HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 12:01:25 CDT
From: varney@ihlpf.att.com (Alan L Varney)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: What is DSO?
Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle, IL
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 594, Message 1 of 9

In article <telecom12.586.10@eecs.nwu.edu> dwn@dwn.ccd.bnl.gov (Dave
Niebuhr) writes:

> I know that DMS (tm), the ESS(tm) series and AXE(tm) acronyms are for
> types of switches in the COs, but I've come across the term DSO used
> when I've dialed NNX-9901 to determine the location of a particular
> exchange or group of them.

   For switches, the term DSO usually means Digital Switching Office
(or maybe Digital Serving Office).  This is sort of a generic name for
such offices, of which the DMS- and digital ESS switches are specific
instances.

   In the CLLI(tm) ("silly") code of Bellcore, COs are identified by
City, State, Building and the "building subdivision" -- the latter is
a code that identifies the "type" of switch and the specific instance
within the building.  For example, "Toll" switches are usually
identified by "04T", where "T" is Toll Tandem and "04" means the 4th
such switch in the building ("01" through "03" may have been retired
long ago).

   The code "DS0" (not "DSO") is commonly used to label the first
digital CO in a building.  Bellcore has a whole list of rules for
choosing the identifiers for switches and for all sorts of equipment.
Analog ESS switches are subdivided by type; the No. 1/1A ESS switches
are "CGn", with "C" specific to those switches.  A "D" was for the
4-wire version of those switches, and "E" was for No. 2 ESS.  There
are so many digital switch vendors that Bellcore just uses the "DSn"
for all DSOs.

> Today, NYTel had a notification in {Newsday} that the company was
> offering Enterprise DSO which carries both analog and digital signals
> over fiber but no explanation was given as to what DSO was/is/does.

   Obviously, NYTel can use the "DSO" to mean anything it wants ...
But are you sure it wasn't "DS-0", a common term for a 56/64Kbps
channel within a DS-1 1.544Mbps "T1" line.  DS-0 would typically be
the slowest rate of "digital" interface to a fiber circuit.


Al Varney -- just MY opinion
From: TELECOM Moderator (telecom@eecs.nwu.edu)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: My Face is Red! Glitch Loses Wednesday/Thursday Messages
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:55:00 CDT
Reply-To: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu

One of the last things I typed and sent out was the comment to the
person who was angry that MCI had not processed his change of service
order. I noted, 'there may have been a computer glitch ...'

Then I went to look for my waiting queue ... somehow I dumped it in
error -- I'll be honest and not blame it on the soft/hardware here: I
somehow managed to move another file on top of it and wipe it out.  :(

Lost were messages sent Wednesday and Thursday ** which you have not
already seen during the day and evening Thursday **. In total, it was
about 25-30 messages lost. So if you wrote the Digest Wednesday or
Thursday and your article did NOT appear in the last 50 or so to cross
your screen, then send it again, and please accept my apologies.

Maybe I need to go to bed early tonight for a change, and having wiped
out my queue of work for overnight, why not?

Patrick Townson
TELECOM Moderator
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 09:01:05 EDT
From: andys@internet.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Pac*Bell CLASS Features
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 597, Message 1 of 10

mtxinu!sybase!pokey!nealg@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Neal Goldsmith) wrote:

> I ordered the three new features (Repeat Dialing, Select Call
> Forwarding, and Priority Ringing). The features only work within my
> LATA.

> I can understand them not working for numbers that are not on SS7
> equipped switches, but isn't the CLASS information passed on even
> through toll switches? If not will it ever be?

henry@ads.com (Henry Mensch) said:

> I just found this out, too. It almost seems pointless ... why bother
> when it only works with numbers in your neighborhood?

