7-Feb-85 16:59:22-PST,5316;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 7 Feb 85 16:54:59-PST Date: Thu, 7 Feb 85 19:33:42 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Thu, 7 Feb 85 19:33:42 EST Volume 4 : Issue 155 Today's Topics: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #153 That neet number Residential PABX systems mail MIT Communications Forum ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kyle.wbst@XEROX.ARPA Date: 5 Feb 85 18:47:01 EST Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #153 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA re: noise & Southwestern Bell... I have had a problem with noise on the lines up here in Rochester, NY. It seems to vary with the time of day (maybe even phases of the moon, since this is such a dog of a phone company up here). I have a cheap plug in modem card on an old Apple II+ at home . The brand name is Networker with Netmaster software . What I have discovered is that there is an AM radio station that comes in loud and clear on the phone lines (usually at night) with some music programming. During these periods, the garbage character rate goes way up and I usually get disconnected from my system at work which connects me to this net. When I disconnect the modem from the phone line, the music goes away, so clearly the modem card is somehow acting like an antenna and picking up this radio station. Any suggestions for a cheap fix (short of building agiant Faraday cage). Thanks, Earle Kyle Xerox Corp. Webster, NY 14580. ------------------------------ Date: 5 February 85 19:28-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: That neet number Here in Merryland, at least on my exchange, that neet number is 311. I am on a *really* old cross-bar exchange. We're dated for ESS in late 1986, equal access....????? C&P says MAYBE in 1988, but probebly not before. My exchange is 301-439 in case you wanted to know. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: 5 February 85 21:49-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: Residential PABX systems Earlier this week I sent a query about a residential apartment building which houses 550 tenants. I just attended a meeting for a proposal of what to do about our decreped in house phone system. The Seal Corp. presented our building with their option. I thought it was particularly interesting, so I bring it up here. Their idea is to install a PABX in the building. The building would buy local service in bulk from C&P (our local telco) and in turn sell it to us tenents. By their estimats, this would cut out local bill in half. They were even willing to finance the thing for us. The system will even allow such things like you get with custom calling even though out exchange dosn't offer it yet. And...they say we can also simulate equal access too!!! Their system uses Telesaver (another AT&T reseller) as default. For this, the building would get kick backs from Telesaver for the long distance calls the tenants make (10% of the total calls per month.) The only drawback that I see up right away is that having a PABX is seen as a bussiness by MaBell. That means that any local calls will be billed in message units. This might not be so bad in the long run since C&P wants to make residential service that way anyway. Can anyone see anything wrong with this? Is this not a good thing to get into? Are there other companies that will do this sort of thing? Does anyone have any better ideas? In my own opinion, this sounds pretty neet. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Tue 5 Feb 85 23:13:11-EST From: Kathleen Carley Subject: mail To: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA I'm trying to collect background information for a paper I am writing on computer mail and I was wondering if you could tell me: 1) Whether or not you charge for mail, and if so how 2) Do you charge your users for sending messages or files over the ARPA-NET thankyou Kathleen Carley Asst. Prof. Carnegie-Mellon University ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Feb 85 16:13 EST From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: MIT Communications Forum To: decvax!ittvax!hagouel@UCB-VAX.ARPA, DEPhillips@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA, Update on February 21 MIT Communications Forum Seminar, "Software Protection and Marketing": Jim Button, author of PC-File and PC-Calc and founder of Buttonware, Inc., will be speaking at this seminar. A systems engineer for IBM for 17 years, he is now one of the leading proponents and marketers of user-supported software ("shareware") (The other speakers are Todd Sun of Multimate International and Marvin Goldschmidt of Lotus Development Corporation. The seminar will be held at 4:00 in room 37-252.) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 8-Feb-85 13:32:59-PST,6910;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 8 Feb 85 13:28:27-PST Date: Fri, 8 Feb 85 16:03:14 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #156 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Fri, 8 Feb 85 16:03:14 EST Volume 4 : Issue 156 Today's Topics: Re: Residential PABX System SWB test of Call-Tracing, etc, now in Austin, TX Providing Attack Warnings to the Public Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #153 Cheep ringers ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 7 Feb 1985 18:31 PST From: Lars Poulsen Subject: Re: Residential PABX System To: TELECOM@MIT-MC My immediate reaction to this remarkable story is that this would seem to make the building owner a local TELCO, and telephone companies are supposed to be regulated by the local PUC. To wit, this business entity has an exclusive right to supply telephone service to residences in a defined geographical area. Now, on second thought, some ladlords in office buildings have already done similar things, and this has turned into a vehicle for providing BYPASS service, and apparently TELCOs have not been able to succesfully challenge this. Where does the limit go ? Is the local telco industry really deregulated into a free-for-all ? Can I band up with the adjoining homeowners and form the "San Rogue Gardens Telephone Company" and go shop around for the best deal from long-distance providers ? (maybe setting up a microwave link to that office building down the street that has a bypass link to San Francisco ?) Please, someone, explain this. / Lars Poulsen ------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri 8 Feb 85 03:15:23-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: SWB test of Call-Tracing, etc, now in Austin, TX To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA in recent days, the same services earlier described as being offered in Orlando, Fla, are now being test-marketed by SouthWesternBell here in Austin. There are also other developments of new $$$-requests i have not found the time yet to tell you about. More later (I hope to find time). ------- ------------------------------ From: Kurt F. Sauer Date: 6 Feb 1985 03:44-CST (Wednesday) To: ARPANET Telecom Digest Subject: Providing Attack Warnings to the Public What about warning systems? Attack warning is a complicated matter. As I understand it, the process is very closely tied with existing C^3IS systems. Currently, the means of warning the public consist of a. The National Warning System, or NAWAS, a dedicated voice circuit which connects to the National and Alternate National Warning Centers at CMC, Colorado, and Olney, Maryland. Manned on a 24-hour basis, NAWAS is the primary means of disseminating an attack warning to thousands of regional, state, and local warning points. While currently a leased-line system, it is currently in upgrade to MB technology circuits. b. The Emergency Broadcast System, or EBS, a coordinated (?) system of commercial broadcast systems. Under FCC regulations, almost all AM and FM broadcast stations with output > 25W is required to par- ticipate in the EBS, with its cascade alerting and weekly tests. The President can broadcast on the EBS through the White House Communications System, controlled from a classified location in Washington DC. c. Local warning systems, such as public address speakers, the more traditional sirens, and air-horns. d. AP/UPI (and some other major news systems) participate in US-wide tests on a weekly basis. The President can make broadcasts using the same means as in (b), above. ABC, NBC, and CBS (possibly others, but I don't know) has direct video/audio feeds, as well. As certainly as it seems that this confederation of communications systems would be enough to get the "word" to the public, I believe that it isn't. The "word" could range from an official statement that a crisis existed to the worst-case "BOOB"-style attack warning. Although I'm reasonably con- vinced that the latter isn't really in the cards, we've got to be prepared to operate in that condition. What other warning systems can we use or devise? The federal government suggested CHAT-TV in the 60's, but it was cancelled; I don't think that people would want "Big Brother" "controlling" their T.V. these days. While some would say that having advanced public warning systems is simply a way of fostering the nuclear war survival strategies, these systems would also provide a simple, single way for local governments to warn their populus of *any* impending emergency. We in Oklahoma **still** have problems letting people know of impending tornadic activity. People don't listen to the radio! Please restrict your responses to the technical aspects of this. kurt ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Feb 85 07:46:54 pst From: hplabs!sdcrdcf!darrelj@Berkeley (Darrel VanBuer) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #153 Cc: From part 68 FCC rules: the following jacks are all the same physical object with different wiring: RJ-11 one line on pins 3-4 RJ-12 one line plus A/A1 signalling on 2-5 for keysystem (but line is connected before the keysystem due to incompatibility) RJ-13 one line plus A/A1 signalling on 2-5; esentially a single line keysystem phone RJ-14 two line phone, line 1 on 3-4, line 2 on 4-5 Some intermixing will work, but not all (e.g. an RJ-13 phone in an RJ-14 jack will short out line 2 when off hook, an RJ-11 phone in an RJ-12 or RJ-13 will fail to "inform" the keysystem the phone line is in use, thus not light the line lamp). 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: 8 Feb 85 12:14:54 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: Cheep ringers To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA Did you ever call someone who has a crossbar line and a $5 phone? You can *hear* the little feeper down the connection, since you're actually connected to his line while ringing. Then you can amaze your callee by asking him which particular brand of $5 telephone he bought.... _H* ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 9-Feb-85 21:35:49-PST,5448;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 9 Feb 85 21:32:35-PST Date: Sun, 10 Feb 85 0:04:04 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #157 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sun, 10 Feb 85 0:04:04 EST Volume 4 : Issue 157 Today's Topics: Carrier invocation Re: Residential PABX System Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise Billing strangeness ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Feb 85 19:27:54 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: Carrier invocation To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA In a normal ESS exchange, if I dial my own number I get a busy signal immediately, which is the proper thing to do. Now, if I prefix that with 1-201-, there is a delay with a couple of clicks [meaning it's doing more involved routing], and then I get the busy. Is the switcher interpreting this as an inter-LATA call and passing the details to AT&T blindly without figuring out what the number was first? This is weird??? _H* ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 9 Feb 85 01:27:42-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: Re: Residential PABX System To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA Lars Poulsen (LARS@ACC) wonders if this wouldn't constitute being a small phone-company which would come under FCC-regulation. just happens that on local TV tonight was a report where SWB attacks the internal phone-installations of a Dallas high-rise, which might now get direct connections to LD-carriers. I'll keep you posted as things develop. in general, I think I have heard that as long as you don't cross a utility easement you can string a private phone-line to a neighbors house, but I might be wrong and any crossing of property lines would put you under FCC control. ------- ------------------------------ From: fortune!redwood!rpw3@Berkeley Date: Fri, 8 Feb 85 14:06:25 pst To: fortune!dual!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise +--------------- | From: kyle.wbst@XEROX.ARPA | re: noise & Southwestern Bell... | I have had a problem with noise on the lines up here in Rochester, NY. | ... What I have discovered is that there | is an AM radio station that comes in loud and clear on the phone lines | ... When I disconnect | the modem from the phone line, the music goes away, so clearly the modem | card is somehow acting like an antenna and picking up this radio station. | Any suggestions for a cheap fix (short of building agiant Faraday cage). +--------------- As you describe it, the radio signal is most probably coming in through the power lines, not the phone lines. This is not unusual, if the power lines run near the radio station's antenna. When I was at Fortune Systems, at one of their early locations, we were in the ground wave of a 50kW talk station. If a prototype system was not properly grounded (and how many are, all spread out on the bench?), one could see VOLTS! of R.F. on the logic "ground" with an oscilloscope. This caused MOS logic errors, to say the least! (It's confusing enough when your prototypes are crashing for other reasons...) The solution was to make sure the power supplies were all properly grounded to the "green wire" in the power cord. In your case, if you don't have a modern house with good solid grounds (third prong) in the outlets, you may have to make your own (see any book on ham radio for tips and techniques). If you already have good grounds, you may have to try an "RFI" filter, or even an isolation transformer. Borrowing an oscilloscope may be of use in measuring/tracing the problem (especially if the scope's connected to a friend who has RFI-killing experience, such as a neighborhood ham operator). Rob Warnock Systems Architecture Consultant UUCP: {ihnp4,ucbvax!dual}!fortune!redwood!rpw3 DDD: (415)572-2607 USPS: 510 Trinidad Lane, Foster City, CA 94404 ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Sat Feb 9 14:45:00 1985 Subject: Billing strangeness To: bbncca!telecom I was looking at my typical zillion page phone bill ("this page is to tell you that we don't care if you pay the bill on the next two pages") and noticed that every month for quite a while, AT&T has been billing me for exactly two calls to interstate directory assistance. For a while, I assumed that friends had absent-mindedly called D.A. direct before carefully billing the following call to their credit cards. I make all of my L.D. calls through SBS, including D.A. calls, and I'm rather suspicious, since two calls is the number that you get for free if you make any AT&T phone calls. Anybody else notice this? Also, I saw in a flyer from SBS that General Telephone of California has been charging message units in some areas for calls to 950 numbers. You can get your money back by applying in writing to General Tel's central billing office. They claim they'll have it fixed by April. Uh huh. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 11-Feb-85 19:47:01-PST,8696;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 11 Feb 85 19:38:25-PST Date: Mon, 11 Feb 85 22:02:30 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #158 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Mon, 11 Feb 85 22:02:30 EST Volume 4 : Issue 158 Today's Topics: Equal access... could it be? TELECOM Digest V4 #157 "TalkLine" snafu, Pacific Telephone Re: Providing Attack Warnings to the Public re: Billing Weirdness precise tone plan (the prompt after 0+ numbers, MCI, SPRINT) Re: Residential PABX System Phone Noise ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Feb 85 00:37:44 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: Equal access... To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA These are apparently the first exchanges in the Baltimore area to be upgraded to equal access. The choices are: (drum roll please) Okay, how about hitting us with that once again, but put the dial codes for each carrier in?? I assume these will be standard country-wide, right? 'Twould be a handy reference for those of us slated for equal access sometime in late '86 [sigh!!]. _H* ------- ------------------------------ To: telecom@bbncca Subject: could it be? Date: 09 Feb 85 22:15:51 PST (Sat) From: Jerry Sweet This is a good one. Every once in a while strange (i.e. never made) long distance calls show up on my bill. Usually they are for very small amounts, and usually it is not worth my trouble to take the time to have them removed from my bill (after all, how much is my time worth?). However, I heard an apocryphal rumor that it is the practice of Phone Companies (mine is Pacific Bell) to bill calls that have been removed from customers' bills to other random customers in the hopes that someone will pay them. This sounds like an unlikely fraud, but I suppose that their billing programs are capable of such a thing ("Oh, this call's been removed from X now? Well, let's fire up the old random number generator and give it to some unsuspecting Y."), and I suppose that many people feel that the ten minutes or so (and N brain cells) required to have a few cents removed from their bill aren't worth it. Could it be? -jns P.S. Next week, we'll explore what happens to phone calls placed in the Bermuda Triangle... /j ------------------------------ Date: 10 February 1985 13:54-EST From: "Marvin A. Sirbu, Jr." Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #157 To: TELECOM @ BBNCCA The issue of whether an apartment or office PBX system is regulated or not falls under the jurisdiction of the local Public Utility Commission, and not the FCC. Basically, if it is a SHARED service, and run on a non-profit basis, it certainly will not be regulated. If it is run on a profit making basis by the building owners, there's a chance a PUC would step in to regulate, but it is still unlikely. To be considered a common carrier, you generally have to offer service to "anyone". An apartment owner is serving a very restricted market, and therefore would probably not fall under the common carrier definitions. The issue is, as noted, currently under consideration by a number of PUCs including Texas. Marvin Sirbu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Feb 85 22:43:58 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: "TalkLine" snafu, Pacific Telephone I heard of someone getting a big phone bill from Pacific Telephone as a result of "TalkLine" not being available in certain prefixes (and associated promo material that should NOT have been sent but was). Word of this reached me thru local TV news out of Philadelphia! Anybody with more info about TalkLine? ------------------------------ Date: 10 Feb 85 16:49:04 PST (Sunday) Subject: Re: Providing Attack Warnings to the Public To: From: Michael Neary Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #156 The EBS system has been a technically viable means of communicating emergency warnings for more than a decade: that obnoxious two-tone is designed to automatically activate special receivers. But the weekly tests are a major obstacle in getting someone like me to set up an automatic receiver in my home. No "alarm' system with a planned false-alarm rate of once a week is tolerable. I worked at a radio station that monitored our 'feed' with such a receiver - - the weekly blasts drove us up the wall! This, I suspect, is why nobody in Oklahoma wants an automatic EBS receiver. They probably aren't even available any more. There must be a viable technical solution to the present over-testing of the 'EBS network'. The two-tone detector and automatic speaker switching could be verified by an independent local oscillator. The necessary added function can be in one (micropower) LSI, but in any case is electronically trivial. ~ Mike ------------------------------ Date: 11 February 85 12:49-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: re: Billing Weirdness I noticed too that I got billed for 2 Long Distance Directory Assistance calls. I called AT&T and complained. They told me that I didn't make the required minimum of calls over AT&T...I can't remember the minimun, it was about $2 worth. Does SBS offer 2 free calls to LDDA? -Mike ------------------------------ From: William R. Soley Date: Mon, 11 Feb 85 11:26:55 PST To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: precise tone plan (the prompt after 0+ numbers, MCI, SPRINT) Is the tone burst (bong) sent after dialing 0+ calling card calls in some areas a standard tone? If so what is it and does anyone have any experience detecting it? I want to build a feature to allow password authenticated users of my ham radio repeater to place toll calls without having to transmit their calling card numbers to anyone who cares to listen. I am also interested if anyone knows the prompt tones for MCI or SPRINT. Thanks. -Bill Please reply to: ucbvax!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!wrs%c39.tymnet (UUCP) or WRS@Office-2.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 85 15:02 EST From: Axelrod.wbst@XEROX.ARPA Subject: Re: Residential PABX System To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA What constitutes a Telephone Company, thus subject to regulation by FCC/PUC? My understanding is that anything that crosses a public road or railroad is ipso facto within the jurisdiction of the tarrifed telco. Conversely, if your wires /don't\ cross a public road or railroad, then anything you do is your own business, (subject to laws of tresspass, etc). The terms "public road" and "railroad" have precise legal definitions, and all this is as per Federal Communications Act. Hence, if my understanding is correct, yes, an office building or apartment operator can install his own PBX, and yes, you can string a wire to your neighbor's house, if he agrees, and if it doesn't cross the road. But you can't string it across the road, or even through a tunnel under the road. Even if you have an easement for a tunnel, and you already have steam pipes, computer lines etc, you can't put a telephone wire through without the telco doing it. Correct me if I'm mistaken, anybody. Art Axelrod Xerox Webster Research Center ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 11 Feb 1985 14:25:56-PST From: libman%grok.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Sandy Libman) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Phone Noise Re: Phone Noise I had a similar problem (radio station on my modem). My BELL 212A didn't seem to care, but when I switched to a DEC DF03, the line was unusable. I called TELCO (during the breakup) and they sent someone who installed a "Radio Suppressor". It works. No more trouble with the modem. No charge for the filter. [The reason I mentioned the breakup is that at first, no-one would take responsibility to fix the problem ("Call AT&T", "Not us, call NYNEX", ...), and then several people showed up at the same time to install it. Lots of "I'll do it.", "No, I'll do it.", etc. But that's another story.] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 15-Feb-85 17:00:13-PST,5352;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 15 Feb 85 16:56:23-PST Date: Fri, 15 Feb 85 19:10:06 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #159 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Fri, 15 Feb 85 19:10:06 EST Volume 4 : Issue 159 Today's Topics: HOLD circuit for residential use TELECOM Digest V4 #158 Re: Carrier invocation Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Andrew Klossner To: telecom@Berkeley Date: Sat, 9 Feb 85 14:34:06 PST Subject: HOLD circuit for residential use Radio Shack sells a box which plugs into a phone jack and supplies a HOLD capability. When you want to put a call on HOLD, you double-click the phone, listen for the squeak which means that the box is active, then hang up. You can pick up the call from any instrument on the line, or if you do nothing for six minutes the line will be disconnected. The box includes a wall-bug which you have to plug into a 115VAC outlet, and the bug buzzes, but since you never have to touch the box you can install it in, for example, the garage. -- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP] (orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA] ------------------------------ Date: 12 February 1985 08:42-EST From: "Marvin A. Sirbu, Jr." Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #158 To: TELECOM @ BBNCCA My understanding is that anything that crosses a public road or railroad is ipso facto within the jurisdiction of the tarrifed telco. Conversely, if your wires /don't\ cross a public road or railroad, then anything you do is your own business, (subject to laws of tresspass, etc). The terms "public road" and "railroad" have precise legal definitions, and all this is as per Federal Communications Act. Correct me if I'm mistaken, anybody. If you cross the road with a wire, the city (and the State) certainly has the right to make rules about what can use public rights of way. (That's how cities get away with regulating cable companies but not Satellite Master Antenna Systems for apartments). In many States the telephone company has an exlusive franchise to use the roads to run wires for the purpose of offering COMMON CARRIER telecommunications services. The key phrase here is common carrier. If Citibank runs a fiber from their midtown to downtown offices (which they have done) the telephone company can't complain because the fiber is being used for intracompany communications. Only if Citibank started selling excess capacity on the fiber to anyone who wanted communications service (i.e. acted like a common carrier) would their be a possibility of regulation. The New York Teleport will use fibers to connect users to a satellite dish farm being built on Staten Island. The Teleport will not be regulated as a common carrier however, because each user will own his own fiber from Staten Island to his premises in Manhattan. Marvin Sirbu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Feb 85 23:23:09 pst From: newton2%ucbtopaz.CC@Berkeley To: telecom@Berkeley I'm having trouble making the following message wend it's way to Richard Outerbridge, so I hope you will indulge my taking the graffito approach: Dear Richard Outerbridge: Thanks very much- your message containing sources for voice scrambler info was exactly what I was hoping for. Unfortunately both books are for the moment unavailable from the UC Berkeley library (one possibly filched, the other in use). After my tantalizing and disappointing afternoon at the library, I'd be very grateful for any brief summary you could provide. By the way, what does a "verifier" at a phototypsetting firm do? (the only stuff the library *did* have was most of Cryptologia.) In happy anticipation, Doug Maisel ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Feb 85 16:52:14 EST From: Ron Natalie To: *Hobbit* Subject: Re: Carrier invocation That's odd. Before we had an ESS exchange dialing yourself gave you a busy signal. After ESS, you got a tape recording telling you "your number could not be completed as dialed," although it might as well have said "you can't call yourself, stupid." In both cases, trying to user 1+ on any local call caused a "your call can't be completed as dialed." Although, recently I've heard "You do not need to dial one first." -Ron ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Feb 85 16:54:54 EST From: Ron Natalie To: fortune!redwood!rpw3@ucb-vax.ARPA Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise Of course the problme with the radio station on the modem could be some poor design inside the modem, causing the modem to become a poor AM receiver. I used to have the same problem with my stereo when I lived two blocks from an AM radio station. -Ron ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 16-Feb-85 21:23:14-PST,8100;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 16 Feb 85 21:17:02-PST Date: Sat, 16 Feb 85 23:42:35 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #160 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 16 Feb 85 23:42:35 EST Volume 4 : Issue 160 Today's Topics: Bell 212AR bell acronyms ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 February 1985 21:14-EST From: Stephen C. Hill Subject: Bell 212AR To: TELECOM @ MIT-MC, INFO-MICRO @ MIT-MC Can someone tell me the signal transition to make from a computer to make a Bell 212AR go back on-hook (ps, what does the AR respresent?). I have been asked to do this, but as usual, no documentation has been made available. The application is to make a bulletin board hang up if no activity is noticed within some set time. ------------------------------ Date: Sat 16 Feb 85 20:22-EST From: "Robert C. Patterson" Subject: bell acronyms To: jsol@mit-eecs This list is not totally complete, so I will send you an updated list as I receive one.. (=-> Telephony Acronyms <-=) ACD = Automatic Call Distributing system ACS = Advanced Communications System ACTS = Automatic Coin Telephone Service ACU = Alarm Control Unit ADCI = Automatic Display Call Indicator ADP = Advanced Data Processing ADS = Automatic Voice System AFADS = Automatic Force Adjustment Data System AIC = Automatic Intercept Center AIOD = Automatic Identification Outward Dialing AIS = Automatic Intercept System AMA = Automatic Message Accounting AMARC = Automatic Message Accounting Recording Center ANC = All Number Calling ANF = Automatic Number Forwarding ANI = Automatic Number Identification AP = All Points ARPANET= Advanced Research Projects Agency Network ATA = Automatic Trouble Analysis ATM = Automatic Teller Machine ATTIS = American Telephone and Telegraph Information Systems AUTOVON= AUTOmatic VOice Netework AUTODIN= AUTOmatic DIgital Network BCP = Byte Controlled Protocals BDT = Billing Data Transmitter BELCORE= BELL COmmunications REsearch BICS = Building Industry Consulting Services BIOC = Break Into Other Computers BIS = Business Information System BLF = Busy Line Field BOC = Bell Operating Company BOS = Business Office Supervisor BSC = Binary Sychronous Communication BTL = Bell Telephone Laboratories CAMA = Centralized Automatic Message Accounting CCI = Computer Carrier Interupt CCIS = Common Channel Interoffice Signaling CCSA = Common Control Switching Arrangement CDA = Call Data Accumulator CDO = Community Dial Office CEVI = Common Equipment Voltage Indicator CF = Coin First payphone CICS = Customer Information Control System CLR = Combined Line and Recording CLRC = Circuit Layout Record Card CMD = Centralized Message Distribution CMS = Circuit Maintenance System CN/A = Customer Name / Address CO = Central Office COER = Central Office Equipment Report COMAS = Central Office Maintenance and Administration System COSMIC = COmmon System Main InterConnecting frame COSMOS = COmputer System for Mainframe OperationS CPO = Customer Premises Equipment CREG = Concentrated Range Extention with Gain CSACS = Centralized Status, Alarm and Control System CSDC = Circuit Switched Digital Capability CSL = Coin Supervising Link CSO = Central Services Organization CSP = Control Switching Point CSS = Customer Switching System DA = Directory Assistance (/C = computerized, /M = Microfilm) DACCS = Digital Access Cross Connect System DCTS = Dimension Custom Telephone Service DDD = Direct Distance Dialing DIAD = (magnetic) Drum Information Assembler / Dispatcher DIAS = Defense Automatic Integrated System DID = Direct Inward Dialing DLL = Dial Long Line equipment DNR = Dialed Number Recorder DNIC = Data Network Identification Code DOC = Dynamic Overload Control DP = Dial Pulse DRE = Directional Reservation Equipment DSA = Dial System Assistance DSS = Direct Station Selection DTF = Dial Tone First payphone DTMF = Dial Tone Multi Frequency EADASS = Engineering and Administrative Data AcquiSition System EAS = Extended Area Service (or Engineering Admin. System) EBCDIC = Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code ECASS = Electronically Controlled Automatic Switching System ECDO = Electronic Community Dial Office ECO = Electronic Central Office EDTCC = Electronic Data Transmission Communications Central EMS = Electronic Message System EO = End Office ESAC = Electronic Systems Assistance Center ESS = Electronic Switching System ESSEX = Experimental Solid State EXchange ETFD = Electronic Toll Fraud Device ETS = Electronic Translator System EVX = Electronic Voice eXchange FACD = Foriegn Area Customer Dialing FAT = Foriegn Area Translation FTS = Federal Telephone System FX = Foriegn eXchange HACD = Home Area Customer Dialing HNPA = Home Numbering Plan Area HOBIS = HOtel Billing Information System IDDD = International Direct Distance Dialing IDF = Intermediate Distributing Frame INWATS = Inward Wide Area Telephone Service INADS = INitialization and ADministration System IOD = Identified Outward Dialing IP = Intermediate Point ISC = International Switching Center JIM = Job Information Memorandum KDCI = Key Display Call Indicator KP = Key Pulse KSU = Key Service Unit KTS = Key Telephone System KTU = Key Telephone Unit LAMA = Local Automatic Message Accounting LDX = Long Distance eXtender LIU = Line Interface Unit LL = Long Lines LLN = Line Link Network LLP = Line Link Pulsing LMOS = Line Maintenance Operations System LSS = Loop Switching System MAAP = Maintenance And Admistration Panel MCC = Master Control Console MDAS = Magnetic Drum Auxiliary Sender MDF = Main Distrbution Frame MF = Multi=Frequency MILNET = MILitary NETwork MTR = Magnetic Tape Recording MTSO = Mobile Telephone Switching Office NBO = Network Build Out NCA = Network Control Analysis NOTIS = Network Operator Trouble Information System NPA = Number Plan Area OCI = Out of City Indicator OIU = Office Interface Unit ONI = Operator Number Identification OSS = Operation Support System OUTWATS= OUTward Wide Area Telephone Service PAM = Pulse Amplification Modulation PATROL = Program for Admistrative Traffic Reports On Line PBX = Private Branch Exchange PCI = Panel Call Indicator PCM = Pulse Code Modulation PP = Primary Point (or dial Post Pay payphone) PPCS = Person to Person, Collect, Special PSDS = Public Switched Digital Service RACEP = Random Access and Correlation for Extended Performance RASC = Residence Account Service Center RC = Regional Center RCC = Radio Common Carrier RJE = Remote Job Entry RMATS = Remote Maintenance Admistration and Traffic System ROTS = Rotary Out Trunks Selectors RR = Route Relay RRO = Rate and Route Operator RSU = Remote Switching Unit RTA = Remote Trunk Arrangement RTAC = Regional Technical Assistance Center RU = Receive Unit SA = Service Assistant SAC = Special Area Code SAMA = Step=by=step Automatic Message Accounting SARTS = Switched Access Remote Test System SC = Sectional Center SCAN = Switched Circuit Automatic Network SCC = Switching Control Center (or Specialized Common Carriers) SCOTS = Surveilance and Control Of Transmission Systems As I said, as I get more for the list, I will send it to you. -GZT.RCP@MIT-OZ ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 18-Feb-85 16:53:50-PST,3101;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 18 Feb 85 16:51:45-PST Date: Mon, 18 Feb 85 19:08:56 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #161 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Mon, 18 Feb 85 19:08:56 EST Volume 4 : Issue 161 Today's Topics: Telebyte 'Accelerator' Data Compression Box Bell 212AR - Revisited Phone Noise Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 17 Feb 1985 14:52:39 PST Subject: Telebyte 'Accelerator' Data Compression Box From: Eliot Moore To: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA Catching up on my paper mail this weekend I noticed an ad for Telebyte Corp's "Accelerator", claiming >3:1 compression rates, error free. The usual questions: Are these guys for real? Has anyone used one? Are they shipping? What's the going price? Elmo ------- ------------------------------ Date: 18 Feb 85 09:10:18 PST (Monday) From: Cottriel.ES@XEROX.ARPA Subject: Bell 212AR - Revisited To: STEVEH@MIT-MC.ARPA Steve: AR is just a version designation. Don't worry about it. Assuming that a connection is in progress, drop DTR (Data Terminal Ready) at pin 20 of the EIA interface. The modem will go on hook when DTR is not true (i.e. negative voltage). However, you will have to bring it back up again in order for the next call to be answered. A few milliseconds is all that is required, but to make sure, ya outta drop it for a couple seconds, then bring it back up. (To be polite, ya probably outta send a message: "Connection Timed Out" or something equally mundane, just prior to dropping DTR). ----- Hints/Suggestions - not relevant to the above discussion: Another way to implement operation is to detect Ring Indication (Pin 22), then turn on DTR. At the ~next~ ring the dataset will answer. When you want to indicate that the computer is unavailable, bring up pin 25 (Busy). John ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 18 Feb 1985 11:01:13-PST From: libman%grok.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Sandy Libman) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Phone Noise >Date: Sun, 10 Feb 85 16:54:54 EST >From: Ron Natalie >To: fortune!redwood!rpw3@ucb-vax.ARPA >Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise >Of course the problme with the radio station on the modem could be >some poor design inside the modem, causing the modem to become a >poor AM receiver. I used to have the same problem with my stereo >when I lived two blocks from an AM radio station. In my case the Bell 212A also received the radio station, but wasn't bothered by it. The DF03 was useless until the Radio Suppressor was installed. I made the assumption that the 212A had that filter built in. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 25-Feb-85 07:06:31-PST,5156;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 25 Feb 85 07:01:43-PST Date: Thu, 21 Feb 85 18:54:49 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #162 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Thu, 21 Feb 85 18:54:49 EST Volume 4 : Issue 162 Today's Topics: "T1" circuits New Mailing List -- VideoTech@SRI-CSL. Electronic Mail Directory Re: Electronic Mail Directory Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 19 Feb 1985 16:21 PST From: Art Berggreen Subject: "T1" circuits To: telecom@bbncca There seems to be some uncertainty in what "T1" service constitutes. I am hoping someone out there could detail all the "T1" and T1 related services offered by the TELCOs. I.e., what is "DS1" and how does it relate? When can one get unstructured 1.544 MB/s bit streams (the one with 1's alternating polarity and 1's density constraints), and when does one have to conform the the 24 channel multiplexing scheme used for voice and lower speed data? Art Berggreen Advanced Computer Communications Art@ACC.ARPA ------ ------------------------------ Date: 20 Feb 1985 0029-PST From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow Subject: New Mailing List -- VideoTech@SRI-CSL. To: Past HOME-SAT & Video-Disk mailing list people:: ;, VIDEOTECH@SRI-CSL VideoTech represents a rebirth and combination of the HOME-SAT, VIDEO-DISC and TELETEXT mailing lists. Appropriate topics for discussion on VideoTech might be, but not limited to: - Home Satellite (TVRO, DBS) - Cable Television - Video Disc Technology - Video Tape Recorders (Beta/VHS/UMatic) - Teletext - Stereo Television - HighRes Television All requests to be added to or deleted from this list should be sent to VIDEOTECH-REQUEST@SRI-CSL Coordinator: Geoffrey S. Goodfellow [You need to send a message to VideoTech-Request@SRI-CSL if you want to be on the list. Getting a copy of this message doesn't mean your on the list.] ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed 20 Feb 85 06:52:31-EST From: Wayne McGuire Subject: Electronic Mail Directory To: human-nets%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA, telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA, Does anyone know if any work is underway somewhere to develop an online directory of all electronic mail users and addresses? The online directory of Arpanet/Milnet users at SRI-NIC provides a model of what I have in mind. It would be most helpful if the NIC directory were expanded to include the electronic addresses of users of MCI Mail, Easylink, Compuserve, The Source, Delphi, Bitnet, Usenet, and other computer networks, and made generally available. A directory of all electronic mail users in the world would in fact probably fit handily on one or two laser disks. These disks could be updated monthly, and widely distributed to local nodes and perhaps even to individuals. One might enrich this tool with a natural language interface for searching the directory, and some software which would know the best (if any) route to send mail from one node to any other node on any net. This is a product which is begging to come into existence. -- Wayne McGuire ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 85 09:04:36 pst From: adrion%ucbingres@Berkeley (Rick Adrion) To: MDC.WAYNE%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA, human-nets%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA, Subject: Re: Electronic Mail Directory Cc: zbbs%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA I am sure the folks at the CSNET-CIC will soon reply, but the main problem with nameservers is getting the initial data and keeping the database updated. The NIC uses site liaisons (and the directory is inaccurate, although pretty good), the CSNET nameserver has individuals maintain their own entries (unfortunately there are fewer than one would like). On ARPANET most sites support "finger" a protocol which allows you to ask a site for a persons mail id (you have to know the site). ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!drutx!rkp@Berkeley Date: 20 Feb 85 11:23:45 CST (Wed) To: ihnp4!cbosgd!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #161 Concerning 212A and 212AR data sets: The 212A is an unregistered version of that type of data set, and the 212AR is a registered version of that type of data set. The changes are so minimal that the FCC allows you to use a 212A as a maintnenace-only replacement for a 212AR. In other words, you can't use a 212A in a new installation, but you can use it in case your 212AR goes on the fritz. Russell Pierce AT&T Something or Other... (303) 538-2023 1200 W. 120th Ave. ...!drutx!rkp Denver, CO 80234 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 26-Feb-85 04:23:15-PST,4360;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 26 Feb 85 04:21:34-PST Date: Tue, 26 Feb 85 6:39:54 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #163 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Tue, 26 Feb 85 6:39:54 EST Volume 4 : Issue 163 Today's Topics: Re: Electronic Mail Directory Telebyte 'Accelerator' Data Compression Box Md. pay phones Residential PBX; T-1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Feb 85 16:07:48 EST From: Ron Natalie To: adrion%ucbingres@ucb-vax.ARPA Subject: Re: Electronic Mail Directory There is also a UUCP users directory that is done by Rich Kiessig. He periodically asks people to send him their info if they want to be in the next copy of the directory. -Ron ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Feb 1985 09:42 EST From: GZ.PC%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA To: Eliot Moore Cc: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA Subject: Telebyte 'Accelerator' Data Compression Box They could be for real, as long as you're shipping just text. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Feb 85 11:14:15 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: Md. pay phones I recently saw 25 cent charge for pay phone in Md. suburbs of Washington, DC. (Prefix 301-577, should also be reachable via area code 202.) But I still see 20 cent charge on 301-272, Aberdeen. 272 and 577 are in different LATAs (Baltimore & Washington); could that have effect? ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 25 Feb 1985 14:19:37-PST From: goldstein%donjon.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Fred R. Goldstein) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Residential PBX; T-1 Re: the proposal to put in a residential PBX; A PBX can be used by residential customers, in which case its trunk lines go at the (low) residential rate. This is sometimes the case in college dorms, but you must be sure that ONLY residential phones (dorm lines and not administrative lines) can use the residential trunks. That means careful classmarking to restrict the non-residential phones away from residential trunks, and on to business tariff trunks. It's the "nature of the use" that counts. Hotels are special, and NOT residential in that sense. Resale of local trunks is a state option. It used to be taboo, but the FCC made interstate circuits shareable in the '70s, and many states have followed on. "Joint User" tariffs apply in some places when a local line is shared; this typically charged 50% of the line rate for each additional customer sharing a line. Crossing a right of way may affect telco rates (it become inter-site) for lines, and it may require town permission to cross their roads, but it doesn't make anyone a phone company. If a landlord requires tenants to purchase telephone service through his resale operation, then he's treading on thin ice. But making a shared PBX available is generally okay. Some states are questioning it -- Southwestern Bell is upset by the idea, but some telcos (Bell Atlantic?) are going in to the business via their unregulated subsidiaries. _____ Re: T1 question on last issue; Common carrier T1 services require that you meet several constraints, including bits density (10% ones), no more than 15 consecutive zeroes, and follow standard framing on the 193rd bit. Extended framing is a future, since the BOCs don't support it yet. ATTCOM wants it, though. How you format the subchannels is up to you; you don't have to use 24 or 44 channels, but you need to meet the bit restrictions since that's where the clocking comes from. A technique called "B8ZS" (bipolar eight zero substitution) overcomes the consecutive zeroes problem, and permits 192 of 193 bits to be available to the user. But don't try it here -- it's common in Europe, but North American telcos don't support it yet in many places. It's described in pub 41451, but most existing T1 carrier equipment predates it. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 27-Feb-85 14:35:12-PST,4844;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 27 Feb 85 14:29:28-PST Date: Wed, 27 Feb 85 17:11:03 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #164 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 27 Feb 85 17:11:03 EST Volume 4 : Issue 164 Today's Topics: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #160 AT&T sells 5ESS to British Telecom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Feb 85 08:19:01 pst From: decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!darrelj@Berkeley (Darrel VanBuer) To: telecom@sdcsvax Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #160 Most standard modems will hang up the phone line when DTR is made false (and won't answer if DTR is still false). This is definitely true of a Bell 212A. I don't know how the 212AR differs (it could just be newer technology that the 1978 212A version). 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: Wednesday, 27 Feb 1985 09:37:08-PST From: barker%janus.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Jeremy Barker - REO2-1/J2) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: AT&T sells 5ESS to British Telecom AT&T SELLS 5ESS TO BRITISH TELECOM AT&T and Philips Telecommunications - a UK-based joint company set up to market a version of AT&T's 5ESS switch - named 5ESS-PRX - has secured an order worth $21M for 9 exchanges from British Telecom. These switches will be used to build a UK-wide overlay network said to offer services comparable to 800 and other WATS services in the US. This service will be marketed by British Telecom using the name Link Line and the network will be known as the Derived Services Network. The Link Line service will be first operated using reconditioned Strowger equipment salvaged from BT's general network because the awarding of the contract to AT&T/Philips was delayed. This order places AT&T/Philips in the front runner position to provide the alternate switch design for British Telecom's general network. Current plans by British Telecom to install a British designed switch - System X, on which work started around 1970 - are severely behind schedule with only 6 exchanges in service. Plans published in early 1982, shortly after the first exchange was commissioned, called for over 50 installations by 1986. The introduction of pilot ISDN digital services is being hit by software problems on System X. System X is manufactured in the UK by Plessey and General Electric Company (GEC - no relation of GE in the US) and was jointly designed by Plessey, GEC and STC, an ITT subsidiary at the time. The alternate switch system - named System Y - is the first major purchase by British Telecom of a non-UK designed switching system. Previously BT only large import was of an AXE switch made in Sweden by LM Ericsson for use in an international switching center. The contract to supply System Y will be awarded to one of Thorn-Ericsson (a joint between Thorn-EMI and LM Ericsson of Sweden), Northern Telecom and AT&T/Philips. System Y will initially be installed in about 20% of new and upgraded exchanges alongside System X but after 1990 orders will be split based on reliability of installed equipment. If AT&T/Philips are selected as the supplier a large manufacturing facility - including semiconductor production - will be set up in the UK by Western Electric to manufacture equipment for the European market. It is widely believed that a condition of the System Y supply contract is UK-based manufacture of the equipment. BT's rival network operator - Mercury Telecommunications - has shortlisted Thorn-Ericsson, STC, Northern Telecom and Italtel, an Italian consortium of manufacturers, to supply switches for its network. STC would supply a switch designed by ITT. Mercury has already purchased a switch from Nothern Telecom for its international service to the US. There is also currently speculation that British Telecom may buy about 20-30% of Northern Telecom's stock, but this will most likely be vetoed by UK regulatory authorities if Northern Telecom is selected as the System Y supplier. **************** This information was obtained from various published sources. Jeremy Barker - Digital Equipment Corp., Reading, England. ...!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-janus!barker (uucp) barker%janus.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Internet) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 3-Mar-85 14:49:00-PST,5632;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 3 Mar 85 14:43:09-PST Date: Sun, 3 Mar 85 16:58:20 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #165 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sun, 3 Mar 85 16:58:20 EST Volume 4 : Issue 165 Today's Topics: 1200baud over 3002circuit VAX - SUN FILE TRANSFER AT&T sells 5ESS to British Telecom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To: telecom@mit-mc.arpa Subject: 1200baud over 3002circuit Date: 27 Feb 85 21:45:56 EST (Wed) From: mrose@udel-dewey I just "took delivery" of a 3002-data circuit from Telco between my apartment and place of work. My problem is that the 9.6kbs modems I ordered won't be delivered until the 20th of March. Ugh. I happen to have a couple of direct-connect 1200baud modems sitting around. This may be a *silly* question, but can I use these modems until my real ones show up? The interface provided by TelCo is a 4-wire box, while the modems use the standard TelCo modular jack. Thanks, /mtr ps: replies to me only please... ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 1985 0000 GMT From: WIECLAWEK, JOE Subject: VAX - SUN FILE TRANSFER To: TELECOM@BBNCCA We are interested in doing "high speed" file transfer between a VAX-750(VMS) snd a SUN Workstation. (using TCP/IP ?) Can anyone offer any experiences, suggestions, or advice ? * The hosts are about 3 miles apart. * We are currently installing an Ungermann/Bass broadband LAN. (Accessible at both sites) * One consideration is to use pount-to-point modems across the broadband cable. (What are possible host to modem hardware interfaces?) Joe Wieclawek Jet Propulsion Laboratory 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91103 M.S. IPC (818)354-2419 ARPAnet - JAW@JPL-MILVAX  ------ ------------------------------ Date: Wednesday, 27 Feb 1985 09:13:50-PST From: barker%janus.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Jeremy Barker - REO2-1/J2) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: AT&T sells 5ESS to British Telecom AT&T SELLS 5ESS TO BRITISH TELECOM AT&T and Philips Telecommunications - a UK-based joint company set up to market a version of AT&T's 5ESS switch - named 5ESS-PRX - has secured an order worth $21M for 9 exchanges from British Telecom. These switches will be used to build a UK-wide overlay network said to offer services comparable to 800 and other WATS services in the US. This service will be marketed by British Telecom using the name Link Line and the network will be known as the Derived Services Network. The Link Line service will be first operated using reconditioned Strowger equipment salvaged from BT's general network because the awarding of the contract to AT&T/Philips was delayed. This order places AT&T/Philips in the front runner position to provide the alternate switch design for British Telecom's general network. Current plans by British Telecom to install a British designed switch - System X, on which work started around 1970 - are severely behind schedule with only 6 exchanges in service. Plans published in early 1982, shortly after the first exchange was commissioned, called for over 50 installations by 1986. The introduction of pilot ISDN digital services is being hit by software problems on System X. System X is manufactured in the UK by Plessey and General Electric Company (GEC - no relation of GE in the US) and was jointly designed by Plessey, GEC and STC, an ITT subsidiary at the time. The alternate switch system - named System Y - is the first major purchase by British Telecom of a non-UK designed switching system. Previously BT only large import was of an AXE switch made in Sweden by LM Ericsson for use in an international switching center. The contract to supply System Y will be awarded to one of Thorn-Ericsson (a joint between Thorn-EMI and LM Ericsson of Sweden), Northern Telecom and AT&T/Philips. System Y will initially be installed in about 20% of new and upgraded exchanges alongside System X but after 1990 orders will be split based on reliability of installed equipment. If AT&T/Philips are selected as the supplier a large manufacturing facility - including semiconductor production - will be set up in the UK by Western Electric to manufacture equipment for the European market. It is widely believed that a condition of the System Y supply contract is UK-based manufacture of the equipment. BT's rival network operator - Mercury Telecommunications - has shortlisted Thorn-Ericsson, STC, Northern Telecom and Italtel, an Italian consortium of manufacturers, to supply switches for its network. STC would supply a switch designed by ITT. Mercury has already purchased a switch from Nothern Telecom for its international service to the US. There is also currently speculation that British Telecom may buy about 20-30% of Northern Telecom's stock, but this will most likely be vetoed by UK regulatory authorities if Northern Telecom is selected as the System Y supplier. **************** This information was obtained from various published sources. Jeremy Barker - Digital Equipment Corp., Reading, England. ...!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-janus!barker (uucp) barker%janus.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Internet) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 6-Mar-85 17:40:05-PST,5223;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 6 Mar 85 17:32:38-PST Date: Wed, 6 Mar 85 16:57:10 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #166 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 6 Mar 85 16:57:10 EST Volume 4 : Issue 166 Today's Topics: Equal access in Boston dead No Long Distance Service abuse of long distance services new england telephone business office becoming more useful ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue 5 Mar 85 12:46:11-EST From: Robert Scott Lenoil Subject: Equal access in Boston dead To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Saturday morning, I tried to make a long distance call by dialing 10444-areacode-phonenumber, 10444 be the prefix for ALLNET. I received a recording saying that "my long distance phone call could not be completed as dialed...." Some experimentation revealed that not only did NO prefix work, but my default carrier, which had been MCI, had defaulted back to AT&T. (I discovered this by dialing 0-areacode-phonenumber, which would normally give me an MCI recording telling me that MCI doesn't have operator service; try AT&T. Instead, I directly received an AT&T operator.) I called New England Telephone repair service, and they told me "It's not our problem; contact your long distance carrier." Even the supervisor on duty, while willing to admit that it probably WAS their problem, insisted that the rules require that I contact my long distance carrier, who in turn would notify New England Telephone of the trouble. Yesterday I called New England Tel's business office. The people there were much more understanding, and willing to address the problem. They are supposed to be getting back to me today. However, in the interim, my curiosity led me to check if other phones in the back bay were having the same problem. My conclusion: Each of four phone lines I've checked has had its equal access seemingly disconnected. Therefore it is very possible that this condition exists throughout the Back Bay, and that unwitting consumers are having their calls routed through AT&T. Should this prove to be the case, I certainly hope that these people, as will I, hold New England Telephone accountable for the difference between AT&T's prices, and what they rightly should be paying for these phone calls. Robert Lenoil ------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 85 17:33:39 EST From: Brint Cooper To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: No Long Distance Service My son is looking for local telephone service only. He shares an apartment, and one of the crew abuses long distance calling. The area is northern Virginia. Is it possible to get such service from the phone company? (Yes, I know; call the phone company.) No doubt, most central offices have such a capability, but does any BOC actually provide this "non-service?" Alternatively, do they provide a service similar to alternate long distance carriers in areas without equal access? That is, every long distance call is made only by someone who knows a special code. Obviously, physical solutions (short of no phone at all) will not work. Thanks, Brint ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Mar 85 14:04:47 EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: abuse of long distance services To: abc@brl-tgr.arpa, telecom@bbncca.arpa I was once in that situation (where people would abuse my phone). What I ended up doing is locking the whole phone in a box and telling the others that they would have to get their own phone service. If that didn't work you could wire the jacks in the apt so the phone line only works in his bedroom. If that fails, tell him to look for another apartment. If his roommates refuse to respect his wishes, then he has no choice but to move out. Cheers, --JSol ------------------------------ To: telecom@bbncca Subject: new england telephone business office becoming more useful Date: 06 Mar 85 16:08:07 EST (Wed) From: jsol@bbnccv Lately I have noticed that the New England Telephone business office is becoming more and more educated as time goes on. More and more of the service representatives are becoming aware of what the procedures are and it takes me much less time to explain what I`m looking for from them. Most of them know about equal access (in the areas that offer it), most of them know about central office sorts of things, like I wanted two numbers, one on each ESS computer in the Back Bay Central office, and I didn't even have to explain what a ESS computer was (although they called it a different central office, she knew what I was talking about). I think NET needs to be given a commendation for its service reps. Anyone notice similar experience/education out of the Business office in your areas? --JSol ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 7-Mar-85 20:47:36-PST,2862;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 7 Mar 85 20:44:01-PST Date: Thu, 7 Mar 85 23:23:03 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #167 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Thu, 7 Mar 85 23:23:03 EST Volume 4 : Issue 167 Today's Topics: Equal access in Boston restored ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu 7 Mar 85 17:03:10-EST From: Robert Scott Lenoil Subject: Equal access in Boston restored To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA First, let me answer Brint Cooper's question from #166 about having a phone with no long distance service. Here in Back Bay, where we have equal access, if you elect not to subscribe at all to any long distance carrier, your calls will be blocked, i.e. you could reach AT&T by dialing 10ATT, or any other carrier. Also, if your primary carrier is SBS, you must dial your authorization code whenever you make a long distance call via SBS (you just dial 1 + auth. code + phone #). The problem with this, though, is that someone could dial 10ATT, and route the call over AT&T, which won't require any authorization code. I'm not sure if New England Tel offers the best of both worlds; SBS as primary carrier plus blocking to prevent you from using anybody else, but if they do, it would solve your problems. (Of course, I don't know what your local telco in Virginia does, or if you have equal access.) Okay, now the good news. After my frustrating run-in with New England Telephone over my equal access not working, I'm happy to say that the problem has been fixed. Thank heavens for the service reps in the business office; without them, I would have kept getting "it's not our problem" from lower-echelon repair service employees who are only slightly more animate than robots. I spoke today with the repair service manager for Boston. He said the problem was due to some new *SOFTWARE* to do translations that had been installed last week; it seems that said software wasn't designed with equal access in mind. The problem only arose when calling New York, but since that's all I call, to me it seemed like equal access failed completely. I'm glad that the trouble report was allowed to propagate to his desk; he told me that everyone up until him said that the problem must have lied with my long distance carrier, and he thanked me for heading off all the future problems that would have ensued with that software. (BTW, what are "translations?" I'm fairly sure that I know, but I'll let one of the "pros" give a nice textbook definition.) -Rob ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 9-Mar-85 21:51:21-PST,10631;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 9 Mar 85 21:45:40-PST Date: Sat, 9 Mar 85 23:51:16 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #168 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 9 Mar 85 23:51:16 EST Volume 4 : Issue 168 Today's Topics: Phone Sharing collect calls under equal access 0+ from rotary dial Equal access pay phones Re: Equal access in Boston restored value of spectrum AT&T wants FCC's okay fro private business lines news from the SW: PUC approves private pay phones news from the SW: Bellcore accepted into MCC Equal Access problems in Boston allow free calls from MIT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Mar 85 09:24 EST From: Steven Gutfreund To: telecom@rutgers.ARPA Subject: Phone Sharing This brings up one of my wish list 1+'s for the phone system, a way of entering a prefix code on the phone to distinguish my calls from my roomates (you have no idea what a pain it is to dis-entangle a bill of multiple users all pro-rated for taxes, a mix of local and national calls & some who want Reach-Out-America and some who don't). I don't think equal access has any provision for this sort of phone sharing. Indeed in general it should make no difference whose physical phone I am at, there should be a transparent way of indicating this is a bill to my phone. Since we are still prior to equal access, there does seem to be a way with multiple non-AT&T carriers to do this. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Mar 85 08:36:40 est From: ulysses!smb@Berkeley (Steven Bellovin) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: collect calls under equal access How will these work? Right now, only AT&T has operators, but that won't necessarily be the case forever. Suppose you use (for example) an SBS operator to place a collect call to me, and I only subscribe to AT&T. Whose facilities will carry the call? Who will I pay? --Steve Bellovin ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Mar 85 12:44:10 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: 0+ from rotary dial Some if not all exchanges will now give the special tone (the prompt for the self-service credit-card entry) even if you make a 0+ call from a rotary dial phone, in which case you have to wait a few seconds for it to "time out" and send your call to local operator. This happened to me recently from 302-656 and 302-731, both ESS. ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Fri Mar 8 21:29:00 1985 Subject: Equal access pay phones To: bbncca!telecom How are they supposed to work? Dialing 10XXX+number seems not to do what I'd expect. Do outfits that have billing arrangements with local telcos have the option of having telco collect their coins at pay phones, too? At least around here the 950 numbers work pretty reliably without putting in a dime. A final note -- the new instruction cards on pay phones are amazingly uninformative. They tell you how to place a call within the area code (which is the LATA here) but if you want to make a long distance call, you have to guess. Dialing 1+number or 0+number goes to AT&T, as always, but you wouldn't know it from the instructions. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Mar 85 17:37:19 est From: mar@mit-borax (Mark A. Rosenstein) To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: Re: Equal access in Boston restored More was wrong than just you not being able to get equal access working on calls to New York. Normally restricted phones (centrex, dormatory, and payphones) were allowed to make FREE calls to New York during this time. The condition existed for more than a week before they discovered that it was a software bug introduced when trying to convert Cambridge to equal access. New England Telephone is assuming the cost of the free calls made during that time. -Mark ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Mar 85 22:32:08 PST From: "Theodore N. Vail" To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: value of spectrum There has been discussion in Telecom in the past about the "free resource", the frequency spectrum. The value of this spectrum is brought home, with a vengeance, by an article in today's Los Angeles Times Business Section which stated that the TV station KTLA, Channel 5, is for sale, and that the president (of Golden West Television, its owner) expects that $500 million (yes 1/2 of one billion dollars) would be a "fair estimate" of what the station may fetch! The station is independent (not network); its physical facilities are old and worth at most a few million dollars. The purchaser will obtain the station's programming and existing advertising contracts, as well as its good will. However it's clear that its most important asset is its FCC license to use channel 5 in the nation's second largest television market. The 6 megahertz channel belongs to the United States Government and is licensed at (essentially) no charge to the station. One wonders how much the Government would collect if this, and all other stations, had to bid to obtain its channel. One can't also help wondering how viable the various long-distance services and "bypass" services would be if they were required to pay a reasonable fee for their use of the spectrum. Note that in any large metropolitan area the microwave spectrum that these companies use is a very limited resource (almost entirely used in lower Manhatten already). Standard economic theory requires that limited resources be restricted by high prices and this is done for "commodities" ranging from oil to diamonds. However, Uncle Sam seems to be immune to the market. If these companies were not subsidized by "free" use of the spectrum, long distance bypass would be more expensive and perhaps the high local rates and "long distance access" fees now being charged by the operating companies (to make up for revenues lost to bypass) could be substantially reduced. ted ------------------------------ Date: Sat 9 Mar 85 07:11:32-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: AT&T wants FCC's okay fro private business lines To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA AT&T wants FCC's okay for private business lines. ------------------------------------------------- Washington (AP) - AT&T on Thursday proposed that it be allowed to offer private telephone networks for business customers using the existing web of long-distance telephone lines as a backbone. If approved by the FCC, a corporation could have a system of dedicated lines to its offices across the nation without the cost of having a seperate piece of wire running from the main office to each of the outposts. An employee in any office could dial other phones on the network as easily as dialing a local call. AT&T said it would still be cheaper to maintain private dedicated circuits on heavily used lines. With private lines, customers pay a flat monthly rate no matter how many calls are made. AT&T said the service is designed for companies already heavily into private lines and would allow expansion of a private network to enhance price performance. AT&T spokesman Jim Byrnes said there would be overall savings for a customeer, although there might not be a lower price on each individual phone call. If the FCC approves, the service will be offered this year, AT&T said. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 9 Mar 85 16:35:38-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: news from the SW: PUC approves private pay phones To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA [ from the Austin American Statesman - March 8, 85 ] PAY PHONES MAY BE PRIVATE The PUC Thursday approved privately owned pay telephones to be connected to Southwestern Bell Telephone's network. Owners of the private phones will be able to charge only 25 cents or less from calls made from the privately owned pay telephones. The PUC order goes into effect within 20 days. [ I assume, these phones have no capability for long-distance calls, other than by dialing a local number for MCI, Sprint, etc. -- Werner ] ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 9 Mar 85 16:37:06-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: news from the SW: Bellcore accepted into MCC To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA [ from the Austin American Statesman - March 8, 85 ] BELL COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH (BELLCORE) has been accepted as the 21st member of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC). Bellcore, headquartered in Livingston, NJ, is the research arm for Southwestern Bell and six other regional holding companies split off from AT&T in last year's divestiture. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri 8 Mar 85 14:17:38-EST From: Ralph W. Hyre Jr. Subject: Equal Access problems in Boston allow free calls from MIT To: telecom-request@BBNCCA.ARPA The software problem that made it difficult to make long distance calls to New York from regular phone also made it easy to get free phone calls to New York on MIT's internal dormline phone system. Our student paper reported that this condition existed from Saturday afternoon and 3pm Wednesday. Normally, attempts at direct-dialed long distance calls or other toll calls are blocked from dormline, since New England Telephone has no way of charging for the calls. Apparently the equal access bug removed this block. 3 years ago, it was possible to simply get the operator to complete the call, just by saying "I'm having some sort of trouble getting through", but then they discovered abut dormline's pay-phone like status and stopped doing it.) How is New England telephone going to straighten the billing out? They said they would eat the cost of the free MIT-New York calls, but how will they correct for the overcharging? - Ralph ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 14-Mar-85 15:20:30-PST,3690;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 14 Mar 85 15:14:35-PST Date: Thu, 14 Mar 85 17:45:20 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #169 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Thu, 14 Mar 85 17:45:20 EST Volume 4 : Issue 169 Today's Topics: Equal access collect calls T1, T1C, T2, ... Re: AT&T long distance (TELECOM Digest V4 #90 and #91) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Sun Mar 10 16:25:00 1985 Subject: Equal access collect calls To: bbncca!telecom Some of the carriers such as ITT have billing arrangements with the operating companies for casual users, but bill customers who have selected them as primary carrier directly. Such an arrangement makes collect calls practical, since they always have some way to bill. But here's a similar issue. If I call home from Europe and either call collect or with a calling card, I pay the bill to AT&T, and I pay AT&T's international rate. Rates from the US to Europe are typically about half what they are the other way, so by doing so I save a bundle. My question is what the division of revenue is. Does each end just keep its money and assume the collect and credit card calls will even out as they split the costs anyway, or is there some more complicated setup? Knowing the phone company, there must be. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: 11 Mar 85 17:44:51 EST From: Roy Subject: T1, T1C, T2, ... Anyone know where I can get info on the high speed "protocols" used by the phone company (and others) called T1, T1C, T2, and also CEPT1 and CEPT2? Are they just data rates or are they more like the RS-232C type protocol which has electrical characteristics? The reason I'm asking is that I'm investigating making a ethernet to ethernet "gateway" that goes over a microwave (or land) link operating at one of these speeds. I have the design (from SUMEX) for Ethernet gateways, but they don't (I think) have any design which talks over these kinds of lines. So any help on the protocols or multibus cards that interface into this kind of stuff would be appreciated. Thanks. Roy ------- ------- ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!houpo!bear@Berkeley Date: 12 Mar 85 16:10:44 CST (Tue) To: ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: AT&T long distance (TELECOM Digest V4 #90 and #91) If you read even more carefully you will see that what AT&T wants is equal pricing for equal services. If ENFIA B and ENFIA C are equal for incoming calls why should AT&T be prohibited from using the less expensive trunks? Should OCCs be required to pay premium rates for terminating traffic from places that they have equal access? There are complex issues to be resolved in the transition from the old AT&T to the new competitive environment, but "sleazy" is unkind. ricing for equal services. If ENFIA B and ENFIA C are equal for incoming calls why should AT&T be prohibited from using the less expensive trunks? Should OCCs be required to pay premium rates for terminating traffic from places that they have equal access? There are complex issues to be resolved in the transition from the old AT&T to the new competitive environment, but "sleazy" is unkind. Jim Allen ...ihnp4!houpi!bear AT&T Bell Laboratories (201) 949-4108 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 15-Mar-85 12:06:30-PST,6909;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 15 Mar 85 12:02:25-PST Date: Fri, 15 Mar 85 13:35:01 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #170 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Fri, 15 Mar 85 13:35:01 EST Volume 4 : Issue 170 Today's Topics: 900 Service no long distance service RE: T1, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu 14 Mar 85 21:36:05-EST From: S.PAE%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA Subject: 900 Service To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Does anyone know what the pricing structure is for 900 service? What sort of calling volume do you have to have before you would clear a profit? Any information or pointers to information would be appreciated. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu 14 Mar 85 19:49:42-PST From: David Roode Subject: no long distance service To: abc@BRL-TGR.ARPA, telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA One standby way of restricting long distance access would be to install a semi-public coin telephone. This is the kind of coin telephone that incurs a monthly fee (greater than the usual phone line), but no long distance calls are possible on such a phone. Recently, a problem happened with a local jail. It seems the inmates were using many purloined calling card numbers and Sprint, MCI, etc. codes. The sheriff's solution: He is going to ask the telephone company to install rotary dial phones. Currently they have something that looks like a Charge-a-call on a metal device that rolls from cell to cell, with a ruggedized conduit being uncoiled to carry the wire along with the phone. The inmates are allowed local calls on this phone, and so can apparently get to Sprint. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1985 09:44 PST From: Art Berggreen Subject: RE: T1, etc. To: TELECOM@BBNCCA This is a summary of information which I have obtained from a short investigation of T1 and related services. All T1 services are based on "T1 carrier" circuits. These circuits employ twisted pair cables to transmit serial bit streams at 1.544 MB/sec. (or 2.048 MB/sec in Europe). Due to losses in the twisted pair cable, repeaters are required every mile or so to recover and regenerate the data. The data bits are sent using a technique known as Alternate Mark Inversion (AMI). In AMI, a pulse is sent for every "one" bit and no pulse for every "zero" bit. In order to avoid capacitive DC line charging, every pulse is generated in the opposite polarity from the previous pulse. Receive timing information must be derived from the incoming pulse stream. In order to insure that receive timing remains synchronized with the bit stream, there must be a minimum number of pulses over a given time. This is usually addressed by allowing no more than 15 consecutive zeros between one bits. Other techniques exist to overcome the consecutive zeros problem. These techniques (B8ZS and HDB3) detect sequences of consecutive zeros and send pulses which violate the alternating pattern of pulses. The receiving end recognizes these specific violations and converts them back to zero bits. Usually imposed on the basic bit stream is a data framing pattern. This framing is used to subdivide the data stream into 24 Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) slots (32 slots in Europe) which carry independent voice or data traffic. In North America, each frame consists of a framing bit followed by eight bits for each of the 24 TDM channels for a total of 193 bits per frame. This works out to an overall bit rate for each subchannel of 64KB/sec. Frames themselves are grouped into "superframes" of 12 frames or "extended superframes" of 24 frames. The framing bit follows a pattern which is used to locate boundaries of superframes. In North America, one bit is "robbed" in each of the subchannels every sixth frame to carry circuit signalling information. This only leaves 7 bits in each subchannel that can carry data without being corrupted, limiting data transmission to 56KB/sec (7/8 of 64KB/sec). In Europe, the first subchannel carries framing information, and the sixteenth subchannel carries signalling information. Therefore all 8 subchannel bits can carry data, resulting in all 64KB/sec available for data transmission. The subchannels can also carry Asynchronous data streams by sampling the asynch stream at 64KB/sec and regenerating the asynch stream at the remote end to within a 64KB/sec resolution. Due to sampling resolution, asynchronous data can only be supported up to 19.2KB/sec. The basic 1.544 MB/sec service is referred to as "DS1" and the 64KB/sec subchannel service is referred to as "DS0". Several companies sell TDM multiplexers which use standard framing on T1 circuits to provide up to 24 communication ports with standard RS-232C interfaces. Most of these will run up to 56KB/sec synchronous or 19.2KB/sec asynchronous. Some of them can combine the bandwith of several channels and provide higher speed ports than 56KB. T1C is similar to T1 but conveys 48 subchannels in 385 bit frames by running at 3.080 MB/sec. In order to migrate toward ISDN capabilities, a new framing and signalling standard is evolving called Digital Multiplexed Interface (DMI). This standard will support full 64KB/sec subchannels by reserving the 24th subchannel for signalling. The interpretation of the data on the signalling channel is defined by one of four operating modes. Modes 0 and 1 are intended to be compatible with existing signalling mechanisms. Modes 2 and 3 provide for ISDN capabilities by defining the signalling channel to carry an HDLC framing sequence. The HDLC messages carry the signalling information for the other subchannels. "Art Berggreen" ------ ------------------------------ Date: 14 March 1985 23:29-EST From: Leigh L. Klotz To: telecom-request @ BBNCCA I received a solicitation call from ITT or some subsidiary recently. They, as usual, wanted to sign me up then and there for long distance service. When I queried them on rates they responded "up to 30% less than AT&T." The caller said that she could not provide me with better rate information than that, and I said I was uninterested. She repeated that it was always 30% less than AT&T, and said yes when I asked if that meant their rates were tied to AT&T's rates for each particular call. She also said that other long-distance companies do not publish their long-distance rates. Is all this correct? ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 18-Mar-85 14:47:11-PST,9900;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 18 Mar 85 14:40:16-PST Date: Mon, 18 Mar 85 17:25:55 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #171 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Mon, 18 Mar 85 17:25:55 EST Volume 4 : Issue 171 Today's Topics: Publishing Alternate Long Distance Rates (V4 #170) Microcom Networking Protocol Amtrak tel. no. & 301-731 April-May Communications Forum seminars nenew F-O T1 lines ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri 15 Mar 85 17:23:03-EST From: Ralph W. Hyre Jr. Subject: Publishing Alternate Long Distance Rates (V4 #170) To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Well, SBS Skyline DOES publish their rates (and the struture is simple enough that I can easily program my Apple to compute the cost of a call 'on the fly'.) Travel Rates Regular Rates (per minute) U.S. Canada Mass/Adjacent Coast-Coast Anywhere else Daytime .58 .81 .27 .43 .37 Evening .38 .60 .15 .24 .20 Night/Weekend .28 .38 .11 .17 .15 - Ralph Hyre ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Mar 85 17:12:59 est From: Ken Mandelberg To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Microcom Networking Protocol I have been looking at some glossy literature for Microcom modems, including their 2400 baud entries. The modems use MNP (Microcom Networking Protocol) to allow error free data transmission. Here are some questions: 1) Does anyone know what the MNP algorithm is. I am really only interested in the asynch case? 2) Does it work well under varying situations (no data - just line noise, intermittent single character i/o, long bursts of data). I would be worried that in the single character case, the packaging might really cut down responsiveness. Remember the raw data rate is only 300/1200/2400 on these modems. 3) Whatever the algorithm, there just has to be some overhead even when there is no noise (and more when there is). The glossy doesn't mention it, but I wonder if it the modem expects to do flow control with the host and computer, and if so what kind (XON/XOFF?)?. It strikes me that this could play havoc with applications which use raw mode. The glossy has no mention of a buffer in the modem. 4) The glossy says that MNP is rapidly becoming any industry standard. (This is a little funny. Microcom has an advertisement which shows a huge pile of their competitors modems, none of which use MNP). Does anyone know what other modems use MNP, and if there are other industry standards? Ken Mandelberg Emory University Dept of Math and CS Atlanta, Ga 30322 {akgua,sb1,gatech,decvax}!emory!km USENET km@emory CSNET km.emory@csnet-relay ARPANET ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Mar 85 10:59:51 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: Amtrak tel. no. & 301-731 A telephone # at Amtrak, 400 N. Capitol St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 is given as 202-383-3860, ATS 733-3860. I have never seen ATS before. 301-731 used to be at Hagerstown, Md., but the tel. #'s on that exchange were changed to 301-790 plus last 4 digits of old number. Now 731 appears at Lanham ("Hyattsville" on phone bill; reachable via 202 areacode); 790 in DC area is at McLean, Va. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Mar 85 11:27 EST From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: April-May Communications Forum seminars To: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Massachusetts Institute of Technology Communications Forum Wideband Metropolitan Networks: CATV and Alternative Possibilities April 4, 1985 Stephen Weinstein, Bell Communications Research New business and residential communications services + will require wideband metropolitan networks with capabilities , beyond those of present telephone and cable television + facilities. This seminar will describe the technical and + political problems of building these capabilities into existing , CATV systems and discuss present and proposed techniques + including hybrid systems using the telephone network. It will, review the advantages of a distributed star network architecture - and high bit rate optical fiber and discuss how these * technologies are being introduced by telphone companies, CATV, , and other communications providers. Possibilities for advanced , services on a future network of this kind will also be + considered. Resource Sharing in Local Area Networks April 10 (Wednesday), 1985 Leonard Kleinrock, UCLA Distributed systems present a number of fascinating + challenges, not the least of which is the problem of allocating , system resources to an unpredictable demand stream. This problem - was presented to us in the form of wide area computer networks in - the l970's and faces us in the form of local area networks (LANs) - at present. The key issues and principles of resource sharing in - LANs will be discussed including, for example, topology, access , method, and medium. The seminar will also review how these , problems have been resolved in current products and consider some - likely new solutions. Telecommunications Developments in Europe April l8, l985 Peter Cowhey, University of California at San Diego Eli Noam, Columbia University The divestiture of ATfT and regulatory policies favoring , competition in long-distance telephone service have had a + profound effect outside the United States -- especially in other - highly developed countries: Japan, Canada, and the larger nations - of Western Europe. In Europe, the traditional PTT (Post, Telephone, and + Telegraph Administrations) monopolies have been questioned. , British Telecom has an officially sanctioned competitor, and BT , itself has been privatized. While other countries have not , officially moved as much toward the American model, private , companies have entered new areas on the fringe of traditional , core services. Although impetus for policy change often derives - from general arguments for deregulation and competition, much is - also made of the need to stimulate European industry in order to - export to the burgeoning American market. Encoding Voice Signals April 25, l985 Bernard Gold, MIT Lincoln Laboratory Robert McAulay, MIT Lincoln Laboratory Robert Price, M/A-Com Linkabit, Inc. Although not visible to the public, vocoders (VOice CODERS) - have been around for a long time. To date, however, technical , difficulties and cost have limited their use to such applications - as secure communications for the military. This seminar will , discuss the historical development of vocoders, why they have , been used in the past, and the potential they have for enhancing - public communications systems. Long Distance Land Lines May 2, l985 Gus Grant, Fibertrak additional speaker to be announced (note: to be held in Building 34, Room 401A) With deregulation of long distance communications in the , United States, several corporations have announced ambitious , plans to build long distance land lines. Collectively, these , plans portend a dramatic increase in long distance capacity. , This seminar will discuss the market forces driving this + expansion and the business strategies of some of the major + competitors. New Directions in Media History May 9, l985 Douglas Gomery, University of Maryland Morris Dickstein, Queens College David Thorburn, MIT New approaches to the academic study of film and other forms - of mass media have gained prominence in recent years, as the , methods of traditional disciplines such as history, literature, , cultural anthropology, and economics have begun to be applied to - contemporary audiovisual texts. Centrally interdisciplinary, , this emerging media scholarship promises new perspectives on the - cultural significance of media texts and institutions and + powerfully revises conventional accounts of their historical , development. Marlar Lounge MIT Building 37, Room 252 70 Vassar Street, Cambridge Thursday, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. (except as noted) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18-Mar-85 07:12:18 PST From: Richard Shuford Subject: nenew F-O T1 lines To: Telecom-request@bbncca.ARPA One more datum for those collecting T1 lore: During a recent conversation with a New England Telephone network-maintenance supervisor, I was told that all new T1 links being installed in his territory (Vermont) were fiber-optic, not twisted pair. He was not sure, but he believed that the F-O connections were multimode graded-index type. ......RSS ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 23-Mar-85 16:44:33-PST,2527;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 23 Mar 85 16:42:08-PST Date: Sat, 23 Mar 85 19:00:52 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #172 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 23 Mar 85 19:00:52 EST Volume 4 : Issue 172 Today's Topics: Re: Microcom Networking Protocol ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 19 Mar 1985 14:33-EST Subject: Re: Microcom Networking Protocol From: WTHOMPSON@BBNF.ARPA To: Telecom-Request@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: WThompson@BBNF.ARPA Some of the information you seek concerning MNP may be found in the August 1984 issue of "Data Communications," in a discussion on protocols. The MNP protocol is proprietary, and I'm not sure how much exact detail is available, short of paying $2,500 for a licensing agreement. I know there is a variable-length header, and that the protocol can take up less than 8 kilobytes (this info is in the article). In answer to your second and third questions: when trying to establish a connection over very noisy lines, you may be able to establish the connection itself without being able to establish the MNP portion of the connection. (MNP must be present and active in both modems for it to work, however it is certainly possible to dial in to non-MNP modems. The connection will simply not have error correcting capabilities.) Of course there is an overhead for all of this, and with MNP implemented the modems and the protocol insist on flow control. MNP ignores the switch settings concerning flow control and implements its own, which consists (I think) of hardware flow control from DCE to DTE, and of software flow control between DCEs. (I may have that backward.) In tests I have run with these units in reliable mode, overhead can range from minimal to 14%. I think the modems must clear their buffers before resuming transmission, rather than waiting for a percentage of buffer to become available, but that is strictly a guess. Lastly, I believe the reference to "standard" refers to the implementation of MNP or MNP modems by such groups as Telenet, MCI Mail, Uninet, and others. I know that Telenet has established special Microcom numbers in their public dial facility. I guess that makes a standard.... WCT ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 31-Mar-85 09:37:36-PST,14096;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 31 Mar 85 09:30:15-PST Date: Sun, 31 Mar 85 11:25:50 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #173 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sun, 31 Mar 85 11:25:50 EST Volume 4 : Issue 173 Today's Topics: Blocking Incoming Calls and other SL-1 hacks Collect Wrong Number news from the SW: MCC's Bobby Inman named to SWB's board of directors 2400 baud modem review ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu 28 Mar 85 02:31:14-CST From: Clive Dawson Subject: Blocking Incoming Calls and other SL-1 hacks To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Does anybody know enough about the guts of the Northern Telecom SL-1 PBX to tell me if there is a way to set up an extension which cannot receive any incoming calls under any circumstances? The situation is that we are setting up a call-back system for extra dial-in security. One of the vulnerable points of such systems has to do with people dialing in on the lines used to place the outgoing call-backs. It is theoretically possible that if an incoming call arrived at the same instant the call-back system initiated a call, a break-in could occur. In order to make efficient use of the outgoing trunk lines, we want the outgoing lines connected to the call-back system to go through the PBX. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a fool-proof way to set up a line which cannot be dialed into. In particular, there seems to be no way to set up permanent call-forwarding. Another idea was to give these lines 4-digit extension numbers starting with something like 8, so that any attempt to dial them would produce a WATS dial tone. Apparently the software doesn't let you do this sort of thing. We are told that the only way to properly do this would be to use the customer partition feature (which is designed to let several customers share the same switch) and declare all the call-back extensions to be a different "customer". The problem here is that they would either have to be given their own set of outgoing trunk lines or else special hardware would be required to tie them in to Customer 0's trunk lines. In either case we are talking big bucks. I'm still hoping that some sneaky trick exists to accomplish this. And talking about sneaky tricks, somebody discovered a feature (bug?) in the SL-1 which allows extensions to be call-forwarded to outgoing trunk lines. For example, if dialing 8 gives you access to a WATS line, then call-forwarding an extension to "8" will give callers to that extension a second dial tone and allow them to place long distance calls. If the extension can be dialed directly from outside the premises, this is obviously a big security problem. Furthermore, the audit-trail printout produced by the SL-1, which normally logs all long-distance calls dialed and identifies the extension, shows no record of such calls. I'd be interested to learn whether this is an inherent flaw, or whether our switch was simply not configured correctly. CLive ------- ------------------------------ Date: 28 March 85 23:30-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: Collect Wrong Number I'm mad, I mean really mad. (not crazy mind you, but just plain pissed off) About an hour ago I got this call, the conversation went as follows: RING Me: Hello Operator: I have a collect call from Terry, will you pay for the call? Me: No. a few seconds of silence Terry: Is Joe there? Me: Ummm...I think you have a wrong number Terry: Is this 202-439-6339 Me: Nope, that wasn't very nice of that operator Terry: What do you mean? Why did you accept the call if you didn't know me? Maybe you know... Me: I DIDN'T ACCEPT IT! I got her number, and said goodbye. I flashed the hook, and got an operator back on line, Operator: Are you done? Me: Yes, but I didn't accept the call, why did you put it through? Operator: I'm not the same operator, I didn't put it through, it's not my problem. she hung up on me. That was the rudest encounter I have ever had with an operator in my life. I dialed O operator, and explained my problem, he told me I would have to call my bussiness office and get it taken off my bill. I'm going to also lodge a formal complaint. What's happening to phone service in this country? Don't anyone say it...Divestiture. Damn. -Mike ------------------------------ Date: Sat 30 Mar 85 15:19:07-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: news from the SW: MCC's Bobby Inman named to SWB's board of directors To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA [ from the Austin American Statesman - March 30, 1985 ] Bob Inman, chairman and chief executive officer of MCC has been elected to the board of directors of Southwestern Bell Corp. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 31 Mar 1985 08:39 MST (Sun) From: Keith Petersen To: Telecom@BBNCCA Subject: 2400 baud modem review The following review was not written by me. It was downloaded from a Remote CP/M system. Unfortunately there is no way to reach the author because it is unsigned. It is presented here for its possible informational value. Please address discussions/comments to the mailing list, not me. I don't own a 2400 baud modem. --Keith 10 Mar 85 *** DISCLAIMER *** The products described here were repeatedly tested for a specific application only. No value was placed on advanced features not directly related to their intended use. The opinion expressed herein is that of the reviewer and may, in fact WILL differ considerably from other reviewers' opinions. This is an unsolicited review. Anyone able to disprove the reviewes claims is welcome to do so. This review is about as unobjective as it can get. In a data processing environment, chances are the employee with a terminal and a modem (or computer) and access to the business computer via dialup will be more productive and is more likely to put in a few hours' worth of unsolicited overtime per week than the employee who has access to the same computer only during working hours. Therefore, it was decided that the office computer be set up with at least one high-speed dialup line and the most economical choice was that of a 1200/2400 baud modem. The modems were going to be used for two purposes: 1. unattended autoanswer 2. occasional use for dialout Testing was started as soon as modems became available through a local distributor. Due to this factor only two brands were evaluated. Here is the story on both of them: 1. PENRIL 2024 The Penril 2024 seems to be the first widely available 1200/2400 baud modem, with the exception of the prohibitively priced VADIC 4400 series. The 2024's list price is somewhere around $900. The 2024 offers two baud rates, 1200 and 2400. The 1200 baud protocol can be switched from 212A to V.22 at configuration time. By today's standards, the 2024 cannot be considered a "smart" modem in that its smartness is limited to the ability to dial a phone number. Placing the modem in autoanswer mode is accomplished by simply configuring the internal and external switches according to the manual, releasing all front panel switches and plugging it in. The 2024 does not have a power switch (a definite plus in this application). Originating a phone call with the 2024 is a cumbersome procedure, especially in an application where the modem may be 100 feet away from the terminal. First, the modem must be taken out of autoanswer mode by pressing a front panel switch. Next, the originate baud rate must be selected by locking the HI/LO switch IN or OUT. Note that if you set up the modem for 2400 baud, you can call a 1200 baud number because of the "fallback" feature. You just have to adjust your terminal baud rate after connect. The 2024 has no abort provisions. While dialing, the TALK/DATA switch can be used to abort. When connected, you must either cause the remote computer to drop carrier or you again have to hit the switch. An alternative is dropping the DTR line low, but in some instances that's a bit hard to do. Dialing a phone number is very awkward. The sequence is "CRNnnnnnnn" so to dial 555-1212, you type CRN5551212^M^J. Fine if the ENTER key on your keyboard generates a CR-LF sequence; with most terminals you have to hit two keys. Sorry, no redial capability. The Penril worked fine calling the local TYMNET 2400 baud access number, but no connection was established to any long distance modem at 2400 baud. The modem is superbly suited for unattended autoanswer mode. the 2024 can be turned on and left alone and if something goes wrong it's the software but not the modem. The continuous high-pitched noise coming out of the built-in speaker may be objectionable to some -- it picks up the strongest local AM radio station. the speaker can be turned low or off via an internal jumper block. One 2024 modem was tested initially in early November 1984, and two were again tested in late February 1985. No difference was found between the three modems, even though the early onemay have been a preproduction unit. 2. USR COURIER 2400 The USR Courier seems to be the first smart low-priced modem to be released, probably due to the fact that, unlike many manufacturers, it does not use the Rockwell chip set. It features Hayes 2400 compatibility. I will briefly summarize the positive aspects of the modem: - externally accessible, well-labeled configuration switches - external switch to reverse pins 2 & 3, thus eliminating the need for a null modem - result codes can be completely turned off via switch - volume control for internal speaker After setting the configuration switches (an easy task for anyone who has ever set up a modem) the Courier is ready for operation. With the appropriate switch setting, it can be used both in originate and answer mode without any hardware changes. Originating a call can be accomplished with the now-famous ATDT sequence, except that command letters no longer have to be in caps. As with other smart modems, any character typed while dialing or waiting for carrier aborts the action and hangs up the line. The "escape" character can be used to either return the modem to command mode (like the Hayes) or to hang up (like other USR modems) depending on a configuration switch setting. The Courier was used to successfully connect to the local TYMNET number. A later model also was able to talk to a VADIC 2400 baud unit over long distance (Wayne Masters' RCPM). The Courier was also able to call and be called by a Penril 2024 and another Courier. As to autoanswer mode, the modem was a complete washout to put it mildly. Surely, hard- and software are partly to blame but the fact that other modems (including USR Password and AD212A) work with the same setup indicates a serious flaw in the Courier. The hardware used, for whatever reason, drops DTR while changing baud rates. The duration is so short that all other modems tested on the hardware, EXCEPT the Courier, are totally unaffected. The Courier will, upon carrier lock and receipt of the first character typed, drop the carrier 3 out of 4 times at 1200 and 2400 baud. While no considerations were given to 300 baud performance, it was noted that those problems only exist at 1200 and 2400 baud. Placing a 5MFD capacitor from the DTR line to ground totally fixed this problem. In autoanswer mode, the modems were used as follows: - all result codes are inhibited - on carrier loss, computer reboots, cycles DTR, then waits for a character typed by constantly polling the data input port - on receipt of character, baud rate is tested and, if necessary, changed I must again stress that this method works with all modems tested. The USR Courier, however, would simply refuse to answer any more phone calls after answering a few. No set pattern was discovered. Sometimes, the modem would work properly for 5-10 calls then refuse to answer, at other times it would only allow 1 or 2 calls. When it refused to answer, no outside indication was given as to the problem. The appropriate LEDs on the front panel were lit yet the modem did not respond to the ring. Surely, this is a most serious deficiency and I have decided that the Courier is unfit for use in this particular application. I am convinced the problem lies solely with the Courier, particularyly sonce both the Auto Dial 212A and the Password 1200 work in the exact same environment (except for the much-needed 2400 capa- bility, of course). In closing I must again stress that the USR certainly is a superb modem and very well suited to originate applications. Considering that 99 out of 100 modems sold will never be used for pure autoanswer purposes, the Courier is not at all a failure. One modem was tested in late November, two in late February (both were preproduction units) and thre PRODUCTION units were tested in March. All five units exhibited the same problems. ...may those who have the power to change things do so, may those whose toes I stepped on test for themselves before stepping on mine, may those who want to buy a Courier not be discouraged. If YOU intend to use a USR Courier in an autoanswer-only environment, please by all means give it a try, it may sure work for you. If it doesn't, you have been warned, and if it does, either "they" fixed it or the problem is installation-dependent... ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 1-Apr-85 20:33:56-PST,4666;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 1 Apr 85 20:32:16-PST Date: Mon, 1 Apr 85 22:37:16 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #174 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Mon, 1 Apr 85 22:37:16 EST Volume 4 : Issue 174 Today's Topics: Re: Blocking Incoming Calls and other SL-1 hacks Hayes 2400 modem speaking of sneaky tricks ... Common Carrier T1 MCC unveils Mistery Program ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Apr 85 1:11 EST From: James A. Dorf Subject: Re: Blocking Incoming Calls and other SL-1 hacks To: telecom@bbncca.arpa ----- Why do you stipulate "permanent" call-forwarding on your modem extension when I think "standard" SL-1 call-forwarding would work: once set, the only way to alter or cancel call-forwarding on the SL-1 would be for your dial-OUT modem to dial "#1" (or is it "*1"? (my SL-1 extension is on an ACD..)) ... Unless the modem (or software running the modem) can be modified to tone-out the cancel-code and then hang-up, security is preserved.. Eh???? /jad ----- ------------------------------ Date: Saturday, 23 March 1985 10:35-MST From: STERNLIGHT@USC-ECL Subject: Hayes 2400 modem I have had a Hayes 2400 modem for a week, now. It came with a note saying that it wouldn't work on some earlier PBX's, and if I had one, to return the modem and a new one would be sent out in 2 weeks. It is much more vulnerable to shot noise (appears as random left-hand curly brackets) than the Hayes 1200, at 1200 baud. --david-- ------------------------------ Date: Apr 1985 1 09:39-EST From: David.Anderson@CMU-CS-K.ARPA To: Clive Dawson Cc: telecom@bbncca Subject: speaking of sneaky tricks ... Here at CMU the dialup numbers for the comp center micoms all start with the digit '9', which makes it impossible to call those numbers through the local switch. Apparently this was done to keep the hackers in the dorms from tying up these lines. This used to be a real hassle, since my only means of connecting to these machines from my office used to be via modem, and I'd have to place a real phone call to reach them (and I had to pay for my measured local usage). The campus operator said that she couldn't connect me directly. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Apr 1985 12:06 PST From: Art Berggreen Subject: Common Carrier T1 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Cc: TCP-IP@SRI-NIC I have been trying to get a handle on the bit stream framing requirements for using common carrier T1 circuits (DS1). There seems to be a feeling that, at least, 193 bit framing must be followed. My conversations with various people (including people inside various ATT companies and BELLCORE) lead me to the conclusion that the 193 bit framing has no technical basis and was rather a convention that ATT wanted to enforce before divestiture. Since divestiture, it appears possible to utilize common carrier T1 service without regard to framing (the ones density requirement will always be there). Any one have DEFINITE information to the contrary? Art Berggreen ------ ------------------------------ Date: Mon 1 Apr 85 18:57:58-CST From: Werner Uhrig Subject: MCC unveils Mistery Program To: ailist@UTEXAS-20.ARPA, telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA MCC Unveils Mystery Plan There's a new research program in the works at MCC ... MCC's directors approved the new program last month and that it will be under way by fall. But [Inman] is not ready to reveal jsut what the new MCC team will be researching. The consortium has had at least three new programs under consideration: computer-to-computer communications, semiconducter materials and computer-aided manufacturing. Four programs are well under way at MCC - computer-aided design, semiconductor packaging, advanced computer architecture, and software engineering. Inman said approval for the new program, which demanded a three-quarters vote of the 20-member MCC board, represents a "vote of confidence" in the consortium's current research programs. [ after Bellcore joined, the priority given to communications' issues should have increased. ---Werner ] ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 2-Apr-85 18:47:15-PST,4523;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 2 Apr 85 18:43:58-PST Date: Tue, 2 Apr 85 20:52:47 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #175 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 Apr 85 20:52:47 EST Volume 4 : Issue 175 Today's Topics: Multi-line telephones for residential use T1 framing requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 April 1985 22:28-EST From: Jon Solomon To: telecom @ BBNCCA Can anyone furnish me with a complete list of common carriers serving the Boston area and their equal access prefix codes? I want to do a survey on quality vs. price so I can decide which one will best serve my needs. Thanks, --JSol ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Apr 85 14:23:55 PST From: "Theodore N. Vail" To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: Multi-line telephones for residential use Sometime ago I asked telecom readers about multi-line telephones for residential use, which could serve more than two lines. Since then I have learned of two: Another telecom reader mentioned that at Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January, Teleconcepts announced a product called the "FeaturePhone V", an instrument which was said to have the ability to handle three central-office trunk lines. According to a company spokesman, it has just a single "in-use" light that shows both actual use and a "hold" condition, but apparently some form of remote pick-up is supported. Its wiring requirement is said to be just the 3 trunk pairs. This phone was being promoted for use in residential installations, but it's not clear that Teleconcepts will actually get it into wide retail distribution. Because very few residences have three trunks, the market for it seems to be small. For more information contact Teleconcepts Inc. 22 Culbro Dr. West Hartford, CT 06110 203/666-5666 I have found (and bought) a four-line phone at (of all places) the Radio Shack Telephone/Computer Store in Santa Monica, selling for about $170.00. It provides essentially all of the features of a standard teleco office keyset without requiring special wiring (aside from the standard two wires per line). It does require a low-voltage supply (9v DC) and a battery backup. The functional differences are 1. The display consists of 4 green led's (not red). 2. When a line is ringing, the corresponding led flashes only when the bell is ringing (there is no trigger to keep it going continuously until that line is answered). The hold and in-use signals are as usual. 3. It is not as sturdy as the telco instrument. 4. It provides a modular jack into which can be plugged a dialer, a speaker phone, etc. This is connected in parallel with the built-in instrument. The current flow obtained when the instrument is off-hook signals the other equipment (no special switching is required). 5. It connects to the lines using 1 to 4 RJ11 modular jacks (which can be 1 or 2 line, per FCC specs) instead of using a 50 conductor amphenol plug. The hold is of a type common in residential two line instruments. A simple circuit (one for each line) maintains the current flow and holds the line. When any instrument on that line is picked up, the lowered impedance causes a voltage drop, which the hold circuit senses, causing it to release. I have had it for about two months with no problems yet. [I have no business or personal affiliation with Teleconcepts or Radio Shack. Nor have I ever seen the FeaturePhone V.] ted ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Apr 85 12:51:32 pst From: amdcad!phil@decwrl.ARPA (Phil Ngai) To: decwrl!telecom-request@bbncca.ARPA Subject: T1 framing requirements I believe the phone companies have alarm circuits which go off when the T1 framing information is invalid. Even assuming they would be willing to turn off or ignore the alarm on your non-conforming datastream, isn't being able to take advantage of the phone company's diagnostic equipment worth the cost of putting in at least the 193th bit framing information? ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 3-Apr-85 21:46:26-PST,5013;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 3 Apr 85 21:44:44-PST Date: Wed, 3 Apr 85 23:28:38 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #176 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 3 Apr 85 23:28:38 EST Volume 4 : Issue 176 Today's Topics: Re: Equal access carriers Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #174 Re: Common Carrier T1 The wonders of Modern Technology ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue 2 Apr 85 22:10:48-EST From: Robert Scott Lenoil Subject: Re: Equal access carriers To: jsol@MIT-MC Date: 1 April 1985 22:28-EST From: Jon Solomon To: telecom @ BBNCCA Can anyone furnish me with a complete list of common carriers serving the Boston area and their equal access prefix codes? I want to do a survey on quality vs. price so I can decide which one will best serve my needs. Thanks, --JSol Here are all the prefix codes that I know: 10288 - AT&T 10222 - MCI 10333 - possibly US Tel? 10444 - ALLNET 10777 - SPRINT 10888 - SBS 10488 - ITT 10220 - Western Union That only leaves First Phone LINK Service. If anyone knows their prefix code, please post it. -Robert ------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Apr 85 09:11:56 est From: decvax!watmath!hardware@Berkeley (MFCF Hardware Lab) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #174 I was wondering how I should go about posting an arcticle on fa.telecom I think I have to do it through the moderator (You?). My question to the board is: does anyone have the scematics for telephone keypads? I have drawn up four keypads and each one has a different layout, they are western electric, northern telecom and two northern electric. One of the northern electric is out of a payphone, which is probably why it is different. I am an avid phone collector, and would appreciate any drawings or scematics anyone has on tele- phones. (PBX and such included.) Thanks, Andrew Rahme. hardware@watmath ------------------------------ Date: 3 Apr 1985 08:37:37 PST Subject: Re: Common Carrier T1 From: COHEN@USC-ISIB.ARPA To: ART@ACC.ARPA Art, I have to admit it: I nearly fell for it, until I noticed the date of your message. Really one of the cleverest and most subtle April-fools messages!!! Danny. P.S., In the remote case that this is a genuine inquiry: There is a LOT to the technical requirement for T1-framing. There are STRICT rules for the 193rd bit -- without it all the equipment of the carrier will indicate errors and would send warning messages to their NCC's which probably will result in discontinuing your service, unless special costly arrangements are made around it. There also others rules like the good old "no-consecutive-16-zeroes" and "at-least-3-ones-in-any-sequence-of-24-bits", and more. Some of these rules are no longer mandatory in Europe, and within N years they will not be needed here either, hopefully for a small N. The 193rd-bit will be in for LONG time. I bet. [] ------- ------------------------------ Date: 3 Apr 85 15:12:20 PST (Wednesday) Subject: The wonders of Modern Technology From: "Bruce Hamilton.OsbuSouth"@XEROX.ARPA To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA My G.E. one-piece phone has a lot of nice features, like optional 20 pulse per second dialing as well as 10-pulse and tone, plus a 12-number memory. However, the ergonomics are TERRIBLE. The pulse/tone and ringer on/off switches are right next to your thumbs. And another thing, which is the object of this story... Last night I picked up the phone and dropped it. I noticed I might have accidently dialed some digits, so I tried pressing the switchhook countless times, but I could NOT get dial tone. I decided to let it go until morning. Imagine my surprise when, 10 minutes later, four cops showed up at my door! Turns out there are three "emergency" buttons just above the numeric keypad which require only a SINGLE keystroke to call the numbers. I had programmed in 911. Apparently the 911 folks can hold onto your line somehow, once you call them. When they didn't hear a voice on the other end, they sent the cops. After the appropriate apologies, I STILL couldn't get dial tone. Ten minutes later I saw my Code-A-Phone answering machine flashing one of its lights in a strange way, and I figured out that IT had clamped onto my line, started recording, and finally stopped and started flashing when it ran out of tape. Moral: DON'T program in emergency numbers. --Bruce ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 6-Apr-85 17:01:48-PST,5794;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 6 Apr 85 16:57:57-PST Date: Sat, 6 Apr 85 19:38:33 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #177 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 6 Apr 85 19:38:33 EST Volume 4 : Issue 177 Today's Topics: alternatives to modems (query) Re: alternatives to modems (query) ATT&T glossy advertising -- proto Delayed Call Forwarding weirdness ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Apr 1985 4 11:12-EST From: David.Anderson@CMU-CS-K.ARPA To: videotech@sri-csl, telecom@bbncca, info-hams@brl Subject: alternatives to modems (query) I'm looking for information on higher bandwidth alternatives to modems for communications from our department to off-campus users. The technologies that I'm considering include using an otherwise unused cable channel, packet radio, and anything else you can suggest. I'm looking for pointers to existing systems in other cities, technical articles describing these technologies, and vendors of off-the-shelf equipment. Please respond by mail, and I'll post a summary later. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Apr 85 10:09 PST From: Thomka.es@Xerox.ARPA Subject: Re: alternatives to modems (query) To: David.Anderson@CMU-CS-K.ARPA If you have the equipment to transmit a closed cable television channel you may look into having a full teletext channel (no picture, using almost the entire 525 lines for teletext code). I'm not suggesting that you send out a picture, just that you use the technology to send data to a decoder on the other end of the cable. With a 5.7 Mbit/sec. rate, which US teletext uses, you could get super fast data transmision, even if you included a lot of error checking and correction. See Radio and Electronics magazine Nov81, Dec81 and Feb82 for a 3 part article on what teletext is and is capable of. Chuck ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Apr 85 13:29:50 PST From: "Theodore N. Vail" To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: ATT&T glossy advertising -- proto I just received a fancy advertising brochure from AT&T Bell Laboratories. It contained a lot of spiff about high-visibility projects at Bell Labs, an editorial about the "ultimate network" (i.e. AT&T's Network Systems), etc. It is well done and quite similar to what I receive from many other large corporations. The unique difference is that it came with a letter inviting me to subscribe to future issues for $15.00 per year! With this kind of merchandising effort, how can AT&T's competition fail to succeed? ted ------------------------------ Date: Fri 5 Apr 85 16:41:22-PST From: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Subject: Delayed Call Forwarding weirdness To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA I want to tell you about a an interesting hassle I am having with Pacific Bell, and maybe someone can make a few comments based on your knowledge of how an ESS works, or perhaps point me to some wizard that can verify this behaviour. A couple of weeks ago I had "Delayed Call Forwarding" (DCF) installed on my 325-9427 number. This feature (also commonly known as forward-on- no-answer) allows the incoming call to be routed to a secretary, answering service or whatever. The restriction is that the destination number is FIXED, it is programmed in at the time of installation, and to have it changed you pay another $6 and presumably wait a couple of days. Well, since I have TWO lines, the obvious way to make this a more flexible service is to have the DCF go to my OTHER number, 325-9542 which in term would be variably forwarded to the number of my choice. This would yield the following (expected) behaviour: 1. You call 325-9427 2. You hear 3 rings 3. On (or about) the 4th ring the call is transferred to 325-9542 which rings ONCE to indicate that it is forwarded 4. Normal forwarding then takes place (the caller hears ringing while all this is going on) and the destination number is reached. BUT, this does not work at all. When the second line is forwarded, no DCF to that line takes place and the phone will ring forever on the first -9427 number. I tried to explain to the Pac Bell people that this was very undesirable and only works this way because both numbers are on the SAME ESS. In other words, the ESS "knows" that -9542 is forwarded and this somehow overides DCF. The way they explained this to me is that there are conceptually TWO tables, one dynamic (for normal call forwarding) and one fixed for DCF. The fixed "DCF-table" is altered when -9542 is forwarded and this results in a "no-go" for DCF. If you instead have DCF going to ANOTHER CO, the first CO has no "knowlege" of any forwarding tables in the second CO and therefore you can merily forward your DCF destination number to wherever you like and things will work as one normally expects. Now for the punchline: Pac Bell cannot determine whether the above restriction is a bug or an intended feature and have requested Bell Labs to investigate, something which apparently takes 6 months or more. Meanwhile, I am considering biting the dust and having the DCF go to another CO (my office) and "steer it" from there. If anyone out there has extensive knowledge of ESSs, I would appreciate a message or a call, is this a bug or a feature?? ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 10-Apr-85 16:09:29-PST,4872;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 10 Apr 85 16:04:34-PST Date: Wed, 10 Apr 85 17:58:37 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #178 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 10 Apr 85 17:58:37 EST Volume 4 : Issue 178 Today's Topics: alternatives to modems (query) Toll-Free 900 numbers Re: Multiple phone line management Two-Line Phones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Apr 1985 4 11:40-EST From: David.Anderson@CMU-CS-K Subject: alternatives to modems (query) I'm looking for information on higher bandwidth alternatives to modems for communications from our department to off-campus users. The technologies that I'm considering include using an otherwise unused cable channel, packet radio, and anything else you can suggest. I'm looking for pointers to existing systems in other cities, technical articles describing these technologies, and vendors of off-the-shelf equipment. Please respond by mail, and I'll post a summary later. -- David.Anderson@cmu-cs-k.ARPA ..!seismo!cmu-cs-k!dba (412) 422-1255 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8-Apr-85 04:13:42 PST From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: Toll-Free 900 numbers To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA I recently stumbled across the fact that there is a class of area code 900 numbers that is toll free, instead of incurring the usual $0.50/$0.35 charge step. Locally (here in L.A.) I saw an ad for an info number that was given as (900) 200-XXXX. The ad clearly stated that the number was toll free. It seemed a bit odd, so I checked with both the GTE and the AT&T operators. Both needed a bit of coaxing to get past the immediate "50 cents for the first minute" line. What we eventually determined is that (900) 200-XXXX represents a special class of toll free 900 numbers. Presumably there is some good reason why an entity would choose (900) 200 over (800), perhaps relating to regional office call distribution and routing for large companies.... Does anyone have any specific information about the purpose of the toll free 900 service vis-a-vis 800 service? Thanks. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Apr 85 04:06:11 pst From: sun!gnu@Berkeley (John Gilmore) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: Multiple phone line management In the latest Pac Telesis flyer they offer a "Premiere communications system" service, to wit: "links your separate phone lines (up to 20) in a single system. It operates on a touch-tone set and features call hold, intercom, call transfer, three-way calling and call pick up." This is listed on the same page as call waiting, forwarding and speed calling, leading me to believe that it's implemented in the CO rather than in big relay racks hanging in your basement. This costs $7/mo per line for 2 to 6 lines, $10/line for up to 20 lines, plus a $5/line installation fee. This is the first I've heard of it, does anyone have further info? ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 85 10:00:04 EDT (Mon) From: Nathaniel Mishkin Subject: Two-Line Phones To: apollo!telecom@mit-mc.arpa A couple of months ago I sent a query about two-line phone with "true hold" (i.e. a hold that can be set on one extension and released on another). Since several people asked me for any information I found and since the following might be of general interested, here it is: I stopped by an ATT Phone Center Store and they've just recently (within the past few months) come out with a two-line phone with hold. It's a bit of an ugly sucker and it has the truly outrageous price tag of $199, but it does the job. It is a tone-only phone. It can be left on the desk or mounted on the wall. After I was at the ATT store, I crossed the street to Radio Shack and saw that they too now have a two-line phone with hold AND a tone/pulse selector switch. It costs $69. It looks pretty much like a conventional touch-tone desk phone with three buttons (line 1, 2, and hold) and a slide switch (tone/pulse) jammed in. I asked how it sounded and the salesman said "We're using it as the business phone -- try it yourself". So I made a local call. It sounded OK. Hard to judge because the environment was a bit noisy. Anyway, he said that the phone's been real popular and that he expect they'll be coming out with other models (e.g. a wall-mounting version) in the near future. -- Nat ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 13-Apr-85 12:23:57-PST,1851;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 13 Apr 85 12:20:19-PST Date: Sat, 13 Apr 85 14:29:13 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #179 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 13 Apr 85 14:29:13 EST Volume 4 : Issue 179 Today's Topics: 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #178 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 85 7:56:04 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA I called 718-976-3838 again recently, and just got phone bill showing NEW YORK, NY again for it. (718 should be fully cut over by now, so this seems to be a permanent arrangement?) Rule of thumb in Los Angeles area: if zipcode is 91xxx, phone is probably in 818 area; if 90xxx, in 213 area. ------------------------------ From: tektronix!andrew%lemming.tek@Berkeley To: tektronix!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Date: Fri, 12 Apr 85 16:05:15 PST Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #178 Here in Oregon/Washington, Pacific Northwest Bell has been offering something like the Pac Telesis "Premier communications system" for several months now. It's called the "Centrex" system. Their radio and newspaper ads harp upon the fact that there's no equipment on your premises, it's easy to upgrade and downgrade, and they claim an average two hours downtime in forty years. -=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP] (orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 14-Apr-85 19:05:50-PST,1851;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 14 Apr 85 19:00:46-PST Date: Sat, 13 Apr 85 14:29:13 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #179 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 13 Apr 85 14:29:13 EST Volume 4 : Issue 179 Today's Topics: 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #178 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 85 7:56:04 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA I called 718-976-3838 again recently, and just got phone bill showing NEW YORK, NY again for it. (718 should be fully cut over by now, so this seems to be a permanent arrangement?) Rule of thumb in Los Angeles area: if zipcode is 91xxx, phone is probably in 818 area; if 90xxx, in 213 area. ------------------------------ From: tektronix!andrew%lemming.tek@Berkeley To: tektronix!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Date: Fri, 12 Apr 85 16:05:15 PST Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #178 Here in Oregon/Washington, Pacific Northwest Bell has been offering something like the Pac Telesis "Premier communications system" for several months now. It's called the "Centrex" system. Their radio and newspaper ads harp upon the fact that there's no equipment on your premises, it's easy to upgrade and downgrade, and they claim an average two hours downtime in forty years. -=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP] (orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 17-Apr-85 14:36:02-PST,9755;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 17 Apr 85 14:28:29-PST Date: Wed, 17 Apr 85 16:25:33 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #180 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 17 Apr 85 16:25:33 EST Volume 4 : Issue 180 Today's Topics: Modem calls using NON-ATT carriers 900 number query more about Premiere Re: Premier service 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #179 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA 1.544 Mb formats ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 Apr 85 10:03 PST From: M. D. Parker To: Telecom%BBNCCA@Nosc Cc: mike@logicon Subject: Modem calls using NON-ATT carriers I recently attempted to utilize some of the other long distance carriers to call other modems. However, I have run into some problems and it seems to be independent of the baud rate (both 300 and 1200). Here are some characteristics of the problem: 1. Call other modem number. 2. The remote modem answers and my modem gives a CONNECT indication. 3. Barely seconds into the call the modem gives me the NO CARRIER indication and the call is terminated. There are no 'noise' brackets (i.e. {{ at 1200 baud). I do not have this problem using the ATT. What kind of problem am I seeing here? Is this simply a weak signal over the connection? Mike Parker ARPA: mike@logicon ------------------------------ Date: 15-Apr-85 10:49 PST From: William Daul - Augmentation Systems - McDnD Subject: 900 number query To: telecom@bbncca.arpa It is the 900 numbers that can handle multiple simultaneous calls? If so, how does the equipment work? Thanks, --Bi// ------------------------------ From: dual!qantel!stv@Berkeley (Steve Vance@ex2499) Subject: more about Premiere Date: 15 Apr 85 18:52:29 GMT I have the Bell pamphlet, "10 ways Premiere makes your life a lot easier", which doesn't tell me everything I would want to know about it, by any means. Apparently, Premiere is something you can get when you have two or more phone lines going to your house, or when some family member lives near enough to you to be serviced by the same ESS office. The brochure is only 10 pages, with one sentence per page, with a cutsie picture depicting what the sentence is saying. What follows, in fact, is the full text of the brochure. (Don't get upset, Lauren, there's no copyright notice on it.) Page 1: Reach family members by pushing 2 buttons with INTERCOM. Reach anyone on any Touch-Tone line in your home instantly by pushing just 2 buttons. No more yelling from the kitchen to the office or kids' room. Indispensable in an emergency! Page 2: Answer any ring from any phone with CALL PICKUP. Call pickup lets you answer Grandma's phone from your bedroom. Or your business phone from the kitchen. So you never have to make a mad dash for a distant phone again. Page 3: Switch calls from one line to another with CALL TRANSFER. Let your phone do the running around. Send your wife's calls to the greenhouse, business calls to the office or studio. Page 4: Put calls "on hold" while you consult in privacy...with CALL HOLD. Here's the simple solution for all those times when you're on the phone, yet you want to consult with your family--or even answer another call--without being overheard. Page 5: Talk with family, friends or business associates in 2 different places at once--with 3-WAY CALLING. Visit with long distance relatives or friends on birthdays or anniversaries...arrange local church, school or club activities--all on a 3-way call right from your home. Page 6: Never miss a call--even if you're already on the phone--with CALL WAITING (OPTIONAL FEATURE). If someone is trying to reach you while you're on the line, a gentle "beep" lets you know. Page 7: Make sure calls reach you wherever you go with CALL FORWARDING (OPTIONAL FEATURE). Instead of being tied to your house to answer calls, have them follow you. Page 8: Distinguish between inside and outside calls with DISTINCTIVE RINGING (OPTIONAL FEATURE). Distinctive Ringing lets you know whether a call is from outside (2 rings) or inside (1 ring) your home. Page 9: Reach important numbers in seconds with CONVENIENCE DIALING (OPTIONAL FEATURE). Convenience dialing lets you reach up to 30 emergency or frequently-called numbers by pushing just 2 buttons. Cuts search-and-dial time by 80%! Page 10: Away or busy? Let someone else answer with ALTERNATE ANSWERING (OPTIONAL FEATURE). If you've stepped away--or you're already on the phone--Alternate Answering automatically routes your incoming calls to another line so someone else can answer--and take messages for you. There's a card stapled to the front of this cornucopia of information: you can call Bonnie Fair toll free at 415-572-6330, although if you don't live in the Northern California Pacific Bell service area, she would probably be happier if you called your local business office if you want to know more. She did tell me that no extra equipment was necessary, in fact, it's not even necessary for an installer to visit your home, although I don't know how they could make one phone in your house ring and not all the others without some kind of special hardware somewhere! -- Steve Vance {dual,hplabs,intelca,nsc,proper}!qantel!stv dual!qantel!stv@berkeley Qantel Corporation, Hayward, CA ------------------------------ Date: 15-Apr-85 13:35:42-PST From: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Subject: Re: Premier service To: telecom@MIT-MC.ARPA Cc: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA This is much like Centrex II, an early ESS-based service allowing large organizations to have internal dialing and other PBX-type services without on-premises switching equipment. Everything was done in the CO using software in the ESS. There was an operator position for the ``PBX operator'', but it was just a very specialized terminal into the ESS. Providing this service for small organizations makes a lot of sense. The big guys buy their own PBX systems today. John Nagle ------------------------------ Date: 15 Apr 85 22:04:46 PST From: Murray.pa@Xerox.ARPA Subject: 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: Murray.pa@Xerox.ARPA Why is it that many of the 800 numbers advertised have an exception for a whole state? I assume that it's a regulatory/billing problem. Sometimes I see another 800 number for use within a state, so (at least in some cases) it's not just the cost. Aren't the billing computers smart enough to keep track of the different rates? I'd think crossing a state line would be just one more complication among many. ------------------------------ Date: Tue 16 Apr 85 21:25:16-EST From: Robert Scott Lenoil Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #179 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Date: Fri, 12 Apr 85 7:56:04 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: 718-976; areacode & zipcode around LA I called 718-976-3838 again recently, and just got phone bill showing NEW YORK, NY again for it. (718 should be fully cut over by now, so this seems to be a permanent arrangement?) The switch to 718 for the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island did not bring an accompanying change in boundaries - they are all still part of New York City, thank you. (This is just the sort of thing us non-Manhattanites feared would happen when we lost the 212 area code.) -Robert ------- ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!homxa!hood@Berkeley Date: 17 Apr 85 09:39:03 CST (Wed) To: ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom From: Ron Hood Subject: 1.544 Mb formats I've noticed some discussion on the formats for T1 carrier, and DS1 streams during the last few digests. While I don't claim to be an expert I can offer a few pointers to good sources. A sort of standard reference in the former Bell System is the "Red Books"; a three volume set published by Western Electric covering everything you could ever want to know about transmission. I don't know if the set is available to the general public, but you might look around. The title is "Telecommunications Transmission Engineering" and was published by WeCo Technical Publications, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A second document is Compatibility Bulletin 119 (formerly TA 34). This contains the "Interconnection Specification for Digital Cross-Connects" which is a round about way of saying that it has the specs for the DS-1, DS-2, DS-3, and DS-4 formats. This is alleged to be available from: Publishers' Data Center, Inc. P.O. Box C-738 Pratt Street Station Brooklyn, New York 11205 (212) 834-0170 A slight clarification of terms is that a T1 line is a digital metallic carrier system developed by AT&T while a DS-1 stream is a standardized 1.544Mb interface. In practice the terms are used interchangeably since the only difference is that T1 will sometimes have a DC offset to power remote repeaters. I don't advocate misusing the terms, but you'll find it where ever you go (similar to baud vs bits per second). Ron ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 18-Apr-85 22:49:57-PST,10154;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 18 Apr 85 22:43:05-PST Date: Fri, 19 Apr 85 0:52:23 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #181 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Fri, 19 Apr 85 0:52:23 EST Volume 4 : Issue 181 Today's Topics: [Carl Moore (VLD: Re: answer to NEW YORK, NY] Re: answer to NEW YORK, NY Delayed call forwarding revisited. Re: Modem calls using NON-ATT carriers. 800 numbers Equal Access and Data Communications Re: 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #180 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Apr 85 16:01:32 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl-Vld.ARPA Subject: [Carl Moore (VLD: Re: answer to NEW YORK, NY] ----- Forwarded message # 1: Date: Wed, 17 Apr 85 7:41:24 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: Todd Cooper cc: cmoore@brl-vld Subject: Re: answer to NEW YORK, NY Even before the 212/718 split, "NEW YORK, NY" on a phone bill referred to Manhattan. (Brooklyn is "BKLYN NYC, NY".) ----- End of forwarded messages ------------------------------ Date: Wed 17 Apr 85 15:49:20-PST From: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Subject: Delayed call forwarding revisited. To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Well, finally Pac Bell gave me a straight and plausible answer to why you cannot have delayed call forwarding in conjunction with direct call forwarding on the "rollover" line as I wanted. If the rollover (2nd) line is forwarded to a line *outside* your CO, you could end up getting what they term an "invalid sequence" e.g. 3 rings followed by busy if the destination number is busy. This is not "allowed" and hence the ESS decides not to rollover if the second line is forwarded out of its own CO. (It will work as expected if the 3rd number is on the same ESS). Too bad, it would have been such a wonderful feature without this restriction. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 17 Apr 1985 23:46-PST Subject: Re: Modem calls using NON-ATT carriers. From: JOHN@SRI-CSL To: mike@LOGICON Cc: telecom@BBNCCA, john@SRI-CSL I have experienced something similar to the problem you described (but with some differences). My "modem disconnect" problem occurred only at 1200 bps (no problem at 300 bps). The problem also occurred only when I called from my home (in Pacific Bell territory) to the computer (in General Tel territory) thru a tandem line (about 15 miles distance). [No problems experienced when calling the computer from a local terminal.] After alot of head scratching, I determined that the answering modem (on the computer) generated considerable "splatter" in the 2600 Hz region. This splatter caused the Pac Bell equipment to think that the call (coming from the GTE CO) had been terminated. So the Pac Bell equipment responded by terminating the call. After replacing the answering modem with another, the problem disappeared. I don't know if your non-ATT carrier (or the other equipment in the signal path) uses 2600 Hz for signalling. But this is a possible explanation for the 1200 bps problem. (Don't know about the 300 bps problem though.) John McLean ------------------------------ Date: Thu 18 Apr 85 01:40:01-PST From: David Roode Subject: 800 numbers To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Here at the DDN Network Information Center, we have an 800 number [(800)235-3155], so I have learned a few things about them. They are implemented as special routes on a computer somewhere. Each line used a part of an 800 number service has a (dialable) number in the area code where the service is located. These lines are in a hunt group for each service. Although you can dial the non-800 equivalent for a service, you cannot make outgoing calls on the 800 lines. An 800 number can be a network of different services, in which case the service you reach when you dial the number can depend on your location, and also on the time of day, customer-accessible special-case programming, etc. The base cost of an 800 number is roughly $60 per line per month. Usage is billed at normal AT&T WATS rates, with a volume discount based on the number of hours per month. There is an extra charge of $300 to have a single number which is accessible for both Intrastate and Interstate use. So, there is a cost to having the same number, even when both Intrastate and Interstate access is purchased. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 20:02:11 PST From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: Equal Access and Data Communications To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA The following was posted to Usenet in response to a query regarding non-AT&T carriers and automated data calls... --- I've found extreme variability among non-AT&T carriers when it comes to data call testing. Most of them can handle 300 bps, but starting at 1200 things start to get risky. Some routes work all the time with some carriers, some routes only 1 call out of 4 or 5, some routes not at all. Also, some brands of modems/carriers don't mix well at all (one example: Sprint and the D.C. Hayes Smartmodem). However, general issues of quality aside, there is one REALLY good reason to generally avoid the non-AT&T carriers for automated data traffic (like UUCP). As far as I know, only AT&T provides called party answering supervision on all calls. Some of the other carriers *may* provide it on calls to *some* cities--some don't support it at all. It is almost impossible to get these firms to admit what their status is on this point, since they don't really like to admit how their charging is done. But in general the non-AT&T carriers still operate on the "fixed timeout" basis for charging. That is, if a call is held for a fixed length of time (usually about 30 seconds) the charging starts. Period. This could cause massive problems with systems that use autodialers and have to timeout through busy signals, long call setup sequences, and similar problems. Very substantial amounts of billed (but never answered) calls could result. This applies both to completely separate networks and to WATS resellers. The alternate carriers CAN get called party supervision if they want it. In fact, they pretty much HAVE to get it when they go equal access in a city. Note though, that this means that the availability of the supervision info is based on where you are calling TO, NOT where you are calling from. Even worse, it appears that there has been no quick action on the part of the alternates to make USE of the supervision data (that is, to provide the means for passing the information back to a central billing point) even when it IS available in a destination city. So the information is being ignored by these carriers in most cases, even when it exists. Draw your own conclusions about what this means when it comes to using alternate carriers for automated modem calls.... --Lauren-- P.S. I wonder how the subscribers in equal access cities who get randomly assigned to non-AT&T carriers will react when they suddenly find that collect/third party/etc. calls no longer work as they expected. Or how about the first time they call operator to get credit for a wrong number (or a connection where they couldn't hear the other party, etc.) and are told that they have been switched to some other Joe Random service and the operator can't help them? The billing irregularities of the alternate carriers may also cause people a lot of nasty surprises. People are used to the concept that they don't get charged for a call unless it is answered. With the alternates, this just isn't usually true. I wonder if anybody is going to warn people that they've been switched to a carrier that just "guesses" about when to start billing? Fat chance. --LW-- ------------------------------ Date: 18 Apr 85 09:06:56 PST (Thursday) Subject: Re: 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) From: Cottriel.OsbuSouth@Xerox.ARPA To: Murray.PA@Xerox.ARPA re: "...Why is it that many of the 800 numbers advertised have an exception for a whole state? I assume that it's a regulatory/billing problem..." Sort of a regulatory problem. It has to do with Interstate vs. Intrastate tariffs. If it's Interstate, AT&T gets it - if it's Intrastate, the local operating company gets it. The costs for the two, vary significantly. So, if a company wants to offer inbound WATS to ALL of it's customers, it must put in two lines. One to handle calls from all other states, and one to handle calls from within the state in which they are located. Clear as mud? later-- John ------------------------------ From: vax135!ariel!houti!ccw@Berkeley Date: Thu, 18 Apr 85 12:07:21 est To: ariel!vax135!houxm!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #180 At least in the old days, it was a regulatory problem. Also I think that if you had an intrastate call billed to the national number there was the possibility of having to use the national network. I.E. if you dialed an in state number it was cheaper (because it was provided by the local telco) per call handeled. If the national number was dialled then ATT long lines or whatever was involved. There would also be the problem of local regulations, which would differ from the national. ----------------------------------------------------------- The opinions stated herein are often based on heresay, and in any case are probibly no longer current. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 24-Apr-85 14:14:35-PST,6376;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 24 Apr 85 14:09:16-PST Date: Wed, 24 Apr 85 16:16:57 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #182 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Wed, 24 Apr 85 16:16:57 EST Volume 4 : Issue 182 Today's Topics: more on equal access and supervision Conferencing two lines Common Data Carriers Phone Surge Supressors? Re: Instate vs. Outstate WATS Anderson Jacobson modem info needed Credit? You want *credit*?? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 14:51:52 PST From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: more on equal access and supervision To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA Just to clarify, just because you have equal access to the alternate carriers at your ORIGINATING point doesn't say anything about the availability of called party supervision info. That info is typically related to the availability of equal access on the DESTINATION side of the call. And, as I mentioned earlier, most (if not all) of the alternates are ignoring that information even when it is available. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 20 Apr 85 18:02:02-PST From: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Subject: Conferencing two lines To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Can anyone tell me what the Kosher way of adding "Conference" to my two-line phone is? Presumably all I would need is two inductively coupled coils with the correct (600 ohm?) impedance and a ganged switch which activates/deactivates both of them. What kind of trans- former should I use, what kind of rating, coupling ratio etc, and where can I get such a thing? PS. The AT&T "outboard" solution which is meant for *single* line phones is $89, too fancy and *far* too expensive. Help! ------- ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 85 21:15 PST From: M. D. Parker To: telecom%bbncca@Nosc Cc: mike@logicon Subject: Common Data Carriers Just for curiousity, suppose a computer system is available on the following packet networks: UNINET TYMNET TELENET Which would you choose to use and in what order? reasons would be appreciated as well. Thanks Mike Parker ARPA: mike@logicon ------------------------------ Date: 22 Apr 85 11:59 PST From: M. D. Parker To: telecom%bbncca@Nosc Subject: Phone Surge Supressors? I just recently came across a data processing products catalog and saw an interesting gizmo, a phone surge suppressor. Does anybody really use these type of devices? If so, why? Also, if I have a home computer that is always on and everything, should I consider purchasing one of these items? Thanks Mike Parker ARPA: mike@logicon ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Apr 85 16:57:37 EST From: Ron Natalie To: telecom@rutgers.ARPA Subject: Re: Instate vs. Outstate WATS > Sort of a regulatory problem. It has to do with Interstate vs. > Intrastate tariffs. If it's Interstate, AT&T gets it - if it's > Intrastate, the local operating company gets it. The costs for the two, > vary significantly. Not exactly right. What happens is who regulates pricing. Before divestiture, the charges to call Washington, DC (another state) were cheaper than calling some intervening place instate because the instate call was not subject to ICC regulations. The same phone company handled the call. > I.E. if you dialed an in > state number it was cheaper (because it was provided by local telco) per call handeled. As I said, in Maryland it was cheaper to dial out of state. -Ron ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 22 April 1985 11:50-MST From: lyle Subject: Anderson Jacobson modem info needed A friend of mine just purchased one of the oldest modems I have ever seen at a recent computer festival. It was made by ANDERSON JACOBSON INC, in sunnyvale california. The problem is that now he wishes to use this to link up with the Vax 11/780 here at St. Joes. University. What I was hoping is that someone out there has some manuals or documentation on the thing. The stats as far as I know are: Anderson Jacobson Inc. Sunnyvale California ADAC - 1200 power: 115 vac 60 Hz 1/4 A. Serial # 0375,01 If anyone has any information about it, please mail me. Thanks Alot in Advance ============================================================================= Wayne J. Lyle (CF) St. Joseph's University {allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!lyle Philadelphia ============================================================================= ------------------------------ Date: 24 Apr 85 03:44:54 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: Credit? You want *credit*?? To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA Remember back in the good ole days when you got cut off on a long-distance call, or got the wrong number? You called up the operator, she said ''Oh, I'm sorry, I'll reconnect you and arrange credit'' and proceeded to do so. Jersey has just been moved over to the post-divestiture kludge that covers these situations. Now you get connected to a Credit Operator, and you have to tell that person the number you called from, the number you called, and the conditions requiring billing adjustment. It turns out that there is a direct 800 number to get this operator as well, so you don't have to bug the NJBell operators about it if it was an AT&T call. The billing center is in Philadelphia and now covers five states. This is apparently necessary since NJBell operators now cannot access AT&T billing records since they are separate companies, so you have to talk directly to AT&T for billing correction. Yettch! When are they going to put it all back together so it works *right*? _H* ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 27-Apr-85 19:52:37-PST,8304;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 27 Apr 85 19:47:18-PST Date: Sat, 27 Apr 85 21:53:15 EST From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #183 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sat, 27 Apr 85 21:53:15 EST Volume 4 : Issue 183 Today's Topics: Phone-A-Friend hits the stands... re: Surge Supressors for Telephones Re: Wrong Number Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #181 Re: Common Data Carriers Which network would *I* pick? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 19850424-1938EST To: TELECOM@BBNCCA From: TURNER%UMASS.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA Subject: Phone-A-Friend hits the stands... Well, it seems that the underground has really hit the overground. For a small price, you can now call Phone-a-Friend in Worcester, MA (617/550-5000 but you can't call it 'cept from Worcester|). Just like the old conferences that populated the California telephone underground in years past (tho' I think a few are still up), this little baby has its share of morons who yell obscenities, but unlike the old conf's, PaF seems to have a moderator. I haven't heard one mentioned in the radio spots -- anyone with info want to share it? Also, any idea when these will be standard for most cities? Joe [reply to CUTTER@MIT-OZ.MIT-MC.ARPA] ------------------------------ Date: 24 April 85 19:08-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: re: Surge Supressors for Telephones Most, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, modems are optically isolated from the phone lines, (or isolated in some way). That means that there is no 'electrical' connection between your computer, and the phone lines themselves. An Optical Isolator is a device that converts the signal into light, (usually with a small LED), and back into electricty, (usually with a photo-transistor.) This effectivly detatches the equpiment from the line. Now, to tie this in with surge supressors. When a surge comes down the line, it's not supposed to burn out your modem, just this opto- isolator instead...if even that. From direct experience, I find modems pretty durrable to the phone lines. Once lightning hit something on my house, and destroyed most of my computer. The only thing left was the modem. I've never had a modem die due to an electrical storm. Ever seen a phone go out due to a surge? A surge supressor isn't going to make your connection look better when a spike comes down the line. When that spike hits the line, your data is going to be splattered all over the place. Not even the fanciest equipment is going to be able to recover those bit. All in all, I'm pretty negative toward the idea. I don't speak for everyone on the list. I'm sure that there are people out there that will disagree with me. If it makes you feel more secure with one of these on your phone line, get one. Oh, and better make sure you get one for the electrical outlet too if you havn't already. There just seems like there's a glut of computer crap you can get for your home computer these days, that no one really needs like keyboard covers, key cap enlargers, screen filters, power line conditioners (to make it a smoother sine wave!), lazy-susans for monitors... And what gets me is the price. The people who sell this stuff think us computer people have *lots* of money to spend on this crap. (Some do, I suppose.) -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: 24 April 85 19:47-EST From: Michael Grant To: Telecom Digest Subject: Re: Wrong Number This is what finally happened with that collect long-distance wrong number call I recieved a few weeks ago. Let me recap what happened. I got this call in the middle of the night, the operator asked me if I'd pay for this call. I immediatly said, "NO." So, she put the call through anyway. When I finished talking to the person, (she wanted to speak to someone named Joe) I flashed the key to get back to the operator. She told me that she couldn't (and wouldn't) give me credit for the call, and that I'd have to get the bill and call my local phone company. Anyway, I got the bill, and called C&P (my local telco) I explained the problem to them. They told me that I'd have to call AT&T to get credit because it was an AT&T operator who screwed up. So, I called AT&T. They told me that they had nothing to do with the billing, and that I'd have to take the matter up with my local operating company. I called C&P back again, and explained my problem again. After much hassel, It was finally decided that AT&T didn't have the power to take such a call off my bill. The call then got removed from the bill, (the tax too!) Since divestature, service has degraded SOOOO much. "We don't care, We don't have to. We're the phone company" Someone has got to start up a phone company to compete with Bell on the local level. I think then, they'd have to listen to their customers, (while they still had them.) -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Apr 85 10:59:35 pst From: hplabs!vienna!bob@Berkeley (Bob Toxen) To: ames!hplabs!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #181 In reply to Lauren's comment on billing irregularities of non-AT&T long distance carriers: 1. In the six years that I've heavily used MCI there was only *one* case where I was incorrectly billed. It took only a three minute phone call to a rather pleasant lady to get credited. During the same time when my AT&T/Pacific Telephone business phone went out completely it took AT&T *three weeks* to fix it! 2. A forty mile phone call over MCI (Mtn. View to San Francisco) at 1200 baud munged a character every few minutes (AT&T doesn't do much better on this route). With a 40% discount over AT&T the occasional UUCP re-try would be well worth it. 3. When was the last time *you* dialled the wrong long distance number? I think that most people will be overjoyed when they randomly get switched to MCI and realize a 40% savings (less 2% for wrong numbers) over AT&T. 4. I find that MCI lines to be of equal *or higher* quality than AT&T, probably because of modern equipment. MCI from San Jose to Wash., DC is consistently better than AT&T! If I sound biased, I am, towards lower cost, higher quality phone service. I have no monetary interest in MCI. Bob Toxen "System V. Consider it SUB-standard! (My opinion)" Silicon Graphics {ucbvax,decwrl,ames!vienna,dual,its}!olympus!bob ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Apr 85 18:27:43 EST From: Ron Natalie To: "M. D. Parker" Cc: telecom%bbncca@Nosc, mike@logicon.ARPA Subject: Re: Common Data Carriers I access a database that is on UNINET, TYMNET, TELENET, and DUSNET. I'v only used TYMNET and TELENET, and TYMNET is far superior. TELENET is one of the most exasperating experiences I've ever had. -Ron ------------------------------ From: figmo@tymix.Tymnet (Lynn Gold) Date: Fri, 26 Apr 85 17:56:16 pst To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Which network would *I* pick? Why, TYMNET, of course! :-) Seriously, Tymnet has more nodes than either of the others you mention; it is also more secure. I have used TELENET as a private user, and it is MUCH slower than Tymnet, but since you're not going to out-and-out believe someone who works for one of them, I suggest you look at a study done by DATAPRO Research Corporation (they're in Delran, NJ) which compares TELENET, Tymnet and several other companies. --Lynn Gold ...tymix!figmo ["The opinions expressed here are probably the same ones my company would express, had I bothered to ask the marketing dep't."] