TELECOM@Usc-Eclb (09/10/82)
TELECOM AM Digest Friday, 10 September 1982 Volume 2 : Issue 115
Today's Topics:
Paystations & Polarity & 1+ Dialing & Common Carriers
Tone Polarity Mismatch - Repair Service Comments
PBX Extensions - Quality (or lack thereof)
Vadic Audodial - Blind Outpulser Warning
RSVP Service - More Custom Calling
NJ Phone Prefix Lists - Independent Companies
Conversion To Touch Tone - Processing Charges
Bryant Pond Is Really The Last Of The Ancient...
Carter Lake, Always Part Of Iowa
Morristown Has It Bad...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 4 September 1982 1516-PDT (Saturday)
From: lauren at UCLA-Security (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: misc. items
It's time to tie together some loose ends, I guess...
1) Paystations. I don't recall anyone saying that payphone polarity
reversal was not a security measure. In my discussion on this
topic, I simply said that polarity was reversed as part of the
"phone control" mechanism... I didn't feel it was appropriate to go
into a detailed discussion of battery reversal and its effects on
the coin totalizer; these are fairly well known.
In any case, the point is that there is nothing stopping operating
companies from adding polarity guards to the pads ... allowing the
pads to work does NOT effect totalizer security.
2) I remember getting the first DIAL 1 FIRST promos from PacTel
many years ago. I believe we started on 1+ dialing well before the
first N 0/1 X prefixes were cutover -- at least a couple of months
ahead. On the subject of such prefixes, there is a "700" prefix
out in the valley. Bizarre.
3) As has been discussed before on this list (or was it HUMAN-NETS way
back when), the "alternate" common carriers do not receive
answering supervision information on calls they originate, so they
have no way to really *know* when a call is answered . They usually
operate on a fixed time interval... any call lasting more than N
seconds begins to charge. I believe that most of them operate with
N in the range of 60 to 120 seconds or so.
--Lauren--
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 1982 2344-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: Polarity guards on payphones
They aren't needed once MCCS is installed, because part of MCCS
includes the feature that makes sure polarity is only reversed when
needed to allow the totalizer to rehome as coins are dropped rather
than only after the initial deposit amount is in the totalizer.
If you can get to a phone somewhere with MCCS, you can see this in
action. Dial a few calls, and hold a button down. You'll notice when
polarity is reversed and when it isn't (ignore short interruptions of
less than a second, that's just the open switching interval).
------------
Without dial-tone first, you will often find that what it takes to get
the dial beeping again is stuffing coins (equal to the required
initial deposit) into the totalizer after you've gotten connected.
This is only true when then call has gone through a process where the
coins have been returned (such as an 800 or calling card call). These
coins will be returned at the end of the call.
With dial-tone first, you need MCCS to get the dial beeping if you've
been through TSPS.
------------------------------
Date: 5 Sep 82 11:45:03 EDT (Sun)
From: Steve Bellovin <smb.unc@UDel-Relay>
Subject: Repair service
The other day, I tried to make a call, and -- suprise! -- I didn't get
any tones from the keypad. Being a loyal reader of this digest (and
having had the problem when they first made TouchTone available here),
I knew what the problem was. But, since it was a bit late to go
crawling under the house, I just called repair service (and refrained
from trying to explain to the clerk what was wrong -- though I did get
a little impatient when he was asking when I'd be home -- damnit, if
they can break it without coming out to the house, they can fix it
that way, too).
Anyway -- it was fixed promptly the next morning. The odd part,
though, was after a technician called me and verified the problem, she
went off the line for about 30 seconds, and fixed it -- hardly enough
time to swap a pair of wires. Then she asked me to test the fix by
dialing her at some 800 number. Why an 800 number? Can they reverse
polarity on some line by programming? I know that the exchange is
physically located here in Chapel Hill; it was just installed last
summer, amidst much publicity and hoopla.
