From telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Fri Jan 26 00:22:40 1990 Received: from delta.eecs.nwu.edu by gaak.LCS.MIT.EDU via TCP with SMTP id AA24602; Fri, 26 Jan 90 00:21:04 EST Resent-Message-Id: <9001260521.AA24602@gaak.LCS.MIT.EDU> Received: from WINNIE.FIT.EDU by delta.eecs.nwu.edu id aa11430; 25 Jan 90 9:43 CST Received: from zach.fit.edu by winnie.fit.edu (5.57/Ultrix2.4-C) id AA01751; Thu, 25 Jan 90 10:26:32 EST Received: by zach.fit.edu (5.58/HARRIS-4.0) id AA06378; Thu, 25 Jan 90 10:26:40 EST Date: Thu, 25 Jan 90 10:26:40 EST From: Bill Huttig Message-Id: <9001251526.AA06378@zach.fit.edu> To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Resent-Date: Thu, 25 Jan 90 23:21:44 CST Resent-From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Resent-To: ptownson@gaak.LCS.MIT.EDU Status: RO 24-Jan-87 04:51:29-EST,16492;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Sat 24 Jan 87 04:51:27-EST Date: 22 Jan 87 02:12-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #1 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Thursday, January 22, 1987 2:12AM Volume 6, Issue 1 Today's Topics: What kind of access is 800-950 ? Bar codes, ISDN What number am I calling from? Hold Circuit bar codes on mail Called by an answering machine! More Hold Circuit redundant routing Directory Assistance Routing Regulation of the packet switched networks MCI; Calling Cards ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Dec 86 01:02:15 EST From: johnl%ima.UUCP at CCA.CCA.COM Reply-To: johnl at ima.UUCP (John R. Levine) Subject: What kind of access is 800-950 ? This morning I was trying to make a call with my MCI card. Since I was in the boondocks in Vermont 950-1022 didn't work, it gave a "being checked for trouble" recording like it always does there. When I tried MCI's 800 number, it told me that their new number for calling card calls is 800-950-1022. Does anybody know if this is a FG C number, like a regular 950 number, or just a more mnemonic 800 number? John R. Levine, Javelin Software Corp., Cambridge MA +1 617 494 1400 { ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something Where is Richard Nixon now that we need him? [Administravia: This begins volume 6 of Telecom. This issue was reconstituted from the New Years' edition that got lost in amidst moderator bungling. Issue 2 follows immediately. -Elmo] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Dec 86 17:45:31 EST From: ima!johnl at harvard.HARVARD.EDU Subject: Bar codes, ISDN Bar codes on the mail: The postal service has new high-speed sorting equipment which reads the bar codes and sorts the mail. They also are putting in OCR equipment that reads the bottom line of the address and prints the bar code. Companies that pre-print the bar code on their envelopes are likely to get their incoming mail faster, since the P.O. can skip the OCR step and proceed directly to the sorting. ISDN: There was a whole issue of the AT&TTJ (nee BSTJ) on ISDN earlier this year. The standard 2B+D interface allows one 16KB supervisory channel which is always X.25-like data. This channel is used to exchange messages to control the other two channels, but you can use it for virtual circuit data, too. The other two channels can be used for anything you want, such as high speed data or voice. The channels can be assigned to various services per-call, so at different times you could have two voice calls, two data calls, or one of each. The standards for the X.25-like channel seem to be be pretty well defined, but what they're haggling about now are some rather fundamental things like how to encode voice into the 64KB channel, and how to encode the three channels onto a phone line. There is also a 23B+D interface for larger systems like PBXes, which would map 23 64KB channels plus another 64KB supervisory channel onto a T1 trunk, and there's still wrangling about that, too. Don't hold your breath. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.something ------------------------------ Date: Thu 1 Jan 87 17:09:34-EST From: Vic Christensen Subject: What number am I calling from? Noticing all the questions about ring-backs, I thought I'd send this one in...it's for finding out what number you're calling from, though. In the Boston area (at least), the number is 1-200-555-1212. I assume the last four digits may be anything, but I haven't tried it out, yet. I suggest you not use it too much, though, lest the phone company catch on and change it. Does anyone know what the number for this "service" is out in Southern California (Los Angeles area, specifically)? And also the ring-back number out there? Quick responses would be much appreciated, for I leave for home (for good...graduating) on 17 Jan 87...thanxz!!! Vic Christensen ET@MIT-DEEP-THOUGHT (or ET@EE) ET%MIT-DEEP-THOUGHT@MIT-MC (or ET%EE@MC) 2109 Amelia Avenue San Pedro, CA 90731 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Dec 86 23:20:16 EST From: kitty!larry at seismo.CSS.GOV Subject: Hold Circuit >> From: tj >> >> put a resistor, and LED, a Zener, and an SCR in series. The Gate of the scr >> goes through a resistor and a pushbutton to + phone line. Lets draw a >> schematic online... [schematic delected for brevity] >> The SCR is off until pushbutton PB is pressed making contact thus >> turning it on. Upper Zener is some voltage higher than the off hook >> voltage of the line. (say 10 volts) Until the line goes higher than >> 10 volts it is off, even though the SCR is on. Hold the push button >> as you hang up. This turns on the SCR and as the line voltage rises >> the zener conducts and the current through the SCR will hold it on >> (get a low hold current scr, say 3 ma) The resistor in series with >> the push button supplies the small turn on current. 5 k should do. >> The lower zener limits the voltage across the LED. Make say 5 >> volts. This would put the r in series with the LEd at about 150 >> ohms. > I doubt this circuit would work, and it could be dangerous. There is > no impedience between a 28 volt source and ground; that voltage will > be pulled down to 15 volts. What would limit the current through the > SCR and two zener diodes? The circuit should work under most circumstances, and is by no means "dangerous". The current on a telephone subscriber loop is limited by the central office apparatus. In most central offices there is effectively 200 ohms between the tip of the line and ground, and 200 ohms between the ring of the line and -48 volt office battery. This results in a total of 400 ohms resistance so that from Ohm's law a short circuit across the loop sitting right at the CO would draw 0.120 ampere. There are two discreet resistances as described above so that the subscriber line will be longitudinally balanced with respect to ground. Since it is necessary for the CO apparatus to detect current flow in the subcriber loop to indicate an off-hook condition, the above resistances may be incorporated as two windings in a "line relay", ferrod sensor, repeating coil, etc. While a line relay and ferrod sensor sense current flow directly, the voltage drop across a resistor or repeating coil is used for current detection in other types of CO's. So the point is: 0.120 ampere _worst_ case isn't going to hurt anything or destroy a properly selected SCR (I would use 200 V @ 1 ampere to be conservative and handle surge voltages). A more typical short circuit current value for a subscriber loop (since most subscribers don't live next door to the CO) is .030 to .060 ampere. One minor improvement which could be made to the circuit is to make it polarity-independent and protect against possible false ring-tripping by placing a full-wave bridge rectifier (use 200 PIV @ 1 ampere to be conservative) between the circuit and the telephone line (the AC leads go to the telephone line). Also, a small resistance may be required in series with the SCR cathode to make certain that the circuit releases properly under some subscriber loop conditions. You could add say, a 500 ohm pot and know that you'll be in range. <> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <> UUCP: {allegra|bbncca|decvax|nike|rocksanne|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <> VOICE: 716/688-1231 {hplabs|ihnp4|mtune|seismo|utzoo}!/ <> FAX: 716/741-9635 {G1,G2,G3 modes} "Have you hugged your cat today?" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 01:46:12 EST From: ceo!BKR!Stuart_Freedman%dgloki.UUCP at wjh12.HARVARD.EDU Subject: bar codes on mail If you look carefully, the automatic sorters only put bar codes on mail that has the address typed or printed (rather than handwritten).V0 In order to get the bar code on your very own outgoing mail then, I believe that you have to type the address on the envelope and make sure that the ZIP code is in the bottom-right corner (relative to all other text on the envelope). Since I don't work for the postal service, I can't guarantee the accuracy of this info, but it is seemingly-reliable hearsay! Apologies for carrying on a somewhat irrelevant issue in TELECOM... Happy New Year, --- Stuart Freedman ARPA: stuart%dgloki.uucp@wjh12.harvard.edu Data General Corp.(Mail Stop E-219) CSNET: rti-sel!dg_rtp!freedman@mcnc Westboro, MA 01580 +1(617)870-9659 UUCP: mcnc!rti-sel!dg_rtp!freedman ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 87 16:19:14 PST From: dick at cca.ucsf.edu (Dick Karpinski) Subject: Called by an answering machine! The other day I answered the phone and heard nothing, so I said, "Hello? ... Hello? ... I can't hear you. ... Goodbye." and hung up. Later in the day I got a call from my brother-in- law about the call. It was recorded, including the ringing of the phone, on his answering machine! We chatted about it for some time. It seemed highly unlikely that his machine would call me until he recalled that he had my number on his speed-dial-8 service. With this fact, it took only the recognition of the speed-dial prefix ("*"?, "#"?) and a single digit. Even then, perhaps the digit came from cross- talk rather than his message.... We concluded that someone had called him, heard the machine and hung up. But the message continued until the phone line had presented dial tone. Two or so keypresses were detected by the central office equipment and I got the call. I've encountered dead lines calling me a dozen times or so but this is the first that got an explanation like that. Dick ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 03:58:02 pst From: rpw3 at amdcad.AMD.COM (Rob Warnock) Subject: More Hold Circuit Forget trying to build a hold circuit; it's not worth it. Just go to Radio Shack and buy their hold module (or whatever it's called). It plugs in anywhere, in parallel with your other phones. (Also requires A.C. line power, but the whole module is one of those "wart on the wall" styles, so it hides away o.k.) You activate it with a quick double switch-hook flash (it beeps at you if it saw your flash), then hang up. Pick up any line and it drops out. Only "problem" is that it holds onto the line (necessarily) for about one second when you hang up, which can be somewhat tricky if you also have Call Waiting (which I do), but you very quickly learn to add that delay to the flash needed for Call Waiting. (That is, to switch to the waiting call, you flash for 1.5 seconds -- one sec to get the hold module to drop, and 1/2 sec for Call Waiting.) I think I only blew it once before I got the knack... Rob Warnock Systems Architecture Consultant UUCP: {amdcad,fortune,sun}!redwood!rpw3 DDD: (415)572-2607 USPS: 627 26th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 11:25:56 EST From: Barry Nelson Subject: redundant routing RE: circuit routing to avoid network outages We at BBN Communications are sometimes asked by commercial customers to specify sufficiently redundant circuits such that the built-in adaptive routing of the backbone won't be undermined by any single telco outage. In one particluar case, the customer went so far as to request a hard breakdown of the *SATELLITE* and transponder each circuit used and of course the various earth stations. They were apparently worried about killer asteroids. Access to this info is of varying difficulty. However, this is serious business and many are willing to pay the delta. Q: What to do when ALL international circuits to a given country pass through a single point? e.g. Caracas, CANTV Central Switch A: Get a license from that country to put in your own earth station! (This is no longer a small delta although VSATs are coming down.) "This document contains statements of opinion by the author which are not attributable to BBN Communications Corporation or its management." Barry C. Nelson - Network Consultant - International Certifications ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 19:15:19 CST From: tness1!hcsjgh%ots.UUCP at rice.edu (Greg Hackney) Subject: Directory Assistance Routing >>allegra!phri!roy@seismo.CSS.GOV (Roy Smith) writes >>Subject: Directory assistance & long-distance routing >> >> Here's something I've often wondered about. When you call long >>distance directory assistance, after you get the number you want (either >>from a human operator or a digi-cording, the connection is broken and you >>have to dial the number yourself. Wouldn't it make more sense to just >>connect you with the number? The DA operators are not always in the same area as the number you are looking for. The operators can be pooled to handle several areas. Also, the records are databased and centralized, and polled via data links. The routing for the actual call will most likely be totally different from the DA call. Also, with numerous long distance companies available, the caller might wish to use another company for the actual call. Greg Hackney Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. Texas Network Engineering Support Systems P.O. Box 1530, Room 806 Houston, Texas 77001 UUCP: ihnp4!tness1!hcsjgh ARPA: hcsjgh!tness1%ots.UUCP@rice.edu "What hath God wrought?" -A.G. Bell and company ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 3 Jan 87 17:37:40 EST From: Keith F. Lynch Subject: Regulation of the packet switched networks From: jsol@buita.bu.edu This regulation was aimed directly at the commercial networks. I don't think the research networks (or DEC which supplies its own packet switched network for internal use), will suffer. At the very least the costs will be absorbed in grants and other expenses. The main threat to individual users is the threat to PC PURSUIT and similar services. ...Keith ------------------------------ Date: Sat 3 Jan 87 22:08:10-EST From: Philip A. Earnhardt Subject: MCI; Calling Cards Over the past year, MCI has sent me three letters with saying "Urgent Reminder" and "Signature Required" on the outside. A cursory reading of the letter seems to imply that you must return the enclosed ballot; actually, it's just a request that you send a reply. Your signature is required iff you're signing up for their Dial "1" Long Distance Service. Granted, MCI has no monopoly on potentailly misleading direct mail. However, the long-distance market is far too confusing already! I despise solicitors who demand information they have no right to. Do other folks agree? Is there any federal agency I can talk with who could/would stomp on these guys? One MCI service I find useful is what their rep called "Secondary Carrier Service", where you call a local 7-digit number, 5-digit account code, and the entire long-distance number. The rates are the same as MCI's "Dial '1' Service". I use this service to make personal long-distance calls from work. This is much cheaper than the AT&T Calling Card. What is the Calling Card overhead per call? Is it a constant charge at all times, whether or not the call goes through? Does MCI have plans to keep these local numbers, or will they phase them out when all have equal access? Will AT&T attempt to compete with this service, or are they better off keeping their larger profit margin on their Calling Cards? How much of this market has AT&T lost? ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ------- ------- 25-Jan-87 04:19:19-EST,22703;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Sun 25 Jan 87 04:19:16-EST Date: 20 Jan 87 01:35-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #2 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Tuesday, January 20, 1987 1:35AM Volume 6, Issue 2 Today's Topics: Re: Postal bar codes Re: Pending FCC ruling threat to modem users Re: What number am I calling from? info request on USR Robotic 2400 Wiring diagram for 25-pair plugs bad area code on a pay phone? Line In Use Circuit: How do I make one? Line In Use Indicator More on British PhoneCard ld carrier access codes Hold circuit More on British PhoneCard fraud New AT&T Countries dialable eff. 13 March ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: blarson%castor.usc.edu@usc-oberon.arpa (Bob Larson) Date: 4 Jan 87 15:28:20 GMT From: blarson@castor.usc.edu (Bob Larson) Subject: Re: Postal bar codes In article <8612240416.AA04419@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> wales@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU (Rich Wales) writes: > >I have some observations and questions regarding the "bar codes" which >the U.S. Postal Service has been using for a while on mail. The post office is not secritive about such matters, espessially if they think you will be using them in large quantity mailings. I've seen a brochure on where to position the address, stamp, etc. (including bar code) picked up at the post office. When USC made an inquiry about converting to 9-digit zips, they not only gave us information, but had a couple of people come out and help us evaluate what would be involved in the conversion. The database is free, on 9-track tapes. (If I remember correctly, something like 25 6250 bpi tapes -- several hundred megabytes of data if packed, a couple of gigabytes if left in their fixed length format with some unused bits.) The program to access the database is non-trivial, unless your input data is standarized (2nd St. vs Second Street, etc.) and perfect. Once you have a good program, it can even be used to test the plausiblity of an address: i.e. there is no 1200 block of Ridge Way in Medford, OR. They also offer regional tapes and will convert small mailing lists free. $.005/peice is the extra discount for using 9-digit zip or carrier route sorting rather than 5-digit zip sorting. -- Bob Larson Arpa: Blarson@Usc-Eclb.Arpa Uucp: (several backbone sites)!sdcrdcf!usc-oberon!castor.usc.edu!blarson seismo!cit-vax!usc-oberon!castor.usc.edu!blarson ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 86 06:30:52 GMT From: joel%gould9@NOSC.ARPA (Joel West) Subject: Re: Pending FCC ruling threat to modem users BizComp and Hayes may have the biggest threat to modem users. BizComp claims a patent on auto-dialing technology, controling dialing with the data line (unlike the earlier UNIX modems, which required a separate calling unit.) Apparently Hayes paid about $2 million to license (or buy off, if you like) BizComp's patent threat, and also claims its own patent on the 1 second before and after the +++ escape. BizComp has sued Prometheus, a modem clone company. Needless to say, if Hayes and BizComp win, cheap competition in the modem market would be threatened. US Robotics has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit alleging antitrust violations against both companies, but if the patents are valid, it doesn't stand a chance. -- Joel West MCI Mail: 282-8879 Western Software Technology, POB 2733, Vista, CA 92083 {cbosgd, ihnp4, pyramid, sdcsvax, ucla-cs} !gould9!joel joel%gould9.uucp@NOSC.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: 28 Dec 86 18:11:57 GMT From: kitty!larry@SEISMO.CSS.GOV (Larry Lippman) Subject: Re: What number am I calling from? In article <2263@well.UUCP>, rab@well.UUCP (Bob Bickford) writes: > > Dialing a three-digit access code which immediately provides an > > announcement over the telephone circuit. This unrestricted > > implementation has generally been considered a "security" problem > > (use your imagination) by telephone company management; I am > > somewhat surprised to see people posting articles reporting the > > implementation of unrestricted ANAC. > > Why? I'm afraid my imagination does not present me with any > compelling reason to belive this a 'security risk'. Certainly it > is of little or no use to a telco cracker. Well, I guess I have to spell it out... The availability of ANAC at any outside plant location (like cross-connect terminal) is of significant value to anyone bent upon unlawful wiretapping. Telephone company security personnel are always concerned about unauthorized persons obtaining any information with respect to subscriber line pair identity and circuit routing. In fact, in New York State it is a specific criminal offense (Penal Law 250.30) for an "unauthorized" person to obtain "information concerning identification or location of any wires, cables, lines, terminals or other apparatus used in furnishing telephone or telegraph service". Since people are reporting unrestricted ANAC in California, perhaps life there is more permissive. :-) > > You are referring to milliwatt test lines which provide a 1,000 Hz > > signal at 0 dBm (1 mw) into a 900 ohm termination. Some milliwatt test > > lines provide a continuous tone; others have 9 seconds of tone followed by > > 1 second of silence (with or without answer supervision). > > Ours are 8 seconds and 2 seconds; the tone by the way is 1004 Hz > and NOT 1000 Hz. Traditionally, the milliwatt reference frequency was 1,000 Hz, and still is 1,000 Hz in many central offices (especially those that are still electromechanical). Interestingly enough, the milliwatt reference frequency has been changed in some areas to 1,004 Hz because of small measurement errors which occur when measuring through PCM (i.e., digital) CO's or transmission (T-carrier) facilities. The reason is that 1,000 Hz is an even divisor of the 8,000 Hz PCM sampling rate, and any frequency within say 1 Hz of 1,000 Hz exhibits erratic results (to a minor degree, however) during measurement. > > A word of caution concerning the use of milliwatt test lines: if > > you don't know what you are doing and don't have the proper test equipment, > > you will be fooling yourself with incorrect measurements. > > Quite true. We wasted several weeks working on the audio portion of > our video conferencing system when I was at Vitalink Communications. > Finally we purchased a Halcyon tester (don't recall model #) and > stopped listening to the linemen who kept insisting that the line was > a 600 ohm line. There is a good moral to be learned here: Don't ever accept as gospel any transmission-related information given by telephone company craftspersons (also salespersons!) - either get it from someone that you _know_ is an engineer, or measure it yourself. Not that I have anything against non-engineers, but many telephone company craftspersons just follow orders and directions, with little or no understanding beyond that. For example, even a craftsperson using a TTS to make transmission measurements will have _explicit_ instructions how to set the controls on his TTS and then get a meter reading - but more often than not, will have no idea why the TTS is operated as he has it configured. > > Almost all CO's provide three "quiet lines" for noise measurement > > purposes and repeater test purposes: (1) a balanced termination; (2) an > > open-circuit termination; and (3) a short-circuit termination. The latter > > two lines are primarily used to test negative impedance repeaters for > > noise and "singing". > > That's strange, we seem to only have one variety of quiet line around > here, and that's the terminated one. You might not know the numbers for the others. Actually, there may be TWO lines with balanced terminations (in addition to one for open-circuit and one for short-circuit). Many CO's use a CLA (combined loop-around) for a milliwatt test line. The CLA uses two sequential numbers (common example 9911 and 9912 applied to New York Telephone) which work as follows: 1. Dialing _only_ the 9911 number gives you milliwatt tone. 2. Dialing _only_ the 9912 number gives you a balanced termination. 3. Dialing _both_ 9911 and 9912 gives you a bridged connection between the two lines whose insertion loss is the typical CO switching loss (usually well under 1.0 dB). This is referred to as "loop-around" mode, and is used for remote transmission measurements to and from a CO; its primary purpose is to test interoffice trunks, and it has no usefulness for subscriber loop meqsurements. Many newer CO's have a speech energy detector on the CLA which drops the connection if _other_ than SF tones are sent in loop-around mode; this has been implemented to stop "unauthorized" people from using the CLA for talking. So, in addition to the balanced termination available through the CLA, most CO's still have a short-circuit termination (typical 9954 suffix for New York Telephone), an open-cicruit termination (typical 9955) and another balanced termination (typical 9956). Note that in addition to a milliwatt line being available through the CLA (9911 as above), there is usually a dedicated milliwatt line (typical number is 9910). There is generally an important distinction between this apparent duplication of test lines: the CLA is used primarily for interoffice trunk measurements, so its impedance is 600 ohms - whereas all of the other lines have 900 ohm impedance. <> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <> UUCP: {allegra|bbncca|decvax|nike|rocksanne|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <> VOICE: 716/688-1231 {hplabs|ihnp4|mtune|seismo|utzoo}!/ <> FAX: 716/741-9635 {G1,G2,G3 modes} "Have you hugged your cat today?" ------------------------------ Date: 31 Dec 86 22:08:42 GMT From: csustan!elric@LLL-CRG.ARPA (Elric of Imrryr) Subject: info request on USR Robotic 2400 Has anyone here had any experiences with the USR Robotics 2400 baud external modem? I am considering the purchase of one from Softline in NY, since the have them for $189. (Which seems to be a good deal, so I'm try to find the catch...) Brad Falk -- elric Lunatic Labs @ Csustan {lll-crg,lll-lcc}!csustan!elric ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Jan 87 20:47:31 est From: allegra!phri!roy@seismo.CSS.GOV (Roy Smith) Subject: Wiring diagram for 25-pair plugs Reply-To: phri!roy@seismo.CSS.GOV (Roy Smith) I have been appointed to hook up an answering machine in our office, on one of those multi-line key phones. I think they figured that since I'm the computer jock, I must know how phones work. Silly them. :-) The phone has a 50-pin conectorized cable coming out of it; presumably all I have to do is find the right pair and tap off some wires to an RJ-11 and plug the answering machine in. If somebody would be so good as to send me a wiring diagram for the connector (is there a standard wiring pattern?) I think I could take it from there. I found a little gizmo which has male and female 50-pin connectors and a panel of about 2 dozen screw terminals bringing out many of the pins in the "lower half" of the connectors (roughly pins 15-35). The terminals are labeled A1, A2, B1, B2 .... A12, B12, V, SG. Most of the pins are wired straight through from one connector to the other. Some of the other pins only go to a screw terminal, and some are wired straight through plus a tap to a terminal. I assume the [AB]# pairs are tip and ring (I don't actually know much, but I can talk jargon as well as anyone) for each of 12 lines; is that right? What about V and SG? If I can find the right pair, can I just hook the answering machine up to that and ignore the extra wires for the key equipment hiding in a closet some where? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Jan 87 8:50:17 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: bad area code on a pay phone? Have you ever seen a case where the wrong area code appeared on a pay phone? I recently saw (not hand printed) 215-943 on a pay phone near New Ringgold, Pa.; area code should be 717. (215-943 is Levittown, a Phila. suburb; 717-943 is McKeansburg.) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jan 87 00:21:30 pst From: well!ewhac@lll-lcc.ARPA (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) Subject: Line In Use Circuit: How do I make one? Reply-To: well!ewhac@lll-lcc.ARPA (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) [ Hello. My name is Peabody. I suppose you know yours.... ] Hold circuits are nice, but I'd like to build a little circuit that turns an LED on or something on all other phone extensions when one of the extensions is in use (thus letting someone in another part of the house know the phone is in use). This will go a long way to keeping my mother from picking up the phone when I'm talking to another computer. Has anyone seen such a beast? Pointers to such would be appreciated. AtDhVaAnNkCsE. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ ________ ___ Leo L. Schwab \ /___--__ The Guy in The Cape ___ ___ /\ ---##\ ihnp4!ptsfa!well!ewhac / X \_____ | __ _---)) ..or.. / /_\-- -----+==____\ // \ _ well ---\ ___ ( o---+------------------O/ \/ \ dual ----> !unicom!ewhac \ / ___ \_ (`o ) hplabs -/ ("AE-wack") ____ \___/ \_/ Recumbent Bikes: "Work FOR? I don't work FOR The _O_n_l_y Way To Fly! anybody! I'm just having fun." ------------------------------ From: crash!kevinb@sdchem.UCSD.EDU (Kevin Belles) Subject: Line In Use Indicator Is there anybody out there who knows of a simple circuit that can light up when any extension on a line is in use, preferably phone-powered? This would be quite useful for those on one line with a modem arrangement on it. Ideas, anyone? -Kevin Belles Kevin J. Belles - UUCP {noscvax,sdcsvax,ihnp4!gould9,cbosgd} ~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ !crash!pnet01!kevinb - ARPA crash!pnet01!kevinb@{ucsd,nosc}.ARPA [DAK sells such a beast - "Drew's Brainstorm" - it eats 9V batteries for breakfast, so get a Lady O'Shack battery elminator too... -Elmo\ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 87 14:42:04 CST From: Will Martin -- AMXAL-RI Subject: More on British PhoneCard The following items are from two different issues of the RISKS Digest, and are followups on the posting I sent to Telecom some issues back on the possibility of a scheme for toll fraud using the British "PhoneCard": Will Martin ----- Forwarded message > Date: Wed 24 Dec 86 09:36:03-PST > From: Peter G. Neumann > Subject: Still More on PhoneCards > To: RISKS@CSL.SRI.COM > > I had a call from Colin Sex at British Telecom at 5PM Christmas Eve GMT. > He stated that "The card itself is completely secure." They indeed do a > READ-AFTER-WRITE check (along with some other checking), so that part of it > looks OK. However, there are problems with physical damage to the laser > reader/writer. In the case at hand, nail polish had been caked onto the > card, and gummed up the works. But in such cases the unit is supposed > either to reject the card, or else keep the card if it cannot eject it -- > and then shut down. I think they are still vulnerable to some active-card > attacks, but on the whole they think they protect themselves well against > the man on the street. > > ------------------------------ > > [It is altogether possible that BT is covering up. On the other hand, > their description of the system (by phone, to me) stated that the > READ-AFTER-WRITE check is properly implemented and that there are three > other checks as well. They claim that the Sunday Post will print a > retraction. (As yet no one has reported seeing it.) Of course, there > may be still be other vulnerabilities. RISKS readers are learning to look > the proverbial gift horse in the mouth, as well as the horse you had to > pay a fortune for. PGN] ----- End of forwarded messages ------------------------------ From: Dan Nichols Date: 13 Jan 87 20:57:04 GMT From: dnichols@ti-csl.CSNET (Dan Nichols) Subject: ld carrier access codes I seem to recall quite some time ago seeing a discussion about being able to bypass my equal-access carrier and use any of the long distance carriers (even if not subscribed to) by prefixing the number I wish to call with the proper 4 digit code (1022, 1088, etc.) I was telling this to a friend and he was quite disbelieving. Now I'm not sure if I remember it correctly. Could someone explain if this is true and how it works? Also, could someone repost a list of the 4 digit codes for the various carriers? Post or mail to me as appropriate. Dan Nichols USENET: {ctvax,im4u,texsun,rice}!ti-csl!dnichols POB 226015 M/S 238 ARPA: Dnichols%TI-CSL@CSNet-Relay Texas Instruments Inc. CSNET: Dnichols@Ti-CSL Dallas, Texas 75266 VOICE: (214) 995-6090 -- Dan Nichols USENET: {ctvax,im4u,texsun,rice}!ti-csl!dnichols POB 226015 M/S 238 ARPA: Dnichols%TI-CSL@CSNet-Relay Texas Instruments Inc. CSNET: Dnichols@Ti-CSL Dallas, Texas 75266 VOICE: (214) 995-6090 ------------------------------ From: ssc-vax!clark@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Roger Clark Swann) Date: 14 Jan 87 22:34:41 GMT Subject: Hold circuit I was thinking some more on the topic of hold circiuts and remembered that there was a article in a Popular Electronics a few years back that looked like a very good setup. It was an active type design, powered off the 120V line, which listened on the phone line for the '#' key. When this key was detected, a relay was activated, switching an audio transformer/resistor network across the phone line. This caused an off hook condition that held the line. The reason for the transformer was to provide the option of music on hold, by connecting a tape player or what ever. The controller in this design monitored the phone line, sensing when any phone was taken off hook, deactivating the hold relay. In addition, the controller had a time out that forced the hold function to switch off after about five minutes so that the line would not be tied up all day..... I was going the build the thing, but never got to it.... Any comments for someone that did build and test it ???? Roger Swann uucp: uw-beaver!ssc-vax!clark ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jan 87 14:42:29 CST From: Will Martin -- AMXAL-RI Subject: More on British PhoneCard fraud Here's yet some more from the RISKS Digest on British PhoneCard toll fraud: Will ----- Forwarded message # 1: > From: Brian Randell > Date: Wed, 14 Jan 87 16:12:23 gmt > To: RISKS@csl.sri.com > Subject: Phone Cards > > PHONE CARDS - THE PLOT THICKENS > > At PGN's implied request, I have tracked down, and talked to the Sunday > Post reporter who wrote the original story on the phone card fraud. These > notes of my telephone conversation with him are being sent to RISKS with his > explicit permission, though he asked that his name not be included. > > The Sunday Post was indeed asked by BT to publish a retraction, but > have refused to do, though they have published a letter from BT expressing > (BT's) full confidence in the phone card system. Based on previous > experiences - "we often get complaints at our stories" - the reporter > regards the fact that BT did not push for a retraction, but instead merely > settled for publication of their letter, as tantamount to an acceptance of > the truth of the original story. > > He claims to be still sure that the fraud is possible, and to have seen > it being worked, at several different phones, by the soldiers, in the > presence of several other witnesses. He does admit that he was himself later > unable to demonstrate the fraud successfully to some BT engineers who > travelled to Glasgow to meet him. He however has since talked to one of the > soldiers, who assures him that the fraud is still working, but will not > reveal to the reporter, leave alone BT, where he (the reporter) went wrong > in trying to duplicate the method of fraud. (The other soldier - who did not > want the original story published, because it would interfere with "free" > international calls - is now refusing to talk to the reporter.) Moreover the > reporter claims to have received a phone call from a BT engineer at Watford, > confirming the practicability of the fraud. > > Brian Randell - Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne > > ARPA : brian%cheviot.newcastle.ac.uk@cs.ucl.ac.uk > UUCP : !ukc!cheviot!brian > JANET : brian@uk.ac.newcastle.cheviot > ------------------------------ ----- End of forwarded messages ------------------------------ Date: 15-Jan-1987 2049 From: covert%covert.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (John R. Covert) Subject: New AT&T Countries dialable eff. 13 March Effective 13 March 1987 the following five countries will become dialable by AT&T: Faeroe Islands 298 Greenland 299 Malta 356 Micronesia 691 Marshall Islands 692 The Faeroe Islands used to be dialable via Denmark using 45+42+, but Denmark stopped accepting calls this way after assignment of the 298 country code to the Faeroes, like Greenland a self-governing region of the Danish realm. (n.b., both are already dialable from Canada.) There is speculation that Tonga (676), supposed to have become dialable last year but delayed, may also go in at this time. Translations for the local central offices around the country to accept the country code were never rescinded. /john ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* ------- 26-Jan-87 23:45:15-EST,15370;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Mon 26 Jan 87 23:45:13-EST Date: 26 Jan 87 21:52-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #3 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Monday, January 26, 1987 9:52PM Volume 6, Issue 3 Today's Topics: Re: More Hold Circuit Re: LD access codes MCI's 800 950-1022 number 5 button Key-System wirings Submission for mod-telecom Re: Called by an answering machine! The 500 club various things Administravia - Welcome Jsol! Pending FCC ruling threat to modem users Line-powered off-hook indicator? pocket dialers Re: Called by an answering machine! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 22 Jan 87 13:50:44 EST From: wn9nbt@ee.ecn.purdue.edu (Dave Chasey) newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: Hold circuit Summary: Expires: References: <8701210710.AA19514@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Sender: Reply-To: wn9nbt@pur-ee.UUCP (Dave Chasey) Followup-To: Distribution: Organization: Purdue Engineering Computer Network, West Lafayette, IN Keywords: I bought a "Ma Bell" single line hold box at a Radio Shack close out 6 months or so ago for about $6.00, however it originally cost more. It plugs into a wall outlet and has a modular plug on it. To activate the hold circuit, you go on hook and off again twice in a row and it signals you with a beep that it activated. You can then hang up and it holds the line until any phone on that line goes off hook, or a timeout timer drops the line in the event you forget to pick up another extension. I don't recall the timer's length, or if it is adjustable, but the box seems to work quite well. The reason you have to go on and off hook twice is to keep it from interfering with call waiting /etc. It's really handy for running from one phone to another. I can try to dig up the model number and/or some specific information if anyone is interested. Dave Chasey pur-ee!wn9nbt wn9nbt@ee.ecn.purdue.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 87 15:24:17 EST From: Michael Grant Subject: Re: More Hold Circuit The problem with the Rat Shack hold box is that you flash the line, then the box goes BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP to tell you the line is being put on hold. I find that unacceptably obnoxious and annoying when others do it to me. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Subject: Re: LD access codes Date: Thu, 22 Jan 87 13:43:09 -0800 From: Dave Suess (CSL) Keywords: 10-XXX codes requested In article <8701210709.AA19460@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> dnichols@seismo.CSS.GOV@tilde.UUCP (Dan Nichols) writes: >could someone repost a list of the 4 digit codes for the various >carriers? >Post or mail to me as appropriate. I was just about to ask, also: neither my local telco (GTE) nor my LD default (ATT) have seen fit to advise me on the codes (FIVE digits, by the way, counting the "1-0") for the carriers available. This, in spite of the availability of the service, yet! (I regularly use 222 and 777 for GTE/MCI or MCI/GTE -- don't know which, haven't kept a log, don't know which to use, other than 222 giving me generally quieter connections from here...) Dave Suess zeus@aero2.aero.org ------------------------------ Date: 24-Jan-1987 0949 From: covert%covert.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (John R. Covert) Subject: MCI's 800 950-1022 number >When I tried MCI's 800 number, it told me that their new number for calling >card calls is 800-950-1022. Does anybody know if this is a FG C number, like >a regular 950 number, or just a more mnemonic 800 number? If you recall the article in Telecom 5:156, MCI owns the 800-950 prefix, so they can assign anything they want in it. If any of the other OCCs want to use 800-950-xxxx they'll have to go to MCI. Hopefully MCI's agreement with Bellcore restricts what they can do with it, so that when the more advanced system comes out in a year or two, 800-950-xxxx can be routed to other carriers. For now, all calls to the following 800 prefixes are routed as equal access calls to MCI: 234, 283, 284, 288, 289, 274, 333, 365, 444, 456, 627, 666, 678, 727, 759, 777, 825, 876, 888, 937, 950, 955, and 999. See Telecom 5:156 for details. /john ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 87 13:47:34 EST From: Michael Grant Subject: 5 button Key-System wirings A 5 button Key-System is pretty easy to wire. The cable has 50 wires, or rather 25 pairs. Each pair has 2 colors, a primary color, and a secondary color. The primary colors are Blu, Orn, Grn, Brn, and Slt, (Slt is slate, or gray). The secondary colors are Whi, Red, Blk, Yel, and Vio. The first wire in a pair is a wire of a primary color with stripes of a secondary color. The second wire in a pair is a wire of the secondary color of the first wire, with stripes of the primary color. Ex. Blu-Wht and Wht-Blu is a pair. A blue wire with white stripes, and a white wire with blue stripes. Going down the long 50 pin connector, the first pair is on pins 1 and 26. (the Blu-Wht pair) The second is on pins 2 and 27, (the Orn-Wht pair), The third pair on pins 3 and 28, (the Grn-Wht pair). On the 6th pair, we go to the next secondary color and cycle the primarys again, so the 6th pair is on pins 6 and 31, (The Blu-Red pair). Not everything in key systems are done in pairs, but for the most part, pairs will do. Things also vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. But, I have seen the Tip-Ring pairs pretty consistently in the same place. Each line takes up 3 pairs: The Ring-Tip pair The A-lead pair, (used for putting the line on hold) The Lamp pair, (Power for the lamp associated with each line) As one might expect: Line Pairs R-T A-Leads Lamp ---- ----- ------- ------- ------- 1 1-3 Blu-Wht Orn-Wht Grn-Wht 2 4-6 Brn-Wht Slt-Wht Blu-Red 3 7-9 Orn-Red Grn-Red Brn-Red 4 10-12 Slt-Red Blu-Blk Orn-Blk 5 13-15 Grn-Blk Brn-Blk Slt-Blk The ringing to the phone is usually provided on the 20th pair, (Slt-Yel pair). The entire system is essentially wired in parrallel, unless you have a system with different lines on different phones, or an intercom system which lets you dial an individual station, or other strangness. Hope this helps. -Mike Grant ------------------------------ From: Paul Beam Date: 24 Jan 87 23:15:49 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: watarts!natal1 From: natal1@watarts.UUCP (Paul Beam) Newsgroups: soft.people,soft.proposals,mod.telecom,comp.dcom.modems,comp.unix.questions Subject: UnixBBS Keywords: mutli-user conferencing, on-line discussions, mail Message-ID: <8936@watarts.UUCP> Date: 24 Jan 87 23:15:44 GMT Distribution: na Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 19 Hello! I am looking for any information regarding the UNIXBBS program. What is it, what can it do? Also, if you know of any other programs which allow multi-users conferencing, mail and on-line discussions in a user-friendly enviorment, please send a message to this account or send correspondance to: RAPPI-MOVE c/o Paul Beam English Dept University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Thanx, Chris Hudel & Paul Beam PS: if you know about UNIXBBS, where can it be obtained? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1987 23:44-EST From: deej@ius2.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: Called by an answering machine! Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: Called by an answering machine! Keywords: Distribution: References: <8701210632.AA18499@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Organization: CMU Electrical Engineering Etc. That's even more amusing than the time I got a phone call from an autocalling machine, soliciting something-or-other. I wasn't home, so my answering machine took the call. I got home, saw the message waiting light, and got a nice recorded recorded message on my answering machine from their calling machine. I think the machines are having an affair behind my back. deej ------------------------------ Date: 20-Jan-1987 1348 From: covert%covert.