gauthier@ug.cs.dal.ca (Paul Gauthier) (11/15/90)
A Canadian Company has recently begun to offer a special reduced rate to fax users. The user pays only a small monthly fee ($10, I think) and receives a little black box which attaches to their fax machine. When the fax machine dials I presume this black box intercepts the dial and calls a 1-800 number or somesuch and then routes the call out from there. The user recieves a big discount on calls placed in this manner. MT&T (Bell Canada) offers a similar service, but you have to pay for a special line which will place local calls of any type, but will only allow fax calls to be place long distance. Of course, when I read this in the paper I wondered how they detected this. I called MT&T and asked what would happen if a voice call was placed on such a line. They assured me it would be very quickly disconnected. The person I spoke to also claimed that MT&T was 'listening' to the call and was actually sensing fax protocol and thus deciding whether the call should be allowed to continue or not. Does anyone know if such services actually detect and interpret fax protocol to decide whether to axe the call? The idea that first struck me was using this service to get cheap rates for long distance modem calls. If all the hardware is listening for is something that resembles a data call (carrier) then perhaps a modem would fool it. Any thought? PG gauthier@ug.cs.dal.ca tyrant@dalac.bitnet tyrant@ac.dal.ca
vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley) (11/17/90)
In article <14718@accuvax.nwu.edu> gauthier@ug.cs.dal.ca (Paul Gauthier) writes: > I called MT&T and asked what would happen if a voice call was >placed on such a line. They assured me it would be very quickly >disconnected. The person I spoke to also claimed that MT&T was >'listening' to the call and was actually sensing fax protocol and thus >deciding whether the call should be allowed to continue or not. > Does anyone know if such services actually detect and interpret fax >protocol to decide whether to axe the call? The idea that first struck >me was using this service to get cheap rates for long distance modem >calls. If all the hardware is listening for is something that >resembles a data call (carrier) then perhaps a modem would fool it. >Any thought? I believe you'll have to go with Unitel's Facsroute service to use modems. It seems that Telecom Canada (the real provider of Faxcom) does look for fax protocol. Unitel does not, they only check for "carrier". If this is very confusing for our american listeners let me elaborate. Here in Canada we have not deregulated long distance telephone service. The only carrier for public switched voice service is Telecom Canada (Bell Canada, and they rest of the phone companies). Data is a different story though and there is competition. Unitel (formerly CNCP) is the main alternative. The question here regards the methods used by both carriers to ensure that their fax services (deemed as data by Unitel) carry no voice calls. Vance Shipley vances@ltg
mingo@cup.portal.com (11/17/90)
gauthier@ug.cs.dal.ca writes: > A Canadian Company has recently begun to offer a special reduced >rate to fax users. The user pays only a small monthly fee ($10, I >think) and receives a little black box which attaches to their fax >machine ... MT&T (Bell Canada) offers a similar >service, but you have to pay for a special line which will place local >calls of any type, but will only allow fax calls to be place long >distance. First of all, as an expatriate Nova Scotian, I assure you that Bell Canada does *not* own Maratime Tel & Tel: they tried to take it over in 1967, and Premier Stanfield passed a law restricting shareholdings to 10%. >Of course, when I read this in the paper I wondered how they detected >this. I called MT&T and asked what would happen if a voice call was >placed on such a line. They assured me it would be very quickly >disconnected. My modem has no trouble distinguishing voice from data calls: the data calls feature constant frequency tones, and voice calls feature changing frequencies. >The person I spoke to also claimed that MT&T was >'listening' to the call and was actually sensing fax protocol and thus >deciding whether the call should be allowed to continue or not. > Does anyone know if such services actually detect and interpret fax >protocol to decide whether to axe the call? The idea that first struck >me was using this service to get cheap rates for long distance modem >calls. If all the hardware is listening for is something that >resembles a data call (carrier) then perhaps a modem would fool it. >Any thought? I expect it might. It was my understanding that the black box was intended solely to keep you from using the line for voice. According to the Globe & Mail, the CRTC only permitted this class of service if the fax calls could be segregated from voice. Apparently, this setup is not yet available in New Brunswick, because NB Tel has yet to implement "audit features" to ensure compliance.
mikes@gammafax.gammalink.com (mike spann) (11/20/90)
In article <14718@accuvax.nwu.edu> gauthier@ug.cs.dal.ca (Paul Gauthier) writes: > A Canadian Company has recently begun to offer a special reduced >rate to fax users. The user pays only a small monthly fee ($10, I >think) and receives a little black box which attaches to their fax >machine. .... <much stuff deleted> > Does anyone know if such services actually detect and interpret fax >protocol to decide whether to axe the call? I can not say for sure how the system you saw advertised works. I do know of several service providers who provide an identical service. It works as follows: You dial a phone number from your fax machine. The box intercepts the number and decides whether to dial it directly or whether to use the 'store and forward.' If the number is not a local call, or a number you have indicated you want to dial directly, it calls the providers number. On connection, it exchanges your account number and the number you wish to call with the receiver. Some providers do this with an encrypted, 300 bps signal. Others use less secure methods. Once this is accepted, you are connected to a fax board (ours we hope) to receive the fax. The fax is then shipped to the most convenient place to send the fax (using T.1 or X.25 or something like that). Another fax board then sends the fax to the destination machine. So, unless you particularly want to talk to a GammaFax CP card, there is little purpose in trying to fool their box into accepting a funky number. Note: This may or may not be how the provider you have seen works. Michael Spann mikes@gammalink.com Voice: +1-408-744-1430 Fax: +1-408-744-1549 UUCP: ...!uunet!gammafax!mikes CIS: 73747,441