HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 1:27:34 CST
From: Cliff Sharp <clifto@indep1.chi.il.us>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Headsets etc.
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 860, Message 6 of 9

In article <telecom12.842.9@eecs.nwu.edubier@acuson.com (Jeff Bier)
writes:

> I'm seeking recommendations on telephone headsets.  I have in mind the
> kind that replaces the handset on a typical telephone.  I'm also
> curious to know if anyone makes a cordless telephone headset.

   Years ago, I was searching for one myself.  After trying on several
dozen types, from Radio Shack (like having my head in a clothespin;
hurt after just a few seconds) to Plantronics (heavy, similar to large
stereo headphones which cover the entire ear and shut out all outside
noise, sweaty and generally uncomfortable ... at least the ones I could
find up to $300), I happened to walk into a Heathkit store and found
something not in the catalog.  This little gem by Nady Systems
(unfortunately, address and other info unknown) had a headset similar to
foam-pad walkman-type headphones, VERY comfortable, small control box
inserts between handpiece and phoneset and is switchable to use either
handset or headset.  Best of all, it was just under $40.

   I've seen a cordless headset (with DTMF pad) in one of the
DAK/Damark type catalogs at around $200; they're out there.

  If anyone knows where I could get another Nady Systems headset, I'd
enjoy knowing, since this one is years old and may not last too many
more decades ...


Cliff Sharp   clifto@indep1.chi.il.us   OR  clifto@indep1.uucp  WA9PDM
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992  02:57:25 EST
From: FZC@CU.NIH.GOV
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Washington Post and Caller-ID
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 858, Message 11 of 13

A point that was made about a year ago was that before Caller-ID was
available either from or to telephones located in the District of
Columbia, the {Washington Post} was running articles about the horror
stories of bad happenings due to Caller-ID being available.

When C&P Telephone of Washington DC was allowed to offer Caller-ID,
the {Washington Post} had it included along with the new telephone
system they installed.  The Post never told anyone that it had
installed Caller-ID.  It wasn't until {The Washington Times} (a
competing newspaper in DC) broke the story that anyone knew what the
Post had done.


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


[Moderator's Note: It is not unusual for people in the media to
consider themselves so Special and Different that the editorials they
print each day would agree with John Bunyan's description of his own
life: " ... what I say, and what I do in real life are often two ..."
Channel Two in Chicago (WBBM - CBS affiliate here) constantly takes a
pro-gun control stance; yet their camera crews always have a weapon in
the van when they go to the scene of disasters and other news worthy
events in 'certain neighborhoods' (read: black ghetto areas). And talk
about hypocrisy! My competitor {The New York Times} takes a pro-gun
control stance, yet whenever Arthur Oakes Sulzberg deigns to come into
the city to his office in his chauffer-driven limousine, he always
carries a handgun. I guess what they mean is *you* should not be
allowed to have Caller-ID or handguns; its okay for the lawyers,
politicians and media mogels though; they Know What is Best For Us. 
Kay Graham with her {Washington Post} and News Weak is no different.  PAT]
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 01:36:26 GMT
From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: South African Telecom
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 12, Issue 847, Message 14 of 17

In article <telecom12.840.4@eecs.nwu.edu> Mark.Wuest@att.com writes:

> I have a friend who is trying to economically exchange e-mail with
> someone in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He personally uses Compuserve
> (they have internet access).  For some reason, Compuserve in South
> Africa is quite expensive.  MCI Mail can't give a straight answer on
> how his friend would connect.  

MCI Mail launched a new service earlier this year which gives
customers direct dialup access in 27 countries.  You dial a local
access number (much like dialing into Telenet or Tymnet in the US),
request a connection to the MCI computers in the US, and off you go.
No account is required with the local PTT, and access is charged at
US$.50 per minute and appears on your MCI Mail bill (standard MCI Mail
per-messages charges still apply).  Access in South Africa is provided
in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.  I've sent a detailed
announcement to Pat in case he wishes to put in the archives.


Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com


[Moderator's Note: This will be in the archives later this week for
interested people along with a few other new files in recent days.  PAT]
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 08:32:26 CST
From: varney@ihlpl.att.com (Alan L Varney)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Listing of CLLIs
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 856, Message 4 of 13

In article <telecom12.848.9@eecs.nwu.edu> Cliff Sharp <clifto@indep1.
chi.il.us> writes:

> In article <telecom12.836.9@eecs.nwu.edu> vixen!jadams@uunet.UU.NET
> (22475-adams) writes:

>> I'm not sure whether having a complete list of Common Language
>> Location Identifier codes (CLLI) would be of much help in what you are
>> trying to do.  If your user is an average telephone subscriber, he/she

> Actually, I'm cross-referencing one file against another by a
> common field (not exactly relational database but similar idea); the
> field could just as well contain ABCDEFGH as CHCGILCA but the latter
> might come in handy some day.

   The CLLI(tm) and other such identifiers under the Common Language
(rg.tm) are owned/managed by Bellcore, and are available in a myiad of
formats, usually under a License agreement.  For information about
prices/services, contact:

    Bellcore Language Standards Division, (908) 699-3350

   Any other source is likely to be out-dated, but cheaper.

   For switches, the CLLI is usually formatted as four-char city,
two-char state, two-char/number building and three-char/number entity
ID.  Most switches have a two-character type and a one-digit sequence
number (e.g., CG1 for the second 1/1A ESS(tm) switch in the building.)
This was the scheme published in pre-divestiture documents -- Bellcore
is free to change the rules.


Al Varney - just a some-times customer of Bellcore documents ...
From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: San Jose Mercury Again
Date: 16 Nov 92 18:33:47 GMT
Organization: I.E.C.C.
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 854, Message 2 of 12

> [Moderator's Note: Because you acted so strongly against this
> originally, I have to wonder if the latest call(s)? were deliberate or
> made in error by a new person or were due to an error in the software.

Given their previous behavior, I'd expect that the only way to make
them upgrade their equipment and procedures would be to put the
principals of the company in jail until they do so.


Regards,

John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl


[Moderator's Note: You might expect that if you wish, but it won't
happen that way. John explains why in the response which follows.   PAT]
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 23:35:51 EST
From: David Leibold <DLEIBOLD@VM1.YorkU.CA>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Equal Access Codes: How To Find Them
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 856, Message 10 of 13

The 10xxx+ 1 700 555.4141 seems to work for some of the codes, but
certain carriers might not bother with such an announcement. I don't
think there's even a guarantee that they won't try to soak a huge
900-style message charge from 700 555.4141 (700 is used by some
carriers for special premium services such as conference calling, or
900-style numbers).

The official 10xxx and 950.xxxx assignments may be found in the
Bellcore's Telephone Area Code Directory, which I purchased last year
for USD$30 (plus any incidental charges). Not only are various places
listed with their area codes, but an appendix contains the Carrier
Identification Codes (CIC) which are at the heart of 10xxx and
950.xxxx numbers. Even the various Domino Pizza numbers (950.1430 is
one of them) are listed.


dleibold@vm1.yorku.ca   dleibold1@attmail.com
From: monty@proponent.com (Monty Solomon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Cellular Misinformation
Date: 16 Nov 92 00:11:42 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 850, Message 11 of 13

Excerpt from RISKS DIGEST 14.03

 Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 14:58:48 EST
 From: "Barry C. Nelson" <bnelson@ccb.bbn.com>
 Subject: Cellular Misinformation

The {Boston Globe}, 9 Nov 1992, had a human interest story
illustrating some good uses for the ubiquitous cellular phones.  In
many places you can dial *SP for the State Police, and this had been
credited with getting rapid assistance to accident and crime victims,
as well as apprehending a dangerous escapee. They mentioned problems
with routing 911 calls.

