Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa13721; 4 May 93 2:59 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05732 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 4 May 1993 00:21:41 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA01306 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 4 May 1993 00:21:01 -0500 Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 00:21:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305040521.AA01306@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #301 TELECOM Digest Tue, 4 May 93 00:17:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 301 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: CCITT Standards on Line (Stephen Tell) Re: Caller ID Information to a PC (Paul Robinson) Re: AT&T Sent Me $75 (Ronald S. Woan) Re: Zero Plus Dialing (Todd Inch) Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem (Todd Inch) Re: Need: Coupler With Answer Supervision (Harold Hallikainen) Re: Phone Service Expected to Save Lives (Kevin W. Williams) Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? (Mark Fraser) Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") (Paul Gatker) Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") (David Tamkin) Strange "Hello's" (was The War on the Word "Hello") (John Schmidt) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Larry D. Tumbleson) Re: Misdialed Numbers (John Schmidt) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tell@cs.unc.edu (Stephen Tell) Subject: Re: CCITT Standards on Line Date: 3 May 1993 15:27:57 -0400 Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In article hgarcia@mexnet.mty.itesm.mx (Ing. Hugo E. Garcia Torres) writes: > I am looking for a online source of the CCITT standards, does anyone > know where to find them, maybe via ftp??? All the help would be > appreciated. No ftp yet, but the ITU runs a mail server. I forget where I found out about this service. Below is part of the help file, for brevity I've only included enough to show how to get the complete help file. TELEDOC AUTO-ANSWERING MAILBOX (TAM) The Teledoc Auto-Answering Mailbox (TAM) is a "robot" electronic mailbox at ITU headquarters with access to the ITU Document Store. You can send electronic mail to the TAM as you would send electronic mail to a person outside your organization or company. However, your message should only contain simple commands (see TELEDOC AUTO- ANSWERING MAILBOX COMMANDS below). When the TAM receives a message, it scans it for commands which it interprets and processes. It then constructs and mails a reply back to you. TELEDOC AUTO-ANSWERING MAILBOX EMAIL ADDRESS The TAM is based on the CCITT X.400 electronic messaging standard. Therefore, X.400 addressing conventions should be used. The TAM X.400 address is: S=teledoc; P=itu; A=arcom; C=ch The TAM can also be addressed using Internet RFC-822 conventions. This address is: teledoc@itu.arcom.ch If you do not have direct access to either X.400 or Internet RFC-822 compliant mail, most major email service providers (e.g., MCI, Compuserve) provide gateway facilities and can access the TAM. See Annex A for further information. Also see Annex C for comments on access from UUCP sites. TELEDOC AUTO-ANSWERING MAILBOX COMMANDS The commands that you can send to the TAM consist of a command word followed, in some cases, by an argument. Commands and arguments can be specified in upper, lower or mixed case. Every line of your mail message to the TAM should contain a valid command. Only commands contained in the mail message are interpreted. All other lines and the mail subject field are ignored (you can use the subject field to document queries for your own use). Up to 50 lines per message are processed by the TAM. Each valid command generates a separate reply. START This optional command tells the TAM to begin processing commands after this line. If this command is present, any text in the mail message before this command is ignored. TEST This command is used to test that the TAM can receive mail from your electronic mail system and can also respond back to your mail system. The TAM will acknowledge your message and send a help file. Typically, if you have not received a reply within 48 hours, there is a connectivity problem between your electronic mail system and the TAM. HELP This command sends the latest help file listing and explaining the commands understood by the TAM (which may differ from this manual due to enhancements). END This optional command tells the TAM to ignore the rest of the mail message. This command is required if your mail message contains text after your commands that you want the TAM to ignore (e.g., your signature). Here is an example message to the TAM using some of the commands listed above. -------------------------------------------------- TO: S=teledoc; P=itu; A=arcom; C=ch (X.400) or teledoc@itu.arcom.ch (Internet RFC-822) FROM: (NAME) SUBJECT: (IGNORED) START HELP END ------------------------------------------------- This message above asks the TAM to send a help file listing and explaining TAM commands. Steve Tell tell@cs.unc.edu H: 919 968 1792 | #5L Estes Park apts UNC Chapel Hill Computer Science W: 919 962 1845 | Carrboro NC 27510 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 16:04:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: Caller ID Information to a PC Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA The writer wanted to find a low-cost means to have a PC read the Caller-ID information, other than spending hundreds of dollars for a Xytel modem or some such. If Canada uses the same Caller ID information as the US, then you could get one of the boxes that Bell Atlantic sells. They are about US $50, and they return the information on the serial port, so you read it just like an external data device, e.g. a modem. I'm not sure where they sell them where you are, but you might be able to order it. Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM ------------------------------ From: woan@exeter.austin.ibm.com (Ronald S. Woan) Subject: Re: AT&T Sent Me $75 Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 20:10:01 GMT Reply-To: woan@cactus.org Organization: Austin School of Hardknocks This is probably a dumb question but how much of that $75 would have to go to the local telephone company for switching carriers? ------All Views Expressed Are My Own And Not Necessarily Shared By IBM----- Ronald S. Woan (IBM VNET)WOAN AT AUSTIN, woan@exeter.austin.ibm.com outside of IBM woan@vnet.ibm.com or woan@cactus.org others woan@soda.berkeley.edu Prodigy: XTCR74A Compuserve: 73530,2537 [Moderator's Note: Probably five or ten dollars of it at most. PAT] ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Zero Plus Dialing Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Mon, 03 May 93 19:21:27 GMT Almost one year ago, a charge from ZPD showed up as an additional page to our GTE bill. It was a credit-card call, placed from and to locations and times where we weren't at. My wife made the preliminary calls, but she says: ZPD said they were made on our (ROC) telephone credit card, and gave that number back as our telephone number plus a bogus PIN. (Why they were giving out a customer's PIN to someone who may or may not be that customer is another issue.) They said we'd have to call another firm (don't recall) who, apparently, is either an AOS or a COCOT owner. The other firm said complaints had to go through ZPD. ZPD now says that the other firm is in Chapter 11 and can no longer be contacted. ZPD agreed to remove the charges. All the above happened during the first month after receiving the bill, almost a year ago. This month, we decided to follow up, since the charges were never credited, so we've not been paying that portion of the bill and have had a "balance" from the previous month for the last year. When trying to contact ZPD through their MCI-owned 800 number a few days ago, about 70 percent of the time you got through to their ACD which said the next rep would help, then hung up after only about one minute of holding. The other 30 percent of the time, the call did not complete but resulted in dead air with a funny echo in the background. I started putting that on hold to see how long it would keep the lines tied up -- it went on for several hours (hopefully costing ZPD or MCI some $$) but then I dropped the call because the blinking on-hold line makes it hard to sleep (I have REAL incandescent lamps in my REAL phones :-) The next day my wife got through to ZPD, who said they had no record of the call, but would we please send a copy of our phone bill so they could check into it. No, they were not going to get a copy of our bill at our cost for photocopying and postage. Well then, the rep said, she could try to find it on microfiche and would try to credit us ... So, I called GTE, who still said that ZPD had to credit THEM first. After insisting on speaking to a supervisor, and explaining that we were no longer willing to deal with ZPD, they agreed to send some form to ZPD "on our behalf" and credit our account. Essentially, the GTE supervisor said that they could still try to bill us, but that GTE would no longer attempt to collect the disputed amount. We'll see ... ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Mon, 03 May 93 19:30:51 GMT In article oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) writes: >Both suggestions are right on point. In my experience, the wire that >has pair one as blue/white and white/blue, and pair two as >orange/white and white/orange, and so on, tends to be twisted pair. Yes, the four-conductor solid colored stuff isn't usually "paired". I think the older underground drop stuff may be an exception, though, does anybody know for sure? Also, I've seen some six-conductor red/green/yellow/black/white/blue stuff used by GTE which actually IS paired. But these are exceptions, of course. >And anybody doing their own wiring should install network interface >jacks at the demarc point ... so that tests of this kind are easy to >do just by plugging in two phones. I thought it was the telco's responsibility to install a demarc JACK? Around here (WA state) the new ones (residential) are all demarc/jack combinations, and I've had the telco "fix up" the old ones by replacing the protector/junction block with a demarc/jack at no charge when I wanted to add wiring. Anyone ever have a telco refuse to do this, or has anybody else ever asked? ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Need: Coupler With Answer Supervision Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Mon, 03 May 1993 22:05:12 GMT >> For an upcoming demo, I need to find a coupling device to which I can >> feed audio that will answer when the line "rings", supply the audio >> over the line, the hang up when the far end does. Who might make such >> a device? > A couple companies come to mind. Try Henry Engineering, phone > 818 355 3656 and Telos Systems at 216 241 7225. Just found an ad for another coupler ... try Comrex Corp, 65 Nonset Path, Acton, MA 01720, phone 800 237 1776, fax 508 635 0401. Harold ------------------------------ From: williamsk@gtephx.UUCP (Kevin W. Williams) Subject: Re: Phone Service Expected to Save Lives Organization: gte Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 17:44:17 GMT In article , toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: > Regarding the ROC allowing outgoing 911 calls only rather than entire > disconnects to former customers: > What does this really cost the telco (or the paying customers) to have > this service *available*? > I say "*available*" because we all probably agree that the actual use > of this service (e.g. handling a 911 call) is paid for in other ways > by (generally speaking) taxpayers or others who would pay regardless > of who made the call from what phone (e.g. out-of-towner from payphone.) > So my question is: Is there any real cost difference between > disconnecting a line vs monitoring it for an outgoing call? Seems > like the hardware is already in place and there would be few if any > cases where a connected line would actually prevent another (paying) > customer from being connected due to lack of hardware. The percent- > ages should be so small that they aren't even considerations for the > sizing of the hardware. > If there is no actual extra expenditure to do this, the "give a car to > people who can't afford it for emergency use" analogy is a poor one. > I agree that I shouldn't be forced to pay for others who can't/won't > pay for service, but WOULD I really pay more? First, I believe you are talking about what service is provided to people on Temporary Disconnect, not people who have no phone service initially. The whole purpose of TD is to save money: rather than send an installer out to disconnect, and again to reconnect, you just set a software flag. TD customers are normally routed to an announcement or quiet, depending on the operating company. Moving a TD customer to a group which only recognised the 911 routing would be primarily an administrative difference. I suspect that all of the digital switches could be tricked into doing it (even though you would have to go through some less obvious menus/commands to get there). Usually, a TD customer only stays there for a matter of days or weeks. Putting them in 911 only mode is probably no more expensive than regular TD. A permanent service like this would probably be just as expensive as regular service, so I cannot see it being on more than a temporary basis. Kevin Wayne Williams UUCP : ...!ames!ncar!noao!enuucp!gtephx!williamsk ------------------------------ From: mfraser@wimsey.bc.ca (Mark Fraser) Subject: Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? Organization: Wimsey Information Services Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 03:34:12 GMT If memory serves me correctly, the tariff in W. Canada is about $150 per month, plus a $300 install charge for 2B+D. The 'D' is not accessible to user data due to tariff and jurisdictional disputes. By the way, only the main VAncouver city core will get ISDN immediately, with future deployments over several years. The tariff, by the way, is roughly equal to two "business" lines. I havn't seen what the non-busines tariff will be. Mark ------------------------------ From: paul@Panix.Com (Paul Gatker) Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 03:34:43 GMT On my answering machine I say: "You have reached 8071. Please leave a message." Why should I tell a _strange-r- caller my complete phone number? Ever hear of a reverse phone book? Even with Caller-ID, an individual can toggle it off if desired, as I understand it. (At least here in NY). ttyl, paul@panix.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 May 93 22:49 CDT Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Organization: Contributor Account at MCS, Chicago, Illinois 60657 From: dattier@genesis.MCS.COM (DWT) Monty Solomon wrote in in comp.dcom.telecom: > On a few occasions I have reached an incorrect long distance number > and tried to ascertain the number that I reached from the party that > answered the phone so that I could get credit for the call ... At least in the USA, as far back as the introduction of Direct Distance Dialing in the early 1960's, the only requirement for getting credit for long-distance misdials was to find out the city you had reached; there was never a need to get the whole phone number. Whether a given long-distance carrier can give credit immediately after the call to the wrong number or only after the bill is issued, it seems logical to me that by the time the operator or billing rep- resentative can find out the amount that was charged [in order to cal- culate the credit] (s)he can also find out the number called, and it shouldn't be much different from the number you intended to dial. [Sigh; local calls didn't seem to work that way for the longest time here. Illinois Bell had a penchant for issuing credit for the cost of the call you intended rather than for the cost of the call you made. Often that worked out to their disadvantage.] > ... or to make sure that I correctly dialed the call. After finding out that you've reached a wrong number, if you want to find out whether you had been told an incorrect number or had made a mistake in dialing, you can ask "Have I reached NPA-NXX-XXXX?" instead of "What's your number?" > The called party seems to think that their number is a big secret and > refuses to divulge it which is quite silly since it will appear on my > phone bill. Meanwhile, until you get that bill (or perhaps never if your carrier removes the charge immediately), you won't know their number, and by the time you get the bill you're likely to have forgotten whose num- ber that is. They don't know who you are nor what kind of person they are dealing with, so I can't blame them for preferring it that way. David W. Tamkin Box 59297 Northtown Station, Illinois 60659-0297 dattier@genesis.mcs.com CompuServe: 73720,1570 MCI Mail: 426-1818 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 May 1993 00:09:26 EDT From: JOHN SCHMIDT Subject: Strange "Hello's" (was The War on the Word "Hello") When I worked for Grumman Aerospace in the late '60s, I was on a Space Station proposal effort for a while. (you see how far things have progressed in 25 years :-( ) Anyway, the secretary used to answer the phone (which had Direct Inward Dialing) "Space Station". All too often the result was a couple of seconds of stunned silence or a "huh", followed by a hangup. This was at the time of the Apollo flights, and well, some people thought they had a REAL long distance wrong number! John H. Schmidt, P.E. Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu Technical Director, WBAU Phone--Days (212)456-4218 Adelphi University Evenings (516)877-6400 Garden City, New York 11530 Fax-------------(212)456-2424 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 May 1993 01:44:10 +0000 (GMT) From: tumbleld@ucunix.san.uc.EDU (Larry D Tumbleson) Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers Organization: Cintech Tele-Management In article scjones@thor.sdrc.com (Larry Jones) writes: > In article , LCHIU@HOLONET.NET writes: >> Which leads me to ask a related if somewhat trivial question. What are >> telephone keypads laid out in a different orientation that calculators >> or even the numeric keypads on PC's or terminals (the 123 row is at >> the top while it's at the bottom for calculators and keypads). I find >> this quite annoying at times. Weren't at least calculators and/or >> terminals with keypads around before the advent of pushbutton >> telephones? The way that I have heard it told is that the equipment at the time just couldn't handle the speed at which keypunch operators could bang in digits. A reverse pattern was used to slow them down just enough so that misdialing wouldn't be a problem. I assume that it was thought that most of the people wouldn't really care one way or the other. > They were around, but only a miniscule fraction of the telephone-using > population had ever used one. Most calculators went by the name > "adding machine" and were used by accountants. Electric adding > machines where most common, electronic adding machines were just > starting to become available. Terminals were rare -- most computer > users were still using punched cards and magnetic tape. Bell Labs did > an extensive time and motion study of various button arrangements with > random telephone users and picked the current arrangement as having > the best combination of speed and accuracy. If speed in accuracy were what they were after I think that the in place "standard" for adding machines and keypunches would have been used. Then again I can't figure out why any Bell does what it does NOW, let alone back then. Rick Goodrich Cintech Tele-Management Systems ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 May 1993 00:21:54 EDT From: JOHN SCHMIDT Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers In cleaning up some old {New York Times} recently, I came upon the article describing NY Telephone's new voice dialing service. In the article NYTel claimed that 20% of all dialed phone calls (I assume both rotary and Touch Tone) were dialed wrong! They claimed that, as I recall, the voice dialer was something like 90% accurate after one try and 99% after two, which was better than manual dialing. I don't know what they meant by "tries". I find it hard to believe that 20% of all calls are misdialed. Time for either some new phones or new fingers! (or maybe new memory cells in the brain.) Also I'm old enough to remember "voice dialing", except we didn't consider it a feature, and the clicks on the line told you someone else was trying to reach you, you'd better hang up. No *70 to disable call waiting before modem calls; of course no modems either! For that matter you can dial "0" (or "00" for long distance) and still get the old fashoned "voice dialing", for a slight per call surcharge ;-} . John H. Schmidt, P.E. Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu Technical Director, WBAU Phone--Days (212)456-4218 Adelphi University Evenings (516)877-6400 Garden City, New York 11530 Fax-------------(212)456-2424 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #301 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa18899; 6 May 93 6:02 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19901 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 6 May 1993 03:12:10 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03849 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 6 May 1993 03:11:14 -0500 Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 03:11:14 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305060811.AA03849@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #302 TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 May 93 03:11:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 302 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson PSI Introduces World-Dial Service (Monty Solomon) Motorola Alpha Cell Phone (Don Updyke) Another Interesting Intercept (Matthew Stone) Re: How I answer the phone (was The War on "Hello") (Tara Mahon) Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on "Hello") (David Reeve Sward) Re: How I answer the phone (was The War on "Hello") (Brian T. Vita) Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility (Gregory A Lucas) Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility (Russell E. Sorber) Re: Can an Unlisted Number in US be Found? (Bob Sherman) Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? (E Essenberg) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Guy J. Sherr) Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features (Tony Piper) Re: Want Digital Voice Recorder and Panel Phones (Roger Theriault) Re: AT&T Sent Me $75 (David E. Sheafer) Keypad Orders (A. Padgett Peterson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Monty Solomon Subject: PSI Introduces World-Dial Service Date: Thu, 06 May 1993 00:03:37 CDT Organization: Performance Systems International, Inc. Reston Virginia. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PSI INTRODUCES WORLD-DIAL REMOTE DIALUP ACCESS TO THE OFFICE AND THE GLOBAL INTERNET RESTON, VA, April 23, 1993 -- Mobile workers and telecommuters can access their workplace or any Internet computer using PSI's inexpensive dialup service announced this week. Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI), the nation's largest provider of commercial Internet access and internetworking services, has launched World-Dial in more than 40 cities across the U.S. With it, users can reach their corporate site's local area network (LAN) with its computers and data resources or Internet host computers all over the world from home computers, terminals or portable laptops. World-Dial is a means of extending access to users who are away from the office but still need the resources of their office and the Internet. World-Dial can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no extra charge for telephone or electronic mail support from PSI's Customer Support Group (CSG). Pricing for World-Dial includes a one-time registration fee of $19 and non-prime time usage rates as low as $1.25 an hour. There is a minimum monthly usage fee of $9. World-Dial supports all the standard Internet interactive terminal access protocols, such as telnet and rlogin. In addition, telnet 3270 (or tn3270), a standard for IBM 3270 access over TCP/IP, is supported for those IBM hosts attached to the Internet. For network graphics users, the commercial standard of XRemote is supported, numerous X-terminals and X-terminal software packages support it on personal computers. To access World-Dial, users need only a terminal or communications package such as Cross Talk, MacTerminal or Kermit for PC or Macintosh, and a modem. World-Dial supports 1200, 2400, 9600 and 14400 baud access, along with V.42 and V.42bis error correction and compression on all 9600 and 14400 baud rotaries. If users have an X-terminal or X-software package supports XRemote, then the addition of a modem should provide them with Internet X access at 9600 (V.32) or 14400 baud (V.32bis). PSINet is nationally deployed with V.32bis modems; in the future, V.Fast will be available. PSI is a value-added internetworking services provider with a wide variety of services for individual and corporate users of electronic information. Services range from electronic mail products to turnkey integration of local area networks into the PSINet wide area network system and the Internet. # # # # All brands, products and service names mentioned are the trademarks or registered service marks of their respective owners. For further information, contact Kimberly Brown of PSI at: Suite 1100, 11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA, 703-620-6651 (phone), 703-620-4586 (fax), or info@psi.com (e-mail); or Michael Vernetti of Kaufman Public Relations at 202-333-0700 (phone), 202-337-0449 (fax) or vernetti@psilink.com (e-mail). ------------------------------ From: Don Updyke Subject: Motorola Alpha Cell Phone Organization: NCR NPG St Paul Minnesota Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 00:00:00 GMT A new form of communications has occured today. Motorola has a new very small cell phone that offers a NEW VALUE added. Its lock is really disable not lock. I thought that lock was keep other people out not make it not workable by anyone. My wife bought a new phone and it is smaller, lighter and better quality. It has an alpha name/number display. However if you lock it with a function 5 it has a really interesting FEATURE ??, its lock makes it not allow out or incoming calls. It is disabled just as if you had powered it off. Now I figured out that not all value adds are positive some feature can add negative value to the product. Does anyone know a way to make lock work like the rest of the industry and only lock others from using the device and not disable it from any and all uses? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 93 21:32:38 MDT From: mstone@nyx.cs.du.edu (Matthew Stone) Subject: Another Interesting Intercept I was trying to dial an 800 number from my house (Toronto, Canada) using Bell Canada (dunno if this matters) but I must have mis-dialed as I got the following intercept: The number you have reached 090-8388 is not in service ... (and it goes on). The actual number I dialed was 800-621-3232 and I know that 090 is not a legit prefix. So what's up with this? Matthew ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 93 00:38:05 EDT From: ptrph!tara@uunet.UU.NET (Tara Mahon) Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Organization: PTR Prentice Hall > When I shared a house on Major Street in Toronto with some other > people, I would answer the shared house phone with the words "Sixteen > Major". In college, I shared a house with my boyfriend and eleven of his roommates (all men). They also liked to answer the phone with the street address of the house. Unfortunately, we lived at 25 Dix Street. Yes, everyone answered the phone with a charming "25 Dix!" The abbreviated term was just "Dix!" As you can imagine, living with that many people creates a long list of unclaimed calls. We would flip through 40 pages of a phone bill and have at least a full five pages unclaimed. One month, sick of not knowing to whom we were placing these calls, an ambitious roommate decided to call some of the more expensive unclaimed numbers to find out who was on the other end, thus discovering who owed the phone bill money. He would begin the conversation by saying that someone at Rutgers had called this number, but he didn't know who. He: "We have your number on our phone bill. Do you know someone at Rutgers University?" They: "I don't know -- who is this calling?" He: "I am calling from 25 Dix." And he wondered why they hung up. (And the next month we had another unclaimed call.) Tara Mahon PTR Prentice Hall tara@ptrph.prenhall.com ------------------------------ From: David Reeve Sward Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 07:44:04 GMT Organization: Sophomore, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA > [Moderator's Note: Either that, or you could say something lewd, crude > and rude about John's activities at the moment and why he isn't willing > to come to the phone. That always stops 'em dead in their tracks. PAT] I tend to offer to take a message and mumble "uh-huh" a few times while they give me something to write down. They're satisfied, I'm satisfied and they don't call back. :) David Sward sward+@cmu.edu Finger or email for PGP public key 3D567F ------------------------------ Date: 06 May 93 08:19:35 GMT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") > I'll then repeat the company name, and still hear nothing. I'll say > "Hello?" -- then, and the recording starts. At which point I transfer the call to "Call Park". The telemarketer pays for his outgoing lines by the minute so I want to be sure that he gets the full benefit of my "on hold" message for that time. When his machine disconnects, my telephone system automatically drops the call. Kind of like reverse telemarketing. Brian Vita CI$70702,2233 CSS, Inc. ------------------------------ From: lucas@rtsg.mot.com (Gregory A Lucas) Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 12:48:20 GMT jrichert@krefcom.GUN.de (Jan Richert) writes: > yjj@ctr.columbia.edu (Yuan Jiang) writes: >> I want to buy a cellular phone in the US or Europe, which can be used >> in Hong Kong. A cellular phone in Hong Kong costs twice as much as in >> the US. But a regular cellular phone from the US market does not work >> in Hong Kong. Here are my questions. >> 1) Are there any venders who sell cellular phones that is compatible >> with those in Hong Kong? >> 2) Are cellular phones in Europe compatible with those in Hong Kong? >> Is it just the frequency difference between phones in the US and HK? > The Motorola GSM cellular phones sold in the US do work fine with the > German GSM networks without modifications. There is just one > difference: The US version of the Motorola phones do not have a slot > for your SIM-card. Instead of this there is an ID burned into the > phone. So you have to find a service provider in Germany who accepts > this (we found one). Motorola does not sell GSM phones in the US. GSM will not be used in the US, US TDMA and CDMA will be the digital systems used here. The current US phones are AMPS analog (there are a few TDMA phones being sold). Hong Kong has two separate types of analog systems -- TACS and AMPS, with GSM being planned for the near future. Note AMPS and TACS use different frequencies. Currently, England and Spain are using TACS -- so their phones will, in theory, work in Hong Kong. AMPS phones from the US will work on the Hong Kong AMPS system. I have no idea as to how you would register your phone in Hong Kong, you should contact the two service suppliers before you buy. Greg Lucas Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group - Arlington Heights, IL "These are my opinions and not Motorola's" ------------------------------ From: sorbrrse@rtsg.mot.com (Russell E. Sorber) Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 14:45:49 GMT jrichert@krefcom.GUN.de (Jan Richert) writes: > The Motorola GSM cellular phones sold in the US do work fine with the > German GSM networks without modifications. There is just one > difference: The US version of the Motorola phones do not have a slot > for your SIM-card. Instead of this there is an ID burned into the > phone. So you have to find a service provider in Germany who accepts > this (we found one). Be careful! The vast majority of US cellular phones are AMPS/EAMPS and not GSM. Besides frequency and encryption differences, GSM is digital and AMPS is analog. These systems are vastly incompatible. I'm sure that Motorola would be delighted to sell you a GSM phone, they were the first to demonstrate a working GSM system at a German trade show in 1991, but this is a different phone than you can buy at your local US retailer. In fact, I know of no US retailers that sell GSM. According to my information (1990 Cellular Data Handbook), Hong Kong is a mixture of TACS, AMPS and has "great interest" in a GSM system. I have since read that GSM has been added to the Hong Kong mix of systems. China runs almost exclusively TACS cellular systems which is an anlog system with a different frequency range and different channel spacing than US AMPS systems. Russ Sorber Software Contractor - Opinions are mine, Not Motorolas! Motorola, Cellular Division Arlington Hts., IL (708) 632-4047 ------------------------------ From: Bob Sherman Subject: Re: Can an Unlisted Number in US be Found? Date: 6 May 1993 03:53:49 GMT In yoav@tau.ac.il (Yoav Weiss (Mack)) writes: > When I order an UNLISTED NUMBER in the US, can it possible be found? > (Legally/illegally) ... if so, how do I prevent it? How can anyone > find it? In addition to the public record means of obtaining un-listed numbers that Pat has already mentioned, let me just say this. For the right amount of $$$$ and the right contacts, any unlisted number can be obtained. There are many places that offer this ILLEGAL service. In addition, if you call certain types of numbers from your unlisted telephone, your number will appears on their bills, register on their ISDN ANI equipment etc. And then of course there is Caller ID. bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu MCI MAIL:BSHERMAN an764@cleveland.freenet.edu ------------------------------ From: eelco@dutiag.twi.tudelft.nl (Eelco Essenberg) Subject: Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? Organization: Delft University of Technology Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 09:04:39 GMT Hello! The ISDN tarrifs in the Netherlands, for 2B+D connections, are as follows: NFL 800,- first time connection charge, NFL 80,- per month subscription fee. These figures are approximate, but should be within a few guilders of the correct numbers. The exchange rate at the moment is approx. 1.80NFL/US$. Additional charges apply per connection; I don't know rates for that. The Dutch PTT is using the German ISDN standard at the moment. They plan to move to the European standard as soon as that will be definitive. Makes you wonder what is going to happen to all the early subscribers! Greetings from the Netherlands, Eelco Essenberg eelco@dutiag.twi.tudelft.nl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 93 13:31 GMT From: Guy J. Sherr <0004322955@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers As I recall, New York holds world records for the busiest phone on earth and for the collection of the highest frequency of misdials anywhere. Exactly what the source for knowing a misdial from a correct one completely escapes me though, unless, perhaps, it employs the number of credits from disgruntled payphone users. One technician I spoke with told me that 40% of the pay dialtone isn't NYNEX anymore. ------------------------------ From: tpiper@pinnacle.demon.co.uk (Tony Piper) Subject: Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features Organization: Pinnacle Insurance Company Limited Reply-To: tpiper@pinnacle.demon.co.uk Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 03:39:07 GMT In article 100031.31@CompuServe.COM writes: > There was no information if there would be any setup charges, but I > bet TELEKOM always collects bucks for something. It's good to see that hard American dollars are still in circulation in post-merger Germany! Tony Piper Internet: tpiper@pinnacle.demon.co.uk * Voice: 081 953 4433 CIX : tpiper@cix.compulink.co.uk * Fax : 081 381 6718 pinnacle.demon.co.uk is not associated with any other sites in the demon domain. All opinions are my own, not my boss's [Moderator's Note: Isn't 'bucks' a slang term for the money of any country, or does it apply only to US currency? If the former, then there is nothing in the message to indicate *USA* money is being paid. Or does 'bucks' refer to our money in the United States? PAT] ------------------------------ From: theriaul@mmddvan (Roger Theriault) Subject: Re: Want Digital Voice Recorder and Panel Phones Organization: Motorola - Mobile Data Division; Richmond, BC Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 14:16:55 GMT Proctor & Associates (0003991080@mcimail.com) wrote: > I need sources for a couple of items: > Instant Playback Voice Recorders (used in emergency answering centers > for digital storage of audio signals, affording instant playback of > the past 30 seconds or so of speech to aid in deciphering grabled > speech); Try Spilsbury Communications (aka RACE Technologies) in Vancouver. phone 604 254-6411. I'm pretty sure they make a multi-line digital recorder for 911 etc ... use. Roger Theriault Internet: theriaul@mdd.comm.mot.com UUCP: {uw-beaver,uunet}!van-bc!mdivax1!theriaul CompuServe: 71332,730 (not too often) I am not a spokesman for Motorola or anyone else besides myself. ------------------------------ From: David E. Sheafer Subject: Re: AT&T Sent Me $75 Date: 5 May 93 11:31:31 GMT Organization: Merrimack College, No. Andover, MA, USA In article , woan@exeter.austin.ibm.com (Ronald S. Woan) writes: > This is probably a dumb question but how much of that $75 would have > to go to the local telephone company for switching carriers? AT&T adds the switching fee in the check, eg. New England Tel charges $5.00 and AT&T sent $80 David E. Sheafer internet: nin15b0b@merrimack.edu or uucp: samsung!hubdub!nin15b0b GEnie: D.SHEAFER Cleveland Freenet: ap345 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 93 01:55:49 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. PADGETT PETERSON) Subject: Keypad Orders At one time my wife led a team of inventory clerks and each was equipped with a "comptometer", essentially a ten-key adding machine that had the "bottom-up" layout familiar to computer keyboards. The one in my attic is electric but do remember manual ones. Watching an experienced operator blur those key was quite a sight and might lead one to wonder if AT&T's intention in reversion of this "normal" order might have been to slow such people down, much as QWERTY was developed to keep operators from binding keys on early typewriters. Then again it might be the the engineers had never seen a "comptometer" and were simply following the rotary dial pattern with 1 at the top and 0 at the bottom. Just some thoughts, Padgett (myself, I prefer the function keys on the left) [Moderator's Note: The industry 'biggie' from those olden times was the Victor Comptometer Company. Their office, factory and warehouse was here in Chicago. They made a wide variety of 'adding machines' as we used to call them. The earliest models had 'keypads' which consisted of nine columns (allowing numbers up to 9,999,999.99) and ten rows, zero through nine. Ninety keys in all, plus a few more keys for such features as causing the gears inside to work in reverse (subtraction), a lock/unlock key to retain the previous entry as needed, etc. You had to pull a lever back and forth on the right side as you entered each number to be added to the total. If you wanted to multiply some numbers, let's say X times Y, you punched in the digits of X (each digit locked in place until you pulled the lever forward), then you pressed the locking key which meant the gears should not disengage the buttons for the digits of X after the lever was pulled, then you pulled the lever by hand Y times and on the final pull of the lever, hit the unlocking key. Another button caused the gears inside to work in reverse so that subtraction was performed; and to divide, of course you entered the dividend one digit at a time, pressed the subtraction and locking keys, then the divisor digits, and finally proceeded to pull the right handle back and forth, counting to yourself as you went along, until the handle refused to move further, at which point the number you had reached in your counting equalled the quotient. What you did with the few gears inside left unturned at that point (as advised in the little window display on the top) was your business. Many were the help wanted advertisements in the {Chicago Tribune} in the 1950's which listed a job opening 'for a clerk who is experienced in operating the Victor Comptometer or Burroughs Adding Machine Company mechanical accounting tools'. By the 1950's, the hand crank model was on the way out as companies everywhere converted to the 'new, modern' version of the same machine which was driven electrically. Instead of yanking his crank all day, the accounting clerk's job became easy; just touch a button when all the digits had been entered -- the 'adding machine' would make a whirring noise and spit a piece of paper out the top with all your figures neatly typed out and totalled for you. As kids we thought it very funny to 'trick the machine' by attempting division by zero: this would produce machine infinity; the motor would hum forever until someone cycled the power completely. On the other hand, with the old crank machines, if you entered a zero as the divisor, you were welcome to stand there and yank the crank until your arm fell off ... the machine didn't care! PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #302 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa21899; 6 May 93 6:53 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA20909 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 6 May 1993 03:44:32 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA21659 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 6 May 1993 03:43:04 -0500 Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 03:43:04 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305060843.AA21659@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #303 TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 May 93 03:43:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 303 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson What I've Been up to Lately - Windows Telephony (Toby Nixon) Framingham Phone Scam (Middlesex News via Adam M. Gaffin) France Direct vs Home Direct (Jean-Bernard Condat) Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted (Steven King) Bogus 800 Billing (Paul S. Sawyer) GSM Mobile Now in Oz (David M. Miller) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tnixon@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon) Subject: What I've Been up to Lately - Windows Telephony Date: 05 May 93 17:23:39 GMT Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA Many of you may have wondered what I've been working on since leaving Hayes and coming to Microsoft four months ago. Well, it was announced yesterday: Windows Telephony. I've attached the original press release below. Copies of the preliminary version of the specifications are available for downloading from Library 1 of the WINEXT forum on CompuServe, and from ~ftp/vendor/microsoft on ftp.uu.net (the file names are AP0503.EXE and SP0503.EXE, both self-extracting ZIP archives). Developer inquiries and support are being handled through Microsoft's normal support channels (e.g., on WINEXT forum). My time is pretty much taken up working on getting the Windows Telephony SDK to market (later this summer), so I won't be able to answer very many questions directly. To get on the mailing list for further information on Windows Telephony, send email to telephon@microsoft.com. Toby Nixon Program Manager - Windows Telephony Digital Office Systems Group Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA For Release 9 a.m. PDT May 4, 1993 Intel and Microsoft to Enable Integration of Personal Computers and Telephones Major PC and Telecom Participants Join in Support DALLAS, - May 4, 1993 - Intel Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, joined by leading telecommunications and PC industry companies worldwide, today announced a standard way to integrate the telephone with the personal computer. Future products to add telephony functions to the PC will be based on a new specification, called Windows Telephony Application Programming Interface (API), that Intel, Microsoft and industry participants have co-developed for the Microsoft(R) Windows operating system. The specification was reviewed and is supported by approximately 40 companies, including major telephone- switch manufacturers, PC and peripheral manufacturers, software developers and network providers (see attached list). Products to Add New Functions to PCs: Products based on the specification will enhance existing PC applications and enable new applications. Applications such as database managers, personal information managers, spreadsheets, and word processors will benefit by gaining direct access to the telephone network. New communications applications enabled by Windows Telephony include: * Visual call control that uses the PC+s graphical user interface for call forwarding, conferencing and call transfer * Integration of electronic mail, voice mail and fax * Desktop audio and video conferencing * Wide area networking that allows PCs to use the telephone network for both voice and data transmission The specification is intended to insulate PC users and applications developers from the underlying computer hardware, connection model or telephone network being used, including PBX, ISDN, Centrex, cellular or analog telephone service. "We at Lotus see the Windows Telephony API as the first of a suite of application programming interfaces we can use to incorporate telephony into our Workgroup Computing products," said Alex Morrow, general manager of Cross Product Architecture at Lotus Development Corporation. "By making good use of the API in our workgroup applications, we+re hoping to streamline business communications." "We fully support the Microsoft and Intel initiative on Windows Telephony for desktop applications," said Tom Lowery, vice president, Multimedia Applications, Northern Telecom. "Open architectures are essential for stimulating the introduction of high-value applications that require seamless, transparent interworking between desktops." According to Lowery, Northern Telecom will support Windows Telephony as part of the VISIT Access program, which is the open architecture of the VISIT Multimedia product line. "The specification will allow us to help our customers achieve the efficiencies that come from integrating telephony and PCs," said Peter Pribilla, group president, Siemens Private Communication Systems Group and president and CEO of ROLM. "This alliance is another substantial step in our effort to provide high-efficiency desktop solutions." Extending the PC Architecture for Real-time Communications: "We are pleased to see such strong and unprecedented support from the software, PC and telecom industry for extending the PC architecture," said Ron Whittier, Intel vice president and general manager of Intel+s Architecture Software Technology Group. "As Intel introduces products based on this work later this year, we are looking forward to working with our partners in the software and telecommunications industry to bring exciting applications to PC users." "Windows Telephony allows the integration of information on the PC with real-time communications, which brings us another step toward the vision of Information At Your Fingertips," commented Paul Maritz, senior vice president, Systems Division at Microsoft. "The telephone has long been an office staple upon which employees have relied to be effective in their jobs. With Windows Telephony, resulting products will not only combine the strengths of the telephone with the power of the computer, they will open up a whole new world of applications." The Windows Telephony application programming interface specification is part of the Microsoft Windows Open Services Architecture (WOSA), which provides a single set of open-ended interfaces to enterprise computing services. WOSA encompasses a number of APIs, providing applications and corporate developers with an open set of APIs to which applications can be written and accessed. Feedback received through the WOSA open process assures a fully integrated framework and a complete set of telephony features for software developers, telecommunications manufacturers and PC vendors to deliver products. WOSA also includes services for data access, messaging, software licensing, connectivity and financial services. Today, Windows Telephony is focused on enabling the desktop and will be extended to server environments in future releases. Additionally, Intel and Microsoft will encourage open cooperation with other system software providers to bring the functionality provided by the specification to other computing platforms. Availability: Version 1.0 of the Windows Telephony API is available now. For more information, check the ISV Specifications library in the IntelR Access Forum on CompuServeR (GO INTELACCESS). The specification also is posted on CompuServe (GO WINEXT) and on the Internet at ftp.uu.net ~ftp/vendor/microsoft. Or copies can be obtained by faxing the "Windows Telephony Coordinator" at Microsoft at (206) 936-7329, or by sending e-mail to telephon@microsoft.com. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is an international manufacturer of microcomputer components, modules, and systems. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day. ######### Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. ------------------------------ From: adamg@world.std.com (Adam M Gaffin) Subject: Framingham Phone Scam Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 21:59:10 GMT Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass., 5/4/93 The State We're In, by Tim Greene "Fed a line by a phone-y" Fortini and Wilcox Realty in Natick must be the most cooperative real estate office in the world. Or the most something. They tied up one of their four phone lines for a part of every workday for the past two weeks so the New England Telephone repairman could work on some faulty lines. Only, as it turned out, it wasn't the New England Telephone repairman at all. It was some guy who was apparently using the line for phone sex. When Jeff Fortini discovered last Saturday that the office was the victim of a scam, he gave the caller an earful. Then yesterday morning, the same caller phoned in three more times trying to set up the same ripoff. ``I certainly will be leery the next time,'' said Sharon Fortini, a partner in the office. Here's how it worked: A man identifying himself as a telephone repairman phoned and said he was trying to fix a line and that he needed the help of the realty office. He said an operator would call and ask whether the office would accept the charges. He asked the office to accept them, but said the office wouldn't really be charged. Sure enough, they got what sounded like a taped woman's voice saying she was an operator and asking if the office would accept the charges. Then immediately, the alleged repairman's voice, which also sounded taped, interrupted and said, "Repair. No charge." As they had been instructed, whoever answered the phone in the realty office pressed the conference button on the phone, put another line on hold and hung up, leaving the line open on hold. They were to leave the line blinking and told not to pick it up "because we might blow a chip," Fortini said. "We believed that." The repair calls came in every day. "We did it for two weeks," Fortini said, "sometimes for over an hour." Sometimes they even tied up their FAX line. When the repairman kept it up for more than a week, his explanation was, "oh, it's a big problem. We've got more lines tied up than we thought," she said. Last Saturday, Jeff Fortini wanted to leave the office and leave the phone on call-forwarding, but couldn't because the "repair line" was busy. Frustrated, he called New England Telephone to find out how to get the repairman off the line without blowing a chip. The company told him there were no line repairs going on in Natick. Fortini picked up the line and heard part of a sexually explicit phone call. He hung up, figuring the repairman would call back to reestablish the call. The repairman did, and Fortini blasted him. The repairman phoned again yesterday three times to try to get access to one of the lines, Sharon Fortini said. "This guy thinks we're real idiots," she said. "We did it for two weeks, and he had the nerve to call back today." New England Telephone said the office would have to wait until the phone bill comes to find out where the calls were being placed to, Fortini said. "I never wanted a phone bill so much in my life," she said. Robert Mudge, a spokesman for New England Telephone, said this type of scam happens off and on, and people who receive similar calls should just hang up. "Under no circumstances do phone company employees need outside lines seized," he said. "We have trunks in the network to do testing at no cost or inconvenience to the customer." Likewise, they don't ever need credit card or account information, he said, so don't give it out. The state attorney general's office has a name for this scenario: fraud. Sharon Fortini admits feeling naive for being duped so long, but wants to warn other unsuspecting good Samaritans. "I can't believe how slick they were," she said. Some people are too nice for their own good. Adam Gaffin Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass. adamg@world.std.com Voice: (508) 626-3968. Fred the Middlesex News Computer: (508) 872-8461. [Moderator's Note: For the benefit of newer readers, Adam Gaffin is a reporter for the {Middlesex News} and a frequent contributor to this Digest. To Adam, thanks for another splendid contribution! PAT] ------------------------------ From: jbcondat@attmail.com Date: 05 May 93 23:59:59 GMT Subject: France Direct vs Home Direct The France Direct service offer to all cardholders the possibility to obtain directly and freely a French operator from some foreign countries. The price of the phone call begin as soon as the correspondant begin the call. Call the following France Direct phone numbers from: Allemagne 0130 80 003 Argentine 0033 800 999 111 Australie 00 14 881 330 Autriche 022 903 033 Belgique 078 11 00 33* Bresil 0008 033 Canada 1800 363 40 33 or 1800 463 62 26* Chine 108 33* Colombie 980 33 0057 or 980 33 00 10* Coree (Rep) 009 0330* Danemark 800 100 33 Emirats Arab Unies 800 1 9971 Espagne 900 99 00 33 Etats-Unis 800 537 2623 or 800 937 2623 800 47 372 623 or 800 872 7835 800 727 8350* Finlande 98 00 10 330 Gabon 00 033 Hongrie 00 800 033 11 Hong-Kong 800 00 33 or 800 10 33* Irlande 800 55 10 33 or 800 55 00 33* Israel 177 330 2727 Italie 172 00 33 Japon 00 39 331 or 00 31 00 55 00 33* Luxembourg 0 800 00 33* Malaisie 800 00 33* Norvege 050 19933 N-Zelande 000 9 33 Pays-Bas 06 022 2033 or 06 022 2533* Portugal 0505 00 33 Royaume-Uni 0800 33 00 or 800 33 11* Singapour 800 33 00 or 800 33 11* Suede 02 07 99 033 Tchecoslo- vaquie 00 42 00 3301 Turquie 99 800 33 11 77 For the foreign people visiting France, some phone call exist in France for a quick and direct access to local facilities: Algerie 19 00 213 Allemagne 19 00 49 Argentine 19 00 54 Australie 19 00 61 Autriche 19 00 43 Belgique 19 00 32 Bresil 19 00 55 Canada 19 00 16 Colombie 19 00 57 Coree (Rep) 19 00 82 Danemark 19 00 45 Emirats Arabes Unis 19 00 971 Espagne 19 00 34 Etats-Unis 19 00 11 (AT&T) 19 00 19 (MCI) 19 00 87 (Sprint) Finlande 19 00 358 Gabon 19 00 241 Hong-Kong 19 00 852 or 19 02 852* Hongrie 19 00 36 Irlande 19 00 353 Italie 19 00 39 Japon 19 00 81 or 19 02 81* Luxembourg 19 00 352 Norvege 19 00 47 N-Zelande 19 00 64 Pays-Bas 19 00 31 Portugal 19 00 351 Royaume-Uni 19 00 44 Singapour 19 00 65 Suede 19 00 46 Turquie 19 00 90 (*): automatic version of the service for Carte Pastel International' users. _____Jean-Bernard Condat_____ [Editor of _Chaos Digest_, the first computer security e-journal] CCCF, B.P. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France Phone: +33 1 47874083; Fax: +33 1 47877070 InterNet: jbcondat@attmail.com or cccf@altern.com ------------------------------ From: king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King) Subject: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted Reply-To: king@rtsg.mot.com Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 14:34:18 GMT Does anyone have a circuit diagram for a ring-detector? I can probably come up with one myself but I'd rather be lazy if I can ... :-) Background: We have a voicemail system here, but 2500-style desk telepones. The only indication that there's a message waiting is stutter dialtone. Need: Even after having voicemail for a year or more I'm pretty bad at remembering to pick up the receiver to check for voicemail after meetings or whatever. I need some sort of visual indicator to remind me to check. Solution: If a ring-detector lit an LED whenever the phone rang and kepth the thing lit until either the phone went offhook or until a manual reset I'd at least know when someone called when I was away. It wouldn't be perfect (the caller may not have left a message) but it'd at least tell me when I should check. I thought of making a circuit to take the phone off-hook periodically to check for stutter tone, but decided that there was too great a chance of someone calling in during that couple of seconds. Murphy's Law says that I'd miss calls (well, they'd be routed to voicemail!) when the circuit picked up to check for voicemail. I checked the Telecom Archives for such a circuit but came up empty handed. Does anyone have one, or can point me to a reference? Or give me a Radio Shack part number? :-) Steven King, Motorola Cellular (king@rtsg.mot.com) ------------------------------ Subject: Bogus 800 Billing Date: 5 May 93 10:43:13 EDT (Wed) From: paul@unhtel.unh.edu (Paul S. Sawyer) I have found a few insights into some of the (IMHO) bogus 800-to-billed call schemes which we have discussed here. The ones for which we are being billed are being perpetrated by "Integretel" "on behalf of" various "information" providers. I hope that some of the details which I have discovered will be useful to others with the same problems. 1. Calls billed as "Collect from INFO CALL KS 913 338 1574" on lines that do not answer incoming calls. The calls which generated these bill items were outgoing calls to numerous 800- numbers; The time on the bills for these calls was before the time on the SMDR records, differing by approx. 10 to 60 minutes, yet the time difference was consistant for each month's bill. 2. Calls billed as "Calling Card" calls on lines which could not/would not be issued calling cards, to LOSANGELES CA 213 628 6753. To get this billing either "02136286753" or "00" should have appeared on the SMDR, but these calls were dialed using various 800- numbers, the most popular ones being 800 568 7391 and 800 685 7392. Billing times have been 4-16 minutes earlier than the SMDR times. 3. Calls billed as "Collect from BOSTON MA 617 859 3773" on lines that do not answer incoming calls. The calls which generated these bill items were outgoing calls to 800 359 0069, and the billing time was 3 HOURS before the SMDR time. Calling any of the three billed numbers noted above gets a recorded message giving an address to write to; so far we have not received any replies by writing. Paul S. Sawyer - University of New Hampshire CIS - paul@unhtel.unh.edu Telecommunications and Network Services - VOX: +1 603 862 3262 50 College Road - FAX: +1 603 862 2030 Durham, New Hampshire 03824-3523 ------------------------------ Subject: GSM Mobile Now in Oz Date: Thu, 06 May 93 01:05:29 -0500 From: dmiller@elli.une.edu.au GSM mobile service was recently begun, in Sydney at least. The numbers are 041+7D. Best regards, David M Miller Internet: dmiller@elli.une.edu.au PO Box 695 CompuServe: 100032,341 Hornsby NSW 2077 GEIS/GEnie: dmiller@elli.une.edu.au@internet# Australia ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #303 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa23201; 6 May 93 7:26 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31380 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 6 May 1993 04:31:47 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31860 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 6 May 1993 04:30:33 -0500 Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 04:30:33 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305060930.AA31860@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #304 TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 May 93 04:30:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 304 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Bell Canada Botches Large Multi-Line Installation (Nigel Allen) 900 Number Index (George MacDonald) The Perils of Caller-ID -- A Question (Jim DePorter) Wanted: Information on Telecom Australia (e1slkong@eco.adelaide.edu.au) Great Wrong Number (was Misdialed Numbers) (Andrew Robson) For Sale: Rhetorex DSP 9432 Voice Processing Board (Raul Rathmann) Chicago Tribune Story About Phoneless People (Jim Rees) Subsidized Cell Phone? (Laurence Chiu) Voice Processing Magazine (Steve Forrette) Telephony Impedance Mismatch Problem - Help? (Ed Sinamark) The Net in China? (Andy Jacobson) Temporary Internet Connection Needed For Conference (Tim Arnold) Test Suites For Metropolitian Area Bridged Networks (Michael Mealling) Tormenting Telemarketers (Douglas W. Martin) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 5 May 93 21:08:03 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Bell Canada Botches large Multi-Line Installation Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Canada Remote Systems, a Toronto-area commercial BBS, moved to a new building a few days ago, and experienced some interesting problems with its new phone lines. Initially, when I called the new numbers, I would hear a single ring, followed by a fast busy, although I am now more likely to reach a regular busy signal. The explanation is given in the following bulletins from CRS to its subscribers: Problems with CRS Phone Lines Monday, May 3, 1993 Since Saturday May 1, CRS's phone lines have been experiencing difficulty. Bell Canada is aware of the problem and is working towards resolving it. The latest information we have is that the problem will be resolved sometime during Monday, May 3. Congratulations to all subscribers who have managed to get online or reach us by phone since Saturday. We have no idea why some lines are working and others aren't. In fact we are finding that the phone lines have the annoying habit of going dead with no warning. Once the phone system is repaired and reliability is restored to the online systems, we will be extending all subscriptions by the length of the downtime. Please have patience as we try to work with Bell Canada to resolve the difficulties. Problems with CRS Phone Lines (some further information) Tuesday, May 4, 1993 It appears that Bell Canada made a serious blunder when doing our new installation. Normally on installations of our size, such as law firms and the like, Bell would normally install the required number of lines into the building but not necessarily have the capability of producing dial tones on each. Bell works on the probability that not all lines will be active simultaneously, so in a situation such as ours with 215 lines coming into the building, Bell would normally assign approximately half that number of possible simultaneous dial tones. By the way, we have the capacity for well over 700 lines to accommodate future expansion. Of course, it isn't possible to use this technique with us since all of our lines are data lines which are busy all the time. Bell only provided us with 128 possible simultaneous dial tones. While we have machines ready to take your calls, there is no way to access them until Bell can resolve the situation, which means some engineering work and more installation. We have not been able to get CityLink back online due to the unavailability of phone circuits, but this will be a top priority once things get straightened out. We appreciate your patience in this situation. Quite simply, Bell goofed. They are aware of it and rectification of the situation is underway. Now for a little good news. We have upgraded yet another of our file servers to a 66-megahertz 486DX2, which will increase system performance. With the move we were able to completely redesign our Novell network, with fewer nodes on each segment. This has produced a very noticeable improvement in performance. We think once our Bell troubles have been dealt with, you will be pleased. (end of CRS bulletin) CRS is also known as canrem.com. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: gmd@mv.mv.com (George MacDonald) Subject: 900 Number Index Organization: MV Communications, Inc. Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 20:18:14 GMT I bet this has been asked a hundred times! Is there a 900 number index available online, hardcopy, purchaseable or for free, ftp, email? I tried the obvious 1-900-555-1212 Got a rather amusing message: Due to network architecture changes this number is no longer in service! Anybody have info on how to set one up? How much effort does it take, what's it cost ... who to call? I was wondering about the viability of offering some kind of data service via a 900 number. It seems like the easiest approach for very infrequent access by a large number of users, i.e. a customer may only call 1/mo, be "online" for less than one minute and I don't want it to cost more than $1.00. Would a 900 number be impractical for this? I use uunet's 900 number on occasion and find the concept very useful, esp since I don't have to set up any kind of accounting with uunet for this infrequent access. Thanks in advance for any pointers, George MacDonald ------------------------------ From: jimd@SSD.intel.com (Jim DePorter) Subject: The perils of Caller-ID -- A question Organization: Supercomputer Systems Division (SSD), Intel Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 01:13:29 GMT Portland OR started caller-ID yesterday with Bell(?). My question is that I live under GTE lines. GTE doesn't start caller-ID until June. If I call Portland now will they see my number? Does *67 work even if caller-ID isn't invoked yet. I really see no problem with this, but a lot of people are going to think that because they're in GTE land they have no concerns until June. I don't think this is true. Thanks, jimd ------------------------------ From: e1slkong@economics.adelaide.edu.au Subject: Wanted: Information on Telecom Australia Date: 5 May 93 12:11:38 ACST Organization: Economics, University of Adelaide Hi there fellow netters, I am a university student doing a research on Australia Telecom's use of fibre optics in their telecommunication lines to link the capital cities in Australia. What I would like to know is: i) is this so? ii) what are the hardware and software needed for such links? iii) what are the advantages and disadvantages of using fibre optics in such lines? iv) where can I find more information? Thanks in advance, cheers, wizard e-mail: e1slkong@eco.adelaide.edu.au (Dep't of Commerce, Adelaide Uni) ------------------------------ From: arobson@uswnvg.com (Andrew Robson) Subject: Great Wrong Number (was Misdialed Numbers) Date: 5 May 93 02:40:57 GMT Organization: U S WEST NewVector Group, Inc. One of the best wrong number stories I ever heard was how a friend of mine met his wife. My friend is an imigrant with a distinctive accent and some preference for speaking his native language. He had dialed a long distance number, got it wrong, and had it answered by a woman who told him it was a wrong number. But that answer was in his *native language* (as had been his "is ___ there"). He didn't believe it was a wrong number! It was much more probable that his friend was just playing a joke on him. It took several minutes of conversation and a second call to the same (formerly wrong) number to convince him that it was not a joke. By that time, he and the woman had become quite friendly and had found that they enjoyed each other's conversation. One thing led to another and eventually to a happy (last I heard) marrige and kids. I thought it was a great story, and suspect it might be true since I got it first hand. Andy (N6VRP) ------------------------------ From: rathmann@nic.cerf.net (Raul Rathmann) Subject: For Sale: Rhetorex DSP 9432 Voice Processing Board Date: 5 May 1993 03:15:07 GMT Organization: CERFnet Dial n' CERF Customer Group Hi, I have a Rhetorex DSP 9432 Voice Processing Board for sale. This is a very powerful board that handles up to 4 analog phone lines. It plugs into a standard AT style bus. Drivers are available for MS-DOS, UNIX, OS/2, and MS-Windows. Low quantity pricing is normally about $1150. It's been plugged in once to run a diagnostic test on it which it passed with no problems. I'll sell it for $950. Email is preferred. Raul Rathmann |Computer and Voice| TEL: (619) 271-5900 Director | Communications | Internet: rathmann@cerf.net Rathmann Technology Corp.| Consulting | CompuServe: 76400,1263 ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Chicago Tribune Story About Phoneless People Date: 5 May 1993 21:53:55 GMT Organization: Center for Information and Technology Integration There was a front page story in the {Chicago Tribune} on Tuesday about people who can't afford a telephone. Some people apparently use beepers as a substitute, since they're cheaper than a phone. Interesting how the beeper has gone from status symbol of the rich to phone substitute for the poor. I was disappointed that the story didn't mention the problem of disappearing pay phones and pay phones that have been crippled for the misguided "war on drugs." ------------------------------ From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET Subject: Subsidized Cell Phone? Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 02:26:22 GMT I just returned from a business trip to Portland and happened to be in a local department store where I spotted what seemed like remarkably deals on cell phones. There was a Pioneer cell phone which looked very similar to a Motorola Flip phone for about $299 (might have been PCC_700 or PCC-900) and a slightly larger model for $99. I was about to buy one since I had been contemplating getting cellular service (but in the Bay Area) when I noticed a small sign saying these prices were only valid with activitation with Cellular One; otherwise add $300! I didn't ask at the time (perhaps I should have) but could I have gotten the same discount by saying I was planning to activate with Cellular One in the Bay Area? As an aside, are Pioneer cellular phones any good? Laurence Chiu Walnut Creek, CA [Moderator's Note: All Cellular Ones are not the same company. They were talking about *their* cellular company using that name. The deals you talk about are very common; in fact they are about the only way cell phones are sold; ie a tie in with a local provider who gives a kickback to the phone seller. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 93 19:44:10 -0700 From: Steve Forrette Subject: Voice Processing Magazine When I mentioned {Voice Processing Magazine} a while back in the Digest, several readers asked me for contact and/or subscription information. VPM is a monthly publication covering (you guessed it) the "voice processing" industry, which includes voice mail, auto attendant, fax on demand, interactive voice response, etc. It is geared mainly towards corporate users, rather than the pay-per-call industry, which has its own publications. I have no connection with the magazine other than as a subscriber. Here's the information: Voice Processing Magazine, ISSN 1042-0460 Subscription rate: $24/year US, $99/year foreign Subscription address: P.O. Box 6372 Syracuse, NY 13217-9399 Editorial address: 3721 Briar Park Houston, TX 77042 713-974-6637 713-974-6272 fax Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: efs@summa4.MV.COM (Ed Sinamark) Subject: Telephony Impedance Mismatch Problem - Help? Organization: Summa Four Inc. Date: Thu, 6 May 93 08:48:52 GMT I am trying to test a piece of telecomm equipment, an analog port card that has a complex impedance. The impedance is as follows: o-----R1-------C1----------o | | |----R2------ R1 = 300 ohms C1 = .22 microfarads R2 = 1000 ohms Now the only instrument that I have access to has a 600 ohms impedance. The standard US impedance for telephone equipment. The above impedance BTW is one of the ones used in the UK. I have to test the circuit at 200Hz, 1000 Hz and 4600 Hz at -55dBm, -10dBm and +6dBm. My question is how can I calculate a correction factor when testing a card with the above impedance into a 600 ohm resistive load. I know how to calculate what voltage the circuit will output at each frequency into the correct impedance but how do I show my dBm measurement into 600 ohms is valid for a circuit that wants to see the above impedance. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail any replies to the address below Ed Sinamark | The opinions expressed 25 Sundial Ave | above are my own and Manchester, NH 03103| not those of my employer efs@summa4.mv.com | ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 13:27:33 -0700 From: Andy Jacobson Subject: The Net in China Pat, et al., I have not seen any details of Internet links to China, and I know that the extent of the internet is a subject of interest to readers of this list, so I pass along this note from the Pharmacy Mail Exchange list. The author is Paul Hodgkinson, , the list coordinator. To: pharm@DE-MONTFORT.AC.UK Date: Wed, 28 Apr 93 17:24:30 BST X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11] Sender: pharm-request@DE-MONTFORT.AC.UK There is a list of addresses of schools of pharmacy in China on NISS, Section P8J2C3 which is provided by the academic section of the Federation Internationale Pharmaceutique. If you do not have access to Telnet and would like this list, contact me and I will post it to you direct. China was discussed on this list last year. Two of our staff also visited China. As far as I know the network position remains the same. There is a link between University of Karlsruhe and ICA Beijing. I think there are links via Hong Kong which may have greater signficance in the next few years. (HARNET .hkucs to jinan(Guangzhou) and Beijing) However, reports from our staff indicate that, communications facilities are strictly controlled by the government. I choose my words carefully here. While personal communications of a non political nature are possible it is not an appropriate time to attempt to expand Pharmacy Mail Exchange or other distribution systems into China. However, if anybody has information which suggests otherwise I would be interested to hear from them. Paul Pharmacy Mail Exchange ------------------------------ From: arnold@stat.ncsu.edu (Tim Arnold) Subject: Temporary Connection to Internet Needed For Conference Organization: Statistics, NCSU Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 18:57:56 GMT This group is the closest one I could think of for this question: I need some ballpark schemes and prices for setting up an Internet connection at a San Francisco Hotel for a 1/2 day "hands-on" Internet access lesson. If anyone could give advice on the most intelligent way to do this I'd be very grateful. If some SF company provides this service, ballpark prices would be nice. I want to use a laptop 486 PC to run a gopher client to my gopher server in NC. Popup graphics and sound files would add a lot to the presentation. Thanks for your suggestions. Tim Arnold North Carolina State Univ. arnold@stat.ncsu.edu Dept. of Statistics, Box 8203 fax: 919 515 7591 Raleigh NC 27695 ------------------------------ From: ccoprmm@oit.gatech.edu (Michael Mealling) Subject: Test Suites For Metropolitian Area Bridged Networks Date: 5 May 1993 17:06:23 -0400 Organization: Office of Information Technoloy, Georgia Tech I'm posting this for someone at BellSouth who doesn't have access to news so please forward responses to me and I'll forward it to him: He wants to know if anyone has any good test suites for a metropolitan sized bridged network. Specifically for testing effects of multiple protocols and such. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Michael Mealling Georgia Institute of Technology Michael.Mealling@oit.gatech.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 93 16:10:58 -0700 From: martin@cod.nosc.mil (Douglas W. Martin) Subject: Tormenting Telemarketers You may have already seen this; it's quite old, but I usually don't have time to read rec.humor. Anyway, if not already posted -- Enjoy! Doug Martin martin@nosc.mil [Moderartor's Note: We've run this a couple times in the past, but it is always good for a laugh,so here goes again ... PAT] From: davidc@montagar.com (David L. Cathey) Subject: Tormenting Telemarketers Approved: funny@clarinet.com Lines: 116 Tormenting Telmarketers - A Game You Can Play at Home! Everyone has gotten a call from a Telemarketer. The new Scourge of the Telephone System. Previously when the phone rang, you always wondered if it was someone you knew, or another schmuck with something to sell. Well, the time has come to turn the tables. We need to take control of our own phones. We need to take the "market" out of Telemarketing. Premise: Telemarketers take the brute force approach to making sales. If you talk to a whole bunch of people, someone will buy what you are selling. Counter-Tactic: Waste as much of their time as you can. For each minute that you waste means several potential customers that will not be reached. Make Telemarketing unprofitable. Hanging up only increases the changes for them to make a sale. Don't let this happen! Hints: Most of the preliminary stuff is done by someone making minimum wage, and reads a script. Let them finish. It's easy points, and you were watching Star Trek and weren't using your phone anyway. It's easy to keep them interested using "attentive grunting", similar to when your mother calls. Scoring: Basic Point System: For each minute spent on the phone 10 pts. Getting transfered to someone who makes more than minimum wage 15 pts For each minute spent on the phone with person making more than minimum wage 25 pts Bonus Points: Getting them to repeat part of the "script" 5 pts/each Getting answers to stupid questions 15 pts/each Changing the subject 50 pts/each Making the sales person angry 175 pts Making the sales person use profanity 750 pts Get their boss on the phone, and tell them the salesman used profanity 1500 pts Getting their 1-800- number 10 pts Posting their 1-800- number to alt.sex as a free "Phone Sex" line 50 pts Checking the number a week later and it is busy or disconnected 5000 pts Example: Me: Yes? Them: Hi, I'm with Fly-By-Night Carpet Cleaning and we're in your area [...] [start clock->] Them: [...] would like to know it you are interested? Me: Sure... Them: Well, we are currently offering [...] Them: [...] depending on the size of the rooms. Me: Well, how much for the whole house? [15 bonus pts!] Them: Let me transfer you to Them: Sir? Me: Yes? [25 pts/min!] Them: How large is your house? Me: Oh, about 2,000 sqft. Them: [...] Well, that would be about $xxx [stupid ?] Me: It won't hurt the floor, will it? Them: Oh, no! We use a [...this usually takes some time!...] and is completely safe. [stupid ?] Me: Even with my pets? Them: Oh, yes. The chemicals we use [...] Me: Do you have to pre-treat, since I have pets? Them: Yes, and we do that with [...] [repeat!] Me: But the original offer was for $39.95, does that include treating for pets? Them: [...] [subject change] Me: Well, it is kindof dirty. The guys were over for the game. Did you see the Cowboys vs. the Rams? Them: Yes. Me: What a game! That last touchdown pass! Wasn't that a great play? Them: Well, back to your house... Me: Oh yes, what about moving the furniture? Them: [...] [subject change] Me: Do you clean furniture, too? Those guys spilled some beer. Have you smelled old beer on furniture before? But what a game, eh?! I couldn't believe that they couldn't move the ball in the second quarter... [...] [angry???] Them: Ahem... Would you like us to come out? Me: Well, when could you come out? Them: How about next week? Me: Hmmm... Morning or afternoon? Them: Either would be fine. Me: Do you have anything the week after? Them: Sure, can I put you down for Tuesday? [Okay, let's try for those last big bonus points:] Me: Well, I don't think it matters, since I have all hardwood floors here! Them: Dammit! ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #304 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa23558; 6 May 93 7:37 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23866 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 6 May 1993 05:04:14 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07600 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 6 May 1993 05:03:18 -0500 Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 05:03:18 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305061003.AA07600@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #305 TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 May 93 05:03:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 305 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (tdc@zooid.guild.org) Re: Overcharging the Battery (Tad Cook) Re: Wanted: Hints and Tips on Setting up a Faxmodem (Monty Solomon) Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 (Povl H. Pedersen) Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 (Mark Eklof) Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on "Hello") (Craig Richmond) Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on "Hello") (Mark Walsh) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TDC Subject: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns Organization: The Zoo of Ids Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 21:15:00 GMT [Moderator's Note: Just when you thought the nightmare was over! Just when you thought they took Freddie away from his family on Elm Street once and for all! .... read on .... PAT] Release Date: 4 May 16:07 EDT READ AND DISTRIBUTE EVERYWHERE - READ AND DISTRIBUTE EVERYWHERE *************************************************************** Important Anouncement: The LOD Legion of Doom Is Back! No that has not been a mis-print ... the LOD has returned! The world's greatest hacking group has formally been reinstated to bring back dignity and respect to a scene that has rapidly deteriorated since its departure. Unlike many of these other "Groups" that go around with upper/lower case names, that trade in PBX's, VMB's etc. and wouldn't know COSMOS if it hit them over the head. The LOD, at least to me, imbodies the pinnacle of understanding that comes from relentless exploration of the "system" backwards and forwards. It is an organization dedicated to understanding the world's computer and telephone networks. Enabling everyone to progress forward in technology. The accumulated product of this -- the Technical Journals, full of information unavailable anywhere except from telco manuals represents something to valuable to lose. It is a true tragedy that after the great witch hunt that was Operation Sun Devil that the former LOD died. If the powers that be, think they can shut down real hackers by undertaking unprovoked, uneeded not to mention unconstitutional draconian acts they are mistaken. We will not be kept down! We are a segment of society that enjoys what others label difficult and technical. Exploration into the uncharted reaches of technology is our calling. Information, learning and understanding is what we are made of. As the technology revolution impacts us all, it is the hackers and not the medieval statutes of the land that will lead us forward. This will be the primary of purpose the new, revived LOD -- the assembly and release of a Technical Journal. The previous four issues, now several years old BADLY need updating. The Journal will rely heavily on reader submitted articles and information, so anything you wish to contribute would be GREATLY appreciated. Acceptable submitions would include ORIGINAL "how-to- guides" on various systems, security discussions, technical specifications and doccumentation. Computer and telephone related subjects are not the only things acceptable. If you remember, the former journals had articles concerning interrogation and physical security among others. The next LOD Technical Journal will comprise almost entirely of freelance or reader submitted articles. So without YOUR contributions it can not proceed! If you wish to hold the wonderful honour of being an LOD Member (won't this look good on your resume), you may apply by contacting us. The qualifications should need no elaboration. Any of the previous members that wish reactivation (doubtful) need only request it. In addition to needing articles for the upcoming Journals, some sites on the net to aid in distribution would also be welcomed. Send all offers and articles to the following email account: tdc@zooid.guild.org Closing date for article submittions to the LOD Technical Journal Number 5 is: Monday 14 June, 1993. Release date: Friday 18 June, 1993. Since we have no monetary or contractual obligation to anyone, these dates are of course tentative. But since or at least initially we will rely almost entirely on reader submitions a date is needed to get potential writers into gear. In order that this gain exposure to as much publicity as possible please post it on any networks that you may have access to. Note that the LOD does not engage or condone illegal or criminal activities. This would cover, but is not limited to, theft of long distance services, credit fraud or data destruction/alteration. Lord Havoc READ AND DISTRIBUTE EVERYWHERE - READ AND DISTRIBUTE EVERYWHERE *************************************************************** End Message [Moderator's Note: Thank you, Lord, for making my day, and it is only 4:30 AM at that .... PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Overcharging the Battery Date: Wed, 5 May 93 9:14:44 PDT From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) In a post by cengelog@cambridge.dab.ge.com (Yilmaz Cengeloglu), our Moderator noted: > [Moderator's Note: The battery can stay in the charger longer than > eight hours. A day or two at a time does not hurt. I would not just > leave the unit in the charger all the time. Another good thing to > remember is the battery occassionally needs to be run down very low, > to the point the phone won't operate, *then* recharge it. This will > make the rechargeable battery last longer in the long run. Oh boy ... at the risk of raising a controversy, this sounds to me like the old Nicad Memory Effect Myth. It is so widespread now among the hams, two way radio folks, and now the cellular industry that I really can't blame anyone for repeating it. The memory effect myth states that if nicads are repeatedly discharged only slightly, that eventually they will "remember" this slight discharge point, and never be able to do a full discharge again, thereby effectively limiting the capacity of the battery. I became curious about this awhile back after carefully deep- discharging my nicads according to the popular notion, and then reading a letter in the Technical Correspondence section of QST, the ham radio magazine, from a couple of battery engineers at Gould. These engineers claimed that there is no memory effect in nicads. Their letter claimed that at one time NASA had been able to observe memory effect in some nicad batteries, but only in a carefully controlled lab study where cells were repeatedly discharged hundreds of times to precisely the same point. But otherwise, in normal use nicad batteries do not exhibit a memory effect. With the increasing use of carry-around electronics, I have been seeing the memory effect myth more and more lately, so I decided to look into it a bit further. I called Zack Lau, who works in the lab at the American Radio Relay League (publisher of QST), and also posted a query to sci.electronics. Here is what I found out, from the collective wisdom of all who responded: There is no memory effect, but there certainly is a danger to the battery when a deep discharge is attempted. The series connected cells each have a slightly different capacity and charge, and when attempting a deep discharge it is very easy for one or more of the cells to go into reverse polarity, which is very damaging. There is also a problem with overcharging, so perhaps this helps to support the idea of memory effect, since if you always did a deep discharge before doing a full charge, at least there would be less chance of overcharging. Its too bad that nicads don't have a different charging curve, like lead acid cells. Then it would be easy to build a smart charger that would only charge the cells for exactly the right amount of time. It looks like the only smart way to charge nicads is to have the charger integrated into the device that is powered by the nicads. That way an intelligent charger could monitor usage, and only charge for the right amount of time. So probably the best thing to do is to use the device right up until you get a low battery indication (but no longer!), swap battery packs with a fully charged set, and then do a timed charge for no longer than the manufacturer recommended charge cycle. This would even be a good rule if you believe in the memory effect! tad@ssc.com (if it bounces, use 3288544@mcimail.com) Tad Cook | Packet Amateur Radio: | Home Phone: Seattle, WA | KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA | 206-527-4089 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 06:13:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Re: Wanted: Hints and Tips on Setting up a Faxmodem herrera@athena.mit.edu (Ramon F Herrera) wrote: > I have been thinking about setting up a fax modem to be used from a > Unix host. More specifically: > - the modem is a Telebit WorldBlazer The Telebit WorldBlazer does not currently have the ability to discriminate between incoming fax and data calls. You must configure it to be in data mode or in fax mode. Telebit is supposedly working on a firmware revision to implement this functionality which is already available in other modems (e.g., ZyXEL, Supra). You can reach Telebit technical support at 800 835 3248, 408 734 5200, or modems@telebit.com. You might be interested in the following Telebit Technical Service Advisory which was recently posted to comp.dcom.modems. Date: 31 Mar 93 20:31:24 GMT From: nntp.telebit.com!modems@uunet.uu.net (Telebit Support acct) Subject: Telebit Technical Service Advisory Message-ID: Telebit Corporation ** TECHNICAL SERVICE ADVISORY ** March 17, 1993 MOD.1.393 Telebit Corporation, in keeping with its policy of providing the highest- quality data communications products, is providing this document which contains information on specific versions of firmware for the WorldBlazer and T3000 family of modems. Telebit is confident that all problems listed in this document are fixed in version LA7.02. If you are having any problems specific to one of the versions of firmware mentioned below, please upgrade the modem(s) to firmware version LA7.02. Any modem problems not listed here should be reported directly to Telebit Technical Support at (800) 835-3248 or (408) 734-5200. To find out the current version of firmware in your modem: 1) Connect your modem to a terminal or a computer running a terminal emulation program. 2) Type ATI3. Then press Enter. 3) Modem responds with current version. Example: ATI3 WorldBlazer - SA - Version LA7.02 OK Upgrading firmware involves the following: 1) Printing out current configurations. 2) Disconnecting the modem from any DTE devices and opening up the case with a small Phillips head screwdriver. 3) Replacing the current firmware with version LA7.02. 4) Powering on the modem, allowing it to run through diagnostic tests. (about 30-40 seconds) 5) Reconnecting the modem to the DTE equipment and reprogramming nonvolatile memory from the original printout. Below is a list of known problems that pertain to specific versions of firmware. Make sure a problem exists in YOUR version before requesting an upgrade. * Known Problems * --> LA7.01 1 - When used in an unattended answering environment, the WorldBlazer or T3000 will randomly fail to answer a call. Power cycling the modem solves the problem. --> LA5.01 has problem #1 in addition to the following: 2 - During a V.32bis (14,400 bps) connection, a small amount of line noise may be detected, causing the modems to fall back within the modulation to a lower rate (such as 12,000 bps). If the line conditions are improved, a V.32bis modem may request that the modulation rate be increased to the previous higher rate. The WorldBlazer and T3000 will not respond to this fall-forward request. 3 - After detecting an unacceptable amount of line noise on a V.32bis (14,400 bps) connection, the CD light begins flashing, signaling a retrain. The modem does not reestablish the connection. After the failed connection, the WorldBlazer or T3000 may begin to send the OK result code back to the DTE at approximately 10-second intervals. This problem can be solved if the user forces a V.32 (9600 bps) connection. Setting S50=6 forces the connection speed to V.32. 4 - All modem lights from MR to CTS are on and/or the user cannot get any response from the modem after the remote modem has disconnected the call. Power cycling the modem solves the problem. --> LA5.00W has problems 1 through 4 in addition to the following: 5 - When *answering* a call with the modem connected to a UNIX system configured for UNIX UUCP-G protocol and a window size greater than 3, the protocol startup will fail. On many UNIX systems, a -x9 debug dump of the session from the remote (originating) modem will report: "UUCP Startup Failed" 6 - When *originating* a call, the WorldBlazer does not connect in PEP mode to older TrailBlazer Plus modems with firmware version BA4.00. The table below summarizes the above information. * Firmware * * Release * * Known * * Version * * Date * * Problems * --> LA7.02 --> 1/93 --> None --> LA7.01 --> 12/92 --> 1 --> LA5.01 --> 8/92 --> Has problem 1 in addition to problems 2, 3 and 4. --> LA5.00W --> 5/92 --> Has problems 1 through 4 in addition to problems 5 and 6. After carefully examining this document, if you determine that your modem is experiencing a firmware-related problem, you may request a FREE LA7.02 upgrade from Telebit Technical Support. Please call Technical Support at (800)835-3248 or (408)734-5200. Follow the PhoneMail system prompts to Modem Technical Support. Note: Please *call* Telebit Technical Support at the above number if you have any questions regarding this document. Telebit Technical Support Telebit Corporation 1315 Chesapeake Terrace Sunnyvale, CA 94089 1-800-TELEBIT (1-800-835-3248) Direct Dial: (408) 734-5200 UUCP: {sun,pyramid,uunet,ames}!telebit!modems FAX: (408) 734-3333 INTERNET: modems@telebit.com COMPUSERVE: "Go Telebit" ------------------------------ From: povlphp@uts.uni-c.dk (Povl H. Pedersen) Subject: Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 Organization: UNI-C, Danish Computing Centre for Research and Education Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 21:54:23 GMT According to Supra on CompuServe, the V.32bis will probably never get MNP-10 support. They are currently in the process of making better ROMs, and also voice support. The problem with the cipset of the V.32bis (RC1414 or something like that) is that it can only address 512kbit memory, which is too little. The new internal PowerBook modems they make uses the new Rockwell ACL chipset, which supports MNP-10. Povl H. Pedersen - Macintosh specialist. Knows some DOS and UNIX too. pope@imv.aau.dk - povlphp@uts.uni-c.dk --- Finger me at pope@imv.aau.dk for PGP Public Key --- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 May 93 19:19:45 EDT Reply-To: me@stile.stonemarche.org Organization: Stonemarche Network Covp From: me@stile.stonemarche.org (Mark Eklof) Subject: Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 In comp.dcom.telecom, article , someone wrote: > It appears I was wrong about the MNP-10 support by the Supra modem > Nonetheless I am highly satisfied with it (personal opinion). See > below, a note received from Tech Support. > The v.32bis modems do not support MNP 10 at this time. I am not sure > when, or if, it will be available in the future. > Terri Supra Tech Support supratech@supra.com 503-967-2440 Interesting. If Padgett is, indeed, incorrect, then the fault lies in the Supra documentation. I have a SupraFAXModem V.32bis, and I'm looking at the specifications in Appendix E, on Page 57 of the documentation. It states that the Modem is "Compatible with"..."MNP classes 2-5 and 10". Several other places in the documentation refer to MNP 10, as well. I've never (knowingly) used it with another MNP 10 modem, so can't say that I've seen the modem work in MNP 10 mode. Mark D. Eklof Brookline, New Hampshire, USA me@stile.stonemarche.org ------------------------------ From: craig@ecel.uwa.edu.au (Craig Richmond - division) Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Date: 5 May 1993 01:16:42 GMT Organization: The University of Western Australia kb7uv@Panix.Com (Andrew Funk) writes: > There's a phone at work we only use for outgoing calls. When it rings > I've been answering: "Drug Enforcement Agency, Special Agent Smith!" > Most callers kinda cough, then hang-up! There are two other ones that fall into roughly the same category that catch the caller off guard as well. The first is the PABX (and presumably any caller ID phone) on campus where you can see internal phone call numbers on some of the phones. You phone someone and they pick it up and say "Hi Craig". I've gotten used to it now but it really throws you the first time they do it. The other one is to answer the phone and say "Hello, I'd like to order a family size pizza please." Craig Richmond. Computer Officer - Dept of Economics (morning) 380 3860 University of Western Australia Dept of Education (afternoon) 2388 craig@ecel.uwa.edu.au ------------------------------ From: walsh@optilink.com (Mark Walsh) Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone (was The War on the Word "Hello") Date: 5 May 93 21:37:47 GMT Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA Yesterday evening, it was *my* turn to dial a wrong number. It went like this: Me: Hello, is Linda there? Him: Who is this? Me: This is Mark Walsh. Him: Who the f*ck are you? Me: This is Mark Walsh, and I am calling on behalf of the United States Cycling Federation. Him: What the f*ck is that? At this point, I remembered that Linda's husband is an English teacher, and he and the fellow on the other end of the phone were probably not one in the same! Mark Walsh (walsh@optilink) -- UUCP: uunet!optilink!walsh Amateur Radio: KM6XU@WX3K -- AOL: BigCookie@aol.com -- USCF: L10861 [Moderator's Note: Oh well, what the f**k ... it happens to all of us sometimes, but I must say since the advent of Caller-ID and 'Return Last Call Received' (*69) there are a lot fewer people out there just ringing off without even bothering to say they are sorry ... they know they'll be called back and asked who the f**k they are or think they are! PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #305 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa28436; 6 May 93 19:56 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30361 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 6 May 1993 17:04:37 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA29518 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 6 May 1993 17:03:42 -0500 Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 17:03:42 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305062203.AA29518@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #306 TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 May 93 17:03:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 306 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? (Alex Pournelle) Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? (Monty Solomon) Re: 900 Number Index (Les Reeves) Konexx 203 Acoustic Coupler (D. Samson) Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (Justin Leavens) Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service (Marshal Perlman) Funding for Telecentres in Rural Communities (Tom Worthington) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (Tom Gillman) Backlog of Talk Ticket Orders (TELECOM Moderator) Area Code Boundaries (William H. Glass) Address for Solana Electronics (Lawrence Roney) Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (William H. Sohl) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 23:46:11 GMT dannyb@Panix.Com (Daniel Burstein) writes: > In abc@netcom.com (Andy Chan) writes: >> Ok, how come there's no option to have the phone number be automatically >> dialed when I call 411? I am like it even more that Information calls to out-of-areacode numbers are now smart enough to include the areacode. How often I would dial for a number and then forget what AC I had dialed! Don't pretend it doesn't happen to you ... Now, if we could get PacSwell to permit permissive areacode calling. I used to dial 408 for 415 numbers all the time (to us down in LA, the BayArea looks like one big blob--they probably think the same of us) and of course I would get the "please dial 415-555-1212" recording instead of a number. Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 02:56:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? In abc@netcom.com (Andy Chan) writes: > Ok, how come there's no option to have the phone number be automatically > dialed when I call 411? > [Moderator's Note: What you describe is common in many areas, and has > been available for a couple of years for people who want to spend the > additional money. Some telcos (apparently yours as well) have not yet > implemented it; I suspect all will before too long. PAT] New England Telephone (NET) has provided this service for a while and has just reached a settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General where they will alert callers to the cost ($0.35) of using the feature. Currently, callers are provided with the option to have the call completed with no notice of the additional charge. Furthermore, according to NET representatives, the charged is assessed independent of call completion. Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA 01701-0405 monty%roscom@think.com ------------------------------ From: lesreeves@attmail.com Date: 6 May 93 17:30:58 GMT Subject: Re: 900 Number Index These are sources of 900 number info available in print. I do not know of any available electonically: THE BEST 900 NUMBERS, W. Brooks McCarty, St. Martin's Paperbacks, The Philip Lief Group, ISBN 0-312-92496-8, Latest Edition, Approximate Price of Publication: $3.50 (US). Super resource for only three dollars and fifty cents. Carefully evaluated for quality of service this directory lists hundreds of of 900 services from Sports Hotlines to Cars to Pet Health Care. Each service has a detailed description, the type of service (Interactive, Live, Recorded), and the cost of the service. CONTENTS Astrology Environment Law Sexuality Auctions Film & Video Lottery Space Travel Business Games Magazines Sports Cars Knowledge Music Hotlines, Games, Child Care Action News Fishing, Racing, Citizenship Trivia Numerology Skiing, Wrestling Comedy Greetings Pen Pals Sports Picks Contests Health/Medicine Bulletin Boards Stock Market Crossword Puzzles Horror Pets Tarot, TV, Time Dating Infotainment Radio Travel Earthquakes Insults Religion Weather 2.00 DIRECTORY: 900 INFORMATION SERVICES (Article) THE 900 BOOM, WITH A GUIDE TO THE GOOD NUMBERS, Leonard Wiener, U. S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Section: NEWS YOU CAN USE, June 17, 1991, Volume 110, Number 23, pages 60 thru 63. Thorough description of the 900 services industry and a listing of 31 services that were tried, evaluated, critiqued, and recommended. The services include Sports, Investment, and International News. Each service in the article has a detailed description, an evaluation of the service, and the cost of the service. CONTENTS MONEY & BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TRAVEL Stock Market Recordings Airlines (Current News & Quotes) (Listen Before Buying) (Schedules) Insurance Live Performances Weather (Check Company Rating) (Coming Events) (For 600 Cities) Limited Partnerships Videotapes (Determine Resale Value) (Locate Hard-To-Find Tapes) Legal Help Movies (On-Line Legal Counsel) (Reviews & Critiques) Getting an Address (Match Phone to Owner) 2.00 DIRECTORY: 900 INFORMATION SERVICES (Article) Continued THE 900 BOOM, WITH A GUIDE TO THE GOOD NUMBERS, Leonard Wiener, U. S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Section: NEWS YOU CAN USE, June 17, 1991, Volume 110, Number 23, pages 60 thru 63. CONTENTS, Continued SPORTS HEALTH & MEDICINE Skiing Prescriptions (Conditions on the Slopes) (Medications Facts) Scores (AIDS Drugs) (In-Progress Game Scores) Animals (Results & Sports News) (Pet Health & Ailments) Horse Racing (Finishes & Stretch Calls) CARS Auto Racing Buy & Sell (Stock to Indy Races) (Used Car Price Service) (Drag Racing) (Older Car Price Service) Cycling (Finishes & Features) FOREIGN NEWS Lacrosse Israeli Radio Broadcasts (Results & Schedules) Body Building (Competition Results/Sched.) 3.00 DIRECTORY: 900 INFORMATION SERVICES (Newspaper) USA TODAY contains several 900 information numbers throughout the paper. I have listed the Service types and what Section of the paper they are listed in. Each Service is described in detail in the newspaper. CONTENTS INFORMATION CENTER, Section 2C LOTTERY HOT LINE, Sports, Section C News Daily Results from across the USA (Weather) Money STOCK HOT LINE GUIDE, Money, Section B (Stock Quotes) How to get Stock Quotes (Personal Portfolio) (CD Rates) WEATHER HOT LINE, Weather, Section A (Interest Calculator) How to use the Weather Hot Line Sports (Latest Scores) (Horse Racing Results) Life (Horoscopes) (Soap Opera Summaries) (Movie Reviews) 4.00 DIRECTORY: 900 INFORMATION SERVICES (Book) AUDIOTEX DIRECTORY AND BUYER'S GUIDE, Editor, ABDG Publishing, Los Angeles, California, Latest Edition, Approximate Price of Publication: $25.00(US). ------------------------------ From: dsamson@vx9000.weber.edu (D. Samson) Subject: Konexx 203 Acoustic Coupler Organization: Weber State University Date: 6 May 1993 08:48 MST I've seen several postings about acoustic couplers which mentioned the Konexx as a possibility. I just received my very own Konexx 203 acoustic coupler yesterday and tried it out at home. It works fine at 2400 bps. I'm going to be travelling for the next seven weeks with my bicycle and my notebook. Since I've no guarantee I can always find a modular jack when I need one, I decided to get the coupler. Its very small, light, and is supposed to run 30 hours on its 9-V battery. (I wanted to try RadioMail, but every indication was that I would have a tough time connecting in many remote places and even from the wrong side of the building in a large city). Dolly Samson Weber State University Ogden, Utah dsamson@cc.weber.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 13:06:16 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! > [Moderator's Note: Well, I used to think the tariff requirements > making 'the subscriber responsible for the use of the instruments' > also applied to premium services such as 900/976, but a few writers > here have said the tariff only pertains to services actually sold by > telco (that is, phone calls) and not the premium stuff they simply > bill for. So, it appears to be kind of a gray area if telco can turn > off service or not based on unpaid charges from a 900 outfit. I know > telco can't disconnect based on unpaid Yellow Pages advertising. PAT] Again, I make this point: Even if the telco *doesn't* disconnect for outstanding IP charges, the telco will still carry those charges. When the subscriber disconnects, it will go on the subscriber's Equifax report that he still owes the telco $2100. Then the subscriber will never get phone service again until the Equifax mark is cleared up (read: coughs up $2100). This is one of the prime reasons I hate the IP billing situation: You can only put one name on a residential phone account, and that person becomes responsible for whatever massive charges are accumulated on that account, no matter who makes the calls. It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign their name. And IP's are really only a problem because of the massive charges that can be accumulated without warning (it's obvious when your roommate spends five or six hours on the phone to another country, but those same charges can be accumulated in about 30 minutes with an IP). Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your phone under lock and key! A poor roommate choice (including circumstances like college where you don't even have a choice) can cost you thousands of dollars and the use of your phone forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you have no recourse in the case of fraud. Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ From: mperlman@nyx.cs.du.edu (Marshal "Airborne" Perlman) Subject: Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Thu, 6 May 93 20:10:47 GMT glass@vixvax.mgi.com (William H. Glass) writes: > Yep, there's one there. You can only use a credit card -- no coins. > How would you like the job of collecting the coins and carrying them > back up? BTW, the phone number is (602) 638-0903 (according to my > credit card billing). Give 'em a call and ask for the wise guy who > ordered the Domino's pizza. Hmmmm, I was there a few years ago, and don't recall a telephone. Where was it? All I remember is our one armed guide that took us to the bottom of the canyon on those mules, my behind hurting, and damn good food. Heh. That sure is a good trip though ... Marshal Perlman Internet: perlman@cs.fit.edu Florida Institute of Technology IRC: Squawk Melbourne, Florida Private Pilot, ASEL 407/768-8000 x8435 Goodyear Blimp Club Member ------------------------------ From: tomw@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au (Tom Worthington) Subject: Funding for Telecentres in Rural Communities Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 02:40:14 GMT Telecentres are local information centres which enhance access to economic, social, educational and training opportunities through the use of computers and other information technologies, for people in rural and remote areas of Australia. Expressions of interest are called from community groups in these areas seeking to establish demonstration telecentres in their communities. Funding for Telecentres is competitive and subject to the production of a business plan which relates the proposal to the needs of that community. Further details may be obtained from Ian Crellin on 008 026222 or by writing to: Ian Crellin Telecentres Project Agriculture and Forests Secretariat Branch Department of Primary Industries and Energy PO Box 858 CANBERRA ACT 2600 Australia Fax: +61 6 2724414 Posted by Tom Worthington, Director of the Community Affairs Board, Australian Computer Society Incorporated, as a service to the community. ps: ACS members in rural areas: why don't you offer to help with local telecentres projects? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 93 15:58:12 -0400 From: syshtg@gsusgi2.gsu.edu (Tom Gillman) Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns > In addition to needing articles for the upcoming Journals, some sites > on the net to aid in distribution would also be welcomed. Send all > offers and articles to the following email account: > tdc@zooid.guild.org Interested parties might note that 'zooid.guild.org' had no address record in the major nameservers nor an entry in the NIC database as of 1600 5/6/93. On a side note, for those of us paranoid types out here, did you ever think that maybe some unnamed law enforcement agency is trying to scam us out and build a potential hacker database for future prosecution, i.e. Operation SunDevil??? > [Moderator's Note: Thank you, Lord, for making my day, and it is only > 4:30 AM at that .... PAT] You either stay up far too late, or get up *FAR* too early. Tom Gillman, Systems Programmer Wells Computer Center-Ga. State Univ. (404) 651-4503 syshtg@gsusgi2.gsu.edu GSU doesn't care what I say on the Internet, why should you? [Moderator's Note: There is no such thing as an 'unnamed law enforcement agency' ... all law enforcement agencies have names ... and well known names at that! Yeah, I also tried to finger that booger when I got his mail, but it did not go through. I also tried nslookup and got nothing. I figured the readers would look into it further if desired. Yes, I was up a bit early Thursday morning. There was a big commotion out in the street with some gangs having a shootout or something. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 16:36:14 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Subject: Backlog of Talk Ticket Orders The supply of Talk Tickets I had on hand were snapped up almost immediatly. If you have ordered in the past 7-10 days, be patient, a new supply is arriving early next week; orders received here during the last week of April and to-date in May will be the first filled. These tickets are still available at $2 each or 10 for $15 by sending a check for the number requested with a self addressed envelope. Anonymous orders can be paid for with money order if desired, sent to a box number, etc. Patrick Townson ------------------------------ From: William H. Glass Reply-To: glass@mgi.com Subject: Area Code Boundaries Date: 6 May 93 13:18:28 CDT Organization: Management Graphics, Inc. On a recent vacation, I stopped in the little town of Hyder, Alaska. One of the peculiar things about this town was that they use the area code for British Columbia (their phone service comes through Stewart, BC). This made me curious -- how often does an area code cross a major political boundary (e.g., state, provincial, or international)? Does anyone know of other examples? Bill Glass [Moderator's Note: There are lots of examples of this. Start by looking at maps of metro areas which sit right on state/province boundary lines, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ From: lawrence@netcon.smc.edu (Lawrence Roney) Subject: Address for Solana Electronics Organization: Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 18:19:20 GMT Does anyone know the address and/or phone for Solana Electronics? They used to make local multiplexors and were located in San Diego, CA. Their old address was: Solana Electronics 7877-T Dunbrook Road Suite A San Diego, CA 92126 Thanks. Lawrence Roney - Network Systems Technician, Department of Telecommunications Santa Monica Community College District 1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405 | (310) 452-9351 Internet: lawrence@netcon.smc.edu ------------------------------ From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) Subject: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Thu, 6 May 93 20:12:08 GMT In article <9305041901.AA17674@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov> rc@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov which was posted to rec.radio.amateur.misc, (Robert Carpenter) writes: Quoted from p.28 of the May 3, 1993, issue of Washington Business, a Monday section of the {Washington Post}: "...... [House] Subcommittee [on telecommunications and finance] members saw a newly purchased off-the-shelf cellular telephone become a 'scanner' capable of picking up cellular conversations around Capitol Hill. "It took a technician maybe three minutes to reprogram the phone's codes so it could be used for eavesdropping. 'Every cellular phone is a scanner, and they are completely insecure', Sun Micro's Gage said. "His example underlined the problems of trying to legislate safeguards in cyberspace. Only last year, the subcommittee originated what became a law that makes illegal the use of scanners to eavesdrop on cellular conversations. Who needs a scanner?" Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's. Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.) Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70 201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #306 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa13479; 7 May 93 19:35 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA19121 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 7 May 1993 17:02:43 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA06951 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 7 May 1993 17:02:01 -0500 Date: Fri, 7 May 1993 17:02:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305072202.AA06951@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #307 TELECOM Digest Fri, 7 May 93 17:02:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 307 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson New NIST/NSA Revelations (CPSR, David Sobel via Monty Solomon) Updated - RFD For Open TELEMATIC Group (Ed Pimintel) India Involved With Balkan Telecom Modernization (Aninda Dasgupta) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (Jacob Glopper) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Monty Solomon Subject: New NIST/NSA Revelations Date: Fri, 7 May 1993 13:09:12 EST [Moderator's Note: This was passed along to the Digest by Monty Solomon on behalf of the CPSR. PAT] Reply-To: David Sobel Sender: Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility From: David Sobel Organization: CPSR Civil Liberties and Computing Project Subject: New NIST/NSA Revelations New NIST/NSA Revelations Less than three weeks after the White House announced a controversial initiative to secure the nation's electronic communications with government-approved cryptography, newly released documents raise serious questions about the process that gave rise to the administration's proposal. The documents, released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, suggest that the super-secret National Security Agency (NSA) dominates the process of establishing security standards for civilian computer systems in contravention of the intent of legislation Congress enacted in 1987. The released material concerns the development of the Digital Signature Standard (DSS), a cryptographic method for authenticating the identity of the sender of an electronic communication and for authenticating the integrity of the data in that communication. NIST publicly proposed the DSS in August 1991 and initially made no mention of any NSA role in developing the standard, which was intended for use in unclassified, civilian communications systems. NIST finally conceded that NSA had, in fact, developed the technology after Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) filed suit against the agency for withholding relevant documents. The proposed DSS was widely criticized within the computer industry for its perceived weak security and inferiority to an existing authentication technology known as the RSA algorithm. Many observers have speculated that the RSA technique was disfavored by NSA because it was, in fact, more secure than the NSA-proposed algorithm and because the RSA technique could also be used to encrypt data very securely. The newly-disclosed documents -- released in heavily censored form at the insistence of NSA -- suggest that NSA was not merely involved in the development process, but dominated it. NIST and NSA worked together on the DSS through an intra-agency Technical Working Group (TWG). The documents suggest that the NIST-NSA relationship was contentious, with NSA insisting upon secrecy throughout the deliberations. A NIST report dated January 31, 1990, states that: The members of the TWG acknowledged that the efforts expended to date in the determination of a public key algorithm which would be publicly known have not been successful. It's increasingly evident that it is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the concerns and requirements of NSA, NIST and the general public through using this approach. The civilian agency's frustration is also apparent in a July 21, 1990, memo from the NIST members of the TWG to NIST director John W. Lyons. The memo suggests that "national security" concerns hampered efforts to develop a standard: THE NIST/NSA Technical Working Group (TWG) has held 18 meetings over the past 13 months. A part of every meeting has focused on the NIST intent to develop a Public Key Standard Algorithm Standard. We are convinced that the TWG process has reached a point where continuing discussions of the public key issue will yield only marginal results. Simply stated, we believe that over the past 13 months we have explored the technical and national security equity issues to the point where a decision is required on the future direction of digital signature standards. An October 19, 1990, NIST memo discussing possible patent issues surrounding DSS noted that those questions would need to be addressed "if we ever get our NSA problem settled." Although much of the material remains classified and withheld from disclosure, the "NSA problem" was apparently the intelligence agency's demand that perceived "national security" considerations take precedence in the development of the DSS. From the outset, NSA cloaked the deliberations in secrecy. For instance, at the March 22, 1990, meeting of the TWG, NSA representatives presented NIST with NSA's classified proposal for a DSS algorithm. NIST's report of the meeting notes that: The second document, classified TOP SECRET CODEWORD, was a position paper which discussed reasons for the selection of the algorithms identified in the first document. This document is available at NSA for review by properly cleared senior NIST officials. In other words, NSA presented highly classified material to NIST justifying NSA's selection of the proposed algorithm -- an algorithm intended to protect and authenticate unclassified information in civilian computer systems. The material was so highly classified that "properly cleared senior NIST officials" were required to view the material at NSA's facilities. These disclosures are disturbing for two reasons. First, the process as revealed in the documents contravenes the intent of Congress embodied in the Computer Security Act of 1987. Through that legislation, Congress intended to remove NSA from the process of developing civilian computer security standards and to place that responsibility with NIST, a civilian agency. Congress expressed a particular concern that NSA, a military intelligence agency, would improperly limit public access to information in a manner incompatible with civilian standard setting. The House Report on the legislation noted that NSA's .... natural tendency to restrict and even deny access to information that it deems important would disqualify that agency from being put in charge of the protection of non-national security information in the view of many officials in the civilian agencies and the private sector. While the Computer Security Act contemplated that NSA would provide NIST with "technical assistance" in the development of civilian standards, the newly released documents demonstrate that NSA has crossed that line and dominates the development process. The second reason why this material is significant is because of what it reveals about the process that gave rise to the so-called "Clipper" chip proposed by the administration earlier this month. Once again, NIST was identified as the agency actually proposing the new encryption technology, with "technical assistance" from NSA. Once again, the underlying information concerning the development process is classified. DSS was the first test of the Computer Security Act's division of labor between NIST and NSA. Clipper comes out of the same "collaborative" process. The newly released documents suggest that NSA continues to dominate the government's work on computer security and to cloak the process in secrecy, contrary to the clear intent of Congress. On the day the Clipper initiative was announced, CPSR submitted FOIA requests to key agencies -- including NIST and NSA -- for information concerning the proposal. CPSR will pursue those requests, as well as the pending litigation concerning NSA involvement in the development of the Digital Signature Standard. Before any meaningful debate can occur on the direction of cryptography policy, essential government information must be made public -- as Congress intended when it passed the Computer Security Act. CPSR is committed to that goal. David L. Sobel CPSR Legal Counsel (202) 544-9240 dsobel@washofc.cpsr.org ------------------------------ Subject: UPDATED - RFD For Open TELEMATIC Group From: edimg@willard.atl.ga.us Date: Fri, 07 May 93 19:28:32 EDT Organization: Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814 This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) to create a new USENET group: GROUP NAME comp.telematic.otg "open telematic group" STATUS Unmoderated. CHARTER comp.telematic.otg(unmoderated) will be a newsgroup which will provide a common forum: (1) To create a platform to discuss ways, methods, procedures, algorythms, applications, implementations of "ENHANCED" CMC (Computer Mediated Communications). Using a Hueristic approach to assist in the design of CMC TELEMATIC APIs, Developer & Enduser Programming Tools. The emphasis here in on RealTime Online multimedia communications. (2) To form a consortium/task_force that will indentify and help shape REAL TIME Online applications that make use of the following: A- Hi-RES Graphics, (JPEG/NAPLPS/Fractals/Mpeg). B- Text/Voice/Video Conferencing. C- FAX D- IVR (Interactive Voice Response) thru CTI computer Tel. Interface E- MIME <-> X.400 F- CALS, SGML G- HyperMEDIA (OODBMS) - SQL extensions H- TCL-dp, tk-TCL, Wish I- Authoring Tools J- Px64, DVI, QUICKTIME, VFW, INDEO (3) Hardware/Protocols: To identify and assist in hardware component integration/configuration in a network and standalone environment. In order to provide RealTime online multimedia transactions. These will include but will not be limited to: Plain Telephone Lines using 9.6k - V.FAST, EIA/TIA562 TCP/IP, SLIP, PPP, X.25 etc.. Host/Terminal interface using CDrom, CDromXA, Modular Windows, Kodak Photo CD, CDI, ISO 9660 (4) Platform independent MSdos, UNIX, Windows/NT, OS/2, MAC (5) Client - Server Paradigm (6) TELEMATIC Applications: A- Public Access System, Kiosk, Distant Learning, Online Full Text/ Multimedia Doc research, M_MediaWAIS. Multimedia Library services. VOD (Video on Demand), Telecommuting (Home-Office). B- Informations Services, Product Information, Fund Raising, Product Sales, Affinity programs, Store Locator, Membership and renewal sales, Online Catalog(books, CD, Software etc..), Games (Interactive 3D graphics with sprites, animation, holographics) over a network and on demand. C- Muli-language, Multi-interface credit card, debit card, oltp applications. Online Insurance Claims processing, Interactive TELEMATIC/Multimedia applications/solutions for the Retail, Financial, Corporate, Health, Gov., Educational, Advertising, public (Library-Museums). D- Network and Desktop (Text, Video and Voice Conferencing) (7) To discuss the design, programming, and administration of systems and applications which use a TELEMATIC paradigm and programming tools. To use today's as well those emerging Telematics/Multimedia/Networking standards as a synergistic approach in creating platform independent "enhance" CMC as those identify above. (8) To share ideas, information, and experience regarding design and programming of applications within a Telematic environment, including efficient file design and useful TELEMATIC programming techniques; (9) To allow those using Telematic-like systems to relate their experiences with specific software and hardware implementations of telematic. (10) To discuss conferences, trade shows, publications, and courses of interest to those working with (or considering using) an Enhance CMC Telematic system; (11) To discuss new products of interest to the Telematic marketplace and users; (12) To educate and inform others about the strengths, weaknesses, and general usage of the TELEMATIC paradigm in the real world; (13) To provide Online Community, designers, programmers, and adminis- trators with Usenet access to have what they have not had before: a common newsgroup to share their ideas, concerns, experiences, questions, and knowledge with one another. RATIONALE: Overnight it seems, Multimedia/Telematic technology has imbedded itself into every phase of computing. ALL PCs and workstations will soon be designed with multimedia characteristics as standard fare. We are facing signicant challenges -- including hardware and software incompatibility problems, plus a largely uneducated and unclear marketplace. Worldwide, there are hundreds of thousands of systems, with millions of individual users, using computer to communicate. Usually their software is limited to low-res graphics and does not support TELEMATIC/Multimedia objects. Today we see disparate standards, lack of connectivity and internetworking. There is now a clamoring for platform independent OSs, so there must be a symbiotic multimedia/telematic process. These would support the aforemention applications/platforms. In addition there is no newsgroups that truly address the need to discuss all these emerging standards and how these may best implemented. SUMMARY: TELEMATICS has been defined by Mr. James Martin as the marriage of Voice, Video, Hi-res Graphics, Fax, IVR, Music over telephone lines/LAN. This would be a NOT_FOR_PROFIT group with bylaws and charter. The group would publish an electronic quarterly news- letter that would support multimedia objects as well a monthly FAQ. In summary, a new news group called _comp.telematic.otg is proposed. It will focus exclusively on discussions by, for, and of things relating to any facet of telematic systems which are compatible with (or were inspired by) the set of TELEMATIC concepts generally known as "Enhance CMC". Discussion of the proposed group comp.telematic.otg will be held on "news.groups". (Note that the Followup-To: line of this article will direct any responses there automatically.) Copies of this RFD will also be cross-posted to other newsgroups. Readers should feel free to re-post this article to other newsgroups whose readers might find it of interest, as long as the Followup-To: line remains directed to news.groups. Requests for more information may be directed to me at the address below at any time. To assure prompt response edimg@willard.atl.ga.us is prefer. IMG (Inter-Multimedia Group) | Internet: epimntl@world.std.com P.O. Box 95901 | ed.pimentel@gisatl.fidonet.org Atlanta, Georgia,30347-0901 | edimg@willard.atl.ga.us | CIS : 70611,3703 U.S. | FidoNet : 1:133/407 | Ed.Pimentel@f407.n133.z1.fidonet.org | BBS : +1-404-985-1198 zyxel 14.4k Thanks to all those who have offer suggestions on how to formally create this newsgroup. edimg@willard.atl.ga.us (Ed pimentel) gatech!kd4nc!vdbsan!willard!edimg emory!uumind!willard!edimg Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 May 93 11:44:01 EDT From: add@philabs.Philips.Com (Aninda Dasgupta) Subject: India Involved With Balkan Telecom Modernization Forwarded from misc.news.southasia.1402 Fri May 7 11:34:04 EDT 1993 Headlines: * India Plans VSAT Satellite Network * India involved with Balkan telecom modernization * * * * * * India involved with Balkan telecom modernization. Albanian PTT experts, impressed with India's technology, software approach, are collaborating with the Indian Center for the Development of Telematics(C-DOT) in several telecom expansion plans. The two countries have signed an agreement for the installation of a pilot Rural Automatic Exchange(RAX) with full global dialling capacity in Alabama [?? I think it should read Albania, unless there is an Alabama in Albania.] The agreement also allows for the provision, by the Indian specialists, of expert analysis of Albania's plans for its rural telecoms, as well as possible training for Albanian engineers. India is also involved with Slovenia's telecom modernization plans. In February, the Slovenian based Iskra, which has joined forces with Siemens and is now called Iskratel, signed a preliminary agreement with India's C-DoT and the government's Telecommunications Consultants India, for rural switching system. This could involve the next generation of PABXs, cost sharing of software development and the sale of administrator network software package. [ SOURCE: Telecommunications, April 1993 ] * India Plans VSAT Satellite Network India's Department of Telecommunicatios (DoT), in response to the rapid growth in software development laboratories around the country, proposes to improve its international communications infrastructure by building a network of VSAT terminals. The DoT's plan is to launch a satellite communication network system of 200 Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) that will have direct access to the C-band transponders of the INSAT-1A satellite that is usually used for forecasting climatic conditions and broadcast TV. The DoT's plan was reportedly devised mainly to counter a plan for a similar system by Hughes Escorts Communicatios Ltd, a General Motors subsidiary. According to insiders, the DoT originally considered Hughes's plan to launch a satellite-based data communications network to boost software exports but then decided to devise its own communications network for software exporters. The VSAT network is expected to be complete by the end of 1993 when it will provide software exporters with a fast data communications service. This type of data service is currently available only to firms located in designated electronic software technology parks (ESTP). [ SOURCE: International Telecommunications Intelligence, 3/23/93 ] Aninda DasGupta (add@philabs.philips.com) Ph:(914)945-6071 Fax:(914)945-6552 Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 May 93 14:56 EDT From: jacob@mayhem.cwru.edu Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns In comp.dcom.telecom was written: >Interested parties might note that 'zooid.guild.org' had no address >record in the major nameservers nor an entry in the NIC database as of >1600 5/6/93. I had no problem finding them. Just because they don't have machines directly on the net is no reason to condemn them. The lack of address records merely means that they exchange mail and news via a mechanism other than SMTP and NNTP, most likely UUCP. guild.org is also listed in the current NIC database, which is maintained on rs.internic.net. Results follow; these can be obtained with the following commands: nslookup -query=mx zooid.guild.org whois -h rs.internic.net guild.org Server: ns.CWRU.Edu Address: 129.22.4.1 Non-authoritative answer: zooid.guild.org preference = 10, mail exchanger = mail.uunet.ca zooid.guild.org preference = 20, mail exchanger = relay1.uu.net zooid.guild.org preference = 20, mail exchanger = relay2.uu.net Authoritative answers can be found from: GUILD.org nameserver = NS.UUNET.CA GUILD.org nameserver = NS.UU.NET mail.uunet.ca internet address = 142.77.1.1 relay1.uu.net internet address = 192.48.96.5 relay1.uu.net internet address = 153.39.2.5 relay1.uu.net internet address = 137.39.1.5 relay2.uu.net internet address = 192.48.96.7 relay2.uu.net internet address = 153.39.2.7 relay2.uu.net internet address = 137.39.1.7 NS.UUNET.CA internet address = 142.77.1.1 NS.UU.NET internet address = 137.39.1.3 The Guild Mail Park (GUILD-DOM) c/o Bellatrix Systems Corporation 2597 Altadena Court Mississauga, ON CANADA L5K 1G1 Domain Name: GUILD.ORG Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact: Sleggs, Peter (PS61) peters@BELTRIX.GUILD.ORG (416) 855-3223 Record last updated on 05-Jun-92. Domain servers in listed order: NS.UUNET.CA 142.77.1.1 NS.UU.NET 137.39.1.3 The InterNIC Registration Services Host ONLY contains Internet Information (Networks, ASN's, Domains, and POC's). Please use the whois server at nic.ddn.mil for MILNET Information. Jacob DeGlopper, EMT-A | CWRU Biomedical Engineering jrd5@po.cwru.edu | Wheaton (MD) Volunteer Rescue Squad deglop@snowhite.cwru.edu | Opinions my own... *** mayhem goes home 15 May 93; use other addresses *** [Moderator's Note: Thanks also to about fifteen other readers who supplied almost identical information along with reasons why the site might not be readily available for fingering, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #307 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa11778; 8 May 93 22:34 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30479 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 8 May 1993 20:05:18 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00522 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 8 May 1993 20:04:31 -0500 Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 20:04:31 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305090104.AA00522@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #308 TELECOM Digest Sat, 8 May 93 20:04:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 308 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson V.35 and V.36 (V.10/V11) (Wilfried Dudink) Haiti Phone Network (Max Louis) Newspaper-Telco Alliance (Dave Niebuhr) Internet on the Nevada Plan (Paul Robinson) Recent Ad For ATT 800 Services (Badarinath Devalla) Call for Papers: Applications of Neural Networks to Telecom (Atul Chhabra) Presidents and Telephones (Scott Hazen Mueller) X.25 Service Pricing (Steve Fram) Prodigy Gateway/Mailbox Inquiry (Paul Barnett) Telecom History (Stephen Friedl) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 8 May 93 14:29:11 +0100 From: wilfried@nmc.getronics.nl (Wilfried Dudink) Subject: V.35 and V.36 (V.10/V11) Hello, Let's take a walk trough the CCITT V-recommendations guide. THE PROBLEM: We have a CISCO router with a V.35 interface. And we have a 64 kbps leased line from the Dutch Telecom Company (PTT). The modem that is used on the leased line is a V.36 modem (Electrical V.10 and V.11), with a V.35 winchester connector. According to the Dutch Telecom Company, the connection should work. (V.10/V.11 should allow internetworking with V.35) But we keep having problems on our serial connection (interface restarts and aborted frames.) THE INITIAL QUESTION: Is it possible to use a V.36 Modem (Electrical V.10/V.11) on a V.35 interface? SOME NOTES: * Recommendation V.35 (CCITT Blue book, Vol. VIII Fascicle VIII.1) According to the opinion of the CCITT V.35 is out of date. Alternative techniques are described in Rec. V.36. The electrical characteristics are expected to allow internetworking with V.11 characteristics. * Recommendation V.35 (CCITT Red book, Vol. VIII Fascicle VIII.1) The terminal-to-terminal voltage should be 0.55 volt +/- 20 % The DC offset should not exceed 0.6 volt. So according to the CCITT V.35 should allow internetworking with V.11 signalling, but on the other hand in the electrical V.35 specs. is a note that for instance the DC offset should never exceed the 0.6 volt. And V.11 is about 2.4 volt PLEASE HELP! Is it or is it not possible to use these modems? Wilfried Dudink (Network Manager) Getronics, Dep. I&A Internet: wilfried@nmc.getronics.nl Network Management Center X.400 : C=NL\A=400NET\P=GNS-X400 O=Getronics\OU=GNS\S=Dudink Gyroscoopweg 2 G=wilfried 1042 AB AMSTERDAM Phone : +31-20-5879497 THE NETHERLANDS Fax : +31-20-5879400 ------------------------------ From: umal2@sunyit.sunyit.edu (Max Louis) Subject: Haiti Phone Network Organization: State University of New York -- Institute of Technology Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 20:40:22 GMT I am very concerned about the fact that Haiti has the only network that operates very differently from the rest of the Caribbean. First, next to Haiti is the Dominican Republic and one can reach it from the US by dialing directly 1-809-NXX-0000 while the system is different on the western side. The numbers there are six digits. What is the NXX then, the first two digit or do they have a completely different set up? To reach there, one needs to dial 011+509 which classifies Haiti as international. What type of telephone switch do they have? Isn't the Haitian Network part of the Caricom? How bad is their network for so much hiss on the call? A lot of echo, probably analog satellite transmission? Can one put data on their line? Is there any private network there? Who regulate the telecommunications industry there? Any one that can provide me with some answers to these questions will be so dear to me, because I am looking forward to solve this mystery? Maxo [Moderator's Note: How things in the 809 area came to be 809 versus 'international' (that is, 011+) many years ago had to do with interna- tional politics at the time; in large part that meant who the USA was friends with; which countries (now) were territories (then) of other countries, etc. For instance, why is Cuba country code 53 (to almost everywhere but the USA, anyway) instead of part of 809? The 5x and 5xx country codes tend to be Central America and South America, yet there are places in 809 'further south' than the northernmost part of Mexico which is 52. And why is Mexico considered 'international' to the USA when Canada is part of the North American numbering plan? Mexico is also part of North America ... Then we have the odd case of the two sister islands just off the coast of Canada, St. Pierre and Miquelon. Geographically they are part of Canada but politically, they are part of France, so instead of getting a North American 'area code' they get the international code 011-508. All the other 'fives' as noted above are in Central or South America, except Cuba, which is right under our nose and imminently qualified to be in the NANP instead of 011-53, if we were speaking to them, that is. For that matter, why is Guam (011-671) considered international while Midway Island and parts of the Pacific Trust Territory are now being serviced out of area code 808 along with Hawaii? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 20:07:54 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Newspaper-Telco Alliance Today's {Newsday} announced that it had merged with NYNEX to provide a News Phone. Note that NYNEX is not mentioned again but New York Telephone is which shows that {Newsday} is not as smart as it should be. The two companies agreed to begin testing a system for providing news over the phone, in an unusual alliance between the publishing and telephone industries. "Under the test, people who subscribe to New York Telephone's Call Answering Service would be able to receive news briefs from {Newsday} including sports, weather reports ans state, local, national and business briefs.: "A six month trial is expected to begin this fall with 1,500 Long Island residents in a community to be designated. The users would largely be {Newsday} readers who subscribe to New York Telephone's voice mail service, Call Answering." The article goes on to give a brief description of the service and how it would work via 900 numbers. The article describes how {Newsday} provides the information and NYTel is the conveyor of it. