From telecom-request@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Wed Sep 6 04:04:42 1995 by 1995 04:04:42 -0400 telecomlist-outbound; Tue, 5 Sep 1995 11:45:14 -0500 1995 11:45:11 -0500 To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu TELECOM Digest Tue, 5 Sep 95 11:45:00 CDT Volume 15 : Issue 370 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "The Usenet Handbook" by Harrison (Rob Slade) A Systems Level View of the SNET Network (Gerry Belanger) Developer and Standards Conference (Tom Geldner) Digital Scope FAQ Available (John Seney) Updated GSM List (Jurgen Morhofer) Centrex vs PBX/KEY Market Research (Matthew Harttree) Last Laugh! International Phone Ripoff Chain Letter Spam (John Levine) 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 America On Line. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Subscriptions are available to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. You can reach us by postal mail, fax or phone at: 9457-D Niles Center Road Skokie, IL USA 60076 Phone: 500-677-1616 Fax: 708-329-0572 ** 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 partially funded by a grant from the * * International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland * * under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES) * * project. Views expressed herein should not be construed as represent- * * ing views of the ITU. * ************************************************************************ * In addition, TELECOM Digest receives a grant from Microsoft to assist with publication expenses. Editorial content in the Digest is totally independent, and does not necessarily represent the views of Microsoft. ------------------------------------------------------------ Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BKUSNTHB.RVW 950607 %A Mark Harrison usenet-handbook@ora.com %C 103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472 %D 1995 %G 1-56592-101-1 %I O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. %O U$24.95 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com %O 519-283-6332 800-528-9994 rick.brown@onlinesys.com %P 372 %T "The Usenet Handbook" "The Usenet Handbook", Mark Harrison, 1995, 1-56592-101-1, U$24.95 I am not quite sure what to say about Harrison's book, but one thing I *do* know -- it's unique. The first two chapters give a very sound overview of what Usenet news is, and how it works. Chapters three to six, and a part of chapter eight, give some instruction on reading news with nn, tin, gnus, Trumpet Newsreader and Netscape. Posting is covered in chapter seven, while eight to ten cover miscellaneous advanced topics. Chapter eleven, somewhat oddly, talks about email. Appendices include a table of geographic distribution limiters, five good (and classic) articles on Usenet UNIX wildcards and regular expressions, sources for the software described in the book, and the Spafford/Lawrence lists of groups and alt groups. The material is clear and easy to read. It does, however, have something of a "techie" feel, confirmed by the suggestion that programming your own newsreader is a good way to learn news, or the directions for WAIS indexing of articles. The organization is generally good, but could be improved or enhanced with cross-references. For example, chapter seven tells you not to post an article until you've read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions list)--but doesn't tell you about the MIT mail-server source for FAQs until chapter eight. Some of the content is much more comprehensive, such as the excellent collection of hoax messages that shouldn't be reposted. On the other hand, as useful as they might be in general, do we really need a chapter on email, most of one on ftp, and an appendix on UNIX wildcards? That space might better be used for missing information such as mail-to-news gateways. (A sidebar does describe anonymising servers. And the Usenet FAQ in Appendix B lists one--the Digital site which is now permanently out of service.) The material on newsreaders could be expanded either to include more of them, or more details. For anyone wanting to become involved with the thousands of topical discussions ongoing under Usenet news technology, this book will get you started and *won't* steer you wrong. It is written by someone who firmly understands the Usenet culture, and Valerie Quercia's frequent sidebars provide interesting comments along the way. Harrison's topic choices may be technical, but his explanations are not. This book can be for anyone. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKUSNTHB.RVW 950607. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated publications. Rob Slade's book reviews are a regular feature in the Digest. ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 RSlade@cyberstore.ca "Internet, the information network you _can't_ outgrow." - Ido Dubrawsky Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540- 94311-0 ------------------------------ The following notice is from the Sept/Oct 1995 issue of "The CONNector", the Newsletter of the Connecticut Section of the IEEE: MEETING NOTICE (PLEASE POST) Title: A System Level View of the SNET Network Time: 7:00 PM (Registration)/7:15PM (Presentation) Location: Pitney Bowes; Shelton, CT. Charge: Free Admission, Non-members welcome. Contact: Greg Boria @ 203-778-6811 ext 212 Description: A fresh look at the multifaceted aspects of the network design problem is required in an era of increased competition and rapidly changing technology supporting new services. The skills and knowledge of the network designer must be founded upon a solid engineering and mathematical basis combined with a systems view of the problem. John Yanosy will discuss this system view of the network design problem and some of the design aspects that a network designer faces in this environment. Perspectives will be drawn from experiences in designing and planning for high speed enterprise data networks to the newer aspects of multimedia networks as well as the significant opportunities that ATM and SONET offer. Speaker: John Yanosy, Technical Director at SNET John has over 24 years of engineering experience characterized by an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to system design and analysis. He has been involved with: network service and technology planning and assessment, system design including protocol architecture development, protocol development, software development, real time packet switching design, mathematical analysis and computer simulation of large scale parallel computer architectures. In addition, he also has experience in hands on development of products that were manufactured and sold. He is currently working on SNET's Interactive Digital Video Tone Network. This involves exploring alternative broadband network architectures and their sensitivity to technology and market parameters. This Meeting Is Being Presented By The Computer Society. Gerry Belanger, WA1HOZ wa1hoz@a3bbak.nai.net Newtown, CT g.belanger@ieee.org ------------------------------ MultiFunction Peripheral Association to Host Major Developer and Standards Conference, September 28-29 in Del Mar, California. Michael J. Miller, Editor-in-Chief of PC Magazine, to Keynote Event. SAN DIEGO, CA / August 30, 1995 - The MultiFunction Peripheral Association (MFPA) and PC Magazine today announced that Michael J. Miller, Vice President and Editor-in Chief of PC Magazine and well-known computer industry spokesperson, had been named as the keynote speaker for the MFPA's upcoming "Integrated Office Conference '95" (IOC '95). The event is scheduled for September 28 and 29 at the Del Mar Hilton in Del Mar, California and is expected to draw over 200 top computer development professionals, marketers and executives. Held in cooperation with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Business Technology Association (BTA, formerly NOMDA/LANDA), the Integrated Office Conference '95 will offer critical technical and strategic information about the design and development of multifunction peripherals (MFP's or products that combine fax, data transfer, scanning, copying and/or printing features in one unit) as well as stand-alone products that need to communicate with such products. IOC '95 will also provide a forum for product development professionals to directly influence proposed industry standards for MFP's. The conference features a full range of seminars, presentations, panel discussions and speeches as well as hosted meals and special events. Three tracks of eighteen sessions covering technical, light technical and marketing/channel issues are scheduled. Also planned are presentations and discussions of the MFPA's own Multifunction Peripheral Interface (MFPI) standard; which has been accepted by the TIA as its interim standard IS-650. Designed to facilitate communications between MFP's as well as for compatibility with popular network and operating system architectures, the MFPI standard promises to make multifunction products easier to develop, less expensive and more compatible across a wide range of platforms. The registration fee for the MFPA Integrated Office Conference '95 is $595 for MFPA members and $695 for non-members. Admission includes access to all conference sessions, continental breakfasts, a hosted luncheon, networking receptions, a "Del Mar-garita" party plus a complete conference binder. Audio transcriptions will also be available for most conference sessions. Discounts are available for multiple registrations. IOC '95 will be held at the new Del Mar Hilton located