************************** Comprehensive Box List v 1.0 by Jibblit jibblit@epix.net Feb 98 ************************** If any of you have recently had the urge to build a box, you may have been stunned by the number out there. Sure, we all know the only real box is the blue box, but once you see all these knock offs (rainbow box, crimson box, cheese box, etc...) you may start to wonder if any of them work. True, quite a few do, but most of them are a waste of time to build (if I wanted a damn hold button Iıd buy a two line phone­ at least the buttons on them work), plus, many times people write these to get attention, even though there is no way in hell they would function correctly, if at all. Well, I decided to write this, to help people out who want to experiment with electronics and phones (that and the fact that Iım a loser with no life). After reading this file, youıll start to wonder if the days of boxing have finally come to an end- or if they are just starting all over again. This file will provide a short overview of as many boxes as I can find, and give a small history lesson in the process. NOTE: Many boxes require you open the phone box on the outside of your house. Not the customer access side, but the phone company side. This can be done w/ a 7/16 inch hex driver. ACRYLIC BOX Purpose: The purpose of this box is to get Three-Way-Calling, Call Waiting, programmable Call Forwarding, and an easier way of extended Bud Boxing (tap and use your neighborıs phone line). Contruction: Sounds rather easy, but it may be too good to be true? Probably is, considering all you need is wire, an AT&T or Bell Can, and some wire. Well, basically what your doing is going around to peopleıs houses and mixing up their lines and wires. No real skill involved here, as long as you follow instructions. Risks: I guess you could have fun with this one, but people arenıt stupid and will check their box and call the Gestapo (er, phone company) and complain. Thereıs a good chance of getting caught, especially if you have wires and lines running from their house to your (BTW, it is illegal to have phone lines running from one house to another- we tried this with Warcraft). AQUA BOX Purpose: The Aqua box kills the FBI lock Œn trace. I copied this from the text file: The F.B.I. can tap into a conversation, sort of like a three-way call connection. Then, when they get there, they can plug electricity into the phone line. All phone connections are held open by a certain voltage of electricity, that is why you sometimes get static and faint connections when you are calling far away, because the electricity has trouble keeping the lineup. What the lock in trace does is cut into the line and generate that same voltage straight into the lines. That way, when you try and hang up, voltage is retained. Your phone will ring just like someone was calling you even after you hang up. (If you have call waiting, you should understand better about that, for call waiting intercepts the electricity and makes a tone that means someone is going through your line). Then, it is a matter of which voltage is higher. When you push down the receiver, then it see-saws the electricity to the other side. When you have a person on each line it is impossible to hang up unless one or both of them will hang up. If you try to hang up, voltage is retained, and your phone will ring. That should give you an understanding of how calling works, also. When electricity passes through a certain point on your phone, the electricity causes a bell to ring or on some newer phones an electronic ring to sound.) Contruction: In order for the Aqua box to work, you have to drain all of the voltage out of the line. This is the exact purpose of the box. This is accomplished with a BEOC, a Basic Electrical Output Socket, and some work. The box is rather simple to build, and Iıve heard that it works, although I have never experienced the lock Œn trace first hand. In fact, Iım not even sure if they still use it. Risks: Well, since the FBI is already onto you, this is basically your last hope, so there isnıt much more you can do. BEIGE BOX Purpose: The Beige box creates a linemanıs handset, something that is rather fun to experiment with. You can hook it up to a neighborıs or a businessesı line and use their line just as if you were in their house. Construction: As far as I know, this box works and works well, but there is still a high risk of getting caught. Building the box is simple if you have some knowledge of how alligator clips work, and is a good project for a beginning phreak. Try it in a hotel. Risks: Same risks of the Acrylic, they could find out and report you. BLACK BOX Purpose: The black box allows the person calling you not to be billed for the call. This is done by tinkering with the voltage in the phone. At any one time, there is voltage running though your phone line. When the phone rings, the voltage jumps up to 48 volts. When you pick up, it goes down to 10 and you can communicate. The phone company pays attention to this and starts billing you for it. The black box keeps the voltage at 36 volts, so the phone company doesnıt know your talking. The box is simple and easy to construct. Unfortuantly, youıll have to find a phone that you need to wind up to talk on, because they were the last phones that used this type of billing system. Doing it now will only cause suspicion, and is a waste of money (about $1.49). Contruction : Simple, but it doesnıt work anymore so why build it? Risks: Back in the day, if you used this box too long, the phone company will thing your phone is ringing because of the high voltage. After about 1/2 hour of ringing, they will disconnect your phone because they