From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 6 22:26:00 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h772PxI07346; Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:26:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:26:00 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308070226.h772PxI07346@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #601 TELECOM Digest Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:26:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 601 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Bell Canada Structures Manager (Kevin McCauley) SheerPower 4GL -- Beyond BASIC V3.4 (Christina) Making Contact With MCI (news.btconnect.com) FTC Zaps Cellphone "Shield" Spammers/scammers (Danny Burstein) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Lisa Hancock) Blatant Advertising (Justin Time) Asterisk OpenPBX (John Schmerold) Cavalier Local Telephone Service (A. Trent) Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines (Eric Friedebach) No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! (A. Trent) Comcast to Extend 3mbps Trials (Monty Solomon) Coping With Cellphone Calls Overseas (Monty Solomon) Re: Your Cellphone is a Homing Device (Alan Phillips) Re: Speaking of Speaking Clocks (Alan Phillips) Does GTE Restrict Access to Certain Toll-Free Calling Cards? (John A) Vonage (mjs2032@rochester.rr.com) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kevin McCauley Subject: Bell Canada Structures Manager Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 20:30:35 -0400 Organization: Bell Sympatico Hello, I am an employee of Canada's biggest telecom company - Bell Canada. I am a "Structures Manager" meaning that I am basically responsible for the conduit structure through which copper and optical cables are pulled. I am also responsible for manholes being built and "remote" deployment. I do this for the greater Toronto area in Ontario Canada. I'm just looking for people who do something similar to exchange experiences and lessons learned with. Anyone out there ?? Kevin ------------------------------ From: sheerpower@ttinet.com (Christina) Subject: SheerPower 4GL -- Beyond BASIC V3.4 Date: 6 Aug 2003 17:37:33 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ TOUCH TECHNOLOGIES, INC. RELEASES SHEERPOWER 4GL -- BEYOND BASIC SAN DIEGO -- SheerPower 4GL -- Beyond BASIC is a full development language but shares many advantages with popular scripting languages such as, ultra-fast development speeds and ease of learning the language. SheerPower can be used to write programs of any size, from simple web-enabled programs to vast database applications. You'll love the price. SheerPower 4GL is 100 percent free! And, you'll be impressed with your ability to write sexy applications in a snap! "The SheerPower 4GL Web site says that SheerPower 4GL is beyond BASIC, and that's quite accurate," said Taran Rampersad, professional software developer and author of "Extreme Programming." "It's as intuitive as BASIC even without the manual. At times I thought I was looking at well-documented BASIC code, or C code, and sometimes both." Join thousands of others and download SheerPower 4GL today at http://www.sp4gl.com -- the download is 100 percent free. Touch Technologies, Inc. (TTI) is a software research and development company based out of San Diego. Founded in 1982, TTI specializes in system utilities and custom application development for the OpenVMS and Windows NT marketplace. With a proven history of unparalleled excellence, TTI also offers high-level consulting and product sales worldwide. TTI's high-end software is currently in use by the majority of today's Fortune 1000 companies. Already holding a number of United States patents, TTI continues to push the limits of technology with its cutting-edge software solutions. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Touch Technologies (TTI) is also the proprietor of 'CameraWare', the software which takes your camera images into a central exchange in San Diego and serves them back out to the world at large. Ostensibly, good for any camera application, it appears to be used primarily as an 'adult' entertainment medium on the net. You download the video sender and reciever for free from http://cameraware.com and are free (and encouraged to) transmit 'adult' video 24 hours per day, seven days per week at no charge. The 'stand alone viewer' is where they get you: you have to pay handsomly to watch the 'adult' activities of others using the central server. There have been numerous allegations that TTI is unusually friendly with the San Diego office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and allegations of credit card misuse by the company. PAT] ------------------------------ From: news.btconnect.com Subject: Making Contact With MCI Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 20:59:57 UTC Organization: BT Openworld Hi, We are a UK business looking at making contact with MCI in the US to supply us with a range of 900 and Toll-Free numbers. Does anybody have a clue who to speak with either in the US or the UK as nobody at MCI's call center has a clue. Thanks in advance. J [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Why do you want to get involved with that bunch of rascals? They do not have a very good reputation legally here in the USA at present (and never did, IMO.) PAT] ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: FTC Zaps Cellphone "Shield" Spammers/Scammers Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 19:38:32 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC "Two companies who marketed and sold bogus cell phone radiation protection patches have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated federal laws by making false and misleading claims about their products. Using television and Internet advertising, Safety Cell, Inc. and Rhino International, Inc. deceptively indicated that their patches, designed to fit over the earpiece of any cell phone, could block a substantial amount of radiation and other electromagnetic energy emitted by cellular telephones, thereby reducing consumers' exposure to this radiation." rest of story, including the fines and penalties: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/08/rhino.htm Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Date: 6 Aug 2003 10:01:03 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Monty Solomon wrote: > A graduate student living in Chicago, Fogel used his cell phone for > most calls. And when he replaced his dial-up Internet connection with > a cable line, he realized his regular phone wasn't central to his > life. > So Fogel joined as many as 7.5 million Americans who have "cut the > cord" and gone solo with their cells. I think it remains to be seen how far this trend will cost. It will come down to cost breakdown between landline and cell phone for given service patterns. It seems that cellphones have some special promotions ongoing right now which provide for substantial talk time as well as cheap or even free longdistance. This service isn't cheap, a heavy duty cellphone user will probably pay at least $50 and possibly $75 a month for that service. But the landline providers are starting to supply some freebies as well, such as unlimited long distance, so landline costs may come down and become a better value. It is true that finding an alternative hookup for the computer (ie cable modem) will eliminate much need for a landline that a cell phone can provide. There are disadvantages to cell phones: (1) the phones don't last forever and need periodic expensive replacement. (2) promotional plans end, and heavy users may find themselves paying usage fees that add up. (3) cell phones still have a long way to go for reliability, even if you're sitting in your living room. Added to that is battery failure. There are fewer and fewer pay phones out there for backup. (4) If your cellphone is lost or stolen, you've lost your link to the world. [public replies only please] ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Blatant Advertising Date: 6 Aug 2003 05:34:19 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Sheesh! Just looked at the latest group of posts by Monty Solomon. Of the 13, I would consider between 8 and 11 as blatant marketing fluff advertising depending on the measure you want to apply. Granted some of it is interesting and relevant in a minor way to telecom as the history of the Digest has proven, but really, do we need two pieces about the features of Nokia's cell phones or even word that AOL has launched this service, AT&T is rated the highest by some questionable criteria, or that Earthlink says its broadband is better than anyone else? As all this "news" is copied from various sources available freely on the web, and I get many of the feeds myself, is it worth repeating? Rodgers Platt [Lisa Minter note: But many or most of our readers do not get the same news feeds. In essence this Digest serves as the news feed for many of our readers. But your point is a good one, and I know that Monty Solomon is a regular reader here also, so I know he will see your complaint, and perhaps act accordingly. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:44:19 -0500 From: John Schmerold Subject: Asterisk OpenPBX There is an opensource pbx project sponsored by digium.com (nothing must be purchased from them to use the pbx.) See: http://lists.digium.com http://www.asteriskpbx.com/ http://www.digium.com/ http://google.com/search?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 http://google.com/groups?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 The project supports a wide range of technologies and hardware, in particular it supports VOIP, SIP phones and ADSI screen phones. Haven't figured out how, but I understand it supports providers/exchanges such as Pulver.com, Iconnecthere and does LCR, so I imagine TELCO cost reduction options are huge! I'm unaffliated with any of above. Just bought a channel bank and plan on being active as a user. Amazing stuff! ------------------------------ From: levitateme@mac.com (A. Trent) Subject: Cavalier Local Telephone Service Date: 6 Aug 2003 06:43:49 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I'm moving to a new place in Baltimore, MD and really want to avoid using Verizon as my local phone carrier. I've read some information about Cavalier and wanted to solicit any opinions from users here. In a newsgroup search, most of the negative comments seem to be dated about a year ago and have died out recently. Has Cavalier ironed out it's kinks? Thank you. ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 09:48:47 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach Cingular to buy NextWave licenses for $1.4 billion By Yukari Iwatani CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cingular Wireless LLC Tuesday said it agreed to buy wireless licenses in 34 markets from bankrupt NextWave Telecom Inc. for $1.4 billion in cash, to expand its coverage and accommodate future growth. The licenses cover 83 million potential customers primarily in markets where Cingular, the No. 2 U.S. wireless telephone company, currently has voice and data operations. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/05/rtr1049444.html Verizon says finalizing contract details Reuters, 08.05.03, 5:38 PM ET (Recasts, new details throughout) By Jessica Hall PHILADELPHIA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc., the largest U.S. telephone company, said on Tuesday it was finalizing a labor contract with two unions representing about 80,000 workers, or about one-third of its work force. "We believe we have established a framework that addresses all the major issues, including job security," Verizon spokesman Peter Thonis said in a statement. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/05/rtr1049554.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: levitateme@mac.com (A. Trent) Subject: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! Date: 6 Aug 2003 08:15:34 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I need some help. I've had Sprint PCS as my only phone for the past three years and have been very satisfied with everything. I'm moving into a new apartment and my phone does not get a signal inside. The moment I step back out to the sidewalk ... it's back. The previous tennants were friends of mine and I spent some extended time there and it has been the same every time. Their phone (I believe it's through Nextel) doesn't work inside either. I'd really like to stay with Sprint PCS as my only phone. I'm dreading having to install a land-line through Verizon. Has anyone had similar issues and does anyone have any suggestions? BTW, my phone is a Samsung SCH 8500 and I live just outside of Baltimore. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 01:55:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast to Extend 3mbps trials By Jim Hu Staff Writer, CNET News.com Comcast plans to expand consumer trials for a 3mbps high-speed Internet service, the latest step in the cable giant's effort to double the speed of its standard cable modem product. The new 30-day trial will begin Thursday in Pittsburgh for subscribers who pay $42.95 a month on top of basic cable TV service. A separate 3mbps test is already under way in Knoxville, Tenn. A company representative would not comment on whether Comcast plans to eventually offer 3mbps service to all of its subscribers. http://news.com.com/2100-1038-5060321.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 02:06:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Coping With Cellphone Calls Overseas By SUSAN STELLIN For executives used to having a cellphone practically grafted to one ear, a business trip overseas presents some communication challenges. Although some wireless users in the United States have phones that can be used abroad -- usually referred to as world phones or triband phones -- phones that work in some countries do not necessarily work in others, and international phones sometimes do not get the best coverage outside metropolitan areas at home. The problem is that cellphones typically operate using one of several network technologies, and the standard used in much of the world - the Global System for Mobile Communications, or G.S.M. -- is just catching on in the United States. But even then, there is a catch: G.S.M. networks in North America use a different frequency than the two frequencies used in Europe and many other countries (hence the need for a phone that is triband) and there are plenty of other countries that do not use G.S.M. Besides these equipment challenges, not all companies that operate networks have roaming agreements, and when they do, global roaming can be very expensive. So how do companies that have employees traveling overseas resolve this set of problems? http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/05/business/05CELL.html [Lisa Minter note: For the convenenience of readers here who also read NY Times, you are invited to use the group login name on NY Times, which is 'telecomdigest' and the group password 'telecomdigest. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: ap@shore.net (Alan Phillips) Subject: Re: Your Cellphone is a Homing Device Date: 6 Aug 2003 09:04:48 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I believe that www.ulocate.com currently offers tracking/mapping for cellphone ... Good luck. Stan wrote in message news:: > Monty Solomon wrote in message > news:telecom22.596.3@telecom-digest.org: >> Don't want the government to know where you are? Throw away your >> cell, stop taking the subway, and pay the toll in cash. >> By Brendan I. Koerner >> What your salesman probably failed to tell you -- and may not even >> realize -- is that an E911-capable phone can give your wireless >> carrier continual updates on your location. The phone is embedded with >> a Global Positioning System chip, which can calculate your coordinates >> to within a few yards by receiving signals from satellites. GPS >> technology gave U.S. military commanders a vital edge during Gulf War >> II, and sailors and pilots depend on it as well. In the E911-capable >> phone, the GPS chip does not wait until it senses danger, springing to >> life when catastrophe strikes; it's switched on whenever your handset >> is powered up and is always ready to transmit your location data back >> to a wireless carrier's computers. Verizon or T-Mobile can figure out >> which manicurist you visit just as easily as they can pinpoint a >> stranded motorist on Highway 59. > I guess they're not counting on those of us who read the manuals or > surf the phone's menus. Earlier this year, I got a Motorola T-720 from > Verizon. The manual explains that the GPS feature has three settings: > 1. You can turn it completely off. (paranoia mode) > 2. You can turn it on so that it's only active for E911 calls. > 3. You can leave it completely on. They say that the future, the'll pass > the information along to internet mapping services, so that you could > potentially receive maps or directions on your handset that would start at > your approximate location. > Since Verizon doesn't yet offer any mapping service, I opted for > #2. This is completely configurable by the end user. I don't really > see any nefarious plan to pinpoint every cellular user using this > technology. I assume that I could be found if I had an analog phone as > well, just with different technology. > -Stan ------------------------------ From: ap@shore.net (Alan Phillips) Subject: Re: Speaking of Speaking Clocks Date: 6 Aug 2003 09:07:13 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I believe that the phones display an icon if your GPD data is being transmitted. There is a tracking/mapping service available at www.ulocate.com. Jay R. Ashworth wrote in message news:: > Stanley settled back into the couch, and Charles Hoch > said to him: >> Now, totally unrelated to this, many new phones have GPS logic in >> them. This is in response to the mandate from the FCC for E911 >> service; that is, being able to locate a phone making a 911 call, >> within some prescribed precision, and using GPS is one solution. This >> is not standalone GPS: most of the work of the GPS protocol is done at >> the cell site, and the phone is asked to take some readings from >> specific GPS satellites and send the info to the cellsite, which >> computes the phone's location, and sends it on the the 911 >> center. Since much of the work of the GPS protocol is done in the cell >> site, location can be accomplished with much weaker signals from the >> satellites than required by a standalone unit. This includes indoors, >> basements, street level between skyscrapers (but not in subways). See >> www.snaptrack.com for details. > Which explains why, given a "GPS receiver" and Java in many new > phones, we *still* aren't seeing a location display on the phone -- > the *phone* doesn't know where it is. > Anyone got anything on whether the phones squawk when they're pinged > for location? > Stanley settled back into the couch, and Michael D Sullivan > said to him: >> Moreover, the special Verizon network providing service in the >> Washington Metro was, last I checked, analog-only. (It may have been >> upgraded recently, though.) A Verizon dual- or tri-mode phone will >> continue showing the time while in an analog area, based on updating >> the time from when it was last in a CDMA area. > And indeed, the clock on my PrimeCo 1900 stayed running when I went > out of range, up near Lecanto. > Cheers, > Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com > Member of the Technical Staff Baylink > The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think > Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 > God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Is it possible these things work like > (for example) La Crosse Technology wristwatches and certain other > products set by radio time signals? When it is possible for the > device to recieve a good, strong radio time signal it does so, but > when the signal is absent (due to interference, etc) then the device > has a highly accurate crystal controlled mechanism inside it which > takes over until the time/place the radio signal can be captured once > again? PAT] ------------------------------ From: johnambulance@hotmail.com (John A) Subject: Does GTE Restrict Access to Certain Toll-Free Calling Card Numbers? Date: 6 Aug 2003 09:21:00 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ We have recently experienced a new phenomenon wherby we can no longer call two toll-free calling card numbers that we have always been able to call successfully for the past 6 years with no problems. We are using AT&T TDMA phones (registered in New York, 917 and New Jersey, 201), and have experienced the problem whilst roaming in the following locations : Chattanooga Tennessee, Cookeville Tennessee, Louisville Kentucky, Lexington Kentucky. We can't help but notice that these locations are all covered by GTE Wireless. We have also had the same problem in Victoria BC and Vancouver BC. The problem seems to have become obvious over the past month. Does anyone have any theories why this should be. Thanks, John ------------------------------ From: mjs2032@rochester.rr.com Subject: Vonage Reply-To: mjs2032@rochester.rr.com Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 20:49:41 GMT Organization: Road Runner Off and on there has been some discussion in this group about the Vonage VoIP service. Up until now I mostly skipped over the messages because they were of marginal interest. However, faced with burgenoning business phone expenses I like to hear some good/bad/ugly information about the service before I plunk down my plastic. Mike Sutter - Ctek Inc. www.ctekproducts.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The *good news* about Vonage is that it is a reasonably good alternative to traditional land line service, and for most people a lot cheaper. My experience has been do not tip off most people that you are calling them via Vonage; they generally won't know the difference unless they are real audiophiles. On the other hand if they do not like the Vonage concept generally anyway, then telling them you are on Vonage just gives them one more thing to complain about, and they will be listening for slight line disturbances, etc. I still give away e-coupons good for a month of free service on Vonage to anyone who asks for it. The e-coupon is good for the *second month* on Vonage. Just write to me 'not for pub' and ask for a Vonage e-coupon if you want to try this excellent replacement to traditional telephone service. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #601 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 7 14:13:52 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h77IDqk13771; Thu, 7 Aug 2003 14:13:52 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 14:13:52 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308071813.h77IDqk13771@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #602 TELECOM Digest Thu, 7 Aug 2003 14:12:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 602 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter SBC Communications to Deploy Wi-Fi Hot Spots in 6,000 Venues (M Solomon) QUALCOMM Announces Sampling of the MSM6250 Solution for WCDMA (Solomon) Chase and Wells Fargo Runs Fastest E-Banking Sites (Monty Solomon) 'Flash Mobs' Spread to Europe (Monty Solomon) Eating and Talking Found to be Culprits Distracting Drivers (M Solomon) Thursday Morning Telecom Headlines (Eric Friedebach) Re: Vonage (Pete Romfh) Re: Vonage (AES/newspost) Re: Making Contact With MCI (OneNetNut) Re: Making Contact With MCI (news.btconnect.com) Re: Cavalier Local Telephone Service (OneNetNut) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Ed Ellers) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (Steven J Sobol) Re: Coping With Cellphone Calls Overseas (Joseph) Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! (Joseph) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:57:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: SBC Communications to Deploy Wi-Fi Hot Spots in 6,000 Venues SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2003-- SBC companies will use existing network infrastructure, Cingular Wireless assets and roaming agreements to provide customers with consistent high-speed wireless Internet experience; Wi-Fi rollout strengthens SBC bundling strategy, enhances value of SBC Yahoo! DSL service SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced a groundbreaking initiative to deploy more than 20,000 Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) hot spots in 6,000 venues over the next three years and create an integrated Wi-Fi and third-generation (3G) wireless service to deliver unprecedented coverage that enables customers to enjoy a comparable broadband experience at home, in the office and on the road. The new Wi-Fi service, to be called FreedomLink(SM), will be available by the end of 2006 in more than 6,000 hotels, airports, convention centers and other venues throughout the SBC 13-state region. SBC companies plan to augment this extensive deployment through a roaming agreement with Wayport, Inc., a leading Wi-Fi service provider. The roaming agreement will give SBC customers access to Wayport services in more than 650 locations nationwide, including 565 hotels, eight airports and 75 restaurants. Wayport will also provide services that include Wayport's access control and customized SBC splash pages. To give subscribers access to additional hot spots, SBC companies will also pursue roaming agreements with other Wi-Fi service providers. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35156468 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 23:00:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: QUALCOMM Announces Sampling of the MSM6250 Solution for WCDMA - Single-Chip Solution Integrates Advanced Multimedia Capabilities Into a Dual-Mode WCDMA (UMTS) Chipset - SAN DIEGO, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced sampling to customers of the MSM6250(TM) Mobile Station Modem (MSM(TM)) chipset and system software supporting GSM, GPRS and the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode of WCDMA (UMTS). The MSM6250 chipset represents QUALCOMM's third WCDMA (UMTS) chipset, a single-chip solution that includes all the advanced multimedia capabilities of the Launchpad(TM) suite of applications on QUALCOMM's proven modem platform, reducing manufacturer's development cycle and promoting faster time-to-market. The MSM6250 chipset includes the highly accurate and fully integrated global positioning system (GPS) solution, gpsOne(TM), the first GPS solution for the WCDMA (UMTS) market. Additionally, the MSM6250 system solution supports quad-band GSM and dual-band WCDMA (UMTS), which will help enable worldwide WCDMA (UMTS) and GSM roaming. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35157856 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 23:03:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Chase and Wells Fargo Runs Fastest E-Banking Sites Chase and Wells Fargo Runs Fastest E-Banking Sites According to New Keynote E-Banking Transaction Performance Index; Washington Mutual Slowest - Aug 6, 2003 08:02 AM (BusinessWire) SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2003-- Online Banks Deliver Relatively Slow and Dramatically Variable Experience to Consumers Keynote Systems (Nasdaq:KEYN), The Internet Performance Authority(R), today announced two weeks' worth of results for its new e-banking transaction performance index that measures the performance and availability for performing a typical online bank transaction on eight leading U.S. bank sites as measured from 10 major metropolitan areas. The results are startling and show that commercial banks deliver widely varying performance and relatively slow response times to customers using the Internet to execute common online bank transactions such as logging on to and checking an account balance. Leading the pack the weeks of 7/21 and 7/28 in average time to execute the transaction was Chase and Wells Fargo in the number one and two spot respectively. During the week of 7/21 and 7/28 Chase Bank's average response time was 8.16 seconds and 8.29 seconds respectively. Wells Fargo's execution speed averaged 8.58 seconds and 9.48 seconds respectively. Washington Mutual ranked eighth on Keynote's e-banking transaction index both weeks at 23.09 seconds and 23.44 seconds respectively. The e-banking index average for performance was 12.43 seconds the week of July 21. For the week of July 28 the index was 12.39 seconds. Chase Bank held the number one spot in availability at 99.66 percent the week of 7/21. The week of 7/28 US Bank held the number one spot in availability at 99.91 percent. Wells Fargo was in the number two spot in availability the week of 7/21 at 99.46 percent. Chase Bank was number two in availability the week of 7/28 at 99.84 percent. Washington Mutual was eighth in availability both weeks at 92.37 percent and 89.07 percent respectively. The e-banking index average for availability was 97.76 percent the week of July 21. For the week of July 28 the index was 97.10 percent. The eight banks included on Keynote's e-banking transaction performance index are Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Chase (NYSE:JPM), Fleet Bank (NYSE:FBF), SunTrust (NYSE:STI), US Bank (NYSE:USB), Wachovia (NYSE:WB), Washington Mutual (NYSE:WM) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC). - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35158114 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 23:37:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 'Flash Mobs' Spread to Europe By CNN's Sandra Shmueli LONDON, England (CNN) -- The craze for "flash mobs" -- where jokers gather en masse at a moment's notice, perform an inane activity and then disperse quickly -- is spreading across Europe. Arranged via Web sites and e-mails, flash mob members voluntarily and simultaneously converge to the venue mentioned in a general e-mail and then collect detailed instructions for the event. They partake in a silly and harmless activity and then disperse at a given time. The phenomenon's creator is reported to be someone called "Bill," who began the trend by e-mailing 50 people and asking them to gather at a shop in downtown Manhattan. In June 2003, after the initial attempt at a flash mob was foiled, over 100 people assembled in the home furnishings department of Macy's department store. As instructed, the participants consulted bemused sales assistants about purchasing a "love rug" for their "suburban commune." Another Manhattan flash mob involved a crowd in a shoe shop in Soho pretending to be tourists on a bus holiday from Maryland. A later mob saw hundreds of people perched on a stone ledge in Central Park making bird noises. The concept has spread quickly across the United States and to Europe, Australia and Singapore. The first European mob took place in Rome on July 24, when 300 people entered a music and bookshop asking for non-existent titles. http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/08/04/flash.mob/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 11:15:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Eating and Talking Found to be Culprits Distracting Drivers By Jaweed Kaleem, Knight Ridder, 8/7/2003 WASHINGTON -- Cellphones sometimes distract drivers, but eating, talking to passengers, and tuning the radio distract them far more often. In the first study to use in-car video cameras to record driving habits, a research group funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said yesterday that every one of the 70 motorists it recorded was distracted at some point. On average, drivers drove distracted 16 percent of the time. The drivers tested ranged in age from 18 to 80. They were told the exercise was to see how they handled different road conditions, and each driver was videotaped for a week. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/219/nation/Eating_and_talking_are_found_to_be_culprits_in_distracting_drivers+.shtml ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Thursday Morning Telecom Headlines Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:54:53 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach WorldCom stopped call routing after subpoena-report Reuters, 08.07.03, 4:12 AM ET NEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Records from AT&T Corp. show that its bankrupt telephone service rival, WorldCom, stopped routing phone calls through Canada right after it received a subpoena from the U.S. Justice Department, The Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. WorldCom won approval from a judge on Wednesday night to settle civil fraud charges and pay a $750 million fine, clearing a major hurdle for it to emerge from bankruptcy. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/07/rtr1051275.html DoCoMo posts Q1 profit on 3G growth, stays cautious Reuters, 08.07.03, 6:19 AM ET By Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Japan's top mobile phone operator, NTT DoCoMo Inc, reported a quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by strong growth at its third-generation (3G) service and solid per-user revenues, with no big overseas losses this time. DoCoMo, Asia's most valuable company with a market capitalisation of $116 billion, earned 196.82 billion yen ($1.64 billion) in group net profit in the first quarter to June 30 on sales of 1.25 trillion yen. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/07/rtr1051407.html A Phone That Finds You Arik Hesseldahl, 08.07.03, Forbes.com, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - If you've bought a mobile phone in the last year or so, chances are it not only knows your phone number but it also knows where you are. Many mobile-phone makers have been giving their handsets the ability to track their location -- and yours along with it -- in order to meet requirements set down by Congress. When you dial 911 on a wireless phone, emergency aid workers should be able to find you quickly, the theory goes -- and a mobile phone broadcasting your coordinates makes that easier. You can consider it an invasion of your privacy if you like, but you can also turn it off so that the phone doesn't track your location until you actually dial 911. But the requirement is still there. http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/07/cx_ah_0807tentech.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Pete Romfh Subject: Re: Vonage Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 23:20:17 -0500 mjs2032@rochester.rr.com wrote: > Off and on there has been some discussion in this group > about the Vonage VoIP service. Up until now I mostly > skipped over the messages because they were of marginal > interest. However, faced with burgenoning business phone > expenses I like to hear some good/bad/ugly information > about the service before I plunk down my plastic. > Mike Sutter - Ctek Inc. > www.ctekproducts.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The *good news* about > Vonage is that it is a reasonably good alternative to > traditional land line service, and for most people a lot > cheaper. My experience has been do not tip off most > people that you are calling them via Vonage; they > generally won't know the difference unless they are real > audiophiles. On the other hand if they do not like the > Vonage concept generally anyway, then telling them you > are on Vonage just gives them one more thing to complain > about, and they will be listening for slight line > disturbances, etc. > I still give away e-coupons good for a month of free > service on Vonage to anyone who asks for it. The e-coupon > is good for the *second month* on Vonage. Just write to > me 'not for pub' and ask for a Vonage e-coupon if you > want to try this excellent replacement to traditional > telephone service. PAT] I've been using it for about 3 months now and have been quite satisfied. There have been a couple of outages, each relating to a problem here. Things stop working when spouse trips over LAN cable in closet and doesn't tell you. Also stops when power to cable modem and router is interrupted by loose plug at back of UPS. Neither could be blamed on Vonage service. Voice quality has been fine for domestic and international calls. No queries from distant parties about what kind of phone we're one. Operation is totally similar to "normal" phone so my spouse had no problems using it. She just remembers to pick up the cordless when placing LD calls (or a local call to the kids in Chicago even though we're in Houston). I used one of Pat's e-coupons. Got a free month. Free is always good. Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet. promfh at Texas dot net ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Re: Vonage Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 20:39:15 -0700 In article , mjs2032@rochester.rr.com wrote: > Off and on there has been some discussion in this group about the > Vonage VoIP service. Up until now I mostly skipped over the messages > because they were of marginal interest. However, faced with > burgenoning business phone expenses I like to hear some good/bad/ugly > information about the service before I plunk down my plastic. Dan Gillmor, tech columnist with the San Jose Merc, is currently writing about his conversion to VoIP. He went with another service, but had some favorable or at least non-negative comments about Vonage as I recall. He has a web site; try Googling for it, or branching of the SJM site. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Wink & Grin: But did Dan Gillmor give coupons for a month of free service as I do? PAT] ------------------------------ From: OneNetNut Subject: Re: Making Contact With MCI Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 00:09:22 -0500 LOL. Just realized that MCI is now the only carrier doing 900 service. AT&T pulled out last year. (They almost got back into it when WorldCon filed for Chapter 11.) On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 20:59:57 UTC, news.btconnect.com wrote: > Hi, > We are a UK business looking at making contact with MCI in the US to > supply us with a range of 900 and Toll-Free numbers. > Does anybody have a clue who to speak with either in the US or the UK > as nobody at MCI's call center has a clue. > Thanks in advance. > J > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Why do you want to get involved with > that bunch of rascals? They do not have a very good reputation legally > here in the USA at present (and never did, IMO.) PAT] ------------------------------ From: news.btconnect.com Subject: Re: Making Contact With MCI Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:05:35 UTC Organization: BT Openworld news.btconnect.com wrote in message news:telecom22.601.3@telecom-digest.org: > Hi, > We are a UK business looking at making contact with MCI in the US to > supply us with a range of 900 and Toll-Free numbers. > Does anybody have a clue who to speak with either in the US or the UK > as nobody at MCI's call center has a clue. > Thanks in advance. > J > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Why do you want to get involved with > that bunch of rascals? They do not have a very good reputation legally > here in the USA at present (and never did, IMO.) PAT] I've heard this too. Who else do you suggest that I contact to obtain 900 and toll-free numbers as I understand MCI is the only ones who allocate them to businesses. [J] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I suggest two things: Judith Oppenheimer here in the USA, in New York City, can put you in contact for all the 800 numbers you could ever want, vanity style or otherwise. Note the link to her websites and email addresses on the main page at http://telecom-digest.org near the top of the page. She will get you *good, honest* vendors of 800/888/877/866 numbers; maybe even sell you some herself. Regards 900, a far superior way to go (assuming you want to go with voice mail type audio services on 900) is to contact one of the many creators of same here in the USA; John Higdon comes to mind; I am sure he can build those for you easily. But the catch is you do not use 900 (which is also fraught with problems) and go instead with regular dialup numbers with a request to enter a passcode at the start of each conversation, having your own customer service people (or outsourcing that function) issue the passcodes so YOU can keep your hands on the money involved. One of the notorious 'problems' with MCI and other traditional vendors of 900 service in the past were that they wouldn't give you your commissions, making all sorts of bum excuses to charge back as much/many as possible. John Higdon is very familiar with that scenario. Get MCI if you want; they just won't pay; they'll stiff you every chance they get, overlooking nothing. Even if you are talking about technical advice type lines or some other service function involving mostly live chat, consider a front end which demands a valid passcode with a certain number of minutes of time on it which gets deducted as it gets used. You sell the passcodes, of course, and use regular telephone lines for the business. Let's say you are selling, umm, computers. You want to give each buyer a certain number of free minutes of tech time, then begin charging. You put a passcode in the box and a dialup number to use. The passcode gets the number of minutes you designate. Additional passcode minutes can be purchased from YOUR customer service person using a *validated* credit card, etc or on open account, whatever. I feel certain John Higdon can handle all that for you, and you can then go rinse your hands. I've worked along with John on things like that in the past, and if you are intending a USA-based operation with this, I'd be pleased to work along with John again if he and you wanted to. PAT] ------------------------------ From: OneNetNut Subject: Re: Cavalier Local Telephone Service Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 00:09:27 -0500 My girlfriend has them and is pretty happy with them. She had some major billing headaches with them the first couple of months. Their promo said she would get the first month free but they kept charging her in arrears until she threatened to cancel. Just one thing to be cautious of: I don't think they offer DSL service and Verizon won't support DSL if you're not using them for your local service. On 6 Aug 2003 06:43:49 -0700, levitateme@mac.com (A. Trent) wrote: > I'm moving to a new place in Baltimore, MD and really want to avoid > using Verizon as my local phone carrier. I've read some information > about Cavalier and wanted to solicit any opinions from users here. In > a newsgroup search, most of the negative comments seem to be dated > about a year ago and have died out recently. Has Cavalier ironed out > it's kinks? > Thank you. ------------------------------ From: Ed Ellers Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Organization: Insight Broadband Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 06:01:59 GMT Lisa Hancock wrote: > There are disadvantages to cell phones: > (1) the phones don't last forever and need periodic expensive > replacement. > (2) promotional plans end, and heavy users may find themselves > paying usage fees that add up. > (3) cell phones still have a long way to go for reliability, even > if you're sitting in your living room. Added to that is battery > failure. There are fewer and fewer pay phones out there for backup. > (4) If your cellphone is lost or stolen, you've lost your link > to the world. I've been told that some businesses won't deal with you if your only phone number is for a wireless phone. ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 01:48:41 -0500 John Schmerold wrote: > There is an opensource pbx project sponsored by digium.com (nothing > must be purchased from them to use the pbx.) > See: > http://lists.digium.com > http://www.asteriskpbx.com/ > http://www.digium.com/ > http://google.com/search?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 > http://google.com/groups?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 > The project supports a wide range of technologies and hardware, in > particular it supports VOIP, SIP phones and ADSI screen phones. > Haven't figured out how, but I understand it supports > providers/exchanges such as Pulver.com, Iconnecthere and does LCR, so > I imagine TELCO cost reduction options are huge! I am working on an Internet telephony project using Asterisk. It's something else, and the developers deserve tons of kudos. Pulver and IconnectHere both support SIP, in fact I think they both offer specific * support (but I could be remembering wrong). Regarding LCR, you have to program it in yourself, but it's not hard. You can set up your dialplans in any one of a number of ways - and Asterisk has a technology called AGI that allows you to extend the software quite easily. > I'm unaffliated with any of above. Just bought a channel bank and > plan on being active as a user. > Amazing stuff! JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Coping With Cellphone Calls Overseas Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 07:27:44 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: joeofseattle@yahoo.com On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 02:06:19 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > From the article: > The problem is that cellphones typically operate using one of > several network technologies, and the standard used in much of the > world the Global System for Mobile Communications, or > G.S.M. is just catching on in the United States. But even > then, there is a catch: G.S.M. networks in North America use a > different frequency than the two frequencies used in Europe and many > other countries (hence the need for a phone that is triband) and there > are plenty of other countries that do not use G.S.M. This is true and there will always be the exception. However, over 70% of the world uses GSM so you're more likely than not especially for the business traveler to be able to connect if you have a multi band GSM phone. > Ms. Pfeffer bought a SIM card and subscribed to an international > service plan from Verizon, which she said costs $10 a month plus > "pretty substantial" per-minute rates for calls. She explained that > she needed the paper trail of a monthly so she could file expenses. A > cheaper solution is to buy a SIM card for a particular country > in effect, a local service plan; some people buy multiple > cards if they travel regularly to several countries. And it should be mentioned that for a traveler who does not have a credit record or credit card records in a foreign country it is usually very difficult if not impossible to get "monthly" accounts and they will be relegated to getting prepaid accounts. > For one thing, he said, those countries use different technologies > so he cannot get a phone that works everywhere he travels, and to > get a world phone in the United States, he would have to change > service providers, which would mean a new phone number. If he used a forwarding service such as Kall8 he could use the same number all the time. Replies are seldom read. Please reply in the group ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 07:38:42 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: joeofseattle@yahoo.com On 6 Aug 2003 08:15:34 -0700, levitateme@mac.com (A. Trent) wrote: > I need some help. I've had Sprint PCS as my only phone for the past > three years and have been very satisfied with everything. I'm moving > into a new apartment and my phone does not get a signal inside. The > moment I step back out to the sidewalk ... it's back. The previous > tenants were friends of mine and I spent some extended time there and > it has been the same every time. Their phone (I believe it's through > Nextel) doesn't work inside either. I'd really like to stay with > Sprint PCS as my only phone. I'm dreading having to install a > land-line through Verizon. Has anyone had similar issues and does > anyone have any suggestions? BTW, my phone is a Samsung SCH 8500 and > I live just outside of Baltimore. The problem you describe is a common one and the reason is either that you're not close enough to the nearest mobile base station or more possibly since others have difficulty using mobile service is that the density of the building is too dense to allow the radio waves to penetrate into the building. The only possible solution to your problem *might* be to have a repeater installed. And if your building is still a problem even that might not work. A repeater solution would also be costly and could cost as much as $500. It's unfortunate for you, but your only alternative to service is to get regular land line service from your telco and forward your SPCS phone to your regular number when you're at home. Replies are seldom read. Please reply in the group ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. 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Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #602 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 8 16:24:04 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h78KO4r05948; Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:24:04 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:24:04 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308082024.h78KO4r05948@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #603 TELECOM Digest Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:23:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 603 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Company's Error Sends Customers to Adult Phone Line (Monty Solomon) Lindows Chief Hears Net Phones Calling (Monty Solomon) Wireless Streaming Standard Approved (Monty Solomon) KQED-TV Expands Into Digital Market (Monty Solomon) Hacker Gets Acxion Customer Information (Monty Solomon) Firm Helps 911 Locate People Crying For Help (Monty Solomon) Re: Making Contact With MCI (news.btconnect.com) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Justin Time) Modem Emulation Over IP (Jud Hardcastle) Re: Chase and Wells Fargo Runs Fastest E-Banking Sites (Joe Mauk) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (SayNoToCrossposters) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 01:01:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Company's Error Sends Customers to Mass. Adult Phone Line By Associated Press, 8/6/2003 05:47 SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) Some unsuspecting Verizon customers trying to pick a new long-distance plan were offered 'sexy introductions' and a chance to 'continue the fun' on an adult phone line. A letter sent to thousands of Verizon long-distance customers across the country last week listed a number for 'Intimate Connections' as a Verizon customer service number, Verizon officials said Tuesday. http://www.boston.com/dailynews/218/region/Company_s_error_sends_customer:.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 01:33:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Lindows Chief Hears Net Phones Calling By John Borland Staff Writer, CNET News.com MP3.com and Lindows founder Michael Robertson is once again launching a new start-up aimed at shaking up the old technological order, focusing this time on providing free Internet-based phone service. Robertson's new self-funded venture, called SIPphone, was unveiled Wednesday morning after nearly a year of preparation. SIP stands for "Session Initiation Protocol," a technology that lies at the heart of the fast-growing Internet voice business. The new company is selling phones that allow customers to make Internet-based calls for free, anywhere in the world -- but there's a catch. They can only call other phones that use the same technology, leaving most of the world's regular telephones out of reach. Still, Robertson believes that over time, the technology can provide serious competition for traditional telephone companies. http://news.com.com/2100-1037-5060748.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 01:35:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wireless Streaming Standard Approved By Richard Shim Staff Writer, CNET News.com An industry standards group has completed a new wireless networking standard that will lay the groundwork for a new generation of digital entertainment products. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers said Wednesday it has finished the 802.15.3 standard, ensuring that digital content streamed over a wireless network will have a "guaranteed level of service," said Robert Heile, chairman of the IEEE's 802.15 working group and chief technology officer of Appairent. http://news.com.com/2100-1025-5060845.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 02:03:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: KQED-TV Expands Into Digital Market Dan Fost, Chronicle Staff Writer KQED-TV (Channel 9), the Bay Area's public television station, is beating all of its commercial rivals to market with five new digital channels. The channels are available to people who have digital television receivers already, and will be available to subscribers to Comcast digital cable starting Saturday. KQED says it's making use of expanded pipes of digital technology to serve a wider audience. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/06/BU227394.DTL ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 02:20:18 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hacker Gets Acxion Customer Information By CARYN ROUSSEAU Associated Press Writer LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A computer hacker gained access to private files at Acxiom Corp., one of the world's largest consumer database companies, and was able to download sensitive information about some customers of the company's clients, the company said Thursday. "The data on the servers was a wide variety of information, some of which was personal, some of which was not," Jennifer Barrett, the company's chief privacy officer, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. The AP was notified of the intrusion by an anonymous caller who would not identify himself or his connection with the company. Barrett said the company did not know about the breach until a law enforcement agency from Ohio contacted it last week. Barrett said both the hacker and the stolen information are in police custody. She said about 10 percent of the company's customers were affected and that, "it would include some of our larger customers." - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35190673 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 03:03:18 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Firm Helps 911 Locate People Crying For Help RedSky's system may get a boost from states' laws By Jon Van Tribune staff reporter Sophisticated telecom technology that makes it easier to call someone can, paradoxically, also make it harder for police, fire and paramedic personnel to find them when responding to 911 calls. The days are long gone when most emergency calls were dialed from a plain old residence where a simple street address was enough to deliver help to the right place. Calls for help now are just as likely to come from cell phones or from museums, schools and office buildings where it is difficult to pinpoint the source of distress. The technology to provide public safety dispatchers with the precise location within a building of a 911 caller is available, but seldom used. One small Chicago business, RedSky Technologies Inc., is trying to change that by selling an affordable enhanced 911 software package to companies in large office buildings. It is not just a way to avert disaster -- systems to pinpoint caller locations within large buildings are required by law in Illinois and a growing number of states. http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0308040013aug04,1,2079594.story ------------------------------ From: news.btconnect.com Subject: Re: Making Contact With MCI Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 08:25:16 UTC Organization: BT Openworld news.btconnect.com wrote in message news:telecom22.602.10@telecom-digest.org: > news.btconnect.com wrote in message > news:telecom22.601.3@telecom-digest.org: >> Hi, >> We are a UK business looking at making contact with MCI in the US to >> supply us with a range of 900 and Toll-Free numbers. >> Does anybody have a clue who to speak with either in the US or the UK >> as nobody at MCI's call center has a clue. >> Thanks in advance. >> J >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Why do you want to get involved with >> that bunch of rascals? They do not have a very good reputation legally >> here in the USA at present (and never did, IMO.) PAT] > I've heard this too. > > numbers as I understand MCI is the only ones who allocate them > to businesses. [J] > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I suggest two things: Judith > Oppenheimer here in the USA, in New York City, can put you in > contact for all the 800 numbers you could ever want, vanity style > or otherwise. Note the link to her websites and email addresses > on the main page at http://telecom-digest.org near the top of the > page. She will get you *good, honest* vendors of 800/888/877/866 > numbers; maybe even sell you some herself. > Regards 900, a far superior way to go (assuming you want to go with > voice mail type audio services on 900) is to contact one of the > many creators of same here in the USA; John Higdon comes to mind; > I am sure he can build those for you easily. But the catch is you > do not use 900 (which is also fraught with problems) and go instead > with regular dialup numbers with a request to enter a passcode at > the start of each conversation, having your own customer service > people (or outsourcing that function) issue the passcodes so YOU can > keep your hands on the money involved. One of the notorious 'problems' > with MCI and other traditional vendors of 900 service in the past > were that they wouldn't give you your commissions, making all sorts > of bum excuses to charge back as much/many as possible. John Higdon > is very familiar with that scenario. Get MCI if you want; they just > won't pay; they'll stiff you every chance they get, overlooking nothing. > Even if you are talking about technical advice type lines or some > other service function involving mostly live chat, consider a front > end which demands a valid passcode with a certain number of minutes > of time on it which gets deducted as it gets used. You sell the > passcodes, of course, and use regular telephone lines for the business. > Let's say you are selling, umm, computers. You want to give each buyer > a certain number of free minutes of tech time, then begin charging. > You put a passcode in the box and a dialup number to use. The passcode > gets the number of minutes you designate. Additional passcode minutes > can be purchased from YOUR customer service person using a *validated* > credit card, etc or on open account, whatever. I feel certain John > Higdon can handle all that for you, and you can then go rinse your > hands. I've worked along with John on things like that in the past, > and if you are intending a USA-based operation with this, I'd be > pleased to work along with John again if he and you wanted to. PAT] > [J's note: Hi, I appreciate your input. I understand that MCI does not have the best of reputations and we will be wanting to run both a 900 option and a CC option simulataneously to see which of the two is the best to pursue longterm. As to the actual development of the technical programing we will keep this in-house. We just want to find a good company from which to source the numbers -- however I guess that all companies in the US still get their numbers from MCI -- yes? We will want to be able to do what we want with the numbers too -- either route to a US ddi or UK ddi. I welcome your input again : ) J ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Date: 8 Aug 2003 05:36:10 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Ed Ellers wrote in message news:: > Lisa Hancock wrote: >> There are disadvantages to cell phones: >> (1) the phones don't last forever and need periodic expensive >> replacement. >> (2) promotional plans end, and heavy users may find themselves >> paying usage fees that add up. >> (3) cell phones still have a long way to go for reliability, even >> if you're sitting in your living room. Added to that is battery >> failure. There are fewer and fewer pay phones out there for backup. >> (4) If your cellphone is lost or stolen, you've lost your link >> to the world. > I've been told that some businesses won't deal with you if your only > phone number is for a wireless phone. But the major reason for the decrease in land lines is the removal of second and third lines in homes. As people migrate to broadband, and with the increase in fees for a second line, people have been disconnecting modem lines and fax lines far more quickly. That and the fact that the kids are now in college or have otherwise moved out of the house. ------------------------------ From: Jud Hardcastle Subject: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 09:11:59 -0500 Some background: My part time home is a houseboat. It has an analog cell phone with data adapter (dialup access about 7200 max) and, when in dock, a wired phone line (dialup access about 23000 max -- nobody gets faster than that -- too much old switching equipment). I would like to replace both phones with a single wireless solution -- maybe a Verizon phone or aircard, a GSM phone with GPRS, Richochet if they ever restart Dallas. Besides personal Internet stuff, I connect to the office WAN for network files and Notes by dialing into an ISP and connecting thru to a company VPN. I also dial into several devices that have modems only -- no IP connection possible to those -- using either a "dumb" terminal emulation program or a proprietary access program. I should be able to access the VPN thru a wireless highspeed data network BUT the dialup modems are the problem. Is there any (inexpensive) service similar to the VOIP services that allows you to connect to them via the Internet and then using a special dialer to allow legacy software to dial into a standard landline modem, i.e. software that looks like a modem to the terminal emulation accepting AT codes etc. Any ideas? Jud Dallas TX USA ------------------------------ From: jsmauk@aol.com (Joe Mauk) Subject: Re: Chase and Wells Fargo Runs Fastest E-Banking Sites Date: 8 Aug 2003 10:53:55 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ > The eight banks included on Keynote's e-banking transaction > performance index are Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Chase (NYSE:JPM), > Fleet Bank (NYSE:FBF), SunTrust (NYSE:STI), US Bank (NYSE:USB), > Wachovia (NYSE:WB), Washington Mutual (NYSE:WM) and Wells Fargo > (NYSE:WFC). > - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35158114 That's interesting, because, I believe that Bank One runs the Wells Fargo online banking site. At least, the checks that get mailed after you pay a at the Wells BillPay site are issued by Bank One. Joe Mauk ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Organization: Comcast Online Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 02:46:00 GMT John Schmerold wrote in message news:telecom22.601.7@telecom-digest.org: > There is an opensource pbx project sponsored by digium.com (nothing > must be purchased from them to use the pbx.) > See: > http://lists.digium.com > http://www.asteriskpbx.com/ > http://www.digium.com/ > http://google.com/search?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 > http://google.com/groups?q=%22asterisk+pbx%22 > The project supports a wide range of technologies and hardware, in > particular it supports VOIP, SIP phones and ADSI screen phones. > Haven't figured out how, but I understand it supports > providers/exchanges such as Pulver.com, Iconnecthere and does LCR, so > I imagine TELCO cost reduction options are huge! > I'm unaffliated with any of above. Just bought a channel bank and > plan on being active as a user. > Amazing stuff! I have seen it as well ... at least one post like this every other week. I would beg to differ with them claiming you have all the "features" or a proprietary PBX ... which I really really find hard to believe noticing what feature there are listed on their web page. On the brighter side I would consider this system WAY before a Cisco POS system. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #603 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 10 15:54:43 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7AJshf16490; Sun, 10 Aug 2003 15:54:43 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 15:54:43 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308101954.h7AJshf16490@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #604 TELECOM Digest Sun, 10 Aug 2003 15:54:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 604 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Directory Assistance (411) Savings (George Jones) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Robert Bonomi) Looking for a Phone Service That is Enhanced 411; Other Services (Sap) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (Steven J Sobol) Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! (Eric Friedebach) Re: Company's Error Sends Customers to Adult Phone Line (Bill Berbenich) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Gary Breuckman) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Steve Michelson) Odd CLID Problem (followup) (Herb Stein) Looking For Quantity of Larscom TNDS-LC02B, TNDS-1400 (Ben Youngblood) End of an Era - "Speak Freely" EOL'd (John Meissen) Who Profits From spam? Surprise (Monty Solomon) Do Domain Names Matter? (Monty Solomon) Somerville Experiment Could Alter the WiFi Game (Monty Solomon) DVRS: Climbing the Sumnmit (Monty Solomon) The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem (Monty Solomon) Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! (Mike P) Help Wanted With Web Service (Kaushal) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: From: George Jones Subject: Directory Assistance (411) Savings Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 12:55:58 -0500 Pat, Here's a big area in telecom savings that many readers on this list may not be familiar with. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on 411 Directory Assistance calls. Attached is a link to a Powerpoint Presentation showing how to save on 411 calls. http://1800teledeal.com/411.ppt This is a unique area in telecom savings that most businesses and telecom consultants are not aware of. You have a choice in 411 providers just as you do for local and long distance telephone service providers. Our rates are as low as $.27/411 call for live operator directory assistance. Compare that to what some others charge for a 411 call: MCI $2.49, Sprint $2.49, AT&T $1.99, Qwest $1.95, Verizon $1.25, SBC $1.25. Not only do we offer lower priced live operator 411 calls ... the lookup accuracy and customer service features are the best in the industry. Take the 411 ROI/Savings Challenge at http://1800teledeal.com/411.xls and see your savings. We also offer a real-time Internet delivered 411 national database (160 million plus listings) via XML API hooks for companies to use for verification purposes, authentication, CRM, caller id name / add / tel display, etc. This is a premium database that is updated daily ... and quite different from lower cost / free Internet alternatives like whitpages.com - switchboard.com that are often 12 to 18 months out of date because they use "scanned" telephone directory information. If Telecom Digest List readers have any questions, please feel to have them call us at 1-800-TELEDEAL (1-800-835-3332) so we can discuss their specific directory assistance needs. Sincerely, George E. Jones The Directory Assistance Experts * We Save Businesses 80% On 411 Calls TeleDeal Inc. George E. Jones, President 27 N. Wacker, Suite 193 Chicago, IL 60606 tel 1-800-TELEDEAL or 1-312-372-2900 fax 1-312-873-4475 email george@1800teledeal.com www http://1800teledeal.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Mr. Jones and I had a lengthy phone conversation on this Saturday morning. Essentially what he does is purchase 'directory inquries' en masse -- like a million or so at a time -- from the databases which offer that service. At that rate, he tells them what he is going to pay, and gets his pricing. He works with the live databases so the information is very fresh, and generally only one or two days old when made available. As a result, he can resell directory inquiries for (as he points out above) as little as 27 cents per (one or two) inquiries per call to 411. So how do *you* get that passed on rate? In the case of large business places, institutions, etc, which go through a few hundred or more directory inquiries per month by employees, others, Mr. Jones instructs telecom managers in those companies/institutions on how to intercept calls to 411, 1-411, a/c 555-1212, whatever, to specialized 800 toll free numbers *assigned to those companies* which feed into the service bureaus used for Directory Inquiries; then by using ANI at the service bureaus he is able to charge back to each of his customers for their usage. For small businesses and individuals, Mr. Jones tells me he plans to implement a prepaid 'calling card' system. Just so you know, I may be helping him with that scheme. To get *your* DA calls for around fifty cents each instead of anywhere from $1.29 up to 2.49 per call you will dial the 800 number (or put it in your speed dial, or whatever) and your prepaid card will decrement by one each time used. I may have more information on this at a later time. Each user will have a unique 800 number for his 'directory account'. Mr. Jones mentioned that while overall, telecom costs have come down a lot in recent years, one exception to that where costs have continued to rise is in directory assistance calls. So it would seem that Mr. Jones has found a very good niche to be in. He tells me he has a couple of small independent telcos which have handed him their entire subscriber base; when one of those telcos' customers dials 411, equipment in the switch funnels the calls over to him. I dunno off hand which service bureau handles his calls, but he gave me a free test yesterday of some mumbers here in Independence, and the service was very fast, courteous and effecient. And he is using live, real time 'operators' with real time, current listings; not scanned data possibly several months out of date like many internet services. More details when I have them available. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2003 09:15:59 GMT In article , Ed Ellers wrote: > Lisa Hancock wrote: >> There are disadvantages to cell phones: >> (1) the phones don't last forever and need periodic expensive >> replacement. >> (2) promotional plans end, and heavy users may find themselves >> paying usage fees that add up. >> (3) cell phones still have a long way to go for reliability, even >> if you're sitting in your living room. Added to that is battery >> failure. There are fewer and fewer pay phones out there for backup. >> (4) If your cellphone is lost or stolen, you've lost your link >> to the world. > I've been told that some businesses won't deal with you if your only > phone number is for a wireless phone. It is *GREAT*FUN* trying to order DSL internet connectivity, when you don't have a land-line voice phone at the location. It took me more than a month just to get the order *accepted* -- the DSL provider's computers wouldn't take an order without a phone number, *but* the TELCO (ILEC) who was supplying the actual copper pair, would not take the order _with_ a phone number -- since their records showed "no active number" at that location. This was for SDSL service, so it had to have it's "own" pair, regardless. The 'problem' had to get escalated a _long_ ways up the food chain, at *both* the DSL provider _and_ the TELCO, before it got resolved. The telco installer, incidentally, said he'd *never* seen an order that listed the premises phone a "(000) 000-0000" before. ------------------------------ From: Fred Sap Subject: Looking For Phone Service That is Enhanced 411; Other Services Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2003 08:16:18 -0700 Organization: personal There was one that advertised on TechTV (not pronto) that offered dinner reservations and other services. Anyone have any suggestions? ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 17:45:32 -0500 SayNoToCrossposters wrote: > I have seen it as well ... at least one post like this every other > week. I would beg to differ with them claiming you have all the > "features" or a proprietary PBX ... which I really really find hard to > believe noticing what feature there are listed on their web page. Yeah, I agree with this ... there are probably some features that haven't been implemented yet. The software isn't even at version 1.0 yet. It's quite functional already, though. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 18:28:31 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach A. Trent wrote in message news:telecom22.601.10@telecom-digest.org: > I need some help. I've had Sprint PCS as my only phone for the past > three years and have been very satisfied with everything. I'm > moving into a new apartment and my phone does not get a signal > inside. anyone have any suggestions? BTW, my phone is a > Samsung SCH 8500 and I live just outside of Baltimore. How about an gain antenna placed in, or just outside your window? First, you'll need an antenna adapter for the handset to the TNC antenna connector. I've had good luck with this company purchasing adapters and it looks like they carry one for your phone: http://www.discountcell.com/cellular/csam8500.asp They also have brand name antennas (Antenna Specialists, Larsen) that would work on the Sprint frequencies. This one looks well suited to you application: http://tinyurl.com/jgmg Your local Sprint Dealer may have these as well, but if not Google for *Samsung SCH 8500 Sprint external antenna*. Your handset batteries will last longer between charges, too. The downside is having a tether on what should really be a portable device. I've never used Sprint PCS, but I've had very good results in using external antennas in both mobile and fixed applications in rural areas with AT&T phones roaming on CellularOne towers (anyone remember when CellularOne was *The Brand* in the 1980's? They are a rural brand now). Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Bill Berbenich Subject: Re: Company's Error Sends Customers to Mass. Adult Phone Line Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 19:43:27 -0400 This is just wild speculation, but I wonder if this isn't somehow related to Verizon's current labor union issues. It sounds just clever enough to be someone's idea of "getting even." Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 01:01:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Company's Error Sends Customers to Mass. Adult Phone Line By Associated Press, 8/6/2003 05:47 > SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) Some unsuspecting Verizon customers trying to > pick a new long-distance plan were offered 'sexy introductions' and > a chance to 'continue the fun' on an adult phone line. > A letter sent to thousands of Verizon long-distance customers across > the country last week listed a number for 'Intimate Connections' as > a Verizon customer service number, Verizon officials said Tuesday. http://www.boston.com/dailynews/218/region/Company_s_error_sends_custome r:.shtml ------------------------------ From: Gary Breuckman Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 19:57:04 -0500 Organization: Puma's Lair - catbox.com In article , Jud Hardcastle wrote: > Some background: My part time home is a houseboat. It has an analog > cell phone with data adapter (dialup access about 7200 max) and, when in > dock, a wired phone line (dialup access about 23000 max -- nobody gets > faster than that -- too much old switching equipment). I would like to > replace both phones with a single wireless solution -- maybe a Verizon > phone or aircard, a GSM phone with GPRS, Richochet if they ever restart > Dallas. > Besides personal Internet stuff, I connect to the office WAN for network > files and Notes by dialing into an ISP and connecting thru to a company > VPN. I also dial into several devices that have modems only -- no IP > connection possible to those -- using either a "dumb" terminal emulation > program or a proprietary access program. > I should be able to access the VPN thru a wireless highspeed data > network BUT the dialup modems are the problem. > Is there any (inexpensive) service similar to the VOIP services that > allows you to connect to them via the Internet and then using a special > dialer to allow legacy software to dial into a standard landline modem, > i.e. software that looks like a modem to the terminal emulation > accepting AT codes etc. > Any ideas? > Jud > Dallas TX USA Part of the problem is getting your proprietary software to work through what would be something like a telnet connection ... have you considered pcAnywhere or 'gotomypc' or something equivalent to connect through the internet to your home pc (assuming that still exists while you are on the boat), and then running your proprietary program on that computer dialing out with its modem? -- Gary Breuckman ------------------------------ From: Steve Michelson Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 08:19:58 -0400 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises I think you're going to have a hard time with that, even with any of the VOIP services because they typically use a compressed codec, which is fine for voice but does not work for modem or FAX tones. Depending on how critical this is for you, and how much money you'd be willing to spend, perhaps you could set up a landline gateway device connected to the internet on one side, and a regular phone jack on the other. There would have to be special software running on both the gateway device, as well as your computer, that allowed them to communicate with one another. I have a feeling this would be a real niche market. Most devices these days are reachable through the internet, with appropriate encryption and other security mechanisms. Jud Hardcastle wrote in message news:telecom22.603.9@telecom-digest.org: > Some background: My part time home is a houseboat. It has an analog > cell phone with data adapter (dialup access about 7200 max) and, when > in dock, a wired phone line (dialup access about 23000 max -- nobody > gets faster than that -- too much old switching equipment). I would > like to replace both phones with a single wireless solution -- maybe a > Verizon phone or aircard, a GSM phone with GPRS, Richochet if they > ever restart Dallas. > Besides personal Internet stuff, I connect to the office WAN for > network files and Notes by dialing into an ISP and connecting thru to > a company VPN. I also dial into several devices that have modems only > -- no IP connection possible to those -- using either a "dumb" > terminal emulation program or a proprietary access program. > I should be able to access the VPN thru a wireless highspeed data > network BUT the dialup modems are the problem. > Is there any (inexpensive) service similar to the VOIP services that > allows you to connect to them via the Internet and then using a > special dialer to allow legacy software to dial into a standard > landline modem, i.e. software that looks like a modem to the terminal > emulation accepting AT codes etc. > Any ideas? > Jud > Dallas TX USA ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Odd CLID Problem (Followup) Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 08:24:36 -0500 I can't find my original post, but it related to CLID and SBC Privacy Manger problems. The problem was that when my folks with CenturyTel service call me (SBC), they get Privacy Manager even though when they call my Cingular cell phone, I get their number. I finally determined that I was getting their number, but NOT their name. I called SBC customer service and they confirmed that, without the name being delivered, that was normal behavior. Privacy Manager kicks in if the name is missing. On August 2 (Saturday) I called CenturyTel customer service. I got a rep. in Appleton, Wi. who couldn't test anything but did take a trouble ticket. By Tuesday AM the problem seemed to be fixed -- for about an hour or so. I talked to CenturyTel again and they said it must be my folks LD carrier (Verizon) that was dropping the name because the problem was "leaving their end ok." I called Verizon and they swore that it could not be there problem, but they took a trouble report and said they'd look into it. Mysteriously, the problem is fixed again as of today. I have no idea who did what to fix it, but I am happy to see a resolution. I'm still puzzled, however, as to why Privacy Manager feels obligated to grab a call with a valid CLID number but no name. No doubt there is a clear rationale that just escapes me at the moment. Anyway, this is just a follow-up as several people expressed interest in the problem. Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 952-4601 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is interesting that Southwestern Bell would tell you that privacy manager kicking in on numbers but no names was 'normal behavior'. They told me essentially the opposite. I was getting calls from (of all people!) AT&T telemarketers who were sending ten zeros as their number, and they would not quit calling for any reason. Just call after call. Privacy manager was not picking up on it, and according to the representative at the chairman's office (to whom I had appealed), ten zeros met the required criterion for privacy manager, 'even though it is obviously not a valid number'. So ten zeros can get through and pester me, but valid numbers and no names gets blocked at your end. I am so glad I was finally able to dump Southwestern Bell totally when I signed up with Prairie Stream here in Independence. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2003 20:21:58 +0700 Subject: Looking For Quantity of Larscom TNDS-LC02B, TNDS-1400 and TNDS-200 From: Ben Youngblood TNDS-LC02B Qty 50 TNDS-1400 Qty 10 TNDS-200 Qty 10 Also looking for a QTY of Lucent Ascend MAX TNT TNT-SL-ADI or TNT-SL-ADI and Lucent/Avaya PSAX CPU2's. 1com tel 1 310 306 9950 fax 1 310 306 5877 http://www.1com.com 1com is your one stop solution for Datacom, Networking & Telecom hardware, new and used at 60-90% off list. ------------------------------ From: john@aracnet.com (John Meissen) Subject: End of an Era - "Speak Freely" EOL'd Date: 9 Aug 2003 18:12:16 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Truly the end of an era. This month the End of Life announcement for Speak Freely, one of the first Internet Telephony applications, was made by John Walker. John gives his reasons in the announcement at http://www.fourmilab.ch/speakfree/eol/. John Walker was founder of Autodesk, Inc., and co-author of AutoCad. He started development in 1991, and has been the principal maintainer for the life of the project. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 12:27:27 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Many companies with names you know are benefiting By Bob Sullivan MSNBC Aug. 8 - There wouldn't be spam if there wasn't money in spam. So to understand what primes the spam economy, MSNBC.com answered a single unsolicited commercial e-mail. Following this one spam trail led us from Alabama to Argentina, from a tiny Birmingham-based firm and someone named "Erp" past a notorious spammer named Super-Zonda - and right through big-name companies like Ameriquest, Quicken, and LoanWeb. And that's just the beginning. The truth about spam is this: While the dirty work is done by secretive, faceless computer jockeys who are constantly evading authorities, lots of companies with names you know profit, at least tangentially, from their efforts. http://www.msnbc.com/news/940490.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 12:44:24 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Do Domain Names Matter? Do Domain Names Matter? - Part I By: Francis Hwang This is the first part of a 2-part series article arguing that the decentralization of the Internet will allow the DNS to recede to its earlier, uncontroversial role, before all the lawsuits and screaming matches at ICANN board meetings. http://www.circleid.com/article/211_0_1_0/ Do Domain Names Matter? - Part II By: Francis Hwang This is the second part of a 2-part series article arguing that the decentralization of the Internet will allow the DNS to recede to its earlier, uncontroversial role, before all the lawsuits and screaming matches at ICANN board meetings. http://www.circleid.com/article/212_0_1_0/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 13:42:52 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Somerville Experiment Could Alter the WiFi Game BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE By D.C. Denison, Globe Staff, 8/10/2003 WiFi activist Michael Oh has an unusual way of thinking about the most hyped new consumer technology since the Web. "It's kind of like air conditioning," he said. "Retail outlets don't charge you for air conditioning, or the milk you put in your coffee," he said. "Someday they aren't going to charge you for WiFi." That day may be coming sooner than expected if a cluster of merchants in Davis Square, Somerville, sign onto a concept that's being floated by Oh and Patrick J. McCormick, the chief information officer for the City of Somerville. The two are calling the idea 'urban hot zones.' http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/222/business/Somerville_experiment_could_alter_the_WiFi_game+.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 02:16:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DVRS: Climbing the Summit BY SHIRLEY BRADY Cable World, Jul 28, 2003 David Letterman may routinely mention how he "TiVoed" a show, but digital video recording has yet to gain traction among consumers. That's why DVR was the subject of much discussion -- and a tutorial led by C Cubed principal and DVR analyst Jennifer Choate -- at the CTAM Summit, where marketers grappled with the need to better understand and sell the value proposition of the technology. Its functionality clearly meets the needs of today's time-stressed masses who never learned to program a VCR. And the category has tremendous awareness thanks to TiVo's marketing efforts to entertainment 'influentials' such as Letterman. But while it may be a must-use for its devotees, the category has yet to take off for either the stand-alone DVR manufacturers or their licensed partners. DirecTV owner Hughes Electronics reported in its second-quarter earnings that the satellite TV company's set-top box incorporating TiVo's DVR functions (at $4.99 per month) has yet to meet its "quite aggressive" targets for the product. DirecTV COO Roxanne Austin called the rate of customer adoption for the product "very challenging," with less than 10% of its 181,000 net new customers last quarter taking the TiVo service. But C Cubed's Choate says this is good news for cable. Discussing highlights from C Cubed's The DVR Monitor: Wave IV, Choate said DVR deployers such as Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications can learn from users' experiences how to better communicate the life-improving benefits of DVR technology. Armed with the longest-running tracking study of DVR owners, and three years of comprehensive research with satellite, stand-alone and cable DVR users, Choate's findings, including the latest survey conducted in May, are consistent across four waves of research. The latest wave, released next month, shows the hot-button topic of commercial-skipping is not the reason consumers purchase the product. http://cableworld.com/ar/dvrs_climbing_summit/index.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 23:12:18 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem By LISA NAPOLI ON a steamy summer day, the 16-story apartment building on Kissena Boulevard in Flushing, Queens, hardly looks like a place where Secret Service agents would show up with a search warrant, and later for an arrest. Women trudge from the bustling markets just two blocks away, children and bags in tow; elderly couples sun themselves on park benches. Nothing about the quiet, neatly kept grounds suggests a crime scene. But when computers are the weapons and the victims are far from sight, it is easy to operate quietly and, for a while at least, undetected. And that is how, for almost two years, Juju Jiang used an arsenal of computers in his bedroom on the 14th floor -- in an apartment he shared with his mother -- to break into others. According to the federal agents who prosecuted him, Mr. Jiang had unwitting help from his victims: customers at Internet terminals at 13 Kinko's copy shops in Manhattan entered personal information that he gathered with software he had installed there to capture their every keystroke. Mr. Jiang, 25, pleaded guilty last month to computer fraud and software piracy. Had one target not heard his home computer inexplicably come alive late one night last fall, there is no telling how long Mr. Jiang might have gone on with his scheme - and even then, he was not finished trying. Agents say 450 people were ultimately victimized, with Mr. Jiang breaking into a number of their bank accounts, opening new ones with their data or selling that data on the Internet. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/07/technology/circuits/07kink.html ------------------------------ From: mpotter@crosswinds.net (Mike P) Subject: Re: No Sprint Signal in New Apartment, Help! Date: 9 Aug 2003 19:22:20 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I live outside of Baltimore and I had the same problem; I moved (to Harford County) and barely got a signal in my place and dropped calls. You might want to try changing phones, check out Usenet alt.cellular.sprintpcs or the web. From my searches it seems the consensus is that the Sanyo 4700/4900 phones get the reception of the PCS phones. I got a 4900 and I went from dropped calls in the basement to 2 or more bars of signal strength. This in a area where my Blackberry on cingular service gets nothing. I would do a little web and usenet research and go to a local sprint store and see if you could demo a phone and see if it helps. Any other questions e-mail me at mikeenv at remove this and replace with normal at sign potternet. com (note this address will self destruct in seven days to avoid spam.) teme@mac.com (A. Trent) wrote in message news:: > I need some help. I've had Sprint PCS as my only phone for the past > three years and have been very satisfied with everything. I'm moving > into a new apartment and my phone does not get a signal inside. The > moment I step back out to the sidewalk ... it's back. The previous > tennants were friends of mine and I spent some extended time there and > it has been the same every time. Their phone (I believe it's through > Nextel) doesn't work inside either. I'd really like to stay with > Sprint PCS as my only phone. I'm dreading having to install a > land-line through Verizon. Has anyone had similar issues and does > anyone have any suggestions? BTW, my phone is a Samsung SCH 8500 and > I live just outside of Baltimore. ------------------------------ From: kaushalsevak76@yahoo.com (Kaushal) Subject: Help Needed With Web Service Date: 8 Aug 2003 19:47:11 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, I am a project student. I am developing an e-com web site for a company. I want to use web service for credit card verification. Now I am puzzled how I can use it. I know there are some companies providing that service. They provide a secured page and verify the card, after that how can I get that data into my database?? How can I process the order?? After verifying the credit card detail should I process the transaction manually.? Please guide me. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #604 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 11 13:51:57 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7BHpv521510; Mon, 11 Aug 2003 13:51:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 13:51:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308111751.h7BHpv521510@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #605 TELECOM Digest Mon, 11 Aug 2003 13:52:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 605 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #394, August 11, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) Habeas Declares Victory In Lawsuit (John R. Myers) Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise (Tom Betz) Re: End of an Era - "Speak Freely" EOL'd (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Odd CLID Problem (Kenneth P. Stox) Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Help Needed With Web Service (Bob Natale) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 10:31:02 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #394, August 11, 2003 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 394: August 11, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** BELL CANADA: http://www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: http://www.cisco.com/ca/letstalk ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: http://www.cygcom.com ** ERICSSON CANADA: http://www.ericsson.ca ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: http://www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: http://www.primustel.ca ** Q9 NETWORKS: http://www.Q9.com ** TELUS: http://www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Ottawa Summarizes Wiretap Comments ** Aliant Tries Again for Halifax Centrex Rate ** Primus Net Revenue Rises 6.5% ** Hackers Exploit New Hole in Windows ** Comdex Canada Postponed Again ** Optical Developer Ceyba Folds ** Nortel Executives Get $7.7 Million Bonuses ** RIM Injunction Stayed ** RSI Software Gets Nortel Approval ** CRTC Approves "Express Consent" Filings ** Globalive to Acquire Onlinetel ** Iridium Offers Global Text Messaging ** Cisco Sales Down, Profit Up ** Looking for a Telecom Speaker? ============================================================ OTTAWA SUMMARIZES WIRETAP COMMENTS: The federal Department of Justice has released a summary of more than 300 submissions received in response to its consultation paper on proposed changes to Canada's "lawful access" (wiretapping) legislation. The government says it is studying the feedback to determine how to proceed. http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/cons/la_al/summary/index.html ALIANT TRIES AGAIN FOR HALIFAX CENTREX RATE: On August 1, Aliant filed a proposal to drop its lowest rate for Centrex lines in Halifax -- for customers with more than 10,000 lines who sign 5-year contracts -- from $25 to $18.20 a month. Aliant says it needs the lower rate to compete with other local carriers in Halifax. ** Just eight days earlier, the CRTC turned down a nearly identical proposal that would have been available only to Halifax customers with more than 12,000 lines (see Telecom Update #392). The CRTC said the telco had not provided justification for adding a new rate step. www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2003/A53.htm#200309965 PRIMUS NET REVENUE RISES 6.5%: Long distance reseller Primus Canada says its second quarter 2003 net revenue was $71.1 million, up 6.5% from the first quarter and 12.8% from last year. HACKERS EXPLOIT NEW HOLE IN WINDOWS: The CERT Coordination Center reports that intruders are actively scanning for and exploiting two recently discovered security holes in the Remote Call Procedure (RPC) on Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Server 2000. An attacker could use the vulnerabilities to run code on victims' systems or to cause denial of service. Microsoft has posted patches to correct the weakness. www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2003-19.html http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com COMDEX CANADA POSTPONED AGAIN: Comdex Canada, previously delayed from July to September, has been postponed again, this time to March 24-26, 2004. The Toronto high-tech trade show reportedly faced a significant decline in booth bookings. OPTICAL DEVELOPER CEYBA FOLDS: Ottawa-based Ceyba Inc, a developer of optical networking systems, has closed its doors. The company said it was unable to obtain financing to continue operations. NORTEL EXECUTIVES GET $7.7 MILLION BONUSES: Eighteen senior executives of Nortel, which lost US$14 million last quarter, have received have received bonuses totaling US$7.7 million and an undisclosed amount in cash. RIM INJUNCTION STAYED: A Virginia Court has ordered Research In Motion to pay US$54 million to NTP Inc. for patent infringement, and issued an injunction prohibiting RIM from selling its BlackBerry devices and software in the U.S. The Court also stayed the injunction pending an appeal by RIM, which could take several years. ** RIM has asked the U.S. patent office to review the patents, which it says are invalid. RSI SOFTWARE GETS NORTEL APPROVAL: Oshawa-based Resource Software International says Nortel has granted "Compatible Product" status for its call management software for Norstar, BCM, Meridian 1, and Succession 1000. CRTC APPROVES "EXPRESS CONSENT" FILINGS: The CRTC has approved changes to the Terms of Service for Aliant, Bell Canada, MTS, NorthernTel, Telebec, and Telus, dealing with confidential customer information. The changes, ordered by the Commission in May, say such information can only be released with the customer's express consent, confirmed in writing, or orally by independent third party, or electronically by a toll-free number or Internet. (see Telecom Update #386) GLOBALIVE TO ACQUIRE ONLINETEL: Eiger Technology says it plans to sell most of its stake in Voice Over IP provider Onlinetel to Globalive, a Toronto company that provides operator services, teleconferencing, and other telecom services. IRIDIUM OFFERS GLOBAL TEXT MESSAGING: Satellite carrier Iridium says it is now offering short text message service between users of its 9505 handset anywhere in the world, and will extend the service to cellphones by year-end. Messages are limited to 160 characters: a similar service from Globalstar has a 19-character limit. CISCO SALES DOWN, PROFIT UP: Cisco Systems says its revenue for the three months ended July 26 was US$4.7 billion, down 2.6% from last year. Net income was $982 million, up from $772 in 2002. LOOKING FOR A TELECOM SPEAKER? Looking for a powerful presentation to open your meeting or conference? An entertaining and insightful after-dinner talk? An intensive workshop or course for your team? For speakers who are experts at explaining the fast-changing world of business telecom in plain English, with a business-oriented, bottom- line focus, e-mail ianangus@angustel.ca today. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2003 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 19:01:52 -0700 From: John R. Myers Subject: Habeas Declares Victory in Lawsuit The following showed up a couple of days ago on the ba.internet newsgroup, but it deserves a wider audience. John R. Myers / mailto:jmyers@n6wuz.net P.O. Box 50662 Palo Alto, California 94303 / USA tel. +1 650 322-6863 / fax. +1 650 322-7041 *********** BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE *********** On 8/10/03 at 5:37 PM Jack Myers wrote: -- forwarded message -- Newsgroups: ba.internet From: shedevil@stop.mail-abuse.org (Anne P. Mitchell, Esq.) Subject: [MEDIA] HABEAS DECLARES VICTORY IN LAWSUIT AGAINST SPAMMER User-Agent: Xnews/03.08.28 Sender: news@kithrup.com (News Subsystem) Organization: Guarantee to others that your email is not spam. http://www.habeas.com Message-ID: <93D29DA8shedevilstopmailabus@205.179.156.40> X-Nntp-Posting-Host: adsl-64-165-36-235.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 07:36:47 GMT Lines: 58 Thought you guys might be interested in this: HABEAS DECLARES VICTORY IN LAWSUIT AGAINST SPAMMER Trademark protection translates into broad email assurances PALO ALTO, CA - August 8, 2003 - Habeas, the assured email delivery company that fights spam with poetry and the law, today declared a victory in the first of its two anti-spam lawsuits. "This is a day for which many people have been waiting," said Anne P. Mitchell, Esq., President and CEO of Habeas, Inc.. "We're very proud of this aspect of our business model, and are pleased to demonstrate that it works." Habeas' patent-pending Sender Warranted Email ("SWE") service works by trademarking and copyrighting a unique set of lines, known as the warrant mark, which is embedded in the headers of outgoing email, and which alerts receiving systems that the email is not spam and should be delivered. Included in the Habeas mark is a haiku, a form of Japanese poetry. Spammers who attempt to counterfeit the Habeas warrant mark can be prosecuted under Federal copyright and trademark law. Recognizing the Habeas warrant mark as indicating "this is legitimate email", more than forty spam filters and ISPs whitelist email from Habeas' customers. The lawsuit against defendant Dale Heller was filed after Heller intentionally used the Habeas warrant mark in email which did not comply with Habeas' requirements, and for which Habeas received complaints of the email being "spam". "The system worked exactly as designed," explained Mitchell. "We filed the lawsuit as soon as we received and verified the complaints, and Mr. Heller immediately stopped using our warrant mark, and it's safe to say that he will never use it again." Under the terms of the stipulated judgment, Heller may not only not use the Habeas warrant mark, but he may not send unsolicited commercial or promotional messages of any type to anyone, anywhere on the Internet, even if the messages do not contain the Habeas mark. The judgment extends protection to all Internet users, domain owners, Internet service providers, and interactive computer services, providing penalties of up to $25,000 or more per incident if Heller violates the judgment. About Habeas Inc. Based in Palo Alto, California, Habeas is a private company with venture funding that offers a legal and user-based service designed to help ensure delivery of legitimate email, and eradicate spam by identifying that email which is known to be 'not spam'. Named the 2002 'Email Innovation of the Year' by ClickZ, Habeas' services suite is deployed in more than 100 countries to protect more than 500 million e-mail addresses. For more information, visit Habeas on the web at http://www.habeas.com. Habeas and Habeas Sender Warranted Email are registered trademarks of Habeas, Inc. -- end of forwarded message -- *********** END FORWARDED MESSAGE *********** ------------------------------ From: Tom Betz Subject: Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 14:56:44 UTC Organization: Anything Monty Solomon wrote in news:telecom22.604.12@telecom- digest.org: > Many companies with names you know are benefiting > By Bob Sullivan > MSNBC [ snippage ] > http://www.msnbc.com/news/940490.asp Unlike most of what passes for journalism these days, this series (part 4 is now available) is superbly-researched and written, and should be required reading for anyone who asks the question, "What's the deal with spam? It ain't so bad." It is that bad, and those who engage in it are worse; and this series is spelling out the how and why of it. ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: End of an Era - "Speak Freely" EOL'd Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 15:23:13 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and John Meissen said to him: > Truly the end of an era. This month the End of Life announcement > for Speak Freely, one of the first Internet Telephony applications, > was made by John Walker. John gives his reasons in the announcement > at http://www.fourmilab.ch/speakfree/eol/ What sucks isn't that he's doing it... What sucks is that he's *right*. Even if you've never heard of the program, go read the writeup *anyway*, it has *lots* of interesting things to say about where the Internet is going ... The ways of the Net are often dark, but never pleasant. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: "The ways of the Net are often dark, but never pleasant ..." That sort of reminds me of the speech given in 1990 to the German Infomatics Society which has been reprinted here on various occassions; most recently 2-3 weeks ago under its original title 'Informing Ourselves to Death'; Neil Postman's excellent message back before the modern net got underway. To you doubters, tell me again how everything he spoke about is not coming true. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Kenneth P. Stox Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem (Follo Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 18:04:38 -0500 And now the real answer: Last I knew, SBC was spiffing with many other providers on what it was willing to pay for access to there customer name databases. As a result, calls from many third party providers are coming up without name to SBC customers. The problem is not with the other providers, but with SBC's refusal to pay on the same terms as the third parties pay to SBC. The last reference I saw to this situation, in the press, was: http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2002/10/28/story3.html ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 21:46:58 -0600 On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 23:12:18 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > Mr. Jiang, 25, pleaded guilty last month to computer fraud and > software piracy. Had one target not heard his home computer > inexplicably come alive late one night last fall, there is no telling > how long Mr. Jiang might have gone on with his scheme - and even then, > he was not finished trying. Agents say 450 people were ultimately > victimized, with Mr. Jiang breaking into a number of their bank > accounts, opening new ones with their data or selling that data on the > Internet. Mr. Jiang sniffed out the access information for a GoToMyPC.com user -- a service allowing people to remotely access their home computer from any other host. The user first thought that anti-virus software was running on his pc, but then noticed that it "sounded different". On watching his screen -- mousing into his apps to get personal information -- it was obvious someone was hacking his machine. After he convinced the GoToMyPC folk that he was being hacked, it was a pretty straingtforward exercise to look for IP addresses in the logs and subpoena the ISP's records to identify the perp. Amazingly, the thief attempted to re-install sniffing software after he had been charged. Kinkos had changed their software to detect such installations and had camera survellance video of the perp attempting these re-installs. I expect our justice system will be pretty harsh with this guy. As with the earlier article on this topic, nobody asked Kinkos why they weren't scrubbing their disks between user logins. Does anyone have an estimate how long it would take to re-load an image? Remember, Kinkos has a pretty heavy load of licensed software on their machines. Also, I went to GoToMyPC.com's site to see how they recommend users deal with these things. They have a couple of options. You can have the software generate a list of one-time passwords. The codes are used one-at-a-time and in order. This would protecct the user from snooped passwords, but it's fairly cumbersome -- what if you hit the last password in the list and still have a week left on your international business trip? They also provide a challenge-response system using a RADIUS servers. It looks like such services are only part of their high-end "enterprise" product. I don't know why something like a RADIUS challenge-response system couldn't be available for an individual user to secure his laptop. > http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/07/technology/circuits/07kink.html --phil [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I never, from the beginning, trusted that 'Go to my PC' software. If you cannot use a laptop on a business trip then download it to your desktop at a later time, and have to use that remote access stuff then you deserve what you get, IMO. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 22:09:33 -0400 From: Bob Natale Subject: Re: Help Needed With Web Service kaushalsevak76@yahoo.com (Kaushal) asked for help with his web site and accepting credit cards, etc: Hi Kaushal, > I am a project student. I am developing an e-com web site for a > company. I want to use web service for credit card verification. Now > I am puzzled how I can use it. I know there are some companies > providing that service. They provide a secured page and verify the > card, after that how can I get that data into my database?? We use VeriSign for the credit card processing part ... it goes beyond verifying the card ... they automatically interact with our Merchant Bank, etc (there can be multiple "third parties" involved, depending (potentially) on the type of credit card used ... they provide transaction data to us via POST to a URL that we configure into our account info on the VeriSign site. > How can I process the order?? Well, that can involve a lot ... if you have the option of letting someone like VeriSign do it for you, I'd recommend it. VeriSign (like most/all similar services, I'm sure) also provides a "test transaction" mode which can be real helpful in the early stages of developing your front-end and back-end processes. > After verifying the credit card detail should I process the > transaction manually.? I suppose you could do that, but it would seem like a large waste of the automated verification effort. A lot of the steps are (or can be) tightly bound with an automated info flow from one step to the next. Also, you have to bear in mind that there are various charges associated with several stages of a (live, not test mode) credit card transaction. > Please guide me. I am not an expert in these matters ... just wanted to pass along a few things gleaned from personal experience. Cheers, BobN www.winsnmp.com ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #605 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 11 16:45:40 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7BKjem22379; Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:45:40 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:45:40 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308112045.h7BKjem22379@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #606 TELECOM Digest Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:45:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 606 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Role of Politech in the Apple iTunes Issue via NY Times (Monty Solomon) Sprint and RealNetworks Bring Comprehensive, Brand-Name Mobile (Solomon) 101 Uses for Apple iChat (Monty Solomon) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Vonage (Rob Levandowski) Telrad Connegy Prepares To Launch New Line Of VoIP Products (Eworldwire) Cell Phones (USC) Re: Looking For Phone Service Enhanced 411; Other Services (J Kelly) Re: Directory Assistance (411) Savings (A Beilby) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 22:18:00 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Role of Politech in the Apple iTunes Issue via New York Times http://www.politechbot.com/p-05015.html Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 08:20:14 PDT From: Declan McCullagh Subject: Role of Politech in the Apple iTunes Issue via New York Times Previous Politech message: http://www.politechbot.com/p-04993.html http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/28/technology/28APPL.html http://www.iht.com/articles/104391.html Border-Crossing Trouble For Downloaded Tunes By Bob Tedeschi NYT Tuesday, July 29, 2003 Online music-selling services have far fewer restrictions than the industry's early offerings, but they do not necessarily travel well. That became evident last week after an Apple iTunes customer posted a complaint on the Web log of Declan McCullagh, who covers technology for CNet's News.com, and the discussion list of David Farber, a business and technology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The posting, from Shawn Yeager, a technology consultant in Toronto, related his problems gaining access to songs he had downloaded from the iTunes online music store before he moved to Canada from the United States. In an interview, Yeager said that after complaining to Apple, he received automated e-mail responses implying that international licensing rights were to blame for his troubles. An Apple spokeswoman, Lara Vacante, said that Yeager's disappearing music files were not the result of Apple's policies but a systems error, though she and Yeager disagreed about where the error occurred. "Once you download a song, it's yours," Vacante said. But she said a consumer who did not have a credit card with a U.S. billing address could not download iTunes, because Apple has rights to sell the more than 200,000 songs in its database only in the United States. Yeager said that the problem had been resolved to his satisfaction but that "this points to some core problems" with how online companies restrict the use of the music they sell. His posting Friday resulted in much discussion in online news groups and inquiries to other online music services about their international sales policies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 00:40:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Sprint and RealNetworks Bring Comprehensive, Brand-Name Mobile Sprint and RealNetworks Bring Comprehensive, Brand-Name Mobile Streaming Multimedia Service to PCS Vision Customers Nationwide - Aug 11, 2003 12:01 AM (PR Newswire) Customers can watch and hear the latest news, sports and entertainment updates from top brands such as ABC News, CBS MarketWatch, FOX Sports, NPR News, Sporting News Radio and The Weather Channel (R) OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and SEATTLE, August 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint wireless customers are now able to catch brand-name multimedia content delivered by RealOne(TM) on their PCS Vision phones. Customers can now see and hear breaking news, market reports, sports highlights, weather forecasts, and additional entertainment services such as horoscopes and movie reviews of the day anywhere on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network. It's all being made available through an agreement announced today by Sprint (NYSE:FON, PCS) and RealNetworks(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), the global leader in digital media services and software for consumers and businesses. RealOne is the latest step in streaming audio and multimedia services from Sprint, giving PCS Vision customers a fast and comprehensive "third screen" digital media experience, that allows subscribers to watch sports highlights at the airport, get their favorite soap-opera wrap-up on the train ride home, or even listen to the news while in between meetings. This is the next step in wireless audio and multimedia from Sprint and the first step between the two companies to deliver an enhanced video and richer audio experience. RealOne currently provides subscribers with more than four hours of new A/V content each day, offering easy access to content via a '1 or 2 click' experience. For $4.95 per month, consumers with any full-color Java-enabled PCS Vision Phone will be able to purchase the service. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35212899 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 03:01:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 101 Uses for Apple iChat By Leander Kahney Marc Zeedar has found a novel use for Apple Computer's new iChat video-conferencing software -- broadcasting pay-per-view soccer games to his brother across town. Zeedar, a designer, programmer and writer from Santa Cruz, California, discovered he can use his camcorder to connect his TiVo digital video recorder to his Mac. The camcorder has analog video-in jacks, which let it import video from just about any source, including a VCR or a TiVo. It also has a FireWire port, which makes it compatible with iChat AV . When it is hooked to his Mac, Zeedar can use the camcorder as a webcam for video conferencing. But when his TiVo is plugged into the camera, Zeedar can broadcast pay-per-view soccer games to others. http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,59931,00.html ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 15:15:50 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and Robert Bonomi said to him: > It is *GREAT*FUN* trying to order DSL internet connectivity, when you > don't have a land-line voice phone at the location. It took me more > than a month just to get the order *accepted* -- the DSL provider's > computers wouldn't take an order without a phone number, *but* the > TELCO (ILEC) who was supplying the actual copper pair, would not take > the order _with_ a phone number -- since their records showed "no > active number" at that location. This was for SDSL service, so it had > to have it's "own" pair, regardless. The 'problem' had to get > escalated a _long_ ways up the food chain, at *both* the DSL provider > _and_ the TELCO, before it got resolved. The telco installer, > incidentally, said he'd *never* seen an order that listed the premises > phone a "(000) 000-0000" before. You're doing better than me; Verizontal flat refuses to do it in Florida. If you don't have a voice circuit, *from Verzion*, they won't even contemplate taking the order. Commonly, though, that's ADSL -- in this market, SDSL is treated as T-1 service, (and in fact, *carries* most new T-spans) and is granted a circuit ID instead. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Absolutely, Jay ... absolutely. South- western Bell (SBC) is the same way. No landline of theirs, then no DSL. They will not discuss it. The guys at Cable One and Prairie Stream (one of our competing telcos here in Independence) get such a big laugh out of it. One of them said to me once, "why, oh why does SBC keep on insisting on committing corporate suicide by turning away customers? They keep on saying their DSL is such a wonderful thing it has to be dangled like a wonderful prize over the nose of subscribers to get them to accept their so-so phone service." Really makes one wonder about their philosophy of business if in fact they have one or are simply moving along through the inertia from their monopoly position for so many years. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Rob Levandowski Subject: Re: Vonage Organization: MacWhiz Technologies Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 20:37:35 -0400 In article , Pete Romfh wrote: > I've been using it for about 3 months now and have been quite satisfied. > There have been a couple of outages, each relating to a problem here. > Things stop working when spouse trips over LAN cable in closet > and doesn't tell you. Also stops when power to cable modem and router > is interrupted by loose plug at back of UPS. Neither could be blamed > on Vonage service. Good thing it was on your end. I just signed up with Vonage, on one of their small-business plans. In fact, my ATA hasn't arrived yet. However, I'm *this close* to marking it "return to sender" when it does arrive. Supposedly, almost immediately upon signing up (and being billed), you get a phone number that has operational voicemail. In my case, the voicemail seems to go to a totally different company in the area. I tried calling Vonage. After spending over 20 minutes on hold, I abandoned that idea. I tried e-mailing them. Thirty-six -- yes, 36 -- HOURS later I get a response, which consists of a polite "works for me." Guess what? It doesn't work for me, or for other phone lines in my NPA-NXX. I send back a reply e-mail. This one gets answered in about half a day, with a suggestion that I call my RBOC to find out why the calls aren't being routed correctly. That's not acceptable. If I'm paying for business-class service, I certainly expect that they'll do their own detective work when a number they sold isn't routed properly within the local dialing area. Their response, so far: "We'll look into it. See if it works when you get your ATA." I'm damn glad I haven't run any ads with that number yet. I've heard good things about the service when it works. My experience so far is: when it doesn't work, you're in trouble. While their customer support people seem polite, they don't appear to be going too deep in tracking down problems, and the response time is atrocious. If you are going to *depend* on this line for your business, I can't recommend Vonage right now. It might make a good additional line, or a cost-saving measure, but it doesn't seem like they're really trying to win the small-business customer. (After all, their service, *if it came with telco-class customer service*, would be a natural for the sole proprietor starting a business out of the home. And we know how dismal telco-class customer service is nowadays!) Rob Levandowski robl@macwhiz.com Owner, MacWhiz Technologies http://www.macwhiz.com Mac and UNIX Consulting * Web Design * Graphic Arts Local help. World wide answers. (sm) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not remember for sure, but it seems to me the voicemail on my Vonage did not work correctly until a couple minutes after I plugged in my Cisco ATA box and it got registered on their system. Once it got registered then I was able to unplug the ATA or move it around and Vonage would then say 'well we cannot find him anywhere, put the call in voicemail'. I strongly suggest getting the Vonage thing up and running before you condemn it too strongly. They do seem to depend on being able (at first) to see the Cisco box and registering it. If anyone wants to try Vonage with a month of free service, I will send an e-coupon good for the *second month* of service and there is no contract required for most users. Quit after the second month if it does not work right for you. At least check it out; for many people it is a reasonable alternative to most landline service from the local 'genuine' Bell company. Just write to me 'not for pub' and ask for a Vonage e-coupon. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Eworldwire Subject: Telrad Connegy Prepares To Launch New Line Of VoIP Products Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 10:56:30 -0400 Telrad Connegy Prepares To Launch A New Line Of VoIP Products With Latest Round Of Additional Funding FARMINGDALE, N.Y./EWORLDWIRE/Aug. 11, 2003 --- Telrad Connegy (www.telradconnegy.com), developer and suppler of the UNITe Enterprise Telecommunications systems, today announced that it has completed a financing round. The capital raised by the company will be used mainly for sales and marketing activities of it's new IP product line. The new IP product line will be announced in Q4 of this year. The investors in this round include Telrad Networks and venture capital firms: Vertex Venture Capital -- Israel, Giza Venture Capital, Elwin Capital Partners, and the Challenge Fund. Israel Ronn, CEO of Telrad Connegy, said "The Company plans to utilize the funds to launch a new IP product line in order to better serve our network of dealers and together to market this new product line to their end users, worldwide. Telrad Connegy is committed to delivering outstanding value to customers and shareholders, and is extremely pleased to have completed this new investment in the company." Telrad Connegy operates in the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia, and Israel. The company recently announced the successful conclusion of a number of deals, among them, the sale of communications systems to the Russian Space agency. Telrad Connegy is currently putting the final touches to the development of its new IP product line to be announced later this year. About Telrad Connegy Telrad Connegy, a US-based telecommunications corporation, is a strategic provider of enterprise converged telephony and applications platforms in the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia and Israel offering comprehensive communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Telrad Connegy develops and markets advanced Next Generation Enterprise Systems including Voice over IP (VoIP), IT Convergence, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, CTI Applications and Messaging capabilities. Telrad Connegy's product line includes the UNITe system, a family of sophisticated enterprise communications solutions designed to fulfill the telecommunication needs of modern business organizations. To learn more about Telrad Connegy, visit www.telradconnegy.com. About Telrad Networks Telrad Networks is one of Israel's top Hi-Tech firms. Drawing on over 50 years of experience, it is a leading provider of cutting-edge telecommunications solutions compliant with the highest standards in a wide range of areas. Telrad Networks is strategically organized in four main fields of activity: Nortel Telecom Solutions - NTS is Telrad Networks' R&D backbone and as such responsible for development as well as Sales and Support for Nortel Networks. Public Networks Reseller - PNR provides end-to-end solutions for Telcos and service providers. Specializing in Telrad Networks and Nortel Networks technology, its operations include the planning, design and development of switching products, project management and delivery of turnkey telecommunications projects. Advanced Operation Solutions - AOS, a leading provider of Advanced Operations Solutions, creates added value for its customers by providing NPI management, System House Services and complete Supply Chain Excellence. The Telrad Networks Group of Startups - Telrad Networks has spun off existing activities and established the Telrad Networks Group of Startups among them included: BeConnected, Commatch, Telrad Connegy, Firebit. About Vertex Venture Capital - Israel Vertex (www.vertex.co.il) manages $650 million in venture capital in Israel and Europe and is part of the International Vertex Venture Holdings (VVH). VVH, headed by Lee Kheng Nam, manages over $1 billion in venture capital and has offices in the USA, UK, Israel, Denmark, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. Vertex Israel invests in seed and early stage Israeli technology-intensive companies with real market growth potential and promising entrepreneurs. Vertex Israel strategic investors include Singapore Technologies, Israel Discount Capital Markets and Investments, Creative Technology, Nomura International, JAFCO, NTT, Hitachi, Seiko Instruments, Nikko Capital, Murata, SCP Private Equity Partners and Mellon Ventures. Portfolio companies include Telegate Ltd. (acquired by Terayon), Morecom Inc. (acquired by Liberate), Metalink Ltd. (NASDAQ: MTLK), Tradeum Inc. (acquired by VerticalNet), VisionTech Inc. (acquired by Broadcom), Oramir Semiconductor Equipment Ltd (acquired by Applied Materials), SHL TeleMedicine Inc. (SWX: SHLTN), Solidum Systems Corp. (acquired by IDT), Midbar (acquired by Macrovision), PowerDsine Ltd., ImageID Ltd., Actelis Networks Inc., Scopus Network Technologies Ltd., Telrad Connegy Communications Inc., Hyperchip Inc., Cyber-Ark Ltd. HyperRoll Inc and Actimize Ltd. For more information, please visit our website at www.vertex.co.il. About Giza Venture Capital: Giza Venture Capital (www.gizavc.com) was established in 1992 and has three funds totaling $316 million. Giza has invested in 62, early-stage companies in the sectors of Communications, Information Technology and Life Sciences, with 21 exits including: Precise (NASDAQ:PRSE), Oridion (SWX:ORIDN), Butterfly, Libit , Scorpio, M-Systems (NASDAQ:FLSH), Zoran (NASDAQ:ZRAN), DSPC and X Technologies (acquired by Guidant). Giza is distinguished by its professional expertise, extensive management experience and is backed by leading international investors from USA, Europe, Asia and Israel which include: GE Equity, NIB Capital, Deutsche Banc Alex Brown, Credit Suisse Asset Management, Bessemer Trust, GIC, Temasek, Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi. Giza is headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in Tel Aviv, London, New York and Singapore. About Elwin Capital Partners: Elwin Capital Partners (www.elwincapital.com) was established to invest in technology companies with the potential to become world-class organizations. The firm focuses on communications, semiconductor, services and software sectors. Headquartered in London, ECP invests in European-based technology companies as well as in companies seeking to expand their business in the European market. In executing this strategy, ECP’s Partners draw upon their extensive operating and management experience developed by investing over $1.0 billion in Europe since 1995. The Partners have established an exceptional network of relationships that they use to nurture their portfolio companies from start-up to successful exit. About the Challenge Fund: The Challenge Fund is a premier and established venture capital firm focused on equity investments in Israeli and/or Israel-related companies. This fund, which was established in 1995, manages over $200 million in capital and invests in companies operating in rapidly growing markets with unique technologies and superior management teams. The Challenge Fund, whose investors include premier private and institutional American and European entities, works closely with portfolio companies to help build highly successfully organizations. For press information: Janeen Fulton Telrad Connegy Email: Janeen.Fulton@telradconnegy.com Phone: 631-420-8800 HTML: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/wr/081103/1589.htm PDF: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/pdf/081103/1589.pdf ONLINE NEWSROOM: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1610.htm LOGO: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1610.htm CONTACT: Janeen Fulton Telrad Connegy Farmingdale, NY PHONE. 631-420-8800 EMAIL: Janeen.Fulton@telradconnegy.com Copyright 2003 Eworldwire, All rights reserved. ------------------------------ From: USC Reply-To: USC Organization: USC Subject: We Buy Used Cell Phones Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 09:49:05 CDT Turn Used Cell Phones Into Cash We pay up to $25 for each cell phone. Go to www.pacebutler.com to see a complete purchase price list. Or call (800) 248-5360, extension 708. It is easy to turn cell phones into cash. 1. Collect inactive cell phones. 2. Box cell phone handsets and batteries only (no accessories, chargers) 3. Ship the box via US Mail, FedEx, UPS. (or call for a shipping label.) 4. We will sort the different models and send your check within 4 days. For more information, go to www.pacebutler.com. Fast, Fair and Friendly Since 1987 PaceButler Corporation Cell Phone Department Extension 708 (800) 248-5360 (405) 755-3131 (405) 755-1114 Fax 13911 Harvey Avenue Edmond, OK 73013 ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Re: Looking For Phone Service That is Enhanced 411; Other Services Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 19:29:49 -0500 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Reply-To: usenet200308@screaming-remove-electron.net On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 08:16:18 -0700, Fred Sap wrote: > There was one that advertised on TechTV (not pronto) that > offered dinner reservations and other services. > Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe Infone. www.infone.com Used it a couple of times just for directory assistance. Seems okay ... ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Directory Assistance (411) Savings Date: 11 Aug 2003 08:35:40 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ George Jones wrote in message news:: > ...SNIP... > TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations > save over 80% on 411 Directory Assistance calls. I appreciate the entrepreneurship, but I question whether using a reseller of the carrier info as a source would make it any more reliable than a good third party internet site -- they will be buying the same lists. When you can't train your staff to look up for free, or for cell phone users that can be trained to dial an access number this sounds pretty good, but the outgoing call filtering will only work from behind a phone system. I'll wait with baited breath on the much anticipated "Pat and George 411 calling card". ;-) Alex Beilby [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Just a half dozen or so quick comments. (1) I have been curious about your last name since the first time I recall seeing it in the Digest. Are you any relation to Tom or Thomas, about the same age as myself. He grew up in the Chicago/northern Indiana area in the 1950 - 1970's era? (2) I am not sure about the 'much anticipated Pat and George 411 calling card.' It was just an idea I put out to the group; mainly because I do not like the idea of moderators/editors/etc of newsletters on the Net being less than forthright with readers/users in business ventures; i.e. publicizing something as a wonderful product when in fact it is a lousy product I sell but make lots of money on; spamming the readers repeatedly without them knowing what I know, etc. If I start selling this '411 prepaid card' it will be after much testing and a way for readers to use it or not as they wish. Everyone knows for example each Vonage e-coupon under my name that gets redeemed gets me a month of service also. Ditto when Microsoft was hanging around here several years ago keeping me fat and well fed. (3) Regards 411 or Directory databases. There are two types that I know of. (a) 'real time' and (b) 'scanned'. Scanned databases are records compiled from real time records after the fact. These are the look up and 'cross reference look up' services that are all over the net at present such as yahoo.com and switchboard.com and others. Their information can be, and often times is, six or eight months or even a year out of date. A trade off is they use information from wherever they can find it; telephone directories is a common source; so are the (legally) unprotected top half of credit bureau reports, etc. As a result you can sometimes get unlisted/non-pub numbers from the various sources they use. And they just plod along making up new data bases frequently. Most of them are so cheap that their customers (like Yahoo and switchboard.com) pay almost nothing and hand it on to their (retail) customers (like you, me and other netters) for free or nearly so. On the other hand, (a) real time sources are what the telcos supply to the call centers which handle directory inquiries for them. Under FCC regulations installed since the much-touted divesture of AT&T, all telephone companies which out source their DA services (and who doesn't these days) are required to treat all the service bureaus on an 'arms length' or equal basis. Telcos are required to provide DA listings on a daily or twice daily basis to the service bureaus, subject only to administrivia and the pace at which they work. Likewise the bureaus are required under FCC rules to work with each other in the same way. If Tinyburg Independent Telco outsources its DA to Verizon which in turn outsources it to a company in the Phillipine Islands where the labor is cheap and the English accent spoken is neutral enough to not offend the end user who has to be able to understand the 'operator' then they all have to play by the same rules, regarding speed and delivery. So by the time grandma in her home in Tinyburg dials 411 to get the number of her friend down the street (or someone in New York City since, after all, Tinyburg Telco advertised 'use 1-411 for numbers *anywhere*) and Tinyburg Telco translates the 411 into some 800 number which they pass to Verizon and Verizon hands that off to a service bureau in the Phillipines somewhere it has gotten rather expensive. The Filipino 'operators' work cheap, but not for free and they have to be paid, ditto the 'operators' at the service bureau SBC outsources to, and all the service bureaus have to pay the back office people who input the new and revised entries each day and transfer data betweem themselves as per FCC mandate, it gets sort of expensive. It may cost all of three cents per transaction (which you, the user pays for plus 'markup'). By the time the service bureau gets its markup and Verizon takes a cut for itself and Tinyburg Telco gets its share and proper reverance is given to 'what the market can handle', well you, as the end user actually pays anywhere from $1.29 to $2.49 per call for what cost the service bureau three or four cents to produce; a new number for your neighbor down the street in Tinyburg. But, the FCC to the rescue! Your public servants have decided that Tinyburg Telco must honor you if you are visually or print handicapped and supply you numbers for free, and must give you a certain number of DA calls for free each month as a 'courtesy'. Enter George Jones into the picture: He says this huge markup the telcos and their outsourced service bureaus get is ridiculous. He agrees that 'real time' DA is going to cost some money and more than the half-baked almost no-good scanned services (unless you got your phone number several months ago and plan on keeping it forever), but he saw a niche for an inexpensive real time service bureau and started one. He outsources the whole thing to the experts, like all of them. You are not going to find dozens of 'operators' sitting at his office in Chicago typing on terminals. He points out that consumers have the right to choose their DA providers just like they have choices on long distance (and sometimes) local service providers. But just try telling telco where to send your 411 or 555-1212 calls. Telcos route those calls as they please, en-masse, the entire central office and all its traffic. So he has to do what Sprint and MCI (err, maybe a poor example) did in their early pre-1010 or dial one plus days: they had to do their own diversions, so does George. DA ripoffs are one of telco's 'last stands'. I guess they figure damned if they are gonna lose that piece of pie also. (4) (per Bielby) "when you cannot train users to look up numbers or for cell phone users who can be taught to use access numbers ..." Obviously Alex, many folks cannot be trained to look up numbers, since DA is a major telecom expense at many companies. And since large companies usually have phone systems which can be adapted, it is usually easy to intercept 411 or anything-555-1212 to go to an 800 number; it's a pretty good fix. Most telecom managers would do it right away if they were faced with a few thousand DA calls each month that they could get for 30-40 cents each instead of the higher costs. And cell phones have a speed dial feature where you can also program a ten digit access number. Even very small users with prepaid cards will get rates of 50 cents or so per DA call instead of the higher rates they now pay. And George will still make a mint on it, just like the early competitors to Bell with their lower prices. (5) And just as early users of WATS lines were told never use the WATS line to dial an 800 number or DA (when Bell was absorbing DA costs entirely if you remember those days) neither should services like George's be used for toll-free DA. AT&T pays the entire cost of calls to 800-555-1212 (subject to internal chargeback mechanisms between AT&T and the various telcos and their toll free customers), so why should you have to pay for it from your monthly allotment of DA minutes of use? In fact you cannot. Large phone systems which are programmed to 'look for ' 411 and 555-1212 strings specifically ignore 800-555-1212 as a dialing string and send it straight through. That's only five responses to Bielby. I know I promised a half-dozen but I guess I lied. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #606 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 12 14:41:02 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7CIf2m27743; Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:41:02 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:41:02 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308121841.h7CIf2m27743@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #607 TELECOM Digest Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:36:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 607 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Sprint, RealNetworks in Wireless Service Deal (Eric Friedebach) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (6212hgk@newsguy.com) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Clarence Dold) Spammers - Re: We Buy Used Cell Phones (Steven J Sobol) Re: Company's Error Sends Customers to Adult Phone Line ('nuther Bob) Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem ('nuther Bob) Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? (Dan Reagan) Re: Odd CLID Problem (joe@obilivan.net) Re: Odd CLID Problem (Scott Dorsey) Looking for Software (TELECOM Digest Editor) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Steve K) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Sprint, RealNetworks in Wireless Service Deal Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 20:30:28 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach Reuters, 08.11.03, 5:15 PM ET SEATTLE, Aug 11 (Reuters) - In its first major wireless deal, RealNetworks Inc. said on Monday it will offer audio and video of news, weather and entertainment on Sprint cell phones. Shares of RealNetworks rose more than 13 percent Monday after the announcement. For $4.95 per month, customers of Sprint, the No. 4 U.S. wireless carrier, can tap into the content offered by RealNetworks, which makes the software for sending and receiving video and audio over the Web. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/11/rtr1054652.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: 6212hgk@newsguy.com Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 19:04:56 GMT Organization: (reverse to reply) (John Bartley, K7AAY, Portland OR) On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 09:11:59 -0500, Jud Hardcastle wrote: > Some background: My part time home is a houseboat. It has an analog > cell phone with data adapter (dialup access about 7200 max) and, when > in dock, a wired phone line (dialup access about 23000 max -- nobody > gets faster than that -- too much old switching equipment). I would > like to replace both phones with a single wireless solution -- maybe a > Verizon phone or aircard, a GSM phone with GPRS, Richochet if they > ever restart Dallas. > Besides personal Internet stuff, I connect to the office WAN for > network files and Notes by dialing into an ISP and connecting thru to > a company VPN. I also dial into several devices that have modems only > -- no IP connection possible to those -- using either a "dumb" > terminal emulation program or a proprietary access program. > I should be able to access the VPN thru a wireless highspeed data > network BUT the dialup modems are the problem. > Is there any (inexpensive) service similar to the VOIP services that > allows you to connect to them via the Internet and then using a > special dialer to allow legacy software to dial into a standard > landline modem, i.e. software that looks like a modem to the terminal > emulation accepting AT codes etc. None AFAIK. However ... is there anyone with broadband withing LOS when you are docked? If so, consider setting up a directional 802.11g link to them and rent some bandwidth from them. See Robert X. Cringley's columns on PBS.org for details (search on 802.11). If you have $$, you might even consider doing an 802.11g WISP for your marina for the other liveaboards. Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT. ------------------------------ From: dold@ModemXEmul.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 19:38:36 UTC Organization: a2i network Steve Michelson wrote: > Depending on how critical this is for you, and how much money you'd be > willing to spend, perhaps you could set up a landline gateway device > connected to the internet on one side, and a regular phone jack on the I had forgotten about a "modem server" that we used to use. It was accessible from our network ... I wouldn't want to expose one of those to the internet. It came with a driver for making "any" comm program work via the shared modem device on com_x. I think we used a Multitech gadget, and then later an add-on card that went in to a module slot in an HP switch. ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Spammers - Re: We Buy Used Cell Phones Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:10:48 -0500 USC wrote: > Turn Used Cell Phones Into Cash Do not do business with these losers. They spammed me. They obviously spammed Pat Townson, too. Do feel free to report this spam to their ISP. --I get a lot of morons sending me this crap because they assume that, since I post in a bunch of cellular newsgroups and know what I'm talking about, I must work in the industry and therefore be interested in selling or buying cell phones in bulk at wholesale. Free clue to Piss Buthead, and the other idiots sending me junk about buying/selling cell phones (I got two today! One was from them) ... I. Do. Not. Work. In The. Wireless Phone. Industry. I do Not. Want. To hear. About your Offers. There. I said it slowly so the marketing department will be able to understand it. Thanks. Pat, of course it is up to you whether you want to post this reply, and I'll fully understand if you don't, but I'm kinda hoping you do. > (800) 248-5360 > (405) 755-3131 > (405) 755-1114 Fax > 13911 Harvey Avenue > Edmond, OK 73013 JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Perfectly glad to be of help, Steve. The *only reason* the original spam ever saw the light of day here was because they were offering to *buy something* from telecom readers (and the message came only to this newsgroup in the header line instead of dozens) which I thought most telecom readers would have plenty of: used, unwanted cell phones. PAT] ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Company's Error Sends Customers to Mass. Adult Phone Line Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 02:03:00 GMT On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 19:43:27 -0400, Bill Berbenich wrote: > This is just wild speculation, but I wonder if this isn't somehow > related to Verizon's current labor union issues. It sounds just > clever enough to be someone's idea of "getting even." Hey, my union boys don't do no such thing. Now fugetaboudit or I'll send a couple of our representatives over to check your connections, if you get my drift. ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:30:55 GMT On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 21:46:58 -0600, Phil Earnhardt wrote: > As with the earlier article on this topic, nobody asked Kinkos why > they weren't scrubbing their disks between user logins. Does anyone > have an estimate how long it would take to re-load an image? Remember, > Kinkos has a pretty heavy load of licensed software on their machines. I used to reload machines with 1.5g of OS/Applications in about a 5-7 minute time frame, AFAIR. It is somewhat processor/disk speed related. Noting that I know little about the Apple machines at Kinkos, you could script it and/or network broadcast it fairly easily. I think the problem for Kinkos would be that they are (by policy apparently) understaffed. They also always have a waiting line for machines during the normal day. Typically they only have one person who has a clue about their systems (a clue, not lots of clues). At least, that's been the experience when I've been to them :-) Bob ------------------------------ From: googleaccount@vose.org (Dan Reagan) Subject: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? Date: 12 Aug 2003 07:59:45 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I'm looking to find recommendations for an ACD system (probably standalone but I'm fairly open at this point) that will integrate with my existing phone setup. It's in a medium size travel agency. We want to control inbound calling, outbound isn't an issue at this point. We have two sites, the main site has an NEC 2000 IVS2 and most of the external trunking, the second site has an NEC 2000. They're connected via a pt to pt T1 using CCIS. We have a Cisco Unity VM in the main office that serves both offices and some offsite folks. The offsite agents are all served out of the main office (simple setup currently, just supervised call transfers from the Unity box). I'm fairly inexperienced with this (I'm a network administrator when given the option) but I think that what I'm looking to do is on the fairly simple end of the ACD spectrum. I'd like to be able to create several smallish incoming calling groups, each group potentially consisting of members from each main office or at home locations. We'd also probably like to have one group consisting of everybody so that we could overflow to that. Since I have so little experience with this stuff I'd probably be going through a VAR but would like to get some sort of heads up before I start cold calling companies. Thanks very much for any help, Dan ------------------------------ From: joe@obilivan.net Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 11:38:34 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications Kenneth P. Stox wrote: > And now the real answer: > Last I knew, SBC was spiffing with many other providers on what it was > willing to pay for access to there customer name databases. As a result, > calls from many third party providers are coming up without name to SBC > customers. The problem is not with the other providers, but with SBC's > refusal to pay on the same terms as the third parties pay to SBC. This problem will never be resolved because of greed and hositility between carriers. The FCC's 1995 Caller ID decision requires delivery only of CPNI. There is no mention of name delivery, so that falls into the category of a free-for-all. ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem Date: 12 Aug 2003 12:00:06 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Herb Stein wrote: > I'm still puzzled, however, as to why Privacy Manager feels obligated > to grab a call with a valid CLID number but no name. No doubt there is > a clear rationale that just escapes me at the moment. I don't know, but I do occasionally get telemarketing calls from folks with no name, and a seemingly valid CLID number of 000-000-0000. Such calls might be the sort of thing they were thinking of when they configured the system this way. It would strike me that the real solution is to get telemarketers to clean up their act; sending invalid CLID information is not acceptable. Sending none at all is fine, but sending patently invalid information is someone their telco shouldn't accept. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:51:25 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Looking for Software I am wondering if there is any software or hardware which will switch between cameras on any kind of scheduled intervals. I finally got my weather cam(s) up and running, but don't have any sort of automatic switching between them. If you look at http://weatherforecast.n3.net you will see one of two randomly selected camera views of the outside of my house here in Independence, immediatly followed by the current weather conditions. What I am doing at present is using a Windows 95 laptop to FTP the weather conditions and ONE camera view. I am using a Windows 98 laptop to present the other camera view. Both the Windows 95 and the Windows 98 laptops are FTPing their jpg images to the same server and the same file name. The jpg image that happens to be there at the time you call for the URL is the one you get. If you manually refresh the image you may get the other jpg occassionally. If you click your way though the links you will find one link entitled 'view our web cam' and this will take you to a page which is the camera views only, and the javascript forces a reload of the page every three or four seconds which (if only one cam was operating) would give the impression of a live webcast of traffic in front of my house, etc. On that page, however, because there are two web cams both using FTP to 'contend for' the same file name in the same directory, the effect of the javascript is to alternate between front and back images about every three seconds. The trouble is, the transfer of images is not regular at all, and I cannot seem to get them timed properly. One image may come on for six or ten seconds, the other image will flash on only for a half second and disappear. Now and then, neither image will be there for a couple seconds, then the one or the other will show up. Meanwhile, the 95 and 98 machines sit there and click their images through the FTP to the file where they eventually reside for their few seconds of life. I cannot get the page which has the weather.jpg and the (current) camera.jpg to (javascript) update at all; it only works with the viewer/user manually refreshing the page every few seconds. The other page of camera views has the javascript working correctly, but fighting with the two cams that are contending for the same file space. Any suggestions? Patrick Townson ------------------------------ From: stevekl@panix.com (Steve Kl.) Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones Date: 12 Aug 2003 14:03:15 -0400 Organization: PANIX -- Public Access Networks Corp. Ditched my landline two months ago, and that's had zero impact on my life. I wasn't using the phone anyway -- the only use was the TiVo dialing into the mother ship, and once we arranged for the TiVo to get the information through the cable modem rather than the landline, the decision was a no-brainer. -- Steve Kl. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's about how much impact getting Southwestern Bell out of my house has had on me: ZERO. Cable modem keeps me in touch with internet friends, Vonage keeps me in touch with long distance friends on the phone, and Prairie Stream keeps me in touch with locals who want to talk to me. Once Vongage gets local numbers in this part ot the country I will consider dumping Prairie Stream also. Anyone else who wants to test drive Vonage for a month for free, let me know, I will send you an e-coupon which when redeemed gives you a month of service at no charge. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #607 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 12 19:04:17 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7CN4Gj29306; Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:04:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:04:17 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308122304.h7CN4Gj29306@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #608 TELECOM Digest Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:04:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 608 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Blaster Worm Analysis (Monty Solomon) CERT Advisory CA-2003-20 W32/Blaster Worm (Monty Solomon) What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm (Monty Solomon) ID Chips Pressed Into Laundered Clothes (Monty Solomon) Re: Odd CLID Problem (tonypo1@cox.net) Re: Odd CLID Problem (Robert Bonomi) Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? (SayNoTo) Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? (Chip G) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Clarence Dold) Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem (Robert Bonomi) Re: Speaking of Speaking Clocks (Buzzy Morse) Re: Looking for Software (Hudson Leighton) Re: Looking for Software (Robert Bonomi) Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones (Robert Bonomi) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (Robert Bonomi) Location Tracking Service on Cell Phones With GPS (Buzzy Morse) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Blaster Worm Analysis Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:02:01 -0400 Release Date: 8/11/2003 Severity: High Description: The Blaster worm uses a series of components to successfully infect a host. The first component is a publicly available RPC DCOM exploit that binds a system level shell to port 4444. This exploit is used to initiate a command channel between the infecting agent and the vulnerable target. Once the target is successfully compromised, the worm transmits the msblast.exe executable (the main body of the worm) via TFTP to infect the host. The payload used in the public DCOM exploit, as well as the TFTP functionality, are both encapsulated within msblast.exe. http://www.eeye.com/html/Research/Advisories/AL20030811.html ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: CERT Advisory CA-2003-20 W32/Blaster worm Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:05:56 -0400 CERT Advisory CA-2003-20 W32/Blaster worm Original issue date: August 11, 2003 Last revised: August 12, 2003 Source: CERT/CC A complete revision history is at the end of this file. Systems Affected: * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 * Microsoft Windows 2000 * Microsoft Windows XP * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Overview The CERT/CC is receiving reports of widespread activity related to a new piece of malicious code known as W32/Blaster. This worm appears to exploit known vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Interface. I. Description The W32/Blaster worm exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft's DCOM RPC interface as described in VU#568148 and CA-2003-16. Upon successful execution, the worm attempts to retrieve a copy of the file msblast.exe from the compromising host. Once this file is retrieved, the compromised system then runs it and begins scanning for other vulnerable systems to compromise in the same manner. In the course of propagation, a TCP session to port 135 is used to execute the attack. However, access to TCP ports 139 and 445 may also provide attack vectors and should be considered when applying mitigation strategies. Microsoft has published information about this vulnerability in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026. Lab testing has confirmed that the worm includes the ability to launch a TCP SYN flood denial-of-service attack against windowsupdate.com. We are investigating the conditions under which this attack might manifest itself. Unusual or unexpected traffic to windowsupdate.com may indicate an infection on your network, so you may wish to monitor network traffic. Sites that do not use windowsupdate.com to manage patches may wish to block outbound traffic to windowsupdate.com. In practice, this may be difficult to achieve, since windowsupdate.com may not resolve to the same address every time. Correctly blocking traffic to windowsupdate.com will require detailed understanding of your network routing architecture, system management needs, and name resolution environment. You should not block traffic to windowsupdate.com without a thorough understanding of your operational needs. We have been in contact with Microsoft regarding this possibility of this denial-of-service attack. http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2003-20.html ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty solomon Subject: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:28:16 -0400 http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp Symantec W32.Blaster.Worm Alert and Removal Tool http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.html Scans - MS03-026 RPC Vulnerability Scanner http://www.iss.net/support/product_utilities/ms03-026rpc.php ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: ID Chips Pressed Into Laundered Clothes Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:31:25 -0400 Matthew Broersma ZDNet UK The controversial RFID tag technology is being taken to the dry cleaners Chipmaker Texas Instruments on Monday announced a wireless identity chip aimed at clothing going through the dry cleaning process, creating a new market for a technology that is expected to revolutionise the way products -- and people -- are tracked and identified. The Laundry Transponder, from TI Radio Frequency Identification Systems, is a thin 13.56MHz radio frequency identification (RFID) chip with a circumference of 22mm that can be attached or sewn into fabric. Its plastic casing is capable of withstanding industrial cleaning processes, making it practical for dry cleaners to track items through to customer delivery. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/chips/0,39020354,39115640,00.htm ------------------------------ From: tonypo1@cox.net Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem Organization: The Ace Tomatoe and Cement Company Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:24:35 -0400 In article , kludge@panix.com says: > Herb Stein wrote: >> I'm still puzzled, however, as to why Privacy Manager feels obligated >> to grab a call with a valid CLID number but no name. No doubt there is >> a clear rationale that just escapes me at the moment. > I don't know, but I do occasionally get telemarketing calls from folks > with no name, and a seemingly valid CLID number of 000-000-0000. Such > calls might be the sort of thing they were thinking of when they > configured the system this way. > It would strike me that the real solution is to get telemarketers to > clean up their act; sending invalid CLID information is not > acceptable. Sending none at all is fine, but sending patently invalid > information is someone their telco shouldn't accept. Speaking of this whole thing about database dips for name entries and such, I get lots of calls from friends and relatives that carry the number and the calling state. Interestingly it seems that all calls from Sprint originated numbers only send state name, while my dad's AllTel cell phone in FL sends his full name. Matter of fact, now that I think about it any call that isn't Verizon comes through with state only or a wireless provider name. So name delivery is essentially useless. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:59:52 GMT In article , Scott Dorsey wrote: > Herb Stein wrote: >> I'm still puzzled, however, as to why Privacy Manager feels obligated >> to grab a call with a valid CLID number but no name. No doubt there is >> a clear rationale that just escapes me at the moment. > I don't know, but I do occasionally get telemarketing calls from folks > with no name, and a seemingly valid CLID number of 000-000-0000. Such > calls might be the sort of thing they were thinking of when they > configured the system this way. > It would strike me that the real solution is to get telemarketers to > clean up their act; sending invalid CLID information is not > acceptable. Sending none at all is fine, but sending patently invalid > information is someone their telco shouldn't accept. As of Oct. 1, telemarketers *must* send their own _VALID_ number. Part of the rules-changes that go into effect with the do-not-call list. ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:29:35 GMT Doesn't the NEC come with ACD built in? Dan Reagan wrote in message news:telecom22.607.7@telecom-digest.org: > I'm looking to find recommendations for an ACD system (probably > standalone but I'm fairly open at this point) that will integrate with > my existing phone setup. > It's in a medium size travel agency. We want to control inbound > calling, outbound isn't an issue at this point. We have two sites, the > main site has an NEC 2000 IVS2 and most of the external trunking, the > second site has an NEC 2000. They're connected via a pt to pt T1 using > CCIS. We have a Cisco Unity VM in the main office that serves both > offices and some offsite folks. The offsite agents are all served out > of the main office (simple setup currently, just supervised call > transfers from the Unity box). > I'm fairly inexperienced with this (I'm a network administrator when > given the option) but I think that what I'm looking to do is on the > fairly simple end of the ACD spectrum. I'd like to be able to create > several smallish incoming calling groups, each group potentially > consisting of members from each main office or at home locations. We'd > also probably like to have one group consisting of everybody so that > we could overflow to that. Since I have so little experience with this > stuff I'd probably be going through a VAR but would like to get some > sort of heads up before I start cold calling companies. > Thanks very much for any help, > Dan ------------------------------ From: Chip G Subject: Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:08:14 GMT Depending on what you are trying to do and how much support you want from a vendor or systems integrator, I would suggest two widely divergent paths: 1. Take a look at Asterisk PBX (Open Source for Linux). This is the very-low-cost ... do-it-yourself solution. I am pretty sure it can do what you seek but will require a little techie insight to get it going. I have played around with it myself but have not actually deployed it for business use. http://www.asteriskpbx.com. Basically you just need a pretty basic computer (by today's standards). You download Linux (I used Red Hat 8 when I tried it out) and the Asterisk PBX. Then you are all set from an IP PBX standpoint. The way you describe your business, you are going to need some gateway capability between the TDM telephone world and the IP world. On the asterisk website, you will find a number of vendor options for circuit boards that you will place inside the computer running the Asterisk PBX to provide that functionality. Unless you have in-house resources and want to tinker, I would suggest that you lean toward option 2 for business use at this point. Although, if you (and the business) are willing to tinker a bit, I think Asterisk can give you a good low-cost solution that provides much more value than the low end systems that a lot of smaller integrators will try to sell you. 2. For a well supported proven ACD solution, take a look at Avaya. They have systems that can work with your existing system if you want to keep the mixed environment. They also have systems that would provide all the functionality of your other systems plus a world-class ACD all in one system. The way you describe the business, you might want to take a look at the Avaya Communication Manager Software with ACD running on an S8300 server acting as a stand-alone ACD that could integrate with your existing system. http://www.avaya.com. According to Gartner, Forrester, and Meta, they are a leader and true visionary for the contact center space. Regards, Chip Dan Reagan wrote in message news:telecom22.607.7@telecom-digest.org: > I'm looking to find recommendations for an ACD system (probably > standalone but I'm fairly open at this point) that will integrate with > my existing phone setup. > It's in a medium size travel agency. We want to control inbound > calling, outbound isn't an issue at this point. We have two sites, the > main site has an NEC 2000 IVS2 and most of the external trunking, the > second site has an NEC 2000. They're connected via a pt to pt T1 using > CCIS. We have a Cisco Unity VM in the main office that serves both > offices and some offsite folks. The offsite agents are all served out > of the main office (simple setup currently, just supervised call > transfers from the Unity box). > I'm fairly inexperienced with this (I'm a network administrator when > given the option) but I think that what I'm looking to do is on the > fairly simple end of the ACD spectrum. I'd like to be able to create > several smallish incoming calling groups, each group potentially > consisting of members from each main office or at home locations. We'd > also probably like to have one group consisting of everybody so that > we could overflow to that. Since I have so little experience with this > stuff I'd probably be going through a VAR but would like to get some > sort of heads up before I start cold calling companies. > Thanks very much for any help, > Dan ------------------------------ From: dold@ModemXEmul.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:21:50 +0000 (UTC) Organization: a2i network The map of hotspots in Marina Del Rey, just for example: http://www.catalina42.org/war-sail/ 6212hgk@newsguy.com wrote: > If so, consider setting up a directional 802.11g link to them and rent > some bandwidth from them. See Robert X. Cringley's columns on PBS.org > for details (search on 802.11). Cringely has been roundly criticized for falsifications and generalizations in the article. When challenged, he indicates that those are insignificant points. The article does make interesting reading, and suggests the possibilities. http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20010628.html A couple of others have done the actual work and documented it well, from a technical perspective. http://www.nodomainname.co.uk/Equation/equation_broadband.htm Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:07:56 GMT In article , Phil Earnhardt wrote: > As with the earlier article on this topic, nobody asked Kinkos why > they weren't scrubbing their disks between user logins. Does anyone > have an estimate how long it would take to re-load an image? Remember, > Kinkos has a pretty heavy load of licensed software on their machines. Rough approximations are not hard to do. The 'occupied' space on a 'clean', but loaded, machine is going to be in the range of a few gigabytes, to a few tens of gigabytes. Sustained disk-to-disk transfer rates are roughly 10 megabytes per second. So, you're looking at 'complete reload' times of a few hundred seconds to maybe a couple of thousand seconds. A few minutes, to more than a half-hour. With careful software installation, *and* good hardware, one can reduce the time considerably -- It is often possible to put a _lot_ of the application stuff on a secondary drive, one that is *read*only*, at the _hardware_ level. Oddly enough, -that- content does not need to be re-imaged. Windows _does_ insist on having *bunches* of stuff in writable directories and/or writable media, because it wants 'everything in the same place', so one really has to _work_ at this kind of a set-up. Really working at it, and using hibernate/resume type tricks, I expect one could get a 'wipeout/restart' down to _well_under_ 2 minutes. ------------------------------ From: buzzymorse@yahoo.com (Buzzy Morse) Subject: Re: Speaking of Speaking Clocks Date: 12 Aug 2003 14:09:03 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have a Nextel/Motorola i58 with GPS. I just signed up to a location service on addressbook.com which offers a free service that lets me see the current address / location of my phone on a MapQuest map. It works great, was easy to setup and is easy to use by going to www.addressbook.com. You can even press a button on the phone and in less than 5 seconds it shows you the current address of everyone in your group (your teenagers, co-workers, etc.) It's secure and if people do not want to have their location displayed they can turn the location tracking off and still use their phone. Buzz. ap@shore.net (Alan Phillips) wrote in message news:: > I believe that the phones display an icon if your GPD data is being > transmitted. There is a tracking/mapping service available at > www.ulocate.com. > Jay R. Ashworth wrote in message > news:: >> Stanley settled back into the couch, and Charles Hoch >> said to him: >>> Now, totally unrelated to this, many new phones have GPS logic in >>> them. This is in response to the mandate from the FCC for E911 >>> service; that is, being able to locate a phone making a 911 call, >>> within some prescribed precision, and using GPS is one solution. This >>> is not standalone GPS: most of the work of the GPS protocol is done at >>> the cell site, and the phone is asked to take some readings from >>> specific GPS satellites and send the info to the cellsite, which >>> computes the phone's location, and sends it on the the 911 >>> center. Since much of the work of the GPS protocol is done in the cell >>> site, location can be accomplished with much weaker signals from the >>> satellites than required by a standalone unit. This includes indoors, >>> basements, street level between skyscrapers (but not in subways). See >>> www.snaptrack.com for details. >> Which explains why, given a "GPS receiver" and Java in many new >> phones, we *still* aren't seeing a location display on the phone -- >> the *phone* doesn't know where it is. >> Anyone got anything on whether the phones squawk when they're pinged >> for location? >> Stanley settled back into the couch, and Michael D Sullivan >> said to him: >>> Moreover, the special Verizon network providing service in the >>> Washington Metro was, last I checked, analog-only. (It may have been >>> upgraded recently, though.) A Verizon dual- or tri-mode phone will >>> continue showing the time while in an analog area, based on updating >>> the time from when it was last in a CDMA area. >> And indeed, the clock on my PrimeCo 1900 stayed running when I went >> out of range, up near Lecanto. >> Cheers, >> Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com >> Member of the Technical Staff Baylink >> The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think >> Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 >> God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Is it possible these things work like >> (for example) La Crosse Technology wristwatches and certain other >> products set by radio time signals? When it is possible for the >> device to recieve a good, strong radio time signal it does so, but >> when the signal is absent (due to interference, etc) then the device >> has a highly accurate crystal controlled mechanism inside it which >> takes over until the time/place the radio signal can be captured once >> again? PAT] ------------------------------ From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Looking for Software Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:59:31 -0500 Organization: MRRP In article , TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > I am wondering if there is any software or hardware which will switch > between cameras on any kind of scheduled intervals. I finally got my > weather cam(s) up and running, but don't have any sort of automatic > switching between them. Why not just have two pictures on the webpage? The images are a little fuzzy and would look better a little smaller. P.S. I think the lawn needs mowing :-) -Hudson http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You are right, the lawn does need mowing. We had no rain for about three weeks and the lawn got totally scorched. Then last Friday night and again Sunday afternoon we had literally buckets of rain. Ergo, the temperature which had been in the lower one hundreds range for about two weeks with the sun baking everything in sight dropped into the middle eighties yesterday. Last week the the temperature was always in the middle to upper nineties as I got up each morning; seldom less than 100 to 105 degrees during mid-day (Thursday it reached 109) and 80-90 during overnight hours. Then the rain came last weekend. Sunday it stayed very humid, but yesterday was mild and pleasant in the eighties. So the grass turned green once again and sprouted everywhere. Today is Tuesday; the heat is starting to creep back up again; 94 degrees at 5:30 pm. Everyone stayed in their houses in air conditioning all day. Even the cows tried to stay cool; I walked out south of town last Wednesday afternoon; at a private pond along a county road I saw a dozen cows all standing out in the water with only their heads and part of their bodies above the water, repeatedly swishing their tails to keep flies and other insects away. Two of the local high school age guys came by just now offering to work on my grass, and wanted to get it cut before the heat goes back up as it will surely do by this time tomorrow. And I used to think Chicago got very *hot* in the summer ... PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Looking for Software Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:18:02 GMT In article , TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > I am wondering if there is any software or hardware which will switch > between cameras on any kind of scheduled intervals. I finally got my > weather cam(s) up and running, but don't have any sort of automatic > switching between them. > If you look at http://weatherforecast.n3.net you will see one of two > randomly selected camera views of the outside of my house here in > Independence, immediatly followed by the current weather conditions. > What I am doing at present is using a Windows 95 laptop to FTP the > weather conditions and ONE camera view. I am using a Windows 98 > laptop to present the other camera view. Both the Windows 95 and the > Windows 98 laptops are FTPing their jpg images to the same server > and the same file name. The jpg image that happens to be there at > the time you call for the URL is the one you get. If you manually > refresh the image you may get the other jpg occassionally. > If you click your way though the links you will find one link entitled > 'view our web cam' and this will take you to a page which is the > camera views only, and the javascript forces a reload of the page > every three or four seconds which (if only one cam was operating) > would give the impression of a live webcast of traffic in front > of my house, etc. On that page, however, because there are two > web cams both using FTP to 'contend for' the same file name in > the same directory, the effect of the javascript is to alternate > between front and back images about every three seconds. The trouble > is, the transfer of images is not regular at all, and I cannot seem > to get them timed properly. One image may come on for six or ten > seconds, the other image will flash on only for a half second and > disappear. Now and then, neither image will be there for a couple > seconds, then the one or the other will show up. Meanwhile, the > 95 and 98 machines sit there and click their images through the FTP > to the file where they eventually reside for their few seconds of > life. > I cannot get the page which has the weather.jpg and the (current) > camera.jpg to (javascript) update at all; it only works with the > viewer/user manually refreshing the page every few seconds. The > other page of camera views has the javascript working correctly, > but fighting with the two cams that are contending for the same > file space. Any suggestions? Wrong approach. *ALL* wrong. *DON'T* have the two cameras contend for the same file-space. have each one upload to a _separate_ file. Ideally, you upload to a temp file, and then have a 'rename' process (either on the machine doing the upload, or on the server) that moves the _complete_ uploaded file to the 'visible' location. have *two* html pages, one for each camera, that simply have the 'image' invocation. Each page has a "refresh" meta-tag, pointing to the other page", with a reasonable delay. Use 'frames' on the main page, specifying one of the cam pages (obviously it doesn't *really* matter which :) as the content for that frame. Voila! regular, timed, automatic alternation. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Millions Getting Rid of Landline Phones From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:54:06 GMT In article , Jay R. Ashworth wrote: > Stanley settled back into the couch, and Robert Bonomi > said to him: >> It is *GREAT*FUN* trying to order DSL internet connectivity, when you >> don't have a land-line voice phone at the location. It took me more >> than a month just to get the order *accepted* -- the DSL provider's >> computers wouldn't take an order without a phone number, *but* the >> TELCO (ILEC) who was supplying the actual copper pair, would not take >> the order _with_ a phone number -- since their records showed "no >> active number" at that location. This was for SDSL service, so it had >> to have it's "own" pair, regardless. The 'problem' had to get >> escalated a _long_ ways up the food chain, at *both* the DSL provider >> _and_ the TELCO, before it got resolved. The telco installer, >> incidentally, said he'd *never* seen an order that listed the premises >> phone a "(000) 000-0000" before. > You're doing better than me; Verizontal flat refuses to do it in > Florida. If you don't have a voice circuit, *from Verzion*, they > won't even contemplate taking the order. It _may_ have helped, that I happened to know the "chief network architect' of the DSL back-end provider. *AND* was working with an ISP that was willing to let me talk _directly_ to the back-end provider, and fight my own battle -- they recognized I knew "at least enough" engineering to discuss things directly with the back-end. I did _not_ actually contact the chief architect when I was having the install problems, but I _did_ drop his name "once or twice". As in "do I need to call so-and-so, to get this straightened out, or can _you_ handle it?" *EVIL*grin* > Commonly, though, that's ADSL -- in this market, SDSL is treated as > T-1 service, (and in fact, *carries* most new T-spans) and is granted > a circuit ID instead. ADSL is a different animal. These days it is almost always 'piggy-backed' on an *operating* voice-line. "Shared ADSL". Doing it that way means that there is _no_need_ for an 'installer' to come out. The circuit is *known* to be good end-to-end. and the customer can do a 'self-install' of the premises equipment. SDSL sits _in_ the voice bandwidth, so it _has_ to run on a dedicated pair. My escapade was back *BEFORE* 'shared DSL service' was allowed by the regulators. Cuz the telco's hadn't figured out "how" to handle connecting a shared circuit to a third-party co-located DSLAM. Therefore, *everything* was run on dedicated pairs; the DSL back-end provider simply 'rented' the pair from the ILEC, and had it cross-connected to their DSLAM. and _THEY_, the DSL provider did _all_ the customer premises work -- including the cross-connect at the DMARC. The 'order process' need for a phone number at the customer location was *entirely* for a double-check to make sure that they ran to the 'proper' customer premises. This wasn't just telco being difficult for the sake of being difficult. There *was* a real issue, that could rear up and bite you. Particularly in the case of _large_ multi-unit buildings, there was a possibility that different parts of the building were served by different 'feeder' cables from the C.O., going to _different_ distribution points within the building. If you were in a unit that was serviced by 'distribution point "A"', and using _just_the_address_, they brought the DSL circuit into 'distribution point "C"', on the other side of the building, and _without_ connectivity between the two points ... well the rest of -that- scenario is obvious :) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:38:08 GMT In article , Steven J Sobol wrote: > SayNoToCrossposters wrote: >> I have seen it as well ... at least one post like this every other >> week. I would beg to differ with them claiming you have all the >> "features" or a proprietary PBX ... which I really really find hard to >> believe noticing what feature there are listed on their web page. > Yeah, I agree with this ... there are probably some features that > haven't been implemented yet. The software isn't even at version 1.0 > yet. > It's quite functional already, though. *AND* it's got something that I havn't seen on _any_ PBX. the ability for the _user_ to enhance/extend the system in =whatever= way they want to. If there's a missing 'critical feature', you can just _add_ it. *Your* priorities govern, You are NOT dependant on the scheduling whims of the manufacturer. This is a _big_ plus, in specialized uses. It definitely doesn't compete with the "big" switches, like a hign-end Definity, or a big Nortel 'Option {whatever}'. But for needs that are in the Nortel "MICS" class, and below, it merits a serious look. ------------------------------ From: buzzymorse@yahoo.com (Buzzy Morse) Subject: Location Tracking Service on Cell Phones With GPS Date: 12 Aug 2003 14:23:11 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I finally found a good use for the GPS in my cell phone! I purchased a Nextel/Motorola i58 handset that has GPS, but was not sure which service to use to track my location. I finally found a great service at www.addressbook.com - and best of all it's free! I just signed up to the location service on addressbook.com and can now see my current address / location of my phone on a MapQuest map. It works great, was easy to setup and is easy to use by going to www.addressbook.com. You can even press a button on the phone and in less than 5 seconds it shows you the current address of everyone in your group (your teenagers, co-workers, etc.) It's secure and if people do not want to have their location displayed they can turn the location tracking off and still use their phone. Buzz. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #608 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 13 13:26:26 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7DHQQR04301; Wed, 13 Aug 2003 13:26:26 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 13:26:26 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308131726.h7DHQQR04301@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #609 TELECOM Digest Wed, 13 Aug 2003 13:26:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 609 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter DCOM Worm Analysis Report: W32.Blaster.Worm (Monty Solomon) An Instant Messager You Can See and Hear (Monty Solomon) Innocent Acquitted Man Says Virus Put Porn on Computer (Monty Solomon) Gillette Boycott (Monty Solomon) Degrees of Separation Are Likely More Than 6 (Monty Solomon) Verizon Wireless Customers Share One Million Picture Msgs (M Solomon) Wi-Fi Hotspots: Avoiding a Dotcom Redux (Monty Solomon) The Friend of my Friendster is my Enemy (Monty Solomon) Payphone Chat (Dave) Re: RIM Loses Patent-Infringement Ruling (Doug Warner) Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm (Garrett Wollman) Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone Reliability (Scott Perry) Re: Looking for Software (Colin Sutton) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (SayNoToCrossposters) Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines (Eric Friedebach) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: DCOM Worm Analysis Report: W32.Blaster.Worm Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 12:15:28 -0400 http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/332625 Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 15:36:24 -0600 (MDT) From: Dave Ahmad Subject: DCOM worm analysis report: W32.Blaster.Worm A Bugtraq user has already pointed out that a worm has been discovered in the wild that exploits the Microsoft Windows DCOM RPC Interface Buffer Overrun Vulnerability (Bugtraq ID 8205) to infect host systems. Symantec has been tracking its activity and is currently conducting analysis/full disassembly of the malicious code, which has been named "Blaster". The results of our analysis are being made available to the public at the following location: https://tms.symantec.com/members/AnalystReports/030811-Alert-DCOMworm.pdf It is expected that this report will be updated frequently as more information is discovered. Readers are advised to download/refresh it throughout the day to ensure that any new information is not missed. David Mirza Ahmad Symantec PGP: 0x26005712 8D 9A B1 33 82 3D B3 D0 40 EB AB F0 1E 67 C6 1A 26 00 57 12 The battle for the past is for the future. We must be the winners of the memory war. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 02:12:35 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: An Instant Messager You Can See and Hear By W ALTER S. M OSSBERG Instant messaging is the most popular form of real-time communication since the telephone, embraced by everyone from teens to tycoons. But, in the 21st century, it seems a little passe to be chatting up people over the Internet by typing as fast as you can in a little window festooned with smiley faces. So, for years, people have been trying to add audio and video to instant messaging. In fact, today you can hook up a cheap camera and microphone to your PC and conduct a video or audio chat using several services or software packages, including Microsoft's MSN online service. But none of these attempts has caught on big with the general public so far. For one thing, the Web cameras and microphones were mostly mediocre, and raised all the usual hassles involved in adding new hardware to a Windows computer -- getting the right software "drivers," for instance. Also, even over broadband, the pictures tended to be tiny and grainy, and the audio scratchy. Now, Apple Computer, the king of high-tech style, is trying its hand at solving the problem. Apple recently released a video and audio version of the iChat instant-messaging software that comes with every Macintosh computer and links into America Online's vast IM network. And, to make it all work, the company introduced a gorgeous $149 digital Web camera, named iSight. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20030813.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 01:14:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Innocent Acquitted Man Says Virus Put Pornography on Computer By JOH SCHWARTZ One evening late in 2001, Julian Green's 7-year-old daughter came upstairs from the computer room of their home in the resort town of Torquay, in western England, and said, "The home page has changed, and it's something not very nice." When Mr. Green checked the machine, he found that the family PC seemed almost possessed. The Internet home page had somehow been switched so that the computer displayed a child pornography site when the browser software started up. Even if he turned the machine off, it would turn itself back on and dial the Internet on its own. Mr. Green called the computer maker and followed instructions to return his PC to a G-rated state. The pornography went away, but the computer still often crashed and kept connecting to the Internet even when "there was no one in the blinking house," he said. But Mr. Green's problems were only beginning. Last October, local police knocked on his door, searched his home and seized his computer. They found no sign of pornography in his home but discovered 172 images of child pornography on the computer's hard drive. They arrested Mr. Green. This month, Mr. Green was acquitted in Exeter Crown Court after arguing that the material had been gathered without his knowledge by a rogue program created by hackers -- a so-called Trojan horse -- that had infected his PC, probably during innocent Internet surfing. Mr. Green, 45, is one of the first people to use this defense successfully. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/technology/11PORN.html [Lisa Minter note: When reading articles in NY Times, you are invited to use the telecom group login 'telecomdigest' and the group password also 'telecomdigest'. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 01:24:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Gillette Boycott CASPIAN LAUNCHES WORLDWIDE GILLETTE BOYCOTT Gillette faces consequences for spying on consumers CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) is calling for a worldwide boycott of Gillette products since the company failed to renounce a Gillette Mach3 "smart shelf" spy system. http://www.boycottgillette.com/pressrelease8-11.