TELECOM Digest     Mon, 2 May 94 12:26:00 CDT    Volume 14 : Issue 191

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Toll-Free Prank Calls (Keith Laaks)
    Inteljak Wireless Phone Jak System (Lindy Williams)
    OSP Employment Opportunity (busnetcom@aol.com)
    5ESS Setup For Multipoint ISDN (Allan D. Griefer)
    San Carlos Joins Internet (Brian Moura)
    Perhaps Finally a Good Cordless Phone? (Danny Burstein)
    PageMart Changes Services, No Notice (Doug Reuben)
    NPA Optional in 818 - it Works! (Fred Heald)
    IPX Network Through T1 (Azeus Systems Ltd.)
    Call Costing Database (Omnitrend)
    Hybrids, Electronic or Transformers (Scott Barnes)
    Radio Frequency Interference on Residential Telephone Line (Dirk Menzel)
    Fight A*vertising! Petition! (Michael P. O'Leary)

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: itbkl@puknet.puk.ac.za (Keith Laaks)
Subject: Toll-Free Prank Calls
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 06:22:39 GMT
Organization: ITB Department, University of Potchefstroom


Can anybody tell me how the problem of prank calls to toll-free
numbers can be cured?

Often, immediately after a toll-free client advertises it's service on
the radio/television or in the press, it receives hundreds of prank
calls, for which it pays the toll-free service provider. This bill can
run up to thousands of Rands/Dollars.

With some of the prank callers calling from old electromechanical
exchanges, who do not provide caller identification, CLI/ANI is not
always usefull.

How is this problem solved in your country? Is it a problem, or does
this thing only happen here in South Africa?

One possible way of overcoming this problem is if the Telco gives the
Toll- Free client a refund for all calls shorter than five seconds, or if
it only starts the billing after the first five seconds.

Any comment or suggestions?

(Please Email me direct also, as i cannot get into news on a regular basis)

 Potch Univ.       Email :                     Tel: 
 Potchefstroom        itbkl@puknet.puk.ac.za      Voice (0148) 992126
 West Transvaal                                   FAX   (0148) 992799
 South Africa         
                

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It happens here in the USA also. The extent
of the 'prank', and when it turns from a prank into harassment or downright
viciousness depends on who operates the 800 number and who is doing the
calling. A very notorious case here a few years ago involved the toll free
lines of Jerry Falwell, a well known televangelist and leader in what is
sometimes termed the 'Christan Right' (where American politics is concerned.)
Falwell has about 20-25 incoming toll-free lines in a rotary hunt group.
They terminate in a phone room in Lynchburg, Virginia along with all the
centrex lines for the university and church he operates there. Several
operators staff the phone room around the clock; according to the report
from Southern Bell at the time, he gets a couple thousand toll free calls
daily from people who wish to communicate with him or recieve his liter-
ature, etc. The operators work at positions connected to an automatic
call distributor; they get a 'click' in their headset indicating a call is
on the line and the call could be via the 800 lines or via the regular
incoming lines to the centrex or whatever. 

Some fellow around Atlanta somewhere had a real grudge against Falwell
and decided to make trouble for him. He programmed a modem to dial the
800 number once a minute forever ... and to sit on the line silently for
several seconds until it timed out. That went on for *several weeks*.
Because of the volume of calls received in the phone room, it was almost
impossible to trace, and for at least a week or so after the calls first
started, there was no communication between the operators and their sup-
ervisors to establish any kind of pattern. Everyone got a few calls each
day, and no one thought much of it. The calls would arrive somewhere in 
the hunt group; the same operator rarely got two in a row. Finally the
staff realized *something* was going on and their first assumption was
that the ACD was malfunctioning; that it was 'tossing' non-existent calls
to the various operator positions, or maybe the carrier AT&T was handing
them non-existent calls, or maybe the calls did exist but for some reason 
the ACD was not supervising correctly and AT&T was then not opening the 
talk path, or whatever ...    