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 11:18:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Internet on the Nevada Plan Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA The "Nevada Plan" is the name I picked for that company in Nevada that set up a dial-up service in which you got the service for free, as long as you called in via AT&T because AT&T paid them the local termination fee that normally went to the local telephone company. There is a company now that is offering full Internet, i.e. a Unix shell account with E-Mail, Telnet, FTP, and news, accessible from any telephone that can dial into the AT&T Long Distance network. All that is charged to you is the cost to make the phone call via AT&T. This, I think would be a nice idea for someone wanting not-too-expensive E-mail as you could simply make one call once a day for 15c or so and collect any mail in a one-minute period if you didn't need that much. The way they make their money is on the "Nevada" plan, i.e. they get the 2c per minute (or whatever it is) that AT&T would normally pay the local telephone company to connect calls in an area. The company operates the "Speedway" dialup service. The company also advertises that it does (or will) offer slip and uucp connections. I have no interest in this other than I have an account on their system (Look below and take a wild guess at what it is) and I am trying to get a domain name set up through them. To contact them, send E-Mail to info@speedway.net or dial in on 10288 (of course) 1 503 520 2222. If you don't use AT&T (or you are calling that number from a local exchange) you get a busy signal. (This should also answer Tim Arnold's question Re: Temporary Connection needed for Conference) Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM or (discontinued) TDARCOS@ATTMAIL.COM or tdarcos@access.digex.com or tdarcos@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org or (guess what account name)@speedway.net [Moderator's Note: Paul is talking about a gay party line chat service out of Reno which is wired in such a way that if you attempt to call it on any service other than AT&T, the call bounces with an intercept saying 'you must dial 10288' to place this call. All you, the caller pay is DDD rates in effect at the time. How does the proprietor of the sex-o-phone service feed his family? AT&T gives him a piece of the action, usually a couple cents on every minute of traffic he generates. If you can show Mother that you are have the means to get thousands of men calling you all night long night after night, she'll cut you in on the action also whether it be for sex-talk or checking out your email and newsgroups ... she doesn't give an iota. PAT] ------------------------------ From: devalla@ee.tamu.edu (Badarinath Devalla) Subject: Recent Ads For ATT 800 Services Date: 8 May 1993 16:41:44 GMT Organization: Texas A&M University Howdy, I have been watching a lot of ads by ATT imploring customers to keep AT&T 800 services. I read somewhere that MCI has 15% share of 800 services and that AT&T earns a lot of money with its 800 services. I also read recently that some very fundamental changes have taken place in the rules that govern 800 service providers. Can somebody enlighten me on this 800 deal -- what it was before and what it is now? Thanks, Badari [Moderator's Note: I'll be glad to, but everyone else will have to read a commercial message as well! :) Until this month, 800 numbers were routed by their prefix to the carrier which was assigned the prefix. If you had 800 service but wanted to switch carriers, you had to switch 800 numbers as well. As the inventor of 800 service about thirty years ago, AT&T had the lion's share of the business. All the old-line companies, around for generations that have 800 service most likely got it from AT&T. Because the number is plastered all over the place in their ads, etc, they were stuck with AT&T or they had to get a new number. As much as they hated their Mother, they hated the idea of screwing up millions of dollars in advertising even more. So they lived with it. As of May 1, we now have 'portability' in 800 numbers. Instead of routing calls via their prefix, telcos examine the entire 800 number and if it is known to them -- sort of like being in a cache of freqeuently accessed things -- they process the call to whatever carrier handles it. If it is not known to them, they consult a common database maintained by Bellcore. Some 800 calls now go through very fast (telco has it in the cache), others take a few seconds longer than they used to while telco checks the database. The end result is any carrier can offer 800 service with any 800 number; no more are the customers stuck with the carrier they had in order to keep their number. Now, customers can shop for 800 service based on price and quality just like they do for 1+ service. Enter your Moderator: I now sell 800 service on behalf of this Digest. You keep your existing 800 number and pay rates of 17-18 cents per minute with no monthly service charge. If those rates sound good to you, and you would like to help keep this Digest alive financially in a painless way, then please authorize me to handle your 800 traffic. Any 800 service -- ATT/MCI/Sprint/others -- can be handled through my office at 17-18 cents per minute starting now. I'll be very grateful. Write 'ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu' for details. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 17:50:20 EDT From: atul@nynexst.com (Atul Chhabra) Subject: Call for Papers: Applications of Neural Networks to Telecommunications FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS ******************** Due date for summary: May 14 *********************** International Workshop on Applications of Neural Networks to Telecommunications Princeton, NJ October 18-20, 1993 You are invited to submit a paper to an international workshop on applications of neural networks to problems in telecommunications. The workshop will be held in Princeton, New Jersey on October, 18-20 1993. This workshop will bring together active researchers in neural networks with potential users in the telecommunications industry in a forum for discussion of applications issues. Applications will be identified, experiences shared, and directions for future work explored. Suggested Topics: Application of Neural Networks in: Network Management Congestion Control Adaptive Equalization Speech Recognition Security Verification Language ID/Translation Information Filtering Dynamic Routing Software Reliability Fraud Detection Financial and Market Prediction Adaptive User Interfaces Fault Identification and Prediction Character Recognition Adaptive Control Data Compression Please submit 6 copies of both a 50 word abstract and a 1000 word summary of your paper by May 14, 1993. Mail papers to the conference administrator: Betty Greer, IWANNT*93 Bellcore, MRE 2P-295 445 South St. Morristown, NJ 07960 (201) 829-4993 (fax) 829-5888 bg1@faline.bellcore.com Abstract and Summary Due: May 14 Author Notification of Acceptance: June 18 Camera-Ready Copy of Paper Due: August 13 Organizing Committee: General Chair Josh Alspector Bellcore, MRE 2P-396 445 South St. Morristown, NJ 07960-6438 (201) 829-4342 josh@bellcore.com Program Chair Rod Goodman Caltech 116-81 Pasadena, CA 91125 (818) 356-3677 rogo@micro.caltech.edu Publications Chair Timothy X Brown Bellcore, MRE 2E-378 445 South St. Morristown, NJ 07960-6438 (201) 829-4314 timxb@faline.bellcore.com Treasurer Anthony Jayakumar, Bellcore Events Coordinator Larry Jackel, AT&T Bell Laboratories Industry Liaisons Miklos Boda, Ellemtel Atul Chhabra, NYNEX Michael Gell, British Telecom Lee Giles, NEC Thomas John, Southwestern Bell Adam Kowalczyk, Telecom Australia Tadashi Sone, NTT University Liaisons S Y Kung, Princeton University Tzi-Dar Chiueh, National Taiwan University INNS Liaison Bernie Widrow, Stanford University IEEE Liaison Steve Weinstein, Bellcore Conference Administrator Betty Greer Bellcore, MRE 2P-295 445 South St. Morristown, NJ 07960 (201) 829-4993 (fax) 829-5888 bg1@faline.bellcore.com -------------------- International Workshop on Applications of Neural Networks to Telecommunications Princeton, NJ October 18-20, 1993 Registration Form Name: _____________________________________________________________ Institution: __________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Telephone: ______________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________________ I will attend | | Send more information | | Paper enclosed | | Registration Fee Enclosed | | ($350; $450 after Sept. 15; $150 students;) Please make sure your name is on the check (made out to IWANNT*93) Registration includes Monday night reception, Tuesday night banquet, refreshment breaks, AT&T tour, and proceedings available at the conference. Mail to: Betty Greer, IWANNT*93 Bellcore, MRE 2P-295 445 South St. Morristown, NJ 07960 (201) 829-4993 (fax) 829-5888 bg1@faline.bellcore.com Deadline for submissions: May 14, 1993 Author Notification of Acceptance: June 18, 1993 Camera-Ready Copy of Paper Due: August 13, 1993 ------------------------------ From: scott@dsg.tandem.com (Scott Hazen Mueller) Subject: Presidents and Telephones Reply-To: scott@dsg.tandem.com Organization: Tandem Computers Inc., Cupertino CA Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 23:39:15 GMT From the February 1993 {McCall's}, "The Man Who Lost What He Loved" by Doris Kearns Goodwin: "When Dwight Eisenhower returned to Kansas on January 20th, 1961, he had not placed a phone call in his 20 years as general and President. Unaware that a dialing system had replaced local operators, he had no idea what to do when he heard the humming of the dial tone." Talk about being passed up by progress! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 11:16:46 PDT From: Steve Fram Subject: X.25 Service Pricing Folks -- We are in the process of negotiating a renewal of our contract for X.25 services. We currently have 9.6kbaud and a 19.2kbaud leased lines to SprintNet, through which users connect to us. The users call in via local dialins around the US and internationally ('PAD service'). We do about $30,000.00 of business with SprintNet per month. SprintNet is setup so that clients negotiate the best deal that they can -- no real set rates. We will be soliciting competitive bids from various X.25 vendors. However, it would also be good to know what other customers pay for similar services. Since there does not appear to be a SprintNet customer user group, I wonder if anyone in this group would like to share pricing information for their SprintNet contracts, or for their contracts with other Public Data Network vendors (Compuserve, Tymnet, etc.). If necessary, I can sign a non-disclosure agreement. I am willing to share our current pricing arrangement with most anyone who is willing to do the same. Thanks very much, Steve Fram Technical Director, IGC steve@igc.apc.org 1-415-322-9069 ------------------------------ From: barnett@zeppelin.convex.com (Paul Barnett) Subject: Prodigy Gateway/Mailbox Inquiry Date: Sat, 8 May 93 10:12:48 CDT Previous messages in this newsgroup have given updates on the status of the mail gateway between the Internet and Prodigy users. I presume that it is up and running at this time. I would like to send a message to a Prodigy user, and was wondering if there is an inquiry mechanism to determine a mailbox address, given the user's name. If not, I would settle for the correct syntax to send a message FROM the Internet, given the Prodigy mailbox address. Email replies are preferred. If would like the information, drop me a line and I will forward it to you. Paul Barnett MPP OS Development (214)-497-4846 Convex Computer Corp. Richardson, TX [Moderator's Note: Others have stated elsewhere that they do not believe Prodigy is yet connected. I know they've talked about it. PAT] ------------------------------ From: friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen Friedl) Subject: Telecom History Date: Sat, 7 May 93 13:55:00 PDT Hi folks, Last weekend, a couple of members of my family were cleaning out my grandmother's house after her living there for years and years (ugh). Part of the junk that I am sure you can imagine me finding was a coat hanger. It is wooden and rather nicely made, and it is from the "Jos. R. Hendricks, Cleaner and Dyer" shop in Camden, New Jersey. The telecom angle is that the phone numbers are listed: Phones / Bell 1393 \ Keystone 23693 My guess is that this was from the day when there were competing telephone services in town, and you had to have several phones if you wanted to get calls from more customers. Anyway, can anybody make any reasonable guesses as to the possible age of this thing? I really have no idea when the U.S. went to direct dial long distance, but this has got to be a long time before that. Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA | +1 714 544-6561 fax-kind-of-guy | I speak for me ONLY | KA8CMY | uunet!mtndew!friedl [Moderator's Note: Camden readers can correct if if I am wrong, but I believe 'Keystone 2-3693' would be now 532-3693. In the era when 'there were competing services in town' (if that was ever the case in Camden) neither service would have needed five digit numbers, and certainly not the competitor if Bell needed only four digits. Automatic intra- community dialing commenced in most places in the 1950's. Long distance dialing became common in the late 1950's. ANC (all number calling -- that is '532' instead of KEystone-2) was prevalent by the middle to late 1960's. Based on the similarity of the numbers '1393' and '23693' I suspect the coat hangers may have been imprinted in anticipation of 'going dial in style' as Mother used to say when she tried to get everyone to lease a Princess light-in-the-dial phone as part of the community conversion, which she began announcing several months before the event. You were to ask for 1393 until the magic date, then dial on your new Princess phone --ha ha -- (as we now would say it) 532-3693 after that point. Why they did not make an even swap on the suffix (1393 would become 532-1393) is hard to say. Most places just tacked a prefix on the existing number and prepended zeros as needed to flush it out to seven digits, i.e. phone number 369 was -0369 when automation commenced. There may have been a conflict with party-line numbers (all the old xxx-J, xxx-R, and xxx-W style phones had to be renumbered) or there were two manual exchanges in town being merged into one automatic exchange and there were number conflicts, etc. The 'phone man' went door to door in the months prior to automation retrofitting all the phones; they took off the face plate on the front and installed the dial works where it had been. You were to ignore the dial until the magic date, which nearly always was 2 in the morning on Saturday. When our exchange was 'cut' in 1951, my curiosity was such that I snuck out of bed to see what would happen. At 1:59 AM I lifted the receiver, heard the lady say 'number please?' and asked for a number I knew would not answer, the payphone in the elementary school I attended, phone number 9254 I think. She rang it, I waited through 5-6 rings and disconnected. I lifted the receiver again a few seconds after 2 AM and got nothing. I waited 30 seconds or so and lifted the receiver again and heard dial tone. Being about nine years old, I was amazed. And before automation, if you asked for a number in use the lady would 'test' and hearing a click reply 'the line is busy'; now you got that buzz-buzz-buzz sound instead. My belief is your coat hanger dates to the early/middle 1950's. Anyone from Camden want to go further on this? PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #308 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id ab19804; 9 May 93 2:11 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16149 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 8 May 1993 23:33:58 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA01505 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 8 May 1993 23:33:02 -0500 Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 23:33:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305090433.AA01505@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #309 TELECOM Digest Sat, 8 May 93 23:33:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 309 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (Robert Burgoyne) Why 900 Numbers? (Bob Frankston) Looking For Cordless Phone With Separate Recharger Units (dx@netcom.com) Calling Card With No Surcharge or Sign Up Fee (Frank Keeney) Protocol Analyzer Wanted (Drew Engel) A Who's Who of Oz/NZ Comms R&D (Alan Kennington) Vendors of Small Voice Mail Systems Wanted (Oliver Jones) Fiber Optic Costs (Haldun Haznedar) Konexx 203 Acoustic Coupler (Dolly Samson) Line Loss Calculator Wanted (Douglas LLoyd Stevens) Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? (Cris Simpson) Bill Reconciliation Experience/Info Sought (David Hudek) Ideas and Thoughts About CalRen (Michael L. Rasler) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: burgoyne@access.digex.net (J. Robert Burgoyne) Subject: Individual Responsibility (was Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab!) Date: 8 May 1993 12:07:40 -0400 Organization: Maryland FYI Publishing, Laurel, MD USA (301)-317-0726 Justin Leavens (leavens@bmf.usc.edu) wrote in response to TELECOM Moderator who had earlier noted: >> [Moderator's Note: Well, I used to think the tariff requirements >> making 'the subscriber responsible for the use of the instruments' >> also applied to premium services such as 900/976, but a few writers >> here have said the tariff only pertains to services actually sold by >> telco (that is, phone calls) and not the premium stuff they simply >> bill for. Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I work with other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. I'd appreciate it if the Moderator would abstain from such comments. The IP and the IP alone is stuck with the bill for uncollectibles. The telco simply bills us for calls where the customer refuses to pay. These chargebacks come with codes. They are the following: OTA - One time adjustment DAK - Denied all knowledge LEC - Refused to bill LRA - LEC Recourse adjustment PCP - State mandated adjustment TNC - Time and charges When a customer refuses to pay, the carrier passes along the transport cost to the IP, and deducts it from the check the IP gets for customers who do pay. As far as the phone company is concerned, that's the end of the matter. They got their money from the IP. The IP is left holding the bag. Chargebacks vary as a percentage of total revenue from 5-20%, depending on various factors. For most IPs, this amount can be absorbed. But there are always customers like the roomate mentioned who suck an unduly large amount from the IP's check. In this world, we have responsibility. Many people don't fully realize their responsibilities, and whine when things like the roommate situation happens. The case of one person making excessive long distance calls on another person's phone has been a problem for a long time. Pay per call services just offer another occassion for this to happen. If you want the responsibility of owning a telephone and having service, it's necessary to take precautions. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of the person who signed for the phone. The IP spent money setting up and advertising their service. They took a risk with the intention of making a profit. The more people whine about protection from all responsibility, the more freedom is taken away. Personally I like freedom. That's why I live here. > This is one of the prime reasons I hate the IP billing situation: > You can only put one name on a residential phone account, and that > person becomes responsible for whatever massive charges are > accumulated on that account, no matter who makes the calls. Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear on your next bill. Who's responsible? > It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign > their name. No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but that doesn't absolve responsibility. > And IP's are really only a problem because of the massive charges > that can be accumulated without warning (it's obvious when your > roommate spends five or six hours on the phone to another country, but > those same charges can be accumulated in about 30 minutes with an IP). $2,100 in 30 minutes? That's $70 per minute. The maximum limit is about $5 per minute. Most IPs won't let a caller make a phone call that exceeds $100. The caller is cut off or warned. > Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your phone > under lock and key! People do this! And there's nothing wrong with doing it! > A poor roommate choice (including circumstances like college where > you don't even have a choice) can cost you thousands of dollars and > the use of your phone forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you > have no recourse in the case of fraud. Boo hoo. J. Robert Burgoyne Maryland FYI Laurel, Maryland 301-317-0726 24 Hours burgoyne@access.digex.com 301-317-0587 FAX [Moderator's Note: I don't think I ever said *all* 900 services were sleaze. There are some that are total ripoffs. If I ever run one, I would hope to make it valuable to the people who used it, at an inex- pensive price. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Why 900 Numbers? Date: Sat 8 May 1993 10:37 -0400 What is the rationale for 900 service? * It allows for billing without the nuisance of dealing with credit cards for small transactions. This is reasonable. * It allows billing large amounts without the awareness of using credit cards. * It allows everyone to get an unbounded implicit line of credit as a default, i.e., without having to accept a card. This is similar to the days when gas companies and others would mail out credit cards to college students and others. Maybe like giving out free sample cigarettes. * It makes scams easier. I do notice that late night sex line ads are now using 800 numbers. 900 numbers may have served their purpose in establishing large classes of phone-based services (many, if not most quite useful). But perhaps it is time to retire them. ------------------------------ From: dx@netcom.com (dx) Subject: Looking For Cordless Phone With Separate Recharger Units Organization: The Off Beat Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 04:29:27 GMT I'd like to find a cordless phone that has: 1. A regular corded phone at the base, and 2. One or more remote charging units that the cordless handset can be left in. This seems like a simple way to keep a phone in another room without having to run wires. The only phone of this sort that I've seen is an older GE model, and the quality of the signal seemed to be very poor. Anyone know of any other manufacturers? -dx ------------------------------ From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com Date: Sat, 08 May 1993 16:42:19 -0800 Subject: Calling Card With No Surcharge or Sign Up Fee I just found a company that offers a zero surcharge calling card and it costs nothing to get it. You just need to switch your primary carrier. There are no advance fees at all. ICR and Metromedia will also pay any conversion fees and are giving one hour of free long distance for signing up. CALLING CARD RATES: (ZERO SURCHARGE per call; full minute billing) DAY EVE N/W Mileage: 1-55 .285 .20 .17 56 -292 .30 .215 .2025 293-925 .305 .225 .21 926-4251+ .3125 .23 .2125 Plus additional CUMULATIVE volume discounts. (Compare to AT&T at $0.80 surcharge and up to $0.33 /min.) If you would like to sign up for the service please send me your name, Social Security number, address, and telephone number to be converted. I am representing this service so if you sign up I will make a commission on your phone usage. Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide or questions I can answer. Frank Keeney | E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com 115 California Blvd., #411 | Fidonet 1:102/645 Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA | UUCP hatch!calcom!frank | FAX +1 818 791-0578 [Moderator's Note: Every user of long distance should review their own applications and *then* decide on a carrier. Too often, it is done the other way around with (like the purchase of computer equipment and software) the person buying something, *then* trying to configure or fit their own patterns around it. The program Frank suggests above is one that will work if you don't mind switching carriers and if (like Orange Card), you make a lot of daytime calls from places where a surcharge would apply. As soon as night falls, you lose big time both on Frank's program above, and of course on the Orange Card as well if you are at a private phone where you could be dialing direct, etc. As I see it, the difference between Frank's program and the Orange Card is that Orange has no allegiance to any carrier (thus no 1+ requirement) and cheaper rates during the daytime, but slightly more expensive rates at other hours and on weekends. Does the $12 sign up fee on Orange make a difference? (Yes, it is $12 now -- the $10 rate was a special promo during the first three months of operation) ... some would note that the sign up fee is equivilent to about 15 surcharges on AT&T ... others might say the $12 is equivilent to the higher rates Frank's program charges on daytime calls amortized over a large number of calls. Once you've made a dozen or more calls on Orange, the $12 is spread in both ways: you've started saving on surcharges and you've gotten under the rates charged by ICR/Metromedia. I can't stress enough that your own personal application and requirements are the all-important factor in choosing any telecomm- unications service and feature, but there comes a point, as when choosing between Sprint/MCI/AT&T for your 1+ carrier that unless your volume is really huge, you are pursuing very tiny differences in rates. 'Long Distance' is a very competitive industry these days. And if your traffic is huge -- huge to the extent that those penny per minute 'shavings' make a difference (like the guy who worked for the bank and rigged the computer to put the fractions of a penny rounded off interest in his own account and walked away a millionaire), then you need to do two things: (1) pay closer attention to the prices charged by carriers, and (2) contact 'ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu' -- why? because I handle the 'biguns' har har ... don't I wish! Like ICR/Metromedia, Orange Communications pays a residual based on the use of their card; the proceeds go to a project on which I feel a special responsibility: this Digest. The Orange Card, 800 numbers and 1+ dialing are three ways you can demonstrate support for my favorite Digest (and I hope yours as well!) in a painless way. Write me for details. PAT] ------------------------------ Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 15:57:49 PST From: ENGEL@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Subject: Protocol Analyzer Wanted Help! I'm searching for an analyzer that will capture at 1 Mbit on an RS422/V36 interface AND will allow for user defined protocol, or in other words a nonstandard async protocol. Any leads would be appreciated. I have quite a list of vendors to start calling. Drew engel@slacvm.slac.stanford.edu ------------------------------ From: akenning@spam.maths.adelaide.edu.au (Alan Kennington) Subject: A Who's Who of Oz/NZ Comms R&D Date: 8 May 93 13:10:50 GMT Organization: Statistics, Pure & Applied Mathematics, University of Adelaide The May 93 edition of "A who's who of Australian and New Zealand telecommunications R&D" is now available at the anonymous FTP site ftp.atri.curtin.edu.au (134.7.130.22) in directory pub/documents/whos_who/au The files there are: 8875 May 5 09:36 README 93637 May 5 09:36 cnr1.ps.Z 65294 May 5 09:36 cnr1.tex 16338 May 5 09:36 whomax.tex The document can be created either from the plain TeX source (cnr1.tex plus whomax.tex), or from the PostScript output from that source (cnr1.ps.Z). There is no plain ascii version, apart from the file cnr1.tex itself. If anyone can send me a plain-TeX-to-ascii conversion program, I'll provide an ascii version. The document is 22 pages long, and contains about 80 organizations and about 280 individuals who work in comms R&D or related fields in Australia and New Zealand. The list is most definitely not comprehensive. It is the result of an informal collection of information over the last few months. It is not a glossy slick document, but it _is_ public domain and free. However, please do not use it for junk mail or other such anti-social activities. The document is provided for the facilitation of establishment of professional contacts between comms people. I hope that one or more people out there in net-land will benefit from it. Further information may be found in the README file. The best of vegemite to all net-landers, Regards, Alan Kennington. PS. If anyone can tell me where to obtain a corresponding document for the USA, or for Europe, or especially for Asia, I'd be much obliged. Alan Kennington TRC/Applied Mathematics Time-zone: GMT+0930 University of Adelaide Work: +61 8 303 5075 Adelaide SA 5005 Fax: +61 8 224 0227 Australia Internet: akenning@maths.adelaide.edu.au X.400: C=au A=telememo P=oz.au DDA.RFC-822=akenning(a)maths.adelaide.edu.au ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 17:42:15 -0400 From: oj@world.std.com (Oliver Jones) Subject: Vendors of Small Voice Mail Systems? I'm seeking a vendor for a new or used small but expandable voice mail system. I'd appreciate any pointers anyone can give. I will summarize responses. Thanks. Oliver Jones Vivo Software, Inc. email: oj@world.std.com 61 Longwood Avenue tel/fax: +1(508)470-3872 Brookline, MA 02146 USA ------------------------------ From: haldun@wotangate (Haldun Haznedar) Subject: Fiber Optic Costs Organization: Texas Instruments Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 20:06:00 GMT Does anyone happen to know how much it costs to install fiber-optic cable in $/mile including labor? Thank you. HH ------------------------------ From: dsamson@vx9000.weber.edu (D. Samson) Subject: Konexx 203 Acoustic Coupler Organization: Weber State University Date: 8 May 1993 08:48 MST I've seen several postings about acoustic couplers which mentioned the Konexx as a possibility. I just received my very own Konexx 203 acoustic coupler yesterday and tried it out at home. It works fine at 2400 bps. I'm going to be travelling for the next seven weeks with my bicycle and my notebook. Since I've no guarantee I can always find a modular jack when I need one, I decided to get the coupler. Its very small, light, and is supposed to run 30 hours on its 9-V battery. (I wanted to try RadioMail, but every indication was that I would have a tough time connecting in many remote places and even from the wrong side of the building in a large city). Dolly Samson Weber State University Ogden, Utah dsamson@cc.weber.edu ------------------------------ From: dlsteven@acs.ucalgary.ca (Douglas Lloyd Stevens) Subject: Line Loss Calculator Wanted Date: Sat, 08 May 93 20:04:01 GMT Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta I'm looking for a good shareware program (MSDOS) that will calculate line loss for communications cable. Any sugestions? Doug Stevens U of C Education dlsteven@acs.ucalgary.ca ------------------------------ DFrom: crs@pioneer.com (Cris Simpson) Subject: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? Date: Sat, 8 May 1993 00:00:00 GMT [Moderator's Note: Not really a telecom question, but an interesting diversion for a minute or two ... PAT] ------------ A note along with my last paystub noted that ADP (the payroll giants) had miscalculated some deduction for insurance. The note said that for people with Direct Deposit, ADP would just withdraw the first deposit, and immediately deposit the correct amount. (Since the insurance isn't that good a deal, I don't get it, so I'm not in that group.) This raises the question: Who can withdraw money from my account by wire? When asked this question, Bank of America 1) Refused to answer. 2) When asked for a supervisor, hung up. Another call to Customer Service provided a guy that said that anyone authorized to DD is authorized to withdraw for "corrections". I never authorized anybody to make "corrections" to my account! So can someone deposit $1 in my account, and then make a "correction" of their choosing? Cris Simpson Santa Clara, CA cris@pioneer.com [Moderator's Note: It is not your place to 'authorize' anyone to make corrections to your account. The bank can use its right of offset against future deposits made in your account to adjust the earlier error. Part of your contract with your bank is that all deposits are 'subject to verification and correction'. Because -- I presume -- you have been a good customer of the bank -- not a snotty, demanding and beligerant customer like so many people -- the bank lets you have the funds right away from a wire transfer. The chances of error are slim, and you need the money. But they could hold it a day or two, count it, check everything out, etc, and let you stew in your juices waiting for them to make sure everything checked out okay. When you authorized your employer to make direct payments to your bank account, it was assumed that authorization included the right to correct errors made in good faith by clerks who were acting for your employer. A con-artist who puts $1 in your account then attempts to withdraw all of your life-savings is hardly acting in good faith and the bank would recognize him for the charlatan he was ... the use of the phrase 'withdraw and immediatly deposit' might have been poor phraseology. It would have been better and caused less confusion, IMHO, for a notice to have gone out explaining the error and stating simply that 'an adjustment will be made, debiting/crediting your balance by the amount of the error ...'. Put another way, if you deposited your paycheck personally, and the teller applied it to my account instead, should I get an attitude when the bank sends me a notice several days later explaining why they are 'withdrawing' the money from my account they gave me in error? Try spending a few months working in the back office of a big financial institution sometime, then write me again and let's see if your attitude has changed any. ... See folks, I *told* you it would be an interesting diversion for a minute or two. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 16:40:20 PDT From: hudek@roxanne.llnl.gov (David Hudek) Subject: Bill Reconciliation Info/Experience Sought When comparing call records generated by a switch (e.g., SMDR or AMA) with detailed bills provided by various carriers, one sometimes finds that they are not 100% in agreement. Are there any "industry standard" commonly accepted levels for disagreement (e.g., within x% number of calls per month, within y% total duration per month)? I'm especially interested to hear of the experiences of anyone with a switch making several hundred thousand billable calls per month over two or more different carriers. We have an AT&T 5ESS (playing a large PBX) and only get answer supervision over the ISDN PRI trunks. For the others, the switch just times out and assumes a call was made after it's been up more than a certain number of seconds. (Didn't MCI have a similar problem in their early days?) Even accounting for the known answer supervision problem, the operations folks here have noticed a (very small) number of discrepancies between the AMA records and the detailed bills from one of the carriers. (AMA records were examined using both a commercial call accounting package as well as some home-grown software I wrote to decode the raw records of interest [btw, they really need to rewrite the AMA spec provided in the 5E billing features documentation! ugh!]). After eliminating bogus records due to bugs in the call accounting software, and disputes due to no answer supervision, they still had a few discrepencies. We were wondering what other peoples' experiences have been. Do their switch records match their bills 100%, 99.9%, 98%, 95%, ... ?? adTHANKSvance, dave hudek djh@llnl.gov ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 01:35:15 -0400 From: raslerm@novavax.nova.edu (Michael L. Rasler) Subject: Ideas and Thoughts About CalRen I am an adjunct faculty member at American River College in Sacramento, CA. I recently attended a teleradiology demonstration at Pac-Bell, Watt Ave., Sacramento. I also recently read an e-mail message on CALREN. As a part of my doctoral dissertation, I have developed health science curriculum and followed it with a comparative analysis to determine if the curriculum helped students be more successful. The significance was .003. I am writing my dissertation on teaching health science in a multi- tech distance learning modality. I would be interested in your innovative vision you referred to as CalRen. Please advise. Sincerely, Mike Rasler raslerm@novavax.nova.edu ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #309 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa19716; 9 May 93 15:40 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA29979 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 9 May 1993 13:13:18 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14624 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 9 May 1993 13:12:21 -0500 Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 13:12:21 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305091812.AA14624@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #310 TELECOM Digest Sun, 9 May 93 13:12:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 310 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Encrypted Cordless Phones? (Steve Buyske) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Justin Leavens) Re: DTMF Universality? (Mark Evans) Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem (Jeff Hibbard) Re: Caller ID Information to a PC (Ben Cox) Re: Caller ID Information to a PC (Dennis R. Conley) Re: The Perils of Caller-ID (A. Padgett Peterson) Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? (Pierre Mussard) Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? (Kevin Kadow) Re: France Direct vs Home Direct - A Correction (Georg Schwarz) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Brian T. Vita) Re: 1.2 Watt Handheld Cellular Phone? (Andrew P. Herdman) Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted (Aninda Dasgupta) Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? (F Goldstein) Re: AT&T Area Code Handbook (Jim Rees) Re: Answering Machine OGMs (was How I Answer the Phone) (Michael Callahan) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 May 93 05:07:24 EDT From: buyskes@lafcol.lafayette.edu (Steve Buyske) Subject: Re: Encrypted Cordless Phones? With all the recent talk about Clipper chips, I was remembering the court decision that cordless phone users had no expectation of privacy. Are there any cordless phones that use some sort of encryption device? I'm not thinking of hiding my conversations from the NSA so much as hiding them from nosy neighbors. Steve Buyske buyskes@lafvax.lafayette.edu -or- buyskes@lafcol.lafayette.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 13:06:31 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers In Volume 13, Issue 301, Message 13 of 13, writes: > In cleaning up some old {New York Times} recently, I came upon the > article describing NY Telephone's new voice dialing service. In the > article NYTel claimed that 20% of all dialed phone calls (I assume > both rotary and Touch Tone) were dialed wrong! They claimed that, as > I recall, the voice dialer was something like 90% accurate after one > try and 99% after two, which was better than manual dialing. I don't > know what they meant by "tries". I would believe the figure that 20% of all dialed calls are not completed (especially when I lived in GTEland, but that's another story), but I would guess that 20% customer error is a slightly inflated marketing number. What I don't understand is why the voice dialer is 90% accurate? Is it 90% accurate at recognizing the name spoken, or is it 90% accurate at dialing the number after it figures out who you want to dial? I mean, machines are only as perfect as those who program them ... Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) Subject: Re: DTMF Universality? Organization: Aston University Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 10:16:44 GMT John Perkins (johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com) wrote: > Does anyone know if the rest of the world generally uses the same DTMF > frequencies (and button assignments) as are used in the US? (I'm > particularly interested in the UK.) It is an international standard. Though one thing to note that often an NTSC colour burst crystal is often used for a primary frequency to divide to get the tones. Brent Capps (bcapps@atlastele.com) wrote: > johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com writes: >> Does anyone know if the rest of the world generally uses the same DTMF >> frequencies (and button assignments) as are used in the US? (I'm >> particularly interested in the UK.) > The DTMF *frequencies* are the same throughout the world, however > watch out for the minimum digit duration, interdigit timeout, return > loss, and twist which vary from country to country. Also some don't > implement *, #, ABCD. Unlike North America and most of the rest of > Europe, the UK has no required minimum digit duration or interdigit Well there is the de facto standard, specified by GPT and erriccson. > pause time for manual DTMF senders, but it is recommended that the > digit duration be at least 40ms. Automatic senders are required to > have 68ms minimum digit duration and interdigit pause. DTMF receivers > homologated for use in North America will occasionally miss DTMF > digits if used in the UK. Mark Evans evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 429 9199 (Home) evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office) ------------------------------ From: jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) Subject: Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem Organization: Bradley University Date: Sun, 9 May 93 11:25:52 GMT toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: > I thought it was the telco's responsibility to install a demarc JACK? > Around here (WA state) the new ones (residential) are all demarc/jack > combinations, and I've had the telco "fix up" the old ones by > replacing the protector/junction block with a demarc/jack at no charge > when I wanted to add wiring. Anyone ever have a telco refuse to do > this, or has anybody else ever asked? I called Illinois Bell once to report excessive noise on one of my lines. Their first question was "Is it OK at the demarc?". When I explained that my house was wired many years before anybody ever heard of demarc jacks, they explained that I would be billed if the problem turned out to be inside the house. I then asked that they install a demarc jack so I could determine where the problem was, but they insisted that they couldn't do that for free (although they could do it for some massive amount of money, the exact amount of which I forget). Later, when I called back reporting that I could still hear the noise on their line even after disconnecting all my inside wiring from their protector/junction block in my basement, they chewed me out for messing with "their" wiring. Jeff Hibbard Peoria IL ------------------------------ From: thoth@uiuc.edu (Ben Cox) Subject: Re: Caller ID Information to a PC Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 12:56:05 GMT Reply-To: thoth@uiuc.edu (Ben Cox) Organization: Ancient Illuminated Sears of Bavaria Paul Robinson writes: > If Canada uses the same Caller ID information as the US, then you > could get one of the boxes that Bell Atlantic sells. They are about > US $50, and they return the information on the serial port, so you > read it just like an external data device, e.g. a modem. Bell Atlantic no longer carries these devices; the operator I just talked to claims the company that made them went out of business. Ben Cox thoth@uiuc.edu ------------------------------ From: Dennis R. Conley Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 08:45:26 CDT Subject: Re: Caller ID Information to a PC Organization: University of Kansas Computer Science Dept In article Paul Robinson writes: > The writer wanted to find a low-cost means to have a PC read the > Caller-ID information, other than spending hundreds of dollars for a > Xytel modem or some such. > If Canada uses the same Caller ID information as the US, then you > could get one of the boxes that Bell Atlantic sells. They are about > US $50, and they return the information on the serial port, so you > read it just like an external data device, e.g. a modem. > I'm not sure where they sell them where you are, but you might be able > to order it. I talked to Bell Atlantic, of the seven devices they sell, none have a serial port. They gave me the name of their two distributors, whom I also called, and neither one of them has such a device. The search continues. Dennis R. Conley, Computer Science Dept., University of Kansas (913)864-7372 conley@hawk.cs.ukans.edu conley@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 09:58:20 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. PADGETT PETERSON) Subject: Re: The Perils of Caller-ID jimd@SSD.intel.com (Jim DePorter) wrote: > Portland OR started caller-ID yesterday with Bell(?). My question is > that I live under GTE lines. GTE doesn't start caller-ID until June. > If I call Portland now will they see my number? Does *67 work even if > caller-ID isn't invoked yet. This part of the problem I have had with Southern Bell for the last year. About three miles from my house is a very exclusive neighborhood called "Bay Hill". Every call originating there (same county, same LATA) comes through as "Out of Area" (not "Private" which results from a *67). I have been told that this is because United Telephone (the service provider for Bay Hill) does not support Caller-ID. I fully expect the entire USA to support Caller-ID within two years but for now less than half the calls I get on that line (usually local) give anything other than "Out of Area". If I did not need Caller-ID for testing gadgets, I would drop it. Warmly, Padgett [Moderator's Note: When we reach the point that all of the USA (or most, remember, California is still kind of backward about this stuff) supports Caller-ID, watch for the price of the service to increase and the free installation and other discounts on it being given now to disappear. IBT is selling it now with the understanding that it is only 'partially effective' at the present time. PAT] ------------------------------ From: wsdelany@email.teaser.com (Pierre Mussard) Subject: Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? Organization: Guest of France-Teaser, (3617 EMAIL) Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 03:06:24 GMT sle@world.std.com (steve l edwards) writes: > I have a Cobra cordless telephone. I noticed there is no switch hook. > Does this imply that the base unit is always transmitting even if the > cordless unit is sitting unused in the cradle? There usually is a red light showing if your cordless unit is being recharged. I would be very surprised if it did not command as well 'transmission off'. Worth checking if my opinion is the truth, with users here more knowledgeable than I am, or with the manufacturer tech support. ------------------------------ From: Kevin Kadow Subject: Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? Organization: Technology News, IIT, Chicago, IL Date: Sun, 9 May 93 13:30:30 GMT In article johng@comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) writes: ) In article sle@world.std.com (steve l ) edwards) writes: )> I have a Cobra cordless telephone. I noticed there is no switch hook. )> Does this imply that the base unit is always transmitting even if the )> cordless unit is sitting unused in the cradle? First, most cordless units recharge when the handheld is in the cradle, the base on a good phone will recognize that the handset is present and not allow cordless calls (security feature). Second, the BASE unit only transmits when a call comes in or in response to a transmission from the handset (the handset sends the security code, if any, when you turn it on. The base detects this and comes on-line, and you get the dialtone, or answer the incoming call. ) It could use a magnet and a reed relay or a hall effect sensor. The first time I ran into a corded phone with that setup it really perplexed me. I wanted to "pulse" the switchhook to pick up call waiting, and couldn't. The phone did have a button labeled "FLASH" that did just that. BTW, the magnet in the earpiece on the handset is strong enough that a seperate magnet isn't need, all the base needs is a good hall effect (magnetic field) sensor. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur C. Clarke technews@iitmax.iit.edu kadokev@harpo.iit.edu My Employer Disagrees. ------------------------------ From: georg@marie.physik.tu-berlin.de (Georg Schwarz) Subject: Re: France Direct vs Home Direct - A Correction Date: 9 May 1993 09:18:00 GMT Organization: TUBerlin/ZRZ In jbcondat@attmail.com writes: > The France Direct service offer to all cardholders the possibility to > obtain directly and freely a French operator from some foreign > countries. The price of the phone call begin as soon as the > correspondant begin the call. > Call the following France Direct phone numbers from: > Allemagne 0130 80 003 ^^^^^^^^^^^ I think this should read 0130 80 00 33 ------------------------------ Date: 09 May 93 07:52:33 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers >One thing I learned from my father for dealing with chronic wrong numbers -- those people who (presumably) have the number written down wrong and keep calling back over and over. The other day I took a wrong number on one of my inside company lines. After anwering the line with my company name the woman caller said, "Sorry, wrong number." I asked the caller who she was looking for. She said that she was calling her house. I replied, "You DO have nice furniture ...". Wanna bet that she made a beeline home? Brian Vita CSS, Inc. ------------------------------ From: apollo@r-node.hub.org (Andrew P. Herdman) Subject: Re: 1.2 Watt Handheld Cellular Phone? Organization: R-node Public Access Unix (Data: 249-5366) Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 13:44:26 GMT In article bailey@casbah.acns.nwu.edu writes: > In article longo@kodiak.sfpp.com (Bob > Longo) writes: >> With all of the concern recently about cellular telephones causing >> cancer, I'm curious about an ad I saw yesterday. It seems that there >> is a handheld cellular phone available that boasts 1.2 watts. The > ^^^^^^^^^ > I recently worked for a Cellular + PDN company in the Czech Republic. > Their phones (Nokia 450) in addition to resembleing a boat anchor put > out something like 10-15 watts!!! I worked for Nokia here in Canada. The most a phone ever put out was 3 watts, and 0.6 for handhelds. It is illegal in Canada to have a handheld phone put out more than 0.6 watts in that mode. Making it a hands-free mobile allows them to go up to 3 watts but most leave it at 1.2 watts. I assume the same is true in the U.S. Andrew apollo@r-node.hub.org ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 10:30:32 EDT From: add@philabs.Philips.Com (Aninda Dasgupta) Subject: Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King) writes: > Need: Even after having voicemail for a year or more I'm pretty bad at > remembering to pick up the receiver to check for voicemail after > meetings or whatever. I need some sort of visual indicator to > remind me to check. Your prayers have been anwered. After playing around with my company voice mail system and trying to get it to send me email when I got voicemail, NYNEX lawyers got on my case for hacking on MY company's PBX. But thanks to AG Communications in Phoenix, AZ I have a tiny box that lights up and blinks an LED if the phone rings and I don't pick it up. The LED stops blinking when I pick up the phone. Just what you needed, no? The nicest thing after sliced bread. Contact AG Communication Systems (a venture of AT&T and GTE) at (602) 582-7000. The gentleman who let me beta test the box was John Riddle. (I don't have John's permission to give out his phone number, but you could probably ask for him at the number given above.) The last I heard (OCT '92), they were awaiting FCC approval for the box. Disclaimer: I am in no way connected with AG Communications or John Riddle. Aninda DasGupta (add@philabs.philips.com) Ph:(914)945-6071 Fax:(914)945-6552 Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510 ------------------------------ From: Fred.R.Goldstein@inet-gw-2.pa.dec.com (goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com) Subject: Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 04:44:34 GMT In article dan@sics.se (Dan Sahlin) writes: > Swedish Televerket has just announced a residential ISDN service. The > basic service "2B+D" has an installation fee of USD 775 and a quarter- > ly fee of USD 185. > I believe these prices are far to high to attract individuals. > Is residential ISDN pricing as expensive internationally? The classical "reasonable" tariff is the one imposed upon New England Telephone by the regulators in Massachusetts. Residential and Business rates are applied as usual to ISDN lines, with all of the usual options. ISDN is a supplement priced at $8/month for the basic digital line and $5/month for the second B channel activation and $8.50 for D-channel packet. Installation is something like $75 more than an analog line. Opinions are mine alone. Sharing requires permission. ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: AT&T Area Code Handbook Date: 9 May 1993 11:12:12 GMT Organization: Center for Information and Technology Integration In article , Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) writes: > So does anybody in Michigan know what is going on? Could that August > 1994 date actually be the full cutover? According to Pamula Woodside, who is the Consumer Relations Manager at Michigan Bell, permissive dialing for the 313/810 split starts on December 1 1993 and ends on August 10 1994 (that's 8/10). You can get more info by calling the 313/810 split hotline at 1-800-831-8989 (don't know if you can reach that number from outside this area). I've got on-line lists of which exchanges will end up in which area code, and I'll be happy to email them to anyone who wants them. I've also got a map I can email (in uuencoded gif format). ------------------------------ From: Michael Callahan Subject: Re: Answering Machine OGMs (was How I Answer the Phone) Date: 8 May 93 23:04:04 GMT Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620 In article , Gregory M. Paris writes: > sysmatt@aix3090b.uky.edu (Matt Simpson) writes: >> The answering machine question is a little tougher. My outgoing >> message has no identifying information (name or phone number) .. I I once found that my answering machine had taped its own OGM, somehow. It was pretty amusing: I called home to check my messages, and heard the phone ring four times (OK), a click, and then a busy signal. "What??" I thought. So, I hung up and called again, with the same result. This time, I idly held the phone to my ear as I wondered why I would get a busy signal _after_ four rings. Suddenly there was a familiar beep and silence! I don't know how the machine managed to tape its own message but I thought it was hilarious. I also realized that it could actually be useful. My girlfriend's parents have a machine but never turn it on because they don't like getting calls. I thought they should use a message like this (or perhaps one of continued ringing) so that only the people they had specially informed would know to wait to leave a message. Michael Callahan callahan@vax.ox.ac.uk callahan@math.harvard.edu ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #310 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa21776; 9 May 93 16:26 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA12841 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 9 May 1993 13:57:16 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA26306 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 9 May 1993 13:56:12 -0500 Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 13:56:12 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305091856.AA26306@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #311 TELECOM Digest Sun, 9 May 93 13:56:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 311 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (Paul Robinson) Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (R. Kevin Oberman) Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (trader@cellar.org) Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 (Bob Snyder) Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 (Joel Snyder) Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted (John Gilbert) Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted (Harold Hallikainen) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (Paul Houle) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (Lynda Fincham) Re: How I Answer the Phone (Justin Leavens) Re: Want Digital Voice Recorder and Panel Phones (John Gilbert) Re: Setting up For Large Incoming Call Volume (Al Varney) Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? (Steve Forrette) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 12:09:55 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA Justin Leavens writes: >>> [Moderator's Note: Well, I used to think the tariff requirements >>> making 'the subscriber responsible for the use of the instrument >>> also applied to premium services such as 900/976, >> Again, I make this point: Even if the telco *doesn't* J> disconnect for outstanding IP charges, the telco will still carry >> those charges. When the subscriber disconnects, it will go on the >> subscriber's Equifax report that he still owes the telco $2100. >> Then the subscriber will never get phone service again until the >> Equifax mark is cleared up (read: coughs up $2100). >> Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your >> phone under lock and key! A poor roommate choice (including >> circumstances like college where you don't even have a choice) >> can cost you thousands of dollars and the use of your phone >> forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you have no recourse in >> the case of fraud. 1. The situation must have changed; I know that (at least it used to be) that the telephone companies, like American Express, neither asked for nor gave credit reporting information. I remember there was one movie where a man tried to apply for credit at a bank and in the on-line look up the manager asked about an unpaid bill with Pacific Bell. I knew that (at that time) this was dramatic license as I had checked; telephone companies in California may have exchanged information, and you had, when applying for phone service, to certify you were not in default with any telephone company in California. 2. It's going to not be easy to report delinquent phone bills if they don't have a social security number. Unless the tariff schedules permit them to refuse service for not giving one, while they could require a larger deposit, you could simply not give them yours, or if you've had a phone for several years, they probably don't have your number. 3. A corporate entity and the stockholders are separate under the law. If you get stiffed like this, you can always pay $50 and incorporate and get a commercial phone line. (Or incorporate the '645th Avenue Church of Perpetual Insolvency' and get a "pastor's home line" perhaps.) 4. If the charge is something that they cannot disconnect you for not paying, the chances are that it's also something they cannot refuse to connect you for. 5. No bad credit rating lasts forever. With the exception of court judgements (which can be renewed until they are satisfied) or bankruptcy, no bad entry may legally be kept over seven years. While that may seem like forever, it isn't. 6. When there is a dispute over a charge, the person has the right to have a statement inserted into their credit record. You could put "The $2100 shown as outstanding to Winnemac Bell Telephone Company is for calls to area code 900 numbers which I deny having made and which the telephone company refuses to remove from my record." It might help. (Note: Winnemac is the ficticious state created by Sinclair Lewis for the books "Arrowsmith", "It Can't Happen Here", and others.) Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM [Moderator's Note: Winnemac is also a fine little village in north central Indiana. Very friendly place. PAT] ------------------------------ From: oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov Subject: Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! Date: Sun, 9 May 93 14:44:40 GMT Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory In Article leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: > Again, I make this point: Even if the telco *doesn't* disconnect > for outstanding IP charges, the telco will still carry those charges. > When the subscriber disconnects, it will go on the subscriber's > Equifax report that he still owes the telco $2100. Then the subscriber > will never get phone service again until the Equifax mark is cleared > up (read: coughs up $2100). I'm afraid this is untrue (unless Justin is in GTE land). Pacific Bell has stated on in billing inserts that they WILL NOT handle disputed IP bills in any way. If you dispute the charge, Pac Bell simply drops the charge from the bill and notifies the IP to collect the bill themselves. Of course, the IP may well send the bill to collections and that might show up on the Equifax. But I doubt that a disputed charges to a telesleaze will have near the impact of one to a utility. R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Internet: koberman@llnl.gov (510) 422-6955 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! From: trader@cellar.org Date: Sun, 09 May 93 10:59:31 EDT Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system > [Moderator's Note: Well, I used to think the tariff requirements > making 'the subscriber responsible for the use of the instruments' > also applied to premium services such as 900/976, but a few writers > here have said the tariff only pertains to services actually sold by > telco (that is, phone calls) and not the premium stuff they simply > bill for. So, it appears to be kind of a gray area if telco can turn > off service or not based on unpaid charges from a 900 outfit. I know > telco can't disconnect based on unpaid Yellow Pages advertising. PAT] The telco also has to provide you with basic (local) service -- provided that such service is paid up to date -- regardless of outstanding bills for other services. ------------------------------ From: snyderra@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu (Bob Snyder) Subject: Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 13:39:16 -0400 (EDT) In article is written: > Interesting. If Padgett is, indeed, incorrect, then the fault > lies in the Supra documentation. I have a SupraFAXModem V.32bis, and > I'm looking at the specifications in Appendix E, on Page 57 of the > documentation. It states that the Modem is "Compatible with"..."MNP > classes 2-5 and 10". Several other places in the documentation refer > to MNP 10, as well. I've never (knowingly) used it with another MNP > 10 modem, so can't say that I've seen the modem work in MNP 10 mode. Worse than that; look on the front of your modem. Mine shows in small print near the LED display all the protocols it supports, including MNP10. What apparently happened is Rockwell told the modem manufacturers that their chipset would include MNP10, and the manufacturers started building their modems and preparing literature before Rockwell told them that the chipset would not contain MNP10. I thought Supra corrected this for their later modems, taking MNP10 off the feature list. As I understand it, MNP10 is protocol designed for radio/cellular phones, and isn't that much use to people with them installed in their desktop machine or as a external modem. Bob ------------------------------ From: jms@opus1.com (Joel M-for-Vnews Snyder) Subject: Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 Date: 9 May 1993 07:16 MST Organization: Opus One Reply-To: jms@Opus1.COM In article , me@stile.stonemarche.org writes: > Interesting. If Padgett is, indeed, incorrect, then the fault > lies in the Supra documentation. I have a SupraFAXModem V.32bis, and > I'm looking at the specifications in Appendix E, on Page 57 of the > documentation. It states that the Modem is "Compatible with"..."MNP > classes 2-5 and 10". Several other places in the documentation refer > to MNP 10, as well. I haven't seen the docs on the Supra you're talking about, but my general experience is that the Supras are very poorly documented. I suppose this is part of how they get their product out there so inexpensively. In any case, "compatible with" does not mean "will operate using." This is common standardese. If two systems, each with higher-level capabilities x and y will interoperate, probably by falling back to some common lower-level capability z, then they are "compatible," even if you're not using the higher-level capability. I thought that MNP10 was only useful for cellular phones, anyway? Joel M Snyder, 1103 East Spring Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719 +1 602 882 4094 (voice) 882 4095 (FAX) 882 4093 (data) jms@Opus1.COM Opus One ------------------------------ From: johng@comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) Subject: Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted Organization: Motorola, Land Mobile Products Sector Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 18:59:10 GMT In article king@rtsg.mot.com writes: > I thought of making a circuit to take the phone off-hook periodically > to check for stutter tone, but decided that there was too great a > chance of someone calling in during that couple of seconds. Murphy's > Law says that I'd miss calls (well, they'd be routed to voicemail!) > when the circuit picked up to check for voicemail. Bell Atlantic was showing just the product you describe at the Chicago Consumer Electronics Show a couple of years ago. Contact: Bell Atlantic "Intrapreneurship Division" at 301-236-2049. John Gilbert KA4JMC johng@ecs.comm.mot.com ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Ring-Detector Circuit Wanted Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Sun, 09 May 1993 07:12:55 GMT In article king@rtsg.mot.com writes: > Does anyone have a circuit diagram for a ring-detector? I can probably > come up with one myself but I'd rather be lazy if I can ... :-) > Background: We have a voicemail system here, but 2500-style desk > telephones. The only indication that there's a message waiting is > stutter dialtone. > Need: Even after having voicemail for a year or more I'm pretty bad at > remembering to pick up the receiver to check for voicemail after > meetings or whatever. I need some sort of visual indicator to > remind me to check. > Solution: If a ring-detector lit an LED whenever the phone rang and > kepth the thing lit until either the phone went offhook or until > a manual reset I'd at least know when someone called when I was > away. It wouldn't be perfect (the caller may not have left a > message) but it'd at least tell me when I should check. I thought of building a device like this years and years ago, but couldn't figure out a way to do it REAL CHEAP. A friend who thought it was a great idea figured we'd get real rich if we made one. She wanted to call it the "Norma." Well, I never did figure out a REAL CHEAP way of making one, but someone did. You can order a Bell Atlantic Call Alert from Hello Direct (800 444 3556) for $29.95 (catalog number 3455D). The description says "Put Call Alert on your line. It's the foolproof way to make sure your phone messages don't get lost in the daily shuffle. Call Alert flashes when your calls have been forwarded or when you've received any faxes or messages by modem." "Got voice mail service with the local phone company? With Call Alert, you'll know you have messages without having to pick up the phone receiver. It's 'phone message insurance'!" I never bought one of these things, but I think it's a great idea! Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI ------------------------------ From: houle@nmt.edu (Paul Houle) Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns Organization: Electrical Eng. Dept. - New Mexico Tech Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 18:18:26 GMT In article tdc@zooid.guild.org (TDC) writes: > In addition to needing articles for the upcoming Journals, some sites > on the net to aid in distribution would also be welcomed. Send all > offers and articles to the following email account: > tdc@zooid.guild.org I sent mail to this address, and the only reply I got was a message that said that tdc@zooid.guild.org was an unpaid account at zooid (some kind of public access system), and that because tdc was unpaid, tdc cannot receive mail from the USENET. Anyway, this seems to be a pretty impressive demonstration of hacking skill. Maybe the new LOD should stick to hacking COSMOS, since it is easier and safer :-) ------------------------------ From: Lynda Fincham Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns Organization: ZOOiD Online Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 02:58:00 -0400 In article is written: >> In addition to needing articles for the upcoming Journals, some sites >> on the net to aid in distribution would also be welcomed. Send all >> offers and articles to the following email account: > >> tdc@zooid.guild.org > > Interested parties might note that 'zooid.guild.org' had no address > record in the major nameservers nor an entry in the NIC database as of > 1600 5/6/93. The reason you'll not find an NS records for "zooid.guild.org" is because this is not an Internet site. We're a UUCP site that happens to have a connection to Internet email. We're also subdomained under the site "guild.org", which is not an Internet site either. If you do an inquiry on "zooid.guild.org" using "host", you'll only get MX records: zooid.guild.org MX mail.uunet.ca zooid.guild.org MX relay1.uu.net zooid.guild.org MX relay2.uu.net Nevertheless, this is not the most conclusive information. ZOOiD is a non-profit, public access Usenet/email site that provides free and minimal cost access to it's members. We don't censor anything our members post, unless it is illegal, racist or extremely rude and offensive. This whole issue has been rather a mess for our system, and we hope it will not be repeated. Any inquires about this matter should be directed either to the original poster of the message (tdc@zooid.guild.org). Any questions or other inquiries dealing with administrative matters should be directed to me (gaea@zooid.guild.org). Please make any responses to me via email, as I do not read this group, this was brought to my attention by one of the members here at ZOOiD. Mailbombs, etc are not appreciated. Flames will be ignored. Gaea (Lynda Fincham aka Mother Nature) gaea@zooid.guild.org ZOOiD Online, Toronto, Canada (416) 322-7876 Free and Paid Public Access Usenet (416) 322-0920 [Moderator's Note: Lynda included documentation in her message about how to reach zooid ... the same information we printed in addition to the MX records, etc day before yesterday. I omitted it from her note. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 09:13:39 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: How I Answer the Phone Last weekend I answered what was probably my best mis-dialed call: Me- "Hello?" Caller-"Hi...... Uh, is this Odyssey Video?" Me- "Nope, sorry. Wrong number." Caller-"Oh.... Do you know their number?" Me- "Nope, sorry." Caller-"Oh.... Well, do you know the name of the movie where Edward James Olmos plays a teacher?" Me- "Stand and Deliver." Caller-"Uh, yeah.... Cool. Thanks." Five years of USC Film School had finally paid off ... Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ From: johng@comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) Subject: Re: Want Digital Voice Recorder and Panel Phones Organization: Motorola, Land Mobile Products Sector Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 17:14:49 GMT >Proctor & Associates (0003991080@mcimail.com) wrote: >> I need sources for a couple of items: >> Instant Playback Voice Recorders (used in emergency answering centers >> for digital storage of audio signals, affording instant playback of >> the past 30 seconds or so of speech to aid in deciphering grabled >> speech); Try Dictaphone at 1-800-447-7749. I think the product is called VERITAC. We sell their products as an option to our radio dispatch consoles and 911 systems. In addition to the digital record-playback products, they also have multitrack voice logging recorders with integrated timecode. Previously voice logging was done with reel-to-reel recorders. They now have a DAT recorder that records up to 270 hours of eight channels on a single tape. John Gilbert KA4JMC johng@ecs.comm.mot.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 11:11:53 CDT From: varney@ihlpl.att.com Subject: Re: Setting up For Large Incoming Call Volume Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL In article ike@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu writes: > Could someone point me to information on setting up an operator > assisted environment to handle a large incoming call volume? I'm also > interested in being able to obtain information on the caller. Pointers > to that information would be great. Thanks. You didn't mention enough information to really identify the type of application, or what YOU call "large incoming call volume", so I'll touch on several possibilities. Most non-TELCo folks don't really want "operator assisted" incoming call handling. Operators handle calls by routing them to another destination. "Agents" handle the calls themselves. If you really want "operator assisted" call handling, you need a way for the operator to re-switch the calls. In most cases, this means you need multiple PBX attendant positions or multiple CENTREX attendant positions. I'd recommend you talk to your PBX vendor AND to your local TELCo for these cases. The TELCo calls these "attendants", not "operators". If your large call volume is really "agent"-type calls, then you need to talk to your PBX vendor AND your local TELCo about "Call Distributer" or ACD services. These will route calls on a uniform load basis to available agents, play music/messages while waiting for an available agent, allow some re-routing of calls to other agents, etc. Think of Home Shopping Network as an example. If your needs can be handled by a smart voice response unit, then there are a lot of vendors/providers out there. One is AT&T InfoWorx Interactive Voice Services -- customized systems where AT&T owns the hardware and you pay on a usage basis. Try Ron DeBlock on 908-805-2248 for information. If your needs are only occasional, AT&T American Transtech provides services tailored to such needs, where they provide voice response and live operators to handle your high volume call needs. Try 1-800-241-3354, ext. 2524 for information. Al Varney - just my opinion ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? Date: 9 May 1993 10:24:05 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article TELECOM Moderator noted in response to Laurence Chiu of Walnut Creek, CA: > [Moderator's Note: All Cellular Ones are not the same company. They > were talking about *their* cellular company using that name. The deals > you talk about are very common; in fact they are about the only way > cell phones are sold; ie a tie in with a local provider who gives a > kickback to the phone seller. PAT] They may be sold that way in most places, but not in California. There, state law (or is it PUC regulation) prohibits such a bundling arrangement in cellular phone purchases. A buyer is never required to sign up for service in order to get the advertised price on a cellular phone. As a result, prices are often higher for cellular equipment in California than in other places. Many retailers sell their equipment at cost in California; if the customer also signs up for service, then they make a profit, and if they don't, then at least they don't lose anything. Most other markets have at least some retailers that are willing to sell phones for less than what they pay for them, and count on the commission they get from the cellular carrier (often $250-$300) to make up for the loss and provide a profit. These differences can work both ways -- if you need service anyway, then it is often cheaper for those who don't live in California, as they can take advantage of the subsidized deals. But, for those who don't need new service (such as when you just want a better phone on existing service), you can save money by buying them in California. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #311 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa25244; 9 May 93 17:34 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA11188 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 9 May 1993 15:01:00 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA18073 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 9 May 1993 14:59:47 -0500 Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 14:59:47 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305091959.AA18073@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Subject: Special Report: FBI Raids Telco Manager's Home This news report from the May 9, 1993 {Omaha World Herald} arrived in my mail just a few minutes ago. PAT From: jsaker@cwis.unomaha.edu (James R. Saker Jr.) Subject: FBI Raid on Curtis Nebr. Telco, Family Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 16:34:53 GMT The following article detailing a FBI raid on a small-town family and local exchange carrier was printed in this morning's Sunday {Omaha World Herald}: "FBI Probe, Raid Anger Curtis Man" Stephen Buttry, {Omaha World Herald}, Sunday May 9, 1993 Curtis Neb. -- The evening was winding down for the Cole family. Ed Cole, general manager of the Curtis Telephone Co., had dozed off on the living room couch. His wife, Carol, was running water for her bath. The 10-year-old identical twins, Stephanie and Jennifer, had gone to bed. Amanda, 14, was watching "48 Hours" on television in the living room. "It had something to do with fingerprints and catching criminals," Amanda remembers of the TV show. At 9:40 p.m., Amanda heard a knock and answered the door. In marched the FBI. Thus began a year of fear, anger and uncertainty for the Coles. Mrs. Cole, 40, still has nightmares about the night of May 13, 1992, when federal agents stormed into her bedroom, startling her as she was undressing for her bath, naked from the waist up. "I used to go to bed and sleep the whole night," she said last week. "I can't anymore." Federal agents did not find the illegal wiretapping equipment they were seeking, and a year later no one has been charged. The agents siezed nothing from the house and later returned the cassette tapes they took from the phone company office. Ronald Rawalt, the FBI agent in North Platte who headed the investigation that led to the raid, declined to comment, referring questions to the Omaha office. "It's still a pending investigation, and we're not allowed to make a statement," said agent Doug Hokenstad of the FBI's Omaha office. If the investigation comes up empty, he said "we normally don't make a statement at the end of the investigation." That infuriates Cole, 39, who says the raid cast suspicion on him and the phone company and left them with no way to clear their names. "Either file charges or say there's nothing there," he said. "This was done in a highly visible manner, and there was no finality to it." Request for Help Cole has asked Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., to investigate. Beth Gonzales, Kerrey's press secretary, said the senator received Cole's letter and is assessing the situation. The case that brought FBI agents from Washington, Denver, Houston and Omaha, as well as nearby North Platte, to this tiny southwest Nebraska town in the Medicine Creek valley apparently started with a personnel squabble in the phone company office. Cole said two women complained of their treatment by two other workers. The women who complained threatened to quit if the company did not take action against the other women, he said. Cole and his assistant manager, Steve Cole, who is not related, observed the office workers for a while. "We found the same two making the ultimatum were the aggressors," Ed Cole said. He gave the complaining employees written reprimands, and they quit Jan 16, 1992. The two women contended in a hearing concerning state unemployment benefits that personality differences with Ed Cole led to the reprimands and their resignations. Both women declined to comment on the matter. 300-Hertz Tone In an affidavit filed to obtain the search warrants, agent Rawalt said one of the two, Carol Zak, contacted the FBI in March 1992 and told them of "unusual electronic noises (tapping noises) on her telephone line at the inception of a call received." Later in the affidavit, the noise is described not as tapping, but as a 300-hertz tone. Steve and Ed Cole demonstrated the tone last week on phone company equipment. It is caused, they said, by a defective 5-by-7 circuit board, or card. The defect is common, and the company replaces the card if a customer complains. The tone is not heard if a customer answers between rings, but if the customer answers during a ring, the tone blares into the earpiece for an instant, about the duration of the ring. Ed Cole, who has placed wiretaps for law officers with warrents, said wiretaps don't cause such a sound. "Most wiretaps, don't they have a loud, blasting noise to announce there's an illegal wiretap?" he asked sarcastically. Surveillance After Mrs. Zak told agent Rawalt of the noise on her line, the FBI began recording her calls, the affidavit says. On April 30, the affidavit says, the FBI began surveillance of Ed Cole -- not an easy task in a town of 791 people. During the weeks before the raid, phone company employees noticed a stranger watching the office and workers' houses. They guessed that a private investigator was watching, possibly gathering information for the former workers. "When somebody sits around in a car in a small-town Curtis, especially at 3:30 when grade school lets out, people take notice," Steve Cole said. "We had a suspicion that we were under surveilance." The affidavit says agent Robert Howan, an electrical engineer from FBI headquarters, analyzed tapes of Mrs. Zak's phone calls and concluded that a wiretap on the line "is controlled from the residence of Eddie Cole Jr. and is facilitited through a device or computer program at the Curtis Telephone Company." Based on Rawalt's affidavit, U.S. Magistrate Kathleen Jaudzemis in Omaha issued warrents to search Cole's house and company offices. Federal agents gathered in North Platte and headed south to Curtis for the late-evening raid. Flashlights, Commotion When Amanda Cole opened the door, she said "The first people that came in went past me." They rushed through the living room into the kitchen to let more agents in the back door. The agents wore black jackets and raincoats, with large, yellow letters proclaiming "FBI." Neighbors and passersby began to notice the commotion as other agents searched the outside with flashlights. The agents showed Cole the search warrant and told him and Amanda to stay in the living room. The agents asked where the other girls were, and Cole replied that it was a school night and they were in bed. Rather than flipping the hall light switch, the agents went down the darkened hall with flashlights, "like they think my kids are going to jump up and shoot them," Cole said. The twins recalled that they were puzzled, then scared, to wake up as FBI agents shined flashlights on them. The intruders did not enter gently, either. "After they left, our doorknob was broken," Jennifer said. Farther down the hall, the agents found the embarrassed and angry Mrs. Cole. "They didn't knock or anything, and I was undressing," she said. "They told me to get a T-shirt on." After Mrs. Cole put her clothes back on, agents allowed her to go with them to get the frightened twins out of bed. Mrs. Cole and the twins also were instructed to stay in the living room. Interrogation As agents searched the house, Cole said, Rawalt told him to step out on the porch. While he was outside, Mrs. Cole decided to call the phone company's attorney. "They told me I couldn't do that," she said. "I worked at the Sheriff's Office for several years, and I know no matter what you're accused of, you're entitled to an attorney." She called anyway. Meanwhile, according to Cole, Rawalt was interrogating and berating him loudly on the front porch, creating what Cole considered a "public spectacle." "I've lived here 15 years. I've built up a reputation," said Cole, who is president of the Curtis Housing Authority, chairman of the Nebraska Telephone Association, and coach of the twins' softball team. "And there's cars going by real slow. Here Rawalt brings me out on the front porch, turn on the light for everyone to see and starts interrogating me." Cole said Rawalt tried to pressure him to admit he was wiretapping and tell him where the equipment was. "He pointed at my wife and kids and said, 'Look at what you're putting them through,'" Cole said. Three-Hour Search Cole said it would take about 20 minutes for an expert to examine the phones in the house -- a teen line, the main line plus two extensions, a 24-hour repair prone that rings at his home as well as the main office, and an alarm that rings in from the central office. "The search continued for more than three hours, as agents looked in closets, cabinets and drawers. The family could hear Garth Brooks singing as agents played the children's tapes, apparently hunting for recorded phone conversations. At the same time the Coles' house was being searched, agents visited Steve Cole and Roger Bryant, a phone company employee who is a neighbor of Mrs. Zak's. "They insinuated I had broken into my neighbor's house to put in a wiretap," he said. The agents "asked me if I knew if Ed was making electrical devices in his basement." (Cole said he wasn't. Agents found no such devices.) The agents told Steve Cole to take them to the phone company office so they could search the switch room. Number of Agents The Coles were not sure how many agents participated in the raid. They saw at least five at the house but thought they heard others outside and entering the back door and going into the basement. They said seven agents were at the office, but they weren't sure which agents searched both sites. When the agents said they were looking for wiretap equipment, Steve Cole said "I told them it just couldn't be right. If Ed were to do something or I were to do something, the other one would know." Steve Cole said agents searching the phone company, including Howan, did not appear to understand the equipment very well. They would not tell him why they suspected a wiretap. After 1 a.m., Ed Cole said, the search of his house ended, with agents empty-handed and taking him to the office. About 4 a.m., the agents told Steve Cole about the 300-hertz tone. "The minute they told me, I knew what it was," he said. He said he quickly found the defective card for Mrs. Zak's line, demonstrated the sound for the agents, then replaced it and showed that the sound was gone. "I demonstrated it, and then they both got white," Steve Cole said. Card Analyzed Howan then went to Rawalt, who was with Ed Cole outside the switch room and explained what had caused the tone, Ed and Steve Cole said. "I'm jubilant," Ed Cole recalled thinking. "I've been exonerated." But he said Rawalt told him: "I've investigated this for two months. I've flown agents in from around the country ... I may charge you on circumstantial evidence." "My heart just sunk," Cole said, "because that means they're not here to find the truth. They're just trying to support their pre- conceived ideas." He said Rawalt told him he would take the card for analysis. Cole said the searches could have, and should have, been conducted without the embarrassing fanfare -- during normal business hours, while the children were in school and his wife was at work. Because of the highly public nature of the raid, Cole said, the company has hired a lawyer to investigate the investigation. The company is trying, with little success, Cole said, to get information from the FBI so it can reassure regulators, lenders, stockholders and customers of the company's integrity. Tapes of Calls Rawalt visited the Cole's house again in January. Although this time it wasn't a raid, his presence upset the family. He returned tapes siezed in the raid but told Cole that the circuit card was stilll at the FBI lab being analyzed. It still has not been returned, Cole said. "The FBI, the most respected law enforcement agency in the world, has had this card in their laboratory in Washington, D.C., for almost one year, and they still cannot determine if it has a tape recorder strapped to it," Cole said. The bureau also has refused to give the phone company of its tapes of Mrs. Zak's phone calls, which could show whether the sound on her line was the tone from the defective card, Cole said. "It makes one wonder if they'd put a family and a company through this just because they don't want to admit a mistake," he said. "If they'll just give me my life back by making a public statement, it would be over." (End of article forwarded to TELECOM Digest.) Jamie Saker jsaker@cwis.unomaha.edu Systems Engineer Business/MIS Major Telenational Communications Univ. Nebraska at Omaha (402) 392-7548 [Moderator's Note: Thank you very much for sending along this report. This is just another example of the clumsy, oafish and unprofessional organization which has become such a big joke in recent years in the USA: The Federal Bureau of Inquisition. Imagine: a telephone line out of order which turns into a massive FBI assault on a private family. And of course there will be no apology; no reparations; nothing like that. The FBI is too arrogant and powerful to bother with making amends for the damage they have done. I hope Ed Cole and his telco demand and obtain revenge on everyone concerned, including first and foremost Mrs. Zak, the scorned woman who set the whole thing in motion when she got fired for her bad attitude at work. I know if it was myself, I would not be content until I had turned the screws very hard on all of them, especially her. PAT]   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa27069; 9 May 93 18:16 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07642 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 9 May 1993 15:49:49 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13820 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 9 May 1993 15:48:12 -0500 Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 15:48:12 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305092048.AA13820@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #312 TELECOM Digest Sun, 9 May 93 15:48:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 312 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Alpha Pager Questions (Joe Pace) Re: SCAN (Shared Check Authorization Network) (Todd Inch) Re: Motorola Alpha Cell Phone (Gregory M. Paris) Re: CCITT Standards on Line (Raymond Conmey) Re: Overcharging the Battery (Liron Lightwood) Re: Funding for Telecentres in Rural Communities (David Leibold) Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features (Marko Ruokonen) Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? (Barry Margolin) Re: US West Says I Can't Use 301+ on Voice Line (Pete Lancashire) Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? (Dave Ratcliffe) Re: Newspaper-Telco Alliance (Adam M. Gaffin) Re: Presidents and Telephones (Dave Niebuhr) Re: Presidents and Telephones (John Nagle) Re: Haiti Phone Network (Robert L. McMillin) Re: Haiti Phone Network (Brian T. Vita) Need Information on SONET (DQDB) Protocol Urgently (Mohammed A. Sami) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: pace@usace.mil (Joe Pace) Subject: Re: Alpha Pager Questions Organization: US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District Date: Sun, 9 May 93 12:28:45 GMT > accidentally left the pager in vibe mode. When I woke up, the > batteries were dead. Apparently I had gotten a page sometime > overnight, and the pager had completely run down the batteries by > vibrating every two minutes all night long. Of course, I lost the > page. It would be awfully nice if the pager would go into "low-power" > mode when it displays LO CELL; perhaps turning off the constant clock > display, going to a faster backlight timeout, and just flashing the > light when in "silent alert" mode instead of vibrating. Having experienced the same problem I installed a small switch on the side which disconnects the vibrator. The light still flashes though, so it works well as a silent paging mode. Joe Pace UNIX/Networking Analyst US Army Corps of Engineers pace@usace.mil Sacramento District JPPACE@UCDAVIS.BITNET ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: SCAN (Shared Check Authorization Network) Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Sun, 09 May 93 12:01:59 GMT In article jrf@b31.nei.nih.gov (Fidler, Justin) writes: > Recently, in the Washington, D.C. area, I've noticed that a lot of > retail stores now have a device that will read the numbers from the > bottom of a check. > My question to Telecom readers is this: How exactly does this work? Since our firm designs, manufactures, and markets these and related check-processing equipment, I'll take a stab at it. In the systems I'm aware of, there is usually a private database containing account number and some statistics. In low-end systems, there's just a "negative" database which includes the account numbers of known bad check writers (e.g. many NSF, closed accounts with outstanding checks, forged account numbers, etc.). In the better systems, there is also records for "known good" customers and, usually also statistics. Depending on the application, the teller can be instructed by the equipment to refuse your check, accept it with ID (e.g. an unknown account number or not lots of good check history), or accept it without any ID (known regular customer with good history.) The databases are built from the data collected by the system itself, by retailer's lists of bad checks, and/or by the clearinghouse company. The database may be local to a multi-site corporation, local to a site with nightly updating, or via a central clearinghouse company (e.g. on-line real-time.) As far as I know, the existing systems are all third-party or owned by the retailers and don't yet actually connect to the bank's computer, but I'm sure that won't last long if it's still even true. Like credit cards, these systems can collect interesting data about how much you spend where, how often, etc. We just happen to have all the equipment from an aborted clearinghouse- type operation sitting about 10' away as I type this -- we ran out of money to continue its operation much past a sucessful beta test. Lots of good nearly-new Codex equipment -- if anyone has cash send e-mail! > I'm not asking about OCR ... Interestingly, the MICR characters at the bottom of your checks are printed with magnetic ink (MI = Magnetic Ink.) Many readers do read them optically, but at on site where we had magnetic character recognition, we caught someone who did a very good (optically speaking) job of modifying his account number with a pen. I think most of the banking equipment is magnetic, but the cheap little point-of-sale scanners may or may not be. IMHO, the problem with all this is it just uses your account number. What is really needed is a tie to a person, such as a cross reference to an SSN or driver's licence. Tie-ins to banks would make that a possibility, in which case this system would be as secure as credit cards an would thwart simply opening a new virgin checking account. And of course, all the data is carried over either dialup or leased telco lines. :-) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 10:52:56 -0400 From: Gregory M. Paris Subject: Re: Motorola Alpha Cell Phone Reply-To: paris@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com Don Updyke writes: > However if you lock it with a function 5 it has a really interesting > FEATURE ??, its lock makes it not allow out or incoming calls. It is > disabled just as if you had powered it off. > Does anyone know a way to make lock work like the rest of the industry > and only lock others from using the device and not disable it from any > and all uses? The Alpha has several levels of security, or rather, restricted access modes, available. For instance, one can disable the ability to make outgoing calls, non-local outgoing calls, any calls except those made to phone numbers recalled from certain memory locations, etc. Though this may not match the "industry standard" you desire, it may help. Please consult your users manual... I wonder what it is you wish to accomplish by using the lock on a personal phone. If somebody steals your phone, all bets are off; you should suspend your service immediately. The lock really only stops casual non-authorized use of your phone (say by a co-worker picking it up when you've left it unguarded but locked). In my opinion, one is better off just keeping an eye on it. Greg Paris Motorola Codex, 20 Cabot Blvd C1-30, Mansfield, MA 02048-1193 ------------------------------ From: conmey@rtsg.mot.com (Raymond Conmey) Subject: Re: CCITT Standards on Line Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 15:52:02 GMT When I sent e-mail for the "HELP" file from teledoc@itu.arcom.ch I received the following about a new address. ------------------------------ Start of body part 1 WELCOME TO A TIES AUTO-ANSWERING MAILBOX (TAM) TIES (Telecom Information Exchange Services) is a set of electronic info services of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland. ITUDOC is the TIES electronic document distribution service. For help on commands used with the ITUDOC electronic mail interface or for info on other interfaces, send a message with the line HELP in the message body to this email address (itudoc@itu.ch). Include the line LIST for a list of index files to ITU electronic documents. NEWS FLASH: Please note new name (ITUDOC) for the ITU's electronic document distribution service and a new address for the electronic mail interface (itudoc@itu.ch). Mail to the old address (teledoc@itu.arcom.ch) will be auto-forwarded for a few months. TAM REPLY TO => HELP TAM replied on March 26, 1993 at 8:05 PM local time in Geneva. TAM help document is attached in next message body part. END COVER MESSAGE Ray Conmey Cellular Infrastructure Group Internet: conmey@rtsg.mot.com Motorola, Inc., General Systems Sector Voice: +1 708 632 5345 1501 West Shure Drive (IL27 1248) FAX: +1 708 632 3327 Arlington Heights, IL 60004 USA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 10:49:24 +1000 From: Liron Lightwood Subject: Re: Overcharging the Battery In comp.dcom.telecom tad@ssc.com write: > There is no memory effect, (stuff deleted) > Its too bad that nicads don't have a different charging curve, like > lead acid cells. Then it would be easy to build a smart charger that > would only charge the cells for exactly the right amount of time. Hold on. I've seen devices that claim to do something like this. I think they check the voltage or resistance or something like that. Also, I have seen devices with nicad batteries whose instructions say that you can leave them plugged into their charger and they won't overcharge. I have always assumed that they had some way of detecting when the device is overcharged. I have also seen devices where they specifically say to not leave them for longer than a specified time. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 May 93 00:16:26 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Re: Funding for Telecentres in Rural Communities Tom Worthington's post on the Australian telecentres proposal sounds much like the development of FreeNets in North America. The FreeNet concept is the one which started in Cleveland, and has since expanded to many cities such as Buffalo, Ottawa, etc. As for rural FreeNets, the northern Ontario town of Elliot Lake isn't rural per se, but has a FreeNet committee proposing a service in a part of Ontario far from major centres. Other FreeNet regions in the works include Toronto and Halton Region (west of Toronto). dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca dleibold1@attmail.com ------------------------------ Date: 09 May 93 05:32:43 EDT From: Marko Ruokonen <100031.31@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features >> There was no information if there would be any setup charges, but >> I bet TELEKOM always collects bucks for something. tpiper@pinnacle.demon.co.uk (Tony Piper) replied: > It's good to see that hard American dollars are still in circulation > in post-merger Germany! Well, not quite. We'd rather not use those green, all-same-size, look-alikes ...:-). Seriously: Germany is one of the G7 nations and as such, has a quite good currency on its own. Furthermore, the German PTT (Telekom) is still ownded by the government (or should I say state?). Imagine the exchange rate going down to 1.40 DM/$ again (that is, just before I have to pay the phone bill, of course). This would make a nice >10% discount from the current 1.55+ DM/$. Wouldn't that be nice? :-)) Note: My earnings are in "DeutchMarks" after all. I do not recall that dollars were used in Germany after 1949 when the 'Deutche Mark' was introduced. However, the US military bases in Germany may STILL use dollars for their own people. > [Moderator's Note: Isn't 'bucks' a slang term for the money of any > country, or does it apply only to US currency? If the former, then > there is nothing in the message to indicate *USA* money is being > paid. Or does 'bucks' refer to our money in the United States? PAT] Pat was right about how I *meant* it. I'm not a linguist. My apologies to those who thought Germany's currency were 'hard' American dollars. ;) BTW, we do have cars, VCRs, fax machines and more of such gadgets. (Had to say THAT. Who knows? I heard of people who thought that we do not.) :-))) Marko Ruokonen e-mail: 100031.31.compuserve.com phone/fax: +49 221 89 64 79 ------------------------------ From: barmar@Think.COM (Barry Margolin) Subject: Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? Date: 9 May 1993 15:55:17 GMT Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA In article Monty Solomon writes: > New England Telephone (NET) has provided this service for a while and > has just reached a settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General > where they will alert callers to the cost ($0.35) of using the > feature. I just hope that the price is put at the *beginning* of the message, e.g. something like, "For a 35 cent surcharge, please press to be transferred automatically to the number." More likely, the message will be something like, "Please press to be transferred automatically to the number; there is a 35 cent surcharge for this service." The problem with the latter message is that many customers are likely to press the button as soon as they hear the semicolon, thinking it's a period :-) before they hear about the charge. Barry Margolin System Manager, Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar ------------------------------ From: petel@sequent.com (Pete Lancashire) Subject: Re: US West Says I Can't Use 301+ on Voice Line Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. Date: Sun, 9 May 93 16:54:38 GMT In article is written: > He: If we find them running 14.4's on voice lines, we'll disconnect > them. They are lucky to be getting good transfers at that rate anyhow. > Me: Really? Why? > He: They interfere with voice communication. The only baud that will work > over voice lines effectively is 300 and below lines. 2400 is WAY too > fast to be transmitting. If we get calls about problems and they are > traced to your modem, we'll disconnect you too. I wish it was me they disconnected :) I'd love this one. Pete Lancashire petel@sequent.com Sr. Systems Engineer Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. ------------------------------ From: frackit!dave@uunet.UU.NET (Dave Ratcliffe) Subject: Re: Cordless Always Transmitting? Date: 9 May 93 20:34:09 GMT Organization: Data Factory Services, Harrisburg, Pa. In article , sle@world.std.com (steve l edwards) writes: > I have a Cobra cordless telephone. I noticed there is no switch hook. > Does this imply that the base unit is always transmitting even if the > cordless unit is sitting unused in the cradle? Unless it's quite unlike my old faithful Freedom Phone 700 it doesn't transmit unless it: A) detects carrier from the handheld unit (ie. OFF-HOOK condition) or B) has an incoming call (when it sends the ringing signal to the handheld). vogon1!compnect!frackit!dave@psuvax1.psu.edu Dave Ratcliffe - or - ..uunet!wa3wbu!frackit!dave Sys. <*> Admin. - or - dave.ratcliffe@p777.f211.n270.z1.fidonet.org Harrisburg, Pa. ------------------------------ From: adamg@world.std.com (Adam M Gaffin) Subject: Re: Newspaper-Telco Alliance Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 02:29:27 GMT In article dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) writes: > Today's {Newsday} announced that it had merged with NYNEX to provide a > News Phone. Note that NYNEX is not mentioned again but New York > Telephone is which shows that {Newsday} is not as smart as it should > be. Well, some newspapers have done very well with audiotex. You'd think, though, that {Newsday} would be particularly wary of Nynex. A few years ago, they dumped a ton of money into Nynex's Info-Look computer gateway system. Then Nynex pulled the plug on that, and poof, there went {Newsday's} online experiment (along with the once promising Citinet). Today, {Newsday} runs this little freeware BBS ... Adam Gaffin Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass. adamg@world.std.com Voice: (508) 626-3968. Fred the Middlesex News Computer: (508) 872-8461. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 08:21:49 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones In TELECOM Digest V13 #308 scott@dsg.tandem.com (Scott Hazen Mueller) writes: > "When Dwight Eisenhower returned to Kansas on January 20th, 1961, he > had not placed a phone call in his 20 years as general and President. > Unaware that a dialing system had replaced local operators, he had no > idea what to do when he heard the humming of the dial tone." This would include the time Ike spent as President of Columbia University in the late 1940s when he accepted the "keys to the city" on behalf of Associated Universities, Inc. to provide the personnel for the soon to be opened Brookhaven National Laboratory owned by the Atomic Energy Commission -> Energy Research and Development Agency -> Department of Energy. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility [Moderator's Note: Remember, Ike was a nice man, but he never was appointed or elected to anything because he *actually knew anything* about the position, whether it was president of Columbia or the United States. He obtained those positions because he was a popular war hero. General Eisenhower was given credit for winning the Second World War; as such, doors were open to him anywhere, despite his general ignorance of the technology of his time. Several years ago I interviewed his son David and daughter-in-law Julie (Nixon) on my weekly radio program 'Traces of Chicago'. David said as much that his father sort of stumbled into the presidency of the USA. Ah, but the 1940-50 era: those were the golden days at Columbia University! What a place it was then! PAT] ------------------------------ From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 03:51:46 GMT scott@dsg.tandem.com (Scott Hazen Mueller) writes: > "When Dwight Eisenhower returned to Kansas on January 20th, 1961, he > had not placed a phone call in his 20 years as general and President. > Unaware that a dialing system had replaced local operators, he had no > idea what to do when he heard the humming of the dial tone." Sounds like Bush and the checkout scanner. Those guys don't get out much. Lyndon Johnson has been credited with demanding the invention of "executive override", so he could break in on calls in progress. Johnson had two giant Call Directors on his desk, with individual buttons for everyone in government he called frequently. (His phones can be seen at the Johnson Library at Austin). And he didn't want to get busy signals. John Nagle ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 May 93 21:31 PDT From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: Re: Haiti Phone Network On Sat, 8 May 1993 20:40:22 GMT, the Moderator noted: > And why is Mexico considered 'international' to the USA when Canada is > part of the North American numbering plan? Mexico is also part of > North America ... I'm sure someone else will make this point, but we used to have a hack in the numbering plan that allowed ten-digit dialing into parts of Mexico, but nothing that was every really official. Hopefully, if the North American Free Trade Agreement ever gets signed, and Castro falls, we'll get ten-digit dialing everywhere in North America and its surrounding islands. Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com [Moderator's Note: But that's the catch: it was only a hack designed to make-do ... Canada has always had 'real' area codes. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 09 May 93 11:20:25 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Haiti Phone Network As long as we're on the subject of those two countries I'd like to add my two cents worth. The city that my office is located in (Lynn MA) has a large Haitian and Dominican population. Almost every Saturday, an occassionally on weekdays I'd get a call from a LD opertor from one of the aforementioned countries attempting to place a third party billing. The calls show up randomly on any line in my hunt group. Of course, English was not the primary language of the operator so one had to kind of guess what was being asked. I learned very quickly that any sound on the line, a grunt, a cough, a fax machine or dead silence would be interpeted as a yes at which point they would put through a $50.00+ call. I finally had to have NET put block on each line preventing collect and third party calls. What frosts my cookies is that I am the victim of fraud. To proctect myself I have to pay $1.00/line for the block. Brian Vita CIS$70702,2233 CSS, Inc. ------------------------------ From: masami@mtu.edu (MOHAMMED A. SAMI) Subject: Need Information on SONET (DQDB) Protocol Urgently Organization: Michigan Technological University Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 16:04:24 GMT I need any and all info on SONET (DQDB) protocol basically on the physical and data link layers. Please email your replies to: masami@cs.mtu.edu Thanks in advance. Sami ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #312 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa10203; 10 May 93 6:51 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14912 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 10 May 1993 04:17:24 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03572 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 10 May 1993 04:16:27 -0500 Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 04:16:27 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305100916.AA03572@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #313 TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 May 93 04:16:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 313 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? (Charles Mattair) Re: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? (Alan Boritz) Re: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? (Dave Niebuhr) Re: Individual Responsibility (David G. Cantor) Re: Protocol Analyzer Wanted (Gordon Croft) Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service (Arthur Kodama) Re: SCAN (Shared Check Authorization Network) (Steve Forrette) Re: Presidents and Telephones (Gabe M. Wiener) Re: Encryoted Cordless Phone (Jeff Freeman) Caller-ID Information Transmission Standard Query (Michael J. Purtell) Re: Internet Talk Radio (Daniel Drucker) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 May 93 13:51:50 CDT From: mattair@synercom.hounix.org (Charles Mattair) Subject: Re: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? Organization: Synercom Technology, Inc., Houston, TX In article dlsteven@acs.ucalgary.ca (Douglas Lloyd Stevens) and PAT writes: > So can someone deposit $1 in my account, and then make a "correction" > of their choosing? Ordinary deposit across the counter, no way. The teller is begging to get fired due to the resultant court suit. Wire transfer, I don't know. EFT, yes up to the limit of the original transaction. That is, they can't deposit $1 and correct that back to a $1000 withdrawal (see below). > [Moderator's Note: It is not your place to 'authorize' anyone to make > corrections to your account. The bank can use its right of offset > against future deposits made in your account to adjust the earlier > error. Part of your contract with your bank is that all deposits are > 'subject to verification and correction'. Because -- I presume -- you > have been a good customer of the bank -- not a snotty, demanding and > beligerant customer like so many people -- the bank lets you have the > funds right away from a wire transfer. The chances of error are slim, > and you need the money. But they could hold it a day or two, count it, > check everything out, etc, and let you stew in your juices waiting for > them to make sure everything checked out okay. PAT: The E & O clause in the deposit agreement refers to the errors and omissions in the banking system, not on the part of customers. EFT is not wire transfer is not EFT, at least according to my understanding. With a wire, an advice flows thru the system and the offsetting debit flows by reverse channel. I wire you $x. Then: . If the two banks (mine and yours) are direct correspondents, mine wires yours to advise, yours credits your account and debits my banks correspondent account. . If they aren't direct correspondents but are both Fed members in the same district, my bank wires the Fed to advise, the Fed debits my banks account and wires your bank to advise. Yours credits your account and debits its account with the Fed. . If in different Fed districts, same as above except FED1 notifies FED2 who notifies your bank. As you can see, the money takes a while to flow (my last wire took six hours to get from Berkley to Houston) and there are minimal safeguards in the system. If you can get the right passwords, it is easy enough to spoof or to generate unauthorized wires. EFT is a different creature. Here you are literally moving money or, more accurately, cash equivalents. ADP deposits $x in an account, presents the bank with a transmittal and a mag tape. After validation, the bank dumps the tape on the EFT system and poof, immediate credit items. Or at least they should be -- the bank damned sure has the money as soon as it gets the advice. Typically, these items are handled thru the local clearing house. Government checks are handled analogously: SS or whoever sends a tape to the Fed who routes the various credits to the appropriate Fed who routes to the destination bank (or correspondent, for non-Fed member) who ... again, cash equivalents, not advice of intent, so these are also immediate credit items. Some banks try to hold items like this, I'm not sure if it's illegal but the gov frowns strongly on such. Anyway, ADP did the same thing to our payroll some months ago - forgot to take out FICA or somesuch. The rumor mill picked up the foulup (several people verified last credit and it was way too much) and I call First Interstate to see what was going to happen. The best description I got was ADP would cancel the transfer -- it would look like a debit to my account but the real transaction code would be something different -- and recredit. According to FI, ADP cannot actually debit my account as I haven't given them authority. I was tempted to withdraw the money before the debit hit just to see what would happen but I didn't. On the other hand, C$ debited my account for a number of months with absolutely no authority -- I got the money back from them so I didn't have to fight with the bank. ADP has this thing wired -- it's not their money they're messing with. They won't send the transmittal to the bank until they have funds in hand as an immediate credit item (we send it to them by wire). Your mileage may vary ... Charles Mattair (work) mattair@synercom.hounix.org (home) cgm@elmat.synercom.hounix.org ------------------------------ Date: 09 May 93 22:35:48 EDT From: Alan Boritz <72446.461@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Does Direct Deposit Authority = Withdrawal Authority? crs@pioneer.com (Cris Simpson) writes: > [Moderator's Note: Not really a telecom question, but an interesting > diversion for a minute or two ... PAT] That's ok, I've got a telecom issue to add to it ... > So can someone deposit $1 in my account, and then make a "correction" > of their choosing? > [Moderator's Note: It is not your place to 'authorize' anyone to make > corrections to your account. The bank can use its right of offset > against future deposits made in your account to adjust the earlier > error. The question wasn't about a bank correcting it's mistakes, it was about ANOTHER DEPOSITOR correcting IT'S mistakes without bank intervention. They're very different. > When you authorized your employer to make direct payments to your bank > account, it was assumed that authorization included the right to > correct errors made in good faith by clerks who were acting for your > employer. How do YOU know what was "assumed?" Can we "assume" that a bank would follow the law and not try to cheat it's customers? One of the two banks (ten years ago) in Athens, Ohio, were caught on a simple UCC question regarding lost paychecks on a business law class field trip (who bears the loss if an employee's check is stolen and then the bank cashes it without knowing the endorser. The law was very clear on the issue (the bank pays), but the bank's policy (as explained by a VP) was to make the employer pay (they were known as the nastier of the two banks). Can you "assume" that all of the people who have authority to move money in and out of your accounts can be trusted to act properly every time they initiate or process a transaction? > Put another way, if you deposited your paycheck personally, and the > teller applied it to my account instead, should I get an attitude when > the bank sends me a notice several days later explaining why they are > 'withdrawing' the money from my account they gave me in error? Rephrasing your nonsensical example to match the original article, the scenario would be the DEPOSITOR withdrawing the money from your account, not the bank. > Try spending a few months working in the back office of a big > financial institution sometime, then write me again and let's see if > your attitude has changed any. ... See folks, I *told* you it would be > an interesting diversion for a minute or two. PAT] Well, I don't need to draw a paycheck to experience snotty beligerance -- I've been PAYING Citibank to treat me that way. After more than 20 years as a customer, they've chosen to make it so inconvenient, expensive, and distasteful for smaller depositors like me (especially those who work in New York and live in other states) I've finally pulled the plug on them. Some time ago I wrote an article here about the idiotic ACD Citibank operates (they call it Citiphone). I used to have a good impression of Citibank's, and Citicorp's, telecommunications group, after seeing first-hand how they've worked trunk-testing into such an art that NY Telephone used THEIR noise tests to monitor trunk and CO performance. But after experiencing Citiphone, I don't think much of the entire organization. The bank knows that most calls to them from New Jersey customers are a premium toll call, and the best advice a supervisor could give was to call collect (pointless, since a recording answers the phone and makes no mention of accepting charges). It's a shame that Citibank chooses to use telecommunications as one of the tools to get RID of customers, rather than keep them. Oh well, there's no sense being stupid unless if you can show the world ... Alan Boritz 72446.461@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 08:45:01 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: Does Direct Depoist Authority - Withdrawal Authority? In TELECOM Digest V13 #309 crs@pioneer.com (Cris Simpson) writes: > [Moderator's Note: Not really a telecom question, but an interesting > diversion for a minute or two ... PAT] Actually it is since the telephone system is used for direct deposits and automatic withdrawls. > A note along with my last paystub noted that ADP (the payroll giants) > had miscalculated some deduction for insurance. The note said that > for people with Direct Deposit, ADP would just withdraw the first > deposit, and immediately deposit the correct amount. (Since the > insurance isn't that good a deal, I don't get it, so I'm not in that > group.) In my agreement with my employer to direct deposit my paycheck, I had to specifically sign an agreement that incorrect amounts can be withdrawn if they should occur; and then only to the amount in error. > This raises the question: Who can withdraw money from my account by > wire? When asked this question, Bank of America 1) Refused to answer. > 2) When asked for a supervisor, hung up. Another call to Customer > Service provided a guy that said that anyone authorized to DD is > authorized to withdraw for "corrections". I never authorized anybody > to make "corrections" to my account! The Customer Service person was correct. Check your agreement with your employer and I'll bet that you'll find that corrections can be made to your account. Put it this way, if you were overpaid one payday and were paid by check and the employer found out about it during an audit, the employer would deduct that amount from your next check. The last statement about $1 being deposited then the depositor (in this case, not the holder of the account) brings up interesting questions and would be a natural for the alt.privacy newsgroup and the comp.privacy.digest also. Dennis are you there? Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Reply-To: dgc@math.ucla.edu Date: Sun, 09 May 93 17:37:19 -0700 From: David G. Cantor In TELECOM Digest, Volume 13, Issue 309, Robert Burgoyne makes various comments about individual responsibility and states, among many other things: > "Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I > work with other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. > I'd appreciate it if the Moderator would abstain from such > comments." > "Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a > piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but > that doesn't absolve responsibility." Mr. Burgoyne should be aware that telphone service is normally given without any document, signature, seal, hand-shake, or other customary method of making a binding agreement. Most persons who "sign-up" for telephone service know none of the details of the contract. The contract is defined by the local telephone company and approved by the State Communications Regulatory Agency (e.g., in California, the PUC) or, sometimes, the FCC. The contract is binding because laws passed by the States and Federal Government give these agencies authority to regulate telphone service. As might be expected, these contacts are normally quite one-sided in favor of the telephone company. The sleazy 900 provider in my opinion (most 900 service is, like a porno-book store, sleazy) is trying to use these laws to be paid for something which is NOT telephone service. In today's world, a telephone in the home is absolutely essential. It is virtually impossible to "lock-up" a phone so that another inhabitant of the household, room-mate, child, etc. can't use the telephone. It is easy to strip the phone wire and connect a $10.00 phone to it, or to defeat most of the devices sold to limit dialing. If Mr. Burgoyne didn't want to be ripped off, he could arrange for security codes for his users, like those used by long-distance services. Or he could, as many legitimite information providers do, arrange to bill the customer (or his credit card) directly for this service. David G. Cantor Department of Mathematics University of California Los Angeles, CA 90024-1555 Internet: dgc@math.ucla.edu ------------------------------ From: Gordon_Croft@mindlink.bc.ca (Gordon Croft) Subject: Re: Protocol Analyzer Wanted Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 20:14:12 GMT Navtel makes some very nice little units ... if you are interested I can send you some more details. Gordon ------------------------------ From: akodama@hawaii.edu (Arthur Kodama) Subject: Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service Organization: University of Hawaii Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 06:43:09 GMT William H. Glass (glass@vixvax.mgi.com) wrote: > back up? BTW, the phone number is (602) 638-0903 (according to my > credit card billing). Give 'em a call and ask for the wise guy who > ordered the Domino's pizza. I tried calling this number, as I'm very interested in talking to someone down in the canyon. Would be informative since I am planning to make that hike to the bottom someday soon. Unfortunately, when I called the number I got a "the number you have dialed has been disconnected" recording. Do you think the phone has been disconnected for incoming service? I think it's possible since you mentioned that the phone does not accept change. Is it one of those blue AT&T phones? Those don't allow incoming calls. akodama@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: SCAN (Shared Check Authorization Network) Date: 9 May 1993 21:56:01 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: > In the systems I'm aware of, there is usually a private database > containing account number and some statistics. In low-end systems, > there's just a "negative" database which includes the account numbers > of known bad check writers (e.g. many NSF, closed accounts with > outstanding checks, forged account numbers, etc.). > Tie-ins to banks would make that a possibility, in which case this > system would be as secure as credit cards an would thwart simply > opening a new virgin checking account. This last vulnerability has by and large gone away as well -- most banks now check your Driver's License number with SCAN or a similar network and won't open an account for you if you have a history of bad check problems at any bank. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones Reply-To: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Organization: Columbia University Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 03:06:49 GMT In article TELECOM Moderator noted: > into the presidency of the USA. Ah, but the 1940-50 era: those were > the golden days at Columbia University! What a place it was then! PAT] Hm? What sort of place was it then? Gabe Wiener -- gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu -- N2GPZ Sound engineering, recording, and digital mastering for classical music [Moderator's Note: I'm not sure if it was Columbia so much as it was the entire neighborhood. All of that end of town was extremely nice forty years ago. Of course Manhattan in general, like Chicago was a very wonderful place; not a jungle as it is now. Since your .signa- ture indicates you are involved in 'recording and digital mastering for classical music' you might be interested to know among the first dozen or so 33 rpm long playing records made by Columbia Records back in 1947-48 (remember when they were big, heavy platters?) were three recordings made at the university by the late E. Power Biggs, an organist of some fame. Two were recordings of J. S. Bach, the third was a collection of things entitled 'French Organ Music'. 33 rpm style recordings were quite revolutionary and very well received because it meant for the first time, people listening to classical music could listen to an entire work on one record instead having a box set of 15 records (front and back side, 30 records in total) just to hear a single symphony. No more jumping up to change the record every three minutes or so. :) Columbia University was also the place where one might run into William Burroughs, Tennessee Williams and other very creative and interesting people. My first two years in high school during summer vacation our drama/debate teacher Arthur Erickson took me with him to Columbia. Arthur was involved with some theatre thing for three weeks in July. We stayed with a friend of his a short distance away; what sticks in my mind was 115th and Riverside Drive; it was a couple blocks from that large church. Maybe Columbia will stand until hell freezes over; the rest of Manhattan, like Chicago, is long gone. PAT] ------------------------------ Reply-To: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net (Jeff Freeman) Date: Sun, 09 May 1993 20:00:00 Subject: Re: Encrypted Cordless Phone From: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net (Jeff Freeman) > With all the recent talk about Clipper chips, I was remembering the > court decision that cordless phone users had no expectation of > privacy. Are there any cordless phones that use some sort of > encryption device? I'm not thinking of hiding my conversations from > the NSA so much as hiding them from nosy neighbors. There are cordless phones which use digital transmission between the base and handset. VTECH makes the 900DX which has that feature. Their new 900DL also adds voice encryption. Cobra has their Intenna 900 cordless phone which uses a digital spread spectrum transmission between base and handset. We use a couple of the 900DX's and they are nice units. Jeff Freeman 1-800-GO-PORCH Toll-Free Front Porch Computers 1-706-695-1888 Rt 2 Box 2178 1-706-695-1990 Chatsworth, GA 30705 75260,21 Compuserve ID # Internet: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net ------------------------------ From: mpurtell@iastate.edu (Michael J Purtell) Subject: Caller-ID Information Transmission Standard Query Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 02:21:45 GMT I want to know what the format of the Caller-ID information is that's sent to a phone that subscribes to such information. Since boxes are made by third parties to interpret this information, it must be published or available somewhere. I'd really appreciate any pointers to this information. Thanks in advance. -- Michael Purtell -- mpurtell@iastate.edu Iowa State University ------------------------------ From: xyzzy@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Daniel Drucker) Subject: Re: Internet Talk Radio Date: 9 May 1993 16:14:00 -0400 Organization: A poorly-installed InterNetNews site I'm looking for someone who'd be willing to record internet talk radio onto standard audio tape. I'd pay for the tape, and the postage/handling. Daniel Drucker N2SXX | xyzzy@gnu.ai.mit.edu Forever, forever, my Coda. | und2dzd@vaxc.hofstra.edu ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #313 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa15552; 10 May 93 9:19 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14036 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 10 May 1993 06:37:10 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA06313 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 10 May 1993 06:36:01 -0500 Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 06:36:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305101136.AA06313@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #314 TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 May 93 06:36:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 314 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Telecom History (Syd Weinstein) Re: Telecom History (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: Telecom History (Gabe M. Wiener) Re: Telecom History (TELECOM Moderator) Warrant? We Don' Need No Steenking Warrant! We're the FBI! (R. McMillin) PacBell Call Return: Can It Be Blocked? (Eric Thompson) SSNs For Telephone Service (Dave Niebuhr) ANAC Wanted For Los Vegas (Frank T. Lofaro) CAOES Electronic Forum on Networking Emergency Management (Peter M. Weiss) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: syd@dsi.com (Syd Weinstein) Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: 9 May 1993 19:03:27 -0400 Organization: Datacomp Systems, Inc., Huntingdon Valley, PA Reply-To: syd@DSI.COM friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen Friedl) writes: > The telecom angle is that the phone numbers are listed: > Phones / Bell 1393 > \ Keystone 23693 > My guess is that this was from the day when there were competing > telephone services in town, and you had to have several phones if you > wanted to get calls from more customers. > [Moderator's Note: Camden readers can correct if if I am wrong, but I > believe 'Keystone 2-3693' would be now 532-3693. He's right and you are wrong. In the Philadelphia area, and Camdem qualifies, there were two phone companies up until the 30's. One is what is now Bell Atlantic, and the other was Keystone Telephone, and their slogan was, "When it rings, Its business" as they only sold to businesses. Today, a PBX/Key service company bought the Keystone name and uses it and its trademark. Around here you can still find Keystone manhole covers if you look hard enough. They were a very big service. And yes, Keystone did use five digit numbers; they didn't use LD as such and had the same number base in their entire marketing area down here. It was quite common to try and get common numbers in both Keystone and Bell areas if you had both phones. Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP Elm Coordinator - Current 2.4PL21 Datacomp Systems, Inc. Projected 3.0 Release: ??? ?,1994 syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd Voice: (215) 947-9900, FAX: (215) 938-0235 [Moderator's Note: Thank you Syd, and I stand corrected. Fred Goldstein tells it much the same way in his message, following next. PAT] ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: Telecom History Reply-To: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 03:42:31 GMT Mr. Moderator usually guesses right, but I strongly doubt that the date is from the "ready to go dial" period. Remember, Camden, NJ is right across the river from Philadelphia, noting the old joke, "Philadelphia really isn't boring; it just looks that way next to Camden." Philadelphia was the last bit-city bastion of competing telephone companies. Keystone was Bell's competitor, offering dial service long before Bell (no Bell had dial before 1926 or so). I suppose they came across the river to Camden, too. Keystone's glory days were around the fin de siecle. I don't know exactly when they folded but it might have been shortly after the Kingsbury agreement, in 1912, allowed AT&T to acquire all of the independent competitors in their own service areas. But I think Keystone stayed around a while longer. Anybody remember? Fred R. Goldstein mail to : goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Opinions are mine alone, sharing requires permission [Moderator's Note: And thank you, Fred. But didn't Kansas City have two local telcos up to in the 1940's sometime? PAT] ------------------------------ From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Subject: Re: Telecom History Reply-To: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Organization: Columbia University Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 03:07:38 GMT Several years ago I was browsing through old issues of the Columbia Spectator (campus newspaper) from the late 19th century. In 1895, a local cleaners had the phone number: 673 Morningside Yet in 1925, numbers for the area were written as: Morningside 3154 I had presumed that by 1925, NYC had gone direct dial. But even so, Morningside 3154 isn't a direct-dialable number, so I'm curious if anyone knows why the early listing has the exchange _after_ the number, and the later one has it first. When would the prefix have changed from MORningside to MOrningside? Just so you know, the 66X- prefix still covers many numbers on Morningside Heights, though 667 (MOR) isn't among them. 662 and 666 are still used there though. Explain something to me if you would. When operating a cordboard in a Bell exchange, how did the operator control what she heard? Obviously if she were connecting two numbers in the same town, it would be a matter of simply patching one to the other. But if I went off-hook, what is she plugging into the board? Is it the cord from her headset? or is it the actual cord that will carry my conversation? If the latter, then how does her headset figure into the picture? Thanks. Gabe ------------------------------ From: TELECOM Moderator Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 04:30:00 AM Gabe Weiner asks too much to be answered in a Note, even as long as I make them sometimes. Let's see if I can do a better job on this one than I did on the coat hanger inquiry, okay Fred and Syd? :) Originally -- like around 1880 -- there was one central exchange, and variously they were operated by subscriber name or number, depending on who ran it and how many subscribers there were, etc. Within a few years there were so many subscribers other exchanges had to be started in each city. They still used the same number, and the exchange name was pronounced by the subscriber to the operator almost as an after- thought "I want six seven five ... uh, ... Morningside exchange." I do not know when, but sometime around the turn of the century, Mother decided multiple exchanges were going to be the way things went, and standardized the exchange name first and the local number last. In a private letter to me, Gabe said 'I assume NYC had automatic dialing by 1925, yet Morningside is not dialable ...' I answered back (leading up to his message above) saying maybe Morningside XXXX was dialed as 3L-4D, as in MORningside. I do not know, I was only making a guess at that. I believe NYC got automated dialing in 1925 or so; NYC was the first place in the world to have it, and the only place for a few years. Maybe a long-time resident in the area can explain the evolution from Morningside to the present 66x numbers in the area. Gabe asks about cord switchboards: The operator's headset remained plugged in at all times. It was on a common talking path to any of the cords on the switchboard which were opened or closed (that is, taken in on the common talk path or excluded from it) by keys on the front of the switchboard. A subscriber going off hook caused a lamp to illuminate above the hole. The operator would take a free pair of wires and plug one wire into the subscriber's jack (or the hole on the back panel which was illuminated) and at the same time throw open the key associated with it, connecting the subscriber's line to her headset via the common talking path. She'd ask him what number he wanted, and use the other end of the wire to make the connection. She would then close the key, excluding herself from the conversation. If she were to open the key, she would hear the subscribers talking and they would hear her. If she were to open several keys at once, then all the subscribers talking would hear each other via the common talk line the operator used. When it was necessary for whatever reason for management to monitor the work or conversations of an operator, they simply put a tap across that common talking path. That way, they could observe the operator's conduct and speech as she responded to the subscribers, yet not violate the subscriber's privacy in the process since the operator's key was closed once she had made the connection. When the subscribers were finished talking, they would hang up their phone and this also caused a 'supervision lamp' associated with that cord pair to illuminate on the front panel of the switchboard. Seeing this, the operator would open the key, listen for conversation, and hearing nothing, pull the cords out of the holes. The cords were on spring-loaded wheels under the board, operating on the same principle as roller shades on windows. Pull it down, it stays down; jerk it a little in the other way, the cords would quickly slide back into the little slots where they rested when not in use. Typically, each switch- board (or 'position' as they were called) had fifteen such cord pairs for the operator to use and monitor. If there were only a couple hundred subscribers, then there would usually be only one position, with the subscriber holes on the lower half of the backboard, and lines to long distance etc on the top. If there were a couple thousand subscribers, then one operator could not handle all that, and the subscribers were divided in three parts, each operator getting about 700 subscribers directly in front of her, and the remaining 1400 or so in two parts, some to her left and some to her right. If one of my subscribers wanted to talk to one of your subscribers, I reached over in front of your face with the corresponding cord and plugged in on your switchboard or position with the other half of the cord pair plugged in on my side. Five or six thousand subscribers required sevral operators, and the customers were divided equally among the switchboard positions (divided by three) ... that is, every third position as you went down the line repeated what the third one before it had as far as subscribers were concerned. This made it possible for any one of three or four operators to handle any of the subscribers. A customer going off hook illuminated the lamps at several -- but not all -- positions and the first free operator plugged in and took the call. If there were more subscribers than it was possible to accomodate by dividing them in thirds (for example, 8000 subscribers divided by three positions meant 2700 per position, a *very hefty* load for an operator to handle), then there would be other similar banks of swithboards in the room. Perhaps there would be eight groups of switchboards, three in each group, each group of three splitting a thousand customers among them. There were not 'banks' or 'clusters' as such; all the switchboards were lined up along the wall one after another, marked position one through position twelve, etc ... the first three handling customers 1 through 1000, the next three handling 1001 to 2000, .... to finally 7001 through 8000. There might be several other exchanges in town, each set up the same way for their 8000 or so subscribers. In addition to the holes on the back of the board where the operator plugged one of her cord-pairs, there were numerous other holes, or jacks which were tie-lines *to the other clusters or groups* as well as to other exchanges in town. A call between two subscribers on the same exchange and whose numbers were close to each other merely required the operator to plug one end of the cord one place, and the other end someplace else in front of her. If the call went from one exchange to another, then the operator responded with one half the cord to the subscriber calling, and the other half of the cord went into the tie-line going to the other exchange. An operator at the other exchange would see the call arrive in the same way, via the illuminated lamp over the jack hole, and she answered it there, and extended it to a plug in front of her. The operator who picked up the call in the other exchange had to be advised what number to connect to, so the original operator would repeat just the digits. The operator accepting the call said nothing; the operator placing the call did all the talking. Example: Morningside subscriber wants to call Riverside customer 3125. MO customer goes off hook ... within two to five seconds at most, his central exchange operator is on the line. MO Operator: Number please? MO Sub: Riverside 3125 As soon as the phrase 'Riverside' passed from his lips, she was already reaching up to the top part of her board, inserting a cord in the tie line going to Riverside central exchange. As he is saying '3125' the MO operator is waiting for a response from Riverside. Riverside operator comes on: ..... click .... The operators did not ask 'number please?' of each other, or thank each other. MO knew that RI had connected when the click was heard. MO operator: Three one two five .... MO operator: Thank you (this was being said to you the subsriber, not to the other operator. Had it been a call intra to her position -- staying there within her grasp entirely, she would have repeated the number to acknowledge it to you. When calling the other exchange, her pronouncement of it served to tell the other operator where to extend the call and to acknowledge it to you at the same time. So in the 'manual days', calls were handled almost as fast as they are now with electronic swicthing ... seriously ... it was seldom more than five or ten seconds from going off hook to hearing the other end ringing. An operator who was not handling a call was trained to have a cord in her hand at all times, and when a lamp came on to instantly reach up and almost throw the cord into the jack. They rarely had to even look closely, they were that good at selecting one little hole out of several hundred, and of course all holes were labeled with the subscriber's number underneath them on strips of paper. Your phone going off hook lit the lamp; the operator was generally plugged into your jack by the time you got your phone to your ear, or within a second or two. A 'backlog' of calls meant several lamps burning at one time waiting, and several operators taking all of five or ten seconds to get around to them all. There were tie-lines on the switchboard going to 'Long Distance' oper- ators elsewhere, and tie-lines which hooked together all the switchboards in the room for passing calls among them, etc. If subscriber lines were multipled around the room in groups of three at a time, how did an operator know if a line was in use when she could not see a cord in the hole? ... Before actually plugging in, she touched the 'tip' of the cord (like today, the switchboard cords had a 'tip', a 'ring' and a 'sleeve' or ground) to the edge of the desired jack. If another operator somewhere who also had that subscriber on her board in fact had a cord plugged in there, any other operator 'testing for busy' before plugging in would hear a click on the line. If there was no click as a result of the 'tip to jack' test, then the line was available for the call she was handling. If she forgot to 'test for busy' before plugging in all the way, the end result would be an intruder on the line between two other subscribers. That, in a nutshell, was the way it was done, Gabe. PAT ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 20:32 PDT From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: Warrant? We Don' Need no Steenking Warrant! We're the FBI! Buried on page A14 of Saturday's {Los Angeles Times}: "The House sent the Senate a bill (HR 175) expanding [you mean they don't have to get a warrant as it is?? -- RLM] the FBI's power to obtain, without court warrants, telephone records and conversations in probes of international terrorism and espionage. "The bill grants the FBI access in such investigations to information on unlisted numbers that phone companies cannot presently divulge. It also enables FBI counterintelligence agents to obtain a broader range of telephone conversations involving suspected terrorists and spies. "Supporter Ronald D. Coleman (D-Tex.) said the bill strikes 'a delicate balance between [giving] the FBI the means to fight terrorism and espionage and our responsibility to protect individuals from unreasonable intrusion by the government. "NO OPPONENT SPOKE AGAINST THE BILL [emphasis mine -- RLM]. "The vote was 367 for and six against. A yes vote was to pass the bill." --- I've had enough of the arguments that the government can be trusted not to snoop on individuals. We've seen it before when it was *illegal*. Now, the FBI wants -- and looks like it will get, if this isn't killed in the Senate -- the ability to listen in on the private conversations of Americans, without having to go before a judge or any of those other unfortunate inconveniences. 