings then the next then the other. I think we can all guess the process being described. <*> so that people can't touch them. Many pay phones are already hacked so as not to accept incoming calls. There probably is/will be a "feature" one could buy that would always prevent your number from being called and ringing, as but there are other reasons for that (in fact I'm sure I saw this as a TOUCHSTAR feature on a "temporary" basis. Even in "losing" areas, one could always call forward one's phone to a local losing place (if willing to pay forwarding charges). Seperate Legal scenerious. Suppose ANY business forwards your phone to: 1) a KNOWN place such as the local weather w/ intent to simply avoid incoming calls a) Would this have to be cleared with the target phone number i) If calls were excessive ii) Even if number is "Advertised" to take gobs & gobs of calls iii) Under no/any conditions iv) When intent is merely to avoid these calls. v) When done temporary as a "hack" for a few minutes 2) a PRIVATE residence that is unknown. i) if selected at random ii) if selected w/ intent to annoy iii) by mistake eg. wrong phone # typed in to forwarding mech. (YES, this requires receive party to answer.....NOW/as does above ... Second, If a store puts your number on their telephone solicitation list, can you cure them of that by repeatedly calling them, or is that illegal (I think that it's called attack dialing?) Um, repeatedly calling can only cause the original person possible legal problems and make the target party mad. REMEMBER: IN THE CASE OF TELEPHONE SOLICITORS THEY HAVE the ideal environment to ATTACK call YOU, if they desired. While legally that may screw you, I've known places to make a decision to YANK all phones and people out of an office in less that 2 days. All you lose is a fraction of 1 months rent; your good employees hang with you. Solution: Most solicitors of general-hawkish items (ie. not financial services sales & marketing professionals) are, while on commission, usually are making 1-4 X minimum wage (even if on 100% commission, one's checks usually are about the same each week (depending on hours worked, of course) and really are the typical hardworking college student trying to make a buck (got to put in a plug for them/us on the ARPANET). The long term soliciting operations really are concerned not to annoy people, and if you tell them politely if they could take you off the list you can/will do so. Sometimes, they will be lazy and not do so, therefore its usually a good idea to ask for the supervisor, even though they may gribe. Also, if you have an unlisted number, don't bother asking "how did you get this number" unless you want to waste a lot of time. Most solicitors are programmed to answer this "We dial in numerical sequence and... {you're the lucky winner}. As far fetched as this may seem, many times it is correct. If it isn't, then your number came out of (you guessed it), some kind of directory (Haines, Polk, Thomas, phone book). Unless you really want to engage in conversation most of the people are too stupid to be able to help you. (Like even if they are calling numbers out of the Haines directory, sometimes the solicitor is really only dialing a list of numbers off of a adding machine tape readout or a computer printout and would have no idea where the numbes originally came from. Howard D. Trachtman R & B Consulting, Inc. Cambridge, MA PS: I still own an operation that legally can do telephone-solitici (actually anyone can legally, but commercial liscences...). Note there is a big difference between various soliciting places. If interested, I could provide a brief summary. Rest assured though that I won't call *you* up at home. I once saw representatives at a "firm (reg. w/BBB clean record in 2 relevant and 1 random AREA code that called after 1 1/2 years) which sold "advertising specialties (long story of those con people {again, only if interested}) call people up at work and if they didn't buy, on their own personal whim would hack a home phone number associated with that person, and call the spouse (non-sexist on my part) to see if 'direct quote: "She's a bitch or not". This was real heavy stuff that turned my stomach, but I didn't want to fight the system. These reps had their own secretaries, and I honestly doubt if the managers knew everything that was going on. (Sure the supers can always listen in, but the reps can defeat/detect that easily). ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jan 85 16:32:48 EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: Re: $10 per hr. rate To: Michael Grant Cc: Telecom Digest My AT&T Reach out America service is billed at $11.50 for the first hour (whether you use it or not), and $8.50 per hour (pro rated - you pay for what you use and no more) after that. The $11.50 rather than $10.00 is so I can get 15% discount on evening calls too. While it is a bit more expensive than SBS, the quality of the service really pays for itself ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jan 85 16:35:04 EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: Re: Advance Toll Payments To: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Cc: Telecom@mit-mc.arpa I've dealt with Pacific Bell (when it was Pacific Telephone), GTE, NJ Bell, Southern New England Telephone, and New England Telephone in my life and I have never found a larger bunch of assholes than in the California Phone companies. One note of sympathy is that GTE is far WORSE than Pacif**k. On a lighter note, Pacific Telephone was probably just covering it's collective ass about international calling (which has been greatly abused in the past). While they didn't mention it at the time, I'm pretty sure they were also interested in knowing whether you in fact made the International Calls and they wanted to know immediately so they could start an investigation if you hadn't. I've been hit with "projected" calling in California too, but I was told I had a week (and it was in writing, not by phone). I'm so glad I live in an area where phone companies feel that customers are important and should be dealt with respectfully. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #148 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 24 Jan 85 01:48:46 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 22 Jan 85 21:28:25 EST Volume 4 : Issue 148 Today's Topics: PacBel leading the way -- yet again. help with RJ-41S and RJ-45S Communications Forum Seminars MIT Communications Forum Seminars Time-segment speech scramblers Satellite communications: Portable Earth station ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Jan 1985 14:38-PST Subject: PacBel leading the way -- yet again. From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow To: Telecom@MC The following insert came in the bill for the leased line that goes SRI and my residence: NOTICE OF FILING APPLICATION TO DISCONTINUE TIME PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SERVICE AND CONTINUOUS TIME ANNOUNCEMENT SERVICE AND TO PROVIDE TIME ANNOUNCEMENT ACCESS SERVICE On November 7, 1984 Pacific Bell filed with the California Public Utilities Commission a request to withdraw the existing Time Public Announcement Service and the Continuous Time Announcement Service. In addition Pacific Bell has proposed that the current Time Public Announcement Service responsibility be turned over to a private information provider. the proposed charge would be 20 cents per call. A copy of the application, 84-08-049, and related exhibits will be furnished upon written request to: Pacific Bell, 140 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 or at the offices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Requests for information may be directed to the Commission Offices at 350 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 or 107 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90012. --end of insert-- Question: I wasn't aware there were two different services, as they implied in the insert, i.e. "Time Public Announcement Service" AND "Continuous Time Announcement Service". Anyone know what's the beef here? Next think you know, the Weatherperson (936-1212) will be a thing of the past as well! g ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 85 11:37:04 est From: Mark Weiser To: telecom@mit-mc Subject: help with RJ-41S and RJ-45S What can anyone tell me about RJ-42S and RJ-45S telephone connections? I'll tell you what I know. I just bought a couple of Anderson Jacobson 4800 baud modems for use over regular 2-wire telephone lines. However they arrived with, instead of the little 4 connector modular plug (RJ-11C), with an 8-wire modular plug into the phone system, which they call an RJ-41S or RJ-45S (I don't know what the difference is). They claim the phone company must come out and install the corresponding 4-wire jack. Here is what they say about using the RJ-11S: "Connecting the modem to the telephone line with an RJ-11C jack is not recommended, although it may work under certain conditions. An RJ-11C voice jack requires a 4-wire telephone cable, not supplied with the AJ-4048 modem." Actually not only do they not supply the 4-wire cable, but they don't supply anyplace on their modem where the 4-wire cable could plug in. I also think I am going to need to get myself a phoneset with an 8-wire connector since the AJ doesn't autodial. Are these available? My questions are: A. Is it likely to be a big deal or a little deal for the phone company to install that 8-wire jack in my house? Are the 8 wires in the wall somewhere or does a major restringing occur? (I would guess from the descriptions of wires 7 and 8 below that they are just a volume control from the phone company built into the box.) B. Are there adaptors available to go from 8-wire to 4-wire connector s and back? The quote above implies it is somehow possible. C. What is the real difference? What are the circumstances under which RJ-11C will not work but RJ-41S will? Thanks for any and all help. By the way, the 8 wires are identified as follows (in the AJ manual): 1. no connection 2. no connection 3. Mode indicator. Selects voice or data mode depending on state of telset exclusion switch (or other control). 4. Ring. One side of telephone line. 5. Tip. Other side of telephone line. 6. Mode Indicator Common. Ground. 