TELECOM Digest Fri, 18 Mar 94 14:20:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 138 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: History of the Term "Switch" (Carl Lowenstein) Re: History of the Term "Switch" (Gregg Gibson) Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire Update (Steven H. Lichter) Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire Update (Mark A. Cnota) Re: USR's New Modem (allen0@delphi.com) Re: Information Request - Time Off of NT-Opt61 (Vance Shipley) International Free Numbers (Rachid Benzaoui) NT Sl1 Questions (Alan R. Gross) Area 413 Dialing Changes (Jonathan Welch) 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: cdl@chiton.ucsd.edu (Carl Lowenstein) Subject: Re: History of the Term "Switch" Date: 17 Mar 1994 23:27:43 -0800 Organization: Marine Physical Lab, UC San Diego In article Jonathan_Welch writes: > I saw a brief image on TV how the first so-called switch consisted of > movable contacts mounted on a board, serving eight customers. > But was the term switch invented for telegraph equipment? I don't > think the light bulb existed when the telephone was invented, so it > wouldn't have been used in that context (correct me if I'm wrong). Railroads. They switched trains from one track to another. The Oxford English Dictionary gives citatations going back to 1837. carl lowenstein marine physical lab u.c. san diego {decvax|ucbvax} !ucsd!mpl!cdl cdl@mpl.ucsd.edu clowenstein@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ From: gibsongk@agcs.com (Gregg Gibson) Subject: Re: History of the Term "Switch" Date: 18 Mar 1994 08:12:14 -0700 Organization: gte In article , Jonathan_Welch writes: > I saw a brief image on TV how the first so-called switch consisted > of movable contacts mounted on a board, serving eight customers. > Presumably this is where the term came from for today's complex > switching equipment. You are probably referring to the first electro-mechanical switch. Manual switches were already in existence where an operator sat behind a cordboard and connected calls with tip and ring connectors. The manual switch was invented when it became obvious in the early days that it would be impractical to have a dedicated line between each pair of telephones that were to be connected. It was decided that it would be far more efficient to bring the individual lines from each phone into a central location where a particular phone could be connected with any other phone. When a call was to be placed, the operator would "switch" your connection to the party you wished to call. It is interesting to know that the electro-mechanical switch was invented by a man by the name of Almon Strowger. He was a mortician who suspected that the local operator was diverting his business calls to a competitor. He wanted to eliminate human intervention in the call completion process. He started a company making these switches about 100 years ago. The company he started in now known as AG Communication Systems and makes GTE's GTD-5 among other things. Gregg K Gibson AG Communication Systems-Phoenix gibsongk@agcs.com A joint venture of AT&T and GTE (602) 582-7514 ------------------------------ From: co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter) Subject: Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire Update Date: 18 Mar 1994 02:20:44 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA) I agree with you Pat, the outage may not have bee as bad years ago, but maybe it would. Keep in mind that the lose of the poweroom made it a bit harder to switch to another center. AT&T has a network control center as to most other companies for Toll/LD; the local companies also have them. There would be some loss of local traffic since the local people could not get dial tone and trunks going into the affected office would be out. Keep in mind that office is very large and handles millions of lines and calls. From what I remember that complex is part of a group of buildings under the old Bell System and AT&T has at least one of those buildings and could have been affected also. I know we had some problems (GTE) because some of our trunking goes that way. I had better not say which or I may get eaten alive again. The above post are my own and are done on my own time and on my own computer and Internet account. Sysop: Apple Elite II -=- an Ogg-Net Hub BBS (909) 359-5338 12/24/96/14.4 V32/V42bis Via PCP CACOL/12/24 ------------------------------ From: mac@rci.ripco.com (Mark A. Cnota) Subject: Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire Update Organization: Ripco Internet BBS Chicago Date: Thu, 17 Mar 1994 23:02:57 GMT This is an old subject but since Mr. Townson seems to take every opportunity to slam Illinois Bell I feel some of these comments elicit a response. TELECOM Digest Editor (telecom@eecs.nwu.edu) wrote: > simply ignored? That's what happened here in the Hinsdale (Chicago) fire > almost six years ago. It started early on a Sunday afternoon and burned > for more than an hour before the people who were supposed to be watching > out for such things decided that maybe the alarms coming from Chicago > (they were in Springfield, Illinois, a couple hundred miles away as if > that made a lot of sense in the first place) were to be honored. Tell me what difference it makes where the alarm center is phyiscally located? Would it have mattered if they were downtown Chicago? No, it wouldn't have. > Then and only then, when the doofus in Springfield decided maybe the > alarms should be investigated, he called someone at home in the west > suburban area and asked them 'when they had a chance' to go over to > the central office in Hinsdale and see what it was about. 