[comp.dcom.telecom] Miscellaneous Comments

paul@nsacray.uucp (05/14/89)

I believe an RJ31 is an oversized modular connector with eight wires.
They are used a lot in multiline dialers, etc.  If there is interest,
I can post what each wire is used for (I think it's pretty standard -
My Mitel Smart-1 Call Controller uses them).

As for using an operator when a COCOT keypad disconnects, generally if
you explain this to the operator, the call will go through at regular
rates (no surcharge).

It was mentioned a few weeks ago that AOSs seem to have incomplete
Calling Card databases.  This is true, as there is no central point
for calling card info.  Certain independants have refused to give out
this info.  Also, the private verification databases don't have
corporate cards (yet).  So anyway, you can use just about any number
as a calling card (just make sure it meets modulo 13 checks).  There
is an old story about the president of Microdevices (an AOS) using the
president of ITI's (another AOS) home number with a made up PIN
whenever he was in an ITI serviced hotel.  There is a catch here, some
sleazy COCOTs (and some AOSs - ITI started this), use the AT&T calling
card database.  What they do is after receiving the calling card
number, they (the payphones or AOS switches) dial 10288 + 0 + NPA +
NXXXXXX then dial the credit card number.  By `listening' for the
'thankyou for using AT&T' (really energy detect with timing) they can
determine if it is a valid card.

As for using two payphones to make third party calls...... AOSs will
be hit the worst (because of their backwards technology).  Students
often do this from their dorm rooms.  It is true that in certain areas
payphones were assigned a special office code, or last four digits
(often beginning with a nine).  This generally is not true for COCOTs.
This makes screening difficult.  A natural addition to AOS software
would be to do lookups on third party billing numbers against other
payphones on the switch, since COCOT payphones usually come in banks.
AT&T and the other majors will eliminate this problem with LIDB lookup
via CCS7.

--------
Paul Guthrie
chinet!nsacray!paul
Zippy says:
HOORAY, Ronald!!  Now YOU can marry LINDA RONSTADT too!!

john@jetson.upma.md.us (John Owens) (05/15/89)

I have some piecemeal responses to a number of things in the last few
TELECOM Digests, so I'll just lump them together in this one message.

> TELECOM Digest     Sat, 13 May 89 00:33:37 CDT    Volume 9 : Issue 162
> From:     Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@brl.mil>
> Subject:  telephone carriers

> 1. Are codes like 10222 and 10288 supposed to work from residence and
>    business phones as well as pay ones?

Absolutely.  We just got equal access on our business lines here and
they were switched to MCI; I reprogrammed my auto-dialer to use 10288
before all my calling card calls.   If you're placing calling card
calls from a business or residence where you don't know the carrier,
always give the 10288 (or whichever) a try.

> 2. I just passed through the Lynchburg, Va. area, and used a pay phone
>    (ostensibly C&P) to place a 0+ call inter-LATA, and it went via ITI.

This reminds me of something I saw a few weeks ago in Waldorf, MD
(southern Maryland - C&P territory).  On the front of a 7-11 store
along U.S. 301N was the requisite row of payphones (4).  Above the
payphones was a large white banner with blue letters proclaiming

	C & P Public Phones Are Back!

I guess they had COCOTs and got complaints.....

> From: Sowa <jjs@ihlpy.att.com>
> Subject: Re: Implementation of 911 Enhanced Service through PBX

> This is an interesting operation. How are you proposing
> sending more digits/extensions other then the phone
> numbers administered by your local operating company?

I understood the original posting to mean that the campus had DID
trunks to extensions on-campus, but that without outgoing ANI, all the
911 service would be able to tell was that the 911 call originated on
one of the university's outgoing trunks.  With ANI from the campus, a
regular directory number would be provided with no separate extension,
much as (as you mentioned) some PBXs do for billing origination purposes.

> An Enhanced 911 PSAP has an address database that must be maintained
> by someone, how or will the university keep the database informed of
> extension moves.

I imagine this will be one of those things that's going to be more
work than anyone planned....

> TELECOM Digest     Mon, 15 May 89 02:00:00 CDT    Volume 9 : Issue 164
> From: julian macassey <ucla-an!denwa!bongo!julian@seas.ucla.edu>
> Subject: Re: Jack specifications

> [Description of in-series alarm wiring.]  Usually, you put the
> alarm on the least used pair, often the last or your FAX line.

I'd suggest not putting it on a FAX or modem line.  For quite a few
months here we were having problems with both our FAX and modem
connections being terminated randomly.  For modem use, it was obvious
that no connection ever lasted for more than an hour.  It turned out
that all the lines involved were passed through alarm systems (at
least one for intrusion and one for fire) and the systems were
"testing the lines" hourly!  We decided to get dedicated lines for
them, since, in addition to this annoyance, we didn't want an incoming
call to potentially hold up the alarm.  (They weren't ground-start
lines.)


--
John Owens		john@jetson.UPMA.MD.US		uunet!jetson!john
+1 301 249 6000		john%jetson.uucp@uunet.uu.net