telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (02/10/85)
From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) <Telecom-Request@BBNCCA> TELECOM Digest Sun, 10 Feb 85 0:04:04 EST Volume 4 : Issue 157 Today's Topics: Carrier invocation Re: Residential PABX System Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise Billing strangeness ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Feb 85 19:27:54 EST From: *Hobbit* <AWalker@RUTGERS.ARPA> Subject: Carrier invocation To: telecom@RUTGERS.ARPA In a normal ESS exchange, if I dial my own number I get a busy signal immediately, which is the proper thing to do. Now, if I prefix that with 1-201-<number>, there is a delay with a couple of clicks [meaning it's doing more involved routing], and then I get the busy. Is the switcher interpreting this as an inter-LATA call and passing the details to AT&T blindly without figuring out what the number was first? This is weird??? _H* ------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat 9 Feb 85 01:27:42-CST From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@UTEXAS-20.ARPA> Subject: Re: Residential PABX System To: telecom@UTEXAS-20.ARPA Lars Poulsen (LARS@ACC) wonders if this wouldn't constitute being a small phone-company which would come under FCC-regulation. just happens that on local TV tonight was a report where SWB attacks the internal phone-installations of a Dallas high-rise, which might now get direct connections to LD-carriers. I'll keep you posted as things develop. in general, I think I have heard that as long as you don't cross a utility easement you can string a private phone-line to a neighbors house, but I might be wrong and any crossing of property lines would put you under FCC control. ------- ------------------------------ From: fortune!redwood!rpw3@Berkeley Date: Fri, 8 Feb 85 14:06:25 pst To: fortune!dual!ucbvax!telecom@Berkeley Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #155 - phone noise +--------------- | From: kyle.wbst@XEROX.ARPA | re: noise & Southwestern Bell... | I have had a problem with noise on the lines up here in Rochester, NY. | ... What I have discovered is that there | is an AM radio station that comes in loud and clear on the phone lines | ... When I disconnect | the modem from the phone line, the music goes away, so clearly the modem | card is somehow acting like an antenna and picking up this radio station. | Any suggestions for a cheap fix (short of building agiant Faraday cage). +--------------- As you describe it, the radio signal is most probably coming in through the power lines, not the phone lines. This is not unusual, if the power lines run near the radio station's antenna. When I was at Fortune Systems, at one of their early locations, we were in the ground wave of a 50kW talk station. If a prototype system was not properly grounded (and how many are, all spread out on the bench?), one could see VOLTS! of R.F. on the logic "ground" with an oscilloscope. This caused MOS logic errors, to say the least! (It's confusing enough when your prototypes are crashing for other reasons...) The solution was to make sure the power supplies were all properly grounded to the "green wire" in the power cord. In your case, if you don't have a modern house with good solid grounds (third prong) in the outlets, you may have to make your own (see any book on ham radio for tips and techniques). If you already have good grounds, you may have to try an "RFI" filter, or even an isolation transformer. Borrowing an oscilloscope may be of use in measuring/tracing the problem (especially if the scope's connected to a friend who has RFI-killing experience, such as a neighborhood ham operator). Rob Warnock Systems Architecture Consultant UUCP: {ihnp4,ucbvax!dual}!fortune!redwood!rpw3 DDD: (415)572-2607 USPS: 510 Trinidad Lane, Foster City, CA 94404 ------------------------------ From: ima!johnl@bbncca Date: Sat Feb 9 14:45:00 1985 Subject: Billing strangeness To: bbncca!telecom I was looking at my typical zillion page phone bill ("this page is to tell you that we don't care if you pay the bill on the next two pages") and noticed that every month for quite a while, AT&T has been billing me for exactly two calls to interstate directory assistance. For a while, I assumed that friends had absent-mindedly called D.A. direct before carefully billing the following call to their credit cards. I make all of my L.D. calls through SBS, including D.A. calls, and I'm rather suspicious, since two calls is the number that you get for free if you make any AT&T phone calls. Anybody else notice this? Also, I saw in a flyer from SBS that General Telephone of California has been charging message units in some areas for calls to 950 numbers. You can get your money back by applying in writing to General Tel's central billing office. They claim they'll have it fixed by April. Uh huh. John Levine, ima!johnl or Levine@YALE.ARPA ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ******************************