TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Mar 94 23:25:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 127 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson GSM and TDMA Problems (Stewart Fist) Canadian Internet Handbook Released (Rick Broadhead) Racal AT Settings Needed (Alan McCowan) Sky Radio Service (spectrumshow@genie.geis.com) Calling North Korea and Cuba (spectrumshow@genie.geis.com) Miscrosoft Visual Basic Drivers for IEEE Test Equipment (Bill Steedly) Request for Demon Dialers (Zoom Electronics) (Al Cohan) Re: Prisoner Starts Own 900 Number (Colin Owen Rafferty) Re: Phones in the Movies Again (Steve Forrette) Re: Phones in the Movies Again (David Breneman) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks including Compuserve and GEnie. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson Associates of Skokie, Illinois USA. We provide telecom consultation services and long distance resale services including calling cards and 800 numbers. To reach us: Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or by phone at 708-329-0571 and fax at 708-329-0572. Email: ptownson@townson.com. ** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu ** Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to use the information service, just ask. TELECOM Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom. It has no connection with the unmoderated Usenet newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom.tech whose mailing list "Telecom-Tech Digest" shares archives resources at lcs.mit.edu for the convenience of users. Please *DO NOT* cross post articles between the groups. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 Mar 94 21:34:21 EST From: Stewart Fist <100033.2145@CompuServe.COM> Subject: GSM and TDMA Problems John Sims asks about the problems with GSM. They are pretty much the same as with all TDMA systems, including the TDMA now being introduced into the USA -- and they'll be worse with DECT and DCS1800 which are designed to be used indoors in large offices. You can look at these problems in a number of different ways and at a number of different levels. The primary problem is that they were introduced in competition to perfectly good analog cellular networks, and they failed to provide any real customer advantages. A system needs to be better than the one it replaces. The magical name 'digital' doesn't carry much weight with customers after a while. Coverage area is another major problem, and here the American TDMA has a better solution than GSM because it emphasised dual-mode handsets with analog providing coverage where digital wasn't available. GSM didn't do this, so in most nations with the system (except Germany) you are limited to a very small coverage area, and a very limited range of base-stations, often with minimal equipment, and with great holes in the cells. Drop outs on the Sydney GSM networks seem to range between 40% and up to 80% for a car crossing the city. Sound quality in all digital systems seems to be consistent, but only 'acceptable'. While good static-free reception extends to the boundaries of the cell, they do all suffer from a staccato-like effect when driving down tree-line corridors (especially after dew or rain) and they drop the link precipitously, without warning, at the boundary. This is not how consumers think a phone system should behave. Within buildings, they have many more penetration and Rayleigh-fading problems than analog also. Range of a GSM cell, at present is limited to 35kms, which is too small for Australia, but this will be fixed in 1996 by slot-stealing. GSM and TDMA base stations also need to radiate from higher points for good coverage, but if they do that, they then interfere with other cells. Capacity is set by the amount of general R/F interference being introduced, and generally they seem to be only getting two to three-times that of AMPS. International roaming was the big story behind GSM, and it is certainly important to 2% of European owners who daily drive across the Continent. However AMPS is a far better system if an Australian wants International roaming, because it is used in New Zealand, Australia, most of Asia, and the America's. What we needed for good international roaming was a dual-mode AMPS/TACS handset (and the difference is really only in the R/F stage, so this would have been easy to do). The main problems are the R/F interference effects, and these are common to all TDMA systems (including the new DECT and DCS-1800) and they are