Telecom/1996-04-telecom-walnutcreek.iso/back.issues/1993.volume.13/vol13.iss701-750

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Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 23:07:06 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #701

TELECOM Digest     Sat, 16 Oct 93 23:07:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 701

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Help - Level 5 Data and 1A2 Together (Mike Morris)
    Time Warner to Compete with Rochester Tel (Phillip Dampier)
    Book Review: "VAXcluster Principles" by Davis (Rob Slade)
    PAC*TEL Paging Going Private ([e-mail])
    Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents (John Sullivan)
    Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email? (Don Alvarez)
    US Naval Observatory Questions (George Hannah)
    Long Range Phones (Jorge Olivos)
    T1 Through HDSL Boxes (David M. Sokolic)
    Haitian Phone System (Bill Dripps)
    Ten Base T (?) Lines (David Goodwin)
    Overseas Busy Hack (Paul Wallich)
    Cost of Modems (John Shaver)
    SLIP Setup For Server Machines (TELECOM Moderator)
    Fun With DS3's (Steven L. Spak)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
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Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
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TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Morris)
Subject: Help - Level 5 Data and 1A2 Together
Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 03:57:41 GMT


I've been asked to do a phone system for a friend and I'd like to ask
the net.phone.gurus for a few ideas on how they'd accomplish the
following.  I've presented my idea at the end as a starting point.

Requirements:
1.  Four trunks on the key system, the fax line also if possible to provide
    and additional outgoing line (fax line does not ring on common bell).
    There will be at least 7 stations on the system, expandable to 12.

2.  A minor requirement is that the system be able to handle an autodial
    modem on any trunk, preferrably as a seperate station.

3.  Two or three line positions for two-way radios (the owners are heavily
    involved with Red Cross and a volunteer disaster response amateur radio
    team.)  Current implementation that they saw at a friends house is
    1A2 based, with a custom modified line card.  The phone itself is
    unmodified except for the handset, which has a normally closed
    Push-to-talk switch jumpering a resistor.  When the user squeezes
    the transmit button, the line current is lowered enough to trigger a
    DC relay which keys the transmitter.  On a phone line the transmit
    button does nothing.  The custom line card is basically a 401
    intercom card with a current-sensitive relay added to it.  A later
    version added a timer chip to "flutter" the line lamp during
    transmit.  The radio itself is unmodified except for a 8-ohm to 600-ohm
    speaker transformer, and a 600-ohm to microphone impedance
    transformer.  So 2 wires for the audio path, and a transmit dry
    pair is the total connection to the modified line card.  RF level is
    not a problem - we're talking maybe 10 watts into in-the-attic
    antennas.  There will not be any RFI problems.

HELP!  Does anybody know of a EKS or mini-PBX that would be able to
handle something like this?  I was told that a Comdial ExecuTech KSU
had some 1A2 ports on it, but would it be able to handle a
push-to-talk hack?  I was told that Plant Equipment had a radio
interface line card years ago but it is 1A2 exclusively, and I'm goint
to install 1A2 if I can't present anything better to my friend.  I'm
after the best implementation possible within a reasonable budget,
consistent with delivering a reliable phone system suitable for a home
business (he's a Mac guru), a growing family (wife plus 2 girls under
8), and a need for multiple lines and radio circuits (current plans
are 9-line 2830-type phones in every room).

I'm specifically thinking of a Panasonic, AT&T Spirit, Partner, etc.
I don't know what's out there, and I doubt any sales-slime would care
enought to work with me for a single sale.  Nobody I've talked to
does.

Seperate from the phone system, but installed at teh same time will be
a level 5 data cable to each room in the house.  The hub will be
mounted on the telephone backboard.  The owners would like the RJ-45
data jack to be mounted in a in-wall junction box along with the
amphenol connector.  This has to be a clean wife-approvable job.  The
house will be painted soon after the phone / network will be
installed, so a small amount of plaster damage is a non-issue.

Lastly, the radio side of the system my friend saw suffers from poor
transmit audio quality -- the WeCo microphone cartridge was designed
for wireline, not radio needs.  Years ago when accoustic modems were
the state of the art, Novatel (I think) made a drop-in electret mic
element for WeCo phones that sounded a helluva lot better than the
carbons -- does anybody have any they'd like to see get a good home?

I'd be happy to carry on an extended conversation via e-mail. A
summary will be made available to the moderator should he be
interested in including it.


Mike Morris, WA6ILQ
P.O. Box 1130
Arcadia, CA. 91077      818-447-7052 evenings

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Phillip Dampier)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 16:55:55 -0500
Subject: Time Warner to Compete with Rochester Tel


TIME WARNER SEEKS TO COMPETE WITH ROCHESTER TELEPHONE

A new Time-Warner subsidiary has announced its intentions to begin
providing local telephone service to business and residential
customers in Rochester and Albany.

Time Warner AxS of Rochester is now waiting for approval from the NY
State Public Service Commission to provide its services over the
Rochester Time-Warner cable system, Greater Rochester Cablevision.

Time Warner announced earlier this year that it had formed a broad
partnership with US West, one of the "Baby Bell" telephone companies
to research and implement telephony products over cable systems.

A spokesman for Time-Warner told the {Rochester Democrat & Chronicle}
that the company has not initiated a specific business plan in either
Albany or Rochester, but the company already owns and operates
alternative telephone companies in Indianapolis and Kansas City that
serve commercial companies.

In the case of Rochester, this would be Time-Warner's first major
telephone operation that would directly serve both residential and
business customers.

An existing operation owned by Greater Rochester Cablevision,
FiberNet, Inc., already serves the business community largely in
the city with a fiber optic service.

Time Warner considers the provision of telephony services to be
paramount in their plan to provide "full service networks" in their
territories.  An experimental full service cable system is now under
construction in Orlando, but component parts, such as telephone
services, will be introduced in various parts of Time Warner-owned
cable territories over the next year.

Rochester Telephone responded to the application by Time Warner by
stating it has no objections to Time Warner's service provided the NY
State Public Service Commission is willing to treat the two companies
equally in its regulatory policies.

Rochester Telephone was the first telephone company in the nation to
file an application earlier this year to open up its service area to
competing local telephone companies.  The NY State Public Service
Commission is still studying that proposal.

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 93 13:21 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "VAXcluster Principles" by Davis


BKVXCLST.RVW  930910

Digital Press
PO Box 3027
One Burlington Woods Drive
Burlington, MA   01803-9593
800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825)
VAXcluster Principles, Davis, EY-M740E-DP-CRE, 1993


If "principles" were all this book dealt with, it would only be
fifteen pages long.  What we have here, rather, is a very detailed
description of the component parts of a VAX cluster - other than the
VAXen themselves.  Communications channels and devices, storage
hardware, and the various system files and utilities are examined.
Included in this overview are some of the underlying principles of
those components.

Although it is somewhat unfair to ask a technical work to conform to
the same literary standard as other works, the style here could
definitely use improvement.  We are given the same (word for word)
definition of a VAX cluster twice in the first eight pages, and the
same (Digital specific) definition of a network twice within twelve
pages.  I know we are talking about fault tolerance here, but some of
the redundant material could easily be removed.  At the same time, the
formatting of the text and the use of bullets and indenting is often
confusing, especially when multiple levels of bullets and indents get
mixed on a single page.

Since the VAX cluster is implemented only on proprietary machinery and
a proprietary operating system, it is not surprising that much of the
material is hardware and operating system specific.  Scattered
throughout the work, however, are gems of generic interest, such as
the well-defined structure of an Ethernet packet, right down to the
diagrammed description of Manchester phase encoding of data.

Chapter one is an introduction to the topic.  Unfortunately, it is
possibly the most confusing part of the book.  Chapter two, discussing
the outline of Systems Communication Architecture (SCA) is somewhat
better, but still a bit ragged.  (For example, having almost completed
the description of SCA, we are given a simplistic analogy of SCA
likened to a telephone system.  This might better have been an
introduction.)

Davis is obviously more at home with the guts of the system, and the
book improves a great deal as chapters three through eight delve into
interconnects, storage architecture and options, locking, the
Connection Manager, and miscellaneous topics.

The work is replete with specific examples and notes regarding
particular devices.  It is not simply a reproduction of the
documentation and marketing notes, though.  The material is
well-organized, and gives details about the underlying structures
before moving on to details of operation.  This may be frustrating for
some who merely want a "cookbook", but for the curious it can be an
interesting and potentially valuable excursion.

For those considering the installation or configuration of a cluster
the book will give valuable background and guidance.  Those already
managing VAX clusters may not find an immediate need for it, but will
probably deepen their understanding of the system.

Those running MVS, of course, won't have the slightest idea what I'm
talking about.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKVXCLST.RVW  930910
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security,   Canada    V7K 2G6
[e-mail]   [e-mail]   [e-mail]   Fidonet 1:153/733
[e-mail]                                                 604-526-3676

------------------------------

From: Action <[e-mail]>
Subject: PAC*TEL Paging Going Private
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 12:30:39 MST


PAC*TEL paging will be operating as a seperate non-regulated company
starting in March 1994. Many new services will be offered.

E-mail to pager, setup in the peak and off peak hours. Messages will
contain as much as 5,000 characters with an expansion planned. E-mail
to Laptop service using a reciever attached to the PC. Suggested/req-
uested hardware price $200. Rates for peak and off peak services.

U.S. West Paging sold to a former VP of paging. They could not run it
when they were in charge of it, what do they plan to do now?

Look for a new newsletter with online postings to start Nov 1, 1993.
What's hot and what's not. MCI fiber cut? We will get the facts and
post them online. Sprint modem ripoff, look to this group for the
news. Direct mailed newsletters are going to be available as well.
From the Internet to the Cell net. Correct and rapid information on cable,
telco and associated fields.

For sub via e-mail prices and info ... just drop us a line.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Sullivan)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 18:26:26 PDT
Subject: Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents


I just got this e-mail from my mother.  As you will see, someone is
trying to get people to give out their calling card numbers by
pretending to have collect calls from loved ones, and then saying
there is a block.

        -------  begin message -------

Last night just as I was leaving the house, the phone rang. A male
voice said said, "I have a collect call from John Sullivan. Will you
accept the charges?"

I was surprised, but of course said immediately, "Yes!"

He started to put the call through but then said, "I can't put the call
through because you have a block on your line."

"What?"

"You have a block on your line that collect calls can't be accepted."

"Well then what can I do, that's my son and I have to hear what he wants!"

"You can use some other form of payment."

"Like what?"

"A calling card or a credit card."

"Well, I guess my calling card, but let me ask my husband."

Dad and I agreed it sounded fishy but still what if it really were you trying
to get us. So, I decided to try to find out some more to see if it could be
legit. I asked, "Where is the call coming from?"

"I don't have that information."

"Can you give me your operator number?" (I forgot to say to you that he had
identified hiumself as an AT&T operator.)

"19076."

I told Dad on the side that if you really weren't on the other end we
could immediately call and cancel the calling card number.  So I gave
him an AT&T number and he said he'd put me through and then got back
and said, "I'm sorry the party has hung up. Thank you for using AT&T."

So, we then were pretty sure it was a scam. I immediately called AT&T
to cancel the number. The AT&T woman took down the whole story (I
guess so they can alert people) and said that the operator handling a
collect call would definitely know what area code the call was coming
from. She also said that, given that we would have been the ones to
originate a block on collect calls that should have been a tip-off. I
agreed but said when you hear that your child is calling collect
reason gets overruled.

The AT&T woman said their operators would _never_ ask you for your
card number.

So, I doubt he got in many calls to Borneo or wherever before the card
was no good anymore.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Don Alvarez)
Subject: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email?
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 21:40:06 GMT


Does anybody know who provides fax to email service?  I'm looking for
somebody who receives faxes and then emails a bitmap in exchange for
money (or for warm fuzzy feelings if possible, but somehow I think
that's unlikely :-) I'm also curious about going the other direction,
but what I really need is to be able to receive the faxes.


Thanks,

Don Alvarez    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: US Naval Observatory Questions
From: [e-mail] (George Hannah)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 12:32:00 -0600
Organization: C-9 Communications


I recently found out about the US Naval observatory, which one can
call and get the current date via modem. The format of the date,
however eludes me. When I called on Oct. 13, I got the following:

49273 286 143645 UTC

I understand the 286 is the day_of_year, and the 143645 is the hour,
but the 49273 means nothing.

Can anyone enlighten me on how to decode the date? And does anyone out
there know what the UTC means?


Origin: Prophecy BBS-Saint John, NB [phone] (11:190/100.0)


[Moderator's Note: The '49273' is the number of days that have elapsed
since some point in ancient history. 'UTC' refers to Universal Time,
another name for 'Greenwich Mean Time' (GMT).  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jorge Olivos)
Subject: Long Range Phones
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 01:34:31 GMT
Organization: Universidad de Chile, Depto. de Ciencias de la Computacion


Does anyone know anything about long range telephones?

The information we have is the existance of a product with a range of
250Km which appears as an alternative to the cellular phone. This
telephone would be an extension of your own telephone at home or at
your office.

Does anybody know its behavior with obstacles (buildings, houses,
etc)?  What's its behavior inside buildings?

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 13:02:51 EDT
From: David M Sokolic <[e-mail]>
Subject: T1 Through HDSL Boxes


Hello Telecommunicators:

I was wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with using
HDSL (High bit rate digital subscriber line) technology to provide
repeaterless T-1. There are several manufacturers (Paairgain
Technologies, Adtran, Alcatel, Tellabs) that make this kind of
equipment. I was wondering if anyone out there has looked into the
different equipment and has any comments about how the different
offerings compare.

Thanks for your help.


David Sokolic  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 14:14:07 -0400
From: astph!bill (Bill Dripps)
Subject: Haitian Phone System
Organization: Philadelphia Phillies


A friend works with a feeding program for rural Haitian children. As
you can imagine the needs he deals with are desperate. He is located
where a radio phone is the only connection to the Haitian phone
system. There are three legs to the connection: US to Haiti, Haitian
landline and Haitian radio phone. Connections are not reliable and are
especially difficult for data or fax transmissions.

What options do I have to get him a cleaner and more reliable connection?

He is well past the end of landlines. Would IMARSAT(sp?) be an option?
Who should I contact. Cost is important. Choosing between a starving
child and a phone call is real tough.


Bill Dripps         | attmail!astph!bill | astph![e-mail] |
814-234-8592 ext.31 | psuvax1!astph!bill | astph![e-mail]  |

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Goodwin)
Subject: Ten Base T (?) Lines
Date: 16 Oct 1993 18:44:21 GMT
Organization: CS Dept, Oregon State University


Hello.  Recently, the University I attend installed new wiring in the
residence hall I live in.  This new wiring consited of a standard
phone line, a co-axial cable TV line, and something called a 'ten base
t' line, which I know nothing about.

Anyway, it would be most appreciated if some could relate to me just
exactly what a ten base t line is and how I could take advantage of it
with an IBM-PC.  Thanks.


David Goodwin    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Wallich)
Subject: Overseas Busy Hack
Date: 16 Oct 1993 11:28:07 -0400
Organization: Trivializers R Us


Does anyone know how long TPC has had busy-signal detectors on
overseas lines? I was making a bunch of calls to a busy number in
Germany and found it interesting to hear a second or two of "real"
busy signal followed by a digital click and then a new busy signal. I
suppose this saves some fractional amount of trunk usage, but wouldn't
ss7 make more sense? (I have no idea, by the way, precisely where this
detection is being done.)


paul

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 14:07:38 MST
From: John Shaver <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cost of Modems


I recently bought a 2400 baud modem with a 9600 fax modem capability.
It cost $40.00.


[Moderator's Note: In the next couple years it will cost $25. I have a
desk drawer full of 300/1200 baud modems here. I could maybe get $5-10
each for them if someone wanted them for backups, etc. That's life.  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 13:52:29 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: SLIP Setup For Server Machines


"SLIP Setup For Server Machines" is the title of a new special report
in the Telecom Archives. Written by Thor Legvold at the University of
Bergen in Norway, it was sent here for inclusion in our archives.

I hope you will find it useful and of interest. The archives can be
accessed using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu. When logged in, then you
would 'cd telecom-archives'.  Another option is to use the Telecom
Archives Email Information Service, [e-mail]. Your
request would read:

REPLY yourname@site
INFO
SEND slip.setup.for.server.mach
END

Enjoy the archives!


Pat

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steven L. Spak)
Subject: Fun With DS3's
Date: 16 Oct 1993 12:15:59 GMT
Organization: George Washington University


Any netters out there experiencing or hearing about problems transport-
ing DS3's with these symptoms:

1) C-bit parity indicates a bad facility when you're certain every-
   thing's O.K.;

2) 2^23-1 Pseudorandom sequence freaks out your transmission or cross-
   connect machines;

3) Digital Link (tm) ATM CSU's may be involved;

If any of this seems to ring a bell, please post or email me directly.
We may be able to work through some of this together.


Thanks,

Steven Spak    [e-mail]
Transmission Engineer    Tel: [phone]   Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #701
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 00:06:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #702

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 00:06:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 702

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Quarterly V&H Report (David Esan)
    Information Wanted About MD31 (14.4 kb Module) (Humair Raza)
    Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs (David Leibold)
    How to Set up a BBS? ([e-mail])
    Competitive Dial Tone (Dave Levenson)
    New Country Codes in Yugoslavia ([e-mail])
    Switch Information Needed (Neil Kruse)
    Al Gore's Reaction to Bell Atlantic-TCI Merger Announcement (Nigel Allen)
    Macintosh and 56K CSU/DSU (Peter Stone)
    Historical Telecom and Information Films Sought (Richard Prelinger)
    HDSL - Difference Between CAP and 2b1 Coding (David M. Sokolic)
    Recent AT&T Press Release Wanted on Internet Services (Rory J. Ardagh)
    Ive Got a Secret - the Panel (Tom Cikoski)
    Use of Punch-Down Tool (John Schwab)
    GTE Busy Number Redial vs 'Automatic' Busy Number Redial (Randall Gellens)
    Information Sources Needed (Kevin D. Cooke)
    Heh... (Aaron Woolfson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Esan)
Subject: Quarterly V&H Report
Date: 16 Oct 93 14:45:39 GMT
Organization: Moscom Corporation, Pittsford NY


Once a quarter I USED to receive the BellCore V&H tape.  Using this
information I could total the number of exchanges in each area code.
The twenty most populous area codes are listed below.  After the
written text of this article I have included the count for each of the
area codes.

This is no longer our procedure.  The information in FCC #10 is now
detailed enough that we no longer need to order the tape from BellCore
and are using FCC #10 for our V&H information.  There will be some
changes during the changeover, FCC #10 is more current, and some
exchanges due for addition and included in the tape may not yet be in
FCC #10.

We have used pages issued prior to October 15, 1993.  I am not
responsible for the information supplied in FCC #10.

I have not included the following in my counts of exchanges:

  - NXX's that are not dialable by a standard user (ie nxx's that begin
    with a 1 or 0).

  - Mexican exchanges in the 52? series of area codes.  I've got them,
    you can dial them with 011, but they're not really NPAs.

  - Exchanges that are non-dialable in the 88? series of area codes.  I've
    got those also, but you can't dial them, so I'm not including them.

    Numbers that begin with 88 are nondialable stations in the US, Canada and
    Mexico.  They are ranches in the middle of the Nevada or Texas desert,
    or isolated outpost of civilization (always wanted to use that phrase) in
    the tundra of Canada.  I find place names like the Bar J Ranch, Double B
    Ranch, and JD Dye, Texas, Amargosa, Corncreek and Reese Valley, NV, and
    Chick Lake, Redknife and Taglu, NT.  I gather they are ringdown stations,
    or radio-telephone stations.  [It has been noted in c.d.t. that at least
    two of these numbers are for a bordello on the NV-CA border.]

  - This list includes three new area codes: 905, 810, and 910.  I have not
    yet received information on 610.

The fields are:
                        ------------ rank last in July, 1993
          213: 736 (1, 7)
  area code --^^^  ^^^     ^------- number of new exchanges
                    |-------------- total number of exchanges

919: 711 ( 4, 20)  215: 681 ( 8, 14)    703: 640(13, 19)    503: 594 (17, 9)
313: 706 ( 5, 17)  206: 670 (10, 17)    212: 637( 1,-68)    803: 592 (20,18)
205: 706 ( 3, 12)  708: 667 (11, 20)    403: 615(14,  4)    615: 592 (23,30)
416: 692 ( 6, 10)  602: 662 ( 9,  8)    604: 609(15, 17)    303: 588 (18,13)
714: 690 ( 7, 16)  713: 653 (12, 18)    216: 598(16, 13)    404: 583 (22,18)


1. 919 - split is in progress.  Number should be reduced by split.
2. 313 - split is in progress.  Number should be reduced by split.
3. 205 - split is planned.  Number should be reduced by split.
4. 416 - split is in progress.  Number should be reduced by split.
5. 714 - split in progress.  Number should be reduced by split.
6. 215 - split is planned.  Number should be reduced by split.

->  The NPA that is largest and is not splitting nor has plans, at this time,
    to split, is 206.

->   The 3 smallest NPA's were 917, 906, 807.  They are now:

      302: 133 - Delaware (+4 exchanges)
      906: 117 - Michigan's Upper Peninsula (no change)
      807: 106 - Western Ontario (+1 exchange)

->   The NPAs with the greatest growth rates are:

     NPA   % growth
         917     29.83
         310      5.80
         615      5.33
         307      5.26
         210      4.53
         813      4.52
         805      4.50
         209      4.28
         409      4.27
         410      4.07

->   The 10 NPAs with the least growth rates are:

     NPA   % growth
         512    -46.08 * Due to the deletion of the NXXs now in NPA 210
         212    -09.64 * Due to the movement of the Bronx to NPA 718
         715      0.00
         712      0.00
         701      0.00
         618      0.00
         507      0.00
         419      0.00
         413      0.00
         315      0.00


All the NPAs and the number of nxx's in each are listed below:

919: 711  612: 575  916: 467  316: 390    519: 357  609: 312  709: 264
313: 706  809: 574  201: 462  209: 389    204: 356  208: 310  806: 262
205: 706  214: 571  412: 455  219: 387    207: 354  613: 307  608: 257
416: 692  314: 564  913: 454  512: 379    318: 352  706: 306  509: 257
714: 690  305: 563  306: 454  213: 377    810: 350  918: 305  603: 249
215: 681  501: 561  614: 447  914: 376    408: 350  218: 302  901: 242
206: 670  203: 555  818: 439  704: 375    304: 348  202: 293  308: 214
708: 667  904: 551  515: 439  910: 373    419: 344  909: 291  417: 210
602: 662  619: 551  210: 438  217: 373    517: 343  903: 291  707: 201
713: 653  405: 542  407: 436  502: 372    319: 342  606: 288  506: 186
703: 640  817: 532  410: 434  418: 370    505: 339  812: 287  802: 183
212: 637  804: 527  601: 432  406: 370    618: 337  808: 286  719: 183
403: 615  717: 516  617: 430  801: 368    702: 331  712: 286  307: 180
604: 609  312: 513  415: 430  908: 366    805: 325  518: 277  607: 178
216: 598  310: 510  402: 425  504: 364    915: 323  902: 276  917: 161
503: 594  414: 509  516: 414  301: 364    715: 321  705: 275  401: 145
803: 592  718: 506  907: 411  701: 362    815: 319  507: 275  413: 135
615: 592  514: 505  716: 408  510: 360    409: 317  814: 271  302: 133
303: 588  816: 485  508: 408  912: 359    819: 316  315: 268  906: 117
404: 583  513: 481  616: 407  605: 357    905: 313  309: 266  807: 106
813: 577  317: 479  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---


David Esan      [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Humair Raza)
Subject: Information Wanted About MD31 (14.4 kb Module)
Date: 16 Oct 1993 12:03:32 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA


I am looking for some information about MD31, which is 14.4 KB module
from Rockwell ( R1496 DP ). Please let me know through personal mail
about the source from where I can get the application data for this
module. Even a contact phone number of the company would do.


Thanks,

Humair Raza   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 10:38:15 -0400
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs


CFRB radio had a news item last night about Bell Canada's plans to
change long distance calling so that 1 + area code must be dialed for
any long distance call, even within an area code. This will happen in
Sept 1994.

This is already the case in 416 and 905, thus no further changes are
expected for those area codes. This will affect other Bell area codes:
Ontario's 519, 613, 705 and 807, plus Quebec's 418, 514 and 819.

While 416 set up this dialing method a few years ago to add exchange
capacity within 416, none of Bell's other area codes have a capacity
shortage. Rather, this change is for the North American wide
"interchangeable" NPA codes (that is, most numbers from 200 to 999
could be used as area codes or exchanges).  Area codes presently have
a 0 or 1 in the middle digit, but this restriction will be removed as
of January 1995, meaning that the distinction between area codes and
exchanges will be lost throughout North America.

334 is the first "interchangeable" area code to be announced, to split
Alabama's current 205 area code. This is scheduled to take effect 15
January 1995.

I made an inquiry to Bellcore to find out if any other interchangeable codes
have been assigned; no response from them at this time.


David Leibold

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Sentient)
Subject: How to Set Up a BBS?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 15:34:03 GMT


Some of my friends are interested in setting up internet service so
that people can dial in a particular number and get connected to the
computer which is a node on internet.  What are the various resources
needed in setting up such a service.  Also, what kind of hardware is
available. Is there any book that explains this?

This service is being planned for India.  India's telecommunication
service provides a leased line which is a direct connection to an
international network.

Approximately what kind of costs come into effect? Also, if we import
the necessary hardware, we want to know which kind of hardware is
suitable for this.


Thanks,
#include <std_disclaimers.h>   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
Subject: Competitive Dial Tone
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 22:51:09 GMT


A public telephone at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City
bears a sign: LONG DISTANCE calls from this telephone are carried by
AT&T Communications by default.  (You may dial 10xxx to select the
carrier of your choice for card, collect, or third-party calls.)
LOCAL CALLS from this telephone are carried by Teleport Communications
of New York.  The initial deposit is 25 cents, the same as that
charged by the local RBOC.


Dave Levenson        Internet: [e-mail]
Westmark, Inc.        UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA    Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 19:56:29 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: New Country Codes in Yugoslavia
Organization: AT&T


The following note appeared in a recent newsletter.

  --------forwarded excerpt follows------------------

***FORMER REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA*** As of October 1, five republics of
the former Yugoslavia have new country codes for direct dialed calls:

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia          381
Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina      387
Republic of Croatia                     385
Republic of Slovenia                    386
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia   389

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 93 11:15:00 -0700
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Switch Information Needed


Hi,

My brother is in a Telecommunications Management M.S. program at
Golden Gate University.  He is interested in learing about 5ESS and
Nothern Telecom switches.  Unfortunately, his school doesn't offer
classes in that area.  Can you recommend a book, or a class/seminar in
the San Francisco Bay Area where he could learn more about switching
systems?


Thanks,

Neil Kruse   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 00:06:16 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Al Gore's Reaction to Bell Atlantic-TCI Merger Announcement
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Here is a press release from U.S. Vice-President Al Gore.  I
downloaded the press release from the PR On-Line BBS in Maryland at
410-363-0834.

 Statement by the Vice-President on the Bell Atlantic-TCI Merger
Announcement

 Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2100

   WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- Following is the text of a statement by Vice
President Gore on the Bell Atlantic-TCI Merger announcement:

     The Administration believes that rapid deployment of the
information infrastructure will create jobs, increase our standard of
living, and provide a wide range of services in areas such as
education, health care, and entertainment.

     Today's announcement demonstrates the intense private-sector
interest in the information infrastructure. The Administration
supports any development in the communications marketplace that is
pro-competitive and fosters the development of an open, interactive
information infrastructure.  Subsequent formal reviews will determine
whether this proposal meets those goals.

                     ---------

Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Peter Stone)
Subject: Macintosh and 56K CSU/DSU
Date: 16 Oct 1993 21:30:51 -0700
Organization: CRL Internet Dialup Access 415-705-6060 (guest)


Thanks to all who wrote me regarding the 56K data line(s) structure.

My next question is to those who may have already installed a 56K
CSU/DSU to a Macintosh. I have heard that the serial port (RS-232) of
some CSU/DSU's can not handle the async 56K/56K to a Mac port.  The
best speeds are around 19.2 or something around there ...

Can someone perhaps recommend or clarify if:

1. The Mac serial port is fast enough to handle a 56K Async line?
2. Does one need to get (or do they even make) a V.35 interface
   card for the Macintosh so as to gain full 56K Async speeds?
3. What way IS there to gain 56K Async speeds on a Mac?

SO in short, has anyone hooked up a 56K async line to a mac and has it
working full speed? If so ... can you recommend modems? Interfaces?


Thanks,

Peter Stone

------------------------------

From: Richard Prelinger <[e-mail]>
Subject: Historical Telecom and Information Films Sought
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 21:33:58 -0700


HISTORICAL FILMS ON TELECOM, INFORMATION AND COMPUTERS SOUGHT BY
ARCHIVE

Historical films or footage relating to telecommunications, data
processing, and the computer and information industries are being
sought by Prelinger Archives, a New York City-based archive of
industrial, advertising, educational and documentary films.

Of some 600,000 motion pictures produced since the 1920s to educate,
sell or convince, probably fewer than 50% still survive. Changes in
corporate affiliations (notably the AT&T breakup and consolidation in
the computer industry) have rendered the situation particularly
critical with regard to films made by technology companies.

We feel that industrial and promotional films are historical resources
of significant value, offering detailed and vivid documentation of
research, invention, development and marketing activities that is
unavailable from any other source. Furthermore, visual documentation
of many important activities in the telecom and information areas is
difficult or impossible to locate.

Consequently, we would like to hear from anyone (individuals or
corporations) who possesses films or footage relating to these (or
other) industries and who might consider depositing them in our
collection. In return we offer the guarantee of continued access to
the materials, videotape copies of the materials and free access to
other materials in our archives, if desired.  Corporate sources are
especially solicited, and we are prepared to exchange the right to
reuse footage in our collection.

Prelinger Archives holds over 25,000 films and makes its resources
available to researchers, scholars and media producers upon request.
Legitimate research and scholarly requests are fulfilled without
charge; license fees are charged for commercial use of our materials,
if copyright status permits.

A lengthy catalog of our holdings (750K text file) is available
without charge; please email one of the addresses below with a
request.

We are always pleased to hear from anyone with an interest in the
history of industrial and non-theatrical film, or who has research
needs in this area.

Please feel free to repost as you wish.


Rick Prelinger    Prelinger Archives
430 West 14th St., Room 403, New York, NY 10014 USA
[phone]    [phone]  Fax: [phone]
email: [e-mail]  OR  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 08:49:23 EDT
From: David M Sokolic <[e-mail]>
Subject: HDSL - Difference Between CAP and 2b1 Coding


Hello:

I am trying to understand some of the details of HDSL (high bit rate
digital subscriber line). HDSL is a way to offer repeaterless T1
service over copper wire. There are two competing encoding schemes,
2b1Q and CAP. 2b1q has been adopted as a standard by ETSI and
Bellcore, however AT&T Paradyne is pushing CAP. CAP supposedly has
some different capabilities. Anyone know anymore on this subject?


Thanks,

David Sokolic   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: Rory J. Ardagh <[e-mail]>
Subject: Recent AT&T Press Release Wanted on Internet Services
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 12:11:18 GMT


Hi,

I wonder could anyone who has a copy of the recent AT&T press release
on their extending of AT&T Internet services please send me a copy.  I
would appreciate any help on this matter.


Regards,

Rory Ardagh    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 10:54:56 EDT
From: [e-mail] (tom cikoski)
Subject: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel


TELECOM Moderator moderated:

> [Moderator's Note: "I've Got a Secret" featured host Garry Moore and
> was a great example of the early days of television. Does anyone remember
> the names of the four panelists there on a regular basis?

Dorothy Killgallen
Arlene Francis
Bennett Cerf
Steve Allen - but often had a guest in this spot, such as Ernie Kovacs

Arlene and Steve are still alive.


Regards,

Tom Cikoski


[Moderator's Note: Oh, I am afraid not. You are thinking of the panel
on another popular show of that era, "What's My Line?". The program
was emceed by John Charles Daly, whose early days in broadcasting were
spend in news. I've got on tape here the emergency news bulletin from
the CBS Radio Network announcing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
as delivered by John Daly when they interuppted the Sunday noon broad-
cast of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He migrated to television
news about 1948 or so and did that five evenings per week plus emceeing
"What's My Line?" on Sunday night. The people you named were his panel-
ists. WML had people show up whose occupations were unusual, to say the
least. The panel had a couple minutes to guess what it was based on
clues and a process of elimination. That brings us back to the original
question: who were the panel members on "I've Got a Secret"? Something
seems to stick in my mind that Audrey Meadows was one of them.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Schwab)
Subject: Use of Punch-Down Tool
Date: 16 Oct 1993 01:33:19 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center


I scrounged a couple of 66-type (?) punch-down blocks and the loan of
a Dracon D714 impact tool for wiring my new house.  I have only a
theoretical knowlege of how to use this stuff, and the guy who had the
impact tool just "found" it one day.

Can anyone give me some practical pointers on properly using these to
make a clean, professional-looking telecomm setup?  I want to avoid
the usual rat's nest resulting from a lot of end-run wiring for
multiple phone lines, and I thought this might be a nice alternative
to a bunch of barrier terminal strips.

1) It appears that I just place the wire over the terminal and then
push down until the spring loads up and then releases to trim the wire
off. I can see the cutting vs. non-cutting ends of the blade. Is the
non-cutting end used for chaining adjacent terminals?

2) Exactly how does one remove the wire for changes?  Just yank it up
and out with needle-nose pliers?

Any further information or hints would be greatly appreciated.



John R. Schwab   NASA Lewis Research Center
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]  FAX: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 16 OCT 93 18:04
Subject: GTE Busy Number Redial vs 'Automatic' Busy Number Redial


In a recent GTE bill insert, I noticed that in addition to the Busy
Number Redial they had been offering, they now have 'Automatic Busy
Number Redial' for $1 more per month.  I called and was told that BNR
only worked for numbers within the switch, while ABNR worked for
numbers in other switches (still only other GTE switches; the SS7 link
between GTE and Pac Bell hasn't happened yet).  By the way, the rep
agreed with me that it was pretty stupid to call the new one
'Automatic' when it is really 'extended' or 'non-crippled.' She even
suggested that no one would buy BNR, but get it as part of a package.
Oh, the activation codes are 66# for BNR and *66 for ABNR.


Randall Gellens    [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation   [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA     to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself

------------------------------

Subject: Information Sources Needed
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 14:49:03 -0400
From: Kevin D. Cooke <[e-mail]>


I am looking for basic information on a number of technologies.  The
information is intended for the non-technical reader and should answer
the following questions:

    What is it?
    How is it implemented?
    What are the Pros/Cons?
    What does the future hold?

The technologies are ISDN, Broadband ISDN, Cell Relay (ATM?) and
SONET.  If anyone could lend me a hand, or just suggest ftp sites I
would greatly appreciate it.


Thank you in advance,

Kevin D. Cooke   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Aaron Woolfson)
Subject: Heh ...
Date: 16 Oct 1993 20:53:39 -0700
Organization: University of the Pacific


I called for my free modem.  I got transfered to some location with a
"click click pop pop static connection" and the guy soounded really
hurried and said "we had ... that just broke -- can we call you back
in ten minutes?" ... interesting.  I just thought this was humorous.


[Moderator's Note: Did he call you back as promised? Did you make the
switch?   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #702
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 01:11:33 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #703

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 01:11:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 703

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Steve Cogorno)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Lars J. Poulsen)
    Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines (Charlie Mingo)
    Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines (Andy Sherman)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (David Breneman)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (A.E. Mossberg)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Lukas Zahas)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Harold Hallikainen)
    Re: Original Touch Tone Phones (Macy Hallock)
    Re: Original Touch Tone Phones (Jim Rees)
    Re: Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge (John R. Levine)
    Bell Atlantic / TCI Merge - Competition? ([e-mail])
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (P Joslin)
    Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically (A Sherman)
    Re: St. Peter Story is True; Not a Joke (Jorn Barger)
    Re: I've Got a Secret - The Panel (David A. Kaye)
    Re: Restoring an Old Phone (Bud Couch)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 23:56:10 PDT


>>> unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

>> Well, actually, the 700 exchange is already in use. It's a toll free
>> exchange used for various services in the US. The one that comes to
>> mind is the carrier subscriber info service. It's a 1-700 nubmer that
>> will tell you who your LD provider is.

These numbers are also in use:

200    Some BOCs use for testing
211    COCOT Customer Service
311    TDD services in some areas (I believe 911 for TDD)
700    Long-Distance Carrier specific (AT&T runs EasyReach this way)
811    BOC/LEC Customer Service

Note that 700 is not necessarily toll-free; it depends on the
carrier's use (although I believe that AT&T is the only one with a
running service).


Steve   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars J Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
Organization: DKnet
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 08:52:12 GMT


Quoting [e-mail]:

>>> unlikely: 200 211 300 311 400 500 511 600 700 711 811

> [e-mail] (Witness) writes:
>> ...the 700 exchange is already in use. It's a toll free
>> exchange used for various services in the US.

[e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood) writes:

> It is also the exchange for AT&T's Easy*Reach numbers.  I don't know
> how many Easy Reach numbers have been assigned though.

For the umpteenth time: 700 is NOT an exchange code. 700 is a service
access code placed in the area code position, not unlike the 800 and
900 access code.

The services reached by the 700 access code depend on which carrier
is used to connect through. 10288-1-700-xxx-yyyy is not the same service
code as 10222-1-700-xxx-yyyy.

Several carriers use this to route intra- LATA calls to circumvent the
LECs that "steal" these calls by not honoring the carrier selection
code on intra-LATA toll calls.

AT&T, as mentioned, use 700 for Easy-Reach. The Alliance conference
system is also reached in this way. And as mentioned, 1-700-555-4141
reaches a recording to inform you of the carrier name. Which, if you
did not dial a carrier selection code, will be your PIC (Preferred IXC
or "your dial-1-carrier").

One consequence of this routing for the 700 access code, is that
services in the 700 "area" are completely unreachable from Europe.
+1-700- is trapped to the no-such-number tri-tone signal.


Lars Poulsen         Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products     Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B     Telefax:      [phone]
DK-2650 Hvidovre,     Internets: designed and built

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Charlie Mingo)
Subject: Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines
Date: 16 Oct 1993 11:51:11 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC


In article <[e-mail]>, Bruce Sullivan wrote:

> Regarding using a Mac as the DTE: Keep in mind that the serial port is
> asynchronous. The 56k line is usually set up to be synchronous. Some
> DSUs will allow you to 'convert' async-sync, but you don't get the
> full throughput.

Are you sure about that?  The reason the Mac doesn't use the standard
RS232C-type port is that it needs to be able to run AppleTalk
synchronously over the serial ports at 230 Kbps.

Inside Mac (vol III, p 24) seems to indicate that you can run the SCC
synchronously.  Pin 7 will accept an external clock:

    "... so that an external device can perform high-speed
    synchronous data exchange."

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 17:58:17 EDT
Subject: Re: Confused: 56K Data Lines
From: [e-mail] (Andy Sherman)


On 13 Oct 93 12:07:28 GMT, [e-mail] (Peter Stone) said:

> Can someone please explain the difference between what is believed to
> be a switched and unswitched 56K line? I want to run a link from my
> Macintosh to a Unix box literally down the street 1/2 mile away and my
> phone provider talks of two kinds of digital services;

You cite them as expensive and cheap.  They are dedicated and
switched.  Dedicated service has a high monthly charge, but you can
use it all you want.  Switched service has a low monthly charge (which
largely pays for the dedicated local loop) and usage charge.  If you
use the line a lot to the same destination, switched service is not
cheap.  I don't know how may hours per month it takes to cross over.

Switched and unswitched 56KB DSUs are different and the switched costs
more because of the dialing logic.  I don't know if you can plug
either into your MAC.  The last time I played around with this (and it
was a while ago) you needed a V.35 or RS449 interface to connect to a
56KB DSU.  But my knowledge could be outdated on that.  Others can
correct me.


Andy Sherman    Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
[phone]  -  [e-mail] or [e-mail]
The company and I made a deal:  They don't speak for me and I don't
speak for them.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Date: 16 Oct 93 19:30:37 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


Paul Robinson ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> I'm looking for a device, preferably cheap/do-it-yourself for
>> ringing a phone. The phone will be on a stage during a play,
>> and the director wants it to be able to ring.  Any help that
>> you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

> Two options.  Get a tape recorder which has an extension cord on it.
> Run the cord back stage, record a telephone ringing into it, and
> rewind the tape to just before the ring.

> Another way is, if you have two phone lines, borrow a two-line phone, put
> it at the director's desk, run line two to any open line, and line one on
> the same circuit as the phone sitting on stage.

A third option - sweet-talk your local phone company into loaning you
a phone test signal generator.  Hook it up to the phone.  Press the
button -- it rings.  Tell them you'll credit them in the program.  How
can they refuse?


David Breneman                     Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,              Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.      Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (a.e.mossberg)
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Date: 16 Oct 1993 20:49:59 -0400
Organization: Symbiosis Corporation, Miami, Florida  [phone]
Reply-To: [e-mail]


What we did in the late 70s in high school was hook up a light switch
and power cord going to the phone.  The phone we had so the wires
connected directly to the bell, and we used the light switch to turn
on and off the 120VAC in the appropriate ringing pattern.  Never any
problem with this setup, though clearly it had the potential for a
dangerous err ... dramatic situation on stage.


aem, former actor, stage manager, and mostly theatrical gopher

andrew mossberg * network manager * symbiosis corporation * miami florida usa
[phone]  *  fax: [phone]  * editor, south florida environmental reader

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lukas Zahas)
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Date: 16 Oct 1993 19:21:54 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Lukas Zahas)


I think the original poster was hoping for something a little simpler
than the responses he got.  There's a REALLY easy way to make a
standard phone's bell ring.  (By standard phone I mean anything like a
traditional style Western Electric/AT&T, ITT, etc.)  Just put the
Black and Grey wires from the ringer inside across 120VAC, in series
with a capacitor (the capacitor between the A and K terminals will
work, but not as well as a 1mfd cap of your own).  The ring will sound
just like a standard ring.  Just be careful you don't hook up the
voltage to anything else in the phone other than the bell.  It sounds
frightening hooking up a household current into a telephone, but it's
harmless -- they used this setup to make a phone ring at a theater I
worked and never had a problem.


Lukas Zahas   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 03:38:24 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> {hi-tech phone ringing deleted}

> My, my, weren't the 'old days' so simple. Back (in another
> incarnation) when I was in charge of a small community dial office the
> local agent (The lady who accepted payments) asked me if I could loan
> a phone to the local convent for a play. I hooked up a 300 set (told
> you it was another incarnation) with about 25 feet of JKT to a magneto
> ringer.  I don't know where you would find a magneto today. I think I
> still have the charming 'thank you' note the Mother Superior sent me
> about the house somewhere.

    Great idea!  Doesn't Edmund Scientific and companies like that
sell those old magnetos?  Then you could also get an old surplus filed
phone that also has a magneto.  I wonder if anyone would notice how
the ringer frequency ramps up and down as to operator starts and stops
cranking.  Maybe put a switch in series with it and get the magneto up
to speed first?


Harold

------------------------------

From: fmsystm!fmsys![e-mail]
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 09:24 EDT
Subject: Re: Original Touch Tone Phones
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax  Medina, Ohio USA


In article <[e-mail]> Jeff Garber <0005075968@
mcimail.com> writes:

> My roommate wants to have an early Touch Tone (tm) phone. They look
> just like the standard 2500 desk set, but they only have ten buttons,
> no "*" or "#". These were around from 1964 to the late 60's at least.

These were known as 1500 sets.  I've seen then from Western Electric
and Stromberg Carlson.  I don't know if ITT ever made them.

Although I had one back in college in the late 60's, they were
obsolete even then, the 2500 was standard and 1500's were in use as
rebuilt sets used mostly in residential services.  Wish I'd kept that
set, but at the time I thought it to be ugly and useless.

It's very unlikely you will find one of these from an industry broker
or rebuilder.  Your best bet is flea markets and garage sales.  No
doubt there are still a number of these sets in attics and garages out
there.  (This is how I found the one 1500 I have, I got it for $8.00
at a hamfest. A bit high, but the seller knew what he had.  It was
also in very good condition.)


Regards,

Macy Hallock N8OBG  Voice:+1.216.723.3030  Fax:[phone] [e-mail]
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc.   152 Highland Drive   Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Original Touch Tone Phones
Date: 15 Oct 1993 20:28:14 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI


In article <[e-mail]>, Jeff Garber <0005075968@
mcimail.com> writes:

> My roommate wants to have an early Touch Tone (tm) phone. They look
> just like the standard 2500 desk set, but they only have ten buttons,
> no "*" or "#".

We used to convert these to 12 button by drilling holes in the face
and adding the plastic key caps.  The 10 button dial had all the
electronic and mechanical parts for 12 button use except the key caps.

I haven't seen any in a long time.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 21:15 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge
Organization: I.E.C.C.


>  Today's {Newsday, a Long Island daily} reported that Bell Atlantic,
> one of the Regional Bell Operating Companies, has purchased cable
> television giant TCI, Inc. for $31.4 billion.

An added complication not mentioned in most news reports is that TCI
is one of the backers supporting QVC's bid for Paramount Communi-
cations.  The other bid for Paramount is from Viacom, which is
supported by NYNEX among others.

Personally, I think that all of the arguments about synergy are
nonsense, and the primary business reason for these combinations is
that the Baby Bells want to have monopoly sources of cable programming
to force feed to the monopoly cable businesses that they expect to
have along side their monopoly telephone businesses.  See, for
example, New Jersey Bell, er, Bell Atlantic/New Jersey's, recent move
into providing "video dial tone" in which they lease nearly all of
the channels to the local monopoly cable companies, sort of complying
with the letter of the state regulators' rules but completely
defeating the intention.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 21:50:55 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Shag)
Subject: Bell Atlantic / TCI Merge - Competition?


In comp.dcom.telecom [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr) writes:

> "Overnight, Bell Atlantic and TCI have created the possibility of a national
> superhighway linking 22 million telephone and cable companies."

> "Attorney General Janet Reno said the Justice Department would look into the
> deal, and a powerful House telecommunications subcommittee said it would
> schedule hearings on how it would affect competition and consumers."

Though I support this merge (I'm a big fan of Bell Atlantic,
particularly since they're feverishly working to put fiber-optics and
ISDN all over the place here in New Jersey :) I'm a little worried
about how this will relate to a traditional multi-level competition
scheme, and how it will relate to the recent legal decision allowing
RBOCs to _provide_ video.

As I understood it (from reading about the French implementation of
ISDN, and from reading about the legal decision and other ISDN-related
things here in the US), the RBOCs themselves would continue to be
regional carriers as they are now, but expand _what_ they carry to
include video and such, thus enabling suppliers of video (ie, CATV
companies) to offer their services across the RBOC's networks (or even
across LD networks between RBOCs), reaching more consumers and
sparking more competition.

If Bell Atlantic and TCI merge, the line between the "carrier" and the
"provider" gets blurred or erased.  Will the resulting company allow
the signals of other video providers to be made available over its
network?  (Or, looking at it from the other side -- is there any way
they can prevent it?)  I'm sure the merge will make it easier for them
to undercut the prices of other video providers, since Bell Atlantic
(as the carrier) will be getting a cut of the other guy's prices
anyway.

Any thoughts out there on this?  I don't even _have_ cable, so it's
not really affecting me ... but there are 90-some strands of Bell
Atlantic fiber strung outside my house, and it's getting very tempting
to hook up.


Shag

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Joslin (Sverdrup))
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
Date: 16 Oct 1993 16:21:51 GMT
Organization: Model Based Vision Lab, Wright Laboratory


In article <[e-mail]>, Raymond Shwake (media!nearside!
[e-mail]) wrote:

> Apropos, I have long wondered how -- at a time of labor *surplus*,
> even of skilled workers -- AT&T could be devoting substantial
> technical and capital resources to implement their electronic
> operators scheme.  You know, the one where voice recognition systems

Even with the "suplus", the cost of labor isn't necessarily going
down.  For example, it is claimed that the largest single expense GM
faces isn't steel, it's the cost of the health insurance it provides
its workers.


Paul R. Joslin [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 17:52:18 EDT
Subject: Re: AT&T's Allen Says Family Upheavals Impact U.S. Economically
From: [e-mail] (Andy Sherman)


On 13 Oct 93 06:07:50 GMT, media!nearside![e-mail] (Raymond
Shwake) said:

> Apropos, I have long wondered how -- at a time of labor *surplus*,
> even of skilled workers -- AT&T could be devoting substantial
> technical and capital resources to implement their electronic
> operators scheme.  You know, the one where voice recognition systems
> listen for key words like "collect" and "person-to-person" and try to
> act accordingly. Once in place, these silicon dummies will allow AT&T
> to pink slip some 5,000 skilled operators.

How far back do you want to carry this reasoning?  We could have kept
the phone network more labor intensive by not implementing DDD.  Then
we could employ lots more operators to complete all long distance
calls.  Or better still, maybe we should have banned the direct
dialing altogther.

Would anybody (other than the CWA) be happy with such a network?


Andy Sherman  Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
[phone]  -  [e-mail] or [e-mail]
The company and I made a deal: they don't speak for me and I don't
speak for them.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jorn Barger)
Subject: Re: St. Peter Story is True; Not a Joke
Date: 16 Oct 1993 13:22:34 -0500
Organization: MCSNet Subscriber, Chicago, IL


[Pat asks the panelists' names on "I've Got a Secret"]

Three of them would have been Bennett Cerf, head of Random House,
Dorothy Kilgallen, remembered now as a JFK-conspiracy-mystery-death,
and Arlene Francis... (or was that 'To Tell the Truth'? :^)


[Moderator's Note: No!! You people keep thinking about "What's My
Line?" with John Daly and panelists. As this issue is being prepared
someone has responded with the answers. See the next message.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel
Date: 16 Oct 1993 22:30:04 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access


TELECOM Moderator moderated:

> [Moderator's Note: "I've Got a Secret" featured host Garry Moore and
> was a great example of the early days of television. Does anyone remember
> the names of the four panelists there on a regular basis?

Peggy Cass (stage and screen actress), Bill Cullen (host of Price is
Right), the tall brunette woman -- uh -- she got into fashions or
perfume or something.  All I remember about her from the program was
that she once resented being called a "thespian" on the air.  Someone
had pronounced it "thezzbian" and she said, "Absolutely not!  I am a
'thessss-PEE-an'"

At the time I've Got a Secret was done, Garry Moore also did that
Garry Moore show later that night.  Secret was live at 7:30 and Moore
at 10:00pm.  It is fascinating to look back on those days and realize
that lots of those kinds of shows were done live -- even in the
mid-60s.

At the time of the Kennedy assassination, CBS was running a live soap
opera over its entire network.  The coaxial cable was still expensive,
and used during prime time hours in New York; the Tonight Show had
to be flown to the West Coast in order to show in color, so it was
always a day late.  Monday's shows was seen here on Tuesday, Friday's
the following Monday.  Which means that there was one Tonight Show
which has never been shown on the West Coast!


[Moderator's Note: I don't know about CBS, as I had NBC on at the
time. They were having that game show where the contestants would
spin a wheel which stopped on various prizes. The first bulletin on
JFK was maybe 20 seconds long and they cut back in to the game with
the wheel; less than a minute or two later they interuppted with a
second bulletin a bit more detailed, then back to the game show
a third time. Finally about five minutes after that they cut the
game show off entirely and switched to their affiliate station in
Dallas for the full report. By that time I was changing channels
seeing what the others had to say; they were all in Dallas at that
point. In about a month it will be thirty years since that event, yet
it seems like yesterday to me. Thanks for supplying the trivia on
the names of the panel members.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bud Couch)
Subject: Re: Restoring an Old Phone
Organization: ADC Kentrox Industries, Inc.
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 22:00:47 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Russell J. Price) writes:

> I just picked up an early Automatic Electric "Monophone" (date of
> manufacture unknown, but it's old enough to have a Z on the dial).
> While I was rooting around inside to set up a modular cord for it, I
> discovered that it has a 50 Hz ringer (sigh).  Sure enough, when I try

> Would it be possible to substitute a larger capacitor to make it work
> with 20 Hz ringing current, or would I be better off cannibalizing a
> 20 Hz ringer/capacitor combo from another phone?  Other than the
> odd-frequency ringer (maybe this phone was on a party line?), the
> phone seems to work fine.

The frequency selective ringers from AE were "tuned" to the stated
frequency both electrically AND mechanically. The weight and length of
the "clapper" on the bell is such that it is mechanically resonant at
50 Hz. Simply replacing the capacitor may not do it. I've tried
changing caps on ringers with sporatic success; A 66 synchromonic
ringer worked well by paralleling a cap when driven at 60 Hz
Decimonic, but a 42 Hz wouldn't retune with a cap well enough to work
at 30 Hz.

If you are truly interested is maintaining "collector" status,
removing and saving the existing ringer, while subsituting a newer
straight-line ringer seems to be the best choice.


Bud Couch - ADC Kentrox   [e-mail] (192.228.59.2)
insert legalistic bs disclaimer here

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #703
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 02:19:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #704

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 02:19:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 704

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Macy Hallock)
    Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted (Jeffrey C. Honig)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (John R. Bruni)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (David Breneman)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Nigel Allen)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Jim Rees)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Chris Ambler)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Don Davis)
    Re: US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP (Brett Frankenberger)
    Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited (Joshua E. Muskovitz)
    Sprint Modem Update 10-16-93 ([e-mail])
    Re: Prodigy Link (Eric N. Florack)
    Re: Phoiling a Phraud (H. Peter Anvin)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Tony Harminc)
    Book Reviews + (Lynne Gregg)
    Re: Another Last Laugh (Harold Hallikainen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: fmsystm!fmsys![e-mail]
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 09:33 EDT
Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: F M Systems/Telemax  Medina, Ohio USA


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
ca.us (Mike Morris) writes:

> The real "Demon Dialer"tm was made by Zoom Telecommunications in
> Boston for several years, and was in the Heathkit catalog for a while

These were also made in a Radio Shack version, with a beige, rather
that black case color.

I found Demon's to be often damaged by lightning.  We must have
replaced a hundred of them, back when we would sell them behind the
1A2 systems we sold.

We never found anyone who repaired them well.  We just tossed the bad
ones.  I even lost both the units at my home to lightning.

Demon's are advertised from time to time by telecom equipment brokers,
especially in "Telecom Gear" magazine.  Prices seem to run from $20 to
$40 each used.  This seems high, but not absurdly so.

Although the Demon was based on early 80's technology, they worked OK.
I did encounter the problems with them eating * and # digits, and I
recall a workaround was available.  They still were the best outright
"power dialer" for contests and busy airline reservations numbers I've
seen.  I just got one for my associate for use in Florida for tee-off
time calling.


Regards,

Macy Hallock N8OBG  Voice:+1.216.723.3030  Fax:[phone] [e-mail]
Telemax Inc. and F M Systems Inc.   152 Highland Drive   Medina, Ohio 44256 USA
------------------------------

Subject: Re: Demon Dialers Information Wanted
Organization: Information Technologies/Network Resources;
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 21:02:07 -0400
From: Jeffrey C Honig <[e-mail]>


I have had a 76T that was sold by Radio Shack.  I stopped in one day
and saw it on clearance, I had not realized that RS was selling them.
I'm real happy with it.  Two improvements I'd like to see (in addition
to Mike's) are:

    Pause, or pause for voice, so I could get it to log onto Audix
    for me.

    Unattended deamon-dial mode so I could hang up and it would
    ring my phone when the call went through.  I hate that beep it
    emits when it is successful.


Jeff

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 21:40:04 +0100
From: John R. Bruni <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(David Breneman) wrote:

> ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> On a similar subject, how (and why) does the Mutual Radio Network
>> (news, Larry King, etc.) generate the two note sequence when coming
>> from breaks, etc.  They've done this for over twenty years, at least.

> This is a signal to the automation equipment in stations to start
> playing commercials.

As someone who has engineered DJ's for the late WNBC-AM in New York
including Don Imus and Bruce Morrow, and as someone who was GM of a
radio station, I personally must state that I *hate* hearing those
tones.  There are lots better ways of signalling automation these
days.  But I guess no one cares ...


John R. Bruni, a.k.a. "Rocky" / "Cowboy Buddha"
San Francisco Engineering, Inc.  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 16 Oct 93 19:26:16 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


John R. Bruni ([e-mail]) wrote:

> As someone who worked for NBC for 17 years, I can confirm that NBC had
> their own "atomic" clock as of 1974-5.  It ran the entire network,
> including the clocks on the intercom boxes in local radio (WNBC-AM,
> N.Y.)  The reason I know this is that a fellow engineer, while doing
> maintenance work on an intercom box, accidentally shorted the clock.
> Amazingly, the master clock was not protected.  It went down and it
> took the television network with it.  Many of the net's automated
> functions had to be run manually until the clock was back on line.
> Consternation reigned supreme that day.  We never fessed up, so you
> heard it here first!

Hope this isn't too off-subject, but could you tell us what generated
the NBC chimes?  I'm sure that in later years it was just a cart, but
it never sounded like "real" chimes (like the way orchestra bells or a
xylophone or something would sound).  I've heard that in the '20s there
was actually a mechanical device which generated the tones -- sort of a
cylinder which rotated with a microphone in the middle.  Any clarifica-
tion on this would be most appreciated!
                 .    __
                 |\  |  |
                 | \ |--
                 |  \|__|     <------ Cool ASCII graphic, huh?   :-)
                    /
                   |
                    \___


David Breneman                 Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,          Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.  Redmond, Washington, U. S. o' A.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 00:49:52 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa
Reply-To: [e-mail]


At least two countries have national telecom-related newsgroups:
aus.comms from Australia and uk.telecom from the United Kingdom.  Both
newsgroups are widely available in North America, and may be useful if
you are specifically interested in the telecommunications systems in
those countries.

Canada does not have a national telecom newsgroup, but telecommunications-
related messages often appear in can.general and in province or city news-
groups.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?
Date: 16 Oct 1993 18:55:50 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan CITI


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Ake
Knutsson) writes:

> Are the archives accessible by Gopher? Asking because I would like to
> add them to my bookmark file.

> [Moderator's Note: Yes they are. You've got to use the feature which
> allows you to connect with other gophers. It seems to work okay.  PAT]

The ftp machine, lcs.mit.edu, refuses connections on the standard
gopher port (70).  Do you have gopher server information for the Telecom
Archives?


[Moderator's Note: Hmmm ... yes it does, and no, I don't. After receiving
your message, I went to check using the gopher here at eecs.nwu.edu to
try and connect with lcs.mit.edu and I was unable to do it either. If
you are interested in using gopher there, you might contact one of the
admins there, [e-mail] and ask if it can be arranged.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 08:05:17 GMT


[e-mail] (Doug Williams) says:

> Mrs. Worthy clearly indicated that there was absolutely no possible
> option to receive an external modem.

> One quick note: when I called the Sprint number given out in
> the Digest for this offer, I was told that the modem was 9600 fax
> rec/4800 fax send/2400 data, and everyone I talked to at Sprint
> referred to the modem as 96/24, so I think all hopes for a 9600 data
> are gone.

Well, the rep at Sprint told me MANY MANY times that it was a 9600
data/fax modem, external. I switched over EIGHT (count 'em EIGHT)
lines with a promise of EIGHT modems of that variety. When they do
come, if they are not exactly what he promised, Sprint WILL make his
promise good, or I WILL take action. I got the rep's name, extension,
and documented the entire conversation. I then called back two days
later to confirm my order, talked with a totally different rep, and
got the same information.  I WILL get eight 9600 data/fax external
modems before this is all said and done. I'm quite adamant to fight
this to the end if that's what it calls for. We'll see ...


[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
[e-mail]  | Author, FSUUCP 1.4
FSVMP Voice BBS Demo System - 805-544-3754

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Don Davis)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 18:45:36 EDT
Organization: The Dayton Home for the Chronically Strange


The plot thickens ...

I received a call today from Mrs. Worthy at Sprint, and she explained
to me that which has already been explained here: there is no external
modem, there is only the PC-compatible, internal, 2400bps data/9600bps
sendfax/4800bps receivefax modem, Mac users are out of luck on the
modem, but there's a selection of other offers including various
software packages or a credit ($50) on my bill.  One new piece of
information: the FAX software that comes with the modem is QuickLink
(II, I think), and it will supposedly send in the background without
having any effect on the work you are doing.

She indicated awareness of (and excitement about) the Internet, and
said that the higher-than-anticipated response to Sprint's offer
appeared to be a result of the net.discussions (this group?).

She repeated to me that an explanatory article of hers had been posted
to the net, but she indicated that it had been posted by someone else
on her behalf.  Perhaps that explains why we (or at least I) haven't
seen it.

I did not want to make a snap decision on this, and agreed to get back
to her tomorrow (Sunday).  Not sure how I'll proceed at this point.

Suggestions?


Don Davis        | Internet: dgdhome![e-mail] | Tel: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 13:31:33 GMT


Action <[e-mail]> writes:

> [Moderator's Note: Not to burst your bubble, but I imagine you will be
> required to prove that such commitments were made (i.e. 9600/9600)
> and that your impression was not the result of a misunderstanding
> as to what the rep(s) actually said.  PAT]

Well, sure, if he wants to prevail in court, that's what he will have
to do ... but if he wants to just keep harping on this thing, filing
claims in various courts, and bashing Sprint about this on Usenet,
Sprint may decide that it is easier and/or cheaper to just give in.
It is not all that uncommon for a big company to just give in -- either
because they don't want the bad publicity, or they don't want to waste
time fighting it.

But is it a big risk ... a judgment in small claims court is virtually
worthless - the loser has the right to appeal to 'regular court' (in
most if not all states) ... and Sprint certainly has more lawyers on
staff than he does ...


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 13:41:12 EDT
From: Joshua E. Muskovitz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Sprint's Modem Offer Revisited


Ok folks, here's my take on the Sprint modem deal.

First thing to note is that the offer officially ended October 1st, so
only people who switched before then have anything to discuss anyway.

Second thing is that I called Sprint customer service three separate
times (within 20 minutes) and got three different answers, all wrong.
Then I got a call back from one of the reps with the (confirmed)
correct information.  Then I got a call from a supervisor confirming
the info.  Then I called BEST Products and confirmed it yet again.

The correct information as I have received it is ...

There is one and only one modem available through the DVORAK offer.
It is a PC ISA bus 1/2 slot card with 2400 baud modem, plus 9600 baud
send and 4800 baud receive fax.  Tom Westlake at BEST Products said
that the only question is whether it is 4800 or 9600 baud receive on
the fax side.  This is not an option -- he just can't remember.  So
whatever you get, it is the only choice.

For those people who don't want or can't use the PC modem, they can
instead choose one of four available software packages:

   -- Quicken
   -- Star Trek
   -- After Dark
   -- First Act

I have no details on version numbers or platforms supported by these
packages.

There are *NO* external modems available through this offer. Questions
should get directed to Diane Worthy at Sprint Customer Service
800-877-4040.  If you have technical questions about the modem, you
can call Tom Westlake at BEST 800-632-2378.


josh muskovitz

------------------------------

From: Action <[e-mail]>
Subject: Sprint Modem Update 10-16-93
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 10:06:35 MST


A Sprint Modem Update ... this moment is being brought to you by the
newsgroup in your area of the woods!

I have had several conversations with U.S. Sprint. I am reporting to
the net what has been said so thoses of you who keep writing me with
comments about proof etc. READ ON.

U.S. Sprint admits that they have a problem. The modem offer is over,
done, finished. The offer ended on Oct 1, 1993. Sprint's legal
department and management know about the problem and will address it
this week. As soon as I have an answer I will post it. If you have
been involved in this modem offer I would love to hear from you. I
have passed on a few of the pieces of mail -- minus any names to
Sprint. One of the managers was laughing so hard she almost hung up
the phone. Your comments all seem to reflect on main theme. Many
people called Sprint ... asked about the modem offer. They then asked
for management to confirm the offer.

Some people, like myself called several times before they changed.
Alot of people noted the day, date and time of the call as well as the
person's name they spoke with.  Good for all of you! We have shown the
people at Sprint that we are technical but, business-like in our
approach.  Sprint is not trying to fall back on the old saying "rep's
are not techie's".  They have said that there is a problem.

For you Mac users ... Sprint now knows that there is no way to slot a
modem inside your Mac. They promised me that this matter will be taken
care of and we will all be treated fairly.

Last Note: Several lawyers have written me as well as employees of
AT&T, MCI, and U.S. Sprint. Please keep the mail coming! Lawyers I
read and respond to all of this. More as things develop ...

And Pat, you have to have a sense of humor. They really did screw up
this offer. If you or I did this the public would want our heads.
Sprint has been polite and so have the people who complained.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 04:03:42 PDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Prodigy Link


Prodigy intones:

> Incoming email messages should not exceed 60,000 bytes, or they will
> be returned to the sender.

Good lord! 60k+ Packs only account for around half the digests
available in INTERNET, if you include the digests. Is that now the
intent, that PRODIGY users won`t have access to the digests? Heck,
some of the single messages are at least that in size, particularly
the announcements of get-togethers and calls for papers and such.

Hey, Pat; How many bounced >60K bags are you going to have on your
hard drive from PRODIGY folks who request your DIGEST?

In fairness, I must say that my first reaction was that they might
lift the upper size limits somewhat when they make the thing official
and take it out of beta. But on re-reading it, I find no indication of
it ...

Every time I see their service talked about here, I find myself glad
as all hell that I dropped it some years ago, after only around two
weeks online with it.


/E


[Moderator's Note: Actually, the TELECOM Digest averages 22-23 K per
issue. I rarely send out files 60K in size. Many archives files are
larger than that, but when they are sent out by the Email Information
Service they are broken down into 60K or smaller chunks.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: hpa (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP)
Subject: Re: Phoiling a Phraud
Reply-To: [e-mail] (H. Peter Anvin)
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 08:45:47 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> of comp.dcom.telecom, Brett
K Elliott <[e-mail]> writes:


> [...story about a $100,000-a-month phraud deleted...]

>> I always enjoy reading stories about phreaks brought to justice.  PAT]

> And let's compare this to ...

> [...story about PAT phreaking a payphone in Junior High deleted...]

> I rest my case PAT.  Many of the phreaks you blast out on are also kids.

Maybe we should consider: does the punishment fit the crime?  I really
don't think that one should consider a million-dollar scam (that
wasn't even technical) in the same class as some kids experimenting
with a payphone (and getting caught after a day or so).  Not that
shoplifting is *right*, but you don't send a kid to jail for ten years
for shoplifting a candy bar.


hpa

INTERNET: [e-mail]         FINGER/TALK: [e-mail]
IBM MAIL: I036073 at IBMMAIL  NeXTMAIL:    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Actually, the whole system of justice here in the
USA is badly screwed up, like so much of the US government and society
in this country. Answers to these questions are way outside the
scope of this digest/newsgroup and I have to refer them elsewhere as a
rule, but suffice it to say that no, in most instances you would not
send someone to prison for shoplifting nor for phreaking. Someone wrote
me and said on the one hand I espoused justice (as in 'brought to ...')
while on the other hand did not recommend *long* prison terms; he wanted
to know what I thought 'justice' meant and I said justice is what the
court says it is. Ah well, misc.legal and various.talk.misc.assorted.and
sundry await your rebuttals.  Not here, please.  :)    PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 12:13:13 EDT
From: Tony Harminc <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?


[e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl) writes a very good article on
travelling with telecom gear.  But:

> Many countries use a voltage about double that of the US but with the
> same frequency, 60 Hz.

Really?  Could you give an example?  There are plenty of 240 V 50 Hz
countries, and several 120 V 60 Hz ones, but I don't know of any where
the normal domestic supply is 240/60.

> If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that says ...

Um, I've never been there, but all I've read says that Japan is a 60
Hz country, usually at 100 or 120 V.  NTSC television would never have
worked in a 50 Hz area, and Japan is NTSC.


Tony Harminc

------------------------------

From: Lynne Gregg <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Reviews +
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 13:45:00 PDT


Yes, Pat, I agree.  I've been meaning to write and tell you how
valuable I believe these book reviews are.  Keep 'em coming.


Regards,

Lynne


[Moderator's Note: Lynne's note was one of several I have received
regards the book reviews by Rob Slade being published here. Quite a
few readers say they enjoy having the book reviews as part of the
Digest, and I find them rather interesting myself most of the time.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Another Last Laugh
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 06:28:59 GMT


> [Moderator's Note: I wonder whatever happened to that California
> publication, the {Christian Yellow Pages} ... it was a yellow pages
> style classified directory which would only accept advertising from
> businesses owned by people it deemed to be properly sanctified. It
> made no bones about its requirements for inclusion as an advertiser
> in the directory: acceptance of Fundamentalist Christian theology
> was a must. Some guy who is Jewish tried to buy advertising space
> in the book; when he was turned down he sued them and won the case
> based on violations of California law. It gets out of the range of
> relevancy here to continue this thread very far, but I have not
> heard about them in a couple years. I wonder if the Souderton telco
> refuses to connect with 900 sex lines or Dial an Atheist?  :)   PAT]

    The law in question was probably the Unruh Civil Rights Act,
the first sentence of which reads, "No business establishment of any
kind whatsoever shall discriminate against, boycott or blacklist,
refuse to buy from, sell to, or trade with any person in this state
because of the race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex,
blindness or other physical disability of the person or of the
person's partners, members, stockholders, directors, officers,
managers, superintendents, agents, employees, business associates,
suppliers, or customers."


Harold


[Moderator's Note: I had thought however that religious activities
were specifically exempt with regards to their employment and other
business practices. Perhaps not. Again, a good topic for a myriad of
Usenet groups, but not here.  :)    PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #704
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 03:31:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #705

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 03:31:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 705

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought (Chris Ambler)
    Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought (Rob Boudrie)
    Re: Calling Card Scam (Frank E. Carey)
    Re: Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents (Laurence Chiu)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Harold Hallikainen)
    Re: Availability of Toll Records by Fax? (Andy Sherman)
    Re: Fax on-Demand/Fax Back Systems (James R. Saker Jr.)
    Re: Pig Calls 911 (Rob Boudrie)
    Re: US Naval Observatory Questions (David A. Kaye)
    Re: US Naval Observatory Questions (Michael Clays)
    Re: Help With Northern Telecom (George Hannah)
    Re: Cost of Modems (Laurence Chiu)
    Re: Bill Printed Part of my Calling Card Nnumber (Carl Moore)
    Re: Bill Printed Part of my Calling Card Nnumber (Steve Forrette)
    Re: Yet Another Sprint Modem Story (Christian Weisgerber)
    Re: Al Gore's Reaction to Bell Atlantic (Cliff Barney)
    Re: Macintosh and 56K CSU/DSU (Steve Cogorno)
    Re: Competitive Dial Tone (Danny Burstein)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler)
Subject: Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 05:57:03 GMT


[e-mail] says:

> So ... I'm contemplating starting a competetive service to this and am
> curious as to who may sell this type of sophisticated voicemail
> software and what kind of investment we are talking about to start up
> something of this nature.

I have designed such software. It runs on a 386 or 486, and uses one
PowerLine II card per each two lines.

The cards run in the $500 each range (less in quantity) and my software
runs $549 for a two-line version, and $1349 for a 16-line version. It is
available now.

I could go on about the features and such, but I don't want to turn
this into an ad. If you wish more information, email me your snail
mail address, and I can send you information, or call me at (805)
782-8000 (Pacific Time).


[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
[e-mail]  | Author, FSUUCP 1.4
FSVMP Voice BBS Demo System - 805-544-3754

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rob Boudrie)
Subject: Re: 900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought
Organization: Center For High Perf. Computing of WPI; Marlboro Ma
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 03:01:18 GMT


You also need a good attorney and business liability insurance.  No
matter what waivers the applicants sign, you may face the prospect of
hiring a $attorney$ if someone is injured, stalked, catches
aids/herpes/whatever, etc. from someone the meet through your service.

If you take memberships over the phone, imagine the legal risks if
someone under the legal age of consent subscribes to the service, and
is later the so called "victim" of statuatory rape.

>* Women call place ads and respond at no cost (free membership).

Once again, you need the services of a good attorney here.

Business risk: Imagine a court decision that the differential rates
are unlawful "sex discrimination", accompanied by an order to refund
the amount discriminately charged to males.  Stranger things have
happened ...

 ... congratulations on not going the 900/976 route though ...


[Moderator's Note: A certain tavern here in Chicago was in the habit
of having something they called 'Ladies Night' once a week with all
drinks for females at half price. They got into a jam with the state
commission which enforces discrimination laws and had to discontinue
'Ladies Night'. The way they got around it?  Now they say that every
Tuesday night, *anyone of either sex* who shows up wearing a dress,
and/or other items of women's clothing apparel get half-price drinks.
The state commission agrees that when phrased in this way, no laws are
being broken. The games people play! :)   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 15:07:45 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Calling Card Scam
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories


>> He gave me a calling card number to verify; I said it wasn't mine.
>> He said records showed two lines into the residence (I have four) and
>> I had to authenticate the calling card I *did* have. I declined. He
>> said he'd have to block the line until the matter could be
>> investigated unless I could authenticate.

>    This is the oldest trick in the book.

I don't doubt it's old but it's frequency is now reaching epidemic
proportions and there are indications that it is big business -- not
zillions of phreaks fooling around as you did.  An alleged drug dealer
in California reported to have organized crime connections was
recently busted and found to have in his possession both drugs and a
PC-based system for cloning cellular phones.  This kind of news report
helps us understand who we're up against.  And I recently heard that
the street price for a PBX DISA code is > $3000.  Several IXCs have
reported conducting controlled tests to measure how quickly a surfed
card number propagates around the world.  I don't recall the numbers
but it shocked many.  In one test the first fraudulent use of a surfed
card was FROM Europe to the US.  This is the big time, everybody.

> I know AT&T started telling people *never* to give out their
> card numbers over the phone.

We do and so do the other carriers.  And the TV news specials have
reinforced consumer awareness of such scams.


Frank Carey at Bell Labs     [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Laurence Chiu)
Subject: Re: Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents
Date: 16 Oct 1993 22:53:56 -0700
Organization: /etc/organization


In article <[e-mail]>, John Sullivan <sullivan@
msri.org> wrote:

> I just got this e-mail from my mother.  As you will see, someone is
> trying to get people to give out their calling card numbers by
> pretending to have collect calls from loved ones, and then saying
> there is a block.

[  .. long story about the actual scam deleted]

I am wondering, if you suspected a scam why did you not give a bogus
number because a real AT&T operator could easily validate the number
while a false one would not be able to so easily? If it were a real
operator then you could say you mis-remembered the number etc.


Laurence Chiu        [e-mail]
Walnut Creek, CA     Tel (work) [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 13:35:46 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John
Gilbert) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, ken thompson <kthompso@
> donald.wichitaks.NCR.COM> wrote:

>>                           |\ |
>>         <---------+-------| >|-----+-----'\/\/\/\/`-----+
>>                   |       |/ |     |        22k         |
>>                   |        led     |                    |
>> to phone          |                |                    |
>> line              |       | /|     |                    |
>> (green/red)       +-------|< |-----+                    |
>> (L1/L2)                   | \|                          |
>>                            led                          |
>>                                                         |
>>                                                         |
>>         <-----------------------------------------------+

> Am I missing something??  I don't see how this could possibly work.
> This circuit looks to me like it will not draw enough current to take
> the phone off hook, but also would never pass enough current to light
> either of the LEDs (except maybe while ringing).  If the phone is on
> hook, I would expect to only see about 2 mA through forward biased LED
> (the other LED would always be off, except during ringing).  The
> circuit would constantly draw this current from the line, and this may
> be enough to be detected as a trouble by the switch.

This circuit that you commented on is in fact not something to detect
stutter dialtone but is intended to be used on a specific system that
lights a message lamp (by putting a higher-than-normal off-hook
voltage on the line when a message is waiting).

Ken did mention, in the original posting with the diagram, the type of
system it was intended for, but that was all so mixed in with the
stutter dialtone discussion that it was confusing.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 03:46:36 GMT


    Am I missing something here?  Why are stutter dial-tone
detectors needed?  I understand that a stutter dial-tone will be sent
when a call has been forwarded to a voicemail system.  Did the phone
ring before the call was forwarded?  If so, it seems a lot easier to
have an indicator that the phone rang instead of trying to detect
stutter dial-tone.  Again, am I missing something here?


Thanks!

Harold


[Moderator's Note: Except that if the line is busy, this will also
send an incoming call to voicemail; then what do you detect later
on?    PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 09:30:22 EDT
Subject: Re: Availability of Toll Records by Fax?
From: [e-mail] (Andy Sherman)


On 14 Oct 93 00:19:34 GMT, [e-mail] (f.e.carey) said:

> Prosecutors are examining whether any laws were violated.  This
> guy's lawyer said his client bought the toll records from one of many
> companies that sell them and there was no reason to believe the
> records were obtained illegally.

> While telephone company officials insist it's against the law to
> obtain such long-distance records without a court order, the
> accused businessman and various lawyers say it is not. They point
> to the thriving business in toll records.

Frank,

Since I am no longer an AT&T employee, I no longer have the AT&T Code
of Conduct handy.  But I'm pretty sure I recall from numerous Code of
Conduct reviews the assertion that the privacy of Customer Proprietary
Network Information (CPNI) is specifically protected by either Federal
law or FCC regulations, and that call detail is considered CPNI.

Certainly the disclosure of CPNI is grounds for dismissal of an AT&T
employee (as former Digest reader Randy Borow found out the hard way).
*Somebody* had to either break the law or violate AT&T trade secrets,
or both, for call detail records to move from AT&T to an outside party
without specific authorization.

Wouldn't AT&T have cause of action to find out who among its employees
had been suborned by these creeps?


Andy Sherman   Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
[phone]  -  [e-mail] or [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (James R. Saker Jr.)
Subject: Re: Fax on-Demand/Fax Back Systems
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 19:37:11 GMT


[e-mail] (Marc Blackwood) writes:

> Who should I contact to purchase a good faxback/fax on-demand system
> that will work well for a high volume technical support department.  I
> am interested in a system that can start off with four to eight lines
> and be expanded to a 24-48 line system.  All responses/referrals are
> welcome.  Please send replies via e-mail to:[e-mail]. Thanks in
> advance!

Our company had been evaluating fax systems (fax broadcast,
fax-on-demand, fax mailbox, etc.) to integrate into our enhanced
services platform and had evaluated many on paper, two quite
seriously. The two candidates which received the greatest attention
were Copia's FaxFacts and Audiofax's fax platform. Copia's platform we
evaluated was a DOS/Netware combination where we could operate on a
single box (we were looking at the Brooktrout configuration, so we'd
use Brooktrout boards for fax/voice) or use the Netware configuration
if we needed multiple systems sharing fax-on-demand databases, etc.

A prettier solution was Audiofax's platform, which runs under ESIX --
Intel-based SVR4 UNIX. They use their own boards (which are quite
similar to Dialogic fax boards, from my understanding) instead of
relying upon Dialogic, Brooktrout, or another manufacturer. The
platform supports multiple fax functions -- fax-on-demand,
fax-broadcast, fax mailbox, priority fax, and appears to be well
designed and implemented.  Users can dial into the platform with a PC,
modem, and a copy of client software developed by Audiofax so that
they can maintain a broadcast list, check their fax mailbox, send a
fax, etc.. Overall, it's quite impressive architecture.

When we were evaluating both products, we were looking for a multiple
function system with support for 24 ports. At that level, the Audiofax
product was only marginally more expensive than the Copia product,
(accounting for the hardware we'd have to supply w/ the Copia product.
Audiofax's product is turn-key).

Contact information for Copia and Audiofax is as follows:

Audiofax
Suite 200
2000 Powers Ferry Road
Marietta Georgia, 30067
v: [phone]   f: [phone]
(my contact was Bob Lasher, VP of Sales I believe)

Copia    v: [phone]


Jamie Saker               [e-mail]
Systems Development Administrator  Business/MIS Major
Telenational Communications       Univ. Nebraska at Omaha
MyLine: [phone]            fax: [phone]
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are mine and not my employers,
            nor the University of Nebraska at Omaha's.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rob Boudrie)
Subject: Re: Pig Calls 911
Organization: Center For High Perf. Computing of WPI; Marlboro Ma
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 20:09:41 GMT


I just couldn't resist ...

> "I really feel bad about putting the fire department through all
> that," the woman, who asked not to be identified, said Friday.  "I
> really appreciate all the work they did."

She could always appologize by delivering a bacon and eggs breakfast
to the fire station.


rob boudrie

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: US Naval Observatory Questions
Date: 16 Oct 1993 21:20:19 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access


George Hannah ([e-mail]) wrote:

> 49273 286 143645 UTC

> I understand the 286 is the day_of_year, and the 143645 is the hour,
> but the 49273 means nothing.

The first number is called the Julian Date, meaning the number of days
which have passed since a time before recorded history when a whole
bunch of astronomical things coincided, like a solstice, eclipse, and
whatever.  Actually, it's only the last part of the Julian date.  I
think there are about four or five digits missing (though nobody uses
them).  You may not be aware of it, but your computer ALSO may have
its own Julian Date in it.  On IBM-PC compatible computers a couple
memory registers keep track of how many days have elapsed since
1/1/1980.  A simple "MOD 7" command in BASIC with this number can
indicate what day of the week any particular date falls on.

How to convert 49273 to current date?  Hmm.  Well, if 49273 is today
(in GMT, of course) then you know where to start!  49274 would be
tommorow, etc.


[Moderator's Note: And it is very likely that 49272 was yesterday. :)  PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: US Naval Observatory Questions
From: [e-mail] (Michael Clays)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 23:01:00 -0600
Organization: C-9 Communications


George Hannah spake unto All on 10-13-93:

> out there know what the UTC means?

Universal Time Coordinated, or some such thing I think.


Origin: Prophecy BBS-Saint John, NB [phone] (11:190/100.0)

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Help With Northern Telecom
From: [e-mail] (George Hannah)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 21:16:00 -0600
Organization: C-9 Communications


Reply to msg originally in Telecommunications Discussions {UUCP}
Quoting Bonomi to all:

> Also, I'm looking for a few, i.e. one or two (maybe three, if a
> 'really' good price), phones for this system.  Anybody know where
> these are available for a reasonable price?

If you really want to, you could call Digital Products Limited at
1-506-635-1055. They have an 800 number, but I can't remember it
offhand. These guys refurbish phones for NT, NBTel, Maritime Bell,
Bell Canada, and Newfoundland Tel. Ask for Greg Gormley, when I left,
he was the head of the refurbishing deptartment. He should be able to
help you out, and maybe even sell you a few refurbished phones.


Origin: Prophecy BBS-Saint John, NB [phone] (11:190/100.0)

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Laurence Chiu)
Subject: Re: Cost of Modems
Date: 16 Oct 1993 23:00:59 -0700


In article <[e-mail]>, John Shaver <shaverj@
huachuca-emh16.army.mil> wrote:

> I recently bought a 2400 baud modem with a 9600 fax modem capability.
> It cost $40.00.

> [Moderator's Note: In the next couple years it will cost $25. I have a
> desk drawer full of 300/1200 baud modems here. I could maybe get $5-10
> each for them if someone wanted them for backups, etc. That's life.  PAT]

Well I bought an Intel 144/144E 14.4 external fax/modem for $139. I
thought it was a good deal at $179 (after all it is a brand name) but
when they store had a special for a weekend at that price, it was hard
to resist.  Locally at the computer swap meets, no-name 14.4 fax/modems
internal are selling for $120-$130. Might be worth a shot but I am always
fearful of connect or setup problems with these.


Laurence Chiu        [e-mail]
Walnut Creek, CA     Tel (work) [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 17:01:20 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Bill Printed Part of my Calling Card Nnumber


I have received a direct reply about my original posting.  To rehash,
I set out the format "abc def ghij klmn".  The AT&T Calling Card does
NOT use my phone number; don't confuse it with the local calling card
which uses one's 10 digit number (including the area code) plus that
four-digit PIN.  The "ghij" part which I cited above is NOT part of my
phone number.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Bill Printed Part of my Calling Card Nnumber
Date: 17 Oct 1993 03:37:22 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> Carl Moore <[e-mail]> writes:

> abc def ghij klmn   ?

> So what security/privacy issues are raised by the printing of the four
> digits from that "ghij" slot [on the bill]?

I would say none.  AT&T considers the first ten digits to be the "card
number" and the last four digits to be the PIN.  When you call their
customer service office, you need only read the first ten, and some
reps even encourage you to not tell the last four digits to anyone
except the operator.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 19:09:33 +0100
From: [e-mail] (Christian Weisgerber)
Subject: Re: Yet Another Sprint Modem Story


[e-mail] (David Horvath) writes:

> 9600 data/fax modem internal for PC's.

> an earlier post), here's the facts: class I, 9600 send, 4800 receive
> fax modem, and 2400 hayes compatible data modem.

But "9600 data/fax modem" means 9600bps data + 9600bps S/R FAX, a
completely different product class. Sprint obviously makes an
incorrect advertisement.

BTW, from the specs I'd guess that this Sprint modem is built around a
Rockwell RC224ATF single chip modem.


Christian 'naddy' Weisgerber, Germany              [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 23:41:04 PDT
From: Cliff Barney <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Al Gore's Reaction to Bell Atlantic


Could there be any clearer indication than this press release that the
administration lacks a clue as to what is going on in the telecommun-
ications industry?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Re: Macintosh and 56K CSU/DSU
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 0:17:00 PDT


Said by Peter Stone:

> 3. What way IS there to gain 56K Async speeds on a Mac?

This is the root of the problem.  What kind of Mac is it?  My Quadra
has no trouble with 56K, but a little LC or SE30 would not be able to
maintain speeds that fast.  The best alternative would be to get an
ethernet card and pipe that down the line (if you can).


Steve    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (danny burstein)
Subject: Re: Competitive Dial Tone
Date: 17 Oct 1993 02:45:58 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
writes:

> A public telephone at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City
> bears a sign: LONG DISTANCE calls from this telephone are carried by
> AT&T Communications by default.  (You may dial 10xxx to select the
> carrier of your choice for card, collect, or third-party calls.)
> LOCAL CALLS from this telephone are carried by Teleport Communications
> of New York.  The initial deposit is 25 cents, the same as that
> charged by the local RBOC.

These are also in use in the World Trade Center concourse level.
Basically Teleport Communications is based on Staten Island (one of
the NYC borughs) and is a MAJOR satellite uplink/downlink player.
They've run fiber and coax into many of the major NYC buildings (i.e.
World Trade), and recently began providing dial tone service.

Note that 99% of the time the call will be fed back into the regular
NY Telephone system for completion.

One curious side-problem: I tried calling a NYC only "800" number from
the coin phone in World Trade (which, of course, is in lower
Manhattan) and got a "cannot be dialed from your area" recording. So
it's unclear where their input into the LD carriers is "located."

BTW, somehow or other when I tried the 800 ANAC (from the "stopper"
folk) it did, in fact, give me the number printed on the phone (212
area code).


[e-mail] adds: all the usual disclaimers regarding liability,
intelligence, accuracy apply. spelling disclaimer is doubled.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #705
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 03:56:30 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #706

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 03:56:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 706

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Prodigy Internet E-Mail Beta Test (Steve Coletti)
    Correct Sprint Modem Offer Contact (Joshua Muskovitz)
    "Interesting" Long Distance Marketing (David L. Kindred)
    Voice Mail Suggestions Request (David R. Lee)
    Amusing Misdialed Call (Joe Bergstein)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Harold Hallikainen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Prodigy Internet E-Mail Beta Test
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 12:10:02 EDT
From: Steve Coletti <[e-mail]>


  A few days ago an inquiry was made by Dave Horvat at upenn about
Prodigy's beta testing of their Internet E-Mail gateway.  I'm one of
those beta testers and I explained how it worked in an E-Mail
response.  I didn't save my message to him but was going to forward
his reply to me which quoted it liberally.  I've decide to do one
better, I am forwarding the online agreement I had to make with
Prodigy when I signed up for Internet access.

  This agreement explains the rules and the price schedule.  I have
deleted the page headers and the "more: NEXT" to make it more
readable.

  First note: In order to gain Internet access, you must use their
offline Mail Manager program.  That program offers some features
unique to Prodigy that shouldn't be confuse with Internet versions of
similar services.  For example, file transfers are internal to Prodigy
users and not a mail FTP feature.  The Mail Manager agreement is
included first since without it, you don't have Internet access.

  Some other notes: The Mail Manager includes user defined and built
in folders and allows up to the six household members permitted by
Prodigy.  It offers password protection and Prodigy signon without
having to terminate the job.  It uses an ANSI graphic menu screen that
is point and click.  There is talk of releasing Windows and Mac
versions in the future.

  Also mentioned somewhere was that Prodigy does not yet have a domain
address list set up.  E-Mail passing into another network from the
Internet should be addressed in the proper "path" format.


Steve

DISCLAIMER: As there is no confidentiality clause in this agreement, I
am within my right as a "signer" to disclose the terms and conditions
of the agreement for the purpose of obtaining advisement and
commentary.  The information below is presented as a reference to any
and all interested parties for the purpose of evaluation and comentary
only.  All information in it is subject to change.  It does not
constitute an advertisment for the service, although part of it is
written as such.  I do not work for the Prodigy Services Company, it's
parents or any subsidiary.

            - - - - - - - Tear here - - - - - - -

             Terms and Conditions for Mail Manager

 Mail Manager is an enhanced communications utility for the PRODIGY
 service. It allows you to write, read and organize your mail
 "offline," without connecting to PRODIGY. You connect only to deliver
 and receive E-mail. Mail Manager lets you use several new
 communications features: file transfers and longer E-mail messages (to
 other PRODIGY members), plus faxes, U.S. Postal Service letters, and
 E-mail to Internet addresses. (You must sign up separately to RECEIVE
 Internet messages.)

 Usage is subject to all terms of the PRODIGY Service
 Member Agreement (Jump: agreement).

 Mail Manager includes an offline software package and a
 corresponding online component. Once you have read and
 accepted these Terms and Conditions, you can download the
 Mail Manager software through PRODIGY and install it on
 your computer. Downloading takes about 25 minutes at
 2400 bps; installation takes about 2 minutes. You must use
 the offline software for all Mail Manager features.

                     System Requirements

 To use the Mail Manager software, you will need
  - an IBM PC or 100% compatible PC that can run PRODIGY
  - at least 640K of RAM
  - a hard disk with at least 1 megabyte of free space

           Fees during the Limited Release

 There is no fee for sign up and download of the Mail
 Manager software during the Limited Release. However,
 usage fees apply, based on the type and size of your
 Mail Manager communications and the number of people
 to whom they are sent. Most fees are based on a 3,000-
 character unit, which is roughly equal to 1 typed page.
 There is no monthly fee for use of the Mail Manager
 software offline.

 Fees are subject to change as provided in the PRODIGY
 Service Member Agreement (Jump: agreement to read it).


 Here are the current fees for Mail Manager communications.
 These fees apply PER RECIPIENT for anything you send:

 PRODIGY E-mail send* $0.15 per 3000 characters (60,000 max)
 Internet send        $0.15 per 3000 characters (60,000 max)
 Internet receive**   $0.15 per 3000 characters (60,000 max)
 File transfer send   $0.15 per 3000 characters (500 Kb max)
                      (no charge to receive file transfers)
 Fax                  $1.25 per 3000 characters (30,000 max)
 Postal letter        $1.50 each     (12,000 characters max)

  *Applies only if sent with Mail Manager
 **Separate sign-up required to receive Internet messages


                    Messaging Allotments

 Certain PRODIGY membership plans include a number of E-mail
 messages. For these plans, each 3000 characters of a Mail
 Managermessage counts as 1 allotted message. For example:
    1 - 3000 characters    counts as 1 allotted message
 3001 - 6000 characters    counts as 2 allotted messages
 6001 - 9000 characters    counts as 3 allotted messages

 Each month, all online PRODIGY E-mail messages are counted
 against any messaging allotment BEFORE any Mail Manager
 E-mail messages are counted, no matter when they are sent
 during the month. Messaging allotments do NOT apply to
 Internet messages , file transfers, faxes, and USPS letters.

                  Delivery of Communications

 Prodigy Services Company cannot be responsible for delivery
 of any Mail Manager communications that are not sent
 entirely through PRODIGY, i.e., any communications other
 than PRODIGY E-mail and file transfers. Since delivery of
 all other types of Mail Manager communications (including
 Internet messages addressed to a PRODIGY ID) is subject to
 circumstances beyond Prodigy's control, there will be no
 refunds or credits for such messages that fail to reach
 their intended recipients. Refunds and credits are also
 subject to all applicable terms in the PRODIGY Service
 Member Agreement (Jump: agreement).


                         Sign-up

 The Membership Holder (the member whose ID ends in "A")
 can sign up for Mail Manager. The Membership Holder may
 then sign up any other members in the membership, and is
 responsible for all fees incurred by all IDs in the
 membership.

 Prodigy may require a credit card relationship if certain
 usage levels are exceeded.


                         Privacy

 Mail Manager communications are private while traveling
 through PRODIGY, where they are subject to Prodigy's
 Policy on Protecting Member Privacy (Jump: privacy to
 read it).

 PRODIGY CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRIVACY OF ANY
 COMMUNICATIONS WHEN THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE PRODIGY
 NETWORK. In particular, in circumstances of mechanical
 failure, it is possible that the contents of a
 U. S. Postal Service letter could accidentally be
 observed during processing.

             A Note on Children and the Internet

 Being able to use Internet communications lets you join
 electronic mail discussion groups covering a wide variety
 of topics. These include discussions of subject matter
 that is intended for "adult" audiences.

 Parents should consider whether to allow children to use
 Internet communications, and should be aware of whom they
 correspond with. For more information, please read "Note
 to Parents" in PRODIGY Central (Jump: prodigy central).



  Mail Manager is software that lets you read, write and
  organize your mail offline--without connecting to the
  PRODIGY service. With Mail Manager, you can
   *read and organize your mail whenever you want
   *control what you send and how it's sent:  send files,
    faxes, postal letters, PRODIGY and Internet messages
   *free up your phone for those important calls
   *keep track of your contacts more efficiently with a
     larger address book and longer mailing lists
   *send longer messages than those you now send online
   *E-mail sent and received through Mail Manager can be up
    to 60,000 characters long (about 20 typed pages).
    That's 20 times longer than an online message!
   *Store PRODIGY IDs, Internet IDs, names, nicknames, fax
    and phone numbers and postal addresses in the offline
    Address Book. The number of entries is limited only by
    the disk space left on your computer.
   *Create as many mailing lists as you need (up to 100
    entries per list). Use them for any kind of delivery:
    PRODIGY, Internet, fax, U.S. Postal Service letters.
   *Keep track of messages sent and received with the
    Mail Log, Incoming Mail and Outgoing Mail folders as
    well as personal folders that you can create and name.

  You can also use Mail Manager to compose and edit your
  messages. Mail Manager has a built-in spell-checker and
  features that allow you to import and revise text. If you
  prefer, you can use your own word processor to write a
  message. Then, import the text of your message into Mail
  Manager when you are ready to send it.

 Messages created offline with Mail Manager cost less than
 online messages. Compare fees for PRODIGY messages:
   PRODIGY Online*  $0.25 per message(2880 characters max)
   PRODIGY Offline* $0.15 per 3000 characters (60,000 max)

 Prodigy counts E-mail (except letters) in "blocks" of
 3,000 characters. All fees are per message per recipient.

 *Certain PRODIGY payment plans may include a monthly
   allowance of messages that be sent by a membership.
   For more details on membership pricing plans, Jump:
   prodigy central.

 Fees for other E-mail features during the Limited Release
               ALL FEES ARE PER RECIPIENT
  Message Type      Cost Per Block          Maximum Length
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 File Transfer      $0.15/3000 characters       500 Kb
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 Fax                $1.25/3000 characters    60,000 char.
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 USPS Letter        $1.50/letter (4 pages)   12,000 char.
 ---------------------------------------------------------
 Internet Send      $0.15/3000 characters    60,000 char.
 Internet COD       $0.15/3000 characters    60,000 char.

                     System Requirements

 Mail Manager software runs on any DOS machine that has the
 PRODIGY software and a hard drive (for storing messages
 received and items in the Address Book).  You'll need:

  *at least 1 megabyte of free space on the hard drive
  *PRODIGY software installed on the hard drive
  *at least 640 Kb of RAM available

 There is no fee for the software during the Limited
 Release test period.

                   How Mail Manager Works

  Before you write a message, Mail Manager asks you how you
  would like to send it. Choose an option(E-mail, fax) then
  select a name or list from your Address Book. Write your
  message and save it to the Outgoing Mail folder. Once
  you've finished writing, Mail Manager formats messages
  to the proper specifications for your selected mode of
  delivery. Select "Deliver Mail" and your messages and
  files are on their way!

  So open the door to a whole new world of communication
  possibilities. With Mail Manager, nobody's out of reach!

 Mail Manager Installation Instructions

 Follow these steps to install Mail Manager. If you have
 a printer, print these instructions for reference later.

 1. Exit from the PRODIGY service

 2. Change to the PRODIGY directory if you are not there
    already: Type cd\Prodigy and then press [ENTER].

 3. Type setup-mm and then press [ENTER]. You will see
    the software being installed on your computer.

 4. Once installation is complete, type PMM and [ENTER].

 You will see a welcome window which you can read or
 print to read later. Press [ESC] to close the window.

 5. Enter your PRODIGY service ID and autologon file name
    (if you have one). If you wish to protect your mailbox
    with a password, select set password and press [ENTER].
    Type a password different from your PRODIGY password.
    Select OK and press [ENTER].

 You are ready to use Mail Manager.


Copyright 1993 Prodigy Services Company. All Rights Reserved.



                Terms and Conditions for Internet

 By signing up for Internet, you receive an Internet
 "address" on PRODIGY that allows you to RECEIVE messages
 from people who have Internet addresses, including members
 of most other online services. No additional software is
 required to RECEIVE Internet messages on PRODIGY.

 To SEND messages through the Internet (even to other
 PRODIGY members), as well as transfer files and send faxes
 and U.S. Postal Service letters, you must also sign up for
 Mail Manager, which is available separately on PRODIGY.
 Jump: mmanager to sign up.


                           Fees

 There are no fees to sign up to receive Internet messages.
 Fees are based on the size of an Internet message and the
 number of people to whom each message is sent.

 Fees and usage are subject to all applicable terms of the
 PRODIGY Service Member Agreement (to read it, Jump:
 agreement).

 The messaging allotments included in certain PRODIGY
 membership plans do NOT apply to Internet messages.

 Here are the current fees for Internet messages:

 Internet COD*    $0.15 per 3000 characters   (60,000 max)

 Internet send    $0.15 per 3000 characters   (60,000 max)
                per recipient (requires Mail Manager)

 *All Internet receives are COD, meaning you have the option
 to review the ID and subject of each received Internet
 message in your mailbox at no extra charge before you decide
 whether to download the message. Internet messages cannot be
 read online.

 Note: 3000 characters equal about 1 typed page.

                    Delivery of Messages

 Internet messages that are addressed to you on PRODIGY are
 beyond Prodigy's control while traveling through the
 Internet. Likewise, Internet messages you send (if you have
 signed up for Mail Manager) are beyond Prodigy's control
 once delivered into the Internet.

 Prodigy therefore cannot be responsible for delivery of
 any Internet messages, even if addressed to other PRODIGY
 members. There will be no refunds or credits for Internet
 messages that fail to reach their intended recipients.


                          Sign-up

 The Membership Holder (the member whose ID ends in "A")
 can sign up for Internet communications. The Membership
 Holder may then add or change the ability for other
 members within a membership to use Internet communications
 (Mail Manager may be required, as described above). The
 Membership Holder is responsible for all fees incurred by
 all IDs in the membership.

 Prodigy may require a credit card relationship if certain
 usage levels are exceeded.

                    Important Information

 The Internet is a large network of computer systems used
 by millions of people. PRODIGY HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE
 INTERNET, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS THAT TRAVEL THROUGH IT
 OR THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT.

 Internet communications are private while traveling
 through PRODIGY, where they are subject to Prodigy's Policy
 on Protecting Member Privacy (Jump: privacy to read it),
 but Prodigy cannot be responsible for the privacy of any
 communications while in the Internet.


Copyright 1993 Prodigy Services Company. All Rights Reserved.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 15:14:13 EDT
From: Joshua E. Muskovitz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Correct Sprint Modem Offer Contact


I just got a call back from the guy who actually is IN CHARGE of the
DVORAK modem offer (which expired October 1) and he told me that he is
the person that you should call with questions, not Diane Worthy,
whose name I had previously posted.  The correct contact is:

Shawn Larimer, Program Marketing Support and Implementation, Sprint
816-854-1187

Shawn apologizes in advance for not having an 800 number, and will be
glad to call you right back after you call him.  He does have voice
mail set up on his line, so you can leave him a message if he's not
there.  Tell him I sent you.

Shawn also confirmed the information I sent in my last message, as
well as the fact that the modem only goes up to 4800 baud fax receive.


Josh Muskovitz

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 93 17:47 EDT
From: [e-mail] (David L Kindred)
Subject: "Interesting" Long Distance Marketing


While waiting for lunch today at a local Chinese Take-out place, I was
drawn to a counter display (about 10 by 20 inches) offering a chance
for a FREE Hawaiian Vacation.  At first, I failed to notice the small
logo reading "You save 20% on all future Long Distance Calls", and the
fact that the contest was from Matrix Telecom.

I tore off one of their entry coupons, and gave it a look to find out
what I really had to do to earn a chance on the trip.  The form wanted
my name, address, phone number, and signature.  Curiously, both the
phone number and signature were specificly marked as required.  Then I
read the fine print (actually a reasonable size, to their credit, and
prefaced by a little pointing hand "dingbat").  This fine print reads:

 "I understand that I am under no obligation to continue this
 agreement, and may cancel at any time.  I hereby authorize Matrix to
 act as my agent for long distance conversion on my phone listed
 above.  I may designate only one carrier at a time, and I designate
 Matrix as my primary Long Distance Provider.  Should my local phone
 company assess a charge for my conversion, Matrix will pay me back if
 I send a copy to: 1314 S. King St. #605, Honolulu, HI 96814 . Void
 where prohibited . Odds: 1 in 50,000"

What an interesting way to market your long distance service -- as a
side line to giving away vacations!  I wonder which carrier actually
gets your calls after you select Matrix?  And whose rates the 20%
savings is based on?


Dave
EMail: [e-mail]
CI$: 72456,3226 ([e-mail])
Phone: [phone] x222
Snail: TeleSciences C O Systems, 351 New Albany Rd, Moorestown, NJ 08057-1177

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David R. Lee)
Subject: Voice Mail Suggestions Request
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 13:32:34 GMT


I am currently looking at purchasing a voice mail system for our
company.  We have AT&T G1 PBXs networked together with DCS.  We'll
probably be upgrading these switches to G3i v2 in the near future.  We
will have 800-1,000 mailboxes with light to medium usage.

Do you have any suggestions on what kind of system I should buy?  Is
AT&Ts AUDIX a good product compared to the rest of the market?  Are
they pricier?  Any input that you might have would be greatly
appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Please reply to this thread or send mail directly to me at davidlee@
netcom.com.


David R. Lee     [e-mail]    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Joe Bergstein)
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 23:45:37 -0500
Subject: Amusing Misdialed Call


I thought TELECOM Digest might get a chuckle from incident which
occurred to me last week.  I was dialing from Maryland area 301 and
was trying to reach someone at Microsoft in Redmond Washington. Well I
dialed 206-635-xxxx, and the phone rang and was answered with
"Citizens Bank, Customer Service".  I asked "Is this 206-635-xxxx (the
real number I was dialing), and without missing a beat, the bank rep
said "Oh you're trying to reach Microsoft ... you forgot to dial the
'1' first".  I guess Citizens Bank of Maryland (301-206-6xxx numbers)
must be getting an awful lot of calls for Microsoft from Washington
D.C. area folks forgetting the dial 1 prefix!


[Moderator's Note: Mike Royko, a columnist for the {Chicago Tribune}
has written in the past about how his number at the newspaper office
is the same as a popular number at AT&T but without the 1-800 on the
front. His complaint is that he frequently gets calls intended for AT&T
on his line instead. His solution?  He expects AT&T to change *their*
number since people cannot remember to 'dial one eight hundred first'
as the instructions in the phone book say to do. Royko is such an
idiot, and a crude one at that.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 07:57:51 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(David Breneman) writes:

> ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> On a similar subject, how (and why) does the Mutual Radio Network
>> (news, Larry King, etc.) generate the two note sequence when coming
>> from breaks, etc.  They've done this for over twenty years, at least.

> This is a signal to the automation equipment in stations to start
> playing commercials.  Many stations use automated cart changers (an
> NAB tape cartridge is sort of like an 8-track - endless loop,
> self-cueing) to run their commercials and local content during network
> feeds.  The tone from the network starts the first cart.  It has a

    These are now being replaced with much less expensive
automation systems based on hard disk audio.  20 years ago I put in
reel to reel and cartridge based radio automation systems.  They'd go
for close to $50K.  Now you get a hard disk automatio system for $10K
or so.

    The tone sequence over satellite networks is (of course) a
form of in-band signalling.  Some networks use DTMF and some seem to
use two tone sequential.  Others are using subaudible cues, various
frequencies in the 20 to 30 Hz area on left channel, right channel, or
both.  Some networks (especially those running SCPC or Single Channel
Per Carrier) run a data subcarrier above the program audio on one
channel or the other.  This carries cues for automation plus text for
program updates, etc.  Those networks running digitized audio can just
allocate so many bits per frame to cues, text, or whatever.


Harold

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #706
******************************


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Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 12:35:13 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #707

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 17 Oct 93 12:35:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 707

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Long Distance Special Ring (Dave Leibold)
    Creative Phraud Phoiling? (Elana Beach)
    Special Accounts Group and& AT&T (Jeff Freeman)
    Julian Dates (Dave Niebuhr)
    Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request (David A. Kaye)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Jeff Freeman)
    Re: Prodigy Link (Adam Lasnik)
    Re: Ten Base T (?) Lines (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Bell Atlantic / TCI Merge - Competition? (Paul deArmond)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Alan E. Frisbie)
    Correction to Archives File Name (TELECOM Moderator)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
anywhere who are reachable by electronic mail via the Internet. In
addition, the Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it is known as the
comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup, a moderated forum. To subscribe, write
and tell us how you qualify:  [e-mail].

Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
charge in the Telecom Archives. Internet users with FTP permission may
connect via anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu, then 'cd telecom-archives'. All
others are invited to use the Telecom Archives Email Information Service
by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
help guide to using the archives. Over twelve years of telecom news
and discussions are stored there.

TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
Associates. Please request permission before posting Digest articles
elsewhere. Net addresses shown are for the sole purpose of facilitating
communiciations between our correspondents; not for any sort of mass
mailing. The Digest is made possible by the generous support of our
friends. Your voluntary contributions in amounts you deem appropriate
are greatly appreciated. Your help keeps our $300 per month phone bill
paid most of the time. Send Tithes, Love Offerings and other Tokens of
Sincerity for our inspection to PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 USA.  :)
Article submissions come to: [e-mail], and if you wish, you
may reach us by phone: [phone] or fax: [phone].  Thank you!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 04:09:20 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Long Distance Special Ring


[From Bell News, Bell Ontario 11 Oct 1993. The following is Bell
Canada publicity and does not necessarily mean a unique occurrence in
the telecom world.]

LD Signal service to be trialed in Lindsay.

Bell has filed a letter with the CRTC announcing our intention to
conduct a market trial for Long Distance Signal (LD Signal).

LD Signal provides a distinctive "long-short-short" ring and call
waiting tone to alert residential and single-line business customers
of an incoming long distance call.

The market trial will take place in Drummondville, Quebec and Lindsay,
Ontario from October 16 to December 16, 1993, inclusive.

Depending on trial results, LD Signal will be rolled out by Bell and
other Stentor members over the next two years.

More about LD Signal service:

Q. What is Long Distance Signal?

A. Long Distance Signal provides a distinctive "long-short-short" ring
or call waiting tone through the telephone set to alert residential
and single-line business customers of an incoming long distance call.

Q. How does it work?

A. If the customer's telephone is not engaged, a distinctive
"long-short-short" ring announcing the incoming long distance call
will be heard.

If the customer's telephone is engaged, a similar, distinctive call
waiting tone is heard (even if the customer does not subscribe to
Call Waiting) twice -- ten seconds apart.

If the call is not answered within a 25-second time period, the caller
will receive a network announcement indicating the line is busy. The
announcement will be followed by a standard busy tone.

Q. What are the objectives of the market trial?

A. The trial has two main objectives:
** to gather more information about the need for and acceptance of LD Signal.
** to gather long distance call termination information to determine the
effect of LD Signal on long distance call completion.

Q. What are the customer benefits of this feature?

A. Convenience, choice, improved service and cost savings are the main
benefits.

Convenience because it gives the customer valuable information not
otherwise received. Long distance calls tend to have higher perceived
value over local calls.

Choice because the activate or de-activate capability means the customer
chooses whem and if the feature is to be used.

Improved service because non-Call Waiting, single-line business customers
are provided greater call completion opportunities and therefore, better
customer service.

And finally, cost savings, because fewer long distance calls will need
to be returned.

Q. Why were Drummondville, Quebec and Lindsay, Ontario chosen for
the market trials?

A. Drummondville and Lindsay both have a small population and are fairly
removed from large, urban centres thus giving greater management and
control capabilities to the communications function and activities
that will take place throughout the trial.

Both locations also have a good mixture of Calling Feature and non-Calling
Feature subscribers, which helps Bell gather essential data.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Elana Beach)
Subject: Creative Phraud Phoiling?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 16:33:06 GMT


Hmpf.  How about a creative idea for phoiling phrauds?

Provide customers with some kind of false card and PIN number.

The false number is actually some sort of flag or booby trap.  When a
possible fraud calls for your card number, give him the false one.
When the @$$%! uses the phalse number, the long-distance company's
computer is instantly alerted to the originating phone number as a
possible fraud in progress.

What could the false number be?  Heck if I know.  Your PIN number
spelled backwards??

Yup, I can see the commercials now ...  "If someone call you on the
phone and asks you for your phonecard number FOR ANY REASON, give your
PIN number backwards. Then alert your long-distance company.  If
the call was legit, no problem.  If the call was fraudulent, your
long-distance company will appreciate you for possibly helping to
catch a criminal."

I am as non-tech as non-tech can get (while still loving computers and
the net) so please don't ask me about the technical specifics of how
this plan would work.  If it's feasible, someone who speaks tech could
make it work.

HOWEVER ... if this is useful, it would be fun to give the criminals a
bit of a pause ... is the number he just social-engineered out of
someone a real one or a booby trap???  If the system uses a backwards
PIN number as the flag, he would never know until it's too late.

Hmmmm ... brainstorm continues ...  allow a set limited number of
calls on a flag phonecard number, and then ...

I'll leave the rest of this brainstorm up to you guys.


Regards,

Elana

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 11:28:34 -0400
Subject: Special Accounts Group and AT&T
From: [e-mail]  (Jeff Freeman)
Reply-To: [e-mail]


I had an interesting call the other day from a woman (supervisor) who
said AT&T had a special deal they were offering their customers. They
would be lowering my LD rates by an average of 20%. Tough to disagree
with that. She would be faxing me a sheet to fill out and fax back.
The fax was four pages. Cover sheet, two AT&T SDN ads, and a sheet
requesting info and agreement that the Special Accounts Group would be
handling our LD.

Whoa ... time to study this offer more carefully. No address to be
found. Only two toll free numbers (voice and fax). While they attempt
to come off as AT&T reps it's obvious they are resellers of AT&T
service.  I didn't fill out the form and figured on a call back.  When
the lady called the next day I told her I needed more information. She
seemed a bit disgusted that 20% savings (20% of WHAT?) wasn't all I
needed to sign the paper. I told her that we used more carriers than
AT&T so I wanted to see comparisions of the rates with other LD
carrier plans or a copy of their interstate rates based on time of day
and mileage. She promised she'd get the information right to me ...
haven't seen it yet. Doubt I will. They want easy customers.


Jeff Freeman                 1-800-GO-PORCH Toll-Free
Front Porch Computers        1-706-695-1888 <voice>
4742 Highway 52 Alt.         1-706-695-1990 <fax>
Chatsworth, GA 30705         75260,21  Compuserve ID #

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 10:18:19 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Niebuhr)
Subject: Julian Dates


I have a FORTRAN program that computes the Julian Date since January
1, 4713 B.C. which I think has some historical significance in either
Chinese or Jewish cultures but I'm not sure.

I'd be willing to share the program with anyone if they will send me
email to any of the addresses below (they all end up at the same
place).