What I found more interesting was a discussion about the Coast Guard
preparing to adopt *CG as a maritime cellular distress number.  A
local official was quoted as saying that the existing broadcast
channels will remain in operation because anyone nearby will hear you
and the CG operates Direction Finding stations to pinpoint your
location. Okay ...

But then he went on to say that cellular calls "only give you a point
to point channel", leading one to the wrong belief that they couldn't
DF a cellular user, and that nobody else could listen if they wanted
to.


BC Nelson

P.S.: After a PGN talk at MIT recently, someone in the audience
claimed that the FBI has multiple "trunks" attached to the local
cellular hub in Boston and they can monitor both sides of a
conversation by just typing in your number.  Thank goodness that this
is a democracy.  :-^


[Moderator's Note: If Mr. Nelson got the impression the author was
saying 'no one can listen to you because cellular is point to point' 
then that is his misunderstanding. I wouldn't have come to that
conclusion based on the author's statement. Would you, readers?   PAT]
Date: 15 Nov 92 01:45:01 EDT
From: Barton F. Bruce <Barton.Bruce@camb.com>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Advice Needed on Telephone Security Systems
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 845, Message 2 of 7

In article <telecom12.829.3@eecs.nwu.edu>, khx@se44.wg2.waii.com
(Kamran Husain) writes:

> Lately there's been a rash of robberies in our area where the mode of
> operation has rendered most home security systems useless.  (I don't

> Most houses hit have the breakers outside the security zone. Crooks
> snip the phone lines and cut the power off. If someone's home, the

> a) Is there a secondary way of notifying a monitoring station that AC

Some central stations will accept "I'm OK" calls every 24 hours. Maybe
your alarm system can be set to do those more frequently and maybe the
central station will accept and ACT if they don't get them.

The key here is that the central station MUST notice that you did not
call in on time. This should NOT be a manual operation with a printer
and a tub of customer cards, but a computerized company that can set
limits that will automatically alarm if you don't call in within a
designated schedule.

Note well that the unit steals your phone line to call in, so if you
had a six hour schedule, you want a separate alarm line lest a call of
yours be chopped by the alarm dialer.

If the alarm company and the cops figure out what is happening, they
can be quietly waiting when the crooks return.
 
A local alarm can be raised whenever the phone line is cut. Readily
available line monitor cards can do that. Smart burglar would clip a
LARGE capacitor across your line to preclude rotary or tone dialing,
but NOT cut it. Or could clip a 9 v radio battery across line so your
line monitor would see some battery, and then CUT the line beyond the
battery. In general, unless they really want YOUR house, they won't be
that careful.

Use exterior lighting that uses 12 v DC electronic ballasts for 14 -
18 watt flourescents - readily available from Solar supply houses.
Normally feed it from a transformer plus rectifier, but when power
fails have it switch to a couple of BIG Sears DieHards in parallel
that are normally trickle charged.

Have some inside lighting powered from it too. You can get MANY hours
of light easily that way, and a 14 watt flourescent puts out a LOT of
light.

Run your alarm off another such battery (but with NO lights to drain
it) and the crooks won't wait enough days for it to die out.
From: lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Apologies to Cisco
Date: 21 Nov 92 21:30:04 GMT
Organization: CMC Network Systems (Rockwell DCD), Santa Barbara, CA, USA
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 863, Message 6 of 10

In article <telecom12.861.7@eecs.nwu.edu> I wrote:

> It is indeed Cisco these days. Cisco is the flagship of the industry,
> enjoying the kind of name recognition that IBM used to have in
> corporate computing. They are also enormously profitable, and have
> adopted IBM attitudes. They don't participate in comparative
> evaluations by magazines, and they don't participate in industry
> interoperability test labs any more. I don't like that attitude.

My basis for this was a recent comparative evaluation of router remote
manageability by SNMP, I believe it was in {Data Communications}
magazine; it came out during InterOp week. The article stated that
despite repeated requests, Cisco had declined to participate.
Unfortunately, I have purged my magazine shelf. Certainly, Cisco chose
not to participate with 15 vendors in the PPP interoperability
demonstration of routers at InterOp.