7. Programming Resister. Resistor (on data block) used to control modem transmit level. 8. Programming resistor common. Return side of PR signal (7. above). 7 and 8 are identifed as: "Passive or isolated signal", and none of the rest are, whatever that means. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Jan 85 21:31:40 pst From: newton2%ucbtopaz.CC@UCB-VAX To: telecom@UCB-VAX This is a renewed request for discussion/comment/pointers on the subject of speech scramblers which work by temporily shuffling blocks of speech. If we assume the underlying cryptography to be secure (i.e. the generation of scramble-sequences throughout the message cannot be anticpated wihout the key), what are the techniques for cracking the system by direct assault on the analog scrambled signal? How quickly can this be done- Real time? I assume a digital random access memory- no clues from the differing noise level along the length of an analog shift register. However, there might be clues from the excitation of the (known) impulse response of the band-limi ted voice channel, or by endpoint matching of segments. And of course the clearte xt (voix humaine) has some known characteristics. Is such a scrambler of *any* value against a determined opponent-- i.e., might it provide at least some time-limited security or require such special equipment for routine cracking that the use of large numbers of such scramble rs might overwhelm a particular opponent (not knowing which messages were high-v alue?) I'd greatly appreciate any discussion of this, public or private. Thanks- Doug Maisel 415 549-1403 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 85 17:40 EST From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: Communications Forum Seminars To: Bartl@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA, RSKennedy@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA, Prospects for Leased Access February 7, 1985 Richard B. Smith, President, Satellite Program Network Kathy Garmezy, Labor Institute of Public Affairs William Finneran, Chairman, New York State Commission on Cable Television The new cable legislation provides that systems with 36 or more channels must make time available for commercial leasing at a "reasonable" fee. Some have argued that such laws deprive cable operators of First Amendment rights. Others have argued that a full "separations policy" is necessary to maximize diversity. This seminar will look behind the longstanding policy debate to assess the demand for leased access. Who is willing to pay for it? At what price? What are the opportunities for national packaging services? Will leased access programming offer anything different? Or will it simply substitute for public access or special programming services? Software Protection and Marketing February 14, 1985 Ronald Rivest, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science Wayne Chou and Richard Erett, Software Security, Inc. February 21, 1985 Michael Tyler, Datamation Todd Sun, Multimate International Representative from Lotus Development Corporation The mass marketing of personal computers has created a large market for software -- and with it, unauthorized copying on a large scale. Two special seminars will look at the problem of unauthorized copying: What technologies can be used to minimize it? How big is the problem and how does it affect marketing strategies? Are technological and marketing solutions adequate? The first seminar will look at different technologies used to prevent copying. The second will consider the advantages and disadvantages of copy protection in the marketplace and strategies such as user registration and bundling of support services. The Multivendor Computer Networking Zoo February 28, 1985 Paul Green, IBM The difficulty of interconnecting networks or network components when they obey different architectures inhibits the growth and flexibility of computer communications. Two ways to alleviate the problem are: to adopt a standard architecture for all nodes in the network; or to provide conversions at suitable points in the network and at the level of a suitable architectural layer. The first approach is most unlikely to succeed. The seminar will focus on the second approach. First some details of the "mapping" that must take place at the point of discontinuity will be reviewed. Then the roles of enveloping, substitution, complementing, and conversion will be described. Prognosis about the possible existence of a general methodology for synthesizing the mapping leads to the final topic -- the role of Open System Interconnect as a solution. Changing Communications Technologies: Learning from the Past March 7, 1985 John McLaughlin, Harvard Program on Information Resources Policy JoAnne Yates, MIT Richard John, Business History Review, Harvard New communications technologies have profoundly changed communications practices and communications industry structure -- and the structure of other businesses. Mapping these changes over two centuries reveals an interrelationship between broad structural trends and the development of particular products and services. One trend is the emergence of systems that combine products and services -- and that combine content and conduit. Another is the cycle from competition to monopoly and back to competition. An especially important question is how advances in communications technology affect the size and structure of business users. Unrecordable Video March 14, 1985 Andrew Lippman, MIT John Woodbury, National Cable Television Association Speaker to be announced Although motion picture producers depend increasingly on revenue from television and home video, the spectacular growth of videocassette recorders has provoked fears that much potential revenue will be lost. The Electronic Publishing group of MIT's Media Laboratory has developed a way of generating television transmissions that can be viewed but not taped. This seminar will present the technology, and industry representatives will discuss the possible effects on distribution practices. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 85 13:12 EST From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: MIT Communications Forum Seminars To: Telecom@USC-ECLC.ARPA, Human-Nets@RUTGERS.ARPA, MIT Communications Forum seminars are held on Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 in the Marlar Lounge (Bldg. 37-252, MIT, 70 Vassar St., Cambridge) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Jan 85 21:33:05 pst From: newton2%ucbtopaz.CC@UCB-VAX To: Telecom-Request@BBNCCA Subject: Time-segment speech scramblers This is a renewed request for discussion/comment/pointers on the subject of speech scramblers which work by temporily shuffling blocks of speech. If we assume the underlying cryptography to be secure (i.e. the generation of scramble-sequences throughout the message cannot be anticpated wihout the key), what are the techniques for cracking the system by direct assault on the analog scrambled signal? How quickly can this be done- Real time? I assume a digital random access memory- no clues from the differing noise level along the length of an analog shift register. However, there might be clues from the excitation of the (known) impulse response of the band-limi ted voice channel, or by endpoint matching of segments. And of course the clearte xt (voix humaine) has some known characteristics. Is such a scrambler of *any* value against a determined opponent-- i.e., might it provide at least some time-limited security or require such special equipment for routine cracking that the use of large numbers of such scramble rs might overwhelm a particular opponent (not knowing which messages were high-v alue?) I'd greatly appreciate any discussion of this, public or private. Thanks- Doug Maisel 415 549-1403 ------------------------------ Date: 22 Jan 1985 1135 PST From: Richard B. August Subject: Satellite communications: Portable Earth station To: telecom-request@bbncca SUITCASE COMMUNICATOR The equipment is a portable communications system designed to relay messages over long distances by satellite. A joint development of NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, and General Electric Co., Schenectady, New York, it consists of a collapsible antenna and a computerized transceiver, a terminal for sending and receiving messages. The whole system fits into two Pullman-size suitcases and can be powered from a conventional outlet or a vehicle's battery. Use of satellite relay permits transmissions in almost any terrain, even in areas where mountains block normal line-of-sight transmission. In intitial tests, the relay spacecraft was NASA's Applications Technology Satellite direct broadcast satellite. With ATS-3, an operator anywhere in North or South America and most of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can communicate with fixed Earth stations in those areas. If a network of compatible satellites were available, the system could be used globally. The principal use envisioned is communications in disasters and other emergencies where it is necessary to get short but vital messages out of the emergency area. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Hellen illustrated the need for rapidly deployable long distance communications not dependent on wirelines, because such lines are often destroyed in disasters. Another application is long-range communications between transportation vehicles and their dispatch offices. In a seven-month test concluded last year, drivers of Smith Transfer Corp. cross country trucks exchanged information via satellite with their dispatchers in Staunton, VA. The drivers reported excellent communications except on brief occasions where trees or overpasses blocked line- of-sight transmissions. Such a communications system offers advantages to the trucking industry in keeping track of equipment, improving maintenance schedules, avoiding improper routing and reducing theft losses. The system is alphanumeric, meaning that messages are sent and received in letters and numbers. The operator types a message on a keyboard, then transmits it to the Earth station by punching a single key. Another keystroke enables him to receive messages stored at the Earth station. The terminal can be set up in two minutes. The antenna unfolded and pointed toward the satellite; the proper direction and elevation are available from a simple chart. ATS-3 is 17 years old and nearing the end of its useful life, but if enough public service and commercial applications are found, the system could be redesigned to work with other satellites. Mobile Satellite Corp., King of Prussia, PA, plans to build and operate such a satellite; the company has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commision for a frequency allocation. ------ ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #149 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 24 Jan 85 22:04:34 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Thu, 24 Jan 85 16:21:20 EST Volume 4 : Issue 149 Today's Topics: Using DTMF on pulse lines RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited PacBel leading the way Dr.Dobbs Journal of June 85 = SPECIAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUE RJ45S, RJ41S, RJ11C.