Dave Niebuhr      Internet: [e-mail] (preferred)
                            [e-mail] / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Senior Technical Specialist, Scientific Computing Facility
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request
Date: 17 Oct 1993 03:53:29 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access


David R. Lee ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I am currently looking at purchasing a voice mail system for our
> company.

I'm sure others will scream at me for this suggestion, but why not
call Centigram in San Jose.  I've installed and maintained some of
their systems and have had good results with them and precious little
downtime.  Centigram makes the VoiceMemo brand, often used by public
vendors like Amvox (!), American Voicemail, American Message Centers,
etc.

Also, they have the most incredibly EASY key layout: Press P to play
the message, K to keep it, D to discard it, etc.  And this same kind
of keypadding works on all levels: message playback, outgoing
greetings, distribution lists (for broadcasting messages to groups),
etc.  The VoiceMemo runs in its own little UNIX box and takes up no
more room than a PC (not including an interface to your own phone
system, of course.)

After having worked with their system for a couple years and using
voicemail acocunts on their boxes for about five years now, I don't
see how anyone can go back to Audix or that horrendous Octel Aspen
system.  (I'm sorry, but 90% of the Aspen features are not used by
people and they just make things more difficult to learn -- and
they've never heard of mneumonics.)

[Okay, now dump all over me!]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 11:28:26 -0400
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
From: [e-mail]  (Jeff Freeman)
Reply-To: [e-mail]


[e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl) writes a very good article on
travelling with telecom gear.  But:

> Many countries use a voltage about double that of the US but with the
> same frequency, 60 Hz.

Really?  Could you give an example?  There are plenty of 240 V 50 Hz
countries, and several 120 V 60 Hz ones, but I don't know of any where
the normal domestic supply is 240/60.

Brazil has quite a few cities with 220v 60 Hz. The Leeward Islands has
230v 60 Hz power. Most of the cities in Peru are 220v and 60 Hz.

> If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that
> says ...

> Um, I've never been there, but all I've read says that Japan is a 60
> Hz country, usually at 100 or 120 V.  NTSC television would never have
> worked in a 50 Hz area, and Japan is NTSC.

Maybe so but Japan has both 50Hz and 60Hz power <100/200v> depending on the
city you are in.

I knew I'd get some use from that "Electric Current Abroad" book I picked up
a while back.


Jeff Freeman                 1-800-GO-PORCH Toll-Free
Front Porch Computers        1-706-695-1888 <voice>
4742 Highway 52 Alt.         1-706-695-1990 <fax>
Chatsworth, GA 30705         75260,21  Compuserve ID #

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Adam Lasnik)
Subject: Re: Prodigy Link
Date: 17 Oct 93 15:14:07 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]


>> Incoming email messages should not exceed 60,000 bytes, or they will
>> be returned to the sender.

This is no longer the case.  The limit has been expanded to one megabyte.

Also, the main administrator in charge of the Mail Manager (offline
mail system) has stated that he intends to make the pricing more
competitive once the product comes out of beta.


Adam "Keys" Lasnik

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Ten Base T (?) Lines
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 16:42:23 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(David Goodwin) writes:

> Hello.  Recently, the University I attend installed new wiring in the
> residence hall I live in.  This new wiring consited of a standard
> phone line, a co-axial cable TV line, and something called a 'ten base
> t' line, which I know nothing about.

> Anyway, it would be most appreciated if some could relate to me just
> exactly what a ten base t line is and how I could take advantage of it
> with an IBM-PC.  Thanks.

10Base-T is an ethernet standard.  It amounts to 10Mb/sec on twisted
pair.  To use it with a pc, you need a "NIC" (network interface card)
that installs in your pc expansion slot, and appropriate software.
What software you need depends on what this network is connected to.
It could be a Novell network, in which case you would need Novell
client software (often comes with your network card, but in any case
is free) and an account to log onto the server.  If the connection is
to Internet, you would need a packet driver (may come with your
network card) and TCP/IP software (NCSA telnet is free).

The network cards run from about $60 for a generic to $120 or so for a
name brand card with multiple interfaces (so-called combo cards, with
10Base-T, thin net, and AUI).  You need to talk with the person in
charge of the Network.  Many buildings are pre-wired for future
expansion, there may be nothing on the other end of the wire!


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul deArmond)
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic / TCI Merge - Competition?
Organization: Western Washington University
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 14:49:02 GMT


[e-mail] (Shag) writes:

> Though I support this merge (I'm a big fan of Bell Atlantic,
> particularly since they're feverishly working to put fiber-optics and
> ISDN all over the place here in New Jersey :) I'm a little worried
> about how this will relate to a traditional multi-level competition
> scheme, and how it will relate to the recent legal decision allowing
> RBOCs to _provide_ video.

> As I understood it (from reading about the French implementation of
> ISDN, and from reading about the legal decision and other ISDN-related
> things here in the US), the RBOCs themselves would continue to be
> regional carriers as they are now, but expand _what_ they carry to
> include video and such, thus enabling suppliers of video (ie, CATV
> companies) to offer their services across the RBOC's networks (or even
> across LD networks between RBOCs), reaching more consumers and
> sparking more competition.

> If Bell Atlantic and TCI merge, the line between the "carrier" and the
> "provider" gets blurred or erased.  Will the resulting company allow
> the signals of other video providers to be made available over its
> network?  (Or, looking at it from the other side -- is there any way
> they can prevent it?)  I'm sure the merge will make it easier for them
> to undercut the prices of other video providers, since Bell Atlantic
> (as the carrier) will be getting a cut of the other guy's prices
> anyway.

> Any thoughts out there on this?  I don't even _have_ cable, so it's
> not really affecting me ... but there are 90-some strands of Bell
> Atlantic fiber strung outside my house, and it's getting very tempting
> to hook up.

One very real concern in among multi-media developers is that the
current direction of telecommunications policy will restrict rather
than widen competition among content providers.  With the recent
advances in digital video processing and the incredible price drop in
low end equipment, there is the possibility of explosive growth in
low-end video production.  This could very well be as widespread as
the impact of desk-top publishing has been over the last ten years.

The bottleneck for this new sector is the high cost and relative
scarcity of distribution channels.  Current Hi-8 and S-VHS technology
is more than adequate for many purposes.  The rapid drop in
post-production equipment will open up a tremendous market for content
that is directed at small markets.

As an example of what is happening, look at the recent prices of low
end video switchers (mixers) and effects generators.  Four years ago,
the very low-end equipment cost was around $10 - $12K, there are now
units with equivalent capacity for under $2K, with further declines in
prices expected to continue.  The 3DO box (a home multi-media
appliance) is able to do very sophisticated real-time video
processing, (equivalent to a Video Toaster according to some sources).
It is priced well under $1K.  Similar things are happening with
digital video editing, where the video signal is stored either in RAM,
or on high-capacity disk drives.  All of these changes are economic,
not technical.  the situation is very similar to the impact of
laser-printers on photo-typesetting, or VCRs on reel to reel video
recorders.  The result is that video production is poised for a period
of tremendous expansion if distribution costs don't form a barrier.

If the telcom and cable mergers inhibit the growth of common-carrier
video, or widely available upstream access, this could choke a whole
new economic sector at birth.  The cable companies have not been eager
to provide two-way full bandwidth capacity to homes (possibly because
of the added cost of switching equipment.)  The RBOCs have been very
hesitant in the area of two-way video dial-tone services.  The mergers
will divert large amounts of capital that could be used to expand
infrastructure into debt-servicing and other financing costs.

I fear that the net result of large mergers will be a slow-down in the
development of public high-bandwidth service.  The rationale behind
most mergers is to limit competition and reduce the pressure for
change.

Before everybody starts to party in the streets, the implications of
the mergers need to be fully thought out.  I suspect that we will see
an increase in inertia and foot-dragging as a result of the
elimination of competitive pressures through consolidation.  This
would be a real pity, because we would be throwing away a tremendous
opportunity, by avoiding some short term risk.


Paul de Armond

------------------------------

From: Alan Frisbie <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 17 Oct 93 09:35:05 PDT
Organization: Flying Disk Systems, Inc.


In article <[e-mail]>

> Hope this isn't too off-subject, but could you tell us what generated
> the NBC chimes?  I'm sure that in later years it was just a cart, but
> it never sounded like "real" chimes (like the way orchestra bells or a
> xylophone or something would sound).  I've heard that in the '20s there
> was actually a mechanical device which generated the tones -- sort of a
> cylinder which rotated with a microphone in the middle.  Any clarifica-
> tion on this would be most appreciated!

I have another question about the NBC chimes.  Many years ago, my
father told me that there was an additional (fourth) tone that was
seldom heard.  If sounded, it was a signal to all NBC employees that,
"Something important is happening.  Get to your job ASAP".  Does
anyone know if this is just a wild story or did it really exist?


Alan E. Frisbie               [e-mail]
Flying Disk Systems, Inc.
4759 Round Top Drive          [phone] (voice)
Los Angeles, CA 90065         [phone] (FAX)

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 12:24:25 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Correction to Archives File Name


I recently mentioned a new file in the Telecom Archives dealing with
Slip setups ... unfortunatly it went in the Archives under one name
and in the announcement here under another :( ....

Try 'technical/slip.setup.server.machine' when requesting the file,
or just the short form 'slip.setup.server.machine' should work also.
Sorry if you tried to pull the file and got back a 'no such file name
in the Archives' notice.


Patrick Townson

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #707
******************************


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Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 12:39:04 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #708

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 19 Oct 93 12:39:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 708

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    1994 Int'l Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems (Mike Christel)
    IBT to Ameritech Transition (John J. Butz)
    CCS7 Statistics (Justin Strong)
    NTSC and 50Hz (Peter Leif Rasmussen)
    Colorado/Front Range VR (Rick Duffy)
    Call Waiting as New Service in France? (Christian Weisgerber)
    Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)? (Nathan Lane)
    Telecommunications in Nepal (David Walker)
    UNISYS Wins $1.4M Network Application Platform Order (Randy Gellens)
    Notice, Advisory and Disclaimer on Lists and Groups (Paul Robinson)

                 ----------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an e-journal devoted mostly -- but not entirely --
to discussions on telecommunications in general, and voice telephony
in particular. It is published daily, and is reader-written, meaning
the people who read it are the people who submit articles to it. The
Digest is a not-for-profit activity of Patrick Townson Associates, a
telecommunications consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. PTA markets a
variety of telecom-related services including a no-surcharge telephone
calling card known as the Orange Card.  In addition, we are marketing
representatives for AT&T, and US Fibercom, AT&T's largest aggregator/
reseller. Telepassport is our international discount calling plan.
Write and ask for our products and services file.

TELECOM Digest is distributed free of charge to qualified subscribers
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Back issues and many other files of interest are available free of
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by sending email to [e-mail]. Write and ask for our
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TELECOM Digest is compilation-copyrighted, 1993 by Patrick Townson
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Michael Christel)
Subject: 1994 Int'l Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 10:15:07 EDT


        CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

1994 International Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems

         Sponsored by
The IEEE Computer Society's Task Force on Multimedia Computing

           May 14-19, 1994
          Copley Plaza Hotel
      Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Conference Chair:  Laszlo A. Belady, Mitsubishi Electric Research, USA
Program Co-Chairs: Scott M. Stevens, Carnegie Mellon University, USA and
                   Ralf Steinmetz, IBM European Network Center, Germany

Multimedia systems are expected to result in the convergence of consumer
electronics, computers and communications. Their applications will
transform how people work, learn and play.

This conference, sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society and its Task
Force on Multimedia Computing, offers a world class forum for
practicing engineers and researchers to report on and exchange the
latest ideas in this exciting field.  Immediately preceding the
conference, tutorials will provide opportunities for interaction with
experts in the related fields. Through this call for papers, the
organizers seek contributions of high quality papers and proposals for
panels or tutorials.

The field of multimedia is still evolving, hence the scope of the
conference is broad.  We anticipate papers covering many aspects of
the transmission, processing, and use of multimedia information.  We
encourage submissions which describe work -- finished or in progress,
practical development or theory -- on the following or related subjects:

   Systems
      Network architecture
      Hardware architecture
      Operating systems
      Distributed systems
      Database and information systems

   Techniques
      Video compression and processing
      Real-time scheduling
      Human-computer interaction
      Programming paradigms
      Content-based retrieval

   Applications
      Capture and creation of content
      Synthetic information and video generation
      Modeling and simulation
      Human learning
      Mobile computing
      Group collaboration
      Video dialtone


PAPERS AND PANEL PROPOSALS

Authors are requested to submit six copies of the manuscript (maximum
of 20 pages) including abstract and keywords by Nov. 15, 1993.  Final
papers are restricted to eight IEEE model pages.  Each paper must be
accompanied by a submission letter that indicates the most relevant
one or two conference areas and primary author contact information
including: postal address, email address, telephone and Fax numbers.
Exceptional papers will be recommended for publication in the IEEE
Multimedia Magazine.  The use of prototypes and demonstration video
for final presentations is encouraged.


                  Important Dates:
                  ----------------

    Nov. 15, 1993:        All submissions due
    Jan. 15, 1994:        Notification of acceptance
    Feb. 15, 1994:        Final manuscripts due

Submit all papers and panel proposals to:

 Scott M. Stevens
 Software Engineering Institute
 Carnegie Mellon University
 Pittsburgh, PA  15313
 USA
 email: [e-mail]
 Phone: [phone]
 Fax  : [phone]

TUTORIALS

In addition to papers, proposals for one and two day tutorials are
solicited in any of the conference areas. Proposals should include the
conference area, a summary of the content, schedule, and a brief
summary about the instructors' backgrounds.  If more than one
instructor, include the postal address, postal address, email address,
telephone and fax numbers of the one who will handle conference
correspondence.  Proposals should be submitted by Nov. 15, 1993.

Submit tutorial proposals to:

 Erich J. Neuhold
 GMD-IPSI / Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
 Dolivostr. 15
 P.O. Box 10 43 26
 6100 Darmstadt
 Germany
 email: [e-mail]
 Phone: [phone]
 Fax  : [phone]


ORGANIZING AND PROGRAM COMMITTEES

Conference Chair:     Laszlo A. Belady, Mitsubishi Electric Research, USA
Program Co-Chairs:     Scott M. Stevens, Carnegie Mellon University, USA and
                       Ralf Steinmetz, IBM European Network Center, Germany
Tutorial Chair:     Erich Neuhold, T.H. Darmstadt, Germany
Reg. & Finance Chair:    Joseph Boykin, GTE Laboratories, USA
Local Arr. Chair:    Michael Bove, MIT Media Lab, USA
Publicity Chair:     John Buford, UMass Lowell, USA
Exhibits Chair:     William Lambert, Horizon Research, USA
Publication Chair:     Tibor Vais, Compuserve, USA

Program Committee:

 Joseph Boykin, GTE Laboratories, USA
 John F. Buford, Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell, USA
 Michael Christel, Carnegie Mellon Univ., USA
 Roger Dannenberg, Carnegie Mellon Univ., USA
 Martin Fruehauf, ZGDV Darmstadt, Germany
 Nicolas Georganas, Univ. of Ottawa, Canada
 Bernd Girod, U. of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
 Christoph Hornung, FHG Darmstadt, Germany
 Tadao Ichikawa, Hiroshima University, Japan
 Wolfgang Klas, GMD Darmstadt, Germany
 Andrew Lippman, MIT Media Lab, USA
 Thomas D.C. Little, Boston University,USA
 Peiya Liu, Siemens, USA
 Mark Miller, Apple, USA
 Darren New, Bellcore, USA
 Radu Popescu-Zeletin, GMD-Fokus, Germany
 Arturo Rodriguez, Kaleida, USA
 Masao Sakauchi, University of Tokyo, Japan
 Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan, USA
 Arun Sood, George Mason University, USA
 Otto Spaniol, RWTH Aachen, Germany

              ICMCS '94
1994 International Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems

        SPONSORED BY THE IEEE COMPUTER SOCIETY
          Task Force on Multimedia Computing

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 12:10:19 EDT
From: [e-mail] (John J Butz [phone])
Subject: IBT to Ameritech Transition


The "billboard painter" on the Ameritech/Illinois Bell Billboard which
grace the shoulders of some of Chicagoland's *finest* tollways, is
almost finished!

The "painter," actually an overall clad, stuffed dummy on a ladder has
been "painting over" the old Illinois Bell logo, with the new
Ameritech logo.  It has taken she/him/it several weeks to accomplish
this feat and it was a fairly clever marketing gimick.

Now is this rebranding really just a gimick or is it intendend bring
about something beneficial?  Could you imagine if Ameritech ran their
business like the Illinois tollway system?  You would find payphones
to be like tollboths, each with a different price, some $0.15, some
$0.25, others might be $0.40, $0.50, or even $0.90!  Your home phone
would be like some of the construction here, workers would show up
everyday for several years and move the phone from one room to another
and surround it with pylons.  The exit signs would be as misleading as
those mysterious line items on your bill.  Sure it says right lane for
88 West, but the right lane is behind a temporary divider and there's
just no way you could have made that call.  You might be able to drive
for a 1/2 mile or so on newly paved, "static free" surface only to be
interrupted by 10 miles of noise spikes, pot-holes, cut-offs, groved
pavement, and uneven surfaces, where the right side of the car is 6dB
lower the left side.

I'll be glad to return to my native New Jersey Bell, ooops, I mean
Bell Atlantic-NJ (LD provided by AT&T of course), and the ever popular
New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.


J Butz      [e-mail]      AT&T - CCS

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Justin Strong)
Subject: CCS7 Statistics
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd., Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 20:09:19 GMT


I am trying to get information on what CCS7 performance statistics
would be usef ul for real-time network management. I realize that this
is a fairly broad area but I would be interested to hear about any
experience with using CCS7 stats or what people's opinions are of what
would be useful.

I have read several papers on the subject, however, they were mostly
written fro m the ivory tower point of view. I have found that the
CCITT and Bellcore recomm endations include far too many statistics to
be useful in a real-time environment (yes, I realize that not all
stats are appropriate for real-time management).

I will summarize to individuals that request it.


Thanks in advance,

Justin Strong

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 10:25:34 JST
From: [e-mail] (Peter Leif Rasmussen (SY-Gi))
Subject: NTSC and 50Hz


As I live in Japan, I get curious when I read the following:

Tony Harminc <[e-mail]> wrote:

> Really?  Could you give an example?  There are plenty of 240 V 50 Hz
> countries, and several 120 V 60 Hz ones, but I don't know of any where
> the normal domestic supply is 240/60.

>> If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that says ...

> Um, I've never been there, but all I've read says that Japan is a 60
> Hz country, usually at 100 or 120 V.  NTSC television would never have
> worked in a 50 Hz area, and Japan is NTSC.

When Tony Harminc so surely writes that NTSC would never have worked
in a 50Hz area, I would like to know why? Japan is a 50Hz _and_ a 60
Hz area.  The east is 50Hz and the west is 60Hz (the parting line is
about the city Nagoya I think). Surely the television system is NTSC
and the voltage is 100V.


Peter Leif Rasmussen

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rick Duffy)
Subject: Colorado/Front Range VR
Organization: DenVR
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 14:09:51 GMT



                  A  N  N  O  U  N  C  E  M  E  N  T

                               T O

   D e n v e r  F r o n t - R a n g e  V i r t u a l  R e a l  i t y

             S t u d en t s  a n d  P r o f e s s i o n a l s


                        October  19, 1993


There is currently an effort to form a virtual-reality special
interest group for students and professionals in the Colorado
front-range area.  This is an independant effort, with no affiliation
with any company or other organization.  As this group is formed, it
will be up to the members as to whether they want to become "attached"
to some other entity (e.g., the IEEE, the VRASP group, etc.).

The goals will be along the lines of information exchange, education,
and exploration.  There is currently no structure in place for this
group (other than a handful of people who felt this might be a good
thing to start) - this will also all be decided by the members.

The purpose of this posting is to determine if there is interest along
the front-range for such a group as this.  If so, please send email to
me (Rick Duffy) at [e-mail].  Also, if you know of
others who do not have email, but might be interested, please pass
this post on to them, and respond via email in their stead.  I will
collect all responses, let all the respondees know the reults (in a
couple weeks), and try to organize a meeting (if the response warrants
it) to decide where we want to go from here.


Sincerely,

Rick Duffy   Martin Marietta Astronautics   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 21:58:08 +0100
From: [e-mail] (Christian Weisgerber)
Subject: Call Waiting as New Service in France?


I've just seen a commercial on French TV (TF1) where a well-known
French actor advertised Call Waiting for France Telecom. So, I wonder ...

- Is this a new service in France?
- Cost?
- Availability?

Would one of our French readers comment, please?


Christian 'naddy' Weisgerber, Germany     [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 20:07:36 -0700
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)?


I need to know if anyone has any sources for type 101 or type 66
punchdown blocks (along with the special tool for the type 66) and
25/50 pair solid core copper wire.  The last time my phone guy was out
here, I asked if I could have 50 ft. or so of 25 pair cable and he
said "help yourself", which was great, but he wouldn't give me any
punchdown blocks (understandable!)  I've got 12 pair coming into my
house right now and I'm getting tired of demarc box after demarc box
after demarc box placed on the eaves of my roof!  (I also want to wire
RS/232 terminals and other such things to a central point).  Sources
for the 25/50 pair would also be helpful, as I have since run out.

I've called a variety of electronics places around here and they say
"a what?" and then tell me to call the phone company.  I noticed one
poster mentioned GTE's surplus place, but he gave no phone number.

In desperation, I'll snag one of the abandoned in place ones from
work, but I don't think the building owner would be happy if he needed
it!  (GTE just redid all of the demarcs in the county, and officially
abandoned all inside wiring, except for residential customers in units
<=2 (i.e., duplexes)).

Thanks for any information on this topic!


Nathan Lane    Triicon Systems, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

------------------------------

From: David Walker <[e-mail]>
Subject: Telecommunications in Nepal
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 93 19:43:18 PDT


I am a grad student looking for info on telecommunications in the
country of Nepal.  Are there any reports that anyone could tell me
about in the research I am undertaking? Is there a database that can
be searched for info of this nature?


Thanks,

David Walker

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 18 OCT 93 17:44
Subject: UNISYS Wins $1.4M Network Application Platform Order


I thought readers might be interested in the following announcement I
saw recently:


UNISYS WINS $1.4M NETWORK APPLICATION PLATFORM (NAP) ORDER IN ARGENTINA

Unisys announced that Movistar, a private cellular phone provider in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, has placed an order for the country's first
Unisys Network Application Platform (NAP).  The $1.4 million solution
will provide Movistar with an integrated hardware and software
environment specifically enhanced for telecommunications applications.

According to Elias de la Cruz, President, Movistar, "The Unisys system
was chosen for its inherent ability to support multiple applications,
handle a large number of calls and deliver the high level of service
Movistar customers expect."

Initially, the new NAP system will provide 30,000 Movistar customers
with call answer, voice mail and call notification.  These services
will be followed by a wide range of products and services such as fax
messaging, automated attendant and interactive voice response.
Movistar plans to serve up to 60,000 subscribers on the NAP system.

Based on a Unisys A 11 enterprise server and utilizing specialized
network and voice-interface modules, NAP provides Movistar an advanced
development environment in Unisys LINC, fourth-generation language.
This open-systems environment interfaces with databases from
information suppliers providing a comprehensive range of audiotext and
interactive voice-response systems.

Movistar was established in March, 1993 as a subsidiary of Telecom and
Telefonica, the two companies that control telecommunications in
Argentina.  Eight of America's 10 largest phone companies call on
Unisys to execute millions of mission-critical transactions daily.
Thirty-five of the world's largest telecommunications companies also
rely on Unisys to deliver innovative new sources of revenue.  NAP
provides cost-effective solutions for the rapid introduction of voice
messaging, fax mail, enhanced 911 capability, and other market-
sensitive offerings.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 01:12:58 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Notice, Advisory and Disclaimer on Lists and Groups


Notice, Advisory and Disclaimer:

  Be advised that when you subscribe to a Bitnet or in some cases,
Internet mailing list, if the list is public, unless you say
otherwise, anyone on Internet can find out who subscribes to that
list.  If the mailing software makes a mistake, it may hand someone
the entire list of all subscribers even if your identity is not
supposed to be disclosed.

  If you send ('post') a message (or a reply to an earlier message) to
the mailing list's publication address (or post a message to a
newsgroup), you are consenting to give your message (and with your
Personal Name and E-Mail address) publicly to everyone who subscribes
to it.  This may include remailing services that "explode" a message,
news group exchangers that post messages to or from Usenet News Groups
to/from mailing lists, archivers that store messages, and even to
processors that copy all public messages to CD-ROM.  Rumor has it the
U.S. National Security Agency has computers that monitor Internet
mailing lists and news groups looking for "suspicious messages" as
well.

  By posting a message to a list, the chances are good to excellent
that your message will be stored permanently.  Readers may copy your
message to their own disk storage for reference or sites may archive
messages posted to newsgroups and mailing lists, and some sites route
Internet messages to printers or fax machines.  Some people may repost
your message to a different group even despite any request on your
part or without your consent, if they think more (other) people should
see it. While under most countries laws copyright exists from the
moment of creation, assume anything you post on a news group or
mailing list will be treated as if it is in the public domain.

  The managers and operators of a list or newsgroup have no capability
to control this and by posting a message you are essentially
consenting to having your message be around potentially forever.  Be
advised also that under both major international copyright treaties
(Universal and Berne) someone may copy your message as part of theirs
in order to quote it to respond to it; this is legal, is an integral
part of the Internet culture, and there is no right under law you can
have to prevent it even if you were to explicitly claim copyright on
your message.

  Also, any claims or statements made in a message should be taken
only as the personal opinion of the writer (without regard to the
organization their messages come from) unless they explicitly declare
this to be the position of a company or organization.

  If you have something personal to say in response to someone, be
absolutely certain your message is sent only in private mail to them.
You should assume that anything you write in a public message should
be considered in the same light as if it was going to be printed on
the front page of the {International Herald Tribune}, {New York Times}
or {Jerusalem Post}.

Please feel free to recirculate this notice.


Paul Robinson, Tansin A. Darcos & Company <[e-mail]>
October 18, 1993


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for sending along this rather chilling
reminder. I've always *attempted* to keep the telecom mailing lists
private out of courtesy to the people listed therein, but there have
been occassions in the past when the list was ripped off. There are
IMHO, poorly documented ways to trick the mailing software at a remote
site into revealing the names on a mailing list unless the owner of
the list (for example, this Digest) takes precautions against it. The
lists here are now protected by not being kept where the mail software
can find them except for the few seconds needed to copy them into the
mailqueue. The script shoves the lists out one at a time where the
mailer can see them, lets the mailer have each list as the queue
empties of the one before it, then yanks it back and puts it away in a
(relatively) protected area. I say 'relatively protected' since of
course accounts can also be broken into.

Any enterprising and crafty person can simply grep the contents of
each issue of the Digest looking at the names of the article authors
and obtain quite a list of names -- at least of the active writers in
the Digest if not the large number who only read without writing. This
is rather unethical, IMHO, and in response, the Digest is compilation
copyrighted which means simply that you cannot compile your own lists
based on my compilations and use them for your gain. The trouble with
this is that reptiles have no sense of copyright law or interest in
obeying it. An alternative would be to print the writer's *names only*
and eliminate the net address part, forcing replies to writers to be
sent through the Digest. I don't want to do that, and I don't want to
do anything which hinders the flow of communication between writers
who chose to respond direct to each other. The result then is that
despite copyright law and despite general net prohibitions against
compiling lists of names for junk mail, political, and flaming pur-
poses, it will happen. As Paul points out, people *do* read what you
write, and make their little lists accordingly. If you receive unwanted
mail which you suspect was generated as a result of your name appear-
ing in an article here, please let me know, and be assured that the
mailing lists themselves are NEVER sold, rented, given away for free
or otherwise put out for examination. Of course, that doesn't stop
some people ... :(   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #708
******************************


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          20 Oct 93 5:33 EDT
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Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 03:02:13 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #709

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 20 Oct 93 03:02:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 709

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: US Naval Observatory Questions (Mark Chartrand)
    Re: US Naval Observatory Questions (David Breneman)
    Re: US Naval Observatory Questions (Andrew M. Dunn)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (John R. Bruni)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Paul S. Sawyer)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Monty Solomon)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (Rob Boudrie)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Martin McCormick)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request (Kath Mullholand)
    Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request (Jim Ferguson)
    Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling? (Tony Harminc)
    Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling? ([e-mail])
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (mark chartrand)
Subject: Re: US Naval Observatory Questions
Date: 20 Oct 1993 00:49:28 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


In article <[e-mail]>, David A. Kaye <[e-mail]>
wrote:

> George Hannah ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> 49273 286 143645 UTC

>> I understand the 286 is the day_of_year, and the 143645 is the hour,
>> but the 49273 means nothing.

> The first number is called the Julian Date, meaning the number of days
> which have passed since a time before recorded history when a whole
> bunch of astronomical things coincided, like a solstice, eclipse, and
> whatever.  Actually, it's only the last part of the Julian date.  I
> think there are about four or five digits missing (though nobody uses
> them).  You may not be aware of it, but your computer ALSO may have
> its own Julian Date in it.  On IBM-PC compatible computers a couple
> memory registers keep track of how many days have elapsed since
> 1/1/1980.  A simple "MOD 7" command in BASIC with this number can
> indicate what day of the week any particular date falls on.

> How to convert 49273 to current date?  Hmm.  Well, if 49273 is today
> (in GMT, of course) then you know where to start!  49274 would be
> tommorow, etc.

Not quite.  There is very frequent confusion with "Julian" terms.  The
number referred to here is the Modified Julian Day Number, which is a
version of the Julian Day Number, which is the number of the day
beginning at noon on January 1, 4713 BCE.  It is NOT a Julian Date,
which is a day (with month/day/year) in the Julian calendar.  The
latter was proposed by Sosigenes and proclaimed by Julius Caesar in 46
BCE.  The Julian calendar (Julian dates) were in use until 1582 when
Catholic countries adopted (per papal fiat) the Gregorian Calendar
(other places adopted it later: the U.K and American Colonies in 1752;
Russia in 1917).  Julian DATES and Julian DAYS have nothing to do with
one another.  For more info on why 4713, check a good encyclopedia.


Mark Chartrand    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: US Naval Observatory Questions
Date: 19 Oct 93 20:19:34 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


George Hannah ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I recently found out about the US Naval observatory, which one can
> call and get the current date via modem. The format of the date,
> however eludes me. When I called on Oct. 13, I got the following:

> 49273 286 143645 UTC

> I understand the 286 is the day_of_year, and the 143645 is the hour,
> but the 49273 means nothing.

For a more user-friendly readout, call 303 494-4774 (1200 baud).  When
the connection starts, enter "?" for the help file.  Better have a
printing terminal or screen grabber, though, since it's about 2-1/2
pages.  Even at 1200 baud it's a little fast to read.  It gives
information about upcoming leap-seconds and stuff like that.  One full
80-character line per second.


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Andrew M. Dunn)
Subject: Re: US Naval Observatory Questions
Organization: A. Dunn Systems Corporation, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 16:05:31 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Michael Clays) writes:

> George Hannah spake unto All on 10-13-93:

>> out there know what the UTC means?

> Universal Time Coordinated, or some such thing I think.

The UTC abbreviation is from the French, not the English, for the same
reason that CCITT is.  The standards body speaks French.

It stands for    Universelle Temps Coordinate.

Which when transmogrified into English is Universal Coordinated Time.

And writing it 'Z' (or 'Zulu' when spoken) is much faster.   Thus 2345Z,
instead of 11:45 p.m. GMT.


Andy Dunn    <[e-mail]> or <uunet!mongrel!amdunn>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 15:01:14 PDT
From: John R. Bruni <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks


In Article <[e-mail]>, Alan Frisbie <frisbie@flying-
disk.com> wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]>

>> Hope this isn't too off-subject, but could you tell us what generated
>> the NBC chimes?

Sorry, can't answer that one, but I can fill in a surprising bit of
trivia.  The pitch sequence was G-E-C which stood for General Electric
Corporation, an early owner of NBC.  NBC Network TV is owned by GE
today, and they're busily destroying the child they helped spawn.

> I have another question about the NBC chimes.  Many years ago, my
> father told me that there was an additional (fourth) tone that was
> seldom heard.  If sounded, it was a signal to all NBC employees that,
> "Something important is happening.  Get to your job ASAP".  Does
> anyone know if this is just a wild story or did it really exist?

I'd like to know the answer to this too.  I *can* tell you that all
radio studios had, as part of the aforementioned intercom box, a
closed-circuit intercom system.  On a news alert, tones would be fed
down the line that activated a buzzer and light to let the staff know
something was afoot.  A "Code 2" advisory was a mandatory interrupt
 ... programming would cease ... the announcers would tell listeners to
standby for a special bulletin.  While there were a fair amount of
these alerts, as well as code 3 and so forth, I never heard of a "Code
1."  I used to joke that we never got Code 1 alerts because it meant
the end of the world was coming and no alert would be needed --
everyone would know about it at the same time.

This is fairly far off the topic of this conference, so please accept
my apologies for that ... but of course, if one studies the history of
radio, it soon becomes apparent that long-line telephone links were
what made the radio networks feasible ...

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul S. Sawyer)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 19 Oct 1993 17:32:21 GMT
Organization: UNH Telecommunications and Network Services


I can remember touring the NBC studios in NYC in the mid-50's, when I
was about 10-12, and we were shown a 3-bar xylophone and told ~"...
here is how we make our famous chime ..." and then the guide played the
tones, just like on TV!  For a while after that, I thought that was
how they did it, though I suppose in the earlier days of NBC Radio,
that would have been exactly how they did it.

I don't know exactly when this was, but we could watch J. Fred Muggs
from the sidewalk window on the Today Show.


Paul S. Sawyer    - University of New Hampshire CIS -  [e-mail]
Telecommunications and Network Services                VOX: [phone]
50 College Road                                        FAX: [phone]
Durham, New Hampshire  03824-3523

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 22:53:55 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code


In comp.dcom.telecom article <[e-mail]> Lars Poulsen
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> AT&T, as mentioned, use 700 for Easy-Reach. The Alliance conference
> system is also reached in this way. And as mentioned, 1-700-555-4141
> reaches a recording to inform you of the carrier name. Which, if you
> did not dial a carrier selection code, will be your PIC (Preferred IXC
> or "your dial-1-carrier").

Many times I reach the AT&T operator instead of a recording when I
dial 1-700-555-4141 from a payphone.  I have observed that many New
England Telephone payphones incorrectly state the long distance
carrier.


Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA  01701-0405
[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rob Boudrie)
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
Organization: Center For High Perf. Computing of WPI; Marlboro Ma
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 15:14:42 GMT


> 200    Some BOCs use for testing
> 211    COCOT Customer Service
> 311    TDD services in some areas (I believe 911 for TDD)
> 700    Long-Distance Carrier specific (AT&T runs EasyReach this way)
> 811    BOC/LEC Customer Service

Let's not forget:

411     Some areas use for local directory assistance
611     Some areas use for repair service
710     Pseudo "Area code" usable only by people the government considers
        special and important (phones must be enabled).  Detailed info
        on 710 appears to be largely unavailable.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Martin McCormick)
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 18:45:15 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> Tony Harminc <EL406045@
BROWNVM.brown.edu> writes:

> Really?  Could you give an example?  There are plenty of 240 V 50 Hz
> countries, and several 120 V 60 Hz ones, but I don't know of any where
> the normal domestic supply is 240/60.

> NTSC television would never have worked in a 50 Hz area ...

    I have good information that Saudi Arabia uses 60HZ and
provides a mixture of 110 and 220-volt primary services to its
citizens.

    An instructor who once taught at Oklahoma State and who had
traveled extensively in South Korea told me that they also use 60HZ AC
and provide a mix of 110 and 220-volt service.  He said that the
larger towns could supply you with a 110-volt line, but the rural
areas were almost totally 220-volts at the wall outlet.

    Another instructor, here, who had lived in Jamaka told me that
the standard AC power was 50HZ at 110 volts to add a further twist to
the "standard."

    From having listened to shortwave broadcasts originating in
South America, I know that the Southern part of South America appears
to use some sort of 50HZ service.

    The video standard for television in South America also seems
to reflect the same mixture of influences that one finds in the
electrical power systems.  There are some PAL color T.V. systems which
use a 60HZ field rate and even a 3.58MHZ color carrier frequency, but
which encode the color signal just as it is done in Europe so it won't
work on an NTSC set.

    One day, in the mid 80's I was listening to Chile's national
radio network on shortwave when a speech by Augusto Pinochet was
droaning on.  There was something funny about the sound and I couldn't
quite figure out what it was until it dawned on me that there was a
60HZ buzz intermittently mixed in with the 50HZ purr of the normal
audio.  I realized that they must use a 60HZ field rate for television
and that the speech was being simulcast over Chile's television
system.  The radio was probably getting its feed from the television
network and there was a problem with sync buzz which happened each
time a certain view was broadcast.

    If you ever get to look at an international model of a
phonograph or tape recorder which derives its speed control via
synchronous motor, look at the jungle of taps on the power transformer
or motor and think about all the possibilities for smoking things
which exist, there.


Martin McCormick WB5AGZ   Stillwater, OK
O.S.U. Computer Center Data Communications Group

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?
Date: 19 Oct 1993 15:57:28 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> Tony Harminc <[e-mail].
edu> writes:

> [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl) writes a very good article on
> travelling with telecom gear.  But:

>> Many countries use a voltage about double that of the US but with the
>> same frequency, 60 Hz.

> Really?  Could you give an example?  There are plenty of 240 V 50 Hz
> countries, and several 120 V 60 Hz ones, but I don't know of any where
> the normal domestic supply is 240/60.

Thanks for the correction, and thanks to many others who had suggestions
also.  A revised FAQ in in the works.

>> If you are in a 50-Hz country (e.g. Japan) and have a device that says ...

> Um, I've never been there, but all I've read says that Japan is a 60
> Hz country, usually at 100 or 120 V.  NTSC television would never have
> worked in a 50 Hz area, and Japan is NTSC.

Again, thanks.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kath Mullholand, UNH Telecom, 862-1031)
Subject: Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request
Date: 19 Oct 1993 13:05 EST
Organization: University of New Hampshire


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (David
R. Lee) writes:

> I am currently looking at purchasing a voice mail system for our
> company.  We have AT&T G1 PBXs networked together with DCS.  We'll
> probably be upgrading these switches to G3i v2 in the near future.  We
> will have 800-1,000 mailboxes with light to medium usage.

> Do you have any suggestions on what kind of system I should buy?  Is
> AT&Ts AUDIX a good product compared to the rest of the market?  Are
> they pricier?  Any input that you might have would be greatly
> appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

At the University of New Hampshire, we have AUDIX.  It is a very
good system, and we really have no regrets, but there are a couple
of things to keep in mind:

1.  If you ever expand and need more than the 2,000 capacity
    box, you need a second AUDIX.  While these network together
    fairly well, you cannot log into a mail box on system B from
    system A, which is more of a drawback than it seems on paper.
    Ask lots of questions and verify the answers on this one,
    as AT&T is convinced that more than one AUDIX machine will be
    "fully networked", but when I talk to owners of other systems,
    I hear that "fully" is in the eye of the beholder.

2.  AUDIX only upgrades using AT&T pieces, such as disks for
    storage, and you will pay a premium price for anything that
    you purchase after the initial purchase.

There are *lots* of pluses; we really like our AUDIX and use its
features to the maximum.  It is a great machine with great support.  I
expect you'll get your fill of hearing about the things AUDIX does
well from your AT&T rep ;-) .


Kath Mullholand

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 12:05:01 CDT
From: Jim Ferguson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Voice Mail Suggestions Request


In regards to the comments from David A. Kaye:

> ..., I don't see how anyone can go back to Audix or that horrendous Octel
> Aspen system.  (I'm sorry, but 90% of the Aspen features are not used by
> people and they just make things more difficult to learn -- and they've
> never heard of mnuemonics.)

Well this is not to dump on you, everyone has a right to an opinion,
and here is mine ...

I am a certified OCtel installer and have worked with their Aspen
system for approximatly five years; As an onsite tech for a
university, and with an interconnect company in Dallas.  In working
with other accounts and universities, some who bought OCtel and some
who didn't (low bid stuff), most of them wanted the OCtel equipment
specifically.  The problem with OCtel that most people will agree on
is the price of the systems, it's expensive as the devil...now as far
as features and the PBX integrations I think it is one of the best
(emphasis on one of...).  Companies like U.S. West, Wiltel, GTE, and
others are using OCtel for resale of voice mail to the public through
LEC offices, so it can't be to horrendous.

The reason why 90% of the people never use anything is because, they
are not properly trained to do so.  The lack of training is the fault
of the system administrator, not the equipment.

> Press P to play the message
What about P to pause?
What about R to rewind or replay?
What about S to send or save?

All of these are located on the number "7" and are valid responses to
a voice mail application.  Mnuemonics, Why does this system make
anymore sense than another?  OCtel has easy to follow flow charts and
online help, what more can a user need?  With regards to the
mnuemonics, since when did telephone people do things that computer
people thought made sense, but that's another discussion.

Many new advances are being addressed in this market, faxes, IVR, to
name some.  I saw Applied Voice Technology at Networld in Dallas, week
before last, and they now have a integrated package that works with
the PC to let you see your voice mail, who sent it, how long it is,
and if there are any fax attachments, and these can be routed to a fax
or telephone for playback.  This equipment will also work behind a
PBX, and is quite affordable and in differernt configurations.  So to
say one is superior over another, you must really be willing to go out
on a limb ...

I prefer OCtel from my own experiences, but I will not say they are
the best or worst, just my preference.  But, if you would like to
compare product to product and end user satifaction and references, I
would be glad to support my position.

To the original author David R. Lee who is looking for a voice mail
system, I give this advice, ask for references ... then hunt for a
user group of the product you want to evaluate, and ask people there
on the product.

Disclaimer:
All of the above, is my own opinion, and not necesarily the opinion of my
current employer, who doesn't have voice mail yet...


Jim Ferguson   Telecommunications Analyst
Southern Arkansas University  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 12:23:31 EDT
From: Tony Harminc <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling?


[e-mail] (Elana Beach) wrote:

> Hmpf.  How about a creative idea for phoiling phrauds?

> Provide customers with some kind of false card and PIN number.

> The false number is actually some sort of flag or booby trap.  When a
> possible fraud calls for your card number, give him the false one.
> When the @$$%! uses the phalse number, the long-distance company's
> computer is instantly alerted to the originating phone number as a
> possible fraud in progress.

Some burglar alarm companies use something much like this.  If you set
off your own alarm, you can call the alarm company and give them your
security code to cancel the response.  But they also give you a handy
pocket-sized card with a false security code on it.  If you are
surprised by an intruder who has set off the alarm, and forced to make
the call, you read the fake number off the card and the alarm company
immediately knows that there is a much more serious situation than a
simple alarm trip.


Tony Harminc

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tech=)
Subject: Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling?
Organization: Technology News, IIT, Chicago, IL
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 21:13:37 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Elana
Beach) writes:

> Hmpf.  How about a creative idea for phoiling phrauds?

> Provide customers with some kind of false card and PIN number.

> The false number is actually some sort of flag or booby trap.  When a
) possible fraud calls for your card number, give him the false one.
) When the @$$%! uses the phalse number, the long-distance company's
) computer is instantly alerted to the originating phone number as a
) possible fraud in progress.

) What could the false number be?  Heck if I know.  Your PIN number
) spelled backwards??

) Yup, I can see the commercials now ...  "If someone call you on the
) phone and asks you for your phonecard number FOR ANY REASON, give your
) PIN number backwards. Then alert your long-distance company.  If
) the call was legit, no problem.  If the call was fraudulent, your
) long-distance company will appreciate you for possibly helping to
) catch a criminal."

Of course the phreaks will know about this first, and will reverse the
digits of the PIN number so as to get the real PIN -- but if they reach
an idiot who gives them the real PIN, reversing it will give them the
"trap" number ... even more fun.


[e-mail]  [e-mail]   My Employer Disagrees.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #709
******************************


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Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 03:23:00 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #710

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 20 Oct 93 03:23:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 710

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email? (Monty Solomon)
    Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email? (Josh Backon)
    Re: Prodigy Internet E-Mail Beta Test (Ed Ravin)
    Re: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel (Art Kamlet)
    Re: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel (David Breneman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 93 23:48:05 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <roscom![e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email?


In comp.dcom.telecom article <[e-mail]> Don Alvarez
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> Does anybody know who provides fax to email service?  I'm looking for
> somebody who receives faxes and then emails a bitmap in exchange for
> money (or for warm fuzzy feelings if possible, but somehow I think
> that's unlikely :-) I'm also curious about going the other direction,
> but what I really need is to be able to receive the faxes.

 From: TPC Information <[e-mail]>
 Subject: FAQ for "An Experiment in Remote Printing"

               Table of Contents

part  type/subtype              size description

      multipart/mixed            14K An Experiment in Remote Printing
1     multipart/mixed           2134 General Information

1.1   text/plain                 448 What is this experiment, anyway?

1.2   text/plain                 848 Outreach?  What are you really doing?
1.3   text/plain                  74 How can I keep informed?

1.4   text/plain                  36 By the way, how can I get another copy ...
2     multipart/mixed           8408 How can I send something?

2.1   text/plain                 286 What's the simplest way?

2.2   text/plain                 711 Fine.  What does this mean?

2.3   text/plain                1104 What about the rest of it?

2.4   text/plain                 818 Gee, is there global coverage already?
2.5   text/plain                1770 "Cells"?

2.6   text/plain                 557 How can I find out if there is access  ...
2.7   text/plain                 477 Suppose I want to send images instead ...
2.8   text/plain                 990 Suppose I want a lot of information on ...
2.9   text/plain                  63 Is there software to help me compose ...
3     multipart/mixed           6924 What does it take to run a cell?

3.1   text/plain                 262 Suppose I want to operate a remote ...
3.2   text/plain                 186 Is there a document describing the ...
3.3   multipart/mixed           3147 Tell me about the policy

3.3.1 text/plain                 675 Who sets policy?

3.3.2 text/plain                 172 What is this policy?

3.3.3 text/plain                 468 What do Malamud and Rose get out of this?
3.3.4 text/plain                 493 Is there any guarantee that my fax ...
3.3.5 text/plain                 460 What about privacy?

3.4   text/plain                 260 Who can I contact for administrative ...
3.5   multipart/mixed           2078 What about the connectivity and ...
3.5.1 text/plain                 507 Do I really need an IP-connected machine?
3.5.2 text/plain                 401 Is there software available?

3.5.3 text/plain                 614 What's in the openly available software?
4     multipart/mixed            528 Just who is this Arlington Hewes anyway?
4.1   text/plain                  70 And what does TPC stand for?

4.2   text/plain                  83 And what's with the post horn for a logo?


------- =_aaaaaaaaaa0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa1"
Content-Description: General Information

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What is this experiment, anyway?

The experiment is a project in outreach: to integrate the e-mail and
facsimile communities.  Working together, many sites cooperatively
provide "remote printing" access to the international telephone
network.  This allows people to send faxes via e-mail.  The
general-purpose Internet e-mail infrastructure takes care of all the
routing, delivering the message to the appropriate remote printer
gateway in a manner totally transparent to the user.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Outreach?  What are you really doing?

We believe that by providing easy access to remote printing recipients,
enterprise-wide access is enhanced, regardless of kind of institution
(e.g., commercial, educational, or government), or the size of
institution (e.g., global, regional, or local).  This approach to
outreach allows an organization to make it easier for the "outside
world" to communicate with personnel in the organization who are
users of facsimile but not e-mail, such as the sales person, the
university registrar, or the (elected) official.

The ease in which the Internet mail infrastructure can be used to
provide this facility is (yet) another example of the power of a
general-purpose infrastructure.  Of course, as the experiment
progresses, some of the things we'll be studying are economic and
policy models that deal with issues such as accounting and settlement.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: How can I keep informed?

There's a mailing list.  Send a note to

    [e-mail]

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: By the way, how can I get another copy of this FAQ?

Send mail to [e-mail].

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa1--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa2"
Content-Description: How can I send something?

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What's the simplest way?

Is this simple enough?

    To: remote-printer.Arlington_Hewes/Room_403@0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int

This will get automatically routed to a remote printer server, which
will transmit a facsimile to the recipient.  When the transmission
completes, a message will be sent back to you.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Fine.  What does this mean?

Let's look at the strings on either side of the '@'-sign.

The left-hand part identifies the kind of access (remote-printer) along
with the identity of the recipient (Arlington_Hewes/Room_403).

Because some mailers have difficulty dealing with addresses that
contain spaces, etc., you should be very careful as to what characters
you use to identify the recipient.  It safest to use upper and lower
case letters, digits, and two special characters ('_' and '/').

When a cover sheet is generated, the '_' will turn into a space and the
'/' will turn into an end-of-line sequence.  So, given the address
above, the cover sheet might start with

    Please deliver this facsimile to:

    Arlington Hewes
    Room 403

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What about the rest of it?

The right-hand part identifies the telephone number of the
remote-printer.  It must be an international telephone number.
Telephone numbers are usually written like this:

    +code-number

where "code" identifies the country and "number" is the telephone
number within the country, e.g.,

    [phone]

For those interested in telephonic trivia, the maximum number of digits
is 15. In order to get the Internet e-mail infrastructure to
automatically route messages, the punctuation characters are stripped
out, e.g.,

    14159682510

and then the string is inverted and turned into an Internet domain
name, e.g.,

    0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int

(Note that the telephone number should not include any international
access codes.)

This approach allows us to map from the Internet naming scheme onto the
entire international telephone network.  And, as you might expect, you
can mix remote-printing and e-mail recipients in the same message, e.g.,

    To: remote-printer.Arlington_Hewes/Room_403@0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int
    cc: Marshall Rose <[e-mail]>

In fact, the replies generated by the e-mail recipients can even go to
the remote-printing recipients.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Gee, is there global coverage already?

Get real.  The official kick-off of the experiment was 16 July 1993.
At that time, service was operational for:

    - all of Australia (+61)
    - Washington, DC (+1-202)
    - most of Silicon Valley (+1-408, +1-415, +1-510)
    - parts of Riverside, California (+1-818, +1-909)
    - the University of Michigan (+1-313)

In addition, we expect the following countries to come on-line soon:

    - Denmark
    - Finland
    - Ireland
    - Japan
    - Sweden

Many enterprises, such as companies, universities, and government R&D
centers, are also coming on-line.  The basic idea is that each
participating site registers a "cell" indicating the portion of the
international telephone number space that they are willing to provide
access to.  A cell can be a continent, a campus, abuilding, or a
single phone number.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: "Cells"?

Well, we call them cells.  The idea is that there are really four kinds
of participating sites:

    - neighborhood sites
    - regional sites
    - enterprise sites
    - personal sites

A neighborhood site is run by someone who provides access to any
facsimile machine in its "local calling area".  The idea being that
metered access to this area is fairly inexpensive, and the site is
willing to provide access as a part of their community spirit.  Access
to Silicon Valley is provided by several neighborhood sites.  The
interesting thing to note is that neighborhood sites may choose to
shrink or expand their cell, depending on factors such as demand and
cost.

A regional site is basically just a large neighborhood site, usually
providing access to an entire country or a large part of a country,
such as an area code.  The continent of Australia is an example of a
regional site.

An enterprise site is run by a company that provides access solely to
its own facsimile machines.  They register exactly those telephone
prefixes which apply to their enterprise.  The University of Michigan
is an example of this.  Of course, a geographically-disperse enterprise
such as a multi-national company could also do this.

A personal site is run by someone who provides access to exactly one
facsimile machine, usually one that resides on their desktop.  In this
case, when the remote printer server gets the message, it will just
deliver it to the owner of the desktop -- via e-mail.

Note that there can be overlapping remote printer servers for a given
area.  A personal site, for example, might be in the area served by a
neighborhood site.  Since the Internet domain name system always favors
the longest match, the smaller site gets precedence for its own traffic

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: How can I find out if there is access to a particular number?

If you're a guru, you just use your standard DNS lookup tools.  If you
don't know what the DNS is, there's a command-line tool available:

    % rpvalidate [phone]
    accessible

The section below on "Is there software available?" will tell you where
to find the rpvalidate command.  Of course, you can always just send
the message and see if it bounces, which is a pretty good indication
that there is no service for that number yet.  You can also send mail
to [e-mail], and you'll get back a list of the
current coverage areas.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Suppose I want to send images instead of text?

Use MIME.  MIME is the Internet-standards track technology for
multi-media messaging.  Remote printer servers support, at a minimum,
the following MIME content types:

    - text/plain
    - message/rfc822
    - application/postscript
    - image/tiff
    - multipart

So, you might send something like the following:

    To: remote-printer.Arlington_Hewes/Room_403@0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int
    MIME-Version: 1.0
    Content-Type: application/postscript

    %!
    ...


------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Suppose I want a lot of information on the cover sheet?

You want a lot of things don't you?  A MIME content-type has been
defined for this.  It's called application/remote-printing.  Here's an
example:

    Content-Type: application/remote-printing

    Recipient:    Marshall Rose
    Title:        Principal
    Organization: Dover Beach Consulting, Inc.
    Address:      420 Whisman Court
                  Mountain View, CA  94043-2186
                  US
    Telephone:    [phone]
    Facsimile:    [phone]

    Originator:   John Q. Public
    Organization: The Public Domain
    Telephone:    [phone]
    Facsimile:    [phone]
    EMail:        "John Q. Public" <[e-mail]>

    Any text appearing here would go on the cover-sheet.

To use this mechanism, the top-level content in your message must be
multipart/mixed, and the very first content in that must be
application/remote-printing.  Also, if you use this, then the left-hand
part of the recipient's address should just be "remote-printer".

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Is there software to help me compose messages like this?

Yes.  See the section below on "Is there software available?".

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa2--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa3"
Content-Description: What does it take to run a cell?

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Suppose I want to operate a remote printer server?

You need four things:

    - a computer on the Internet
    - a fax modem and phone line
    - fax spooling software
    - glue software

You also need to agree to operate the cell in a fashion consistent with
the policies associated with the tpc.int subdomain.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Is there a document describing the technical details?

Yes.  See RFC 1486, "An Experiment in Remote Printing".  It's available
at the usual RFC repositories.  In the future, there will probably be
several documents, including one on policy.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa4"
Content-Description: Tell me about the policy

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Who sets policy?

The tpc.int subdomain is structured as a cooperative of the remote
printer servers around the world.  Policy for the subdomain is made in
the time-honored tradition of hoping that things will run well enough
on their own.  In cases where additional guidance is necessary, a Board
of Arbitration and Conciliation considers situations brought to it by
the members and issues written opinions.

Initially policy was set by the two people who started the experiment,
Carl Malamud of the Internet Multicasting Service, a non-profit
organization, and Marshall Rose of Dover Beach Consulting, Inc.  (Rose
spends half of his time on openly available projects, of which this is
one.)

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What is this policy?

Ultimately, it's all about maintaining basic principles for the
subdomain such as: functionality, fairness, cost recovery, performance,
efficiency, security, and legality.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What do Malamud and Rose get out of this?

An indictment by a federal grand jury.  Just kidding.  Ha, ha.  They're
doing research on how to integrate special-purpose devices like G3
facsimile printers into the fabric of a general-purpose infrastructure
like the global Internet compute rnetwork.  Neither Malamud nor Rose
will profit from the project, though they sincerely hope that operators
in the tpc.int subdomain are able to recoup their costs, save consumers
money, and maybe even make a healthy profit.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Is there any guarantee that my fax will get delivered?

No.  For now, there's one simple rule:

    It is perfectly acceptable to deny access on the basis of originator
    identity, but it is not acceptable to deny access on the basis of
    recipient identity

The reason for this is simple: if a site finds that some originator is
acting in an abusive manner, then the site can deny access.  But, when
a site registers a cell, it agrees to provide access to every telephone
number in that cell.  Of course, it can always register a smaller
cell.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What about privacy?

There are strict rules as to the kind of auditing information which a
remote printer server may keep.  Basically, this information is
necessary for debugging purposes, e.g., if you send a message and don't
get a completion or failure acknowledgement later on, the site
providing access may need to check into it.  Also, there are strict
rules guaranteeing that the contents of a fax are secure and will not
be monitored by the remote printer server operators.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa4--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Who can I contact for administrative questions?

That would be Mr. Arlington Hewes ([e-mail]). Mr. Hewes
is a busy man, so before sending a note to this mailbox, please
consider whether the general discussion list ([e-mail])
mentioned earlier might not be a more appropriate forum.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa5"
Content-Description: What about the connectivity and software requirements?

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa5
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Do I really need an IP-connected machine?

Not really.  Technically, just about any computer on the Internet could
run a remote printer server.  However, we recommend that the computer
have IP-connectivity, since this tends to make the service faster than
with systems connected with polling mechanisms like UUCP.  Still, the
tpc.int subdomain is not picky and if you can provide service for an
area that would otherwise not have it, welcome aboard!  The more
important requirement is that you have fax spooling software available
for your computer.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa5
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: Is there software available?

Yes.  An openly available implementation can be found on

    site: ftp.ics.uci.edu
    area: mrose/tpc
    file: rp.tar.Z

Be sure to retrieve it in BINARY mode, eh?

In addition, if you're running Innosoft's PMDF software for OpenVMS,
then you can contact them at [e-mail] for the details.
Also, if you're a vendor who adds support for remote-printing to your
software, we want to hear from you.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa5
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: What's in the openly available software?

It contains pointers to existing openly available software along with
some "glue" software for BSD-derived UNIX systems.

For sites that want to run remote printer servers, there is support for
both the openly available FlexFAX package and the Bristol Group's IsoFax
product.

For sites that want to use remote printing, there are some scripts,
primarily for MH users.  If you are willing to contribute to the openly
available software package, we'd love to hear from you.  For example,
we'd love to see Mac clients, a Z-mail macro, or a new LISP
interpreter/mail agent written entirely in sendmail rewrite rules.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa5--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa3--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----- =_aaaaaaaaaa6"
Content-Description: Just who is this Arlington Hewes anyway?

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa6
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: And what does TPC stand for?

Go rent the film "The President's Analyst", Paramount Pictures, 1967.

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa6
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Description: And what's with the post horn for a logo?

Go read Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49", Harpers and Row (New
York, 1986).

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa6--

------- =_aaaaaaaaaa0--

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email?
Date: 19 Oct 93 22:48:04 GMT
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Don Alvarez) writes:

> Does anybody know who provides fax to email service?  I'm looking for
> somebody who receives faxes and then emails a bitmap in exchange for
> money (or for warm fuzzy feelings if possible, but somehow I think
> that's unlikely :-) I'm also curious about going the other direction,
> but what I really need is to be able to receive the faxes.


Yes, there is an inbound fax to email service (as well as email to fax
gateway). Send an email message to: [e-mail]


Josh    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ed Ravin)
Subject: Re: Prodigy Internet E-Mail Beta Test
Date: 19 Oct 1993 21:12:10 GMT
Organization: Prodigy Services Company


In article <[e-mail]> Steve Coletti <bigsteve@dorsai.
dorsai.org> writes:

> Also mentioned somewhere was that Prodigy does not yet have a domain
> address list set up.  E-Mail passing into another network from the
> Internet should be addressed in the proper "path" format.

Huh?  Prodigy's domain is "prodigy.com" -- anyone on the Internet can
send mail to "[e-mail]" just like with any other Internet
email address.


Ed Ravin                     [e-mail]
Prodigy Services Company     [e-mail]
445 Hamilton Avenue       White Plains, NY 10601    [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 22:10:12 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
writes:

> TELECOM Moderator moderated:

>> [Moderator's Note: "I've Got a Secret" featured host Garry Moore and
>> was a great example of the early days of television. Does anyone remember
>> the names of the four panelists there on a regular basis?

> Peggy Cass (stage and screen actress), Bill Cullen (host of Price is
> Right), the tall brunette woman -- uh -- she got into fashions or
> perfume or something.  All I remember about her from the program was
> that she once resented being called a "thespian" on the air.  Someone
> had pronounced it "thezzbian" and she said, "Absolutely not!  I am a
> 'thessss-PEE-an'"

 From "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows"
ISBN 0-345-35610-1

I've Got A Secret

First Telecast: June 19,1952  Last Telecast July 5, 1976 (note: the day
                                    after the first 5ESS cut over :^)

Jun 1952-Jun 1953 CBS Thu 10:30-11:00
Jul 1953-Sep 1961 CBS Wed  9:30-10:00
Sep 1961-Sep 1962 CBS Mon 10:30-11:00
Sep 1962-Sep 1966 CBS Mon  8:00- 8:30
Sep 1966-Apr 1967 CBS Mon 10:30-11:00
Jun 1976-Jul 1976 CBS Tue  8:00- 8:30

Moderator
Garry Moore (1952-1964)
Steve Allen (1964-1967)
Bill Cullen (1976)

Panelists
Louise Allbritton    (1952)
Laura Hobson           1952
Walter Kiernan         1952
Orson Bean             1952
Melville Cooper        1952
Bill Cullen            1952-1967
Kitty Carlisle         1952-1953
Henry Morgan           1952-1976
Laraine Day            1952
Eddie Bracken          1952
Faye Emerson           1952-1958
Jayne Meadows          1952-1959
Betsy Palmer           1957-1967
Bess Myerson           1958-1967

Pat Collins            1976
Richard Dawson         1976
Elaine Joyce           1976

Theme "Plink, Plank, Plunk" by Leroy Anderson

Producers: Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Assoc. Producer: Allan Sherman (1952-1958)

(a note: It was seen in syndicated version during the 1972-73 season,
hosted by Steve Allen.)

 " ... on the occasion when Monty Woolley appeared as guest celebrity.
His secret was that he slept with his beard inside the covers.  When
asked why, he replied, 'As a matter of fact I don't.  That's merely
the secret they decided upon for me.'  Garry Moore, for once, was
speechless."


Art Kamlet  [e-mail]  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Ive Got a Secret - The Panel
Date: 19 Oct 93 20:15:04 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


David A. Kaye ([e-mail]) wrote:

> TELECOM Moderator moderated:

>> [Moderator's Note: "I've Got a Secret" featured host Garry Moore and
>> was a great example of the early days of television. Does anyone remember
>> the names of the four panelists there on a regular basis?

> Peggy Cass (stage and screen actress), Bill Cullen (host of Price is
> Right), the tall brunette woman -- uh -- she got into fashions or
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> perfume or something.  All I remember about her from the program was
> that she once resented being called a "thespian" on the air.  Someone
> had pronounced it "thezzbian" and she said, "Absolutely not!  I am a
> 'thessss-PEE-an'"

Are you thinking of Kitty Carlisle?  If so, you may be thinking of
the panel of To Tell the Truth, also hosted by Gary Moore:

Bill Cullen
Kitty Carlisle
Orson Bean
Rotating Panelist (usually Nipsie Russell in later years).


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #710
******************************


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Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 04:17:43 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #711

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 20 Oct 93 04:17:40 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 711

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Information Sources Needed (Phil Price)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Dave Lapin)
    Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play (Jonathan Haruni)
    Re: Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs (Bill Hofmann)
    Re: V.P. Gore's Comments on TCI/Bell Atlantic Merger (Lauren Weinstein)
    Re: Cost of Modems (Ken Weaverling)
    Re: Carrier or Provider? (Eric N. Florack)
    Re: T1 Through HDSL Boxes (Syd Weinstein)
    Re: Amusing Misdialed Call (Eric Kiser)
    Re: Amusing Misdialed Call (John R. Levine)
    Re: Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge (Carl Moore)
    Re: Need Help; Cellular Modem (Ronbert Kadis)
    Re: DTMF Decoders (Mike Lyon)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Phil Price)
Subject: Re: Information Sources Needed
Date: 19 Oct 1993 16:14:50 GMT
Organization: Qualcomm Inc.


In article <[e-mail]>, Kevin D. Cooke <kdcooke@
mailbox.syr.edu> wrote:

> I am looking for basic information on a number of technologies.  The
> information is intended for the non-technical reader and should answer
> the following questions:

>     What is it?
>     How is it implemented?
>     What are the Pros/Cons?
>     What does the future hold?

> The technologies are ISDN, Broadband ISDN, Cell Relay (ATM?) and
> SONET.  If anyone could lend me a hand, or just suggest ftp sites I
> would greatly appreciate it.

The following mail was sent out to NEW-LIST subscribers, and contains
a list of addresses where you should be able to get info on broadband
ISDN ...


Phil

 Date:         Mon, 18 Oct 1993 09:47:34 CDT
 Reply-To: [e-mail]
 Sender: NEW-LIST - New List Announcements <[e-mail]>
 From: "Lee D. Rothstein" <[e-mail]>
 Subject:      SEARCH,ADMIN: Broadband Networks & Interfaces, and Related
 Lists
 To: Multiple recipients of list NEW-LIST <[e-mail]>

Editor's Note:  This is not really a search but a compilation of
                lists.  I thought it might be useful to share it.
                It is from Lee D. Rothstein, [e-mail] .  mgh

Network, Broadband, ATM, Cell Relay
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: Cell relay/ATM, general

Network, Broadband, ATM, Cell Relay Discussion
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Usenet Gateway: comp.protocols.cell-relay

Network, Broadband, ATM Contributions
 Address: [e-mail]
 Topics: Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: ATM contributions

Network, Broadband, ATM, ATM Forum
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: ATM Forum
 Background: The ATM Forum is a not-for-profit organization that primarily
             represents vendors, but also represents users.  All, however,
are
             primarily focused on CPE use of ATM (as opposed to telecomm
             services based on ATM.)
             Contact:
                 The ATM Forum
                 c/o Interop Company
                 480 San Antonio Rd, Suite 100
                 Mountain View, CA
                 94040-1219
                 415-962-2585
                 415-941-0849 (fax)
                 Anne Ferris, [e-mail]

Network, Broadband, ATM, IP Over ATM
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: IP over ATM
 Access: Reflector. Open.

Network, Broadband, Cell-Relay
 See: Network, Broadband, ATM, ...

Network, Broadband, FDDI
 See: Network, Management, SNMP, MIB, FDDI
 See: Network, Broadband, FDDI, Repeater WG

Network, Broadband, FDDI, Repeater WG
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: FDDI Repeater WG
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, Interface, Fiber Channel, Extensions
 Address: [e-mail]
          fibre-channel-ext.think.com
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
               [e-mail]
 Maintainer:
 Topics: Fibre Channel Extensions
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, Interface, Fiber Channel, Fibre Channel Association
(FCA)
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Maintainer: Don Deel, dond, amcc.com
 Topics: Fibre Channel Association
 Access: Reflector.
 Archive: ftp.amcc.com

Network, Broadband, Frame Relay, Frame Relay Forum Technical Committee
(FRFTC)
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: Frame Relay Forum (RF) Technical Committee (TC) (FRFTC)
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, Interface
See: Network, Management, SNMP, MIB, Interface

Network, Broadband, Interface, Scaleable Coherent Interface (SCI)
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: Scaleable Coherent Interface (SCI) technical discussion.
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, Interface, Scaleable Coherent Interface (SCI),
Announcements
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: SCI: general interest
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, ISDN
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: ISDN
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, SMDS, SMDS SIG, Technical Commttee
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: SMDS Interest Group Tech. Comm.
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Broadband, Wireless
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: Wireless communication
 Access: Reflector.

Network, Brouter, Benchmarking WG
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Topics: Bridge/router Benchmarking Methodolgy WG

Network, Brouter, cisco
 Address: [e-mail]
 Subscribe To: [e-mail]
 Maintainer: David C. M. Wood
 Topics: Network products from Cisco Systems, Inc; primarily the AGS
gateway,
         but also the ASM.  Configuration, protocols, routing, loading,
         serving.
 Access: Open. Reflector of subscribees, only.
             Even though this is a cisco sponsored newsgroup, there is
         an extraordinary degree of valuable information about complex
         generic routing and networking topics.
 Usenet Gateway: Email list articles are posted to comp.dcom.sys.cisco.
                 Newsgroup articles are not posted back to the email list,
                 however.
 Background: If you are a Cisco Maintenance customer, you are encouraged to
             send technical problems and questions directly to the Cisco
TAC
             (Technical Assistance Center) via e-mail at: [e-mail];
             by telephone at [phone] or [phone], or by FAX at
             [phone], for any technical problems or questions.
                 If you wish to contact Cisco customer service for
             non-technical issues, you may call them at [phone] or
send
             mail to: [e-mail], or [e-mail].

Lee D. Rothstein  [e-mail]
VeriTech  7 Merrymeeting Drive  Merrimack, NH 03054-2934
603-424-2900  Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 19 OCT 93 17:02
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play


   I sent the following to [e-mail] directly, partly because I
saw no reason to clutter the Digest with such stuff and partly because
my internet connection tends to be flaky.  However, since there seem
to be several other, much less realistic and much less reliable
suggestions, I'll submit this to the Digest, as well.

            -------  Forwarded message -------

> I'm looking for a device, preferably cheap/do-it-yourself for ringing
> a phone. The phone will be on a stage during a play, and the director
> wants it to be able to ring.  Any help that you could give me would be
> greatly appreciated.

   I do a lot of theater technical stuff for a hobby (community
theater) and have a couple of techniques you can use.  By far the
simplest is to use standard wall current (120 volts, 60 Hz) into the
normal bell circuit.  You can control it by any normal means of
controlling wall current: plug the thing in, pull it out; wire up a
switched extension cord; rig a push button on an extension cord; set
up some exotic timer circuit that switch the extension cord (I'm sure
you get the idea).

   Inside the phone: If it is a normal phone with a mechanical bell,
take the two leads from the cord (usually red & green) and run them
across one of the possibly two bell coils.  If you want to be extra
sophisticated (I usually am :-)), run one or both of the leads through
the switch-hook so the circuit is closed when the phone is on-hook and
opens when the phone goes off-hook.  This makes it impossible for the
actor to screw up the phone-ringing-person by picking up the phone in
mid-ring (i.e., the phone stops ringing!) (this often impresses the
h*ll out of the audience and non-technical directors/actors/producers/
etc).

   Make your own adaptor from modular phone cord or four-prong phone
cord or whatever you have to standard wall plug (male).

   If I've lost you in technical details or you need more details, feel
free to contact me.


Dave Lapin UNISYS/ASN/ECDC [phone] (net**2 385-3508)
internet:  dlapin @ eccsa.tredydev.unisys.com
            <insert std.disclaimer>

------------------------------

From: Jonathan Haruni <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Ringing a Phone on the Stage in a Play
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Micrognosis International, London
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 14:47:26 GMT


[e-mail] (Lukas Zahas) wrote:

>> ... There's a REALLY easy way to make a standard phone's bell ring. ...
>> Just put the ... wires from the ringer inside across 120VAC, in series
>> with a capacitor ...

Pardon the gratuitous editing.  I think it would be worth mentioning,
when giving advice like this to a wide audience, that it would be very
easy to electrocute an actor if you do not take appropriate safety
measures.  There is a big difference between doing this sort of thing
in your own home, and in a very public place like a theatre.

Disconnect the wires connecting the base of the phone to the receiver,
and either remove these wires or cut them so they are too short to
reach any of your 120V wiring.  Better yet, remove ALL electrical
components and wiring from the phone except the bell.  Connect the
metal chasis of the base (probably the underside only) to ground.
Make sure the ground is wired correctly and is actually plugged in to
a grounded outlet, which it is apt not to be if it gets wired all
through the theatre and back to the control room.  Make sure it is
difficult to disconnect the ground without disconnecting the power as
well, and difficult to apply power whithout the ground connected.

Make sure the 120V cable coming in to the back of the phone is
strapped firmly to the chassis, so there will be no strain on your
connections if the phone is dragged by this wire.  The little crimps
used for this purpose with normal phone wiring are not good enough.
Make sure that your theatre's insurance policies (industrial accident,
and fire) do not require a qualified electrician to do these tasks, or
that they are carried out by someone with the appropriate
qualifications.  Place stickers on the phone, warning others that it
is connected to high voltage and not to open it.  Make sure the
stickers are not easily removable.

So it's not REALLY that easy; I think some of the other suggestions
are preferable for use on a stage, which is a dangerous place to begin
with, even if they are a bigger engineering challenge.  IMHO, the best
suggestion was to replace the guts of the phone with a 12V doorbell.
Plug a 12V transformer into one of your lighting circuits and operate
it from your lighting board.


Jonathan Haruni

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bill Hofmann)
Subject: Re: Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 01:03:56 GMT


[e-mail] writes:

> This is already the case in 416 and 905, thus no further changes are
> expected for those area codes. This will affect other Bell area codes:
> Ontario's 519, 613, 705 and 807, plus Quebec's 418, 514 and 819.

Are these and other Canadian codes currently 1 + seven for toll in area code
and 1 + ten for toll outside area code?


Bill Hofmann

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 20:37 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: Re: V.P. Gore's Comments on TCI/Bell Atlantic Merger


Cliff Barney <[e-mail]> wrote:

> Could there be any clearer indication than this press release that the
> administration lacks a clue as to what is going on in the telecommun-
> ications industry?

I disagree.  I thought the wording of the statement, which essentially
just said that formal investigations would have to reveal whether the
proposed merger was pro- or anti-competitive, was precisely the right
thing for him to have said.  They know very well what's going on and
how controversial this issue is.  To say anything else at this point
could easily be construed as "tainting" the later investigative
process.


 --Lauren--

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ken Weaverling)
Subject: Re: Cost of Modems
Date: 20 Oct 1993 06:03:42 GMT
Organization: Delaware Technical & Community College


In article <[e-mail]>, TELECOM Moderator noted:

> [Moderator's Note: In the next couple years it will cost $25. I have a
> desk drawer full of 300/1200 baud modems here. I could maybe get $5-10
> each for them if someone wanted them for backups, etc. That's life.  PAT]

A local pawn shop has a genuine Hayes 1200 Smartmodem in the window
for only $79.95!  I went in for fun and tried to talk the guy down on
it.  He said that he couldn't go any lower, since this thing costs
$600 brand new!

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 04:44:40 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Carrier or Provider?


[e-mail] (Shag) Writes in #703:

> Though I support this merge (I'm a big fan of Bell Atlantic,
> particularly since they're feverishly working to put fiber-optics and
> ISDN all over the place here in New Jersey :) I'm a little worried
> about how this will relate to a traditional multi-level competition
> scheme, and how it will relate to the recent legal decision allowing
> RBOCs to _provide_ video.

The situation is fairly analogus to Cable TV systems, such as GRC here
in Rochester, providing their own programming, when they started as a
carrier.  Apparently, the commission is thinking that since the cable
companies can do it, so will the telephone folks.

If competition is your concern, then perhaps you ought to re-consider
your support of the proposal.


E/

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Syd Weinstein)
Subject: Re: T1 Through HDSL Boxes
Date: 19 Oct 1993 10:42:21 -0400
Organization: Datacomp Systems, Inc., Huntingdon Valley, PA
Reply-To: [e-mail]


David M Sokolic <[e-mail]> writes:

> I was wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with using
> HDSL (High bit rate digital subscriber line) technology to provide
> repeaterless T-1. There are several manufacturers (Paairgain
> Technologies, Adtran, Alcatel, Tellabs) that make this kind of
> equipment. I was wondering if anyone out there has looked into the
> different equipment and has any comments about how the different
> offerings compare.

Don't get me started :-)

Bell of PA didn't want to condition a new set of trunks for one of our
T-1's, so they ran HDSL's from Pairgain Technologies.  Well, let me
tell you, what a nightmare it was.  It took them close to 30 days to
solve the problems.  (and they worked on it for 30 days, I had no
problems keeping them focused on the problem) ...

first: There is no way to check out the circut except at the end
points.  (Your BERT is useless inbetween.)  Second: out of the box
reliability is suspect.  Actual problem: four brand new units out of
the box each had different defects, most of which were very subtle and
occurred only intermittently (like every 15 minutes).

However, once in, let me tell you that they work well.  Just don't
assume any trouble you see is in the wiring or other sections.  These
units, at least the pairgain ones, need better factory QA.


Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP          Elm Coordinator - Current 2.4PL23
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                 Projected 3.0 Release: ??? ?,1994
[e-mail] or dsinc!syd      Voice: [phone], FAX: [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 12:04:03 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Amusing Misdialed Call


I have had a couple of similar experiences with this, although mine
were not as amusing, and I was on the receiving end.

I have been on the road alot lately on business, and have seen more
than my share of motels.  One night at a motel in Cleveland, I was
plagued with a series of one-ring phone calls.

These rings started one evening, and would continue into late
night/early morning.  The symptoms were always the same; the phone
would ring once, I would pick up, and get PBX dial tone.  The first
few times this occurred, I called the front desk thinking I might have
a message.  Nothing.  Then I thought it might be my wife trying to get
me to call back home. Nope.

What was it?!?  As I stared at my stupid phone, I thought of what had
to be the answer.  I was staying in room #180.  What must have been
happening was that another room would start to dial a 1-800 number.
They would key in 1-8-0, then my phone would ring once, then
0-xxx-xxxx.  As soon as the second 0 was pressed, the PBX would error
out, and my phone would not ring again. Needless to say, I have
blacklisted any room that is numbered 180.

Well, I thought what a fluke!  I'm sure glad this is behind me! Oh
well, not so fast, the next week I was in Dallas.  Guess which room
they gave me? Room #214. OH NO, IT'S THE AREA CODE FOR DALLAS!
AHhhhhhhhh Sure enough, I had several instances of the 1-ring phone
problem, although it was not a frequent as the 180 instance.


The moral?  Never stay in rooms 180, 911, 411, etc.


Eric

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 93 02:14 GMT
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Amusing Misdialed Call
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> His solution?  He expects AT&T to change *their* number since
> people cannot remember to 'dial one eight hundred first'

The argument might be made that Royko had his number first.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl


[Moderator's Note: If you want to make that kind of an argument, which
I think is sort of dumb, then carry it to its logical extension: There
is only one absolute set of numbers available, 2xx-xxxx through 9xx-xxxx
and that is all we have because 'someone got them first'. We cannot
have two numbers the same in any two areacodes because someone might
forget to dial 1 plus the areacode and reach the other person by error.

AT&T does not need to change anything, but Royko needs to be put out
to pasture. He is just a crude, rude idiot anyway. I've followed his
writing since he was a reporter on the crime beat for the Chicago News
Bureau (a service owned jointly by all the newspapers here for local
stuff) thirty years ago, including his first big-time assignment of
writing a daily column for the long gone {Chicago Daily News}. He does
not impress me as anything but a boor. In response to his demands that
AT&T change their number so that their non-800 dialing customers can
annoy someone else for a change, AT&T basically told him to take a
jump off a bridge somewhere.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 11:35:21 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic and TCI Cable Merge


I have heard somewhere that, in those areas which have both phone
service from a Bell Atlantic company and cable service through TCI,
the cable company would have to be sold.  I moved recently, and this
would affect both the old and new residences.  Newark (Delaware) has
Diamond State telephone and TCI of New Castle County.  In Cecil
County, I got C&P telephone, and cable service is from TCI in Elkton.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Robert Keyes)
Subject: Need Help: Cellular Modem
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 18:50:47 GMT


I picked up a Morrison & Dempsey Cellular Modem the other day. Modem
AB2X. 1200 bps. Anyhow, The cable that cam with it is for the
Panasonic EB-310, 311, and 362 phones. I don't have a panasonic phone,
I have a novatel and a motorola. The modem manual says there are two
types of handset configurations (oh, the modem goes between the
handset and the transceiver) - AMPS and serial. Novatel says they use
a serial interface.  Can't get any info from motorola yet, and
panasonic is impossible to get ahold of. I have several questions for
the Net:

1) Anyone have info on the proper cables for the motorola or novatel for
use with this modem, or cables to sell?

2) What is the Amps specification? what pins do what? what is the spec on
the handset for the novatel, and for the panasonic?

3) How can I get a hold of tech support for either panasonic or Morrison
and dempsey (the latter seems to have dissappeared)?


Any help would be appreciated

[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Lyon;Pac Bell)
Subject: DTMF Decoders
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 22:26:27 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Status: RO


Does any one know where i could get a schematic for a dtmf decoder?


Thanks,

[e-mail]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #711
******************************


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Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 12:35:17 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #712

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 20 Oct 93 12:35:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 712

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Video Phones - ATT vs MCI (Neil Berger)
    PC Based SS7 Products (Richard Nash)
    Lightwave Switching (Rick Carlton)
    Wireless PBX (Hanwook Jung)
    Delay Simulator (Takao Hotta)
    Service Interruption Statistics (Greg Donaldson)
    What's Going on Here? (Could'a Used Caller-ID) (Theodore M.P. Lee)
    What's the Pocket Phone Dialer of Choice? (Carlos McEvilly)
    Comdial PBX For Sale (Charles Frankston)
    Voice Processing Revenge (John Pescatore)
    Information Wanted on Line Concentrators and Flexible Muxes (David Sokolic)
    Redundant Line Options (T1) (Joel Sather)
    Magnalink Series 5000 (Joel Sather)
    Deregulation - Why is Cost Still High? (Nathan Lane)
    Need a Cellular Repair Manual (Eric D. Davis)
    Cellular Pay Phone on Intercity Bus (Josh Backon)
    Dialback Modem that Provides Dialtone Instead of Carrier? (Lee Chen)
    NEC, NEAX User Groups Information (Randal Hayes)
    Automatic Busy Number Redial (Randall Gellens)
    ANI in HI? (Eric N. Florack)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 10:33:04 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Video Phones - ATT vs MCI
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


Some time ago I asked if anyone had information on these phones, and I
am now an "expert" having used both of them.  I will summarize:

MCI $750 for first, $712.50 for any additional + local tax and $15
shipping per phone. Two week delivery date. Thirty day money-back
guarantee. It is light gray, and has a pleasing shape -- sort of
English industrial design.  Modern, but not imposing.  Warrantee for 1
year, not extendable. Operates at two modem speeds, fast and slow.
Fast is 14.4 and slow is 9.6 kb. Uses some sort of video compression.
Made in UK. Uses the M(arconi)VTS standard. It will not work with
ATT's video phones. If there is noise on the line the speed goes down.
(It has never actually happened to me.) Buttons on the phone include:
Privacy, Pause, Memory store, Memory recall, Flash, Redial, Speaker.
In addition, video functions include: contrast, color, freeze frame,
video refresh, self view, timer on/off.  Screen size 3x3", with a
fixed focus lens, 10 number memory, excellent VOX speakerphone.

This phone always attempts to send and receive pictures at 10
frames/second. If the subject is moving, or the light is less than
optimal, the picture becomes degraded. Loss of detail is seen by a
blocking of large portions of the picture. It is not pleasant. If this
happens, you must ask the party to stop moving around so much, or you
can press freeze frame. This will cause an excellent picture to be
transmitted. You can update that picture by pressing video refresh.
This is tedious, but the quality of the picture is impressive.
Pressing freeze frame again will return you to 10 frames/sec. A self
view picture within a picture is included in the upper left hand
corner of the screen. It can be turned off. The phone provides the
times of the length of the call, number of calls made, and has self
diagnostics. The video buttons are hard to use, and harder to read the
labels on. People over 70 will have trouble seeing them. MCI has a
particular "feature?" that the sound is slightly delayed so that the
movement of the persons lips in the picture appears to coincide with
the voice coming over the phone.  This can be confusing, and leads to
substantial pauses when used with the speaker phone feature.  The
memory is backed up for five years with the power off.  The screen and
camera are movable in one plane, the phone must be moved to get
movement in the other plane.  Dislikes include: if you answer first on
a non-video extension, you may have to fiddle with the "call" and
"answer" mode settings on one or the other of the video phones to get
it to work.

ATT 2500 Videophone: $999 list. Available through Sears, ATT stores.
It has been discounted for as low as $955 INCLUDING tax, shipping with
a two week delivery date from CitiShopper with a two year guarantee.
(reason enough for joining if you don't already belong.) The normal one
year warrantee can be extended for an additional year at $125, available
from ATT.

It operates at 19.2 Kb. It uses video compression. It has many
on-screen menus to set color, brightness and number of frames/sec
transmission rates. Screen is 3.5x3.5" with a fixed focus lens. The
screen is 128 pixel by 112 lines. If you set the "focus" to fast it
will send 10 frames/sec -- down to slow (in five steps) at 2
frames/sec. The quality of the picture is the inverse of the speed of
transmission. At its worst, it is slightly better than the worst of
the MCI pictures. At its best it seems to be about equal to the MCI
phone in freeze frame mode, but then the picture is updated at 2
frames per second. This gives NO feeling of any motion, and in a sense
is very disconcerting. At 10 frames/sec the movement of the speaker's
lips and the sound are not synchronized.

The buttons and controls seem to be much easier to use. There is no
selfview picture within a picture available. You can check your
picture if you want but you loose sight of the party you are calling
for that moment. It seems to work better than the MCI phone in low
light situations. The power supply is far more robust, and a battery
backup is provided. The phone itself is heavier and takes up more
space. It is black and looks like other ATT offerings. It will not
work with the MCI phone. It does not seem to suffer from the
call-answer problems that the MCI phone has (see above) when the first
answer is by a non-video phone. 12 number memory, flash button,
redial, etc. most if not all of the same features as the MCI phone.The
screen and the camera are movable in two planes.

Both phones will only work in video mode when they are the only phones
off the hook. Voice mode must be established first. Then both parties
must press the video button. After a short pause, during which no
voice communication can be made, you will be in video mode. No
additional phone rates are associated with their use. This is a
budding technology which will get better and cheaper if you can afford
to wait. I can't, and they are a dream come true for my family. As my
85 year old parents said "We feel like we've already made it into the
21 century."

I presently own the MCI phone, but I may switch to the ATT model since
it seems easier for my older parents to use -- although the pictures
seem quite comparable.


<[e-mail]>
Neil Berger   Department of Mathematics UIC 851 S. Morgan Chicago IL 60607

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 22:53:54 -0600
Reply-To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: PC Based SS7 Products


Is anyone aware of a PC based system that could be used as an SSP
which could launch Calling Card Queries to the various SCP's, and
receive a validation reply?  No doubt someone has made, or is building
such a machine.

Please reply directly, although I am sure other folks on the net would
also be interested.


Richard Nash    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Lightwave Switching
Organization: Vanderbilt University
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 14:09:04 GMT


I am looking for information concerning lightwave switching products,
pilots, or research updates.

The last information I had seen on this topic was a brief discussion
of Bell Labs research into the switching of photons.  This was several
years ago and I have not seen a recent update on this topic.

Any information would be appreciated; post or email.


Rick Carlton          Vanderbilt University
Telecommunications    Phone:  [phone]
Fax:  [phone]  Internet:  [e-mail]
Compuserve:  71534,1746

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Hanwook Jung)
Subject: Wireless PBX
Organization: UB
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 15:59:13 GMT


Hello guys!

I want to know the address of companies who makes wireless PBX to get
some related informations.  And I want to implement a test-bed
wireless PBX with PC. Would you give me some good advices on this?
I'll greatly appreciate for it. Thanks.


H Jung    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Takao Hotta)
Subject: Delay Simulator
Organization: KDD R&D Labs., Network Engineering Support Group
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 10:45:51 GMT


Dear Networkers,

I have found the equipment to generate a delay for simulating long
distance circuit or satellite circuit. Please let me know what
information you might have on it.

        _______                  _______
       /       \                /       \
      | network |--- delay ----| network |
       \_______/                \_______/


Thanks in advance,

Takao Hotta   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Service Interruption Statistics
Date: 19 Oct 93 22:02:46 -0700
Organization: SYSCON Corporation


Folks,

    I am looking for an unbiased source where I can get long
distance carrier interruption statistics.  Any ideas?


Thanks!

Greg Donaldson, Senior Systems Analyst   [e-mail]
SYSCON Corporation   1000 Thomas Jefferson St. NW   Washington, DC 20007
202-342-4123

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Theodore M.P. Lee)
Subject: What's Going on Here? (Could'a Used Caller-ID)
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 21:42:32 -0600
Organization: Trusted Information Systems, Inc.


I had a strange phone call earlier this evening. I answer, voice one
says "someone will be with you in a minute." Voice two then comes on
and asks for someone in the Lee residence. Voice two says, "We're
trying to reach one of your neighbors, [gives name]" and then I think
asked "do you know where we can reach him." The person in question is
the oldest son of our next door neighbor. I said "they live next
door". Answer: "good. Do you know if he lives there or not?" Actually
I didn't, since he's been intermittently moving in and out and I said
so. "OK, we have other numbers we can try." I immediately called next
door -- several people were home and had obviously been for some time;
I reported the strange call, which was news to them -- no attempt had
been made to call them.

I was quite busy at the time or I would have had the presence of mind
to both shut up earlier than I did and to ask a question or two.  Does
anyone have any guesses as to what was going on?  If the call had been
long distance, is there any way one could talk the telco into tracking
down where it came from, knowing about when it was made?


Ted Lee   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: You were most likely contacted by a bill collection
agency in an effort to see if you knew the whereabouts or telephone
number of the person they were trying to reach. 'Criss-cross' or cross-
reference phone directories placed you as one of the neighbors. I find
those automated 'dial-ahead' systems they use for placing calls to be
very obnoxious; the fact that they call me then expect me to wait until
they have time to come to the phone to speak about information they want
is an example of how arrogant some of those people can be.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carlos McEvilly)
Subject: What's the Pocket Phone Dialer of Choice?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 03:55:07 GMT


Which pocket phone dialer is best?  Is there a consensus on this?  I
have heard about the Radio Shack models, and seem to dimly recall
having read that they recently discontinued a model that had some
desirable feature.  Of course even discontinued models are sometimes
available in certain stores long after discontinuation.  Any
suggestions?


Carlos McEvilly         finger for info about Bamboo Helper Chinese
[e-mail]     Text Tools, or ftp netcom.com:/pub/mcevilly

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Comdial PBX For Sale
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 01:03 -0400


We have a ComDial Digitech PBX, configued to the max: 24 CO lines, 48
extensions, with five ATI devices (analog to digital converters, this is
a digital PBX and requires convertors to get analog phone lines for
modems and faxes) that support a total of ten analog lines.  This is a
fairly state-of-the-art small business PBX.

We're pretty happy with the system, but we're out of capicity and will
probably upgrade to the larger Digitech DXP.  Only problem is we don't
like the trade-in allowance that the PBX vendors are offering (many
won't even make an offer!).  So, if there's anyone out there who's
interested in this, we might be willing to go as low as 50% of
original purchase price.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Pescatore)
Subject: Voice Processing Revenge
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 07:47:24 -0400
Organization: Rockville, MD


"Automated Revenge"

Associated Press (10/19/93)

Roanoke, Va. -- A Virginia man disturbed by a local bank's automated
telephone system that did not offer access to a human being recently
used his computer to file a protest.  Brian McConnell developed a
computer program that automatically dialed eight First Union Bank
employees and treated them to a recorded message.  "This is an
automated customer complaint," the message said.  "To hear a live
complaint, press ..."  Individuals who dialed the specified number
were informed that "The customer is unable to come to the phone right
now, but your call is very important.  Thank you for being patient."
A First Union Bank representative later contacted McConnell -- who heads
a firm that writes automatic phone system software -- and apologized.

[I would buy that piece of software in a heartbeat -- or at least
lease it every time I refinanced my mortgage.  JP]


John Pescatore WB2EKK    GTE Government Systems  Rockville, MD
[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I know someone who's only published phone number
goes to an answering machine with a recorded message which says, "for
your convenience, this line is answered 24 hours per day by this
message taking system; you will NEVER reach anyone live at this number
and you MUST leave your name and number if you expect a callback ..."
Still, he gets quite a few hangup calls from people who refuse to
leave a message thinking sometime -- maybe at 3 AM on Sunday morning --
someone will actually answer the line.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 10:12:07 EDT
From: David M Sokolic <[e-mail]>
Subject: Information Wanted on Line Concentrators and Flexible Muxes


Hello all -

I am looking for information on line concentrators -- i.e. boxes that
squeeze more traffic onto 2Mb lines then 30 channels. Who makes them?
What do they cost? Does anyone have an info/experience using them?

Also, how about flexible multiplexers, Who is using them? For what
purposes?

Thanks for your  help. I will post a summary for those that are
interested.


Thanks,

David Sokolic   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Joel Sather)
Subject: Redundant Line Options (T1)
Date: 20 Oct 1993 15:27:00 GMT
Organization: Andersen Consulting - Minneapolis
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Hi-

I am in the process of trying to make a number of our T1 lines
redundant.  AT&T has been very helpful, and they will guarantee
redundancy down to the POP.  I am not sure that this is the most cost
effective option avaliable, and was wondering if anyone has any
advice.  I looked into VSAT, but that is too expensive for only five
sites.  Oh, these lines go into Canada and Mexico.


Thanks,

Joel Sather        Work: 612-372-2601    Snail-Mail: Andersen Consulting
Andersen Consulting    Fax:  [phone]                333 South 7th St.
TIS-North Central    E-Mail: [e-mail]        Minneapolis, MN 55402

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Joel Sather)
Subject: Magnalink Series 5000
Date: 20 Oct 1993 15:30:13 GMT
Organization: Andersen Consulting - Minneapolis
Reply-To: [e-mail]


We just got in two Magnalink Series 5000 LAN/WAN Optimizers for evaluation.
Has anyone used this product?  What do you think?  What kind of performance
increase did you see?


Joel Sather        Work: 612-372-2601    Snail-Mail: Andersen Consulting
Andersen Consulting    Fax:  [phone]                333 South 7th St.
TIS-North Central    E-Mail: [e-mail]        Minneapolis, MN 55402

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 20:14:14 -0700
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Deregulation - Why is Cost Still High?


I've been meaning to ask this for sometime -- recently in California,
all inside wire was completely deregulated, except for residential
units of less than two or four units (forget which).  GTE, PacBell and
others have abandoned all inside wiring in place (AIP, as they say).
Since they have done so, why didn't they reduce the cost of the
installation of 56K ADN and DDS circuits?  It is still $620.00 per end
and they WILL NOT wire it up all the way to the destined location.  (I
finally convinced them to because I was so angry and we had an analog
leased line already to the lines location, so all they had to do was
hook up the four pair at the GTE demarc).

I talked with our lineman and he said "well, we'll do it if it takes
less than 15 minutes, but we're not supposed to".  Then I mentioned
"do you think any company around here would even KNOW what a 56K ADN
or DDS was?" ... he said "no".  (We did have to have a third party
come in for one of our offices and he, of course, rolled the TX/RX
pairs).

Less service, same money?  Can it be true?


Nathan Lane  Triicon Systems, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA


[Moderator's Note: Of course it can be true and it is true. Far less
technically complex situations than yours have demonstrated this over
and over since divestiture and degregulatio Phone bills everywhere are
higher than ever, and customers are expected to know more and more
about making do for themselves.  Don't you love it?  :)   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Eric D Davis)
Subject: Need a Cellular Repair Manual
Date: 20 Oct 1993 00:08:40 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz


I have a dead phone ...

I have an Motorola Ultra Classic and I am in need of the service
manual.  If you have one, or one for ANY OF THE CLASSIC MODELS, please
let me know. If you know where one can be found, plese also let me
know.

I will be glad to pay for shipping, copying, and your time.


Thanks,

Eric Davis   [e-mail]
On the air:      KD6HTO ( 440.85, +, 100Hz PL, North-Central CA )
On packet radio: KD6HTO @ N6IYA.#NOCAL.CA.US.NA
Home: LAT:37 03 04 N LON: 122 00 49 W ALT: 570
finger [e-mail] or mail [e-mail] for PGP key

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Cellular Pay Phone on Intercity Bus
Date: 19 Oct 93 18:22:36 GMT
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem


The local PTT in Israel has just installed an experimental cellular
pay phone in an intercity bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The phone is
next to the driver and calls are made with regular phone cards. It was
quite interesting to see someone walk up and call home from the pay
phone in the bus.


Josh   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lee Chen)
Subject: Dialback Modem that Provides Dialtone Instead of Carrier?
Organization: Mindvox
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 23:19:36 GMT


I am looking for a device similar to a dial-back modem but instead of
a data carrier, it provides a dial tone (voice line) instead.

Specifically, I need to hook up a telephone line to this device and
when an incoming call reaches the device, the device will prompt for a
security code (or perhaps just listen for a ring) and call back the
caller on that same line and provide a dial tone from another
telephone line connected to the device.

Does such a thing exist?

Of course, I'd be willing to commission the construction of such a
device if it does not currently exist ...


Regards all,

Lee


[Moderator's Note: There are lots of these devices around, but they
are known as 'call extenders' or 'WATS extenders' rather than
dial-back modems. They work a lot the same, but the latter are for
data and the former for voice. There are 'call-extenders' which ask
for a security code then extend dialtone once security has been
satisfied. I think there are some which will even call you back if
desired. I know this is the method Telepassport uses for our inter-
national callback service. You call it; it calls you back and asks
for your password.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 20 Oct 93 10:41 CST
Subject: NEC, NEAX User Groups Information


> Does anyone know of any user groups or lists for users of NEC or NEAX
> Switches?

The NEAX 2400 is a fine user group. Contact Mr.Carlisle Reams at
803/798-4800 for more information.


Just one more opinion from ...

[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 20 OCT 93 02:03
Subject: Automatic Busy Number Redial


I got the GTE call features booklet in the mail today, and there is
another difference between Busy Number Redial and Automatic Busy
Number Redial.  As I mentioned before, BNR only works for numbers in
your switch, while BNR works for any SS7-connected switch (currently
only other GTE offices).

The other difference is that BNR only works for one number at a time,
while ABNR works for many numbers at once (no mention of a limit).  I
wonder if this is a influenced by the terminating switch queueing
method used by the GTD-5 as opposed to the originating switch queueing
method used by the 5ESS and DMS100?

I still say that "Automatic" is a stupid modifier, since it is no more
automatic than BNR.  "Extended" or "Enhanced" would be better, IMO.


Randall Gellens            [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation         [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA          to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 04:27:03 PDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: ANI in HI?


Can anyone give me a list of what exchanges in Hawaii have ANI
available as a feature, and who those features are available to? I
mean, is it just a 911-only thing, or is it available as an added-cost
feature to joe and Jane Six-pack?


/E

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #712
******************************


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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 10:54:46 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #713

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 22 Oct 93 10:54:45 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 713

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Legal Action Against Sprint re Modem Offer (Chris Ambler)
    Re: US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP (Brett Person)
    Sprint Fax/Modem Offer (Jack Mcgee)
    Sprint Modem Offer Revisited Yet Again (Joshua E. Muskovitz)
    Sprint Modem Ripoff - Sprint's Response ([e-mail])
    Sprint Modem Ripoff ([e-mail])
    Re: Sprint Modem Update (Don Davis)
    Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery (Clay Jackson)
    Re: Cost of Modems ([e-mail])
    Re: Cost of Modems (Glenn R. Stone)
    Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK? (Dinesh Rehani)
    Re: Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)? (David Josephson)
    Re: Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)? (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Calling Card Scam (H. Shrikumar)
    Re: Ten Base T (?) Lines (Lars Poulsen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler - Fubar)
Subject: Legal Action Against Sprint re Modem Offer
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 00:57:12 GMT


I am expecting a callback from Sprint on Monday, so it is urgent that
readers of the Digest respond to me before then if they are involved
in the modem offer.

I spoke with Mr. Shawn Larimer just now, and he informed me that,
indeed, the modem is a 2400Data 9600/4800Fax internal PC half-card. I
told him that I was promised, on all seven of my lines, a 9600Data/Fax
external modem. He explained that he was aware of the problem, but
that I should understand that he is not in a position of being a
hardware supplier. He did not mention a compromise or settlement until
I did. At that time, he offered me $50 of credit as compensation. I
countered that the difference in cost between what was promised and
what is actually shipping was more like $140.  He assured me that they
would never agree to such an amount. I then suggested that he contact
the department dealing with the hardware supplier to inquire about the
availability of the promised item (9600 external). He agreed, and will
be calling back on Monday.

Bottom line: I get either a 9600Data/Fax external modem, the
difference in credit (I would accept $100 per line), or I am going to
take legal action.  I have done some research, and the activation of
my service with Sprint is grounds for value received on contract, and
they are obligated to send me what I was promised in return for
switching long distance carriers.

If anyone else has signed up for this, and has not accepted his
offered $50 (which he said many people have), I would like to hear
from you. A cooperative effort should carry more weight. In addition,
their offering and previous success at a $50 settlement is, I have
discovered, sufficient acceptance of responsibility on their part.

Sprint made an offer, I accepted. I am not about to let them out of
it.  If you feel as I do, please get in touch with me.


[e-mail] | Christopher J. Ambler
[e-mail]  | Author, FSUUCP 1.41
FSVMP Voice BBS Demo System - 805-544-3754

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Person)
Subject: Re: US Sprint Modem Mess - Read This ASAP
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 19:35:32 GMT
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network


> [Moderator's Note: Not to burst your bubble, but I imagine you will be
> required to prove that such commitments were made (i.e. 9600/9600)
> and that your impression was not the result of a misunderstanding
> as to what the rep(s) actually said.  PAT]

What do Sprint's PUBLISHED ads say?  Often, companies will
mis-represent things like this IN PRINT.  Then, I suspect, you would
have something to go to court over.


Brett Person   North Dakota State University
[e-mail] || [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I do not believe there are any *published* ads regards
the modem offer. Has anyone seen anything?   PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Sprint Fax/Modem Offer
From: [e-mail] (Jack Mcgee)
Date: 22 Oct 93 02:40:00 GMT
Organization: Ed Hopper's BBS - Berkeley Lake (Atlanta), GA - 404-446-9462
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jack Mcgee)


The Sprint fax/modem offer has been rescinded as of Friday, 10/15. I
just tried to sign up on that deal today (Mon, 10/18) and the Sprint
lady said that the offer was pulled back Friday. Apparently it was
supposed to have expired some time ago, but it wasn't pulled from the
computer or some such, anyway she said the deal was no longer
available, but ...

I will be sent a plain vanilla 2400 baud modem with 30 hours on the
Sierra Network.  Whoopee.


Ed Hopper's BBS - Home of uuPCB - Usenet for PC Board
Node 1 - USR HST - 404-446-9462    Node 2 - V.32bis - 404-446-9465

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 08:48:05 EDT
From: Joshua E. Muskovitz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Sprint Modem Offer Revisited Yet Again


Gee, the folks at Sprint are really quite friendly -- I seem to get
more calls from them than I actually place using their service :-)

I got a phone call from Diane Worthy the other night, after reporting
her name as the correct contact, and after retracting that statement.
Now I must retract my retraction.  Confused?  So am I.

At last count, the correct story is:

Diane Worthy *IS* in fact the correct contact for the DVORAK program,
and she also claims to be the manager of the program, despite the fact
that another Sprint employee (named in a previous post) claimed the
exact same thing.  Both deny that the other is in charge.  Diane
confirmend yet again that the DVORAK offer ended October 1 and that
the details of the offer are correct as I have reported them.

What she also told me is that the offer was killed on Oct 1 because of
the tremendous (and unexpected) response.  They have been overrun with
orders.  She also hinted to me that come the first of the year they
may be making a similar (but much better) offer.  Something about an
internal 14.4...  :-) (But you didn't hear it from me ...)

Those of you interested in clarifying any issues of the DVORAK program
with Diane can reach her directly at 913-624-4475.  Be sure to tell
her that I gave you her number.  Maybe I'll get a commission.


Josh

PS:  Hopefully this will be my last correction ...

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 02:27:27 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Sprint Modem Ripoff - Sprint's Response


Sprint's response was basically: No way are we going to make good on
the modem offer. They are trying to contact everyone who signed up for
the offer and get them to accept some free long distance and a modem.
The modem is an internal 2400 baud fax/modem. Its a $20 piece of junk.
As far as those of you who have the names of your representative and their
manager's names, get this! Sprint Legal is going to take the position
that everything that was said is hearsay and just not true. See, this
is just the reason why telephone companies love to do verbal business.

Sprint says that the offer on the radio program was specific, that
their reps are not technical, and that they cancelled the "trial
offer" on Oct 1, 1993. Sprint claims that the rep's are NOT technical
and that people on BBS systems as well as the Internet are to blame
for this entire mess. We the Internet community have distorted the
facts of the offer!

Sprint also promises to send you a modem after approximatly four to
six weeks from the time you place your first call on their network.
This is also NOT TRUE. Sprint is just now trying to get people to
agree to the cheap modem and place an order for the product.

My opinion is that Sprint management does not care about the general
user/ phone customer. Thats all TV talk. The company made a dumb
mistake and they want us to pay our LD bills and take less than what
they offered. I do not intend to do that. I will be filing a lawsuit
against U.S. Sprint next week in small claims court. I urge all of you
that have been ripped off to do the same. It will cost Sprint far more
to go to small claims court all over the country than it will to honor
the deal. Sprint is a company without honor. I have heard all the
claims about un-trained rep's before.  People, it is an excuse they
drag out of the back room when something goes wrong. Hundreds of you
wrote to me and all of you tell the same story.  This company is going
to try and get out of this anyway they can.

If you are still connected to Sprint I urge you to call AT&T, explain that
they ripped you off on this modem deal and you want to switch back. Tell
AT&T that you will return if they will give you a check (real money) for
$75.00 that they have been offering. Call 900-222-0300 also ask about the
 i plan and see if they can get you a discount deal. One important
thing to remember is that accounts from $1.00 to $80,000.00 pay the
money that runs these telephone companies. Firms like United Airlines,
TWA, IBM, and others get service at near cost just because companies
like Sprint want to "BUY" their business. Why should the rest of us
pay the frieght ?

The new E-MAIL address for the SPRINT MODEM RIPOFF is [e-mail].
Please send me your comments!

------------------------------

From: Action <[e-mail]>
Subject: Sprint Modem Ripoff
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 06:44:49 MST


The great Sprint modem rip-off. I got a call from two people at Sprint
today and they were both lacking on information as to what Sprint will
do about this. I figure that the people in Sprint legal are trying to
decide what to do. The problem is wide spread. Their own people admit
it. One Sprint employee asked me if I was trying to get something for
nothing and was this all true! These people are really interesting.
The information I publish here is obtained from Sprint employees as
well as other sources. I stand by what I report to you on the net.

At this point I have asked to have the VP of Sprint Operations call
me. The program manager is just too far down the food chain to deal
with this problem. I will report my findings back on the net.

NOTICE: For all those that have mailed me!!! Hundreds... I have a new
e-mail address - please send mail there at once . This system just
can't hold all the mail and the up-time is poor.

My new mail address is    [e-mail]   CRL has a fantastic Sun
system setup and I would highly recommend them to anyone.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Don Davis)
Subject: Re: Sprint Modem Update 10-16-93
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 09:30:45 EDT
Organization: The Dayton Home for the Chronically Strange


At 12:20 today (Sunday) Diane Worthy called again to ask me for my
decision on alternatives to Sprint's modem offer.  It was an
interesting discussion.

I told her that I would not change my position, and that I wanted the
modem that was offered to me: a 9600 baud modem with FAX.  I also said
that I intended to wait and see what resulted from the various
discussions between Sprint and the people who are talking about the
offer on Usenet.  She did not press hard, but it was clear that she
would have liked me to accept the internal 24/96/48 modem or one of
the alternative software or credit offerings.

Significant aspects of the call:

1. Mrs. Worthy insisted that there was no problem at Sprint.  The
problem, according to her, was that people were reading about the
offer on the Internet, and calling Sprint with incomplete information.

2. She asserted that, because the offer had expired before I called on
October 11, Sprint had no legal obligation whatsoever to me.

3. She stated several times that there was no offer for a 9600 baud
modem with FAX.  The material which was broadcast was very specific as
to the model and capabilities of the modem, and that "... we have the
tapes ..." of what was broadcast.

4. Mrs. Worthy suggested that, since the available offers were not
what I was looking for, I should call back to customer service and
cancel my order.

My response to all of this was to insist that on October 11, a Sprint
representative told me that if I would convert my line to Sprint's LD
service, Sprint would send me "a 9600 baud modem with FAX."  That's
what the rep told me on October 11, and that's what I expect.

I guess we'll see what happens.


Don Davis   Internet: dgdhome![e-mail] | Tel: [phone]


[Moderator's Note: I got a call from Ms. Worthy last Sunday also, with
more or less the same conversation.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Clay Jackson)
Subject: Re: The Sprint Modem Mystery
Date: 22 Oct 93 08:58:53 GMT


The saga continues - I just tried a couple of the numbers previously
posted here and got told "The offer expired October 1st".  Oh well,
I'm actually not that unhappy with AT&T.


Clay Jackson - N7QNM   uunet!uswnvg!cjackso

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Cost of Modems
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd.
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 13:40:46 GMT


> A local pawn shop has a genuine Hayes 1200 Smartmodem in the window
> for only $79.95!  I went in for fun and tried to talk the guy down on
> it.  He said that he couldn't go any lower, since this thing costs
> $600 brand new!

Close ...

Seven years ago I paid $499.95 for mine.  It was well worth it then
considering the 300 baud alternative.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 93 20:44:53 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Glenn R. Stone)
Subject: Re: Cost of Modems


In Telecom 13.711.6, [e-mail] (Ken Weaverling) writes:

> A local pawn shop has a genuine Hayes 1200 Smartmodem in the window
> for only $79.95!  I went in for fun and tried to talk the guy down on
> it.  He said that he couldn't go any lower, since this thing costs
> $600 brand new!

Yeah, the Smartmodem 1200 is an industrial product now.  My father uses
them to remote-control the Instrument Landing System (ILS) transmitters
he's responsible for maintaining ... just a plain-Jane SM1200, set (for
some screwy reason) to answer in originate mode, and some firmware in
the monitor section ... he can do everything he can from the front panel,
including power cycle the transmitter proper.  Since they aren't in demand
by the general public, but they are by industry (gee, mister VP, it's
a Real Hayes!), Hayes jacks the prices out of proportion.  Meanwhile,
I just bought an Optima 2400 with V.42bis for $80 in the Georgia Tech
bookstore ... granted that carries an educational discount, but it's not
that much more in the "real world" ...


Glenn R. Stone ([e-mail])

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 14:45:24 GMT
From: [e-mail] (DINESH REHANI [phone])
Subject: Re: Does a US Modem Work in the UK?


Yes, it does ...

Thanks to all who responded, both to the list, and directly to me.  It
was a tremendous learning experience, being that I am practically a
novice in the field.

The trick is, as I found out, to identify the 'speech pair' in the
respective telephone systems you are trying to interface.

The US style RJ11 has the speech pair on pins 2 and 3. The BT style
plug has them on pins 2 and 5 (that is, the last-but-one on each end).
Trivial info for the initiated, sure, but took me 3 days to find out!

Anybody has any suggestions on good books to read up on for such stuff?


Dinesh Rehani     [e-mail]
ph : (44-400) 81999    fx : (44-400) 82073

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Josephson)
Subject: Re: Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)?
Organization: a2i network
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 18:41:17 GMT


Graybar Electric, a nationwide electrical contractor's supply house,
also stocks telecom supplies like 66 blocks, Dracon 714 tools, butt
sets etc. Their store in San Jose has all of the above in stock, I'm
sure there are many others.


David Josephson <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Source For Punchdown Blocks (Type 101)?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 01:56:25 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
com writes:

> I need to know if anyone has any sources for type 101 or type 66
> punchdown blocks (along with the special tool for the type 66) and
> 25/50 pair solid core copper wire.  The last time my phone guy was out
> here, I asked if I could have 50 ft. or so of 25 pair cable and he
> said "help yourself", which was great, but he wouldn't give me any
> punchdown blocks (understandable!)  I've got 12 pair coming into my

The places that sell computer networking parts and components sell
terminal blocks, wire, and tools.  Inmac, Global, etc.

It's a bit cheaper from someplaces that sells telephone equipment and
communications supplies, but for small quantities the Inmac and such
are better set up for consumer orders and aren't priced that much
more.

Inmac has 66 and 110 blocks, patch panels, connectorized blocks,
adapters, pre-made and raw cable, etc.  If you can't find an Inmac
catalog, call them 800-547-5444.

Black box carries pretty much the same stuff as Inmac, call Black Box
at 412-746-5530 (Black Box is interesting -- they want you to FAX
orders, so they have a toll free fax line and voice line that's on
your dime -- most places if you want to send a fax it's at your
cost ...)

For more equipment, Jensen Tools at 800-426-1194 or Specialized
Products 800-866-5353.

Jensen and Specialized have lots of tools, tool kits, and test
equipment (telco test (butt) sets, tone generators, etc) but not much
in supplies.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 10:11:57 -0400
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Re: Calling Card Scam
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India


In article <[e-mail]>  [e-mail] ...

>> I know AT&T started telling people *never* to give out their
>> card numbers over the phone.

> We do and so do the other carriers.  And the TV news specials have
> reinforced consumer awareness of such scams.