A couple technicians from Southern Bell tore their hair out working on
that ACD for a day. The volume of incoming traffic was so high that it
was almost impossible to check some of the trunks since as soon as one
call dropped off instantly there was another seizure. They finally were
able to prove the ACD was not at fault and started watching the incoming
800 lines with a counterpart at AT&T. Meanwhile the calls kept coming in
to the phone room from this guy's modem and Falwell's phone operators
kept dealing with them. Then one day the phone bill arrived. Normally the
800 number cost Falwell about fifty thousand dollars per month and this 
time the bill was for much more than that. The ANI had lots and lots
of one minute calls, costing about 10-13 cents each for one minute all
originating at the same number in Atlanta. Most calls tended to last four
or five minutes or longer since the callers wanted counseling or wanted
to order literature sent to them, etc. Armed with the printout as a clue,
AT&T zeroed in on that phone number and looked at it closely. Sure
enough ... once a minute, now about two months after the 'prank' began
the calls were still coming in. Security representatives from AT&T and
Southern Bell were at the dude's door the next day with a warrant and
local police officers for backup. Naturally everything in sight relating
to telecom or computers was seized -- the usual routine in cases which
involve phreaking. Over the three billing cycles during which this had
been going on it cost Falwell several thousand dollars which Southern 
Bell wrote off for goodwill, charging it to AT&T. AT&T filed criminal
charges against the phreak and asked for restitution. 

Depending on the amount of money involved, there is not a lot that can
be done before the cost of detection/prevention exceeds the cost of the
abuse. The larger the incoming phone room and volume of calls, the less
likely it is that detection will be accomplished. About all you can do
is check the phone bill closely looking for very short calls from the
same phone number(s) in a repeating pattern, etc. If/when it becomes
outrageous, as in Falwell's case, then you nail one or two of the worst
offenders and let it go at that.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: Lindy Williams <willi087@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Subject: Inteljak Wireless Phone Jak System
Date: Sun, 1 May 1994 17:21:05 GMT


Saw an ad for this system. Says phone extensions can be located
anywhere there is an existing electical outlet. Is this safe? Is it UL
approved.  Pluses are obvious, what are minuses?

------------------------------

From: busnetcom@aol.com
Date: Sun, 01 May 94 17:23:13 EDT
Subject: OSP Employment Opportunity


Business Network Communications, Inc., a leading reseller of long
distance services -- and provider of an extensive menu of
telecommunications products and services, seeks an experienced
individual for continued development of our Operator Services
division.

We are currently well positioned in this industry and now seek a
qualified individual with experience in institutional accounts.  The
candidate should have experience in contract negotiation.

Salary plus commission commensurate with experience.

Mail, fax, or eMail resume to Business Network Communications, Inc. -
ATTN: Mr. Glaspie

BNC, Inc.
2770 Ridgway Ct.
Walled Lake, MI 48390
Fax (810) 669-9068
eMail Address:  BusNetCom@aol.com

------------------------------

From: adg@netcom.com (Allan D. Griefer)
Subject: 5ESS Setup For Multipoint ISDN
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 00:54:49 GMT


I'm trying to have Pac Bell set up my ISDN line for two devices and
they seem to be having trouble getting it correct.  Does anyone out
there have some knowledge of the switch setup?  Here's the data:

Switch:         5ESS
Software:       5E8
Terminal 1:     Combinet 400
        Type:   E
        BCHAN:  2 Ckt Data
        SPID:   Supported
Terminal 2:     IBM Waverunner Card
        Type:   A
        BCHAN:  Alt Voice/Ckt Data
        SPID:   Supported

Any help greatly appreciated.


Al Griefer, KC6ZTW  adg@netcom.com
EMT-1A, AHA CPR Instructor San Jose, CA

------------------------------

Date: 01 May 94 21:08:12 EDT
From: Brian Moura <76702.1337@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: San Carlos Joins Internet


  CITY OF SAN CARLOS
                  666 Elm Street
         San Carlos, CA 94070

               ######

For More Information, Call:

Brian Moura, Assistant City Mgr.       For Release 9:00 A.M.
(415) 802-4210                                   May 2, 1994
                              
                SAN CARLOS JOINS THE INTERNET
             San Carlos On Line Project Expands

     SAN CARLOS, CA -- May 2, 1994 -- The City of San Carlos announced
today that citizens can now communicate with City officials and City
departments using the Internet.  Anyone who has access to the Internet
(or commercial services with Internet gateways such as America On Line
and CompuServe) can reach City Hall by addressing their message to
scarlos@crl.com.