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 23 Jan 85 10:28:47 PST (Wednesday) Subject: Using DTMF on pulse lines To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA From: Bruce Hamilton Many of you may not be aware that, even if DTMF ("touch-tone") doesn't break dial tone on a line, you can still make some use of it if your exchange is one which permits user entry of calling card numbers. Just dial 0+number in pulse mode, then as soon as you hear the "bong", you are talking to a computer, and you can switch to tone dialing and enter your calling card number. Still better, if you're making a series of calls, you can STAY in tone mode, enter "#" at the end of the first call, and use DTMF to dial another number when you get the recording "you may now dial another number". --Bruce ------------------------------ Date: 23 Jan 85 10:46:12 PST (Wednesday) Subject: RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA From: John ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited To: Mark Weiser cc: XeroxTelecom^.PA From: John Mark- re: "...My questions are: A. Is it likely to be a big deal or a little deal for the phone company to install that 8-wire jack in my house? Are the 8 wires in the wall somewhere or does a major restringing occur? (I would guess from the descriptions of wires 7 and 8 below that they are just a volume control from the phone company built into the box.) B. Are there adaptors available to go from 8-wire to 4-wire connector s and back? The quote above implies it is somehow possible. C. What is the real difference? What are the circumstances under which RJ-11C will not work but RJ-41S will?..." All the wiring is done in the jacks with only two wires (tip & ring) going all the way back to the Telco Central Office. The RJ11C (Permissive Data Jack) in your house uses the two center wires (Tip & Ring) for your phone. The Mode Indication and Mode Control pins are not used. The RJ11C is actually a 6 position jack with only 4 wires in place. The difference between an RJ41S (97A Universal Data Jack-Fixed Loss/Programmable) and a RJ45S-(97B Data Jack-Programmable) is that the RJ45S is "Programmable Only", which means that the data set (modem) can dynamically set the output level within the range of 0 to -12db, as required. This is accomplished by a resistance within the jack that is matched to the characteristics of the line for optimum performance at the time of installation. This resistance appears across PR (pins 7) & PC (Pin 8) and the modem has to have enough brains to read this resistance and figure out what level he should transmit at. The reason they are labeled ""Passive or isolated signal"" is that they have no direct connection to Tip & Ring. The RS41S jack has as a switch which is labeled FLL/PROG, that will set the jack up as a "Programmable" as described above, or as a "Fixed Loss Loop as described here. The "Fixed Loss Loop" option puts an H-Pad in parallel with the Tip & Ring to provide a constant balance of power with respect to the characteristics of the Local Loop (the line from your house to the Telco Office) and is usually set up for 8db attenuation. The purposes for the various jacks are to provide the correct signal attenuation on Telco Facilities with respect to the device you are hooking up to their stuff. Correct matching prevents crosstalk and amplifier overdrive and therefore presents a useable signal to your modem while allowing your modem to transmit a useable signal to the other end. That's why they tell you that it ~might~ work on an RJ11C, but it is not recommended. If your Local Loop is real clean, you might overdrive the circuit (too much power on the line) and send a distorted signal. It's not a big deal to install a data jack in your house, BUT, the installation charge can be as much as $75. AND they might force you to change the line from a ~Residence Line~ (~$4/month) to a ~Business Line~ (~$8/month). I have used an RJ41S jack connected to a modem, then plugged that into a RJ11C jack. It will work OK if the internal resistance in the jack is approximately matched to your phone line (Local Loop) - Good luck... RE: "...I also think I am going to need to get myself a phoneset with an 8-wire connector since the AJ doesn't autodial. Are these available?..." Sure, how much money do you have. You will need a USOC RTC Tel Set (503 for rotary dial or 2503 for Touch-Tone) You can go buy one or you can have Telco install it for ya. If you use a Telco model you will need these options (or use the options recommended in your modem manual) Options are: A2, B4, [C5(touch-tone) or C6(Rotary], D8. You will also have to give Telco the FCC Registration Number for your modem and your TelSet (if you purchase your own.) You'll ALSO need a RJ36X Jack installed in parallel with the RJ41S Jack for the telset to plug into. More installation charges and more monthly cost. If it were my decision, I would check around for a modem that is RJ11C compatible, that has a jack on the modem for a regular phone to plug into and a switch to put it on line when you get the answer tone. Racal-Vadic, Codex, General DataComm and a few others make 'em. good luck, John For more information see: Racal-Vadic Publication: "Telecommunications From The Terminal User's Viewpoint" Corporate Office: 408-744-0810 General DataComm Publication: "Announcing the GDC Connection" Corporate Office: 203-797-0711 ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 23 January 1985 19:18-CST (Wednesday) From: Paul Fuqua Subject: PacBel leading the way To: telecom%bbncca@csnet-relay.arpa Time as a Public Service? Here in Dallas the time service is run by Republic Bank. Dial 844-anything and you get five seconds of Republic-Bank-is-wonderful, then the time and temperature. No tariffs to worry about. pf ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jan 85 21:01:21 CST From: Werner Uhrig To: telecom@utexas-20.ARPA Subject: Dr.Dobbs Journal of June 85 = SPECIAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUE [ figured this group may want get that issue. as I meet a lot of people who are not familiar with this magazine, I'll include an overview below ] [bugs - there is a reason for everything (I guess)] just a quick overview, in case you missed reading page 4 in Dec 84 issue ... NOV-84 p74 - A Guide to Resources for the C Programmer. including a bibliography and lists of program and product sources, this resource guide can help you start tackling the material available. DEC-84 the theme of the issue is "INSIDE UNIX". relevant articles are: p24 - Varieties of Unix. a comparitive overview ov Unixes for micros with a brief history of Unix and comments on its future, plus a guide to choosing a Unix p38 - Unix Device Drivers. Version 7 drivers are the point of departu re for this inside look at the Unix I/O subsystem and device drivers. p50 - A Unix Internals Bibliography. .. so you won't have to "grep for it" p96 - C/Unix Programmer's Notebook. JAN-85 theme: FATTEN YOUR MAC - step by the step instructions to increase RA M in the Macintosh to 512K FEB-85 Gala Anniversary Issue 100 months of DDJ Mar-85 theme: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR MICROCOMPUTERSand announcement of the winner of the AI-competition. APR-85 theme: HUMAN INTERFACE DESIGN MAY-85 theme: GRAPHICS ALGORITHM JUN-85 theme: SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE [PS: has anyone approached some of the magazine publishers to see if they ar e willing to provide TOCs in advance of publication, or whenever, in machine-readable form? I'm sure they could as they have it in their machines, and it sure wouldn't hurt their sales. and as it is welcome information for us that does not require typing, I'm sure that noone would consider such postings as improper advertising. Dr Dobbs headquarters seem to be located in Palo Alto, if someone there wouldn't mind making a local call there to ask the question] ------------------------------ Date: 24 January 1985 01:15-EST From: Minh N. Hoang Subject: RJ45S, RJ41S, RJ11C.. To: TELECOM @ BBNCCA The RJ4XS connectors are used with programmable DAAs (Data Access Arrangement - the old term associated w/ phone connector for modems). As you've guessed correctly, a programming resistor across leads 7 and 8 cause the modem to transmit at a certain power level. There's a standard list of resistor values and output levels. The phone co. technician picks the resistor to compensate for the loss through the local loop to the central office so that your signal goes into the network at about -13dBm (not too sure about this figure...) The RJ11C is for permissive DAAs, ie. regular phone jacks, where the modem agrees not to transmit at more than -9dBm. By the way, the reference power level 0dBm is 1 milliwatt into 600 ohm load. Mode Indicator and Mode Indicator Common are for exlusion-key operation. If you don't have the phoneset: short them to make the modem connect to line, open to disconnect. Actually, it is the transitions from open to shorted and vice versa that cause the connect and disconnect. If the modem is already dis/connected then they're ignored. The AJ-4048 may work without the right DAA (you can insert the 6-pin plug into the 8-pin jack) but it's best to follow AJ's instructions. They made it. Cheers, Minh ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #150 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 