   I dont know if what I relate below is related to frauds or not ...
but whenever Sprint does something funny with my calling card (and
they do it often enough ... so that's one reason to carry cards of more
than one IXC), the first explanation I try has to do with Card Fraud.
I can usually figure the thing out after a couple of calls to Custumer
Service, sometimes getting bounced to supervisor level before I can
get an answer.

  But my recent experience is really really inexplicable ...

  Sprint says I can use my Sprint card to Direct dial calls to India
  ...  but not with operator help. The exact words they read off their
screen is something like "Operator placed calls to this country not
allowed.  You can please direct dial this call and bill it your card."
 ... and it does go thru if I DTMF the number.

  So what happens if I get stuck at a rotary phone or a COCOT that
eats DTMFs?  I cannot place a call to India thru Sprint at all then?

  And since I can presumably place calls within the US on my card with
an operator entering my card number ... whats the deal?

  I intend to try out actually placing a call within the US with
timeout to operator on the Sprint FonCard 800 number ... and then
after confirming that to call again and just sit on the line and not
let go unless someone tells me why they cannot help complete my call
to India, one of these days.

  Unless of course, the Sprint has bought a DTMF dialer manufacturer
in the recent past and wants to encourage sales ! :-)


shrikumar ( [e-mail], [e-mail] )


[Moderator's Note: The main thing to remember is that Sprint is not a
full-service phone company.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Ten Base T (?) Lines
Organization: CMC Network Products, Copenhagen DENMARK
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 10:34:24 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(David Goodwin) writes:

> Hello.  Recently, the University I attend installed new wiring in the
> residence hall I live in.  This new wiring consited of a standard
> phone line, a co-axial cable TV line, and something called a 'ten base
> t' line, which I know nothing about.

10baseT is one of the wiring options for Ethernet:

    10base5 - "yellow" thick ethernet coax
    10base2 - RG58U "thin" ethernet coax
    10baseT - unshielded twisted pair

With 10baseT, two twisted pairs are terminated on an RJ-45 type
connector, and on the other end is a multiport repeater, or "hub"
which ties into the campus Ethernet backbone.

To use this, plug an ethernet card into your PC, and you too can be an
internet node. Congratulations.


Lars Poulsen         Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products    Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej      72 B    Telefax: [phone]
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK  Internets: designed and built while you wait

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #713
******************************


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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 11:28:47 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #714

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 22 Oct 93 11:28:30 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 714

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Mitch Kapor's Keynote at The Networked Economy USA Conference (R. Keller)
    NPA Readiness for 1995 (Gregory P. Monti)
    Motorola Files Infringement Lawsuit (John Gilbert)
    Variation on "Prize" Phone Call (Thomas Lapp)
    Dealing With "Bad" COCOTs (Eddy J. Gurney)
    Remote Call Forwarding - Alternatives?? (Dannie Gregoire)
    AirPhones on Air Canada Flights (Dave O'Heare)
    What Exactly is ATM? (John Biederstedt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 09:35:21
Subject: Mitch Kapor's Keynote at The Networked Economy USA Conference
From: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)


Yesterday I was fortunate to be at the morning session of The
Networked Economy USA conference here in Washington, DC, at least long
enough to hear Mitch Kapor's keynote address.  The theme of the day
was some version of "The Information Highay" buzzword that is
currently in vogue here inside the Beltway.  Here is a brief summory
of Kapor's remarks:

DISCLAIMER 1: The following is my interpretation of what I think I
heard Mitch Kapor say, based on my notes and my own imperfect memory.

DISCLAIMER 2: I am a fairly good typist, but I am a lousy speller and
I have fat fingers.  If the particular mailer I am using now has a
spell-checker, I have not yet discovered how to access it.

Enjoy!

        1.  We do face a significant policy issue of who will provide
the investment to build the so-called Information Highway: the
government or the private sector.  Kapor favors the private sector,
but realizes that it raises many issues and concerns.

        2.  Policy makers concerned with the public interest
ramifications of the IH have historic reason to be skeptical and even
cynical.  Each major telcommunications technological advancement
(telephone, radio, TV, cable television) has emerged amid great
promise of social benefits that have often never materialized.  (E.g.,
cable's promise of wide-spread public access, local programming, more
varied fare, etc.).  The IH may end up being the same ... great
promise now, but eventually just giga-version of the current CATV
system.

        3.  Policy makers must understand that many of the public
interest concnerns are significantly affected by technological
factors.  For example, if the IH is to acheive its current promise, it
must be a truly two-way system (as opposed to the current CATV system
which is essentially one-way.)  For effective business applications as
well as consumre-level interactivity, there has to be subtantial
capacity and capability in _both_ directions.  While this is an
important policy objective, it depends on technology.  The policy can
not be implemented later if now we simply build a system that consists
of eight lane highways going out, with only foot-paths coming back.
That will allow little more than enhanced CATV and home-shopping.  We
have to engineer the system now to aovid this pitfall.  (He talked in
terms of as much as a half to a full gigabyte of two-way bandwidth per
end user.)

        4.  There are cetain groups that are understandably excited
and enthusiastic about the promise of the IH, but at the same time
seriously concerned about what the ultimate policy regarding it will
be.  Two examples:

         -  Publishers, producesrs, etc.:  the IH promises
         a less restrictive ability to reach broad public
         audiences without the need for substantial
         investment or ceding an interest to a TV network
         or a publisher.  But will this promise be realized
         if the investor/builder/owner of the IH is the
         private sector?

         -  Internet Pioneers:  they are used to a very
         decentralized, unregulated or self-regulated, open
         access system.  Will this environment survive in a
         business-oriented, private sector IH?

        5.  In addressing these various issues, we must move away from
a "channel" of communications concept (which grew out of the world of
spectrum scarcity) and move instead to a "capacity" or "switched
digital system" (which is possible because of things like fiber optics
and digital communications).  Spectrum scarcity need no longer drive
the policy and regulatory issues.  Thus, the IH is less analogous to
the current CATV system (in which large amounts of centrally
controlled information is distributed to users) and much more
analogous to the current PSTN (in which any user can directly connect
to any other user).  It is also less analogous to broadcasting (in
which programming is geared to the common denominator and broadly
disseminated) and more analogous to print media (in which I can go
into a bookstore or library and choose a narrowly focused book).

        6.  Universal Service!  How do we achieve the old concept of
univarsal service in the IH without re-creating or perpetuating
outdated and counter-productive regulatory beaurocracies?  In the
truly open access system (universally available) the IH capacity
provider acts as a common carrier.  It makes the access available to
whomever wants it, without regard to the content of the information.
But if the private sector is putting up the investment to build and
operate the IH, can we tell them they can not control content?  Is
that fair?

        7, This is NOT a Solomon's Choice!  According to Kapor, we are
no longer in a world of spectrum scarcity, so we don't have to decide
between the public benefits of open accsess and the fundamental
fairness of private sector control. We can build the IH with enough
capacity to satisfy two different regulatory approaches: private and
common carrier. The IH would be divided between the two, not on a
"channelization" basis, but on a "capacity" basis. Part of the
capacity would be used by the IH provider on a private basis, and the
IH provider would have control over content.  But part of the capacity
would also have to made available on a common carrier, full open
access basis, in which the IH provider would have absolutely no
control over content.


Bob Keller (KY3R)    Tel [phone]
[e-mail]    Fax [phone]
[e-mail]    CIS 76100,3333

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 19:28:53 EDT
From: Gregory P. Monti <[e-mail]>
Subject: NPA Readiness for 1995


This list attempts to document those area codes that are ready for
"interchangeability day", January 1, 1995, and those that are not.
The key item of readiness is whether subscribers are required to dial
1 + seven digits for toll calls within their own NPA or not.  1 +
seven digits will be discontinued throughout North America and
replaced with either plain seven digits or 1 + ten digits.

I've based the list on postings here in TELECOM Digest, on published
stories in other media and on first-hand information, bill stuffers
people have handed me, etc.

Your corrections are welcomed.  If Patrick doesn't mind the space it
uses, I'll post an update every one or two months.  Thanks for your
help.

The column headings didn't translate well from Microsoft Excel, so:

The first two columns are the NPA and state or province it serves.
Next is the current (or ANNOUNCED) dialing pattern for intra-NPA toll
calls, whichever is more recent.  The "yes/no" column indicates
whether this NPA's telcos have prepared themselves for 1995 yet or
not.  Notes are on the right.

201     NJ      7       yes
202     DC      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 202
203     CT      1+7     no
204     MB      1+7     no
205     AL      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1990
206     WA      1+10    yes     1+10 announced early 1992
207     ME      7       yes     7 digits announced 1992
208     ID      1+7     no
209     CA      7       yes
210     TX      1+10    yes
212     NY      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 212
213     CA      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 213, I think
214     TX      1+10    yes
215     PA      7       yes
216     OH      1+7     no
217     IL      1+7     no
218     MN      1+7     no
219     IN      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 8/93
301     MD      1+10    yes
302     DE      1+7     no
303     CO      1+7     no
304     WV      1+7     no
305     FL      1+10    yes     1+10 announced early 93
306     SK      1+7     no
307     WY      1+7     no
308     NE      1+7     no
309     IL      1+7     no
310     CA      7       yes
312     IL      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 312
313     MI      7       yes
314     MO      1+7     no
315     NY      1+7     no
316     KS      1+7     no
317     IN      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 8/93
318     LA      1+7     no
319     IA      1+7     no
334     AL      1+10    yes     New code; Starts January 15, 1995
401     RI      7       yes     7 digits announced 1992
402     NE      1+7     no
403     AB,NT,YT 1+7     no
404     GA      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1989
405     OK      1+7     no
406     MT      1+7     no
407     FL      1+10    yes     1+10 announced early 93
408     CA      7       yes     7 digits announced 9/93
409     TX      1+7     no
410     MD      1+10    yes
412     PA      7       yes     7 digits announced 9/93
413     MA      1+10    yes     Mass DPU ordered 1+10 in 10/93
414     WI      1+7     no
415     CA      7       yes     has always been 7 digits for toll
416     ON      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1991
417     MO      1+7     no
418     QU      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
419     OH      1+7     no
501     AR      1+7     no
502     KY      1+7     no
503     OR      1+10    yes     1+10 announced mid 1992
504     LA      1+7     no
505     NM      1+7     no
506     NB      1+7     no
507     MN      1+7     no
508     MA      1+10    yes     Mass DPU ordered 1+10 in 10/93
509     WA      1+7     no
510     CA      7       yes     has always been 7 digits for toll
512     TX      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 1991
513     OH      1+7     no
514     QU      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
515     IA      1+7     no
516     NY      7       no      inter-NPA calls are 10, must change to 1+10
517     MI      1+7     no
518     NY      1+7     no
519     ON      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
601     MS      1+7     no      other BellSouth states now 1+10, is MS?
602     AZ      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1990
603     NH      7       yes     7 digits announced 1992
604     BC,AK   1+7     no
605     SD      1+7     no
606     KY      1+7     no
607     NY      1+7     no
608     WI      1+7     no
609     NJ      7       yes     1+7 disallowed beginning 9/93
610     PA      7       yes     New code; Starts January 4, 1994
612     MN      1+7     no
613     ON      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
614     OH      1+7     no
615     TN      1+10    yes     1+10 posted on pay phones 9/93
616     MI      1+7     no
617     MA      1+10    yes     Mass DPU ordered 1+10 in 10/93
618     IL      1+7     no
619     CA      7       yes     7 digits toll announced 9/93
701     ND      1+7     no
702     NV      1+7     no
703     VA      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1987
704     NC      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1990
705     ON      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
706     GA      1+10    yes     1+10 announced  mid 1992
707     CA      7       yes     7 digits announced 10/93
708     IL      7       yes     has always been 7 digits toll
709     NF      1+7     no
712     IA      1+7     no
713     TX      1+10    yes     1+10 digits announced early 1993
714     CA      7       yes     has always been 7 digits toll, I think
715     WI      1+7     no
716     NY      1+7     no
717     PA      7       yes     7 digits announced 9/93
718     NY      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 718
719     CO      1+7     no
801     UT      1+7     no
802     VT      7       yes     7 digits announced 1992
803     SC      1+10    yes     1+10 posted on pay phones 9/93
804     VA      1+7     no
805     CA      7       yes
806     TX      1+7     no
807     ON      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
808     HI      1+7     no
809     Caribb  1+7     no
810     MI      7       yes     New code, starts December 1993
812     IN      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 8/93
813     FL      1+10    yes     1+10 announced early 93
814     PA      7       yes     7 digits announced 9/93
815     IL      1+7     no
816     MO      1+7     no
817     TX      1+7     no
818     CA      7       yes     has always been 7 digits toll
819     QU      1+10    yes     1+10 announced 10/93
901     TN      1+10    yes     1+10 posted on pay phones 9/93
902     NS,PE 1+7     no
903     TX      1+10    yes     has always been 1+10 toll
904     FL      1+10    yes     1+10 announced early 93
905     ON      1+10    yes     has always been 1+10 for toll
906     MI      1+7     no
907     AK      1+7     no
908     NJ      7       yes     has always been 7 digits toll
909     CA      7       yes
910     NC      1+10    yes     New code; starts November 14, 1993
912     GA      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 8/92
913     KS      1+7     no
914     NY      7       no      inter-NPA calls are 10, must change to 1+10
915     TX      1+7     no
916     CA      7       yes     7 digits announced 9/93
917     NY      n/a     yes     there are no toll calls within 917
918     OK      1+7     no
919     NC      1+10    yes     1+10 implemented 1990


                        74      NPAs ready for 1995
                        70      NPAs not ready for 1995

                        144     Total NANP NPAs

                        29      NPAs using 7 digit solution so far
                        40      NPAs using 1+10 digit solution so far


*YOUR* *CORRECTIONS* *ARE* *WELCOMED*

Post a brief message here or send me a brief E-mail.  Remember, this
list shows the dialing patterns that have been ANNOUNCED as well as
IMPLEMENTED.  Once an announcement appears in TELECOM Digest,
{Teleconnect}, {Communications Daily}, or any other source I happen to
see, the new plan is added to this list.


Greg Monti, Technical Project Manager, Future Interconnection System Project
Office, National Public Radio, 2025 M Street NW, Washington, DC  20036
Voice:  202 822-2633   Fax:  [phone]   Internet:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Motorola Files Infringement Lawsuit
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 21:48:09 GMT


The following is an official press release from the public relations
office of Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector.  Any questions
relating to this press release should be addressed to Pat Schod of
Motorola Public relations at [phone].

Reference:      ADM9371                             Pat Schod
Date:           October 14, 1993                    [phone]


MOTOROLA FILES INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT

     SCHAUMBURG, IL -- Motorola, Inc. said that it filed a lawsuit in
U.S.  District Court in Los Angeles against two firms and three
individuals for infringement of various Motorola copyrights and
trademarks and misappropriation of Motorola secrets.

     The complaint alleges that Communications Consultants Systems, a
company called "CCW", Harold Pick, Gerard Pick and Milton Bell, copied
copyrighted software to modify identification codes in Motorola
two-way radios that the defendants sold to others.  This enabled them
to illegally use the radio communications systems operated by either
Motorola or its legitimate customers without paying Motorola for that
use.  The modified radios were sold or rented as genuine Motorola
products.

     The case centers principally on the unauthorized copying of
proprietary Motorola software designed to program individual customer
two-way radios and communications systems, related trade secrets and
the trademarks used by Motorola to identify the source of the products
it markets and sells.

     "This action is part of a program to enforce Motorola's
intellectual property rights against their unauthorized, illegal and
misapplied use.  We continue to strive to protect the rights of our
customers -- from public safety agencies to small businesses -- who
rely on the integrity of their radio communications systems," says
Anthony J.  Biell, manager of software protection for Motorola's Land
Mobile Products Sector.  "The unauthorized use of Motorola's
proprietary software could compromise the performance of our
customer's systems.  In the case of public safety, that could result
in serious consequences."

                        #          #          #

     Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of electronic
equipment, systems and components for worldwide markets.  Products
include two-way radios, pagers, cellular telephones and systems,
semiconductors, defense and aerospace electronics, automotive and
industrial electronics, computers, data communications and information
processing and handling equipment.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 19:23:22 EDT
From: Thomas Lapp <[e-mail]>
Subject: Variation on "Prize" Phone Call


I got an interesting variation of the you've-won-at-least-one-prize
scams tonight.  Rather than just the first cold call which starts out,
"Hello Mr. Lapp, how are you this evening?*", the first call was a
sneaky method of making sure that I would hang around the phone for a
while while building my interest in the call which was to follow.

The first call was a female voice saying that "she had a pre-paid
person-to-person call for Thomas Lapp" but that "she was having
trouble putting the call through" and that would I stay near the
phone, as she would have them call me direct.  No operator or RBOC or
IEX identification.  (Now I wish I had worked that first call over and
asked questions like "why can't you put it through?"  or "what carrier
is having problems tonight?" :-)

Of course, the call that came a few minutes later was the scam call
telling me I had won a prize.  I thought from the sound of it (private
group, person-to-person call, not everyone is winner) that it might be
ligit, so I cut to the chase and said that if it was a prize and
involved money to obtain it, we could stop right now.  Too bad.  She
begged me a good evening and rang off.

(*See last week's newspaper comic strip Blondie for some humor related
to that line.  Dagwood, when he receives that line, responds something
to the effect of "you have reached a number which has been changed.
The new number is 555-8787.  Please make a note of it."  Turns out
that 555-8787 was "his boss, Mr. Dither's home number.." :-)


tom

internet     : mvac23![e-mail]  or  [e-mail] (home)
Location     : Newark, DE, USA

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Eddy J. Gurney)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 11:09:00 -0700
Subject: Dealing With "Bad" COCOTs


Greetings everyone.  I'm curious what everyone else does when they run
into a COCOT that isn't properly configured.  I remember the "sticker"
thing from a few years ago ... maybe I should print some out. :-) But I
don't want to get in any trouble, either ...

My latest experience went like this.  I look at the phone and see that
it's handled by Outrageously Overpriced Backroom Communications Ltd.
So I dial 10288+0+number to use AT&T.  I wait a couple of seconds, and
I actually get the "Bonngg... AT&T".  I go to key in my calling card
number and the TONES THE PHONE IS NOW SENDING ARE NOT REAL
TOUCH-TONES(tm)!  They were shifted somehow, and it was totally
obvious (to me, anyway.)  I tried AT LEAST five times to use a calling
card from this phone, and somehow it "knew" when to start messing up
the tones.

I got an AT&T operator (with 10288+0) and she suggested I try their 800
number (1-800-321-0288).  This worked; I was able to enter my calling card
with the keypad via this method.

It still ticked me off that I couldn't select an alternate LDC though.
The phone next to it acted the same way.

Another time at a different phone, the label said calls were handled
by AT&T when they weren't!  This phone didn't even allow you to dial
10xxx at all; you immediately got an intercept.  Even a local call
from the phone seemed to be "buffered" internally and then dialed (you
could hear the dialing after it "approved" the number).  That also
ticked me off.

It's amazing how much COCOT garbage there is.  But what can you do?


Eddy J. Gurney N8FPW   Hewlett-Packard Company, Vancouver (USA!) Division
[e-mail]                       #include <standard-disclaimer.h>

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dannie Gregoire)
Subject: Remote Call Forwarding - Alternatives?
Organization: The Internet Gateway of Louisville, KY
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 12:31:02 GMT


I am looking for some methods of providing local dial-in access in
surrounding cities to our BBS.  I have heard that remote call
forwarding would provide this functionality.

o Does anyone have any experience with a similar setup?
o Which long distance carrier provides cheapest service for remote
  call forwarding?
o Are there any suggested alternatives that would provide the same
  service at cheaper-than-long-distance rates?

Thanks greatly for any suggestions.


Dannie J. Gregoire    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 11:01:23 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave O'Heare)
Subject: AirPhones on Air Canada Flights


Pat:

I don't know if these have been mentioned before, but they were new to
me.

On recent flights on Air Canada, I noticed that the seat in front of
me held a device called an AirPhone. There was a slot for a credit
card to release it from its cradle, and a squarish handset. Removing
it from its cradle shows a handset with a conventional-looking tone
pad, and a slot along one side; you are to slide the magnetic stripe
of your credit card through this slot to activate the phone.

The in-flight magazine gives quite clear instructions on use,
including a caution to be patient because it might take 15 to 30
seconds to get a dialtone. They say that the cost is $3 per minute for
calls within Canada, and $6/min for calls outside Canada (dunno what
they'd charge for a call to an Inmarsat site -- tarriffed at $12/min
in Canada).

I can't comment on the sound quality -- I couldn't think of anybody I
was willing to spend $3 a minute to talk to.

As well, the safety instructions (on videotape) at the beginning of
each flight say that "Cellular phones cannot be used in flight because
of a risk of interference with aircraft electronic equipment".  I
suspect that what they really meant was "Do not use" -- why can't
people say what they mean (off-topic I know, but Geez).


Dave O'Heare     [e-mail]     [phone]

------------------------------

Subject: What exactly is ATM?
From: John Biederstedt <[e-mail]>
Date: 21 Oct 93 21:24:11 -0600
Organization: Mankato State University


Somebody told me that ATM is a service like Frame Reley.  From what
I've read, ATM is a service more akin to T1 or T3 (but somewhere in
between is terms of bandwidth).  Are there any gurus who can clarify?


Email:  [e-mail]
John Biederstedt    Computer Services
Mankato State University  Mankato, MN 56002



[Moderator's Note: What is ATM? Well, it depends on who you ask, the
butcher, the banker, the candlestick maker. 'ATM' is used in various
applications, 'automatic teller machine' being one that comes to mind
when you ask most people about it. But we here know it associates with
various things.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #714
******************************


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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 12:16:26 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #715

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 22 Oct 93 12:16:15 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 715

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Robert Shaw)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Christian Taube)
    Re: Telecom Resources on the Net? (Carl Moore)
    Re: Mailing List for uk.telecom, aus.comms (Keith Mitchell)
    Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email? (Archie Cobbs)
    Re: NTSC and 50Hz (Lukas Zahas)
    Re: NTSC and 50Hz (H.Shrikumar)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (David Breneman)
    Re: Atomic Clocks (Sam Pemberton)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 19:44:25 +0100
From: SHAW <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net


[e-mail] (David M Sokolic) wrote:

> I was wondering if anyone out there can give me a concise guide to Telecom
> resources that are out there on the net.

> I have heard of the TELECOM Digest. What else is there?

> Can you get stuff from BELLCORE and ETSI through the net? Are there
> any other mailing lists that are good. I am particularly interested in
> Fiber-In_The _Loop, HDSL , ADSL, and ISDN.

You can access a lot of telecom-related electronic information
resources from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s
ITUDOC electronic document database.  For a full ITUDOC user's guide
(~40K) , send a message with the line HELP in it to:

[e-mail]

Here's a short summary.

INTERACTIVE ACCESS

Interactive access to ITUDOC is available as one of ITU's 'Open
Services' available in TIES (Telecom Information Exchange Services).
There are other services available (e.g., X.400 databases, access to
United Nations databases, UN email profiles, etc.) The interface is
Gopher.  Connectivity to TIES is possible via:

1. GOPHER CLIENT

   Pointer to the ITU Gopher Server is:

   Name=International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
   Host=info.itu.ch
   Port=70

2. TELNET

   Telnet: ties.itu.ch or info.itu.ch (login name 'gopher')

3. X.25

   Call the X.25 DTE address, on TELEPAC, the Swiss PSPDN

   #228468111112

   where # is local prefix for international routing, login name
   'gopher'

4. DIAL-UP

   [phone] (Swiss telephone number, login name 'gopher')

   Supported modem protocols include ITU-T (CCITT) V.21, V.22,
   V.22bis, V.32, V.42, V.42bis Recommendations, Bell212A and MNP 2,
   3, 4, 5. Basic settings should be no parity, 8 data bits
   (necessary for on-line reading of multilingual material), speed
   300 to 9,600 bps.

For downloading documents/files, several file transfer methods are
supported (e.g., Kermit, XModem, Text, email).

EMAIL ACCESS

For complete details, send a message with the line HELP in it to:

[e-mail]

For example, to retrieve any ITUDOC document, you send the command:

GET <UPI>

where <UPI> is the UPI (Unique Permanent Identifier) for the
document.  For example, to retrieve the index of the ITU-T (ITU
Telecommunication Standardization Sector) Group, send the command:

GET ITU-1100

See below for the UPIs of other index files.  You can place multiple
commands in a single message (maximum 50).


ITUDOC ROAD MAP AND INDEX FILES

Here are UPIs for key ITUDOC road map and index files.  Road map and
index files describe the structure of groups and list UPIs for all
documents available in the group.  They are updated every two weeks.

Title: Road Map and Index for ITUDOC (About ITUDOC) Group
UPI: ITU-1800

Title: Road Map and Index for GS (ITU General Secretariat) Group
UPI: ITU-1700

Title: Road Map and Index for ITU-D (ITU Development Sector) Group
UPI: ITU-1300

Title: Road Map and Index for ITU-R (ITU Radiocommunication Sector)
Group
UPI: ITU-1200

Title: Road Map and Index for ITU-T (ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector) Group UPI: ITU-1100

NB: the group above is former-CCITT and contains telecom
standardization-related documents (e.g., List of Recommendations,
CCITT/ITU-T Recommendations)

Title: Road Map and Index for SIGS (Special Interest Groups) Group
UPI: ITU-1500

Title: Road Map and Index for TIES (Telecom Information Exchange
Services) Group
UPI: ITU-1400

Title: Road Map and Index for the complete ITU Document Store
UPI: ITU-1600

Title: Road Map and Index for UN/EDICORE (United Nations UN/EDIFACT
Standards Database (EDICORE)) Group
UPI: ITU-1900


Robert Shaw    Information Services Department
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations  1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
TEL: [phone]   FAX: [phone]
X.400:G=robert;S=shaw;A=arcom;P=itu;C=ch    Internet: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I am wondering how difficult/feasable/useful it
would be to place many of the ITU documents in our own archives for
use by Internet people.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 10:51:35 +0100
From: [e-mail] (Christian Taube)
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?


[e-mail] (Nigel Allen) writes:

> At least two countries have national telecom-related newsgroups:
> aus.comms from Australia and uk.telecom from the United Kingdom.  Both
> newsgroups are widely available in North America, and may be useful if
> you are specifically interested in the telecommunications systems in
> those countries.

At least three. Germany has a hierarchy called de.comm.*, of which
de.comm.misc would hold anything that's telecom-related (the others
being are de.comm.gateways, de.comm.internet, de.comm.ham,
de.comm.uucp, and de.comm.gatebau).

All of these should be carried by the major national backbones.


Christian Taube ([e-mail]), ISA GmbH, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Any opinions expressed are mine, and mine only!

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 07:14:32 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Telecom Resources on the Net?


Well, don't forget to forward to telecom items which are of interest
to people beyond, say, United Kingdom or Australia.


[Moderator's Note: I've been thinking about that for awhile now.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Keith Mitchell)
Subject: Re: Mailing List for uk.telecom, aus.comms
Organization: Unipalm Ltd., 216 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 4WA, UK
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 11:39:25 GMT


[e-mail] (Nigel Allen) writes:

> I posted a message to comp.dcom.telecom about national telecom
> newsgroups such as uk.telecom and aus.comms, and received a reply
> from someone who didn't have access to uk.* or aus.* newsgroups,
> but wondered if they were available as a mailing list.

PIPEX feed all the uk.* groups one-hop on to UUNET, so I am a little
surprised to hear there are people who can't get at uk.telecom -- they
should maybe try and see if they can get a feed, because it does leave
the country.

It has struck me before that a News->Mail gateway for uk.telecom would
be a good idea as well, though. One possible use of it might be for
moderated cross-posting of uk.telecom articles of more general
interest on to comp.dcom.telecom.


Keith Mitchell                 Network Manager
Public IP Exchange             [e-mail]
216 The Science Park           [e-mail]
Cambridge, UK                  [e-mail]    (non-IP JANET sites)
Phone: [phone]
Fax:   [phone]          PIPEX is part of the Unipalm Group


[Moderator's Note: Well, if the people in charge of those lists would
send them here, I would see that they got housed in the Telecom Archives
so that others could refer to them. It is possible also there could be
an 'international' edition of the Digest specifically devoted to excerpts
of things from those lists. Even though this Digest is certainly interna-
tional in readership, it has a United States slant to it which could be
cured with the inclusion of excerpts from the uk and aus mailings.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Archie Cobbs)
Subject: Re: Transmorgrifying Fax + $$ -> Email?
Date: 22 Oct 93 13:09:30 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Don Alvarez) writes:

> Does anybody know who provides fax to email service?  I'm looking for
> somebody who receives faxes and then emails a bitmap in exchange for
> money (or for warm fuzzy feelings if possible, but somehow I think
> that's unlikely :-) I'm also curious about going the other direction,
> but what I really need is to be able to receive the faxes.

Forwarded message:

FaxLinq FAQ
FaxLinq is a service of Antigone Press. <[e-mail]>

What is FaxLinq?

FaxLinq provides an electronic "gateway" from FAX to electronic mail
(e-mail). With FaxLinq, e-mail users worldwide will now be able to
receive facsimile messages, without having to acquire fax equipment.

FaxLinq subscribers receive faxes at Antigone's central dispatch
office via e-mail. Faxes are then attached to an e-mail message and
forwarded to the subscriber.

What e-mail accounts can be accessed by FaxLinq?

Any e-mail address that can be reached via the Internet. This
includes: BITNET, ArpaNet, Compuserve, Fidonet, Sprintmail. MCImail,
UUCP, Applelink, GEnie, America Online and many others.

How do I subscribe to FaxLinq?

There is a yearly subscription fee of $39. For this fee, you are
entitled to receive ten pages of facsimile transmission. Additional
pages received and transmitted to your e-mail account are billed at
the rate of $1 per page.

FaxLinq accounts are "deposit" accounts. Your subscription fee will
put a credit of ten pages in your account. You may also purchase
additional page credits at the time of your subscription. Monthly
statements of your account will be rendered by e-mail.

If you intend to receive more than ten pages, you must keep your
account balance replenished. Should a fax be received for you and your
account balance is not sufficient to cover the number of pages
received, you will be notified by e-mail. Please allow ample time for
your remittance to reach us if you are expecting a fax that will
exceed your account balance.

How does someone send me a fax?

Faxes must be sent to Antigone's fax number. The e-mail address
(preferably) or name of the final recipient must be clearly marked on
the FIRST page of the transmission.

Is this any different for the sender than sending a "normal" fax?

No. The sender doesn't even have to know that they are sending to
Antigone. You can even put our fax number on your letterhead and
business cards.

What do I receive?

We take the fax transmission, convert it to a TIFF file, and send you
a MIME-compliant mail message, using the image/TIFF Content-Type to
enclose the fax. You may read the message using any one of many
MIME-compliant mail readers in existence for different computer
platforms. If you can read NeXTmail, the fax will be delivered to you
in NeXTmail format.

What is MIME and where do I get more information on MIME?

You may obtain a FAQ (list of Frequently Asked Questions and their
answers) by sending e-mail to <[e-mail]>. This includes a
list of known MIME-compliant mailers.

Do you offer Optical Character Recognition?

At this time we do not have the facilities to offer OCR processing for
incoming faxes.

What if the fax is unreadable?

The fax sender is responsible to ensure the quality of their
transmission. We will forward anything we receive for you. We do not
inspect the contents or quality of the transmission, for reasons of
privacy. If the fax is unreadable, you must contact the original
sender and request that they resend the fax.

How long does it take to turn around a fax?

As soon as we receive a fax we start processing it immediately. Many
possible delays are built-in to the chain of events, most of which are
beyond Antigone's control (network failure, failed mail delivery). We
cannot be responsible for delays in receipt of a fax or in the
transmittal of the TIFF fax file via electronic mail. Liability will
be limited to refunding the transmittal fee if our negligence is
determined.

What about the other direction? (E-mail to FAX)

Send e-mail to <[e-mail]> for more information on sending
a fax from an e-mail message. Text, TIFF and PostScript are supported
by the Experiment in Remote Printing, which already serves many areas
in the world.

This is great! How do I open a FaxLinq account?

Fill out the form below and return it to us, with your check, via postal mail.

FaxLinq facsimile transmission account application

Please fill out, sign, date and return with your payment to:
Antigone Press
1310 Clayton Street  Suite 15
San Francisco CA 94114   USA

Name:

Title:

Company:

Street Address:

City:

State or Province:

ZIP Code:

Telephone:

E-Mail address:

I can accept NeXTmail:  YES   NO

Please accept my subscription for FaxLinq

______ Yearly subscription fee .......................... $39.00
       (Includes 10 pages of fax transmission)

______ Additional pages of fax transmission @ $1.00...... _______


    TOTAL enclosed .................................. _______
                                                          =======
Payment must be made to Antigone Press, in US Dollars, in the form of:
       - a check drawn on a US bank account
       - an international Money Order in US Dollars

I hereby contract with Antigone Press (Antigone) for the service of
receiving facsimile transmissions destined to me. At their discretion,
Antigone will forward these transmissions to the electronic mail
account I have provided above. I agree to pay Antigone in advance, as
per the schedule above, for each and every fax received by them which
bears the electronic mail address I have given above or which bears my
name. I understand that Antigone's liability will be limited to
refunding the transmittal fee if any error or negligence on their part
is determined.

Name:

Signature:

Date:

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lukas Zahas)
Subject: Re: NTSC and 50Hz
Date: 21 Oct 1993 18:14:35 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Lukas Zahas)


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
co.jp (Peter Leif Rasmussen (SY-Gi)) writes:

>> Um, I've never been there, but all I've read says that Japan is a 60
>> Hz country, usually at 100 or 120 V.  NTSC television would never have
>> worked in a 50 Hz area, and Japan is NTSC.

> When Tony Harminc so surely writes that NTSC would never have worked
> in a 50Hz area, I would like to know why? Japan is a 50Hz _and_ a 60
> Hz area.  The east is 50Hz and the west is 60Hz (the parting line is
> about the city Nagoya I think). Surely the television system is NTSC
> and the voltage is 100V.

The author is correct that NTSC can work with power supplies other
than 60Hz.  The original poster is under the incorrect assumption that
the 60Hz frequency is used in timing the fields and, subsequently, the
frames.  In the early days of television, the 60Hz AC line was used as
a convenient reference, but when color TV was introduced, the speed
was changed from 30 frames per second to 29.97 frames per second,
making the frame rate completely independent of the power supply
frequency.


Lukas Zahas   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 02:23:43 -0400
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Re: NTSC and 50Hz
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
jp wrote:

> When Tony Harminc so surely writes that NTSC would never have worked
> in a 50Hz area, I would like to know why? Japan is a 50Hz _and_ a 60
> Hz area.  The east is 50Hz and the west is 60Hz (the parting line is
> about the city Nagoya I think). Surely the television system is NTSC
> and the voltage is 100V.

   Well, back in the early days of television (no! I am not that old
!!)  the power supplies in the TV sets were not too good and would have
a fair amount of ripple. So if the field rate is the power cycle rate
and is in sync, the dark band on screen would stay at the same place
and hence at least will not be very noticable.

   But before long, TV stations networked far beyond the service
areas of the local utility company, and luckily the consumer grade
power supplies also became much better.

   So NCST "would never have worked" ... back then. Today power line
sync has all but been given up.

   BTW I believe Bahrain has a 50Hz 220v power due to British connect-
ions in history, but a lot of 110V 60Hz as well due to large ARAMCO
installations. Perhaps someone from that area could confirm that.


shrikumar ( [e-mail], [e-mail] )

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Date: 21 Oct 93 20:31:50 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA


Paul S. Sawyer ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I can remember touring the NBC studios in NYC in the mid-50's, when I
> was about 10-12, and we were shown a 3-bar xylophone and told ~"...
> here is how we make our famous chime ..." and then the guide played the
> tones, just like on TV!  For a while after that, I thought that was
> how they did it, though I suppose in the earlier days of NBC Radio,
> that would have been exactly how they did it.

This sounds like a tour gimmick to me.  Even in the early days a
mechanical device generated the tones, as I mentioned in an earlier
post.  The film of it I saw (and this was about 15 years ago, that's
why I'm a little fuzzy) showed a rack-mounted device that would
probably be in an equipment room.  On the front of it was a horizontal
cylinder about 8" in diameter (big enough to get one of those Western
Electric carbon button mics inside) and maybe 18" long.  When a button
was pushed, the microphone was cut into the audio circuit, and the
cylinder rotated one revolution, generating the tones.  Apparently on
it's interior wall were three xylohpone-like bars, tuned to G-below-
middle-C, E-above-middle-C and middle-C, along with their accompanying
resonators.  A fixed articulated clapper struck the bars in succession
as the cylinder rotated, producing the three notes.

However, in later years (like when I was growing up, in the 60's) the
NBC "chimes" I heard on the radio and TV (such as those that
accompanied the animated "Snake" at the end of programs -- see my
earlier ASCII artwork) sounded more like plucked strings than struck
chimes.

Maybe they were chimes, but they just didn't sound "chimey".  As an
aside, on the occasion of NBC's 60th anniversary, all their affiliated
radio and TV stations recieved a little oak plaque with a set of
doorbell-sized "NBC Chimes" mounted on it.  The chimes were painted
red blue and green and arranged to look like NBC's logo from the late
40s / early 50s:

                      ___  ___  ___
                     |   ||   ||   |
                     |   ||   ||   |
                     | N || B || C |
                     |   ||   ||___|
                     |   ||___|
                     |___|--------O


with the mallet in a bracket forming the "microphone" across the
bottom.  Unfortunately, the chimes are about the quality you'd find in
a doorbell, and are optomized for appearance not resonance, so it
sounds pretty cheap.  Still it's a nice souvenir.  On the back of the
resonator box is an inscription by some-company-or-other "Official
Manufacturer of NBC Chimes."

John R. Bruni ([e-mail]) wrote:

> In Article <[e-mail]>, Alan Frisbie <frisbie@flying-
> disk.com> wrote:

>> I have another question about the NBC chimes.  Many years ago, my
>> father told me that there was an additional (fourth) tone that was
>> seldom heard.  If sounded, it was a signal to all NBC employees that,
>> "Something important is happening.  Get to your job ASAP".  Does
>> anyone know if this is just a wild story or did it really exist?

> I'd like to know the answer to this too.

OK, maybe we should start a comp.dcom.telecom.nbc newsgroup...  :-)

Yes, the tone pattern G-E-C-G signified an upcoming news bulletin.
This is documented in Reuven (sp?) Frank's book about the history of
network news, I believe.


David Breneman                        Email: [e-mail]
System Administrator,                 Voice: 206 881-7544  Fax: [phone]
Software Engineering Services
Digital Systems International, Inc.        Redmond, Washington,  U. S. o' A.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Sam Pemberton)
Subject: Re: Atomic Clocks
Organization: ProLine [pro-gallup] BBS [phone]hrs
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 06:56:02 MDT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul S. Sawyer)
writes:

> I can remember touring the NBC studios in NYC in the mid-50's, when I
> was about 10-12, and we were shown a 3-bar xylophone and told ~"...
> here is how we make our famous chime ..." and then the guide played the
> tones, just like on TV!  For a while after that, I thought that was
> how they did it, though I suppose in the earlier days of NBC Radio,
> that would have been exactly how they did it.

Was NBC ever owned by a General Electric Corporation or Company?

The reason I ask is that I've heard on occasion that the three tones
represent the company initials, G-E-C.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #715
******************************


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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 13:50:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #716

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 22 Oct 93 13:50:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 716

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Help Request with Northern Telecom Phone Frauds (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    BellSouth Yellow Pages Raises Hackles of Planned Parenthood (Bill Seward)
    Net-Connect & GEIS ([e-mail])
    Caller ID Information (Randall H. Smith)
    Seeking Centrex Voice Mail Hardware Pen-Pals (Mark Johnson)
    954 Prefix in C&P-Land (Carl Moore)
    Power Questions (was Does a US Modem Work in the UK?) (Bill Riess)
    Calling Card Woes (Javier Henderson)
    Visual Basic IVR System (John W. Barrus)
    Alcatel Voice Guide Help Needed (Isak Jonsson)
    Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN (Ray Normandeau)
    V.35-->RS-232 (was Confused: 56K Data Lines (Paul Joslin)
    EMI Information for UTP? (Donald D. Rice)
    UTC (was US Naval Observatory Questions) (Mark Brader)
    WATS or Call Extenders (John Perkins)
    900/976-Type of VOICEMAIL Software Sought ([e-mail])
    My Kind of Town, Chicago is ... (Steve Hutzley)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (cccf)
Subject: Help Request with Northern Telecom Phone Frauds
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 7:22:08 EDT


Bonjour,

What do you know of Northern Telecom phone frauds on some PBX (via
Meridian Mail, e.g.)?  Thank you very much for your kind collaboration
to my article on phone frauds.


Battling Toll *Fraud* Doesn't Have to be Costly
411 Newsletter      September 20, 1993   V. 14   NO. 18
WORD COUNT:   475
PUBLISHER:  United Communications Group

The telecom industry has done more this year to prevent toll *fraud*
than at any other time. Yet, toll *fraud* losses will top more than $2
billion again this year.  If you aren't doing anything to prevent
being hit, it's not a matter of if you'll be hit, it's when you'll be
hit and for how much.  So, here are some low-cost ways to stop toll
*fraud* - or at least lessen the blow if you do get hit.

Bud Collar, electronic systems manager with Plexus in Neenah, Wis.,
transferred from its payphone operations branch, so he's been
thoroughly exposed to toll *fraud*. So, as the PBX manager, he's
blocked all outside access to his Northern Telecom Meridian 1 and
*Meridian* *Mail*. Just in case a *hacker* does gain access, Collar
bought a $600, PC-based software package from Tribase Systems in
Springfield, N.J., called Tapit.  With Tapit, Collar runs daily
reports on all overseas call attempts and completions.  He doesn't
have many international calls, so going over the daily reports only
takes a few seconds. The drawback to Tapit is that by itself it has no
alarm features, so if a *hacker* does get in, Collar won't know about
it until he runs the next report. Tribase does offer *Fraud* Alert
with alarms for $950, but Collar chose not to use it.

If you make a lot of international calls, going through daily reports
may take too much time.  In that case, a software package that can run
more individualized reports would be better.  But with all Collar's
outside access points blocked, his chances of getting *hacked* are
slim. For someone that does need outside access, they have to be set
up beforehand, and it's a one-time shot.

Erica Ocker, telecom supervisor at Phico Insurance in Mechanicsburg,
Pa., also wanted to block all of her outside ports. But she has
maintenance techs who need routine access, so she needed a way to keep
her remote access ports open, without opening up her Rolm 9751 to toll
*fraud*. The solution: She bought LeeMah DataCom Security Corp.'s
TraqNet 2001.

For $2,000, Ocker got two secured modems that connect to her
maintenance port on her PBX and to her Rolm Phone Mail port. When
someone wants to use these features, they dial into the TraqNet and
punch in their PIN number.  TraqNet idech cost an additional $50,
whichever model you get.


COPYRIGHT 1993 by United Communications Group
Subscription:  $279 per year as of 1/92. Published biweekly. Contact United
Communications  Group,  11300  Rockville  Pike,  Suite  1100, Rockville, MD
20852-3030. Phone [phone]. FAX [phone].

INDUSTRY:  Telecommunications (TL)


Dr. Jean-Bernard Condat, General Secretary, Chaos Computer Club France [CCCF]
B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone].

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 11:04:53 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Bill Seward)
Subject: BellSouth Yellow Pages Changes Raises Hackles of Planned Parenthood


The following was found in the Greensboro, NC {News and Record}.  It
is from the Associated Press, and datelined West Palm Beach, Florida.

"BellSouth has eliminated birth control and pregnancy headings from
the Yellow Pages in nine states, including North Carolina, leaving
Planned Parenthood stuck under an abortion label and the organization
officials unhappy.

The only categories that BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Co.
offered were 'Abortion Services' or 'Abortion Alternatives'."

The article goes on to state that Planned Parenthood officials are
concerned that this placement will limit access to health care, since
a man looking for a vasectomy or a woman wanting a pregnancy test
would be unlikely to look under this heading.

BellSouth apparently refused comment at the time the article was being
written, saying that company attorney Hubert Owens would be available
Monday for comment.  (Personal comment: Their attorney?  Are they
expecting legal trouble from this decision?)  A letter from Owens to
Planned Parenthood written in May stated that BellSouth was deleting
certain headings "that were previously used by abortion services and
abortion alternative providers was to give my client better control
over the administration of the sensitive headings of 'Abortion
Services' and 'Abortion Alternatives'."

I won't comment too much except to say that it makes precious little
sense to me to try to sell an advertisement to a group that places
them under a label that is traditionally not widely associated with
them -- unless you don't want to sell them the ad at all, and are too
scared to say so.


Bill Seward    [e-mail]
Hey, I'm a guest here--they don't speak for me, and I don't speak for them!

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Net-Connect & GEIS
Organization: University of Geneva, Switzerland
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 15:00:45 GMT


Hello networkers,

Do you know of a company named Net-Connect? They are selling a product
called Net-Connect that's a 3270 emulation program. That product is
used by GEIS.

Any information on how to contact that company would be appreciated.


Thanks,

Centre d'Appui en Telecommunication
Christian ALT

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Randall H. Smith)
Subject: Caller ID information
Date: 22 Oct 1993 15:13:49 GMT
Organization: Motorola Cellular
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Randall H. Smith)


Hello!

There's a small debate at work here about Caller-ID, specifically in
Illinois (Ameritech/Illinois Bell).

The question is whether or not the new Caller-ID boxes recieve the
caller name from the switch, or if they have to be programmed to
associate a name with a number.

For example, would my number here be displayed just as shown below, or
would a generic "Motorola" be displayed along with the number?

I would be tempted, of possible, to block calls by that type of
criteria - e.g., blocking calls from telemarketing organizations.

Of course, this would depend on the name of the caller (not just
the number) being transmitted.

Thanks for the net.wisdom!


Randall H. Smith                 Motorola, Inc.
[e-mail]      Cellular Infrastructure
[phone]                   Arlington Heights, IL USA

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 10:50:02 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Mark Johnson)
Subject: Seeking Centrex Voice Mail Hardware Pen-Pals


I've built a gadget for use with Centrex phones which gives a visual
indication that You Have Voice Mail ... a feature sadly lacking from
Centrex (because the equipment including the voice mail is at the
telco central office, not in your firm's building).

I would like to correspond with others who have also built and
installed similar doo-dads, to compare notes on what worked and what
worked really well and what didn't work and what helped non-technical
users the most.

If you've built one of these, please send me email.  Let's swap
stories.  Thanks!

If you haven't built one, please don't send mail.  Thanks!


Mark Johnson,     [e-mail]
unwilling user of Pacific*Bell Centrex

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 11:58:24 EDT
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: 954 Prefix in C&P-Land


I just got my first C&P phone bill, and on the back of each page is
some stuff printed in light blue ink.  (I am omitting discussion of
"PAYING YOUR C&P BILL", but I will here note Federal Tax Identifi-
cation Number 52-0270070.)  But here is some interesting note on the
954 prefix:

                  C&P REPAIR SERVICE NUMBERS

You can report trouble with C&P service from anywhere in Maryland,
Virginia, Washington, D.C. or West Virginia, 24 hours a day, by
dialing one of the following, toll-free, seven-digit numbers:

          For home service call....... 954-6611*
          For business service call... 954-2222*

* Customers calling from outside of Maryland, Virginia, Washington,
D.C. and West Virginia must dial 1 + 410 + the seven-digit number, and
will be billed for the call by the long distance company.

(End of phone bill remarks.)

In the footnote, doesn't it seem that 954 is pointing to Baltimore
even in 301 area or in DC or Va. or W.Va.?  (at least in the C&P
portions -- does 954 mean anything in Md./Va./W.Va. portions not under
C&P?  DC and 301 area have C&P only, as does 410 except for Rising
Sun.)

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Power Questions (was Does a US Modem Work in the UK?)
Organization: Swiss Bank Corporation CM&T Division
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 23:18:46 GMT


Just to throw in a few cents worth (sorry I could not resist -- I once
worked at a power company):

In most of the US of A residential the power is (nominal) 110/220 at
60 Hz.  (Commercial comes in many flavors, for differing situations.)

The line from the pole to the house has two "phases" and a neutral.
This is *usually* NOT really two phases, but a feed from a center
tapped transformer.  THUS:

            ---------  ----------  "phase A"
Dist.                )(
                     )(   110 Nominal
Voltage              )(
                     )(---------- Neutral (ties to ground at the house)
(6-12 KV             )(
                     )(   110 Nominal
 in many areas)      )(
            ---------  -----------  "phase B"

Neutral to phase is the nominal voltage, phase to phase yields twice
that.

Breaker boxes are generally set so every other breaker is on the
"other phase" -- so a 220 circuit has two adjacent breakers tied
together.

NOTE that the actual nominal voltage can very from 110 to about 120
and the "phase to phase" can thus be 220 to 240.

Switzerland (and a some other contries) deliver real 208 phase to
neutral and 240 phase to phase (let's see, that's cosine theta times ...
well I forget).  Anyway, some appliances from over seas will work on
US power, wired as 220 -- some won't.  (Tools and coffee makers seem to
work and much of the electronics has "universal" power supplies, due to
all the different standards.  In fact most appliances come WITHOUT A
PLUG, you must put (the correct) one on your self.)

DID THE ORIGINAL QUESTION GET ANSWERED?  I lost track, what WAS the
original question?  I truely hope it was posted to "comp.dcom.modems"
as well ...

And what did all this have to due with telecom?  SO ...

--------> BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING? <------------


Bill Riess - Swiss Bank Corp. - Chicago Illinois
The opinions expressed above are NOT those of Swiss Bank Corp.,
   and I will likely  disavow they are mine if confronted.

------------------------------

Subject: Calling card woes
From: [e-mail]
Date: 21 Oct 93 15:33:38 PDT
Organization: Mayo Laboratory; Ventura, CA


I had the following problem the other day, and I'm wondering if there's a
workaround ...

I tried to place a call with my Orange Calling Card from a privately
owned payphone. I dial the toll free number to get the dial tone, it
goes through, then as I dial the sequence of numbers to reach the
person I needed to talk to I get interrupted by a fast busy. Two more
tries give the same result. An attempt to use my MCI calling card also
fails. I called the operator, and she said that 'to curtail the use of
their phones in drug deals they limit the number of digits one can
punch per call'.

Do you think that is the real reason? Or are they just making it
impossible to use calling cards other than 0+number? I assume they can
collect their fee$ only on 0+number calls? (and coin paid calls, of
course).


Javier Henderson    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: There are regulations attached to COCOTS and their
operation, accessibility to the network, etc.  The War on Drugs has
been blamed (or credited!) for all sorts of slimey, sleazy tactics. I
have often wondered myself how I could use illegal drug abuse to my
advantage in my various projects.   :)   PAT]

------------------------------

From: John W. Barrus <[e-mail]>
Subject: Visual Basic IVR System
Organization: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 13:39:05 GMT


I am familiar with a new Interactive Voice Response development system
that is an add on to Visual Basic.  It allows windows programmers to
create voice mail, fax on demand, etc. programs.  I would like to post
an informational note (press release) about it, but I don't know if
that is allowed on this newsgroup.  Can someone send me e-mail (I
don't read this group regularly) about whether or not that is allowed?


Thanks in advance,

John Barrus    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Isak Jonsson)
Subject: Alcatel Voice Guide Help Needed
Organization: Dep. of Info.Proc, Umea Univ., Sweden
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 08:51:57 GMT


Hi!

Does anyone know how to program the Voice Guide in the Alcatel 4300?

Thanks beforehand.


Isak Jonsson  Intenet: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: Sprint Personal 800, Using SSN
From: [e-mail] (Ray Normandeau)
Date: 22 Oct 93 10:39:00 GMT
Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-8298v.32bis
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Ray Normandeau)


> Interestingly, on the pictured sample card, the number is nine-digit
> social security number. This purports to make it easier to remember.
> But, if it recognizes one's voice, why does the number on the card

Well, maybe you want the numbers input by a modem and your modem doesn't
speak English well ...

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Joslin)
Subject: V.35-->RS-232 (was Confused: 56K Data Lines)
Date: 22 Oct 1993 13:32:22 GMT
Organization: Model Based Vision Lab, Wright Laboratory


On 13 Oct 93 12:07:28 GMT, [e-mail] (Peter Stone) said:

> Switched and unswitched 56KB DSUs are different and the switched costs
> more because of the dialing logic.  I don't know if you can plug
> either into your MAC.  The last time I played around with this (and it
> was a while ago) you needed a V.35 or RS449 interface to connect to a
> 56KB DSU.  But my knowledge could be outdated on that.  Others can
> correct me.

    Telebyte Technology makes a V.35 --> RS-232 convertor that claims
"up to 72K bps".  Unfortunately, at $195, they're not cheap.

     The Telebyte catalog has a technical reference section that lists
the pinout and usage of various standards.  For V.35, they say, "V.35
(CCITT Std) for data transmission at 48Kbps using 60-108KHz group band
circuits."  Telebyte is at +1 800 TELEBYTE ([phone]); you can
also use [phone] or 8080.

    Similar products are available from Black Box, MISCO and others.
I used Telebyte as an example because their catalog was on my desk.


Paul R. Joslin  [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Donald D Rice)
Subject: EMI Information for UTP?
Organization: Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks, AK
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 19:13:52 GMT


I've been casting about for information on EMI generation and
susceptibility for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) ethernets without
much luck.  The vendors generally deny all knowledge.  I know that the
power spectrum associated with a chunk of UTP will depend on length,
physical layout, and the traffic across it at the moment, but any sort
of information, whether worst-case or typical, would be useful.

Some folks here are worried about UTP radiation interfering with
certain delicate measuring devices.  They operate these devices in the
presence of standard store-bought PCs, and some of _my_ measurements
show contamination from PCs 50 feet away in metal enclosures, so I
suspect that if their stuff works next to a PC, the presence of a UTP
network won't matter.  But I would be happier if I could find a spec
for 10BaseT radiation, or measurements for a typical network.  A
comparison of 10BaseT EMI on Category 3 vs. Category 5 wire would also
be of interest ... how much practical difference does the additional
twisting make?  Any pointers to studies, specs, publications, or just
experienced commentary would be appreciated.


Don Rice
E-mail: [e-mail] (Internet) Geophysical Institute fnddr@alaska
(BITNET) University of Alaska flux::ddr (SPAN) Fairbanks, AK 99775
Phone: [phone] GPS: 64.86N 147.85W

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mark Brader)
Subject: UTC (was: US Naval Observatory Questions)
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 10:22:28 GMT


>>> ... know what the UTC means?

>> Universal Time Coordinated, or some such thing I think.

> The UTC abbreviation is from the French, not the English, for the same
> reason that CCITT is.  The standards body speaks French.
> It stands for    Universelle Temps Coordinate.

Wrong.  The French abbreviation is TUC.  UTC stands for Coordinated
Universal Time, in English.  The letter C is last because it's really
a *subscript*; there are other varieties of UT with other subscripts.

(The French given above is misspelled, too.)


Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, utzoo!sq!msb, [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Perkins)
Subject: WATS or Call Extenders
Organization: Rosemount, Inc.
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 21:23:45 GMT


> [Moderator's Note: There are lots of these devices around, but they
> are known as 'call extenders' or 'WATS extenders' rather than
> dial-back modems. They work a lot the same, but the latter are for
> data and the former for voice. There are 'call-extenders' which ask
> for a security code then extend dialtone once security has been
> satisfied. I think there are some which will even call you back if
> desired. I know this is the method Telepassport uses for our inter-
> national callback service. You call it; it calls you back and asks
> for your password.   PAT]

Pat, could you be more specific?  Where exactly can one get hold of
these devices?  Who manufactures them?  Any idea on cost?

I could really use something like this to access my home calling plans
(I have two lines at home) and thereby avoid the high price of making
certain calls from a phone outside the house.  For example I made a
call to England recently and left a message on an answering machine.
The duration of the call was < 1 minute and the bill was $3.07 -- this
included $1.75 for credit card surcharge (!) and then a ridiculous first
minute charge for the call.  From home, using MCI F&F, it would have
cost me $0.48 (quite a difference).


John

[Moderator's Note: I'm not certain if by 'I could really use something
like this' you are referring to call extenders or the Telepassport
Service. The latter is an international discounted calling plan which
I offer; calls to/from the UK as one example are fifty cents per minute
regardless of where you call from. If you use a payphone to reach our 800
number for the purpose of making your international call, add 9 cents
per minute to the total. I'll send Telepassport information and a sign
up application to anyone who requests it. Proceeds benefit the Digest.

Call extenders, a/k/a WATS extenders have been around for many, many
years. I'm not certain, but I think you can get them from Hello Direct
(the official vendor for Ameritech's work at home program, BTW) as well
as various other telephone supply houses.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: 900/976-Type of Voicemail Software Sought
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 05:30:24 EDT
Organization: Medical Center Associates Inc.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail] writes:

> This kind of ticks me off.  You are planning to start a competitive
> service and are unwilling to spend perhaps $10-$20 to find out how it
> works?  This would be like someone who had never even dialed a phone
> to decide to start their own telephone company.

You must be having a bad day Paul. Where did you conclude from my
message that I was unwilling to spend any money to check out the
competition. How do you think that I was able to determine the
weakness (in my opinion) of the existing service. If it is any of your
business, I have spent well over $200 just studying the strengths and
weakness of this service.

All I asked was a pointer to a company that provides this type of
system. So before you have another self-contained fit, try read the
original posting and have a margarita while you are at it ;-).


Regards,

Phil
Medical Center Associates Inc.       [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Hutzley)
Subject: My Kind of Town, Chicago is ...
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 10:55:56 GMT


PAT,

I was in Chicago several days ago for a trade show, and I would just
like to comment on the city. I was suprised at how clean this city is
 -- I'm impressed. Chicagoans must really take pride in this, because I
have seen the trash receptaclas on the streets full!.  And no trash or
papers blowing around on the streets.

I see IBT (or Ameritech) has its collective heads, along with the
government(s), placed where they belong by nature (unlike NET/NYNEX
and the New Hampshire government(s)! The services are incredible, from
busy number retry, to Caller ID and last caller redial.  And the fees
aren't that bad either. The quality must be fantastic, I have yet to
see any data garbage on the line from my motel room (dialing to a
local Tymnet number) at 2400 baud.

Unfortunately, I wasn't be able to do much sight-seeing (work
prevailed) ...


Nice City!

Steve


[Moderator's Note: As Frank Sinatra once crooned, you probably even
saw a man dancing with his own wife. Tell me this, how many blocks
west of the lakefront did you travel?  They do try hard to keep the
area around McCormick Place very clean as well as North Michigan
Avenue and the Near North/Streeterville area, since they like to impress
the tourists who bring money with them. I venture to say you did not
go south and east of McCormick Place, nor west of downtown (what
little still remains of it). I venture to say you went nowhere on the
west side and to very little of the south side. Overall, Chicago is
a rotten place; very dirty, full of cheating politicians, and lots
of ramshackle, falling down, burned out buildings. The crime rate is
very high, and the public schools are virtually non-existent. In many
parts of our city, children are not permitted to play outside alone or
walk to school alone because there is too great a risk they will be
killed in a gun battle between two other people. Last year there were
97 children killed (total 900+ people) in crimes of violence involving
handguns. This year to date there have been 67 kiiled.

In my immediate neighborhood, the building across the street is a
drug-house. When one bunch of dealers had a fight with another bunch
of dealers over whose territory it was, the solution was to burn the
place down. After that event a year ago, many of us in the neighborhood
assumed the dealers would go elsewhere ... but no, they continue to
hang out in the burned out building across the street which has never
been torn down or fixed up. We are getting out ASAP.  There are no
longer other options, but since you like it so much here, *you* move
in. The mayor is desparate to find taxpayers these days.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #716
******************************


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Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 12:18:03 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #717

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 24 Oct 93 12:18:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 717

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels (Chris Labatt-Simon)
    Multi-carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell (Douglas Luce)
    Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services (Mathew Englander)
    800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN (Steve Chafe)
    Mead Service via AT&T Mail (Les Reeves)
    Nationwide Caller ID is Here! (Emmanuel Goldstein)
    Re: Four-wire Pay Phones? (Scott McClure)
    Alarms on NT SL1-XT (Ken Stone)
    Re: 56k Confusion (Gordon Jacobson)
    Help Needed Paging via Unix Script (Steve Hills)
    Re:  Remote Call Forwarding - Alternatives? (Paul Robinson)
    9600 =baud= Doesn't Exist (Brad Hicks)
    Re: Western Union Building in St. Louis Being Razed (Scott M. Pfeffer)
    Re: Capacity of Area Code (David A. Cantor)
    Where is CallerID Implemented? (Charles Hemstreet)
    708-796-9600 Charges You Extra! (John Landwehr)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Labatt-Simon)
Subject: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels
Date: 24 Oct 1993 07:39:53 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY


I have a client who I am doing some work for right now involving the
connection of an IBM RS/6000 in Virginia to a Novell network in NY.
I will be using Retix bridges/routers between the two locations.  In
the past, the telecom vendor has provided me a RS-449 connection
to a DSU/CSU, but in this case, I have yet to contact the vendor.

The client has a T1 line (fractional) of which two channels are
currently being utilized.  Let me start by saying that I know
nothing of telecommunications, but this is more for my personal
knowledge.  The way I think they have it connected right now
is as follows.  The T1 terminates at a CSU, which is then hooked
into a Micom Marathon box.  The box then sends the signals to
a terminal server, where 32 9600 baud connectionsbranch out to
vt220 compatible terminals.

What I would like to do is take about 15 of the remaining channels
and "merge" them to provide 960k of bandwidth between the two
Retix routers.  The routers can handle speeds of up to 2.048Mbps
and can be configured with either RS-449, RS-232 or V.35 connections.

First of all, is it possible to merge the channels and get a single
connection to the router?  Or would I have to purchase fifteen routers
for each side (theoretically)?  What would be required?  15 CSUs
connected to a "reverse" multiplexer with a single DSU?  If I'm
getting my terminology wrong here, please correct me.  In addition, if
somebody could point me in the direction of a hardware manufacturer
(preferably with a name and telephone number, plus product name), it
would be greatly appreciated.  Mail or telephone -- either would be
great.


Chris Labatt-Simon
Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]
[phone] Tel
[phone] Fax

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Multi-carrier Service From Cincinnati Bell
Date: 23 Oct 1993 22:33:54 -0400
Organization: Telerama Public Access Internet, Pittsburgh, PA


Yesterday I got a call from someone at Cincinnati Bell.  This person
was plugging their innovative new long-distance service.

Apparantly, they havqe a special switch which selects the cheapest
long distance carrier (based on time of day and destination of call)
at the time the call is made.

They broker time from the five major long-distance carriers (MCI,
Sprint, etc) and some regional carriers.  They wholesale this time
through their special switching equipment, somehow making sure that
their customers get the best deal.  They also offer calling cards and
other normal carrier incentives.

This person went on to say that Cincinnati Bell is one of the few
(perhaps the only) Bell Operating Companies that was allowed to do
long distance businesss after the Bell breakup.

Does anyone know about this product?  Is this sort of deal particularly
remarkable?  Is he hiding something about Cincinnati Bell being a BOC
and allowed to do long distance?


Thanks,

Douglas Luce   Telerama


[Moderator's Note: Cincinnati Bell is not and never was a 'Bell System'
or Bell Operating Company. True, they have 'Bell' in their name, but
AT&T was (maybe still is) only a minority stockholder. Thus, they were
not/are not subject to the rules the BOC's have to follow. There are
various services around which sell bulk rate long distance from various
carriers and claim to choose the best (cheapest) for the occassion.
It comes down to a question of their math and calculations versus your
math and caclulation. It is not a bad deal for inexperienced users
who want someone else to price out their long distance service for
them. You can generally do as well by reviewing it yourself.  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 03:52:39 PDT
From: Mathew Englander <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: Mathew Englander <[e-mail]>
Subject: Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services


The Canada Direct service is set up so that in many countries around
the world you can dial a local (or toll-free) number and be connected
directly to a Canadian operator in Montreal or Vancouver, who will put
through your call to any Canadian number and charge it either to your
calling card (as a station-to-station call) or to the number being
called (as person-to-person). It's the Canadian rates that are
charged.

My question is, why do the operators always ask what country you're
calling from? Don't they know? And what happens if you tell them a
different country from the one you're actually in? Seems like you
could dramatically reduce the price of your calls that way. Perhaps
this aspect of the service has changed since I last used it (in
January 1992).

Do American call-home services also ask what country the caller is in?


Mathew Englander


[Moderator's Note: This reminds me of many years ago when the long-
distance operator would ask what number you were calling from for
the purpose of writing up the charge ticket. (They honestly did not
know, other than the prefix you were on.) Do you suppose the 'Direct'
operators don't know either?  I would urge against fraud however.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Chafe)
Subject: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN
Organization: University of California, Davis
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 18:12:27 GMT


Hello,

I have a question about ANI-related signalling as it goes through the
public switched network.  I just found two 800 numbers that cause
charges to be billed back to the originator of the call.  I understand
that this is possible due to the fact that people who buy 800 numbers
can get ANI with their calls if they want.  But -- I called this
number from our two different switches, and one call did not go
through while the other (from the other switch and a different trunk
group) did go through.

Is it possible that there is some additional information, besides ANI,
that went through the network and caused the 800 service to not accept
the call from the first switch?  Does anyone have any technical
details if this is actually what is happening?  I have a call into our
Pac Bell account rep to see what they can tell me, but I thought I
would pose the question to this group since there is so much expertise
here.

Is this legal now (to charge toll on an 800 call)?  I thought it wasn't
after the $120 per call 800-psychic-hotline thing had been taken out
of service.

All comments would be appreciated!


Thanks,

Steve Chafe
UC Davis Communications Resources
[e-mail]/[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: AT&T says it is not legal to bill back a charge
on an 800 number to the caller. Frank Carey, are you reading this?
It is likely that if for some reason the receiver of the call was
unable to capture the calling number from the one switch, they chose
to ignore the call and let it go unanswered rather than accept it and
not get paid for it (via their method of 'getting paid'). The whole
concept of 800 service is TOLL FREE TO THE CALLER. I hope Frank or
an associate will discuss this with you.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 21:56:57 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Mead Service via AT&T Mail


AT&T Mail users will have access to a especially developed off-line
electronic news services from Mead Data Central. The service, Pubcite,
allows AT&T Mail users to subscribe to electronic tables of contents
for 15 business and industry magazines, delivered to subscribers'
e-mailboxes.  Users may then order the full text of an article which
is delivered by e-mail or fax.  Pubcite costs $29 per month per
title, plus $4.75 for each article ordered.

------------------------------

From: Emmanuel Goldstein <[e-mail]>
Subject: Nationwide Caller ID is Here!
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 16:53:53 -0700


Apparently, nationwide Caller ID is beginning. The phone companies are
denying this but we here at {2600 Magazine} have received several
calls on our special Caller ID line that identify themselves as being
from outside the state. So far, we've received calls into area code
516 from area codes 703, 314, 203, and 909. The latter code is
California, which raises interesting questions since Caller ID has not
yet been approved there. On at least one occasion, the call was placed
using MCI as the long distance carrier.

We are conducting an experiment over the next week or so. People
calling our main office line (516-751-2600) will be forwarded to a
line that has Caller ID and we will see what comes through and what
doesn't. If you wish to participate, call this number and let it ring
twice. This will be enough time to transmit the Caller ID data and you
won't be charged since our machine doesn't pick up until after the
third ring. (Don't worry, it's perfectly legal.) You might want to
experiment with different long distance carrier access codes (10222,
10333, 10288, etc.). We will submit the results of this experiment to
this conference. In the meantime, doesn anyone know the legal
implications of Caller ID data being transmitted from California?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott McClure)
Subject: Re: Four-wire Pay Phones?
Organization: NIX - The Network Information eXchange
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 13:27:34 GMT


Paul Robinson <[e-mail]> writes:

> Scott McClure <[e-mail]>, writes:

>> I was tracing a line in our building the other day
>> (ahh, the joys of can-diving!) and came across what appeared
>> to be a four-wire line for a pay phone. Is this normal?  What
>> would each of the four conductors be used for, compared with a
>> normal two-wire line?

> Anti-Theft alarm.

That's actually pretty funny, in this case.  The phone in question is
inside a bunker-like building for training nuclear weapons technicians
for the DON, and has a high fence with barbed wire, guards, CCTV
cameras everywhere, and located on a major military installation.  You
have to have a SECRET clearance just to get in the building.

I guess PacBell doesn't trust anyone these days ...  8-)


Scott

INTERNET:  [e-mail]
Non-MX:  ryptyde![e-mail]
ICBMnet: 32-54N/117-15W


[Moderator's Note: Actually, 'trusted employees' of companies and
organizations sometimes turn out to be bigger thieves than the general
public they serve. It is not unlikely that an employee of the facility
might try to rip it off, knowing it likely he could walk in or out of
the facility without the usual questions asked of outsiders.   PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Alarms on NT SL1-XT
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 15:41:51 -0700
From: Ken Stone <[e-mail]>


I need to hook up an NT SL1-XT to our external alarm monitoring system.

Trouble is, I can't figure out where things like power alarms, cabinet
alarms, etc are available ... I found them on our newer column style
RPE cabinets but I can't find hide nor hair on the switch itself.

Any help appreciated.


Ken Stone

------------------------------

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Gordon Jacobson)
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 17:03:39
Subject: Re: 56k Confusion
From: [e-mail] (Gordon Jacobson)


> I make hundreds of short calls from A to B each month.  I can't
> dial direct without doing business with AT&T, which I want to
> avoid.  So I set up a 800 number with some other company that
> terminates at B and can only be called from A.  The best rates
> I've seen for my purposes are 0.165 per minute measured in 1/10
> minute increments with no monthly or per call fees for calls from
> 617-352 to 603-598. By the way, what do you gurus think about
> these rates?  Can I get better in this market?  I have looked
> around a little and seen much worse.


Joe -

        For Boston to Nashua (etc) there are better rates available.
And remember 800 service is almost always more expensive then regular
outbound service so you are paying some kind of premium under the
setup described above.

        In order to make suggestions concerning viable
alternatives, I have two questions that need to be answered:

        1. Is this a business line or residential we are discussing?
        2. What do you think your monthly LD bill comes to?

        As an afterthought -- why do you want to avoid doing
business with any specific vendor?


Regards,

GAJ

------------------------------

From: Steve Hills <[e-mail]>
Subject: Help Needed Paging via Unix Script
Date: 23 Oct 93 21:26:09 GMT
Organization: NCR  Engineering & Manufacturing-San Diego


Hi,

A project I am working on has the ability to run UNIX shell scripts or
executables when certain events occur on the system.  We have been
requested to provide a paging capability via a shell script or
executable.  Does anyone have any information (or perhaps a shell
script) that could be of help to me?


Steve Hills   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 23:05:40 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re:  Remote Call Forwarding - Alternatives?
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


> I am looking for some methods of providing local dial-in access in
> surrounding cities to our BBS.  I have heard that remote call
> forwarding would provide this functionality.

And there will certainly be charges to you, depending on where the
called number is at and where the terminating number is.  There will
be call transfer charges of possibly 2-15c per call, and possibly time
and mileage charges of anything from 2-15c per minute.

Try E-Mail to [e-mail].  Holonet is offering dialup services
for BBSs at lower rates around $3 an hour and Holonet has dialups in
850 cities.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: mc/G=Brad/S=Hicks/OU1=[e-mail]
Date: 23 Oct 93 19:47:33 GMT
Subject: 9600 =baud= Doesn't Exist


Just to add a little fuel to the fire: I hope y'all who're irritated
at Sprint realize that if Sprint promised you a "9600 baud" modem,
y'all are going to have to wait a =long= time before you get
it -- because nobody has invented a 9600 baud modem.

In fact, the fastest approved modem standards are for 2400 baud modems
using 6 bit frequency shift keying (FSK) to produce throughput of
14400 bits per second.  But they're still 2400 =baud=, because baud is
a measurement of the carrier frequency, not the bit rate.

(I leave it as an exercise for the student -- or the courts -- to
decide if this gets Sprint off the hook.)

See Harry Newton, _Newton's Telecom Dictionary_ (6th ed), "Baud Rate,"
on pages 120 to 121, for the truly definitive definition.  If you're
the kind of person who reads this mailing list/group/whatever, you
simply =need= this book.


J. Brad Hicks     Internet: mc![e-mail]
X.400: c=US admd=ATTMail prmd=MasterCard sn=Hicks gn=Brad

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott M. Pfeffer)
Subject: Re: Western Union Building in St. Louis Being Razed
Date: 23 Oct 93 19:44:30 GMT
Organization: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
Will Martin) writes:

> The Western Union building in downtown St. Louis is now being razed.
> This sits on a piece of downtown real estate that has long been slated
> to become part of a grassy mall, but the plans for and construction of
> this mall had been changed and delayed for many years.  One issue I
> recall reading about when it was initially proposed was that there was
> a major confluence of telecommunications cabling under the WU
> building, and there was a great expense involved in moving and
> rerouting all this infrastructure.

> I saw the wrecking ball working on the back side the other day -- the
> building is VERY solidly constructed, and it looks like it will take a
> while to reduce it...

I have been unable to find out what communications facilities in and
around the building have been affected.  However, upon survey of the
exterior of the structure as well as the street block, I noted several
painted street markings delineating the location and direction of
fibre and other cabling presumably beneath the surrounding roadways.
One manhole cover is clearly marked with the letters MCI.  Several
two-way arrows have also been drawn, in bright florescent orange,
showing SWBT line locations, direction, etc.

The best estimate I have been able to obtain was that the building
will take three to four weeks to demolish.  It is indeed very sturdy.
The wrecking ball operator needed over 30 minutes to bash a hole
through four floors this afternoon ...

When I queried a fellow employee at One Bell Center about the building
being destroyed across the street, he simply replied:

     "I guess telegraph service isn't going to boom afterall."

Any one want to buy a brick from an old Western Union Building??? &-).
These are not the opinions of my employer, or any other entity.


Scott Pfeffer    Information Services, Southwestern Bell Telephone

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Cantor)
Subject: Re: Capacity of Area Code
Organization: MV Communications, Inc.
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 14:32:15 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Monty Solomon <roscom!
[e-mail]> wrote:

> Many times I reach the AT&T operator instead of a recording when I
> dial 1-700-555-4141 from a payphone.  I have observed that many New
> England Telephone payphones incorrectly state the long distance
> carrier.

On a payphone, you need to dial 0-700-555-4141 to find the long distance
carrier.


David A. Cantor          [phone]
131 D.W. Highway, #505   Nashua, NH  03060

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Charles Hemstreet)
Subject: Where is CallerID Implemented?
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 14:59:56 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University


I have CallerID at my home and really like having it.  I am a bit
frustrated that it seems that Denver on up the Front Range is the only
one that has CallerID (area code 303).  Even here in Ft. Collins I
call my wife from across the street and "Out of Area" shows up on my
box occassionally.  Can someone fill me in with some more details?


Thanks,

Charles H. Hemstreet IV     internet: [e-mail]
Colorado State University       or [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Another correspondent in this issue says the
Caller-ID has become almost universal and that he is seeing numbers
show up from all over the USA. I can confirm that since I get those
same results on my Caller-ID display here. But there seem to still
be offices even here in Chicago not yet equipped to sent it out. The
message 'out of area' is given if the sending CO did not provide the
caller's number -- even on a private 'do not pass this along to the
end user' basis -- to the CO serving you. There still seems to be a
hodge-podge of which offices are equipped and which are not, but
check in again here next year this time; I'll bet the conversion
will be nearly complete.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 93 17:47:52 CDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: 708-796-9600 Charges You Extra!


Warning:

I received a note on my Ameritech bill with the following line:
4 Call/s to Name and Address Service      $1.40

So all I can figure is that if you call 708-796-9600, they charge ya
extra!  (This number was listed in an earlier Digest as a number to
name lookup.)


jland


[Moderator's Note: Uh, yeah, they charge for it, contrary to Usenet
customs and all where everything is supposed to be free and handed
out on silver platters. Talk about commercializing the net, eh!
Calls to (312/708) 796-9600 are billed at 35 cents for each two
lookups when calling from a (312/708) number. I think outside the
area, just normal toll charges apply. You can use either area code
to reach it; we just dial the seven digits. You will get an auto-
mated service which tells you to punch in the (312/708) areacode
and desired seven digit number. The voice will read back the name
and address of the subscriber, or will tell you it is non-pub or
that there is no record of the number. You can have two lookups per
call then must dial back. A charge is made whether or not the lookup
is successful (produces the desired results).  An online menu is
available to help you use the system.

Watch for a message tomorrow in news.groups talking about this latest
'sleazy commercial use of the net' (by this message appearing here).
By the way, the phone book here *does* say telco charges for the ser-
vice; it is not secret charge stuck on your bill. No mention is made
however of whether or not they cleared with the net.police the require-
ment that Usenet readers would have to pay to use the database, con-
trary to common wisdom around here.    PAT

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #717
******************************


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Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 13:05:15 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #718

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 24 Oct 93 13:05:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 718

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Calling Card Woes (Steve Kass)
    Re: Calling card Woes (Gary Morris)
    Re: Calling Card Scam (Chaim Frenkel)
    Re: Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents (Bill Nott)
    Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling? (Mike Morris)
    Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling? (Gregory Youngblood)
    Re: Screwed Up 900 Service (Steve Brack)
    Re: Amusing Misdialed Call (David Appell)
    Re: Amusing Misdialed Call (Gordon Croft)
    Re: Alarms on NT SL1-XT (John K. Scoggin, Jr)
    Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels (John K. Scoggin, Jr)
    Wanted: Best Price on Low-Usage 800 and Calling Card Service (Thom Byxbe)
    Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors (Tom Scheer)
    Re: Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs (Jeff Bamford)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 19:09:04 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Calling Card Woes


In TELECOM Digest Issue 716, Javier Henderson <[e-mail]>
writes:

> I tried to place a call with my Orange Calling Card from a privately
> owned payphone. I dial the toll free number to get the dial tone, it
> goes through, then as I dial the sequence of numbers to reach the
> person I needed to talk to I get interrupted by a fast busy. Two more
> tries give the same result. An attempt to use my MCI calling card also
> fails. I called the operator, and she said that 'to curtail the use of
> their phones in drug deals they limit the number of digits one can
> punch per call'.

It's not only from COCOTs that this will happen, and even a pocket
tone generator doesn't get around it.  I spent some time trying to
figure this one out, and as best I can tell, local law enforcement
officials think they can make it harder for drug dealers to access
voice mail by implementing this "feature."  The cops then convince
the various phone owners (BOCs included) to "help in the war against
drugs."  At least I surmised this much from various conversations
with phone companies and regulatory officials, none of whom would
say exactly this outright.  They're also trying to limit theft of
phone service from businesses with outgoing lines that can be called
up and accessed with the right button punching, I think.  The big
customers have more pull than most of us.


Steve Kass/ Math & CS/ Drew U/ Madison NJ 07940/ [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Yeah, but they cannot lawfully prohibit the use
of telephone calling cards under the new rules. I do not care whose
calling card it is, Orange or otherwise. Report it to the FCC.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Morris @ignite)
Subject: Re: Calling Card Woes
Organization: Alsys Group, San Diego, CA, USA
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 21:24:54 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I tried to place a call with my Orange Calling Card from a privately
> owned payphone. I dial the toll free number to get the dial tone, it
> goes through, then as I dial the sequence of numbers to reach the
> person I needed to talk to I get interrupted by a fast busy.

I run into this problem a lot on pay phones, either trying to use my
calling card or trying to access my voice mail (via an 800 number).
The pay phones around here either cut off the keypad after they
connect the call or after you punch a few numbers.  The response I get
from the operator is that the phone is probably not working and they
will tell repair, but I don't believe it.  My workaround is to avoid
all independent pay phones and only use Pacific Bell, where I have
never had wthis kind of problem.


GaryM


[Moderator's Note: Private (COCOT) payphones which do this are not
working correctly in accordance with law. You need to mark them out
of order in such a way that unsuspecting users cannot deposit coins
in them accidentally until they have been repaired/reprogrammed. We
have printed labels available in the Telecom Archives for this pur-
pose. And keep after the owner of the instrument until it is fixed.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chaim Frenkel)
Subject: Re: Calling Card Scam
Date: 24 Oct 93 03:43:50 GMT
Organization: Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.


Is it possible that they wish to avoid the old trick of passing
messages in the name? Most operators would not recognize a legitimate
Hindu name, let alone a fake one.

Customer:

    Operator I would like to place a person-to-person call to
    <Hindi-1: I am well, give my love to Momma>

Operator:

    Just one moment ... <silence> ... Meanwhile ...

    I am sorry but <Hindi-1> is not available but would
    you speak to <Hindi-2: So are we, Sidhar is arriving Tuesday.>

Customer:

    No, Thank you operator.


Chaim Frenkel            On contract at:
[e-mail]            [e-mail]
Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.    Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.


[Moderator's Note: There is no convenient work-around by telco. That
is why person-to-person calls carry such a high surcharge; so that
the customers who do not use this method of petty theft get to pay
the bills for the ones who do. And the automated collect calling
service (where you record your name when requested for playback to
the called party) does not help any. It actually is aggrevating this
petty fraud.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: Bill=Nott%Graphics=Dev%PCPD=[e-mail]
Subject: Re: Re: Scam to Get Calling/Credit Card Numbers From Parents
Organization: Compaq Computer Corporation
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 21:33:52 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, John Sullivan <sullivan@
msri.org> wrote:

>> I just got this e-mail from my mother.  As you will see, someone is
>> trying to get people to give out their calling card numbers by
>> pretending to have collect calls from loved ones, and then saying
>> there is a block.

> [  .. long story about the actual scam deleted]

> I am wondering, if you suspected a scam why did you not give a bogus
> number because a real AT&T operator could easily validate the number
> while a false one would not be able to so easily? If it were a real
> operator then you could say you mis-remembered the number etc.

    This is a good thought, but an associated question is:

   How long would it take for someone to think of this and use it when
they are being "held emotional hostage" by the scammer? I believe many
scams succeed because of the emotional angle being played, rather than
depending on a victim's inability to think quickly or thoroughly.

   Maybe this can be a key to help us all be more scam resistant;
remind ourselves to beware whenever we get a questionable phone call
with emotional content.


   Bill

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Morris)
Subject: Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling?
Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1993 06:33:01 GMT


Tony Harminc <[e-mail]> writes:

> [e-mail] (Elana Beach) wrote:

>> Hmpf.  How about a creative idea for phoiling phrauds?

>> Provide customers with some kind of false card and PIN number.

>> The false number is actually some sort of flag or booby trap.  When a
>> possible fraud calls for your card number, give him the false one.
>> When the @$$%! uses the phalse number, the long-distance company's
>> computer is instantly alerted to the originating phone number as a
>> possible fraud in progress.

> Some burglar alarm companies use something much like this.  If you set
> off your own alarm, you can call the alarm company and give them your
> security code to cancel the response.  But they also give you a handy
> pocket-sized card with a false security code on it.  If you are
> surprised by an intruder who has set off the alarm, and forced to make
> the call, you read the fake number off the card and the alarm company
> immediately knows that there is a much more serious situation than a
> simple alarm trip.

Many alarms also have a "I've got a gun pointed at my head" feature.
Let's say that you have a storefront business, and you are opening up
one morning, and some thug with an IQ of egg white sticks a gun in
your ribs, and tells you to disarm the alarm system, and open the
safe.  Let's say that your disarm code is 1234.  You dial 1235 and
that causes the alarm company to see a "duress disarm" code, and they
scramble the cops to your address expecting a hostage situation.
Generally the last digit of your disarm code is even, and the odd
digit above it is the duress code.


Mike Morris   WA6ILQ
PO Box 1130   Arcadia, CA. 91077
818-447-7052 evenings

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Creative Phraud Phoiling?
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 93 19:38:36 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


> Some burglar alarm companies use something much like this.  If you set
> off your own alarm, you can call the alarm company and give them your
> security code to cancel the response.  But they also give you a handy
> pocket-sized card with a false security code on it.  If you are
> surprised by an intruder who has set off the alarm, and forced to make
> the call, you read the fake number off the card and the alarm company
> immediately knows that there is a much more serious situation than a
> simple alarm trip.

In addition, or in lieu of this method there is also the method where
all people with access have a security code to punch in when they
enter the building.  If they are forced to enter the code then they
are to enter one number higher (i.e. 1213 would be 1214) and this
would trigger an immeidate response (supposedly -- I've fortunately
never been in the position to test this one).


Greg
The Complete Solution BBS  | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) |  ~/tcsbbs.lst  | Login: nuucp  Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | [e-mail] |    Cellular Telephoney Groups

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Oct 93 02:53:41 -0400
From: Steve Brack <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Screwed Up 900 Service


[e-mail] (John R Levine) writes, on Sat, 9 Oct 93 00:35 EDT:

> When the pile of bogus calls started, nofriends' group noticed it
> immediately, since the calls were all on a new 900 line that they'd
> just installed but hadn't started to advertise yet, so they weren't
> expecting any calls at all there.  They brought it to the attention of
> their AT&T salesman who denied that anything odd was going on.

> The calls went on for several months in strange bursts of dozens of
> calls at intervals of under a minute, clearly not at all a normal
> calling pattern.

It sounds as though that 900 number may have been used by some other
organization.  A scenario I could imagine is that an owner-operator
(privately owned semi truck) scheduling service uses a 900 number to
give drivers their instructions, thereby ensuring collection of
service fees.  Through some sequence of events, whether it be telco
misrouting, or the company ceasing to use that 900 number, calls
intended for it go to "nofriends's" company, on a brand new line that
hasn't even been advertised.  Driver calls in, gets the business
information announcement, hangs up, and tries again, maybe a few
times.  By the same token, this new number could have been misprinted
on some sort of advertising posted near the phones.

It reminds me of a problem we had here a few months ago.  One of the
larger Girl Scout councils in this area contracted for an 800 number
on which to take credit card orders.  Unbeknownst to them, the number
had previously been used by a phone sex line.  Ironically, the number
the Girl Scouts were using was 1 - 800 - BAD - GIRL.

> A more relevant question is why AT&T is claiming fraud, rather than
> admitting that they made an error and relying on provisions in the 900
> service contract to get back overpayments.  Presumably if they
> admitted that it was their mistake, a court would be much less
> sympathetic to their attempts to recover the money at this late date.
> The principle of mitigation of damages suggests that AT&T's failure to
> do anything about the strange calls in a timely way after it was
> brought to their attention greatly weakens their claim to have been
> defrauded.

As far as I know, the owner of a phone line is responsible for all
charges incurred by its use, other than costs beyond his or her
control.  If AT&T owned a line, and allowed 1-900 calls to be made
over it, then no one, other than AT&T is liable, IMO especially since
the owner of the line informed AT&T of the problem.  If some
intermediary, like the local telco, failed to carry out AT&T's
blocking orders, then that intermediary assumes liability.

At least, that's the way things stood as of my last business law
class.  8)


Steven S. Brack         [e-mail]
Toledo, OH  43613-1605  [e-mail]
MY OWN OPINIONS         [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Oct 93 15:36 GMT
From: David Appell <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Amusing Misdialed Call


PAT wrote:

> AT&T does not need to change anything, but Royko needs to be put out
> to pasture. He is just a crude, rude idiot anyway. I've followed his
> writing since he was a reporter on the crime beat for the Chicago News
> Bureau (a service owned jointly by all the newspapers here for local
> stuff) thirty years ago, including his first big-time assignment of
> writing a daily column for the long gone {Chicago Daily News}. He does
> not impress me as anything but a boor.

   He may be a crude, rude idiot ... but he has succeeded in getting
you to read his (and his paper's) column for 30 years, no?


David


[Moderator's Note: Well, you have a very valid point there. If being a
crude, rude and lewd idiot is what it takes, then maybe I should
practice up on my boorishness. Some would probably say I don't need
to practice up; this mailing list is larger than it has ever been
before. Consider all the people who write me to tell me how much they
hate this Digest; they still seem to read it all the time also.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gordon Croft)
Subject: Re: Amusing Misdialed Call
Date: 23 Oct 93 22:59:41 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada


> Joe Bergstein writes:

> I thought TELECOM Digest might get a chuckle from incident which
> occurred to me last week.  I was dialing from Maryland area 301 and
> was trying to reach someone at Microsoft in Redmond Washington. Well I
> dialed 206-635-xxxx, and the phone rang and was answered with
> "Citizens Bank, Customer Service".  I asked "Is this 206-635-xxxx (the
> real number I was dialing), and without missing a beat, the bank rep
> said "Oh you're trying to reach Microsoft ... you forgot to dial the
> '1' first".  I guess Citizens Bank of Maryland (301-206-6xxx numbers)
> must be getting an awful lot of calls for Microsoft from Washington
> D.C. area folks forgetting the dial 1 prefix!

Pardon my ignorance but do you mean that you DON'T have to dial the
"1" when you call long distance?

Up here in the "Great white north" we dial "1" all the time for long
distance!!!     :)


Gord


[Moderator's Note: Yeah, precisely Gord. You are supposed to dial '1'
and the caller forgot to dial '1' so they wound up with a wrong (local)
number. Understand now?   PAT]

------------------------------

From: John K Scoggin Jr <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Alarms on NT SL1-XT
Date: 24 Oct 1993 17:16:20 GMT
Organization: Delmarva Power & Light
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In article [e-mail], Ken Stone <[e-mail]> writes:

> I need to hook up an NT SL1-XT to our external alarm monitoring system.

> Trouble is, I can't figure out where things like power alarms, cabinet
> alarms, etc are available ... I found them on our newer column style
> RPE cabinets but I can't find hide nor hair on the switch itself.

Well, on an SL-1NT, there is a cable called an "Alarm and Transfer
(P10) Cable" which is attached to connector J10 on the top panel of
the Common Equipment cabinet.  Look at Installation Practice DP1008.
If you need the pin-out, holler ...


John K. Scoggin, Jr.        Email: [e-mail]
Supervisor, Network Operations  Phone: [phone]
Delmarva Power & Light Company  Fax:   [phone]
500 N. Wakefield Drive          NOC:   [phone]
Newark, DE 19714-6066
The opinions expressed are not those of Delmarva Power, simply the
product of an over-active imagination...

------------------------------

From: John K Scoggin Jr <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels
Date: 24 Oct 1993 17:21:18 GMT
Organization: Delmarva Power & Light
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In article [e-mail], [e-mail] (Chris Labatt-Simon) writes:

> What I would like to do is take about 15 of the remaining channels
> and "merge" them to provide 960k of bandwidth between the two
> Retix routers.  The routers can handle speeds of up to 2.048Mbps
> and can be configured with either RS-449, RS-232 or V.35 connections.

> First of all, is it possible to merge the channels and get a single
> connection to the router?  Or would I have to purchase fifteen routers
> for each side (theoretically)?  What would be required?  15 CSUs
> connected to a "reverse" multiplexer with a single DSU?  If I'm
> getting my terminology wrong here, please correct me.  In addition, if
> somebody could point me in the direction of a hardware manufacturer
> (preferably with a name and telephone number, plus product name), it
> would be greatly appreciated.  Mail or telephone -- either would be
> great.

One way is to install a mini-DACS between the CSU and the router and
Micom boxes.  There are also some CSUs that will create 2 V.35 data
connections from a T-1 - the Digital Link DL551VX will do this at a
reasonable price (approx $3100-3200 at each end).  Digital Link sells
through distributors like Glasgal (201-768-8082) or direct.


John K. Scoggin, Jr.        Email: [e-mail]
Supervisor, Network Operations  Phone: [phone]
Delmarva Power & Light Company  Fax:   [phone]
500 N. Wakefield Drive          NOC:   [phone]
Newark, DE 19714-6066
The opinions expressed are not those of Delmarva Power, simply the
product of an over-active imagination...

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Thom Byxbe)
Subject: Wanted: Best Price on Low-Usage 800 and Calling Card Service
Date: 23 Oct 1993 02:06:35 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net


I'd like to know what the best available rate is for low usage 800
service (preferably with no or low monthly fee) and also which travel
card has the lowest per-call surcharge and best per-minute rates.  I
am aware that the moderator offers services of this type and have sent
him an email message requesting information, but would also be
interested in any competitive offerings that readers may feel are
exceptional deals.

Please send any replies via e-mail.


[Moderator's Note: I have told him about Orange Card and my new 800
numbers which charge 18.4 cents per minute flat rate at all times, but
perhaps others will contribute to his efforts to find a good deal.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom Scheer)
Subject: Re: Stutter Dial-Tone Detectors
Date: 24 Oct 1993 07:53:17 GMT
Organization: CERFnet Dial n' CERF Customer


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
edu (Harold Hallikainen) writes:

> Am I missing something here?  Why are stutter dial-tone
> detectors needed?  I understand that a stutter dial-tone will be sent

Yes, you are missing something.  You don't get a voice-mail message
every time your phone rings.  Some people hang up and don't leave a
message.  What the original poster wants is something to alert him
that he has a message waiting, not that his phone rang in his absence.

There is no way to detect the stutter dial tone without taking the
line off-hook.


Tom Scheer   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jeff Bamford)
Subject: Re: Bell Canada Long Distance Dialing Changes For New NPAs
Organization: Audio Research Group, University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 13:45:51 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Bill Hofmann <wdh@netcom.
com> wrote:

> [e-mail] writes:

>> This is already the case in 416 and 905, thus no further changes are
>> expected for those area codes. This will affect other Bell area codes:
>> Ontario's 519, 613, 705 and 807, plus Quebec's 418, 514 and 819.

> Are these and other Canadian codes currently 1 + seven for toll in
> area code and 1 + ten for toll outside area code?

    Essentially yes, in area code 519 (where I attend school) you
only need to dial 1 + number for calls inside 519, however 1 + 519 +
number also works.  In fact it is possible to phone locally with
519+number.  However, in area code 506 (where I am from) it is not
possible (the last time I tried) to phone locally within 506 and
specify the areacode.  I have not tried long distance.  To my
knowledge it was only 416 that required 1 + 416 for long distance
within the areacode, when 905 started it also need this requirement.


Jeff Bamford     [e-mail] -- NeXT Mail welcome
[e-mail]    /     [e-mail]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #718
******************************


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Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 23:56:20 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #719

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 25 Oct 93 23:56:15 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 719

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    CPSR NII Paper (Dave Banisar)
    Combinet Remote Control Program (David E. Martin)
    A Comparison of Services (Dave Levenson)
    FCC #10 (Leonard Erickson)
    Fiber Optic System Testing (Leonard Smart)
    Chinese-Text Pager? (Lee Chen)
    Summary: Octel Forwarded to Pager (Steve Gibbons)
    We're Sorry the Monster is Busy (Jeff Jonas)
    Info on New Emergency Locator Transmitters (Delavar K. Khomarlou)
    Replacement Handset Needed For Replica Western Electric Phone (D. Veeneman)
    AT&T System 75 Switch to NT Meridium 1 (Tim Kramer)
    Latin America Telecom T (Hector Myerston)
    Our Moderator and Death (Tim Schmitt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Organization: CPSR Washington Office
From: Dave Banisar <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 21:14:55 EST
Subject: CPSR NII Paper


  CPSR NII Paper

Contact:
Todd Newman (CA) 415-390-1614
Eric Roberts (CA) 415-723-3642
Coralee Whitcomb (MA) 617-356-4309
Marc Rotenberg (D.C.) 202-544-9240


     COMPUTER SCIENTISTS RAISE SOCIAL AND DESIGN CONCERNS
                 ABOUT THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY

Palo Alto, Calif., October 25, 1993 -- In the wake of sudden corporate
mergers and rapid technological developments, Computer Professionals
for Social Responsibility (CPSR) today voiced concern that the planned
information superhighway will not realize its full potential.  The
public interest organization put forward specific guidelines for the
National Information Infrastructure (NII) in a paper titled, "Serving
the Community: A Public-Interest Vision of the National Information
Infrastructure."  Urging the Clinton Administration to move quickly to
adopt these principles, CPSR President Eric Roberts said, "Although
there is widespread agreement on general goals, there is no specific
plan to ensure that these goals are met."

"It is much easier to state a vision than to achieve it, " said Dr.
Roberts, who is also Associate Chair of the Computer Science
department at Stanford University.  "And there are many dangers on the
horizon that threaten to compromise the value of the NII as a resource
for the public.

"For example, if a small number of companies dominate the market,
we're in danger of stifling competition and innovation on the network.
If those same companies control the programming, then open and diverse
speech is limited.  If pricing structures do not cover universal
service, the average person and the poor will be struggling to use the
backroads of the information highway.  If privacy isn't protected,
your TV could keep more detailed records of your finances than the
IRS.  And, if the NII is not designed to allow everyone to communicate
freely and to publish their own contributions, it could become nothing
more than a medium for delivering 500-channel television, with
interactivity limited to home-shopping and trying to guess the next
play during sporting events."

CPSR's paper expands on these dangers and makes specific policy and
technical recommendations for the newly formed Information
Infrastructure Task Force.  The Task Force is expected to coordinate
network policy for the Clinton Administration.

"In its 'Agenda for Action' document, the Administration has set forth
a positive vision of what the NII can be," said Dr. Roberts.  "To
achieve that vision, however, the government must play a major role in
the design, development, and regulation of the network."  CPSR recommends
that the Administration adopt the following policies:

o   Promote widespread economic benefits by evaluating the NII's
    economic success using measures that reflect its impact on the
    society as a whole, not merely the profits of NII investors and
    service providers.

o   Evaluate the social impact of the NII by conducting periodic
    reviews as the NII is implemented and used to guarantee that it
   continues to serve the public interest.

o   Guarantee equitable and universal access through an appropriate
    mix of legislation, regulation, taxation, and direct subsidies.

o   Promote the development of a vital civic sector by ensuring
    resources, training, and support for public spaces within the NII
    where citizens can pursue noncommercial activities.

o   Promote a diverse and competitive marketplace in terms of the
    content carried over the NII.

o   Provide access to government services and information over the
    NII.

o   Encourage democratic participation by ensuring full public
    disclosure, and actively promoting democratic decision-making
    and public participation in all stages of the development process.

o   Actively facilitate the seamless connection of America's NII with
    the information infrastructures of other nations by working to
    resolve such issues as security, censorship, tariffs, and privacy.

o   Guarantee the functional integrity of the NII by establishing
    critical technical requirements including ease of use, widespread
    availability, full functionality, high reliability, adequate privacy
    protection, and evolutionary expansion.

The recommendations follow from a yearlong review of the NII conducted
by CPSR.  The process included collecting more than 1,200 suggestions
for NII policy from network users across the country, drafting a
report, holding special chapter meetings on the NII in Berkeley,
Boston, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., and having a multiple-draft
review process by the membership.  Final changes to the report were
made at the annual meeting of CPSR, where the report was adopted
unanimously by the CPSR Board of Directors.

Dr. Roberts noted that he was very pleased by the level of
participation in the NII report.  "The computer community knows that
the NII is the critical technological issue facing the United States
today.  Our members were extremely responsive when we asked them to
participate in this project, because they understand from their own
experience how much the NII has to offer."

CPSR also worked closely with the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable
(TPR), a coalition of more than sixty nonprofit, consumer, labor and
civil rights organizations based in Washington, DC.  CPSR's paper
endorses the principles set forth by TPR.  TPR will unveil its
founding principles in a press conference, Tuesday, October 26th at
10:00 a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

CPSR is planning a conference next April in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
on the future of the NII, The Directions and Implications of Advanced
Computing.  The conference will investigate at a more specific level
how to achieve the principles in the CPSR report.

Founded in 1981, CPSR is a national, nonprofit, public interest
organization of computer professionals and others concerned with the
impact of computer technology on society.  With offices in Palo Alto,
California, and Washington D.C., and 22 chapters across the country,
CPSR works to encourage public discussion of decisions involving the
use of computers in systems critical to society and to challenge the
assumption that technology alone can solve political and social
problems.

CPSR's NII paper is available electronically by sending email to
[e-mail].  In the message write the command "GET CPSR
NII_POLICY" The paper will automatically be mailed to you.  You can
also FTP/WAIS/Gopher cpsr.org/nii/cpsr_nii_policy.txt.

For a hard copy of the paper or for more information about CPSR, call
415-322-3778 or write to [e-mail].  For information about the
Telecommunications Policy Roundtable, contact Jeff Chester at
202-628-2620 or [e-mail].

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 18:27:35 CDT
From: David E. Martin <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: David E. Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject: Combinet Remote Control Program


Announcing Version 1.1 of the Combinet Remote Control Program (CBRC).

CBRC implements the Combinet remote control protocol over IP.  It runs
on Sun SparcStation's running SunOS 4.1.x.  After typing cbrc <bridge
name>, you can control a Combinet bridge exactly as if you were
connected via the serial port.

I appreciate all bug reports and ports.

The software is made available in a UNIX tar file, and is retrievable
via:

WWW URL:
gopher://www.hep.net:70/99/info_center/utilities/unix/cbrc11.tar

Gopher Bookmark:
Name=Combinet Bridge Remote Control Program via IP for Sun (tar)
Type=9
Port=70
Path=9/.anon_ftp/utilities/unix/cbrc11.tar
Host=gopher.hep.net

Anonymous FTP:
server: ftp.hep.net
file: utilities/unix/cbrc11.tar

DECnet COPY (only for those connected to HEP-NSI DECnet)
HEPNET::[ANON_FTP.UTILITIES.UNIX]CBRC11.TAR


David E. Martin
National HEPnet Management                      Phone: [phone]
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory           FAX: [phone]
P.O. Box 500, MS 368; Batavia, IL 60510  USA    E-Mail: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
Subject: A Comparison of Services
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 23:18:40 GMT


Last week at a customer site, I had an opportunity to compare customer
service response by two carriers -- a truly apples-to-apples
comparison.  The customer is a voice service bureau with a bunch of
900 numbers.  Some of these are intra-LATA, provided by New York
Telephone (a Nynex company) under the service offering called
Circuit-9.  Others are inter-LATA, and provided by MCI Communications.
Both services are delivered via T-1 facilities; both terminate at the
same address, and both are connected to a Westmark-supplied
interactive voice system implemented with Dialogic hardware and our
application software.

On that day, both T-1 lines showed normal synchronization (the
circuits themselves were connected) and calls to 900 numbers in both
groups resulted in telco-supplied recordings indicating that the call
did not go through.  Our equipment showed that all channels on both
T-1 spans were idle.

I called MCI first.  A technician called me back within ten minutes.
He listened to my description of the symptoms, took a look at his
translations database, and had the lines working five minutes later.

Then I called New York Telephone.  A technician called me back in
about an hour.  He listened to my description of the symptoms and then
said he'd call me back.

About 30 minutes later, he called again with another technician
conferenced in.  The other technician was a T-1 transmission
specialist.  I told him that we had synchronization, but that we
were getting no calls.  The T-1 specialist told me that if we had
synch, it wasn't _his_ trouble.

The original technician then told me that if we had a good T-1 link
and no calls, it must be the long distance carrier.  I told him that
NY Tel _is_ the carrier, and that the service was intra-LATA.  He told
me that NY Tel did not provide local service over T-1 facilities.
(That was becoming obvious!)  I told him that they did offer it, under
the service mark Circuit-9, and provided one of the directory numbers
associated with the service.  He told me it was news to him and that
he'd have to call Brooklyn.  (Brooklyn is only a local call from
Manhattan, just across the East River, but he said it as if here were
contemplating a call to a different hemisphere.)

Someone from Brooklyn (they apparently do central office translations
work in Brooklyn!) called later on and said that there is, indeed,
something called Circuit-9, but that the guy who knows how it works
was off that day.

Perhaps some competition in the local loop would be helpful here.  I
ought to ask Teleport about their equivalent service!


Dave Levenson        Internet: [e-mail]
Westmark, Inc.        UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA    Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 19:20:16 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: FCC #10


I keep hearing about "FCC #10" and it sounded like it'd be just what I
needed to get a *good* list of exchanges for the local area codes. So
I dropped by the local US Goverment Printing Office bookstore. They
said they'd never heard of it. "Do you know the SUDOCs number?" (or
was it "SUCCODE"?)

So I went to the local depository library. With much the same results.
I'd greatly appreciate it if someone would tell me the magic number ...


uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!51!Leonard.Erickson
Internet: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Leonard Smart)
Subject: Fiber Optic System Testing
Date: 26 Oct 93 03:10:43 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada


I have a client who has an in-place fiber-optic trunk system (actually
several segments, each several hundred miles long) built over several
years by several different contractors using different technology
vintages.  He is anxious to test the systems to determine performance
limitations with respect to supporting current high speed
(SONET-class) services -- and identify bottlenecks.

Can any one suggest how he should approach this problem, know who
might know how, or where we might turn to have this kind of work done?


Thanks,

Len Smart
Leonard Smart                 Telephone: [phone]
President                     Fax:       [phone]
L.W. Smart & Associates Ltd.  Internet: [e-mail]
8182 Woodlake Court           Burnaby, B.C.  Canada  V5A 3P4

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lee Chen)
Subject: Chinese-Text Pager?
Organization: Mindvox
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1993 19:00:21 GMT


I have an immediate need for a large quantity of pagers capable of
displaying simplified Chinese text.

Does such a thing exist?


Regards all,


\\Lee

------------------------------

From: sunquest!nereid![e-mail] (Steve Gibbons)
Subject: Summary: Octel Forwarded to Pager
Date: 25 Oct 93 05:57:00 GMT
Organization: Sunquest Information Systems, Instrument Interfacing


Almost a month ago, I posted an article to this group/list asking for
help WRT forwarding my Octel Aspen system's voice mail (notification
therof, rather) to my digital pager.

I admit now that I committed the "great Usenet sin of not Reading
TFM." I still haven't RTFMed because TFM is locked up in a closet in
the basement, and it's a pain to get to.

But I did find a solution to my problem.  Aparently, the user must
enable the pager-forwarding feature themselves by accessing their
Octel account and choosing option 4, sub-option 4; in addition to any
changes made from the console.  This did not seem to be necessary,
while attempting to configure the forwarding from the Aspen's console.

Let this be a lesson, kids.

(I'm so ashamed...)

My thanks to the one person on this forum that did respond, and to the
Octel personell that responded.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 23:55:21 -0400
From: Jeff Jonas <[e-mail]>
Subject: We're Sorry the Monster is Busy


There's a promotion on Coca-cola products with SPRINT where you call
an 800 number and enter the number under the cap to see if you own
anything.

I just dialed it and got the intercept "all lines are busy, please try
again later".  I'd say Sprint got a black eye -- a telecom company
running out of lines?


Jeffrey Jonas    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: How do you know the recording came from Sprint and
not from your local telco which may have been experiencing some con-
gestion in getting through to that carrier or in their own central
office? How do you know it was Sprint and not some service bureau hired
to talk to people in their behalf?   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Delavar K. Khomarlou)
Subject: Info on New Emergency Locator Transmitters
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Ontario Hydro
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 10:25:39 -0400


I am looking for information on the new emergency Locator Transmitters
(ELTs) operating at 405 Mhz (?) I understand the frequency stability
requirement is high on these units.  I need to know how tight the
ocillator sepc is and h w the messaging link on these operate.  An
email to Delavar.k.Khomarlou@ Hydro.ont.ca would be best.


Thanks in advance.

------------------------------

Subject: Replacement Handset Needed for Replica Western Electric Phone
From: Dan Veeneman <ftgcorp![e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 16:33:42 EDT
Organization: Fountainhead Title Group


Hello,

  My grandmother, being the nostalgic person that she is, wants
to press into service an old hand cranked telephone she's had since
the 1930's  (she's served by a community telephone service, which is
another story).  Rather than gut the old telephone, I picked up
a secondhand Western Electric replica.  It has a rotary dial on the
front, and a hookswitch on the side on which a handset hangs.  It has
a normal RJ-11 connector out the back, and appears to have been
put into service in Illinois around 1984, so it's not *that* old.

The problem is that the handset is missing the mouthpiece.  The
handset is connected to the telephone by a standard handset jack, so I
could always pick up a brown handset, but that would break the replica
feel of the phone.  The original handset had a wood handle and a wood
earpiece cover, which I would like to duplicate as closely as
possible.

Does anyone know of a place where I could find replacement parts
(specifically, a handset for this particular telephone?

If it helps, the back of the telephone has a couple stickers on the
back; one with a serial number (168054) and the other with the numbers
951A1-3 and 80154.

Thanks for any information,


Dan   uunet!anagld!ftgcorp!dan
[e-mail] (Dan Veeneman)
The Fountainhead Title Group Corporation
Real Estate Title Services


[Moderator's Note: You might tell grandma also that as nostalgic as
the old phone might be, in service it is going to sound awful. The
technology has changed so much over the years, and so gradually, we
have become accustomed to better transmission without realizing it. I
think she will be a lot happier with the 'antique phone' you purchased
for her even it it isn't entirely historically accurate.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: Tim Kramer <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 07:23:21 -0500
Subject: AT&T System 75 Switch to NT Meridium 1


I'm currently using vectoring on an AT&T System 75 which I know NT has
used for years.  I just don't see any major advantage of getting rid
of everything including the phones for a change.  I know NT is great
stuff so I know that I'm missing some specs somewhere.  What are the
biggest reasons for switching over from an AT&T System 75 to a
Northern Telecom Meridium 1?  Any small switch gurus out there that
can help?


Thanks!

Tim Kramer   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 25 Oct 1993 09:49:09 -0800
From: Hector Myerston <[e-mail]>
Subject: Latin America Telecom Trade Shows


I am looking for information on Latin America telecom trade shows.  If
you have any information on this (companies in US or in Latin America)
who sponsor, show dates etc) please reply address below.  Thanks in
advance.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 15:51:48 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Tim Schmitt)
Subject: Our Moderator and Death


Patrick,

  When you move onto that great telephony in the sky, what will happen
to this Digest?  By the way, have you considered being cremated and
having your ashes put in a phone?  It sure beats a vase :) The possi-
bilities go on and on (a twenty-one ring salute, the first teleconfer-
ence services, or having your coffin lowered into the ground with
telephone wire.)


Tim   [e-mail]
(A concerned reader)


[Moderator's Note: Dear Concerned Reader: Thank you very much for your
letter. It sure was good to hear from you. Let me pause and smoke a
cigarette while I think of an appropriate response to yours. I like your
idea involving telephone wire, but instead of using it to lower my coffin
(I am not finished building it yet; I add a few nails each day :] ) in the
ground I shall have a live wire pair buried with me attached to a modem
and terminal so I can continue propogandizing, commercially abusing
and unduly influencing the net in the afterlife. I'm hoping the landlord
gets air conditioning installed before I get there.

I wouldn't be the first person to take a live phone circuit with me:
there have been stories for many years about Mary Baker Eddy doing the
same thing in the early 1900's. When the directors of her organization
finally decided she was going to be 'resting' longer than they expected
and put her in the ground, they put a phone in with her so that when she
'woke up from her nap' she could call and let them know to come and get
her. No mention has ever been made of the type of calling plan she was
given or the default long distance carrier.

Death does not concern me. You cannot be in a violence-riddled area like
Chicago in a neighborhood full of drug dealers and be scared all your
life. But I don't *live in Chicago any longer*. More about that in the
next issue. As of this week, I live in Skokie, IL. The welfare of the
Digest *does* concern me however, and to that extent I hope someone else
would take it over and continue it.  Maybe I will leave it in my will
to John Higdon or a committee of the college freshmen who read news.groups
since they are so adept at knowing how these things ought to work.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #719
******************************


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Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 02:26:09 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #720

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 26 Oct 93 02:26:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 720

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fiber Optics (Craig Neeld)
    1-800 Nasties (Tim Schmitt)
    PBX vs. Key System (Colleen Clancy)
    Re: Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services (Laurence Chiu)
    Re: Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services (Chaim Frenkel)
    Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels (John P. Dearing)
    Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels (Barton F. Bruce)
    Have You Used Excel "Dumb Switches"? ([e-mail])
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID is Here! (Arnette Schultz)
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID is Here! (Lynne Gregg)
    Re: My Kind of Town, Chicago is ... (Doug Rorem)
    Administrivia: Special Mailing Coming Next (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Craig Neeld)
Subject: Fiber Optics
Organization: Florida State University
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 20:56:33 GMT


I am looking for some information on fiber optics. Nothing too
technical.  Please email the info, whether it be internet sources or
old fashioned books.


Thanks,

Craig Neeld

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 15:41:28 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Tim Schmitt)
Subject: 1-800 Nasties


  I watched a news segment the other day describing my state's
(Washington) screening process for personalized plates.  Of course,
all offensive words on plates are not allowed.  In addition,
candidates' plates are also crossed checked in the Dictionary of
Slang, foreign dictionaries, and backwards spelling (when plates are
observed in rear view mirrors).