A LATA is a lot bigger than your neighborhood.  It is usually much of
your state.  The problem with inter-LATA CLASS is that the IXC-LEC
interface for SS7 is not yet deployed, and may not even be official.
(People at Bell Labs, Bellcore, and/or the other IXCs can chime in on
the truth of that statement) And the SS7 information must be carried
by an IXC for interLATA calls, even if the LEC (or its parent company)
is the same on both ends of the call.  Remember that with few
exceptions (like Northern NJ <-> NYC) only an IXC can carry inter-LATA
traffic, *including SS7 signalling*.  


Andy Sherman    Salomon Inc - Unix Systems Support - 
Rutherford, NJ (201) 896-7018 - andys@sbi.com  or asherman@mhnj.sbi.com 
"These opinions are mine, all *MINE*.  My employer can't have them."
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 06:38:44 -0700
From: rlm@ms_aspen.hac.com (Robert L. McMillin)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Forbes Cover Story: Phreakers
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 581, Message 1 of 12

This week's issue of {Forbes} has as its cover story an excellent
article about phraud and phreaking.  The synopsis: if you haven't been
nailed by phreakers, you will be.  Phraud in the United States
accounts for $4 billion a year in toll charges.

The article discusses "shoulder-surfers", the slimebags with video
cameras, binoculars, or keen vision lurking in airports and other
likely spots, who record your phone card number as you dial it,
"call-sellers", the people who take these numbers and stand on
streetcorners in areas with large immigrant populations selling phone
calls home for $10-$30, and the linkage between phreakers,
"shoulder-surfers", and drug dealers.  

Also, it talks about the inherent dangers of DISA well-known to
readers of TELECOM Digest, as well as what some telecom firms are
doing to combat phraud. (Example: NYT, Sprint, MCI, and AT&T no longer
accept international calling-card calls from payphones in some parts
of New York.)  All in all, a highly recommended piece.


Robert L. McMillin                     | Voice:    (310) 568-3555
Hughes Aircraft/Hughes Training, Inc.  | Fax:      (310) 568-3574
Los Angeles, CA                        | Internet: rlm@ms_aspen.hac.com
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 00:00:43 GMT
From: unkaphaed!rkroll@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Kroll)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: A Very Strange Experience When Calling LD
Organization: Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 592, Message 13 of 15

> About, I'd say, 2^3 to 2^5 conversations going on at once!  (Yes, I
> think in binary, so I'm sorry.)  It was wild.  I heard phones ringing
> (even some international puvvvvvvv--puvvvvvvv type rings,) people
> answering the phone in various languages, mostly american english, and
> wonderful voices from all over!  It was definately an invasion of
 
The same thing happened to me when calling the 609-897 prefix in
Arizona.  The modem wasn't connecting, so I picked up the phone. Oddly
enough, it sounded like a huge party line! Unfortunately, I got
clicked off about ten seconds later. By the way, I'm also using AT&T.

 
rkroll@unkaphaed.UUCP (Russell Kroll)
Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy, (713) 943-2728
1200/2400/9600/14400 v.32bis/v.42bis
Date: 25 Jul 92 09:03:57 GMT
From: domiller@ualr.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telephone Keypad Question
Organization: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 583, Message 8 of 15

In article <telecom12.575.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, Pat writes:

[interesting number origin deleted]

> After about 1960 it was dueces wild; no attempt was made to match
numbers with names; any number combination unused at the time was
considered with some universal exceptions: First and second digits
always 2-9 (never 0 or 1) and third digit 1-9 (never a zero).

In 501 there are at least the 370, 660, and 670 exchanges.  When did
the third digit change to allow zeros?


Dale Miller - University of Arkansas at Little Rock   domiller@ualr.edu


[Moderator's Note: We've got lots of NN0 and N0N type prefixes now. We
started getting NN0 about ten years ago; we started getting N0N at the
time of the 312/708 split a couple years ago.   PAT]
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 12:36:18 PDT
From: dag@ossi.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cracker Running Rampant! 
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 583, Message 3 of 15

> "if he is in Australia call the CIA, they have also become
> involved in previous cases if you bug them enough."