29 Jan 85 04:13:45 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 28 Jan 85 22:59:48 EST Volume 4 : Issue 150 Today's Topics: Re: RJ45S...... Time & Temp commercial in St. Louis, too Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #148 RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited - Again T1 synchronous interfaces/drivers AT&T equipment rental ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 25 Jan 85 02:59:43 EST From: Stephen Carter Subject: Re: RJ45S...... To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA The quickest kludge I can think of is to hop down to your local Rat Shack and buy their funny RJ11--->RJ11 with the cute little inline switch (they made it so little old ladies can cut the bell off (actually the whole simple fern!!) when The Edge of Wetness is on.) Cut off one RJ11 and hot wire it into your ring and trip of your modem. Short the exclusion key feature to make your modem always happy, put a duplex RJ11 tap to both your modem and a regular phone. Dial with the regular phone, toggle the inline switch, and your ready to communicate. You should also look around for a telephone line transformer while you have the modem open. If it doesn't have one, add it. (Rat Shack also has a cheapo 600/600 ohm xformer). This will keep your Telco happy, and also helps random ground hums... ------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri 25 Jan 85 11:46:29-MST From: William G. Martin Subject: Time & Temp commercial in St. Louis, too To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Here in St. Louis, time & temp have been provided by a local bank, the same as the other poster mentioned regarding Republic Bank in his area. Wonder why such an obvious money-maker/advertising gimmick was not promoted by all the other BOCs? (I guess both of these are in SW Bell territory.) The interesting thing about it here is that it had always been advertised as "FA 1-2522", but that any number from "FA 1-1000" thru "FA 1-8999" worked fine (the first might have been "FA 1-0000", but I don't recall for sure). I always used "FA 1-1111" since that is the best number to dial on a rotary phone (quickest, easiest on the finger). When they went to ESS (I suppose), this changed, and now ONLY "FA 1-2522" (or "321-2522", if you must be modern about it...) will function. What I'm wondering is why they picked "2522" as the digit combination to advertise and settle on. Anybody have any idea? I would have chosen "1111", of course, and was mightily irked when "321-1111" no longer worked. I always figured that the "9000" series wasn't used, as those were for payphone numbers, but that the choice of any other four digits was completely arbitrary. Why not pick four identical digits? Is there some psychological-study-justification that "2522" is easier to recall or more "effective" in some way than "2222" or "4444" or anything else? Will Martin ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jan 85 12:25:28 pst From: ihnp4!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!eder@Berkeley (Dani Eder) To: uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!ihnp4!cbosgd!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom@Berkel ey Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #148 Boeing Computer Services negotiating with AT&T for Switching System Installation Form the 24 January 1985 'Boeing News' Boeing Computer Services Company has announced selection of AT&T for negotiations leading to installation of AT&T telephone switching systems at major Boeing plant locations in Seattle and Wichita. The AT&T selection follows a six-month eveluation of proposals from 13 suppliers and marks the beginning of a modernization of Boeing voice and data telephone communications systems that will be completed in 1987. The copleted system, including telephones, switching, and related equipment, will be owned by Boeing. After negotiations with AT&T are completed successfully, the AT&T 5ESS telephone switching system, which was selected as the product best suited to serve Boeing's requirements in the Seattle and Wichita areas, will be installed at those locations. Boeing's review of the proposals submitted revealed that no single offering fully met all Boeing requirements for all of the company's nationwide locations. Consequently, Boeing elected to integrate systems from a number of suppliers. Decisions on suppliers of equipment and service offerings for other Boeing sites will be made later. Details of the installation plan will be announced when they are available. ----------end of article, start of commentary---------- Right now the bottom of my telephone says "Bell system property, not for sale". I presume that this means there will 50000 surplus telephones on the market sometime soon. I am more interested in the long term implications of this change. I presume that Pacific Northwest Bell currently provides local switching. We already have a satellite earth station at this plant in Kent, WA that talks to an SBS satellite. I presume we can connect to SBS's Skylink long distance service. This doesn't leave much for PNB to do, does it? The only service they have left is local access, and perhaps a service contract for maintenance. With the spread of company- owned telecommunications, what is the long term (>10 year) future of the local operating companies? Dani Eder / Boeing / ssc-vax!eder ------------------------------ Date: 25 Jan 85 10:25:50 PST (Friday) Subject: RJ41S and RJ45S - Revisited - Again To: Mark Weiser From: John Mark, Hope this clears things up. John ------------------------------------------------------------------------ re: "...an RJ-41 doesn't require anyone to actually measure the loop-loss at my house and set a resister..." Negative - both the RJ41S and RJ45S require a telco person to set them up. That's why they cost so much to install. That initial set-up is what the modem uses to determine it's levels. Based on the info you provided (i.e. the 8 wires from the AJ manual) your modem requires an RJ45 jack, and telco will determine what resistor to use across pins 7&8. If an RJ41 jack were installed, the same thing would apply, but additionally, the RJ41 jack has an H-pad across pins 1&2 and these pins are paralleled with pins 4&5 (tip&ring) through the switch on the jack. The H-pad is impedance matched to the line and set for an approximate 8db attenuation. When the FLL is used, the modem that is attached to the jack is required to limit it's output level to a maximum of -4dbm. Modems designed to be used with an RJ45S jack (or an RJ41S jack with the switch in PROG mode), have the ability to set their transmit levels in the range of 0 to -12dbm. Within that range, they determine their transmit level from the resistance that telco puts across pins 7&8. Modems designed to be used with RJ11C jacks (permissive) must have their output level limited to a maximum of -9dbm. Here's some pictures (sorta...use a fixed pitch font...) RJ11C Jack 1 - NC 2 - MI -- Black -- Not used 3 - Ring --- Red --- Ring {to switched network}--------------------> R to 4 - Tip -- Green -- Tip {to switched network}--------------------> T Telco 5 - MIC -- Yellow - Not used 6 - NC RJ45S Jack (97B Programmable Data Jack) 1 - NC 2 - NC 3 - MI -- Black -- Voice/Data mode via Exclusion Key 4 - Ring --- Red --- Ring {to switched network}--------------------> R to 5 - Tip -- Green -- Tip {to switched network}--------------------> T Telco 6 - MIC -- Yellow - Voice/Data mode via Exclusion Key 7 - PR --RESISTOR---o ! 8 - PC -------------o RJ41S Jack (97A Universal Data Jack-Programmable{PROG} & FixedLossLoop{FLL}) 1 - R(FLL)--H-PAD--[S]----o 2 - T(FLL)--H-PAD--[S]-o ! 3 - MI -- Black -----!--!---> Voice/Data mode via Exclusion Key 4 - Ring --- Red ------!--o---> Ring {to switched network}----------> R to 5 - Tip -- Green -----o------> Tip {to switched network}----------> T Telco 6 - MIC -- Yellow ----------> Voice/Data mode via Exclusion Key 7 - PR --RESISTOR---o ! 8 - PC -------------o Note: [S] = switch on RJ41S jack, (FLL or PROG). [S] Open in PROG position and closed in FLL position. In PROG position, Ring and Tip are taken at pins 4 & 5. In FLL position, Ring and Tip are taken at pins 1 & 2. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Jan 85 16:26:59 EST From: Joe Pistritto To: telecom@mit-mc.ARPA Subject: T1 synchronous interfaces/drivers Has anyone had any experience with interfacing to 1.544Mb/s (T1) synchronous telephone lines out there? In particular, I need reccomendations as to hardware and drivers to use for this purpose. Can a DEC DMR-11 be optioned to do this? (since it supports 1Mb/s synchronous, externally clocked, it seems it might). -JCP- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 85 15:33:17 CST From: Will Martin -- AMXAL-RI To: telecom@Bbncca.ARPA Subject: AT&T equipment rental Hi! Around here, at least, the local BOC (SW Bell) stopped billing for AT&T equipment rental, and AT&T began sending bills to consumers directly for leased instruments and the like. (This is academic to me, as I bought my phone and get no such bills, by the way.) What I'm wondering is why people are bothering to pay these bills, and what AT&T can do if they don't. Consider: if they keep their SW Bell phone-service bill paid, SW Bell is not going to bother them about what they haven't paid AT&T, right? As a matter of fact, isn't SW Bell *prohibited* from acting for AT&T in this? In most cases, these bills are quarterly, and for equipment rental charges in the area of $1.25 per month or so. AT&T can't afford to engage in expensive commercial collection practices for such piddly bills, even if they are in arrears for a year or more -- the amounts simply aren't worth it. There are separate corps of AT&T & SW Bell installers (probably getting in each other's way), so I guess AT&T has the people to send around to pull equipment on which the charges are unpaid. In a situation where you can buy a phone for $7.99 at your local discount house, though, if your actual phone service remains unaffected, that isn't much of a threat. Again, of course, does it make economic sense to pay $30/hour (including overhead) person-and-truck resources to collect an essentially-worthless desk phone on which the consumer owes $20 back rent? Sure, it would pay if the premises had a bunch of equipment, but not for a single standard instrument. Anyone know for sure what is going on in this area? It's too new to have any history yet developed, and I notice that local consumer-activist television news stories on the split of the billing have been careful not to bring up this topic [so as to not put the idea into the heads of all those sheep out there that just got this new bill], but, if people just generally waste-canned these AT&T bills, just what would (or could) AT&T DO about it? Surely their planners have some worst-case scenario in mind and have made SOME provisions? Do mechanisms exist for AT&T to get the BOCs to take collection action for it? (That is, in effect returning to the pre-split billing environment.) Or would AT&T have to fight for this in the regulatory arena? Will ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #151 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 30 Jan 85 21:50:26 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Wed, 30 Jan 85 16:37:29 EST Volume 4 : Issue 151 Today's Topics: T1 is wonderful Seperate AT&T and Local billing Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #150 What's Gerard K O'Neil doing these days? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 Jan 85 06:58:40 PST From: Murray.pa@XEROX.ARPA Subject: T1 is wonderful To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: Murray.pa@XEROX.ARPA We have a T1 link to a building a block away. It costs about $1500/month as compared to roughly $1100/month for a 56KB line. (Straight PacTel prices.) The error rate is so low that I can't even see it. How about 0 for 10^7 packets. Are we just lucky? Anybody got any more data? We built our own controller because I didn't find one that would connect to a Multibus. Anybody know of one? I don't want it to do me any favors (like talk TCP), just send and receive raw packets like a dumb ethernet controller. I don't know what a DMR-11 is like, but it probably won't be trivial to interface it to a T1 line. The first problem is that the receive side doesn't provide the clock on another pair of wires like RS232 modems do. You have to watch the line, and derive the clock with a PLL. Another problem is that you have to send ones occasionally. (15 zeros in a row max and you must have at least 3 ones in every 24 bits.) SDLC packet format meets this if you invert the data! The last problem I know about is that the actual interfacing to the wires is more complicated that just plugging in the 1488/1489 chips that everybody uses to talk to RS232 lines. I got an analog wizard down the hall to design that part: 4 chips, 2 transformers, 2 transistors and a few resistors. There must be a better way, but it works, it fits, and I didn't have any troubles with it. If you do decide to design something, check out the RPT-81 from Precision Monolithics and/or look at page 305, Electronic Design, 7-Jan-82. If you are thinking of generic T1 links, like a microwave gizmo rather than an official T1 line from your phone company, you may have some more options. The one by GE (GemLink) is availiable with RS422 interfacing. I don't know any more than it's an option on their data sheet. You should also look into closed circuit TV versions if you are willing to do the analog interfacing work. (I don't know much about it.) Then you can pick the data rate. That might be helpful if something like your DMR-11 really tops out at 1Mb rather than the 1.5 that a T1 expects. T1 is clearly a wonderful thing. The bypass market is going to support a lot of companys making whizbang microwave and fiber boxes, and they are all going to be talking T1. Interconnecting LANs that are scattered around a campus is going to get dragged along for the ride. The prices and flexibility can only get better.... Support your local T1 vendor. ------------------------------ Date: 29 January 85 22:20-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: Seperate AT&T and Local billing As I see it, AT&T might ask there local company to withdraw local service if a customer stopes paying there phone rental bill. After all, that phone IS connected to the local suplier's line. And, anyway, AT&T still has some ties to that local company, they can probebly drop little threats like 'Well, if you don't cut Mr. Shmo's phone for us because he's stopped paying for his phone, we're not going to renew that service contract on all that nice switching equipment we sold you.' On the other hand....they may just ignore you until the bill got 'big enough' to worry about. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jan 85 08:37:13 pst From: hplabs!sdcrdcf!darrelj@Berkeley (Darrel VanBuer) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #150 Cc: You can't generally use just a plain high-speed syncronous interface to a T1 facility because of coding restrictions (e.g. every 193rd bit must be a timin g slot, and often every 8th bit must be reserved for control signaling). I.e. you have to follow the guidelines for the 24 telephone conversations whi ch might be there instead, leaving you a slightly stuttery 1.344 Mbps. Darrel J. Van Buer, PhD System Development Corp. 2500 Colorado Ave Santa Monica, CA 90406 (213)820-4111 x5449 ...{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,orstcs,sdcsvax,ucla-cs,akgua} !sdcrdcf!darrelj VANBUER@USC-ECL.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Wed 30 Jan 85 16:12:21-EST From: Ralph W. Hyre Jr. Subject: What's Gerard K O'Neil doing these days? To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA I heard he was working on some kind of worldwide communications system, but I don't know anything else? If anyone has an address of more information I'd appreciate hearing about it. (Gerard K. O' Neil wrote 'The High Frontier ', which advocates building space colonies.) - Ralph Hyre ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #152 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 31 Jan 85 21:45:22 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Thu, 31 Jan 85 16:21:28 EST Volume 4 : Issue 152 Today's Topics: threats AT&T has against non-payers AT&T Equipment rental Push-button (not touch-tone) info needed T1 circuit requirements ATT and billing T1 device offered by DEC = DMZ32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 30 Jan 1985 1402-PST From: Richard M. King Subject: threats AT&T has against non-payers To: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA In many places AT&T has a contract with the local phone company; in return for X dollars the local company performs the billing. Part of what they may promise to do for this money is to disconnect people for whom AT&T can demonstrate a large unpaid balance. Why do people bother to pay their bill? Because people are honest, by and large. What moral justification can you find for not paying the rental charge on a phone, after having made a cognitive decision not to buy one? Someone sophisticated enough to work out that you don't have to pay the bill, if indeed that is the case, would have been sophisticated enough to buy their phone long ago. The only class of people left are those who are too poor to pay the bill. If, indeed, nonpayment of the phone rental charge makes no trouble, I suspect that this fact is already well known in the low-rent district. Dick ------- ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Wed Jan 30 22:43:00 1985 Subject: AT&T Equipment rental To: bbncca!telecom If I were AT&T, which lord knows I'm not, I'd cut off long distance service to people who don't pay their equipment rental bills. (This assumes that AT&T's tandem equipment can be trained to allow and disallow calls depending on calling number; at this point I believe only SBS checks at the time of the ca ll that the calling number is one which SBS knows how to bill -- ITT has billing arrangements with the BOCs for users who are not presubscribed, and who knows what the other ones do. But I digress.) At the moment, most customers, even within equal access areas, don't really understand that AT&T isn't the only way to call out of town, but that will change eventually. I suspect that within a year or two the long distance carriers will have to g et together and exchange lists of deadbeats. It's already very easy to subscrib e to MCI and not pay the bill until they cut you off, then to ITT, then to SPRINT, then to SBS, and so forth. When equal access is widespread, people will find out that when 10288 (AT&T) stops working because they didn't pay, they can just try other different 10XXX until they find another company that will let them through, and so on. Any company that doesn't make some arrangement to avoid picking up other carriers' nonpaying customers will end up with a clientele of deadbeats. Just you wait and see. Anarchically, John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA PS: It'll be fun in the meantime. Expect the LD companies to push for absurd political solutions to their sloppy billing problems before they clean up their act. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Jan 85 10:50:57 EDT (Wed) From: Nathaniel Mishkin Subject: Push-button (not touch-tone) info needed To: apollo!Telecom@bbncca.arpa My parents have two phone lines into their house. All the Bell-installed phones are rotary and (what the phone company calls) "push-button" (i.e. they have a row of buttons along the bottom to select which line you want). They also have a HOLD button. They (and the random equipment that supports the hold feature) are presently leased from ATT (which apparently doesn't let you buy this sort of equipment). My parents would like to get new, touch-tone phones but apparently neither ATT nor NY Telephone has anything to offer that satisfies their need. My question: in these modern times, does any company offer some sensible piece of equipment that addresses this need? Something like a scaled-down version of the phone systems many small businesses now get: normal-looking touch-tone phones with no row of buttons that all connect to a central box (using the standard 4-wire cable and connectors) that does hold and line selection? ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 31 Jan 1985 06:07:33-PST From: goldstein%donjon.