  This made me wonder what the screening process for numbers is, if
at all.  How would you like to be the poor sap who ends up with
1-800-F***-YOU?  I called the number to see if the number was active,
and I don't think the owners mind too much -- it's a sex line.
Another candidate, 1-800-EAT-S**T, was constantly busy.  Maybe the
phone company is one for two?  I remember crank calling these numbers
when I was a teenager, right after calling the bowling alley to ask
them if they had 16 pound balls.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Colleen Clancy)
Organization: avid Technology, Inc.
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 16:58:28 EDT
Subject: PBX vs. Key System


I am researching telephone systems for a field office of approximately
30 people that could possibly grow to 60 people.  This office is
primarily a sales office, but we intend on having some Customer
Support Reps there to take calls.  We have a Definity G3i PBX in our
headquarters and are considering an aT&T G3s for the field location.
The cost of the G3s would be approximatly $70k and I can not justify
spending that amount of money for a relatively small field office.
Not to mention that we would also require voice mail on top of that!
Does anyone have any suggestions?  Below are some additional
questions.

1.  What are the benefits of a PBX as compared to a smaller phone
system (key system?)?

2.  What is a good system that can handle T1's and DID connections in
addition to voice mail for up to 60 people?  Cost?

3.  Has anyone heard of the atlas IIID digital phone system?

4.  Where does the aT&T Merlin system fall in the hiearchy of telephone
systems?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Laurence Chiu)
Subject: Re: Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services
Date: 25 Oct 1993 21:25:33 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access  [phone]  [login: guest]


In article <[e-mail]>, Mathew Englander
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> My question is, why do the operators always ask what country you're
> calling from? Don't they know? And what happens if you tell them a
> different country from the one you're actually in? Seems like you
> could dramatically reduce the price of your calls that way. Perhaps
> this aspect of the service has changed since I last used it (in
> January 1992).

> Do American call-home services also ask what country the caller is in?

In my experiences of call home services (I used them from New Zealand
using both MCI and AT&T) I was never asked what country I was calling
from. In AT&T's case since their USA DIrect is completely automated,
there is rarely a chance to even speak to an operator.  I would
suspect they would know what country you are calling from since the
local Telco or PT&T would have to setup special lines or at least
routings for a toll-free number to be able to reach the US.


Laurence Chiu       [e-mail]
Walnut Creek, CA    Tel (work) [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chaim Frenkel)
Subject: Re: Question About Overseas "Call-Home" Services
Date: 25 Oct 93 20:22:59 GMT
Organization: Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mathew
Englander) writes:

> The Canada Direct service is set up so that in many countries around
> the world you can dial a local (or toll-free) number and be connected
> directly to a Canadian operator in Montreal or Vancouver, who will put
> through your call to any Canadian number and charge it either to your
> calling card (as a station-to-station call) or to the number being
> called (as person-to-person). It's the Canadian rates that are
> charged.

When I was calling home from Israel and asked AT&T's USA Direct for
the charges, I found that the charges were much higher than my the
calling plan's in effect for my home number. They were even higher
than the local PTT's (Bezek's) rates!

The operator quoted (approximatly) US$5 for the first minute. My calling
plan was US$0.41 in the reverse direction.

Any ideas?


Chaim Frenkel                    On contract at:
[e-mail]                [e-mail]
Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.      Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] ( John P. Dearing)
Subject: Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels
Date: 26 Oct 93 01:00:53 GMT
Organization: Philadelphia Area Computer Society


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Chris
Labatt-Simon) writes:

-=[stuff about RS/600 and Novell deleted]=-

> What I would like to do is take about 15 of the remaining channels
> and "merge" them to provide 960k of bandwidth between the two
> Retix routers.  The routers can handle speeds of up to 2.048Mbps
> and can be configured with either RS-449, RS-232 or V.35 connections.

> First of all, is it possible to merge the channels and get a single
> connection to the router?  Or would I have to purchase fifteen routers
> for each side (theoretically)?  What would be required?  15 CSUs
> connected to a "reverse" multiplexer with a single DSU?  If I'm
> getting my terminology wrong here, please correct me.  In addition, if
> somebody could point me in the direction of a hardware manufacturer
> (preferably with a name and telephone number, plus product name), it
> would be greatly appreciated.  Mail or telephone -- either would be
> great.

You definitely won't need 15 routers. Does the current T1 CSU/DSU have
more than one "output" port? If it has a port that is available, you
can plug the router into that port and once you get the configuration
right, things will just hum right along.

At work, we use a bunch of Larse Split-T units. These units take a
fractional T-1 circuit and allow you to split the individual DS0's
between the two output ports. You can split them up just about any way
you choose and can even have different configurations based on the
time of day. For example, during the day you split it 50-50 between
the two ports, but at night you give port "a" 80% of the DS0's and the
rest to port "b".

Don't know what they cost, but they sure work nicely and are pretty
straightforward to set up and configure. Sorry, I don't have an
address or phone number handy. All that info is at work. 8-(

Bottom line is, with the right hardware you *can* do exactly what you
propose to do. The only downside is that you may need different
hardware from what you have right now.


John Dearing @ PACS Multi-SIG BBS (Philadelphia Area Computer Society)
      Email: [e-mail]
  U.S.Snail: 725 Ripley Place, Phila. PA, 19111-2524 (USA)
Voice Phone: [phone] (after 5pm Eastern)

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 25 Oct 93 02:45:34 -0400


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Chris
Labatt-Simon) writes:

> I have a client who I am doing some work for right now involving the
> connection of an IBM RS/6000 in Virginia to a Novell network in NY.
> I will be using Retix bridges/routers between the two locations.  In
> the past, the telecom vendor has provided me a RS-449 connection
> to a DSU/CSU, but in this case, I have yet to contact the vendor.

> The client has a T1 line (fractional) of which two channels are
> currently being utilized.  Let me start by saying that I know
> nothing of telecommunications, but this is more for my personal
> knowledge.  The way I think they have it connected right now
> is as follows.  The T1 terminates at a CSU, which is then hooked
> into a Micom Marathon box.  The box then sends the signals to

It is a FT1 type CSU/DSU that is either giving you 112kb (2x56 if
someone didn't know how to order properly) or 128kb (2x64kb).

You can order more DS0s. The existing CSU/DSU may have only that one
port, or may have two, four or more that you can get Nx56/63 out. It may
also be a DI (Drop & Insert) unit that lets the rest of the T1 pass
through to either a PBX or yet another similar box.

> a terminal server, where 32 9600 baud connectionsbranch out to
> vt220 compatible terminals.

The Marathon itself can play terminal server, statmux, and ethernet
bridge. If they are using it for compressed voice channels and are
peeling bridged ethernet out to some EXTERNAL terminal server, be
careful with your Retix -- maybe best to DUMP any Micom bridging and
let the Retix feed the terminal server. If you have two bridges in
parallel, you get loops unless spanning tree shuts down one path.
Then, other than as a spare, it is WASTED as is its bandwidth.

If you do offload the Marathon, maybe you can cut it back to 1 DS0.

449 isn't all that common here in the states. V.35 (love it or hate it)
is very common. 530 is goodness, but too new to be readily available.

You need to really understand WHAT is happening NOW. If there is NO
voice I would assume the marathon is at least then doing some
statmuxed terminal traffic (that is its heritage, anyway). If it isn't
even doing that (what is it doing??), and you really can handle
everything on a bigger Bridge/Router, consider the various Frame Relay
offerings from ALL the IXCs. You may get much better performance for
LESS $s. You can still keep the one or two DS0s the whole way for the
Marathon if needed for voice, but the big router/bridge CAN use the
same T1 local loops to access that carrier's F/R.

With the current two plus the 15 you propose, you probably DON'T want
to be buying FT1 by the DS0 ala-carte, but buying the WHOLE T1 and
saving money if you MUST use a leased line the whole way. But F/R is a
whole other game you HAVE to look at. You may want to change carriers
to get the F/R service/price packaging you like. Whoever you get can
do FT1 DS0s for the marathon or whatever voice applications. It is the
F/R that varies so much between carriers. SHOP.

If the data goes F/R, and assuming the marathons are now ONLY voice,
their use MUST be reevaluated. With NO data, 2xDS0 may NOT be
justified by voice alone.  Use the T1s local loops to get past the LEC
and get GOOD IXC switch voice prices. If the customer is BIG (>10K /
mo IXC bills, or is using MCI that offers V-NET to smaller accounts!!)
using a SDN/VPN/V-NET like service lets you do BOTH ends of switched
calls between sites on the T1s bypassing the LEC and this saves $s. It
also gives you DID like dialing to THE desktop even without LEC DID
tks.

If you are selling them some bigger consulting package and don't need
to claim Telecom/Datacom expertise, get someone who KNOWS what is
going on for that area.  It is better than having the customer
discover later you really missed the boat on something obvious.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Have You Used Excel "Dumb Switches"?
Date: 25 Oct 1993 18:19:59 GMT
Organization: Lynn-Arthur Associates, Ann Arbor, MI
Reply-To: [e-mail]


I'm looking for others who have experience with Excel PCX-512 and
LNX-2000 switches. Please contact me. I'm also interested in hearing
about other manufacturer's switches.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 17:50 CDT
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID is Here!


In article <[e-mail]>, Emmanuel Goldstein <emmanuel
@well.sf.ca.us> writes:

> Apparently, nationwide Caller ID is beginning. The phone companies
> are denying this but we here at {2600 Magazine} have received
> several calls on our special Caller ID line that identify themselves
> as being from outside the state. On at least one occasion, the
> call was placed using MCI as the long distance carrier.

Curious.  Just a reminder to one and all -- this is only really
noteworthy if {2600} subscribes to true Caller-ID (e.g. CLASS or LASS
based) and not ANI delivery.

Yes -- choice of carrier (IXC) is very important in this, as is LATA
of origin.  There are (at least) two places that Calling Party
information could be "dropped" -- between the originating local telco
and the IXC and likewise between the IXC and the terminating telco.
Either entity may exclude Calling Party ID. from the SS7 information
passed to the "connected" network.

As far as I know there is an approximately two year old FCC proposed
Rule making on inter-state Caller ID, but a final rule was never
issued.  So what happens will be very "Carrier dependent" at this
point.

> We are conducting an experiment over the next week or so. People
> calling our main office line (516-751-2600) will be forwarded to a
> line that has Caller ID and we will see what comes through and what
> doesn't. If you wish to participate, call this number and let it ring
> twice. This will be enough time to transmit the Caller ID data and you

I called twice (MCI and AT&T) from work, but I just realized I "0+'d"
the call (via 10xxx - 0 - number).  Going via operator assistance
(even robotic credit card validation) may invalidate the test.  I'll
try again from home (same CO) via 1+ later.  Caller-ID is defeated via
the operator, I just don't remember if that applies to only "0" (or
"00") or also to "0 + NPA-NXX-XXXX".

> In the meantime, doesn anyone know the legal implications of Caller
> ID data being transmitted from California?

Fun, fun, fun. Looks like some IXC(s) got tired of waiting for the FCC
to say "yes" or "no" and started doing inter-LATA Caller-ID.  Under
the current Federal (e.g. inter-state) regulations -- the fact that
the California PUC has barred CID should have no jurisdiction on
inter-state calls. (Note, I'm not a lawyer, I don't even play one on
TV.)  Coming soon to a Supreme Court near you ... State of non-CID
PUC vs IXC/Some Telco offering CID. Bets anyone???


Arnette Schultz                  [e-mail]
(Standard Disclaimer applies - I do not speak for AT&T only myself.)

------------------------------

From: Lynne Gregg <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 09:47:00 PDT


Caller ID, true, is widely deployed among Bell Cos.  However, the
INTERCONNECTION is another matter.  I'm very interested in your
results Emmanuel and even contributed my call from W. Washington's
GTE-land to your test.  Please post results.  I'm eager to see what
you find.  Interconnection has been the real issue in making caller ID
workable between carriers.  Emmanuel, you also pose a very interesting
question about legality of shipping Caller's number out of California.
In view of the stance PacBell and GTE have taken in not deploying
Caller ID in the State, my assumption would be that CLID doesn't get
passed.


Lynne


[Moderator's Note: I'd like you to know that at our new home in Skokie
the exchange I am on does NOT have any SS-7/CLASS stuff at all. Not a
bit. No Caller-ID, no Call Screening, Last Number Redial -- none of
those features. We don't even get *67, presumably because there is
nothing to be blocked. I did not know such central offices were still
around this area. Now I know they are!   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Doug Rorem)
Subject: Re: My Kind of Town, Chicago is ...
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 02:15:34 GMT


TELECOM Moderator noted in response to Steve Hutzley:


>> I was in Chicago several days ago for a trade show, and I would just
>> like to comment on the city. I was suprised at how clean this city is
>>  -- I'm impressed. Chicagoans must really take pride in this, because I
>> have seen the trash receptaclas on the streets full!.  And no trash or
>> papers blowing around on the streets.

>> Nice City!

|> [Moderator's Note: As Frank Sinatra once crooned, you probably even
|> saw a man dancing with his own wife. Tell me this, how many blocks
|> west of the lakefront did you travel?  They do try hard to keep the
|> area around McCormick Place very clean as well as North Michigan
|> Avenue and the Near North/Streeterville area, since they like to impress
|> the tourists who bring money with them. I venture to say you did not
|> go south and east of McCormick Place, nor west of downtown ...
                ****  West ... unless you meant Lake Michigan :)

As far as Chicago goes ... (I know this is getting out of the telecom
realm) I think there are plenty of other cities in the US with crime
and school problems too. There are good and bad people everywhere,
Chicago just has more of both.


Doug Rorem  UIC


[Moderator's Note: Yes you are correct, I meant 'south and west of
McCormick Place' ...  and Chicago has a lot more of both. I finally
got my wish of many years though: we are moving to Skokie, IL. We
started moving over the past weekend and will be taking the computer
stuff on Tuesday, so it might be a day or so before I get another
issue out to you. This will be combination office and home. The nice
thing is we will be able to walk outside at night and the four-year
old will be able to play outside as well as have a decent school to go
to next year when he starts kindergarten. I'll give out the new office
fax and phone numbers in a couple days when it all gets organized. God
knows where the money will come from to pay for it; the rent is $300
more than we are paying now; more than my old place and the Howard
Street office put together, but we had to do something. The building
we have lived in for about ten years has become a drug house for the
neighborhood. We are really fleeing for our lives. :(  Seriously.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 01:41:46 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Administrivia: Special Mailing Coming Next


With all the commotions in recent weeks about the proposed new Usenet
group comp.dcom.telecom.tech and my 'undue influence' upon the readers
of the Digest (I had the temerity to say I thought the new group a bad
idea and recommended a vote of NO), I've had numerous discussions with
folks in email about whether or not life is fair and I am paranoid or
not.

In email correspondence with David Lawrence (aka 'tale') I suggested
that we might end the nonsense about 'one sided presentations' here if
a special edition of the Digest was devoted exclusively to the topic
of the merits or lack thereof of an unmoderated Usenet telecom
newsgroup.  I suggested it should be done *without my participation*
other than doing the mailing. That way, no one will see anything that
others don't see.  They'll select the remarks for inclusion, they'll
edit it, they'll distribute it as they see fit, and they will hand it
to me for mailing to the TELECOM Digest mailings lists and comp.dcom.
telecom. I even suggested to David Lawrence that I thought former Digest
participant John Higdon would make an excellent guest moderator for
the occassion; but apparently they have decided Ron Dippold should
handle it instead, even though JH made the original proposal.

Have you ever hypnotized a chicken? It is really quite easy. First you
pick the bird up gently so it is not frightened, and you hold it in
your arms quietly, allowing it to rest. Hold in your fingers a small
shiny object; a piece of mirror perhaps, or polished metal. Slowly
move the shiny object with your fingers in front of the chicken so it
catches the bird's attention. Notice the chicken's eyes following the
shiny object as it moves back and forth. In thirty seconds or so, the
bird will go into a hypnotic trance, its one-volt brain overloaded. Once
trance has been induced, you speak quietly to the chicken and tell it,
"Chicken, I want you to go get an email account somewhere and send a NO
vote on comp.dcom.telecom.tech. I want you to go back to the henhouse
and teach the other chickens how to get email accounts and send in NO
votes also. If you get three or four email accounts, send in three or
four NO votes ... make sure you get your whole family to vote NO also,
and anybody you work with is to vote NO as well."

I also suggested to David Lawrence and others (and will repeat myself
here) that they don't need to wait six months before having another
election. I'll waive any such guidelines so folks can vote again next
week if they like. Frankly, I'm curious to see if they lose again what
their complaint will be next time if they don't have the Moderator to
kick around any longer. 'Undue influence', my a--! Do they presume I
hypnotized telecom readers and sent secret messages out?  Anyway, in
your next mail from me, Ron Dippold will call for your participation
in an open discussion about comp.dcom.telecom.tech and over the next
weekend, he will publish the comments of his choice. I urge everyone
to read and participate. (Watch them squall and scream at me now for
even telling you to listen up and participate <g> ....).

Send your responses ONLY as directed by Mr. Dippold, NOT to me. If you
have not been a reader of telecom since at least sometime prior to
when this long, protracted stink began and/or if you do not have
access to Usenet News on a regular basis, then please do NOT partici-
pate in any ensuing vote which may take place unless/until Mr. Dippold
or other net.gods direct otherwise. (There! Are you happy now?  <wink> ...).


Patrick Townson

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #720
******************************


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Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 14:36:01 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #721

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 26 Oct 93 14:36:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 721

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Erik Ramberg)
    Cellular Security (Richard W. Brezina)
    VSI94 Announcement (A. Padgett Peterson)
    USTA Favors InterLATA Relief (Richard Trevor Bassett)
    Text to Speech Vendors? (Troy Howard Fore)
    Internet Access from a Rural Exchange (Tom Olin)
    T1 Signal Decoding Algorythm/Information (Wilfred Gomes)
    MCI Wants a Piece of the Action (Sean Slattery)
    Administrivia: Special Mailing Coming Next (Karim Alim)
    Re: Our Moderator and Death (B. Z. Lederman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg)
Subject: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Date: 25 Oct 1993 23:38:12 GMT
Organization: ESL Inc.


Being passed along FYI:

TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

TRW teams with PacTel Cellular to attack cellular fraud

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, Oct. 19, 1993 - ESL incorporated, a subsidiary
of Cleveland-based TRW Inc., is testing an electronic system with
PacTel Cellular that tracks, identifies and blocks illegally made
cellular telephone calls.

     Called TRW PhonePrintTM, the system is designed to prevent
fraudulent access to cellular networks across the United States by
persons using stolen telephone access numbers.

    Increasingly under siege from illegal access into cellular
telephone networks, cellular operators have been seeking more advanced
electronic systems that can not only identify but block illegal
network access.  By intercepting the caller's telephone frequency and
then reading the access code and telephone number, cellular
"counterfeiters" can illegally install duplicate numbers in tampered
phones (a process known as "cloning") and steal cellular services.

    Jeff Phillips, TRW program director, says that TRW
PhonePrintTM will increase the level of security for both cellular
carriers and their customers.  The TRW system determines the
legitimacy of a call by comparing the unique signal frequency
patterns, or 'fingerprint' of the phone making the call with the
pattern on record for that telephone number, Phillips said.  When the
signal frequency pattern does not match the one on file for a
telephone number, TRW PhonePrintTM will terminate the call before the
system is accessed.

    The system works by making an electronic "print" based on the
unique signal transmission characteristics for each cellular phone.
Because each phone has a unique print - an electronic version of a
human fingerprint - it cannot be duplicated.  Once the real print is
recorded, detection of a counterfeit print can be made.  TRW
PhonePrintTM is able to provide real-time analysis of each print every
time a call is made and can block access within seconds of a
counterfeit call be placed.

    "This real-time technology is the most effective tool so far
in our batter to keep people from fraudulently accessing our network.
When fully implemented, our customers will be protected from fraud
through the unique characteristics of their own phones," said Dave
Daniels, manager of fraud control for PacTel Cellular in Los Angeles.
"This innovative technique is a major breakthrough in wireless access
control.  Clearly the big winners will be our customers."

    Daniels said that PacTel Cellular has been working for a
number of years to develop more advanced systems that significantly
reduce fraudulent access to the cellular network.  He said the company
determined that it needed a more sophisticated method to catch
counterfeiters in the act and actually prevent them from getting on
the network.

    "TRW PhonePrintTM enhances existing PacTel fraud detection
systems with its own 'fingerprint' technology to provide the most
sophisticated solution to an industry-wide problem," Daniels said.

    TRW's Phillips estimates that the TRW PhonePrintTM network
access controller system will conclude its test with PacTel Cellular
in Los Angeles early in 1994.  It will then be made available to
cellular carriers nationwide.

    TRW provides high technology services to the automotive, space
and defense, and information markets.  The company's 1992 sales
totaled $8.3 billion.

    PacTel Cellular, PacTel Corporation's largest wireless
subsidiary, has control or shared control over cellular systems in ten
of the top 30 U.S.  cellular markets: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San
Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Atlanta, Kansas City, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, and Detroit.  The company also has interests in 34
additional markets.  PacTel Corporation, based in Walnut Creek,
California, is a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group, a worldwide
diversified telecommunications corporation based in San Francisco.


FACT SHEET

What is TRW PhonePrintTM ?

TRW PhonePrintTM is a system designed to block illegal access to
cellular networks by cellular "counterfeiters" who use stolen
telephone identification numbers.

How Does It Work?

Each cellular telephone emits unique signal transmission
characteristics - an electronic version of a human fingerprint - which
cannot be duplicated.  These characteristics are matched with the
mobile identification number (MIN) and the electronic serial number
(ENS) of the phone to develop a unique pattern for each legitimate
customer, TRW PhonePrintTM uses sophisticated signal analysis hardware
and software to analyze and file the patterns belonging to legitimate
customers.  When a caller attempts to access the network, the system
compares incoming patterns to those on file.  If the patterns do not
match the call is immediately terminated.

Who Benefits?

Cellular telephone fraud costs the industry up to $300 million
annually.  TRW PhonePrintTM benefits cellular operators and customers
by:

% Terminating fraudulent calls before they can access the system
% Eliminating the need for legitimate users to change phone numbers or
  codes.
% Increasing the capacity of the network by eliminating the flow of
  illegal traffic.
% Building customer confidence in the security of the cellular network.

When Will It Be Available?

TRW PhonePrintTM is currently being tested by PacTel Cellular, Los
Angeles.  Testing is expected to be completed in early 1994, and the
system will be made available to cellular carriers nationwide.

The Company

TRW, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is strategically focused on
providing products and services with a high technology or engineering
content.

             --------------------------------------

  hmmmmm....

Nothing that I say can be construed as the opinion of my employer.

------------------------------

From: Richard W. Brezina <[e-mail]>
Subject: Cellular Security
Date: 26 Oct 93 10:36:33 EST
Organization: HRB Systems, Inc.


Request for technical support:

 I am developing a database of telecommunications applications and
related security issues involving the use of encrypting techniques. I
am currently looking for information pertaining to the use of
algorithms such as RSA and DES in digital cellular phone systems.
Interest extends to their use within the SIM in GSM. Comments related
to user security feature acceptance, network needs and system
flexibility will be catalogued. Potential database users post a
message.

Disclaimer!
===========
Any ideas or opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the
ideas or opinions of HRB.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 09:00:36 -0400
From: [e-mail] (A. Padgett Peterson)
Subject: VSI94 Announcement


    "On the Whole, I'd Rather Be In Philadelphia" - Mahatma K. Jeeves

                     CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT

                             VSI '94

                Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - USA

                        March 29-30, 1994

            Presented by the Virus Security Institute

      "A Different Kind of Information Security Conference"

         ________________________________________________________

     VSI '94  -- two intense days of interactive collaboration
focused on the development of a working information security model
appropriate to both the management and technical challenges of the
mid-90s.

     Security is not a book of rules; it is an organic and dynamic
process.  This principle will be expanded through an agressive
combination of speakers, scenarios and solutions.

     VSI '94 is not a hit-or-miss conference.  The program is
carefully structured to provide not only state-of-the-art
information but practical techniques that "push the envelope".

     DAY ONE:  In the morning, industry experts will present a
limited number of papers dealing with state-of-the-art considerations
divided into three areas: scientific, technical, and managerial. This
will provide a primer for what is to follow.

In the afternoon, articipants will restructure a traditional
organization to reflect the information security needs of the mid-
90s.  The Management Track will address requirements for
executives, financial and legal considerations, operating
parameters, policies and procedures, re-engineering, communications
requirements and a five-year plan.  The Technical Track will
explore tools and techniques currently available, define
requirements and techniques to preserve vital information that may
come under attack from any quarter, automation of support
functions, necessary networking and risk assessment.

Industry experts in each field will be present to make suggestions
and offer examples. The afternoon will be divided into segments
for each of the tracks with a focus provided for each. If the
participants fail to reach a concensus withing the segment's alotted
time, the legacy baseline will be used on the next day.

Further planning is encouraged in the bar and at the reception.

     DAY TWO:  Each of the elements of the restructured model will
be examined and challenged, both by speakers and participants.
Management will be given legal, financial, and stockholder concerns
to address.  Technical will defend against attack scenarious
ranging from viruses to terrorists to incendiary cows & leaking tunnels.

     PLENARY:  A recap of the proceedings analyzing strengths and
weaknesses of the model as developed, challenged, and improved.

     PAPERS:  We solicit papers/speakers focusing on the subjects of
fiendish attacks, brilliant solutions, organizational indifference,
and prognostication. The focus will be on salvation from the Networks
(both interpretations apply).

     SITE:  The entire conference floor of the Philadelphia Airport
Hilton has been reserved for VSI '94.  Rooms for Birds-of-a-Feather
meetings may be reserved in advance, subject to availability.
Facilities will be available for larger, lengthy formal meetings on
Monday, March 28.  The hotel is designed to facilitate "H" (hall)
track sessions.
          Room Rates:  $72/night, single or double.  Contact the
Hilton [phone]
     The Hilton provides a complimentary continental breakfast to
all hotel guests.

     TRAVEL:  Philadelphia International Airport (transportation
from airport provided by the Hilton) is served by most major
airlines.  Drive time from either Washington, DC or New York is
approximately 2 hours.  AMTRAK serves Philadelphia's 30th Street
Station (local train available every half hour to airport for
Hilton pickup).   Discounted airfares are available from Sand Lake
Travel [phone] / [phone] / FAX [phone]

     AMENITIES & AMUSEMENTS:  Philadelphia is rich in attractions,
from the Liberty Bell to the Franklin Institute to the Art Museum
to the bustling 9th Street Market.  Excellent shopping in both
Philadelphia and tax-free Delaware.  Nearby is the famous
Brandywine Valley, home of Winterthur, Longwood Gardens and Andrew
Wyeth.  A full activities packet will be available to all
registrants.


     INFORMATION:  For more information, E-Mail or Fax:
          EMAIL:  [e-mail]  (case sensitive)
          FAX:    [phone] (include E-Mail address, please)

  ____________________________________________________________

 Honorary/Convening Chairman - Dr. Harold Joseph Highland, FICS

Conference Chair:  Pamela Kane     Program Chair:  Padgett Peterson
[e-mail]         [e-mail]

    _________________________________________________________

  Founding Members and Directors of the Virus Security Insitute

     Vesselin Bontchev
     Dr. Klaus Brunnstein
     Dr. William Caelli
     Jon David
     Christoph Fischer
     Ross Greenberg
     Dr. Harold Joseph Highland, FICS
     Pamela Kane
     A. Padgett Peterson, P.E.
     Yisrael Radai
     Fridrik Skulason
     Dr. Alan Solomon

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Richard Trevor Bassett)
Date: 26 Oct 93 14:09:42 GMT
Subject: USTA Favors InterLATA Relief


Patrick,

I saw an article in a recent issue of {Telephony} which states "The
U.S.  Telephone Association is ready to endorse the lifting of the
interexchange carrier ban on the Bell regional holding companies,
ending the long contentious issue that has divided small telcos from
giants within the trade group ..."

Does this mean that we will soon see ANI (Caller ID) info being
exchanged across LATA's? If so, how soon?


Richard T. Bassett    [e-mail]   Bermuda


[Moderator's Note: I bet in the next year we see a huge increase in
the exchange of Caller-ID data, which by the way should *not* be
confused with ANI, although the end results are about the same. We
already have full exchange of ANI all over the nation.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Troy Howard Fore)
Subject: Text to Speech Vendors?
Date: 26 Oct 1993 11:15:45 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access


Can anyone direct me to a list of text-to-speech vendors? It needs to
be a pc based system and it would be nice if they had some way to hook
up to a telecom (Dialogic) interface. I know about both the Berkeley
Speech Technology and the Digital Equipment DECVoice systems. Can
anyone direct me to a system that they know runs either of these or a
third system? I prefer some type of true speech synthesis rather than
word or phoneme concatenation method but the bottom line is that it be
fairly intelligible.


Thanks,

Howard Fore   Macintosh/LAN Administrator  Eason Publications   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 16:53:19 EDT
From: adiron![e-mail] (Tom Olin)
Subject: Internet Access from a Rural Exchange


I want to obtain some type of Internet access from my home, which is
located in a small exchange (315-861) that is long distance to just
about every place that's anyplace.

I would prefer to use any halfway decent Internet-capable system that
is a local call from home, but there appears to be no such beast.
None of the commercial dialup services that I've contacted -
CompuServe, America Online, Delphi, GEnie, and Prodigy - have an
access number local to me.

If I have to pay long distance, I would prefer not to have to pay for
a host account on top of that.  And if I'm going to pay for long
distance, I might as well consider sites outside of New York State,
since interstate rates will likely be lower than intrastate rates.

It seems, then, that I need a good discount long-distance plan and a
free, public-access system.  The former is pretty much limited to
AT&T, since my local exchange does not yet have equal access dialing.
The latter is open for suggestions.

Other solutions are welcome, as well.

Please respond via e-mail.  I'll summarize if there is sufficient
interest.


Tom Olin        PAR Technology Corporation   Tel:[phone] Ext 638
[e-mail]           New Hartford, NY   Fax:[phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Wilfred Gomes)
Subject: T1 Signal Decoding Algorythm Information
Organization: University of Hawaii, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 08:57:48 GMT


Hi,

    I was working on a data acquisition project. The data is in the T1
extended superframe format i.e 24 channels of PCM using the ccitt-g733
format.

    I need to acquire this data using a signal processing chip (Motorola
56001). Just now I am interested in finding out some literature which
talks about the T1 signal decoding algorithms any pointers to such
implementations, (i.e in any form ) would be very useful

I would appreciate it very much if you could post replies to:

               [e-mail]


Thanks very much,

Wilfred

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 11:51 GMT
From: Sean Slattery <[e-mail]>
Subject: MCI Wants a Piece of the Action


Pat,

Look what I just got. Looks like it was sent to the TELECOM Digest
readers who get their issues via MCIMail.

My question is:

I just switched to Sprint for a Star Trek screen saver, what is MCI
offering, and do they really want me as a customer, seeing as how I
dropped AT&T for such a paltry enticement. (8-)>


Sean Slattery([e-mail])
Network Administrator
Airflow Research

             ===================================================


  From:    Susan Sirmai (3188677)
  Date:    Monday, October 25, 1993  10:26 pm
   Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V13 #713

ENV
Date: Mon Oct 25, 1993  2:28 pm  EST
From: Susan Sirmai
   EMS: MCI Mail
   MBX: 0003188677

[Moderator's Note: A *long* cc: list (of which my name was included)
has been deleted here. Ms. Sirmai cc'd quite a few subscribers to the
Digest. PAT]


/END ENV* IN RESPONSE TO THE MEMOS ABOUT SWITCHING CARRIERS, IF YOU
ARE CHOOSING A LONG DISTANCE CARRIER, MCI SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED.
MCI CAN BE REACHED BY CALLING YOUR ACCOUNT TEAM, IF YOU HAVE ONE
ASSIGNED, OR, 1-800-444-4444 FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND
1-800-444-2222 FOR BUSINESS CUSTOMERS.

REGARDS,
SUSAN


[Moderator's Note: What I want to know is are you giving away modems
like Sprint, or $75 checks like Mother? If not, don't bother me. :)  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 13:38 GMT
From: Karim Alim <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Administrivia: Special Mailing Coming Next


> Have you ever hypnotized a chicken?

This isn't one of those MIT purity tests, is it?

> Notice the chicken's eyes following the shiny object as it moves back and
> forth.

Just don't notice TOO much or you may be hypnotized yourself.

> its one-volt brain overloaded

(author clucks) BTW, it's 1.25.  Chicken brains can be substituted for
NiCad batteries in many applications.

> "Chicken, I want you to go get an email account somewhere...."

So the message would be composed by (giggle) "hunt-and-PECKERS?"

(author rolls on floor, laughing)

> Do they presume I hypnotized TELECOM readers and sent secret messages out?

It's really not the hypnotism I mind so much as the subliminal
messages.  If you examine the line breaks on some recent issues of the
Digest, and turn the screen sideways, you find that it spells out
"ORANGECARD MEANS SEX," "TELEPASSPORT TO LOVE" and other messages
of ... questionable objectivity.  (big grin)


k.

This disclaimer Copyright (c) 1993 Karim R. Alim.


[Moderator's Note: And did you know that if you read each issue backward
that the tenth letter on every line which begins with a /q/ and ends
with a /z/ spells out the address 'PO Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690' and
and urges readers to send tithes and love offerings, along with other
Tokens to Prove their Sincerity for my examination? I use my Undue
Influence to promote all kinds of things.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: B. Z. Lederman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Our Moderator and Death
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Date: 26 Oct 93 08:57:06 -0400


> [Moderator's Note: Dear Concerned Reader: Thank you very much for your

> I wouldn't be the first person to take a live phone circuit with me:
> there have been stories for many years about Mary Baker Eddy doing the
> same thing in the early 1900's. When the directors of her organization

    Close, but not quite.  The book "Rumor" (it's at home so I don't
have the authors handy) chased this one down.  A telephone line was
installed at the site where the grave / memorial was being built so
the contractor could communicate with Mrs. Eddy during construction.
It was removed when the work was done.  But there have been stories
like this ever since.

    False burials were apparently fairly common in the last century
(medical science wasn't as advanced then, nor was medical training, so
someone with a weak pulse could be buried.  No EEG or EKGs then), and
the Patent office recieved a lot of applications for devices to allow
buried people to indicate that they weren't dead yet, including
electric bells.  It wouldn't surprise me if some people were buried
with telephones in their coffins, but I can't find any specific
references, or any factual record of one actually being used.


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for setting the record straight where Mrs.
Eddy was concerned. One reader this morning wrote me a not-for-pub
note saying he knew of a specific instance of a phone phreak who was
buried with a 2500 set in the coffin with him, although it was not
hooked up to anything.

We are still busy moving to the new place and the computers are going
off line after this issue, but I will be back in a day or so.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #721
******************************


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Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 12:31:18 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #722

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 27 Oct 93 12:31:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 722

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Presto Chango! (A New Box) (David Kovanen)
    Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking (David Kovanen)
    Caller ID Question (Mike Godwin)
    CPSR Crypto Resolution  (Dave Banisar)
    Canada's New Government and Telecommunications (Nigel Allen)
    Modems for Kenya (Jason M. Githeko)
    Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Gary Breuckman)
    First N1X Exchange in 813 (Paul Knupke)
    Looking For NirvanaNET (Robert Koscki)
    Answering Device With Forward Options (Gary Breuckman)
    US Modem Host Wanted (Marcus Fest)
    Are Local Calls Kept on Record? (Denis Ouellette)
    Top 10 Reasons for TCI/Bell Atlantic Merger (Paul Robinson)
    Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Tom Mackay)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Willie Smith)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (John R. Covert)
    Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels (Lars Poulsen)
    Administrivia: The Moving Continues (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 13:50:07 PDT
From: [e-mail] (David Kovanen)
Subject: Presto Chango! (A New Box)


I recently had the opportunity to witness an interesting object in
operation.  The individual demonstrating it called the device a
"Presto Chango" box.  It resembled one of those infamous Blue or Black
Boxes of years gone by ...

The Presto Chango box would blank out the Caller-ID information sent
by the telephone company and would substitute *ANY* desired
information on the caller's display.  It seemed to do the job nicely
 -- and it worked for the time, date, telephone number, and name
display elements.

As I understand it, the capability to do this is published in Bellcore
Specifications under the indescript title of "Analog Services Display
Interface (ASDI)".  I did call Bellcore and they confirmed the
existence of such documents.  :-)

Continuing on my understanding, the Presto Chango Box works by
transmitting Caller ID information to the distant end using the same
data format as the central office does.  Apparently, this is an
asynchronous message using Bell 202T modulation, and can be done using
off-the shelf parts and components.

Accordingly, the device can only "change" the display information once
the caller has answered, as it used the voiceband path.  Also, it
doesn't actually eliminate the real information from memory, although
many would not realize this.  It works by sending the new display
information as soon as the caller answers.  Most units will gladly
receive new display information at any time -- not just between ring one
and ring two.

Because the information is "In Band" it carries through the voiceband
just fine and this is what allows end-to-end updating.  The slight
problem is that the caller hears the modem tones while this is being
done.  But, it was explained, this audible noise can be blanked from
the answering party by sending a momentary "dual-tone" blanking tone
(part of the ASDI specification) first to the display, followed by the
update data.  This dual-tone masks the following transmission for
those display units that can do this.

I was so ammused by this that I did can Bellcore and verify the
existence of these documents.  I also talked to an "expert" at
Bellcore and (obtusely) asked if this end-to-end update was possible.
She confirmed that it was.  (!)

All that I can say is that security people shouldbe alert for "false"
Caller-ID information being sent -- and they should know that it is
possible to send this data in-band and that Caller-ID does not
necessarially provide an adequate level of access security (contrary
to the common erroneous belief.)

Just when we thought phreaking by using "boxes" was over, we seem to
have a new one on our hands.  <sigh>

BTW: I write this message with the assumption that use of "Presto
Chango" boxes are technically legal, given the Bellcore publications.
I also write to help those who must manage system security and need to
understand significant security threats.


David J. Kovanen
EMail: [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
Voice: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Address: 10 Caledonia Summit NE
         Browns Point, Washington
         U.S.A. 98422-1620


[Moderator's Note: Who do you think would be fooled by this? If you
observe the display between the first and second ring, act on the
information given as you see fit *then* answer, how could anything
someone did after that point matter?  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 13:29:31 PDT
From: [e-mail] (David Kovanen)
Subject: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking


There is a service available called "Call Blocking Unblocking" that is
quietly available from a number of IXCs.  I subscribe to this service
from "Cable & Wireless".

"Call Blocking Unblocking" works as follows: You give people a 800
number that is assigned to you.  Callers dial this 800 number instead
of your local number.  When they do, their telephone number shows up
on your Caller-ID display unit.  I have it and it is 100% reliable.

Of particular note is that it works on both an intrastate and
interstate basis and every telephone number is displayed -- even
numbers that are blocked and are intrastate.  This service has been
proven to be quite a surprise for many people who thought that they
were calling me anonymously.  :-)

I have seen interstate Caller-ID function, although it has been
sporadic and unreliable.  However, the 800 number Call Blocking
Unblocking service that I have is 100% effective from everywhere.

Just to clarify, this is not ANI number delivery.  When people dial my
800 number the information displays on my Caller-ID display through
the local telco delivery of Caller-ID.


David J. Kovanen

EMail: [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
       [e-mail]
Voice: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Address: 10 Caledonia Summit NE
        Browns Point, Washington
        U.S.A. 98422-1620

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Godwin)
Subject: Caller ID Question
Date: 27 Oct 1993 11:02:00 -0400
Organization: BDM International, Inc.


I've seen ads out there for Caller-ID boxes which not only display the
number of the calling party, but the name the phone number is
registered to.  Is this service available from the phone company yet
and if so, in what areas?  I'm particularly interested in Northern VA,
since that's where I live (duh!).

Thanks in advance,


Mike


[Moderator's Note: It is available in quite a few areas although I do
not have the specifics about Virginia, and it is telco offering the
service.   PAT]

------------------------------

Organization: CPSR Washington Office
From: Dave Banisar <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 21:40:51 EST
Subject: CPSR Crypto Resolution


                   CPSR Crypto Resolution
                CPSR Cryptography Resolution

Adopted by the CPSR Board of Directors, San Francisco, CA October 18,
1993

WHEREAS,

Digital communications technology is becoming an increasingly
significant component of our lives, affecting our educational,
financial, political and social interaction; and

The National Information Infrastructure requires high assurances of
privacy to be useful; and

Encryption technology provides the most effective technical means of
ensuring the privacy and security of digital communications; and

Restrictions on cryptography are likely to impose significant costs on
scientific freedom, government accountability, and economic
development; and

The right of individuals to freely use encryption technology is
consistent with the principles embodied in the Constitution of the
United States; and

The privacy and security of digital communications is essential to the
preservation of a democratic society in our information age; and

CPSR has played a leading role in many efforts to promote privacy
protection for new communications technologies:

BE IT RESOLVED THAT

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility supports the right of
all individuals to design, distribute, obtain and use encryption
technology and opposes any government attempt to interfere with the
exercise of that right; and

CPSR opposes the development of classified technical standards for the
National Information Infrastructure.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 07:56:19 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Canada's New Government and Telecommunications
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Monday's general election in Canada brought a new party to power, but
it isn't yet clear what this means for telecommunications policy.

Earlier this year, the Progressive Conservative government of Kim
Campbell split up the old Department of Communications, with culture
going to a new National Heritage department, the government's internal
telecommunications services going to Government Services, and
telecommunications policy and research and spectrum management going
to the department of Industry and Science. We don't know yet what
further changes soon-to-be Prime Minister Jean Chretien will make to
the government structure, but if the current structure is retained, it
looks likely that Montreal-area member of parliament Paul Martin wil
become industry minister and hence minister responsible for
telecommunications.

I suspect that the new government will be happy, at least at first, to
leave telecom-related decisions to the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission. There is considerable pressure from the
business community to reduce long distance rates, but the Liberals are
less close to the business community than the Conservatives.

We may not see an increase in funding for telecommunications research,
but we probably won't see any further decreases in funding either.
The Conservatives talked a lot about reducing the federal government's
deficit, and some observers feel that their obsession with the deficit
at the expense of other issues was a significant factor in their
electoral loss.

The other parties represented in the new House of Commons have not
talked much about telecommunications policy. I expect that the Reform
party, which is fairly right-wing by Canadian standards, will favour
further deregulation of telecommunications, and the Bloc Quebecois
will want to make sure that Quebec gets its "fair share" of federal
government telecommunications-related spending. The New Democratic
Party, a social-democratic group, will probably oppose further
telecommunications deregulation on the groups that it would adversely
affect consumers and unionized telecommunications company employees.


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jason M. Githeko)
Subject: Modems for Kenya
Date: 27 Oct 1993 05:36:08 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois


I have made this request before but here goes again.

I am looking for low cost (or donations) Hayes compartible data modems
for a self-help project to connect Kenyan Universities to the
Internet.  Anything at leat 2400 baud would do. Preferably can operate
on DC voltages or 240 V AC. Thanks.


Jason M. Githeko

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1310 S. 6th, #345, Champaign IL 61820
e-mail: [e-mail] Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]


[Moderator's Note: There are many worthwhile charitable endeavors on
the net which deserve the support of reader/participants, but as
always I stress that one should investigate these things to the best
of one's ability before sending money, merchandise or computer equip-
ment to a stranger. Make sure these things are on the up and up.  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 19:10:25 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones


>From the {Providence (RI) Journal}, quoted in the {Milwaukee Journal}:

Cellular Phone call tips police to car burglaries

Famous last words: 'That cop doesn't even know I'm on the phone.'

East Providence, R.I. - Police said that a man, talking to his
girlfriend on a cellular telephone while driving around early Monday,
bragged that he had looted several parked cars.  What Robert Pimental,
22, didn't know, police said, is that an officer patrolling nearby
happened to be listening in on the call on his cruiser's scanner.  The
monitoring that lead to Pimental's being charged with possessing
stolen goods was just "one of those coincidences," said Lt. Daniel
Evans.  Patrollman Bruce Atwell was cruising the area, according to
Evans, and was monitoring a scanner frequency that picks up cellular
phone calls.  Atwell's ears perked up when he head a man tell a woman
that he had stolen items from several parked cars in Bristol, Evans
said.  The man also told her he was driving along Crescent View Ave.
Atwell drove onto the avenue and pulled behind a small car whose male
driver was talking on a car phone, Evans said.  And on his scanner,
Evans said, Atwell heard the man say there was a police cruiser behind
him.

The article goes on to say how he bragged about the cop not knowing he
was on the phone, was then pulled over, and the loot recovered.

Someone should tell the officer that it's illegal to monitor those
frequences.


[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
officer on this one.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Knupke)
Subject: First N1X Exchange in 813
Date: 26 Oct 1993 21:46:36 GMT
Organization: Univ. of Soth Florida, Central Florida Regional Data Center


I just received that 1993-1994 Tampa telephone book.  I was looking
through the exchange list and noticed the first N1X exchange I have
ever seen in any phone book in the 813 NPA.  The exchange is 219.

It was last year, at this time when GTE and United Telecom both began
requiring 1-813- for all calls within the 813 NPA.


Paul Knupke, Jr.  - University of South Florida * Tampa, FL
[e-mail] 1:377/61@fidonet KD4VMD

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Looking For NirvanaNET
Date: 26 Oct 93 19:41:00 GMT
Organization: MIB "Men In Black"


Hi,

I recently read about a network called NirvanaNET that is supposedly
in Berkeley or somewhere in the bay area.  Does anyone out there know
about this?  If so, can someone please e-mail me some info about it
and how to access it?


Thanks!

Robert

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 14:34:51 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Answering Device With Forward Options


There have been some questions recently about answering machines that
could call pagers, etc., when messages were received, possibly based
on the urgency of the message. The following advertisement appeared
today in the {Milwaukee Journal}, from Office Depot ...

WARNING - the price is $349.99

Bogen Communications - Bogen "Friday" 2000 all digital answering
system.  A two-line digital (no cassette tapes) message center with
18-minute capacity expandable to 36 minutes.  Digital message center
with 4 voice mail boxes / call forward to any remote phone number,
cellular phone, pager, etc.  3 announce - notification mail boxes
serving as an audio bulletin or private messages.  Remote notification
notifies any mailbox owner instantly of urgent messages by calling
their pager, cellular, or any other location.  Message stamp for
day/date/time/new/old message, timed memo record, auto fax detection
to fax or PC.  Visual prompting for easy step by step instructions.

No. 569-673, list $499.00, sale $349.99


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Marcus Fest)
Subject: US Modem Host Wanted
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 7:03:04 MST


Hello, folks. Maybe some Internet-whizkid could help me with this:

There is a US bulletin board that I dial up very frequently. From
within the US I have toll free access but from here (which is Berlin,
Germany) I have to pay the international phone call rate each time I
call. Could I possibly by-pass the costly part of the call by using
the internet and telneting to an American host that lets me use its
terminal program and modem facility? Does anyone know a host like
this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers,

Marc

P.S.: No all Germans hate foreigners. Actually its only a minority
who does. I just returned from Atlanta and was devastated when I
realized how much the American view of Germans is dominated by the
recent anti-foreigner violence news from here.


[Moderator's Note: Another option you can use to reduce your inter-
national call costs -- but not eliminate them entirely -- is by using
a service which lets you connect to 800 numbers in the USA with very
discounted rates on the international part, such as Telepassport. Rates
for international calls via Telepassport are typically half of what
the PTT charges.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 07:50:36 CDT
From: Denis <[e-mail]>
Subject: Are Local Calls Kept on Record?


I was always under the impression that records of local telephone
calls were kept on magnetic tape for a certain period of time by the
local telco.  But when I asked Michigan Bell for their records to a
certain number (an attorney was all set to send in a subpoena) they
said they didn't keep such records.  Was I infomed correctly?  Does
this vary from place to place or was I under the wrong impression to
start with?  (BTW without these records a criminal defense ended up
being much weaker -- somehow I suspect that if the police/prosecution
wanted such records they might have miraculously appeared.)


Denis Ouellette   ouellett@ucs,indiana.edu


[Moderator's Note: Whoever you spoke with misinformed you. The best
approach is to simply have issued the subpoena from the beginning.
Call records are available for some period of time, and telco will
produce the records when they are served requesting same. It does not
matter if it is the defense or prosecution making the service, since
it is no skin of telco's nose either way, but legal service is absol-
utely required.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 10:50:43 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Top 10 Reasons for TCI/Bell Atlantic Merger
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


10.  Nice Logo.
 9.  Needed "3-Letter" name to compete with MCI and ATT.
 8.  Opportunity to create a merger/buyout even bigger than
     RJR/NABISCO (See the movie "Barbarians at the Gate")
 7.  With such lousy service is the usual from cable companies,
     nobody will care about the tests of phone over Cable TV .
 6.  Wanted deeper discounts from QVC.
 5.  TCI was misunderstood when it said it wanted money from
     the phone company, e.g. a refund on its deposit.
 4.  Make a mess and use that to argue that the "New Information
     Infrastructure" can only be done if the government pays for it.
 3.  Quick way to piss off Judge Greene.
 2.  When video dial tone is found to be a loss, dump it into TCI
     the way AT&T dumped its computer business into NCR.
 1.  Chairman of Bell Atlantic got mad at cable company's service and
     pulled a Victor Kiam.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom Mackay)
Subject: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
Date: 27 Oct 1993 10:14:42 -0500
Organization: Speedway Free Access, dial 10288-1-503-520-2222


I recently received some information from a company in Dallas called
Cellular Options that for $199.50, will alter a cellular phone to
allow more than one phone per cellular telephone number.  In their
literature they discuss the procedure of cloning or ESN emulation and
even mention the fraudulent use of this method.  They state that now
several legitimate companies are offering legal cloning or emulation.

Has anyone dealt with this or a similar company?  Is is completely
legal, or is it in a grey area?  What do the cell companies think of
this?  Does it work?

Looking forward to hearing from this techno-literate group.


Tom Mackay on Speedway Free Access -- Dial 10288-1-503-520-2222 for info
[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: This is a grey area at best -- very grey. Most
contracts from cell carriers prohibit the practice. It certainly does
not aid in fraud prevention, and could actually contribute to more
fraud, as the company's own literature states.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Willie Smith)
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 12:36:01 GMT


[e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

> Being passed along FYI:
> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

>    Jeff Phillips, TRW program director, says that TRW
> PhonePrintTM will increase the level of security for both cellular
> carriers and their customers.  The TRW system determines the
> legitimacy of a call by comparing the unique signal frequency
> patterns, or 'fingerprint' of the phone making the call with the
> pattern on record for that telephone number, Phillips said.  When the
> signal frequency pattern does not match the one on file for a
> telephone number, TRW PhonePrintTM will terminate the call before the
> system is accessed.

Ha!  All this probably means is you have to clone the same
manufacturer and model of phone.  Especially with the big push to Six
Sigma (every product is identical to one part in a million), it's
going to be really difficult to tell phones of the same model apart
without denying service to folks at slightly different temperatures,
battery charge levels, and altitudes.  How long do you think it'll
take the cloners to crack this one?

[FWIW, I have no cellphone, and not much interest in one ...]


Willie Smith    [e-mail]       [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 16:27:47 EDT
From: John R. Covert  26-Oct-1993 1629 <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud


Interesting.

But, of course, there's a problem.  I can legitimately use my cellular
phone's telephone number and ESN on three different transmitters:

    1. The Micro-TAC itself.
    2. The 3W VA in my own car
    3. The Extended System in my wife's car.

Actually, I can legitimately use it in _any_ compatible transmitter
that provides the plug to go into the bottom of the phone.


/john

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Fractional T1 - Using Multiple Channels
Date: 27 Oct 1993 06:30:45 -0700
Organization: Rockwell International - CMC Network Products


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Chris
Labatt-Simon) writes:

> The client has a T1 line (fractional) of which two channels are
> currently being utilized. ... The T1 terminates at a CSU, which is
> then hooked into a Micom Marathon box.
> What I would like to do is take about 15 of the remaining channels
> and "merge" them to provide 960k of bandwidth between the two
> Retix routers.  The routers can handle speeds of up to 2.048Mbps
> and can be configured with either RS-449, RS-232 or V.35 connections.

Many vendors of T1 channel banks have DSU's that can pull multiple
channels off a single T-span and deliver the merged bandwidth on a
single DCE connector. If your current CSU does not have this option,
you need a new CSU rack, and then two DSU's to plug in: One for the
MICOM, one for the new router. Each one gets configured with the
channel numbers that it pulls off the T1 frame.

Look for a drop/insert multiplexer in the catalog.

In addition to the single- and multi-channel data cards there are
analog voice cards available in such systems.


Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer    Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products / Rockwell Int'l    Telephone: [phone]
Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3083        TeleFAX:   [phone]

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Administrivia: The Moving Continues
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993  12:10:00 CDT


We've spent quite a bit of time since Sunday moving to our new
location in Skokie, and I now have temporary connections set up with
a terminal and modem so that at least a Digest per day can be sent
out. What's more important to us though is that our little one had
to be admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis yesterday due
to an infection which had started a day or two earlier. He had not
responded to his medication; yesterday the doctor said get him in
the hospital immediatly. While in the hospital, his temperature went
up to 103.5 and they are having a hard time getting it down to
normal. He is now getting his medication via IV. :(  Please have
some patience with me for a couple days. :(  For your records, the
new fax number for all correspondence is 708-329-0752. Please change
your records where it appears otherwise.   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #722
******************************


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Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 21:10:54 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #723

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 27 Oct 93 21:10:50 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 723

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Ameritech PCS Trial Update #7 (Andrew C. Green)
    Sprint Cellular/Motorola Release (Roger Theriault)
    Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Jack Decker)
    Need Numeric Pager Recommendation (Kinson Ho)
    Car Phones and Accidents? (Peter M. Weiss)
    Re: Administrivia: The Moving Continues (Bill Walker)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 14:33:24 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ameritech PCS Trial Update #7


Here's another Ameritech PCS Update, a series of reports on the
progress of a trial of digital spread-spectrum portable phones being
conducted by Ameritech in the Chicago area.  Yours truly was enlisted
for day-to-day telephone testing as a member of the general public.
Since the middle of 1992 the PCS network has been tested, with a
variety of phones and varying capabilities, in downtown Chicago, the
Lincoln Park residential area to the north, and the northwest suburbs
in the vicinity of Arlington Heights. The test is scheduled to end in
December 1993.

Two-Way PCS Phone Arrives

The long-promised Two-way PCS phone was finally delivered recently.
Previously, I was issued a phone with only outbound dialing ability,
with a Pager/Voice Mail setup to field incoming calls. Since the phone
remained off (except for a minor power drain to the pager) when not in
use, the network had no idea where it was (i.e. it didn't know which
transceiver to route incoming calls to) until the user switched it on
in search of a dial tone. This proved an acceptable compromise, since
the PCS transceiver signal is comparatively weak, requiring
transceivers every half mile or so depending on the terrain, whereas
the pager network can blast a signal pretty much anywhere it wants,
and almost never failed to hit my PCS with an incoming page. (It's my
understanding that the pager network is Ameritech's standard product,
however; only the PCS system is under test.)

Comparing the pager-equipped PCS handset with its non-pager,
Two-way-calling partner is instructive. The pager-equipped model
weighs in (with battery) at 7.3 ounces, meaning that if you plaster a
return address label on the little phone so that someone can mail it
back to you if you lose it, you must also paste $1.90 in stamps on its
back. However, the non-pager unit weighs in at a tidy 7.0 ounces in a
distinctly thinner case, so two-way calling saves you 23 cents in
postage. This marketing breakthrough has gone unnoticed by Ameritech,
though whether the little PCS would make it through the Post Office
cancelling machines in one piece is unclear.

Two-Way Operation

The missing link with the Pager PCS is, as I mentioned, the fact that
the system doesn't know where it is. The two-way PCS is configured to
"register" with the nearest transceiver every few minutes so that an
incoming call can be routed to the phone and ring it. In some limited
testing this worked fine, with the phone properly ringing when within
the test area, but some current limitations became apparent after a
while:

1) I don't spend enough time in the service area, or at least within
electronic earshot (i.e. outside, not within a steel-framed building,
car, etc.), to be likely to field many incoming calls.  This is really
due to the small test area and the fact that not many people call me
when I'm out and about in that area, so this part of the test isn't
getting too many data points from me. More significant here is that
outside the service area, the little phone is deaf as a post. Incoming
calls go to Voice Mail as before, but there is no pager in the phone,
so it's up to the user to remember to call his Voice Mail periodically
to see if anything's arrived. That can cost airtime.

2) The same interruptions and dropouts that complicate conversations
also interfere with the ringing sensitivity. Wherever dial tone and
conversation can drop out (caused by electronic interference, weak
batteries or whatever), the ring signal develops hiccups too. On
occasion, the phone could barely chirp if I was moving it around.

3) The current programming of the phone leaves it susceptible to more
power consumption than its pager-equipped brethren. Once turned on,
the phone is programmed to stay in contact with its network if at all
possible, pinging its transceiver every few minutes to tell the world
that it's still there. This is fine (and required, since you may be
moving from site to site), but draining on the two little AA NiCads
that power it.

The phone must be left on, in a sort of "idle" mode, in order for it
to ring an incoming call. The snag here is that once it finds a
transceiver to talk to, the phone is programmed to hang on to it for
dear life. During a test, I went downtown to a service area and
activated the phone. As usual I pressed its green button to ping for a
transceiver and get a dial tone. I received a prompt tone and my
outbound call went through properly, but the phone stayed on when I
closed it up, a detail that I find easily overlooked in day-to-day
use, especially since I know it was off prior to the call. (The phone
does not remain on afterward if no transceiver was found during a
dialing attempt.) It wouldn't switch off to save power after a
successful call unless I specifically pressed its Off button prior to
closing its flip cover, its motive apparently being that I might get
some incoming calls, and I'm still in the service area, so hey, it was
just trying to be helpful and stay in service. Hmmm.

Next, I started over with the phone switched off. I opened the flip
cover again as if to make a call, but then just let it sit. After a
moment's thought, the phone decided to take matters into its own hands
and go find a transceiver. "rE9" ("register", in LCD-speak) blinked
briefly in its display as it sent out its own ping, followed by a
blinking arrow to indicate that it had received a transceiver
acknowledgement. Clearly pleased with itself at this achievement, it
then stayed on when I closed the flip cover. Every few minutes after
that, it would burp out a new registration just to reassure the
transceiver that it hadn't left town.

The drawback here is that if I _did_ leave town, so to speak, the
little phone would cheerfully keep going, merrily burping its
registration into the ozone at no one in particular until its
batteries went dead, without regard to whether or not it could
actually still find a transceiver to chat with. It might be useful to
cancel the power-wasting Phone-On/Constant-Registration mode after,
say, five failed attempts in a row. This behavior has indeed shortened
daily battery life by a small but noticeable amount in my case. The
PCS manual grudgingly acknowledges that you must "Press Off to turn
off phone (to conserve battery power)" but does not explain why the
phone wants to keep itself on in the first place.  This would not be
as significant with a more robust battery pack, of course.

So in summary, I think I prefer my old Pager PCS type of inbound
communication over the current two-way unit, primarily because of
battery considerations, but also because in the current scenario the
pager network has proven much more effective than the inbound PCS
ringing signals in finding my telephone. However, in the interests of
Telecom science, we will plow ahead with our testing of the two-way PCS.
Besides, Ameritech won't give me my pager back.

Coming Attractions

For length and bandwidth reasons I'll continue with a separate Update
submission in a couple of days. In PCS Update #8:

 -- Another visit to Ameritech Headquarters

 -- A recap of the current PCS service options

 -- Any late-breaking developments that might occur!


Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc.      Internet: [e-mail]
441 W. Huron          UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL  60610    FAX: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Roger Theriault)
Subject: Sprint Cellular Selects Motorola Infrastructure
Date: 27 Oct 1993 23:32:22 GMT
Organization: Motorola - Wireless Data Group; Richmond, BC


Erin Kingston, Motorola,  (O)  604/241-6132;
(cellular) 604/230-6852
Diana Brendza, Sprint Cellular,  (O)  312/399-5153;
(cellular)  312/415-6189


SPRINT CELLULAR SELECTS MOTOROLA TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR CELLULAR DIGITAL PACKET DATA (CDPD) TRIAL

CHICAGO, October 27 1993 -- Capitalizing on one of the fastest growing
segments of cellular, Sprint Cellular Company today said it has signed
an agreement with Motorola's Wireless Data Group for equipping
Sprint's cellular network to allow cellular users to transmit wireless
packet data over cellular.  Financial terms of the agreement were not
disclosed.

   Under the agreement, Motorola will provide Sprint Cellular with
cellular digital packet data (CDPD) equipment necessary to conduct a
wireless data transmission trial in early 1994.  The CDPD trial will
allow an oil and gas company to control and monitor their remote gas
well heads through Sprint's cellular network channels.

   "Customers have told us they need to be able to send data over a
cellular network from anywhere, to anywhere and at anytime," said
George Hutton IV, executive vice president -- operations for Sprint
Cellular.  "Through our trial, we will be able to test CDPD technology
as well as develop a better understanding of what features may be
desired by our customers."

   "We are pleased that Sprint Cellular has chosen Motorola," said Bob
Growney, executive vice president and general manager of Motorola's
Paging and Wireless Data Group.  "The supply of CDPD equipment to
Sprint Cellular reinforces our commitment to the CDPD specification
and the widespread growth of wireless communications.  As an
experienced leader in the cellular and wireless packet data
communications field, we have the expertise to develop network and
subscriber equipment to ensure the successful deployment of CDPD."

   In April 1992, nine cellular carriers and IBM came together to
support the development of the CDPD open industry specification to
enable the wireless transmission of data over the existing cellular
spectrum.  Those specifications have been released in order to ensure
hardware and applications software would be available when carriers
were ready to deploy CDPD.

   Hutton said Sprint Cellular has embraced the group's specifications
and is committed to delivering CDPD services.  Sprint Cellular
recently formed a national cellular data team to oversee the company's
efforts in the area of cellular data transmission.  "The team's
primary mission is to deliver circuit switched data services today and
packet switched services in the near future," said Hutton.

   Motorola's Paging and Wireless Data Group (PWDG) incorporates the
company's business activities involved in the design, manufacturing
and distributing of paging and wireless data communications products,
systems and services for computer companies, carriers and end-users.

   Motorola, Inc., headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., is one of the
world's leading manufacturers of electronic equipment, systems and
components for worldwide markets.  Additional products include two-way
radios, cellular telephones and systems, integrated circuits and
discrete semiconductors, defense and aerospace electronics, automotive
and industrial electronic equipment, and information processing and
handling equipment.  Sales in 1992 were $13.3 billion.

   Sprint Cellular, based here, is one of the nation's leading
cellular communications companies.  It provides service to more than
500,000 customers in 42 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA's) and 46
rural service areas (RSA's) in 14 states serving a total population of
more than 18 million potential customers.  Sprint is a diversified
international telecommunications company with $10 billion in annual
revenues and the United States' only nationwide all-digital,
fiber-optic network.  In addition to its cellular operations, Sprint's
divisions provide global long distance voice, data and video products
and services, and local telephone services to nearly six million
subscriber lines in 19 states.

                           ----------------

Roger Theriault                Internet: [e-mail]
  /\/\otorola -=--==-==--=-    UUCP: {uw-beaver,uunet}!van-bc!mdivax1!theriaul
 /    \    Wireless Data Group    CompuServe: 71332,730 (not too often)
I am not a spokesman for Motorola or anyone else besides myself.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jack Decker)
Subject: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
Date: 27 Oct 1993 18:08:54 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net


Just a word of advice to all: If you are looking for great deals on
long distance service, don't overlook the small carriers that may be
operating in your state or region.  I'm not going to mention names of
specific companies, but here's a couple of deals I've found (in doing
some research for a friend) that are especially attractive in low to
moderate calling volume situations.

A small carrier that serves only about 60% of the state of Michigan
offers a plan where you pay $5.00 per month and commit to a 15 month
contract (however, you can cancel without penalty during the first
three months of the contract, after which you are locked in for the 15
months).  The daytime rate on calls to anywhere in the United States,
including calls within Michigan, is 13 cents per minute.  This drops
to 11.4 cents per minute after 5 P.M. and on weekends.  The calls are
billed in 30 second increments, however, they do NOT charge at all for
any call of under 32 seconds in length (and no, they don't use
inferior connections to the local telcos anymore, this is just a
benefit they offer!).

Also, calls to Directory Assistance are billed at only 50 cents for
interstate calls, and only 15 cents for intrastate calls.  And they
offer free account codes (two to four digits dialed after you dial the
called number), which allow you to track calls by project or employee
(unfortunately, the codes are not verified in any way; the switch will
accept any code with the correct number of digits, but for a small
business it's a great way to help assign project costs).  The $5.00
monthly charge makes this plan unattractive in very low volume
situations, but for anyone engaged in business that does a fair amount
of calling (especially intrastate calling and/or especially during the
daytime hours), it's an excellent plan, in my opinion.  Sure, other
carriers might come close if you have a LOT of volume or are willing
to sign a multi-year contract, but this carrier is the second oldest
carrier operating in Michigan and has a reputation for giving
excellent customer service.

A different carrier that serves Michigan and parts of Indiana (and
MAYBE some other midwest states) offers an 800 service that is pretty
good.  This company has a $5.00 per month charge FOR AS MANY 800
NUMBERS AS YOU WANT.  Whether you need one 800 number or 100, it's
still only $5.00 per month.  Rates are 17.5 cents per minute during
the business day, 14.5 cents per minute after 5 P.M. and on weekends,
and billing is in six second increments.  Should you ever have more
than $200 of usage per month, a volume discount (of 6.5%) kicks in (I
think there may be even more discounts after certain higher usage
levels).

This particular company also prides itself on being able to provide
very detailed billing should you require it.  I did find carriers with
lower monthly charges, but they either had much higher per-minute
rates or (in one particular case involving a national third-tier
carrier) simply turned up their noses at anyone who might have less
than $100 per month billing.  The customer that wants the 800 number
may indeed reach that level someday, but for right now he's just
starting out and is unwilling to commit to any particular volume level
(and actually, the regional carrier still has slightly better rates).

One thing to consider when buying outbound (regular "Dial 1" long
distance) service, especially if you make many calls within your own
LATA (and especially if you are asked to sign a long term contract):
Ask if the carrier will provide and maintain a dialer on your
premesis, so that your intraLATA calls will be routed to your long
distance carrier at their rates, rather than to your local telephone
company (assuming that intraLATA competition is permitted in your
state).  If they want to charge you a monthly fee for the dialer, ask
if they will waive that fee to get your business.  Refurbished dialers
only cost the carrier a couple hundred dollars or so (and you can buy
them yourself for that price), so don't get suckered into paying a
high monthly rental fee for one.  Smaller carriers will often provide
a dialer just to get your business, and to make sure they get your
intraLATA toll traffic!

I'm not trying to sell these services to anyone (indeed, your calling
volumes and patterns may indicate that different plans would better
suit your needs), but just want to make the point that if you are
considering buying long distance service of any kind, set aside two or
three hours and get out the yellow pages (of the nearest major city if
you're not located in one) and start calling long distance carriers
listed there.  Some of the small carriers that no one's ever heard of
offer excellent deals, and in addition, they may be far more
responsive to your individual requirements (and have more flexibility
to make deals) than the big carriers.

If you find a calling plan you like, ask the company pertinent
questions like how long they've been in business, what their customer
retention rate is, how detailed their billing is, and what hours you
can reach the company for emergency service.  If you like the answers
you get, go with them.  If by some odd chance things don't work out,
you can always cash that $75 check that AT&T will doubtless send you
to entice you to switch back to them, and smile ...  :-)


Jack

(This article Copyright 1993 by Jack Decker, but may be reprinted
freely without payment of any kind so long as this copyright notice is
included.)


[Moderator's Note: I wish you had given the names and phone numbers of
these companies so people could investigate them further. Your point
about finding a company that meets your needs is a good one. Time and
again here when people contact me to have me handle their 800 numbers
or 1+ dialing, they want to know what plans I offer. The fact is, I
now go through various companies with a whole range of good things and
invariably my first question in return is 'tell me about your calling
patterns, etc ..'  I am not going to put them on a flat rate plan if
(for example) ATT/SDN would be less expensive, etc.  So when you come
across deals such as you described above, by all means let us all in
on it! :) I catalog those things and constantly refer to them.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kinson Ho)
Subject: Need Numeric Pager Recommendation
Date: 27 Oct 1993 21:14:34 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley


I am looking for a numeric pager for use in the San Francisco
Bay Area.  I have never used a pager before.  What are the things
to look for regarding:

a. Pager hardware: Which models or features?  Approx cost?
   Do I have to buy the unit from the service provider,
   or can I buy the unit and shop around for the best service plan?
   (Given a pager, can I switch service providers?)

b. Service providers: Who provides good/bad service?  How much
   does it typically cost (per month/year)?  What else is important?

Please send replies to me by email.  Thanks.  If there is sufficient
interest, I will post a summary.


Kinson Ho

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 15:46:27 EDT
From: Peter M. Weiss <[e-mail]>
Subject: Car Phones and Accidents?
Organization: Penn State University


Does any one have any definitive statistics of the use of car
(cellular) phones and traffic accidents?


Peter M. Weiss         "The 'NET' never naps"             [phone]
31 Shields Bldg. -- Penn State Univ -- University Park, PA USA 16802-1202

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 14:36:52 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Bill Walker)
Subject: Re: Administrivia: The Moving Continues
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc.


In article <[e-mail]>, TELECOM Moderator
moderated:

> What's more important to us though is that our little one had
> to be admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis yesterday due
> to an infection which had started a day or two earlier. He had not
> responded to his medication; yesterday the doctor said get him in
> the hospital immediatly. While in the hospital, his temperature went
> up to 103.5 and they are having a hard time getting it down to
> normal. He is now getting his medication via IV.

Best wishes for his speedy recovery, Pat!


Bill Walker - [e-mail] - QUALCOMM, Inc., San Diego, CA USA
"First thing we do, we kill all the lawyers." - Shakespeare


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for your note and the several others people
have sent today. The doctor said it was/is 'very close to' meningitis.
The doctor had a long, rather complex reason why it was not technically
meningitis; basically it is a bacterial infection in his head which is
not normally categorized as meningitis, but with similar results if
not treated promptly. Apparently we got him into the hospital in the
nick of time. He'll be in the hospital at least a few more days, and
the doctor is unwilling to be specific at this point about his recovery.
One or the other of the three of us (adults) is with him at the hospital
at all times; my brother and his wife then go to their respective jobs
and I've been moving stuff bit by bit from our old place to the new
place; a job all three of us had assigned roles to carry out, but a
friend is coming over tomorrow to help me with some heavy furniture.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #723
******************************


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Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 12:13:39 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #724


TELECOM Digest     Thu, 28 Oct 93 12:13:20 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 724

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Question About T1 Equipment (Aninda Dasgupta)
    BT: Malicious Callers - Prosecutions Up (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    Milipol Paris '93 [Nov 23-26] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
    New Phone Numbering System For Turkey (Serdar Boztas)
    Interrogative BOCA and/or Complete PC (Ken Leonard)
    Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker (Bonnie J. Johnson)
    Networking Equipment ([e-mail])
    GTE Now Offers Express Dial Tone (Denny L. Marsh)
    Looking for Cell Fraud Sources (Scott D. Fybush)
    Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Kristen Anne Pribis)
    Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Gregory Youngblood)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Roy Smith)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (David Kovanen)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Christopher M. Wolf)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 93 09:43:17 EDT
From: [e-mail]  (Aninda Dasgupta)
Subject: Question About T1 Equipment


I am trying to get an estimate of equipment needed for a T1
connection.  I was looking at various data-comm catalogs and found so
many options that I don't know which is the right one. Here's what I
have in mind:

                       |-------|
|----|       |---|     |       |                                   |----|
|Prsn| |--|  |   |     |       |                                   |    |
| 1's|-|M1|--|MCI|--\  |       |                             |---| |Work|
| PC | |--|  |POP|   \ |Public |  |---|   |----|  |-------|--|M1 |-|Stn |
|----|       |---|    \|Network|  |   |T1 |CSU/|  |Unknown|. |---| |    |
  .                    |(Think |--|MCI|---|DSU |--|Box    |.       |    |
  .                    | of a  |  |POP|   |box |  |       |. |---| |    |
  .                    | boxy  |  |---|   |----|  |-------|--|M24|-|    |
  .                   /| cloud |                             |---| |    |
|----|       |---|   / | :-)   |                                   |    |
|Prsn| |---| |   |--/  |       |                                   |----|
|24's|-|M24|-|MCI|     |       |
| PC | |---| |POP|     |       |                             M1 to M2
|----|       |---|     |       |                             are v32,v42
                       |-------|                             modems. Are they
                                                                    necessary?
        M1 to M24                                What should
        are v32,v42                             the "Unknown Box"
        modems                                   above be in scenarios
                                                 1 and 2 below?


Scenario 1:

Let's say I have a workstation and 24 geographically distributed
salespersons.  My salespersons want to dial into my workstation using
modems.  I get an 800 number, linked to a hunt group of 24 lines, from
MCI (i.e. I get a T1 link to the MCI POP, provided by my LEC). What
equipment (DSU/CSU, etc) do I need at the workstation end, to be able
to provide these connections , keeping in mind that I will never
originate any outgoing calls?

The 24 salespersons will dial my 800 number, MCI will carry their
modulated digital signals to the MCI POP nearest to me.  I assume MCI
will somehow add and drop signals from my salespersons into the 24
slots of the T1 link from their POP to my workstation.  So I will
obviously need a DSU/CSU unit to be able to receive the DS1 frames
from the POP.  Will I also need some kind of demux to be able to break
up the 24 DS0's. Obviously, to this point, the incoming signals will
be digital.  Now, to anwer to the handshakes (v32 etc) of the
salespersons' modems will I also need 24 modems that will probably
talk some protocol like v35 or RS422 with the DSU/CSU?  And what about
getting back the voice signals that were generated by the
salespersons' modems? Somehow all this doesn't quite make sense.  Are
there any "in-one-box" solutions to such applications?

Scenario 2:

Everything is almost the same as the scenario above, but now I also
want to be able to originate calls to my 24 salespersons.  Therefore,
I suppose I need a special "box" that will sit between the DSU/CSU and
my modems so that I can control the adding and dropping of connections
into the DS1 time slots.  Also, how can I notify the MCI POP what
number I want to be dialed to reach a salesperson?  Is this what a
dial-up (switched) CSU/DSU allows me to do?  With such a CSU/DSU, can
I choose the 24 different numbers to dial up over the T1 link to MCI
POP, or do I have to give one number to dial up where all 24 DS0's
will end up?  If the former, how is the routing information (the 24
dialed numbers) delivered to the MCI POP using a T1 frame (I mean, is
the routing signalling done out of band or something)?

What are good sources for such equipment?  I have some catalogs from
BlackBox and MISCO.  I have seen some AT&T boxes lying around in our
computer and PBX rooms.

Hope some kind folks will enlighten me or point out some good
references.  I would love to get my hands on any book that demystifies
all the various T1 equipment.

Thanks in advance.


Aninda DasGupta ([e-mail]) Ph:[phone] Fax:[phone]
Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n  Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 14:15:06 GMT
Subject: BT: Malicious Callers - Prosecutions Up


     BT has announced that prosecutions and police cautions of
malicious phone callers rose by 600 per cent in the last year.

     This follows BT's introduction in July last year of a national
network of specialist bureaux devoted to helping customers who are
receiving malicious calls.

     Since the launch of the bureaux BT has helped an average of 6,000
of 6,000 customers every week.  Up to 7,000 lines have been on call
trace at any one time and BT has handled 1,000 new requests from the
police each week to trace calls.

     As a result, some 1,200 offenders were cautioned or proecuted
during the year to June 1993, compared with fewer than 200 during the
previous year.

     More than 2,000 customers a week have their telephone numbers
changed free of charge, and there has been an average of 600 calls a
day to the free recorded Adviceline on 0800 666 700.


                         Jean-Bernard Condat
                          General Secretary
     Chaos Computer Club France, B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France
          Private Address: P.O. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France
               Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
         InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]

***For a free subscription to _Chaos Digest_, send a message to:
   [e-mail]
   with a mail header or first line containing the following information:
   X-Mn-Admin: join CHAOS_DIGEST
   and you will put freely on the ChaosD mailing list. Don't hesitate!  **

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 14:22:32 GMT
Subject: Milipol Paris '93 [Nov 23-26]


For more information related to Milipol '93, the international
exhibition of police, civil and military security equipment organized
by the International Milipol Committee

    November 23-26, 1993         Paris, Le Bourget (France)

don't hesitate to ask for more information to Mrs. Annie Marchand
(69 rue Brillat Savarin, 75013 Paris, France; Phone: [phone]
and fax: [phone]) or place an e-mail message on my e-mail
box with your complete address.


                    Jean-Bernard Condat
                     General Secretary
Chaos Computer Club France, B.P. 155, 93404 St-Ouen Cedex, France
     Private Address: P.O. 8005, 69351 Lyon Cedex 08, France
          Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
    InterNet:  [e-mail]   or  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Serdar Boztas)
Subject: New Phone Numbering System For Turkey
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 06:36:32 GMT


The telephone numbering system in Turkey has recently been revamped.
There used to be more than 5000 local area codes of varying lengths
(one to five digits to the best of my knowledge) with correspondingly
varying local number lengths (seven to three digits).

The new system is based on 77 three-digit area codes for provinces and
seven digit local phone numbers. Istanbul is the exception and it gets
three area codes (I think two for the European side and one for the
Asian side).

0 will be the long distance dialing prefix while the international
dialing prefix will be 00.

The country code for Turkey is 90.

For the next few months, both old and new codes will be usable.

Adana      322 AdIyaman   416 Afyon      272 AGrI       472 Aksaray    382
Amasya     358 Ankara     312 Antalya    242 Ardahan    478 Artvin     466
AydIn      256 BalIkesir  266 BartIn     378 Batman     488 Bayburt    458
Bilecik    228 BingOl     426 Bitlis     434 Bolu       374 Burdur     248
Bursa      224 Canakkale  286 CankIrI    376 Corum      364 Denizli    258
DiyarbakIr 412 Edirne     284 ElazIG     424 Erzincan   446 Erzurum    442
Eski$ehir  222 Gaziantep  342 Giresun    454 GUmU$hane  456 Hatay      326
IGdIr      476 ICel       324 Istanbul-1 212 Istanbul-2 214 Istanbul-3 216
Izmir      232 K. Mara$   344 Karaman    338 Kars       474 Kastamonu  366
Kayseri    352 KIrIkkale  318 KIrklareli 288 KIr$ehir   386 Kocaeli    262
Konya      332 KUtahya    274 Malatya    422 Manisa     236 Mardin     482
MuGla      252 Mu$        436 Nev$ehir   384 NiGde      388 Ordu       452
Rize       464 Sakarya    264 Samsun     362 Siirt      484 Sinop      368
Sivas      346 $. Urfa    414 $Irnak     486 TekirdaG   282 Tokat      356
Trabzon    462 Tunceli    428 U$ak       276 Van        432 Yozgat     354
Zonguldak  372 KKTC       392
        ^
This last code is for dialing the Turkish Cypriot part of Cyprus.


Serdar Boztas  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ken Leonard)
Subject: Interrogative BOCA and/or Complete PC
Organization: GE Aerospace - VF
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 12:54:31 GMT


Howdy ...

I have a modem with "BOCA" inside and "Complete PC" on the outside.
Can someone tell me how to contact Complete PC? (online) Can someone
tell me how to contact BOCA? (online, offline, anyhow)


Thanks,

Ken

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 93 10:57:52 EDT
From: Bonnie J Johnson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker


I pulled this information off the Risks listserv and wondered if any
of you know if there is an validity to it?

"Not too long ago a Telecom worker in Western Australia was reportedly
killed when a fragment of fibre optic glass accidently got into his
blood stream".

We are pulling, rehabbing, terminating, etc. our own fiber and if it
is true of the safety hazard, it would be nice to know.  Anyone out
there been warned (safety classes, bulletins, the like) about handling
fiber?


ty, bj

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Charlie Root)
Subject: Networking Equipment
Date: 28 Oct 1993 12:43:23 GMT
Organization: Kingdom Communications, Inc.  San Francisco, California USA


    I am looking for some networking equipment like routers,
terminal servers, CSU/DSUs and don't know where to begin to look.  Can
someone point me in the right direction to the correct newsgroup if
this is the wrong newsgroup and also refer me to some mail-order
sources along with their phone numbers and addresses that carry these
things and magazines which have either ads or articles on it.  Thanks!


Cheers,

Vince  [e-mail]
System Administrator/Owner
Kingdom Communications, Inc./California Unix Public Access Systems, Inc.
San Francisco, California USA

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 27 Oct 93 12:11:42-0400
Subject: GTE Now Offers Express Dialtone


Passed along FYI from corporate literature:

   EXPRESS DIALTONE NOW OFFERED IN GTE LOCATIONS

GTE now provides a new service called Express Dialtone, which allows
GTE customers to plug their phone into the phone jack in their new
home or business and call GTE immediately.  Express Dialtone provides
a quick way to initiate phone service without having to visit the GTE
service office or use someone else's phone to place the call.

GTE has implemented the new service in Carrollton, Kemah, Robstown and
Lakeshore this year and plans to offer it in Garland, Plano, Pilot
Point, Keller, San Angelo, Del Rio, Ruidoso, Weslaco, Lake Brownwood
and Gonzales by year-end.

Express Dialtone makes it easy for people moving into a vacant home or
apartment to initiate their phone service or check previously ordered
service without a lot of hassle.  It also helps GTE by eliminating the
need to drive to the customers' location, which takes additional time
and costs more.  In some situations, customers receive a discount on
their service connection charge, because the business office and
switching center handle the changes, eliminating the need for a GTE
representative to travel to the location.

Here's how it works: When GTE customers leave their business or
residence and disconnect their service, Express Dialtone is placed on
the line.  The phone line will still be connected to the GTE office,
but no other calls may be placed from the phone.  When a new resident
moves in, they can lift the receiver and automatically call GTE to
have regular service connected.

Express Dialtone is automatic for all single-party residential and
business phone lines in those locations where it has been implemented.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott D Fybush)
Subject: Looking for Cell Fraud Sources
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 22:46:19 EDT


As some of you already know, I am a newswriter for WBZ radio in
Boston.  We're interested in doing a piece on cellular-telephone
security.  I don't want to get into all the "does 800 MHz a few inches
from your head cause cancer?" angle ... but I *am* interested in
exploring issues such as ECPA, phony ESNs, and the like.

So ... I'm looking for people to talk to, preferably people willing to
go on the air with us.  If you have something to contribute, please
e-mail me, or better yet call me at WBZ at [phone] between 11
AM and 7 PM eastern time.

In exchange, I promise not to fall into the usual mass-media traps.
Let's see if we can get some factual, non-sensational information out
there for people to chew on.  Thanks!


Scott Fybush - [e-mail] - WBZ radio Boston MA USA

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kristen Anne Pribis)
Subject: Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
Date: 28 Oct 1993 04:42:12 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA


[e-mail] (Tom Mackay) writes:

> I recently received some information from a company in Dallas called
> Cellular Options that for $199.50, will alter a cellular phone to
> allow more than one phone per cellular telephone number.  In their
> literature they discuss the procedure of cloning or ESN emulation and
> even mention the fraudulent use of this method.  They state that now
> several legitimate companies are offering legal cloning or emulation.

> Has anyone dealt with this or a similar company?  Is is completely
> legal, or is it in a grey area?  What do the cell companies think of
> this?  Does it work?

> [Moderator's Note: This is a grey area at best -- very grey. Most
> contracts from cell carriers prohibit the practice. It certainly does
> not aid in fraud prevention, and could actually contribute to more
> fraud, as the company's own literature states.  PAT]

One of the options I can choose as part of my Cellular One package (in
Albany, NY) is to have two phones assigned to the same number.  They
use some sort of call forwarding technique where you assign a primary
phone.  If the call is not answered on the primary, it will ring
through to the secondary, and then on to phone mail.  Now, if they
could only get rid of that static <grin> ...

Actually, mentioning static, I was wondering how many areas are
currently offering digital cellular service.  The last I heard, it was
only in Tampa.

Chris Labatt-Simon   Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]   [phone] Tel   [phone] Fax


[Moderator's Note: But please note it is two phones with two numbers
and presumably two ESN's ... with the carrier routing things as you
have requested. It is not using the same ESN in both phones.  PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
From: [e-mail] (Gregory Youngblood)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 93 01:21:38 PDT
Organization: TCS Computer Systems


[e-mail] (Tom Mackay) writes:

> I recently received some information from a company in Dallas called
> Cellular Options that for $199.50, will alter a cellular phone to
> allow more than one phone per cellular telephone number.  In their
> literature they discuss the procedure of cloning or ESN emulation and
> even mention the fraudulent use of this method.  They state that now
> several legitimate companies are offering legal cloning or emulation.

> [Moderator's Note: This is a grey area at best -- very grey. Most
> contracts from cell carriers prohibit the practice. It certainly does
> not aid in fraud prevention, and could actually contribute to more
> fraud, as the company's own literature states.  PAT]

I think this would ultimately violate most contracts like you said.
However, it also does more.

First, (I can't remember if it was here or in one of my trade
magazines -- or both?) there is a new security system in place, or
going in place in a few markets created by a subsidiary of TRW (?).
Supposedly it generates an RF fingerprint of sorts.  Then, it can
pre-validate calls based upon that "fingerprint".  Personally it
sounds too good to be true, and I can't imagine that no two phones
wouldn't have similar traits, but I'm not up on that end of cellular
telephony.

This cloning method would cause one or both units to fail under such a
security net.

Lastly, it would obviously void the phone warranty, and if you ever
ended up with a Diamondtel with a Motorola ESN you would be in for
some interesting explanations, let alone trying to resell the phone,
or trade it in, or whatever at a later date.

Personally, I'd love it.  I could use it and get rid of having three
numbers.  But, this method is not something I'd look for.

Your best bet is to check with the carriers.  I seem to remember that
there was an experimental service being offered a while back which
allowed customers to establish accounts with more than one phone on a
single number.  I can't remember how they worked out the roaming (I
think the primary, or first, phone could roam, but the others could
not) but I do remember that it was done at the switch level and did
NOT require the modification of any phone hardware.  There is also
another company offering some equipment and software to do this with
the switches as well (I had their brochure about a year ago).

I think that as the current trend of some carriers dropping their
low-ball plans for slightly higher rates that other features such as
this will come following soon.  Imagine, chargin $29.95 per month for
the LOWEST plan, but, add additional phones for $7.95 or 11.95 to the
same number.  Would encourage multiple users.

Of course it would be ideal if the billing could separate the bills by
ESN, but I haven't seen the bills generated by the experimental
service. I do know it would just be a matter of setting up the
billing software.


Greg

The Complete Solution BBS  | Allfiles List: | Anonymous UUCP Calls Accepted
707-459-9058 (24hrs, v.32) |  ~/tcsbbs.lst  | Login: nuucp  Password: nuucp
Telemate Distribution Site | [e-mail] |    Cellular Telephoney Groups

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 14:35:35 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Roy Smith)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Organization: New York University, School of Medicine


> [Moderator's Note: Who do you think would be fooled by this? If you
> observe the display between the first and second ring, act on the
> information given as you see fit *then* answer, how could anything
> someone did after that point matter?  PAT]

    Telco has been marketing Caller ID, in part, as a protection
against harassing phone calls.  In one of the commercials they ran on
TV around here, the phone rings and a woman picks it up.  After
talking for a while, she realizes it's a creep on the other end and
says something like, "I've got your number [looks at CID display]
555-1234!"  I don't know about anybody else, but the lady in the
commercial sure would have been fooled.


Roy Smith <[e-mail]>
Hippocrates Project, Department of Microbiology, Coles 202
NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016


[Moderator's Note: As our writer pointed out, the original (valid)
information sent is not deleted however; it is stored in the buffer
of recently calling numbers. So when it is discovered that the latest
information is bogus, reviewing the data from the call 'right before
it' -- like probably booked in the display at the very same minute
and always the call right before the bogus one, no? -- will in fact
reveal the truth. Sure, there are some people who will be fooled by
almost anything. PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 17:13:47 PDT
From: [e-mail] (David Kovanen)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)


I feel that many people can be fooled!  (As you indicate, the lady in
the commercial would be fooled.)  I also know of one [undisclosed]
Voice Mail system that would be fooled, trust me.  The system receives
Caller-ID and sets up a security level using this information.  But,
the Voice Mail system isn't smart enough to IGNORE subsequent
transmissions of Caller-ID information -- thus callers can become
whomever they wish to be after the system answers.

I hesitate to mention this, but there is a similar device to the
Presto Chango box that does the same thing to E911.  Big problem!

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Christopher M. Wolf)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 12:22:11 EDT


In response to the following witty comment by TELECOM Moderator:

> [Moderator's Note: Who do you think would be fooled by this? If you
> observe the display between the first and second ring, act on the
> information given as you see fit *then* answer, how could anything
> someone did after that point matter?  PAT]

Possibly someone who normally does not look at the display, but then
gets a "nasty" (TM) message, and looks down and calls the police with
the (new) number.  Like the reason many people say they like it, so
they can keep track of obscene phone calls.

What if you look down and see some new number that you don't know,
assume nothing, realize after answering that its an obscene call, and
when you look down to get the number, see it changed.  Hope you have a
good memory.


Christopher Wolf     Electrical Engineer/Computer Scientist     [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Remember, the old information just gets put on the
stack when the new information arrives. Why do you think they put a
'review' function on your Caller-ID box if not so you could flip
through it looking at calls received over some period of time? Therein
will be the correct information about the caller, invariably at the
same time or in the previous minute.   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #724
******************************


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Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 17:44:02 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #725

TELECOM Digest     Sat, 30 Oct 93 17:44:00 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 725

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "The Unicode Standard" (Rob Slade)
    Ameritech PCS Trial Update #8 (Andrew C. Green)
    Technical Support Specialist Wanted (Steve Pinkston)
    Telecommunications Key to Multimedia (Randy Gellens)
    Programming the NEC P4 (Julian Francis)
    Laguna Beach Fires (Randy Gellens)
    Canadian Government News Releases via Email (Tyson Macaulay)
    Administrivia: Moving, Sick Kids, Time Change (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 12:20 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "The Unicode Standard"


BKUNICOD.RVW  980921

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 520
26 Prince Andrew Place
Don Mills, Ontario  M3C 2T8
416-447-5101 fax: [phone]
or
1 Jacob Way
Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-527-5210  617-944-3700
5851 Guion Road
Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226
or
Unicode, Inc.
1965 Charleston Road
Mountain View, CA  94043
[phone]   Fax: [phone]

"The Unicode Standard", U$32.95/C$42.95
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]

In the dim and distant past, the late, and generally unlamented, SUZY
information system was born in Vancouver.  Rather an oddball as far as
online services went, one "feature" was that the programmer had tried
to allow for the use of all of the IBM graphics characters.  This lead
to an entirely new field of "smiley" or "emoticon" (emotional icon)
endeavours.  Instead of the usual sideways happy face of the colon,
hyphen and right parenthesis; ":-)"; we were able to use the "Ctrl-A"
alternative of the IBM PC character set.  Having a decimal value of
one, this character is an upright happy face.  This allowed other
expansions, such as Ctrl-A and the right square bracket, which looks
like a face and a telephone handset, and was used (usually in the
"chat" modes) for "I am on the phone."

"How nice," I hear you mutter between clenched teeth.  "Can we now get
on with the review?"  Patience, stout nerds.  This *is* the review.

As SUZY users, particularly those who had been introduced to computer
communications on the system, moved on to other services or local
bulletin boards, they were usually quite shocked to find that their
favourite symbols no longer worked.  The little diamond (Ctrl-C) would
kill a message on a VAX.  Fidonet users might find that the cute
tagline they had formed from graphics characters completely
disappeared when they sent the message through an Internet gateway.

ASCII (the American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is
widely, and mistakenly, believed to define two hundred and fifty-six
characters.  It doesn't.  Furthermore, of the hundred and twenty-eight
characters it does define, many are "control" rather than printable
characters.  (The "card suit" symbols on the IBM PC graphics set are
defined as "end of text", "end of transmission", "enquiry" and
"acknowledgement" under the real ASCII standard.)  In addition, many
believe ASCII to be a universal standard; also not true.  An octet
with the decimal value thirty-five, for example, is the number sign
(sometimes called an "octothorpe") in the United States, but a pound
sign (the British currency) in Britain.  As with most fields of
computer endeavor, the nice thing about standards is that there are so
many to choose from.  Many vary only slightly -- but they vary.

The point is that there are a number of symbols which we commonly
know, but which cannot be consistently displayed on terminals or
printers.  Certain terminals will have certain "international"
character sets, but not all are identical.  Accents and other phonetic
modifiers may be difficult to handle: entire character sets are given
over strictly to accented characters.  (In Canada we are acutely aware
of the problems, with "French" keyboards used at many sites.  On one,
I was having difficulty finding some necessary punctuation marks for
network addressing, and asked a Francophone programmer for help.  "Who
knows," he growled, "I never use the ____ things!")

Unicode seeks to address this problem.  Including not only the
variations on the Latin alphabet, Unicode incorporates Greek,
Cyrillic, Hebrew and other alphabets.  It also includes punctuation,
diacriticals, mathematical and scientific symbols and miscellaneous
graphics.  Asian ideographs are also assigned codes.  This is no
longer suitable, of course, for a seven-bit code, and Unicode is based
on a sixteen-bit address space.

The book gives some background and plans (chapter one), general
principles and rules for conformance (chapter two).  To comment on
these in any meaningful way would be to rewrite these chapters.  This
is technical material, though not the same technology that computer
types are used to.  Some background study in linguistics would be a
good idea, although it is not strictly necessary to understand and use
the Unicode standard.  There are, however, a wealth of symbols,
punctuation marks and typesetting codes which Unicode gives
standardized access to.  On the other hand, any application which used
the standard in a significant way would likely require a linguistics
background in any case.

The bulk of the books (two volumes) is, of course, taken up with the
actual code charts.  (Volume two, in fact, is almost completely
concerned with Han ideographs.  In spite of the recent widespread use
of the English alphabet, this is still the standard written language
of Chinese, Japanese and Korean: CJK in Unicode terminology.)  The
charts are augmented with verbal definitions of the symbols, and with
cross references to similar forms.

The Unicode standard is recent.  In comparative terms its current
usage is negligible.  However, it is the defacto standard for broadly
based international character sets.  With the recent rejection of the
proposed ISO thirty-two bit standard, and the recasting of that
standard to follow Unicode's lead, Unicode is a significant factor in
the development of any international applications.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKUNICOD.RVW  980921

(Postscriptum - Unicode Inc. maintains an FTP site at unicode.org
(192.195.185.2).  Some of the mapping tables, and the Han cross
reference lists are available.  Some tables are also available on IBM
PC or Mac compatible floppy disks.)

Permission granted to distribute only with unedited copies of TELECOM
Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.


DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 17:32:09 CDT
From: Andrew C. Green <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ameritech PCS Trial Update #8


This is Ameritech PCS Update #8, a series of reports on the progress
of a trial of digital wireless portable phones being conducted by
Ameritech in the Chicago area. Yours truly is a member of the general
public, randomly selected for the test by Ameritech, to their
everlasting regret, we'll bet. :-)

Updates and Corrections

Since the last posting I received some interesting replies from
Telecom readers, including one pointing out that "spread spectrum"
wasn't a terribly accurate description of the communication in the
case of this particular PCS test program, and a couple of others
asking what _was_ the actual method in use.

Most queries have suggested three different Multiple Access methods of
communication: Frequency Division, Code Division and Time Division
(FDMA, CDMA and TDMA respectively). I've since had an enlightening
conversation with Mr. Fred Miri at Ameritech, who informs me that
Enhanced FDMA is the format in use, "Enhanced" referring to the two-way
calling ability added to all transceivers in May and June of this
year. They originally had been leaning in favor of TDMA, but ran into
"timeframe problems", I was told. Some testing of CDMA is still under
way using OmniPoint equipment, although I did not pursue details of
that with Fred.

In other areas that I got wrong (sigh), Fred tells me that the
"registration" burst sent out by the PCS occurs only when the initial
transceiver signal falls off and the PCS decides to try and register
with a neighboring area; it does not arbitrarily occur every few
minutes. I misled myself on this point by testing the phone in a
moving train traveling from Arlington Heights to Mount Prospect, the
next town over. Fred also clarified that this applies to registration
for routing of incoming calls only; it is not a handoff procedure for
calls currently in progress. The PCS cannot hand off calls, at least
not yet.

Finally, Fred stated that initial tests of power consumption indicated
that the full two-way (with registration) phone consumed slightly less
battery power than the pager-equipped outbound-only handset, not more
power as I said previously. While my batteries have been giving
problems earlier in the day with my two-way phone, we decided that it
might be due to aging batteries rather than increased power consumption.

Additional Surveys

Recently I was summoned with some other participants to Ameritech's
sprawling headquarters again for another evening of PCS review, for
which we each received $50. This was just days after they announced
their grand merger of all their subsidiaries under the Ameritech
banner, and I noticed as I approached the huge landscaped sign in the
outer ZIP code of their palatial estate that it was already sporting
their new logo.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, it seems that Ameritech
decided to avoid a completely symbolic original style, with the
attendant risk of concocting another AT&T Death Star, in favor of a
pleasantly bland, typical-90's upper/lower case serif "Ameritech" set
in a looping circle, with the loop supplying the crossbar of the "A"
in a design detail copied from the Hyatt Hotels logo.

Anyone who has seen the film "Brazil" would recognize the visitor's
area of the Ameritech complex, with its 30-foot ceilings, 12-foot
doors and insanely complicated polished-metal panel detailing. One
expects Robert De Niro (from "Central Services", if memory serves; see
the film, anyway) to pop out of the wall at any moment. The intriguing
architecture is apparently designed to make you feel _very_ small, and
the huge lobby has surprisingly few chair groupings in it, spread far
apart in an apparent effort to keep different visitors from
overhearing one another.

I can't go into detail here as the evening's activity was prefaced by
a Non-Disclosure Agreement, but I think a Reasonable Person May Deduce
that, in general, I was obviously there to give my views on the
quality of PCS operation so far. Suffice to say that I've found it
useful to rate PCS call quality on a scale I made up recently:

EXCELLENT: Land-line voice quality, no dropouts, no problems;

GOOD: Fairly distinct voice quality, brief and negligible dropouts;

FAIR: Signal dropouts so bad that the caller must resort to a "Let
Me Get Back to You" and abort the call;

POOR: Signal dropouts to the point where the other party cannot be
understood at all; call dropped by user;

UNACCEPTABLE: Complete failure of signal; call dropped by system.

Using my own rating system, I've had calls ranking all over the scale,
but the PCS quality is averaging somewhere between a solid Good and a
very high Fair. I think that as an engineer I'm a bit more forgiving
of the equipment than an average user might be, and I have learned to
always ping the transceiver and walk around to locate a steady dial
tone before attempting a call; thus my "Geiger counter" style of
calling is skewing my own results higher on the satisfaction scale
than those of a person who simply pulls the PCS out of their pocket at
some random location and starts banging away on the keypad.  I suspect
that people in other fields may be more critical than I am, expecting
perfection in all cases, and thus I would be skeptical about trying to
sell the PCS in its current incarnation.

Service Options

Trying to define what the "current incarnation" actually is may be
getting too far ahead, however. Currently I know of at least three
distinctly different PCS service arrangements which are all in active
use at this time:

OUTBOUND CALLING ONLY: The PCS can dial out in any public service
area, but has no base unit for land-line connection and "extension
phone" operation, and no provision for inbound calls of any kind.

OUTBOUND CALLING/INBOUND PAGER: Outbound dialing in public as
above, plus a base unit and "Private" mode capability for use with
your home phone. Inbound calling capability supplied by routing
callers to a Voicemail box which in turn beeps a pager installed
in the PCS handset.

FULL TWO-WAY INBOUND AND OUTBOUND CALLING: Same features as above
except no pager (user must actively call the mailbox to check for
messages).  Voicemail intercepts inbound caller if PCS is not in
service (registered with a transceiver somewhere) or doesn't answer
after approximately six rings. Phone must be switched on in order to
register with nearest transceiver and ring for inbound calls.

What is to be offered as a final product is anyone's guess at this
point. For example, the "Private" mode capability can operate
independently of the three variations above, so making that optional
doubles the permutations of service options to six on the spot. My
strictly-personal preference is for the Pager, for although its
concept initially struck me as a temporary kludge to enable inbound
communication during the test, it turned out to be more resilient in
terms of reliability, reachability and power than the full two-way mode
that presumably is intended to improve on it.

Coming Attractions

I have blathered on at length in the past about the call quality so I
won't repeat it all here, but I believe Ameritech is on the case and
we might look for improvements in the next go-round, whenever that may
be. We are now entering the last couple of months of the current PCS
Trial, so I will be looking forward to hearing about the immediate
future of the program and products. I'll report on developments as
they occur.

In PCS Trial Update #9, sometime in the near future, I'll review some
of the Frequently Asked Questions that I've been getting with these
postings.

DISCLAIMER: Just a reminder -- I have no connection to Ameritech other
than as a PCS Trial Program user, and any activities for which I was
paid by them have been identified as such in these postings. Opinions
and factual blunders are of course my own.  Writing this stuff is
giving me a new understanding of why the popular press tends to get
technical matters wrong so often!


Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc.      Internet: [e-mail]
441 W. Huron          UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL  60610    FAX: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Pinkston)
Subject: Technical Support Specialist Wanted
Organization: Kentrox Industries, Inc.
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 21:49:39 GMT


TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

KENTROX INDUSTRIES, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADC Telecommuni-
cations, Inc., is a primary supplier of digital transmission equipment
for the telecommunications industry.  Kentrox is well positioned in
the marketplace and our commitment to quality, product reliability,
and complete customer satisfaction is stronger than ever with our
recent ISO 9001 certification. We are currently seeking a TECHNICAL
SUPPORT SPECIALIST to provide telephone assistance for our customers.

Responsibilities will include configuration and troubleshooting
assistance for Wide Area Voice and Data Networks on T1, FT1, T3 E1 and
E3 circuits and fast packet services. You will also be responsible for
limited on-site training and assistance.

The selected candidate will have a two year telecom degree or four
year technical degree plus two years of experience in digital
telecommunications. Experience with LANs and Novell Netware is a big
plus. The ability to communicate clearly, work calmly under pressure,
and troubleshoot digital networks is essential.

Kentrox is an organization with an unmatched reputation for product
reliability and customer support. We offer excellent benefits and a
smoke-free environment in which to expand your skills. For prompt
consideration, please send your resume, including salary history, to:

     ADC Kentrox
     Attn: Human Resources
     P.O. Box 10704
     Portland, OR (USA) 97210-0704

An equal opportunity employer. No relocation compensation.  Please do
not send e-mail to the poster of this article.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 29 OCT 93 12:40
Subject: Telecommunications Key to Multimedia


[This was in an internal news round-up]

     * * * JAPANESE FIRMS RECONSIDER MULTIMEDIA STRATEGY * * *

WHILE JAPAN HAS SOUGHT to dominate the multimedia market through
consumer electronics and Hollywood studios, mergers between American
communications companies have cast a new light on who will control
multimedia, according to the Wall Street Journal (10/15/93).  Japanese
companies are learning that control over how information is
transmitted over networks may be as important as hardware and
software.  "We are worrying," said Hiroyuki Mizuno, an executive vice
president at Matsushita, which owns MCA, a major U.S. movie studio.
"When it comes to telecom and computers, the U.S. is beyond us."
Japanese government officials are considering loosening restrictions
on the nation's primary telephone company, Nippon Telegraph &
Telephone, to boost development of Japan's telecommunications
networks.  "We'll see more Japanese electronics companies involved
(with U.S. partnerships) in the next year," predicts Robert Townsend,
a partner with U.S. law firm Morrison & Foerster in Tokyo.  The firm
recently held a multimedia seminar, which was attended primarily by
Japanese companies.

                   -------------------

Randall Gellens             [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation     [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA       to: [e-mail]
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 12:33 GMT
From: Julian Francis <[e-mail]>
Subject: Programming the NEC P4


I would like some information on programming the NEC P4 cellular
phone.  This phone may also be known as the P400. In particular I want
to change the lock code without having to go back to my dealer. When
this was originally programmed an adapter was clipped onto the phone,
is this really necessary, or could I short out some pins. Any help
would be most appreciated, particularly information on all other
programmable features.


Julian Francis   University of Glamorgan

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 30 OCT 93 11:25
Subject: Laguna Beach Fires


With large areas in Southern and Northern California on fire, I don't
have much to note.  However, the Laguna Beach fire is pretty bad.  The
entire town (~25k people) is under mandatory evactuation, with no one
allowed in.  The winds died down during the night, and the fires are
now getting under control.

Earlier this year, I moved from downtown Laguna Beach to just outside
the city limits.  (My house is right where the police set up the
roadblock to keep people from entering.)  The fire did get fairly
close (the other side of a major steet).

I still have my Laguna Beach phone number (I moved the drop to a
friend's house), forwarded to my new phone.  If I tried from any of my
home or office lines to call my number (or any Laguna Beach number), I
got an "all circuts busy" recording.  However, a friend who lives
about 15 miles away was able to call my Laguna Beach number and get
forwarded.  Not sure why he could get a trunk to Laguna Beach and then
back out, when I couldn't, but it was repeatable.

The devastation is immense.  A friend of mine just called to say he is
OK.  He is still in his Laguna Beach home (ignoring the evacuation
order).  He melted a window on his Jeep last night helping friends get
stuff out.  He has a few strangers staying with him.  He found them
while helping his friend.  They were stranded, as their automatic
garage door opener wouldn't work, and they couldn't get their cars
out.  Lucky for everyone my friend was there to rescue them.  Because
the fire blocked the road, my friend didn't know any way out of the
fire area, but the people he rescued did.

I work about 15 miles inland, and the area is covered with a dense
layer of smoke, from other fires further inland.

Local high schools have been turned into shelters for evacuated
people, but many are also open for classes.  Pets are not permitted,
but local animal shelters and veterinarians have offered to take care
of pets of evacuated people.

So far, no deaths have been reported, but the Marines have been called
out to search for bodies.



Randall Gellens        [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation          [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA            to: [e-mail]]

Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself


[Moderator's Note: Thank you very much for sharing the sad news from
southern California. During most of the day Thursday we had coverage
of it on television here and you speak the truth: it was just devas-
tating to watch. I hope you -- and other southern California readers
of the Digest -- will, as conditions permit, continue to write and let
us know the telecom situation there.

It was 122 years ago in October, 1871 that Chicago was devasted with a
major fire which destroyed over half the town. Even the {Chicago
Tribune} offices and printing plant burned to the ground, but after a
day's suspension the {Tribune} was on the street the next morning
(after the Sunday night/all day Monday fire) with a front page
editorial entitled 'Cheer Up' ... and after discussing the huge losses
noted that the business of sign-painting was a good one to be in "...
as we walked downtown yesterday getting our own affairs in order at
the building we hastily purchased for the Tribune's relocation, we
passed hundreds of signs stuck up on lamposts, doorways, and telegraph
poles intended to advise the public where the former occupant of the
premises had relocated.  At the shell which was formerly the grand
McVicker's Theatre, only the box office remains unscorched, and a sign
on the front states that should the public wish to go in and view the
ruins of the magnificent theatre, they should leave five cents in the
basket sitting in the box office window.  Cheer up! Chicago will rise
again, of that you may be sure." ...  [From Chicago Tribune, October
11, 1871]

I think as devastated as they must be, that is good advice for the
people in southern California as well. Two years from now, let us see
if there is even the slightest evidence of the fire still remaining.
Southern California will rise again; of that we may be sure. Please
write again and share your experiences and telecom news.   PAT

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 93 16:48:42 EDT
From: Tyson=Macaulay%DTP%DGCP=HQ=[e-mail]
Subject: Canadian Government News Releases via Email


             New Canadian Government Listserv

ISCNEWS will distribute the News Releases and Fact Sheets issued to
the public by the Communications Canada Portion of Industry and
Science Canada.  The **News Releases** are Information that has been
issued to the public and media about decisions made by the Canadian
government regarding communications policy.  The **Fact Sheets**
contain information about developments in communications technology
and applications in Canada.

ISCNEWS fera la distribution au publique des communiques de
presse et des feuillets d'information provenant d'une partie de
Communications Canada du ministere de l'Industrie et Sciences
Canada.  Les **communiques de presse** constituent de l'information qui
a ete distribue au publique et au media concernant des decisions
prises par le gouvernement canadien sur la politique des
communications.  Les **feuillets d'information** contiennent de
l'information sur les developpements de la technologie et des
applications des communications au Canada.

To subscribe to the list, send email to / pour vous en registrer,
envoyer par courir electronic au suivant:

     [e-mail]

and in the body of the message put the command / dans le message
faites la command suivante:

     subscribe iscnews Firstname Lastname
          (e.g., "subscribe iscnews Jacques Cartier")


Addresses / Adresses:

     Administration: [e-mail]
     Problems: [e-mail]


Listserv Commands / Commandes Listserv:

     The basic commands you will want to know about are / les
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------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Administrivia: Moving, Sick Kids, Time Change
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 16:50:00 CDT


The move to Skokie is almost complete. Saturday evening and Sunday
we intend to move the remaining furniture, etc. The little one got
out of the hospital this afternoon, but must remain inside and on
medication for at least a few more days. The danger seems to be
over, but the doctor will see him again early next week.

Don't forget, Saturday night is when we set our clocks back one
hour in the USA. Officially, the magic hour is 2 AM Sunday morning,
when it will become 1 AM all over again. For a good time, try
calling 202-653-1800 at 1:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time and listen
for the full minute allowed. You'll note after 1:59:50 it becomes
1:00:00 again without missing a beat on the master clock.


Pat

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #725
******************************


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Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 19:34:27 -0500
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #726


TELECOM Digest     Sat, 30 Oct 93 19:34:15 CDT    Volume 13 : Issue 726

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "Dr. Macintosh's Guide to the Online Universe" (Rob Slade)
    Problems with CNID (lunatix![e-mail])
    Accuracy of CNID (vs. "Presto" Box) (Lauren Weinstein)
    Nationwide Caller ID Update (Emmanuel Goldstein)
    Network Announcements (Keith Laaks)
    IP Over ATM Follow up (John L. MacFarlane)
    UK Plugs, Pinout Needed (Helmut Heller)
    Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Randy Gellens)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 93 15:34 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Dr. Macintosh's Guide to the Online Universe"


Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
Kelly Ford, Promotion/Publicity Coordinator
P.O. Box 520   26 Prince Andrew Place
Don Mills, Ontario  M3C 2T8
416-447-5101   fax: [phone]
or
1 Jacob Way   Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-527-5210  617-944-3700
5851 Guion Road
Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226

Dr. Macintosh's Guide to the On-Line Universe, LeVitus/Ihnatko,
U$24.95/C$31.95
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

At the low end of the computer world there are tremendous fights about
"my computer is better than your computer."  Most books aimed at the
beginner show one sort of bias or another.  Only at the higher ranges
of computerdom does one realize that it is not what is on the desk
that counts, but what you *do* with it.  Therefore it is refreshing,
and heartening, to find a book ostensibly for the Macintosh user which
could be an excellent introduction for *any* computer user.

The preface, and chapter one as well, is the pitch.  Here the authors
(or the verbose one, anyway) extol the virtues of the "online life".
Although, as is very often the case, they include some very specific
examples which may not convince the, "but what if I'm not interested
in *that*?" crowd, it is nice to see a conservative approach to the
presentation.  A welcome change from those who promise the earth ...
and often deliver very little.

Chapter two covers the modem side of things.  Actually, it is a bit
broader than that, as it also deals with phone jacks, and even a bit
about phone service (with reference to the missing bits later in the
book).  Some points are discussed very flippantly, such as the
explanation that the modem turns data into "a noise like static" and
then back again.  At other points the book contradicts itself, for
example stating (page 33) that 9600 bps is the highest speed
manufacturers agree on and, then (page 34), discussing the V.32 bis
standard of 14,400 bps modems.  These minor quibbles aside, the level
of detail is probably just right for the new user, and yet pretty much
all the important topics are covered in sufficient depth to give the
newcomer a fighting chance at the modem store.

Chapter three discusses software.  Not in as much detail as hardware;
in fact, it's downright terse.  One aspect I would have liked to have
seen at least mentioned is the ability to put a comm window in the
background ... and still have it operate.  (Don't take this for
granted: it *doesn't* always work.)  Also, while a preference is
expressed for shareware, MacKermit isn't mentioned and it's free.
(Well, OK.  The last version I saw *was* a little shy on features.)
Again, however, these are minor complaints in the face of a well-
prepared and presented coverage of the features to be examined.  There
is also a quick set of reviews of the major programs.

