HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Date: 2 Jan 1993 01:21:55 GMT
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Suggestions Wanted For Phone Device to Restrict Toll Charges
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 2, Message 12 of 12

In article <telecom12.926.1@eecs.nwu.edu> stevef@wrq.com (Steve
Forrette) writes:

> There are auto-dialers available that prevent this.  I tried this
> trick with the elevator phone in our building.  When you take the
> phone off-hook, you hear dialtone, then hear it dial the answering
> service for the elevator company.  As soon as the dialer hears a
> touchtone generated from the headset, it hangs up the line.  Boy, they
> won't let anybody have any phun these days!

> [Moderator's Note: Now that is interesting! I wonder how they do it? 
> Apparently if the autodialer hears a tone, and *it* did not make the
> tone, it disconnects. Is that how it works?  PAT]

Yes, this is exactly what it does.  The reason I was trying to dial
out is that I was calling the ANAC number to get the elevator's phone
number.  Then, I was going to call it when co-workers were in it to
conduct the 'elevator survey' that was talked about here a couple of
years ago.  But, I suspect that if the auto-dialer is smart enough to
prevent me manually dialing with a pocket dialer, that it probably
blocks incoming calls from reaching the phone as well.


Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com


[Moderator's Note: I've seen elevators with autodialers on their
phones but quite a few have a direct ring-down circuit instead. That
is, you take it off hook and it immediatly starts ringing the other
end of the dedicated wire. In the 77 West Washington Building
downtown, (Chicago Temple Building) each elevator has a ring-down
phone which rings to the elevator supervisor in the lobby on a
multi-line phone with several buttons. Going off hook in the elevator
lights a button on his phone; if he goes off hook it rings the
elevator phone associated with that line/button. There is an
'extension' phone with many buttons in the elevator machine room on
the 21st floor so the building engineer or elevator mechanic can also
talk to people in each car. The lobby supervisor can talk to the 21st
floor via the building's PBX system. He also has an illuminated panel
which tells him where each car happens to be in the shaft at that
moment and if it is moving or sitting there, etc.  PAT]
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 92 03:11:30 EST
From: pegasus@grex.ann-arbor.mi.us (Patricia Snyder-Rayl)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Introduction to CONNECT Magazine
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 917, Message 17 of 17

[Moderator's Note: Ms. Snyder-Rayl asked about the best way to notify
telecom people about this new magazine starting early next year. I
suggested she tell us about it right here in the Digest.  PAT]

        Announcing CONNECT -- A new telecomputing magazine covering
the major commercial online services, Internet/Usenet and bulletin
board system networks, CONNECT focuses on telecommunications from a
user's perspective. The first bi-monthly issue of CONNECT will be
available in March, 1993.

Issue after issue, CONNECT shows you how to get the most from the
commercial online services you're using -- CompuServe, Delphi, America
Online, Prodigy, GEnie and BIX. With columnists on staff to cover
these services in depth, you'll find CONNECT a valuable resource.

CONNECT also shows you what "free" networks like Internet have to
offer.  Every issue of CONNECT contains Internet coverage that helps
you find your way around the biggest network in the world.

But CONNECT doesn't stop there. BBS callers also receive a wealth of
information from each issue. All varieties of computer platforms are
covered in the pages of CONNECT, as are the many different types of
bulletin board software and services found on these computers.
Articles spotlighting BBSes in specific cities or similar categories
(such as medical BBSes or handicapped-related systems) appear
regularly.

For more information, please contact Pegasus Press at 3487 Braeburn
Circle, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 or phone (313) 973-8825.  For the fastest
response and a copy of the subscription form, please email us at
pegasus@grex.ann-arbor.mi.us.
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 18:02:51 -0500
From: fenner@postscript.cs.psu.edu (Bill Fenner)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: ZyXEL Modem Review
Organization: Penn State Computer Science
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 5, Message 5 of 9

In article <telecom12.915.2@eecs.nwu.edu> levitt@zorro9.fidonet.org
(Ken Levitt) writes:

> Two types of security features.  One does dial back, the other works
> only with another XyXEL modem.