> Can you name a case in which they have done so?  Acting on criminal
> matters is not within the CIA's charter.  Read "The Cuckoo's Egg" for a
> detailed history of a case in which a computer at Berkeley was cracked
> by a person in Germany.

The CIA did manage to get involved in the case at Lawrence Berkeley
Labs, and in fact the author of "The Cuckoo's Egg" has given numerous
talks for the CIA and received commendations from them, although I'm
not sure he is proud about the commendations.  The trick is to annoy
them enough so they think that it would be easier to help than to keep
getting messages from you.  It is true, I believe, that other agencies
helped more in this case, although no-one thought that it was
important enough to volunteer their services.

It's funny that you should mention "The Cuckoo's Egg", I worked at LBL
for a number of years, included part of the time chronicled by Cliff
in the book.  During that time, and since, I've learned more about
computer security issues than I've ever wanted to.  You will find my
name scattered around in the book, although the part where Cliff
mentions that I enjoy listening to the band U2 is completely
slanderous and I'm still considering legal action unless a public
apology is forthcoming (are you paying attention Cliff?)


Cheers,

Darren Alex Griffiths         dag@nasty.ossi.com
Open Systems Solutions, Inc   (510) 652-6200 x139
Fujitsu                       Fax: (510) 652-5532
6121 Hollis Street            Emeryville, CA 94608-2092
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 00:28:06 CST
From: Jack.Winslade@ivgate.omahug.org (Jack Winslade)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telephone Keypad Question
Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@ivgate.omahug.org
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 592, Message 6 of 15

In article <telecom12.575.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, Pat writes:

[interesting number origin deleted]

> After about 1960 it was dueces wild; no attempt was made to match
> numbers with names; any number combination unused at the time was
> considered with some universal exceptions: First and second digits
> always 2-9 (never 0 or 1) and third digit 1-9 (never a zero).

In NYC in the mid 60s, there was an attempt to make lettered prefixes
which had no spoken name.  The number I remember the best (I think it
was a TV or radio station, probably WABC) was LT1-7777, pronounced
'ell-tee-one ...'  I also remember one with two x's, XXsomething.
 
When they got the intercept announcers to repeat the number that was
dialed, I remember that they would announce the number in either the
letter format or the all-number format, which ever was officially
assigned to the disconnected line.  For example, 856-9900 might return
'.. the nummmmberrr you have reaccc{scratch}hed, eight-five-six
nine-nine-oh-oh' while 856-9901 might return instead '.. the
{click-buzz} numberrrr you have reaaaached, you-ell-six
nine-nine-oh-one ...'
 
I don't remember if there were any cases where the third letter would
be pronounced, that is if SPRing 9901 would be pronounced as '...
ess-pee-are' or 'ess-pee-seven'.
 

Good day.          JSW

Ybbat (DRBBS) 8.9 v. 3.14 r.1
DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha (just say 'NOE') 402-896-3537  (1:285/666.0)
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 20:44:13 GMT
From: coleman@twinsun.com (Mike Coleman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 911 Nightmare
Organization: Twin Sun, Inc
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 590, Message 5 of 6

> [Moderator's Note: The problem is *NOT* in deciding how to handle a
> 911 emergency call *once you have identified the call and know it is
> to go to the police.*  The problem comes up in first identifying the
> call ...

I'm confused by this comment.  The original writer said that the
caller tried to call 911 and got a busy signal.  I thought that a
"local switch overloaded" condition would have resulted in no (or
delayed) dial tone in this case.  If the caller got a dial tone,
dialed 911, and then got a busy signal, it seems to me that the local
switch's message is "I hear you.  I acknowledge that you're dialing
911.  I have no more circuits and I'm not going to boot anyone.
Please call later, or drop dead, or whatever."

Have I got this wrong?