Most books on computer communications are unwilling to tackle that all
important setup and first session(s) on line.  LeVitus and Ihnatko
have done a very thorough job in ensuring that all the bases are
covered.  Everything from cabling to command strings to software setup
to communications parameters are mentioned.  Not always thoroughly,
mind you.  Getting a full "verbose" result from a modem usually
requires two, or even three, different commands.  Again, the material
contradicts itself, stating that a modem *doesn't* require a
"handshaking" cable for data compression on page 77, and that it
*does* on page 93.  (Most salesmen will likely have difficulty finding
a "hardware handshaking cable" at that.  More standard terminology
refers to "terminal" cables, with four connectors wired, "modem"
cables, usually with eight connectors wired, and "serial" or "RS-232"
cables with all twenty-five connectors wired.  These last, of course,
could not accommodate the Mac eight-pin connector.)  However, once
again, these limitations are fairly minor in comparison to the overall
value of this chapter, right down to examples of screens when either
the speed or data parameters are mismatched.

Chapters five and six cover the two most common aspects of the new
users' online life, Messaging (either private email or posting public
messages) and downloading of files.  Again, the progression and the
explanations are both logical and clear.  The examples are all taken
from a TBBS bulletin board: examples from other systems would likely
have been helpful in broadening the concept.  The explanations,
though, are quite complete, and it should be fairly easy for the
reader to extend the concepts to other systems.  (Again, one Mac-
specific reference reminds me of how little "Mac only" material there
is here, and how useful to users, regardless of computer "stripe".)
One oddity is the discussion of "real time conferencing" in chapter
six, with files, when it might more logically be lumped in with
messaging.

Chapter seven gives an overview of the various types of online
services to which one can connect.  Local BBSes, as well as
specialized commercial services, are covered, as is the use of Fido
technology for networking.  Intriguingly, the Internet is lumped in
with CompuServe, America Online and GEnie as part of a "big four".
(The authors make the common mistake of confusing the Internet with
Usenet newsgroups.)  Still, for once we have a book that recognizes
*all* the levels of services, including private corporate BBSes.

The online community, and the etiquette thereof, are discussed in
chapter eight.  This chapter covers pretty much the whole range of
online behaviour, and the different activities that are acceptable on
different types of systems.  Depth, however, may be lacking in certain
areas.  For example, users are warned against the different types of
unacceptable messages, and specifically against abusive messages, or
flames, but nothing is said about the unintentional slights, such as
flippant responses to emotionally charged messages, which may trigger
"flame wars".  (Also, in light of the previous chapter's familiarity
with newsgroups, Usenet's standard "This message will be posted to
thousands of machines: are you sure?" could have been used in support
of the sections on "hogging" -- and fits right in with the authors'
quirky views.)

Chapter nine deals with advanced topics: computer-to-computer
communications, for two individuals, running a BBS, scripting and
others.  Chapter ten talks about security.  First is a basically sound
overview of the virus situation, and then a reiteration and extension
of the discussion of passwords started in chapter five.

There are six appendices.  The glossary is quite reasonable, as is the
"AT" command set listing, although the descriptions are necessarily
brief and may not be terribly helpful with the rather bizarre setup
contortions that are required to deal with real problems.  An overview
of the Macintosh Communications Toolbox is interesting, and the vendor
address listing may be very helpful, indeed.  The "Smattering of
BBSes" is just that, while the serial wiring diagrams would be *very*
useful -- if it weren't for the fact that the two diagrams use
completely different terms for the pins that need to be connected.

The preface starts out with, "You're standing in the bookstore ...
wondering if it's worth buying.  The answer is, yes."  I can agree
with that.  The book may very well be the best way to learn to use
data communications with a Mac: it certainly is one of the best
introductions for new users regardless of the system.  For those
somewhat familiar with computer communications, the section detailing
the guide to the online universe is nothing new, but for neophytes,
this is an excellent introduction.

(Interesting.  Of all the communications books reviewed so far, the
best "introductions" are not the supposed generic and basic books, but
two very system specific books: "Using MS-DOS Kermit" (cf BKUMSKMT.RVW),
and this.)

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKDMGTOU.RVW  930917
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.


DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: Problems With CNID
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 15:13:56 EDT
From: lunatix![e-mail]


A friend of mine has been having trouble with Caller ID.  Since he
doesn't have access to a computer, I'm posting this for him.

Occasionally, he'll get a call from an irate GTE customer saying that
he just called them (either via the Caller ID box, or *69).  Trouble
is, no one at my friend's apartment make any phone calls prior to
these incidents.  Both of us have noticed that the phone's (a
Panasonic Easa-Phone) in-use light lights up for no reason sometimes.
However, the angry callers don't always call after the light is on.

I set up a scanner in his apartment to try to find out if someone
was using his line with a similar cordless phone (although this
is a pretty new phone and I thought that you couldn't do that
anymore).  I placed the phone on a channel and left it there.  I
put the scanner on the corresponding freq.

When the in-use light went on, some rather strange data noises could
be heard over the scanner, then nothing (like a dead line).  I left it
there for a long while and never heard anyone talking or anything like
that.

Could it be possible that Caller ID is at fault?  Or, more likely (in
my opinion), the phone needs to be junked.  It seems as if the phone
*itself* is calling places at random.

My friend would like to get this worked out ASAP.  Angry callers at
midnight and later get annoying after a while.  Thanks!

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 93 12:35 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: Accuracy of CNID (vs. "Presto" box)


> [Moderator's Note: Remember, the old information just gets put on the
> stack when the new information arrives. Why do you think they put a
> 'review' function on your Caller-ID box if not so you could flip
> through it looking at calls received over some period of time? Therein
> will be the correct information about the caller, invariably at the
> same time or in the previous minute.   PAT]

Pat, while this is definitely true for the sophisticated user, it is
doubtful that most "average" users would even be aware what was going
on.  They'd tend to act on (e.g. report) whatever number was sitting
on their display, not go scrolling through the memory.  It wouldn't
even occur to them that the boop-beeps they heard had anything to do
with CNID, or that the number currently on the display could be
anything but accurate.  Endless problems could be caused by malicious
persons altering displayed numbers in that fashion.  You or I (or
other TELECOM readers) would be suspicious when we heard the odd
tones -- the average phone user wouldn't.

It would also be possible (though more of a hassle) for a caller to
wipe out the memory of some of these devices simply by sending bogus
information repeatedly.  They could drop the real number right off the
bottom of the stack since most units don't have very many slots (8?
16?)  Sure, that would mean more tones, but they'd find some way to
explain it away.

Or here's a scenario for you.  The caller dials someone's answering
machine that has an associated caller-ID box.  Let's assume that the
outgoing message makes it impossible for them to send their fake ID
tones during that phase of the call.  OK, so when it comes time for
them to leave their message, they start feeding in their fake numbers
 -- enough to push the real calling number (and any other numbers
recorded earlier in the device) off the stack and into oblivion.  The
callee comes home, and finds nothing in their CNID memory but the
bogus numbers.  Even playing back the tones recorded on the answering
machine won't do them any good, because *only* the bogus information
is recorded there -- the only time the *real* number was transmitted
was *before* the machine answered.

Of course, CNID devices could be built so that they stopped listening
to the line after a phone went off-hook.  I believe some are indeed
built that way.  In such a case, the whole issue becomes purely academic.


 --Lauren--

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 02:52:25 -0700
From: Emmanuel Goldstein <[e-mail]>
Subject: Nationwide Caller ID Update


We've got some answers as to what's been going on and, as it happens,
it wasn't exactly what we thought -- yet. It seems that one of our 800
numbers was misrouted back to the billing number instead of where it
was supposed to go. It was only by total chance that we discovered
this phone company programming error, the company in this case being
Cable & Wireless. This means that the numbers we were getting were
*not* coming from direct dialed calls but rather from the 800 number.
What's interesting about this revelation is that apparently Caller ID
is now being transmitted through 800 numbers in addition to, or
instead of, ANI.

This means that anyone with an 800 number now has the ability to
instantly tell who's calling them, rather than having to wait until
the bill comes.  Usually, only the largest companies have this
ability. This is a development that I've seen no mention of anywhere
so apparently it's in the testing stages. What's odd is that I'm able
to get a readout by calling the 800 number from some digital switches
but not from others where Caller ID definitely works. Dialing *67 has
no effect -- your number is always transmitted onto the Caller ID box
regardless of privacy setting. This may indicate that Caller ID data
is really sent on all calls, including the private ones, which means
~rthe possibility exists of capturing it on non-800 calls.

Using an operator, as always, blocks the number transmission. But
here's something interesting: if you call your own number from your
own number you will get a busy signal even if you have call waiting.
This is because you've never left your local switch and it knows
exactly what you're doing. If you route through a long distance
company and try the same thing, your call waiting will go off. When we
tried this with the 800 number, it treated the call as if it had never
left our switch and gave us a busy. In other words, our 800 number is
silently becoming a whole lot more sophisticated.


[Moderator's Note: That happens here also. Dialing my own 800 number
just gets me a busy signal, the same as had I dialed my own regular
P7


------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Keith Laaks)
Subject: Network Announcements
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 07:26:55 GMT
Organization: ITB Department, University of Potchefstroom


I am posting this for a friend who requires information
for his M-Diploma research project.

Kobus Bester says:

I am currently investigating different methods for replacing tones
in the local Telecommunication Network in order to establish a solution
for implementing a voice announcement system.

Literature on this subject is not readily available locally.
Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.


Yours Sincerely

Kobus Bester
Pretoria
South Africa
                          --------

Here in South Africa, we use tones to indicate engaged/route busy/etc.
to the caller. When the caller phones a number that does not exist (or
has changed), he/she will hear either a tone, or a FIXED announcement
that inform the caller that the number that was dialed is no longer in
service, and that he/she should call the number enquiries people to
get more information. When exchange codes are changed (due to
equipment cut-overs, etc.) we find that the number enquiries people
are not able to cope with the increased traffic.

Our network still contains many (about 50%) electromechanical
switches, and we are only beginning with the implementation of SS#7.

Any comments on how to solve this problem? How did your Telco solve
this problem in the past before SS#7 and IN?


Thanks,

Potch Univ.       Email :                     Tel:
Potchefstroom        [e-mail]      Voice [phone]
West Transvaal    South Africa                   FAX   [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John L. MacFarlane)
Subject: IP Over ATM Follow Up
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 01:25:16 GMT
Organization: Software.Com


Folks,

My original post concerned the 48 byte data payload of each ATM cell
adversely effecting IP transmissions due to fragmentation.

First, it was pointed out that the fragmentation of the IP packets
would generally occur in the Segmentation And Reassembly (SAR) layer
of ATM (i.e. AAL5) for packet sizes less than the MTU of the ATM link
(negotiable with a default of 9160 bytes). Thus the fragmentation into
the 48 byte cell would be invisible to the IP layer. IP would thus
avoid any fragmentation concerns with ATM links (assuming packets are
at or below the MTU given above).

Additionally, it was pointed out that fragmentation in ATM is
different than in IP. This is primarily due to the sequenced nature of
ATM vs.  IP. Because IP does not guarantee sequenced delivery of
packets, when fragmentation does occur, the receiving end doing the
reassembly must allocate a buffer for the fragmented packets.  This
buffer can be in existence for a fairly extended amount of time (until
the IP layer is sure that a missing part of the fragmented packet was
lost and the whole sequence should be discarded). ATM avoids this
problem by requiring sequenced delivery of the cells. Thus when one
cell of a larger data package is lost, the received, buffered,
sequence can be discarded immediately by the receiving AAL5 reassembly
agent.

If the physical layer connection between two communication nodes is
generally reliable, this is a non-issue as the buffer for an IP layer
fragmentation can be released as soon as all (fragmented) packets have
arrived, just as the ATM equivalent would do. However, if the physical
layer connection is generally unreliable, the IP layer fragmentation
would unquestionably suffer a performance penalty as fragmented
packets would be lost and the reassembly buffer could not be
immediately released. ATM does not suffer a similar fate as the AAL5
agent would be able to immediately determine that a cell was lost and
the entire buffer could be released immediately.

Several people stated that the AAL5 segmentation and reassembly would
be accomplished in hardware rather than software. Thus the segmentation
and reassembly would be inherently faster. This argument seems to be
somewhat naive to me for the following reasons:

If a given workstation were communicating with a single peer over an
ATM link the interface could easily support a hardware implemented
segmentation and reassembly based on the AAL5 flags indicating the
data package boundaries. Each node would need a 64K byte buffer (this
is the maximum package size that AAL5 can fragment and reassemble) and
would simply put incoming cells into this buffer until the final cell
(with appropriate AAL5 finish flag) arrived. After all cells arrived
for a particular data package (or IP packet) the AAL5 hardware would
give the entire unit to the upper layer. No problem doing this in
hardware.

However, in the real world, a given workstation with an ATM interface
is member of an LIS (Local Internet Subnetwork as the IETF IP-over-ATM
Draft calls them) with several other member nodes. Each of these
member nodes are fully connected (or meshed) with the given
workstation. Thus for a hardware implemented, AAL5 agent, there would
be a 64K byte buffer necessary for each member node connection. This
just does not seem to be a reasonable solution. As is seemingly
evident, a software solution will be required for this agent which
manages a given (limited) buffer among all the ATM virtual
connections. Thus, as far as I can reason, AAL5 fragmentation and
reassembly WILL be done in software. Although for the reasons of
guaranteed sequencing inherent in ATM as stated above, this task will
be easier than the IP equivalent.  Note: If any of the proposed ATM
flow control parameters are implemented, significantly greater
sophistication will be required in the AAL5 Agent.


My humble opinions only.

John L. MacFarlane    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Helmut Heller)
Subject: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Helmut Heller)
Organization: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Muenchen (Germany)
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 12:58:57 GMT


Hello,

My girl friend has to travel a lot to the UK and she would like to
connect her laptop computer to the phone net over there so that she
can make fax and data calls. The computer (modem) has an American
telephone socket (western or whatever its called) but she was unable
to find an adaptor from the UK phone system to the US phone system in
several UK stores, so she bought some UK four-way line plugs 431A
(from Tandy). I am now going to attach one of those plugs to a US
phone cable with a US plug on the other end (for the computer).

However, I don't know which two of the four contacts carry the phone
signal in the UK!! Could some kind soul help me, please??

Since my girl friend is again leaving tomorrow, Sunday, afternoon, I
would need the information ASAP, best to e-mail to me:

[e-mail]

Thanks a lot in advance,


Servus, Helmut  (DH0MAD)
Phone: ++89/2394-4565
[e-mail]
FAX:   ++89/2394-4607
Helmut Heller, Ludwig Maximilians University, Institute for Medical Optics
Theoretical Biophysics Group, Room 230

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 30 OCT 93 12:43
Subject: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet


[This was in an internal news round-up]

Sri Lanka is joining the Internet, a worldwide computer network that
connects computer users in more than 100 countries (UPI, 10/20/93).
"By connecting universities, schools and laboratories in Sri Lanka to
the Internet, the U.S. hopes to foster cooperation between the people
of our country and the people of Sri Lanka in all fields of science,
technology and the environment," said U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who
signed the Internet access agreement with Sri Lanka Prime Minister
Ramil Wickremashighe.


Randall Gellens               [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation            Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA             to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #726
******************************


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Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 23:59:45 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #727

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 31 Oct 93 23:59:45 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 727

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: "Network Interface Technical Guide" (Rob Slade)
    AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers (Nigel Allen)
    Bellcore's Catalog of Technical Information (Nigel Allen)
    Earthquakes and Telecommunications (Pierre Coullet via Nigel Allen)
    Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Jonathan Rosenberg)
    800/900-Numbers Needed (Reinhard Abdel Hamid)
    The Modem Tax Scare ... Again (William H. Sohl)
    AT&T Public Phone 2000 ([e-mail])
    AT&T 2000 Public Phone (Greg Abbott)
    Re: Interrogative BOCA and/or Complete PC (Gary Edwards)
    ADSI (David Kovanen)
    Help With NMEA 0183 (Philip G. Burger)
    Frame Relay Information Request (Michael Lewis)
    California Fires (Steven H. Lichter)
    Wither the Special Issue? (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 93 21:46 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Network Interface Technical Guide"


BKNTINTG.RVW  930927

Micro House
Kimberly Roche, Director of Marketing
P. O. Box 17515
4900 Pearl East Circle, Suite 101
Boulder, CO   80301
303-443-3389    800-926-8299
or
P.O. Box 10492
Clearwater, FL   34615
800-741-3282   813-443-6194
"Network Interface Technical Guide", 1992

If you've got more than two nodes in your LAN, it's likely you've got
more than one network interface card.  And then, there's the gateway
to the Arcnet LAN that the Art Department was so proud to get a "deal"
on back in ... 1988, wasn't it?  And the token ring that Finance *had*
to have so that they could talk to the AS/400?  And where is that last
copy of the NE2000 documentation that the client support rep was going
to get back to you without fail next week ... nine months ago?

This book is for you.  Over seven hundred pages list hundreds of cards
from dozens of manufacturers with all the jumper settings, base
addresses, diagnostic indicators and so forth.

Chapters one to three give you some very brief reference material on
LAN topology, access protocols, and calling.  Chapter four gives you a
directory of manufacturers just in case you don't have all the info
within the book.  Chapter five is the guts of the book, listing the
cards by manufacturer and model.  Five appendices list a glossary,
node IDs, standard memory settings, common interface connector pin
assignments, and a very brief bibliography.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKNTINTG.RVW  930927
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.

DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 06:17:28 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers
Organization: Internex Online, Toronto


Here is a press release from AT&T.

AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers

Monty Hoyt
908-221-8789 (office)
908-953-9172 (home)

Michael Lordi
908-221-6382 (office)
215-559-7765 (home)

FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1993

     BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- The 10th anniversary edition of the AT&T
Toll-Free National 800 Consumer Directory, the only national 800
number directory published today, currently is being mailed to nearly
one million consumers around the country.

     Brighter and easier to use, this enhanced yellow-page direc- tory
contains more numbers and easy-to-locate categories than ever before.
It lists 60,000 businesses that can be reached toll-free.

     A companion directory, the AT&T Toll-Free National 800 Business
Directory, lists 160,000 companies.  It will be published and mailed
early in November to more than one million businesses.

     "These directories are a national shopping mall," said Patricia
Selden, publisher of the AT&T directories.  "They are designed to save
consumers time and money and to promote business growth.

     "Without ever leaving their homes or offices, shoppers can order
everything from gifts to computers, office supplies and hard-to-find
items -- anywhere in the U.S."

     Many of the more popular yellow-page sections, such as florists
and travel, are broken down into convenient state-by- state headings.
Both the 640-page consumer directory and the 1,260-page business
directory carry large, full-color shopper's advertising showcases.

     Toll-free 800 numbers for consumer hotlines, health and
government services are listed in the directories as well.

     The directories are priced at $14.99 (consumer edition) and
$24.99 (business edition), and are available by calling 1-800-426-8686.
Callers should allow two weeks for delivery.

     Businesses interested in placing advertisements in future AT&T
800 directories should call 1-800-562-2255.

                            #   #   #

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 15:00:07 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Bellcore's Catalog of Technical Information
Organization: Internex Online, Toronto


You can receive a free copy of Bellcore's 1993-1994 Catalog of
Technical Information by writing to:

 Customer Service
 Bellcore
 8 Corporate Place
 Piscataway, NJ 08854-4156
 U.S.A.
or by faxing your request to [phone] or [phone].


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 15:33:26 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Earthquakes and Telecommunications
Organization: Internex Online, Toronto


I found the following message in misc.misc, and thought it really
belonged here. If you follow-up to this message, please send a copy of
your message to the original poster, [e-mail] (Pierre
Coullet).

 >From: [e-mail] (Pierre Coullet)
 >Subject: Earthquakes and Telecommunications
 >Date: 30 Oct 1993 18:27:02 GMT
 >Organization: University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis

Does someone know about any report relative to the telecommunication
problems encoutered after an Earthquakes (or any document related to
this topic as for example the actions needed to prevent
telecommunication problems or about the infrastructure needed to
preserve communication after the earthquakes). References to
newspapers or books and technical documents are welcolmed.  Many
thanks.

(end of forwarded message)


Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada     [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: Jonathan Rosenberg <[e-mail]>
Subject: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Organization: Bellcore
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 02:01:23 GMT


Next week I'll be in the UK & I'd like to be able to dial back to the
modem pool here in NJ using my Sprint Foncard.  The people at Sprint
tell me the only way to call back to the US is to call an access
number that connects you to a human operator, who collects the
information and completes the call.

But, that won't work for me since I'm dialing via my portable's modem.
Does anyone know of a way around this?  E.g., is there, in fact, a way
to avoid the human operator?  Or is there a way have a call start with
a human operator and then plug into my modem?  Any ideas?


JR


[Moderator's Note: Set your modem to dial a null string; have it just
dial the ATDT part with nothing following. Place the call manually as
instructed, then when the operator places the call and the distant
modem answers, hit your return key and let the modem think it is
dialing something. A second or two later it will 'finish dialing' and
start listening for the other end to answer, which of course it will
have done. Your modem and the other one will handshake as usual and
you can begin your session.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Reinhard Abdel Hamid)
Subject: 800/900-Numbers Needed
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Universitaet Hannover, Theoretische Nachrichtentechnik
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 16:07:10 GMT


One day I will visit the USA.

To follow the technology of telephone entertainment systems I need
some numbers:

Could anyone please send me some (legal) 800-numbers of winning-games
and entertainment-services and advertising.

Also 900-numbers of dating-services, sex, winning-games and entertainment
also are welcome. I will choose the best ones.

BTW: what are 700-numbers for?

Please don't post the numbers here, because of unwanted advertising
for it in this newsgroup. Plese send them by email to me.  Thanks in
advance.


Reinhard   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I'm sure some readers will respond with lists of
the services they know about. 700 numbers are assigned to carrier-
specific services and features. There are also many services of the
type you are are seeking with 700 numbers, but you need to be a
subscriber to the specific carrier offering the service to use them.
Unlike other phone numbers which terminate in one place regardless of
the carrier used to get there, 700 numbers are duplicated. That is,
700-xxx-yyyy might get you one thing if you dial via Sprint, and
something else entirely if you dial via AT&T.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (sohl,william h)
Subject: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 19:09:42 GMT


Pat,

Just to alert you to the rise again of the infamous "modem tax" claim
once again.  The following is my response to the item posted in the
misc.legal and misc.legal.computing newsgroups.

Maybe this recent rumor can be shut down well before it takes on its
own life again.

Cheers,

Bill Sohl
               ------------cut here-------------

In article <[e-mail]> Mike Jones
<[e-mail]> writes:

> I also posted this in MISC.LEGAL I got this off of a local BBS and
> was alarmed so I thought I'd do what the good man at the end of the
> file said and act on it! read this and act. or you may be paying more
> to get on internet

> This message was from ED GUSTINA to ALL
> originally in conference FD_Echo
> and was forwarded to you by BILL STARR via KEVIN MCCRORY
> and was posted in TELECOMS.FR by Robert Soubie

> Two years ago the FCC tried and (with your help and letters of
> protest) failed to institute regulations that would impose additional
> costs on modem users for data communications.

> Now, they are at it again. A new regulation that the FCC is quietly
> working on will directly affect you as the user of a computer and
> modem. The FCC proposes that users of modems should pay extra charges
> for use of the public telephone network which carry their data. In
> addition, computer network services such as Compuserv, Tymnet, &
> Telenet would also be charged as much as $6.00 per hour per user for
> use of the public telephone network. These charges would very likely be
> passed on to the subscribers.

> Jim Eason of KGO newstalk radio (San Francisco, CA) commented on the
> proposal during his afternoon radio program during which, he said he
> learned of the new regulation in an article in the New York Times.

                    --------------------

Since this claim is an almost annual event and is usually pure myth,
it would be especially relavent to have the exact {NY Times} article
(Headline, date, etc.) before everyone runs off in a frenzy.

(who to call and what to say deleted to avoid panic reactions)

>> Message number 28, written by Doom at Jul 14

> Subject: FCC Regulation P4
> In short, a modem call is the same as a voice call and therefore
> should not be subject to any additional regulation.

I've both read many FCC documents and been involved with commenting on
more than one FCC proposed action and the reference to anything even
remotely identified as FCC Regulation P4 simply does not fit the
regular FCC document/rules process.  Proposed FCC rules are usually
identified as Docket numbers (eg. 81-216), NOIs (Notice of Inquiry),
NOPRs, Notice of proposed rule making), etc.

So, my challenge to all is this: Before we again see the flood of
letters to the FCC, would someone please VALIDATE any of the claims
relative to the, probably again fictitious, modem tax.  And, from my
perspective, if no one can produce a copy of any definitive FCC
documentation to substantiate the claim, then let's treat it as just
another reappearance of the myth.


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  [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for the tipoff Bill, but it is going around
on Usenet <snicker> ... what do you expect? In fact, that very same
article, word for word, appeared on Usenet several months ago; someone
else sent it here saying 'stop it before it multiplies'; we chatted
about it here for a couple weeks; everyone went 'tsk tsk, that rumor
is going around again ...' and that was that. So now it is back again.
In another six or nine months (once the current flame war over it
stops) it will be back again. That is the nature of Usenet and its
denizens: for goodness sake, never read an FAQ first, never research
old news items; don't even read the answers posted yesterday ... just
post your article while patting yourself on the back realizing how
brilliant you are. If you know the magic incantation needed to make
the 'modem tax' myth go away, for goodness sakes go to the groups in
question and utter it, but I doubt it will matter.   PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: AT&T Public Phone 2000
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 20:45:05 -0700
From: [e-mail]


Does anyone know the latest on the situation with AT&T's Public Phone
2000 with reference to using it as a terminal? Everytime I go to the
airport, I try it to see if it's been turned back on yet.


Thanks,

Jeff

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 11:35:27 CST
From: Greg Abbott <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: AT&T 2000 Public Phone


While on a recent business trip, I attempted to use an AT&T 2000
Public Phone (the model with a keyboard attached).  I was unable to
get it operate, but didn't have a whole lot of time to read all of the
instructions.  I was attempting to use my AT&T Corporate Calling Card
and the CRT on the phone kept telling me something like "Service
unavailable ... please try again later".  I got this reponse on all
three attempts.  I didn't really need to use it, but being a
techno-buff, I decided it would be fun to play with.

Does anyone know if I was doing something wrong?  Does it work with a
calling card or does it have to be billed to a "real" credit card?


Thanks!

     GREG ABBOTT      9   9      1      1     INTERNET: [e-mail]
  9-1-1 COORDINATOR   99999 ==   1 ==   1     COMPUSERVE: 76046,3107
                          9      1      1     VOICE: 217/333-4348
METCAD                    9      1      1     FAX:   [phone]
1905 E. MAIN ST.          9     111    111    PAGER: 800/222-6651
URBANA, IL  61801                                      PIN # 9541


[Moderator's Note: You were probably not doing anything wrong. That
style phone had to be temporarily (maybe permanently?) suspended when
one of the other carriers (I think it was MCI) had a hissy fit and
said if they could not have it also, then no one could. They got a
court order to force AT&T to quit offering the service; that litiga-
tion is pending in the courts.  PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Interrogative BOCA and/or Complete PC
From: uttsbbs![e-mail] (Gary Edwards)
Date: 31 Oct 93 11:05:00 GMT
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: uttsbbs![e-mail] (Gary Edwards)


Ken Leonard <[e-mail]> wrote:

> I have a modem with "BOCA" inside and "Complete PC" on the outside.
> Can someone tell me how to contact Complete PC? (online) Can someone
> tell me how to contact BOCA? (online, offline, anyhow)

Complete PC - 407/997-9683.  Boca - 407/241-8088.


uttsbbs![e-mail]
The Transfer Station BBS [phone] & 837-5591 (V.32bis both lines)
Danville, California, USA. 1.5 GIG Files & FREE public Internet Access

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 11:51:18 PST
From: [e-mail] (David Kovanen)
Subject: ADSI (fwd)


To David Kovanen: ([e-mail])
Originally from Ralph Carlsen [phone] on Oct 28:

David,

Re:  Your note on Analog Display Services Interface (ADSI) (not ASDI).

    What you have discovered is the next wave of terminal
equipment.  Terminals will include screens to make current Central
Office features work better, and make new ones possible.  ISDN was
supposed to do that but people are getting tired of waiting for it.

    If you get the Bellcore Specs on ADSI you will see that one of
their motives is to get call waiting to work better.  People want to
know who is waiting before they ask the current party to hang on while
they pick up another call.  Switch manufacturers and telephone
manufacturers were not doing anything about it so Bellcore decided to
start the ball rolling by defining a protocol both switch manufact-
urers and telephone manufacturers could use.  Actually I think
Northern Telecom had a lot to do with it.

    The protocol is to send a DTMF "D" digit (fourth column,
fourth row on DTMF dial) to the phone, and if the phone is ADSI
equipped it responds with a "D" digit and opens the transmission path
to the handset.  Then the CO sends the ASCII characters it wants to
display using the calling party ID protocol.  Then the transmission
path is connected again.  What you have is an alternate voice and data
arrangement, where the user hears some clicks while data is down
loaded into the phone.

    I can see how a rather simple calling party display unit would
respond to the Presto-Chango box you described.  This also highlights
one of the problems I have with ADSI.  The protocol is too simple.
There is no way to coordinate multiple applications.  For example,
Northern Telecom is running a trial of ADSI in Boston using a bank at
home application.  If the user got a call waiting with ADSI
identification of the waiting party, the banking data would get
screwed up.

    If you would like to discuss this a little more, give me a
call.


Ralph Carlsen    AT&T Bell Labs    908-949-7503

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (BURGER, PHILIP GREGORY)
Subject: Help With NMEA 0183
Date: 31 Oct 1993 14:17 CST
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services


I need to know of any way to convert NMEA 0183 data transmission to
RS232.  I have heard that NMEA 0183 'acts' like RS442.  Are there any
hardware devices out there that do this conversion; what is the
pin-out of RS422; and what is the probablity that I can build an
interface cheaply if one does not exist?  TTL is no problem for me,
but I just don't fully understand what RS422 requires for conversion.
Also, does anyone know what the datastream of NMEA 0183 'looks' like?

Thanks for any input!


[e-mail]   (Flip)

------------------------------

From: Michael Lewis <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun 31 Oct 93 13:51:36 -0700
Subject: Frame Relay Information Request


Hello:

We are migrating our network from X.25 to Frame Relay and I am
interested in all the information I can get on the subject.

I can find a lot about both Cell-Relay and ATM on the Internet, but
precious little about Frame Relay other than one RFC.

Does anyone know where this subject is hidden?


Best regards,

Michael L. Lewis        DHL Systems Inc.
Network Engineering     700 Airport Blvd      Phn: [phone]
Global Communications   Burlingame, CA 94010  FAX: [phone]
Internet:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 93 19:37:35-0500
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: California Fires


Well I have been a bit busy since the fire in the Hemet area took out
a couple of our Mux's so I don't have much time other then to say most
of the service is back in or will be shortly. No major damage to
anything other then outside plant cable and some fiber. Phone trailers
have been installed in Malibu and Laguna Beach giving the people there
free local and long distance service with the exception of international
service. ATT, Sprint and MCI are supplying the LD services. More as I
get a little time to type it out and not try to do it online.


Steven H. Lichter    GTECalif COEI


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for taking a couple minutes to write us, and
please write again soon letting us know how GTE is responding to this
almost unparalleled tragedy in southern California.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Wither the Special Issue?
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 11:30:00 CST


I had hoped to receive the special issue of the Digest to send out to you
at some point Sunday, but it hasn't yet shown up! I assume the guest
moderator Ron "Asbestos" Dippold is still working on it. This special
mailing, when it shows up, will be a fair, unbiased and well-distributed
discussion on the merits of an unmoderated telecom group on Usenet
to be known as comp.dcom.telecom.tech. They had said in the special RFD
last weekend that it would be in circulation on the net Sunday, and
handed off to me at the same time for the mailing list. Maybe it will
show up Monday. I've already checked in news.groups and alt.dcom.telecom
and it isn't in either of those esteemed forums either. You'll get it
as soon as I do, given the usual turn around time. I'm waiting for it
eagerly as all readers must be, since as most all of you know, the very
idea of a fair and unbiased forum for telecom discussions is an alien
concept to me. :)  We'll all be able to learn from Mr. Dippold's presen-
tation, I'm sure.


Patrick T.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #727
******************************


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Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 02:08:43 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #728

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 1 Nov 93 02:08:30 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 728

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Problems With CNID (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: Problems With CNID (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: Problems With CNID (Rich Greenberg)
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update (Brett Frankenberger)
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update (Dick Rawson)
    Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking (Justin Greene)
    Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking (Brett Frankenberger)
    Calling Number Identification on Private Exchanges (David G. Cantor)
    Fiber Use in Apartment Building? (Ronald J. Logsdon)
    VCR Plus+ Codes (Peter T. Lyman)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Paul Joslin)
    Administrivia: Special Mailing to Follow Immediatly (TELECOM Moderator)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: Problems With CNID
Date: 31 Oct 1993 07:41:28 -0500
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> lunatix![e-mail] writes:

> A friend of mine has been having trouble with Caller ID.  Since he
> doesn't have access to a computer, I'm posting this for him.

> Occasionally, he'll get a call from an irate GTE customer saying that
> he just called them (either via the Caller ID box, or *69).  Trouble
> is, no one at my friend's apartment make any phone calls prior to
> these incidents.  Both of us have noticed that the phone's (a
> Panasonic Easa-Phone) in-use light lights up for no reason sometimes.
> However, the angry callers don't always call after the light is on.

> I set up a scanner in his apartment to try to find out if someone
> was using his line with a similar cordless phone (although this
> is a pretty new phone and I thought that you couldn't do that
> anymore).  I placed the phone on a channel and left it there.  I
> put the scanner on the corresponding freq.

> When the in-use light went on, some rather strange data noises could
> be heard over the scanner, then nothing (like a dead line).  I left it
> there for a long while and never heard anyone talking or anything like
> that.

> Could it be possible that Caller ID is at fault?  Or, more likely (in
> my opinion), the phone needs to be junked.  It seems as if the phone
> *itself* is calling places at random.

You say, "when the in-use light went on".

Now, you don't say what model of phone it is, and I would probably not
recognize it if you did, but is that light one that tells you (1) that
the cordless (radio) portion of the phone is in use, or (2) that the
phone has detected a voltage drop indicating that someone, somewhere,
is using the line?

Many telephones nowadays, especially those with two line capability,
do number two.

If yours is that type, then you are barking up the wrong tree.  The
unauthorized use might be the type that would continue even if you
unhook the cordless telephone.  The cracker may be in the basement, or
out on a telephone pole, making use of your dial tone.

When you noted the light flickering, was the cordless handset in
repose on the base?  If so, (and if your cordless phone is like most
these days) then the base will refuse to accept any transmissions from
other handsets, and there is little or no security risk of the
cordless variety.  But that leaves unchanged the fact that your
cracker could be in the basement or on the pole.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Problems With CNID
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 17:06:02 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> lunatix![e-mail]
writes:

> Occasionally, he'll get a call from an irate GTE customer saying that
> he just called them (either via the Caller ID box, or *69).  Trouble
> is, no one at my friend's apartment make any phone calls prior to
> these incidents.  Both of us have noticed that the phone's (a
> Panasonic Easa-Phone) in-use light lights up for no reason sometimes.
> However, the angry callers don't always call after the light is on.

> Could it be possible that Caller ID is at fault?  Or, more likely (in
> my opinion), the phone needs to be junked.  It seems as if the phone
> *itself* is calling places at random.

I would talk with your telco's security department, and also ask them
to get a call detail listing for the line.  It's possible that someone
is attached somewhere on your wire pair and is using the line, not
through the Easa-Phone.

Depending on whether the 'in-use' light indicates just a signal at the
phone or actual line-in-use, this might not be an indication of the
actual problem.  Also, all of the cordless phones that I've seen will
not allow any remote access when YOUR remote unit is actually sitting
in the phone's base unit.  All the new ones have security codes that
prevent others from actually using your line, although they may cause
interference with YOUR use if they are on the same frequency.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: Problems With CNID
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 06:02:42 GMT


Is it possible that someone has bridged your friend's wire pair
somewhere and is making calls that way?  Next time the in-use lite
comes on, pick up the phone or hit the speaker (and then the mute)
button and listen.  Especially if your friend is in an apartment, I
would consider this likely.


Rich Greenberg            Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA 310-348-7677
N6LRT   TinselTown, USA   Play: [e-mail]                  310-649-0238
I speak for myself only.       Canines: Chinook & Husky

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 06:42:51 GMT


Emmanuel Goldstein <[e-mail]> writes:

> We've got some answers as to what's been going on and, as it happens,
> it wasn't exactly what we thought -- yet. It seems that one of our 800
> numbers was misrouted back to the billing number instead of where it
> was supposed to go. It was only by total chance that we discovered
> this phone company programming error, the company in this case being
> Cable & Wireless. This means that the numbers we were getting were
> *not* coming from direct dialed calls but rather from the 800 number.
> What's interesting about this revelation is that apparently Caller ID
> is now being transmitted through 800 numbers in addition to, or
> instead of, ANI.

C&W has the policy of taking the ANI data it receives and sending it
back out (at the terminating LEC) as CNID.  This, on 800 calls to C&W
800 numbers, the CNID display on the receiving end will show the
billing number of the calling end (which may or may not be the same as
the actual calling number, although it usually is).

> This means that anyone with an 800 number now has the ability to
> instantly tell who's calling them, rather than having to wait until
> the bill comes.

Although it is technically for any company to take the received ANI
and send it back out as CNID, as far as I know, only C&W is doing
this.

> Usually, only the largest companies have this ability.

Up until the implementation of this ANI->CNID hack, the only real way
to get real-time ANI was to get your 800 number service on T1 spans
from the IXC (the long distance company), as there was no way for ANI
to be passed through the local loop for 800 numbers that terminate on a
POTS line.  There was/is one company (whose name escapes me) that did
offer real-time ANI on POTS terminated 800 numbers -- when your phone
rang, you picked it up, and they send the ANI as DTMF tones.  When you
were done processing the ANI, you sent a DTMF tone back, and the call
was connected.

> This is a development that I've seen no mention of anywhere so
> apparently it's in the testing stages.

I'm not sure how appropriate it is for an IXC to do this.  They are
mixing up ANI and CNID, and that's not a good idea.  For example, if
POTS number A is forwarded to your 800 number, and POTS B dials POTS
A, the ANI will be A, but the CNID will be B.  But once C&W gets
through mangling them, the CNID will also be A.  (Without C&W's
mangling, the CNID would probably be non-existent).  It is fairly well
known among the semi-telecom-literate that you can 'defeat' ANI with
call forwarding, but not CNID.  But if the CNID is going via a C&W 800
and, you can 'defeat' the ANI.

(Example (one that has been used in the past): Joe must call parole
officer from home daily.  Joe decided to get wise, and forwards his
home number to the parole officer.  Joe than calls his number from
anywhere and figures the CNID readout will show his home number.
Won't work, as has been discussed at length in the past.  But, Joe can
get a C&W 800 number and have it terminate on the parole officer's
number (C&W doesn't care where you terminate your number), and then
forward his home phone to the 800 number.  Then, when he calls home,
the ANI shows up on the parole officer's CNID display, and the call
appears to have come from home -- with, say, an AT&T 800 number, the
CNID would either be the correct CNID (where the call actually came
from) or not there at all -- same for sprint, MCI, etc.)

> What's odd is that I'm able to get a readout by calling the 800
> number from some digital switches but not from others where Caller ID
> definitely works.

Interesting.  Since it is based on ANI, and ANI works from all
equal-access switches, it should work from everywhere (or 99% ...)

> Dialing *67 has no effect -- your number is always transmitted onto
> the Caller ID box regardless of privacy setting.

That's because ANI is always sent, and you are really getting ANI --
it's just being sent an CNID.

> This may indicate that Caller ID data is really sent on all calls,
> including the private ones, which means the possibility exists of
> capturing it on non-800 calls.

*67 *never* controls whether or not CNID data is sent.  CNID data is
generally sent over SS7 connected LEC switch trunks, and also to and
from certain IXC's, if they are set up to exchange CNID (and are SS7
connected).  *67 only sets a privacy flag, which the terminating
switch looks at, and if it is set, it doesn't send out the CNID.

Since C&W is junking the CNID field (if it even receives it), and
using the ANI, *67 is not relevant.

So, yes, it would be technically possible for a telco to program a
switch to ignore the privacy bit and send the CNID data anyway --
blocking depends on the terminating switch complying with the spec.
(But I see no reason why they would do such a thing).

> Using an operator, as always, blocks the number transmission. But
> here's something interesting: if you call your own number from your
> own number you will get a busy signal even if you have call waiting.
> This is because you've never left your local switch and it knows
> exactly what you're doing.

Yes, it is leaving the switch.  The reason you are getting a busy is
that in many cases, call waiting will *not* work until the call has
supervised.  That is, from the time you pick up the phone until the
time the party you are calling answers, you won't get call waiting,
and any callers to you will get busy.  This is almost always the case
with calls that don't leave the switch.  If the call leaves the
switch, it depends on what kind of trunking there is and how the
switch is set up.  (It might not allow call waiting until the call is
out of the switch, or it might not allow call waiting until the called
party has answered). Your LEC doesn't know or care how your 800 number
is routed (unless you are buying it from them).  The call does leave
the switch on all calls to it.

> If you route through a long distance company and try the same thing,
> your call waiting will go off.

The same LD carrier as your 800 number?  As I said above, it depends
on the kind of trunking and other parameters as to when call waiting
is allowed.  (It's also conceivable that the switch is reading the
CNID data to determine that you are 'calling yourself', although I
suspect that it is lack of answer supervision that is causing the busy
signal).

> When we tried this with the 800 number, it treated the call as if it
> had never left our switch and gave us a busy. In other words, our 800
> number is silently becoming a whole lot more sophisticated.

Well, the ANI -> CNID hack is the major increase in sophistication.
C&W still can't tell the LEC that the call terminates in the same
switch it came from, so it should not bother routing it out and back
in.

> [Moderator's Note: That happens here also. Dialing my own 800 number
> just gets me a busy signal, the same as had I dialed my own regular
> number.

Again, the switch is getting smarter and deciding to block call
waiting until answer supervision for calls that leave the local switch
(instead of just waiting until they leave the switch and then allowing
call waiting).


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dick Rawson)
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update
Date: 1 Nov 1993 03:06:52 GMT
Organization: BT North America (Tymnet)


In ISDN, at least according to the standards, the CNID is always sent;
an indication is also sent along saying whether the CNID should be
delivered to the called party.  (Given regulatory issues, what the
phone companies implement might be different.)  The switch serving the
called user is expected to include or not include the CNID as
indicated.  That's ISDN.  I realize that you aren't using ISDN if you
use a caller ID box with an analog line.


Dick

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Justin Greene)
Subject: Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 93 01:02:05 GMT


> proven to be quite a surprise for many people who thought that they
> were calling me anonymously.  :-)

> Just to clarify, this is not ANI number delivery.  When people dial my
> 800 number the information displays on my Caller-ID display through
> the local telco delivery of Caller-ID.

It would seem to me that C&W is using ANI to get the number of the
calling party and then sending the data to you using your Caller ID
box (blip of data between rings one and two I think?).  Call block
would have no effect on this since it isn't truely Caller ID.

P.S. Who would call an 800 number and think the call was anonymous :-)


Justin Greene <[e-mail]> Finger for PGP 2.x public key


[Moderator's Note: Who would consider a call to an 800 number to be
anonymous?  Oh, a lot of people would. This discussion came up on
Usenet (snicker) recently in one of the privacy discussion groups and
some people were outraged to find out that the persons/companies paying
for their (800) calls were getting the information as to who was calling
and whose calls they were paying for.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 22:43:34 GMT


[e-mail] (David Kovanen) writes:

> interstate basis and every telephone number is displayed -- even
> numbers that are blocked and are intrastate.  This service has been
> proven to be quite a surprise for many people who thought that they
> were calling me anonymously.  :-)

> I have seen interstate Caller-ID function, although it has been
> sporadic and unreliable.  However, the 800 number Call Blocking
> Unblocking service that I have is 100% effective from everywhere.

> Just to clarify, this is not ANI number delivery.  When people dial my
> 800 number the information displays on my Caller-ID display through
> the local telco delivery of Caller-ID.

Sort of.  It is the ANI that is being delivered, but it is being
delivered by CNID.  The IXC (Cable & Wireless) is taking the ANI data
they receive (from the originating LEC), and sending it out to the
terminating IXC as CNID data.

There is a noticable difference.  Forward phone A to your 800 number.
Then, go to phone B and dial phone A, and look at the CNID display on
your 800 number.  You will see the number of phone A.  That's ANI --
the billing number is displayed (billing number being the number that
would pay any charges to the caller, of course, there are no such
charges to the caller for an 800 #, but if there were, A would pay, so
A's number is the ANI).  On true CNID, B's number would show up, as B
is the number that is actually calling.

There is almost no such thing as an anonymous 800 calls.  While this
real-time ANI->CNID conversion might be new, many (if not most)
personal 800 providers have provided a list of calling numbers on the
monthly bills.


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

Subject: Calling Number Identification on Private Exchanges
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 17:52:36 -0800
From: David G. Cantor <[e-mail]>


Some large institutions, such as UCLA, own their own telephone
exchanges.  Don't their switches receive the calling number
identification and couldn't the institution implement a form of
Calling Number ID, which would give the correct billing number of the
calling party?  Doesn't this, in effect, violate California PUC
regulations?

UCLA uses a Northern Telecom switch.  Is there a convenient way for
giving the calling number to the recipient of a call?

What about other switches?


David G. Cantor   Department of Mathematics
University of California  Los Angeles, CA 90024-1555
Internet:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ronald J. Logsdon)
Subject: Fiber Use In Apartment Building?
Organization: Shebute' inc.
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 19:13:52 GMT


Greeting all,

    I am charged with developing a plan to install and find uses for
fiber in an 800+ apartment building.  Some of the things we are
looking at doing are using it to deliver normal services like phone,
cable TV but would also like to add advanced security, computer
network services, and as many high tech options as we can.

    I personally know little about available fiber equipment both for
service routing and end user.  I would greatly appreciate any feed
back I can get.  Oh yah, The building has fiber to it, just not to the
apartments.


Thanks,

Ronald J. Logsdon

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Peter T Lyman)
Subject: VCR Plus+ Codes
Date: 1 Nov 1993 04:52:53 GMT
Organization: Image Analysis Systems Group, JPL


Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the vcrPlus+
codes that are listed in the TV Guides? (This is the code that one
enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime, duration.)


Thanks,

Peter T. Lyman
NET:  [e-mail]   TEL:  [phone]
NET:  [e-mail]    FAX:  [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Joslin (Sverdrup))
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Date: 31 Oct 1993 18:05:42 GMT
Organization: Model Based Vision Lab, Wright Laboratory


In article <[e-mail]>, Willie Smith (wpns@newshost.
pictel.com) wrote:

> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

>> Being passed along FYI:
>> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

> Ha!  All this probably means is you have to clone the same
> manufacturer and model of phone.  Especially with the big push to Six
> Sigma (every product is identical to one part in a million), it's
> going to be really difficult to tell phones of the same model apart
> without denying service to folks at slightly different temperatures,
> battery charge levels, and altitudes.  How long do you think it'll
> take the cloners to crack this one?

In the short term, how are cloners supposed to find out the make and
model of the phone from the transmission they're stealing the ESN
from?  Buy their own TRW system, and start characterizing signatures?

I think you're right in the long term.  Professional thieves will
"borrow" a phone from a parked car, get the ESN, then return the
phone, or buy model number/ESN pairs from dishonest employees of the
cell companies.  Perhaps this system will at least prevent the
"casual" thieves.


Paul R. Joslin [phone]

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Administrivia: Special Mailing Follows Immediatly
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 2:05:00 CST


The special issue of the Digest prepared by Ron "Asbestos" Dippold
arrived here shortly after midnight. It will be following this
issue of the Digest in the next several minutes. It will discuss
in a fair and unbiased way the relative merits or demerits behind
an unmoderated Usenet telecom group to be called comp.dcom.telecom.tech.
I hope you will read it and consider carefully what the participants
in the special mailing have to say. As for me, I'll be back sometime
later Monday!  :)


Patrick T.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #728
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #729

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 1 Nov 93 20:06:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 729

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fire Information From GTE (Steven H. Lichter)
    Re: Laguna Beach Fires (Pete Tompkins)
    Re: Laguna Beach Fires (Robert L. McMillian)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Al Stangenberger)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Paul Joslin)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Donald R. Newcomb)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (John Gilbert)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (S.E.P. Brown)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Haakon Styri)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (S. Rathinam)
    Re: Presto Chango! (ad nausea) (Christopher M. Wolf)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Gary Segal)
    Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box) (Harold Hallikainen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 1 Nov 93 16:37:01-0500
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: Fire Information From GTE


I've take some of a bulletin that was issued over out Electronic Mail
System which give most of the information as of Friday. Here in the
Hemet area all service is restored.

Posted: Fri, Oct 29, 1993   1:43 PM PDT  Msg: GGJD-5635-7049
From:   B.J.BARBER
To:     gtca, gtel, l.higson
Subj:   Fire Damage Bulletin

Restoral work continues on damage from Southern California fires Only
650 of GTE California's 3.1 million customers statewide were still out
of service Friday morning as a result of fires that ravaged Southern
California for the last four days.  Only about 2,500 customers had
been out of service due to the fires.

With major relief work left for the hard-hit Laguna Beach and Thousand
Oaks areas, by Friday morning GTE had about 300 customers in Malibu
and Newbury Park without phone service, and about 350 customers
without service in Laguna Beach. Elsewhere, calling conditions mostly
have returned to normal.

No GTE buildings have been damaged, all critical telephone switching
centers are operating and no employee injuries were reported.  Damage
occurred earlier to outside plant facilities in Laguna Beach and
facilities in Malibu, San Bernardino, Hemet and Temecula.

Employees have worked around the clock to restore service.  Telephone
poles are now being replaced on Laguna Peak in the Santa Monica
Mountains.  Cable damage in Carlisle Canyon, near Thousand Oaks, and
isolated cable distribution problems in Hemet are also being worked
on.  In Mentone, fiber optic cable has been restored for about 1,200
customers who lost telephone service after fire melted the 12,000-foot
cable.  Another fiber-optic cable providing non-GTE communications was
restored yesterday on Laguna Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains.  That
earlier cable loss did not disrupt basic communications at the Pt.
Mugu Naval Yard, only ancillary services.

A temporary customer service center also has been set up at GTE's
central office in Laguna Beach.

To speed up fire-recovery efforts for the recurring fires in the
Westlake Village/Lake Sherwood communities, GTE California has
provided its corporate headquarters as a command center for the
Ventura County Sheriff's Dept.  The sheriff's department moved into
the facility late yesterday.

"We want to do everything in our power to assist the fire-fighting and
fire-relief effort," said Larry Sparrow, GTE West Area president.
"We're opening our doors and resources to the recovery effort."

GTE has waived payment of the basic monthly phone rate for 90 days for
Californians displaced by the fires.  We also are offering fire
victims free local and toll calling from coin phone trailers located
in Malibu and Laguna Beach.  AT&T, MCI and Sprint are providing free
long-distance service from those phones, excluding international
calls.

"We also are providing customers with free remote call forwarding, so
they can be called on their usual phone number, which can be
transferred to another location within GTE or Pacific Bell.  Customers
would pay only toll costs for this service. Or, displaced customers
within GTE can use Personal Secretary at no charge.  After 90 days,
they would pay their basic phone rate, but could receive remote call
forwarding or Personal Secretary free of charge until October 1994,"
Sparrow said.

To facilitate communications among firefighters, GTE has provided
mobile cellular phones to fire departments in Ventura County and
Laguna Beach.  Additionally, GTE has provided phone lines to the
Ventura County Sheriff's Dept., and for the emergency services command
centers in Laguna Beach, Malibu, Thousand Oaks and Hemet.  The company
also installed a portable microwave facility to serve the Laguna Beach
Police Dept. and is continuing to work with emergency agencies to
provide communications capabilities.


Steven H. Lichter   GTECalif COEI


[Moderator's Note: I received a fax Monday morning from someone at GTE
which gave a lot of the same information as quoted above by Mr. Lichter.
GTE certainly seems to be responding admirably to the disaster with
all the resources at their disposal. I hope the kind person who faxed
me will do so again later this week with more updates; or perhaps Mr.
Lichter will write again when his work allows a few minutes free time.
Have the fires finally been completely extinquished, or at least
brought totally under control?   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tompkins)
Subject: Re: Laguna Beach Fires
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Tompkins)
Organization: Transaction Technology, Inc.
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 16:15:27 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail].
COM writes:

> I still have my Laguna Beach phone number (I moved the drop to a
> friend's house), forwarded to my new phone.  If I tried from any of my
> home or office lines to call my number (or any Laguna Beach number), I
> got an "all circuts busy" recording.  However, a friend who lives
> about 15 miles away was able to call my Laguna Beach number and get
> forwarded.  Not sure why he could get a trunk to Laguna Beach and then
> back out, when I couldn't, but it was repeatable.

Excuse me!  But why the heck are you screwing around with experiments
when there is an emergency and others may have a real NEED for their
telephone.  Who CARES why he could get into Laguna and you couldn't.
The fact that you couldn't indicates there is a service problem and
NEITHER of you should have been trying until the emergency passed.

I'm sorry for the ranting, but I have seen so many acts of discourtesy
in the many fires I have been near: in the San Gabriel Valley, in Bel
Air and Pacific Palisades, and in my current home of Malibu (no, I
don't know how the phones worked -- I minimized my use, since I am on
the same CO as all of the Malibu homes that were burned or threatened).

In any disaster, I encourage all to use a little common sense: stay
off the phone unless you have a real need; stay out of the area unless
you live there -- in short, the best support you can give is to stay
away (unless, of course, you are providing direct assistance to family
or loved ones).


Pete Tompkins


[Moderator's Note: Thank you for that very important reminder. In any
time of national or local-area emergency, *always* keep phone facilties
open and available for use by the persons affected, rescue workers and
others directly involved. This cannot be stressed enough.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: Re: Laguna Beach Fires
Organization: Surf City Software/TBFW Project
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 22:47:32 GMT


On 30 OCT 93 11:25, [e-mail] said:

> With large areas in Southern and Northern California on fire, I don't
> have much to note.  However, the Laguna Beach fire is pretty bad.  The
> entire town (~25k people) is under mandatory evactuation, with no one
> allowed in.  The winds died down during the night, and the fires are
> now getting under control.

The official tally is right now hovering at just under 400 homes: 380
or so was the last count, and we expect this not to change, as the
fire has been contained.

As with the earlier Chicago floods that took such a huge toll on the
downtown, the Laguna firestorms were almost completely preventable.
Laguna residents pride themselves on living in an "artists'
community"; in point of fact, it has become a snobby, effete, and
largely liberal town of ditherers and ecotopians with too much money.
As is usual with such catastrophes, it was the residents and town
council who bear the heaviest blame for the ashes.

Fire prevention surely ranked low on the hypersensitive Laguna Beach
city council's agenda.  As a multiple choice test, let's see how the
readers of the Digest would score on this Fire Safety Quiz:

Which is a more rational response in an area with high winds, dry air,
and lots of tinder-dry chaparral?

1. (a) refitting fire hydrants to state specifications (per a
       California law passed in 1990 after the equally disastrous
       Oakland fires)?
   (b) passing a law banning leaf blowers?  (No kidding, this is the
       kind of trivia that the LB city council occupied themselves
       with in recent months.)

2. (a) building a three million gallon underground reservoir?
   (b) opposing said reservoir on the grounds that the land is "too
       environmentally sensitive" (eco-speak for Not In My Back
       Yard!)?

3. (a) Keeping brush a reasonable distance away from your hillside
       home?
   (b) Allowing it to grow *under* your house-on-stilts because you
       like the "wild" look?  (The politically correct euphemism for
       this is "overly landscaped."  Talk about a tinderbox!)

4. (a) Allowing the county fire department to set periodic controlled
       burns to keep down the chaparral?
   (b) Blocking said burns because you like the "wild" look?

5. (a) The 3rd pig question: do you build your house of stucco,
       spanish tile, and fire resistant materials, or do you...
   (b) use wood shake roofing?

If you chose (b) every time, you'd have the same record as the Laguna
Beach city council and the people whose homes vanished in grey-brown
clouds of ash.  I have not too much sympathy for the arrogant Lagunans
who tempted fate by building houses like gigantic woodpiles, did
nothing to the tinder growing under them, and then had the nerve to
tell off county fire officials when it came time to take preventative
measures.

Naturally, not all the people in the affected area were of this mind;
the {Times} showed a lone house still standing, unscathed, while all
his neighbors' houses were piles of smoking rubble.  The difference?
His house was built of fire-resistant materials, and he kept brush
away from his house.  In other words, he reacted rationally to the
threats around him.

Make no mistake, the taxpayers will end up getting burned for this.
The people involved could have prevented *all* of this disaster, and
acted, for the most part, stupidly.


Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | [e-mail] | Dude!


[Moderator's Note: I would not compare it to the collapse of the tunnel
system which led to the underground flooding here a year and a half ago.
True, the usual bureaucratic fumbling by inept government employees was
the main reason for the flood, but the citizens -- nor for that matter
city council here -- had any role in it. No one told us before it was
too late. A better comparison would be to the fire here in October, 1871.
In that instance, truly the city council and the citizens chose to ig-
nore countless warnings from the experts (of the 19th century) on things
like fire prevention and safety. For several months before the fire,
the {Chicago Tribune} had been ranting almost daily about fire hazards
in our town. Houses and stores made of wood; wooden plank sidewalks;
weeds growing under every house along with tons of trash accumulated
under the buildings; a summer that had been very short of rain; all the
signs pointed to a fire. A constant stream of small fires day after
day led the {Chicago Tribune} two days before the big one to editor-
ialize that something had better be done fast. Tribune editor Horace
White commented that '... the bell in the courthouse steeple is rung
so often to indicate a fire has started that people hear it and like
the Sword of Damocles, after living under it long enough, they simply
choose to ignore it ... they say oh, its another fire again somewhere
and go back to what they were doing ...'  At the time, our city council
spent most of their sessions bickering about how to divide the loot
they were getting from the industrial barons who had 'discovered'
Chicago during the previous decade.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Al Stangenberger)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: 31 Oct 1993 18:07:30 GMT
Organization: U.C. Forestry & Resource Mgt.
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In response to the following witty comment by TELECOM Moderator:

> [Moderator's Note: Remember, the old information just gets put on the
> stack when the new information arrives. Why do you think they put a
> 'review' function on your Caller-ID box if not so you could flip
> through it looking at calls received over some period of time? Therein
> will be the correct information about the caller, invariably at the
> same time or in the previous minute.   PAT]

Pat -

How many consumers (don't forget that CID devices are marketed as
consumer items) are computer-literate enough to even KNOW what a stack
is, or to even RTFM for the box and know that it has a review feature?

IMHO the answer is probably about the same as the number of people who
can program a VCR.  In other words, very few!


Al Stangenberger                    Dept. of Env. Sci., Policy, & Mgt.
[e-mail]          145 Mulford Hall - Univ. of Calif.
uucp:  ucbvax!ucbnature!forags      Berkeley, CA  94720
BITNET: FORAGS AT UCBNATUR          [phone]  FAX: [phone]

[Moderator's Note: Hey Al, show up around here sometime and I'll pop
your stack for you.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Joslin (Sverdrup))
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: 31 Oct 1993 18:10:54 GMT
Organization: Model Based Vision Lab, Wright Laboratory


> [Moderator's Note: Who do you think would be fooled by this? If you
> observe the display between the first and second ring, act on the
> information given as you see fit *then* answer, how could anything
> someone did after that point matter?  PAT]

What if you're not home, and your caller id aware answering machine
(or recording Caller-ID box) says you've got a call from Bill Clinton?
Or better yet, a 900 number?  You could scroll back before the current
entry, but the call could be made from a blocked number.


Paul R. Joslin [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Donald R. Newcomb)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: 31 Oct 1993 15:10:03 -0500
Organization: University of Southern Mississippi


In article <[e-mail]>, Christopher M. Wolf
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> Possibly someone who normally does not look at the display, but then
> gets a "nasty" (TM) message, and looks down and calls the police with
> the (new) number.  Like the reason many people say they like it, so
> they can keep track of obscene phone calls.

> What if you look down and see some new number that you don't know,
> assume nothing, realize after answering that its an obscene call, and
> when you look down to get the number, see it changed.  Hope you have a
> good memory.

Shortly after we moved into our home some 15 years ago, I received a
call from one of our new neighbors who verified my identity and asked
if I had called his wife asking her for a "date"! Only after I spoke
for a while did a female voice come on the line saying, "Honey, that's
not the voice of the man who called." After that we discussed who
might "have it in for me." I can just imagine his reaction if someone
gave my name and the last number displayed on his CID matched my phone
number!  This is the sort of practical joke that can get people
killed! I think our Moderator assumes people will know enough to check
the stack before burning down your house. Remember, it must be the
number, the computer says so.


Donald R. Newcomb          University of Southern Mississippi
[e-mail]  [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I'll remember your advice the next time I call to
ask someone for a 'date'.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 21:25:26 GMT


I heard that there was an update to the caller ID spec to allow
additional information to be sent on an in-progress call for caller ID
with call waiting.  It sounds like this box simulates this condition.


John Gilbert  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (S.E.P. Brown)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: 31 Oct 1993 18:23:13 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico


This "box" (if it can be called that) would work just fine in
conjunction with CLID blocking (*67).  The person using the box could
enable CLID blocking, then transmit the information over the line in
the manner discussed, and the person called would just think that
there was some delay in transmission of the CLID signal, or think
nothing of it at all.


Shawn

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 01 Nov 93 13:34:53 +0100
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)


[box description deleted]

> [Moderator's Note: Who do you think would be fooled by this? If you
> observe the display between the first and second ring, act on the
> information given as you see fit *then* answer, how could anything
> someone did after that point matter?  PAT]

Well, I'd say that's only half the story. If you replace the "Who"
with a "What" the obvious reply would be "a computer."  It would be no
surprise if a system displaying information based on the Caller ID
acted on the new information with the result of fooling some operator.


Haakon Styri    Norwegian Telecom Research

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 08:49 CDT
From: S.Rathinam <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)


So all that the box needs to do it to send enough numbers to overflow
the buffer at the customer end. If these numbers are the same, the
called party might suspect something funny happened right away (if
they review the list stored).  If these numbers are different, the
called party will still suspect if he/she reviewed enough numbers and
found these earlier numbers looked unfamiliar as well.

The question is, what happens when one dials *67 in this case -- is
the number sent to Law Enforcement a copy stored in another 'smart'
buffer (that doesn't get fooled, that stores the calling number before
the second ring) in the switch - or will it be the bogus number?
[i.e., does the switch get fooled or just the customer?)


Email: [e-mail] irrespective of when the header might
say.  (I speak only for myself).


[Moderator's Note: Only the customer is fooled. The switch is never
fooled. Furthermore, *67 does not prevent the number from being
sent to the police by using *53 (or whatever it is called in your
community). The only thing mixed up is what the customer thinks and
whatever the Caller-ID box has as its immediate display.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Christopher M. Wolf)
Subject: Presto Chango! (ad nausea)
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 11:22:46 EST


> [Moderator's Note: Remember, the old information just gets put on the
> stack when the new information arrives. Why do you think they put a
> 'review' function on your Caller-ID box if not so you could flip
> through it looking at calls received over some period of time? Therein
> will be the correct information about the caller, invariably at the
> same time or in the previous minute.   PAT]

But how do you know if its wrong when looking down?  So, you take down
the wrong number, and call the authorities, and the number belongs to
the mayor, and everyone thinks you're crazy, and then you try and call
back with the number you looked up in memory.

At the very least it can give the caller time to get well away from
the phone.

It all depends on when you look down.  You shouldn't make it such a
black and white issue.  Some people will get fooled, if for just being
sloppy.


Christopher Wolf  [e-mail]
Electrical Engineer/Computer Scientist


[Moderator's Note: What makes you think the Mayor does not make obscene
calls asking women for 'dates'?  The president of American University in
Our Nation's Capitol was arrested for making calls like that -- from
his phone on campus yet! -- and forced to resign a couple years ago as
you may recall. A federal judge here in Chicago a few years ago -- and
a well-known highly respected black judge at that -- was known 'in
certain quarters' to be an active, agressive pedophile. Of course the
Mayor can make those calls!  But I get your point; the current display
on the box along with its history stack have to be taken in context
along with information stored by the switch itself in order to identify
the offender positively.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Segal)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Date: 01 Nov 93 15:06:18 GMT
Organization: Motorola Cellulsr Infrastructure Group


Well, then the enterprising Presto Chango user sends MULTIPLE
Caller-ID bits.  Then the user doesn't know which of the buffered
information represents the real call data.  Of course, a sophisticated
user coud have a computer log and timestamp each bit of data to figure
it out, but how many people will do that?

The point is simple: a sophisticated ABUSER can fool the average
telephone user with the Presto Chango device.  As has been discussed
(beaten to a pulp) here before, Caller-ID does not give a 100%
indication of who the calling party realy is.  Devices like Presto
Chango only lower that percentage.  Yet TELCO still sells Caller-ID as
100% reliable.

Me, I'll just stick with old-fashioned Caller-ID: "What is your name?"


Gary Segal           Motorola Inc.
[e-mail]   Cellular Infrastructure Division

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Presto Chango! (A New Box)
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 18:22:54 GMT


    Actually, the use of the caller ID tones for other signalling
seems quite useful.  Some ideas include ...

    1.  On placing a call, the CO or LD carrier could send a quick
burst of data indicating what the rates for the call would be.  The
"box" then uses this rate info (typically first minute and additional
minute rates) to continuously display the cost of the call.
    2.  On call-waiting, the call-waiting tone could be modified to
be Bell 202 and carry info about the call that's waiting (such as the
phone number or name of the person calling).
    3.  On call forwarding, info about the forwarded call could be
displayed.  This could include the fact that a call was forwarded
(eliminating the need for stutter dial tone), who the call was from, and
the date and time.
    4.  Distinctive ringing or directed inward dialing could be
replaced with a Bell 202 data stream that identifies what number was
dialed.  This seems like a more reliable method of handling fax machines
and other devices on the same local loop but with different phone
numbers (as opposed to using ring patterns to identify the number).  Fax
machines, answering machines, etc. could be programmed to only answer
after receiving a specified "caller-ID" data stream corresponding to the
called number.

    I'm sure there are lots of other applications.  This stuff could
all be handled on the data channel of ISDN, but for now it could be
handled with caller-ID technology on analog lines.

Harold

--
Harold Hallikainen              [e-mail]
Hallikainen & Friends, Inc.     [e-mail]
141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4      phone [phone] fax [phone]
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590  telex 4932775 HFI UI

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #729
******************************


From telecom Tue Nov  2 09:19:08 1993
Received: by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id AA05078
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for  /homes/telecom/.elm/inbound-filtering); Tue, 2 Nov 1993 09:19:08 -0600
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 09:19:08 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #730
Status: RO

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 2 Nov 93 09:19:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 730

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Mike Harpe)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Carl P. Zwanzig)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Randy Gellens)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Chaim Frenkel)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Grover McCoury)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones ([e-mail])
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (John Gilbert)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Brett Frankenberger)
    Big Turnout for Openview Forum Conference (Openview Forum News)
    CFP - SIGCOMM'94 (Patrick Dowd)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Harpe)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 01:24:28 GMT
Organization: University of Louisville


> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

Well Pat, next time you are talking about other forms of eavesdropping
with your usual distaste I think i'll point this comment out.  I guess
the end justifies the means in your world?  That evidence is illegal
and should be thrown out.

If this is allowed to stand, then the ECPA is meaningless.  I hope they
throw the book at the cop ...


Michael Harpe, Programmer/Analyst      Information Technology
[e-mail]             University of Louisville
[phone]                          Louisville, Ky. 40292

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 01 Nov 1993 02:13:17 -0400
From: Carl P. Zwanzig <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: The Midnite Group


In article <[e-mail]> is written:

> From the {Providence (RI) Journal}, quoted in the {Milwaukee Journal}:

> Cellular Phone call tips police to car burglaries

> Famous last words: 'That cop doesn't even know I'm on the phone.'

> Someone should tell the officer that it's illegal to monitor those
> frequences.

> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

BAAMP!, I'm sorry, thank you for playing.  I'm sure that Robert
Pimental knows that it's illegal to strip cars.  That's separate from
the "wiretapping" by the officer.  Mr. Pimental has not been convicted
of a crime, he has only talked about it off the record (let's not
forget "miranda").  Officer Atwell used information gathered in a
probably unlawful manner to make an arrest, which becomes public
record.


Carl Zwanzig

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 01 NOV 93 19:17
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones


> Someone should tell the officer that it's illegal to monitor those
> [cellular telephone] frequences.

Yes, but it is trivial to monitor cellular telephone traffic without
monitoring verbotten frequencies.  Usually, the cellular stuff can
also be heard above or below the 'real' frequencies.


Randall Gellens               [e-mail]
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation            [Please forward bounce messages
Mission Viejo, CA             to: [e-mail]]
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chaim Frenkel)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 02 Nov 93 04:54:13 GMT
Organization: Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.


It is quite likely that half of the readers, would agree with our
ESTEEMED Moderator.  Many people over the years have felt that voiding
evidence obtained illegally was a major blow to effective police
operations.


Chaim Frenkel              On contract at:
[e-mail]              [e-mail]
Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.     Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Grover McCoury)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 02 Nov 1993 03:12:26 -0400
Organization: Fujitsu Network Switching--Raleigh, NC


> What Robert Pimental, 22, didn't know, police said, is that an
officer patrolling nearby happened to be listening in on the call on
his cruiser's scanner.

> Someone should tell the officer that it's illegal to monitor those
> frequences.

> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

    "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
     safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
        - Benjamin Franklin
          Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

'nuff said...


 Grover C. McCoury
 physical: Fujitsu Network Switching Of America, Inc.
           4403 Bland Road
       Raleigh,    NC  27609
   audio: 919-790-3111
   electronic: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Very good point Mr. McCoury. We've had very little
liberty or personal safety in many parts of the USA for several years.
In Chicago for example, one certainly does not have the liberty to
walk around wherever one would like at night. We are hardly safe by
simply staying in our own homes either. How's the crime rate in Raleigh
this year, Grover? Did you have 97 children under the age of 12 killed
last year in street violence between competing gang members, etc? How
many drug houses are there on the block where you live?  PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
From: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 93 16:46:45 EDT
Organization: The Cellar electronic community and public access system


[e-mail] (Gary Breuckman) writes:

 ... about yet another case of criminal stupidity.

To which Pat adds...

> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

Hmmm ... I don't recall any sympathies being expressed for "Mr."
Pimental.

While I thank Pimental for providing comic relief to what has
otherwise been a rather hellish day, I must take you to task for your
blase disregard of criminal acts performed by the "good guys".

I'm pretty certain that Mr. Pimental understood the legal issues
involved in breaking into cars and removing articles from them.
However, I'm even more certain that the local law enforcement folks
understood the laws involving the monitoring of cellular phone
frequencies.

This being the case, either one or both of the following problems exist:

a) the officer in question was acting of his own volition in
   violating the privacy of the citizens -- of whose privacy it is
   his job to protect, or
b) there is department-wide abuse of/neglect for the privacy of
   the citizens within their jurisdiction

In either case, if I were a resident of said municipality, I'd get very
cranky if the officer were not severely punished.

Furthermore, I was under the impression that scanner manufacturers
were no longer allowed to enable scanning of cellular frequencies
(I'll admit that I may have this confused with mobile frequencies).
If this is indeed the case, are these simply older scanners, or have
they been modified to enable illegal scanning?

This is a serious incident, and I'm certain that it is not an isolated
example.  For the Moderator of a list which is partially concerned
with illegal usage of telecommunications technologies to assume such a
flippant posture because the "good" guys "won" this battle is
outrageous.

(paragon-of-integrity mode off)

(or, at least, resuming normal operation ;-)


[Moderator's Note: So you feel the officer must be severely punished,
eh?  Let's see, would ten years in prison be sufficient in your opinion?
And you don't recall hearing any sympathies expressed for Mr. Pimintel?
Don't worry, you will soon. The ACLU might hold a banquet and name
him their outstanding oppressed citizen of the year. At the very least,
his attorney will advise the court of how Pimintel was put upon and
abused. I never had any doubts that Pimintel will get off easily with
no punishment at all, and I still don't. That's the shameful part of
it all.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 21:36:24 GMT


If the accused has an astute lawyer, I would expect he would have
little problem getting out of this one.  The policeman's use of the
scanner should taint any evidence subsequently obtained as a direct
cause of the officers illegal action.  In the eyes of the law, this is
no different than an illegal wiretape of a land telephone.

Now if the policeman had just happened to observe the crime in
progress or stopped him for "suspicious activity," it would be a
different story.  Now that the cop has admitted how the evidence was
obtained, I think that they may have a difficult time making the case.


John Gilbert         [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: You feel it would have been better had the police
officer lied about how the evidence was obtained, eh? As for the
oppressed and put-upon Mr. Pimintel, the ACLU has not yet announced
the name of the attorney appointed to represent him, but I am sure
the counsel will be asute.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 22:53:18 GMT


> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

Mine aren't.  Unless the cop had a valid warrent, he broke the law.  I
certainly hope he is prosecuted for that violation.  (Presumably, he
put his monitoring of the cellular phone is his report as justifi-
cation for the arrest.  Said report could be used as evidence against him.)

I certainly don;t approve of what Mr. Pimental did, but I feel strongly
that the police must obey the law just as I must.  The ends do not
justify the means.  Can the cops search every house in my neighborhood
because there have been some robberies?  What if they find the loot in
the fifth house.  Certainly, some good will have come from the searches
(the guys in the fifth house will be arrested).  But more bad will have
come.  Four innocent people will have had their civil rights trampled
on.

I don't feel much sympathy for Mr. Pimental, but for the sake of
protecting my rights, I hope he is released on insufficient evidence
(since the illegally monitored cell phone conversation is taintd, and
so just about anything following that is tainted also - I'm sure the
courts would rule that he had a reasonable expectation of privacy
while on a cell phone, since federal law bans monitoring of cell phone
calls).


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Big Turnout for Openview Forum Conference
Organization: Martin Marietta
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 22:13:58 GMT


Conference  a BIG TURN OUT!!!!!  Over 367 Users and Developers signed-Up!!
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From: [e-mail] (Patrick Dowd)
Subject: CFP - SIGCOMM'94
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Patrick Dowd)
Organization: State University of New York at Buffalo
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 20:34:16 GMT


               Call for Papers
              ACM SIGCOMM'94 CONFERENCE
       Communications Architectures, Protocols and Applications

              University College London
                  London, UK

            August 31 to September 2, 1994
         (Tutorials and Workshop, August 30)


An  international forum  on  communication  network  applications  and
technologies, architectures, protocols, and algorithms.

Authors are invited to submit  full  papers concerned with both theory
and practice. The areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

   --  Analysis and  design  of  computer  network  architectures  and
       algorithms,
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   --  Mixed-media networks,
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       hosts,
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   --  Protocol specification, verification, and analysis.

A single-track, highly selective conference where successful
submissions typically report results firmly substantiated by
experiment, implementation, simulation, or mathematical analysis.

General Chair: Jon Crowcroft, University College London
Program Chairs: Stephen Pink, Swedish Institute of Computer Science
                Craig Partridge, BBN
Publicity Chair: Patrick Dowd, State University of New York at Buffalo
Local Arrangements Chair: Soren-Aksel Sorensen, University College London

Papers must be less than 20 double-spaced pages long, have an abstract
of 100-150 words, and be original material that has not been
previously published or be currently under review with another
conference or journal.

In addition to its high quality technical program, SIGCOMM '94 will
offer tutorials by noted instructors such as Paul Green and Van
Jacobson (tentative), and a workshop on distributed systems led by
Derek McAuley.

Important Dates:

    Paper submissions: 1 February 1994
    Tutorial proposals: 1 March 1994
    Notification of acceptance: 2 May 1994
    Camera ready papers due: 9 June 1994

All submitted papers will be judged based on their quality and
relevance through double-blind reviewing where the identities of the
authors are withheld from the reviewers.  Authors names should not
appear on the paper.  A cover letter is required that identifies the
paper title and lists the name, affiliation, telephone number, email,
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Authors of accepted papers need to sign an ACM copyright release form.
The Proceedings will be published as a special issue of ACM SIGCOMM
Computer Communication Review. The program committee will also select
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Networking.

Submissions from North America should be sent  to:
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     BBN
     10 Moulton St
     Cambridge MA 02138

All  other submissions  should  be sent to:
     Stephen Pink
     Swedish Institute of Computer Science
     Box 1263
     S-164 28 Kista
     Sweden

Five copies are required for paper submissions. Electronic submissions
(uuencoded, compressed postscript) should be sent to each program
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[e-mail] or [phone] for more information about the
conference.

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four outstanding papers will be awarded full conference registration
and a travel grant of $500 US dollars.  To be eligible the student
must be the sole author, or the first author and primary contributor.
A cover letter must identify the paper as a candidate for this
competition.


Mail and E-mail Addresses:

    General Chair

    Jon Crowcroft
    Department of Computer Science
    University College London
    London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom

    Phone: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    E-Mail: [e-mail]


    Program Chairs

    Stephen Pink (Program Chair)
    Swedish Institute of Computer Science
    Box 1263
    S-164 28 Kista
    Sweden

    Phone: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    E-mail: [e-mail]

    Craig Partridge (Program Co-Chair for North America)
    BBN
    10 Moulton St
    Cambridge MA 02138

    Phone: [phone]
    E-mail: [e-mail]


    Publicity Chair

    Patrick Dowd
    Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
    State University of New York at Buffalo
    201 Bell Hall
    Buffalo, NY 14260-2050

    Phone: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    E-mail: [e-mail]


    Local Arrangements Chair

    Soren-Aksel Sorensen
    Department of Computer Science
    University College London
    London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom


------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #730
******************************


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Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 10:22:06 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #731

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 2 Nov 93 10:22:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 731

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker (Steve Malone)
    Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker (Richard Cox)
    Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker (Peter Casey)
    Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker (Gordon Croft)
    Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Kristen Anne Pribis)
    Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Robert J. Keller)
    Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number (Michael O'Brien)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Mark Johnson)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Christopher Zguris)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Carl Oppedahl)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Alan Larson)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Eric De Mund)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Paul Joslin)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (John Nagle)
    Re: Question About T1 Equipment (Fred R. Goldstein)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Malone)
Subject: Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker
Date: 01 Nov 1993 18:31:56 GMT
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Malone)


In a previous article, [e-mail] (Bonnie J Johnson) says:

> I pulled this information off the Risks listserv and wondered if any
> of you know if there is an validity to it?

> "Not too long ago a Telecom worker in Western Australia was reportedly
> killed when a fragment of fibre optic glass accidently got into his
> blood stream".

> We are pulling, rehabbing, terminating, etc. our own fiber and if it
> is true of the safety hazard, it would be nice to know.  Anyone out
> there been warned (safety classes, bulletins, the like) about handling
> fiber?

I've never heard of a fatality working with fiber, but there are basic
precautions to take.  Namely, you should wear eye protection and make
sure to keep track of the small scraps of fiber (the glass itself)
that get created in splicing, terminating, etc.  The scraps can get
under your skin or in your eyes easier than you might think.  One way
to handle this is to roll a piece of tape with the sticky side out and
stick the scraps to it.

My disclaimer is that there are many other precautions to be taken;
these two are the basics.


Steve Malone    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 02 Nov 93 10:58 GMT
From: Richard Cox <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker
Reply-To: [e-mail]


I recently had an opportunity to witness BT engineers terminating
fibres for ISDN and 2Mb private services.  The precautions were
prolific -- these people had to really know what they were doing.  The
same level of waste disposal management as is used in hospitals for
needles/scalpels ... and every engineer working on the fibre was
supervised by another for safety.


Richard Cox
Mandarin Technology, Cardiff, Wales
Voice: [phone]  Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 03:52:50 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Killer)
Subject: Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker
Organization: Electrical Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand


Bonnie J Johnson ([e-mail]) wrote:
[scary stuff deleted]

> We are pulling, rehabbing, terminating, etc. our own fiber and if it
> is true of the safety hazard, it would be nice to know.  Anyone out
> there been warned (safety classes, bulletins, the like) about handling
> fiber?

Well I believe it.  I was working at the local telecom with the fiber
jointers for a while and all the time they were splicing they would
take the offcuts and put them all in a neat pile in a little tray.  I
got a stern warning when I dropped a few casually on the floor.  The
little pile got disposed of very carefully.


Killer     [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gordon Croft)
Subject: Re: Optic Fibre Fragment Kills Telecom Worker
Date: 02 Nov 93 07:24:21 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada


I don't have any first hand experience with fiber cable but my company
does use it and I have heard that the EXPOSED fiber is quite dangerous.
By EXPOSED I mean after the clading has been stripped for splicing, etc.

The problem is, apparently, that the glass is so pure that it is
almost invisible to the human eye and isn't picked up on x-rays
either.  I believe we have some fairly stringent safety rules for
people who are working with fiber.

If you are not doing any splicing of the actual glass, I don't think
there is any problem.


Just my (CDN)$0.02 worth,

Gord

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kristen Anne Pribis)
Subject: Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
Date: 01 Nov 1993 19:52:46 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA


[e-mail] (Tom Mackay) writes:

> One of the options I can choose as part of my Cellular One package (in
> Albany, NY) is to have two phones assigned to the same number.  They
> use some sort of call forwarding technique where you assign a primary
> phone.  If the call is not answered on the primary, it will ring
> through to the secondary, and then on to phone mail.  Now, if they
> could only get rid of that static <grin> ...

> Actually, mentioning static, I was wondering how many areas are
> currently offering digital cellular service.  The last I heard, it was
> only in Tampa.

> [Moderator's Note: But please note it is two phones with two numbers
> and presumably two ESN's ... with the carrier routing things as you
> have requested. It is not using the same ESN in both phones.  PAT]

This is two phones with one number.  You can't call the secondary
without calling the primary, and you can actually switch which phone
is primary and which phone is secondary by entering a * code.


Chris Labatt-Simon   Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]   [phone] Tel   [phone] Fax

------------------------------

Reply-To: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 10:12:08
Subject: Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
From: [e-mail] (Robert J. Keller)


In Volume 13 #722, Tom Mackay <[e-mail]> wrote about a firm
that advertises the modification of cellular phones so that one can
have two cellular phones with the same number.  He asks:

> Has anyone dealt with this or a similar company?  Is is completely
> legal, or is it in a grey area?  What do the cell companies think of
> this?  Does it work?

The legality is questionable, at best, and will depend on how this
feat is acoomplished.

The FCC staff has taken the position that _any_ modification of the
SSN in a cellular phone after it leaves the manufacturer is violative
of the cellular compatibility standards, which are incorporated into
Title 47 Part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  They have been
contemplating more direct prohibitions, but have not yet issued any
such regulation.

Under this interpretation, cloning numbers, modifying numbers, etc.,
is illegal.  There are some in the industry, however, who argue that
if they acoomplish the desired end by intercepting and translating the
transmitted SSN (as opposed to actually modifying it) they have not
"modified" the phone and therefore have not violated the prohibition.
The FCC staff is very negative on this, but it has not yet been forced
to a formal decision.

The situation that has to be avoided, from both a fraud as well as a
system administration point of view, is having two phones on the
street with the same SSN.  The system will, at best, reject one as a
fraud, and at worst, get confused and refuse to accept either one.

What _is_ acceptable, according to FCC staff, is an arrangement
whereby the two phones have two different numbers, but an interception
and translation is done at the cellular switch by the cellular
carrier.  This apparently requires the cellular carrier to invest in
additional equipment and software, but at least some carriers are
beginning to offer this capability.

BTW, one 'legitimate', albeit very possibly illegal, reason for
cloingin numbers is to provide a customer with a replacement phone
while the original is being repaired.  It seems that the replacement
could be registered with the carrier, and then the original phone
re-registered after repair, and this would not reqquire the customer
to change phone numbers, but many cellular carriers charge a hefty fee
(in the range of $40) for each registration.  Thus, many resellers and
equipment vendors are simply cloning the subscriber's SSN into the
replacement phone.  I have even heard that manufacturers are making it
easier to clone numbers lest they lose sales to vendors.


Bob Keller (KY3R)        Tel [phone]
[e-mail]        Fax [phone]
[e-mail]        CIS 76100,3333


------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Michael O'Brien)
Subject: Re: Two Cellular Phones - One Number
Date: 01 Nov 1993 20:58:35 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Gregory
Youngblood) writes:

> Supposedly it generates an RF fingerprint of sorts.  Then, it can
> pre-validate calls based upon that "fingerprint".  Personally it
> sounds too good to be true, and I can't imagine that no two phones
> wouldn't have similar traits, but I'm not up on that end of cellular
> telephony.

    For what it's worth, they don't generate the fingerprint; it's
already there.  The FCC is currently using this technique to gather
evidence against illegal transmitters.  Any radio, when it first
begins to transmit, does so with a slightly different spectral
signature than any other radio.  This signature can be used as
positive identification of a particular transmitter, no matter what
audio (or data) is then broadcast on the carrier.


Mike O'Brien   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 05:55:36 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Mark Johnson)
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes


[e-mail] (Peter T Lyman) writes:

> Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the vcrPlus+
> codes that are listed in the TV Guides?  (This is the code that one
> enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime,
> duration.)

The correct place to make this request is of course "rec.video".
(Where it is indeed made with bone-numbing regularity).

Programs have been published on the net that perform both directions
of the encoding/decoding process:

  (date, time, duration, channel#)  <---> VCRplus code#

Here is one of the never ending stream of pointers to such pgms:

  From: [e-mail] (Rod Troch)
  Newsgroups: rec.video
  Subject: Re: VCR Plus codes
  Date: 7 Sep 93 00:14:41 GMT
  Organization: Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey
  In-reply-to: [e-mail]'s message of 6 Sep 93 20:45:23 GMT

 >>>>> Regarding VCR Plus codes; [e-mail] (Van Zandt) adds:

JVZ> Has anyone worked out the numeric codes printed in the
JVZ> television listings?  Apparently, each number signifies a
JVZ> channel, start time, and duration.  However, I haven't
JVZ> been able to determine the pattern.

Ftp to bart.kean.edu (131.125.1.100), cd to pub/misc and
get (in binary) vcrplus.zip.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 15:15 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes


In TELECOM Digest V13 #728 Peter T Lyman ([e-mail])
writes:

> Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the vcrPlus+
> codes that are listed in the TV Guides? (This is the code that one
> enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime, duration.)

  I remember following a thread about this a while ago in, I belive,
VIDEOTECH digest on the net and the concensus was the codes follow no
pattern. Obviously, if the codes were decipherable and people built
their own devices people wouldn't buy the vcrPlus+ wares.

  Sorry this doesn't help.


Christopher Zguris     [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
Date: 1 Nov 1993 12:01:10 -0500
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Peter T
Lyman) writes:

> Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the vcrPlus+
> codes that are listed in the TV Guides? (This is the code that one
> enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime, duration.)

This was gone into a year ago on one of the encryption groups.  Three
people figured it out and published it in Cryptologia, as I recall.


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 15:29:43 PST
From: [e-mail] (Alan Larson)
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
Organization: Network Equipment Technologies


  This question has been asked regularly, and is even answered in some
of the news.answers or newusers groups.

  Here is an answer from a while back.  There have been postings of a
program that claims to do the first five or six digits of the codes,
but there are lots of reports of serious bugs in that program (writing
past end of arrays, etc.)

  Perhaps the Moderator can find a copy to send back to those who
persist in asking in the future.


    Alan

   From: [e-mail] (Yum Ting Lui)
   Newsgroups: rec.video
   Subject: Re: VIDEO PLUS (again)
   Date: 31 Mar 1993 18:09:03 GMT
   Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (David Chapman)
writes:

> A few weeks ago, someone asked for a repost of the algorithm for decoding
> VIDEOPLUS programming numbers.

> This never appeared, and I would _love_ to get this piece of information.

black.ox.ac.uk  (127.67.1.165)  /src/vcr+.shar.Z

This is the US version, the UK version is named a little different in
the same directory.

For those in US:
wuarchive.wustl.edu in /usenet/alt.sources/articles/7020.Z

Information on decoding the first 6 digits is described in
"Decoding a VCR Controller Code" Cryptologia, 16(3), July 1992, pp 227-234.


Yum Ting Lui                                  Source Packaging Systems
Mead Data Central                                 [e-mail]
[phone] X4387                        ...!uunet!meaddata!luiland

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 02:40:33 -0800
From: Eric De Mund <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
Reply-To: Eric De Mund <[e-mail]>
Organization: Netcom Online Communication Services


Peter,

> Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the vcrPlus+
> codes that are listed in the TV Guides? (This is the code that one
> enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime, duration.)

Closer followers of sci.crypt will be able to tell you about the
status of the lawsuit/saber-rattling brought against the person who
recently (i.e. within the last year or so) cracked VCR+ and
published/was about to publish his solution on the net.

I'll simply point you to question 8.16 of the cryptography-faq:

    8.16. What is the coding system used by VCR+?

    One very frequently asked question in sci.crypt is how the VCR+ codes
    work. The codes are used to program a VCR based on numerical input.
    See [SHI92] for an attempt to describe it.

    [SHI92] K. Shirriff, C. Welch, A. Kinsman, Decoding a VCR Controller
            Code. Cryptologia 16(3), 227--234, 1992.

The whole faq is available via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu
[18.70.0.209] in the files /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/\
cryptography-faq/part{0[1-9],10}.


Eric De Mund <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul Joslin)
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Date: 02 Nov 1993 08:05:42 GMT
Organization: Model Based Vision Lab, Wright Laboratory


In article <[e-mail]>, Willie Smith
([e-mail]) wrote:

> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

>> Being passed along FYI:
>> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

> Ha!  All this probably means is you have to clone the same
> manufacturer and model of phone.  Especially with the big push to Six
> Sigma (every product is identical to one part in a million), it's
> going to be really difficult to tell phones of the same model apart
> without denying service to folks at slightly different temperatures,
> battery charge levels, and altitudes.  How long do you think it'll
> take the cloners to crack this one?

In the short term, how are cloners supposed to find out the make and
model of the phone from the transmission they're stealing the ESN
from?  Buy their own TRW system, and start characterizing signatures?

I think you're right in the long term.  Professional thieves will
"borrow" a phone from a parked car, get the ESN, then return the
phone, or buy model number/ESN pairs from dishonest employees of the
cell companies.  Perhaps this system will at least prevent the
"casual" thieves.


Paul R. Joslin [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 22:56:28 GMT


[e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD
> Each cellular telephone emits unique signal transmission
> characteristics - an electronic version of a human fingerprint - which
> cannot be duplicated.  These characteristics are matched with the
> mobile identification number (MIN) and the electronic serial number
> (ENS) of the phone to develop a unique pattern for each legitimate
> customer, TRW PhonePrintTM uses sophisticated signal analysis hardware
> and software to analyze and file the patterns belonging to legitimate
> customers.  When a caller attempts to access the network, the system
> compares incoming patterns to those on file.  If the patterns do not
> match the call is immediately terminated.

       I suspect this is an exaggeration of the actual capabilities.
There are only a few chipsets used for these things, after all, and
two units with the same chipset should perform very similarly.  But
they might be able to tell which chipset was being used. Statisti-
cally, though, that alone gives them a good chance of catching
someone who records over-the-air info.

      Cellular ID systems should have been public-key from day one.
Someday, they will be, government opposition or not.


John Nagle

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: Question About T1 Equipment
Date: 02 Nov 1993 01:50:38 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Aninda Dasgupta) writes:

> I am trying to get an estimate of equipment needed for a T1
> connection.
> Scenario 1:

> Let's say I have a workstation and 24 geographically distributed
> salespersons.  My salespersons want to dial into my workstation using
> modems.  I get an 800 number, linked to a hunt group of 24 lines, from
> MCI (i.e. I get a T1 link to the MCI POP, provided by my LEC). What
> equipment (DSU/CSU, etc) do I need at the workstation end, to be able
> to provide these connections , keeping in mind that I will never
> originate any outgoing calls?

There are, of course, two approaches.  The "Primitive Pete" approach
takes a T1 CSU/DSU, a channel bank, and 24 separate modems.  The
alternative approach is to use a T1 modem.

I am aware of two or three vendors of such equipment.  Primary Access
(San Diego) makes one which can terminate a bunch of T1s.  It uses
digital signal processing to do the modem function, so a faster modem
is a software upgrade.  US Robotics makes a smaller, cheaper one, but
I don't know too much about it; I think it's aimed at the
onesie-twosie market.  I also hear that AT&T Paradyne may have one.

The price is higher than for individual modems, but probably
competitive with modems plus channel banks.  And it's easier to
maintain than having all those wires!  I really don't know much in
detail about these things but I know you can find something out there
if you've got the big bucks.


Fred R. Goldstein   k1io  [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #731
******************************


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Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 11:44:00 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #732

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 2 Nov 93 11:44:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 732

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Thomas J. Beckman)
    Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Gregory K. Johnson)
    Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed (Brian Hess)
    Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Don Davis)
    Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Rich Mintz)
    Re: ADSI (Al Varney)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Paul Robinson)
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update (Al Varney)
    Re: Help Needed Paging via Unix Script (Eric Douglas)
    Re: FCC #10 (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Paul J. Bell)
    Re: Frame Relay Information Request (Chris Labatt-Simon)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Scott Coleman)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Bill Fischer)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Thomas J Beckman)
Subject: Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
Date: 02 Nov 1993 02:03:13 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz


A good, small long distance company in California is Execuline of
Sacramento. I've had all of my business with them for over a year, and
no other carrier can beat their rates. We use around 15K minutes per
month. Execuline's number is 800-655-0444.


Tom Beckman  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gregory K. Johnson)
Subject: Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
Date: 02 Nov 1993 03:41:15 GMT
Organization: Columbia University


In article <[e-mail]>, Jack Decker
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> Just a word of advice to all: If you are looking for great deals on
> long distance service, don't overlook the small carriers that may be
> operating in your state or region.  I'm not going to mention names of
> specific companies, but here's a couple of deals I've found (in doing
> some research for a friend) that are especially attractive in low to
> moderate calling volume situations.

I'm not going to quarrel with your basic advice about shopping around
for long distance carriers.  However, I feel compelled to note that
the rates you are quoting for this particular long-distance calling
plan do not seem to be all that great of a bargain.

When I established telephone service in San Jose, I selected Sprint as
my long distance carrier.  When I established the account with Sprint,
I inquired about discount long-distance calling plans.

I ended up selecting their service which is similar to Reach Out
America, i.e. you purchase an hour of calls at a particular price (I
think in this case it was about $8, or less) and then all your calls
at off-peak hours beyond the first hour are billed by the minute.

The rate for calls at off-peak hours under this calling plan was ten
cents per minute, which is significantly cheaper than the 11.4 cents
per minute described above.  It also doesn't have as much overhead
cost ($8 for the first hour is $2 above the cost of the flat-rate per
minute cost, versus $5 for this plan.

Sprint also doesn't have a 15 month minimum contract.

But my basic point is this: thus far I haven't seen anything that
seems to be a better deal than service with the major three long
distance companies.


Greg

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brian Hess)
Subject: Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed
Organization: Performance Systems Int'l
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 05:26:18 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
uni-muenchen.de (Helmut Heller) writes:

> However, I don't know which two of the four contacts carry the phone
> signal in the UK!! Could some kind soul help me, please??

Sorry this is a bit late, but if it gets published, at least it will
end up in the archives and someone can look it up someday ...

U.K.            U.S.  (connectors viewed from above, metal contacts up)
^||||^          ^||||^
 WGBR             RW

Where ^ = open (non-metal) contact slot
      | = metallic contact
W = white, G = green, B = blue, R = red

1) Sorry for the odd colors in the wire, but it's what I got from ye olde
local telecom shoppe when I asked for six inches of line cord.

2) The UK connector, when the metal connectors are uppermost, has its
plastic spring clip on the right edge.  The US connector has it on bottom.

3) It's a little tricky to shove the outermost wires in the cord into
the middle of the USA RJ modular plug, yet still crimp it on the
sheath.  Peel back the sheath a bit to clip the B/G wires deep, or
even pull them out, if the cord is short enough.


Brian Hess    Active Ingredients, Inc.    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Don Davis)
Subject: Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 21:28:12 EDT
Organization: The Dayton Home for the Chronically Strange


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
writes:

[omitted: guy wants to dial to US modem pool from UK through human operator]

> [Moderator's Note: Set your modem to dial a null string; have it just
> dial the ATDT part with nothing following.

[...more bandwidth conserved...]

1. Most modems nowadays are engineered to look for the dialtone, and
won't dial (even a null string) unless they see it -- or unless they
are told to dial "blind".  The way to do this is to set your X
parameter to 1 (works for most modems) in the dial command.

2. The trailing T is optional in the dial command.

3. You end up entering ATX1D and your modem should begin exchanging
moose calls and other noises with the remote system.

4. Enjoy your trip to the UK!


Don Davis  | Internet: dgdhome![e-mail] | Tel: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rich Mintz)
Subject: Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Date: 2 Nov 1993 12:46:51 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico


> Next week I'll be in the UK and I'd like to be able to dial back to
> the modem pool here in NJ using my Sprint Foncard.  The people at
> Sprint tell me the only way to call back to the US is to call an
> access number that connects you to a human operator, who collects the
> information and completes the call.

> [Moderator's Note: Set your modem to dial a null string; have it
> just dial the ATDT part with nothing following.  Place the call
> manually as instructed, then when the operator places the call and the
> distant modem answers, hit your return key and let the modem think it
> is dialing something. A second or two later it will 'finish dialing'
> and start listening for the other end to answer, which of course it
> will have done. Your modem and the other one will handshake as usual
> and you can begin your session.  PAT]

This won't work for many of the newer modems. You must also specify AT
X3 (X <= 3) so that the modem doesn't refuse to "dial" because there
is no dial tone present.  Thrown all on one line, one would say
"ATX3D" (return).

I'm not sure if the original poster thinks he must unplug his voice
phone in order to plug in his modem, thereby disconnecting the line.
"Y" jacks are available all over the place that will let you plug both
your phone and modem into the same telephone jack. This will allow you
to speak with the operator, type the modem dial command, then hang up
the voice phone. The "Y" jack plugs in just like a modular cable
(slightly larger) so should work fine with whatever adapter you're
using in the U.K.


Rich

------------------------------

Date: Mon,  1 Nov 93 18:15:18 CST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: ADSI
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (David
Kovanen) writes:

>    What you have discovered is the next wave of terminal
> equipment.  Terminals will include screens to make current Central
> Office features work better, and make new ones possible.  ISDN was
> supposed to do that but people are getting tired of waiting for it.

   ADSI (Bellcore TR-NWT-001273 has the EO and "server" requirements,
SR-INS-002461 has the CPE requirements) is, however, a kludge.

   The EO-to-CPE communications that can take place after off-hook
(for example, call waiting per TR-NWT-000030, Issue 2) cannot be
reliably segregated from far-end-CPE-to-CPE communications.  In fact,
TR-1273 suggests it is OK for far-end-CPE ("servers") to send "caller
identification messages" just like the EO does.  TOTALLY INSECURE.  Of
course, the EO knows who called you, but the fancy ADSI box won't.

   Bellcore was told about this problem (and others) in comments to
TA-NWT-000030, which also suffers from this problem when the CPE
supports Caller ID Delivery on Call Waiting (using off-hook data
transmission).  At least they repeated my suggestion for a CPE switch
that would disable all off-hook data reception in the pre-ADSI CPE
requirements in TR-NWT-002476, Issue 1.  Unfortunately they added
extra text from the TA-comment-copy suggesting the switch was just
there so users that didn't use off-hook messaging wouldn't be bothered
by false detections of the "data alerting signal".  BS -- it is there
so the CPE can't be spoofed by far-end CPE.

   I hope the SR-2461 CPE requirements are including such a CPE switch
and other security-related information mentioned in comments.  (I
don't have nor want SR-2461 -- I may not be able to fight City Hall,
but I don't have to read the stuff.)

   Note that ISDN does NOT have a problem distinguishing EO-to-user
D-channel messages from user-to-user (or inband DTMF) messages.  If
you want to spoof my ISDN Caller ID data, you'll have to play games
with SS7 or switches.

> If you get the Bellcore Specs on ADSI you will see that one of
> their motives is to get call waiting to work better.  People want to
> know who is waiting before they ask the current party to hang on while
> they pick up another call.  Switch manufacturers and telephone
> manufacturers were not doing anything about it so Bellcore decided to
> start the ball rolling by defining a protocol both switch manufact-
> urers and telephone manufacturers could use.

   TR-000030 Issue 2 already supported Call Waiting with Caller ID.
ADSI goes beyond that customer need.

> Actually I think Northern Telecom had a lot to do with it.

   Mmmm, yeh, you could say NTI is pushing ADSI -- certainly vs. ISDN.
But then they've got the CPE models, the switch changes and probably
the "servers" all ready to roll.  Almost before the ink was dry on the
TRs.

> I can see how a rather simple calling party display unit would
> respond to the Presto-Chango box you described.  This also highlights
> one of the problems I have with ADSI.  The protocol is too simple.

   TR-1273 specifically states that ADSI boxes will accept Caller ID
information from sources other than the EO.  Bellcore/NTI must think
it's a feature, not a problem.

> There is no way to coordinate multiple applications.  For example,
> Northern Telecom is running a trial of ADSI in Boston using a bank at
> home application.  If the user got a call waiting with ADSI
> identification of the waiting party, the banking data would get
> screwed up.

   TR-1273 says feature-specific TRs will determine if Call Waiting
can interrupt a given ADSI "session" (SPCS or "server").  I haven't
seen such requirements.  Also, the recovery from an interrupted
session is up to the "server".  Just to check the latest,
TA-NWT-001436, Visual Screen List Editing, August 1993 (issued 8
months after TR-1273) says not one word, zip, about session
interruptions of any kind.  It does say you can't flash during a
session -- so any Call Waiting you get will just mess up the session,
and remain unanswered.

   Anyway -- I tried to get a reliable switch-vs-"server" indicator
into the protocol (like reverse battery from the switch when it was
sending a message).  Didn't get far.

   Sorry for the "I" messages.  Unlike many of their other efforts, I
don't think BNR considered the security angle on this one.  When some
"server" starts re-programming your ADSI "one-button-calling" keys,
you might agree with me.


Al Varney - just my opinion, and not that of others at AT&T

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 19:13:46 EST
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA


> Does someone on the net have the method for constructing the
> vcrPlus+ codes that are listed in the TV Guides? (This is the code
> that one enters in the vcrPlus+ to specify: date, channel, starttime,
> duration.)

I have a copy of a program someone sent me in C that is supposed to do
this for any program which starts on the hour or 1/2 hour.  My sister
decided to take back the VCR Plus unit she loaned us, so I've never
tried it; I only know what I discovered from reading the source some
three months ago.  Anyone who wants it can write me and I'll mail it,
or find a site where it can be FTPd from, or both.  It's not large,
about 36K or so.


Paul Robinson - [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon,  1 Nov 93 18:36:00 CST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update
Organization: AT&T


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Brett
Frankenberger) writes:

> Emmanuel Goldstein <[e-mail]> writes:

>> [Moderator's Note: That happens here also. Dialing my own 800 number
>> just gets me a busy signal, the same as had I dialed my own regular
>> number.

> Again, the switch is getting smarter and deciding to block call
> waiting until answer supervision for calls that leave the local switch
> (instead of just waiting until they leave the switch and then allowing
> call waiting).

   This behavior (blocking three-way calling and call waiting
interruptions on unanswered calls) is the US standard for EOs.  This
was an agreement in the ICCF and in NOF.  Failure to do so allowed many
customers to flash, initiate a three-way call (unknowingly) and then
get billed for the eventually-answered first leg of the call.  If they
dialed the same number again, they got busy (since the first leg was
still ringing the called number).

   The new procedure cuts down on false billing, customers answering
calls with the caller not there and general network waste.  It
probably forces one to hang up for a tad longer (beyond flash interval
of about .8 seconds) on switch announcements when you misdial and get
Vacant Code, Reorder or Intercept -- on some switches, that is.


Al Varney - just my opinion

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Eric Douglas)
Subject: Re: Help Needed Paging via Unix Script
Organization: California State University in Fresno
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 18:51:46 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> Steve Hills <shills@hillspc.
sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:

> A project I am working on has the ability to run UNIX shell scripts or
> executables when certain events occur on the system.  We have been
> requested to provide a paging capability via a shell script or
> executable.  Does anyone have any information (or perhaps a shell
> script) that could be of help to me?

A friend has done this before on his Unix machine ... I don't have a
shell script for you, but a few pointers that should get you started:

Attach a modem to a serial line on the machine. Open up the device
that the modem is attached to ... send the Hayes ATDT string, the dial
string will contain the number of the pager, followed by several
commas (to pause the modem dialer while the pager service picks up the
line) then send the number you want displayed on the pager.

This should be a 10 line C program, or try a shell script piping
commands to `cu' or `tip' via stdin.


Best wishes,

Eric W. Douglas                                [e-mail]
California State University, Fresno
Computing, Communications, and Media Services  [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: FCC #10
Date: 02 Nov 1993 01:18:50 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA


In article <[e-mail]> Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.
z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson) writes:

> I keep hearing about "FCC #10" and it sounded like it'd be just what I
> needed to get a *good* list of exchanges for the local area codes. So
> I dropped by the local US Goverment Printing Office bookstore. They
> said they'd never heard of it. "Do you know the SUDOCs number?" (or
> was it "SUCCODE"?)

> So I went to the local depository library. With much the same results.
> I'd greatly appreciate it if someone would tell me the magic number ...

You're barking up the wrong tree!  "FCC #10" sounds like a reference
to AT&T's Tariff FCC #10.  This is NOT a government document, but a
government-APPROVED document issued by AT&T.  As a "dominant carrier",
AT&T has been obligated by law to issue tariffs for all network
services, and the interstate tariffs require FCC approval, hence the
name.  Recently, a court ruling has forced MCI and others to file
tariffs too, so they too have FCC tariffs, but the FCC pro-competition
policy means that these tariffs are accepted with minimal, if any,
review.

So contact AT&T Communications.


Fred R. Goldstein  k1io  [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Paul J. Bell)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: The 23K Group, Inc.
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 10:19:47 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail].
COM writes:

> Sri Lanka is joining the Internet, a worldwide computer network that
> connects computer users in more than 100 countries (UPI, 10/20/93).
> "By connecting universities, schools and laboratories in Sri Lanka to
> the Internet, the U.S. hopes to foster cooperation between the people
> of our country and the people of Sri Lanka in all fields of science,
> technology and the environment," said U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who
> signed the Internet access agreement with Sri Lanka Prime Minister
> Ramil Wickremashighe.

Does anyone have any idea why it was necessary or even meaningful for
Gore or anyone representing the U.S. Government to sign or even be a
part of Sri Lanka's joining the Internet? What rights or control
does the U.S. think they have over Internet access? Is there
something here that I am missing, or is this just more Clinton/Gore
meddling?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Labatt-Simon)
Subject: Re: Frame Relay Information Request
Date: 1 Nov 1993 13:48:27 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA


Michael Lewis <[e-mail]> writes:

> We are migrating our network to Frame Relay and I am interested in all
> the information I can get on the subject.

> I can find a lot about both Cell-Relay and ATM on the Internet, but
> precious little about Frame Relay other than one RFC.

> Does anyone know where this subject is hidden?

You might call up Cisco Systems -- they have a protocol brief
detailing how Frame Relay works and how it differes from X.25.


Chris Labatt-Simon    Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]    [phone] Tel   [phone] Fax

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott Coleman)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 2 Nov 93 15:40:43 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


[e-mail] (John Gilbert) writes:

> If the accused has an astute lawyer, I would expect he would have
> little problem getting out of this one.  The policeman's use of the
> scanner should taint any evidence subsequently obtained as a direct
> cause of the officers illegal action.  In the eyes of the law, this is
> no different than an illegal wiretape of a land telephone. [...]

> [Moderator's Note: You feel it would have been better had the police
> officer lied about how the evidence was obtained, eh? ...]

Frankly, the police officer was stupid not to have lied. Having
already based an arrest on evidence obtained illeally, by not lying he
not only makes it a virtual certainty that the case will be thrown out
of court, the burglar will get off completely, and his own butt will
undoubtedly be in a sling. Stupid, stupid, stupid! It would have been
so easy to ID the burglar's vehicle, trail him for a little while
until he went to strip his next car, and then just "happen to show up"
in tie to nab him in the act. Bingo!  One crook in jail, with an
airtight case, and the cop comes out smelling like a rose.

One thing's for sure: the publicity surrounding this incident will not
get rid of crooked cops violating the ECPA - it will simply drive them
farther underground, making them more careful in how they act upon
their illegally obtained evidence. :-/


 From the virtual desk of...
Scott Coleman, President ASRE (American Society of Reverse Engineers)
Ed Green Fan Club #005 - Disintegrate the SGA!  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Organization: T-8000 Information System
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 93 09:58:09
Subject: Re: Illegal Monitoring Of Cellular Phones


Pat, we support the law enforcement community on this issue, as well,
and offer a discount to them on our cellular surveillance equipment.
Laws are not designed to give an advantage to the criminal (at least
they shouldn't be!).

We would be pleased to provide any of your readers an e-mail copy of
our product sheet.  Please have them contact us directly.


Regards,

Bill Fischer                      Internet: [e-mail]
Electronic Countermeasures Inc.   Voice: [phone]
65 - 31 Avenue South West         Calgary, AB, CANADA T2S 2Y7


[Moderator's Note: Consider the readers notified, but now, let's not be
commercializing Usenet <snicker> with any commercial propoganda :).
As Ehud would say, I, the Barney of Orange Cards forbid it. Commercial-
ization of the net and monopolization of telecom discussions is mine
alone, sayeth Moderator Barney. Any of you who were, uh, fortunate
enough to see his diabtribe loose in the news stream, but posted with
pride in some news groups, how'd you like the way he flipped out? I
think he comes from some place where the police are extremely oppressive
and he figures here in the USA anything would be an improvement. I
guess it comes down to whether you prefer getting bopped over the head
by a police officer or by a criminal on the street. Given my druthers,
I'll go with the former.  Barney.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #732
******************************


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Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:53:10 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #733

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 2 Nov 93 12:53:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 733

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN (Michael Maxfield)
    Re: 1-800 Nasties (Fred Ennis)
    Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again (Brendan B. Boerner)
    Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again (Eric N. Florack)
    Re: AT&T 2000 Public Phone (Tony Pelliccio)
    Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Gary Breuckman)
    Re: AT&T System 75 Switch to NT Meridium 1 (Vance Shipley)
    Re: Sprint Modem Offer (Jeff Garber)
    Re: AT&T Public Phone 2000 (Robert J. Woodhead)
    Re: Laguna Fires (Arthur L. Shapiro)
    Re: Car Phones and Accidents? (Stefan Zingg)
    Re: Problems With CNID (Christopher Zguris)
    Re: Time Change (Harold Hallikainen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Michael D. Maxfield)
Subject: Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN
Organization: Seymore's Bleacher Manufacturing
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 06:06:11 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> posted to comp.dcom.telecom:

[e-mail] (Steve Chafe) writes:

> I have a question about ANI-related signalling as it goes through the
> public switched network.  I just found two 800 numbers that cause
> charges to be billed back to the originator of the call.  I understand

> Is this legal now (to charge toll on an 800 call)?  I thought it wasn't
> after the $120 per call 800-psychic-hotline thing had been taken out
> of service.

Here is a post I am going to be posting to alt.bbs.ads,misc.consumers.
It is about an ad posted for a FREE 800 BBS with 62 lines and each
caller allotted 1440 minutes per day.  [Lotto winner ... or fraud?]

Subject: Re: Umm, FREE! FREE!
References: <[e-mail]> <1993Oct29.174735.
[e-mail]> <2askte$[e-mail]>

In article <2askte$[e-mail]> posted to the Usenet Newsgroup(s)
alt.bbs.ads

[e-mail] (Daniel East) writes:

> Dan noticed that Gordon Soukoreff once wrote:

>> Yeah, I just called the thing and found out the 1-800 no. is routed thru a
>> 1-900 no. and you pay for the call. THis BTW, I found out while in their
>> teleconferancing area. I asked some pointed questions and got the above as
>> an answer from one of the users. No mention of it during logon..so
>> theoretically I paid for the call. Nevertheless, I will be contacting my
>> Telephone company and refusing to pay for this " as it looks " fraudulant
>> BBS service.
>> Disclaimer: Investigate further before making assumtions

>  Can anyone verify this?  I called (for about 10 minutes, until I realized
> how lame it was, and that irc is 1000 times better) and did not see ANYTHING
> to remotely suggest that this was a 1-900 service.  If it is, I suggest we
> inform as many people about this illegitimate (and most likely
> illegal) system
> as possible.

