                  17-JUN-1987 Blue box plans, part II

               THE MARK TABAS ENCOUNTER SERIES PRESENTS...

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                     BETTER HOMES AND BLUE BOXING
                               PART II
                       PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

  (IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE READER HAS READ AND UNDERSTOOD PART I OF THIS SERIES).

    THE ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF BLUE BOXING IN THE BEGINNING WAS MERELY TO RECEIVE
  TOLL SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE. THOUGH THIS CAN STILL BE DONE, BLUE BOXING HAS
  ESSENTIALLY OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS IN THIS AREA. MODERN DAY "EXTENDERS" AND
  LONG DISTANCE SERVICES PROVIDE A SAFER AND EASIER WAY TO MAKE FREE FONE CALLS.
  HOWEVER, YOU CAN DO THINGS WITH A BLUE BOX THAT JUST CAN'T BE DONE WITH ANY-
  THING ELSE. FOR ORDINARY TOLL-FRAUD, A BLUE BOX IS IMPRACTICAL FOR THE
  FOLLOWING REASONS:

    1. CLUMSY EQUIPMENT REQUIRED (BLUE BOX OR EQUIVALENT)
    
    2. MOST BOXED CALLS MUST BE MADE THROUGH AN EXTENDER. NOT FOR
       SAFETY REASONS, BUT FOR REASONS I'LL EXPLAIN LATER.
   
    3. CONNECTIONS ARE OFTEN SACRIFICED BECAUSE CONSIDERABLE DISTANCES
       MUST BE DIALED TO CROSS A SEIZABLE TRUNK, IN ADDITION TO
       AWKWARD ROUTING.


  ARE USUALLY MADE THROUGH AN EXTENDER. THIS IS FOR BILLING REASONS. IF YOU
  RECALL FROM PART I, 2600HZ IS USED AS A "SUPERVISORY" SIGNAL. THAT IS, IT
  SIGNALS THE STATUS OF A TRUNK-- "ON-HOOK" OR "OFF-HOOK." WHEN YOU
  SEIZE A TRUNK (BY BRIEFLY SENDING 2600HZ), YOUR END (THE CALLING END)
  GOES ON HOOK FOR THE DURATION OF THE 2600HZ AND THEN GOES OFF-HOOK ONCE
  AGAIN WHEN THE 2600HZ IS TERMINATED. THE CALLED END RECOGNIZES THAT A CALL
  IS ON THE WAY AND ATTACHES A REGISTER, WHICH INTERPRETS THE DIGITS WHICH ARE
  TO BE SENT. NOW, UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH YOUR END HAS COME OFF-HOOK
  (NO 2600HZ PRESENT), THE OTHER END IS STILL ON-HOOK. YOU MAY WONDER THEN,
  WHY, IF THE OTHER END (THE CALLED END) IS STILL ON-HOOK, THERE IS NO 2600HZ
  COMING THE OTHER WAY ON THE TRUNK, WHEN THERE SHOULD BE. THIS IS CORRECT.
  2600HZ *IS* PRESENT ON THE TRUNK WHEN YOU SEIZE IT AND AFTERWARDS, BUT YOU
  CANNOT HEAR IT BECAUSE OF A BAND ELIMINATION FILTER (BEF) AT YOUR
  CENTRAL OFFICE.

  BACK TO THE PROBLEM. REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU SEIZE A TRUNK, 2600HZ IS
  INDEED COMING THE OTHER WAY ON THE TRUNK BECAUSE THE CALLED END IS STILL
  ON-HOOK, BUT YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HEAR IT BECAUSE OF A FILTER. HOWEVER, THE
  BELL EQUIPMENT KNOWS IT'S THERE (THE CAN "HEAR" IT). THE PRESENCE OF THE
  2600HZ IS TELLING THE BILLING EQUIPMENT THAT YOUR CALL HAS NOT YET BEEN
  COMPLETED (I.E., THE CALLED END IS STILL ON-HOOK). WHEN FINALLY YOU DO
  2600HZ FROM THE CALLED END TERMINATES. THIS TELLS THE BILLING EQUIPMENT THAT
  SOMEONE PICKED UP THE FONE AT THE CALLED END AND YOU SHOULD BEGIN TO BE
  BILLED. SO YOU DO START TO GET BILLED, BUT FOR THE CALL TO THE TRUNK, NOT THE
  BOXED CALL. YOUR BILLING EQUIPMENT THINKS THAT YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH THE
  NUMBER YOU USED TO SEIZE THE TRUNK.