On the other hand, Cisco did in fact show up for the PPP
Interoperability Consortium's test lab the week before InterOp to
check out the new (not yet released, I believe) PPP option for their
new terminal server (CS-500 ?).

In other words, my statement was overly broad, and I apologize.

Every vendor must balance the benefit of what can be learned from test
labs against the expense, and also must balance the benefit of a good
review against the risk of losing credibility through a possibly
ill-informed negative review. When you are in a leadership position,
the risk can be significant.


Lars Poulsen - eating crow at Rockwell ...
Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer	Internet E-mail: lars@CMC.COM
CMC Network Products / Rockwell Int'l	Telephone: +1-805-968-4262	
Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3083		TeleFAX:   +1-805-968-8256


[Moderator's Note: I've received another comment on this subject as
well, and it is included next.  PAT]
From: eggert@twinsun.com (Paul Eggert)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: 714fix: A Conversion Program For 714/909 Area Code Split
Date: 21 Nov 92 21:20:28 GMT
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 864, Message 10 of 15

Here's '714fix', a Unix Bourne shell script that reads standard input
and writes standard output, converting telephone numbers to adjust for
the split of California's 714 and 909 area codes on 15 November 1992.
You can apply this program to arbitrary text: it modifies only the
affected telephone numbers.

There is NO WARRANTY with this program.  This program is derived from
data supplied by GTE, and it probably contains errors.  Use it at your
own risk.

#!/bin/sh

# Read argument files (or standard input if none), and write standard output,
# adjusting telephone numbers to account for the 714/909 area code split.

#	$Id: 714fix,v 1.1 1992/09/15 07:53:17 eggert Exp $

# Please send corrections (with justifications) to eggert@twinsun.com.

# The source is:

#	GTE CA 5706C phone bill insert

# The following prefixs are duplicated in both 714 and 909 area codes,
# so they are not included in the list below.

#	555	long distance info
#	561	reserved for future emergency use
#	853	time
#	950	long distance carrier access
#	976	info providers

# area codes
 from=714
to=909

# Compute the sed commands from the area codes and prefixes to be changed.
sedsed='{
	s@#.*@@
	s@[ 	]@@g
	/^$/d
	s@.*@s/\\([^0-9]\\)'$from'\\([-).	 ][-).	 ]*&[-.	 ]\\)/\\1'$to'\\2/g@
}'
sed_commands=`
	sed "$sedsed" <<'EOF'

		# prefixes in $from that should be moved to $to
		24[2-7]
		27[2-9]
		30[1-47-9]
		33[5-8]
		34[13]
		35[0-9]
		36[09]
		37[01]
		38[1-46-9]
		39[0-9]
		42[0-8]
		43[19]
		46[0-9]
		47[3578]
		48[1-8]
		58[45]
		59[0-9]
		60[3-57]
		62[0-9]
		65[2-9]
		67[246-9]
		68[1-9]
		69[4-9]
		710
		73[4-7]
		76[35-79]
		78[0-57-9]
		79[02-9]
		82[02-59]
		84[59]
		86[0-24-9]
		87[2-8]
		88[0-9]
		899
		92[02-9]
		93[013]
		9[48][0-9]

EOF
`

# Run the sed script.
exec sed '
	/'$from'/{
		s/^/ /
		'"$sed_commands"'
		s/^ //
	}
' ${1+"$@"}
From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: San Jose Mercury Again
Date: 16 Nov 92 03:25:00 GMT
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 850, Message 9 of 13

The {San Jose Mercury News} is calling again. Now the big guns come
out.  Tomorrow, I am calling the non-emergency police number and file
a police report for harassing phone calls. A rep at Pac*Bell thought
that this would be a wonderful plan and suggested that if I could get
a number of other people to do the same, things might be set right in
a hurry.