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 01:28:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Degrees of Separation Are Likely More Than 6 Degrees of Separation Are Likely More Than 6, Especially in E-Mail Age By KENNETH CHANG Socially, it may be a small world, but it's hard to get from here to there. In the current issue of the journal Science, researchers at Columbia University report the first large-scale experiment that supports the notion of "six degrees of separation," that a short chain of acquaintances can be found between almost any two people in the world. But the same study finds that trying to contact a distant stranger via acquaintances is likely to fail. The "six degrees of separation" notion came from an experiment in 1967 by Dr. Stanley Milgram, a social psychologist, where a few hundred people tried to forward a letter to a particular person in Boston by sending it through people they knew personally. About a third of the letters reached their destination, after an average of six mailings. Dr. Milgram's experiment inspired a notion that the billions of people in the world, widely separated by geography and culture, actually form a close-knit network of social acquaintances, that you are a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of anyone anywhere. Until now, few scientists have tried to confirm Dr. Milgram's findings, which some scientists find unconvincing because of the small number of participants and other shortcomings of the experiment. The advent of the Internet enabled the researchers to more carefully explore the problem, which is part mathematical -- the structure of the network -- and part psychological -- what motivates people to participate or not, and how do people decide whom to send the message to? The answers are of interest both to computer scientists studying the ebb and flow of information on the Internet and sociologists studying the spread of gossip and cultural trends. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/science/12MAIL.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 01:56:55 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Wireless Customers Share One Million Picture Messages Verizon Wireless Customers Share One Million Picture Messages in First Month BEDMINSTER, N.J., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless provider and operator of the nation's largest and most reliable wireless network, announced today its customers shared more than one million picture messages in less than 30 days since the service launch on July 8, 2003. Verizon Wireless credits the success of picture messaging to the intuitive and easy to follow format -- customers can take and send photos in just a few easy steps -- and its award-winning nationwide wireless network. Picture messaging from Verizon Wireless lets customers simply snap a picture with their camera phone, enter a Verizon Wireless phone number or any e-mail address, type a TXT message, add a sound and hit send to send a picture message to another Verizon Wireless customer, any e-mail address or an online photo album. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35233680 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 00:54:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wi-Fi Hotspots: Avoiding a Dotcom Redux By Scott Smith, managing partner, Cumulus Research Partners Guest commentary: Amidst increasing concern that the Wi-Fi bubble is going to pop the way the the dotcom one did, Scott Smith finds reckless deployment and suggests some key metrics to track. http://wireless.ziffdavis.com/article2/0,,1212918,00.aspSearch ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:57:28 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Friend of my Friendster is My Enemy THE EXAMINED LIFE By Joshua Glenn, Globe Staff, 8/10/2003 WHEN A TEST VERSION of the social-networking website Friendster, which bills itself as 'the new way to meet people,' was launched in March, it was an immediate hit. So far, over 1.3 million souls have already made it their procrastination tool of choice. But not everybody, it seems, is crazy about it. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/08/10/the_friend_of_my_friendster_is_my_enemy ------------------------------ From: Dave Subject: Payphone Chat Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 00:58:24 UTC Organization: BT Openworld Reply-To: Dave Hi, payphone people just thought I'd mention that my payphone group will be holding a group chat on Sunday the 7th of September 2003 (this'll be a regular thing every three months if all goes well). It'll start at around 13:00hrs GMT at the groups website (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/payphone_net/). You'll need a Yahoo id and'll have to become a member by sending a blank email to "payphone_net-subscribe@yahoogroups.com" or by visiting the groups site (link above). It'll be a global chat with people from all parts of the globe taking part and I should also have a few BT contacts of mine with us as well! We can talk about all things payphone, exchange our favourite payphone numbers, talk about the best conversations you've had with a person at a payphone etc ... Anyway, hope to see you guys (and gals) there. Dave, from the payphone_net. ------------------------------ From: Doug Warner Subject: Re: RIM Loses Patent-Infringement Ruling Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:09:34 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Monty Solomon wrote: > By Richard Shim > Staff Writer, CNET News.com > A judge has ruled in favor of holding company NTP in its patent- > infringement case against BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, > awarding monetary damages and fees. Question: I've never heard of anything manufactured by this company called NTP. Do they actually anything based on their patents or are they just in the "patent extortion" business? To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are vermin. Please kill them. ------------------------------ From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 02:02:53 UTC Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science What should you know about the Blaster worm? 1) Don't run Windows. 2) If you must run Windows, use Windows Update every single day on every machine you have. 3) If you can't run Windows Update, see #1. -GAWollman -- Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@lcs.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those of| search for greater freedom. MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. ___ (2003) ------------------------------ From: scottperry@miraclevision.com (Scott Perry) Subject: Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone Reliability? Date: 12 Aug 2003 22:08:12 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ For whatever it may be worth, to whomever it may concern, here is what happened as a result of my followup with that problem: On 7/19/03 I sent this note to J2: I have been a satisfied customer with the J2 fax system for some time. Unfortunately, two days after I began considering setting up a business system that would heavily rely on the reliability of J2's Email-by-phone system, your Email-by-phone system seems to have crashed at about 6PM (PDT) with the incoming 800 line going busy. Now at 9PM (PDT) it is still down. I called technical support at about 7PM and the technician didn't seem to know very much about the reliability of your Email-by-phone system over time. I also noticed that even though the system has been down for three hours, your 'System-Status' screen makes no reference to this. I have three simple questions, and I hope you might be able to give me simple and informative answers. They are: 1. When do you expect to get the system back up? 2. What has the average amount of down-time/ week for this system been over the last year or so? 3. Is there any coincidence that the system went down after business hours, being a scheduled down time, or was this just lucky? In my upcoming business arrangements and decisions, I will be basing my decision regarding how heavily I can rely upon your Email-by-phone system, upon your answers to these three questions. Accordingly, your candid answers will be very much appreciated. Even if you might have to let me know that your Email-by-phone system might not be 100% reliable yet, I still plan to continue using your Premier fax service. I look forward to hearing back from you, and I thank you for your excellent fax service. Sincerely, Scott Perry ----------------------------------- On 7/22/03 I got this initial reply: Thank you for your email on 7/18/03. We've tested the Email-by-Phone access number and it is working normally. We have not received any other reports of an outage with the number. Please try accessing the Email-by-Phone number again. If you continue to have problems, please let us know. Thank you for contacting j2 Global Communications. For any future correspondence regarding this issue, please reference this case ID in your message: 2819826. Sincerely, +Keri S. j2 Customer Service 1-323-817-3218 ----------------------------------------------- I was a bit pissed that I had gone to all of the trouble to write such a detailed letter to them, only to get this off-the-cuff insinuation that I was a noodge, so I sent this back to them in reply on the same day: Dear Keri, Thank you for your reply to my recent concern about J2. After reading your reply, I was quite surprised by your apparently not being aware of the national phone outage of the J2 Email-by-phone system from approximately: July 19, 2003 6PM PDT thru July 20, 2003 7AM PDT . The fact that it was indeed a national outage was confirmed last Friday night by a Technical Support Rep at J2 when he himself attempted to dial the number and got a busy signal. If you wanted to cross reference that call, assuming you keep records of all tech support calls, I am sure you could find this. I made the call at about 6:30 PM July 19, 2003. I am relatively certain that this was not just a nationwide outage, but a worldwide outage too as I have a friend in the UK who is a J2 customer who also reported to me experiencing exactly the same problem with the J2 Email-by-phone system during exactly the same time period. If you want, I would be happy to provide you with his subscription number. The fact that so far neither yourself nor the tech support rep have seemed to know anything about how to suitably discuss the outage with the public, is cause for concern to me. If you did indeed wish to continue to try to address my questions in a forthright and professional manner, please at least let me know that this outage is a problem that J2 is aware of at some level, and is trying to improve upon it. Otherwise I'm afraid you would be leaving me in a bit of a quandary, leaving me to have to make the unavoidable conclusions about your Email-by-phone service that I will have to make. On a brighter note, your fax service does seem to be somewhat more reliable. Thank you for your attention to this matter so far. Sincerely, Scott Perry ------------------------------------------------ Finally after getting this 'venting' from myself, I think I finally received a somewhat reasonable reply on 7/25/03: Dear Scott, We are aware of the situation & the engineers are trying to resolve the issue. If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us. For any future correspondence regarding this issue, please reference this case ID in your message: 2819826. Sincerely, +Ana P. eFax.com Customer Service --------------------------------------------------- It did amaze me at how they preferred to deny their mistake until I sort of had to press them back into a corner, but I was glad to see that at least someone over there is aware of what is really going on with this part of their service. Sincerely, Scott Perry ------------------------------ From: Colin Sutton Subject: Re: Looking for Software Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 22:04:38 +1000 Don't switch the cameras! Just send each image to a different jpg file, then script which jpg file you will show. That way you can also switch the title. Regards, Colin ----- Original Message ----- From: "TELECOM Digest Editor" Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Sent: Wednesday, 13 August 2003 3:51 Subject: Looking for Software > I am wondering if there is any software or hardware which will switch > between cameras on any kind of scheduled intervals. I finally got my > weather cam(s) up and running, but don't have any sort of automatic > switching between them. > If you look at http://weatherforecast.n3.net you will see one of two > randomly selected camera views of the outside of my house here in > Independence, immediatly followed by the current weather conditions. > What I am doing at present is using a Windows 95 laptop to FTP the > weather conditions and ONE camera view. I am using a Windows 98 > laptop to present the other camera view. Both the Windows 95 and the > Windows 98 laptops are FTPing their jpg images to the same server > and the same file name. The jpg image that happens to be there at > the time you call for the URL is the one you get. If you manually > refresh the image you may get the other jpg occassionally. > If you click your way though the links you will find one link entitled > 'view our web cam' and this will take you to a page which is the > camera views only, and the javascript forces a reload of the page > every three or four seconds which (if only one cam was operating) > would give the impression of a live webcast of traffic in front > of my house, etc. On that page, however, because there are two > web cams both using FTP to 'contend for' the same file name in > the same directory, the effect of the javascript is to alternate > between front and back images about every three seconds. The trouble > is, the transfer of images is not regular at all, and I cannot seem > to get them timed properly. One image may come on for six or ten > seconds, the other image will flash on only for a half second and > disappear. Now and then, neither image will be there for a couple > seconds, then the one or the other will show up. Meanwhile, the > 95 and 98 machines sit there and click their images through the FTP > to the file where they eventually reside for their few seconds of > life. ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Organization: Comcast Online Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 12:17:44 GMT Robert Bonomi wrote in message news:telecom22.608.15@telecom-digest.org: > In article , Steven J Sobol > wrote: >> SayNoToCrossposters wrote: >>> I have seen it as well ... at least one post like this every other >>> week. I would beg to differ with them claiming you have all the >>> "features" or a proprietary PBX ... which I really really find hard to >>> believe noticing what feature there are listed on their web page. >> Yeah, I agree with this ... there are probably some features that >> haven't been implemented yet. The software isn't even at version 1.0 >> yet. >> It's quite functional already, though. > *AND* it's got something that I havn't seen on _any_ PBX. the ability > for the _user_ to enhance/extend the system in =whatever= way they > want to. > If there's a missing 'critical feature', you can just _add_ it. > *Your* priorities govern, You are NOT dependant on the > scheduling whims of the manufacturer. This is a _big_ plus, in > specialized uses. > It definitely doesn't compete with the "big" switches, like a hign-end > Definity, or a big Nortel 'Option {whatever}'. But for needs that are > in the Nortel "MICS" class, and below, it merits a serious look. Why? Why would a customer want to sit down and piss around with this rather than just have a simple MICS? Time is money. I have no problem with the asterisk ... seems like a really cool endeavor, but if I had my computer staff stuck messing with this thing for even a day ... it's a waste of time and money. BTW their are other switches out there beside's Nortel and Avaya that IMHO are far superior and offer pretty much everything you would want. Sorry, to look at this through the eyes of a business. ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 11:05:16 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach WorldCom workers knew of "pseudo" phone numbers-WSJ Reuters, 08.13.03, 3:20 AM ET NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) - E-mails given to regulators by Verizon Communications indicate some employees at competitor WorldCom knew WorldCom's call data had been altered, creating "pseudo" phone numbers that may have helped the company save money, The Wall Street Journal said on Wednesday. Verizon's filing, which the report said was given to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, is the latest in a barrage of moves by rivals such as Verizon and AT&T to derail WorldCom's plan to exit bankruptcy in October. The phone companies claim WorldCom routinely avoided paying access fees to local firms with the help of third parties, by routing calls through Canada, or stripping off routing data to make long-distance calls look local. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/13/rtr1056150.html WorldCom taps former AT&T exec as president, COO Reuters, 08.13.03, 1:54 AM ET By Jessica Hall PHILADELPHIA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - WorldCom Inc said on Wednesday it plans to name Rick Roscitt, a former long-term executive of rival AT&T Corp, as its president and chief operating officer to oversee the day-to-day operations of the bankrupt telephone and data services company. Roscitt, who spent 28 years at AT&T and currently serves as chairman and chief executive officer of communications equipment maker ADC Telecommunications Inc , will assume his new job on September 1, WorldCom said. A formal announcement is expected later on Wednesday. ADC declined to comment. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/13/rtr1056072.html Verizon union to log users willing to switch-NYT Reuters, 08.13.03, 5:26 AM ET NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Labor union officials looking to strengthen their bargaining stance against Verizon Communications plan to collect names of people who would be willing to switch to competitor AT&T's phone service, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The A.F.L.-C.I.O., the union planning the effort, will not yet urge Verizon customers to actually switch phone companies, union officials told the newspaper. But it plans to ask about 3.5 million people from families in five Eastern U.S. states to log their names, addresses and phone numbers on a Web site that says they would consider switching, the report said. Joe Euhlein, director of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s Center for Strategic Campaigns, told the newspaper that the move will create "an electronic picket line". http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/13/rtr1056198.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #609 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 14 12:55:49 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7EGtnL09947; Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:55:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:55:49 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308141655.h7EGtnL09947@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #610 TELECOM Digest Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:56:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 610 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter 3Com and Apple Core Hotels Offer Guests Free 5-Star Wireless (M Solomon) EchoStar Reports Second-Quarter 2003 Financial Results (Monty Solomon) 11th Circuit Court Grants Stay to EchoStar (Monty Solomon) GILC Alert v7i5 (Monty Solomon) Verizon Wireless to Launch Walkie-Talkie Service (Monty Solomon) CERT Advisory CA-2003-21 GNU Project FTP Server Compromise (M Solomon) Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? (Dan Reagan) Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm (Clarence Dold) Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm (John David Galt) Re: Do Domain Names Matter? (Dave Mausner) Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone? (Phil McKerracher) Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone? (Kyler Laird) Voicemail Rant (Audix) (Lincoln J. King-Cliby) Long Distance or International? (Rob) Re: Looking for Software (NOSPAM) Re: Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines ('nuther Bob) How To Disable Caller ID? (keseko) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (Kyler Laird) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:02:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 3Com and Apple Core Hotels Offer Guests Free Five-Star Wireless 3Com and Apple Core Hotels Offer Guests Free Five-Star Wireless Access in Five Manhattan Properties MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2003-- High-Speed Internet Service in Guest Rooms and Hotel Facilities Extends Moderately-Priced Hotels' Advantage Over Pricier Competitors The hospitality industry in New York City may be struggling, but Apple Core Hotels enjoyed 92 percent occupancy last year, thanks to sophisticated services like business centers, voice mail and video-on-demand at significantly lower rates -- as little as $89 -- than most of their midtown Manhattan competitors. To extend its reputation for value in the ultra-competitive business travel marketplace, Apple Core Hotels is now providing high-speed Internet service using a secure, cost-effective wireless solution from 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS). Road warriors now have corporate-class connectivity that's easy to use, ubiquitous and absolutely free -- without the sticker shock of luxury hotels. Apple Core Hotels chose the 3Com(R) solution to avoid the costly, disruptive process of dragging new cables and installing Ethernet wall jacks in every guest room. The hotel chain instead implemented 3Com Access Point 8000 wireless LAN access points in hallways throughout its five hotels, including the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, the Comfort Inn Midtown, the Super 8 Hotel Times Square, the Ramada Inn East Side and the La Quinta Manhattan. It also deployed 3Com 2.5 dBi Ceiling Mount Omnidirectional Antennae in wiring closets at the end of every hallway to create seamless Wi-Fi coverage in every building. Today, when guests launch their browsers on their wireless laptops, they can instantly be online, from bedside to lobby. 3Com Wireless LAN Workgroup Bridges in guest rooms provide plug-and-play Ethernet ports for users without wireless capabilities. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35254396 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EchoStar Reports Second-Quarter 2003 Financial Results EchoStar Reports Second-Quarter 2003 Financial Results; EchoStar's DISH Network Adds 270,000 Net New Subscribers - Aug 13, 2003 06:00 AM (BusinessWire) LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2003--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) today reported that its DISH Network(TM) satellite television service added approximately 270,000 net new subscribers during the second quarter of 2003. DISH Network had approximately 8.8 million subscribers as of June 30, 2003. For the quarter ended June 30, 2003, EchoStar reported total revenue of $1.41 billion, a 21 percent increase compared to $1.17 billion for the corresponding period in 2002. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35250969 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 11th Circuit Court Grants Stay to EchoStar LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2003--In a major victory for satellite TV subscribers, EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) reported today that the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta granted EchoStar's motion to stay a District Court's injunction, pending appeal. The court decision impacts a long-running case regarding the limits broadcasters can place on the right of consumers to receive CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC network channels by satellite from markets other than the city in which the consumer lives. http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=dish&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=440860 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 17:05:20 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: GILC Alert v7i5 GILC Alert Volume 7, Issue 5 31 July 2003 Welcome to the Global Internet Liberty Campaign Newsletter. Welcome to GILC Alert, the newsletter of the Global Internet Liberty Campaign. We are an international organization of groups working for cyber-liberties, who are determined to preserve civil liberties and human rights on the Internet. We hope you find this newsletter interesting, and we very much hope that you will avail yourselves of the action items in future issues. If you are a part of an organization that would be interested in joining GILC, please contact us at . If you are aware of threats to cyber-liberties that we may not know about, please contact the GILC members in your country, or contact GILC as a whole. Please feel free to redistribute this newsletter to appropriate forums. =============================================== Free expression [1] Thailand imposes online curfew [2] Local Chinese authorities curb mobile text messaging [3] Egyptian Internet dissident remains in detention [4] Pakistan pushes Net content restrictions [5] WSIS Draft Declaration prompts further concern [6] ACCOPS bill would impose jail time on Net file-traders [7] Court revises ruling in Ditto.com visual search engine case [8] Hollywood goes after Spanish Net music-sharers [9] Hamidi wins ex-employee email protest case [10] New Saudi cybercafe restrictions [11] Burmese Net plagued by access problems, other restrictions [12] Net freedom agency plan moves forward [13] Pacific island to have first nationwide wireless Internet system Privacy [14] Hollywood begins Net user data subpoena blitz [15] TIA surveillance project faces possible funds freeze [16] New U.S. spyware user consent bill [17] Critical Windows security holes found [18] Privacy concerns dog E-911 mobile phone trackers [19] Web firms choosing profit over privacy [20] Computer keyloggers expose personal information [21] GIA site lets citizens monitor Big Brother [22] Japanese Big Brother Awards ceremony held [23] Swiss privacy chief criticizes US counterterrorism efforts http://www.gilc.org/alert/alert75.html ------------------------------ Subject: Verizon Wireless to Launch Walkie-Talkie Service Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 07:18:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon By Jessica Hall PHILADELPHIA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless telephone company, said on Thursday it will launch a new walkie-talkie phone service, taking aim at a market niche dominated by Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL). The so-called "push to talk" service will allow wireless subscribers to connect with colleagues or friends across the country with just the push of a button, instead of dialing a number and waiting for the call to go through. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and Britain's Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD), said it will offer the nationwide service starting on Monday. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35268359 ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: CERT Advisory CA-2003-21 GNU Project FTP Server Compromise Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 10:57:05 -0400 Original issue date: August 13, 2003 Last revised: -- Source: CERT/CC A complete revision history is at the end of this file. Overview The CERT/CC has received a report that the system housing the primary FTP servers for the GNU software project was compromised. I. Description The GNU Project, principally sponsored by the Free Software Foundation (FSF), produces a variety of freely available software. The CERT/CC has learned that the system housing the primary FTP servers for the GNU software project, gnuftp.gnu.org, was root compromised by an intruder. The more common host names of ftp.gnu.org and alpha.gnu.org are aliases for the same compromised system. The compromise is reported to have occurred in March of 2003. The FSF has released an announcement describing the incident. Because this system serves as a centralized archive of popular software, the insertion of malicious code into the distributed software is a serious threat. As the above announcement indicates, however, no source code distributions are believed to have been maliciously modified at this time. http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2003-21.html ------------------------------ From: googleaccount@vose.org (Dan Reagan) Subject: Re: Recommend ACD System to Integrate With Existing Setup? Date: 14 Aug 2003 05:48:51 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ SayNoToCrossposters wrote: > Doesn't the NEC come with ACD built in? According to my current VAR/service company (who we're not particularly happy with at this point) it has something called UCD. This allows groups to be created but there is no possibility to have an extension in more than one group and IIRC there is a very low limit on the number of groups. Management of them is through the MatWorx software (Ugh! is all that I can say for that thing) and there is no reporting available. Their 'call pickup groups' (not sure if that's a common term but that's what my VAR calls it when extensions are in a group and have an access code or programmed button that allows them to answer another ringing extension within the group) have similar limits and that has been frustrating for us. Chip G wrote: > Depending on what you are trying to do and how much support you want > from a vendor or systems integrator, I would suggest two widely > divergent paths: My life seems to be a series of forks in the road ... > 1. Take a look at Asterisk PBX (Open Source for Linux). This is the > very-low-cost ... do-it-yourself solution. I am pretty sure it can do > what you seek but will require a little techie insight to get it > going. I have played around with it myself but have not actually > deployed it for business use. http://www.asteriskpbx.com. Basically > you just need a pretty basic computer (by today's standards). You > download Linux (I used Red Hat 8 when I tried it out) and the Asterisk > PBX. Then you are all set from an IP PBX standpoint. The way you > describe your business, you are going to need some gateway capability > between the TDM telephone world and the IP world. On the asterisk > website, you will find a number of vendor options for circuit boards > that you will place inside the computer running the Asterisk PBX to > provide that functionality. Unless you have in-house resources and > want to tinker, I would suggest that you lean toward option 2 for > business use at this point. Although, if you (and the business) are > willing to tinker a bit, I think Asterisk can give you a good low-cost > solution that provides much more value than the low end systems that a > lot of smaller integrators will try to sell you. I would flipping well love to do that but, at this point, I don't think that anybody would give me the go ahead. I'm going to take a closer look at that one though as it seems quite nice for the future or as an experiment if we open another office. > 2. For a well supported proven ACD solution, take a look at > Avaya. They have systems that can work with your existing system if > you want to keep the mixed environment. They also have systems that > would provide all the functionality of your other systems plus a > world-class ACD all in one system. The way you describe the business, > you might want to take a look at the Avaya Communication Manager > Software with ACD running on an S8300 server acting as a stand-alone > ACD that could integrate with your existing system. > http://www.avaya.com. According to Gartner, Forrester, and Meta, they > are a leader and true visionary for the contact center space. Okay, that sounds like a good one to check. Do you happen to know of any resellers in the Eastern MA area? I'll drop Avaya a note to see if they can point me to any. The owner of the agency, after getting chatted up by some folks at Artisoft had me meet with a vendor that deals with them. Seemed like a nice system but that guy was only quoting a complete replacement system (everything including the kitchen sink) and he was floating in the $100k range. With some of what he was talking about and given how much this business depends on our phones I wasn't completely against it but the owner of the agency has seen a fair pile of money go toward our current VAR and she's *extremely* unhappy with the results so far which makes her not want to replace the current system. As an aside, any idea what a couple of NEC PBXes with a batch of cards, bunch of phones and a Unity VM would go for on the used market? Given some sort of ability to recoup even a small amount of our initial outlay I'd be willing to dump this thing like a hot potato. Thanks for your thoughts, Dan ------------------------------ From: dold@WhatXYouXS.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 21:03:03 UTC Organization: a2i network Garrett Wollman wrote: > What should you know about the Blaster worm? > 1) Don't run Windows. Darn, can't avoid that here. > 2) If you must run Windows, use Windows Update every single day on > every machine you have. Maybe. They certainly seem to have something new and critical to share at least once a week ... they make it easy to do, and it is free, unlike some other OSs. > 3) If you can't run Windows Update, see #1. I wouldn't be quite that cynical. I applied the fix on Aug 1. It was in the news. Any time warnings come out, it might be a good idea to have a check of the update site. The updates are sometimes large and annoying on a dialup, but when there are specific warnings, prudence dictates some extra effort. Of course, not all the Cisco routers at all locations were updated for the IOS bug last month, only those exposed to the internet. Somehow that wasn't enough, and they were attacked either simultaneously, coincidentally, or just couldn't hadnle the load of the MSBlast traffic. Patches aren't limited to MS... just that they have ___so___ many of them. Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 ------------------------------ From: John David Galt Subject: Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 14:26:46 -0700 Organization: Diogenes the Cynic Hot-Tubbing Society Garrett Wollman wrote: > What should you know about the Blaster worm? > 1) Don't run Windows. > 2) If you must run Windows, use Windows Update every single day on > every machine you have. > 3) If you can't run Windows Update, see #1. My advice would be a little different: 1) If possible, run an operating system that you know how to secure. Yes, Windows right-out-of-the-box is wide open to hackers, but so are Linux, Unix, and even VMS r-o-o-t-b. 2) If you don't know how to secure any system and you don't know someone who can do it for you, avoid the most common systems (Windows and Unix). Most of the current crop of viruses are written to infect those systems. 3) The next best thing is to refrain from updating your machine (except the antivirus software) if there's no need. For instance, my Windows 98 box is immune to the Blaster, so why should I upgrade it? 4) Be wary of any web site, including Microsoft's own, that claims to offer the cure. Some of their "patches" have contained viruses in the past. Right now, there is a distributed attack going on against the WindowsUpdate.com site, so it wouldn't surprise me if the hackers manage to upload malicious software there, where it will await anyone who follows his advice to go there often. Microsoft's site has been the target of numerous successful attacks in the past. ------------------------------ Reply-To: Dave Mausner From: Dave Mausner Subject: Re: Do Domain Names Matter? Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 20:40:56 GMT Good article. Odd isn't it that for 100 years private users accepted telephony by number, not by name. The solution was to put numbers into phone books and then cell/pda directories. Look up a number by any name you like. Now observe that the difference between a NANP and an IPv4 is at most only 2 digits. so, the logical prognosis of this article is that we will get back to just IP numbers, stored in our own little directory devices. and then there will be no need for centralized DNS at all, just like telco-land. And that will solve some problems. Dave Mausner / v.+1-708-848-2775 / f.+1-708-848-2569 / c.+1-312-wake-my-i Monty Solomon wrote in message news:telecom22.604.13@telecom-digest.org: > Do Domain Names Matter? - Part I > By: Francis Hwang > This is the first part of a 2-part series article arguing that the > decentralization of the Internet will allow the DNS to recede to its > earlier, uncontroversial role, before all the lawsuits and screaming > matches at ICANN board meetings. > http://www.circleid.com/article/211_0_1_0/ ------------------------------ From: Phil McKerracher Subject: Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone Reliability? Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 21:29:10 GMT Organization: blueyonder (post doesn't reflect views of blueyonder) Scott Perry wrote in message news:telecom22.609.12@telecom-digest.org: > .... On a brighter > note, your fax service does seem to be somewhat more reliable... No, it's not. :-( Have you tried sending yourself a fax recently? I can't get it to work from any number. It's often busy and when it's not it keeps requested pages to be resent. Also it won't let me login to check that the e-mail address is set correctly. I've had no response to the enquiry e-mail I sent about this. It's been effectively unavailable here in the UK for days now. If anyone has successfully used fax-to-email in the UK recently I would be interested to hear from them. If only there was some competition! No other providers do 0870 numbers that I am aware of, and none of the other numbers on offer (0845, 0871, 07xx) work from overseas. Phil McKerracher www.mckerracher.org ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Anybody Know About J2.com's Email-by-Phone Reliability? From: Kyler Laird Organization: Insight Broadband Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 00:19:05 GMT I've been a J2 customer, and a JFAX customer long before. I've recommended J2 for several projects so there are several J2 accounts that I touch. > I have been a satisfied customer with the J2 fax system for some time. > Unfortunately, two days after I began considering setting up a > business system that would heavily rely on the reliability of J2's > Email-by-phone system, your Email-by-phone system seems to have > crashed at about 6PM (PDT) with the incoming 800 line going busy. Now > at 9PM (PDT) it is still down. Yes, it's had problems several times over the past year or so. I get the feeling that they're constantly banging on the software. Every so often the content-type for voice messages will change from audio/x-gsm to something terribly generic (like "application/binary"). I tried to pursue this with their technical support and only reached clueless people. I keep thinking there must be a more reliable system around but I haven't located it yet. --kyler ------------------------------ From: chsvideo@hotmail.com (Lincoln J. King-Cliby) Subject: Voicemail Rant (Audix) Date: 14 Aug 2003 00:45:57 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ <--This is a bit of a rant, if you have an idea what the answer(s) are, please, please clue me in, otherwise, please feel free to excuse any hostitility/sarcasam--> Will someone please tell me why more and more calls that are bounced to voicemail have "Your call is being answered by Audix!" prepended to the outgoing message? I enjoy telecom, but do I need to be told the name of the manufacturer of the VM system EVERY SINGLE TIME I LEAVE A VOICE MAIL? And do the non-telecom-types out there have any clue who or what an "Audix" is? This makes about as much sense as if a coworker picked up a line and announced "Your call is being answered by Bob! I'm sorry Joe is out of the office right now, can I please take a message?" Who got that brilliant, time wasting, idea? Does it add any value to the end user? (I don't think so) Does it convey critical information? (Nope) Does it convey any information at all? (I seriously doubt it.) Am I the only one who feels this way? (maybe) Does this make me want to avoid purchasing anything from Audix? (Absolutely -- I wouldn't want to annoy callers like this). Out of curiosity, Is there some way to turn this 'feature' off? Thanks for listening, Lincoln (Who had 12 calls to ten vendors reps answered by Audix today ...) ------------------------------ From: rob51166@yahoo.com (Rob) Subject: Long Distance or International? Date: 14 Aug 2003 03:21:15 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ When dialling from the US to Canada, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Antigua and all other countries on NANP, are the calls regarded as long-distance or international? The reason I ask is that to phone, for example, from the USA to Jamaica you wold dial the number in exactly the same way as if you were calling DC from NYC ~ i.e. 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. TIA! Rob ------------------------------ From: NOSPAM Subject: Re: Looking for Software Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 13:46:27 GMT call for free service just1place@just1place.com Toll Free: (800)738-2395 Fax: (800)952-5869 TELECOM Digest Editor wrote in message news:telecom22.607.10@telecom-digest.org: > I am wondering if there is any software or hardware which will switch > between cameras on any kind of scheduled intervals. I finally got my > weather cam(s) up and running, but don't have any sort of automatic > switching between them. > If you look at http://weatherforecast.n3.net you will see one of two > randomly selected camera views of the outside of my house here in > Independence, immediatly followed by the current weather conditions. > What I am doing at present is using a Windows 95 laptop to FTP the > weather conditions and ONE camera view. I am using a Windows 98 > laptop to present the other camera view. Both the Windows 95 and the > Windows 98 laptops are FTPing their jpg images to the same server > and the same file name. The jpg image that happens to be there at > the time you call for the URL is the one you get. If you manually > refresh the image you may get the other jpg occassionally. > If you click your way though the links you will find one link entitled > 'view our web cam' and this will take you to a page which is the > camera views only, and the javascript forces a reload of the page > every three or four seconds which (if only one cam was operating) > would give the impression of a live webcast of traffic in front > of my house, etc. On that page, however, because there are two > web cams both using FTP to 'contend for' the same file name in > the same directory, the effect of the javascript is to alternate > between front and back images about every three seconds. The trouble > is, the transfer of images is not regular at all, and I cannot seem > to get them timed properly. One image may come on for six or ten > seconds, the other image will flash on only for a half second and > disappear. Now and then, neither image will be there for a couple > seconds, then the one or the other will show up. Meanwhile, the > 95 and 98 machines sit there and click their images through the FTP > to the file where they eventually reside for their few seconds of > life. > I cannot get the page which has the weather.jpg and the (current) > camera.jpg to (javascript) update at all; it only works with the > viewer/user manually refreshing the page every few seconds. The > other page of camera views has the javascript working correctly, > but fighting with the two cams that are contending for the same > file space. Any suggestions? > Patrick Townson ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Wednesday Morning Telecom Headlines Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 15:20:59 GMT On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 11:05:16 -0500, Eric Friedebach wrote: > The A.F.L.-C.I.O., the union planning the effort, will not yet urge > Verizon customers to actually switch phone companies, union officials > told the newspaper. But it plans to ask about 3.5 million people from > families in five Eastern U.S. states to log their names, addresses and > phone numbers on a Web site that says they would consider switching, > the report said. > Joe Euhlein, director of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s Center for Strategic > Campaigns, told the newspaper that the move will create "an electronic > picket line". Sure, I'll do that. Right after they cut me in for a chunk of the union pension fund. Bob ------------------------------ From: keseko2000@yahoo.com (keseko) Subject: How To Disable Caller ID? Date: 14 Aug 2003 08:24:52 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hello, I know how to disable call waiting with *70. If am not mistaken, I've read somewhere in the past that there is a star-xx to disable caller ID. In other words, you dial *xx prior to dialing the number, and your number is blocked as "anonymous" or whatever. Does anyone know what the star-number is to disable caller ID? By the way, is it free to use or will I get charged per use? Thank you. [Lisa Minter note: The code to use is *67 to disable presentation of caller ID on a one-time basis. Dial *67, wait for the confirmation tone (sometimes a ding-ding tone; sometimes a 'clunk') then proceed to dial the number. To deny your number and disable call waiting, you would dial *67*70+number. Make sure it goes in that order since some versions require the *67 to come first. Both *67 and *70 are one-time only features. They will not 'hold over' to later calls, and drop off as soon as you disconnect. Patrick tells me the FCC requires *67 to be given at no charge. If your phone is hardwired (through the phone office) to deny caller-ID (sometimes police have that feature for example) then usually *67 will reverse the act (or sometimes *87 instead) and provide caller ID on a one-time only basis. Bear in mind that people who have 'blocked ID call blocking' or privacy manager on their phone lines will not recieve those calls in most cases, if you deliberatly do *67 when calling their numbers. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX From: Kyler Laird Organization: Insight Broadband Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 00:19:04 GMT SayNoToCrossposters writes: >> *AND* it's got something that I havn't seen on _any_ PBX. the ability >> for the _user_ to enhance/extend the system in =whatever= way they >> want to. > Why? Why would a customer want to sit down and piss around with this > rather than just have a simple MICS? Time is money. In that case, the Really Cool Feature is that with Asterisk, you can hire _someone_else_ to enhance/extend the system. Unlike proprietary systems, the "someone else" can be anyone you want (not just the vendor). It's the difference between renting and owning your software. > Sorry, to look at this through the eyes of a business. Why are you sorry? I think it's a good thing to view it from a business perspective. I'd expect a business to be very wary of handing over control of key infrastructure to other businesses. --kyler ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #610 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Aug 16 01:32:33 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7G5WWF17415; Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:32:33 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:32:33 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308160532.h7G5WWF17415@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #611 TELECOM Digest Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:32:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 611 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Flaw Seen in Patch by Microsoft (Monty Solomon) Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter (Monty Solomon) Akamai Tracks Worldwide Spread of Blaster Worm on Internet (M Solomon) McDonald's, IBM and Palm Serve up Great High Tech Prizes (Monty Solomon) Who's Watching the Class? Webcams in Schools are Privacy Issue (Solomon) TiVo Second Quarter FY 2004 Conference Call and Webcast (Monty Solomon) CFP: RFID Privacy and Security Workshop @ MIT (Monty Solomon) Jostling for the Wi-Fi Lead in a Crowded Field (Monty Solomon) The Bandwagon to Fight Spam Hits a Bump (Monty Solomon) ESCON Clock ppm Stability (Palani) Verizon Wireless to Launch Walkie-talkie Service (Eric Friedebach) WorldCom Plan May Have Avoided State Taxes (Eric Friedebach) Re: Odd CLID Problem (Herb Stein) Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol (Michael) Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Jay R. Ashworth) Power to the Internet (Nick Ruark) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (Robert Bonomi) Re: Voicemail Rant (Audix) (Paul A Lee) Last Laugh! A Test Number For Use at Payphones Nationwide! (Justin Time) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Flaw Seen in Patch by Microsoft Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 16:00:00 -0400 Copyright 2003 CBS MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO -- A program Microsoft instructed customers to use to fix a hole in its Windows software, which is vulnerable to attack by the Blaster/Lovsan worm that infected computers this week, may itself be flawed. A glitch in the Microsoft Windows Update patch-management system used to download Windows software fixes has tricked some customers into thinking their systems were patched to prevent Lovesan, when they really were not, said Russ Cooper, moderator of a mailing list with 30,000 subscribers that tracks Microsoft's software weaknesses. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2049216 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:21:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter The Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter lets you bring the digital music and pictures stored on your computer to your Home Entertainment Center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the Media Adapter displays your digital photographs on the TV for the whole family to enjoy. And your digital music collection is finally freed from those little computer speakers and can play in full glory through your stereo system. http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=38&prid=554 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:40:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Akamai Tracks Worldwide Spread of Blaster Worm on the Internet CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 2003-- Rate of new Blaster worm infections is not decreasing despite worldwide computer security alerts; 45% of infected machines are now in North America Akamai Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKAM), a provider of services that enable the world's leading enterprises and government agencies to extend and control their e-business infrastructure, is tracking the global propagation of the Blaster worm, which began infecting computers on August 11. The virus is designed to spread first to unprotected computers. Beginning Saturday at 12 AM local time, infected computers will launch a targeted denial of service attack against a Microsoft Web property. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35291310 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:42:49 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: McDonald's, IBM and Palm Serve up Great High Tech Prizes McDonald's, IBM and Palm Serve up Great High Tech Prizes for Wi-Fi Sweepstakes; Wi-Fi Users Can Win IBM ThinkPad Notebook Computer or Palm Handheld - Aug 15, 2003 10:00 AM (BusinessWire) SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 2003--McDonald's today announced a sweepstakes in conjunction with the launch of their Wi-Fi test with Wayport in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each month, over the next five months, Wi-Fi users will have the chance to win an IBM ThinkPad notebook or a Palm(TM) Tungsten(TM) C handheld, simply by using McDonald's wireless high-speed Internet access at participating restaurants. Wi-Fi users at McDonald's can enter by logging on and filling out the multiple-choice survey at any Bay Area McDonald's Wi-Fi location. Upon completing the survey, participants will automatically be entered into a sweepstakes to win one of the two prizes. Each month from August through December 2003, Bay Area McDonald's will give away one IBM ThinkPad R40 Notebook computer and one Palm Tungsten C handheld. Customers can identify participating restaurants by signage that displays the Golden Arches in the universal Internet @ symbol or by logging onto www.mcdwireless.com. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35290173 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 21:14:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Who's Watching the Class? Webcams in Schools Raise Privacy Issue Who's watching the class? Webcams in schools raise privacy issue By Greg Toppo USA TODAY When students in Biloxi, Miss., show up this morning for the first day of the new school year, a virtual army of digital cameras will be recording every minute of every lesson in every classroom. Hundreds of Internet-wired video cameras will keep rolling all year long, in the hope that they'll deter crime and general misbehavior among the district's 6,300 students -- and teachers. http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030811/5396054s.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 09:22:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: TiVo Second Quarter FY 2004 Conference Call and Webcast TiVo Inc. Invites You to Join Its Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2004 Conference Call and Webcast - Aug 13, 2003 08:32 PM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35266862 ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: CFP: RFID Privacy and Security Workshop @ MIT Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 20:05:19 -0400 From: Simson L. Garfinkel Subject: CFP: RFID Privacy and Security Workshop @ MIT RFID PRIVACY AND SECURITY -- WORKSHOP @ MIT -- CALL FOR PARTICIPATION Saturday, 15 Nov 2003, 10am - 4pm, Bartos Theater, MIT Media Lab, 20 Ames St. Radio Frequency Identification technology is fast becoming a lightning rod for consumer privacy activists. Is RFID destined to become the enabling technology for massive state-sponsored surveillance, Big Brother's "call-home" chip? Or is RFID really nothing more than a supply-chain management technology, its dangers being over-hyped by alarmists who fundamentally misunderstand the technology? One thing is sure: in the absence of strong data, decisions are being made and the public is either being poorly informed or intentionally misled. Last year Benetton pulled back from a previously-announced RFID trial after a consumer group announced a global boycott of the clothing manufacturer. Can pressure from consumer groups effectively prevent the introduction of RFID technology, or were other matters at work behind the scenes? The goal of the RFID Privacy Workshop is to bring together RFID technologists, boosters, critics, privacy activists and journalists covering the space to establish some technical truths and a creating a framework for understanding the growing body of RFID policy issues. To register online and/or submit a paper by 15 Sep 2003, see http://www.rfidprivacy.org/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:42:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Jostling for the Wi-Fi Lead in a Crowded Field By GLENN FLEISHMAN Is there any advantage in having been ahead of the crowd now that just about every telecommunications company is rushing into the Wi-Fi wireless world? Wayport, a pioneer in installing high-speed Internet access in hotels and airports, is about to find out. Wayport, based in Austin, Tex., is a name known to thousands of laptop-toting business travelers. It started providing wireless Internet connections in 2000 with the popular Wi-Fi networking standard in airports including Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, and San Jose, Calif. Even earlier, Wayport had placed wired broadband connections in hotels around the country, which it now often complements with Wi-Fi in common areas. Not surprisingly, given the potential for this market, many well-financed rivals are threatening Wayport's turf, but Wayport has not shied away from the battle. It has aggressively resold its service to cellular carriers and corporate access providers to encourage regular subscribers. "We believe our business model depends on us opening up our footprint," the company's chief executive, Dave Vucina, said. Wayport is increasingly relying on Wi-Fi hot spots, which are public access wireless transmitters that carry data at high speed over ranges of 30 to 300 feet. Strung together, a set of transmitters can offer coverage to a location like an airport. But even with hundreds of locations, the numbers are small. Wayport's traffic, while growing 5 to 10 percent a month, amounted to just 30,000 connections at airports and 170,000 connections at about 500 hotels in a recent month. Wayport receives anywhere from 50 cents to $5 for each connection, analysts estimate, depending on its revenue-sharing arrangement with the location and whether the connection came from a reseller network. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/technology/11WIFI.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:38:42 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Bandwagon to Fight Spam Hits a Bump By SAUL HANSELL Unwanted e-mail advertising has become the latest quality-of-life nuisance -- not unlike squeegee men -- that politicians love to attack. This spring, a consensus on spam seemed to be emerging among House and Senate leaders, Internet service providers and the direct marketing industry, which had dropped its objection to any regulation of e-mail. Several bills were introduced, all narrowly focused on fraudulent e-mail that misrepresented the sender or the product for sale. Then a monkey wrench landed in this otherwise smooth legislative process. In June, the Federal Trade Commission started collecting phone numbers from people who do not want to be called by telemarketers. Phone solicitors who call numbers on the list, once it takes effect in October, can be punished with large fines. Overnight, the do-not-call list became one of the most popular government initiatives in recent memory, with people registering an average of a million phone numbers a day in the first month. Suddenly, public support for a do-not-spam list began to build. A bill to create such a registry, which had little support earlier this summer when it was introduced by Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, is at the center of much of the spam debate in Washington. The direct marketers and their allies like Microsoft and AOL object strongly to a do-not-spam list. Spam is different from telephone marketing, they say, because such a list would be expensive to administer and could be vulnerable to computer hackers. More important, it would most likely restrict the sale of credit cards and DVD clubs by mainstream companies as much as miracle pills and get-rich-quick schemes from online hucksters. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/technology/11SPAM.html ------------------------------ From: palani_cy@yahoo.com (Palani) Subject: ESCON Clock ppm Stability Date: 14 Aug 2003 13:38:04 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Is there a spec on the max ppm stability for serializer clocks for 200 Mbps SBCON (ESCON) serial transport? Where can I find more info on this. Thx, Palani ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Verizon Wireless to Launch Walkie-Talkie Service Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:29:20 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach By Jessica Hall PHILADELPHIA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless telephone company, said on Thursday it will launch a new walkie-talkie phone service, taking aim at a market niche dominated by Nextel Communications Inc. The so-called "push to talk" service will allow wireless subscribers to connect with colleagues or friends across the country with just the push of a button, instead of dialing a number and waiting for the call to go through. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Britain's Vodafone Group Plc, said it will offer the nationwide service starting on Monday. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/14/rtr1057258.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: WorldCom Plan May Have Avoided State Taxes Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:28:22 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - WorldCom may have routed $19 billion in revenue through one of its units to cut down on state tax bills, as part of a strategy devised by KPMG and used in the years following WorldCom's acquisition of MCI, a court filing claims. According to a filing by dissenting bondholders of MCI, who oppose a reorganization plan the company has submitted, the company sent $19 billion in revenue through unit MCI WorldCom Brands LLC, which had been assigned the rights to WorldCom's trademarks and intellectual property. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/14/rtr1057287.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Odd CLID Problem Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 16:01:22 -0500 wrote in message news:telecom22.607.8@telecom-digest.org: > Kenneth P. Stox wrote: >> And now the real answer: >> Last I knew, SBC was spiffing with many other providers on what it was >> willing to pay for access to there customer name databases. As a result, >> calls from many third party providers are coming up without name to SBC >> customers. The problem is not with the other providers, but with SBC's >> refusal to pay on the same terms as the third parties pay to SBC. > This problem will never be resolved because of greed and hositility > between carriers. The FCC's 1995 Caller ID decision requires delivery > only of CPNI. There is no mention of name delivery, so that falls > into the category of a free-for-all. And some more input. CenturyTel has called back and intends to fix it. I got an extremely nice fellow who said he would address the problem. I got his CLID stuff from Columbia, MO. I suspect Verizon. We'll see. Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 952-4601 ------------------------------ From: azmk@gazeta.pl (Michael) Subject: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Date: 15 Aug 2003 06:01:55 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I am looking for a program/application for sending bulk SMS via SMPP protocol ... Is any avaible for Windows; maybe for Linux? Shareware or commercial with trial? [Lisa Minter note: Excuse me Michael; are you one of those spammers I keep hearing so much about; one of those people the guys here are always cussing and discussing and making mock of? I just wondered what in the world a program like the one you want would be used for? Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 15:54:51 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and Tom Betz said to him: >> http://www.msnbc.com/news/940490.asp > Unlike most of what passes for journalism these days, this series (part 4 > is now available) is superbly-researched and written, and should be > required reading for anyone who asks the question, "What's the deal with > spam? It ain't so bad." > It is that bad, and those who engage in it are worse; and this series is > spelling out the how and why of it. And this paper: http://www.martiansoftware.com/articles/spammerpain.html has some *very* cogent suggestions as to how to fix it. I can't imagine that if the top 20 ISP's implemented something like this on their inbound MX servers, that the problem wouldn't go away within 3 months. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 15:58:40 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and dold@ModemXEmul.usenet.us.com said to him: > Steve Michelson wrote: >> Depending on how critical this is for you, and how much money you'd be >> willing to spend, perhaps you could set up a landline gateway device >> connected to the internet on one side, and a regular phone jack on the > I had forgotten about a "modem server" that we used to use. It was > accessible from our network ... I wouldn't want to expose one of those > to the internet. It came with a driver for making "any" comm program > work via the shared modem device on com_x. You could probably hook a landline modem to a terminal server -- Lantronix units are nice and cheap on eBay, and then use a thing called modemu -- a wrapper that goes around programs that want to open a serial port and dial, and lets you do things like: ATDT192.168.1.1:3001 to connect to a remote port. I think you can actually also hardwire the address and port into the connect, so you could point it at a telnet port on an address and then do ATDT phone number after it connected, but I never tried that. Would that solve your problem, original-question-asker? :-) Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: Nick Ruark Subject: Power to the Internet Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 23:37:45 -0700 From: Andrew Seybold Date: Wed Aug 13, 2003 9:04 pm Subject: My Commentary -- and it is already drawing fire from LOTS of the power folks -- I must have hit a nerve!!! Power To The Internet? I want to start of this weeks commentary with a quote from the President of the American Public Power Association (APPA): "Given the tremendous potential of BPL to provide an advanced technology| that utilizes additional facilities based mechanisms for providing services the burden should be imposed on challengers to BPL to demonstrate interference is a fact based, empirical proof. Further, to the extent that interference is demonstrated, there should be an attempt to accommodate BPL, even if it means that existing communications providers may have to share or transfer bandwidth." Source Document: Reply comments [to FCC] by American Public Power Association http://www.appanet.org/pdfreq.cfm?PATH_INFO=/newsroom/Other%20Agency/FCCNOI2003.pdf&VARACTION=GO BPL? What is BPL? BPL is "Broadband over Power Lines" -- a way to provide access to the Internet for people who do not have broadband DSL, cable or wireless broadband services. The idea sounds great. Use existing power lines that are already serving almost every home in the nation to connect them to the Internet with broadband data services. While it sounds great, there are a number of issues with this technology. Those opposing its implementation are not doing so because they are afraid of competition. They oppose BPL because the potential for interference to others is so great. If you read the above quote carefully you will note that the attitude of the power companies appears to be, "Existing RF users be damned. Our technology is so compelling that the RF folks should give up spectrum (bandwidth) and move their existing operations so we wont interfere with them or otherwise get out of our way." According to tests that are being run, the interference, which is emitted from each and every power line carrying BPL, would disrupt RF communications over a broad segment of the spectrum including public safety agencies, businesses, amateur radio operators, TV stations, radio stations and other services. One of the strongest voices against BPL is the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL), a not-for-profit organization representing the ham radio community. The ARRL has been measuring interference around power lines where test systems are installed and the results are horrifying. If you want to see the results for yourself click on the links below. BPL is 'Spectrum Pollution' ARRL says http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/08/2/ Everything you might want to know (make that SHOULD know) about Power Line Communications (PLC) and Amateur Radio can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ Keep in mind that the APPA believes "the burden should be imposed on challengers to BPL to demonstrate interference is a fact based, empirical proof." Granted, the ARRL is trying to protect its members (hams) from interference, but there is no commercial gain to be had by the ARRL. It is a not-for-profit organization that is not proposing a competing technology, only trying to protect the spectrum as it exists today. I believe that the ARRL has provided all the proof we need. What if a highway patrol car responds to a multi-vehicle accident that happens to be below a set of power lines crossing the freeway? Two-way radio communications wouldn't be possible because of BPL interference, help would be delayed, perhaps a life would be lost that should not have been. According to the APPA, "to the extent that interference is demonstrated, there should be an attempt to accommodate BPL, even if it means that existing communications providers may have to share or transfer bandwidth." How do RF users "transfer bandwidth"? Transfer it to where? What about those who are using the spectrum that these displaced users are going to transfer to? Share? How do you share spectrum when the byproduct of BPL technology is to raise the noise floor over a huge portion of the spectrum? BPL interference is a constant noise that sounds like a buzzing, not fast pulses that come and go. In the example above, the highway patrol cars radio would be useless because of the noise generated by the power lines above it or near it. I guess the power companies will just have to ban accidents near the thousands of places their lines cross highways and roads. True, BPL could provide access to those who want and need broadband Internet but do not now have it. But at what cost to existing spectrum users? This matter needs to be carefully examined and I can only hope that the FCC, faced with lobbying from the power industry, does not simply buckle under. If BPL can become a real, cost-effective technology (which is another issue altogether), the "rights" of those already using spectrum that might be affected need to be protected. The FCC has already demonstrated that it is loathe to solving interference problems after the fact. Look at how long it's taking for the Nextel interference problems to be resolved -- and there are problems affecting public safety there, too! If the FCC permits mass adoption of BPL without providing a definitive set of guidelines for "fixing" interference where it is a problem, we could end up with severe interference problems that drag on for years while the various parties fight about the "right" fix. How about if this time we find the remedies BEFORE problems arise? The power line industry has mobilized and is making a great deal of headway in Washington. There are many comments that have been filed by others, see: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi (Enter 03-104 in the 'Proceeding' box of the first page that is displayed; then click on the 'Retrieve Document List' button at the bottom) The question is whether our voices will be heard or buried beneath a pile of dollars that most often speak louder than even the best reasoned voices. Having lived in an area where I didn't have DSL, cable or wireless broadband service, I would have welcomed BPL to my door -- IF and only IF it did not cause interference to my ham radio equipment or the public safety agencies that served my rural community. Perhaps someone should try UWB over BPL? What would you call that? Power companies want to use their lines to provide Internet access, potentially causing interference to spectrum in the 2 to 80-MHz portion, UWB might cause problems in the 2-GHz and above range and the "free unlicensed spectrum" folks want more spectrum below 2 GHz. Where is the master plan for spectrum? Who is looking at the big picture? Who is trying to make sense of all of this? What appears to be happening today with our spectrum is like what happens when a road is repaved. Once the paving is done the water company, gas company, electric company and sewer department dig trenches for some type of work. They can't come together and plan their work to take place prior to paving. None of them talk to each other and the result is that a nice, newly paved street is once again full of tar patches that will erode faster than the rest of the street. It doesn't have to happen this way with spectrum if we take a year and study ALL of the issues to see if we can coordinate who needs and wants what and what needs to be done. A moratorium for a year won't hurt the power companies (they still get their money for power every month) and it won't matter to most people. If the time is well spent and all those with an interest in spectrum management come together around a table (round or oblong, who cares?), then it will be the best-spent year the communications industry could have. There has to be a way to ensure that what works today will work tomorrow and that new technologies can be introduced to make things work better, but not disrupt what is in place today. It can work, but it will take work! Andrew M. Seybold Note: Thanks are in order to the Private Wireless Forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivateWirelessForum for providing the links in this commentary. Andy Seybold Outlook4Mobility www.outlook4mobility.com ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Organization: Not Much From: bonomi@c-ns (Robert Bonomi) Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 13:25:45 GMT In article , SayNoToCrossposters wrote: > Robert Bonomi wrote in message > news:telecom22.608.15@telecom-digest.org: >> In article , Steven J Sobol >> wrote: >>> SayNoToCrossposters wrote: >>>> I have seen it as well ... at least one post like this every other >>>> week. I would beg to differ with them claiming you have all the >>>> "features" or a proprietary PBX ... which I really really find hard to >>>> believe noticing what feature there are listed on their web page. >>> Yeah, I agree with this ... there are probably some features that >>> haven't been implemented yet. The software isn't even at version 1.0 >>> yet. >>> It's quite functional already, though. >> *AND* it's got something that I havn't seen on _any_ PBX. the ability >> for the _user_ to enhance/extend the system in =whatever= way they >> want to. >> If there's a missing 'critical feature', you can just _add_ it. >> *Your* priorities govern, You are NOT dependant on the >> scheduling whims of the manufacturer. This is a _big_ plus, in >> specialized uses. >> It definitely doesn't compete with the "big" switches, like a hign-end >> Definity, or a big Nortel 'Option {whatever}'. But for needs that are >> in the Nortel "MICS" class, and below, it merits a serious look. > Why? Why would a customer want to sit down and piss around with this > rather than just have a simple MICS? Maybe, because they want something that a MICS, or {insert brand of choice) other system, _doesn't_ do. That'd seem to me, to be one *good* reason. I don't say it's the *best*solution* for everybody, or that it's even "right" for everybody. I _do_ say that it *is* worthy of consideration. Obviously, it's "not right" for you. But, you assertation that it's "not right" for _anybody_ is unmitigated arrogance, at best. > Time is money. I have no problem with the asterisk ... seems like a > really cool endeavor, but if I had my computer staff stuck messing > with this thing for even a day ... it's a waste of time and money. > BTW their are other switches out there beside's Nortel and Avaya > that IMHO are far superior and offer pretty much everything you > would want. Obviously they're "not superior *enough*". Proof: They have -not- driven the 'inferior' switches off the market. Give me 'enough' money to spend, and, yeah, I can find a switch that'll do "anything". > Sorry, to look at this through the eyes of a business. Price ACD features. Sometimes even _small_ businesses would 'like' to have some of those 'big system' features, but there is 'no way in hell' to justify the cost/space/other-resources for an off-the-shelf system that supports them. Price IP telphony features. If, for example, you want an IP telephony device, OPX, _behind_ the switch. Price *ABILITY* to integrate with 'contact management' software (of your choice) on the desktop. Price a 'voice-mail' to 'email' interface. or e-mail paging for voice-mail message-waiting. Or a 'paging service' integration, from voice-mail, that messages _who_ the voice-mail message was from (via caller-id, or ANI data) I'll say again, it _is_ *WORTHY*OF*CONSDIERATION*. It's not for everybody, agreed. It's not the 'ultimate solution', agreed. It does offer some 'unique' capabilities, and, potentially, a _very_attractive_ price-point. Is it "worth it" ? That depends on the _specific_installation_ considerations. I think there _are_ places where it would shine. I'm considering deploying one, _just_ for 'private' IP telephony OPX extensions, behind my Nortel. I'm looking at saving _tens_of_thousands_ of dollars, vs the only 'integrated' IP 'extension' capability I'm aware of for a MICS. ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Voicemail Rant (Audix) Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 14:38:07 -0400 In TELECOM Digest V22 #610, chsvideo@hotmail.com (Lincoln J. King-Cliby) wrote (in part): > Will someone please tell me why more and more calls that are bounced > to voicemail have "Your call is being answered by Audix!" prepended to > the outgoing message? I enjoy telecom, but do I need to be told the > name of the manufacturer of the VM system EVERY SINGLE TIME I LEAVE A > VOICE MAIL? And do the non-telecom-types out there have any clue who > or what an "Audix" is? "Your call is being answered by AUDIX" is the default system greeting on an AUDIX [AUDIo eXchange] voice mail system from Avaya (formerly Lucent Technologies, formerly AT&T). It is not prepended to the outgoing message -- it IS the outgoing message (greeting) when the clueless voice mail subscriber has not recorded and activated a greeting of his/her own. The reason why you get that greeting so often is that AUDIX has been one of the world's most popular and widely-deployed voice mail systems for 20 years or more. (The other reason is because so many voice mail subscribers are completely ignorant and apathetic about how to use the system, whichever one it is.) "Non-telecom-types" may not be intimately familiar with what AUDIX is, but many people will know that, when their call is greeted by AUDIX, they can immediately enter '*T' ('*8') to initiate a transfer to a different extension that might get answered. Or, they know that hitting the '1' key will skip the greeting entirely and put you at the "BEEP". > This makes about as much sense as if a coworker picked up a line and > announced "Your call is being answered by Bob! I'm sorry Joe is out of > the office right now, can I please take a message?" And is that so very different from someone answering with, "Hello. Joe's desk; Bob speaking. Joe just went to the can. Can I take a message?" I would _rather_ get a voice mail system and control my own message content and detail, rather than trust it to some apathetic temp with a pink message pad and an attitude. > Who got that brilliant, time wasting, idea? Does it add any value to > the end user? (I don't think so) Does it convey critical information? > (Nope) Does it convey any information at all? (I seriously doubt it.) > Am I the only one who feels this way? (maybe) Does this make me want > to avoid purchasing anything from Audix? (Absolutely -- I wouldn't > want to annoy callers like this). A better question might be: "Who gave a voice mail box to someone who can barely use the phone itself?" As for adding value or informing, see above. If I get an AUDIX system greeting, or 'most anything else spoken by Lorraine Nelson's friendly and distinctive voice, I know how I can navigate more quickly. And, no, I doubt that you're the only person who feels that way. I deal with LOTS of people who are hapless or even hostile toward voice mail. I don't know how to answer your objections -- or even that I _care_ to answer them. It seems that what _truly_ would make you want to avoid purchasing an AUDIX system is your own lack of understanding -- just like the folks who have voice mail and never record a decent greeting or even their name. > Out of curiosity, Is there some way to turn this 'feature' off? Yes. Record and activate a greeting. It will be played, instead of the AUDIX system greeting. There are also ways to modify or replace default system announcements, but I don't know enough of the details to get into that here. I do know that you can get AUDIX in about 40 languages. (I don't think Lorraine does all of them.) I find it hard to believe you've never encountered another type of system's default greeting, such as: "The person at extension is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone." [Nortel Meridian Mail] or " is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone." [Nortel Meridian Mail] or "Your party does not answer. Please leave a message after the beep, or press '1' for more options." [Siemens/ROLM PhoneMail, I think] I've heard a bunch of them -- some downright clumsy or cheesy (let alone what some _subscribers_ record for a greeting...!). And there's always the voice mail ambush: " BEEP!" This, too, has been a bit of a rant. It's not aimed at anyone personally. I appreciate Lincoln giving me the opportunity to sound off a little about voice mail abuse and perhaps provide some information in the bargain. Paul A Lee Voice: +1 717 730-8355 Sr Telecom Engineer [Voice & Transmission] Fax: +1 717 975-3789 Rite Aid Corporation, Telecomm, 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Last Laugh! Another Test Number For Use at Payphones Nationwide! Date: 14 Aug 2003 10:32:30 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ If you do not wish to receive future offers, you can withdraw automatically simply by clicking on this hyperlink or by visitng ClickforMail.com. You may also be removed from our list by mailing us at Clickformail.com 9130 Jollyville Rd. Suite 369 Austin, Tx 78759 or via telephone (800)310-3479. Clickformail.com makes no representations or warranties, regarding third party offers, products or services. (c) 2003 Clickformail.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Rodgers Platt [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks very much for that important message from our sponsor. I think we have all received spam at one time or another from ClickForSpam and it is good to know that calling 800-310-3479 will reach them at their offices in Jollyville. I am sure many of our readers will have a jolly good weekend staying in touch with these fine honorable business people. Remember, do not ever abuse someone's telephone number. Only call 800-310-3479 if you want a jolly good time and have business inquiries of them. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #611 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Aug 16 21:16:17 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7H1GH221821; Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:16:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:16:17 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308170116.h7H1GH221821@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #612 TELECOM Digest Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:16:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 612 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Monty Solomon) Cellphone Failures Cause Many to Question Systems (Monty Solomon) Good Day for Concerns That Help Save Data (Monty Solomon) Verizon Cell Phone Camera; Other Goodies Make it Fun (Monty Solomon) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol (Romfh) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol (Warren) Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption (obsidian) Horizon PCS Files For Bankruptcy Protection (Eric Friedebach) Re: Voicemail Rant (Audix) (Pete Romfh) Re: Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter (Clarence Dold) Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (AES/newspost) Re: Who's Watching the Class? Webcams in Schools Raise ('nuther Bob) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Jud Hardcastle) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:55:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House KATIE HAFNER Anyone on the Dartmouth College campus who picks up a phone and makes a long-distance call anywhere within the United States will find that the call is on the house. On July 1, the school stopped charging for all long-distance calls. The arithmetic that went into the decision was simple, said Bob Johnson, the director of network services at Dartmouth. Calls that cost 25 cents per minute in 1995 now cost less than 2 cents. So Dartmouth was paying $250,000 a year to bill individual phone lines at the school for long-distance calls. But the total annual long-distance bill had dropped to $150,000. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/14/technology/circuits/14phon.html [Lisa Minter Note: When reading NYTimes articles, readers here are invited to use our group login 'telecomdigest' and our group pass- word 'telecomdigest'. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:06:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cellphone Failures Cause Many to Question Systems Cellphone Failures Cause Many to Question Systems By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and MATT RICHTEL As cellular telephone carriers labored to restore service yesterday, voices of concern were raised in Washington and elsewhere about the continued fragility of the nation's wireless networks even as the public grows more dependent upon them. Cellular service remained spotty throughout much of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest yesterday, despite the restoration of electrical power in many of the areas affected by Thursday's blackout, as heavy usage and continued problems at some transmitter stations continued to tax the system. Service in New York City, which had been especially hard hit by power losses and high calling volume, had returned to normal by yesterday afternoon as power was restored across most of the city, according to local cellular carriers. But the industry has drawn criticism for its networks' performance after the blackout, particularly in comparison to the land-line telephone system, which generally stayed in service. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/16/business/16PHON.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:09:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Good Day for Concerns That Help Save Data Good Day for Concerns That Help Save Data By JOHN SCHWARTZ On a day filled with darkness and frustration for many businesses, disaster recovery companies are some of the only ones having a good day. "We're busy," Jim Simmons, the chief executive of Sungard Availability Services, said with evident relish. The company, which is based in Wayne, Pa., serves more than 10,000 customers in 50 countries, including many of the largest financial services companies. Mr. Simmons said his company was "in the business of keeping people in business." Companies that provide such services have to be their own best customers. Don DeMarco, the vice president for business continuity and recovery services at I.B.M. , said that his company was ready to jump when he saw the light flicker at his office in Southbury, Conn. A few minutes later, his cellphone rang. "My people let me know that it was a widespread issue," he said. He climbed into his car and began driving to an I.B.M. complex in Sterling Forest, N.Y., in Orange County. The I.B.M. center was ready for business; its diesel-powered generators started up as soon as the regular power died. "We didn't skip a beat," Mr. DeMarco said. The Sterling Forest offices have spare desks for visitors, and the company provides hotel rooms or even air mattresses for anyone who might have to work around the clock. "We've had people up for 30 hours plus," he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/16/technology/16BACK.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:33:17 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Cell Phone Camera; Other Goodies Make it Fun Mike Himowitz CALL ME an old fogey, but when the first cell phones with built-in digital cameras came out, I asked, "Why would anyone want one of those?" And so, I ignored them, figuring they'd be a flash in the pan. Well, the flash is still pretty hot. Thanks to a new generation of handsets with cameras, color screens, text messaging, Web browsing and other goodies, worldwide cell phone shipments grew by 19 percent in the second quarter of 2003, according to IDC, a market analysis firm. Wireless carriers have great hopes for these phones, since they plan to generate extra revenue from picture sharing, text messaging, games and Web information. Their target market, of course, is about 35 years younger than I am. But I still enjoyed a couple of weeks with one of these gadgets - a VX6000 from Verizon Wireless. Everyone who helped by posing for pictures enjoyed it, too. Just don't expect it to replace a real digital camera, or you'll be disappointed. Think of it as a phone with some visual buzz. http://www.sunspot.net/technology/custom/pluggedin/bal-pl.himowitz07aug07,0,960432.column ------------------------------ From: Pete Romfh Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 08:59:06 -0500 Organization: Not Organized Michael wrote: > I am looking for a program/application for sending bulk > SMS via SMPP protocol ... Is any avaible for Windows; > maybe for Linux? Shareware or commercial with trial? > [Lisa Minter note: Excuse me Michael; are you one of > those spammers I keep hearing so much about; one of those > people the guys here are always cussing and discussing > and making mock of? I just wondered what in the world a > program like the one you want would be used for? Lisa M.] Hopefully he's wanting to use it for Emergency notification or passing company info to employees. Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet. promfh at Texas dot net ------------------------------ From: William Warren Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 14:03:46 GMT Michael wrote in message news:telecom22.611.14@telecom-digest.org: > I am looking for a program/application for sending bulk SMS via SMPP > protocol ... Is any avaible for Windows; maybe for Linux? Shareware or > commercial with trial? > [Lisa Minter note: Excuse me Michael; are you one of those spammers I > keep hearing so much about; one of those people the guys here are > always cussing and discussing and making mock of? I just wondered what > in the world a program like the one you want would be used for? Lisa M.] Lisa, I just wondered what protocol "SMPP" it. Come to think of it, you'd better explain "SMS" as well: I'm not up to speed on the latest acronyms. Bill (Remove ".nouce" for direct replies.) [Lisa Minter note: Well I know that SMS stands for 'Short Message Service', and it refers to the type of (150 characters or less) messages you can send to cell phones; such things as a quick reminder or note. Several years ago, one category of scum was sending them out to businessmen in New York City via digital pager telling the harried businessman to call back to a 540 exchange number which dinged the businessman a few dollars for a call to a sex service. I guess they have updated their routine a little now to include all sorts of Short Message Spam. I do not know about SMPP. Maybe the SM part stands for Spam Mail. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: obsidian Subject: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 15:04:10 +0200 Organization: -= Belgacom Usenet Service =- After this, the 3rd, power blackout in as many decades has/did the telecom infrastructure function normally? obsidian ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Horizon PCS Files For Bankruptcy Protection Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 21:54:39 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Horizon PCS, an affiliate of mobile telephone carrier Sprint PCS, said on Friday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors. The Chillicothe, Ohio-based company said in May that it did not have sufficient liquidity to repay all of its loans or fund its operations so it was seeking to restructure its debt. The bankruptcy filing does not include Horizon Telecom Inc. "We believe the bankruptcy process gives us the best opportunity to restructure our debts and agreements, working cooperatively with our creditors and negotiating with Sprint to develop equitable and appropriate solutions that will allow our company to continue to operate," Horizon Chief Executive William McKell said in a statement. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/15/rtr1059316.