  ILLUSTRATION:

    1. YOU CALL 1+806-258-2222
       (DIRECTLY)
    2. STATUS OF TRUNKS:

  <----------------------------------->
  (YOU)                    806-258-2222
  NO 2600HZ-------> <------------2600HZ

    WHEN YOU SEIZE A TRUNK (BEFORE THE NUMBER YOU CALLED ANSWERS) THERE IS
  NO AFFECT ON YOUR BILLING EQUIPMENT. IT SIMPLY THINKS THAT YOU'RE STILL
  WAITING FOR THE CALL TO COMPLETE (THE CALLED END IS STILL ON-HOOK; IT
  IS RINGING, BUSY, GOING TO RECORDING OR INTERCEPT OPERATOR).
    NOW, LET'S SAY THAT YOU'VE SEZIED A TRUNK (806-258-2222) AND FOR EXAMPLE,
  KP+314+949+1705+ST. THE CALL IS ROUTED FROM THE TANDEM YOU SEIZED TO:
  314-949-1705.

  ILLUSTRATION:

  <------------------> O<--------------->
  (YOU)              806         314-949
                   TANDEM


    NOTE THAT THE ENTIRE PATH TOWARDS THE RIGHT (THE CALLED END) HAS NO
  2600HZ PRESENT AND IS THEREFORE "OFF- HOOK." THE ENTIRE PATH TOWARDS THE LEFT
  (THE CALLING END) DOES HAVE 2600HZ PRESENT ON IT, INDICATING THAT THE
  CALLED END HAS NOT PICKED UP (OR COME "OFF-HOOK"). WHEN 314-949-1705 ANSWERS,
  "ANSWER SUPERVISION" IS GIVEN AND THE 2600HZ TOWARDS THE LEFT (THE CALLING
  END) TERMINATES. THIS TELLS YOUR BILLING EQUIPMENT, WHICH THINKS THAT
  YOU'RE STILL WAITING TO BE CONNECTED WITH 806-258-2222, THAT YOU'VE
  FINALLY CONNECTED. BILLING THEN BEGINS TO 806-258-2222. NOT EXACTLY AN
  AUSPICIOUS BEGINNING FOR AN ASPIRING YOUNG PHONE PHREAK.
    TO AVOID THIS, SEVERAL ACTIONS MAY BE TAKEN. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED,
  ONE MAY AVOID BEING CHARGED FOR THE NUMBER CALLED TO SEIZE A TRUNK BY
  USING AN EXTENDER (IN WHICH CASE THE EXTENDER WILL GET BILLED). IN SOME
  AREAS, BOXING MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED USING AN 800 NUMBER, GENERALLY IN THE
  FORMAT OF 800-858-XXXX (MANY AMARILLO NUMBERS) OR 800-NN2-XXXX (SPECIAL
  INTRA-STATE CLASS IN-WATS NUMBERS). HOWEVER, BOXING OFF OF 800 NUMBERS IS
  IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS. IN MY AREA, DENVER, I AM SERVED BY #1A ESS AND IT
  IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO BOX OFF OF ANY 800 NUMBER.
    YEARS AGO, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF BLUE BOXING (BEFORE MY TIME), PHREAKS OFTEN
  USED DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE TO BOX OFF OF BECAUSE THEY WERE "FREE" LONG

  COMPETETIVE LONG DISTANCE COMPANIES, DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SURCHARGES ARE
  NOW $0.50 IN MANY AREAS. IT IS ADDITIONALLY ADVISED THAT DIRECTORY
  ASSISTANCE NUMBERS NOT BE USED TO BOX FROM BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING:
   
  AVERAGE DA CALLS LAST UNDER 2  MINUTES. WHEN YOU BOX A CALL, CHANCES
  ARE THAT IT WILL LAST CONSIDERABLY LONGER. THUS, THE BELL BILLING EQUIP-
  MENT WILL MAKE A NOTE OF CALLS TO DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE THAT LAST A LONG
  TIME. A CALL TO A DIRECTORY ASSISTANT LASTING FOR 4 HOURS AND 17 MINUTES
  MAY APPEAR SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS.

  ALTHOUGH THE DATE, TIME, AND LENGTH OF A DA CALL DO NOT APPEAR ON THE BILL,
  IT IS RECORDED ON AMA TAPE AND WILL TRIP A TROUBLE REPORT IF IT WERE TO LAST
  TOO LONG. THIS IS HOW MOST PHREAKS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE OLD DAYS. ALSO,
  SOMETIMES TOO MANY CALLS LASTING TOO LONG TO ONE 800 NUMBER MAY RAISE A FEW 
  EYEBROWS AT THE LOCAL SECURITY OFFICE.
    
