------------------------------ From: zanapd@wanda.pond.com (Arthur P. Dent) Subject: Re: Help Wanted With Phone Test Device Date: 19 Dec 1994 16:57:41 -0500 Organization: FishNet Greg Philmon (philmon@netcom.com) wrote: > I've seen devices that allow you to bypass the local exchange and > perform phone testing within your office. ... the latest TechniTool catalogue lists: "TLS 3 Telephone Line Simulator, the Portable CO" It's a little black box with RJ11s and two sets of 'gators that allow you to connect two handsets (or faxes, modems, PBX, whatever) and have them act as if connected to a real switch. ... it supplies dialtone, busy tone, and ringback for two lines, and allows you to talk between them ... no mention of assigning telephone numbers to the lines in the ad, however. Lists for $475. (Incidentally, I do not work for TechniTool, and I think most of their equipment is *way* overpriced.) It's always interesting to look thru the catalogue, tho. The number is (610) 941.2400 Hope this helps, Arthur P. Dent, esq. zanapd@pond.com ------------------------------ From: gtompk@teleport.com (Greg Tompkins) Subject: Re: Channelling Phone Line Through a Leased Line Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1994 14:11:32 -0800 Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 > If they are only 15 miles apart, an FX line may be cheaper than a > leased line and there is no equipment necessary. Unfortunately, Foreign Exchange lines are not allowed in the state of Oregon. I don't know why. I called the PUC about this and they confirmed it. They don't allow them because of Extended Area Service. The Portland metro EAS is the largest in the country (as far as square miles.) I think there are some points that are 60 miles from each other and are still considered a local call. Unfortunately, I only live 15 miles from the fringe of this great region, and I want to get a phone line to it. That is what I want to do. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 10:35:48 EST Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA From: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: 1200 Bell Atlantic Workers Suspended in Labor Dispute > There were roughly 1500 workers suspended for two days; > the CWA has filed charges with the NLRB against the company for > ordering members to take off the T-shirts. The union had notified the > company in advance that this was a concerted activity protected under > Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. Freedom of speech > either applies universally or not at all; the Constitution doesn't > have an off switch for employers. Yes it does, unless your employer is the government. The only provision of the Constitution of the United States that can be held applicable to private parties is the 13th Amendment. ("Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States..."). Now, whether Federal Law sets restrictions on retaliatory actions by Bell Atlantic against conduct by its employees during company time is another matter, but the Constitution is a limitation on the actions of government, not upon private parties. Paul Robinson - Paul@TDR.COM [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually I think even the government can set some limits on the speech of its employees under the theory that the government as an *employer* is not the same thing as the government as a *governor*. By that I mean you are free to change your employment anytime you are unhappy with the place where you work; likewise there is no constitutional requirement or provision that the government employ whoever asks to be employed by it. You have no right to government employment nor any obligation in that way, thus the government is 'like any other employer' in that sense. Shut up and get back to work ... no backtalk from you! ... On the other side of this, because it is very inconvenient to change our governor, if not impossible, constitutional protections exist to protect us against government excesses. You can work wherever you please, at whatever makes you happy. You can't really live outside the reach of the government, and that is the difference. PAT] ------------------------------ From: baron@aa.net (Joe Portman) Subject: Re: T3 or T1 Demux'd to RS-232 or TCP/IP? Organization: Alternate Access Inc. Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 18:45:01 GMT Mark Silbernagel (marks@pacifier.com) wrote: > I am interested in your opinion on how to best manage a point-of- sale > card swipe application. The plan calls for ~4000 sites, each having > ~10 devices. At any given moment in the day, they expect about 700 > calls to be 'in progress'. Each device is one of those small boxes you > see at the store which calls and authorizes card transactions. > The idea of being able to demux a T1 (or T3!) into serial ports ... or > better still a TCP/IP stream, is appealing. The data will then be > managed by a UNIX box or boxes. US Robotics does make a VERY nice piece of equipment, the "Total Control" digital modem rack. With the right cards in it, two T1's (or single E1) come in one side, ethernet comes out the other. Very nice, and very expensive. Approximately $60,000 for 48 V.34 modems and the required T1, IP and other cards. Your 700 simultaneous calls would need a lot of these. Joe Portman - Alternate Access Inc. ------------------------------ From: michaelw@achilles.net (Michael Wong) Subject: Commercial ATM Service and Forums Date: 20 Dec 1994 06:06:40 GMT Organization: Achilles Network Services - Internet Provider The commercial ATM service is available in France where most users can get access to France Telecom's CBDS (Connectionless Broadband Data Service) over an ATM network. As far as ATM-switch suppliers are concerned, we have: (a) Alcatel based in France; (b) SynOptics (LattisCell) and Newbridge Networks Corporation based in North America. As a data carrier (i.e. AT&T or Sprint), ATM enables main offices that process large volumes of data, to connect to fast frame relay service, while branch offices connect at a slower frame relay speed (64Kbps). Could anyone please tell me: (1) is there any specification defining how frame relay frames can be mapped to ATM cells (i.e. agreed by both the Frame Relay and ATM Forums)? (2) Some local exchange or interexchange carriers offer ATM as Constant Bit Rate (CBR), Variable Bit Rate (VBR) or Available Bit Rate (ABR) services. (a) Which service is most suitable for videoconferencing application? (b) Which service is the best for LAN traffic such as E-mail and file transfers using TCP/IP or IPX/SPX protocols? (3) When is the commercial ATM service available for general use similar to the France Telecom's CBDS? Thank you for your help! Michael Wong Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #460 ******************************