'Delicate balance' my ass -- this is plain unconstitutional. Not only do the schmucks in Washington want ever more of your money, they want your civil rights, too. Operator, get me the EFF ... Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 00:52:40 -0700 From: thompson@netcom.com Subject: PacBell Call Return: Can It Be Blocked? Sorry if this was covered when PacBell started offering Call Return, but I noticed something interesting just today. Last week I found out my brother had Call Return so I called his line with a *67 prefix (which supposedly blocks Caller-ID?). When he did *69 for Call Return, it *did not* work. We tried it a few times, so I am sure it wasn't a fluke. Now, a week later, *69 does nothing and Call Return works *always*. He called PacBell and they said that there is no code to block your number so that someone can't Call Return your call. Are they lying? Are you supposed to be able to stop people from being able to Call Return your call? (I'm sure PacBell doesn't want any blocking...) Thanks, Eric (thompson@netcom.com) [Moderator's Note: *67 to block ID and *69 to return calls are two separate matters. Neither feature will work if the calling party is 'out of area'. If his ID was showing 'out of area' when you called, then his *69 would have had nothing to work with either. Your use of *67 may have been meaningless if your two central offices were not talking to each other -- SS7 style -- when you first began your tests. If during that week or so of testing, either or both of your offices started correctly talking to the other one, his ID box would suddenly start showing 'private' but his call return would work. To answer your question, no, there is no way to prevent someone with Call Return from calling you back. As 'they' say, if you don't like it, then don't make the kinds of calls which require it ... :) PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 93 08:27:38 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: SSNs For Telephone Service In TELECOM Digest V13 #308 frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) writes: > I just found a company that offers a zero surcharge calling card and > it costs nothing to get it. [ ... text deleted ... ] > If you would like to sign up for the service please send me your name, > Social Security number, address, and telephone number to be converted. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Why is a social security number needed? Is it to do a credit check or what and why isn't that spelled out in advance? The issue of SSNs does not belong here and should be taken to the alt.privacy newsgroup where that is discussed in more detail. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 09:29:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Frank T Lofaro Subject: ANAC Code Wanted For Los Vegas Does anyone out there know the ANAC code for Las Vegas? Any other "test" codes? I've found one can get a ringback just by dialing one's own number. Here are the codes I found for Pittsburgh: ANAC: 711-6633 (the last digits may differ, I've heard of 4411 being used in some areas. I know the 711-6633 code works here) Ringback 988-xxxx (where xxxx is the last 4 digits of your phone number. The 988 might be any exchange in the range 985-989 in some areas). New York City: ANAC: 958 Ringback: Not standard at all, but 660 plus possibly your phone number works in some areas. 660 does strange things in some neighboorhoods, like give dial tones which one could not dial numbers with). I couldn't find any Vegas numbers when I last checked the test numbers file on the telecom ftp site. ------------------------------ Organization: Penn State University Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 10:11:26 EDT From: Peter M. Weiss Subject: CAOES Electronic Forum on Networking Emergency Management Since the use of networks for emergency management has been discussed here before, I thought that you would find this x-posting (from the HSPNET-L listserv) interesting >>> Comments: Resent-From: "Donald F. Parsons MD" Comments: Originally-From: david tilson - admin DVI --------Original message------ Hi All, The following was sent by Art Botterell, from the California Office of Emergency Services. Art's Internet address, for further information is acb@oes.ca.gov Regards, davidt ELECTRONIC FORUM ON NETWORKING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT The California Office of Emergency Services invites practitioners and students of emergency management to take part in a new electronic- mail forum (which we hope will be a worthy complement to "ADMIN".) "Networks In Emergency Management" is a moderated forum on the uses of networks and networked computers in the practice of emergency management. The "nets" forum is facilitated by staff of the Telecommunications Division, California Office of Emergency Services. However, opinions and representations are the writers' own, and their inclusion in this forum does not imply endorsement by the State of California or California OES. Comments for this forum may be mailed to "nets@oes.ca.gov". We'll include the most appropriate ones, as space permits, in the next issue. To be added to the "nets" mailing list, please send e-mail to "nets-request@oes.ca.gov" with the word "subscribe" in the message text. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #314 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa04307; 11 May 93 5:55 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA11530 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 11 May 1993 03:06:01 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA07482 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 11 May 1993 03:05:01 -0500 Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 03:05:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305110805.AA07482@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #315 TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 May 93 03:05:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 315 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Individual Responsibility (Paul Robinson) Re: Individual Responsibility (Allen Barrett Ethridge) Re: Individual Responsibility (Jim Rees) Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (Jim Rees) Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! (Frank Keeney) Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem (Bruce Sullivan) Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem (Robert Smith) Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? (Paul S. Sawyer) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 03:06:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA J. Robert Burgoyne , writes: JB> Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I work JB> with other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. I'd JB> appreciate it if the Moderator would abstain from such comments. I have read the prior articles and I don't think that the Moderator necessarily referred to 900 providers as "sleaze". JB> In this world, we have responsibility. Many people don't fully JB> realize their responsibilities, and whine when things like the JB> roommate situation happens. The case of one person making JB> excessive long distance calls on another person's phone has JB> been a problem for a long time. Pay per call services just offer JB> another occassion for this to happen. JB> If you want the responsibility of owning a telephone and having JB> service, it's necessary to take precautions. That responsibility JB> falls on the shoulders of the person who signed for the phone. To hold people responsible for what they have no control over is blind lunancy; the sort of situation that occurs in the telephone industry where the subscriber is held 100% responsible for all charges on a phone whether they are authorized or not, has only continued because people haven't seen huge charges they did not authorize on their bills. In most cases there is no means for a subscriber to selectively allow calls to go through; he either has to block all long-distance service or accept responsibility for everything whether or not (s)he authorized it. If the telephone companies don't clean up their act and give subscribers more control over the costs involved (such as the ability to passcode lock a telephone line) they will almost certainly be forced to do so. Credit card companies got forced to eat all fraud over $50 on credit cards because they refused to do something about it. (More on this later.) RB> Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges RB> appear on your next bill. Who's responsible? If I *permit* someone to use my card, that's fine; I take the responsibility, however your analogy fails: If I go on vacation and leave some of my credit cards at home and a thief breaks in, (or sneaks into my hotel room while I'm taking a shower), steals one card (so I don't notice it missing for several hours) and runs up $2,000 in plane tickets, the maximum liability the issuer of that Master Card can impose on me is $50. If that same thief, on the weekend I was out of town, ran up $2,000 in calls to 900 numbers, the telephone company would declare me responsible for the charges even though I had no way of knowing about them and no way of preventing them. (Even if I remove my phone, someone could plug one in.) If a thief stole my ATM card, unless I keep my number on or near the card, he can't get money out of it. If he forces me, at gunpoint, to give him the number and while I'm tied up, he withdraws the maximum of say $500, the maximum liability for that unauthorized transaction is still $50. And some issuers of plastic don't even require the person to pay the charge. Also, when a person has a credit card, they have a limit. Go over it and you have to ask the issuer for permission to continue to charge. Or start running ten charges a day and the issuer will try to contact you to verify that they are valid. Credit card issuers have to do this to prevent chargebacks and fraud. Telephone companies don't because they've gotten away with making the customer eat every charge as well as not giving him options for protecting himself against fraud. RB>> It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign RB>> their name. RB> No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed RB> a piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but RB> that doesn't absolve responsibility. Mr. Burgoyne uses digex.com as his Internet provider, so I'll assume he's in the Washington, DC area since I also use the same service. If this is the case, that he lives in DC, Maryland or Northern Virginia, that he has telephone service with C&P Telephone company. When I moved from DC to Maryland (where a different relative had phone service and I had never had service before in my name) the only thing C&P Telephone wanted was a social security number and 150 green pictures of George Washington. They never once asked for anything to be signed. All they wanted was advance payment of installation and first month's service. (Unless C&P Telephone started requiring signatures for new service recently.) And in case people here have forgotten, I had two additional phone lines installed and service changes issued (See my two Digest Articles "Touch Tone is No Extra Charge," Feb 1993) and all the phone company wanted was for someone to be here when they installed the new lines; I was billed for everything. I have never signed any piece of paper or application with the telephone company. Not because I refused, but *because C&P Telephone never asked me to sign anything*. RB>> Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep RB>> your phone under lock and key! RB> People do this! And there's nothing wrong with doing it! As long as there are no other open jacks and that phone can't be unplugged and replaced by a $15 "throwaway", or the person has a block at the network interface block so that it prevents all expensive calls AND that the block can't be avoided or shunted around. RB>> A poor roommate choice (including circumstances like college where RB>> you don't even have a choice) can cost you thousands of dollars and RB>> the use of your phone forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you RB>> have no recourse in the case of fraud. RB> Boo hoo. It is *exactly* this type of attitude, that where the customer has unlimited responsibility for all unauthorized charges and has no means to prevent them, that is going to encourage the imposition of controls and limits on charges. If telephone companies and IPs do not give customers more control over unauthorized charges, a few more horror stories of multi-thousand-dollar bills will cause government agencies to use government force to compel this feature. Local telcos are always whining about they aren't making the kind of money they used to. Here's a perfect opportunity; passcoding of phone lines exactly the way a cellular phone has a lock code on it prohibiting calls if the phone is locked. This feature is important enough that people will certainly pay extra for the privelege. Or using the intelligence in their switches to offer the same thing that's available in refusing incoming calls from some numbers: permitting some long distance calls to some numbers or exchanges and not others. Phone companies can provide this for centrex customers; they should consider it for residential ones. Before this is a mandated free feature. Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM / tdarcos@access.digex.com ------------------------------ From: allen@well.sf.ca.us (Allen Barrett Ethridge) Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 04:05:55 GMT J. Robert Burgoyne (burgoyne@access.digex.net) wrote: >> Justin Leavens (leavens@bmf.usc.edu) wrote in response to TELECOM >> Moderator who had earlier noted: >>> [Moderator's Note: Well, I used to think the tariff requirements >>> making 'the subscriber responsible for the use of the instruments' >>> also applied to premium services such as 900/976, but a few writers >>> here have said the tariff only pertains to services actually sold by >>> telco (that is, phone calls) and not the premium stuff they simply >>> bill for. > Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I work with > other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. I'd appreciate > it if the Moderator would abstain from such comments. As they say, if the shoe fits ... > The IP and the IP alone is stuck with the bill for uncollectibles. That's 'cause "The IP and the IP alone" is responsible. > In this world, we have responsibility. Many people don't fully realize > their responsibilities, and whine when things like the roommate > situation happens. The case of one person making excessive long > distance calls on another person's phone has been a problem for a long > time. Pay per call services just offer another occassion for this to > happen. > If you want the responsibility of owning a telephone and having > service, it's necessary to take precautions. That responsibility falls > on the shoulders of the person who signed for the phone. > The IP spent money setting up and advertising their service. They took > a risk with the intention of making a profit. The more people whine > about protection from all responsibility, the more freedom is taken > away. Personally I like freedom. That's why I live here. I live here 'cause I like freedom, too. Freedom requires responsibility. That's why i can't stand it when people try to push off their responsiblity onto others and then have the hypocrisy to call these other people irresponsible. It's like this -- it is the responsibility of the service provider to verify the ability and willingness of the user to pay for the service. I have an agreement with both my local and long distance service providers to pay for the use of their services. I also have accounts on bulletin boards such as America On Line and the Well. None of these service providers agreed to provide service without getting my agreement to pay and, to some extent at least, verifying my ability to pay. 900 services, on the other hand, make no effort to verify the validity of the caller, and then they have the gall to whine when they don't get paid. If I allow someone to use my phone, or to access my bulletin board accounts then I will pay any long distance or BBS (on my account) charges incurred by that person, even if that person abused my trust, because I have an agreement with those organizations. I have no such agreement with any 900 service provider -- and allowing someone else to use my phone does not create such an agreement (any more than my allowing someone to use my phone to access their own BBS account creates an agreement to pay for their BBS account charges). >> This is one of the prime reasons I hate the IP billing situation: >> You can only put one name on a residential phone account, and that >> person becomes responsible for whatever massive charges are >> accumulated on that account, no matter who makes the calls. > Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear > on your next bill. Who's responsible? As I said -- I'm responsible for the telephone charges and I'll pay them. Lending my phone does not constitute commitment to pay for any services that may be reachable through that phone. >> It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign >> their name. > No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a > piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but that > doesn't absolve responsibility. One more time -- the owner of the phone is responsible for the phone charges -- the user is responsible for the services he may call. And the service provider is responsible verifying the user. >> And IP's are really only a problem because of the massive charges >> that can be accumulated without warning (it's obvious when your >> roommate spends five or six hours on the phone to another country, but >> those same charges can be accumulated in about 30 minutes with an IP). > $2,100 in 30 minutes? That's $70 per minute. The maximum limit is > about $5 per minute. Most IPs won't let a caller make a phone call > that exceeds $100. The caller is cut off or warned. Let's consider these numbers. I can call Hawaii from Texas for less than $10 an hour. $2100 would be 210 hours, or seven hours a day for 30 days (just about a month). It's going to be very obvious to me that someone is abusing my trust if they're using my phone seven hours a day every day for a month. $2100 at $5 per minute comes to 420 minutes or seven hours. That's less than fifteen minutes a day! I'm supposed to realize my trust is being abused with that little telephone time?!? Seven hours to Hawaii is less than $70 dollars, and there's a big difference between $70 and $2100. >> Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your phone >> under lock and key! > People do this! And there's nothing wrong with doing it! This is what really makes me mad. People have had telephones since long before 900 services were available. We used to be able to trust each other with our phones, because we knew that even if abused the charges would not be entirely out of line. And then the 900 sleazes came in and took advantage this trust, and the poor security of the existing telephone system in general, and here Mr. Burgoyne has the insolence to attribute the breakdown of trust, the loss of freedom to the "irresponsibility" of the owners of telephones. The real blame clearly lies with the 900 service providers and there cynical abuse of the trust we used to be able to extend to each other. I live in an apartment, and I cannot verify the honesty of all the employees of the apartment management. I am compelled by circumstances to trust the management. Or does Mr. Burgoyne believe that, in addition to locking my phone I should also call the phone company whenever I leave my apartment and have them suspend service just so my line can't be used by some disgruntled short-time apartment employee to make 900 calls? Am I also somehow responsible if this same employee decides to steal my computer or stereo? After all, I could take them to the bank and put them in a (rather large) safe deposit box every time I leave. >> A poor roommate choice (including circumstances like college where >> you don't even have a choice) can cost you thousands of dollars and >> the use of your phone forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you >> have no recourse in the case of fraud. > Boo hoo. That's about how i feel about your losses. > [Moderator's Note: I don't think I ever said *all* 900 services were > sleaze. There are some that are total ripoffs. If I ever run one, I > would hope to make it valuable to the people who used it, at an inex- > pensive price. PAT] I hope Pat has the decency to verify and properly bill his users, rather than just blaming the owner of the phone. [Moderator's Note: I don't do anything with 900. I've thought about it but never started anything. I would try to run it honestly, and if I were involved with other partners or associates in such an operation I would see to it they received a full accounting, etc. I would work with customers who protested charges to straighten things out. Of course, I would probably go broke again, like I am now ... the volume of calls required on 900 to make it worthwhile is also the reason that providing good customer service becomes difficult. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Date: 10 May 1993 16:41:26 GMT Organization: Center for Information and Technology Integration In article , burgoyne@access.digex.net (J. Robert Burgoyne) writes: > Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I work with > other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. When I ordered my phone line, I contracted for phone service, not psychics, sex, or software support. Just because what you're doing is legal doesn't make you any less sleazy in my view. I would have more sympathy if there were some way to block these types of calls, but my local phone company tells me that 900 blocking is advisory, not absolute. ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! Date: 10 May 1993 17:28:32 GMT Organization: University of Michigan CITI In article , Paul Robinson writes: > [Moderator's Note: Winnemac is also a fine little village in north > central Indiana. Very friendly place. PAT] Are you sure? I've got the entire USGS place name data base, the US postal service zip code data base, and the V&H tapes on line here, and I show no entries for Winnemac. [Moderator's Note: In that case, try 'Winamac' instead. Sorry. PAT] ------------------------------ From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 14:08:30 -0800 Subject: Help!! Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab! On Apr 30 20:56, Jerry Stubbs wrote: > A friend of mine's roommate ran up a big 900 bill over a > three month period and has split. I guess the phone company > will bump off one month of it but they want the rest. What > can this guy do? The scoundrel hid the phone bills until they > shut off the service. I'm in the collection business and I used to skip trace people that did not pay their long distance phone bills. I would suggest that if you don't know this person's present address that you call all the numbers that are listed on the phone bills and just tell those people that you are one of his friends trying to find him. I used to call friends, relatives, and parents with great success. Once you find him file suit against him in small claims court. If he does not appear a default judgement will be issued against his roommate and it will appear on the roommate's credit report for five to seven years. This threat may help you get this deadbeat to pay up. Frank Keeney | E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com 115 California Blvd., #411 | Fidonet 1:102/645 Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA | UUCP hatch!calcom!frank | FAX +1 818 791-0578 [Moderator's Note: I caution you to remain within the parameters of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when doing skip tracing. You are not his 'friend', you are a person who has a business matter to discuss with him ... and you are not to identify yourself or your employer unless specifically requested, and then only to the extent required. You'll not contact these people a second time unless they invite you to call back later because they expect at that point to have the information you are seeking. I say this under the assumption you work for an agency; if you *are* the creditor then the FDCPA does not apply to you. It used to not apply to attornies either, but that was changed a few years ago. You might respond that since you only skip-trace and do not (at the same time) make demand for payment you are therefore not collecting, therefore the FDCPA is inapplicable to your circumstances. That is tenuous at best and many a debt collector has had the tables turned and been sued because of an overzealous employee who either made publication of a debt in a way that was not legal or who made demand on the wrong party. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 00:22 GMT From: Bruce Sullivan Subject: Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) writes: > I called Illinois Bell once to report excessive noise on one of my > lines. Their first question was "Is it OK at the demarc?". When I (text of message deleted) I had similar problems a year ago with US West. Because the house I'd just bought had awful (telephone) wiring, I paid US West a premium to rewire as part of the installation. As insurance, I also bought their 'Linebacker' insurance that says they own the problems *inside*, too. Inspite of all that, I still had problems on my main line with noise and static. US West gave me their best we-don't-care-we-don't-have-to run around for two weeks or so telling me, among other things, that my cordless phone was the problem ( "Really? Gee, even when it's unplugged?" ). They didn't get serious about it until *I* started dropping technical terms on them. Then, grudgingly acknowledging that, since I'd purchased the Linebacker insurance, they sent the tech out. Fortunately, he was sharp, had a good customer-service type attitude, and wasn't interested in blaming the problem on me. In very short order, he'd isolated the problem to a *VERY OLD*, beat up line coming into the house. With a modicum of extra effort, the original installer would've found the same thing. I dropped the Linebacker a month or so later. It's been great ever since. That is, aside from five to ten calls a week for the previous owner of my new number, but that's another story :-( ). ------------------------------ From: ROBERT SMITH Subject: Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem Date: 10 May 93 19:18:30 GMT Reply-To: ROBERT SMITH Organization: Stakeholder Relations, NCR Corp in Dayton,OH In article jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) writes: -toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: >> I thought it was the telco's responsibility to install a demarc JACK? >> Around here (WA state) the new ones (residential) are all demarc/jack >> combinations, and I've had the telco "fix up" the old ones by >> replacing the protector/junction block with a demarc/jack at no charge >> when I wanted to add wiring. Anyone ever have a telco refuse to do >> this, or has anybody else ever asked? > I called Illinois Bell once to report excessive noise on one of my > lines. Their first question was "Is it OK at the demarc?". When I > explained that my house was wired many years before anybody ever heard > of demarc jacks, they explained that I would be billed if the problem > turned out to be inside the house. I then asked that they install a > demarc jack so I could determine where the problem was, but they > insisted that they couldn't do that for free (although they could do Here in Ohio Bell/Ameritech land, I faced a similar Catch-22 -- they will charge me to fix noise if it's due to internal wiring, but I do not have a modern demarc jack that will easily allow me to determine if it's an internal or external problem. I was fortunate in resolving this -- I got a nice person in customer service who agreed to have a modern demarc installed ("interface" is their term for it). Previously, when I called the repair number rather than the customer service number, they would not offer to install the demarc for free. So the moral is, call back and see if you get lucky! Bob Smith E-mail => Robert.D.Smith@daytonoh.ncr.com ------------------------------ From: paul@senex.unh.edu (Paul S. Sawyer) Subject: Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? Date: 10 May 1993 13:34:38 GMT Organization: UNH Telecommunications and Network Services In article barmar@Think.COM (Barry Margolin) writes: > The problem with the latter message is that many customers are > likely to press the button as soon as they hear the semicolon, > thinking it's a period :-) before they hear about the charge. Maybe they should have Victor Borge record the message! :-) Paul S. Sawyer - University of New Hampshire CIS - Paul_Sawyer@unh.edu Telecommunications and Network Services VOX: +1 603 862 3262 50 College Road FAX: +1 603 862 2030 Durham, New Hampshire 03824-3523 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #315 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa09351; 11 May 93 7:47 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05554 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 11 May 1993 05:13:44 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23968 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 11 May 1993 05:13:00 -0500 Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 05:13:00 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305111013.AA23968@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #316 TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 May 93 05:13:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 316 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson CWA to Monitor TCI (CWA Press Release via Phillip Dampier) Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Reza Hussein) Brokers of Telephone Capacities (Christian Eggenberger) Calling Cards Without Phone Service (Javier Henderson) Audix Menu Customization? (Louis J. Judice) Busy Signal Received via Orange Card (Carl Moore) Position Available - 5ESS Central Office Tech (Walt Moody) VIVA 9642I Modem (Robert White) Wanted: A&A1 Relays (Alex Pournelle) Interesting (Free) Magazine (Jeff Wasilko) Why CO's Have No Windows (Steve Edwards) 206 Being Split Soon (Darren Eslke) 900Mhz Cordless Phones (jgy@hrojr.att.com) Re: Telecom History (Harris Boldt Edelman) Re: Telecom History (Jeff Billin) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org (Phillip Dampier) Reply-To: phil@rochgte.fidonet.org Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 21:35:46 -0500 Subject: CWA to Monitor TCI CWA LEADER SAYS UNION WILL MONITOR TCI PRACTICES IN PITTSBURGH, ELSEWHERE, WITH HELP OF CABLE REFORM LAW Communications Workers of America PHILADELPHIA -- Following the ruling by a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission administrative law judge allowing the acquisition by Digital Direct (a TCI subsidiary) of Pittsburgh telephone provider Penn Access Corporation., the regional Vice President of the Communications Workers (CWA) said his union will continue to closely monitor TCI operations in Pittsburgh and other cities for "abusive practices." CWA had lodged protests against the sale with the state PUC, charging that TCI has a track record of inferior customer service, poor treatment of its employees, and abusive business practices that make it a "bad corporate citizen," according to CWA Vice President Vincent Maisano. Maisano reported that the CWA declined to file an exception to last week's PUC ruling on the sale, noting that the recent Cable Act and rulings by the Federal Communications Commission "give us and the citizens of Pittsburgh a powerful tool to monitor this company and see that TCI abuses against the public and company employees are stopped." Maisano, head of CWA's District 13 headquartered in Philadelphia, said: "We're unhappy that our position did not prevail" on the sale, "but we're confident that we did the right thing. We intervened because we wanted to assure that the citizens of western Pennsylvania would not be abused by TCI in their phone service as they have been in their cable TV services." "TCI has a long history of abusive sales practices, poor service, high employee turnover, and unending litigation against the cities where they hold a monopoly in cable TV," Maisano noted. TCI's business record, he said, was a major reason for "overwhelming public support for the Cable Act of 1992." "This new law specifically prohibits negative subscription advertising. This provision was included because TCI attempted to make subscribers pay for a service they did not order when they launched their Encore network in 1991," Maisano said. ------------------------------ From: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) Subject: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: 10 May 1993 18:08:03 -0500 Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, Texas Reply-To: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) Hi, Not too long ago, my housemate moved out and out of the country, and didn't have time to notify a major charge card company of his change of address. Apparently, he had been negligent in paying up his way overdue bill. Anyway, a representative from the same charge card company and requested to speak to my housemate. I told him he had moved out, and the representative demanded the phone number and address of my housemate. Now, I know that you don't have to legally provide such information over the phone to anyone at all, so I gave him a fake phone number. The representative diligently hung up and called back almost immediately complaining I had given him a fax number, yelling "How do you expect me to communicate with a fax machine?" He then demanded the correct number and address, and when I refused, he claimed I was "witholding information." Anyway, the rest of the phone call was very unpleasent and at one point the representative threatened to keep on calling until I divulged correct and helpful information. In a seperate incident, another person called up for yet another ex-housemate of mine. Once I told him my housemate had moved out, his seemingly batless response was: "Do you have his phone number and this will prevent us from calling your house again?" The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? And threatening to do it again? Thanks to all advisors. Reza Hussein -- rhussein@uh.edu; Computer Science; University of Houston [Moderator's Note: The best way would be to give them the address and phone number of your former housemate, unless for some reason you wish to sheild that person from the calls. Have you also tried contacting your former housemate and asking *them* to update their records with the companies in question, letting them know you are tired of getting the phone calls? Creditors do have some rights, you know. If you do not want to tell them, then just say so and hang up; no need to give them false information; that might eventually come back on you. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 11 May 1993 01:08:58 +0100 From: EGGENBERGER@sgcl1.unisg.ch Subject: Brokers of Telephone Capacities Hi Patrick, I am searching for information about international brokers of phone capacity like 'Via USA Ltd.', 'International Discount Telecommunications Corp.' (IDT) in New York or 'Telegroup, Inc.' based in Fairfield, IA. I was querying many libraries in U.S. and Europe without success. I am not sure whether the term broker is exceptionally used for financial brokers or whether there is just no interest in this subject. Especially I am looking for: a) The approxroximate number of brokers who are doing business with international phone capacities; b) Name and address list of telephone brokers; c) Rates and rate structures of these companies; c1) In which time frame the rates are changed; d) The dial and transmission process of establishing tele- phone calls; e) The number of calls they can handle simultaneously; f) The equipment these guys are using (investment cost?); g) The accounting procedure (manual / automatic) between: g1) Broker and the U.S. based long-distance carrier; g2) Broker and the PTT the caller is living; g3) Broker and caller. h) General advantages and drawbacks of setting up calls over brokers instead of using long-distance carriers; h1) Service quality in terms of connection time, speech quality, billing reliability. i) Are there any international telephone brokers who establish not only calls between countries on different continents but also calls between neighbour states? k) How flexible can a broker change the long-distance carrier? l) Do the brokers have something like a decision support system to figure out which carrier is offering the best connection for a certain call? m) Who is asking for this service (market segment). n) Is anybody out there who can tell a story about an experience they made with broker's services? o) Are there any public accessible tariff rate databases in the U.S. or other countries? I appreciate any hints whether small or big. I am positive you would bring me a big step further in my dissertation. I will collect the information and put the final result back to the group, if anybody is interested. Regards, Christian Eggenberger ------------------------------ From: Javier Henderson Subject: Calling Cards Without Phone Service Date: 10 May 93 12:34:11 PDT Organization: Mayo Laboratory Network Hello everyone, Is it possible to have a calling card without having phone service in one's name? Obviously the local phone company won't go for it, but perhaps there are vendors out there who do this sort of thing. Maybe the Orange card? Thanks, Javier henderson@mln.com [Moderator's Note: AT&T issues a 'miscellaneous non-subscriber account' calling card. Actually, I think it is handled by Cin. Bell under contract to AT&T, but that is not important. Sprint may do the same thing. Orange will issue cards without 'associated phone numbers' but they do a detailed credit check on the person. PAT] ------------------------------ From: judice@sulaco.dnet.dec.com Subject: Audix Menu Customization? Reply-To: judice@sulaco.dnet.dec.com Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 13:17:34 GMT Does Audix have menu-customization capability; ie. to make it behave like ... Aspen? Please no Audix vs. Aspen flames! Louis J. Judice | Email: judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com Digital Equipment Corp. | Office: 908-562-4103 20 Corporate Place South | FAX: 908-562-4570 Piscataway, NJ 08876 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 May 93 13:22:23 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Busy Signal Received via Orange Card Today, I tried a call via Orange Card to 302-737 prefix from 410-272 prefix. I followed the normal procedure: 1-800-xxx-xxxx (the Orange Card switch number) (get steady tone) The digits from Orange Card, then 302-737-xxxx, then the PIN. Twice I did this and got a busy signal which was of the same speed but of much higher pitch than the normal busy signal I'd get from an ESS switch, which is what I think 302-737 uses. Any clue as to what is going on? (I then used this procedure to call another number on 302-737 and got thru to the normal ringing signal.) [Moderator's Note: Has it happened before or since, with the same number or other numbers? I suspect the distant phone was busy is all. Do you think something else might have been involved? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 10 May 1993 13:42:43 -0700 (MST) From: Walt Moody Subject: Position Available - 5ESS Central Office Tech If you are 5ESS trained and qualified, you may be interested in the following: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES 1717 EAST SPEEDWAY TUCSON, ARIZONA 85719 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TECHNICIAN, SENIOR. The successful candidate will be responsible for the operation, administration, and maintenance of the University 5ESS Telecommunications switch, installation and testing of voice and data equipment, and back up support to the frame technician. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of appropriate technical training programs, system certification courses and six years of telecommunications experience which includes one year maintaining digital software driven systems. SALARY RANGE: $19,167 - $33,500 annually. A UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA APPLICATION IS REQUIRED, and in addition, send resume to: Paula Loendorf, Director, CCIT, Telecommunications, Building 73, Tucson, AZ 85721. CLOSING DATE: JUNE 1, 1993. Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer ------------------------------ Subject: VIVA 9642I Modem From: uttsbbs!robert.white@PacBell.COM (Robert White) Date: 10 May 93 14:16:00 GMT Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591 Reply-To: uttsbbs!robert.white@PacBell.COM (Robert White) I have purchased a new internal modem, Viva 9642i 14.4 Fax/Data. I have some problem figuring out how to set this one up, I tried to call a customer support, but they put on me their voice mail and will get back to me in three or four business days. The communication I have is Telix 3.15 and us Modecfg 3.21, in the configuration of modecfg has a ssetup for Viva 9642e..and its doesn't work 100%. 1. I am not getting a reliable connect, just the speed rate and just sitting there until I presse any key to logon... 2. The flow control is not showing the screen during download, but it did show upload. 3. During upload its stop and lock the system... 4. Logoff the from BBS it's did do a hang up and did not show "NO CARRIER" on the screen, but I notice I pressed the space bar its advance the next line. I would appreciate any one who own the Viva Modem could help me on this, I did read the manual, and still can't figure out yet... Thanks RWhite The Transfer Station BBS (510) 837-4610 & 837-5591 (V.32bis both lines) Danville, California, USA. 400+ MB Files & FREE public Internet Access ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Wanted: A&A1 Relays Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Mon, 10 May 1993 20:48:43 GMT While I realize that this isn't a wanna-buy group, I can't find anyone who has 'em, and there's no comp.dcom.wanted, so here goes ... I need a couple (three would be good) of those little boxes that make the light come on and off when you pick up the line on an old key system. I have not found anyone who has 'em, and it's very annoying when the modem is using the line and I forget. Heck, even Hello Direct stopped support ancient equipment like this :-[. E-mail is fine. Thank you in advance. Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ From: Jeff@digtype.airage.com (Jeff Wasilko) Subject: Interesting (Free) Magazine Date: Mon, 10 May 93 21:26:26 EST Organization: Air Age Publishing, Wilton CT USA Reply-To: jeff@digtype.airage.com WilTel publishes a free magazine called _In Perspective_ three times a year. The magazine is very nicely done, and the last couple of issues have covered Telco-Cable wars, continuing education, Convex Computer's network, installation of a large PBX network at a large deparment store chain in Utah, ISDN, 800 portability, voice mail and a nice article on the 'anatomy of a long-distance phone call'. While it's a promo piece for WilTel, it's an interesting source of information. Subscription inquries go to 713-547-1015 or 713-547-1041 by fax. Jeff Jeff's Oasis at Home. Jeff can also be reached at work at: jwasilko@airage.com ------------------------------ Date: 10 May 93 21:53:26 From: sceard!newline!steve@UCSD.EDU (Steve Edwards) Subject: Why CO's Have No Windows My father is a general contractor who has built or added on to about 20 CO's. I asked him why they have no windows. He said: 1) Nobody is there so there is no need for windows. 2) Windows cost more than a blank wall in a tilt-up building. 3) Blank walls don't get broken and don't need to be cleaned. 4) Easier to maintain environmental (temperature and humidity) stability within the building. And then he commented that "THE BUILDINGS ARE SLIGHTLY PRESSURIZED TO HELP CONTROL DUST!" Steve Edwards Internet: steve@newline.uucp Voice: 1-619-723-2727 Newline CompuServe: 73677,3561 Fax: 1-619-731-3000 ------------------------------ From: elskedar@stein.u.washington.edu (Darren Eslke) Subject: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 11 May 1993 05:58:19 GMT Organization: University of Washington US West has started the steps toward splitting Western Washington into two area codes, 206 and something else. I am guessing that Seattle will remain 206. What I am wondering is what will the new area code be, and when will the changes take place? Darren ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 May 93 10:17:13 EDT From: jgy@hrojr.att.com Subject: 900Mhz Cordless Phones Organization: AT&T I'd like to put together a summary of 900Mhz cordless phones unless someone already has one! If people could email me everything they know about any 900Mhz model, I'll put it together and post it back here. Lets stick to models which are digital base <-> handset, this eliminates the Panasonic which seems to be failing anyway (It's already at Damark.) Here's what I know already (most comments are based on previous c.d.t readings): AT&T 9530: Supposed to be available late spring, local phone store says they should have it soon. Claims four times the range of regular cordless phones. Also claims "virtually interference-free conversations with consistent sound quality up to one mile from the base" are these statements consistent with each other?? Spread spectrum and auto frequency-hopping for clarity and security. List price $449. Cincinnati Microwave: Last August announced a 900Mhz phone, with "spread spectrum" technology. Said it would be available in October for about $300. A call to Cincinnati Microwave says it not out yet.. "later this month" (sound like it was canned to me!). Reported list ~$300 Cobra Intenna 900: Heard of it for the first time in Jeff Freemans post the other day, he reports it uses "spread spectrum" technology. Vtech (Tropez) 900DX This is, I think, their first 900Mhz model. Keypad on base as well as handset. Comments I read were: "good range", "some holes in coverage", "handset audio volume on the low side". Overall seemed pretty good. ~$269 mail order. Vtech (Tropez) 900DL A newer model, I don't think this has the keypad/speakerphone on the base unit. About $40 cheaper than the DX. Jeff Freeman, the other day, claimed digital encryption between handset and base. Thanks in advance! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 May 93 19:38:59 UT From: Harris Boldt Edelman Subject: Re: Telecom History In TELECOM v13,i314,m3, Gabe M Wiener gives examples of NYC telephone nubmers from 1895 and 1925, and asks: > When would the prefix have changed from MORningside to MOrningside? > Just so you know, the 66X- prefix still covers many numbers on > Morningside Heights, though 667 (MOR) isn't among them. 662 and 666 > are still used there though. The answer is, never. It was Morningside, period. There was a practice, but not a NYT&T Company one, of abbreviating exchange names to their first two letters. In the case of Morningside, that would've been ambiguous with a few other names; Morrisania, in The Bronx, is one that comes to mind. Unlike in Chicago as chronicled not long ago by PAT, no New York telephone numbers were ever built from the first three letters of the exchange name. Exchanges were given suffix digits, so that "Morningside" was split into "MOrningside 2", "MOrningside 6", etc. Or, later, simply MO2, MO6. Suffix digits were in the range 2-9 only. Any numbers in New York that might appear to have been formed from the first three letters of an old exchange name do so by coincidence alone. Sadly, I don't know the dates of the changes. Late 1930's seems about right for adding the suffix digit, late 1950's for truncating the name portion to its first two letters instead of writing the full name with the first two letters capitalized. Also in the late 1950's-early 1960's, New York Telephone cut in a few exchanges with completely arbitrary alpha portions. The only one of these that I can still remember was XX4, somewhere in the eastern portion of The Bronx. The public didn't much like these goonish things, and the essence of New York Telephone's reply was,"You don't like it? Tough!" Not a word about the impending arrival of "All Number Dialing", though only a fool couldn't see it coming. I left New York in 1977. My recollection is that New York Telephone directories then still carried individual listings in their originally-published format. One would see MOrningside 2-XXXX, MO2-XXXX, and 662-XXXX intermixed; maybe even Morningside 2-XXXX, but I'm no longer sure. My family's number appeared as KIngsbridge 3-1136 from 1951 until 1966, and was then re-published as 543-1136 with our new address after we moved a block away. We still gave it out as "KI3-1136", to the bitter end. Harris ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 May 93 09:35:37 -0700 From: cssjb@owl.csrv.uidaho.edu (Jeff Billin) Subject: Re: Telecom History In article TELECOM Moderator wrote: > Gabe Weiner asks too much to be answered in a Note, even as long as I > make them sometimes. Let's see if I can do a better job on this one > than I did on the coat hanger inquiry, okay Fred and Syd? :) Pat, that was very helpful to one who just remembers boards as a small boy; thanks for taking the time to inform us. It leads me to ask a couple of follow-up questions. When you find time, please consider answering them ... > to you. When calling the other exchange, her pronouncement of it > served to tell the other operator where to extend the call and to > acknowledge it to you at the same time. What sort of pronouncement differences were used to notify the other operator? (I assume that the far-end operator already knew that the call originated at another office because of the position on her board.) Is it memory failure, or do I remember that the incoming and outgoing boards were separated for very large offices? (Maybe I'm confusing this with inter-office (trunk) answering and subscriber answering.) Finally, my memory of the (only) PBX board I saw up-close was that it had two key switches for each cord set, presumably the CO side and the extension side. I also remember that one of the switches (at least) sent ringing current to the (presumably) extension. No automatic ringing on that board! That prompts me to ask: how was ringing of the called party accomplished? [Moderator's Note: I do not know what you mean by 'pronouncement differences'. The originating operator did not repeat the exchange name to the answering operator; she already knew where she worked at! Morningside 3154 got passed to the operator at the Morningside CO simply as '3154'. Incoming and outgoing may have been separate functions at some places; I don't remember. Each cord-pair had two keys; one for the half in front, one for the half in back. The keys had three positions: pull forward (spring loaded, would release on its own back to center); center was off; flipped backward it would stay in place until flipped forward with your finger to the center off position. Either key (front or back) pulled forward sent ringing down the subscriber line the associated (front or back) cord was plugged into. Either key pushed back put the subscriber on the common talk path with the operator. When there was no automatic ringing, as was the case originally (and in many small, single position switchboards for many years later), the operator had to pull the key forward with her finger occassionally, usually for a second or two every five seconds or so until there was an answer or the call abandoned. On this type of system, the caller could NOT hear the ringing. In fact, the ringing you hear today is only there so telco can show you the system is working correctly; it has nothing to do with the ring heard on the ther end. After awhile, someone figured out how plugging into a line could cause a relay to start the ringing automatically so the operator no longer had to sit there and do it, although if a subscriber she wanted to talk to hung up prematurely, she could still jingle the bell herself with the key. They had to do this if someone at a pay station hung up without putting the overtime money in the box ... the operator would lean on that ringing key until the customer answered so she could demand more money. Some operators were as nice as they could be; others were witches. They all got abused by customers quite a lot. So much in fact, that the Chicago Telephone Company (predecessor to IBT back in 1921) felt it important to place an 'Admonition to Subscribers' on the inside front cover of the 1921 directory: "Subscribers are requested to address our operators using the same courteous language they expect to hear in response when asking that a connection be established. You would not want the operator to curse you; please do not curse the operator." People then were just as vulgar in their speech as now; if the called number was busy or did not answer, they would cuss out the operators because of it. ("Goddammit operator, cut in on the line and tell those bast--ds to can the sh-t so someone else can get through ...") ... and that was mild. Supervisors monitored the operators secretly at random at all times; an operator who cussed back at a customer was fired on the spot. But a subscriber who chronically cussed at the operators would be reported to the Business Office; the office manager would tell him to watch his mouth, but the operators were not permitted to comment on it. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #316 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa11765; 12 May 93 0:42 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08420 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 11 May 1993 21:51:38 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08936 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 11 May 1993 21:50:12 -0500 Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 21:50:12 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305120250.AA08936@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #317 TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 May 93 21:50:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 317 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson National/International Calls (was Haiti Phone Network) (Liron Lightwood) Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility (Dan J. Declerck) Re: Caller-ID Information Transmission Standard Query (Al Varney) Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? (Ed Greenberg) Re: SCAN (Shared Check Auth. Network) (Justin Fidler) Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 (Jim Rees) Re: Newspaper-Telco Alliance (Justin Leavens) Re: Presidents and Telephones (William Eldridge) Re: Special Report: FBI Raid on Telco Manager's Home (Floyd Davidson) Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features (Richard Budd) Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service (Scott Colbath) Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service (Frank Keeney) Re: DTMF Universality (David Hough) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 11:32:52 +1000 From: Liron Lightwood Subject: National/International Calls (was Haiti Phone Network) I once had a look in the Honolulu phone book, and if I remember correctly, it said that calls to Canada are considered international. This is even though they share the same country code '1' as the US and thus look like US LD calls. Please correct me if I'm wrong. This has some significance (e.g. local telcos are allowed to complete international calls, but not inter-LATA calls to other parts of the US). I suppose this would also apply to 1 + 809 calls. [Moderator's Note: It might depend on what part of 809. After all, 809 is both international and national (but inter-LATA). In addition to several small countries in 809, there are also Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, considered inter-LATA rather than international. PAT] ------------------------------ From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Compatibility Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 14:28:33 GMT In article sorbrrse@rtsg.mot.com (Russell E. Sorber) writes: > jrichert@krefcom.GUN.de (Jan Richert) writes: >> The Motorola GSM cellular phones sold in the US do work fine with the >> German GSM networks without modifications. There is just one >> difference: The US version of the Motorola phones do not have a slot >> for your SIM-card. Instead of this there is an ID burned into the >> phone. So you have to find a service provider in Germany who accepts >> this (we found one). All Motorola GSM-spec. phones work fine on ALL GSM networks. A requirement for the GSM spec is the smartcard to carry the IMSI (ID number) of the subscriber (as well as quite a few other things). GSM is a NOT a U.S. FCC recognized standard (Japan neither). It is primarily recognized by the EC, New Zealand, China, and a few others. I think Europe has international roaming at this point. I don't think this applies to NZ, China, etc. but you can get a new Smartcard from the local cellular providers these areas, and just plug it in to your phone (on the Motorola unit, it is located in the transceiver box). BTW: I wrote some of the software in this unit. Dan DeClerck EMAIL: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com Motorola Cellular APD Phone: (708) 632-4596 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 10:43:05 CDT From: varney@ihlpl.att.com Subject: Re: Caller-ID Information Transmission Standard Query Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL In article mpurtell@iastate.edu (Michael J Purtell) writes: > I want to know what the format of the Caller-ID information is that's > sent to a phone that subscribes to such information. Since boxes are > made by third parties to interpret this information, it must be > published or available somewhere. I'd really appreciate any pointers > to this information. This information for the USA RBOCs is published by Bellcore: You want either: TR-TSY-000030, Issue 2 or later, "SPCS Customer Premises Equipment Data Interface", about $53 - covers requirements for Caller-ID and similar data transmission from the Switch Vendor's perspective, or SR-NWT-002024, Issue 1 or later, "Customer Premises Equipment Compatibility Considerations for the SPCS-to-CPE Transmission Interface", about $23 - covers requirements for the Caller-ID CPE vendor. These cover the physical/electrical interface. The actual data formats are covered in documents describing various features. For Caller-ID, it's: TR-TSY-000031, Issue 3, "CLASS(sm) Feature: Calling Number Delivery", about $30. For a broader picture of where this technology may be going, you might want to look at: TR-NWT-001273, Issue 1, 3/92, "Generic Requirements for an SPCS to Customer Premises Equipment Data Interface for Analog Display Services" and SR-INS-002461, published(?), "Customer Premises Equipment Compatibility Considerations for the Analog Display Services Interface" These document a Switch or Host Computer-based interface to what might be called a "screen telephone", where the caller/callee interacts with special buttons located near a screen to control features and calls. The initial applications are a screen-based interface to some CLASS features (such as updating a Screen List) and interactions with Call Waiting (you see the calling number, and can push buttons to 'Ignore', 'Forward to Voice Mail' or 'Answer Call', etc.) TRs and other "standard" documents can be ordered from: Bellcore Customer Service 60 New England Avenue Piscataway, NJ 08854-4196 or by calling the document HOTLINE (menu-monster) at 1-800-521-CORE (1-800-521-2673). They take AMEX, VISA and MasterCharge, International Money Orders, and Checks on US Banks. If you don't have a document number handy, they can send you a catalog of technical information (see below). International (non-USA) calls are on +1 908 699 5800. (If you want to order a document, press 2 at the automated greeting. If you want to talk to a person about availability, prices, etc, press 4 at the automated greeting.) FAX on (908) 336-2559 [NEW FAX NUMBER] Al Varney - the above represents my opinion, and not AT&T's.... (And I do wish Bellcore paid commissions for these referrals!) ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 19:28:41 GMT In article stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) writes: > They may be sold that way in most places, but not in California. > There, state law (or is it PUC regulation) prohibits such a bundling > arrangement in cellular phone purchases. A buyer is never required to > sign up for service in order to get the advertised price on a cellular > phone. As a result, prices are often higher for cellular equipment in > California than in other places. Many retailers sell their equipment > at cost in California; if the customer also signs up for service, then > they make a profit, and if they don't, then at least they don't lose > anything. Typically, sleazy resellers in California will not admit to having stock on the phone you want until you sign a credit application. If you won't sign a credit ap, then lo-and-behold, the phone is "on hold" for another customer, or some such fantasy. Thus the resellers in California have the best of both worlds. Phones at "real" prices, and number commissions as well. Edward W. Greenberg | Home: +1 408 283 0511 | edg@netcom.com 1600 Stokes St. #24 | Work: +1 408 764 5305 | DoD#: 0357 San Jose, CA 95126 | Fax: +1 408 764 5003 | Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: Fidler, Justin Subject: Re: SCAN (Shared Check Auth. Network) Date: Tue, 11 May 93 15:46:00 EDT In issue 312, Todd Inch replies to my message from a previous issue: > The databases are built from the data collected by the system itself, > by retailer's lists of bad checks, and/or by the clearinghouse > company. The database may be local to a multi-site corporation, local > to a site with nightly updating, or via a central clearinghouse > company (e.g. on-line real-time.) As far as I know, the existing > systems are all third-party or owned by the retailers and don't yet > actually connect to the bank's computer, but I'm sure that won't last > long if it's still even true. > Like credit cards, these systems can collect interesting data about > how much you spend where, how often, etc. I know this is really stretching the telecom end of this, and perhaps it is more suitable in Computer Privacy Digest, but does this mean I have a right to refuse the retailer the right to slide my check through the SCAN/check-reading machine? If it has the ability to collect so much information about me, can I request that the retailer manually certify my check, either by dialing the bank/clearinghouse, or looking up in their list of bad check writers? Justin Fidler jrf@b31.nei.nih.gov Sole opinion of author. [Moderator's Note: Sure you have the right to make those demands. In all probability the merchant will hand you your check back, tell you he cannot accept it, turn on his heel and walk away to wait on some other customer. Remember, with anything other than legal tender -- and that means cash money -- the merchant is NOT obliged to accept it, provided he does not act in an illegally discriminatory way. Exceptions are made where the merchant has a contract with a credit card company to accept their card as to what he can or can't ask for. But where pieces of paper other than money are concerned, words spoken, etc, the merchant has the upper hand. Do it his way or go to another store. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: Supra Modem Does Not Have MNP 10 Date: 11 May 1993 17:34:20 GMT Organization: University of Michigan CITI In article , snyderra@dunx1.ocs.drexel. edu (Bob Snyder) writes: > As I understand it, MNP10 is protocol designed for radio/cellular > phones, and isn't that much use to people with them installed in their > desktop machine or as a external modem. You need it on both ends for it to do any good, so it is useful on the desk if you're calling in from a cellphone. According to Microcom's blurb in the Microporte manual, mnp10 provides: - Multiple connection attempts during auto-reliable link negotiation - Negotiated speed upshifts - Aggressive adaptive packet assembly - Dynamic speed upshifts and downshifts - Dynamic tranmit level adjustment In our experience, the dynamic transmit level adjustment doesn't work, and we disable it. The rest of it helps, but it's still not great. We've seen as little as 450 bps out of one of these things in conditions that were not all that bad. Still, it's about the best we've seen in a reasonably portable package. Not as good as a Telebit Cellblazer but much more portable. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 17:14:02 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: Newspaper-Telco Alliance Pacific Bell did a test offering of their service, the Daily Reporter or something like that, last August or so. It was about $1/month for each of the categories they offerred (General News, Entertainment, Business). I kept it for about one month with the general news service. It wasn't a bad service, necessarily, and I guess if I was as familiar with their voicemail then as I am now it would be more bearable (the messages had huge headers that I couldn't figure out how to skip past). The problem, I guess, is something that has been mentioned here before: It's just not as simple to listen to a one minute recording and retain the information as it is to read something like a clari.news.brief. And then there is another problem with the general news: a 60 second morning radio news bit is going to pretty much cover most of what you're going to hear in your message. You have to train yourself to retrieve the news in the morning, since usually by the time you get to work you're going to know the big topics if you see a newspaper front page or listen to the radio. But hey, I guess it's only a dollar or so, right? Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ From: bill@COGNET.UCLA.EDU (William Eldridge) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones Date: 11 May 1993 01:38:28 GMT Organization: UCLA Cognitive Science Research Program > [Moderator's Note: Remember, Ike was a nice man, but he never was > appointed or elected to anything because he *actually knew anything* > about the position, whether it was president of Columbia or the United > States. He obtained those positions because he was a popular war hero. > General Eisenhower was given credit for winning the Second World War; > as such, doors were open to him anywhere, despite his general ignorance > of the technology of his time. Several years ago I interviewed his I believe it was in Carroll Quigley's "Tragedy and Hope" where I heard the anecdote that someone recommended to Rockefeller or whoever was deciding Columbia's business that "Eisenhower would make a perfect President." Turned out they were talking about Milton Eisenhower, Ike's brother, but too late -- Ike already had the job. Bill Eldridge bill@cognet.ucla.edu ------------------------------ From: floyd@hayes.ims.alaska.edu (Floyd Davidson) Subject: Re: Special Report: FBI Raid on Telco Manager's Home Organization: University of Alaska Computer Network Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 04:48:50 GMT In article <05.09.93.1@eecs.nwu.edu> TELECOM Moderator writes: > This news report from the May 9, 1993 {Omaha World Herald} arrived in > my mail just a few minutes ago. > From: jsaker@cwis.unomaha.edu (James R. Saker Jr.) > Subject: FBI Raid on Curtis Nebr. Telco, Family > Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha > Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 16:34:53 GMT > The following article detailing a FBI raid on a small-town family and > local exchange carrier was printed in this morning's Sunday {Omaha > World Herald}: > "FBI Probe, Raid Anger Curtis Man" > Stephen Buttry, {Omaha World Herald}, Sunday May 9, 1993 [disgusting story deleted...] Under federal law it is legal for a telco to use wiretaps in the investigation of fraud and/or abuse. In at least one case where a telco used a wiretap while investigating its own employees (the wiretap was on company lines, not the employee's home phones) the US Attorney General's office and the FBI ruled that no federal crime had been committed and that they were not interested in the case. The telco maintained that the federal laws supercede state laws which would otherwise make such an act a misdemeaner. It seems the FBI is having a problem co-ordinating it left and right hands ... floyd@ims.alaska.edu A guest on the Institute of Marine Science computer Salcha, Alaska system at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 19:57:58 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features Organization: CSAV UTIA Marko Ruokonen <100031.31@CompuServe.COM> writes in TELECOM Digest V13 #312 > I do not recall that dollars were used in Germany after 1949 when the > 'Deutche Mark' was introduced. However, the US military bases in > Germany may STILL use dollars for their own people. They do. And the soldiers and their families also have their own television channels with American programs, their own post office (called APO for American Post Office) and telephone switchboard with direct connection to AT&T (these observations were made in 1982). In contrast, the British soldiers around Koln were paid in deutsche marks and used German facilities. During my days in Munich, one of my friends whose father worked in the mess hall used to take us on base for 55 cent mixed drinks at the bar. (and you wondered where our defense "bucks" went). I was to tell the soldier at the door I was from the "2nd Intelligence Unit at Simbach" and they always let me in as a military man even with the shoulder length hair. Fort McGraw and Perlacher Forst were closed in 1991, victims of the end of the cold war. There aren't as many soldiers in Germany now as was the case ten years ago, so the situation regarding money and telecommunications may have changed. The MODERATOR appended "Presidents and Phones" with the following: > son David and daughter-in-law Julie (Nixon) on my weekly radio program FYI, David Eisenhower is Ike's GRANDSON. Richard Budd | USA klub@maristb.bitnet | CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 139 S. Hamilton St. | Kolackova 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | 18200 Praha 8 [Moderator's Note: That is correct. I meant to say 'his *grandson*'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: scol@scottsdale.az.stratus.com (Scott Colbath) Subject: Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service Date: 11 May 1993 14:48:43 GMT Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA In article akodama@hawaii.edu (Arthur Kodama) writes: > I tried calling this number, as I'm very interested in talking to > someone down in the canyon. Would be informative since I am planning > to make that hike to the bottom someday soon. > Unfortunately, when I called the number I got a "the number you have > dialed has been disconnected" recording. Do you think the phone has > been disconnected for incoming service? I think it's possible since > you mentioned that the phone does not accept change. Is it one of > those blue AT&T phones? Those don't allow incoming calls. I also tried calling it from my office here in Phoenix but got the message "You must first dial a 1". I then dialed a 1 with the number and got the same message. Kinda weird ... Scott Colbath Stratus Computer Phoenix, Az. (602) 852-3106 Internet:scott_colbath@az.stratus.com ------------------------------ From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 16:25:51 -0800 Subject: Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service On May 03 02:04, William H. Glass wrote: > Yep, there's one there. You can only use a credit card -- no > coins. How would you like the job of collecting the coins and > carrying them back up? BTW, the phone number is (602) > 638-0903 (according to my credit card billing). Give 'em a > call and ask for the wise guy who ordered the Domino's pizza. I just tried the number and got some "number has been disconnected" message. Frank Keeney | E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com 115 California Blvd., #411 | Fidonet 1:102/645 Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA | UUCP hatch!calcom!frank | FAX +1 818 791-0578 ------------------------------ From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough) Subject: Re: DTMF Universality? Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 18:06:42 +0000 John Perkins (johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com) wrote: > Does anyone know if the rest of the world generally uses the same DTMF > frequencies (and button assignments) as are used in the US? (I'm > particularly interested in the UK.) It is an international standard. Though one thing to note that often an NTSC colour burst crystal is often used for a primary frequency to divide to get the tones. Brent Capps (bcapps@atlastele.com) wrote: > johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com writes: >> Does anyone know if the rest of the world generally uses the same DTMF >> frequencies (and button assignments) as are used in the US? (I'm >> particularly interested in the UK.) > The DTMF *frequencies* are the same throughout the world, however > watch out for the minimum digit duration, interdigit timeout, return > loss, and twist which vary from country to country. Also some don't > implement *, #, ABCD. Unlike North America and most of the rest of > Europe, the UK has no required minimum digit duration or interdigit > pause time for manual DTMF senders, but it is recommended that the > digit duration be at least 40ms. Automatic senders are required to > have 68ms minimum digit duration and interdigit pause. DTMF receivers > homologated for use in North America will occasionally miss DTMF > digits if used in the UK. The above figures appear in the relevant British Standard (either BS6301 or BS6305 I think) and are applicable to anything connected to the BT/Mercury/Hull networks. Also in there is a requirement for handling a 20ms hole in a tone burst. The * and # are used for various purposes, but ABCD are not, to the best of my knowledge. Probably because very few phones actually have the buttons (although the chip inside may be capable of generating them). Dave G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25 dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #317 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa12984; 12 May 93 1:11 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09997 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 11 May 1993 22:37:31 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05766 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 11 May 1993 22:36:01 -0500 Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 22:36:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305120336.AA05766@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #318 TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 May 93 22:36:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 318 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (Eli Mantel) Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (J. Leavens) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Benjamin Lee) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (William Sohl) Re: The Net in China (Mark James) Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (Frank Keeney) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns (Ted Dodd) Re: Busy Signal Received via Orange Card (Carl Moore) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Eli.Mantel@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Eli Mantel) Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab!) Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 09:57:53 GMT burgoyne@access.digex.net (J. Robert Burgoyne) writes: > Justin Leavens (leavens@bmf.usc.edu) wrote in response to TELECOM > Moderator who had earlier noted: > Let's get some things straight. I'm a 900 number IP, and I work with > other people doing the same thing. We're not sleazes. I'd appreciate > it if the Moderator would abstain from such comments. I =like= it when the Moderator calls such people sleazes, teleslime, or whatever, whether he claims it applies to some, most, or all. > The IP and the IP alone is stuck with the bill for uncollectibles. > The telco simply bills us for calls where the customer refuses to pay. True enough. I guess it's part of the cost of doing business. But typically, the telephone charges are about 10% of the charge thhat is billed for the call. For example, a 10 minute call at $2.99/minute would be billed at $29.90. Your cost, as an IP for that call (if there is no money collected from the customer), I would guess is about $3.00. > If you want the responsibility of owning a telephone and having > service, it's necessary to take precautions. That responsibility falls > on the shoulders of the person who signed for the phone. IMO, this is flame bait, but I'll try hard to keep from flaming. Not too many people really "sign" for phone service any more. (Kind of tough, since in most places I've been, the Baby Bells have eliminated storefront business offices. When we are dealing with long distance calls charged by the LEC, the LEC would often make customers aware of excessively high charges (mainly to make sure they would be able to collect, but nonetheless, providing some check on the kind of situation described involving the roommate). Nonetheless, all legal obligation of the telephone subscriber to pay for calls made from or charged to his telephone are based on the tariffs for local telephone service. These are =state= tariffs. Most of the 900 calls are going to be interstate. I don't have any idea whether such services actually get tariffed or not, but I think it's highly unlikely that they are tariffed in each state. Given these facts (which would not have applied pre-divestiture), there is no applicable tariff that makes the telephone subscriber responsible for calls to such services. (Whether or not all the LECs understand this is a separate issue.) That responsibility is on the shoulders of the person who, seeing an ad for a 900 service, accepts the offer in accordance with the terms of the ad, and thereby enters into a contract. If you have some other facts, shoot this down! > The IP spent money setting up and advertising their service. They took > a risk with the intention of making a profit. The more people whine > about protection from all responsibility, the more freedom is taken > away. Personally I like freedom. That's why I live here. Give me a break! Next you'll be telling me that I should have the freedom to get my car serviced at sleazy mechanics, or to buy contaminated food. After all, the mechanic sprayed oil on my shock absorber with the intention of making a profit, and the company that produced the contaminated food also intended to make a profit. >> This is one of the prime reasons I hate the IP billing situation: >> You can only put one name on a residential phone account, and that >> person becomes responsible for whatever massive charges are >> accumulated on that account, no matter who makes the calls. > Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear > on your next bill. Who's responsible? These situations aren't really similar. The only reason to give somone a credit card is to allow them to charge stuff. Now I realize that IPs such as yourself see that as the only reason for a phone, but the general public thinks there are other possible uses for a phone. >> Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your phone >> under lock and key! > People do this! And there's nothing wrong with doing it! I'll thank you to pay me for the cost of this equipment, since as the IP, you are the primary beneficiary of such arrangements. Of course, this doesn't even work unless you both block 900 calls and collect calls (a feature most phone companies don't promote too much). Eli Mantel (eli.mantel@launchpad.unc.edu) The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service. internet: laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 10:36:14 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 900 Tab!) In Volume 13, Issue 309, Message 1 of 13 J. Robert Burgoyne writes: > In this world, we have responsibility. Many people don't fully realize > their responsibilities, and whine when things like the roommate > situation happens. The case of one person making excessive long > distance calls on another person's phone has been a problem for a long > time. Pay per call services just offer another occassion for this to > happen. > If you want the responsibility of owning a telephone and having > service, it's necessary to take precautions. That responsibility falls > on the shoulders of the person who signed for the phone. > The IP spent money setting up and advertising their service. They took > a risk with the intention of making a profit. The more people whine > about protection from all responsibility, the more freedom is taken > away. Personally I like freedom. That's why I live here. Freedom to set up business and sell your services should not infringe on my rights to not be unfairly billed for calls, nor my right to dispute charges when the service I have been sold does not match what I have been told I would get. I don't believe that I ever attacked legitimate IPs, nor was my comment directed at legitimate IPs. The only reason I don't have 900 blocking is because there are legitimate IPs that I do have to deal with on a somewhat regular basis. However, I have dealt with IPs that have billed me for calls I have not made, and I have dealt with an IP who sold me one thing and delivered another. I believe that in these cases I should be able to legitimately dispute these charges in some fair manner, as any legitimate business would let me do. I believe that this all falls under that whole freedom blanket you speak of. I'm sure that your IP service handles these in a fair and business-like manner. However, those which I have dealt with have simply folded up their phone banks and quietly gone out of business after sucking in as much cash as possible. >> This is one of the prime reasons I hate the IP billing situation: >> You can only put one name on a residential phone account, and that >> person becomes responsible for whatever massive charges are >> accumulated on that account, no matter who makes the calls. > Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear > on your next bill. Who's responsible? Let's see: Your roommate steals your credit card. You tell the credit card company that you did not make those charges. They compare signatures, and see that it is not yours. They investigate, maybe figure out who did it. Prosecute your roommmate for credit card fraud or maybe burglary. Who's responsible? >> It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign >> their name. > No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a > piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but that > doesn't absolve responsibility. Hmmm, I don't believe that you actually have to sign anything to get phone service, but I guess that's a side issue. >> And IP's are really only a problem because of the massive charges >> that can be accumulated without warning (it's obvious when your >> roommate spends five or six hours on the phone to another country, but >> those same charges can be accumulated in about 30 minutes with an IP). > $2,100 in 30 minutes? That's $70 per minute. The maximum limit is > about $5 per minute. Most IPs won't let a caller make a phone call > that exceeds $100. The caller is cut off or warned. I'm glad that there's a call limit, that's a good feature for all. But is that only for yours or is that a regulation? My point about charges was a five hour call to Japan before 2pm would cost you $245. That would be one hour (62 minutes) of IP information at $3.95/minute. >> Even having separate phone lines doesn't work, unless you keep your phone >> under lock and key! > People do this! And there's nothing wrong with doing it! Nothing. I think it would be great to have to fumble for my keys every time the phone rings. >> A poor roommate choice (including circumstances like college where >> you don't even have a choice) can cost you thousands of dollars and >> the use of your phone forever, and unlike other credit outfits, you >> have no recourse in the case of fraud. > Boo hoo. See, *that's* my point. Someone steals the phone service of someone else (I'm not saying that's always the case, but let's just say), makes $2100 in IP calls, and has to battle with their LEC, an IP billing company, and then the IP themself (if they can ever actually get the name and a working phone number for them), and your response is "boo-hoo". If this were billed to, say, Visa, there would be a legitimate way to fight the charges, or at least it would be a fair process. Now, it's two options: you pay now, or you pay later. Some time ago I wrote: >> Again, I make this point: Even if the telco *doesn't* disconnect >> for outstanding IP charges, the telco will still carry those charges. >> When the subscriber disconnects, it will go on the subscriber's >> Equifax report that he still owes the telco $2100. Then the subscriber >> will never get phone service again until the Equifax mark is cleared >> up (read: coughs up $2100). In Volume 13, Issue 311, Message 2 of 13, R. Kevin Oberman writes: > I'm afraid this is untrue (unless Justin is in GTE land). Pacific Bell > has stated on in billing inserts that they WILL NOT handle disputed IP > bills in any way. If you dispute the charge, Pac Bell simply drops the > charge from the bill and notifies the IP to collect the bill > themselves. I *was* in GTEland at the time. Should have known ... > Of course, the IP may well send the bill to collections and that might > show up on the Equifax. But I doubt that a disputed charges to a > telesleaze will have near the impact of one to a utility. Does anyone know if AT&T has a policy on disputing IP charges? I know they tried to bill me for a charge even after they had stopped paying off the IP because of too many complaints of fraud. And I did receive an Equifax report saying that I owed AT&T money (which carries plenty of weight), though it was later deleted along with the charge after persistent phone calls. (geeez, you'd think I spent all my time trying to clean off my credit report.) Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ From: blee@convex.com (Benjamin Lee) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 21:39:38 GMT Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) writes: > Not too long ago, my housemate moved out and out of the country, and > didn't have time to notify a major charge card company of his change > of address. Apparently, he had been negligent in paying up his way > overdue bill... > [Moderator's Note: The best way would be to give them the address and > phone number of your former housemate, unless for some reason you wish > to sheild that person from the calls. Have you also tried contacting > your former housemate and asking *them* to update their records with > the companies in question, letting them know you are tired of getting > the phone calls? Creditors do have some rights, you know. If you do > not want to tell them, then just say so and hang up; no need to give > them false information; that might eventually come back on you. PAT] A note here: while I was in grad-school, a friend of a friend of mine did the same thing. She did it intentionally though. Not everyone cheats, but some of us are really BAD ;->. No wonder credit card debtors have to pay 19% interest a while back. She certainly gave them a good execuse. Which leads to a good question: who is responsible for looking after the individual's interest? Oneself? Goverment? Agencies? The high interest payment caused by these type of incidents gave the excuse to the bigger bank to charge extraordinary rates. The individual has been ignorant or powerless. The bank has been exploiting the situation, create money in chaos! Oh well, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned all this from begenning. ------------------------------ From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 13:18:35 GMT In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) writes: > Not too long ago, my housemate moved out and out of the country, and > didn't have time to notify a major charge card company of his change > of address. Apparently, he had been negligent in paying up his way > overdue bill. Anyway, a representative from the same charge card > company and requested to speak to my housemate. I told him he had > moved out, and the representative demanded the phone number and > address of my housemate. > In a seperate incident, another person called up for yet another > ex-housemate of mine. Once I told him my housemate had moved out, his > seemingly batless response was: "Do you have his phone number and this > will prevent us from calling your house again?" > The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How > do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week > (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? > And threatening to do it again? > [Moderator's Note: The best way would be to give them the address and > phone number of your former housemate, unless for some reason you wish > to sheild that person from the calls. Pat, I think this is really off the mark. Why should this individual provide any information to the caller? I certainly would not (unless I really had it in for the former room-mate). If the "collection agency" threatened to keep calling, I'd tell them I'll file harrasement charges with the police and telephone company if necessary. > Have you also tried contacting your former housemate and asking > *them* to update their records with the companies in question, letting > them know you are tired of getting the phone calls? Creditors do have > some rights, you know. If you do not want to tell them, then just say > so and hang up; no need to give them false information; that might > eventually come back on you. PAT] I agree that giving false info is not a smart move, better to give no info than incorrect information. As to creditors rights, sure they have rights, BUT none of those rights include (1) my being responsible to the creditor to provide information about the debtor and (2) once having told the creditor I don't wish to provide any info, the creditor does not continue to harass me by repeat calling. Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's. Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.) Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70 201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com ------------------------------ From: jamesm@pizzabox.dialogic.com (Mark James) Subject: Re: The Net in China Organization: Dialogic Corporation Date: Tue, 11 May 93 21:32:47 GMT In article Andy Jacobson writes: > While personal communications of a non-political nature are possible > it is not an appropriate time to attempt to expand Pharmacy Mail > Exchange or other distribution systems into China. However, if > anybody has information which suggests otherwise I would be interested > to hear from them. Before trying to send unsolicited E-mail to China, consider this: The Chinese government (at least as of last year) charges the *recipient* for every message received. The charge is non-trivial -- I forget the numbers, but it would be prohibitive on a Chinese budget for casual use. The government appears to recognize the value of an Internet connection, but it clearly does not want to encourage any form of free-wheeling communication. Mark James *** Opinions, errors etc are mine. *** Dialogic Corporation, 300 Littleton Road Parsippany NJ 07054, U.S.A. +1 201 334 1268 ext 438 Fax +1 201 334 1257 ------------------------------ From: frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) Reply-To: frank@calcom.socal.com Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 16:21:24 -0800 Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone On May 06 21:12, sohl,william h wrote: > It took a technician maybe three minutes to reprogram the phone's > codes so it could be used for eavesdropping. 'Every cellular phone is > a scanner, and they are completely insecure', Sun Micro's Gage said. My boss once worked for LA Cellular and he pressed a few keys on his phone and showed me how he could monitor any cellular frequency with the phone's speaker. All you need to know are some of the keypad codes that allow you to setup and test the phone. Knowledge any cellular phone installer would have. Frank Keeney | E-mail frank@calcom.socal.com 115 California Blvd., #411 | Fidonet 1:102/645 Pasadena, CA 91105-1509 USA | UUCP hatch!calcom!frank | FAX +1 818 791-0578 [Moderator's Note: For that matter, Radio Shack sells the technical specs for all their phones out of the corporate office in Dallas. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns! From: ted.dodd@ehbbs.com (Ted Dodd) Date: 11 May 93 18:47:00 GMT Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake, GA - 404-446-9462 Reply-To: ted.dodd@ehbbs.com (Ted Dodd) > On a side note, for those of us paranoid types out here, did you ever > think that maybe some unnamed law enforcement agency is trying to scam > us out and build a potential hacker database for future prosecution, > i.e. Operation SunDevil??? It ain't paranoia if they are really after you! Ted B Ed Hopper's BBS - ehbbs.com - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), Georgia |USR/HST:404-446-9462 V.32bis:404-446-9465-Home of uuPCB Usenet for PC Board ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 9:40:54 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Busy Signal Received via Orange Card I had never received that high-pitched busy signal (until yesterday, May 10). I may or may not try calling that same number today. [Moderator's Note: Well, if you call it again with some frequency and are able to develop a pattern, let me know. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #318 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa18536; 12 May 93 3:54 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13462 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 12 May 1993 00:16:22 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA20351 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 12 May 1993 00:16:01 -0500 Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 00:16:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305120516.AA20351@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #319 TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 May 93 00:16:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 319 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? (Don Gross) Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? (Wm. Bryant Faust, IV) Re: Tormenting Telemarketers (Mike Van Pelt) Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service (Dale Farmer) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Carl Moore) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Darren Eslke) Re: Telecom History (Dialogue Between Moderator and Gabe M. Wiener) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (David Hough) Blocking Call Returns (It Should Work For Anonymous Calls) (Ralph Hyres) Re: Pac Bell Call Return: Can It Be Blocked? (Les Reeves) New Business Telephone Sets From Northern Telecom (PR, via Nigel Allen) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gross@rtsg.mot.com (Don Gross) Subject: Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? Reply-To: gross@rtsg.mot.com (Don Gross) Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 13:47:48 GMT In article , LCHIU@HOLONET.NET writes: > I just returned from a business trip to Portland and happened to be in > a local department store where I spotted what seemed like remarkably > deals on cell phones. There was a Pioneer cell phone which looked > very similar to a Motorola Flip phone for about $299 (might have been > PCC_700 or PCC-900) and a slightly larger model for $99. I was about Motorola manufactures the cellular phones for Pioneer under an OEM agreement. Don Gross gross@rtsg.mot.com Motorola, Inc. Cellular Infrastructure Group Arlington Heights, IL ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 16:29 CDT From: Wm. Bryant Faust, IV Subject: Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? > Most other markets have at least some retailers that are willing to > sell phones for less than what they pay for them, and count on the > commission they get from the cellular carrier (often $250-$300) to > make up for the loss and provide a profit. These differences can work > both ways -- if you need service anyway, then it is often cheaper for > those who don't live in California, as they can take advantage of the > subsidized deals. But, for those who don't need new service (such as > when you just want a better phone on existing service), you can save > money by buying them in California. The New Orleans market is very big on discounting prices on phones. The Motorola Tote Phone sells for $19-$29 from most vendors here, and Radio Shack had their mobile phones on sale for $0.01 installed. You are normally required to sign-up with the vendors preferred carrier for a minimum of one year or pay a $300 surcharge to get these deals. Is there a mail-order source for phones from California or any where else that sells phone cheap without required service? ------------------------------ From: mvp@netcom.com (Mike Van Pelt) Subject: Re: Tormenting Telemarketers Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 23:54:00 GMT In article martin@cod.nosc.mil (Douglas W. Martin) writes: > Tormenting Telmarketers - A Game You Can Play at Home! There was another tactic in the "For Better or Worse" comic strip a few Sundays ago. Housewife gets a call from telemarketeer, who, as usual, initiates the conversation with a glad-handing "Hi! How are you today!" The housewife responds with an "organ recital" of body parts that are causing pain or otherwise malfunctioning, and a litany of all the week's misfortunes and disappointments. After several minutes of this tale of woe, the telemarketeer hangs up. The housewife walks away from the phone with a grin, saying "I'm almost beginning to enjoy telemarketer calls." Mike Van Pelt mvp@netcom.com ------------------------------ From: dale@access.digex.net (Dale Farmer) Subject: Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service Date: 11 May 1993 12:37:19 -0400 Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Javier Henderson (henderson@mln.com) wrote: > Is it possible to have a calling card without having phone service in > one's name? > Obviously the local phone company won't go for it, but perhaps there > are vendors out there who do this sort of thing. Maybe the Orange >card? > [Moderator's Note: AT&T issues a 'miscellaneous non-subscriber > account' calling card. Actually, I think it is handled by Cin. Bell > under contract to AT&T, but that is not important. Sprint may do the > same thing. Orange will issue cards without 'associated phone > numbers' but they do a detailed credit check on the person. PAT] I've had one of those AT&T cards I got when I was in the navy stationed aboard ship. Cincinatti Bell handled the billing, and I still use it today, albeit not very often now, and am fairly pleased with the service. My only quibble was that change of billing address changes took 2-5 notifications before they would stick. Dale Farmer ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 9:48:00 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon What are the starting steps you are referring to? If the new area code is needed before 1995, it'll have to come from the N00 codes. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 18:50:39 -0700 From: Darren Eslke Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon I was refering to the forcing everyone in the area code to dial the area code, to get us used to dialing the extra digits. I heard thatthe area code will s plit sometime this year. Seattle metro area is big, and expanding fast. ------------------------------ From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Subject: Re: Telecom History Reply-To: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) Organization: Columbia University Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 15:57:07 GMT [Moderator's Note: In this article only, I'll respond to Gabe as we go along rather than at the end to avoid some confusion. PAT] In article Harris Boldt Edelman writes: > Exchanges were given suffix digits, so that ""Morningside" was split > into "MOrningside 2", "MOrningside 6", etc. Or, later, simply MO2, > MO6. Suffix digits were in the range 2-9 only. Any numbers in New > York that might appear to have been formed from the first three > letters of an old exchange name do so by coincidence alone. > Sadly, I don't know the dates of the changes. Late 1930's seems > about right for adding the suffix digit, late 1950's for truncating > the name portion to its first two letters instead of writing the full > name with the first two letters capitalized. But if this is so, how did one dial Morningside 3128 on a telephone dial? NY had automatic dial in the mid 1920's, yet even in 1928 literature you often see numbers like Grammercy 1239 or Morningside 3128. ===> Moderator's Note: This is why I suggested they used three letters ===> and four digits, at least in the very early days of dial in NYC.] > Not a word about the impending arrival of "All Number Dialing", > though only a fool couldn't see it coming. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but what was the reason for moving away from exchange names? Was it just the desire to treat phone numbers as entirely numerical entities? ===> Moderator's Note: The move from exchange names was because of ===> the limitations in finding workable name combinations. Had ===> they been willing to use arbitrary letters which did not mean ===> anything, that would have been okay. But since the available ===> words had been used up, they decided if there had to be mean- ===> inless combinations for prefixes, they might as well use all ===> numbers. > I left New York in 1977. My recollection is that New York Telephone > directories then still carried individual listings in their > originally-published format. One would see MOrningside 2-XXXX, > MO2-XXXX, and 662-XXXX intermixed; maybe even Morningside 2-XXXX, but > I'm no longer sure. NY telephone directories are entirely numerical now. Once in a long while, you pick up a business card with a phone number written out with an exchange name ... usually an old, local business like a cleaner or drugstore. > My family's number appeared as KIngsbridge 3-1136 from 1951 until > 1966, and was then re-published as 543-1136 with our new address > after we moved a block away. We still gave it out as "KI3-1136", to > the bitter end. When I was growing up in NYC in the 70's, we lived in the Sutton Place district. I was taught my phone number as "Plaza 3-6788" and was taught to dial PL and not 75. By about 1979 or so, we had all stopped saying "Plaza 3" and had starting thinking of it as 753. When my family moved uptown in 1981, our phone number began with 410, so the issue became moot. ===> Moderator's Note: The Chicago directories continued to ===> show the listings as they originally appeared until the ===> phone number was finally turned off or moved, etc. We ===> had full prefix names mixed with all-number listings for ===> about ten years in the 1965-75 period. Then for a couple ===> more years there were 2L-5D listings mixed in with all- ===> numbers. They obviously were not going to re-edit the ===> entire directory; they just let them go away. Some never ===> would go away: Some subscribers have had the same number ===> for *seventy-five years* i.e. Marshall Field's STAte-1000; ===> Yellow Cab's CALumet 7440; Edgewater Hospital's EDGewater-6000; ===> The Conrad Hilton (nee Stevens) Hotel's WABash 4400. Finally ===> sometime in the late seventies, telco cleaned out the whole ===> book and went from scratch with ANC-style listings. PAT] Gabe Wiener -- gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu -- N2GPZ Sound engineering, recording, and digital mastering for classical music [Moderator's Final Note: Here in Chicago, that bunch of prima-donnas at station WFMT -- the world's worst classical music station, bar none -- still continue whenever possible to recite their advertising (always live copy at WFMT -- no recorded messages) with the full exchange name even though some advertisers have asked them repeatedly not to do it that way because of the confusion it causes among younger listeners. Still, their announcers avoid 248 in favor of BITtersweet, and 348 in favor of DIVersey. When an advertiser comes along with an ANC phone number which does not map back to anything from fifty years ago, i.e. 508 the staff at WFMT must get *so* frustrated! :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk (David Hough) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Reply-To: dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Date: Tue, 11 May 1993 18:00:27 +0000 In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) writes: > The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How > do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week > (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? > And threatening to do it again? Sounds like an answering machine would be ideal. All you need to do is listen to the incoming audio and decide whether you want to talk to the caller -- most machines will let you take over a call once it has started. A few words to your friends will stop them hanging up in disgust when they hear the machine (I rarely speak to an answering machine ...) and wait for you to answer them after you know who they are. Plan B would be to employ something along the lines of the recent 'Tormenting Telemarketeers' post in this group. Dave * G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25 * dave@llondel.demon.co.uk Internet * g4wrw@g4wrw.ampr.org Amprnet ------------------------------ From: bears!rhyre@cinpmx.attmail.com Date: 10 May 93 15:32:12 GMT Subject: Blocking Call Returns (Call Block Should work For Anonymous Calls) The telephone company can, for a fee (Call Block), provide the features you require. Caller: (telemarketing from home) #67 + Callee Number Callee: Who is this bozo calling me during dinner? I'll call return him and give him an earful. (#69) Caller: I don't want this Jerk to bother me, I'm just trying to sell aluminum siding. #68 (Call Block the last number that called me.) For real (CO-enforced) privacy, you need Call Block as well as Caller ID. You also need more money. [Moderator's Note: The flaw in your plan is that there has to be at least one call back from the unhappy customer before the telemarketer can add the 'last call recieved' to his denial list, unless he chooses to add them as he goes along, which would be unproductive. So he has to get hung up on, then called back by the sassy customer before he can add it on the basis of 'last call received'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: lesreeves@attmail.com Date: 11 May 93 17:36:10 GMT Subject: Re: Pac Bell Call Return: Can it be Blocked? Patrick, your statement that it is not possible to block call return is not correct. Any attempt to use call return to a number which is currently forwarded will result in a failure. With Automatic Callback (*69), a reorder will immediately result as long as the last incoming call directory number is forwarded. With Automatic Callback Two-Level Announcement (talking call return, also *69) the last incoming call directory number and optionally the date and time is announced. If you press 1 (to activate call return) and the number is forwarded, you drop abruptly to dialtone. This information is detailed in AT&T 1 & 1A ESS Feature Handbook, Iss 6, Aug 1990. (AT&T DOC 231-090-425) Also, coin telephones and numbers which are not the lead number of a multi-line-hunt can be set to be non call-returnable. With talking call return, these numbers give the announcement "we're sorry, the number of your last incoming call cannot be called back, please hangup" after pressing 1. [Moderator's Note: On call-forwarded calls, the number of the original caller -- not the pass-through -- is the one displayed by Caller-ID, so why wouldn't that same number be the one in the buffer for 'return last call' or 'block last number from further calls to me'? The originating CO does not send two numbers, one for ID and anther one (or lack of one) for return call and deny further call purposes. We do not 'press 1' here to do anything. We punch *69 to return the last call and either it starts ringing or a recording (usually) says 'the number you are calling cannot be reached with this service'. This means it is 'out of area'. Now and again I get a recording which says 'I'm sorry, the record of this number is no longer available.' We do not 'drop to dial tone when *69 cannot process something; we get an intercept message saying something. Whenever a number shows up on Caller-ID (or the word 'private' shows up as opposed to 'out of area') we here in Chicago can use *69 to call that number. Now, the Caller-ID itself may be the lead number in a hunt group or the main directory number -- something like that -- but whatever it says is whatever we get when we *69. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 20:05:54 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: New Business Telephone Sets From Northern Telecom Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Here is a press release from Northern Telecom. My copy of the press release doesn't have a date, but I think it was issued late last month. Northern Telecom Introduces Two Series of Multi-Purpose Business Telephones RALEIGH, N.C. - Northern Telecom announced today it will begin marketing two new families of business telephones that are characterized by high feature content and ease of use, along with superior quality and design details. The Meridian 8000 and 9000 series phones support large or small business environments using Centrex, PBX systems, or standard business telephone service, even in work-at-home offices. While both phone families offer one-touch access to a variety of time-saving, convenient communications features, the M9000 series is designed to take full advantage of CLASS (Custom Local Area Signaling Services) and CLASS on Centrex offerings from local telephone companies. "Both portfolios were designed based on extensive market research and customer input as well as industry need," said Frank Cupido, Small Business marketing director, Northern Telecom. "They're made even more attractive for businesses of every size by a combination of easy feature access, which should help telephone companies increase network service usage, and price points and selection that give users a choice to fit diverse communications needs." Part of the anticipated success for the new terminals is attributable to features not normally found on reasonably-priced analog business sets. Many of the phones in both series offer adjustable displays, instructional prompts to guide users through feature activation, internal directories of key phone numbers, call timers, variable ringing patterns, date and time display, and CLASS capabilities. To make network services easy to use, the phones offer programmable memory buttons to store activation codes for features such as Call Forwarding and Call Return, or for one- button dialing of frequently-used numbers. A special LINK key helps prevent accidental disconnects when transferring calls or accepting waiting calls; and an indicator light signals when a phone is ringing or a message is waiting. The innovative CLASS phones, the M9216 featured set and M9316 handsfree, support business use of Calling Name and Number ID, Call Logging, Call Return and Automatic Callback services. Both phones allow on-hook dialing and have an adjustable display window that shows useful call information such as: incoming numbers; user prompts for feature operation; and a call duration timer that is particularly helpful for client billing purposes. Additionally, a message-waiting indicator makes the terminals ideal for voice mail applications. The M9216 set has ten programmable keys and a 25-number call log capability to track the number, time and date of unanswered incoming calls. List price is $179. The M9316 offers a 50-number call log, and adds a 50-number personal directory and a mute key for privacy when using the handsfree feature. With eight programmable keys, the M9316 has a list price of $199. In the M8000 series, three new sets are initially available. All offer a message-waiting indicator light for PBX, Centrex, or home office applications. The M8009 business set shares the basic productivity features and design advantages of all the company's new phones. With six programmable keys, the terminal list price is only $85. Additional features offered on the M8314 Handsfree Business Set, beyond the handsfree capability and associated Mute key, include an integrated display for user prompts and call timing, eight programmable keys, and a 50-number personal directory. List price is $179. The M8417 Two-line Handsfree Business Set increases the personal directory to 100 numbers, and features a special conference button that allows the two phone lines to join together for one call. With eight programmable keys, the M8417 is list priced at $199. All of the terminals are available in ash, grey, or black, feature a parallel line jack for fax, modem, or extensions, and are desk or wall-mountable. The display-equipped models support optional Spanish or French language prompts, are hearing-aid compatible, and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The M8000 and M9000 series phones will be available in July. Northern Telecom is a leading supplier of telecommunications switching equipment to telephone companies and offers software supporting a full range of Centrex and Custom Local Area Signaling Services, including Caller ID. In 1990, the company introduced its Maestro terminal, the first telephone with integrated Caller ID capability. The Maestro line was enhanced the following year as the first phone capable of displaying a caller's name. The company also offers other Caller ID terminals, including the Rhapsody line, as well as a family of full-featured Caller ID adjuncts under the Interlude name. -------------- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #319 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa06654; 12 May 93 20:04 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04107 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 12 May 1993 17:07:52 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA18976 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 12 May 1993 17:06:39 -0500 Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 17:06:39 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305122206.AA18976@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #321 TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 May 93 17:06:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 321 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson ACS Statement on Pay TV (Tom Worthington) 800-555-1212: I Need Information (Justin Fidler) Ultimate Russian Long-Distance Phone Directory (V. Menkov via Jon Welch) TeleTrect II CVS Headset (Fred Ennis) Difference Between Residence and Business For Consulting? (John W Irza) AT&T Future Ads (Brendan B. Boerner) Residential Listings on CD-ROM (James Van Houten) Info Infrastructure Task Force (Scipion Africanus) Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes (Douglas J. Coyle) UC, NCC, UNC+, MDS, DS Questions (W. Melody Moh) Re: Telecom History (Stan M. Krieger) Re: Telecom History (Roy Smith) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tomw@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au (Tom Worthington) Subject: ACS Statement on Pay TV Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 03:52:02 GMT The Australian Computer Society, a 14,000 member professional body for information technologists, today suggested the Government's Pay TV policies be broadened, to include plans for a range of digital subscriber services. TOM WORTHINGTON MACS PCP, Director of the ACS Community Affairs Board, suggested Australia would gain greater long term benefits from an service which can be easily upgraded. The proposed MDS and satellite Pay TV systems could be modified for other delivery methods and services. KARL REED, MSc, FACS (Hon. Life Member, ACS), Director of the ACS Computer Systems and Software Engineering Technical Board, urged the government adopt policies for development of an Australian Pay TV industry. MR. WORTHINGTON, who prepared the ACS's submission to the Senate Pay TV inquiry last year said: "The current Pay TV debate has concentrated on delivery methods and on financial arrangements of potential suppliers." "Focusing on arguments of satellite versus terrestrial microwave distribution for Pay TV is not productive. It is unlikely that one transmission technology will be best for all subscribers. Delivery technologies are developing rapidly, as illustrated by recent proposals for digital cable systems. There is no 'best' delivery method. Planning for a diversity of delivery modes, would be better for the Australian community." "There has been little debate of the services which could be delivered by 'Pay TV'. Most discussions have assumed a service similar to the current free-to-air TV programs, but with a user access charge. Pay TV will make high speed digital communications available to the Australian community. There are many more ways to use this technology than watching re-runs of early 60's sit-coms." "For many years Australia's information technology researchers have been developing new applications for digital subscriber services. These applications combine computers and telecommunications in innovative ways. They have the best features of TV, radio, telephone and newspapers in the one product." "This work cost millions of dollars from Government and industry research funds. The results go far beyond Pay TV, as envisioned in the government's current policy. It time our policy makers and corporate executives looked at the innovative ideas, which the Australian community has already paid for." "Australians are now being asked to invest in digital Pay TV, at least as subscribers to the service. When you buy or rent a digital Pay TV decoder, you are investing in a powerful digital computer. This computer will be pre-programmed to decode Pay TV signals. It could be programmed to receive other digital subscriber services, for little extra cost." "Will consumers be able to use the same decoder for all Pay TV and narrow-cast services? Will they be able to upgrade their decoder for cable TV in the future? Will it work with satellite and terrestrial microwave? Will they be able to plug their personal computer and telephone into the decoder for interactive services? Alternatively will the subscriber have to pay thousands of dollars extra, for incompatible boxes to use each service?" "The planned MDS narrow-casting and satellite Pay TV services will not be delivering programs for some time. There is still time for policies to be developed to use them as the basis for advanced digital subscriber services for all Australians." "Australia's information technology professionals are at the forefront of the development of this technology. The ACS is ready to help our policy makers follow this lead." MR. REED, Director of the ACS Computer Systems and Software Engineering Technical Board, said that a major aspect of these services for both business and home needed to be universality of access. Reed said that the hundreds of millions committed to Pay TV would allow significant progress to be made in this direction. The ACS's COMMUNITY AFFAIRS & SOFTWARE ENGINEERING TECHNICAL BOARDS have jointly prepared a recommended action plan for Government: 1. Consult Australia's information technology researchers on what digital subscriber services will be possible in the next few years, 2. Consult the information technology industries as to the feasibility and cost of the possible services, 3. Prepare a number of policy options with costs and benefits, 4. Consult the community and industry over the desirability and affordability of the different options, 5. Prepare an integrated strategy for providing digital subscriber services. This would include the mandatory minimum features and standard upgrade options for subscriber equipment. 6. Assist Australian industry to compete in designing, manufacturing and delivering the equipment and services. In keeping with the high technology message, the ACS statement not was released at a meeting, but over a global computer network. MR. WORTHINGTON said: "To illustrate that the ACS does not just talk about technology, I would like to outline how this statement was prepared and issued. The draft was sent via the Australian segment of the Internet computer network to the ACS President for comment. The final version was issued through the global Usenet computer news service. This is received by ten million people, using 1.5 million computers around the world." "The Internet computer network now transmits digitised audio and video, on an experimental basis, as well as computer data and text messages. With the right policies, these services could be delivered to future Australian Pay TV subscribers." ABOUT THE ACS: The Australian Computer Society is the professional association in Australia for those in the computing and information technology fields. Established in 1966, the ACS has over 14,000 members and on a per capita basis is one of the largest computer societies in the world. The ACS announces activities on the Usenet News group "aus.acs", available via the Internet. Tom Worthington Ph: 06 2856209 Director of the Community Affairs Board Fax: 06 2496419 Australian Computer Society Inc. Internet: tomw@act.acs.org.au G.P.O. Box 446, Canberra A.C.T. 2601, Australia ------------------------------ From: Fidler, Justin Subject: 800-555-1212: I Need Information Date: Wed, 12 May 93 10:06:00 EDT The other evening I needed a few 800 numbers so I did as I always do and called 1-800-555-1212. Since I needed quite a few numbers, I started to wonder exactly how the service works. I have a few questions: Are all operators in the same location? Do they all access the same identical database, or do some receive updates before others? I've had occassions where I will ask for a company name and the first operator will find it, but when I call back two minutes later and get another operator, that operator can't find it. Is this just a matter of operator-error? Who pays for it? The carrier providing the 800 service for the number I request, or the company with the 800 number I'm requesting? How extensive is their database? For instance, I wanted the number for a certain company, we'll say The J.R. Smith Company, and from talking to the operator, it appears that I have to tell them about the 'The' in order for the search to work. For those fluent in SQL, don't they have a statement like: "SELECT * FROM where LIKE '%SMITH%'" so that they would find that company regardless of where the word "Smith" is situated in the company name? This is what irritates me most, as I was looking for one company, neglected to provide the 'The' and the name would not show up in the search. Once the operator typed in the preceding 'The' it worked fine. Lastly, is there either a telnettable online version, or a single printed directory (the ones I've seen are carrier-specific)? Justin Fidler jrf@b31.nei.nih.gov My opinion only [Moderator's Note: The actual mechanics of operating 800-555-1212 are handled by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, in the St. Louis, Missouri area somewhere. When AT&T was the only supplier of 800 numbers many years ago, SWBT operated 800-555-1212 under contract to AT&T. As other companies got into the 800 number service, they were able to get their listings placed in the database if desired. I think perhaps the whole thing now is administered by Bellcore, but so far as I know, SWBT still manages it under a contract with them. Anyone with an 800 number can be listed if desired, but the listings are not free. When I had my Telecom*USA 800 number a few years ago, they wanted an additional $10 per month if I wanted it listed with 800-555-1212. AT&T's printed directory only includes their customers. None of the other carriers print an 800 directory that I know of. It is possible there are updates throughout the day and an operator one minute would not find a listing but one a couple minutes later would, but I would be more inclined to think it was operator error. I doubt the database has more than 20-30 percent of all 800 numbers listed; very few residential listings are included; not that many people will deliberatly invite strangers to call them collect unless they are in business. Even then, as AT&T notes in their printed directory, many 800 numbers are for internal use only by companies, etc and non-pub in the database. Listing fees pay for the cost of the service. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 12 May 1993 12:26:14 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: Ultimate Russian Long-Distance Phone Directory Pat, I thought this might be of interest to the group. Jonathan Welch VAX Systems Manager Umass/Amherst JHWELCH@ecs.umass.edu From: "Vladimir Menkov" Subject:[soc.culture.soviet] Ultimate Russian Long-Distance Phone Directory Date: 11 May 1993 04:34:07 GMT SU Long Distance Phone Directory (in Russian) City codes and directory assistance phone numbers Mezhdugorodnyi Telefonnyi Spravochnik byvshego Sovetskogo Soyuza Kody gorodov i spravochnye Prompted by the requests of the readers of soc.culture.soviet, I place electronic long-distance phone directory of former Soviet Union to an FTP site. The author of the directory program is apparently V.Burnyshev. No claims is made by anybody regarding correctness of the database, usability of the program, or possibility to direct-dial the cities listed from anywhere; nor does anybody assume any responsibility for possible consequences of the use of the program and the database. The database is known to contain errors both in city names and city codes. The program can be used on an IBM-PC compatible computer with EGA or VGA monitor. Self-extracting archive "phonedir.exe", containing the database and program, can be obtained by anonymous FTP from moose.cs.indiana.edu (directory /pub/phonedir). If you have any problems or have comments, please send me e-mail. If I have time, I'll convert the database to plain ASCII and will make it publicly available at a later date. If you don't know how to use FTP, here are DETAILED instructions. If you are using a PC connected to Internet, and can run FTP from your PC: 1) From your machine connect to the FTP site by typing ftp moose.cs.indiana.edu On `Login:' prompt, enter `anonymous'; on `Password:' prompt enter your full Internet address. Don't enter quotation marks. 2) On `ftp>' prompt, type the following commands: cd /pub/phonedir binary get phonedir.exe quit 3) On your PC, run "phonedir.exe". It's a self-extracting archive; after it has unpacked itself, you can erase it. 4) If you do NOT have a Cyrillic screen/keyboard driver on your PC, run "cyrill.exe" to enable your computer to display cyrillic characters; otherwise you can erase "cyrill.exe" and use your existing cyrillic driver. 5) Use "tpr_new.exe" (the directory program). If you can't use FTP from your PC, perform steps 1-2 on a mainframe computer connected to Internet, and then download the file "phonedir.exe" to your PC in the manner normally used at your site. Vladimir ------------------------------ Subject: TeleTrect II CVS Headset From: fred@page6.pinetree.org (Fred Ennis) Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 08:27:53 -0400 Organization: Page 6, Ottawa, Ontario +1 613-723-5711 Hi! I have two TeleTrect II CVS headsets; they also say MOD. Two questions: When I plug them into the handset jacks on either a Vantage 12 set or a Toshiba 6025 EKT, they suffer from low level on both the receiver and transmitter. Is there a way to make them work properly with either set? There's a row of ten dip switches on the back of each headset box, along with a volume control, mic mute, and a on/off hook switch. Anyone know what the dip switches are supposed to do? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Fred Ennis, fred@page6.pinetree.org ------------------------------ From: jirza@world.std.com (John W Irza) Subject: Difference Between Residence and Business For Consulting? Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 15:03:59 GMT I'm setting up shop to do consulting at home and just got off the phone with New England Telephone. They quote a price of $93 to bring a business line into my home from the telephone pole. In addition they want a $200 deposit and will charge a minimum monthly charge of $17. I pay for every call made; no unlimited calling to local areas is offered. On the other hand, NET only charges $37 to bring in a residence line and charges about $30 a month for the local calling plan I'd like to use. Am I missing something here or would I have to be crazy to pay more to have a "business" line. From where I sit, the advantage of a business line is that you get the "privelege" of shelling out more money! Thanks in advance for help/wisdom. John Irza (jirza@world.std.com) [Moderator's Note: You also get a 'business listing' in the phone book. If you operate under your own name, then all you need is the listing you have now. If you do business under some business phrase, just try to get it listed without paying for a business phone! :) Even if you do business under your own name, if your directory is broken in two parts with one for business phones and one for residence phones, guess which partition you will be in ... :) The reason business phones cost more is a historic one going back a century ago to the idea of univer- sal service. It made sense for residences to have phones so that bus- inesses could contact them. Because not everyone can/could afford a phone, the prices will be kept artifically low and business users will subsidize the cost with service that is priced artificially high. That is the way it goes; get used to it. :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: bboerner@Novell.COM (Brendan B. Boerner) Subject: AT&T Future Ads Organization: Novell, Inc. --Austin Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 14:16:51 GMT Hello, Has anyone noticed the AT&T ads which keep asking "Have you ever done ?" and then say, "You will"? The TV ad I've seen first asks "Have you ever read a book across the country?" (or something similar, I'm paraphrasing from memory here) and show someone reading a book on a mondo monitor, then asks "Have you driven across the country?" and show a couple using a map on a monitor in their car, and one other scene which I don't recall. The print ad I've seen has a woman talking into a videophone with the question "Have you ever tucked in your kids across the country?" What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years ago did AT&T demonstrate a videophone at a World's Fair, 30? Also, show me a library that can afford to keep buying subscriptions to periodicals, much less state of the art computer equipment, and I'll show you a library which is going to get it's budget cut. Later, Brendan B. Boerner Phone: 512/346-8380 MHS: bboerner@novell Internet: bboerner@novell.com \ Please use either if replying or Brendan_Boerner@novell.com / by mail exterior to Novell. Disclaimer: My views are my own, not Novell's. They pay me to write code, not speak for them. ------------------------------ From: alarm@access.digex.net (James Van Houten) Subject: Residential Listings on CD-ROM Date: 12 May 1993 02:02:41 -0400 Organization: Metropolitan Security Services, Inc, Ft. Washington, MD USA I am interested in a CD-ROM that covers all residential telephone listings in the USA. I know that DAK was offering one with a purchase of their CD-ROM drive. Anyone have any info on this. Thanks. James Van Houten, Metropolitan Security Services, Inc Ft Washington, MD / 202-672-6926 [Moderator's Note: Compuserve also offers this as a premium service. I think they get an extra 25 cents per minute. GO PHONES. PAT] ------------------------------ From: robr@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Scipion Africanus) Subject: Info Infrastructure Task Force Date: 12 May 1993 04:04:40 GMT Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee I would be most grateful if someone could provide me with information in regard to Clinton's proposed Information Infrastructure Task Force. * Who will take part in this scheme? * How will attendees be chosen? * What topics will be covered? * What sort of committees have or will be created? Please reply via e-mail: robr@csd4.csd.uwm.edu Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation. ------------------------------ From: djcoyle@macc.wisc.edu (Douglas J. Coyle) Subject: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Date: 12 May 1993 11:24:29 GMT Organization: University of Wisconsin - Madison In article , frank@calcom.socal.com (Frank Keeney) wrote: > My boss once worked for LA Cellular and he pressed a few keys on his > phone and showed me how he could monitor any cellular frequency with > the phone's speaker. All you need to know are some of the keypad codes > that allow you to setup and test the phone. Knowledge any cellular > phone installer would have. Does anybody know (or know how to get) this kind of programming information for the Motorala flip phones? Thanks in advance, Douglas J. Coyle djcoyle@macc.wisc.edu 608.695.8288 [Moderator's Note: Doesn't Motorola Technical Support provide this information to service techs? I called them once about a Motorola phone I had and they faxed me page after page of details on how to get in to the phone, reset and change the registers, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ From: melody@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu (W. Melody Moh) Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 18:25:08 GMT Subject: UC, NCC, UNC+, MDS, DS questions Organization: San Jose State University - Math/CS Dept. I have been asked by a friend in Mexico about more information on the following. As ignorant as he is, could anybody shed some light on these? (General information, reference article/magazine/books, etc.) UC NCC UNC+ MDS DS I think these are some network software or network applications, but am not sure where to go for more information. Any help will be appreciated. Please response directly to me, as I am not a regular reader of the newsgroup (lack of time). Thanks. Melody Moh Assist. Professor Dept of Mathematics and Computer Science San Jose State University San Jose CA 95192-0103 melody@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu ------------------------------ From: smk@usl.com (Krieger S.M.) Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: 12 May 1993 09:35:41 -0400 Organization: Summit NJ >> Not a word about the impending arrival of "All Number Dialing", >> though only a fool couldn't see it coming. >> My family's number appeared as KIngsbridge 3-1136 from 1951 until >> 1966, and was then re-published as 543-1136 with our new address >> after we moved a block away. We still gave it out as "KI3-1136", to >> the bitter end. > When I was growing up in NYC in the 70's, we lived in the Sutton Place > district. I was taught my phone number as "Plaza 3-6788" and was > taught to dial PL and not 75. By about 1979 or so, we had all stopped > saying "Plaza 3" and had starting thinking of it as 753. When my > family moved uptown in 1981, our phone number began with 410, so the > issue became moot. When we moved to Brooklyn (from Atlantic City) in the summer of 1964, NY Telephone had apparently just begun the conversion to ANC, and when I started school a few weeks later, I was the only one in the class whose phone number was "officially" seven digits. My homeroom teacher thought that I was some wiseass new kid for writing my number as 444-4098 instead of HI4-4098. If I remember, the way NY Telephone handled the cutover was that any service change brought a conversion to ANC. So, besides a move within the neighborhood getting the same phone number recast, adding or removing extension phones (remember when the phone company did all that) also got the number changed. Stan Krieger All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even UNIX System Laboratories if related to my employment, are my own. Summit, NJ smk@usl.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 11:21:40 -0400 From: roy@mchip00.med.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) Subject: Re: Telecom History Organization: New York University, School of Medicine > When an advertiser comes along with an ANC phone number which does not map > back to anything from fifty years ago, i.e. 508 the staff at WFMT must > get *so* frustrated! :) PAT] I don't see what the problem is. 508-xxxx is LOPERU-xxxx, isn't it? :-) Roy Smith Hippocrates Project, Department of Microbiology, Coles 202 NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #321 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa06764; 12 May 93 20:06 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA10623 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 12 May 1993 17:04:32 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31069 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 12 May 1993 17:03:23 -0500 Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 17:03:23 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305122203.AA31069@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #320 TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 May 93 16:30:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 320 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson NIST Advisory Board Seeks Comments on Crypto (Mark Boolootian) Big Day at WilTel (Jim Hickstein) CCITT Dissolved? (Ron Dippold) Europe: Telephone Competition by 1998? (Juergen Ziegler) Harmonic Modulation -- Anyone Hear of It? (Erik E. Rantapaa) Information Wanted on CableLabs (Bill Phelps) Sign o' The Times (Paul Barnett) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: NIST Advisory Board Seeks Comments on Crypto Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 13:28:34 -0700 (PDT) From: Clipper-Capstone Chip Info Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Subject: NIST Advisory Board Seeks Comments on Crypto This file will be made available for anonymous ftp from csrc.ncsl.nist.gov, filename pub/nistgen/cryptmtg.txt and for download from the NIST Computer Security BBS, 301-948-5717, filename cryptmtg.txt. Note: The following notice is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register this week. The notice announces a meeting of the Computer System Security and Privacy Advisory Board (established by the Computer Security Act of 1987) and solicits public and industry comments on a wide range of cryptographic issues. Please note that submissions due by 4:00 p.m. May 27, 1993. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Announcing a Meeting of the COMPUTER SYSTEM SECURITY AND PRIVACY ADVISORY BOARD AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the Computer System Security and Privacy Advisory Board will meet Wednesday, June 2, 1993, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday, June 3, 1993, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, June 4, 1993 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Advisory Board was established by the Computer Security Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-235) to advise the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of NIST on security and privacy issues pertaining to Federal computer systems and report its findings to the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the National Security Agency, and the appropriate committees of the Congress. All sessions will be open to the public. DATES: The meeting will be held on June 2-4 1993. On June 2 and 3, 1993 the meeting will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on June 4, 1993 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Public submissions (as described below) are due by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) May 27, 1993 to allow for sufficient time for distribution to and review by Board members. ADDRESS: The meeting will take place at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. On June 2, 1993, the meeting will be held in the Administration Building, "Red Auditorium," on June 3 the meeting will be held in the Administration Building, "Green Auditorium," and on June 4, 1993 in the Administration Building, Lecture Room "B." Submissions (as described below), including copyright waiver if required, should be addressed to: Cryptographic Issue Statements, Computer System Security and Privacy Advisory Board, Technology Building, Room B-154, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899 or via FAX to 301/948-1784. Submissions, including copyright waiver if required, may also be sent electronically to "crypto@csrc.ncsl.nist.gov". AGENDA: - Welcome and Review of Meeting Agenda - Government-developed "Key Escrow" Chip Announcement Review - Discussion of Escrowed Cryptographic Key Technologies - Review of Submitted Issue Papers - Position Presentations & Discussion - Public Participation - Annual Report and Pending Business - Close PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: This Advisory Board meeting will be devoted to the issue of the Administration's recently announced government-developed "key escrow" chip cryptographic technology and, more broadly, to public use of cryptography and government cryptographic policies and regulations. The Board has been asked by NIST to obtain public comments on this matter for submission to NIST for the national review that the Administration's has announced it will conduct of cryptographic-related issues. Therefore, the Board is interested in: 1) obtaining public views and reactions to the government-developed "key escrow" chip technology announcement, "key escrow" technology generally, and government cryptographic policies and regulations; 2) hearing selected summaries of written views that have been submitted, and 3) conducting a general discussion of these issues in public. The Board solicits all interested parties to submit well-written, concise issue papers, position statements, and background materials on areas such as those listed below. Industry input is particularly encouraged in addressing the questions below. Because of the volume of responses expected, submittors are asked to identify the issues above to which their submission(s) are responsive. Submittors should be aware that copyrighted documents cannot be accepted unless a written waiver is included concurrently with the submission to allow NIST to reproduce the material. Also, company proprietary information should not be included, since submissions will be made publicly available. This meeting specifically will not be a tutorial or briefing on technical details of the government-developed "key escrow" chip or escrowed cryptographic key technologies. Those wishing to address the Board and/or submit written position statements are requested to be thoroughly familiar with the topic and to have concise, well-formulated opinions on its societal ramifications. Issues on which comments are sought include the following: 1. CRYPTOGRAPHIC POLICIES AND SOCIAL/PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES Public and Social policy aspects of the government-developed "key escrow" chip and, more generally, escrowed key technology and government cryptographic policies. Issues involved in balancing various interests affected by government cryptographic policies. 2. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES Consequences of the government-developed "key escrow" chip technology and, more generally, key escrow technology and government cryptographic policies. 3. INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY Issues and impacts of cryptographic-related statutes, regulations, and standards, both national and international, upon individual privacy. Issues related to the privacy impacts of the government-developed "key escrow" chip and "key escrow" technology generally. 4. QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO AMERICAN INDUSTRY 4.A Industry Questions: U.S. Export Controls 4.A.1 Exports - General What has been the impact on industry of past export controls on products with password and data security features for voice or data? Can such an impact, if any, be quantified in terms of lost export sales or market share? If yes, please provide that impact. How many exports involving cryptographic products did you attempt over the last five years? How many were denied? What reason was given for denial? Can you provide documentation of sales of cryptographic equipment which were lost to a foreign competitor, due solely to U.S. Export Regulations. What are the current market trends for the export sales of information security devices implemented in hardware solutions? For software solutions? 4.A.2 Exports - Software If the U.S. software producers of mass market or general purpose software (word processing, spreadsheets, operating environments, accounting, graphics, etc.) are prohibited from exporting such packages with file encryption capabilities, what foreign competitors in what countries are able and willing to take foreign market share from U.S. producers by supplying file encryption capabilities? What is the impact on the export market share and dollar sales of the U.S. software industry if a relatively inexpensive hardware solution for voice or data encryption is available such as the government-developed "key escrow" chip? What has been the impact of U.S. export controls on COMPUTER UTILITIES software packages such as Norton Utilities and PCTools? What has been the impact of U.S. export controls on exporters of OTHER SOFTWARE PACKAGES (e.g., word processing) containing file encryption capabilities? What information does industry have that Data Encryption Standard (DES) based software programs are widely available abroad in software applications programs? 4.A.3 Exports - Hardware Measured in dollar sales, units, and transactions, what have been the historic exports for: Standard telephone sets Cellular telephone sets Personal computers and work stations FAX machines Modems Telephone switches What are the projected export sales of these products if there is no change in export control policy and if the government-developed "key escrow" chip is not made available to industry? What are the projected export sales of these products if the government-developed "key escrow" chip is installed in the above products, the above products are freely available at an additional price of no more than $25.00, and the above products are exported WITHOUT ADDITIONAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS? What are the projected export sales of these products if the government-developed "key escrow" chip is installed in the above products, the above products are freely available at an additional price of no more than $25.00, and the above products are to be exported WITH AN ITAR MUNITIONS LICENSING REQUIREMENT for all destinations? What are the projected export sales of these products if the government-developed "key escrow" chip is installed in the above products, the above products are freely available at an additional price of no more than $25.00, and the above products are to be exported WITH A DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE LICENSING REQUIREMENT for all destinations? 4.A.4 Exports - Advanced Telecommunications What has been the impact on industry of past export controls on other advanced telecommunications products? Can such an impact on the export of other advanced telecommunications products, if any, be quantified in terms of lost export sales or market share? If yes, provide that impact. 4.B Industry Questions: Foreign Import/Export Regulations How do regulations of foreign countries affect the import and export of products containing cryptographic functions? Specific examples of countries and regulations will prove useful. 4.C Industry Questions: Customer Requirements for Cryptography What are current and future customer requirements for information security by function and industry? For example, what are current and future customer requirements for domestic banking, international banking, funds transfer systems, automatic teller systems, payroll records, financial information, business plans, competitive strategy plans, cost analyses, research and development records, technology trade secrets, personal privacy for voice communications, and so forth? What might be good sources of such data? What impact do U.S. Government mandated information security standards for defense contracts have upon demands by other commercial users for information security systems in the U.S.? In foreign markets? What threats are your product designed to protect against? What threats do you consider unaddressed? What demand do you foresee for a) cryptographic only products, and b) products incorporating cryptography in: 1) the domestic market, 2) in the foreign-only market, and 3) in the global market? 4.D Industry Questions: Standards If the European Community were to announce a non-DES, non-public key European Community Encryption Standard (ECES), how would your company react? Include the new standard in product line? Withdraw from the market? Wait and see? What are the impacts of government cryptographic standards on U.S. industry (e.g., Federal Information Processing Standard 46-1 [the Data Encryption Standard] and the proposed Digital Signature Standard)? 5. QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY 5.A American Business: Threats and Security Requirements Describe, in detail, the threat(s), to which you are exposed and which you believe cryptographic solutions can address. Please provide actual incidents of U.S. business experiences with economic espionage which could have been thwarted by applications of cryptographic technologies. What are the relevant standards of care that businesses must apply to safeguard information and what are the sources of those standards other than Federal standards for government contractors? What are U.S. business experiences with the use of cryptography to protect against economic espionage, (including current and projected investment levels in cryptographic products)? 5.B American Business: Use of Cryptography Describe the types of cryptographic products now in use by your organization. Describe the protection they provide (e.g., data encryption or data integrity through digital signatures). Please indicate how these products are being used. Describe any problems you have encountered in finding, installing, operating, importing, or exporting cryptographic devices. Describe current and future uses of cryptographic technology to protect commercial information (including types of information being protected and against what threats). Which factors in the list below inhibit your use of cryptographic products? Please rank: -- no need -- no appropriate product on market -- fear of interoperability problems -- regulatory concerns -- a) U.S. export laws -- b) foreign country regulations -- c) other -- cost of equipment -- cost of operation -- other Please comment on any of these factors. In your opinion, what is the one most important unaddressed need involving cryptographic technology? Please provide your views on the adequacy of the government-developed "key escrow" chip technological approach for the protection of all your international voice and data communication requirements. Comments on other U.S. Government cryptographic standards? 6. OTHER Please describe any other impacts arising from Federal government cryptographic policies and regulations. Please describe any other impacts upon the Federal government in the protection of unclassified computer systems. Are there any other comments you wish to share? The Board agenda will include a period of time, not to exceed ten hours, for oral presentations of summaries of selected written statements submitted to the Board by May 27, 1993. As appropriate and to the extent possible, speakers addressing the same topic will be grouped together. Speakers, prescheduled by the Secretariat and notified in advance, will be allotted fifteen to thirty minutes to orally present their written statements. Individuals and organizations submitting written materials are requested to advise the Secretariat if they would be interested in orally summarizing their materials for the Board at the meeting. Another period of time, not to exceed one hour, will be reserved for oral comments and questions from the public. Each speaker will be allotted up to five minutes; it will be necessary to strictly control the length of presentations to maximize public participation and the number of presentations. Except as provided for above, participation in the Board's discussions during the meeting will be at the discretion of the Designated Federal Official. Approximately thirty seats will be available for the public, including three seats reserved for the media. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lynn McNulty, Executive Secretary and Associate Director for Computer Security, Computer Systems Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Building 225, Room B154, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, telephone: (301) 975-3240. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background information on the government-developed "key escrow" chip proposal is available from the Board Secretariat; see address in "for further information" section. Also, information on the government-developed "key escrow" chip is available electronically from the NIST computer security bulletin board, phone 301-948-5717. The Board intends to stress the public and social policy aspects, the legal and Constitutional consequences of this technology, and the impacts upon American business and industry during its meeting. It is the Board's intention to create, as a product of this meeting, a publicly available digest of the important points of discussion, conclusions (if any) that might be reached, and an inventory of the policy issues that need to be considered by the government. Within the procedures described above, public participation is encouraged and solicited. /signed/ Raymond G. Kammer, Acting Director May 10, 1993 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 May 93 13:54:44 PDT From: jxh@ICD.Teradyne.COM (Jim Hickstein) Subject: Big Day at WilTel There seem to be two major outages going on at WilTel just now. Their customer service line (answered by a machine, it goes without saying) reports "between Cleveland and Toledo; and near Kansas City". Does anyone have better information about this? How major? How long will I be down? Weather? Cable cut? Act of God? These are proper questions for WilTel itself, of course, but I want to leave them to get on with fixing it. ------------------------------ From: rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) Subject: CCITT Dissolved? Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 21:10:14 GMT According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector (ITU-TSS). a) Is this true? b) Why? c) Who is this ITU-TSS? d) What does this do to Recommendataions in progress (or new ones)? I'm particularly interested in Group XVII and V.fast. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 09:34 From: Juergen Ziegler Subject: Europe: Telephone Competition by 1998? According to articles in several major German newspapers the the EC (European Communinity) secretaries of telecommunications have ruled that by January 1st, 1998 all national telephone mono- polies will be abandoned. By that day national and international telephone network operators will be allowed to offer national and international telephone service in all EC member countries. By the end of 1994 the ONP (Open Network Provisions) for telephone service (technical, billing, access charges, ... ) will be defined, so that interested companies may begin their planning of their net- works. Another article states that access to the EC telephone market may be blocked to non EC companies (AT&T, MCI, SPRINT, ... ). This would definitely limit the competition quite significantly. Major proponents of this liberalisation are the UK and the Netherlands. Both countries have privatised (or to be privatised) national telephone companies. The UK is the only EC country to have telephone competion for several years. A major opponent of this plan was France. But France came to the con- clusion, that their national telephone operator FRANCE TELECOM has one of the best European networks, so that competition is no longer a problem for them. Germany has accepted this plan, since it gave TELEKOM the chance to complete their effort in building an efficient telephone and datacom infra-structure in Eastern Germany. ------------------------------ From: rantapaa@s6.math.umn.edu (Erik E. Rantapaa) Subject: Harmonic Modulation -- Anyone Hear of it? Organization: University of Minnesota Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 17:10:49 GMT A friend of mine told me about a new method of data transmission called "harmonic modulation" or something like that. Unfortunately he couldn't remember any of the details, although supposedly it was reported on in _Byte_ a couple of years ago. Does anyone know about this? Does anyone know what kind of increase in channel throughput it brings? Does anyone know if it is being used right now or will ever be used? Inquiring minds want to know. Much obliged, Erik Rantapaa rantapaa@math.umn.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 13:23:28 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Phelps Subject: Information Wanted on CableLabs Bellcore (the research arm of the RBOCs) is an execllent source of telecom reference material. I understand that the cable industry has a similar research organization, CableLabs, but I don't know anything about it. Does it sell any research documents or other information? Where is it located? How big is it? Any information would be appreciated. Bill Phelps bphelps@world.std.com ------------------------------ From: barnett@zeppelin.convex.com (Paul Barnett) Subject: Sign o' The Times Date: Wed, 12 May 93 13:04:16 CDT If you look carefully between the frames of "Dilbert", a daily syndicated cartoon by Scott Adams about the life of an engineer in an average corporation, you will find the following inscription: E-Mail: SCOTTADAMS@AOL.COM Paul Barnett MPP OS Development (214)-497-4846 Convex Computer Corp. Richardson, TX ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #320 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa24708; 13 May 93 5:19 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00529 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 13 May 1993 00:35:02 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30524 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 13 May 1993 00:34:15 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 00:34:15 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305130534.AA30524@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #322 TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 May 93 00:34:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 322 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area (Jonathan Welch) NET Pamphlet on Caller-ID For 508/617/413 Area (Jonathan Welch) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Steve Forrette) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Carl Moore) Re: Blocking Call Returns (Steve Forrette) Re: Modem Certification Process - Europe (Jan Ceuleers) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Michael Rosen) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Vance Shipley) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 May 1993 08:23:35 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area Because of the rapid growth of communications services such as fax machines, computer lines, cellular telephones and regular telephonel ines, the country is running out of area codes. As a result of a plan to create additional area codes, New England Telephone, along with phone companies throughout North America, is changing the way certain calls are made. The dialing changes will be introduced in two phases, and the implementation will be done on a central-office-by-central- office basis within each area code across the five-state New England Telephone operating area. Although the way you dial some calls may change, there will be no change in either rates or your local calling area. A local call still will be a local call -- a toll call still will be a toll call. PHASE ONE - ALL DIRECTLY DIALED CALLS TO A DIFFERENT AREA CODE For customers in the 413 Area Code, the first phase begins March 1, 1993. You should at that time dial "1," the area code and the seven-digit telephone number to directly dial any number in a different area code. While this is no change for most of our customers, it will affect some. Those whose local calling area extends across an area code boundary, and who previously could make local calls to that differ- ent area code by dialing only seven digits will new be required to dial the "1," the area code and the seven-digit number to complete this local call. If your local calling area includes customers in another area code, you should now begin dialing your local calls to the other area code by using the "1," the area code and the seven-digit number. Until April 8, 1993 there will be a "permissive dialing period" during which both the old and the new dialing procedures will work. This dialing procedure for all calls to another area code will become mandatory on April 8, 1993. If you have any question about which exchanges are included within your local calling area, please consult the introductory White Pages of your NYNEX telephone directory. PHASE TWO - ALL DIRECTLY DIALED CALLS WITHIN YOUR AREA CODE AND CUSTOMER-DIALED, OPERATOR-ASSISTED CALLS The second phase of the dialing changes involves calls made to numbers within your own area code and all directly dialed calls requiring operator assistance or the use of a calling card. For directly dialed calls to any number within the same area code, you'll only have to dial the seven-digit phone number that you're calling. It won't make any difference whether the call is inside or outside your local calling area, or a local or toll call. As long as it's within the area code that you're in, you'll only dial seven digits. With this dialing change, a "1" is not necessarily a sign of a toll call. Since you will no longer be dialing "1" before toll calls within your area code, you should know if the call is a local call or a toll call before you dial it. If you are unsure of your local calling area, please refer to the introductory White Pages of your NYNEX telephone directory where you will find a list of exchanges included in your local calling area. If a directory is not available, you can receive a copy of any Massachusetts directory by calling your New England Telephone business office. The telephone number is listed on page one of your monthly telephone bill. Again, we remind you that when calling any number within your area code, your local calling area and the rates will not change as a result of these changes in the dialing procedures. You just won't need to dial a "1" before the number when you make a toll call. CUSTOMER-DIALED, OPERATOR-ASSISTED CALLS For operator-assisted calls (calling card, collect, or calls billed to a third party) you must always dial "0" plus the area code and the seven-digit telephone number. This is the case no matter where you're calling, your own area code included. We want to alert all of our residence and business customers well in advance so that, at the appropriate time, you can make any changes to your telephone services (Speed Calling, Call Forwarding, automatic dialers, alarm or medical dialers) and business telephone systems (PBX routing or blocking) that may be required. Because each central office will be converted independently of the others, we have included a schedule of office conversions for your entire area code as a part of this notice. This should assist you in any planning, or in scheduling any equipment reprogramming or replacement that you may require. The work within each central office will take approximately a week to ten days to complete. During that period it may be possible for some customers to complete calls using the new dialing procedures, but we recommend that you continue using the current procedures until the date listed in the "Permissive Period Begins" column on the accompanying schedule. The office-by-office schedule includes the date that the work will be completed, starting the permissive dialing period for that office. Once the permissive period has started, we recommend that you re-program any services or equipment that may require reprogramming. You should then begin using the new procedures so that when the permissive period ends on September 21, 1993, your calls will be completed without interruption or the need to redial. If you have questions about your telecommunications equipment, please contact an equipment sales and service company that serves your area. If you have questions about the dialing pattern changes, please call New England Telephone at 1 800-555-5000, ext. 208. We want to make this transition as easy as possible for you. NUMBERS BEGIN PERMISSIVE EXCHANGE WITH PERIOD BEGINS Adams 743 Apr. 16, 1993 Agawam 786, 789 Feb. 7, 1993 Amherst 253, 256, 259, 542, May 2, 1993 545, 546, 548, 549 Ashfield 628 May 9, 1993 Becket 623 Apr. 16, 1993 Belchertown 323 May 23, 1993 Bernardston 648 May 9, 1993 Blandford 848 May 23, 1993 Brimfield 245 May 23, 1993 Charlemont 339 May 9, 1993 Chester 354 May 23, 1993 Chesterfield 296 May 2, 1993 Chicopee 557, 592, 593, 594, Jun. 7, 1993 598 Colrain 624 May 9, 1993 Conway 369 May 2, 1993 Cummington 634 May 2, 1993 Dalton 684 Apr. 16, 1993 E. Longmeadow 525 Jun. 7, 1993 Easthampton 527, 529 May 9, 1993 Gilbertville 477 May 23, 1993 Granville 357 May 23, 1993 GreatBarrington 528 Apr. 25, 1993 Greenfield 772, 773, 774 May 9, 1993 Hampden 566 May 23, 1993 Hatfield 247 May 2, 1993 Heath 337 May 9, 1993 Hinsdale 655 Apr. 16, 1993 Holyoke 530, 531, 532, 533, Feb. 7, 1993 534, 535, 536, 538, 539 Housatonic 274 Apr. 25, 1993 Huntington 667 May 23, 1993 Indian Orchard 543 Jun. 21, 1993 Lee 243 Apr. 16, 1993 Lenox 637 Apr. 16, 1993 Longmeadow 567 May 23, 1993 Ludlow 547, 583, 589 Jun. 21, 1993 Millers Falls 659 May 9, 1993 Monroe Bridge 424 May 9, 1993 Monson 267 Feb.6, 1993 Montague 367 May 9, 1993 North Adams 662, 663, 664 Apr. 25, 1993 Northampton 582, 584, 585, 586 May 2, 1993 Northfield 498 May 9, 1993 Otis 269 May 23, 1993 Palmer 283, 284, 289 May 23, 1993 Pittsfield 442, 443, 445, 446, Apr. 16, 1993 447, 448, 494, 499 Russell 862 Feb. 6, 1993 Sandisfield 258 May 23, 1993 Sheffield 229 Apr. 25, 1993 Shelburne Falls 625 May 9, 1993 South Deerfield 665 May 2, 1993 Southwick 569 May 23, 1993 Springfield 782, 783, 796 Jun. 7, 1993 Springfield 730, 731, 732, 733, Jun. 21, 1993 734, 735, 736, 737, 739, 781, 784, 785, 787, 788 Springfield 293, 744, 746, 747, Jun. 21, 1993 748 Stockbridge 298 Apr. 25, 1993 Turners Falls 863 May 9, 1993 Ware 967 May 23, 1993 Warren 436 May 23, 1993 West Stockbridge 232 Apr. 25, 1993 Westfield 562, 568, 572 Feb. 6, 1993 Wilbraham 596, 599 Jun. 21, 1993 Williamsburg 268 May 2, 1993 Williamstown 458,597 Apr. 25, 1993 Worthington 238 May 2, 1993 The Permissive Period for All Exchanges Ends September 21, 1993 New England Telephone A NYNEX Company MA 413 2/93 ------------------------------ Date: 12 May 1993 08:24:08 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a new call management service. This service, called PHONESMART, includes the features explained below. CallerID allows customers to see the telephone number of incoming calls without lifting the receiver. Your number (published or non-published) is only displayed to a person you call within the PHONESMART-equipped service area who has subscribed to the Caller ID feature. As has always been the case, non-published numbers will not appear in the NYNEX telephone directory, nor will they be given out through directory assistance or provided to the general public. The monthly charge forCaller ID is $4.95. Special Display Equipment Required: A special unit (purchased separately) displays the telephone number of each incoming call along with the date and the time. New England Telephone does not sell the Caller ID display device. Such equipment can be purchased through retail stores that sell telephones. CallerID Blocking: For various reasons you may not want your telephone number to be seen by the person you are calling. In response to this concern, New England Telephone is offering Per-Call Blocking, a free method of "Blocking" the transmission of your telephone number to the CallerID display device. Your line is already equipped for Per-Call Blocking. All you have to do is push *67 on a touch-tone phone or diall 1167 on a rotary/pulse phone before dialing the call you want blocked. In addition, free Line Blocking is also available. Once added to your line, Line Blocking automatically blocks your telephone number from being passed to a CallerID subscriber on all calls. Line Blocking is available by simply calling your service representative weekdays between 8.30a.m. and 5:00p.m. at 1 800 555-5000 extension 205, and asking to have Line Blocking added to your line. Calls from a phone with Line Blocking can be unblocked on a call by call basis. To unblock each call, the caller with Line Blocking must push *67 on a touch-tone phone or dial 1167 on a rotary/pulse phone beforemaking a call. It's Time You Got PHONESMART -- CallerID is only one of the PHONESMART features available in your area. We also offer Repeat Dialing and Call Return on a monthly subscription basis. And Call Trace is already on your line, ready to use now. Repeat Dialing automatically checks a busy line without tying up your phone. When the line you called is no longer busy, Repeat Dialing alerts you with a special ring and puts the call through when you pick up the phone. The monthly charge is $2.25. Call Return allows you to return your last incoming call, whether you were able to get to the phone or not. This feature lets you dial a special code to automatically return the last incoming call you received. The monthly charge is $2.25. Repeat Dialing and Call Return are also available as a package for just $3.95 a month. Don't Let An Obscene Call Get Away Without A Trace. Call Trace helps put an end to obscene and harassing phone calls. Best of all, it's already on your phone line, ready to use now. After receiving a harassing call, hang up, then pick up the phone. When you hear the dial tone, you simply press *57 on a touchtone phone (dial 1157 on a rotary/pulse telephone). Stay on the line and upon completion of the trace, we'll record the caller's number, time and date of the call, and direct you to contact our Annoyance Call Bureau for further instructions. Unless it receives a call from you after each Call Trace, the Annoyance Call Bureau will take no action. Call Trace can only trace the last call you received; if you get another call before you press *57, the system will trace the second call and not the one you wished to trace. What Happens Next? Our Annoyance Call Bureau will keep a file of your traced calls for 30 days. If two harassing calls are traced back to the same number within that period, you'll be notified by mail about how to follow up with the local law enforcement authorities. You will not, however, receive the number of the person who called you. How Much Does It Cost? You pay for Call Trace only when you use it. You will be billed $3.25 for each call that is successfully traced. In addition, should two calls be traced to the same number within a thirty-day period, a $5 case preparation fee will be added to your bill. If you have any questions, call your service representative at the telephone number listed on the New England Telephone Itemization of Account page of your bill. PHONESMART features are available and only work on calls which originate and terminate in PHONESMART equipped areas within Eastern Massachusetts (508/617 area codes) as follows: (508 Area Code) 281, 282, 283, 468, 524, 525, 526, 530, 531, 532, 535, 546, 740, 741, 744, 745, 750, 762, 768, 774, 777, 921, 922, 927, 977; (617 Area Code) 224, 231, 233, 245, 246, 255, 279, 296, 298, 320, 323, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 331, 333, 334, 335, 337, 340, 356, 361, 362, 364, 376, 380, 383, 438, 461, 462, 469, 471, 472, 479, 544, 545, 551, 575, 581, 586, 592, 593, 594, 595, 596, 598, 599, 631, 639, 696, 698, 740, 749, 762, 767, 769, 770, 773, 774, 786, 821, 828, 843, 847, 848, 849, 925, 961, 963, 984, 985, 986. PHONESMART features are available and only work on calls which originate and terminate in PHONESMART equipped areas within Western Massachusetts (413 area code) as follows: (413 Area Code) 238, 247, 253, 256, 259, 268, 296, 337, 339, 367, 369, 498, 542, 545, 546, 548, 549, 582, 584, 585, 586, 624, 625, 628, 634, 648, 659, 772, 773, 774, 863. PHONESMART services are not available on PBX trunks, foreign exchanges and foreign central office services. New England Telephone A NYNEX Company New England Telephone recycles MA 4/93 ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 12 May 1993 07:24:03 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article Darren Eslke writes: > I was refering to the forcing everyone in the area code to dial the > area code, to get us used to dialing the extra digits. I heard > thatthe area code will s plit sometime this year. Seattle metro area > is big, and expanding fast. The 1 + ten digits requirement has been in effect in 206 for intra-area code calls for about a year now. That freed up all of the NXX prefixes to be assigned, which should last us until after the 1/1/95 cutover to the improved numbering plan. I doubt there will be a split before then. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 10:08:29 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Yes, I had already noted that in 206, you have to dial 1 + NPA + 7D for all long distance, even within 206. That by itself does not constitute a first step to an area code split, but it does stave off a split (by letting prefixes generalize from NNX to NXX), and if prefixes run short when they already are of NXX form, THEN a split is necessary. I also had received word that 509 will go to these same instructions when it's time to prepare for NXX area codes. The concern is that area codes can't generalize from N0X/N1X to NXX until Jan. 1, 1995, because switches in the NANP are supposed to be able to handle them by then (you write of 206 splitting sometime THIS year, and we still have to get through 1994 before the area code shortage can be relieved). ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Blocking Call Returns (Call Block Should work For Anonymous Calls) Date: 12 May 1993 07:35:19 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article bears!rhyre@cinpmx.attmail. com writes: > Caller: (telemarketing from home) #67 + Callee Number > Callee: Who is this bozo calling me during dinner? I'll call return him > and give him an earful. (#69) > Caller: I don't want this Jerk to bother me, I'm just trying to sell > aluminum siding. #68 (Call Block the last number that called me.) > [Moderator's Note: The flaw in your plan is that there has to be at > least one call back from the unhappy customer before the telemarketer > can add the 'last call recieved' to his denial list, unless he chooses > to add them as he goes along, which would be unproductive. So he has > to get hung up on, then called back by the sassy customer before he > can add it on the basis of 'last call received'. PAT] A good way to accomplish this for the telemarketer is to get a separate line to make the telemarketing calls. Have no ringers on it, so the callees can Call Return all they want. If the telemarketer doesn't want to even have his line busy for a moment, he can also get Call Forwarding and deflect the Call Returns to a non-working number. Of course, this will not prevent Call Trace from being able to track him down, but that's the way it should be. If the telemarketer is doing something sufficiently nasty so as to be illegal, it's nice that there's now a way for them to get caught. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: janc@ee2.alcbel.be (Jan Ceuleers 3145) Subject: Re: Modem Certification Process - Europe Date: 12 May 93 08:44:04 GMT Reply-To: janc@ee2.alcbel.be (Jan Ceuleers 3145) Organization: Alcatel Bell Telephone, Antwerpen, Belgium In article , jxm@engin.umich.edu (John Murray) writes: > Does anybody know of companies or organizations which handle the PTT > certification procedures for modems in Europe? Germany and France > are of particular interest, as well as the United Kingdom, Sweden, and > Italy. I don't think there's an EC-wide certification process, but if > one does exist, then any contacts who deals with that would also be > much appreciated. I know of no such companies or organizations. Moreover, PTTs require the coordinates of a representative of the manufacturer within the EC. This effectively means that if you wish to sell modems in Europe, you must do so through European representation. Jan janc@ee2.alcbel.be ------------------------------ From: mrosen@nyx.cs.du.edu (Michael Rosen) Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Wed, 12 May 93 04:34:37 GMT leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: > I would believe the figure that 20% of all dialed calls are not > completed (especially when I lived in GTEland, but that's another > story), but I would guess that 20% customer error is a slightly > inflated marketing number. What I don't understand is why the voice > dialer is 90% accurate? Is it 90% accurate at recognizing the name > spoken, or is it 90% accurate at dialing the number after it figures > out who you want to dial? I mean, machines are only as perfect as > those who program them ... This reminds me of a scene in Steve Martin's "L.A. Story." He attempts to tell the voice-activated phone to dial somewhere (I forget where) and I think it continues to dial something like Dominos ... it's been a while since I've seen the movie so I don't remember the specifics. Mike ------------------------------ From: vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: Xenitec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 12:30:03 GMT In article sceard!newline!steve@ UCSD.EDU (Steve Edwards) asks: > Why do COs have no windows? The single PBX room I have worked in which had windows explained this for me. When I entered the room I thought "Wow, this is nice and sunny, what a change". A few minutes later I discovered that all the markings on the MDF were faded away to illegible smears! Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #322 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa26308; 13 May 93 6:03 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA21175 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 13 May 1993 03:16:35 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA29278 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 13 May 1993 03:15:16 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 03:15:16 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305130815.AA29278@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #322 From telecom Thu May 13 00:34:15 1993 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30524 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecom@eecs.nwu.edu); Thu, 13 May 1993 00:34:15 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 00:34:15 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305130534.AA30524@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #322 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 May 93 00:34:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 322 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area (Jonathan Welch) NET Pamphlet on Caller-ID For 508/617/413 Area (Jonathan Welch) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Steve Forrette) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Carl Moore) Re: Blocking Call Returns (Steve Forrette) Re: Modem Certification Process - Europe (Jan Ceuleers) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Michael Rosen) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Vance Shipley) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 May 1993 08:23:35 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area Because of the rapid growth of communications services such as fax machines, computer lines, cellular telephones and regular telephonel ines, the country is running out of area codes. As a result of a plan to create additional area codes, New England Telephone, along with phone companies throughout North America, is changing the way certain calls are made. The dialing changes will be introduced in two phases, and the implementation will be done on a central-office-by-central- office basis within each area code across the five-state New England Telephone operating area. Although the way you dial some calls may change, there will be no change in either rates or your local calling area. A local call still will be a local call -- a toll call still will be a toll call. PHASE ONE - ALL DIRECTLY DIALED CALLS TO A DIFFERENT AREA CODE For customers in the 413 Area Code, the first phase begins March 1, 1993. You should at that time dial "1," the area code and the seven-digit telephone number to directly dial any number in a different area code. While this is no change for most of our customers, it will affect some. Those whose local calling area extends across an area code boundary, and who previously could make local calls to that differ- ent area code by dialing only seven digits will new be required to dial the "1," the area code and the seven-digit number to complete this local call. If your local calling area includes customers in another area code, you should now begin dialing your local calls to the other area code by using the "1," the area code and the seven-digit number. Until April 8, 1993 there will be a "permissive dialing period" during which both the old and the new dialing procedures will work. This dialing procedure for all calls to another area code will become mandatory on April 8, 1993. If you have any question about which exchanges are included within your local calling area, please consult the introductory White Pages of your NYNEX telephone directory. PHASE TWO - ALL DIRECTLY DIALED CALLS WITHIN YOUR AREA CODE AND CUSTOMER-DIALED, OPERATOR-ASSISTED CALLS The second phase of the dialing changes involves calls made to numbers within your own area code and all directly dialed calls requiring operator assistance or the use of a calling card. For directly dialed calls to any number within the same area code, you'll only have to dial the seven-digit phone number that you're calling. It won't make any difference whether the call is inside or outside your local calling area, or a local or toll call. As long as it's within the area code that you're in, you'll only dial seven digits. With this dialing change, a "1" is not necessarily a sign of a toll call. Since you will no longer be dialing "1" before toll calls within your area code, you should know if the call is a local call or a toll call before you dial it. If you are unsure of your local calling area, please refer to the introductory White Pages of your NYNEX telephone directory where you will find a list of exchanges included in your local calling area. If a directory is not available, you can receive a copy of any Massachusetts directory by calling your New England Telephone business office. The telephone number is listed on page one of your monthly telephone bill. Again, we remind you that when calling any number within your area code, your local calling area and the rates will not change as a result of these changes in the dialing procedures. You just won't need to dial a "1" before the number when you make a toll call. CUSTOMER-DIALED, OPERATOR-ASSISTED CALLS For operator-assisted calls (calling card, collect, or calls billed to a third party) you must always dial "0" plus the area code and the seven-digit telephone number. This is the case no matter where you're calling, your own area code included. We want to alert all of our residence and business customers well in advance so that, at the appropriate time, you can make any changes to your telephone services (Speed Calling, Call Forwarding, automatic dialers, alarm or medical dialers) and business telephone systems (PBX routing or blocking) that may be required. Because each central office will be converted independently of the others, we have included a schedule of office conversions for your entire area code as a part of this notice. This should assist you in any planning, or in scheduling any equipment reprogramming or replacement that you may require. The work within each central office will take approximately a week to ten days to complete. During that period it may be possible for some customers to complete calls using the new dialing procedures, but we recommend that you continue using the current procedures until the date listed in the "Permissive Period Begins" column on the accompanying schedule. The office-by-office schedule includes the date that the work will be completed, starting the permissive dialing period for that office. Once the permissive period has started, we recommend that you re-program any services or equipment that may require reprogramming. You should then begin using the new procedures so that when the permissive period ends on September 21, 1993, your calls will be completed without interruption or the need to redial. If you have questions about your telecommunications equipment, please contact an equipment sales and service company that serves your area. If you have questions about the dialing pattern changes, please call New England Telephone at 1 800-555-5000, ext. 208. We want to make this transition as easy as possible for you. NUMBERS BEGIN PERMISSIVE EXCHANGE WITH PERIOD BEGINS Adams 743 Apr. 16, 1993 Agawam 786, 789 Feb. 7, 1993 Amherst 253, 256, 259, 542, May 2, 1993 545, 546, 548, 549 Ashfield 628 May 9, 1993 Becket 623 Apr. 16, 1993 Belchertown 323 May 23, 1993 Bernardston 648 May 9, 1993 Blandford 848 May 23, 1993 Brimfield 245 May 23, 1993 Charlemont 339 May 9, 1993 Chester 354 May 23, 1993 Chesterfield 296 May 2, 1993 Chicopee 557, 592, 593, 594, Jun. 7, 1993 598 Colrain 624 May 9, 1993 Conway 369 May 2, 1993 Cummington 634 May 2, 1993 Dalton 684 Apr. 16, 1993 E. Longmeadow 525 Jun. 7, 1993 Easthampton 527, 529 May 9, 1993 Gilbertville 477 May 23, 1993 Granville 357 May 23, 1993 GreatBarrington 528 Apr. 25, 1993 Greenfield 772, 773, 774 May 9, 1993 Hampden 566 May 23, 1993 Hatfield 247 May 2, 1993 Heath 337 May 9, 1993 Hinsdale 655 Apr. 16, 1993 Holyoke 530, 531, 532, 533, Feb. 7, 1993 534, 535, 536, 538, 539 Housatonic 274 Apr. 25, 1993 Huntington 667 May 23, 1993 Indian Orchard 543 Jun. 21, 1993 Lee 243 Apr. 16, 1993 Lenox 637 Apr. 16, 1993 Longmeadow 567 May 23, 1993 Ludlow 547, 583, 589 Jun. 21, 1993 Millers Falls 659 May 9, 1993 Monroe Bridge 424 May 9, 1993 Monson 267 Feb.6, 1993 Montague 367 May 9, 1993 North Adams 662, 663, 664 Apr. 25, 1993 Northampton 582, 584, 585, 586 May 2, 1993 Northfield 498 May 9, 1993 Otis 269 May 23, 1993 Palmer 283, 284, 289 May 23, 1993 Pittsfield 442, 443, 445, 446, Apr. 16, 1993 447, 448, 494, 499 Russell 862 Feb. 6, 1993 Sandisfield 258 May 23, 1993 Sheffield 229 Apr. 25, 1993 Shelburne Falls 625 May 9, 1993 South Deerfield 665 May 2, 1993 Southwick 569 May 23, 1993 Springfield 782, 783, 796 Jun. 7, 1993 Springfield 730, 731, 732, 733, Jun. 21, 1993 734, 735, 736, 737, 739, 781, 784, 785, 787, 788 Springfield 293, 744, 746, 747, Jun. 21, 1993 748 Stockbridge 298 Apr. 25, 1993 Turners Falls 863 May 9, 1993 Ware 967 May 23, 1993 Warren 436 May 23, 1993 West Stockbridge 232 Apr. 25, 1993 Westfield 562, 568, 572 Feb. 6, 1993 Wilbraham 596, 599 Jun. 21, 1993 Williamsburg 268 May 2, 1993 Williamstown 458,597 Apr. 25, 1993 Worthington 238 May 2, 1993 The Permissive Period for All Exchanges Ends September 21, 1993 New England Telephone A NYNEX Company MA 413 2/93 ------------------------------ Date: 12 May 1993 08:24:08 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a new call management service. This service, called PHONESMART, includes the features explained below. CallerID allows customers to see the telephone number of incoming calls without lifting the receiver. Your number (published or non-published) is only displayed to a person you call within the PHONESMART-equipped service area who has subscribed to the Caller ID feature. As has always been the case, non-published numbers will not appear in the NYNEX telephone directory, nor will they be given out through directory assistance or provided to the general public. The monthly charge forCaller ID is $4.95. Special Display Equipment Required: A special unit (purchased separately) displays the telephone number of each incoming call along with the date and the time. New England Telephone does not sell the Caller ID display device. Such equipment can be purchased through retail stores that sell telephones. CallerID Blocking: For various reasons you may not want your telephone number to be seen by the person you are calling. In response to this concern, New England Telephone is offering Per-Call Blocking, a free method of "Blocking" the transmission of your telephone number to the CallerID display device. Your line is already equipped for Per-Call Blocking. All you have to do is push *67 on a touch-tone phone or diall 1167 on a rotary/pulse phone before dialing the call you want blocked. In addition, free Line Blocking is also available. Once added to your line, Line Blocking automatically blocks your telephone number from being passed to a CallerID subscriber on all calls. Line Blocking is available by simply calling your service representative weekdays between 8.30a.m. and 5:00p.m. at 1 800 555-5000 extension 205, and asking to have Line Blocking added to your line. Calls from a phone with Line Blocking can be unblocked on a call by call basis. To unblock each call, the caller with Line Blocking must push *67 on a touch-tone phone or dial 1167 on a rotary/pulse phone beforemaking a call. It's Time You Got PHONESMART -- CallerID is only one of the PHONESMART features available in your area. We also offer Repeat Dialing and Call Return on a monthly subscription basis. And Call Trace is already on your line, ready to use now. Repeat Dialing automatically checks a busy line without tying up your phone. When the line you called is no longer busy, Repeat Dialing alerts you with a special ring and puts the call through when you pick up the phone. The monthly charge is $2.25. Call Return allows you to return your last incoming call, whether you were able to get to the phone or not. This feature lets you dial a special code to automatically return the last incoming call you received. The monthly charge is $2.25. Repeat Dialing and Call Return are also available as a package for just $3.95 a month. Don't Let An Obscene Call Get Away Without A Trace. Call Trace helps put an end to obscene and harassing phone calls. Best of all, it's already on your phone line, ready to use now. After receiving a harassing call, hang up, then pick up the phone. When you hear the dial tone, you simply press *57 on a touchtone phone (dial 1157 on a rotary/pulse telephone). Stay on the line and upon completion of the trace, we'll record the caller's number, time and date of the call, and direct you to contact our Annoyance Call Bureau for further instructions. Unless it receives a call from you after each Call Trace, the Annoyance Call Bureau will take no action. Call Trace can only trace the last call you received; if you get another call before you press *57, the system will trace the second call and not the one you wished to trace. What Happens Next? Our Annoyance Call Bureau will keep a file of your traced calls for 30 days. If two harassing calls are traced back to the same number within that period, you'll be notified by mail about how to follow up with the local law enforcement authorities. You will not, however, receive the number of the person who called you. How Much Does It Cost? You pay for Call Trace only when you use it. You will be billed $3.25 for each call that is successfully traced. In addition, should two calls be traced to the same number within a thirty-day period, a $5 case preparation fee will be added to your bill. If you have any questions, call your service representative at the telephone number listed on the New England Telephone Itemization of Account page of your bill. PHONESMART features are available and only work on calls which originate and terminate in PHONESMART equipped areas within Eastern Massachusetts (508/617 area codes) as follows: (508 Area Code) 281, 282, 283, 468, 524, 525, 526, 530, 531, 532, 535, 546, 740, 741, 744, 745, 750, 762, 768, 774, 777, 921, 922, 927, 977; (617 Area Code) 224, 231, 233, 245, 246, 255, 279, 296, 298, 320, 323, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 331, 333, 334, 335, 337, 340, 356, 361, 362, 364, 376, 380, 383, 438, 461, 462, 469, 471, 472, 479, 544, 545, 551, 575, 581, 586, 592, 593, 594, 595, 596, 598, 599, 631, 639, 696, 698, 740, 749, 762, 767, 769, 770, 773, 774, 786, 821, 828, 843, 847, 848, 849, 925, 961, 963, 984, 985, 986. PHONESMART features are available and only work on calls which originate and terminate in PHONESMART equipped areas within Western Massachusetts (413 area code) as follows: (413 Area Code) 238, 247, 253, 256, 259, 268, 296, 337, 339, 367, 369, 498, 542, 545, 546, 548, 549, 582, 584, 585, 586, 624, 625, 628, 634, 648, 659, 772, 773, 774, 863. PHONESMART services are not available on PBX trunks, foreign exchanges and foreign central office services. New England Telephone A NYNEX Company New England Telephone recycles MA 4/93 ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 12 May 1993 07:24:03 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article Darren Eslke writes: > I was refering to the forcing everyone in the area code to dial the > area code, to get us used to dialing the extra digits. I heard > thatthe area code will s plit sometime this year. Seattle metro area > is big, and expanding fast. The 1 + ten digits requirement has been in effect in 206 for intra-area code calls for about a year now. That freed up all of the NXX prefixes to be assigned, which should last us until after the 1/1/95 cutover to the improved numbering plan. I doubt there will be a split before then. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 10:08:29 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Yes, I had already noted that in 206, you have to dial 1 + NPA + 7D for all long distance, even within 206. That by itself does not constitute a first step to an area code split, but it does stave off a split (by letting prefixes generalize from NNX to NXX), and if prefixes run short when they already are of NXX form, THEN a split is necessary. I also had received word that 509 will go to these same instructions when it's time to prepare for NXX area codes. The concern is that area codes can't generalize from N0X/N1X to NXX until Jan. 1, 1995, because switches in the NANP are supposed to be able to handle them by then (you write of 206 splitting sometime THIS year, and we still have to get through 1994 before the area code shortage can be relieved). ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Blocking Call Returns (Call Block Should work For Anonymous Calls) Date: 12 May 1993 07:35:19 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article bears!rhyre@cinpmx.attmail. com writes: > Caller: (telemarketing from home) #67 + Callee Number > Callee: Who is this bozo calling me during dinner? I'll call return him > and give him an earful. (#69) > Caller: I don't want this Jerk to bother me, I'm just trying to sell > aluminum siding. #68 (Call Block the last number that called me.) > [Moderator's Note: The flaw in your plan is that there has to be at > least one call back from the unhappy customer before the telemarketer > can add the 'last call recieved' to his denial list, unless he chooses > to add them as he goes along, which would be unproductive. So he has > to get hung up on, then called back by the sassy customer before he > can add it on the basis of 'last call received'. PAT] A good way to accomplish this for the telemarketer is to get a separate line to make the telemarketing calls. Have no ringers on it, so the callees can Call Return all they want. If the telemarketer doesn't want to even have his line busy for a moment, he can also get Call Forwarding and deflect the Call Returns to a non-working number. Of course, this will not prevent Call Trace from being able to track him down, but that's the way it should be. If the telemarketer is doing something sufficiently nasty so as to be illegal, it's nice that there's now a way for them to get caught. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: janc@ee2.alcbel.be (Jan Ceuleers 3145) Subject: Re: Modem Certification Process - Europe Date: 12 May 93 08:44:04 GMT Reply-To: janc@ee2.alcbel.be (Jan Ceuleers 3145) Organization: Alcatel Bell Telephone, Antwerpen, Belgium In article , jxm@engin.umich.edu (John Murray) writes: > Does anybody know of companies or organizations which handle the PTT > certification procedures for modems in Europe? Germany and France > are of particular interest, as well as the United Kingdom, Sweden, and > Italy. I don't think there's an EC-wide certification process, but if > one does exist, then any contacts who deals with that would also be > much appreciated. I know of no such companies or organizations. Moreover, PTTs require the coordinates of a representative of the manufacturer within the EC. This effectively means that if you wish to sell modems in Europe, you must do so through European representation. Jan janc@ee2.alcbel.be ------------------------------ From: mrosen@nyx.cs.du.edu (Michael Rosen) Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Wed, 12 May 93 04:34:37 GMT leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: > I would believe the figure that 20% of all dialed calls are not > completed (especially when I lived in GTEland, but that's another > story), but I would guess that 20% customer error is a slightly > inflated marketing number. What I don't understand is why the voice > dialer is 90% accurate? Is it 90% accurate at recognizing the name > spoken, or is it 90% accurate at dialing the number after it figures > out who you want to dial? I mean, machines are only as perfect as > those who program them ... This reminds me of a scene in Steve Martin's "L.A. Story." He attempts to tell the voice-activated phone to dial somewhere (I forget where) and I think it continues to dial something like Dominos ... it's been a while since I've seen the movie so I don't remember the specifics. Mike ------------------------------ From: vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: Xenitec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 12:30:03 GMT In article sceard!newline!steve@ UCSD.EDU (Steve Edwards) asks: > Why do COs have no windows? The single PBX room I have worked in which had windows explained this for me. When I entered the room I thought "Wow, this is nice and sunny, what a change". A few minutes later I discovered that all the markings on the MDF were faded away to illegible smears! Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #322 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa28805; 13 May 93 6:36 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17226 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 13 May 1993 04:01:57 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23176 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 13 May 1993 04:00:59 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 04:00:59 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305130900.AA23176@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #324 TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 May 93 04:01:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 324 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Floyd Davidson) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Ron Bean) Re: Ignorance, Clipper and the FBI (Greg Andrews) Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service (Steve Forrette) Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? (Steve Forrette) Re: The Perils of Caller-ID -- A Question (Elana Beach) Hunting on Residential Lines (Jeff Hibbard) Help Identifying the Origin of a FAX (Bill Fenner) BellSouth and Caller-ID (Ken Jongsma) TIE Communications TC-12 Phone Sets (Matt McConnell) Pulse on POTS Lines? (Shawn Herzinger) How Can I Dial an 800 Number in Another State? (Ben Alexander) The Case of the Trojan ATM (Patricia A. Dunkin) Manitoba Personal Telephone Number (Randy Gellens) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: floyd@hayes.ims.alaska.edu (Floyd Davidson) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: University of Alaska Computer Network Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 07:57:07 GMT In article vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley) writes: > In article sceard!newline!steve@ > UCSD.EDU (Steve Edwards) asks: >> Why do COs have no windows? > The single PBX room I have worked in which had windows explained this > for me. When I entered the room I thought "Wow, this is nice and > sunny, what a change". A few minutes later I discovered that all the > markings on the MDF were faded away to illegible smears! I worked many years in an equipment room that had small windows at about the eight foot level. Along one side of the building were all of the battery plants. And after about 20 years of warm summer days when the sun shown through those windows for just a few hours directly on the top tier (of three) of the +130 volt string, bingo, one broke ... and after 21 years the battery next to that one broke ... and that is when we got smart and blocked off the windows. Perhaps there is no way to describe the feeling one gets doing station checks and discovering several gallons of battery acid has splattered the wall and two lower levels of batteries, and then pooled on the floor over a roughly 15' semi-circle out from the wall. Then after a little thought as to how lucky it was that the crack was a ways up the side so that not all of the acid drained out ... which might well have caused an explosion. Now I work in a properly designed equipment room! It has no windows. Floyd floyd@ims.alaska.edu A guest on the Institute of Marine Science computer Salcha, Alaska system at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 20:49:29 -0500 (CDT) From: Ron Bean OK, now we know why COs have no windows. What about the ones that DO have them? A few blocks from here is a telco building built of brick (a bit larger than a house), in a residential neighborhood. This area was developed in the mid '50s, so that's probably when it was built. I have always assumed that it is a CO (at least, it doesn't seem to be a businesss office). It has no driveway or parking lot, although trucks park in front of it from time to time. Part of the yard is fenced. And it HAS WINDOWS. Even the front door is glass. What gives? zaphod@madnix.UUCP (Ron Bean) uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!zaphod ------------------------------ From: gerg@netcom.com (Greg Andrews) Subject: Re: Ignorance, Clipper and the FBI Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 21:15:21 GMT grayt@Software.Mitel.COM (Tom Gray) writes: > gerg@netcom.com (Greg Andrews) writes: >> grayt@software.mitel.com (Tom Gray) writes: >>> The service provider will make the encrypted transmission avaiable to >>> the FBI black box. In short the service provider must have the >>> capability of isolating an individual's transmissions from all others. >>> This is just the FBI Digital Network proposal in another form. Aside >>> from the fact that this proposal shows a complete ignorance of the >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>> functioning of even today's network, it will severely hamper (even >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>> cripple) current efforts to create a broadband network. The >>> possibility of the US functioning in the BISDN multimedia market will >>> become exceedingly remote. >> Perhaps I'm not understanding you correctly, but if the service >> provider doesn't have the ability to isolate my transmissions from all >> the others that pass through their equipment, how are my transmissions >> able to reach their intended destination? > One of the key parts of today's and tomorrow's network will be the > private network. [explanation of how subscriber's data can be encrypted deleted] As it turns out, I was just displaying my ignorance of how an interface to a subscriber's analog phone line works. I visualized the interface as consisting of an analog-to-digital converter board with a unique identifier that is dedicated to the subscriber's line 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In that case, the subscriber's traffic could be traced using the interface's unique ID. Easy as cake. However, in the real world it's wasteful to dedicate an expensive interface circuit to a line that will sit idle for hours and days at a time. Instead, the analog interface boards are connected to the subscribers' analog lines through a matrix of switches. When a subscriber picks up the phone, the equipment finds the next available interface board and connects their line to that board through the switch matrix. As a result, the subscriber will usually be connected to a different interface board for each call. The only part of the network common to all calls is the subscriber's wiring. This makes my idea of a network "sniffer" tapping all of a subscriber's calls extremely difficult, if not impossible. I was wrong, you were right. It isn't feasable with the present network. (Thanks to John Higdon for taking the time to educate me on the subject.) Greg Andrews gerg@netcom.com ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service Date: 12 May 1993 07:29:58 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article dale@access.digex.net (Dale Farmer) writes: > Javier Henderson (henderson@mln.com) wrote: >> Is it possible to have a calling card without having phone service in >> one's name? > I've had one of those AT&T cards I got when I was in the navy > stationed aboard ship. I had one for awhile last year, and always got a bill directly from AT&T. One of the nice changes they made about a year or two ago is that you can now keep the same card number and switch it between accounts. So, the "nonsubscriber" calling card I had for awhile is now attached to my home phone, such that I no longer get separate bills but get billed on my regular LEC bill, all without changing the calling card number. You can switch the calling cards between different billing lines, or between "attached" or "nonsubscriber" status as much as you need to. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Subsidized Cell Phone? Date: 12 May 1993 08:37:56 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article Wm. Bryant Faust, IV writes: > Is there a mail-order source for phones from California or any where > else that sells phone cheap without required service? This is very doubtful. The deals in California whereby they sell the equipment at cost are based on the assumption that most people will sign up for service as well. Since there's a 0% chance of an out-of-state mail order purchaser signing up for service in the California retailer's service area, I can't imagine any motivation for the retailer to sell them by mail. There's no law requiring anybody to be in the mail order cellphone business. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: elana@netcom.com (Elana Beach) Subject: Re: The Perils of Caller-ID -- A question Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 04:12:43 GMT jimd@SSD.intel.com (Jim DePorter) writes: > Portland OR started Caller-ID yesterday with Bell(?). My question is > that I live under GTE lines. GTE doesn't start caller-ID until June. > If I call Portland now will they see my number? Does *67 work even if > caller-ID isn't invoked yet. > I really see no problem with this, but a lot of people are going to > think that because they're in GTE land they have no concerns until > June. I don't think this is true. Well I live in Portland and just got my Caller-ID box. I have had a few calls from some friends in GTE territory (Portland's western suburbs) and they are all showing the note: "Out Of Area". Go figure. Elana ------------------------------ From: jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) Subject: Hunting on Residential Lines Organization: Bradley University Date: Wed, 12 May 93 18:29:15 GMT Here in Illinois Bell territory, I have hunting between the two lines in my home. I consider this to be more useful than call waiting. Someone calling the main number wanting to talk to me can do so right away, even while my wife continues with her (typically LONG) chat with one of her relatives. With call waiting, somebody has to hang up, or wait a long time. Hunting is also much more modem-friendly than call waiting. We will soon be moving to a new house in GTE territory, and I just found out that GTE claims hunting is not tariffed for residential service. They, will, however, be quite happy to install two business lines in my home (and charge me accordingly) if I insist on having hunting. No thanks. I'm curious about how typical this is with other LECs in other parts of the country. Do most offer hunting on residential lines, or was Illinois Bell being unusually accommodating? Also, Illinois Bell will allow extra lines to be non-published at no charge as long as the main line is published. Alternatively, since two lines entitles me to two listings, Illinois Bell will let me have two listings with different names, both giving the main number (at no additional charge). GTE charges extra for either of the above. Is this normal for real LECs? Any clever suggestions for fictitious names under which I can have my second line published? Jeff Hibbard Peoria IL (soon to be Normal IL) ------------------------------ From: fenner@postscript.cs.psu.edu (Bill Fenner) Subject: Help Identifying the Origin of a FAX Organization: Penn State Computer Science Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 15:54:16 -0400 I received a FAX recently with no country code on the return telephone number, and with nothing that identified the originating country. My only clue to the origin is that my FAX number is written as 95 (814) 865-3176, and that the cover page is in Spanish (possibly Portugese). The cover page "headers" include: Fecha: Para: FAX No.: At'n: De: No. de hojas incluida esta: Nuestro No. De Fax: 515-43-77 Mensaje The company name is "Tecnocibernetica", and at the bottom of the page is "Tecnocibernetica, S.A. de C.V. Martires de la C..." and trails off into unreadability. If anyone knows what Spanish-speaking country uses 95 to indicate the USA, or if any of the other information can identify the origin, please contact me via email. Thanks in advance for any help. Bill Fenner ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 16:29:20 EDT From: Ken Jongsma Reply-To: jongsma@swdev.si.com Subject: BellSouth & CallerID According to the current {Communications Week}: BellSouth Telecommunications Inc., Atlanta, has filed tariffs in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee for Caller-ID Deluxe, which delivers the calling party's listed name and number. It is the first service BellSouth will offer using it's advanced intelligent network platform. The service will cost $7.50 per month. Availability is pending regulatory approvals. Kenneth R Jongsma jongsma@swdev.si.com Smiths Industries 73115.1041@compuserve.com Grand Rapids, Michigan +1 616 241 7702 ------------------------------ From: mccomatt@ba.isu.edu (Matt McConnell) Subject: TIE Communications TC-12 Phone Sets Date: 12 May 1993 16:03:52 -0600 Organization: Idaho State University, Pocatello A local business that I consult for uses TIE Communications TC-12/25 phone sets and these sets have been going bad. Most of them have a manufacturing date of 8-83. The maintainence man for the hospital has about 13 sets that for one reason or another are "bad" and can not be used. Does anyone know of a dealer that might want to buy these sets and/or refurbish these sets? Is there a place where I can recommend purchase of these sets as well? Does anyone know of a place that sells line cards for this system? I really hate to see them throwing money at US West when there must be a more reasonable place to purchase from. Thank you, Matt McConnell ------------------------------ From: shawn@Panix.Com (Shawn Herzinger) Subject: Pulse on POTS Lines? Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 23:09:14 GMT Perhaps some of you TELECOM Gurus out there could enlighten me as to a certain behavior that I have noted on POTS lines in the U.S. In the development of a telephone accessory product we have noticed that after the completion of dialing a telephone number, the CO sends a "pulse" back on the line. This pulse is heard as a click or a "sproing" sound on the handset. Measuring this pulse on an O'scope reveals that this pulse is roughly shaped like a square wave and lasts for between 50 and 200 milliseconds. The pulse duration seems to be random and does not seem to vary with what number is dialed (local or long distance). We are measuring this pulse in the 212-421- area. Why is this pulse present? Do all CO's emit this pulse? Is it only present in the U.S. (Some associates in foriegn countries claim that they do not have this pulse). Does it vary from a line that features pulse-dialing only and touch-tone service lines? Are there specifications for this signal? (i.e. duration, shape.) I appreciate any input. Thanks. Shawn M. Herzinger shawn@panix.com ------------------------------ Date: 12 May 1993 17:54:31 -0500 (EST) From: Ben Alexander Subject: How Can I Dial an 800 Number in Another State? I find myself stuck with the following problem: I need to reach somebody who has an 800 number in California. I know nothing else about this person except their 800 number, and the fact that this number is not valid nationwide. I'm in Boston. Now I'd be happy to pay for a long distance call, if only to reach a number in California, from which I could then make the free call to the known 800 number. My question to those who understand these issues is whether there is a service/operator/technique that will allow me to place this call. Thanks for any help, Ben Alexander ben@zis.ziff.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 13:36 EDT From: pad@groucho.att.com (Patricia A Dunkin) Subject: The Case of the Trojan ATM Heard on the radio (WCBS-AM, NYC) this morning: Thieves placed a bogus ATM (automatic teller machine, for the TLA-confused) in a mall in Connecticut. It behaved like the real thing -- even dispensed money for a while -- but also recorded the card numbers and PINs of those who tried to use it. Then, the perpetrators used the ill-gotten data to create fake cards which they used to make ~$40K of fraudulent withdrawals in various locations including Florida. The report said that the police have some hope of catching them, since at least one of the withdrawals was made from an ATM that had a video camera. (And I hope they're careful about which photo they release. Some months ago, some innocent New Yorker was misidentified on the cover of one of the tabloids as a robber who had stolen and then used someone's ATM card. The poor guy had used the ATM just before or after the real crook, and whoever matched pictures to transactions wasn't quite careful enough.) ------------------------------ From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: 12 MAY 93 19:34 Subject: Manitoba Personal Phone Number The 5/10/93 edition of {Telephone Week} reports that the Manitoba telephone system soon will offer a single phone number to serve an individual's home, office, celullar, voice mail and fax lines. Using network processing on AT&T Canada equipment and BellSouth Systems Integration (BSSI) software, the personal number service can route calls differently depending on the caller's identity. "Manitoba Telephone System will be one of the first providers in the world to offer what is essentially the core functionality of personal communications services; that is, giving the subscriber the power to determine who they communicate with, when and in what format," said Scott Schaefer, BSSI's vice president of business development. Randy Gellens randy@mpa15ab.mv-oc.unisys.com or A Series System Software randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com Unisys Corporation if mail bounces, forward to: Mission Viejo, CA rgellens@mcimail.com Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #324 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa28940; 13 May 93 6:41 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23460 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 13 May 1993 03:13:16 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00639 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 13 May 1993 03:12:01 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 03:12:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305130812.AA00639@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #323 TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 May 93 03:12:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 323 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Reza Hussein) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Bryan J. Abshier) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Alex Pournelle) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Steve Forrette) Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries (Dave Ptasnik) Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries (Todd Inch) Re: Individual Responsibility (Rob Boudrie) Re: Individual Responsibility (Charles Keeys) Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? (Richard McCombs) Re: Tormenting Telemarketers (gdw@gummo.att.com) Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? (Dan Sahlin) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (John N. Dreystadt) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Malcolm Slaney) Re: Talk Tickets - New Debit Cards From AT&T/US Fibercom (Todd Inch) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: 12 May 1993 13:30:58 -0500 Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, Texas Reply-To: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) So, dave@llondel.demon.co.uk said: > In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza > Hussein) writes: >> How do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a >> week (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months >> ago? And threatening to do it again? > Sounds like an answering machine would be ideal. All you need to do is > listen to the incoming audio and decide whether you want to talk to > the caller -- most machines will let you take over a call once it has > started. A few words to your friends will stop them hanging up in > disgust when they hear the machine (I rarely speak to an answering > machine ...) and wait for you to answer them after you know who they > are. I do have an answering machine. It turns out that I will receive at least one message per day. Most of the time it is some collection agency leaving a message for my ex-housemates. It got to the point where some of these agencies were leaving very stern, bordering on rude, messages. For the sake of amusement, I changed the OGM on my machine to say "This is xxx-xxxx. We are screening your calls again. Please leave a message." Some collection lady took this seriously and thought that my ex-housemate was really screening calls. On the point of providing false information. Well, the only reason I did that was because that person from the charge card company was very rude and pushy. And tried many ways to trick me into confessing that I knew where my housemate was. Oh well ... Reza Hussein -- rhussein@uh.edu; Computer Science; University of Houston ------------------------------ From: babshier@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bryan J Abshier) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: 12 May 1993 21:06:26 GMT Organization: The Ohio State University In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) writes: > The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How > do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week > (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? > And threatening to do it again? I think that the best way to handle this situation is to tell them not to call anymore. Say "Don't call me anymore." If I recall correctly, the Fair Debt Collection Act makes such telephone harassment of a debtor unlawful, so long as he requests not to be contacted by telephone. I know that you are not the debtor, but it should probabily work anyway. (Just tell them not to call, don't tell them that your not the debtor unless they ask.) Also, I think that they have already violated the FDCPA. They aren't supposed to reveal to third parties that the person they are looking for owes them money. Anyway, it has been a long time since I have looked at this stuff, so if I'm wrong, or the law has changed please correct me. Bryan J. Abshier Abshier@osu.edu ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 19:16:26 GMT whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) writes: > In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza > Hussein) writes: >> Not too long ago, my housemate moved out and out of the country, and >> didn't have time to notify a major charge card company of his change >> of address. > I agree that giving false info is not a smart move, better to give no > info than incorrect information. I think I'd give them the phone number of the local enforcer of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This happened to me, where they were harassing my fiancee over a bill I hadn't paid quite in time. I no longer patronize the May Company (now Robinsons May) over their heavy handed treatment of this issue, which included threats and bad language at 8AM on a Saturday. Or "set modem on stun"... Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 [Moderator's Note: You no longer patronize the May Company? You know, your case reminds me of the man who sent an order in to a company for some merchandise asking them to please ship it as soon as possible. The company contacted him in return saying, "We won't be able to release this new order until you pay for the last order you bought." To which the man replied, "Then you better cancel the order, I don't intend to wait that long for it to arrive ..." :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: 12 May 1993 08:29:41 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article dave@llondel.demon.co.uk writes: > In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza > Hussein) writes: >> The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How >> do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week >> (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? > Sounds like an answering machine would be ideal. All you need to do is > listen to the incoming audio and decide whether you want to talk to > the caller -- most machines will let you take over a call once it has > started. As far as I'm concerned, this is a totally unacceptable solution. Why should all of this person's callers be inconvenienced with having to deal with 'answering machine screening' just because some bill collector can't get it through their head that the callee has no information for them? If the callee wanted to screen calls with their answering machine, presumably they would already be doing so. Since they're not, why should they have to change? Wouldn't it be a shame if the callee were able to use Call Block or some other CLASS technology to stop the telemarketer? Certainly some among us would consider this an invasion of the telemarketer's privacy. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: davep@carson.u.washington.edu (Dave Ptasnik) Subject: Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries Date: 12 May 1993 21:04:55 GMT Organization: University of Washington > James Gleick (gleick@Panix.Com) wrote: >> 4) Why do marketers sometimes have one 800 number nationally and another >> within their own area? In a former life I sold Long Distance services (like MCI or Sprint) just after divestiture. At that time I was given a little tutorial about 800 service. My memory of that long ago event is that 800 numbers HAD to be divided into (can only be called from) within the state, and (can only be called from) outside the state. I believe that this had a lot to do with federal interstate commerce laws. I do not know if the dial plan gurus had divided 800 prefixes into national vs. state, with each state getting its own prefixes, or if some other more arcane method was used. During the early stages of divestiture (and perhaps before) you could get a single in and out of state 800 number for a hefty extra fee. In any case each number had different per minute rates and was subject to different tax rates. I really think that this is one of the good changes brought by the breakup. Dave P davep@u.washington.edu [Moderator's Note: At one time, the billing equipment was not as soph- isticated as today and there were problems in getting it to record different rates for different calls. 800 numbers originally were set up for intrastate and interstate; with the interstate lines being further divided up by 'bands' just like the outbound WATS. In fact the original name for 800 service was 'InWATS'. When prices for calls were higher several years ago, it made a real difference *where* you got your calls from. If all your business was in one or two nearby states then you got a 'Band 1 WATS' or a 'Band 1 In-WATS'. There were eight 'bands' in all, with Bands 1 through 6 beiog states which were grad- ually further and further away from the state where you were. When AT&T was the sole player in the In-WATS/800 business, each state had prefixes used for intrastate and for the each of the different bands elswhere in the USA. PAT] ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Wed, 12 May 93 20:42:54 GMT In article our Moderator notea: > [Moderator's Note: Bell/AT&T switch buildings are very often left > unattended at night and over the weekends ... just ask the idiots at > Illinois Bell who let Hinsdale burn down back in 1988 rather than pay > one person to sit there all night and/or weekends doing some kind of > trivial paperwork to keep them busy and earning their pay. Huh? I can't imagine what a human could monitor in a CO that a machine couldn't monitor just as well (and without salary and benefits :-), especially if you have plenty of spare dedicated trunks which could lead back to a central monitoring point, provide redundant paths, etc. Now maybe the Ill Bell CO DIDN'T have any automated monitoring, or not enough, or it failed, or? Did the CO itself burn down, or just the town of Hinsdale? [Moderator's Note: Well, if you 'cannot imagine what a machine could not monitor just as well' then you must have a poor imagination. The Hinsdale CO burned down. The building was totally gutted. The fire began on a Sunday afternoon in May, Mother's Day, 1988. The fire began about 3 PM and burned unnoticed for *over an hour* before the person monitoring the place from two hundred miles away decided to call up to Chicago and tell someone ... and did he call the Fire Department? Oh no ... he called a supervisor at home some miles away and asked them to 'go over to Hinsdale and see what is going on, and shut the alarm off if it is still malfunctioning.' So the supervisor finishes lunch, gets in their car for a fifteen minute drive, finds the office in flames, tries to call the Fire Department only to find the lines all over town have already been dead for probably thirty minutes ... An office which served as the long distance hub for all of northern Illinois including Chicago; the center for cellular service in the same area; several western suburbs of over a million people were served from that office; three major 911 centers; all of the air traffic controllers lines between Ohare Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration went through there. You really can't imagine how a five dollar an hour clerk sitting there watching television most of the time and making rounds through the building every half hour or so would have made a difference? The fire was so bad they could not even get emergency service to Ohare Airport, 911, or local hospitals up and running for almost a week! It was a full month getting local service back to a dozen comunities. They had to completely replace a multi-million dollar switch which was destroyed in the fire, and *you* can't imagine what good a diligent watchperson would have done, despite the fact that the total damage ran millions of dollars, left several towns without service for a month, and said watchperson could have been paid for the next forty years (!) from what was lost and IBT would have still come out ahead. 'Industry practice' was how Jim Eibel VP of Operations for IBT described the reasoning for leaving Hinsdale abandoned all weekend. Eibel should have been given the choice of resigning the day after the conflagration, or getting fired. There are cases where electronic remote monitoring may be cost effective. A telco CO as important as Hinsdale in NOT such a case. "The worst tragedy in this company's history and possibly the worst ever in the telecom industry" was the way IBT described it. I wonder if a bunch of other telephone CO's have to burn down or get flooded out, or otherwise put out of service before 'industry practice' will change? PAT] ------------------------------ From: rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Organization: Center For High Perf. Computing of WPI; Marlboro Ma Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 19:11:01 GMT > Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear > on your next bill. Who's responsible? Bad analogy ... Let's see -- I rent a room in my house out and tell the housemate that (s)he may not use my credit cards, spend cash from my wallet, sell the household furnishings, etc. One evening I leave the wallet on the kitchen table and (s)he takes the credit cards against my authorization and uses them. The law on this matter is clear -- I am not responsible. Now with the phone -- I tell the housemate (s)he does not have permission to call overseas or to 900 numbers, but (s)he does anyhow. Why is this different? >> It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign >> their name. > No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a > piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but that I never signed anything when I go either of my phones installed. > [Moderator's Note: I don't think I ever said *all* 900 services were > sleaze. There are some that are total ripoffs. If I ever run one, I > would hope to make it valuable to the people who used it, at an inex- > pensive price. PAT] Perhaps we need better "truth in advertising" for those people without a feel for numbers -- perhaps expressing the charge as an hourly rate. "ONLY $300 per hour to talk to our psychic!". ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 20:07:39 From: chas.keeys@tde.com (Chas McKillop Keeys) Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility The rantings and ravings or the 900 number IP, who is not a Sleaze, inspired me to put IP blocker on all my five of my lines. I guess that takes care of my "Individual Responsibility." I'll take it off when IP's take responsibility for billing human beings rather than telephone numbers. Boo hoo, who? Chas Keeys ------------------------------ Subject: Re: 411 - Automatically Transfers? From: rick@ricksys.lonestar.org (Richard McCombs KB5SNF) Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 03:54:56 CST Reply-To: ah053@yfn.ysu.edu Organization: The Red Headed League; Lawton, OK, USA In comp.dcom.telecom, abc@netcom.com writes: > Ok, how come there's no option to have the phone number be automatically > dialed when I call 411? > Operator: "here you go ..." > Machine: "the number is xxx-xxxx ..." > Machine: "press 1 to have this number dialed for you ..." > Machine: "you will be charged xx cents for this." Here it's more like ... Machine: "Press 1 and for xx cents we will connect you to xxx-xxxx ..." Which is annoying because I'm ready to write the number down but instead I get a sales pitch that breaks my concentration. Internet: ah053@yfn.ysu.edu BITNET: ah053%yfn.ysu.edu@ysub ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 93 08:31:16 EDT From: gdw@gummo.att.com Subject: Re: Tormenting Telemarketers Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories In article , by mvp@netcom.com (Mike Van Pelt) wrote: > In article martin@cod.nosc.mil > (Douglas W. Martin) writes: >> Tormenting Telmarketers - A Game You Can Play at Home! > The housewife walks away from the phone with a grin, saying "I'm almost > beginning to enjoy telemarketer calls." After reading the original article, I tried some of the tricks. It's a riot! You have to try it to beleive how funny it is! ------------------------------ From: dan@sics.se (Dan Sahlin) Subject: Re: Is Residential ISDN Pricing as Expensive Internationally? Organization: SICS, Swedish Inst. of Computer Science Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 17:53:15 GMT It seems the answer is 'no'; Sweden is the most expensive place to have ISDN. Here is a summary of all replies I got: Area Installation Monthly fee USD USD --------------------------------------------------------- Sweden 849 67 British Telecom 630 44 Pacific Bell (Cal.) 150 28 Illinois Bell 100 35 Nynex 250 30 Toronto, Canada 422 117 the Netherlands 450 45 Germany 82 48 Norway 672 53 Dan Sahlin, Sweden email: dan@sics.se ------------------------------ From: dreystadt@LAA.COM (john n. dreystadt) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 12 May 1993 20:13:39 GMT Organization: Lynn-Arthur Associates, Ann Arbor, MI Reply-To: dreystadt@LAA.COM In article , Darren Eslke writes: > I was refering to the forcing everyone in the area code to dial the > area code, to get us used to dialing the extra digits. I heard > thatthe area code will s plit sometime this year. Seattle metro area > is big, and expanding fast. There is an alternative possibility. You may be living in an area code where the local exchange numbers must not have a 0 or a 1 in the second digit. Once upon a time, no local exchanges had a 0 or a 1 as this was reserved for area code numbers. The switches could tell if you were dialing a number with an area code or without just by looking at the second digit. This limited the set of valid local exchanges to 640 (8 * 8 * 10). One fix to increase the number of valid phone numbers in an area code is to remove the restriction on the second digit. This increases the number of legal exchanges to 800. How does the switch know if you are entering an area code or local exchange? Simple, you must always enter an area code even when you are dialing a number within your own area code. For example, if you get an exchange of 313 in area code 206, the switch needs to see 1-206-313-xxxx. If it saw 1-313-xxxx, it would think you were trying to call Southeastern Michigan. This will give the phone company (companies) about 25% more numbers to use. John N. Dreystadt Lynn-Arthur Associates dreystadt@laa.com Home:313-878-9719 Work:313-995-5590 These are personal opinions not corporate opinions. ------------------------------ From: malcolm@apple.com (Malcolm Slaney) Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads Date: 12 May 1993 16:36:53 -0700 Organization: Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, California bboerner@Novell.COM (Brendan B. Boerner) writes: > What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years > ago did AT&T demonstrate a videophone at a World's Fair, 30? Also, > show me a library that can afford to keep buying subscriptions to > periodicals, much less state of the art computer eq){uipment, and I'll > show you a library which is going to get it's budget cut. It's easy to justify TODAY! Note: 1) I've got a subscriiption form for "Hearing Research" that says the library subscription price is $1990 (!!!) a year. A more mainstream journal like the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America is many hundreds of dollars a year.] 2) IEEE has a service where they will send you any article by fax or electronically (Internet? perhaps) for $10. (To be fair, I don't know if they include Hearing Research in their database.) 3) For a few thousand dollars you can get a fairly substational computer, a big monitor, and an Internet connection. Yes, electronic journals aren't good for curling up with ... but why should a library subscribe to a journal and store it, when they can get any article they want, by paying somebody to make a copy and handle the copyright fee? Fast networks and telecommunications are changing the world ... for the better I hope. Cheers, Malcolm Slaney Apple Perception Group ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Talk Tickets - New Debit Cards From AT&T/US Fibercom Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Wed, 12 May 93 22:06:52 GMT In article stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) writes: > In article TELECOM Moderator eecs.nwu.edu> writes: >> Each ticket will have a unique serial number on it. All calls >> will go to an 800 number where voice prompting will tell the person to >> enter their ticket number and the number they wish to call. > For example, will these tickets be generally available at newsstands, > vending machines, post offices, etc? And, most importantly, if they are sold in vending machines, etc, will they be prominently displayed and easily visible for, uh, those of us who know what we want when we see it but aren't willing to read? And is the serial number on the distinctive side which is, umm, the only side I'll be able to recognize? ;-) [Moderator's Note: How dumb do you think the people are who have put this program together? On the final product -- being readied now -- the serial number will be underneath some of that stuff you have to scratch off, like on lottery tickets. The numbers won't be turned on in the computer until the individual distributor gets them, and he won't see the serial numbers because they will be under the stuff to be scratched off. For instance, I get a block of tickets known as 'block number 1094567' or similar. The computer is told to activate all the serial numbers which go with that block. The tickets are manufactured by a printing firm which is highly trusted. The people running this program realize they could easily go bankrupt if tight controls were not in place. The first batch of tickets I got were pure prototype -- little thin carboard things with a serial number stamped on them. Two days after I mentioned them here, they were all gone. I guess all the prototypes went fast (there are some other people who worked on it also as I have). The 'new' stock which is in transit to me now is a better grade of paper, nicer printing, etc. They will still have exposed serial numbers (they are only worth $2 anyway), but the final products, the $5, $10, $20 and $50 cards will not. Once *I personally* am convinced orders can be filled rapidly and that there is no rip off going on, etc, I will begin distribution in earnest. I expect to fill *lots* of the orders still waiting in my office this weekend, and if anyone wants advance notice of their serial numbers, etc, let me know. I'll match the email to the stamped envelopes waiting in piles in my office. If you did not yet order, and want some of the $2 calling cards, you can have 10 for $15 by sending a check and a LONG self addressed envelope to the Digest, 2241 W. Howard #208, Chicago, IL 60645. Or send $2 if you just want to try one. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #323 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa12278; 13 May 93 19:45 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03794 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 13 May 1993 17:11:17 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA18296 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 13 May 1993 17:10:30 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 17:10:30 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305132210.AA18296@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #325 TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 May 93 17:10:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 325 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: CCITT Dissolved? (John M. Clark) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (David Ross) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Vinton Cerf via Mark Boolootian) Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area (Dave Niebuhr) Re: NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area (Carl Moore) Re: Help Identifying the Origin of a FAX (Tarl Neustaedter) Re: Individual Responsibility (Mark Steiger) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Trif the Sorceress) Re: Telecom History (Nigel Allen) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (John K. Scoggin, Jr.) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (Phydeaux) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Gregory M. Paris) Re: Residential Listings on CD-ROM (Bob Frankston) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 07:06:00 +0000 From: John M. Clarke Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? In article , rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) writes: > According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), > the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the > International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector > (ITU-TSS). > a) Is this true? > b) Why? > c) Who is this ITU-TSS? > d) What does this do to Recommendataions in progress (or new ones)? > I'm particularly interested in Group XVII and V.fast. The CCITT has always been an agency of the ITU, and has been renamed to the TSS. The CCIR (radio) has been renamed to the Radiocommunications Sector (RS). Standards activity of the CCIR has been taken over by the TSS. The RS has also taken over the role of the International Frequency Registration Board, which takes care of allocating radio frequencies and satellite orbits. All of this exciting activity (:-)) happened at the latest Plenary Assembly, which has been renamed to the WTSC. Sorry for all the acronyms, but thats what you get when you name things by committee ... John ------------------------------ From: ross@alcatel.ch (David Ross) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? Reply-To: ross@alcatel.ch Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 08:52:20 GMT In article 3@eecs.nwu.edu, rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) writes: > According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), > the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the > International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector > (ITU-TSS). From the ITUDOC mail server: ITUDOC is an electronic document distribution service of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU is a United Nations agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. In early 1993, the ITU was reorganized into three Sectors: Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunications Development. Each sector of the ITU makes selected documents publicly available for remote electronic retrieval with ITUDOC. ITUDOC is a component of the ITU's Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES); a set of computer-based electronic information services. I believe that CCITT changed its name to ITU, and then was reorganized. I don't think this affects the work of any of the SIGs. You might find out more from the ITUDOC mail server. Try sending email to itudoc@itu.ch with HELP as the body of the message. David Ross (ross@alcatel.ch) On loan to: Alcatel STR, Zurich, CH. Phone: +41 52 61 33 44 Fax: +41 52 61 32 82 ------------------------------ From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 08:09:58 -0700 (PDT) Regarding the dissolution of the CCITT, Vint Cerf writes: Date: Thu, 13 May 93 10:45:25 -0400 From: "Vinton G. Cerf" CCITT was part of ITU. ITU re-organized its standards making structure and renamed it Telecommunications Standards Sector, ITU-TSS. The same people are still involved and the working groups mostly survived. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 13:24:37 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area In TELECOM Digest V13 #322 Jonathan_Welch writes: > Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a > new call management service. This service, called PHONESMART, includes > the features explained below. New England Telephone is about one year behind NYTel's introduction of PHONESMART(sm) and I'm surprised it took them that long (oh well, that's NYNEX for you). I'm leaving out the text describing each feature to save bandwidth. > The monthly charge for Caller ID is $4.95. NYTel is $5.50 I believe, maybe $6.50. > CallerID Blocking: Both blocking options are free to the subscriber in NYTel land. Repeat dialing and Call Return are $3.00 per month each as opposed to $2.25 for NYTel. > Repeat Dialing and Call Return are also available as a package for > just $3.95 a month. I'm not sure about the combination since I don't have it. > Don't Let An Obscene Call Get Away Without A Trace. > Call Trace can only trace the last call you received; if you get > another call before you press *57, the system will trace the second > call and not the one you wished to trace. I've used Call Trace once or twice and I would like to have the ability to go back to a previous call if necessary. With Caller ID I could do that by doing a back track on the display unit. > You pay for Call Trace only when you use it. You will be billed $3.25 > for each call that is successfully traced. In addition, should two > calls be traced to the same number within a thirty-day period, a $5 > case preparation fee will be added to your bill. If you have any > questions, call your service representative at the telephone number > listed on the New England Telephone Itemization of Account page of > your bill. NYTel's charge is $1.75 per trace. According to the Annoyance Call Bureau, four separate traces over a four-hour period have to be made before they will open a file if and only if I initiate the tracing mechanism. No mention of an activation fee is made anywhere including the business office. From what was written, it seems that the regulatory mechanisms for those areas served by NET are either slower to act or NET is slowly following the trends in other areas by waiting to see what has happened in other areas prior to making their offerings. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 9:30:15 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: NET Pamphlet on Dialing Changes For 413 Area To summarize for area code 413: 1 + NPA + 7D for local calls to another area code from 413 area, permissive March 1; mandatory April 8. 7D for all calls within 413: permissive various dates from Feb. to June; mandatory Sept. 21 Some prefixes went to this permissive period in February; did any of them have local service to another area code? ------------------------------ From: tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) Subject: Re: Help Identifying the Origin of a FAX Date: 13 May 1993 17:15:23 GMT Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc. I responded via email, but in case the trivia is of interest to the Digest: In article , fenner@postscript.cs.psu. edu (Bill Fenner) writes: > I received a FAX recently with no country code on the return telephone > Nuestro No. De Fax: 515-43-77 > If anyone knows what Spanish-speaking country uses 95 to indicate the > USA, [...] It's Mexico. The language is clearly Spanish; the long-distance dialing conventions in Mexico start with 9x (I've forgotten the pattern), and the phone number is Mexico City. When Mexico City converted from six-digit (xx-xx-xx) to seven-digit phone numbers, they prepended a "5" in front of the number leaving the pattern (xxx-xx-xx). Newer numbers were added starting with "6", but most of the phone numbers in the city still start with "5". Return the fax by calling 011-52-5-515-43-77. Tarl Neustaedter Stratus Computer tarl@sw.stratus.com Marlboro, Mass. Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions. ------------------------------ From: Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger) Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 02:13:35 -0600 Subject: Individual Responsibility Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS: Minnetonka, MN (Free!) > >> It's like an apartment charge card where no one has to ever sign > >> their name. > > No. Whoever had the phone line installed once upon a time signed a > > piece of paper. It may have been long ago and forgotten, but that > > doesn't absolve responsibility. > Hmmm, I don't believe that you actually have to sign anything to get > phone service, but I guess that's a side issue. OK. This one part here has popped up over and over again about "Signing" for service. You get service. You don't sign anything anymore, but by using the phone, you consent to their conditions. I got a credit card recently. They said, if you use it, it's yours. No agreement was signed. I applied over the phone. If I didn't want the card, I'd call and cancel it. Same thing with phone service. Now ... back to the argument at hand ... I am currently looking at using a 900 service to collect for my BBS. Other people who do this have gotten frantic calls "I NEVER made this call" or "I didn't know what I was doing when I called it." They get hit $20 per call to the number. They dial it, and a voice gives them a validation number to type in on their next call to the BBS (I Digress, sorry pat..) Yet, when they check the BBS records, the person called the BBS and USED the validation code on the BBS system. Some people blatently lie because they think "Oh they're only going to lose $3" (as you had stated later in the message). Weather that's true or not, in the case of the BBS caller, the caller leeched large quantities of files from the system for free ripping off the Sysop of the money he deserved for the system. Some people either "Forget" or play dumb when the bill comes in my own opinion. Yes, some people may not know what they are doing, but Ignorence is no excuse. * Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079 (1:282/4018) Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS (612) 574-2079 Internet: mark@tdkt.kksys.com Fido: 1:282/4018 Simnet: 16:612/24 ------------------------------ From: trif@mead.u.washington.edu (Trif the Sorceress) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 13 May 1993 09:31:17 GMT Organization: University of Washington, Seattle In article Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) writes: > What are the starting steps you are referring to? If the new area > code is needed before 1995, it'll have to come from the N00 codes. Last year, US West began requiring 1+ area code for all long distance calls within area code 206, and the letters sent out explaining the change stated that it was to "expand the range of telephone numbers available and delay a breakup of the 206 area code". I haven't actually seen any of the "new" possible exchanges yet, but the changes should give them enough exchange numbers to last until 1995. But they definitely have the breakup of the area code heavy on their minds. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 06:11:35 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Subject: Re: Telecom History Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@Freenet.carleton.ca In a previous article, smk@usl.com (Krieger S.M.) says: > If I remember, the way NY Telephone handled the cutover was that any > service change brought a conversion to ANC. So, besides a move within > the neighborhood getting the same phone number recast, adding or > removing extension phones (remember when the phone company did all > that) also got the number changed. Now for a bit of typesetting history. The reason listings weren't all changed at once was that individual listings were individual lines of metal type. A change in listing, or a new listing, required having a typesetter set the new name and phone number by the standards then in place. So, as other people have noted, even when new listings were being set as EM8-6041, old listings in the style EMpire 8-6041 would still be in the directory. In those days, there were two types of directory: the regular one, which people used at their home or business, and the "traffic" directory, which was used by directory assistance operators. New listings were indicated with a bullet (a round dot) before the number, and non- published numbers with a solid black box and the code "N Pub" instead of a number. A daily addendum was produced listing very new numbers, but I think the traffic directory was updated several times a year. (This applies to Maritime Tel & Tel in Nova Scotia circa 1976, but is probably true for telephone companies worldwide until the advent of computerized typesetting and online directory assistance databases. I would guess that traffic directories are still produced as a backup and for the use of telephone business office staff.) Linotype machines were big and noisy. Because the noise was bad enough to damage your hearing over the long term, and because you didn't need to be able to hear to work one, the typesetting trade attracted hearing-impaired people. I remember seeing a statistic saying that, in the late 1940's, 25% of employed deaf men in the U.S. worked in the printing trades. The International Typographical Union represented many typesetters, but saw its membership decline steeply over the years as newspapers and other printers replaced unionized typesetters with lower-paid text entry clerks. The ITU eventually joined the Communications Workers of America, becoming the CWA's Printing and Publishing Sector. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: John K Scoggin Jr Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Date: 13 May 1993 11:09:20 GMT Organization: Delmarva Power & Light Company Reply-To: scoggin@delmarva.COM I had a problem like this a few years ago -- someone had the residential number that I have now, and left a bad debt with a local store. Credit collectors started calling and REFUSED to believe that I was really me, not the debtor playing some game with them. Solution -- a letter from an attorney (really not very expensive) threatening legal action for causing me "mental anguish". It worked. John K. Scoggin, Jr. Email: scoggin@delmarva.com Supervisor, Network Operations Phone: (302) 451-5200 Delmarva Power & Light Company Fax: (302) 451-5321 500 N. Wakefield Drive NOC: (800) 388-7076 Newark, DE 19714-6066 The opinions expressed are not those of Delmarva Power, simply the product of an over-active imagination... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 05:37:19 PDT From: reb@ingres.com (Phydeaux) Subject: Re: Hunting On Residential Lines jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) writes: > Here in Illinois Bell territory, I have hunting between the two lines > in my home. I consider this to be more useful than call waiting. > We will soon be moving to a new house in GTE territory, and I just > found out that GTE claims hunting is not tariffed for residential > service. They, will, however, be quite happy to install two business > lines in my home (and charge me accordingly) if I insist on having > hunting. No thanks. > I'm curious about how typical this is with other LECs in other parts > of the country. Do most offer hunting on residential lines, or was > Illinois Bell being unusually accommodating? New Jersey Bell will happily give you hunting for free. I recently moved, and got three lines installed with hunting. If you want a hunt group it's no problem, all you have to do is ask for it. Of course less telecom literate folks would probably order the more obnoxious call waiting "feature" instead, as the sales representatives suggest that to you when you order new service. Of course, you've got to *pay* for call waiting. > Also, Illinois Bell will allow extra lines to be non-published at no > charge as long as the main line is published. Alternatively, since > two lines entitles me to two listings, Illinois Bell will let me have > two listings with different names, both giving the main number (at no > additional charge). GTE charges extra for either of the above. Is > this normal for real LECs? NJ Bell allows you one listing per phone line. Extra listings are (I believe) 50c/month. They also offer a "teenage" line which is a little less expensive than a regular line. It turns out to be 50c less, and guess what? There's no "free" listing with it! > clever suggestions for fictitious names under which I can have my > second line published? Sure, Patrick A. Townson ;-) reb -- *-=#= Phydeaux =#=-* reb@ingres.com or reb%ingres.com@lll-winken.llnl.GOV h:861 Washington Avenue Westwood NJ 07675 908-688-5707 ICBM: 40.71N 73.73W w: reb Ingres Park 80 West Plaza I Saddle Brook, NJ 07662 201-587-1400 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 08:42:15 -0400 From: Gregory M. Paris Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads Reply-To: paris@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com > What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years In my opinion, AT&T has finally given up (at least temporarily) trying to differentiate their long distance service that from their competitors. Instead, they're going the way of the computer industry and will now try to differentiate their vaporware from that of their competitors. The future is here (almost)! :-) Greg Paris Motorola Codex, 20 Cabot Blvd C1-30, Mansfield, MA 02048-1193 ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: Residential Listings on CD-ROM Date: Thu 13 May 1993 10:06 -0400 I got the 1993 set from ERM Liquidators in Melrose Mass. It was a seven diskette set including business listings. Of course, it has only listed numbers. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #325 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa18081; 14 May 93 11:52 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA12677 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 14 May 1993 03:00:40 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08918 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 14 May 1993 02:59:33 -0500 Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 02:59:33 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305140759.AA08918@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #326 TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 May 93 02:59:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 326 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Telephone Cards in Czech Republic (Richard Budd) Disaster Managers to Meet May 17-19 (EIS International via Nigel Allen) Sex Telemarketing (Paul S. Sawyer) Calling Card Scam (Dave Ptasnik) Internet Access in Japan (Aaron Dailey) Cable TV Technology to Access Library of Congress Collections (Nigel Allen) Why Do Cable Companies Charge per Outlet? (Matt McConnell) 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? (Reinhard Hamid) Busy Out an ISDN Line (David E. Martin) Category Five Transmission Systems (Mohan R. Ramanathan) Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! (Ray Kiddy) MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Mitchell Tasman) MN to Get Caller ID (Mark Steiger) Headsets, FAQ (Rick Watson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 May 93 17:29:32 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Telephone Cards in Czech Republic Organization: CSAV UTIA I've started "working the phones" (as NYTel says), which means becoming accustomed to the telephone cards that have surfaced in the Czech Republic. After using them a couple of times, I don't believe I'll ever go back to dropping coins into the phone again. The cards have been around for about two years, but changing the public phones in the Czech and Slovak Republics from the old boxes with a dial that were either out-of-order or wired by some 13-year old kid to give free international calls and then put out-of-order by telco, has been a slow process. Several competing companies manufacture their own cards in Kc100, Kc150, and KC250 units which you can purchase in the post office or newsstands throughout Prague. Mine is a Kc150 card purchased from the post office for Kc157.50 (they all charge commission on the card) and is produced by TELECOM PRAHA. There's a number to call if you want to plug something on the card. Mine advertises the Centrum Krizove Intervence, which sounds like a crisis line. On the back is a photograph of two horses in a Western setting. When you're done with the card, it makes a nice souvenir for friends. Using the card is easy. Instructions on the telephone display, including how many units you have left on the card, are in Czech, German, English, and French at the choice of the user. The telephone also shows you the number as you dial it; useful for catching a wrong number and hanging up quickly. If you forget to take out the card from the slot after making your call, the telephone emits a high whine to alert you to remove it. Calls for fire, police, and ambulance are free. Those numbers are prominently displayed on the front of the telephone. The card-activated telephones themselves have the brand name CZECH TELECOM, which is the government-owned telephone company. I saw a few of them also in Slovakia, but the ones in the Kosice train station have been replaced with generic coin-operated telephones, most of which are out of order. The new telephones are rare outside of the large cities in both republics. I found no trouble using the cards themselves, but the public telephone in my neighborhood does not connect to international numbers or to codes outside of Prague. That I discovered while trying to dial a friend in another city. My landlord tells me the company did that deliberately because the neighborhood kids "phreaked" the old phone so they could call long-distance, including the United States(|), without paying toll. Sounds familiar, doesn't it. There are public telephones at subway stations that do accept international calls, either with the telephone card or AT&T USA Direct and MCI World Reach (gotta great story connected with MCI's card). If you stay away from Namesti Republiky, where there are long lines of tourists at the phones, you should have little trouble finding a long-distance phone. More details as I learn about them. Richard Budd | USA klub@maristb.bitnet | CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 139 S. Hamilton St. | Kolackova 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | 18200 Praha 8 [Moderator's Note: I think prepay cards may be the wave of the future here in the USA soon. I know the number of inquiries I got regards the sample Talk Tickets was rather astounding. I will be filling the second round of orders this weekend, and there are plenty waiting! PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 06:29:59 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Disaster Managers to Meet May 17-19 Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca I found the following press release on another system. The telecom connection, of course, is that 9-1-1 and regular telephone systems play an important role during and after a natural or human-made disaster. (Yes, I realize that the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S. has a reputation for being more interested in planning for life after a nuclear war that in dealing with the results of hurricanes and earthquakes, but the press release looked interesting anyway.) Here is a press release from EIS International. Federal, State, Local Government and Corporate Disaster Managers to Meet May 17-19 Contact: Leslie Atkin of EIS International, 301-424-2803 News Advisory: Who: Disaster coordinators who run company, county and country-wide response to major tragedies...from 911 systems to the Department of Defense's disaster chief. What: Group meeting to discuss latest technology and to share information, preparing for inevitable crises caused by Mother Nature (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes) and human nature (riots, fires, releases of deadly toxic substances.) Where: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, May 17, to Wednesday, May 19. (Noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 16 is a tour of state-of-the-art Pennsylvania State Emergency headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa.) Why: Government and corporate executives need faster, more efficient responses to major disasters, including coordination of information and use of technology in evaluating crises, dispatching assistance and keeping tabs on evolving events. Meeting sponsored by EIS International, the nation's leading emergency management consultant and software supplier to government and corporations. This will be the sixth annual Emergency Information System Users Conference. Visuals: Large video screens will display maps and layouts of buildings containing toxic substances, possible toxic plumes, potential flood areas and homes, schools, businesses and hospitals in danger...thousands of maps available, many zoom down to city block and even individual buildings. (See states listed below.) Interview possibilities: David Y. McManis, senior official of the National Security Agency, formerly with the National Security Council, designer of the White House Situation Room, (speaking at 9 a.m., Monday, May 17) Maxwell Alston, authority on role of military and civilian agencies in disasters, head of emergency planning for Department of Defense, (speaking 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 18) Also leading emergency managers from District of Columbia, Maryland, Arkansas, Georgia, New York Wisconsin, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, NASA, AT&T, TRW, etc. --------------- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: Paul S. Sawyer Subject: Sex Telemarketing Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 08:54:22 -0400 (EDT) Organization: UNH Telecommunications and Network Services Well, it looks like the worst aspects of telemarketing and phone sex have merged ... people in Nashua, New Hampshire have reported getting unsolicited calls from some sort of "adult information provider". The calls begin with something like "press 1 to accept a call ..." and are reportedly billed at $35.00. There is nothing to prevent children from accepting such calls. The state Attorney General will be looking into it. Paul S. Sawyer - University of New Hampshire CIS - Paul_Sawyer@unh.edu Telecommunications and Network Services VOX: +1 603 862 3262 50 College Road FAX: +1 603 862 2030 Durham, New Hampshire 03824-3523 [Moderator's Note: In fairness to the 900 scumbags, they do *not* originate calls without some basis for doing so. *Someone* (or more persons) is playing a cruel joke both on the scumbag and the good citizens of Nashua by calling some IP operating with an 800 inbound line, saying they wish to use the service being provided, and then giving bogus numbers (of people in Nashua) for billing purposes. They may not even intentionally be sticking the callbacks on Nashua people. They may just be giving the scumbag a wrong nmber thinking it will be accepted as true. When the IP calls back collect, the joke is jointly on the charlatan who figured he would get his jollies for free and the unsuspecting person who gets called asking for an okay to continue the call and the charges. Unlike telemarketers for Publisher's Clearing House and various home improvement/carpet companies, sex-phone operators do NOT make cold calls. No need to, since their phone rooms are busy all the time anyway on legitimate inbound stuff. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 08:15:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Dave Ptasnik Subject: Calling Card Scam Background info: Young woman living in father's house. Father has Alzheimers and is in an extended care facility. Phone service stays in father's name. Problem: Phone bill arives from US West with $1,000 in calling card charges. Mostly from Italy, mostly to New Jersey (insert appropriate ethnic humor). Analysis: Young woman calls phone company and complains about bill. Phone company suggests that her father must have been the one making the calls, and the one who ordered the calling card. Young woman determines that no medical miracle has occured, and presses US West. Trouble found: Some Phine Phellow has called the Phone Company from Italy, told US West that he desperately needed to use a calling card right away, gives the name and address of the Alzheimer's victim. The obliging US West rep gives the calling card number (phone number plus four digit pin) to the miscreant, who then goes on about his business. Resolution: Card gets cancelled, US West and AT&T eat the charges. Followup: Second month bill arrives, totaling more than $8,000 in phraudulent calls. Moral: Password protect all of your utility/financial accounts. ------------------------------ From: aarond@xibm.StorTek.com (Aaron Dailey) Subject: Internet Access in Japan Organization: StorageTek Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 19:51:26 GMT I've posted this to alt.internet.access.wanted, but the few responses I received produced more questions than answers. Perhaps someone here can help. My brother is going on assignment in Hiroshima, Japan this summer for about eighteen months. He would like Internet email access to stay in contact with everyone back home, and needs nothing else (e.g. Usenet, ftp, telnet). He'll have a portable PC with modem. I've seen a lot of public (for pay) sites in the US that are accessible via something calling PDN (packet data network?), and someone presented this as a possible solution. Could anyone tell me how this works, and possible contacts to get this set up? He doesn't speak any Japanese yet, so it would be best to get it set up here, before he goes over. The other solution that people suggest was MCImail or ATTmail. I called MCI and they're sending me info. Does anyone have a contact for AT&T, or comments on either of the two services? Does anyone have other suggestions? Aaron Dailey Internet: Aaron_Dailey@stortek.com StorageTek Corporation Voice: (303) 673-4989, FAX: (303) 673-2570 Mail: MS0242, 2270 South 88th Street, Louisville, C0 80028 [Moderator's Note: Compuserve also offers local dialup service in Japan. It is not cheap, and lends much credence to the $ in CI$ ... but it is available, with of course the gateway to Internet mail. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 21:18:03 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Cable TV Technology to Access Library of Congress Collections Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Here is a press release that I found on another system. Are there any D.C.-area readers of the Digest who want to attend the press conference? Cable Television Technology will Access Library of Congress Collections; Press Conference May 26 Contact: Rennie J. Truitt, 202-835-8839 or Craig D'Ooge, 202-707-7189 WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Throughout the twentieth century Americans have been told that they would be able to access vast amounts of multi-media information on line and on demand from their homes. The Library of Congress and Jones Intercable Inc., working together, have pioneered a technology that will allow Americans to access the collections of the library from their homes via a coaxial cable infrastructure that exists today. The technology provides two-way digital communications as well as real-time analog audio and video over the coaxial cable that is used in connecting homes to cable servers. A pilot project provides access to the Library of Congress' American Memory program which is a wealth of searchable multi-media information from American history and culture stored on laser discs. The technology will be demonstrated and discussed at a news conference to be held at the Library of Congress. WHEN: Wednesday, May 26, 1993 10:00 a.m. WHERE: Library of Congress, Mary Pickford Theater Third Floor - James Madison Building Independence Ave. and First Street, SE WHO: Glenn R. Jones, CEO Jones Intercable James Billington, Librarian of Congress ------------------- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: mccomatt@ba.isu.edu (Matt McConnell) Subject: Why Do Cable Companies Charge per Outlet? Date: 13 May 1993 16:12:57 -0600 Organization: Idaho State University, Pocatello What is the rational behind charging a cable customer based on outlets? I'm talking noncommercial use, at home. One of the doctors I consult for has four cable boxes, some sort of Jerrold box, they filter and unscramble six pay channels. The boxes and the six pay channels cost $33.95 each plus about $30 dollars for the "outlet", basic and extended cable. That's almost $70 bucks a box or outlet! He doesn't use them all at the same time but, this is what the cable company "suggested". Oh, he also has state of the art TVs all cable compatible. The service only offers about 40 channels and it is from TCI. I found this incredible when I was walking through his home. Is this the norm for most cable companies? I use 3M system and not cable so I have no idea. I suggested to him getting rid of some of the boxes and getting a push on RF connector so that if he wanted to he could move the "box" around his house easily. Thank you, Matt McConnell ------------------------------ From: hamid@tmt.uni-hannover.de (Reinhard Hamid) Subject: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? Organization: RRZN Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 21:12:15 GMT In Germany we have many toll-free numbers (0130 8x xx xx) which belong to companys in the US. Just for fun I was dialing some of them, and the operators of some companies told me that they didn't know they can be reached from here by toll-free. They only knew about their 1-800 number, and they said that they have no German custumers. Does AT&T connect 1-800 numbers worldwide to local toll-free-numbers, without telling it to their owners? How are the German tollfree numbers billed to the companies? Do the 1-800 owners still have problems with hackers? Reinhard [Moderator's Note: 800 service in the USA is generally limited to domestic use coming and going. That is, from a USA telephone to a USA telephone. Canada works the same way, but there are some 800 numbers which work between the two countries. A small subset of the 800 number range is set aside for companies in other countries (typically in Europe) who want Americans to be able to call them. Likewise although (I think) most European telco variations on 800 -- as in your case it is '0130'; in the UK I think it is '0800' -- are intended to serve their own countries domestically, some wind up ringing over here in the States for businesses who want that service. I would not rely on the company telephone operator to necessarily be the best person to ask about a company's telecom configuration. She is paid to run the PBX, not get involved with the service installation. Then too, it may be possible in some cases the German telecom administration has left a number hooked up to something over here which *used to be* in service; now the present owner here is getting erroneous calls as a result. Hackerphreaks are with us always. Like cockroaches, they will never go away. Probably even after a nuclear war there would be some weird mutation of hackerphreak still alive and well. :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: dem@nhmpw2.fnal.gov (David E. Martin) Subject: Busy Out an ISDN Line Date: 13 May 93 18:41:26 GMT Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, USA Reply-To: dem@hep.net I am setting up a rotary of ISDN bridge for remote access. When I have a remote bridge off-line, I would like to busy out that line much as we do with our current analog modem pool. With an analog line I just short tip and ring. Anyone know how to busy out an both B channels on and ISDN line? David E. Martin National HEPnet Management Phone: +1 708 840-8275 Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory FAX: +1 708 840-8463 P.O. Box 500, MS 368; Batavia, IL 60510 USA E-Mail: dem@hep.net ------------------------------ From: puerile@wam.umd.edu (Mohan R. Ramanathan) Subject: Category Five Transmission Systems Date: 13 May 1993 19:21:59 GMT Organization: University of Maryland, College Park I work at the University of Maryland as a PDS engineer. I have seen a lot in trade journals and shows about the new developments in category five wiring systems, and I was wondering whether anyone was using these sytems currently. We are currently specifying cat 5 wire for the data side of our voice/data outlets, but the campus standard communication is still being done at 10baseT ethernet speeds, so I was curious as to any cat 5 problems to watch out for when I specify equipment for new installations from people who are actually pumping 100Mb/s speeds over twisted pair. Thanks, Mo ------------------------------ From: kiddyr@gallant.apple.com (Ray Kiddy) Subject: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 06:09:04 GMT Organization: Apple Computer Inc. I just saw an ad showing Pacific Bell advertising a service where, if a phone is ringing and you cannot get to it on time, you dial a code and the person who was calling you is called back. What was interesting is that PacBell, in the testimony they gave before the Public Utilities Commision (I was there), said that they needed Caller ID to be approved in order to offer this service. Well, California does not, thankfully, have forced Caller-ID, so Caller-ID is not at all available. Yet, they are now offering these services. hmmmm. Makes me wonder what else they are fibbing about. Like how about the highest in-area calling prices in the country? Hmmm. ray ------------------------------ Subject: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 02:21:43 -0500 From: Mitchell Tasman Hi. Some relatives of mine are MCI "Friends & Family" subscribers. As a courtesy to those relatives [and thanks to a tip in TELECOM Digest], I recently signed up my residential lines as "secondary" MCI accounts. Despite initial misinformation that I received from MCI, calls to "secondary" accounts are eligible for the 20% F&F discount. On to my question. After activating the MCI accounts, I did some voice quality comparisons on a series of short calls between Madison, WI and Cambridge, MA. I cycled among AT&T, Sprint, and MCI by using the appropriate 10XXX codes [10288, 10333, 10222]. My subjective ranking of voice quality was AT&T first, Sprint a close second, and MCI a distant third. The party in Cambridge concurred. I mentioned MCI's third place showing to an MCI customer service representative, and received a rather interesting response. He [the MCI CSR] said that voice quality was so bad because I used the 10222 prefix, rather than being a dial 1 subscriber. When I pressed him on this point, he said that when the call reached an MCI switch, the 10222 prefix would cause the call to be routed via a "bypass network". While this explanation sounds like total B.S. to me, it certainly seems to be within the realm of technical possibility. I thought that I'd solicit the opinions of the TELECOM Digest readership. Thanks, Mitchell Tasman [Moderator's Note: You are correct, it is total B.S. The only thing 10xxx does is tells your local telco to hand the call to a different carrier than they normally would. You should note that telco looks at all the digits dialed before they hand the call anywhere, and if they have the right to handle the call themselves, (such as local, or intra-LATA) they will do so, ignoring your 10xxx instructions. All long distance carriers serving your community have gateways to the local telco (or points of presence) somewhere in town. They do not get your call from one place if it is 1+ and somewhere else if it arrives on 10xxx. Not all carriers will accept your call if it comes in on 10xxx, or more likely, not all carriers will accept your call if they do not recognize you. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger) Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 02:16:39 -0600 Subject: MN to Get Caller-ID Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS: Minnetonka, MN (Free!) The Minnesota state PUC ruled that Caller-ID can be used in Minnesota. US West announced that it will be available by the end of the year in the Minneapolis/ST. Paul area by the end of the year for $6.95 per month. I saw this on the news last night. Also, how does this rate compare with other areas? Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079 (1:282/4018) Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS (612) 574-2079 Internet: mark@tdkt.kksys.com Fido: 1:282/4018 Simnet: 16:612/24 ------------------------------ From: rick@akbar.cc.utexas.edu (Rick Watson) Subject: Headsets, FAQ Date: 11 May 93 00:15:17 GMT Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas I'm looking for a good quality telephone headset. I have a Hello Direct headset which works fine on a standard desk set, but is distorted when both sending and receiving when used with any of several electronic phones I've tried. I've gotten the recommended switch settings from Hello Direct for each phone I've tried. Has anyone else had this problem with that headset? Does anyone have a good recommendation for other headsets? Is there a FAQ for this group? Rick Watson The University of Texas Computation Center, Networking Services, 512/471-3241 internet: r.watson@utexas.edu bitnet: watson@utadnx uucp: ...!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!rick span: utspan::utadnx::watson [Moderator's Note: The FAQ, or 'frequently.asked.questions' file is available by anonymous ftp from the Telecom Archives, lcs.mit.edu. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #326 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa07942; 14 May 93 18:46 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA15263 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 14 May 1993 04:24:33 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00686 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 14 May 1993 04:23:39 -0500 Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 04:23:39 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305140923.AA00686@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #327 TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 May 93 04:23:40 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 327 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Hinsdale Disaster (H.A. Kippenhan Jr.) Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Todd Inch) Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries (Steven King) Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (Dan J. Declerck) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Rudolf Usselmann) Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns! (tdc@zooid.guild.org) Legion of Doom - The Real One (Todd Inch) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 16:04:45 -0500 (CDT) From: H.A. Kippenhan Jr. Subject: Hinsdale Disaster Hi Todd, P.T.: In article our Moderator notes: >> [Moderator's Note: Bell/AT&T switch buildings are very often left >> unattended at night and over the weekends ... just ask the idiots at >> Illinois Bell who let Hinsdale burn down back in 1988 rather than pay >> one person to sit there all night and/or weekends doing some kind of >> trivial paperwork to keep them busy and earning their pay. > Huh? I can't imagine what a human could monitor in a CO that a > machine couldn't monitor just as well (and without salary and benefits > :-), especially if you have plenty of spare dedicated trunks which > could lead back to a central monitoring point, provide redundant > paths, etc. Now maybe the Ill Bell CO DIDN'T have any automated > monitoring, or not enough, or it failed, or? > Did the CO itself burn down, or just the town of Hinsdale? I just can't let this pass without comment. In fact, the alarm sensors did indicate some problem in the Hinsdale office to the people in Springfield, Illinois. The initially attributed the alarm to thunderstorms (we tend to get those in this part of the world). They finally decide it might be something more serious than a false alarm and had a human go over to the office to investigate. > [Moderator's Note: Well, if you 'cannot imagine what a machine could > not monitor just as well' then you must have a poor imagination. The > Hinsdale CO burned down. The building was totally gutted. The fire > began on a Sunday afternoon in May, Mother's Day, 1988. The fire began > about 3 PM and burned unnoticed for *over an hour* before the person > monitoring the place from two hundred miles away decided to call up > to Chicago and tell someone ... and did he call the Fire Department? > Oh no ... he called a supervisor at home some miles away and asked > them to 'go over to Hinsdale and see what is going on, and shut the > alarm off if it is still malfunctioning.' So the supervisor finishes > lunch, gets in their car for a fifteen minute drive, finds the office > in flames, tries to call the Fire Department only to find the lines > all over town have already been dead for probably thirty minutes ... > 'Industry practice' was how Jim Eibel VP of Operations for IBT > described the reasoning for leaving Hinsdale abandoned all weekend. > Eibel should have been given the choice of resigning the day after the > conflagration, or getting fired. > There are cases where electronic remote monitoring may be cost > effective. A telco CO as important as Hinsdale in NOT such a case. > "The worst tragedy in this company's history and possibly the worst > ever in the telecom industry" was the way IBT described it. I wonder > if a bunch of other telephone CO's have to burn down or get flooded > out, or otherwise put out of service before 'industry practice' will > change? PAT] The 'industry practice' statement should have indeed cooked Mr. Eibel's goose. It is not 'industry practice' to have such an important communications facility totally unprotected. I used to work for GTE (stop snickering). One of the ways (and there are damn few) where GTE is ahead of the Bell Operating companies is in protecting their switching equipment. I spent some time at various GTE central offices in the Tampa Bay area, and all that I visited were protected by Halon. Note that I was an engineer on assignment, not a dignitary on a guided tour. I also wondered (and I live in the the western suburbs of Chicago) if the Hinsdale disaster didn't exhibit some of the symptoms of what's contributing to the decline of American business. I've strong doubts that the folks concerned with keeping central offices operational were all that happy to have an office like Hinsdale unmanned on weekends. I suspect that some financial wizard (read M.B.A.) who never learned much of anything about the telephone business (other than to look at it's balance sheet) pushed the decision to not have Hinsdale manned on weekends; Illinois Bell could thus save a few bucks. That person should have joined Mr. Eibel on the involuntary stroll out the door. I expect that we'll get to revisit this disaster again in a few years in a couple of ways. I doubt that IBT has mended it's ways and it will happen again. Second is the risk to those who put the fire out. One of the things about fires in switching offices is all the nasty fumes that are given off as PVC plastic burns. There was a fire in a cable vault in New York City (prior to divestiture), and the incidence of lung cancer in the firemen who fought that blaze is staggering. Just a few random thoughts. H.A. Kippenhan Jr. | Internet: Kippenhan@FNDCD.FNAL.GOV Fermi National Accelerator Lab. | HEPnet/NSI DECnet: FNDCD::KIPPENHAN P.O. Box 500 MS: FCC-3E/368 | BITnet: Kippenhan@FNDCD.BITNET Batavia, Illinois 60510 | Telephone: (708) 840-8068 [Moderator's Note: Well, IBT now claims everything is redundant; they say everything is set so traffic can go at least two different ways at the flip of a switch, i.e. one office goes out of service for some reason, the traffic can instantly be sent another direction. That's all very nice, but I have seen tiny, one position PBX cord boards in little hotels where an operator sat there all night long reading a book or watching television after the 'bookkeeping' was done for the day which maybe took all of an hour. Between two and six in the morning they might have one call, or might have none. Ask the prop- rietor, "Why do you pay an operator to sit there all night with no calls? Why not close the board down until in the morning?" They will answer "Because there may be an emergency. A tenant may need to call out, or there may be an urgent call for a tenant coming in." In other words, they take the provision of telecom services to their guests and tenants seriously. And I feel the same way: telecom is not to be trifled with. If you are responsible for a network, large or small, run it correctly. Leave little or nothing to chance. It is not your fault your users have come to rely on the telephone as a lifesaver in cases of emergency -- they didn't 150 years ago -- but that is the way it is now, so live with it. Automate things as much as you can, but bear in mind there are some thing in the business that will *not* be profit centers, no matter how you arrange things. But even though they look bad on your books, you have to have them; one thing being fully trained personnel around your equipment *all the time*. PAT] ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 16:46:44 -0800 (PDT) H.A. Kippenhan Jr. said: > I just can't let this pass without comment. In fact, the > alarm sensors did indicate some problem in the Hinsdale > office to the people in Springfield, Illinois. Of course, alarms aren't any good if they aren't reliable, are ignored, people take the batteries out, etc. >> [Moderator's Note: Well, if you 'cannot imagine what a machine could >> not monitor just as well' then you must have a poor imagination. Well, I was only considering mechanical & electrical systems. ;-) >> An office which served as the long distance hub for all of northern >> Illinois including Chicago; the center for cellular service in the >> same area; several western suburbs of over a million people were >> served from that office; three major 911 centers; all of the air >> traffic controllers lines between O'hare Airport and the Federal >> Aviation Administration went through there. I assumed that by "CO" you meant a switch for an exchange or two, you didn't say "major regional switching center", which, of course, SHOULD be manned 24 hours. I was thinking more along the lines of a neighborhood cinderblock building. Still, APPROPRIATE automated monitoring should have done the job, but, in this case, appropriate automated monitors may not be more cost effective than a human. Sounds like there should also have been automatic halon extinguishers, etc, as well. And then there was the story of the air traffic controller who fell asleep on the job in the news the other day, and a jet had to land unassisted. I hope there is now more redundancy built into those systems you mention, it sounds like their mistakes include putting too many eggs in one basket. I would hope the critical systems (air traffic control, 911) would have some limited microwave or radio backup? Probably not. ------------------------------ From: king@rtsg.mot.com (Steven King, Software Archaeologist) Subject: Re: Author Queries: Phone Mysteries Reply-To: king@rtsg.mot.com Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 21:27:42 GMT > [Moderator's Note: Well, if you 'cannot imagine what a machine could > not monitor just as well' then you must have a poor imagination. The > Hinsdale CO burned down. The building was totally gutted. The fire > began on a Sunday afternoon in May, Mother's Day, 1988. The fire began > about 3 PM and burned unnoticed for *over an hour* before the person > monitoring the place from two hundred miles away decided to call up > to Chicago and tell someone ... and did he call the Fire Department? > Oh no ... he called a supervisor at home some miles away and asked > them to 'go over to Hinsdale and see what is going on, and shut the > alarm off if it is still malfunctioning.' So the supervisor finishes > lunch, gets in their car for a fifteen minute drive, finds the office > in flames, tries to call the Fire Department only to find the lines > all over town have already been dead for probably thirty minutes ... Let's be fair, Pat. This doesn't show that automated warning devices are inherently inferior to humans on-site 24 hours a day. It looks to me like the faults lie in ... A poorly designed alarm system that didn't differentiate between something simple like "a trunk is down" and something major like "the building is in flames"; and, A human who ignored an alarm for an hour. Both of these factors contributed to the untimely demise of Hinsdale. Although I know nothing about the Hinsdale facility, from your description I'd bet that I can buy warning devices for my house that are far superior to what they had installed. I know for a fact that you can buy telemetry equipment that will tell you the temperature is too high, too low, intruder alert, power failure alert, and dozens of other things. A properly designed automated system with an *ATTENTIVE* human on the other end of a pager/phone/modem is just as useful as (and less costly than) a human on-site 24 hours. Steven King, Motorola Cellular (king@rtsg.mot.com) ------------------------------ From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 19:26:29 GMT In article frank@calcom.socal.com writes: > On May 06 21:12, sohl,william h wrote: >> It took a technician maybe three minutes to reprogram the phone's >> codes so it could be used for eavesdropping. 'Every cellular phone is >> a scanner, and they are completely insecure', Sun Micro's Gage said. > My boss once worked for LA Cellular and he pressed a few keys on his > phone and showed me how he could monitor any cellular frequency with > the phone's speaker. All you need to know are some of the keypad codes > that allow you to setup and test the phone. Knowledge any cellular > phone installer would have. > [Moderator's Note: For that matter, Radio Shack sells the technical > specs for all their phones out of the corporate office in Dallas. PAT] No offense (and please no flames), but this is now a crime (might even be a felony). It requires using manual test modes of the phones. Motorola units do not do this unless certain pins are connected on the hardware cable kit connector. (Don't ask me which ones, I will not give it out.) Dan DeClerck EMAIL: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com Motorola Cellular APD Phone: (708) 632-4596 [Moderator's Note: It is a crime to abuse the radio transmissions of others by spying on them, etc. It is not a crime to repair or test your cellular phone when it is needed. My Motorola cell phone uses a 25-pin connector (just like from a modem to the com port in a computer) between the battery and the phone. (This is one of the large older units). Either pin 20 is 'local' and pin 21 is 'ground' or the other way around; I forget which off hand. You have to send local to ground. Get one of those little 'mini-tester' things from Radio Shack and open the cover on it. Drop a tiny bit of solder between 20/21. Sandwich it between the jack on the back of the phone and the battery so the battery flows through it to the phone. When the connection is made, the phone will power up in 'local test mode'. There are lots of tests you can conduct, and of course all the registers can be zeroed out including that nuisance one which locks the phone up after three times of changing the phone number and the carrier-ID code, etc. Motorola sent me a dozen pages of documentation once when I called and asked them nicely. Your mileage may vary, depending on the model you have, but the idea seems to always be the same: send local to ground ... even my Radio Shack CT-301 works that way to get into 'local test mode'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rudi@netcom.com (Rudolf Usselmann) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 18:22:21 GMT Douglas J. Coyle (djcoyle@macc.wisc.edu) wrote: > Does anybody know (or know how to get) this kind of programming > information for the Motorala flip phones? Isn't that illegal ? Call Motorola Tech Support, ask for the "Blue book" ($40.-). It tells you everything (well almost). The most interesting stuff is of course missing: their internal C&D bus documentation. Anybody has a spec for it? Or knows where to get it? Motorola will not give out any documen- tation on it :*( This would enable us techies to build our own interface boards for modems and fax, and would not have to fork out the $300+ ! rudi ------------------------------ From: TDC Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 14:23:23 -0400 Subject: Re: They're Back! The Legion of Doom Returns! Organization: The Zoo of Ids One might (although you would have to be exceedingly paranoid) take the view that this is all some scam to compile information on the hacking community ... In fact its a fairly valid fear (think back to those bogus boards a while ago). A "group" would seem to be the next logical step. However this is NOT the case. This is taking place outside of the US (an unlikely choice for any American law enforcement agencies to make). But don't take my word for it, just wait until next month when you can see with your own eyes the TJ and then rest assured that its "cool". There was also a reply saying the account had been closed for non- payment of fees ... What can I say ... just try again now, the account is fine. You are at the whims of the system admin with a legitimate account such as as this one. For obvious reasons a legitimate account was required ... I'm not going to give anyone an excuse to sieze any account(s). ------------------------------ From: todd@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (The Marauder) Subject: Legion of Doom! - The Real One Date: 13 May 1993 21:55:46 -0400 Let me set the record straight: This "NEW" Legion of Doom, coming from "tdc@zooid.guild.org" has _NOTHING_ whatsoever to do with the Legion of Doom! group that was formed approximatly mid-1984, of which I was a member. The "real" LoD continued as a group until somewhere around 1990. Those of you really interested in the whole thing can read all about it in the electronic publication called "Phrack", which is available at the anon ftp site "ftp.eff.org", in the "/pub/cud/phrack" directory. I believe "Phrack" issue #31 contains "The History of The Legion of Doom!" which was written by Lex Luthor (founder of the whole thing), and edited by Erik Bloodaxe. The article contains a brief history of us, and ALL them members of the real group, and is the final word as to who was/was not in LoD. I think you will find no mention of this (ahem) Lord Havoc character. I believe "ftp.eff.org" also contains all the LOD Technical Journals in "pub/cud/lod". The Legion of Doom! as a hack/phreak group DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE. These clowns running around the internet calling themselves the "NEW" LoD are simply some kids having fun with you all, so relax, take a deep breath, and forget the whole thing. I am quite convinced you'll not hear much more from them ;). Most of the horror stories, and tales of terror you have read and heard about us (real LOD), are way off base. Very few of you were around, or involved with the "BBS" underground world back when we existed as a group so any "data" you have about us is heresay at best. (Although I'm sure you guys at AT&T could probably find some fairly accurate information in "Ralph's" files, heh ;) ). Anyway, speaking for me, I simply became obsessed with the telephone system; it is after all the largest interconnected entity I know of. The last thing I or any of the members of the LOD wanted to do is wreck or destroy the very thing that caused us to come into existence in the first place. Sure we looked at a few things we damn well had no business seeing, and yes we occasionally impersonated the Arlington RNOC for WATS translations and what have you. But as to being the wandering band of "Digital Henchmen" who left smoking, crumpled 1AESS's in our wake -- you could not be further from the truth! I often laugh out loud at the media's portrayal of us and our activities, as they are by far the most clueless of the lot. Most of the original members of the LOD have remained friends, and stay in fairly current contact with each other, sometimes swapping stories of our old memories over a beer or two, when we have time. That's about the extent of it. Forget about this "Return of the Legion of Doom!". Like a bad smell, it's sure to blow away. The Marauder Legion of Doom! Marauder@phantom.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #327 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa24568; 15 May 93 3:20 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA03757 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 15 May 1993 00:48:26 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17451 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 15 May 1993 00:47:23 -0500 Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 00:47:23 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305150547.AA17451@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #328 TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 May 93 00:47:15 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 328 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Toby Nixon) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Tony Harminc) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Jim Rees) Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (Mark Evans) Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies (Reza Hussein) Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies (Chas Keeys) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Greg Trotter) Re: AT&T Future Ads (William Eldridge) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Harry Skelton) Re: Information Wanted on CableLabs (David Willming) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (John J. Butz) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (Steve Forrette) Re: 800-555-1212: I Need Information (Khee Chan) Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service (Rob Boudrie) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tnixon@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? Date: 14 May 93 16:47:32 GMT Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA In article rdippold@qualcomm.com wrote: > According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), > the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the > International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector > (ITU-TSS). > a) Is this true? Yes, this is true. > b) Why? The CCITT has always been a part of the International Telecommunications Union. The ITU is the part of the United Nations charged with setting international communications standards and helping developing countries to install and improve communications services. The CCITT (telegraph and telephone) and CCIR (radio, television, and satellites) are the committees under the ITU that do standardization. The ITU decided to reorganize the CCITT and CCIR to promote efficiency, reduce costs, and better coordinate work by eliminating duplication, merging study groups with similar repsonsiblities, etc. > c) Who is this ITU-TSS? As far as most of us are concerned, it is simply the new name of the CCITT. It continues to work basically the same way, although instead of the "normal" standard approval procedure being one a four-year cycle and the "exception" being "accelerated approval", the ITU-TS "normal" procedure will be to adopt standards by ballot as they are ready. This has been the normal operating procedure for ISO and most other standards-making organizations for some time, and it makes sense for CCITT (ITU-TS) to adopt the same procedures in order to bring standards to the industry as expeditiously as possible. > d) What does this do to Recommendataions in progress (or new ones)? > I'm particularly interested in Group XVII and V.fast. Work in progress continues. Some of the higher-numbered CCITT study groups have been renumbered, due both to the incorporation of CCIR study groups and to a desire to eliminate gaps in the committee numbering (some groups had been dropped years ago, but renumbering wasn't done then). Also, the groups now have Arabic rather than Roman numbers. What was CCITT Study Group XVII is now ITU-TS Study Group 14, but other than that it continues as it was. V.fast continues to progress at a steady, if glacial, pace. I must say I'm a bit disappointed that one or more modem companies would go around stirring up fear, uncertainty, and doubt, giving half the story and leading people to believe that somehow work on modem standards has been disrupted by this purely-administrative reorganization. I can't help but attribute it to some perverse motivation on their part to get people to buy non-standard proprietary high-speed modulations, throwing the industry once again into a confusion of incompatibility, rather than waiting for the process to work and settle on the best solution (V.fast). I hope nobody is misled; the same experts continue to do the same high-quality work, and nobody should be concerned that any modem standards work will be delayed simply because of these administrative details. Toby ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? Reply-To: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 15:22:09 GMT The CCITT did indeed get renamed "ITU TSS". Its study groups have survived, but they too were renamed. CCITT fans will of course fondly remember their use of Roman numerals (SG XVIII). This is history. The new Study Group identifiers are Arabic numbers! So SG VII is no more, but SG 7 replaces it. Since there are only 15 SGs (one was merged away as too inactive) left, the high numbers were changed. XVIII is now 13, XVII is now 14. Now all of the worlds' standards (including TSS's) that refer to "CCITT standard" for their codepoints are in a way obsolete. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 93 22:57:44 EDT From: Tony Harminc Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? djcoyle@macc.wisc.edu (Douglas J. Coyle) wrote: >> My boss once worked for LA Cellular and he pressed a few keys on his >> phone and showed me how he could monitor any cellular frequency with >> the phone's speaker. All you need to know are some of the keypad codes >> that allow you to setup and test the phone. Knowledge any cellular >> phone installer would have. > Does anybody know (or know how to get) this kind of programming > information for the Motorala flip phones? > [Moderator's Note: Doesn't Motorola Technical Support provide this > information to service techs? I called them once about a Motorola > phone I had and they faxed me page after page of details on how to > get in to the phone, reset and change the registers, etc. PAT] I imagine that this information is quickly becoming much harder to get, since the publication of the _Wired_ article and the demo to the Washington politicos. Tony Harminc ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Date: 14 May 1993 15:15:19 GMT Organization: University of Michigan CITI In article , rudi@netcom.com (Rudolf Usselmann) writes: > Does anybody know (or know how to get) this kind of programming > information for the Motorala flip phones? Isn't that illegal ? As far as I know, it's not illegal to reprogram your cellphone. It is illegal to obtain service fraudulently, and it is illegal to listen in on someone else's conversation. Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is it now illegal to own a cellphone? Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it would be illegal for me to sell it now? ------------------------------ From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone Organization: Aston University Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 16:15:50 GMT Frank Keeney (frank@calcom.socal.com) wrote: > On May 06 21:12, sohl,william h wrote: >> It took a technician maybe three minutes to reprogram the phone's >> codes so it could be used for eavesdropping. 'Every cellular phone is >> a scanner, and they are completely insecure', Sun Micro's Gage said. > My boss once worked for LA Cellular and he pressed a few keys on his > phone and showed me how he could monitor any cellular frequency with > the phone's speaker. All you need to know are some of the keypad codes > that allow you to setup and test the phone. Knowledge any cellular > phone installer would have. I know of someone hooking up a car phone to a PC, reprogramming it a bit; such that they could use it to track phones. Detect paging requests, a few seconds before the phone is rung a request is sent out to all base stations near where the phone was last know to be to attempt to find where it is now. Also he could intercept calls, go three way on them, or cut them off (including before the phone actually started ringing). His comment was that cellular phones were slightly more secure than CB radios. Mark Evans evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 429 9199 (Home) evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office) ------------------------------ From: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) Subject: Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies Date: 14 May 1993 22:41:33 -0500 Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, Texas Reply-To: RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza Hussein) So, babshier@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bryan J Abshier) said: > Also, I think that they have already violated the FDCPA. They > aren't supposed to reveal to third parties that the person they are > looking for owes them money. Ahh ... but they the person who called didn't really reveal my roommate owed them money. I asked him repeatedly, why he needed to contact my roommate. Initially he said he needed to talk to my roommate urgently concerning some matter. Eventually, he got quite rude and said it was "None of my business!" When I told him my roommate was going to contact me concerning some bills to settle, he eventually admitted that they were seeking him "for the same reason." Reza Hussein -- rhussein@uh.edu; Computer Science; University of Houston [Moderator's Note: Remember, the FDPCA *only* applies to collection agencies and attornies working for collection agencies. It does *not* apply to the creditor. The creditor can legally get quite rude. PAT] ------------------------------ From: chas.keeys@tde.com Date: Fri, 14 May 93 11:35:39 Subject: Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies chas.keeys@tde.com (Chas [not charles] Keeys) wrote: > Alex Pournelle writes: >> This happened to me, where they were harassing my fiancee >> over a bill I hadn't paid quite in time. I no longer >> patronize the May Company (now Robinsons May) over their >> heavy handed treatment of this issue, which included threats >> and bad language at 8AM on a Saturday. I also had a problem with the local May Company. It was several years ago, and I had gone to Consumer Credit Counseling Service (where my I paid CCCS and they paid my creditors an on extended time basis), and the May Co. kept calling and getting very rude, demanding that I had incurred the debt and not CCCS. Well, in Colorado it is against the law for them to make harassing calls to you if you are "making an effort to pay," and paying their bill through CCCS was definitely "making an effort to pay," so I wrote a letter of complaint to the Attorney General's Office, and guess what. the VP of the May Co. in Colorado called me and apologized. That aside, I still do not shop the May Co. I figure it they are doing it to me, they are doing it to people who don't know their rights. Chas [Moderator's Note: Exactly what constitutes 'making an effort to pay'? Exactly what constitutes 'harassment'? It seems to me both these things are subjective decisions by the people involved. When there is a bonafide debt involved, it is sometimes a rather dangerous tactic for the debtor to accuse the collection agency and/or creditor of 'harassment'. Most collection agencies will mark their file accordingly and go back to the creditor with a request for suit requirements, noting that the debtor is uncooperative and has made allegations or threats. It is sometimes prudent to take a little guff and try to outwit the creditor or his agency with a payment plan you (and they) mutually agree on, even if it is a bit stiffer than you would have proposed on your own. Learn how their routine works and send them enough money from time to time to insure the file stays in bookkeeping and out of the collector's 'cases to call today' file. If the creditor sues, you *will* lose if the debt is bonafide. When you lose the suit, then you become what is known legally as a 'judgment debtor' and although the creditor may decide to continue working along with you at that point he need not do so. With judgment in hand he can garnish your wages, take money from your bank account, or in many instances, repossess his merchandise leaving you owing the defeciency still due. I am not saying harassment is right, or that it does not occur, only that to challenge your creditor(s) on that basis is not a good tactical move in all cases. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads From: greg@gallifrey.ucs.uoknor.edu (Greg Trotter) Date: 14 May 93 13:04:59 CDT Organization: Gallifrey - Home of the Timelords In article bboerner@Novell.COM (Brendan B. Boerner) writes: > Has anyone noticed the AT&T ads which keep asking "Have you ever done > ?" and then say, "You will"? > What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years > ago did AT&T demonstrate a videophone at a World's Fair, 30? Also, > show me a library that can afford to keep buying subscriptions to > periodicals, much less state of the art computer equipment, and I'll > show you a library which is going to get it's budget cut. I think they are funny. The part I like is "Have you ever paid a toll without slowing down?" We've had equipment to scan an ID number from a car on a turnpike for years here in backwater Oklahoma. ;-) Greg Trotter Norman, Oklahoma Internet: greg@gallifrey.ucs.uoknor.edu Fidonet: 1:147/63 Treknet: 87:6012/8009 ------------------------------ From: bill@COGNET.UCLA.EDU (William Eldridge) Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads Date: 14 May 1993 17:41:10 GMT Organization: UCLA Cognitive Science Research Program > Remote Reader > Medical Records on a credit card device > Navigator > Toll Collection on highways > Portable Tablets with FAX capablity (Something we're already doing!) > And of course, in every single on, they show the mother calling home to > say goodnight to her baby ... on a public videophone. I wonder if this > means something? Inspired by the thought of: Compost Reader, Portable Toilets with FAX capability, Medical Remains on a credit card device. Of course "mother" is a thinly-veiled symbol for Ma Bell, alias Big Brother, making sure all her "babies"' bedroom activities are put on public display. Just kidding. Bill Eldridge bill@cognet.ucla.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads From: skelton@hfm.atl.ga.us (Harry Skelton) Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 13:30:29 GMT Organization: Harry's Farmers Market In article malcolm@apple.com (Malcolm Slaney) writes: > bboerner@Novell.COM (Brendan B. Boerner) writes: >> What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years >> ago did AT&T demonstrate a videophone at a World's Fair, 30? Also, >> show me a library that can afford to keep buying subscriptions to >> periodicals, much less state of the art computer eq){uipment, and I'll >> show you a library which is going to get it's budget cut. > It's easy to justify TODAY! Note: ... > Yes, electronic journals aren't good for curling up with ... but why > should a library subscribe to a journal and store it, when they can > get any article they want, by paying somebody to make a copy and > handle the copyright fee? SHEESH ... haven't you folks been reading the newspapers? (remember those parchment items with scribbles on them? :) ). The TV and TV/Phone idea is based in ISDN. I assume the car navigational unit is based on a broadband ISDN or Celular concept but just in there to flare the ISDN promo (like this is all one big package ... right). Much like the installation of fiber in major cities, the ISDN route will be just as limited. Since I assume that they will be taking advantage of the fiber offerings. Of course the leaves us "boonies" out of the loop unless we want a T1/T3 connection or dark fiber links. :) :) The commercials look nifty but the technology has been here a while. I just think that AT&T is making the first move and getting everyone's attention so they can play hardball with the FCC and cable companies. As for me, I like the concept of remote live video and navs in the cars ... but I'd just be as happy with text and a road map. Hell of a lot cheeper too. [ I'll just wait untill it comes out on holo's ... ] > Fast networks and telecommunications are changing the world ... for > the better I hope. As do I ... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 10:48:24 CDT From: david@flash.zenithe.com (david willming) Subject: Re: Information Wanted on CableLabs CableLabs is a research group funded by the cable television industry. From one of their press releases: "CableLabs [or more formally Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.] is a research and development consortium of cable television system operators representing more than 85% of the cable subscribers in the United States and 60% of the subscribers in Canada. CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects that will help cable companies take advantage of future opportunities and meet future challenges in the television industry. It also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the industry. In addition, CableLabs acts as a clearing house to provide information on current and prospective technological developments that are of interest to the cable industry." They are presently active in the HDTV selection process and have performed tests on advanced TV delivery via cable. Their address: 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 500 Boulder, CO 80302 Phone: (303) 939-8500 ------------------------------ From: John.J.Butz@att.com Date: Fri, 14 May 93 12:36:37 EDT Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Up the road from Bell Labs, Holmdel, is an American Water Company pumping station that was built to meet the Holmdel zoning codes. It looks like a residential home! There are shades in the windows, the grounds are landscaped, and the street-side mailbox says; "Roger Waters." J "Testing in Naperville" Butz AT&T - CCS jbutz@hogpa.att.com ER700 Sys Eng PS. Roger, on break from his current concert tour, was recently spotted shooting hoops at the home in the spirit of the NBA playoffs. ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Date: 14 May 1993 20:52:49 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) writes: > Here in Illinois Bell territory, I have hunting between the two lines > in my home. > We will soon be moving to a new house in GTE territory, and I just > found out that GTE claims hunting is not tariffed for residential > service. They, will, however, be quite happy to install two business > lines in my home (and charge me accordingly) if I insist on having > hunting. No thanks. > I'm curious about how typical this is with other LECs in other parts > of the country. Do most offer hunting on residential lines, or was > Illinois Bell being unusually accommodating? I've had service from both US West and Pacific Bell, and both offer residential hunting. I think it is a quite normal thing to have offered by a real telephone company. Then again, perhaps Gloria C. Valle doesn't understand why any residence would want hunting. You might look into seeing if you can order busy-transfer, which would do the same thing as a two-line hunt group. If busy-transfer is available in your area, it will be much more likely tariffed for residential service. If this is the case, isn't it too bad that the rep didn't suggest this to you? > Also, Illinois Bell will allow extra lines to be non-published at no > charge as long as the main line is published. Alternatively, since > two lines entitles me to two listings, Illinois Bell will let me have > two listings with different names, both giving the main number (at no > additional charge). GTE charges extra for either of the above. Is > this normal for real LECs? GTE charges extra for a lot of things that real telcos give away. For example, Cancel Call Waiting is usually a separate feature, which you have to pay for in addition to Call Waiting if you are served by GTE. Every RBOC that I know of includes Cancel Call Waiting as part of Call Waiting. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ Organization: ESOC European Space Operations Centre Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:54:54 CET From: Khee Chan Subject: Re: 800-555-1212: I Need Information In article , Fidler, Justin says: > Lastly, is there either a telnettable online version, or a single The AT&T 800 listings are available on Compuserve without on-line charges. Khee Chan BITNET/EARN: kchan@esoc, kchan@caltech SPAN: jplsp::kchan INTERNET: kchan@jplsp.jpl.nasa.gov, kchan@caltech.edu ------------------------------ From: rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) Subject: Re: Grand Canyon Phone Service Organization: Center For High Perf. Computing of WPI; Marlboro Ma Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 21:12:17 GMT > All I remember is our one armed guide that took us to the bottom of > the canyon on those mules, my behind hurting, and damn good food. Heh. Did you have a guide who was missing an arm, or do you mean that you had only one guide and that he was carrying a sidearm? ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #328 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa27474; 15 May 93 5:03 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13473 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 15 May 1993 02:14:12 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31360 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 15 May 1993 02:12:02 -0500 Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 02:12:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305150712.AA31360@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #329 TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 May 93 02:12:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 329 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Individual Responsibility (Brad S. Hicks) Re: Individual Responsibility (Alan Boritz) Re: Blocking Call Returns (Anthony E. Siegman) Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area (Garrett Wollman) Re: Residential Listings on CD-ROM (Tompkins) Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service (Nigel Allen) Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features (Carl Moore) Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features (Richard Budd) Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem (Jack Decker) Re: France Direct vs Home Direct (Clive Feather) Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? (Clive Feather) Re: Sex Telemarketing (Alan Boritz) Re: National/International Calls (was Haiti Phone Network) (Carl Moore) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mc/G=Brad/S=Hicks/OU=0205925@mhs.attmail.com Date: 14 May 93 14:58:59 GMT Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) > Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear > on your next bill. Who's responsible? Hey, I just spotted this in somebody's reply. Not only is it a rotten analogy, it's not true, either! Anybody in the credit card industry, and most people in the banking industry, and (in theory) just about any clerk in the retail business could tell you the answer to your question: as described, THE MERCHANT is responsible. That's because merchant (technically, the term is "acquirer") credit card agreements explicitly state that in order to collect the money, the merchant MUST confirm that the card isn't on the lost/stolen list, that the transaction is within the card's remaining credit limit, and, most importantly to this discussion, that the signature matches the one on the signature panel (other than mail order/telephone order, what we call MO/TO, but that wasn't the example you used). So if you loan your credit card to someone, ANY use they make of it is fraudulent as they forge your signature or falsely claim to be you. If you think that that's OK, well, no wonder you're in the 900 business. For the sake of completeness, I will note that there are two exceptions to the the credit-check authorization: "floor limits" where certain types of retail establishments are granted an exemption for purchases under some VERY low dollar limit, and QuickPay, where some merchants who ONLY process very cheap transactions, like movie theaters and fast food restaurants, are exempted from getting authorizations. But that example works against you, too. The reason that the credit card system works AT ALL is that any transaction over a couple of dollars is checked against a preset credit limit, pegged to the individual's (not the household's, the individal's!) ability to pay. In general, phone service has no such credit limit, which is how IP's end up in the position of trying to bill $2100 in cumulative charges against somebody with no ability to pay. So if you want to make money over the phone AND have a reasonable expectation of collecting it, convert to a toll-free number and then contact your bank and set up an account as a credit card acquirer. That way, both you and your customers are protected. Because as long as you abuse the telephone billing process, you're going to be lumped in with the (rest of the) sleaze. [Yes, I work for MasterCard International; to a very minor extent, we depend on increased credit card usage to stay in business, so I have some minor financial interest in this posting. No, I am NOT an official spokesman for MasterCard; the above message is just the personal opinion of an informed insider.] J. Brad Hicks Internet: mc!Brad_Hicks@mhs.attmail.com X.400: c=US admd=ATTMail prmd=MasterCard sn=Hicks gn=Brad ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 93 07:39:57 EDT From: Alan Boritz <72446.461@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility Mark.Steiger@tdkt.kksys.com (Mark Steiger) writes: > OK. This one part here has popped up over and over again about > "Signing" for service. You get service. You don't sign anything > anymore, but by using the phone, you consent to their conditions. I > got a credit card recently. They said, if you use it, it's yours. No > agreement was signed. I applied over the phone. If I didn't want the > card, I'd call and cancel it. Same thing with phone service. > Now ... back to the argument at hand ... I am currently looking at > using a 900 service to collect for my BBS... Can we assume that you're using commercial tariff lines for your commercial BBS? Too often we hear BBS operators whining and complaining that either telco is trying to "rip them off" or that they can't get their users to pay, while hiding behind the facade of an amateur (non-commercial) email network. Sooner or later (probably sooner) greedy, selfish, people who set up cottage industry BBS's for extra income are going to spoil it for the rest of the honest, amateur email and BBS sysops by giving the telco's the justification they need to show public utilities commissions that BBS's deserve commercial tariff treatment. Alan Boritz 72446.461@compuserve.com [Moderator's Note: I'll tell you, Alan, you touched on a sore spot, a raw nerve with this one. We had a l--o--n--g thread on this very topic a couple years ago when Southwestern Sister discussed the impos- ition of business rates on BBSes. I'm sure many readers remember it! PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 14:50:53 PDT From: Anthony E. Siegman Subject: Re: Blocking Call Returns > A good way to accomplish this for the telemarketer is to get a > separate line to make the telemarketing calls. Have no ringers on it, > so the callees can Call Return all they want. If the telemarketer > doesn't want to even have his line busy for a moment, he can also get > Call Forwarding and deflect the Call Returns to a non-working number. Exactly right. C'mon, guys, let's work for legislation (State or Fed) which simply requires that all telemarketing calls must be identified as coming from some designated area code (like 700, 800, 900, whatever). Potential callees who wish to can then easily block incoming telemarketing. Technically feasible, cheap (for callers and callees), no First Amendment implications, no nonsensical maintaining of "do not call" databases. It's the way to do the job. Can anyone identify any Fed legislators who are particularly interested in this issue? siegman@sierra.stanford.edu ------------------------------ From: Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:40:05 GMT In article dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) writes: > New England Telephone is about one year behind NYTel's introduction of > PHONESMART(sm) and I'm surprised it took them that long (oh well, > that's NYNEX for you). Actually, it depends on the particular values of "New England Tel" and "New York Tel". Here in Vermont, we have had most of the CLASS(sm) services for more than a year now, but I haven't heard anything about those services being introduced across the Lake. (Well, I did see an NYTel ad for Distinctive Ringing around the holidays ...) It seems that the NET side seems to advertise more -- even on the New York station! Disclaimer: The hockey playoffs are on right now, so I've probably seen more Unitel ads (that irritating announcer saying `1-800-949-4545' is still ringing in my ears) than either NET or NYT. Garrett A. Wollman wollman@emba.uvm.edu uvm-gen!wollman UVM disagrees. ------------------------------ From: tompkins@pete.tti.com (Tompkins) Subject: Re: Residential Listings on CD-ROM Reply-To: tompkins@pete.tti.com (Tompkins) Organization: Transaction Technology, Inc. Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 23:23:24 GMT In article , alarm@access.digex.net (James Van Houten) writes: > I am interested in a CD-ROM that covers all residential telephone > listings in the USA. I know that DAK was offering one with a purchase > of their CD-ROM drive. Anyone have any info on this. Thanks. I have the DAK disks (two residential and one business). The residential ones (one east and one western US) are reasonably quick looking for a name. They are not cross indexed for streets, so, while you can search for names on a particular street (as mentioned in DAK's ad), you're best off starting it when you are on your way out to lunch! Of more interest to me is the source of their database. It is NOT the telephone white pages! There are many listings in here for people with unlisted numbers. All of these listings show just the address and area code (without the actual phone number). The area code, of course, can easily be added based on the address. Similarly, there are many listed number (my own, included) that are not in the database. The common thread here is all the ones I checked belonged to people (like me) who have there phone listed without a street address: eg: Peter Tompkins, Malibu, CA. Also, no API is available: you are at the mercy of their software. The format of the data is not obvious on the CD -- it is clearly compressed -- but this was predictable: 35 million listings per CD nets out to about 18 bytes per listing! I had hoped to be able to get information regarding the compression used and how to directly access the database. They would not provide this information (but that was quite awhile ago). Finally, originally, DAK only sold this to buyers of the CD drives. I believe they eliminated this requirement several months ago, so they are now available to anyone. Pete Tompkins tompkins@tti.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 21:01:55 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Re: Calling Cards Without Phone Service Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Some local exchange carriers are willing to issue calling cards to non-subscribers. The British Columbia Telephone Company, which is in the process of changing its name to BC Tel, handled my application for a non-subcriber calling card as a matter of routine. The service rep had a script to follow for non-subscriber calling card applications, and everything went smoothly. I had to give my address as my sister's place in Vancouver (I was staying there for two weeks), because BC Tel wouldn't issue a calling card to someone with a Toronto address. Bell Canada is another story. It is willing to issue a "deferred applicant" calling card to a non-subscriber, but most service reps aren't familiar with how to do so. The application, at the time I checked, had to be approved by a second-level manager. The remittance address for payments on such an account is different, and the numbers printed on the bill to call for orders or billing inquiries are wrong. Since BC Tel is half-owned by GTE, and since Bell Canada's procedures probably derive from old Bell System practices, I would guess that it might be easier to get a non-subscriber calling card from a GTE telephone company in the U.S. than from a Bell operating company. Now that York University (in North York, a suburb of Toronto) has announced plans to provide phone service directly to its students in residence, bypassing Bell Canada, those students may be interested in getting Bell calling cards. It will be interesting to see how Bell Canada approaches this market. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 10:22:40 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features You mention APO. I believe that is "Army Post Office" (includes the Air Force, which is the successor to the Army Air Corps). There is also FPO, Fleet Post Office, for Naval installations overseas. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 16:47:25 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Re: Germany to Offer Custom Calling Features Organization: CSAV UTIA On Wed, 12 May 93 10:22:40 EDT Carl said: > You mention APO. I believe that is "Army Post Office" (includes the Air > Force, which is the successor to the Army Air Corps). There is also FPO, > Fleet Post Office, for Naval installations overseas. Carl, You are correct, it's Army Post Office. An error of the grey cells trying to recall events of eleven years ago. I believe NPO (Navy Post Office) applies to ships and naval bases. Richard Budd | USA klub@maristb.bitnet | CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 139 S. Hamilton St. | Kolackova 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | 18200 Praha 8 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 01:28:40 EDT From: ac388@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu (Jack Decker) Subject: Re: Minor But Puzzling Problem In message , jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) wrote: > I called Illinois Bell once to report excessive noise on one of my > lines. Their first question was "Is it OK at the demarc?". When I > explained that my house was wired many years before anybody ever heard > of demarc jacks, they explained that I would be billed if the problem > turned out to be inside the house. I then asked that they install a > demarc jack so I could determine where the problem was, but they > insisted that they couldn't do that for free (although they could do > it for some massive amount of money, the exact amount of which I > forget). Later, when I called back reporting that I could still hear > the noise on their line even after disconnecting all my inside wiring > from their protector/junction block in my basement, they chewed me out > for messing with "their" wiring. *Sigh* Lower level business office droids at play. You need to call up someone at the divisional manager level at least (personally, I prefer to call the corporate offices and work my way down). Explain to them just what you've explained above. I did exactly that when I was served by Michigan Bell and one of their repair service clerks threatened me with a similar charge. After calling the corporate offices, I had a demarc installed the very next day, for free (and the guy came out even though it was late enough in the day that he was probably on overtime)! This in spite of the fact that I made it clear that I was in no real hurry to have the demarc installed, that they could do it whenever they had some spare time. If by some odd chance the corporate office folks in Illinois aren't as accommodating as the Michigan crew, you might just want to mention that you were thinking about writing the Illinois Public Utilities Commission (or whatever they call it there) to complain about the threatened charge and the obnoxious treatment you received, but thought you'd give the corporate offices a crack at handling the problem first. In my experience, just the mention of the PUC is generally enough to get things moving. If it isn't, then DO write to the PUC, and be sure to mention that you contacted the corporate offices first (and note who you spoke to) and that they did not resolve the problem in a satisfactory manner. By the way, one reason I was upset when this happened to me was that Michigan Bell had already converted many of the old style protector blocks to demarcs on residences in my area for free, but they just hadn't got to me yet. So when the business office folks suggested that I should pay for what others were getting for free, just so I might "legally" avoid a bogus repair charge, my response was something along the lines of "we'll see about that!" As for getting "chewed out" for messing with "their" wiring, I think that alone should be the basis of a complaint. Assuming you live in a private residence (rather than an apartment building or some such thing), I would (and did) tell them I would connect or disconnect the wiring at the protector as I pleased. Service reps get so flustered when you actually talk back to them and don't just accept the stuff they're slinging (much of which is just plain untrue) at face value! :-) Jack Decker | Internet: ac388@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu Fidonet: 1:154/8 or jack.decker@f8.n154.z1.fidonet.org Note: Mail to the Fidonet address has been known to bounce. :-( ------------------------------ From: clive@x.co.uk (Clive Feather) Subject: Re: France Direct vs Home Direct Organization: IXI Limited Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 09:14:32 GMT In article jbcondat@attmail.com writes: > Call the following France Direct phone numbers from: [...] > Royaume-Uni 0800 33 00 or 800 33 11* The first of these should be 0800 89 33 00. The second is invalid as well, but I haven't been able to locate the correct number. Clive D.W. Feather | IXI Ltd (an SCO company) clive@x.co.uk | Vision Park Phone: +44 223 236 555 | Cambridge CB4 4ZR Fax: +44 223 236 466 | United Kingdom ------------------------------ From: clive@x.co.uk (Clive Feather) Subject: Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? Organization: IXI Limited Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 11:40:12 GMT > [Moderator's Note: 800 service in the USA is generally limited to > domestic use coming and going. That is, from a USA telephone to a USA > telephone. Canada works the same way, but there are some 800 numbers > which work between the two countries. A small subset of the 800 number > range is set aside for companies in other countries (typically in > Europe) who want Americans to be able to call them. Just a note -- it isn't a subset of the number range. When we set up our 800 number (now defunct) via British Telecom, we were told we could have an AT&T prefix (list of 100 or so appended) or an MCI prefix (list of 60 or so appended). As I recall, we eventually picked 800 933 7557. Clive D.W. Feather | IXI Ltd (an SCO company) clive@x.co.uk | Vision Park Phone: +44 223 236 555 | Cambridge CB4 4ZR Fax: +44 223 236 466 | United Kingdom [Moderator's Note: Quite a few years ago, there were only one or maybe two prefixes set aside for international 800 use. With the older billing machinery, etc, they had to bill those calls differently, and I don't think back then (1970's) AT&T had the ability to look beyond the first three digits (or prefix) where billing/routing was concerned. Times have changed. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 93 07:40:01 EDT From: Alan Boritz <72446.461@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Sex Telemarketing paul@senex.unh.edu (Paul S. Sawyer) writes: > Well, it looks like the worst aspects of telemarketing and phone sex > have merged ... people in Nashua, New Hampshire have reported getting > unsolicited calls from some sort of "adult information provider". The > calls begin with something like "press 1 to accept a call ..." and are > reportedly billed at $35.00. There is nothing to prevent children > from accepting such calls. The state Attorney General will be looking > into it. > [Moderator's Note: In fairness to the 900 scumbags, they do *not* > originate calls without some basis for doing so. I beg your pardon, but the 900 scumbags DON'T deserve fairness. They *DO* originate calls to blocks of numbers without having any basis other than that they haven't done it before (or recently). A few years ago a low-life IP called every ddco and private line in sequence at the Empire State Building, with a message to press digits to play a lottery, giving a 900 number to call to see if you've "won." New York Tel refused to get involved, and instead gave me the (regular) phone number of the telesleaze making the cold-calls (apparently NY Tel's annoyance call bureau was inundated with complaints). Alan Boritz 72446.461@compuserve.com [Moderator's Note: Certainly they deserve fairness. There are two sides to every story, at least in this Digest. Do you think I operate this forum the same way my competitor Kay Graham operates her two publications, News Weak and {The Washington Post}? Don't expect to disagree with her and ever have your opinions see the light of day in her publications. We were talking about sex-phones -- you start talking about the lottery. I still maintain people who run sex-phone lines do NOT make cold calls. There is some basis for each call they originate, even if the inbound call to them was fraudulent on its face right from the beginning. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 10:16:44 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: National/International Calls (was Haiti Phone Network) Well, in calls from the U.S., there are different rates in effect for calls to Canada as opposed to calls within the U.S. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #329 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa01820; 15 May 93 6:34 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA23750 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 15 May 1993 03:49:06 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08234 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 15 May 1993 03:48:10 -0500 Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 03:48:10 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305150848.AA08234@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #330 TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 May 93 03:48:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 330 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Dale Farmer) Re: Manitoba Personal Phone Number (Jeffrey Jonas) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Steve Forrette) Re: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! (Darren Alex Griffiths) Re: Misdialed Numbers (Laurence Chiu) Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? (Jeff Freeman) Re: Internet Access in Japan (John N. Dreystadt) Re: Phone/Debit Cards and Rock Music? (Todd Inch) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Andy Jacobson) Information Needed on E-1 (Steve Scott) Phone Number Shortage: NO KIDDING!!! (Elana Beach) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dale@access.digex.net (Dale Farmer) Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Date: 14 May 1993 13:01:12 -0400 Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Talking about the Hinsdale fire, I read a article shortly after it happened in a firefighting trade rag. The biggest problem they had (once they actually got there) were as follows: poor access to the building. Only the front and back door/loading dock. No windows, causing tremendous buildup of smoke and heat, and no ability to vent the building. The extraordinarily thick smoke from the mix of pvc and pulp cable, and the equipment burning up. Only one stairwell for access up and downstairs. The emergency power systems!!! They cut off the utility feeders and did not realize that the emergency generator would kick in. It did, and kept reingniting the fire. They emergency generator was located in the back of the basement, and there was no emergency cutoff. They firefighters took over an hour to find the generator and cut it off. But wait, theres more... The battery banks with inverters cut in and continued to provide electric power to the burning racks. The inverters were someplace else, nobody on the scene knew where. Plus all the different flavors of high amperage DC in the racks fed from their own converters and battery banks. The local FD kept putting out the fire, and the arcs from shorted power lines kept reigniting it. Moral of the story: If you are ever in a position to do so, install remote emergency cut offs for all of the power sources in the facility. Put them in a big heavy padlocked cabinet next to an entrance to the building. Don't worry about keeping the key nearby; we have the technology to open most locks without the key(s) if we need to. (Of course the lock and cabinet usually need a leeedle repair work after we finish). Also keep near the entrance a binder with floor plans showing locations of hazardous materials, critical equipment, and anything else the Fire or Police Department might need to know at 3 AM on Sunday: emergency phone numbers, service contracts, points of contact, whatever. Because when you get called to the scene, you can't get to the Rolodex on your desk, and the speed dialer has melted. You will use this "book of wisdom" for your immediate after action things, before you are allowed back into the building to use your regular resources. And if it's a hazmat spill you may not be allowed in for days or weeks after the fact. Hopefully you will never need the book. But if you do, and don't have it, you are in a world of hurt. If you do, and do have it, you get your site back on line that much faster. Would you rather call your service contract and suppliers at 5 AM or noontime? Which do you think might get what you need to your site faster. Disaster planning and preparedness is a large subject, and I have gone on much longer than I really intended to, but it is one of my buttons ... Dale Farmer [Moderator's Note: In the Hinsdale case, firefighters on location had to be relieved every few minutes by others waiting outside. The fumes were so bad from the melted fiber optic the firefighters were getting overcome by it. When they came outside, they had to be hosed down to get the chemicals off of their bodies. The fire was finally put out about 9 PM -- six hours after it started and four hours after they started fighting it -- yes four hours (!) in that little dinky place. It is not that large of a building, but they had a devil of a time with it, just as you describe it. Even after the fire was struck, the employees of IBT were not allowed to enter the building for several hours, until about 5 AM Monday when the noxious and toxic fumes had been exhausted. First thing they did when they got in Monday morning was re-establish the Ohare <==> FAA lines so that the busiest airport in the world could resume normal operations without special intervention. Second thing they did was start cleaning, bailing out water and restoring building services like air conditioning, electricity, etc. They could not even put in emergency cellular service for the police and hospitals, etc because the cellular facilties for our area were in the fire zone! By Wednesday they had gotten the building totally bailed out, dried out, painted, re-wired for electricity, furniture for the staff, etc. Tons of melted fiber optic and wire were carried out. By Wednesday, four days into total loss of phone service in the area they were able to turn on *emergency* service in the form of a couple dozen phones set up outside the building with the wiring from same running off down into a manhole in the street. They tried to save the switch but it was so corroded from the water they had to dump it out, and build the office totally from scratch. Cellular and long distance service in and out of the area was back within about a four days, wired through alternate CO's. It was a couple days short of a month that local service in Hinsdale and surrounding communities came back. Oh yeah ... directory assistance for almost the entire state was funneled through there. Operators all over the state of Illinois had to work from paper backup directories for two weeks. In Bollingbrook and Lemont (two communities just south of the Chicago suburban area) they had *local, seven digit service only* for two weeks. Talk about weird ... they got dial tone, could dial their choice of two or three prefixes in town and get through. They are served out of some remote thing down in that area. But calls to 411, 611, 0, 00, 1+, 0+ or other prefixes all were met with dead silence after dialing. There were so many urgent 'this should come first' situations as a result of the fire that IBT hardly knew where to begin. Should 911 get restored before 411, 611 and cellular service, etc. But whoever it was said IBT did not learn their lesson was probably correct. They'll have to do it again sometime before it sinks in. :( PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 14:13:19 EDT From: jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) Subject: Re: Manitoba Personal Phone Number In reply to Randy Gellens' posting: > The 5/10/93 edition of {Telephone Week} reports that the Manitoba > telephone system soon will offer a single phone number to serve an > individual's home, office, celullar, voice mail and fax lines. Using > network processing on AT&T Canada equipment and BellSouth Systems > Integration (BSSI) software, the personal number service can route > calls differently depending on the caller's identity. I don't see any value added over using on-premises equipment and directing the call based on the Caller-ID (just as call directors currently direct calls based on the ringing pattern for the service where you have several numbers on the same line but they all ring differently). In particular, what if we both have this service and I call you with a FAX? How can you switch the call until my FAX machine identifies itself? I see no way to differentiate the CONTENT of the call, only the origin. What if I pick up the receiver and try to place a voice call from the FAX machine? Just because the call is from the fax machine's line does not imply that the content of the call is a fax. It could be a voice or data call. In fact, with all the modem/fax cards, you don't need separate lines. Let's say I have a fax/modem. My friend has a separate Fax machine and a modem. When my fax modem calls him, the call should go to his dedicated fax machine IF the call is a FAX. It should go to his modem if it's a DATA call. And it should go to his voice phone if I'm merely using the PC as an autodialer. > "Manitoba Telephone System will be one of the first providers in the > world to offer what is essentially the core functionality of personal > communications services; that is, giving the subscriber the power to > determine who they communicate with, when and in what format," said > Scott Schaefer, BSSI's vice president of business development. It sounds more like an extension of call block, where you route the call based on Caller-ID. Will it allow you to route based on "previous call", thus allowing "private" numbers on the routing lists? Perhaps the value added is that it's ANI based (and thus cannot be blocked)? Perhaps I'm being too cynical, but I just don't see the big deal. Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 14 May 1993 20:56:10 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article trif@mead.u.washington.edu (Trif the Sorceress) writes: > Last year, US West began requiring 1+ area code for all long distance > calls within area code 206, and the letters sent out explaining the > change stated that it was to "expand the range of telephone numbers > available and delay a breakup of the 206 area code". I haven't > actually seen any of the "new" possible exchanges yet. My pager is on 206-609. When I was issued the number, I commented to the paging company rep about the number, and he offered to change it to a "regular" number if I needed it done. He said that since the move to NXX prefixs in 206 was so recent, many PBXs and COCOTs would not complete calls to the "new" numbers, and that some customers have had to have their pager numbers changed to one of the older prefixes. I haven't run into any problems so far, so I kept the number. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: Darren Alex Griffiths Date: Fri, 14 May 93 14:18:50 PDT Subject: Re: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! In comp.dcom.telecom kiddyr@gallant.apple.com writes: > What was interesting is that PacBell, in the testimony they gave > before the Public Utilities Commision (I was there), said that they > needed Caller ID to be approved in order to offer this service. Well, I don't know any reason why Caller ID would have to be approved to provide this service, but it was approved, Pacific*Bell simply decided not to offer the complete service. > Makes me wonder what else they are fibbing about. Like how about the > highest in-area calling prices in the country? Hmmm. I'm not one to defend phone companies out of hand, but it doesn't appear that they are lying from your message. You said that they required Caller ID approval before they could offer auto call back, they got approval and offered the service. I suspect you may have misunderstood the testimony and they actually said that they could not offer inter-LATA call back without offering the Caller ID service since they would be required to print the phone number called on bills. Currently I cannot make inter-LATA call returns on my service (I wish I could, even without the ability to know the number) so again they didn't lie. Cheers, Darren Alex Griffiths dag@nasty.ossi.com Senior Software Engineer (510) 652-6200 x139 Fujitsu Open Systems Solutions Inc. Fax: (510) 652-5532 6121 Hollis Street Emeryville, CA 94608-2092 ------------------------------ From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET Subject: Re: Misdialed Numbers Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 01:41:08 GMT In a article to comp.dcom.telecom, Mrosen@nyx.cs.du.edu had the following to say about Re: Misdialed Numbers: > leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: [ stuff deleted here] > This reminds me of a scene in Steve Martin's "L.A. Story." He attempts > to tell the voice-activated phone to dial somewhere (I forget where) > and I think it continues to dial something like Dominos ... it's been > a while since I've seen the movie so I don't remember the specifics. I remember that movie. What I recall was the phone he was using. A friend of mine has that same phone and while it is certainly voice dialing capable, you must talk into the handset. That actually made it less useful than we had originally thought. You cannot voice dial using the speaker. I guess Hollywood once again took some artistic license with this one. Laurence Chiu ------------------------------ Reply-To: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net (Jeff Freeman) Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 23:52:21 From: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net (Jeff Freeman) Subject: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? hamid@tmt.uni-hannover.de (Reinhard Hamid) wrote: > In Germany we have many toll-free numbers (0130 8x xx xx) which belong > to companies in the US. Just for fun I was dialing some of them, and > the operators of some companies told me that they didn't know they can > be reached from here by toll-free. They only knew about their 1-800 > number, and they said that they have no German custumers. > Does AT&T connect 1-800 numbers worldwide to local toll-free-numbers, > without telling it to their owners? > How are the German toll free numbers billed to the companies? > Do the 1-800 owners still have problems with hackers? Reinhard, To get international toll free numbers you must request it specifically. We have toll free lines established in 22 other countries. Billing is handled just as any other 800 line. AT&T isn't the only carrier offering international toll free numbers. We've not had any problem with hackers ... mainly folks calling for fun who run up our phone bill. We did have one strange call ... from Germany. Lady called one afternoon asking for the Public Relations Dept. While IBM has folks for that we don't. I told the lady that I was about as close as she was going to get to public relations. She insisted on speaking to someone in P.R. She informed me that she was editor of some German magazine and wanting an interview with David Hasselhoff . Stunned silence was the best I could come up with for a moment. It took another five minutes to convince her that just because we were in the USA we had no access to TV actors. I have no idea if she was who she claimed to be but she was very sincere. Dumb ... but sincere. Jeff Freeman 1-800-GO-PORCH Toll-Free Front Porch Computers 1-706-695-1888 Rt 2 Box 2178 1-706-695-1990 Chatsworth, GA 30705 75260,21 Compuserve ID # Internet: jfreeman@frontporch.win.net [Moderator's Note: Is it possible she misdialed, thinking she had the number for the public relations firm or agent for that actor? PAT] ------------------------------ From: dreystadt@LAA.COM (john n. dreystadt) Subject: Re: Internet Access in Japan Date: 14 May 1993 13:15:38 GMT Organization: Lynn-Arthur Associates, Ann Arbor, MI Reply-To: dreystadt@LAA.COM In article , aarond@xibm.StorTek.com (Aaron Dailey) writes: > My brother is going on assignment in Hiroshima, Japan this summer for > about eighteen months. He would like Internet email access to stay in > contact with everyone back home, and needs nothing else (e.g. Usenet, > ftp, telnet). He'll have a portable PC with modem. I've seen a lot > Does anyone have other suggestions? You also might drop a mail message to PSI (Performance Systems International, Inc.) to see if they have service in Japan. PSI is a commercial Internet provider. They can be reached at info@psi.com. Disclaimer, I have no personal interest in PSI, but my commercial Internet provider (a very small company) does use PSI to reach most of the rest of the country/world. John N. Dreystadt Lynn-Arthur Associates dreystadt@laa.com Home:313-878-9719 Work:313-995-5590 These are personal opinions not corporate opinions. ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Phone/Debit Cards and Rock Music? Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Fri, 14 May 93 20:15:39 GMT In article omundsen@corp.telecom.co.nz (Daniel Omundsen) writes: > In New Zealand, most pay phones use plastic, credit-card sized debit > cards which are purchased in fixed denominations ($5.00, $10.00, > $20.00, etc). These have a graphic design on the front and a series > of magnetic stripes on the back, into which is encoded an encrypted > pattern representing the amount on money left on the card. Unless these stripes are mechanically difficult to duplicate, this sounds like fraud waiting to happen. I've heard that a standard single-stripe (credit) card can be easily reproduced by gluing an encoded stripe of magnetic tape onto any plastic or even cardboard card. Unless there is a serial number or somesuch, couldn't you buy one and make duplicates and never even bother decrypting them? Yes, you'd have to magnetically reproduce the stripes, but that's fairly trivial. [Moderator's Note: That is one reason the Talk Tickets do not have stripes. If you feel like memorizing the serial number on the card, you won't even need to carry it around with you; and the computer which places the calls will keep track of how much time is left, thanks anyway! :) PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:44:13 -0700 From: Andy Jacobson Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows One of the grand old CO's in SF has windows. Otis & McCoppin I believe there are Venetian blinds in the switch room, but the battery room in the basement even has the windows open so you can smell them as you walk by. Andy Jacobson ------------------------------ From: sscott@hpmail1.fwrdc.rtsg.mot.com (Steve Scott) Subject: Information Needed on E-1 Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 13:32:03 -0600 (CDT) My group within the company has had in the field for several months a product which uses T1 interfaces for communication between a cellular switch and a voice mail system. In the beginning, I knew precious little about T1s and asked (via the digest) for recommendations on reading materials concerning T1. The best document (other than the ANSI documents :-) I got was to purchase a book entitled: "The Guide to T-1 Networking" by William A. Flanagan. I bought this book and was very pleased with it. Now, our marketing department has asked us to incorporate E1 interfaces into the product. I am, again, in a position of not knowing enough about E1s as I need to. So, I am asking for reading recommendations from the group. Is there a consensus on what the "best" (okay, I don't want to start any religious wars here :-) book on E1s is? I can get the appropriate CCITT documents but I prefer a text (similar to the Flanagan book) if one exists. Thanks, Steve Scott Internet: sscott@mot.com Fort Worth Research and Development Center UUCP: uunet!motcid!sscott Cellular Infrastructure Group Internal: TX14/1D Radio Telephone Systems Group Voice: (817) 232-6317 Motorola, Inc. Fax: (817) 232-6148 The opinions contained herein are STRICTLY my own ------------------------------ From: elana@netcom.com (Elana Beach) Subject: Phone Number Shortage: NO KIDDING!!! Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 04:38:07 GMT I was just on the phone with a friend in Sante Fe, New Mexico when I heard hin complain that he could not get a second line for his fax machine. I asked why, and he stated that the phone company told him that the phone number shortage was so severe that they could not get him a second line. This guy considers himself lucky, though. He said the problem was so bad that his neighbor accross the street could not get his own phone line. The neighbor is on a PARTY LINE!!! Yeez, I didn't know the phone number shortage is THAT bad! Is there anyone in Sante Fe who can confirm this??? Could this really be true or is my friend BS-ing me? He sounded perfectly serious and concerned ... I have no real reason to disbelieve him. Reply via this newsgroup ... I'm getting overloaded on email lately. Elana [Moderator's Note: I do not think it is a shortage of 'numbers'; I think it is probably a shortage of wire pairs in his vicinity. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #330 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa03211; 15 May 93 7:21 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31821 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 15 May 1993 04:13:50 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22027 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 15 May 1993 04:12:10 -0500 Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 04:12:10 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305150912.AA22027@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #331 TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 May 93 04:12:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 331 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Caller ID Info to PCs: Summary (Wilf Rosenbaum) More Caller-ID (A. Padgett Peterson) ZyXEL U-1496E Plus Endorsed by Network World (Carl Oppedahl) Looking For Digital Software For Zyxel U1496E Fax/Modem (Robert Arrabito) Telecom Gear From Damark (Ken Jongsma) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: rosen@sfu.ca (Wilf Rosenbaum) Subject: Caller ID Info to PCs: Summary Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 06:40:24 GMT A short while ago I posted a request to this group looking for information on transferring caller ID information from a telephone to a PC. Several people responded with information; several people wanted to know what I'd found out. Here it is. I would like take this opportunity to thank the following people who provided information. Eric Canale IZZYNZ6@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU Denis McKeon galway@chtm.eece.unm.edu Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com Paul Robinson TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM Clint Danbury Danbury@NetAcSys.Com Andreas Meyer ahm@spatula.rent.com Micheal Cross msc%ssigate.UUCP@tellab5.tellabs.com Dennis R. Conley conley@hawk.cs.ukans.edu Ben Cox thoth@uiuc.edu John Ellis ellis@rtsg.mot.com Andreas Meyer ahm@spatula.rent.com Padget Peterson padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com The guys who wrote the comp.dcom.telecom FAQ Eric Canale suggested getting in touch with EDE Electronics in Buffalo. I did, but the fellow I spoke with said they didn't make anything that would transfer caller ID to a PC. Jeffrey Jones uses a small board from International Micropower, which translates Caller ID info into serial form. Cost was about $50 two years ago. Padgett Petterson pointed me in the direction of Zeus Phonestuff in Atlanta (404) 587-1541, makers of the 'Whozz Calling' box. Again, this device sits in between the phone and the PC, translating caller ID to serial form. For the $99 price tag, you get the box itself, some pop-up database software to run the thing, and a programmer's interface library which you can use to develop your own applications that use 'Whozz Calling'. Clint Danbury suggests Rochelle Communications in Austin,TX which "has a small device which reads caller-ID info off the phone line and delivers it to the PC via an RS-232 port". See also: -- PC Magazine v11 p29(2) Sept 29, 1992 -- A Canadian supplier of these devices was also suggested. VIVE Synergies 416-882-6107 in Ontario Canada. Micheal Cross and his company are developing a Windows based system which will permit on screen information management for incoming AND outbound calls. Since their product is currently under development, it might be best to contact Mike directly for more information. (msc%ssigate.UUCP@tellab5.tellabs.com or msc@ssigate.ssinc.com) Paul Robinson suggested a device sold by Bell Atlantic. Dennis Conley investigated this lead, but unfortunatley it turned up blank. Apparently none of Bell Atlantic devices have a serial port. Bex Cox independently verified this. Related Information: The following portion (among other portions as well) of the comp.dcom.telecom Frequently Asked Questions list by David Liebold and Carl Moore should also prove useful. Q: How can I get specifications on how Caller ID service works? A: The official documentation on how the Caller ID or calling line ID works is available for purchase from Bellcore. A description of what those documents are and how to get them is available in the TELECOM Digest Archives file caller-id-specs.bellcore, or see the question "How can I contact Bellcore?" elsewhere in the FAQ. Local telephone companies may be able to provide technical information for the purpose of providing equipment vendors with specifications. Check the Archives for any other relevant files that may appear such as descriptions of the standards and issues surrounding services such as Caller ID. In Canada, for information about the service (known there as Call Display) contact: Stentor Resource Centre Inc, Director - Switched Network Services, 160 Elgin Street, Room 790, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2C4. (This address is changed from the one listed in FAQ #3 of 1992; note that the title may be subject to change as well). Tel: +1 613 781-3655. The document is "Call Management Service (CMS) Terminal-to-Network Interface", Interface Disclosure ID - 0001, November 1989. The document at last report was free, at least within Canada. This document deals with Bell Canada's Call Display standards, and may not be applicable outside their service area (provinces of Ontario and Quebec, parts of the Northwest Territories). In general, the North American Caller ID information is passed to the telephone set in ASCII using a 1200 baud modem signal (FSK) sent between the first and second rings. In other nations where a Caller ID service exists, or is being established, contact the appropriate telephone company for information. Other Publications: A number of recent magazine articles have dealt with Caller ID issues. I have turned up the following: API to wed PCs and phones: Microsoft, Intel champion telephony interface for Windows. (application programming interface) Sherer, Paul M. PC Week v10 p6(1) April 19, 1993 ABSTRACT: A new Microsoft Windows application programming interface (API) reportedly being developed by Microsoft Corp, Intel Corp and several telephone systems manufacturers will integrate microcomputers and telephones. Products supporting the new API, known as the Telephony API, will allow users to perform tasks such as adding callers to a conference call by dragging names out of directories and dropping them on phone icons. A personal information manager (PIM) package featuring Telephony API technology may allow users to access a telephone system's Caller ID component to learn the name of a caller and then automatically call up a log of caller-related information such as previous conversations. Microsoft is reportedly scheduling a mid-1993 release of the Telephony API. The first hardware and software products supporting the new technology are expected by the end of 1993. Part-68 interface. (Part 68 of FCC rules; MPC-2 protective voice coupler) Hagans, Mike; Magrill, Kyle Electronics Now v64 p56(4) May, 1993 ABSTRACT: The MPC-2 protective voice coupler is a simple and flexible phone-line interface that offers ring detection and line-current detection functions. It fully complies with the specifications stipulated by Part 68 of FCC rules and is caller ID-compatible. DESCRIPTORS: United States. Federal Communications Commission-- Laws, regulations, etc.; Acoustic couplers--Standards; Telephone lines-- Equipment and supplies Don't call me, I won't call you. (technology empowers the caller not the person being called) (The Last Word) (Column) Lindberg, Tod Insight v9 p40(1) Jan 11, 1993 ABSTRACT: Telephone technology has altered the relationship between caller and receiver. The answering machine and Caller ID have enabled the receiver to cope with unwanted calls, especially from strangers or telemarketers. The battle to control computer-dialed services, however, still lingers. Window Phone. (circuit board and communications software) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation) Minasi, Mark Compute v14 p128(2) Dec, 1992 ABSTRACT: Window Phone enhances caller ID by using a PC to tell the user who called, which calls were unanswered and how long the user talked on the phone. The cost is $495. PRODUCT NAME(S): AG Communications Systems WindowPhone (Telecommunications equipment)--evaluation Business utility. (Axxis Software's Zagat-Axxis CityGuide, AG Communication Systems' WindowPhone and Lotus Development Corp.'s Lotus Organizer) (Software Review) (PC/Computing MVP 1992)(three of 85 evaluations in 27 product categories) (Evaluation) PC-Computing v5 p178(1) Dec, 1992 ABSTRACT: Editors at PC/Computing evaluate the top three business utility packages of 1992. The winner is Axxis Software's $249.95 Zagat-Axxis CityGuide, a graphical database that runs on Windows that gives users data on hotels, restaurants and sights in major cities. Users can also discover the distance between two addresses and can print out maps and customize them as well. Databases are available for Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. AG Communications Systems' $295 WindowPhone is a combination add-in board and software that works with phone service Caller ID and allows users to view on the screen incoming calls before they are answered. Information on callers is also displayed on the screen. Lotus Development Corp's $149 Lotus Organizer is a personal information management system that is designed like a notebook that provides a Planner, Calendar, To-Do section, Notepad and Address sections. Hard copy pages are designed to fit into Filofax or Day-Timer binders. Caller I.D.; the good and the bad. Brown, Christiane N. Good Housekeeping v215 p258(1) Sept, 1992 ABSTRACT: Caller ID has become controversial because of privacy issues, and is legal in only 22 states. Supporters say the device provides call screening, child safety and message service. Some groups think telemarketing companies will take undue advantage of the service. Managing calls. (AG Communications Systems Corp.'s WindowPhone call management tool and Rochelle Communications Inc.'s Caller ID+Plus telephone management software) (Brief Article) Grimes, Brad PC Magazine v11 p29(2) Sept 29, 1992 Caller ID come to your PC. (AG Communication Systems' WindowPhone interface card and software) (Brief Article)(New!) (Product Announcement) Ferrill, Paul PC-Computing v5 p99(1) Sept, 1992 Restricting 'Caller ID.' Pattison, Scott Consumers' Research Magazine v75 p40(1) May, 1992 ABSTRACT: The use of Caller ID has been ruled a violation of wiretapping laws by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Bell Atlantic Corp plans to allow callers to block transmission of their numbers to satisfy the court's requirements. Hayes will add Caller ID to ISDN multimedia board. (ISDN System Adapter 1.1) (Brief Article) Loudermilk, Stephen PC Week v9 p45(2) April 27, 1992 Turning a technological innovation into an empty promise. (caller ID phone service) (Column) Richter, M.J. Governing v5 p65(1) Jan, 1992 ABSTRACT: Nine state public utility commissions (PUCs) have blocked telephone companies from marketing caller ID services. This is an unnecessary extension of the PUCs power to regulate technology, rooted not in privacy rights but in government paternalism. Hello, hello, anyone there? (telephone caller identification) U.S. News & World Report v111 p14(1) Oct 7, 1991 ABSTRACT: The pros and cons of caller ID are presented along with information on government regulations. The end of mother-in-law calls? (automatic number identification in telecommunications) Stix, David Forbes v148 p173(1) Sept 30, 1991 ABSTRACT: Automatic number identification (telecommunications), or caller id, identifies the telephone number and sometimes the name of any person calling. An overview of the service and its costs is included. Sierra modem chip set enables call screening. (Sierra Semiconductor Corp. announces SQ6196 Caller ID Modem) (product announcement) Loudermilk, Stephen PC Week v8 p40(1) Sept 9, 1991 SOURCE FILE: CD File 275 CallerID+Plus fills the bill as an electronic secretary. (Rochelle Communications Inc.'s telephone contact management package) (Software Review) (PC Week Labs First Look) (evaluation) Methvin, David PC Week v8 p29(2) August 26, 1991 ABSTRACT: Rochelle Communications Inc's $295 CallerID+Plus is a telephone management software package with a small hardware adapter that takes advantage of the approximately 36 million telephone lines in the US with the ability to provide automatic number identification (ANI). CallerID+Plus handles the usual contact management functions while also providing information on incoming telephone calls. It acts as an 'electronic secretary,' taking messages even on unanswered calls. It is a memory-resident package that uses 52Kbytes of memory and provides accurate telephone number, and sometimes name, information on callers in local telephone areas. For non-local calls, only the message 'out of area' is provided, because the ANI technology is only available from telephone companies for local calling areas. CallerID+Plus is an easy-to-use software that does a good job of logging calls but has no automatic dialing or other functions to handle outgoing calls. Driving inductive loads, more on phone caller ID, Bakerizing and laminating, alternators as stepper motors, and programmable logic resources. (Hardware Hacker) (column) Lancaster, Don Radio-Electronics v62 p67(6) Sept, 1991 Bits & Bytes. (Information Processing - Industrial Technology Edition) (product announcement) Eng, Paul M. Business Week p64D(1) August 12, 1991 ABSTRACT: Legal-Eze's $100 Legal-Eze educational software teaches law students how to write briefs and provides a data base structure with specified fields to help organize case notes, easing the 'paper chase' at exam time. Pixar's $995 Showplace image processing software makes graphics production simple. Three-dimensional color images with shading and texture can be produced with a few mouse clicks. In communications news, complaints mount against the US Federal Communications Commission's lottery for allocating cellular radio wave bands. 'Application mills' prepare entries for well-to-to professionals who then sell the licenses they win to businesses for millions of dollars. The American Automobile Assn (AAA) uses communications software from BellSouth Corp and ISDN-based equipment to enhance its roadside services by linking data, voice and video information on three channels with a Caller ID system and data base of service stations. Microcomputer marketing channels shift from dealers and value-added resellers to mail-order houses and superstores, but polls indicate that small businesses still prefer to pay for full service. The downside of caller I.D. (disadavantages of using the new phone service) NEA Today v9 p24(1) May-June, 1991 Caller ID for PCs. (evaluation) Henricks, Mark Popular Science v238 p38(3) June, 1991 Caller I.D. vs. privacy: now there's a middle road. Dunn, Don Business Week p87(1) April 1, 1991 A peace plan for the caller I.D. war. (Information Processing) Eng, Paul M. Business Week p76D(1) March 4, 1991 10378972 DIALOG File 47: MAGAZINE INDEX Bit & Bytes. (Information Processing) (product announcement) Eng, Paul M. Business Week p76D(1) March 4, 1991 ABSTRACT: Recent trends in information processing includes a touch-screen computer system for amusement parks, paperless resumes, new home video game systems and negotiating efforts in automatic number identification or caller ID. IBM is developing a 300-terminal network for Expo 1992 in Seville, Spain that will allow lost party members to relocate their groups by accessing electronic mail accounts and on-lin maps. Paperless resumes are offered through the Human Resources Information Network's Resumes-On-Computer on-line data base so human resources departments can more easily search for potential job candidates. Caller ID advocates wrestle with opponents over its use and some analysts believe a compromise, which entails allowing callers to block their identity, is on the horizon. SNK Home Entertainment Inc introduces its $650 SNK Neo Geo System, a 24-bit video game system with color graphics, voice digitizing and other features that appeal to adults. Caller ID+ Plus to tap ID phone service. (Rochelle Communications Inc. announces Caller ID+ Plus contact management system that lets computer users tap new phone service) (product announcement) PC Week v7 p73(1) Nov 5, 1990 The door on desktop. (right of privacy and the telephone) (editorial) Schmidt, Stanley Analog Science Fiction-Science Fact v110 p4(5) Nov, 1990 Caller ID is already learning new tricks. (Developments to Watch) (column) Port, Otis Business Week p79(1) August 6, 1990 No need to tolerate telephone strangers. (Caller ID) (Fact and Comment) (column) Forbes, Malcolm S., Jr. Forbes v146 p20(1) July 9, 1990 Look who's calling. (caller-identification service) Stover, Dawn Popular Science v237 p76(4) July, 1990 Why all the heavy breathing over caller I.D.? (commentary) (column) Coy, Peter Business Week p34(1) June 18, 1990 Sorry, wrong number. (Maestro telephone screening system with Caller ID) Miller, Russell Connoisseur v220 p44(2) May, 1990 Caller ID update. Vizard, Frank Popular Mechanics v167 p48(2) August, 1990 Is Caller ID the wrong number? (telephone technology identifies caller's number) (Currents) U.S. News & World Report v107 p10(1) Dec 18, 1989 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 08:16:21 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. PADGETT PETERSON) Subject: More Caller-ID > Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a > new call management service. This service, called PHONESMART, includes > the features explained below. > The monthly charge for Caller ID is $4.95. This announcement is one of the best I have seen. Unlike my local area it spells out exactly which exchanges the Caller-ID will cover (after nearly a year at $7.50/month Southern Bell has not yet supplied a list of exactly which exchanges are covered -- seems like most in my LATA are *not*) Warmly, Padgett ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: ZyXEL U-1496E Plus Endorsed by Network World Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 17:37:57 GMT The May 10, 1993 {Network World} has a story (page 40) describing a comparison of a number of modems as to their ability to transmit large amounts of high-speed data over a variety of telephone lines. The article says "Although Zypcom, Inc.'s Z32t-SX won the race for maximum throughput across clear lines, ZyXELs's U-1496E Plus fared the best across the broad spectrum of lines." Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (intellectual property lawyer) 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0228 voice 212-408-2578 fax 212-765-2519 ------------------------------ From: robbie@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca (G.Robert Arrabito) Subject: Looking For Digital Play/Record Software For Zyxel U1496E Fax/Modem Date: 14 May 93 20:47:35 GMT Organization: Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine A few days ago, someone posted source code for a digital play/record answering machine to work with the Zyxel U1496E fax/modem. Unfortunately, I missed it. Could someone please e-mail it to me or tell me whether it can be retrieved via anonymous ftp. Many thanks. Rob Arrabito e-mail: robbie@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 09:27:04 EDT From: Ken Jongsma Reply-To: jongsma@swdev.si.com Subject: Telecom Gear From Damark I (like millions of others) get the Damark closeout merchandise catalog on a regular basis. On occasion, they seem to have pretty good prices. The May 1993 catalog has a number of items that may be of interest to the Digest: 1. 1950 Style, three slot working replica, black coin phone. Push buttons where the finger holes should be. $59.99 2. Tie Communications, S5610 two line feature phone. $39.99 3. Panasonic KX-T9000, 900 MHz, 30 Channel, cordless phone. $349.99 4. Northwestern Bell Phones, 4 phone, 2 line, speakerphone, key system (includes all 4 phones). Model 76002. No shipping charge. $299.99 5. TT Systems Fax/Modem/Phone auto switch. Fax line can be password protected. Remote enabling/disabling of each port supported. $79.99 There are quite a few other telephone items listed as well. Most items also incur a shipping charge, generally around $6. I have no connection to Damark, but I've been pleased with the things I have ordered from them. Their numbers: Voice: (800) 729-9000 Fax: (612) 531-0281 Intl: (612) 535-8880 Kenneth R Jongsma jongsma@swdev.si.com Smiths Industries 73115.1041@compuserve.com Grand Rapids, Michigan +1 616 241 7702 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #331 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa06475; 17 May 93 6:19 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA21247 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 17 May 1993 03:50:38 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00437 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 17 May 1993 03:49:50 -0500 Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 03:49:50 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305170849.AA00437@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #332 TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 May 93 03:49:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 332 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Fiber in the "Boonies" (was AT&T Future Ads) (shag@gnu.ai.mit.edu) 917 Not Working From a Toronto CO (David Leibold) Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? (Andrew J. Eichstaedt) Choosing Among Carriers (Garrett Wollman) University Has Vacant Telecom Chair in Tampere, Finland (Lindell Markku) TIE S5610 Telephones (Ken Jongsma) Need Voicemail / Pager Help at Oxford University (Ed Hopper) Wall-Sized US NPA Map Wanted (Paul Robinson) Singapore Airlines Installs In-Flight Fax Service (Peng Hwa Ang) Line Status Indicator (John C. Fowler) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Clive Feather) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (David K. Bryant) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Marc Unangst) Re: AT&T Future Ads (Ed Hopper) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Marc Unangst) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Ron Asbestos Dippold) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: birchall@pilot.njin.net (Shag) Subject: Fiber in the "Boonies" (was AT&T Future Ads) Date: 16 May 93 23:58:16 GMT Organization: Screaming in Digital, the Queensryche Digest skelton@hfm.atl.ga.us (Harry Skelton) writes: > Much like the installation of fiber in major cities, the ISDN route > will be just as limited. Since I assume that they will be taking > advantage of the fiber offerings. Of course the leaves us "boonies" > out of the loop unless we want a T1/T3 connection or dark fiber links. > :) :) Actually, a lot of the fiber installation -- at least here in the mid-east -- is being done by the RBOCs, and they seem pretty determined to _completely_ replace their existing copper lines as soon as possible. Bell Atlantic has had a media blitz going in Pennsylvania for some time now about wiring that state for ISDN (the ads go on about some sort of state-wide advanced network that'll help education and all that, which -- if it's more reliable than their PrepNet leased lines to some of the schools I've visited -- it certainly will), with the promise of tight rate regulation for a few years in exchange for being "allowed" to stick fiber everywhere ... and the folks over here in New Jersey have been hanging aerial fiber like there's no tomorrow. It's been almost a year since they ran fiber to a couple commercial customers in my "boonies" town, and they've got several dozen strands sitting right in front of my house, just waiting for a residential tariff. They've got a fleet of about two dozen fiber splicing vans ($80,000 worth of fiber-fusing equipment in a box the size of a guitar amp, very cool toys) which can be seen motoring around the state -- they're being kept quite busy, as the "SONET" service seems to be popular with large companies (like the one across from my house, which got a T1). The actual aerial work is being done by pretty standard cable-stringing trucks, but the optical cables (SieCor SR-3512LT 48-strand on my street) are easy to spot, since there are orange "sleeves" that are placed over them at each pole to take the fastener stresses off the cables themselves. If you're anywhere in NJ Bell turf, look at a telephone pole -- if you see cables with orange sleeves on them, odds are you're looking at fiber. birchall@pilot.njin.net shag@gnu.ai.mit.edu shag@glia.biostr.washington.edu ShagNet - Rutgers/NJIN / Editor of "Screaming in Digital" | PPI 14.4 FaxModem Dialup access serving / The Queensryche Net-Digest. Mail | PC/GEOS GeoSadist Burlington County NJ / queensryche-request@pilot.njin.net | Cannondale SR-500 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 May 93 17:01:48 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: 917 Not Working From a Toronto CO Months and months after the New York City area code 917 was activated, there is a CO in Toronto which isn't set up for calls to 917. Attempts to dial even the 1 917 555.1212 directory assistance are intercepted with a "cannot be completed as dialed" recording, even before all digits are dialed (I believe at the seventh digit following the initial 1+). This occurs on the 240 Acton CO which handles prefixes like 398 or 633, whereas many of the other COs in Toronto will handle 917 fine. I recall phoning the Bell Canada repair months ago on this, but to no effect. Does anyone know of any working 917 prefixes for which NYNEX's legendary -9901 numbers will give a recording for CO identification? That might allow me to test the matter further, including a test via the alternate Unitel long distance service which is on an FG A method and thus immune to CO programming quirks. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca dleibold1@attmail.com ------------------------------ From: aeichsta@athena.mit.edu (Andrew J. Eichstaedt) Subject: Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? Date: 17 May 1993 07:40:39 GMT Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology I'm looking for information on call processing systems (voice mail, fax-on-demand, etc.) that run on Macs. I'm particularly interested in multi-line solutions. I'm seeking to set up a four (or more) line system that callers can use to retrieve information in recorded messages and faxes. The data is on a network of Macs, which is why I'd strongly prefer a Mac-based solution. If a Mac-based system is unavailable, does anyone have experience integrating PC-based systems into a Macintosh environment? The only company that I know of so far that makes such things for Macs is Cyprus Research Corporation, but their products seem to be oriented toward single-line systems, which is less powerful than I need. Thanks very much for your help! Andrew Eichstaedt AEichsta@Athena.MIT.Edu ------------------------------ From: Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Choosing Among Carriers Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 15:18:37 GMT Recently a TCD poster mentioned some interesting results in comparing the quality of the "big three" LD carriers. This got me wondering whether other people operate like I do. My phone line is PIC'ed to AT&T, and will probably stay that way until I either move, or AT&T does something to irritate me enough to make it worth switching. As a result, almost all of my LD calls are carried by them. When I have problems with AT&T, however (such as I reported here around the time of the blizzard, or all-circuits-busy on Mothers' Day), I usually manually select Sprint (10333). From previous discussions here, it seems like this generalizes quite well: AT&T and MCI are people's preferred carriers, and Sprint is where everybody goes when they can't get acceptable quality from their PIC. I wonder why this is? Garrett A. Wollman wollman@emba.uvm.edu uvm-gen!wollman UVM disagrees. ------------------------------ From: lind@ee.tut.fi (Lindell Markku) Subject: University Has Vacant Telecom Chair in Finland Date: 16 May 1993 15:51:13 GMT Organization: Tampere University of Technology Open position at: TAMPERE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, TAMPERE, FINLAND. Telecommunications Laboratory in the Department of Information Technology has a vacant temporary chair in: Telecommunications, especially Wireless Communications. This full professorship of salary category S28 (FIM 214 213 - 273 584 per annum) is initially appointed for up to five years. The main emphasis in research and teaching activities of Telecommunications Laboratory is on broadband network technology and applications, especially ATM, and on digital transmissions techniques. The duties of the new professorship include creating and pursuing research projects in the area of wireless communications technology and strengthening R&D links with industry. Teaching language is English or Finnish. If interested please send your Curriculum Vitae and list of publications to "Telecommunications Professorship", Tampere University of Technology, P. O. Box 527, SF-33101 Tampere, Finland. Applications received by June 24, 1993 will be considered. For further information, please contact Prof. Markku Renfors, Tel. +358 31 3161 937, Fax +358 31 3161 857, e-mail: mr@cs.tut.fi. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 08:29:04 GMT From: Ken Jongsma x7702 Reply-To: jongsma@swdev.si.com Subject: TIE S5610 Telephones The latest Damark catalog has TIE S5610 telephones listed for $39.99 plus 6.95 shipping. Is this a good phone? It looks very nice and has several features I need, including two lines, conferencing, call forwarding, intercom and room monitor. Thanks, Kenneth R Jongsma jongsma@swdev.si.com Smiths Industries 73115.1041@compuserve.com Grand Rapids, Michigan +1 616 241 7702 ------------------------------ Subject: Need Voicemail / Pager Help at Oxford University From: ed.hopper@ehbbs.com (Ed Hopper) Date: 17 May 93 11:01:00 GMT Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake, GA - 404-446-9462 Reply-To: ed.hopper@ehbbs.com (Ed Hopper) A friend of mine is participating in a writer's workshop for six weeks at Oxford University in England. The dorm where she is staying offers only a single pay phone with all the usual problems of receiving calls at a pay phone. I am looking for advice on her behalf as to what sort of options might be available in England for her. Among the things that might be an option: 1. A local voicemail service, preferably with pager alerting of waiting messages. 2. An old style answering service. 3. Cellular service (with short term rental of phone and service). 4. International pager services accessible from the US. Please email to me at: ed.hopper@ehbbs.com Thanks, Ed Hopper Ed Hopper's BBS - ehbbs.com - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), Georgia USR/HST:404-446-9462 V.32bis:404-446-9465-Home of uuPCB Usenet for PC Board ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 17:12:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Wall-Sized US NPA Map Wanted Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA I am looking for a wall-sized map of the U.S.A. which has area code boundaries printed on it. Someone in my office has asked about finding one big enough to put on the wall in our telecom room. Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 May 93 10:20:25 SST From: Peng Hwa Ang Subject: Singapore Airlines Begins In-Flight Fax Service Singapore Airlines, the national carrier of Singapore, announced what it described as the first global in-flight fax service Thursday. It was introduced on a flight between Zurich and London. Each page of fax costs US$15. All Singapore Airlines 747s will be equipped with the service by the end of the year at a cost of US$12 million. The airline said it will need passengers to fax 120 pages per day in the first year to break even on its investment. The fax service is part of the Celestel in-flight telecommunications system introduced in September 1991. An in-flight call costs US$5.50 a minute. The technology for the Skyphone consortium requires satellite links to ground stations in Singapore, England and Norway. Regards, Peng Hwa ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 11:59:11 -0600 From: John C. Fowler Subject: Line Status Indicator I would have thought this would be in the TELECOM Archives or the FAQ, but I can't seem to find it there. How does one build a telephone line status indicator? That is, a device which lights up when an extension goes off hook. Thanks very much! John C. Fowler, fowlerc@boulder.colorado.edu [Moderator's Note: There *is* a file in the archives on this, but I forget off hand the name of it. Use anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT] ------------------------------ From: clive@x.co.uk (Clive Feather) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: IXI Limited Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 06:18:26 GMT In article John.J.Butz@att.com writes: > Up the road from Bell Labs, Holmdel, is an American Water Company > pumping station that was built to meet the Holmdel zoning codes. > It looks like a residential home! > There are shades in the windows, the grounds are landscaped, and the > street-side mailbox says; "Roger Waters." The oldest such building I know of is two houses in central London (I think in Craven Road). They are actually just fronts -- behind them is the mouth of a tunnel on the Metropolitan Railway (now the Hammersmith and City Line of the London Underground), and the housefronts hide the railway from the road. Clive D.W. Feather | IXI Ltd (an SCO company) clive@x.co.uk | Vision Park Phone: +44 223 236 555 | Cambridge CB4 4ZR Fax: +44 223 236 466 | United Kingdom ------------------------------ From: dbryant@netcom.com (David K. Bryant) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 04:50:58 GMT Ron Bean writes: > A few blocks from here is a telco building built of brick (a bit > larger than a house), in a residential neighborhood. This area was ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > developed in the mid '50s, so that's probably when it was built. I > have always assumed that it is a CO (at least, it doesn't seem to be a > businesss office). It has no driveway or parking lot, although trucks > park in front of it from time to time. Part of the yard is fenced. And > it HAS WINDOWS. Even the front door is glass. What gives? It was designed to fit in with the neighborhood. Out here in the Wild West many fire stations are built to look just like a house with a two-car gargage. ------------------------------ From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads Date: 17 May 1993 00:27:09 -0400 Organization: The Programmers' Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI skelton@hfm.atl.ga.us (Harry Skelton) writes: > I assume the car navigational unit is based on a broadband ISDN or > Celular concept but You don't need broadband ISDN or cellular to implement the type of navigational stuff AT&T is hyping. All you need is a GPS receiver and a good digitized map, with accurate latitude/longitude points down to half a second of an arc or so. Plus a computer with some software to tie the two together, provide automatic map-tracking, etc. The map data could probably be stored on a CD-ROM, possibly in compressed format if necessary. You couldn't do cool 3D flybys of overpasses like they do in the AT&T commercial, but I'm not very convinced that features of that sort are really necessary or even useful. Marc Unangst, N8VRH mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us ------------------------------ Subject: Re: AT&T Future Ads From: ed.hopper@ehbbs.com (Ed Hopper) Date: 16 May 93 11:22:00 GMT Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake, GA - 404-446-9462 Reply-To: ed.hopper@ehbbs.com (Ed Hopper) In , bboerner@Novell.COM (Brendan B. Boerner) writes: > What's AT&T up to? I must admit to being skeptical -- how many years ago > did AT&T demonstrate a videophone at a World's Fair, 30? Also, show me a > library that can afford to keep buying subscriptions to periodicals, much > less state of the art computer equipment, and I'll show you a library which > is going to get it's budget cut. Most of the demonstrated technologies are fairly well along in development. There is a "Smart Card" business unit at AT&T, for example, that is working on devices to allow charges to your bank ATM cards by toll booths (note the NCR connection to ATM's -- they're one of the leading ATM vendors). Medical records in the smart cards are another application. Video phones, obviously, are a marketplace product now, but without the frames per second of the commercial. However, I have seen ISDN video phone calls that look about as good as the ones in the commercials. We did one from Atlanta to Austin, Texas. Anyway, none of this stuff is that far off technologically. There are pricing, marketing and policy issues that are, in many ways, more difficult. The library issue mentioned above is one point. I personally have conflicted opinions on the issue. I believe in easy access to information, but at the same time, I feel that an institution should be able to recover reasonable costs and a profit from users. It's the $100/hour search fees that upset me. Ed Hopper's BBS - ehbbs.com - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), Georgia USR/HST:404-446-9462 V.32bis:404-446-9465-Home of uuPCB Usenet for PC Board ------------------------------ From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Date: 17 May 1993 00:58:43 -0400 Organization: The Programmers' Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI Jim.Rees@umich.edu writes: > Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is > it now illegal to own a cellphone? It's not illegal to own a scanner that can receive cellphone transmissions. It never has been, and it isn't now, even after the new "scanner bill" has been passed. The new "scanner bill" only affects MANUFACTURERS and IMPORTERS of scanners. Its main effect is to deny FCC approval for scanning receivers that can receive and demodulate transmissions in the frequency band allocated for the domestic cellular telephone service. Scanners which have already been manufactured or imported are not covered by the bill, and a scanner which already has Part 15 acceptance does not have that acceptance revoked ex post facto. > Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it > would be illegal for me to sell it now? No, because it's not illegal to sell that scanner. (Well, actually, it might be -- but not because of the scanner bill. It's illegal to sell a non-Part 15 accepted device, except for certain pieces of ham radio equipment. If you've modified the scanner to receive cellphone transmissions -- by clipping a diode, or removing a resistor, or something similar -- then you have voided the scanner's Part 15 acceptance, and you can no longer legally sell it or operate it.) In fact, your scanner's resale value may have increased, since you can't manufacture or import cellphone scanners anymore. What remains to be seen is whether or not the FCC will consider entering a test mode to be "easily modifying" the phone, which was the language used in the FCC NPRM. Marc Unangst, N8VRH mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us ------------------------------ From: rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 05:58:09 GMT Jim.Rees@umich.edu writes: > Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is > it now illegal to own a cellphone? Actually, the law doesn't seem to make any distinction that would exempt cellphones from such a classification ... anybody have text from it that says differently? > Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it > would be illegal for me to sell it now? Only if you care. The more laws they pass, the larger the underground economy. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #332 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa07597; 17 May 93 7:03 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA11339 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Mon, 17 May 1993 04:41:00 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA27260 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Mon, 17 May 1993 04:40:01 -0500 Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 04:40:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305170940.AA27260@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #333 TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 May 93 04:40:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 333 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. (Steve Summit) Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. (Todd Inch) Re: Pulse on POTS Lines? (Dan Danz) Re: Pulse on POTS Lines? (Steve Forrette) Re: Telecom History (Jack Winslade) Re: Telecom History (Harold Hallikainen) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (David K. Bryant) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (David Hayes) Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies (Ed Greenberg) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Harold Hallikainen) Re: More Caller-ID (Dave Niebuhr) Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? (Laurence Chiu) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 17:38:55 -0700 From: scs@eskimo.com (Steve Summit) Subject: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. A few weeks (well, more like a month) ago, I asked about various telephone parity conventions. This table summarizes the information I received: +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | || tip | ring | +==================++=============+==============+ | polarity || relatively | relatively | | [note 1] || positive | negative | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | line 1 || green | red | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | line 2 || black | yellow | | [note 2] || | | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | 25 pair || white/blue | blue/white | | [note 3] || | | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | punchblocks || left, above | right, below | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ | 1A2 ribbon conn. || pin 26 | pin 1 | +------------------++-------------+--------------+ Note 1. Though tip is relatively positive, it is nominally at ground potential (which ends up being consistent with its green color), which means that ring sits at -48vdc on-hook (i.e. if you hook a voltmeter up in the "obvious" way, red-to-red and green- to-black, you'll read -48vdc). Note 2. It's easy to remember that yellow and red are both warm colors and that yellow ought therefore to be ring to black's tip, but these assignments have a disturbing implication for modular cable pinning. If the pins of a modular plug are numbered: 123456 _________ /\ \\\\\\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \________\ \/___\ \__/ \ \ \ \ (cable) the standard color code (based on my observations, no one was able to supply any hard data on modular cable or plugs) is: pin color 2 black 3 red 4 green 5 yellow which means that tip is to the right for line one (pin 4, with ring on pin 3), but to the left for line two (pin 2, with ring on pin 5). There is therefore no way to predict the appropriate polarity for line three (pins 1 and 6), and no one was able to tell me. (I have a suspicion that pin 1 is white is ring, and pin 6 is blue is tip, but I'm hardly sure of this; if true, it's backwards from the 25-pair convention. 8-wire modular cable gets even weirder, with white changing to orange, and slate outboard of orange and brown outboard of blue, at least in samples I've seen, but I've also got a jack wired blue/orange/black/red/green/ yellow/brown/slate, so this is probably less standardized.) Note 3. Wires whose predominant color is one of the "primary" colors, white, red, black, yellow, and violet, are all tip, while the "secondary" colors, blue, orange, green, brown, and slate, are all ring. I would like to be able to state that the table above is definitively accurate, and to back it up with references, but no one was able to cite any. The table matches my experience, and is consistent with a little Radio Shack DuoFone two-line tester (Cat. No. 43-103), and is probably accurate; the only line I have any lingering doubts about is the yellow/black assignments for line 2. Respondents made mention of the Bell System Practices, and various cabling standards (USOC, WECO, AT&T 258A, EIA (TIA) 568 B, EIA (TIA) 568 A, and IEEE). The Telecom Digest archives contain a copy, typed in by Dave Mitton (Hi, Dave!) and posted on November 22, 1982, of "An Introduction to Providing Your Own Telephone Wiring -- How to Do It Yourself, Including Technical, Material and Workmanship Standards", by New England Telephone, which talks about some of this. (It also mentions that the yellow wire in quad is ground, if not used for Princess power or a second line.) Thanks to Robert Brickman, Richard Corkran, Ron Erickson, Todd Inch, David Neill, Jan Steinman, and Mark Walsh for their replies. Steve Summit scs@eskimo.com ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 20:52:59 -0800 (PDT) Steve Summit said: > There is therefore no way to predict the appropriate polarity for > line three (pins 1 and 6), and no one was able to tell me. (I have a > suspicion that pin 1 is white is ring, and pin 6 is blue is tip, but > I'm hardly sure of this; if true, it's backwards from the 25-pair > convention. At one point I had theorized that the polarity of the line 2 is opposite (on flat modular cable) line 1 in order to reduce EMF (magnetically induced) crosstalk. However, I just spoke to our Sr Electronic Engineer, who reminded me that the DC polarity is irrelevant for magnetic feilds, only the AC component is important, so unless the two lines carried the same exact audio, in phase with each other, polarity is irrelevent. And if they did have identical audio, crosstalk would only slightly increase or decrease the volume. So, the polarity shouldn't, theoretically, affect crosstalk. But, if the polarity of the 3rd is opposite the 2nd, (to continue the theme) then your guess would be correct. Also, whoever installed the cabling in my building installed the 6-color wire such that white would be tip, but also put the ring wires above the tip wires on the punchblocks for 6-color, but wired 3-pair cables "normally"! Of course, a data set of 1 is not statistically significant. Interestingly, my Omegaphone installation manual warns that some 6-conductor wall jacks have white and blue reversed, and I have seen a few! And to confuse the issue further, our Omegaphone uses three pairs, but puts them side-by-side rather than "around" each other on flat cable, such that pins 1 through 6 on the RJ12 are wired to clips 1 through 6 on a punchblock. So, if I want to plug a single line phone into one of these oddly wired jacks, I connect to the orange/white pair on the punchblock. Yellow/Black is not a pair but is two halves of pairs 1 and 3. Yuck. But, the capacititive and magnetic coupling between pairs in the flat cable is reduced as much as possible and the twisted pair house cable is utilized as pairs so there IS a good reason. This wouldn't work for two-line phones since standard flat modular phone cables are cross-wired (pin 1 to pin 6) and it would be too easy to get the 3rd pair instead of the first, or in the case of 4-conductor jacks, lines 1 and two could get reversed if they were side-by-side. > 8-wire modular cable gets even weirder, with white changing to > orange, and slate outboard of orange and brown outboard of blue, at > least in samples I've seen, but I've also got a jack wired > blue/orange/black/red/green/ yellow/brown/slate, so this is probably > less standardized.) > and various cabling standards (USOC, WECO, AT&T 258A, EIA (TIA) > 568 B, EIA (TIA) 568 A, and IEEE). Agreed. There are too many (okay, more than one) standards for the RJ45's. I acquired a surplus of these jacks and am using them as RJ12's with the 3-pair oddly wired Omega system, so I get really confused! > Thanks to ... Thank YOU for working on this. ------------------------------ From: dan@quiensabe.az.stratus.com (Dan Danz) Subject: Re: Pulse on POTS Lines? Date: 17 May 1993 01:18:44 GMT Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA Reply-To: dan@phoenix.az.stratus.com Shawn Herzinger writes: > Perhaps some of you TELECOM Gurus out there could enlighten me as to a > certain behavior that I have noted on POTS lines in the U.S. > In the development of a telephone accessory product we have noticed > that after the completion of dialing a telephone number, the CO sends > a "pulse" back on the line. This pulse is heard as a click or a > "sproing" sound on the handset. Measuring this pulse on an O'scope > reveals that this pulse is roughly shaped like a square wave and lasts > for between 50 and 200 milliseconds. The pulse duration seems to be > random and does not seem to vary with what number is dialed (local or > long distance). We are measuring this pulse in the 212-421- area. > Why is this pulse present? Do all CO's emit this pulse? Is it only > present in the U.S. (Some associates in foriegn countries claim that > they do not have this pulse). Does it vary from a line that features > pulse-dialing only and touch-tone service lines? Are there > specifications for this signal? (i.e. duration, shape.) For what its worth: We had something like this happen six years ago when we switched our outbound modem lines from AT&T to Sprint. Our modems would dial out to modems in other cities, the connection would be made and the far modem would present answer tone. About one second later (just about the time our modem decided that it had received a valid answer from the remote side) the tone would drop out (for about a half second, as I remember, but I didn't measure the length). Whatever length it was, it was enough to convince our local modems that the call had been disconnected almost before it ever got started. It was explained to me that this had something to do with answer supervision, and it only happened going to some NPA-s. Sprint eventually did away with it and I haven't seen or heard of the issue in a long time. L. W. "Dan" Danz (WA5SKM) VOS Mail: Dan_Danz@vos.stratus.com Sr Consulting Software SE NeXT Mail: dan@az.stratus.com Customer Assistance Center Voice Mail/Pager: (602) 852-3107 Telecommunications Division Customer Service: (800) 828-8513 Stratus Computer, Inc. 4455 E. Camelback #115-A, Phoenix AZ 85018 ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Pulse on POTS Lines? Date: 17 May 1993 00:05:55 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article shawn@Panix.Com (Shawn Herzinger) writes: > In the development of a telephone accessory product we have noticed > that after the completion of dialing a telephone number, the CO sends > a "pulse" back on the line. > Why is this pulse present? Do all CO's emit this pulse? Someone else can probably give a more detailed and accurate description, but it basically means that your CO has "finished" whatever work it needs to do to complete the call. So, for a call that terminates within the same CO, this happens right away. For a call that leaves the CO over an SS7 call path, this usually happens right away as well. If there is MF signalling involved, then it can take a couple of seconds before this happens. This only happens on an analog switch, such as the AT&T 1AESS, which is probably what you are being served by. The 5ESS and DMS-100 do not do this. As more and more switches in the US are fully digital, this clicking during call setup is increasingly less common. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 May 93 12:40:56 CST From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) Subject: Re: Telecom History Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha In a message dated 10-MAY-93, Fred R. Goldstein writes: > before Bell (no Bell had dial before 1926 or so). I suppose they came It was December, 1921 when Ma Bell deployed their first full-scale panel switch in downtown Omaha. There's an article about it here on DRBBS, and I posted it in TELECOM Digest when I stumbled on it. It may be in the archives? (Pat ??) Good day JSW (1:285/666.0) [Moderatpr's Note: It is not an individual file in the archives, but perhaps it should be. It is there, but buried among the thousands of back issues. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Telecom History Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 21:32:37 GMT > I'm sure this has been discussed before, but what was the reason for > moving away from exchange names? Was it just the desire to treat > phone numbers as entirely numerical entities? > ===> Moderator's Note: The move from exchange names was because of > ===> the limitations in finding workable name combinations. Had > ===> they been willing to use arbitrary letters which did not mean > ===> anything, that would have been okay. But since the available > ===> words had been used up, they decided if there had to be mean- > ===> inless combinations for prefixes, they might as well use all > ===> numbers. Besides the reason stated above (running out of words), it seems that all number dialing results in faster dialing, freeing up common equipment. When I get a phone number that is some cutesy spelling of something, it takes me for ever to dial it. Maybe I'm just out of practice of dialing letters ... Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI [Moderator's Note: It is not only that telco was at a loss for words, but that people were confused by some of the more esoteric exchange names, and even those which represented simple neighborhood areas were frequently misdialed, i.e. HYde Park-3 would be dialed HP-3 by some people. PAT] ------------------------------ From: dbryant@netcom.com (David K. Bryant) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 06:43:41 GMT jeff@bradley.bradley.edu (Jeff Hibbard) writes: > Any clever suggestions for fictitious names under which I can have my > second line published? > Jeff Hibbard Peoria IL (soon to be Normal IL) L. Ron Hibbard <- How about that one??? [Moderator's Note: Don't poke fun at the Church of Scientology. They might start harassing *me* for publishing it here. L. Ron Hubbard had been a science fiction writer for many years, then he decided, in his words, that if one wanted to get rich, it would not happen writing science fiction books ... 'the way to get rich is to start a church'. Borrowing a few things he liked both from Christian Science and its close cousin Religious Science (both were considerably in vogue in the 1940-50 era here) with a sprinkling of Unity added in for good measure, he started the Church of Scientology. And he got rich. In addition, he kept on writing science fiction, or at least some people would describe his book 'Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health' that way. Mr. Hubbard was a smart man even though most of his followers, disciples, or devotees -- whatever they call themselves -- are crackpots. They all need to visit the mental hygiene clinic and get tested for something besides 'engrams' with an 'e-meter'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: merlin@lerami.lerctr.org (David Hayes) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 20:40:21 GMT I have two lines in Dallas, served by SouthWestern Bell. I asked for and got residential hunting between the two. SWBell charges 50 cents per line in the hunt group per month, so I add $1 to my bill for this feature. One thing that I thought was a bit odd, though. They could hunt from the lower-numbered line to the higher-number line, but not the other way. David Hayes merlin@lerami.lerctr.org [Moderator's Note: On old step-switch equipment, the hunting had to upward, in strict numerical sequence. With x-bar, it had to be upward, but telco could use what they called 'jump hunt' with the numbers being anywhere (as long as they were higher-numbered than the starting line.) With ESS, none of that matters. They can hunt anywhere. PAT] ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Phone Harassment From Credit Companies Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 16:58:29 GMT > [Moderator's Note: Exactly what constitutes 'making an effort to pay'? Well, being on a Consumer Credit Counseling program certainly qualifies as 'making an effort to pay.' I think that the original poster was on solid ground with his claim of harrassment. The creditors were (if the plan matches California CCC) receiving 3% of the outstanding balance monthly. When we went on CCC, 90% of our creditors stopped calling us within two months of the plan. The other 10% just couldn't handle it. The interesting part was that these same creditors that were continuing to dun were part of the sponsorship group of CCC. Talk about right hand and left hand not having a clue. Edward W. Greenberg | Home: +1 408 283 0511 | edg@netcom.com 1600 Stokes St. #24 | Work: +1 408 764 5305 | DoD#: 0357 San Jose, CA 95126 | Fax: +1 408 764 5003 | Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 21:05:35 GMT > In article RHussein@UH.EDU (Reza > Hussein) writes: >> The question is: What is the best way to handle these situations? How >> do you prevent the same companies from calling you seven days a week >> (before 9 am) to talk to a person who has moved out four months ago? >> And threatening to do it again? There have recently been some clever television ads by GTE for call blocking (since they are not offering caller ID here in CA, due to PUC restrictions). The ads show the person receiving the call keying in a few digits, then the caller "disappears" (on screen, we see the caller holding the handset, then the caller disappears and the handset drops to the table). I wonder how bill collectors would take to having their calls blocked. Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI [Moderator's Note: Many would simply go back to their creditor client to advise that the debtor was uncooperative and ask for suit requirements. Then the call-blocker would also have the opportunity to hide from the sheriff when the sheriff came to make legal service. See, a simple solution to a simple problem. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 May 93 07:23:24 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: More Caller-ID > In TELECOM Digest V13 #331 padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. PADGETT PETERSON) writes: >> Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a >> new call management service. This service, called PHONESMART, includes >> the features explained below. >> The monthly charge for Caller ID is $4.95. > This announcement is one of the best I have seen. Unlike my local area > it spells out exactly which exchanges the Caller-ID will cover (after > nearly a year at $7.50/month Southern Bell has not yet supplied a list > of exactly which exchanges are covered -- seems like most in my LATA > are *not*) When NYTel deployed Caller ID in the 516/718/914 area codes last year, all of the ads in the 516 issues of the papers and fliers gave all of the exchanges that would get it first. The balance of them are slowly being enabled and I think that the full deployment will be by the end of the year if not sooner. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ From: Lchiu@holonet.net Subject: 1-800 Owners, What Do The Owners Know? Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem Date: Sun, 16 May 1993 17:09:07 GMT In a message to comp.dcom.telecom hamid@tmt.uni-hannover.de said: > How are the German tollfree numbers billed to the companies? > Do the 1-800 owners still have problems with hackers? > [Moderator's Note: 800 service in the USA is generally limited to > domestic use coming and going. That is, from a USA telephone to a USA > telephone. Canada works the same way, but there are some 800 numbers > which work between the two countries. A small subset of the 800 number > range is set aside for companies in other countries (typically in > Europe) who want Americans to be able to call them. Likewise although > (I think) most European telco variations on 800 -- as in your case it > is '0130'; in the UK I think it is '0800' --... I can speak with a little bit of personal experience here. The company I work for writes and sells IBM mainframe software and we have clients all over the world. In order to provide the appropriate support, in almost every country we have clients, we provide toll-free numbers which ring back in our corporate HQ. It is interesting to see how the various countries have decided what prefix to use to initiate a toll-free call. I don't have our list in front of me but I know that NZ is 0800 and Australia in 008. We are reminded at all times that when travelling abroad to call back using their toll-free numbers rather than using a calling card. BTW the service is provided by MCI, no AT&T. As an aside, I have often wondered what the billing structure is for these numbers. A flat rate for the line and a charge per call or time. Laurence Chiu Walnut Creek, CA Internet: lchiu@holonet.net CIS 71750,1527 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #333 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa01568; 18 May 93 19:26 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05010 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 18 May 1993 16:11:06 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30898 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 18 May 1993 16:10:13 -0500 Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 16:10:13 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305182110.AA30898@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #334 TELECOM Digest Tue, 18 May 93 16:10:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 334 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Telecom History (kennykb@dssv01.crd.ge.com) Re: Telecom History (Bob Frankston) Re: Telecom History (Carl Moore) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (news@cbnews.att.com) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (William H. Sohl) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Rudolf Usselmann) Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (Rudolf Usselmann) Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone (Dan J. Declerck) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (Mark Evans) Re: Hunting on Residential Lines (Yuan Jiang) Re: Harmonic Modulation -- Anyone Hear of it? (Harold Hallikainen) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Robert L. McMillin) Re: Encrypted Cordless Phones? (Dave Ratcliffe) Re: Legion of Doom! - The Real One (Frank Carey) Re: Difference Between Residence and Business For Consulting? (D. Bryant) Re: Sex Telemarketing (Mark Oberg) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: Mon, 17 May 93 17:10:08 -0400 From: kennykb@dssv01.crd.ge.com > [Moderator's Note: It is not only that telco was at a loss for words, > but that people were confused by some of the more esoteric exchange > names, and even those which represented simple neighborhood areas were > frequently misdialed, i.e. HYde Park-3 would be dialed HP-3 by some > people. PAT] One of the worst cases of that I saw was in Far Rockaway, New York, where the same CO served FAr Rockaway-4 and FAr Rockaway-7 (now 718-324 and 718-327) and FRanklin-1 and FRanklin-4 (now 516-371 and 516-374). Yes, the area codes are different, too. Lots of people got FRanlkin-4 when they wanted FAr Rockaway-4, and the exchanges were in the same CO. Interestingly enough, there was seven-digit dialing among the FAr Rockaway, CEdarhurst, FRanklin, GRanite, GEneral, and LOng Beach exchanges, which were distributed between 212 (later 718) and 516, until well after the 212/718 split. From 516-239, dialing 327 got 718-327, and one had to dial 516-327 with the area code. (I could be misremembering which of the Rockaway exchanges it was that had this interesting feature ...) 73 de ke9tv/2, Kevin ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: Tue 18 May 1993 10:51 -0400 Another problem with exchange names was that you needed to correctly pronounce names in order to complete calls either via the operator or to figure out the spelling. Another interesting human-factors aspect is that 494 is 494 anyway, but might be Hyacinth (as it was in my childhood) or Ixnard (as it probably is nowhere). Thus all digit dialing might have improved the ability to recognize familiar exchanges numbers. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 11:30:36 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Telecom History > HYde Park-3 would be dialed HP-3 by some people. You could also generalize this remark by saying that people dial the leading letters of each word (of two) when they should be dialing the first two letters, period. (Exchanges names of two words included MOunt Vernon in Westchester County, New York and CHestnut Hill in Philadelphia, but the latter came out as CH in both the correct and "wrong" ways.) ------------------------------ From: news@cbnews.att.com Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:46:35 GMT Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: AT&T In article Jim.Rees@umich.edu writes: > In article , rudi@netcom.com (Rudolf > Usselmann) writes: >> Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is >> it now illegal to own a cellphone? > Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it > would be illegal for me to sell it now? It is not and will not be illegal for you to buy and sell a scanner that can cover cellular frequencies. It is illegal to manufacture new scanners that cover the cellular freqencies and still is illegal to listen to cellular calls. As for price drop, just the opposite. Your scanner now has more value since it can receive "those frequencies" and new ones can't. Hmmm, ever wonder why most people purchasing scanners want cellular coverage even though they know its illegal to listen to it? Gary W. Sanders (N8EMR) gary.w.sanders@att.com AT&T Bell Labs 614-860-5965 [Moderator's Note: No, I've never wondered why, have you? I know why. PAT] ------------------------------ From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:59:42 GMT In article mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) writes: > It's not illegal to own a scanner that can receive cellphone > transmissions. It never has been, and it isn't now, even after the > new "scanner bill" has been passed. > The new "scanner bill" only affects MANUFACTURERS and IMPORTERS of > scanners. Its main effect is to deny FCC approval for scanning > receivers that can receive and demodulate transmissions in the > frequency band allocated for the domestic cellular telephone service. > Scanners which have already been manufactured or imported are not > covered by the bill, and a scanner which already has Part 15 > acceptance does not have that acceptance revoked ex post facto. >> Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it >> would be illegal for me to sell it now? > No, because it's not illegal to sell that scanner. (Well, actually, > it might be -- but not because of the scanner bill. It's illegal to > sell a non-Part 15 accepted device, except for certain pieces of ham > radio equipment. If you've modified the scanner to receive cellphone > transmissions -- by clipping a diode, or removing a resistor, or > something similar -- then you have voided the scanner's Part 15 > acceptance, and you can no longer legally sell it or operate it.) In > fact, your scanner's resale value may have increased, since you can't > manufacture or import cellphone scanners anymore. Type acceptance is essentially a commercial equipment approval process AND as far as I know it has no relevance to sales of used equipment. There is no law against modifying scanners, radios, etc. Likewise, if you build your own radio receiver from a kit, or from scratch, there is no law which prohibits you from selling that unit. Popular electronic magazines have published modifications for years and, I'm sure, will continue to do so in the future. As far as I know, there is no law against selling any type of used equipment, modified or not (the sole exception being laws on CB band linear amplifiers). Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's. Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.) Morristown, NJ email via UUCP bcr!cc!whs70 201-829-2879 Weekdays email via Internet whs70@cc.bellcore.com [Moderator's Note: Linear amplifiers for Citizen's Band radios can be sold in this country provided you are only buying it for export outside the USA. The dealer requires you to sign a form saying where the unit is being shipped. Most purchasers of those units say they are being resold to Mr. Curlie in Fredonia. Or they may say they are going to be exported for resale in Outer Slobbovia. The form they sign gives their solemn word the unit(s) will not be powered up prior to being put on the boat for the trip to Outer Slobbovia. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rudi@netcom.com (Rudolf Usselmann) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 00:10:23 GMT Jim.Rees@umich.edu wrote: > Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is > it now illegal to own a cellphone? > Has the resale value of my scanner suddenly dropped to zero, since it > would be illegal for me to sell it now? Hmm, I was under the impression, that it was OK to use a scanner to listen to cell phones, however it was illegal to use a cell phone as a scanner to listen to other peoples phone conversations. See the difference? This would be using it [the cell phone] to do something it was not designed to do: listen to other people's conversations. Anyway, I may be wrong, maybe it is different from state to state. Does anybody have some *facts*? > [Moderator's Note: It is a crime to abuse the radio transmissions of > others by spying on them, etc. It is not a crime to repair or test > your cellular phone when it is needed. My Motorola cell phone uses a > same: send local to ground ... even my Radio Shack CT-301 works that > way to get into 'local test mode'. PAT] On a flip phone (MicroTek light), on the back where the battery goes, connect the middle pin to '-' (ground). Then power the phone up. Using a car adapter when doing this helps a bit. The phone comes up in test mode. To *TEST* the reciever press '#' then '08#' to unmute the receiver, then use '11nnn#' to enter a chanel where nnn is a 3 digit channel number. When done enter '07#' to use standard receiver muting again. Enter '01#' to restart the Phone (non-damaging). Use the test mode carefully, if you raelly want to play around, get the blue tech book from Motorola; it costs ($40). It is very complete. *** std disclaimer - use of the above may be illegal and/or will blow up your *** phone. rudi [Moderator's Note: There are no 'state by state' regulations that I know of. The federal laws prevail: It is illegal to listen to the cell phone conversations of other people. The type of receiver (scanner which may or may not have been modified or cell phone) is not relevant. Don't listen, period. PAT] ------------------------------ From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner? Just Use a Cellular Phone Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 16:14:42 GMT In article evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) writes: > I know of someone hooking up a car phone to a PC, reprogramming it a > bit; such that they could use it to track phones. Detect paging > requests, a few seconds before the phone is rung a request is sent out > to all base stations near where the phone was last know to be to > attempt to find where it is now. Also he could intercept calls, go > three way on them, or cut them off (including before the phone > actually started ringing). > His comment was that cellular phones were slightly more secure than CB > radios. True, The AMPS specification for authentication is pretty weak. U.S. analog cellular is a 13+ year old spec. One of the incentives to move to digital cellular will be fraud reduction (possibly elmination, like GSM), and privacy (no more scanners, even sophisticated setups will be difficult). Another will be cost reduction. Dan DeClerck EMAIL: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com Motorola Cellular APD Phone: (708) 632-4596 ------------------------------ From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Organization: Aston University Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 10:40:42 GMT David Hayes (merlin@lerami.lerctr.org) wrote: > [Moderator's Note: On old step-switch equipment, the hunting had to > upward, in strict numerical sequence. With x-bar, it had to be upward, The 359 6531 group here still has the labeling from when it was set up this way. > but telco could use what they called 'jump hunt' with the numbers > being anywhere (as long as they were higher-numbered than the starting > line.) With ESS, none of that matters. They can hunt anywhere. PAT] The lines is the group need not have individual numbers. You can just attach several lines to the same number and the first free one will ring when the number is dialed. Mark Evans evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 429 9199 (Home) evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office) ------------------------------ From: yjj@ctr.columbia.edu (Yuan Jiang) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecom Research Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 18:39:59 GMT What is "hunting"? [Moderator's Note: 'Hunting' is the name for the process in the telephone central office which, when the number dialed is busy, the call is automatically forwarded to the next available line in the subscriber's group of numbers. Traditionally, it meant placing the call on the very next line in the number series. If you dialed xxx-6800 and that line was in use, the call would be placed on xxx-6801, 6802, or whatever number was next available in an upward sequence. 'Jump hunting' means the call can be forward -- usually upward in sequence -- but it need not be to the very next number. PAT] ------------------------------ From: yjj@ctr.columbia.edu (Yuan Jiang) Subject: Re: Hunting on Residential Lines Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecom Research Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 18:41:31 GMT It seems that "hunting" let you have two lines at a low rate. But what is hunting? Can I order this service from my RBOC? [Moderator's Note: See the comment just before yours. Usually, hunting requires two or more lines at the regular rate for each. Perhaps you are thinking of 'call waiting', which is priced higher than 'hunting' (which is usually free with you paying for the extra lines) but is less expensive than the cost of an extra line. If your telco has upgraded any of its equipment in the past fifty or sixty years, they are probably able to offer hunting between lines. If they have upgraded at any time in the last decade, they can probably offer call- waiting. It is an applications thing which you should select. Remember, with call-waiting, only one person can talk at a time, even though a second call can be parked waiting to converse. With hunting, as many calls can talk at one time as there are mouths and ears on your end to do the talking and listening. :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Harmonic Modulation -- Anyone Hear of it? Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 21:44:17 GMT In article rantapaa@s6.math.umn.edu (Erik E. Rantapaa) writes: >A friend of mine told me about a new method of data transmission >called "harmonic modulation" or something like that. Unfortunately he >couldn't remember any of the details, although supposedly it was >reported on in _Byte_ a couple of years ago. Does anyone know about >this? Does anyone know what kind of increase in channel throughput it >brings? Does anyone know if it is being used right now or will ever >be used? Inquiring minds want to know. I'm not sure, but I seem to remember something about it being used in carrier current (communications over AC power lines) systems. I think it involved loading the AC line during a certain portion of the AC cycle, putting a "hole" (or at least reduced level) at that time. This could be compared to an undistorted sine to figure out how it had been modified. Of course, there are already LOTS of nonlinear loads on the AC line, including switching power supplies and triac based light dimmers. These would tend to interfere with this scheme. I think they called it harmonic modulation because it resulted in a distored 60 Hz sine wave, generating harmonics. It could also just be considered amplitude modulation of the 60 Hz signal where the modulating signal (the load switching square wave) is a 60 Hz pulse stream, resulting in sidebands every 60 Hz, just where the harmonics land. I have heard nothing recently about this modulation scheme. Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 16:25 PDT From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? On 14 May 93 16:47:32 GMT, tnixon@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon) said: > In article rdippold@qualcomm.com wrote: >> According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), >> the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the >> International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector >> (ITU-TSS). > I must say I'm a bit disappointed that one or more modem companies > would go around stirring up fear, uncertainty, and doubt, giving half > the story and leading people to believe that somehow work on modem > standards has been disrupted by this purely-administrative > reorganization. I'm certain this is or may be a motivating factor, but one rule I've tried to live by is to never attribute to mean-spiritedness that which can be explained by ignorance. This probably got pushed around several rumor mills and came out thus. Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com | Dude! ------------------------------ From: frackit!dave@uunet.UU.NET (Dave Ratcliffe) Subject: Re: Encrypted Cordless Phones? Date: 18 May 93 22:18:23 GMT Organization: Data Factory Services, Harrisburg, Pa. In article , buyskes@lafcol.lafayette. edu (Steve Buyske) writes: > With all the recent talk about Clipper chips, I was remembering the > court decision that cordless phone users had no expectation of > privacy. Are there any cordless phones that use some sort of > encryption device? Motorola makes one with a really crude "scrambling" circuit. It would only protect you from casual eavsdropping though. I bought one a few months back and was decoding conversations on it with a receiver in a couple of hours (but then, I'm not a "casual" user :) ). It looks like a Motorola handheld cell phone and the "security key" gets changed automagically every time you plug it into the base charging unit. It's not a bad phone and is a definate improvement over my older AT&T FF-750 Freedom Phone. > I'm not thinking of hiding my conversations from the NSA so much as > hiding them from nosy neighbors. Provided your neighbors are only "casually" nosey then this one will do it. It's a _Motorola America Series 100 Cordless_ vogon1!compnect!frackit!dave@psuvax1.psu.edu Dave Ratcliffe or - ..uunet!wa3wbu!frackit!dave Sys. <*> Admin. or - dave.ratcliffe@p777.f211.n270.z1.fidonet.org Harrisburg, Pa. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:21:55 EDT From: fec@arch2.att.com Subject: RE: Legion of Doom! - The Real One Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories todd@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (The Marauder) writes: > Let me set the record straight: > This "NEW" Legion of Doom, coming from "tdc@zooid.guild.org" has > _NOTHING_ whatsoever to do with the Legion of Doom! group that was > formed approximatly mid-1984, of which I was a member. The "real" LoD > continued as a group until somewhere around 1990. The LOD name is being used in connection with the selling of old BBS messages from Mindvox/Phantom. Is this the original LOD, the fake interloper, or a lone LOD ranger trying to make a buck, or none of the above? > Most of the horror stories, and tales of terror you have read and > heard about us (real LOD), are way off base. Very few of you were > around, or involved with the "BBS" underground world back when we > existed as a group so any "data" you have about us is heresay at best. > (Although I'm sure you guys at AT&T could probably find some fairly > accurate information in "Ralph's" files, heh ;) ). I suppose the key word here is "Most". The above mentioned old BBS messages offer a mention of Marauder's telephone proclivities. But then I suppose these messages are just "data". Frank Carey at Bell Labs [Ralph's friend :-) ] f.e.carey@att.com ------------------------------ From: dbryant@netcom.com (David K. Bryant) Subject: Re: Difference Between Residence and Business For Consulting? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 05:06:30 GMT jirza@world.std.com (John W Irza) writes: > Am I missing something here or would I have to be crazy to pay more > to have a "business" line. From where I sit, the advantage of a > business line is that you get the "privelege" of shelling out more > money! TELECOM Moderater noted, in part: > the prices will be kept artifically low and business users will > subsidize the cost with service that is priced artificially high. > That is the way it goes; get used to it. :) PAT] Welcome to the world of business. But remember there is the other side of the coin. This is found in the "Two Rules of Business": 1. Everything costs. 2. The customer always pays. ------------------------------ From: mark@sun1.clark.net (Mark Oberg) Subject: Re: Sex Telemarketing Date: 18 May 1993 09:10:12 -0400 Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc. Alan Boritz (72446.461@CompuServe.COM) wrote: >> [Moderator's Note: In fairness to the 900 scumbags, they do *not* >> originate calls without some basis for doing so. > I beg your pardon, but the 900 scumbags DON'T deserve fairness. They > DO* originate calls to blocks of numbers without having any basis > other than that they haven't done it before (or recently). > [Moderator's Note: Certainly they deserve fairness. > [....] We were talking about sex-phones -- you start > talking about the lottery. I still maintain people who run sex-phone > lines do NOT make cold calls. There is some basis for each call they > originate, even if the inbound call to them was fraudulent on its face > right from the beginning. PAT] Wrongo, oh usually all-knowing Moderator man! Here in Maryland the local news has been full of stories about phone sex operators calling at random (or I suppose in blocks) to homes and businesses. When one receives such a call, one is greeted by a sultry female who asks you to touch a number on your touchtone phone to connect to the "real thing". A lot of children, not knowing or maybe knowing what they are getting into, have been pushing the digit to talk to the nice lady and running up a big bill for mommy and daddy as well as getting a pretty good education in the process. Face it, 900/976/850/etc tele-sleaze operators are a bunch of bottom feeders and don't deserve a break, in my opinion. Mark Oberg - Sysop | Internet: mark@noplace.clark.net No Place Like Home BBS | Fido: Mark Oberg 1:109/506 410-995-5423 / 301-596-6450 | "One of the most unusual bbs' in America" [Moderator's Note: Are you POSITIVE those calls were not originated by someone playing pranks on the people? I cannot think of a bigger waste of a sex-IP's time than to dial at random as you suggest. Without standing up for them at all -- even as was suggested, to show them no fairness at all -- such a method of operating would be a very poor business decision on the part of any sex-IP. A small percentage of the American population uses 900 (I am using that as a generic term for all premium billed information services) at all ... an even smaller percentage uses the sex services. I can't imagine an IP paying for lots of outbound calls to people telling them to 'press 1' to continue when there is no indication the person receiving the call would have any interest whatsoever. Lottery/horoscope, a qualified, questionable 'maybe' -- other contests/games, 'maybe'. Sex, I think not. There are just too many problems with outbound cold calls. If a prankster gives the numbers of three or four people to the sex-IP who in turn places collect callbacks not knowing it is a 'joke', and those three or four people all say to the newspaper that they received such calls, we all know the newspaper will report there is an epidemic of such unsolicited calls going on. No sex-IP is going to willingly talk to a minor. The $5,$10,$20,$50 to be gained is not worth a potential trip to the penitentiary on child-sex charges. I'd be interested in running an article here from some one or more persons who have *actually received* unsolicited calls from a sex-IP that could not be traced back to a prank caller ... or is this all just one of those 'urban legends'? How about the IP who first wrote to start this thread going? Are you reading this? Please respond! PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #334 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa03531; 18 May 93 20:44 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA27904 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 18 May 1993 17:57:38 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14170 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 18 May 1993 17:57:02 -0500 Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 17:57:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305182257.AA14170@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #335 TELECOM Digest Tue, 18 May 93 17:57:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 335 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Hinsdale Disaster (mcb@ihlpl.att.com) Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Alex Pournelle) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Robert Eden) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (David G. Lewis) Re: Fiber in the "Boonies" (Yuan Jiang) Re: Fiber in the "Boonies" (Theodore M.P. Lee) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Alex Pournelle) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (tanner@ki4pv.compu.com) Re: Choosing Among Carriers (Ed Greenberg) Re: Wall Size US NPA Map Wanted (Robert Doornbos) Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (John Levine) Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do The Owners Know? (Povl H. Pedersen) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Alex Pournelle) Re: Presidents and Telephones (Jack Winslade) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mcb@ihlpl.att.com Date: Mon, 17 May 93 08:07 CDT Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Pat, In some comments about the Hinsdale fire you said: >They tried to save the switch but it was so corroded from the water >they had to dump it out, and build the office totally from scratch. >It was a couple days short of a month that local service in Hinsdale >and surrounding communities came back. You are correct that it was a month before local service was restored to normal, however by Friday they actually had the 1A ESS switching calls again (even as corroded as its networks were.) Service was very poor. Most trunks in and out of the 1A were either on facilities that had not yet been replaced or on Trunk Networks that were so badly corroded that they were replaced even prior to the 5ESS switch being cut into service. Some Line Networks were also replaced. But several hundred AT&T and IBT folks worked twelve hour shifts, seven days a week to keep the 1A ESS running as well as possible until they cut in the 5ESS switch. Mark Baker - AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL [Moderator's Note: Right you are about the dedication of the telco people on location there during the first couple weeks after the fire. They were sleeping and eating in a chartered Greyhound bus parked out in front of the premises ... grabbing a few hours sleep and going back inside to work again, etc. It was nothing short of a miracle that the office was back on line as soon as it was .... that still does not relieve the negligence of management in looking for the bottom line and expecting to pinch pennies everywhere. Actually, it was not that much of a miracle: it is, or used to be anyway, pretty commonplace for people in the old "Bell System" -- the one that had to be smashed apart -- to respond to emergencies and other problems with a tremendous dedication to duty. My former neighbor here in Rogers Park, Charles Brown (when he was the president of Illinois Bell) led AT&T during the years leading up to the divestiture. He once responded to a question about MCI's service by asking a question of his own, "How many MCI employees have lost their lives climbing on foot in the Rocky Mountains in January to restore service to an entire town which had been cut off due to a bad storm which knocked down their wires? ... we had two." No lives were lost at Hinsdale, nor at Second Avenue in Manhattan back in the morning hours of February 27, 1975. My point is, no one can approach AT&T/Bell people when it comes to getting a difficult job done fast. But *why* did it have to happen? And you are correct: At Hinsdale they got that flooded out, burned out switch running as best they could about a week after the fire, then sat with it continually for the next three weeks nursing it along getting what they could out of it. Why weren't they sitting with it all along? Five years have passed since Hinsdale ... how time flies! PAT] ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:17:44 GMT toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: >H.A. Kippenhan Jr. said: > [FAA bozo] asleep on the job in the news the other day, and a jet > had to land unassisted. > I hope there is now more redundancy built into those systems you > mention, it sounds like their mistakes include putting too many eggs > in one basket. I would hope the critical systems (air traffic > control, 911) would have some limited microwave or radio backup? > Probably not. From the (as the WSJ termed it) "Five-thumbed mitts of the FAA" -- don't expect miracles, or more than business-as-usual. Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ From: Robert Eden Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Date: 18 May 93 15:58:55 CST Organization: Texas Utilities, Glen Rose TX > [Moderator's Note: You are correct, it is total B.S. The only thing > 10xxx does is tells your local telco to hand the call to a different > carrier than they normally would. You should note that telco looks at > all the digits dialed before they hand the call anywhere, and if they > have the right to handle the call themselves, (such as local, or > intra-LATA) they will do so, ignoring your 10xxx instructions. They better not! When I call Dallas from Fort Worth, I dial 10222 and it's covered under my MCI Primetime Texas Plan (.16 a minute). If I just did a 1+, SWB would keep the call at .20+ a minute. They have never over-ridden my 10xxx code for a LD call. The entire area (except for a few islands) is served by SWB. Robert Eden 817-897-0491 Glen Rose, TX Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station robert@cpvax.cpses.tu.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ politicese for a nuke plant [Moderator's Note: Well I know IBT keeps whatever they can if it is within their LATA, at least where 10xxx is concerned. They also examine the tables before handing off stuff out of LATA. If *their* copy of the tables is screwed up, they intercept and reject the call without handing it to the carrier to see what the carrier would do with it. I had to sic AT&T on them one time to get their tables fixed for a place in Wisconsin which had a perfectly valid NPA-NXX. All the carriers would handle it if you went via their 800 numbers ... but do a 10xxx or 1+ to get there and IBT bounced it every time! PAT] ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Organization: AT&T Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 15:01:49 GMT In article Mitchell Tasman writes: > On to my question. After activating the MCI accounts, I did some > voice quality comparisons on a series of short calls between Madison, > WI and Cambridge, MA. I cycled among AT&T, Sprint, and MCI by using > the appropriate 10XXX codes [10288, 10333, 10222]. My subjective > ranking of voice quality was AT&T first, Sprint a close second, and > MCI a distant third. The party in Cambridge concurred. I mentioned > MCI's third place showing to an MCI customer service representative, > and received a rather interesting response. He [the MCI CSR] said > that voice quality was so bad because I used the 10222 prefix, rather > than being a dial 1 subscriber. When I pressed him on this point, he > said that when the call reached an MCI switch, the 10222 prefix would > cause the call to be routed via a "bypass network". > While this explanation sounds like total B.S. to me, it certainly > seems to be within the realm of technical possibility. I thought that > I'd solicit the opinions of the TELECOM Digest readership. While it pains me to appear to come to the defense of MCI, it is "within the realm of technical possibility"; however, I would judge it to be extremely unlikely. The LEC handling the call is aware whether the carrier selection is made via presubscription or via per-call selection (10XXX); it is therefore *technically* possible for it to route calls differently based on whether the call is routed via presub or per-call selection. It may even be a legitimate tariffed service offering to provide different routing based on carrier selection method (I'm not very familiar with the arcane world of LEC access tariffs). However, I would claim it is extremely unlikely that any carriers would avail themselves of this option, due to the simple fact that splitting traffic between several facilities is more costly than placing it over a single facility because of economy of scale considerations. In other words, a given amount of traffic and a given blocking probability that would require maybe 100 trunks in a single facility group might require, say, 60 trunks in each of two facility groups. More facilities cost more money, and are therefore avoided whenever possible. Routing diversity for disaster avoidance would justify it, but I have my doubts that a marketing ploy to get people to presub would... > [Moderator's Note: You are correct, it is total B.S. The only thing > 10xxx does is tells your local telco to hand the call to a different > carrier than they normally would. You should note that telco looks at > all the digits dialed before they hand the call anywhere, Minor quibble; the local telco always looks at the NPA; looks at the CO code for a subset of NPAs; and looks at the line number for a subset of NPA-NXX combinations. For example (gross generalization follows) for a call from NY to LA, NYTel will look only at the NPA; for a call to NJ, they'll look at the NPA-NXX; and for a call from Manhattan to Queens they'll look at the NPA-NXX-XXXX (with only the terminating switch looking at the XXXX). David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation [Moderator's Note: That may be the reason why on my call to a place in Wisconsin IBT kept intercepting and rejecting it. They have a couple dinky little things in AC 414 including North Antioch, WI (Antioch is in Illinois 708). They probably checked out my 414-NXX to see if I wanted something in their territory rather than risk giving away 20 cents to AT&T, or worse yet, Sprint! :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: yjj@ctr.columbia.edu (Yuan Jiang) Subject: Re: Fiber in the "Boonies" Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecom Research Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 18:35:05 GMT What kind of connecter does SONET specify? Is it compatible with any of the old ones, FC, ST? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 09:21:23 -0600 From: tmplee@TIS.COM (Theodore M.P. Lee) Subject: Re: Fiber in the "Boonies" As a second-tier suburb of Minneapolis we probably don't count as the boonies, but I just noticed while taking the dog for a walk last week a big (2' x 3' x 6'?) box with the prominent warning: "Fiber Optic Cable Buried Here." It didn't say who's box it was, but since it was only a couple of feet from a regular US West buried metal cable box I suspect it was theirs too. This was on the edge of a two-lane suburban highway about 3/4 mile from our house; I haven't seen any signs in the residential area yet. Ted Lee Trusted Information System, Inc. tmplee@tis.com PO Box 1718 Minnetonka, MN 55345 612-934-5424 ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:04:13 GMT alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) writes: > I no longer patronize the May Company (now Robinsons May) over their > heavy handed treatment of this issue, which included threats and bad > language at 8AM on a Saturday. > Or "set modem on stun"... > [Moderator's Note: You no longer patronize the May Company? You know, > your case reminds me of the man who sent an order in to a company for > some merchandise asking them to please ship it as soon as possible. > The company contacted him in return saying, "We won't be able to > release this new order until you pay for the last order you bought." > To which the man replied, "Then you better cancel the order, I don't > intend to wait that long for it to arrive ..." :) PAT] Hoo-hah! There was no doubt that I was at fault in not paying exactly on time ('tis a small mind that figures a due date to be an exact day). But creebing and snibing at Jennifer wasn't going to do them any good, as they should have known from the first call ... ...and I did pay them, after all. It wasn't very much money, either. Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ From: tanner@ki4pv.compu.com Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Organization: CompuData Inc., DeLand Date: Mon, 18 May 93 19:43:22 GMT Certainly you have no obligation to any of your former roommate's creditors, unless you contracted with them to have some obligation. Therefore, if they call repeatedly, making demands upon you, they would appear to be threatening and harrassing you in an effort to collect money. We used to call that "extortion" and it was illegal in many areas. Our sheriff's department doesn't care about much other than collecting money at gun-point along route 95, and of course getting his picture in the paper or on TV. If extortion is illegal in your area, and law enforcement cares and is not actively involved in such a racket itself, then you may wish to contact them. There are also federal and state rules regulating collection practices. These may apply. Now that we've determined that you have no legal obligation to these folks, and further that their nuisance calling may be regulated by law, let us consider the moral issue. Most likely your room-mate has skipped town owing them money. They surely have a reasonable expectation that they will be paid by that room-mate, and it is wrong for that room-mate to run away from his debts without filing for bankruptcy and properly notifying these creditors. Thus, shielding the roommate from the telephone collection creatures is aiding and abetting a wrong. My advice: if any of the collectors are polite, tell them where the room-mate is (if you find out). For others, tell them to go pay taxes. > ... which included threats and bad language at 8AM on a Saturday. TELECOM Moderator noted in part: > your case reminds me of the man who sent an order in to a company > for some merchandise asking them to please ship ... If I didn't know better, I'd almost take this Moderator note as suggesting that the Moderator condones creditors making threats and Using rude language and calling at inappropriate times of the day. Surely the Moderator doesn't condone such things, but he surely failed to make this clear in his note. Sir, I would give the Devil the benefit of the law, for my own safety. [Moderator's Note: No, I don't condone rudeness by bill collectors. It is, in fact, usually a waste of the collector's time since many debtors are quite sophisticated -- or fancy themselves to be -- where the law is concerned. The collector does not want the debtor to hang the phone up; s/he wants to maintain contact with the debtor and work out a pay plan short of suit. Debtors made to feel uncomfortable hang the phone up and won't respond to it in the future. One can politely inform the debtor that the creditor intends to sue if necessary, but will listen to a variety of *reasonable* arrangments to avoid it. The catch is, the bottom line has to be more profitable for the collector by working along with you than it would be by suing. Collectors make their money by collecting; not by suing, since at that point all profit in the account is lost entirely. But a collector has to service the creditor, and that sometimes means suit, like it or not. Smart collectors know they can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. PAT] ------------------------------ From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Choosing Among Carriers Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 14:16:29 GMT In article Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU (Garrett Wollman) writes: > ................, it seems like this generalizes quite well: AT&T and > MCI are people's preferred carriers, and Sprint is where everybody > goes when they can't get acceptable quality from their PIC. > I wonder why this is? This is easy: ATT: Mostly good quality but occasional breakdowns. Highest volume. MCI: Mostly good quality but can't handle anything out of the ordinary. Poor customer service. Operator service much more limited in scope. No vestigial services such as time/charges. Sprint: Mostly good quality. Fine for use as 10333 carrier. Heaven help you if you get into a billing dispute with them. Edward W. Greenberg | Home: +1 408 283 0511 | edg@netcom.com 1600 Stokes St. #24 | Work: +1 408 764 5305 | DoD#: 0357 San Jose, CA 95126 | Fax: +1 408 764 5003 | Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: RDRNBS@Calvin.EDU (ROBERT DOORNBOS) Subject: Re: Wall size US NPA Map Wanted Organization: Calvin College Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 17:07:43 GMT CCMI 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 1100, Rockville, MD 20852-3030 has two maps available. 18" X 26" Full-Color Area Code Map w/ Int Country Codes $29.00 11" X 17" Full-Color Area Code Map $19.00. Phone # 1-800-929-4824, Ext 835 FAX 301-816-8945. ROBERT J. DOORNBOS, CPP 616-957-6451 office DIRECTOR OF SECURITY AND TELECOMMUNICATION 616-957-7022 voice mail CALVIN COLLEGE 3201 BURTON SE 616-957-8563 fax GRAND RAPIDS MI 49546 RDRNBS@CALVIN.EDU internet ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) Organization: I.E.C.C. Date: 18 May 93 12:15:55 EDT (Tue) From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) Brad "great hat" Hicks writes: > So if you want to make money over the phone AND have a reasonable > expectation of collecting it, convert to a toll-free number and then > contact your bank and set up an account as a credit card acquirer. Another important point is that credit cards, even expensive ones like American Express, charge a lot less for their billing services than do 900 providers. I pay under 2.5% for MC and V, and the worst I've ever heard of Amex charging is about 7%. Compare that to the 30% or more that telcos collect for 900 billing. I don't blame the telcos for doing so, they probably have more billing complaints about 900 than about everything else put together. Another possiblity for low-cost access is direct termination with rebates from the LD carrier as Speedway is doing. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ From: povlphp@uts.uni-c.dk (Povl H. Pedersen) Subject: Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do The Owners Know? Organization: UNI-C, Danish Computing Centre for Research and Education Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 21:29:23 GMT Here in Denmark we have numbers starting with: 901: cheap pay-for calls. Limit 1DKK/min. (1USD=6.1DKK) 902: more expensive, up to 9.99 DKK/min, and optional fixed cost <30DKK. 903: Most expensive, 10+ DKK/min. Often (Always ?) start costs of 30+DKK. Users need to call the telecom to get their phone opened for access to the 903 numbers. 80x: Not sure if the x means anything. Many numbers start with 8030, as we had 0430 before we got longer phone numbers. Users of 900 numbers must be using a digital central. Denmark will be 100% covered within year 2010 according to most pessimistic plans, that covers every small cottage. Povl H. Pedersen - Macintosh specialist. Knows some DOS and UNIX too. pope@imv.aau.dk - povlphp@uts.uni-c.dk --- Finger me at pope@imv.aau.dk for PGP Public Key --- ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:12:18 GMT John.J.Butz@att.com writes: > Up the road from Bell Labs, Holmdel, is an American Water Company > pumping station that was built to meet the Holmdel zoning codes. > It looks like a residential home! > There are shades in the windows, the grounds are landscaped, and the > street-side mailbox says; "Roger Waters." >PS. Roger, on break from his current concert tour, was recently > spotted shooting hoops at the home in the spirit of the NBA > playoffs. Don't tell me, let me guess -- the "house" is completely constructed of brick, with just a tiny bit of window showing on the front ... Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:31:22 CST From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha In a message dated 09-MAY-93, John Nagle writes: > Lyndon Johnson has been credited with demanding the invention > of "executive override", so he could break in on calls in progress. I wonder if the history books will credit LBJ with the invention of Call Waiting. Good day. JSW Ybbat (DRBBS) 8.9 v. 3.14 r.1 (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #335 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa06722; 18 May 93 22:49 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22157 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 18 May 1993 19:44:42 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA27270 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 18 May 1993 19:44:01 -0500 Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:44:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305190044.AA27270@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #336 TELECOM Digest Tue, 18 May 93 19:44:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 336 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Telecom History (Ross Richardson) Re: Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? (Steve Elias) Re: Digital Cellular Service (Myron D'souza) Re: Caller ID Information to a PC (Todd Inch) Re: Calling Card w/o Phone Service (Dr. Tanner Andrews) Re: Internet on the Nevada Plan (Andrew Klossner) Correction: CompuServe and GO PHONES (Steve Edwards and many other readers) ATM and Sonet (OC1) (Rick Battle) Calling Card Merchant Status (Charles Lemons) Buying a Piece of a 900 Number? (Russell R. Lear) What is Residential Line Hunting? (Samir Agarwal) Want a Good Phone (Hans Lachman) Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Justin Leavens) Last Laugh! Re: Presidents and Telephones (Patricia A. Dunkin) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: rorichar@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Ross Richardson) Subject: Re: Telecom History Date: 18 May 93 06:10:50 GMT Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. In article , friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen Friedl) writes: > Last weekend, a couple of members of my family were cleaning out my > grandmother's house after her living there for years and years (ugh). > Part of the junk that I am sure you can imagine me finding was a coat > hanger. It is wooden and rather nicely made, and it is from the > "Jos. R. Hendricks, Cleaner and Dyer" shop in Camden, New Jersey. > The telecom angle is that the phone numbers are listed: > Phones / Bell 1393 > \ Keystone 23693 > My guess is that this was from the day when there were competing > telephone services in town, and you had to have several phones if you > wanted to get calls from more customers. > Anyway, can anybody make any reasonable guesses as to the possible age > of this thing? I really have no idea when the U.S. went to direct > dial long distance, but this has got to be a long time before that. Then PAT tacks on: > [Moderator's Note: Camden readers can correct if if I am wrong, but I > believe 'Keystone 2-3693' would be now 532-3693. In the era when 'there > were competing services in town' (if that was ever the case in Camden) > neither service would have needed five digit numbers, and certainly > not the competitor if Bell needed only four digits. [etc., etc.] PAT's reply to this query, although well-intentioned and a pretty good guess, was nevertheless an excellent example of how myths are perpetuated. PAT took a guess that Keystone 23693 must be shorthand for KEystone 23693, a well-formed modern Bell System seven digit address. From there he diverged to an interesting anecdote about the Bell System's travails in cutting over to dial service in the 1950s. I have never seen a better illustration of Kuhn's concept of "paradigm" at work. :>) Even though the query was explicit in allowing for an alternative explanation based on the existence of competitors to the Bell System -- indeed, even asked for such an explanation -- the query was nevertheless read through Bell System eyes. An explanation was formulated in Bell System terms, and the explanation was in turn leveraged as an opportunity to further indoctrinate the reader in the finer points of the dominant (Bell System) paradigm. Here is an alternative explanation: Camden is just across the Delaware river from Philadelphia, which was indeed once served by a Keystone Telephone company. At the turn of the century, a fellow named Theodore Gray was a leader in the then competitive telephone industry. Not only was there once competing telephone service in most towns that had service, the Bell service was typically of a poorer quality. Gray obtained control of a large number of nonBell phone companies, including Keystone. Keystone operated as a separate, competing telephone company in Philadelphia and its environs until 1944. Over WWII telephone service was briefly nationalized. On the other end of that period Bell began another Independent-buying campaign and Keystone went the way of the Edsel (Gray got very rich). Keystone had at least six central office buildings in Philadelphia. Some parts of Keystone not served by Bell overlay were sold to what eventually became United. The difference in numbering plans should come as no surprise. Although publicly committed to do otherwise, Bell did not allow Independents to interconnect with the Bell System on a regular basis until well into the 1950s. Anyone with numbering administration experience for a LAN or WAN knows that networks cannot be interconnected without a good deal of shared information. This information was not forthcoming from Bell until it had eliminated Keystone and the few remaining operators competing with Bell in (then) large cities such as Cleveland and St. Louis. Moreover, until the 1960s, the numbering plan of a local telephone network was largely determined by the manufacturer of the switchboards and switches. Bell was one of literally dozens of switch manufacturers, but had bought (not invented) all the all the patents of interest, and even a number of patents not of interest. In the mechanical switches of the day, numbering was intimately tied to the way the switch connected a call across its 'fabric'. To be excluded access to the Bell-owned technology was to be precluded access to Bell-compatable numbering, and thereby to stations served by the Bell System. You may or may not know that direct local dialing was not invented by the Bell system, but by Strowger, a Kansas City undertaker who was tired of the Bell operator sending all the "Sarah? Get me an undertaker!" traffic to his competitor. The first automatic (direct dial) exchange went in to service in LaPorte, Indiana in 1892. It was not a Bell exchange. Indeed, Bell fought direct dial for a number of reasons, mostly corporate stodginess, as well as the fact that the technology could not yet work with interexchange calls, the hub of Bell's monopoly strategy. There are several examples of Bell taking over Strowger-based independents, ripping out the automatic exchanges, and putting in operators. Customers, who had had quite enough of operators and their eaves-dropping and general uncooperativeness, were furious. Interestingly, long-distance (toll or interexchange) direct dialing technology was available to the independents as early as 1925 (Bell did not offer it for another 30 years). The technology, which extended the most common switch technology (Strowger) to handle DDD, was installed in Europe in the 1930s. Why wasn't it available in the U.S.? Bell had bought up all the competing long distance companies by 1921. Even if you could dial your own local calls, you had to go through a Bell operator to get your toll call manually set up for you. I suspect this sort of story is all too familiar to many readers, so I will not continue In any event, that coat hanger could be worth quite a bit to the right collecter. You might want to give the Independent Telephone Pioneers of America a ring. Ross Richardson rorichar@andromeda.rutgers.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? Date: Tue, 18 May 93 10:46:42 PDT From: Steve Elias Hi Andrew, I am not aware of fax on demand hosted by macs. If there is such a system, it is likely in violation of Brooktrout's fax on demand patent, in case that matters to anyone but Brooktrout! If you want fax on demand legally you must go through someone licensed by Brooktrout. If you don't care about the patent there are probably other ways to proceed. If you find fax on demand hosted by mac, please post info about it, and whether it is licensed or not if you happen to find out. Thanks, eli ------------------------------ From: lmcmyds@noah.ericsson.se (Myron D'souza) Subject: Re: Digital Cellular Service Reply-To: lmcmyds@noah.ericsson.se Organization: Ericsson Communication Inc. Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:56:39 GMT Well the leading telecommunications firm is the area of mobile communications is Ericsson Telecom which controls the market with operations in 100 companies. We provide the cellular subsystems for such companies as Cantel in Canada and McCaw and Bell South in the US. They provide top quality products to meet the increasing demand for mobile telecommunication solutions. M. D'Souza Ericsson Comm. ------------------------------ From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) Subject: Re: Caller ID Information to a PC Organization: Maverick International Inc. Date: Tue, 18 May 93 21:02:07 GMT In article rosen@sfu.ca (Wilf Rosenbaum) writes: >I'm looking for a way to translate incoming caller ID information into >a form that can be read by a PC. PAT - Could we please POST (Usenet and/or Telecom Digest) an FAQ list monthly or so? We seem to keep getting these and other similar over and over. Yes, I know most of this stuff is in the archives, but you have to know how to ftp (if you have ftp) or use a mail server, you have to know the name of the directory and file, etc. And, frankly it's easier to ask the net than to dig through the archives. Then, you could have a reply "form letter" for these questions asking them to wait for/look for the FAQ list. In the long run, I think we'd save bandwith and for those of us who don't want to see them, we can put "FAQ part 1 of X" or whatever in our kill files and don't have to read the entire message to discover it's something we've beaten to death previously. Oh, please. In the long run, I think we'd SAVE bandwidth. The FAQ could include info about the archives and save you time adding notes to the bottom of postings about the archives, telling them it's an FAQ, asking readers to respond directly, telling them about Hello Direct, etc. [Moderator's Note: Actually, the FAQ goes out automatically to every new person added to the mailing list (lately, that has been three or four names daily), and it gets posted in comp.dcom.telecom once a month (but not on the Digest side that often). Readers see maybe one out of every ten queries I receive on FAQ topics, with the other nine getting a copy of the FAQ in return, or sometimes just a direct answer (by myself) to them in email. If you think a lot of those 'how do I [insert FAQ topic]' style messages are actually in the (published) group, you should see the number which do not get in print. So, there is quite a bit of bandwidth being saved. The reason I run one in print now and then is in the hopes that others who are about to write the same question will see it and *not* write me. If anyone out there seeing this does NOT have a copy of the FAQ for this group and they would like one, please write 'telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu' and ask for a copy, putting 'FAQ' somewhere in the subject line. Please read the FAQ before sending questions which are answered therein. Thanks. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Calling Card w/o Phone Service Date: Tue, 18 May 93 19:44:24 EDT From: Dr. Tanner Andrews Organization: CompuData Inc., DeLand One of these AT&T "Universal" cards will do what you want, and serve as a credit card to boot. There is a surcharge on each call to assure that the 10% "discount" doesn't interfere with the profits. [Moderator's Note: As long as a person without phone service passes a reasonable credit check otherwise, Orange will also issue a card; the rate will remain the same: 25 cents per minute, no surcharge. PAT] ------------------------------ From: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com (Andrew Klossner) Date: Tue, 18 May 93 10:16:01 PDT Subject: Re: Internet on the Nevada Plan Reply-To: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com Organization: Tektronix Color Printers, Wilsonville, Oregon >"To contact them ... dial in on 10288 1 503 520 2222." 503-520 is in Beaverton, Oregon, an exchange within my local calling area. GTE doesn't allow intra-LATA calls using an alternate carrier. I wonder how a Portland-area resident would use this service? Andrew Klossner (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com) ------------------------------ Date: 18 May 93 10:58:57 From: sceard!newline!steve@UCSD.EDU (Steve Edwards) Subject: Correction: CompuServe and GO PHONES By now you've probably been flooded with corrections, but... On CompuServe, "GO PHONES" tells you the access numbers for CompuServe. "GO BIZ*FILE" lets you look up business names given the phone number. "GO PHONE*FILE" lets you look up residential names given the phone number. Both "BIZ*FILE" and "PHONE*FILE" are extra cost ($0.25/minute) services. Steve Edwards Internet: steve@newline.uucp Voice: +1-619-723-2727 Newline CompuServe: 73677,3561 Fax: +1-619-731-3000 [Moderator's Note: Thanks also to the seventeen other readers who sent in this correction. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 10:11:41 -0400 From: Rick Subject: ATM and Sonet (OC1) Does anyone know of a manufacurer who might make OC1 interfaces for their equipment? I have investigated Digital Link and they only provide T3 rather than OC1. I want to connect a router with a HSSI port to a cell-a-fier and run ATM over single mode fiber between two building about 4 miles apart. I thought the industry was embracing Sonet. What I am seeing is a repeat of old habits and T3 looks to be the plug, :-( , of choice. Any imput would be greatly appreciated. Rick Battle 202-484-9677 ------------------------------ From: lemons@audiofax.com (Charles Lemons) Subject: Calling Card Merchant Status Date: 18 May 93 16:00:34 GMT Organization: AudioFAX Inc., Atlanta Does anyone out there know how to accept telephone calling cards as a form of payment? Apparently pay phones do it. I believe that some other telephone services such as public fax machines do as well. What sort of services can calling cards be used to pay for? Who would I contact to get signed up for this sort of calling card merchant account? Would I need an agreement with each providor of calling cards? Are there any specific standards and/or regulations on the subject? It sounds like something Bellcore would be involved in. Am I completely confused? I will be grateful for any and all answers given here or by e-mail. Thanks. Charles Lemons AudioFAX, Inc. / Suite 200 Audio: +1 404 618 4225 lemons@audiofax.com 2000 Powers Ferry Center Fax: +1 404 618 4525 emory!audfax!lemons Marietta, GA. 30067 [Moderator's Note: Charges placed on telecom calling cards have to have at least some telecommunications aspect to them. A telephone call has to have been placed. In other words, you can't sell meals in a restaurant and charge them to a telecom calling card. What you do is cut a deal with a firm like Integratel to handle billing as your service bureau; they in turn have an egress into the billing system of the various telcos. Or, you can try to cut a deal of your own with some telco to handle your charges for some piece of the action. But remember, the essence of the transaction has to be a telephone call. If a sex-IP can call back at outgrageous rates and have it billed as a collect call, my presumption is they could also call back and bill it to a calling card. Overall, it smells back to me. I'd say forget it. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 10:57:05 PDT From: Russell_R._Lear.ESCP10@xerox.com Subject: Buying a Piece of a 900 Number? Reply-To: Russell_R._Lear.ESCP10@xerox.com A friend of mine got a brochure in the mail promising big bucks if she buys a piece of a 900 number (your choice of sex or psychics). The minimum buy-in is $100. She thinks it sounds like a great deal. While I wouldn't feel comfortable doing business with some of these folks, it's her money. I've warned her that some of these businesses have high non-payment rates and low ethics. I suspect they're trying to pad the balance sheet with outside money. Has anyone heard of this kind of partner arrangement? Is it an outright scam? Marginally profitable? Hugely profitable? Should I be trying to get a piece of the action rather than talking her out of it? Thanks for any info, Russell Lear lear.escp10@xerox.com [Moderator's Note: When you get into a partnership with people running a premium phone service (astrology, sex, whatever) don't make the mistake I did of not getting any records from your 'partner' as to what is going on. Make sure there is a way *you* can see what the other side is doing so they don't (worse case scenario) rip you off or (more common scenario) mismanage things horribly. There is a company in Florida which seems to be running an honest leased 900 system. They operate three services: psychic, sports, and 'Dateline'. In the case of 'Dateline', the database is already well- developed with ads from men and women. They'll let you in for $99 per year, and give you $1.28 out of each $2 per minute charge. You run advertisements as you see fit and use an 'extension number' in your ad which relates to your account on the computer in Florida. The database is continually updated mutually by the customers of each dealer selling the system. There is a phone number you call to check the call count as it pertains to your efforts. When your customers call, they append the extension number when the computer answers and asks for it. They make remittances monthly; *I think* the firm is honest and they give you a 1099 form annually. If you can check the call count, at least you have a rough idea what is going on. For $99, I think it would be hard to lose very much. Some people make good money at this; I guess it would all have to do with your advertising. For more information on the program I describe here, contact: Avalon Communications, 1007 N. Federal Highway, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33304. Phone 305-525-0800 and ask for Steve. PAT] ------------------------------ From: samir_agarwal@Warren.MENTORG.COM (Samir Agarwal) Subject: What is Residential Line Hunting? Date: 18 May 1993 14:16:51 -0400 Organization: Mentor Graphics Corp. -- IC Group Pat, I am not very telecom-literate. I have seen discussions on Residential line hunting but don't quite understand it. Can you shed some light on: 1. what it is? 2. How is it better than call-waiting? 3. Does it require some equipment? 4. Where can I find more info on it? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Samir K. Agarwal Mentor Graphics samir@samir.warren.mentorg.com IC Group uunet!sdl!samir 15 Independence Blvd. MABELL : (908) 604-0812 Warren, NJ 07059 Voicemail: (800) 437-2230 #0812 [Moderator's Note: See a message in an earlier issue today for more details. 'Hunting' requires no special equipment on your end. All you need is two or more telephone lines. All the work is done in the telco central office. If your listed number is busy, telco will automatically put the next incoming call on your second line. If there is only one of you to talk on the phone, then a second caller will have to wait to talk anyway, so stick with call-waiting (where only one call at a time can get through while the other call waits on hold at the CO). If there are two or more persons using the phone at your place, then hunting to a second physical line is better since much bitterness and arguing can be avoided when one person talking on the phone gets call- waited by someone wanting to talk to another person -- they have to wait until you get done or you have to quit your call prematurely. Call Waiting costs $2-3 per month and requires only one phone line which you are already paying for. Hunting is frequently free, but requires a second physical line which costs more, unless you already have one. Call waiting and hunting are not compatible services. PAT] ------------------------------ From: lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman) Subject: Want a Good Phone Organization: Netcom Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 19:38:12 GMT I need to buy a phone. I'm not interested in fancy features. An ideal choice for me might be a pre-divestiture (pre-1984) Western Electric Touch-Tone phone, but I don't think those are available anymore. I understand they were pretty solid, probably much more so than any phones on the market today. They also had a very good keypad "feel", and I definitely want to know about any phones that have the same feel. Keypad feel is perhaps my top criteria, because I hate the feel of most newer phones. If you have any recommendations, please email me directly at the address below. If I find out anything interesting I will post it to the net. Thanks, Hans Lachman lachman@netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 12:41:14 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing An note on my latest phone bill from Pacific Bell announced that Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible 3 1/2" computer disk (which can be read by Macintosh computers with the proper software) for a $15 monthly fee. For a short time, they will be waiving the $100 start-up fee. Not that I would ever want to dissuade Pacific Bell from new service offerings, but I can't imagine this would be of much value to the average residential customer, except for those who love to do *everything* with their computer. And I especially can't imagine that many residential customers would pay $100 to sign up for the service when the waiver period ends. But I suppose that it doesn't cost anything to add a blurb to residential bills to try to sell them a service that mostly businesses are going to buy. Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 17:31 EDT From: pad@groucho.att.com (Patricia A Dunkin +1 201 386 6230) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones In a slightly-stale thread (I'm behind on my news reading), bill@cognet. ucla.edu follows up Our Esteemed Moderator: >> [Moderator's Note: Remember, Ike was a nice man, but he never was >> appointed or elected to anything because he *actually knew anything* >> about the position, whether it was president of Columbia or the United >> States. He obtained those positions because he was a popular war hero. > I believe it was in Carroll Quigley's "Tragedy and Hope" where I heard > the anecdote that someone recommended to Rockefeller or whoever was > deciding Columbia's business that "Eisenhower would make a perfect > President." Turned out they were talking about Milton Eisenhower, > Ike's brother, but too late -- Ike already had the job. No relation to telecom, but the above comments remind me of a couple of oldies I've heard from my father: One morning during the Eisenhower administration, two guys were chatting over their coffee. One said, "I had a terrible nightmare last night. I dreamed that Ike died, and Nixon was president!" The other replied, "You think *that's* bad? I dreamed that Sherman Adams died, and Ike was president!" Cartoon, shortly after Ike's heart attack: he and Nixon are standing at the foot of the Capitol steps. Nixon is saying, "Race you to the top!" I thought you might enjoy these. [Moderator's Note: Thanks! I needed a laugh today. :) For the benefit of our international readers, or those too young to remember, prior to Richard Nixon as president (1968-75) the same Richard Nixon was vice- president under Eisenhower (1952-60). He also made a losing attempt at the Presidency in 1960 against John Kennedy. Sherman Adams was a Bad Man who was a confidante and advisor to Eisenhower. He wound up going to the penitentiary for some improper attitudes about the Oval Office, et al, such as that it might be for sale. :) Of course it is, but one is not supposed to be blatant about it. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #336 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa12997; 19 May 93 3:54 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA30662 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 19 May 1993 01:06:17 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA04133 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 19 May 1993 01:05:22 -0500 Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 01:05:22 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305190605.AA04133@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #337 TELECOM Digest Wed, 19 May 93 01:05:20 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 337 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson NIST Answers to Jim Bidzos' Questions (Mark Boolootian) Octel Voice Mail System Ad (Norm Silver) Fixed Radio Access Technology in U.K. and Finland (Nigel Allen) Message Length on Display Pagers (Steve Forrette) Computer Blockers Blocking Phone Line (Rob Brennan) Northern Telecom SL1 ACD Stats (Judy Jankowski) (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? (Brad Turner) VCRS Modem Problem (Kevin Gilmore) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: booloo@framsparc.ocf.llnl.gov (Mark Boolootian) Subject: NIST Answers to Jim Bidzos' Questions Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 07:45:09 -0700 (PDT) Date: Mon, 17 May 93 14:05:18 PDT From: jim@RSA.COM (Jim Bidzos) Subject: NIST Answers to Jim Bidzos' Questions Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 16:44:28 -0400 (EDT) From: ROBACK@ECF.NCSL.NIST.GOV Subject: Answers to Your Questions To: jim@RSA.COM To: Mr. Jim Bidzos, RSA Data Security, Inc. From: Ed Roback, NIST Mr. Ray Kammer asked me to forward to you our answers to the questions you raised in your e-mail of 4/27. We've inserted our answers in your original message. ------------------------------------------------------ From: SMTP%"jim@RSA.COM" 27-APR-1993 03:13:12.75 To: clipper@csrc.ncsl.nist.gov Subj: Clipper questions Date: Tue, 27 Apr 93 00:11:50 PDT From: jim@RSA.COM (Jim Bidzos) Here are some questions about the Clipper program I would like to submit. Much has been said about Clipper and Capstone (the term Clipper will be used to describe both) recently. Essentially, Clipper is a government-sponsored tamper-resistant chip that employs a classified algorithm and a key escrow facility that allows law enforcement, with the cooperation of two other parties, to decipher Clipper-encrypted traffic. The stated purpose of the program is to offer telecommunications privacy to individuals, businesses, and government, while protecting the ability of law enforcement to conduct court-authorized wiretapping. The announcement said, among other things, that there is currently no plan to attempt to legislate Clipper as the only legal means to protect telecommunications. Many have speculated that Clipper, since it is only effective in achieving its stated objectives if everyone uses it, will be followed by legislative attempts to make it the only legal telecommunications protection allowed. This remains to be seen. >>>> NIST: There are no current plans to legislate the use of Clipper. lipper will be a government standard, which can be - and likely will be - used voluntarily by the private sector. The option for legislation may be examined during the policy review ordered by the President. The proposal, taken at face value, still raises a number of serious questions. What is the smallest number of people who are in a position to compromise the security of the system? This would include people employed at a number of places such as Mikotronyx, VSLI, NSA, FBI, and at the trustee facilities. Is there an available study on the cost and security risks of the escrow process? >>>> NIST: It will not be possible for anyone from Mykotronx, VLSI, NIST, NSA, FBI (or any other non-escrow holder) to compromise the system. Under current plans, it would be necessary for three persons, one from each of the escrow trustees and one who knows the serial number of the Clipper Chip which is the subject of the court authorized electronic intercept by the outside law enforcement agency, to conspire in order to compromise escrowed keys. To prevent this, it is envisioned that every time a law enforcement agency is provided access to the escrowed keys there will be a record of same referencing the specific lawful intercept authorization (court order). Audits will be performed to assure strict compliance. This duplicates the protection afforded nuclear release codes. If additional escrow agents are added, one additional person from each would be required to compromise the system. NSA's analysis on the security risks of the escrow system is not available for public dissemination. How were the vendors participating in the program chosen? Was the process open? >>>> NIST: The services of the current chip vendors were obtained in accordance with U.S. Government rules for sole source procurement, based on unique capabilities they presented. Criteria for selecting additional sources will be forthcoming over the next few months. AT&T worked with the government on a voluntary basis to use the "Clipper Chip" in their Telephone Security Device. Any vendors of equipment who would like to use the chips in their equipment may do so, provided they meet proper government security requirements. A significant percentage of US companies are or have been the subject of an investigation by the FBI, IRS, SEC, EPA, FTC, and other government agencies. Since records are routinely subpoenaed, shouldn't these companies now assume that all their communications are likely compromised if they find themselves the subject of an investigation by a government agency? If not, why not? >>>> NIST: No. First of all, there is strict and limited use of subpoenaed material under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and sanctions for violation. There has been no evidence to date of Governmental abuse of subpoenaed material, be it encrypted or not. Beyond this, other Federal criminal and civil statutes protect and restrict the disclosure of proprietary business information, trade secrets, etc. Finally, of all the Federal agencies cited, only the FBI has statutory authority to conduct authorized electronic surveillance. Electronic surveillance is conducted by the FBI only after a Federal judge agrees that there is probable cause indicating that a specific individual or individuals are using communications in furtherance of serious criminal activity and issues a court order to the FBI authorizing the interception of the communications. What companies or individuals in industry were consulted (as stated in the announcement) on this program prior to its announcement? (This question seeks to identify those who may have been involved at the policy level; certainly ATT, Mikotronyx and VLSI are part of industry, and surely they were involved in some way.) >>>> NIST: To the best of our knowledge: AT&T, Mykotronx, VLSI, and Motorola. Other firms were briefed on the project, but not "consulted," per se. Is there a study available that estimates the cost to the US government of the Clipper program? >>>> NIST: No studies have been conducted on a government-wide basis to estimate the costs of telecommunications security technologies. The needs for such protection are changing all the time. There are a number of companies that employ non-escrowed cryptography in their products today. These products range from secure voice, data, and fax to secure email, electronic forms, and software distribution, to name but a few. With over a million such products in use today, what does the Clipper program envision for the future of these products and the many corporations and individuals that have invested in and use them? Will the investment made by the vendors in encryption-enhanced products be protected? If so, how? Is it envisioned that they will add escrow features to their products or be asked to employ Clipper? >>>> NIST: Again, the Clipper Chip is a government standard which can be used voluntarily by those in the private sector. We also point out that the President's directive on "Public Encryption Management" stated: "In making this decision, I do not intend to prevent the private sector from developing, or the government from approving, other microcircuits or algorithms that are equally effective in assuring both privacy and a secure key-escrow system." You will have to consult directly with private firms as to whether they will add escrow features to their products. Since Clipper, as currently defined, cannot be implemented in software, what options are available to those who can benefit from cryptography in software? Was a study of the impact on these vendors or of the potential cost to the software industry conducted? (Much of the use of cryptography by software companies, particularly those in the entertainment industry, is for the protection of their intellectual property.) >>>> NIST: You are correct that, currently, Clipper Chip functionality can only be implemented in hardware. We are not aware of a solution to allow lawfully authorized government access when the key escrow features and encryption algorithm are implemented in software. We would welcome the participation of the software industry in a cooperative effort to meet this technical challenge. Existing software encryption use can, of course, continue. Banking and finance (as well as general commerce) are truly global today. Most European financial institutions use technology described in standards such as ISO 9796. Many innovative new financial products and services will employ the reversible cryptography described in these standards. Clipper does not comply with these standards. Will US financial institutions be able to export Clipper? If so, will their overseas customers find Clipper acceptable? Was a study of the potential impact of Clipper on US competitiveness conducted? If so, is it available? If not, why not? >>>> NIST: Consistent with current export regulations applied to the export of the DES, we expect U.S. financial institutions will be able to export the Clipper Chip on a case by case basis for their use. It is probably too early to ascertain how desirable their overseas customers will find the Clipper Chip. No formal study of the impact of the Clipper Chip has been conducted since it was, until recently, a classified technology; however, we are well aware of the threats from economic espionage from foreign firms and governments and we are making the Clipper Chip available to provide excellent protection against these threats. As noted below, we would be interested in such input from potential users and others affected by the announcement. Use of other encryption techniques and standards, including ISO 9796 and the ISO 8730 series, by non-U.S. Government entities (such as European financial institutions) is expected to continue. I realize they are probably still trying to assess the impact of Clipper, but it would be interesting to hear from some major US financial institutions on this issue. >>>> NIST: We too would be interested in hearing any reaction from these institutions, particularly if such input can be received by the end of May, to be used in the Presidentially-directed review of government cryptographic policy. Did the administration ask these questions (and get acceptable answers) before supporting this program? If so, can they share the answers with us? If not, can we seek answers before the program is launched? >>>> NIST: These and many, many others were discussed during the development of the Clipper Chip key escrow technology and the decisions-making process. The decisions reflect those discussions and offer a balance among the various needs of corporations and citizens for improved security and privacy and of the law enforcement community for continued legal access to the communications of criminals. ------------------------------ Date: 18 May 1993 16:16:29 U From: Norm Silver Subject: Octel Voice Mail System Advice Needed I am the telecom director at Berklee College of Music and I am seeking info on the difficulty of administering a Octel Voice Mail System both the current release and the prior release. I am planning on adding voice mail to my Rolm 9751 switch to serve approximtely 600 users. Future expansion plans include adding 2500 students to the system. What are the difficulties encountered? Do you have any feedback or warnings about the Octel system? What is the ease of growth? We are also considering the Rolm 5.3 release. Thank you for any info you may wish to send me. NORMAN SILVER DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE AUXILIARY SERVICES NSILVER@IT.BERKLEE.EDU ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 20:57:26 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Fixed Radio Access Technology in U.K. and Finland Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Here is a press release from Northern Telecom, courtesy of Dan J. Rudiak of the Gorre & Daphetid BBS in Calgary, Alberta. (BBS line: 403-280-9900; FidoNet: 1:134/14). Ionica and Northern Telecom Europe to Co-Operate in the Development of Fixed Radio Access Technology. LONDON - Northern Telecom Europe and Ionica have signed an agreement to develop and produce the residential and radio base station equipment which will be the key elements of Ionica's national telephone network. The opportunity is estimated to be worth more than $150 million over the next few years as Ionica expands into the UK market. Ionica was awarded a Public Telephone Operator's (PTO) license by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in February 1993 to become the third national PTO in the UK licensed to provide fixed telephone services. The Ionica system uses a wireless link to provide the final drop for Ionica's exchange to the home or business, thus completely avoiding the costs associated with installing cables. The system will offer customers a quality service at significantly reduced prices. There is also already considerable international interest in the Ionica system and Telecom Finland was the next PTO to announce, on 14th April 1993, that it is to adopt the Ionica technology. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 18:40:46 -0700 From: Steve Forrette Subject: Message Length on Display Pagers Recently, I discovered that the Motorola Bravo Plus pager I have has a maximum message length of 20 characters. My paging company tells me that this is the way the pager is built, and experiments with the same type of pager on another carrier yields the same results. This seems especially odd since it has a 12 digit display -- why is the limit not 24? I have an application where I need to send two phone numbers along with a two digit code in a single page, for a total of 22 characters. I'd hate to have to send these as two separate pages. So, does anyone know if this 20 character limit really is with the pager itself, and not just the paging company? And, does anyone know of or could recommend a pager that has a higher capacity (such as 32 characters per page)? Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: v120q4jf@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Rob Brennan) Subject: Computer Blockers Blocking Phone Line Organization: University at Buffalo Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 05:20:00 GMT Does anyone know if there are laws against a computer caller blocking a phone line even after the recipient hangs up? I have had companies advertising for 900 numbers call. After I hang up, if I pick up the phone they are still on the line. Should I get the phone number of the company and report them, or isn't it worth the bother? [Moderator's Note: It is probably not worth the bother. They are supposed to disconnect as soon as they have detected you are gone, but this might be a few seconds, depending on the switch serving them and the one serving you. A common mistake people make is to disconnect then pick the phone up just a few seconds later to 'make sure they are gone' ... only to have not waited quite long enough and started the time out process all over from the beginning. When you hang up, if you feel you must check to be sure the caller is gone, wait at least 20-30 seconds. Almost assuredly you will have dial tone when you go off hook. If you wait only five seconds or so, the machine might be gone or it might not be yet, and your on-hook/off-hook is treated more like a switchhook flash, especially if you have call waiting, three-way, etc. My suggestion is just hang up and go back to whatever you were doing before the interupption. Your line will clear itself in very short order. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jankowsk@progress.COM (Judy Jankowski) Subject: Northern Telecom SL1 ACD Stats Organization: Progress Software Corp. Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 15:03:07 GMT Is anyone downloading their ACD stats to a PC and not to a continuous feed printer? Any suggestions welcome. Judy Jankowski Progress Software Corporation jankowsk@bedford.progress.com 14 Oak Park (617)280-4649 Bedford, Mass. 01730 ------------------------------ From: mbt@NSD.3Com.COM (Brad Turner) Subject: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? Date: 18 May 93 18:02:49 GMT I'm trying to help my roommate sort out the wiring in an 80 year old house that has two lines run in it. What is the phone number that I can call from the (408) 971 exchange that will answer and automatically reply with the number of the line from which I'm calling? It would really make crawling around under the house a lot easier if I could discern which line was which. Please reply via email to mbt@3com.com since I don't normally read the telecom groups. Thanks ahead, Brad Turner | 5400 Bayfront Plaza | Marketing Engineer | (408) 764-5261 3Com Corp. | Santa Clara CA, 95052| mbt@NSD.3Com.Com | (408) 764-5002 fax ------------------------------ From: gilmore@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Kevin Gilmore) Subject: VCRS Modem Problem Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 11:30:46 GMT [Moderator's Note: This appeared originally in rec.video.satellite. PAT] Well over the last month I have been having weird phone problems where people would call me and get one ring followed by a busy signal. Called out the phone company ($53.00 for 15 minutes) and they diagnosed the problem down to a current draw at 24 volts amounting to about 75 ohms, and guess what: it was the VCRS modem. Now the thing still calls out twice a month, but with it plugged into the phone line it draws enough current to mess up the phone company. At low voltage the impedance is quite high however, leading me to believe that the mov is shorted. The phone company guy said that he knew of lots of VCRS's with the same problem. I made a few calls to the appropriate people and the suggestion has b een to open up the VCRS and clip out the mov. Evidently many VCRS's were assembled with a mov that is of too low a voltage. I do not really want to send the thing into GI and wait three weeks. How long is the warranty on the VCRS anyway? If I open it up and fix it myself then something else goes wrong later will GI even touch it? GI makes CRAP!!!!! ....kg.... [Moderator's Note: If you are only using it twice a month, why not either buy or build a little toggle switch which will cut the phone line from the modem when it is not in use? Also, why leave the modem turned on for that little use? Power it down and turn it on when you want to use it; that might end your problem, or am I missing something here? PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #337 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa14991; 19 May 93 5:03 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05463 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 19 May 1993 02:21:48 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13793 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 19 May 1993 02:21:02 -0500 Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 02:21:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305190721.AA13793@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #338 TELECOM Digest Wed, 19 May 93 02:21:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 338 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Digital Sampling of T1 Line (Mark Fanty) Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles (Juergen Ziegler) Wanted: CCITT Modem V22bis Fax G3 Document (Dmitri Rostislavovich Sysoeff) Carrier Indeterminable, Phone Insecurity (David A. Cantor) Strange Prefix (David A. Cantor) Question About 1-800 Costs (Steve Dillinger) Arista-Sun Life (Sylvie St-Georges) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Michael Covington) Re: Line Status Indicator (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Sex Telemarketing (Mark Oberg) Re: Telecom History (David Ohsie) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Peter Capek) Re: Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? (Al Varney) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: fanty@cse.ogi.edu (Mark Fanty) Subject: Digital Sampling of T1 Line Date: 18 May 93 17:19:03 GMT Organization: Oregon Graduate Institute (formerly OGC), Beaverton, OR I am part of a speech research group at the Oregon Graduate Institute. In order to train our recognition and language identification algorithms, we collect lots of telephone speech data. In the past we have used Gradient Desklabs, SCSI devices for UNIX workstations which take one or two analog telephone lines. We would like to switch to digital recording. My understanding is that, if we get a T1 line, the incoming signal will be digital. If we can capture that signal, we avoid all the D/A distortions and problems on this end. I was hoping we could get something off the shelf to do that, but I'm not having much luck. Ideally, I want a device for DEC or Sun workstations into which I plug a T1 line. It can handle several calls simultaneously. It has a flexible and powerful C library interface -- my C program will have complete control over the call. It can scan the signal as it comes in, do it's own utterance detection or speech recognition, send synthesized or recorded speech back out, record while playing (to detect barge in). I can compromise as necessary. We have a fast 486 PC and could use that. Also, I need to learn more about telephony. Any book recommendations? I just ordered Newton's Telecom Dictionary by Harry Newton (1-800-542-7279) for $25 on someone's recommendation. I have not personally seen it yet. Mark Fanty Center for Spoken Language Understanding fanty@cse.ogi.edu regon Graduate Institute (503) 690-1030 9600 NW Von Neumann Drive fax (503) 690-1334 Beaverton, OR 97006-1999 [Moderator's Note: You might try brousing through the Telecom Archives, available using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT] ------------------------------ From: juergen@jojo.sub.org Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 20:37:43 +0200 Subject: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles Several weeks ago I reported that German customers will get such elementary custom calling features as call waiting or itemised billing, if they are connected to a modern digital switch. This is probably true for customers who are connected to SIEMENS "EWSD" switches, but customers who are connected to ALCATEL SEL "S12" switches will probably have to wait another year to get these features. According to preliminary and unofficial information from various TELEKOM sources one of the system suppliers (SIEMENS or ALCATEL SEL) will probably not meet the set schedules to modify their switches to offer these features. The sources also state that ALCATEL SEL is the probable candidate for this mess. SIEMENS as a supplier of several US telcos, who offer numerous custom calling features, will probably have no problems to offer these features in Germany since they have comprehensive experience from the US markets. But as I said, all information is NOT offical nor is it comfirmed so far. Wouldn't this be a terrible mess for one of the system suppliers? I think it definitely would. If we consider that AT&T switches (1 ESS, 1A ESS) offer these features now for around 20 years, it is hard to understand, how modern and more sophisticated (??) switches, cannot offer these features in 1993! The German TELEKOM has installed digital switches since 1985, so the troubled system supplier should have plenty of time to implement these features in their switches. But as time passed by, they were either not capable or they have just forgotten to implement these features. Both reasons are highly embarrasing for the supplier in question and will not show their sophistication in this fast changing market. As I get more information on this topic I will report about it. Juergen Ziegler......... Internet: juergen@jojo.sub.org Obervogt-Haefelinstr. 48 W7580 Buehl (Baden)..... Secondary Mail address: Germany.[PLZ NEU:77815]. uk84@ibm3090.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de ------------------------------ From: Sysoeff@tezey.munic.msk.su (Dmitri Rostislavovich Sysoeff) Subject: Wanted: CCITT Modem V22bis Fax G3 Document Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 08:04:25 GMT Reply-To: Sysoeff@tezey.munic.msk.su Organization: Information Technologies Center of The Moscow City [Moderator's Note: This message from Moscow was somehow truncated in transit, but I suspect he is asking about obtaining a copy of the document in particular if anyone would care to help him out. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 01:05:26 -0400 (EDT) From: David A. Cantor Subject: Carrier Indeterminable, Phone Insecurity Here's an anecdote for your amusement. As I search for a new job, I am using the services of a placement assistance firm. They provide me with a temporary office, fax service, message service, and other things, among which is the ability for me to make long distance calls at my ex-employer's expense. These calls are supposed to be for the purpose of finding new employment, of course, and I try to abide by the rule. When I make personal long distance calls which are unrelated to my job search, I use Sprint's 800 number and charge the call to my own Sprint account. The dialing instructions are: dial 9-1 + ten digits, wait for tone, and then enter the n-digit individual code given to each client (so they can track which calls each of us makes, I suppose). Of course, dialing 9-1-800 + seven digits results in connection without having to enter an authorization code, and of course 900 calls are blocked. I was curious who the carrier was so I dialed 9-1-700-555-4141 and got a reorder! It appears that 700 calls are completely blocked, as if they were 900. So that made me even more curious. I tried 9-10333-1-700-555-4141, and got Sprint's ID message, and that led me to assume that I could dial 9-10xxx + 1 + ten digits and bypass their accounting system altogether. I can. There's no reason to, of course, because I'm not charged for the calls I make anyway, but it IS insecure. Yes, I tried to report it to someone, assuming they'd want to close the loophole, but no one cares, nor do they seem to understand. David A. Cantor 603-888-8133 131 D.W. Highway, #505 VMS techie, ex-DECcie, between jobs... Nashua, NH 03060 Got one for me? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 00:48:06 -0400 (EDT) From: David A. Cantor Subject: Strange Prefix I stayed overnight in Mystic, Connecticut, and was perusing the local telephone directory. It is SNET territory. There were several references to prefixes (office codes?) 111 and 112. 111 was listed as Ledyard, CT, and I don't remember where 112 was. 111 was identified as a Ledyard prefix in the section on what exchanges you can dial from where, and in the numerical list of prefixes for the state. 112 was also in the numerical list. Since Ledyard was local, I quickly scanned the Ledyard listings, but didn't see any 111 listings. (There is another "normal" NNX prefix for Ledyard, too.) Pity I couldn't find any 111 listings. I would have tried to dial one from home if I had found any. Does anyone have a clue how such a prefix can exist? Can anyone confirm or deny the actual existence of 111-xxxx numbers? David A. Cantor 603-888-8133 131 D.W. Highway, #505 VMS techie, ex-DECcie, between jobs... Nashua, NH 03060 Got one for me? [Moderator's Note: I rather suspect it was a misprint. PAT] ------------------------------ From: driver@merle.acns.nwu.edu (Steve Dillinger) Subject: Question About 1-800 Costs Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 16:38:34 GMT I would appreciate it if someone could post or email me some general numbers on 1-800 rates ... (ie: owning one). I realize these numbers will vary between carrier, I am just looking for some general guidelines. I do not want to go through sales hell with three different LD companies over an 800 number until I have an idea what constitutes a decent deal. It would be for a small setup, say 10-30 inbound lines, nothing out. Steve Dillinger driver@merle.acns.nwu.edu [Moderator's Note: If you ordered the 800 service through my office, under one plan I have, the cost would be 17 cents per minute, billed in six second increments. No monthly fee, no set up charges. I also offer 800 numbers through an aggregator/reseller of AT&T. Theirs are distance and time of day sensitive, but at $300 per month or more of inbound calls, the rates would be as little as six to nine cents per minute during non-business hours, and max out at around twenty cents per minute during business hours to the furthest points. Six second billing increments applies here also. This plan of AT&T via the reseller breaks down further into two components: one component has slightly higher rates all around with discounts up to twenty percent each month against the total and a low start up fee plus a twenty dollar monthly fee. The flip side is the six cents per minute rates noted above, but no further discounts and a large (thousand dollar) start up fee. You decide your application. I'll be happy to help you review whatever information you get from various sources, as will many readers here. Whatever you get, simply send it along for group discussion. PAT] ------------------------------ From: st-georges.sylvie@uqam.ca (Sylvie St-Georges) Subject: Arista-Sun Life Date: Tue, 18 May 93 13:54:33 EDT FELICITATIONS A REJEAN BERNARD !!! L'equipe du Service des telecommunications de l'UQAM est heureuse et fiere d'annoncer que dans le cadre du concours Arista-Sun Life 1993, Monsieur Rejean Bernard, directeur du Service des telecommunications de l'UQAM, a recu le 13 mai dernier le prix Jeune Cadre dans la categorie Organisme public ou parapublic. CONGRATULATIONS TO REJEAN BERNARD !!! Mister Rejean Bernard, director of Service des telecommunications de l'UQAM (Universite du Quebec a Montreal), received May 13th the prize Jeune Cadre for the Arista-Sun Life concourse. ------------------------------ From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 01:09:49 GMT In article rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) writes: > Jim.Rees@umich.edu writes: >> Since every cellphone is a scanner, and cell scanners are illegal, is >> it now illegal to own a cellphone? > Actually, the law doesn't seem to make any distinction that would > exempt cellphones from such a classification ... anybody have text > from it that says differently? The law refers to scanning receivers. A cellphone is a scanning _transceiver_. Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358 Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Line Status Indicator Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 02:54:49 GMT In John C. Fowler writes: > I would have thought this would be in the TELECOM Archives or the FAQ, > but I can't seem to find it there. How does one build a telephone > line status indicator? That is, a device which lights up when an > extension goes off hook. Thanks very much! Many telephones, especially multiline phones with built-in hold button capability (e.g. Panasonic) have such an indicator built in. Many devices that purport to be "tap detectors" (but of course cannot detect many taps) do just what you want. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (intellectual property lawyer) 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0228 voice 212-408-2578 fax 212-765-2519 ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 03:04:34 GMT In scs@eskimo.com (Steve Summit) writes: > +------------------++-------------+--------------+ > | || tip | ring | > +==================++=============+==============+ > | line 1 || green | red | > +------------------++-------------+--------------+ > | line 2 || black | yellow | > | [note 2] || | | > +------------------++-------------+--------------+ > | 25 pair || white/blue | blue/white | > | [note 3] || | | > +------------------++-------------+--------------+ I somehow missed the initial inquiry on this -- sorry. My book about telephone service (ISBN 0-89043-364-X) has a table much like this on page 275. It goes on to tell you this: line 2 white/orange orange/white line 3 white blue line 3 white/green green/white The book also defines the numbered jack positions: Ring 1 3 Tip 1 4 Ring 2 5 Tip 2 2 Ring 3 6 Tip 3 1 The book also defines RJ11, RJ12/13, RJ14, RJ15 (for boats), RJ25 ... The solid color wire codes tend to mean that the pairs are not twisted. The ones with white bands generally are twisted pair, which is much preferable as there is much less crosstalk between lines. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (intellectual property lawyer) 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0228 voice 212-408-2578 fax 212-765-2519 ------------------------------ From: mark@sun1.clark.net (Mark Oberg) Subject: Re: Sex Telemarketing Date: 18 May 1993 23:29:16 -0400 Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc. Mark Oberg (mark@sun1.clark.net) had the audacity to write: > Wrongo, oh usually all-knowing Moderator man! Here in Maryland the > local news has been full of stories about phone sex operators calling > at random (or I suppose in blocks) to homes and businesses. When one > receives such a call, one is greeted by a sultry female who asks you > to touch a number on your touchtone phone to connect to the "real > thing". ... and our favorite telecom moderator responded: > [Moderator's Note: Are you POSITIVE those calls were not originated by > someone playing pranks on the people? I cannot think of a bigger waste > of a sex-IP's time than to dial at random as you suggest. Well Pat, I haven't been so fortunate as to receive one of these calls myself, but I have seen several news reports on the various Baltimore Area television stations. In each news report several people were interviewed, each claiming to have received the same type of call. While it is possible that the calls are a prank, it would not surprise me at all if they were indeed placed by the IP. After all, who would have thought that calls to an 800 number could be billed back as collect calls @ $35.00 per minute ... BTW, nice to have Net access again and be able to read this group regularly again! Good to be back! Mark Oberg - Sysop | Internet: mark@noplace.clark.net No Place Like Home BBS | Fido: Mark Oberg 1:109/506 410-995-5423 / 301-596-6450 | "One of the most unusual bbs' in America" [Moderator's Note: And it is good to see you back, even if you do contradict a lot of my messages ...:) Well, the evidence given here thus far seems to be they are doing it. Wonders will never cease, I guess, although I can't imagine the benefits would outweigh the potential problems. I wish the fellow who started this thread -- the sex-IP who said I called him sleaze (not true!) -- would write again and clarify this point. Are there people in the sex-IP industry making outcalls without some prior relationship with the recipients? PAT] ------------------------------ From: ohsie@cs.columbia.edu (David Ohsie) Subject: Re: Telecom History Organization: Columbia University Department of Computer Science Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 03:46:22 GMT In article kennykb@dssv01.crd.ge.com writes: > One of the worst cases of that I saw was in Far Rockaway, New York, > where the same CO served FAr Rockaway-4 and FAr Rockaway-7 (now > 718-324 and 718-327) and FRanklin-1 and FRanklin-4 (now 516-371 and > 516-374). Yes, the area codes are different, too. Lots of people got > FRanlkin-4 when they wanted FAr Rockaway-4, and the exchanges were in > the same CO. In the interest of accuracy :-), there is not currently a 324 exchange in Far Rockaway (or in any part of Queens according to my phone book), althought there is a 327. david alan ohsie internet: ohsie@cs.columbia.edu usenet: ...!rutgers!columbia!ohsie bitnet: ohsie%cs.columbia.edu@cuvmb ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 23:51:40 EDT From: capek@watson.ibm.com Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows In New York City and Westchester, I can think of only four CO's that don't have windows ... and two of them are not RBOCs ... they're AT&T 4ESS sites. Offhand, I can think of perhaps 15 or 20 which do have windows, although most of them appear to be at least 20 years old or more. The two NYNEX sites without windows are both quite recent. Perhaps the explanation for the current mode is given by a friend's observation: The answer to all questions that start with the word "why" is "money." No windows are cheaper than windows. Peter Capek ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 May 93 23:57:58 CDT From: varney@ihlpl.att.com Subject: Re: Call Processing/Fax-on-Demand Systems on Macs? Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL In article aeichsta@athena.mit.edu (Andrew J. Eichstaedt) writes: > I'm looking for information on call processing systems (voice mail, > fax-on-demand, etc.) that run on Macs. I'm particularly interested in > multi-line solutions. > I'm seeking to set up a four (or more) line system that callers can > use to retrieve information in recorded messages and faxes. The data > is on a network of Macs, which is why I'd strongly prefer a Mac-based > solution. > If a Mac-based system is unavailable, does anyone have experience > integrating PC-based systems into a Macintosh environment? Since this isn't my usual subject area, these are not even my own opinions! But here's what I've seen: Great Valley Products (GVP) in King of Prussia, PA makes lots of add-on products for the Commodore Amiga. You didn't say what kind of "network" the Macs are using, but there are also add-on's that handle Apple-Talk, Ethernet, and TCP-IP over other media to connect the Amiga to the Macs. There are also software utilities to convert Amiga file formats to common Mac formats. The GVP product you would be interested in is called "PhonePak VFX". Call GVP on (215) 337-8770 for more information. The product is a single board (probably one per line, about $400 each). An Amiga to support the board(s) would be about $2000 (4MB RAM, lots of SCSI disk). Here's some highlights: - The PhonePak is a combination FAX (in or out), voice mail (record), answering machine (send and record voice) and software controller. - An internal scripting language and/or ARexx interface allows the user to control the actions taken on each incoming call, including the option to transfer (via Centrex(tm)) to another extension, leave voice message, receive FAX, or some combination. - Scheduler for sending FAXes, voice recordings, etc. - Manages private mailboxes for voice mail and FAXes, as desired. Don Lloyd on (302) 368-4673 operates an information service for his BBS that uses both voice and FAX (maybe-on-demand) using PhonePak. This would give you an idea of how the system can be used. As for 's comments about Brooktrout's fax on demand patent, I don't believe it would apply since YOU would be supplying the instructions (send a FAX) in response to some user input that YOU select, along with some customized voice YOU recorded. Can you violate a patent by building/programming something for your own use? Al Varney ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #338 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa06007; 19 May 93 19:47 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA24916 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 19 May 1993 16:57:44 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08306 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 19 May 1993 16:56:47 -0500 Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 16:56:47 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305192156.AA08306@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #339 TELECOM Digest Wed, 19 May 93 16:56:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 339 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Those Talk Tickets - BIG Mailing Completed Today! (TELECOM Moderator) Windows Telephony Specs Available in Postscript (Toby Nixon via M Solomon) New Rockwell V.32bis Chip Set (Stephen Palm via Monty Solomon) MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split (Richard Budd) Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude (Thomas Schafbauer) Wireless Drop? (Sam Houston) Is Someone Using My Telephone? (Steve Grant) Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (Richard Budd) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Dave Ptasnik) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TELECOM Moderator Subject: Those Talk Tickets - BIG Mailing Completed Today! Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 16:20:20 CDT Just a note to let all of you who have been waiting for the Talk Tickets that my third large supply came in from New York and ALL back orders were put in the mail today. Watch your mail Friday, Saturday and Monday ... you should all surely have your orders by then. I have enough stock on hand now to fill orders with no further delays. They are still $2 each for the sample cards, or $15 for 10 cards, good for use calling anywhere in the world from any phone in the USA. Thanks for your patience in waiting. I did not begin to imagine the large response I would have on this. Some of you have waited three weeks for your tickets. Repeat: Everyone should have them in a day or two as they were mailed from the Chicago Main Post Office today. PAT ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 06:35:54 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Windows Telephony Specs Available in Postscript [Moderator's Note: Monty passed along the following article written by Toby Nixon which appeared in other groups. Replies should be directed to the groups specified below -- not here to the Digest. PAT] From: tnixon@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon) Newsgroups: comp.archives Subject: Windows Telephony specs available in Postscript Followup-To: comp.dcom.modems,comp.dcom.fax,comp.dcom.isdn Date: 15 May 1993 22:20:51 GMT Organization: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA, USA After my previous posting, many of you asked for the Windows Telephony specs in other forms than self-extracting ZIP archives. In response, we have created Postscript versions of the API and SPI specifications, and have also decided to post the .DOC and .PS files in both uncompressed and ZIP (not self-extracting) form in addition to the self-extracting files. The PostScript files have been tested by Don Stoye at Sun and confirmed to work properly with the "pageview" tool and to print OK. Thanks, Don! The files will be posted on ftp.uu.net ~vendor/microsoft/telephony soon. They can be downloaded NOW from rhino.microsoft.com ~specs/telephony. Here is how the subdirectories are structured: telephony readme.txt {explanation of the contents of the subdirectories} api {Application Programming Interface spec} doc {contains the original .doc files} ps {contains the uncompressed postscript files} zip {contains the compressed versions of the above} spi {Service Provider Interface [driver] spec} doc {contains the original .doc files} ps {contains the uncompressed postscript files} zip {contains the compressed versions of the above} Please let me know if there are any questions or issues regarding these files (particularly problems using the Postscript files on different platforms). Thanks for your interest! Toby Nixon Program Manager - Windows Telephony Digital Office Systems Groups Microsoft Corporation ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 06:32:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New Rockwell V.32bis Chip Set [Moderator's Note: Monty also sent along this article by Stephen Palm he found of interest. PAT] From: palm@tokyo.rockwell.com (Stephen [kiwin] PALM) Subject: New V.32bis Chip Set Message-ID: <1993May14.222331.6233@chinacat.unicom.com> Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:23:31 CDT Newsgroups: comp.newprod Reply-To: eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com Inquiries to: Eileen Algaze Digital Communications Division 4311 Jamboree Rd., M/S 501-300 Newport Beach, CA 92658-8902 USA +1-714-833-6849 Internet: eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com ROCKWELL SLASHES MODEM COSTS WITH NEW V.32BIS CHIP SET Rockwell International Corporation has announced production sample shipments of its new, low-cost V.32bis modem family. They are targeted for the increasingly cost-sensitive PC retail segment. The new device sets, the RC96ACi and RC144ACi, consist of a modem data pump and an integrated modem controller, and will rely on increased industry volume to provide a combined price reduction and manufacturing cost savings of up to 30 percent. These modem products reduce costs by integrating external memory, glue logic devices and an optional 16550 Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART). The RC96ACi and the RC144ACi incorporate Rockwell's advanced sigma- delta analog front-end technology optimized for highest performance over low-quality telephone lines. The products, which support 14.4Kbps data (V.32bis) and 14.4Kbps send/receive Group 3 facsimile (V.17), operate at 9600bps data (V.32), send/receive facsimile (V.29), with downward compatibility from 7200 to 75bps for data and 7200 to 2400bps for facsimile transmission. The complete modem solutions also support AT commands, V.42 and MNP 2-4 error correction, V.42bis and MNP 5 data compression, MNP 10, V.25bis, EIA/TIA 578 Class 1 and Class 2 (defacto) fax standards and Calling Number Delivery (CND) or Caller ID detect. Worldwide call progress tone detection and blacklisting further contribute to the global connectivity of the products. The optional 16550 UART improves system performance in Windows environments. The RC96ACi and RC144ACi's modem data pump offers up to 12dB improvement in signal to distortion levels that great enhances the performance of the echo canceller thereby improving connectivity. Also, a wider dynamic range which improves performance at low signal levels down to -52dBm. The two-package RC96ACi and RC144ACi are offered in 68-pin PLCC and 84-pin PLCC packages. Pricing for quantities of 10,000 is as follows: RC96ACi -- $55; RC144ACi -- $65. All products are backed by Rockwell's five-year warranty and worldwide customer support. For technical documentation, contact Rockwell's Literature Line at (800) 436-9988 or fax (818) 365-1876. Stephen [kiwin] Palm TEL: +81-3-3265-8850 Rockwell International - Digital Communications Division COMNET: 930-8862 Japan Engineering Design Center FAX: +81-3-3263-0639 palm@tokyo.rockwell.com palm@cs.cmu.edu NIHON::PALM ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 93 17:28:14 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split Organization: CSAV UTIA Yes. I will tell you about the MCI Operator who insisted there is still a Czechoslovakia| Over the Easter weekend an exchange student in Bardejov, Slovakia and I surveyed calling cards in that city. He tried to place a call to distant relatives he had discovered were living in Prague in the Czech Republic using a service of MCI World Reach. Bear in mind, this was just last month. He was able to reach an MCI operator after dialing the CS access code and his card number. He then asked her to place a country to country call through his calling card to Prague. This was the conversation he reported to me: Operator: I'm sorry, we can't do that. Our records indicate Bardejov and Prague are in the same country. Student: Bardejov and Prague are no longer in the same country. Operator: Our records indicate that Bardejov and Prague are in Czechoslovakia. Student: But Czechoslovakia no longer exists. The country split into two on January 1. Bardejov is in Slovakia and Prague is in another country. Operator: I'm sorry. You can't use this particular service. According to our records, Bardejov and Prague are both located in the same country. Student: YOUR RECORDS ARE WRONG| THE COUNTRY SPLIT| I WAS IN BRATISLAVA FOR THE CELEBRATION. Operator: I'm sorry. Your party has to be in a different country for you to use this service. He asked my advice. I suggested he get together with his friend, Igor (yes, there are people there called Igor), who is high up in the Slovak government. Have HIM try to call Prague through MCI. Better yet, have the Prime Minister of Slovakia listen in. It might not do much good, but I would guarantee, he would learn the latest Slovak curse words. (Kids, don't try this stunt at home, especially if your country has nuclear weapons|) Later that night, he became sympathetic with the operator when he found out the Czech Republic and Slovakia still share the same country code (42). On the other hand, AT&T has realized Czechoslovakia has split, and USA DIRECT, according to the International Herald Tribune, won't be accepted from Slovakia. When I tried that weekend to call home as a test, I could not get through to an AT&T operator with my calling card. However, a colleague reported he obtained a US dial tone through AT&T from Bratislava, the Slovak capital. My housemate found he can't use his AT&T calling card from the majority of public telephones in Prague. The pad goes dead the moment he completes dialing the access code. The new telephones are all operated by PRAHA TELECOM, the government telecommunications entity. The only telephone he has gotten to accept his calling card are the public phones at Namesti Republiky Metro station, which appears to be "tourist haven" in a city overloaded with them. I should ask him to try calling Bardejov from Prague on AT&T, or better yet, MCI. FYI, you can't use Sprint's calling card service in either country. There is not even an access code to get dial tone. After the MCI incident, we wondered what the Sprint operator would say. My guess: "We're sorry. We don't accept calling card requests originating from a Communist country." Richard Budd | USA klub@maristb.bitnet | CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 139 S. Hamilton St. | Kolackova 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | 18200 Praha 8 ------------------------------ From: tschafba@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Thomas Schafbauer) Subject: Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude Organization: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Muenchen (Germany) Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 10:41:57 GMT I`m terribly looking for a database to translate a huge phone number list (worldwide) to a longitude/latitude format (which then can be displayed on a world map). This is not too difficult as far as the European number format (each city has it`s pre-dial) is concerned (though I haven`t found a suitable database yet). As the American format (where each local area has its own pre-dial) is more complex, I wonder if there`s any database around. Alternativly, I would be satisfied with a list area-code/predial -> cityname. If anyone can help, pleas send me a private e-mail, since I can`t visit this newsgroup often enough. Thanks a lot. ------------------------------ From: houston@eso.mc.xerox.com (Sam) Subject: Wireless Drop? Reply-To: houston@eso.mc.xerox.com Organization: Xerox Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 14:06:05 GMT Does anybody know of anyone making a wireless drop device (using RF, not IR) with voice bandwidth? Specifically what I'd like is a wireless extension of the telco's RJ-11 wall jack that provides on-hook/off-hook and ringing at the remote. That is -- essentially a (ISM, spread spectrum-part 15) cordless phone with an RJ-11 on both the base and the master, but without the speech and dialing components. The Cylink Airlink VF is ideal for my application, but at $5400 (for two units) is *way* too pricey ... yes, I know about the Phonejak, but need multichannel, freedom from power line transients, and a modicum of security and protection from foreign use. "sam" houston Xerox, Rochester, N.Y. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 93 18:59:36 GMT+12:00 From: steveg@kcbbs.gen.nz (Steve Grant) Subject: Is Someone Using My Telephone? Hi All, Just a few questions: I have a funny suspicion that somebody has been playing with our telephones: A few unaccounted tolls have come up recently and I was wondering how easy it is to do this by getting to the little grey things we have outside our houses and just connecting a telephone to it. (In NZ we have these little grey things outside most houses that contain telephone wires.) Anyway what would the signs be? I have heard it can be done, how easy is it to do? What wires go where? All replys by email please. Can't people also listen to your phone conversations in this way? Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 93 16:59:48 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) Organization: CSAV UTIA 0205925@mhs.attmail.com (Brad Hicks) wrote in TELECOM Digest V13 #329: >> Let's see. You have a credit card and lend it out. Huge charges appear >> on your next bill. Who's responsible? > Hey, I just spotted this in somebody's reply. Not only is it a rotten > analogy, it's not true, either! Anybody in the credit card industry, > and most people in the banking industry, and (in theory) just about > any clerk in the retail business could tell you the answer to your > question: as described, THE MERCHANT is responsible. > That's because merchant (technically, the term is "acquirer") credit > card agreements explicitly state that in order to collect the money, > the merchant MUST confirm that the card isn't on the lost/stolen list, > that the transaction is within the card's remaining credit limit, and, > most importantly to this discussion, that the signature matches the > one on the signature panel. I can second that. Four years ago I did the books for a sporting goods store. That included compiling and depositing the merchant stubs from Master Card/Visa. The majority of merchants slide the magnetic strip of the card through a device that is a remote data entry terminal to the database of either Master Card or Visa, depending on what number the card reader dials. However, the manager of this store thought he could save on the purchase price of the card reader and have the clerks phone in the confirmation directly. The person answering the phone would check the credit card and confirm the purchase with a five digit code which the clerk would write onto the card. One of my jobs was to spot-check to see if there was a code. A problem many of you can see right away is that a clerk dialing a regional toll-free number to confirm a customer's credit card will often receive a busy signal because he/she/it is competing with clerks from MANY other retail stores. After five minutes of this, the customer, sick and tired of waiting and probably in a hurry, will just lay down his/her/ its purchase and just walk out vowing never to return again. So one "enterprising" salesman, in hopes of increasing his commission, decided to hell with this, he would not call to confirm the credit limit of a customer and write his own code on the stub. I caught it after a couple of weeks not only because the code did not look like the typical numbers I saw, but also the bank bounced back one of our deposit stubs and I had traced it to a woman who had purchased over $400 dollars worth of merchandise. Since my job also included collections, I called this woman and explained what had happened. She came to the store one afternoon to see me (I worked nights, but came by one afternoon a week for day-business work) and went through this sob story about her daughter at Sylvan Learning Center (the place that keeps Sandy Duncan on the air) and how she did not know she was at her credit limit. She promised the manager and me to pay for the merchandise on installment. The manager believed her and let her go with the merchandise no less. Did she ever pay the balance? Do pigs fly? I can confirm that we tried to get the money from VISA and found out it was our responsibilityur responsibility to collect. When we found out the salemsan wasn't calling to confirm a customer's card, the manager made sure he was doing it afterward. I also stopped doing spot-checks and started watching EVERY card for a code number and making sure they were valid numbers from a list we kept. I admit part of the situation was my fault for not looking more carefully at the stubs. The salesman wasn't fired that day, but should have been. He got the boot two months later for stealing money left by a customer for a deposit. Ever have to give a deposition to two policemen, when you might be a possible suspect. Thank the Almighty I was twenty miles away from the store when the crime allegedly took place. You can also be damn sure, the manager picked up a credit card reader inside of two weeks after our meeting with the lady and my telephone conversation with the VISA credit department. > For the sake of completeness, I will note that there are two > exceptions to the the credit-check authorization: "floor limits" where > certain types of retail establishments are granted an exemption for > purchases under some VERY low dollar limit. That store's floor limit was $25.00. Yes, some stubs for that amount bounced back too. Nine times out of ten, it went through the second time around. Not all of this article is TELECOM related, but it does back up Brad's point about responsibility and tells you something about the advantage of devices allowing fast and automatic confirmation of a customer's ability to pay by check (i.e. SCAN) and credit card (the Master Card/VISA card reader). Richard Budd | USA klub@maristb.bitnet | CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 139 S. Hamilton St. | Kolackova 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | 18200 Praha 8 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 08:31:49 -0700 (PDT) From: Dave Ptasnik Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies > [Moderator's Note: No, I don't condone rudeness by bill collectors. It > is, in fact, usually a waste of the collector's time since many debtors > are quite sophisticated -- or fancy themselves to be -- where the law > is concerned ... Smart collectors know they can catch more flies with > honey than with vinegar. PAT] While a little off topic, still a related story. A couple of months ago I neglected to make a house payment until two days before it was due. I chose to send the check by express mail (better $9.95 to the post office than a $50.00 late fee to the bank). Unfortunately it turned out that this collection center was in a very small town in the middle of Ohio, and the post office would not get the (normally) overnite letter delivered until Saturday. Technically not a late day, but the bank would probably not see the check until Monday. I called them up to tell them that the money was in fact on its way, and to see what there policy was for this kind of thing. I was hoping to avoid the late charge. I was tranferred to this INCREDIBLY RUDE woman who informed me in no uncertain terms that I certainly would pay every penny of the late charge, and that I should be mailing in my checks absolutely no later than 15 days in advance. I was REALLY being polite, and she was taking my head off. I wasn't asking to have a late fee waived, I was just asking their policies. At one point I (jovially) asked her to smile, and asked her not to be angry with me. She responded "Sir, I am in collections." As if this somehow justified her behavior. At that point I asked to speak with the manager. I explained the situation to him. He seemed rather distressed that one of his good customers (this was the closest we have come to a late payment in five years) should be treated so poorly. Turned out he was a University of Washington alum (my current employer). I suspect that that collections rep had an attitude adjustment later that day :). I just got word yesterday that our loan has been sold again to another bank, that makes the sixth time in five years. No wonder Banks and S&L's have trouble. All that shuffling around has to be costing lots of bucks that we end up having to pay for. Dave P davep@u.washington.edu ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #339 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa12389; 20 May 93 19:29 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13226 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Thu, 20 May 1993 16:58:32 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA15363 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Thu, 20 May 1993 16:57:44 -0500 Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 16:57:44 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305202157.AA15363@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #340 TELECOM Digest Thu, 20 May 93 16:57:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 340 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Choosing Among Carriers (David G. Lewis) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (David G. Lewis) Re: Line Status Indicator (John C. Fowler) Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles (Lars Poulsen) ITS/IEEE Seminar in Brasil (Marcelo DeAlencar) High-Performance Apple Port to Take Mac Connectivity by Storm (J. Leavens) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: Choosing Among Carriers Organization: AT&T Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 13:59:41 GMT In article edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) writes: > In article Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU ( Garrett Wollman) writes: >> ... it seems like this generalizes quite well: AT&T and >> MCI are people's preferred carriers, and Sprint is where everybody >> goes when they can't get acceptable quality from their PIC. >ATT: Mostly good quality but occasional breakdowns. Highest volume. So help me, I tried to let this go, really, I did, but I can't. "Highest volume" is fine; it's a simple statement of fact. Even the "mostly good quality", well, I can concentrate on the "good quality" part and take the "mostly" as a statement that one can always do better. But I've got to take issue with the "occasional breakdowns" part. While strictly speaking it is correct -- AT&T has occasional breakdowns, as do all carriers -- I take issue with the image it presents, that AT&T is mostly OK but crashes are a salient characteristic. I don't like to do this, but I'm going to toss out some information from (gasp) our advertising. I'll try to filter out the hype and just state the facts ... Between 4/7/92 and 3/19/93 (no, I don't know why those particular dates were chosen, save that this was printed in an ad in the WSJ on 4/15/93), AT&T suffered three "network outages" which met criteria requiring them to be reported to the FCC (>50,000 customers affected, duration 30 minutes or more). In the same time period, MCI suffered fifteen outages meeting the same criteria. I believe the reason for the perception of "occasional breakdowns" is the two significant failures AT&T has had in the past three years (the Martin Luther King Day software failure and the NYC CO power failure) have had a widespread effect, and therefore gained a lot of attention. This is a natural consequence of the fact that AT&T has 65% of the LD market -- if we have a widespread network outage, it affects 65% of the LD calls nationwide; if MCI has a widespread network outage, it affects 20% of the LD calls nationwide. But if it's your call that's not getting through, it doesn't matter to you whether one other person or one million other people are affected -- you're not getting through. Disclaimer: I'm just a techie, and I didn't even have anything to do with the studies that put the numbers together, but I take some pride in my company ... David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ From: deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Organization: AT&T Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 13:42:24 GMT In article Robert Eden writes: >> [Moderator's Note: ... You should note that telco looks at >> all the digits dialed before they hand the call anywhere, and if they >> have the right to handle the call themselves, (such as local, or >> intra-LATA) they will do so, ignoring your 10xxx instructions. >They better not! When I call Dallas from Fort Worth, I dial 10222 and >it's covered under my MCI Primetime Texas Plan (.16 a minute). If I >just did a 1+, SWB would keep the call at .20+ a minute. They have >never over-ridden my 10xxx code for a LD call. The entire area >(except for a few islands) is served by SWB. >[Moderator's Note: Well I know IBT keeps whatever they can if it is >within their LATA, at least where 10xxx is concerned. They also >examine the tables before handing off stuff out of LATA. If *their* >copy of the tables is screwed up, they intercept and reject the call >without handing it to the carrier to see what the carrier would do >with it...] Alas, Pat has again fallen victim to the common practice of extrapolating the behavior of one LEC in one state to that of all LECs in the entire US. Some states permit IXCs to carry intraLATA traffic if the customer enters a carrier access code. Some states don't. It appears that Texas does, and Illinois doesn't. If the state permits IXCs to carry intraLATA traffic, the LEC is obligated to deliver a call dialed with 10XXX prepended to the selected IXC, regardless of the dialed digits; the LEC may still do some translations of the dialed digits if there are several IXC POPs to route to, but it will route to the IXC. If the state does not permit IXCs to carry intraLATA traffic, the LEC is obligated to *not* deliver intraLATA calls to IXCs, regardless of whether the customer prepends 10XXX; the LEC will therefore translate the NPA or NPA-NXX and determine if the call is intraLATA or interLATA before making the routing determination. Switches sold to LECs have to have an administrable office parameter that indicates which of the above cases is true -- whether intraLATA calls dialed with 10XXX prepended should be routed to the selected carrier or sent to an intercept. Disclaimer: All I know about routing I learned through osmosis. David G Lewis AT&T Bell Laboratories david.g.lewis@att.com or !att!goofy!deej Switching & ISDN Implementation ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 11:16:10 -0600 From: John C. Fowler Subject: Re: Line Status Indicator >I would have thought this would be in the TELECOM Archives or the FAQ, >but I can't seem to find it there. How does one build a telephone >line status indicator? That is, a device which lights up when an >extension goes off hook. Thanks very much! >[Moderator's Note: There *is* a file in the archives on this, but I >forget off hand the name of it. Use anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT] Hi, Pat, I checked again and was still unable to find this project in the ordinary files in the TELECOM archives. What's more, I started receiving messages from others who also couldn't find it. So, I tackled the back-issue collection, and I finally found something in volume 11. I am including it here, and I would appreciate it if you would re-publish it, so that I don't have to field any more requests. It might also be a good idea to put this in the archives under extension.in.use.indicator (or something similar), as this request seems to pop up from time to time. Thanks! (I also see that this particular project relies on external batteries. If anyone has one powered by the telephone line instead, please submit it to the Digest.) John C. Fowler, fowlerc@boulder.colorado.edu Included text follows: Organization: Penn State University Date: Saturday, 9 Feb 1991 13:36:13 EST From: SJS132@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: Schematic For "BUSY" Phone Extension Indicator Well, I saw that a few people wanted to BUY a indicator for their extentions to show when it was busy ... BUT ... for those that would rather build one, and save the dough, then here are the plans. *Note* : I'm not responsible if you hook it up wrong ... I did it, and it works fine. Also, I origanally go it out of a magazine, which I have long lost ... but it was published. I don't have an address to write to, to ask for permission to post it here. If you don't like it, buy the magazine. I at least did have the name of the author, and do give him full credit. Anything I left out??? Oh yeah, there is one place that almost looks like two lines shoud be connected ... DONT. It is actually overlapping (ie, a jumper) and could cause problems. That's why, if two lines are connected, I use 'o' indicate a connection. Well, thats it ... enjoy, and watch out when stripping those phone wires ... you can get a nasty jolt if you do it with your TEETH! (like me!) Phone Line "Busy" indicator Taken out of Modern Electronics November. 1988 Written by: Robert M. Harkey (I only wrote it up, and condensed it.) This little circuit is VERY nice to have, especially if you use a MODEM on a multi-Extention line. It is small enough to be built on a small circuit board, and then added to the phones on the extension (PUT IT INSIDE THEM! Its neater and better for the reliability of the circuit. Compared to if you had the wires hanging out where they can be ripped out of the phone by a cat or small child.) Here's the Circuit: Note: o is for where a connection |-----------+ has been made... R4 /c |R5 _____/\/\/\___|b <-Q2 /\/\/\ | \e | R1 /b | --- o-----/\/\/\/\----o-----|c <-Q1 | Led1 | \e | | to R3 | |----------------|-----------o phone /\/\/\/\ | | | | | R2 | | | o----/\/\/\/\-----o------------------------o----|:|:|--+ B1 What does all that mean? Well, here is a list of parts... R1,R2 : 2.2M ohm Resistors R3 : 330K Resistor R4 : 33K Resistor R5 : 220 ohm Resistor Q1 : NPN Transitor#> 2N3906 Q2 : NPN Transitor#> 2N3904 B1 : 3V external battery supply (2x AA batteries) Led1 : General purpose Light emitting diode All can be found at Radio Shack... For Beginners: One particular thing to note: On Q1 and Q2, When I drew them above, it was hard. So I labeled each with their corresponding E - C - B... What is ECB?? It stands For Emitter, Collector, Base. I hope I did them right, Its been a while, and I wasn't sure, but basically, if you get the right transistor number you don't have to worry, just put it in the circuit with the E being the little ARROW coming off of the picture on the back of the Transistor pack. Good Luck... Steven Shimatzki RD#1 Box 20-A Dunbar, Pa 15431 InterNet: SJS132@PSUVM.PSU.EDU BBS: (412) 277-0548 Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the people I know, nor do I know the people I am with. I just like the money they pay me. ------------------------------ From: lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) Subject: Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles Organization: CMC Network Systems (Rockwell DCD), Santa Barbara, CA, USA Date: Thu, 20 May 93 17:24:05 GMT In article juergen@jojo.sub.org writes a somewhat inflammatory article about how the introduction of itemized billing and "Call Waiting" will be delayed for some German telephone customers: >According to preliminary and unofficial information from various >TELEKOM sources one of the system suppliers (SIEMENS or ALCATEL SEL) >will probably not meet the set schedules to modify their switches to >offer these features. The sources also state that ALCATEL SEL is the >probable candidate for this mess. SIEMENS as a supplier of several US >telcos, who offer numerous custom calling features, will probably have >no problems to offer these features in Germany since they have >comprehensive experience from the US markets. But as I said, all >information is NOT offical nor is it comfirmed so far. ... >The German TELEKOM has installed digital switches since 1985, so the >troubled system supplier should have plenty of time to implement these >features in their switches. But as time passed by, they were either >not capable or they have just forgotten to implement these features. >Both reasons are highly embarrasing for the supplier in question and >will not show their sophistication in this fast changing market. I have no doubt that Alcatel has lots of experience in producing feature-rich switches. Remember that Alcatel is the new name for ITT. Alcatel also within the last year has acquired the Switching Systems Division of Rockwell International (in Richardson, TX). To those who would argue that Alcatel is composed of many different companies that have been brought together over the few years, I would say that most of Siemens' US presence is through their ownership of ROLM, which still maintains a fairly separate identity. I would suggest that the real reason for a situation such as what you describe, would be the regulatory environment. I strongly suspect that in years past, the Bundespost insisted that switching systems for sale in Germany must be implemented in Germany from the ground up, and that the features that were so desirable in the US would never be allowed in Germany. The change of rules may well have been the result of Siemens' lobbying the new administration, and I would not be surprised if the rules allowing the new features are written in such a way that generic US switching systems still are not allowable; - in effect rigging the deal such that ONLY Siemens equipment is allowed. There is a word for this: It's called "non-tariff trade barriers". I don't personally think it is completely immoral in all cases. I sympathize with the desire of the German government and its "independent public service corporations" to protect German jobs. But the comments blasting Alcatel for their impaired ability to compete under the circumstances. Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer Internet E-mail: lars@CMC.COM CMC Network Products / Rockwell Int'l Telephone: +1-805-968-4262 Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3083 TeleFAX: +1-805-968-8256 ------------------------------ From: Marcelo DeAlencar Subject: ITS/IEEE Seminary in Brasil Organization: University of Waterloo Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 17:41:16 GMT I thought you might be interested in attending this Symposium, in Rio de Janeiro. Talk to your supervisor, he will be happy to let you go and present a paper. Marcelo. SBT/IEEE INTERNATIONAL TELECOMUNICATIONS SYMPOSIUM August 22-25 , 1994 Rio de Janeiro, Brasil CALL FOR PAPERS General Chairman: J.R. Boisson de Marca (PUC-Rio/Brazil) Vice-Chairman/Registration: Andre L.de Ulhoa Cintra (FURNAS/Brazil) Finance: Luiz Otavio V. Prates (EMBRATEL/Brazil) Local Arrangements: Liliana Nakonechnyj (REDE GLOBO/Brazil) Publications: Joao Celio B.Brandao (PUC-Rio/Brazil) Publicity: Waldo A. Russo (VICOM/Brazil) Secretary: Sandra Schwabe (FUND. PDE.LEONEL FRANCA/Brazil) Member at Large: John Silvester (USC/USA) TECHNICAL PROGRAM Abraham Alcaim (Chairman/Brazil) Ken-ichi Aihara(Japan) Ezio Biglieri (Italy) Anthony G. Constantinides (England) Vladimir Cuperman (Canada) Maurizio Decina (Italy) Flavio Hasselmann (Brazil) Shuzo Kato (Japan) Helio Jose Malavazi Filho (Brazil) Leonardo de S. Mendes (Brazil) William B. Pennebaker (USA) Carl-Erik W. Sundberg (USA) Bruno S. Vianna (Brazil) Stephen B. Weinstein (USA) Lawrence W.C. Wong (Singapore) COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE Edmundo A. de Souza e Silva (Chairman/Brazil) Marco Ajmone-Marsan (Italy) Jean Pierre Courtiat (France) H. Richard Gail (USA) Jose A. Suruagy Monteiro (Brazil) Luis F.M. de Moraes (Brazil) Don Towsley (USA) You are cordially invited to submit an original paper for consideration by the ITS 94 Technical Program Committee. Papers are now being accepted for review on the following topics: - Antennas - Communication Theory - Communications Software - Communications Switching - Congestion Control - Digital Signal Processing - Distributed Systems - High Speed Networks - Image Processing - Information Theory and Coding - Internetworking - LANs, MANs, WANs - Microwave Devices - Mobile and Portable Communications - Multimedia Systems and Services - Narrowband and Broadband ISDN - Network Operations and Management - Network Performance Evaluation - Network Reliability Issues - Optical Communications - Propagation - Protocol Specification/Verification - Satellite and Space Communications - Speech Processing - Transmission Systems - VLSI for Communications In this symposium, a special cluster of sessions in Computer Communication Network will be organized. The cluster will comprise the 12th Symposium on Computer Networks annually promoted by LARC and the Brazilian Computer Society. SCHEDULE AND INSTRUCTIONS - Complete Manuscript Due: January 14, l994 - Notification of Acceptance Mailed: May 11, l994 - Camera-Ready Manuscript Due: June 22, l994 The title page must include the author`s name, designation of the author to whom all correspondence will be sent, complete return address, telephone, e-mail and/or fax number and a 100 word abstract of the paper. All other pages should bear the title of the paper and the author`s name. Send five double-spaced copies of the manuscript (limited to 15 pages 8" 1/2x11") in English, to the ITS`94 Technical Program Chairman. The Symposium will be in English. Please make plans to participate in ITS`94. DR. ABRAHAM ALCAIM ITS`94 Technical Program Chairman CETUC-PUC-Rio Rua Marques de Sao Vicente, 225 22453-900 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil phone: + 55 21 5299384 fax: + 55 21 2945748 e-mail: its94@cetuc.puc-rio.br Sponsored by SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE TELECOMUNICACOES AND IEEE COMMUNICATIONS SOCIETY ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 12:08:34 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: High-performance Apple Port to Take Mac Connectivity by Storm Taken from From {MacWeek}, 5/17/93: High-performance Apple port to take Mac connectivity by storm by Robert Hess Cupertino, CA - Apple will bring a whole new world of connectivity possibilities to the Mac with a high-performance digital communications port to be introduced this summer. Dubbed GeoPort, the technology will be included in the Cyclone and Tempest Macs due this summer, as well in the PowerPC-based Macs next year. Products in Apple's personal-electronics line, such as Newton, will also use GeoPort technology. GeoPort consists of several hardware and software components: a new physical connection, an application programming interface (API) and other software that takes advantage of digital signal processing (DSP) chips, hardware and third-party external interface boxes that connect to a GeoPort and expand its connectivity. While current Mac serial ports serve one function at a time, the GeoPort supports such high throughput that, when it is combined with the multiplexing technology, it can maintain multiple connections. Theoretically, users could simultaneously print to a high-speed serial printer, download data from an on-line service at 14.4kbps, and maintain a high-bandwidth network connection - all though a single GeoPort. Sources said Apple believes a GeoPort can deliver as much as 2 Mbits per second throughput, about 10 times faster than current LocalTalk ports. Apple is most excited about GeoPort's telephone possibilities, according to sources. The company is enocouraging the development of external interface boxes that can be hooked up to GeoPort to inexpensively connect the Macintosh to ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and PBX services. A possible telephony implementation, for example, would be a Mac acting as a voice-mail answering machine. Incoming callers could instruct the Mac to retrieve voice-mail and electronic mail. Taking advantage of Apple's new voice-synthesis software, callers could have the mail read to them over the phone. Other possibilities would be a speakerphone will full-duplex cancellation implemented solely through a Mac or an inexpensive teleconferencing system created by integrating digital cameras and similar hardware with GeoPort and telephony on the Macintosh. Geoport-equipped Macs will likely have three serial ports: Printer, identical to current Printer ports; Ethernet, identical to the external Ethernet port on Quadras; and a GeoPort labeled Modem. New technology in future Macs will accelerate even the Printer and Ethernet ports. Current serial ports are mini-DIN 8 connectors. Sources saidGeoPort uses a mini-DIN 9 connector, which will accept and support older cables and devices. Apple is enhancing and supplementing current communications and telephony APIs to support the wide array of possible communications hardware that developers could encounter while connected to the GeoPort. Programmers will be able to add telephony to their applications without knowing, how to communicate with ISDN or PBX, for example. The APIs support DSP chips in the Cyclone and Tempest, as well as equivalent functionality in PowerPC Macs. The DSP chip will let Macs emulate a variety of hardware, including data modems and fax machines. In effect, this means future Macs will sh with a fax-data modem inside. Apple has told developers that the DSP will be able to implement most current modem and fax standards. As future standards such as V.FAST emerge they should be easy to add to a Mac with a software upgrade. Because many of GeoPort's capabilities are implemented in software, current Macs will be able to use some of the technology's features. Since existing Macs don't have DSP chips, they will be unable to send and receive faxes, for example, but they could use external interface boxes with cables that connect them to ISDN and PBX services. [I claim responsibility for all typos.] Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #340 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa05287; 21 May 93 20:14 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09531 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 21 May 1993 17:55:52 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA12045 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 21 May 1993 17:55:18 -0500 Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 17:55:18 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305212255.AA12045@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #341 TELECOM Digest Fri, 21 May 93 17:55:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 341 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Phone/Debit Cards and Rock Music? (Daniel Omundsen) Re: Talk Tickets - New Debit Cards From AT&T/US Fibercom (H. Hallikainen) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Jon Edelson) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (gdw@gummo.att.com) Re: What is Residential Line Hunting? (Bob Frankston) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Robert Shaw) Re: CCITT Dissolved? (Wolfgang Henke) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Jeffrey Jonas) Re: Choosing Among Carriers (Arthur L. Rubin) Re: Calling Card Merchant Status (Jeffrey Jonas) Re: Telecom History (Dave Strieter) Re: Want a Good Phone (Pete Lancashire) ---------------------- TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not exclusively -- to discussions on voice telephony. The Digest is a not-for-profit public service published frequently by Patrick Townson Associates. PTA markets a no-surcharge telephone calling card and a no monthly fee 800 service. In addition, we are resellers of AT&T's Software Defined Network. For a detailed discussion of our services, write and ask for the file 'products'. The Digest is delivered at no charge by email to qualified subscribers on any electronic mail service connected to the Internet. To join the mail- ing list, write and tell us how you qualify: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu. Before submitting articles for publication, please read a copy of our file 'writing.to.telecom'. All article submissions MUST be sent to our email address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu -- NOT as replies to comp.dcom.telecom. Back issues and numerous other telephone-related files of interest are available from the Telecom Archives, using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. Login anonymous, then 'cd telecom-archives'. At the present time, the Digest is also ported to Usenet at the request of many readers there, where it is known as 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Use of the Digest does not require the use of our products and services. The two are separate. All articles are the responsibility of the individual authors. Organi- zations listed, if any, are for identification purposes only. The Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993. **DO NOT** cross-post articles between the Digest and other Usenet or alt newsgroups. Do not compile mailing lists from the net-addresses appearing herein. Send tithes and love offerings to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690. :) Phone: 312-465-2700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 May 93 12:46:18 NZS From: Daniel Omundsen Subject: Re: Phone/Debit Cards and Rock Music? Organization: Telecom New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand In article toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes: >In article omundsen@corp.telecom.co.nz >(Daniel Omundsen) writes: >> In New Zealand, most pay phones use plastic, credit-card sized debit >> cards which are purchased in fixed denominations ($5.00, $10.00, >> $20.00, etc). These have a graphic design on the front and a series >> of magnetic stripes on the back, into which is encoded an encrypted >> pattern representing the amount on money left on the card. > Unless these stripes are mechanically difficult to duplicate, this > sounds like fraud waiting to happen. > I've heard that a standard single-stripe (credit) card can be easily > reproduced by gluing an encoded stripe of magnetic tape onto any > plastic or even cardboard card. >Unless there is a serial number or somesuch, couldn't you buy one and >make duplicates and never even bother decrypting them? Yes, you'd >have to magnetically reproduce the stripes, but that's fairly trivial. Actually, it is not quite as simple as that. The cards do not use standard one-stripe magnetic strips (there are a number of disjoint magnetic stripes in several locations on the card), so a standard credit card reader will not read the card. You can not insert a credit card in the phone and charge your call that way, either. Also, I've heard that the encryption incorporates a permanent magnetic pattern buried in the card itself, so you can not make duplicate cards. The encoded value on one card is different from the same value encoded on another card. Also, some part of the pattern is destructively erased as the card is used up, so you can't recharge a card by re-recording the pattern that it had when you bought it. IMHO this type of scheme does have some advantages over the Talk Tickets that have been discussed here recently. All the validation intelligence is in the phone itself, rather that in a remote computer, so "800" number trunks are not tied up by the call. You must physically have the card in your possession, so phreaks can not "borrow" your card by intercepting the DTMF tones or by watching you as you enter the serial number. Finally, there is much greater convenience to the customer as there is no need to memorize or type in a long string of digits -- you just insert the card and dial the number you wish to call. There are also disadvantages -- primarily the cost of installing the (expensive) phones in the first place. In a country the size of the US with its many payphones I imagine this would be a primary consideration. Also, you can not use the card from a normal phone or a coin-operated phone (although there aren't many coin phones left now). Telecom does however offer a calling card service which lets you do just that -- for a surcharge of course. Can anybody else think of other comparisons between the two systems? The incidence of phraud from pay-phones has decreased greatly since these phones were introduced several years ago -- despite the added incentive in the fact that the cost of local calls went up from 20c per call to 20c per minute. Daniel Omundsen. *DISCLAIMER* These are not official observations, just hearsay. Just because I work for the phone company doesn't mean I know what I am talking about. I also don't have anything to do with pay phones. So there. [Moderator's Note: Either way you go with these things will present advantages and drawbacks. While it is true the Talk Ticket scheme, where the user punches in the serial number and the computer keeps track of everything makes it easier for a 'shoulder surfer' to get the data, this method does not cause the inconvenience of having to look all over for a card reader phone. With the card necessary for the purpose of swiping it, there is always the possibility of the card reader phone (when you find one) not working correctly or someone stealing your wallet and thus your card. With the Talk Tickets, lost cards can be killed immediatly in the computer thus rendering them useless. This is not so with the card which has to be swiped; how do you go around changing all the card reader phones so they will not accept a stolen card if the phone is the only place the intelligence resides? "Shoulder surfers' are easy enough to avoid for the most part; simply use some discretion when standing at a phone entering the digits. Obviously, since I sell Talk Tickets, you'll see my bias in the choices, but I think I would still prefer the manual entry of the digits thus allowing me to use any phone anywhere rather than having to seek out the still relatively rare (in this country) card reader phones. I have a large supply of the sample $2 tickets in stock now, here in my desk. They are still available for their face value of $2 each, or a package of ten tickets for $15. In either case, include a LONG, self-addressed, stamped envelope with your check or money order payable to TELECOM Digest, 2241 West Howard #208, Chicago, IL 60659. When sale of the larger denomination ($5,$10,$20,$50) tickets goes on sale later this month, I will have those also, but do try a sample or two first to get aquainted with them. Profits from the sale of the larger denomination Talk Tickets go exclusively to the Digest to offset production costs. Thanks. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Talk Tickets - New Debit Cards From AT&T/US Fibercom Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 23:58:14 GMT There's a magazine for everything! Earlier this week, I saw an international magazine for phone card collectors! Harold ------------------------------ From: winnie@phoenix.princeton.edu (Jon Edelson) Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing Organization: Princeton University Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 14:15:42 GMT In article leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: > An note on my latest phone bill from Pacific Bell announced that > Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible 3 > 1/2" computer disk (which can be read by Macintosh computers with the > proper software) for a $15 monthly fee. For a short time, they will be > waiving the $100 start-up fee. I am surprised that none of these companies have offered to fax the phone bills rather than mail them out. When Sprint sends me my phone bill it costs them about $0.45 in postage, in addition to the printing costs. I figure that they could send me a fax for considerably less, and use less paper to boot. Jonathan Edelson winnie@pucc.princeton.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 10:00:57 EDT From: gdw@gummo.att.com Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories From article , by icmad!madnix!zaphod% astroatc.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu (Ron Bean): > And it HAS WINDOWS. Even the front door is glass. What gives? A CO I was in in Florida had windows and a glass door but these were just part of a small empty room in front. You go through a solid interior door to get to the "real" part of the CO. ------------------------------ From: Bob_Frankston@frankston.com Subject: Re: What is Residential Line Hunting? Date: Fri 21 May 1993 10:28 -0400 Just a reminder that "call forward busy" seems similar to hunting except: a) It is compatible with other CLASS services; b) There is likely to be a charge for it. I suspect it would be more flexible since hunting is traditionally limited to a single exchange (to celebrate its mechanical origins?) [Moderator's Note: Hunting is compatible with many CLASS services also; it is just that call-waiting can only be on the very back line in your hunt group; if it is on a line earlier than that it will never get a chance to execute since the decision to hunt is made ahead of certain other decisions including the one to call-wait. But I have found many other CLASS services work fine with hunting, including Call Screening (decision to screen is made ahead of decision to hunt, thus an entry in your screen list is honored even if the dialed line is busy and the call would ultimatly move to another trunk). PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 11:35:38 +0200 From: SHAW Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? > According to several sources at communications firms (mostly modem), > the CCITT is gone. The standards have been inherited by the > International Telephone Union, Telecommunications Standards Sector > (ITU-TSS). I work at the ITU so I might be able to clear up some confusion. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a United Nations agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Before 1993, the ITU consisted organizationally of five permanent organs: the General Secretariat, the International Frequency Registration Board (IFRB), the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR), the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) and the Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT). In early 1993, the ITU was reorganized into the General Secretariat and three new Sectors: ITU Radiocommunication Sector ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector ITU Telecommunication Development Sector The standards-making activities of the CCITT and CCIR have been consolidated into the Telecommunications Standardization Sector. The remainder of CCIR activities are integrated with the activities of the IFRB into the new Radiocommunication Sector. The functions of the Development Sector are assumed by the BDT. Here is a guide to the "current" new acronyms for the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector: The CCITT The ITU-TS CCITT Plenary Assembly World Telecommunication Standardization Conference CCITT PA WTSC CCITT Study Groups ITU-TS study groups CCITT Study Group VII ITU-TS Study Group 7 CCITT Recommendations ITU-T Recommendations CCITT Recommendation X.400 ITU-T Recommendation X.400 Robert Shaw ITUDOC Project Leader Information Services Department International Telecommunication Union Place des Nations 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland TEL: +41 22 730 5338/5554 FAX: +41 22 730 5337 X.400:G=robert;S=shaw;A=arcom;P=itu;C=ch Internet: shaw@itu.ch ------------------------------ From: wolfgang@netcom.com (Wolfgang Henke) Subject: Re: CCITT Dissolved? Organization: Netcom Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 16:26:20 GMT Toby Nixon (tnixon@microsoft.com) wrote: > I must say I'm a bit disappointed that one or more modem companies > would go around stirring up fear, uncertainty, and doubt, giving half > the story and leading people to believe that somehow work on modem > standards has been disrupted by this purely-administrative Toby, I hope this comment is not intended for me. I merely reported what Ken Krechmer of Action Consulting, a neighbor of mine who just returned from the last CCITT in Geneva, told me the night before. As far as I am concerned V.32terbo might well bridge the gap until V.FAST is approved. Wolfgang Henke wolfgang@netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 14:23:08 EDT From: jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing > Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible > 3 1/2" computer disk Ah, but is it in a plain format that can be read as ASCII and imported into spreadsheets? Residental uses: how about to track your room-mate's 900 number bill :-) This is a step in the right direction, but what I really want is an interactive dial up facility where I can my up to the day (or hour) phone bill. I'd like to see any of: - modem dialup so I can check the bill; (support not only modems to V.fastest_yet, but TDD with a similar interface) - fax me a recent account; - voice prompts and touch tone; - and operator/billing dapertment for rotary phone users. I do not think this is asking too much, since on line services such as GeNie have up to the day/week billing status on demand. << cynical mode ON >> Now that the phone companies are free to offer "information services" where they originate the content, why are they so slow to offer services that are useful to us? << cynical mode OFF >> NYNEX is offering some service where subscribers can directly control their phone service options/setup. It's probably not for residental users, though. It would great to have a dialup or TELNET session where I can check the status of my phone (call forwarding to xxx-xxxx enabled, hunting to xxx, call wait enabled, etc). When I was attending some time-share vacation condo offers (mostly for the discount tickets and free meal), I was struck by all the businesses that siphon money from the time share owners. There are fees for EVERYTHING: maintenance, trading time, and phone. I was thinking of how I could make money just doing the billing for the time share condo. I'd get the bill from the condo's CO and my value added would be breaking the bill into the individual bills. Unless I get the bill in a machine readable format, I'd have to resort to optical character recognition of the printed bill. You're free to steal my ideas, as I'm backlogged with other more worthy projects. Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Choosing Among Carriers From: a_rubin%dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) Date: 21 May 93 17:39:34 GMT Reply-To: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) In edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) writes: > In article Garrett.Wollman@UVM.EDU > (Garrett Wollman) writes: >> ................, it seems like this generalizes quite well: AT&T and >> MCI are people's preferred carriers, and Sprint is where everybody >> goes when they can't get acceptable quality from their PIC. >> I wonder why this is? > Sprint: Mostly good quality. Fine for use as 10333 carrier. Heaven > help you if you get into a billing dispute with them. I once got them to write off about $92 of phone calls that were billed to my phone, because I never got an itemized bill that contained the calls. It did go to collections, however. Maybe their collection agency is more reasonable :-). Of course, that was 1987. Your "mileage" may vary (especially if you are using an affinity account that gives "Frequent Flyer" miles.) Arthur L. Rubin: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea 216-5888@mcimail.com 70707.453@compuserve.com arthur@pnet01.cts.com (personal) My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 14:57:12 EDT From: jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) Subject: Re: Calling Card Merchant Status > Does anyone out there know how to accept telephone calling cards as a > form of payment? I'm not sure if an earlier reply of mine was accepted to TELECOM, but I was also questioning the policy of what is acceptable for phone bills. The way 900 numbers can bill for "information services" simply because the knowledge was conveyed via a phone call really opens the door for abuses. Can I charge my stationery order because I ordered it via the phone? Does the stationery have to be limited to "while you were out" pads since they're phone related? There was a recent thread in TELECOM about what's allowable to bill as a 900 number, and it was mentioned that Western Union once allowed you to pay for TELEGRAMS on your phone bill way before 900 numbers. Traditionally, the phone lease/rental was part of the bill. AT&T used to allow you to buy phones and have the payments via the phone bill. Now that AT&T can bill directly and has its own Visa/Mastercard, I'm not sure they can do that (it's been a while since I last walked into an AT&T phone store). If 900 numbers can bill you, why not computer services such as GeNie and Compuserve, and thus allow casual users. I just remembered -- UUNET has a 900 casual dialup for source code (900) GOT-SRCS UUNET 0.40/min (DATA). It sounds like it's easier to get a billing arrangement for a 900 number than to establish an alternate billing arrangement for equipment, etc. AT&T probably allows equipment billing for historical purposes, as well as its position of a major player in all the regional billing systems. I think the most practical aspect of the billing (besides all the wrestling about what appropriate to appear on a phone bill), is the billing arrangement: to whom you submit the bill, and how you get the money back. Oooh, my criminal mind is at work here: let's say I have a catalogue showroom and I want to allow your purchase on your phone bill. I'd have a pair of phones on the counter so you can call the clerk on the other side of the counter to place your order. Voila! A phone call was placed! jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ From: strieterd@gtephx.UUCP (Dave Strieter) Subject: Re: Telecom History Organization: AG Communication Systems, Phoenix, Arizona Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 18:40:15 GMT In article , rorichar@andromeda.rutgers. edu (Ross Richardson) writes: > ... There are several examples of Bell taking over > Strowger-based independents, ripping out the automatic exchanges, and > putting in operators. Customers, who had had quite enough of > operators and their eaves-dropping and general uncooperativeness, were > furious. Indeed, one of my favorite pictures is a photograph of an early-1900's exhibit at some trade show, or perhaps World's Fair. Above the exhibit is a sign that reads: --------------------------------------------- Automatic Electric Company Chicago, U.S.A. - Birkenhead, Eng. Automatic Telephone Equipment The Girl-less, Cuss-less, Wait-less Telephone --------------------------------------------- I can't imagine such a sign today! :-) Dave Strieter, AG Communication Systems, Phoenix AZ 85072-2179, USA *** These are not my employer's positions...just my ramblings. *** UUCP: ...!{ncar!noao!enuucp | att}!gtephx!strieterd +1 602 582 7477 INTERNET: strieterd@gtephx.att.com | gtephx!strieterd@enuucp.eas.asu.edu ------------------------------ From: petel@sequent.com (Pete Lancashire) Subject: Re: Want a Good Phone Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. Date: Fri, 21 May 93 16:05:06 GMT lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman) writes: >I need to buy a phone. I'm not interested in fancy features. An >ideal choice for me might be a pre-divestiture (pre-1984) Western >Electric Touch-Tone phone, but I don't think those are available >anymore. I understand they were pretty solid, probably much more so >than any phones on the market today. They also had a very good keypad >"feel", and I definitely want to know about any phones that have the >same feel. Keypad feel is perhaps my top criteria, because I hate the >feel of most newer phones. > If you have any recommendations, please email me directly at the > address below. If I find out anything interesting I will post it to > the net. I've followed up instead of a reply because of my 'religious' feeling about REAL phones. I'm one of those nuts that collect them. REAL WE phones are available usually for next to nothing if you take the time to look around. The best place I have found is at garage sales. I have a retired friend buy old phones for me. The other is at local resale stores (Good Will et.al.) I've been able to buy 500's for as little as $1.00. And 2500's for $2.50. TT Trimlines can be found for as little as $5.00 but usually go for $10.00 to $15.00. So I would find a garage sale junkie to look for a WE phone. And get one that has one it 'Bell System Property/Not for Sale'. Note also that just because it may say 'XYZ Bell' or 'Real Bell' this does not mean that it is a WE phone, after the divestiture all bets are off. Pete Lancashire petel@sequent.com Sr. Systems Engineer Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #341 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa08341; 21 May 93 21:44 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16226 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Fri, 21 May 1993 19:22:46 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17073 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Fri, 21 May 1993 19:22:03 -0500 Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 19:22:03 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305220022.AA17073@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #342 TELECOM Digest Fri, 21 May 93 19:22:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 342 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Harold Hallikainen) Re: 206 Being Split Soon (Jim Rees) Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) (Tony Harminc) Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split (David Leibold) Re: Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude (David Leibold) Re: Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude (Carl Moore) Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area (Bob Clements) Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area (Carl Page) Re: Deregulation of Telcos in Texas (Mike Coyne) Re: Octel Voice Mail System Advice Needed (Peter M. Weiss) Re: International Pager Services Accessible From the US. (Brian T. Vita) Re: Singapore Airlines Begins In-Flight Fax Service (Brian T. Vita) Re: Is Someone Using My Telephone? (Steven J. Tucker) Re: ACD Printouts (Brian T. Vita) Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? (Steven J. Tucker) Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? (Brian T. Vita) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Cliff Sharp) Re: Internet on the Nevada Plan (John R. Levine) Re: Presidents and Telephones (James Van Houten) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 00:08:50 GMT In article leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) writes: > An note on my latest phone bill from Pacific Bell announced that > Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible 3 > 1/2" computer disk (which can be read by Macintosh computers with the > proper software) for a $15 monthly fee. For a short time, they will be > waiving the $100 start-up fee. Since PacBell is in the communications biz, why not just email the bill to me? With all the bridges between various networks, it seems that their billing system could send the bill by email (getting it to me quick, and in machine readable form) and not have to pay postage or print the bill or stuff the envelope. Harold ------------------------------ From: Jim.Rees@umich.edu Subject: Re: 206 Being Split Soon Date: 21 May 1993 00:38:23 GMT Organization: University of Michigan CITI In article , stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) writes: > My pager is on 206-609. When I was issued the number, I commented to > the paging company rep about the number, and he offered to change it > to a "regular" number if I needed it done. He said that since the > move to NXX prefixs in 206 was so recent, many PBXs and COCOTs would > not complete calls to the "new" numbers ... It's not just PBXs and COCOTs. I used to have a 313-600 number from the local Cellular One franchise, and I eventually had to have it changed because other Cellular One franchises didn't recognize the number. I stuck it out for about four months, so it takes at least that long for most Cellular One companies to update their tables, even for a prefix assigned to another Cellular One company. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 13:13:15 EDT From: Tony Harminc Subject: Re: Individual Responsibility (was Roommate Runs $2100 Tab!) Reply-To: tony@vm1.mcgill.ca, Tony Harminc From: Richard Budd >The majority of merchants slide the magnetic strip of the card through >a device that is a remote data entry terminal to the database of >either Master Card or Visa, depending on what number the card reader >dials. >However, the manager of this store thought he could save on the >purchase price of the card reader and have the clerks phone in the >confirmation directly. The person answering the phone would check the >credit card and confirm the purchase with a five digit code which the >clerk would write onto the card. One of my jobs was to spot-check to >see if there was a code. >A problem many of you can see right away is that a clerk dialing a >regional toll-free number to confirm a customer's credit card will >often receive a busy signal because he/she/it is competing with clerks >from MANY other retail stores. After five minutes of this, the >customer, sick and tired of waiting and probably in a hurry, will just >lay down his/her/ its purchase and just walk out vowing never to >return again. > So one "enterprising" salesman, in hopes of increasing his commission, > decided to hell with this, he would not call to confirm the credit > limit of a customer and write his own code on the stub. I caught it > after a couple of weeks not only because the code did not look like > the typical numbers I saw, but also the bank bounced back one of our > deposit stubs and I had traced it to a woman who had purchased over > $400 dollars worth of merchandise. When I worked for an oil company some years ago we evaluated several models of of such point of sale terminals. One of them had a feature such that it would locally generate the auth code for transactions below the pre-programmed floor limit. But it was very cute -- it still went through the dialing procedure and waited a few seconds before displaying the code, but with the line on hook. This was so that potentially dishonest employees would not realize that transactions below a certain limit were not being checked. It wouldn't take a telecom genius to figure out what was going on, but then again most gas stations don't have a lot of such talent sitting around. Tony Harminc tony@vm1.mcgill.ca [Moderator's Note: When I was with Amoco/Diners Club Sales Authorization in the early seventies, POS terminals were not yet available. Gas station dealers and Diners merchants had to call all sales in by voice which were above their floor limit. That is why we had 15,000 calls per day on average with maybe 3000 during the midnight to 6 AM period when I was there. There were times the system would 'go down' and the so-called 'backup system would kick in for the authorizers to use. Other times both systems would be down and the authorizers had to use microfilm of the last billing statement (ugh!) without a hint as to the current status of the customer account, etc. We had to raise the 'floor limit' ourselves on those occassions, otherwise the logjam of calls would have been hopeless. The supervisor would tell the clerks to automatically approve sales up to $50 (then, $50 was much more than now) without looking at the films. But the *real fun times* in Sales Authorization Units were in the days *before any computers at all* -- when I started with Amoco/Diners all the authorizations were done by manual lookup from customer account ledger cards which were in racks. Imagine a room about the size of a typical high school gymnasium: racks and racks of ledger cards in rows throughout the room. Two or three dozen people each wearing an operator's headset and carrying a clipboard. Calls got switched into our headsets and we would jot down the account number given and the amount, then walk to the rack and row therein to pull the ledger card. You walked around other people or lifted the cord on their headset and walked underneath it, etc. You pulled the card, looked it over to detirmine the balance, jotted down the new sale in the 'memorandum' area, initialed it, gave an approval code and clicked the button on your headset to get the next call. While you were standing there with the ledger card in your hand, a bookkeeping clerk might walk up, see the card missing from the rack, snatch it out of your hand, write some entries on it and hand it back to you. The bookkeeping clerks continually walked around posting entries on the cards and the authorizers kept walking around looking at the cards to approve or decline sales. All the headsets had 100 foot expansion type cords on them so you could walk all around this large room looking at the one million plus ledger cards in little slots. It was about the same way Directory Assistance (or Information as they used to call it) worked before computerization. Directories on reading stands all around the room and lots of people with headsets walking around the room to the right directory to look up the information. Young'uns, aren't you glad you started your working career after computers had been installed at *your* company? If there are any old timers left at your place who were around in the 1950-60 era, ask them what it was like when everything was manual. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 13:27:53 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split While the continued presence of one country code for both the Czech Republic and Slovakia is confusing to MCI, there is at least a way to find out the republic based on the area code. Under country code 42: Area codes beginning with a digit from 1 to 6 will be in the Czech Republic. (eg. Prague) Area codes beginning with a digit from 7 to 9 will be in Slovakia (eg. Bratislava) I have not heard of any plans to set up separate country codes yet. The entry for the country codes listing in the Archives will be updated: 42 Czech and Slovak Republics [Czechoslovakia was split into two separate countries as of 1 January 1993. Both nations were apparently still using country code +42 with no known plans to separate the country codes. Czech Republic has area codes beginning with digits from 1 to 6 (before Bratislava in this list); Slovakia has codes with digits 7 to 9 (Bratislava and after). (MTO) = manual office (?)] While on an Eastern European topic, Romania (country code 40) changed their numbering plan last fall so that Bucharest city code is now 1 (formerly 0) and all other area codes have a 9 prepended to them (eg. a former city code of xx as in +40 xx ... becomes 9xx as in +40 9xx). The domestic dialing also changed STD codes from the 9xx format to the more common 0xx format. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca dleibold1@attmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 13:39:10 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Re: Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude Thomas Schafbauer wanted some information on converting North American numbers to a Latitude/Longitude co-ordinate. Bellcore sells the V&H tape listing North American exchange information; this is named after the V&H co-ordinate which determines geographic position for rate calculation purposes (the rate distance which determines long distance charges is obtained from the co-ordinates of the rate centres involved in a call). The V&H only lists the co-ordinate for the rate centre; no exact position can be determined based on area code and NXX, and given that some exchanges cover a wide geographic area, the information obtained may be off by several minutes (in long/lat terms) for a given number. The V and H numbers are not the latitude/longitude numbers, but there is supposed to be a correlation. The exact formula has been talked about in the Digest, but never seen. Maybe the FAQ list could use a contribution of such a formula (I can at least dig up the calculations used to obtain rate distance from V and H numbers). dleibold1@attmail.com dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 9:24:15 EDT From: Carl Moore (BVLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Phone Number -> Longitude, Latitude Is someone sending tschafba@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE a description of V&H coordinates? They can be converted to latitude and longitude. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 11:02:48 EDT From: Bob Clements Subject: Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area In Volume 13, Issue 322, Message 2 of 8, Jonathan_Welch submitted the text of NETel's CLASS offering announcement to customers. I just received the next edition of that leaflet with my bill, with minor changes as noted below. Also, I'll include come comments from my discussion with the NETel Service Representative just now. >Beginning in May 1993, New England Telephone will offer your area a My copy says "June". The list of exchanges is expanded, presumably to include the offices being converted in June. I considered typing in the new list, but I didn't bother because it will presumably grow every month for a while. If anyone really wants to know whether some exchange is on the list, send me email. Lexington and Concord are added, Waltham is not (yet). > New England Telephone > A NYNEX Company > New England Telephone recycles MA 4/93 Mine says "MA 5/93". (End of comparison.) It says: > CallerID Blocking: [...] Your line is already equipped for Per-Call > Blocking. All you have to do is push *67 on a touch-tone phone [...] I tried this today and found that on 617/861-xxxx it is NOT yet implemented. It produced a recording "If you wish to place a call, please hang up and try again." I called to order line blocking, and asked some questions. I asked whether there was any way for a customer to determine whether line blocking was in place, either by calling some number or entering some test prefix. Answer: No. Call a friend with CLID. I asked whether the service order charge was being waived if you ordered CLASS features at the initial offering. Answer: Yes. I asked whether other CLASS features were coming soon, e.g., distinctive ringing for particular numbers, refusing calls from particular numbers. Answer: Not that he has heard of. This leaflet also answers the question I posted here some weeks ago about whether a DIFFERENT prefix was used to one-time-block a call versus to one-time-UNblock a call. My recollection was that the MA DPU had required different codes when they approved CLID. But this leaflet says it's the old "*67 toggles, good luck as to whether that's what you intended". The Service Rep confirmed that, and seemed quite annoyed when I pointed out that this was stupid. Ah, well... Bob Clements, K1BC, clements@bbn.com ------------------------------ From: carlp@rainbow.mentorg.com (Carl Page @ DAD) Subject: Re: NET Pamphlet on CallerID For 508/617/413 Area Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 22:45:02 GMT Organization: Mentor Graphics Corporation Note that the New England Telephone's PhoneSmart system has a user interface wart. If you have line blocking then *67 unblocks your phone, but if you don't have line blocking then *67 blocks your phone. So how do you make a blocked call from a phone whose line blocking status is unknown? (This could be to protect a freind's reputation, or because you don't know whether line blocking is installed yet on your own phone. Or you could be at a motel). The only way I can figure is you dial a friend who has Caller-ID and ask them if it is blocked first. The telco does not provide this service. Or you stick to the old standby -- make an operator assisted call, which is supposed to evade the Caller-ID transmission. The telco will love it if lots of us start doing that, especially in areas without blocking. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Deregulation of Telcos in Texas Date: Fri, 21 May 93 13:55:03 -0600 From: Mike Coyne I said in my last post on this subject that something could happen even though the bill was reportedly dead. Legislation has been approved to deregulate AT&T. This was passed by the house. I have not heard of its progress in the senate. AT&T has more stringent requirements than the other 195 Texas long distance companies because it has 55% of the business. It is not clear whether this is what was originally meant by deregulation or if this is some wonderful sublimation of what was meant. NPR reported this morning that legislation approving caller-id in Texas has been approved. ------------------------------ Organization: Penn State University Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 10:54:27 EDT From: Peter M. Weiss Subject: Re: Octel Voice Mail System Advice Needed If you have not joined the TOUCHTON listserv at SJSUVM1 (bitnet) or searched the archives, now would be a good time. Pete ------------------------------ Date: 21 May 93 08:36:05 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: International Pager Services Accessible From the US. Last time I looked Skytel offerred this service in several European countries. It might be the most cost effective as she can be reached 24 hours a day and carry the damn thing with her. Brian T. Vita CSS, Inc. CI$70702,2233 ------------------------------ Date: 21 May 93 08:36:00 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Singapore Airlines Begins In-Flight Fax Service This service will last until an airliner gets the first in-flight joke fax about terrorism or hijacking. :-( Brian T.Vita CSS, Inc. [Moderator's Note: I would think those fax machines would work the same way as the airfones and have outgoing service only. Of course someone on board could send a fax to the nearest airport saying the plane had been taken over in a hostage situation or something. Wouldn't that be cute, watching them try to figure out who sent the fax later on, particularly if it can accept cash money as payment. PAT] ------------------------------ From: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) Subject: Re: Is Someone Using My Telephone? Date: 21 May 1993 07:13:47 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Reply-To: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) In a previous article, steveg@kcbbs.gen.nz (Steve Grant) says: >Hi All, >Just a few questions: I have a funny suspicion that somebody >has been playing with our telephones: A few unaccounted tolls have >come up recently and I was wondering how easy it is to do this by >getting to the little grey things we have outside our houses and just >connecting a telephone to it. (In NZ we have these little grey things >outside most houses that contain telephone wires.) Anyway what would >the signs be? I have heard it can be done, how easy is it to do? What >wires go where? All replys by email please. >Can't people also listen to your phone conversations in this way? Steve, if someone was on your line to use it for free calls, you would have more than "a few" calls, your would have confrence calls for $4000 each. And there are much eassier ways to listen to your phone calls than to sit outside your house with a handset and listen. Nobody would waste thier time w/ what your decsribing. Steven J Tucker dh395@cleveland.Freenet.edu P.o.Box 33475 North Royalton Ohio 44133-0475 Cleveland Free-Net ------------------------------ Date: 21 May 93 12:51:59 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: ACD Printouts >Is anyone downloading their ACD stats to a PC and not to a continuous >feed printer? Any suggestions welcome. Instead of wasting reams of paper, we download our SMDR to the serial port of a computer. We have a Macintosh network and have White Knight (a plain vanilla comm program) running in the background on the server. We've configured the KSU to dump the data at 9600 baud through the serial port. WK is set to copy the incoming text to disk. A practial advantage to this system is that we can take the ASCII file from the disk, massage it slightly, and dump it into Foxbase (Dbase clone). We can then generate whatever reports we want. Brian Vita CSS Inc. CI$70702,2233 ------------------------------ From: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) Subject: Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? Date: 21 May 1993 07:27:25 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Reply-To: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) In a previous article, mbt@NSD.3Com.COM (Brad Turner) says: >I'm trying to help my roommate sort out the wiring in an 80 year old >house that has two lines run in it. What is the phone number that I >can call from the (408) 971 exchange that will answer and >automatically reply with the number of the line from which I'm calling? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Don't bother, you get caught using the ANI and youll have some uncomfortable questions to answer. Steven J Tucker dh395@cleveland.Freenet.edu P.o.Box 33475 North Royalton Ohio 44133-0475 [Moderator's Note: Not necessarily, but telcos everywhere tend to keep those numbers secret as much as they can. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 21 May 93 12:51:50 EDT From: Brian T. Vita <70702.2233@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? >What is the phone number that I can call from the (408) 971 exchange that >will answer and automatically reply with the number of the line from which >I'm calling? I've run into a fair amount of exchanges that use (200) 555-1212 as their ANAC line. Give it a try. Brian Vita CSS, Inc. CI$70702,2233 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Date: Fri, 21 May 93 0:18:26 CDT From: Cliff Sharp > [Moderator's Note: No, I've never wondered why, have you? I know why. PAT] Okay, I'll bite. Why? BTW, it's occurred to me that a cellular telephone is (in part) a scanning receiver capable of automatically scanning 333 frequencies between 800 and 900 MHz, which makes it fit the description I've seen for the banned scanners. Anyone know if there's a specific exemption for them, or is it really, actually going to be illegal to manufacture and/or import cellular telephones after 4/26/93? Cliff Sharp clifto@indep1.chi.il.us OR clifto@indep1.uucp WA9PDM Use whichever one works ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Internet on the Nevada Plan Organization: I.E.C.C. Date: 21 May 93 11:27:16 EDT (Fri) From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) >>"To contact them ... dial in on 10288 1 503 520 2222." > GTE doesn't allow intra-LATA calls using an alternate carrier. > I wonder how a Portland-area resident would use this service? They suggest making an AT&T calling card call via 1-800-321-0288. Not a great solution. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl ------------------------------ From: alarm@access.digex.net (James Van Houten) Subject: Re: Presidents and Telephones Date: 21 May 1993 13:07:24 -0400 Organization: Metropolitan Security Services, Inc, Ft. Washington, MD USA In article jack.winslade%drbbs@ axolotl.omahug.org writes: > In a message dated 09-MAY-93, John Nagle writes: >> Lyndon Johnson has been credited with demanding the invention >> of "executive override", so he could break in on calls in progress. > I wonder if the history books will credit LBJ with the invention of > Call Waiting. Here is a little White House trivia for you. During my years at the White House we would go into the residence to test the phones. There is a phone in the main bathroom right beside the toilet. The phone was requested by LBJ and according to an usher that had been there since that time, Quote "LBJ did most of his business from that phone". Colorful President!!! James Van Houten, Metropolitan Security Services, Inc Ft Washington, MD / 202-672-6926 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #342 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa07851; 22 May 93 15:26 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA17445 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 22 May 1993 13:03:39 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16327 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 22 May 1993 13:03:01 -0500 Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 13:03:01 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305221803.AA16327@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #343 TELECOM Digest Sat, 22 May 93 13:03:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 343 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Taxpayer Assets Project News (Tyson MacAulay) Test Numbers for Oregon (Marcus Blankenship) Blocking Selective Long Distance (Lenny Simon) AT&T Cell Phones (Chris Ambler) Cellular Phone FAQ? (Zoltan Egyed) Macs Answering Phones (Justin Leavens) The Telex Machine in Popular Music (Nigel Allen) Message Length on Display Pagers (Bonnie J. Johnson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tmacaula@ccs.carleton.ca (Tyson MacAulay) Subject: Taxpayer Assets Project News Date: Sat, 22 May 93 04:10:32 EDT Hi Pat, I got this in my mail yesterday and I thought it might interest the readers, it came in two parts so I joined them for obvious reasons. ----------------------- Taxpayer Assets Project Information Policy Note May 18, 1993 The following is our letter regarding the May 20 mark-up of the GPO Access legislation (S 564). James Love Taxpayer Assets Project P.O. Box 19367 Washington, DC 20036 202/387-8030 Ardmore: 215/658-0880 May 17, 1993 Charlie Rose Chair, Committee on House Administration U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20036 RE: GPO Access (S. 564 mark-up) Dear Representative Rose: I am writing to thank you for your efforts to expand public access to government information through the proposed GPO Access program. I understand that the Committee on House Administration will mark-up S 564, the GPO Access legislation, on May 20. While we are strong supporter of the proposal to require GPO to provide this online service, we believe it is possible to strengthen the bill in several areas. This may be done through amendments or through the report language. 1. It would very helpful if GPO was directed to host an Internet discussion group, which would receive all GPO press releases and notices on the GPO Access program, and allow citizens to debate aspects of the implementation of the bill. We think this type of interactive feedback is an important innovation for government agencies. Today GPO is relatively isolated from the growing national debate on federal information policy which is taking place on the Internet. It is relatively easy to start an Internet discussion list -- several federal agencies do this now. Even a organization like ours supports our own list with a very modest budget. This would allow GPO much needed feedback on the system on a timely basis. GPO could get nearly instant feedback on its policies, and data users would feel they are empowered to influence this giant federal agency. 2. The legislation or the report language should direct GPO to provide the service through ordinary telephone connections and through the Internet. The Internet service will make it less costly for citizens who live outside the beltway to receive information from the GPO Access program. 3. The House report language should direct GPO to provide a public inventory of the legislative information that could be available through the new online program, and to solicit public comment (by post and electronic mail) on the executive branch products that should be provided through the GPO Access program. We are particularly interesting in having access to the full text of bills before Congress and the transcripts of testimonies before Congressional Hearings available as early as possible. 4. On the subject of pricing, the report language should direct GPO to provide differential pricing for peak and off-peak users, to make it less expensive for individuals who use the service (most commercial use occurs during 8am to 6pm on week days). Again, thank you for your efforts to broaden public access to these valuable federal information resources. Sincerely, James Love Taxpayer Assets Project Taxpayer Assets Project, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036; v. 202/387-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet: tap@essential.org ------------------------------ Taxpayer Assets Project Information Policy Note May 17, 1993 MAY 20 MARK-UP ON GPO WINDO/ACCESS LEGISLATION On March 11, 1993, the Senate and the House introduced identical bills (S. 564; HR 1328) that would require the Government Printing Office to provide the public online access to a wide range of federal information. The bills are titled the "Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993." (GPO Access for short). S. 564 has passed the Senate, and the House has scheduled a mark- up of the bill on May 20 in the Committee on House Administration. Representative Charlie Rose (D-NC) has indicated that he wants to move the bill out of committee without amendments, in order to avoid conference with the Senate, and to possibly send the bill to the President by Memorial Day. We have discussed the current GPO Access bill in a February 28 information policy note, which is stored on the tap-info archives. While the bill isn't everything that we were hoping for, it does require GPO's to launch an important new online service. The information will be priced at the incremental cost of dissemination for most users, and free to 1,400 federal Depository Libraries. The initial products will be the Federal Register, the Congressional Record, a federal information locator, and other information under the control of the Superintendent of Documents or information from executive branch agencies, at their request. Assuming that the bill does pass, the next step will be the implementation stage. One of our complaints about the present bill is that it omits the requirements that GPO solicit public comment on the service every year. This language, which was included in last year's GPO WINDO/GATEWAY bills was replaced with a vague requirement that GPO consult with users and other affected parties. The Senate report language on the bill asks GPO to solicit user views through an electronic bulletin board. We are writing Rose to ask that the report language in the House direct GPO to host an internet discussion group, which would receive all GPO press releases and notices on the GPO Access program, and allow citizens to debate aspects of the implementation of the bill. We think this type of interactive feedback is an important innovation for government agencies. To appreciate the importance of this, consider the fact that some Congressional staff members and GPO officials are considering an online system of disseminating bills before congress in postscript only formats (rather than ascii only or both formats). This ill conceived proposal is supposed to provide "printing on demand" of the bills, complete with fancy fonts, but would make it impossible for full text searches, reposting of bills on internet discussion groups, and would require expensive hardware to print the bills. The GPO Access legislation also dropped mention of the use of the Internet, which would have been required under the WINDO/GATEWAY bills. We are writing to ask that the report language direct GPO to provide the service through ordinary telephone connections *and* the Internet. We are also asking that the House report language direct GPO to provide a public inventory of the legislative information that could be available through the new online program, and to solicit public comment (by post and electronic mail) on the executive branch products that should be provided through the GPO Access program. On the subject of pricing, we are asking that the report language direct GPO to provide differential pricing for peak and off-peak users, to make it less expensive for individuals who use the service (most commercial use occurs during 8am to 6pm on week days). Copies of the bill and the fax numbers of the committee members are given below. Feel free to share your thoughts with the members of the committee. Fax numbers of members on the Committee on House Administration. All numbers are 202/225-XXXX. All members can be reached by telephone at 202/225-3121. Democrats St fax Republicans St fax Charlie Rose, NC 2470 Bill Thomas CA na Al Swift WA 2608 Newt Gingrich GA 4656 William L. Clay MO 1725 Pat Roberts KA 5375 Sam Gejdenson CT 4977 Bob Livingston LA 0739 Martin Frost TX 4951 Bill Barrett NE na Thomas Manton NY na John Boehner OH 0704 Steny Hoyer MD 4300 Gerald Kleczka WI na Dale Kidee MI na Butler Derrick SC na Barara Kennelly CT 1031 Benjamin Cardin MD na S. 564 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the "Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993", SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE. (a) IN GENERAL.--Title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: "CHAPTER 41--ACCESS TO FEDERAL ELECTRONIC INFORMATION "Sec. "4101. Electronic directory; online access to publications; electronic storage facility. "4102. Fees. "4103. Biennial report. "4104. Definition. 4101. Electronic directory; online access to publications; electronic storage facility "(a) IN GENERAL.--The Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, shall-- "(1) maintain an electronic directory of Federal electronic information; "(2) provide a system of online access to the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and, as determined by the Superintendent of Documents, other appropriate publications distributed by the Superintendent of Documents; and "(3) operate an electronic storage facility for Federal electronic information to which online access is made available under paragraph (2). "(b) DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS.--To the extent practicable, the Superintendent of Documents shall accommodate any request by the head of a department or agency to include in the system of access referred to in subsection (a)(2)information that is under the control of the department or agency involved. "(c) CONSULTATION.--In carrying out this section, the Superintendent of Documents shall consult-- "(1) users of the directory and the system of access provided for under subsection (a); and "(2) other providers of similar information services. The purpose of such consultation shall be to assess the quality and value of the directory and the system, in light of user needs. 4102. Fees "(a) IN GENERAL.--The Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, may charge reasonable fees for use of the directory and the system of access provided for under section 4101, except that use of the directory and the system shall be made available to depository libraries without charge. The fees received shall be treated in the same manner as moneys received from sale of documents under section 1702 of this title. "(b) COST RECOVERY.--The fees charged under this section shall be set so as to recover the incremental cost of dissemination of the information involved, with the cost to be computed without regard to section 1708 of this title. 4103. Biennial report "Not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year, the Public Printer shall submit to the Congress, with respect to the two preceding fiscal years, a report on the directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101(a). The report shall include a description of the functions involved, including a statement of cost savings in comparison with traditional forms of information distribution. 4104. Definition "As used in this chapter, the term 'Federal electronic information' means Federal public information stored electronically." (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.--The table of chapters for title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item: "41. Access to Federal Electronic Information.................4101". Sec. 3. STATUS REPORT. Not later than June 30, 1994, the Public Printer shall submit to the Congress a report on the status of the directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a). SEC. 4. SPECIAL RULES. (a) OPERATIONAL DEADLINE.--The directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a), shall be operational not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT.--The first report referred to in section 4103 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a), shall be submitted not later than December 31, 1995. -------------------- Taxpayer Assets Project, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036; v. 202/387-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet: tap@essential.org ------------------ Tyson Macaulay Directorate of Technology and Policy Planning Communications Canada 7th floor, Journal Tower North 300 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0C8 (613) 991 4903 macaula@ccs.carleton.ca tyson@debra.dgbt.doc.ca ...the usual disclaimer about not speaking for my employer...blah, blah. ------------------------------ From: cse@santafe.edu (Marcus Blankenship) Subject: Test Numbers For Oregon Date: 21 May 1993 21:17:01 GMT Organization: The Santa Fe Institute I am a telephone repair person for a small telco in Oregon. Since we are private, we do not work with USWest, our line supplier. I reparir payphones around the state, and a list of test numbers for OR would be VERY helpful to me. Things like ANI and Ringback numbers in particular. Is their anyway I can get these? Does someone have them?. If so, please email me with them.Thank you very much. Marcus Blankenship blankenm@seq.oit.ossh.edu Payphone Tech, Alpha Telcom Inc. ------------------------------ From: lsimon@paradyne.com (Lenny Simon) Subject: Blocking Selective Long Distance Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 17:54:31 GMT My local phone co., GTE, is telling me there is no way to selectively block long distance calls. I had a completely block long distance but need it removed since some long distance calls need to be made. Is there a device I can buy to hook up to a POTS to selectively block long distance calls. Or, does anyone know the right words to ask the telco to do what I want done. Thanks. [Moderator's Note: There are 'toll-restriction' devices for sale at Radio Shack, in the 'Hello Direct' catalog (1-800-HI-HELLO) and at other telephone supply houses. These devices can be configured to block all outgoing toll calls unless a password is entered first. Depending on the volume of long distance calls you make monthly, there are also programs like the AT&T Software Defined Network which allow blocking of calls to NPA, NPA-XXX, or NPA-XXX-XXXX. Blocking can be done by time of day, day of week, etc. Passcodes can be required to override blocking. The AT&T SDN has more options available in it than I can describe here. Plus, the rates are super low. If your long distance bill runs at least $300-400 per month you can have all the blocking you want, plus very detailed reports of your monthly calls by access or passcode number, etc. You also get a 5-15% discount against your total bill each month. You have to get this package through an AT&T reseller; your local telco cannot help with it. Everything is done in the network; you need no premises equipment. I resell this package for AT&T through my office; proceeds from monthly residuals benefit the Digest. For more information, 'ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: cambler@cymbal.calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler -- Phish) Subject: AT&T Cell Phones Organization: The Phishtank Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 13:25:06 GMT I'm looking into getting an AT&T cell phone. Up until now, I was sold on the 3730, but was just told that the 3760 was out, and was made a quote at $699. Does anyone know about these phones? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! cambler@zeus.calpoly.edu | Christopher J. Ambler chris@toys.fubarsys.com | Author, FSUUCP 1.32 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 20:16:07 -0400 From: egyed@lns598.TN.CORNELL.EDU Subject: Cellular Phone FAQ? Is there a FAQ file about different cellular phones, their capacities, ranges, features, what to look for? (We've seen the one about programming them, I'm looking for one about the different types.) Thanks. Zoltan Egyed Wilson Synchrotron Lab ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 17:47:53 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Macs Answering Phones I replied directly to the original poster on this, but I thought the net might be interested in a brief summary. There are two products that I know of on the market that interface a Macintosh computer with a phone line, and allow for programming the Mac to use it. They are both single-line solutions, meaning that you have to purchase on copy for every line that you want it to answer, and they both pretty well tie up an entire Mac (and I wouldn't suggest using them on anything less than a Classic II, no matter what they say). The first one is called PhonePro, and it's from a company called Cypress Research. I've had a good amount of experience with this package, so if anyone else has any direct questions, I can probably answer them. But basically, it comes with a serial hardware interface and an application that lets you build program scripts. The PhonePro software will let you build simple scripts such as answering machine/voice mail types, as well as more sophisticated, such as fax-on-demand and database lookup projects. In its current incarnation, it is a pretty good product. Its programming interface is pretty much a flow-chart, with function icons that you can place and tie together. It also supports 1000 record databases with multiple data types, including (of course) sound. It is very easy to learn. It is not, however, a really heavy duty program. I wouldn't suggest it at this point for any application requiring more than four lines (that's four Macs too).PhonePro also works with the NuBus ISDN card, if you can find one. It costs about $750/copy for PhonePro, and $650 for FaxPro if you want to do faxes (includes repackaged SupraFax 9600bps modem) (408) 752-2700. The second one is called TFLX and comes from Magnum Software. I have not used this package, nor do I know a whole lot about it. I do know that it costs $495 for a basic system and $1750 for the professional system. As far as I can tell, however, the professional system is the one that includes the hardware interface and lets you do anything more than the straight voicemail that the basic package does. (818) 701-5051. Interesting to note is the announcement of the new GeoPort that will come on some of the new Macs coming this summer. This high-speed port, in combination with included DSP boards, should be able to eliminate these hardware interface boxes and let the DSP boards communicate directly with the phone line. In fact, Apple hopes to get a low-cost ISDN connection using this port. Combine that will new text-to-speech capabilities, and the new Macs will be able to answer your phone and read your e-mail to you. Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 21:04:37 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: The Telex Machine in Popular Music Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Telex machines were never really part of the popular consciousness. I can only think of one popular song which refers to a telex machine: "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats. The song contains the lines "The telex machine is kept so clean As it types to a waiting world..." (For those of you who aren't familiar with the song, it is based on an actual incident in which a teenaged girl brings a gun to school and starts shooting. When she was asked why she did it, her reply was only "I don't like Mondays." The "telex machine" in the song was probably a dedicated printer for a news agency such as the Associated Press, rather than a terminal connected to the switched telex network run at that time by Western Union in the U.S.) The Canadian student press has a long tradition of writing new words to existing music. In the interminable debates about immediacy versus analysis within Canadian University Press, the national co-operative news agency to which many English-language Canadian student newspapers belong, someone once penned the lines "We don't need no telex, cause it only shovels s--t." Clearly, the lyricist was on the "analysis" side of the debate, one of the people who favored sending feature-length articles out by snail-mail rather than short news story by telex. (This was several years ago. E-mail me if you want information on how student newspapers in Canada and the U.S. use the net to communicate.) So can anyone else think of any telex-related songs? Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:33:53 EDT From: Bonnie J Johnson Subject: Message Length on Display Pagers In response to Steve Forrette's question, there is at least one display pager out there that is not limited to a 20 character display: Motorola Advisor, 160 character limitation, can access by telephone and also thru pc's, Windows and the Mac. bj ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #343 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa10300; 22 May 93 16:50 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA22931 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 22 May 1993 14:32:43 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA26652 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 22 May 1993 14:32:11 -0500 Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 14:32:11 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305221932.AA26652@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #344 TELECOM Digest Sat, 22 May 93 14:32:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 344 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Tibetian Telecom Report (The Tibetian Traveller) Disaster Avoidance and Recovery Conference; Exhibition May 26-28 (N. Allen) A Help Request From Russia (Dmitri Rostislavovich Sysoeff) 1-800-COL-LECT (Rich Greenberg) Stocks via Internet (Marshal Perlman) Cardphones and Frequencies (ba1926108@v9000.ntu.ac.sg) How to Evaluate Software (Andrea Spinelli) New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) (Ken Mandelberg) Telephone Service via Cable TV (Juergen Ziegler) Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis (William K. Kessler) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 06:50 EST From: The Tibetian Traveller Subject: Tibetian Telecom Report Hello readers, I figured that it was time to type up another report on China's telco. One of the reason's that it has taken so long to send anything is that I have had a very difficult time getting an IDD, modem, and computer together in the same place. And as of today, April 26, I still have not managed that feat. So I am not sure how old this report will be before I get a chance to send it. Right now, the only thing that I am lacking is a modem (and a modem cable). I have had several questions about the numbering plan in China so I will tackle that issue first. All local calls are dialed by merely dialing the subscriber number. All DDD calls are 0 + area code (sometimes called city code) + subscriber number. And all IDD calls are 00 + country code + destination number. That was the easy part, the hard part is the area code in China can vary from one to four digits while the subscriber code can vary from four to seven digits. And the format follows some complicated rules. If the first digit of the call is a 1, then it is a one digit area code for Beijing which has a seven digit subscriber code. If the first digit is a 2, it is a two digit area code. If the first digit is not a 1 or 2, it is a three or four digit area code. If the second digit is even, it is a four digit area code. If it is odd, it is a three digit area code. All the area codes in Tibet start with an 8. And the three digit area codes are 89x while the four digit area codes are 80xx. And in Tibet, with only two exceptions, the area code plus subscriber number equals a total of eight digits. For anyone interested, those two exceptions are Shiquanhe (8073) and Naqiu (8064). Both cities have five digit subscriber numbers for a total of nine digits. If you are thoroughly confused, don't feel bad. So am I. I am also including some information from an article in the {People's Daily} (not the most objective source). I hope some of the readers will find it of intrest. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) expects gross revenue to expand at a growth rate of 25 - 27% and to generate 2% of China's GNP by the end of the 90's. The industry's ratio of GNP last year was 0.7%. Last year, China invested $2.54 billion in the industries fixed assets. Last year, China added exchanges with a capacity of 4,345 million lines, which brought the country's total capacity to 32 million lines -- among the world's top ten nations. The network includes 19.26 million lines for public use and 12.74 million for privite and specialized use. [Your guess what they mean by a public and privite line is as good as mine.] By the end of 1992, China had installed 19.11 million public telephones, which means that for every 100 Chinese, there were an average of 1.63 phones compared with 1.29 in 1991. This is equivalent to the ratio in most countries with per-capita GNP of about $600. But problems are obvious in the sector's development, including a lack of long distance telecom capacity, a shortage of management and technical personal, slow postal delivery and unprofessional service by postal and telecom workers. For example, the number of families in Shanghi queuing to have phones installed rose to about 400,000 by the end of last year from 170,000 in 1991, even though in 1992 more than 200,000 families had phones connected. The rest of the article did not contain many hard facts. Any information that I have about cost of installation and length of wait comes from talking to various people in China. In Changchun, one man was telling me about an ad for phone installation. For $500, they will install a phone line within one year. In Beijing, I was told that a phone line costs $1,000 and takes between six to twelve months. In Tibet, dream on! The managers of the Lhasa Holiday Inn have been complaining that they have been trying to get additional lines for over a year and MPT will still not promise them when they can get them. There also appears to be three different types of pay phones in China. The first is by a coin operated telephone. (I have not seen one, I have only heard about them.) It appears that the Chinese do have a coin (worth about $.02) and the coin phones will accept them. Obviously, these are intended for local calls only. The second are the type with the card reader phones. A card costs $17.50 (one of these days, I will buy one and describe it to the readers.) These are not very practical for calling the States since a call there costs about $5 a minute. The third method is the phone booth with a regular handset in the booth. In ChangChun, there was a little room inside the busness center with a regular phone in it. While I never used it, I did get to see the process a couple of times while I was waiting for them to send a fax to the States. You give the number you want to call to the girl and go into the room. She places the call and transfers it into the room. When you are done with the call, you hang up and come out. In the meantime, the girl timed the call and figures out who much you owe. I was cautioned that if you do use this type of phone booth to time the call yourself since some of the operators like to add a couple of minutes to the bill and pocket the difference. In Mangkang, I had an interesting experience. Mangkang is a small town in Tibet with a population of 500 to 1000. You can walk completely around the town in an half hour. Since this town had not gotten the new switch or manual operator board when we were installing our equipment, they decided to run a two wire cable about 200 yards into the telegraph office [MPT handles telegraph as well as telephone communications] and install a regular handset into a "phone booth". This phone booth was two feet by four feet and a very tight squeeze for someone 6'5". Anyhow, when I went down to the office to make sure the handset worked, I saw the old manual operator board. It looked like something out of a very old movie. On the left, was a wooden cabinet about five feet high, three feet wide, and 1.5 ft deep. There were two glass doors on the front. The outside looked like a little cupboard that you might keep dishes in. Inside, were four sets of relays about two feet long and six inches wide. There were arranged in two vertical rows. Next to them were four "christmas trees" with wires soldered onto them. These were used for distribution between the cabinet and the operator board which was next to it. The operator board was also made of wood. There was a shelf about normal desk height with a "hutch" that sat at the rear of the shelf and rose another foot. On the "hutch" was rows of jacks with little metal plates covering the jacks. (I tried but I couldn't figure out how to open the jack coverings.) One the self were the sets of plugs with cords attached that you would associate with an operator board and several toggle switchs. Also embedded with the shelf was a rotary dial. They also had the operators headset laying on the shelf. The mouthpiece was a speaker tube that rested on the operators chest and was held in place with a cord around the operators neck. The ear piece looked like the ear piece from an old crystal radio. Unfortunately, they had pulled the switch out of operation before I got there so I could not see it in action. That's it for this issue of the Tibitian Telecom Tabloid. Garnet email:Gharris@lando.hns.com [Moderator's Note: Thanks very much for your report. Please write us again soon with more details. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 21:57:25 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Disaster Avoidance and Recovery Conference; Exhibition May 26-28 Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca Disaster Avoidance & Recovery Conference & Exhibition May 26-28; Contact: John Mungenast of Insystex Inc., Ventura, Calif., 805-650-7052, or George J. Whalen of G.J. Whalen & Co. Inc., New Rochelle, N.Y., 914-576-6750 News Advisory: Disaster Avoidance & Recovery '93, sponsored in part by AT&T, NCR and Power Quality magazine, will take place May 26-28, at the Sheraton Premiere at Tyson's Corner, in Vienna, Va. CEOs, participants from government, technology, financial manufacturing and utility companies, other major industry and key government groups are expected. They will hear from a blue-ribbon faculty of experts whose presentations will deal with all sides of disaster preparedness and recovery, sharing latest planning methods and technology to ward off, deal with and rapidly recover from natural or man-made disasters. The intensive three day conference points up the reality that U.S. businesses, buildings and people are more at-risk than ever before and that our technology-dependent society now relies on a "house of cards" of interdependent computers, telephone and power utilities. Keynote speaker will be Rep. Dick Swett (D-N.H.), who sees preparedness as a "new war" against natural and man-made threats. Assessments of recent wide-area disasters (Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki, floods, Nor'easters, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and blizzards) and a comprehensive review of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center will introduce topics such as evacuation, medical care and shelter, building vulnerability, standby power, elevator design flaws, plus how to plan against high-rise disasters. Participants will also discover that only a handful of utilities now have tested, workable disaster and recovery plans in place... that few power companies have "mutual aid plans" with telephone companies, even though they share the same poles and conduits and despite the fact that telephone companies rely in part on electric utility power. Counter-terrorism authorities will advise on protective measures, while telecommunications, computer, power and business recovery xperts will deal with how disasters can strike through our near-total dependency on computer technology and its vulnerability to the minute-by-minute quality of electrical power. There is a side benefit of all this: the wave of new methods, technology and products now emerging to improve preparedness of U.S. businesses is stimulating the economy with new jobs, new contracts and new opportunities. Additional information and details about Disaster Avoidance & Recovery '93 can be obtained from John Mungenast at Insystex Inc., the conference organizer, 805-650-7052 during business hours (Pacific time). Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ Organization: Information Technologies Center of The Moscow City From: Sysoeff@tezey.munic.msk.su (Dmitri Rostislavovich Sysoeff) Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:46:30 +0400 Subject: A Request For Help From Russia [Moderator's Note: I received this letter in the mail and am hoping that one or more readers will take time from their busy day to help this gentleman obtain copies of the documents he is seeking. To anyone who can help, thanks in advance from me. PAT] Dear mr. Patric Tomson, For me VERY VERY VERY impotant to resive CCITT or analog document FCC (Federal Communication Commity ) becouse of The lagest and best library in the Russia State Public Scient. and Tech. Library don't have it. modem v22bis , fax G3. ANY HELP, ANY REPLAY, ANY form collaboration WElLCOME ! SImon ------------------------------ From: richgr@netcom.com (Rich Greenberg) Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 04:00:52 PDT Reply-To: richgr@netcom.com Subject: 1-800-COL-LECT Today's {LA Times} 5/20 has a story in the business section on MCI's newest bright idea which is too long to key in and I am sure you are all familiar with it already. There were two parts of it I would like to share with the TELECOM Digest though. There was a mention that MCI had been preparing this new offering for a while, but couldn't get 800-COLLECT until May 1. There was a chart showing which carriers got what slice of the collect call pie. AT&T 75%, MCI 11%, Sprint 5%, Others 9%. The other part of the chart showed where collect calls are made. (MCI was quoted as the source, so these percents may be percents of their 11%, not the totals.) Listed were: 57% - Public pay phone 31% - Someone elses home 29% - home 18% - hotel/motel 15% - office 14% - School, dorm, hospital. 12% - military base 3% - airport I wonder which of these catagories the collect-only phones in jails would fall into? Rich Greenberg Work: rmg50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com 310-417-8999 N6LRT Play: richgr@netcom.com 310-649-0238 What? Me speak for Amdahl? Surely you jest.... [Moderator's Note: From another source, I'm told calls from jails, peniteniaries and other correctional environments are in the 'schools, dorms and hospitals' category. The thing I found interesting about the 1-800-COLLECT program is that thus far *no one* at MCI knows what the rates are for calls! I tried the service a couple times, and both times when the MCI operator could not quote the rate and/or detirmine what surcharge would apply if any, I was transferred to customer service, and they did not know either, saying the 'public relations and advertising departments got ahead of us (in operations) on this one.' They offered to send me a $5 gift certificate to make up for inconvenience caused as a result. The customer service rep said they hope to have the details of the program soon, including rates, surcharges, etc. From another source however, I'm told the surcharge is over a dollar per call, and that the rates are not very good. :( They do however check the database of numbers that are restricted from being billed for collect or third number type calls. :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: mperlman@nyx.cs.du.edu (Marshal Perlman) Subject: Stocks VIA Internet Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Sat, 22 May 93 04:08:16 GMT Anyone know of any stock purchasing companies that are computer linked to the internet ... where I could buy and sell stocks with my computer? I 'm sure it would be a tad cheaper then using my broker who just punches what I say to him into a computer and charges me $50 for 'his help'. TThanks, Marshal =-> Please Reply VIA E-Mail If Able <-= Marshal Perlman Internet: perlman@cs.fit.edu Florida Institute of Technology IRC: Squawk Melbourne, Florida Private Pilot, ASEL 407/768-8000 x8435 Goodyear Blimp Club Member ------------------------------ From: ba1926108@v9000.ntu.ac.sg Subject: Cardphones and Frequencies Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 07:18:45 GMT Could someone please furnish me with information on how a cardphone and a phonecard works (the one without an eprom chip in it). Could you also tell me the frequencies of the different numbers in a tone dialed telephone? Thanks. AAron [Moderator's Note: The frequencies for the digits on a touch tone phone are discussed in the Frequently Asked Questions file and also in the Telecom Archives, available using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. PAT] ------------------------------ From: e28bgid2@cine88.cineca.it Subject: How to Evaluate Software Date: 22 May 93 10:20:31 +0100 Organization: CINECA, Italian Interuniversity comp. centre Hi everyone, I am working on an applied research project on software quality, and I ask the cooperation of the Net. I will post the result of my queries asap. Please mail directly to me, not to waste bandwidth. My field of interest is measuring the quality of applications. That means answering to some questions, such as "are there any goto's?", rating the answers, hashing results with some queer software and saying "good usability, bad maintainability" and so forth. What I need are the questions. There are some lists in literature, but they are not specific for a technologic area. I ask you: from your experience and judgment, what things would you check (which questions would you ask) to determine whether a program or a piece of documentation in the area of telecommunications is: - meeting its original requirements (accurate, interoperable, conforming to standards, keeping privacy) - reliable (mature, error tolerant, recoverable) - usable by actual people (understandable, teachable, easy to use) - efficient - maintainable (readable, modifiable, stable, testable) - portable (customisable,installable,platform-independent) This is a kind of worldwide brainstorm, so diversity is welcome! I think that self-consciousness of the Net on quality attributes and measurements is of general utility, and I dare ask you a few minutes of your time. I will quote the names of all people who do not ask to remain anonymous. Of course, indirect pointers to publications, ftp-accessible archives, FAQ lists and the like are equally welcome. Thanks for reading this message. Andrea Spinelli tel +39-35-307322 ISMES SpA fax +39-35-211191 Viale Giulio Cesare 29 e-mail e28bgid2@cine88.cineca.it 24123 Bergamo BG ------------------------------ From: km@mathcs.emory.edu (Ken Mandelberg) Subject: New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) Date: 22 May 1993 13:29:59 GMT Organization: Emory University, Dept of Math and CS Reply-To: km@mathcs.emory.edu I just read an article in the local paper about BellSouth's plan to introduce "ScanFone". Scanfone is apparently a smart phone with 4x20 character display and a credit card reader that is designed to interface with home banking and shopping services. What really caught my eye was a note in the article that the phone could display "who's trying to reach you if you`re already using the phone. The latter service likely would cost extra.". This sounds like some merger of Call Waiting and Caller-ID. I'm not much interested in the Scanfone, but am interested in the this new phone service. Does it have a name? How does it work? What I really would like to see is a modem that could reliably detect a call waiting signal (while running V32BIS/V42BIS). Caller-ID info would be a bonus. I'd be happy to just be able to tell the modem to drop the data call and switch to voice if it detects call waiting. No modem maker seems to be interested or perhaps able to do this with the current "in band" call waiting beeps. Perhaps the new service would be easier to handle. Ken Mandelberg | km@mathcs.emory.edu PREFERRED Emory University | {rutgers,gatech}!emory!km UUCP Dept of Math and CS | km@emory.bitnet NON-DOMAIN BITNET Atlanta, GA 30322 | Phone: Voice (404) 727-7963, FAX 727-5611 ------------------------------ From: juergen@jojo.sub.org Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 20:39:08 +0200 Subject: Telephone Service via Cable TV I heard in some UK cities cable TV operators offer telephone services with their cable TV networks. Who knows a little bit more about this interesting new technology? Who (in UK) has experience with this new type of telephone service? What are the rates compared to old style telephone service? Are their any special features available? Juergen Ziegler......... Internet: juergen@jojo.sub.org Obervogt-Haefelinstr. 48 W7580 Buehl (Baden)..... Secondary Mail address:........ Germany.[PLZ NEU:77815]. k84@ibm3090.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de ------------------------------ From: William.K.Kessler@att.com Subject: Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis Date: Sat, 22 May 93 10:13:42 EST It appears that Indianapolis is being plagued by an automated telephone dialer (possibly a trolling FAX machine or cracker). I received a call to my home number on April 24th at 3:31 AM. The call was some type of machine that beeped at about one second intervals. The call was from 317-471-XXXY. I hung up and then received a second call about one minute later. The second call also was a beeping sound. I called the number back and received an immediate disconnect followed by dial tone. The pest has called other numbers in following groups 317-841-XXXX, 317-579-XXXX, 317-845-XXXX, and 317-849-XXXX. Caller-ID, where available, revealed an origination number that differed in only the last digit. The pest has been active for about a month. I complained to Indiana Bell and the Sheriff's department two weeks ago. I received a follow-up call asking what crime was committed. It's not clear what laws if any have been violated. I just received a another call to my home number so it appears that the pest is making a second pass through the CO. This time I complained to the Utility Regulatory Commission. The consumer affairs representative said that they would talk to Indiana Bell. Any suggestions on how to deal with this pest would be appreciated. William K. Kessler att!inuxy!kessler or w.k.kessler@att.com [Moderator's Note: Try calling back the numbers on your Caller-ID display at various times of day and night. Use a criss-cross directory to find out who the calling number(s) likely belong to. Most public libraries have a telephone reference department, frequently in the 'Business and Technology' area of the library. As often as not, they will check their copy of the criss-cross and save you a trip downtown, although it helps with those directories to review entries on either side of the offender to see if the number is part of a larger bunch, such as a centrex group, etc, and the librarian usually won't spend that much time doing a detailed analysis. Some libraries won't read to you over the phone from the criss-cross at all, citing 'privacy concerns' for the persons listed therein. That's a crock, but you can't easily fight it so go to the library for yourself. When you get the name/address of the person/company which relates to the offending phones, send a note and let us know who it is. If you prefer, if it is a company, get the name of the person who handles the telecom for that company, and *talk to that person only* about the problem. Don't waste time talking to anyone else in the firm unless the telecom person won't cooperate, in which case you go to the President, Chairman of the Board or perhaps their attorney and offer to remodel their back porch if needed. If it is coming from a private residential phone, contact the person and tell them everyone is sick of it and there are to be no more games. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #344 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa15882; 22 May 93 20:04 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00042 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sat, 22 May 1993 17:56:53 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA27679 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sat, 22 May 1993 17:56:12 -0500 Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 17:56:12 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305222256.AA27679@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #345 TELECOM Digest Sat, 22 May 93 17:56:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 345 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Tales of the TV Tower Prague (Richard Budd) New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Jeffrey Jonas) Verifying Simulations (David Ross) Correction re France Direct (Robin K. Brookes) Cable References Wanted (Demosthenes Panagopoulos) Opinions Wanted: Future of Healthcare Telecom (Kevin Fitzpatrick) Cellular Eavesdropper Stops a Crime (Ken Weaverling) AT&T Getting Desperate? (A. Padgett Peterson) Amazing $13 Billion Fiber Conversion by US West (Terence Cross) International Discount Telecom (Robert L. McMillin) Scalable Coherent Interface (Chuck Ludinsky) Help Needed Getting Internet Connection (Kelly McGinnis) Voice Mail - DID Trunk? (Seth B. Rothenberg) CATV and Telephony (Bill Phelps) How Does 0+ATT+0 Happen? (Mark Brown) Oops, You Didn't Hear That (Jeffrey Jonas) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 May 93 15:41:26 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Tales of the TV Tower Prague Organization: CSAV UTIA When I hear complaints about AM/FM radio or television towers on the World Trace Center frying people with electromagnetism or that it causes cancer, I think of the complaints about the Prague TV tower. The two best stories I heard were radioactive emissions from the TV signals destroying health and that the tower was being used by the KGB for surveillance. I haven't heard yet on this forum that US transmission towers were radioactive or that the FBI was using them to listen in on conversations. I hope this article doesn't give anyone ideas. If you come to Prague, you can't help but notice the Televzni Vysilac Praha towering 216 meters over the Zizkov neighborhood just east of Wenscelaus Square. The American community likes to refer to it as the 'Launch Pad' since it does look like a rocket ship ready to lift off. Many Czechs are more crass. They call it the 'Prague Penis' since it also resembles an uncircumcised male organ. Construction began by the Communist government in 1985 and it was finished just in time for the Velvet Revolution. It has been a controversial thing to say the least. First, it's construction displaced a Jewish cemetery. Then, while laying the foundation, the construction team found a gravesite for victims of plague during Napoleonic times. Because Europeans recommend that bodies of plague victims not be disturbed for 400 years, that almost caused the site to be moved. The tower, as mentioned before, is in the middle of a residential neighborhood. In addition, you can see it from virtually anywhere in the city. Of course, that brought out concern over the safety of the television signals. The story was that residents were concerned about radioactivity from the television tower affecting people's health and minds. A team of scientific experts, doctors, hygienists, bio-electric experts, and soldiers researched the signal and examined residents. They determined the tower of safe. But then came the Revolution and the neighbors denounced the committee as Communist stooges. So there were more tests. The strange thing is that all the complaints about health came before 1991, when the tower became fully active. There haven't been too many since then. The technician in charge of the tower believes the neighborhood was confusing radioactivity with electromagnetism, but admitted there was no research about the effect of electromagnetic signals on the human body. Still the tower keeps broadcasting messages. The bottom two-thirds of the tower have been rented to a Czech company who is developing the tower as a tourist site. The tower includes an expensive (for Czechs, moderately inexpensive for Americans, a thrifty alternative to $500 dinners at Windows of the World in New York) restaurant and observation decks where you can get an excellent view of the Vltava, the Castle, and the Old Town. The towers gives off 60 kilowatts of television signals, whereas transmitters in Western countries, according to the technical director of the tower, emit 100 kilowatts or more. The other popular complaint against the tower was that it was being used for KGB surveillance. That came about because the tower, when it began sending signlas, interfered with reception from the more liberal Polish and Hungarian channels that townspeople picked up using "super antennae" in their homes. It has become a tourist attraction, especially since it is convenient from the Metro Line A. It is one block from an art deco church built in the 1920s that was neglected by the Communists, but has been restored since the Revolution. There are still mixed feelings about the tower. Expatriates and some of the citizens admire it as a modern touch among Prague's thousands of spires. Others still say it's out of place with the town and a symbol of a regime they prefer to forget. You may understand from the experience here that the complaints and action groups against transmission towers in the United States aren't necessarily confined to the US. My thanks to an article in Prognosis dated February 1993 from Tonya Cook for this nice story. Richard Budd USA klub@maristb.bitnet CR budd@cspgas11.bitnet 139 S. Hamilton St. Kolackova 8 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 18200 Praha 8 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 93 14:08:35 EDT From: jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) Subject: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card At both sides of the Staten Island Ferry (New York), there are yellow New York Telephone pay phones that take only a card. The vending machine that dispenses the cards says that the cards cost $5, and are worth $5.25. There's a bargraph showing the value used, and it looks like the strip could go to $6. It's called a: Change card or Coin replacement Card. The advertisements say "think of it as a roll of coins". (800) 545-EASY for more information (but I'm not sure the number is valid out of NY). I didn't buy a card since I barely make $5 of payphone calls in a year, let alone from the few places with these card phones. That's the drawback of these cards: they seem to work ONLY in the yellow phones equipped for them; they probably cannot work on any other phone since the value seems to be on the card itself. (Unless that's an indicator only, but the ads only mention using them on the yellow payphones). I looked at a phone while in use. The LCD displays shows "FREE" for free calls, or the value remaining on the card (or was it the cost of the call?) The sign says that when the card is expired, you have 20 seconds after the warning beep to insert a new card and resume the call without interruption. Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ From: ross@alcatel.ch (David Ross) Subject: Verifying Simulations Reply-To: ross@alcatel.ch Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 09:07:47 GMT This may be a FAQ (for comp.simulation), so please bear with me. Can anybody point me to references discussing the verification of simulations? What I'm interested in is how confident one can be that measurements made of the behaviour of a simulated system correspond to the behaviour of the real-world system. I work in broadband telecommunications, and I often see things like "simulations *show* that the DQDB protocol is unfair" or "simulations *show* that a TCP window size of 8 is wonderful". Often the standarization of a new protocol relies heavily on the results of such simulations, and so trusting the simulation results implicitly seems to me to be a potential risk. (I also worry when results of a simulation of a particular protocol implementation (e.g. the BSD implementation of TCP/IP) are used to make generalised statements about the protocol itself.) How much should we trust such results? How much depends upon the implementation of the simulation? I would really appreciate references to good textbooks or recent articles. I've crossed posted this to some of the comp.dcom.* group but I think answers should go to comp.simulation or email me direct. Thanks. David Ross (ross@alcatel.ch) On loan to: Alcatel STR, Zurich, CH. Phone: +41 52 61 33 44 Fax: +41 52 61 32 82 ------------------------------ From: rbrookes@dublin.cerf.fred.org Date: 22 May 93 15:28 ut Subject: Correction re France Direct In an item on France Direct Clive DW Feather wrote re the UK access number to France Telecom: > The first of these should be 0800 89 33 00. This is still incorrect. The number should be 0800 89 00 33. Robin K. Brookes 53.00.00N, 06.00.00W BROOKES, ROBIN K. (REV'D), 74 GRACEPARK ROAD, DRUMCONDRA, DUBLIN 9. FIDONET ADDRESS: 2:263/151 ------------------------------ From: dimos@ics.forth.gr (Demosthenes Panagopoulos) Subject: Cable References Wanted Date: 22 May 1993 09:39:28 GMT Organization: FORTH - ICS, P.O.Box 1385, Heraklio, Crete, Greece 71110 I am looking for any good references on cabling standards which explain the different types of wiring, concerns, applications, etc. Any good books, articles, on-line text that I can read would be great. I would appreciate any help you might offer. Demos ------------------------------ From: fitzp001@thor.mc.duke.edu (Kevin Fitzpatrick) Subject: Opinions Wanted: Future of Healthcare Telecom Date: 22 May 93 11:41:33 GMT Dear Friends: I am writing an article for a medical journal that seeks to look ahead at the impact of computers in healthcare. (Healthcare, as you may know, is the least automated of all the information intensive industries) One of the most revolutionary changes in healthcare will be the way our telephones, voice mail, beepers and modums evolve and overlap. I would appreciate your thoughts and observations. Thanks in advance. Kevin Fitzpatrick Medical Center Information Systems Duke University Fitzp001@mc.duke.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 07:56:03 -0400 From: Ken Weaverling Subject: Cellular Eavesdropper Stops a Crime I saw an interesting item in the Police Report of the May 21st issue of the Wilmington DE {News-Journal} today. An unnamed person eavesdropping on cellular phone calls overheard two people talking about how to steal money from a local Sears store. The plan involved an employee of Sears who works as a cashier at the store intentionally giving out the wrong amount of change to his accomplice. The eavesdropper, reportedly listening in on a scanner, called police who used the tip to arrest two people in the scam. There was no mention of any charges being filed against the eavesdropper. Of course, the two charged will most likely get off easily, since the interception of their phone conversation was illegal! Ken Weaverling, Sys Admin/Faith Healer, Delaware Tech College weave@dtcc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 08:16:03 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: AT&T Getting Dsperate? Yesterday I received a most interesting letter from AT&T asking to be "my phone company". The facinating part was that the slam authorization was an apparently negotiable check for $75.00 US, not a credit but a check. The instructions were to take it to a bank, cash it, and when they received it back I would be switched. Now I am happy with my Sprint (have had it since before there was a Sprint 8*) and they give me a volume discount, but this was a novel approach. In the "busy" circuit, I suspect that it might work a tad better if the base and collector in Q1 were "slammed". Warmly, Padgett ------------------------------ From: eeitecs@eeiuc.ericsson.se (Terence Cross) Subject: Amazing $13 Billion Fiber Conversion by US West Reply-To: eeitecs@eeiuc.ericsson.se Organization: Ericsson Telecom AB Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 13:56:38 GMT In a recent edition of {Newsweek}, "Wiring The World", I read of a network being created by US West. It said that in Feb. a decision had been made to connect all 13 million subscribers of US West to fiber; that it would take 26 years, and that cost would be $13 billion. I have not seen this info anywhere else and am now wondering if I am mistaken. If not, maybe I should consider moving to US West's turf. I'll probably be rotting in a worm before I could see that here. Does anyone have more info on this? rgs, Terence Cross, Athlone, Ireland ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 07:26 PDT From: rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) Subject: International Discount Telecom I read about International Discount Telecom in the current (May 24, 1993) issue of {Forbes}. Basically, the customer calls them from a foreign country, the IDT end rings once, the customer hangs up, and IDT calls back with AT&T dialtone local to the States. Since it's *much* cheaper to call from the US to other countries, IDT splits the difference. For companies (and individuals) who make a lot of international calls overseas, this saves tons of money over the direct-dial rates of most government-owned monopolies. One customer in Jerusalem says that he regularly saves 30% over the local telco rates there. Of course, there are drawbacks: it appears that you have to have a dedicated line on their end, and (I would surmize) you can only make calls from one phone number; the world just isn't SS7 connected! AT&T would very much like them to go out of business, because they're "stealing the ring." Partly, I'm sure, AT&T's just upset because they didn't think of this first, but also because they very probably couldn't get away with it: it would make all the foreign telcos with whom they have reciprocal contracts very unhappy. Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | rlm@helen.surfcty.com ------------------------------ From: cjl@mbunix.mitre.org (Ludinsky) Subject: Scalable Coherent Interface Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, Ma. Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 17:29:10 GMT Does anyone have any information regarding a high-speed, data communications system known as "Scalable Coherent Interface?" Or can anyone point me in the right direction to sources of information regarding SCI? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Chuck Ludinsky cjl@mitre.org ------------------------------ From: mcginnis@bu.edu (Kelly McGinnis) Subject: Help Needed Getting Internet Connection Date: 22 May 93 18:26:59 GMT I was just wondering where (other than universities), I can gain access to the e-mail system the schools use. I'm home for the summer but still want to loggin without having to go to a university to do it. Is this possible and if so, how? I'm in NJ and I have a friend in WV who is also interested. Thanks. [Moderator's Note: By 'email system the schools use' I assume you are referring to the Internet and its affiliated networks -- what you are connected to and reading now. There are many 'public access unix sites' you can subscribe to. I suggest checking out the 'nixpub' file; you may also wish to investigate the Free Net sites; Portal Communications in San Jose, CA (they have a PC Pursuit/Sprintnet link); or Chinet in Chicago (chinet.chi.il.us) operated by Randy Suess. Another good public access site here is 'Gagme' (gagme.chi.il.us) oper- rated by Greg Gulick. There are plenty of places where you can sign up for modest fees. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rothen+@pitt.edu (Seth B Rothenberg) Subject: Voice Mail - DID Trunk? Date: 22 May 93 19:12:21 GMT Organization: University of Pittsburgh I am thinking of creating a small Voicemail system on a PC, but I would like to be able to have different phone numbers for different mailboxes. I know that a PBX gets the number dialed from the C.O. somehow, so that the customer does not need a trunk for each DID number. Is there anything that can be done with ordinary phone lines? Please reply directly, and I will summarize. The voicemail card I am looking at is from the Hello catalog, 800-HI-HELLO. Thanks, Seth ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 23:09:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Phelps Subject: CATV and Telephony The recent Time-Warner/US West deal is further (dramatic) evidence that we will soon be buying local exchange phone service from the cable company. Does anyone know how the CATV companies plan to do service activation/ service assurance for phone service. (For instance, how do the US West/ TCI carriers do it in the UK?) The US RBOCs use Bellcore systems (LFACS, COSMOS, MARCH), and LMOS which comes from AT&T). These are archaic systems based on some outdated views of how the loop should be managed. I am wondering if the cable operators will introduce a new perspective. Bill Phelps bphelps@world.std.com ------------------------------ From: mbrown@testsys.austin.ibm.com (Mark Brown) Subject: How Does 0+ATT+0 Happen? Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 16:55:50 GMT Organization: IBM Corp., Austin TX While I know that 102880 gets you ATT from "any" phone, and you can put the charges on your calling card, my wife encountered this the other day: She works at a children's hospital, which recently had problems with outside callers doing unauthorized LD and billing third-party to the hospital. They thought that they had put a stop to this by 1) telling their carrier (local and LD) to disallow *any* third-party billing and 2) making the PBX vendor fix up their security and 3) making hospital policy on LD clear, all LD goes through their vendor. Recently she discovered all kinds of ATT LD charges on their bill -- but not through slamming. Evidently, anyone can dial 02880 (not 102880) and then go through the usual to make an LD call -- and the charges go directly to the hospital phone! The patients (this is a psych hospital) do this a lot ... ATT's rates are higher than her carrier, and she'd like to put a stop to this -- can she? Mark Brown IBM AWS Austin, TX. (512) 838-3926 VNET: MBROWN@AUSVM6 MAIL: mbrown@austin.ibm.com DISCLAIMER: My views are independent of IBM official policy. [Moderator's Note: If '02880' plus a long distance number is completing the call, then something is drastically wrong somewhere. I am not sure why the first zero does not drop the call to the hospital PBX oper- ator for starters; or were you (presuming) '9' for an outside line followed by '02880'? I tried it from here (yes, I know the sun does not revolve around Chicago and IBT is not the last word) and the result was the switch tried to give operator treatment to 0-288-0xx-xxxx which of course failed. Who is the default carrier for the hospital? Why is the local telco letting all that garbage go through without challenging it if for no other reason than it being rather ambiguous? Is the switch at the hospital altering that into 10288 for some reason? The telecom vendor should arrange things so that calls to 0 (as is probably the case already), 9 + 0, 9 + 00, 9 + 10xxx, 9 + 0/1-700, 9 + 976, 9 + 1-900 and other premium services are all bounced back to the hospital PBX operator for handling. She in turn would deny connection to patients or staff without a calling card or some valid billing arrangement for any of the above *other than the hospital itself*. She would either instruct the caller to use a payphone (I assume there are several around the hospital grounds) to complete the call, or she might simply connect the party to 1-800-CALL-ATT. The local telco should also be advised to add 'Billed Number Screening' to all lines which will eliminate *all* AT&T/Sprint/MCI collect and third number billing attempts, and quite a few others as well. In addition, the telco can add a flag so that when the call is passed to any of the major carriers it will *automatically* display on the operator's tube a caution message, i.e. 'prison', 'psychiatric facility', etc, with an instruction 'deny billing to calling number -- call must be made collect or third number.' In fact, IBT's system locks the call and the operator cannot release it until/unless authorized collect or third number information has been inserted. Naturally, telco also should totally block 900/976. Once blocked, even the telco operator can't put those through. If there is a *legitimate* need for some collect calls to be accepted at the hospital, then leave only the main listed number able to receive them. The PBX operator will receive these calls and supervise them accordingly. Final note: The law says a 'place of public accomodation' (i.e. dorm at a university, hotel/motel, etc -- I am not sure if a long term psychiatric facility or prison would be included) cannot block or deny passage of calls via 10xxx. Administrators take note: No where does the law say the calls have to be handled *automatically* -- only that they cannot be denied. You are perfectly free to have all that routed right down to your phone room, where an operator can challenge the billing and insure accuracy of chargeback information -- then release the call to the public network. Yes, your operators have to do a little extra work *at first* (until the users wise up that the free rides via the university PBX are over), but the days of the big phone bill no one knows anything about will be over. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 16:17:33 EDT From: jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) Subject: Oops, You Didn't Hear That An interesting TELECOM RISKS article in PC Week was a fellow telling stories of being the victim of wrong numbers. A) He was sitting by the phone waiting for a call from a call-in program where he was the guest. No call. After a while, he called in. They didn't think he was home because they transposed two digits of his phone number and got an answering machine that didn't announce who they reached so they didn't know they reached a wrong number. B) His fax machine received a confidential price list from someplace. The person simply misdialed the number. So he implored his readers to be more careful about their dialing habits, particularly when transmitting confidential information - read back the number on your FAX machine display before pressing SEND - have some identification on your answering machine's outgoing message He also mused about how people are so trusting of their machines, such as having passwords in auto dial scripts, or having FAX lists built into the auto dialer of the FAX machine. He warned that it's quite easy and undetectable for an infiltrator to add themself to the list. How many of us would love to have added our FAX number to, say, Microsoft's FAX machine button "Bill Gates" or "all VPs". Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix.com ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #345 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa28138; 23 May 93 2:41 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA31118 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 23 May 1993 00:27:22 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00050 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 23 May 1993 00:26:42 -0500 Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 00:26:42 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305230526.AA00050@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #346 TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 May 93 00:26:45 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 346 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Report on Conference on Small Businesses (Jane Fraser) Ugh! Call-Forwarding Cancels Hunting! (Tony Shepps) ATT vs MCI in June? (Laurence Chiu) Cellular Charging (Laurence Chiu) Caller ID For Long Distance Calls (Klaus Dimmler) Variable Rate 900 (was Re: Calling Card Merchant Status) (Bill Huttig) Setting up a SLIP Server (Samuel Hahn) Sprint Stupidity (Ken Levitt) Prodigy Digicom 96/14.4 (John Edward Teague) Problems With 1-800-COLLECT From Canada (Nigel Allen) Unitel Offers Canada's Version of Friends and Family (David Leibold) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 07:44:20 EDT From: fraser@ccl2.eng.ohio-state.edu Subject: Report on Conference on Small Businesses Summary of May 12, 1993, CAST symposium "The Technology and Culture of Cooperation in the New Global Economy" by Ann Hollifield For more information, contact Jane M. Fraser (fraser.1@osu.edu) Cooperation and community are the keys to building the types of networks U.S. businesses need in order to be competitive in the emerging global economy. This message, delivered by presenters at the Spring 1993 CAST symposium "The Technology and Culture of Cooperation in the New Global Economy," asked researchers and small businesses to look again at the way they engage in international trade. Rather than viewing trade as a competitive process, symposium participants suggested that small businesses should begin thinking of trade as a cooperative venture in which a community of businesses working together can succeed together. The symposium, which drew about 120 participants, examined the issues involved in constructing networks that can facilitate international trade among companies that currently sell only to domestic markets. Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka keynoted the conference with a discussion of the Infoport project, which he said is designed to encourage small businesses to engage in global trade by simplifying the process for them. "That's how the whole idea of Infoport was born," Lashutka said, "to make EDI (electronic data interchange) available to small and medium-sized businesses." Lashutka said that the services Infoport will provide will be vitally important to small businesses where "people can't afford time away from their businesses to meet with international customers." Lashutka noted that the project has gained momentum, including plans by the United Nations to hold the worldwide Trade Point Center conference here next year, and synergy with other efforts to develop the region's international trade such as the Inland Port initiative. The symposium's central theme -- the building of business communities -- was outlined by Nancy Ettlinger, associate professor in the Department of Geography at Ohio State. Ettlinger maintained that advanced telecommunications technologies can empower small and medium-sized businesses in building communities in ways that previously have been impossible. But she noted that technologies are only highways, and that their existence and use presupposes a culture of collaboration and cooperation that does not necessarily exist among U.S. businesses. Ettlinger argued that the internal culture of U.S. business, where managers hold onto power and labor has rarely sought participation rights, is reflected in the external American business culture, where companies have difficulty establishing joint working relationships. In Japan and Germany, Ettlinger noted, trade associations act as a mechanism to create and support cooperative ventures within industries. In the U.S., by contrast, most associations operate to lobby on behalf of their membership and to disseminate information to their individual members, which can then be used by those companies to compete in isolation. American business must build internal communities where labor and management erode the formal barriers to shared responsibility for information and action, and then translate that into the development of larger and more internationally effective business communities, Ettlinger concluded. Jane Fraser, associate professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Ohio State and Co-Director of CAST, built upon Ettlinger's premise by discussing the use of information technologies to create relationships among small businesses. Fraser outlined the potential of bulletin boards, electronic mailing lists and other existing mechanisms, and then argued that the software design of such systems is critical if such technologies are actually to aid in building trade circles. By way of example, Fraser noted that electronic mailing lists tend to be more intrusive to the recipient than bulletin boards, which she suggested may account for the tendency of mailing list users to engage in "flame wars." Mechanisms that encourage such message wars are not likely to help build positive relationships. Software design also affects how communities develop through bulletin boards. Some boards enourage participation through an open access design, whereas others discourage it by controlling the creation of and access to the boards. Fraser argued that trade and information technology specialists must begin working together to build regional on-line business communities, where businesses would support one another and solve one another's problems. Such communities may eventually grow into national and international networks, which could leverage global advantages by, for example, handing projects off from work team to work team around the world as the day progresses. The creation of such "virtual corporations" would permit participants to take advantage of the full 24 hours in a day, as well as gaining global input into their products and processes. An example of the power of business networks was provided by June Holley and Roger Wilkens of ACEnet, an Athens, Ohio, nonprofit organization that creates and supports flexible manufacturing projects among existing businesses. Holley and Wilkens explained their process for identifying potential niche markets for products and then finding and organizing small business or individuals into networks to produce and market the targeted product. ACEnet has successfully developed and organized the manufacturing for remote-controlled, movable cabinetry for the homes of physically disabled individuals, as well as pulled together a consortium of women to produce and knit environmentally sound wool sweaters for markets in Germany. James E.P. Sisto, special projects manager for the Governor's Export Initiative for the State of Ohio, gave perspective to the importance of the symposium's topic by outlining the dimensions of the global trade problem in the U.S. Sisto noted that there are 3.9 million enterprises in the U.S., of which only 105,000, or less than 3 percent, engage in exporting. Of those, more than 50 percent of all U.S. exports come from only 70 companies. Sisto maintained that while information on trade and exporting is abundant, it fails to reach the small and medium-sized businesses who are being lost to the export markets. The need, he said, is for mechanisms that overcome both the external barriers to trade and the internal ones -- the lack of time and fear of the unknown that frequently keep small business owners and managers from entering international markets. He noted that the state is developing several projects to facilitate new ideas for encouraging trade and added that initiatives such as Infoport, the Inland Port, Governor's Trade Initiative and the creation of networks all are steps in the process of changing the way U.S. businesses approach global markets. ------------------------------ Subject: Ugh! Call-Forwarding Cancels Hunting! From: toad@cellar.org Date: Sat, 22 May 93 10:28:07 EDT Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system I run a small public access system in the Philadelphia area. Called "The Cellar". It has five incoming lines for users, all in a hunt sequence. But suddenly I have a terrible, albeit interesting telephony problem here. I recently bought a house, and of course I decided to move the system from a friend's house into my own house. What I didn't realize is that unlike my friend's house, my place is not within the Philly metropolitan calling region! It'd suddenly be a toll call for almost all of the users! Naturally I found this out one day AFTER having all the lines installed and moving the system. OK, not a problem, I thought -- the old number is a LOCAL call to the new number, so keep call forwarding on the old number and everything will be fine. I'll have the keep the old line active forever, but that'll be ok. But that doesn't fly. It turns out that call forwarding sorta cancels hunting; after one person is forwarded to the new number, everyone else gets a busy signal. I called Bell of PA and begged them for any hints they could offer. The Bell person I worked with is extremely nice, very enthusiastic about the problem, and willing to try to find a solution. After discussing it with his techies, they suggest trying another type of call forwarding: "call forward, no answer". They figure the hunting won't be lost. But now it looks like this solution won't fly either. It almost works; it preserves the hunting. It's interesting, actually; all five lines at the old place are no-answer-forwarded to the first line at the new place. If someone calls using the first line at the old place, he'll get through to the first line at the new place. If someone then calls the third line at the old place, he'll land on the second number at the new place. That proves that the hunt is working. But now -- stay with me, here -- let's say a third caller tries to get in using the first number at the old place -- the same number that the first person used, who is still dialed in. That new caller gets endless rings -- no answer. Same result if he were to call the old number, third line. Now, if he tried the SECOND number at the old line, he'd get through, and would be connected to the third line at the new place. As it was explained to me, the old numbers have to remain in place with call forwarding, because they're required to make a "path" -- I guess that's the circuit between the old switch and the new switch. So it looks like each line at the old place is connected to one "path" -- and when that's busy, the no-answer-forwarding just rings and rings. At the same time, with the original call-forwarding (called "variable call forwarding"), if the path is busy, the caller to that line gets a busy. Phew! Got all that? If any telephony enthusiasts out there have ANY suggestions at all as to how to resolve all this, please let me know. Send it to me directly, at toad@cellar.org -- for a public access site, this is nothing short of an emergency situation. And thanks in advance. P.S. The telco does offer a plan called "remote call forwarding" where they forward a non-installed line to an installed number. However, Bell of PA doesn't offer any "calling plans" on remote call forwarding. The cost is $14/month per line, plus $.07/call. The $14/month I can handle, but I get about 125 calls per day on these lines; that's $271.25 per month. Tony Shepps toad@cellar.org The Cellar: Public access and thoughtful conversation +1 215 539 3043 [Moderator's Note: Get rid of ALL the lines at the old location except the first line. Have 'transfer on busy/no answer' installed on that line. The first call will transfer to your new location on no answer. Subsequent (while he is still on) calls will transfer on busy. Unlike 'regular' call forwarding, where generally only one at a time can go through, transfer on busy/no answer has no such limitations that I know about, and allows an endless number of calls to be transferred at the same time subject only to the limitations on the end as to the nuumber of calls received. Five calls would make it through, the sixth caller would get a busy. I just now tried it with a line I have which transfers to voicemail on busy/no answer. I busied out the line and from other phones started calling in to the busy line. I only had three phones (otherwise) available, but all three got through to voice- mail just fine all at the same time (because of course voicemail has about fifty DID trunks standing by ready to receive calls.) Your problem will persist as long as you keep the hunt group. Get rid of it and all the lines except the first one. The only exception, I think, would be if two original 'first' calls arrived at the same time. If the line is going through its three rings before transfer, a second call at that instant would get a busy. But while you are at it, have telco set the one single line to transfer on zero rings or one ring to speed the process up since no one will ever be there to answer it. PAT] ------------------------------ From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET Subject: ATT vs MCI in June? Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 01:54:51 GMT AT&T isbecoming a little more aggressive in its comparison advertising and pricing versus MCI. MCI are offering 40% discounts in June to those who call on Saturday's internationally to their Friends and Family Numbers (presumably 20% to all other numbers). This seemed like a good deal. Now I just caught an ad from AT&T (trouble it was on a Chinese channel in Cantonese so I only understood about 75% of it) but it seems they are offering 40% off to any destination on any weekend day in June. There were even some comparison prices against MCI for calling Hong Kong, China and Taiwan (presumably since the target audience would most likely want to call these numbers). I think my wife might be calling her family in June a bit! Laurence Chiu Walnut Creek, CA lchiu@holonet.net ------------------------------ From: LCHIU@HOLONET.NET Subject: Cellular Charging? Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access System: 510-704-1058/modem Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 01:55:13 GMT I just began to investigate getting cellular service in the Bay Area and was rather surprised to find that one gets charged not only when making calls, but when receiving them also. Presumably this is old hat to Americans but as someone who arrived from New Zealand it was a surprise. Why should I have to foot the bill for someone calling me? I don't in my domestic phone service, why in cellular? Was there some technical reason it was implemented this way? Is this the same throughout the US? In New Zealand one only pays for outgoing calls, callers pay to call you. Granted we are not a big country, but all cellular phones are assigned a specific area code(s). It is the same rate to call anywhere in NZ from a cell phone though this is not a technical restriction, more a policy. It is clear from the number that you are calling that it is a cellular phone and you know up front what the charges will be (around US$0.40/minute anytime of the day). Telecom NZ recognizing that some people might be reluctant to call you to seek your services because of that cost, also offer local numbers which actually ring on your cell phone. The caller pays no charges if calling local, you pay a monthly charge for the number and some charge per minute for the calls. The caller has no idea that he or she is calling a cell phone. Laurence Chiu Walnut Creek, CA lchiu@holonet.net ------------------------------ From: klaus@cscns.com (Klaus Dimmler) Subject: Caller ID For Long Distance Calls Organization: Community_News_Service Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 14:47:08 GMT My local LEC is offering caller id. However, this caller id only works in my local calling area. It does not seem to work for any long distance calls. Does this have to do with my long distance service? Klaus Dimmler klaus@cscns.com CNS, Inc 1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd, Suite 400 Colorado Springs, CO 80920 719-592-1240 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:33:59 -0400 From: wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) Subject: Variable Rate 900 (was Re: Calling Card Merchant Status) Organization: Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL USA I read in {Network World} and/or {Communications Week} that AT&T was reserving a entire 900 prefix for business (help lines) type calls and that the person at the help line could change the rate as the call progressed. On a related thought ... Now that we have equal access 800 when are we going to get equal access 900? ------------------------------ From: shahn@hstbme.mit.edu (Samuel Hahn) Subject: Setting up a SLIP Server Date: 22 May 1993 18:06:58 GMT Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reply-To: shahn@hstbme.mit.edu (Samuel Hahn) Could someone please point me in the direction of a 4.3 BSD compatible SLIP server for a MicroVAX? I am trying to establish dial-in net access...I have the appropriate client software, but the only server software I have come across seems to run only under SunOS. Thanks! Please email responses to shahn@hstbme.mit.edu. Sam ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 01:23:13 EDT From: levitt@zorro9.fidonet.org (Ken Levitt) Subject: Sprint Stupidity Here we go again with yet another story of phone company stupidity. This time it's Sprint. I have an existing 800 number with Sprint. I wanted a new 800 that spells out something special for my company. Sprint's minimums are high and they want an outrageous amount to put a recording on the line telling people to call the new number. So I decided to go through Patrick for a new 800 number and keep both for a while to see how things work out. Patrick works with a company called The Hogan Company who resells Sprint service. I have been attempting to get this number going since 4/21/93. There have been numerous delays due in part to my wanting a previously unassigned number and no one knowing how to get it assigned to me. Now the stupid part. Today Sprint rejected the order from Hogan for my number because they already had an 800 number that was routed to my telephone. There is no logical technical reason that two different 800 numbers can't end up at the same phone number. So I am forced to conclude that Sprint just doesn't want Hogan taking their customers away. This is incredibly stupid because I will just respond by taking all of my business to Hogan or some other company that doesn't use Sprint. So their attempt to keep business at Sprint will result in losing business. Ken Levitt - On FidoNet gateway node 1:16/390 UUCP: zorro9!levitt INTERNET: levitt@zorro9.fidonet.org or levitt%zorro9.uucp@talcott.harvard.edu [Moderator's Note: This is the first I heard of this, Ken! You never called and told me ... I wish you had. Monday we shall talk to the Hogan people and see what is what. Sprint *cannot* hold back a number; the rules for drawing from the number pool are quite specific. A number can be on reserve for 60 days, but everyone with a terminal who can access the database pool checks it daily ... a number is not available one day and becomes available the next, etc. First come first served. Please call my office Monday afternoon or Tuesday afternoon. And you are correct; you can have a dozen different 800 numbers all terminating on the same line as desired. You are not the only complainer though; Sprint has been very bull-headed ever since portability started. PAT] ------------------------------ From: gt7610c@prism.gatech.edu (TEAGUE, John Edward) Subject: Prodigy Digicom 96/14.4 Date: 22 May 93 06:18:43 GMT Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Ok, I've seen the deal on Prodigy, but now I was wondering if this can be had by anyone. Ie someone who does not have Prodigy service (like me) eligible? And if so, where do you call? Or is there another source for these modems at the Prodigy (or better) price? And most importantly, are these modems any good? Has anyone tried them? Impressions, feelings, (dis)likes, etc. I'll post a followup if I get enough responses. TIA, TEAGUE,JOHN EDWARD Electrical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Vox: (404) 676-1670 27610 Ga. Tech Sta. Fax: ditto, hours vary Atlanta, Georgia 30332 Internet: gt7610c@prism.gatech.edu [Moderator's Note: That deal is intended as an inducement to get people to join Prodigy. It is much like the book club deals where you get a bunch of free books if you join the club and promise to buy more at the standard rate. Prodigy is not in the modem selling business for their health. Another analogy is the giveaway or near-giveaway of cellular phones by dealers in exchange for a service contract with the carrier. It is your business they want; not your everlasting gratitude that you got a cell phone (or modem, or whatever) at a cheap price. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 20:09:33 EDT From: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca (Nigel Allen) Subject: Problems with 1-800-COLLECT from Canada Organization: Echo Beach Reply-To: ae446@freenet.carleton.ca I tried to call the 1-800-COLLECT number from a payphone in downtown Toronto, and my call was answered by a man who had obviously received a number of unwanted calls for that service. 800-COLLECT translates to 800-265-5328, and the 800-265 prefix was assigned to Canada before 800 numbers became portable. Presumably Bell Canada never entered the 800-265-5328 number into Bellcore's database of 800 numbers (which might almost make sense if the number was Canada-only), and so a U.S. customer was able to obtain a number already in use in Canada. The moral of the story: be careful when requesting an 800 number of the format 800-x6x-xxxx. It may conflict with an existing Canada-only 800 number. Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ae446@freenet.carleton.ca [Moderator's Note: I hope the Canadian customer stands his ground and forces the number to be entered correctly in the database showing that he had it first. It would be a shame if MCI had to change their number wouldn't it! :) PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 16:59:13 EDT From: David Leibold Subject: Unitel Offers Canada's Version of Friends and Family Canadian carrier Unitel recently announced its Close Connections program which offers additional discount to calls placed to other Unitel customer numbers. This is similar to MCI's Friends and Family offer. dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #346 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa01623; 23 May 93 4:32 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA28121 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 23 May 1993 02:15:31 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA26871 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 23 May 1993 02:14:59 -0500 Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 02:14:59 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305230714.AA26871@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #347 TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 May 93 02:15:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 347 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson AT&T and Spectrum Technologies Hanky Panky (Dave Niebuhr) Equal Access 800 Problem (Bill Huttig) AT&T's Calling Card (Bill Huttig) Re: The Perils of Caller-ID -- A Question (Carl Page) Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! (Carl Page) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Martin Harriss) Re: Sex Telemarketing (Joe Bergstein) Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. (John David Galt) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Al Varney) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Steve Forrette) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Michael Rosen) Re: AT&T Cell Phones (Steve Forrette) Re: AT&T Cell Phones (Steven H. Lichter) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 May 93 19:10:30 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: AT&T and Spectrum Technologies Hanky Panky Yesterday's and today's {Newsday} (5/21 and 5/22) had articles concerning a join venture by AT&T and Spectrum Information Technologies, Inc. about sending computer data via cellular service. No big deal, you say. Well, it seems that the stock of Spectrum took off and all of a sudden it peaked well beyond what it was worth and then the decline occurred fairly quickly. Hmm, says me; a little hanky panky going on. Sure enough, today's issue noted that the President of Spectrum has been contacted by at least nine attorneys who are looking into what went on because the stock skyrocketed and then dropped in price in less than a week. Even the analysts are wondering what went on. Unfortunately, there isn't that much information floating around about this in the paper. I haven't looked at the {Wall Street Journal} or the {New York Times} so I can't say what those papers reported. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ From: wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) Subject: Equal Access 800 Problem Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:46:20 EDT There was a certain 800 number controled by AT&T that I wanted but I didn't like AT&T's rate ... so early april I got the number as a AT&T Starter Line ... really bad rates ($6/mo + .32/min ) anyway ... I called LDDS FL office (ATC's headquater) and they said they need a form filled out wich I received and mailed back 4/30. They received it 5/3. On 5/13 I received a call say the number was ready. They said the number was 72x-xxxx; well the number should have been 22x-xxxx. So I called and they said it would be fixed in a couple of days. And they would call me. No calls ... Thursday night (5/20) I received a wrong number call to the number (9:30 or so). About 11:30 I called the number from my second line and it was busy. I tried a few times, then I called the AT&T service center (800-222-0300) and they said the number was maintained by LDDS. I called LDDS repair in TX; they said the number was never loaded into the switch. (I would have thought a number you have dialed is not in service message would be returned). Anyway (I had called around 11:30 AM), the rep said he would call when it was fixed. I kept checking and it was fixed about one hour later. I never did get a call from LDDS saying the number was switched or LDDS repair saying it was fixed. I am glad I was not a large business trying switch vital 800 numbers. It took over three weeks to get one 800 number changed. Bill [Moderator's Note: Three weeks or so seems about average for switching carriers on 800 numbers now that portability has gotten underway. The difference between AT&T/your new carrier and myself is that I am so small I actually handle all the orders to Hogan myself. As a result, people get call backs and service as fast as I can render it. If other readers are interested in switching their 800 service (or installing new 800 service) with a small firm where the people have actual names and strive for personal accountability, let me know. I talk to Hogan on an almost daily basis and it rarely takes more than a single call on any customer (of mine)'s order to get it done correctly. I guess that's because Hogan, like myself, need the business! PAT] ------------------------------ From: wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) Subject: AT&T's Calling Card Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:51:01 EDT I just received a replacement card (my old one was peeling). AT&T has stoped embossing the cards (MCI stopped on some of it's cards a long time ago). But they are still printing the PIN. They even label it PIN on the card now. Bill ------------------------------ From: carlp@rainbow.mentorg.com (Carl Page @ DAD) Subject: Re: The Perils of Caller-ID -- A Question Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 22:29:54 GMT Organization: Mentor Graphics Corporation Jim DePorter (jimd@SSD.intel.com) wrote: > Portland OR started caller-ID yesterday with Bell(?). My question is > that I live under GTE lines. GTE doesn't start caller-ID until June. > If I call Portland now will they see my number? Does *67 work even if > caller-ID isn't invoked yet. > I really see no problem with this, but a lot of people are going to > think that because they're in GTE land they have no concerns until > June. I don't think this is true. Supposedly that is true. If it isn't we need to complain loudly to the Oregon PUC, so make noise if you detect any problems. The story is that until an area has CLASS services installed, it will not transmit CID data. The telephone companies are therefore not warning people about the hazards of transmitting their number until CNID is actually deployed on their switch. ------------------------------ From: carlp@rainbow.mentorg.com (Carl Page @ DAD) Subject: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 23:01:03 GMT Organization: Mentor Graphics Corporation California allows Last Call return but not Caller ID? Amazing. Oregon made the opposite decision! And for good reasons. Last call return (or Auto-callback) is NOT offered in Oregon, even though Caller ID is being offered! Reason is, the telco's can't make it work right yet. Right now it returns calls to BLOCKED numbers, and potentially puts those numbers on the recipients phone statement. There is plenty of evidence from the domestic violence community that this costs lives. Sheltered women frequently need to call their homes from an undisclosed location, which is often an inexpensive and insecure motel. If the batterer can return the BLOCKED call, the motel will answer with the business name, and the woman's location and vulnerability is revealed. There are lots of other likely scenarios. What it all boils down to is, if blocking is going to be offered, it better work. Last call return will be offered in Oregon as soon as the telcos fix the bugs that cause it to ignore blocking. This is expected to happen in a year. [Moderator's Note: Every telco seems to have their own philosophy on this. IBT offers both Caller-ID and Auto-callback, or Return Last Call. They could care less that numbers otherwise blocked on the ID display are still returnable via *69. PAT] ------------------------------ From: bdsgate!martin@uunet.UU.NET (Martin Harriss) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Date: Sat, 22 May 93 14:23:55 GMT Organization: Beechwood Data Systems In article John.J.Butz@att.com writes: > Up the road from Bell Labs, Holmdel, is an American Water Company > pumping station that was built to meet the Holmdel zoning codes. > It looks like a residential home! This reminds me of a telephone exchange in England: Kingswood is a rather well-to-do area south west of London, just beyond the limits of the London directory area. It is (was?) served by a rather ordinary four-digit step by step switch called Mogador. (I have no idea why they chose that name -- Mogador is a nearby village not even served by that switch; I assume it was chosen because the digits 604 were otherwise unused by the nearby London director area, and back when I knew it just about all the fringe area exchanges were dialable with seven digits.) Anyway, this switch was installed in a house. Not a structure built to look like a house, but an actual house bought for the purpose of installing the switch. It has a nice front lawn and fence and a gate; if you look beyond through the bay windows you can see the equipment racks complete with the blinking lights. I heard two stories of why this came to be. On was that there was some kind of foul-up in the design of the building, making it too small to house the equipment. With a planned cut over date, the PO had no option but to purchase an existing building, to wit a house. The other story is that the snotty residents of Kingswood would have no other style of building in their area. (Bear in mind that when the switch was installed, the phone administration was part of the Government and had considerable leeway in what they could get away with, vis a vis the local town planners.) Well, I don't know what the real story is. Probably neither of the above. Miscellaneous facts: The STD code for Mogador was 0737 83 (Redhill 83.) By now it's probably an electronic switch of some kind with 6-digit numbers, linked numbering with Redhill. The BBC's research establishment is in Kingswood. They are (were?) served out of this switch. Probably quite a few special circuits for them go through Mogador. Martin Harriss martin@bdsi.com ------------------------------ From: Joe.Bergstein@p501.f544.