  ASSUMING YOU CAN COMPLETE A BLUE BOX CALL, THE FOLLOWING ARE LISTED ROUTINGS
  FOR VARIOUS BELL INTERNAL OPERATORS. THESE ARE IN THE FORMAT OF KP+NPA+
  SPECIAL ROUTING+1X1+ST, WHICH I WILL EXPLAIN LATER. THE 1X1 IS THE ACTUAL
  OPERATOR ROUTING, AND NPA AND NPA+ SPECIAL ROUTING ARE USED FOR OUT-OF-
  AREA CODE CALLS AND OUT-OF-AREA CODE CALLS REQUIRING SPECIAL ROUTING,
  RESPECTIVELY.

  KP+101+ST ...... TOLL TEST BOARD

  KP+121+ST ...... INWARD OP

  KP+141+ST ...... WAS RATE & ROUTE. NOW ONLY WORKS IN 312, 815, 717,
            AND A FEW OTHERS. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A UNIVER-
            SAL RATE & ROUTE NUMBER, 800+141+1212.

  KP+151+ST ...... OVERSEAS COMPLETION OPERATOR (INBOUND). WORKS
            ONLY IN CERTAIN NPAS, SUCH AS 303.

  KP+181+ST ...... IN SOME AREAS, TOLL STATION FOR SMALL TOWNS

    THUS, IF YOU SEIZE A TRUNK IN 806 NPA AND WANTED AN INWARD (IN 806), THEN YOU
  WOULD DIAL KP+121+ST. IF YOU WANTED A 312 INWARD AND WERE DIALING ON AN 806
  TRUNK, AN AREA CODE WOULD BE REQUIRED. THUS, YOU WOULD DIAL KP+312+121+ST.
  FINALLY, SOME PLACES IN THE NETWORK REQUIRE SPECIAL ROUTING, IN ADDITION TO
  AN AREA CODE. AN EXAMPLE IS FRANKLIN PARK, ILL. IT REQUIRES A SPECIAL
  ROUTING OF 032. FOR THIS, YOU WOULD DIAL KP+312+032+121+ST FOR A FRANKLIN
  PARK INWARD OPERATOR.

  SPECIAL ROUTINGS ARE IN THE FORMAT OF 0XX. THEY ARE USED PRIMARILY FOR
  LOAD BALANCE, SO THAT TRAFFIC FLOW MAY BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. ABOUT HALF
  OF THE EXCHANGES IN THE NETWORK REQUIRE SPECIAL ROUTING. NOTE THAT
  SPECIAL ROUTINGS ARE NEVER EVER EVER USED TO DIAL NORMAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS,
  ONLY OPERATORS.

    OPERATOR FUNCTIONS:

  TOLL TEST BOARD- GENERALLY A CORDBOARD

  THEY ARE NOT USED BY OPERATORS, ONLY SWITCHMEN.

  INWARD- ASSISTS THE NORMAL TSPS (0+) OPERATOR IN COMPLETING CALLS OUT OF
  THE TSPS'S AREA. ALSO, INWARDS PERFORM EMERGENCY INERRUPTS WHEN THE NUMBER TO
  BE INTERRUPTED IS OUT OF THE AREA CODE OF THE ORIGINAL (TSPS) OPERATOR. FOR
  EXAMPLE, A 303 OPERATOR HAS A CUSTOMER THAT NEEDS AN EMERGENCY INTERRUPT ON
  215-647-6969. THE 303 OPERATOR GETS THE ROUTING FOR THE INWARD THAT COVERS
  215-647, SINCE SHE CANNOT DO THE INTERRUPT HERSELF. THE ROUTING IS
  FOUND TO BE ONLY 215+ (NO SPECIAL ROUTING REQUIRED). SO, THE 303 OPERATOR
  KEYS KP+215+121+ST. AN INWARD ANSWERS AND THE 303 SAYS TO HER, "INWARD, THIS
  IS DENVER. I NEED AN EMERGENCY INTERRUPT ON 215-647-6969. MY
  CUSTOMER'S NAME IS MARK TABAS." THE INWARD WILL THEN DO THE INTERRUPT (OFF
  THE LINE, OF COURSE). IF THE NUMBER TO BE INTERRUPTED HAD REQUIRED SPECIAL
  ROUTING, SUCH AS, SAY, 312-456-1234 (SPEC ROUTING 032), THEN THE 303
  OPERATOR WOULD DIAL KP+312+032+121+ST FOR THE INWARD TO DO THAT INTERRUPT.

  DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE- THESE ARE THE NORMAL NPA+555+1212 OPERATORS THAT
  ASSIST CUSTOMERS WITH OBTAINING TELEFONE DIRECTORY LISTINGS. NOT MUCH
  TOLL-FRAUD POTENTIAL HERE, EXCEPT MAYBE $0.50.

  RATE AND ROUTE- THESE OPERATORS ARE REACHED BY DIALING KP+800+141+1212+ST.

  WITH RATES AND ROUTINGS (THUS THE NAME). THE ONLY USES I TYPICALLY HAVE
  FOR THEM ARE THE FOLLOWING:

  1. ROUTING INFORMATION. IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE, WHEN THE 303 OPERATOR NEEDED
  TO DIAL AN INWARD THAT SERVED 215-647, SHE NEEDED TO KNOW IF ANY SPECIAL
  ROUTING WAS REQUIRED AND, IF SO, WHAT IT WAS. ASSUMING SHE WOULD USE RATE
  AND ROUTE, SHE WOULD DIAL THEM AND SAY NICELY, "OPERATOR'S ROUTE, PLEASE, FOR
  215-647." RATE & ROUTE WOULD RESPOND WITH "215 PLUS." THIS MEANS THAT THE
  OPERATOR WOULD DIAL KP+215+121+ST TO REACH THE INWARD THAT SERVES 215-647.
  IF THERE WERE SPECIAL ROUTING REQUIRED, SUCH AS IN 312-456, RATE & ROUTE WOULD
  RESPOND WITH "312 PLUS 032 PLUS." IN THAT CASE, THE OPERATOR WOULD DIAL
  KP+312+032+ST FOR THE INWARD THAT SERVES 312-456.

  IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO ASK FOR "OPERATOR'S ROUTE" SPECIFICALLY, AS
  THERE ARE ALSO "NUMBERS ROUTE" AND "DIRECTORY ROUTES." IF YOU DO NOT
  SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR OPERATOR'S ROUTE, RATE & ROUTE WILL GENERALLY ASSUME
  THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT ANYWAY.

  "NUMBERS" ROUTE REFERS TO OVERSEAS CALLS. EXAMPLE, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO
  REACH A NUMBER IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (AND YOU ALREADY HAVE THE NUMBER). YOU
  WOULD CALL ROUTING AND SAY "NUMBERS ROUTE, PLEASE, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND."
  THE OPERATOR WOULD RESPOND WITH:

  "MARK 41+22. 011+041+ST (PLUS) 041+22"
  THE "MARK 41+22" HAS TO DO WITH BILLING, SO DISREGARD IT. THE 011+041
  BE DISCUSSED IN PART III) AND THE 041+22+ IS THE ROUTING FOR GENEVA FROM THE
  OVERSEAS SENDER.

  "DIRECTORY" ROUTINGS ARE FOR DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE OVERSEAS. EXAMPLE:
  YOU WANT A DA IN ROME, ITALY. YOU WOULD CALL RATE & ROUTE AND SAY, "DIRECTORY
  ROUTING PLEASE, FOR ROME, ITALY." THEY WOULD RESPOND WITH "011+039+ST (PLUS)
  039+1108 START." AS IN THE PREVIOUS EXAMPLE, THE 011+039 IS ACCESS TO THE
  OVERSEAS GATEWAY. THE 039+1108 IS A DIRECTORY ASSISTANT IN ROME.

  2. NAMEPLACE INFORMATION. RATE & ROUTE WILL GIVE YOU THE LOCATION OF AN NPA+
  EXCHANGE. EXAMPLE: "NAMEPLACE PLEASE, FOR 215-648." THE OPERATOR WOULD
  RESPOND WITH "PAOLI, PENNSYLVANIA." THIS ISN'T ESPECIALLY USEFUL, SINCE YOU
  CAN GET THE SAME INFORMATION (LEGALLY) BY DIALING 0, BUT USING RATE & ROUTE IS
  OFTEN MUCH FASTER AND IT AVOIDS HAVING TO HANG UP WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY ON A
  TRUNK.