30-45 > minutes later a supervisor shows up, goes inside, sees the fire in > progress and decides to call the fire department. But by then it was > too late since all the phones in town were already dead, including > those to the fire department. As even your representation of the facts points to, the problem was one of procedure. > Bottom line in Hinsdale? Service was out for two weeks in some cases and > a month in others. An entire switch had to be scrapped and a replacement > installed. Millions of dollars in lost business and hardships while the > phones were out. According to Mr. Eibel, a vice-president of Illinois Bell > at the time, staffing a phone office *with even just one clerk* at all > times to prevent situations like this was not cost effective. I agree with Jim Eibel. He's one of the better executives IBT has had in the past ten years, in my opinion. > Maybe he figured they could buy new switches on sale at Walmart or > something, Don't be stupid. All they needed was better procedures, and he knew it. > that customer goodwill was something easily obtained for less than the > few dollars an hour a responsible person at the CO would cost. A responsible person in Springfield would have done the same thing. Mark A. Cnota (mac@ripco.com) Ripco Internet BBS (312) 665-0065 Chicago's Low-Cost Internet Alternative [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: All right, let us assume for a minute that an alarm system monitored remotely can do as well at guarding sophisticated and expensive equipement as a real person can do. I don't think that is the case simply because motion detectors for example have a very hard time choosing between an unauthorized person walking through an area (bad) and a hot air ventilator coming on and causing a nearby sign hanging from the ceiling to flutter in the breeze (normal occurance). Strong winds and heavy rain (both conditions were present that Sunday afternoon in May, 1988) can and frequently do cause false alarms. If you don't think this is the case, then listen to the Chicago Police on a scanner following a very bad storm here, as they talk about all the alarms going off, 'is there a runner on the way to reset the circuit?', etc ... all over town. If the alarms are monitored locally, at least the monitoring person has a distinct advantage over his counterpart two or three hundred miles or more away: he knows of local problems and how responses are likely to be best handled, he knows the geography of the area, and he knows the local weather conditions at the time, etc. No offense toward the people in Springfield, but they are small town folk who look at Chicago as the big city a couple hundred miles away. To them, Hinsdale might be located next to Evanston, and Lake Forest next to downtown. To them, a ten mile drive might take five minutes or less; in heavy traffic here it takes thirty minutes, which is a big difference if there is a major problem going on. The person in Spring- field might have had a directory of key personnell and their home phone numbers and looking at it picked a name he thought was best when in fact someone else was much closer. In that sense, the person in Springfield cannot be blamed. Maybe the last five times the alarm went off he notified someone only to be told later it was false. This time he tried to handle it differently. How is he going to know truth from fiction a couple hundred miles away and how to respond given a limited knowledge of the area geogra- phy and local conditions, especially when every second counts? So to respond to your first question, if the company feels that alarm sys- tems for all their inadequacies are still better than inexpensive live people who have their heads screwed on straight, then at least have the alarms handled locally. If Jim Eibel could not cost-justify a live person to watch a CO, do you mean to say he could not cost-justify at least a local monitoring system instead of one for state-wide either? To respond to your second comment, you say 'Jim Eibel knew there should have been better procedures' ... and indeed, that's what he was there for, to have procedures in place to prevent such a horrible tragedy. I stand by what I said back in May, 1988 when the fire