This is wrong.  There are two types of security, one which asks for a
password, and the other which only works with ZyXELs, which checks
against the other modem's supervisory password.

Either mode can allow dialback, either to one of 10 numbers based on
which password matched, or the "enter-password" mode can also request
a number to dial back on.

The security is completely transparent to the host connected to the
modem, except for the amount of time for the CONNECT message to come
back.  For example:

 Remote		ZyXEL		Host
 --------	---------	----------
		RING	->
			<-	ATA
 (negotiate connection)
	<-	PassWord =
mypass	->
	<-	Correct
		CONNECT 38400 ->

i.e. the host doesn't see the fact that the connection occurred until
the correct password has been entered.


Bill
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 93 18:38:20 EST
From: Tony Pelliccio <PJJ125@URIACC.URI.EDU>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Loaned Phones/Courtesy Phones (Was AOS Payphones @#$%%%$#)
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 4, Message 4 of 12

In regards to loaned telephones and blocking access to tolls and
900/976 number, I believe Radio Shack sells a unit for under 100 bucks
that completely restricts toll calling. Just allows you to dial
straight seven digits, not much else.

 
Tony Pelliccio   pjj125 @ uriacc.uri.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 00:20:51 GMT
From: ds@netcom.com (David Schachter)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Facilities For Low-Cost, Non-US Access to US BBS's?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 914, Message 7 of 14

I run a computer bulletin board system (BBS) for PenPoint developers.
The BBS is in the United States and folks in Europe and South America
have expressed interest in accessing it, but not while paying normal
voice phone rates for international calls!  If y'all have information
about access methods that provide interactive data transmission (e.g.
PC Pursuit), please let me know.  Thank you.


David Schachter                                david@llustig.palo-alto.ca.us
801 Middlefield Road, #8                            ...!decwrl!llustig!david
Palo Alto, CA  94301-2916 USA      After 10 am, voice & fax: +1 415 328 7425


[Moderator's Note: Well the people at Sprintnet (formerly Telenet, the
PC Pursuit operators) do offer PC Pursuit connections once an
international caller hits the gateway in the USA; probably at
Sprintnet's HQ in Virginia.  If your callers subscribed to PC Pursuit
*and* made local arrangements with the PTT administration in their
country for a data link to the USA, they could call that way, and even
with the expensive overseas circuits they would be using plus the cost
of PC Pursuit ($1 per hour once they get on this side) the cost would
still probably be less than voice circuits they'd otherwise be using.

Another alternative is to check out the cost of having a Sprintnet pad
right there at your site in place of one or more of your dialup lines.
You'd get a network address, and your overseas callers would use their
data link to make an international data call to the USA, then onward
to your pad and your system. You'd need to keep such a circut loaded
all the time -- one call after another constantly -- to justify the
cost; but if you could do this it probably would even be less
expensive than PC Pursuit plus the international circuit otherwise.
In addition to PC Pursuit, Sprintnet offers a corporate or business
version of the same service for more money with more flexibility, but
still less expensive than voice-grade lines and dialup calls would
cost. At one time a few years ago I asked Telenet to quote me a price
for a pad straight to my terminal from their switch in Chicago. Do not
quote me as my memory is fading, but I think they said in my specific
application it would be about $700 per month. I was not able to
justify that over dialup, even with the new rates then going into
effect with IBT (no more flat rate packages).  Check them out at
703-689-6000.  PAT]
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 01:59:16 GMT
From: rogerk@queernet.org (Roger B.A. Klorese)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: All Circuits Are Busy Now ...
Organization: QueerNet
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 2, Message 1 of 12

John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com>:

> How soon we forget. Hours after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I
> tried at some length to get though to my home from southern
> California.  All circuits were busy. Then I tried Sprint. The call
> went right through. Discussions right here on the Digest pointed to
> the policy of AT&T of purposely restricting incoming access to a
> disaster area. I, for one, was very grateful for the fact that AT&T's
> policies are not always imitated by the competitors.