  *NOTE ON RATE & ROUTE: AS A BLUE BOXER ALWAYS ASK FOR "IOTC" ROUTINGS. (E.G.,
  "IOTC OPERATOR'S ROUTE", "IOTC NUMBERS ROUTE", ETC.) THIS TELLS THEM THAT YOU
  WANT CORDBOARD-TYPE ROUTINGS, NOT TSPS, BECAUSE A BLUE BOXER IS ACTUALLY JUST A
  CORDBOARD POSITION (THAT BELL DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT).

  OVERSEAS COMPLETION OPERATOR (INBOUND)- THESE OPERATORS (KP+151+ST) ASSIST IN
  THE COMPLETION OF CALLS COMING IN TO THE UNITED STATES FROM OVERSEAS. THERE

  NPAS IN THE COUNTRY (NAMELY 303). TO USE ONE, YOU WOULD SEIZE A TRUNK AND
  DIAL KP+303+151+ST. THEN YOU WOULD TELL THE OPERATOR, FOR EXAMPLE, "THIS
  IS BANGLADESH CALLING. I NEED U.S. NUMBER 215-561-0562 PLEASE." [IN A
  BROKEN INDIAN ACCENT]. SHE WOULD CONNECT YOU, AND THE BILL WOULD BE
  SENT TO BANGLADESH (WHERE I'VE BEEN BILLING MY KP+151+ST CALLS FOR TWO
  YEARS).

  OTHER INTERNAL BELL OPERATORS.

  KP+11501+ST ...... UNIVERSAL OPERATOR
  KP+11511+ST ...... CONFERENCE OP
  KP+11521+ST ...... MOBILE OP
  KP+11531+ST ...... MARINE OP
  KP+11541+ST ...... LONG DISTANCE
                     TERMINAL
  KP+11551+ST ...... TIME & CHARGES OP
  KP+11561+ST ...... HOTEL/MOTEL OP
  KP+11571+ST ...... OVERSEAS (OUTBOUND)
                     OP

    THESE 115X1 OPERATORS ARE IDENTICAL IN ROUTING TO THE 1X1 OPERATORS LISTED
  PREVIOUSLY, WITH ONE EXCEPTION. IF SPECIAL ROUTING IS REQUIRED (0XX),
  THEN THE TRAILING 1 IS LEFT OFF.

  EXAMPLES:

  A 312 UNIVERSAL OP ... KP+312+11501+ST
  A FRANKLIN PARK (312-456) UNIVERSAL
  OP (SPECIAL ROUTING 032 REQUIRED)....
  ................... KP+312+032+1150+ST
  [THE TRAILING 1 OF 11501 IS LEFT OFF].



  UNIVERSAL- USED FOR COLLECT/CALLBACK CALLS TO COIN STATIONS.

  CONFERENCE- THIS IS A CORDBOARD CONFERENCE OPERATOR WHO WILL SET UP A
  CONFERENCE FOR A CUSTOMER ON A MANUAL OPERATION BASIS.

  MOBILE- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO MOBILE (IMTS) TYPE TELEFONES

  MARINE- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO OCEAN GOING VESSELS.

  LONG DISTANCE TERMINAL- NOW OBSOLETE. WAS USED FOR COMPLETION OF LONG
  DISTANCE CALLS.

  TIME & CHARGES- WILL GIVE EXACT COSTS OF CALLS. USED TO TIME CALLS AND
  INFORM CUSTOMER OF EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT COST.

  HOTEL/MOTEL- HANDLES CALLS TO/FROM HOTELS AND MOTELS.

  OVERSEAS COMPLETION (OUTBOUND)- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO OVERSEAS
  POINTS. ONLY WORKS IN SOME, IF ANY NPAS, BECAUSE OVERSEAS ASSISTANCE HAS
  BEEN CENTRAIZED TO IOCC (COVERED IN PART III).

    NOTE THAT ALL KP+1X1+ST AND KP+115X1+ST OPERATORS AUTOMATICALLY
  ASSUME THAT YOU ARE A TSPS OR CORDBOARD OPERATOR ASSISTING A CUSTOMER WITH A
  CALL. DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THIS. DON'T CALL THESE OPERATORS! 
  FIND OUT WHAT TO DO FIRST.

    THIS CONCLUDES PART II. THERE IS ONE FINAL PART IN WHICH I WILL EXPLAIN
  OVERSEAS DIALING, IOCC (INTERNATIONAL OVERSEAS COMPLETION CENTRE), RQS
  (RATE/QUOTE SYSTEM), AND SOME BASIC SCANNING.

  .......................................
  (C) FEBRUARY 6, 1900         MARK TABAS
  .......................................