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Fred R. Goldstein) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: T1 circuit requirements There are a couple of restrictions on T1 circuits that make it less than a simple data circuit. ATTCOM's tariff specifies that you must use "D4" or "Extended framing" format, unless you're a government agency, on their inter-LATA lines. The BOCs are often looser, especially on intraexchange circuits which don't really go through any of their multiplex equipment. The key to these formats is that the 1.544 Mbps is divided into 24 channels, each 8 bits x 8000 samples per second. After 24 octets are sent, there's a "framing bit", for a total of 193 bits/frame. The framing bits in turn constitute a specific pattern that repeats every 12 (old) or 24 (extended) frames. This is further divided into a repeating bit pattern (which the terminals use to synchronize on) and other information (extended framing supports a slow speed diagnostic channel made up of framing bits). The Channel Service Unit knows what this is all about, and you need one (or equivalent functionality) on both ends of an ATTCOM T1 circuit. Beyond that, there's a 10% "one's density" rule, and a "15 consecutive zeroes" rule. This is necessary because the circuit is isochronous (self-clocking), deriving its clock from the data. A one is a pulse, and a zero is a nothing. Alternate pulses invert direction (bipolar). All of this allows 1.5 Mbps to run 6000 feet on twisted pair, which makes it kinda funny when people take the RS-232 "50 foot @9600 bps" seriously for async applications. There is a DEC board (CPI-32) that plugs into the VAX and hooks directly to a T1 circuit. It derives 24 subchannels, and is mainly intended to be used for a PBX interface. CPI also meets all of the framing & ones density requirements. It was discussed in the March-April 1984 issue of Business Communications Review. ------------------------------ Date: Thu 31 Jan 85 12:29:57-PST From: Chris Subject: ATT and billing To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Actually, I suspect they would just turn it over to a collection agency. If publishers can "quibble" over books that cost <$10, why cant they? If nothing else, they will be happy to write you a letter and hassle your credit rating. Chris. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 31 Jan 1985 06:49:00-PST From: potucek%nisysg.DEC@decwrl.ARPA To: telecom-request@bbncca Subject: T1 device offered by DEC = DMZ32 To All of those who thought DEC was sleeping: Digital has a T1 interface called the DMZ32 which is a Unibus to T1 I/O "The purpose of this equipment is to multiplex/demultiplex 24 standard (RS-232-C/V.28)low-speed asynchronous data lines (up to 19.2K baud) onto a high-speed, time-division multiplexed (TDM) trunk. The TDM trunk interface is compatible eith the North American Standard T1/DS-1 carrier that operates at 1.544M bits/s. Up to nine modem-control signals per low-speed line can be multiplexed/demultiplexed by the H3014 remote distribution panel without interfering with data transmission." /jmp John M. Potucek ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #153 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 3 Feb 85 23:54:01 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Sun, 3 Feb 85 18:38:12 EST Volume 4 : Issue 153 Today's Topics: ATT Telephone Billing RE: AT&T Equipment Equal Access Re: Pushbutton (not touch tone) Hold and two phone lines more kludges DMR-11 "{" noise & Southwestern Bell Apt. Building Phone's AT+T (Yep, collection agencies) Equal Access comes to Baltimore, MD push-button phones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 85 15:26 MST From: Denman@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: ATT Telephone Billing To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA ATT can (and does) get nasty about not paying telephone rental charges very quickly. The sound the panic button long before the current rental period is over. The rental may not be a very large amount, but if you add the rent to ATT's list price of the phone it becomes a much more worthwile figure to go after, and they assume if your not paying the rent that obviously since you still have the phone that you want to buy it so they bill you accordingly. BTW Thier billing system seems to have a lot of bugs. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jan 85 18:00:20 EST From: Anne Rich To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: RE: AT&T Equipment Since I had this problem with AT&T, perhaps I can answer some of your questions. The local BOC here stopped billing for AT&T equipment rental last August, and AT&T began sending bills to consumers directly for leased instruments and the like. This didn't concern me since I owned my own equipment, until I started to get bills from AT&T for two desk telephones they said I was renting. After the first bill, I called the AT&T customer service number, and was told that it was a "computer error" - sure, pass the buck to an inanimate object that can't argue back - and that it was fixed. Then in November I got another bill, and a letter from AT&T stating that I was overdue on my previous bill. I called them again, and was told that they had records of my phone bills from February and March proving that I paid rent on 2 desk telephones - which was particularly interesting considering that I didn't even have a telephone in February and most of March. They said they'd "check it out and get back to me". Needless to say, a few days later I received a letter stating that AT&T wanted the back rent on the phones, plus payment for them - since I wasn't paying rent or returning them they wanted me to buy them. I called back, and the service agent told me that they were sure I was wrong, but they would contact my local telephone company to get copies of their back records on my account and get back to me. Meanwhile, the next day I got a letter from AT&T stating that they were disconnecting my long distance line (???) since I hadn't paid the bills, which they demanded I pay or they threatened court action, and that I should be concerned about my credit rating. I called them again, and got yet another serivce agent (whenever I called, the previous agent I had had would be "out" or "busy") who said she would also check into it. I got a letter the next day saying that they were willing to not charge me for the cost of the phones if I would just pay them the back rent - pretty nice of them considering I didn't even have their phones! A few days later I called back - as usual, the previous service agent was "busy" - but the one I got checked my records and said my account had been "credited for the required amount" - that was all the information she could/would give me. My long distance service was never disconnected, although AT&T had given me an exact date on which it would no longer be active and the problem wasn't resolved until over a month after that date. I was never notified of any "court action" and my local telephone company never got involved in any way. My local phone company told me there was no way for my long distance to be disabled. I don't think AT&T CAN do anything, except expend money to take a customer to court, which I don't think they would do unless it was for a very large amount of money. The moral: Use MCI. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31-Jan-85 17:23:13 PST From: Lauren Weinstein Subject: Equal Access To: TELECOM@MC I was talking to some AT&T "large account" account reps a few days ago, and they think Equal Access is just fine. The reason is rather interesting. In order to get Equal Access in a given city, you also have to get the feature package (level "D") to provide called party answering supervision. This combination is quite expensive. The alternate carriers are finding that their costs for connecting equal access are going through the roof and are already starting to cut back on their plans. Note what this means. In general, you only will get called party supervision to those locations that have equal access installed. For most other terminating points, the calls will continue to be billed on the "after so much time on a call you get charged, regardless of whether or not there was an answer" technique that the alternates have been using all along. Not only that, but even in some areas where equal access IS installed, the alternates have decided not to use the feature package, since they don't have the facilities to pass the info back to their billing computers. This means that the alternates, by and large, will be using their timing technique (which tends to result in errors in their favor for many calls) for the indefinite future. This puts AT&T in a good position since only they have called party supervision in place to ALL points, and that is quite a good selling point, especially with business customers who could lose a fortune a little at a time with the "timing only" technique the others are generally using. The reps also mentioned that the figures you hear quoted how "40% of the customers in the first equal access cities dropped AT&T" are pretty much meaningless. Why? Because AT&T has been very successful at signing up the business users who account for the overwhelming mass of revenues (remember the figures from a couple of years ago telling how something like 3% of the customers represented about 85% of the revenue?) So as long as AT&T is successful at keeping the business users, it doesn't matter too much if the mom and pop subscribers who only make modest use of long distance want to switch. AT&T has also found that business users are the most aware of the busy circuits and variable quality frequently found on the alternates. Many of these business subscribers have already had their fill of the others and gladly sign up with AT&T. Large numbers of variable quality phone calls, busy circuits, or calls that just suddenly drop off in the middle, are simply not good for business. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jan 85 20:03:08 EST From: Ron Natalie To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Re: Pushbutton (not touch tone) There are any number of companies now that sell phones that use two RJ11's and have a a-b line switch and pseudo hold capability. I believe I saw these in the DAK or JSA catalogs, but I'm pretty sure I came accross them in either BEST or BELL's. -Ron ------------------------------ To: telecom%bbncca.csnet-relay.