      Use of the Internet is part of the San Carlos On Line project
that began in 1993.  During 1993, the City of San Carlos distributed
information on economic development, telecommunications and public
safety through the America On Line and CompuServe commercial on-line
services.  Acknowledging the popularity of the Internet as a key part
of the future "Information Superhighway," San Carlos is now bringing
City information and services to the Internet.

      The first phase of the San Carlos Internet presence will involve
a mail box for messages to the City.  Later in the year, the project
will expand to include files on a Gopher server and City information
on a World Wide Web (WWW) hypertext server accessible with the popular
new Mosaic and Cello browsers.

      The project will then move on to bring Internet connectivity to
the San Carlos School District.  The schools see the Internet as an
educational tool and a key part of the City/School joint technology
sharing program known as "Technology Goes to School."

      San Carlos Mayor Tom Davids stated: "I am pleased to announce
the availability of Internet messaging to the citizens of San Carlos.
The establishment of an Internet mailbox to the City demonstrates our
continuing commitment to finding new ways of serving businesses,
citizens and students in San Carlos."

     City Manager Mike Garvey noted that "San Carlos has been working
on innovative ways to disseminate City information during the last
year.  Over 100 people have downloaded our user-friendly guide to
opening a business in San Carlos called "Doing Business in San Carlos"
from the GO WUGNET, GO WINAPD and GO CALFORUM forums on CompuServe.  I
am hopeful that our work on the Internet is as successful in helping
people discover what the City of San Carlos has to offer."

------------------------------

From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein)
Subject: Perhaps Finally a Good Cordless Phone?
Date: 1 May 1994 13:04:03 -0400


Has anybody heard anything -definitive- about this AT&T real-soon-now
cordless unit?

Thanks,

danny

  From misc.consumers Sun May  1 13:01:13 1994
  From: os2user@sneakers.gate.net
  Subject: Re: 900MHz cordless phones
  Date: 1 May 1994 15:44:03 GMT

I am looking at a spread spectrum phone by AT&T.  It is not yet on the
market.  AT&T keeps telling me "any day." <G> The phone is suppose to
go about two miles.

Additionally, (and this is why it is late - they want to get all the
accessories FCC so everything comes out at the same time), it supports
repeaters!, encryption, etc.

Later.

                   ---------------------

dannyb@panix.com (or dburstein@mcimail.com)

------------------------------

From: dreuben@netcom.com (Cid Technologies)
Subject: PageMart Changes Services, No Notice
Date: Mon, 02 May 1994 02:36:55 PDT


Since Monday, I noticed that PageMart -- a local and nationwide paging
company -- has REDUCED the number of digits per page to only 15. They
used to take at least 22, perhaps even more (24 Max).

I spoke with Mike Mahler at PageMart about this, and after a few days
of checking, he got back to me just now and stated that this was
indeed policy because having more than 15 digits slowed down the
effectiveness (speed?) of nationwide paging. He said this change was
permanent, and that it was for the benefit of "over 200,000 of their
customers".

What this does for me is make my pager basically useless: If someone
wants to beep in their number and extension, or some special code, the
last digits will be truncated and not come through above and beyond 15
digits!

Thus, if someone beeped you with:

18005551212*12345 (ie, a "*" as a space to show 'the following is an
extension number') will not come out fully, and all you will get is
"18005551212 123"! Note that even without the "*", you will STILL not
get a five-digit extension number (and these are common) if the
caller(s) place a "1" before the telephone number, which many do.