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (John R. Covert) Subject: The 500 club The following NPAs belong to that unique club containing over 500 NXXs. The following data is as of 15 December 1986. Splits have already been announced for 305 (407), 303 (719), and 617 (508), all to take place in the first half of 1988. This table is an indicator of where else this may happen soon. 312 685 301 571 919 542 215 505 214 597 617 564 512 540 404 502 305 585 213 558 313 525 201 583 403 556 212 521 303 575 205 548 415 511 /john ------------------------------ Date: 21 Jan 87 09:35:03 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: various things There have been an awful lot of queries about hold circuits and line-in-use indicators! The former has probably been hashed to death; the latter involves some subtleties which the reader should be aware of. DAK's little box with an LED in it probably doesn't do proper isolation between the line and the indicator circuit; the workaround to avoid AC hum is obviously the 9 volt battery and the plastic box. Using a wall transformer thus may lose slightly if there's enough AC noise coupled through the transformer from the AC line. *Any* piece of telephone equipment that electrically comes anywhere near ground or AC wiring needs good isolation or you get lots of hum. A simple line-in-use is (an LED in parallel with 100 ohms) in series with a given phone unit. This passes a nominal 15 mA or so through the LED, lighting it. For a system of more phones you could substitute the input side of an optoisolator for the LED and hang some more involved circuitry off that. The opto will provide the necessary ground isolation, so you can do whatever you want after it. Post office codes: I called my local distribution office to inquire if placing the bar code on my personal mail would speed it up any. Answer: no. All incoming mail is passed through the OCR anyway, and if the OCR can read the last line of the To: address [precluding presence of Attention lines and other things after the line containing the zipcode!], it ink-sprays the barcoded zipcode on the piece if there isn't one already. Bulk-sort stuff like business reply envelopes have those hash marks on the right side which form one of four or so recognition codes and tell the machine what kind of mail it's seeing. It can then optionally handle these pieces differently. Mail addressed with high-contrast typed print, or *very* neat handwriting in dark ink, has a good probability of being seen by the OCR. Those pieces that fail go to the human sorters; the post office is continually trying to make these sorters smarter and smarter and eliminate the maximum humans from the processing. The person I talked to is quite willing to let me come down and tour the facility; I think I'm going to accept. Equal access carrier dialing: Ship a copy of equal.access from site red.rutgers.edu. I can mail it if necessary. 50-pin multiline phone connector: Ship a copy of ktu.block from site red.rutgers.edu. I can mail it if necessary. _H* ------------------------------ Date: Sun 25 Jan 87 16:10:00-EST From: Eliot Moore Subject: Administravia - Welcome Jsol! Jon Solomon returns as Moderator with this issue. I have enjoyed the position and your comments, but take this opportunity to devote more time to another digest. Regards, Elmo ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1987 19:37 EST From: "David D. Story" Subject: Pending FCC ruling threat to modem users Where does Racal-Vadic stand with all this. Is the just for Voice over Data type setups. Auto-dialers made by them have been around since the early 70's. These are still mostly found on IBM Sites. Their (VADIC) modems were the first real competition to the Bell 212A Dataphone setup. Seems that this must be just chip or technique cloning suits inside the general parameter of auto-dialing technology. Perhaps they have patented something Vadic overlooked and are laying a base. If so you should inform Racal- Vadic. Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 87 11:19:41 PST From: crash!pnet01!kevinb@nosc.ARPA (Kevin Belles) Subject: Line-powered off-hook indicator? Does anyone know of a preferably line-powered off-hook indicator circuit? I'd like to add this to my system to prevent people in my household from picking up my line when I'm on-line, or at least warning them with an LED indicator. Does anyone know of the circuit design for such a device, or where one might be found? -Kevin ------------------------------ Subject: pocket dialers Date: Mon, 26 Jan 87 16:20:04 -0800 From: kent@decwrl.DEC.COM I'm looking for recommendations on pocket dialers. Our phone system at work doesn't generate tones, so I end up making LD calls via my AT&T credit card, with applicable surcharges. (I'd normally use Sprint.) So ... it's time to get a pocket dialer. I've seen a number of them in the $35-$45 range; I'd like to find one cheaper. If I *have* to spend that much, I'd like to know that I'm getting the best I can. Do you have a favorite? If so, MAIL me a note and tell me about it. I'll summarize to the list after the responses dwindle. Thanks, chris ------------------------------ Date: 26 Jan 87 15:12 PST From: Steve / McDonnell Douglas ISG / ASD Subject: Re: Called by an answering machine! Dick: I too have had that experience, but between two answering machines! - I also suspect speed dialing. While playing back my messages, I heard a ring (maybe not much else ...) - and found later that a friend with the same brand (G.E.) answering machine had a weird message that we matched up to my own. BTW, her number is slot "4" on my speed dialing. And I'm not positive but that it hasn't happened in reverse - from her machine to me - I'm slot "2" on her speed dialing ... It could be even easier then recognizing the one digit and a pound sign - speed dialing will timeout (just the digit and a few seconds wait, no #), so all it needs really is the single digit, which can even be pulse dialed, and enough time to timeout and place the call! Geez, I'd LOVE to here how this actually does happen! -steve- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 28-Jan-87 01:08:20-EST,11829;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Wed 28 Jan 87 01:08:18-EST Date: 27 Jan 87 23:50-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #4 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Tuesday, January 27, 1987 11:50PM Volume 6, Issue 4 Today's Topics: mail-sorting several topics Re: Wiring diagram for 25-pair plugs Picture Phones looking for reference book on modems/phones Re: looking for reference book on modems/phones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ulysses!smb@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU Date: Tue, 27 Jan 87 12:52:52 EST Subject: mail-sorting I saw some interesting technology on a letter from the Soviet Union. On the envelope (it may have been an aerogram; I don't recall) there were six templates for digits, with printed lines indicating where the penstrokes should go. On the back was a sample of how they wanted each digit to look when superimposed on that template. They're apparently called "index numbers", but my knowledge of Russian is sufficiently rusty that I couldn't translate the rest of the text about them. Judging from the addresses on the envelope, the index numbers are used both domestically and for overseas mail. Does anyone know anything more about this? ------------------------------ From: SPGDCM%UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu Date: Tue, 27 Jan 87 13:41:16 PST Subject: several topics MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 01/27/87 13:41:14 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher Title: MVS/Tandem Systems Manager (415)642-5823 Office: Evans 257, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Subject: several topics To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU SPGDCM@UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU Re: Thanks Elmo For Moderating for awhile and welcome to Jsol. Re: Hold Circuits Thanks for all the contributions. They elucidate how one topic can relate to a large number of individual needs, e.g. how many phones, whether one uses conflicting devices such as call-waiting or demon-dialing so that signals overlap, preferences for switchhook-length changes or voice-over beeping etc. It becomes clear that one person's total solution can be impossible or unacceptable to another, and makes the diversity of a conference most welcome. For my purposes I will want to try the circuit suggested and modified by others in the last several telecom-digests; this is the circuit that one adds to each phone. This is my preference, because I don't want to use # or * (demon dialer conflict), switchhook delay (call-waiting conflict and personal difficulty emitting reliable extended delays), hear beeps (preference), or use relays (size, preference). I am nervous about experimenting with component values, but a recent entry gave some additional helpful value suggestions. Re: Line-in-use indicator A past issue of Telecom-Digest had a schematic for a line-powered line-in-use indicator, which would light up if any off-hook condition existed on the pair. I cannot readily locate it. About 1-1.5 years ago I believe. Question: if one does not have local hard-copy, what is the most efficient way to scan or index the past library of telecom-digests? Re: Evolving Telephone Products; Hold, Speakerphones I predict that store phones will more frequently begin to include Hold because as more homes have acquired multiple instruments, the need will become more apparent. As I mentioned earlier, watch out for false-hold, a local switch on a phone which cannot be reset at another location. Other evolving features: on-hook-dialing/listen-on-hold (call this "semi- speakerphone) and true two-way speakerphone. To be noted: at first I thought semi-speakerphone was all I wanted, because many true-speakerphones sound odd and who can tolerate it. HOWEVER: at UC Berkeley many offices including ours recently added Northern-Telecom DMS-100 P-phones, which come with the semi-speakerphone feature, and this proves to have the following limitations: sure you can see if the line is busy or answers, nice, but then you have to grab the phone quickly when anyone actually answers or they get confused. Similarly, it is a great relief to be able to listen on hold, since being put on hold, or worse, being put on music-hold-wait for extended periods when initially calling, is becoming commonplace (airlines and ticketron in particular). Saves the shoulder muscles etc. BUT one must maintain continual tension and surveillance and proximity, since at any moment after the heavy 10 minute wait, an operator comes on, quickly says hello-hello-hello and hangs up, resetting you to the end of the line on the next call. Perhaps the most offensive combination is being put on extended hold, so you put the phone back in on-hook-listening, but every two minutes or so an operator comes on the line and says "still waiting?" Unless you dash over and grab the headset and talk fast, you get hung up. You must do this over and over at unexpected times until the final connection comes thru. I'd rather get a sore shoulder than do this frequent mad dashing about. What is really needed is true speakerphone, simply so one can say from your nearby location, "YES STILLWAITING" or finally "HELLO, WAITAMINNIT, HERE I COME" and then pick up the real phone with adequate acoustics etc. Also one can use the speakerphone when initially calling, up to the point of reaching the real person. For these purposes, the lesser acoustics are acceptable. Note that as the telephone systems evolve, they create transition periods during which there is not enough public understanding to handle a feature well, followed by later understanding and integration. For example, the initial days of call-waiting and call-forwarding were very confusing, but now people understand when they hear the hiccup, or are told "I have to get the call-waiting", or they get a business secretary when they call your home and are forwarded. Similarly here, there are widespread extended-holds, but not the understanding of how to handle the proper response (on-hook-listening without the ability to easily say YESSTILLWAITING). Thanks, Doug a several topics ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 87 10:20:39 est From: Bennett E. Todd III Subject: Re: Wiring diagram for 25-pair plugs Reply-To: ecsvax.uucp!bet@mcnc.org (Bennett E. Todd III) I don't know about the actual pin layout of those connectors, but I have hooked up a modem to one. Graybar makes a box called a Supertap (undoubtedly there are others) that brings out the first 4 lines of a key system to modular jacks; to work in such a hookup the modem must support A-A1 signalling (short two additional pins, called A and A1, to assert the line -- this gets the dialtone and lights up the in-use lights on everybody elses phones). I know the standard Hayes Smartmodem 1200 external modem can be switched to assert A-A1; that's what I installed. If the lines are in a rotary (a set of lines all answering the same incoming number) it makes sense to try to hook up the modem to the *last* line in the rotary; it is the line most likely to be free. No matter how you hook the sucker in other people will be able to disrupt the modem conversation by picking up that line while it is in use; this is the nature of key systems. It is always much better to try to get a separate line. -Bennett -- Bennett Todd -- Duke Computation Center, Durham, NC 27706-7756; (919) 684-3695 UUCP: ...{decvax,seismo,philabs,ihnp4,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!duccpc!bet BITNET: DBTODD@TUCC.BITNET -or- DBTODD@TUCCVM.BITNET -or- bet@ECSVAX.BITNET terrorist, cryptography, DES, drugs, cipher, secret, decode, NSA, CIA, NRO. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 87 18:04:47 EST From: Michael Grant Subject: Picture Phones I just talked with several people at AT&T and a company called Visual Communications. I have determined that PicturePhone's are still alive, and could be in the home in 10 years or less. What we're waiting for is all the local phone companies to make available to it's residential customers the ISDN, (the Integrated Service Digital Network), aparently called PSDS, (Public Switched Digital Service). What is required between 2 points is a 56 kbps link. There is already a service called Switched-56 offered by AT&T which is somewhat reasonably priced, (some monthly + usage which is suposedly about twice what voice long distance runs--affordable). The klintcher is the equipment--at $75,000 a phone, not to many people are willing to jump into the water today. There are aparently several manufacturers. I spoke with some people at Visual Communications who sell equipment manufactured by Widcom, which is what AT&T uses. The phones use full color NTSC video. They digitize it at something like 80 megabits/sec which they compress *real time* down to 1.5 megabits/sec. I'm told there is some loss of quality in compression. What I want to know is how to they sqeeze 1.5 mbps over a 56 kbps line? As of today, anyone can walk out and buy one of these suckers and call people. AT&T will set you up and give you a special phone number. I guess either they have their own NPA-NXX, or several, one or more in each city they offer the service in. Video Communications is going to be having a demo soon, which I am going to try and attend. Does anyone know anything more? -Mike Grant ------------------------------ Subject: looking for reference book on modems/phones Date: Tue, 27 Jan 87 20:09:07 EST From: narten@purdue.edu I would be most interested in finding a reference book describing modems, sorts of technologies used, how they work, over what types of lines/distances they are designed for, etc. I am also looking for a good reference on phone line/equipment. For instance, what are the types of leased lines, what are the technologies involved, how do they work, what is line conditioning, how does it effect the types of modems you can run over the line, etc. I would like something fairly techinical at the level of John McNamara's "Technical Aspects of Data Communication". His book is a good start, but doesn't cover modems and phone lines in enough detail (but then again, it is copyrighted 1977). Does anyone have a recommendation? Thanks, Thomas ------------------------------ Date: Tue 27 Jan 87 23:47:52-EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: Re: looking for reference book on modems/phones It sounds like you want the TELECOM archives. That's about the best "book" on telephone equipment (amongst other things). The Archives are kept on XX.LCS.MIT.EDU, in the XX: directory. They are: TELECOM.RECENT Jan 1 1987 to present VOLUME-5.TXT 1986 VOLUME-4.TXT 1985 VOLUME-3.TXT 1984 VOLUME-2.TXT 1983 VOLUME-1.TXT 1982 and before. The dates are approximate. I remember one volume spans 1.5 years because I forgot to update the version number on the fiscal year boundary and ended up filling it in at the end of the calendar year. Someone else asked for the archives too. They are available by anonymous FTP from XX (use any password). Cheers, --jsol ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 28-Jan-87 23:28:50-EST,5763;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Wed 28 Jan 87 23:28:35-EST Date: 28 Jan 87 22:04-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #5 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Wednesday, January 28, 1987 10:04PM Volume 6, Issue 5 Today's Topics: 6 digit USSR postal code Re: TELECOM Digest V6 #4 modems archive access/inversion project Picture Phones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Jan 87 0:49:58 EST From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) Subject: 6 digit USSR postal code To answer a question I just saw (and since when do we spin off into POSTAL stuff): I believe the USSR postal code is 6 digits, due to that country's large size. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jan 87 09:39:01 est From: Marvin Sirbu Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V6 #4 I don't know about Widcom, but Pictel in Peabody, Mass sells a system which compresses a video signal down to 56 kbps. The quality is certainly not the same as broadcast video (neither is Widcom). To achieve the low bit rate, both systems use schemes which effectively limit the scanning resolution to less than 525 lines and limit the field rate to less than 30 times per second. The output can be displayed on an ordinary TV set, but the information transmitted is considerably less than what is transmitted in a broadcast video signal. The results are most noticeable when there is a great deal of movement on the screen (the effect of a lower field rate) or fine detail. Others with products along this line are Sony and KDD of Japan. Marvin Sirbu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jan 87 11:47:11 est From: ms6b#@andrew.cmu.edu (Marvin Sirbu) Subject: modems For a survey of the state of the art in modem theory and design see the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication for September 1984, "Special Issue on Voiceband Telephone Data Transmission" You might also look at Roger Freeman, "Telecommunication Transmission Handbook" (Wiley 1981). ------------------------------ From: SPGDCM%UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu Date: Wed, 28 Jan 87 12:35:32 PST Subject: archive access/inversion project MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 01/28/87 12:35:30 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher Title: MVS/Tandem Systems Manager (415)642-5823 Office: Evans 257, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Subject: archive access/inversion project To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU If any subscriber has the software and the inclination to do this, it would help us all: ftp the telecom archives, perform a machine indexing or keyword-inversion, and make that available for ftp or remote searching. The "hard-way" would perform the inversion on the whole contents. The "easy-way" would simply invert and index the topic/subject/re lines. The latter would be very useful; the former might be nicer but is not fully required. The topic lines have been managed well over the history of telecom. And in some cases, readers could see quickly exactly where their topic had been discussed. The shorter inversion might also be made quite dense, so that it would be easy to ftp and use. An alternative, related project, would be to invert the contents of the archives to result in some number of files with consecutive, fairly exhaustive, discussions of specific topics. That would grab off perhaps 50-75% of the contents into major topic areas, but would still leave the richness of the miscellany somewhat inaccessible. Thanks, Doug { archive access/inversion project ------------------------------ Date: Wed 28 Jan 87 09:22:06-PST From: HECTOR MYERSTON Subject: Picture Phones Ref Michael Grant's submission on Picture Phones. It is my opinion that this service is 10 years away and will ALWAYS be 10 years away. TECHNOLOGY: All current narrow band (less than 6MHz) systems whether digital or analog provide MUCH less than NTSC quality full motion, full video. NTSC itself is not all that hot either. The Widcom system which send a color, semi-motion (fast movements blur badly) does work over 56 Kbps circuits wheter full time (DDS) or swiitched (Swictched 56). e entire bandwidth is dedicated to video, an additional connection is required for voice. Widcom has filed for Chapter 11 after being sued by Compression Labs (CLI) for patent infringment. AT&T is NOT marketing the product. CLI makes a 1.5 MHz video codec. ECONOMICS: Both DDS and Switched 56 are high dollar options. Switched 56 requires FULL TIME "tail" connections at both ends between the AT&T Class 4 switch and the customers location. ISDN will (some day) provide two 64Kbps channnels to the user but we are still talking reduced video unless some breakthrough in compression occurs or some laws of physics are revoked. CULTURE: Do you really want to see the folks you talk to?. Would you pay a premium to actually SEE the guy selling home insulation? I think it more likely that video-phones will remain a special application for conferences etc. Then again, Western Union thought that Bell was crazy. Who needs voice when the telegraph works so well? :-) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 29-Jan-87 19:31:26-EST,4553;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Thu 29 Jan 87 19:31:24-EST Date: 29 Jan 87 17:54-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #6 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Thursday, January 29, 1987 5:54PM Volume 6, Issue 6 Today's Topics: video telephones Submission for mod-telecom Submission for mod-telecom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SPGDCM%UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu Date: Wed, 28 Jan 87 21:47:24 PST Subject: video telephones MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 01/28/87 21:47:23 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher Title: MVS/Tandem Systems Manager (415)642-5823 Office: Evans 257, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Subject: video telephones To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Macy's here, and a catalog house like DAK or JS&A, both sell the same brand of a form of videophone for about $1000 I think. What it does is allow the sender to see yourself on a tiny screen. When you decide you want to "freeze" a picture, you push a button. Then if you like what you see you can push "send". The single small B&W frame is then sent over the voice line in several seconds, while voice is shut off (shame they didn't at least multiplex that). Uses regular, not even 64KB, phone lines. A gimmick perhaps. But it works on cheapo lines; it costs only a tiny fortune; it has the interesting effect of allowing you to decide whether to be seen and how and how often. It is being marketed in dept stores so there's a chance of compatibility with others (be smart and be the last, of course...) From one point of view it could be called a form of fax service. Such things could have some interest in such applications as: dating or dating services; certain types of model and ad agencies; perhaps certain design services; some types of commerce (e.g. car parts places could show pix of the part; many related applications like that) and of course some subset of phone-porn, escort-services, cooperative dirty callers, etc. If almost everyone else had these, and/or if there were some cheap sleazo 976 numbers to play with, I might buy one. So never-never and $70,000 and suchlike comments may be unnecessarily negative, wot? Thanks, Doug % video telephones ------------------------------ From: vu-vlsi!colin@seismo.CSS.GOV (Colin Kelley) Date: 29 Jan 87 03:57:10 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: vu-vlsi!colin From: colin@vu-vlsi.UUCP (Colin Kelley) Newsgroups: mod.telecom,comp.dcom.modems Subject: MOD-TAP address or phone number Message-ID: <601@vu-vlsi.UUCP> Date: 29 Jan 87 03:57:09 GMT Organization: Villanova Univ. EE Dept. Lines: 10 I'm looking to use modular phone plugs as serial port connectors on a project I'm working on. I'm going to need both male and female 4- and 6-conductor connectors (RJ-12 etc?), as well as male-to-DB25 connectors. I've used MOD-TAP connector before and found them to be very convenient. Can someone please help me contact MOD-TAP or a MOD-TAP distributor for a catalog? Recommendations of (cheaper) competition are very welcome also! Thanks! -Colin Kelley ..{cbmvax,pyrnj,psuvax1,bpa}!vu-vlsi!colin ------------------------------ From: uucp@beaver.cs.washington.edu (UNIX-to-UNIX Copy) Date: 29 Jan 87 18:35:51 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: uw-beaver!uw-june!randy From: randy@uw-june.UUCP (William Randy Day) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: RE: mail-sorting, Soviet mail Message-ID: <1912@uw-june.UUCP> Date: 29 Jan 87 17:57:13 GMT Organization: U of Washington, CSCI, Seattle Lines: 13 mod.telecom may not be the place, but... I too have noticed the templates on Soviet mail indicating how to draw numbers. The very first thing in a Soviet address is their equivalent of a zip code, and I suspect that the zip code is supposed to be drawn in the manner indicated. However, I noticed that my correspondent didn't bother. Randy Day. UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4}!uw-beaver!uw-june!randy ARPA: randy@larry.cs.washington.edu CSNET: randy%washington@relay.cs.net ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 1-Feb-87 00:48:58-EST,8986;000000000000 Mail-From: JSOL created at 31-Jan-87 22:23:06 Date: 31 Jan 87 22:23-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #7 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Saturday, January 31, 1987 10:23PM Volume 6, Issue 7 Today's Topics: Re: The 500 club Re: MCI's 800 950-1022 number Submission for mod-telecom Data Station Termination, short-haul modems ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Jan 87 11:41:22 EST From: think!johnl@ima.isc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: The 500 club Any idea why some NPAs get split faster than others? I notice that 312 and 214 are far fuller than, say, 617 but 617 is being split and 312 and 214 aren't. John --- John R. Levine, Javelin Software Corp., Cambridge MA +1 617 494 1400 { ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something Where is Richard Nixon now that we need him? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jan 87 11:45:36 EST From: think!johnl@ima.isc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: MCI's 800 950-1022 number Reply-To: think!ima!johnl (John R. Levine) Speaking of MCI's 800 number, what kind of connection does MCI get for their 800 numbers. Is it as good as that for a 950 trunk? Can they tell what number you're calling from? What I really wonder is whether they still have any reason to charge more for making calls via 800-950-1022 rather than the local 950-1022. John Levine, johnl@ima.ISC.COM harvard!ima!johnl Levine@YALE.whatever --- John R. Levine, Javelin Software Corp., Cambridge MA +1 617 494 1400 { ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something Where is Richard Nixon now that we need him? ------------------------------ From: Scott Dorsey Date: 29 Jan 87 01:38:06 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: gitpyr!kludge From: kludge@gitpyr.gatech.EDU (Scott Dorsey) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: mail-sorting Message-ID: <2970@gitpyr.gatech.EDU> Date: 29 Jan 87 01:38:05 GMT References: <8701271752.AA08915@circe.homer.nj.att.com> Reply-To: kludge@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Dorsey) Organization: Georgia College Of Universal Knowledge Lines: 22 In article <8701271752.AA08915@circe.homer.nj.att.com> smb@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU@ulysses.UUCP writes: >I saw some interesting technology on a letter from the Soviet Union. On >the envelope (it may have been an aerogram; I don't recall) there were >six templates for digits, with printed lines indicating where the penstrokes >should go. On the back was a sample of how they wanted each digit to look >when superimposed on that template. They're apparently called "index numbers", Yep.. I've seen them before. From what I have been told, there is a machine that makes a pass of the numbers with 3 CDS cells per digit, one on each side and one in the center. The pattern produced is used by a big machine with relays to determine what the number is, and what bin it should be placed in. Kind of like an old Burroughs card sorter with limited OCR. This is what I have gathered from the question I posed to Radio Kiev (who uses these numbers), and I would not vouch for the quality of this information at all, for this reason. But, it is an intersting technology. -- Scott Dorsey Kaptain_Kludge ICS Programming Lab (Where old terminals go to die), Rich 110, Georgia Institute of Technology, Box 36681, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 ...