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bergstein) Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 00:52:51 -0500 Subject: Sex Telemarketing >> [Moderator's Note: Are you POSITIVE those calls were not originated by >> someone playing pranks on the people? I cannot think of a bigger waste >> of a sex-IP's time than to dial at random as you suggest. > Well Pat, I haven't been so fortunate as to receive one of > these calls myself, but I have seen several news reports on the > various Baltimore Area television stations. In each news report > several people were interviewed, each claiming to have received > the same type of call. While it is possible that the calls are a > prank, it would not surprise me at all if they were indeed placed by > the IP. After all, who would have thought that calls to an 800 number > could be billed back as collect calls @ $35.00 per minute ... Pat, Isn't it possible that some sex telemarketer is using a predictive dialing system to dial those calls, and only when they get an answer followed by a positive response (user presses '1') then the call gets switch to the "lady with the lusty voice?" I know this would be quite expensive and far fetched, but isn't it possible? Maybe as you say this story is from the urban "truth is stranger than fiction" department! [Moderator's Note: Certainly it is possible. But unlike selling life insurance, home improvements or newspaper subscriptions over the phone using the same kind of dialing, sex is the one topic which would cause so much hell-raising by the citizenry that it hardly seems worth the risks involved. I think that way, but I am not a sex telemarketer. Do any of you recall thirty years ago when the US Postal Service was ruled against by the Supreme Court in a case involving sending pornography through the mail? The USPO had to devise that special form for people to sign (the Prohibitory) so the post office could return mail to the sender and prohibit further mailing by the porn company to the person who signed the form. Mailers of porn had to stick it in a second envelope inside the first envelope with a warning on the second envelope about 'adult material'. There was *such* a stink between the post office, the government, the porn outfits and the citizens that I would not think any purveyor of sex by remote service (be it mail order or phone stuff) would dare to make unsolicited mailings (or phone calls). Now, I have heard that some sex telemarketers are going back and working old numbers a few times. If a person used the service, their number is in the sex-IP's database; a 'followup call' (would you like some more like last time? ... :) ..) at a later date might be appropriate except that even then, the guy's wife might answer the phone or the kids, etc. And people change their numbers. Imagine getting a new number that had been heavily used for sex calls by its previous owner! Overall, I still can't see how they would do it. Even manually would be a hassle, but automated cold calls for sex? No way ... but still, readers insist it is happening. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John_David_Galt@cup.portal.com Subject: Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. Date: Sat, 22 May 93 15:00:40 PDT Your article is good as far as it goes, but leaves out some things. 1. If you hold up the plugs at BOTH ends of a standard modular cable, in the same orientation, you will find that the correspondence between wire colors and plug pins is reversed; that is, if red is pin three on one plug, it will be pin four on the other. This is not a wiring mistake. All modular cables intended for phone use are "reversed" in this way. Likewise, any gadget that plugs into the line between telephone and wall should be "reversed" if-and-only-if its two connectors are the same gender. 2. Because of the above, you can't assume that red is negative compared to green. Get out your voltmeter. (Or try plugging in an old Ma Bell-era touch tone phone. If it won't dial, you need to reverse the polarity at its wall jack.) 3. GTE phone systems use three wires instead of two: you still talk on red and green, but you ring on red and yellow. This may be a holdover from the days of party lines. Some party-line systems use up to four wires, with each customer's phones ringing on a different pair. If you have party-line or non-RBOC service, you may have one of these non-standard setups, which make it a real headache to "piggyback" the lines if it can be done at all. If in doubt, get out your voltmeter. 4. Many older phones have yellow and green connected in the phone, usually to deal with the systems described in 3. Therefore if you're going to "piggyback" the lines, be sure to go into each wall jack and connect only the proper two wires. Tape the others. (Of course, a few phones and answering machines can handle two lines on one jack. In that case, be sure the polarity of each line at that jack is what that machine's manual specifies.) 5. In older houses it is common to find only two or three wires in most of the cables in the walls. More than four wires is very rare. So you may need to string some new cables. John David Galt Freedom of Lifestyle is an inalienable human right. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 16:35:39 CDT From: varney@ihlpl.att.com Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL In article deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes: > In article Robert Eden > writes: >>> [Moderator's Note: ... You should note that telco looks at >>> all the digits dialed before they hand the call anywhere, and if they >>> have the right to handle the call themselves, (such as local, or >>> intra-LATA) they will do so, ignoring your 10xxx instructions. The LSSGR FSD 20-24-0000 requirements are clear that, while it is POSSIBLE for a TELCo to "ignore" 10XXX instructions, the typical treatment for blocking Intra-LATA 10XXX calls is Announcement 230, "We're sorry, it is not necessary to dial a long distance company access code for the number you have dialed. Please hang up and try your call again." A case where 10XXX is ignored (per Bellcore) is 10XXX + 911, but others are possible with some TELCo effort. >> They better not! When I call Dallas from Fort Worth, I dial 10222 and >> it's covered under my MCI Primetime Texas Plan (.16 a minute). If I >> just did a 1+, SWB would keep the call at .20+ a minute. They have >> never over-ridden my 10xxx code for a LD call. The entire area >> (except for a few islands) is served by SWB. ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ??????????? Islands in Northern Texas? Actually, I believe SWB has only about 50% of the Dallas LATA territory (but most of the population). The DFW area is almost an island of SWB surrounded by GTE and others. Does GTE also allow 10XXX Intra-LATA calling in their areas in the LATA? Dallas is one of those places where I think SWB has a "Railroad Commission" (whatever their PUC is) directive to allow intra-LATA IXC calls in LATAs where the Intra-LATA TOLL rates do not subsidize Residential phone rates. (Such subsidies are the usual reason that PUCs mention for prohibiting IXC intra-LATA calls; in effect, the PUC is taxing intra-LATA Toll users via the TELCo to keep local monthly rates lower.) >> [Moderator's Note: Well I know IBT keeps whatever they can if it is >> within their LATA, at least where 10xxx is concerned. They also >> examine the tables before handing off stuff out of LATA. If *their* >> copy of the tables is screwed up, they intercept and reject the call >> without handing it to the carrier to see what the carrier would do >> with it...] IXCs would prefer that IBT not pass them calls that can't be completed because of unassigned NPA-NXX codes. (TELCo uses the term VACANT CODE.) Thus the intercept. Of course, when the tables are wrong, it screws things up, just as it did before divestiture: after all, the old Long Lines didn't want such calls either. If the intercept identifies a switch, such as ( "... Oh Four Tee"), the TELCo can use this to help localize the problem. Note that Bellcore specifies the SAME announcement for Vacant Code detected in the originating EO switch, "We're sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and dial again." as they specify for incoming calls delivered to the wrong POP by an IXC. If use of another IXC avoids the problem, it's usually a problem between the IXC and the TELCo in the terminating LATA. Otherwise, it's usually in the originating EO. Occasionally the EO will permit a new Code through to the IXC, where the IXC hasn't updated their routing tables -- their announcements may be different. And of course the EO may permit a Vacant Code through to the IXC, forcing the IXC to block the call. Bellcore doesn't allow for any TELCo error here, since the SIT (tri-tones) for Vacant Code intercept is only defined for the TELCo. > Some states permit IXCs to carry intraLATA traffic if the customer > enters a carrier access code. Some states don't. ... > Switches sold to LECs have to have an administrable office parameter > that indicates which of the above cases is true -- whether intraLATA > calls dialed with 10XXX prepended should be routed to the selected > carrier or sent to an intercept. > Disclaimer: All I know about routing I learned through osmosis. Better stick that LSSGR under the pillow a tad longer, David. FSD 20-24-0000 states that the parameter for intra-LATA traffic to an IXC must be selectable on a per-IXC basis (not per-office). Whether you interpret "per-IXC" as "per carrier" or "per-XXX code" (some IXCs have multiple XXX codes), it's still not office-wide. And it's only BOC and GTE switches that must do this -- it's optional for other TELCos. Al Varney - just my opinion ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Date: 23 May 1993 00:23:30 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes: > Switches sold to LECs have to have an administrable office parameter > that indicates which of the above cases is true -- whether intraLATA > calls dialed with 10XXX prepended should be routed to the selected > carrier or sent to an intercept. This implies an important point that contradicts PAT's report -- if your area does not support intra-LATA IXC traffic, then prepending a 10XXX code will *not* be ignored, but will route the call to an intercept, telling you that "an access code is not necessary for this call." In my experience (with US West and Pacific Bell), in no event will specifying an IXC's 10XXX code cause the call to be handled by the LEC -- it will either complete over IXC facilities or route to an intercept. Does Illinois Bell truly ignore the 10XXX for intra-LATA calls and complete the call itself, or does it route to an intercept like many other places? Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com [Moderator's Note: Test results done now: Begin all calls with 10-anything, plus: 7-D (in other words, a call within 312) ... call completes via IBT. instantly, immediatly. IBT intercept if called number is invalid. 1-312-anything ... IBT's recording says 'do not dial 1 on calls within area code'. Same recording as when not using 10-anything. 1-708-anything ... call completes via IBT; IBT recordings, etc. An interesting exception: 1-708-555-1212 (aka '411') completes. 10288 +1-708-555-1212 returns fast busy/reorder. 10222/10333 +1-708-555-1212 go through immediatly to 411. 1-815 some things ... call completes via IBT; IBT recordings, etc other things are handed to AT&T or various 10xxx carriers. Substitute '0' for 10xxx and get the same results. Whether I am thanked by AT&T or thanked by IBT depends on if it is 312/708 or elsewhere. Substitute 00, wait for operator and ask for assistance in dialing to 312/708 point. (Or, make Easy Reach 700 forward from home number to number within 312/708): call goes through and when bill comes it is on the AT&T portion, but listed by itself with a notation, 'call handled by AT&T as agent for Illinois Bell'. (I have previously had this notation on my bill as a result of Easy Reach calls.) PAT] ------------------------------ From: mrosen@nyx.cs.du.edu (Michael Rosen) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci. Date: Sun, 23 May 93 05:19:54 GMT Secondary service? Does this mean that one can have two different long distance carriers on their line? I told a friend of mine about AT&T's Easy Reach service. He is an MCI customer and was informed that he must have AT&T service in order to sign up for Easy Reach. He currently uses an MCI personal 800 number. The 0-700 number would seem to be less expensive than the personal 800 from MCI. Certainly per minute costs are cheaper, .15/min compared to .20/min. Of course that's night rates; I don't know if the 800 rates are different during the day. Can he keep his MCI service and still get AT&T service secondarily in order to sign up for Easy Reach services? He does not wish to switch from MCI as he is happy with their service. Mike [Moderator's Note: AT&T says the way in which their billing is done by the local Bells is very dependent on the software the local Bell is using, and that Easy Reach requires a number somewhere which directly relates to AT&T 1+ service. Tell your friend to sign up for AT&T 1+ in order to get the 700 number if that is his pleasure, and make MCI his secondary carrier -- or does MCI claim they need to be primary in order to provide the 800 service? The 800 numbers I offer (as well as the 1+ service I offer) are both billed entirely independent of telco. (Yes, I offer 1+ also, 15-18 cents per minute daytime rates.) PAT] ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: AT&T Cell Phones Date: 23 May 1993 00:09:50 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article cambler@cymbal.calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler -- Phish) writes: > I'm looking into getting an AT&T cell phone. Up until now, I was sold > on the 3730, but was just told that the 3760 was out, and was made a > quote at $699. Does anyone know about these phones? Any information > would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! The 3730 is identical to the Oki 900, except for the label. They are made by Oki under contract with AT&T. I have an Oki 900, and cannot say enough good things about it. It has all the bells and whistles, great sound quality, etc. The only negative comment I can offer is that it does not have a retractable antenna - it screws on. You get both a stubby and a regular one, but you can't switch without dropping the call. Compare this with many of the newer handhelds, where the antenna is retracted while in standby, and you extend it to take a call. The Oki 900/AT&T 3730 has 5 NAM capability, 200 number autodial with alphanumeric tags and searching, automatic calling card dialing if you need it when roaming, toll call restriction, and so on. Also, it has a pager mode, where it will answer calls automatically and take display pager messages, which can later be called up on the screen. I don't know what they've done with teh 3760, though... Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter) Subject: Re: AT&T Cell Phones Date: 23 May 1993 04:17:56 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA) I know that they are made by OKI and both of the OKI phones I have had have worked with no problems. AT&T buys the basic phone and puts them in another case, but that seems to be the only difference. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #347 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa03615; 23 May 93 5:53 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA02206 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 23 May 1993 03:36:45 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA32087 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 23 May 1993 03:36:03 -0500 Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 03:36:03 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305230836.AA32087@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #348 TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 May 93 03:36:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 348 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Choosing Among Carriers (William D. Bauserman) Re: Choosing Among Carriers (Ed Greenberg) Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles (Juergen Ziegler) Re: Telecom History (Jack Winslade) Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Cliff Sharp) Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? (Hamish Moffatt) Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies (Mike Covington via D. Ptasnik) Re: Far Rockaway (was Re: Telecom History) (Carl Moore) Re: Northern Telecom SL1 ACD Stats (Alex Pournelle) Re: New Rockwell V.32bis Chip Set (Alex Pournelle) Re: Want a Good Phone (Hon Wah Chin) Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? (Dale Farmer) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 22 May 93 09:03:50-0400 From: WILLIAM.D.BAUSERMAN@gte.sprint.com Subject: Re: Choosing Among Carriers deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com(david.g.lewis) writes: > But I've got to take issue with the "occasional breakdowns" part. > While strictly speaking it is correct - AT&T has occasional > breakdowns, as do all carriers - I take issue with the image it > presents, that AT&T is mostly OK but crashes are a salient > characteristic. IMHO, the root of this problem lies with the newspapers. Our local paper (which will remain nameless -- but is the only paper in Richmond), has printed front page stories on the major AT&T outages. But, when Sprint had a little water problem a while back, the story NEVER made the paper -- not even a paragraph stuck in the middle of paper! This is key, because the average guy/gal knows only what they read in the paper, so what do they know AT&T breaksdown all the time and MCI/Sprint have great networks. As Joe Jackson said, "They wouldn't print it if it wasn't true." Let's face it, there hasn't been unbiased reporting since George Seldes retired. Just my opinion. Bill Bauserman william.d.bauserman@gte.sprint.com I speak only for myself ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 13:40:00 -0700 From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) Subject: Re: Choosing Among Carriers Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) I'm sorry if I offended. I couldn't bear to say it never breaks down, and the adjective I could think of that describes my perception was occasional. Perhaps I could have said "most reliable of the three and occasional outages due to sensational disasters" but the truth is that AT&T suffers only occasional outages, and I stand by my use of the word occasional. I still think it's yards above the competition, but I'm glad that the competition is there to (a) keep AT&T focused on quality and service and (b) to place calls on when AT&T isn't available (occasionally.) Edward W. Greenberg | Home: +1 408 283 0511 | edg@netcom.com 1600 Stokes St. #24 | Work: +1 408 764 5305 | DoD#: 0357 San Jose, CA 95126 | Fax: +1 408 764 5003 | Ham Radio: KM6CG ------------------------------ From: juergen@jojo.sub.org Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 22:23:53 +0200 Subject: Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles In article lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) writes: > In article juergen@jojo.sub.org writes > a somewhat inflammatory article about how the introduction of itemized > billing and "Call Waiting" will be delayed for some German telephone > customers: >> According to preliminary and unofficial information from various >> TELEKOM sources one of the system suppliers (SIEMENS or ALCATEL SEL) >> will probably not meet the set schedules to modify their switches to >> offer these features. The sources also state that ALCATEL SEL is the >> probable candidate for this mess. SIEMENS as a supplier of several US >> telcos, who offer numerous custom calling features, will probably have >> no problems to offer these features in Germany since they have >> comprehensive experience from the US markets. But as I said, all >> information is NOT offical nor is it comfirmed so far. >> The German TELEKOM has installed digital switches since 1985, so the >> troubled system supplier should have plenty of time to implement these >> features in their switches. But as time passed by, they were either >> not capable or they have just forgotten to implement these features. >> Both reasons are highly embarrasing for the supplier in question and >> will not show their sophistication in this fast changing market. > I have no doubt that Alcatel has lots of experience in producing > feature-rich switches. Remember that Alcatel is the new name for ITT. > Alcatel also within the last year has acquired the Switching Systems > Division of Rockwell International (in Richardson, TX). > To those who would argue that Alcatel is composed of many different > companies that have been brought together over the few years, I would > say that most of Siemens' US presence is through their ownership of > ROLM, which still maintains a fairly separate identity. > I would suggest that the real reason for a situation such as what you > describe, would be the regulatory environment. I strongly suspect that > in years past, the Bundespost insisted that switching systems for sale > in Germany must be implemented in Germany from the ground up, and that > the features that were so desirable in the US would never be allowed > in Germany. The change of rules may well have been the result of > Siemens' lobbying the new administration, and I would not be surprised > if the rules allowing the new features are written in such a way that > generic US switching systems still are not allowable; - in effect > rigging the deal such that ONLY Siemens equipment is allowed. > There is a word for this: It's called "non-tariff trade barriers". I > don't personally think it is completely immoral in all cases. I > sympathize with the desire of the German government and its > "independent public service corporations" to protect German jobs. But > the comments blasting Alcatel for their impaired ability to compete > under the circumstances. Lars, I agree with you that procurement in the telecommunications industry is mainly based on national industry policy. So most national (government operated) telephone companies had to purchase their switching gear from national suppliers. This was true for Germany. So TELEKOM (then Deutsche Bundespost) held a system contest in the beginning 1980s to decide which systems will be used for the future system deployment. Two GERMAN system suppliers (SIEMENS, Munich and SEL, Stuttgart) applied for access to this billion $$ market. And both companies were certified that their switching gear will be deployed by TELEKOM. Now SEL is part of ALCATEL. And nothing has changed about this fact. The SEL branch of ALCATEL is still considered as a German company for TELEKOM. And of course since technical specs have not changed, ALCATEL SEL is still a certified system supplier for TELEKOM. The quota of the annual deployment of ALCATEL SEL "S12" switching gear versus SIEMENS "EWSD" gear is based on an annual bidding process. There are no preferences set by TELEKOM in favour of SIEMENS. The company with the best price will make the best deals. Now after eight years of digital switch deployment TELEKOM wants to offer custom calling features. So both system suppliers were informed about this plan. As a result SIEMENS will be able to offer these features in time. Apparently ALCATEL SEL will probably not meet the schedule. No it should be questioned why SIEMENS can offer these features and ALCATEL SEL can not? Certainly TELEKOM has absolutely no interest to delay the offering of these features, because of the additional revenue it can make on these features. In fact the more customers will be able to use these features the more revenue TELEKOM will make. So TELEKOM wants these features from BOTH suppliers. And TELEKOM will definitely not require that the neccessary system software changes are made by an all German company, so that there may be a US made software elsewhere and a German made software for Germany. TELEKOM wants the features, it really does not care if the software is made by Germans or any other nationality. Since there is definitely more experience in this type of software in the USA, I heard that the billing software for ISDN lines is made by a US company. Unfortunatley I do not know the name of that company. It may look like that TELEKOM "suddenly" and "surprisingly" has decided to offer these features. So that there is just not enough time for ALCATEL SEL to provide these features, while SIEMENS may have learned earlier that these features will be offered this year. But I think the decision of TELEKOM to offer these features this year or at most next year was obviuos. TELEKOM is a government operated company. It has to offer the same services to ALL of its customers. As a result of this, it is obvious that TELEKOM had to wait several years to generate a "critical mass" of availability of digital switches. If TELEKOM had started to offer these features right away in 1985, millions of customers had to wait five and even more years to get these features. And you should know that these millions would have created a lot of trouble for TELEKOM, since they would have felt disadvantaged from TELEKOM. According to TELEKOM by the end of 1993 around 40% will be able to get these features. All customers can get these feature by the end of 1995. Of course not all customers will then be connected to a digital switch, but digital switched phone lines will then be available to all customers. A period of two years is "reasonable" to wait to get these features. ALCATEL SEL knows how many phone lines are hooked up to a digital switch. So they should have made any preparations for these new features, even if TELEKOM has not officially asked for these features. The "whole" world offers these features, so again it was obvious that TELEKOM would do the same "in time". Again, I DO NOT THINK THAT ALCATEL SEL SWITCHES ARE INFERIOR TO SIEMENS SWIT- CHES, BUT ALCATEL SEL HAS NOT DONE ITS HOME WORK! Their switches are capable to offer these features, but these features are not implemented so far! And that is really THEIR problem! ALL INFORMATION IS UNOFFICIAL AND UNCONFIRMED!!!! Juergen Ziegler......... Internet: juergen@jojo.sub.org Obervogt-Haefelinstr. 48 W7580 Buehl (Baden)..... Secondary Mail address:........ Germany.[PLZ NEU:77815]. uk84@ibm3090.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 May 93 00:15:56 CST From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) Subject: Re: Telecom History Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha I can remember in the late 60's that NYT assigned some REALLY strange letter combinations for prefixes. The one that still sticks in my mind was that for WABC which was printed at the time as LT1-7777 and spoken as 'Ell Tee One ...'. I vaguely remember an XX prefix. When NYC got the intercept number announcers, for a while they would actually say 'The numberrrr you have reaaached {scratch-pop} Pee Ell three oh oh nine nine {click!} is not in serrrrrvice ...' I do know, however, that the practice of reciting two letters and one number for the prefix was common. Probably the most famous is BUtterfield-8. ;-) The one thing that named prefixes almost always did was that they indicated the approximate geographic area. WHitehall, BOwling green, etc. were lower Manhattan. LOrraine was Upper West Side, CIrcle, COlumbus, PLaza were midtown. Wow, dial 667 for NOStalgia !! I must be getting OLD, but 944, 269, 569, 247, 265, and 753 will never have the 'class' that the named prefixes had, let alone stuff like 206 and 590. ;-) Good day. JSW (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Date: Sun, 23 May 93 0:43:15 CDT From: Cliff Sharp > You are correct that it was a month before local service was restored > to normal, however by Friday they actually had the 1A ESS switching > calls again (even as corroded as its networks were.) From listening to the ham radio operators who had taken over emergency services for places like Hinsdale Hospital (by special dispensation of the local FCC Chief Engineer), it was my impression that this was done by the use of a mobile unit/truck outside the building. I may be wrong, but my (sometimes faulty) memory tells me that "inside" phone service was not restored until two to three weeks after the disaster. The "trucks" also were mentioned on the local news services as being made available to people who were otherwise unable to access "normal" telephone service, and very long lines of people were reported. Cliff Sharp clifto@indep1.chi.il.us OR clifto@indep1.uucp WA9PDM Use whichever one works ------------------------------ Date: 22 May 1993 16:40:46 +1000 From: hamish@cloud.apana.org.au (Hamish Moffatt) Subject: Re: 1-800 Owners, What Do They Know? Organization: Cloud Nine BBS, Melbourne, Australia. TELECOM Moderator noted in response to hamid@tmt.uni-hannover.de (Reinhard Hamid): > Europe) who want Americans to be able to call them. Likewise although > (I think) most European telco variations on 800 -- as in your case it > is '0130'; in the UK I think it is '0800' -- are intended to serve In Australia it is 008. (ie 008 xxx xxx.) > their own countries domestically, some wind up ringing over here in > the States for businesses who want that service. I would not rely on Also here in Australia, we have 0014-800-xxx-xxx numbers. In the case of 0014-800-12a-xxx (where a is 4, 5, 6 or 7), some of these numbers connect to companies in the US, some in other countries such as New Zealand, and some even the UK as I recall. Interesting. Hamish Moffatt, APANA Map co-ordinator hamish@cloud.apana.org.au For APANA info mail info@apana.org.au h.moffatt@apana.org.au Cloud Nine BBS: +61-3-803-6954 Melbourne, Australia 3:635/552@fidonet, 58:4100/43@intlnet ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 08:14:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Dave Ptasnik Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies I am forwarding this for Michael, as his news feed is down. Dave ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 00:38:51 -0400 From: Michael Covington To: davep@cac.washington.edu Subject: Re: Phone Harrasment From Credit Companies Exactly. If you were a _bad_ customer, _you_ wouldn't have called _them_! My mother used to manage a collection agency. She pointed out a widespread problem: people get into the collection business because they want to act vindictive and be "enforcers." But that's not how you make money in collections. You make money by dealing with the bills that never got delivered, the bills with errors in them, the people of good will who have had unexpected adversities, etc. In short, the goal of collections is to _bring in money_, not dispense wrath. My mother took a money-losing business and made it turn a large profit by this simple bit of common sense. (I would post this on the net, but our newsfeed is temporarily down. You're welcome to post it for me if you'd like.) Michael A. Covington, Associate Research Scientist Artificial Intelligence Programs mcovingt@ai.uga.edu The University of Georgia phone 706 542-0358 Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI [Moderator's Note: How very, very true this is! In all the years I spent working with the attornies, the instructions we gave to the phone collectors always were to be curteous; never curse or speak in a threatening way; never belittle the person. Be firm? Yes, very much so. Make it plain early on that the situation was critical enough that the creditor had consulted us; that suit was a last resort we would recommend if/when all else failed; and that we would be calling on a regular basis as needed. There was very little margin given; our stance was 'pay or get sued'. Those were the choices, but I personally oversaw many accounts with very creative payment plans. My case load came direct from the chairman of the firm; the smallest files on my desk were $10,000.00; the largest were over $300,000.00. I handled all the international accounts, the collections against large corporations and government agencies, etc. Once I had two AT&T files on my desk at the same time: in one, AT&T was our client, suing a company in Germany for $89,000 which had signed a personal guarentee for an American subsidiary. The other one was a claim against AT&T for $112,000 by another client who delivered merchandise to AT&T they had not paid for. All cases in the firm where 'debtor is also a client' were handled by me. In both of the above it was a paperwork problem. It does no good to yell, scream and curse when you are trying to collect. Like you point out, the money is made by working out record keeping errors, doing the customer service the client should have been doing all along, listening to tales of woe -- up to a point -- and working along with people. Our first concern was *make money for this firm*, and you do not make money when you sue people. You make money when they pay voluntarily. I collected a $40,000 claim against the US Army Post Exchange Service in Germany on behalf of our client, a well-known, prominent producer of photographic supplies on the east coast. The PX bureaucracy is unbelievable. Even if the debtor is only some guy who owes two hundred dollars to a local merchant he still should get the same courtesy -- and firmness. Our firm has been around for seventy years. That kind of longevity does not come from screaming and cursing at debtors. It comes from convincing them it is in their best interest to pay. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 12:32:23 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: Re: Far Rockaway (was Re: Telecom History) Someone wrote of 212-FA4, supposedly in Far Rockaway (which has since moved to area 718). The 1976 list, which has the zone numbers as well, has FA4 (324) in zone 5. This would be in the northern Bronx, next door to Westchester. ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: Northern Telecom SL1 ACD Stats Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 19:38:20 GMT jankowsk@progress.COM (Judy Jankowski) writes: > Is anyone downloading their ACD stats to a PC and not to a continuous > feed printer? Any suggestions welcome. You can check with SwitchView/Linton Technologies. They were threatening to do a complete ACD reporting module for SwitchView when I had anything to do with the company--back before they decided to keep all their marbles to themselves and not share with local reps :-(. (S/V runs under SCO UNIX/XENIX and does complete switch and telemanagement features -- it's a very good product, we just can't sell it anymore.) Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) Subject: Re: New Rockwell V.32bis Chip Set Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 19:41:39 GMT ..."additional bonus of optional 16550 UART with FIFO..." About bleedin' time. It's not rocket science, but having just a teeny few characters worth of buffering under Windows will sure as heck help on total throughput! Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 2400/12/3 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 May 93 20:13:33 PDT From: hwc@kalpana.com (Hon Wah Chin) Subject: Re: Want a Good Phone Reply-To: hwc@kalpana.com I went down to a nearby ATT Phone store and asked for a pair of reconditioned WE 2500 instruments. (They actually seemed like they really wanted to keep them for renting out and not sell them. The phones were marked "not for sale".) I used one for a while and then started hearing scratchy noises from it. This noise was not heard on the other end. Swapping to the other instrument (bought at the same time) got rid of the noise (swapping handsets and their cables did not). Guessing that a screw on a spade lug might be loose I opened up the faulty one and found that the screws holding on the cover are no longer captive. (The plastic cover has a molded in date later than the dates marked on the chassis, and no metal insert for screws.) I didn't find any simple failure to account for the noise. However, I found a flat, dirty pink plastic box which when opened up had some discrete components and what looked like the inside of a fuse (retractable pen spring) on a little PC board. Any idea what the circuit in the little box might be, what other corners were cut in the reconditioning, and any troubleshooting tips? Hon Wah Chin ------------------------------ From: dale@access.digex.net (Dale Farmer) Subject: Re: (408) 971 Exchange Trouble Shooting Number? Date: 23 May 1993 04:01:00 GMT Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Brian T. Vita (70702.2233@CompuServe.COM) wrote: > What is the phone number that I can call from the (408) 971 exchange > that will answer and automatically reply with the number of the line > from which I'm calling? Or find a good friend who has a caller ID box on their phone ... Dale ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #348 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa20435; 23 May 93 15:33 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA08041 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Sun, 23 May 1993 13:26:33 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA09673 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Sun, 23 May 1993 13:25:51 -0500 Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 13:25:51 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305231825.AA09673@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #349 TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 May 93 13:21:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 349 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles (Marc Unangst) Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles (Ari Wuolle) Re: Want a Good Phone (Terry Kennedy) Re: Message Length on Display Pagers (Paul St. Amand) Re: Message Length on Display Pagers (Steven Warner) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Michael Schuster) Re: Oops, You Didn't Hear That (David E.A. Wilson) Re: Is Someone Using My Telephone? (Dale Farmer) Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? (Jonathan Bradshaw) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Richard Cox) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Les Reeves) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Les Reeves) Re: Call-Forwarding vs. Hunting (Lauren Weinstein) Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split (Georg Schwarz) E1 Standard Introduction Wanted (Donghui Xie) Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? (Steven H. Lichter) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) Subject: Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles Date: 23 May 1993 09:24:58 -0400 Organization: The Programmers' Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI juergen@jojo.sub.org writes: > TELEKOM (then Deutsche Bundespost) held a system contest in the > beginning 1980s to decide which systems will be used for the future > system deployment. [...] Don't you think that ten years is a fairly long time to go without requalifying your vendors, or having other vendors bid? The market has changed quite a bit in the past decade. > TELEKOM is a government operated company. > It has to offer the same services to ALL of its customers. What makes you think that the second sentence follows from the first? Certainly, this has never been true in the U.S., and certainly isn't now. Feature availability from RBOCs is very sensitive to what kind of switch your exchange is on; some people have nothing more than regular POTS service without any extras available, while other people have ISDN and fancy CLASS features available. It all depends on whether you're being served by a crossbar or a 5ESS, or something in between. > And you should know that these millions would have created a lot of > trouble for TELEKOM, since they would have felt disadvantaged from > TELEKOM. They would? Why couldn't TELEKOM have just said, "Sorry, those features are not yet available on your exchange due to the incapability of the switching hardware to provide them. Your switch is scheduled to be replaced in 19xx, at which point these features will become available." If Alcatel SEL couldn't deliver the software that they were contractually obligated to deliver by the date specified, then TELEKOM should do whatever the German equivalent of suing for breach of contract is. If TELEKOM wasn't smart enough to get the delivery-date promise in writing, well, that's their fault. I suppose ripping out all the Alcatel SEL switches and replacing them with Siemens (or AT&T, or...) switches would be a bit drastic, but TELEKOM could always just refuse to buy any more switches from Alcatel SEL. Marc Unangst, N8VRH mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us ------------------------------ From: awuolle@vinkku.hut.fi (Ari Wuolle) Subject: Re: Germany: Custom Calling Features Switch Troubles Date: 23 May 93 16:23:35 GMT Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland > schedule. No it should be questioned why SIEMENS can offer these > features and ALCATEL SEL can not? Both Nokia DX-200 and Siemens EWSD switches have offered custom calling features for more than three years now here in Finland. So Siemens EWSD has been custom calling feature capable already for some time -- no wonder how they can start offering these features right away in Germany. I even think that EWSD's software for custom calling features is the same in Finland and in Germany. I read an article about custom calling features in United Kingdom. They are using exactly the same codes to activate call transfers and call waiting, answering call waiting and how to make three-way conversation as in Finland. I think Europe has some common standards how to implement custom calling features. Ari Wuolle Student, not representative of Helsinki University of Technology S{hk|posti Ari.Wuolle@hut.fi Email Puhelin + 358 0 509 2073 Telephone Puhelinvastaaja + 358 0 593 324 Telephone answering machine Telekopio + 358 0 682 1273 Telefax ------------------------------ From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: Want a Good Phone Date: 23 May 93 05:31:22 EDT Organization: St. Peter's College, US In article , hwc@kalpana.com (Hon Wah Chin) writes: > I went down to a nearby ATT Phone store and asked for a pair of > reconditioned WE 2500 instruments. [...] I used one for a while and then > started hearing scratchy noises from it. > Any idea what the circuit in the little box might be, what other > corners were cut in the reconditioning, and any troubleshooting tips? In the "good old days", phones were meant to last, since any problem would cause Ma Bell extra expense to come out and fix it (for free, of course). You understand this, since you looked for some quality 2500 sets. It wasn't uncommon to get a phone in the late 70's and even the early 80's which used a base, switchhook, and network from the 50's. Of course, the plastic and cords were changed to accomodate Touch-Tone dialing, and (later) modular cords. You could easily tell these phones as the underside was paint- ed black and had a red date code (with an R for refurbished). You could get a general idea as to the age of the original unit by looking to see if the feet were round, triangular, or square, or you could stare at the paint to see if you could make out the old date. For those of us who really wanted to tempt Ma Bell 8-), we'd open the top and look at the dates on the ringer and network. Anyway, in answer to your questions, sometime just before AT&T started pushing the garbage 2500-clone phones, they changed to self-tapping screws for the cover and stopped doing thorough internal wiring checks on the phones. I've found phones with buzzers, exclusion keys, polarity guards, and/or RF filters in them, fresh out of "Phone Center" boxes. Your phone probably has a polarity guard or an RF filter in the pink pod. You might be able to locate a copy of the "Station Service Manual" which has wiring diagrams and service tips for this series of phones. You can probably even buy the appropriate section from AT&T. Of course, the avail- ability of quality parts is limited to what you can cannibalize from other "classic" Bell phones. I could go on for ages, like the replacement digital dial (that was developed but not deployed) to replace the 25Y/35Y dual-toroid touch-tone dial. It lost out to the garbage dial they use now, which has a wonderful IC which is more accurate that either the dual-toroid dial or the digital dial, but is coupled to a *horrible* keypad which is mushy and has no travel. Terry Kennedy Operations Manager, Academic Computing terry@spcvxa.bitnet St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ USA terry@spcvxa.spc.edu +1 201 915 9381 [Moderator's Note: Old phones often lasted 30-40 years without replacement. As late as the 1960's there were still lots of 'candlestick' models in service from the early years of this century. Western Electric products did NOT break down or quit working. Those phones can still be used on the modern network. PAT ------------------------------ From: stamandp@CSUSYS.CTSTATEU.EDU (Paul St. Amand) Subject: Re: Message Length on Display Pagers Reply-To: stamandp@CSUSYS.CTSTATEU.EDU Organization: Central Connecticut State University, New Britian, CT Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 11:53:10 GMT In article , Bonnie J Johnson writes: > In response to Steve Forrette's question, there is at least one > display pager out there that is not limited to a 20 character display: > Motorola Advisor, 160 character limitation, can access by telephone > and also thru pc's, Windows and the Mac. The limitation is usually a limit imposed on users by the service provider. I think we're at something around 400 characters. I would imagine that the protocol from the transmitter to the pager has a finite limit for the packet length though. Paul R. St. Amand | INTERNET stamandp@ccsu.ctstateu.edu ITT Hartford, Investment Div. | DECNET(ctstateu) CCSU::STAMANDP Central Connecticut State University | (203) 547 - 4030 (Business) DECUS CVLUG | Disclaimer: These comments are mine and do not reflect the administration or policies of Connecticut State University or ITT Hartford. ------------------------------ From: Steven Warner Subject: Re: Message Length on Display Pagers Organization: RTFM / beachSystems, Sunnyvale, CA, USA Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 05:31:47 GMT Bonnie J Johnson writes: > In response to Steve Forrette's question, there is at least one > display pager out there that is not limited to a 20 character display: > Motorola Advisor, 160 character limitation, can access by telephone > and also thru pc's, Windows and the Mac. Actually the advisor can handle messages up to 2K in length. Most limitations on message length are placed by the host paging system. Acces my telephone/PC, etc also a function of the host system. A properly configured paging sysytem can send numeric pages thru modem ports. Steve wanted to know if the bravo could handle longer than 20 character message [thru programming...?] I am almost certain that my old bravo plus could to 24 characters, but I cannot confirm this. Steve Warner / sgw@boy.com ------------------------------ From: schuster@Panix.Com (Michael Schuster) Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card Date: 22 May 1993 20:52:16 -0400 Organization: Panix Public Access Internet & Unix, NYC In article jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) writes: > At both sides of the Staten Island Ferry (New York), there are yellow > New York Telephone pay phones that take only a card. The vending > machine that dispenses the cards says that the cards cost $5, and are > worth $5.25. There's a bargraph showing the value used, and it looks > like the strip could go to $6. It's called a: I commute that way too, and remember when these things went up in the makeshift waiting area after the Big Fire. During the introduction they were giving out freebee $1 debit cards. Yes. So New York Telephone wants you to loan them $5, at 5% simple interest compounded once, redeemable ONLY as telephone line useage. No thanks. > Change card or Coin replacement Card. > The advertisements say "think of it as a roll of coins". I think of it as a gimmick. Mike Schuster schuster@panix.com | 70346.1745@CompuServe.COM schuster@shell.portal.com | GEnie: MSCHUSTER [Moderator's Note: All the pre-pay 'debit card' style phone cards wind up letting the telco (or other issuer) 'hold your money' for some period of time. The same thing happens when you buy a money order at your bank or from American Express to send someone: the bank or Amex gets the use of your money for some period of time until the negotiable instrument gets redeemed. In the case of Amex money orders, the float is several million dollars per day that Amex uses interest free. We who sell those cards prefer to emphasize the other side -- that the cards can be very convenient for people who may not have the change when they want to make a call and don't wish to be punished by the surcharge most calling cards tack on to calls. Different strokes for different folks. PAT] ------------------------------ From: david@cs.uow.edu.au (David E A Wilson) Subject: Re: Oops, You Didn't Hear That Date: 23 May 1993 15:40:23 +1000 Organization: University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) writes: > An interesting TELECOM RISKS article in PC Week was a fellow telling > stories of being the victim of wrong numbers. > B) His fax machine received a confidential price list from someplace. > The person simply misdialed the number. This happened to me about a year ago. One of the phones at work kept getting dialed by a fax machine. After a couple of goes we got wise and call forwarded that phone number to the fax machine. This fax was from a bank in Sydney and the error was the area code. Instead of (07) 221 3xxx they dialed (04) 221 3xxx which was interpreted as (042) 21 3xxx. Thus a call destined for Brisbane (QLD) ended up in Wollongong (NSW). I gave them a call and got them to correct their phone number. I kept the cover page as a momento. David Wilson +61 42 213802 voice, +61 42 213262 fax Dept Comp Sci, Uni of Wollongong david@cs.uow.edu.au ------------------------------ From: dale@access.digex.net (Dale Farmer) Subject: Re: Is Someone Using My Telephone? Date: 23 May 1993 04:07:37 GMT Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Steven J Tucker (dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu) wrote: > Steve, if someone was on your line to use it for free calls, you would > have more than "a few" calls, your would have confrence calls for > $4000 each. > And there are much easier ways to listen to your phone calls than to > sit outside your house with a handset and listen. > Nobody would waste thier time w/ what your decsribing. Except possibly some local kid who's parents have forbiddion him/her phone priviliges for some reason. And has now found the way around that ... Dale Farmer ------------------------------ From: jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Jonathan Bradshaw) Subject: Re: Cellular Scanner Set Up Codes? Organization: Purdue University Date: Sun, 23 May 1993 07:42:05 GMT mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) writes: >> Actually, the law doesn't seem to make any distinction that would >> exempt cellphones from such a classification ... anybody have text >> from it that says differently? > The law refers to scanning receivers. A cellphone is a scanning > _transceiver_. Well, since my ham rig is a TRANSCEIVER (I can xmit on it) and it covers 800, by that definition it is legal. I doubt that simply because a device can transmit it is covered. Nice loophole if so ... Jonathan Bradshaw | jonathan@nova.decio.nd.edu | PGP Key Available On Request ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 May 93 10:49 GMT0BST-1 From: Richard Cox Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET (Jeffrey Jonas) said: >>> Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible >>> 3 1/2" computer disk >> Ah, but is it in a plain format that can be read as ASCII and imported >> into spreadsheets? In the UK, Mercury now offer this facility and it is plain ASCII in position defined fields. I import clients' bills into FOXPRO 2 and can check not only whether each call has been billed correctly, but also recost the entire bill on the basis of all the different tariffs offered by BT and Mercury, to find out whether a saving might be made by resetting my least-cost-routing tables to route certain destinations into a different provider. It's guesswork if you don't have this ability because each of the two providers offers billing options that can't easily be directly compared. I also get the ability to list numbers that are regularly called and ask who the number belongs to, and why so many calls are being made. Finally, I can recost the entire bill on the basis that out-of-area lines (or FX service if you want the US terminology) were available and used where it was cheaper to do so. That way I can see whether it is worth having those lines installed. Richard D G Cox Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF Wales CF4 5WF Voice: +44 222 747111 Fax: +44 222 711111 VoiceMail: +44 399 870101 E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk; PGP2.2 public key available on request ------------------------------ From: lesreeves@attmail.com Date: 23 May 93 15:57:09 GMT Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing BellSouth is also offering a disk-based billing service, The "BellSouth Diskette Analyzer Bill" DAB (a service mark of BellSouth). It costs $35/month and is available to all customers. I am not sure but I believe the only one-time charges are the standard service-order charges. I have played with the demo diskette, it is pretty cool. The data files are in a pseudo-dBase proprietary format, the program itself presents the bill on screen as an exact copy of the paper bill. The marketing literature states: You can also generate: *Monthly service reports *OC&C reports *Summary reports *Summary variance reports *Call usage reports *Bar and pie charts for calls/charges Unfortunately, this software seems to have virtually no data export cabability, beyond printing the reports listed above and a standard call detail. If you want anything exported in database or spreadsheet format, it looks like you are on your own. ------------------------------ From: lesreeves@attmail.com Date: 23 May 93 15:57:09 GMT Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? In Georgia, Southern Bell has been very good about intra-lata completion by Inter-Exchange Carriers. In Georgia, a carrier must apply to the state public service commission for certification to carry intra-lata traffic. For the carriers listed with the PSC as intra-lata certified, Southern Bell will deliver ANY call to them which would be handled by the LEC. The catch is that you MUST dial the carriers 10xxx code to force the intra-lata call to them, regardless of whether they are your presubscribed carrier. This is a bit cumbersome, but here is no mechanism in place to presubscribe intra-lata traffic to someone other than the LEC. I have never seen any of the missing code problems that you and some others have reported. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 May 93 01:02 PDT From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: Re: Call-Forwarding vs. Hunting Greetings. While in some areas a single line call-fowarded may well be capable of forwarding multiple calls to hunt groups at the destination end, in other areas there are a variety of restrictions. In some cases, multiple calls will go through within the same central office, but not for out of office forwarding. Many telcos have specific tariffs regarding this, requiring the payment of additional fees (essentially equal to an entire line charge!) for each simultaneous "path" to be available. Under such systems, you get one forwarded call per originating line, unless you pay for extra paths. This also includes RCF (Remote Call Forwarding) situations, where you pay for a number in an office where you have no phone, and all calls to that number are always forwarded to some destination, with appropriate per-call fees. Not only do you have to pay the cost of the calls, but you have to pay the multiple charges for each "path" as described above. Lauren ------------------------------ From: georg@lise.physik.tu-berlin.de (Georg Schwarz) Subject: Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split Date: 23 May 1993 09:44:09 GMT Organization: TUBerlin/ZRZ In David Leibold writes: > While the continued presence of one country code for both the Czech > Republic and Slovakia is confusing to MCI, there is at least a way to > find out the republic based on the area code. I'm just curious: do they still list EAST and WEST Germany? ------------------------------ From: donghui@cs.sfu.ca (Donghui Xie) Subject: E1 Standard Introduction Wanted Organization: CSS, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 21:13:11 GMT Hi, I was just involved in a project which involved some kind of E1 standard, I just wondering where can I get this kind of information, any papers? books? or some on-site archive stuff? any comments will be appreaciated. Please send mail to the following e-mail address: donghui@cs.sfu.ca Thanks a lot! ------------------------------ From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter) Subject: Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? Date: 23 May 1993 04:22:13 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA) All of the L/D carriers are trying to get as much business as they can. I get letters from MCI as well as Sprint trying different things to get me to switch. But why should I do that when I'm happy as you are with yours. I was slammed by a marketer for MCI about a year ago so I wonder about them sometimes. I know it was not done direct and now they must send a card out when you switch, but I'm sure there are ways around that. Steven H. Lichter COEI GTECalif ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #349 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa10524; 25 May 93 21:25 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA20746 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 25 May 1993 19:12:35 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA02690 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 25 May 1993 19:12:02 -0500 Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 19:12:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305260012.AA02690@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #350 TELECOM Digest Tue, 25 May 93 19:12:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 350 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Used 1200 or 2400 Baud Modem Needed for High School (Richard Budd) Telesharketers (was Re: Blocking ..) (Jack Winslade) Painful Signals (A. Padgett Peterson) Cellular Phone Support (Leroy Donnelly) Who Needs Caller-ID? (Leonard P. Levine) Caller-ID Mistakes (Paul Robinson) Germany: Cordless Phone Frequencies Wanted (Rainer Leberle) Another Legion of Doom Announcement (Lord Havoc) Effects of Automation (was Individual Responsibility) (Lars Poulsen) Selecting a PBX (Wong Chee Heng) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 May 93 17:47:50 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Used 1200 or 2400 Baud Modem Needed for High School Organization: CSAV UTIA [Moderator's Note: The authenticity of this posting has been verified. Mr. Budd was the person who forwarded the letter to us from the students in Poland a few months ago. PAT] Next September, I start teaching and developing a computer center for a gymnasium in eastern Slovakia. The school just received three IBM PS/1's from the government. It was one of the last schools in the country to get new computers. In this case, last was definitely best. The gymnasium is located in Kral'ovsky Chlmec, a town of about 10,000 people located near the Ukrainian and Hungarian borders. The students are very anxious about the chance to communicate with their counterparts in United States and Germany next year. For good reason too, because before 1990, this was a "closed city." The reason was that KC lay only six miles from the then Soviet border and the main railroad line from Kiev and Moscow into Czechoslovakia passed just to the south. There is also a strategic hill above the town from whose summit you can see sub-Carpathian Ukraine, Hungary, and, on a clear day, Poland. I have had the opportunity to climb up it and poke around the abandoned military bunkers located there. The school's director, English department, and I are currently asking for a computer account from the Technical University of Kosice. The University is located 100 kilometers from the gymnasium. With the account, we would have access to electronic mail and the network. The school and its students have agreed to pay telephone charges for dialing the computer account from the gymnasium. Could any TELECOM Digest readers out there with a 1200 or 2400 baud Hayes-compatible modem (s)he no longer needs be willing to contribute it to this gymnasium. One or two modems would be all the school wants. The economic situation in the region is bad, and the school is not that well financed. The director and students who would use e-mail have agreed to pay the telephone charges between Kral'ovsky Chlmec and Kosice to access the computer account. The gymnasium plans to participate in two global discussion groups which a high school in Ohio is organizing. Members of the discussion group include secondary schools in the United States, and Germany. The students want as well to correspond with a high school in New York State with the intention of organizing an exchange between the two schools in 1994. A second-year class also would like to communicate with one of its members, who next year is attending a Philadelphia magnet school. He is the first exchange student going to America the gymnasium can remember. Finally, we may have some more young people reading TELECOM Digest. The program for next year shapes up to be exciting if over the summer we put all the equipment together and get everything running. We certainly hope the readers of TELECOM Digest can help us out with your technical knowledge as well as providing the school's computer center with a modem. Please contact me at either at or at if you can contribute a modem. You may either send it to the Prague address or directly to: Sandor Czehmester ulica L. Kossutha 63 07 701 Kral. Chlmec SLOVAKIA Richard Budd | USA 139 S. Hamilton St. klub@maristb.bitnet | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 |-------------------------------------------------------- | CZ Kolackova 8/1905 budd@cspgas11.bitnet | 18 200 Praha 8 budd@vmtcp.utia.cas.cs |-------------------------------------------------------- | SQ ul. L. Kossutha 69 | 07 701 Kral' Chlmec ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 09:26:30 CST From: Jack.Winslade@axolotl.omahug.org (Jack Winslade) Subject: Telesharketers (was Re: Blocking ..) Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha In a message dated 14-MAY-93, writes: > Exactly right. C'mon, guys, let's work for legislation (State or > Fed) which simply requires that all telemarketing calls must be > identified as coming from some designated area code (like 700, 800, > 900, whatever). Potential callees who wish to can then easily block > incoming telemarketing. Technically feasible, cheap (for callers and > callees), no First Amendment implications, no nonsensical maintaining > of "do not call" databases. It's the way to do the job. Let's consider (hypothetically) what would happen if the REVERSE of telemarketer blocking were the norm, meaning that the default would be that a line could NOT receive telemarketing calls and the subscriber would have to jump through some kind of hoop to enable reception of sales calls, such as dialing a star-whatever code or (how I wish ;-) having to pay $x per month for the SERVICE of having telemarketing calls enabled. What percentage of residential subscribers would go out of their way (even if it was as simple as dialing a code or telling the service rep to enable it) to voluntarily receive sales calls. How close to ZERO would this percentage be ?? Good day! JSW (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 May 93 07:56:27 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: Painful Signals Something that has been bothering me (literally) for the last few years in the error message supplied by Southern Bell. I am somewhat hard of hearing and wear hearing aids/use a volume control handset on the telephone both at home and at work. My type of loss is typical of those who had the misfortune to have explosives directed at them while in foreign lands and after 20 years am used to it. Most people do not understand that neural loss can best be described as an amplifier system in which the AGC (automatic gain control) has failed to a fixed value (in my case, about 60 db down). It is *not* like stuffing cotton in your ears. As a consequence, loud noises can be painful since the natural defense is missing. Further, volume control handsets, both those I have used from AT&T and Northern Telecom also seem to lack AGC. The problem is the "error messages" that Southern Bell generates -- "We're sorry, you must first dial a one..." -- before the message there is a three tone "attention" signal that is sent at high gain. With the handset adjusted to compensate for my hearing loss this signal is *painful*. I have complained several times but am sure that it has been circular-filed since nothing seems to have been done. My question is: Is this warning really necessary or if enough people complain, can it be "toned" down? Warmly, Padgett ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 15:40:02 CST From: Leroy.Donnelly@axolotl.omahug.org (Leroy Donnelly) Subject: Cellular Phone Support Reply-To: leroy.donnelly%drbbs@axolotl.omahug.org Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha Revised 05-23-93 For those of you who own cellular phones without manuals try these numbers for support. ALPINE 800-421-2284 ANTEL 516-273-6939 AT&T 800-232-5179 AUDIOVOX 800-229-1235 BLAUPUNKT 708-865-5200 BYTEK 407-994-3520 CINCINATTI MICROWAVE 800-247-4300 CLARION 800-366-4567 CMTELECOM NONE CURTIS ELECTRO DEVICES 415-964-3846 DIAMONDTEL (MESA) 708-298-9223 E.F. JOHNSON 507-835-6387 FUJITSU 800-424-1500 GATEWAY (KELLY CO) 314-567-8943 GENERAL ELECTRIC 800-528-7711 GLENAYRE (MITSUBISHI) 708-860-4200 GOLDSTAR 602-752-2200 HARRIS 716-244-5830 HITACHI 213-537-8383 KELLY CO. (OMNI, GATEWAY, STS) 217-357-2308 OR 800-233-6031 LUXCEL 201-843-6400 MEI 416-475-8444 MITSUBISHI 708-860-4200 MGA (DIAMONDTEL) 708-298-9223 MOTOROLA 800-331-6456 MURATA 214-403-3300 NEC 800-421-2141 NOKIA MOBIRA 813-536-5553 NOVATEL 800-231-5100 OKI 800-554-3112 PANASONIC 800-526-6610 PHILLIPS 407-740-6655 PIONEER 213-835-6177 OR 800-228-7721 RADIO SHACK (USA) 817-870-5600 RADIO SHACK (CANADA) 705-728-6242 SHINTOM 213-328-7200 OR 800-333-1098 SONY 201-930-1000 OR 800-578-7669 STS (GATEWAY ALSO SEE KELLY CO) 217-357-2308 SUN MOON STAR 408-452-7811 TECHNOPHONE 800-251-1414 UNIDEN 317-842-1036 OR 800-447-0332 (1:285/666.0) ------------------------------ From: levine@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Leonard P Levine) Subject: Who Needs Caller-ID? Date: 25 May 1993 16:07:56 GMT Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Reply-To: levine@convex.csd.uwm.edu Here in Wisconsin, if you have Call Return you can subsequently get the number of a person who has called you by the following technique: They call you. After a while you use call return. At the end of the month you can demand an itemized bill. It will contain the number of the call you returned, the person who called you. This works in spite of unlisted numbers, call blocking and the like. No question about how to get the home number of your social worker; call her at the office in the evening, ask to have her call you, she may call you from home. Use call return, etc. People at the State Utilities Commission tell me that this will be addressed later this year. Leonard P. Levine e-mail levine@cs.uwm.edu Professor, Computer Science Office (414) 229-5170 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Home (414) 962-4719 Milwaukee, WI 53201 U.S.A. FAX (414) 229-6958 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 13:11:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Tansin A. Darcos & Company <0005066432@mcimail.com> Reply-To: Tansin A. Darcos & Company <0005066432@mcimail.com> Subject: Caller-ID Mistakes The following item is forwarded from RISKS. It's a new wrinkle to the Caller-ID issue that as yet no one had asked: Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 23:12:22 GMT From: jdale@cos.com (John H. Dale) Subject: Caller-ID mistakes The other evening, I received a number from an upset woman. It appears that her Caller-ID box told her she had just received a call from my number. The only call I had made that evening yielded me a pizza, and the number did not resemble hers. I did not ask her to described the call, because she seemed upset. But I gather I would not have wanted to be accused of making it. Anybody know whether this happens often? Does the Caller-ID report include an error check? Are all boxes required to verify the check? jdale@cos.com Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM Oh gee, he forgot to tell us if the pizza was any good! ------------------------------ From: rleberle@sparc2.cstp.umkc.edu (Rainer Leberle) Subject: Germany: Cordless Phone Frequencies Wanted Date: 25 May 1993 04:30:20 GMT Organization: University of Missouri Kansas City Hi, Could someone send me the list of frequencies used by cordless phone in Germany? Thanks, Rainer Leberle rleberle@sparc2.cstp.umkc.edu University of Kansas City, MO ------------------------------ From: TDC Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 10:32:28 -0400 Subject: Another Legion of Doom Announcement Organization: The Zoo of Ids Final Anouncement: The LOD Legion of Doom Is Back! No that has not been a mis-print ... the LOD has returned! The world's greatest hacking group has formally been reinstated to bring back dignity and respect to a scene that has rapidly deteriorated since its departure. The LOD is not just another "Group" that goes around with upper/lower case names, trading in PBX's and VMB's and wouldn't know COSMOS if it hit them over the head. It's a sad day indeed when the term hacker is used to refer to every code and credit card abusing rodent in the nation. We intend through our presence and many innovative projects, not to mention the technical journal to restore the original values of technical exploration and knowledge that the term hacker was founded on. The LOD imbodies the pinnacle of understanding that comes from relentless exploration of the "system" backwards and forwards. It is an organization dedicated to understanding the world's computer and telephone networks. Enabling everyone to progress forward in technology. The accumulated product of this -- the Technical Journals, full of information unavailible anywhere except from telco manuals represents something to valuable to lose. It is a true tragedy that after the great witch hunt that was Operation Sun Devil that the former LOD died. If the powers that be, think they can shut down real hackers by undertaking unprovoked, uneeded not to mention unconstitutional draconian acts they are mistaken. We will not be kept down! We are a segment of society that enjoys what others label difficult and technical. Exploration into the uncharted reaches of technology is our calling. Information, learning and understanding is what we are made of. As the technology revolution impacts us all, it is the hackers and not the medieval statutes of the land that will lead us forward. This will be the primary of purpose the new, revived LOD - the assembly and release of a Technical Journal. The previous four issues, now several years old BADLY need updating. The Journal will rely heavily on reader submitted articles and information, so anything you wish to contribute would be GREATLY appreciated. Acceptable submitions would include ORIGINAL "how-to- guides" on various systems, security discussions, technical specifications and doccumentation. Computer and telephone related subjects are not the only ones acceptable. If you remember the former journals had articles concerning interrogation, physical security among others. The next LOD Technical Journal will comprise almost entirely of freelance or reader submitted articles. So without YOUR contributions it can not proceed! Solid progress is being made in the next Technical Journal by both freelancers and group members. But bigger is better, as you can never have too much information or instruction. SEND UP ALL ORIGINAL ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION!!! If you wish to hold the wonderful honour of being an LOD Member (Won't this look good on the resume), you may apply by contacting us. The qualifications should need no elaboration. Regardless of the unbased claims made by others, the LOD is as strong and capable as it ever was. Legendary groups like the LOD are not born this way. They take time to form, and restarting almost from scratch almost three years later, time is obviously needed. We say to all the skeptics, hang on to your premature judgements until we're on our feet and judge by actions not opinions. To set the record straight once and for all, and to convince the skeptics that doubt the validity of all this, the Legion of Doom >IS< BACK. Next month, a full-fledged Technical Journal will be widely released, and you're doubts and questions will be once and for all answered with uncontestable fact. In addition to needing articles for the upcoming Journals, some sites on the net to aid in distribution would also be welcomed. Someone willing to donate the resources necessary to operate a subscription type mailing list service is also needed. Send all offers and articles to our email account or P.O. Box. Reach us at: tdc@zooid.guild.org Or by blindingly quick, faster than light mail at: LOD P.O. Box 104 4700 Keele St. North York, ON M3J-1P3 Closing date for article submittions to the LOD Technical Journal Number 5 is: Monday 14 June, 1993. Release date: Friday 18 June, 1993. Since we have no monetary or contractual obligation to anyone, these dates are of course tentative. But since or at least initially we will rely almost entirely on reader submitions a date is needed to get potential writers into gear. Note that the LOD does not engage or condone illegal or criminal activities. This would cover, but is not limited to, theft of long distance services, credit fraud or data destruction/alteration. Lord Havoc [Moderator's Note: But of course, of course ... all on the up and up, just scholarly inquiry and reseach. Some readers here who claim they were the original LOD group keep insisting that this latest effort is not part of the authentic/original LOD. They say they never heard of Lord Havoc, and know nothing about his publication. I can't say either way, so will watch on the sidelines with interest to see the results this time next month. PAT] ------------------------------ From: lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) Subject: Effects of Automation (was Individual Responsibility) Organization: CMC Network Systems (Rockwell DCD), Santa Barbara, CA, USA Date: Tue, 25 May 93 22:35:29 GMT Moderator comments on improvements in the workplace ... > worked before computerization. Directories on reading stands all > around the room and lots of people with headsets walking around the > room to the right directory to look up the information. Young'uns, > aren't you glad you started your working career after computers had > been installed at *your* company? If there are any old timers left at > your place who were around in the 1950-60 era, ask them what it was > like when everything was manual. PAT] While the young ones that are reading the Digest are likely to be quite pleased with the changes in the business environment (after all, they probably have jobs) many others have reason to be less pleased with "progress" -- they are now unemployed. When I started my working career, I was quite concerned that the computer systems we installed would put people out of jobs, but for the first ten years nothing happened. At first the systems were unreliable enough that it took more people to run them than were supposed to have been displaced. Then the economy grew fast enough to absorb the population growth as well as the displaced workers. But in the last five years, we have really seen the effect of all the improved technology. And it seems to be going ever faster. We are now displacing workers in a shrinking economy, and many of the displaced workers have no prospect of ever getting jobs again. Solutions to this problem are probably way outside the scope of the Digest. I just could not let this rah-rah-for-modern-times pass without comment. Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer Internet E-mail: lars@CMC.COM CMC Network Products / Rockwell Int'l Telephone: +1-805-968-4262 Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3083 TeleFAX: +1-805-968-8256 [Moderator's Note: You raise some good points. I don't have any answers either which could be expressed in a moderator's note or a dozen such notes. For the first twenty years or so, computers did generate more paper and work than they eliminated. As you note, they were 'down' more than they were up. For several months in the early days we 'ran parallel'; kept manual records and computer records to make sure everything was going okay. I can't keep track of how many times the office intercom would announce, "The system is back up" only to say five, ten or fifteen minutes later, "The system is down". Each time it went up, all these people would rush over to their terminal and type furiously to get some of their backlogged data entries in the system before it 'went down' again. The last CO in Chicago to be converted to dial from manual was Chicago-Avenue. "AVEnue", or 312-283 as we call it now was cut in 1951. The operators were convinced that the day the automation was complete they would be out the door. No one was laid off, and six months after the AVEnue central office was cut, Ohare International Airport opened, served at the time out of that CO. Suddenly AVEnue had more operators working there on directory assist- ance and long distance calls than they had ever had in the old days of manual calling. In some respects, 'the way we choose to live today' would be impossible were it not for computers, yet there are the casualties you mention. I have no answers. PAT] ------------------------------ From: ccewch@nusunix1.nus.sg (Wong Chee Heng) Subject: Selecting a PBX Organization: National University of Singapore Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 07:51:38 GMT I am trying to find out how others evalute PBXes for a sites with multiple buidlings and about 4000-6000 lines. Can someone who have done PBXes evaluation send me a note to give me some tips? Thank you in advance. ccewch@nusunix.nus.sg. Systems Programmer NUS ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #350 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa12230; 25 May 93 22:14 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA16537 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 25 May 1993 20:07:53 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05749 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 25 May 1993 20:07:11 -0500 Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 20:07:11 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305260107.AA05749@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #351 TELECOM Digest Tue, 25 May 93 20:06:30 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 351 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Federal Judge Rejects Ban on Recorded Phone Solicitation (Ben Delisle) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (David J. Greenberger) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Robert J. Woodhead) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Richard Osterberg) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Frederick Roeber) Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card (Peter Rukavina) Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Harold Hallikainen) Re: Hinsdale Disaster (Pat Turner) Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? (David E. Bernholdt) Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? (John Rice) Re: AT&T's Calling Card (A. Alan Toscano) Re: AT&T's Calling Card (Dave Niebuhr) Re: AT&T and Spectrum Technologies (trif@meade.u.washington.edu) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 12:37:49 -0700 From: delisle@eskimo.com (Ben Delisle) Subject: Federal Judge Rejects Ban on Recorded Phone Solicitation Organization: Eskimo North (206 367-3837) Public Access Internet. (eskimo.com) **>> The Seattle Times / Seattle Post-Intelligencer <<** **>> Sunday, May 23, 1993. Page A-9 <<** o Times News Service Federal Judge rejects ban on recorded phone solicitation. Portland Ore. - A federal judge, ruling in a lawsuit brought by a chimney sweep, has stuck down a federal privacy law that would have banned telephone messages with recorded messages. "We are extremely happy," Ron Moser, who operates the A-A-A-1 Lucky Leprechaun chimney-maintainence service, said yesterday after learning of the decision. "It's been a long fight." U.S. District Judge James Redden granted a permanent injuction Friday in a lawsuit brought by Moser and his wife, Kathryn, who have used an automated telephone calling system for seven years to solicit customers with a prerecorded message. On a typical day, Moser said the computer driven system will make 500 phone calls, producibg three to four customers. The Telephone Protection Act of 1991 was scheduled to go into effect effect Dec. 20 1992 but was enjoined Dec. 18 by Redden pending the outcome of the lawsuit. The judge found the law unconstitutional because it was aimed at a small portion of the telemarketing industry. He said evidence presented to the court showed that recorded messages make up than three percent of the marketing calls received by Americans. "Congress is attempting to ban totally a form of commercial speech for the sake of reducing only slightly the number of telephone solicitations," Ridden wrote. He also noted that the law banned recorded solicitations for commercial purposed while still allowing the same type of calls for nonprofit purposes. ---------------- delisle@eskimo.com ------------------------------ From: djg2@crux4.cit.cornell.edu (David J. Greenberger) Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card Reply-To: djg2@cornell.edu Organization: Young Israel of Cornell Date: 25 May 93 23:30:41 GMT Our Moderator notes: > [Moderator's Note: All the pre-pay 'debit card' style phone cards wind > up letting the telco (or other issuer) 'hold your money' for some period > of time. The same thing happens when you buy a money order at your bank > or from American Express to send someone: the bank or Amex gets the use > of your money for some period of time until the negotiable instrument > gets redeemed. In the case of Amex money orders, the float is several > million dollars per day that Amex uses interest free. We who sell those > cards prefer to emphasize the other side -- that the cards can be very > convenient for people who may not have the change when they want to make > a call and don't wish to be punished by the surcharge most calling cards > tack on to calls. Different strokes for different folks. PAT] Although I haven't seen the cards or the phones that accept them, I agree, such cards can be useful. However, there are two problems I see with the system in use. First, very few phones have these card receptacles. Second, the charge per call is still the same. (This is important because it's *very* easy to accidentally walk away from the phone without your card, to which you might have just added $50. There has to be something to balance that out.) Here at Cornell, the vast majority of on-campus publicly available copy machines (in fact, I only know of one exception out of a few hundred), as well as the microfilm and microfiche printers in the libraries, have so-called VendaCard receptacles. (On the other hand, only about a quarter of the machines, if that many, have coin receptacles.) Unlike the New York Telephone card, these VendaCards cost 56 cents, but copies cost 8 cents instead of 10 (microform printouts are the same 10 cents). These cards are definitely worth it, because they can be used *anywhere* on campus, they're very convenient, and the user saves 20% on copies. David J. Greenberger BBS: (212) 496-8324 HST DS Internet: djg2@cornell.edu RIME: Common, ->48 ------------------------------ From: trebor@foretune.co.jp (Robert J Woodhead) Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card Organization: Foretune Co., Ltd. Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 00:32:33 GMT schuster@Panix.Com (Michael Schuster) writes: > Yes. So New York Telephone wants you to loan them $5, at 5% simple > interest compounded once, redeemable ONLY as telephone line useage. No > thanks. These cards are common in Japan, and most public phones take them. Actually, the 5% interest is quite good; given the rate on T-Bills these days, if you use up the card in less than a year, you are ahead of the game. The real money made in phone-cards isn't from holding your money while you use the card. As NTT over here in Japan quickly found out, the real money is in convincing people NOT to use them at all. They did this by 1) ensuring that using a card defaces it (little holes are punched in them; at least one of the guys who goes around emptying confetti out of phones has become an artist, using them to make murals) and 2) making them collectible. Here in Japan, cards are used as promotional items for all sorts of products, and there are many collectors of the things -- sort of like stamp collectors, except that while stamp collectors want USED stamps, card collectors want unused ones. NTT will even make custom cards in small numbers to be used as gifts for weddings, etc. Of course, they charge a premium to make the custom cards, up to twice face value ... I'm told that the escrow account for cards issued but not redeemed is up into the multi-billions range now. Oh yeah, some telecom news. NTT plans to triple the rate for local calls from 10yen/3 minutes to 10yen/minute over the next year. Ouch! Robert J. Woodhead, Biar Games / AnimEigo, Incs. trebor@forEtune.co.jp AnimEigo US Office Email (for general questions): 72447.37@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card From: osterber@husc8.harvard.edu (Richard Osterberg) Date: 25 May 93 18:48:50 GMT > Yes. So New York Telephone wants you to loan them $5, at 5% simple > interest compounded once, redeemable ONLY as telephone line useage. No > thanks. Moderator responded: > cards prefer to emphasize the other side -- that the cards can be very > convenient for people who may not have the change when they want to make > a call and don't wish to be punished by the surcharge most calling cards > tack on to calls. Different strokes for different folks. PAT] Plus ... there's also a large number of people who will simply lose their cards ... if you lose your calling card, you don't lose money ... if you lose that anonymous little debit card, there's $2.75 (or whatever) down the drain ... or rather ... in their pockets. Rick Osterberg osterber@husc.harvard.edu 617-493-7784 617-493-3892 2032 Harvard Yard Mail Center Cambridge, MA 02138-7510 USA [Moderator's Note: *Except* in the case of the now infamous Talk Tickets which you know who peddles to pay his rent. Since my cards do not swipe, and since the intelligence is all in the network rather than in the phone, the serial number can! be! blacklisted! Yes ... With the $2 Talk Tickets you always have 'change for the phone'; if you lose the card there is little loss but it can be suspended if you know the serial number and promptly report it (don't misquote me on this; they are not eager to spend the time putting a stop on a lost $2 card but will do so on larger denominations). You don't have to waste time looking for a card reader phone, and if you have a good memory you don't even need to carry the card around. Lost cards reported to my office are promptly replaced *IF* you can provide a valid serial number for the lost card. You see, I get to diddle the computer a little differently than you ... I get to call the computer and void a lost card and validate a 'special issue'; that is, if your lost card had two units left, I void that serial and issue a new serial with two units for you to use. PAT] ------------------------------ From: roeber@vxcrna.cern.ch (Frederick Roeber) Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card Reply-To: roeber@cern.ch Organization: CERN -- European Organization for Nuclear Research Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 08:56:29 GMT In article , schuster@Panix.Com (Michael Schuster) writes: > In article jeffj%jiji@uunet.UU.NET > (Jeffrey Jonas) writes: >> At both sides of the Staten Island Ferry (New York), there are yellow >> New York Telephone pay phones that take only a card. The vending >> machine that dispenses the cards says that the cards cost $5, and are >> worth $5.25. > Yes. So New York Telephone wants you to loan them $5, at 5% simple > interest compounded once, redeemable ONLY as telephone line useage. No > thanks. These are rather common in Europe. I have a nearly identical one for the Swiss PTT (except it's 0% interest -- don't expect the Swiss to give anything away!), for two reasons: 1) it is often hard to find phones that accept coins, and 2) depending on where you're calling, it can be difficult to feed coins in fast enough. I'm probably going to have to buy a French one, too, because the only public phones I've seen here that take coins are private ones that add a new dimension to the phrase, 'COCOT sleaze'. I think the main reason for going to these is that it avoids having phones vandalized for the coin box. The interest they get is just gravy. The Swiss use a simple magnetic system like what is described in the quoted article. You can imagine how secure they are. The much less law-abiding French have more of a "smartcard" approach, with a little circuit imbedded in the card. Frederick G. M. Roeber | CERN -- European Center for Nuclear Research e-mail: roeber@cern.ch or roeber@caltech.edu | work: +41 22 767 31 80 r-mail: CERN/PPE, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland | home: +33 50 20 82 99 [Moderator's Note: We have so few 'card reader' phones in the USA (compared to the straight coin slot style) it made better sense here to let the network handle it and have the users punch in the digits. By now, everyone should surely have their package of Talk Tickets who ordered them in the past month. Anyone who wants more can have them. I now have a stock of them available for immediate delivery. $15 for ten tickets with two dollars in calling time on each ticket. If you want a single ticket just to try it out, send $2. Order from my office with check or money order payable to TELECOM Digest. Telecom Digest / 2241 West Howard Street #208 / Chicago, IL 60645 Thanks. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 18:02:35 -0300 From: caprukav@atlas.cs.upei.ca (Peter Rukavina) Subject: Re: New York Telephone "Coin Replacement" Card Organization: Prince Edward Island Crafts Council > At both sides of the Staten Island Ferry (New York), there are yellow > New York Telephone pay phones that take only a card... > ...(800) 545-EASY for more information (but I'm not sure the number is > valid out of NY). The number is good (for some strange reason) from here on Prince Edward Island, Canada ... roughly 1,300 km from the nearest New York telephone. ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 22:42:03 GMT In article Cliff Sharp writes: > From listening to the ham radio operators who had taken over > emergency services for places like Hinsdale Hospital (by special > dispensation of the local FCC Chief Engineer), it was my impression > that this was done by the use of a mobile unit/truck outside the > building. I may be wrong, but my (sometimes faulty) memory tells me > that "inside" phone service was not restored until two to three weeks > after the disaster. The "trucks" also were mentioned on the local > news services as being made available to people who were otherwise > unable to access "normal" telephone service, and very long lines of > people were reported. It does seem like telephone companies would have trucks with switches and satellite terminals in them. Just drive the truck up, plug it in and you have a few thousand lines back in service. All calls that could not be switched locally would go to the satellite. Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI ------------------------------ From: turner@Dixie.Com Date: Tue, 25 May 93 16:13 EDT From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP Subject: Re: Hinsdale Disaster Todd Inch writes: > I would hope the critical systems (air traffic control, 911) would > have some limited microwave or radio backup? Probably not. 911, I can't discuss except to say that for many small towns the computer center may be hundreds of miles away. Usually a backup site is used. As far as CO's are concerned, if the dedicated trunks go out, there can be POTS backups. The FAA does have an extensive system of microwave links. Most towers don't have microwave to them, but are connected to the links for some of their services. The Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ATRCC's or centers) are the most vulnerable as they may cover many states. Atlanta center as an example has four microwave links coming into it. The towers themselves could make do with the radios in the building is most cases to contact the planes. In the event of a major telecom failure, cutting both the telco and telco/FAA microwave, there are HF and VHF FM radios that can be used to communicate with the centers. I would also imagine that the facilities could use their aero band transcevers to talk to the centers' frequency agile BUEC (Backup Emergency Communication) sites, sometimes (not always, lest the microwave fail) colocated with the microwave sites. As funding is available, low density microwave is being used to connect the control towers to the microwave backbone. As we speak, the FAA's leased lines are being cut over to MCI LINCS contract. The contract establishes multiple diverse trunks between the more critical facilities (centers, large TRACONS, large towers and automated flight service stations) and MCI's network hubs. There is actually more to it than just what I have mentioned, but this should give you an idea of how seriously the five thumbed people at the FAA take their communications. Not the opinion of the FAA... Pat Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com ------------------------------ Date: 26 May 1993 00:44:36 GMT From: de_bernholdt@fermi.pnl.gov Subject: Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs, Richland, WA In article , co057@cleveland.Freenet. Edu (Steven H. Lichter) writes: > All of the L/D carriers are trying to get as much business as they > can. I can attest to that. I recently moved to Washington and signed with MCI for long distance. I remembered seeing a commercial that said they were offering $30 free LD for new accounts. I asked about it and was told that I could have my choice of $30 free domestic LD or $100 (!!!) free international LD. Since my wife has a job in Canada at the moment, you can guess which one I picked. I also got a certificate for $10 off. None of it cash, like AT&T appears to be doing, but just as useful to me! David E. Bernholdt, MSIN K1-90 | Email: de_bernholdt@fermi.pnl.gov Molecular Science Research Center | Phone: 509 375 4387 Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O.B. 999 | Fax: 509 375 6631 Richland, WA 99352 | I speak only for myself! ------------------------------ From: rice@ttd.teradyne.com Subject: Re: AT&T Getting Desperate? Organization: Teradyne Inc., Telecommunications Division Date: Wed, 26 May 93 00:45:20 GMT In article , padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) writes: > In the "busy" circuit, I suspect that it might work a tad better if > the base and collector in Q1 were "slammed". I suspect that you're either 'confused' or that you know something that I didn't learn in school (since it worked when I built it). Could you explain this comment? John Rice K9IJ rice@ttd.teradyne.com ------------------------------ From: atoscano@speedway.net (A Alan Toscano) Subject: Re: AT&T's Calling Card Date: 25 May 1993 12:16:48 -0700 Organization: Speedway Free Access -- Dial 10288-1-503-520-2222 In article wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) writes: > I just received a replacement card (my old one was peeling). AT&T has > stopped embossing the cards (MCI stopped on some of it's cards a long > time ago). But they are still printing the PIN. They even label it PIN > on the card now. AT&T will omit the PIN if you ask them to. This feature has been available for a few years now, but they don't publicize it for some reason! I learned of this only because my employer issued me an AT&T Corporate Calling Card with the PIN omitted, and so I called AT&T to ask if I could omit it from my residential card as well. A Alan Toscano -- P O Box 741982 -- Houston, TX 77274 -- 713 216-6616 atoscano@speedway.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 17:45:39 EDT From: dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) Subject: Re: AT&T's Calling Card wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) writes: > I just received a replacement card (my old one was peeling). AT&T has > stoped embossing the cards (MCI stopped on some of it's cards a long > time ago). But they are still printing the PIN. They even label it PIN > on the card now. My AT&T card doesn't show my PIN but my NYtel card does. In the case of the latter, my phone number isn't shown. Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, LI, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 Senior Technical Specialist: Scientific Computer Facility ------------------------------ From: trif@mead.u.washington.edu (Trif) Subject: Re: AT&T and Spectrum Technologies Hanky Panky Date: 25 May 1993 07:42:13 GMT Organization: University of Washington, Seattle In article dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave Niebuhr) writes: > Yesterday's and today's {Newsday} (5/21 and 5/22) had articles > concerning a join venture by AT&T and Spectrum Information > Technologies, Inc. about sending computer data via cellular service. > No big deal, you say. > Well, it seems that the stock of Spectrum took off and all of a sudden > it peaked well beyond what it was worth and then the decline occurred > fairly quickly. Hmm, says me; a little hanky panky going on. What happened is that Spectrum held a news conference announcing the deal with AT&T and described it as "worth hundreds of millions of dollars". So the stock took off, as it should have if this news were true. Then someone got the bright idea of asking AT&T for their opinion on the deal, and AT&T said that it was "worth a few million". So the stock dropped like a rock. > Sure enough, today's issue noted that the President of Spectrum has > been contacted by at least nine attorneys who are looking into what > went on because the stock skyrocketed and then dropped in price in > less than a week. Even the analysts are wondering what went on. If a company gives out "substantially misleading" information and the stock price suffers as a result, it is grounds for a shareholder lawsuit. > Unfortunately, there isn't that much information floating around about > this in the paper. I haven't looked at the {Wall Street Journal} or > the {New York Times} so I can't say what those papers reported. Try reading misc.invest. :) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #351 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa15556; 25 May 93 23:56 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA00831 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Tue, 25 May 1993 21:27:44 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA13662 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Tue, 25 May 1993 21:27:02 -0500 Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 21:27:02 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305260227.AA13662@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #352 TELECOM Digest Tue, 25 May 93 21:27:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 352 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) (Pat Turner) Re: New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) (Steve Forrette) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Mark Evans) Re: Why CO's Have No Windows (Fred R. Goldstein) Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split (Richard Budd) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Fritz Whittington) Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? (Charles Mattair) Re: Cellular Charging? (Paul Robinson) Re: Cellular Charging? (Steve Forrette) Re: Cellular Charging? (John N. Dreystadt) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: turner@Dixie.Com Date: Tue, 25 May 93 16:13 EDT From: rsiatl!turner@rsiatl.UUCP Subject: Re: New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) Ken Mandelberg writes: > What really caught my eye was a note in the article that the phone > could display "who's trying to reach you if you`re already using the > phone. The latter service likely would cost extra.". > What I really would like to see is a modem that could reliably detect > a call waiting signal (while running V32BIS/V42BIS). Caller-ID info > would be a bonus. I'd be happy to just be able to tell the modem to > drop the data call and switch to voice if it detects call waiting. No > modem maker seems to be interested or perhaps able to do this with the > current "in band" call waiting beeps. Perhaps the new service would > be easier to handle. There was an article in the April {IEEE Communication Magazine} on this service. Basically the article, written by a Bellcore staff member, said that features have become too numerous and complicated for most people to be able to use them effectively. The article also discussed CLID/CW interaction, saying Caller ID would be most useful if the information could be presented along with CW beep. As a solution to this problem, the article proposed sending the CLID FSK info after the CW beep. The CW beep would serve to wake up the modem. Using >1200 bps was mentioned, but dismissed due to cost of upgrading the network and increased CPE costs. There was no mention of any out of band/channel signaling methods. The bulk of the article was concerned with the use of a softkey display telephone, and it's interface with the PSTN. This interface, called Analog Display Services Interface (ADSI), also uses the Bell 202 1200 bps protocal. Not the opinions of the FAA... Pat Turner KB4GRZ FAA Telecommunications turner@dixie.com ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: New ScanFone Features (Smart Call Waiting?) Date: 26 May 1993 01:55:22 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article km@mathcs.emory.edu writes: > What I really would like to see is a modem that could reliably detect > a call waiting signal (while running V32BIS/V42BIS). Caller-ID info > would be a bonus. I'd be happy to just be able to tell the modem to > drop the data call and switch to voice if it detects call waiting. This one's easy. Almost all current modems support this last "feature." One of the "S" registers in a Hayes-compatible modem determines the maximum amount of time the modem will allow the carrier from the other end to disappear before deciding that the call is to be dropped. Simply set this value to a duration less that the length of the call waiting tone, and the modem will hang up when the call waiting "beep" occurs, since during the beep the other end of the call is not heard. When the telco switch sees that the original call was hung up on (by the modem), it will start to send ringing current, and then you can answer with your regular phone. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Organization: Aston University Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 12:31:27 GMT Martin Harriss (bdsgate!martin@uunet.UU.NET) wrote: > Anyway, this switch was installed in a house. Not a structure built > to look like a house, but an actual house bought for the purpose of > installing the switch. It has a nice front lawn and fence and a gate; > if you look beyond through the bay windows you can see the equipment > racks complete with the blinking lights. It must have been a large house a 10,000 line Stowger plus batteries plus PSU is not a very small piece of kit. > I heard two stories of why this came to be. On was that there was > some kind of foul-up in the design of the building, making it too > small to house the equipment. With a planned cut over date, the PO > had no option but to purchase an existing building, to wit a house. They would have had to make quite a few modifications, like solid concrete floor. > The STD code for Mogador was 0737 83 (Redhill 83.) By now it's > probably an electronic switch of some kind with 6-digit numbers, > linked numbering with Redhill. Or simply replace the original with a concentrator unit, no need to reroute most of the wiring. Mark Evans evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 429 9199 (Home) evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office) ------------------------------ From: goldstein@isdnip.lkg.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Subject: Re: Why CO's Have No Windows Reply-To: goldstein@carafe.tay2.dec.com Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 03:49:17 GMT The exception proves the rule. Back in the 1930s, office buildings had no central air conditioning, just huge windows in their stone walls. The Rutherford, NJ central office is built in that style. Sitting on a streetcorner a block off the town center, the building has huge glass windows right along the street. You can stand there and look in at the eleven-foot high wire frames that sit on the first floor. [Moderator's Note: Tell me about it! Even until the late 1950's and early 1960's, air conditioning in office buildings was not all that common with windows that actually opened to let in air and overhead ceiling fans the norm. If it started to rain, everyone was expected to go to one of the windows and close it, then open it again after the rain stopped. When I worked at the University of Chicago telephone room in those years we had no air conditioning -- just six or seven overhead ceiling fans which spun very slowly and windows we opened in the summer. If the temperature was in the nineties all day and the eighties all night, you suffered. Night workers could not sleep during the day because of the heat, and things cooled off just enough over- night to make it hard to stay awake. Two blocks down the street from my switchboard room was the Kenwood central office. It was an old building with windows everywhere. In the late evening, when things were very quiet out on the street -- not like today with gun fire and gang wars the norm on Chicago streets -- anywhere within a block you could hear the 'Kenwood Bell' chattering and clacking away. Five seconds of silence without a relay or two or three 'talking' to its neighbors and them answering back was unusual. You could tell how busy the central exchange was at any time by listening to the relays as you walked past on the sidewalk outside. Sometimes it was so busy there was never a single second of silence, but a constant clack-clack, rat-tat-tat all evening. And when thunder was heard, a minute or two later a woman wearing an operator's headset would appear in a second floor window, stick her head out and look up, then test with her hand out the window. Feeling rain, she'd walk to every window and pull it down. A switchman downstairs would be going around closing all those windows also. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 17:34:54 EDT From: Richard Budd Subject: Re: MCI Doesn't Know Czechoslovakia Has Split Organization: CSAV UTIA David Leibold writes in TELECOM Digest V13 #342: > While the continued presence of one country code for both the Czech > Republic and Slovakia is confusing to MCI, there is at least a way to > find out the republic based on the area code. (Details about area codes omitted) > I have not heard of any plans to set up separate country codes yet. I heard something that the Czech Republic would retain 42 and Slovakia would get 37X, a country code similar to what the Baltics and the other newly independent nations are receiving. However, it appears the Slovaks want the new country codes for both countries to be of a format 42X. All rumors from different forums. Considering the number of newly independent nations in Europe, I think the Slovak idea of three digit country codes is the better one. For anyone who's been in E. Europe, urgent doesn't mean "Had to be done yesterday", but more like "We'll get around to it the beginning of next month'. The zip codes have not changed yet either. The zip codes in Prague are 1XXXX, with other Czech Republic zip codes beginning with 2-7. Bratislava's zip code is 8XXXX with other Slovak Republic zip codes beginning with either 9 or 0. (See my signature for an example). There are no new zip codes for either country on the horizon. What with the complaints about reunited Germany's new zip code system, I can under- stand why no one wants to fool around with the zip codes anytime soon. in March, the programmers began splitting the Internet into a .CZ domain for a new CZEARN based in Prague and an .SQ domain for SQEARN based in Bratislava. It has been a slow process and the network rerouters are not all together pleased about tearing up the network. The result is three domains (.CS, .CZ, .SQ) and some fancy addressing to communicate with Palacky University in Olomouc last month on my part. And georg@lise.physik.tu-berlin.de (Georg Schwarz) writes in TELECOM Digest V13 #349: > I'm just curious: do they still list EAST and WEST Germany? No. It's just Germany with a single country code (49). The former East Germany's country code (37) is being given out with an extra digit to all the new nations in Europe becoming independent: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine, etc. Richard Budd USA 139 S. Hamilton St. klub@maristb.bitnet Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 CZ Kolackova 8/1905 budd@cspgas11.bitnet 18 200 Praha 8 budd@vmtcp.utia.cas.cs SQ ul. L. Kossutha 69 07 701 Kral' Chlmec [Moderator's Note: The former 'West Germans' were very kind and generous to their greatly expanded 'family', weren't they? The consolidation was a real bummer financially for the western government. There was a tremendous cost involved in absorbing the eastern part in, converting the money, assuming all the obligations they did, etc. And how long did it take to upgrade the phone network in the east, and at what cost? Has that been completed yet? Maybe a German reader can update us on the status of east <=> west German telecommunications. For quite some time after the consolidation, east <=> west telecom was virtually non- existent. I know the upgrade must have been a financial killer. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 13:37:29 CDT From: fritz@mirage.hc.ti.com (Fritz Whittington) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? In comp.dcom.telecom varney@ihlpl.att.com writes: > Dallas is one of those places where I think SWB has a "Railroad > Commission" (whatever their PUC is) directive to allow intra-LATA IXC > calls in LATAs where the Intra-LATA TOLL rates do not subsidize > Residential phone rates. (Such subsidies are the usual reason that > PUCs mention for prohibiting IXC intra-LATA calls; in effect, the PUC > is taxing intra-LATA Toll users via the TELCo to keep local monthly > rates lower.) Just to set the record straight, the Texas Railroad Commission does *not* set telephone rates or regulate the telephone industry. That would be pretty stupid. The Texas Railroad Commission has the task of regulating how much oil and gas can be pumped from various wells in the state. As far as I know, they don't have any regulatory power over the railroads. And before you ask, I don't know why! Fritz Whittington Texas Instruments, P.O. Box 655474, MS 446 Dallas, TX 75265 Shipping address: 13510 North Central Expressway, MS 446 Dallas, TX 75243 fritz@ti.com Office: +1 214 995 0397 FAX: +1 214 995 6194 Since I am not an official TI spokesperson, these opinions contain no spokes. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 93 12:41:38 CDT From: mattair@synercom.hounix.org (Charles Mattair) Subject: Re: MCI -- 10222 vs Dial 1? Organization: Synercom Technology, Inc., Houston, TX In article deej@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (david.g.lewis) writes: > Alas, Pat has again fallen victim to the common practice of > extrapolating the behavior of one LEC in one state to that of all LECs > in the entire US. > Some states permit IXCs to carry intraLATA traffic if the customer > enters a carrier access code. Some states don't. It appears that > Texas does, and Illinois doesn't. If the state permits IXCs to carry > intraLATA traffic, the LEC is obligated to deliver a call dialed with > 10XXX prepended to the selected IXC, regardless of the dialed digits; Be careful of extrapolations. Agreed, Texas permits IXC's to carry intraLATA traffic if dialed with a PIC. However, it apparently does not mandate it. SWB in Houston, and in Dallas/Fort Worth as someone reported, will pass an intraLATA call to an IXC if the call is dialed with an access code. However, GTE (call them a telephone company for sake of argument) in the Clear Lake/League City area (halfway between Houston and the coast) will not. Dialing 102880 + 7D or 102880 + 10D gets you " GTE" for an intraLATA call; 1028800 gets you an AT&T operator. Obtopic: is there any rational explanation for the wide disparity between SWBs rates and IXC rates for the same intraLATA calls? Charles Mattair (work) mattair@synercom.hounix.org (home) cgm@elmat.synercom.hounix.org [Moderator's Note: In Texas, when AT&T gets a call dumped on them which 'rightfully' belongs to GTE or SWB, do they handle the call 'as agent for GTE/SWB' like they do here? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 20:27:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Paul Robinson Reply-To: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: Cellular Charging? Laurence Chiu wrote: > I just began to investigate getting cellular service in the > Bay Area and was rather surprised to find that one gets charged > not only when making calls, but when receiving them also. > Presumably this is old hat to Americans but as someone who > arrived from New Zealand it was a surprise. This is generally the way charging is done here. The companies that provide service are the local telephone company and a separate company. As such, the companies generally are selling to an "affluent" or "business" crowd and as such, are charging what they think they can get away with. Wireline telephone service has many more customers who are more insistent about complaing to the local PUC about the cost of service; until cellular customers do this, the rates will be higher than wired telephony. (I am assuming that the cost of providing service for cellular customers is not higher than telephone companies running wire all over the place.) > Why should I have to foot the bill for someone calling me? I > don't in my domestic phone service, why in cellular? Was there > some technical reason it was implemented this way? Is this the > same throughout the US? Some carriers, as they see the possibility of more customers, have gone to offering nights and weekends with no airtime charge. But this is the way things are done because they can do this. > In New Zealand one only pays for outgoing calls, callers pay > to call you. Granted we are not a big country, New Zealand has about 3.1 million people in a group of small islands almost exactly equal to the land area of Colorado. As it is much more heavily Socialist than the United States, the number of wealthy people are bound to be a smaller number in absolute and relative terms than say a U.S. metro area of about that size (City of Los Angeles, Chicago, DC, Atlanta). As such, the funds probably aren't there to charge the higher rates that U.S. companies do. > but all cellular phones are assigned a specific area code(s). Had the U.S. had a single (government owned) company running all the telephone service here, that could have been done, such as assigning certain prefixes in each area code for cellular phones, or in very heavy traffic areas, assign single area codes only to cellular phones, such as Southern California; New York/New Jersey/Connecticut; Gary Ind/Chicago/Milwaukee. But we don't so it wasn't. Also if it had, we would have Post Office levels of phone service, i.e. worse than GTE. > It is the same rate to call anywhere in NZ from a cell phone > though this is not a technical restriction, more a policy. > It is clear from the number that you are calling that > it is a cellular phone and you know up front what the charges > will be (around US$0.40/minute anytime of the day). We had the same thing when area code 900 numbers were all 50c a call. > Telecom NZ recognizing that some people might be reluctant to > call you to seek your services because of that cost, also > offer local numbers which actually ring on your cell phone. > The caller pays no charges if calling local, you pay a monthly > charge for the number and some charge per minute for the calls. > The caller has no idea that he or she is calling a cell phone. We have this with 1-800 numbers or call-forwarded local numbers. You can route a 1-800 number to a cellular phone, if you wanted to do so, or get one of those numbers that can be re-routed on request. ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Cellular Charging? Date: 25 May 1993 02:27:46 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article LCHIU@HOLONET.NET writes: > I just began to investigate getting cellular service in the Bay Area > and was rather surprised to find that one gets charged not only when > making calls, but when receiving them also. Presumably this is old hat > to Americans but as someone who arrived from New Zealand it was a > surprise. > Why should I have to foot the bill for someone calling me? I don't in > my domestic phone service, why in cellular? Was there some technical > reason it was implemented this way? Is this the same throughout the > US? The problem is how to implement the billing. The situation in the US is much more complicated than in just about any other country. The cellular carriers are independant of the local carriers and the long distance carriers (although they are sometimes owned by a local or long distance company). How would collection of the airtime revenue work since the caller could be calling from any of several hundred local telephone companies, and possibly also over any of several hundred long distance companies? The procedures for collecting charges for regular long distnace calls is well-established, but I just don't think it is feasable to try to do this with cellular in the US. There are a couple of cellular companies that have experminted with "caller pays" as an option, but there are limitations. I believe those that have done so are only able to collect the extra revenue if the caller is in the same LATA and using the LEC to place the call. The cellular carrier can then either block all other calls (making the cellular phone uncallable from anywhere outside of the LATA - not very good), make the cellular subscriber pay airtime anyway for inbound calls from outside of the LATA (this would be silly - why would someone sign up for caller-pays service if many times they would have to pay anyway, and not know at the time of the call if they were paying for it), or just eat the airtime charges for inbound inter-LATA calls (which the cellular carrier is not likely to want to do). Also, considering how high the cellular rates can be, it would be likely that they would be blocked from many company/hotel PBX's. Then there's the case of COCOTs -- how would billing work from them? Again, I just don't think this is feasable in the US. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: dreystadt@LAA.COM (john n. dreystadt) Subject: Re: Cellular Charging? Date: 25 May 1993 17:44:50 GMT Organization: Lynn-Arthur Associates, Ann Arbor, MI Reply-To: dreystadt@LAA.COM The reasons have much to do with how cellular in the U.S. came to pass. Our cellular carriers often have little to do with the land line carriers. This makes billing the land line phone an extra charge for calling a cellular phone very difficult. We could have set up a system where the caller pays if both parties are cellular but then you have to try to explain this exception to the users. Who pays what charges for cellular service depend on the local customs mostly. It can be argued that the U.S. system is fairest in that the receiver of the call is still tying up one channel in a cell. Who pays for an international call made to a cellular phone in New Zealand? The international rates are set by mutual agreement between the national carriers. I am not aware of special rates to call New Zealand cellular phones. I am interested in how other countries do the billing. I know that Mexico does something similar to the U.S. system. The exception is roamers. If a roamer comes into your current region and your carrier recognizes this and directs the call to the roamer without going out of region, the call is local. In the U.S., normally all billing to the originating party is based on the number dialed and not on the location of the terminating party. I believe that Norway uses the same scheme that New Zealand does. Anyone know the rules in other countries? John N. Dreystadt Lynn-Arthur Associates dreystadt@laa.com Home:313-878-9719 Work:313-995-5590 These are personal opinions not corporate opinions. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #352 ******************************   Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa02162; 26 May 93 7:31 EDT Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA15406 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist-outbound); Wed, 26 May 1993 05:15:45 -0500 Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA14833 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for telecomlist); Wed, 26 May 1993 05:15:05 -0500 Date: Wed, 26 May 1993 05:15:05 -0500 From: TELECOM Moderator Message-Id: <199305261015.AA14833@delta.eecs.nwu.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #353 TELECOM Digest Wed, 26 May 93 05:15:00 CDT Volume 13 : Issue 353 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Re: Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis (J. Eric Townsend) Re: Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis (Steven J. Tucker) Re: Singapore Airlines Begins In-Flight Fax Service (Mark Evans) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Justin Leavens) Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing (Christopher Sims) Re: Want a Good Phone (Stan Hall) Re: Strange Prefix (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Help Needed Getting Internet Connection (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. (Harold Hallikainen) Re: Oops, You Didn't Hear That (David H. Close) Re: Telecom History (John A. Shriver) Re: Opinions Wanted: Future of Healthcare Telecom (Harold Hallikainen) Re: Message Length on Display Pagers (Rich Greenberg) Re: Stocks VIA Internet (Steve Forrette) Re: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! (Arthur Rubin) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jet@nas.nasa.gov (J. Eric Townsend) Subject: Re: Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis Organization: NASA Ames Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 17:56:11 GMT William.K.Kessler writes: > It appears that Indianapolis is being plagued by an automated > telephone dialer (possibly a trolling FAX machine or > cracker). > I received a call to my home number on April 24th at 3:31 AM. > The call was some type of machine that beeped at about one > second intervals. The call was from 317-471-XXXY. Quite probably a fax. Suggestion from a friend (when I had a similar problem): beg/borrow a fax machine and set it up overnight. Find out who the faxer is. Have them removed from the face of the planet. J. Eric Townsend jet@nas.nasa.gov 415.604.4311 NASA Ames Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation | play: jet@well.sf.ca.us Parallel Systems Support, CM-5 POC | '92 R100R / DoD# 0378 PGP2.1 public key available upon request or finger jet@simeon.nas.nasa.gov ------------------------------ From: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) Subject: Re: Autodialer Plaguing Indianapolis Date: 25 May 1993 20:45:29 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Reply-To: dh395@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven J Tucker) In a previous article, William.K.Kessler@att.com says: > I hung up and then received a second call about one minute later. The > second call also was a beeping sound. > The pest has been active for about a month. I complained to Indiana > Bell and the Sheriff's department two weeks ago. I received a > follow-up call asking what crime was committed. It's not clear what > laws if any have been violated. > I just received a another call to my home number so it appears that > the pest is making a second pass through the CO. > This time I complained to the Utility Regulatory Commission. The > consumer affairs representative said that they would talk to Indiana > Bell. What you got was probably a telemarketing-fax machine, many companies use them to try and find every fax machine they can and send their crap through it (you've probably gotten weird faxes at work, ads, etc). If it was a cracker/hacker, scanning for dialtones (PBX) or for carriers (computer), you would have heard nothing since the modem would have been in dial mode, not originate mode. All fax machines emit a shot BEEP at regular intervals if they dont get a carrier right way, modems don't. Steven J Tucker dh395@cleveland.Freenet.edu P.O.Box 33475 North Royalton Ohio 44133-0475 [Moderator's Note: I hope you agree with the assessment of both Eric Townsend and myself however that the company -- or whoever owns the fax -- needs to be put out of business when they are located. PAT] ------------------------------ From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) Subject: Re: Singapore Airlines Begins In-Flight Fax Service Organization: Aston University Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 12:38:00 GMT > [Moderator's Note: I would think those fax machines would work the > same way as the airfones and have outgoing service only. Of course Looks like the film "Die hard 2" got it wrong then. or maybe its possible for the service company or the airline only to make incoming calls to the phones. > someone on board could send a fax to the nearest airport saying the > plane had been taken over in a hostage situation or something. > Wouldn't that be cute, watching them try to figure out who sent the > fax later on, particularly if it can accept cash money as payment. PAT] Or were using a stolen credit card. Mark Evans |evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 429 9199 (Home) evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk +(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 10:42:39 -0800 From: leavens@bmf.usc.edu (Justin Leavens) Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing Although the message did not specifically mention the data format, it did mention that you could use your spreadsheet to analyze the data. Also, it doesn't mention any type of "viewer" software or startup kit, so I can only assume you get a PC disk with an ASCII file from PacBell. Justin Leavens : Microcomputer Specialist : University of Southern California leavens@bmf.usc.edu My opinion is that my opinions are my opinions ------------------------------ Date: 25 May 1993 19:25:16 +1000 From: Christopher.Sims@cswamp.apana.org.au (Christopher Sims) Subject: Re: Pacific Bell Offering Computer Disk Billing Reply-To: Christopher.Sims@cswamp.apana.org.au Organization: Camelot Swamp bulletin board, Hawthorndene Sth Australia >> An note on my latest phone bill from Pacific Bell announced that >> Pacific Bell will now provide billing to customers by IBM compatible 3 >> 1/2" computer disk (which can be read by Macintosh computers with the >> proper software) for a $15 monthly fee. For a short time, they will be >> waiving the $100 start-up fee. > I am surprised that none of these companies have offered to fax the > phone bills rather than mail them out. When Sprint sends me my phone > bill it costs them about $0.45 in postage, in addition to the printing I am supprised that it has taken companies so long to think of such an idea. Better still why don't they give you an id and have custemers who want to be billed through their modems call a special number loggon and then look at their bill that way. I would say that such a system could symply be linked in with the existing public access systems that telecom would already have in place. Catch you later. Voice +618-3772082 Email address chris@cleese.apana.org.au Origin: Camelot Swamp, Hawthorndene, South Australia (8:7000/8) Camelot Swamp bbs, data: +61-8-370-2133 reply to user@cswamp.apana.org.au ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Want a Good Phone From: kilgore@wuntvor.pillar.com (Stan Hall) Date: Tue, 25 May 93 15:52:44 CDT Organization: The Eternal Apprentice BBS, Oklahoma City, Ok Terry Kennedy writes: > It wasn't uncommon to get a phone in the late 70's and even the > early 80's which used a base, switchhook, and network from the 50's. > Of course, the plastic and cords were changed to accomodate Touch-Tone > dialing, and (later) modular cords. You could easily tell these phones > as the underside was paint- ed black and had a red date code (with an > R for refurbished). You could get a general idea as to the age of the > original unit by looking to see if the feet were round, triangular, or > square, or you could stare at the paint to see if you could make out > the old date. For those of us who really wanted to tempt Ma Bell 8-), > we'd open the top and look at the dates on the ringer and network. Now its time for me to talk about my favorite phone in the house. Of course it is black rotary W/E. This is a classy phone, with its black metal dial wheel and its leather feet, very nice. I just went to check the date on it and underneath the sticker with "C/D 500 11/72" I found the original stamp of "C/D 500 6/54". Best of all I paid about $5 at a thrift store for a 39 year old antique. What it could use is a little bit of buffing up. It surface it covered in light scratches that looks like someone took some steel wool after it. Does anyone what would be the best thing to buff the scratches out with? kilgore@wuntvor.pillar.com (Stan Hall) The Eternal Apprentice BBS, Oklahoma City, OK -- +1 405 942 8794 [Moderator's Note: You do have a wonderful old phone, but 39 years is not an antique in the phone business. Try 50 years or more. since a 40 year life-span is not at all unusual for the old Western Electric units that the Bell System distributed for a century. A couple years ago I found a 'French-style' WE phone with the manufacturing date of May, 1931 stamped on the inside. These were the phones with the round, fat base, the stubby little neck and the four fingers which formed the resting place for the receiver. These phones had no bell in the base, and required a 'side-ringer' in the box on the wall if you recall them, which is also where the 'network' (or the majority of the phone's innards) were located. The phone itself just had a couple relays in it and a faceplate where the dial would go. Brown uncurled, cloth cord connected the receiver to the base, and the same brown cloth cord went from the phone to the wall box where the ringer was located. The phone was *still in service* through a manual PBX cordboard when I found it in an obscure location -- the elevator 'penthouse' (rooftop elevator machinery room) -- of a northside residential hotel. Of course I graciously offered to replace it with a 500 set I happened to have with me, and the building manager was happy to make the trade. PAT] ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Strange Prefix Date: 25 May 1993 17:34:00 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In cantor@mv.com (David A. Cantor) writes: > I stayed overnight in Mystic, Connecticut, and was perusing the local > telephone directory. It is SNET territory. There were several > references to prefixes (office codes?) 111 and 112. 111 was listed as > Ledyard, CT, and I don't remember where 112 was. 111 was identified > as a Ledyard prefix in the section on what exchanges you can dial from > where, and in the numerical list of prefixes for the state. 112 was > also in the numerical list. > Pity I couldn't find any 111 listings. I would have tried to dial one > from home if I had found any. > Does anyone have a clue how such a prefix can exist? Can anyone > confirm or deny the actual existence of 111-xxxx numbers? > [Moderator's Note: I rather suspect it was a misprint. PAT] Or, one of those "spikes" that publishers put in to catch people who copy the data ... Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (intellectual property lawyer) 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0228 voice 212-408-2578 fax 212-765-2519 [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell does that sort of thing but in a more realistic way. They put 'ringers' in the book which look like legitimate people and numbers. Then they sue the copy-cats who grab the listings for their own directories, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@Panix.Com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Help Needed Getting Internet Connection Date: 25 May 1993 17:45:53 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In mcginnis@bu.edu (Kelly McGinnis) writes: > I was just wondering where (other than universities), I can gain > access to the e-mail system the schools use. > [Moderator's Note: By 'email system the schools use' I assume you are > referring to the Internet and its affiliated networks -- what you are > connected to and reading now. There are many 'public access unix > sites' you can subscribe to. I suggest checking out the 'nixpub' file; > you may also wish to investigate the Free Net sites; Portal > Communications in San Jose, CA (they have a PC Pursuit/Sprintnet > link); or Chinet in Chicago (chinet.chi.il.us) operated by Randy Suess. > Another good public access site here is 'Gagme' (gagme.chi.il.us) oper- > rated by Greg Gulick. There are plenty of places where you can sign > up for modest fees. PAT] There is a newsgroup which you might not know about, called alt.internet.access.wanted. It is perfect for your query. (I realize you may not have access to that group, in which case that would be why you did not post to it.) Anyway, if you can I suggest you post to that group. If you are not able to post to that group directly, you may wish to consider using one of the services that lets you post via email. For example, you could post to: alt.internet.access.wanted.usenet@decwrl.dec.com and state in your posting that you would like to get responses via email. Best of luck. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW (intellectual property lawyer) 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0228 voice 212-408-2578 fax 212-765-2519 ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Tip/Ring, Red/Green, etc. Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 22:32:44 GMT In article John_David_Galt@cup.portal. com writes: > 1. If you hold up the plugs at BOTH ends of a standard modular cable, > in the same orientation, you will find that the correspondence between > wire colors and plug pins is reversed; that is, if red is pin three on > one plug, it will be pin four on the other. > This is not a wiring mistake. All modular cables intended for phone > use are "reversed" in this way. Likewise, any gadget that plugs into > the line between telephone and wall should be "reversed" if-and-only-if > its two connectors are the same gender. Which reminds me, why don't we have an RS232 serial connector standard for modular connectors? I'd suggest something symmetrical, probably using the two center pins for ground. Then, all equipment would be wired exactly the same. We'd use reversing cables to connect anything to anything (no more DTE DCE problems!). Of course, not all wires have a symmetrical opposite ... for example TxD and RxD would generally be swapped, RTS and CTS, DTR and DSR, but what do you do with DCD and RI? Anyway, it seems I'm forever making custom serial data cables. A standard would be nice! Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI ------------------------------ From: dhclose@cco.caltech.edu (David H. Close) Subject: Re: Oops, You Didn't Hear That Date: 26 May 1993 04:27:51 GMT Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena I don't recall anyone reporting here the long article in the {Los Angeles Times} about one or two months ago in which: An oil tanker captain sent a confidential report on some safety problems to his head office by fax. For some reason, the fax was misdirected and delivered to the US Coast Guard instead. When the ship arrived in LA, the captain was charged with violations after an inspection. The company is protesting on grounds that the report was intended for internal, confidential use. (Hope I don't have my memory too screwed up!) If this hasn't been previous discussed, I'll try to dig out the original article and send more details. Dave Close, BS'66 Ec dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu dave@compata.attmail.com [Moderator's Note: Yes, please send it along, we have not seen it yet here that I can recall. The company will lose however; as long as the government did not use false pretenses to get the fax, or seize it without a warrant, etc, they are entitled to read it. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 May 93 00:53:47 EDT From: jas@proteon.com (John A. Shriver) Subject: Re: Telecom History The dial telephones in Chicago in the teens are related to a most interesting story. They were not the "Bell" telephone supplier in Chicago, but a competitor. They are the folks who dug the (now mostly abandoned) tunnels under Chicago that flooded last year. Their original charter was to build a dial telephone system, but they exceeded the charter and made the tunnels large enough for a two foot guage freight railroad. The system was also advertised as "secret", since there was no operator to know who you were calling, nor to spy on your call. After several recieverships (the freight business barely made money, the phones never did), the phone system became part of the "Bell" telephone company. First thing they did was rip out all the Automatic Electric Strowger switches and put in switchboards and operators. The freight railroad finally shut down in 1957. Their last business was hauling out ashes from furnace basements. The city had owned the tunnels since the 1930's, and their failure in the 1990's to maintain the ones that crossed the river led to the floods. For details, see the book "Forty Feet Below". There was a new seventh printing last year. ------------------------------ From: hhallika@tuba.calpoly.edu (Harold Hallikainen) Subject: Re: Opinions Wanted: Future of Healthcare Telecom Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 21:56:47 GMT I have limited contact with the health care industry, so my perceptions may be way off. However, it appears that doctors seem to work very independently. It seems that they would benefit from newsgroups (like this) where one can say "I've got a patient with these symptoms, any comment?" My supervisor (where I teach part time) did a lot of computer research on what was ailing his wife. It took a week or so before the local doctors could figure out what the problem was. The community we have thru Usenet is really great! Doctors otta use it! Harold Hallikainen ap621@Cleveland.Freenet.edu Hallikainen & Friends, Inc. hhallika@oboe.calpoly.edu 141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4 phone 805 541 0200 fax 544 6715 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 telex 4932775 HFI UI ------------------------------ From: richgr@netcom.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Message Length on Display Pagers Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 23:17:25 GMT In article Steven Warner writes: > Bonnie J Johnson writes: > Steve wanted to know if the bravo could handle longer than 20 > character message [thru programming...?] I am almost certain that my > old bravo plus could to 24 characters, but I cannot confirm this. I just got a new Bravo Plus, and actually read the directions. It has a 160 character memory, shared between up to 16 messages, with no message being longer than 20 digits. Rich Greenberg Work: rmg50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com 310-417-8999 N6LRT Play: richgr@netcom.com 310-649-0238 What? Me speak for Amdahl? Surely you jest.... ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Stocks VIA Internet Date: 24 May 1993 01:50:10 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA In article mperlman@nyx.cs.du.edu (Marshal Perlman) writes: > Anyone know of any stock purchasing companies that are computer linked > to the internet ... where I could buy and sell stocks with my > computer? > I 'm sure it would be a tad cheaper then using my broker who just > punches what I say to him into a computer and charges me $50 for 'his > help'. I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want to send my trading instructions over the Internet for every site in the path to see (and perhaps generate their own under my name!). If you are interested in computer trading, Charles Schwab has a program whereby you can do your trades via computer and modem. You get special software from them, enter all of your trades offline, then ask it to dial in and execute your batch of trades. They take 10% off their standard commission rates when you use the computer instead of talking to a person. Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Auto-Callback Offered, Without Caller-ID! From: a_rubin%dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) Date: 25 May 93 17:45:02 GMT Reply-To: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (Arthur Rubin) In carlp@rainbow.mentorg.com (Carl Page @ DAD) writes: > California allows Last Call return but not Caller ID? Amazing. > Oregon made the opposite decision! And for good reasons. > Last call return (or Auto-callback) is NOT offered in Oregon, even > though Caller ID is being offered! > Moderator's Note: Every telco seems to have their own philosophy on > this. IBT offers both Caller-ID and Auto-callback, or Return Last > Call. They could care less that numbers otherwise blocked on the ID > display are still returnable via *69. PAT] I haven't requested it yet, but PacBell (at least in Southern California) says that the last (two or four -- I don't remember) digits will be X'd out on the phone bill for a "Call Return"'d call. Arthur L. Rubin: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea 216-5888@mcimail.com 70707.453@compuserve.com arthur@pnet01.cts.com (personal) My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #353 ******************************