TELECOM Digest Thu, 7 Apr 94 14:33:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 170 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: Windows or DOS Caller ID Program (Ralph Becker) Re: Bellcore Goes Crypto (John Perkins) Re: What's Up With the NANP (Carl Moore) Re: What's Up With the NANP (Michael Israeli) Cellular Privacy??? (malcolm@apple.com) Shopping For an 800 Number (Shahid Ikram Butt) Jargon Dictionary Wanted (John Conwell) Caller-ID FAQ Update and "Never Say Never" (A. Padgett Peterson) Re: New Use of ANI (James Taranto) Re: New Use of ANI (Ron DeBlock) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Evan Leibovitch) Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? (Scott Johnston) Re: AT&T Cellular Privacy System (mcharry@cwc.com) Re: Information About ERMES Project (Rob Lockhart) Re: Canada Direct to European Customers - Why Not Possible? (Eric Snyder) Re: Local Charges for 950 and 800 Access? (John R. Grout) Re: Where Can I Find A Copy of Mosaic? (Evan Robatino) Re: Can I Use my Cellular Phone in Turkey and Germany? (Gerald Serviss) Re: History: Vail, Monopoly, AT&T (syntech@access.digex.com) Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire (Nevin Liber) Re: Alert! New CD-Rom Database a la Lotus: Household! (Robert Lightfoot) Re: Alert! New CD-Rom Database a la Lotus: Household! (Steve Brack) Colonel vs. Kernel (Theodore M.P. Lee) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks including Compuserve and GEnie. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson Associates of Skokie, Illinois USA. We provide telecom consultation services and long distance resale services including calling cards and 800 numbers. To reach us: Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or by phone at 708-329-0571 and fax at 708-329-0572. Email: ptownson@townson.com. ** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu ** Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to use the information service, just ask. TELECOM Digest is gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom. It has no connection with the unmoderated Usenet newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom.tech whose mailing list "Telecom-Tech Digest" shares archives resources at lcs.mit.edu for the convenience of users. Please *DO NOT* cross post articles between the groups. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: rbecker@xap.xyplex.com (Ralph Becker) Subject: Re: Windows or DOS Caller ID Program Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 11:43:19 ET Organization: Xyplex Customer Support In article fritzj@ecn.purdue.edu (Fritz Friedlaender) writes: > If you have a modem that supports caller ID (e.g. PP14400 - the mini- > tower and internal version, NOT the pocket version) it is easy to > store the CNID data on a PC. > Get Kermit (for instance), at zero cost, and run a "log file". This > file will contain all the "ring" entries, and the Caller-ID information, > usually between the first and second ring. Just be sure that your > communications program is running and Caller-ID enabled in the desired > format, IF available on your modem. See several very recent postings > on the minimum conditions needed to make this work (in essence, if > your Caller-ID box works, so will this scheme with the appropriate > modem). Same information. I would like to follow up briefly on my request for a Windows-based Caller ID box simulation/replacement utility. I got a few "me too" requests, and I promised to let them know what I found. The only software I was pointed to is a $15 Shareware Windows utility. The file CID.ZIP is available in the Telecommunications Forum on Compu$erve (search on "Caller" will find it). I don't know of any FTP sites that have this (yet). This software is, er, a bit rough around the edges. I'm using it with my PPI PM14400FXMT, and it has several bugs. I am compiling a list that I will forward to the author. However, it's all there is, apparently, for now. The suggestion to use the logging feature on a Comm package was made to me, and I actually already tried this (works fine) with Crosstalk for Windows. I am still using this approach for now. I expect that as Caller ID increases in popularity, more of this type of software will become available in the coming months. Ralph Becker Xyplex Customer Support [Tech. Support hotline 800-435-7997] rbecker@sup.xyplex.com or 71174.1262@compuserve.com ------------------------------ From: johnper@bunsen.rosemount.com (John Perkins) Subject: Re: Bellcore Goes Crypto Organization: Rosemount, Inc. Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 12:04:10 GMT In article wollman@ginger.lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) writes: > In article , PAT writes: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thank you Colonel. Tell me this: any ideas >> how Colonel came to be pronounced 'kernel' rather than 'call-on-nell'? > There is a reason for this, oddly enough. The English word `colonel' > is a result of the collision between the French word `colonelle' and > the Italian `coronello'. For some unknown reason, English adopted the > French spelling and the Italian pronunciation. There is no 'r' sound in the British pronunciation of 'colonel'. There is a sound that corresponds to the French 'eu', a sound that does not occur in American speech. John Perkins ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Apr 94 9:48:03 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: What's Up With the NANP > other numbering resources such as service access codes (e.g., 500 and 900 codes) What is the meaning of the inclusion of 500 here? All I know about 500 is that it has been one of the "last-resort" N0X/N1X area codes. > In addition, the Commission sought comment on the need, if any or > for a nationally uniform dialing pattern that would use the digit "1" > as a toll call identifier. Notice this is ONLY the comment stage. What would be affected is some areas using just seven digits for long distance within area code. Also, some cases of local calls to another area code require a leading 1. ------------------------------ From: izzy@netaxs.com (Michael Israeli) Subject: Re: What's Up With the NANP Date: 6 Apr 1994 21:44:29 GMT Organization: Netaxs BBS and shell accounts! Where can one write or e-mail to state an opinion on this to? Michael Israeli - (izzy@access.netaxs.com) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I suppose one can now contact the FCC via their new online thing with the net which we have been hearing about. Does anyone know if the mail can go both directions on that or if pen and paper still required? :) PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular Privacy??? Date: Thu, 07 Apr 94 08:39:20 -0700 From: malcolm@apple.com I saw a copy of RCD newsfax talking about cellular privacy. The gist of the article is that the Illinois Attorney General said "persons who use a telephone which transmits by radio waves have no justifiable expectation of privacy." The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association quickly pointed out that this is not what the federal law says and then goes on to say "As an industry, we are totally committed to the personal privacy of cellular telephone users." Hah! If they were that committed then they would encrypt the transmission and not depend on silly laws. Malcolm ------------------------------ From: sib1@Ra.MsState.Edu (Shahid Ikram Butt) Subject: Shopping for an 800 number Date: 7 Apr 1994 12:47:05 -0500 Organization: Mississippi State University Hello World, I am shopping for an 800 number for my business. We currently do not have one but our phone bill still exceeds $1,000/month. We expect the volume to increase with the new 800 number. I know I should probably be calling LD companies. But I know next to nothing about LD companies, their policies and charges etc. Any help on who to call at what number etc would definitely be appreciated. If you got a good rate and you liked the service from anybody, I would like to hear from you. Thanks a million. Shahid sib1@Ra.Msstate.Edu ------------------------------ From: John Conwell Subject: Jargon Dictionary Wanted Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 08:49:48 EDT I am looking for a book/dictionary for the great number of telephone (and cabletelevision) slang terms. You know, RBOC, STS, etc. I know a few, but a desk-top guide to the oft used shorthand phrases would be useful. I believe that the once monolithic Ma Bell produced one in-house, and probably the Baby Bells still do. Anything would be nice. :} [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Have you checked out the online glossaries which are part of the Telecom Archives? Use anonymous ftp to connect with lcs.mit.edu. Then, 'cd telecom-archives/glossaries'. You'll find several large files there; glossaries compiled at one time or another. You can also obtain glossary entries using the Telecom Archives Email Information Service. Use the regular instructions for that service. The command is given as GLOSSARY . For example, 'GLOSSARY COCOT' would cause email to be sent to you automatically explaining what that term meant. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Apr 94 07:54:54 -0400 From: padgett@tccslr.dnet.mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson) Subject: Caller-ID FAQ Update and "Never Say Never" I wrote: > My understanding is that the Motorola chip and most Caller-ID boxes > are designed to only accept data *before* pickup and to stop listening > when the line is answered. Further, the through connection is only > made once the line has been answered. For this reason there should not > be a problem. > Further, I have understood that a Caller-ID box would only accept one > valid sequence per call. I have since found out that the above is not always true. When I studied the Motorola chip specs, I noted that this mode was available but that the chip could also be placed in a maintenance mode (listen always). Did not think that any box other than a test set would ever do so since the alternative was obviously preferable in a consumer environment. Wrong Again. Turns out that a few manufacturers may have designed their boxes in this mode (was told that some boxes sold by US West were this way - have not personally confirmed it though) and *these* boxes could be flooded/spoofed by the DE after call pickup. Warmly, Padgett PS: I incorporated this information and other corrections submitted by watchful readers into v 1.1 of the Caller-ID FAQ and sent to Pat for inclusion in the archives. ------------------------------ From: taranto@panix.com (James Taranto) Subject: Re: New Use of ANI Date: 7 Apr 1994 00:17:22 GMT Organization: The Bad Taranto In article , rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) wrote: > > 800-WHY-GUNS is an 800 number set up by a gun control proponent to > accumulate messages from people wanting to recieve literature on their > cause. > Interesting points : > - Some users report that the message changes after the third call > from the same number, stating that calls from a single number are > limited to three because of harassment from opponents [note: I wonder > if they still pay for a call to their computers to identify the > caller and leave this message?] I tried the number. The message changes on the third call, and subsequent calls do not go through -- I got a fast busy on my fourth call. I dialed the number four times in rapid succession, so this is done automatically. Cheers, James Taranto taranto@panix.com ------------------------------ From: news@cbnewsj.att.com Date: Thu, 7 Apr 94 12:30:53 GMT Subject: Re: New Use of ANI Organization: AT&T In article rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) writes: >- Some users report that the message changes after the third call > from the same number, stating that calls from a single number are > limited to three because of harassment from opponents [note: I wonder > if they still pay for a call to their computers to identify the > caller and leave this message?] This is not new. Limiting calls based on ANI has been done before, usually for contests and promotions. >- The voice repsonse unit appears to do some checking on the zip > code spoken into the system -- it replies invalid entry if you > read in a nine digit zip (with a spoken dash in it). Out of the box, the ASR systems I've seen do not understand "dash." They understand "zero" through "nine", "oh" (== "zero"), "yes" and "no." Unless the VRU instructs (through the prompts) otherwise, I would stick to that limited vocabulary when dealing with ASR systems. Decent ASR systems support word spotting -- "dash" or any other words not in the vocabulary would be ignored. Ron DeBlock AT&T Bell Labs / InfoWorx(R) Interactive Voice Service Somerset, NJ, USA rdb1@homxa.att.com ------------------------------ From: evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cell Phones Reduce Crime? Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 10:33:54 -0400 Organization: Somewhere just far enough out of Toronto In Ontario, they haven't yet told us they'd be charging for each 911 call, but there are a few alternates that (one would hope) discourage people from clogging 911 to report fender benders. In Ontario, *OPP gets one the Ontario Provincial Police (sorta like our State Troopers) on a free-airtime call. As well, though it ain't publicized much, *PEEL is a direct line to the local police serving my city (Peel Region, covering Mississauga and Brampton Ontario, just west of Toronto). Also airtime-free. I have used both on occasion, as well as calling in accidents to local radio stations. I have also used *CAA to call the local equivalent of triple-A, thankfully not very often. Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd., located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!utzoo!telly!evan / (905) 452-0504 ------------------------------ From: scottj@MCS.COM (Scott Johnston) Subject: Re: Will Widespread Use of Cellphones Reduce Crime? Date: 7 Apr 1994 01:01:08 -0500 Organization: Another MCSNet Subs., Chicago's First Public-Access Internet! PAT says: >> thus far in 1994 here, *27 children* have been killed in >> the crossfire of gang-related incidents in Chicago. From the {Chicago Tribune}, April 4, 1994: (article about Le Twan Redmond, killed 4/2/94) Section 1, page 1, sports final edition) " Le twan was the sixth child aged 14 or younger to be killed in the Chicago area in the last week; 5 of those were killed by gunfire. He is the 15th child aged 14 and under to be killed in the Chicago area this year." Where do you get 27? Scott in 60657 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Note the key phrase in that particular story in the {Tribune} was 'aged 14 and under'. Put the upper age limit for 'children' at 18 and you get different figures. But you know Scott, I get the feeling you want to play games and discredit the entire thing based on my use of one set of figures and the {Tribune} story with other figures. For a moment, let's take your figures as correct. Isn't 15 kids killed since the first of the year -- that's about one per week -- still pretty sad? Wouldn't you say we are still in a state of emergency here exacerbated by the ACLU's unwillingness to cooperate? Of course, ACLU attornies live in Winnetka or Glencoe -- or maybe even in 60657, that fine bastion of liberal, modern thinking; although Jay Miller, one of the head people there lives on Printer's Row south of downtown -- so they wouldn't know much about an eight year old child on his way to school laying dead on the sidewalk. The ultimate deprivation of his civil liberties, along with 14 others (using your figures and ages) gone unnoticed by a group which purports to protect civil liberties for everyone. Now if you add the other dozen or so -- high school age kids, and I have not read the paper today to get the latest counts -- then we get over two dozen young lives given up. I guess that's the way it has to be; after all, we all know the ACLU is a fine, outstanding organization with only the purest of agendas and a monopoly on interp- reting the US Constitution. In general in Chicago, the rate of violent, deliberate murder is running 25 percent ahead of last year. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Apr 94 09:52:28 EDT From: mcharry@cwc.com (McHarry) Subject: Re: AT&T Cellular Privacy System David Arneke wrote regarding the AT&T Cellular Privacy System: "This is the strongest scrambling algorithm available for handheld, transportable and mobile cellular subscriber equipment." This appears somewhat disingenuous -- there are cellular STU-IIIs available. The commercial versions use DES encryption. Granted, you need units at both ends of the link. I have only seen the units as mobiles and transportables. They are likely too large to build as handhelds. Nevertheless, to render Arneke's claim true, either one has to hold that encryption is different from scrambling, or to strongly construe the 'and' clause to take advantage of the lack of DES handhelds. ------------------------------ From: rlockhart@aol.com (RLockhart) Subject: Re: Information About ERMES Project Date: 7 Apr 1994 11:06:01 -0500 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) In article , Stewart Fist <100033.2145@ CompuServe.COM> writes: > There's also a cut-down pre-Ermes standard called > Euromessage in the UHF band, which is limited to the UK, Germany, > Italy and France. EuroMessage isn't a 'cut-down' ERMES. (Atleast it wasn't last time I looked .) It's purely POCSAG and uses standard alpha pagers. Italy is linked into the network via SIP. France is linked in via France Telecoms. Germany is the DBP. The UK is through a couple of carriers. (And didn't Sweden and a few others plan on linking in at one time?) EuroMessage pre-dates ERMES by a couple of years (and technologies ). BTW, Hi Stewart ... are you getting these messages via Scott's posting of TELECOM Digest on CIS' TeleCom forum? Rob Lockhart Resource Manager, Interactive Data Systems Paging Products Group Motorola, Inc. Desktop: Lockhart-EPAG06_Rob@EMail.Mot.Com I'net Wireless Data <32K: Rob_Lockhart-ERL003E@EMail.Mot.Com I'net Wireless Data < 1K: Rob.Lockhart@RadioMail.Net CIS: 71333.1075@compuserve.com AOL: RLockhart AppleLink: ROBLOCKHART [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Responding only to the final paragraph in Rob's message, this is a good time to remind all readers that the TELECOM Digest is available as a regular feature on Compuserve. Look for it in the Telecom Forum area. Of course if you prefer, the Digest is also sent by email to the boxes of CIS subscribers requesting it that way instead. PAT] ------------------------------ From: ae924@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Eric G. Snyder) Subject: Re: Canada Direct to European Customers - Why Not Possible? Reply-To: ae924@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Eric G. Snyder) Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 07:28:07 -0500 Could someone please describe exactly what the Canada Direct service is? Eric Snyder - Ottawa Canada Targeted Communication Mgt ae924@freenet.carleton.ca ------------------------------ From: j-grout@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (John R. Grout) Subject: Re: Local Charges for 950 and 800 Access? Date: 7 Apr 1994 00:00:51 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Reply-To: j-grout@uiuc.edu In j-grout@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (John R. Grout) writes: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Generally it is only the rip-off > private payphones (COCOTS) which have charges for 950 and 800. They > are not supposed to either, but they get away with it. I am surprised > it was at a C&P phone. Maybe there was a programming error. PAT] According to Jonathan (jdl@wam.umd.edu), it is unlawful to charge for 800 calls, but C&P _does_ charge $.25 for a call to a 950 number from its payphones in Maryland. John R. Grout INTERNET: j-grout@uiuc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Apr 94 11:27:56 EDT From: erobatino@attmail.att.com Subject: Re: Where Can I Find A Copy of Mosaic? Organization: AT&T In article Ellis Claggett writes: > I recently heard of a product called Mosaic which acts as a front end > for Internet access. Could some one provide me additional information > on this product an where I might locate a copy on the internet. Your > help will greatly appreciated. Look in FTP site ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu. I believe it's in a subdirectory of /PC/Mosaic; there are versions of Mosaic for MS Windows (that's the one I use), UNIX and, I believe, Macintosh. To do anything useful with Mosaic, you'll need either direct TCP/IP access to Internet (in other words, you