ALL 800 numbers are INDEXED by AT&T since the 800 number portability
ruling.

I just got off the phone from AT&T ... the particular 800 number is
serviced by AT&T.  The lady who I spoke to was not too sure, but
thought that if any forwarding occured to a 900 number, the charge
would stop at the 800 point (thus ... the 800 number would get the 900
bill).  [Anyone with any knowledge on this?]

The lady did mention that she has heard of some services charging
callers of an 800 line for their calls, but such charges would be
independant of the phone company and believed legally required to be
preceeded by an announcement stating such a charge.  (There is NO
audio announcement on the line ... I just called it).  Such a charge
would probably come from the use of an ANI system at the site ... and
the bill would come from the information provider, and not the
telco ...  (Suggest you save a copy of the prior post as evidence just
in case there is any hanky-panky)


NOTES:  I have deleted the number for this posting
          - to protect the provider, should he be innocent
          - to protect others should the provider be fraudulent

        I have added misc.consumers to the newsgroups line.  I shall
        also forward a copy to comp.dcom.telecom asking for their
        wisdom here.

==========================end of forwarded article==============

I will attempt to watch for a reply here...  But there are many others
in alt.bbs.ads who are interested as well... if you could also forward
your response there as well, or give me permission to forward it
there, I would be ever so happy.

   [e-mail]  [e-mail]  WWIVNet 1@511  DoD #MCMLX


------------------------------

Subject: Re: 1-800 Nasties
From: [e-mail] (Fred Ennis)
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 13:34:00 -0400
Organization: Page 6, Ottawa, Ontario [phone]


[e-mail] (Tim Schmitt) writes:

>   This made me wonder what the screening process for numbers is, if
> at all.  How would you like to be the poor sap who ends up with
> 1-800-F***-YOU?  I called the number to see if the number was active,

Well, when I switched cellular carriers, they let me pick my own
number (I gave them a list and the second one on my list was
available). I am now the proud owner of a cellular number which indeed
does spell something rather rude. In fact the guy who told me the
number was available said, "Did you pick that to spell ________?" I
told him yes and he burst into laughter.

Most people don't think of such things. As a perfect example, our
company phones all begin with 739-. No one was aware that it was "SEX"
until I pointed it out.  I guess the majority of folks don't have that
kind of thought process.


Cheers!

Fred Ennis, [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: When the City of Chicago switched to centrex service
in the middle 1960's, getting rid of the old City Hall cord switchboard
and RANdolph 6-8000 after a half century, they upgraded the Police
Department switchboard as well, getting rid of WABash 2-4747. In its
place, the new centrex exchange was 312-744 for all city departments
including police. Trouble is, 744 was deliberatly picked by someone at
IBT who was in sympathy with the 1960's as we used to say ... 744
spells PIG, as the police were often called in those days of rage. No
one bothered to notice it for a few years except the joker at IBT who
selected it and a few insiders. Finally though the word began getting
around: under the new phone system (centrex), to speak with any specific
officer, one simply dialed PIG and his four digit extension. :)   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brendan B. Boerner)
Subject: Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again
Organization: Novell, Inc. --Austin
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 19:35:06 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(sohl,william h) writes:

> [Moderator's Note: Thanks for the tipoff Bill, but it is going around
> on Usenet <snicker> ... what do you expect? In fact, that very same
> article, word for word, appeared on Usenet several months ago; someone
> else sent it here saying 'stop it before it multiplies'; we chatted
> about it here for a couple weeks; everyone went 'tsk tsk, that rumor
> is going around again ...' and that was that. So now it is back again.
> In another six or nine months (once the current flame war over it
> stops) it will be back again. That is the nature of Usenet and its
> denizens: for goodness sake, never read an FAQ first, never research
> old news items; don't even read the answers posted yesterday ... just
> post your article while patting yourself on the back realizing how
> brilliant you are. If you know the magic incantation needed to make
> the 'modem tax' myth go away, for goodness sakes go to the groups in
> question and utter it, but I doubt it will matter.   PAT]

OK, OK, normally I'm not _too_ paranoid or willing to tolerate
conspiracy theories :-) but what would prevent this item from
resurfacing every six months or so for a couple of years and then the
FCC or whomever really does decide to enact it, on the theory that
everyone will assume it's the same old urban legend and not pay any
attention to it?


Curious,


Brendan B. Boerner    Phone: [phone]    MHS: bboerner@novell
Internet: [e-mail]     \  Please use either if replying
   or  [e-mail] /  by mail exterior to Novell.
Disclaimer: My views are my own, not Novell's.  They pay me to write
code, not speak for them.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 05:29:41 PST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again


In 727, Bill Sohl < [e-mail]> writes,:

> Since this claim is an almost annual event and is usually pure myth,

> Proposed FCC rules are usually identified as Docket numbers (eg.
> 81-216), NOIs (Notice of Inquiry), NOPRs, Notice of proposed rule
> making), etc.

> So, my challenge to all is this: Before we again see the flood of
> letters to the FCC, would someone please VALIDATE any of the claims
> relative to the, probably again fictitious, modem tax.  And, from my
> perspective, if no one can produce a copy of any definitive FCC
> documentation to substantiate the claim, then let's treat it as just
> another reappearance of the myth.<<

It`s no myth, though mis-informed and perhaps over-stated. The tax
being referred to is not a tax per se`, but is an outgrowth of
proposals in dockets 87-215 and 89-79.  87-215, as you may know, this
proposal caused quite a stir in the modem community since both
proposals contained rules that would have wiped out packet switchers,
such as PCP, and Compu-bux, Prodigy, and so on, by raising the costs
of access to unrealistic levels. I`m not sure, but would suggest that
it`s logical that the P-4 designation is a sub-section of the latter
of these two proposals.

The concepts in those proposals, IMHO, /are/ worth opposing. At the
same time it would seem that there is some mis-information floating
about, which does not help the cause. I`ve seen notes from FCC
watchers that suggest that the commission considers this proposal to
be the foundation for much of their current work ... in spite of the
fact that so much opposition was raised to the idea, way back in late
1987 right through to today.

I should point out, in fairness, that the text you`ve posted, matches,
byte for byte, what was posted on my system a couple years ago. At the
same time, let`s be fair to the folks reposting this from system to
system, and list to list: Given the current administration, I doubt
many people find it hard to believe rumors of yet another tax.


Regards,

/E


[Moderator's Note: Not only has that message appeared on many various
BBSs and elsewhere, I think by now it has even been reprinted more
often than that chain letter 'sent to you for good luck' which it
is claimed has been around the world seven times.  Maybe we could
start calling it the 'Modem Tax Chain Letter Which is Being Sent to
You For Good Luck by the Missionaries at Compuserve".  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Pelliccio)
Subject: Re: AT&T 2000 Public Phone
Date: 1 Nov 1993 15:47:48 GMT
Organization: Brown University Alumni & Development Office


In article <[e-mail]>, Greg Abbott <gabbott@uiuc.
edu> wrote:

> While on a recent business trip, I attempted to use an AT&T 2000
> Public Phone (the model with a keyboard attached).  I was unable to
> get it operate, but didn't have a whole lot of time to read all of the
> instructions.  I was attempting to use my AT&T Corporate Calling Card
> and the CRT on the phone kept telling me something like "Service
> unavailable ... please try again later".  I got this reponse on all
> three attempts.  I didn't really need to use it, but being a
> techno-buff, I decided it would be fun to play with.

> Does anyone know if I was doing something wrong?  Does it work with a
> calling card or does it have to be billed to a "real" credit card?

> [Moderator's Note: You were probably not doing anything wrong. That
> style phone had to be temporarily (maybe permanently?) suspended when
> one of the other carriers (I think it was MCI) had a hissy fit and
> said if they could not have it also, then no one could. They got a
> court order to force AT&T to quit offering the service; that litiga-
> tion is pending in the courts.  PAT]

Figures. As far as I'm concerned MCI should be banned from doing
business in the United States. Hey, if they want public terminals let
THEM put them in. AT&T has no obligation to share their equipment with
a bozo carrier like MCI.

We see the same thing in Amateur Radio. The American Radio Relay
League offered to administer the re-started club callsign database.
The W5YI group yelled and screamed to the FCC about it so now there
will be no re-start.  Bunch of crybabies if you ask me. Make me want
to send my W5YI accreditation back to them with about 400 pages of
nastygram attached, postage due.


Tony Pelliccio
[e-mail]
Brown University Alumni & Development Computing Services
Box 1908    Providence, RI 02912   [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Breuckman)
Subject: Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 17:27:19 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> Jonathan Rosenberg
<[e-mail]> writes:

> But, that won't work for me since I'm dialing via my portable's modem.
> Does anyone know of a way around this?  E.g., is there, in fact, a way
> to avoid the human operator?  Or is there a way have a call start with
> a human operator and then plug into my modem?  Any ideas?

> [Moderator's Note: Set your modem to dial a null string; have it just
> dial the ATDT part with nothing following.

One additional note: you will likely have to use the string ATX0DT so
that the modem will not look for dialtone.  I'm sure some modems will
recognize carrier even if they never heard dialtone, but most will be
stubborn and will sit waiting for the dialtone unless you tell them
(via X0) to not look for it.


[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Vance Shipley)
Subject: Re: AT&T System 75 Switch to NT Meridium 1
Organization: XeniTec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1993 11:34:22 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Tim Kramer
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> I'm currently using vectoring on an AT&T System 75 which I know NT has
> used for years.  I just don't see any major advantage of getting rid
> of everything including the phones for a change.  I know NT is great
> stuff so I know that I'm missing some specs somewhere.  What are the
> biggest reasons for switching over from an AT&T System 75 to a
> Northern Telecom Meridium 1?  Any small switch gurus out there that
> can help?

It's actually Meridian 1.

I was surprised to see you statement about call vectoring.  I have
extensive experience with the SL-1/Meridian 1 PBX line but only a
"what I've read" knowledge of AT&T's PBX products.  However from what
I've seen "Call Vectoring" is the single biggest feature their
switches provide which the Meridian 1 does not.

The Meridian 1 supports both SCR and MCR type DN appearances.  A
normal DN (Directory Number) appearance would be an SCR (Single Call
Ring) type.  The same DN could be provisioned on another set, also as
an SCR, to allow someone else to answer this DN.  When either set was
using the DN the other would show it as in use and a subsequent call
would receive busy treatment.

If both sets had been given MCR (Multiple Call Ring) type DN
appearances then the DN remains available as long as one of the
appearances is idle.  So if a call rang the DN it would ring both sets
but once it was answered by one the DN of the other would show idle
and another call would still ring in to this other appearance.

The Meridian 1 does not allow mixing of SCR/MCR types on the same DN.

The AT&T switches have the same basic ability but they do allow mixing
of types.  Imagine a group of customer support stations, each having
two sets in a workstation.  A common DN is used to direct calls to the
group.  Each set has an appearance of the DN, once a user answers a
call the DN is idle on the other workstation's sets.  The other set at
the workstation is busy though because it has been grouped with the
other set.  The user might put the call on hold and take it at the
other set.  Other workstations have no appearance of the call.

This I understand to be "Call Vectoring" in it's more complicated
form.  I guess the simple "MCR" feature of the Meridian 1 might
qualify as well.

[ If an AT&T expert out there sees glaring innacuracies in these
statements  please do publicly correct me.  I hate being
misinformed :) ]


Vance Shipley, [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 02 Nov 93 01:18 GMT
From: Jeff Garber <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Sprint Modem Offer


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Chris Ambler) writes:

>I switched over EIGHT (count 'em EIGHT) lines with a promise of EIGHT
modems of that variety.

Yet more inconsistencies. I have two lines (the second one was already
on Sprint). When I called to switch my first line so I could get a
modem, the rep put me on hold to check if I could get two since I have
two lines that will both be on Sprint (her suggestion, not mine). The
answer she came back with was "Sorry, they said only one per
household.  I tried."

I learned that if you don't say DVORAK, no one knows about this offer.
I had to call twice, because the first time I didn't remember the name
of the offer, and the rep was unable to find information about any
modem offer. After going back over the thread here, I called back and
asked about the offer by name, and the (different) rep knew exactly
what I was talking about.

It has been mentioned here that the offer was over Oct. 1. What about
those of us who called after that and were promised modems? Will we
receive them since they were promised to us? Has anyone received their
modem from Sprint yet?

I signed up for this a couple weeks ago, and my phone still hasn't
been switched over (per 700-555-4141), so I used the FonCard they sent
me to call an interLATA friend and "activate" my account for the modem
to be sent. I guess I shouldn't hold my breath ...


Jeff Garber <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Robert J Woodhead)
Subject: Re: AT&T Public Phone 2000
Organization: Foretune Co., Ltd.
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 13:56:24 GMT


[e-mail] writes:

> Does anyone know the latest on the situation with AT&T's Public Phone
> 2000 with reference to using it as a terminal? Everytime I go to the
> airport, I try it to see if it's been turned back on yet.

Plug your portable PC into the modem jack.  Lift receiver.  Let it
read your card. Have PC dial.  When screen says so, put receiver down.

Voila.  Modem and Faxmodem calls, billed to your card.  You can also
manually dial the number too.

The only thing that doesn't work is the silly keyboard.


Robert J. Woodhead, Biar Games / AnimEigo, Incs.    [e-mail]
AnimEigo US Office Email (for general questions): [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 02 NOV 93 09:51
Subject: Re: Laguna Fires


Pat, I wonder if the porcine blathering of one Robert L. McMillin
blaming the dreaded "liberals" for the Laguna Beach firestorm was so
preposterous as to not merit inclusion in the Digest.  We see so much
of this neo-Fascist attitude here in Orange County; folks like Mr.
McMillin still can't accept that the beloved bible-thumping
war-mongering president was so roundly defenestrated.  Mr. McMillin
can certainly point to narrow streets and non-aggressive brush
clearing policies in Laguna Beach as major contributory factors in the
tragedy, but I'm hard pressed to accept that being liberal (which
around here means any non-extreme conservative view) was relevant.

Laguna Beach has a high gay population.  Go ahead and tell us that the
fires were god's wrath on the gays, Mr. McMillin.  Oink, Oink.


Arthur L. Shapiro        [e-mail]
Software Engineering
Unisys Corporation       Speaking as a civilian, rather than for
Mission Viejo, CA        Unisys, unless this box is checked: [ ]


[Moderator's Note: Sorry, Mr. Shapiro, this is the first I have heard
anything about the population demographics in that area. I don't know
if Mr. McMillan is aware of what you claim or not, but knowing what
little I do about him, I suspect he is laughing hysterically at your
comments as he reads them. I doubt the private sex lives of the
citizens there concern him at all. As I said, this is the first I've
heard of it myself.  I suspect McMillian's crime against nature is
being libertarian in his philosophy.  :)   PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Car Phones and Accidents?
From: Stefan Zingg <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 93 19:38:15 +0100


In article <[e-mail]>, Peter M. Weiss
<[e-mail]> writes:

> Does any one have any definitive statistics of the use of car
> (cellular) phones and traffic accidents?

If you caused an accident, would you tell the police: "I didn't see
the [red light/other car/old lady/young man/whatever] because I was
concentrating on my phone"?

So I think both answers are "no".


Stefan
Internet: <[e-mail]> (preferred),  <[e-mail]>
UUCP-net: ...gator!ixgch!stefan!stefan  Voicenet: +41 61 - 261 28 90
Papernet: Stefan Zingg, St.Johanns-Vorstadt 19, 4056 Basel,
Switzerland

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Nov 93 15:15 GMT
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Problems With CNID


In an article in TELECOM DIGEST lunatix![e-mail] writes:

> A friend of mine has been having trouble with Caller ID.  Since he
> doesn't have access to a computer, I'm posting this for him.

> Occasionally, he'll get a call from an irate GTE customer saying that
> he just called them (either via the Caller ID box, or *69).  Trouble
> is, no one at my friend's apartment make any phone calls prior to
> these incidents.  Both of us have noticed that the phone's (a
> Panasonic Easa-Phone) in-use light lights up for no reason sometimes.
> However, the angry callers don't always call after the light is on.

  I'm in NYC and I had a similar problem, for no reason I would get
strange messages on my machine and the occasional odd phone call when
I was around to pick up. I disconnected my cordless phone, but that
was not the problem.  When I used the ANAC number (In NYC its 958-
there must be a FAQ listing them) to check my number (it is ANAC
right- Automatic Number Anouncement C-what?) it read back my telephone
numbers, sometimes a different telephone number, and sometimes BOTH
numbers at once. I tried to dial repair from that line, the call went
out on the two cross-connected lines at once, and I had two repair
people pick up at _exactly_ the same time with the same greeting.

I called back (I didn't want to talk to two repair people at once,
although it might have been interesting to see how they handled it),
gave them my number and the crossed number and they cleared the
problem. The problem was in the CO switching system somewhere- it was
NOT a wiring error in my building. Maybe you have a similar problem?
If it ls a crossed line (either locally or in the CO) I would think
you could find out by repeatedly dialing the problem number from the
problem line, if it's crossed to another line you won't get a busy
every time (the same with using ANAC). Do it maybe 10 or 15 times
though, my problem seemed to be semi-intermittent.

Hope this helps!


Christopher Zguris   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Subject: Re: Time Change
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1993 20:23:48 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]> writes:

> Don't forget, Saturday night is when we set our clocks back one
> hour in the USA. Officially, the magic hour is 2 AM Sunday morning,
> when it will become 1 AM all over again. For a good time, try
> calling 202-653-1800 at 1:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time and listen
> for the full minute allowed. You'll note after 1:59:50 it becomes
> 1:00:00 again without missing a beat on the master clock.

    Somewhere I read that at 2:00 am Sunday morning, all the
Amtrak trains stopped for an hour to allow the clocks to catch up with
the trains.  I wonder, though, what do they do in the spring?


Harold


[Moderator's Note: What they do in the spring is they try hard to
catch up the loss by running the trains faster. I know I did the very
same thing Sunday morning:  I stopped what I was doing for one hour
and waited for the clock to catch up with me. I was asleep at the
time by the way, so I woke up, sat there on the edge of my bed and
waited until the clock was accurate again, then went back to sleep.
That's the way all right-thinking Barney of the Orange Card Moderators
did it.   :)   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #733
******************************

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Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 03:32:39 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #734

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 3 Nov 93 03:32:30 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 734

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fire Update (Steve Lichter)
    Fires at Will (Jeff Sicherman)
    Book Review: "Globalization, Technology and Competition" (Rob Slade)
    Telecom-Tech Mailing List (Tom Ace)
    Canadian Internet Resources (Rick Broadhead)
    LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Thaddeus H. Wood)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2 Nov 93 16:16:42-0500
From: Steven Lichter <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fire Update


[Moderator's Note: This was written *before* Malibu ...and was delayed
in transmission due to Steve's difficult work assignment at present.
My thanks also go to the person at GTE who is faxing me updates; but
Steve's account below seems to be quite detailed. We'll have to
wait until later to hear what the scoop is on Malibu.   PAT]


Posted: Mon, Nov  1, 1993   3:53 PM PST              Msg: NGJD-5641-2522
From:   M.AMADOR
To:     GTCA, GTEL, CRISIS.COMM, R.J.PALMER, T.EDWARDS, P.MINER,
        L.NIGG, M.FOSTER, D.FIASCO, T.WHITE, M.ESSTMAN, T.ZIEGLER
Subj:   FIRE UPDATE - GTE CALIFORNIA

     The following is another in a series of updates that relate
     to the catastrophic fires in Southern California:


     STATUS AS OF 9:00 AM PST - NOVEMBER 1, 1993

     I.  CUSTOMER FACILITY IMPACTS:

          A.  NETWORK SERVICES

                     INLAND VALLEYS DIVISION


          The network has been fully restored.  There are no
          outages.

          The Ortega fire area assessment has been completed.
          There is no GTE facility damage in that area.


                    CENTRAL VALLEYS DIVISION

          The network has been fully restored.  There are no
          outages.


                     OCEAN VALLEYS DIVISION

          The network is fully restored.


          B.  NETWORK PROVISIONING


                     INLAND VALLEYS DIVISION

          There are no reported problems in this division.

                    CENTRAL VALLEYS DIVISION

          Division personnel worked over the weekend to restore
          customer services in those areas impacted by the fire.

          Laguna is comprised of several small community
          divisions.  In those divisions, the customers that are
          out of service are not the entire community; but
          spotty.

          373 homes were destroyed.  91 customers have been
          returned to service.  Total restoration for customers
          in this area requesting service and requiring outside
          plant repair or replacement will be completed on 11/4
          Customer impact:  Approximately 100


                     OCEAN VALLEYS DIVISION

          The areas of Mugu, Sycamore Canyon and Santa Paula have
          all been fully restored.

          Laguna Peak is restored and awaiting installation
          request from the customer.

          Carlisle Canyon is 40% restored.  It will be 70%
          restored by the end of business November 1.  Total
          restoration will be achieved by Thursday November 4,
          1993.

          Customer impact:  20 - 25 customers

          Yerba Buena Canyon remains the most difficult area to
          restore.  It is in a mountainous and difficult terrain.
          Complete restoration will require replacing 60,000 feet
          of cable and at least 12 utility poles.  Crews are
          working to place poles in hard rock and elevated areas.

          It is estimated the majority of the customers in that
          area will be restored within 6 - 7 days.  Total
          restoration may take up to 2 weeks.

          Customer impact:  200 - 250 customers

     SUMMARY:  The remaining restoration efforts are
     concentrating on repair and replacement of outside plant.
     Only 375 of GTE California's customers remain out of
     service.  This figure is down from the 2500 originally
     requiring restoration efforts.  There is no damage to GTE
     buildings and all critical switching centers are operating.
     Repair call volumes from customers are at a normal or
     slightly lower than normal level.

     II.  EMPLOYEE ISSUES

     Division personnel continue to work to provide service to
     GTE customers.  The Customer Disaster Center established in
     Laguna Beach has processed over 100 orders and will remain
     open until Friday November 5, 1993.

     Ocean Valleys Division will augment the workforce in the
     restoration of Yerba Buena Canyon once the poles have been
     properly placed.  At that time additional employees will be
     required.

     No employees have suffered a loss of their homes as a result
     of the fires.

     III.  COMMUNITY RESPONSES

     The coin trailers placed in response to the disaster effort
     remain in the area and active.  They provide free local and
     long distance calling to victims in the fire areas.

     Two of the trailers have been moved at the request of the
     cities either to misuse (in Malibu) by non victims or to
     improve accessibility.

     The Division of Ratepayers Advocates has contacted
     Regulatory to say they appreciated our periodic updates on
     fire response and restoration at GTE.

     Public Affairs continues to release internal and external
     statements to keep GTE activities in the forefront of
     employees and customers.  Over 200 interviews have been
     given to the media and Public Affairs is in the process of
     drafting an advertisement to appear in local papers thanking
     customers and employees during this period.

     A $75,000 grant from the GTE Foundation has been requested
     to donate to the Red Cross.  It is in the approval process
     and it is hoped the funds will be available for distribution
     no later than Wednesday November 3, to capitalize on press
     opportunities.


     The next scheduled conference call is on Tuesday November 2,
     at 9:00 AM PST.  At that conference, attendees will receive
     an initial report on expenditures and determine the need for
     further calls.

     All restoration efforts and work completed will be permanent
     wherever possible.  This will minimize duplication of
     restoration efforts.

     All charges of labor, material and labor are to be charged
     to the open ended work orders assigned to this project.  Any
     questions from the field regarding the work order numbers
     may be called to Valerie Clairmont at 805/372-8106, if you
     are unable to resolve locally.

     The Emergency Operating Center is closed for calls; but
     personnel remain on stand by.

     Any questions regarding the information in this telemail or
     the Emergency Operating Center, other than the work orders,
     may be directed to M. Amador at 805/372-7512.



     M. AMADOR
     Administrator - Emergency Preparedness

Posted: Mon, Nov  1, 1993   4:01 PM PST              Msg: CGJD-5641-2791
From:   B.J.BARBER
To:     gtca, gtel
CC:     l.higson
Subj:   Fire Damage Update

The following is an all-employee bulletin

November 1, 1993

Final fire damage restoration underway


Approximately 375 of GTE California's 3.1 million customers statewide
were still out of service on Monday morning due to the fires that hit
Southern California last week.

As of this morning, the GTE network is 100 percent operational.
Employees continued to work throughout the weekend to restore service
to customers.

In the Laguna Beach area, more than 100 customers used the GTE service
center set up at the Laguna Beach central office.  Cellular phones
were lent to 10 Laguna customers and a coin trailer was moved to the
Laguna Beach City Hall.  A total of 373 customer homes were destroyed
in Laguna but work will be completed by Thursday to restore an
additional 100 customer lines that were out of service due to the
fire.

In the Thousand Oaks fire, employees are working to restore more than
20 customer lines that were damaged by the fire in Carlisle Canyon.
Most customers there will be back in service today.  Complete
restoration is expected by Thursday.  In the Yerba Buena fire,
employees are replacing a 60,000 foot cable, which includes stringing
cable over canyons and an extensive amount of hand digging.  Telephone
service for 250 customers who were affected in that area will be
restored in the next six to 14 days.

"We are very service conscious and it is times like this when the real
GTE comes out," said Mike Crawford, Vice President General Manager for
GTE West Area.

There were no employee injuries and no damage to employee homes
reported from the fires.

GTE has waived payment of the basic monthly phone rate for 90 days for
Californians displaced by the fires.  We also are offering fire
victims free local and toll calling from coin phone trailers located
in Malibu and Laguna Beach.  AT&T, MCI and Sprint are providing free
long-distance service from those phones, excluding international
calls.

GTE also is providing customers with free remote call forwarding, so
they can be called on their usual phone number, which can be
transferred to another location within GTE or Pacific Bell.  Customers
would pay only toll costs for this service. Or, displaced customers
within GTE can use Personal Secretary at no charge.  After 90 days,
they would pay their basic phone rate, but could receive remote call
forwarding or Personal Secretary free of charge until October 1994.

To facilitate communications among firefighters, GTE has provided
mobile cellular phones to fire departments in Ventura County and
Laguna Beach.  Additionally, GTE has provided phone lines to the
Ventura County Sheriff's Dept., and for the emergency services command
centers in Laguna Beach, Malibu, Thousand Oaks and Hemet.  The company
also installed a portable microwave facility to serve the Laguna Beach
Police Dept. and is continuing to work with emergency agencies to
provide communications capabilities.

I sure hope you got this.

Things are starting to cook here again. The Hemet fire is still going and
now there is one in Woodland Hills.


Steven Lichter   GTECalif COEI


[Moderator's Note: Steve's comment 'I sure hope you got this' is due
to the fact that the first transmission of this bulletin was lost
in transit. Little did he know (or maybe not, maybe experience has
already prepared him) that Malibu would become an inferno next.  :(  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jeff Sicherman)
Subject: Fires at Will
Date: 2 Nov 1993 21:28:20 GMT
Organization: Cal State Long Beach


  The latest blaze ... the Calabasas/Topanga/Malibu fire (choose one,
it'll be there before long anyway) is heading in the general direction
of Saddle Peak, which is -- according to news reports -- a major
installation site for PacBell, GTE, and emergency agencies
communications (relay) equipment. It might be cellular stuff; they
weren't too precise about it.


Jeff Sicherman


[Moderator's Note: A long time reader of the Digest wrote me Tuesday
evening to say he woke up Tuesday with the fire a mile or so away,
which I guess would make anyone jump out of bed in a hurry. It was
good luck for him though that winds were blowing the fire away from
him by that time. Maybe when he sees this he will write to comment
on Saddle Peak, what he knows about it, and if it is skipped by
the fires or not.  What is going on in southern California? I mean,
*everyone* knows California has fires every year; it is in the
nature of things there. But this past week ... jeeze ... it seems
much more extreme than in my past memory.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date:  2 Nov 93 15:13 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Globalization, Technology and Competition"


BKGLBTCH.RVW  980930

Havard Business School Press
Soldiers Field Road
Boston, MA   02163
617-495-6700   617-495-6117   800-545-7685
617-495-6444   617-495-6334   fax: [phone]
or
McGraw-Hill Ryerson/Osborne
300 Water Street
Whitby, Ontario  L1N 9B6
416-430-5000   416-430-5047 Rita Bisram, Marketing
fax: [phone]
or
2600 Tenth St.
Berkeley, CA   94710   USA
415-548-2805   800-227-0900
"Globalization, Technology and Competition", Bradley/Hausman/Nolan, U$34.95


The inclusion of "globalization" and "competition" in the title, as
well as the imprimatur of the Harvard Business School indicate that
this will be other than a technical manual.  At the same time, the
subtitle does give one hope that there will be some technical material
of interest.  One should know better by now.  When business and
technical interests clash, business always wins.

"Business" research, along with much of economics, reminds one of the
statement about much of educational research: if it isn't blatant
nonsense, it's stuff your grandmother knew.  As they say in Russia,
there is no pravda in Izvetsia, and no izvetsia in Pravda (a pun on
the names of the two major papers, the "Truth" and the "News").  This
compilation of papers appears to have been taken from a single
symposium and made to fit into a book.  The heavy preponderance of
professors from Harvard and MIT make the work seem quite
self-indulgent.  The range of companies studied goes from big to big:
by the time you are finished you will know more than you ever wanted
about the International Stock Exchange, General Electric Information
Services, Saturn, Benetton, Wal-Mart and Rosenbluth Travel.

In the absence of a preface or foreword, chapter (or paper) one, with
the slightly reordered title of "Global Competition and Technology",
would seem to fill that role, particularly as it is the only content
of part one.  However, after an initial laying of some foundations and
a seeming introduction to part two, this first paper drifts into a
mini-"Megatrend" essay which tries to touch all of the communications,
technology and globalization bases without much apparent structure.
The technical background is suspect in places, as where the authors
applaud the death of standards, suggesting that this will drive the
movement to open systems.  This indicates a very profound lack of
understanding of the necessity of standards for the open systems
concept to even exist, and a limiting of the definition of "standard"
to "proprietary standards", itself almost an oxymoron.

Part two discusses organizational structures.  If the aim is to
propose any suggested style for "global" organizations, it is only
scantily achieved.  Malone and Rockart give us some rewording of
Naismith's "networking", structure with an organization (as opposed to
the hierarchical pyramid of traditional companies) with "adhocracies"
and "answer networks".  However, they appear to be proposing that such
structures already exist within large corporations: their only
evidence is a "gee whiz" listing of some information technologies
already in use.  Some idea of the framework under which a global
organizational structure could develop would be helpful.  Eccles and
Nolan appear to want to give us that.  Instead, we get a retreading of
the usual "policy vs procedure" model of delegation from management to
line workers (under the new phrase "superordinate design").  Tacking
an additional title onto an existing acronym (GIS, commonly known as
geographic information systems but here used as global information
systems), Konsynski and Karimi purport to help us to design worldwide
networks.  Instead, we have vague business terms being applied to
complex networking problems; one admission that networks might be
limited by available technologies; and one "case study" which lists
applications which are, again, impressive but do not address current
major problems.

Part three purports to talk about the creation and restructuring of
industries.  Whether this is supposed to be prescriptive (how to
restructure) or descriptive (what new industries *will* look like) is
left open.  In any case, definitive statements about restructuring are
hard to come by.  Bradley's article lists some new industries and some
restructured companies.  But the role of information technology is not
directly linked to any changes.  The promised examination of the value
and cost justification is limited to two paragraphs stating that
measurements of return on investment for networks are difficult,
seldom done, but should be done.  Not very helpful.  (In addition it
is very difficult, in the paper, to distinguish technical networking
from business, political or social "networking".)  Hayter's chapter
discussing the changes wrought by the introduction of electronic
trading to the International Stock Exchange is fascinating but
somewhat limited by the lack of specific examples of change to
affected companies.  The restructuring of a manufacturing industry is
examined in the case of a particular company, but the Jaikumar/Upton
paper goes to the opposite extreme and fails to give any account of
technology in this firm limited not only to one nation, but to a
restricted area within Italy.  The Hammond article does study one
technology area ("point of sale" information) and one industry (retail
sales, particularly fashion) and produces the best of the bunch.  More
detail would have been helpful.  One example in the fashion industry
cites a six-week response time.  That is half a "season" in fashion:
it would be interesting to see how to shorten it.

Part four is ostensibly aimed at the general manager who needs to
respond strategically to the changes of globalization and technology.
One would assume, therefore, that this section would be primarily
practical.  Not so.  A paper by Clemons again trying to cover the
whole field (and, again, demonstrating a basic misunderstanding of the
business aspects of computing by the statement that information
technology investments are feasible and not restricted to a single use
with a single partner), a presentation of an IBM study on
globalization that stresses "balance", and an interesting study of
GM's Saturn division which makes almost no mention of technology.  The
one useful article details the international "expansion" of a travel
agency through alliances with "local" firms in other countries and the
use of technological assistance which supports and cements the
alliance.

The final section of the book is entitled, "Competing with
Technology".  However you wish to interpret that, the three papers
have little to do with it.  Hausman lists activities of various
telecommunications carriers overseas, while the other two articles are
two versions of peering into the future.  The Marx article is quite
"blue sky" in its assessment.  The Hald and Konsynski article is more
detailed but perhaps no more useful.  The technologies it examines are
certainly interesting.  However, the recent development of a
dependable replacement for the century-old gas meter design will
likely turn a seven hundred million dollar gas meter supply industry
into a twenty-five million dollar industry within three years (and
have an even greater impact on gas service.)  This may not be as
"sexy" as virtual reality, but it will affect business much more over
the next five years.

The conference that prompted this book may simply have been a bad one.
In all likelihood, though, this is a fair representation of current
business thinking with regard to technology.  Fuzzy.  I would
recommend that managers with a technical background study this book.
My reason is the same reason I would give for studying BASIC.  In self
defence, it behooves you to know what the brass is being fed, and,
what nonsense you might have to deal with.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKGLBTCH.RVW  980930
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Nov 93 14:43:26 PST
From: crux![e-mail] (Tom Ace)
Subject: Telecom-Tech Mailing List


If (like me) you don't have a news feed, you can now read and
participate in the discussions in alt.dcom.telecom, as it is now also
available by mail as a digest.  To quote from the heading of a recent
issue:

The Telecom-Tech Mailing List is an unmoderated forum for the
discussion of the various technical aspects of modern and historical
telecommuniations.  Major topics include switching, physical means of
transmission of analog and digital data, wireless communications, and
methods of control and distribution of services.  Discussions of
legislation and regulation as they directly affect technology are also
welcome.

Telecom-Tech is bi-directionally gated to the newsgroup alt.dcom.telecom.

Please send subscription requests and changes to:
[e-mail]

Please send your articles to:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 02 Nov 93 18:11:47 EST
From: Rick Broadhead <[e-mail]>
Subject: Canadian Internet Resources


Calling all Canadian Internet users!

Rick Broadhead and Jim Carroll are working on an Internet book called
the Canadian Internet Handbook.  The Canadian Internet Handbook is
expected to be the first Internet book with a Canadian perspective.
To help us make this book truly Canadian, we are asking Internet users
to send us information about Canadian Internet resources.
Specifically, we are collecting the following types of information for
the book:

(1) Internet resources ** where the subject matter pertains to Canada **
    (these resources don't have to be located in Canada)
    e.g. mailing lists, Gopher resources, telnet sites, FTP files,
         Canadian library catalogs accessible via the Internet

(2) Internet resources located in Canada
    e.g. Gopher servers, IRC sites, telnet sites, FTP sites,
         archie sites, finger sites, and other Internet services
         available in Canada

(3) Canadian organizations doing interesting work that involves the
    Internet

(4) Canadian organizations that offer courses/seminars on how to use
    the Internet. Canadian organizations that do Internet training and
    consulting.

(5) Statistics and interesting facts about the Internet in Canada
    (Canadian Internet trivia)

(6) Anecdotes about how people and organizations are using the Internet
    in Canada.  Do you have an interesting story to tell?  How has the
    Internet helped you or your business/organization?

We need your help!  Here's how to submit information for the book:

For items (1) and (2), please complete the enclosed form and return it
to [e-mail].  For items (3), (4), (5), and (6), please
send the information directly to [e-mail].  All
contributions are greatly appreciated!


Name of Canadian Internet Resource:

Brief Description (1-4 sentences):

How to Access the Resource (please provide instructions):


Thank you for your contribution.  For more information about the
Canadian Internet Handbook, please contact the authors, as detailed
below.


Rick Broadhead, FAS, York University |  Jim Carroll, J.A. Carroll Consulting
Internet: [e-mail]      |  Internet: [e-mail]
Voice: [phone]                |  Voice:  [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Thaddeus H. Wood)
Subject: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: 2 Nov 1993 05:47:36 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz


Okay.  Here's my thought-dilemma.  It's my intuitive belief that a
file maximally compressed with a non real-time LZW algorithm, such as
used in pkZIP or lha, should not be able to be compressed with a
real-time algorithm such as v.42bis.  This seems logical to me.  If
anyone can say otherwise, please do.

Now, it is also my understanding that when using a 14.4kbs modem, one
should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.  Taking into consideration 1
start and 1 stop bit per byte.

Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

My mind tells me that this compression ratio should not be possible in
a real-time environment on already compressed data.

So, my question is what am I not taking into account here, if my
suppositions are correct?  And if they are correct, then why hasn't
anyone implemented a non real-time v.42bis implementation to compress
those "uncompressable" LZW compressed files?  Should save considerable
HD space, no?

And, of course, if this message seems totally ludicrous to you, please
be forgiving.  It's been a long day.


Thaddeus H. Wood  715 Washington St. Suite D  Santa Cruz, CA  95060
 [e-mail] -- +1 408.423.8733 -- [e-mail]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #734
******************************


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Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 13:52:18 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #735

TELECOM Digest     Wed, 3 Nov 93 13:52:15 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 735

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fire Update, 11-2-93  3:04 PM PST (Steve Lichter)
    Fire Update, 11-2-93  5:34 PM and 6:34 PM PST (Steve Lichter)
    Fire Update, 11-3-93  1:32 AM (Faxes received by TELECOM Moderator)
    Re: Fires at Will (Rich Greenberg)
    Long Distance Provider Access Codes (Alan M. Foonberg)
    Non-Bell Local Loop (Carl Oppedahl)
    Great Lakes Long Distance (Bill Leeke)
    Remote Call Forwarding (Jon Zeeff)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2 Nov 93 19:49:37-0500
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: Fire Update 11-2-93  3:04 PM PST


Posted: Tue, Nov  2, 1993   3:04 PM PST              Msg: LGJD-5644-4852
From:   M.AMADOR
To:     GTCA, GTEL, CRISIS.COMM, R.J.PALMER, T.EDWARDS, P.MINER,
        L.NIGG, M.FOSTER, D.FIASCO, T.WHITE, M.ESSTMAN,
        T.ZIEGLER
Subj:   FIRE UPDATE - GTE CALIFORNIA

     This is another in the series of updates on the status of
     the catastrophic Southland Fires.

     STATUS AS OF 9:00 AM PST - November 2, 1993

     I.   CUSTOMER FACILITY IMPACTS:

          A.  NETWORK SERVICES

          There are no outages or network problems remaining in
                    the impacted areas.

          B.  NETWORK PROVISIONING

                     INLAND VALLEYS DIVISION

          There are no reports for this Division.  They will be
          excluded from future updates unless the status changes.

                    CENTRAL VALLEYS DIVISION

          Only 6 known customers remain out of service as of this
          report.  They are in a remote area.  Cable providing
          service was underground but melted.  Temporary service
          will be restored by 10:00 AM PST today.  They have been
          using cellular phones provided by GTE in the interim.

          Canyon fiber optic and copper cable that was damaged
          will be replaced by next Saturday.  Customers have been
          advised we are working on the cable.

          The microwave facility installed on Wednesday has been
          removed.  The coin trailer in front of the Laguna CO
          will be removed today.  The other site will be
          contacted to establish how long it will remain.

          Most recent statistics are 393 homes destroyed, 191
          with heavy damage and 17 with moderate damage.

          Laguna is experiencing high winds as the Santa Ana
          conditions return to the area.  Fire Departments are
          very visible and there appears to be no cause for
          concern.


                          OCEAN VALLEYS

          Carlisle Canyon is 70% restored.  Total restoration
          will be completed by late Wednesday or early Thursday.

          Yerba Buena - Contractors have begun placing cable.
          9500' of 100 pair cable required placing.  Only 1000'
          feet remain to be done.  Tomorrow splicing and setting
          of terminals will begin.

          11,000' of 600 pair cable is being laid up into the
          remote areas.  They will begin splicing the initial
          footage tomorrow.  The time delay is due to the fact
          the cable runs for approximately 1 1/2 miles before it
          encounters any customers in a sub community called
          Yellow Hill.

          This area, like Laguna, has several sub communities.

          Yellow Hill is the first sub community along the 600
          pair cable span.  Restorations will begin on Thursday.

          The Deer Creek area requires 18,000' of assorted cable.
          The pole work here has been completed and inspected.
          Lashing the poles will begin today and cable will be
          placed within 2 - 3 days.  It is estimated terminals
          will be cut in and restoration will begin on Thursday
          in this area.

          As a reminder, this is a very remote area with steep
          terrain.  Workers are placing poles in hard rock and on
          or near cliff type edges.  Some of the terrain is
          inaccessible by vehicle and cable and poles must be
          manually transported to the work site.

          The most recent statistics for this area are a loss of
          66 structures.

          Customer impact remains 200 - 250

     II. EMPLOYEE ISSUES

          The high winds have returned and are blowing ashes and
          embers.  Visibility is down.  Work was delayed this
          morning as crews were provided with goggles and masks
          to ensure their safety while working.

          The fire department is aware we are working in the area
          and is in communication with the Newbury Park Field
          Command Site.


     III. COMMUNITY RESPONSES

          Arrangements have been made for the First Presbyterian
          Church to utilize the former service office in Laguna
          as a storage site.  The facility is empty.  The
          utilities have been turned back on and the necessary
          legal documents signed.

          No status was provided for the grant from the GTE
          Foundation.


     Today the Santa Ana conditions have returned to Southern
     California.  Fire Departments are in a proactive mode.  They
     are patrolling potential hazardous areas and are confident
     they can handle the situation.  As of this morning all of
     the fires are contained.  While Altadena and Thousand Oaks
     continue to have burn areas, they are included in the
     contained sites.

     During the conference call this morning, attendees in the
     Divisions reviewed how they tracked time and materials
     during the initial response prior to the establishment of
     the open ended work orders.

     The determination was made to discontinue the conference
     meetings.  Divisions will report status daily via telemail
     to ensure the response effort is completed.

     The Emergency Operating Center remains closed; but is on
     stand by until the Santa Ana conditions cease.

     Any questions regarding the information in this telemail are
     to be directed to M. Amador at 805/372-7512.


     M. AMADOR
     Administrator - Emergency Preparedness

Posted: Tue, Nov  2, 1993   3:29 PM PST              Msg: AGJD-5644-5527
From:   B.J.BARBER
To:     gtca, gtel
CC:     l.higson
Subj:   FIRE BULLETIN 11/02/93

                The following is an all-employee bulletin

November 2, 1993

                Fires continue to burn in Southern California

GTE's Emergency Operations Center was reactivated in Thousand Oaks at
1:15 p.m. on Tuesday after two more fires hit the Southern California
area this afternoon, charring parts of the Calabasas and
Banning/Beaumont areas.

In Calabasas, the fire is moving south west toward Malibu.  So far, no
GTE facilities have been affected, however, the Malibu yard has been
evacuated as a precautionary measure.  The fire skipped over Saddle
Peak, a major microwave site for the Los Angeles area.  The fire is
moving 12 miles an hour.  Several homes have been lost and two
injuries have been reported.  Evacuation centers have been set up at
Calabasas High School, Pacific Palisades High School, Agoura High
School and the Malibu Community Center.  Schools in the Calabasas,
Agoura and surrounding areas have been evacuated.  Three arson
suspects are being sought for starting the fire.

Fire also is raging through the Banning/Beaumont area, heading south
west.  So far, 3,000 areas have been burned and parts of Highland
Springs, Cherry Valley and Beaumont have been evacuated.  No GTE
facilities have been affected.  The concern is with the winds which
are due to peak this afternoon.

As of this morning, all GTE Laguna Beach customers were back in
service.  About 200 customers in the Carlisle Canyon and Yerba Buena
areas, near Thousand Oaks, are still out of service due to extensive
fire-related cable damage which is still being repaired.

                    ------------------

Well, as I took this off our main system the news is showing a Coast
Guard Cutter is off the beach at Malibu which has the fire right down
to the highway, they don't know if it is to help with evacuation or
fighting fire by pumping ocean water on to the fire. We have three
offices right in the fire area and I believe I saw one on the news, no
reports of any damage but if it keeps coming we may have some major
damage.  The fire is coming down to the center of Malibu where the
civic center and shopping area are.


Steven H. Lichter    GTECalif COEI

------------------------------

Date: 2 Nov 93 23:46:24-0500
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: Fire Update  11-2-93  5:44 PM and 6:34 PM PST


Posted: Tue, Nov  2, 1993   5:44 PM PST              Msg: NGJD-5644-8102
From:   M.AMADOR
To:     GTCA, GTEL, CRISIS.COMM, R.J.PALMER, T.EDWARDS, P.MINER,
        L.NIGG, M.FOSTER, D.FIASCO, T.WHITE, M.ESSTMAN,
        T.ZIEGLER
Subj:   FIRE UPDATE - GTE CALIFORNIA
     This is another in the series of updates on the catastrophic
     fire situation in Southern California.  The Conference
     Status Calls have been reinstated and will occur every four
     hours or as required.

     The Emergency Operating Center in Thousand Oaks has been re-
     activated and will remain operational 24 hours a day until
     further notice.  The telephone number there is 805/372-8400.

     These updates will be distributed after the conference calls
     conclude.

     Mid - morning on Tuesday November 2, 1993 PST, fires erupted
     in the Calabasas/Topanga area and in the Banning/Beaumont
     area.  Because of the high winds, the fires quickly spread
     and remain out of control.

     STATUS AS OF 4:00 PM PST:

     NETWORK SERVICES

                          OCEAN VALLEYS

     The Malibu CO is processing calls and is on generator power.
     The CO has been evacuated except for one technician who is
     installing the 25 lines requested by LA County EOC.  50%
     Dynamic Service Control is in effect.

     A DMS Urban unit serving 384 lines is off line and the
     status is unknown.  We are unable to access the damage.

     Saddle Peak survived the fire.  The fire passed over the
     peak.  The fire, smoke and Halon discharge alarms went of
     and the unit is on generator power but processing traffic.

                         CENTRAL VALLEYS

     Incoming calls to Beaumont CO are choked.
     2 MUX's out of Banning are on standby power.

     NETWORK PROVISIONING

                          OCEAN VALLEYS

     Malibu yard has been evacuated to the Zuma CO.  Fire
     officials have been alerted to the 12,000 gallon underground
     tank.

     A command center is being established at Pepperdine
     University.  A coin trailer is in transit from Carlisle
     Canyon to the college incident command.

     Employees from Yerba Buena left that area early as the road
     at PCH and Yerba Buena was closed.  They were evacuated as a
     precautionary measure only.

     Conference calls attendees agreed a Customer Disaster Center
     should be established as soon as possible at the yard to
     assist GTE customers.

                         INLAND VALLEYS

     All MUX's and RSU's are ok.  There is sure to be damage to
     plant but we are unable to survey the situation this early.


     II.  EMPLOYEE ISSUES:

     The Central Valleys Division is not impacted by the recent
     fires but is confronting labor issues associated to using
     Contract labor to assist in restoration of services in
     Laguna.

     Safety is the first consideration of employees working in
     the impacted areas.

     III.  CUSTOMER ISSUES:

     Call volumes to service centers remain at normal.

     GOPAK units and cellular phones have been offered to LA,
     Ventura and San Bernardino County response agencies.

     Command centers have been established at Pepperdine Univ. in
     Malibu, Cabazon in the desert area, and Beaumont Police
     Department.

     Coin trailers have been readied and one is in route to the
     command center at Pepperdine.

     A Customer Disaster Center will be established at the Malibu
     Yard as soon as possible.

     Controls are in place to assist in routing of calls.  The
     network remains very congested.

     MISCELLANEOUS:

     The work order process for tracking time and materials
     associated to the disaster response was reviewed and
     guideline for establishing new work orders for the new areas
     provided.

     Jeff Chodos from supply assured attendees he has made
     arrangements with out of state contacts and feels sure he
     can get any supplies required quickly.

     Susan Clay asked him to research getting a DMS Urban Unit in
     the event the one in Malibu has been burned.


     The next Status Conference Call is scheduled for 8:00 PM
     PDT.  An update will be prepared and distributed after the
     conference conclusion.


     Any questions regarding the material in this telemail are to
     be directed to M. Amador in the Emergency Operating Center
     at 805/372-8400.


     M. AMADOR
     Administrator - Emergency Preparedness

Posted: Tue, Nov  2, 1993   6:34 PM PST              Msg: NGJD-5644-8452
From:   M.AMADOR
To:     GTCA, GTEL, CRISIS.COMM, R.J.PALMER, J.CHODOS
Subj:   FIRE UPDATE - GTE CALIFORNIA
In response to the recent outbreak of fires in Calabases and
Banning areas, the EOC has again activated.

Updates will be provided as information becomes available.

CALABASAS

                             Roads:

PCH at Las Posas to Sunset closed.
PCH North at McClure Tunnel to 1 mi north of county line closed.
Mullholand closed to Decker Canyon.
Mullholand at Topanga closed
Topanga Canyon Hwy 1 - Local residents only.
Kanan Rd is only way out
Residents leaving Malibu area can travel PCH southbound only.
Malibu Canyon Rd. closed.
Sweetwater Mesa Rd. closed

                           Statistics:

6,000 + acres
30-50 homes damaged
1 fatality

                       Evacuation Centers:

Calabasas                          22855     Mullholand Dr.
Pacific Palisades High School
Agoura High School
Malibu Community Center

                             Notes:

Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Zuma switches are running OK.
Network Management requested, at 1630 hrs, ATT withhold 25% of
incoming traffic.

BANNING

                             Roads:

Wilson Rd closed
Oak Glen Rd. and  Wildwood Rd.
Cherry Ave offramp closed at I-10
Cherry Valley closed

                           Statistics:


                       Evacuation Centers:

New Beaumont High School           100  Westward St.
National Guard Armory                   Nicolette

                             Notes:

Beaumont and Banning switches are both running OK.

RANCHO BERNARDO (SAN DIEGO COUNTY)

No info at this time.

Please watch TELEMAIL for updates.

Any questions, call the EOC at 805 372-8400


                             Notes:

Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Zuma switches are running OK.
Network Management requested, at 1630 hrs, ATT withhold 25% of
incoming traffic

                       Evacuation Centers:

New Beaumont High School           100  Westward St.
National Guard Armory                   Nicolette

                             Notes:

Beaumont and Banning switches are both running OK.

RANCHO BERNARDO (SAN DIEGO COUNTY)

No info at this time.

Please watch TELEMAIL for updates.

Any questions, call the EOC at 805 372-8400

                ---------------------

This will be it for a bit as I have to go out to Banning.  Use what
you want. Also the death reported in Malibu we are told was false.


Steven H. Lichter    GTECalif COEI

------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fire Update 11-3-93  1:32 AM
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993  12:30:00 CST


My fax machine has been bringing fire updates from GTE throughout the
night whenever new developments occur.  Steve has been providing much
the same information as I am getting on the fax, but here are some
additional details since he was last in contact:

Malibu CO is operating on emergency generator. The office is staffed
by two persons there to handle emergencies. AT&T has been asked to
withhold 25 percent of the traffic. Pacific Palisades is operating
normally, but again, inbound LD traffic is being choked off at about
75 percent of what is offered.  Topanga CO has been left unattended
because of the impossibility of getting employees out of the area
should the fire approach it. Saddle Peak remains on backup power and
unattended. It is believed there is no damage. The fuel supply is
adequate to operate the site for several days unattended if necessary.

Contel has contacted GTE and offered personnel and other assistance
as needed in the restoration efforts.

      ----  above notes excerpted from several faxes ----

This series of fires in California has attracted world-wide attention.
Tuesday was also an election day in many areas of the USA, and our
television coverage here Tuesday was split between election news and
the fire. All the stations here had continuous coverage of it all day
and well into the night. Some of the fire scenes were just incredible.

GTE is responding in a magnificent way to the disaster, and is to be
commended for the coordination of their efforts. I am sure when Steve
gets someplace where he can connect with the network again, he will
have more details for us.  The shocker to me was how it was thought
the worst was over, only to have Malibu flare up as well.

More fire update news as it arrives.  :(  (unfortunatly ...).


PAT

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: Fires at Will
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 16:04:29 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> by [e-mail] (Jeff
Sicherman), our Esteemed Moderator noted:

> the fires or not.  What is going on in southern California? I mean,
> *everyone* knows California has fires every year; it is in the
> nature of things there. But this past week ... jeeze ... it seems
> much more extreme than in my past memory.   PAT]

Its the worst fires in several years.  The last ones of this magnitude
were about ten or eleven years ago.

And in spite of a voice to the contrary, the factors described by Mr.
McMillan are major contributing factors.  People don't seem to be able
to learn from history ...

The latest flareup of the Calabassas/Malibu fire yesterday morning was
visible from my office window. (Near LAX).


Rich Greenberg            Work: ETi Solutions, Oceanside & L.A. CA 310-348-7677
N6LRT   TinselTown, USA   Play: [e-mail]                  310-649-0238
I speak for myself only.       Canines: Chinook & Husky


[Moderator's Note: This is not a good time to take sides and discuss the
'conservatives versus the liberals', or Orange County in general versus
the citizens of Laguna Beach in particular. My personal belief is that
frequently 'liberals' live in the way they wish the world *could be*
while 'conservatives' tend to have a more realistic view of the way
things *actually are*.  I classify myself as the latter on most issues.

Messages from a few people this morning were the first knowledge I had
that Laguna Beach is mostly a gay community. I guess it isn't the kind
of thing which would have occurred to me to ask. We're told the fires
thus far have probably been the work of arsonists, and if that is the
case, then one's political or sexual orientation could hardly have made
any difference. If the fire in LB got as bad as it did due to some
(non-sexual) facet in the lifestyle of the citizens there, i.e. how they
collect/dispose of leaves, deal with wild brush growing in the mountains,
or otherwise attempt to semi-manage nature, then my sympathies go out
to them. No one deserves what they have gone through. The notion of
'Gods punishment for gays', as Shapiro accused McMillin of implying is
a foolish one, and McMillin did not have that in mind, nor did I when
running his article. But this is far from the beaten path; let us talk
telecom some more today.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Alan M. Foonberg)
Subject: Long Distance Provider Access Codes
Date: 3 Nov 1993 12:25:54 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA


Can someone tell me where I might find a list of the 10-xxx long
distance provider access codes?


Thanks,


Alan Foonberg    [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Sure ... in the Telecom Archives, in the sub-directory
dealing with carriers. We have a complete list of 10xxx codes there. If
you can do anonymous ftp, do it to lcs.mit.edu, and 'cd telecom-archives'.
If not, then use the Telecom Archives Email Information Service. You send
a note to [e-mail] with lines in the text saying:
REPLY yourname@site
HELP
INDEX
END

That will get you a help file and index to start you using the service.
Review the help file and index, then order the files you want.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Non-Bell Local Loop
Date: 3 Nov 1993 10:27:10 -0500
Organization: Oppedahl & Larson


The October 11, 1993 issue of {Network World} (page 27) talks of MFS
Communications, Inc. which has supposedly launched a local and
long-distance package for small and midsize businesses in New York
City.

Supposedly the service offers no-toll local calling and flat-rate long
distance at 14 cents per minute.

The article does not give contact information for MFS.

I wonder if it is a subsidiary of Metropolitan Fiber, the company that
is running fiber in competition with New York Telephone?


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330


[Moderator's Note: Yes it is; same company, same difference. But 14
cents a minute is not necessarily a bargain for calls.    PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bill Leeke)
Subject: Great Lakes Long Distance
Date: 2 Nov 1993 21:31:41 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston IL USA


I just received a mailing from Great Lakes Long Distance. They promise
calls 10% to 21% cheaper than the standard direct dial rate. The funny
thing is you don't have to change your long distance carrier. Just use
an access code simular to the ATT operator code. (10923) + number.


Bill

[Note to Pat: Is there any chance we could have lunch next time I'm in
Chicago. You sound like an interesting person. I found so few in my
time at Northwestern.]

"Beaten paths are for beaten men."

[e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Anyone who wants to buy me lunch is a friend of
mine and will certainly receive my respectful attention for a couple
hours!  <wink> ... call my social secretary to set up the time. Thanks
for your note about Great Lakes. I never heard of them. If anyone
wants to try it out and report back, please do.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jon Zeeff)
Subject: Remote Call Forwarding
Date: 3 Nov 1993 10:23:08 -0500
Organization: UMCC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA


Other than the devices made by:

Technel
Palmdale, California
Phone: [phone]

And
LOGOS, 800-442-4887

Are there any other solutions for remote call forwarding where I need
to remotely change, on a rapid and frequent basis, where a phone
forwards to?  The phone company won't do it rapidly and I'm off-site.
I'd really like something where I would call, enter a password and
phone number, and it would connect me to the entered number.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #735
******************************


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Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 11:35:07 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #736

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 4 Nov 93 11:35:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 736

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Saddle Peak and the Southern California Fires (Michael O'Brien)
    California Fires (Phillip Dampier)
    Brush Fires in Southern California (H.A. Kippenhan Jr.)
    Re: Fires at Will (Mark Boolootian)
    Re: Fire Update 11-2-93 3:04 PM PST (Carl Moore)
    Analog Telephone Interfaces For Computers (Joe Picone)
    External DAA Needed (Ben Burch)
    Mitsubishi To Make Portable Data Terminal Developed by IBM (Randy Gellens)
    Call for Participants - Incident Response Tools (Michael S. Hines)
    Sat Pagers = Modems? (Ken Kopin)
    AT&T Lock and Key Features (Tim Kramer)
    Telephone Query System Questions (Kevin Tsuji)
    Telephone Pioneers Opens up Membership, etc. (Dave Leibold)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Michael O'Brien)
Subject: Saddle Peak and the Southern California fires
Date: 3 Nov 1993 23:10:22 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation


I am an amateur radio operator. Two or three of the repeaters I use
are located on Saddle Peak.  So far, all are still in operation.

    Saddle Peak is not very high, it just happens to be (a tiny
bit) higher than the surrounding hills.  It's very rugged country but
this has tended to attract rather than discourage homeowners, whose
rather expensive houses are straggled throughout the surrounding
canyons.  Getting to the Saddle Peak radio site involves punching a
combination into a "gated community" unmanned electric gate, for
example, to reach the higher parts of the hill.

    Saddle Peak itself is bald as an egg, and deliberately so.
There is some brush close to one end where a half-completed house
stands as monument to the reversal of some semi-famous entertainer's
fortunes about a decade ago or so.  The rest of the site doesn't have
anything flammable anywhere around.  For those who have not seen a
radio site, it consists of a collection of nearly featureless
rectangular buildings about thirty feet on a side, each next to a very
high tower that can look like anything from a "traditional" radio
tower to what looks like a semi-dismantled crane arm.  The buildings
are (mostly) windowless, sealed, and climate-controlled.  Behind many
of the buildings stands a smaller, similarly sealed building,
containing an emergency generator.  The building housing our main
repeater started life as a refrigerated shipping container, so its
insulation against (short-term!) external heat is excellent.

    At least one of the repeaters I use, sends on-air status
information whenever it detects that it is running on battery power.
Anecdotal information says that our building up there is now running
on generator power, but since this is indistinguishable (to the
repeater) from main AC power, I have no way of determining the truth
of this.  If power isn't restored in about three days we'll be in
trouble when we run out of fuel.

    Similar anecdotal information says that an FAA building toward
one end of the site did sustain some damage.  I have no real
information on this either, however.

    There certainly is a large collection of GTE microwave link
horns on that hill.  However I don't recall seeing any cellular
antennas.  The coverage from that hill is too broad for it to make a
good cell site, since cells want to restrict their coverage areas.


Mike O'Brien, KC6OJW   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: A fax sent to me yesterday from the GTE Emergency
Command Center said that Saddle Peak had not been damaged in any way.
Their concern was only that it would run out of fuel before they are
able to get there and replenish the supply or get conventional power
restored.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Phillip Dampier)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1993 17:07:59 -0500
Subject: California Fires


Coverage of the California fires continues at this time on most
Los Angeles stations on a continuous basis.

Many of these stations are being transmitted via satellite for CNN and
other news media and those with satellite dishes should check Telstar
302, Galaxy 2, and Galaxy 7 for coverage from KCAL, KTTV, and the
network affiliates.  KTLA is available to subscribers on Spacenet 3,
Channel 15 on a continuous basis.

KTTV, the Fox affiliate, is found on Telstar 303 on one of several
available Fox network transponders.

Coverage includes regular updates from telephone companies.  Most
callers to the stations are reporting that circuits become jammed
whenever a fire approaches a particular area.  Authorities are
pleading with people to stay off the phones.  Slow dial tones were
reported in Laguna Beach and now in Malibu/Fernwood.

Signal Hill, a telecom microwave relay station which may have also
helped to distribute cable television across the Southland went up in
flames last week.

Long distance circuits have not really been jammed, in my experience.
My work requires that I contact associates in southern California,
some of whom are in fire areas, and when I do have to communicate, I
try to send faxes at the moment to keep my usage of facilities to a
bare minimum.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 14:24:52 CST
From: H.A. Kippenhan Jr. <[e-mail]>
Subject: Brush Fires in Southern California


Hi P.T.:

You asked (a couple of days ago) about the reasons for the large
number of fires in Southern California this year.  I lived there at
one time (Santa Monica) and perhaps I can provide a little insight.
It usually quits raining in Southern California somtime in late
February or early March.  It often won't rain again until late
October/early November.  In that period of time the brush in the
canyons, etc. gets as dry as kindling thats been cut/stored in a dry
place.  When any sort of spark hits this stuff it goes off like a
flashbulb (or a dry Christmas tree).

Due to the land values in that area, homes are built on pieces of
ground that really shouldn't be used.  Houses are up against rock
formations, etc. and in close proximity to underbrush.  It's a real
headache (and lots of work) to cut the brush away; even if you do
that, what do you do with it (you can't burn it).  Smart homeowners
can minimize their risk, but they can't eliminate it.

So it gets dry and you have brush fires (it's inevitable).  Then some
person with the IQ of a sheep decides it will be great sport if he
goes out and helps things along by setting a little blaze of his own.
It's just a bit worse than usual this year.


Best regards,

H.A. Kippenhan Jr.              Internet:   [e-mail]
National HEPnet Management      HEPnet/NSI DECnet:  FNDCD::KIPPENHAN
Fermi National Accelerator Lab. BITnet:       [e-mail]
P.O. Box 500   MS: FCC-3E/368   Telephone:            [phone]
Batavia, Illinois 60510         FAX:                  [phone]


[Moderator's Note: We get fires in Chicago every day from arsonists.
With luck, all they do is burn down the house of their perceived
enemy (a competing drug dealer, etc) but sometimes they get out of
control. Arsonists belong in prison, and I'd have no objection if the
prison caught fire while they were locked in their cell.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mark Boolootian)
Subject: Re: Fires at Will
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 13:29:46 PST


Jeff Sicherman wrote:

> The latest blaze ... the Calabasas/Topanga/Malibu fire (choose one,
> it'll be there before long anyway) is heading in the general direction
> of Saddle Peak, which is -- according to news reports -- a major
> installation site for PacBell, GTE, and emergency agencies
> communications (relay) equipment. It might be cellular stuff; they
> weren't too precise about it.

When I was a teenager, I use to drive up to the top of Saddle Peak.
There was some old facility up there which I believed (at that time)
to be an old military installation.  There was an old concrete bunker
and a large raised platform which I use to imagine was for some kind
of transmitter.  I'm sure that area was abandoned back then (this
would be around 1975).

The view up there was incomparable.  On a clear night, you could see
the Los Angeles basin, Thousand Oaks, the San Fernando Valley, and you
could follow the outline of coast a long, long way south.

Up until this week, I had forgotten about the places I used to wander:
Tuna Canyon, Saddle Peak, Top of the World.  Too bad the reminder had
to come in the form of a firestorm.


Mark Boolootian        [e-mail]        [phone]
Disclaimer:  booloo speaks for booloo and no other.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 93 15:46:52 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Fire Update 11-2-93 3:04 PM PST


I heard a TV news report which also mentioned the Coast Guard.  It
said the Coast Guard was concerned about people possibly being trapped
between the fire and the ocean.


[Moderator's Note: Very interesting ... another good analogy to the
big fire in Chicago in 1871. On that Monday morning, as the fire was
working its way north and east across our town, people who got burned
out of their homes went out to Lincoln Park (a big lakefront park here)
and stood around out there -- many thousands of them. As strong winds
blew smoke, soot and burning embers toward them, they pushed their way
out into Lake Michigan and for upwards of an hour or so until the wind
changed directions again they stood in the lake, water up to their
necks facing east; they just stood there waiting for it to end. One
person writing about their memories of the fire later noted that a 12
year old girl stood out there with her pet parakeet in its cage. She
held the cage above her head to keep the bird from drowning, but as it
turned out, the writer noted, the bird succombed to the acrid smoke in
the air anyway.

As a heavy rain started to fall Monday night, that brought an end to
the great Chicago fire, but 300,000 people who were burned out of
their homes that day stayed in Lincoln Park overnight, standing there
in the rain, getting what shelter they could. Mayor Mason instructed
the aldermen to get on their horses, ride out to Lincoln Park, circu-
late among the citizens and let them know what emergency plans the
city was making for their welfare, and to hand out what food the city
had collected so that 'everyone might have some supper, even as they
stand there in the rain ...'. As unhappy as people usually would be
about a heavy rain storm while they were out in the park, the rain
that Monday night was a welcome sight indeed.  I am sure the local
historians in Laguna Beach and Malibu will be taking copious notes all
this week; your great-granchildren a century from now will be
fascinated reading about the fires, just as we who are familiar with
Chicago history are extremely indebted to Horace White, Mable
McIlvaine and others here in the 1870's who made very detailed notes
of our fire which we now reference when studying the tragedy.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Joe Picone)
Subject: Analog Telephone Interfaces For Computers
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Computer Science Laboratory
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 15:15:52 GMT


Can somebody suggest a good state-of-the-art telephone interface that
can be computer controlled?

Our requirements are the following:

    o Excellent audio quality (there is a lot of bad stuff out there)
    o Two-wire telephone line I/O (RJ-11 standard telephone jacks)
    o RS-232 serial line interface for phone handling (we use a
        UNIX workstation serial port as our software platform)
    o Line-level audio input/output (we drive these with DATs)
    o Simple ASCII or Hayes command interface

We currently use a Gentner TC-100 (~$700) and a black box (which we
built) to transform the TC-100 serial interface to RS-232.  We
obviously would like to get rid of the black box.

I have also recently evaluated a Teltone TC-311 and found the audio
quality somewhat inferior to the Gentner.

Thanks in advance.


Regards,

Joe Picone                | email: [e-mail]
Texas Instruments         | Phone: [phone]
Central Research Lab      | Fax:   [phone]
PO Box 655474, MS 238     | Msg:   JP27
Dallas, Texas, USA  75265 | Alias: "The Terminal Man"

------------------------------

From: Ben Burch <[e-mail]>
Subject: External DAA Needed
Organization: Motorola, Inc.
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 23:05:34 GMT


Hello!  We are testing a new wireline product, and it is not yet
FCC-approved for use with the public switched network.

Can anybody provide me with a vendor of external FCC-approved DAAs so
that we can Alpha-test this machine without breaking any laws?

If you are a vendor of such equipment, or know of one, please e-mail
me directly.

I will summarize what I learn in a later message.


Thank You!

"I don't speak for Motorola; They don't speak for me."
-Ben Burch                    | Motorola Wireless Data Group:
[e-mail]  | Good PDAs go EVERYWHERE.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 03 NOV 93 18:10
Subject: Mitsubishi To Make Portable Data Terminal Developed by IBM


[Saw this in an internal news round-up:]

Mitsubishi will make a portable data terminal developed by IBM to sell
in the United States (Agence France-Press International, 11/1/93).
The device will be a "next-generation" communications device and will
be built in the Japanese company's plant in the state of Georgia.
BellSouth will market the terminal under its brand name.  The Wall
Street Journal reported last week that BellSouth's cellular phone
division will market IBM's planned Simon personal digital assistant in
its coverage area.


Randall Gellens               [e-mail]|
A Series System Software
Unisys Corporation           [Please forward bounce messages|
Mission Viejo, CA            to: [e-mail]]|
Opinions are personal;  facts are suspect;  I speak only for myself|

------------------------------

From: Michael S. Hines  <[e-mail]>
Date: 3 Nov 93 15:17:10 EST
Subject: Call for Participants - Incident Response Tools


The Incident Response Tools Working Group (IRTWG) of the Forum of
Indicent Response and Security Teams (FIRST) has been formed for the
purpose of developing a catalogue to assist incident response teams
(oftern called Computer Emergency Response Teams or CERTs) in the
selection and acquisition of tools for use in incident response tasks.
The catalogue will be available in electronic form to anyone who wants
a copy.

David Cury of the Purdue CERT (PCERT) is charing the group.  My name
is Mike Hines, also of the PCERT.  I am a Senior Internal Auditor for
Information Systems at Purdue.  I have volunteered to coordinate
compilation of a mailing list of potential providers of tools for use
in incident response situations.

At this point I need two pieces of information from you:

(1) An indication if you would like to assist me in compilation of
this mailing list.  We want to get as broad of coverage as is possible
in this task.  If you happen to have a source of several addresses, I
would like your assistance.  This is mostly providing me leads so we
achieve as wide of coverage as is possible.  I will be creating and
maintaining the mailing list here at Purdue.

(2) Any and all leads for sources of tools for incident response
handling.  Areas we are focusing on are:

   (a) Incident Detection ... tools such as virus scanners, file
integrity checkers, auditing systems, and intrusion detection systems
 ... tools which monitor systems for signs of security violations.

   (b) Incident Response ... tools such as keystroke monitoring
systems, network packet capture, program disassemblers, and source
code fingerprinting ... tools which can be used to gather information
during an incident.

   (c) Incident Recovery ... tools such as virus eradicators and file
integrity checkers ... tools which can be used to determine the scope
of the damage done during an incident and which can help restore the
sytem to pre-incident state.

  (d) Incident Tracking ... tools such as specialized database systems
of one sort or another ... tools which can be used to maintain
statistics about incidents and archives of know attacks and devenses.

For each vendor/publisher/creator of tools in the above categories,
please send the following information:

Contact Name:

Company Name:

Street Address:

City:

State:

Zip/Postal Code:

Country:

E-Mail Address of Contact:

Product Name(s):

Also if you know of another person who would be a good contact as a
source of leads, please send their name and e-mail address along.  I
will contact them with this message to solicit new leads.

Thank you for your assistance.


Internet:  [e-mail]       Michael S. Hines
Bitnet:  michaelh@purccvm              Internal Auditor-EDP
Purdue WIZARD Mail: MSHINES            Purdue University
GTE Net: [phone]                1065 Freehafer Hall
Disclaimer: My personal opinion only!  West Lafayette, IN 47907- 1065

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ken Kopin)
Subject: Sat Pagers = Modems?
Date: 04 Nov 1993 09:19:53 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Ken Kopin)


  Ok, please correct my ignorance if I get any of my facts wrong.

1. Are there such things as pagers that receive signals from Satellites?

2. If so, do the pagers cost huge ammounts of money?

3. If not, then I propose the following ...

  Why not start a low-cost computer service. Build Rs232 receivers to
use the Sat frequencies, and continuously broadcast info/messages/
files/whatever at 300 baud, or whatever speed it is. I know it's slow,
but leave the computer on at night, gathering data.  It'd be cool. You
could even have a way of sending messages to the system through
Internet or a land line.


Ken Kopin

*** I Buy KOOL-AID Points ***  Internet: [e-mail]
    1-499    1/3 cent each.    Bitnet:
    500-1499 1/2 cent each.    AA377%Cleveland.Freenet.edu
    1500-?    1 cent each.     Disclaimer: I didn't do it.

------------------------------

From: Tim Kramer <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 93 07:47:04 -0600
Subject: AT&T Lock and Key Features


Has anyone out there used AT&T's Lock and Key boxes?  This is a piece
of hardware that requires the same "key" to get into the remote
maintenance port via a modem.  I know how easy it is to hack AT&T's
pre-defined profiles and I need another deterrent to keep my system
safe.  If any hackers are able to get through it can you send other
products that you find to be superior ...


Thanks!

Timothy C. Kramer    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kevin Tsuji)
Subject: Telephone Query System Questions
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 00:11:31 GMT


Hello,

I'm a Computer Specialist who primarily work with the Macintosh.  I'm
in charge of setting up a telephone query system.  Something very
similar to the systems set up by banks and other financial
institutions to handle balance and payment queries for credit cards.
The college I work for has a student registration system on a VAX/VMS
environment, we're looking for a system that is capable of directly or
indirectly (preferred, we're trashing this system soon) querying our
databases to handle students request for grade and class information.
I've seen a system set up by another department using cards from
DIALOGIC and software environment called EASE (its an acronmym for
something).  It's very good and now their expanding it to handle
telephone registrations.  Unfortunately, its based on the IBM PC -- I
would prefer a Macintosh environment.  Anyone here know a vendor(s)
specializing in telephony products for Macintosh?

I don't mind working with the IBM PC -- it's what I grew up with, so
if you have set up a system in this environment, please do send me
your vendor and your experiences.

Finally, I need a "How-To" book on this subject.  I'm ignorant to the
point of embarassment. I need to know what some of the terms mean.
Can anyone here suggest a good book?


Thanks.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1993 03:05:04 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Telephone Pioneers Opens up Membership, etc.


[from Bell News, Bell Ontario 25 Oct 93]

You too can now be a Telephone Pioneer ...

Now everyone can be a Telephone Pioneer.

Delegates to the annual meeting of the Telephone Pioneers of America
voted in favour of eliminating the years of company service (15 in
Bell Canada) requirement for membership.

"Pioneering was built on the fellowship, talends and commitment to
service of our long-time employees, and that won't change. With this
vote, we welcome thousands more to join us in our community
endeavours," says Bell Ontario Pioneer rep Chuck Hill.

Last year, the 823,000 North American (23,374 in Bell Ontario) member
organization set a performance record with 31 million hours (220,487
in Bell Ontario) of volunteer service.

Pioneers also raised millions of dollars for community service programs
$223 913 in Bell Ontario).

Pioneer representatives will be available during lunch hours at most
Bell buildings and work centres throughout the week.

And Tuesday November 2 has been declared Pioneer Day and reps will be
available throughout the day to answer question and sign-up new
volunteers.

For more information on being a Pioneer volunteer or to find out who
your local chapter contact is, call [phone] (collect calls will
be accepted).

"We are hoping to increase our Pioneer base of volunteers to help our
communities as never before" says Chuck.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: I strongly commend the Telephone Pioneers to all
readers. They are a fine organization of people dedicated to making
life better for others. I share their goals and desires.   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #736
******************************


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Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 01:24:11 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #737

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 5 Nov 93 01:24:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 737

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Fire Update 11-4-93 3:28 PM PST (Steven Lichter)
    Nationwide GTE 800 Outage? (Robert L. McMillin)
    Re: Saddle Peak and the Southern California Fires (Michael O'Brien)
    Phone Number Changes in Turkey (Mustafa Soysal)
    New List: Telecommunications and Information Marketing (David J. Cordeiro)
    Earthquakes and Telecommunications (David Chessler)
    Re: Brush Fires in Southern California (R. Kevin Oberman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 22:08:17-0500
From: /G=COE.PERS/S=J.MOSS/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Subject: Fire Update  11-4-93  3:28 PM PST


Posted: Thu, Nov  4, 1993   3:28 PM PST              Msg: MGJD-5651-2641
From:   M.AMADOR
To:     GTCA, GTEL, CRISIS.COMM, R.J.PALMER, T.EDWARDS, P.MINER,
        L.NIGG, M.FOSTER, D.FIASCO, T.WHITE, M.ESSTMAN,
        T.ZIEGLER
Subj:   FIRE UPDATE - GTE CALIFORNIA

     This is an update of the status of the catastrophic fire
     situation in Southern California over the past 24 hours.


     STATUS AS OF 2:00 PM PST - November 4, 1993

     I.   FACILITY IMPACTS:

     A.   NETWORK SERVICES:

     No traffic controls are in place.

     Malibu was returned to commercial power at 5:30 PM on
     November 4, 1993.

     Microwave and radio crews have been dispatched to Saddle
     Peak to connect microwave and radio links for service
     restoration in the worst hit areas.

     FCC circuits will be provisioned at Saddle Peak today.

     MCI and AT&T will be provisioned on Friday, November 6,
     1993.

     1520 lines in Malibu and 170 lines in Pacific
     Palisades/Topanga remain locked out as a result of a seizure
     or short on the cables.

     II.  NETWORK PROVISIONING:

                     OCEAN VALLEYS DIVISION

     Engineering crews are working in the burned areas to
     identify cable up the canyons from bottom to top and are in
     the process of procuring microwave dishes.

     In Malibu on Serra Rd, placing will begin today 11/4 and
     spicing and restoration will begin on 11/5.

     Customer impact:  325 customers

    Inaieaon, placing and splicing have been completed
     for 95% of the area.  Full restoration will be completed on
     11/5.

     Customer impact:  8 customers

     Yerba Buena Canyon has 65% of the cable placed.  The canyon
     project required supply and replacement of 52,000 feet of
     cable.  Splicing is ongoing with the majority of services to
     be restored between Saturday 11/6 and Monday 11/8.

     Laguna Peak is completely restored and FAA services have
     been installed.

     A van from Contel has been deployed to the Rambla
     Pacifica area.  This area incurred major damage.  Only
     about one out of every 4 houses remain liveable.  Crews
     are in the field spotting houses still standing that
     might require service and looking for patterns of the
     surviving residents to provision the most people
     quickly with the same provisions.

                      BAY CITIES DIVISIONS

     Technicians continue to clear ends in the canyons.

     Old Topanga has two 25 pair cables burned in the middle.
     Repair should be simple and quick.

     The lower portion of the canyon and Fernwood have no major
     damage except to the distribution system.

     Tuna Canyon has begun restoration with technicians in the
     field clearing ends.  Cable is being cleared and new cable
     being delivered today.  Placing will begin this weekend and
     restoration in some areas within 2 days and in the remainder
     within 7 days.

     28,000 feet of cable needs replacing and about 20 poles.

     The bulk of the damage is in Tuna Canyon and at Saddle Peak.

     Crews are finally gaining access to the areas involved in
     the fire yesterday.  Materials are being order and
     deliveries begin at noon today 11/4.

     Restoration will be completed as a reverse build; from the
     top of the canyon down.

                        CENTRAL DIVISION

     Division is working with the city to develop transition
     plans to close the Customer Disaster Order Center in Laguna
     Beach.

     II.  EMPLOYEE ISSUES:

     Employees are being identified to staff the Customer
     Disaster Order Center in Malibu.

     Some contract employees working in Laguna are being
     reassigned to Malibu as they are released.

     III. CUSTOMER ISSUES:

     The following additional temporary lines have been installed
     to assist in the response and restoration efforts:

          - 25 lines at Saddle Peak for the Fire Department
          - Several lines at the old county building in Malibu
            for the new Utility Disaster Center.
          - 8 lines for the Cabazon Fire Department
          - 16 lines for the State of California - OES
          - 2 for Topanga Fire Department


     IV.  MISCELLANEOUS:

     Ocean Valleys will participate in a Multi Utility Order
     Center to be installed on Cross Creek Rd in Malibu.
     However, the Division is still opening the Customer Disaster
     Order Center at the yard on Friday as The Multi Utility
     Center will not be open until sometime next week.

     The Governor's office has been quoted as commending GTE for
     it's efforts.

     Station KCRW mailed correspondence indicating they were
     impressed with the responses and service GTE is providing.

     As of 2:00 PM, November 4, there are coin trailers at the
     following locations or enroute:

          Pepperdine University - 2 trailers
          Yerba Buena Canyon - 1 trailer
          Newbury Park - 1 trailer
          Malibu Civic Center - 1 trailer
          Laguna Beach - 1 trailer
          Tuna Canyon/Saddle Peak - 1 trailer
          Topanga/PCH - 1 trailer
          Santa Monica Yard - 1 trailer waiting deployment

          The cellular trailer has been positioned in the Rambla
          Vista area.

     Updates will continue to be provided as new information
     becomes available.

     The Emergency Operating Center in Thousand Oaks has been
     secured.  Any questions regarding the information in this
     telemail are to be directed to M. Amador at 805/372-7512.


     M. AMADOR
     Administrator - Emergency Preparedness

                ---------------------------

This should be the last update since the EOC has shut down, but then
it shut down last week and had to open up. The weather has cooled a
bit and the winds are from the west and damp. Damage in Hemet and
Banning/Cherry Valley are out or under control and we only had outside
cable and a fiber cable lost plus a number of Mux's. I can only go by
what I have read and heard about the damage in the Malibu fire area
other then to say that there was no loss of any of the switches or
remotes units other then Mux's. Lots of cable was burned up to say the
least and they have set up microwave from Saddle Peak and there is
talk about replacing it with fiber and puttiing it underground, but
with the area as rugged as it is that will be hard. I had once worked
in that area and was a reserve sheriff out of Malibu some 20 years
ago. I went through the fire there in 1971 and I can say that the fire
then was nothing like this one, but things are a bit dim on that
because it was so long ago.  Besides it was just after the 71 Sylmar
quake which I had just gone through.  Back to my regular job I guess
at least for now.


Steven H. Lichter   GTECalif COEI


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for sending these updates to us. Actually I
have been editing these based on your reports and on what the fax
machine has been feeding me; GTE has been most kind to send me direct
a number of items relating to the fires which I have incorporated with
your stuff.  If any further reports reach you or final announcements
please send them along. I'll be watching my fax machine for the same
thing. Maybe this time it is actually over.     PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 93 21:06 PST
From: [e-mail] (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: Nationwide GTE 800 Outage?


My girlfriend called me in the middle of the day today to ask how she
could call the 800 number they used at her work for credit card
verification.  Apparently, she said that she had been told that GTE
had a nationwide 800 routing failure!  Has anyone else heard of this?
Who else has been affected?

(FYI, my girlfriend works in Torrance, CA, 310-373.)


Robert L. McMillin | Surf City Software | [e-mail] | Dude!

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Michael O'Brien)
Subject: Re: Saddle Peak and the Southern California fires
Date: 4 Nov 1993 22:05:26 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation


> [Moderator's Note: A fax sent to me yesterday from the GTE Emergency
> Command Center said that Saddle Peak had not been damaged in any way.

Maybe _their_ site hasn't been damaged but the word is out now that
the FAA building at one end of the complex was destroyed.  Certainly
they seem to be off the air.

> Their concern was only that it would run out of fuel before they are
> able to get there and replenish the supply or get conventional power
> restored.  PAT]

The major danger to returning homeowners (both current and
ex-homeowners!) is from downed power lines.  Therefore the news
reports show that the power companies have already gone in and set new
poles, though wires have not yet been strung.  And certainly Saddle
Peak is a high-priority item.  I have learned that our own building's
emergency generator has enough propane to run for at least seven to
ten more days, and 3,000 amp-hours of battery backup beyond that, so
it looks like we'll continue in uninterrupted service, serving
Disaster Communications Service and the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service.  Good luck to GTE!  They're in another building and I don't
know how well set they are.


Mike O'Brien   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: GTE's message to me was they have enough fuel on
hand to run several more days, but at the same time it might well
be a few days before everything is back to normal there, so they
feel it might be a close call.  PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1993 23:29:31 EDT
From: Mustafa Soysal <[e-mail]>
Subject: Phone Number Changes in Turkey


I am including a section from the Turkish-FAQ regarding the phone
information.  Istanbul has only two area codes contrary to the
previous post by Serdar Boztas.  There used to be three area codes,
but the new guide lists only two.


Regards,

Mustafa Soysal

Archive-name: Turkish-FAQ
Last Modified: 1993/10/31 03:16:06
Version: 1.16

soc.culture.turkish            Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ) List
You can send updates to      [e-mail] (Mustafa Soysal)

1993/10/31 03:16:06

-> How can I call TR collect from the US? (800 numbers)
   (by Metin [e-mail] and Zafer Latif [e-mail])

   1-800-VATANIM (1-800-828-2646) via PTT

-> New area codes for dialing to Turkiye.

[Maintainer's Note:  I would like to express my sincere and special thanks
            to Mr Orhan GOkCol (UCGOKCOL.TRITU.Bitnet) for
            going thru the effort of sending me the list of the
            new codes and changes from TR with fax and
            postal mail.  He made it possible to have detailed
            information about the area code changes, affected
            cities, and the changes relating to each city.  Thank you!]

The area codes for the cities in TR are changing. The current ones
will be working until the end of 1993, but it is a good idea to start
using them now.  Calls to another area code in TR start with a '0',
and international calls start with '00'.  All phone numbers are being
changed to 7 digits.  The following is a known list of new area codes
and a summary of changes for each city.  In changing the phone numbers
to 7 digits, a number of digits will be inserted in front of the
original phone number explained in the comments part of the table
below.


City     Code  Comment

Adana    322   KarSIyaka, K.Esat, K.KOprU, TepebaG:         insert 3
               GazipaSa, AtatUrk, ZiyapaSa, Bul, CemalpaSa: insert 4
               Yurt, Yeni Baraj, MahfesIGmaz:               insert 2
AdIyaman 416   Numbers starting with 2:       insert 23
               Numbers starting with 3 and 6: insert 21
Afyon    272   insert 21
AGrI     472   insert 21
Aksaray  382   insert 21
Amasya   358   insert 21
Ankara   312   No Change
Antalya  242   Numbers starting with 27,20,41-43,47,58:             insert 2
               Numbers starting with 21-23,25,26,30,32,34,39,40,44: insert 3
Ardahan  478   Insert 211
Artvin   466   undetermined
AydIn    256   Numbers starting with 2,3,4: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 5:     insert 22
BalIkesir 266  Insert 2
BartIn   378   Numbers starting with 2: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 7: insert 22
Batman   488   Insert 21
Bayburt  458   Insert 211
Bilecik  228   Insert 21
BingOl   426   Numbers starting with 27: insert 23
               Numbers starting with 3:  insert 21
Bitlis   434   Numbers starting with 61-64: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 65-67:    insert 22
Bolu     374   Insert 21
Burdur   348   Numbers starting with 22-24:     insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3,4,21,26: insert 23
Bursa    224   Numbers starting with 20-24,33-36,43,46,47,50-55,57: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 27-29,60-62,66-68:             insert 3
               Numbers starting with 41,42:                         insert 4
canakkale 286  Insert 21
cankIrI  376   Insert 21
corum    364   Numbers starting with 2,3: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 4,6: insert 22
               Numbers starting with 48:  insert 23
Denizli  258   Numbers starting with 61-66,68: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 71,73,77: insert 3
DiyarbakIr 412 Insert 2
Edirne   284   Numbers starting with 2-3:   insert 21
               Numbers starting with 57,58: insert 23
               Numbers starting with 5:     insert 22
ElazIg   424   Numbers starting with 2,8,51: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 4:      insert 22
               Numbers starting with 3,6,7:  insert 23
               Numbers starting with 71:     insert 24
Erzincan 446   Numbers starting with 2,4: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3:   insert 22
Erzurum  442   Numbers starting with 2,8: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3-4: insert 23
               Numbers starting with 5-6: insert 31
               Numbers starting with 7:   insert 32
EskiSehir 222  Numbers starting with 21,27,28,30-34,36,37,39: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 20,22-24,35:             insert 3
Gaziantep 342  Numbers starting with 20,25,26,30-35,50: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 21,23,24,36,38,39: insert 3
Giresun  454   Insert 21
GUmUShane 456  Insert 21
Hatay    326   Insert 21
Hakkari  438   Insert 211
IGdIr    476   Numbers starting with 71-74: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 75-77: insert 22
Isparta  246   Numbers starting with 8,20,21: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3,7:     insert 22
               Numbers starting with 2:       insert 23
ICel     324   Numbers starting with 23,31-35,37,38: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 20,21,24-26,28,36: insert 3
Istanbul 212   European Side. No Change in numbers.
         216   Asian Side.    No Change in numbers.
Izmir    232   Alsancak  area: insert 2
               KarSIyaka area: insert 3
               Hatay     area: insert 4
K.MaraS  344   Numbers starting with 2,4,55-57: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3,50,51:   insert 22
               Numbers starting with 6,7:       insert 23
Karaman  338   Insert 21.
Kars     474   Numbers starting with 2: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3: insert 22
Kastamonu 366  Insert 21
Kayseri  352   Numbers starting with 22-25,31-35,40: insert 2
               Other numbers:                        insert 3
KIrIkkale 318  Numbers starting with 2,8:   insert 21
               Numbers starting with 4:     insert 22
               Numbers starting with 3:     insert 23
               Numbers starting with 5:     insert 24
               Numbers starting with 62-65: insert 25
               Numbers starting with 69:    insert 26
KIrklareli 288 Numbers starting with 2,4: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 7:   insert 22
KIrSehir 386   Numbers starting with 26:  insert 25
               Other numbers:             insert 21
Kocaeli  262   Numbers starting with 21,22,24,25,31,64: insert 3
               Numbers starting with 23,26,29,39:       insert 2
Konya    332   Numbers starting with 33-36,39,41,44,45,47-49: insert 2
               Other numbers:                                 insert 3
KUtahya  274   Numbers starting with 2,6: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3-5: insert 22
Malatya  422   Numbers starting with 38: insert 2
               Other numbers:            insert 3
Manisa   236   Insert 2
Mardin   482   Insert 21
MuGla    252   Insert 21
MuS      436   Insert 21
NevSehir 384   Insert 21
NiGde    388   Numbers starting with 3,20,21: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 22-24:   insert 23
Ordu     452   Numbers starting with 2,4:   insert 21
               Numbers starting with 30-33: insert 22
               Numbers starting with 34-36: insert 23
Rize     464   Numbers starting with 2,30-32: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 33-36:   insert 22
Sakarya  264   Insert 2
Samsun   362   Numbers starting with 28,30-34,38,39: insert 2
               Numbers starting with 20,31,32,35,37: insert 4
Siirt    484   Numbers starting with 2: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 3: insert 22
Sinop    368   Insert 2
Sivas    346   Insert 2
sanlIurfa 414  Numbers starting with 5,6: insert 21
               Numbers starting with 2-4: insert 31
sIrnak   486   Insert 21
TekirdaG 282   Insert 2
Tokat    356   Insert 21
Trabzon  462   Numbers Starting with 21,22,25,26: insert 3
               Numbers Starting with 23,24,29:    insert 2
Tunceli  428   Insert 21
USak     276   Numbers Starting with 2,5: insert 21
               Numbers Starting with 3,7: insert 22
Van      432   Numbers Starting with 2,4,6,7: insert 21
               Numbers Starting with 3:       insert 22
Yozgat   354   Insert 21
Zonguldak 372  Insert 2

Please send updates to               [e-mail] (Mustafa Soysal)

soc.culture.turkish                    Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ) List

------------------------------

From: RITIM <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 93 17:27:11 EST
Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: New List: Telecommunications and Information Marketing


Technology in the Household*The Future of Cyberspace*The Cable Industry*
Telecommunications and Public Policy*Homeshopping*Postmodern Perspectives
 -- These and many other topics are being discussed on RITIM-L.

     The Research Institute for Telecommunications and Information
Marketing (RITIM) now sponsors an E-Mail list called RITIM-L.  Its
purpose is to provide a forum for scholars and managers to exchange
ideas and experiences in technology and marketing.  The list also
serves to distribute RITIM working papers to those who are interested.
Upon request to the list administrator ([e-mail]) you will
be sent a listing of our publications as well as a brief biography of
our researchers.

     If you would like to join our discussion send the following
message to [e-mail]: SUBSCRIBE RITIM-L firstname lastname


Sincerely,

David J. Cordeiro
The Research Institute for
Telecommunications and Information Marketing (RITIM)
College of Business Administration
The University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881-0802 (USA)
Tel:     [phone]
Fax:     [phone]
E-mail:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Nov 93 01:35:00 EST
From: [e-mail] (David Chessler)
Subject: Re: Earthquakes and Telecommunications
Reply-To: [e-mail]


[e-mail] (Nigel Allen) wrote:

> I found the following message in misc.misc, and thought it really
> belonged here. If you follow-up to this message, please send a copy of
> your message to the original poster, [e-mail] (Pierre
> Coullet).

>> From: [e-mail] (Pierre Coullet)
>> Subject: Earthquakes and Telecommunications
>> Date: 30 Oct 1993 18:27:02 GMT
>> Organization: University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis

>> Does someone know about any report relative to the telecommunication
>> problems encoutered after an Earthquakes (or any document related to
>> this topic as for example the actions needed to prevent
>> telecommunication problems or about the infrastructure needed to
>> preserve communication after the earthquakes). References to
>> newspapers or books and technical documents are welcolmed.  Many
>> thanks.

In approximately 1969 there was a serious earthquake in Santa Barbara,
Calif., which damaged several telephone company central offices.  In
approximately 1972, the _Bell_System_Technical_ _Journal_ (BSTJ) had
an article on the earthquake.  Among the techniques recommended was
bolting a 3.5 cm by 8.5 cm (nominal two inch by four inch, the basic
construction timber module in the U.S.)  wooden board from wall to
wall, and bolting the tops of the equipment racks to the board.  There
were probably articles in such journals as _Telephony_ and
_Telephone_Engineer_and_ _Management_, and perhaps _The_Public_Utilities_
Fortnightly_ as well.  These would have been published closer to the
date of the actual earthquake.  BSTJ should be available in any good
engineering library anywhere in the world.  The other trade
publications may be harder to locate outside the U.S.

This is the only U.S. earthquake in the last twenty years that had any
significant effect on the telephone system.

However, the Alaska Earthquake of 1966 (I believe), flooded several
communities with Tsunamis ("Tidal Waves").  This would have had
effects upon the telephone system.

General research strategy:

_The_New_York_Times_Index_ is available in paper format for those
years.  This will give the exact date of the earthquake, which can be
looked up in microfilms of that newspaper, and _The_Los_
_Angeles_Times_.  (the L.A. Times is unrelated to the N.Y. Times, and
is the major newspaper closest to the earthquake site).

Indices of trade publications, such as Telephony are available.  Ask a
librarian.  However, if they are unavailable to you, search copies of
the magazines for a year or so after each earthquake, for articles
about the quake and what was done.


[e-mail]
[e-mail]   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Brush Fires in Southern California
Date: Thu,  4 Nov 93 18:16:46 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory


In article <[e-mail]> sheep are abused:

> So it gets dry and you have brush fires (it's inevitable).  Then some
> person with the IQ of a sheep decides it will be great sport if he
> goes out and helps things along by setting a little blaze of his own.
> It's just a bit worse than usual this year.

All right. Let's stop this terrible libel on sheep. They may not be
really smart (oops, I meant that they may be intellectually challenged),
but I've never heard of a sheep that was a pyromaniac.


R. Kevin Oberman        Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Internet: [e-mail]    [phone]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #737
******************************


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          5 Nov 93 4:49 EST
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Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 02:18:19 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #738

TELECOM Digest     Fri, 5 Nov 93 02:18:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 738

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    CONNECT Nov/Dec '93 (Patricia Snyder-Rayl)
    No ISDN Despite Big Talk (Carl Oppedahl)
    The Canadian Internet Handbook (Rick Broadhead)
    Question About T1 Equipment (Jon Carmichael)
    Pactel Cellular Wants to Go Digital (Alex Cena)
    Internet Access From a Rural Exchange [Summary] (Tom Olin)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Patricia Snyder-Rayl)
Subject: CONNECT Nov/Dec '93
Organization: GREX Public Access Unix [phone]
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 00:50:28 GMT


         CONNECT Magazine -- Table of Contents
         Vol. 1, No. 4  November/December 1993

                  On Sale November 1st!


FEATURES

White House Connections by David Noack
     The Clinton Administration has opened connections with the online
     community in a big way. This article shows how you can get involved in
     the discussions and often directly contact the White House via the
     commercial online services, the Internet, Fidonet and compatible
     networks, and federally-run or organization-sponsored bulletin boards.

ONE BBSCON Briefs by Clint Bradford
     One of the over 100 vendors attending the recent ONE BBSCON convention
     shares his experiences and observations concerning the show.

Sysops Invade Colorado Springs! by Steve Richardson
     Another ONE BBSCON attendee gives his impressions of the four-day
     "COMDEX, but for sysops."

ONE BBSCON -- Adult Images Conference Focus by Jim Mallory
     Discussion of adult images online, sysop liabilities, and what
     constitutes pornography were discussed in detail at one of the 137
     educational conference sessions held at ONE BBSCON. This article
     condenses that discussion, along with a look at what some of the other
     sessions had to offer.

Fighting the Good Fight, A Look at WWIV BBS by Wayne Heyward
     A review of WWIV BBS, an IBM-based shareware bulletin board package
     from Wayne Bell. Includes discussion of enhancements to be included in
     the next release, as well as a focus on networking with WWIV.

In the Grove with Ruby Begonia by Del Freeman
     Digital publishing is at its literary best in the antics and escapades
     of Ruby Begonia, a fictional character  who appears regularly in the
     electronic magazines Ruby's Pearls and Smoke & Mirrors. This
     article introduces CONNECT readers to Ms. Begonia and gives some
     insight into the character's popularity.

The Online Reference Shelf by Thomas Pack
     From encyclopedias and dictionaries to movie reviews and consumer
     product reports, users of online services have a wealth of reference
     materials available to them 24 hours a day. This article shows you the
     most popular reference works available on CompuServe, Prodigy, GEnie,
     DELPHI and America Online.

Is a GUI BBS in Your Future? by Brian Cummings
     RIP graphics is taking the BBS community by storm, and this article
     focuses on current RIPscrip support in terminal packages, BBS
     software, and paint programs from major commercial and shareware
     developers in the PC and Macintosh markets.

The Automatic Internet by Peter Plantec
     With resources like Hytelnet, the focus of this article, getting
     around the Internet has never been easier. The author shows you how
     Hytelnet functions and provides a list of Hytelnet servers you can
     access if your current Internet provider doesn't offer this resource
     directly.

The FedWorld BBS by Kathleen Creighton
     Many agencies of the federal government make information publicly
     available via bulletin board systems, and this article tells you how
     the FedWorld BBS lets you access these systems easily and efficiently.


COLUMNS

The Inside Line
     Editorial Staff Columnist Michael A. Banks takes a look at shareware,
     unscrupulous shareware distributors, and the Association of Shareware
     Professional's efforts to protect buyers and programmers.

Eye on America Online
     Your America Online guide, Columnist Julia Wilkinson, takes you on a
     tour of AOL's Travel & Shopping offerings.

Connecting with CompuServe
     Columnist Jim Ness shows you CompuServe's Electronic Mall, where you
     can spend money online, and then stops off in the Financial Services
     area, where you can possibly make money online.

Telecomputing the DELPHI Way
     The stores available in DELPHI's main shopping area are introduced by
     Columnist Dick Evans, who also points you to other places on DELPHI to
     search for bargains.

GEnie's Treasures
     Columnist Jim Mallory takes you on a shopping spree through GEnie's
     online mall, which includes a new German import store carrying German
     software, toys, books and clocks you'll be cuckoo for.

The Internet Gateway
     Downloading files from the Internet using anonymous FTP is covered
     step-by-step by Columnist Paul Gilster, who also points you to a
     couple good sites for graphics on the Internet.

Clear To Send (CTS)
     RIPterm, the freeware RIP terminal package from TeleGrafix
     Communications, Inc., is reviewed by PC Columnist Victor Volkman.

Dial M For Macintosh
     Macintosh Columnist Ross Scott Rubin shows you the "remote
     possibilities" offered by AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA) when combined
     with third-party ARA tools.

Staying Connected For About A Pound
     Palmtop Columnist Marty Mankins discusses "Communicating the Infrared
     Way" with palmtops from Hewlett-Packard, Sharp, Apple, Casio and Tandy
     Corp.


CONNECT magazine is available at the following magazine outlets:
B.Dalton Bookseller, Bookstop, Bookstar, Barnes & Noble, Doubleday,
Scribner's, Crown Books, Tower Books, Little Professor, Lichtman's
News and Books, Coles Book Stores, CompUSA, Computer City and Software
Etc. chains, as well as other chains and independent newsstands, book
stores and computer dealers in the U.S. and Canada. Call (313)
973-8825 to find the magazine dealer nearest you who carries CONNECT.

CONNECT is a bi-monthly magazine covering the major commercial online
services (such as America Online, BIX, CompuServe, DELPHI, GEnie and
Prodigy), the Internet, and bulletin board system networks (such as
Fidonet, WWIVnet, and GlobalNet). The magazine is platform-independent,
with columns focusing on PC-specific (DOS and Windows), Macintosh-
oriented, and Palmtop/PDA-related topics. Each issue also contains an
editorial column by renowned telecomputing author Michael A. Banks.


  CONNECT Magazine        |[phone]     | Covering commercial online
The Modem User's Resource"|[phone] fax | services, Internet and BBS
  3487 Braeburn Circle    |[phone] BBS |   networks from a user's
  Ann Arbor, MI  48108    |   14.4Kbps V.32bis|        perspective.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: No ISDN Despite Big Talk
Date: 2 Nov 1993 10:01:56 -0500
Organization: Oppedahl & Larson


I sent this letter today.  Any comments?

Richard A. Jalkut, President
New York Telephone
1095 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY  10036-6702


November 2, 1993

Dear Mr. Jalkut:

In about July of 1993 my new law firm obtained telephone service in
Yorktown Heights.  The telephone numbers installed were 914-245-3252
and 914-245-2889.

Since then I have made inquiry with your business office about getting
ISDN service in Yorktown Heights.  I have been told that New York
Telephone has no ISDN facilities in the central office serving 914-245
and has no plans to install ISDN facilities there.

I have also made inquiry and have been told that New York Telephone
has no ISDN facilities in the central office serving 212-787 and has
no plans to install ISDN facilities there either.

Is this true?

If New York Telephone does have plans to install ISDN facilities in
either of those central offices, this would be most helpful to me as I
plan where to locate additional office facilities for my law firm.  At
present, due to the unavailability of ISDN service in two of the three
New York Telephone service areas about which I have made inquiry, I am
considering making no further expansion in New York Telephone's
service areas but instead am considering expanding in areas outside of
New York Telephone's service area.

I should think that New York Telephone, which fills the front pages of
every telephone directory with glowing talk of up-to-date digital
technology, would be embarassed at its apparent failure to deploy ISDN
beyond a handful of Manhattan exchanges.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,


Carl Oppedahl
P O Box 1504
New York, NY  10276-1504


Carl Oppedahl AA2KW  (patent lawyer)
1992 Commerce Street #309
Yorktown Heights, NY  10598-4412
voice 212-777-1330

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 04 Nov 93 00:20:51 EDT
From: Rick Broadhead <[e-mail]>
Subject: The Canadian Internet Handbook


Press Release:

November 1, 1993

                        Announcing....
               THE CANADIAN INTERNET HANDBOOK
        The Definitive Guide to the Internet in Canada

Toronto - Rick Broadhead and Jim Carroll are pleased to announce that
they have signed a contract with Prentice Hall Canada to write a book
on the Internet.

To be released in early 1994, the Canadian Internet Handbook will be
the first book devoted to the Canadian Internet, and the first
Internet book aimed at the Canadian market.

The Internet has been described by some as the most significant
development in human communication since the invention of the printing
press, telephone, and television.  A vast international computer
network that is used by professionals, educators, hobbyists,
academics, students, and government officials, the Internet is quickly
emerging as the backbone of the global information highway.

October 1993 saw almost 15,000 commercial, research, and government
networks linked to the Internet, with each network representing
hundreds or thousands of individual computer users.  There are now
more than two million computers on the Internet, and over 137
participating countries.

Unlike other Internet books, the Canadian Internet Handbook will focus
on Internet resources and Internet Providers in Canada.  It will
provide guidance to individuals, businesses, and organizations on how
they can access and participate in this vital and important global
resource.  An extensive, province-by-province directory of Canadian
Internet Providers will be included in the book.

The authors have a great deal of experience with the Internet, and are
uniquely situated to summarize information concerning the network.

Rick Broadhead, B.B.A., is an MBA student in the Faculty of
Administrative Studies at York University in Toronto.  Rick is
Executive Director of the Toronto Free-Net, a planned community
computer network in Metropolitan Toronto that will be connected to the
Internet.  A pioneer member of the Internet Society, Rick has
contributed to the _Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and
Networks_ and _The Internet Complete Reference_.

Jim Carroll, C.A., is principal and owner of J.A. Carroll Consulting,
a Toronto-based firm which assists organizations with
telecommunications technology, with a primary focus on electronic mail
and on-line information research systems.  J.A. Carroll Consulting has
been in operation since October, 1990, and since that time has
provided consulting services to some of Canada's largest
organizations.  Also a pioneer member of the Internet Society, Jim is
a prolific writer with a regular monthly column on electronic mail in
Computing Canada.  His articles have also appeared in CA Magazine, The
Bottom Line, CMA Magazine, and The Internet Business Journal.  Jim is
an Associate Editor of a new Canadian-based publication, Information
Highways.

The authors are accumulating information on useful and significant
Internet resources that pertain to Canada (regardless of where they
are on the Internet).  The authors are also compiling a list of
interesting Internet resources that are located on Canadian Internet
sites.  Interesting anecdotes, statistics, and facts about the
Canadian Internet are also being solicited.  Contributions, ideas, and
suggestions for the book are encouraged.

All enquiries about the Canadian Internet Handbook should be directed
to the authors, as detailed below:


Rick Broadhead                              Jim Carroll
Faculty of Administrative Studies           J.A. Carroll Consulting
York University, Toronto                    Internet:       [e-mail]
Internet:  [e-mail]            Voice and Fax:  [phone]
Voice:     [phone]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Question About T1 Equipment
From: atrium!cntinuum![e-mail] (Jon Carmichael)
Date: 05 Nov 93 00:03:00 GMT
Organization: The Continuum PCBoard - South Pasadena, CA - 818-441-2625
Reply-To: atrium!cntinuum![e-mail] (Jon Carmichael)


> What are good sources for such equipment?  I have some catalogs from
> BlackBox and MISCO.  I have seen some AT&T boxes lying around in our
> computer and PBX rooms.

> Hope some kind folks will enlighten me or point out some good
> references.  I would love to get my hands on any book that demystifies all
> the various T1 equipment.

It seems to me that you have a business problem you need to solve and
you're going about it using the wrong tools.  A T1 is a tool, -- it
has an application and in my experience I use them as a digitial pipe,
where occasionally I'll use the feature of a DSU to break off a 56K
chunk or two. -- however as I read your problem, I would say that a T1
is an inappropriate tool for the job.

If I were you, I would be prepared to buy dial up lines from your
carrier or grow your PBX if you have one and pass those salespeople
laptops with 14.4Kbps modems, perhaps your should consider a internal
company bulletin board.


JONC

The Continuum PCBoard -*- @9600+ call 818-441-2625   @2400- call 818-799-9633

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 04 Nov 93 16:20:25 EST
From: Alex Cena <[e-mail]>
Subject: Pactel Cellular Wants to go Digital


[from a PacTel Cellular press release]

Years of testing and review have convinced PacTel Cellular Corp. that
its customers will be best served if the conversion to digital
technology awaits the commercial introduction of the most advanced
digital cellular technology available: Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA).

Many cellular carriers are currently choosing between two forms of
digital technology -- CDMA and TDMA.  After evaluating both
technologies, PacTel Cellular chose CDMA because of its belief that
the customer benefits it will provide -- including clearer calls,
fewer busy signals, greater privacy and fewer dropped calls -- are
superior to those of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).

CDMA is based on technology developed to provide secure communications
for the military.  Its wideband channel, advanced receiver technology
and sophisticated encoding scheme results in a signal that is highly
resistant to interface, restricts eavesdropping and is expected to
offer at least ten-times current capacity of analog communications.

While other carriers are opting to introduce TDMA equipment this year,
PacTel Cellular has decided it is in the best interests of its
customers to wait until testing and refinement of the more advanced
CDMA is complete before making the switch from analog to digital.

"At PacTel Cellular we recognize there are merits to the TDMA
technology, but we are not convinced the current offering will provide
customers with better service than PacTel's analog technology," said
Brian Jones, area vice president and general manager, PacTel Cellular
 -- Los Angeles.

"Our primary goal," he said, "is not to be first to market, but to
introduce to our customers an enduring product that offers the highest
quality and best meets our customers' needs."

PacTel Cellular anticipates that its CDMA digital technology will be
in place and ready for customer use early in 1995.  Until then, the
company believes its advanced analog engineering techniques, including
patented PacTel MicroCell service with digital technology, will
compete very favorably with the early TDMA equipment being put into
use by other carriers.

"This is in our tradition of working to offer the highest customer
satisfaction," Jones said.  According to a customer satisfaction study
conducted for PacTel Cellular by J.D.  Power and Associates, PacTel is
highest in overall customer satisfaction among cellular telephone
users.

TDMA has incurred delays in coming to market and is being challenged
by customers who question its quality.  In a recent news release,
Ameritech Corp.  announced that it is reconsidering its decision to
utilize TDMA equipment because consumer testing has revealed customer
dissatisfaction with the product.

"We encourage our customers to wait for CDMA and the long-term
solutions that technology offers.  We would not want to see early
purchasers stuck with obsolete digital equipment as the owners of Beta
format VCRs were when the VHS format became the standard for home
videotape recordings," Jones said.

PacTel Cellular, PacTel Corp.'s largest wireless subsidiary, has
control or shared control over cellular systems in ten of the top 30
U.S.  cellular markets: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, San
Diego, Sacramento, Atlanta, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland and
Detroit, serving more than 832,000 customers.  The company also has
interests in 34 additional markets.

PacTel Corp., based in Walnut Creek, Calif.  operates cellular,
paging, vehicle location and international wireless ventures in some
of the world's top markets including the United States, Japan,
Germany, Portugal and Spain.  PacTel is a subsidiary of Pacific
Telesis Group, a worldwide diversified telecommunications corporation
based in San Francisco.

Pending regulatory review and the satisfaction of other conditions,
Pacific Telesis Group is working to complete the spin-off of its
wireless businesses (PacTel Cellular, PacTel Paging, PacTel Teletrac
and Pacific Telesis International) in the first half of 1994.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 93 10:15:55 EST
From: adiron![e-mail] (Tom Olin)
Subject: Internet Access From a Rural Exchange [Summary]


Here's a summary of the responses to my query about Internet access
from a small, rural telephone exchange.  My original message:

> I want to obtain some type of Internet access from my home, which is
> located in a small exchange (315-861) that is long distance to just
> about every place that's anyplace [including access points to the
> major on-line services, such as CompuServe, AOL, etc.]

> If I have to pay long distance, I would prefer not to have to pay for
> a host account on top of that.  And if I'm going to pay for long
> distance, I might as well consider sites outside of New York State,
> since interstate rates will likely be lower than intrastate rates.

> It seems, then, that I need a good discount long-distance plan and a
> free, public-access system.  The former is pretty much limited to
> AT&T, since my local exchange does not yet have equal access dialing.
> The latter is open for suggestions.

> Other solutions are welcome, as well.

I received over two dozen replies.  Most of the suggestions listed
below were echoed by more than one person.

* 800 NUMBER ACCESS

From: uunet!cup.portal.com!atfurman

 ... consider the option of last resort: "800" number access.  You can
find providers who offer it in the PDIAL and "Forgotten Sites"
directories, which are posted from time to time on
alt.internet.access.wanted.  A typical example of this service is from
OARnet in Ohio.  It costs $10 or $12/hour prime time (8-6 weekdays)
and $8/hour off-prime-time, which is 13 cents a minute, plus a signup
fee and/or small monthly charge.  Rates up to 14.4 kbits/sec are
supported.  I thought I saw an announcement on alt.internet.access.wanted
of someone who had this for $5/hour off-prime, but I forget who.  You
will have to check on whether these operators have Usenet and email
along with the deal.

* CALL FORWARDING

One reader suggested installing a phone line in an exchange that is
local to both mine and a network access area (e.g., Utica) and using
call forwarding on that line to allow me to access the common
services.  [Such an exchange exists in my case, but I don't believe it
has call forwarding yet.]