think something is wrong. History lesson here. BLAST BOX Purpose: The blast box is an amplifier hooked up to the phoneıs mic to amplify (hence the name ³amplifier²) the sound. Construction: The instructions are very vague, and requires a little knowledge of electronics. Now, most phones come with a built in volume control, and thus makes the blast box useless. Risks: None, unless itıs illegal to be loud or to open your phone. BLOTTO BOX Purpose: This one made me laugh the first time I heard it. What this is supposed to do is generate so much electricity that it turns off all of the phone lines in your area. Wow you say? Weıll, Iıve only heard of one person who had the nuts to build this one and heıs no longer with us. After construction, you must turn on the box with a remote of a long rubber pole to avoid being killed. The generator used in this box generates so much electricity that it will kill you if you are too close, and may shock people who try to use the phone in close proximity to your ³experiment². No one is sure if this one works, because frankly no one want to see if it does. I will pay good money to see someone attempt to build this one, so tell me if you plan to. Contruction: Donıt even try. Dangerous, semi-complex, and just an all-around dumb thing to to. However, if and when it works, it sounds like a blast Risks: Just a few small ones like being put away in jail for life and dying. Nothing to be afraid of, right? BLUE BOX Purpose: The only real box, the blue box generates tones which allow you to control operator switchboards and have all sorts of fun. Iım not going to go into a lot of detail on this one, because if you donıt know about it, you donıt deserve to be reading this magazine. These boxes were used a while ago, and when I say a while, I mean the 60s and 70s. You know, back in the day were you actually had to know a little to computers, not now when any schmuck with a computer can go into newsgroups and boards and call themselves a hacker. Sorry, got a little off track. There have been numerous files written on this one, but now anything you play through the phone cannot effect the switchboard. Until phreakers find away around this, the legend of blue boxing is dead. The blue box generated many tones, the most famous of which is the 2600hz tone. This tone can also be reproduced by a Capın Crunch whistle which were included in the cereal a long time ago. You can probably still buy them from an old school phreaker, though. In fact, I think they may sell them in the 2600 marketplace. Construction: This one doesnıt have to be a box. You can find blue box tones all over the net (www.weasel.org for Macintosh), and build one for nostalgic reasons. Risks: Well, donıt get caught with it, because even though they donıt work, possesion of one will result in a large fine and/or jail time. BROWN BOX Purpose: This allows you to take two lines in your house and make a party line out of them. For the most part, this box works, but has little phreaking value. If you want a party line, check this one out. Contruction: It doesnıt look that complex to build, and schematics are in ASCII (as most are). I wish someone would use SketchPad and draw these things instead of using ASCII art. Risks: Iım not sure if this is illegal or not, but I believe you have to pay a monthly bill for a party line (in some places). So this would be a form of stealing. BUD BOX Purpose: This acts an an extension of your neighborıs line. You run a line attached to some alligator clips from their house to yours and plug a phone in. Construction: A moron could build this one, and is good for listening to otherıs conversations (there are quite a few boxes that do this). Risks: You still have to run wires across the yard or whatever, and you run a high risk of getting caught. Same risks as the Acrylic. CHARTREUSE BOX Purpose: Iıve never actually tried this one, and Iıve never heard of it working, but Iıve never heard of it not working either. There is a constant voltage running through your phone. This box allows you to leech this voltage for whatever you want. Contruction: Construction is pretty easy, but take my advice- pay the damn electric bill and move on. You canıt run a light off this. Risks: How would I know? Itıs illeagal to use phone lines in an improper manner, so Iım assuming this constitutes an illegal manner. CHEESE BOX Purpose: The cheese box is supposed to make you phone essentially a pay phone. One questions comes to mind, why? Why would you ever need to do this? Iıve heard of people doing this to not be traced, but there are easier ways. Construction: I donıt even think you have to build anything, just forward incoming calls to the operator and play some red box tones. If you ask me, this is a waste of time. Risks: Donıt build it and there are no risks. But, if you need to play red box tones, possesion of a red box or red box tones are illegal. CHROME BOX Purpose: This one sounds fun. It is a modified strobe light that you use in your car to induce lights to change. I donıt know when the file was written, but if youıve ever watched emergency vehicles, theyıve a got flashing lights (fast white ones, not the ones that swirl and blink). This file was written in 88, and I doubt if cities use this anymore. Contruction: Difficult. You have to find the exact pattern of flashing. This can be accomplished with video freeze frames and such. Modifying the strobe lights seems like an endless task. Sometimes, there is no pattern, and you can just change the flash rate on the light. Risks: I donıt think the police would like to know your are doing this. If you decide to use it, put an infrared filter over it. CLEAR BOX Purpose: This box scams the post-pay phones (if there are any anymore) and acts like a red box. The phones work like this. You dial a number, when the line connects, you can hear the person, but they canıt hear you until you deposite money. This elimates spending money on answering machines, and they are good for calling lines that you donıt need to talk to (information, 1-800-FREE-SEX, ect...) First, this file was written a little while ago, and if the phones arenıt gone already, they probably would have changed. Construction: Plans are vague, but youıll figure it out if you want to build it. Risks: Same as a red box, although most police arenıt aware of these. COPPER BOX Purpose: Designed in 86, the copper box boasts that ability to ³ bring AT&T down to their knees.