[Moderator's Note: No, in the above scenario you do not have it wrong.
But consider whether or not it was a busy signal or a no-circuit
condition or whatever .. not all users are sophisticated enough to
know which is which. If 911 returned the busy signal, there is nothing
telco can do about it ... cut off one emergency call in order to put
through another?  If it was a no-circuit condition, was the CO saying
it had no paths open to whatever CO the 911 operates out of, or was it
 from some other circustance?  I think far more often the problem is
just not getting dial tone.  Any stats available on where congestion
occurs the most -- at what phase of call handling?   PAT]
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 03:18:33 GMT
From: dave@westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Panel Still in Use?
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 595, Message 2 of 14

I remember reading that the last panel dial office in the US was
retired from service in Newark, NJ, in the early 1980's.  I don't know
how many step-by-step switches are still in service, but I think some
rural areas with very small telephone populations still use them.


Dave Levenson	  Internet: dave@westmark.com
Westmark, Inc.	  UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Warren, NJ, USA	  Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: 908 647 6857
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 92 09:38:58 CST
From: Jack.Winslade@ivgate.omahug.org (Jack Winslade)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Governor's Island Phones
Reply-To: jack.winslade%drbbs@ivgate.omahug.org
Organization: DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 578, Message 1 of 15

In a message dated 18-JUL-92, Carl Moore writes:

> Earlier this year, I visited Ellis and Liberty Islands in the New York
> harbor, and have the following information on the phone prefixes there
> (pay phones only), in area 212:

> Liberty Island, zipcode 10004; phone prefix 825 (which I also noticed
> in phone book listings for Governors Island).
 
Years ago, when I was in the Coast Guard (things may have changed
since) the government phones on Governor's Island were on 212-264,
which is/was a U.S. govt. prefix with all of the FTS stuff, etc.  If I
remember correctly, the residence phones were indeed on 212-825, which
was some kind of a satellite crossbar switch of some kind at that
time.  Some of the civilian phones came out of lower Manhattan, with
some of the familiar old ones such as WHItehall (212-944) and BOWling
green (212-269) and I think Manufacturers Hanover (branch on GI) had
some lines out of a mid Manhattan Centrex.  (I remember at the time
that the only touch-tone phones on the island were at the bank.  Most
of NYC still could not get touch-tone.)
 

Good day.        JSW      Ybbat (DRBBS) 8.9 v. 3.14 r.1
DRBBS Technical BBS, Omaha (just say 'NOE') 402-896-3537  (1:285/666.0)
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 00:03:45 GMT
From: David Lemson <lemson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Ameritech Testing Digital Cellular Phones
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 592, Message 11 of 15

acg@hermes.dlogics.com writes:

> IF YOU WANT TO JOIN IN THE TEST: You must live in Arlington Heights,
> the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, or downtown Chicago, and you MUST
> NOT be a member of a telecommunications company (unless it's
> Ameritech, I'll bet :-). Call Mr. Tay Kim or one of his associates at
> (800) 640-6472 for details. He told me that they are a small group in

I was told by the Ameritech guy at SuperComm/ICC who demonstrated the
phone for us that they had way more than enough people to test the
system.  He said "I can't even get one!"  Maybe they're onto the next
phase and have more openings?  Or maybe because I was with my dad who
works for a telecommunications company ... (and whose nametag showed
it) :-)


David Lemson                                                 (217) 244-1205
University of Illinois NeXT Campus Consultant  / CCSO NeXT Lab System Admin
Internet : lemson@uiuc.edu                 UUCP :...!uiucuxc!uiucux1!lemson 
NeXTMail accepted                                   BITNET : LEMSON@UIUCVMD
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 00:41:37 EDT
From: andys@flatline.sbi.com (Andy Sherman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Strikes Again
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 592, Message 12 of 15

On 26 Jul 92 14:58:49 GMT, edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg) said:

   (with reference to the ROA calling card option)

> Sure enough, during your 1 hour of midnight calling, the surcharge
> is waived.  Other than that, it's just discounted.