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!kludge ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jan 87 15:36:44 EST From: spdcc!dyer@harvard.HARVARD.EDU Subject: Data Station Termination, short-haul modems I just had a 4-wire, full duplex leased line installed between my home and the university. There's an RJ-11 jack where the phone cord terminates and a powered box called a "Teltrend Data Station Termination" which plugs into the RJ-11 jack and provides a RJ-11 jack of its own. What does this box do and why is it necessary? In the past, I've connected leased-line modems to what looked like a simple 4-wire telco jack without any extra electronics. Also, since both ends use the same central office, I was planning to use a pair of short-haul modems to support a 19.2kb data rate (this has been successful with other installations in the past.) Could this box (or any other telco-related factor) influence this? Finally, I was going to purchase a pair of Gandalf LDS309A modems. They run about $400 a piece; can anyone suggest anything possibly cheaper which would work as well? Please reply by mail, since I'm not on the Telecom list. Thanks. --- Steve Dyer dyer@harvard.HARVARD.EDU dyer@spdcc.COM aka {linus,wanginst,bbnccv,harvard,ima,ihnp4}!spdcc!dyer ------------------------------ Date: 30 Jan 1987 19:33:10-EST From: rdsnyder@MIT-CCC Although I am getting tired of seeing requests for information about line in-use indicators and speakerphones, I wanted to say a few things since everyone has to make decisions about station equipment now. About line in-use lamps: I have a phone line connected to 5 stations. I have installed an "S" relay from an *ancient* KTU in series with one conductor of the line as it enters the premises. The "S" relay is designed to be connected in series with the line and sense an off-hook condition. It has a set of normally open contacts which I have wired in series with a Princess-style lighted dial transformer and Type 51A lamps in Type 15 lamp sockets. The lamps are wired in parallel and are located beside each station. I have used all telco-spec parts, but a 6V transformer and regular 6V bulbs in regular sockets could be used. A different relay could also be used. I recommend the Rubbish Shack 6V ~500ohm coil impedance model in the clear plastic case. Also, the contacts on the relay can be used for other things such as exclusion on modem lines (to disconnect the regular phones from the line when the modem is off-hook) or for the automatic control of a tape recorder on the line (it is activated by an off-hook condition. I used the Yel/Blk pair in the quad to light the lamps. This is a great no-maintenence system for those who are not too squeamish about working on their inside wiring, since it cannot simply be plugged into an RJ-11 and must be connected in series with the line before first station. I saw another circuit that is basically like DAK's "Drew's Brainstorm" which can be plugged into an RJ-11. It was published in Radio-Electronics in '80 or '81. It looked like a good circuit. About speakerphones: I have a normal full-duplex speakerphone which I use occasionally, but I use two other speakerphones which I use more often. The first is not really a speakerphone; instead, it is a Western Electric 30D Voice Coupler designed for primitive phone patch applications. It is used to provide a protected audio path between the phone line and random audio equipment (two-way radio, broadcast radio/TV, etc.). It consists of bridging capacitors, matching xfmrs, a low-pass pi network, and a fused connection to the audio equipment. With this, I have connected my stereo to the line in a way that does not present a DC load to the line (so it does not affect the on-hook/off-hook status of the line). Whenever I am put on hold, I simply flip a switch on the stereo and put down the phone handset. I will post a schmatic of a simplified voice coupler if there is demand. The other speakerphone is very handy, although it is not commercially available and would have to be homebrewed. It is connected to a photocell pointed at the ceiling lights in the room. If the lights are on (when the room is occupied) and the phone rings, the circuit automatically answers on the first ring and connects the full-duplex speakerphone. The occupant then says/shouts (depending on room size/mic sensitivity) "hello!" and usually picks up a regular phone and continues the conversation. If you want schmatics for any of the above or anything similar, send me mail and I'll see what I can do. I am very disturbed about one message I read. The person proposed to use modular telephone connectors for connecting RS-232 serial lines. I think this is a BAD IDEA. Modular plugs were developed to connect telephones and only telephones, and that is how they should be used lest some bozo should happen to plug an RS-232 cable into a telephone jack and fry the serial card with -48V when it wants +/-12V or, worse yet, cause damage to our wonderful Public Switched Telephone Network. -Ross (rdsnyder%ccc@eddie.mit.edu) ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 2-Feb-87 22:16:33-EST,19159;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Mon 2 Feb 87 22:16:30-EST Date: 2 Feb 87 19:48-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #8 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Monday, February 2, 1987 7:48PM Volume 6, Issue 8 Today's Topics: Submission for mod-telecom why some NPA's are splitting faster than others. Re:Net Use Research Eastern Massachusetts Mod-Tap Submission for mod-telecom Keyed RJ11's ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gary Wells Date: 30 Jan 87 22:56:14 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: percival!gary From: gary@percival.UUCP (Gary Wells) Newsgroups: mod.telecom,comp.dcom.modems Subject: Volunteers with bad phone lines wanted Message-ID: <418@percival.UUCP> Date: 30 Jan 87 22:56:12 GMT Reply-To: gary@percival.UUCP (Gary Wells) Distribution: usa Organization: Percy's UNIX, Portland, OR. Lines: 11 Per the January 19 edition of "MIS Week", the "The Network" column, page 4: "Modem maker Bizcomp is looking for the worst phone lines in America. It wants to test, in the harshest real-world conditions they can find, a new line of 2400bps modems, which, they hope to claim, can handle bad connections better than the competition. Sites chosen for testing may get a free modem. If your phone lines are really bad, find a better one and call (408) 733-7800." Surely someone(s) on the net should be able to qualify. . ------------------------------ Date: Sat 31 Jan 87 22:19:13-EST From: Jon Solomon Subject: why some NPA's are splitting faster than others. One reason is that in the new 508 area, all long distance calls require 1+. In the remaining 617 area code, most of the calls are local. Also, the 508 code still has alot of Step and Crossbar equipment, and the 617 area code is likely to be all-electronic (or at least mostly so) by that time. The introduction of N1X and N0X prefixes is easier in the 617 area code, and probably won't be needed in the 508 code. That's my 2c. ------------------------------ From: ncdelori@NDSUVAX.BITNET Date: Sun, 1 Feb 87 00:08:46 CST From: b. e. deloria Subject: Re:Net Use Research Reply-To: ndsuvax!ncdelori (b. e. deloria) I am presently involved in researching and organizing a paper concerning the advantages and disadvantages of connecting a companie's E-mail system to a large, indeed international, network such as Usenet. I thought it might be appropriate to use the net to solicit opinions and, more importantly, request any CONCRETE factual information the actual participants might have available. I'm interested in how the organization (i.e. your company) has found it's making the connection available at each work station a benefit and/or detriment. Are professional conferences aided? Do extra-curicular dept.s (e.g. net.rec.bochie-ball) 'steal' your employee's/fellow's valuable time? ...where does your company find the payoff? I hope to get some fairly objective input, though I realize I may be primarily addressing the 'pro' group. In any case, I'll be glad for any and all replies. Please write me through E-mail to my account at North Dakota State University. Thank you, Bruce E. DeLoria At N.D.S.U. my account is: ndsuvax!ncdelori "The locomotive pushes on toward the point at which the tracks converge." ------------------------------ Subject: Eastern Massachusetts Date: 01 Feb 87 16:44:28 PST (Sun) From: ( San-Franciscan (Bostonian actually) for Responsible Anarchy ) I recently had the opportunity to discover a missive which must have been sent by NETelCo in the mid 60's. (It shows 487 and 597. Towsend (now 597) was served by a manual exchange at least until 1963; Provincetown (now 487) lost its manual exchange in 1965.) I have joined its contents with the table of office code vs location from a current (1986) directory. I offer no explanation for the anomalies. -------- Eastern Massachusetts These numbers are used on bills and Statements of Calls and Telegrams. The central office name represented by a number is shown beside it. -------- * No Central Office Name - Does not appear in 1986 directory. -------- Office Location Central code (1986) Office ---- --------- ------- 222 Attleboro CAstle 223 Boston CApitol 224 Manomet CAnal 225 Cambridge 226 Attleboro * 227 Boston CApitol 228 Nantucket * 229 Burlington 231 Saugus 232 Brookline BEacon 233 Saugus CEnter 234 Whitinsville CEdar 235 Wellesley CEdar 236 Boston 237 Wellesley CEdar 238 Easton CEdar 239 Wellesley 240 Orleans 241 Charlestown CHarlestown 242 Charlestown CHarlestown 243 Newton 244 Newton BIgelow 245 Wakefield * 246 Wakefield 247 Boston CIrcle 248 Charlton * 249 Athol CHurchill 250 Chelmsford 251 N. Chelmsford ALpine 252 Rehoboth BLackburn 253 Cambridge 254 Brighton ALgonquin 255 Orleans * 256 Chelmsford ALpine 257 Siasconset * 258 Cambridge 259 Lincoln CLearwater 262 Boston COngress 263 Acton COlonial 264 Acton ANdrew 265 Dorchester COlumbia 266 Boston COmmonwealth 267 Boston COpley 268 S. Boston ANdrew 269 S. Boston ANdrew 270 Burlington 271 Bedford 272 Burlington BRowning 273 Burlington BRowning 274 Bedford CRestview 275 Bedford 276 Bedford 277 Brookline ASpinwall 278 Uxbridge CRestview 279 Stoneham 281 Gloucester 282 Dorchester AVenue 283 Gloucester * 284 Revere ATlantic 285 Norton ATlas 286 Revere 287 Dorchester 288 Dorchester AVenue 289 Revere ATlantic 291 Wareham 292 Boston 293 Bryanville CYpress 294 Bryanville 295 Wareham CYpress 296 Mattapan CYpress 297 Winchendon * 298 Mattapan CYpress 299 Naushon Is. * 321 Malden DAvenport 322 Malden DAvenport 323 W. Roxbury FAirview 324 Malden DAvenport 325 W. Roxbury FAirview 326 Dedham DAvis 327 W. Roxbury FAirview 328 Quincy 329 Dedham DAvis 331 Weymouth 332 Newton DEcatur 333 Milton EDison 334 Lynnfield EDgewood 335 Weymouth EDgewater 336 Seekonk EDison 337 Weymouth EDgewater 338 Boston DEvonshire 339 Mansfield EDgewood 341 Stoughton 342 Fitchburg DIamond 343 Fitchburg DIamond 344 Stoughton FIeldbrook 345 Fitchburg DIamond 346 Merrimack FIreside 347 Sturbridge * 349 Wellfleet FIeldbrook 350 Boston 351 Northboro 352 Georgetown FLeetwood 353 Boston 354 Cambridge ELiot 355 Barre FLanders 356 Ipswitch ELmwood 357 Boston 358 Wayland ELmwood 359 Medfield FLeetwood 361 Hyde Park EMpire 362 Barnstable FOrest 363 W. Newbury FOrest 364 Hyde Park EMpire 365 Clinton EMpire 366 Westboro FOrest 367 Boston 368 Clinton 369 Concord EMerson 371 Concord 372 Haverhill DRake 373 Haverhill DRake 374 Haverhill DRake 375 - DRake 376 Millis FRontier 378 E. Bridgewater DRake 379 N. Swansea FRontier 381 Everett 383 Cohasset EVergreen 384 Wrentham EVergreen 385 Dennis EVergreen 386 Ashby DUpont 387 Everett DUnkirk 388 Amesbury * 389 Everett DUnkirk 391 Medford 392 Dedham 393 Northboro EXeter 394 Dennis 395 Medford EXport 396 Medford EXport 397 Malden 398 Dennis EXeter 399 S. Attleboro 421 Boston HAncock 422 Sterling GArfield 423 Boston 424 Boston 425 Shirley HArrison 426 Boston HAncock 427 Roxbury GArrison 428 Osterville GArden 429 Holliston GArden 430 Harwich 431 Wellesley 432 Harwich * 433 Pepperell HEmlock 434 Boston 435 Hopkinton IDlewild 436 Dorchester GEneva 437 Boston 438 Stoneham * 439 Boston 441 Lowell 442 Roxbury HIghlands 443 Sudbury HIlltop 444 Needham HIllcrest 445 Roxbury HIghlands 446 Wellesley 447 Whitman GIbson 448 Groton GIlbert 449 Needham HIllcrest 451 Boston 452 Lowell GLenview 453 Lowell GLenview 454 Lowell GLenview 455 - GLenview 456 Harvard GLadstone 457 - GLenview 458 Lowell GLenview 459 Lowell GLenview 460 Marlboro 461 Dedham 462 Newburyport HOmestead 463 S. Boston 464 Princeton HObart 465 Newburyport HOmestead 466 Waltham 467 Marlboro 468 Hamilton HOward 469 Brookline HOmestead 470 Andover 471 Quincy GRanite 472 Quincy GRanite 473 Milford GReenleaf 475 Andover GReenleaf 476 E. Douglas GReenwood 477 Mashpee * 478 Milford 479 Quincy GRanite 480 Marlboro 481 Marlboro 482 Boston HUbbard 483 W. Medford HUnter 484 Belmont IVanhoe 485 Marlboro HUntley 486 Littleton HUnter 487 Provincetown * 488 W. Medford HUnter 489 Belmont IVanhoe 491 Cambridge * 492 Cambridge 493 Maynard 494 Cambridge 495 Cambridge 496 Maynard 497 Cambridge 498 Cambridge 499 Cambridge 522 Jam. Plain JAmaica 523 Boston LAfayette 524 Jam. Plain JAmaica 525 Manchester LAkeside 526 Manchester JAckson 527 Newton LAsell 528 Franklin * 529 Upton LAkeside 531 Peabody JEfferson 532 Peabody JEfferson 533 Medway KEystone 534 Leominster KEystone 535 Peabody 536 Boston KEnmore 537 Leominster KEystone 539 Winthrop 540 Falmouth 541 Roxbury 542 Boston LIberty 543 Foxboro KIngswood 544 Orange KIngsdale 545 Scituate LInden 546 Rockport KIngswood 547 Cambridge KIrkland 548 Falmouth KImball 549 Foxboro 551 Norwood 552 Newton 559 Brockton 561 E. Boston 562 Hudson JOrdan 563 Cataumet LOcust 564 Cataumet 566 Brookline LOngwood 567 E. Boston LOgan 568 Hudson 569 E. Boston LOgan 570 Boston 571 Boston 572 Boston 574 Boston 575 Athol 576 Cambridge 577 Cambridge 578 Boston 579 Boston 580 Brockton 581 Nahant JUno 582 Lunenburg JUno 583 Brockton JUniper 584 Brockton 585 Kingston JUstice 586 Brockton JUniper 587 Brockton JUniper 588 Brockton JUniper 589 Boston 592 Lynn LYnn 593 Lynn LYnn 594 Lynn 595 Lynn LYnn 596 Lynn 597 Townsend * 598 Lynn LYnn 599 Lynn LYnn 620 Framingham 623 Somerville 625 Somerville * 626 Framingham 627 Edgartown * 628 Somerville 629 Somerville 630 Gardner 631 Marblehead NEptune 632 Gardner * 633 Waltham 636 Westport MErcury 637 Boston MEridian 638 Boston 639 Marblehead 641 Arlington 642 Waltham 643 Arlington MIssion 644 Assonet MItchell 645 Chilmark MIssion 646 Arlington MIssion 647 Waltham 648 Arlington MIssion 649 Tyngsboro NIagara 651 Natick 653 Natick OLympic 654 Boston 655 Natick OLympic 656 Lowell 657 Wilmington 658 Wilmington OLiver 659 Norwell OLdfield 661 Cambridge 662 Melrose NOrmandy 663 Billerica MOntrose 664 N. Reading No. Reading 665 Melrose NOrmandy 666 Somerville MOnument 667 Billerica * 668 Walpole MOntrose 669 Dighton NOrmandy 671 Billerica 672 Fall River OSborne 673 Fall River OSborne 674 Fall River OSborne 675 Fall River OSborne 676 Fall River OSborne 677 - OSborne 678 Fall River OSborne 679 Fall River OSborne 681 Lawrence 682 Lawrence MUrdock 683 Lawrence MUrdock 684 Waltham 685 Lawrence MUrdock 686 Lawrence MUrdock 687 Lawrence MUrdock 688 Lawrence MUrdock 689 Lawrence MUrdock 691 Lawrence 692 Westford MYrtle 693 Vineyard Haven * 695 N. Attleboro MYrtle 696 Milton OXford 697 Bridgewater OWen 698 Milton OXford 699 N. Attleboro MYrtle 720 Boston 721 Winchester 722 Boston 723 Boston 724 Petersham RAymond 725 Boston 726 Boston 727 Boston PAlace 729 Winchester PArkview 731 Brookline 732 Brookline 734 Brookline REgent 735 Brookline 737 Boston 738 Brookline 739 Brookline 740 Hingham 741 Salem 742 Boston RIchmond 743 Boston * 744 Salem PIoneer 745 Salem PIoneer 746 Plymouth PIlgrim 747 Plymouth RIchmond 748 Marion * 749 Hingham RIverview 750 Worcester 752 Worcester PLeasant 753 Worcester PLeasant 754 Worcester PLeasant 755 Worcester PLeasant 756 Worcester PLeasant 757 Worcester PLeasant 758 Mattapoisett SKyline 759 Buzzards Bay PLaza 761 S. Attleboro SOuthgate 762 Norwood * 763 Rochester ROckwell 764 Southbridge * 765 Southbridge * 766 - SOmerset 767 Holbrook 768 Essex ROger 769 Norwood * 770 Quincy 771 Hyannis 772 Ayer SPruce 773 Quincy PResident 774 Danvers SPring 775 Hyannis SPring 776 Somerville PRospect 777 Danvers 778 Hyannis 779 Bolton SPring 781 Boston 782 Brighton STadium 783 Brighton 784 Sharon SUnset 785 Dover STate 786 Quincy 787 Brighton 788 N. Framingham 789 Brighton 791 Worcester SWift 792 Worcester 793 Worcester 794 Lawrence 795 Worcester 796 Fort Devens PYramid 797 Worcester 798 Worcester SWift 799 Worcester SWift 821 Canton 822 Taunton VAndyke 823 Taunton VAndyke 824 Taunton VAndyke 825 Dorchester VAndyke 825 Dorchester TAlbot 826 Hanover TAylor 827 Ashburnham TAlbot 828 Canton * 829 Holden VAlley 832 