cumulative -- so we see only a few signs of the problems now, but like automobile pollution growth in cities, it will get worse as the population of users grows. There are four main problems here: 1. General R/F pollution. Any system that switches its R/F transmitter on and off rapidly (GSM does it 217 times a second, TDMA does it 50 times) will scatter EMI throughout the adjacent radio spectrum. And the sharper the edge of the switch power (on and off), the wider the band of hash it scatters. These sets need a 3-5MHz guard-band between them and analog AMPS channels,and they try to ramp up the power, and still they scatter crap into nearby television broadcast bands. We've never had anything that generates EMI like a GSM handset before in these bands. We need large numbers of them like we need a hole in the head. 2. Audio-Hz interference. The on-off cycle of transmission power will be read by any analog circuit nearby (with any rectification or asymmetrical circuits) as an intrusive audio tone of 217Hz, and the two major harmonics above. This buzz intrudes into hearing aids at distances up to 30 metres, and is often intolerable at 2 metres. It also gets into cassette recorder, wireline systems, and into modems as a carrier tone. 3. Digital byte intrusions. In digital circuits, where the track on a circuit board is about the length of a GSM antenna, the on-off cycle of transmission power is often being read as a data-byte. If only one GSM handset is operating in a vicinity, it will pulse in the first (of eight) slots in a frame, and so produce a 1000 0000 byte at 217 bytes (1736 bits) a second. This can also be read as 1100 0000, 0000 0000 at 3.4kbit/s, or 1110 0000 etc. at 5.2kbit/s (and so on). When two or more handsets are working in the same location, they are all synchronised to the same base-station (same or different channels). So amplitude effects (same slot, different channels) are cumulative: the fact that they may be using different channels is immaterial, so the range of interference can increase. A number of handsets will combine to create what amounts to random number generation (they are also frequency hopping) of power pulses in digital control circuits nearby. This seems to hit some electronic equipment (laserprinters, modems, PCs, TV controllers, possibly air-bag triggers) hard, and have wierd, and often un-reproducable effects. The randomness seems to be the problem in detecting what caused some 'event'. It is virtually impossible to reproduce the conditions. This is why some people report no problems at all, others say it knocks out their Powerbook or modem or multiplexer, occasionally, or every time. Obviously some equipment is far more susceptible than others -- but not just in terms of needing EMI shielding. 4. The last EMI problems is the remote possibility (and I stress 'remote possibility') that the pulsation of the microwaves can create a different type, or order, of health problems to analog. Analog is expected to only have a 'brain and eye-lens' heating effect (but not everyone is convinced about this). Digital TDMA introduces a new factor. It is known for instance, that some enzyme reactions in chemical processes are sped up enormously when hit by pulsating R/F, but no one seems to know why. This needs a lot more research, but is no reason for panic. However, it can't be dismissed, like may technophiles seem to do. The real problem with both GSM and American TDMA is the way in which all these problems were kept secret, and the systems were rolled out slowly and quietly without anyone admitting problems until the press started shouting. When they play these sorts of games, they have only themselves to blame when the press reacts strongly and shouts 'foul' especially when it is likely to be hearing-impaired people who suffer in office environments. Later, problems were reluctantly admitted, but always the admission was associated with "Don't worry, well fix it!" which is just another of their lies. Most of these problems are intrinsic in time-division power pulsing. More recently the tactic has changed once again: now they blame the lack of shielding on hearing-aids and other electronic equipment, and want to boost the standard of immunity, rather than reduce their own emissions. It's the smoke-stack blaming inefficiencies in gas-masks for the problems. ETSI is its own worst enemy. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 19:34:26 EST From: Rick Broadhead Subject: Canadian Internet Handbook Released Pat, When I announced the Canadian Internet Handbook on TELECOM Digest last year, a number of your readers contacted me. Now that the book is finished, I thought they would be interested in seeing what the final product looks like. The book was officially released on March 3rd. It is the first book to cover the Internet in Canada. We also believe that it is the first Internet book to focus on one country. Rick Broadhead handbook@vm1.yorku.ca Canadian Internet Handbook, 1994 Edition Published By Prentice Hall Canada ISBN#: O-13-304-395-9 by Jim Carroll and Rick Broadhead ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD by Jean Monty, President and CEO, Northern Telecom Limited 1. INFORMATION HIGHWAYS Knowledge Networking Ask the World a Question, and You'll Get an Answer How Are People Using the Internet? Why Should You Use the Internet? E-Mail - Keeping in Contact With the World Knowledge Networking - Ask the World A Question Finding a Video Knowledge Access Excitement and Fun The Growth of the Internet in Canada The Internet Index Why Do You Want to Be Part of the Internet? 2. USING THE INTERNET IN CANADA The Canadian Forest Service Midland Walwyn Capital The Daily News,Halifax, Nova Scotia Regina Public Library Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta PEI Crafts Council, Charlottetown, PEI Shell Canada Ltd, Calgary, Alberta Enterprise Network, Newfoundland Front Page Challenge, Vancouver, B.C. Canadian Space Agency, Montreal, Quebec Bank of Montreal, Toronto, Ontario Park View Education Centre, BridgeWater, Nova Scotia The Polar Bear Heaven BBS, Rankin Inlet, North West Territories Summary 3.THE INTERNET IN CANADA Internet Myths The History of the Internet Acceptable Use Policies The Internet in Canada Regional Networks In Canada CA*net - The National Coordinating Body for Research Networks Regional Networks ONet NSTN Inc. Commercial Networks in Canada UUNet Canada HookUp Communications U.S. Commercial Networks Commercial Use of the Internet The Impact of Commercialization Message Routing Who Pays for the Internet? Where Is the Internet Going in Canada? An Evolution in Acceptable Use Policies Corporate Involvement Larger Network Capacities CANARIE A Mandate for CANARIE Evolution of the Network 4. INTERNET FUNDAMENTALS Internet Organizations TCP/IP Basics Why Is This Important? IP Addresses Internet Domain Names The Domain Name System Top Level Domains Subdomains in Canada Registering Domain Names Registering Under the .ca Canadian Domain Registering Directly with the InterNIC Other Issues Related to Domain Names Client/Server and the Internet A Technical Definition A Practical Definition The Impact of Client/Server on the Internet Direct Connections to the Internet Shell Account Limitations The Location of the Client Client Located on a Remote Server Client Intelligence Located on Internet Service Provider Client Located on Your Own Computer or Network The Impact of the Location of the Client 5. INTERNET ELECTRONIC MAIL A Global Standard for E-Mail What Is Internet E-mail? E-mail Client Software How Many E-Mail Users Are There? Creating Internet E-Mail Messages The Structure of an Internet E-Mail Message Answering Messages An E-Mail Signature What Do Canadian E-Mail Addresses Look Like? E-mail Styles Other E-mail Systems Consumer Oriented Systems Commercial E-Mail Systems What About Envoy 100? How Complex Can Internet Addressing Get? E-Mail Etiquette E-mail Is Different Flaming E-Mail Guidance Smileys How Do I Locate an Internet E-mail Address? Simple Solutions WHOIS Postmast Periodic Postings 6. REMOTE ACCESS APPLICATIONS FTP AND TELNET Telnet and FTP Clients Telnet Telnet Command A Sample Telnet Session Special Notes About Telnet Seeking Help Telnet resources FTP Using FTP FTP Basics A Sample FTP Session FTP Directories Basic FTP Commands Other FTP Issues File Types - Format File Types - Compression File Retrieval Via E-Mail 7. TOOLS FOR KNOWLEDGE NETWORKING MAILING LISTS AND USENET A Quick Definition What's the Difference? Mailing Lists Types of Lists Using Lists - The Mechanics LISTSERV and Other Methods Examples - Joining, Sending, Leaving Joining a List Sending to a List Leaving a List Starting Your Own List Information on Lists Major Sources USENET Newsgroup Categories Subtopics Canadian Newsgroup Categories Major Canadian Newsgroups A Sample USENET Message How Does USENET Work? Creating a Newsgroup Reading News Newsreader Software USENET- What It's Not! Network Etiquette Using USENET Lists of Newsgroups 8. TOOLS FOR KNOWLEDGE RETRIEVAL