* CNS (CONSUMER NEWS SERVICE)

From: uunet!ocnet.cscns.com!kbethke (Kenneth Scott Bethke)

I call a system in Utah I think ... called CNS (Consumer News Service)
They have an 800 Number to the machine and it tops out at about $8 an
hour including system connect time.  I opt for AT&T Reach Out America
(about $5.90 per hour), and online connect charges are $2/hr.

* FREE BBS

From: uunet!unix1.sncc.lsu.edu!eevasa (R.M.S. Vasan)

If you are willing to pay for the call, there are a bunch of free
BBSes (Unix-like if you prefer or gopher or rn based services) around
the country.  I have used bbs.oit.unc.edu (North Carolina) and
nyx.cs.du.edu.  Both are free to get a guest account, need to
snailmail a form to get posting priviliges.  The latter lets you to
ftp, mail, even uucp over dial-ups; only 2k or (2M ?) storage limit.
Launchpad at unc provides rn or nn access, posting privileges, but no
ftp access; all messages have to be downloaded (Kermit works best).

* FREENET

From: uunet!lanl.gov!rgt (Richard Thomsen)

I am in the same position, in a rural area in northern New Mexico.  I
access the Denver Freenet.  It will cost me a long-distance call to
get in, but access time is free.  You might check for freenet access
around your area.  You can get the addresses of freenet sites from the
following:

  First -- use anonymous ftp to nptn.org.
  Pull the several files in the /pub/info.nptn directory.

  Read them closely, then for more information write to:

[e-mail]

* INFOSERVE

From: uunet!dlogics!dlm  (Dave Mausner)

Mail a request for info to [e-mail]

[no other information provided]

* MCIMAIL

From: danny burstein <uunet!panix.com!dannyb>

What is it?  MCIMAIL is an e-mail system with dialup lines. It allows
you to send and receive email ACROSS INTERNET for some pretty decent
pricing.  However, it does not have any sort of telnet/ftp capability.

Pricing: This is the part that's quite good.  There is a single
$35/year registration fee, and then there is a charge for SENDING
messages (ranges from $.50 for a thousand characters and another 25
cents or so for each additional K) There is NO CHARGE for RECEIVING,
and there is NO CHARGE for CONNECT TIME.  And, to dial in, you call a
1-800 number, so that part is free as well.

Since it's now connected to Internet, you can get e-mail from
individuals, and from any listserv-type GROUP you subscribe to.  What
you don't get: there is no access to usenet nor to other systems.  You
have email, but you do not have ftp or telnet.

For further info, give them a call at:
   1-800-444-MAIL

* NET IOWA (IOWA NETWORK SERVICES)

From: "S.Rathinam 319-395-8290"
<uunet!HOBBES.CCA.CR.ROCKWELL.COM!SYS_SRR@harper>

Until the end of this year, netIOWA is providing an 800 number access
for $1/day (use it or not).  I am not sure if this number works
outside Iowa.  Contact [e-mail] for more info and
account.

* PC PURSUIT

From: uunet!netcom.com!wurton (William L.Urton)

One cheap way would be to use Sprintnet's PC-Pursuit (about
$30 for 30 off-peak hours/month, $50 for 50 off-peak
hours/month) to access a flat rate service like Netcom or
Netsys (disclaimer-I have no connection to PC-Pursuit or
Netcom other than as a satisfied customer). PC Pursuit's info
number is [phone].

* PDIAL

uunet!netcom.com!puma (Gary Breuckman)

There's a file called "PDIAL" that lists many public commercial
systems, I'll send you a copy separately.

[To receive the current edition of the PDIAL, send email
containing the phrase "Send PDIAL" to  "[e-mail]".]

* RABBITNET

From: uunet!triple-i.com!jeffw (Jeff Wasilko)

Rabbitnet offers access via a toll-free number for less than
$5/hour off peak (7p-7a). THey provide interactive access or
UUCP accounts.

Mail [e-mail] for info.

* SPEEDWAY

From: uunet!iecc.com!johnl (John R Levine)

Sounds like you're a good candidate for Speedway, which offers a
reasonable set of Internet services for no charge beyond the toll
call.  You have to call via AT&T, we assume that since they have a
direct connection, AT&T rebates part of the cost of the call to them.
You can use any of AT&T's calling plans, some of which are pretty
cheap at off hours.

[Speedway features unlimited connect time; SLIP, PPP, E-Mail,
News; V.32bis modems; and it's all free but for the phone
        call.  For more information, write to [e-mail].]

Several people suggested various services like PSI, Netcom, Halcyon,
and others, which charge a monthly fee.  Since I'd have to pay long
distance tolls on top of their fees, I'm going to look at the various
free or 800-access services first.

Thanks to all who responded.


Tom Olin        PAR Technology Corporation   Tel:[phone] Ext 638
[e-mail]           New Hartford, NY   Fax:[phone]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #738
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #739

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 7 Nov 93 10:27:30 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 739

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Orange County DACS Outage (Urban Surfer)
    Dialup by Modem Bank to Ethernet (Scott M. Pfeffer)
    Fire Update  11-5-93  9:00 AM PST (Pete Tompkins)
    "Fake Switch" Box or Tester (Karl Bunch)
    Canada Goes 1+ 10D For All Long Distance, Sept '94 (Dave Leibold)
    Skokie, IL, and Telephone History (Dave Levenson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1993 13:20:02 PST
From: Urban Surfer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Orange County DACS Outage
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Pacificare Health Systems


About six weeks ago, I posted in the Digest an account of the DACS
outage in Orange County, CA. I received several queries for more
information. It seems that a lot of people were disturbed to learn
about the potentioal points of failure on a DACS as well as the bug we
experienced.

I recently took a tour of the affected CO and met with the switch and
DACS administrators to ask further questions. At this point, they
believe that they have fully addressed all software and procedural
issues with the DACS IV. They also stated that the software patches
they applied have been propagated throughout the entire Bell network.

The following is the public disclosure report sent to the FCC from
Pacific Bell. This report was retyped from a fax, so any errors are
mine or my secretary's.


          FINAL SERVICE DISRUPTION REPORT

          CATEGORY:      50,000+

          REPORTING COMPANY:  Pacific Bell

          REPORT CONTACT/TELEPHONE:    Eva Low [phone]

          LOCATION OF DISRUPTION:  Anaheim, California (ANHMCA#11)


          1.   DATE AND TIME AND INCIDENT:

               9/15/93     0752 HRS.

          2.   GEOGRAPHIC AREA AFFECTED:

               The failure of this Digital Crossconnect System (DCS)
               affected a portion of the city of Anaheim, California.  This
               geographic area is located in the Los Angeles, California
               LATA 730.

          3.   ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS AFFECTED:

               Potentially, 67,528 customers could have been affected by
               this failure.  This estimate was derived based on the number
               and type of working circuits on the DCS.

          4.   TYPES OF SERVICES AFFECTED (e.g., INTEREXCHANGE, LOCAL,
               CELLULAR, 911 EMERGENCY SERVICES.):

               All services using the interoffice transport network, into
               and out of, the Anaheim 11 central office building were
               affected.  This included two local switching entities which
               were isolated from the interoffice network (intraoffice
               call was not affected.)  Operator and directory assistance
               services were adversely affected and the Anaheim Public Safety
               Answering Point (PSAP) was without Automatic Location
               Identification (ALI) during this failure.

          5.   DURATION OF THE INCIDENT:

               Date and time of disruption:             9/15/93 at 0752
               Date and time of full service restoral: 9/15/93 at 1557
               Duration of incident (minutes):           485

          6.   ESTIMATED NUMBER OF BLOCKED CALLS:

               Approximately 746,950 calls were blocked during this
               incident.  This estimate is based on data from the switches
               using the same day and time of the week prior to the incident.

          7A.  CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT:

               This service outage was caused by a software defect in the
               Digital Access Cross-Connect System IV-2000 (DACS IV-2000).
               The software defect caused information in an area of the
               database called "Frame Data Page" to become corrupted.  This
               corruption did not have an immediate impact on service.  The
               Frame Data Page contains critical information related to the
               systems software program identity which is used by the DACS
               IV-2000 during system recovery.  This corruption went
               undetected and was propagated from active memory to the hard
               disk and system backup tapes.

               Prior to the outage, most input commands issued to the DACS
               IV-2000 were responded to with "Retry Later" (RL) messages.
               In accordance with standard procedures, a system reset was
               activated to clear the system of RL responses in order to
               reestablish communications with the DACS IV-2000.

               The system design is such that when a system reset is
               activated, data resident on the hard disk is loaded onto
               active memory.  On this occasion, the aforementioned
               corrupted Frame Data Page caused the DACS IV-2000 to
               reinitialize the cross-connect map and drop all active cross
               connects in the system.  A total system outage ensued.
               Attempts to recover the system by rebooting from system backup
               tapes failed because the corrupted Frame Data Page also
               existed on these tapes.

               AT&T determined that the database corruption resulted from
               improper software process interactions involving the
               preemption of a lower priority process by a higher priority
               process during a very specific small window of time when
               the program was manipulating internal data pointers.  The use
               of these data pointers by the higher priority process
               resulted in corruption of the Frame Data Page described above.

          7B.  NAME AND TYPE OF EQUIPMENT/VENDOR NAME:

               Name:  Digital Access Crossconnect System IV-2000 (DACS IV)
               Type:  Digital Crossconnect System (DCS)
               Vendor:  American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T)

          7C.  SPECIFIC PART OF THE NETWORK INVOLVED
               (e.g..LOOP SWITCH, INTEROFFICE):

               This disruption involved the interoffice transport portions
               of the network.

          8.   METHOD USED TO RESTORE SERVICE:

               Standard emergency action recovery procedures were executed
               by Pacific Bell field personnel under the direction of
               Pacific Bell Electronic Systems Assistance Center (ESAC), in
               consultation with AT&T RTAC, TSO, and Bell Laboratories (Bell
               Labs).

               Multiple attempts to recover system operation from storage
               media failed since the corruption was present on the hard
               drive as well as all backup tapes maintained in the office.
               A special software debugging tool called "DACSmate: was
               thereupon attached to the DACS IV-2000.  Through the use of
               DACSmate, AT&T Bell Labs performed an intensive analysis of
               the database on the backup tape and determined that the
               extent of the corruption was confined to the Frame Data Page
               only: the cross-connect map itself maintained integrity.

               Bell Labs used DACSmate to copy the existent cross-connect
               map from taped and reloaded the DCS hardware, thereby
               restoring transmission for customer service, however the
               system controller remained in an out-of-service state.
               Subsequently, Bell Labs prepared a "new" database containing
               both a valid Frame Data page and the cross-connect map
               information. Standard procedures were used to load this
               database from tape into the system, and full functionality was
               restored to the DACS IV-2000.

          9.   STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE OF THE OUTAGE:

               1.   AT&T issued/reissued the following bulletins, called
                       either COACH or Urgent Problem Notification (UPN)
                       Bulletins, as a result of this incident:

                       a)     UPN Bulletin 9309171.1 was issued on September 17,
                              1993, alerting the industry that system resets can
                              result in service interruptions, and hence, are not
                             to be performed as part of normal troubleshooting of
                           main controller problems.

                            The UPN also recommends that the next level of
                            support be contacted because it may be necessary to
                            use special debugging tools to ensure that data
                            corruption is not present.

                       b)     UPN Bulletin 9309171.2, issued on October 13, 1993,
                            amends UPN Bulletin 9309171.1.  The amended version
                            describes the cause of the data corruption and also
                            identifies the correcting software program releases
                            (see item 2 below).

                       c)     COACH Bulletin #050393.2, issued on September 17,
                            1993, cancels the use of resets (recommended in
                            Bulletin, #050393.1).  This issue recommends that
                            the next level of support be contacted and the next
                            level of support be contacted and that special
                            debugging tools may be needed to ensure that data
                            corruption is not present.

               2.        The correction for the process interaction problem
                            is available in the following software releases:

                                 Redundant Controller:  2.3drc (avail 11/7/93)
                                                          3.0drc (avail now)
                                                          2.3d   (avail 10/25/93)

                            Additional defensiveness measures have been
                            developed to have the system automatically validate
                            the database for integrity and to prevent the
                            inadvertent propagation of corrupted data.  These
                            changes (tracked via MR CS 93-26601) will be
                            available as follows:

                                 Redundant Controller:  2.3drc (avail 11/7/93)
                                                          3.01drc(avail now)
                                 Simplex Controller:    2.3d   (avail 10/25/93)

                            A software patch (overwrite) for MR# CS 93-26601 was
                            developed for Simplex Controller 2.2d and Redundant
                            Controller 2.2drc and is now available.

                            Pacific Bell is planning to deploy Release 2.3 or
                            later in all DACS IV-2000 offices by 1994.  Patch
                            application prior to this will be determined on a
                            site-by-site basis.

                       3.     Pacific Bell issued an ESAC Flash, 93-010F
                            prohibiting the use of system resets without ESAC
                            involvement.  Moreover, ESAC will use DACSmate to
                            verify that the database is not corrupted prior to
                            initiating a reset.  Deployment of additional
                            defensive measures (2.2 patch, Release 2.3 and
                            3.0.2 software) provides this data validation
                            internal to the DACS IV-2000 software.  (See also
                            item 2 and 4 in this section).

                       4.     The DACSmate software debugging tool currently does
                            not have remote access capability; however,
                            enhancements for remote access via an x.25 wide area
                            network are under development.  This remote
                            capability requires development of a companion
                            called DACSlink, which AT&T will be jointly testing
                            with Pacific Bell in December 1993.  Pending
                            successful completion of testing, Pacific
                            Bell will implement DACSlink in all of its DACS
                            IV-2000 offices during 1994.

                            On October 8, 1993, AT&T provided Pacific Bell with
                            additional portable DACSmate units, pending the
                            deployment of DACSlink.


Matt Holdrege          [e-mail]        MH235

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott M. Pfeffer)
Subject: Dialup by Modem Bank to Ethernet
Date: 6 Nov 93 18:44:05 GMT
Organization: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company


Dialup to modem bank.  Investigating options such as Trailblazer
series, etc.

Need information on availability, pricing, recommendations, caveats,
or experiences with implementing dialup to a host which can route
TCP/IP traffic across modems.

Nice picture:

            --------
            | OFC/ |    _____                       _______
            | HOME |   |     |                    /|       |
            | CPTR |---|Modem|---SWITCHED TELCO----| Modem |
            |      |   |_____|                    \| Pool  |
            --------                               |_______|
                                                    |||||||
    ---------                          ________     \_____/
    | Network\      _________         | Linkup |       ||
    | of     |=====|Sun SPARC| <======| Device |======>//
    | Suns   /     |_________|        |________|
    ---------

Specifically,

I am looking for information on the following pieces:

   1.  The Modem Pool.  (What vendors, advice...)

   2.  The Linkup Device between the modem pool and the Sun (can be PC
       bridge, or an interface card in the Sun for the modem pool device,
       or anything else...) (Trailblazer?).

   3.  I have no questions about the the OFC/Home cptr,
       the Modem attached to the home computer, or the network of suns.
       Those details have already been worked out...

Requirements:

    1.  Support 2400, 9600 baud.  Autobaud detection would be
        nice.  Initially 8 or 16 modems at least. Must be easily
        expandable.

    2.  Support compression, error control, but allow non-compression
        and/or non-error-control modems at the OFC/HOME to work
        (through automatic negotiation).

    3.  Total transparency between Sun and OFC/HOME CPTR.  That is,
        once connected, ALL data from OFC to Sun will be
        delivered untouched, and from Sun to OFC, too.

        This means the linkup device as well as the modem pool device
        must not interfere or attempt to interpret the data coming
        across once the connection is established.

     4. Cost reduction information valuable...

Why:

    1.  Have client application on OFC/HOME computers that I want to
        talk to a server application on the Sun SPARC via DIALUP.

    2.  Client talks TCP over phone line using SLIP/PPP for serial IP.


Thanks in advance.  Please reply to:

Scott Pfeffer   [e-mail]    or call direct:  [phone]
Information Services, Southwestern Bell Telephone
18-N-22, One Bell Center,St. Louis, Missouri 63101

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tompkins)
Subject: Fire Update  11-5-93  9: 00 AM PST
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Tompkins)
Organization: Transaction Technology, Inc.
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 17:35:30 GMT


I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the telephone service
throughout Malibu the last three days.  Outbound calls were totally
unrestricted at all times; inbound volume was limited intentionally to
insure our ability (and more importantly, emergency personnel's
ability) to call out as necessary.  A number of areas in east Mailbu
(310-456 exchange) still get a busy.  I suspect cables going to some
of the fire areas have been welded together by the fire.

Away from phones for a minute: I just drove into work for the first
time since Monday.  Pacific Coast Highway is open to Malibu residents
(acutally, its open to anyone, but none of the canyon accesses are
open to non-residents).  The scene was one of total devastation -- but
it was also a scene of many successes.  For ten miles along PCH, the
fire burned right up to the Highway where there wasn't a structure.
And for that same stretch, it burned up to the back wall of the
structures that fronted PCH.  La Costa (one of the areas that has
gotton a lot of news coverage) looked like a bomb hit it -- but the La
Costa houses on PCH are untouched even though they are a mere 50' from
their neighbors to the rear, which, in most cases, were destroyed!

In Carbon Canyon, the fire raced through in seconds.  The residents
all assumed their houses were gone -- but the vast majority were
missed -- partly the luck of the draw, and partly the hard work of
fire fighters, partly aided by the large separation between houses
(these are two to ten acre lots).  In one case (a close personal
friend), the fire fighters apparently cut out a piece of burning roof;
broke in through a window to extinguish some burning furniture.  They
actually went out of their way to cover the other furniture, obviously
taking pains to minimize the damage they caused -- they hauled the
smoldering furniture a hundred yards down the canyon, and went on to
the next house.  This is one family who left KNOWING their house was
gone and returning to find really minor damage!

Further west (PCH DOES run east and west through Malibu, in spite of
what the TV newspeople might have you believe!), a ring of burned out
brush encircles the Civic Center and also the Malibu Knolls
residential area, but nothing was burned (at least as far as you see
from the Highway).  Anyone who has visited Malibu has probably noticed
the castle overlooking the Civic Center.  Its walls are singed, as are
the walls of many of its neighbors.  Hughes Research, Pepperdine and
the neighboring residential area, Malibu Country Estates: same
stroy -- fire right up to the edge of the buildings.

Four houses at Puerco Canyon (a little further west) have burnt brush
all the way around them, with no apparant damage!

Some hot spots still exist in Corral Canyon on the west flank and also
in and around Topanga on the east flank, but there is no further
threat to structures.  We all thank God for the cool, damp sea breezes
that returned to the area Wednesday.

I don't want to minimize the devastation and the loss of hundreds of
people, but it is obvious that in many areas the skillful and hard
work of thousands of fire fighters from all over the western U.S.
saved many hundreds more homes.  The hearts of all of Malibu goes out
to these hard working people.


Pete Tompkins

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 19:37:02 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Karl Bunch)
Subject: "Fake Switch" Box or Tester
Organization: Think Tank Software, Norwalk, CA


I'm looking for a circuit or "magic box" that would allow me to
basicly plug to phones back-to-back.  Given Phone A & B if phone A
were picked up Phone B would ring, and when phone B is picked up they
could converse as normal until one of them hangs-up.  The same could
be true in the reverse (Phone B would ring A if it's on-hook etc.)

I want to hook up a phone to a voice-mail board and allow the board to
ring the phone or the phone to "call into" the board without using up
phone lines etc.

I'm extremely ignorant as to how phones even ring. So be very complete
in any reply you may make.

Please reply by e-mail.


Thanks for any help,

Karl Bunch            UUCP: ..!uunet!cerritos.edu!ttank!karl
Think Tank Software   INTERNET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 23:06:58 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Canada Goes 1 + 10D For All Long Distance, Sept '94


[from Bell News, Bell Ontario, 25 Oct 93. Text is Bell Canada's.]

Canadian dialing patterns to change in 1994.

Get ready for the next big change in dialing patterns.

The way callers make long distance calls within their own area code
will change for everyone in Canada (and most of North America) on
September 4, 1994.

Currently, to dial long distance within your own area code, you dial 1
or 0 and then the seven-digit number. Area code 905 is the only
exception to this.

But population growth, as well as the boom in new technologies such as
cellular and fax machines, have used up almost all of the available
area codes under the present North American Numbering Plan (NANP).

To solve the problem, calling long distance within your own area code
will require you to drop in your area code and dial 1 or 0 + area code
+ xxx-xxxx (just as you do when making long distance calls to other
area codes).

No change will take place in the way that local calls or long distance
calls to other area codes are dialed.


Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
Subject: Skokie, IL, and Telephone History
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 17:59:11 GMT


In light of our Moderator's recent move from Chicago to Skokie, IL, I
thought I'd share a bit of telephone trivia from the mid 1960's.

It was reported in that year that the largest number of telephones per
capita (86 per 100 population) anywhere in the world was in the
District of Columbia, USA.  The second largest value of this number (I
think the number was around 70 or so) was in Skokie, Illinois.

(Now that Pat lives there, the number is probably higher!)


Dave Levenson        Internet: [e-mail]
Westmark, Inc.        UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA    Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: [phone]


[Moderator's Note: Actually, I have but three lines: one for voice,
one for data and one for fax. I'll make do somehow. The fax is now
on a full time dedicated line and available to anyone who wants to
use it:  708-329-0572. The Skokie area was also the home of Teletype
Corporation as some old-timers may recall. I am just just hoping
very desparately that things will work out financially for me and
the family.  :(   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #739
******************************


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Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 11:02:00 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #740

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 7 Nov 93 11:02:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 740

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Motorola PT550 Cellular Phone Info Requested (Ed Greenberg)
    Preparing my Case Against Sprint (Chris Ambler)
    Received My Free Sprint Modem Today (Rosella Bartonico)
    CFP94 Scholarships (John F. McMullen)
    Recommendations For Programmable Audio Synthesizer Wanted (Brett Delmage)
    Frame Relay Summary (Michael Lewis)
    Books, Interesting to Some People (James H. Haynes)
    Telecom at the Opera (Aninda Dasgupta)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ed Greenberg)
Subject: Motorola PT550 Cellular Phone Info Requested
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 22:17:53 GMT


I have the above cellular telephone and wonder if anybody out there
has the documentation for test mode.

I can get into test mode easily enough, since that is documented, for
the purpose of programming the rejection list of systems that you
don't want to use for roaming.

What I'd like to know is:

*    Standard test mode display is alternating between the cell
frequency and signal strength on one flash, and a seven digit number
on the other flash which remains constant for each cell.  Does anybody
know the interpretation of this number?

*    What else can you do in test mode?


Ed Greenberg   [e-mail]    Ham Radio: KM6CG

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Ambler - Fubar)
Subject: Preparing my case against Sprint
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 13:53:21 GMT


I promised I'd keep you up to date on this, so here is the current
situation, and a call for help, if you can. (This, in relation to
their "Dvorak offer" fiasco, for which I am suing them in small claims
court)

I called Sprint, to ask them for the proper address at which to serve
them. They refused me this information, pointing me at the Secretary
of State for my state (CA). I called there (after an hour of busy
signals) and was told that they no longer give that information out
over the phone.  Wonderful. I love our goverment. It now must be done
via writing, and costs $4. I sent that off.

Meanwhile, I've been doing legal research, and have come to the
conclusion that their verbal offer on the phone, my acceptance, the
switching of my lines, and the one long-distance call to "activate"
the plan constitutes a valid contract.

Point of help number 1. If anyone has specific case references for
verbal offer and acceptance, when acceptance relies on specific
performance of an action intended to benefit the party which made the
inital offer, this would be of great use to me. Also, if anyone knows
if the section of the law dealing with "rewards" is relivant here, I'd
like to know about it. Is there a section dealing with offers to the
public of a premium in exchange for perchase of item or service?

I also sent a letter, via registered mail, to Sprint, outlining what I
am preparind my case against them for, what I contracted for, and what
they offered. I then outlined the deficiency, and assigned it a fair
monetary value (average of ten street prices for the modem initially
offered).

Point of help number two: If anyone knows anything I'm missing here,
I'd like to know about it. I have legal citations to show that the
contract was valid, I have a letter demanding performance of the
contract, and I have documentation of names and times of phone calls
where they refused to honour the contract. What am I missing?

At this rate, I should have a court date some time in December or
January.  If there's anyone else who is taking Sprint to court over
this, I'd like to hear from you as well, we can share information.

One last thing. Those of you who called Sprint and were told that they
offered a 9600 baud external data/fax modem, could you PLEASE document
this, with the name and time you called (if you have it) and sign it
and send it to me? Simply a personal letter saying that you, too, were
promised this over the phone by Sprint. I was told that this would be
of invaluable help in any case. If you are taking Sprint to court as
well, I would be happy to send you the same.

My address is:

Christopher J. Ambler
1720 Diablo Drive
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
[phone]

More info as I get it. Thanks to all who have kept in touch over this.
While it's not something I want to do again, I am learning quite a lot
over this and enjoying the process, as frustrating as it is :-)


++Christopher(); // Home of the 30K plan!   | [e-mail]
Christopher J. Ambler, Author, FSUUCP 1.41  | [e-mail]
Call The Central Coast Connection, Voice BBS: [phone] - Avail 15 Nov!

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Rosella Bartonico)
Subject: Received My Free Sprint Modem Today
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 02:39:43 GMT


It finally came today, after eight weeks (I switched to Sprint for the
free modem about September 10).

It is indeed an internal 1/4 card (half size, half heigth) PC modem.
Not an external.

It came via UPS 2nd day air.  The modem comes in a shrink wrapped
package.  Here are the specs:

The Smart One Fax Modem from Best Data Products, Inc.
9600/4800 bps send/receive fax
2400/1200/300 bps data modem
  with V.42bis and MNP error correction and data compression

QUICKLINK WinDos Software

and a free month of Compu$erve for $8.95.

A letter was also included with the shipment that said:

November 1, 1993

Dear Customer,

Due to the emergency situation that we have had over the past week in
Los Angeles, we have had logistic difficulties with UPS and other
carriers.


Best Regards,
Best Data Products

So the Mac owners are outta luck, since this is indeed an internal
modem for the PC.  Let me just say that I don't think Sprint should be
held accountable because in the radio commercial that announced this
promotion, they clearly specified that it was an internal PC 2400 data
modem w/fax.  I know, I heard it with mine own ears.

Of course, it's unfortunate that the computer illiterate Sprint Reps
didn't know the difference between a 9600 bps data and 9600 bps fax.
Sprint should only switch the misinformed back to their original
carrier at Sprint's expense and compensate the customer with whatever
they might have lost for being with Sprint.  ($50 is very fair).

[steps down from soapbox]

Aloha.

------------------------------

Subject: CFP94 Scholarships
From: [e-mail] (John F. McMullen)
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 08:41:05 EST
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)


The Conference on Computers, Freedom & Privacy (CFP'94) is pleased to
announce that it will once again provide a number of full tuition
scholarships for attendance at the conference. The conference will be
held in Chicago, IL from March 23rd through March 26th, 1995 and will
be hosted by the John Marshall Law School under the chairmanship of
George Trubow.

The conference traditionally attracts an extremely diverse group of
persons concerned with issues relating to the rapid development of the
"information society"; civil libertarians, information providers, law
enforcement personnel, privacy advocates, "hackers", sociologists,
educators and students, computer professionals, cryptography
advocates, government policy makers and other interested parties have
all played major roles in the three previous conference.

Speakers at previous conferences have included Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF) co-founders John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor, FBI
Deputy Director William A. "Al" Bayse, writer Bruce Sterling, privacy
advocate Simon Davies, Harvard University law professor Lawrence
Tribe, hacker "Phiber Optik", Georgetown University's Dorothy Denning,
"Cuckoo's Egg" author Clifford Stoll, Prodigy counsel George Perry,
USA Today founder Al Neuwith, former FCC Chairman Nicholas Johnson,
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)'s Marc
Rotenberg, Arizona prosecutor Gail Thackeray, and Bay Area Women in
Computing's Judi Clark.

The scholarships are intended to provide access to the conference to
those that would like to attend the conference but are unable to
afford the tuition. They are available to undergraduate and graduate
students in any discipline (previous student attendees have come from
computer science, law, sociology, liberal arts, journalism, and
womens' studies backgrounds), law enforcement personnel, hackers,
social scientists, and others interested in the future of the
information society.

Persons interested in a scholarship should send the following
information (e-mail greatly preferred) to:

John F. McMullen
CFP'94 Scholarship Chair
Perry Street
Jefferson Valley, NY 10535

[e-mail]
[phone] (voice)
[phone] (fax)

1. Personal Information -- Name, Addresses (including e-mail), Phone
Numbers, School and/or Business Affiliation

2. Short Statement explaining what the applicant helps to get from
CFP'94 and what impact that attendance may have in the applicant's
community or future work.

3. Stipulation that the applicant understands that he/she is
responsible for transportation and lodging expenses related to the
conference. The scholarship includes tuition and those meals included
with the conference.

4. Stipulation that the applicant would not be able to attend the
conference if a scholarship is not granted.

5. Stipulation that the applicant, if granted a scholarship, will
attend the conference.

6. Stipulation that the applicant, if granted a scholarship, will
provide a written critique of the conference to the scholarship
committee by April 30, 1994.

Applications will be accepted until December 31, 1993 and scholarship
winners will be notified by approximately February 1, 1994.

Please contact John McMullen at the above e-mail address or phone
numbers with any questions.


John F. McMullen           [e-mail]    Consultant,
[e-mail]        [e-mail]            Writer,
[e-mail]   [e-mail]                 Student,
GEnie - nb.nyc             [e-mail]                     Teacher

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Delmage VE3JLG)
Subject: Recommendations for Programmable Audio Synthesizer Required
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: JATOM Systems Inc.
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 22:26:05 GMT


I am looking for a replacement / back-up for my employer's
(Plantronics) Wilcom T-296 Programmable Frequency Synthesizer.  I have
not any luck finding anything in catalogues in the last year :(

The T-296 is a two channel programmable audio synthesizer.  It is
programmable by a front-panel keypad, and stored control programs can
be entered in a BASIC-like language, for example, 10 DTMF 123*# 20
DELAY 2000 30 GOTO 10.

Full user control over each tone frequency, level (in 1dB steps) and
timing (~1ms) is provided, which is an important feature for us.

Ideally, we would like a plug-in card for the ISA (IBM PC) bus that
can provide similar functionality. A free-standing box that can be
controlled over an RS232 link would also be acceptable.  We are
willing and able to program the device at a lower-level to the
hardware, in C.

One of the biggest shortcomings of the T-296 is that programs must be
entered on the front-panel keypad and cannot be saved externally. It's
getting to be quite a pain to reenter several- hundred program lines
when the T-296 loses its mind, which is happening more and more in its
old age :(

Please email your suggestions and recommendations. Contact information
(model, manufacturer/supplier and phone number) and personal
experience with the product would be appreciated if you can provide
it.

Thanks in advance!


Brett Delmage, JSI Telecom    613) 591-5910
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 02:16:53 -0800
From: Michael Lewis <[e-mail]>
Subject: Frame Relay Summary


I would like to thank those of you who responded to my recent request
for guidance in the field of Frame Relay.  I have compiled the
following responses:


Michael L. Lewis        DHL Systems Inc.
Network Engineering     700 Airport Blvd      Phn: [phone]
Global Communications   Burlingame, CA 94010  FAX: [phone]
Internet:  [e-mail]

                     -------------------

Try getting a hand on cisco's Internetworking Technology Overview.
They condense the X.25 to 6 pages and then go into frame relay for
another 8 pages, comparing frame relay to X.25.  Sounds like just
what you want for a broad overview.  StrataCom is evidently the
keeper of Frame Relay Interface Specification.  040-207460, Rev.
2.3, August 9, 1990.  cisco is at [phone].  I have no idea how
to reach StrataCom, perhaps the cisco folks know.  They implement
frame relay well.

Ron Rietz   [e-mail]


Well, let me see if I can help you a bit ..

If the "one RFC" you're referring to is 1294, it has now been
replaced by 1490, which you should get a copy of.  I can mail it to
you if necessary (I'm a co-author).

You should call or send mail to the Frame Relay Forum.  I'm on the
road right now so I don't have the phone number, but send email to
[e-mail] - she's in charge of the FRF Secretariate.  She
can mail you plenty of info, along with pointers and references on
where to find more.

There's also the ASNI specs if you want technical detail - T1.606,
T1.617, T1.618.

My company also sells FR switches and routers with FR interfaces -
let me know if we can be of assistance.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Andrew G. Malis
[e-mail]  -or-  [e-mail]
Ascom Timeplex    289 Great Rd., Acton MA 01720  USA~
[phone]


I found that MCI has a pretty good overview of their services in a
little booklet which also described FR in general.

P.S.: This is no endorsement of their services of course :-)

Alex Bochannek Phone :  [phone]~
Technical Support Analyst Fax :  [phone]
Cisco Systems Belgium SA/NV RFC822:  [e-mail]
Complex Antares, 5th Floor
72 Avenue des Pleiades
1200 Brussels, Belgium~
Currently on vacation in Berlin, Germany


We are just starting to work with BT Tymnet on a frame relay option
for our net also.  Our Canadian affilate has some frame relay in
place using Cisco ags routers.  I will inquire about their findings
and results.  What data rates and locations are you looking at - I
assume some international sites.

Warren Smith  [e-mail]
Dana Corp / Victor Reinz Division


You might consider joining the Frame Relay Forum.

Jim Battan - Sequent Computer Systems, Beaverton, OR
[e-mail] or uunet!sequent!battan


Too bad you just missed Interop.  The vendors are the ones who seem
to be carrying and promoting Frame Relay services although in a
dizzying array of capabilities and costs.  A few articles of interest
from the trade magazines would be:

"Coping with Public Frame Relay:  a Delicate Balance"
Data Communications, 21 Jan.  1992

"What are the Network Design Choices for Frame Relay Based Networks?"
Networks-in-Depth, Feb.  1992

(If you cant get these articles, I can send a copy to you)

Also about a year ago, NIST (National Institute of Standards and
Technology) began a multivendor OSI/Frame Relay Interoperability
Trial that presumably is finished and the results are in.  You may
not be interested in the OSI aspects, but the list of vendors and
results may be of interest.  You can get information on the trial
from Doug Montgomery, [e-mail] .  Some of the
participants were AT&T, Cascade Communications, ISDN Systems, NCR,
Sprint, StrataCom, 3Com.

Elin Klaseen    Research Engineer   SRI Int'l
333 Ravenswood Ave.  Menlo Park, CA 94025
[phone]   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (James H. Haynes)
Subject: Books, Interesting to Some People
Date: 6 Nov 1993 23:31:35 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz


Here's some books and things advertised in the latest issue of Morse
Telegraph Club newsletter.  I have no connection with any of the
vendors, have bought some of the books and enjoyed having them.

Morsum Magnificat - International bi-monthly journal for Morse telegraphy,
past, present, & future.  Details from:
   Morsum Magnificat
   9 Wetherby Close, Broadstone, Dorset
   BH18 8JB, England
or subscribe via Wise Owl Worldwide
4314 W. 238th St.
Torrance, CA  90505.
$21.50 surface or $26.50 airmail

QNC! Journal for amateur radio c.w. enthusiasts; cognizant that
landline gave rise to wireless.  QNC! 85000 Laughlin Rd., Eugene, OR
97405

The Vail Correspondent - Journal for key and telegraph hobbyists. Free
subscriber ads.  Sample copy $2; subscription (4 issues) $10.
    The Vail Correspondent
    POB 88, Maynard, MA  01754 (same as Artifax Books)

Railroad Telegrapher's Handbook. 60 pages. Excellent, Illustrated.
$11.95 ppd. [also good for model railroaders] also coming soon: Ted
McElroy Biography Illustrated.  Hardcover $41.95 ppd, softcover $21.95
ppd.  Printing date early December.  Artifax books, Box 88-D Maynard,
MA 01754

The Story of Telecommunications by George P. Oslin, Western Union's
first public relations director.  Hard cover, 507 pages, 150+
illustrations.  Comprehensive history covers smoke signals to fax
machines. $35.  Mercer University Press 1400 Coleman AVe., Macon, GA
31207 800-637-2378 Ext 2880

Collector Reprints of Bunnell Learners Manual of 1884, Drawings &
diagrams, telegraph fundamentals, $8 check or MO, L.A. Bailey
813-442-1557 909 S. Evergreen Ave., Clearwater FL 34616 [I have a copy
of this -- he did a beautiful job of reproducing the old booklet]

The Telegraph by Lewis Coe.  Hardcover 184 pages.  Illustrated.
Excellent overview of the telegraph.  $25.95, McFarland & Co.
919-246-4460 Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640.


[e-mail]   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 06:49:56 EST
From: [e-mail]  (Aninda Dasgupta)
Subject: Telecom at the Opera


Last week I was at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.  We had real bad
seats (not my fault, I was there courtesy of my date) and were seated
in a box on the top left balcony, literally hovering over the stage.
As a result, part of the stage was blocked from my view and all I
remember seeing from up there are the cleavages of the dimensionally
disadvantaged divas and the bald patch on Placido Domingo's
cerebral-box (although the singing was great, not to mention the
music, but I digress).

Looking on towards the stage, one saw the orchestra pit, which was, as
is usual, sunk below the audience, then there was the front part of
the stage, in the middle of which was the prompter's box. So the
prompter was actually standing on the floor at the same level as the
orchestra pit, with his head barely reaching the stage floor and only
the performers could see him in the hole. Sitting right above the
stage allowed me a nice view of the backstage, the prompter's hole and
the orchestra pit.  I saw that the prompter had a Black and White TV
(about 10" wide), on which the conductor's gestures were being
constantly shown.

The performers could stare at the two sides of the auditorium and
nicely concealed from the rest of the audience were strategically
placed TV monitors, which also showed the conductor.  Thus, the
prompter could watch the conductor's arm movements and, using hand
signals, prompt the different performers to sing lines. Simultaneously,
the performers would from time to time look at the walls and see the
conductor's wand and at other times watch the prompter for signals to
start, slow down or stop singing.  The lines were also being scrolled
on a little LED/Bulb strip that was sunk into the front of the stage
and which only the performers could see.

Backstage were a number of TV monitors that allowed the director to
watch and direct the whole thing via audio with the prompter.  Outside
the Lincoln Center (of which the Metropolitan Opera House is a part)
was a huuuuge tractor trailer with the word "Unitel" painted on it.
The trailer had some neat modules that were hydraulically pushed/
raised out of the trailer's walls and steps lowered to allow people
access to the interior of the trailer.  There were no antennae or
dishes anywhere on the trailer, but I did see a guy scuttle in and out
wearing headphones.  I wonder what the trailer was for; I know the
local PBS station was recording the performance for a future
broadcast.  All in all, I was surprised that they use such telecom for
classical performances. I can only wonder how they did things in the
days when Verdi composed the music for the opera.

(Now don't you go comparing my experience with what you saw at the
Megadeth concert.)


Aninda DasGupta ([e-mail]) Ph:[phone] Fax:[phone]
Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n  Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510
"Err.., Phillips Petroleum gives you gas; fortunately Phillips Chemical
makes antacid. Philips is with one "el", we make lightbulbs. And other shtuff"


[Moderator's Note: Forty years ago during the 1950's, one could always
tell when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was doing a radio broadcast since
in the alley behind Orchestra Hall where the alley intersects with Adams
Street there would appear a very large semi-trailer/truck with the words
'Illinois Bell Telephone Company' on its side. A thick cable would snake
out of the stage entrance of the Hall and into this van, then it would
come out the van and go down into a manhole in the street.   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #740
******************************


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Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 12:08:46 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #741

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 7 Nov 93 12:08:45 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 741

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    My Meeting With the Commish (Charlie Hofacker)
    Voice Processing with Visual Basic (IVR Toolkit) (John W. Barrus)
    Book Review: "Windows Network Programming" by Davis (Rob Slade)
    New Method Triples Capacity of Fiber (Josh Backon)
    Telephone Pioneers Activities and Goals (Dave Leibold)
    Looking For Software Distribution and/or File Transfer Programs (T. Hull)
    Need Cellular Rates For New York Metro Area (Seng-Poh Lee)
    Wanted: Info on Cellular Phone Monitoring Systems (Robin Singla)
    ATM Newsgroup: is There Any? (Kees de Graaf)
    Telephones in Italy (Steve Cogorno)
    Where to Find Amp for Phone Extension? (Bill Leeke)
    Brought to You by the Letter Q (Bill Leeke)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Charlie Hofacker <[e-mail]>
Subject: My Meeting With the Commish
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 04:52:28 EST


Well, I got my chance to have lunch with FCC Commissioner Barrett.
There was a brief question and answer session at lunch.  I decided to
ask him about universal access, and whether the concept of universal
access should be updated to include more than POTS.  I think it would
be fair to say he was not enthusiastic about the whole idea of
universal access.  In fact, I might summarize his reply in the form of
a rhetorical question he asked me back: who pays?  (Inspiration for my
question came from Bob Boucher <[e-mail]>).

Later he told me that he was still thinking about the issues and he
had not closed his mind to any point of view.

Perhaps the most amusing moment came when a student asked him about
the FCC and censorship.  He insisted that the FCC does not engage in
censorship and is wholly unconcerned with any content whatsoever with
the possible exception of kids TV.

It was apparent that he is spending some time in the UK studying the
telecommunications situation there.

Thanks to all who submitted possible questions.  Needless to say there
was a lot of competition to ask him questions so I could only get one
in.


Charlie Hofacker  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: John W. Barrus <[e-mail]>
Subject: Voice Processing with Visual Basic (IVR Toolkit)
Organization: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 11:14:11 GMT


Contact:  Krisztina Holly   617-621-9545

     STYLUS INNOVATION'S VISUAL VOICE TRANSFORMS MICROSOFT'S
       VISUAL BASIC INTO A POWERFUL VOICE PROCESSING TOOL

     CAMBRIDGE, MA (November 1, 1993) - Stylus Innovation, Inc., today
announced the release of its new software product, Visual Voice(TM).
Visual Voice is a Visual Basic custom control and graphical workbench
which allows developers to quickly build sophisticated, PC-based voice
processing applications.  Using Visual Voice, developers can create a
variety of applications including fax-on-demand, Touch-Tone(TM) order
entry, and voice mail.  Typical business applications include
prospects requesting faxed product brochures, customers placing
orders, sales reps accessing shipment status, or employees inquiring
about benefits information.

                     One Billion Node Network

     "Voice applications developed with Visual Voice can interact with
practically every available data source and network because of Visual
Basic's extensive third party and built-in support.  This is
client/server with a one billion node network: the PC is the server
and any phone in the world is a client," explained Michael Cassidy,
president of Stylus.  "Not surprisingly, our market research revealed
that MIS departments and system integrators would prefer to develop
voice processing applications with industry standard Visual Basic
instead of spending weeks learning a toolkit based on a proprietary
language.  Most MIS groups today already have developers familiar with
Visual Basic.  And anyone who knows Visual Basic will immediately pick
up Visual Voice."

              Explosive Growth in Voice Processing

     The voice processing industry continues its rapid 30% annual
growth and reached nearly $4 billion this year.  Key growth drivers
have been declining digital signal processing (DSP) chip prices and
emerging industry standards for the computer-telephone interface.

     Visual Voice allows someone with no voice processing
experience to develop voice processing applications.  Visual Voice
handles all of the following functions:

          - waiting for inbound calls and detecting ringing,
            connection, line dropping, etc.

          - making outbound calls and detecting ringing,
            connection, busy signals, etc.

          - prompting for Touch-Tone input once calls are
            established

          - playing and recording voice files


     "Stylus Innovation's new Visual Voice product is a great example
of pragmatic component software at work," said Tom Button, Microsoft's
Group Product Manager for Applications Programmability.  "Now, voice
processing capability is as easy to build into mission critical
solutions as data access, workgroup, multimedia, and the breadth of
other functionality available from third parties in the form of
tightly integrated Visual Basic custom controls."

     Visual Voice also includes the Visual Voice Workbench, a set of
visual tools designed to speed up development.  The Workbench helps
create and revise all voice processing objects including voice
prompts, menus, and files.

              Enormous Visual Basic Installed Base

     There are more than 500,000 Visual Basic developers today.  "One
of the hard parts of building interactive voice response applications
is the database connectivity issue.  That involves getting information
out of a database to give to someone calling for information.  Visual
Voice solved that problem," said Jim Burton, president of CT Link, a
leading computer-telephony consultancy in Boston.  "If you're an
organization that has a little bit of development capability and has a
need for voice processing, this is a no-brainer."

     One can equip a PC for voice processing by simply installing a
voice response board.  Visual Voice is a high level, easy to use
interface which controls boards from vendors such as the industry
leader Dialogic.  Stylus has recently been named a member of
Dialogic's Open Developer Program.  Low end boards start at a few
hundred dollars and prices increase with the number of simultaneous
phone lines handled.  Also, Visual Voice will support the
Microsoft/Intel Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)
when it is made available.  This means that Visual Voice will work
with every voice response board which supports the TAPI.

     Visual Voice has an introductory price of $495 and can create
applications which handle two phone lines simultaneously.  Visual
Voice Line Extender will handle an unlimited number of lines (up to
the capacity of the host PC) for an additional $1495.  Visual Voice
requires a 386 or higher PC and Windows 3.X.

     Stylus Innovation (Cambridge, MA) was the winner of the Best
Invention of the Year competition given by MIT in 1991.  Stylus has
developed several other innovative hardware and software products for
the voice processing industry.


                Stylus Innovation, Inc.
                One Kendall Square
                Bldg 1500
                Cambridge, MA  02139
                Voice [phone]
                FAX [phone]


Note: Visual Voice, Visual Voice Workbench, and Visual Voice Line
Extender are trademarks of Stylus Innovation, Inc.  All other products
are trademarks of their respective companies.

------------------------------

Date:  7 Nov 93 11:25 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Windows Network Programming" by Davis


BKWNPROG.RVW  930929

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 520   26 Prince Andrew Place
Don Mills, Ontario  M3C 2T8
416-447-5101   fax: [phone]
or
1 Jacob Way
Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-527-5210  617-944-3700
5851 Guion Road  Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226
Windows Network Programming, Ralph Davis, U$29.95/C$38.95

I recall a message posted by the developer of a piece of security
software.  He was explaining the process that was being used to assign
priorities for new features for his program.  One of the first things
mentioned was the time being consumed by ensuring the product would
work with Windows.  Thereafter, about every two paragraphs, we noted a
reiterated cry of, "Have I mentioned how much I hate Windows?" as
various features that should have been added to the product were
pushed into the background.

I have heard the same from communications software developers.
Windows has a number of features making initial program development
rather easy, but it is full of traps for the unwary once you get into
the interesting stuff.

Davis' book is intended to address the most complex of communications
issues, that of networking.  His rather understated intention is to
"explore some of the issues" in writing networked applications.  In
this he would appear to have succeeded admirably.  The programmer
intending to start building "network aware" applications under Windows
would do well to start here.  In addition, the experienced programmer
who has concentrated on a single API (Application Program Interface)
will find this a helpful bridge to other systems.

Chapter one serves as both preface and introduction to the work.
There is background material on the major protocols and APIs of use in
the Windows environment and some comparison as to feature and users.
Part one details the protocols, procedures, architectures and data
structures of NetBios, IPX/SPX, VINES and Sockets (TCP/IP) as well as
a general API.  Source code is given for DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries)
for all systems.  Part two deals with specific "built-in" network
services, once again covering all the major APIs.  Part three covers
Windows NT, Win32 and Windows for Workgroups.

This work is intended as a serious programming reference.  Experienced
programmers will appreciate the fact that no attempt is made to
address a novice audience.  The code listings are tight, with minimal,
but clear, commenting.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKWNPROG.RVW  930929
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of TELECOM
Digest and assocated newsgroups/mailing lists.


DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: New Method Triples Capacity of Fiber
Date: 7 Nov 93 08:18:57 GMT
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem


I just heard on the news that an Israeli physicist at the Weizmann
Institute of Science developed a new technique based on holographic
technology to triple capacity of optical fiber. The report indicated
that this will have a major impact on telecommunications.


Josh    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 23:02:52 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Dave Leibold)
Subject: Telephone Pioneers Activities and Goals


[From Bell News, Bell Ontario, 25 Oct 93; text Bell Canada's.]

 From past to present -

The Telephone Pioneers of America began in 1911, when three men
recognized they shared a number of common interests: pride in the
network they had helped build, satisfaction in doing a job well and
concern for their co-workers.

This handful of special people began an association of long-time and
retired telephone workers, whose goal was fellowship and comtinuity of
the service philosophy their industry represented. There were 734
members in the first group of Telephone Pioneers.

Today there are more than 800,000 active members from the telecommuni-
cations industry in Canada (23 374 in Bell Ontario) and the United States.


THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment is one of the Telephone Pioneers' major areas of
concern. Their support of environmental groups and programs include:

* the collection of trash from streets, highways and recreation areas
for sale to recycling agencies to raise funds for other clean-up
activities;

* numerous reforestation efforts throughout Canada and the U.S;

* the "adoption" and ongoing clean-up of miles of highways, nature
trails, streams and river beds.

THE COMMUNITY

Pioneers have been responsible for the creation and ongoing support
of many community services:

* programs to combat illiteracy;

* providing volunteers and support to homes for battered women;

* helping hospitals purchase expensive specialized equipment.

THE DISABLED

Pioneers' work with the disabled has resulted in a number of
worthwhile projects:

* built or refitted parks and playgrounds for the disabled;

* invented and manufactured "beeping" sports equipment that enables
the visually impaired to participate in nearly every sport;

* designed special smoke detectors for the deaf * the only organization
designated by the U.S. Library of Congress as the official repair depot
for Talking Books program;

THE CHILDREN

Many programs have been initiated or supported by the local chapters
of the Telephone Pioneers. Here are just a few:

* supplied law enforcement and other agencies with more than 95 000
teddy bears to hand out to traumatized children, victims of child
abuse or traffic accidents;

* purchased equipment and provided volunteers for infant hearing
assessment programs in many hospitals;

* support and participate in programs that locate missing children.

THE PIONEER PURPOSE IS FIVE-FOLD:

* promote and participate in activities that respond to community needs;

* provide a means of friendly association for all employees and retirees;

* foster among members a continuing fellowship and a spirit of mutual
helpfulness;

* contribute to the progress of the assocation and promote the happiness,
well-being and performance of the membership;

* exemplify and perpetuate those values that have come to be regarded
as the ideals and traditions of our industry.

                     -------------------

Dave Leibold - via FidoNet node 1:250/98
INTERNET: [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: And now I believe many chapters of the Telephone
Pioneers and Independent Pioneers have waived the fifteen or twenty
year employment requirement for full membership. If you are not a
member of the Pioneers, you should inquire about membership in this
worthwhile organization today.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Terry Hull)
Subject: Looking For Software Distribution and/or File Transfer Programs
Date: 7 Nov 1993 04:05:54 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor


  I am looking for some automatic unattended file transfer programs
running on Sun SparcStations. But first let me describe what my
company has right now.  There are 40 branch offices across USA.
Everyday, each branch offices will be sending data to and receiving
data from the central office. We are currently using RemoteWare from
XcellNet to do the job. The RemoteWare Server runs on OS/2 PC residing
in the central office, and each branch office has a RemoteWare node
runs on a DOS PC. This is a master slave relation between the Server
and The nodes. The Server part of the RemoteWare has the scheduling
ability. You can program it so that it will initiate calls to the
nodes via modem. While this works fine, it is approaching its capacity
to handle larger volume of data. Now, we are seeking a similar
product, but it should run on SparcStations, and should support both
modem dial-up and also IP-based transport mechanisam.  I was told that
a company call CMI has a similar product. But I don't know anything
more besides that.

  At this moment, we are open to all ideas. If you know anything about
this, or have heard of similar products, please drop a line. All help
will be greatly appreciated.

------------------------------

From: Seng-Poh Lee <[e-mail]>
Subject: Need Cellular Rates For New York Metro Area
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 22:26:43 EST


I need the full set of rates for the cellular carriers in the New York
Metro area.  I understand the two carriers are Bell Atlantic Mobile
and Cellular One.  In particular, I need to know if either has a low
usage rate, ie low monthly fee, but higher per minute charge.  I've
been told that you cannot get an account for less than $36 per month.
Surely every cellular carrier has a low usage plan.  As an example, I
currenly pay only $9.95/month, 75 cents/min for my wife's phone, which
I consider reasonable for occasional/emergency use. In fact, it used
to be NO monthly fee up to about two years ago.


Seng-Poh Lee    <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 20:59:58 CST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Wanted: Info on Cellular Phone Monitoring Systems
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago, ADN Computer Center


A friend of mine, without net access, has received some information on
a product called "Cellmate Model B" It supposedly allows you to dial
in a cellular phone number, and listen to both sides of the call.  How
does this work? Is it reliable? Has anyone ever heard of any other
products like this that are cheaper (this is ~$6000)?


Thanks,

Robin Singla  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kees de Graaf)
Subject: ATM Newsgroup: is There Any?
Organization: University of Utrecht, 3D Computer Vision Research Group
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 10:30:51 GMT


I'm new to the comp.dcom.* newsgroups. I was wondering whether there
is a group dedicated to the ATM standard/protocol (?) and its
applications. Otherwise, what would be the group to read anything
about ATM?


Thanks in advance,

Kees


[Moderator's Note: I dunno, I suppose the bankers of America must have
some newsgroup devoted to discussing their cash machines and how they
work. :)   Don't worry, Kees, its just an inside joke around here.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Cogorno)
Subject: Telephones in Italy
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 03:26:52 PST


Next September, I will be living in Italy for a year.  However, from
the limited experience I have had with their telephone system, I think
I am going to be in for some serious problems modem-wise.  Can anyone
tell me where I can purchase a RJ-11 to whatever converter, how to
make one, etc.?

Also, my computer is self adjusting, but the other devices aren't.
What kind of power converter will I need, and how reliable is the
current?  I don't want anything to fry ...

Thanks in advance!


Steve   [e-mail]
#608 Merrill * 200 McLaughlin Drive * Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1015

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bill Leeke)
Subject: Where to Find Amp For Phone Extension?
Date: 7 Nov 1993 10:40:06 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston IL USA


Could someone point me to where I can buy an amp for a phone line
extension. (38v->48v) This is an extension to another building in
which I've had problems with lightning on an old intercom. What kinds
of lightning protection is available?


Later,

Bill   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bill Leeke)
Subject: Brought to You by the Letter Q
Date: 7 Nov 1993 10:33:42 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston IL USA


Why is there no digital equivilent for the letter Q or Z on my phone?


Later,

Bill   [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Because in the opinion of The Telephone Company
 -- does anything else matter? -- there are no names which begin with
Q or Z which are worthy of use as exchange names. Furthermore, it is
believed that if you are on a voicemail system and your name begins
with Q or Z (or has one of those letters in the middle of it somewhere)
you should change it to something different. Some very old telephones
do have the letter Z where the Operator spot on the dial is located,
but I can't think of a single instance where it was ever used. The
problem with Q is that it must be followed by U in 99 percent of all
words in common use, thus it is rather limited and unflexible where
phone exchange names were concerned.  Z is far more flexible, but
easily confused with S, said The Telephone Company. According to the
System as they developed it, there were only enough places for 24
letters of the alphabet (while keeping 1 and 0 completely unambig-
ous from the time they were 'pulled' and not context-dependent on what
proceeded or followed them) so the two they decided to leave out were
Q and Z.  No great loss, I say ... modern voicemail systems make
a concession to the folks who insist on using those letters in their
name; they usually substitute the digit '1' in their stead.  PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #741
******************************


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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 01:18:00 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #742

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 01:18:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 742

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Fire Update 11-5-93 9:00 AM PST (Christopher Salter)
    Long-Distance Resellers (Van Hefner)
    Comments on SynOptics 5000-series Hub? (Will Estes)
    On Line GSM Recommendations? (Bui Anh Jonathan Banh)
    ISDN API Assistance Needed (Sin-Kuen T. Ko)
    New Area Code: 610 (Ken Jongsma)
    Area Code Boundaries (Craig Vosburgh)
    Eritrea Tariffs (David Esan)
    Security Management on Combinet's Products (Bob Larribeau)
    Wanted: USED Dialogic Equipment (Dr. John V. Jaskolski)
    Question About Area Codes in USA (Yilmaz Cengeloglu)
    Common Carrier Information Wanted (Thomas Freeman)
    Sources on No. 4 ESS Needed (Pawel Brzozka)
    Wiring a New Home - Suggestions? (Bob Tykulsker)
    Looking For *Current* Access Code Listing on LD Carriers (Caryl Mulchand)
    Battery Cross-Reference Information Needed (Arthur L. Shapiro)
    Help Needed With Ethernet Terminal/Comm Servers (Dave Somers)
    Wanted: Information on DEC Internet Over Cable TV Device (Stephen Balbach)
    Cheaper Long Distance Company (Lloyd Brodsky)
    Anyone Else With a "Connection 14.4" Modem? (Tim Clinkenpeel)
    Kaliningrad Staying in Russia? (Carl Moore)
    Armstrong in Rising Sun, MD (Carl Moore)
    "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (Elana Beach)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Christopher Salter)
Subject: Re: Fire Update 11-5-93 9: 00 AM PST
Organization: TBA
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 18:26:21 +0000


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
writes:

> In Carbon Canyon, the fire raced through in seconds.  The residents
> all assumed their houses were gone -- but the vast majority were
> missed -- partly the luck of the draw, and partly the hard work of
> fire fighters, partly aided by the large separation between houses
> (these are two to ten acre lots).  In one case (a close personal
> friend), the fire fighters apparently cut out a piece of burning roof;
> broke in through a window to extinguish some burning furniture.  They
> actually went out of their way to cover the other furniture, obviously
> taking pains to minimize the damage they caused -- they hauled the
> smoldering furniture a hundred yards down the canyon, and went on to
> the next house.  This is one family who left KNOWING their house was
> gone and returning to find really minor damage!

Pete, it's probably of little import that your "first hand account"
should draw a response from someone in the U.K. I am, I admit,
somewhat worried by the thought of people risking their lives to
protect property. At the same time I have the utmost respect for
Emergency Services, amongst whom "Fire Fighters" must rank amongst the
bravest. How they see their job is, in the end, not for me to comment
on except to offer praise.

I must thank you for your report which seemed more immediate than all the
footage in the TV News Broadcast's.

Maybe I should really email this but I don't feel it's stretching the
purpose of this particular newsgroup too much in the circumstances to
respond publicly.


Christopher P Salter
London   England
Internet : [e-mail]     Compuserve : 73064,357


[Moderator's Note: Like yourself, I was quite impressed with the
original message. In fact the messages sent to us all last week from
GTE were quite factual and dramatic in content. I want to thank both
Pete Tompkins and Steve Lichter for their correspondence, as well as
the kind person at GTE who saw to it my fax machine received regular
updates all last week -- the 'week that was' in southern CA.    PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 14:52:16 EST
Subject: Long-Distance Resellers


I am looking for information on long-distance telephone service
resellers.  I've seen a few ads in magazines (Home Office Computing
and Entrepreneur) from three companies in particular The Phoenix
Network, National Tele-Communications, and Business Network
Communications. From what I've read all of these companies want some
small payment for their 'manual'. Has anyone out there had any actual
dealings with these companies? I own a small service bureau and was
wondering if long-distance reselling would be a good sideline to my
business.

     Is this like an actual business, or some kind 'get rich quick'
scam?  They all promise to pay royalties on all outgoing calls that
your clients generate, but how exactly would you be able to verify
that? I saw another ad for a (recruiter) reseller that actually
promised to throw in a Lincoln Continental, or something. I think I
tossed that one though. Any kind of info would be appreciated. Thanks.


Van Hefner   Vantek Communications

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Will Estes)
Subject: Comments on SynOptics 5000-Series Hub?
Organization: Mail Group
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 23:37:54 GMT


Does anyone have a comment on SynOptics' recently-announced
5000-series hub?  They are positioning this as a "hub of hubs" to
manage the enterprise backbone.  What strikes me as potentially
revolutionary about this product is the claim that you can define
logical networks across an enterprise that are totally divorced from
the network's topology.  Is this a big leap, or do other products do
this now?


Will Estes  Internet: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 11:47:00 +1100
From: Bui Anh Jonathan Banh <[e-mail]>
Subject: On Line GSM Recommendations?


Can someone tell me where (ftp sites) I might find some GSM
recommendations/standards (on line), particularly, signalling
protocols and interface.  Similarly, recommendations/standards on
DCS1800.

Thanks in advance.


                  Bui Anh Jonathan Banh
               email : [e-mail]
Switched Network Research Centre  | Telephone : [phone]
University of Wollongong          | or        : [phone]
Northfield Avenue, Wollongong,    | Fax       : [phone]
NSW 2522 Australia

------------------------------

From: bellcore![e-mail] (Sin-Kuen T. Ko)
Subject: ISDN API Assistance Needed
Organization: Bellcore
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 19:30:18 GMT


We are getting some ISDN API sets for our offices and are planning to
connect them to our PCs and MACs over an RS232 connection.  The API is
based on the Hayes AT command set enhanced for ISDN.  Does anyone have
information regarding call management products (on PCs or MACs) which work
with these ISDN API sets and provide functions such as maintaining a call
log of incoming calls, displaying information related to the caller of an
incoming call, redial from the call log, etc.  I've found a couple products
such as the AT&T Client/Profile software and the Excell/DIAL and
Excell/ICLID but would like to investigate further.


Thanks,

Sin-Kuen Ko

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ken Jongsma)
Subject: New Area Code: 610
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 12:46:11 EST


According to a full page ad in {Communications Week}, Bell Atlantic
has announced the assignment of area code 610 to eastern Pennsylvania.
The map in the ad indicates that the immediate area around
Philadelphia will retain the 215 area code, with a surrounding ring
that extends out beyond Allentown getting the new 610 area code.

Permissive dialing starts 1/8/94, mandatory use is 1/7/95.


Ken Jongsma
Smiths Industries        [e-mail]
Grand Rapids, Michigan   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 14:35:52 MST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Area Code Boundaries


I am looking for a Latitude/Longitude Data set that describes the
boundaries for the area codes.  I am writing an application that
presents a map of North America and am interested in overlaying the
area code information.  If any one could help, it would be greatly
appreciated.

I can be reached at E-mail:
"[e-mail]" Voice : 719-535-5108

Thanks for any help.


Craig

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Esan)
Subject: Eritrea Tariffs
Date: 7 Nov 93 18:48:13 GMT
Organization: Moscom Corporation, Pittsford NY


Just got in a bunch of new tariffs for calls from the US to Eritrea.
(Eritrea, for those who don't know, is the newest country in Africa,
having finally won their independance from Ethiopia, after a
multi-decade civil war.)  According to AT&T, the new country code for
Eritrea is 291.

I still have not seen what the correct code is for Macedonia, 388 or 389.

Some of the pieces of the USSR have acquired individual country codes:

370 Lithuania        371 Latvia       372 Estonia
373 Moldava          994 Azerbaijan

Has anyone seen codes the the other pieces of the xUSSR?


David Esan      [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: Bob Larribeau <[e-mail]>
Subject: Security Management on Combinet's Products
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 93 00:19:10 -0700
Organization: Combinet


I was asked to post the following:

Bob

                    --------------

The Combinet bridges now have a remote login capability.  This
capability was mentioned in Dave Martin's note ([e-mail])
describing a Unix that can be used to access this interface.

With the capability of remote configuration comes the problem of
protecting the bridge from unauthorized access.  Combinet provides
security features to prevent such access.  The commands for preventing
such access are:.

        SET PASSWORD SYSTEM

and providing a suitable password.  This password can be used for
remote access (over the LAN or ISDN ports) or for local access (over
the local serial port).  This is done by the command:

    LOgin <ip_address or ethernet_address>          for remote access
    LOgin                                           for local  access

As the Combinet bridges are shipped, they have no password.

It should be noted that network access to the bridge is via the MAC
address or the IP address.  If the user is accessing through one or
more routers, then only the IP address access is available.

The Combinet bridges are shipped with no IP address.  Thus, to get
remote access, they must first have an IP address assigned.  When this
is assigned, it is strongly advised that a system password be set to

prevent unauthorized remote configuration access.

If you have any questions, please contact [e-mail].

Thank you,

Bob Downs    Combinet   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Wanted: USED Dialogic Equipment
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Cognitive and Neural Systems Research
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 15:36:25 GMT


Hello,

I am looking for some USED Dialogic equipment.  I am interested in any
of the following equipment:

Dialogic D121x
Dialogic D41x boards
Dialogic LSI120 (or its predecessors (if there are any))
Dialogic MSIC board (24 port conferencing board)
Dialogic SA120

I am looking for this equipment USED precisely because I cannot afford
Dialogic's brand new prices.  Please E-mail me if you have any of this
equipment and want to sell it.


Sincerely,

Dr. John V. Jaskolski    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Yilmaz Cengeloglu)
Subject: Question About Area Codes in USA
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1993 20:07:42 GMT
Organization: Martin Marietta, Daytona Beach, Florida


The second digit of all area codes in USA either 1 or 0.
Is there any specific reason for that?


Yilmaz


[Moderator's Note: What you say is correct, but for not much longer.
In about the next year, area codes will have middle digits like any
other number. The original idea was that area codes would 'look
different' than prefixes, which (originally) had digits 2 through 9
in the middle, but never a 0/1 as the first or second digit, and
never a zero as the third digit. Several years ago, these restrictions
on prefixes caused the supply to run short, so the rules were changed
to allow 0/1 as the second and/or third digit, but never two 0's or
two 1's in the same prefix. By keeping area codes 'looking different'
than local exchange prefixes, there was no need to require a leading
digit 1 to indicate 'long distance' or to use 'time outs' in dialing
to indicate a local call, etc. The shortage of prefixes led to the
elimination of this nice feature a few years ago; the shortage of
area codes will eliminate the other side of this at the end of 1994.
The first 'non 0/1 area code' will be 334 in Alabama next year.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Thomas Freeman)
Subject: Common Carrier Information Wanted Please
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 03:42:00 GMT


Does anyone out there know of a good source of information about the
law concerning common carriers?  How difficult/costly is it to become
a common carrier?  I'm looking for something that a non-lawyer can
understand.

Thanks in advance.


Tom Freeman   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Pawel Brzozka)
Subject: Sources on No. 4 ESS Needed
Organization: trunking_fixed
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 02:56:38 GMT


Hi,

I am taking a Telephone Switching class for my MSEE.  Part of the
class is a term paper.  My topic is "No. 4 ESS".  I am looking for
good books and articles, preferably fairly recent, with description,
analysis, critique, etc.  of the No. 4 ESS.  Could someone direct me
to good (or just any) sources?

Thanks a lot!


Pawel Brzozka  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bob Tykulsker)
Subject: Wiring a New Home - Suggestions?
Date: 8 Nov 93 05:04:45 GMT
Organization: NETWORK EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES


Hello,

I am having a new home built and would like to install the wiring now
that I might need for future technologies.  What would you recommend?
Cable, fiber, copper, etc. Any suggestions welcome.


Regards,

Bob Tykulsker, [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Caryl Mulchand)
Subject: Looking For *Current* Access Code Listing on LD Carriers
Date: 7 Nov 1993 10:51:37 -0800
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation


Need info on:

1.  Access Code/Companies
2.  Tariff (sp?) or regulations on their billing procedures
3.  Who regulates items 1 and 2?

Thank you all,


caryl

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 08 NOV 93 00:54
Subject: Battery Cross-Reference Information Needed


I've owned a pre-breakup American Bell speakerphone for a few years,
purchased for a whopping $5 at a rummage sale.  It's an interesting
unit, with nice display panel and 63 number storage.  Of interest to
Telecom readers is the incredible design deficiency whereby one cannot
switch to the speakerphone once the handset has been used -- one can't
put a picked-up call on the speaker!

I'm sure the reason that this Touch-a-matic 6000 was given away was
the reason that's been bugging me: if there's a loss of electric
power, the entire memory gets cleared and thus the time, date, stored
phone numbers have to be reentered.  Quite a nuisance.  Last night I
tore the thing apart to see what might be wrong, and was surprised to
find that a NiCad battery rather than, say, a storage capacitor is
used to maintain power.  Clearly the battery is kaput.  Alas, it's
such a bizarre battery -- Sanyo! -- that none of my references seem to
tabulate anything similar.  Can anyone provide a source of an
equivalent unit to this guy?  It's a Sanyo N-50SB3, a tubular battery
2"x3/8", with wire leads that solder to the PC board.  Specifications
include 3.6v/45mAh; the standard charge is 1.5mA.  I'd be grateful for
any leads!


Arthur L. Shapiro        [e-mail]
Software Engineering
Unisys Corporation       Speaking as a civilian, rather than for
Mission Viejo, CA        Unisys, unless this box is checked: [ ]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Help Needed With Ethernet Terminal/Comm Servers
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 00:18:40 GMT


Can anyone give me suggestions for 16 port ethernet terminal/comm
servers?  The requirements are: Multi-Session support, full modem
(including hardware flow control) support, Telnet, SLIP, decent
security features and RTelnet (not essential, but nice).  We've
already looked at Xyplex, Lantronix and Chase with varying degrees of
satisfaction.  Any suggestions will be MUCH appreciated.


Thanks,

Dave

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Stephen Balbach)
Subject: Wanted: Information on DEC Internet Over Cable TV Device
Date: 7 Nov 1993 21:37:09 -0500
Organization: Clark Internet Services, Balt/DC, mail [e-mail]


I read recently of a device by DEC that allows an Internet feed
through normal cable lines.  It costs about $6000 on the cable
provider side and an undiscolsed (but lesser amount) on the
subscribers side for the hardware.  Any information on this would be
greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

Stephen Balbach . Clark Internet Services . Washington D.C./Balt. metro
area . mail [e-mail] . SLIP/PPP/UUCP/CSLIP . FAX [phone]
Linux on Disk . 32 disks $45 . [e-mail] . voice 410-740-1157
Time Card . Electronic Punch-Card System DOS . email  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lloyd Brodsky)
Subject: Cheaper Long Distance Company
Date: 7 Nov 93 22:21:19 GMT
Organization: University of Colorado at Denver


If anybody's interested, I'd be happy to forward contact information
for a Denver-based firm I know that uses a computer program to
identify the long distance carrier that minimizes your phone bill --
their fee is savings-based (no savings, no fee) and they self-describe
as being useful to anybody with a three digit long distance bill.


Lloyd Brodsky          Internet: [e-mail]
P.O. Box 101804        Voice: 303-758-1474  Fax: [phone]
Denver, Colorado 80250-1804, USA

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tim Clinkenpeel)
Subject: Anyone Else With a "Connection 14.4" Modem?
Date: 7 Nov 1993 16:24:12 -0700
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Reply-To: [e-mail]


I'm running Waffle with this ultra-cheap PC Card modem I picked up at
software, etc.  "Connection 14.4" is the name on the box. My users
complain about getting good high speed connects.  My powers of
observation tell me the problem might be v.32 people are actually
getting v.42 or something strange that produces only garbage.

I am unable to connect high speed from my USR v.32 dual standard to
this modem above 2400.

Help?


      tim clinkenpeel: aberrant analytical skeptical agnostic idealist.
             -- i exclusively represent myself --
  Editor: VidBits digital gaming magazine -- send mail or call bbs for info.
Sysop: the Lizard's Den bbs (801) ITS-YODA - usenet, nethack, XiX, pc/amiga/mac

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 23:42:40 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Kaliningrad Staying in Russia?


I wrote long ago about the Kaliningrad area (part of the Russian
republic in the former USSR) being physically separate from the rest
of that republic (you'd have to go through Lithuania and Belarus, and
Lithuania is one of the Baltic republics and has gotten its own
country code).

A non-telecom item appearing today (Nov. 5) in the (Baltimore)
{Evening Sun} mentions "In 2001, a space odyssey"; the story is about
a U.S.- Russia space-station agreement, and the article even mentions
Mission Control (capital letters as used by the newspaper!) in Houston
(Texas) and Kaliningrad.  I never heard of Kaliningrad being the home
of a Mission Control for the then-Soviet space program.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 23:38:17 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Armstrong in Rising Sun, MD


My eyebrows were raised a little today when I heard of cable service
being provided by an Armstrong company with a phone on 410-658 prefix
(that's Rising Sun, MD).  I asked and heard that this is indeed
connected with Armstrong Telephone serving Rising Sun (the only
non-Bell company doing business in a Maryland exchange).  I have
recently noted that, in the Bell Atlantic / TCI merger proposal, Bell
Atlantic would have to spin off the TCI companies doing business
within its (Bell Atlantic's) service areas.  Not complaining, but
curious, with reference to the Armstrong cable service (their phone
was answered "Armstrong Utilities" when I called it, but at this
writing I don't have further business there).

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Elana Beach)
Subject: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 04:38:04 GMT


Hello all,

I run a nice little organization of folx who love progressive,
instrumenatal, electronic music.  Today some seriously hot news came
in regarding some VIP's rare album.  I would have loved to been able
to put some of that on my answering machine so everyone else could
hear it.  Of course, there is no trying to put a lot of great news on
an OGM when someone out there is going to be impatiently waiting for
the beep.

I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
Chris Franke's limited CD release".  That way, anyone who wants to
hear that stuff would have the option, and others can just ignore it
and leave a message like usual.  That way, my phone line can double as
a news hotline.  Does any answering machine exist like this?  What
other features would it have?


Thanks in advance,

-E.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #742
******************************


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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 03:00:01 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #743

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 03:00:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 743

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Tony Curtis)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Chaim Frenkel)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Kevin C. Almeroth)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Tom Adams)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Dan Spencer)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Jon Gefaell)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones ([e-mail])
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Mike Harpe)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Dave O'Shea)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Robert M. Topolski)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (John Rumpelein)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Jan Morales)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Tom Watson)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Brett Frankenberger)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Mike Gore)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Stephen Friedl)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Pawel Dobrowolski)
    Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones (Eric N. Florack)
    Police and Criminals (Jim Wenzel)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
From: [e-mail] (Tony Curtis)
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 11:32:28 CST
Organization: The Zeitgeist BBS, Plano, TX  214 596 3720


[e-mail] (Gary Breuckman) writes:

> From the {Providence (RI) Journal}, quoted in the {Milwaukee Journal}:

> Cellular Phone call tips police to car burglaries

> Famous last words: 'That cop doesn't even know I'm on the phone.'

> East Providence, R.I. - Police said that a man, talking to his
> girlfriend on a cellular telephone while driving around early Monday,
> bragged that he had looted several parked cars.  What Robert Pimental,
> 22, didn't know, police said, is that an officer patrolling nearby
> happened to be listening in on the call on his cruiser's scanner.  The
> monitoring that lead to Pimental's being charged with possessing
> stolen goods was just "one of those coincidences," said Lt. Daniel
> Evans.  Patrollman Bruce Atwell was cruising the area, according to
> Evans, and was monitoring a scanner frequency that picks up cellular
> phone calls.  Atwell's ears perked up when he head a man tell a woman
> that he had stolen items from several parked cars in Bristol, Evans
> said.  The man also told her he was driving along Crescent View Ave.
> Atwell drove onto the avenue and pulled behind a small car whose male
> driver was talking on a car phone, Evans said.  And on his scanner,
> Evans said, Atwell heard the man say there was a police cruiser behind
> him.

> The article goes on to say how he bragged about the cop not knowing he
> was on the phone, was then pulled over, and the loot recovered.

> Someone should tell the officer that it's illegal to monitor those
> frequences.

> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
> officer on this one.  PAT]

What are the frequencies for cellular mobile communications?

Didn't the FCC require scanner manufacturers to exclude these
frequencies and aren't there some kits you can buy to enable these
frequencies?

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 20:49:14 -0500
From: Chaim Frenkel <[e-mail]>


Personal to the Moderator:

I distinctly recall, a large portion was in your favor. Why the
(heavy handed) editing?

> It is quite likely that half of the readers, would agree with our
> ESTEEMED Moderator.  Many people over the years have felt that voiding
> evidence obtained illegally was a major blow to effective police
> operations.


[Moderator's Note: I don't recall any such thing. Maybe you should go
back and read the earlier articles again.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kevin C. Almeroth)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: College of Computing, Georgia Tech
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 17:35:45 GMT


Brett Frankenberger <[e-mail]> wrote:

>> [Moderator's Note: Someone should tell Robert Pimental that it is
>> illegal to strip autos. My sympathies are entirely with the police
>> officer on this one.  PAT]

> Mine aren't.  Unless the cop had a valid warrent, he broke the law.  I
> certainly hope he is prosecuted for that violation.

>I  don't feel much sympathy for Mr. Pimental, but for the sake of
> protecting my rights, I hope he is released on insufficient evidence
> (since the illegally monitored cell phone conversation is taintd, and
> so just about anything following that is tainted also - I'm sure the
> courts would rule that he had a reasonable expectation of privacy
> while on a cell phone, since federal law bans monitoring of cell phone
> calls).

Okay, how about this hypothetical situation: Instead of breaking into
someone else's car, suppose it was your car.  Better yet, suppose he
was bragging about killing one of your family members.  How would you
feel then?  Especially considering you knew who the murderer was, but
he was released on a technicality.

Granted, what the officer did was illegal, but laws should not be
absolute.  When the breaking of a law benefits everyone except the
criminal, then I say go for it.  Laws should not be read word for
word, but applied based on the situation.


Kevin Almeroth ([e-mail])  Telecommunications Systems Group
College of Computing                  Georgia Institute of Technology


[Moderator's Note: Re your 'hypothetical situation' mentioned above,
I've strongly believed for many years that federal judges and ACLU
lawyers need to have their noses rubbed in their own mess. There should
be a law that judges and lawyers are required to live among the people
they manipulate so they could see the practical results of their ideas.
In Chicago for example, police officers and city workers are required
to live in Chicago. Too bad federal judges can sit in their ivy tower
courtrooms, tell the rest of us what to do, then rush to the train sta-
tion to get the 5:09 home to their lilly-white, rich, crime-free sub-
urban community where they drink their martinis dry and fulminate on
all the ways they saved us from ourselves that day. Ditto the lawyers.
They should all be required to live in the housing projects for a few
months, or maybe across the street from a burned out drug house.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom. Adams 529-7860)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 7 Nov 1993 19:57:32 GMT
Organization: Southwestern Bell Technology Resources
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Grover McCoury ([e-mail]) wrote:

> [Moderator's Note: Very good point Mr. McCoury. We've had very little
> liberty or personal safety in many parts of the USA for several years.
> In Chicago for example, one certainly does not have the liberty to
> walk around wherever one would like at night. We are hardly safe by
> simply staying in our own homes either. How's the crime rate in Raleigh
> this year, Grover? Did you have 97 children under the age of 12 killed
> last year in street violence between competing gang members, etc? How
> many drug houses are there on the block where you live?  PAT]

I'm a city dweller also.  We've got plenty of problems in St. Louis.
The city proper is becoming less and less safe, especially for
children.  And I and anyone else that can afford to will eventually
take the same course PAT has and move somewhere else.

Locations nearest our country's major centers of business more and
more resemble barbaric third world countries with total economic and
moral collapse.  Perhaps rather than enterprise zones we need war
zones with a complete suspension of civil liberties.  I'd much prefer
the confiscation of automatic weapons from our children than those of
Somalia.

Yet until civil liberties are suspended we as a society cannot allow
our police force to break laws to convict people. How far would you
allow the police to go?  The cases in Detroit and LA show that some
police officers can become violently out of control.  Is that behavior
acceptable?  No matter who it is directed against?  I suspect if you
were even slightly harmed by a government official breaking a law that
you'd be livid.  Maybe even to the point of accepting help from that
gosh awful ACLU (who I wish would choose cases with some understanding
of PR fallout). And I or someone else may think your plight an
acceptable consequence of safer streets.

A better question is if the acts made illegal under the ECPA should be
illegal.  What reason is there to make monitoring this portion of the
airwaves a crime?  Why is it ok if the police or I overhear a crime on
CB, pagers, 49 or 900 Mhz cordless phones, baby monitors, business FM
or commercial broadcast, but not some particular portion of 800 Mhz.
Damn stupid.  Where's the ACLU when you need them?


Tom Adams                Southwestern Bell Technology Resources
Telephone:[phone]     Fax:[phone]
Use this email address -->> [e-mail] <<<---
I speak for only one of the 50,000 people that work here.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dan Spencer)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 7 Nov 93 19:55:01 GMT


Undoubtedly the privacy laws in the "Great White North" seem to be a
bit lacking.  Of course, this goes hand in hand with the fact that
Victoria BC dumps raw sewage into the Straight of Juan de Fuca, and
that citizens involved in peaceful protests to stop clearcutting of
the last old growth forest on Vancouver Island are sentenced to 60
days+ in jail.  Don't export your philosophy to a free country!!!

------------------------------

From: Jon Gefaell <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Illegal Monitoring Of Cellular Phones
Organization: Security and Technology Planning, ITC/UVA
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 22:51:51 GMT


> I guess it comes down to whether you prefer getting bopped over the head
> by a police officer or by a criminal on the street. Given my druthers,
> I'll go with the former.  Barney.

I guess you've never heard of Rodney King, or for that matter you've
never imagined worse situations that occur with all to great regularity.
You are naive sir.


Any opinions expressed herein are not intended to be construed as those of UVA
   Jon Gefaell,  Computer Systems Engineer   | Amateur Radio - KD4CQY
   Systems Research, ITC OSSSD/Carruthers Hall | -Will chmod for food-
   The University of Virginia, Charlottesville |  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 22:00:23 EST
Organization: The Cellar electronic community and public access system


(Previous discussion of illegal monitoring of cellular phones deleted for
brevity)

> [Moderator's Note: So you feel the officer must be severely punished,
> eh?  Let's see, would ten years in prison be sufficient in your opinion?
> And you don't recall hearing any sympathies expressed for Mr. Pimintel?
> Don't worry, you will soon. The ACLU might hold a banquet and name
> him their outstanding oppressed citizen of the year. At the very least,
> his attorney will advise the court of how Pimintel was put upon and
> abused. I never had any doubts that Pimintel will get off easily with
> no punishment at all, and I still don't. That's the shameful part of
> it all.   PAT]

Yes I feel that the officer should be severely punished.  However,
severely punished doesn't necessarily mean prison time (let alone ten
year's worth).

The officer needs to be punished, and at the same time, other officers
need to understand that invasion of privacy and violation of Federal
laws is not to be tolerated.  I think that the best punishment in this
case would be the removal of the officer from law-enforcement
activities.

And there's no need to inject hyperbole here.  The ACLU serves an
important function in protecting people against invasion of privacy
(and other) abuses perpetrated by authorities -- much as the CPSR and
EFF do.  I assure you that they aren't going to name Mr. Pimental
their "oppressed citizen of the year".

Mr. Pimental will (or at least deserves to) get off this time.  But,
as is evident from the original story, Mr. Pimental is not a very
bright fellow.  Mr. Pimental will walk away from this and brag to all
his friends about how he 'beat the man'.  Mr. Pimental will continue
to commit petty crimes, and he WILL get caught again.  if the cops do
their job right, he won't get off again.

The knowledge that Mr. Pimental WILL eventually be caught again is
justification enough for disallowing the general monitoring of/invasion
of privacy of the population as a whole.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Harpe)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 14:30:16 GMT
Organization: University of Louisville


Pat,

I really like to think you're playing Devil's Advocate here.  I simply
cannot believe this blatant disregard for Fourth Amendment rights.
The Law applies to everyone, Pat, even those charged with enforcing
it.  In fact, those who enforce it should be held to the highest
possible standards of behavior.  The behavior of that officer violates
laws that you support!!  I know this is a difficult position to be in,
but I think you should at least be self-consistent.  In our system,
the suspect does get his charges dropped if his rights were violated
or if the evidence was obtained unlawfully.  If you think the
constitutional protections afforded to all citizens are shameful then
maybe you ought to find another country to live in.

I understand that some of the third-world countries are not real big
on civil rights and they even need help getting their phones set up.
What a deal!  You can be the telecom guru and judge and jury.  Gee,
just like TELECOM Digest but with real live people.....

> [Moderator's Note: Very good point Mr. McCoury. We've had very little
> liberty or personal safety in many parts of the USA for several years.

This does not justify abandonment of the Constitution, Pat.  I visited
Chicago recently and I did notice the incredible violence.  I also
noticed that people seem to have given up, like you have.  The Police
cannot do it themselves.

You have the liberty to go where you wish.  Liberty is different from
security.  The only person preventing you from walking the streets is
yourself.  No one has said, "Patrick Townson cannot walk the streets
at night".  You made that call yourself.  What has been limited,
however, is your personal right to defend yourself if you are
attacked.  If you are attacked and you rightfully defend yourself with
your fists, a knife, or even a gun, you will also be the bad guy.  The
same cops that you seem to think can do no wrong will promptly haul
you off to jail in the same car with your assailants.  Then you are
challenged to prove that you are the victim.  Oh sure, you get your
day in court, but that by no means guarantees you win, nor should it.
What you are really saying is that you don't believe in the system
that these cops represent.  You certainly don't trust them to protect
you.

This is bad, but it does not mean the system is wrong.  It means that
people have allowed the system to get to a state where the victim
matters very little.  Whether they are victims of an assault or the
victim of unlawful evidence, a victim is a victim.  There is no real
difference between a person who is afraid to walk the streets and a
person who has his Civil Rights violated by a police officer.

 From a more technical point of view, what is the difference between
the cop monitoring cell phones and the cop using a lineman's set to
listen to various phone lines at random?  Using the lineman's set
would absolutely violate Federal wiretap laws unless he has a Court
Order.  How can you possibly say that he has not violated the
provisions of the ECPA?  I do not accept that the fact that he a
well-intentioned police officer excuses this.  I want to know how you
would explain this in Court as an expert witness under cross-examin-
ation.  That is one of things you do for a living, right?

I know this is my second letter regarding this.  I feel very strongly
that you are taking an unreasonable position.  It wouldn't bother me
so much if it weren't for the extreme inconsistency of your views
here.  If that's intentional and intended to stimulate debate, that's
one thing.  What scares me is that you really believe this stuff.  If
you do, you are not the type of person that I want to be in charge of
anything. It would be impossible to expect anything but capricious and
arbitrary enforcement of the rules to your own purposes and ideals.
This is the stuff of facism.


Mike Harpe    University of Louisville
Michael Harpe, Programmer/Analyst      Information Technology
[e-mail]             University of Louisville
[phone]                          Louisville, Ky. 40292

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave O'Shea)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 12:32:36 EST


As repulsive as I often find the ACLU, I hope they do get involved in
this case. The Law Is The Law, and putting police officers above it
encourages a strong contempt for not only the police but the laws
themselves.

It's often quite easy to eavesdrop on conversations. Many apartment
buildings have the demarc blocks in an unlocked cabinet in the
basement.  Should a cop sit there with a butt set and listen into
anyone that he thinks might be doing something wrong? I mean, since
you're a law-abiding citizen, you have nothing to fear from Sgt. Jones
sitting in your basement listening in on your private conversations,
right?

Personally, I hope Pimintel gets Darwinized in a drive-by shooting,
but my feelings towards him in no way excuse illegal eavesdropping by
the very people we trust to uphold the laws. You're wrong on this one.


Dave O'Shea                          [e-mail]
Sr. Network Support Engineer         201.236.3730
WilTel Data Network Services


[Moderator's Note: As repulsive as I *always* find the ACLU, I am sure
they will get involved.  Pimintel will probably sue the city, get a lot
richer than he ever would from stripping autos and write a book about
how his rights were violated.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Robert M. Topolski)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: KJ6YT
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 17:31:35 GMT


There has to be more to this story.  If the officer blatently,
knowingly, and outright illegally collected this evidence, then his
case is blown and Pimental will walk free.  However, if the officer
had a warrant to monitor for another call, and stumbled upon this --
or if the officer just happened upon this not intending to listen to
cellular calls -- then IMH (and usually incorrect) O he still has a
valid case.

Nevertheless, even if the evidence gets suppressed and the case gets
dismissed, Pimental is done in that jurisdiction.  The crime was
thwarted, the property (will be) returned to his rightful owner.  The
suspect is a marked man who will seldom be able to walk in public
unnoticed by the cops.

Perhaps justice doesn't prevail, but it doesn't entirely lose either.

 ---- PS ----

The ECPA is bad legislation.  The fact that I can hear these calls on
my scanner partnered with the facts that cellular customers don't like
it, is a natural, free-market incentive for the industry to create
security technology against it.  The ECPA creates a false sense of
security that their calls are secure.

Someone in this thread compared it to wiretapping.  I don't agree.
While the crime may be intended to be the same, wiretapping requires a
bit more active malice than passive, random monitoring does.


Robert M. Topolski <[e-mail]>


[Moderator's Note: Actually, the stolen goods do not get returned to
their owners automatically. The owners have to go through a long, drawn-
out process of proving they own the stuff, etc.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1993 18:03:46 GMT
From: [e-mail] (John Rumpelein)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones


In article <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail].
ab.ca> wrote:

> Pat, we support the law enforcement community on this issue, as well,
> and offer a discount to them on our cellular surveillance equipment.
> Laws are not designed to give an advantage to the criminal (at least
> they shouldn't be!).

I'm all for effective law enforcement, but I really have to strongly
disagree with you folks on this issue.  Investigators in the United
States are required to follow strict guidelines for very good reasons.
Most of these have to do with the Constitutional rights of US
citizens.  Did the officer in question know that the person he was
listening to was a criminal?  How many private conversations did he
monitor driving around in his car, snickering to himself, while he
should have been paying more attention to doing his job?

People with no respect for the rights of honest citizens have no place
on a police force in a free nation.  Catching a car looter (who he
might have caught anyway if he wasn't so busy eavesdropping) does not
justify violating the privacy of an unknown number of innocent people.
I'd love to see that car looter go to jail, but I'd also like to see
that cop thrown off the force.

[stuff deleted]

> [Moderator's Note: Consider the readers notified, but now, let's not be
> commercializing Usenet <snicker> with any commercial propoganda :).
> As Ehud would say, I, the Barney of Orange Cards forbid it. Commercial-
> ization of the net and monopolization of telecom discussions is mine
> alone, sayeth Moderator Barney. Any of you who were, uh, fortunate
> enough to see his diatribe loose in the news stream, but posted with
> pride in some news groups, how'd you like the way he flipped out? I
> think he comes from some place where the police are extremely oppressive
> and he figures here in the USA anything would be an improvement. I
> guess it comes down to whether you prefer getting bopped over the head
> by a police officer or by a criminal on the street. Given my druthers,
> I'll go with the former.  Barney.

How bizarre.  Whatever pill you took before you wrote that, I'll take
two.  But quite seriously, I'd rather be bopped over the head by a
criminal than a police officer -- you can fight back against a
criminal.  If you ever hit a police officer you can expect to be
charged with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.  No judge is
going to criticize you for pummeling a would-be mugger.  Just a little
reality check.  All the anti-crime posing is very appealing, I live in
a high-crime area also, but I'm still glad I don't have to worry about
the cops *and* the criminals when I venture out at night.


John
JR / POB 339 / Stony Brook, NY 11790-0339 U.S.A.
PGP2.3 public key available / Keep Internet Free
Official mail: [e-mail]          [ CompSci        ]
Encrypted mail: [e-mail]     [ PGP-Admin      ]
   IRC-related: [e-mail] [ Mjolnir3 Admin ]
 [ I speak for no one but myself unless it is stated otherwise explicitly. ]


[Moderator's Note: Where I disagree with you is that I can get bopped
over the head by the police and still argue the matter in a rationale
way in court. Criminals cannot be dealt with rationally. If you don't
do as they say, they have no compunction against killing you, dope-
crazed as so many of them are. The government does not scare me; I know
the rules they follow and can play along. I may lose or I may win, but
I have a fair chance at winning. With a criminal, you don't know what
rules he intends to follow, if any. Arguing with a rational entity
(the government) I stand a chance of winning or at least not losing
violently.    PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jan Morales)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: FileTek, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, U.S.A.
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 20:33:57 GMT


Pat,

The shameful part is that you take your liberty so much for granted
that you don't even recognize that you're suggesting giving it away.
By this line of reasoning you also favor sobriety checkpoints, piss
tests, loyalty oaths, etc.

I don't know if you've addressed this question directly, but from
reading your comments on this subject it follows (if logic serves me)
that you believe either:

1. that it should be legal for people to listen in on cellular phone
   conversations (or at least the police should be able to do so
   without a warrant), or

2. that the use of evidence obtained in violation of law should be
   allowed in the prosecution of the accused.

I find both possibilities to be terrifying and completely un-American.


Jan Morales                  Internet: [e-mail]
FileTek, Inc.                    UUCP: uunet!fltk!jan
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.A.


[Moderator's Note: Personally, I find the drug dealers who took over
our old apartment building in Chicago to be terrifying, but I doubt
you would know anything about that, living in blissful ignorance of
the big city as you apparently do.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom Watson)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 7 Nov 1993 21:59:41 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer (more or less)


I have a 'wager' with the person in the next cube ...  can somebody
cite the exact federal code section that dis-allows [reception-
radios-etc.] of cell phone calls.  I may make some money on this
terrible mess.

Thanks.

(standing by for the expected flood of e-mail, probably from the
Moderator.)


Tom Watson  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 19:24:08 GMT


> It is trivial to monitor cellular telephone traffic without
> monitoring verbotten frequencies.  Usually, the cellular stuff can
> also be heard above or below the 'real' frequencies.

I believe you are referring to image frequencies, whereby it is
illegal to listen to B, so you tune your scanner to A, but receive B
(because A was specially chosen to be 2 * IF from B).  This is not
legal.  You are still listening to B.  (Can I build a scanner that
always shows <actual frequency> - 100 MHz on the display, then set it
to the high 700 MHz band and listen to cellular.  Surely not.

Note that in the above example, you are still receiving RF energy at
frequency B and listening to it.  The fact that the only reason it
works is that the filters in the scanner are not perfect is irrevelant.

I suppose theoretically you could take advantage of non-linearities on
the RF transmitters and actually receive RF energy at some other
frequency than B (2*B, for example) and listen to that.  That would be
borderline, but probably you could win in court.  But that isn't
trivial to do, so I assume what you were referring to was simply
shifting the 'requested' frequency on the scanner by 2*IF and getting
the signals that way, which doesn't make it legal.


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mike Gore)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 14:13:06 GMT


I think I understand the question being implied here:

    Why is it that the police officer's evidence (illegal
monitoring) must be thrown out, because it is morally tainted, but Mr.
Pimental's evidence (illegal auto parts) must not, even though the
evidence is also the result of an immoral act as well? (Yes I know
the law would seem to say this will happen, it's it's mainly a
rethorical quetion.) My understanding is that the key reason one
tosses out such evidence is to give a healthy negative reason for
doing it - but would not also the simple fact of possible jail time do
the same? That is, if a police officer felt strongly enough that yes
he may "nail" the person but only in exchange go to jail for it.

    In summary my actual question is: why is it only done the way
it is now? As an alternative would it in fact be reasonable to see
two posible crimes with two sets of evidence?


Mike Gore, Technical Support, Institute for Computer Research
Internet: [e-mail]
UUCP:     uunet!math!icr2!magore
These ideas/concepts do *not* imply views held by the University of Waterloo.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Stephen Friedl)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 8 Nov 93 02:29:28 GMT
Organization: Software Consulting, Tustin, CA


Chaim Frenkel writes:

> It is quite likely that half of the readers, would agree with our
> ESTEEMED Moderator

Only those that favor outcome over process.


Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA |     [phone]
3B2-kind-of-guy  | I speak for me ONLY |   KA8CMY   | uunet!mtndew!friedl
Attorneys are paranoid because they assume everyone else is dishonest too.


[Moderator's Note: And there are quite a few of us who favor outcome
over process.  Make no mistake about it.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Pawel Dobrowolski)
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones
Date: 7 Nov 1993 17:41:45 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center


    Folx I think a point needs to be made about the fact that
there is a trade off between privacy and efficiency.  E.g. the
password on my account slows me from getting to my mail, but I am
prepared to accept in order to prevent strangers from reading my mail.

    The same is true in case of scanning cellular frequencies.
And the main problem seems to be that those living in high crime areas
are willing to accept less privacy for more efficient law enforcement.
But since laws affecting these issues are frormed at the Federal
level, those wanting more efficient law enforcement will inevitably
clash with those living in safe areas who are intersted in more
privacy.

    Trading insults here won't solve the problem; I don't know
what will: maybe moving jurisdiction over these issues to the state or
city level could help soften this conflict.


Pawel

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 08:07:25 PST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Illegal Police Monitoring of Cellular Phones


Ya know, Pat, for all of the chatter in here about the Fourth
Amendment rights, and how the car-stripper`s rights were violated by
the cop, I have to wonder, in light of current events in the Senate,
how many would feel the same about Bob Packwood, and his rights to
privacy?

I know this is not exactly Telecom in nature, but I`m taking the
argument they`re using, and drawing a parallel in non-telcom issues.

I mean, they`re charging you with being selective in your application
of the Fourth.  Are they, re: Packwood?

Then how can they apply their standards, in the case under discussion?


As always,

/E

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1993 09:54:00 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Jim Wenzel)
Subject: Police and Criminals
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jim Wenzel)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** [phone]


TM> pride in some news groups, how'd you like the way he flipped out? I
TM> think he comes from some place where the police are extremely
TM> oppressive and he figures here in the USA anything would be an
TM> improvement. I guess it comes down to whether you prefer getting
TM> bopped over the head by a police officer or by a criminal on the
TM> street. Given my druthers, I'll go with the former.  Barney.

I have restrained myself from replying to this but, can no longer do
so.  When the police act like criminals who is going to act like
Police? If I get bopped over the head by a criminal I have some
recourse. If by the police what recourse do I have? If I shoot a
criminal in my house stealing it is called self-defense. If I shoot a
policeman performing search and seizure in my house it's called
murder. You say one is authorized and the other isn't. Authorized by
who I ask? I run a BBS and must face this possibility every day. I try
to keep it as clean as I can get it ... yet, at anytime, my equipment
may be ceased. Maybe for a text file? or a .gif picture? Who knows?
It's not even necessary for them to press charges anymore it seems.

You mention the murders in your city, particularly among the young. I
ask what have *you* done about it? Or do you leave it to the
government to take care of for you? If your not willing to fight
and/or help educate then you are part of the problem. I work with
alchoholics and drug addicts (toward recovery) yet, I still carry a
gun as well.

Giving our rights away is not the answer. Expecting those that enforce
the laws to abide by them is paramount to a civil society. When the
line between Police and Criminal gets blurred we all suffer.


The GrapeVine Bulletin Board System  [phone]
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink.  Putting Communications back in Telecommunication

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #743
******************************


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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 03:26:00 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #744

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 03:26:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 744

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Mart Molle)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (R. Kevin Oberman)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (John R. Levine)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Dave McCracken)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (H. Peter Anvin)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Steven King)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Brett Frankenberger)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Tony Harminc)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Fred R. Goldstein)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Devon Sean McCullough)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Tom Murray)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (Tod McQuillin)
    Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression (David Hough)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mart Molle)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 11:01:57 -0500


[e-mail] (Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:

> Okay.  Here's my thought-dilemma.  It's my intuitive belief that a
> file maximally compressed with a non real-time LZW algorithm, such as
> used in pkZIP or lha, should not be able to be compressed with a
> real-time algorithm such as v.42bis.  This seems logical to me.  If
> anyone can say otherwise, please do.

It seems logical to me too.

> Now, it is also my understanding that when using a 14.4kbs modem, one
> should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.  Taking into consideration 1
> start and 1 stop bit per byte.

This is where the inconsistency in your thought-dilemma comes in.  The
serial connection between your computer and your modem is indeed
=asynchronous= ASCII (with 10 bits per character, including start/stop
bit overhead).  However, the telephone connection between the two
v.32bis modems is =synchronous= so it uses only 8 bits per character,
plus framing overhead for delimiting blocks of data and checksums,
which adds less than 2 bits per character.  Observe that the
conversion from an asynchronous to a synchronous stream of characters
reduces the bit rate from the user by 20%, which frees up enough
bandwidth for a modem to do error correction, even without
compression.

> Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
> file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
> throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

14400/8 = 1800 bytes/second, without =any= compression, if we ignore
framing and error correction overhead.  Your observed performance
sounds reasonable to me, since it includes about 10% overhead.  There
is nothing to suggest that using v.42bis for off-line compression of
disk files would be A Good Thing.


Mart L. Molle   Computer Systems Research Institute
University of Toronto   Toronto Canada M5S 1A4   [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: Sun,  7 Nov 93 14:59:02 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory


Your intuition is incorrect in many cases. LZW is a wonderful
compression algorithm as is V.42bis. I don't know why you call one
"real time" and the other not "real time" since both operated on a
data stream and are well suited to operating on data "in transit",
which makes them seem like "real time" to me. It was exactly this
characteristic which made LZ (the predecessor of LZW) such a huge
breakthrough in compression.

In any case, compression algorithms by recognizing repeated patterns
in the data flow and replacing them by a single copy of the pattern
and a pointer to that pattern in each location where the pattern
originally occurred. But different algorithms deal with both in what
is recognized as a pattern and over what scope a pattern is
recognized. Thus a file that has been compressed with LZW will simply
grow larger if you attempt to compress it again. But if you take data
that has been compressed with, say, RLE, another algorithm like LZW
will further compress it.

While I'm not familiar with the details of V.42bis, I believe it is
very near to state of the art and very efficient. Even if no more
efficient than LZW, simply differing operational constraints might
result in better compression of an LZW compressed file. But it is also
possible that you could take a V.42bis compressed file, run it through
LZW, and wind up with a smaller file, too.  Unfortunately I don't know
of any compression code that includes the V.42bis compression
algorithm, so this is hard to check.


R. Kevin Oberman            Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Internet: [e-mail]        [phone]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 09:27 EST
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> [I'd think that a zipped file shouldn't be further compressible by v.42]
> ... when using a 14.4kbs modem, one should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.
> Taking into consideration 1 start and 1 stop bit per byte.
> [So why do] I almost always see a throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second?

You're right, V.42 doesn't do squat for compressed data since it uses
LZW compression itself.  But its communication is internally synchron-
ous.  It sends a block of data with header bits but no internal start
and stop bits, so the bytes are really 8 bits, not 10.  This gives you
a raw data rate of 1800 cps before all the overhead, which makes
everything believable.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave McCracken)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 09:20:26 -0600


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:

> Now, it is also my understanding that when using a 14.4kbs modem, one
> should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.  Taking into consideration 1
> start and 1 stop bit per byte.

> Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
> file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
> throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

There's a very simple explanation here.  V.32bis modems strip off the
start and stop bits, so are only sending 8 bits per byte, instead of
the 10 on an async line.  This makes a theoretical speed of 14400/8,
or 1800 chars/sec.  In practice the limit is usually quoted as around
1700 chars/sec.


Dave McCracken            IBM DCE Threads Development, Austin, TX
IBM email: [e-mail]    Real email: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: hpa (H. Peter Anvin N9ITP)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Reply-To: [e-mail] (H. Peter Anvin)
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 18:24:34 GMT


> Now, it is also my understanding that when using a 14.4kbs modem, one
> should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.  Taking into consideration 1
> start and 1 stop bit per byte.             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have underlined the assumption of yours that isn't correct.  1 start
bit and 1 stop bit per byte is stripped already in the error-
correction protocol (V.42).  So even if V.42bis says "it's a
compressed file, just let it go", V.42 will still strip the start and
the stop bits and *sychronously* transmit your data in packet form.
There is some packet overhead (which is why you don't see 14400/8 =
1800 CPS), plus the overhead of your transfer protocol, but it by far
beats asynchronous framing.  The only place you will have start and
stopbits is on the local RS-232 cable between your modem and your
computer.


hpa
INTERNET: [e-mail]         FINGER/TALK: [e-mail]
IBM MAIL: I036073 at IBMMAIL  NeXTMAIL:    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steven King, Software Archaeologist)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: 7 Nov 1993 19:06:55 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Ah, but you've overlooked an important (and little-known) point.
You've assumed 10 bits/character to arrive at your 14400 bps = 1440
cps figure.  This approximation is good for raw data transmission -- 8
data bits plus 1 start bit plus 1 stop bit equal 10 bits per
character.  However, the V.42 and MNP4 error correction schemes strip
the start and stop bits.  Note that this is the error correction
scheme doing the work here; data compression is turned off for the
"uncompressible" files.

Nope, there's no magic ultra-compression protocol that should be
implemented in your archiver.  You're just seeing some of the overhead
of data communications stripped away.

Here's a section from the text file "What You Need To Know About
Modems", by Patrick Chen.  I don't recall where I got it originally,
though the copyright notice claims that it may be freely distributed.
This file itself is a section of Mr. Chen's book, "The Joy of
Telecomputing".  Write me and I'll send the entire file (over 100
Kbytes!) which includes ordering information for the book.  This file
is a *very* good description of all the fancy new modem technology.

                     -------------------

  V.42 & MNP-4 can improve throughput

  The other benefit of V.42 (or MNP 4) is that it can improve throughput.
  Before sending the data to a remote system, a modem with V.42 (or MNP 4)
  assembles the data into packets and during that process it is able to
  reduce the size of the data by stripping out the start and stop bits.

  A character typically takes up 1 start bit, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit
  for a total of 10 bits. When two modems establish a reliable link using
  V.42 or MNP 4, the sending modem strips the start and stop bits (which
  subtracts 20% of the data) and sends the data to the other end. The
  receiving modem then reinserts the start and stop bits and pass the data
  to the remote computer.

  Therefore, even without compressing the data you can expect to see as
  much as 1150 characters per second on a 9600 bps connection. (Although
  the modem subtracts 20% of the data, the speed increase is less than 20%
  due to the overhead incurred by the error control protocol.) Here are
  the test results obtained by downlaoding the same file (1) without any
  error control protocol, (2) with MNP-4, and (3) with V.42. No data
  compression protocol is used.


     Filename               No EC        MNP-4        V.42
     ------------------------------------------------------------------
     the-wave.txt           935 cps      1151 cps     1128 cps
     dayrpt.arc             863          1023         1002
     dayrpt.wks             898          1071         1052
     sunset.arc             838           971          953
     sunset.pic             903          1080         1065
     text109k.arc           908          1085         1064
     text109k.txt           937          1150         1127

                           ----------------

Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brett Frankenberger)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 00:12:47 GMT


[e-mail] (Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:

> Okay.  Here's my thought-dilemma.  It's my intuitive belief that a
> file maximally compressed with a non real-time LZW algorithm, such as
> used in pkZIP or lha, should not be able to be compressed with a
> real-time algorithm such as v.42bis.  This seems logical to me.  If
> anyone can say otherwise, please do.

Well, that's a general statement, and I doubt it is 100% true, but in
general, yes, that's correct.  And, in fact, you probably aren't
getting any compression ... read on ...

> Now, it is also my understanding that when using a 14.4kbs modem, one
> should be able to send 1440 bytes/second.  Taking into consideration 1
> start and 1 stop bit per byte.

> Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
> file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
> throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

Well, your start-stop bit assumption isn't exactly right ... it is
true that standard asynchronous serial uses one start and one stop
bit.  Thus, if you run your serial port at 14400bps, you will only get
1440 byte/sec.  But, you are probably running your serial port at at
least 38400bps, giving a max of 3840 byte/sec.

Thus, the limiting factor becomes the modem.  Since we know the modem
is sending 14400 bits per second out the phone line, there are two
ways it could possibly get 1650 byte/sec ... (1) Compression ... but
we have established with reasonable certainty that your files are not
being compressed by v.42bis, so the other reason is:

v.42 (which is error correction, as opposed to v.42bis with is
compression ... v.42bis runs 'on top of' v.42 (but you can disable
v.42bis without disabling v.42) is more efficient than standard async.
They realized that since v.32bis (the modulation protocol for
14400bps) is inherently synchronous, there is little need to send the
start and stop bits over the phone line.  Thus, they are stripped out
at the transmitting modem and then added back in at the receiving
modem.  This gives a maximum modem data rate (assuming no compression)
of 14400/8=1800cps.

So why do you only get 1650 and not 1800.  Overhead.  First, v.42 adds
some overhead for the checksums and acknowledgements, etc., since it
is an error correcting protocol.  Second, what ever download protocol
you are using (zmodem, for example) also adds some overhead.


Brett  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 19:07:03 EST
From: Tony Harminc <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression


You are not taking into account that the modem doesn't have to send 10
bits per byte.  It can run in synchronous mode, sending just 8
bits/byte.  Of course there is some overhead, framing, sync bits, etc.
but it doesn't come out to nearly as much as 2 bits/byte.

So if you start from a base of 14400/8 = 1800 bytes/second, then your
measured speed of 1650 is an indication of how much overhead the modem
has introduced.


Tony Harminc

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Fred R. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: 8     Nov 1993 05:21:46 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:

> ...Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
> file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
> throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

> My mind tells me that this compression ratio should not be possible in
> a real-time environment on already compressed data.

One element of the algorithm you may not be counting: The "1440
characters" speed is async, at 10 bits/byte (due to start and stop
bits), but the 1650 bytes/sec is based on synchronous transmission,
since V.42bis converts the data into synchronous blocks at 8 bits/byte.


Fred R. Goldstein  k1io  [e-mail]
Opinions are mine alone; sharing requires permission

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Devon Sean McCullough)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: 7 Nov 93 03:39:50
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory


> Now, what I want to know is why when I transfer a highly compressed
> file using a v.32bis and v.42bis modem, I almost always see a
> throughput of nearly 1650 bytes/second.

I'm fairly sure v.32 is synchronous over the wire, in fact I think
everything over 600 is, and just talks asynch on the DTE side.  In any
case stop/start bits are the first thing I would flush in data
compression, therefore no mystery, 14400/8=1800>1650.  Is this so?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom Murray)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Organization: Bull Information Systems Inc.
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 15:37:13 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Thaddeus H. Wood) writes:

> Okay.  Here's my thought-dilemma.  It's my intuitive belief that a
> file maximally compressed with a non real-time LZW algorithm, such as
> used in pkZIP or lha, should not be able to be compressed with a
> real-time algorithm such as v.42bis.  This seems logical to me.  If
> anyone can say otherwise, please do.

I believe you are correct.  In fact, trying to compress a compressed
file can make it bigger.

I -think- the actual transmission protocol used is actually
synchronous (HDLC) and therefore it isn't 10bits/byte but 8bits/byte,
there are no start/stop bits.  14400/8 = 1800 bytes/second. then you
have to take framing bytes into account, which will drop it somewhat.

> And, of course, if this message seems totally ludicrous to you, please
> be forgiving.  It's been a long day.

Not at all, and please note this is My level of understanding, I'm sure
other knowledgeable folks will correct it where it is in error.


Tom Murray                   Zenith Data Systems
[phone]               300 Concord Road    MA30/MS853A
[e-mail]       Billerica, MA       01821-4186

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tod McQuillin)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Date: 7 Nov 1993 23:47:35 GMT
Organization: Duquesne University


v.32bis modems use a modulation protocol where start and stop bits are
not actually transmitted over the phone line -- start/stop bits are
stripped off at the sending modem and reattached at the receiving
modem.  So in fact it only takes 8 bits to send a byte with v.32bis as
opposed to 10.

So at 14400 bps, you get (theoretically) 14400/8 cps, or 1800 cps.
Probably the reason you don't see a full 1800 bps is the overhead of
trying to recompress already compressed data, or error correction
overhead, or the overhead of whatever file transfer protocol you're
using.


Tod McQuillin    Duquesne University

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David Hough)
Subject: Re: LZW Compression -vs- v.42bis Compression
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 20:21:30


This is true - it should not be possible to compress an ideal
algorithm. Note that PKZIP is not ideal, because it stores filenames
as plain text (try an ASCII dump of a ZIPped file sometime).

A 14400bps modem uses synchronous comms, so there are no start/stop
bits.  You will find some overhead, because there will be start/stop
flags on blocks of data, and some form of link protocol for error
correction etc.

Not bad -- with no overhead you would get 1800bytes/second (14400/8)
but you are probably close to optimum. For non-compressed files make
sure you have the modem<>PC link at 38400bps otherwise that may turn
out to be a bigger bottleneck than the modem<>modem link!


Dave     G4WRW @ GB7WRW.#41.GBR.EU AX25
[e-mail]  Internet
[e-mail]      Amprnet

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #744
******************************


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From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #745

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 19:58:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 745

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    AT&T Secure Software (David R. Arneke)
    Mobitex Software and Experiences (Peter van Eijk)
    Book Review: "Fantastic LANtastic" by Talbott/Raker (Rob Slade)
    Re: Earthquakes and Telecommunications (Russell Sharpe)
    Re: Earthquakes and Telecommunications (Ethan Miller)
    Bill Collectors Calling a Neighbor (Carl Moore)
    Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed (Louis Emmet Mahoney)
    Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed (Ian Payton)
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud ([e-mail])
    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Steve Forrette)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David R Arneke)
Date: 8 Nov 93 10:06:17 GMT
Subject: AT&T Secure Software


Attached is a press release from AT&T Secure Communications Systems
that isn't really telecom-related, but might be of interest to
Internet users.