have to be an Internet host) or a dial-up SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) connection, which makes you a temporary Internet host. (Mosaic makes its own FTP connections, Gopher searches, Telnet sessions, and so forth which is why direct TCP/IP connectivity is needed.) Hope this helps. Evan Robatino AT&T erobatino@attmail.com Phone: (908) 457-3432 ------------------------------ From: serviss@tazdevil.cig.mot.com (Gerald Serviss) Subject: Re: Can I Use my Cellular Phone in Turkey and Germany? Date: 7 Apr 1994 17:40:27 GMT Organization: Cellular Infrastructure Group, Motorola cengelog@sunny.dab.ge.com (Yilmaz Cengeloglu) writes: > I use my cellular phone in FL, USA. I would like to know if I can use > that phone in Turkey and/or Germany. > If I can not use it, do you know any phone that is compatible with > cellular system in Germany, Turkey and USA. I am not sure about Turkey (do they even have cellular?) but, it would be impossible to use your AMPS or TDMA phone in Germany. Germany is mostly GSM now but, there was an analog system before that. I suspect that Turkey would be moving to GSM if it was installing a system. Jerry Serviss Motorola Inc serviss@rtsg.mot.com ------------------------------ From: syntech@access.digex.net (SynTech) Subject: Re: History: Vail, Monopoly, AT&T Date: 7 Apr 1994 14:00:21 -0400 Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Can anyone give me any information about one Elmer Laverne Hageman? He was president of the telegraph operators union in the 50's. I am currently doing research on the topic, any input would be appreciated. Thanks! ------------------------------ From: nevin@cs.arizona.edu (Nevin Liber) Subject: Re: Los Angeles Phone Fire Date: 7 Apr 1994 00:19:16 -0700 Organization: University of Arizona CS Department, Tucson AZ In article , TELECOM Digest Editor responded to Mark Brukhartz was no dial tone in Hinsdale for a month. Some other communities got > dial tone back after a *mere two weeks*. Cellular service (both A and B) > and pagers were out here for about two weeks. 911 was out for several > days in many western suburbs. You see, Hinsdale was the hub for it all. And don't forget that everybody's favorite (at the time) 3B20 email hub, ihnp4, was also served by that switch. > Please, whoever controls these things: don't let it happen again. PAT] In these days of cost cutting and sacrificing the long term for the short term, I just don't see it happening. Nevin ":-)" Liber nevin@cs.arizona.edu (602) 293-2799 +++ (520) after 3/95 office: (602) 621-1685 ------------------------------ From: rlightfo@spd.dsccc.com (Robert Lightfoot) Subject: Re: Alert! New CD-Rom Database a la Lotus: Household! Date: 7 Apr 1994 15:03:51 GMT Organization: DSC Communications Corporation, Plano, Texas USA This database of your home phone and address (and even how long you have lived there) is available on CompuServe. The age of information is here, I doubt you'll stop it. I have used this information in a helpful way, and don't see it as bad. A few days ago, someone re-landscaped my yard with their car, leaving behind the front license plate and part of the grill. I got the name and address from the DMV. They had moved two years ago with out telling the DMV (imagine that!). Compuserve told me right where they moved to, and even when they moved. I'm glad the information is out there! I'd like to see it. Robert, just Robert. ------------------------------ From: sbrack@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu (Steve Brack) Subject: Re: Alert! New CD-Rom Database a la Lotus: Household! Organization: University of Toledo Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 10:44:19 GMT One thing I don't believe people are looking at is when it comes to telemarketing and market research, many companies don't use directory information at all, but rather use random digit dialing. I worked for a market research company, and the only time we worked from phone lists was when we were doing a survey, say, with people who purchased a particular product or service. The rest of the time, we used lists of AC/exchange pairs, then randomized the last four digits. Not being in the book isn't as helpful as it seems. Steven S. Brack sbrack@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu Toledo, OH 43613-1605 STU0061@UOFT01.BITNET MY OWN OPINIONS sbrack@maine.cse.utoledo.edu ------------------------------ From: tmplee@MR.Net (Theodore M.P. Lee) Subject: Colonel vs. Kernel Date: Thu, 07 Apr 1994 10:44:11 -0600 Organization: Minnesota Regional Network > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: ... Tell me this: ... why is it we > make popcorn and have left over kernels ... PAT No April fool here ... twenty-some odd years ago (and yes, many of them have been been odd) I was baptized into the computer security game by being introduced to a (the) Colonel Roger Schell; he spent a lot of time talking about "security colonels"; it took me a *long* time to realize he meant "security {\em kernels}." Ted Lee tmplee@mr.net PO Box 1718 Minnetonka, MN 55345 ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #170 ****************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------