Limitations of Internet Information Sources Commercial Information Services Multiple Sources of Information Gopher A Sample Gopher Session Using Gopher Gopher Jewels Using Gopher to Find an Organization Mailing a Gopher Document Gopher Bookmarks Other Gopher Information The Growth of Gopher Hytelnet Sample Hytelnet Session WAIS Sample WAIS Session WAIS Searches World Wide Web Sample WWW Session Organization of WWW Information Archie Sample Archie Session IRC Finger The Future of Information Retrieval 9. CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET Electronic Mail Access Only Access as an Individual Access from a Corporate E-Mail System Via UUCP UUCP Explained How Does UUCP Work? UUCP Software Linking Individual Users Via UUCP Linking LAN E-Mail Systems Via UUCP Access via a Shell Account Through a Canadian Internet Provider Via a Commercial On-Line Service Direct Connections to the Internet Benefits of a Direct Connection Nature of the Connection Hardwired Connection SLIP/PPP For Casual Modem Connection Bundled Software Direct Connections to the Internet and E-mail Summary 10. PUTTING THE INTERNET INTO PERSPECTIVE What's Wrong with the Internet? Is It Too Difficult to Use? It's Difficult to Find Information There is Too Much Information Internet Is Subject to Abuse It Suffers from Too Much Hype Its Culture Is Changing Its Competitive Advantage Might Be Fleeting? Will The Internet Be Easier to Use? Be a Pioneer Tell Us About It APPENDIX A - CANADIAN INTERNET DIRECTORIES Directory of Canadian Internet Service Providers Directory of Community Networking Organizations in Canada Directory of Gopher Servers and Campus Wide Information Systems in Canada Directory of Internet-Accessible OPACs in Canada Directory of World Wide Web Servers in Canada Directory of Archie and IRC Servers in Canada Directory of Canadian USENET Newsgroups Directory of Canadian Internet Resources Directory of Organizations Registered in the .CA Domain APPENDIX B - INTERNET FORMS APPENDIX C - SCHOOLNET APPENDIX D - INTERNET RELATED PUBLICATIONS INDEX Rick Broadhead | Co-Author, The Canadian Internet Handbook Faculty of Administrative Studies | ysar1111@vm1.yorku.ca, ysar1111@yorkvm1 York University | +1 416 487-5220 Toronto, Ontario, CANADA | ------------------------------ From: alanm@gigha.UK (Alan McCowan) Subject: Racal AT Settings Needed Date: 11 Mar 1994 17:01:33 GMT Organization: Sun Microsystems (UK) Reply-To: alanm@gigha.UK Folks, I have been given a Racal Milgo Maxam 3+ modem, but unfortunately minus the manual. Could some nice person supply me with the AT command set for this beast, and also tell me what the options are on the front panel. Alan McCowan Sun Microsystems Linlithgow. ------------------------------ From: spectrumshow@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 15:51:00 BST Subject: Sky Radio Service I read that a new audio service is being offered to airliners in flight. It is called Skyradio and is delivered via satellite. I would like to know the technical details on the service. What bird is used? What is the frequency and modulation used? What type of antennas are used while in-flight. Any other technical information would be appreciated as well. Dave ------------------------------ From: spectrumshow@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 15:52:00 BST Subject: Calling North Korea and Cuba Recently I saw an article about a US company that wants to setup phone service from the States to Cuba. This brings to mind a few questions. In view of the poor relations between the US and Cuba how can this be done? What about phone service from the US to other nations such as North Korea and Vietnam. Does such service exist? Dave ------------------------------ From: steedly@viper.is.aitc.rest.tasc.com (Bill Steedly) Subject: Miscrosoft Visual Basic Drivers for IEEE Test Equipment Date: 11 Mar 1994 12:46:46 -0500 Organization: The Analytic Sciences Corporation Please forgive the following repost, but my mailer hasn't been working and I missed any replys that might have been made. Is there anyone out there who has or knows of (ftp sites, etc.) programs developed under Microsoft Visual Basic to control any of the following communications test equiqment over an IEEE 488.2 interface: HP8593A HP83731A HP8782A HP3708A HP11758A TTC-1402 gigaBERT 1400 Tx and DRx CSA-907 Please e-mail any responses (I won't be able to read news) to wmsteedly@tasc.com. Thanks, William M. Steedly The Analytic Sciences Corporation wmsteedly@tasc.com 12100 Sunset Hills