² You find an telco extension and dial it, autodialing codes until you bring down the company. Construction: This is not a box, itıs just a trick that most likely doesnıt work. It was concieved in 86, and Iıve never had success with it (if you lucky enough to find an extension). If anyone has done this, please contact me. Risks: If it works, and they catch you, you are screwed. This is obviously illegal. CRIMSON BOX Purpose: Adds a hold button to your phone. This will allow you to make rude comments w/o the other person hearing you. Constuction: I had 5 minutes and made this one. First, itıs usless. Second, it unstable and by using the switch wrong, youıll frequently hang up the line. Itıs nice to build to get used to electronics for the first time, but I suggest de-constructing it afterwards because itıs a pain in the ass. Go by a phone with one installed. Risks: Are you joking? No one cares. DAY-GLO BOX Purpose: This is another way to pester businesses, tap lines, get free phone calls, etc... About the same as the Acrylic and Beige boxes. Construction: Medium. It seems like the only reason this file was written is to give some ideas on how to use the Beige box. Risks: Same as Beige and Acrylic boxes. GOLD BOX Purpose: If you find two jacks close to each other, this one will work. Dial an ANI to find out the number of each. This box allows you to dial one number, then dial out from the other. Ex. You dial line one- you should get a dial tone for line two. This would be a great way to cover your tracks, call anonymously, or hack a dialup in your area code w/o using an outdial (if there are any left). Contruction: Iıve heard many instances of this one not working. First, you have to get a box that lets NO light in, and have an LED shine directly on a photocell. One of the more difficult to build. Risks: Im sure there is some sort of law prohibiting this, but if you get it to works, it will be of great benefit. GREEN BOX Purpose: Generate RingBack, CoinCollect, and CoinReturn tones. These tones are used by the called party, and wonıt work on fortress phones. I doubt if this works anymore, because on occation you have to use blue box tones. Contruction: This is also not a box. The called party needs a set a green box tones, which are rather easy to get. Risks: Scamming the phone company is a no-no and could result in heavy fines and jail-time. LIGHT BOX Purpose: Notifies user whether a phone extension is off the hook. I guess someone would have use for this, but I canıt think of any off the top of my head. Once again you play with the red and green wires in side of a phone, along with some switches and lights. Constuction: Construction isnıt hard, but understanding why it works may be. Risks: This is pretty much useless and no one cares if you have it. LUNCH BOX Purpose: This was almost the first one I built. It is a simple transmitter that broadcasts ove the AM frequency. Plans for a reciever are also included. At first, this thing seems to have little phreak value, but you can hook it up to the red wire in a phone and send the conversation over the airwaves. You have to have a licence to broadcast more than 300 ft. 8 ft of wire will broadcast this range, but hook it up to the black wire on the phone for a 250ft. antenna. Construction: Complex, but not hard if you pay attention (i guess you could call it long). A little knowledge of electronics are required, but as long as you follow the schematics, it should work. Risks: None as long as you dontı broadcast more than 300ft. MAGENTA BOX Purpose: This is similar to the gold box but it seems easier to build and functions differently. You still need to lines for it to work, but this is is easily detectable. Read about the gold box to find out more about the functions. Construction: After getting though the huge schematics, installation is somewhat difficult. Iıve never gotten this one to work, but Iıve heard stories of ones who have. Risks: The phone company will find out about this in 2 days, so I suggest abusing it as much as possible. Take it down so you can use it again. MAUVE BOX Purpose: Writtenin 86, this box is supposed to ³draw in² the closest phone conversation by using a magnetic field. The author suggests not using this in a dorm or apartment. This may also do some damage to phones and connections. Construction: This one has some wierd instructions. Youıll need dirt, iron shavings, tupperware containers. It sounds rather hard to build and even harder for it to work right. I just came across this one a few minutes before writing this, so I havenıt had a chance to try it. Sounds far-fetched, though. Risks: Proabably illegal- how the hell would I know? NEON BOX Purpose: Allows you to play sound on your computer over the phone. Most useful tones that would be played over the lines donıt work anymore, but if you donıt have speakers or want to play sounds for someone, this may have some use. Construction: Simple construction with a phone, headphones, and