telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (08/02/85)
From: Moderator <Telecom-REQUEST@MIT-XX.ARPA>
TELECOM Digest Thursday, August 1, 1985 5:20PM
Volume 5, Issue 13
Today's Topics:
EA hits the New Brunswick area
Cancel Call Waiting - Pacific Bell misprint
Re: TELECOM Digest V5 #12
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Date: 31 Jul 85 04:26:11 EDT
From: *Hobbit* <AWalker@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Subject: EA hits the New Brunswick area
Well, it looks like NJBell has quietly turned on Equal Access in the 201-932
exchange [at least the Piscataway side thereof], because I can dial 10nnn for
a few valid nnn's other than 288, and calls complete. They even have the
crummy audio so characteristic of non-AT&T carriers. Now, my question is,
if they haven't announced it officially yet, how is billing arranged? Will
the carrier just log any call I make through them and pass the packet back
to NJBell who in turn bills me, or would they try and bill me directly? How
would they get the necessary info to accomplish direct billing?
I think it's time someone who knows the whole big picture flamed at great
length about equal access, how the nitty gritties are handled, and how
it really works internally. *No* one seems to want to tell me anything on
the commercial end of things.
_H*
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Date: 31-Jul-85 21:46 PDT
From: Steve Kleiser <SGK.TYM@OFFICE-2>
Subject: Cancel Call Waiting - Pacific Bell misprint
As mentioned in a previous TELECOM, Pacific Bell, in their newsletter
"Openline" announced Cancel Call Waiting, which allows you to make the next
call (like a data call!) without fear of the call waiting signal.
It is suggested that not all areas have it yet, but for those that do, you dial
70 plus the telephone number (or 1170 on rotary phones). Well, I tried dialing
70, and nothing happened (dead air). I tried 70# and got a recording. WELL, I
then tried 1170 (I have touchtone service) AND IT WORKED!
I since have learned that the "newsletter" made a boo boo. You have to dial
*70, then you get a new dial tone and can proceed with your call!
I also noticed that ALL custom calling features will work with a star in front
- and then don't need the pound sign (or timeout) after! For example, to set
call forwarding, the instructions say 72# + the number. Well, *72 plus works
just as well! Live and learn!
-steve-
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From: vax135!petsd!moncol!john@Berkeley
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 85 11:52:25 edt
Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V5 #12
]From: kyle.wbst@Xerox.ARPA
]Date: 29 Jul 85 1:18:04 EDT
]Subject: Re: PHONE Surge Suppressors
]
]Thanks for your information about phone surge suppressors. The catalog
]address where I found this item was:
] Global Computer Supplies
] 45 S. Service Road
] Dept 52
] Plainview, NY 11807
]
]The items in question are:
]
] Surge Sponge (RS232 connector type protection)
] Stock Number C4592
] Cost = $49.00/ea
] Tele-Guard (for the phone line)
] Stock Number C4593
] Cost = $19.00
Avoid the Surge Sponges like the plague!!!!
We had quite a number of the Surge Sponges in use here about a year ago.
They were at both ends of lines running between buildings.
After one early summer thunderstorm, about the only thing that didn't look
damaged were the Surge Sponges. Our terminals and communication boards were
another matter altogether.
We did not get ours from Global, but directly from the manufacturer-
Telebyte technology. Their ad said that the sponges "protect from surges,
such as from lightning". After our lightning strike we called them and they
said that the product was never designed to protect against that! When one
of our Vice-Presidents showed them their own add with the above statement,
they reluctantly agreed to exchange the sponges for an eqivalent value's
worth of another product of theirs called a Lightning Sponge. The jury is
still out on the effectiveness of these.
For those who are interested, we opened up a Surge Sponge and a Lightning
Sponge to see what makes them tick. The surge Sponge is nothing more than a
PC board passing all 25 lines with a MOV going between 6 key lines and
ground. The Lightning Sponge is a bit more complex: it only passes 4 lines
(T+, T-, T+, R-) which are protected by larger MOV's, a gas discharge tube,
and some sort of coil.
Name: John Ruschmeyer
US Mail: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone: (201) 222-6600 x366
UUCP: ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john ...!princeton!moncol!john
...!pesnta!moncol!john
ARPA: vax135!petsd!moncol!john@BERKELEY
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End of TELECOM Digest
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