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Pete Romfh Subject: Re: Voicemail Rant (Audix) Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 08:50:26 -0500 Organization: Not Organized Paul A Lee wrote: > In TELECOM Digest V22 #610, chsvideo@hotmail.com (Lincoln > J. King-Cliby) wrote (in part): >> Will someone please tell me why more and more calls that >> are bounced to voicemail have "Your call is being >> answered by Audix!" prepended to the outgoing message? I >> enjoy telecom, but do I need to be told the name of the >> manufacturer of the VM system EVERY SINGLE TIME I LEAVE >> A VOICE MAIL? And do the non-telecom-types out there >> have any clue who or what an "Audix" is? > "Your call is being answered by AUDIX" is the default > system greeting on an AUDIX [AUDIo eXchange] voice mail > system from Avaya (formerly Lucent Technologies, formerly > AT&T). It is not prepended to the outgoing message -- it > IS the outgoing message (greeting) when the clueless > voice mail subscriber has not recorded and activated a > greeting of his/her own. > The reason why you get that greeting so often is that > AUDIX has been one of the world's most popular and widely- > deployed voice mail systems for 20 years or more. (The > other reason is because so many voice mail subscribers > are completely ignorant and apathetic about how to use > the system, whichever one it is.) > "Non-telecom-types" may not be intimately familiar with > what AUDIX is, but many people will know that, when their > call is greeted by AUDIX, they can immediately enter '*T' > ('*8') to initiate a transfer to a different extension > that might get answered. Or, they know that hitting the > '1' key will skip the greeting entirely and put you at > the "BEEP". >> This makes about as much sense as if a coworker picked >> up a line and announced "Your call is being answered by >> Bob! I'm sorry Joe is out of the office right now, can I >> please take a message?" > And is that so very different from someone answering with, > "Hello. Joe's desk; Bob speaking. Joe just went to the > can. Can I take a message?" > I would _rather_ get a voice mail system and control my > own message content and detail, rather than trust it to > some apathetic temp with a pink message pad and an > attitude. >> Who got that brilliant, time wasting, idea? Does it add >> any value to the end user? (I don't think so) Does it >> convey critical information? (Nope) Does it convey any >> information at all? (I seriously doubt it.) Am I the >> only one who feels this way? (maybe) Does this make me >> want to avoid purchasing anything from Audix? >> (Absolutely -- I wouldn't want to annoy callers like >> this). > A better question might be: "Who gave a voice mail box to > someone who can barely use the phone itself?" > As for adding value or informing, see above. If I get an > AUDIX system greeting, or 'most anything else spoken by > Lorraine Nelson's friendly and distinctive voice, I know > how I can navigate more quickly. > And, no, I doubt that you're the only person who feels > that way. I deal with LOTS of people who are hapless or > even hostile toward voice mail. I don't know how to > answer your objections -- or even that I _care_ to answer > them. > It seems that what _truly_ would make you want to avoid > purchasing an AUDIX system is your own lack of > understanding -- just like the folks who have voice mail > and never record a decent greeting or even their name. >> Out of curiosity, Is there some way to turn this >> 'feature' off? > Yes. Record and activate a greeting. It will be played, > instead of the AUDIX system greeting. > There are also ways to modify or replace default system > announcements, but I don't know enough of the details to > get into that here. I do know that you can get AUDIX in > about 40 languages. (I don't think Lorraine does all of > them.) > I find it hard to believe you've never encountered > another type of system's default greeting, such as: > "The person at extension is not available to > take your call. Please leave a message after the > tone." [Nortel Meridian Mail] or > " is not available to take > your call. Please leave a message after the tone." > [Nortel Meridian Mail] > or > "Your party does not answer. Please leave a message > after the beep, or press '1' for more options." > [Siemens/ROLM PhoneMail, I think] > I've heard a bunch of them -- some downright clumsy or > cheesy (let alone what some _subscribers_ record for a > greeting...!). And there's always the voice mail ambush: > " BEEP!" > This, too, has been a bit of a rant. It's not aimed at > anyone personally. I appreciate Lincoln giving me the > opportunity to sound off a little about voice mail abuse > and perhaps provide some information in the bargain. > Paul A Lee Voice: +1 717 730-8355 > Sr Telecom Engineer [Voice & Transmission] Fax: +1 717 > 975-3789 Rite Aid Corporation, Telecomm, 30 Hunter Lane, > Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 Actually AUDIX is a contactation of AUDio Information eXchange. In the original R1 version Lorraine said, "Your call is being answered by the Audio Information Exchange". It was R1 V3 or so when it was shortened to AUDIX. In the Intuity (and newer) systems that fragment is re-recordable by the administrator so the default system greeting can be, "Your call is being answered by XYZ Company's messaging system" or whatever you like. The new modular architecture (MMA) system isn't called Audix so it doen't mention the term. It also has many more options for users to disregard. I kind of favor something like, "Your call has been answered by this electronic message system because is fooling around instead of answering like we pay him/her for." =;) The rest of your "rant" is echoed by system administrators and managers around the world. I'm working this weekend on a series of presentations for the IAMP (International Association of Messaging Professionals) conference in Scottsdale. I may include a couple of your thoughts in my class on System Management for New Administrators. I'll contact you off-line for permission. If any of the Digest readers are coming to the IAMP conference in October, let me know. I'd be happy to share an adult beverage or two with you. Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet. promfh at Texas dot net ------------------------------ From: dold@LinksysXWi.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 15:35:53 UTC Organization: a2i network Monty Solomon wrote: > The Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter lets you bring the digital music > and pictures stored on your computer to your Home Entertainment > Center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless > connection, the Media Adapter displays your digital photographs on the > TV for the whole family to enjoy. And your digital music collection > is finally freed from those little computer speakers and can play in > full glory through your stereo system. > http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=38&prid=554 Reports on alt.internet.wireless indicate that the device is not quite ready. It works intermittently if hardwired, and rarely if wireless. It requires a WindowsXP system to be on and configured for Microsoft Wireless Zero Administration in order to have any hope of working. That, and a price of $199, are likely to keep this out of the hands of all but the dedicated gadget freaks for a while. I want one, but I want it to work ;-( Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 09:04:34 -0700 Extended electrical power outages cause immense economic damage, far exceeding any losses to the electrical power companies themselves. The "human" impacts of an outage like this (or of any widespread emergency situation) -- families trying to get in touch with children or worrying about dispersed family members, for example -- along with at least some of the economic impacts could however be substantially mitigated if cell phones kept operating. My understanding, however, is that during the East Coast power outages of the past few days, they did not (?). Should they have? Could they have? Should it be a matter of "homeland security" that cell phone systems be designed to keep functioning as much as possible in major emergencies, especially power outages? (For at least a few hours, anyway.) Viewed from an overall perspective, how expensive would it really be to achieve something like this? (backup generators in the major facilities, battery backups in individual antenna sites, etc) (again, for at least a few hours continued operation) Since it seems very unlikely that cell phone operators would voluntarily make the investments needed to achieve this, should it be mandated legislatively? [The above questions are in fact *questions*, intended to help my own education and maybe provoke some discussion. But (rant mode on), every time I hear some Republican right-wing free-market idiot rave about how the free market always meets human needs best and government regulation is always bad, I think about questions like these -- not to mention the question of how the free market would have prevented the power outage itself (rant mode off).] ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Who's Watching the Class? Webcams in Schools Raise Privacy Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 16:36:19 GMT On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 21:14:31 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > Who's watching the class? Webcams in schools raise privacy issue Where's George Orwell when you need him? Bob ------------------------------ From: Jud Hardcastle Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 13:08:16 -0500 > You could probably hook a landline modem to a terminal server -- > Lantronix units are nice and cheap on eBay, and then use a thing > called modemu -- a wrapper that goes around programs that want to open > a serial port and dial, and lets you do things like: > ATDT192.168.1.1:3001 > to connect to a remote port. I think you can actually also hardwire > the address and port into the connect, so you could point it at a > telnet port on an address and then do ATDT phone number after it > connected, but I never tried that. Would that solve your problem, > original-question-asker? :-) 'Fraid you lost me on that one since I have no clue what a "terminal server" is. I just need to access a few devices at the office that have dial-in modem access only - logs and setup screens. I don't have enough justification to add equipment. I've managed to go thru VPN and "take over" my office pc which can then dial the other modems -- but that's only as dependable as my pc (on ups) and the office lan (not corp wan) -- but it may be the best I can do. > I had forgotten about a "modem server" that we used to use. It was > accessible from our network ... I wouldn't want to expose one of those > to the internet. It came with a driver for making "any" comm program > work via the shared modem device on com_x. That's what I was looking for -- in theory it would work accessed from the Internet after logging into a server with userid/password et.al. Jud Dallas TX USA ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #612 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 17 02:48:27 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7H6mR223151; Sun, 17 Aug 2003 02:48:27 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 02:48:27 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308170648.h7H6mR223151@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #613 TELECOM Digest Sun, 17 Aug 2003 02:48:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 613 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (J Kelly) Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (John R. Levine) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Ron Chapman) Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem (Ray Normandeau) Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption (tonypo1@cox.net) Re: Asterisk OpenPBX (SayNoToCrossposters) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP (KiloDeLate) Re: Modem Emulation Over IP (Clarence Dold) Re: Power to the Internet (William Warren) FCC Contemplating Privatization of the Public Airwaves (Nick Ruark) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: J Kelly Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 20:28:16 -0500 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Reply-To: usenet200308@screaming-remove-electron.net On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 09:04:34 -0700, AES/newspost wrote: > Should it be a matter of "homeland security" that cell phone systems > be designed to keep functioning as much as possible in major > emergencies, especially power outages? (For at least a few hours, > anyway.) All the cellsites I've been in, and I've been in nearly a hundred, have batteries. Those batteries are sized to run the site during a typical power outage, around here that is normally less than 8 hours. The more calls they handled, the shorter the time the batteries would hold (these were analog sites where each call had a seperate radio that was on only when it was handling a call). Some of the sites I worked in had generators, mainly those with tall towers that required obstruction lighting. The others had a transfer switch and an outdoor connection for a portable generator. Our thoughts were if the power was out longer than 8 hours, we could have either gotten a generator to the site, or there was an icestorm and most people would be staying put by that time. > Viewed from an overall perspective, how expensive would it really be > to achieve something like this? (backup generators in the major > facilities, battery backups in individual antenna sites, etc) (again, > for at least a few hours continued operation) Most have this. My guess is the cellphones *mostly* stopped working early on due to the huge number of calls, not because of the electricity problems. Later on the power outage probably became a factor. There is no way to make the system have infinite call carrying capacity, just as there is no way to predict that half of NYC would try to make a cellular call all at the same time. Had all those people picked up a landline phone that system too would have become overloaded. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2003 02:33:34 -0000 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > My understanding, however, is that during the East Coast power > outages of the past few days, they did not (?). My cell phone worked just fine throughout the blackout, but the blackout only lasted five hours here. Cell sites all have battery backup, but the batteries don't last forever. The cell carriers have mobile generators, but they have way more cell sites than they can recharge with the generators they have if there's a widespread blackout that lasts a long time. This was widely reported in the press, e.g. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/16/business/16PHON.html. Cell sites only seem to have batteries good for a few hours; you can reasonably ask if they should have power for longer outages, but it's not true that the cell network just failed. One of the often-overlooked good things about boring old POTS landline telephony is that it's all powered from the central office, so with one big bank of batteries and one large diesel generator, they can keep the phones on indefinitely, at least for the phone lines wired directly to the CO, not via SLCs and other separately powered concentrators. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner http://iecc.com/johnl Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:55:24 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House In article , Monty Solomon wrote: > Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House > KATIE HAFNER > Anyone on the Dartmouth College campus who picks up a phone and makes > a long-distance call anywhere within the United States will find that > the call is on the house. On July 1, the school stopped charging for > all long-distance calls. > The arithmetic that went into the decision was simple, said Bob > Johnson, the director of network services at Dartmouth. Calls that > cost 25 cents per minute in 1995 now cost less than 2 cents. So > Dartmouth was paying $250,000 a year to bill individual phone lines at > the school for long-distance calls. But the total annual long-distance > bill had dropped to $150,000. Calling Arthur Clarke, calling Arthur Clarke ... only 3.5 years off and at only one single college campus, but still, ya gotta admit he saw the future. Frankly, I'm amazed that the long distance company I have sends me a separate bill every month for my $10 in usage. But then, I'm paying 7 cents/minute. Back when I signed up, 7 cents anytime was a heckuva deal -- but now, I think the ten bucks I send them every month must be pure profit to them, as little as it all costs nowadays. ------------------------------ From: rayta@msn.com (Ray Normandeau) Subject: Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem Date: 16 Aug 2003 19:52:54 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Easy Everything a public internet store on Times Square NYC has HUNDREDS of terminals for use at any time. When your session is over it seems to reboot. What It does I dunno. When you want to use a terminal you sit at one that says READY. Long Distance =<2.9 cents per minute, no other fee: https://www.onesuite.com/ Promotion Code 034720367 USA 2.5-2.9 CPM, Canada 2.5-3.5 CPM, UK 2.5-3.9 CPM ------------------------------ From: tonypo1@cox.net Subject: Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Cmpany Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 23:55:55 -0500 In article , obsidian@leuven.vlaanderen.terra.sol says: > After this, the 3rd, power blackout in as many decades has/did the > telecom infrastructure function normally? I noted that there were certain things (Like reporters on TV who were delivering the voice portion over cell phones.) and knowing how Verizon is cheaping out CO's like crazy. Appears that several CO's in their territory were out of commission. I always though that CO battery had a minimum of 48 hours of service before requiring on-site generators to be activated. But that's Verizon for ya. ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Asterisk OpenPBX Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 03:58:00 GMT >> Why? Why would a customer want to sit down and piss around with this >> rather than just have a simple MICS? > Maybe, because they want something that a MICS, or {insert brand of > choice) other system, _doesn't_ do. That'd seem to me, to be one > *good* reason. MICS was just a name thrown out there. Could very well be any other system that WOULD have more than the asterisk could offer. > I don't say it's the *best*solution* for everybody, or that it's even > "right" for everybody. I _do_ say that it *is* worthy of > consideration. > Obviously, it's "not right" for you. Never said that. It's worth looking at ... would "I" suggest jumping into something like this ... my professional opinion is hell no. > But, you assertation that it's "not right" for _anybody_ is > unmitigated arrogance, at best. Not true. Never stated that at all and I dare you to go back and find where I said that. >> Time is money. I have no problem with the asterisk ... seems like a >> really cool endeavor, but if I had my computer staff stuck messing >> with this thing for even a day ... it's a waste of time and money. >> BTW their are other switches out there beside's Nortel and Avaya >> that IMHO are far superior and offer pretty much everything you >> would want. > Obviously they're "not superior *enough*". > Proof: They have -not- driven the 'inferior' switches off the market. Please ... look up marketing. The names sell the product ... lol esp in Nortel's case. > Give me 'enough' money to spend, and, yeah, I can find a switch > that'll do "anything". Money and time are one in the same in a small business. Those that fail to see that usually go out of business. > Price ACD features. Sometimes even _small_ businesses would 'like' to > have some of those 'big system' features, but there is 'no way in I think you need to look around..there are some damn nice small systems with everything and more than Asterisk is offering. > Price IP telphony features. If, for example, you want an IP telephony > device, OPX, _behind_ the switch. No problem ... there are companies that already have this integration with a simple OPX gateway box and IP phone. > Price *ABILITY* to integrate with 'contact management' software (of > your choice) on the desktop. > Price a 'voice-mail' to 'email' interface. or e-mail paging for > voice-mail message-waiting. > Or a 'paging service' integration, from voice-mail, that messages > _who_ the voice-mail message was from (via caller-id, or ANI data) > I'll say again, it _is_ *WORTHY*OF*CONSDIERATION*. It's not for > everybody, agreed. It's not the 'ultimate solution', agreed. It does > offer some 'unique' capabilities, and, potentially, a > _very_attractive_ price-point. > Is it "worth it" ? That depends on the _specific_installation_ > considerations. > I think there _are_ places where it would shine. I'm considering > deploying one, _just_ for 'private' IP telephony OPX extensions, > behind my Nortel. I'm looking at saving _tens_of_thousands_ of > dollars, vs the only 'integrated' IP 'extension' capability I'm aware > of for a MICS. I say you need to look at some other "off the shelf" systems other than a MICS. MICS "IMHO" is barely above 1a2 compared to other systems out there. Once again testiment to Nortels marketing. I will have the ability within the next month to get an IP upgrade for my house system for $3000 that will allow my to get 50 free IP licenses and use the softphone via PC for nothing. All from off the shelf. BTW that comes to $60 per station. I already have tested the beta and it works damn well ... even on a crappy 26k dial up. Good luck, keep posting on the asterisk web site I do go and read about ever week to see what's new. ------------------------------ From: KiloDeLate Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Cmpany Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 23:58:26 -0500 In article , spamblocked@yourISP.com says: > Michael wrote: >> I am looking for a program/application for sending bulk >> SMS via SMPP protocol ... Is any avaible for Windows; >> maybe for Linux? Shareware or commercial with trial? >> [Lisa Minter note: Excuse me Michael; are you one of >> those spammers I keep hearing so much about; one of those >> people the guys here are always cussing and discussing >> and making mock of? I just wondered what in the world a >> program like the one you want would be used for? Lisa M.] > Hopefully he's wanting to use it for Emergency notification or > passing company info to employees. With regard to company global emails -- it appears many companies use MS Exchange servers and I'm pretty sure Lotus has the same functionality. In both, you can send it to everyone on the list by using a single global address. It's a spammer sure enough. If they're so stupid they need to ask on a telecom group they deserve to be flamed for it. ------------------------------ From: dold@ModemXEmul.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: Modem Emulation Over IP Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 04:12:05 UTC Organization: a2i network Jud Hardcastle wrote: >> I had forgotten about a "modem server" that we used to use. It was >> accessible from our network ... I wouldn't want to expose one of those >> to the internet. It came with a driver for making "any" comm program >> work via the shared modem device on com_x. > That's what I was looking for -- in theory it would work accessed from > the Internet after logging into a server with userid/password et.al. The attribute got lost. I'm the one that said "I forgot". What I forgot was the Lantronix. The 8-port was about $700. That could be put at the spot where some serial-only devices exist. That's what we used them for. We had the 16 port version, with 16 serial ports connected to Sun servers, Cisco switches, etc. Access it via the internet, and connect to the serial port. We used telnet to get to it, but i think it came with a shim that would go on a PC to pass through comm port stuff. Once upon a time rahul.net offered dial-out modem capabilities, but I think it was rather expensive. And that isn't really the substitute that you are looking for, if you need to run some proprietary program on your PC. That might be a backup to your current take-over-the-pc method. Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 ------------------------------ From: William Warren Subject: Re: Power to the Internet Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 02:40:44 GMT > From: Andrew Seybold > BPL? What is BPL? BPL is "Broadband over Power Lines" -- a way to > provide access to the Internet for people who do not have broadband > DSL, cable or wireless broadband services. The idea sounds great. Use > existing power lines that are already serving almost every home in the > nation to connect them to the Internet with broadband data services. The biggest problem with BPL is that it's not something that average voters can understand or appreciate. You're right: the idea *sounds* nice -- to all the wrong people, and for all the wrong reasons. It sounds nice to giant media conglomerates, anxious to have consumers pay for the distribution and delivery of digital content, thus cutting out the middlemen at the record store and video rental shop, and allowing even more cocaine parties for those well-connected few in Hollywood that have access to the river of gold. Of course, the "modems" will come pre-equipment with digital rights management software: it's a new paradigm! It's an especially sweet song to regulators trying to find ways to bail out the power companies that they allowed to slide into bankruptcy. More cash, less filling, no one asking rude questions about the regulators' cozy relationship with the industry they were supposed to regulate -- it's a "win, win, win" situation. It music to the ears of Congressmen, ever starved for more campaign contributions to pay for those campaign ads they have to buy from the giant media conglomerates. It's a rap on the doors of Motorola and GE and every other manufacturer of the two-way radios used in police, fire, and ambulances which now occupy the channels BPL will render useless. A few new taxes, no problem, and if your police officer can't hear the difference between "Shoot!" and "Don't shoot!" in the meantime, well, that's just a marginal cost. Ham operators? Who are they? Do they buy their frequency allocations like good red-blooded Americans? Listen, Bud, if you haven't got a couple of Billion to spend, don't come nosing around Washington crying the blues about interference -- it just gets lost in the noise. BPL even strikes a responsive chord at the avionics industry, and the FAA, and the Department of Homeland inSecurity. Since the plan doesn't make any provision to avoid the innevitable interference BPL will cause to aircraft navigation, it's only a matter of a few years -- and a few incidents (terrorist acts, of course) -- before every aircraft will have to be retrofit for a new, improved means of getting navigational signals. Every FAA ARTC as well, and every military airbase, and every crop duster, etc. This is a multi-billion dollar opportunity, where everybody profits - except, possibly, the travelers, farmers, and other taxpayers whom ante up for the new radios, and those insurance carriers foolish enough to indemnify the lives of airline passengers - and a few little people left rotting in fields somewhere while the spinmasters explain away the "mysterious" crashes. FWIW. YMMV. Bill "I'm not a cynic. I'm just scared" Warren (Remove ".nouce" for direct replies.) ------------------------------ From: Nick Ruark Subject: FCC Contemplating Privatization of the Public Airwaves Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 19:56:09 -0700 A Private Windfall For Public Property By Norman Ornstein and Michael Calabrese August 12, 2003 Page A13 We're no fans of the attempt by the Federal Communications Commission to relax ownership requirements for TV stations and newspapers, but it would be a shame if the battle between FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Congress on this issue distracted attention from another harmful move being contemplated by the commission. We're talking about the privatization of the airwaves, a public resource worth hundreds of billions of dollars in both market value and future federal revenue. The contemplated FCC action could result in the biggest special interest windfall at the expense of American taxpayers in history. The rapid trend toward wireless communication has made access to the prime frequencies that pass easily through walls, trees and weather an increasingly valuable right. A recent study estimated the market value of this spectrum at $770 billion. These airwaves are owned by the public. For more than 75 years broadcasters, cellular phone companies and other commercial service providers have acquired exclusive access to scarce spectrum space only under temporary, renewable licenses; in return, they serve the public interest. But if the FCC has its way, that social contract will be voided. In recent months, through a series of rule changes, the FCC has begun to implement a radical shift in the nation's spectrum allocation policy. Recently it adopted rules allowing licensees -- whether or not they paid the public for their license -- to sell or rent unused capacity to other firms. It also proposed to let universities and other holders of free licenses sell their spectrum to private firms, thus encouraging these hard-pressed nonprofit institutions to abandon their educational use of the airwaves in return for a quick buck on the new private spectrum markets. The blueprint for this privatization of the public airwaves is a pair of FCC staff reports released last November. In essence, the FCC's Spectrum Policy Task Force proposes that incumbent licensees be granted permanent, private-property-like rights in the frequencies they currently borrow. The task force proposes that future licenses grant firms "maximum possible autonomy" to decide what services to offer, what technical standards to adopt or whether instead to sell or sublease their frequency assignments to other firms. In the future, access to the airwaves would be a commodity traded on secondary markets and free of virtually all public interest obligations. This is not all bad. The FCC's outdated command-and-control approach -- based on rigidly zoning the airwaves by service and assigning exclusive licenses at zero cost -- has exacerbated the scarcity of wireless bandwidth, stifling competition, slowing innovation and restricting citizen access to the airwaves. The problem is not the stated goals of the task force but the means of achieving them. The commission's senior economists have added a proposal that these new and valuable rights to sell and sublease frequencies be given away to incumbent licensees at no charge. The proposal is dressed up as an "auction," but it is one in which any incumbent opting to sell its license would be entitled to keep 100 percent of the revenue -- money that under current law would flow into the public treasury. The logic of the proposal is that broadcasters and other spectrum incumbents have so much political clout that the only practical way to reduce scarcity is to bribe them to bring their spectrum to market. But this approach confers a massive and undeserved financial windfall -- up to $500 billion -- on a few lucky industries. And freezing the old zoning system into permanent private property rights would forestall emerging "smart" radio technologies that can dynamically share today's underutilized spectrum space. Today the fastest-growing demand for telecommunications involves inexpensive WiFi -- short for "wireless fidelity." College campuses and "hot spots" in airports and Starbucks offer this cheap and mobile Internet access by creating a wireless local area network on a small band of "unlicensed" frequencies shared with cordless phones, microwave ovens and baby monitors. Unfortunately, privatizing frequencies would turn this sharing into "trespassing," allowing licensees to demand payment for access to their airwaves. Market-based spectrum reform can be achieved without a massive giveaway. The flexible new licenses proposed by the FCC task force could be rented for fixed terms. This would put all companies on a level playing field, permit property-like rights for limited periods, protect capital investment by incumbents and internalize incentives to use spectrum efficiently. The good news is that the FCC cannot transfer a wireless windfall to special interests without additional authorization from Congress. Both the administration and some influential members of Congress have expressed support for spectrum user fees. The bad news is that Congress is not exactly trustworthy when it comes to protecting the public interest from broadcasters and other powerful license holders. The champions of the public, led by Sen. John McCain, have their work cut out for them. Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Michael Calabrese directs the Spectrum Policy Program at the New America Foundation. Copyright 2003 The Washington Post Company http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46939-2003Aug11.html ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #613 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 17 23:34:09 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7I3Y8X27633; Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:34:09 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:34:09 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308180334.h7I3Y8X27633@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #614 TELECOM Digest Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:34:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 614 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Dispatch From Manhattan (Tad Cook) Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption (Rudo Bega Jr.) Making Its Mark in the 911 Phone Market (Monty Solomon) As Belated Converts, Schools Keep Vigil for Internet2 (Monty Solomon) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Group Special) LD Limbo -- How low can you go? (was Re: Miss Mom? (Gordon S. Hlavenka) Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm (Craig Macbride) Broadband Availability after Massive Power Outage? (A. R. White) Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise (Scott A Crosby) Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (Dave Phelps) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol (Romfh) Sneaky Spam! BostonTelephony.com - Telephone System (Oleg L. Medvinsky) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 18:12:40 PDT From: Tad Cook Subject: Dispatch from Manhattan During the recent power outage, my friend Tama Starr sent this wonderful narrative: Dear Friends Beyond the Northeast Power Grid: Here is a little report. On Thursday afternoon when the computers popped off and the lights dimmed -- brownout! -- I said: No prob, In minutes the place emptied out as everyone ran for their cars, arranged rides, hit the trail. A century ago thousands of people walked to and from work over the East River bridges, but they don't now. Only Bob Jackowitz, who lives way out on Long Island via the LIRR, and I were left. The emergency lights blinked on, and I stopped cursing the architect for forcing us to install so many. Our office is a renovated townhouse, so we'd have sleeping quarters, breakfast food, even hot water. Our humble altitude, only four stories, runs the plumbing on city water pressure: no pumps. We stingily kept the doors and windows shut to preserve the conditioned air. At dark we went out. Restaurants were closed but the Chippery, a sandwich bar around the corner, was open, twinkling with candlelight like a Byzantine chapel. Everyone was ordering salad "with everything" to make Salad Man's life easier. The woman behind me on line noticed the candles were guttering down and told the owner, working behind the counter, that she'd run home and fetch more. "That's neighborly," I remarked. "Yeah, they cost $65 apiece," she said. Kidding. Bob and I took our salads to Madison Square Park where we could watch the crowds hustling by on Broadway. Nine at night and not many cars, but hundreds of pedestrians. We couldn't figure out why they were all walking so purposefully. Where did they have to go? The intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street held a hint of techno-rave. Lots of people carried glo-sticks: not very illuminative, but festive. Faces were lit blue by cell phones. Red emergency flares writhed on the ground, replenished by the ubiquitous police cadets, dipping into the trunk of a cruiser. We walked down to Union Square. On the corner of 22nd Street and Broadway, Mr. Softee in his garishly-lit truck provided an oasis of icy brightness. Dozens of people perched nearby on the planters and stoops, enjoying their creamy treats, until the last of even the peanut-butter mocha ripple crunch was gone, at around ten. Small groups of people sat in battered chairs in office-building doorways, iluminated by glowing cigarette-ends like fireflies, each cluster a cluster of sound: laughter, conversation, the tinny rattle of AM news. People shared warmish six-packs, baggies of grapes, DVD movies on laptops. This party went on for miles. The missing electricity provided a glimpse into a previous century, especially in this old part of town. Windows glowed brownish with candlelight, voices preceded their owners out of the gloom. Cornices and parapets were silhouetted against the sky and beyond them, to everyone's amazement, stars! But it wasn't truly dark. This is still a city. Headlights add up, and emergency lights. Some lobbies and windowed stairwells remained lit, and a few focal points like the observatory deck of the Empire State Building. So the sky still reflected light; you could have seen us from space. Also spoiling the old-world illusion was the noise: buses, helicopters, sirens, generators apparently hooked up to nothing. And voices: the blended, helium-filled sound of mass celebration, blocks away. We weren't really bereft of electricity. We can't be, ever again. We swim in that excited juice. Within the sea of electromagnetic radiation made perceptible by our radios and TVs, we carry our flashlights and cell phones; the cars creeping along the darkened streets like wary whales are globular masses of shimmying electrons. Back at our office but reluctant to go inside, we lounged on the stoop like people did in pre-air-conditioning days. A group of girls joined us, laughing at the self-important antics of the neighborhood dogs, who were all, unnecessarily, on high alert. As were the TV people. Unbelievably snarky. On someone's little portable we watched the blow-dried talking heads turning themselves upside down trying to capture some negative waves. "There's no looting -- yet," they announced lugubriously. "But with the night growing ever darker ..." They found one woman worrying about her mother in surgery, another willing to complain about the heat, the inconvenience, the lack of authorities "taking charge." But everybody was taking charge. Tiny acts of heroism, like people looking out for the elderlies and disabled, people handing out water, restaurateurs offering free snacks with half-price drinks. Continuing the theme of pre-a/c times, we decided to sleep on the roof, where there was a whiff of breeze. Bob set up the deck chairs and we settled down facing the Met Life Tower, where the clock was stuck at 4:20. "If it says anything other than 4:20 when we wake up, we'll know the power is back on," Bob said. But it wasn't. Friday no one showed up at the office, but Jimmy opened the factory. The sign hangers with their truck-mounted equipment installed billboards; the glass room made neon, since the gas lines were working; service electricians went to Times Square to shut off the timeclocks. Even the tourists might not appreciate all the signs' turning on at once if the demand surge re-blew the fuses. But despite their good example, it was hard to get much done. It was too disorienting. The missing appliances are like phantom limbs. Just below the conscious level, one keeps reaching for the switches. "It's hot ... the a/c's not working ... why don't I just turn on the fan?" "Coffeemaker's not working ... maybe some tea ... how about that electric kettle?" "Can't use the computer ... I'll just turn on the light and read." Our auto-pilots aren't sure what's not working either. Does my money still work? (Yes, but not the plastic.) Does anybody on the next block speak English? Is my husband, wherever he is, still the one I married? (I bet with all that revelry last night and the downed commuter lines, plenty of people got confused on that one.) The power came back on at 7:15 P.M., accompanied by hootin and hollerin out in the street. Sweet cool juice! The energizer. Instantly everyone dropped their 19th-century languor. The computers popped back on. Coffee began perking. By 8 P.M. most of the restaurants on the block were open, and the ice cubes were tinkling. It's Friday night and we're back in business! If you enjoy her writing, check out her books at your local library or at your fave bookstore: Signs and Wonders : The Spectacular Marketing of America by Tama Starr, Edward Hayman Eve's Revenge: Saints, Sinners, and the Stand-up Sisters of the Ultimate Extinction of Men by Tama Starr The Natural Inferiority of Women: Outrageous Pronouncements by Misguided Males by Tama Starr (Compiler) Tama is president of Artkraft Strauss Sign Corporation, a 106 year old electric sign company founded by her grandfather. This company was responsible for many memorable signs in Manhattan's Times Square, including the one in the 1930s that blew smoke rings. See www.artkraft.com ------------------------------ From: Rudo Bega Jr. Subject: Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption Date: 18 Aug 2003 02:46:18 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In , obsidian said: > After this, the 3rd, power blackout in as many decades has/did the > telecom infrastructure function normally? I've had a DS-3 down (at the Port Auth. bldg.) for > 72 hours now. (I guess the batteries ran down on *something* Thursday night.) But hey, what is normal when you've laid off all your technicians and everyone knows you're bankrupt ... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:35:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Making Its Mark in the 911 Phone Market Making Its Mark in the 911 Phone Market By ELIZABETH KELLEHER SHARES of Intrado, the company that supplies most of the database systems used in 911 emergency calls, soared after Sept. 11, 2001, only to fall sharply in 2002. But the stock is flying high again. On the strength of optimistic earnings reports in the first and second quarters, the shares have jumped 78 percent this year, closing on Friday at $17.40. Some analysts say that the stock is still undervalued, while skeptics say that its gain after Sept. 11 was an unwarranted reaction to terrorism and that it is likely to stumble again. Intrado, based in Longmont, Colo., says revenue is increasing, thanks to the strength of its core 911 land-line business as well as growth in orders for 911 systems for cellphones. Its customers for such databases include telephone companies and police departments. During the power failure last week, Intrado's database helped some agencies direct emergency phone calls. The company already dominates the wire-based 911 market and says it has roughly 60 percent of the current cellphone market. (Only about half the cellphones now in use can reach 911 and automatically convey a location to dispatchers.) In the most recent quarter, two-thirds of the company's $30.2 million in revenue came from wire-based 911 service and a third from wireless. http://nytimes.com/2003/08/17/business/yourmoney/17INTR.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:46:29 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: As Belated Converts, Schools Keep Vigil for Internet2 WHAT'S NEXT As Belated Converts, Schools Keep Vigil for Internet2 By JEFFREY SELINGO In its early days, the Internet was essentially the domain of the government and universities. Few elementary and secondary schools were connected to the worldwide computer network by the time the Internet spread to the masses as a commercial enterprise in the mid-1990's. Even today, many public schools log on to the Internet through sluggish dial-up connections. Public schools do not want to be left behind again. That's why a few educators are now looking for ways to take advantage of the speedier data transfers promised by Internet2, the next-generation Internet, which was developed by the nation's largest research universities in 1996 after the original Internet became too clogged to allow researchers to share huge amounts of data easily. Today, only about three million people, mostly on college campuses, have access to the network backbone, known as Abilene, that is the heart of Internet2, compared with an estimated 600 million users of the original Internet. But for those sharing data, sending e-mail or browsing the Web on Internet2, the difference in speed is striking. Just how fast is Internet2? Recently, scientists transferred 6.7 gigabytes of data, the equivalent of two feature-length DVD movies, across 6,800 miles in less than one minute. That is more than 3,500 times faster than a typical home broadband connection. http://nytimes.com/2003/08/14/technology/circuits/14next.html ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 07:30:22 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:55:24 -0400, Ron Chapman wrote: > Frankly, I'm amazed that the long distance company I have sends me a > separate bill every month for my $10 in usage. But then, I'm paying 7 > cents/minute. Back when I signed up, 7 cents anytime was a heckuva > deal -- but now, I think the ten bucks I send them every month must be > pure profit to them, as little as it all costs nowadays. Well, consider that your billing every month probably costs them more than the actual cost of your calls especially if you're a low volume user. And while 7 cents/minute is quite a bit lower than in years past it is believe it or not nowhere near the bottom of the scale when it comes to call costs. I know just going to some comparison sites that long distance calling can be had for as little as 2.5 cents/minute (usually with minimums or has a monthly fee), but there are some companies that don't have any minimums or don't charge any monthly fees. You've got to figure that long distance calling has to be cheap when practically all the cell phone companies includes free domestic calling with the majority of their plans now. To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com A. Top posters. Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 18:36:26 -0500 From: Gordon S. Hlavenka Reply-To: nospam@crashelectronics.com Organization: Crash Electronics Subject: LD Limbo -- How Low Can You Go? (was Re: Miss Mom? A Honey? Ron Chapman wrote: > Frankly, I'm amazed that the long distance company I have sends me a > separate bill every month for my $10 in usage. My monthly LD usage is typically a dollar or less... Who needs LD on POTS when you've got DSL, VOIP, and unlimited LD on cellphone? In May I called and asked if I could switch to quarterly billing or something, but they said their only plan with quarterly billing had a $30/month minimum. So I sent them a check for $15, and now I'm gradually running down my credit balance. Saves me 37 cents a month, which doesn't sound like much until you compare the postage to the total bill :-) For August, Qwest sent me a 14-page bill ('cause it was originally a business line) for $0.28 -- check it out at . Gordon S. Hlavenka http://www.crashelectronics.com Grammar and spelling flames welcome. Yes, that's really my email address. Don't change it. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm From: craigm@ragingbull.com (Craig Macbride) Organization: Nyx Net, Free Internet access (http://www.nyx.net/) Date: 17 Aug 2003 06:21:20 -0600 wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) writes: > What should you know about the Blaster worm? > 1) Don't run Windows. Just not running a more bloated version than 98SE will do. Craig Macbride http://www.nyx.net/~cmacbrid I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying. - Woody Allen ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 11:52:28 -0700 From: "A. R. White" Subject: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? Several years ago I went to radio-amateur swap meets and bought all the Princess phones I could find. In addition to being built like tanks by the pre-1984-breakup Western Electric, they don't need any AC connection. (Too, I like their shape -- not to mention some of their garish, '50s-era, colors.) We will ALWAYS have at least one Princess telephone, to increase our chances of communicating with the outside world in case of power outages. I've also got a UPS for our computer, though we in Los Angeles are blessed by the very dependable Department of Water and Power. We have suffered only two major outages in the last ten years, one of those beginning about 4:30 a.m. on January 17th, 1994 -- the Northridge earthquake -- and ending about ten hours later. The other outage lasted only six hours or so; never any explanation of what happened. Pondering last week's power outage got me to thinking about survivability of broadband connections. I would think any cable-broadband connection would go out with any large-area power loss, since every so many blocks I've seen boxes with LADWP wattmeters on their faces feeding power into the cable network -- unless those boxes contain batteries, bits couldn't even get to and from the head end. DSL survivability? If the hardware is connected to the central office's back-up power, bits could get to and from "my" DSL interface card. How about the rest of the componentry that gets my bits to and from "the Internet", the routers, line drivers & receivers, the DHCP and DNS servers? Pretty clearly the upper levels will have backup power. But how far down the hierarchy will backup extend? Will SBC's point of presence in my central office have backup power, or Adelphia's in my neighborhood's head end? Based on their historical concern and record, I would think telcos more likely to sustain broadband connections than cable companies; the switches in the basement(s) of the Twin Towers were functioning until collapse. Layered defense, I suppose: Keep that modem connection dusted off and tested. Get a ham license, equipment for packet radio, an inverter, and a shelf of 12V batteries. Maybe solar panels and/or a Honda generator to recharge the batteries. A. R. White nomdenet@pacbell.net ------------------------------ From: Scott A Crosby Subject: Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Date: 17 Aug 2003 16:04:05 -0500 Organization: Rice University On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 15:54:51 GMT, Jay R. Ashworth writes: > Stanley settled back into the couch, and Tom Betz > said to him: >>> http://www.msnbc.com/news/940490.asp >> Unlike most of what passes for journalism these days, this series >> (part 4 is now available) is superbly-researched and written, and >> should be required reading for anyone who asks the question, >> "What's the deal with spam? It ain't so bad." >> It is that bad, and those who engage in it are worse; and this >> series is spelling out the how and why of it. > And this paper: > http://www.martiansoftware.com/articles/spammerpain.html has some > *very* cogent suggestions as to how to fix it. I can't imagine that > if the top 20 ISP's implemented something like this on their inbound > MX servers, that the problem wouldn't go away within 3 months. Unfortunately no. Connection throttling won't help. For a spammer, all TCP connections are multiplexed over a single interface. Thus, 100 TCP connections sending 10 spams a second, or 10,000 TCP connections sending one every 10 seconds will consume the same bandwidth. The only difference might be that this could tickle some scalability issues in the sender's operating system or server software. For instance, the sender's operating system may be unable to deal with large numbers connections. At least under UNIX, the limit appears to be RAM and exceed 30,000 concurrent TCP connections. Its more likely that the OS can't handle tens of thousands of threads or processes in a mulithreaded/forking server. Unfortunately, the spammer can use an event-driven server model and not need any extra threads. When I mean tens of thousands of concurrent connections, I refer to connections to distinct servers, not parallel connections to the same server. I'd say it'd take a competent programmer under a month to write such a mass-mail program. And as a bonus, it can be intelligent enough to look at error-codes and resend on temp-fail; to bypass that other trick that I've been hearing about. Thus, it seems to me that connection tarpitting is at most a very temporary solution. Scott http://www.kegel.com/c10k.html http://www.mail-archive.com/tarproxy-list%40martiansoftware.com/msg00001.html ------------------------------ From: Dave Phelps Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 19:53:31 -0500 Organization: www.tippenring.com In article , siegman@stanford.edu says: > [The above questions are in fact *questions*, intended to help my own > education and maybe provoke some discussion. But (rant mode on), > every time I hear some Republican right-wing free-market idiot rave > about how the free market always meets human needs best and government > regulation is always bad, I think about questions like these -- not to > mention the question of how the free market would have prevented the > power outage itself (rant mode off).] Why are people so dependent on cell phones? It is much easier for landline companies to be more reliable than cell phones. Heck, on the reliability scale, my cell phone ranks much lower than landline service anyway -- there doesn't need to be a power outage. Putting a generator, and all the associated wiring, at every cell site would be a huge expense. Even landline companies aren't putting generators at every CO anymore. The COs that don't have generators are usually wired up so that they can bring in a portable generator and plug it in hopefully before the batteries die, but that solution is intended only for a localized power outage, not an outage on the scale of the Northeast blackout. I'm sure there were many COs and remote fiber cabinets that went down due to dead batteries, we just haven't heard about them yet. Also consider that many cell sites house equipment for four or five service providers. That would be four to five generators per site. A good idea might be, since most cell sites are actually owned by a tower company rather than a cell provider, that the tower owner provides the generator instead of the cell companies, but it would be voluntary. All we need is one tower company to offer the service. Cell companies would then prefer that provider, which would force the other tower companies to follow suit to stay competitive. Even if all of the cell sites were up during the outage, the cell networks could not have possibly handled the call volume that would have been generated -- there simply isn't enough bandwidth allocated to the cell spectrum. IMHO, this should not be legislated. If it were, I think we would have nothing but a mess, just like the telco and power systems we have now. Maybe if regulators actually knew about the business that they were regulating, it might be different. As it stands, most regulators are there as political favors. Some sort of learn the job, others just push pencils. A perfect example is phone company management. The phone company doesn't hire from the ranks for management positions anymore. They hire people with MBAs, regardless of experience it seems; no telco knowledge necessary. It seems obvious to me that MBA types aren't qualified to run the phone company -- just look at the state they've put it in. There are so many layers of management that it's stupid. It's no different with regulators. Until the government fixes the way regulators and policies are chosen, I am absolutely against trying to regulate any more businesses. The government can't even DEregulate anything well. I'm curious why any questions from the media and public were *ever* directed at the government about this whole blackout issue. There are very few people in government that are knowledgable about power distribution, and the press certainly didn't find any. Why does anyone think the President knows anything about the power distribution system? Why weren't the utilities asked the hard questions; after all, it's their responsibility and problem, not the government's. Dave Phelps DD Networks www.ddnets.com deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: Pete Romfh Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 21:54:36 -0500 KiloDeLate wrote: > It's a spammer sure enough. If they're so stupid they > need to ask on a telecom group they deserve to be flamed > for it. We could send him 50,000 ads for pills to enlarge your SMS phone. "Real SMS users have BIG antennas". and "She'll gasp at your touch - tone" ;) Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet. promfh at Texas dot net ------------------------------ From: omed@adrotech.com (Oleg L. Medvinsky) Subject: Sneaky Spam! BostonTelephony.com - Telephone System For Needs Date: 17 Aug 2003 01:47:47 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I saw a few messages that people are looking for telephone systems, we're authorized national NBX reseller. If you not familiar with the word NBX, you must be familiar with it's manufacturer, 3Com. It's top of the line communication system, with VoIP license. Check it our on our website: http://www.BostonTelephony.com ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #614 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 18 19:07:57 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7IN7vB02824; Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:07:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:07:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308182307.h7IN7vB02824@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #615 TELECOM Digest Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:08:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 615 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #395, August 18, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SM (Alan Burkitt-Gray) Washington Post: "Wireless Growth Hinders Rescuers" (Carl Moore) Status of Cell Phone Number Portability (H. Peter Anvin) Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs (H. Peter Anvin) Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise (Ed Clarke) Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption (Robert Freimer) Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (Pete) Broadband National Announces Vinny Olmstead New President (Eworldwire) Answering Machine With a USB Port (Jake Arnold) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:16:12 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #395, August 18, 2003 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 395: August 18, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** BELL CANADA: http://www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: http://www.cisco.com/ca/letstalk ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: http://www.cygcom.com ** ERICSSON CANADA: http://www.ericsson.ca ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: http://www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: http://www.primustel.ca ** Q9 NETWORKS: http://www.Q9.com ** TELUS: http://www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Most Phones Worked in the Dark ** Cellcos Must Provide E9-1-1 ** Telus Enhances Push-to-Talk Service ** ExpressVu to Zap Signal Pirates ** Cybersurf to Offer High-Speed Internet ** FCI Appeals Wire Access Rules ** CRTC Reverses Order on Telus Conduit Fees ** Microcell Records Profit, Subscriber Losses ** Fido Offers Flat-Rate Calling Among Subscribers ** CPC Acquires Payphone Assets ** 360 Buys Utelco's Fibre ** Craig Challenges Look Stock Deal ** Defending Yourself Against Awful Telecom Bills ============================================================ MOST PHONES WORKED IN THE DARK: In general, Ontario's phone systems continued operating during the great power blackout, but there were exceptions. ** Backup generators kept wireline Central Offices functioning, although many local and long distance circuits were congested. On Friday, Bell Canada said that 99% of lines were working, but encouraged customers to restrict usage to essential calls. ** Network congestion blocked many cellphone calls. Later, cellsites that had only battery backup went down, reducing network coverage up to 25%. ** Most PBXs and Key Systems either failed immediately, or failed when their backup batteries were fully discharged. ** The Internet stayed up, but few of those without power could access it. CELLCOS MUST PROVIDE E9-1-1: CRTC Decision 2003-53 directs all wireless service providers, not just wireless CLECs as before, to provide wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 service wherever the service is available from an ILEC. Wireless E9-1-1 transmits the location of the cellsite where the cellphone is currently operating. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-53.htm TELUS ENHANCES PUSH-TO-TALK SERVICE: Telus Mobility has enhanced the Direct Connect feature of its Mike service, allowing instant connection between different user groups. ** Direct Connect calls currently work only within a region; Telus says it will roll out national service this fall. EXPRESSVU TO ZAP SIGNAL PIRATES: Beginning this fall, Bell ExpressVu will be able to remotely disable receivers that use illegal cards. The cable industry has been critical of the satellite broadcaster for its alleged lack of zeal in combating TV signal piracy. (See Telecom Update #359) CYBERSURF TO OFFER HIGH-SPEED INTERNET: Calgary-based ISP Cybersurf Corp. says it has signed a Third Party Internet Access agreement with Rogers Cable for Greater Toronto, and a wholesale DSL agreement with Bell Canada for Ontario and Quebec. It hopes to launch high-speed service in the Toronto area by September 1. ** Cybersurf's complaint that Shaw has reneged on a Third Party Internet Agreement is now before the CRTC. (See Telecom Update #388) FCI APPEALS WIRE ACCESS RULES: FCI Broadband has asked the CRTC to review and vary Telecom Decision CRTC 2003-45 so that they won't have to post their building access agreements on the Web. FCI says the requirement will reveal all the apartment buildings where FCI has facilities, allowing Bell Canada to direct targeted offers to FCI customers. CRTC REVERSES ORDER ON TELUS CONDUIT FEES: In January 2000, the CRTC told Telus to charge competitors a uniform rate to use its conduit, regardless of the underlying cost to Telus. Following an application by Shaw Communications, the CRTC has reversed this ruling and ordered Telus to reinstate the lower rates for Type B, C, and D conduit previously approved in 1995. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-54.htm MICROCELL RECORDS PROFIT, SUBSCRIBER LOSSES: Microcell Telecom had second quarter revenues of $139.7 million, down 4% from the same period last year. Microcell's subscriber total declined 2.5% from the previous quarter; average churn was 3.0%. Net income: $25.2 million. (See Telecom Update #381) FIDO OFFERS FLAT-RATE CALLING AMONG SUBSCRIBERS: Microcell Fido now offers unlimited calling between its customers, in addition to 100 daytime and 1,000 anytime minutes to non-Fido numbers, for $25/month. CPC ACQUIRES PAYPHONE ASSETS: Canada Payphone Corp. has bought 95 payphone sites from Paytel Alberta and is negotiating to buy sites from bankrupt provider Global Access Communications. 360 BUYS UTELCO'S FIBRE: Vancouver-based 360networks has outbid two rivals to buy 38,000 kilometres of fibre and other assets of Touch America, a Montana electrical utility that failed in an attempt to become a telecom provider. Price: US$43 million. CRAIG CHALLENGES LOOK STOCK DEAL: Craig Wireless, which owns just under 30% of Look Communications, has asked a Manitoba court to block a deal that gives Unique Broadband Systems 30% ownership of Look, with an option to take majority control. (See Telecom Update #385) DEFENDING YOURSELF AGAINST AWFUL TELECOM BILLS: In the latest issue of Telemanagement, consultants Henry Dortmans and Mike Dunne explain how to conduct your own telecom bill audit. Also in Telemanagement #207: ** "Succession 3.0: Nortel's Next Generation" ** "Power Line Communications Gets Back on Track" ** "IP-PBX or IP-Centrex?" Telemanagement is available only by subscription. For more information on Canada's #1 source for expert, independent telecom analysis and guidance, call 800-263-4415 ext 500 or go to www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm.html. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. 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The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: Alan Burkitt-Gray Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SM Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:39:29 +0100 Lisa Minter wrote: > Well I know that SMS stands for 'Short Message Service', and it > refers to the type of (150 characters or less) messages you can send > to cell phones; such things as a quick reminder or note. ... I do not > know about SMPP. Maybe the SM part stands for Spam Mail. 160 characters, actually, is the maximum. I'm not being critical, Lisa, but it's only from North America that such a comment could be made. SMS might still be a novelty in the US and Canada, but worldwide mobile phone users send more than a billion text (that is, SMS) messages *every day*. According to market research company EMC, usage grew from around 20 billion a month in December 2001 to 30 billion in December 2002, so by now should be around 35-36 billion a month. See http://www.gsmworld.com/news/statistics/index.shtml. It's now 10.30am on a Monday, and I've already received about four today -- and I'm an uncool 52-year-old. SMPP is short message peer to peer, not such a well known abbreviation -- it is, I understand, the protocol for exchanging SMSs between carriers. See http://www.smsforum.net Alan Burkitt-Gray Editor, Global Telecoms Business Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, Nestor House, Playhouse Yard, London EC4V 5EX, UK tel +44 20 7779 8518 fax +44 20 7779 8248 e-mail aburkitt@euromoneyplc.com www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com [Lisa Minter note: Well, maybe so, Alan. Do you like typing and chatting with your thumb? The only cell phones I have seen that did not require you to tap the 8 key three with thumb to get a 'V' on the screen is an older model of Ericcson which looks like a Nokia 5100 phone with one important exception. On the battery contacts on the bottom of the Ericcson phone you can attach a little thing they call a 'chat board' which is a very mini full keyboard (full set of alphabet letters and numbers), although very small. So you can type more sensibly (or rather poke and peck) each desired letter and number in a text message. You said there are an estimated 35 billion such messages sent in Europe each month. Are those all spam messages like the ones here in the USA? I've seen no other phone but the Ericcson with that 'chat board' thing, available here in Independence at the Integrity Cingular Wireless dealer. I told Patrick about it, he took his Nokia 5125 phone over there and tried to test the chat board, but the little battery clips on the bottom were just a wee bit out of size, the chat board could not be attached. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 14:16:57 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Washington Post: "Wireless Growth Hinders Rescuers" Subtitle "FCC Vows to Fix Radio Interference" Article was in Washington Post today [Lisa Minter note: I am going to print some large excerpts from this article in the next issue of the Digest later today. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: H. Peter Anvin Subject: Status of Cell Phone Number Portability Date: 17 Aug 2003 22:04:52 -0700 Organization: Transmeta Corporation, Santa Clara CA Anyone knows what the status is on cell phone number portability? I gather a bunch of carriers have already started charging fees to, ahem, "cover their costs" for this ... -hpa at work, in private! If you send me mail in HTML format I will assume it's spam. "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." Architectures needed: ia64 m68k mips64 ppc ppc64 s390 s390x sh v850 x86-64 ------------------------------ From: H. Peter Anvin Subject: Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs Date: 17 Aug 2003 22:14:21 -0700 Organization: Transmeta Corporation, Santa Clara CA Followup to: By author: AES/newspost In newsgroup: comp.dcom.telecom > In article , Phil Earnhardt > wrote: >> When making Internet purchases, I would vastly prefer to have the >> vendor issue a challenge to me and generate the response to validate >> the purpose. > Every once in a while when I make a credit card purchase online or by > phone the vendor will ask for a 4-digit "security number" that's > printed in small type on some of my cards (AmEx in particular). Maybe > that's an example of challenge-response. Anyone know if that number > is encoded in the mag stripe on the card? That is not a challenge/response; in a challenge/response system there would be a number that only makes sense in the context of a particular challenge. It's really just tacking on a few more digits to your account number, that presumably aren't quite as widely spread around. A challenge/response system would be more like this: your credit card has an LCD display and a small keyboard, kind of like those "credit-card pocket calculators" which were the hottest thing about 15 years ago. When you want to buy something, you'd get a number as part of the authorization procedure (the challenge) that you'd type into your credit card, and another number (the response) would show on the LCD display. Next time the challenge would be different, and so would the response be. This is typically implemented in the following way: a) Both sides have a "shared secret", that isn't visible to the untrusted network. In this case, the human user is considered part of the untrusted network. b) The client (credit card) requests authentication. b) The server (cc company) produces a random number, the challenge. c) The client computes: SECURE_HASH(secret, challenge), and relays that, the response, back to the server. e) The server computes SECURE_HASH(secret, challenge) and compares it with the response from the client. If they match, it is safe to assume that the client is in possession of the shared secret and is therefore authentic. -hpa at work, in private! If you send me mail in HTML format I will assume it's spam. "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." Architectures needed: ia64 m68k mips64 ppc ppc64 s390 s390x sh v850 x86-64 ------------------------------ From: Ed Clarke Subject: Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Date: 18 Aug 2003 11:17:15 GMT Organization: Ciliophora Associates, Inc. Reply-To: clarke@cilia.org In article , Scott A Crosby wrote: > On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 15:54:51 GMT, Jay R. Ashworth > writes: >> Stanley settled back into the couch, and Tom Betz >> said to him: >>>> http://www.msnbc.com/news/940490.asp >>> Unlike most of what passes for journalism these days, this series >>> (part 4 is now available) is superbly-researched and written, and >>> should be required reading for anyone who asks the question, >>> "What's the deal with spam? It ain't so bad." >>> It is that bad, and those who engage in it are worse; and this >>> series is spelling out the how and why of it. >> And this paper: >> http://www.martiansoftware.com/articles/spammerpain.html has some >> *very* cogent suggestions as to how to fix it. I can't imagine that >> if the top 20 ISP's implemented something like this on their inbound >> MX servers, that the problem wouldn't go away within 3 months. [snip] > I'd say it'd take a competent programmer under a month to write such a > mass-mail program. And as a bonus, it can be intelligent enough to > look at error-codes and resend on temp-fail; to bypass that other > trick that I've been hearing about. > Thus, it seems to me that connection tarpitting is at most a very > temporary solution. Correct, but the solution has already been written. Search for "Formfucker". Basicly it's a web based spam gizmo that poisons the databases of the spammers. The program analyzes the web page and fills out the forms with realistic but totally false information. The result of this is that the ORIGINAL mainline company pays out their $20 per good lead to the spammer chain -- and gets trash in return. This financial negative feedback generates lots of anger between the spammers and the companies that employ them. And as Martha would say, "That's a good thing ...". I believe this program is normally used on the mortgage refinance spammers right now. It's often discussed -- pro and con -- in news.admin.net-abuse.email. Pro -- it hurts the money man. Con -- it is abuse itself. ------------------------------ From: robert@caliper.com (Robert Freimer) Subject: Re: Telecom and the USA/CAN Power Disruption Date: 18 Aug 2003 06:17:03 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Bell Canada had some kind of extended outage around Toronto last Friday due to the power failure. My colleague in a Toronto suburb had no POTS, but could call me using our VOIP extension over his Primus DSL to our Massachusetts PBX. ------------------------------ From: Pete Subject: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 15:01:17 -0400 I just got a quote back from a vendor , with really good pricing a new NEC phone system. I have two options which is keep our Norstar system and just upgrade or get a new NEC phone system for the same price. The main difference on the features is that the NEC will support *whisper page* out of the box. What's your opinion on the NEC PBX systems? This is for their IPK handset. My current system is a Norstar System. ------------------------------ From: Eworldwire Subject: Broadband National Announces Vinny Olmstead As New President Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 15:35:30 -0400 ATTN: TELECOM EDITORS AND WRITERS Broadband National Announces Vinny Olmstead As New President And CFO Friday, August 15, VERO BEACH, FL --- Broadband National announced today that Vinny Olmstead, a well-respected telecommunications executive, has accepted the position of President and CFO of the two-year old company. VERO BEACH, Fla./EWORLDWIRE/Aug. 18, 2003 --- Broadband National today announced that Vinny Olmstead, a well-respected telecommunications executive, has accepted the position of President and CFO of the two-year old company. As Broadband National's President, Olmstead will utilize his experience to guide the company through its next phase of growth. "This is an excellent opportunity to accelerate a scalable business model that has been underexposed. The model is built upon high-margin services, and a base of customers that generate monthly recurring revenue for multiple years." Broadband National provides telecom services nationally, and is the first company to aggregate both service coverage and pricing for more than 30 telecom providers. Broadband National has more than 3,000 customers that have utilized their services. "We are thrilled to have an executive with Vinny's experience join the Broadband National team," said AJ Koontz, Founder and Board Member. "He brings a wealth of industry, M & A, and finance experience that will drive our business." Most recently, Olmstead was Senior Vice-President of Corporate Development for GlobeNet Communications, an international telecom provider with operations in the United States, Venezuela, Brazil and Bermuda. Olmstead facilitated the successful sale of GlobeNet to Brazil Telecom. Prior to GlobeNet he was Senior Director of Corporate Development for 360networks, a global telecom provider. He also held the position of partner with the international consulting firm William M. Mercer. Olmstead earned his MBA at the University of Florida, and a degree in accounting from Flagler College. About Broadband National Broadband National is the leading aggregator of broadband services leveraging its contracts with more than 28 local, regional and national telecom companies to sell telecom services. Broadband National focuses on the small and medium markets and has executed on a marketing strategy that generates more than 25,000 monthly requests for broadband services monthly. Broadband national also licenses its proprietary qualification data-base to corporations and associations that have offices and members in multiple locations. HTML: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/wr/081803/1616.htm PDF: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/pdf/081803/1616.pdf ONLINE NEWSROOM: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1651.htm LOGO: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1651.htm CONTACT: Teresa Devine RAC Holding, Inc. 1054 20th Place Vero Beach , FL 32960 PHONE. 772-564-9871 EMAIL: teresa@broadbandnational.com http://www.broadbandnational.com Copyright 2003 Eworldwire, All rights reserved. Press Relase Distribution By EWORLDWIRE http://www.eworldwire.com (973)252-6800. ------------------------------ From: jakeemail@yahoo.com (Jake Arnold) Subject: Answering Machine With a USB Port Date: 18 Aug 2003 13:05:41 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I'm looking for a Cordless Phone/Answering Machine that allows the voice messages to be downloaded to my computer. Anyone know of such a beast? Jake Arnold ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #615 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 18 19:38:57 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7INcvr03272; Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:38:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:38:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308182338.h7INcvr03272@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #616 TELECOM Digest Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:39:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 616 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Cellular/Nextel Interference Hinders Rescuers (Nick Ruark) The Push-To-Talk Push (Eric Friedebach) Two Cities Lose Communications in Outage (Monty Solomon) Blackout Challenges Online Travel Industry (Monty Solomon) Start-Up Plans to Introduce Alternate Wi-Fi Technology (Monty Solomon) Carriers May Profit From Cellphone Switching Fees (Monty Solomon) The Bits Are Willing, but the Batteries Are Weak (Monty Solomon) Wi-Fi For Home Security (Monty Solomon) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Nick Ruark Subject: Cellular/Nextel Interference Hinders Rescuers Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 22:02:22 -0700 For additional information on this major problem, visit http://www.consensusplan.org For Comments from all areas of the industry to the FCC on the issue, visit: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi Type 02-55 into the "Proceedings" box, then click on "Retrieve Document List" at the bottom of the page. Wireless Growth Hinders Rescuers FCC Vows to Fix Radio Interference By Christian Davenport Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, August 18, 2003; Page A01 The explosive growth of the mobile phone industry has crowded and tangled the nation's airwaves to such an extent that wireless company signals are increasingly interfering with emergency radio frequencies used by police and firefighters, public safety agencies said. Emergency departments across the country -- including some in the District, Maryland and Virginia -- report unsettling stories of officers who can't call for backup, dispatchers who can't relay suspect descriptions and firefighters who can't request ambulances because of radio "dead spots" believed to be caused by wireless phone interference. "Just by the grace of God or good luck, we've been able to avoid a major problem," said Gary Manougian, a police officer in Portland, Ore. "But I don't think we can go on like this indefinitely." The Federal Communications Commission has vowed to find a solution, even if it has to reorganize a large swath of the radio spectrum -- a massive and controversial task, potentially costing hundreds of millions of dollars and taking years to complete, industry officials said. FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell said in a speech last week that "it is one of my top priorities ... to ensure that public safety has the reliable spectrum resources it needs to do its lifesaving work." He warned that solving the problem "may be one of the most challenging spectrum policy proceedings" to come before the agency. No death or catastrophe has been attributed to such communication problems, said Robert Gurss, director of legal and government relations for the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, a nonprofit organization representing emergency communication officials. But dozens of agencies large and small -- from New York City to Androscoggin County, Maine -- have registered complaints, and one public safety coalition estimates that interference is a problem in at least 27 states. The issue has its roots in the 1970s, well before the popularity of mobile phones, when the FCC assigned channels in the 800 megahertz band to public safety departments. In the 1980s, wireless companies began to acquire, with federal approval, space adjacent to the emergency radio frequencies. Soon, the wireless phone industry started to grow. Last year, there were an estimated 140 million wireless phone subscribers, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association said. An increasing number of public safety agencies moved into the 800 megahertz band as well, and as the agencies and wireless companies occupied more spectrum space, airwave conflicts intensified. Communication officials said many factors cause interference. A common problem arises when a police officer, for example, is close to a wireless phone company transmitter but far from a tower that carries the signals for emergency radios. In that situation, the wireless phone tower overpowers the officer's radio, rendering it useless, the officials said. To solve the problem, the FCC is considering reshuffling channels in the 800 megahertz band. The idea is to separate the wireless companies from the public safety departments, so they inhabit different ends of the band. None of the companies is doing anything wrong, FCC officials said. As organized, the spectrum, which is a limited resource, simply can't accommodate everyone. There are several wireless companies operating in the 800 megahertz band, including Verizon, AT&T Wireless and Cingular, the FCC said. Most of the complaints that the agency has received have been caused by Reston-based Nextel Communications Inc. because many of its band frequencies abut those of emergency radios. Mindful of the mounting pressure, Nextel has teamed with a broad coalition of partners -- including the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International and the International Association of Chiefs of Police -- to develop a proposal to reorganize the spectrum, which, if approved, would give Nextel some prime real estate in the airwaves. Nextel also has offered to pay $850 million for the cost associated with reshuffling the channels if its plan is adopted. The company's proposal is just one of many the FCC is reviewing. Many communication experts said that a complete reorganization of the spectrum is unnecessary, too expensive and too time-consuming. Meanwhile, public safety officials said the situation is urgent. "If we don't fix this now, it's only going to get worse," Gurss said. Anne Arundel County police officer Patrick A. Fisher said he ran into the problem one day this spring. The call from his partner that came over the radio was crackled and fuzzy, and Fisher could make out only two words: "start ... fire." Fisher sensed a tone of urgency in the other officer's voice and rushed to the street he knew his colleague was patrolling. When he arrived, he saw the other officer futilely fighting a house fire with a garden hose. Fisher reached for his radio, but its reception was too weak until he drove a few blocks away. Finally, firefighters arrived. "If it was another couple of minutes," Fisher said, "the whole side of the house would have been gone." About two years ago, police officers in Portland were chasing a man after a carjacking attempt when their radios went dead. The man ran through a suburban area, then hid in the woods. About a dozen officers dropped into formation around him. "We were trying to set up a perimeter, but our radios wouldn't work," Manougian said. Some officers had to run into nearby homes to call in information to the dispatcher. Denver has identified at least 24 dead spots in its communications system, and the police officers know where they are, said Dana Hansen, superintendent of communications for the city's police department. It's particularly troubling, she said, that many of the dead spots happen to be at major intersections where many traffic accidents occur. When Fairfax County first purchased an 800 megahertz radio system, it had interference problems, said Mernie Fitzgerald, a county spokeswoman. Nextel and Cingular agreed to reconfigure their systems in the county, and they were able to solve the problem, she said. "We haven't had any problems in the last two years," she said. Montgomery County recently spent $175 million on a communications system that includes an 800 megahertz radio network. The county took care to ensure there wouldn't be any interference problems, said Lt. Dallas Lipp of the county fire and rescue department. The county's system is on a different part of the spectrum than local wireless phone networks, he said, so its system is less susceptible to problems. "But we're always monitoring how our system is performing," Lipp said. The District filed an interference complaint last spring with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International. Now, having been awarded a $40 million grant from the federal government, the city plans to build seven transmitters and receivers to strengthen its radio system's signal. Anne Arundel County plans to spend $15 million over five years to build more towers and to update its equipment. And last year, county officials passed a zoning law that required wireless companies to certify that their signals would not interfere with the county's radio system. Cingular asked the FCC to strike down the ordinance. Last month, the commission did so, saying that the county was trying to regulate the airwaves through its zoning code. The county, which has appealed the FCC's decision, has worked with the companies to reduce the interference. The effort appears to be working: The number of known dead spots has dropped from more than 60 to about 20, county officials said. Still, they said, 20 is too many. Meantime, Fisher said many colleagues on the Anne Arundel County police force have found their own solution: They carry cell phones in case their radios go dead. 2003 The Washington Post Company Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A7270-2003Aug17?language=printer Forwarded from the Private Wireless Forum for Mobile Communication Professionals http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivateWirelessForum *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: The Push-To-Talk Push Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:07:06 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach Arik Hesseldahl, 08.18.03, Forbes.com NEW YORK - In compiling a list of the weirdest and least-remembered of the technology fads of the 1970s, the CB radio would have to be near the top. Well before the public discourse among arbiters of what's cool on the fashion merits of the so-called trucker hat, motorists around the U.S. experienced a brief but intense fascination with truckers and trucker culture. In the mid-1970s this mini-mania was kicked off in part by a TV advertising campaign pushing a brand of bread and centering on a fictitious trucker named C.W. McCall. The campaign culminated in the release of a few records, many composed by Chip Davis, who later gained fame as the founder of the instrumental group Mannheim Steamroller. The most successful of the trucker tunes was "Convoy," released in 1976. It opens with a few lines of CB lingo: "Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's the Rubber Duck. You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen, c'mon? ... Yeah, that's a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen." In those days, the must-have gadget of the trucker craze was the CB radio, the method by which truckers kept in touch and warned each other of lurking "Smokies," or police officers, setting speed traps. In the years before the popularization of mobile phones, some motorists rationalized that a CB radio would be good to have in the car for emergencies. They bought CB radio sets in droves, learned a spatter of the lingo and imitated The Dukes of Hazard from Friday-night TV, while their kids learned it from the CB Bears cartoon on Saturday morning. By the mid-1980s, the CB-trucker craze had faded like disco into an obscure cultural curiosity. And unlike disco, it has, thankfully, not yet seen a nostalgic revival. If that takes you back just a bit, then perhaps you're ready for "push-to-talk," which appears to be the craze of the moment among wireless service providers eager to attract business users and increase the amount of airtime they use each month. For years push-to talk has been a function available from Nextel, the wireless-service provider best known for catering to businesses where instant communication is useful. Nextel's phones include a feature it calls Direct Connect, which lets users push a button, like the CB radios of the '70s, and talk instantly walkie-talkie style with selected users who have similar phones. http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/18/cx_ah_0818tentech.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:46:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Two Cities Lose Communications in Outage By LUKAS I. ALPERT Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- The blackout disrupted emergency dispatch systems in two major cities, leaving 911 operators in Detroit hand-writing notes to distribute to police officers on the streets and cutting communications between New York dispatchers and personnel for spans as long as 14 minutes, officials acknowledged Sunday. The three extended New York disruptions _ of 14, 11 and 7 minutes _ did not affect incoming 911 calls from the public, but they cut off normal communication between dispatchers and emergency personnel on the street, said fire department spokesman Mike Loughran. Loughran said the fire department, which dispatches emergency services, has a backup system that could relay calls directly over hand-held radios if necessary. Residents in Detroit could also make emergency 911 calls during the two-hour computer failure, but the computer-assisted dispatch system normally used by operators to record the calls and dispatch the appropriate responders was down, said Jamaine Dickens, a spokesman for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The Detroit operators were left to write out the details of the calls on paper and distribute the information by hand to police, fire and emergency medical service dispatchers, but there appeared to be little impact on the response, Dickens said. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35310338 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:59:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Blackout Challenges Online Travel Industry Blackout Challenges Online Travel Industry By SUSAN STELLIN LAST week's blackout posed challenges to many businesses. But it hit the online travel industry when the companies were already grappling with the challenge of cultivating customer loyalty. The power failure in parts of eight states and Canada raised a pressing issue for travelers: how to know when they would be able to fly. Typically, the online travel agencies and the airlines use their Web sites and wireless technology to disseminate information about cancellations and delays. During the blackout, the airlines and the three major online agencies - Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity - posted notices on their sites, advising customers to check the status of their flights, which in most cases could also be done online. Most companies also allow customers to sign up to receive flight status updates and alerts about delays sent by e-mail service or text message to a wireless device. Such services can be helpful dealing with weather-related delays. But during the blackout, the status reports were not useful to customers with limited cellphone service or no electricity for getting online. And when it comes to rebooking flights, passengers usually wind up needing to speak to an agent, either by phone or at the airport. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/18/technology/18ECOM.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 00:04:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Start-Up Plans to Introduce Alternate Wi-Fi Technology By JOHN MARKOFF PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 17 - Airgo Networks, a heavily financed Silicon Valley start-up, plans on Monday to introduce an alternative to the popular Wi-Fi wireless data standard for connecting to the Internet, capable of doubling Wi-Fi's already high speed and extending its range. Airgo's technology is just one example, industry executives said, of the continued emergence of new companies, undercutting recent fears that wireless technology innovation is slowing and is in danger of being dominated by a few large established concerns. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/18/technology/18WIFI.html [Lisa Minter note: For readers of NY Times, we offer a group login name 'telecomdigest' and group password 'telecomdigest' for your convenience in reading NY Times privatly. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 00:25:35 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Carriers May Profit From Cellphone Switching Fees By Bruce Meyerson, Associated Press, 8/17/2003 NEW YORK -- Some cellphone companies appear poised to profit off a new fee that covers the cost of enabling customers to switch wireless services without giving up their phone numbers. The fee, permitted by the government, is already being levied by four national carriers and is generally less than $1 per month. But that adds up quickly when multiplied across the millions of subscribers each carrier serves. And in certain cases, the money being collected appears to exceed the actual cost of meeting a November deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission for "number portability" -- which will let people keep their cell numbers when switching wireless providers. Sprint PCS, for example, has about 17.9 million customers who began paying an additional 63 cents per month in July, generating $11.3 million per month for "cost recovery." Over the course of a year, Sprint's fee would bring in about $135 million at current subscriber levels -- though that amount likely will be even higher since Sprint and other carriers are signing up hundreds of thousands of new customers per quarter. Sprint refused to quantify its expense for enabling number portability beyond a rough estimate of "hundreds of millions of dollars" -- an amount several times larger than more specific estimates disclosed by rivals Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless. Similarly, Nextel Communications says it has spent about twice the costs estimated by Verizon and Cingular. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2003/08/17/carriers_may_profit_from_cellphone_switching_fees ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:29:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Bits Are Willing, but the Batteries Are Weak By AMY HARMON For many Internet addicts, the blackout last week was a rude reminder of just how decisively the vaunted 21st-century digital lifestyle can be laid low by a disruption in 19th-century electrons. While hardly enjoyable, being severed from the usual sources of food, water and transportation has occurred in previous power failures. But losing access to the digitized information that permeates our lives - from work-related records to Google searches to e-mail love letters - punctured a cherished illusion of the cyberage: that cyberspace is a separate universe, immune from real-world physics. Digital bits are often portrayed as a parallel world. If we do not need bodies to communicate or bookstores to buy books, the intuition beckons, why would we need something as mundane as power cords? But under cover of blackout, the digital world revealed itself as very much in electricity's thrall. Surely, it should have been obvious: personal computers do not work when they are not plugged in. Laptops and MP3 players require batteries, as in charged. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/18/technology/18DIGI.