birchall@pilot.njin.net (D. Birchall) (09/26/90)
Due to my tendency to incur huge dialin-related bills, my family has become increasingly interested in finding new and novel ways to extend our calling ability. Our NXX is not local to, and cannot (in theory) 'scope' to the nearest dialin. The _next_ NXX, however, is totally local (no 'scope' needed) to it. Since a 'scope' would only give me 20 hours a month for the flat rate, which is far less time than I spend on line, we were considering getting the data line (line two, as we call it) moved to the next NXX, in a manner of speaking. (The only modifications needed would be in the telco's own computers). My mother contacted the telco, and was told that yes, they would do that, and that it would only cost us $400, PLUS mileage. (About nine miles from one CO to the other). $400+ a month is more than the bills that we are trying to cut down on. $400+ a month is enough to LIVE (with a phone) in the next NXX. Is it just me, or does the telco here have a couple screws loose? Can someone familiar with NJ Bell explain the reasoning behind this, or (better yet) suggest some kind of possible alternative, for someone who spends about 80-100 hours per month on the computer and would like to do it for less than $300? Dan Birchall@Pilot.NJIN.net [Moderator's Note: My experience with FX, or Foreign Exchange lines, which is what you want to accomplish, is that it is very rare they ever pay off from casual use. Large businesses can keep their FX and other special circuits loaded all the time. You probably can't. If you were to use Line 2, (configured for the next town away) for maybe 12-15 hours per day, one call after another, preferably lots and lots of one and two minute calls and very few longer than that, then you would probably break even or profit slightly from an FX. But without the call volume -- in terms of lots of very short calls, one after another -- you are better off simply placing regular toll calls and paying for them. PAT]
lee@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Bob Lee) (09/28/90)
If you could find a friend in an area whose calling area is local to you and to the area you want to call, they could get a line installed there with call forwarding which they could program for you. They could even just get call forwarding on their own line and when you want to make a call, you call them to have them program in the number. You wait a few seconds, call them back and get forwarded to the number you want. They then cancel the forwarding so they get their calls (the forwarded call in progress isn't affected). One could get real clever and program a micro- processor + modem with built in tone decoder do do it all automatically.
wolfgang@uunet.uu.net (Wolfgang S. Rupprecht) (09/29/90)
birchall@pilot.njin.net (D. Birchall) writes: >Due to my tendency to incur huge dialin-related bills, my family has >become increasingly interested in finding new and novel ways to extend >our calling ability. Our NXX is not local to, and cannot (in theory) >'scope' to the nearest dialin. The _next_ NXX, however, is totally >local (no 'scope' needed) to it. How about finding some kind soul that has local calling to both areas (Eg. is half way to your desired destination). Arrange for them to get a second line and have it set up to always forward to the desired number. Is there a rule against this sort of thing or is this a legal low-cost alternative to a leased line? Wolfgang Rupprecht uunet!{nancy,usaos,media!ka3ovk}!wsrcc!wolfgang Snail Mail Address: Box 6524, Alexandria, VA 22306-0524
tad@ssc.UUCP (Tad Cook) (10/05/90)
In article <12749@accuvax.nwu.edu>, lee@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Bob Lee) writes: > If you could find a friend in an area whose calling area is local to > you and to the area you want to call, they could get a line installed > there with call forwarding which they could program for you. They I do something similar for friends in the suburbs all the time. I have residential Centrex service, and there is a Call Transfer feature. They call me, tell me the number they want (local to me ... toll to them), then I hookflash, get second dial tone, dial the number, and hang up. My phone is then free, and it ties up a couple of trunks in my CO. One could build a cheap register-resend circuit to do this automatically (answers, stores the number you dial in, hookflashes, redials the number that you have just entered, then hangs up for the next call) ... in fact, I am sure that this is how some of the private EAS companies around here have done this. Tad Cook Seattle, WA Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA Phone: 206/527-4089 MCI Mail: 3288544 Telex: 6503288544 MCI UW USENET:...uw-beaver!sumax!amc-gw!ssc!tad or, tad@ssc.UUCP