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** 28-Apr-85 13:48:29-PDT,5726;000000000000 Return-path: Received: from BBNCCA by SRI-CSL via DDN; 28 Apr 85 13:43:21-PDT Date: Sun, 28 Apr 85 15:36:21 EDT From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) Reply-to: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #184 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA TELECOM Digest Sun, 28 Apr 85 15:36:21 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 184 Today's Topics: long distance carriers re: Surge Supressors for Telephones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 27 Apr 85 16:41:41 pst From: sdcsvax!sdcc7!li63sdl@Berkeley (DAVID SMITH) To: -s@Berkeley, AT&T@Berkeley, Billing@Berkeley, PacTel@Berkeley, Please post the following to telecom digest --------------------------------------------------------------- I recently had my telephone disconnected due to the fact that my roommate had forgotten to pay the bill. I have no dispute with the billing, however, my question is: My PacTel bill was around $15. We had paid off $85 of our bill, leaving a balance of $82. Therefore, I would assume, we had paid our debt to PacTel and only owed money to AT&T. Now at the bottem of my monthly long-distance statement, it says that the billing is only provided as a service to AT&T, with whom Pacific Telephon has no connection. If this is the case, under what authority did they cut off my telephone service. If I fail to pay my MCI bill, would PacTel cut me off? Shouldn't I just be cut off from AT&T's lines, and collecting is their problem? Just a little more confusion resulting from the break-up. David L. Smith UC San Diego sdcsvax!sdcc7!li63sdl ----------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks, Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27-Apr-85 23:38:49 PST From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: long distance carriers To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA THIS IS ALL THAT COULD BE SAVED FROM ISSUE 184. Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #185 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 30 Apr 85 04:14:54 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 29 Apr 85 23:58:21 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 185 Today's Topics: Re: Surge Protectors Re: Conferencing two lines LD directory assistance charges (AT&T) lightning protection for phone lines ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ed Hall Date: 28 Apr 85 15:23:29 PDT (Sun) To: TELECOM@bbncca Cc: edhall@rand-unix Subject: Re: Surge Protectors I once (1966) lived in an older house which had carbon-arc surge protectors across the phone lines. These devices consisted of a a flat piece of carbon next to a U-shaped piece of ceramic with a smaller carbon cemented into it. A small gap existed between the carbons, since the second carbon was just slightly recessed into the ceramic. The whole thing was sandwiched in a spring-loaded holder with several of these protecters, connecting across the line and to ground. The idea was that a surge of >150 volts or so would start a low- impedance carbon arc. If the arc continued long enough, the cement in the ceramic holder would melt and bring the carbons into contact, forming a short. These devices worked: we had a fair number of summer thunderstorms (this was in Northern Ohio), and once after some particularly close lightning strikes the phones stopped working. As it turned out, one of the protectors had shorted--the carbons were pitted and the cement had melted. But the phones were OK. I've often wondered if a metal-oxide varistor or other ``newer technology'' would have withstood this sort of surge. With most phone lines now underground, the opportunities for induced currents from lightning are a lot less than they were then, so it might not make much difference. -Ed Hall edhall@rand-unix ------------------------------ To: Ole Jorgen Jacobsen Subject: Re: Conferencing two lines Date: 28 Apr 85 15:39:58 PDT (Sun) From: Einar Stefferud If you don't want to build your own, you can buy a nice little two line with hold (with lights) and two line conference and redial last number for around $50 or sometimes less. It is the TeleConcepts Two Line phone. Available a in various discount stores that I have seen. I have three of them (two regular desk and one "dial-in-hand-set), and I like them both. I am not a stock holder. Don't have any idea where they come from. Cheers - Stef ------------------------------ Date: 29 Apr 1985 12:05:32-EDT From: prindle@NADC To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: LD directory assistance charges (AT&T) I live in the 215 (Philadelphia area) area code and made a directory assistan ce call to 609 (South Jersey) to get an Atlantic City number, and then placed th e call to the actual number. The actual call naturally appeared on my AT&T portion of the bill. But the killer, is that the directory assistance call, supposedly one of an allotment of 2 free DA calls via AT&T, came up as a $.50 charge on the Bell of PA portion of the bill! Apparently, Bell of PA owns a special exception to the inter-state rules and handles calls to 3 neighboring NJ counties. Since directory assistance is probably handled out of Trenton, my DA call got handled and billed by Bell of PA. You won't believe how AT&T handles this situation - you have to call them up (1-800-222-0300) and they look you up to make sure you made the equivalent required call, then credit your AT&T account! Since this is a totally manual operation, and since we the public have never been told of this strange hack, chances are good that Bell of Pa. is collecting gobs of half dollars which their customers really do not owe; furthermore, when a watchful customer does go through the requisi te manual process, it seems as if Bell of Pa. ends up with AT&T's money. AT&T also seems to be able to see the Bell of Pa portion of the bill on *their* computer terminals. Why do I get the impression that AT&T is not as severed from the operating companies as they would have us believe? hmmmm..... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 85 22:58:36 edt From: ulysses!smb@Berkeley (Steven Bellovin) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: lightning protection for phone lines I wouldn't be that sanguine about modems being immune to lightning hits. About 10 years ago, we lost not only a Bell data set (one of the old-style clunkers), but the terminal attached to it. It might be that we had unusually severe storms there (Chapel Hill, North Carolina); at other times, I had a TV set's RF input section get fried when the CATV line took a hit (the balun also blew), a light bulb burn out, and a circuit breaker trip. Even optoisolators can be blown by that sort of overvoltage; you may find it more convenient to unplug (and replace/repair) a burned-out surge protecto r than to do without your modem for a while. --Steve Bellovin ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #186 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 2 May 85 03:19:27 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Wed, 1 May 85 22:41:15 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 186 Today's Topics: The INSTRUCTION BOOKLET for a DEMON DIALER... Pay phones and hearing Aids Re: Phone line surge protection ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 30 Apr 85 8:23 EST From: James A. Dorf Subject: The INSTRUCTION BOOKLET for a DEMON DIALER... To: telecom@bbncca.arpa ----- Hi folks. I have the 92-memory-location DEMON DIALER which I can definately recommend as a full-function auto-dialer but since it's purchase a couple of years ago I have LOST the instruction booklet. If anyone has a copy of this booklet, please simply reply with your SNAIL-MAIL address and I will gladly mail you a postage-paid return envelope plus photocopying costs (if necessary). Please give this a high priority folken, I am rather desperate but if no one has one around I can always just dig up the manufacturers address and phone # and get it from them... Thanks and warm regards/jad p.s. If anyone wants to hear about all the f a b u l o u s features of the Demon Dialer, let me know... I should be a salesman for them!/j ----- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 85 21:37 EST From: bhawkins%umass-cs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Pay phones and hearing Aids What has Bell done with their new Pay phones to keep me from hearing dial tone and ring tone with my hearing aid? I have heard rumors that there was going to be trouble with magnetic coupling to the telephone loops that most hearing aids have, but I rarely use that (occasionally in noisy environments); I just use regular acoustic coupling and always have got along fine. But suddenly the last two times I have used a pay phone (in both cases they looked new) I can't hear either tone (and for all I know I can't hear the busy tone either). Speech volume also seems less than usual. The first time I thought it was something wrong with the phones and went down the whole bank of them, all the same. Needless to say, I am angry. Suddenly I am more handicapped than I used to be. Phones at home and the office are fine. Bruce Hawkins bhawkins@umass-cs@csnet-relay ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Apr 85 21:43 EST From: bhawkins%umass-cs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Re: Phone line surge protection > I just recently came across a data processing products catalog and saw > an interesting gizmo, a phone surge suppressor. Does anybody really use > these type of devices? If so, why? Also, if I have a home computer > that is always on and everything, should I consider purchasing one of > these items? A year ago, I had a lightning strike a quarter-mile from my house. No damage was done to either computer (both were off at the time), but it took out my modem (Anchor XII). So when I saw a phone-line surge suppressor for $19, I ordered it immediately. It seems to be invisible (inaudible?): it has not introduced any problems that I am aware of. I haven't had any more lightning strikes, either, so I can't tell you how effective it is. Bruce Hawkins bhawkins@umass-cs ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #187 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 4 May 85 04:14:47 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Fri, 3 May 85 23:36:26 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 187 Today's Topics: Racal-Vadic Modem Query Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #186 Telephone wiring diagram? Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #185 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To: TELECOM@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Racal-Vadic Modem Query Date: 01 May 85 23:11:58 PDT (Wed) From: larus%ucbdali@Berkeley I have a Racal-Vadic VA3451 Auto Dial Modem at home. When I dial into Berkeley's computers, about half the time I get a "CONNECTED" message and then nothing. No manner of key pounding will get me a login prompt. However, hanging up and trying again usually works. I am begining to suspect that there is some sort of of incompatability between R-V's triple protocol and the 201/212 modems on the computers. Has anyone else seen this problem and know of a solution. Thanks, /Jim ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!ihopa!riccb!jmc@Berkeley Date: 2 May 85 04:43:21 CDT (Thu) To: ihopa!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #186 Regarding surge protecters for telephone lines. Surge protectors, as the name implies, protect the equipment and user on a telephone line from large voltage transients. Normal telephone equipment is transformer coupled to the line and if they meet REA spec's should be able to handle 1000 V transients without burning. To limit lightening strikes Bell puts arrestors on the office end which limit transients to about 400 V. I believe arrestors are also used on the customer premises but I'm not sure what the limits are. $19 seems outrageous since these things are nothing but gas discharge tubes. I've seen them go down to 90 V, anything below that will start firing on ringing voltage. REA standards say the equipment won't burn after so many consecutive 1000 V strikes but does not imply that it must work afterwards. Jeff McQuinn * Rockwell International ------------------------------ Date: Wed 1 May 85 20:01:31-PDT From: Doug Subject: Telephone wiring diagram? To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA I have a old Trimline telephone that I'd like to get wired correctly. It is a '69 vintage unit that requires a transformer for lighting the buttons. I've managed to get the switch-hook wiring sort-of figured out, but can't seem to get the bell to work properly. The bell has five wires coming out of the bell, colored: Red, Black, Blue, Slate, Slate/Red The terminal plate has a capacitor between terminals K and A. The rest of the terminals are marked L1, L2, 1, 3, 4, B, F, G, and C The handset has 5 leads: Red and Green are Tip and Ring, Black and White are the lighting circuit, and Yellow is ? Does anyone have a wiring diagram? faunt%hplabs@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1-May-85 22:20:26 PDT From: vortex!dave@rand-unix (David H. Siegel) Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #185 To: randvax!telecom-request@bbncca Cc: vortex!i@rand-unix Lightning is a wonderful display of nature. It is so wonderful that you do not have to be anywhere near it to lose eyour electronic toys. 1. Underground telco cables are not immune to hits. Surges are induced very well in burried cabl. 2. Protectors only divert "excess" voltages to ground... when they get around to it. The idea is to keep the amount of energy to the inside telset as low as possible. 3. MOV's can only handle their rated power dissipations before they self- distruct. In sensibly designed equipment they are only used as secondary protection. (The protectors are the primary line of defense). 4. The best protection is obtained with a combination of devices: Gas tube protectors, premises equipment with good secondary protection to a good earth ground and well grounded chassis. For power a 3 mode surge arrester is a good start (well grounded please). For CATV drops grounding blocks are a must. A cheap 50 cent balun transformer on the back of your TV can't hurt either. 5. No kite flying during thunderstorms, or your Telcom Digest will be cancelled. Dave Siegel ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #188 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 5 May 85 17:18:49 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Sun, 5 May 85 12:41:35 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 188 Today's Topics: 1985 Staten Island, NYC call guide DTN Pay phone earpiece ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 4 May 85 9:54:31 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl.ARPA Subject: 1985 Staten Island, NYC call guide Message unit zones, which formerly ran thru southern Westchester and out to Amityville, Cold Spring Harbor & Farmingdale near the Nassau/ Suffolk border, now also include northern Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and a small part of Orange (latter 2 across the Hudson!) and also western Suffolk as far east as Bellport. Goof in list of zones? It says dial 1+718 for Brooklyn, Queens, S.I. (and 1+area code for 212,914,516 area points). Calls within New York Metropolitan LATA (includes Greenwich & Byram in Connecticut?) are billed by N.Y.Telephone, along with calls to 5 N.J. counties: Passic, Bergen, Essex, Union, Hudson. (It has been noted else- where that phone prefixes can cross county lines.) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 4 May 85 9:55:16 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) To: telecom@Brl.ARPA Subject: DTN I saw DTN in a message header today. Is that some sort of phone #? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 4 May 85 07:53:32 pdt From: schoch@Berkeley (Steve Schoch) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Pay phone earpiece Cc: I have an earpiece I got from a vandalized phone and noticed that the terminals were connected to a coil of wire that goes around the whole thing (the coil is made of thin wire 1 3/4 inch diameter). At first I thought it was the speaker coil, but when I disconnected this coil, the earpiece still worked. Does this coil have something to do with magnetic coupling devices that might be attached to the phone? I can't think of any other use for it as it doesn't seem to affect the operation at all. Steve Schoch schoch@berkeley ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #189 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 9 May 85 21:10:45 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Thu, 9 May 85 16:37:07 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 189 Today's Topics: Auto ringback DTN Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #187 Telephone wiring diagram? Hearing on public telephones Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #187 - Telephone wiring diagram ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 May 1985 11:31-EDT Subject: Auto ringback From: WTHOMPSON@BBNF.ARPA To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: WThompson@BBNF.ARPA Does anyone know a number to call to get automatic ringback (for testing lines) in the Nynex area? More specifically, in the New England Tel. area? More specifically, in the Boston area? Tks, - Bill Thompson (WThompson@BBNF) ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 6 May 1985 09:13:36-PDT From: goldberg%viking.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Marshall R., PCSG LJ02/E4 DTN 282-232 5) To: telecom@bbncca Subject: DTN DTN (Digital Telephone Number) is Digital's internal telephone number prefix. For our site, the internal DTN prefix is 282 but on the outside one uses 486. Marshall ------------------------------ Date: Tue 7 May 85 01:42:26-EDT From: Robert Scott Lenoil Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #187 To: Faunt%hplabs.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA Date: Wed 1 May 85 20:01:31-PDT From: Doug Subject: Telephone wiring diagram? To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA I have a old Trimline telephone that I'd like to get wired correctly. It is a '69 vintage unit that requires a transformer for lighting the buttons. I've managed to get the switch-hook wiring sort-of figured out, but can't seem to get the bell to work properly. The bell has five wires coming out of the bell, colored: Red, Black, Blue, Slate, Slate/Red The terminal plate has a capacitor between terminals K and A. The rest of the terminals are marked L1, L2, 1, 3, 4, B, F, G, and C The handset has 5 leads: Red and Green are Tip and Ring, Black and White are the lighting circuit, and Yellow is ? Does anyone have a wiring diagram? faunt%hplabs@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA ------- You only need connect two of the wires from the ringer. I forget which two, but experimentation will quickly resolve that. Anyways, one of these wires should be connected to the terminal closest to the one labelled F. This terminal should be unused. The next wire should go to the C terminal. On my phone, there are two terminals labelled C; I ran it to the one furthest from the H terminal, as shown: RR C H C B ^ Connect here Note that I arrived at this wiring via experimentation on my Princess phone, which I no longer have with me, so I can't check on this. (This was written down though, not from memory.) -Robert ------- ------------------------------ From: Miriam Clifford Date: 6 May 85 10:23:44 EDT (Mon) Subject: Hearing on public telephones To: telecom%ucbvax%arpa@Berkeley [] The pay phones that are not hearing aid compatible may be a decision, however thoughtless, of the local telephone company. A protest could be lodged (presumably pay phones should be equally accessable to all) and, at least, an educational campaign launched to prevent such stupidity (if possible) and to correct such conditions when they are found. There is no valid reason not have ALL phones hearing aid compatible, as far as I know. Those that are, are equally usable by the non-hearing-impaired, and have no disadvantages that I am aware of. A national organization exists to help hearing impaired persons help themselves--I've forwarded the original message to them. You might want to support their efforts: Self Help for the Hard of Hearing (SHHH) 7800 Wisconsin Ave Bethesda, MD 27814 301-657-2248 {decvax,ihnp4,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!dmimi Mimi Clifford 2535 Sevier St Durham, NC 27705 919-489-4821 919-684-2854 (Wed) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 May 85 09:46:52 pdt From: dual!paul@Berkeley (Paul Wilcox-Baker) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #187 - Telephone wiring diagram > I have a old Trimline telephone that I'd like to get > wired correctly. It is a '69 vintage unit that requires > a transformer for lighting the buttons. > I've managed to get the switch-hook wiring sort-of figured out, > but can't seem to get the bell to work properly. > The bell has five wires coming out of the bell, colored: > Red, Black, Blue, Slate, Slate/Red The bell is usually wired as follows: Slate/Red to A Slate to K Red to L2 Black to L1 The Blue wire I have never encountered before. I would leave it isolated. > The terminal plate has a capacitor between terminals K and A. > The rest of the terminals are marked L1, L2, 1, 3, 4, B, F, G, and C > The handset has 5 leads: Red and Green are Tip and Ring, Black and > White are the lighting circuit, and Yellow is ? In Trimline phones all the speech circuitry is in the handset part. The base seems to contain only the bell, the terminal strip and hook-switch. Paul Wilcox-Baker. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #190 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 11 May 85 22:33:10 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Sat, 11 May 85 17:52:17 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 190 Today's Topics: Ring-back modem confusion? Re: lightning protection Re: Boston area ringback Verification of Equal Access Carrier boston area ring back sprint features ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To: wthompson@CSNET-SH.ARPA Subject: Ring-back Date: 09 May 85 19:05:41 EDT (Thu) From: long@CSNET-SH.ARPA Bill, on 646-xxxx, 981-xxxx works. On some other numbers in this area, 982-xxx x works. It's the standard: call number, get tone, flash, wait for buzz, and then hang up. Dan ------------------------------ To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: modem confusion? Date: 09 May 85 20:23:48 EST (Thu) From: Christopher A Kent Every once in a while, when dialed up from home, my connection seems to get quite confused. The symptom is that it prints about 20 U characters, then the connections goes into the state where everything I type is echoed, but nothing gets accomplished. The only solution is to hang up and connect again, at which point everything is fine. I can't reproduce it, but it keeps happening. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It seems to be related to one of the modems, but I can't be sure which one. Thanks, chris ---------- ------------------------------ Date: 9-May-85 17:35:39-PDT From: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Subject: Re: lightning protection To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA In the antenna world, where lightning strikes are a routine problem, several layers of defenses are needed to protect equipment. The first is typically a spark gap followed by about a ten-turn coil of half-inch square copper busbar. The lightning spike is sharp enough that the inductance of the coil forces most of the energy across the spark gap, which must connect, via 000 copper or better, to a good solid ground such as a small farm of 6' ground rods. Heathkit used to sell such a unit, which looked line an orange-juice can with coax connectors on both ends and a big ground terminal on the side; this unit was rated as able to damp a direct lightning strike down to 90 volts or less. With one of these out front, a MOV-type surge suppressor can probably do the rest of the job, and the wire should melt down before your equipment goes. John Nagle ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 May 85 8:55:09 EDT From: Jim Berets Subject: Re: Boston area ringback To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Cc: jberets@bbn-vax.arpa A number that has worked for me in Belmont and Watertown is 981-(last 4 digits of phone dialed from). If I remember correctly, you get a dial tone after dialing this. Flash, and you will get a constant single-frequency tone. Then, hang up and you will be called back. Hanging up again after answering gets you back to the beginning. Jim ------------------------------ Date: 10 May 85 20:23 PDT From: M. D. Parker To: telecom%bbncca@Nosc Cc: mike@logicon Subject: Verification of Equal Access Carrier I recently read the following bulletin from a long distance carrier: " Equal Access customers are urged to verify their Equal Access carrier after they have been notified of their activation date by simply dialing 0-700-555-4141. This convenient feature is simply used to verify that your phone line has been presubscribed by your 1+ carrier. " Has anybody tried this number. I know that this number does not work where I am at the moment. Mike Parker ARPA: mike@logicon PS: Wasn't the 700 area code used previously by President James Earl Carter during his nationwide call in radio program "Talk to President Carter"? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 May 85 17:48:14 EDT From: Jon Solomon Subject: boston area ring back To: telecom@bbncca.arpa 981, 982, 983, 984, 985, 986, 987, etc. Plus last 4 digits. Also if that doesn't work some places in Cambridge use 977+last 4. Some areas don't have a ringback number, so if you don't find one, it's not because you haven't looked. --JSol ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 May 85 17:49:41 EDT From: Jon Solomon Subject: sprint features To: telecom@bbncca.arpa I almost don't want to publish this because they might take the features away (assuming they aren't ready to announce). If you dial 10777+1+areacode+number from a coin phone, you get prompted with a sprint dialtone. Dial your access code (and travelcode if needed) and it completes the call. This sure beats credit card calls since they don't charge extra for use of this feature. Also, the sprint 950 number works in Boston. The Quality is not as good as if you were using the "announced" dialin (which starts with 426), but from a measured line or a pay phone it costs money to use that. I hope Sprint announces the 10777 feature, because it sure is winning. --Jsol ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 13 May 85 21:15:29 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 13 May 85 16:31:08 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 191 Today's Topics: 700-555-4141 Modem ScrewUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUps UUUUUU from modems Modem confusion! modem confusion? Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 12 May 85 01:15:30 edt From: Micheal A. Grant To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: 700-555-4141 I tried it both preceded by a 0, 1, and nothing at all. It rang once, then a recorded female voice said, "You have reached the AT&T Long Distance Network, thankyou for choosing AT&T." Then silence. The message did not repeat. We do not have Equal Access yet, it's not expected for some time yet. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 May 85 01:26:16 edt From: Micheal A. Grant To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Modem ScrewUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUps Cc: cak@purdue.ARPA This is in reply to a modem problem, which mysteryously prints a whole string of U's, then you're basically wedged. I know just what your're talking about. I've had the same damn thing happen to me using the University of Merryland's computers. I really think it's the university's Gandalf box. When it happens to me, the modem dosn't hang up, it just sits there and echos back everything you send it. Chris, do you know if you use Gandalfs at Purdue? -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 May 85 07:54:10 pdt From: brian@SDCSVAX.ARPA (Brian Kantor) To: cak@purdue Subject: UUUUUU from modems Cc: telecom@bbncca Get whoever it is you are calling to flip the switch in HIS modem to turn off the remote diagnostics - the UUUUU you are seeing is a test pattern. Many modems would accidently drop into the test state from a burst of noise while connecting or disconnecting. On many, they first send the test pattern and then go into loopback mode, which is what it sounds like you're experiencing. Usually there is a switch on the modem card to disable this ``feature''. Brian Kantor UC San Diego decvax\ brian@ucsd.arpa akgua >--- sdcsvax --- brian ucbvax/ Kantor@Nosc ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 May 85 20:18:00 cdt From: nather%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA (Ed Nather) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Modem confusion! >To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA >Subject: modem confusion? >Date: 09 May 85 20:23:48 EST (Thu) >From: Christopher A Kent > >Every once in a while, when dialed up from home, my connection seems to >get quite confused. The symptom is that it prints about 20 U >characters, then the connections goes into the state where everything I >type is echoed, but nothing gets accomplished. The only solution is to >hang up and connect again, at which point everything is fine. > >I can't reproduce it, but it keeps happening. Does this sound familiar >to anyone? It seems to be related to one of the modems, but I can't be >sure which one. > >Thanks, >chris I saw the same thing last night -- symptoms exactly as you describe. I thought it was the (Vax Unix 4.2bsd) system I was talking to, but I guess it could be the modems. Both ends use Ven-Tel 300/1200 baud model MD212. Very disturbing. I've seen it maybe 6 times in 3 years. Ed Nather Astronony Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather ------------------------------ Date: Sun 12 May 85 19:20:18-PDT From: Doug Subject: Thanks To: telecom-request@bbncca.ARPA Thanks to all of you who answered my query about the telephone wiring information, especially to David G. Cantor , who recognized the unit from the description I gave, answered, and mailed me a copy of the diagram. The ringer has one coil only, with five connections. The extra three; slate, slate-red, and blue, are used only for party identification. The unit is apparently a K2254, however, this identification is NOWHERE to be found on the unit. ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #192 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 14 May 85 21:26:24 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 14 May 85 16:46:40 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 192 Today's Topics: Modem Madness 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 more about 700-555-1212 Re: UUUUUUUUUUU~i{gak! Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 Wiring ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 May 85 23:05:17 edt From: Michael A. Grant To: telecom@bbncca Subject: Modem Madness Refering to that long string of UUUUUU's, somone said it's a test pattern. The modems that we connect to are those bell vadic triple's. Does anyone know how to get them out of the test mode once you've been inadvertently dumped into it? Or even, how to get into it? -Mike p.s. once in it, is the connection lost? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 May 85 16:07:53 est From: hadron!jsdy@seismo.ARPA (Joseph S. D. Yao) To: seismo!telecom@Berkeley Subject: 800-xxx-xxxx (except in sssss) > Why is it that many of the 800 numbers advertised have an exception for > a whole state? I assume that it's a regulatory/billing problem. That state is the state within which the company's offices (at least those answering the inward WATS line) are located. Each state has its own local WATS service, so you should always see this exception. Inward WATS fees within the state are paid to the state telco. After this, then, there is a set of n (n ~= 4) concentric WATS areas around the state for AT&T LongLines WATS. The user pays a different fee, depending on how far out he wants this inward WATS line to be valid. Also depending on the state, this fee may or may not be more than the in-state inWATS fee. Warning: this explanation was good as of the last time I looked into this, and should still be mostly valid; but that was before the dismemberment of AT&T. Joe Yao hadron!jsdy@seismo.{ARPA,UUCP} ------------------------------ Date: Mon 13 May 85 17:28:35-PDT From: Doug Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA The "UUUUUUUUUUUU" test pattern from 212 modems does sound like it's going into remote test mode. I had this problem from one and only one user here once. The Racal-Vadic modems I was using here apparently go into self-test based on a short, timed interruption of carrier. His telephone line caused exactly this to happen. They rewired his neighborhood shortly thereafter, I re-enabled remote testing on the lines he used, and never saw the problem again. ------- ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Tue May 14 10:15:00 1985 Subject: more about 700-555-1212 To: bbncca!telecom I tried it here in Cambridge, where equal access was recently turned on. Due to slowness at the telco, my default carrier is still AT&T and, sure enough, when I dialed it I got a recording thanking me for choosing AT&T. Then I tried using other carriers' prefixes, e.g. 10222-1-700-555-1212. That worked also, and I got various recordings identifying the various carriers I had connected to: 10222 - MCI 10288 - AT&T 10333 - U S Tel 10488 - ITT 10777 - Sprint 10888 - hmmn. see below. With a 10888 prefix, I got a recording at SBS that said my call coudn't be completed or wasn't on the network. Guess their equal access department hasn 't gotten around to that yet. (SBS does know who I am and will complete normal calls, by the way, which they won't if you haven't explicitly signed up.) John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Re: UUUUUUUUUUU~i{gak! Date: 13 May 85 18:52:22 EST (Mon) From: Christopher A Kent Thanks to everyone that informed me that the UUUUUUU sequence, followed by echo, indicates that one or both of the modems in my connection is dropping into (remote) digital loopback. I'll get the test mode stuff disabled at both ends and hope it goes away. Cheers, chris ---------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue 14 May 85 11:39:16-PDT From: Andrew Sweer Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Regarding the recent notes about receiving multiple UUUUUUs as a test pattern, can one speculate that the character U was chosen because its ASCII representation, namely 125 octal or 55 hex, contains 4 sets of alternating zeros and ones? i.e. 01010101. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 85 16:04:49 EDT From: *Hobbit* Subject: Wiring To: Telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA It's rather difficult to send out schematic diagrams to a network of people using regular old ascii terminals, but since wiring inside most fones is pretty standard, a description should do the trick. This applies to *all* WE phones and ITT phones that use the standard dial/ringer/network block/ handset configuration. I've rebuilt lots of these suckers, and can confidently say that they're all the same. Everything basically talks to the network block. The network block contains the ringer capacitor, the induction coil that handles the handset, and very little else save some spare screw terminals. Left to itself, the network block can function as a standard line load [it looks electrically like a phone] when a line is connected across RR and C. These are the inputs to the coil. The ringing capacitor is indeed across A and K as someone mentione d. In addition, older blocks have a smaller capacitor across F and RR, to decrease sparking across rotary dial contacts. Handset: Green and White: Earpiece leads. These connect to net R and GN respectively. Black and Red: Mike leads. Connect to net B and R respectively. Ringer [two-winding]: Black and Red: To line. Connect to L1 and L2 [or whever your line comes in]. Grey and Grey/red [these may vary; they are the ''other two'' wires, anyway]: Connect to net A and K. The circuit thus formed runs from one side of the line to one ringer winding, thru the A-K cap, thru the other ringer winding, to the other side of the line. This configuration has infinite DC resistance, but picks up the AC ring voltage. Ringer [one-winding, rare]: Connect the single winding [two wired] in series with the A-K capacitor somehow, and this whole thing across the line as above. Rotary dial: Blue and Green: Interruptor. Connect to net F and RR. White [2]: Earpiece suppress. Connect to net B and GN if desired. Touch-tone dial: Green: + Line in. Connect to net F. Black: + Line out. Connect to net RR. Org/Blk: - Line in. Connect to net C. Red/Grn: output common. Connect to net R. Blue: output. Connect to net B. *Note: the above 5 connections will give you a ''bare-bones'' dial configuration without features. Features are mike disconnect, earpiece suppress, etc which are done simply by routing leads to these through the extra contacts on the dial instead of directly. If you want the features, modify the wiring as follows. If your network block doesn't have the S and T terminals, you have an old one designed for rotary dials, and you'll have t o do kludges. Earpiece mute: Move Handset lead at White to net S. Also connect Dial White-Blue to net S. Connect Dial White to net GN. This routes the earpiece through the dial switching mechanism which resistifies the circuit on button press. Mike disable: Move Handset Red to T. Also connect Dial Red to T. This completely disables the mike on button press. Make sure Dial Red-Green is connected to R if you do this mod! Hookswitch: You'll find many variants of this in different units; some configurations switch both sides of the line, some only one, some switch out the ringer when off-hook [which isn't necessary, really]. The following should work: Yellow: Connect to net L2. This is where the line enters. Brown: Connect to net C. Green: Connect to net L1. This is the other side of the line. White: Connect to F. This is switched line power to the dial and the rest. Red: Connect to R. This, with Black, is shorting earpiece mute. Black: Connect to GN. Line in: Green and Red connect to L1 and L2. Try one polarity; if the touchtone dial doesn't work, then flip them. Rotary dials, of course, don't matter. If someone sees errors in this, please notify the list with the correction... _H* ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #193 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 18 May 85 03:33:12 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Fri, 17 May 85 22:44:37 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 193 Today's Topics: Call Waiting Re: DTN dumb question Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 212 modem UUUU-echo Re: Pay phone earpiece Equal access idea Telephone Innards Close but ..... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue 14 May 85 15:56:13-PDT From: Moshe Y. Vardi Subject: Call Waiting To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA What happens when you have Call Waiting on a line that is connected to a mode m. Is it possible to take the call without disconnecting your remote session? Moshe Vardi Vardi@su-aimvax.arpa ------- ------------------------------ Date: Wednesday, 15 May 1985 08:44:22-PDT From: herbison%ultra.