HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ranald.mcintyre@almac.co.uk (Ranald Mcintyre)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: PhoneBase
Date: 5 Jan 93 20:47:00 GMT
Reply-To: ranald.mcintyre@almac.co.uk (Ranald Mcintyre)
Organization: Almac BBS Ltd. +44 (0)324 665371

Hi
LB>My recollection is that if you want to search for a name of less than
LB>four characters you have to terminate it with a semi-colon. Try a
LB>search for BT;

        I am using PhoneBase and note that their instructions are:

type    Jones or Jone   at least four letters
        lee:            semi colon if name has less than four letters
        Jones,j         a comma before the first initial with name 
                        four letters plus
        lee:,j          semi colon and comma before initial with name 
                        less than four letters

        This did help me....  BT; you are then given areas and have to 
        go from there
        My findings are that I am usually _on line_ longer with this 
        _FREE_ program than dialing the operator... certainally since 
        the silly opening legal message

Hope this helps some.... Ranald McIntyre
---
 . DeLuxe. 1.25 #12465 . 
                                                                                                    
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: Steve@donald.demon.co.uk (Steve Gilbert)
Subject: AT&T Calling Card
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16f (10.17.92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Organization: Private Internet/Usenet node.
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 16:25:12 +0000

I've just received an AT&T calling card in the post. I know how to use it to
call US phone numbers using the AT&T USA DIRECT 0800 number, but can I use it
to call other countries?

Can I call UK numbers FROM the UK using this card?

Steve.

-- 
 ____  _____  ___  _  _  ___
(  __)(_  __)(  _)( \/ )(  _) | Steve Gilbert, Lincs, UK
(__  )  ) )   ) _) \  /  ) _) | e-mail: steve@donald.demon.co.uk
(____)  )_)  (___)  \/  (___) |     or: sgilbert@cix.clink.co.uk

Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: Steve@donald.demon.co.uk (Steve Gilbert)
Subject: Answering machine that calls out
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16f (10.17.92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Organization: Private Internet/Usenet node.
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 20:05:08 +0000

Is there such a thing as an answering machine which will call a specific
number programmed into it when someone has left a message?

If there is such a machine, how much do they cost ? I would like to
get a machine which will call my bleeper at work when someone has left a
message, so that I can ring in and retrieve it remotely.

I am responsible for a Large(ish) Novell network, and would like to be able
to know about problems reported when I am not at my phone.

Thanks,

Steve.

-- 
 ____  _____  ___  _  _  ___
(  __)(_  __)(  _)( \/ )(  _) | Steve Gilbert, Lincs, UK
(__  )  ) )   ) _) \  /  ) _) | e-mail: steve@donald.demon.co.uk
(____)  )_)  (___)  \/  (___) |     or: sgilbert@cix.clink.co.uk
From: wdrdjh@thor.cf.ac.uk (Dr D J Harvey 92)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: Guest has run up HUGE bill
Date: 12 Jan 93 06:56:21 GMT
Organization: University of Wales College at Cardiff
X-Mailer: Cardiff Computing Maths PP Mail Open News Gateway

In article <14114@ecs.soton.ac.uk> adr@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Tony Roberts) writes:
|A friend of mine has a relative from America staying with him at the
|moment (the sort who reminds one of the saying - "You can choose your
|friends, but not your relatives"). During his short stay he has run up
|a huge phone bill by calling the States. Many of the calls are in the
|10 to 15 pound range and are coded OIPX - where:
|
|	O = Operator Connected
|	I = International
|	P = Personal?
|	X = Transfer somewhere or other
|
|Can anyone explain what this guy has been doing? Has he phoned the
|operator here and asked to be connected to the operator there and
|then.... 
|
|Moreover - can anything be done to prevent this kind of call being
|made? (e.g., disabling international calls)
|
|Any comments would be appreciated,
|
Its a major problem with Americans in general I'm afraid - calls in the
US are virtually the same cost whether dialled direct or operator
connected, so your average Yank caN'T BEbothered to learn codes, and the
first response in just to call the operator.  Making the calls personal
has just compounded the problem - these calls (via the operator) are
VERY expensive.
Also, sounds from the X, as if he may have been making calls from
payphones and charging them back to the home phone number - this about
doubles the cost again.