next to the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds (just minutes from the city of San Diego and the world famous beaches of Del Mar and La Jolla). Special below-season room rates are available for the event. For further information, contact the MFPA toll-free at 800-603-MFPA, via fax at 619-447-6872 or by mail at: MFPA,1010 Old Chase Avenue, Suite B, El Cajon, CA 92020. Information is also available via Internet by sending an e-mail message to: mfpa-request@cognisys.com with the subject "Send IOC 95 Info." You can also visit the MFPA's WWW site at: http://www.cognisys.com/browse/mfpa --------------- The Multifunction Peripheral Association (MFPA) is a non-profit, industry association established for the promotion and development of multifunction computer peripheral devices and uniform standards for computer-based faxing, data transfer, scanning, printing and copying. Member companies and sponsors of the MFPI / IS-650 standard include AMP, Brother International, Canon USA, Cognisys, Danka/Omnifax, Destiny Technology, Fujitsu, IBM, InfoNetwork, Konica Business Machines, Lanier Worldwide, Matsushita Electric, Minolta, Mita Copystar, Motorola, National Semiconductor, Oce Graphics, Peerless Systems, QMS, Ricoh, Rockwell International, Sharp, Torrey Pines Research, Toshiba, Xerox and Xionics Document Technologies. ------------------------------ FALL / 1995 DIGITAL SCOPE.FAQ - VERSION 2.00 Dear Technologist(s): This Digital Storage Scope.FAQ file contains many (but not all) of your answers to the more "Frequently Asked Questions" re: Digital Storage Oscilloscopes (DSOs). The answers and suggestions come from > a decade of my experience as a DSO sales engineer in Boston, MA. The opinions are mine and represent no company or service -- they are meant simply to be helpful, generic, and easy to understand. Thanks to the hundreds of responses to the earlier versions of this FAQ. Feel free to contact me anytime (john@wd1v.mv.com) if you have additional questions or comments. If you want the next version of this file sent to you automatically, send an EMAIL where the subject field contains the text "subscribe scope.faq". KEY ISSUES REVIEWED IN THIS FAQ (in order of appearance) * DSO INDUSTRY TRENDS (Whats happening in DSO technology this year?) * DSO FORM FACTORS (What types of DSOs are there?) * PRIMARY DSO FUNCTIONS (What can DSOs actually do?) * COMPARISONS (How can I best compare various models) * APPLICATIONS (What are the most common DSO applications?) * ADCs (What speed do I really need on each channel?) * BANDWIDTH & TRIGGER (What numbers and functions are right?) * ARCHIVAL & MEMORY (How fast, how deep, and can I get more?) * DISPLAYS (What am I really looking at?) * MEASUREMENTS (How much is my signal changing over time?) * DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING (How can I obtain more useful information?) * DEMOS & PURCHASING (How can I see and get the DSO I really need?) Best regards, John D. Seney, WD1V Internet: john@wd1v.mv.com 144 Pepperidge Drive America On Line: jseney@aol.com Manchester, NH 03103-6150 AX.25 Pkt: wd1v@wb1dsw.nh.usa.na (H) 603-668-1096 Ampernet: wd1v@wd1v.ampr.org LeCroy Sales Engineering - Maine, New Hampshire, and Northeastern Massachusetts (O) 800-553-2769 (F) 603-627-1623 (P) 800-SKYPAGE #5956779 To obtain the latest copy automatically, simply send me an EMAIL with "subscribe scope.faq" in the subject field. ------------------------------ (Changes in the list marked by "*") Date 1995-09-03. Country Operator name Network code Tel to customer service Andorra * STA-Mobiland 213 03 Argentina Australia Optus 505 02 Int + 61 2 978 5678 Telecom/Telstra 505 01 Int + 61 18 01 8287 Vodafone 505 03 Int + 61 2 415 7236 Austria PTV Austria 232 01 Bahrain Batelco Belgium Belgacom 206 01 Int + 32 2205 4000 Brunei Cameroon China Croatia Cyprus CYTA 280 01 Denmark Sonofon 238 02 Int + 45 80 20 21 00 Tele Danmark Mobil 238 01 Int + 45 80 20 20 20 Egypt Estonia EMT 248 01 Int + 372 2639 7130 Int + 372 2524 7000 Radiolinja Estonia 248 02 Fiji Finland Radiolinja Finland 244 05 Int + 358 800 95050 Telecom 244 91 Int + 358 800 7000 France France Telecom 208 01 Int + 33 1 44 62 14 81 SFR 208 10 Int + 33 1 44 16 20 16 Germany D1, DeTeMobil 262 01 Int + 49 511 288 0171 D2, Mannesmann 262 02 Int + 49 172 1212 Gibraltar GibTel 266 01 G Britain Cellnet 234 10 Int + 44 1753 50 45 48 Vodafone 234 15 Int + 44 1836 1100 Greece Panafon 202 05 Int + 30 944 00 122 STET 202 10 Int + 30 93 333 333 Guernsey Guernsey Telecom Hong Kong HK HTCLGSM 454 04 SmarTone 454 06 Int + 852 2880 2688 Telecom CSL 454 00 Int + 852 2803 8450 Hungary Pannon GSM 216 01 Int + 36 1 270 4120 ·_ Westel 900 216 30 Int + 36 30 303 100 Iceland Post & Simi 274 01 Int + 354 96 330 India PT SATELINDO Indonesia TELKOMSEL 510 10 Iran