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (B.J.) To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Re: DTN DTN (Digital Telephone Number) is Digital's internal telephone number prefix. For our site, the internal DTN prefix is 282 but on the outside one uses 486. Some more information. DTNs are 7 digit numbers and the first three are based on the site. Like the site mentioned above, the external prefix of my site is 617-486. However, our DTN prefix is 229 rather than 282. Furthermore, there are cases where the DTN prefix does not uniquely specify the external prefix. This means that a DTN is not useful to people outside of DEC. B.J. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 May 85 13:28:47 cdt From: nather%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA (Ed Nather) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: dumb question A friend got a Hayes 1200B internal modem for his IBM PC, which he wants to use to answer his office telephone at night, to permit Bulletin Board access. The modem works OK on dialout, providing one of his 3 lines is selected via a pushbutton on a handset also attached, but refuses to answer the phone when it rings. The handset hooks to a wall outlet via a "modular" plug, or to a similar plug in the back of his modem marked "phone." A separate modular plug connects the modem to the wall outlet. Without the handset attached (and a line selected via pushbutton) the modem can't dial out, either. What are we overlooking? Is there some way to designate which of the 3 available lines the modem will answer, assuming it can be made to answer one of them? Any help will be much appreciated. Ed Nather Astronony Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 May 85 08:22:42 pdt From: decwrl!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!RDCF.SDC.UUCP!darrelj@Berk eley (Darrel VanBuer) To: sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!decwrl!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #191 212 modem UUUU-echo Cc: If you're lucky enough to have one of those old fashioned modems with a front panel full of lights and buttons, you can get back out of this echo state by manually turning on remote digial loopback for a few seconds, then turning it off [the start test signal is ignored by the remote modem since it's already in test, but the stop test signal works OK]. 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: Mon, 6 May 85 16:33:50 EDT From: Ron Natalie To: schoch@ucb-vax.ARPA Subject: Re: Pay phone earpiece I suspect it is for coupling to hearing aids that have a telephone switch. You didn't need these before, since the speaker itself had the coils. -Ron ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 85 03:00:16 EDT From: *Hobbit* Subject: Equal access idea To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA How tight is the code that keeps track of who has what carrier? I envision folks finding bugs that allow use of a random carrier and it not being able to find a billable account for the call it just completed. This is probably too simplistic, of course. Although most carriers at some point have left themselves wide open due to silly bugs, if there is a unified ''login'' protocol, things should be fairly secure. They aren't so ''upstart '' as they were in the early days, and have better people coding for them now! _H* [not ''due'' til late '86 [aaaugh!!]] ------- ------------------------------ From: "Robert C. Lagasse" Subject: Telephone Innards Date: 17 May 85 13:23:23 GMT To: info-hams@SIMTEL20.ARPA I'm sure everyone who reads this group has opened up a telephone to see what's going on inside. No, I'm not writing about the new high-tech single-piece electonic pulse phones, I mean the good old all-American Western Electric black rotary dial desk phone. The kind that hard-wired to a wall junction block (called a 42A) with three or four wires (third was ground and fourth was lamp supply for lighted sets which used an accessory transformer hiding somewhere in your cellar). I believe it is called a "model 500" set or something. The guts of this phone are still used in 5-line with hold systems and also with DTMF dialing desk sets from W-E. The large coil block riveted in the base which I believe is called the "network" has about fifty screw terminals and has got to be one of the most confusing pieces ever invented. In the first place, this thing is labelled with numbers and letters most of which are meaningless unless you are an installer. Half of the terminals are jumpered to others underneath where you can't see and the others connect to coil windings and .......caps?? Anyway, this network thing is filled with thick sticky goop either to keep people like myself out of it or to seal it from moisture. The other strangeness in this phone is the number of contacts used in the "hook switch". This switch must be a million-pole double-throw. It seems that the only things that would be needed to be switched are the network (completely out of circuit) and the bell with it's series cap (in circuit) when the phone is "on-hook" and vice-versa for "off-hook". Sounds as if a SPDT switch would do just fine or maybe a DPDT if you need contacts for a dial lamp. Now that all of the phone stuff is deregulated, none of this must be top-secret anymore. Does anyone know where I can get the training manuals that they teach the installers from? Those guys amaze me when they open up these phones and actually figure out how do anything they want to with them. Also, where do all of these new modular jack numbers come from (RJ-11, RJ-35, etc.) ? Is there a committee somewhere dreaming these up and do they relate to ANYTHING? Comments appreciated. Bob Lagasse biomed. eng. MGH ------------------------------ Date: Tue 14 May 85 14:38:49-PDT From: HECTOR MYERSTON Subject: Close but ..... To: telecom-request@BBNCCA.ARPA Re Joe Yao's reply in Issue 192. This description is indeed the way things were. Today there IS such a thing as a nation-wide 800- number. All 800- numbers are basically psuedo numbers which are translated by the Nr 4 ESS to actual, dialable numbers. In the past the state in which the call was answered was excluded since, as Joe points out, this intra-state service is under a different tariff. Today the same number can be used nationwide although the customer gets two individual lines, one will receive inter state, the other intra. Next series of enhancements to 800 service lets the customer (provider) provide for answering at different locations by time of day, traffic load etc by DIRECTLY telling the network how to handle his calls. The start of the Software Defined Network. +HECTOR+ ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 25 May 85 19:25:50 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Sat, 25 May 85 14:30:00 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 194 Today's Topics: Call Waiting Re : Call Waiting + Modem Long Distance carriers Call Waiting Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #193 (Call Waiting) Are calling cards divested? Representation of International Phone Numbers alternatives to ATT duration of ring and busy signals in various exchanges Call Waiting's new trick: another feature! Re: telephone innards ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 May 85 23:11:38 EST From: Donald E. Hopkins Subject: Call Waiting To: VARDI@SU-CSLI Don't bother using a modem on a line with call waiting unless you also have call forwarding, or you enjoy being disconnected every time some bozoid calls to sell you storm windows or a newspaper subscription. If you have call forwarding, just forward the line to somewhere else before you use it. -Don ------------------------------ Date: Fri 17 May 85 23:23:11-EDT From: Glen Daniels Subject: Re : Call Waiting + Modem To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA I sympathize...I have call waiting, and a modem, so a LOT of my calls are interrupted. About ways around it, there are a few. 1) Disable the call waiting. This is available in quite a few LATA's now, and is called "selective call-waiting". It is used by dialing *70 at the dialtone. You then get another tone, and from this, you make your call. The call will not be interrupted (callers get a busy signal). 2) If you want the call waiting AND the modem, you got some problems. All modems I know default to hanging up whenever a call-waiting beep is heard, but this depends on the amount of time the particular modem takes to disconnect without a carrier. If the time is above that of the beep, you just get screen-garbage, but you are still connected. As for taking the call waiting call AND still keeping the modem call, this is basically impossible, unless you get a modem that will sit there and wait until you get back from your call and give it a carrier. This COULD be done with som e fancy programming, but it would be a pain. I despise having my precious net-connections ruined by call-waiting, so I shut it off whenver I call OZ. Glen Daniels ARPA:GDaniels%OZ@MIT-MC CHAOS:GDaniels@MIT-OZ Knowledge is power! ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 18 May 85 11:34:23 EDT From: Jon Solomon To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA Subject: Long Distance carriers I just received a group of files (from an anonymous source) which compare long distance companies offering service in California. These files would be of interest to those in California who are trying to decide what carrier they want to use. Note. We don't recommend any of the carriers, that is not our intention. The files are available for FTP from SRI-CSL in LDISC.TXT, LDRATES.TXT, and LDNOTES.TXT If you are unable to FTP them, send mail to telecom-request and I will mail them to you. Cheers, --JSol ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 18 May 85 17:41:23 edt From: Michael A. Grant To: VARDI@SU-CSLI.ARPA Subject: Call Waiting Cc: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA As most of you may have experienced at one time or another, Call Waiting does not work too well with a modem on the line. It would be really nice if there was a key sequence that could turn it off. What I usually do, since I have 2 phone lines, is to forward my modem line to the other line when I use the modem. For those of you who don't have 2 lines, you could forward you phone to some constantly busy line. All ESS exchanges have many of these type numbers up in the test series exchange - 99xx (ie 730-9911) (Infact, there are many interesting numbers in this series such as dialups, recordings, back-doors to 911 etc. Does anyone know if there is a standard mapping for these numbers?) My favorite is to forward my phone to the recording, "I'm sorry, the call you have placed requires a 20 cent deposit, Please hang up the phone, deposit 20 cents, and try your call again." when I don't want to recieve any calls. ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!pesnta!peora!jer@Berkeley Date: Monday, 20 May 1985 09:20-EDT To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #193 (Call Waiting) In-reply-to: USENET article <7262@ucbvax.ARPA> > What happens when you have Call Waiting on a line that is > connected to a modem. Is it possible to take the call without > disconnecting your remote session? > Moshe Vardi > Vardi@su-aimvax.arpa In my experience, simply the tone signal produced to indicate that you have an incoming call causes the modem to disconnect. (Well, actually the loss of carrier during the interval when the tone is produced). Personally, I tend to agree with Judith Martin (Miss Manners), who pointed out in a recent column that Call Waiting is essentially an attempt to force "last come, first served" on the previous caller, and who subsequently declared call waiting to be "rude". -- Full-Name: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 "Vg'f whfg guvf yvggyr puebzvhz fjvgpu urer... lbh thlf ner FB fhcrefgvgvbhf!" ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Tue May 21 18:09:00 1985 Subject: Are calling cards divested? To: bbncca!telecom My wallet was stolen a few weeks back, so among other things I called both the local telco and AT&T to tell them that my card was stolen, could they issue a new one. A few days later, telco sent me a traditional calling card (the handy thin kind that's just right for popping open cheap locks) with a scrambled card number starting with 601. About two weeks after that, AT&T sent me one of their cards (the thick one with the magnetic stripe on the back and the dramatic picture of the globe on the front) with exactly the same number. Hmmn. Who assigns calling card numbers, anyway? Before divestiture I know it was the local telcos, since my uncle's tiny phone company in western Vermont did and does make up the card numbers for his customers. But does AT&T still get card numbers from the BOCs? Or what? For that matter, if I dial 0+NXX-XXXX, I type in my calling card number and make an intra-Lata call, handled by my BOC. And then if I push # and dial a number with an NPA, I have this sneaking suspicion that the call gets handed to AT&T. Is there really a difference between my AT&T card and my New England Tel calling card? So anyway, when you dial 0+number, who is collecting the card number? John Levine, Levine@YALE.ARPA or ima!johnl PS: For that matter, when does 0 get you a telco operator and when does it get an AT&T operator? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 May 85 16:21:31 EST From: Peter G. Capek To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Representation of International Phone Numbers (The earliest TELECOMM digest I have access to here is Vol 4 No. 173. Can we get copies of the earlier ones?) Does anyone know of a "standard" representation for telephone numbers that is widely understood? I'm looking for something which is succinct but distinguishes country code, city code and local number. Ideally, it would be helpful to have a way to distinguish a DID (Centrex) number from an operator number as well. I'm involved with an effort having international telephone directories on line in many countries and trying to minimize the amount of special-casing to be done to show people a phone number in a form they'll understand. Also, does anyone know of a reliable source for a machine-readable area code and country+city code directory? Peter Capek IBM Research Yorktown Heights, New York 914-945-1250 ------------------------------ Date: 23 May 85 10:49:07 PDT (Thursday) From: Lynn.es@Xerox.ARPA Subject: alternatives to ATT To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Well here comes equal access to 714 (June 29 for 775 prefix). I just got my notice from Pacific Bell. I suspected it was about that time when GTE started sending me offers to sign up for Sprint on equal access (and offers from ATT to NOT sign up for anyone else, for that matter) before I had any information on which to make such a decision, in fact before I was told I could make the decision. Anyway what concerns me now is what those of you who subscribe to any of these alternatives think about them in terms of 1) audio quality, 2) cost, 3) cost and ease of using the service when not at home, 4) any other factors you think are important. Of the twelve options available in my area, I ruled out, on various grounds of suitability, everybody except Allnet, MCI, and Sprint. If I made more calls per month, it is clear that SBS Skyline (which has a $15 minimum per month) would be the clear choice by price and quality over these three, which seem about equally second best. If you answer directly to me, I will submit a summary here later (unless you ask me not to quote you in my summary). /Don Lynn (Lynn.es@XEROX.ARPA) ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 23 May 1985 18:18:27 EDT From: Sesh.Murthy@cmu-ri-leg.arpa To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: duration of ring and busy signals in various exchanges I would like to know the exact duration of RING and busy and fast busy signals. That is I am interested in the the time when sound is present on the line and when no sound is present on the line and their sum. I am told that these durations differ depending on various exchanges. Can anyone tell me what the values normally are and what the variation can be. Else can you give me a pointer to where this information can be found. Thanks for the help. Sesh Murthy uucp: seismo!rochester!cmu-ri-leg!ssm arpa: ssm@cmu-ri-leg ------------------------------ Date: 23 May 85 22:35-EDT From: James A. Dorf Subject: Call Waiting's new trick: another feature! To: telecom@bbncca.arpa ----- Hi all! By now most of us know about the new "Selective Call-Waiting" feature... A new twist I saw in some telco doc: if you also have "Three-Way-Calling" and dial *70 (or 1170) on your second-line, you can shut off three-way on a call already in progress on your main. When you dial the *70 (or 1170) it gives two quick beeps to confirm and then clacks you back onto your primary line... Cute/jad ----- ------------------------------ Date: 22-May-85 10:10:16-PDT From: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Subject: Re: telephone innards To: Telecom-Request@BBNCCA.ARPA Cc: jbn@FORD-WDL1.ARPA One of the less-known capabilities of the old WE 600 series telephone instruments is that automatic compensation is provided for losses in the local loop; a varisistor driven by the DC level as seen at the instrument is used to adjust the signal level. This is not an audio compression circuit; it's the long-term DC voltage (``battery'' in telco terminology) as seen at the instrument that does it. Since a varisistor is a non-linear component, this makes a telephone an RF detector in theory and sometimes in fact, and there was a fix kit for RFI available for the model 600 at one time; later models had it built-in. This gives a little more insight into what's inside that potted network. John Nagle ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 From: hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!homxb!hrs Date: 29 May 85 00:27:13 GMT In response to the question on how to display international telephone numbers: The CCITT standard method for displaying telephone numbers is as follows. First example a number in the Netherlands National: (070) 75 11 11 -------------------------- Internat: +31 75 11 11 Second example a US number: National: 1 (201) 555-1111 ---------------------------- Internat: +1 201 555 1111 Note that above the line is the normal way a number is displayed within the country, and is the dialing sequence you would use when you were there. Below the line is how you would dial if you were in another country dialing abroad. Th sequence is: country code, area (or city) code, and local number. It does not include the numbers you need for international access, ie in the US 011 or 001. I included the example from the Netherlands, because in the US the country code is "1", and the access to the long distance network also happens to be "1". When displaying the international number, no dashes or parentheses are used. ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #195 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!ihnp4!ucbvax!telec om Date: 1 Jun 85 02:20:13 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Fri, 31 May 85 16:33:43 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 195 Today's Topics: SBS, Sprint, MCI, Allnet Call Waiting Vadics and UUUUUU Be the first on YOUR block... call waiting on cordless phones Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 Re: telephony signals equal acces 212/224's Remote digital loopback mechanism Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 25-May-85 15:06:04 PDT From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: SBS, Sprint, MCI, Allnet To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA I've been doing some more research into the alternate carriers, and can add more points about SBS, Sprint, MCI, and Allnet: SBS: All calls tend to sound like they're routing through Mars. Since the SBS system is almost totally based on satellites, you end up with fairly substantial amounts of circuit noise in almost all cases, and the usual satellite delay problems. SBS is also less likely to be around in five years than MCI or Sprint. Sprint: New problems for data users. Lately, on many circuits, the calls have an approximately 1.5 second dropout about 3-5 seconds after the calling party answers. Just enough to break down many connections. You can program around it with a smart enough modem, but it hardly seems worth it given Sprint's other problems. MCI: Nothing new. Same old stuff. Same billing irregularities due to lack of called party supervision. In all fairness, Sprint is just as bad in this area. Only with AT&T can you be SURE that billing will be based on actual call durations, though SBS is making strides in this direction, I'm told. I guess I can add something about Allnet as well. I haven't had a chance to hear too many connections, but they appear to be in the same situation (if not worse) as SBS when it comes to probability of longevity. The same old maxim applies. If you find an alternate that gives you consistently acceptable results, then you might as well use it. But if you call many different points or make lots of data calls, you're better off with AT&T. One thing I learned is that many times when you call people on alternates they don't bother mentioning to you that the call sounds terrible--they just suffer along and try be polite. Especially with MCI and Sprint, the connection quality often seems to vary tremendously between the two sides of the call. Your side may sound great, but to the other person you're buried in the noise. Sometimes this difference is EXTREMELY great, for reasons that aren't immediately obvious. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 18 May 85 12:20:20-EDT From: T.JOEL@MIT-EECS Subject: Call Waiting To: telecom@MIT-EECS Call waiting does do some interesting things to phone lines that are hooked up to a modem..At school, we have our own internal network (IBX) and it has its own call waiting. If you are on the phone talking voice to someone, you will here a little tone if someone is trying to call you. 1 tone for an insid e call (one from within the college) and 2 tones for an outside call. Then one can simply put your party on hold and talk to the new caller.. But with a modem hooked up..I've found that these call waiting tones seem to knock me off-line. They hang my modem up..It's because they interrupt the carrier that you are connected to and the modem takes this as a hangup by the other computer. This can be useful if you are hacking and still want to take calls. We are able to forward our calls if what we are hacking is important. You don't get any call waiting tones when you forward your calls.. Just as a sidenote..The computer system used at out school, RPI in Troy,ny is and IBM running MTS software (Michigan Terminal Systems). I don't like it at all but have to deal with it. Does anyone know anything about the MTSNET or how one can send mail there??? Erb@oz ------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon 20 May 85 10:14:28-EDT From: S.PAE@MIT-EECS Subject: Vadics and UUUUUU To: telecom@MIT-EECS With the 1200 baud protocols, there needs to be a way of making sure that the 2 modems are staying synchronized with each other. The modems use signal transitions to get re-synchronized. (For qthe same reason that the T1 lines discussed about 2 months ago need transitions.) To maximize the number of transistions, the characters going across the line are XORed(?) with the byte 01010101 (ASCII 'U'). This has the interesting property that if your modem gets a bunch of U's in a row, it's getting the minimum amount of synchronization information. On a Vadic protocol, try sending yourself about 30 U's in a row at 1200 baud and see what happens. I've heard that the 212 protocol (the other 1200-baud protocol) uses a 12-character sequence rather than just using the U. Can anyone describe this system in more detail? Also, which system is used for the single 2400-baud protocol? ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu 23 May 85 17:53:31-EDT From: S.PAE@MIT-EECS Subject: Be the first on YOUR block... To: telecom@MIT-EECS This is paraphrased from what I remember of an ad on a cable channel: "The future is cellular phone technology. (Something about Billions and Billions here...) Right now, people are getting in on the ground floor. Unfortunately, getting a license to run the cellular technology takes hundreds of pages of applications and reports. For a mere $5000, we will do these reports for you...." Has anyone else seen this? Is it for real or a scam? I thought each area application would be unique and would certainly take more than $5000 of research to generate. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 1985 09:49-PDT From: king@Kestrel.ARPA Subject: call waiting on cordless phones To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Anyone know of a cordless phone that can take a waiting call? Does dialing "1" and thereby interrupting the line for 100 ms do it? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 May 85 10:30:06 pdt From: dual!paul@Berkeley (Paul Wilcox-Baker) To: telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 The standard for representing international dialling codes recommended in England is to have a "+" followed by the country code and internal "area codes". The "+" is replaced by the local international dialling prefix, 011 in the U.S., 0101 in England & 001, I believe in Germany. Most countries outside the U.S. have an initial digit for long distance calls that has to be left off in the international case. Here are three numbers in that representation: Within country International (0925) 34238 (England) +44 925 34238 (0221) 38 68 49 (Germany) +49 221 38 68 49 (415) 549 3854 (U.S.A.) +415 549 3854 ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 1985 12:05-EST From: ihnp4!mcb@Berkeley (Mark C Baker @ AT&T Network Systems) Subject: Re: telephony signals To: ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley In response to Sesh Murthy's request (TELECOM Digest V4 #194) here are the pre-divestiture Bell System standard signals taken from "Basic Electronic Switching for Telephone Systems" by David Talley. Dial Tone 350 Hz and 440 Hz Audible Ring 440 Hz and 480 Hz (2 seconds on, 4 seconds off) Busy Tone 480 Hz and 620 Hz (0.5 seconds on, 0.5 off) Fast Busy Tone 480 Hz and 620 Hz (0.25 seconds on, 0.25 off) Ringing 105 VAC at 20 Hz (2 seconds on, 4 off) ------------------------------ Date: 29 May 1985 11:03-PDT From: king@Kestrel.ARPA Subject: equal acces To: telecom@mc Does "equal access" eventually require that a company wishing to establish an 800 number be able to use any carrier offering such service? Does anyone know anything about this? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 May 85 01:02:21 EST From: Minh N. Hoang Subject: 212/224's Remote digital loopback mechanism To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA Recent messages indicated that quite a few modems are getting into remote digital loops inadvertently so I poked around to find out how them modems intentionally get into this. The following comes from CCITT V.22bis recommendation which specifies the 2400/1200 bps modem. Except for the answer back tone, the 1200 mode is 212-compatible, including the loop. For reference, modem A is the instigator and modem B the one that loops back data. (All the modems that see data echoed back are instigators.) Here it goes: *** Entering remote loopback *** When modem A is instructed to instigate a remote loop, it shall transmit an initiation signal of unscrambled binary one at the current operating speed. (If you happen to listen to this, you'd hear a tone instead of the usual hiss-like noise.) Modem B shall detect 154 - 231 ms. of the initiation signal, and then transmit to modem A scrambled alternating binary 1 and 0. (And your modem faithfully passes this to your terminal - hence the UUUUs). Modem A shall detect 231 - 308 ms. of scrambled reversals, cease transmission of the initiation signal, and then transmit scrambled binary 1. Modem B shall detect the loss of initiation signal and activate the loopback. (Now, everything modem A transmits will be "echoed"). Modem A after receiving 231 - 308 ms. of scrambled binary 1 (which it sent), shall indicate to the terminal that it may begin sending test messages. (Modem A will now send terminal's data as usual so you can see all you type). *** Exiting remote loopback *** When modem A is instructed to terminate the remote loop, the line signal shall be suppressed for 77 +- 10 ms, after which transmission shall be restored. (A very short simulated carrier loss). Modem B detects the loss of signal in 40 - 65 and its reappearance within 155 +- 50 ms, after which modem B returns to normal operation. (For most modems, carrier loss of >300 ms may cause disconnect). *** -+- *** Thus, if you're inadvertently dumped into this loop and your modem doesn't have a remote loop switch, it's kinda tough to get out without losing the connection. How does your modem initiate this loop? (It's usually not modem B's fault.) A common cause is called scrambler lock-up. These modems use a scrambler of the form D_tx[n] = D_in[n] .XOR. D_tx[n-14] .XOR. D_tx[n-17] and transmit the scrambled output. If the scrambler's delay line happens to be filled with 1's, then the modem effectively sends unscrambled 1's, the initiation signal. The other modem responds with UUUUs. You type a few characters in panic and end the lock-up. The other modem senses the end of the initiation signal and voila... you're looping. To prevent this, once the scrambler outputs 64 consecutive 1's, it should invert the next input bit. Sometimes, the modem doesn't incorporate this detector-inverter because the situation is relatively rare, supposedly. Cheers, ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!homxb!hrs@Berkeley (H.SILBIGER) Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #194 Date: Tue, 28-May-85 20:27:13 EDT In response to the question on how to display international telephone numbers: The CCITT standard method for displaying telephone numbers is as follows. First example a number in the Netherlands National: (070) 75 11 11 -------------------------- Internat: +31 75 11 11 Second example a US number: National: 1 (201) 555-1111 ---------------------------- Internat: +1 201 555 1111 Note that above the line is the normal way a number is displayed within the country, and is the dialing sequence you would use when you were there. Below the line is how you would dial if you were in another country dialing abroad. The sequence is: country code, area (or city) code, and local number. It does not include the numbers you need for international access, ie in the US 011 or 001. I included the example from the Netherlands, because in the US the country code is "1", and the access to the long distance network also happens to be "1". When displaying the international number, no dashes or parentheses are used. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #196 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 4 Jun 85 04:10:48 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 3 Jun 85 16:23:47 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 196 Today's Topics: Re: Be the first on YOUR block... TELECOM Digest V4 #195 Telecom at MIT-MC*70 Microcom SX/2400 Microcom SX/2400 telephone standard source Cellular Roaming Problems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 1 Jun 85 10:01:05 est From: davy@purdue-ecn.ARPA (Dave Curry) To: telecom@bbncca.arpa Subject: Re: Be the first on YOUR block... I haven't seen the television commercial, but around here (Indiana) they have been running radio commercials with Mike Douglas of all people hawking this stuff. Something about "for ONLY $5000 (!) we will help you fill out the forms for much less than it would normally cost" ..... "get in on this potentially lucrative money opportunity"... I just want to know (1) why it would cost me ANYTHING to fill out the forms myself, and (2) what does Mike Douglas have to do with it? --Dave Curry davy@purdue-ecn.arpa ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jun 85 15:00:56 EST From: "Marvin A. Sirbu, Jr." Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #195 To: TELECOM@BBNCCA.ARPA In order for 800 number calls to be routed over the carrier of the RECIPIENT's choice (since the recipient is paying for the call) one needs to have implemented common channel signaling in all the BOCs. Unfortunatley, at the time of divestitute only AT&T Long Lines had common channel signalling, so only AT&T can carry 800 number calls. The BOCs are hard at work on implementing their own CCS, but it will take till 86-87 at least. Marvin Sirbu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 85 00:14 EDT From: Frankston@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA To: Telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Telecom at MIT-MC*70 I noticed that *70 on the new DMS-100 exchange here gives a double beep, but on the older ESS in Wellesley (next town over), it gives a fast busy. The operator and repair people don't know anything about it. I suspect that NET got some new software that they don't know about. What other goodies might I find in a brand new DMS-100? (well, new as of last December at least). In response to the query about cordless phones and call waiting -- fancier cordless phones have a flash button to allow for switchhook functions. ------------------------------ Date: 6 May 85 05:38:25 GMT From: dlw%ucbtopaz.CC@Berkeley Subject: Microcom SX/2400 I have just used a pair of Microcom "error correcting" 2400 baud async dialup modems for a week and I'm hooked. The MNP protocol seems to take care of all the line interference we have here, and the speed is addictive. There are odd pauses even at times when the line is clean (errors are noted by the TST light flashing) but this anomaly is far less annoying than the constant garbage I was getting with 212a modems. (The interference was so bad and so consistent with 212 that I set my flow control chars to DEL and { just so I could work.) I did attempt to verify the salesperson's claim that "even without error correction, the 2400 baud modulation technique is less sensitive to line interference than 212a." I found this to be not so. With error correction turned off, the SX/2400 was at least as sensitive to our local interference. Furthermore the resulting garbage was much less uniform than my 212a and thus my trick (above) was useless making the situation totally intolerable. I understand that Microcom has licensed the MNP protocol to other manufacturers (Codex, Racal-Vadic, ...) so that we'll have a choice, competition, etc. My congratulations to them for that! Also, public networks such as Tymnet, Telenet, & Uninet offer MNP on their 2400 baud access indicating they think it'll catch on. I'm convinced. "Don't leave $home without it." Any other views? David Wasley U C Berkeley ...!ucbvax!dlw ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 9 May 1985 07:17-MDT From: Sid Stuart Subject: Microcom SX/2400 You didn't mention that with the Microcoms internal buffering, the speed of the modem line and the speed of the rs-232 line are independent. I set my terminal up for 2400 baud on the serial port and I don't have to change it even when I call into a 1200 baud line and the modem autbauds... nice. One complaint I do have, though I don't know how much of a concern it is: When the modem is set to 2400 on the computer and a user dials in at 1200, it shifts to a citt standard for 1200 baud, and not bell 212. I haven't tested this with a bell 212 modem yet, so I don't know how much it affects the transmission quality. sid ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 85 11:10:06 EDT From: Ken J Lebowitz Subject: telephone standard source To: telecom@bbncca.arpa I'm interested in finding a source that describes what types of telephone equiptment work can be used in different countries around the world. In particular, I am interested in what standards a phone must meet in order to operate correctly in Israel. I believe that their system was originally installed by the French so they may use the same standards. Thanks, Ken Lebowitz BBN Labs ARPA: kjl@bbn-clxx.arpa CSNET: kjl%bbn-clxx@csnet-relay UUCP: ...!{decvax,ihnp4}!bbncca!kjl ------------------------------ Date: 21 May 1985 15:59-PDT Subject: Cellular Roaming Problems. From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow To: telecom@BBNCCA Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Washington, D. C. 20554 In re ) ) NEW ORLEANS CGSA, INC. ) File No. 27012-CL-C-84 ) Licensee of Domestic Cellular ) Radio Telecommunications Service ) Station KNKA224, at New Orleans, ) Louisiana ) To: Chief, Common Carrier Bureau EMERGENCY PETITION FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF FROM LICENSEE RULE VIOLATION IN REFUSING TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO ROAMERS ----------------------------------------- Geoffrey S. Goodfellow and Dwight F. Hare, by their attorneys, hereby petition for immediate emergency relief from New Orleans CGSA, Inc.'s willful violation of Section 22.911(b) of the Commission's Rules. 47 C.F.R. 22.911(b). In support hereof, the following is respectfully shown: Introduction ------------ Petitioners seek by virtue of this action immediate relief from New Orleans CGSA's willful refusal to provide them with roamer service on the cellular radio facilities of Station KNKA224 at New Orleans, Louisiana, in violation of Section 22.911(b) of the Rules, and contrary to the representation in New Orleans CGSA's application for a construction permit that roamer service would be provided. Geoffrey S. Goodfellow is a computer security and networking consultant in the Computer Science Laboratory at SRI International Menlo Park, California. Mr. Goodfellow is a properly licensed subscriber of the Cellular One cellular system in Washington, D.C. His assigned cellular number is 202-288-6953. Dwight F. Hare is the Manager of Research Operations for the Computer Science Laboratory at SRI International, Menlo Park, California. Mr. Hare is a properly licensed subscriber of the GTE Mobilnet cellular system in San Francisco, California. His assigned cellular number is 415-385-3130. Both Mr. Goodfellow and Mr. Hare must be in New Orleans, Louisiana on business for SRI International from May 25, 1985 to May 31, 1985, and require cellular radio service to properly discharge their duties for their employer. During the week of May 13, 1985 Mr. Goodfellow contacted BellSouth Mobility, Inc. (parent corporation of New Orleans CGSA, Inc.) in Atlanta, Georgia (Tel No. 800-438-2430) in order to arrange for roamer service on the New Orleans cellular system for himself and Mr. Hare. He was informed by a customer service representative for BellSouth Mobility that roamer service was not available on the New Orleans cellular system. Mr. Goodfellow stated that he believed that New Orleans CGSA was obligated to provide roamer service, and his call was then passed on to Mr.Tony Walker of BellSouth Mobility. Mr.Goodfellow again requested roamer service on the New Orleans system. He was informed by Mr. Walker that New Orleans CGSA did not offer roamer service. Mr. Walker stated that the reason such service was not provided was because New Orleans CGSA's tariff, on file with the Louisiana Public Service Commission, did not contain any provisions for roamer service. Mr. Walker was able to offer Mr. Goodfellow no date upon which roamer service would be made available to the public on the New Orleans CGSA cellular system. Mr. Walker offered to provide Mr. Goodfellow and Mr. Hare local subscriber service for a minimum of one month, but stated that the provision of such service would require the reprograming of their portable cellular units. New Orleans CGSA Has Willfully Violated the Commissions Rules ----------------- BellSouth Mobility's and New Orleans CGSA's absolute refusal to provide roamer service to Mr. Goodfellow or Mr. Hare is a willful violation of Section 22.911(b) of the Rules, and of the representation contained in the licensee's cellular application that its cellular system had been "designed with the capability of providing roaming cellular radio users the ability to place and receive calls." (Exhibit 17 of Application, Attachment 1 hereto). Section 911(b) of the Rules provides under the heading "Permissible Communications" that: (b) Base stations in this service are authorized to communicate with associate subscribers; base stations MUST also render service to properly licensed roamers. (emphasis added). The operative language of the rule with regard to roamer service is that it "must" be provided. This language is a mandatory direction and vests no discretion with the licensee. Both Mr. Goodfellow and Mr. Hare are properly licensed subscribers of their home cellular carriers, as described above. Accordingly, New Orleans CGSA's failure to provide requested roamer service for them while they are in New Orleans must be considered nothing less than a willful failure to obey the dictates of the Commission's Rules. Moreover, New Orleans CGSA represented in its application for a cellular construction permit at Exhibit No. 17, page 1, that its cellular system had been designed with the capability of providing roamer service to the public, as noted above. The Commission granted New Orleans CGSA a construction permit on the strength of this representation, among others. The licensee's willful failure to provide roamer service therefore makes a mockery not only of the Commission Rules, but also of the application and licensing procedures employed by the Commission. The Commission should take immediate and definite steps to force New Orleans CGSA to comply with Section 22.911(b) of the Rules. The licensee's offer to provide petitioners with a minimum full month of regular local subscriber service - which would require reprograming their cellular units - does not meet the requirements of Section 22.911(b) of the Rules. It is respectfully requested that the Commission promptly issue an order to New Orleans CGSA directing the carrier to immediately make provision for the rendition of roamer service to Mr. Goodfellow and Mr. Hare during the week of May 25, 1985. WHEREFORE the premises considered, it is requested that the Commission grant this emergency petition and order immediate relief from New Orleans CGSA's violation of the Commission's Rules. Respectfully submitted, GEOFFREY S. GOODFELLOW DWIGHT F. HARE by Arthur Blooston ____________ John H. Myers ____________ their Attorneys Blooston and Mordkofsky 2120 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 Tel. (202) 659-0830 Dated: May 17, 1985 Attachment 1 FCC FORM 401 EXHIBIT NO. 17 PAGE 1 OF 1 - - Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc. Domestic Public Cellular Radio Telecommunications Service New Cellular System, New Orleans, Louisiana Location J Response to FCC Rule Section 22.913(a)(7): Service Proposals for local ---------------------------------------------------------------------- subscribers and roamers including methods for handling complaints. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Local Subscribers ----------------- Subscriptions to cellular radio service will be afforded to the public within the 39 dBu service contour of the initial system serving the New Orleans metropolitan area. The cellular radio system established in the New Orleans metropolitan area will provide subscribers with the ability to place and receive calls within the defined CGSA on a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week basis. Roamers ------- Cellular radio systems have been designed with the capability of providing roaming cellular radio service users the ability to place and receive calls. Complaint Process ------------------ All complaints will be acknowledged, investigated and resolved expeditiously by the Corporation. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #197 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 4 Jun 85 21:39:41 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 4 Jun 85 16:24:17 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 197 Today's Topics: Racal-Vadic VA3451 Modem Problem 2400 bps modems can be non-standard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 31 May 85 13:39:20 pdt From: ucdavis!bluebell!russell@Berkeley (Michael Russell) To: CSNET-FORUM@CSNET-SH, INFO-CPM@AMSAA, INFO-MICRO@BRL-VGR, TELECOM@BBNCCA, Subject: Racal-Vadic VA3451 Modem Problem Cc: CIC@CSNET-SH, DDUSTMAN@CSNET-SH, LONG@CSNET-SH, MOOERS@CSNET-SH In order to get connected to the CSNET PhoneNet, we bought a Racal-Vadic VA3451 Auto-Dial modem. The modem was delivered in early 1985, and the manual that came along with it was entitled "VA3451 Modem Installation/ Operation Manual", "Initial Issue", "November, 1984". There appears to be an problem with the modem and an error in the manual. After we put the modem into service, it occasionally got itself into a funny state. The modem was off-hook even though there was no connection, and the modem was generating a carrier. The lights that were lit were: HS, DSR, and DTR. Further, disconnecting the modem from its DTE by removing the RS232 plug (thereby dropping DTR) did not cause the modem to go on-hook. Neither did unplugging the modem from the phone line. It was possible to force the modem to go on-hook either by toggling power or by flipping the DA/VO/MA switch on the front panel away from VO and then back. I telephoned the Racal-Vadic Service Hotline, and we tried a several months worth of different things, but nothing would make the problem go away. On Wednesday, 5/29/85, Diane Dustman, CSNET-CIC Technical Staff, phoned me to tell me that our modem was off-hook. She asked me to reset the modem so that CSNET-RELAY could begin to call our host again. I told her that I knew about the problem and that I was working on it. I asked her if she often had to telephone site liaisons asking for a modem to be reset. She said that she sometimes did, but that it didn't strike her as a widespread problem. In any case, she mentioned my problem to Dan Long, CSNET Technical Liaison, and it jogged his memory. He sent on to me something he had received in early 1984. It was an article, signed by "--Lauren--", that had been distributed to the INFO-MICRO, INFO-CPM, UNIX-WIZARDS, and TELECOM interest groups. Charles Lindahl at "ti-csl" (Texas Instruments Central Research Labs in Dallas) had forwarded the article to Dan Long. Briefly, the article described exactly the problem that we were experiencing with our modem. The article said that the fix involved changing the strapping so that the A1 switch was OFF. The setting of the A1 switch is ignored, and A1 is considered as ON, if the modem is set to its "Standard Configuration" via the A6 switch. The article said that A6 should be set to ON in order to turn off the "Standard Configuration", i.e., to enable all the other switches. I had set A6 to the non-"Standard Configuration" setting, but according to my manual, that setting was achieved with A6 OFF, not ON as was indicated in the article. The fact that the manual I have is wrong was verified by a Racal-Vadic Field Service representative. I will forward a copy of this to him, in order to be sure that the error in the manual is corrected. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you yet that, by setting A6 to ON and A1 to OFF, our problem has been solved. I had mailed the modem back to Racal-Vadic for repair just before I got the information from Dan Long. In any case, I would like to express my thanks to Diane, Dan, Charles, and Lauren for getting this information to me. Michael Russell russell@ucd.csnet ...!ucbvax!ucdavis!bluebell!russell ucdavis!bluebell!russell@berkeley.arpa russell%bluebell%ucdavis.uucp@berkeley.arpa ------------------------------ Date: Wednesday, 8 May 1985 16:25-MDT From: "Robert P. Cunningham" Subject: 2400 bps modems can be non-standard [These are my notes on some problems with U.S.-made 2400 bps modems, using information from a variety of different articles and discussions with various vendors. Clarifications and corrections welcome.] 2400 bps modems. Twice the throughput of 1200 bps modems for less than twice the price. It sounds good, but many of the new 2400 bps modems now on the market in the U.S. are not completely compatible with similar models from other manufacturers. There is no U.S. asynchronous dial-up 2400 bps standard in the same sense that the Bell 212 modem set the standard for 1200 asynchronous modems. There are two European standards: "CCITT V.22 bis" and "CCIT V.26 ter". These are written standards, while the Bell 212 was a complete working product, with very well known operating characteristics. A minor difference in principle, but a tremendous difference in practice. Not only are there loopholes in the CCITT standards that give each manufacturer considerable room to be creatively different, but there are some modifications that U.S. manufactures tend to make in order to maintain some compatiblity with existing U.S. equipment. The result is that many of the 2400 async dial-up modems are incompatible with each other in various ways. Most of the new U.S. made 2400 bps async dial-up modems follow the V.22 bis standard. They transmit and receive simultaneously by splitting the available bandwidth in half, using half to receive and the other to transmit, with a 16 point Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) technique at 600 baud [precisely speaking, the baud rate is the rate of change of the signal ... QAM and most other techniques provide a way of encoding several bits into each change of the signal]. A few use an alternate CCITT specification -- V.26 ter. Signal cancelling (the receiver cancelling out the echo of its own transmitted signal) allows the whole bandwith of a phone line to be used. V.26 ter uses a Differential Phase Shift Keying technique to handle 2400 bps at 1200 baud. V.22 2400 bps is probably less reliable than 212-type 1200 bps over long-distance lines, V.26 ter is probably better than 212. Of course V.22 bis and V.26 ter are completely incompatible. While V.22 bis seems to be the preferred standard now, there is a good chance it may eventually be superseeded by V.26 ter. [Then again, maybe not; the Vadic 1200 bps technique is -- in some ways -- more effective than 212, but it's never really caught on.] Now, about those loopholes in V.22 bis ... The standard designates a fall-back speed, if the originate and answer modems can't handle a 2400 bps connection. However, the standard doesn't specify how the connected DTE equipment (computer or terminal) is to be notified of the fall-back. The RS232C standard doesn't cover it. With V.22 bis, each U.S. manufacturer seems to have chosen a DIFFERENT way of indicating a speed change when the modem falls back, using various of the seldom-used secondary control pins on the RS232C connector. Chances are that the typical DTE device you hook up your 2400 bps modem to will ignore the speed change signal. Then, when you obtain a dial-up connection that's a bit noisy, the modem falls back. It sets up and maintains the connection nicely, but not at the baud rate your computer or terminal expects. This can tie up the equipment at each end indefinitely. V.22 bis specifies the CCITT V.22 format for 1200 bps fallback. Unfortunately, that's incompatible with Bell 212. To allow V.22 bis modems to be used together with regular 212 modems, many (but not all) of the U.S. manufacturers have chosen to make 212 rather than V.22 the fallback. As a convenience, some (but, again not all) of the U.S. makers who provide 212-type 1200 bps fallback also provide a further 103-type 300 bps fallback from 1200 bps. Nice feature, but definitely not in V.22 bis. There's still another common "Americanization" that U.S. manufacturers have adopted. V.22 bis assumes that the European standard 2,100 Hz answer tone be sent by the answering modem during initial connection handshaking. Many U.S. manufacturers have instead adopted the regular U.S. 2,225 Hz answer tone -- again for 212-type compatibility. Unfortunately, this means that many U.S.-made V.22 bis modems won't handshake at all with a European V.22 bis modems. V.22 bis specifies V.25 (or V.25 bis) autodialing. U.S. makers prefer their own variation of the Hayes autodialing commands (or the Concord technique, or the AT&T technique, or Cermatek ... there's definitely no effective U.S. standard for autodialing commands). Summary & recommendations: If you want a 2400 modem that will talk to European-made modems make sure it uses the 2.1 kHz answering tone, and has V.22 (not 212) fallback. Find out whether the other end uses V.22 bis or V.26 ter. If you need point-to-point 2400 bps dialup in the U.S., choose your favorite manufacturer, but you'll have more consistent results of you have the same model from the same company at the other end. Otherwise, don't be surprised when your modem "hangs". In any case, may expect to see more "phone line hits" -- especially over long-distance lines -- than you get with your 1200 bps modem. -- Bob Cunningham ..{dual,ihnp4,vortex}!islenet!bob Honolulu, Hawaii ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #198 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 10 Jun 85 21:52:22 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 Jun 85 15:48:33 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 198 Today's Topics: Pacific Bell (unlocked B-boxes) Who handles card calls? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9-Jun-85 15:51:21 PDT From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: Pacific Bell (unlocked B-boxes) To: TELECOM@MC.ARPA One thing I've noticed PacBell doing lately that really irks me is leaving B-boxes (local loop distribution boxes) unlocked! More and more I'm seeing the new style (wide and low) boxes which are bolted closed but without a lock in the hasp. I don't much care for the concept that any jerk with the right wrench could come along and fiddle around in there. I saw one in Hollywood that wasn't even bolted closed--it was sitting there with one door swung open and no telco people in the vicinity. How about some security on the outside plant, Pacific? --Lauren-- ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jun 85 12:39:30 EDT From: *Hobbit* Subject: Who handles card calls? To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA It's been my experience that when I call very locally using my card, I go through an awful lot of switching to get there. I'm talking tandems. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get a non-CCIS one, and hear all the MF routing. I suspect that what's happening is that the call is passed to some AT&T office that would handle inter-LATA calls, which gives me the MCCS tone and accepts the card number, and then routes the call back into the LATA for completion. Now, if the AT&T switch, the destination, and I all happen to be in the same LATA, and AT&T completes the call, is this in violation of something because AT&T is completing an intra-LATA call??? _H* ------- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #199 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 11 Jun 85 22:05:05 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 Jun 85 17:07:48 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 199 Today's Topics: Electronic Vaults' UPTA 96 Cellular phones and confidentiality Re: Cellular phones and confidentiality ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 Jun 1985 00:47:45 PDT Subject: Electronic Vaults' UPTA 96 From: Eliot Moore To: telecom@BBNCCV.ARPA Communications Week of June 10 fields an article concerning a "Hayes-compatible" half-duplex (buffered for pseudo-full-duplex, i presume) 9600bps error-correcting async dialup modem, available as an internal card for the ibmpc at $795 or standalone for $895. This type of product at this price is long overdue, much as Microcom's error-correcting 212's were. Given the inevitability of V.32 modems on the market in 1985, is anyone going to buy these things? Regards, Elmo ------- ------------------------------ From: "Bob Parnass, AJ9S" Subject: Cellular phones and confidentiality Date: 9 Jun 85 03:20:35 GMT To: info-hams@simtel20.ARPA x George Chao, a cellular phone user, provided this article, published in the May 1985 'Ameritech Connection' by Ameri- tech Mobile Communications, Inc. for its Chicago/Gary area cellular telephone users: Confidentiality Could Be A Three-Way Street "One of the differences between cellular service and conventional mobile telephones is that cellular is 'private-like.' Each side of every cellular conversa- tion is assigned its own private radio channel by our computerized system, so there is no operator to go through and there are no party lines to share." "However, in the last six months, sophisticated elec- tronic scanners able to monitor cellular radio frequen- cies have become available, and Ameritech Mobile cau- tions you about conversations of a highly confidential nature held over your mobile telephone." "Scanners are only able to lock onto one channel at a time and can not simulate our computerized network. In fact, they can ONLY detect one side of the cellular conversation and ONLY for a brief period of time. That's because our computer routinely switches your call from one channel to another to keep the transmis- sion quality of your conversation at a high level as you drive through the cellular service area." "While scanners are expensive and not routinely used by the general public, be careful in discussing proprietary or very personal issues when using your mobile telephone. Remember the airwaves are public property." -- ============================================================================= == Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-54 14 ------------------------------ Date: 11 Jun 1985 09:52-PDT Subject: Re: Cellular phones and confidentiality From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow To: parnass%ihu1h.uucp@BRL Cc: info-hams@SIMTEL20, telecom@BBNCCA well, it's good to see that yet another regional arm of The Telephone Company is still very well versed in NewsSpeak! People have been able to hear both sides of the conversation by monitoring the land-to-mobile frequency, do to the talk-back that exists. It doesn't take "sophisticated electronic(!)" scanners or any high technological acts of chicanery as i'm sure the readership of both info-hams and telecom are aware. What with the stories emanating out of chicago and other areas with people tuning into cellular phone conversations thru the varactors on their VCRs or TV sets. "ONLY for a brief period of time" (my ass). People have been know to hold very long stationary conversations in which you're not a candidate for hand off, although i have experienced hand off when stationary myself. In summary, the "American Connection" is full of it. If you take Personal Communications, keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming articled, "Cellular Swiss Cheese", of which I'm co-authoring on the subject. I'd be happy to send a copy to Info-Hams and/or Telecom if enough interest warrants. g ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #200 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 12 Jun 85 22:31:39 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 Jun 85 17:28:24 EDT Volume 4 : Issue 200 Today's Topics: Administrivia - TELECOM is moving Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #199 Need help stopping telephone harrassment RFI Interference and 1200-bps Modems ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Jun 85 17:24:15 EDT From: Jon Solomon Subject: Administrivia - TELECOM is moving To: telecom@bbncca.arpa TELECOM is moving from its current address on BBNCCA to MIT-XX. The pointer on MIT-MC will reflect this change, and so will the BBNCCA (or any BBN unix system) pointer, but if you use some other pointer it might not work. TELECOM-REQUEST@MIT-XX and TELECOM@MIT-XX have been created. The software is not completely ready to support generating digests so if you do send mail to MIT-XX right now, I will probably forward it to BBNCCA and continue to process TELECOM from there. Watch for the new location in the header of the digest, and when it is ready I will send out another administrivia note. If you send something to either address and you don't see it in three days time published in the digest, please resend the mail. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jun 85 19:38:49 edt From: Michael Grant To: TELECOM@BBNCCA Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #199 Regarding privacy on cellular phones, I'd be interested to hear about the new digital coding techniques that the cellular phone companies are talking about adding soon. They say that it would be an additional plug in module to the already existing units. Would it be possible to overhear a key, and decode a conversation? What kind of encoding would they be doing? -Mike ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 6 June 1985 05:55-MDT From: Donn Seeley Subject: Need help stopping telephone harrassment I have a friend (who shall remain nameless, for reasons that will become obvious below) who has been subjected to some very sophisticated telephone harrassment. He doesn't have net access and has asked me to try to use some of the immense combined experience of the net to help him get to the bottom of his problems. My friend has a son of high school age who likes to play with computers. The family has an Apple computer and a modem at home, and the son uses it to dial in to various bboards in the area of his suburban home in California. It seems that one day the son attempted to bluff his way onto a phone phreak bboard. This was a mistake -- the boy was in way over his head, and when the bboard operators learned this, they decided to teach him a lesson. My friend's long distance access code very rapidly propagated around the state and some ridiculous charges began appearing on his monthly bills. At the same time he began receiving harrassing phone calls -- the phone would ring during dinner or in the middle of the night, and when someone answered it, no one would be on the other end. After a couple months of this, my friend asked Pac Tel to trace the harrassing phone calls. The nature of the calls changed; perhaps the son bragged about it to classmates or acquaintances on bboards, but the bad guys heard about it and the callers began to say things. They said that they would vandalize my friend's property and that they would assault his son, and eventually they began making death threats. Pac Tel stalled on the traces; in the end they said that they couldn't release the information that they had gathered because regulations required that at least three of the calls had to originate from the same number, and somehow this was not the case. My friend was puzzled about the rule, but he was even more puzzled about the fact that the calls seemed to come from different numbers... He and his family began to get rather nervous, although the violence remained verbal. My friend decided to do some investigating of his own and called up some of the numbers that appeared on his long distance bill. Many of them turned out to be recordings of various kinds, such as 'dial-a-porn'; a few of them turned out to be homes with teenagers, and the latter readily admitted that they had been given the access code and told to 'get this guy', and to spread the number far and wide. Since it was clear that the original perpetrators could not be traced through the long distance company, my friend changed his access code and managed to convince the company to forgive the bogus charges. Following this move the problems with long distance went away. At about this time the harrassing phone calls stopped too. My friend isn't sure whether this was a result of the bad guys hearing about his investigation through the grapevine, or whether Pac Tel was getting warm, but he was grateful regardless. Unfortunately this wasn't the end of his problem. When he got his phone bill at the end of the month, he discovered that he was being charged for hundreds of dollars worth of bogus toll calls through Pac Tel, all made in his local area code. Apparently all of the many numbers called were recordings, so there was no one on the other end who could be asked about the calls. Pac Tel said that the calls originated from his residential phone, but it was quite clear that no one in the household could possibly be doing it. The family kept logs of where all its members were for periods of weeks at a time, and these showed that the calls were being made when the house was empty, or when the family was eating dinner and so on. Peculiarly, some of the numbers were called as many as 8 times in a single minute, which suggested that the caller was using an auto-dialer (my friend does not own one) and that the calls were being made to accumulate charges rather than to listen to the recordings. On the basis of this evidence Pac Tel traced the house's local loop, but could find no indication that it had been compromised in any way. Pac Tel now steadfastly maintains that there is no other way of making a call appear to originate from the residence's phone. After several months of wrangling, Pac Tel sent its own investigator to look at the case. After one phone call to my friend and three days of 'investigation', Pac Tel's man announced that my friend's son was responsible for all the calls, and that my friend was liable for the thousands of dollars worth of bogus calls that had been made over the previous eight months. My friend, at his wits' end, tried contacting the FBI. They heard him out and told him that because none of the bogus calls at any stage of the case had crossed state lines, they had no jurisdiction. (My friend's heart sank when he realized that that the bad guys must have thought of this in advance...) The FBI suggested that my friend call the PUC. This turned out to be a joke -- my friend couldn't even get past the secretary. My poor friend is now at the stage of hiring a lawyer and preparing for the inevitable... Meanwhile the bogus calls continue, taunting him. My friend and I can use any information you might have on how a stunt like this could be perpetrated -- how can you make calls appear to come from another number? We don't need or want precise details on how to beat the system; we just need enough to convince Pac Tel (or (sigh) a judge) that there is an alternative explanation for the calls... Any help you can give would be deeply appreciated, Donn Seeley University of Utah CS Dept donn@utah-cs.arpa 40 46' 6"N 111 50' 34"W (801) 581-5668 decvax!utah-cs!donn PS -- If you have something you'd prefer to communicate in person, and you'll be attending the Usenix conference, by all means contact me there. ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 10 June 1985 11:32-MDT From: Bob Russes Subject: RFI Interference and 1200-bps Modems *** HELP! *** I need advice in selecting a 1200-bps modem. I need a modem which is able to withstand the RFI interference from a 50,000 watt AM broadcast station which is located approximately 1-2 miles from my home. I currently have a Digital DF03 modem for use at home. However, given the amount of RFI interference at my location, it is effectively useless. Any suggestions would be **greatly** appreciated!! Should you need any other information, please ask! Bob Usenet: decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-argus!russes USPS: Bob Russes Telephone: (617)-467-8365 Digital Equipment Corporation 67 Forest Street -- IND-3/C10 Marlboro, MA 01752-9116 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ****************************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #200 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!telecom Date: 14 Jun 85 00:32:21 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Thursday, June 13, 1985 7:28PM Volume 4, Issue 200 Today's Topics: Cellular Roaming Problems (resolution). TELECOM Digest V4 #200 - Telephone Harassment - Revisited [Thanks to SRA@XX we are running with new Digest software. Bugs to TELECOM-REQUEST@MIT-XX. Note, TELECOM@XX and TELECOM-REQUEST@XX are now the official addresses of TELECOM. Mail to BBNCCA will be forwarded back here. --JSol] ---------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!pesnta!peora!jer@Berkeley Date: Wednesday, 12 Jun 1985 16:52-EDT To: telecom@BBNCCA.ARPA Subject: Re: Cellular phones and confidentiality In-reply-to: USENET article <8055@ucbvax.ARPA> Aside from the fact that you CAN allegedly monitor cellular telephone communications, is it legal to do so? It had been my understanding that a "Secrecy of Communications Act" existed which made it illegal to monitor any radio communications other than those in the commercial and amateur radio bands. (The exact wording probably restricted it further, since I first heard of it in reference to the alleged illegality of monitoring subsidiary carrier broadcasts from commercial radio stations.) -- Full-Name: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 "Gnyx gb gur fhayvtug, pnyyre..." ---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 13 Jun 1985 08:59-PDT Subject: Cellular Roaming Problems (resolution). From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow Before the FEDERAL COMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Washigton, D.C. 20554 In re ) ) NEW ORLEANS CGSA, INC. ) File No. 27012-CL-C-84 Licensee of Domestic Cellular ) Radio Telecommunications Service ) Station KNKA 224, at New Orleans, ) Louisiana TO: Chief, Common Carrier Bureau REPLY TO EMERGENCY PETITION FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF FROM LICENSEE RULE VIOLATION IN REFUSING TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO ROAMERS -------------------------- New Orleans CGSA, Inc. and BellSouth Mobility Inc ( "BMI"), parent corporation of New Orleans CGSA, Inc. (collectively, "Respondents"), by their attorneys, hereby submit their response to the above-styled Emergency ptition filed by or on behalf of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow and Dwight F. Hare ( collectively, "Petitioners") in this matter, dated May 17, 1985. Respondents respectfully submit that, contrary to the assertions of the Petitioners, there has been no "willful refusal" to provide them with roamer service on the New Orleans cellular system, and no "willful violation"" of Section 22.911(b) of the Commission's Rules. When Mr. Goodfellow contacted BMI seeking to arrange for roamer service in New Orleans, he was correctly informed by both a customer service representative and by Mr. Tony Walker that roamer service (as it is presently conceived, i.e., via credit card or automatic roaming intercarrier agreements) was not available in New Orleans because of state regulatory considerations arising out of the currently applicable tariffs adopted by the Louisiana Public Service Commission governing the provision of cellular service in New Orleans. Implementig a separate roamer service offering is a vastly complex undertaking and until very recently the various technical, engineering, billig and administrative difficulties combined to frustrate the development of the mechanisms necessary to support the provision of roamer service as a separate and distinct category of service offering. Only within the past several weeks have enough of these complicated billing, administrative and other hurdles been overcome by BMI and some other cellular system operators so as to permit BMI to begin executing intercarrier roamer service agreements and implementing separate roamer service offerings in its various cellular systems. Many other carriers around the country are still unable to provide or support such separate roamer service. Back when the New Orleans cellular system became operational and the tariffs relating thereto were filed and accepted by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, these problems had not been resolved and the cellular industry had not developed to the point where the manner in which roamer service would ultimately be provided could be adequately determined. As a result, the presently applicable tariffs in New Orleans make no provision for roamer service as a separate category from regular home subscriber service. Mr. Walker also correctly informed Mr. Goodfellow that revisions to the applicable tariffs were being prepared and were expected to be filed soon. Although the exact date of the projected filing of these tariff revisions and their proposed effective date were not known at the time of Mr. Walker's conversation with Mr. Goodfellow, these tariff revisions were in fact filed with the Louisiana Public Service Commission on May 21, 1985, and are proposed to become ef fective on June 2, 1985. In any event, as an interim solution in an effort to accomodate the petitioners' desire to obtain cellular service in New Orleans while remaining in compliance with the applicable tariffs, Mr. Walker offered to arrange for service to be provided to Petitioners essentially as if they were regular home subscribers for the one month minimum period prescribed in the tariff. Mr. Walker even offered to help arrange any reprogramming of the Petitioners' cellular radiotelephone units which might be necessary. As the foregoing clearly demonstrates, there has been no "willful" or "absolute" refusal by Respondents to provide service to the Petitioners on the New Orleans cellular system. Respondents offered and remained willing to provide such service to Petitioners in a manner which complies with state law and applicable tariffs. Thus, there has been no violation, willful or otherwise, of the Commission's Rules. Furthemore, Respondents have been informed by the Louisiana Public Service Commission ("LPSC" that the revised tariffs filed by Respondents providing for a separate roamer service offering have been accepted, to become effective June 2, 1985. Respondents have asked the LPSC to advance the effective date of the revised tariffs to May 25, 1985, and have been informed that the LPSC has agreed to that request. Written confirmation of the acceptance of the earlier effective date is expected from the LPSC shortly and will be filed with the Commission in this matter under separate cover. Therefore, roamer service can be provided to the ptitioners in accordance with the revised tariffs during the time period requested. As a result of these developments, the Emergency Petition is moot. For the reasons set forth above, the Petitioners are not entitled to any of the relief sought in the and foresaid Emergency Petition, and such petition should be dismissed. Respectfully submitted, NEW ORLEANS CGSA, INC. BELLSOUTH MOBILITY INC BY:_____________________ Martin C. Ruegsegger BellSouth Mobility Inc. 2030 Powers Ferry Road Suite 500 ________________________ Atlanta, Georgia 30339 D. Scott Stenhouse (404) 951-3600 Attorneys for Respondents Dated: May 23, 1985 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 13 Jun 85 09:41:18 PDT (Thursday) Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #200 - Telephone Harassment - Revisited From: Cottriel.ES@Xerox.ARPA Don, If your friend's local loop terminates in an PAC-TEL ESS office, (i.e. a computer driven Electronic Switch as opposed to a mechanical switching arrangement), and given the aptitude of the parties involved, it is entirely feasable that somebody knows the architecture of that switch, and could therefore ~create~ phony calls, by merely telling the switch to make the call. This could be done from anywhere, if the person or persons involved, knew enough about Pac-Tel's network architecture. It's even more feasable, that no calls were ever actually made, and the bogus billing reflects a simple data base compromise by the parties in question. One way to gather evidence that your friend did not make these calls, is to order a second phone service. The second service should be used in place of the first for his/her daily requirements for phone service. Have him order it under an assumed name and make sure it's unlisted. Then short out the pair on the old service and leave it that way for whatever period of time is necessary to prove that no use could possibly have been originated from your friends house. If your friend starts seeing bogus charges on the new line, then that should indicate to PAC-TEL that somewhere in their system, they have a few holes, and somebody found them. Of course, they already know this, but they can't admit it because it would create mass unrest with all of their clients. No computer system is 100% secure! (But that's another subject...for another day...) Good-luck, John ---------------------------------------------------------------- [End of TELECOM Digest] ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #201 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 19 Jun 85 00:03:09 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Tuesday, June 18, 1985 7:22PM Volume 4, Issue 201 Today's Topics: Cellular Phone eaves dropping Responsibility of various telcos [We experienced a small problem with the digestifying software that prevented the previous digest from being undigestifiable using the Babyl undigestifyer (and others). We hope this digest is up to standard. Please report any problems you have to TELECOM-REQUEST@MIT-XX. --JSol] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Jun 85 18:42:20 pdt From: Michael Peirce Subject: Cellular Phone eaves dropping It seems that someone in the California Legislator has proposed a bill that would ban scanners capable of picking up cellular phone traffic. The local amateur radio folks are mobilizing against it with a letter writing blitz. Michael Peirce ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jun 85 11:30:54 PDT From: "Theodore N. Vail" Subject: Responsibility of various telcos I just tried to dial a number in Cambridge, Massachussetts and received the following recording: "The number you have reached XXXXXXX is not in service in area code 607. Please check the number and dial again." I dialed long-distance information and was given the same number to dial again, by "New England Telephone", even though I am in General Telephone territory and my long-distance carrier is AT&T. The amount is not large, however since I had the correct number, which agreed with the telco's information service, why should I be charged for long-distance information? What is the responsibility of the telco to provide accurate information service? Are they permitted to charge for incorrect information? Do they have a responsibility to provide a certain level of accuracy? If so, what? ted. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #202 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!ihnp4!ucbvax!telec om Date: 22 Jun 85 04:39:54 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Saturday, June 22, 1985 12:01AM Volume 4, Issue 202 Today's Topics: trouble with the archives Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #201 (long distance directory assistance) Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? Re: Responsibility of various telcos Penril woes Easy Dialing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri 21 Jun 85 16:25:17-EDT From: Jon Solomon Subject: trouble with the archives SRI-CSL is in the process of upgrading its system from Tenex to TOPS-20. During this time, the archives are in an unstable state. I have moved TELECOM.RECENT from SRI-CSL to MIT-XX and will update it as new digests are prepared. If you are looking for a recent digest (i.e. within this volume), then please look in PS: on MIT-XX. The other volumes are still on SRI-CSL in the directory. When SRI-CSL is fully up and running Tops-20, I will move the archive back there. Sorry for the inconvenience. --Jsol ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Wed Jun 19 11:18:00 1985 Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #201 (long distance directory assistance) I gather that the charge you pay for long distance directory assistance is for the long distance call to the D.A. operator rather than for the information. But if your call to Cambridge really was answered with a message saying "not assigned in area code 607", it suggests that either you or your General Tel exchange dialed 607 rather than 617. (Also, all of the Cambridge exchanges intercept a bad number by repeating back the number you called and telling you that it's not in service at this time.) But now I'm confused. Who do directory assistance operators work for, the local telcos or AT&T? If I dial 213-555-1212, do I get Pacific Bell operators, General Tel operators, or AT&T operators? How about when I dial 809-555-1212 and the operator says "what island, please?" What's particularly confusing is that apparently when you dial D.A. through MCI, Sprint, or SBS, they route it to AT&T from whom they have bought bulk D.A. service. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 17 June 1985 14:19-MDT From: vax135!timeinc!dwight@Ucb-Vax.ARPA Subject: Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? There's been some discussion here about the 300/1200/2400 baud modem offered by Microcom (Microcomm?) that implements the MNP (Microcom[m] Networking Protocol) inside the modems' firmware. I cannot seem to be able to get any pointers to the company nor to the modem model number. Can anyone help? Thanks! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --Dwight Ernest KA2CNN \ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight Time Inc. Edit./Prod. Tech. Grp., New York City Voice: (212) 554-5061 \ Compuserve: 70210,523 Telemail: DERNEST/TIMECOMDIV/TIMEINC \ MCI: DERNEST "The opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Time Incorporated." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Jun 85 9:20:01 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Responsibility of various telcos In the recording "...not in service in area code ___", you meant 617, not 607, right? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Jun 85 14:31:28 edt From: Don Saklad Subject: clicks and handset speakers Newsgroups: fa.telecom Distribution: usa Loud clicks not withstanding, how about the handsets which feed the same individual's voice back into the same individual's ear at volume which is too loud like clicks which are many times too painful. What's the term for that phenomenom--your voice fed back to your own ear by your telephone handset. ------------------------------ Date: Tuesday, 18 June 1985 15:29-MDT From: Mark Horton Subject: Penril woes We have gobs and gobs of Penril auto-dial 212 modems. They've worked reasonably well on some old configurations (a Develcon dataswtch and a DZ port) with some funny cabling, but we're just now discovering a pair of misfeatures that are giving us fits. We can't use the Penril as a dialup (e.g. 212 answer-only replacement) because it asserts CD all the time. (This isn't switch selectable.) This causes UNIX to wake up the getty, which prints a banner. The banner contains a CR, which wakes up the penril, which greets the getty. The two then carry on a little conversation, eating up CPU, repeatedly. One trick is to set a switch and have RI wired to CD - it will leave RI high during and after the ring. (This is the funny cabling mentioned above.) This worked on the DZ, but when we moved to a DH, we found out that RI doesn't emulate CD perfectly. RI goes up and down a few times before coming up for good. This drives our DH crazy, waking up the getty and immediately blowing it away with SIGHUP. We are also having this problem on a Bridge CS/1. We can mostly use them as a dial-out, but they have an annoying habit that if I have just connected up (within a few seconds) and type lots of stuff fast, ending in CR, the modem fails to print 10 chars worth of output and instead prints the 3 chars "CR LF >". This drives our UUCP crazy on some hosts, since it types fast and sends CR. Often it will expect login, get it, send uucp, expect ssword, and get neither the echo of uucp nor the ssword, just a >. Does anybody have any advice? Can you confirm that these problems (especially the > one) are really in the Penril? Is there a fix? We have about 24 of these modems in 3 racks, an investment we hate to lose or replace. Mark ------------------------------ Date: 21-Jun-85 15:09:12-PDT From: matt@FORD-WDL1.ARPA Does anybody out there have any information on possible codecs for either Bell T-1 or CEPT Level 1 formats which are devices? I am looking for an IC, ideally, but would settle for a single-card implementation, if required. I would like to get into and out of a level 1 TDM stream in as small a size as possible. Please mail any responses to me via e-mail at: matt@wdl1 Thanks in advance. Matthew Noall ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Jun 85 8:47:15 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Easy Dialing Just saw "Easy Dialing" (another name for equal access?) for 1st time. That's the dialing of 1+areacode+number regardless of your long-distance carrier. (This was in C&P of Md. announcement.) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************** ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #203 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 23 Jun 85 04:40:14 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Sunday, June 23, 1985 12:06AM Volume 4, Issue 203 Today's Topics: Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? Re: Terminology inquiry U.S TRON repair question Re: clicks and handset speakers "sidetone" and "equal" access ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wednesday, 19 June 1985 15:09-MDT From: sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA (Steve Dyer) Subject: Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? > There's been some discussion here about the 300/1200/2400 baud > modem offered by Microcom (Microcomm?) that implements the MNP > (Microcom[m] Networking Protocol) inside the modems' firmware. > I cannot seem to be able to get any pointers to the company nor > to the modem model number. Can anyone help? Thanks! Microcom can be reached at (617)-762-9310. They are in Norwood, Mass. The model number, I believe, is ZX2400. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 20 June 1985 12:10-MDT From: Dan Lorenzini Subject: Pointers to Microcom Modem & Vendor? In article <748@bbnccv.UUCP> sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) writes: >> >> There's been some discussion here about the 300/1200/2400 baud >> modem offered by Microcom (Microcomm?) that implements the MNP >> (Microcom[m] Networking Protocol) inside the modems' firmware. >> I cannot seem to be able to get any pointers to the company nor >> to the modem model number. Can anyone help? Thanks! > >Microcom can be reached at (617)-762-9310. They are in Norwood, Mass. >The model number, I believe, is ZX2400. >-- The Microcom ZX/2400 is Hayes compatible but does not have MNP. The model number for the one with MNP is SX/2400. Dan ------------------------------ From: holtzman@mit-charon.ARPA (Henry N. Holtzman) Date: 22 Jun 1985 0309-EDT (Saturday) Subject: Re: Terminology inquiry The signal fed back from the microphone to the earpiece is called side-tone. -Hank ------------------------------ Subject: U.S TRON repair question Date: 22 Jun 85 15:54:29 EDT (Sat) From: cspencer@bbnccv I have one of those funny looking U.S TRON phones, model PL2000. Has anyone ever experienced problems with these phones concerning static noise in the earpiece? The static is so loud as to make the phone unusable. cliff cspencer@bbnccv ------------------------------ From: munnari!basser.oz!john@seismo Date: Sun, 23 Jun 85 10:47:26 EST Subject: Re: clicks and handset speakers > Date: Fri, 21 Jun 85 14:31:28 edt > From: Don Saklad > > What's the term for that phenomenom--your voice fed back to your > own ear by your telephone handset. Sidetone. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22-Jun-85 11:39:19 PDT From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: "sidetone" and "equal" access The part of the speaker's voice that is heard in his or her own earphone is called "sidetone." It's a result of imperfect hybrids, plus the fact that without it people tend to SHOUT into their phones. --- Man, was I ever disgusted with the payphones in Portand (at the recent Usenix). Equal access is turning into more of a joke every day. The "normal" pay phones (that took money) had no information about dialing interlata calls. The charge-a-call phones were even worse. They had big labels telling you how to reach all the "lightweight" carriers, but nothing obvious about using AT&T. As it turned out, the access numbers for the non-AT&T carriers just dialed a local number to access that service--you couldn't DO anything after that unless you happened to have an account on that particular service. Could you call using AT&T from these phones? What if you didn't HAVE an account on any of the others? YES, you could. Both the charge-a-call and coin phones would accept the normal 0+NPA+7D sequences. But if you didn't know this sequence, where would you find it? On the phone of course. But where? It turned out that the AT&T dialing instructions WERE on the phones--in about 2 point non-contrasting type printed across the bottom fold of the information card. As close to invisible as anything could be. Total madness. --Lauren ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #204 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 25 Jun 85 07:36:36 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Tuesday, June 25, 1985 2:54AM Volume 4, Issue 204 Today's Topics: Re: Verification of Equal Access Carrier Md./DC area miscellanea Mystery phone number 2503 telephone ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Jun 85 8:18:07 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Verification of Equal Access Carrier President Carter's call-in used area code 900, not 700. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jun 85 9:21:17 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Md./DC area miscellanea At BWI (Balt.-Wash. International Airport), there are 2 prefixes on the pay phones: 859 for Baltimore area, 621 for Washington area. Charge-Call phones are on 859. (However, the phone books there had general flight info at 261-1000; either reversed digits or that's an ANNAPOLIS number, which doesn't make sense if it's at BWI.) Latest DC phone book has 692,694,695,696,697 in DC but has 693 as Dept. of Defense, Va. 1971-72 Baltimore area directory has some things different from now: 363 Owings Mills (Pikesville rates) and 356 Owings Mills (Reisterstown rates); these have not changed except for the words used to describe them. 723 Crofton (Severna Park rates); now 793? 787 Sykesville; now 549? 951 Silver Spring; 951 is now Bethesda? 932 Bowie-Glenn Dale; 932 is now Waldorf? 875 Bel Air; 875 is now Westminster (Sykesville service)? Md. pay phones I see in Baltimore LATA are now charging 25 cents, although 621 mentioned above charged 20 cents when I saw it in May. (Earlier, I saw 577 charging 25 cents close to DC.) A pay phone in Bel Air (301-838) announces C&P, a Bell Atlantic Co. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Jun 1985 11:35-EDT Subject: Mystery phone number From: WTHOMPSON@BBNF.BBN.COM Once upon a time, there was a phone number which allowed the good people of the land to determine what phone number they were calling from. By dialling this magic number, a voice would come back, reciting the digits of the originating caller's line. Now when I try this magic number [(200)777-7777], alas, I get a fast busy. (200)555-1212 also fails. Does anyone know of a number that works? William Thompson ------------------------------ From: crash!scotto@SDCSVAX.ARPA Date: Mon, 24 Jun 85 20:29:24 PDT Subject: 2503 telephone Hello Everyone, Does anyone have any documentation for a Western Electric 2503 exclusion key telephone? I would like to either borrow, or have a specific configuration relayed to me. Thanks.. ---Scott O'Connell crash!scotto@ucsd {ihnp4, cbosgd, sdcsvax}!crash!scotto ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #205 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!telecom Date: 26 Jun 85 00:34:54 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Tuesday, June 25, 1985 7:57PM Volume 4, Issue 205 Today's Topics: Penril woes Ven-Tel Modem schematics needed Phone dialers and modems single line dial in/out on Altos Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #202 Clicks and Handsets ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Friday, 21 June 1985 07:33-MDT From: Steven Taylor Subject: Penril woes There are at least 3 prom sets for the Penril autodialers in question. The "vanilla" prom set does indeed keep cd high (as best I remember) in order to keep terminals happy. (It was designed to be used with dumb crt's as an outgoing device.) A second version was designed specifically to work with Develcon dataswitches in a bidirectional mode. That is, they could be used on the switch for outgoing calls or incoming calls on the same port. I KNOW that this prom set does not keep cd high, but brings it up in response to DTR coming high. (Remember, the dataswitch does not bring dtr high until it is trying to initiate a call. This difference may be the root of the problem mentioned.) If you need more detailed info on this, I'll be glad to discuss this firmware in detail. Finally, there is also, I understand, a "Hayes compatible" firmware set available now as well. Your Penril rep should be willing to work with you on getting a prom that will work, but you may have to get hin to do some investigation before he will admit that the three version (minimum) really exist. Steven Taylor Distributed Networking Associates Charlottesville, VA 22901 (804) 979-0656 ------------------------------ Date: Saturday, 22 June 1985 22:00-MDT From: John Ruschmeyer Subject: Ven-Tel Modem schematics needed Monmouth College is in need of the schematics (or any other technical information) for the Ven-Tel MD 212 PLUS modem (specifically, one of the older models in the black case). Recent lightning strikes have disabled two such modems. Ven-Tel's only suggestion is to send the modems to them for service. Based on a previous dealing with them, however, the repair would cost more than replacement. Any pointers to a schematic, therefore, will be appreciated. Thanks in advance..... -- Name: John Ruschmeyer US Mail: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Phone: (201) 222-6600 x366 UUCP: ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john ...!princeton!moncol!john ...!pesnta!moncol!john ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 24 June 1985 17:05-MDT From: sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) Subject: Phone dialers and modems I have this cheapie phone that has a last-number-redial button. I connect the phone to my modem, and the modem to the telephone line. Everything is fine when I'm using my phone normally. The fun comes in when I push the "data" button on the modem. This seems to disconnect the phone from the line. Unfortunately, the memory for the last-number- redial seems to need power; it forgets when I push the "data" button. I've been thinking of getting a better phone (one of Panasonic's "Easa-phones") that has a bunch of remembered numbers, and was wondering whether I would have the same problem of forgetting numbers? Is there some way around this? I used to have the phone and the modem in parallel and would sometimes have problems with noise, especially when I hung up the phone. ---------------- Marty Sasaki net: sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp} Havard University Science Center phone: 617-495-1270 One Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138 ------------------------------ Date: Saturday, 22 June 1985 20:02-MDT From: Randy Suess Subject: single line dial in/out on Altos For all you Altos 586 owners out there that have been stymied by your lack of ability to use a single modem/port for dial in and dial out, be unhappy no more. I have finally got it going using the new ARK 2400 baud modem. The problem has always been that the Altos requires cd (pin 8) to be always hi for dial out, but to only be hi on carrier detect for dial in. On a DCHayes, for instance, you had to have the switch 6 up for dial in and down for dial out. The ARK modem uses a "intelligent" cd pin. There is a wiring change to be done on the cable. Pin 6 on the Altos goes to pin pin 5 on the modem. You then of course have to modify the various programs used with the line. I use it on my system for uucp dial out and in. I just replaced /usr/lib/uucico with a shell script that tests for usage, disables the port, then calls a renamed uucico. After uucico finishes, it re-enables the port for dial in. I have been receiving news and polling other sites with it with no problems. The ARK's are the best 2400 baud modem going for the price. They have built in mnp protocol, and list for $595. Hope this has been of some help. -- .. that's the biz, sweetheart .. Randy Suess Chi-Net - Public Access UN*X (312) 545 7535 (h) (312) 283 0559 (system) {ihnp4|ihldt}!wlcrjs!randy ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!ihopa!riccb!jmc@Berkeley Date: 25 Jun 85 08:12:49 CDT (Tue) Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #202 Clicks and Handsets In regards to hearing your voice back in your ear via the phone line, in a 2W circuit this is called TRANSHYBRID LOSS (or lack of it as it were), in a 4W circuit this is called SIDETONE. It was orginally there as a function of the 2W to 4W hybrid circuit on a two wire line. People now associate this with the phone working. If a 4 wire line terminates in a handset or headset then a certain portion of voice is bleed back to the ear intentionally. Jeff McQuinn just VAXing around ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #206 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: watnot!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 28 Jun 85 01:01:43 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Thursday, June 27, 1985 5:11PM Volume 4, Issue 206 Today's Topics: Quality of 1+ vs. 10xxx; voting hack Panasonic Phones and Modems equal access confusion Also need MD212+ schemos Re: Panasonic Phones and Modems AT+T Communications billing Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #204 news: IBM sells SBS to MCI for stock and options ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue 25 Jun 85 20:19:31-EDT From: S.PAE@MIT-EECS Subject: Quality of 1+ vs. 10xxx; voting hack According to MCI's customer service representatives, calls going through 10xxx service will have the same quality that I would get if I chose MCI as my primary carrier (for 1+ service). Is this correct--does New England Telephone just do a lookup when I dial 1+ to get my primary carrier, but then use exactly the same mechanism to establish the circuit that 10xxx service uses? The representative I talked with had NEVER had anyone ask her a question about connection quality. Either most customers are oblivious to the issue or everyone aware enough to ask knows to not trust the answers they give. For folks who are presently using Expressphone (AMEX MCI) service, the only screw of 10xxx/1+ access is that the billing for those will come through your local carrier. Charges coming through this mechanism will not be added in with your other Expressphone charges for volume discounts. Unless you want the discounts, 10xxx/1+ sounds like the right way to access MCI from your billing telephone. There seem to be some not-yet-discussed problems with equal access. Do the carriers have data about how many customers in a given area they can reasonably expect to service adequately? What happens if they get too many subscribers? What criteria do these companies have to have before they can be on an area's equal access ballots? What if all the hackers in an area conspire to go with the most baroque (least desirable) carrier in an area just to hack the people who don't vote? ------------------------------ Date: Tue 25 Jun 85 22:26:44-EDT From: Bob Soron Subject: Panasonic Phones and Modems I've used two Panasonic "ITS Easa-Phones" with my Timecor modem (I'm not proud) and have had very few problems. The Panasonic phones use batteries and even without either batteries or phone line connection have kept the numbers in memory for four or five hours. The KX-2220, which had sixteen-phone-number memory and auto-redial, stopped working with the modem when I moved from Arlington to Watertown; I attributed it to the higher ringer equivalence of that phone (1.6). The 2340 works fine on these lines, although it doesn't have auto-redial, which I miss since the Timecor modem has nothing in the way of features. (Its REN is 1.0.) In short, if my experience holds you should have no trouble combining your modem with a Panasonic ITS/Easa-phone... ...Bob ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 85 09:44 EDT From: Kovalcik@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (Richard Kovalcik, Jr.) Subject: equal access confusion I had been trying to call a 900 number for the last week and kept on getting a fast busy. In a fit of inspiration this morning I decided to try a long distance credit card call. (This itself would have presented some problems, since New England Telephone has for the third time gotten my ATT calling cards for both of my home phone lines messed up. It seems that they have a lot of trouble with people who move.) This (the credit card call) also gave me a fast busy. I then realized that they had probably switched me over to my chosen equal access carrier (Sprint). I called the business office and asked what was going on and what the ATT access code was. They couldn't tell me. They suggested I call ATT. I called the Operator. She couldn't tell me either and suggested I call ATT (for the access code). I called ATT. They told me their access code (10ATT) and tried to convince me to switch back to ATT. I called Sprint. They told me the 700 test number to see if I was connected to them. (700-555-4141). That gets a fast busy too. At this point I tryied a normal long distance call and that got a fast busy. I know that I had been making long distance calls over the last week, but they were all apparently to 800 numbers. So, it now appears that I have a phone where the only long distance call I can make with out dialing a special equal access prefix is an 800 call. I wonder how long it will take them to get this straightened out. It seems to me that the local access companies and ATT are making this considerably harder than it has to be. -Rick (my equal access carrier is limbo) Kovalcik ------------------------------ Date: 26 Jun 85 17:18:14 EDT From: Stephen Carter Subject: Also need MD212+ schemos >Monmouth College is in need of the schematics (or any other technical >information) for the Ven-Tel MD 212 PLUS modem (specifically, one of >the older models in the black case). I am also in the same position, so if any other kind person out there has schemos and a user manual for these things, I would appreciate a copy also.... A user's guide would be most helpful. thanks SCarter Arpa: SCarter@Rutgers.Arpa uucp: ...{seismo,allegra,ihnp4!packard}!topaz!scarter AT&T: 201-932-2260 USnail: Rutgers State University Lab for Computer Science Research Hill Center Room 605, Busch Campus Piscataway, NJ 08854 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 85 09:44:12 EDT From: sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) Subject: Re: Panasonic Phones and Modems Thanks for the very specific advice. I'll probably go and claim my rain-check for the phone this afternoon. Marty Sasaki ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 85 18:04:22 EDT From: Jim Berets Subject: AT+T Communications billing Perhaps this has already been discussed when I wasn't paying attention... I recently got my New England Telephone bill. While in California, I made a number of calls on my calling card. Among them: Berkeley, CA (415) to CT (203) on the AT+T Communications billing page Palo Alto, CA (415) to West LA, CA (213) on the AT+T Communications page Mill Valley, CA (408) to Sunnyvale, CA (415) on the NET page Redondo Beach, CA (213) to West LA, CA (213) on the NET page Are parts of (408) and (415) in the same LATA, making the Mill Valley to Sunnyvale call "local"? Jim ------------------------------ From: ecsvax!etaoin%mcnc.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA Date: 26 Jun 85 9:24:07-EDT (Wed) Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #204 Re: Operators - most work for AT&T; I don't know what the BOC's have done, but GTE still operates a few class 4 switches and is leasing those switches and attendant operators' services to AT&T. I assume that the other independents (Centel, United, etc) still have operators? Re: Calling # identification - Is an option which varies with telco and site; I have seen XXX-9999 and many 3-digit ones such as 538 & 711. Michael Auman ------------------------------ Date: Thu 27 Jun 85 15:43:27-CDT From: Werner Uhrig Subject: news: IBM sells SBS to MCI for stock and options [ from Austin American Statesman - June 26, 1985 ] IBM to acquire major stake in MCI ================================= (David Sanger - NY Times) ...IBM announced it is buying 18% of MC with an option to expand its holding to 30%. The acquisition instantly makes IBM one of the biggest players in the turbulent long distance market at a time, when AT&T is struggling to enter IBM's territory. IBM's investment in MCI comes less than 8 months after the world's largest computer company completed its acquisition of the Rolm Corp., a maker of complex telephone switching ecquipment that had been another major rival of AT&T. Under the terms announced Tuesday, MCI will get virtually all assets of one o f its competitors, Satellite Business Systems, a long-distance telephone servic e started in 1975 by IBM, Comsat, and Aetna. Comsat dropped out of the money-losing venture last year, and IBM said Tuesday that, as part of the financial arrangements, it was buying out Aetna's share. If the Justice Dept and the FCC approves, IBM will swap SBS's assets for 45 million newly issued shares of MCI common stock - worth about $427 million at Tuesday's closing price. IBM will also receive warrants entitling it to buy 7 million more shares of MCI common for $15 a share. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #207 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: water!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 29 Jun 85 04:41:57 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Saturday, June 29, 1985 12:00AM Volume 4, Issue 207 Today's Topics: MCI/IBM/SBS Re: long distance directory assistance Penril woes AJ-4800 modem catches ctrl-S? autodial on synchronous modems LATA billing on calling cards Various ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 16:09:35 PDT From: vortex!lauren@rand-unix (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: MCI/IBM/SBS My personal opinion is that this is the best thing that could have happened for AT&T at this point! It seems counter-intuitive, but it's true. MCI was going to go ahead and get funding from somewhere to continue their current plans--and their recent disappointment with the award in their suit against AT&T forced them to go along with a substantial buyout by IBM. But the point is that they would have found funding somewhere, and even IBM isn't an infinite purse of money (as MCI will no doubt learn). IBM also makes its share of rather "questionable" business/pricing decisions, as we also all know. Now, the end result of all this is that the push for full deregulation of AT&T will be greatly enhanced. Already there are murmurings from the Commission on this point--that with IBM in the game there isn't much reason to worry about problems when AT&T is fully deregulated. In fact, the regulatory approval cycle for AT&T had been shortening anyway--but this can't help but speed up the process--to AT&T's ultimate advantage. An unleashed AT&T might be interesting to behold in the competitive marketplace. The real losers in all this will almost certainly be the smaller carriers--maybe even up to and including GTE Sprint. What ends up happening, of course, is that we end up with two giant corporations selling both telecommunications and computers, when originally we had, uh, two giant corporations selling telecommunications and computers (but each was only involved in one aspect, not both). The little guys will really suffer, though. --Lauren-- ------------------------------ From: dual!islenet!bob@Berkeley Date: Fri, 28 Jun 85 02:45:16 pdt Subject: Re: long distance directory assistance John Levine asks "Who do directory assistance operators work for .. How about when I dial 809-555-1212 and the operator says 'what island, Please'". The local telcos. For example, if you call 808-555-1212 (and you'll also be asked "which island?", but it's Hawaii, not the Carribean), you'll be talking to a directory assistance operator working for Hawaiian Telephone Company downtown here on Bishop Street. Happens to be a GTE subsidiary. HawTel will be reimbursed by AT&T (or whoever) for handling your query, AT&T (or, again, whoever you placed the call thru) keeps track of the fact that you placed the call and charges you (perhaps thru your local telco). A considerable fraction of the cost of directory assistance here is reimbursed this way. I believe that non-AT&T long-distance carriers often tend to use AT&T for directory assistance calls rather than set up separate agreements and connections with the local telcos involved ... not too sure about this last, though. ------------------------------ Date: Friday, 21 June 1985 07:33-MDT From: Steven Taylor Subject: Penril woes There are at least 3 prom sets for the Penril autodialers in question. The "vanilla" prom set does indeed keep cd high (as best I remember) in order to keep terminals happy. (It was designed to be used with dumb crt's as an outgoing device.) A second version was designed specifically to work with Develcon dataswitches in a bidirectional mode. That is, they could be used on the switch for outgoing calls or incoming calls on the same port. I KNOW that this prom set does not keep cd high, but brings it up in response to DTR coming high. (Remember, the dataswitch does not bring dtr high until it is trying to initiate a call. This difference may be the root of the problem mentioned.) If you need more detailed info on this, I'll be glad to discuss this firmware in detail. Finally, there is also, I understand, a "Hayes compatible" firmware set available now as well. Your Penril rep should be willing to work with you on getting a prom that will work, but you may have to get hin to do some investigation before he will admit that the three version (minimum) really exist. Steven Taylor Distributed Networking Associates Charlottesville, VA 22901 (804) 979-0656 ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 24 June 1985 21:42-MDT From: mark@maryland.ARPA (Mark Weiser) Subject: AJ-4800 modem catches ctrl-S? I have an Anderson-Jacobson 4800 baud modem which uses the ordinary phone lines. It works pretty well, except for one thing. It seems to interpret ctrl-S and ctrl-Q. I have not found this documented anywhere in the manuals, but it is obviously happening. After a ctrl-S typed at my keyboard (in emacs, naturally), no other chacacters appear until a ctrl-Q is typed. But then, the ultimate strangeness: The ctrl-S HAS been passed on from my terminal to emacs, and so has the ctrl-Q! This has got me baffled. How in the world can a modem get away with interpreting ctrl-S/ctrl-Q, and then passing them on as well? Am I misinterpreting something? Is there a way to turn this off, other AJ-4800 baud owners out there? On a related note, I can't seem to get 8=bit data through the AJ. My terminal has a meta-key which turns on the 8th bit on all characters. By the time these characters get through the AJ modem they have somehow been transformed to have proper parity, which is a disaster. Any way to turn off this mode? Thanks in advance. -mark -- Spoken: Mark Weiser ARPA: mark@maryland Phone: +1-301-454-7817 CSNet: mark@umcp-cs UUCP: {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!mark USPS: Computer Science Dept., University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 ------------------------------ Date: Monday, 24 June 1985 16:22-MDT From: Mark Roddy Subject: autodial on synchronous modems I'm faced with a design question on implementing autodial for low speed synch modems (i.e. 4800 bps.) The only synchronous modem I've got a spec for is a UDS 4800 model. Dialout is accomplished by: 1) driving pin 12 high; 2) driving DTR high; 3) waiting a specified time; 4) raising pin 25 high for 3.5 seconds; 5) providing high and low pulses on pin 25 corresponding to bell standard pulse dial signals. The questions are: 1) does anyone manufacture synchronous modems with some analogy to the Hayes protocol for async dial out? 2) Is UDS's method done by anyone else? (i.e. is this a standard?) 3) If the answer to question 2 is no, then is there a standard? 4) If the answer to 2 and 3 is no, then what dialout interface do other netlanders provide for their intelligent comm boards? 5) In fact, even if the answer to 2 or 3 is yes, I'd be interested in knowing how other people provide autodial for comm. boards. Please send mail, if there is interest I will post a summary of responses to the net. Thanks. -- Mark Roddy (harvard!talcott!panda!enmasse!mroddy ) ------------------------------ Date: Friday, 28 Jun 1985 06:02:59-PDT From: goldstein%donjon.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: LATA billing on calling cards Re: V4I206; Sunnyvale and Mill Valley are both in the same LATA (Bay Area), so PacBell carries the call. Area codes have no particular relationship to LATAs except in New England, or where states are LATAs. All of 415, most of 408 and a some of 707 are in one LATA. When a calling card call is intra-LATA, the BOC who owns the call passes the bill to the cardholder's BOC, hence the call appears on the "New England Telephone" page. When the call is inter-LATA, AT&T keeps the billing under their own aegis. Technically, one could have viewed the call as "Pacific Bell", but New England Tel doesn't have a page for them! ;-) Fred ------------------------------ Date: Fri 28 Jun 85 12:28:40-PDT From: HECTOR MYERSTON Subject: Various Multi-NPA LATAS. Some LATAS, more correctly, Serivice Areas, do indeed split NPAs. The SF Bay service area includes all of NPA 415 and most, though not all of NPA 408. Part of 408 is in the Monterey Ca serice area. The last I heard the split on operators is as shown below. Substitut e your local telco for Pacbell. Operators.................. AT&T ................... PacBell............. Dial 0- Calls Handle, charge Pacbell Dial 0+ Calls Handle 411 Calls Handle 555-1212 Handle, charge AT&T (*) ........................................................................... 0 - = Regular Operator Assisted calss 0+ = 0+NPA NXX XXXX (ie credit card calls * = Other IEC may also contract with LEC for 555-1212 service Reference equal access. Those who believe carrier sales pitches that "With equal access we will have the same quality as AT&T" should examine the question of what constitutes an end-to-end connection. No amount of improvement in the local acess will compensate for badly engineered networks, satellite delays or kludgy compression techniques designed to wring the Nth channel out of a marginal system. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ----------kgd Subject: TELECOM Digest V4 #208 From: telecom@ucbvax.ARPA Path: water!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Date: 1 Jul 85 05:23:22 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA From: Moderator TELECOM Digest Monday, July 1, 1985 12:41AM Volume 4, Issue 208 Today's Topics: AJ-4800 modems Re: AJ 4048 in TELECOM Digest V4 #207 2400 baud modems available cheap(er) Re: AJ-4800 modems missing direct access option Anonymous submission ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 29 Jun 85 13:39:41 edt From: ulysses!smb@Berkeley (Steven Bellovin) Subject: AJ-4800 modems I also have an AJ 4800 baud modem, but I've had no problems with it interpreting ^S or any other character. Nor does it seem to have trouble with the 8th bit -- I use a Teletype 5620 and download it often, which would not work if the modem did anything weird with any characters. However -- some models of the modem have an error-correcting board; this board (which ca n be disabled) might do such things. We don't use them because they cause annoyingly long echo delays. ------------------------------ From: vax135!timeinc!dwight@Berkeley Date: Sat, 29 Jun 85 19:44:36 edt To: vax135!houxm!ihnp4!cbosgd!ulysses!ucbvax!telecom Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #203 Newsgroups: fa.telecom In-Reply-To: <8413@ucbvax.ARPA> Organization: Time, Inc -- New York Cc: Re: Pointers to Microcom I found Microcom and a nearby distributor. The writer on fa.telecom who mentioned that the SX/2400 is the modem that implements MNP, and that the ZX/2400 is Hayes compatible, but without MNP, was wrong. I am using one of the ZX/2400 modems right now, in MNP mode, with our Unix host, from home. It's Hayes compatible with MNP. The SX/2400 also has MNP, but I am given to understand that it does NOT have Hayes compatibility. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --Dwight Ernest KA2CNN \ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight Time Inc. Edit./Prod. Tech. Grp., New York City Voice: (212) 554-5061 \ Compuserve: 70210,523 Telemail: DERNEST/TIMECOMDIV/TIMEINC \ MCI: DERNEST "The opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Time Incorporated." ------------------------------ Date: Sat 29 Jun 85 12:36:56-PDT From: Doug Subject: Re: AJ 4048 in TELECOM Digest V4 #207 About the AJ4048: I am composing this using a 4048, from home, running EMACS on a DEC20, using a hacked H19 with a META key, and the META key, ^S (incremental search), and ^Q (single character quote) work just fine. The trick is, I think, is that AJ sells a version of the unit that includes error correction, by packetizing, and checking, and retransmitting them, if necessary. I suspect that's what you've got, and since I have the other, I don't know how to disable the EC, but I suspect that's what you have to do. We've got a couple of 4048's on our security dial-back unit in Palo Alto, and four at people's homes. I have, here in Oakland, 50 miles from PA, the RJ45, and sometimes get an intolerable connection the first one or two tries, and often see a small number of noise characters during a several hour session. The other three units are using a RJ11 permissive connection, and at least two of them, closer to PA, are reportedly working quite well. ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, 27 June 1985 10:42-MDT From: Scott Jones Subject: 2400 baud modems available cheap(er) Racal-Vadic 2400 baud modems are available directly from Racal-Vadic for an educational discount price of $415. The constraints are that the order must total at least $1000 and the PO must come through an educational institution. The list price for their Maxwell 2400 is $795. Call 1-800-4-VADICS for more info. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: AJ-4800 modems Date: 29 Jun 85 23:35:13 EDT (Sat) From: Mark Weiser Any idea how to turn off the error-correcting board? -mark ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jun 85 17:25:53 EDT From: Doug Hirsch Subject: missing direct access option Re: the message of Rick (my equal access carrier is limbo) Kovalcik >Date: Wed, 26 Jun 85 09:44 EDT >From: Kovalcik@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (Richard Kovalcik, Jr.) >Subject: equal access confusion Rick is disheartened that he has no direct access for the time being. I woul d like to get this feature! Right now my phone is vulnerable to long distance phone calls by anyone who happens to be in my apartment or tap onto my line. My roomate and I each have our own common carrier with separate bills to simplify accounting. I had a roomate (since moved out) who caused some surprize charges on the phone bill which wouldn't be there if he were force t o use his own account. I would like to see "none of the above" as one of the direct access options. Obviously this won't happen because "none of the abov e" has an inadequate lobbying staff in Washington. Doug (liable for the phone bill) Hirsch ------------------------------ Date: Mon 1 Jul 85 00:37:06-EDT From: The Moderator Subject: Anonymous submission Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association 311 First St. NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20001 Release: immediate--June 3, 1985 ``INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF COMPUTER ASSOCIATIONS OPPOSES OECD PLANS TO MONITOR AND POSSIBLY TAX INTRA-COMPANY TELECOMMUNICATIONS'' WASHINGTON--The International Information Industry Congress (IIIC), meeting in Tokyo, took strong exception to plans by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to study data flow in multi-national companies, with the probable end result of taxing certain kinds of information going from one subsidiary to another. Vico E. Henriques, president of the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (CBEMA), which represented the U.S. at the IIIC meeting, called ideas to tax information "unprecedented and irresponsible. A tax on transferring information from one subsidiary to another would seriously hamper common business practices that are in the best economic interests not just of companies but also of the countries in which they do business." The plan that has caused the opposition is part of a draft agenda for a meeting of the Working Party on Transborder Data Flows. The IIIC members agreed to discourage this direction through their countries' representatives to the meeting. In a related action, the IIIC adopted a statement against generalized, far-reaching governmental restrictions on the flow of information across borders. The organization advocated: - Making sure that "national security" restrictions on information flow apply only to "data having national security implications rather than taking the form of any general restrictions" on commercial, financial, and non-military technical information. - Developing consistent international practices to safeguard personal privacy. - Demonstrating that easy flow of information across borders does not necessarily lead to more centralization in multi-national corporations. (There is a fear among some that such centralization could make a multi-national corporation's subsidiaries less responsive to local cultural, political, or economic needs.) - Demonstrating the economic benefits of transborder data flow to both national and multi-national corporations. The IIIC, founded in 1982, includes computer trade associations from the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.A. Its purpose is to strengthen the industry by advancing public understanding and by providing a forum for the resolution of common concerns. The OECD is an inter-governmental organization of 24 industrialized countries (including the United States) that seeks to sustain economic growth by coordinating economic policies. For copies of the IIIC transborder-data-flow paper, contact Cheryl Bush at CBEMA (202-737-8888). ### ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************