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa From: ark.grigg.btl@csnet-relay.arpa Date: 31 Jan 1985 19:39 EST In response to the query about picking up two lines with a single phone: AT&T makes something called a "Touch-a-Matic 310" telephone. This is a telephone with a push-button dial in the handset and buttons to pick up a pair of lines in the base. It also has a hold and a conference button. The telephone has two (electronic) ringers in the base and a third one in the handset. The handset ringer goes off whenever the currently selected line rings. The ringers in the base have independently adjustable volume controls and sound different from each other. Connection is via a standard RJ-11 jack; red and green for line 1, yellow and black for line 2. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Feb 85 1203 EST (Friday) From: Craig.Everhart@CMU-CS-A.ARPA To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Hold and two phone lines I've seen DAK's ads for phones that manage two lines (with hold). If I could only remember their 800 phone number... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Feb 85 14:43:28 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: more kludges Nov. 1984 Baltimore metro directory doesn't list pseudo-foreign prefixes the way it used to. The following are all listed in there as Fork: (area 301) 592 Fork; 557 Jarrettsville (Fork service); 679 Edgewood (Fork service); 879 Bel Air-Fallston (Fork service); 575 Aberdeen- Havre de Grace (Fork service). (For those of you not familiar with Baltimore area: there really is a place called Fork!) In Delaware (area 302), call guide of Wilmington directory has a couple of recent additions to list of place names: Marshallton (992) and Talleyville (479). But I suspect that they serve the same area as Newport (994,995,998,999) and 478 Wilmington, respectively. ------------------------------ Date: 1-Feb-85 17:17:36-PST From: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Subject: DMR-11 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Anyone seriously considering the use of DMC-11 or DMR-11 devices at high speed should contact me to find out why they don't want to. John Nagle jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jan 85 10:30:20 cst From: allegra!noao!utastro!nather@Berkeley (Ed Nather) To: noao!allegra!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: "{" noise & Southwestern Bell After a new switching system was installed in northwest Austin, Texas, I found I got a regular burst of noise that gave me a "{" character about once a second when I tried to call our departmental Vax at 1200 baud. It made communication impossible. I asked about experience with this via this newsgroup and got several useful replies (thank you, gentlemen) but couldn't find a mail path to reply to all of them. I laid this information on Southwestern Bell, and got the following responses: 1. There isn't any problem. 2. If you are using a modem you need a special data circuit. 3. (Finally:) Yes, we recognize we have a problem but haven't solved it yet. I don't understand the technical things you're telling me but I'll have my supervisor call you. (Didn't happen) 4. (Later:) Yes, we still have a problem due to synchronizing the trunk lines in the new system, but we have imported a system expert who should be able to fix it. This sounded like the typical runaround to me until Lo! the noise disappeared one day, about a month ago, and has not returned. I don't know whether my complaints did any good or not; I suspect someone with more clout got to them . However, the moral is: it *can* be fixed, if enough people complain, and they'll do it if goaded enough. It seems to be a synchronizing problem, wher e the oscillators (ca. 12 MHz) are separate and slip out of phase -- one part i n 10e7 difference in frequency gives about a 1 Hz beat. The phase slip is detected and results in circuit interruption to get them "back in step." All's well that ends well -- until next time. Ed Nather Astronony Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather ------------------------------ Date: 2 February 85 12:20-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: Apt. Building Phone's The building I live in is using an old AT&T in house message service. This consists of a frame in the basement, a switchboard in the lobby with the old plugs and wires mess. This system was installed about 15 years ago, and I believe AT&T has finally determined that it is obsolete, and wants to stop servicing it. This became evident when I was looking around our phone room and noticed that the backup bateries for this system where awfully low on water (less than half full!) I told the superindendant of the building, who was more interested in knowing how I got into the phone room than what was wrong. A few weeks later, I get this notice infroming me that our phone syustem is now obsolete, and there will be a general meeting to discuss getting something more modern. I'd like to know if anyone out there has any suggestions on an in house phone system for my building. The basic requirements are: - Service 550 units - Ability for the desk attendant to pick up an apartment's phone iff the person in the apartment has set his phone to do this. I'm interested in suggesting companies names to the building whom to try, or whom to stay away from. Thanx in advance. { Ad(Thanx)vance } -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 85 11:42:14 pst From: gts%ucbpopuli.CC@Berkeley (Greg Small) To: telecom@bbncca Subject: AT+T (Yep, collection agencies) Pace@USC-ECLC is correct, ATT simply refers the bill to a collection agency. My mother bought two wall phones on 2 Nov, was billed $ 42.50 on 11 Nov, ATT cashed the check on 6 DEC but credited it to her "lease account" (which was closed) instead of her "sales account". She received 3 further notices each with increasing computer generated threat levels in Dec and early Jan. She replied to each but finally called ATT when the third arrived and was told to send a copy of the cancelled check "or else". She sent the copy but on Jan 25 received the first notice from a local collection agency ("OR ELSE!"). I called ATT and sternly advised them of the situation, but the ATT person discoved the miscredit rapidly and promised to transfer the credit (and call off the hounds). ATT is apparently learning about consumer collection (and making the same mistakes). ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 85 20:08:41 EST From: Joe Pistritto To: fomm@BRL-TGR.ARPA Subject: Equal Access comes to Baltimore, MD Just got my 'equal access' brochure in the mail from C&P. On May 5, 1985, Equal Access long distance service will be available from the 321,337 and 583 exchanges. These are apparently the first exchanges in the Baltimore area to be upgraded to equal access. The choices are: (drum roll please) TDX Systems Inc (Business only) GTE Sprint Direct Dial Service EG Communications SBS Skyline Telesaver Inc. ITT Longer Distance AT&T Long Distance Service ALLNET Dial 1 Service Western Union LongDistance Services US Telephone Inc. MCI Telecommunicatins Corporation After November 5, a service charge will be assessed to change your service designation, which defaults to C&P Telephone. Does anyone have rate comparisons for service offered under equal access by these carriers? (Particularly SBS Skyline, ITT, AT&T, MCI, and Sprint, which I understand are the best choices). -JCP- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jan 85 18:18:43 est From: ulysses!smb@Berkeley (Steven Bellovin) To: telecom-request@bbncca.ARPA Subject: push-button phones To the moderator: this is a reply to a query in the last digest. I'm sending it to you, rather than to 'telecom', because I'm concerned that the commercial content might make it inappropriate. (I think it's OK, given other stuff I've seen, but I'll defer to your judgement.) My attempt to reply directly to the author failed. --Steve Bellovin smb.ulysses@btl.csnet -------------------- There are many such devices. Being a Bell Labs employee, I'll first mention an AT&T phone that plugs into a "RJ14" (I think that's the number) jack, which is an ordinary RJ-11 with two lines, one on red/green and the other on black/yellow. It can talk on either line, put either line on hold, or bridge the two for a "conference" call. It can also store two numbers, plus it has last-number redial. Dunno what it sells for; I've seen it in the employee discount catalog. Other companies make similar equipment; Radio Shack even sells a little box that plugs into an RJ14 (maybe it's RJ13...) line, has any standard phone plug into it, and lets you select either number. I don't know what it does about ring; the AT&T phone uses different chirps for the different lines. --Steve Bellovin AT&T Bell Laboratories "These opinions are mine, not the company's, etc." ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #154 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watmum!