I mentioned this to Mike Mahler at PageMart when I initially spoke
with him, and his response was "Yeah, that sounds like it could be a
big problem to me". He even tried beeping me with his 800 number and
extension, and it just fit in. If he had one more digit in his
extension, or wanted to use a code like "911" after the extension
number to show urgency he would not have been successful, the paging
system would merely cut him off and not let him enter extra digits.
(He could of course page me twice, but this would run up my quota of
200 nationwide pages per month twice as fast, which *conveniently*
nets them more money in "overpage" charges, which at 25 cents each can
amount to a bit of cash at the end of the month! :( )

Basically, if you have a long-term contract with them (any amount of
time, ie, not month-to-month), and you do not like this policy, you
should be able to break your contract, as this may be a substantial
modification of past performance which can vitally affect the use and
functionality of your pager service with PageMart.

I intend to bring this to the attention of PageMart management, and
they are supposed to call me back presently. I would suggest that any
other PageMart customers who are affected or who think they will be
affected by this new policy should call PageMart at: (800) 864-4357
and ask to be IMMEDIATELY connected to a manager or to have someone at
the corporate level call you back. (Forget customer service -- they
will usually tell you it is something wrong with your pager! :( )

Also, don't let them pull the routine where they say "Well, in the
back of your contract with us in tiny little print it says we can
change the terms of the contract at will and there is nothing you can
do about it".  Regardless of whether they wish to claim this or not,
if they make a substantial change from their past performance like
this change, and/or one which you relied upon prior to signing your
contract with them, they can not simply change it and claim that you
have no recourse.

I don't know how many people use PageMart, or how many actually care
if they can get more than 15 digits (ie, one full screen plus three
digits on the next screen of a standard Motorola pager), but if you
are affected or anticipate being affected by this, I urge you to call
now to complain before this policy becomes institutionalized.

It seems all so silly me to that they think they are going to speed up
paging so much by going from 24 digits to 15; how many people do a
full 24 and how much time would 9 digits less really save?


Doug Reuben  CID Technologies (203) 499-5221

------------------------------

From: justfred@netcom.com (Fred Heald)
Subject: NPA Optional in 818 - it Works!
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 02 May 1994 08:01:06 GMT


To my surprise this morning I found that a feature I've been asking for 
forever finally works!

My phone is in 818 (but I'm travelling all over LA, 213, 909, 310,
714, 805, 619, and all.  Not 524 yet, but soon I'm sure.  So I tend to
always dial the entire number (1-NPA-NXX-XXXX) first, and get the
ridiculous message "We are sorry, it is not necesary to dial one and
the area code for this call".  Well, this morning (in fact, calling
Netcom) I accidentally dialed the 1-818, and the call went through!

Since I'm in PacBel land, I'm hoping they've implemented this all over
the area.  FINALLY! and yet with no fanfare or even notice -- I guess
they'd be admitting a mistake.


Fred Heald    justfred@netcom.com

------------------------------

From: azeusgps@hk.net (Azeus Systems Ltd.)
Subject: IPX Network Through T1
Date: 02 May 94 07:18:58 GMT
Organization: Hong Kong Internet & Gateway Services, Wanchai, Hong Kong


Our company has connected two Novell file servers through the T1 line.
Although we have set the CSU/DSU and the HP router to their limit, the
performance of the network is very poor. We have tested the speed of
the network by the Norton 'SI'(sysinfo) and we found that the transfer
rate of the network is about 10KB/s. Normally, if you test a workstation 
which is in the LAN, the through will be about 400KB/s or even 600KB/s.

We don't think that there is the problem of the telecom company. We
think that the configuration of the CSU/DSU and the HP router may not
be correct. Also, we have thought that there may be the limitation of
the IPX WAN, i.e. Novell is not suitable for WAN. Does somebody knows
about the performance of the IPX network in the WAN environment.

Here is the configuration of the our IPX WAN.  CSU/DSU - DCP3552 from
Cray Communication HP Router SR and PR Novell 3.12

If you know the answer or you want to know more about our configuration, 
please send us email.

------------------------------

Date: 02 May 94 08:00:59 EDT
From: Omnitrend <72662.455@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Call Costing Database


I hope someone there can help me.

I understand there are companies that have updated databases of "call
costs".  These are costs for long distance calls made on the major
carrier's (ATT, MCI, SPRINT) lines for all the different kinds of
services.