T.C.I. Ireland Telecom Eireann 272 01 Int + 353 42 31999 Israel Cellcom Israel Ltd Italy * Omnitel 222 10 Int + 39 2 41431 SIP 222 01 Int + 39 6615 20309 Japan Jersey Jersey Telecom 234 50 Int + 44 1534 88 28 82 Kuwait MTC Laos Latvia LMT 247 01 Int + 371 2256 7764 Int + 371 2256 9183 Int + 371 2934 0000 Lebanon Libancell Liechtenstein 228 01 Lithuania Mobilios Telekom Luxembourg Telekom 270 01 Int + 352 4088 7088 Macao Malaysia * Celcom Malta Advanced Marocco * O.N.P.T. 604 01 Monaco France Telecom 208 01 SFR 208 10 Namibia MTC Netherlands PTT Netherlands 204 08 Int + 31 50 688 699 New Zealand Bell South 530 01 Nigeria Norway NetCom 242 02 Int + 47 92 00 01 68 TeleNor Mobil 242 01 Int + 47 22 03 03 01 Oman Pakistan Phillipines Portugal Telecel 268 01 Int + 351 931 1212 TMN 268 06 Int + 351 1 793 91 78 Qatar Qatarnet 427 01 Rumania Russia Mobile Tele... Moscow Int + 7 271 00 60 NW GSM, St. Petersburg SaudiArabia Singapore Singapore Telecom 525 01 Slovenia South Africa MTN 655 10 Int + 27 11 445 6000 Vodacom 655 01 Int + 27 82 111 Sri Lanka MTN Networks Pvt Ltd Spain Airtel Telefonica Spain 214 07 Sweden Comviq 240 07 Int + 46 586 686 10 Europolitan 240 08 Int + 46 708 22 22 22 Telia 240 01 Int + 46 771 91 03 50 Switzerland PTT Switzerland 228 01 Int + 41 46 05 64 64 Syria SYR-01 223 01 SYR MOBILE SYR 263 09 Taiwan Thailand TH AIS GSM 520 01 Int + 66 2 299 6440 Turkey Telsim 286 02 Turkcell 286 01 Int + 90 800 211 0211 UAE UAE ETISALAT-G1 424 01 UAE ETISALAT-G2 424 02 Uganda Vietnam Jurgen Morhofer jurgen@flashnet.it Tel:+39-6-780-8093 FAX:+39-6-780-8777 GSM:+39-335-281929 Rome, Italy ------------------------------ Hey Y'all: I am currently doing some planning studies for some software design and I need to have an idea of CENTREX penetration in various industries (I.E. Heathcare and Hopsitals Centrex has XX% share of the market). I am also interested in your general opinions and thought on why CENTREX service would be better than a PBX (RBOC Marketing whizzes this means you!) If you have information or suggesstions why a PBX is a superior choice "on the average" I would love to hear that as well. Please send any relevant data to mth@indy.net. Thanks, mth@indy.net Matthew T. Harttree Indianapolis IN USA ------------------------------ Here's a slightly edited version of a message that fell into my mailbox this morning. It's a unique combination of all of the most annoying new developments in telecom: * a usenet spam * a chain letter * a pay-per-call disguised as an international call The number is in the Seychelles, a small island nation off the east coast of Africa whose main income comes from European and South African tourism. I hadn't heard of them getting into rebate phone numbers before, but the rates from here to there are plenty high to support this sort of nonsense -- my long distance company's off-peak rate is $3.32/min with a 30 second minimum. ---spam follows--- Here's how: * Call 011-24-831-3131 * Wait for a beep, press 1 * Repeat last step * Listen to recorded message and follow instructions * When asked for account number, enter 000000 [actual number was here] Here's how it works: When you call and enter my ID number, I will be given 50 cents. But then, the person who calls also gets their own ID number so that they can advertise the number and have people call it so they can start making thousands too! So don't waste time and call TODAY!! Also, please don't post a follow up, since its a massive cross-post. [PS to Pat, this was never actually posted to the net, since one of the groups he cross-posted to was the moderated comp.compilers, and I forwarded it to his postmaster so they can cancel his account]. Regards, John R. Levine, Trumansburg NY Primary perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies" and Information Superhighwayman wanna-be [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I love it! This has got to be one of the best ones yet ... the nineties version of an old chain letter that's been making the rounds for at least fifty years: send me money and add your name to the bottom of the list so people can send you money also. But John, you should not tamper with important news articles like that which are sent to Noisenet. You should do like I do: carefully remove your own name from the newsgroups line (and as a courtesy, any other moderated groups you see there which may cause the distribution process to stall) then feed it all back into the news stream again so that others can share in the wisdom presented. My sincere belief is that if the spams become massive enough in their distribution, and ridiculous enough in their premise, it will bring a halt to this form of communication once and for all. PAT] ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V15 #370 ******************************