telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) (04/21/89)
Bill (see prior message) asks about the nature of 'telephone extenders'. Actually, they are more correctly called 'WATS extenders', since their main purpose is generally to permit the use of an outgoing WATS line by someone calling in on another line. Let's say you are an outside sales rep for some company, or an executive who travels a lot in the course of your business. You need to make many long distance calls, and making them by putting coins in a phone or by charging each call to a calling card or third number gets expensive. You certainly wouldn't call collect to your customer either! :) The thinking is that the cost of an incoming call via an 800 'toll free' line added to the cost of an outgoing call via the company's WATS lines is still less expensive than a directly routed call on which a surcharge for calling card or coin collection is imposed. The tone your friend is hearing when he dials the 800 number is most likely the internal dial tone for the phone system at the company he is reaching. In all probability, an access code, or password is required at this point to go further. Once the proper password has been entered, the caller is given use of the company's phone system remotely, the same as if he were in an office at the company using an actual extension phone. He *is* on an extension of the company's phone system actually, since the incoming line is answered and electronically connected to an extension at the company. After entering the appropriate password, the caller can then proceed to dial an outgoing call as if he were calling from his office. He would enter whatever access code is required to get an outside line, then dial the desired number. Although there are now two links in the connection instead of just one, had he dialed direct to the other party, the line degradation is not usually too bad. Both parties can hear each other and talk okay. When he is finished with his call, he will press a touch tone button on the phone, typically the octothorpe (#), to tell the 'WATS extender' that the outgoing line can now be disconnected. The company's internal dial tone will return to the line, and he can place other calls or he can simply hang up if he is finished with his calls. The use of these devices by persons not authorized to make calls through the connecting phone system is considered fraud. The company which owns the device can prosecute you, and generally the phone company is more than willing to assist in the prosecution. Here at [TELECOM Digest] we talk about anything and everything related to telephone systems and communications with a couple of exceptions: We don't print passwords/authorization codes; nor do I print telephone numbers which could concievably be used by someone reading the message who has less than honorable intentions. I'm sure you understand. :) Patrick Townson
C483307@umcvmb.bitnet (Kevin Lightner) (04/21/89)
The term "telephone extender" is hacker lingo. What it refers to is the
dialup for which you can use long distance codes (ie: Sprint, MCI, TMC, etc).
:Kevin Lightner (C483307@UMCVMB.BITNET)
(C483307@UMCMVB.MISSOURI.EDU)