I am, personally, very grateful that AT&T's policy was as it was.  It
enabled me to *reach* my loved ones outside the area quickly when I
*could* get to a phone and *chose* to contact them, rather than being
locked out by my neighbor's Aunt Minnie calling their answering
machine to see if the cat was OK.

The disaster area residents should be in control of the flow of
information and the resources used to achieve it.  AT&T made a
splendid call on that one.


ROGER B.A. KLORESE                                   +1 415 ALL-ARFF
rogerk@unpc.QueerNet.ORG   {ames,decwrl,pyramid}!sgiblab!unpc!rogerk
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 17:32:19 -0600
From: TELECOM Moderator <telecom@eecs.nwu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Administrivia: What You Should Have Received
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 1, Message 1 of 13

Several unnumbered items were sent out between the end of Volume 12
which had 928 issues and this, the start of Volume 13 and another year
here at TELECOM Digest.

     1) A copy of the FAQ.
     2) A letter to Usenet comp.dcom.telecom readers about the Digest.
     3) An image of the Telecom Archives directory and ftp instructions.
     4) An endless supply of Caller-ID messages and replies ... :)
        (actually, three large files with several messages each in the
        first two and a single longer message in the third.)

If you did not get any of these and feel you must have them, you will
find the first three items already in the archives at one place or
another; the mailings which went out on January 1-2 will not be put in
the archives again (needless duplication). I am not going to put the
clean out of Caller-ID messages in the archives either; so if you for
some reason did not get Parts 1, 2 and 3 of that, you'll need to annoy
me by asking for copies from here.

Happy New Year, and welcome to Volume 13 of TELECOM Digest. The Digest
was started in 1981 by Jon Solomon, and we'll wrap up twelve years of
this in August, 1993.


Patrick Townson
TELECOM Digest Moderator
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 16:01:10 GMT
From: harpe@hermes.louisville.edu (Mike Harpe)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: EMBARC Service Information Wanted
Organization: University of Louisville
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 916, Message 8 of 11

I just saw an ad for Motorola's EMBARC information service based on
NewsStream pagers.  Is anyone out there subscribing to this?  I would
like to hear about it, what services are provided?  Cost?

Any information is helpful.  Thanks in advance!


Michael Harpe, Programmer/Analyst      Information Technology, Ormsby Bldg.
harpe@hermes.louisville.edu            University of Louisville
(502)588-5542                          Louisville, Ky. 40292
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 17:25:01 +0100
From: st@bbl.be (Simon Townsend)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Multiple Modem Replacement
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 927, Message 13 of 14

What we currently have is quite a few sites doing this:
					      ______
	     _________ 	       	       	   __|____  |
   ----------| 	      |--------[modem]-----|	  | | Sun 690
             |        |	       		   | Async| |
   ----------| Call   |--------[modem]-----|  io  | | VME or
	     |        |			   | cards| | SBus
   ----------| Dist   |--------[modem]-----|	  | |
        .    |        | .		   |	  | |
  PSTN  .    | Equip  |	.		   |	  | |
        .    |        |	.		   |	  | |
   ----------| 	      |--------[modem]-----|	  | |
             |        |			   |	  | |
   ----------| 	      |--------[modem]-----|	  |_|
             |________|			   |______|
                            upto (say) V32bis

i.e., Multiple PSTN lines coming into a call distributor (same PSTN
number), which chooses a free modem which is connected to an asynch
card in the sun, where we can finally start looking at whats coming in
 ... messy.

So, I understand that something like the following may be available:

				   _________
				   |        |
   				   | DSPs   |   Sun 690
	Exchange		   |  &     |   VME or
   --------------------------------| Analog |   SBus
	E1 (T1) line or equiv	   |        |
	((PRI))			   |  Stuff |
				   |________|


Anybody got any ideas or preferebly experience on this sort of thing?