Dave Harvey  
(harveydj@cardiff.ac.uk)  tel: +44 222 552588
Dept Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XW, UK
From: nnw@concurrent.co.uk (Neil Watson)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: PhoneBase
Date: 4 Jan 93 10:18:40 GMT
Organization: Concurrent Computer Corporation, Slough, England

In article <91.612.uupcb@almac.co.uk> martin.briscoe@almac.co.uk (Martin Briscoe) writes:
>When I used Compuserve I had a lot of problems with the local DIALPLUS 
>node.  It was off for a couple of days one weekend, so I rang the BT 
>GNS Ops 0800 number - they could find no record of the node at first.  
>I listed several others in the Highlands and were not listed.
>
>Eventually he found a bit of paper listing them pinned to the back of 
>another bit of paper.
>
>The node was off very regularly, everyone seemed to blame it on 
>someone else.  Compuserve were told that it was congestion - at 0100h!
> 
>Got to the point that I got a "not again" when reporting faults on it.
>

BT don't have a monopoly on this! I tried for a while to connect to
Compuserve via the Mercury 5000 (V32) node at Luton, and got a very
similar response. At least they knew it was there, but (as far as I
know) still don't seem to accept that it doesn't work... I gave up on
Mercury altogether when CIS opened their Reading (CIS) node, which is
only an "A" call from home. It seems to be quite marginal (in CIS terms)
between using GNS/MER X25 links verses a Mercury 2300 call to a direct
CIS node when you take the "network surcharge" into account.

Neil.

-- 
Neil Watson, ESDG Product Support, Concurrent Computer Corp
G0BLD        227 Bath Road, Slough, Berks, SL1 4AX, England
             Phone: (+44) 753 513360  FAX: (+44) 753 513303 
(nnw@slough.ccur.com, nnw@concurrent.co.uk or 100021,3041 @ Compuserve)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans)
Subject: Re: BT credit lists?
Organization: Aston University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL241235]
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 13:48:37 GMT

Richard Tomlinson (rpt@edscom.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: In article <1993Jan7.100331.11097@vax.oxford.ac.uk> mjl@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:
: >
: >Is this really true that credit ratings of addresses are used to determine in
: >advance the likely creditability of a person living there, does anyone know?
: >
: Yes, unfortunately it is true. Credit reference agencies store information
: against the address. If you have been refused credit because someone else who
: used to live at the address has a bad record, you can get an amendment made.
: You can get a copy of your record from an agency by paying a fee of L1.
: The data protection registrar wants the agencies to stop storing info against
: addresses, but this will probably take a while to change.

The consumers association feel much the same way about it

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Evans                                   |evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk
+(44) 21 429 9199  (Home)                    |evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk
+(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office)             |
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: Steve@donald.demon.co.uk (Steve Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Guest has run up HUGE bill 
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16f (10.17.92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Organization: Private Internet/Usenet node.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:16:16 +0000

In article <726770270snz@gbd.demon.co.uk> Grahame@gbd.demon.co.uk (Grahame Davies) writes:
> I think you can do that with star services.
> 

Now called NETWORK SERVICES :-)

:-)

-- 
 ____  _____  ___  _  _  ___
(  __)(_  __)(  _)( \/ )(  _) | Steve Gilbert, Lincs, UK
(__  )  ) )   ) _) \  /  ) _) | e-mail: steve@donald.demon.co.uk
(____)  )_)  (___)  \/  (___) |     or: sgilbert@cix.clink.co.uk

Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham Thomas)
Subject: Phone lines from cable operators
Organization: University of Sussex
Distribution: uk
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 17:32:46 GMT

The latest issue of Oftel News states that up to October 1992 72,000
telephone lines had been installed by cable operators in the UK (61k
residential, 11.5k business).  This, it says, is a 500% increase over
the last 12 months.

According to O.N. there are now 26 cable franchises with permission to
offer voice telephony services, owned by 10 different operators.