Close, but not quite right.  Calling Card calls are billed at plan
rates.  Plan rates for day and evening calls are a percentage discount
from whatever the call would ordinarily cost.  That means that you pay
the calling card surcharge but it (and the call) are discounted.

For calls during the 10-8 and weekend period, calling card calls are
also billed at plan rates.  This means that the first 60 minutes go
towards the hour included in the monthly charge.  Anything else is
billed at $0.11 per minute, with no surcharge.  It is not just the
first hour that is free of surcharge, as implied in your post (by you
or Eleanor).


Andy Sherman
Salomon Inc  -  Unix Systems Support  -  Rutherford, NJ
(201) 896-7018  -  andys@flatline.sbi.com or asherman@mhnj.sbi.com
"These opinions are mine, all *MINE*.  My employer can't have them."
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 13:56 EST
From: SKASS@drew.drew.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Update: Fixed Call Forwarding
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 595, Message 14 of 14

Thanks to several Digest readers, I now have Fixed Call Forwarding,
otherwise known as Call Forward Busy / Call Forward No Answer.  After
my home phone rings three (my choice) times with no answer, or when my
home phone is in use, a call is transferred to my office phone.  (I
could have chosen to have forwarding only on one of Busy and No
Answer.)  Either I pick up there, or ASPEN voice mail takes the call
(after one more ring).  It's pretty much like having Call Answer or
Message Center but without the stutter dial tone indicating a message.
The down side is that I have to check my voice mail at work more
often, but I could set it up to notify me of messages (though not on
the phone that's forwarded, or Ms. ASPEN will spend a lot of time
talking to herself).

The quirkiest thing about it that I've found so far is what the caller
hears, at least when the call is local (R=ring, .=silence):

RRRRRR......RRRRRR......RRRRRR......RRR.........RRRRRR
                                    ^^^         office phone rings here
                                    |||
                    This half ring and long three-second
                    pause which follows could throw
                    a caller.  I'll see what people say.

It took several calls to New Jersey Bell to find someone who knew that
FCF was available without Answer Call, but Denise in the business
office there was the consummate knowledgable professional.  Comments I
got from Digest readers encouraged me to pursue the issue.  The hook-
up fee is waived during the Call Answer promo, so it's $0 to get
started and $2/month for me to get all my messages in one place.


Steve Kass/Math&CS/Drew U/Madison NJ 07940/201-514-1187  nskass@drew.drew.edu


[Moderator's Note: Oddly enough, Illinois Bell only offers this in
conjuction with voicemail -or- to some other phone line on your
premises or within the same CO. No where else.    PAT]
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 92 00:15:58 -0400
From: David Brightbill <djb@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Help Needed Expanding Cellular Phone Range
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 578, Message 6 of 15

I live part time on an island in the Gulf of Mexico.  The island, off
the coast of Florida, is accessable only by boat or small plane, and
while we have electricity, there is no phone service on the island,
except for cellular.  The nearest big city is Tallahassee and the cell
provider of choice on the island is Centel Cellular.  Their nearest
tower is about 30 miles or so from my house on the island.  I borrowed
a phone from Centel for a few days and found that by mounting a
mag-mount antenna on a scrap of roof tin and placing it on the roof, I
was able to more-or-less reliably work the cell tower.  The "meter" on
the Motorola bag phone showed two bars.

I have two questions.  First, when I received calls on the phone,
occasionally, after a second or two of conversation, the call would
drop and be replaced with a ringing tone or a busy signal.  Since I
was in a "fringe area" and about the same distance from another B cell
system, is it possible that I was getting some sort of intermod?
Secondly, while the signal was fine most of the time, a few times it
was too scratchy to really have a conversation and I was unable to use
touch-tone devices like my answering machine at my other house.  Would
it be possible to build or buy a directional antenna aimed at the
nearest Centel tower?  Does anyone know of a source for plans?  I was
thinking that a little yagi might be the ticket.


David