Or, could I have a Primary rate ISDN line from the exchange, with the
PTT doing the V32bis etc conversion to digital ... ideas?

PS, I'm in Belgium, so approvals, etc are the next question if anyone
has detailed knowledge ...


Thanks, 

Simon Townsend.
From: mearle@falcon.ccsu.edu (Mark Earle)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: FidoNet / Dial Up to Telecom Archives
Date: 22 Dec 92 01:31:49 GMT
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 914, Message 10 of 14

My FidoNet node has the Digest from 12 787 forward on line for
retrieval either by "File Request" from ohter nodes, or direct dial in
for regular folks with modems.
 
The system runs 24 hours/day, and employs a U.S. Robotics HST (one of
the original models). Callers with HST's will get a maximum of 1100
cps transfers. Callers with error correcting modems of other brands
should get 4-500 cps.
 
Files are stored in plain ascii format. There is a files list, of
course. Files ending in '.TXT' are ascii, cr/lf terminated. Recent
files are '.UNX ' terminated in cr only, Unix style. Both will work
with the majority of word processors on many platforms.
 
I don't store them in ZIP, ZoO etc to allow access by non-ms dos
users.
 
Access information/short notes: Dial +1 512 855 7248.
 
After you get a CONNECT msg, wait a few seconds. If you send a few ESC
characters, it'll speed things up. You'll get a Loading OPUS, Takes 20
seconds msg ... and when "Opus" loads, promts will guide you to enter
a password, etc. At the main menu, select F for files, then A for
area, 2, and once there at the files menu, F for file titles. There
are also some of the Computer Underground Digest files.
 
The BBS system is free of charge, and first time callers may download
with no "verification" or other troubles. 30 minute call limit
applies; simply leave mail (you'll be asked to at the 'g' oodbye
prompt) and you may have more time.
 
I post the copies of the Digest received from my mail box at work
daily, of course sometimes I do get behind.
 
If the system is "down" the modem simply does not answer. Busy implies
another caller is on line; try again shortly.
 
Re: Waffle
 
I've contemplated (over the holidays) adding Coherent, to gain UUCP
capability, and / or waffle, since at the call in point, I could
present callers with a "press 1 for Fidonet, 2 for Waffle/Internet"
type menu.  That might be fun. I'm like you on Waffle: don't know much
of the specifics.  Opus/Fidonet are more familiar to me, but I think
it'd be fun to have both here at home. Feel free to spread the above,
as the BBS is very lightly loaded. 

The node number, needed for other folks in Fidonet to automatically
request files, is 1:160/50.  There is even a way to get mail from/to
Internet but I just use the account at the office :-)


 mwe

[Moderator's Note: I am pleased to spread the word: 512-855-7248 for a
good time :) picking up back issues of the Digest as needed. I've had
a couple other letters on this today, and perhaps soon will be able to
announce an alternate set of the entire archives on a dialup line for
our many non-Internet readers without ftp ability at their site.  PAT]
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 08:54 PST
From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: CallerID on FX Lines?
Reply-To: John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com>
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 914, Message 14 of 14

mmt@RedBrick.COM (Maxime Taksar KC6ZPS) writes:

> Not so in California.  Here we *do* have a residential FX tariff
> (unless it's been removed since I last looked at it a couple years
> ago.  John?).

It is tariffed for residence if you are willing to have measured
service. Pac*Bell no longer offers unmeasured service over FX lines
where measured is available -- and that covers just about the entire
service area.


John Higdon  |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115     |       FAX:
john@ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | 10288 0 700 FOR-A-MOO | +1 408 264 4407
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992  14:09:44 EST
From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Bell Atlantic Cellular in Ukraine?  NOT!
Reply-To: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 917, Message 6 of 17

I just discovered something that is either a bug or a feature
depending on your opinion.