Graham
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk (David Bisping)
Subject: Re: UK dialtone detection/Digicom Scout+ 
Distribution: world
Organization: none in Particular
Reply-To: dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk
X-Mailer: Simple NEWS 1.90 (ka9q DIS 1.19)
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 00:22:13 +0000

In article <1993Jan4.044241.11528@news2.cis.umn.edu> alla0008@student.tc.umn.edu writes:

>Sorry, I did make that a bit unclear! I did in fact mean the RJ-11 socket
>on the modem, which is connected to the line by a standard BT plug - RJ-11
>cable (Borrowed from a BT phone...). I had heard that the wires in the
>cable should be swapped (inner 2 <-> outer 2) and was wondering if this
>might be the problem - it seems strange to me that the modem should work
>fine in every respect except detecting the dial tone, despite reports of
>this modem being able to understand the UK dial tone.
>
Understood. I'll try and have a look how my RJ11 to BT cable is wired and
I will Email u the result.

Dave...
-- 
--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--
David Bisping                       |    dbisping@cix.compulink.co.uk (perfer)
Currently 'resting' as Actors say   | or dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk
                                    |    Tel +44 81 531 2703   
"This new learning fascinates me Sir Bedervere, Tell me again how Sheep's
 bladders may be employed to detect Earthquakes"  Monty Python & the Holy Grail
**--**--**--**--**  PGP version 2.1 Public Key available  -**--**--**--**--**
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: mark@mark-one.inet-uk.co.uk (Mark Powell)
Subject: Re: 112
Organization: Mark-One Public Access UNIX (+44 942 273926)
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:12:47 GMT

In article <726448757snx@sound.demon.co.uk> rob@sound.demon.co.uk writes:
>>One of you experts out there is bound to be able to tell me how many
>>countries already have 112?
>
>try posting this to alt.dcom.telecom - more international than uk.telecom!

Errr, whatever happened to comp.dcom.telecom???

>-rob-
-- 
Mark Powell

Mark-One Public Access UNIX, Manchester, UK 	BBS:	+44 942 273926
UniBoard, *the* UNIX BBS, UK distribution site	Voice:	+44 942 714317
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: dhd@exnet.co.uk (Damon)
Subject: Re: Modem problem
Organization: ExNet Systems Ltd Public Access News, London, UK
Distribution: uk
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:49:45 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.151514.4928@concurrent.co.uk> nnw@concurrent.co.uk (Neil Watson) writes:
>There's a little box you can get in the US, from Radio Shack, that
>"exclusively" grabs the line. Its design use is either to "cut off" an
>answerphone that doesn't do so automatically when you pick up another
>phone, or to "protect" a modem from the other phones in the house.
>
>You use it by (for case 1, above) by putting it in line with the
>answerphone. Alternatively (in case 2), put it in line with all the
>phones _except_ the modem. These 2 applications are described on the
>back of the packet....
>
>The device is recommended on the Supra V32bis modem "Silent Answer"
>instructions. If I had the instructions I could quote the Radio Shack
>number. I seem to recall that they cost <$10. I only looked at one when
>I was over in the US - maybe I should have bought one and investigated
>further.
>
>I've never seen such a device here, though I can't think why it wouldn't
>work. Anyone know? I could look up the number if anyone is interrested.

I use one; dead handy it is too.  But it's from Hong Kong (BABT?!) Bv<

There is a company that distributes them in the UK for about #8+VAT a
shot, but isn't interested in selling units of less than about 10.

Damon
-- 
Damon Hart-Davis        London, UK        Internet: dhd@exnet.co.uk, d@hd.org

Public-access UNIX (Suns), news and mail for UK#5 per month.  FIRST MONTH FREE.
[1.36] Cheap Sun eqpt.  UUCP news/mail feeds.  Tel/Fax: +44 81 755 0077.
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk (Richard Cox)
Subject: Re: Guest has run up HUGE bill          
Cc: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 03:00:00 +0000

evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) said:

>>  If I remember correctly the 900 area code (together with the 800 code)
>>  should NOT be dialable outside of NA.