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 5 Feb 85 22:31:52 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 5 Feb 85 17:11:00 EST Volume 4 : Issue 154 Today's Topics: multi-line telephones XMODEM for Tops-10 equal access: data service query Re: Equal access Another nifty phone # NW Bell secure PIN Re: What's Gerard K. O'Neil doing these days? RE: AT&T Equipment re: not paying AT&T rentals Re: What's Gerard K O'Neil doing these days? Push-button (not touch-tone) info needed -- Clarification Re: AT&T equipment rental (TELECOM Digest V4 #150) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 Feb 85 18:53:46 PST From: "Theodore N. Vail" To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: multi-line telephones There have been a number of comments regarding two-line telephones: There are a number of manufacturers including AT&T, Panasonic, Uniden, and the ubiquitous Radio Shack. They provide a variety of features including "hold" with "remote pick-up", two-line ringing, etc. The local stero-chain, Federated Electronics, is constantly advertising them at (alleged) substantial discounts. However, what do you do if you have THREE lines. You can buy key-sets (push-button telephones) and the associated equipment. These are intended for small businesses and I haven't seen any for less than about $1200 (including three telephone instruments). I have three lines (one is primarily a modem line), and in desperation I have installed external ringers (mounted on the wall) and a two-pole, three position rotary switch at each instrument. (Please no flames on violating FCC or PUC regulations -- it is at most technical for individual wiring is permitted, indeed encouraged by my Telco General Telephone, and a switch serves the same purpose as a plug-jack combination (permitted) and is passive.) Since my home is wired with three pair wire (the old Gen-Tel standard) I used 6-wire RJ11 plugs to connect the instruments to the line. My installation is at best a "kludge". Can anyone suggest anything better which can be purchased at a reasonable price and is easy to install. I would like such features as lights to indicate that a line is in use and a "hold" with "remote pick-up". Would there be a market for a modern, inexpensive replacement for key-sets using reasonable electronics and requiring only 4-wires? Companies like Panasonic could undoubtedly make such devices for less than the cost of a large color television set. vail ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Feb 85 22:11:30 EST From: Dave Swindell Subject: XMODEM for Tops-10 To: ProtocolS@rutgers.arpa Cc: telecom@bbncca.arpa, tops-20@su-score.arpa I am interested in locating a version of XMODEM for a DEC 10 running TOPS 10 version 7.01. Any suggestions as to commercial or public domain packages would be appreciated. As I am not on your mailing lists, please respond directly to my computer mail address. Thanks! Dave Swindell BBN Laboratories Mailbox: dswindell@bbn-unix ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Feb 85 22:31:12 EST From: Ed Frankenberry Subject: equal access: data service query To: TELECOM@bbncca.arpa Cc: ezf@bbnccd.arpa Equal access is coming to Cambridge, MA this spring. Which long distance services can handle modems? Last time I checked (about two years ago), the circuits from the competing long distance carriers were so distorted or band-limited as to be unusable with a 1200 baud modem (at least the 212A). Will this situation change with equal access? Are the AT&T resellers any better? Thanks, Ed Frankenberry ------------------------------ Date: Sun 3 Feb 85 23:46:32-EST From: Robert S. Lenoil Subject: Re: Equal access To: jcp@BRL-TGR.ARPA When equal access came to Boston, I called all the carriers to see what they had to offer. Of all the companies you mentioned as "best" choices, I found SBS Skyline to be the most economical. That is because they have a very flat rate structure, as opposed to the mileage system all other carriers use. SBS has only two rates (though I heard someone say three): to bordering states, and to everywhere else. Of course, there is a reason for this; SBS uses satellites, so there's not much difference between calling next door and calling California. Using satellites also has its effect upon transmission quality, as I've heard from some SBS users. Additionally, SBS has a $15/month minimum usage, which I found unacceptable. The dubious quality, coupled with a $15/month minimum usage, led me to choose ALLNET. They're a reseller of AT&T trunks, so their voice quality is excellent. They do six second increment billing, which saves you money, and their rates are among the cheapest. (USTel was cheaper, but they're not available for equal access in Baltimore. I also found their customer service people to be unfriendly, and my request for written information took weeks to arrive, causing me to avoid signing up with them.) One drawback is what Lauren referred to in Telecom: they do not have call supervision, and therefore use a time-limit to decide whether or not to bill a call. I keep a log of all my calls, however, and have received credit for those 1-minute phone calls that I know the called party never answered. *ONE CAVIAT* New England Telephone does ALLNET's billing here in Boston, so I assume it's their fault, not ALLNET's; but for the past two months, my ALLNET bill has been subtly screwed up. Last month, I was billed $4.99 for a 1-minute call from Boston to New York that should have cost $.21. Those of you who just pay their bills without reviewing them, BE FOREWARNED - there may be inaccuracies. Robert ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun 3 Feb 85 23:54:35-EST From: Robert S. Lenoil Subject: Another nifty phone # To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Last year in telecom, people were writing about the various ways to make one's phone ring in. While trying one of these methods I came upon a neat new special phone number. Dialing 980 in Back Bay, Boston causes your phone line to go completely dead for approximately three minutes. My guess is that this feature was designed so that one could ensure that the phone wouldn't ring while he/she was working on it. It's not a bad feature, but it should require a full seven-digit phone number to activate. I wonder how many people have started to dial a phone number, misdialed, and had their phones go dead before their disbelieving eyes? Robert ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Feb 85 22:57:21 cst To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: NW Bell secure PIN From: roy%isucs1@csnet-relay.ARPA In a recent TELECOM Digest there was a description of some of the methods Pacific Bell suggests for hiding one's telephone card PIN. Well, I just got a new card from Northwestern Bell which they are calling "secure" since the PIN (which they call the personal security number) is not imprinted on the plastic card. They do, however, suggest that the card holder "pencil in" the security number, and they even show a diagram of where space is provided to do this. Real smart, right? Roy Rubinstein csnet: roy@iowa-state usenet: ...umn-cs!isucs1!roy "Anything before Wednesday noon is still Monday morning." - RSR ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 4 Feb 1985 05:27:04-PST From: mccrudden%cipher.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Steve McCrudden BSE-AD 264-7635 ) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Re: What's Gerard K. O'Neil doing these days? One of O'Neil's current ventures is GEOSTAR, as satellite based navigation system. O'Neil's company is located in Princeton, NJ. An article describing the proposed system was published in the September 1983 AOPA Pilot. If you want a copy, please send me your address (I have only hardcopy). /Steve McCrudden ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Feb 85 09:44 EST From: William M. York Subject: RE: AT&T Equipment To: rich@udel-eecis2, TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Date: Thu, 31 Jan 85 18:00:20 EST From: Anne Rich . . . I started to get bills from AT&T for two desk telephones they said I was renting. . . . Then in November I got another bill, and a letter from AT&T stating that I was overdue on my previous bill. . . . The moral: Use MCI. Your story is pretty horrifying, but I don't see how using MCI is going to stop AA&T from sending you spurious bills! You simply double your chances of involvement in a "billing error" war. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Feb 1985 1052-PST From: Richard M. King Subject: re: not paying AT&T rentals To: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA Companies are learning to use small claims court even for small bills. It can pay to do this even if it loses money in each case if you thin k that suing one person at a cost of (say) $100 to recover $10 will induce 20 people to pay the ten dollars. In the case of AT&T phone rentals I suspect they don't fear the loss of good will, because to my knowledge there is no other company offering to rent phones to individuals. What moral justification can a reader of this list, or anyone else sophisticated enough to have worked out that this bill can go unpaid, come up with? Strikes me as being in the same class as walking into a restaurant, having mad a congitive decision not to cook, and walking out without paying. I can't come up with an exact reference to the small claims court remark, but it was in the Times about two years ago. They were in turn quoting some Law Review article. Dick ------- ------------------------------ Date: 3 Feb 85 23:52:45 PST (Sunday) Subject: Re: What's Gerard K O'Neil doing these days? To: , Ralph W. Hyre Jr. , telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA From: Bruce Hamilton You can write to Gerard K. O' Neil c/o Space Studies Institue 285 Rosedale road, P.O. Box 82 Princeton, NJ 08540 The "worldwide communications system" you're probably thinking of is really a navigation system called Geostar, which would consist of three geosynchronous satellites (as opposed to the dozen or so satellites in the DOD's Navstar program) and would let commercial users locate themselves to within about 10 meters. O' Neil has a company, but I think he's still trying to round up clients before building the satellites. I think a recent "Electronics Week" mentions Geostar in passing, in connection with how it ISN'T part of the FAA's rather antiquated National Airspace Plan, or whatever it's called. --Bruce ------------------------------ Date: 4 Feb 85 10:36:39 EDT (Mon) From: Nathaniel Mishkin Subject: Push-button (not touch-tone) info needed -- Clarification To: apollo!telecom@bbncca.arpa I just saw my original message and realized that I perhaps did not make one thing clear: the HOLD feature has to work in a way that lets you HOLD at one phone and un-HOLD at another. Many phones have a HOLD feature which is really just a PAUSE feature -- i.e. you can't pick up the phone somewhere else. I'm interested only in equipment that supports a real HOLD feature. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Feb 85 07:19:17 pst From: unisoft!pertec!rootcsh@Berkeley To: Telecom@BBNCCA Subject: Re: AT&T equipment rental (TELECOM Digest V4 #150) > if people just > generally waste-canned these AT&T bills, just what would (or could) AT&T > DO about it? They would probably send the special ring signal down your line which will self-destruct your phone. :-) -- roger long pertec computer corp {ucbvax!unisoft | scgvaxd | trwrb | felix}!pertec!bytebug ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ******************************