So how about it, Bay Area folks? If you are tired of the {San Jose
Mercury} constantly calling you at the dinner hour, why not "call the
cops"? For those of you who think this is a bit drastic, remember that
I have already done the following:

Repeatedly spoken to the president of the telemarketing firm;

Repeatedly spoken to the SJMN telemarketing manager;

Repeatedly given them the list of numbers at my residence;

Had my attorney write to both;

Complained of "harassment" to telco;

Faxed net articles bad-mouthing the paper to SJMN management.

And after filing my police report, I will make a report to the BBB for
good measure.

Any other ideas?


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


[Moderator's Note: Because you acted so strongly against this
originally, I have to wonder if the latest call(s)? were deliberate or
made in error by a new person or were due to an error in the software.
They surely could not be so willful as to deliberatly start the calls
again. Why not make some copies of your earlier correspondence and
send them by registered mail or courier to the telemarketing firm and
ask them what happened ... did something go wrong in their system,
etc, as you can't belive they are *willfully* violating your request.  PAT]
From: jsimpson@darmok.uoregon.edu (John Simpson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Looking For Three-Slot Coin Phone
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:54:25 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon Network Services
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 853, Message 5 of 13

I've always enjoyed the sound of the coin bells inside the old
three-slot payphones.  I would like to own one for myself to use
inside my residence.

Of course I would want a coinbox key!  I have two big questions,
first, is it kosher to have a coin phone on a private residential
line? Second, where can I buy one of these beasts?


John Simpson   Voice    +1-503-345-0858
               Fax      +1-503-485-5712
               CIS       74106,2203
Internet  jsimpson@darmok.uoregon.edu
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 8:40:17 EST
From: PINE_RIDGE@ORVB.SAIC.COM
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Experience With AT&T Language Line
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 848, Message 6 of 10

Capek writes, "...the service is headquartered in Monterey, CA.  I
believe that is, not accidentally, where the US (Navy? Army?)
translators school is located."

The Defense Language Institute, at the Presidio of Monterey, provides
language training to students from all service branches and other
organizations.  I studied there in 1978.  It's a neat school and is
located in one of the most beautiful places on earth.


Brad Dolan N4VHH 700.NUCLEAR 71431.2564@compuserve.com
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 23:06:25 GMT
From: gomez@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (JL Gomez)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Foreign Exchange Installation Alternatives?
Organization: Arizona State University
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 862, Message 3 of 8

Is there any alternatives to having a phone line installed in a
different area code in which you live in?
 
I've called my PacBell representative and they offer foreign exchange
installation for a hefty initial installation fee and heavy monthly
fee.
 
One alternative someone mentioned is to use call forwarding but that
will involve putting the line in someone else's home.

What about a 900 phone number?  By the way, this is for a friend's
BBS.  Thanks for the info.


gomez@enxuha.eas.asu.edu


[Moderator's Note: He could put in a 900 line and set the charge for
calls to ZERO.  The caller would pay nothing, but your friend would
still have to pay the carriage fee to whichever provider he got the
service from, and at 25-30 cents *per minute* this probably would not
be any less expensive than FX. If he wants to use call forwarding, the
phone could always hang on a wall in an answering service; he'd have
to pay the service some fee (maybe $10 or $15 per month) to leave it
there. If he goes with call forwarding, make sure the line doing the
forwarding gets *untimed, unmeasured local service* to the BBS; if
not, then this alternative will turn out to be more expensive than
planned also.  There is also a telco service in many places called
Remote Call Forwarding. This amounts to a line terminated in the
distant CO which is set to permanently forward calls at the DID rate
in effect. But these are rarely if ever tariffed for residential use,
and if it is a business line then the chances of having unmeasured
local service outboound from it is not too likely. Personally, I'd
stick with FX if he insists he wants to pay the phone bill for his
users, or else go with an 800 number, and pay those rates. There is no
inexpensive way to do what he wants; telco *always* gets their money
regardless of your configuration.   PAT]