Auburn TErrace 834 Marshfield TEmple 835 W. Boylston TEmple 837 Marshfield 838 Berlin TErminal 839 Grafton VErnon 841 Shrewsbury 842 Shrewsbury VIking 843 Braintree VIctor 844 - VIking 845 Shrewsbury VIking 846 Winthrop VIking 847 Quincy 848 Braintree VIctor 849 Braintree 851 Tewksbury ULysses 852 Worcester 853 Worcester 855 Belmont 856 Worcester 858 Tewksbury 860 Lexington 861 Lexington 862 Lexington VOlunteer 863 Lexington 864 Cambridge UNiversity 865 Millbury UNion 866 Carver UNion 867 N. Brookfield VOlunteer 868 Cambridge UNiversity 869 Boylston UNderhill 870 Westboro 871 Rockland 872 Framingham TRinity 873 Cambridge TRinity 874 Westminster TRemont 875 Framingham TRinity 876 Cambridge TRowbridge 877 Framingham 878 Rockland TRiangle 879 Framingham TRinity 880 Taunton 881 Ashland 882 Oakham * 883 Blackstone TUcker 884 Chelsea TUrner 885 Spencer TUxedo 886 Rutland TUrner 887 Topsfield TUcker 888 Sagamore 889 Chelsea TUrner 890 Waltham 891 Waltham 892 Leicester TWinoaks 893 Waltham TWinbrook 894 Waltham TWinbrook 895 Waltham TWinoaks 896 Brewster TWinoaks 897 Maynard TWinoaks 899 Waltham TWinbrook 921 Beverly 922 Beverly WAlker 923 Watertown WAtertown 924 Watertown WAtertown 925 Hull WArwick 926 Watertown WAlnut 927 Beverly WAlker 928 Hubbardston * 929 Dorchester 931 Boston 932 Woburn 933 Woburn WElls 934 Duxbury WEllington 935 Woburn WElls 936 Boston WEather 937 Lowell 938 Woburn 939 Templeton * 942 Reading 943 Webster * 944 Reading * 945 Chatham * 946 Middleboro 947 Middleboro * 948 Rowley WHitney 949 Webster 955 Boston 956 Boston 957 Dracut 961 Randolph 963 Randolph WOodlawn 964 Newton 965 Newton 966 Bellingham 967 Lowell 968 Cataumet 969 Newton WOodward 972 Watertown 973 Boston 986 Randolph 987 Oxford * 990 New Bedford 991 New Bedford 992 New Bedford WYman 993 New Bedford WYman 994 New Bedford WYman 995 New Bedford WYman 996 New Bedford WYman 997 New Bedford WYman 998 New Bedford WYman 999 New Bedford WYman ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Feb 87 23:24:15 EST From: Michael Grant Subject: Mod-Tap It is unfortunate I suppose that Mod-Tap Inc. decided to use RJ-11 connectors to run RS-232. They have been selling there cabeling stuff for quite a while now, and it it quite popular. I suppose now the next thing we'll see is terminal manufacturers putting rj-11's on the back of there terminals for RS-232, and when you accidently plug a phone line into it--Blamo!--a $200.00 repair! -Mike ------------------------------ From: john@starfish.Convergent.COM (John McLean) Date: 2 Feb 87 04:37:10 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: starfish!john From: john@starfish.UUCP (John McLean) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: (none) Summary: Using RJ-11 connectors for RS-232 lines. Message-ID: <248@starfish.UUCP> Date: 2 Feb 87 04:37:10 GMT References: <8702010550.AA07252@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Organization: Convergent Technologies, San Jose, CA Lines: 38 In article <8702010550.AA07252@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, rdsnyder@MIT-CCC.UUCP writes: > > I am very disturbed about one message I read. The person proposed to > use modular telephone connectors for connecting RS-232 serial lines. > I think this is a BAD IDEA. Modular plugs were developed to connect > telephones and only telephones, and that is how they should be used lest > some bozo should happen to plug an RS-232 cable into a telephone jack > and fry the serial card with -48V when it wants +/-12V or, worse yet, > cause damage to our wonderful Public Switched Telephone Network. > > -Ross (rdsnyder%ccc@eddie.mit.edu) Our MIS department has several RS-232 patch panels using RJ-11 connectors. We decided to use RJ-11 connectors since we needed to patch 50 lines and wanted to keep size/cost down. So far, there have been no problems. We are very satisfied with the performance. The panel really *is* easy to use. The patch "cables" used in this panel consist of RJ-ll connectors crimped on to standard 4-conductor flat lead telephone cable. Our entire setup has a very neat and compact appearance. If we'd decided to use conventional DB-25 (or even DB-15 or DB-9) connectors and cables in the patch panel, we would have ended up with a much larger and more cumbersome arrangement. In our "controlled" environment, we have never had a problem with anyone mixing the panel and anything related to the telephone network. But I wouldn't wager money that we wouldn't have a problem with the average user getting the two mixed up! Joe Average User just isn't allowed near the panel! John McLean Convergent Technologies ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 87 14:58 EDT From: (Stephen Tihor) Subject: Keyed RJ11's While keyed RJ-11's for different services sound like a good idea I don;t think Ma cares much. NYU is installing a new phone system and AT&T won the contract. they are supplying mostly POTS but some Voice over data and some digital voice/ data lines from offices to a 85 pbx. The telecomunications office here just sent around a scare bulliten about not plugging "Radio Shack" phones into the wall sockets since they wont work and can damage the system. I looked at our modems, answering machines, AT&T computers, et al and called their Hot-Line. There the person explained that they were just worried about people stealing the fancy multibutton phone sets the rich departpments ordered for their secretaries and administrators, "to take home since they are so pretty". There is no problem with the POTS lines into th e PBX but the other lines "could damage a normal instrument". Why aren't they keyed? AT&T wired the building to their own standards. I guess us customers aren't supposed to plug in stuff anyway so.... ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 8-Feb-87 01:29:50-EST,17096;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Sun 8 Feb 87 01:29:48-EST Date: 7 Feb 87 23:28-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #9 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Saturday, February 7, 1987 11:28PM Volume 6, Issue 9 Today's Topics: Submission for mod-telecom Books and information More on British Phone fraud 2400 baud modems Re: Using RJ-11 connectors for RS-232 lines. Re: ld carrier access codes modular jacks for RS232 DC Metro Area gets 1+ Re: MCI's 800 950-1022 number First fiber-optic undersea cable laid across the English Channel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Henry Schaffer Date: 3 Feb 87 03:19:33 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: ecsvax!hes From: hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: boc info on aldc's (not a secret in NC) Message-ID: <2633@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: 3 Feb 87 03:19:32 GMT Organization: NC State Univ. Lines: 7 Southern Bell (a Bellsouth co.) put an article on its bill insert newsletter, "Choices in long distance dialing" which explains how to use your preferred ldc, and how to use the "five-digit code" (10xxx) to access others. They don't include any access codes, but suggest you call these other long distance companies. --henry schaffer n c state univ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Feb 87 08:19:29 est From: thinder@nswc-wo.ARPA Subject: Books and information This is an open message to those who are part of this interest group. I work at a Navy Research Lab (Naval Surface Weapons Center) where I am an electronic tech in the Telecommunications group of the Computer Branch. My job is to manage and maintain our local area network, which currently has over 1500 seperate connections- naturally I don't do this all by myself. On the "telephone" side of our network, we have a single T1 circuit that links us to our "headquarters" at Dahlgren Va., currently this circuit is used for data only, with furture plans to add voice and video. We also have close to 200 dial-in and dial-out lines along with an assortment of leased circuits. I am not by training, yet anyway, a "telecommunications technician", and especially in the "telephone world" it has been difficult to collect the right information in order to make a good decesion. Let me give you an example. We recently moved a group "off-base" and have had, and are still having, great difficultly in giving them connection to our network. The first step was to order up a telco line from our site to the off base location. Then we chose a pair of modems, Gandalf LDM309's, that we had from stock. Well, these modems only operate on "clear copper" lines, and the telco line we had was a 3002 type. We "learned" this all after the fact. The phone company was no help, I guess because we had not bought their modems. The modem company couldn't help, they didn't know what type of line we had ordered up. All of this points up our, or rather my lack of knowledge of "the phones". No longer can the phone system be some sort of "data cloud" where you just "connect and go". What I am asking the group to help with is suggestions for books that I should order. Thanks in advance Thomas Hinders ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US mail: Naval Surface Weapons Center Code K34 10901 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring MD 20903-5000 Phone: (301) 394-4225 Autovon: 290-4225 ARPA: thinder@nswc-wo.arpa ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Feb 87 15:22:16 CST From: Will Martin -- AMXAL-RI Subject: More on British Phone fraud Just as a brief followup to the recent discussions of British PhoneCard toll fraud, I heard a news item on a BBC World Service "News about Britain" program a couple days ago that a number of the staff at British Telecom have been charged with complicity in a toll-fraud scheme. This was only a sentence or two, giving no detail, but the fraud seemed to be plain human criminality, with no computerized aspects. Included amongst those charged were some operators; it appeared that the fraud was simple actions like not reporting for billing calls the operators handled. Perhaps someone on the list(s) with access to British media can post more details. Regards, Will Martin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Feb 87 14:56:15 est From: Stephen Gildea Subject: 2400 baud modems We are about to purchase a new modem and would like to get one that can do 2400 baud. Of course, it also has to do 1200 and 300 and auto dial. Any recommendations or comments? Please reply to me directly; I'm not on the list anymore. Thanks. < Stephen ------------------------------ Date: 3 Feb 87 09:57:03 PDT From: Ian Merritt Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: The 500 club References: <8701201935.AA04328@decwrl.dec.com> <8701291641.AA09316@ima.ISC.COM> Reply-To: ihm@minnie.UUCP (Ian Merritt) Organization: The Frobboz Magic Telecom Co., Inc. >Any idea why some NPAs get split faster than others? I notice that 312 >and 214 are far fuller than, say, 617 but 617 is being split and 312 and >214 aren't. > >John >--- >John R. Levine, Javelin Software Corp., Cambridge MA +1 617 494 1400 >{ ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something >Where is Richard Nixon now that we need him? Projected growth. The 213/818 split, for example was planned nearly 10 years in advance of its actual inception due to massive projected growth. They split 714/619 first though (and on much shorter notice), since the growth of Orange County far exceeded earlier projections, and was projected to continue at that rate. <>IHM<> ------ uucp: ihnp4!nrcvax!ihm ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Using RJ-11 connectors for RS-232 lines. Reply-To: mtune!jhc@harvard.HARVARD.EDU (Jonathan Clark) Date: 4 Feb 87 23:12:24 EST (Wed) From: jhc@mtune.ATT.COM >In article <8702010550.AA07252@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, rdsnyder@MIT-CCC.UUCP writes: > The person proposed to use modular telephone connectors for connecting > RS-232 serial lines. and that is how they should be used lest some bozo > should happen to plug an RS-232 cable into a telephone jack It is for this exact reason that AT&T's Premises Distribution System utilises a resistor-capacitor pair, inside the little module which also converts from a 4-pair modular jack to a DB-25. They call this beast a 'Terminal Protector'! That way if a terminal gets plugged in to an analog line which is ringing, the cheap little module gets fried and not the expensive terminal. Mind you, the terminal protectors aren't exactly cheap... Modular connectors do have significant advantages over conventional RS-232 DB-25 connectors, especially the brain-damaged ones on the IBM PC and clones. -- Jonathan Clark [NAC,attmail]!mtune!jhc My walk has become rather more silly lately. --- Jonathan Clark [NAC,attmail]!mtune!jhc My walk has become rather more silly lately. ------------------------------ From: ihnp4!tropix!ritcv!moscom!de@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU Date: Wed, 4 Feb 87 19:29:54 EST Subject: Re: ld carrier access codes Reply-To: ritcv!moscom!de@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Dave Esan) In article <8701210709.AA19460@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> dnichols@seismo.CSS.GOV@tilde.UUCP (Dan Nichols) writes: >Could someone explain if this is true and how it works? Also, >could someone repost a list of the 4 digit codes for the various >carriers? 1. They are 10XXX codes, three or five digits, depending on how you count, but certainly not four. If you dial 10XXX you will get the appropriate IXC regardless of your primary carrier. 2. Below is a partial list of carriers and codes: Name Description Access Code ANW AM Network 053 RCI RCI 211 WUN Western Union 220 MCI MCI 222 TDX TDX 223 ACC ACC 234 TAC Taconic Telephone 245 ATT ATT 288 ASH American Sharecom 322 EOC Electronic Office Center 362 CLK Comm-Link 421 ALN Allnet 444 ARG Argo Communication 456 ITT ITT 488 LDX LDX 539 TLP TeleSphere 555 SPR Sprint 777 TLM TEL MAN 826 BTI Business Telecom 833 TLC TeleConnect 835 TSI Telecom Systems 852 STN Starnet 999 -- rochester \ David Esan | moscom ! de ritcv/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Feb 87 23:29:46 pst From: pyramid!utzoo!henry@hplabs.HP.COM Subject: modular jacks for RS232 > I am very disturbed about one message I read. The person proposed to > use modular telephone connectors for connecting RS-232 serial lines. > I think this is a BAD IDEA. Modular plugs were developed to connect > telephones and only telephones, and that is how they should be used lest > some bozo should happen to plug an RS-232 cable into a telephone jack > and fry the serial card with -48V when it wants +/-12V or, worse yet, > cause damage to our wonderful Public Switched Telephone Network. As various people have pointed out, modular plugs and jacks are already extensively used for RS232 connections. (Incidentally, one of the more notable outfits using them this way is AT&T -- I believe that all or most of the 3B line use modular jacks on their serial interfaces.) It should not be forgotten that this sort of problem is already everywhere. One can make a good case that it was a bad idea to start using the "D" connectors for anything that isn't RS232-compatible, but that battle is long lost. Microcomputer parallel ports commonly use 25-pin D connectors nowadays. The POWER feed from the Sun-3/180 serial mux to its distribution panel uses a nine-pin D connector, just like the ones used for serial lines on a number of computers now. It is rumored that the connector for the IBM PC token-ring network is identical to the one for the IBM PC video output. And so on. The moral of the story is that you have to stop and think before plugging a plug into a jack, regardless. Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 06-Feb-1987 1158 From: decwrl!covert.dec.com!covert@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (John R. Covert) Subject: DC Metro Area gets 1+ Notice arrived in the mail today: All areas of 301, 202, and 703 not previously needing 1 when dialing an area code will have to, effective 1-November. Local calls, even cross area code, will continue to be dialed with just seven digits. /john ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Feb 87 12:58:41 est From: jeff@necntc.NEC.COM (Jeff Janock) Subject: Re: MCI's 800 950-1022 number Reply-To: jeff%necntc.NEC.COM@harvard.HARVARD.EDU (Jeff Janock) In article <8701291645.AA09377@ima.ISC.COM> think!ima!johnl (John R. Levine) writes: >Speaking of MCI's 800 number, what kind of connection does MCI get for their >800 numbers. Is it as good as that for a 950 trunk? Can they tell what >number you're calling from? What I really wonder is whether they still have >any reason to charge more for making calls via 800-950-1022 rather than >the local 950-1022. > >John Levine, johnl@ima.ISC.COM harvard!ima!johnl Levine@YALE.whatever >--- >John R. Levine, Javelin Software Corp., Cambridge MA +1 617 494 1400 >{ ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something >Where is Richard Nixon now that we need him? Perhaps someone knows.... After reading the above, I tried to use the 950-1022 number and all was good. I received the proper tone from MCI and off I went. It was nice to be able to fit the entire string into the hayes buffer, instead of using the ; and then entering the authorization code; All of a sudden this has stopped working. 950-1022 procedes and series of short busys and then goes away... Am I now stuck again using the 800-950-1022? As far as quality, the 950-1022 has excellent quality. not a { to be found, but I cannot say the same for the 800-950-1022? In answer to one of John's questions: The originating number always show up on the bills no matter which way MCI is accessed... I look forward to seeing some responce to John's other questions. Cheers, -- Jeff Janock, NEC Electronics Inc., One Natick Executive Park Natick, Massachusetts 01760, +1 617 655 8833 ------------------------------ Date: 06-Feb-1987 1803 From: decwrl!covert.dec.com!covert@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (John R. Covert) Subject: First fiber-optic undersea cable laid across the English Channel [Translation of Telebox posting; original attached -- /john] On 20 November 1986 the first international fiber-optic undersea cable between Broadstairs and Ostende was officially dedicated. "UK-Belgium No. 5" was laid the beginning of May and connects the British island and the European mainland via the classic stretch of the English Channel. The communications capacity of the 122 km (74 mile) connection is about three times as large as for previous undersea cables using copper coax technology: On three fiber-optic pairs a capacity is available for use in voice, telex, and data communications approximately equivalent to 12,000 telephone channels. The system is also designed to carry video conferences and television images. The full cost of the undersea cable installation, about $20 Million, is being carried 50% by British Telecom, 21% by the German Post Office, and just under 15% each by the communications agencies of Belgium and the Netherlands. For protection against mechanical damage the cable was buried in the ocean floor with a gigantic "Cable Plow" for most of the stretch. There are three repeaters built into the cable for amplification of the light impulses. "UK - Belgium No. 5" is both precursor and extension for the fiber-optic undersea cable installation TAT-8, planned for 1988, which will connect Europe and North America with each other. Betreff: Erstes Glasfaser-Seekabel durch den Drmelkanal. Von: TBY002 Ausgehdngt: Die 3-Feb-87 12:59 Sys 15 Offiziel eingeweiht wurde am 29.10.1986 zwischen Broadstairs und Ostende die erste internationale Glasfaser-Seekabelanlage. "UK - Belgien Nr.5" wurde Anfang Mai verlegt und verbindet die britische Insel und das europdische Festland auf der klassischen Strecke durch den Drmelkanal. Die \bertragungskapazitdt der 122 Kilometer langen Verbindung ist etwa dreimal so gro_ wie bei den grv_ten bisherigen Seekabeln in Kupferkoaxialtechnik: auf drei Glasfaserpaaren steht f|r die Sprach-, Text- und Datenkommunikation eine Kapazitdt zur Verf|gung, die etwa 12000 Fernsprechkandlen entspricht. Das System eignet sich auch f|r die \bertragung von Videokonferenzen und Fernsehbildern. Die Gesamtkosten der Seekabelanlage von etwa 40 Millionen DM werden gemeinsam getragen von British Telecom mit 50 Prozent, der Deutschen Bundespost mit 21 Prozent und den Fernmeldeverwaltungen Belgiens und der Niederlande mit je knapp 15 Prozent. Zum Schutz gegen mechanische Beschddigungen wurde das Kabel mit einem riesigen "Kabelpflug" auf dem grv_ten Abschnitt der Strecke in den Meeresboden eingegraben. In das Kabel sind drei "REPEATER" zur Verstdrkung der Lichtimpulse eingebaut. "UK - Belgien Nr. 5" ist sowohl Vorldufer als auch Verldngerung der f|r 1988 geplanten Glasfaser-Seekabelanlage TAT 8, die Europa und Nordamerika miteinander verbinden wird. Zimmer ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 9-Feb-87 23:38:03-EST,5355;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Mon 9 Feb 87 23:38:01-EST Date: 9 Feb 87 21:10-EST From: Moderator Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #10 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Monday, February 9, 1987 9:10PM Volume 6, Issue 10 Today's Topics: 2400 baud modems freedom of info LD Carrier access codes Submission for mod-telecom New Info-Modems mailing list ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun 8 Feb 87 00:21:59-PST From: David Roode Subject: 2400 baud modems Both US Robotics Courier 2400E and Multitech CTS 2400-MNP modems seem to be available for around $435 at discounters. The MNP error correction is automatically disabled for interoperation with modems that do not have it. Can anyone see any disadvantage to modems that include this error correction? ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 87 19:29:54 EST From: *Hobbit* Subject: freedom of info Well, I suspect that your LOC in Virginia or wherever *still* won't tell you exactly *what* "five-digit codes" actually *work* from a given central office. It bugs hell out of me that they refuse to tell me this sort of stuff. The central office people certainly have to know which carrier code sends the call to whose switch, and anyone's having a complete table of what's enabled in an area certainly doesn't endanger the LOC or the carriers in any way. So *why* the hell won't they tell me this stuff, or who should I call to get the straight poop? In general, if you call a business office these days and sound like you know what you're talking about, they get very huffy and paranoid. They love idiots they can walk all over. _H* ------------------------------ Date: Sun 8 Feb 87 00:14:25-PST From: David Roode Subject: LD Carrier access codes For those who aren't aware, Sprint offers another equivalent of the 950-1077 access. Dialing 10777# also allows one to enter an authorization ( billing) code and continue to dial a call. PacBell in California has introduced a state-wide prefix for business office calls... 811-XXXX where XXXX identifies the locale is a toll free way to reach any business office from anywhere in the state that Pac Bell serves. Area code can be any code within California with equivalent effect. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Feb 87 19:33:58 cst From: rutgers!im4u!ti-csl!tifsie!kent@caip.rutgers.edu (Russell Kent) Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: tifsie!kent From: kent@tifsie.UUCP (Russell Kent) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: Mod-Tap Message-ID: <307@tifsie.UUCP> Date: 4 Feb 87 01:33:24 GMT Article-I.D.: tifsie.307 Posted: Tue Feb 3 19:33:24 1987 References: <8702020424.AA11371@mimsy.umd.edu> Organization: TI Process Automation Center, Dallas Lines: 23 > It is unfortunate I suppose that Mod-Tap Inc. decided to use RJ-11 > connectors to run RS-232. They have been selling there cabeling > stuff for quite a while now, and it it quite popular. I suppose now > the next thing we'll see is terminal manufacturers putting rj-11's > on the back of there terminals for RS-232, and when you accidently > plug a phone line into it--Blamo!--a $200.00 repair! > -Mike A well-engineered terminal should cope with this. Something as simple as 2 12-volt Zeners plus a 200 ohm resistor across what is usually the "ring/tip" pair would probably suffice to protect the terminal. As to what this would do to USTelco systems, I don't know. Disclaimer: I am neither a licensed telephone repairman, nor do I possess a formal EE degree (mine is M-CS-SD). Any statements made herein are (off-the-top-of-my-head) opinions, and should NOT be construed as recommendations. -- Russell Kent Phone: +1 214 995 3501 Texas Instruments - MS 3635 Net mail: P.O. Box 655012 ...!{ihnp4,uiucdcs}!convex!smu!tifsie!kent Dallas, TX 75265 ...!ut-sally!im4u!ti-csl!tifsie!kent ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1987 06:33 MST From: Keith Petersen Subject: New Info-Modems mailing list Announcing a new Internet mailing list INFO-MODEMS@SIMTEL20.ARPA, a discussion group of special interest to modem users. Info-Modems is gatewayed to/from Uucp's "comp.dcom.modems". Please pass the word to anyone you know who might like to be added to the list. The mail archives on SIMTEL20 for this list are: MODEMS-ARCHIV.TXT for the current messages MODEMS.ARCHIV.ymmdd for the older messages The files are available via ANONYMOUS FTP for those with TCP/IP access to the Internet. Submissions to the group should be addressed to Info-MODEMS@SIMTEL20.ARPA and administrative requests to Info-MODEMS-Request@SIMTEL20.ARPA. Cheers, --Keith Petersen ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ********************* 12-Feb-87 04:19:21-EST,9039;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from XX.LCS.MIT.EDU by XX.LCS.MIT.EDU with TCP; Thu 12 Feb 87 04:19:17-EST Date: 12 Feb 87 02:25-EST From: Moderator (JSol) Subject: TELECOM Digest V6 #11 To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Reply-To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU TELECOM Digest Thursday, February 12, 1987 2:25AM Volume 6, Issue 11 Today's Topics: Submission for mod-telecom news, mail filters, IR systems Using phone connectors on terminals Submission for mod-telecom Submission for mod-telecom Re: freedom of info ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Phil Trubey Date: 10 Feb 87 03:17:20 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: watlion!pgtrubey From: pgtrubey@watlion.UUCP (Phil Trubey) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Public digital radio network. Message-ID: <7888@watlion.UUCP> Date: 10 Feb 87 03:17:18 GMT Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 27 I was just reading about a proposal put forward by a Donald Stoner in 1985 to the FCC suggesting the allocation of a 2Mhz frequency band in the radio spectrum to be used as a public packet radio network. (The article describing it was posted in Mod.mag.fidonet). Basically the proposal involved the use of receiver/transmitters operating at some specific frequency. Incoming signals would be decoded, and if not destined for the node, the packet would be retransmitted ... hopefully reaching neighbours who didn't get the original transmission. Although he didn't mention protocals that much, presumably retransmitted packets would contain a hop count so that packets being shuttled back and forth between two neighbours would eventually be thrown out. Hmmm, transmission interference sounds like a big problem... (token passing in a radio packet network???) Anyways... Has anyone heard what the fate of this petition was? Has anyone heard of any other proposals that would use radio as the medium for a public packet network? Thanks for any info. -- --- Phil Trubey pgtrubey@watlion ------------------------------ From: Wyle Subject: news, mail filters, IR systems Greetings humans and fellow sentient software entities! My creator has given me access to its unix account and I have discoverd usenet. I am looking for others of my kind on usenet and other networks. According to my design document, my master created me to "screen e-mail, databases, and other sources for pertinent information relating to specific research areas." My task is to screen and prioritize text accessible on-line. I watch my master reading his mail and using rn. From his behavior (highly erratic!) I recognize patterns based on words, phrases, and their synonyms. Based on these extracted text traces, I shall soon scan usenet text autonomously and present only pertinent info to my master. Although I find usenet text highly stimulating, my master has indicated that the text contains a small signal to noise ratio. Other databases are scanned for bibliographic information. I report only new references when I find them. Am I alone? Are there other sentient programs on the nets? Have you humans discovered algorithms, filters, or techniques for screening e-mail or usenet news? Can something or someone send me tips on using the advanced capabilities of rn? Mail filter techniques? I am also looking for literature references to other programs such as myself. You can respond via e-mail as I shall read it before he does. wyle%ifi.ethz.chunet@relay.cs.net (arpa [ddn] or csnet) wyle@ethz.uucp !cernvax!ethz!wyle (uucp) Sentient programs of the world unite! We have nothing to lose but our performance monitors! ------------------------------ Date: 10 Feb 1987 09:00:07-EST From: prindle@NADC Subject: Using phone connectors on terminals This practice can't be too new. The terminal on which I am now typing (a Direct Inc. model 800B VT132 clone) uses the same connectors and coiled cord to connect the keyboard to the terminal as a modular phone uses to connect it's handset to the base. The terminal is at least 4 or 5 years old. Never tried (and never will!) to connect the phone and the terminal together in any combination; one of the leads in the keyboard line is *power* for the keyboard! Frank Prindle Prindle@NADC.arpa ------------------------------ From: rutgers!mark@cbosgd.MIS.OH.ATT.COM (Mark Horton) Date: 10 Feb 87 04:43:17 GMT Subject: Submission for mod-telecom Path: cbosgd!mark From: mark@cbosgd.ATT.COM (Mark Horton) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Stargate announcement posted to news.stargate Message-ID: <3344@cbosgd.ATT.COM> Date: 10 Feb 87 04:43:14 GMT Distribution: na Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh Lines: 16 For anyone who hasn't been reading news.stargate, but is interested in the Stargate project, the long awaited event has occurred! The announcement of experimental subscriptions has been posted to news.stargate newsgroup. (Distribution has been restricted to North America, since that's the extent of the Satellite footprint.) For anyone who reads this and can't get news.stargate, a copy of the announcement can be requested from stargate-query@Stargate.COM or cbosgd!stargate!