The 800 code can be (via devious routes) but, as you say, not the 900 code.
But that code isn't the one that is dialled to set up the call.   The entire
scam originated as a result of many people blocking access from their phones
to 900 numbers, so the sex companies had to find other ways to get business.
What they did was to make it possible for you to call them on NON-900 numbers
(possibly even 800 numbers) and then they either call you back, or log the
call as if they had called you back, in either case billing the call collect.

>>  Is this exactly legal?

Well it seems to be in the states.

>>  I thought under UK law you could not be charged for something you never
>>  requested

Who mentioned the Poll Tax ?

>>  and certainly for something you had never received.

Well, we don't know for certain whether any calls were received.  But these
companies operate under American law, and the charges are passed through BT
by virtue of the international operating agreements between BY and AT&T etc.

Richard D G Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: +44 222 747111      Fax: +44 222 711111      VoiceMail: +44 399 870101
E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk     Not diallable on 511 in mainland USA
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk (Richard Cox)
Subject: Re: Guest has run up HUGE bill          
Cc: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 03:01:00 +0000

evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans) suggested:

>>  >  Note his calls were via *OPERATOR*.
>>  disable calls to the operator then.

There are no network services that can selectively bar incoming calls via an
operator.

Richard D G Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: +44 222 747111      Fax: +44 222 711111      VoiceMail: +44 399 870101
E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk     Not diallable on 511 in mainland USA
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk (Richard Cox)
Subject: Modem problem                           
Cc: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 16:13:00 +0000

chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk (Charles Lindsey) asks:

>>  if someone takes another phone on the same line off-hook whilst the modem
>>  is modeming, one hears the carrier for a few seconds, and then it is
>>  dropped. Is this a problem with modems in general, with my modem in
>>  particular, or am I doing something wrong?

The modem treats the effect of the other phone being picked up as "excessive
line noise" and decides the connection is no longer manageable.  So it drops
the line.   This is a standard feature of most modems - in general it is not
regarded as a problem.  If it is a problem for you there are ways to prevent
other phones being able to connect to the line when the modem is in use.

Richard D G Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: +44 222 747111      Fax: +44 222 711111      VoiceMail: +44 399 870101
E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk     Not diallable on 511 in mainland USA
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Mark Evans)
Subject: Re: Guest has run up HUGE bill 
Organization: Aston University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL241235]
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:48:40 GMT

Graham Toal (gtoal@cursci.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: 
: In article <726770270snz@gbd.demon.co.uk> grahame@demon.co.uk writes:
: >>made? (e.g., disabling international calls)
: >>
: >I think you can do that with star services.
: 
: Note his calls were via *OPERATOR*.

disable calls to the operator then.

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Evans                                   |evansmp@uhura.aston.ac.uk
+(44) 21 429 9199  (Home)                    |evansmp@cs.aston.ac.uk
+(44) 21 359 6531 x4039 (Office)             |
From: nnw@concurrent.co.uk (Neil Watson)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: Modem problem
Date: 11 Jan 93 15:15:14 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Concurrent Computer Corporation, Slough, England

In article <20969@acorn.co.uk> andy@acorn.co.uk (Andy Ingle) writes:
>chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk (Charles Lindsey) writes:
>
>>The trouble is that, if someone takes another phone on the same line
>>off-hook whilst the modem is modeming, one hears the carrier for a
>>few seconds, and then it is dropped. Is this a problem with modems in
>>general, with my modem in particular, or am I doing something wrong?
>
>This is a problem with modems in general.  The only discussions I've
>seen on possible solutions have been centred on disabling other phones
>while modeming or proving them with some kind of "line busy" light.
>
>--Andy
>-- 
There's a little box you can get in the US, from Radio Shack, that
"exclusively" grabs the line. Its design use is either to "cut off" an
answerphone that doesn't do so automatically when you pick up another
phone, or to "protect" a modem from the other phones in the house.

You use it by (for case 1, above) by putting it in line with the
answerphone. Alternatively (in case 2), put it in line with all the
phones _except_ the modem. These 2 applications are described on the
back of the packet....