wire. Risks: None, this box poses no legal threat. OLIVE BOX Purpose: This box functions as a phone ringer. Has no phreak value, but can be phone playing pranks on people. Ring their phone and drive them insane. Constructions: Schematics a rather easy to follow, and shouldnıt be hard if you can buildmost of the other boxes. Risks: It depends how you use it. Itıs bad if you use it on someone, but what you do with it is your business, as long as no one cares. PEARL BOX Purpose: This box produces tones in the range of 1-9999hz, which include important ones such as 2600, 1633, etc... This is a good substitute for the blue box, but then again, blue boxing doesnıt work anymore, so this might have to be a novilty item. Construction: Surprisingly simple considered what it does and the amount of stuff nedded to build it. Risks: Same as blue box risks. PINK BOX Purpose: The pink box does a variety of things, including three-way calling, hold on both lines, allowing a caller to dial with the other line. Basically a souped up brown box. Construction: Short and simple. There are two files floating around- one that has no explanation of how to use it, and a good one with detail. Risks: Proabably illegal. Donıt invite a police officer to talk on your line. RED BOX Purpose: One of the more famous boxes, the red box used to allow you to get free phone calls from pay phones. This can be done by recording the tones that the phone plays when you drop in money. The nickel, dime, and quarter each make a different sound. These sounds can be reproduced with a modified Radio Shack tone dialer (replace the crystal inside), with a microrecorder, or with Hallmark Greeting Cards. Surprising, these boxes still work in some parts of the US. They will not work on COCOTs, and some phones donıt use the tone system anymore, and the ones that do usually cut off sound to the headset when inserting money. Big cities are ruled out, but give it a try. Construction: The easiest way to do this is to take a microrecorder and drop some money in, then hang up. Unfortunantly, this causes static, and it may not play back at the right speed. The best way is with a tone dialer. This produces the most accurate sound. The initial fee in $20 for the tone dialer, which is a little steep. Youıll also need a crystal. The exact measurement is 6.4 something, but 6.5536 is the most popular. This was my first box, and I used a 6.5 crystal. Another way is to hook the microrecorder up to the phones and record. They can even be made out of Hallmark cards, which is probably the hardest way of doing it. Risks: Many, you are stealing from the phone company, and police have cracked down on phreaking. People have been arrested and fined (as high as $50,000 if I heard correctly) for possesing these. Do not use them in large public places (i.e. malls, resturants, etc...) ROCK BOX Purpose: Channels sound from a stereo out through the phone lines. There are two types, advanced and simple. Constuction: Lots of parts, lots of work, but is like any other schematic. Pay attention. Risks: None, really. Has some benefits. SCARLET BOX Purpose: Create a very bad connection on your neighborıs line. Useful for crashing BBSes and annoying people, but yanking the ord could accomplish both. Contruction: Not hard, some alligator clips and a resitor. Risk: Donıt get caught screwing with your neighborıs line. SILVER BOX Purpose: All keypads have numbers 0-9 on them , and the * and # keys. What most people donıt know is that there is another set of Keys, the ABCD keys, which preform the following functions: A-FLASH B-FLASH OVERRIDE (PRIORITY C-PRIORITY COMMUNICATION D-PRIORITY OVERIDE (TOP MILITARY) Using them is another matter, most people donıt know where, how, or when to use them. Nor do I, but the file mentions something about loops. Dial information (555-1212) and hold the D key as itıs ringing. If the operator is mad, it doesnıt work in your area code anymore. If you get a pulsing tone, it will work. Try numbers (6 and 7 usually work) and you will find loop ends. Contruction: Semi difficult, but it only works on some phones. Iıve made one, but our city is too modern for it to work. Risks: Using it the wrong way (under military networks) is illegal, but just be smart. STATIC BOX Purpose: Keeps voltage regulated to avoid static on the line. Useful for long distance talking and internet connections. Contruction: If you built anything before, this should be a snap. Risks: None, really. Your not hurting or stealing anything. URINE BOX Purpose: To cause neighborıs phoneıs to malfunction, melt, or explode. Can cause seizures and even kill people. This is nothing more than a prank. This thing doesnıt work, and I didnıt even waste my money trying to build it. Contruction: Donıt build it. Risks: None. Itıs fake. WHITE BOX Purpose: Portable keypad. Like a tone dialer. Contruction: Modify a phone, add some batteries, and you have a portable keypad. Or, you could buy a tone dialer. Risks: You may be interrogated, but after they find it works, youıll be let go. YELLOW BOX Purpose: From the files I have read, I could not find out what this box does. There you have it. Any questions, just e-mail me and Iıll try to answer as many as I can. Thereıs still a bunch of FTP sites and web pages with these on there, so just Yahoo search and have fun. ______________________________________________ __________________ _________ / / / __ / __ / / / /__ __/ / / / /_/ / /_/ / / / / / / __ / / / __ / __ / / / / / / / /__/ / / /_/ / /_/ / /___/ / / / /______/_/_____/_____/_____/_/ /_/ Enterprises Inc All Rights Reserved ______________________________________________ Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyways. jibblit@epix.net