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 03:50:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wi-Fi For Home Security Ten O'Clock Tech Arik Hesseldahl ,08.13.03, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - If you've resisted the siren's call to install your own wireless home network using Wi-Fi, the call is starting to get more difficult to resist all the time. Sure, it's easy and it adds convenience for making broadband Internet access readily available all over your home. And when you have a notebook with a Wi-Fi card or with integrated Wi-Fi support, there's an ever-growing number of Wi-Fi hotspots that make remote Web access a snap. But if roaming around the house with a Web-ready untethered notebook isn't enough to get you interested in Wi-Fi, perhaps home or office security will. In the last few months the latest twist on the Wi-Fi phenomenon has been a combination of Web conferencing and security. Remember the Web cam? It's gone Wi-Fi, and it has a new security-oriented mission. D-Link , the privately held home-networking concern, earlier this year announced the DCS-2100, which it's billing as a security camera. It connects directly to Wi-Fi networks anywhere the network's signal can reach, taking pictures that are easily viewable from a Web browser anywhere. http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/13/cx_ah_0813tentech.html ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #616 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 19 19:06:26 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7JN6QJ10295; Tue, 19 Aug 2003 19:06:26 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 19:06:26 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308192306.h7JN6QJ10295@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #617 TELECOM Digest Tue, 19 Aug 2003 19:06:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 617 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter SMS and Text Input (John R. Levine) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SM (Alan Burkitt-Gray) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (Dave Phelps) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (Dan Reagan) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (A Beilby) Re: The Push-To-Talk Push (Garrett Wollman) Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs (Scott A Crosby) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House ('nuther Bob) Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise ('nuther Bob) Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (J Kelly) Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? (joe@obilivan) Five Wireless Innovators (Monty Solomon) RFID Tracks Video and DVD Rentals (Monty Solomon) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: SMS and Text Input Date: 18 Aug 2003 23:23:03 -0400 Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > [Lisa Minter note: Well, maybe so, Alan. Do you like typing and > chatting with your thumb? The only cell phones I have seen that > did not require you to tap the 8 key three with thumb to get a > 'V' on the screen is an older model of Ericcson which looks like > a Nokia 5100 phone with one important exception. I think you'll find that most current phones have predictive text input. I know my Nokia 5165 did, and my 6340i does. You press one key per letter, it figures out what's the most common word in its dictionary which matches the keys you've typed, and when it guesses wrong you can cycle through other possible words and if need be enter new words in three-tap mode. I find that it guesses right almost every time unless I'm typing a name or a non-telecom jargon word. Their dictionary is remarkably complete and even includes some words not suitable for a family-oriented publication like this one. It's no substitute for a laptop, but for composing those under 160 character SMS messages, it's remarkably usable even though I have big fat fingers. On the 6340i it also has a bunch of boilerplate messages you can customize, e.g. "In a meeting, will be back at" to which you just type the time and send it. When I'm travelling, I have my Orbitz profile set up to send me flight updates by SMS, and it works great. When I'm on my Cingular home system, messages are delivered in a few seconds, but when I'm away from my home system it can take a while for messages to catch up with me. They usually do, even when roaming on AT&T, but it can take half an hour. On my last trip to Chicago, I changed planes in Pittsburgh, and after we got on the plane, we taxied out to the end of the runway, then went to a remote corner of the airport, parked, and the pilot came on and said that there was a ground stop due to Chicago weather, we'd be there for a while, and if we wanted to use our phones while parked it'd be OK. So I turned on the phone, and up popped up an SMS message from Orbitz telling me that there was a 1 hr ground stop in Chicago. They'd sent it before I got on the plane, but the message didn't make it to Pittsburgh in time. Darn. If experience with voice roaming is any guide, once people start to care about SMS roaming, they'll make it work. Regards, John Levine johnl@iecc.com Primary Perpetrator: "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be http://iecc.com/johnl "A book is a sneeze." - E.B. White, on the writing of Charlotte's Web ------------------------------ From: Alan Burkitt-Gray Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SM Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:37:39 +0100 Lisa Minter wrote: > Well, maybe so, Alan. Do you like typing and chatting with your > thumb? The only cell phones I have seen that did not require you to > tap the 8 key three with thumb to get a 'V' on the screen is an older > model of Ericcson which looks like a Nokia 5100 phone with one > important exception. Most GSM phones in the rest of the world, I don't know about North America, have predictive texting. Hit 8398 and the phone will offer you the word "text"; hit 74663 and it will offer "phone". Works most times (2255 could be both "call" and "ball"). From observation, most users don't bother with clip-on keyboards -- an average text message is four or five words (few people ever get to the 160-character limit) -- so a few seconds with the phone keypad is all that's needed. > You said there are an estimated 35 billion such messages sent in > Europe each month. No, Lisa, the world. Including North America. > Are those all spam messages like the ones here in the USA? Almost no spam from what I can see. The US seems to be the world's main spam factory, and as email costs the same -- that is, nothing -- wherever it's going we're just as subject to US-originated email spam as you are (and I don't need a low-rate US mortgage or any of the other services on offer). However any internationally addressed SMS spam would start with a non-US country code, which means even the spammers can filter it out. About twice in the last couple of years I've had a text message asking me to call a high-toll number, the idea being that the owner of the number shares some of the revenue. I've just deleted the message but I've seen from reports that the regulator has stamped very hard on the operator of such scams. Alan Burkitt-Gray Editor, Global Telecoms Business Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, Nestor House, Playhouse Yard, London EC4V 5EX, UK tel +44 20 7779 8518 fax +44 20 7779 8248 e-mail aburkitt@euromoneyplc.com Global Telecoms Business www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com is publishing its special OSS supplement and daily conference bulletins at TeleManagement World (www.tmforum.org), Dallas, Texas, on November 10-13 2003. ------------------------------ From: Dave Phelps Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 00:25:50 -0500 Organization: www.tippenring.com In article , Pete@Spamfree.com says: > I just got a quote back from a vendor , with really good pricing > a new NEC phone system. > I have two options which is keep our Norstar system and just upgrade > or get a new NEC phone system for the same price. > The main difference on the features is that the NEC will support > *whisper page* out of the box. > What's your opinion on the NEC PBX systems? This is for their IPK > handset. > My current system is a Norstar System. What is whisper page exactly? Is it the same as voicecall on the Norstar? IMHO, the NEC phone sets (at least the DTERM 3's) really didn't hold up well. You can't beat the Norstar for reliability. I can't believe that the NEC plus all new phone sets beat the Norstar upgrade, which of course allows you to keep all of your existing phone sets. As a side note, Mitel has a *great* idea in that they've apparently built a digital line card that supports Norstar phones. What a great way to grab market share. Dave Phelps DD Networks www.ddnets.com deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: googleaccount@vose.org (Dan Reagan) Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Date: 19 Aug 2003 08:28:35 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Pete wrote in message news:: > I just got a quote back from a vendor , with really good pricing > a new NEC phone system. > I have two options which is keep our Norstar system and just upgrade > or get a new NEC phone system for the same price. > The main difference on the features is that the NEC will support > *whisper page* out of the box. > What's your opinion on the NEC PBX systems? This is for their IPK > handset. > My current system is a Norstar System. We've had an NEC PBX (2000 IVS and later a 2000 IVS2) since about '97. Whisper page has been a tremendous pain in the butt for us. We had serious problems when initially implementing it and then during an 'upgrade' where we moved to a Unity VM system the problems became considerably uglier. All subsequent information is based on what I'm told by my VAR so please take it with a grain or two of salt but I believe it to be correct. The whisper page feature requires that the calling phone hit a busy signal in order to activate the feature. This means that normal internal call forward to voice mail on a busy signal doesn't work. It also means that in order to have an unsupervised transfer from the voice mail to extensions on an incoming call we needed to set up 'split' call forwarding. This means that we have a completely different set of forwarding info for each extension depending on whether the call is coming from an external trunk or an internal extension. This is both a pain to maintain and makes it a major pain when an agent wants to forward all calls directly to voice mail. We also had a problem with whisper page volume. For a while the calling party who should not have been able to hear the whisper page could in fact hear it at a very low volume. It was disconcerting at the best and depending on what was said downright dangerous. This was fixed ultimately but required a tech to call NEC about five times and took the better part of a couple of months to resolve. Anyway, my opinion is that whisper page isn't worth a darn unless it has been heavily massaged in newer software releases or our VAR has no clue and isn't setting it up properly for us. Dan ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Date: 19 Aug 2003 11:09:56 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Pete wrote in message news:: > I just got a quote back from a vendor , with really good pricing > a new NEC phone system. > I have two options which is keep our Norstar system and just upgrade > or get a new NEC phone system for the same price. > The main difference on the features is that the NEC will support > *whisper page* out of the box. > What's your opinion on the NEC PBX systems? This is for their IPK > handset. > My current system is a Norstar System. Nortel is a lot easier to get parts for, and you can get refurb pretty cheap, but I've enjoyed the NEC Elite and even have an NEC PBX, and like the general phone layout better. There is not much difference, but a few features I appreciated of the NEC are: - intelligent 911 line seizing (drops a voice line to make room when 911 is dialled). - the voicecall feature (using the external speaker of a phone set by taking a phone "off hook" remotely) can be used to dial into the computer room to listen for alarms. - you can easily label NEC phones with one print job, without having to tear and stick every Norstar button. - you do not need to upgrade software as often as Nortel systems. The major problem I do have using NEC PBX is having to untrain die-hard Meridian users (especially when people have used it for voicemail), as the option keys are quite different! Also NEC is not compatible with all third party call centre CTI applications, and there is not much "basic level" ACD capabilities. Alex Beilby ------------------------------ From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: The Push-To-Talk Push Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 00:43:05 UTC Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science In article , Eric Friedebach wrote: > For years push-to talk has been a function available from Nextel, the > wireless-service provider best known for catering to businesses where > instant communication is useful. It's worth keeping in mind that Nextel have to offer this service because it's a condition of their license. Legally, Nextel are not a cellular or PCS operator, they are a two-way operator, so they had to offer walkie-talkie service. Nextel bought in to Motorola's iDEN technology when it bought all of Motorola's two-way licenses back in 1994 (not long after the iDEN technology was introduced, and before it was even called that). -- Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@lcs.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those of| search for greater freedom. MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. ___ (2003) ------------------------------ From: Scott A Crosby Subject: Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs Date: 18 Aug 2003 18:36:23 -0500 Organization: Rice University On 17 Aug 2003 22:14:21 -0700, H. Peter Anvin writes: >> Every once in a while when I make a credit card purchase online or by >> phone the vendor will ask for a 4-digit "security number" that's >> printed in small type on some of my cards (AmEx in particular). Maybe >> that's an example of challenge-response. Anyone know if that number >> is encoded in the mag stripe on the card? Thats called the CVV2 code. It is intended for card-not-present transactions. Its also known as 'CVC' (Credit Verification Code). http://usa.visa.com/business/merchants/fraud_basics_cardnotpresent.html To protect CVV2 data from being compromised, Visa U.S.A. Inc. Operating Regulations prohibit merchants from keeping or storing CVV2 numbers once a transaction has been completed. For more examples of them, see some merchant sites: https://www.airberlin.de/site/cvc_info.php?LANG=eng&st=card http://www.ppower.com/cc_verif_code.htm > That is not a challenge/response; in a challenge/response system there > would be a number that only makes sense in the context of a particular > challenge. > It's really just tacking on a few more digits to your account number, > that presumably aren't quite as widely spread around. Yup. [ Good description of a challenge-responsee scheme snipped ] The problem with this scheme is that its not doable without a computer. How does one implement it in practice? Most likely, either a merchant would just ask for the secret and do all the messy computation. Or, the next worm that goes around will snarf the secret. Perhaps a more practical solution would be to have one-time-use passwords -- with each statement you get a list of 50 passwords. Or do what one CC vendor does. One-time-use CC numbers. The catch is that there's a tradeoff between convenience and security. The vendors want to offer maximum convenience under an acceptable level of fraud. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/4230.html Scott ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:14:20 GMT On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 07:30:22 -0700, Group Special Mobile wrote: > A. Top posters. > Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation. Q. What's wrong with top posting ? ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Who Profits From Spam? Surprise Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:17:01 GMT On 18 Aug 2003 11:17:15 GMT, Ed Clarke wrote: > Con -- it is abuse itself. Yes, but under proposed House Bill #HR-whatever that never actually passed and became a law but which we reference anyway, it's perfectly legal. :-) Bob ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: 18 Aug 2003 19:33:56 -0700 Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com] In article , Dave Phelps says: > I'm curious why any questions from the media and public were *ever* > directed at the government about this whole blackout issue. There are > very few people in government that are knowledgable about power > distribution, and the press certainly didn't find any. Why does anyone > think the President knows anything about the power distribution > system? Why weren't the utilities asked the hard questions; after all, > it's their responsibility and problem, not the government's. That would require the reporters to actually think, something most are not equiped to do since it seems to be a requirement that to be a "journalist" you must have an IQ below room temperature. Simply asking a government official gives the appearance that the press knows what they are doing when, in fact, they haven't a clue as to how to report things. During a tornado here a few weeks ago, a local tv "journalist" actually asked the emergency manager if the fire department was able to do their job when the electricity in town was out. He responded that they don't need power to fight a fire, and besides, they have these nifty machines called generators at the fire station. ------------------------------ From: joe@obilivan.net Subject: Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 05:06:18 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications A.R. White wrote: > and tested. Get a ham license, equipment for packet radio, an > inverter, and a shelf of 12V batteries. Maybe solar panels and/or a > Honda generator to recharge the batteries. > A. R. White > nomdenet@pacbell.net I'd add to the list to shed myself of Pacbell.net as my ISP. ;-) BTW, a lot of modern wireline phones continue to work after the power goes out. They just loose some of their features. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 09:10:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Five Wireless Innovators In this fifth annual E-Gang survey, profiling unsung heroes of high tech, we look at five people helping foster the next phase of the wireless revolution. Introduction: The Wonderful World Of Wirelessness Guenter Weinberger: Overcoming Incompatible Standards Stephen Tang: Tiny Fuel Cell Batteries Edmond Thomas: Freeing The Spectrum Mei Chuah: Building Virtual Worlds Kris Pister: Networks From Dust-Sized Sensors - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35326249 ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: RFID Tracks Video and DVD Rentals Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 18:10:24 -0400 RFID Tracks Video and DVD Rentals TVL and Matrics have created an integrated system that uses RFID tags to track rental inventory. Aug. 19, 2003 - Many companies that rent videos, DVDs and computer games struggle to track their inventory. Movies are often picked up by customers and put back in the wrong place, and thieves find ways to spirit coveted titles out of stores. TVL, a software application development company that focuses on asset tracking, has integrated RFID technology from Matrics, a Columbia, M.D.-based systems provider, with its own Rapid Rental software to help solve both problems. The system, which TVL demonstrated at an industry trade show held in Las Vegas last week, is comprised of the Rapid Rental software, RFID tags on the items to be tracked, and RFID readers situated in the store shelves, above the return bins and at the exits. Two-inch by two-inch Matrics tags, which operate at 915 MHz and are based on the Auto-ID Center's proposed Class 0 Electronic Product Code specification, are inserted under the factory label on the disc or videocassette. The unique serial number on the tag is associated with the rental title in the Rapid Rental software. The system keeps track of each title's position on the shelf. If someone picks up the item and continues shopping, its status is changed to "roaming." When the person checks out, the system is updated so that when the customer passes the exit reader, no alarm sounds. When the title is tossed into the return bin, a reader scans the tag, and the item is automatically checked back into inventory so it can be rented again immediately. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/540/1/1/ ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #617 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 20 13:08:54 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7KH8rn16737; Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:08:54 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:08:54 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308201708.h7KH8rn16737@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #618 TELECOM Digest Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:09:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 618 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Tons of Viruses in Mail Today (TELECOM Digest Editor) Five Wireless Innovators (Monty Solomon) RFID Tracks Video and DVD Rentals (Monty Solomon) Dobson Communications Completes Acquisition Of American Cell (M Solomon) FCC OKs Video for AOL Instant Messaging (Monty Solomon) EchoStar Could Bid $1.45 bln for Loral Assets (Monty Solomon) Spain's Terra Lycos to Offer Disney High-Speed Web (Monty Solomon) Internet Search Companies Could Face Fight on Ads (Monty Solomon) Slammer Worm Crashed Ohio Nuke Plant Network (Monty Solomon) Appeal in Bug Disclosure Case (Monty Solomon) Privacy Advocates Call for RFID Regulation (Monty Solomon) Financial Privacy Bill Advances (Monty Solomon) Aggregators Attack Info Overload (Monty Solomon) Who's Holding the Aces Now? (Monty Solomon) Will Wi-Fi fly? (Monty Solomon) A Mobile Phone That Tunes In TV (Monty Solomon) Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs (H. Peter Anvin) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (jmeissen) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Special Mobile) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (SayNoToCrossposters) Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (Dave Temkin) How to Get Pic From Web Cam and Send it as MMS? (Mario) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 12:09:21 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Tons of Viruses in Mail Today And they are still rolling in ... every few minutes several more ... This is such a wild day; there were close to a thousand virus emails between yesterday and thus far today. Needless to say if you are using various flavors of Windows and email programs be extremely careful about opening ANY attachments. PAT ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 09:10:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Five Wireless Innovators In this fifth annual E-Gang survey, profiling unsung heroes of high tech, we look at five people helping foster the next phase of the wireless revolution. Introduction: The Wonderful World Of Wirelessness Guenter Weinberger: Overcoming Incompatible Standards Stephen Tang: Tiny Fuel Cell Batteries Edmond Thomas: Freeing The Spectrum Mei Chuah: Building Virtual Worlds Kris Pister: Networks From Dust-Sized Sensors - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35326249 ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: RFID Tracks Video and DVD Rentals Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 18:10:24 -0400 TVL and Matrics have created an integrated system that uses RFID tags to track rental inventory. Aug. 19, 2003 - Many companies that rent videos, DVDs and computer games struggle to track their inventory. Movies are often picked up by customers and put back in the wrong place, and thieves find ways to spirit coveted titles out of stores. TVL, a software application development company that focuses on asset tracking, has integrated RFID technology from Matrics, a Columbia, M.D.-based systems provider, with its own Rapid Rental software to help solve both problems. The system, which TVL demonstrated at an industry trade show held in Las Vegas last week, is comprised of the Rapid Rental software, RFID tags on the items to be tracked, and RFID readers situated in the store shelves, above the return bins and at the exits. Two-inch by two-inch Matrics tags, which operate at 915 MHz and are based on the Auto-ID Center's proposed Class 0 Electronic Product Code specification, are inserted under the factory label on the disc or videocassette. The unique serial number on the tag is associated with the rental title in the Rapid Rental software. The system keeps track of each title's position on the shelf. If someone picks up the item and continues shopping, its status is changed to "roaming." When the person checks out, the system is updated so that when the customer passes the exit reader, no alarm sounds. When the title is tossed into the return bin, a reader scans the tag, and the item is automatically checked back into inventory so it can be rented again immediately. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/540/1/1/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:28:54 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Dobson Communications Completes Acquisition Of American Cellular OKLAHOMA CITY, August 19, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dobson Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DCEL) today announced that it had completed its acquisition of American Cellular Corporation, following the successful restructuring of American Cellular's indebtedness and equity ownership. "With almost 1.6 million subscribers, the new Dobson Communications is now the ninth largest wireless operator in the United States and the largest independent rural wireless provider," said Everett Dobson, chairman, chief executive officer and president. "The combined entity serves markets with a population of approximately 11.1 million. These are among the most strategically attractive markets in the United States, with excellent growth potential and relatively low wireless penetration, compared to the nation as a whole." As of the quarter ended June 30, 2003, Dobson had reported trailing 12 months (TTM) total revenue of $584.6 million (Table 1); EBITDA of $265.6 million (TTM); and income from continuing operations of $44.9 million (TTM). As of the end of the second quarter of 2003, American had reported total revenue of $460.6 million (TTM); EBITDA of $195.6 million (TTM); and a loss from continuing operations of $418.9 million (TTM), which included a fourth quarter 2002 impairment of goodwill totaling $423.9 million. (For complete financial results and the Company's definition of EBITDA, please see the attached Tables 1 and 2, the Form 10-Q filings by Dobson and American Cellular for the quarter ended June 30, 2003, and the Form 10-K filings for the year ended December 31, 2002.) As part of the acquisition and American Cellular restructuring, holders of $681.9 million outstanding principal amount of American Cellular 9-1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes (CUSIP No. 025058AF5) ("Notes") received approximately $48.7 million in cash, 43.9 million shares of newly issued Dobson Communications Class A common stock, and 681,900 shares of a new series of Dobson Communications convertible preferred stock, which has an aggregate liquidation preference of $125 million and is convertible into a maximum of approximately 13.9 million shares of Dobson Communications Class A common stock. Holders representing 97.4 percent of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes accepted the offer, and, as a result, American Cellular has become a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dobson Communications. Dobson has agreed to file within 20 days a re-sale shelf registration statement for the shares of Class A common and the preferred stock issued or issuable in connection with the transaction. AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE), which with Dobson acquired American Cellular in February 2000, no longer has an equity stake in the subsidiary. AT&T Wireless owns approximately 4.5 million shares of Dobson Communications common stock and recently signed long-term GSM/GPRS roaming agreements with both Dobson and American Cellular. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35331774 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:32:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC OKs Video for AOL Instant Messaging By DAVID HO Associated Press Writer The Federal Communications Commission will allow AOL Time Warner Inc. to add videoconferencing to its popular instant-messaging software, lifting a restriction imposed in 2001. The Republican-dominated FCC voted 3-2 to approve the change, with the two Democrats dissenting, said an FCC official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The vote should be made public soon, the official said. FCC spokesman David Fiske declined to comment. When the government conditionally approved the merger between America Online and Time Warner in 2001, it limited AOL's inclusion of advanced services in its instant-message software. The restriction was to last until the FCC decided it wasn't needed or the company agreed to allow customers of rival services, such as those from Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! Inc., to send electronic messages to AOL software users. Although AOL publicly has said it would work to allow such interoperability, company officials continue to cite technical and security concerns. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35333280 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:34:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EchoStar Could Bid $1.45 bln For Loral Assets NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - EchoStar Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH) expressed interest in bidding about $1.45 billion for bankrupt satellite operator Loral Space & Communications Ltd. (BB:LRLSQ) this week, according to lawyers who attended a court hearing. The development, which emerged at a Monday hearing to set the procedure for selling Loral's North American assets, was the first public sign of rival interest since Loral agreed in July to sell the assets to Intelsat for $1 billion. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35334708 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:39:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Spain's Terra Lycos to Offer Disney High-Speed Web By Peter Henderson LOS ANGELES, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Spanish Internet service provider Terra Lycos (NASDAQ:TRLY) has signed a deal to offer The Walt Disney Co.'s(NYSE:DIS) family-friendly Web service to high- speed Internet subscribers in Spain and Latin America, Disney said on Tuesday. Terra, which had 477,000 DSL high-speed subscribers at the end of June and is looking for ways to interest a broader customer base, will offer free of charge a portal with music, games, video and learning activities called the Disney Connection, Disney said. Terra follows Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (TOKYO:9432) as the second partner for the suite of Web services, which is the main focus of the U.S. movie and entertainment conglomerate's Internet division. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35337183 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:42:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Internet Search Companies Could Face Fight on Ads By Lisa Baertlein SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug 19 (Reuters) - Some of the biggest Internet search services could be setting the stage for a legal battle with companies that object to the way these sites are using their trademarks, experts at a Web search conference said Tuesday. Google and Overture Services Inc. (NASDAQ:OVER) have in recent years seen explosive growth from their "paid listings" services, in which companies pay to have their ads run when Internet users key in certain search terms. More recently, these companies have further improved their paid-listings revenues by suggesting customers bid on other key words, or by running their ads for free with related search terms. For example, Google or Overture might suggest to an advertiser who pays to use the term "running shoes" to also add Nike, Adidas or New Balance to their search terms, to help them get more visibility. And on Google, the advertiser who bid on the term "running shoes" -- who could be a retailer, a rival shoe maker or a discounter -- might automatically have its ad appear when a customer enters the term "Nike running shoes." - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35338361 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:18:34 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Slammer Worm Crashed Ohio Nuke Plant Network By Kevin Poulsen, SecurityFocus Aug 19 2003 2:45PM The Slammer worm penetrated a private computer network at Ohio's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in January and disabled a safety monitoring system for nearly five hours, despite a belief by plant personnel that the network was protected by a firewall, SecurityFocus has learned. The breach did not post a safety hazard. The troubled plant had been offline since February, 2002, when workers discovered a 6-by-5-inch hole in the plant's reactor head. Moreover, the monitoring system, called a Safety Parameter Display System, had a redundant analog backup that was unaffected by the worm. But at least one expert says the case illustrates a growing cybersecurity problem in the nuclear power industry, where interconnection between plant and corporate networks is becoming more common, and is permitted by federal safety regulations. The Davis-Besse plant is operated by FirstEnergy Corp., the Ohio utility company that's become the focus of an investigation into the northeastern U.S. blackout last week. The incident at the plant is described in an April e-mail to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from FirstEnergy, and in a similarly-worded March safety advisory distributed privately throughout the industry over the "Nuclear Network," an information-sharing program run by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. The March advisory was issued to "alert the industry to consequences of Internet Worms and Viruses on Plant Computer Systems," according to the text. The reports paint a sobering picture of cybersecurity at FirstEnergy. http://www.securityfocus.com/news/6767 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:28:28 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Appeal in Bug Disclosure Case By Deborah Radcliff, SecurityFocus Aug 7 2003 5:00AM Bret McDanel already served his 16 months in federal prison for violating the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Now he wants to clear his record. McDanel was wrongly convicted under the federal computer fraud statute, criminal code 18 U.S.C. 1030, claims a 62-page appeal filed on McDanel's behalf by his new attorney, Jennifer Granick, clinical director for the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School. The criminal code was misinterpreted to bring about his conviction, and McDanel's public defender denied him a fair trial, asserts the brief, filed Wednesday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Between August 31 and September 5th, 2000, the 29-year-old McDanel, under the moniker, "Secret Squirrel," sent 5,600 e-mail letters to customers of his former employer, Tornado Development, Inc., a Los Angeles-based unified messaging business that provided Web-based e-mail, voice mail and other communications. McDanel's e-mails informed Tornado's customers of a serious vulnerability in the e-mail system which left e-mail login credentials, called Network Identifiers or NIDs, in plain view in their Web browser address boxes, which could then be scooped up by Web sites that harvest surfing information from visitors' browsers. According to prosecutors, McDanel intended to cause damage to Tornado's mail server by overloading it with too many messages, and caused a costly public relations problem by making public confidential information that was damaging to Tornado's reputation. But the appeal brief claims that the e-mails did not cause a denial of service. Instead, the systems were taken down to repair the security flaw, which McDanel had pointed out a year earlier at Tornado. The government's other argument was that McDaniel impaired system integrity by exposing the vulnerability publicly. Granick says that doesn't fly under existing law. http://www.securityfocus.com/news/6643 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:39:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Privacy Advocates Call For RFID Regulation By Alorie Gilbert Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 18, 2003, 8:40 PM PT SACRAMENTO, Calif.--A handful of technology and consumer privacy experts testifying at a California Senate hearing Monday called for regulation of a controversial technology designed to wirelessly monitor everything from clothing to currency. The hearing, presided over by state Sen. Debra Bowen, focused on an emerging area of technology that's known as radio frequency identification (RFID). Retailers and manufacturers in the United States and Europe, including Wal-Mart Stores, have begun testing RFID systems, which use millions of special sensors to automatically detect the movement of merchandise in stores and monitor inventory in warehouses. Proponents hail the technology as the next-generation bar code, allowing merchants and manufacturers to operate more efficiently and cut down on theft. Privacy activists worry, however, that the unchecked use of RFID could end up trampling consumer privacy by allowing retailers to gather unprecedented amounts of information about activity in their stores and link it to customer information databases. They also worry about the possibility that companies, governments and would-be thieves might be able to monitor people's personal belongings, embedded with tiny RFID microchips, after they are purchased. http://news.com.com/2100-1020-5065388.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:48:42 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Financial Privacy Bill Advances The California State Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday that will impose what could be the toughest financial privacy standards in the nation, barring companies from sharing all sorts of personal data from individuals' phone numbers to their bank balances. The bill, authored by State Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco), requires insurance companies, banks and other businesses to get customer permission before sharing or selling personal data such as bank balances or credit card activity. A spokesman for California's Senate leader, John Burton (D-San Francisco), said the bill will likely come up for approval in the Senate for approval on Tuesday, where it is widely expected to pass. If it does, it will go to Gov. Gray Davis, who has already said he'll sign it. Approval of the bill is a major victory for Speier and privacy advocates, who have worked hard to pass legislation restricting the way large companies share personal data. These efforts have previously been defeated by a strong and organized corporate opposition. Three bills similar to the one the Assembly passed on Monday have been defeated in recent years. However, a number of banks and other corporate interests decided to drop their opposition this year, as support gained momentum for a ballot initiative imposing even stricter consumer protections. The bill passed the Assembly on Monday by a 76-1 vote. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60095,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:51:28 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Aggregators Attack Info Overload By Ryan Singel Maniacally wired netizens who read a hundred blogs a day and just as many news sources are turning to a new breed of software, called newsreaders or aggregators, to help them manage information overload. Many now say that their news aggregator is as indispensable as their e-mail client. Aggregators, such as NewsGator and AmphetaDesk , allow users to subscribe to feeds from sources as diverse as the BBC, Sci-Fi Today, Slashdot and thousands of bloggers across the world. The services work by checking an Internet address at a regular interval, usually once an hour, to see if new content has been added. The feeds are written according to one of a few competing shared specifications, which are collectively referred to as RSS, which stands, depending on who you talk to, for really simple syndication or rich site summary. At heart, RSS is simply a specification that a site uses to produce a page of XML code. The code breaks up each entry or story on a website by title, description and direct link. An aggregator then determines how to display that output in a reader. http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,60053,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:54:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Who's Holding the Aces Now? By Daniel Terdiman Rob McGarvey is, in the lingo of the blackjack world, an advantage player. A card counter. To maximize his take, he keeps track of the cards as they're dealt, and tailors his bets based on the cards his system predicts will hit the felt next. Card counting, of course, is nothing new. Math professor Ed Thorp scorched Vegas with his groundbreaking 1962 book, Beat the Dealer, that detailed winning card-counting strategies. It's been a pitched battle ever since, with counters and casinos each developing new systems to stay one step ahead of the other. But to hear some tell it, the casinos' latest offensive may be its strongest yet against McGarvey and his peers. That's because of a new optical pattern recognition technology called MindPlay MP21, which is designed to automatically track and analyze the play and betting patterns of every gambler at a blackjack table in real time. http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,60049,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 00:10:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Will Wi-Fi Fly? Millions are being spent on the wireless internet, but some fear this could be the next dot.com disaster Neil McIntosh Thursday August 14, 2003 The Guardian It was a striking combination of the old and the new. The old: a huge hot air balloon, looming high above the Ashton Court estate in Bristol last weekend. The new: the Intel branding on the side of the balloon, and the wireless internet-equipped laptops the passengers were toting. The giant chipmaker was inviting observers to climb aboard and witness a technology it is hoping will take off under its own steam in the next few months. In the balloon's basket, without the aid of wires, the passengers could surf the net at broadband speeds. It was all quite a wheeze, but one that Intel is betting big money on: the company is spending $300m (£187m) to persuade us that Wi-Fi - or wireless fidelity - internet access is the Next Big Thing, rather than a lot of, well, hot air. As part of their promotional effort they have embarked on a mammoth tour of the UK which has already taken in London, and continues at the Edinburgh International Festival this week. At the centre of the fuss are the Centrino chips now being sold by Intel. They allow laptop users to log on to Wi-Fi networks, which beam out from base stations that broadcast and receive computer data wirelessly. These base stations - or hotspots - are physically connected to the internet by old-fashioned wires, completing the connection. http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1017664,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 00:23:16 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A Mobile Phone That Tunes In TV Ten O'Clock Tech Arik Hesseldahl, 07.29.03, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - Just when it seems that the practical limits have been reached in terms of what electronics manufacturers are able to cram into a small handheld device, along comes something new that forces us to think again. Having watched the evolution of the handheld computing and communications space for some years, it seemed only a matter of time before a brilliant team of engineers somewhere would devise the ultimate combination of a wireless communicator that handles both voice phone calls, wireless e-mail and personal-organization functions. That has seemed, to many observers, an unreachable nirvana. Indeed, no one has found the perfect design and combination yet, though there have been many ingenious attempts. So we were a bit taken aback by news of a curious wireless phone from South Korean electronics giant Samsung, informally named the TV Phone. It is a mobile phone with a color display screen and high-performance antenna that can receive, of all things, over-the-air TV signals. http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/29/cx_ah_0729tentech.html ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs From: pae@users.forethought.net (Phil Earnhardt) Date: 19 Aug 2003 18:00:52 -0600 > The problem with this scheme is that its not doable without a > computer. How does one implement it in practice? I'd run the software on my Palm. The enigma cards I've seen are pretty darn small. I know no reason why they couldn't be about the size of a double-thickness credit card. I'm not a cell-phone type, but there's no reason that the validation software couldn't be built in to a cell phone -- or downloaded into Java-compatible phones. > Most likely, either a merchant would just ask for the secret and do > all the messy computation. Or, the next worm that goes around will > snarf the secret. The only thing that makes sense is for me to own the computer that's generating the response. I think such systems could be completely optional for the user. At the same time, users who are willing to submit to a higher level of validation should get a price break for doing that -- some significant reward for helping to ensure that the transaction is legitimate. And that's the real rub -- the CC companies will not allow merchants to charge differently for any kind of purchase. > Perhaps a more practical solution would be to have one-time-use > passwords -- with each statement you get a list of 50 passwords. Nope. You'd have to keep that list physically with you. And too many people would keep the list in proximity to the credit card. In order for the list to have integrity, it would have to be encrypted somehow. Since the list has to be encrypted, you're going to have to have a computer. You might as well have that computer implementing a challenge-response system for you. One other advantage of the challenge-response is that you could code it to record the merchant-id and exact dollar amount for the transaction. This gives the user an easy way to track his purchases by downloading the transactions stored in the magic box when he gets home. > Or do what one CC vendor does. One-time-use CC numbers. The catch is > that there's a tradeoff between convenience and security. The > vendors want to offer maximum convenience under an acceptable level > of fraud. IMO, one-time numbers offer neither enhanced security nor enhanced convenience. I think the solution is to allow users to select challenge/response validation -- and financially reward those users who are willing to use such systems. Since the chance of fraud is far lower for such transactions, there *should* be an incentive for the merchant/CC company to reward you for using the more secure system. Such systems would also be attractive for users because they can provide an attractive way to download the transactions into your home-finance management system. > Scott --phil ------------------------------ From: H. Peter Anvin Subject: Re: Kinko's Spy Case: Risks of Renting PCs Date: 19 Aug 2003 19:03:50 -0700 Organization: Transmeta Corporation, Santa Clara CA > [ Good description of a challenge-responsee scheme snipped ] > The problem with this scheme is that its not doable without a > computer. How does one implement it in practice? Most likely, either a > merchant would just ask for the secret and do all the messy > computation. Or, the next worm that goes around will snarf the secret. Correct, it's not doable without a computer. However, the computer could be built into the credit card -- after all, credit-card-sized pocket calculators are 20-year-old technology. > Perhaps a more practical solution would be to have one-time-use > passwords -- with each statement you get a list of 50 passwords. Or do > what one CC vendor does. One-time-use CC numbers. The catch is that > there's a tradeoff between convenience and security. The vendors want > to offer maximum convenience under an acceptable level of fraud. Indeed. Note that some vendors already offer one-time-use CC numbers for online transactions (you log in to the CC company's website and get a one-transaction CC number when you are about to order something online.) Only good for online transactions, though. -hpa at work, in private! If you send me mail in HTML format I will assume it's spam. "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." Architectures needed: ia64 m68k mips64 ppc ppc64 s390 s390x sh v850 x86-64 ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: 19 Aug 2003 23:27:11 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Oh, I'd have to disagree. I think it's only annoying to people who can't think out-of-order. :-) In article , 'nuther Bob wrote: > On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 07:30:22 -0700, Group Special Mobile > wrote: >> A. Top posters. >> Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? > A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation. > Q. What's wrong with top posting ? ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 19:25:13 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:14:20 GMT, 'nuther Bob wrote: > On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 07:30:22 -0700, Group Special Mobile > wrote: >> A. Top posters. >> Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? > A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation. > Q. What's wrong with top posting ? It's pretty much useless to debate the issue and it's unlikely that top posters will change their ways, but look at it this way do you normally answer a question before someone asks it? The "natural flow of conversation" is one person saying something and another responding to it. It's surely not someone making a response and asking a question later. That's what top posters do. In a longer thread this can be quite a pain in the butt as you have to constantly up page and down page to see what the top poster is referring to. What often makes it much worse is that many top posters have the nasty habit of doing a top post and then just dumping the whole original back at the poster to whom is being responded to often including extraneous headers and several previous messages which other posters didn't trim either. To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com A. Top posters. Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Organization: Comcast Online Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 00:02:54 GMT I would ask ... which NEC system are you looking at? Aspire? Elite? Dave Phelps wrote in message news:telecom22.617.3@telecom-digest.org: > In article , Pete@Spamfree.com says: >> I just got a quote back from a vendor , with really good pricing >> a new NEC phone system. >> I have two options which is keep our Norstar system and just upgrade >> or get a new NEC phone system for the same price. >> The main difference on the features is that the NEC will support >> *whisper page* out of the box. >> What's your opinion on the NEC PBX systems? This is for their IPK >> handset. >> My current system is a Norstar System. > What is whisper page exactly? Is it the same as voicecall on the Norstar? > IMHO, the NEC phone sets (at least the DTERM 3's) really didn't hold > up well. You can't beat the Norstar for reliability. I can't believe > that the NEC plus all new phone sets beat the Norstar upgrade, which > of course allows you to keep all of your existing phone sets. > As a side note, Mitel has a *great* idea in that they've apparently > built a digital line card that supports Norstar phones. What a great > way to grab market share. > Dave Phelps > DD Networks > www.ddnets.com > deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: dave@ordinaryworld.com (Dave Temkin) Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: 20 Aug 2003 05:55:41 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ John, That's a bad assumption to make. With the advent of SLC's and RT's, a lot of POTS service now relies on local power, which is usually just batteries -- enough to last an 8 hour outage ... johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) wrote in message news:: >> My understanding, however, is that during the East Coast power >> outages of the past few days, they did not (?). > My cell phone worked just fine throughout the blackout, but the > blackout only lasted five hours here. > Cell sites all have battery backup, but the batteries don't last > forever. The cell carriers have mobile generators, but they have way > more cell sites than they can recharge with the generators they have > if there's a widespread blackout that lasts a long time. This was > widely reported in the press, e.g. > http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/16/business/16PHON.html. > Cell sites only seem to have batteries good for a few hours; you can > reasonably ask if they should have power for longer outages, but it's > not true that the cell network just failed. > One of the often-overlooked good things about boring old POTS landline > telephony is that it's all powered from the central office, so with > one big bank of batteries and one large diesel generator, they can > keep the phones on indefinitely, at least for the phone lines wired > directly to the CO, not via SLCs and other separately powered > concentrators. ------------------------------ From: mandm@flashnet.it (Mario) Subject: How to Get Pic From Web Cam and Send it as MMS ? Date: 20 Aug 2003 08:18:02 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hello, I would like to develop and application that receives a request by SMS or GPRS, in which is stated which web cam to get still pic from, username and password. And I will get in return an MMS with the pic frame. How can I achieve this? Are there software development kits for this kind of application? Thanks, Mario ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. 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End of TELECOM Digest V22 #618 ****************************** From Erica_Mei39gygy@postmaster.co.uk Thu Aug 21 12:10:59 2003 Received: from mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (mintaka.lcs.mit.edu [18.26.0.36]) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) with ESMTP id h7LGAxs26262 for ; Thu, 21 Aug 2003 12:10:59 -0400 (EDT) Received: from fedex.ai.mit.edu (fedex.ai.mit.edu [192.148.252.28]) by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (8.12.8p1/8.12.8) with ESMTP id h7LGAwlK047238 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=NO CN=) for ; Thu, 21 Aug 2003 12:10:58 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from Erica_Mei39gygy@postmaster.co.uk) Received: from METAFRAME (rrcs-central-24-123-2-188.biz.rr.com [24.123.2.188]) by fedex.ai.mit.edu (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h7LGAk2l004275 for ; Thu, 21 Aug 2003 12:10:56 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <200308211610.h7LGAk2l004275@fedex.ai.mit.edu> From: To: Subject: Re: Details Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 12:10:46 --0400 X-MailScanner: Found to be clean Importance: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 (Normal) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="_NextPart_000_12C70922" This is a multipart message in MIME format --_NextPart_000_12C70922 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit See the attached file for details --_NextPart_000_12C70922-- From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 21 17:15:13 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7LLFDa28278; Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:15:13 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:15:13 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308212115.h7LLFDa28278@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #619 TELECOM Digest Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:15:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 619 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter ISPs: Sobig's the Biggest Virus so Far (Monty Solomon) Portability Alters Power Balance (Monty Solomon) Mark Cuban: Watch Out for "Ultrabroadband" (Monty Solomon) Texting Blamed For Summer Movie Flops (Monty Solomon) MSN Messenger Upgrade Blocks Trillian (Monty Solomon) Key FCC Broadband Rules Expected Soon (Monty Solomon) FCC Lifts AOL Messaging Limits (Monty Solomon) Apple's Airport Meets The Concrete (Monty Solomon) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Dave Phelps) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Mark Crispin) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (jmeissen) Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House (Ron Chapman) Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? (Lisa Hancock) Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? (J Kelly) Blocking Unknown Calls (BPOE758) Who Are Inventors (suntronicsus@yahoo.com) Ericsson Wins $600 mln China Order, Sees More (Eric Friedebach) Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem (Robert Foster) New GPS Data Logging System (David Andresen) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:13:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: ISPs: Sobig's the Biggest Virus so Far By Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com The Sobig virus is aptly named. Recent data from e-mail service providers pegs the infection caused by the latest variant of the Sobig virus as the largest epidemic of a mass-mailing computer program to date. E-mail filtering company MessageLabs, for instance, said it intercepted more than a million messages that carry the virus on Tuesday, while rival Postini trapped 2.6 million in 24 hours. http://news.com.com/2100-1002-5066444.html [Lisa Minter note: Well I know we got nowhere as many viruses as some of these guys, but it was pretty hellish here Tuesday and yesterday. I do not know as much about handling those things as Patrick, but I do know he shoveled them out heavily all day yesterday. There were many times several dozen viruses arrived in pieces of email just a few seconds apart. We run some sort of virus catcher thing on all his computers from a company called 'AVG Version 6.0' which is a free program from the Free Software place in Massachusetts and it is supposed to watch everything that comes or goes through the router box then in addition scans the entire hard disk on all three computers at about 3:00 AM each night. Even with the firewall he has installed through the router, for the past several nights it has reported finding viruses each night, including 'Dropgate', 'Sobig', 'Delf' and 'Small'. The program keeps a log of each virus it finds and how it either quarentines them or heals them or destroys them. This is like a full scale war that is going on. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 00:35:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Portability Alters Power Balance In the price tug of war with cell phone carriers, commercial users will gain discount negotiating clout once their employees can change service without changing numbers. By Jon Van Tribune staff reporter Published August 19, 2003 When cell phone customers can keep their numbers after changing carriers, expect a herd of users to switch providers. But the loudest roar is likely to come from business users with corporate accounts. The new rules allowing for number portability will lead to fat discounts and shifting control of cell phones used for business, industry insiders predict. http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0308190127aug19,1,2271619.story ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 23:25:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Mark Cuban: Watch Out for "Ultrabroadband" THE FUTURE OF TECH -- ROAD MAP Mark Cuban: Watch Out for "Ultrabroadband" Broadcast.com's founder says once high-speed Net access gets to 1 gigabit a second, "then we'll see our lives change" Mark Cuban, founder of Broadcast.com, is now the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks National Basketball Assn. team. But that doesn't mean he has ceased being outspoken on tech trends, from what broadband needs to become a world-changer to why the music business "is the only industry in America where sales can fall by 10% per year, and everyone yells it's not their fault." BusinessWeek's Peter Elstrom recently talked to Cuban to get his thoughts on the state of tech. Following are edited excerpts of their conversation: http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_34/b3846646.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 23:29:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Texting Blamed for Summer Movie Flops By Andrew Gumbel In Hollywood, 2003 is rapidly becoming known as the year of the failed blockbuster, and the industry now thinks it knows why. No, the executives are not blaming such bombs as The Hulk, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle or Gigli on poor quality, lack of originality, or general failure to entertain. There's absolutely nothing new about that. The problem, they say, is teenagers who instant message their friends with their verdict on new films -- sometimes while they are still in the cinema watching -- and so scuppering carefully crafted marketing campaigns designed to lure audiences out to a big movie on its opening weekend. http://news.independent.co.uk/digital/news/story.jsp?story=434778 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:05:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: MSN Messenger Upgrade Blocks Trillian By Jim Hu Staff Writer, CNET News.com Microsoft is forcing people to upgrade to newer versions of its instant messenger application and is shutting its doors to third-party IM products such as Trillian. As of Oct. 15, users of Microsoft's free Web-based MSN Messenger and its Windows XP-based Windows Messenger will need to upgrade their software to a newer version or be shut out of the service, the software giant said Wednesday. MSN Messenger users will need to upgrade to version 5.0 of higher; Windows Messengers customers will need to upgrade to version 4.7.2009 or higher; and consumers with MSN Messenger for Mac OS X will have to use version 3.5 or higher. The last MSN Messenger to be released was version 6. According to Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall, "Security issues that could be posed (on older versions) require us to force an upgrade." He declined to detail the security issue, saying disclosure would "put customers at undue risk." Meanwhile, Oct. 15 also will mark the deadline for Trillian support for MSN Messenger. Trillian is software that integrates multiple IM clients into a common interface. While it doesn't enable IM services to communicate directly with one another, it lets people view all of their buddy lists from various services under one window. Sundwall said the company is opening doors to discuss contractual agreements with third-party integrators, but he would not give definitive assurances that Trillian users will be able to access their MSN contacts after the deadline. http://news.com.com/2100-1032-5066412.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:11:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Key FCC Broadband Rules Expected Soon By John Borland Staff Writer, CNET News.com After six long months of waiting, the Federal Communications Commission is poised to release controversial rules that many believe will shape the future of the broadband and telecommunications business. In February, the FCC released a bare outline of its vision for the future of the high-speed Net market, as part of a sweeping review of regulations governing competition across the phone industry. Exposing deep-seated divisions within the agency, commissioners split on a host of issues, leaving many companies unsure exactly what was coming. On Monday, Commission Chairman Michael Powell at last indicated that the details of the decision would likely come this week, possibly Thursday. But even if every company in the business is eagerly awaiting the results, analysts say the market certainty that most crave will likely remain elusive. http://news.com.com/2100-1034-5066214.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:14:35 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC Lifts AOL Messaging Limits By Declan McCullagh and Jim Hu Staff Writer, CNET News.com The Federal Communications Commission has agreed to lift restrictions that have barred AOL Time Warner from offering advanced instant messaging services including videoconferencing. FCC commissioners voted 3-2 in a nonpublic meeting to drop the restriction, imposed by the commission when it approved the merger between America Online and Time Warner in January 2001. The ruling by the FCC, made public Wednesday, said that AOL Time Warner offered compelling evidence that competition with Microsoft and Yahoo was alive and well and that allowing AOL to offer "advanced instant messaging-based high-speed video services" (AIHS) would offer a third alternative to MSN's and Yahoo's video streaming services and "accelerate the pace of innovation for IM services." FCC chairman Michael Powell, who originally dissented against the IM restriction in 2001, said evidence of MSN and Yahoo's rapid market share growth discredited the restriction's assertion that AOL's dominance posed an unfair advantage to competitors. http://news.com.com/2100-1032-5065650.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:30:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Apple's Airport Meets The Concrete Paul Maidment, 08.20.03, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - Apple Computer's Airport wireless networking is one of those things that seemed nice to have before we ever used it, but once we did we can't imagine how we ever lived without it. We should disclose that we have been happily using a pre-Extreme Airport network for some time. We run it in a home office that contains a mix of half a dozen Macs and Wintel machines spread over three operating systems and floors. Our Airport connects to a Linksys router and thence to the Internet via a DSL line. http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/20/cx_pm_0820tentech.html ------------------------------ From: Dave Phelps Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:21:23 -0500 Organization: www.tippenring.com In article , jmeissen@aracnet.com says: > Oh, I'd have to disagree. I think it's only annoying to people > who can't think out-of-order. My 2 cents ... I prefer top posts. With a top post, I'll glance at the text if I'm slightly interested by the subject line. I usually won't spend time to scroll down to read a response unless the subject really catches my eye. OTOH, when posting, I will frequently trim most of the previous text (as I've done here), and bottom post hoping that the whole post will be visible without the reader scrolling. Dave Phelps DD Networks www.ddnets.com deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:45:40 -0700 Organization: University of Washington With all due respect to the critics of top-posting, there is a place for that practice. In many help desk or similar office communication environments, top-posting without editing the original content is required as a business practice. Another example in which top-posting can be appropriate is when the post is small compared to the original content, but for some reason the original content can/should not be edited. Bug report responses are an example; so are acknowledgements (e.g. "OK, thanks"). Put another way, top-posting is suitable when the useful content is entirely in the first screenful, and the remainder of the message can normally be disregarded entirely unless the reader has a "what was this all about?" reaction. On the other hand, when used unnecessarily, top-posting is quite annoying; and in any sort of "conversation" context, it is infuriating. The problem is not with top-posting per se, but its use in inappropriate places. Clearly, a USENET thread is an example of an inappropriate place. What I'm trying to convey here is that a better way to educate top-posting offenders is to help them understand when it is (and isn't) appropriate to top-post, as opposed to edit/intersperse, as opposed to bottom-post, as opposed to not include previous text at all. Success is more likely when you approach this as "use tools appropriately, and let me show you should of the other tools" instead of "only idiots use that tool." -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House Date: 20 Aug 2003 18:32:09 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , Group Special Mobile wrote: > It's pretty much useless to debate the issue and it's unlikely that > top posters will change their ways, but look at it this way do you > normally answer a question before someone asks it? The "natural flow > of conversation" is one person saying something and another responding > to it. It's surely not someone making a response and asking a > question later. That's what top posters do. In a longer thread this > can be quite a pain in the butt as you have to constantly up page and > down page to see what the top poster is referring to. This issue is one of those holy wars, like placement of braces in C programming. Debate is useless. I just want to present an opposing viewpoint and then won't comment further. The "natural flow of conversation" is not repeating everything that's been said up to the time of your reply before making your reply. Top posting allows a normal flow of comment exchanges for regular readers who have been following the thread, and provides context following the comment for those who need it. There is more than one valid way of posting, as this message shows. It's neither top nor bottom posting. Which style is appropriate depends on context and content. > What often makes it much worse is that many top posters have the nasty > habit of doing a top post and then just dumping the whole original > back at the poster to whom is being responded to often including > extraneous headers and several previous messages which other posters > didn't trim either. Bottom posters can be just as inconsiderate. Messages should be trimmed to maintain minimal context, regardless of posting style. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 15:57:13 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: Re: Miss Mom? A Hometown Honey? Calls Are On the House What is? ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Jeff nor Lisa) Subject: Re: Cell Phones in Electrical Power Outages? Date: 20 Aug 2003 10:47:43 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Dave Phelps wrote > Why are people so dependent on cell phones? It is much easier for > landline companies to be more reliable than cell phones. Heck, on the > reliability scale, my cell phone ranks much lower than landline > service anyway -- there doesn't need to be a power outage. For one thing, that's why we have telephones. There is a natural need for people to be informed about their loved ones whereabouts and business appointments. Before long distance became cheap, people would send a telegram to announce a safe arrival or a change in travel plans. The cell phone has essentially replaced the pay telephone, just as that essentially replaced the telegraph (which in turn replaced the letter). In the 1930s, people used to ask why people were so dependent on the [regular] telephone. As to cell phones, because they are cheaper and more convenient, pay phones are going away. As mentioned previously, it was more likely high call volume rather than power than stopped cell phones from working. During a blizzard, when I was picking someone up at a long delayed train, I had trouble reaching her via cell phones due to line congestion. Another problem with today's digital cell phones is that need more towers than the earlier analog cell system (and far more than the old Bell System mobile phones). > I'm curious why any questions from the media and public were *ever* > directed at the government about this whole blackout issue. There are > very few people in government that are knowledgable about power > distribution, and the press certainly didn't find any. Why does anyone > think the President knows anything about the power distribution > system? Why weren't the utilities asked the hard questions; after all, > it's their responsibility and problem, not the government's. Well, the US Constitution does provide the president with the power to regulate interstate commerce, and this falls within that. Ever since FDR took office, the country has looked to the President for leadership and guidance in a crisis. Herbert Hoover was from the old school where there wasn't fireside chats and frequent press conferences. Hoover was a pretty bad spin doctor, regretfully, and was hated for his perceived handling of the depression ever since. (Hoover actually spent unprecedented amounts of federal money in an attempt to get the economy moving again; it was Hoover who created the RFC. The Democratic congress blocked some of Hoover's plans so make sure Hoover and the Republicans looked bad. As to asking questions of the power companies, Newsweek, Time, and the New York Times have already identified some key problems in the power grid due to deregulation -- the lack of economic motivation to build more of the grid and the heavier use of the grid to transmit power via wholesaler, as aspect not conceived when the grid was designed and built. ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 14:20:54 -0500 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Reply-To: usenet200308@screaming-remove-electron.net Onun, 17 Aug 2003 11:52:28 -0700, A.R. White wrote: > Pondering last week's power outage got me to thinking about > survivability of broadband connections. I would think any > cable-broadband connection would go out with any large-area power > loss, since every so many blocks I've seen boxes with LADWP wattmeters > on their faces feeding power into the cable network -- unless those > boxes contain batteries, I've used my cable modem when the entire town was without electricity. Those boxes do in fact have batteries, and the CMTS is on a UPS. It does not have its own generator, but since the headend lives in a room just off the main generator room of our municipal utility it really shouldn't need one. If the utility loses their incoming feed they can generally be up and running at full power on their own engines in 20 minutes or less. It appears that Mediacom cable also works fine in a power outage as that is my provider of choice now, and that too stays on in a power failure. Their CMTS/headend is located 25 miles away so I have no idea what it has for back up power other than a UPS. ------------------------------ From: bpoe758@aol.com (BPOE758) Date: 20 Aug 2003 19:37:59 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Blocking Unknown Calls I have a Siemens SX56 cell phone with service from AT&T. For the past couple of months I have been getting phone calls which are identified as "unknown". When I aswer the phone, the call stays on-line for about 3 seconds and terminates. I get from 30-60 calls per day. The SX56 does have an ignore key but this is getting tiresome. I contacted AT&T and was told there is nothing they can do about it and they can not trace where the call is coming from. They suugeested I change my telephone number. That is unaceptable since the cell phone is for business. AT&T claims no other carrier can block unknown callers. I checked them out in my area and none has the capability to block these calls. I checked with Siemens and they do not have a software fix for this situation. I called my local authorities concerning the problem which I labeled as harrasment, but they would not do anything about. Any ideas what I can do? If I answer the call I will be charged. I have had some calls from clients which came up as unknown, some were made from pay phones. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Some of the calls come in batches of 2-3 minute increments. Thanks, Wayne ------------------------------ From: suntronicsus@yahoo.com Subject: Who Are Inventors Date: 20 Aug 2003 16:03:13 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi Guys! I have a quick question. Wireless Local loop technology is being picked up by many developing nations. Who is the inventor of this technology? A group of indians at IITM developed corDECT Wireless in Local Loop System, a brain child of TeNeT group of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Midas Communication Technologies of chennai. Are these people the inventors ... Or they are the first people to give an implementation of concept. bye, sun ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Ericsson Wins $600 mln China Order, Sees More Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 18:16:12 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach By Jan Strupczewski STOCKHOLM, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Sweden's Ericsson, the world's leading mobile network equipment maker, said on Wednesday it won a $600 million deal from a unit of China Mobile and saw more business coming from the recovering Chinese market. Ericsson, the world's biggest producer of mobile networks, has been in the red for more than two years because of the rapid global decline in investment by operators, but is aiming for black figures sometime this year. A recovery of demand in China, which together with the United States are Ericsson's top two markets, would be good news for the company which has already decided to more than halve its workforce to adjust to the current market weakness. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/20/rtr1062255.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Robert Foster Subject: Re: The Kinko's Caper: Burglary by Modem Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 05:08:49 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - West At the school I work at we use deep freeze professional. It automatically reboots after 15 minutes of idle, or logoff whichever i prefer. Upon bootup my image is restored. - rf Ray Normandeau wrote in message news:telecom22.613.4@telecom-digest.org: > Easy Everything a public internet store on Times Square NYC has > HUNDREDS of terminals for use at any time. > When your session is over it seems to reboot. > What It does I dunno. > When you want to use a terminal you sit at one that says READY. > Long Distance =<2.9 cents per minute, no other fee: > https://www.onesuite.com/ Promotion Code 034720367 > USA 2.5-2.9 CPM, Canada 2.5-3.5 CPM, UK 2.5-3.9 CPM ------------------------------ From: mktg@mdres.com (David Andresen) Subject: New GPS Data Logging System Date: 21 Aug 2003 11:37:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ There is a new system for logging GPS data without a computer. It is mainly meant for trucks, vans, and other vehicles with routes. Full information is available at http://www.tracwise.com/ David Andresen ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #619 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 22 14:00:11 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7MI0AN06010; Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:00:11 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:00:11 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308221800.h7MI0AN06010@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #620 TELECOM Digest Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:00:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 620 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Any Open Wire Carrier Left? (Neal McLain) Exiting Service Agreement (Mike) Announcement: "A Treatise on Informational Warfare" (Monty Solomon) Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries (Bhoot Nath) Re: ISPs: Sobig's the Biggest Virus so Far (Clarence Dold) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (Richie Kennedy) Rockin' on Without Microsoft (Ron Chapman) EPIC Alert 10.17 (Monty Solomon) TiVo Adds 90,000 Subscriptions in Record Second Quarter (Monty Solomon) Lawsuit Threats Curb Online Music Piracy - Study (Monty Solomon) Long-Awaited US Telephone Competition Rules Issued (Monty Solomon) EFF and Stanford Law Center Launch DirecTVdefense.org (Monty Solomon) Addendum to Declan's Posting, Above (Lisa Minter) Rural Outside Plant (Spyke) Payphone Chat Group (Dave) Re: Blocking Unknown Calls (A Beilby) Phone Content (PhoneContent.com) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 19:34:27 -0600 From: Neal McLain Subject: Re: Any Open Wire Carrier Left? One year ago (August 15, 2002), Charles G Gray (graycg@okstate.edu) wrote: > Subject: Any Open Wire Carrier Left? > I just spent a week in Arizona and New Mexico and noticed that there > is still a lot of open telegraph/telephone wire. Most, but not all, > of it is alongside railroad tracks. I am wondering if any of it is > still in use for telephone carrier service. Some of it may still be > used by the railroad for signals, but I don't have any way of knowing. > Do you (or any of the subscribers to your excellent service) know if > any open wire carrier is still in use? I did note some cable/fiber > pedestal boxes and repeater huts along major highways, but there were > long stretches, mostly on the Indian Reservations, where I saw only > open wire. > I teach a couple of graduate-level courses in telecommunications > management, and I like to give my students some historical insights > about how the telecom industry has evolved. After pondering this question for a year, I think I can provide a partial answer based on what I've noted about the Union Pacific. The UPRR is currently in the process of removing many of its existing trackside polelines, and replacing them with other technologies. I would imagine that other railroad companies are doing similar things. Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the UPRR, or any other railroad. The following essay is based on direct (albeit surreptitious) observation of UPRR facilities, and information gleaned from UPRR technicians. In this essay: "Fig." numbers refer to photographs and drawings posted at . "Primary" means the distribution voltage feeding the primary winding of pole- or pad-mounted stepdown transformers, typically 4,000 to 15,000 volts single-phase, depending on utility-company policy. "Secondary" means the distribution voltage output at the secondary winding of stepdown transformers, typically 115/230 volts single- phase, for residential and small commercial customers. I will begin with a description of the existing trackside polelines, using as an example a typical poleline located in Roy, Utah (Figs. 1-4). Note that there are two sets of rails, one northbound and one southbound. This particular poleline carries three services: - POWER. The top crossarm (Fig. 5) carries primary electric power at 2400 volts, single phase. Pole-mounted stepdown transformers, (Figs. 6-7) provide service voltage (which I assume to be 115 volts, but it might be something different) for equipment shelters (Figs. 8-9). Backup batteries in the equipment shelters are capable of providing emergency power for up to 24 hours. Service trucks are equipped with DC-to-AC inverters capable of charging the batteries to cover extended power outages. The UPRR purchases power from the local power utility by direct connection to the utility's primary circuits (Figs. 10-11). Presumably, a connection to a primary circuit provides a more reliable feed than a secondary distribution circuit. - COMMUNICATIONS. The bottom crossarm (Fig. 12) carries three open- wire telephone circuits. These circuits are connected to wall- mounted push-to-talk telephones located inside equipment shelters. It appears to me that these circuits carry baseband audio (possibly with DC bias voltage), although they might carry some sort of carrier system such as T1. Each wire pair is attached to the crossarm on adjacent insulators; the two conductors of each pair are transposed (physically reversed in position) at intervals of about five to ten pole spans (Figs. 13-14) [*]. Wire transposition is an old crosstalk-suppression technique: back in the days before twisted-pair cables became common, transposition was used extensively by telephone companies to cancel out inductive interference to audio circuits from adjacent conductors. Kempsted B. Miller, in his 1905 book "American Telephone Practice," describes conductor transposition in detail, and cites as an example a poleline between New York and Chicago (Fig. 15). - SIGNALING. The two intermediate crossarms (Fig. 16) appear to carry signaling circuits; I assume they're just DC switch closures, but they might be something more complicated. Conductors on these crossarms carry signals among equipment shelters to control grade crossings (Fig. 17), rail-traffic signals (Fig. 18), and perhaps other functions that I haven't noticed. These conductors terminate inside the shelters at large plywood boards fitted with a variety of termination blocks and relays. In one specific example, three of the conductors on this poleline carry control signals between two equipment shelters. One shelter is at a grade crossing (Figs. 19-20); it contains equipment that controls the crossing lights, bells, and gates. The other shelter is several hundred feet north (Figs. 21-22); it monitors the rails to detect the presence of a train on its way toward (or away from) the grade crossing (probably by detecting a short-circuit between the two rails) (Fig. 23). According to a UPRR technician, this equipment must detect an approaching train (and lower the gates) at least 20 seconds before the train arrives at the crossing, although this time interval obviously varies as a function of the distance between the two shelters and the speed of the train. UPRR policy is to detect a train approaching at full speed least 25 seconds early. The UPRR is in the process of replacing much of this system. Several equipment shelters have already been converted to the new system, and connections to the old polelines have been abandoned. The new system connects shelters as follows: - POWER. Electric power is obtained from the local electric utility at the nearest secondary distribution (115/230 volts) circuit (Figs. 24-25), often from the same circuit that feeds nearby residences, businesses, and streetlights. The same backup batteries that were previously used have remained in place to provide emergency power. Each shelter is fitted with a strobe lamp (Fig. 26) that flashes in case of a power failure (presumably so that the engineer in an approaching train will know that the gates might not work properly). - COMMUNICATION. Communication is provided by a landline telephone line obtained from a local exchange carrier. Inside the shelter, a standard 500-type wall phone provides voice communication, and a modem-equipped device monitors equipment functions. In case of an equipment failure or loss of utility power, this device seizes the landline and "calls Omaha." Presumably, the dispatch center at Omaha then pages a technician. - SIGNALING. Signaling systems remain a mystery, although I've been able to piece together a few bits of information. Signaling between shelters at gate crossing and their respective train- detection shelters appears to be on buried cable. Signaling over longer distances (for such functions as control of rail traffic) is carried on the rails themselves (modulated on a carrier around 50 KHz), or by microwave (Figs. 27-28). Polelines still exist in many areas where the shelters have been converted to the new system; however, they appear to have been abandoned. A casual inspection reveals much evidence of abandonment: fallen wires, disconnected shelter drops, broken crossarms, missing insulators, even missing poles (Figs. 29-31). At some crossings, complete sections of the line have been removed to make room for utility construction or road construction (Figs. 32-33). According to a UPRR technician, all abandoned polelines will be removed. However, not all polelines will be abandoned: some will remain in place in locations where local utility power and telephone services are not available, such as the Utah desert west of Salt Lake City. Returning now to Professor Gray's original question, "Do you ... know if any open wire carrier is still in use?" The answer appears to be yes, open-wire circuits (including circuits for voice communications) are still in use, and some of them may have been converted to T1s. However, at least along most UPRR rights-of-way, they are being phased out. In conclusion, one might wonder why it's taken me a year to respond to Gray's question. Mostly, it's been procrastination. But the recent power outages in the northeast have prompted me to start thinking about this situation again. In all the news coverage about closed airports, jammed highways, non-functioning traffic signals, and failed telecom systems, I never heard a word about how the railroads survived. How did they fare? ----------------- [*] A personal recollection about transposed conductors: when I was a little kid riding around in the back seat of my parents' old Chevy (long before child car seats existed), I couldn't see anything out the window except sky, treetops, utility poles, and the upper floors of tall buildings. I became quite fascinating watching telephone wires jump back and forth at certain poles. Of course, I had no idea why they did this, or even what those wires were for. Neal McLain nmclain@annsgarden.com ------------------------------ From: brylan@hotmail.com (Mike) Subject: Exiting Service Agreement Date: 21 Aug 2003 14:20:55 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I entered into a new customer service agreement with Cellular One approximately six weeks ago. It has now come to my attention that the plan I agreed to over the phone was misrepresented to me (I'm still awaiting the literature she promised to send me). When I complained about the original free phones I received when starting with Cellular One, the young woman told me that there were numerous complaints about those phones from other Cellular One customers (Mitsubishi T300 - very fast battery drain) and that I would only be able to receive two new phones (Sony Ericcson T61d) if I agreed to stay with Cellular One. The plan she described was great, but the bill I received yesterday shows it wasn't described honestly to me. After getting approximately $60 taken off the phone bill because of what the first customer service representative called a "coding error" (not the misrepresentation I'm referring to), I asked a second customer service rep to cancel my account and offered to mail the phones back to them. I very rude supervisor (the two reps I spoke with were very nice) laughed at me and said I could keep the "cheap" phones they sent me (his word, not mine) but I couldn't leave the agreement without paying $960 (works out to $20/month for each of the two phones over the remainder of the agreement). This is ridiculous. Had the plan been presented honestly, I would agree that an agreement could be binding, but I was misinformed (my wife says defrauded, but I don't want to go that far, yet) and don't feel that the agreement should be upheld. Have any of you been able to successful cancel a plan with Cellular One without being hit with the penalty? If so, please let me know how. I'd love to end my relationship with them, but I don't have a thousand dollars to waste just to make a point. On the other hand, I also don't want to pay $40/month for service I now refuse to use. Thanks in advance for any help. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A local attorney advises me that regard- less of the fraud committed by the Cellular One dealer, you are not permitted legally to profit on account of someone else's fraud. You have to make every attempt possible to mitigate, or lessen, the damages done. Therefore you *must* return the phones. I am assuming thus far you have not yet signed any contracts -- or have you? If this was entirely verbal, over the phone for example, then sign nothing and return the phones immediatly by registered mail, enclosing a letter explaining the whole matter. For starters, in any mail order transaction (which is what this became as soon as any literature, supplies, parts, etc were delivered to you through US Mail, there is a possibility of mail fraud having occurred. Attorney says most likely the supervisor and other reps you spoke with were just bluffing and trying to give you a 'hard sell' routine. Now if you *did* sign some papers for them, things might be different. PAT] ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Announcement: "A Treatise on Informational Warfare" Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:17:50 -0400 From: Eric Knight Subject: Announcement: "A Treatise on Informational Warfare" Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:39:28 -0600 Dear Security Focus Community: This is an announcement for the public release of the publication "A Treatise on Informational Warfare". It is available for download in PDF format at http://63.230.73.253/treatiseiw.pdf and the table of contents is included at the end of this announcement so that you can determine if you have an interest. http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/334446 ------------------------------ From: deja_bhoot2000@yahoo.com (Bhoot Nath) Subject: Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries Date: 21 Aug 2003 14:50:41 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have a very simple question about caller-id technology: Is the implementation of caller ID technology same in different countries? In other words, will a caller-ID phone purchased in US work in India / Europe / Australia? Assume that the local exchange is caller-id-capable, and phone owner subscribes to this service. The question is about compatibility of the data sent from exchange to the phone. (E.g., TV broadcasts use different format, so the same TV does not work in different countries, even ignoring the power voltage / frequency issues) Bhoot Nath ------------------------------ From: dold@ISPsXXSobi.usenet.us.com Subject: Re: ISPs: Sobig's the Biggest Virus so Far Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 23:27:10 UTC Organization: a2i network > [Lisa Minter note: ... > quarentines them or heals them or destroys them. This is like a full > scale war that is going on. Lisa M.] It may very well be exactly that. It is cheap to launch these attacks, and there is far less risk than a conventional suicide bomber or the like. Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5 [Lisa Minter note: Now today, Friday, things have slowed down a little. Thursday was spent cleaning out many 'autoreplies' our site here had sent to the 'senders' of all the virus things, which in turn mostly bounced, etc. When I came over today with my mom to Pat's place, and got on the computer, there was the usual amount of foolish spam in the spam box and the mailbox (that spam which scored low enough to slip through) but only a dozen or so new virus emails had arrived. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: Richie Kennedy Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 00:42:42 -0000 Organization: route56.com SayNoToCrossposters wrote in news:telecom22.618.21@telecom-digest.org: > I would ask ... which NEC system are you looking at? Aspire? Elite? I dunno about him ... but where I work, we're looking at uprating from a Nortel Meridian Option 21 (which is being phased out). The new NEC Aspire is one of the systems we're looking at, along with the Option 11. We've also looked at a 3Com system, but are wary of a pure IP phone system. We're also taking a bid for a Lucent/Avaya/Whoever owns that now anyway system. One thing we like about both the Aspire and the Option 21 is the ability to do a blend of IP and traditonal telephony. We do have a decent number of "remote" employees. Richie Kennedy route56@route56.com www.route56.com "If you're lost, you can look - and you will find me" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 20:33:06 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: Rockin' on Without Microsoft By David Becker Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 20, 2003, 4:00 AM PT Sterling Ball, a jovial, plain-talking businessman, is CEO of Ernie Ball, the world's leading maker of premium guitar strings endorsed by generations of artists ranging from the likes of Eric Clapton to the dudes from Metallica. But since jettisoning all of Microsoft products three years ago, Ernie Ball has also gained notoriety as a company that dumped most of its proprietary software -- and still lived to tell the tale. Full story at http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 08:49:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 10.17 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 10.17 August 21, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_10.17.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] Poindexter Resigns, But Legacy of TIA Remains [2] Tampa Police Drop Failing Face Recognition System [3] CA Passes Strongest Financial Privacy Standard in the Nation [4] EPIC Releases Fact Sheet on Homeless Tracking Systems [5] Maryland Governor Orders Audit of Electronic Voting Machines [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: Protecting Your Money, Privacy and Identity [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_10.17.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 08:56:37 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: TiVo Adds 90,000 Subscriptions in Record Second Quarter TiVo Adds 90,000 Subscriptions in Record Second Quarter; Raises Guidance on Stronger Than Expected Growth - Aug 21, 2003 04:32 PM (PR Newswire) Expects to Top 1 Million Subscriptions During the Holiday Season - Subscription Growth Doubled Compared to Last Year; DIRECTV Growth Particularly Strong - Pioneer, Toshiba Introduce DVD Products With TiVo - Ten TiVo Enabled Models on Retail Shelves This Holiday Season SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), reported today it added a record 90,000 subscriptions in the second quarter, twice the number of subscriptions added in the same quarter of last year. Due to better than expected results in the first six months of the year, and an improved outlook for the second half, TiVo is raising its guidance for the remainder of the year. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35370093 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 08:55:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Lawsuit Threats Curb Online Music Piracy - Study LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Music piracy over the Internet has declined since the record industry started threatening to sue individual users of popular but unauthorized file-sharing networks, a market research group said on Thursday. According to Port Washington, New York-based NPD Group, the number of households acquiring music files began to fall in May 2003, immediately after the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) launched a well-publicized campaign threatening individual file-sharers with legal action. NPD said it based its findings on information collected continuously from the PCs of 40,000 NPD online panelists. Based on this information, it projects that music files acquired, which includes songs either swapped illegally, obtained through paid downloading sites or ripped from CDs, dropped to 655 million files in June from a high of 852 million files in April. NPD said it estimated the number of households acquiring music files reached a high of 14.5 million in April 2003, then fell to 12.7 million in May and to 10.4 million in June. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35367917 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 09:02:01 -0400 From: Monty Solomon By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Long-awaited details of controversial U.S. regulations aimed at spurring high-speed Internet service while requiring dominant local telephone companies to keep sharing voice networks with rivals, were released on Thursday. But the final rules may be settled in court as legal challenges are expected to the Federal Communications Commission regulations that were narrowly approved by the agency just over six months ago. That vote was the scene of a bruising verbal battle between FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who supported deregulation, and his fellow Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin, who sided with the agency's two Democrats to keep local telephone sharing rules. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35373836 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 09:15:54 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFF and Stanford Law Center Launch DirecTVdefense.org http://www.politechbot.com/p-05023.html Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:57:55 PDT From: Declan McCullagh Subject: FC: EFF and Stanford law center launch DirecTVdefense.org ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:18:37 PDT From: Joseph Lorenzo Hall Subject: EFF, Stanford CIS launch directvdefense.org EFF, Stanford CIS launch directvdefense.org Not only is the RIAA planning thousands of lawsuits against individuals ... Direct TV has already initiated approximately 9000 (that's no typo!) federal lawsuits against individuals. These individuals did not necessarily do anything illegal ... most of them merely bought a piece of technology called a smart card programmer. Direct TV claims that the only use for such tech. is to steal satellite broadcasting ... however, readers of Politech and IP know that they can be used for, at least, one other thing: loading them up with bogus votes and using them in Diebold voting machines! The EFF and Stanford's Center for Internet and Society have launched a website ( http://www.directvdefense.org/ ) that aims to aid individuals that have been threatened by Direct TV with lawsuits or just plain sued. Among the resources provided is a huge list of attorneys that have dealt with Direct TV cases, many at reduced/ aggregate rates. Joseph Lorenzo Hall Graduate Student http://pobox.com/~joehall ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: Lisa Minter Subject: Addendum to Declan's Posting, Above Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 12:00:00 CDT So the guys are complaining that they are getting picked on and accused of doing something 'illegal' they did not do (steal satellite signals). They actually did something else illegal instead -- stuff the ballot box with bogus votes. I think it would help if Stanford/EFF could find some sort of *legitimate* activity for the guys instead of swapping one illegal activity for another then complaining when The Man gets the facts a little bit wrong. Just my attempt at humor for today! Lisa Minter ------------------------------ From: s_p_y_k_e@lycos.com (spyke) Subject: Rural Outside Plant Date: 22 Aug 2003 05:25:00 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I was asked by a friend what the little metal triangles are that hang from rural telephone lines. I have no idea what they are actually used for, I thought possibly to prevent ice build up. But I am sure that someone here knows exactly what they are called and what they are used for. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, spyke ------------------------------ From: Dave Subject: Payphone Chat Group Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:39:44 UTC Organization: BT Openworld Reply-To: Dave Hi, payphone people. Just thought I'd mention that my payphone group will be holding a group chat on Sunday the 7th of September 2003 (this'll be a regular thing every three months if all goes well). It'll start at around 13:00hrs GMT at the groups website (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/payphone_net/). You'll need a Yahoo id and'll have to become a member by sending a blank email to "payphone_net-subscribe@yahoogroups.com" or by visiting the groups site (link above). It'll be a global chat with people from all parts of the globe taking part and I should also have a few BT contacts of mine with us as well! We can talk about all things payphone, exchange our favourite payphone numbers, talk about the best conversations you've had with a person at a payphone etc. Anyway, hope to see you guys (and gals) there. Dave, from the payphone_net. ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Blocking Unknown Calls Date: 22 Aug 2003 08:26:14 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ bpoe758@aol.com (BPOE758) wrote in message news:: > I have a Siemens SX56 cell phone with service from AT&T. For the past > couple of months I have been getting phone calls which are identified > as "unknown". When I aswer the phone, the call stays on-line for > about 3 seconds and terminates. I get from 30-60 calls per day. > I had the same thing happen -- turned out someone's business PBX would not complete the call properly, as they were using analog trunk lines. Maybe also check if you have remote notification numeric pager messages being sent from your office line to your cell. I was wondering if your problem might have been a "cell-number spider", trying to collect cell numbers for text messaging marketing campaigns. All the cell phones have specific ranges, so to collect numbers they would start a cell range, and then have their system place test calls. Anyone else heard of that kind of thing? Alex Beilby ------------------------------ From: bjorn-ivar@phonecontent.com (PhoneContent.com) Subject: Phone Content Date: 22 Aug 2003 09:02:55 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I am looking for a group to discuss content for cellular phones, such as ringtones, graphics, java games etc. Does anybody know if such group is existing? Bjorn http://PhoneContent.com ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #620 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Aug 23 21:42:02 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7O1g1G16960; Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:42:02 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:42:02 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308240142.h7O1g1G16960@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #621 TELECOM Digest Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:42:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 621 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter GameSpy Launches N-Gage Coverage for Mobile Game Fans (Monty Solomon) Verizon Payphone Ad Campaign (Monty Solomon) Gillette Pulls RFID Tags In UK Amid Protests (Monty Solomon) We're All Connected? (Monty Solomon) Re: Rural Outside Plant (Rich Greenberg) Re: Rural Outside Plant (Hudson Leighton) Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems (SayNoToCrossposters) Re: Rockin' on Without Microsoft (tonypo1@cox.net) China Says, No More Microsoft (Ron Chapman) ISDN PRI Question (No-spam@sbcglobla.net) Long-Awaited US Telephone Competition Rules Issued (Eric Friedebach) Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol (Michael) Re: Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries (Gavin Rogers) Re: Blocking Unknown Calls (Steve Michelson) What is Norvergence? (Burris) Re: Addendum to Declan's Posting (Jim Hopkins) Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? (Julian Thomas) LaserVoice 2000 (Arthur Lee) Free 911 Cell Phones (Usedcellphones.com) Last Laugh! Telemarketers - Yikes (Rich Greenberg) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 23:47:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: GameSpy Launches N-Gage Coverage for Mobile Game Fans IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2003--GameSpy, the Web's leading site for dedicated video game coverage, has launched a new section on its site devoted to the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) N-Gage mobile game deck. Coverage will include everything about the N-Gage -- from the games and the people who create them to the system itself. The new section can be found at www.gamespy.com/ngage . The mobile phone is the most widely deployed computing platform in the world. According to the CTIA, there are more than 145 million mobile phone subscribers in the United States alone, and that number is growing at a rate of one new user every two seconds. GameSpy believes as more people subscribe and upgrade their mobile phones, many game enthusiasts will be compelled to purchase products like N-Gage to play games during downtimes, such as waiting at the bus or train stop, for a table at a restaurant or for a movie to begin. And because it is inherently connected, a mobile phone game platform will quickly leverage both phone and Bluetooth connections to engage in multiplayer gaming. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35384093 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 23:49:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Payphone Ad Campaign To Stimulate Useage Ads Highlight 1-800-USE-THE-VZ as Convenient, Less Expensive Way To Call Collect BOSTON, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of people rediscovered the reliability and convenience of payphones during the blackout in the Northeast last week. And now it's back-to-school-and-college time, when calling home resumes its ritual role in family life. So, this is the perfect opportunity for Verizon to help stimulate payphone usage by launching an advertising campaign here for the company's reduced-rate collect and credit card access number. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35385727 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 00:23:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Gillette Pulls RFID Tags In UK Amid Protests akb writes "Indymedia UK is reporting that after protests against the trial of RFID tags by Gillette at a Tesco store in Cambridge, increasing press coverage, a boycott, and the growing mobilisation of campaigners against the intrusive use of the technology, Gillette have withdrawn their trial. RFID (Radio Frequency ID) tags are small tags containing a microchip which can be 'read' by radio sensors over short distances (for background see SchNEWS Feature / 2 part Guardian Article)." http://slashdot.org/articles/03/08/22/0327247.shtml http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/07/274466.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,999866,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:24:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: We're All Connected? By ROB WALKER "The future belongs to crowds," Don DeLillo declared in his novel 'Mao II,' and at the time he was writing it -- the end of the 1980's, when packs of soccer hooligans were rampaging in Europe and masses of undifferentiated couples were getting married in stadium-filled Moonie wedding ceremonies -- that sounded pretty scary. But it turns out, now that the future is here, that the mobs aren't quite so frightening after all. Indeed, a pro-mob culture is forming -- one made up of the individualism-obsessed techno-futurist set. These mostly young, educated, vanguardish men and women have been countering technologies of control (databases, ubiquitous surveillance, etc.) to turn the crowd, paradoxically, into a forum for idiosyncratic behavior. 'Flash mobs' consist of dozens or even hundreds of well-wired folks who gather suddenly, perform some specific but innocuous act, then promptly scatter. A few weeks ago, for instance, a mob formed at a Toys 'R' Us in Times Square, stared at an animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex, then fell to the floor with screams and a waving of hands before quickly dispersing. Such events, which have also taken place in San Francisco, Minneapolis, London and Berlin, are getting attention partly because they're weird and partly because the 'mobs' organize by way of mobile phones and pagers and Web sites. Some observers have written off the phenomenon as a slightly annoying fad, the techno equivalent of streaking. Others detect a 'social revolution' in the offing. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/24/magazine/24WWLN.html [Lisa Minter Note: Readers of this Digest are invited to use our group login 'telecomdigest' and group password 'telecomdigest' when reading NY Times online. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant Date: 22 Aug 2003 14:06:50 -0400 Organization: Organized? Me? In article , spyke wrote: > I was asked by a friend what the little metal triangles are that hang > from rural telephone lines. I have no idea what they are actually > used for, I thought possibly to prevent ice build up. But I am sure > that someone here knows exactly what they are called and what they are > used for. Just a guess, but I think they are vibration dampeners to prevent the wire vibrating from the wind. Rich Greenberg Work: Rich.Greenberg atsign worldspan.com + 1 770 563 6656 N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA Play: richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val(Chinook,CGC,TT), Red & Shasta(Husky,(RIP)) Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ------------------------------ From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 15:33:04 -0500 Organization: MRRP In article , s_p_y_k_e@lycos.com (spyke) wrote: > I was asked by a friend what the little metal triangles are that hang > from rural telephone lines. I have no idea what they are actually > used for, I thought possibly to prevent ice build up. But I am sure > that someone here knows exactly what they are called and what they are > used for. > Any help would be appreciated. > Thanks, > spyke Are they the ones that kinda look like wings? (bad ascii art warning) 0 <------- wire / \ / \ <------wing hanging from wire / \ If they are, they are there to keep the lines from swinging too much, good wing blowing and a few miles of wire all dancing with the same frequency, down comes the wire. The "wings" disturb the airflow and distorts/dampens the frequency of the wire swing. -Hudson http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Opinion on NEC Phone Systems Organization: Comcast Online Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 18:15:51 GMT I would look seriously at the Sprint Flexicom (Tadiran) systems. We do both the Aspire and the Sprint ... the Sprint is light years ahead of the Aspire ... IMHO. I am going out to look at a system installed in 1983 and we are going to be able to upgrade that system to do IP..how is that for longevity? And no ... it's not an Avaya or NEC forklift upgrade..we will be able to use the shelf, cards and phones. The only thing about the Aspire is that you simply cannot ignore how inexpensive the system is. Seriously though ... look at the Sprint Flexicom systems the one thing they offer I haven't seen on any other system which is way cool is Flexicall ... the ability to ring an inside phone and outside phone at the same time and remain connected to the PBX ... this allows a cell phone to be able to transfer that call back through the system. Really slick, in conjuction with IP phones it's really cool because it gives you a switched solution for a remote person in case the internet is acting up. Richie Kennedy wrote in message news:telecom22.620.6@telecom-digest.org: > SayNoToCrossposters wrote in > news:telecom22.618.21@telecom-digest.org: >> I would ask ... which NEC system are you looking at? Aspire? Elite? > I dunno about him ... but where I work, we're looking at uprating from > a Nortel Meridian Option 21 (which is being phased out). The new NEC > Aspire is one of the systems we're looking at, along with the Option > 11. We've also looked at a 3Com system, but are wary of a pure IP > phone system. We're also taking a bid for a Lucent/Avaya/Whoever owns > that now anyway system. > One thing we like about both the Aspire and the Option 21 is the > ability to do a blend of IP and traditonal telephony. We do have a > decent number of "remote" employees. > Richie Kennedy > route56@route56.com www.route56.com > "If you're lost, you can look - and you will find me" ------------------------------ From: tonypo1@cox.net Subject: Re: Rockin' on Without Microsoft Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Cmpany Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:44:06 -0500 In article , ronchapman@wideopenwest.com says: > By David Becker > Staff Writer, CNET News.com > August 20, 2003, 4:00 AM PT > Sterling Ball, a jovial, plain-talking businessman, is CEO of Ernie > Ball, the world's leading maker of premium guitar strings endorsed by > generations of artists ranging from the likes of Eric Clapton to the > dudes from Metallica. > But since jettisoning all of Microsoft products three years ago, Ernie > Ball has also gained notoriety as a company that dumped most of its > proprietary software -- and still lived to tell the tale. > Full story at http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html BSA only goes after companies with deep pockets. Companies on shaky financial ground are left alone because BSA knows that they'd just file bankruptcy. True story -- company I worked for was blatant about software licensing abuses. I sent BSA's emails I'd shared with the company president regarding such, a spreadsheet detailing software abuses etc. After a few months nothing had been done. I contacted BSA and was told point blank that the company wasn't capable of paying the fines so they'd just leave it be. Ball is right -- it's a terrible way to sell software. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:46:14 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: China Says, No More Microsoft Cnet Asia reports on a Chinese initiative to eliminate Windows dependence (http://news.com.com/2100-1012-5064978.html?tag=macintouch): A new policy from China's governing body states that all government ministries must buy only locally produced software at the next upgrade cycle. The State Council's move, aimed at breaking the dominance of Microsoft on desktop computers, will eliminate Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite from hundreds of thousands of Chinese government computers over the next few years. Gao Zhigang, an official with the Procurement Center of the State Council, told reporters that the new policy will be in place by year's end. At a special congress held to encourage ministries to upgrade to WPS Office 2003, a China-made office productivity suite, Gao said the government will purchase only hardware preinstalled with domestic operating systems and applications. Those seeking exceptions will need to submit a special request. I'm sure Microsoft is quaking in their boots at the thought of losing the sale of that one copy of Windows and Office. ------------------------------ From: Subject: ISDN PRI Question Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 04:42:38 GMT Hello! I'm in San Jose, CA and I'm having a hard time finding ISDN PRI service in my area. Also, I was wondering what the ball park cost for ISDN PRI service (with local POP access). If you can point me in a direction, or give me a heads up of costs, please send em' my way. Thanks! ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Long-Awaited US Telephone Competition Rules Issued Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 00:17:21 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Long-awaited details of controversial U.S. regulations aimed at spurring high-speed Internet service while requiring dominant local telephone companies to keep sharing voice networks with rivals, were released on Thursday. But the final rules may be settled in court as legal challenges are expected to the Federal Communications Commission regulations that were narrowly approved by the agency just over six months ago. That vote was the scene of a bruising verbal battle between FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who supported deregulation, and his fellow Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin, who sided with the agency's two Democrats to keep local telephone sharing rules. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/08/21/rtr1064032.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: azmk@gazeta.pl (Michael) Subject: Re: Looking For Program For Sending Bulk SMS via SMPP Protocol Date: 23 Aug 2003 01:43:59 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ [Lisa Minter note: Michael, who wrote here last week asking for help with a program for sending bulk email has written back to explain himself. His note came in the mail today from Poland. Lisa M.] ----------------------- I would like explaint that the aplication will be used property with right. There in Poland we can't send spam to person without permenision. ----------------------- ------------------------------ From: Gavin Rogers Subject: Re: Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries Organization: Ye 'Ol Disorganized NNTPCache groupie Date: 23 Aug 2003 17:21:24 +0800 Bhoot Nath wrote: > I have a very simple question about caller-id technology: Is the > implementation of caller ID technology same in different countries? > In other words, will a caller-ID phone purchased in US work in India / > Europe / Australia? Assume that the local exchange is > caller-id-capable, and phone owner subscribes to this service. The > question is about compatibility of the data sent from exchange to the > phone. A US caller ID unit will work in Australia. (My cheap no-name brand modem can decode the Australian system just fine.) There is no world-wide standard for CND/caller ID on analogue lines - The UK apparently uses a completely different caller ID system than the US, for example. It's all explained very well in this FAQ: http://www.ainslie.org.uk/callerid.htm Regards, Gavin Rogers Amateur radio station VK6HGR http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/ Email : grogers@vk6hgr.echidna.id.au Packet: vk6hgr@vk6hgr.#per.#wa.aus.oc ------------------------------ From: Steve Michelson Subject: Re: Blocking Unknown Calls Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 10:31:32 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net As you pointed out yourself, if you were to block all calls from unknown callers, you would miss some calls from clients. I would recommend, as a minimum, you register your number with the national do-not-call list, which is slated to take effect in October, I believe. But other than that, I don't think there is much you can do, short of not answering those calls or changing your number. "BPOE758" wrote in message news:telecom22.619.15@telecom-digest.org: > I have a Siemens SX56 cell phone with service from AT&T. For the past > couple of months I have been getting phone calls which are identified > as "unknown". When I aswer the phone, the call stays on-line for > about 3 seconds and terminates. I get from 30-60 calls per day. > Any ideas what I can do? If I answer the call I will be charged. I > have had some calls from clients which came up as unknown, some were > made from pay phones. > Any information would be greatly appreciated. Some of the calls come > in batches of 2-3 minute increments. > Thanks, > Wayne ------------------------------ From: burris Subject: What is Norvergence? Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 07:56:47 -0400 This partnership between Qwest and Nortel is proposing all kinds of weird money saving hardware and software along with voluminous contracts and such. Does anyone totally understand what this is about? burris ------------------------------ From: Jim Hopkins Subject: Re: Addendum to Declan's Posting Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:38:16 GMT Not real funny. Smart cards have a number of legitimate applications, most having to do with computer security. Declan never said that anyone was stuffing ballot boxes with them, simply that that was *one* of their many uses. (Perhaps his attempt at humor?) In any case, possession of an otherwise legal technology that *might* be used for illegal activity is not grounds for accusations or legal action -- or at least not the way I understand the Constitution. Jim Hopkins Lisa Minter wrote in message news:telecom22.620.13@telecom-digest.org: > So the guys are complaining that they are getting picked on and > accused of doing something 'illegal' they did not do (steal satellite > signals). They actually did something else illegal instead -- stuff > the ballot box with bogus votes. I think it would help if Stanford/EFF > could find some sort of *legitimate* activity for the guys instead of > swapping one illegal activity for another then complaining when The Man > gets the facts a little bit wrong. Just my attempt at humor for today! > Lisa Minter ------------------------------ From: Julian Thomas Subject: Re: Broadband Availability After Massive Power Outage? Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 18:19:38 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com In , on 08/17/03 at 11:52 AM, A.R. White may have used oatmeal boxes, old string, and new, used, and recycled electrons to say (at least in part): > Pondering last week's power outage got me to thinking about > survivability of broadband connections. I would think any > cable-broadband connection would go out with any large-area power loss, > since every so many blocks I've seen boxes with LADWP wattmeters on their > faces feeding power into the cable network -- unless those boxes contain > batteries, bits couldn't even get to and from the head end. DSL > survivability? My local DSL and phone provider tells me that since the service includes basic phone service, they are required to have battery backup in the box on the pole that, thanks to a 5 mile fiber link, allows me to get DSL even though I'm 5+ road miles from the CO. Didn't check the DSL last week when we had the outage, the modem, router, and switch aren't plugged into the UPS. Julian Thomas: jt@jt-mj.net http://jt-mj.net In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State! Boardmember of POSSI.org - Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc http://www.possi.org -- -- The floggings will continue until morale improves. ------------------------------ From: itsoktopickyournose@yahoo.com (Arthur Lee) Subject: LaserVoice 2000 Date: 23 Aug 2003 16:20:13 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hello. If anyone has a website for LaserVoice 2000 or know where it can be purchased please let me know. Thank you. ------------------------------ From: info@usedcellphones.com (Usedcellphones.com) Subject: FREE 911 Cell Phones Date: 23 Aug 2003 08:03:32 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ We provide FREE emergency cell phones to the elderly, women and children at risk. There is no cost or obligation. We also help with fund raising programs for charities to collect old cell phones to recirculate and recycle. If you can afford a cell phone, please do not request a phone as it limits the effectiveness of our programs. If you work for a company that can donate cell phones, please advise. www.free911cellphones.com www.usedcellphones.com ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Last Laugh! Telemarketers - Yikes Date: 23 Aug 2003 12:31:01 -0400 Organization: Organized? Me? Reposted with permission of original poster: Newsgroups: misc.consumers From: bgold@nyx.net (Barry Gold) Subject: Re: Telemarketers - yikes Date: 21 Aug 2003 18:46:47 -0600 Steve wrote: > Imagine being the last person who hasn't registered on the do-not-call > list, getting 87 billion calls per day... Dateline: April 1, 2011 The Select Senate Committee on the economy reported today that they have uncovered the cause of the Crash of '09. After Bush finished his second term at the start of 2009, the economy started to recover. Consumer confidence was improving, the unemployment rate was down to 4.5%, the stock market was growing at nearly 14% per year. Then, suddenly, in mid-november of 2009, everything changed course. Corporate profits dropped, the unemployment rate shot up to 30%, and the market lost over 75% of its value. According to the Select Committee, the Crash was caused by Mr. Lester Donwanna of Poughkeepsie, NY. He was the only person in the entire US who had not signed up for the anti-telemarketing "do not call" list, and was single-handedly keeping the economy going. But Mr. Donwanna required a cardiac bypass operation in late July, and afterward was told by his doctors to avoid stress and stay in bed for a few weeks. Donwanna entered his name and telephone number in the national "do not call" registry on July 27, 2009. Three months later, the new registry was propagated to telemarketers, and they stopped calling him. This left nobody for the telemarketers to call. The telemarketers laid off tens of thousands of low-wage workers. These workers were then unable to make payment on their credit cards, resulting in the first quarterly loss for major banks since the early 1990s. The banks responded by tightening up credit requirements, and millions of people had their credit limits lowered. As a result, they bought fewer goods, and manufacturers responded by laying off workers. This caused a snowball effect, resulting in the current Depression, which economists are predicting will be worse than in 1929-1940. The President has called for a volunteer to remove him/herself from the "do not call" registry in order to get the economy working again. Oh ... for those who think the above was serious ... :-) ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #621 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 24 15:31:56 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7OJVuY24066; Sun, 24 Aug 2003 15:31:56 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 15:31:56 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308241931.h7OJVuY24066@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #622 TELECOM Digest Sun, 24 Aug 2003 15:32:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 622 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Minnesota: Phone Rules Apply to VoIP (John Meissen) Everything is Watching YOU (Monty Solomon) New Twist to Phone Number Portability (Monty Solomon) Hackers Compromise Navy Purchase Cards (Monty Solomon) Senator Speier, Take a Bow (Monty Solomon) The Age of Murdoch (Monty Solomon) The FCC's Early Xmas Gift to the Lawyers (Monty Solomon) Emerging Technologies Conference 2003 (Monty Solomon) Apple Airport Network Security (Monty Solomon) Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air (Monty Solomon) Re: ISDN PRI Question (hogpilot) Re: ISDN PRI Question (Sam Etler) Wireless Internet (Erhan) Background to the Blackout (Nick Ruark) Re: Blocking Unknown Calls ('nuther Bob) Re: China Says, No More Microsoft (Group Special Mobile) Last Laugh! Rent Group Email Server (toshiba) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: john@aracnet.com (John Meissen) Subject: Minnesota: Phone Rules Apply to VoIP Date: 24 Aug 2003 18:35:40 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Don't recall seeing this here yet ... http://news.com.com/2100-1037_3-5066652.html Minnesota: Phone rules apply to VoIP By Ben Charny Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 21, 2003, 10:52 AM PT Vonage said Thursday it intends to fight the first-ever decision by a U.S. state to regulate companies that provide Internet-based phone services. Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission unanimously decided two weeks ago that the New Jersey-based voice over IP (VoIP) provider is subject to the rules and regulations that cover traditional phone companies. The state has ordered Vonage to get the proper telephone company business licenses and to immediately pay fees to the state's Department of Administration to support 911 services, according to a representative for the Minnesota PUC. Bill Wilhelm, an attorney for Vonage, called the decision into question Thursday, pointing out that the company's calls travel over the Internet rather than over a traditional phone network. "We believe the Minnesota PUC is incorrect in its findings," he said. Vonage, which lays claim to 40,000 subscribers, is exploring all its options, he said -- which include suing the Minnesota PUC in a state or federal court. Minnesota is the first U.S. state to attempt to regulate VoIP, according to Vonage. VoIP is a new breed of cheaper phone service that lets people place calls through the Internet, avoiding telephone companies' local and long-distance networks. The Minnesota PUC decision could have a widespread impact. While it only targets Vonage, it has set a precedent that regulators from all 50 U.S. states can use with regard to other VoIP providers. Michigan authorities have said they are considering a similar move, for instance. The ruling could also help sway the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is in the process of deciding whether it considers VoIP a traditional phone service. Such VoIP regulations are backed by major telephone companies Verizon Communications, BellSouth and Qwest Communications International. These carriers have come under competitive pressure from Vonage and major cable providers, which sell the lion's share of the 2.3 million VoIP calling plans in the United States. Vonage was given 30 days from the publication of the Minnesota PUC order to comply with the state's phone company regulations -- which should come in five to 10 days. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 02:31:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Everything is Watching YOU We're well on our way to a world where every product has a tiny radio transmitter embedded in it. Privacy activists are not happy, but big corporations are licking their lips. By Farhad Manjoo July 24, 2003 http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/07/24/rfid/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 02:36:22 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New Twist to Phone Number Portability By Jon Van Tribune staff reporter Published August 22, 2003 Taking any phone number with you wherever you move is a new twist to the number portability rules that are being scrutinized by federal regulators. In November, cell phone customers will be able to keep their numbers if they change wireless carriers. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing customers to keep the same number if they move from a traditional phone service to wireless. If the FCC approves the change, wireless carriers can woo customers away from using wired service. Those are fighting words to traditional phone carriers. http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0308220251aug22,1,4701038.story ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 02:44:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hackers Compromise Navy Purchase Cards By Dawn S. Onley GCN Staff Hackers recently broke into a Navy system and gained access to 13,000 Navy purchase cards, according to Defense Department officials who are investigating the incident. The DOD Purchase Card Program Management Office has issued a release stating that the Navy has cancelled all of its purchase card accounts -- about 22,000 -- to minimize the number of unauthorized purchases, and is working closely with the issuing company, Citibank. http://gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/23217-1.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 02:58:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Senator Speier, Take a Bow By Katie Dean California State Sen. Jackie Speier's battle with the banking industry is finally paying dividends for consumers. Sen. Speier labored for four years to pass a bill that would give people more control over their private information. Last week, SB1, Speier's financial privacy bill, was approved by both houses of California's legislature, and Gov. Gray Davis is expected to sign it into law this week. It requires banks and other financial institutions to get permission before sharing or selling their customers' personal information. It is the most stringent financial privacy law in the country. Wired News Reporter Katie Dean spoke with Speier recently about the bill, regarded as a landmark victory by privacy advocates. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60128,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 03:22:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Age of Murdoch The Atlantic Monthly | September 2003 Many see him as a power-mad, rapacious right-wing vulgarian. Rupert Murdoch has indeed been relentless in building a one-of-a kind media network that spans the world. What really drives him, though, is not ideology but a cool concern for the bottom line-and the belief that the media should be treated like any other business, not as a semi-sacred public trust. The Bush Administration agrees. Rupert Murdoch has seen the future, and it is him. by James Fallows http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/09/fallows.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 03:15:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The FCC's Early Xmas Gift to the Lawyers By Cynthia L. Webb washingtonpost.com Staff Writer The legal wars over the future of local telephone service and high-speed Internet access have just begun. That's the news media's consensus view of new Federal Communications Commission rules released yesterday, in which the agency maintained regulations aimed at promoting local telephone competition but deregulated the high-speed Internet market. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30786-2003Aug22.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 03:36:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Emerging Technologies Conference 2003 September 24-25, Kresge Auditorium, MIT campus, Cambridge, MA. The Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT will focus on the technologies that are poised to make a dramatic impact on our world. Technology Review Magazine, the authority on emerging technology, will bring together world-renowned innovators and key leaders in technology and business. The 2-day conference will feature a mixture of keynote, panel and breakout discussions that will center on the transformative technological innovations that have the potential to fuel new economic growth. The event will also celebrate the third annual TR100 awards program. The TR100 recognizes the top 100 young (under 35) innovators and key leaders in technology and business selected by the editors of Technology Review and an elite panel of judges. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape; Jonathan Ive, Apple Computer designer of the iMac; and Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal (now part of e-Bay) are among past recipients. http://www.etc2003.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 13:39:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Apple Airport Network Security This page offers some practical security tips to make Apple's Airport wireless network more secure. Many of the suggestions also apply to other Wireless networks using the IEEE 802.11 standard. Note that Apples new Airport 2.0 apparently just adopts the industry standard extension for "128-bit security," which does not solve the very grave security problems described below. http://world.std.com/~reinhold/airport.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 10:46:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air By Associated Press, 8/24/2003 BRATTLEBORO -- With the flick of a few switches, the Ramones's 'We Want the Airwaves' blasted out across the 107.9 FM frequency and Radio Free Brattleboro returned to the local airwaves. The unlicensed, all-volunteer station was shut down June 24 by agents from the Federal Communications Commission after two complaints surfaced that their frequency at 88.9 FM had interfered with a Massachusetts-based public radio station. Organizers of the 10-watt station announced earlier this week that they would return to the airwaves Friday with a petition signed by 2,000 residents as their authority to broadcast in this community. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/236/metro/Defying_the_FCC_unlicensed_radio_station_back_on_air+.shtml ------------------------------ From: hogpilot Subject: Re: ISDN PRI Question Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 19:11:51 -0700 Call 1-800-723-9378. They are a small CLEC and if they can't get it to you, tell them that their "5-Star" Customer Service says that they will find out for you who can. wrote in message news:telecom22.621.10@telecom-digest.org: > Hello! I'm in San Jose, CA and I'm having a hard time finding ISDN PRI > service in my area. Also, I was wondering what the ball park cost for > ISDN PRI service (with local POP access). If you can point me in a > direction, or give me a heads up of costs, please send em' my way. > Thanks! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 00:29:10 CDT From: Sam Etler Subject: Re: ISDN PRI Question > Hello! I'm in San Jose, CA and I'm having a hard time finding ISDN PRI > service in my area. Also, I was wondering what the ball park cost for > ISDN PRI service (with local POP access). If you can point me in a > direction, or give me a heads up of costs, please send em' my way. Wow, you shouldn't have problems anywhere urban, especially San Jose. Any of the IXCs should be able to get you a PRI. AT&T, MCI, etc. SBC (PacBell) shouldn't have a problem with it either. The CLECs (whichever are still in business these days) can too. Right now I've got PRIs from AT&T and MCI, and in the past have had them from PacBell, XO, and one or two others in the south bay (Santa Clara and Mountain View). Shouldn't be a problem delivering them on copper in this area. If you're looking for more than a couple DS3's worth PacBell will often drop an OC3 or an OC12 in your building or complex to accomodate it. Who knows, there might be equipment there already. As far as pricing, that can vary widely from carrier to carrier. Definitely shop around. If you're looking to do any sort of capacity make sure you're paying well below the tariffed rate. sam ------------------------------ From: erhan_j@hotmail.com (Erhan) Subject: Wireless Internet Date: 23 Aug 2003 21:35:41 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Is there anyway to get my wireless palm pilot connected with out paying for any services? Im looking for solutions such as having the palm connected to a host computer and use the hosts internet connection or hosting wireless internet myself (if possible). Thanks in advance! ------------------------------ From: Nick Ruark Subject: Background to the Blackout Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 23:03:52 -0700 This makes for very interesting and educational reading ... especially when you consider that nearly all radio/wireless systems and networks depend on a reliable power source. ------------------------------------------------------------- Background to the Blackout A compendium of IEEE Spectrum material Power engineers, IEEE members, and the Spectrum reporters and editors who cover power and energy have been sounding the alarm about grid problems and potential cascading failures for nearly a decade. What follows is a compendium of feature articles, news reports, and essays that have appeared in IEEE Spectrum magazine about previous power outages, grid reliability and security, and electric power policy. Link to all IEEE stories: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/special/aug03/comp.html Forwarded from the Private Wireless Forum for Mobile Communication Professionals http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivateWirelessForum ------------------------------ From: 'nuther Bob Subject: Re: Blocking Unknown Calls Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 14:42:40 GMT On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 10:31:32 GMT, Steve Michelson wrote: > But other than that, I don't think there is much you can > do, short of not answering those calls or changing your number. Call your telco and report it as harassment. I don't know if cell companies care though ... no regulation, no worries. Bob ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: China Says, No More Microsoft Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 07:50:34 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:46:14 -0400, Ron Chapman wrote: > I'm sure Microsoft is quaking in their boots at the thought of losing the > sale of that one copy of Windows and Office. I think you meant they are quaking at the thought of losing the sale of that one *legitimate* copy of Windows and Office. To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com A. Top posters. Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? ------------------------------ From: toshiba Subject: Last Laugh! Rent Group Email Server Date: Mon, 25 Aug 03 03:56:46 GMT Rent group email server! Our company(E-link Shanghai)is a professional company that deals with renting high quality email servers. We have more than forty clients now using our email server. We have professionals to monitor and control servers in 24 hours to keep the connection smooth. Now you can enjoy the high speed and good quality servers.We give every client 2 hours to use our server. It's all free. Want to try? Now, we are in promotion.If you want to rent our server.We can give you $999/month. And on trial (first two weeks)$399. If you want any details, you can email: email-link@163.com; email-link@263.net If you want to remove your address for our list,you can email: server.sh@tom.com Chinasupport@163.com Thanks, Jeason [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Oh good! Now, for guys who cannot afford the high cost of purchasing a professional quality high-grade email server for their spam, this fine company in China is offering to rent the needed equipment. And, after your free two hour trial of the equipment, the rent is a modest $999 per month which as anyone knows can be paid from your first day profits each month in your spam enterprise. Really too bad they do not have an 800 phone number for interested inquiries, or maybe they do but are too smart to include it in their advertising. Interested (or indignant) parties should contact 163.com or tom.com for details. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #622 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 25 12:08:55 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7PG8t129608; Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:08:55 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:08:55 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308251608.h7PG8t129608@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #623 TELECOM Digest Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:09:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 623 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #396, August 25, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) Re: New Twist to Phone Number Portability (Mark T. Miller) Re: Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries (Paul Vetter) Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air (John McHarry) Wi-Fi Moves From Storeroom to Store (Monty Solomon) Wireline LNP (Tele-competence) DISH Network First to Offer Free Digital Video Recorder (Monty Solomon) WhereWare (Monty Solomon) Re: Last Laugh! Rent Group Email Server (Fritz Wittington) Last Laugh! Re: China Says, No More Microsoft (John McHarry) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 10:07:14 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #396, August 25, 2003 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 396: August 25, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** BELL CANADA: http://www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: http://www.cisco.com/ca/letstalk ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: http://www.cygcom.com ** ERICSSON CANADA: http://www.ericsson.ca ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: http://www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: http://www.primustel.ca ** Q9 NETWORKS: http://www.Q9.com ** TELUS: http://www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Telus Responds to Forest Fires ** Cellcos to Standardize Wi-Fi Hotspots ** JDS Moves HQ to California; Straus Retires ** Carriers Respond to Landlord Application ** DSL Home Networking Promoted ** Telus Wins Broadcast Licences ** High-Speed Internet Exceeds Dial-Up ** International Internet Still Growing ** Call-Net Raises $37.5 Million ** Shaw Loses Pay-Per-View Case ** Interconnect Wants Wiring Parity ** Bell Files High-Speed Access Tariffs ** Fastest Virus Ever Hits Computer Nets ** Looking for a Telecom Speaker? ============================================================ TELUS RESPONDS TO FOREST FIRES: Telus has instituted emergency operations to respond to the forest fires in the B.C. interior. The company has donated 4,000 long distance calling cards to help evacuees, firefighters, and volunteers stay in touch with their families. Telus employees are working around the clock, maintaining and restoring phone service and assisting with relief and support efforts. ** The phone network remains operational, but there are delays resulting from congestion. Telus has appealed to residents of Kelowna and Penticton to limit calls to emergency purposes only. ** At least one cellsite, near Highway 97, was destroyed by fire. Telus has installed temporary equipment and expanded capacity in nearby sites. CELLCOS TO STANDARDIZE WI-FI HOTSPOTS: Bell Mobility, Rogers AT&T, Microcell, and Telus Mobility have agreed to establish common standards for roaming and interoperability among public Wi-Fi hotspots, and from their cellular networks to those hotspots. The carriers hope to agree on standards by the end the year, and to implement them in 2004. JDS MOVES HQ TO CALIFORNIA; STRAUS RETIRES: JDS Uniphase, which has had headquarters in both Ottawa and San Jose since 1999, will consolidate executive operations in California next month. The change coincides with the retirement of CEO Jozef Straus and the resignation of President and COO Syrus Madavi. ** JDS's new CEO is Kevin Kennedy, who has been a member of JDS's Board and COO of Openwave Systems. CARRIERS RESPOND TO LANDLORD APPLICATION: Bell Canada, Aliant, MTS, SaskTel, Telus, and Call-Net have filed a joint objection with the Federal Court against the CIPPREC/BOMA application for leave to appeal CRTC Telecom Decision 2003-45 (see Telecom Update #393). The carriers say the application is premature: the CRTC said it could order access to buildings if carriers and building owners can't agree, but since it has not done so there are no grounds for an appeal. DSL HOME NETWORKING PROMOTED: Bell Canada, BellSouth, SBC Communications, and Verizon have agreed to support DSLHome, a DSL Forum plan to "help spur the adoption of DSL-based home networks." In September, the carriers will present a proposal for a home networking architecture for DSL users; next year, they will jointly define ADSL residential gateway requirements. www.dslforum.com TELUS WINS BROADCAST LICENCES: The CRTC has approved Telus's application to distribute television programming in Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer) and B.C (Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Terrace, Vancouver, Vernon, and Victoria). www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-407.htm HIGH-SPEED INTERNET EXCEEDS DIAL-UP: A Yankee Group report says that more than 50% of residential Internet users in Canada now subscribe to high-speed DSL or cable Internet services. INTERNATIONAL INTERNET STILL GROWING: A new study by Telegeography says international Internet traffic will grow 67% this year. The researchers expect peak time trans-Atlantic traffic to grow from 100 Gbps this year to 466 Gbps in 2006. www.telegeography.com CALL-NET RAISES $37.5 MILLION: Call-Net Enterprises has sold 10 million Class B non-voting shares for $3.75 each, to an underwriting syndicate headed by BMO Nesbitt Burns and CIBC World Markets. SHAW LOSES PAY-PER-VIEW CASE: CRTC Broadcasting Decision 2003-408 orders Shaw Communications to provide Viewer's Choice pay-per-view TV service to SaskTel and MTS under rates and terms "substantially similar" to those it sets for the cablecos it owns. The Commission said Shaw's proposal to charge higher fees to telcos was discriminatory. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-408.htm INTERCONNECT WANTS WIRING PARITY: Dramis, a telecom equipment and cabling provider in New Brunswick, has asked the CRTC to allow it to use Aliant's in-building wire on the same basis ordered for local carriers in Decision 2003-45. Dramis says Aliant recently raised its inside wire prices by 70%. www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2003/8622/dramis/030808.doc BELL FILES HIGH-SPEED ACCESS TARIFFS: Complying with a July 10 order from the CRTC, Bell Canada has filed a tariff for Gateway Access Service (GAS) and High-Speed Access (HAS). Both services give an ISP a high-speed data access path over ADSL between an end-user's premises and a Bell Canada wire centre. HAS provides a dedicated channel, GAS provides password access to a shared network. ** Bell wants existing contracts for these services to be grandfathered, saying forcing ISPs to move to higher rates mid-contract "would be unfair and unjust." ** Two ISPs have told the Commission that Bell's proposed rates are too high. www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2003/b2-6767.htm FASTEST VIRUS EVER HITS COMPUTER NETS: Sobig-F holds the dubious record of being the fastest-propagating Windows virus yet. New York-based MessageLabs says it detected one million copies in the first 24 hours last week; AOL says it blocked 23 million copies by Friday. ** SoBig, which quickly followed the Welchia and MSBlast worms, disrupted many corporate data networks last week. LOOKING FOR A TELECOM SPEAKER? Looking for a powerful presentation to open your meeting or conference? An entertaining and insightful after-dinner talk? An intensive workshop or course for your team? For speakers who are experts at explaining the fast-changing world of business telecom in plain English, with a business-oriented, bottom- line focus, e-mail ianangus@angustel.ca today. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. 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The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: Mark T. Miller Subject: Re: New Twist to Phone Number Portability Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 21:52:34 GMT Organization: Road Runner - NC On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 02:36:22 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > By Jon Van > Tribune staff reporter > Published August 22, 2003 > Taking any phone number with you wherever you move is a new twist to > the number portability rules that are being scrutinized by federal > regulators. > In November, cell phone customers will be able to keep their numbers > if they change wireless carriers. Now, the Federal Communications > Commission is considering allowing customers to keep the same number > if they move from a traditional phone service to wireless. > If the FCC approves the change, wireless carriers can woo customers > away from using wired service. > Those are fighting words to traditional phone carriers. http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0308220251aug22,1,4701038.story ------------------------------ From: Paul Vetter Subject: Re: Caller-ID Technology in Various Countries Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 23:52:07 +0200 Organization: Planet Internet In Holland the ID digits are DC modulated on the analogue line, prior to applying AC ring signal. ISDN, of course uses the D channel for signalling, and should be pretty much the same all over the world. Hope this helps some. Bhoot Nath schreef in bericht news:telecom22.620.4@telecom-digest.org: > I have a very simple question about caller-id technology: Is the > implementation of caller ID technology same in different countries? > In other words, will a caller-ID phone purchased in US work in India / > Europe / Australia? Assume that the local exchange is > caller-id-capable, and phone owner subscribes to this service. The > question is about compatibility of the data sent from exchange to the > phone. > (E.g., TV broadcasts use different format, so the same TV does not > work in different countries, even ignoring the power voltage / > frequency issues) > Bhoot Nath ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 21:44:40 -0400 Monty Solomon wrote: > By Associated Press, 8/24/2003 > BRATTLEBORO -- With the flick of a few switches, the Ramones's 'We > Want the Airwaves' blasted out across the 107.9 FM frequency and > Radio Free Brattleboro returned to the local airwaves. > The unlicensed, all-volunteer station was shut down June 24 by agents > from the Federal Communications Commission after two complaints > surfaced that their frequency at 88.9 FM had interfered with a > Massachusetts-based public radio station. > Organizers of the 10-watt station announced earlier this week that > they would return to the airwaves Friday with a petition signed by > 2,000 residents as their authority to broadcast in this community. I wonder why they don't just stream audio over the Internet. It is much cheaper, has better coverage (global), and is legal. Maybe the last is a downside ;). Ten watts will not go very far with broadcast FM bandwidth. I think the future of "pirate" radio is in streaming, especially as broadband access becomes more common. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 01:13:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wi-Fi Moves From Storeroom to Store By ROY FURCHGOTT Ann Marie Diogo has been a waitress for 18 years. So she was skeptical when her boss at the Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton, Md., recently replaced her paper order pad with a Toshiba palm computer that can wirelessly send her customers' orders directly to the kitchen. "I was panicking," Ms. Diogo said. "I'm not that computer savvy." But when her faster service resulted in larger tips, she was won over. "There's no way I'd like to go back to pen and paper," she said. Better still, said the pub's owner, Ray Morrison, who can monitor all the tables and even send complimentary drinks remotely from his Toshiba, errors in the kitchen are down and profits are up about 15 percent since the Royal Mile converted early this year to its wireless system, which is based on the increasingly popular Wi-Fi format. The pub is hardly alone in bringing Wi-Fi to the sales floor. Wi-Fi may be more celebrated as a means of logging into the Internet without cables. But the fast-dropping price of Wi-Fi, technically known as the 802.11 format, and its ability to convey a large volume of digital data wirelessly over short distances have made it possible for various businesses to improve sales and profits, while better serving customers face to face. http://nytimes.com/2003/08/25/technology/25WIFI.html [Lisa Minter note: For our readers, we suggest you may wish to read NY Times using our group login name 'telecomdigest' and our group password 'telecomdigest'. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: telecombharat@yahoo.com (Tele-competence) Subject: Wireline LNP Date: 25 Aug 2003 00:55:54 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have been trying to find out the implementation differences between Interim Number Portability (deployed by LECs as a short-term LNP solution) and the actual long-term LNP solution (using the LRN architecture). I found a lot of interesting info on the Internet, and Qwest's website particularly is a rich store of information. http://www.qwest.com/wholesale/pcat/lnp.html (LNP) http://www.qwest.com/wholesale/pcat/inp.html (INP) But I haven't been able to find an answer to a basic question that cropped up. When exactly is Interim Number Portability deployed instead of the long-term LNP solution? The Qwest webpage (URL mentioned above) says that INP is deployed when the Qwest end office is not LNP-capable. But when LNP is implemented, does the end office (from where the number is ported) necessarily have to be LNP-capable? I thought that all that happened at the end office (from where the number is ported out) is the disconnection of the telephone account. The telephone number that is being ported is entered in the number portability database and it points to the new end office (that of a facilities-based CLEC, say) using the LRN. Any end office in the NANP area initiating a call to this telephone number needs to query this database with this telephone number. Why should the original end office (from where the number was ported out) be LNP capable? It no longer fits in the scheme of things. Thanks in advance, telecombharat ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 09:23:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DISH Network First to Offer Free Digital Video Recorder LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 2003-- DISH Network Introduces DISH Player - DVR 510 With New DISH Video On Demand Service; Watch More TV in Less Time EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) and its DISH Network(TM), a leading satellite television service, today announced the introduction of the DISH Player - DVR 510, the newest combination satellite TV receiver and digital video recorder (DVR). As a pay-TV industry first, DISH Network is offering this new DVR for free to new customers as part of its latest "Free DISH" promotion, including its DISH Video On Demand service for the new DVRs. The DISH Player - DVR 510 features a seven-day on-screen program guide, a 120-gigabyte hard drive capable of up to 100 hours of tapeless recording, parental locks and more. With the new Free DISH promotion, new customers will receive a free DISH Player - DVR 510, satellite dish, remote control and free standard professional installation. This is a savings of $299! This promotion ends Jan. 31, 2004. DISH Network's new DISH Video On Demand service allows viewers to skip commercials and other pre-recorded programming without videotape, as well as pause live TV, perform slow-motion instant replays, fast forward and fast reverse. The DISH Video On Demand's tapeless recording capabilities give viewers complete control of their television to watch what they want at their convenience, including network programs, pay-per-view movies, sports, news or special events. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35407473 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 11:00:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: WhereWare http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/pfeiffer0903.asp WhereWare Soon, hardware and software that track your location will be providing directions, offering shopping discounts, and aiding rescue workers-services that promise a windfall for ailing telecom carriers. By Eric W. Pfeiffer September 2003 Amanda sits idly at the bar of the trendiest restaurant in town, twirling a swizzle stick and sipping a cocktail. But cool as she looks, she's feeling anxious: her date is nearly 15 minutes late. She considers calling him but doesn't want to seem nervous or overeager. Still, she pulls out her cell phone, only instead of calling, she opens a special menu, enters his number, and sees that he is at the corner of Prospect and Broadway, not more than three minutes away. When he walks in, Amanda brushes off his apology, saying she wasn't at all worried. Sound fanciful-or outright implausible? Lock on to location-based computing, the hottest thing in wireless, which offers new services to customers and new revenue streams to carriers, and could save lives in the process. The idea is to make cell phones, personal digital assistants, and even fashion accessories capable of tracking their owners' every movement-whether they're outdoors, working on the 60th floor, or shopping in a basement arcade. Already, Japanese telecomm- unications company KDDI offers over 100 different location-based services using technology developed by wireless-equipment maker Qualcomm, from bracelets to let parents track their kids in the park, to cell phones that point the way to cheap noodle shops in Tokyo's skyscraping Shinjyuku district. In Korea, two million citizens use their cell phones to locate nearby friends and, for example, find the most convenient coffee shops for impromptu meetings. In Europe, cell-phone networks can locate users and give them personalized directions to Big Ben, or the Eiffel Tower. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/pfeiffer0903.asp ------------------------------ From: Fritz Whittington Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Rent Group Email Server Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 15:36:52 GMT Organization: AT&T Worldnet On or about 2003-08-24 22:56, toshiba whipped out a trusty #2 pencil and scribbled: > Rent group email server! > Our company(E-link Shanghai)is a professional company that deals > with renting high quality email servers. I sent them the following email: I might be interested in renting one of your email servers. How soon can you deliver it to the address below? Federal Bureau of Investigation Attention: Content Manager 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 7350 Washington, DC 20535 (202) 324-3000 ... and since I'm *very* anxious to get the information, I've arranged to re-send it every 10 minutes until I get a reply. Fritz Whittington Slow but sure moves the might of the gods. (Euripides, The Bacchae, circa 407 B.C.) ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Last Laugh! Re: China Says, No More Microsoft Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 21:14:27 -0400 Group Special Mobile wrote: > On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:46:14 -0400, Ron Chapman > wrote: >> I'm sure Microsoft is quaking in their boots at the thought of losing the >> sale of that one copy of Windows and Office. > I think you meant they are quaking at the thought of losing the sale > of that one *legitimate* copy of Windows and Office. I was unaware Microsoft offered the other type. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #623 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 27 15:32:52 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7RJWqK13420; Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:32:52 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:32:52 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308271932.h7RJWqK13420@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #624 TELECOM Digest Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:33:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 624 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter DVD-Cracking Code Not Free Speech (Monty Solomon) BlackBerry Reveals Bank's Secrets (Monty Solomon) Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars (Monty Solomon) RFID Gussied Up With Biosensors (Monty Solomon) Florida Approves Coral Reef Telephone Cable Rules (Monty Solomon) The Camera Phone's Dirty Little Secret (Monty Solomon) Amazon.com Sues Alleged E-Mail Forgers (Monty Solomon) Music of SPHERES/ Satellite Project Could Accelerate Space (M. Solomon) Netgear Flaw Triggers Accidental DoS Attack (Monty Solomon) Verizon Wireless Customers Can Send Photos to Outlook (Monty Solomon) Verizon Business SHDSL (Monty Solomon) Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air (Keith) Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air (Dave Garland) Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air (johna) Re: Rural Outside Plant (spyke) Re: Looking for Software (Koos van den Hout) Re: Anyone Use Infone? (Brian Stout) Got Ticketed For Cell-phone (Craig Joyce) 2500 Deskset Speakerphone, and Part Numbers (Jeff Sutter) Samsung CTI (Neil Fletcher) Re: Blocking Unknown Calls (BPOE758) WTS: Nortel Equipment (Tonico Technologies Ltd) FA: 3M Fiber Optic Splice Kit (Julius Hibbert) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: DVD-Cracking Code Not Free Speech Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 17:20:23 -0400 SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that courts can block Internet users from posting codes to illegally copy DVD movies, in a case that pitted trade secret rights against free speech. http://wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,60179,00.html DVD COPY CONTROL ASS'N, INC. v. ANDREW BUNNER http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/dvd/dvdccabnnr82503opn.pdf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 00:01:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: BlackBerry Reveals Bank's Secrets By Kim Zetter The eBay ad read "BlackBerry RIM sold AS IS!" So Eugene Sacks (not his real name), a Seattle computer consultant who always wanted one of the pager-size devices to check his e-mail, sent in a bid. For just $15.50, he bought the wireless device with 4 MB of memory. The BlackBerry didn't come with a cable, synching station, software or a manual. But it did come with something even more valuable: a trove of corporate data. After popping a battery into the BlackBerry's back panel, Sacks discovered a few things the previous owner wouldn't have wanted him to see -- more than 200 internal company e-mails from financial services firm Morgan Stanley and a database of more than 1,000 names, job titles (from vice presidents to managing directors), e-mail addresses and phone numbers (some of them home numbers) for Morgan Stanley executives worldwide. It was all there to read, Sacks said, the minute he turned on the device. The seller, who asked to remain anonymous, was a former vice president of mergers and acquisitions for Morgan Stanley who'd left the company months earlier. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,60052,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 10:05:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars Device can track cruisers in chases By Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent, 8/24/2003 The yellow 50-inch gas plasma television screen shows a map of Hudson and two blue automobiles on lines representing streets. Suddenly, at 11:25 a.m., the car labeled 41 turns onto Cox Street at a recorded speed of 16 miles per hour. No, this is not a new video game installed in the front office of the Police Department, but a sophisticated tracking device that can help fight crime and handle emergencies, the police chief said last week. ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: RFID Gussied Up With Biosensors Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 21:50:47 -0400 By Mark Baard Still stinging from failed attempts to introduce radio tags to consumers, retailers and their suppliers are now adding features to the technology to make it appear essential to the safety of the nation's food supply. As recently as last week, retailers and consumer packaged-goods companies have had to quietly dump efforts to implant radio-frequency identification technology into products or store shelves. The tiny radio transmitters let the companies precisely track the numbers and whereabouts of their inventory and consumers' purchasing preferences, which worries many privacy advocates. But many companies are now combining the tags with sensors that can detect the presence of biological and chemical agents, or signal that a perishable item has expired. By doing so, they hope to gussy up the controversial technology as an essential terrorism-fighting tool. The multifunction RFID tags will track America's food supply "from birth to the bun," said one RFID tag maker. With biosensors attached to them, the tags can instantly alert suppliers and retailers to anthrax or other toxins in their products, and possibly make recalls more effective. In addition, the food companies hope the technology will protect them from lawsuits brought by victims of deliberately contaminated food. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60156,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:34:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Florida Approves Coral Reef Telephone Cable Rules By Sinead Carew NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The state of Florida on Tuesday approved rules governing how and where telecommunications companies can lay undersea fiber optic cables in areas where there are coral reefs. Florida, which has the most extensive living coral reef system in North America, will require phone companies to lay Internet and telephone cables in designated gaps in the reefs and prohibit them from putting phone lines in certain areas. Environmentalists proposed the rules due to concern that telephone cables laid on top of the reefs could sway back and forth in storms or when snagged by anchors, damaging the delicate coral, which can take up to a thousand years to grow. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35448091 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:46:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Camera Phone's Dirty Little Secret Digital Imaging Penelope Patsuris, 08.26.03, 7:00 AM ET NEW YORK - The camera phone has a dirty little secret: Most of the time, users can't exchange pictures the way that they do on TV commercials. Despite the fact that 10 million camera phones are expected to ship by the end of this year, the communiques featured on TV are actually only possible between people who use the same carrier. And even then, the process doesn't quite work as advertised. Quite a few keypad clicks are required to see the photo sent. "The thing that people want, where you send a picture and it pops up on someone else's screen, doesn't exist yet," says IDC analyst Keith Waryas. http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/26/cx_pp_0826cameraphone.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:35:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Amazon.com Sues Alleged E-Mail Forgers By HELEN JUNG AP Business Writer SEATTLE (AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. has filed federal lawsuits against 11 e-mail marketers, contending they faked their e-mail addresses to appear as if the messages were sent by Amazon.com, the company said Tuesday. The suits, filed Monday and Tuesday in several U.S. district courts and in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada, seek injunctions to stop the alleged e-mail forgeries as well as millions of dollars in punitive damages. The lawsuits are part of a broader effort by Amazon.com to stop e-mail "spoofing" of the company's name, the Seattle-based Internet retailer said in a statement. Spoofing is a practice in which outsiders send e-mail to consumers that purports to be from another company or person. Amazon.com, Internet auction site eBay Inc. and other companies have long been targets of e-mail forgers. In a related development, the New York Attorney General's Office on Tuesday announced a settlement with one alleged e-mail forger identified by Amazon.com. The company, E.B.A. Wholesale Corp., which does business as Cyebye.com, has agreed to not use other companies' names in its marketing efforts, unless it has permission to do so. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company also agreed to pay $10,000 in penalties to the state of New York and is required to keep records of all commercial e-mail messages for the next two years. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35448033 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 02:24:42 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Music of SPHERES / Satellite Project Could Accelerate Space By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff, 8/26/2003 If all goes as planned, the unmanned Russian supply spacecraft Progress 12 will lift off Thursday from a remote launching pad in Kazakhstan, ferrying experimental gear to the International Space Station. And in an old factory building on the outskirts of Kendall Square in Cambridge, the earthbound engineering team from Payload Systems Inc. will mark the occasion as a significant milestone for a project that could accelerate space research. Payload is building a grid of volleyball-sized satellites programmed to rendezvous, separate, and fly in formation. Eventually, they will conduct microgravity experiments and help astronomers identify planets in the far reaches of space. http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2003/08/26/music_of_spheres/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 03:10:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Netgear Flaw Triggers Accidental DoS Attack By Munir Kotadia and Robert Lemos Special to CNET News.com Network hardware maker Netgear has warned its customers of a flaw in some of its router products that has set off an accidental denial-of-service attack on the University of Wisconsin. The problem occurred because of a flawed implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which is a method commonly used by network devices to contact special "time" servers that pass on the correct time and date. This information is important for routers, because they generate a variety of time-sensitive logs. The University of Wisconsin at Madison hosts a publicly accessible time server that some Netgear products use to synchronize their times. http://news.com.com/2100-1002-5068035.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 09:14:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Send Photos to Microsoft Outlook Verizon Wireless Customers Can Send Photos to Microsoft Outlook or Palm Contact Lists with iPhonebook - Aug 27, 2003 08:01 AM (BusinessWire) BEDMINSTER, N.J. & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2003-- With iPhonebook and Verizon Wireless picture messaging on the LG VX6000, Customers Can Send Photos to Virtually Anyone A picture can say a thousand words, and with today's availability of iPhonebook on Verizon Wireless' Get It Now(SM) service for the LG VX6000, customers can now use their wireless phones to email pictures to virtually anyone. Combined with picture messaging from Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation's largest and most reliable wireless network, and the advanced features of the LG VX6000, iPhonebook allows Verizon Wireless customers to share life's moments immediately with access to email addresses directly on their phones. iPhonebook is a mobile data application which wirelessly links address content from Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Palm Desktop PIM (Personal Information Manager) to Get It Now-enabled phones. Another option to manual text entry, iPhonebook enables customers to download contact phone numbers and email addresses directly to the phone's built-in phonebook. When a Verizon Wireless customer takes a picture, they simply bring up email addresses stored in the phonebook and can send it to as many recipients as desired. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35455133 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:41:14 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Business SHDSL Verizon Gives Small and Medium-sized Businesses Next Generation Broadband Technology - Aug 26, 2003 09:36 AM (PR Newswire) Business SHDSL Offers Features of More Costly Services Including Symmetric Data Flow and Priority Transmission NEW YORK, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Small and medium-sized businesses in nine states and the District of Columbia can now send important data traffic through the network at a higher priority than other DSL (digital subscriber line) traffic by opting for Verizon's new Business SHDSL service. Verizon Business SHDSL offers businesses data service under the international standard for single-pair high-speed DSL, "g.SHDSL." This is a symmetrical offering popular in Europe. Verizon is the first carrier in the United States to offer service at speeds up to 1.5 Mbps (megabits per second) in both directions, with quality of service comparable to high-end Internet services. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35433454 ------------------------------ From: Keith Subject: Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 07:48:15 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 21:44:40 -0400, John McHarry in wrote: > Monty Solomon wrote: >> By Associated Press, 8/24/2003 >> BRATTLEBORO -- With the flick of a few switches, the Ramones's 'We >> Want the Airwaves' blasted out across the 107.9 FM frequency and >> Radio Free Brattleboro returned to the local airwaves. >> The unlicensed, all-volunteer station was shut down June 24 by agents >> from the Federal Communications Commission after two complaints >> surfaced that their frequency at 88.9 FM had interfered with a >> Massachusetts-based public radio station. >> Organizers of the 10-watt station announced earlier this week that >> they would return to the airwaves Friday with a petition signed by >> 2,000 residents as their authority to broadcast in this community. > I wonder why they don't just stream audio over the Internet. It is > much cheaper, has better coverage (global), and is legal. Maybe the > last is a downside ;). Ten watts will not go very far with broadcast > FM bandwidth. I think the future of "pirate" radio is in streaming, > especially as broadband access becomes more common. Because if you do broadcast on the Internet you have to pay copyright fees that are outrageous, if you broadcast over the airwaves then no copyright fees are due. Best Regards, Keith AOL IM:kilowattradio NW Oregon Radio http://kilowatt-radio.org/ _Give SCO $699 for using Linux or the Penguin gets it._ Torvalds: _They are smoking crack._ ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:11:06 -0500 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when John McHarry wrote: > I wonder why they don't just stream audio over the Internet. They do (http://www.rfb.fm/). But maybe web listeners aren't as likely to show up at a fundraiser bbq or to volunteer to help at the station. Maybe they are interested in communicating with their actual friends and neighbors, and not everybody has broadband in their car, kitchen, barn, etc. Actual social interaction is often important in volunteer organizations like theirs. With streaming the audience is pretty much limited to people who are tethered to their computers, and probably they'll never meet any of them face to face. > Ten watts will not go very far with broadcast FM bandwidth. Brattleboro is not very big :) ------------------------------ From: johna@onevista.com Subject: Re: Defying the FCC, Unlicensed Radio Station Back on Air Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 22:34:34 GMT In article , John McHarry wrote: > Monty Solomon wrote: >> By Associated Press, 8/24/2003 >> BRATTLEBORO -- With the flick of a few switches, the Ramones's 'We >> Want the Airwaves' blasted out across the 107.9 FM frequency and >> Radio Free Brattleboro returned to the local airwaves. >> The unlicensed, all-volunteer station was shut down June 24 by agents >> from the Federal Communications Commission after two complaints >> surfaced that their frequency at 88.9 FM had interfered with a >> Massachusetts-based public radio station. >> Organizers of the 10-watt station announced earlier this week that >> they would return to the airwaves Friday with a petition signed by >> 2,000 residents as their authority to broadcast in this community. > I wonder why they don't just stream audio over the Internet. It is > much cheaper, has better coverage (global), and is legal. Maybe the > last is a downside ;). Ten watts will not go very far with broadcast > FM bandwidth. I think the future of "pirate" radio is in streaming, > especially as broadband access becomes more common. It's not as cheap as you think. The current cost is something like 7 cents per song per listener/connection. That adds up quickly. Licensed stations get a lower rate. I think that rate may be zero. ------------------------------ From: s_p_y_k_e@lycos.com (spyke) Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant Date: 25 Aug 2003 17:42:04 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) wrote in message news:: > Are they the ones that kinda look like wings? > (bad ascii art warning) > 0 <------- wire > / \ > / \ <------wing hanging from wire > / \ > If they are, they are there to keep the lines from swinging too much, > good wing blowing and a few miles of wire all dancing with the same > frequency, down comes the wire. > The "wings" disturb the airflow and distorts/dampens the frequency of > the wire swing. That's it exactly. Any idea what they are called? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 20:20:24 +0200 From: Koos van den Hout Subject: Re: Looking for Software Organization: Van den Hout Creative Communications In article you wrote: > If you look at http://weatherforecast.n3.net you will see one of two > randomly selected camera views of the outside of my house here in > Independence, immediatly followed by the current weather conditions. > What I am doing at present is using a Windows 95 laptop to FTP the > weather conditions and ONE camera view. I am using a Windows 98 > laptop to present the other camera view. The site improved with the other suggestions. But I do have one suggestion: have a look at Linux as OS for webcam activities. Although most webcams only come with Windows drivers, their specs are usually open enough for Linux drivers to exist. And in my experience, Linux performs a lot better at unattended repeated network activities. My webcam at http://webcam.idefix.net/ runs from the home Linux server and stays running for months. Koos van den Hout, PGP keyid RSA/1024 0xCA845CB5 via keyservers koos@kzdoos.xs4all.nl or DSS/1024 0xF0D7C263 Fax +31-30-2817051 Visit the site about books with reviews http://idefix.net/~koos/ http://www.virtualbookcase.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 11:30:49 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Stout Subject: Re: Anyone Use Infone? Yep, I signed up a while ago and I really like it. The cool thing is that Sprint PCS charges me $1.29 for for a 411 call, and now I can get it for 89 cents from Infone instead. Plus, Infone appears to have better overall service (Sprint 411 has not been very good lately). I use it mostly for directory assistance calls, but I use their movie listings once in a while. They also have some other features like driving directions, weather, and some other things that I will have to check out some time. The coolest thing of all is that they let you sync your Outlook contacts and calendar to your personal "MyInfone" account that you can view on the web ... and when you call Infone, their operators can look up your contacts or calendar for you. Web access is free and same 89 cent charge applies to calls. I don't use Infone for long distance ... I have pretty cheap long distance at home and free on my cell phone. I can see how it could be attractive to others. I would give it a thumbs up. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am still waiting to see if George at Teledeal (the Digest's newest sponsor) plans to begin a *much less expensive* -- like maybe 40-50 cents per inquiry -- Directory Assistance service on prepaid cards. My feeling is that extremely low rate for Directory service would cut the bottom out of the higher priced services; if he starts it, I will probably sell it for him. PAT] ------------------------------ From: naughty_sonny@yahoo.com (Craig Joyce) Subject: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 26 Aug 2003 14:19:16 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? -Craig ------------------------------ From: lurkeroo@yahoo.com (Jeff Sutter) Subject: 2500 Deskset Speakerphone, and Part Numbers Date: 26 Aug 2003 15:39:00 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ My very favorite phone in the whole wide world is my AT&T model 2500-DMGJ. It is a square-button 2500 set, backlit, with a mute, flash, redial and *speakerphone* button with volume controls for the handset and speaker, which is wholly contained within the set. But I have only one. Where could I possibly buy another? Web searches yield only headset compatability references. Second, how does one interpret the various part number suffixes on 2500 models? Is there a guide somewhere? Thanks, Jeff ------------------------------ From: neil.fletcher@itnetworks.co.uk (Neil Fletcher) Subject: Samsung CTI Date: 27 Aug 2003 04:25:54 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ We have a Samsung DCS Compact II switch with a telephony server using serial connection. When we dial out from Outlook on any client we can make the call but on hanging up we receive a 'no dial tone detected please check your cables are connected...'