The device is recommended on the Supra V32bis modem "Silent Answer"
instructions. If I had the instructions I could quote the Radio Shack
number. I seem to recall that they cost <$10. I only looked at one when
I was over in the US - maybe I should have bought one and investigated
further.

I've never seen such a device here, though I can't think why it wouldn't
work. Anyone know? I could look up the number if anyone is interrested.


Neil


-- 
Neil Watson, ESDG Product Support, Concurrent Computer Corp
G0BLD        227 Bath Road, Slough, Berks, SL1 4AX, England
             Phone: (+44) 753 513360  FAX: (+44) 753 513303 
(nnw@slough.ccur.com, nnw@concurrent.co.uk or 100021,3041 @ Compuserve)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk (Richard Cox)
Subject: Guest has run up HUGE bill              
Cc: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 12:56:00 +0000

Grahame@gbd.demon.co.uk (Grahame Davies) wrote:

>>  >Moreover - can anything be done to prevent this kind of call being
>>  >made? (e.g., disabling international calls)

>>  I think you can do that with star services.

You CAN disable international calls with **Network** services, as I do, but
only if you are on a digital exchange.  However there is a separate code to
disable calls to (or via) the operator.  It is not automatic to block calls
to the operator if/when you block international calls.

HOWEVER neither of these would have helped in the case originally mentioned
as the offending calls were International calls ****Transfer Charge**** and
no Star or Network Services will stop that.  Presumably your relative had a
friend or two call him "collect", as the Americans would say ?  Best to ask
BT where the calls were from, just to check.   Oh, and withhold the amounts
involved until you do get the information.   Tell BT why you're doing this.

If you don't think there were any "collect" calls for your relative  (while
you were out, possibly?) then you/your relative may be the victim of a scam
that's been prevalent in the States recently: run by the people who operate
the 900 lines (the US equivalent of 0898 numbers).  What seems to happen is
that someone rings an ORDINARY number in the States, to get a "value-added"
service, and then EITHER they call you back (collect), OR log the call with
the local US phone company as if they HAD called you back collect.  As such
companies can input billing directly into the phone system, as if they were
a phone company, the call just turns up on your bill anywhere in the world,
without any checks being made.  The US phone companies are now used to this
fiddle, and normally cancel such charges on the customer's request. However
whether BT are prepared to adopt a similar approach, remains to be seen !

Richard D G Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: +44 222 747111      Fax: +44 222 711111      VoiceMail: +44 399 870101
E-mail: mandarin@cix.compulink.co.uk
From: andy@acorn.co.uk (Andy Ingle)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: Modem problem
Date: 11 Jan 93 10:11:02 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Acorn Computers Limited, Cambridge, UK

chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk (Charles Lindsey) writes:

>The trouble is that, if someone takes another phone on the same line
>off-hook whilst the modem is modeming, one hears the carrier for a
>few seconds, and then it is dropped. Is this a problem with modems in
>general, with my modem in particular, or am I doing something wrong?

This is a problem with modems in general.  The only discussions I've
seen on possible solutions have been centred on disabling other phones
while modeming or proving them with some kind of "line busy" light.

--Andy
-- 
"You with the broken nose, play the piano."
"But I haven't got a broken nose!"  -- SMACK --  "Play the piano."
From: phudl@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr S J Liddicott)
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
Subject: Re: Answering machine that calls out
Date: 10 Jan 1993 22:27:54 -0000
Organization: Computing Services, University of Warwick, UK
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lily.csv.warwick.ac.uk


Or you can get a voicemail card for your PC
Often the software provided allows it to call out.
Check PC mags or comms. shops.
I haven't seen many advertised in the mags I read though (only 1 advert
for voicemail all year, in fact)
-- 
*----------*-------------------------------------------------------------*
| Sam   Jam|"Never underestimate the importance of a cheap laugh"-       |
| Liddicott| phudl@csv.warwick.ac.uk  | I WAS IN IDAHO | Plucky Duck TTA |
*--------------IF NOT 1 AND NOT 2 AND NOT 3 THEN 4-----------------------*