was discussed in detail here: Eibel should have been given the axe the next day; sent packing and replaced with someone who would implement the procedures that should have been in place all along. I mean, how far does he or the company want to push this 'cost-effectiveness' thing? The stakes are simply too great, especially in a case like Hinsdale which was the core for literally everything; i.e. cellular, long distance, all kinds of special circuits for Ohare Aiport, etc. That's why I blame Jim Eibel most of all for Hinsdale; he of all people should have been able to get his math straight when it came to calculating a bottom line even if nothing but the protection of company property was to be considered, forgetting about goodwill entirely for the moment. Well, what's past is past ... let's hope that never again such a thing happens. PAT] ------------------------------ From: allen0@news.delphi.com Subject: Re: USR's New Modem Date: 17 Mar 1994 21:18:44 -0500 Organization: Delphi Internet Services Corporation trent@netcom.com writes: > allen0@delphi.com wrote: >> U.S. Robotics is releasing a new modem in five weeks. The modem will >> be upgradable to the V.34 standard when it is approved via a software >> download. The new modem will have read/writeable EPROMS which will >> allow this. The modem will have all the current protocols, making it >> the best modem on the market. And since there's no fee to get the >> V.34, I'd say it'll be the best buy when it comes out. For more info >> call USR at 1-800-DIALUSR. > Yeah, and what you forget to mention is that their one of the highest > priced modems on the market, whos twisted the arms of customers for > years by pushing their so-called HST protocol which wasn't even worthy > of use for bidirectional transfers. Then they came out with their > v.32terbo modems which just introduced more problems -- They like to > 'train down' to speeds below V.32bis. Their solution to the problem > was to remove an S register option instead of correcting the protocol > implementation. They offer poor technical support, low turn around > time, and poor over all response. Personally, I'd rather not pay > their high cost for a modem that says 'USR' on it. They're starting > to remind me of COMPUCOM before they finally folded. > As far as v.34 is concerned, Microcom is offering a sysop deal vFAST > modem for $140.00 RIGHT NOW. You can order them, and they'll be on > their way. When v.34 is finally announced they will send you an > upgrade for $39.00. Microcom can be reached at 800-822-8224. > Zoom is offering a similar deal as well, but I haven't researched it. Well, it seems you have not had a pleasant experience with USR. Well, first of all, how many people actaully use BI-directional xfers? I have once in my entire life and I have done lots of xfers thruout the years. Yes I know HS/Link is around, but it's not really as widely used as Zmodem and somewhat inconvenient. the HST protocol was faster than anything else before its time, and I loved it. As for this *NEW* modem being released, the rep told me that the estimated SYSOP PRICE will be under $200. If that's not cheap than I don't know what is. Any since it will be upgradeable to the V.34 std when it is approved absolutely free, I can't see anyone not choosing this. So go ahead and buy a ZOOM or whatever and then be stuck with having to have ANOTHER ZOOM in order to carry out 28.8 xfers. Of course you can upgrade to the new V.34 when it is released but at an additional cost of $40 I believe you said. Allen ------------------------------ From: vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley) Subject: Re: Information Request - Time Off of NT-Opt61 Organization: XeniTec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 13:28:54 GMT In article , Greg Maples wrote: > I'm trying to get time synchronization running between our NT OPT61 > pbx and a Sun SS10. I'm aware that I could use nxtp for synchro in > the Unix world, but we are not directly internet connected, and xntp > is a big load of code. > Does someone know of an easy, simple method of getting the NT to set > the Sun or vice-versa? Is there a version of timed for the Sun While I worked at SwitchView we wrestled with this problem. The SL-1 clock can be set with the maintenance/administration port, you can even "adjust" it this way, asking for a daily adjustment to be made to the time of day. The problem we saw was that the clock was not battery backed (the very latest CPUs now have a battery backed RTC) so when there was a problem the clock would reset to default. The CDR records would then be dated badly and the display sets would be wrong. The biggest problem being when there were no display sets so that it was not recognized when the time and date needed to be reset and was not for a long time afterward. So SwitchView's Meridian 1 Administration module now has tasks to upload and download the date and time. This can be set up to run in response to a