I am writing a call accounting system and need the information in
order to compute the cost of each call.

I know there are several companies that provide subscription services
for this info, but I have no idea who they are.  Can you help me?

------------------------------

From: csa@bones.et.byu.edu (CSA)
Subject: Hybrids, Electronic or Transformers
Date: 02 May 94 07:28:17
Organization: Brigham Young University, Provo UT USA


I am looking for a source for good hybrids, electronic and/or transformers.  
I haven't had much luck with the transformers.  I need to be able to record 
and play back to/from a codec at the same time.  Does anyone suggestions or 
sources where I might look?


Scott Barnes 

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 May 1994 04:03:59 PDT
From: Dirk Menzel <ld18@clark.edu>
Subject: Radio Frequency Interference on Residential Telephone Line


Please help me if you can.

My home is wired for two residential telephone lines.  Because of my
proximity to an am radio transmitter (am 1550khz), many of my audio
and telephone devices suffer from "radio noise", from that one station
only though.  Some days it is worse than others, some days there is no
interference at all.

I have had all of the affected telephone devices modified by their
respective manufacturers ... the problem persist on a recently puchased
Panasonic KXT3175, two-line, Easa-Phone.

The local telco has installed several blue capacitors(?) at the demark box
on my house.

I have tried to eliminate the Panasonic telephone as the culprit by
putting it in a metal breadbox (really!!!), with no success.

I believe that the noise is entering the line via a TP four-conductor
cable strung along the outside of my home.

At this point I am open to suggestions.  Might I be able to install a
filter (to filter out mainly 1550khz) right at the telephone?  (I use
one of my lines for voice and modem.)  A commercially available inline
filter (#Z100B1), besides being a single line device, did not have any
effect.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I am fairly technically and
mechanically competent and could handle minor electrical modifications
with limited instructions.

Please respond via e-mail to ld18@clark.edu.


Thank you!

Dirk Menzel

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 May 1994 22:07:08 EDT
From: Michael P. O'Leary <MPO107@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Fight A*vertising! Petition!
Organization: Penn State University


Read with great interest the article quoted below, it IS the future of
teh internet.  BUT, it shouldn't be.  People like this have no right
ot waste bandwidth on a valuable resource like the internet.  We must
stop happenings like this with legislation so that the 'information
highway' (or whatever you want to call it) doesn't become expensive
and riddled with a*vertisi*g.  (And oh yeah, I use the wild card so
people with the wor a* in their kill file still get this message.  I
am taking upon myself the burden of collecting a petition from this
group (and eventually other groups as well) stating our opposition to
this practice and our support for legislation to stop it.  We must act
fast though, because the bills that will govern the future are quickly
advancing through Congressional committees.  Here is what to do:
 
Send a note eo me at mpo107@psuvm.psu.edu with the following subject:
 
SUBJECT: I SUPPORT
 
Then put this comment in the body of your letter:
 
I support legislation against advertising on the internet.  Also
include any other comments you wish to make.  I will compile this
hopefully lenghty list of responses, print out several copies, and
distribute them to:
 
1: the Congressmen working on these bills (Markey, Fields, etc...)
 
2: Political lobbying groups such as The Policy Roundtable, EFF, TAP, etc...
 
Please, read this, respond, and pass it on to  anyone or anywhere you wish;
we need to start the fight now! 
 
> Remember the bozo who cross-posted a message about an upcoming lottery
> for green cards to every single newgroup on the net?  According to a
> Clarinet Newsbytes article, he recieved over 35,000 responses, most of
> which were flames and mail bombs comprising over 73GB(!) of data.  As
> you can imagine, his service provider, Internet Direct, was more than
> a little peeved, as this caused over a dozen system crashes and
> brought their machine to it's knees; they ended up revoking his
> account, citing storage costs.  This bozo then has the balls to show
> up at Internet Direct's office with four lawyers threatening to sue
> for $250,000, claiming that not being able to get to their e-mail
> would cost them at least that much.  The thing that kills me is the
> bozo's attitude about the entire situation.  His name is Laurence
> Canter.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #191
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