I was attempting to send a fax to a number in Kiev, Ukraine.  To
attempt to call one of these numbers during the day is almost always
futile unless you try one of the less-used alternate carriers such as
Sprint or MCI.  So I had a number in the Ukraine that looked like
this:

7 044 5xx xxxx

Well, the correct way to dial this would have been:

 9 10333 011 7044 5xx xxxx

But I had dialed it like this:

 9 10333 704 45xxx xxx

The interesting thing was that the phone company never gave me an
announcement saying that I should not dial a carrier code.  Also, I
note it didn't toss me a "you must first dial a one when calling this
number" which I would have expected.

At first I thought the phone company was misinterpreting calls made to
Ukraine.  Then I could have said something to the effect of "I knew
that Bell Atlantic Cellular has a larger calling area than Cellular
One, but this is ridiculous!"


Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM
These opinions are mine alone.


[Moderator's Note: Nope, telco just decided you were placing a call to 
704-45xx which happens to be a cellular number and as a result they
did not have to pass you to Sprint (10333) or an international center
(011) for the purpose of handling the call.  PAT]
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 13:13:03 GMT
From: mschenk@research.ptt.nl (Mike Schenk +31 70 33 23926)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: No Caller-ID in California
Organization: PTT Research
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 921, Message 7 of 10

In article <telecom12.916.2@eecs.nwu.edu>, john@zygot.ati.com (John
Higdon) writes:

> As a result of the ridiculous requirements imposed upon the service by
> the California Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Bell has announced
> that it has no plans to offer Caller-ID at the present time. These
> restrictions make it impossible to offer a viable product to
> customers, according to Pac*Bell.

I don't think these requirements are ridiculous. If Caller-ID is
introduced in the Netherlands I would most likely block it for my
lines as well. If I want somebody to know my phone number I will give
it to them. I think the advantages of Caller-ID are much less than the
disadvantages.

> [Moderator's Note: If PacBell wants to make an end-run around the PUC,
> all they need to do is implement Blocked Number Call Blocking, and
> educate their caller ID subscribers on how to automatically reject
> calls from unidentified parties. When that forty percent with non-pub
> numbers found out that fifty percent of the other subsribers were
> refusing their calls, they'd soon ask for their number to start being
> displayed by default also.  PAT]

Why would people reject an unidentified party? I wouldn't. I would
just answer the call and break it off if I don't like the call for some
reason.

If somebody familiar calls you will most likely recognize them anyway
so you don't need Caller-ID. And if somebody you don't know calls, you
won't recognize the phone number anyway so you have to pickup the
phone anyway.

So what is the great advantage in Caller-ID anyway? (And don't tell me
it is easy to stop crank calls because anybody smart enough would make
crank calls from phone booths!)


Mike
Date: 25 DEC 92 01:52   
From: MPA15AB!RANDY@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: California PUC Reduces CLID Restrictions
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 916, Message 3 of 11

The {L.A. Times} reported on November 24th [I'm a bit behind in my
reading] that the California PUC met on November 23, and voted 3-to-1
to ease some of the CLID restrictions they had imposed in their June
ruling.  They said that the LECs only had to educate people in the
areas where they were going to offer the service, not statewide.  The
PUC also ruled that per-line blocking with per-call unblock, required
in their June ruling, would be subject to a "limited rehearing" on its
technical feasibility.

Pacific Bell said in a July filing that developing the technical
capability to offer that form of blocking would take three years.

In response to this latest ruling, Michael J. Miller, Pac Bell's VP
for regulatory affairs, said "I'm encouraged by the words I see, but
we can't really say [if we want to offer CLID] until we look at the
order ... and do some more economic analysis," which could a couple of
weeks.

GTE and Contel also said they would have to review the order before
deciding if they would offer CLID.


Randy Gellens                randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com
A Series System Software                 if mail bounces,  forward to
Unisys Mission Viejo, CA                         rgellens@mcimail.com
Opinions are personal;   facts are suspect;   I speak only for myself


[Moderator's Note: I am confused. Is this message from Randy
superceeded by the two messages from Greenberg and Higdon in this
issue based on the 12/23 news reports? Is the 'limited rehearing' they
mentioned what resulted in the 12/23 news stories?  PAT]