We'll be demonstrating these and other data security products at
COMDEX next week (we're in the NCR booth).

We have a variety of secure communications products in our line,
hardware and software, voice, data, fax, video and wireless.  I'll
keep the information coming as we put it out.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

David Arneke   Media Relations Manager,
AT&T Secure Communications Systems
919 279-7680   [e-mail]

AT&T INTRODUCES SECURITY SOFTWARE TO PROTECT PC, WORKSTATION DATA AND
COMMUNICATIONS

     GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- AT&T is introducing software
programs that protect a variety of laptop, PC and workstation
applications.

     The shrink-wrapped programs, announced today, provide data
privacy, digital signatures and secure data transmission.  They are
the first in a series that will provide end-users with public key
cryptography capabilities.

     AT&T Secure Communications Systems has previously developed a
multilevel secure UNIX software package.  The products announced today
are its first security-related offerings in the DOS/Windows and
Macintosh markets.

     "These programs are a user-friendly means of establishing
privacy for files stored on laptops, PCs and workstations," said Bill
Franklin, business development manager for AT&T Secure Communications
Systems.

     "They also provide privacy and other security functions for
electronic mail, electronic data interchange, electronic commerce and
a variety of other communications applications that users may want to
keep private.  The emphasis is on enterprise and inter-enterprise
security applications."

     The software has particularly strong business and mobile
computing applications.

     "These programs offer key capabilities for anyone working on the
road, from home, at remote work sites or in a mobile-office setting,"
Franklin said.  "They can reduce the risks of communicating over
public networks."

     The programs incorporate emerging and established federal
standards and operate across a wide variety of platforms, including
MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh and various UNIX systems.

     The first programs in the series are:

     -- AT&T SecretAgent (R), which implements the Digital Encryption
Standard for privacy and the Digital Signature Algorithm and Secure
Hash Standard to protect the integrity of files stored on or
transmitted from personal computers.  It operates transparently to
e-mail systems.

     -- AT&T dsaSIGN (TM), which provides authentication and data
integrity assurance for electronic documents through use of the
Digital Signature Algorithm and Secure Hash Standard.

     -- AT&T SecureZMODEM (TM), which encrypts data on the fly as it
is transmitted using the ZMODEM communications protocol.

     Additional software products based on RSA public-key technology
are also available.

     "We will also introduce access control products, com- patible
with the products we're announcing today, for PCs, workstations and
networks in the coming months," Franklin said.

     All three programs were developed for AT&T by Information
Security Corporation of Deerfield, Illinois.  They are available
exclusively from AT&T and its distributors.

     ISC will be AT&T's primary representative in the government
market for these and related products.

     The programs use proven technology that has been available in the
government market for more than a year.

     "All three have gained strong acceptance among government
computer users," said Tom Venn, president of Information Security
Corporation.

     The single-copy price for AT&T SecretAgent is $329.95; for AT&T
dsaSIGN, $149.95; and for AT&T SecureZMODEM, $99.95.  Site and
enterprise licenses and volume discounts are available.

     All programs are available now directly from AT&T Secure
Communications Systems and its distributors.

     Customers can get more information on AT&T software security
programs by calling 1 800 203-5563.

     For media inquiries, call David Arneke at AT&T Secure
Communications Systems, 919 279-7680.

------------------------------

From: cvitoa![e-mail] (Peter van Eijk)
Subject: Mobitex Software and Experiences
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 10:56:34 GMT
Organization: Centrum Voor Informatieverwerking, Utrecht, The Netherlands


Dear datacom people,

As you may be aware of, Mobitex is a protocol for mobile packet
switched datacom. Mobitex networks are operational in several
countries of the world, including the USA. A substantial number of
these is run by RAM Mobile.

My company is starting to get involved in developing and deploying
Mobitex based applications. I am now following leads w.r.t. software
that will help us doing so. Suppliers i know of are: Nettech of NJ, AU
system of Sweden, Research in Motion of Waterloo, Ontario.

At this moment i am interested in sharing experiences in Mobitex
application development. Also it would be nice to have email addresses
of suppliers (we do have a six to nine hour time difference with
North America).

Given interest, I'll summarize.


Peter van Eijk, CVI (Dutch Rail Automation), [phone]
[e-mail] PO Box 2233 3500 GE Utrecht NL.

------------------------------

Date:  8 Nov 93 14:36 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Fantastic LANtastic" by Talbott/Raker


BKFANLAN.RVW  931027

OnWord Press    1580 Center Drive    Santa Fe, NM  87505
"Fantastic LANtastic", Talbott/Raker, 1992, $US29.95, 0-934605-68-8

However you feel about LANtastic itself, this book has one very major
point going for it: it is written for everyone.  There are four
well-defined sections for users, advanced users, administrators and
installers.  The ordering (as listed) is very helpful.  Novice users
will find their material first, whereas those wanting more advanced
functions will be those who are used to computer documentation.  One
minor quibble in this regard is that the table of contents, at more
than twenty pages, may scare off the newcomer before he or she gets to
the opening chapter (forty-four pages in).

The text is light and informal, and well supported by screen
illustrations from both the DOS and Windows versions of the network
operating system interface.  The informality may go too far at times.
(The material contains many helpful troubleshooting hints.  An early
one recommends abusing the network installer, and then asking for
help.  I'd think it would work much better the other way around.)
Also, some of the hints may not be the best approach to a problem.
Using an "external" editor for mail requires that the file be saved in
ASCII or DOS text format.  It is recommended in Word, to print to a
file using the TTY format.  Word, however, does have a feature to save
to a text file built in.

Part four, dealing with network installation, is a valuable resource
often left out of LAN-related books.  Unfortunately it is long on very
detailed product specific information, and short on generic advice for
the novice installer.  Since LANtastic is very attractive to those
wanting to network a few machines to share simple resources, this
latter omission could be important.  Chapter nineteen (the first
chapter in part four) supposedly deals with designing a network.
While it asks all the right questions, it doesn't tell you how to deal
with the answers.

There are other omissions.  Security is given a reasonable amount of
space.  However, while password setting, changing and aging are
discussed, selection of good passwords is not.  There is a brief
section on viral programs.  If I understand it correctly, the authors
have a good grasp of the realities of the situation.  Unfortunately,
this is one area where their humour has been granted too much leeway,
and it is difficult to interpret what has been written.

Altogether, this book is a very useful "one stop" reference for
LANtastic networks.  Given the preference for LANtastic in situations
that are either very limited or highly technical, the shortcomings of
the work may be either unimportant or easily covered.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKFANLAN.RVW  931027
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of TELECOM Digest
and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.

DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (russell sharpe)
Subject: Re: Earthquake Preparedness
Date: 8 Nov 1993 09:38:24 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Public Access
Reply-To: [e-mail]


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Nigel
Allen) writes:

> Does someone know about any report relative to the telecommunication
> problems encoutered after an Earthquakes (or any document related to
> this topic as for example the actions needed to prevent
> telecommunication problems or about the infrastructure needed to
> preserve communication after the earthquakes). References to
> newspapers or books and technical documents are welcolmed.  Many
> thanks.

In New Zealand, because of our geographical nature, on the border of
the Pacific, and Austrailasion Plates, we are pretty conscious of
earthquakes, and volcanoes.

Here are some of the precautions we take.

- Trunk Route Diversity

   - There is more than one Cable route in/out of each major building (ie.at
     least one cable entrance at one end of the building, and one at the
     other.

   - National routes, use diversified Fibre Optic Transmission systems
     (FOTS), Coaxial Transmission Systems, and Digital Microwave Sytems to
     provide more than one route.

- Switches

   All switches, and their buildings have been maintained upto very stringent
   seismic rules (Some of these are Government rules, and some Telecom's).
   Examples are:

   - When a new building is erected next to an existing Switching
     Centre, the Switching building must be upgraded to the same seismic
     rating as the new.

   - All switches are strongly bonded to the building with steel seismic
     braces, so no equipment will have the tendency to fall over.

   - Misc equipment, such as instruments, and ladders, must be properly
     stored away, or strapped to the wall to prevent falling.

- Staff

    At every site the are Civil Defence Cabinets, which contain light rescue
    equipment, food/water supplies, and other Civil Emergency equipment that
    might be needed in an emergency.


Russell Sharpe        UseNet: [e-mail]
                     FidoNet: 3:771/370
                   Voice: [phone]
                   snailmail: 171 Holborn Drive
                              Stokes Valley 6008
                              New Zealand

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (ethan miller)
Subject: Re: Earthquakes and Telecommunications
Date: 8 Nov 93 10:21:51
Organization: Berkeley -- Shaken, not Stirred
Reply-To: [e-mail]


David Chessler <[e-mail]> writes:

> In approximately 1969 there was a serious earthquake in Santa
> Barbara, Calif., which damaged several telephone company
> central offices.

> This is the only U.S. earthquake in the last twenty years that
> had any significant effect on the telephone system.

It may have been the only one to affect the phone system physically
(destruction of telecom facilities), but most earthquakes (and other
natural disasters) bring the system to its knees with the overload of
phone calls.  After the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, the phone system in
the Bay Area was approximately useless due to the extremely high load
on the system.  It took minutes to get a dial tone, and so many calls
came from out of the area that the LD carriers had to shut off
incoming calls.

Just goes to show that you can plan all you want to avoid physical
trauma to the phone system, but that doesn't guarantee the system will
be working usefully 100% of the time.


ethan miller--cs grad student    [e-mail]
#include <std/disclaimer.h>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 23:47:28 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Bill Collectors Calling a Neighbor


Page 2A of the November 5 {Baltimore Sun} has a Mike Royko column
(obviously syndicated) about some bill-collector tactics.  He writes
of Dave Gault, age 32 and living in Chicago, getting calls from bill
collectors who are not after him but after a NEIGHBOR.  According to
the article, Mr. Gault knows nothing about this deadbeat neighbor
except that he is a neighbor.  It mentions Mr. Gault making a 1:30 AM
phone call to the worst of the callers, a woman in Ohio whose first
name is Jane, and Jane threatened to file charges if he did that again
(it was 2:30 AM in Ohio).  The article goes on to say that there are
federal and state laws to help people in situations like Mr. Gault's.


[Moderator's Note: The same article was in the {Chicago Tribune}, and
as usual, Royko made a silly commentary. Unfortunatly for Mr. Gault,
'Jane' is right and he is wrong. Under *no circumstances* according to
the law could 'Jane' or others like her call at 1:30 AM to discuss
whatever they want to talk about. By virtue of him placing his call
deliberatly at that hour, he was harassing her. His answer was that
since his sleep during the day (he is a night worker) was interuppted,
'Jane' should have her sleep interuppted also. That's not the way the
law pertaining to bill collectors reads. The law says collectors can
call between 8 AM and 8 PM local time, and never on Sunday. The law
makes no particular allowance for night workers who may be asleep at
those hours. Bill collectors working evening shifts make calls to
the east coast first *then* start calling the west coast since they
are allowed by law to call until 8 PM *local* time, which is maybe
10-11 PM if they themselves are on the east coast.

Mr. Gault does have legal recourse: he can tell the agency to cease
further contacts with him for any reason and the agency must comply.
He would talk to 'Jane' when she called in the middle of the day,
advising her he could not help with contacting the neighbor, and from
the story was resentful of her repeated calls asking him to help, but
there is no indication that at any time he specifically said *do not
call me again*. Those magic words would have ended the calls, at least
from any ethical collection agency which follows the law. But since
'Jane' originally called in good faith with no knowledge that Mr. Gault
would be asleep during permissible calling hours, she did not harass
him. By disturbing her on purpose, he did harass her.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Louis Emmet Mahoney)
Subject: Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed
Date: 8 Nov 1993 17:50:39 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA


[e-mail] (Brian Hess) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail].
> uni-muenchen.de (Helmut Heller) writes:

> U .K.            U.S.  (connectors viewed from above, metal contacts up)
> ^||||^          ^||||^
> WGBR             RW

> Where ^ = open (non-metal) contact slot
>       | = metallic contact
> W = white, G = green, B = blue, R = red

> 1) Sorry for the odd colors in the wire, but it's what I got from ye olde
> local telecom shoppe when I asked for six inches of line cord.

If one happens to _be_ in the U.K., Radio Shack shops there used to
carry US-to-UK modular converter adapters. They are probably still
available.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ian Payton)
Subject: Re: UK Plugs, Pinout Needed
Date: 8 Nov 1993 09:32:42 GMT
Organization: Nokia Mobile Phones
Reply-To: [e-mail]


Just to clarify an important point ... it is illegal to connect a
piece of equipment to the public network in Britain unless the
equipment has been approved by the appropriate British approvals
people for Telecoms equipment.  This is very unlikely to be the case
for equipment sold outside the UK.


Ian Payton                   | Standard disclaimer: The views expressed above
[e-mail]  | are my own, and do not necessarily represent
Camberley, UK                | the views of any organisation to which I belong.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Date: 8 Nov 1993 17:45:23 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Paul Joslin) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, Willie Smith
> ([e-mail]) wrote:

>> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

>>> Being passed along FYI:
>>> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

>> Ha!  All this probably means is you have to clone the same
>> manufacturer and model of phone.  Especially with the big push to Six
>> Sigma (every product is identical to one part in a million), it's
>> going to be really difficult to tell phones of the same model apart
>> without denying service to folks at slightly different temperatures,
>> battery charge levels, and altitudes.  How long do you think it'll
>> take the cloners to crack this one?

Identifying a transmitter that would prefer to remain anonymous has
been a matter of some interest to spy guys since the beginning of
radio.  In the days of Morse code it was easy.  A skilled operator
could recognize the "fist" at the key of the transmitter much as you
can recognize a voice on the phone.  After WWII ended Teletypes
replaced Morse code and it was tougher to ID a transmitter.  When a
transmitter is keyed up, it does not fire up instantaneously on
frequency.  It may be a little low or high and it takes a while to
settle.  In severe cases this will be audible to the listener as a
"chirp."  The direction, amount, and settling time vary from radio to
radio.

Presumably, some attribute(s) of the chirp varies widely radio to
radio even of the same model and little from day to day.  It is not
something you align the radio for as long as it settles "quickly" and
does not interfere with adjacent channels.  It seems likely that high
frequency synthesizers built under fierce cost, space, and power
constraints would chirp rather nicely.

Currently cloners buy a scanner at Radio Shack and need only phone
programming skills.  Measuring a chirp requires rather expensive gear
not currently available at RS.  I am sure the security guys will not
willingly publish which chirp attributes they measure or how closely.
There may be other suitable attributes besides the chirp.  It will be
complicated for the good guys by the requirement to not deny service
to the rightful users.

It could be spoofed, but you would need to add extra components in the
zero available space to tune the chirp and it would require MUCH more
than the usual skill at aligning radios.  Cell fraud will, at the very
least, cease to be a cottage industry.  The Japanese navy spoofed the
US by leaving the usual code operators at home to generate the usual
traffic with the usual fist when their fleet sailed for Pearl Harbor.
It may have been easier then than now.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud
Date: 8 Nov 1993 02:18:04 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Steve Forrette)


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD

> TRW teams with PacTel Cellular to attack cellular fraud

> SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, Oct. 19, 1993 - ESL incorporated, a subsidiary
> of Cleveland-based TRW Inc., is testing an electronic system with
> PacTel Cellular that tracks, identifies and blocks illegally made
> cellular telephone calls.

>    The system works by making an electronic "print" based on the
> unique signal transmission characteristics for each cellular phone.
> Because each phone has a unique print - an electronic version of a
> human fingerprint - it cannot be duplicated.  Once the real print is
> recorded, detection of a counterfeit print can be made.  TRW
> PhonePrintTM is able to provide real-time analysis of each print every
> time a call is made and can block access within seconds of a
> counterfeit call be placed.

One detail that is conspicuously absent from the description is how it
works with roamers.  Since the PacTel Los Angeles system won't have a
fingerprint on file for every phone in North America, it has no way of
verifying the legitimacy of a roamer.  And isn't this where all of the
phraud is?  Will PacTel only accept roamers from systems that also
have this system?  This doesn't seem practical, but any other option
would result in the bad guys using MINs/ESNs from systems that don't
have the new system in place.

Another poster assumed that the fingerprint might only be specific
down to the model of phone.  I think this is not true from the
description others have posted, but the question came up as to how the
thieves would find out the make and model for the MIN/ESN they want to
clone.  Aren't the ESNs issued in blocks to manufacturers from some
central body, much like automobile VIN's?  If so, then the
manufacturer would be a matter of public record based on the first few
digits of the ESN, and the breakdown amongst a single manufacturer's
models could be determined through general observations.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #745
******************************


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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 21:09:11 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #746

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 21:08:45 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 746

Inside This Issue:                        Moderator: Patrick A.Townson

    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Barrey Jewall)
    Re: VCR Plus+ Codes (Robert Cohen)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Lars Poulsen)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Dale Williams)
    Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again (John R. Levine)
    Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Alan Hales)
    Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint (Garrett Wollman)
    Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Clarence Dold)
    Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Jack Decker)
    Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies! (Bob Schwartz)
    Re: Great Lakes Long Distance (Ken Hoehn)
    PC Pursuit no Longer Accepting New Users (Dan Goemon)
    Looking For Automatic File Transfer/Software Distribution Program (T. Hull)
    Looking For Docs on 'SATCOM 1-4 SYSTEM' Home Exchange (Koos van den Hout)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Barrey Jewall)
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 00:06:27 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Alan Larson)
writes:

> For those in US:
> wuarchive.wustl.edu in /usenet/alt.sources/articles/7020.Z

I ftp'd this, and compiled it with no problems.

Subject to its limits, it works well.

I enclose part of the readme.txt file, for your edification:

| There are a few weak spots in these programs.
|
|    1.  They only work for the usual kinds of tv shows,
|           a.  Must start on an even half-hour or hour
|           b.  Must end on an even half-hour or hour
|
|    2.  They only handle VCRPLUS code values that are 1-6 digits
|           long (these are the ones that start and end on
|           half-hour or hour boundaries)
|
|    3.  Both programs ask for today's date.  They should
|           instead get this from the computer itself but that is
|           too much involved with O/S details.
|
|    4.  Integers are used everywhere, even for time_of_day.
|           a.  You need to use a 32-bit computer
|           b.  So, nine o clock at night, comes out 2100
|
|    5.  The VCRPLUS hardware uses "channel mapping" for
|           channel numbers above 19, and for cable tv stations.
|           Just decode some VCRPLUS code numbers from each unusual
|           channel and get the "mapped channel" numbers.  For
|           example in this area the VCRPLUS people have
|           mapped cable station ESPN to "channel 22".

Bah

Barrey Jewall - Network Admin. - Novell, Inc. - San Jose - [e-mail]-
            I don't speak for Novell, and they don't speak for me.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Robert Cohen)
Subject: Re: VCR Plus+ Codes
Organization: Calif. Home for the Unruly
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 07:57:41 GMT


You might try /info-mac/util/mac-vcr-plus.hqx at sumex-aim.stanford.edu.

Haven't tried it but know it is there.


Robert Cohen    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Organization: CMC Network Products, Copenhagen DENMARK
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 20:08:49 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> Does anyone have any idea why it was necessary or even meaningful for
> Gore or anyone representing the U.S. Government to sign or even be a
> part of Sri Lanka's joining the Internet? What rights or control
> does the U.S. think they have over Internet access? Is there
> something here that I am missing, or is this just more Clinton/Gore
> meddling?

The Internet is widely privatized, but a major part of it is located
in the USA. The Federal Networking Council reserves the right to
determine which networks can be reached from the USA. For instance,
nodes in the former Soviet Union cannot be reached from the USA and
vice versa, because neither the NSFnet backbone nor the CIX carries
their routes.  (Just try "traceroute kremvax.demos.su" from within the
US versus from any site in Europe.)

Presumably, this agreement provides Sri Lanka with connectivity to the
USA. Thus the government involvement. This agreement should please
Arthur C. Clarke.


Lars Poulsen           Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products       Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B       Telefax:      [phone]
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK  Internets: designed and built while you wait

------------------------------

From: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 13:34:05 +0000
Organization: Imperial College, London, UK.
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail].
COM writes:

> Sri Lanka is joining the Internet, a worldwide computer network that
> connects computer users in more than 100 countries (UPI, 10/20/93).
> "By connecting universities, schools and laboratories in Sri Lanka to
> the Internet, the U.S. hopes to foster cooperation between the people
> of our country and the people of Sri Lanka in all fields of science,
> technology and the environment," said U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who
> signed the Internet access agreement with Sri Lanka Prime Minister
> Ramil Wickremashighe.

I am quite surprised about this press release.  Sri Lanka has been
reacheable by electronic mail for more than a year, and they already
have an extensive UUCP network. I guess that all what they asked for
was money [$$$] from the U.S to replace UUCP dialup with leased
lines/satellite transmission. The U.S must be feeling rich, I guess. ;->


Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond, Digital Comms. Section, Elec. Eng. Department
 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London SW7 2BT, UK
       Internet/Bitnet: <[e-mail]> - Janet: <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dale Williams)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Date: 9 Nov 1993 00:32:04 GMT
Organization: Sprint


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Paul J. Bell)
wrote:

> Does anyone have any idea why it was necessary or even meaningful for
> Gore or anyone representing the U.S. Government to sign or even be a
> part of Sri Lanka's joining the Internet? What rights or control
> does the U.S. think they have over Internet access? Is there
> something here that I am missing, or is this just more Clinton/Gore
> meddling?

I wasn't at the meeting obviously, but as the NSF's International
Connections Manager, I can report what I hear nth hand. When Gore met
with Wickremashighe, he asked how the US might help Sri Lanka.
Wickremashighe replied that his first priority request was for
Internet access!  ( Like many foreign countries, Sri Lanka is anxious
for access to the US 'domestic' internet, both for the US based
services available, AND for international connectivity.  Most foreign
countries 'home' or 'hub' to the US internet.  Traffic from
Scandinavia to Germany goes via the US, for example.)

The problem was relayed to NSF, then to us.  Sri Lanka is a little
isolated from the world's communications infrastructure.  We see it as
an engineering "opportunity!"


Dale

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 23:14 EST
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: The Modem Tax Scare ... Again
Organization: I.E.C.C.


> what would prevent this item from resurfacing every six months or so for a
> couple of years and then the FCC or whomever really does decide to enact it,
> on the theory that everyone will assume it's the same old urban legend and
> not pay any attention to it?

The FCC being a government bureaucracy, can't sneeze without doing the
paperwork first.  If they were going to change the rules related to
connections of data carriers to the PSTN, there'd have to be a docket
number, comment period, and all the other bureaucratic stuff.

If we see a modem tax proposal with a current date and docket number,
then it's time to be concerned.  The outcry to Congress was so loud
last time that I doubt we'll be seeing it again any time soon.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Alan Hales)
Subject: Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Organization: Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas TX
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 05:19:44 GMT


Rich Mintz <[e-mail]> wrote:

> This won't work for many of the newer modems. You must also specify AT
> X3 (X <= 3) so that the modem doesn't refuse to "dial" because there
> is no dial tone present.  Thrown all on one line, one would say
> "ATX3D" (return).

A simpler solution is to use "ATO", where the "O" stands for
"on-line".  This will bypass any tests for dial tone.


Alan Hales   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Re: Dialing From the UK With Sprint
Organization: University of Vermont, EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 00:21:02 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Rich Mintz
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> This won't work for many of the newer modems. You must also specify AT
> X3 (X <= 3) so that the modem doesn't refuse to "dial" because there
> is no dial tone present.  Thrown all on one line, one would say
> "ATX3D" (return).

Have so many people forgotten their ``AT'' command set?  (Well, maybe
they have, now that computers remember it for them.)

The command to use is ``ATO'' (`O' is for `Originate'), which should
be entered once the other side has started sending its answer tones.


Garrett A. Wollman      [e-mail]
uvm-gen!wollman         UVM disagrees.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Clarence Dold)
Subject: Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
Organization: a2i network
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 04:40:57 GMT


Jack Decker ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Just a word of advice to all: If you are looking for great deals on
> long distance service, don't overlook the small carriers that may be

California allows Intra-LATA services, as part of a package of call
detailing, along with some amount of required Inter-LATA service.
That disclaimed, NVTS/Ameritel does offer Dialers at no charge, has
been doing so for over 10 years, and services a fair portion of
Northern California.

NVTS/Ameritel 800-799-7000  707-257-3875


Clarence A Dold - [e-mail] - Milpitas (near San Jose) & Napa CA.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jack Decker)
Subject: Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
Date: 8 Nov 1993 12:07:56 GMT
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net


On Mon Nov  1 22:41:15 1993, [e-mail] (Gregory K.
Johnson) wrote:

> I'm not going to quarrel with your basic advice about shopping around
> for long distance carriers.  However, I feel compelled to note that
> the rates you are quoting for this particular long-distance calling
> plan do not seem to be all that great of a bargain.

> When I established telephone service in San Jose, I selected Sprint as
> my long distance carrier.  When I established the account with Sprint,
> I inquired about discount long-distance calling plans.

> I ended up selecting their service which is similar to Reach Out
> America, i.e. you purchase an hour of calls at a particular price (I
> think in this case it was about $8, or less) and then all your calls
> at off-peak hours beyond the first hour are billed by the minute.

> The rate for calls at off-peak hours under this calling plan was ten
> cents per minute, which is significantly cheaper than the 11.4 cents
> per minute described above.  It also doesn't have as much overhead
> cost ($8 for the first hour is $2 above the cost of the flat-rate per
> minute cost, versus $5 for this plan.

> Sprint also doesn't have a 15 month minimum contract.

MCI has similar plans for off-peak calling (I don't know if it's still
available, but they used to have a plan called Super Saver that let
you make calls on Saturday for $5.00/hour.  Then, if you are calling
someone in your Friends & Family circle, you may get another 20% off
of that, which would bring the effective rate down to $4.00/hour, or
six and two thirds cents per minute, which of course is considerably
under the 11.4 cents per minute in the plan I mentioned).

But, the customer for the service I mentioned (the one I was
rate-shopping for) has a small business and will be making the vast
majority of his calls during the daytime rate period, and probably few
or none during the night rate period.  For his intended usage, the 13
cents per minute daytime rate is far more important than a slightly
lower evening rate.  And none of the big three carriers (in fact, NO
other carrier that I'm aware of) will give you calls of less than 32
seconds for free, which to me is a definite plus when you play a lot
of "telephone tag".

One other thing I did not mention in my original post is that this
particular carrier offers intraLATA calling (within the same area
code) by dialing 1-700 + number.  One problem with the "big three" is
that many of their best rates apply to interstate calls only (or at
the very least, you have to pay extra if you want the intrastate
calling plan, and often the per-minute rates aren't quite as good).
With this smaller Michigan-only carrier, the rates apply to both
in-state and out-of-state calls.  Of course, since it's a flat rate,
it may be possible that calls to very nearby toll points would
actually be a bit higher with this carrier, but the customer in
question is in a rural area that is in the fortunate (and highly
unusual for Michigan!)  position of having all immediately adjacent
exchanges as local calls, and most of his nearby calls are to points
where Ameritech's basic rate is considerably higher than 13 cents per
minute.  And of course, he could always force calls through another
carrier (or let intraLATA calls default to Ameritech) if he ever finds
it advantageous to do so.

As for the 15 month contract, again keep in mind that it's not binding
until you've had the service for three months.  Prior to that, you can
get out at any time, with no penalty (they'll even pay for you to
switch back to your original carrier).  I'm not crazy about the
contract but I don't think it's particularly onerous, either.
Ameritech does the same thing; if you want to get on some of their
better calling plans you have to make a commitment for some period of
time (which I believe can run as long as 36 months, but don't quote me
on that).

For the benefit of Pat, and others who asked, the company offering
this service is called Metronet, and they are located in Holt,
Michigan (near Lansing).  They do NOT offer service outside of
Michigan, nor in the Detroit metropolitan area (yet), nor in the areas
served by GTE in the Muskegon area (yet).  I also do not think they
serve the Upper Peninsula.  The other company I mentioned in my
original post (that offers reasonably-priced 800 service in most of
Michigan and parts of Indiana) is called Teledial, and is
headquartered in Grand Rapids (but has sales offices in a few other
Michigan cities and in Indianapolis, Indiana).  Their Dial-1 rates are
also pretty good, but in my opinion, not as good as Metronet's for
small business customers.  I'm not connected with either of these
companies in any way.

I'm certainly not implying that no one can do better than either of
these companies, particularly if you are a residential customer and/or
most of your calls are during the night/weekend rate period.  I'm just
saying that for many customers, the "big three" carriers may not offer
the best rates, particularly if the vast majority of your calls are
intrastate or intraLATA.


Jack

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Don't Overlook Smaller Long Distance Companies!
From: [e-mail] (Bob Schwartz)
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 93 16:50:29 PST
Organization: Bill Correctors, Inc., Marin County, California


[e-mail] (Gregory K. Johnson) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]>, Jack Decker
> <[e-mail]> wrote:

>> Just a word of advice to all: If you are looking for great deals on
>> long distance service, don't overlook the small carriers that may be
>> operating in your state or region.  I'm not going to mention names of
>> specific companies, but here's a couple of deals I've found (in doing
>> some research for a friend) that are especially attractive in low to
>> moderate calling volume situations.

> The rate for calls at off-peak hours under this calling plan was ten
> cents per minute, which is significantly cheaper than the 11.4 cents
> per minute described above.  It also doesn't have as much overhead
> cost ($8 for the first hour is $2 above the cost of the flat-rate per
> minute cost, versus $5 for this plan.

> But my basic point is this: thus far I haven't seen anything that
> seems to be a better deal than service with the major three long
> distance companies.

If rate were the only consideration I'd agree with you but ...
generally, it's the smaller companies that can handle your Service
Area Traffic while the big three can't/don't. Also billing and features
flexability is sometimes better from the small players.  Answer
supervision as it relates to billing accuracy is also important and
this can slice either way. Smaller companies are more likely to
*inadvertantly* inflate your bill with unanswered calls or even more
likely a longer average hold time which can add 30% to your monthly
amount due. Smaller companies are also more likely to have liberal
refund policies because of this (this is the advantage that slices in
their favor :).  If your in an area where Service Area doesn't mean
much and you dont have the time to track average hold times the majors
do have lots of flexible billing plans and reports as well as
competative rates.


Bob Schwartz                                       [e-mail]
Bill Correctors, Inc.   [phone]   Marin County, California

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ken Hoehn)
Subject: Re: Great Lakes Long Distance
Date: 8 Nov 1993 09:31:17 -0500
Organization: The w8hd Group


[e-mail] (Bill Leeke) writes:

> I just received a mailing from Great Lakes Long Distance. They promise
> calls 10% to 21% cheaper than the standard direct dial rate. The funny
> thing is you don't have to change your long distance carrier. Just use
> an access code simular to the ATT operator code. (10923) + number.

I have used Great Lakes for about a month, since I live in the sticks
a 1 call away from everything.  Matter of fact, this message is being
typed into my serving system via them.

Have not seen the bills yet, but the line quality is fine.


[e-mail]
Ken Hoehn - Teletech, Inc.         Compuserve: 70007,2374
N8NYO       P.O.Box 924            FAX: [phone]
            Dearborn, MI  48121    VOICE: [phone]

------------------------------

From: Goemon <[e-mail]>
Subject: PC Pursuit no Longer Accepting New Users
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 13:18:58 EST
Organization: Ohio State University; Physics Department


I called PC Pursuit's information line (1-800-736-1130) and although
it was past their business hours, there was a recorded message. It
stated that PC Pursuit is NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW USERS, effective
November 1.

What is the thinking behind that? Aren't they in this to try to MAKE
money? I would think they would want as many subscribers as possible
to make it cost effective. Or is this another typical Sprint anal
retentive move?


Dan

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Terry Hull)
Subject: Looking For Automatic File Transfer/Software Distribution Program
Date: 8 Nov 1993 03:55:42 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor


  I am looking for some automatic unattended file transfer programs
running on Sun SparcStations. But first let me describe what my
company has right now.  There are 40 branch offices across USA.
Everyday, each branch offices will be sending data to and receiving
data from the central office. We are currently using RemoteWare from
XcellNet to do the job. The RemoteWare Server runs on OS/2 PC residing
in the central office, and each branch office has a RemoteWare node
runs on a DOS PC. This is a master slave relation between the Server
and The nodes. The Server part of the RemoteWare has the scheduling
ability. You can program it so that it will initiate calls to the
nodes via modem. While this works fine, it is approaching its capacity
to handle larger volume of data. Now, we are seeking a similar
product, but it should run on SparcStations, and should support both
modem dial-up and also IP-based transport mechanisam.  I was told that
a company call CMI has a similar product. But I don't know anything
more besides that.

  At this moment, we are open to all ideas. If you know anything about
this, or have heard of similar products, please drop a line. All help
will be greatly appreciated.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Koos van den Hout)
Subject: Looking For Docs on 'SATCOM 1-4 SYSTEM' Home Exchange
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1993 22:17:00 GMT
Organization: HIN / BBS Koos z'n Doos


I'm looking for documentation on a little exchange (one outside line,
four phone sets) I got from someone.

It seems to only work with pulse dial. But I hope this can be changed.

Some identifying characteristics (I hope):

On the (gray-beige) cover it says 'SATCOM 1-4 SYSTEM'.
The main circuit board has a marking 'SATCOM PBTM 001S'.
The largest microchip on the circuit board is a 'HD6301YOP'.

Does anybody have any information on this exchange? Can it be
modified/ programmed to accept DTMF? How can I transfer a call to
another extension?


Grtx.
Koos van den Hout ----------------------------------------------- Sysop --\
Datacomm, networking, E-mail...   BBS Koos z'n Doos ([phone])
Inter-: [e-mail]       ([phone] 14400 v32b v42b MNP5)
net   : [e-mail]| PGP key by finger | Fido: Sysop @ 2:500/101.11012
Schurftnet : KILL !!!  |  [e-mail]  |     Give us a call !!

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #746
******************************


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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 22:34:14 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #747

TELECOM Digest     Mon, 8 Nov 93 22:34:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 747

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud (Erik Ramberg)
    Re: AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers (D. Levenson)
    Re: Remote Call Forwarding (Gary Morris)
    Re: Long Distance Provider Access Codes (Clarence Dold)
    Re: Question About T1 Equipment (Marc A. Tamsky)
    Re: Non-Bell Local Loop (Tony Pelliccio)
    Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN (Kath Mullholand)
    Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN (David A. Kaye)
    Re: Telecom-Tech Mailing List (John Stanley)
    Re: AT&T 2000 Public Phone (Jon Gefaell)
    Re: Telephone Pioneers Opens up Membership, etc. (David Leibold)
    Re: Frame Relay Information Request (Tom Wiencko)
    Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update (John Kennedy)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 8 Nov 1993 18:34:14 -0800
From: Erik Ramberg <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: TRW Phone Print to Fight Cellular Fraud


[Moderator's Note: Erik sent in a couple replies in this thread which
got mangled in processing. They've been reconstructed below and I
apologize for the delay in using them.   PAT]

Paul R. Joslin  wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]>, Willie Smith (wpns@newshost.
> pictel.com) wrote:

>> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

>> Ha!  All this probably means is you have to clone the same
>> manufacturer and model of phone.  Especially with the big push to Six
>> Sigma (every product is identical to one part in a million), it's
>> going to be really difficult to tell phones of the same model apart
>> without denying service to folks at slightly different temperatures,
>> battery charge levels, and altitudes.  How long do you think it'll
>> take the cloners to crack this one?

> In the short term, how are cloners supposed to find out the make and
> model of the phone from the transmission they're stealing the ESN
> from?  Buy their own TRW system, and start characterizing signatures?

> I think you're right in the long term.  Professional thieves will
> "borrow" a phone from a parked car, get the ESN, then return the
> phone, or buy model number/ESN pairs from dishonest employees of the
> cell companies.  Perhaps this system will at least prevent the
> "casual" thieves.

First of all, one of our test fixtures is to take five phones that
were manufactured one after another on the assembly line, and see if
our system can differentiate the phones.  In other words, six sigma
only has relevance if the six standard deviations are of a feature
that we look at.  And since these features are the result of
complicated mechanical/electrical/RF factors, the six sigma standard
has little relevance to us.

Second, it will be a long time (if ever) before one can modify a phone
to match another.

John R. Covert wrote:

> Interesting.

> But, of course, there's a problem.  I can legitimately use my cellular
> phone's telephone number and ESN on three different transmitters:

>    1. The Micro-TAC itself.
>    2. The 3W VA in my own car
>    3. The Extended System in my wife's car.

> Actually, I can legitimately use it in _any_ compatible transmitter
> that provides the plug to go into the bottom of the phone.

We know of these situations and our algorithms take this into account,
thus allowing your legitiment use but denying the criminal access to
your account.

John Nagle wrote:

> [e-mail] (Erik Ramberg) writes:

>> TRW INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BLOCK CELLULAR FRAUD
>> Each cellular telephone emits unique signal transmission
>> characteristics - an electronic version of a human fingerprint - which
>> cannot be duplicated.  These characteristics are matched with the
>> mobile identification number (MIN) and the electronic serial number
>> (ENS) of the phone to develop a unique pattern for each legitimate
>> customer, TRW PhonePrintTM uses sophisticated signal analysis hardware
>> and software to analyze and file the patterns belonging to legitimate
>> customers.  When a caller attempts to access the network, the system
>> compares incoming patterns to those on file.  If the patterns do not
>> match the call is immediately terminated.

>       I suspect this is an exaggeration of the actual capabilities.
> There are only a few chipsets used for these things, after all, and
> two units with the same chipset should perform very similarly.  But
> they might be able to tell which chipset was being used. Statisti-
> cally, though, that alone gives them a good chance of catching
> someone who records over-the-air info.

 Unfortunatly I cannot disclose the workings of our algorithms, but we
can distinguish between identical phones.  You have to remember that
there are many steps that a signal takes between formulation and
transmission...and though these may be non-performance impacting
variations they are nevertheless variations that can be measured.
It's these parts that we call the PhonePrint(tm) and if you use a
phone in a heavy fraud area I'm sure you'll notice an improvement in
the cellular service.

> Cellular ID systems should have been public-key from day one.
> Someday, they will be, government opposition or not.

 Why not public key?  There are several companies with commercial
applications using public key ... the government only gets antsy when
it's used for general purpose encryption of data/messages and the
register bits are long enough to eliminate any realistic crunch by a
supercomputer (i.e. a day or two).  Use as an authentication device
(i.e. digital signitures) is not a big deal.  In fact my Mac at home
implements this capability in the operating system!


Erik

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Levenson)
Subject: Re: AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 21:14:34 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Nigel
Allen) writes:

> AT&T Ships 800 Number Directory to One Million Consumers

> Brighter and easier to use, this enhanced yellow-page directory
> contains more numbers and easy-to-locate categories than ever before.
> It lists 60,000 businesses that can be reached toll-free.

Don't forget ... this directory lists only those businesses who have
AT&T 800 service. A great many other businesses also have 800 numbers,
but won't be in the book.


Dave Levenson        Internet: [e-mail]
Westmark, Inc.        UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Stirling, NJ, USA    Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gary Morris @ignite)
Subject: Re: Remote Call Forwarding
Organization: Alsys Group, San Diego, CA, USA
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 01:10:27 GMT


In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jon
Zeeff) writes:

> Are there any other solutions for remote call forwarding where I need
> to remotely change, on a rapid and frequent basis, where a phone
> forwards to?

Yes, sort of, use a handheld cellular phone to set your forwarding.
At a recent PacTel sale I picked up a GE (CT-100) handheld cell phone
for $99.  My total monthly cost is $20 for the cellular service.  I
can forward the cellular number to another phone.  There are no
airtime or per minute charges for the forwarded calls (unless the
number is a long distance call, of course) or to change the
forwarding.  Forwarding changes take effect right away, I just dial
*72nnn-nnnn on the cell phone and it's set.  Plus calls to the cell
number are toll free over a much wider area than regular landline
calls, callers don't pay toll charges and I don't pay airtime for
forwarded calls.

If forwarding is all you need then the portable cell phone alone could
do the job, the monthly cost may be more than you want to spend
though.

In addition to using my cell phone for remote forwarding, I also use
it in conjunction with voice mail and a pager.  I forward the cell
phone to whatever location I'm at and when I don't want calls or am
not near a landline phone, I forward it to my voice mail number.  When
at home, I forward it to my home number which rolls over to the voice
mail if there is no answer.  Voice mail with pager notification works
better than receiving calls on the cell phone, since I don't have to
keep the cell phone on and using batteries.

This system is better for other people too, since they only have to
know one phone number to reach me instead of my cell phone, pager,
home phone, various work phones, car phone, etc.  The total cost is
not real cheap though when you add up the pager, voice mail and cell
phone.


Gary Morris KK6YB    Internet: [e-mail]
San Diego, CA USA    SD Sheriff's Dept - RACES Strike Team

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Clarence Dold)
Subject: Re: Long Distance Provider Access Codes
Organization: a2i network
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 04:43:17 GMT


Alan M. Foonberg ([e-mail]) wrote:

> Can someone tell me where I might find a list of the 10-xxx long
> distance provider access codes?

> [Moderator's Note: Sure ... in the Telecom Archives, in the sub-directory

Surely you jest?

The most recent date is 1991.

Clarence A Dold - [e-mail]
                - Milpitas (near San Jose) & Napa CA.


[Moderator's Note: Well actually, that date might be in error because
Carl Moore <[e-mail]> frequently works on the files in the area
code and carrier sub-directories. Check and see if the files there are
not peppered with [update,dated xx] remarks. So far as I know the
carrier access codes file is accurate. If anyone wants to take a look
and see what updates are still needed, if any, I'll be glad to put a
new version of the file there.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Marc A. Tamsky)
Subject: Re: Question About T1 Equipment
Date: 8 Nov 1993 10:20:48 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Aninda Dasgupta) writes:

> I am trying to get an estimate of equipment needed for a T1
> connection.
> Scenario 1:

> Let's say I have a workstation and 24 geographically distributed
> salespersons.  My salespersons want to dial into my workstation using
> modems.  I get an 800 number, linked to a hunt group of 24 lines, from
> MCI (i.e. I get a T1 link to the MCI POP, provided by my LEC). What
> equipment (DSU/CSU, etc) do I need at the workstation end, to be able
> to provide these connections , keeping in mind that I will never
> originate any outgoing calls?

I recently got some material sent to me by both Cisco and Ascend.

Ascend seems to make exactly what you are looking for ...

Very brief summary:

Pipeline Access Router, supports 1-4 T1 circuits, call management, and
their larger units support anywhere from 8-40 additional digital
v.32bis modems.

Ascend phone [phone]


Marc Tamsky                                 Finger for pgp 2.2 key.
tamsky @ {cco.caltech.edu | rain.org | cs.ucsb.edu | crash.cts.com}

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Pelliccio)
Subject: Re: Non-Bell Local Loop
Date: 8 Nov 1993 21:28:14 GMT
Organization: Brown University Alumni & Development Office


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Carl
Oppedahl) wrote:

> The October 11, 1993 issue of {Network World} (page 27) talks of MFS
> Communications, Inc. which has supposedly launched a local and
> long-distance package for small and midsize businesses in New York
> City.

> Supposedly the service offers no-toll local calling and flat-rate long
> distance at 14 cents per minute.

> The article does not give contact information for MFS.

> I wonder if it is a subsidiary of Metropolitan Fiber, the company that
> is running fiber in competition with New York Telephone?

Here at Brown University they're replacing alot of New England Tel's
lines with a fiberoptic loop. Here in my dept we're replacing our three
56kbps lines and 100 voice lines passed through NET with a microwave
system. I love it.


Tony Pelliccio, KD1NR   [e-mail]
Brown University Alumni & Development Computing Services
Box 1908   Providence, RI 02912    [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Kath Mullholand, UNH Telecom, 862-1031)
Subject: Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN
Date: 8 Nov 1993 13:17 EST
Organization: University of New Hampshire


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Michael
D. Maxfield) writes ...

> [e-mail] (Daniel East) writes:

>> Dan noticed that Gordon Soukoreff once wrote:

>>> Yeah, I just called the thing and found out the 1-800 no. is routed thru a
>>> 1-900 no. and you pay for the call.

>>  Can anyone verify this?

The University of NH has had some experience with callers dialing 800
numbers and their ANI getting charged for calls billed as third party
calls, collect calls or credit card calls.  In every case, the number
charged was the ANI number for the trunk that placed the 800 call.
The provider insisted that they had received a call from the caller,
had terminated that call and called the caller back.  Since the
numbers billed are out-only services, we knew they were, at best,
billing for unsuccessful call-backs, or, at worst, lying through their
tranceivers.  None of the telephone numbers referenced on the bills
are the 800 number that was actually dialed.

We have documentation from those who placed the calls that:

1) they were not informed there would be a charge.
2) they did not receive an incoming call from the service
3) they did receive the service they expected to receive,
   usually by pressing one or a series of numbers on their phone.

(Since PBX callers' ANIs are not the phone number of the phone they
are calling from, there's the additional problem of figuring out who
actually placed the calls, but I'll stick to the issue of charging for
800 calls.)

In addition, the time the calls were billed disagreed with the actual
time of the 800 call by as much as three hours.

We documented the instances and complained to the FCC.  No response.
We then copied that complaint, added additional information to it,
and, since all the calls were billed by a single provider, sent a new
complaint to our BOC asking them to refuse to act as a billing agent
for this particular company.  We copied the FCC, and our PUC.  No
responses from anyone except the PUC, who wrote to tell us it was out
of their jurisdiction.

BUT, there is (sort of) a happy ending.  The FCC recently ruled that
this kind of billing back to an ANI from an 800 number is illegal
(sorry, I don't have the citation at my fingertips -- maybe a reader
here does?) *unless* the caller establishes a customer relationship
with the company.  From this, we're assuming that the company would
have to collect at the very least a name and address for the caller.
It doesn't protect UNH from the secondary ANI/Caller ID discrepancy
problem, but it should protect consumers from unexpected charges to
some extent.

(Right ... just like the FCC ruling on autodialers has protected
us.  I still get autodialed sales calls at least once a week.)

My basic feeling about the issue is that we have established a social
expectation that 800 numbers are free.  For companies to abuse that
expectation in order to provide harder-to-block 900-type services is
something that the FCC should stomp on very quickly, in order to
preserve the integrity of our national phone system.  **soapbox mode
off**

Michael, you have my premission to post this to other groups.  I'd do
it myself if I were more familiar with the system.


Kath Mullholand    University of New Hampshire

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: 800 Phone Sex, ANI, and Call Blocking Through PSN
Date: 8 Nov 1993 18:28:04 -0800
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access   [phone]  [login: guest]


Michael D. Maxfield ([e-mail]) wrote:

> The lady did mention that she has heard of some services charging
> callers of an 800 line for their calls, but such charges would be
> independant of the phone company and believed legally required to be
> preceeded by an announcement stating such a charge.  (There is NO
> audio announcement on the line ... I just called it).

There is a legal term called "informed consent" which means that a
person can consent to a contract (in this case to pay for a phone
call) ONLY when informed about it.  People rightfully believe that a
call to an 800 number is a free call (it's in the front of the phone
book, after all), so I don't think any service will succeed in pushing
for payment for a call when they have not warned the caller there
would be a charge.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Stanley)
Subject: Re: Telecom-Tech Mailing List
Date: 8 Nov 1993 19:43:32 GMT
Organization: Coastal Imaging Lab, Oregon State University


In article <[e-mail]>, Tom Ace <crux!tom@hercules.
aptix.com> wrote:

> If (like me) you don't have a news feed, you can now read and
> participate in the discussions in alt.dcom.telecom, as it is now also
> available by mail as a digest.  To quote from the heading of a recent
> issue:

This should pretty much put to rest the complaints about how much the
non-USENET Telecom Digest readers will lose should comp.dcom.telecom.
tech be created. If you get TELECOM Digest by mail you can certainly
get Teletech by mail.

That leaves no reason for TELECOM Digest readers to vote against the
group.


[Moderator's Note: Unless like me, they just want to be contrary and
vote NO out of spite.  :) By the way, I had heard that after that
special mailing by Asbestos Dippold the other day to offset the undue
influence and Bad Thoughts I propogate each day while commercializing
the net that they were gonna have another vote; one that would be
clean and honest, and without any undue influence or hypnotized
voters, etc. I assumed by now Asbestos probably would have issued the
Call For Voting, but maybe he is afraid if they have another vote
they will lose *again*; then who will they blame, the votetaker?  PAT]

------------------------------

From: Jon Gefaell <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: AT&T 2000 Public Phone
Organization: Security and Technology Planning, ITC/UVA
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 22:45:47 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, Tony Pelliccio
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]>, Greg Abbott <gabbott@uiuc.
> edu> wrote:

>> While on a recent business trip, I attempted to use an AT&T 2000
>> Public Phone (the model with a keyboard attached).  I was unable to
>> get it operate, but didn't have a whole lot of time to read all of the
>> instructions.  I was attempting to use my AT&T Corporate Calling Card
>> and the CRT on the phone kept telling me something like "Service
>> unavailable ... please try again later".  I got this reponse on all
>> three attempts.  I didn't really need to use it, but being a
>> techno-buff, I decided it would be fun to play with.

>> [Moderator's Note: You were probably not doing anything wrong. That
>> style phone had to be temporarily (maybe permanently?) suspended when
>> one of the other carriers (I think it was MCI) had a hissy fit and
>> said if they could not have it also, then no one could. They got a
>> court order to force AT&T to quit offering the service; that litiga-
>> tion is pending in the courts.  PAT]

Same thing happened to me today I was at a seminar in D.C. and wanted
to check my email from on of those phones in the hotel, Service
unavailable.  I was angry. I tried to use a phone like this six months
or so ago and had the same experience. At least I know why now.

Damn Judge Green.

As for MCI, I think if they want to put the equipment in, good for
them.  but I see no reason that AT&T should make THEIR equipment
available to MCI.

> We see the same thing in Amateur Radio. The American Radio Relay
> League offered to administer the re-started club callsign database.
> The W5YI group yelled and screamed to the FCC about it so now there
> will be no re-start.  Bunch of crybabies if you ask me. Make me want
> to send my W5YI accreditation back to them with about 400 pages of
> nastygram attached, postage due.

You are distorting the truth. The fact is, W5YI *DID* yell, but what
they yelled about was that the ARRL should not be allowed to be the
_only_ group authorized to do this. The ARRL suffers from the idea
that they are the end all and be all of Amateur Radio, yet they
discriminate and for various other reasons are not unanimously
supported by all Amateurs.

This is entirely different from the above situation. W5YI doesn't want
to use ANY of the ARRL's resources, it(he) is just demanding the right
to be able to represent Amateur Interests.

Any opinions expressed herein are not intended to be construed as those of UVA


Jon Gefaell,  Computer Systems Engineer   | Amateur Radio - KD4CQY
Systems Research, ITC OSSSD/Carruthers Hall | -Will chmod for food-
The University of Virginia, Charlottesville |  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 93 20:50:44 EST
From: David Leibold <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Telephone Pioneers Opens up Membership, etc.


A few important follow-up items from the original Bell News post on
the Telephone Pioneers. Contrary to the impression the article text
might have given, membership is limited to telecommunication
personnel, not the general public. Also, the phone number is the
contact for Bell Canada, and not a main office for the Telephone
Pioneers (though it may be a point of contact for those who can't find
out about the Pioneers otherwise).


David Leibold   replies: [e-mail]   [e-mail]  Fido: 1:250/730

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tom Wiencko)
Subject: Re: Frame Relay Information Request
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 19:38:03 GMT


Michael Lewis <[e-mail]> writes:

> We are migrating our network from X.25 to Frame Relay and I am
> interested in all the information I can get on the subject.

> I can find a lot about both Cell-Relay and ATM on the Internet, but
> precious little about Frame Relay other than one RFC.

> Does anyone know where this subject is hidden?

Several books I have stumbled into lately:

    Data Network Design (McGraw Hill, Darren Spohn)
    Frane Relay Networks (McGraw Hill, Uyless Black)

Hope this helps.


Tom Wiencko   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Kennedy)
Subject: Re: Nationwide Caller ID Update
Date: 8 Nov 1993 20:30:58 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico


In article <[e-mail]>, Dick Rawson wrote:

> In ISDN, at least according to the standards, the CNID is always sent;
> ...  (Given regulatory issues, what the phone companies implement might
> be different.)  ...

  On our switch, we have pretty much all of the 916.898-xxxx locked up
and dedicated to our University.  Anyone calling my ISDN set in the
office (that is calling from the university) has their phone number
show up on my display.  This works if the call is being made to me
from POTS or ISDN lines.

  A while back, when the 899-xxxx prefix was added, someone apparently
forgot to block them out and we could see 899 numbers show up too.
They fixed it later and now they show up as "PRIVATE".  This was all
done on the local switch, as far as I can tell.

  We're obviously in a far different situation as far as privacy is
concerned when we're dealing with campus-campus calls, although 899
privacy is obviously being looked out for.  I believe there is a key
sequence to press (doubtless costing $$$/month) that will let anyone
conceal themselves as "PRIVATE".

  Off-site (or non-899) calls come in as "IN-COMING" on the display.


John Kennedy <[e-mail]>;   Communications Services;   USENET admin
       Windows/NT - From the people who brought you EDLIN

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #747
******************************


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Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 00:06:01 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #748

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 9 Nov 93 00:06:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 748

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Computer CNID Solution Summary Sought (Scott Coleman)
    Apple Newtons Recalled in Australia (Mark Cheeseman)
    Signaling System #7 Cost/Performance Information (Dave Munsinger)
    Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking (Mark Steiger)
    Cordless Phone Systems (Delavar K. Khomarlou)
    Information on Mobile Data Systems/Technologies (Peter Chan)
    Landline Telegraph Service (Gabe M Wiener)
    Tech Job Available (Ian Eisenberg)
    AT&T Craft Access Butt-Sets (Eric Kiser)
    Re: Analog Telephone Interfaces For Computers (Andy Behrens)
    Re: Nationwide GTE 800 Outage? (Brian Nunes)
    Re: Brush Fires in Southern California (Stephen Friedl)
    Re: Preparing My Case Against Sprint (Chris Labatt-Simon)
    Re: Busy Signal Strangeness (John Desmond)
    Re: My Meeting With the Commish (Christopher Zguris)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Scott Coleman)
Subject: Computer CNID Solution Summary Sought
Date: 8 Nov 93 16:32:39 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


Caller*ID is _finally_ making it to my podunk neck of the woods next
month. Consequently, I'm in search of a CNID box with a computer
interface. Since I'm sure there's a collection of prevailing
net.wisdom on which CNID boxes are a) decent and b) can be interfaced
to a computer in some fashion already summarized somewhere, if someone
would be kind enough to forward me a copy of said summary I'd be most
appreciative.

Additional info: I'm running a 386SX Intel platform machine (MSDOS). I
currently run a BigmOuth/Powerline I PC voice mail card, which I would
like to augment with CNID capability. If there is another low-cost
solution, such as a voice mail card with CNID capability built in, or
perhaps one of the newer V.32bis modems with CNID and voice processing
capabilities, I'd consider that also.

NOTE: If my initial assumption is incorrect, and no summaries of this
type of info exist, I'll be happy to produce a summary of responses and make
them available.


Thanks for your help.

From the virtual desk of...
Scott Coleman, President ASRE (American Society of Reverse Engineers)
Ed Green Fan Club #005 - Disintegrate the SGA!
[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mark Cheeseman)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1993 19:49:52
Subject: Apple Newtons recalled in Australia
Organization: Radio Active BBS, Sydney Australia.


A recent report in [Newsbytes] states that Austel (the Australian
telecomminications regulatory authority) has forced Apple Australia to
recall all Newtons sold in the country, for a firmware lobotomy (ie,
re-programming the firmware so that it is no longer capable of
generating DTMF tones).

[Sorry I can't quote the actual story, but I left it at work, and if I
leave it until tomorrow to post this, I'll forget.]

The reason given was that the device was not submitted to Austel for
approval, despite the fact that there is no electrical connection
between the Newton and the telephone line, and that many unapproved
DTMF diallers are for sale on the Australian market. Looks like I'd
better go and get my vocal chords approved before they're recalled too :-)

I intend following this up with Austel tomorrow, and will post any
results I get to the Digest.


Mark Cheeseman  [e-mail]  Fido: 3:712/412.0 [[phone]]
PO Box 199 Alexandria NSW 2015  Ph [phone]  Fax [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Munsinger)
Subject: Signaling System #7 Cost/Performance Information
Date: 8 Nov 1993 20:43:07 GMT
Organization: QUALCOMM, Inc.


Does anyone have information on SS7 networks either currently deployed
or scheduled for deployment by the end of 1994?  Specifically:

    1) What are the transaction costs (two-way) associated with
the network?

    2) Are there costs associated with initiating service and
interface equipment?

    3) What are the delays (two-way) through the network?

    4) Any other information or contacts?

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Mark Steiger)
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1993 12:39:11 -0600
Subject: Re: Caller ID-Blocking Unblocking
Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS:  Minnetonka, MN (Free!)


> P.S. Who would call an 800 number and think the call was anonymous :-)

> [Moderator's Note: Who would consider a call to an 800 number to be
> anonymous?  Oh, a lot of people would. This discussion came up on
> Usenet (snicker) recently in one of the privacy discussion groups and
> some people were outraged to find out that the persons/companies paying
> for their (800) calls were getting the information as to who was calling
> and whose calls they were paying for.  PAT]

Lesseee ... why should the person who is PAYING for the call have the
right to that information ... :) That's why caller blocking is
available on a local level. The guy making the call is paying for the
call, either with the monthly charge, or per call charges.  Where I
work, we're in the process of integrating Caller-ID with our
phone/computer system.  We have 400+ incoming T1's for voice.  We use
one T1 for caller-ID data for every six T1's in use.  When a customer
calls up, their account information will be brought up on the computer
in front of the operator taking the order.  If it's a previous
customer, we could concevably take the order in under one minute.
We're currently trying to get some forms printed up to protect us
against an unauthorized person calling from someone's house and using
their account.

It's there and available.  As a matter of fact, we have it now, but on a
limited basis. If we get an "unwanted" call, we can type in the trunk
number and get the ANI off of it.


Origin: The Igloo BBS 612-574-2079  (1:282/4018.0)
Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo BBS [phone]
Internet: [e-mail]   Fido: 1:282/4018  Simnet: 16:612/24

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Delavar K. Khomarlou)
Subject: Cordless Phone Systems
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Ontario Hydro
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 13:29:09 -0500


Our company is investigating the use of cordless phones (with mobile
base stations) in our stations (harsh environment).  Generally, the
walls inside plant are very thick concrete (nuclear grade) and line of
sight is not available.  We are looking at an 800 Mhz and a 1.2 Ghz
(European) system.  Can someone tell me which system would have better
propagation characteristics in this environment? Our preliminary tests
show that we get alot of fading and loss of portions of speech (I
suspect due to sync loss or framing loss) and more likely due to
multipath fading.  I don't check the newsgroup very often.  The best
way to respond would be email:

              [e-mail]

Thank you very much.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Peter Chan)
Subject: Information on Mobile Data Systems/Technologies
Organization: Dept of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Univ of Melbourne
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 00:57:50 GMT


Hello netters,

Does anyone know where I can find articles and/or technical reports
regarding the following mobile data systems/technologies:

- Motorola Mobitex;
- Aridis;
- Cellular digital packet data;
- D-AMPS and GSM (phase 2).
- others ?.

Please reply through email to [e-mail].

I will post a summary to the newsgroups if there is any appropriate
reply.

Thanks a lot.


Regards,

Peter Chan     ([e-mail])
Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
University of Melbourne,  Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
Tel: [phone]    Fax: [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Gabe M Wiener)
Subject: Landline Telegraph Service
Date: 9 Nov 1993 04:37:49 GMT
Organization: Columbia University


Over the years we have seen many articles and had many discussions on
the operation of cordboard service ... trunking, signalling, etc.  But
I'm curious if anyone knows the specifics of how the landline
telegraph service operated.

I assume there were local private lines as well as inter-city trunks.
Were these switched a la the early cordboards?  i.e. could someone
with a private line send directly to another city?  Or only to the WU
office?  How did the WU operators switch between lines?  What was the
protocol for raising an operator at the other end?  How did one "get
in" on a busy line?  Etc ...

Is there a comprehensive history of the operating practices of the
landline telegraph service in the US?


     Gabe Wiener -- [e-mail] -- N2GPZ -- PGP on request
 Sound engineering, recording, and digital mastering for classical music
   "I am terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music
     will be put on records forever."  --Sir Arthur Sullivan


[Moderator's Note: The first TWX machine I recall seeing sometime in
the 1950's was not a dial unit. The person at the machine went off
hook and presently a message would be typed out to him on the paper
saying 'here is optr may i help u?' to which the person at the machine
would respond by typing the desired TWX number he wanted to connect
with. If the person at the machine did not respond in a timely way the
'optr' would ring the Control-G BEL at him a few times and maybe
another message line 'r u there' <DING DING DING DING>. Of course if
'optr' was slow to respond or took the request but then seemingly
disappeared and did not either connect or give a report in a few
seconds to a minute later, the clerk would do the same tactics in
return -- pound the BEL key to which the central office would reply,
'optr here mom' where 'mom' = 'moment please' or 'stand by' or more
rudely, 'hold your horses, I am busy and will get to you in a minute'.
Or they might just type 'mom'. Western Union had an automatic gizmo
for their operators to use which (from a telex you got the Western
Union operator) responded with a message typed out every thirty
seconds or so, 'ALL POSITIONS BY ... MOM' where 'BY' was the historic
abbreviation for 'busy'. After passing the number you wanted there was
no audible or written confirmation the other end was ringing, but if
the other end answered the calling machine would see the typing start
on the paper. Otherwise the operator would return sooner or later to
type out 'nbr da' (doesn't answer), 'nbr by' (busy), 'nbr od' (machine
at that end out or order) or perhaps 'sorry nc' (no circuits available
now, try again later) or 'sorry nsn' (no such number, or such a number
but it was a voice phone and not a TWX). There were other responses
as well, two were 'wud' and 'ocd' for Western Union denies service and
other Carrier denies service. Typically this meant the subscriber to
Western Union telex (or other carrier's telex with whom you were asking
for interconnection, like a long distance call today) had been disconn-
ected for failure to pay their bill.

You could also use your TWX/telex to call 'collect' if you wanted the
machine on the other end to be billed for the call. You added that
phrase in the opening request given to 'optr'. She would type out to
the other end that it was collect and get their okay to put it through
else she would get back to you with the reply 'sorry cr u pay' (charges
refused, will you pay for it?).  PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Ian Eisenberg)
Subject: Tech Job Available
Date: 8 Nov 1993 19:31:06 -0800
Organization: (CYBERSPACE) Public Internet 206.286.1600


My company is looking for a technician in the Seattle area.  Must be
well versed in PCs and general telephony.  Knowledge of analog and
digital preferred.  PC knowledge should include ability to change
drives, troubleshoot etc.  Worldwide travel necessary.  Progressive
fast paced company.  Send Email to [e-mail] or fax resume to
Ian Eisenberg  206-286-5298.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 22:14:12 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: AT&T Craft Access Butt-Sets


I'm sure you've all seen them advertised recently, surplus. The
safety-yellow AT&T craft-access butt sets are available new, in the
box with two batteries, charger and manual for $60 (how's that for
pennies on the dollar, AT&T?). Well ... I broke down and bought one
(ok -- I bought three).

Even the standard TALK and MONITOR are swanky on this thing. The
entire thing is menu driven on a 3"x3" LCD, with user input through a
four-way plus button joystick and the standard 3x4 DTMF keypad. (Alpha
input is via the keypad -- press 1 once for 1, twice for Q, thrice for
Z, etc.)  The dialed number is menu driven, or you can do it manually.
MONITOR and TALK modes have digital volume access, and MONITOR has a
QUIET mode for extra sensitive noise hunting. I got all that working ...

The trick is these were used by AT&T folk to access the work
scheduling computer system, and they have a 1200 baud Bell 212 modem
and terminal program built in. But I can't seem to figure out the
protocol used by the terminal program. On CONNECT, the butt-set sends
tildes (~) until the remote system sends ACK, and then some five-digit
something that I can't figure out; every time I enter the fifth digit,
it goes back to tildes. I took the thing apart (a real trick, since it
had #10 TORX screws with the security restriction post in place all
the way around) and yanked the uP program EPROM. It disassembled to
more than 20000 lines of 8031 (Intel MCS-51 series) assembly language.
I've been able to wade througha lot of it, but isn't there an easier
way?

Does anyone have access to / references on the protocol used by these
things? I'd hate to reprogram it from scratch; I'd like to write a
small BBS for my PC that would interact with the screen, joystick and
keypad using the current protocol, if I could find out what it is.


Thanks,

Eric Kiser
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Analog Telephone Interfaces For Computers
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 18:13:03 GMT


[e-mail] (Joe Picone) writes:

> Can somebody suggest a good state-of-the-art telephone interface that
> can be computer controlled?

Anyone who is interested in this sort of thing should read Computer
Telephony ("The magazine for Computer and Telephone Integration").
Lots of useful ads too.  It's free to qualified subscribers, $38/year
for others.  Ask them to send you a subscription card.

You can reach them by:

    Mail:    Computer Telephony, 12 West 21 St., New York, NY 10010
    Phone:    [phone]
    E-mail:    <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>


Andy Behrens
Burlington Coat Factory, Schoolhouse Rd., Etna, N.H. 03750    [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Brian Nunes)
Subject: Re: Nationwide GTE 800 Outage?
Organization: This Way Out, the int'l lesbian & gay radio magazine
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 23:08:51 GMT


On Thu, 4 Nov 93 21:06 PST Robert L. McMillin ([e-mail])
wrote:

> My girlfriend called me in the middle of the day today to ask how she
> could call the 800 number they used at her work for credit card
> verification.  Apparently, she said that she had been told that GTE
> had a nationwide 800 routing failure!  Has anyone else heard of this?
> Who else has been affected?

> (FYI, my girlfriend works in Torrance, CA, 310-373.)

I work in West Los Angeles, also covered by GTE, and we too could not
dial out to any 800 numbers yesterday.  We couldn't reach any of our
vendors, etc., without digging up backup numbers, and we couldn't even
connect to any of our computer data services.  It's OK now though ...

Grr ...


Brian Nunes=*-*-*-*-*-* [e-mail] -*-*-1-213-656-9117
7985 Santa Monica Blvd. #109-473, West Hollywood, CA 90046-5112

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Stephen Friedl)
Subject: Re: Brush Fires in Southern California
Date: 8 Nov 93 14:17:38 GMT
Organization: Software Consulting, Tustin, CA


H.A. Kippenhan Jr. writes:

> You asked (a couple of days ago) about the reasons for the large
> number of fires in Southern California this year.

The explanation given was very good, but there are a few additional
factors here.

First, last year's rainy season was huge, following years of drought.
Brush and weeds simply shot up this spring.  Now we have much more of
this kind of dry fuel lying around just waiting to catch fire.

Second, because we truly do live in a desert, some of the plants take
interesting defense measures to keep alive.  They produce a kind of
volatile oil that seals in what little water they can find, and this
stuff burns very well.  Eucalyptus trees reportedly do the same thing,
and they literally *explode* when they get hot.

Finally, around this time of year we get a weather condition known as
the Santa Ana winds where hot and bone-dry air from the desert blows
in at very high speeds -- two weeks ago the wind was something like 50
miles an hour in my back yard.  Sales of Chap-Stic (tm) have got to
shoot up, because this wind is incredibly drying.

Sparks happen all the time, and now the confluence of all these
factors means that once a fire gets a bite, it will go on and on.  All
the fire chiefs know that *this* is the fire season.

The first fire was started accidently started by a transient who was
just trying to get warm, and it got out of hand.  He is reportedly
only being charged with a misdemeanor because all the officials in
charge know that he didn't intend to do any of this.  He is not from
around here and had no idea about all of the above.

Note that it gets worse.  Many of the areas that burned are on
hillsides and canyons, and the houses that remain are now surrounded
by scorched earth instead of groundcover.  The rainy season is coming
around in a few months, and those poor folks are going to have a devil
of a time keeping their houses out of the bottom of the canyon.

This is sad news even for the "rich folks".


Stephen J Friedl | Software Consultant | Tustin, CA |     [phone]
3B2-kind-of-guy  | I speak for me ONLY |   KA8CMY   | uunet!mtndew!friedl

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Labatt-Simon)
Subject: Re: Preparing My Case Against Sprint
Date: 8 Nov 1993 21:34:40 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA


I'm in the process of going through a Business Law course right now,
so here goes ...

[e-mail] (Chris Ambler - Fubar) writes:

> Meanwhile, I've been doing legal research, and have come to the
> conclusion that their verbal offer on the phone, my acceptance, the
> switching of my lines, and the one long-distance call to "activate"
> the plan constitutes a valid contract.

Your guarantee to them that you are going to use their services is not
thought of as valid consideration.  In order for there to be valid
consideration, you must offer them something which is detrimental to
yourself.

> Point of help number 1. If anyone has specific case references for
> verbal offer and acceptance, when acceptance relies on specific
> performance of an action intended to benefit the party which made the
> inital offer, this would be of great use to me. Also, if anyone knows
> if the section of the law dealing with "rewards" is relivant here, I'd
> like to know about it. Is there a section dealing with offers to the
> public of a premium in exchange for perchase of item or service?

In this case, courts will probably decide that no valid contract
exists.  Unless what Sprint did caused you unfair harm (e.g. you quit
your job, sold all of your stuff and moved to Idaho, and then they
refused to give you your modem), the law is usually more lenient with
the defendant.

> monetary value (average of ten street prices for the modem initially
> offered).

The most you would be allowed in a case like this would be any
expenses incurred because of the lack of a modem (this doesn't mean
lawyer fees, research fees, your time, etc.).  In order to get more,
you would have to prove something like emotional duress or great
monetary loss.

> Point of help number two: If anyone knows anything I'm missing here,
> I'd like to know about it. I have legal citations to show that the
> contract was valid, I have a letter demanding performance of the
> contract, and I have documentation of names and times of phone calls
> where they refused to honour the contract. What am I missing?

In most states, you can't take a corporation to small claims court.
Actually, I think that's a Federal statute.  You have to hire a
professional lawyer (or an unprofessional lawyer -- it's up to you) to
follow standard legal procedures.

> At this rate, I should have a court date some time in December or
> January.  If there's anyone else who is taking Sprint to court over
> this, I'd like to hear from you as well, we can share information.

You can always talk to a lawyer about a class action suit.  This will
enable a lawyer to sue Sprint on behalf of everyone who lost out on
the modem offer.

I'm not a lawyer.  This is not advice, but rather observations and
comments, which may or may not be correct.


Chris Labatt-Simon   Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]    [phone] Tel   [phone] Fax


[Moderator's Note: You certainly can take a corporation into Small
Claims Court. I've done it with First National Bank of Chicago and
a few other times.  That's the rule in Illinois at least.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Desmond)
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1993 00:07:00 GMT
Subject: Re: Busy Signal strangeness
Organization: The Dark Knight's Table BBS:  Minnetonka, MN (Free!)


[e-mail] (Mike King) wrote:

> After hearing various stories about strange busy signals, I thought
> I'd add mine to the list:

> I used to dial CI$ in downtown Washington, DC (202-338-3303, since
> replaced), from the MD suburbs.  I'm on either a 5E or DMS-100, while
> the CI$ number is on a 1A.  SS7 covers most of DC and suburban area.

> One night while trying to dial, I heard the 120 ipm "All Circuits
> Busy" indicator, but before the modem recognized the signal, all of a
> sudden, I heard <click>-<carrier>!  I got a normal connection, and
> proceeded to check my mail, etc.

  It sounds to me like the 1A switch has a ringing trunk wired to a
120 IPM audio source rather than a audible ring source.  I have seen
that happen before only the case I saw was a 60 IPM trunk was wired to
a 120 IPM audio source.  That is not quite so bad as the problem you
came across.  On an SS7 call the audible ringing signal does come from
the called CO.  It could be that you will never come across this again
assuming that there is only one trunk wired wrong.

   Sorry for the long delay in posting this.  I'm just catching up on
some reading.  :)

John Desmond - U S WEST Communications
[e-mail]  -or-
[e-mail]

Origin: HAM>link< RBBS 612/HAM-0000 Saint Paul, MN [K0TG] (1:282/100)
The Dark Knight's Table BBS [phone] Minnetonka, MN USA

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 20:53 EST
From: Christopher Zguris <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: My Meeting With the Commish


In TELECOM Digest V13 #741 Charlie Hofacker ([e-mail])

> Well, I got my chance to have lunch with FCC Commissioner Barrett.
> There was a brief question and answer session at lunch.  I decided to
> ask him about universal access, and whether the concept of universal
> access should be updated to include more than POTS.  I think it would
                                                       ----------------
> be fair to say he was not enthusiastic about the whole idea of
  --------------------------------------------------------------
> universal access.  In fact, I might summarize his reply in the form of
  -----------------
> a rhetorical question he asked me back: who pays?  (Inspiration for my
> question came from Bob Boucher <[e-mail]>).

  Amazing position. What was the FCC's original position regarding
breaking up AT&T and letting competiion into the market?

> Perhaps the most amusing moment came when a student asked him about
> the FCC and censorship.  He insisted that the FCC does not engage in
> censorship and is wholly unconcerned with any content whatsoever with
> the possible exception of kids TV.

  What about what he and/or the FCC is doing to Howard Stern? I'm sure
most of you despise Mr. Stern, but the FCC is certainly attempting to
censor him.  It may not be a direct effort to silence Mr. Stern, but
adding fine after fine to make him poison within his industry is
censorship pure and simple with the added effect of scaring everyone
in the industry int "compliance" with the FCC's view on things. You
mentioned in your original list of questions that you would bring up
the Howard Stern question, did you?


Christopher Zguris     [e-mail]

P.S. If this is a flame, it is _not_directed at you Charlie!

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #748
******************************


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Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 00:54:01 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #749

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 9 Nov 93 00:54:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 749

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Re: Are Local Calls Kept on Record? (Jack Brand)
    Re: Help Needed Paging via Unix Script (Bill Leeke)
    Re: Car Phones and Accidents? (Adrian Warren)
    Re: Question About T1 Equipment (Aninda Dasgupta)
    Re: Pactel Cellular Wants to go Digital (Craig Ibbotson)
    Re: ADSI (Robert Hettmansperger)
    Re: AT&T Lock and Key Features (Bob Bosen)
    Re: No ISDN Despite Big Talk> (John Eichler)
    Want CSUs With Sync<->async @vr 57.6 With EIA Flow (Doug Mildram)
    Re: Telecom at the Opera (Curtis Bohl)
    Re: Armstrong and Rising Sun MD (Gregory P. Monti)
    Re: Battery Cross-Reference Information Needed (John Gilbert)
    Re: Sat Pagers = Modems? (John Gilbert)
    Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (H. Shrikumar)
    Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (Jon Sreekanth)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: uswnvg![e-mail] (Jack Brand)
Subject: Re: Are Local Calls Kept on Record?
Date: 9 Nov 93 00:27:31 GMT
Organization: US West NewVector, Inc., Bellevue, WA


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Denis) writes:

> I was always under the impression that records of local telephone
> calls were kept on magnetic tape for a certain period of time by the
> local telco.  But when I asked Michigan Bell for their records to a
> certain number (an attorney was all set to send in a subpoena) they
> said they didn't keep such records.  Was I infomed correctly?  Does

> [Moderator's Note: Whoever you spoke with misinformed you. The best
> approach is to simply have issued the subpoena from the beginning.
> Call records are available for some period of time, and telco will

Are we sure about this one?  Denis is referring to *local* calls.
Some switches don't even bother to keep records of local calls, since
there is no billing to be done on them, or at least they didn't used
to.


jb


[Moderator's Note: If the switch is ESS, then there are local call
records kept for some period of time.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bill Leeke)
Subject: Re: Help Needed Paging via Unix Script
Date: 8 Nov 1993 16:30:59 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston IL USA


In article <[e-mail]>, Eric Douglas
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]> Steve Hills <shills@hillspc.
> sandiegoca.NCR.COM> writes:

>> A project I am working on has the ability to run UNIX shell scripts or
>> executables when certain events occur on the system.  We have been
>> requested to provide a paging capability via a shell script or
>> executable.  Does anyone have any information (or perhaps a shell
>> script) that could be of help to me?

I wrote a program that did kinda what you want. It served to protect a
Network Node Manager. I had several clients ping the NNM at intervals.
When the NNM did not respond the server (residing on another machine)
would dial a pager (Kermit)


Bill     [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Adrian Warren)
Subject: Re: Car Phones and Accidents?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 14:53:41 GMT


Stefan Zingg ([e-mail]) wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]>, Peter M. Weiss
> <[e-mail]> writes:

>> Does any one have any definitive statistics of the use of car
>> (cellular) phones and traffic accidents?

> If you caused an accident, would you tell the police: "I didn't see
> the [red light/other car/old lady/young man/whatever] because I was
> concentrating on my phone"?

> So I think both answers are "no".

Q: What's the first thing an attorney does after he/she rear-end's you ???

A: Hangs up the phone!!!


Adrian Warren    [e-mail]  or [e-mail]
Tekelec  818-880-7961   Fax [phone]
#include    <standard.disclaimer>
#include    <standard.witticisims>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 18:20:01 EST
From: [e-mail]  (Aninda Dasgupta)
Subject: Re: Question About T1 Equipment


atrium!cntinuum![e-mail] said in comp.dcom.telecom

> It seems to me that you have a business problem you need to solve and
> you're going about it using the wrong tools.  A T1 is a tool, -- it
> has an application and in my experience I use them as a digitial pipe,
> where occasionally I'll use the feature of a DSU to break off a 56K
> chunk or two. -- however as I read your problem, I would say that a T1
> is an inappropriate tool for the job.

> If I were you, I would be prepared to buy dial up lines from your
> carrier or grow your PBX if you have one and pass those salespeople
> laptops with 14.4Kbps modems, perhaps your should consider a internal
> company bulletin board.

We want to use the T1 link as a digital pipe too.  We want our
salespeople to dial into an 800 number (don't want to have them worry
about calling cards etc.)  MCI says to get us a T1 link running to
their POP.  And MCI is willing to manage the T1 link for $1000 (or so)
and install it for free (from what I hear from the people here who
deal with them).  That saves us the hassle of dealing with NYTel.  (I
called NYTel and asked for T1 rates and the guy is yet to get back to
me with the info. It's almost as if NYTel doesn't care if we do
business with them.  Compared to that, if MCI wants to do everything
for us, we'd prefer that).  So, we have to get a T1 link in order to
get the good bulk rates for 800 service from MCI.  And come to think
of it, it makes sense to get T1 and not worry about all the wiring and
cabling to our workstation from 24 separate lines.  Using a T1 link I
can use DNIS service to get three 800 numbers and depending on what
the salesperson dials, use the DSU to route the call to a modem, fax
machine or voicemailbox. I understand that DNIS service is not
available without T1.

Thanks for your comments.

Since many people have asked me to forward what information I
got from my original question posted a few days ago, in a following
message I will post what I have been able to gather.


Aninda DasGupta ([e-mail]) Ph:[phone] Fax:[phone]
Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n  Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510
"Err.., Phillips Petroleum gives you gas; fortunately Phillips Chemical
makes antacid. Philips is with one "el", we make lightbulbs. And other shtuff"

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Craig Ibbotson, x2343)
Subject: Re: Pactel Cellular Wants to go Digital
Date: 8 Nov 1993 15:43:24 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group


> [from a PacTel Cellular press release]

> "We encourage our customers to wait for CDMA and the long-term
> solutions that technology offers.  We would not want to see early
> purchasers stuck with obsolete digital equipment as the owners of Beta
> format VCRs were when the VHS format became the standard for home
> videotape recordings," Jones said.

What a great marketing technique!  Tell all those people buying TDMA
mobiles that they are buying the "Beta VCRs of the 90's".  It seems
difficult to educate the public in the TDMA vs CDMA battle but telling
them that buying a TDMA mobile is like buying a Beta VCR is something
that will hit home. (Please don't read this as an endorsement of TDMA
or CDMA -- I have no first-hand experience with either digital air
interface).

It's interesting how all the digital cellular marketing is based on
analogy to other consumer products.  Cellular 1 here is touting their
digital (TDMA) does "what the compact disk did for audio".  I wonder
if Ameritech will now start the "Beta vs VHS" ads?


Craig Ibbotson, Motorola Inc.    ...uunet!motcid!ibbotsonc
Cellular Products Division / General Systems Sector

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1993 10:27:38 +0100
From: [e-mail] (Robert Hettmansperger)
Subject: Re: ADSI
Organization: Bellcore


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] wrote:

>    TR-1273 says feature-specific TRs will determine if Call Waiting
> can interrupt a given ADSI "session" (SPCS or "server").  I haven't
> seen such requirements.  Also, the recovery from an interrupted
> session is up to the "server".  Just to check the latest,
> TA-NWT-001436, Visual Screen List Editing, August 1993 (issued 8
> months after TR-1273) says not one word, zip, about session
> interruptions of any kind.  It does say you can't flash during a
> session -- so any Call Waiting you get will just mess up the session,
> and remain unanswered.

This is not quite true.  Visual Screening List Editing is merely a new
user-interface to the existing Screening List Editing feature
(TR-220).  Requirement R-202 (page 3-72 in TA-1436) specifies that the
feature interactions for VSLE are to be the same as the ones for SLE.
If you look in TA or TR-220 (any issue) in section 3.8 there will be a
requirement for the interactions with Call Waiting features.  For
example in TA-220, Issue 4, requirements R-248 and R-250 (page 3-93)
specify that a Screening List Editing session can *not* be interrupted
by Call Waiting or Calling Identity Delivery on Call Waiting.

Granted, this is a somewhat roundabout way of disallowing Call Waiting
interruptions during a Visual Screening List Editing session, but the
requirement exists.

Applications which use a non switch-based server (such as banking,
etc.)  can not rely on the switch to prevent such interruptions.
Therefore, they will have to depend on the customer (or the customer's
CPE) utilizing the Cancel Call Waiting feature.


Robert Hettmansperger   MTS, Bellcore CLASS Requirements

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bob Bosen)
Subject: Re: AT&T Lock and Key Features
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 17:35:40 GMT


Tim Kramer <[e-mail]> writes:

> Has anyone out there used AT&T's Lock and Key boxes?  This is a piece
> of hardware that requires the same "key" to get into the remote
> maintenance port via a modem.

Tim, I don't know if this will solve your problem or not, but you
might want to take a look at the Cisco/Enigma Logic announcement for
"SafeWord for Cisco", which supports "super-smart card" access
security into any CISCO box's maintenance port(s), or into the comm
ports of any CISCO Comm server, or any other box that supports the
"TACACS" protocol as documented in rfc 1492.


Bob Bosen   Senior Scientist   Enigma Logic Inc.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1993 10:34:00 -0500
From: [e-mail] (John Eichler)
Subject: Re: No ISDN Despite Big Talk
Reply-To: [e-mail] (John Eichler)
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** [phone]


[e-mail] (Carl Oppedahl) wrote:

> Richard A. Jalkut, President
> New York Telephone

[material deleted]

> I should think that New York Telephone, which fills the front pages of
> every telephone directory with glowing talk of up-to-date digital
> technology, would be embarassed at its apparent failure to deploy ISDN
> beyond a handful of Manhattan exchanges.

Apparently this is not only a problem in New York but elsewhere as
well.  I guess the telephone companies are just sitting back waiting
for the cable companies to be the first ones to bring high speed
two-way digital communications technology into small businesses and
homes.

It's almost a 'catch-22' proposition.  The phone companies are slow to
implement ISDN because there is little demand for it and the demand is
waiting for the service to become available.  This is just another
example of the difficult time we will have installing a nationwide
'information highway'.  I guess the only way to move the telephone
companies is for tens of thousands of us little guys to keep asking
them for ISDN until they wake up and realize that they are losing big
bucks in not providing this vital service.

Comments welcome<G>!

SM 1.06 ----- . Email: [e-mail]
The GrapeVine Bulletin Board System  [phone]
PGP Distribution Site, UseNet, RIME, ThrobNet, MediaNet, U'niNet, ForthNet
RecoveryNet, MetroLink.  Putting Communications back in Telecommunication

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Doug Mildram )
Subject: Want CSUs With Sync<->async @ 57.6 With EIA Flow. What to Buy?
Organization: Xylogics, Inc.
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 14:14:20 GMT


Hi ... sync modem users especially:

Our Annex Communications Server, acting in this case an async SL/IP
router, is recently achieving (inhouse) 57.6 async, and I want to USE
this (trans-USA) over a dedicated DDS (sync) line.  While I barely
speak sync-ese, I'm learning that modern CSU/DSU's offer async
(conversion from 56k sync), at various speeds. The Codex 3500 is
limited to 19k async, so I got an eval on two new Adtran modems which
do async @ 57.6 ... but no RTS/CTS "eia flow" control!  (SLIP can be
used w/o flow, but poorly or worse in demanding Xwindow apps!)
Naturally, in-band flow control (xon/xoff) is not a workable slip
alternative.

  |   57.6 async               56k sync              57.6 async          |
annex-------------  modem  ....DDS line....  modem  --------------------annex
  |                                                                      |
 network                                                             network

What modem should I buy/evauate? Is there anything inherently
impossible in getting end-to-end "EIA flow" (pin4, pin5)?

Many thanks in advance for recommendations, even guesses for BRANDS to try.


Doug Mildram, UNIX systems admin + Ceiling Rat
Xylogics, Inc. 53 Third Ave, Burlington, MA 01803
[e-mail]  617-272-0924 x244

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Missouri 4-H Youth Development Programs)
Subject: Re: Telecom at the Opera
Organization: University of Missouri
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 93 23:36:32 CST


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Aninda Dasgupta) writes:

> Backstage were a number of TV monitors that allowed the director to
> watch and direct the whole thing via audio with the prompter.  Outside
> the Lincoln Center (of which the Metropolitan Opera House is a part)
> was a huuuuge tractor trailer with the word "Unitel" painted on it.
> The trailer had some neat modules that were hydraulically pushed/
> raised out of the trailer's walls and steps lowered to allow people
> access to the interior of the trailer.  There were no antennae or
> dishes anywhere on the trailer, but I did see a guy scuttle in and out
> wearing headphones.  I wonder what the trailer was for; I know the
> local PBS station was recording the performance for a future
> broadcast.  All in all, I was surprised that they use such telecom for
> classical performances. I can only wonder how they did things in the
> days when Verdi composed the music for the opera.

The trailer was probably the TV production truck.  Many of the newer
production units have extendable wings in the main control room to
give the director, producer, etc. more room for monitors and
switchers.  Many of the major TV networks have trailers like this,
more so that independent production companies.  They may have been
recording the performance, or transmitting via fiber optics to a
"teleport" site, which is why you probably didn't see any dishes
around.

> [Moderator's Note: Forty years ago during the 1950's, one could always
> tell when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was doing a radio broadcast since
> in the alley behind Orchestra Hall where the alley intersects with Adams
> Street there would appear a very large semi-trailer/truck with the words
> 'Illinois Bell Telephone Company' on its side. A thick cable would snake
> out of the stage entrance of the Hall and into this van, then it would
> come out the van and go down into a manhole in the street.   PAT]

Reminds me of when all TV programs were still transmitted by coast-to-
coast microwave.  I think the last time microwave was used for a
national broadcast here at MU was in 1984, MU vs Notre Dame football
game.  (I run the scoreboards for all the games, so I get to see the
behind the scenes).  GTE had some transmission equipment that took the
video & audio feed from the ABC trucks and sent it downtown to the GTE
CO by coax.  From there it was bounced by microwave to the AT&T Long
Lines microwave tower at Prarie Home, about 30 miles away, and on to
the ABC network.  The last time I saw the equipment used was probably
around '86-87, and has since been removed from the telephone room (it
was also used for basketball games.)

Another unique story concerns the early days of television.  The
University started (and still has) a commercial TV station in 1955.
For about 6 months in '56, the station originated a national country
music program for ABC.  They wanted to do it out of Springfield, MO,
but because Columbia was on the AT&T microwave network, and Spring-
field wasn't, the performers traveled to Columbia each week to
do the program.  Interesting how a small TV studio in the middle of
the University's beef farm originated a national program in those
days!


Curtis Bohl                      Computer Programmer/Analyst
[e-mail]           4-H Youth Development
Alternate: [e-mail]                   Programs
[phone]               University of Missouri-Columbia

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 10:23:04 EST
From: Gregory P. Monti <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Armstrong and Rising Sun MD


Only the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies and GTE Telephone
Operations are required to restrict their lines if business by the
Modified Final Judgment (in the case of the former AT&T comapnies) and
in a separate ruling (in the case of GTE).  Generally the restrictions
are:

 -- no cable TV ownership within the monopoly local telephone service
area;

 -- no outward inter-LATA long distance service from within monopoly
local telephone service area;

 -- no ownership of "information services" (whatever those are);

 -- no equipment manufacturing or repairing (equipment made and
repaired by someone else can be sold with an RBOC name tag on it but
cannot be made by the RBOC itself).

Armstrong Telephone in Rising Sun, MD, is neither an RBOC nor GTE so
it doesn't have the restrictions.  This was, and probably still is,
thought to be a good idea because, in rural areas, the cost per
subscriber to built cable or telephone is higher and allowing
co-ownership of facilities and services can bring economies of scale.

Contel, now being a part of GTE, has the GTE restrictions.

Hmmm.  Wonder if the non-restrictions also apply to Centel, which is
now a part of Sprint.  No small rural telephone company, that.  Does
Sprint own any cable TV operations?


Greg Monti, National Public Radio, 2025 M Street NW, Washington, DC  20036
Voice:  202 822-2633   Fax:  [phone]   Internet:  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Battery Cross-Reference Information Needed
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 22:25:50 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, ARTHUR%MPA15C@MPA15AB.
mv-oc.Unisys.COM wrote:

> ....  Can anyone provide a source of an
> equivalent unit to this guy?  It's a Sanyo N-50SB3, a tubular battery
> 2"x3/8", with wire leads that solder to the PC board.  Specifications
> include 3.6v/45mAh; the standard charge is 1.5mA.  I'd be grateful for
> any leads!

Try "Mr. Nicad"
E.H. Yost & Company
7344 Tetiva Road
Sauk City, Wisconsin 53583
[phone]

They seem to have just about anything -- including strange size cells
and cells with tabs for making your own battery packs.


John Gilbert         [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Sat Pagers = Modems?
Organization: Motorola, LMPS
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 22:11:39 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail].
Edu (Ken Kopin) wrote:

>   Ok, please correct my ignorance if I get any of my facts wrong.

> 1. Are there such things as pagers that receive signals from Satellites?

The current so called "satellite" pagers are not receiving their
signals directly from a satellite.  The signals are distributed to
terrestrial transmitters via a satellite link from the paging
terminal.  There has been talk about doing paging directly from a
satellite in the future.  The problem is that reception of satellite
signals is great outdoors, but doesn't work so well in buildings where
most people use their pagers.  Modems would also have this problem.
You would pretty much need to be right in front of a window with a
Southern exposure for it to work directly from the satellite.

I believe many people think that the system works directly from the
satellite. The advertising you often see in business and airline
in-flight magazines is very misleading.


John Gilbert   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 17:55:37 -0500
From: [e-mail] (H.Shrikumar)
Subject: Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Organization: UMass, Amherst MA + Temporal Systems Bombay India


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] wrote:

> I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
> will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
> Chris Franke's limited CD release".  That way, anyone who wants to
> hear that stuff would have the option, and others can just ignore it
> and leave a message like usual.  That way, my phone line can double as
> a news hotline.  Does any answering machine exist like this?  What
> other features would it have?

   I believe there are answering machines that can be used by up to
two or four people, with four mail boxes. This might serve your
purpose. (I have the model number for one ATT model at home .. I can
mail it if you like.)

   In fact I am on the look out for such answering machines and would
be grateful for any recommendations. I'd like to be able to accept
DTMF beeps from the caller which I could advise them of in the initial
OGM, followed by different OGM for different folk. Any number from two
to six people is fine. I am also quite a geek when it comes to features
so I'd like to hear about any other techno-geek features.

   Thanks for all reccommendations. I will summarize to the net if
there is interest.


shrikumar ([e-mail], [e-mail])

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Jon Sreekanth)
Subject: Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Organization: The World
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 04:31:57 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Elana
Beach) writes:

> I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
> will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
> Chris Franke's limited CD release".  That way, anyone who wants to
> hear that stuff would have the option, and others can just ignore it
> and leave a message like usual.  That way, my phone line can double as

The reverse feature seems to be standard on Panasonic answering
machines. Pressing "*" during the outgoing message stops the OGM and
starts the incoming message tape. The most common use for this feature
is to skip the OGM when you are calling your own answering machine to
remotely check your messages. But since a lot of machines out there
are Panasonics, I usually find I can skip the OGM on the answering
machines of other people by pressing *.  Anyway, to wind down : you
could have a message at the beginning of the OGM tape saying, "to
leave a message for me at any time, press *", and record your music on
the rest of the OGM tape.  I think the OGM can be arbitrarily long; my
Panasonic Easaphone KX-T1460 comes with a C-15 cassette tape for OGM
(7 1/2 minutes max.)


Jon Sreekanth
Assabet Valley Microsystems, Inc.     Fax and PC products
5 Walden St #3, Cambridge, MA 02140   [phone]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #749
******************************


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Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 11:05:17 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: TELECOM Digest V13 #750

TELECOM Digest     Tue, 9 Nov 93 11:05:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 750

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    TDMA vs. CDMA = Betamax vs. VHS? (Karim Alim)
    IBM's Simon Revealed (Personal Communicator) ([e-mail])
    DECtransporter and Mobitex (Lawrence A. Cardani)
    Wiring a New Town? (Larry Walker)
    Those Sprint FaxModems (Mark Earle)
    East-West or North-South? (Carl Moore)
    Novell Networking Question (Tony Simkus)
    What is Transpac? (Philip Green)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Lars Poulsen)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (Chris Labatt-Simon)
    Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet (John R. Levine)
    Re: PC Pursuit no Longer Accepting New Users (Tony Pelliccio)
    Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (Bruce Howells)
    Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (Dave Strieter)
    Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..." (David A. Kaye)
    Re: New Area Code: 610 (Carl Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 10:33 EST
From: Karim Alim <[e-mail]>
Subject: TDMA vs. CDMA = Betamax vs. VHS?


In Volume 13, Issue 749 of the Digest, Craig Ibbotson (ibbotson@rtsg.
mot.com) writes:

> Tell all those people buying TDMA mobiles that they are buying the "Beta
> VCRs of the 90's".  It seems difficult to educate the public in the TDMA
> vs CDMA battle....  (Please don't read this as an endorsement of TDMA or
> CDMA -- I have no first-hand experience with either digital air interface).

The November 1993 issue of *Wired* magazine has a terrific article on
the proposed global cellular phone systems (Motorola's Iridium and
others).  Anyone with half a brain will take what the article says
with a grain of salt, but it definitely makes Motorola look like the
Bad Guy, partly because of Iridium's use of TDMA.  The competing
global phone systems apparently all use CDMA, which is positioned as a
standard that allows competing systems to co-exist, in addition to
getting "10 to 20" times the calls in the same frequency spectrum.
TDMA, on the other hand, is positioned as an older, bandwidth-eating
technology that will only allow for one company (Motorola) to dominate
the market.  (boo hiss)

I personally suspect this is a bit of a religious debate, exactly like
Betamax vs. VHS, and while technical arguments pro and con can be
made, whoever has the best marketing is going to win.  (wink wink)

The article has very basic explanations of the differences between
TDMA and CDMA, as well as technical comparisons of the proposed
systems (number of satellites used, cost, orbit types and altitudes,
and estimated costs of the handsets and airtime).  It also gives some
insight into the political wrangling currently going on.  The writing
style is breezy and gossipy for a technical piece -- again, perhaps
not the most objective, but a pleasant change of pace from the usual
dry analysis.

Craig, I notice you work for Motorola ... maybe you SHOULD be
endorsing TDMA ...  (big grin)


k.
(usual disclaimers apply)  (I don't even WANT a cellular phone)

------------------------------

Subject: IBM's Simon Revealed (Personal Communicator)
From: [e-mail] (Herd Beast)
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 93 08:02:32 EST
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)


The missing link revealed:  IBM's personal communicator.

Now, after the release of products by AT&T, Apple/Sharp, or
Tandy/Casio, Bellsouth presents IBM's answer in this field.

Simon, who is still awaiting FCC authorization, looks similar to a
cellular phone with a small, flat monitor.  Its length is about 20 cm
and it weighs close to 300 grams.  Simon includes fax, e-mail, a
beeper and more.  Unlike the other communicators, Simon is unique
because it's an IBM PC with a pen monitor; the Newton operates on a
British chip, the Zoomer on a Casio chip, and the Eo on AT&T's Hobbit.
Simon operates on an Intel '486SL, and will probably have the PowerPC
imbedded in it in the future.  It has 4 megabytes RAM and its OS of
choice will be DOS and a pen controlled version of Windows.

Simon is produced by IBM, Mitsubishi and Lotus (who will supply an
e-mail program).

Bellsouth Cellular is the sole distributor of Simon in the U.S.

During the next December, Simon will be available in four towns in
Florida.  By April, 1994, it will be available in the entire U.S.

The price?  "Less than $1000".  999.95, I'll bet.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 05:59:30 PST
From: Lawrence A. Cardani LKG1-2/F08 J7 <[e-mail]>
Subject: DECtransporter and Mobitex


Hello,

Digital Equipment Corporation has a product named DECtransporter which
has Mobitex and ARDIS wireless packet radio support.  V1 has been
shipping since June, 93.  We have been working very closely with RAM
Mobile Data and ARDIS.  DECtransporter allows most TCP/IP applications
written to NETBIOS or WINSOCKETS to work over Mobitex and ARDIS, some
without any changes at all!  DECtransporter performs all of the Mobitex
and ARDIS protocol handling so the applications do not have to.

For more information, please contact the DECtransporter Product
Manager Celeste Hyer in the US at 508-486-5503.


Larry Cardani   DECtransporter Project leader

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 22:58:36 CST
From: [e-mail] (Larry Walker)
Subject: Wiring a New Town


This is a request for advice on how one should go about wiring a New
Town.  I am working with a group that is designing and building a
"neo-traditional neighborhood" from scratch. Neo-traditional refers to
the concept of designing real neighborhoods with retail, commercial
and office space, a school, a neighborhood center, etc. all
integrated. It is the exact opposite of the current style of urban
growth, with isolated subdivisions here, office complexes there, and a
shopping mall somewhere else entirely.

The site is 150 acres on the edge of Madison, Wisconsin (pop ~200,000),
which is the state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin.
The neighborhood will include 500-700 dwellings, from 1/2 acre
single-family dwellings to 1/6 acre small houses to townhouses to a
16-unit co-op housing group. A school, a community center and a "main
street" retail/office complex are also planned.

The issue is to help the urban planner define what "electronic
infrastructure" to specify. The area is served by TCI Cable and by
Mid-Plains Telephone. TCI has announced plans to begin stringing fiber
in '94 (but only fiber-to-the-curb, as far as I can tell). Mid-Plains
says they do not expect to have ISDN or Switched-56 service within the
next two or three years, although they think they might be able to
offer ISDN by foreign exchange connection to Wisconsin Bell (oops:
Ameritech, as of last month ...).

The planner knows only that he's heard he needs 4" PVC conduit on the
streets and 2" PVC conduit to the house in order to accomodate fiber.
I am looking for suggestions as to what other technical issues he
should try to build into the plan. He has a much broader control over
requirements than is typical: If it makes sense and doesn't drive
costs up too much, he is anxious to design it in from the start, both
in the infrasructure design and in the building code.

A couple of starting points:

1) Require that all inside phone wiring be twisted pair. Q: How many
pair minimum? (Remember that this minimum would be be imposed on all
residents, not just the techno-freaks with multiple modems and fax).

2) On another project, he has gotten what he feels are very
competitive prices on pre-wiring all units with cable (like $150 per
house, before drywall goes on). Q: Does this make sense / is this
sufficient, with fiber-to-the-curb pending? Q: How many / which rooms
get cable? (Again, this would be a mandate for all units).

What would you like to see the urban planner and the architects
provide in your neighborhood, if you planned to move into this "clean
slate" community?

Thanks in advance,


Larry Walker

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 20:02:58 CST
From: [e-mail] (Mark Earle)
Subject: Those Sprint FaxModems


Well, I received mine today, complete with the aforementioned note
about delays due to recent problems in California.

All works as expected, except:

  The V.42 and MNP 2-4 are in _software_ when using the provided Quick
Link ][ fax/data software. It does work -- my usual "pick up phone
while connected" test caused no problems to my session.

Using the modem with a "standard" program such as Procomm gets you a
plane jane 2400 modem.

The fax side of the software is great. Minimum hassles, you can run
things from the dos prompt; don't have tedious driver hassles, etc.
Printing to fax is supported from dos aps that can print to a laserjet
series ][. Works well. The windows side of the software is fine.

Overall, I'm happy, especially at the price: 0.00, plus $50.00 worth
of LD 'rebate' checks over the next five months' bills.

The fax software is a great improvement over a package of the same
name but 1.5 years old that came with a different modem we have at the
office.

Oh, speed of data: Despite having mnp and v42, you can't select higher
than 2400 as the modem to computer speed. If you select 9600, you can
talk to the modem, but it connects to the host at 300. This may be
some obscure option, but it's definately not mentioned anywhere. So,
with the port at 2400, you'll not get more than 230 or so cps on file
transfers. Also, the supported protocols are xmodem, ymodem/ymodemG
and Kermit. No zmodem. Oh well.

My main interest was / is using it as a cheap substitute for a fax
machine; it appears that those needs will be served fine by this
product.

The above 2400 /230 cps problem may be solvable with a call to the
support; we'll see.

I'm extremely happy that my 286/12 which otherwise is pretty useless
can serve as my fax box.


Mark Earle  [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 17:54:22 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: East-West or North-South?


Just a tiny spinoff from a comment about the Pacific Coast Highway at
Malibu: It was said in the Digest that it runs east-west.  If it says
north-south in news reports, that is probably because the signs
reflect the bigger scheme of things in that it's part of California
route 1 or U.S. 101, each a north-south route.  But in the Malibu
area, PCH physically runs east-west due to local conditions.

There are other cases where a compass direction associated with a
route number is quite different from the actual direction the road is
pointed in right there.  To name a few:

1. a brief stretch of road in Chester County, Pa. has U.S. 1 south and
   Pa. 52 north.

2. a brief stretch of expressway in southwestern Virginia has I-81 south
   and I-77 north.

3. I-95 and U.S. 40 run parallel through northeastern Maryland, but the
   signs for the former say north-south and for the latter, east-west.

4. At least part of U.S. 1 in Connecticut has signs saying EAST and WEST.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Simkus)
Subject: Novell Networking Question
Date: 08 Nov 1993 17:28:08 GMT
Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA


Does anyone know the anser to this question? If I have two NOVELL
networks, two separate file server serving each network, what should I
do if one network goes down? Can I use the other file server to
service the other network? If so, what addressing information and
software must I use to approach this problem.  I am looking for a
networking scheme that will that will still be usable if one server
goes down. The workstations on the server that go down must know where
to access the new programs.

Your help is appreciated.


MNS

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Philip Green)
Subject: What is Transpac?
Date: 9 Nov 93 10:38:35 GMT
Organization: University of the Witwatersrand


Can anyone tell me what Transpac is? A public network in France
perhaps?  Thanks.


Philip Green  (MSc student)          [e-mail]
Department of Computer Science, University of the Witwatersrand
2050 Wits, South Africa

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Lars Poulsen)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Organization: CMC Network Products, Copenhagen DENMARK
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 10:08:16 GMT


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dale
Williams) writes:

> Most foreign countries 'home' or 'hub' to the US internet.
> Traffic from Scandinavia to Germany goes via the US, for example.)

This is not exactly true. (Though it may be true for traffic between
PPT-sponsored X.25 networks.)

Internet access in Europe is mostly separated in "Educational" access
paid for by government/university funds, and "Commercial" access which
is entirely paid for by the users. For various political and economic
reasons which I cannot understand, the commercial providers cannot use
the two megabit links used to interconnect the educational networks, but
have rented their own (64 kilobit) lines between providers. Thus,
traffic from me (a commercial DKNET customer) to UNI-C in Lyngby (the
academic computer center operating the educational DENET network)
travels to Amsterdam before crossing into the EBONE backbone network,
and then to Stockholm before coming back to Denmark.


Lars Poulsen           Internet E-mail: [e-mail]
CMC Network Products       Phone: (011-) [phone]
Hvidovre Strandvej 72 B       Telefax:      [phone]
DK-2650 Hvidovre, DENMARK  Internets: designed and built while you wait

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Labatt-Simon)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Date: 9 Nov 1993 15:02:56 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA


[e-mail] (Lars Poulsen) writes:

> The Internet is widely privatized, but a major part of it is located
> in the USA. The Federal Networking Council reserves the right to
> determine which networks can be reached from the USA. For instance,
> nodes in the former Soviet Union cannot be reached from the USA and
> vice versa, because neither the NSFnet backbone nor the CIX carries
> their routes.  (Just try "traceroute kremvax.demos.su" from within the
> US versus from any site in Europe.)

I just tried the traceroute, and: traceroute to kremvax.demos.su
(192.91.186.200), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets

 1  vccfr2 (128.113.75.254)  2 ms  2 ms  2 ms
 2  psi1.rpi.edu (128.113.100.1)  27 ms  3 ms  3 ms
 3  rpi.albany.pop.psi.net (38.145.34.1)  53 ms  9 ms  13 ms
 4  core.net223.psi.net (38.1.2.6)  51 ms  66 ms  77 ms
 5  Washington.DC.ALTER.NET (192.41.177.248)  172 ms  48 ms  30 ms
 6  New-York.NY.ALTER.NET (137.39.128.2)  92 ms  420 ms  413 ms
 7  Demos-gw.ALTER.NET (137.39.96.2)  707 ms  656 ms 733 ms  679 ms
 8  kremvax.demos.su (192.91.186.200)  709 ms  733 ms  679 ms

Seems like it made it to me ...


Chris Labatt-Simon    Design & Disaster Recovery Consulting
[e-mail]    [phone] Tel    [phone] Fax

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 93 23:46 EST
From: [e-mail] (John R Levine)
Subject: Re: Sri Lanka is Joining the Internet
Organization: I.E.C.C.


>> Does anyone have any idea why it was necessary or even meaningful for
>> Gore or anyone representing the U.S. Government to sign or even be a
>> part of Sri Lanka's joining the Internet?

> The Federal Networking Council reserves the right to determine which networks
> can be reached from the USA. For instance, nodes in the former Soviet Union
> cannot be reached from the USA and vice versa, because neither the NSFnet
> backbone nor the CIX carries their routes.  (Just try "traceroute
> kremvax.demos.su" from within the US versus from any site in Europe.)

Uh, when I try "traceroute kremvax.demos.su" from my site here in
Massachusetts, I get a route via Alternet to kremvax.  (My connection
to the backbone is via Sprint.)  Ping, telnet, etc. to kremvax all
work just fine.

I'd expect that the US Government is arranging some sort of subsidized
link from Sri Lanka to NSFnet, hence Gore's photo-op.


Regards,

John Levine, [e-mail], {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Pelliccio)
Subject: Re: PC Pursuit no Longer Accepting New Users
Date: 9 Nov 1993 15:57:14 GMT
Organization: Brown University Alumni & Development Office


In article <[e-mail]>, Goemon <[e-mail].
ohio-state.edu> wrote:

> I called PC Pursuit's information line (1-800-736-1130) and although
> it was past their business hours, there was a recorded message. It
> stated that PC Pursuit is NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW USERS, effective
> November 1.

> What is the thinking behind that? Aren't they in this to try to MAKE
> money? I would think they would want as many subscribers as possible
> to make it cost effective. Or is this another typical Sprint anal
> retentive move?

Nope ... I have a feeling it's due to lack of bandwidth. They don't
have the facilities to switch anymore packets than the already do.
Don't forget that PC Pursuit is simply an extension of SprintNet (aka
Telenet for those of us who've been around longer than Sprint!) and
from what I've seen of dealing with SprintNet it's fairly bogged down
with old equipment right now.


Tony Pelliccio, KD1NR     [e-mail]
Brown University Alumni & Development Computing Services
Box 1908   Providence, RI 02912   [phone]


[Moderator's Note: There is an interesting history behind the whole thing.
Prior to about 1984 when PC Pursuit began operation, Telenet had their
data network going, which dates from sometime in the 1970's. Like the
phone network, it was busy all day and almost deserted all night. Telenet
started PC Pursuit as a way to make use of all the facilities sitting
idle all night long. I was one of the first half-dozen or so users to
sign up for PC Pursuit when it started operation back then. They used
a clumsy, rather tedious call-back system where you dialed in, entered
your (authorized) call-back number, disconnected and waited for their
return call to put you on the network. There were about five cities we
could call in the beginning, at 300/1200 baud only. PC Pursuit was
greatly improved upon as the years went by. For many years they even
offered *unlimited* access between 6 PM and 7 AM for $25 per month. It
was such a good deal they eventually had to put limits on the amount
of time people could use the service each month without extra payment.
I would not be surprised if they are now swamped beyond their capacity
to handle the traffic. PAT]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Bruce Howells)
Subject: Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 16:23:16 GMT
Organization: BGS Systems, Waltham MA


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Elana
Beach) writes:

> I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
> will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
> Chris Franke's limited CD release".  That way, anyone who wants to
> hear that stuff would have the option, and others can just ignore it
> and leave a message like usual.  That way, my phone line can double as
> a news hotline.  Does any answering machine exist like this?  What
> other features would it have?

Many AT&T answerers will do exactly this; if you press * during the
OGM, you skip right to the beep.  I've seen them used for things like
musical competitions:

"You have reached xxx-xxxx.  Press * to leave a message, or listen for the
finalists of the competition ..."

Coupled with a nice long OGM tape, this is probably a good solution to
your problem.


Bruce Howells,  [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Dave Strieter)
Subject: Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Date: 9 Nov 1993 10:17:05 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Elana Beach) writes:

> I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
> will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
> Chris Franke's limited CD release".     ...
>    ...           Does any answering machine exist like this?

There are several Duo-Phone models from Radio Shack that will do this.
The feature is called "Voice Mail".

How it works is that you record the regular outgoing message and a
second "confidential" outgoing message.  The second message is
accessed using a three-digit code preceded by an asterisk, the intent
being that you can give the code to people you want to leave a special
message for.  Certainly if you give the secret code in the standard
outgoing message, then you get the feature you want ("Press *123 for
info on ...").  The drawback is that on at least one model the remote
code for configuring the answering machine is forced to be one less
than the voice mail code, so you'd be making it easy for some nasty
person to figure out how to screw up your machine, change your
message, etc.

I believe that the Phonemate 8800 also has a similar feature, but I
don't know how it works.


Dave Strieter  ( [e-mail] )
====== These are not my employer's positions...just my ramblings. ======
AG Communication Systems   Phoenix AZ 85072-2179, USA    [phone]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (David A. Kaye)
Subject: Re: "Press (__) to Hear Special Message ..."
Date: 8 Nov 1993 22:10:04 -0800
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access  [phone]  [login: guest]


Elana Beach ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I want to somehow have the simple option of an answering machine that
> will allow me to say something like: "Press 1 for the latest news on
> Chris Franke's limited CD release".  That way, anyone who wants to

This isn't the answer you want, but it's cheaper to hire a voicemail
company which has menu capabilities at maybe $20 a month than to go
through the hassle of voicemail cards or DTMF detect circuitry for
that kind of use.  Then, get a little Radio Shack phone/recorder
connection and play the audio into the phone line through it.  Works
ok.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 10:10:47 EST
From: Carl Moore <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: New Area Code: 610


What do you mean, "around Philadelphia"?  The Digest has already heard
from me about maps of 215/610 which have started appearing in Bell of
Pennsylvania directories.  Philadelphia, along with about 4/5 of Bucks
County and about 1/2 of Montgomery County, stays in 215.  But if you
go, say, across City Line Avenue into Bala-Cynwyd or down the
Industrial Highway into Lester and Essington, you'd be in the new 610
area.  Bell of Pa. directories have been listing 215-area prefixes in
three categories: Phila., suburban Phila., and other places in 215;
each of the latter two categories would be split between 215 and 610.

I already had a note in the "history" file that Jan. 1995 was full
cutover for 610, and I have added "7" to that entry for next archive
version.

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End of TELECOM Digest V13 #750
******************************