Road (703)834-5000x2884 Reston, VA 22090 (703)318-7900 FAX ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 14:39 EST From: Al Cohan <0004526627@mcimail.com> Subject: Request for Demon Dialers (Zoom Electronics) Can anyone direct me to a source for used (or new???!) Demon Dialers that were manufactured by Zoom Electronics? I have an old friend that loves these dialers despite the 95% failure rate I experienced! Thanks in advance, Al Cohan ------------------------------ From: craffert@nostril.lehman.com (Colin Owen Rafferty) Subject: Re: Prisoner Starts Own 900 Number Organization: Lehman Brothers Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 22:26:47 GMT In article telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) writes: > [ long description of John Wayne Gacy's murders, subsequent appeals, > and his 900 service elided ... ] I am curious as to why you find it outrageous that someone is trying to raise money to save himself from being murdered by the state. Simply because he was convicted of horrible crimes doesn't mean he has no rights. The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution is set up not to protect the unaccused and unconvicted, but to be certain that the accused and the convicted are judged and punished fairly. The First Amendment explains how people may not have their speech limited. How can we reconcile not allowing Gacy his own 900 number with this? The Eighth Amendment explains how cruel punishments shall not be inflicted. What can be a crueler punishment than execution? The "group calling itself the American Civil Liberties Union" is well known for trying to be certain that the government follows the rules under which it was formed. If the families of Gacy's victims have judgments against Gacy, they should be receiving money from his income. If his attorney wants the money for his fees, he may have to fight with the families. If Gacy was not fined, why should the jail be charging him for incarceration when they don't charge anyone else? If you are unfamiliar with anything that I said in this, I might refer yo u to a copy of the United States Constitution. It can be very enlightening. By the way, what is that number? Colin Rafferty, Lehman Brothers ------------------------------ From: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) Subject: Re: Phones in the Movies Again Date: 12 Mar 1994 02:04:07 GMT Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc. Reply-To: stevef@wrq.com (Steve Forrette) The payphone gaffes that I always notice in movies are the inaccurate sound effects for the coin mechanism: - Often, a modern-looking Bell payphone will "Ding-ding" when the coin is inserted, instead of the silent operation that most of the Bell payphones have now (at least they could keep pace with inflation and make them "Dong" instead of "Ding Ding"). - When the caller hangs up, you don't hear the totalizer drop the coins into the coin box (now who said that the Digest is not sufficient in its technical detail? :-)) Steve Forrette, stevef@wrq.com ------------------------------ From: ole!jaws!daveb@nwnexus.wa.com (David Breneman) Subject: Re: Phones in the Movies Again Date: 11 Mar 94 20:30:05 GMT Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA Alain Fontaine (fontaine@sri.ucl.ac.be) wrote: > In article , wtm@uhura.neoucom.EDU (Bill > Mayhew) wrote: >> bulbs, which thread into their sockets. European bulbs have bayonet >> type sockets (similar to over-grown automotive turn signal lamp >> sockets) so the gag makes sense if you understand this. > And in 'America', everyone rides a horse, wearing a big hat and a pair > of colts. Now, I was born here in Belgium (Europa) in 1951, and I have > never encountered a bayonet socket except for the small lamp in my > wife's sewing machine ... /AF Well, boy dowgies, pardner; y'all just don't know whar to *look*. The main problem with them Yuropeons is they're all *ferigners*! Every last one! Tarnation, but all us 'Maircins will jus' keep our Edison-base bulbs -- hell, pard, yer voltage is too high anyway -- no wonder yeh needs push-in bulbs -- they keep burnin' out! Har Har! Happy trails now, y'hear? Tex Breneman Email: daveb@jaws.engineering.dgtl.com Systeem 'Ministrator, Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033 Product Deevel'pment Platferms Digital Systems International, Inc. Redmond, Washington, U. S. o' A, Texas ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #127 ****************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253