--Steve
------------------------------
Date: 6 September 1982 01:05 edt
From: Frankston.SoftArts at MIT-MULTICS
Subject: Phones on a PBX
Reply-To: Frankston at MIT-MULTICS (Bob Frankston)
We have just moved from the 617-491 (Cambridge, MA) exchange to
617-237 (Wellesley MA). 617-237 was also just converted to ESS and is
not taking new change orders. Furthermore they are out of pairs on
the street and can't replace bad trunks. I am also using Chestel EPBX
inhouse.
My current arrangement is to use the PBX for the computer dialup lines
in order to gain flexibility in playing with hunt groups and the like.
I use DISA [Glossary at the end of this letter) for this.
The problem is that the line quality to the computer varies from
unusable to relatively clean. It seems to be correlate with some
trunks, but not perfectly. It also seems to correlate with the source
of the calls with Cambridge (ESS) being better quality than Newton MA
(adjacent).
It seems to be both a problem with lousy trunks coming in and
attenuation in the switch. I am also experimenting with DIL. I plan
to convert to DID as soon as the exchange is willing to service change
orders. I have had the interconnect people (IPC - Interconnect
Planning Corporation of New England) check out the trunks but they
have not found anything significant. The noise itself is bursty at
times. It is known, however, that the Telco trunks can be very very
poor since people have had problems with the voice lines.
I know that the "obvious" solution is to use direct telco
trunks, but this greatly reduces my flexibility and requires a
larger pool of apparently as yet unavailable wires from Telco.
Suggestions?
Glossary:
DISA - Direct Inward System Access
Allows you to dial a number, give a password and
act like a station.
DIL - Direct Inward Line
A trunk is immediately connected to a specified
station (which may hunt internally).
DID - Direct Inward Dialing
What used to be called Centrex service. This is
the preferred mode since the there is no direct
relationship between the physical and logical
trunks. It probably makes the task of tracing down
bad trunks to be even more of an adventure.
------------------------------
Date: 6 September 1982 01:05 edt
From: Frankston.SoftArts at MIT-MULTICS
Subject: Re: Vadic Audodial
Reply-To: Frankston at MIT-MULTICS (Bob Frankston)
Be warned that Vadic autodialler is a "blind" outpulser. In
particular, one cannot send DTMF signals for things like credit
card dialing or whatever.
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 1982 1016-EDT
From: Charles B. Weinstock <Weinstock at CMU-20C>
Subject: RSVP Service
In my current phone bill from Bell of Pennsylvania I received a flyer
describing a new service available for customers who have two or more
lines. They call it RSVP for Residence Service Variety Package. It
includes the following features; Call pickup, Call Transfer - Busy,
Call Transfer - Don't Answer, Call Waiting, Convenience Dialing (Speed
call for 5 numbers), Call Transfer, 3-Party Calling, and Intercom.
Of interest to people with computer lines is that call waiting and
call transfer - busy are mutually exclusive, so you can use the
package without having your modem disconnect at inconvenient times.
They get $7.50 per line for this service plus a $9.00 installation
charge per billing (i.e. if all phones are billed together then
$9.00).
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 82 15:08:33-EDT (Wed)
From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@BRL>
cc: cmoore at BRL
Subject: NJ phone prefix lists
New Jersey Bell directories and at least 2 non-Bell firms serving
parts of NJ print lists of prefixes for the NJ areas (201, 609). The
NJ Bell lists will use only one place name for all those pre- fixes
that have the same calling area, even though different place names may
show up on phone bills. E.g.: the "Newark" pre- fixes include
Irvington (area 201); and, in 609, Pennsville (678) and Penns Grove
(299) are both listed as Penns Grove. (Can't determine how one name
was chosen over another.)
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 1982 2330-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
cc: figmo at KESTREL
Subject: Conversion to Touch-Tone
If you are served by either No. 1 or No. 2 ESS running any reasonably
recent version of the software (less than 3-4 years old) -- and almost
everyone is, they really do have to "re-program" your line. It
involves clearing a bit (in No. 1 ESS, No. 2 may be slightly
different) in the database in the machine associated with your line.