SYSLOAD. I would suggest that you use the Sparcserver as the reference (eventually using xntp to synch it) and create a script to upload the date and time either periodically or on demand. You could buy SwitchView to do it but it would be a pretty expensive way to do just this and it doesn't run on a Sun :) (SCO Unix PC based). Vance Shipley, vances@xenitec.on.ca ------------------------------ From: theone@email.teaser.com (Rachid Benzaoui) Subject: International Free Numbers Organization: Guest of France-Teaser, (3617 EMAIL) Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 00:03:56 GMT How would it be possible to know the French equivalent numbers of American international toll-free numbers? The One BBS : +33-(1)49-887-691 Internet: the.one.net.fr@on101.com Enjoy one of the best French BBS !!! :-) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: If a company in the USA has indicated it is willing to accept automatic reverse charge calls on an international basis, then arrangements are made by its carrier in the USA (presently only AT&T offers international 800 service I think) with the telephone authorities in France (or wherever) to have a number of the style used in France (or wherever) assigned which when dialed there gets translated in the local phone exchange to ring an eleven digit number in the USA, i.e. 1 plus the area code and number. It is then up to the business in the USA to publicize this as they see fit either by means of a listing in the telephone directory in France (or wherever, and the USA carrier will usually arrange with the other county's PTT to place the listing) or an advertisement of some other form. There is no single list of numbers one can refer to of international 'toll-free' lines to the USA. Such numbers that exist would appear to be the French equivilent of 800, but one would have to examine each of them one by one to see if in fact their termination was in the USA instead of simply within France (or wherever). PAT] ------------------------------ From: makarios@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Alan R. Gross) Subject: NT Sl1 Questions Organization: Sacramento Public Access U*nix Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 05:22:29 GMT At a couple of sites I need to forward to an outside number through an SL1/Meridian. When the caller is from an inside extension, there are no problems with this process, however, when the caller is from outside, there is a twenty second delay in establishing a voice path from the caller (due to trunk to trunk connect). Per NT, depending on who you talk to, there is a way around this; or it's impossible to get rid of the twenty second delay; and another vendor wishes to charge us megabucks to find out if it's possible, no guarantees that they will solve the problem. While I can kludge around the system, I don't want to, since the kludge would involve paying extra $$ monthly for an unecessary 1FB. Can anyone let me know how to shorten or get rid of the voice path delay on a direct trunk to trunk connection? Second, I am searching for a source for light probes -- previously we got these from an Oregon chapter of Telephone Pioneers of America, after several calls, I've gotten no response to my requests for probes, and need another source -- anyone know of sources? We have a few blind employees who really need these devices. Third, I'm searching for a source for "buff cloths" -- these are small white cloths that are coated with some substance that really polishes a headset plug to a new shine. We used to pass these out to operators at Mother Moose in FBKS. AK, -- anyone know where I can find these critters, and what is their official moniker? Randall A. Gross A.R.Gross.Sprint@Sprint.com Sacramento Public Access UNIX makarios@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 10:52:15 -0500 From: Jonathan_Welch Subject: Area 413 Dialing Changes I just received this in my bill yesterday and am passing it along FYI to the group. AN IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT DIALING CHANGES FOR ALL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS (AREA CODE 413) CUSTOMERS - Effective June 1, 1994 This is an important notice. Please have it translated. Beginning June 1, 1994 there will be a significant change in the way all NYNEX telephone customers in western Massachusetts will be required to dial calls within the 413 area code that are beyond their local calling area (toll calls). The new, permanent dialing method for these calls is: "1" plus the 413 area code and the 7-digit number ("1" + 413 + 7 digits). Following is inforrnation on how you will dial all calls - both local and toll - within the 413 area code. DIRECTLY DIALED CALLS TO ANOTHER NUMBER IN THE 413 AREA CODE Within your local calling area, dial the 7-digit number only. Beyond your local calling area (toll calls), dial "1" + 413 + the 7-digit number. ALL DIRECTLY DIALED OPERATOR-ASSISTED AND CALLING-CARD CALLS To any number (including local calls) within the 413 area code, dial "0" + 413 + the 7-digit number. Dialing methods for calls to numbers outside the 413 area code will not change. All directly dialed calls to numbers outside the 413 area code will continue to be dialed "1" + the area code + the 7-digit number. All operator-assisted and Calling-Card calls to numbers outside the 413 area code will continue to be dialed "0" + the area code + the 7-digit number. Although the way you dial toll calls within the 413 area code will change, rates and local calling areas will not change because of the introduction of this new method of dialing. A local call still will be a local call, a toll call still will be a toll call. You can find information about your local calling area in the introductory White Pages of your NYNEX telephone directory. Beginning June 1, 1994, both the "1" + 7-digit and the 7- digit methods of dialing toll calls will be permanently eliminated. You must dial all toll calls within the 413 area code using only the "1" + 413 + 7-digit method. Toll calls dialed using either the old "1 " + 7-digit method or the 7-digit method will not be completed. These calls will go to a recorded announcement that will remind you to redial. At the same time, if you dial an operator-assisted or Calling- Card call using the old "0" + 7-digit method, that call also will go to a recorded announcement that will remind you to redial. Why This Change Is Necessary As we explained to you last year in a bill insert, a change in the way you dial toll calls is necessary because North America has run out of area codes. As a result, new area codes introduced in North America after January 1, 1995 will not look like tra- ditional area codes. These new area codes, which will be introduced as the telephone number capaci- ty of existing area codes is exhausted, will have any number - not just "0" or "1" - as their middle digit. Before these new area codes are introduced, NYNEX and all other local telephone companies must intro- duce new methods of dialing some calls. To meet this requirement for new dialing methods and to create a toll-call indicator, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has directed that toll calls within the 413 area code must be dialed using the "1" + the 413 area code + 7-digit method. NYNEX will implement these same new dialing methods in eastern Massachusetts later this year. Some Steps You May Need to Take Before these new dialing methods become perma- nent in the 413 area code beginningJune 1,1994, please check all automatic dialing devices and/or ser- vices you may have, such as Speed Calling or Call Forwarding, to determine if reprogramming is required to accommodate the new dialing methods. Remember, any needed reprogramming must be completed before June 1,1994. And don't forget to check alarm or med- ical dialers, fax machines and computer modems to see if they need reprogramming as well. Emergency Calling Reminder If you currently dial "1" + a 7-digit number to reach police, fire or other emergency service providers, please remember that beginning June 1, 1994 you will have to dial these calls "1" plus the 413 area code + a 7-digit number. A Word to Business Customers If you own your telephone switching equipment, you should make sure it can process calls to points within the 413 area code that are dialed using the "1" + 413 + 7-digit method. You should check to ensure that your switching equipment can accommodate calls dialed to one of the new area codes that will be introduced next year. Existing area codes will remain the same, while new area codes will not have a "0" or a "1" as their middle digit. For example, 579 could be assigned as an area code in the future. You may need to reprogram services such as Speed Calling and Call Forwarding and devices such as automatic dialers, security dialers, and fax machines and modems with autodialers. Customers of NYNEX INFOPATH Packet Switching Service also may need to reprogram their equipment to accommodate these new dialin~ patterns. If you're a NYNEX Centrex service customer, any necessary changes will be made for you at our central office. We suggest that you review your telecom- munications system and services - especially those involving automatic dialers, PBXs and other premises-based switching equipment - with the appropriate equipment vendors that serve your business. Please use the time before these dialing changes become mandatory beginning June 1, 1994 to test your equipment and determine if any modifications are needed. Questions? Residence customers with questions about these dial- ing changes should call us at 1 800 555-5000. Business customers with questions about these dialing changes should call us toll-free at (413) 733-1776. We want to make this transition as easy as possi- ble for you. MA (413) 3/94 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #138 ****************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253