The C.O. will ignore Touch-Tone until this bit is cleared.
The $27.50 charge is the cost of having a service order clerk type in
a couple of lines on the service order terminal. In New Jersey it's
only $13.00 -- just had it done to my father's phone aftwer we bought
some Stromberg-Carlson sets (which, of course, didn't work until they
typed in the message).
------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 1982 0956-PDT
From: Lynn Gold <FIGMO at KESTREL>
Subject: Conversion to Touch-Tone
Address: Kestrel Institute, 1801 Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: (415) 494-2233
However, if the line DOES work with Touch-Tone (as many DO), they
STILL charge you the fee!
--Lynn
------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 1982 0006-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: Bryant Pond really is the last
Although there are a few so-called "toll stations" here and there
where you pick up a phone and get an operator for all calls (and some
of these even have cranks, although it is not clear you really have to
turn it to get the operator's attention) Bryant Pond was the last
place where there was a real community with normal subscriber service
provided by a manual, community switchboard.
The really unique thing about Bryant Pond was that it really was a
magneto system (not even like PBXs in some hotels where there aren't
dials). When you pick up your phone, nothing happens. You have to
turn the crank in order to send ringing voltage down the line, which
causes a little metal indicator to drop down and remain down until the
operator pushes it back up. (This, by the way, is why your telephone
line is called a "drop." Not because the wire drops down the pole
into your house, but because the line is connected to a "drop" back at
the switchboard.) Likewise, the cord pairs don't have an automatic
indication when you hang up. You have to "ring off" before hanging up
to cause the drop on the cord pair on the board to drop, so the
operator knows to pull down the connection. It has the side effect of
letting people on the party line know that the line is available, but
that isn't the main purpose. In Bryant Pond, there are also private
lines, and you have to ring-off on them, as well.
Some readers may have seen the former owner, Elden Hathaway, on Johnny
Carson Tuesday night, or may have read the recent TIME article. It is
unlikely that the system will be saved; the majority of the people in
the town apparently want progress.
I'm thinking about going up there again this Friday; I didn't have my
camera the last time I was there, although I'm not sure the new owners
will let anyone take pictures. When I was there four years ago, Elden
showed me all around the system, gave me toll tickets, let me MF a
call on his toll trunks (which I filled out a toll ticket for, billing
the MF call to my credit card). He used to give out pencils inscribed
"All calls are crank at Bryant Pond Telephone Company." The new
owners are not happy about the publicity; I know they won't let the
press near the place.
------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 1982 0023-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
To: cmoore at BRL
Subject: Carter Lake
You're right, Carter Lake always was part of Iowa; my National
Geographic Atlas was wrong. The river was channelized, putting it on
the Nebraska side of the Missouri river. I don't have an explanation
for the double area-coding, but the state is right, so for rate
purposes the area code shouldn't matter. Maybe the double area-coding
is just to help callers get through who get confused by funny maps.
------------------------------
Date: 9 Sep 1982 0041-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
cc: awalker at RUTGERS
Subject: So you think Morristown has it bad
I haven't seen MCCS anywhere in California yet (Lauren, have you found
it somewhere?). In fact, I was in Carmel yesterday, and they are
still served by a CORD BOARD -- almost unheard of in Bell areas. The
local C.O. is all set up to take the extra digits -- then it dumps you
to a recording. Since "0" normally goes directly to the Cord Board
with no timeout when there is no TSPS, this could mean that TSPS is
coming VERY soon, or it could mean that Pa Bell is showing standard
klutziness.
In order to do the polarity switching required to run MCCS seems to
require installation of a new trunk circuit pack in No. 5 Bars. They
may not be in any hurry to put those in, especially if the office is
scheduled for a cutover to ESS.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest
**********************
-------