. The CTI link monitor software shows a 'linedisconnectmode=nodialtone' message. We have latest firmware on the DCS and updated license server and DCS TSP software. Has anyone seen this before? Thanks. ------------------------------ From: bpoe758@aol.com (BPOE758) Date: 25 Aug 2003 15:53:12 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Re: Blocking Unknown Calls 'nuther Bob norealaddy@somephonydomain.com wrote about this on 8/24/2003 10:42 AM Eastern Standard Time in Message-id: > Call your telco and report it as harassment. I don't know if cell > companies care though ... no regulation, no worries. > Bob Have tried that. My carrier says there is nothing to do but change my number. Tried local police authorities who told me there is nothing that can be done. Trying the Attorney General's office in my state next. Wayne ------------------------------ From: lflynn@tonico.co.uk (Tonico Technologies Ltd) Subject: WTS: Nortel Equipment Date: 26 Aug 2003 09:47:54 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have a large quantity of 3Com, Nortel + HP networking equipment to sell. Please email lflynn@tonico.co.uk for full list. Will ship anywhere. ------------------------------ From: dr_julius_hibbert@hotmail.com (Julius Hibbert) Subject: FA: 3M Fiber Optic Splice Kit Date: 26 Aug 2003 12:04:36 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hey gang, If anyone's interested, I've got a new 3M Fibrlok 2530 splice kit up for grabs on eBay. URL is below. Thanks! drj http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3043442789 ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #624 ****************************** Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7SGgEu19262; Thu, 28 Aug 2003 12:42:14 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 12:42:14 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308281642.h7SGgEu19262@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #625 TELECOM Digest Thu, 28 Aug 2003 12:41:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 625 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Rural Outside Plant (Neal McLain) Re: Rural Outside Plant (Herb Stein) Re: Rural Outside Plant (Paul A Lee) Telephone Calls to Wrong Number (repost) (Danthrax) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-Phone (John Levine) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-Phone (John David Galt) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-Phone (Group Special Mobile) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-Phone (Justin Time) EarthLink Sues to Stop Alabama, Vancouver Spammers (Monty Solomon) After Satellite Success, TiVo Eyes Cablers (Monty Solomon) Re: Wireline LNP (Bob) Info On The Go: BARI Moves To Purchase I3Mobile (Eworldwire) Do Not Use Quantumlink (Enrique Zapata) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 14:24:23 -0600 From: Neal McLain Reply-To: nmclain@annsgarden.com Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant spyke wrote: > I was asked by a friend what the little metal triangles are > that hang from rural telephone lines. I have no idea what they > are actually used for, I thought possibly to prevent ice build > up. But I am sure that someone here knows exactly what they > are called and what they are used for. To which Hudson Leighton responded: > Are they the ones that kinda look like wings? > If they are, they are there to keep the lines from swinging too > much, good wing (sic) blowing and a few miles of wire all > dancing with the same frequency, down comes the wire. > The "wings" disturb the airflow and distorts/dampens the > frequency of the wire swing. Has there ever been a real case where a telephone cable actually came down as a result of wind-induced vibration? I've never heard of such a case, so I'd be interested in the details. Of course, even if the cable doesn't actually fall, wind-induced vibration can still cause damage. In my experience, the most severe problem is broken lashing wire, apparently the result of repeated flexing at pole attachments. Broken lashing wire is easy to spot: the signal-conducting cable hangs in a loop under the stand, and the lashing wire is usually partially unwrapped. The "wings" that Leighton describes are often used on multi-pair copper telephone cables to dampen wind-induced vibration, but they're almost never used on cable TV coax. I assume this is because coax (having lower mass than multi-conductor copper cable) has a higher natural resonant frequency, so it doesn't "whip" in the wind (although sometimes it "sings"). For those not familiar with lashing wire, it's the steel wire that's wrapped around any type of aerial signal-conducting cable (multi-pair copper, coax, or fiber) to secure it to the "strand," the tensioned steel cable that physically supports the signal-conducting cable. Telcos have used this technique for years to support multi-pair copper cables; the cable TV industry stole the idea to support coax. I've posted a few drawings of typical lashing-wire configurations at . Neal McLain nmclain@annsgarden.com ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:15:57 -0500 spyke wrote in message news:telecom22.624.15@telecom-digest.org: > hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) wrote in message > news:: >> Are they the ones that kinda look like wings? >> (bad ascii art warning) >> 0 <------- wire >> / \ >> / \ <------wing hanging from wire >> / \ >> If they are, they are there to keep the lines from swinging too much, >> good wing blowing and a few miles of wire all dancing with the same >> frequency, down comes the wire. >> The "wings" disturb the airflow and distorts/dampens the frequency of >> the wire swing. >> That's it exactly. Any idea what they are called? If it's like a little tent over the cable, it's "squirrel guard" and keeps them from eating the sheath. Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 952-4601 ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Rural Outside Plant Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 17:24:11 -0400 In TELECOM Digest V22 #624, s_p_y_k_e@lycos.com (spyke) wrote (in part): > hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) wrote in message > news:: >> Are they the ones that kinda look like wings? >> (bad ascii art warning) >> 0 <------- wire >> / \ >> / \ <------wing hanging from wire >> / \ >> If they are, they are there to keep the lines from swinging too much, >> good wing blowing and a few miles of wire all dancing with the same >> frequency, down comes the wire. >> The "wings" disturb the airflow and distorts/dampens the frequency of >> the wire swing. > That's it exactly. Any idea what they are called? A "cable damper". Google for that expression, and you'll get further info. Similar airflow disrupting structures are used on bridges, transmission towers, and other sections that take on airfoil characteristics in windy conditions. Also Google on "Galloping Gertie" or "Tacoma Narrows Bridge" for a practical demonstration of the airfoil phenomena. Paul A Lee Voice: +1 717 730-8355 Sr Telecom Engineer [Voice & Transmission] Fax: +1 717 975-3789 Rite Aid Corporation, Telecomm, 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 ------------------------------ From: dee4j@yahoo.com (Danthrax) Subject: Telephone Calls to Wrong Number (repost) Date: 27 Aug 2003 16:21:50 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Gail M Hall wrote on 07-Jul-03: > I'm amazed I haven't seen mention of this story yet. > The other night on our local news, they intereviewed an elderly woman > who lives in Ashtabula, OH, if I remember right. I don't know if the > story is still on the channel's web site. I did see the report on > WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland.> (snipfu) > The lady, who has a residential line nowhere near where this program > is aired, started getting calls from people wanting to vote for their > choices. Her number was nothing like the number they advertised. She > reported the problem to her phone company, and they couldn't explain > why this was happening. Even during the interview, her phone was > ringing constantly. No sooner would she hang up from one call, the > phone would ring with another caller wanting to vote. > By the time we saw this on TV, the report had been sent to NBC or the > producers of the show, and they couldn't explain it. Amazingly, the > problem was not solved by the next time the show aired. > This lady was a good sport, so she started just writing down the votes > and reporting her counts to NBC. (snip) > Gail in Ohio NE USA Sounds like a SNETFU (c) to me, Gail. Danthrax ------------------------------ From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 28 Aug 2003 11:54:54 -0400 Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement > officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek > regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is > there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? As far as I know, New York is the only state with a ban on using a handset while driving. (Hands-free is OK.) Considering how much publicity the enforcement campaign has had, I hope you weren't surprised. The studies I've seen say that using a cell handset is a hazard, and hands-free isn't much better. We should all hang up and drive. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner http://iecc.com/johnl Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: John David Galt Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:32:45 -0700 Organization: Diogenes the Cynic Hot-Tubbing Society Craig Joyce wrote: > Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement > officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek > regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is > there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? To my knowledge New York is the only state with a statewide ban on using a cell phone while driving. A few cities have also banned it, but in the overwhelming majority of the US it is still legal. ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:45:48 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On 26 Aug 2003 14:19:16 -0700, naughty_sonny@yahoo.com (Craig Joyce) wrote: > Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement > officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek > regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is > there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? AFAIK New York is the only *state* that has a no cell phones law. There are several individual municipalities that have no cell while driving laws. They really need a no distraction law though to keep people from one handed driving and the other hand is either eating, drinking, tuning the radio, inserting a CD, applying makeup or any number of other things. To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com A. Top posters. Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 28 Aug 2003 05:43:06 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ naughty_sonny@yahoo.com (Craig Joyce) wrote in message news:: > Hi, > Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement > officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek > regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is > there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? > -Craig Yes, there is a state. It's called Personal Responsibility. You knew it was against the law, but YOU chose to flaunt it. Rodgers Platt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 08:51:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EarthLink Sues to Stop Alabama, Vancouver Spammers By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Internet provider EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ:ELNK) said it sued seeking to break two e-mail "spam" rings Wednesday, charging that operators in Alabama and British Columbia flooded its network with some 250 million unwanted commercial messages. As many as 100 individuals could be involved in the two schemes, which hide behind a veil of bogus Web sites and e-mail accounts bought with stolen credit-card numbers, the Atlanta-based ISP charged in its complaint. EarthLink filed suit in a U.S. court in Atlanta to compel telephone companies, Web domain sellers and other vendors to turn over information related to the two rings, which have cost the company some $5 million in employee time and wasted bandwidth, a company lawyer said. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35464940 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 22:49:18 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: After Satellite Success, TiVo Eyes Cablers By Nicole Sperling and Georg Szalai LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Personal video recorders continue to win over U.S. consumers, but sector leader TiVo Inc. -- long known for its stand-alone PVR box -- is increasingly focusing on boosting its reach via strategic partnerships with electronics manufacturers, satellite TV providers and particularly cable operators in an attempt to remain relevant in a fast-changing marketplace. The second-quarter subscriber results that San Jose, Calif.-based TiVo reported last Thursday whizzed past all Wall Street estimates thanks to strong growth of users signed up through an existing relationship with satellite TV giant DirecTV. Tuesday, TiVo stock ended 3.4 percent higher at $10.48 on the Nasdaq, down from a three-week high of $11.50 reached last Friday. Overall, the company added a record 90,000 net new subscribers for its digital video service, twice the number added during the same quarter last year. The quarter's net additions "were 15,000 above our 75,000 estimate as a result of solid growth in DirecTV-TiVo subs," which composed 62% of the period's customer gains, Thomas Weisel Partners analyst Gordon Hodge said. The strong second quarter left TiVo's total user base close to 800,000 as of the end of last month. http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=3342188 ------------------------------ From: Bob Subject: Re: Wireline LNP Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 20:16:26 -0700 Tele-competence wrote in message news:telecom22.623.6@telecom-digest.org: > I have been trying to find out the implementation differences between > Interim Number Portability (deployed by LECs as a short-term LNP > solution) and the actual long-term LNP solution (using the LRN > architecture). > I found a lot of interesting info on the Internet, and Qwest's website > particularly is a rich store of information. > http://www.qwest.com/wholesale/pcat/lnp.html (LNP) > http://www.qwest.com/wholesale/pcat/inp.html (INP) > But I haven't been able to find an answer to a basic question that > cropped up. > When exactly is Interim Number Portability deployed instead of the > long-term LNP solution? > The Qwest webpage (URL mentioned above) says that INP is deployed when > the Qwest end office is not LNP-capable. But when LNP is implemented, > does the end office (from where the number is ported) necessarily have > to be LNP-capable? I thought that all that happened at the end office > (from where the number is ported out) is the disconnection of the > telephone account. The telephone number that is being ported is > entered in the number portability database and it points to the new > end office (that of a facilities-based CLEC, say) using the LRN. > Any end office in the NANP area initiating a call to this telephone > number needs to query this database with this telephone number. Why > should the original end office (from where the number was ported out) > be LNP capable? It no longer fits in the scheme of things. > Thanks in advance, > telecombharat I am not a LNP/INP expert though do work with the technology. INP is used when the end-station is older and can not do a database-dip to route the call. If this older Central Office is using (925)555-0000 through (925)555-9999 then the entire block must be call-routed to this end office switch since the "native" switch appears as one large block to the STP (Service Transfer Point). If the Block were to be broken-up in the database, the "native" switch calls to that number would fail ... as it would not have the needed SS7/AIN capabilities. Most numbers are not "ported" so this would be a big problem. The INP solution keeps the local "native" switch in the picture. The 10,000 block of numbers will all route to the native switch and those that are ported would be "call-forwarded" to the intended destination (usually this burns multiple numbers since the "call-forward" number is actually different than the Dialed/Ported number). I have dealt with the INP in the past..Qwest used to have some old SXS and cross-bar switches in rural areas. My two cents. ------------------------------ From: Eworldwire Subject: Info On The Go: BARI Moves To Purchase I3Mobile (NASDAQ: IIIM) Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 9:19:17 -0400 No. 41 Largest Private Company in South Florida Makes Plans To Develop Product BOCA RATON, Fla./EWORLDWIRE/Aug. 28, 2003 --- Following the announcement by Anthony Baratta of the development of a new communication and information device to transmit and obtain information on demand, BARI Holdings Irrevocable Trust is working to tender an offer for purchase of i3Mobile (NASDAQ: IIIM)to develop and manufacture the product. Although my original intent was to license the concept and technology to several electronic manufacturers, and cellular phone service providers, after careful evaluation, I determined this technology would be best served by joining forces with a company already in the Information Technology industry, said Baratta. Because i3Mobile has been engaged in the distribution of customized text-based information to mobile devices under the Powered by i3 Mobile product brand, i3Mobile is the perfect match. Named Info On The Go, any person interested in obtaining information about a location may transmit a User Code number or cellular phone number electronically from a hand-held device or cellular phone by simply pressing a button in the direction of a Base Unit. Pressing this button transmits the request to a Base Unit Transmitter / Receiver the sender’s information. The Base Unit activities and triggers the delivery of information from the Base Unit to the Hand-held Unit or Cellular Phone. The information transmitted back to the Hand-held Unit (via radio wave) or cellular phone (via SMS, internet, or GPS) can take a variety of forms; text (SMS), voice or MMS. Users of the system will be able to remain in their vehicles, avoiding and eliminating the hassle associated with stopping, locating an appropriate and available parking spot, getting out of the car and going inside to get information. Users of the system will be able to click and continue on their routes from the comfort of air-conditioned or heated vehicles. In seconds, all the information drivers need is at their fingertips. No more 411, no more waiting on or figuring-out GPS maps, said Baratta. Flipping through web pages for directions or information on the go will be a thing of the past. The i3Mobile service, branded Pronto, was marketed directly to consumers and designed to deliver information and service on demand 24 hours a day, combining the service of a mobile concierge with the simplicity of flat menu voice recognition technology. While the service and the customer base will increase dramatically, the business model will remain the same, continued Baratta. i3Mobile provided personalized information to wireless device users via mobile phones, pagers and personal digital assistants, and that’s exactly what we are going to do at pennies per inquiry. Although ACE*COMM (NASDAQ: ACEC) has entered into a Letter of Intent to purchase i3Mobile (NASDAQ: IIIM) with stock, Baratta feels that both companies, based upon recent financial summaries and stock performances, could use more cash assets than liabilities and the purchase of i3Mobile would not be prudent for either company. Financially, I have what it takes to move i3Mobile into compliance with NASDAQ requirements, added Baratta. Couple those resources with a new product with a conservative estimated sales and service potential of over $50 Million in the first year of operation, and imagine where that will put the stock price upon purchase. Anthony P. Baratta is the Trustee of BARI Holdings Irrevocable Trust, which was ranked the No. 41 Largest Private Company in South Florida by South Florida CEO Magazine with an estimated 2001 revenue of $311 Million. Baratta is also President of AXCESS Insurance, and AXCESS Bank. He can be contacted at: (561) 266 8837 or apbaratta@cs.com. HTML: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/wr/082803/1636.htm PDF: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/pdf/082803/1636.pdf ONLINE NEWSROOM: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1684.htm LOGO: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1684.htm CONTACT: Anthony Baratta Trustee BARI Irrevocable Trust PO Box 34 Boca Raton, FL 33429 PHONE. 561.266.8837 EMAIL: apbaratta@cs.com ------------------------------ From: Enrique Zapata Subject: Do Not Use Quantumlink Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 11:58:11 -0700 Our bill increased seriously when we changed to Quantumlink, and their way of charging is by "call units" instead of "units of time". I am having serious problems with the company as I keep receiving different bills. If you would like more details, let me know. Regards, Enrique Zapata IS Manager Tel. USA: (619) 661-6995 Tel. Mex: (664) 647-4444 x4480 ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #625 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 29 12:51:22 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7TGpKp28343; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:51:22 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:51:22 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308291651.h7TGpKp28343@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #626 TELECOM Digest Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:51:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 626 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (TELECOM Digest Editor) Nokia Unveils MHP-Compliant Digital Satellite/Terrestrial (M Solomon) EFFector 16.21: Stop the DirecTV Dragnet! - UCITA Abandoned (M Solomon) RIAA Will Issue Second Subpoena For Identity of Distributor (M Solomon) Internet Use by Region in the United States (Monty Solomon) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Bob Rahe) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Ron Chapman) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Al Gillis) Re: Telephone Calls to Wrong Number (Steven J Sobol) Re: ISDN PRI Question (Gawain) Levels on Transmission Networks (Dana) PRI Costs/Questions (Rudy) ENUM (Amelia Effendi) Call Center (Vinojo Francis) Callmaster II (Tonico Technologies Ltd) Last Laugh: Top Replies in Usenet/Email (Mark J Cuccia) Share Day For August/September (TELECOM Digest Editor) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:05:00 EDT A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed said the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw him working on it and testing it.' Patrick Townson ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 09:22:00 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Nokia Unveils MHP-Compliant Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Nokia Unveils MHP-Compliant Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Television Receivers - Aug 29, 2003 04:27 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35500954 Nokia Mediamaster 260 Receivers Offer Consumers a New View on Sharing and Enjoying Digital Content - Aug 29, 2003 04:27 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35500955 Simple Access to Digital TV And Radio with the Stylish Nokia Mediamaster 110T; Compact Receiver Opens The Door To More Entertainment In Any Room Of The Home - Aug 29, 2003 04:29 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35500959 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 09:25:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 16.21: Stop the DirecTV Dragnet! - UCITA Abandoned EFFector Vol. 16, No. 21 August 16, 2003 ren@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 260th Issue of EFFector: * Action Alert: Stop the DirecTV Dragnet! * UCITA Abandoned by Its Parent Organization * Federal Court Spurns Recording Industry Enforcement Tactics * Activist Gets Year in Jail for Hosting, Link to Bomb Info * EFF's 10,000th Member Contest! * Freedom Fest Thanks * Deep Links (7): Tell Your Story About the Public Domain * Staff Calendar: 8.19.03 Wendy Seltzer at Search Engine Strategies * Administrivia For more information on EFF activities & alerts: To join EFF or make an additional donation: EFF is a member-supported nonprofit. Please sign up as a member today! . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . http://www.eff.org/effector/16/21.php ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 10:55:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: RIAA Will Issue Second Subpoena For Identity of Music Distributor The Recording Industry Association of America will send MIT a second subpoena seeking the identity of a network user alleged to have been illegally "offering hundreds of copyrighted works to the world-at-large" from MIT's network through the KaZaA file-sharing system, an RIAA spokesman said last night. http://www-tech.mit.edu/V123/N31/31riaa.31n.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 11:15:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Internet Use by Region in the United States Pew Internet August 27, 2003 Internet penetration continues to be unevenly distributed across the country. The Pew Internet & American Life Project has tracked the growth of Internet usage in the United States, from just under half of American adults in 2000 to about 59% of adults at the end of 2002. These statistics have continually shown that Internet penetration in the United States has been and continues to be uneven. We have discussed in other reports why this growth has not been evenly distributed among those in various racial and ethnic groups, those of various ages, and among those with different levels of education and income. This report explores the reasons behind the uneven distribution of Internet penetration by geographical region. And it looks at variations in use of the Internet by region. The following table outlines the disparities in Internet penetration among 12 regions of the country in 2002. (California is considered separately because Internet access and use vary dramatically from neighboring states.) There are several notable variances among regions: * The regions of the country with the highest rates of Internet penetration are along the Atlantic seaboard (New England with 66% of the adult population using the Internet and the Capital region with 64% using the Internet) as well as the Pacific seaboard (the Pacific Northwest with 68% online and California with 65% Internet penetration). * Relatively high rates of Internet usage are also found in the Rocky Mountain States (64%) as well as in the Border States (60%). * Internet usage has lagged somewhat in states in the Southeast (57%) and Industrial Midwest (55%). * The region of the country that is far behind the other regions in using the Internet has been the South (48%). http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=98 http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Regional_Report_Aug_2003.pdf ------------------------------ From: bob@hobbes.dtcc.edu (Bob Rahe) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 28 Aug 2003 17:29:16 GMT Organization: Delaware Technical & Community College In article , John R. Levine wrote: > The studies I've seen say that using a cell handset is a hazard, and > hands-free isn't much better. We should all hang up and drive. More recent studies have found that it is the distraction of the call that is the problem not the method used to make it. I.e. most of the problem comes not from using one hand to hold it to your ear but from the inattention to driving that putting your attention on the call causes. And other studies on the general 'distraction' issue agree. It isn't just cell phone calls altho they seem to take more attention than, say, hitting scan or a button on the radio. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Bob Rahe, Delaware Tech&Comm Coll. / | |Computer Center, Dover, Delaware / | |Internet: bob@dtcc.edu (RWR50) / | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 17:19:26 -0400 From: Ron Chapman Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone In article , johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) wrote: > The studies I've seen say that using a cell handset is a hazard, and > hands-free isn't much better. We should all hang up and drive. I'll do that the minute Mom in her 6000 pound SUV stops paying 99% attention to her kids and 1% attention to the road. ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:56:26 -0700 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Craig ... Did you forget to say you were driving while using your cellular telephone? Sometimes that triggers a citation based on the notion that a driver's level of concentration decreases when talking on the phone. Thus they become a more dangerous driver and deserving of a citation. It's unknown to me why a driver's concentration doesn't go down when one is singing along with the radio, talking to a passenger or many of the other things we all engage in while driving. Al Craig Joyce wrote in message news:telecom22.624.18@telecom-digest.org: > Hi, > Last week was a cell-phone hunting week by Suffolk Law Enforcement > officers. I got one ticket, and there was an article in Newsweek > regarding how many tickets were given away for this infraction. Is > there a state that does not enforce such a rule on using cell-phones? > -Craig [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What is the difference, I wonder, between a cell phone used by a member of the public and the various kinds of radio (and often times, computer terminal) gear used by police officers in their cars? A cell phone user often times has to just punch a button and talk through a headset or a speaker phone, much as one would speak to other passengers in the car. A police officer has to press a button to talk and (in the case of a computer- equipped police car has to glance at a screen or type in data on the terminal, and often times they moving faster than normal speed. Don't police officers get distracted also? If a member of the public is expected to concentrate on his driving, what about police officers? PAT] ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Telephone Calls to Wrong Number Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 14:27:27 -0500 Danthrax wrote: >> The other night on our local news, they intereviewed an elderly woman >> who lives in Ashtabula, OH, if I remember right. I don't know if the >> story is still on the channel's web site. I did see the report on >> WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland.> > (snipfu) >> The lady, who has a residential line nowhere near where this program >> is aired, started getting calls from people wanting to vote for their >> choices. Her number was nothing like the number they advertised. She >> reported the problem to her phone company, and they couldn't explain >> why this was happening. Even during the interview, her phone was >> ringing constantly. No sooner would she hang up from one call, the >> phone would ring with another caller wanting to vote. Ashtabula's phone exchanges are 440-992, 440-993, 440-998, 440-964 ... there are some other prefixes in area code 440 in neighboring communities like Conneaut, Jefferson and Geneva. Is it possible that some people were dialing to the right number, but to area code 440 instead of 216? JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ Reply-To: Gawain From: Gawain Subject: Re: ISDN PRI Question Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 02:12:37 GMT Try SBC's web-site, http://www02.sbc.com/Products_Services/Business/ProdInfo_1/1,,264--1-1-0,00. html I wouldn't trust PRI service outside of the ILEC. To reply, take the "cut" away. wrote in message news:telecom22.621.10@telecom-digest.org: > Hello! I'm in San Jose, CA and I'm having a hard time finding ISDN PRI > service in my area. Also, I was wondering what the ball park cost for > ISDN PRI service (with local POP access). If you can point me in a > direction, or give me a heads up of costs, please send em' my way. > Thanks! ------------------------------ From: Dana Subject: Levels on Transmission Networks Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 18:39:09 -0800 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com From what I can see the FCC has given the ANSI group the task of determining the safe/recomended levels to be placed on transmission networks. Does anyone have any reccomendations they use for setting levels in a 2wire and 4 wire microwave/fiber/copper transmission system. Thanks ANSI/TIA-968-A-2002 "The Declaration of Independence... [is the] declaratory charter of our rights, and the rights of man." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809) ------------------------------ From: blahblah@monkeybrains.net (Rudy) Subject: PRI Costs/Questions Date: 28 Aug 2003 20:15:20 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I am about to order another PRI in San Francisco. How can I cut my costs down? I am paying $475 for the PRI and $137 in taxes. This is an "inbound PRI" that has 2 phone numbers, one in the 415 and one in the 510 area codes. Last year, I got a $410 quote for two way PRI with one area code only. What are prices these days (Aug 2003)? Where should I shop around to? I have gotten quotes from MCI, XO, and PacBell in the past. Info on your rates or a resource on the Internet that follows PRI prices would be helpful. ------------------------------ From: amelia_effendi@hotmail.com (amelia effendi) Subject: ENUM Date: 28 Aug 2003 23:07:51 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, my name is Amelia Effendi and I am a research student from RMIT University focusing on the possible introduction of ENUM in Australia. I have attended the ENUM meetings at the ACA and have been very fortunate to gain valuable input from the meetings. From the discussion so far, number ownership, privacy and authentication are some Of the issues related to the ENUM implementation. I wish to know deeper regarding number ownership as currently from my understanding, the numbers are 'leased' and being returned back once the leasing period end. With the existence of ENUM, I would like to know who owns the number and whether the number will still only be leased and returned to the provider once it ends? I would also like to have your expert opinion of three most important issues for the introduction of ENUM from your point of view. I would be very grateful if you could respond to s9912645@student.rmit.edu.au Thank you, Amelia Effendi RMIT University Melbourne, Australia ------------------------------ From: vinojof@hotmail.com (Vinojo Francis) Subject: Call Center Date: 29 Aug 2003 02:10:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ What will be the cheapest solution to setup a call center (10 seats)? I would also like to know what things I may need to set this up. I am new to VOIP. Please help me. Thanks, Vinojo Francis ------------------------------ From: lflynn@tonico.co.uk (Tonico Technologies Ltd) Subject: Callmaster II Date: 29 Aug 2003 06:09:26 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have 250 - 300 Callmaster II available. I will accept any sensible offers. Please email: lflynn@tonico.co.uk (Shipping from UK) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 12:16:42 CDT From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Last Laugh: Top Replies in Usenet/Email > A. Top posters (replies). > Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet (and with email)? Well, maybe they've just been watching too much -- JEOPARDY! :-) Don Pardo: "... These three people will compete today on -- JEOPARDY; and now here's the *STAR* of Jeopardy, ART FLEMMING!" Art Flemming: "Good Morning! Thank you Don Pardo, thank *YOU* my friends; NOW LET'S PLAY JEOPARDY ... THE ANSWER IS!" (Alex WHO? :-) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 11:30:37 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Share Day For August/September It is not really a joke to say that August is a very 'dry month' around here. After two or three weeks of very dry, very hot (in excess of a hundred degrees each day; more often than not 105-110 degree temperatures; one day 114 degrees in the morning before noon) then last night we got rain. Lots of rain, in excess of five inches, and the rain continues this morning in the form of a slow drizzle, and temperatures in the 70-75 degree range. So comfortable and pleasant, although the humidity is quite high, so my air conditioner is still on. August is also a very slow month for participation in the Digest, both editorially and financially. The ratio of legitimate messages to spam is much lower than usual and contributions are way down also. There are some regular readers here that I never -- not one single time -- have received a donation from, and I would like to ask that those of you who have never once contributed to the financial upkeep of the Digest *please* help by doing so at this time. *Please*. Donations by credit card can be made through PayPal using the template at the bottom of our website URL: http://telecom-digest.org or by check through US Mail: Telecom, PO Box 50, Independence, KS 67301-0050. In return for your gift, by return mail I will send you the complete two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives, which is all the back issues from 1981 through the present time, the entire archives of the Western Union Technical Review from its 22 year publication run, 1947 through 1969, and several old time radio shows with a telephone theme, including 'Sorry, Wrong Number' as heard on the old Suspense radio program. Remember, although I want to hear from many of you over this Labor Day weekend, I especially want to hear from those of you who have never yet given anything at all. *Please*. Patrick Townson ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #626 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 29 21:23:04 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7U1N4n01703; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:23:04 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:23:04 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308300123.h7U1N4n01703@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #627 TELECOM Digest Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:23:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 627 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Jim Rusling) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Group Special Mobile) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Gail M. Hall) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Mark Crispin) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Daryl R Gibson) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Bob Rahe) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (temp7@thewolfden.org) Integrity Logic Unveils New Logical Data Integrity Solution (Eworldwire) Verizon Wins Fight Over Use of Data: Court Blocks Privacy Rule (Solomon) Re: Internet Use by Region in the United States (AES/newspost) Share Day For August/September Addendum (Joey Lindstrom) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim Rusling Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Organization: Retired Reply-To: usenet@rusling.org Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 19:50:33 GMT TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family > Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of > originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed said > the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being > withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end > of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as > Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on > the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or > validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw > him working on it and testing it.' > Patrick Townson He was arrested for the MSBlast worm not the SoBig.F virus. I hope they do catch the writer of the SoBig virus family. Jim Rusling Partially Retired Mustang, OK http://www.rusling.org ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:57:41 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:05:00 EDT, TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family > Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of > originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed said > the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being > withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end > of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as > Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on > the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or > validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw > him working on it and testing it.' That was not the SoBig virus; that was for the Blaster worm. http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059479431010 or http://tinyurl.com/lmva - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com A. Top posters. Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? ------------------------------ From: Gail M. Hall Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:03:38 -0400 Reply-To: gmhall@apk.net On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:05:00 EDT, in comp.dcom.telecom message , TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family > Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of > originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed said > the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being > withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end > of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as > Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on > the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or > validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw > him working on it and testing it.' > Patrick Townson That's interesting because our local daily paper (Cleveland Plain Dealer) said the 18-year-old the FBI was about to arrest was accused of authoring the Blaster and nothing about him writing Sobig-F. I hope the media can get together on what the FBI really says they did. I hope the stream of Sobig-F messages will die out soon! Lots of them are still coming through and working the virus scanner pretty hard cleaning the attachments out! I've been accused of sending some infected messages by people I have never heard of, but my computer was turned *off* at the times they say the messages went out. Obviously, my address was stolen by some infected machines. I even unplugged my computer from the phone line while we were away, but I found a ton of messages saying infected messages had come from my "account." I'm amazed that some of the companies who sent out such "report" or "error" messages did not have software bright enough to check headers to see that the messages did not originate here. I got some infected (and cleaned out) messages with Telecom Digest address on Sobig-F messages (cleaned out by my scanner), but I suspect that you, Pat, are smart enough not to click on a .pif attachment in any e-mail message. The Sobig-F worm obviously steals addresses like other spammers do. I hope they find the actual people who wrote and originated those worms! Gail in Ohio USA [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This afternoon, Family Radio had changed their story to refer to the 'problem' as the Blaster Worm rather than Sobig, but still maintained that 18 year old Jeffery Parsons in Minnesota was the accused and arrested party. Not only, Gail, do I rarely ever open attachments which come with email, but all TELECOM Digest mail is handled *exclusively* on a unix work- station at LCS-MIT. Although I personally use Windows 2000 sometimes at my home; other times the Linux 'side' of the partitioned hard drive for the Windows 2000, and always in terminal emulation mode (either ssh or telnet) to connect with lcs.mit.edu, and thus somewhat 'immune' to the various deseases for which the various forms of Windows are infamous, the fact is I have gotten hit very hard also by the several fools who have sent in viruses and worms to the Digest in recent days. One day earlier this week, I was hit with over a thousand 're: application' and 'wicked screen' messages that day. There have been several thousand viruses and worms this week alone. Lisa Minter at her personal email account got hit pretty hard also, but the only three which latched onto me personally during August were two instances of downloader:small AD and an instance of dropgate all three of which were promptly cleaned out, quarentined temporarily and 'healed' by the Virus Doctor I use, called AVG 6.0, a totally free and highly effective tool I use which automatically searches across the entire network of Windows machines I have here (2000, 98 and 95) and about two hundred thousand files at 2:00 AM daily, or manually on demand at any time. Each day before beginning its search/hunt down/'heal' or destroy mission, AVG 6.0 updates its dictionary with the latest news from virus-world. Despite my efforts, Gail, even I get pornographic and other spam pitches from that TELECOM Digest outfit in my personal email as well as here at massis. Fortunatly, Spam Assassin catches most (but not all) of it here in the Digest email. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 10:24:10 -0700 Organization: University of Washington On Fri, 29 Aug 2003, TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family > Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of > originating and circulating Sobig Virus. Slammer (a.k.a. Lovsan), not Sobig. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Is 'Slammer' the same thing as 'Blaster' if you know? Its getting to be so wild you cannot tell the players without a scorecard. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Daryl R Gibson Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:10:04 -0600 Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! On 29 Aug 2003 at 12:51, editor@telecom-digest.org wrote: > A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on > Family Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of > originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed > said the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being > withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end > of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as > Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on > the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or > validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw > him working on it and testing it.' > Patrick Townson Pat: You sure about this report? Reuters and AP identify him as the writer of a Blaster variant, not SoBig. Daryl ---------------------------------------------------------------- "As you ramble through life, brother, no matter what your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole" --Dr. Murray Banks, quoting a menu ---------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.drgibson.com http://www.salesstar.com Personal Motivation and Positive Attitude [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: See my other notes this issue. The radio corrected their report to say 'Blaster' instead of 'SoBig', and you really cannot tell the players without a scorecard, and even 5-10 years ago this would have all been so outrageous, wouldn't it? PAT] ------------------------------ From: bob@hobbes.dtcc.edu (Bob Rahe) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 29 Aug 2003 17:01:48 GMT Organization: Delaware Technical & Community College In article , Ron Chapman wrote: > In article , johnl@iecc.com (John > R. Levine) wrote: >> The studies I've seen say that using a cell handset is a hazard, and >> hands-free isn't much better. We should all hang up and drive. > I'll do that the minute Mom in her 6000 pound SUV stops paying 99% > attention to her kids and 1% attention to the road. What is the logic to that? You will continue to do something dangerous because someone else is doing some other dangerous thing? I don't follow that one ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Bob Rahe, Delaware Tech&Comm Coll. / | |Computer Center, Dover, Delaware / | |Internet: bob@dtcc.edu (RWR50) / | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 13:45:34 CDT Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone From: Reply-To: temp7@thewolfden.org On Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 17:19:26 -0400 Ron Chapman wrote about Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone > In article , johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) wrote: >> The studies I've seen say that using a cell handset is a hazard, and >> hands-free isn't much better. We should all hang up and drive. > I'll do that the minute Mom in her 6000 pound SUV stops paying 99% > attention to her kids and 1% attention to the road. How interesting. I *don't* drive and talk because I too am aware that there are people out there spending most of their attention elsewhere. Of course, for me, I feel that means I should actually watch out for them instead of also ignoring everything else on the road and putting myself in more danger. Guess this is what they mean by "natural selection". ------------------------------ From: Eworldwire Subject: Integrity Logic Unveils New Logical Data Integrity Solution Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 11:53:54 -0400 New offering puts emphasis on logical integrity of databases OAKLAND, Calif./EWORLDWIRE/Aug. 29, 2003 --- Integrity Logic today announced the release of Euclid v1.0, an application that measures and helps enforce logical data integrity in most common databases. Euclid enables customers to verify their data's logical integrity from basic referential integrity to complex business calculations and derivations, and can span multiple databases. "Most people assume that the data in their databases is OK, yet they have never checked it," said Max Tardiveau, president and founder of Integrity Logic. "A vast majority of production databases contain serious errors that ultimately translate into wasted time and money. By checking their critical data proactively, companies can save on customer support, IT and DBA time, and avoid delays, embarrassment, and possible legal unpleasantness." Euclid was created after the founder of the company became frustrated by the large number of logical errors in production databases. "People spend considerable time and money testing their applications, but very few bother to check whether their data is correct, and remains correct over time," said Kevin Jordan of International Business Development, which markets Euclid in South America. "The few that do check their data do so painstakingly and incompletely. Euclid is the only product I know that makes this checking practical and reliable - without breaking the bank. The return on investment is immediate." Euclid capabilities include defining the logical rules underlying the data, checking these rules against one or more databases, measuring how well the data follows these rules, detecting violations, and allowing data correction. Euclid customers can now monitor their data integrity on a regular basis and detect data corruption trends. Euclid can be easily integrated with customer applications delivering instant checks and feedback on data integrity. About Integrity Logic Integrity Logic, LLC is a company dedicated to measuring and improving the logical integrity of data. The Euclid product is a complete solution for measuring and enforcing logical data integrity in one or more databases. For more information visit www.integrity-logic.com. HTML: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/wr/082903/1642.htm PDF: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/pdf/082903/1642.pdf ONLINE NEWSROOM: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1691.htm LOGO: http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/1691.htm CONTACT: Max Tardiveau Integrity Logic 45 Graeagle Oakland, CA 94605 PHONE. 510 568 4866 FAX. 510 568 4866 EMAIL: max@integrity-logic.com http://www.integrity-logic.com ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Wins Fight Over Use of Data: Court Blocks Privacy Rules Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 13:51:49 -0400 By Peter Lewis Seattle Times consumer affairs reporter In a case that pits privacy against free speech, a Seattle federal judge has permanently blocked state regulators from enforcing rules intended to safeguard call-detail information for more than 700,000 Verizon customers in Washington. In a ruling released late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein agreed there is a substantial state interest "in protecting against the unconsented use" of sensitive "call-detail" information, which includes when, where and to whom a call is placed, and how long calls last. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001631237_verizon27m.html Ruling http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/links/verizonruling.pdf ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Re: Internet Use by Region in the United States Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 14:33:50 -0700 In article , Monty Solomon wrote: > Pew Internet > August 27, 2003 > Internet penetration continues to be unevenly distributed across the > country. > The Pew Internet & American Life Project has tracked the growth of > Internet usage in the United States, from just under half of American > adults in 2000 to about 59% of adults at the end of 2002. These > statistics have continually shown that Internet penetration in the > United States has been and continues to be uneven. We have discussed > in other reports why this growth has not been evenly distributed > among those in various racial and ethnic groups, those of various > ages, and among those with different levels of education and income. > This report explores the reasons behind the uneven distribution of > Internet penetration by geographical region. And it looks at > variations in use of the Internet by region. The following table > outlines the disparities in Internet penetration among 12 regions of > the country in 2002. (California is considered separately because > Internet access and use vary dramatically from neighboring states.) > There are several notable variances among regions: > * The regions of the country with the highest rates of Internet > penetration are along the Atlantic seaboard (New England with 66% of > the adult population using the Internet and the Capital region with > 64% using the Internet) as well as the Pacific seaboard (the Pacific > Northwest with 68% online and California with 65% Internet > penetration). > * Relatively high rates of Internet usage are also found in the > Rocky Mountain States (64%) as well as in the Border States (60%). > * Internet usage has lagged somewhat in states in the Southeast > (57%) and Industrial Midwest (55%). > * The region of the country that is far behind the other > regions in using the Internet has been the South (48%). > http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=98 > http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Regional_Report_Aug_2003.pdf ------------------------------ From: Joey Lindstrom Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:43:18 -0600 Subject: Share Day For August/September Addendum Reply-To: joey@telussucks.info On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:51:22 EDT, editor@telecom-digest.org wrote: > Donations by credit card can be made through PayPal using the > template at the bottom of our website URL: http://telecom-digest.org > or by check through US Mail: Telecom, PO Box 50, Independence, KS > 67301-0050. In return for your gift, by return mail I will send you > the complete two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives, which is all > the back issues from 1981 through the present time, the entire > archives of the Western Union Technical Review from its 22 year > publication run, 1947 through 1969, and several old time radio shows > with a telephone theme, including 'Sorry, Wrong Number' as heard > on the old Suspense radio program. Remember, although I want to hear > from many of you over this Labor Day weekend, I especially want to > hear from those of you who have never yet given anything at all. > *Please*. Just a quick addition to this: for those who prefer their Telecom Archives on DVD media (either a single DVD-R or DVD+R), please let Pat know and we'll make sure you get your Telecom Archives on your requested media. -- Joey Lindstrom [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes, the entire archives is available on a single DVD but you have to specify -R or +R format, if you want that style of media instead of CD. Once again, *please* and thank you. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #627 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 31 02:33:12 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h7V6XB409272; Sun, 31 Aug 2003 02:33:12 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 02:33:12 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200308310633.h7V6XB409272@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #628 TELECOM Digest Sun, 31 Aug 2003 02:33:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 628 Inside This Issue: Happy Labor Day Holiday Lisa and Patrick Going Gold? Maybe if Enough Cell Phones Ring (Monty Solomon) EFFector 16.22: Alert: Linux Users Unite to Stop SCO (Monty Solomon) GILC Alert v7i6 (Monty Solomon) DNC: The Gathering Storm (Monty Solomon) Saboteurs Hit Spam's Blockers (Monty Solomon) California Law Provides More Financial Privacy (Monty Solomon) Hackers Take Control of Bank Site (Monty Solomon) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (tonypo1@cox.net) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Geoffrey Welsh) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Larry Finch) Re: PRI Costs/Questions (Gawain) Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars (Dave Close) Re: PRI Costs/Questions (Dave Phelps) Re: Call Center (Dave Phelps) Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (h2owolf) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Dave Close) Share Day Addendum for September (Joey Lindstrom) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 02:12:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Going Gold? Maybe, if Enough Cellphones Ring By ALEC FOEGE ONE of the most popular songs in the country last week, "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé Knowles and featuring Jay-Z, was not released only on compact disc and to radio stations. It was also sent to cellphone users who wanted to download it as their ring tone. The music industry may be having trouble persuading people to buy its songs online rather than swap them without paying. But the cellphone market is another matter. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/business/yourmoney/31RING.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Digest readers who also like to read NY Times are invited to use our group login 'telecomdigest' and ourr group password 'telecomdigest' for convenience. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 03:47:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 16.22: Alert: Linux Users Unite to Stop SCO EFFector Vol. 16, No. 22 August 28, 2003 ren@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 261st Issue of EFFector: * Action Alert: Linux Users Unite to Stop SCO! * California Supreme Court Upholds Free Speech in DVD Case * Calling All ReplayTV Commercial Skippers * EFF Members: Renew Your Membership Today! * Deep Links (14): The Quiet War Over Open-Source * Staff Calendar: 8.29.03 Kevin Bankston at DragonCon * Administrivia For more information on EFF activities & alerts: To join EFF or make an additional donation: EFF is a member-supported nonprofit. Please sign up as a member today! . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . http://www.eff.org/effector/16/22.php ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 03:48:14 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: GILC Alert v7i6 GILC Alert Volume 7, Issue 6 27 August 2003 Welcome to the Global Internet Liberty Campaign Newsletter. Welcome to GILC Alert, the newsletter of the Global Internet Liberty Campaign. We are an international organization of groups working for cyber-liberties, who are determined to preserve civil liberties and human rights on the Internet. We hope you find this newsletter interesting, and we very much hope that you will avail yourselves of the action items in future issues. If you are a part of an organization that would be interested in joining GILC, please contact us at . If you are aware of threats to cyber-liberties that we may not know about, please contact the GILC members in your country, or contact GILC as a whole. Please feel free to redistribute this newsletter to appropriate forums. =============================================== Free expression [1] California DVD code decision means more battles ahead [2] Protests grow over Euro copyright directive [3] U.S. gov't urges High Court to support Net censor law [4] German court ruling curbs Internet anonymizing software [5] Vietnamese Net dissident's jail term reduced [6] U.S., Spanish court cases bar users from providing weblinks [7] Hollywood appeals Grokster Net file sharing decision [8] Thai gov't minister proposes more online curbs [9] German court upholds legality of deep weblinks [10] Indian gov't plans new online censor law [11] Japanese gov't plans mobile phone content controls [12] Chinese gov't to use only Chinese software Privacy [13] Hollywood claims it won't go after small downloaders [14] Mblast and Sobig computer bugs hit hard [15] U.S. gov't plans mini-TIA spy databases [16] U.S. gov't pushes Net phone tap law expansion [17] Study: lack of online privacy leads to discrimination [18] British firm rolls out mobile phone tracking system [19] Australian Big Brother ISP plan, Net user ID scheme panned [20] Korean plan may have serious mobile phone privacy impact [21] U.S. schools install web spy cameras to watch kids [22] Global Privacy Report Published [23] New analysis of UK data retention proposals released [24] New GILC member: IP Justice This edition of the GILC Alert will be found on the World Wide Web under http://www.gilc.org/alert/alert76.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:51:55 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DNC: The Gathering Storm DNC: The Gathering Storm On July 29, the Federal Trade Commission released its final rules regarding fees to be imposed on entities accessing its do-not-call registry. This is the last piece of a complex puzzle that began being assembled in November 1999. Now we'll try to provide insight into how the pieces fit (or in some cases, do not fit) together. http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=24871 States Transfer 9 Million Numbers To FTC's No-Call List Aug. 27, 2003 States that have agreed to cooperate with the Federal Trade Commission's no-call list have transferred 9 million telephone numbers on their no-call lists to the national registry, the FTC said yesterday. http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=24856 No-Call List Available Sept. 1 Aug. 26, 2003 The Federal Trade Commission will make the national no-call list available to telemarketers starting Sept. 1. http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=24828 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 13:37:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Saboteurs Hit Spam's Blockers By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff, 8/28/2003 Internet vandals have found a new target: a group of online services that seek to block billions of unwanted spam e-mail messages. The services, called "blocklists," are used by many Internet providers and major corporations to shield e-mail recipients from overwhelming amounts of junk mail. Subscribers link their e-mail server to the blocklist, which automatically rejects any incoming e-mail from an address that is believed to be a source of spam. Now the blocklisters are being overwhelmed by Internet saboteurs who harness large numbers of computers to bombard their victims with vast amounts of junk data. In a technique called a "distributed denial of service attack," vandals exploit security flaws to plant programs, called "Trojan horses," on thousands of Internet-connected computers. They then order the Trojan horse programs to spew useless data at a targeted machine. It's the equivalent of having 100,000 people dial the same phone number, over and over, at the same time. Such attacks can knock a computer offline simply by swamping it with more data than it can handle. In recent weeks, say blocklist operators, a series of such attacks have been aimed at their computers, in what they view as a deliberate effort to force them off the Internet. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 01:24:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: California Law Provides More Financial Privacy By JENNIFER 8. LEE California enacted the nation's most comprehensive financial privacy protections yesterday, forcing banks and other financial institutions to obtain the permission of customers before sharing their personal data with outside companies and giving consumers more control over how information about them is shared in corporate families. Gov. Gray Davis signed the politically popular bill on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange in San Francisco, saying, "By signing this bill, we're putting consumers in control of their intimate financial DNA." Mr. Davis, a Democrat, had changed positions on the specifics of the bill for more than two years. Privacy advocates consider the bill a major victory, not only because it sets a precedent for other states, but also because of how it could influence Congress on one of the key laws that governs the financial rights of consumers, the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The financial industry argues that a section of the act, which expires at the end of this year, prevents states from restricting the sharing of information among companies under the same corporate umbrella. For example, Citibank and Salomon Smith Barney, which are both part of Citigroup , can now freely share information about customers. If the restriction is renewed, however, it would pre-empt parts of California's new privacy law, which takes effect in July 2004. A number of industry groups, including the American Bankers Association, the American Council of Life Insurers and the Securities Industry Association, have urged Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to move quickly to reauthorize the act. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/28/national/28PRIV.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 01:18:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hackers Take Control of Bank Site North African group accused in Web attack By Benjamin Gedan, Globe Correspondent, 8/26/2003 North African hackers opposed to President Bush attacked the Middlesex Savings Bank home page on Saturday, posting a message that appeared to criticize United States foreign policy. The so-called Moroccan Hackers breached the site around 1:15 p.m. and replaced the home page with a letter to President Bush. Using an expletive, multi-colored fonts, and a string of sometimes incomprehensible phrases, the hackers accused Bush of warmongering and expressed support for the Palestinians. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/26/hackers_take_control_of_bank_site/ ------------------------------ From: tonypo1@cox.net Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Cmpany Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:26:22 -0500 In article , usenet@rusling.org says: > He was arrested for the MSBlast worm not the SoBig.F virus. I hope > they do catch the writer of the SoBig virus family. Would anyone else want to bet in a no money pool that the author(s) of the SoBig virii reside in China? Back a few months ago there were web site defacement attempts from Chinese sites galore. I wouldn't doubt this is their doing. ------------------------------ From: Geoffrey Welsh Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:58:43 -0400 Organization: Bell Sympatico Gail M. Hall wrote: > I'm amazed that some of the companies who sent out such > "report" or "error" messages did not have software bright enough to > check headers to see that the messages did not originate here. Unfortunately, there's nothing in the header that can confirm or deny that the "From" field is legitimate. For instance, the company that I work for (InSystems) bought a company called FastForms, so mail from users @fastforms.com will be delivered by servers with insystems.com names. Similarly, my personal account is @sympatico.ca... but Sympatico is not a company nor even a division but a brand name for a suite of services delivered by many different Bell Canada companies, and mail from all @sympatico.ca users will be delivered by servers with bellnexxia names. Not that this matters, because I send out e-mail with an @bigfoot.com address (which I can change whenever the spam level gets too high) in the "From" field, which forwards to my much lesser known but permanent @spamcop.net address, which filters and forwards to my ultra-secret (known only to me and my SpamCop profile) @sympatico.ca address, which will change if I ever switch to another ISP. Any system analyzing mail based on the headers might consider all three of these legitimate situations forgeries. > The Sobig-F worm obviously steals addresses like other spammers do. IIRC, Sobig is one of the few viruses that forge the "From" header, and the only one that I can name which uses an address that it finds on the victim's computer (as opposed to a fixed address.) Funny you should mention spammers, though, as there is currently speculation that Sobig may be an evolving experiment by spammers to install e-mail distribution software on unsuspecting users' computers: http://news.com.com/2100-1002-5067886.html?tag=nl Given the amount of spam that is currently being relayed through residential broadband users and, more specifically, my belief that there are not enough intentionally installed but unsecure proxy servers (e.g. WinGate) out there to explain the volume, I believe that spammers are already using surreptitiously installed software to hijack others' computers. For an idea of how bad this is, visit SenderBase (www.senderbase.org) and take a look at the detailed listing for broadband domains such as rr.com; in most cases you can tell by the reverse DNS name whether the e-mail source is a company-operated mail server or customer equipment. Geoffrey Welsh This address is not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Unsolicited bulk mail is spam, no matter what regulations (real or imagined) it complies with! FIGHT SPAM AND SCAMS: DISCONNECT CHINA FROM THE INTERNET! ------------------------------ From: Larry Finch Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 23:50:10 GMT Group Special Mobile wrote: > On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:05:00 EDT, TELECOM Digest Editor > wrote: >> A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family >> Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of >> originating and circulating Sobig Virus. The satellite news feed said >> the FBI had arrested 'an 18 year old, whose identity was being >> withheld for the time being.' Then an announcer cut in at the end >> of that news blurb to say the '18 year old has been identified as >> Jeffery Parsons of Minnesota'. That was followed by a short blurb on >> the damages that had been done by Sobig. No other authentication or >> validation has been given, other than 'a neighbor of young Jeff saw >> him working on it and testing it.' >> That was not the SoBig virus; that was for the Blaster worm. Infected only 7,000 computers worldwide, compared to 500,000 for the really bad one. They are playing down the fact that this is not a big fish that they caught, and trumpetting the fact that they caught someone. Larry Finch N 40 53' 47" W 74 03' 56" ------------------------------ Reply-To: Gawain From: Gawain Subject: Re: PRI Costs/Questions Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 03:36:45 GMT > I am about to order another PRI in San Francisco. > How can I cut my costs down? I am paying $475 for the PRI and $137 in > taxes. This is an "inbound PRI" that has 2 phone numbers, one in the > 415 and one in the 510 area codes. Last year, I got a $410 quote for > two way PRI with one area code only. > What are prices these days (Aug 2003)? Where should I shop around to? > I have gotten quotes from MCI, XO, and PacBell in the past. Info on > your rates or a resource on the Internet that follows PRI prices would > be helpful. Questions: 1) On your current PRI, are you running a full 23B/1D? 2) Why are you using it solely as an inbound circuit? 3) What will you be using the second circuit for? Outbound only? 4) What are you currently using for outbound activity? 5) Who is your current PRI/LEC provider? Bottom line, if you want to keep your costs down, I would verify that you need the second PRI at all, but if you are saturating your existing PRI with inbound activity, then your costs are going to go up (cost of doing business). Blind suggestions based on the assumption that you are getting a second PRI: Configure both PRIs to handle dynamic inbound/outbound traffic, bond the D-channels (23B/1D/24B). You can still assign what ever "inbound" phone numbers you want and you can use the same circuits for inbound/outbound. Costs will always vary and I wouldn't set up a second circuit with a different company that what you're already using for your current services. Retain a certain number of analog trunks for redundancy. SBC has to follow its tariff regarding PRI pricing, see this link: http://www02.sbc.com/Products_Services/Business/ProdInfo_1/1,,264--1-1-0,00. html -- or go to the CPUC for tariff information: www.cpuc.ca.gov As for the CLECs, don't expect such information as, in my observation, they will change their pricing on a whim. Choose your carrier wisely, as two of the three you mentioned are not in stellar financial condition. To reply, take the "cut" away ------------------------------ From: dave@compata.com (Dave Close) Subject: Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars Date: 30 Aug 2003 20:06:59 -0700 Organization: Compata, Costa Mesa, California Monty Solomon writes: > Device can track cruisers in chases I can imagine that the tracking data is being collected with a computer and that that computer is on the PD's local network. If that network is, in turn, connected to the Internet, as it probably is, this data will be an attractive target. Not to disrupt the PD, directly. But if a criminal knows just how far away various cruisers are, he might have an improved chance of getting away with his crime. Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA "Whenever you have a secret, dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359 you have a vulnerability." dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu -- Whitfield Diffie ------------------------------ From: Dave Phelps Subject: Re: PRI Costs/Questions Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 23:38:09 -0500 Organization: www.tippenring.com In article , blahblah@monkeybrains.net says: > I am about to order another PRI in San Francisco. > How can I cut my costs down? I am paying $475 for the PRI and $137 in > taxes. I'm not sure what your issue is. You chose to do business in CA, right? Seriously, I find it amazing that more businesses don't move out of CA and otherwise refuse to do business in CA. It seems like the most business-unfriendly state of the union. Dave Phelps DD Networks www.ddnets.com deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: Dave Phelps Subject: Re: Call Center Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 23:43:14 -0500 Organization: www.tippenring.com In article , vinojof@hotmail.com says: > What will be the cheapest solution to setup a call center (10 seats)? > I would also like to know what things I may need to set this up. I am > new to VOIP. Please help me. > Thanks, > Vinojo Francis You need someone to discuss your goals with, such as a consultant, or knowledgeable phone person (like you might find in this forum). However, there are so many issues to discuss, I doubt you'll get a detailed enough answer here. Dave Phelps DD Networks www.ddnets.com deadspam=tippenring ------------------------------ From: SKougoures@netscape.net (h2owolf) Subject: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: 30 Aug 2003 13:19:23 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Have you noticed that Verizon is now charging for more of their previously 'free' services. A good example is the copying of your phone directory from your old mobile phone when you purchase a new phone from them! They are also getting stricter with their repair/replacement services. At one time they stood behind their equipment regardless of the problem. Now, if the phone looks abused, dropped or wet, they will not replace it for free. This is especially bad because the mobile phones they sell, I have found to be inferior, often not lasting for a full year. I may be a little hard on equipment, but even my wife goes through their 'Motorola' phones in just over a year. Might this be because the union is beating them up over employee benefits? What's next, rising prices on services and equipment? Either way, I'm getting tired of their service and I intend to change providers as soon as I can take my current number with me. ------------------------------ From: dave@compata.com (Dave Close) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 30 Aug 2003 20:20:58 -0700 Organization: Compata, Costa Mesa, California Group Special Mobile writes: > They really need a no distraction law though to keep > people from one handed driving and the other hand is either eating, > drinking, tuning the radio, inserting a CD, applying makeup or any > number of other things. Driving with one hand on the wheel is normal and mandatory. It is impossible to make a sharp turn, for example, without removing one hand from the wheel, if even for a moment. And which is more dangerous, driving with one hand while suppressing a sneeze or sneezing at 70 mph? Try backing into a parallel parking place while keeping both hands on the wheel. If driving with one hand is ever made illegal, we will all be criminals. My point is not that distractions are a good thing, but merely that using one hand on the wheel is not an indicator of poor driving. In fact, keeping both hands there at all times can be a source of fatique which can lead to other problems. It's time for the anti-phone moralists to back off and address real problems, not phony issues. When a driver is weaving or otherwise driving erratically, there is already plenty of basis to cite him. Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA "Whenever you have a secret, dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359 you have a vulnerability." dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu -- Whitfield Diffie ------------------------------ From: Joey Lindstrom Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:43:18 -0600 Subject: Share Day Addendum For September Reply-To: joey@telussucks.info On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 12:51:22 -0400 (EDT), editor@telecom-digest.org wrote: > Donations by credit card can be made through PayPal using the > template at the bottom of our website URL: http://telecom-digest.org > or by check through US Mail: Telecom, PO Box 50, Independence, KS > 67301-0050. In return for your gift, by return mail I will send you > the complete two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives, which is all > the back issues from 1981 through the present time, the entire > archives of the Western Union Technical Review from its 22 year > publication run, 1947 through 1969, and several old time radio shows > with a telephone theme, including 'Sorry, Wrong Number' as heard > on the old Suspense radio program. Remember, although I want to hear > from many of you over this Labor Day weekend, I especially want to > hear from those of you who have never yet given anything at all. > *Please*. Just a quick addition to this: for those who prefer their Telecom Archives on DVD media (either a single DVD-R or DVD+R), please let Pat know and we'll make sure you get your Telecom Archives on your requested media. -- Joey Lindstrom [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: First of all, a happy holiday weekend to all of you readers. Secondly, my thanks to those of you who rushed in with your gifts for this month, and your CDs or DVDs will be on the way soon, if in fact you do not already have them. Thanks very much for caring, and thanks very much for sharing. If you are one of those who has not yet sent in your contribution to this Digest yet this time around, *please* do so at your earliest convenience. Go to http://telecom-digest.org and use the PayPal template at the bottom of the home page, or send your check to me at TELECOM, Post Office Box 50, Independence, KS 67301 and be sure to indicate if you want DVD+R, DVD-R or the two set CD in return. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. 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End of TELECOM Digest V22 #628 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 1 11:14:32 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h81FEWh17861; Mon, 1 Sep 2003 11:14:32 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 11:14:32 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309011514.h81FEWh17861@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #629 TELECOM Digest Mon, 1 Sep 2003 11:14:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 629 Inside This Issue: Have a Happy Labor Day Lisa and Patrick Samsung Unveils 100-Hour DVR, Targets Home Networking (Monty Solomon) Security Firm Aims to Ease RFID Concerns (Monty Solomon) Virus Aside, Gates Says Reliability Is Greater (Monty Solomon) More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (Monty Solomon) Ticketmaster Auction Will Let High Bid Set Concert Prices (M Solomon) Digital Vandalism Spurs a Call for Oversight (Monty Solomon) When Is 54 Not Equal to 54? A Look at 802.11a, b, and g (Monty Solomon) Dispelling the Myth of Wireless Security (Monty Solomon) Back to the Future: New Wi-Fi Bridges Use 1999 Standard (Monty Solomon) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Keith) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Robert Foster) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (John McHarry) Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars (KiloDeLate) Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars (Sandeep) Dave Barry on Telemarketing (Gordon S. Hlavenka) National "Do Not Call" List (Marcus Didius Falco) Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone (Craig Joyce) 906 Numbers in Spain (jbc) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested (Henry Cabot Henhouse III) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 04:45:37 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Samsung Unveils 100-Hour DVR, Targets Home Networking By Michael Gros, CRN 6:31 PM EST Tues., Aug. 26, 2003 Samsung Electronics Tuesday introduced a 100-hour Digital Video Recorder that the company said can be used by solution providers working in the home networking space. The DVR, which is to be used with DirecTV and Tivo services, contains a 120 GByte hard drive -- the largest storage available on DVR device so far, according to Samsung. Viewers can record up to 100 hours of television, and can simultaneously record and watch up to three television shows, according to the company. The DVR's TiVo capability lets users pause, rewind or fast forward live television. The device can also be programmed to automatically record every show in a series, or can search for and record programs with a viewer's favorite sports teams, actors or any other interest, with a large number of variables. The 100-hour DVR is not designed for high definition TV, though one optimized for HDTV will be introduced in the future. http://www.crn.com/sections/BreakingNews/dailyarchives.asp?ArticleID=44161 http://crn.channelsupersearch.com/news/crn/44161.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 04:49:34 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Security Firm Aims to Ease RFID concerns By Richard Shim Staff Writer, CNET News.com Researchers at a major security firm have developed a blocking technique to ease privacy concerns surrounding controversial radio frequency identification technology. The labs at RSA Security on Wednesday outlined plans for a technology they call blocker tags, which are similar in size and cost to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags but disrupt the transmission of information to scanning devices and thwart the collection of data. The technique, one of few RFID-blocking technologies being worked on by researchers, is still a concept in the labs. But the next step is to develop prototype chips and see if manufacturers are interested in making the processors, according to Ari Juels, a principal research scientist with RSA Laboratories. Blocker and RFID tags are about the size of a grain of sand and cost around 10 cents. http://news.com.com/2100-1039-5068910.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 16:23:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Virus Aside, Gates Says Reliability Is Greater By JOHN MARKOFF MICROSOFT, the world's biggest software maker, is the biggest target for computer viruses like the SoBig.F worm that wreaked havoc two weeks ago. Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, talked last week about what it is doing to keep hackers at bay. Following are excerpts from the conversation. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/technology/31SMIC.html [Lisa Minter note: NY Times readers are invited to use our group login name 'telecomdigest' and our group password 'telecomdigest'. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 01:57:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet By ADAM BAUMAN It was after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that Tom Pyke, the chief information officer for the Department of Commerce, realized that he needed to expand the agency's emergency communications. Just over a year later, in December 2002, after a competitive selection process, a new telephone system was installed to support 4,000 people at agency headquarters in Washington and another 6,000 at the department's nearby Bureau of the Census. Instead of selecting conventional phones, the Commerce Department chose a setup made by Cisco Systems that uses Internet Protocol, or I.P., technology. The system routes internal voice communications over the same lines as e-mail messages and other data traffic. It also has a function that allows an emergency message to be broadcast to all phones. The department is saving many of the fees tied to conventional phone service between employees, and it is saving maintenance and support costs on the 132 older telephone systems that the new Internet-based system has replaced. "Over 25 percent of our 40,000 employees are now using this technology," Mr. Pyke said. Internet telephony, as it is known, is no longer restricted to adventurous techies. The technology, based on software technology that enables the Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that voice quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a conventional phone call. http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01VOIP.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 01:58:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Ticketmaster Auction Will Let Highest Bidder Set Concert Prices By CHRIS NELSON Three years after Ticketmaster introduced ticketFast, its online print-at-home ticketing service, consumers have so embraced it that the company now sells a half-million home-printed tickets for sporting and entertainment events each month in North America. Where ticketFast is available, 30 percent of tickets sold are now printed at home, said the company, which is by far the nation's largest ticket agency. But consumers -- many of whom have complained for years about climbing ticket prices and Ticketmaster service charges -- may be less eager for the next phase of Ticketmaster's Internet evolution. Late this year the company plans to begin auctioning the best seats to concerts through ticketmaster.com. With no official price ceiling on such tickets, Ticketmaster will be able to compete with brokers and scalpers for the highest price a market will bear. http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01TICK.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 02:02:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Digital Vandalism Spurs a Call for Oversight By AMY HARMON The teenager accused of creating a version of the Blaster worm that infected computer systems across the world last week has been arrested. SoBig.F, an e-mail virus unleashed on the Internet just as Blaster was being stamped out, is expected to expire next week. But all is far from quiet on the electronic frontier. Security experts are already preparing for SoBig.G. Another worm may already be squirming through newly discovered flaws in computer operating systems. And in the moments between epidemics, the Internet's more run-of-the-mill annoyances -- spam, scams and spyware -- can be counted on to keep users on edge. The Internet has become a vital part of commerce and culture, but it is still a free-for-all when it comes to facing computer meltdowns. As America's 156 million Internet users brace for the next round of digital vandalism, some experts say that it is time for the government to bolster a basic sense of stability in cyberspace that societies expect from their critical public resources. http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01NET.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 04:11:22 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: When Is 54 Not Equal to 54? A Look at 802.11a, b, and g Throughput by Matthew Gast, author of 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide 08/08/2003 (updated: 8/14/2003) Now that the 802.11g standard has been finalized, comparisons with the other standards in the 802.11 family are inevitable. One conclusion that is frequently drawn is that 802.11g offers similar speeds to 802.11a. After all, both products are advertised as having a data rate of 54 Mbps. This article develops a simple model for the maximum TCP throughput of 802.11 networks so that a comparison can move beyond a simple comparison of nominal bit rates. According to the model, 802.11g is significantly faster than 802.11b. In a network consisting only of 802.11g clients, it is even slightly faster than 802.11a. However, "protection" mechanisms added to 802.11g to ensure backwards compatibility with legacy 802.11b clients can cut the throughput by 50 percent or more. http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/2003/08/08/wireless_throughput.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 04:09:30 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Dispelling the Myth of Wireless Security by Rob Flickenger, author of Wireless Hacks 08/14/2003 Editor's note: In this first excerpt from Wireless Hacks, author Rob Flickenger shows how to find out just how "secure" your standard wireless network really is. Despite a few good online articles and countless alarmist news items decrying parasitic War Drivers and War Chalkers contributing to the moral decay of the country, a surprising number of people still install wireless equipment with all of the defaults enabled. There are a huge number of access points in use today that unintentionally advertise a default SSID, bridge directly to an Ethernet network, and use no encryption whatsoever (or a WEP key left on the factory setting, and therefore easily deduced). But even if all standard precautions are in place, how much "security" do wireless access points actually provide? Having heard all sorts of widely varying estimates and assumptions from people who should be able to make an educated guess, I finally decided to see for myself what it would take to circumvent the security of my own standard 802.11b network. http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/excerpt/wirlsshacks_chap1/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 04:14:06 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Back to the Future: New Wi-Fi Bridges Use 1999 Standard by Glenn Fleishman It's a proverb that there's nothing new under the sun, and the recent surge in inexpensive Wi-Fi wireless gateways that build clouds of wireless access that bridge to each other without a wire in sight proves the principle. The standard that allows this new integrated feature in cheap access points appears way back in the revised IEEE 802.11 specification from 1999, which helped start this current revolution. Wireless bridging comes in two forms: the one we're accustomed to talking about generically, in which a Wi-Fi signal is bridged via an internal router in an access point or gateway to a wired network. The wired network can be as plain as a connection to an external or internal dial-up, DSL, or cable modem. Although this is often called wireless bridging, it's really wireless-to-wired. The second form is the "new" flavor, however: wireless-to-wireless bridging using the Wireless Distribution System (WDS). WDS allows packets to pass from one wireless access point to another, just as if the access points were ports on a wired Ethernet switch. WDS bypasses the kind of magical kludgery that Linksys offered with its WET11 bridge or with the WAP11 in pairs or as a bridge/AP combination. http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/2003/08/28/wireless_bridging.html ------------------------------ From: Keith Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 08:55:59 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On 30 Aug 2003 13:19:23 -0700, h2owolf in wrote: > Have you noticed that Verizon is now charging for more of their > previously 'free' services. A good example is the copying of your > phone directory from your old mobile phone when you purchase a new > phone from them! They are also getting stricter with their > repair/replacement services. At one time they stood behind their > equipment regardless of the problem. Now, if the phone looks abused, > dropped or wet, they will not replace it for free. This is especially > bad because the mobile phones they sell, I have found to be inferior, > often not lasting for a full year. I may be a little hard on > equipment, but even my wife goes through their 'Motorola' phones in > just over a year. > If your wife goes through Motorola phones in a year then she is clearly abusing it. It is not Verizon's fault because your wife treats her cell phone like a rag doll and others shouldn't have to pay higher prices and fees because she does abuse her cell phone. Best Regards, Keith AOL IM:kilowattradio NW Oregon Radio http://kilowatt-radio.org/ _Give SCO $699 for using Linux or the Penguin gets it._ Torvalds: _They are smoking crack._ ------------------------------ From: Robert Foster Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 18:31:13 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - West h2owolf wrote in message news:telecom22.628.15@telecom-digest.org: > Might this be because the union is beating them up over employee > benefits? What's next, rising prices on services and equipment? > Either way, I'm getting tired of their service and I intend to change > providers as soon as I can take my current number with me. Verizon and Verizon Wireless are run separate. Same owner but they are run as two different companies. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 19:39:28 -0400 h2owolf wrote: > Have you noticed that Verizon is now charging for more of their > previously 'free' services. A good example is the copying of your > phone directory from your old mobile phone when you purchase a new > phone from them! If it still works, that sounds like one you could talk them out of, if the sale depends on it. > Might this be because the union is beating them up over employee > benefits? What's next, rising prices on services and equipment? I doubt that. They will act to maximize their profit, no matter what the unions do. When I worked for Cable & Wireless, we had a really cool US CEO who used to hold large group meetings. After a pep talk about how well we were doing, he opened the floor for questions. One of the usual suspects asked why, if we were doing so well, we couldn't be paid better. His reply was that wage levels have nothing to do with how well the company is doing. If we are doing well and raise wages, we will be undercut. If we are doing poorly and try to cut wages, you will go elsewhere. ------------------------------ From: KiloDeLate Subject: Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Cmpany Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 03:28:34 -0500 In article , dave@compata.com says: > Monty Solomon writes: >> Device can track cruisers in chases > I can imagine that the tracking data is being collected with a > computer and that that computer is on the PD's local network. If that > network is, in turn, connected to the Internet, as it probably is, > this data will be an attractive target. Not to disrupt the PD, > directly. But if a criminal knows just how far away various cruisers > are, he might have an improved chance of getting away with his crime. Well ... that's been around for awhile now. Providence police rolled out GPS receivers on their cruisers some time ago, and those receivers were tied into the laptop in the cruiser, which was tied back to HQ via a CDPD connection. They installed all the gear, had the big board ready and the union went ballistic from what I recall. They may use it now, but it caused some major grumbling. ------------------------------ From: eventhelix@yahoo.com (Sandeep) Subject: Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars Date: 31 Aug 2003 05:40:58 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Satellite system based location might be a better idea for things like managing a TAXI service. GPS equipped taxis could report their coordinates to a central server. The server could be used for optimal customer selection. See the following article: http://www.eventhelix.com/ThoughtProjects/WebTaxi/ Sandeep http://www.EventHelix.com/EventStudio EventStudio 2.0 - Generate Message Sequence Charts in PDF ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 11:26:58 -0500 From: Gordon S. Hlavenka Reply-To: nospam@crashelectronics.com Organization: Crash Electronics Subject: Dave Barry on Telemarketing This week's Dave Barry column provides a detailed insight into this presidential candidate's views on telemarketing. Here's an excerpt: > ... maybe we could actually hire organized crime to explain our position > to telemarketing-industry executives, who would then be given a fair > opportunity to respond, while the cement was hardening. Read the full article at . Gordon S. Hlavenka http://www.crashelectronics.com Grammar and spelling flames welcome. Yes, that's really my email address. Don't change it. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 14:22:59 -0400 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: National "Do Not Call" List Today is the last day to register your phone numbers on the US National "Do Not Call" list for the October 1, 2003 activation of the list. Numbers registered starting September 1 will take effect 3 months after the date of registration. You can register all your phone numbers including cell phone numbers. http://www.donotcall.gov/ The list is administered by the US Federal Trade Commission. ------------------------------ From: naughty_sonny@yahoo.com (Craig Joyce) Subject: Re: Got Ticketed for Cell-phone Date: 31 Aug 2003 12:03:11 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Assume, that sometime in the future the cell-phone ban is lifted. Will the state then refund all the money extracted from drivers who got accused of breaking the "Law" in the current era? ------------------------------ From: jbc Subject: 906 Numbers in Spain Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 13:54:21 +0200 Bonjour, Do you have some informations regarding the CMT (Commission du Marché des Tl commucations) in Spain regarding the legal use on portable phones of taxed phone numbers. I known that "906 numbers" is a very-growing market in Spain. The price cost between 1 and 2 euros pro minute. Some time ago, all owners of a portable phone from Vodafone or Amena (Auna's group) will have the possibility to ask the operator for a 906-access. For a juridical reason, the interoperability of the phone system will give all teens the possibility to access quickly to the sexually explicit phone services ... in the same time, a ministery commission will look at the best solutions to stop the increasing of sex throught the phone! In France, the 0899 numbers cost 1,35 euro pro minute and give the opportunity to have like a service ... but only ill at ease people used them: too expensive for a real bad conversation! Do you have the same numbers in all other countries in the world? Regards, Jean-Bernard Condat CHRYSTOL l'assurance des portefeuilles de titres de la proprit industrielle http://www.servicedoc.info/article.php3id_article=99 B.P. 59, 93402 Saint-Ouen Cedex, France condat@chrystol.com fax: +33 153013874, GSM: +33 607238628 ------------------------------ From: Henry Cabot Henhouse III Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Organization: Comcast Online Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 10:01:18 GMT After unleashing this very destructive virus, they let him stay at home. With the tens of millions of dollars in damage he caused, and the potential for creating life threatening situations, you'd think the Feds would want him in a cell. Why are they coddling this criminal? This terrorist? Is it just 'cuz he's 18 and fat and looks innocent? I hope the civil lawsuits ruin him and his family (after all, he did do this in his parents home, no?) and I hope he spends the next 50 years in solitary confinement. These "kids" need to be taught a lesson. Let's start with this one. Just my opinion. Mark Crispin wrote in message news:telecom22.627.4@telecom-digest.org: > On Fri, 29 Aug 2003, TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: >> A news bulletin was just heard (less than five minutes ago) on Family >> Radio saying that the FBI had arrested the person accused of >> originating and circulating Sobig Virus. > Slammer (a.k.a. Lovsan), not Sobig. > -- Mark -- > http://staff.washington.edu/mrc > Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. > Si vis pacem, para bellum. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Is 'Slammer' the same thing as > 'Blaster' if you know? Its getting to be so wild you cannot tell > the players without a scorecard. PAT] ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #629 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 1 23:09:16 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8239F320618; Mon, 1 Sep 2003 23:09:16 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 23:09:16 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309020309.h8239F320618@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #630 TELECOM Digest Mon, 1 Sep 2003 23:09:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 630 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Digital Vandalism (Nick Ruark) Adult Supervision (Nick Ruark) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Alan Burkitt-Gray) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Ray Normandeau) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Hank Karl) Need Electronics, Phone Expert to Build Sample Product (Peter Cumming) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Nick Ruark Subject: Digital Vandalism Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 10:22:24 -0700 Digital Vandalism Spurs a Call for Oversight By AMY HARMON September 1, 2003 The teenager accused of creating a version of the Blaster worm that infected computer systems across the world last week has been arrested. SoBig.F, an e-mail virus unleashed on the Internet just as Blaster was being stamped out, is expected to expire next week. But all is far from quiet on the electronic frontier. Security experts are already preparing for SoBig.G. Another worm may already be squirming through newly discovered flaws in computer operating systems. And in the moments between epidemics, the Internet's more run-of-the-mill annoyances -- spam, scams and spyware -- can be counted on to keep users on edge. The Internet has become a vital part of commerce and culture, but it is still a free-for-all when it comes to facing computer meltdowns. As America's 156 million Internet users brace for the next round of digital vandalism, some experts say that it is time for the government to bolster a basic sense of stability in cyberspace that societies expect from their critical public resources. "The government has essentially relied on the voluntary efforts of industry both to make less-buggy software and make systems more resilient," says Michael A. Vatis, former director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "What we're seeing is that those voluntary efforts are insufficient, and the repercussions are vast." Proposals for government action being discussed by policy makers and computer security experts include strengthening the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity division and offering tax incentives to businesses for spending on security. Another proposal would require public companies to disclose potential computer security risks in Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Unlike the airwaves or the highways, the Internet is not subject to government oversight. And even the specter of intervention can raise hackles among business leaders and technologists who see the Internet's openness as crucial to its success as a platform for innovation. But the increasing frequency and severity of computer virus attacks -- last month's dual assault cost billions of dollars in lost productivity alone -- may have muted the antiregulatory reflex. "We need to encourage private industry and government to raise the standard of cybersecurity," said Representative Mac Thornberry, a Republican from Texas and the chairman of a House subcommittee on cybersecurity. "From my standpoint, we need to be moving more quickly on that front." Many security experts now advocate direct regulation, in the form of legislation that makes software companies liable for damage caused by security flaws in their products. "There's a reason this kind of thing doesn't happen with automobiles," says Bruce Schneier, chief technical officer at Counterpane Internet Security in Cupertino, Calif. "When Firestone produces a tire with a systemic flaw, they're liable. When Microsoft produces an operating system with two systemic flaws per week, they're not liable." Most software licenses protect vendors from problems arising from vulnerabilities in their code. That leaves many computer users at the mercy of software makers, particularly Microsoft, whose ubiquitous Windows operating system and e-mail programs serve as the starting point for many demons in cyberspace. Microsoft concedes that its software needs to be designed better, but it also points to the need for users to help ensure their own security. "There are three major things every consumer and user of computers needs to do," Scott Charney, the security chief for Microsoft, said. "One, get antivirus software and keep it up to date. Two, get a firewall and turn it on. And three, patch your machines." That does not lend much comfort to many computer users. "Heck, despite being libertarian in nature, I'm all for a government crackdown in this area," one frustrated Web user wrote in an online discussion about the recent virus attacks. "Obviously most home users are not going to know how to install a firewall." Advocates of increased regulation say a California law that went into effect in July could serve as a model: the law requires companies conducting business in the state to disclose computer security breaches if they result in unauthorized access to residents' personal information. Customers can sue businesses that violate the new law for civil damages. What federal officials can do now is track down those who create viruses and prosecute them under existing law. But despite the arrest on Friday of Jeffrey Lee Parson, 18, of Hopkins, Minn., who the F.B.I. thinks wrote the variation of the Blaster worm that was released on Aug. 11, critics have asserted that the Bush administration has relegated Internet security to too low a priority. The F.B.I.'s National Information Protection Center, which investigated Internet attacks and sought to issue pre-emptive warnings, has been dismantled in an effort to consolidate antiterrorism operations under the Department of Homeland Security. The role of cybersecurity adviser has also been moved out of the White House and into the new department. But no one has been named chief of its cybersecurity division since Howard Schmidt announced his resignation in April. "I kind of despair of the government doing anything," said Richard A. Clarke, who held the job before Mr. Schmidt and resigned in January. He warned that the nation would face a "digital Pearl Harbor" unless it took online security more seriously. The rapidly rising level of aggravation in the face of the SoBig and Blaster attacks signals what could be a turning point for a medium that until now has been embraced as an unregulated engine of progress. A survey released yesterday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project said that nearly 60 percent of Internet users say they favor the government's requiring American corporations -- who are often reluctant to admit that their computers have been compromised -- to disclose more information about their vulnerabilities. Half of those surveyed said they worried about terrorists damaging the Internet. "It's been this nice electronic playground, but you can't help starting to wonder if maybe all this connection is not so great," said Ellen Waite-Franzen, vice president for computing and information services at Brown University. She sent teams of technical support workers into dormitory rooms to disinfect student computers after the school's network suffered a failure last week. "Now it feels like a war zone." But some longtime Internet users worry that decisions about security, if left in private hands, may balkanize a network whose openness is precisely what has permitted it to flourish. Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford University law professor who is an expert on cyberspace, says, "There's an opportunity here for policy that would address the harms of worms and viruses and spam and invasions of privacy, without breaking the Internet." Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01NET.html?hp Forwarded from the Private Wireless Forum for Mobile Communication Professionals http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivateWirelessForum *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Nick Ruark Subject: Adult Supervision Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 09:53:08 -0700 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/01/opinion/01HERB.html OP-ED COLUMNIST Home Alone By BOB HERBERT September 1, 2003 There was an interesting lead paragraph in an article on the front page of The Wall Street Journal last Thursday: "The blackout of 2003 offers a simple but powerful lesson: Markets are a great way to organize economic activity, but they need adult supervision." Gee. They've finally figured that out. The nuns I had in grammar school were onto this adult supervision notion decades ago. It seems to be just dawning on the power brokers of the 21st century. Maybe soon the voters will catch on. You need adults in charge. We barreled into Iraq with no real thought given to the consequences, and now we've got a tragic mess on our hands. California looks like something out of "Lord of the Flies," and yet the person getting the most attention as a candidate to clean up that insane situation is an actor with a history of immature behavior whose cartoonish roles appeal most strongly to children. Maybe he'll shoot the budget deficit. Hasta la vista, baby. Appalling behavior and appalling policies have become the norm among folks entrusted with the heaviest responsibilities in business and government. The federal budget deficit will approach half a trillion dollars next year. And that will be followed by huge additional deficits, year after irresponsible year, extending far off into the horizon. And, of course, the baby boomers, the least responsible generation in memory, will soon begin retiring and collecting their Social Security and federal health benefits, leaving the mountains of unpaid bills for the hapless generations behind them. What this nation needs is a timeout. Imagine if we had done some things differently. If, for example, instead of squandering such staggering amounts of federal money on tax cuts and an ill-advised war, we had invested wisely in some of the nation's pressing needs. What if we had begun to refurbish our antiquated electrical grid, or developed creative new ways to replenish the stock of affordable housing, or really tackled the job of rebuilding and rejuvenating the public schools? What if we had called in the best minds from coast to coast to begin a crash program, in good faith and with solid federal backing, to substantially reduce our dependence on foreign oil by changing our laws and habits, and developing safer, cleaner, less-expensive alternatives? This is exactly the kind of effort that the United States, with its can-do spirit and vast commercial, technological and intellectual resources, would be great at. Imagine if we had begun a program to rebuild our aging infrastructure -- the highways, bridges, tunnels and dams, the water and sewage facilities, the airports and transit systems. Imagine on this Labor Day 2003 the number of good jobs that could be generated with that kind of long-term effort. All of these issues, if approached properly, are job creators, including the effort to reduce our energy dependence. The big hangup in the economic recovery we are supposed to be experiencing now is the continued joblessness and underemployment. A fellow I ran into recently in San Jose, Calif., Andy Fortuna, said: "I've got a college degree and I'm washing cars. I'm working, but I'd like a good job. If the idea is for business to employ as few people as possible and keep their pay as low as possible - well, how's that good for me? Who speaks for me?" Wise investments along these lines have dual payoffs - they help us take care of critical national needs and they help sustain the high levels of employment that are needed to keep the nation's high-powered consumer economy humming. One other critical need that is not getting enough attention is homeland security. A series of recent reports has shown that two years after the Sept. 11 attacks we remain dangerously unprepared for another terrorist strike inside the U.S. And one of the major reasons we remain unprepared is that so many of the agencies responsible for our domestic defenses against terror are undertrained, understaffed and underfinanced. We are at a stage now where mature, responsible leadership is more essential than ever. All of the problems that we have ignored until now remain with us. But the money that might have started us on the road to solutions is gone. We are mired in Iraq, and not properly prepared at home. We could use some adult supervision. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Alan Burkitt-Gray Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 17:02:23 +0100 Robert Foster wrote: > Verizon and Verizon Wireless are run separate. Same owner but they > are run as two different companies. Wrong. Verizon owns only 60% of Verizon Wireless. The rest is owned by Vodafone, probably the largest cellular operator in the world* -- dating from the days when Vodafone merged with AirTouch and then merged its AirTouch operations with what was still, I think, Bell Atlantic's wireless business. *Though China Mobile's getting fairly big these days too. Alan Burkitt-Gray Editor, Global Telecoms Business Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, Nestor House, Playhouse Yard, London EC4V 5EX, UK tel +44 20 7779 8518 fax +44 20 7779 8248 e-mail aburkitt@euromoneyplc.com Global Telecoms Business www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com is publishing its special OSS supplement and daily conference bulletins at TeleManagement World (www.tmforum.org), Dallas, Texas, on November 10-13 2003. ------------------------------ From: rayta@msn.com (Ray Normandeau) Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: 1 Sep 2003 10:13:16 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ SKougoures@netscape.net (h2owolf) wrote in message news:: > Either way, I'm getting tired of their service and I intend to change > providers as soon as I can take my current number with me. I got rid of them in 1998. I got tired of them lying to me, their CSR not knowing what they are talking about. When I was on their analog service I belive they deliveratly downgraded service to cause people to switch to digital cell. Prior to that, I understand that they throttled down channel availabiliy on the old AMPS service to cause people to go to cellular. -------------- Long Distance =<2.9 cents per minute, no other fee: https://www.onesuite.com/ Promotion Code 034720367 USA 2.5-2.9 CPM, Canada 2.5-3.5 CPM, UK 2.5-3.9 CPM use it on cell phone too! ------------------------------ From: Hank Karl Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:38:55 -0400 Organization: NETPLEX Internet Services - http://www.ntplx.net/ On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:58:43 -0400, Geoffrey Welsh wrote: > Gail M. Hall wrote: >> I'm amazed that some of the companies who sent out such >> "report" or "error" messages did not have software bright enough to >> check headers to see that the messages did not originate here. > Unfortunately, there's nothing in the header that can confirm or deny > that the "From" field is legitimate. IIRC, the Received: line is not changeable or removable by the sender. However, the sender may stick a few fake Received: lines in the header to confuse things, so you can't just look at the first (ie the one prepended closest to the rest of the header) Received: line. > For instance, the company that I > work for (InSystems) bought a company called FastForms, so mail from > users @fastforms.com will be delivered by servers with insystems.com > names. Similarly, my personal account is @sympatico.ca... but > Sympatico is not a company nor even a division but a brand name for a > suite of services delivered by many different Bell Canada companies, > and mail from all @sympatico.ca users will be delivered by servers > with bellnexxia names. Not that this matters, because I send out > e-mail with an @bigfoot.com address (which I can change whenever the > spam level gets too high) in the "From" field, which forwards to my > much lesser known but permanent @spamcop.net address, which filters > and forwards to my ultra-secret (known only to me and my SpamCop > profile) @sympatico.ca address, which will change if I ever switch to > another ISP. > Any system analyzing mail based on the headers might consider all > three of these legitimate situations forgeries. >> The Sobig-F worm obviously steals addresses like other spammers do. > IIRC, Sobig is one of the few viruses that forge the "From" header, > and the only one that I can name which uses an address that it finds > on the victim's computer (as opposed to a fixed address.) > Funny you should mention spammers, though, as there is currently > speculation that Sobig may be an evolving experiment by spammers to > install e-mail distribution software on unsuspecting users' computers: > http://news.com.com/2100-1002-5067886.html?tag=nl > Given the amount of spam that is currently being relayed through > residential broadband users and, more specifically, my belief that > there are not enough intentionally installed but unsecure proxy > servers (e.g. WinGate) out there to explain the volume, I believe that > spammers are already using surreptitiously installed software to > hijack others' computers. For an idea of how bad this is, visit > SenderBase (www.senderbase.org) and take a look at the detailed > listing for broadband domains such as rr.com; in most cases you can > tell by the reverse DNS name whether the e-mail source is a > company-operated mail server or customer equipment. > Geoffrey Welsh > This address is not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or > given away without explicit written consent. Unsolicited bulk mail is > spam, no matter what regulations (real or imagined) it complies with! > FIGHT SPAM AND SCAMS: DISCONNECT CHINA FROM THE INTERNET! ------------------------------ From: pcumming@yahoo.com (Peter Cumming) Subject: Need Electronics, Phone Expert to Build Sample Product Date: 1 Sep 2003 18:20:28 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have an idea of a product that I would need someone to build. Be happy to share any success of this low cost device (if it can be built) 50%. Looking for right person to talk to about this. Not asking for any money. Only would be asking for someone to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding the idea/concept. This person needs to understand recording devices on solid state chips and programming therein, playback, etc. Thank you, Peter pcumming@yahoo.com ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #630 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Sep 2 18:54:26 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h82MsQO27162; Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:54:26 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:54:26 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309022254.h82MsQO27162@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #631 TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:54:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 631 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #397, September 2, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) 'Push to Talk' Free-For-All Expected as Competitors Crash (Nick Ruark) Caller-ID for a Norstar 616 Ksu ? (Etop Udoh) Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (SayNoToCrossposters) DISH Network Surpasses 9 Million Customer Milestone (Monty Solomon) Re: Samsung CTI (Neil Fletcher) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 12:48:10 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #397, September 2, 2003 TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 397: September 2, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Telcos Must Tariff Dark Fibre ** Price Cap Rate Changes Approved ** U.S. Telcos Sue FCC ** Criminal Charges Laid Against WorldCom ** Bell West to Use Cableco's Fibre ** Canada Payphone Trades Warrants for Debt ** ILECs to Pay When "Trouble Free" Loops Are Faulty ** Bell Amends Ethernet Tariff Proposal ** CRTC Clarifies Interim CDNA Rules ** Telus Must Offer Channelization Service ** U.S. ISP Acts Against B.C. Spam Gang ** Mitec Sells Swedish Subsidiary ** ExpressVu to Sell Terrestrial Pay-Per-View ** Angus Announces Telecom Briefings ============================================================ TELCOS MUST TARIFF DARK FIBRE: Responding to filings by Quebec-based Xit Telecom, the CRTC has ordered Telus Quebec to file general tariffs for inter- and intra-exchange dark fibre. Bell Canada, which already has an intra-exchange tariff, must file one for inter-exchange. ** The Commission says that the telcos' practice of offering dark fibre only under customer-specific tariffs posed a danger of unjust discrimination, because they allow dark fibre to be provided to some customers and not to others who may be competitors. ** Availability of dark fibre under the new tariffs will be "subject to the availability of existing unused and unallocated facilities." The CRTC asks for comment on whether tariffs should be required for dark fibre over routes where the Commission has forborne from regulating Inter-Exchange Private Line services. ** The Commission has given SaskTel, MTS, Aliant, Telebec, and Telus Communications 30 days to say why the dark fibre tariffing order should not also apply to them. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-58.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-59.htm PRICE CAP RATE CHANGES APPROVED: The CRTC has approved price changes filed in May by Aliant, Bell Canada, MTS, SaskTel, and Telus to comply with the price cap regime established last year (see Telecom Update #334a). Effective August 27: ** All five telcos will reduce prices for some Digital Network Access services. ** Bell, MTS, and Telus will increase prices for some business lines, mainly outside major centres. Bell and MTS will reduce some local rates for customers that sign multi-year contracts. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-348.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-349.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-350.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-351.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-352.htm U.S. TELCOS SUE FCC: Once again a major U.S. telecom change faces court challenges. On Aug 21 the Federal Communications Commission released a 576-page order detailing new competition rules. Last week Verizon, SBC, BellSouth, and Qwest filed lawsuits accusing the FCC of breaking the law by turning control of local competition over to state regulators. www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2003/db0821/FCC-03-36A1.pdf CRIMINAL CHARGES LAID AGAINST WORLDCOM: The state of Oklahoma has laid criminal charges against WorldCom and six of its former executives for violating state securities laws. The prosecutors say Bernard Ebbers and others defrauded investors by filing false financial reports. ** Other states are reported to be planning civil suits against the carrier, which has changed its name to MCI. BELL WEST TO USE CABLECO'S FIBRE: Northern Cablevision will provide dark fibre to Bell West to connect 25 schools, six provincial government offices, and a library in Grande Prairie, Alberta, to the Alberta SuperNet. CANADA PAYPHONE TRADES WARRANTS FOR DEBT: Allstream, which owns 13% of Canada Payphone Corporation, has accepted 1 million non-transferable warrants from the payphone company, settling $636,700 in outstanding debt. ILECs TO PAY WHEN "TROUBLE FREE" LOOPS ARE FAULTY: In late July, the CRTC authorized FCI Broadband to charge ILECs (incumbent telephone companies) when they incorrectly claim that an unbundled local loop is trouble-free, resulting in FCI unnecessarily sending a technician. The charge is the same as that charged by Bell Canada when the situation is reversed. Call-Net has now filed an identical tariff. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-308.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2003/C43.htm#200311019 BELL AMENDS ETHERNET TARIFF PROPOSAL: Bell Canada has modified its proposed Ethernet Access tariff (see Telecom Update #370) to allow a lower rate if customers provide their own terminating equipment rather than lease it from Bell. The lowest proposed rate without CPE is $430, $450, and $630/month (for 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps) on a five-year contract in rate band 1. www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2003/B2.htm#200310938 CRTC CLARIFIES INTERIM CDNA RULES: Responding to a Call-Net filing (see Telecom Update #378), the CRTC says that circuits that connect customers to a competitor's switch are eligible for Competitor DNA rates even if they go through more than one wire centre or through a competitor's POP. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-60.htm TELUS MUST OFFER CHANNELIZATION SERVICE: In June, Telus told the Commission that it had been providing Allstream with channelization on co-location connecting links without a tariff. It wanted Allstream to choose between two other, more expensive services (see Telecom Update #390). Instead, the CRTC ordered Telus to amend its tariff to allow the service. Telus filed a tariff revision (TN116) last week. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Letters/2003/lt030801a.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2003/T66.htm#200311027 U.S. ISP ACTS AGAINST B.C. SPAM GANG: Earthlink, the third-largest Internet Service provider, has filed lawsuits in Atlanta to force carriers and ISPs to turn over information about large-scale spam operators in British Columbia and Alabama. Earthlink, which won a $16.4 million case against a Buffalo-based spammer in May, says it needs the information to identify the offenders. MITEC SELLS SWEDISH SUBSIDIARY: Montreal-based Mitec Telecom has agreed to sell its Swedish manufacturing unit, Beve Electronics AB, to Note AB. Cash from the deal will be used to reduce Mitec's debt. EXPRESSVU TO SELL TERRESTRIAL PAY-PER-VIEW: CRTC Broadcasting Decision 2003-429 permits satellite broadcaster Bell ExpressVu to provide its Pay Per View services to terrestrial cable TV companies. The decision gives startup cable services such as Manitoba Tel, SaskTel and Telus an alternative supplier: Shaw is currently the only PPV provider in western Canada. (See Telecom Update #396) www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-429.htm ANGUS ANNOUNCES TELECOM BRIEFINGS: Last year, many thought telecom competition was dead, but now it is rebounding, promising new services, new technologies, and new savings for business customers. How will telecom change in the coming year? How can business customers reap maximum advantage from the new environment? Get the answers to these and many more questions at two exclusive briefings by Angus Dortmans Associates and Angus TeleManagement Group. ** Leveraging the New Competitive Market: A Report Card and Forecast for Canadian Telecom ** Telecom Cost Control 2003: Reducing Your Bills Without Sacrificing Service These high-priority briefings will offered once only, in Toronto on October 15. Space is limited: download and return your registration application today. www.angustel.ca/Angus-Briefing-2003.pdf ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2003 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: Nick Ruark Subject: 'Push to Talk' Free-For-All Expected as Competitors Crash Nextel Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 20:19:14 -0700 Crashing Nextel's Walkie-Talkie Party By Olga Kharif Time will tell if copycat rivals' push-to-talk features measure up to the original, but it's certain that next year will see a fierce fight for customers For almost a decade, Nextel has reaped the benefits of being the only wireless-service provider to offer push-to-talk service. With handsets that function as walkie-talkies, the service allows users such as construction workers and repairmen to chat with home offices and co-workers through a two-way radio link. It has proven to be a remarkably popular mode of communication and Nextel's main differentiator. Indeed, many analysts credit it with allowing the fifth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. to enjoy the industry's lowest customer turnover and average revenue per user of at least $10 more than the other players. Now Nextel is getting some tough competition. On Aug. 18, the U.S. largest wireless service provider, Verizon Wireless, introduced its own version of the push-to-talk (PTT) service. No. 4 carrier Sprint PCS, with 18.2 million customers, and the country's largest regional wireless service provider Alltell are due to roll out similar capabilities in the fall. In the first half of 2004, it's the turn of No. 2 operator Cingular, the third-largest service provider AT&T Wireless, and No. 6 T-Mobile. STUNTING GROWTH? The competition could not only cut into Nextel's growth but dent its average revenue per user and its customer base, believes Peter Friedland, an analyst with W.R. Hambrecht. Only 50% to 60% of Nextel's 11.7 million users would likely remain loyal to the operator, he estimates. The rest could be up for grabs. And though other carriers' service might not match Nextel's, that gap could eventually be reduced or closed, says Stephen Bahlmann of Motorola, whose team designed the PTT technology that Verizon uses. Plus, for many customers, lower quality might not be a big deal if the price is right. Nextel's rivals will likely be flexible because PTT could boost their revenue significantly. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between telcos Verizon and Vodafone, is charging $20 a month for the service. When other carriers enter the market, that charge would fall to $7 to $10 per user per month, estimates Adam Guy, an analyst with communications consultancy the Yankee Group. Still, that's almost a 20% boost to the $40-$50 a month services most carriers offer now. Building out a PTT service isn't that expensive, costing well under $100 million for most carriers, vs. the tens of billions they spent on networks allowing for more voice calls and nifty data services, such as interactive mobile games, which add only about $2 in extra revenue per user each month. WAIT A SECOND What's more, the market for PTT services could ramp up fast. Nextel has historically targeted only a small cross-section of mainly blue-collar business users. But Verizon hopes to sign up business users and consumers, says Kelly Higgins, PTT project manager at Verizon Wireless. So do other players. And there's space for everyone: A Yankee Group survey in May of 2,490 business users and consumers showed that 24% of them want the PTT function. "PTT is what IM [instant messaging] is to e-mail," predicts Kanishka Agarwal, director of mobile devices at wireless consultancy Telephia. With PTT, you can connect to a friend simply by holding down a special button when talking. The feature connects users within a few seconds, vs. 20 to 25 seconds with conventional cell-phone dialing. And an untapped U.S. market of 31 million people and $2.7 billion in revenue awaits, estimates the Yankee Group's Guy. If Verizon were to upsell the service to 5% of its existing 33.3 million customers (and it could also penetrate its rivals' pool of users), it would fetch more than $20 million in additional monthly revenue. That's why bitter rivals Cingular, AT&T Wireless, and T-Mobile have got together with equipment vendors Ericsson, Nokia, and privately held Sonim Technologies to standardize the PTT technology. The first standard, which will work on only one type of wireless networks out of three main ones, will be announced within a week, says John Burns, president and CEO of Sonim, based in San Mateo, Calif. Eventually, the standard would ensure that different carriers' customers can call each other using PTT, says Roderick Nelson, chief technology officer at AT&T Wireless. To counter this thrust, Nextel is working with Motorola, the creator of the unique iDen technology its network is based on, and wireless technology powerhouse Qualcomm on interoperability with technology used by Sprint PCS. Nextel has another reason to worry. It hasn't paired up its walkie-talkie service with an IM-like screen, showing which of the users are available at a given time, as Verizon has done. And analysts say that's what will make the improved PTT service the next wireless killer app. ANNOYING LAG Still, this battle is just starting, and Nextel has some key advantages. For starters, its service is easy, and connections are fast. In contrast, a caller on the Verizon network has to wait three to five seconds to connect to the recipient. Then, a delay of several seconds occurs in between each person speaking and the voice actually coming through on the phone. The latency, which Verizon Wireless insists its customers won't mind, bothered this correspondent greatly when she tried the service. "Anybody currently using Nextel will never want to switch," believes Jonathan Atkin, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. Other rivals are taking notice. Sonim, which is working to bring PTT to an undisclosed North American carrier, says its connection times will eventually be virtually instantaneous, under a second like Nextel's, says Burns. Sprint PCS, for one, expects to see less latency than Verizon, says Jason Guesman, director of business marketing for Sprint PCS. Another barrier that the newcomers have to overcome is the dearth of PTT-enabled phones, which have a special button and better speaker quality. Carriers will have to find a way to get their customers to upgrade to new phones which come, in the case of Verizon Wireless, at $149.99 a pop for a Motorola V60p phone on a two-year contract. Still, Nextel can't sit on its laurels. Analysts expect a PTT service free-for-all in 2004. Kharif covers the wireless phone industry for BusinessWeek Online from Portland, Ore. Edited by Beth Belton Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2003/tc2003092_1187_tc119.htm Forwarded from the Private Wireless Forum for Mobile Communication Professionals http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivateWirelessForum *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Etop Udoh Subject: Caller-ID for a Norstar 616 Ksu ? Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 23:29:27 -0400 Can I possibly get "Caller ID" for a Norstar 616 KSU, either with or without DS ? Thanks. ==================================================================== | Etop Udoh | Http://www.geocities.com/sdruid11 | | P.O. Box 1054| Http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/sdruid | |Snellville, Ga| Http://www.freeyellow.com/members7/sdruid | | 30078 | Http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/bit/9122 | |--------------| Http://home.earthlink.net/~sdruid11 | | | Http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-sdruid | | \/ \/ | | sdruid11@earthlink.net sdruid11@bellsouth.net sdruid11@yahoo.com | | !! ..........Peace and Love to All......... !! | ==================================================================== ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 12:37:47 GMT > The technology, based on software technology that > enables the Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that > voice quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a > conventional phone call. > http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01VOIP.html Yeah, right. I would say they need to go get their hearing checked. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 09:22:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DISH Network Surpasses 9 Million Customer Milestone DISH Network Surpasses 9 Million Customer Milestone; Continues as the fastest growing satellite subscription TV provider - Sep 2, 2003 06:00 AM (BusinessWire) LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 2003--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) announced that its DISH Network(TM), America's fastest growing satellite subscription television service, passed the 9 million customer milestone. DISH Network's low-price, all-digital product continues to attract growing numbers of customers at a rate unmatched by any other satellite or cable company in the nation. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35526669 ------------------------------ From: neil.fletcher@itnetworks.co.uk (Neil Fletcher) Subject: Re: Samsung CTI Date: 2 Sep 2003 07:23:45 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Just to update this posting. Samsung have now told us that they cannot support us as they do not have the resources due to new product roll out! Fantastic. Look like we are on our own, anybody else got any ideas ... Any assistance appreciated. neil.fletcher@itnetworks.co.uk (Neil Fletcher) wrote in message news:: > We have a Samsung DCS Compact II switch with a telephony server using > serial connection. When we dial out from Outlook on any client we can > make the call but on hanging up we receive a 'no dial tone detected > please check your cables are connected...'. The CTI link monitor > software shows a 'linedisconnectmode=nodialtone' message. > We have latest firmware on the DCS and updated license server and DCS > TSP software. > Has anyone seen this before? ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #631 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Sep 3 17:46:59 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h83Lkx505162; Wed, 3 Sep 2003 17:46:59 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 17:46:59 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309032146.h83Lkx505162@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #632 TELECOM Digest Wed, 3 Sep 2003 17:47:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 632 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Comcast to Offer ABC's Monday Night Football in HDTV (Monty Solomon) The Many Paradoxes of Broadband (Monty Solomon) Giving E-mail Back to Users: Using Digital Signatures (Monty Solomon) An Exploration of Predatory Behaviour in Cyberspace (Monty Solomon) Wireless Internet Connectivity for Developing Nations (Monty Solomon) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (John McHarry) Phone That Limits Your Usage (barryk) Re: Samsung CTI (SayNoToCrossposters) Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (connie) Homegrown DSL (Ryan) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 22:12:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast to Offer ABC's Monday Night Football in HDTV For the First Time Customers Will Have Access to Entire Regular Season of Primetime Turnovers, Tackles and Touchdowns in Crystal-Clear High-Definition PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Cable today announced an extensive lineup of football in high-definition for the 2003 season, led by ABC's award-winning Monday Night Football. In addition to regular and post season games from ABC - including the regular season opener, a rematch of the 2002 NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Comcast's high-definition football offering will include 18 games from ESPN. Comcast's carriage of NFL football in high-definition on ABC and ESPN makes Comcast's offering one of the most robust HDTV football packages available anywhere. To receive the games in high-definition, Comcast Digital Cable customers must have an HDTV set and an HD-enabled set-top box, which can be provided by the company. ABC Monday Night Football games broadcast in HDTV will be available exclusively on cable. Satellite television providers will not offer this service (see attached game schedule). - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35529979 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 01:18:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Many Paradoxes of Broadband by Andrew Odlyzko Abstract There is much dismay and even despair over the slow pace at which broadband is advancing in the United States. This slow pace is often claimed to be fatally retarding the recovery of the entire IT industry. As a result there are increasing calls for government action, through regulation or even through outright subsidies. A careful examination shows that broadband is full of puzzles and paradoxes, which suggests caution before taking any drastic action. As one simple example, the basic meaning of broadband is almost universally misunderstood, since by the official definition, we all have broadband courtesy of the postal system. Also, broadband penetration, while generally regarded as disappointingly slow, is actually extremely fast by most standards, faster than cell phone diffusion at a comparable stage. Furthermore, many of the policies proposed for advancing broadband are likely to have perverse effects. There are many opportunities for narrowband services that are not being exploited, some of which might speed up broadband adoption. There are interesting dynamics to the financial and technological scenes that suggest broadband access may arrive sooner than generally expected. It may also arrive through unexpected channels. On the other hand, fiber-to-the-home, widely regarded as the Holy Grail of residential broadband, might never become widespread. In any case, there is likely to be considerable turmoil in the telecom industry over the next few years. Robust growth in demand is likely to be combined with a restructuring of the industry. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Making money in telecom the Yellow Pages way 3. The state of the telecom industry 4. Telecoms and nineteenth century railroads 5. Demand for telecommunications 6. What is broadband? 7. What is broadband good for? 8. Neglected opportunities 9. Telecom today and nineteenth century postal systems 10. Diffusion of new technologies 11. Continuing technological progress 12. Costs of connectivity 13. Financial markets and the arrival of broadband 14. A spoiler at the broadband party 15. Conclusions http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_9/odlyzko/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 01:27:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Giving E-mail Back to the Users: Using Digital Signatures Giving E-mail back to the users: Using digital signatures to solve the spam problem by Trevor Tompkins and Dan Handley Abstract This paper argues that current legislative and private attempts to stop spam are either ineffective, or involve unacceptable tradeoffs. The key to solving the spam problem is recognizing the importance of e-mail authentication and the granting of permissions. Properly used, digital signatures can easily authenticate e-mail for effective spam control. The ability to manage public keys for verifying digital signatures provides each e-mail user the individual power to control who communicates with her and can therefore completely eliminate the practice of spamming. Finally, we recommend that software developers build the requisite capabilities for managing public keys into their e-mail programs. We argue for a technological solution as opposed to government legislation. Contents Introduction Defining spam Inadequacy of currently proposed solutions The origin and evolution of spam Solution Digital signatures Public e-mail Managing signatures Discussion Conclusion http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_9/tompkins/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 01:32:45 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: An Exploration of Predatory Behaviour in Cyberspace An exploration of predatory behaviour in cyberspace: Towards a typology of cyberstalkers by Leroy McFarlane and Paul Bocij Abstract Over the last few years governments, law enforcement agencies, and the media have noted increases of online harassment. Although there has been a great deal of research into 'offline stalking', at this moment in time there has been no formal research that attempts to classify cyberstalkers. This study aimed to identify a classification of cyberstalkers by interviewing victims. Twenty-four participants were interviewed and their responses logged on a 76-item Cyberstalking Incident Checklist. A typology of cyberstalkers was developed. Contents Introduction Methodology Results Discussion http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_9/mcfarlane/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 02:23:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wireless Internet Connectivity for Developing Nations by Larry Press http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_9/press/index.html ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 19:06:13 -0400 Hank Karl wrote: > On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:58:43 -0400, Geoffrey Welsh > wrote: >> Gail M. Hall wrote: >>> I'm amazed that some of the companies who sent out such >>> "report" or "error" messages did not have software bright enough to >>> check headers to see that the messages did not originate here. >> Unfortunately, there's nothing in the header that can confirm or deny >> that the "From" field is legitimate. > IIRC, the Received: line is not changeable or removable by the sender. > However, the sender may stick a few fake Received: lines in the header > to confuse things, so you can't just look at the first (ie the one > prepended closest to the rest of the header) Received: line. If you look at the RFC for SMTP, it is pretty simple to type in anything you want once you telnet to port 25. About the only thing you can believe is the raw IP address of the machine that passed it to your earliest trusted machine, probably at the edge of your ISP. ------------------------------ From: kesner@bigzoo.net (barryk) Subject: Phone That Limits Your Usage Date: 2 Sep 2003 23:05:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my bill and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that can record the minutes I used during different times and either warn me or stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can not depend on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how much time I used. [Lisa Minter note: Would someone please explain what *4 does or is supposed to do on the phone? I have never heard of that code. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: Samsung CTI Organization: Comcast Online Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 11:27:59 GMT Neil Fletcher wrote in message news:telecom22.631.6@telecom-digest.org: > Just to update this posting. Samsung have now told us that they > cannot support us as they do not have the resources due to new product > roll out! Fantastic. Look like we are on our own, anybody else got > any ideas ... > Any assistance appreciated. > neil.fletcher@itnetworks.co.uk (Neil Fletcher) wrote in message news:: >> We have a Samsung DCS Compact II switch with a telephony server using >> serial connection. When we dial out from Outlook on any client we can >> make the call but on hanging up we receive a 'no dial tone detected >> please check your cables are connected...'. The CTI link monitor >> software shows a 'linedisconnectmode=nodialtone' message. >> We have latest firmware on the DCS and updated license server and DCS >> TSP software. >> Has anyone seen this before? New phone system? Samsung dealer with good techs? ------------------------------ From: jad@ucla.edu (connie) Subject: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: 3 Sep 2003 13:02:57 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help please? ------------------------------ From: Ryan Subject: Homegrown DSL Organization: Insight Broadband Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 20:13:43 GMT A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. I've acquired a couple of Telmax SDSL modems and I know that I'll need a dry pair (or "alarm circuit") from the local telco to do it. What I don't know is if there is anything else I need to make sure of when ordering the circuit. You have to understand that I know almost nothing about telecom equipment. I got the whole idea from a Bob Cringely article. So I'm wondering if I need to ask that the line be set up in a particular way. Are there any questions I should ask about "coils" or "conditioning" or anything else? Or is simply ordering an "alarm circuit" enough? Thanks a bunch. Ryan Disclosure: Here's the article I got the idea from: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20010823.html ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #632 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Sep 4 13:22:05 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h84HM4V11583; Thu, 4 Sep 2003 13:22:05 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 13:22:05 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309041722.h84HM4V11583@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #633 TELECOM Digest Thu, 4 Sep 2003 13:22:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 633 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter S-M-U-T Could Lead To J-A-I-L (Monty Solomon) Friendster: A Little Cash Goes a Long Way? (Monty Solomon) iTunes Auction Treads Murky Legal Ground (Monty Solomon) US Telecom Group Files 2nd Appeal on Sharing Rules (Eric Friedebach) Qwest Files for Long-Distance Services in Arizona (Eric Friedebach) Odd Experience With Sprint PCS Coverage in PA (Bob Goudreau) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (GlowingBlueMist) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (Claude J Ortega) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (Alex Beilby) Re: Homegrown DSL (Robert Bonomi) Re: Homegrown DSL (Gary Breuckman) Re: Homegrown DSL (William Warren) Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage (Gary Breuckman) Re: Unwanted Calls (Chris Didato) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Gawain) HDTV Football Package (Joey Lindstrom) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 00:36:00 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: S-M-U-T Could Lead To J-A-I-L Dan Ackman, 09.03.03, 6:00 PM ET NEW YORK - Yahoo.com is a very popular Web site. Yaho.com is less popular, but it, too, has its fans, though most of them are unintentional. It is one of the thousands of sites on the Web that people arrive at via spelling mistakes or typos. Opportunists of a certain stripe have long recognized people's proclivity to mis-type, and have set up shop a block or two from the spanking new mall, so to speak. None of this is illegal per se, though some companies have sued the misspelling-directed sites, claiming trademark infringement or related wrongs. Today, though, a man living in a Holiday Inn in Hollywood, Fla., was arrested on charges that he violated the recently enacted Truth in Domain Names Act. The accused, John Zuccarini, allegedly registered at least 3,000 misleading domain names and used them to direct traffic to advertising for other Web sites. Although the criminal complaint unsealed today is silent on the point, Manhattan-based U.S. Attorney Jim Comey said a majority of the sites Zuccarini registered were geared to children. The willful direction of children to pornographic sites is illegal under the new law. http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/03/cx_da_0903misspell.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 00:52:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Friendster: A Little Cash Goes a Long Way? By Paul Festa Staff Writer, CNET News.com With a million members and counting, servers for six-month-old Web site Friendster are staggering under demand. Copycat competitors to the site are cropping up, and rumors of imminent subscription fees are riling members. http://news.com.com/2100-1026-5071021.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 00:49:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: iTunes Auction Treads Murky Legal Ground By Alorie Gilbert Staff Writer, CNET News.com September 3, 2003, 5:19 PM PT Consumers can resell CDs purchased in a record shop, but what about digital music files downloaded from an online store? George Hotelling wants to know. In a move that could spark a novel legal test of Internet music resale rights, the Web developer in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Tuesday night put a digital song he purchased online at Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store up for auction on eBay. Hotelling said he isn't all that concerned about getting his money back for the Devin Vasquez remake of Frankie Smith's song "Double Dutch Bus," which cost him 99 cents. Instead, he said he's using the attempted sale to probe some thorny consumer issues stemming from commercial online music services, in particular, technology known as digital rights management that's used to prevent unauthorized copying. In that spirit, he's promised to donate anything above his purchase price to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an activist Internet legal group. The effort has apparently resonated with online music aficionados, many of whom have expressed anger at copyright controls used by licensed Internet music services, including iTunes. With the auction set to end Sept. 9, the price on the song had gone up to $15,099 as of Wednesday evening. http://news.com.com/2100-1025-5071108.html ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: US Telecom Group Files 2nd Appeal on Sharing Rules Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 09:12:14 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - The trade group representing major U.S. local telephone carriers on Wednesday asked a federal appeals court a second time to overturn rules that force the companies to share with rivals their networks at cut-rate prices. The U.S. Telecom Association last week had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to order the Federal Communications Commission to follow the court's previous decision to overhaul the rules. The appeal filed on Wednesday is a broader attack to undo the rules that require state regulators to decide within nine months whether upstart local telephone carriers still face unfair burdens when competing for service and thus should have cheap access to the dominant carriers' networks. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/03/rtr1072836.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Qwest Files for Long-Distance Services in Arizona Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 09:13:21 -0500 Organization: Purity Of Essence/Plant Operational Error Reply-To: Eric Friedebach WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Qwest Communications International Inc. on Thursday filed for permission from federal regulators to offer long-distance voice and data services in Arizona. The company must prove to the Federal Communications Commission that its local telephone networks are sufficiently open to competition before it can enter the lucrative long-distance business in the state. Eric Friedebach http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/04/rtr1073314.html ------------------------------ From: BobGoudreau Subject: Odd Experience With Sprint PCS Coverage in PA Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 12:01:38 -0400 [Mr. Editor, in the interest of impeding the spammers, please obscure or delete my email address. Thanks.] I had an interesting experience with my mobile coverage last month, and wondered if any Digest readers could explain it. It began when my family and I arrived at a rental cottage in the Poconos region of eastern Pennsylvania on the evening of Saturday, August 16th. More specifically, we were staying just west of Sciota, about ten miles southwest of where Interstate 80 runs through Stroudsburg. That evening, and all of the following day, I noticed that I was getting no Sprint PCS digital service at all on my Samsung SPH-I300 phone, and was not even getting all that strong of an analog signal either. (My wife's digital-only Sprint phone of course got no signal at all.) Likewise, we had no digital signal when dropping one of our daughters off at gymnastics camp about ten miles north (pretty close to I-80). I chalked this up to being in a mountainous rural area. Imagine my surprise then, when I noticed on the third day (Monday, August 18th) that my phone was suddenly reporting full-strength (5 out of 5 bars) digital coverage. My wife and I enjoyed full-strength digital coverage throughout the rest of the week, except for a short period on Friday the 22nd, when it once again disappeared completely for a couple of hours. I found this 'all or nothing' experience to be quite strange, as I have never before seen such a discrepancy in signal strength at a single specific location. (Two specific locations, actually, since we had strong digital signal at the gymnastics camp when we picked our daughter up on Saturday the 23rd, in contrast to the complete lack of coverage when dropping her off there on the 17th.) And I had very few other episodes of poor digital coverage during our subsequent week of travel (I even placed a call on Sprint's network from the part of Quebec that's just north of where Vermont and New York come together at the top of Lake Champlain). Can anyone hazard a guess about what happened to us in Pennsylvania? I will note that we arrived in PA the day after the Blackout of 2003 had apparently ended in most of the subset of the Northeast that was affected (though I understand that parts of the Midwest took longer to recover). However, I'm not aware that the Poconos region of Pennsylvania had been hit by the blackout in the first place, so I'm dubious that the initial coverage failure was some sort of lingering after-effect of the blackout. In any case, the second (briefer) coverage failure took place a full week after the end of the blackout, and after several days of full-strength signal. Bob Goudreau Cary, NC ------------------------------ From: GlowingBlueMist Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 19:39:03 -0400 connie wrote in message news:telecom22.632.9@telecom-digest.org: > Hi, > I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone > calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. > On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, > it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not > their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected > and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the > wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help > please? On new U.S. Telco installations they should have installed a telephone company interface box, usually outside. On typical boxes of this type when you get the cover off you should see a small phone cord and jack, similar to a wall phone jack. If you unplug the cable all of your internal wiring is disconnected from the phone companies network. Then run your tests and see what happens. I believe the small jack is usually the connection to the phone company. Plug a phone into it and see if you get a dial tone. If you do you can test your phone line from there with all of your internal wiring still unplugged. In my area they sometimes put the Telco interface box inside the residence. They put mine in the basement last year when they ran a new feed from the pole. ------------------------------ From: Claude J Ortega Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 19:34:05 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com In article , jad@ucla.edu says: > Hi, > I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone > calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. > On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, > it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not > their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected > and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the > wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help > please? I had a similar problem recently. The lineman checked and replaced the lightning arrester gadgets in the demark. They had developed a low resistance short. Claude ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: 4 Sep 2003 10:11:51 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ jad@ucla.edu (connie) wrote in message news:: > Hi, > I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone > calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. > On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, > it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not > their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected > and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the > wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help > please? I'd say it is only truely no longer their problem when a tech is standing at the edge of your building with a butt-set saying, "see it rings more than once here". You may want to check that the line is not call forwarded to a strange number, as it is possible to accidently set that by dialing *72 with some carriers. Oh, and disconnect your computer from the line too! After that, you can either get a cable guy in, or if you know what you are doing you can try to wire up a new cable to the demarcation point, where the line enters the building/phone room in the basement, and see if it improves. Alex Beilby ------------------------------ From: bonomi@news2.bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 00:20:49 UTC Organization: Robert Bonomi Consulting In article , Ryan wrote: > A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL > between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. > I've acquired a couple of Telmax SDSL modems and I know that I'll need > a dry pair (or "alarm circuit") from the local telco to do it. What I > don't know is if there is anything else I need to make sure of when > ordering the circuit. > You have to understand that I know almost nothing about telecom > equipment. I got the whole idea from a Bob Cringely article. So I'm > wondering if I need to ask that the line be set up in a particular > way. Are there any questions I should ask about "coils" or > "conditioning" or anything else? Or is simply ordering an "alarm > circuit" enough? > Thanks a bunch. Good luck. You're diving into a *deep* swamp. First off, you have to be concerned with the "wire distance" between the two locations. Almost assuredly, you will *NOT* be able to get a pair that directly connects the two locations -- rather, you'll have to go from 'point a' to the telco C.O., and then out to 'point b'. *IF* the two locations are even served by the same C.O. If they're _not_ serviced out of the same office, you will *almost*assuredly* be at a wire-length where DSL will *NOT* work. Oh yeah, do the modems you purchased even *work* in a 'back to back' set-up? For 'normal' DSL, the 'head-end' equipment is _different_ than what is at the customer premises. ------------------------------ From: Gary Breuckman Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 23:56:20 -0500 Organization: Puma's Lair - catbox.com In article , Ryan wrote: > A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL > between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. > I've acquired a couple of Telmax SDSL modems and I know that I'll need a > dry pair (or "alarm circuit") from the local telco to do it. What I > don't know is if there is anything else I need to make sure of when > ordering the circuit. > You have to understand that I know almost nothing about telecom > equipment. I got the whole idea from a Bob Cringely article. So I'm > wondering if I need to ask that the line be set up in a particular way. > Are there any questions I should ask about "coils" or "conditioning" or > anything else? Or is simply ordering an "alarm circuit" enough? It's hard to get a copper pair dry circuit between two points anymore. Probably the best idea would be to get 'real' DSL in both locations, and then buy a pair of routers that do hardware VPN. The network side of the routers will appear local to each other. Other solutions will probably end up a lot more expensive. -- Gary Breuckman ------------------------------ From: William Warren Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: Comcast Online Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 15:44:20 GMT Ryan wrote in message news:telecom22.632.10@telecom-digest.org: > A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL > between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. > I've acquired a couple of Telmax SDSL modems and I know that I'll need > a dry pair (or "alarm circuit") from the local telco to do it. What I > don't know is if there is anything else I need to make sure of when > ordering the circuit. > You have to understand that I know almost nothing about telecom > equipment. I got the whole idea from a Bob Cringely article. So I'm > wondering if I need to ask that the line be set up in a particular > way. Are there any questions I should ask about "coils" or > "conditioning" or anything else? Or is simply ordering an "alarm > circuit" enough? Cringely's pulpit has a direct, high speed line to the center-for-useless-information-about-theoretical-possibilities-that- sound-good-but-never-work. I'm sorry to say that you'd do best to try and get your money back: Cringely just has to *write* about doing this, but you are now on the sharp edge of trying to actually *DO* it. Cringely should have cautioned his readers to get the pair before spending more money, but even he admits that it's hard to do and that the circuits aren't offered in many places. True to form, however, he quickly wanders back to neverland: "All this dry pair stuff means that anyone who already has dry pairs -- LOTS of dry pairs -- suddenly has an asset they never knew had value. Quick like a bunny, buy-up that stodgy old burglar alarm company that's been limping along in your town for 50 years. They have a dry pair (often more than one) going to every building. Switch the dry pairs to digital, make the alarm service digital, too, then use the old alarm panel and all that excess bandwidth to offer both wired and wireless Internet access to the whole town. With the lowest circuit cost and more circuits than a regular ISP could ever afford, you'll soon be a broadband tycoon. " Real "Alarm" circuits have been using data transponders and central-office audio bridges for years: it's a lot cheaper, more accurate, gives the alarm companies better control, and is a LOT harder to bypass. Forget about dry pair "alarm" circuits: even if they're still tariffed, they are always offered for data rates less than 30 baud, and you don't get to complain if there are coils in the line, bridge taps, or multiple gauges. Unless you're in possesion of a Morse Code Sounder and key, or some equivalent piece of antique telegraph equipment, they're useless for what you want. As *regulated* monopolies, the telcos have a unique advantage over other companies: they get to specify the things you can use their pairs for. We could debate endlessly about whether this is "right", but it's a fact. Run data over a dry pair (even if by some miracle one was available) and the telco would be entitled to rip it out. However, for the sake of argument, assume they don't care. Here's the rub: they're also entitled to change the layout of your line at any time they want - for example, if you have the only pair that's qualified for S/A/IDSL, and Covad wants it, they get to take it away from you and switch you to a mixed guage, multi-bridge-tap, 24B44 loaded pair which will top out at about the speed of a Model 33 Teletype. In other words, not only are we talking about spending an enormous amount of time *getting* a dry pair, it would be nearly impossible to * keep * it once you'd invested all that money in modems that could be rendered useless by the first "box change" of your circuit. These old McCulloch (Gamewell) loops over dry-pairs are now used only by municipalities with the wherewithal to run their own wires, sovereign access to the needed rights-of-way, and large investments in telegraph equipment that justifies doing so. Just look up the next time you see a Fire Alarm box: it's probably connected to a separate wire loop run above the cable TV and below the electric lines. On the off chance that your local telco still offers the service in your state, even on local cables that don't go out of the local co area, such loops are NOT tariffed for balance or frequency response: you might wind up with a line that goes to the other end via a pair marked "defective" because of a 1/2 open bridge tap, or even via the tip of one (defective, ring open) pair and the ring of another (defective, tip open) pair. Try running data on THAT, and don't even think of complaining, BTW: the response will be "Circuit continuity good to demarc" and a charge on your bill that can range up into the hundreds of dollars. I'm sorry to be so negative here, but this sort of sneaky, underhanded sleeze is anathema to me. It's a solicitation for deceit, and can only work based on the assumption that you can get and keep two balanced, unloaded, untapped, and "dry" copper pairs -- in other words the notion that you *might* fall through a crack in the Wire Bureau somewhere and *might* get to keep that crack open for years. What Cringely is advocating is commercial fraud, plain and simple, and although I'm no friend of Ma Bell, I don't think people that use her wires should lie and cheat when they do. Here's a different approach: take the high road. Do a weekend's worth of study, get yourself a ham radio license (no, you don't need to know Morse Code), and put up your own high speed data link over point-to-point microwave. There's plenty of help available, no secrets to guard, and you'll never have to depend on someone else for maintenance or shell out a monthly fee. In the process, you'll educate yourself for a new career, set an example for your kids, and energize your community by showing what can be done *without* Ma Bell. Doesn't that sound like a better idea? Bill (Remove '.nouce' for direct replies) ------------------------------ From: Gary Breuckman Subject: Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 00:01:00 -0500 Organization: Puma's Lair - catbox.com In article , barryk wrote: > Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the > estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my bill > and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that can > record the minutes I used during different times and either warn me or > stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can not depend > on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how much time I > used. Most phones have a 'lifetime' timer that will show you total minutes, but that count things you don't end up paying for, like calls to busy numbers. On Cingular here, I can go to their web page and see an itemized list of calls each day. It's generally fairly accurate, occasionally a 'lost' call will show up later, especially if I'm out of the normal area. -- Gary Breuckman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 22:26:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Didato Subject: Re: Unwanted calls Wayne, I'm experianceing the same problem. I figure it could potentially cost me 300 or more miuntes a month or 300 x 29 cens a minute. I called customer service too, they brushed it off. > I have a Siemens SX56 cell phone with service from AT&T. For the past > couple of months I have been getting phone calls which are identified > as "unknown". When I aswer the phone, the call stays on-line for about > 3 seconds and terminates. I get from 30-60 calls per day. > The SX56 does have an ignore key but this is getting tiresome. > I contacted AT&T and was told there is nothing they can do about it > and they can not trace where the call is coming from. They suugeested > I change my telephone number. That is unaceptable since the cell phone > is for business. > AT&T claims no other carrier can block unknown callers. I checked them > out in my area and none has the capability to block these calls. ------------------------------ Reply-To: Gawain From: Gawain Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 05:45:48 GMT > Wrong. Verizon owns only 60% of Verizon Wireless. The rest is owned by > Vodafone, probably the largest cellular operator in the world* -- > dating from the days when Vodafone merged with AirTouch and then > merged its AirTouch operations with what was still, I think, Bell > Atlantic's wireless business. Correct, but Verizon has ultimate authority in running the business. VZW was formed by GTE Wireless, Bell Atlantic Mobile (GTE and Bell created VZ), AirTouch (Vodafone) and PrimeCo (partnership between BAM and AirTouch). ------------------------------ From: Joey Lindstrom Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 17:08:52 -0600 Subject: HDTV Football Package Reply-To: joey@garynuman.info On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 17:46:59 -0400 (EDT), good ol' Monty forwarded this: > Comcast's carriage of NFL football in high-definition on ABC and ESPN > makes Comcast's offering one of the most robust HDTV football packages > available anywhere. To receive the games in high-definition, Comcast > Digital Cable customers must have an HDTV set and an HD-enabled > set-top box, which can be provided by the company. "HAH!" I say. Again, "HAH!" Anywhere? How about the Great White North? We Bell Expressvu customers get all the ABC games in HDTV too. Plus CBS. Not Fox, but that's cuz they don't do football in HDTV yet (they're still stuck in the 20th Century I guess). We don't get the full ESPN slate of games, but we get most of 'em, on "TSN-HD" - which also gives us selected Canadian Football League games in HDTV. If you count up the total games, Bell Expressvu most likely beats Comcast. :-) Not bad for a company serving a total market of maybe 100,000 HDTV sets. Those CFL games are the deal-breaker, of course. That's a MAN'S football game ... not like the NFL. Only pansies need FOUR downs to make ten yards ... ;-) (ducking rotten tomatoes) / From the desk of Joey Lindstrom / / Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything. / -- Lorenzo Smythe, "Double Star" / (Robert Heinlein) ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #633 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Sep 4 21:08:57 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8518vA14641; Thu, 4 Sep 2003 21:08:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 21:08:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309050108.h8518vA14641@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #634 TELECOM Digest Thu, 4 Sep 2003 21:09:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 634 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Homegrown DSL (Chip G) Re: Homegrown DSL (Dave Garland) Re: Homegrown DSL (Ryan) Re: Homegrown DSL (Jim Hopkins) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (w_tom) LAN Cable Certification Form (Steve Glover) Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (Steve Glover) Re: Odd Experience With Sprint PCS Coverage in PA (Steven J Sobol) Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately (Steven J Sobol) Looking for Voicemail Service without On-site Hardware (Mike Roman) Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage (A Beilby) Blaster Worm Linked to Severity of Blackout (Monty Solomon) How Can I Keep My Cell Phone Number? (Kyle Gilligan) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chip G Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: Comcast Online Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 18:05:59 GMT William Warren wrote in message news:telecom22.633.12@telecom-digest.org: > Ryan wrote in message > news:telecom22.632.10@telecom-digest.org: >> A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL >> between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. >> I've acquired a couple of Telmax SDSL modems and I know that I'll need >> a dry pair (or "alarm circuit") from the local telco to do it. What I >> don't know is if there is anything else I need to make sure of when >> ordering the circuit. >> You have to understand that I know almost nothing about telecom >> equipment. I got the whole idea from a Bob Cringely article. So I'm >> wondering if I need to ask that the line be set up in a particular >> way. Are there any questions I should ask about "coils" or >> "conditioning" or anything else? Or is simply ordering an "alarm >> circuit" enough? > Cringely's pulpit has a direct, high speed line to the > center-for-useless-information-about-theoretical-possibilities-that- > sound-good-but-never-work. I'm sorry to say that you'd do best to try > and get your money back: Cringely just has to *write* about doing > this, but you are now on the sharp edge of trying to actually *DO* > it. Cringely should have cautioned his readers to get the pair before > spending more money, but even he admits that it's hard to do and that > the circuits aren't offered in many places. True to form, however, he > quickly wanders back to neverland: > "All this dry pair stuff means that anyone who already has dry pairs > -- LOTS of dry pairs -- suddenly has an asset they never knew had > value. Quick like a bunny, buy-up that stodgy old burglar alarm > company that's been limping along in your town for 50 years. They have > a dry pair (often more than one) going to every building. Switch the > dry pairs to digital, make the alarm service digital, too, then use > the old alarm panel and all that excess bandwidth to offer both wired > and wireless Internet access to the whole town. With the lowest > circuit cost and more circuits than a regular ISP could ever afford, > you'll soon be a broadband tycoon. " > Real "Alarm" circuits have been using data transponders and > central-office audio bridges for years: it's a lot cheaper, more > accurate, gives the alarm companies better control, and is a LOT > harder to bypass. Forget about dry pair "alarm" circuits: even if > they're still tariffed, they are always offered for data rates less > than 30 baud, and you don't get to complain if there are coils in the > line, bridge taps, or multiple gauges. Unless you're in possesion of a > Morse Code Sounder and key, or some equivalent piece of antique > telegraph equipment, they're useless for what you want. > As *regulated* monopolies, the telcos have a unique advantage over > other companies: they get to specify the things you can use their > pairs for. We could debate endlessly about whether this is "right", > but it's a fact. Run data over a dry pair (even if by some miracle one > was available) and the telco would be entitled to rip it out. > However, for the sake of argument, assume they don't care. Here's the > rub: they're also entitled to change the layout of your line at any > time they want - for example, if you have the only pair that's > qualified for S/A/IDSL, and Covad wants it, they get to take it away > from you and switch you to a mixed guage, multi-bridge-tap, 24B44 > loaded pair which will top out at about the speed of a Model 33 > Teletype. In other words, not only are we talking about spending an > enormous amount of time *getting* a dry pair, it would be nearly > impossible to * keep * it once you'd invested all that money in modems > that could be rendered useless by the first "box change" of your > circuit. > These old McCulloch (Gamewell) loops over dry-pairs are now used only > by municipalities with the wherewithal to run their own wires, > sovereign access to the needed rights-of-way, and large investments in > telegraph equipment that justifies doing so. Just look up the next > time you see a Fire Alarm box: it's probably connected to a separate > wire loop run above the cable TV and below the electric lines. On the > off chance that your local telco still offers the service in your > state, even on local cables that don't go out of the local co area, > such loops are NOT tariffed for balance or frequency response: you > might wind up with a line that goes to the other end via a pair marked > "defective" because of a 1/2 open bridge tap, or even via the tip of > one (defective, ring open) pair and the ring of another (defective, > tip open) pair. Try running data on THAT, and don't even think of > complaining, BTW: the response will be "Circuit continuity good to > demarc" and a charge on your bill that can range up into the hundreds > of dollars. > I'm sorry to be so negative here, but this sort of sneaky, underhanded > sleeze is anathema to me. It's a solicitation for deceit, and can only > work based on the assumption that you can get and keep two balanced, > unloaded, untapped, and "dry" copper pairs -- in other words the > notion that you *might* fall through a crack in the Wire Bureau > somewhere and *might* get to keep that crack open for years. What > Cringely is advocating is commercial fraud, plain and simple, and > although I'm no friend of Ma Bell, I don't think people that use her > wires should lie and cheat when they do. > Here's a different approach: take the high road. Do a weekend's worth > of study, get yourself a ham radio license (no, you don't need to know > Morse Code), and put up your own high speed data link over > point-to-point microwave. There's plenty of help available, no secrets > to guard, and you'll never have to depend on someone else for > maintenance or shell out a monthly fee. In the process, you'll educate > yourself for a new career, set an example for your kids, and energize > your community by showing what can be done *without* Ma Bell. > Doesn't that sound like a better idea? > Bill > (Remove '.nouce' for direct replies) Or ... depending on the distance involved, just setup a directional 802.11 network ... you can get some pretty amazing distance on them these days! Lot cheaper ... no licensing ... works pretty good when compared with microwave (not that microwave doesn't) ... just susceptible to similar interference sources. Some examples if you really feel the need to DIY: http://www.netscum.com/~clapp/wireless.html http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448 http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html Regards, Chip PS: Aslo, you can find some on eBay too ... http ://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=44997&item=3044755993 ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 12:36:13 -0500 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when William Warren wrote: > get yourself a ham radio license (no, you don't need to know > Morse Code), and put up your own high speed data link over > point-to-point microwave... > Doesn't that sound like a better idea? Um ... maybe ... assuming that he does not want to use it for a business. And that the person on the other end will also be a licensed amateur operator. Then they could use it to chat about their gear and the weather. But the first whiff of business use, and his ham ticket will be down the tubes. Or has all that changed in the many years since I had a ticket? ------------------------------ From: Ryan Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: Insight Broadband Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 18:33:23 GMT Thanks for the excellent advice. I had a vague feeling that there's a lot more to doing DSL than obtaining a "dry pair" and two capable modems. I've thought about some sort of wireless, but unfortunately I don't have line of sight. I've also considered the VPN over broadband Internet option (probably have to revisit that one). It's just that both locations are pretty close to the CO (1 mile, and 2000 feet), so the Cringely article really got my hopes up. FYI - The modems are the Telmax WebExpress 2500 and can be had on eBay for cheap. Lots of SpeedStream 5851s on there too. Both can do back-to-back DSL. Oh well, thanks for the info. Ryan ------------------------------ From: Jim Hopkins Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 23:37:45 GMT On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 15:44:20 +0000, William Warren wrote: > Here's a different approach: take the high road. Do a weekend's worth > of study, get yourself a ham radio license (no, you don't need to know > Morse Code), and put up your own high speed data link over > point-to-point microwave. There's plenty of help available, no secrets > to guard, and you'll never have to depend on someone else for > maintenance or shell out a monthly fee. In the process, you'll educate > yourself for a new career, set an example for your kids, and energize > your community by showing what can be done *without* Ma Bell. > Doesn't that sound like a better idea? > Bill > (Remove '.nouce' for direct replies) Not if he's going to use it for commercial purposes. That's strictly prohibited by the FCC regulations governing the amateur service. Jim Hopkins N5BFD ------------------------------ From: w_tom Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 17:50:14 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Is it your problem (then you pay) or theirs (they pay)? Best to first discover before wildly calling. Within 12 inches of where your wires meet theirs is a premise interface box typically called NID. On the customer access side is your phone wire connected via a conventional phone jack. Remove that phone, jack, plug the phone directly into that receptacle, and test. If problem still happens, they fix it and pay. If problem disappears, then hire someone or debug a problem inside your building. connie wrote: > I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone > calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. > On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, > it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not > their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected > and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the > wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help > please? ------------------------------ From: stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) Subject: LAN Cable Certification Form Date: 4 Sep 2003 15:47:38 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I'm in need of the subject, a document that certifies that particular named tests have been run, notes the results, LAN cabling conforms to X specification (e.g. ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 and 569), etc. Cabling professionals or customers of such, if you have such a thing, would you please provide? ------------------------------ From: stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) Subject: Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet Date: 4 Sep 2003 16:13:25 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ SayNoToCrossposters wrote in message news:: >> The technology, based on software technology that >> enables the Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that >> voice quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a >> conventional phone call. >> http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01VOIP.html > Yeah, right. I would say they need to go get their hearing checked. I have no direct daily experience with call quality on an Avvid/Call Manager system, but I can't imagine any issues considering VOIP frequently stays on the LAN and call termination normally occurs over traditional TDM trunks. I work for an "IP Centrex" company that was just acquired by Level(3) and our call quality is quite good (and tested quite good by Telcordia) although some customers have insisted on and persisted in accessing via second and third tier, "best effort" ISPs. ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Odd Experience With Sprint PCS Coverage in PA Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 13:32:49 -0500 BobGoudreau wrote: > I had an interesting experience with my mobile coverage last month, > and wondered if any Digest readers could explain it. It began when my > family and I arrived at a rental cottage in the Poconos region of > eastern Pennsylvania on the evening of Saturday, August 16th. More > specifically, we were staying just west of Sciota, about ten miles > southwest of where Interstate 80 runs through Stroudsburg. > That evening, and all of the following day, I noticed that I was > getting no Sprint PCS digital service at all on my Samsung SPH-I300 > phone, and was not even getting all that strong of an analog signal > either. (My wife's digital-only Sprint phone of course got no > signal at all.) Likewise, we had no digital signal when dropping one > of our daughters off at gymnastics camp about ten miles north (pretty > close to I-80). It's been common knowledge for some time that Sprint has had no coverage on Interstate 80 in rural PA (check alt.cellular.sprintpcs in Google Groups). > I chalked this up to being in a mountainous rural area. Imagine my > surprise then, when I noticed on the third day (Monday, August 18th) > that my phone was suddenly reporting full-strength (5 out of 5 bars) > digital coverage. My wife and I enjoyed full-strength digital > coverage throughout the rest of the week, except for a short period on > Friday the 22nd, when it once again disappeared completely for a > couple of hours. > Can anyone hazard a guess about what happened to us in Pennsylvania? Sprint or an affiliate is probably adding coverage in the Poconos and towers are being put up and tested in that area. That's my guess. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Verizon Charges for Everything Lately Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 13:35:24 -0500 Alan Burkitt-Gray wrote: > Robert Foster wrote: >> Verizon and Verizon Wireless are run separate. Same owner but they >> are run as two different companies. > Wrong. Verizon owns only 60% of Verizon Wireless. The rest is owned by > Vodafone, probably the largest cellular operator in the world* -- > dating from the days when Vodafone merged with AirTouch and then > merged its AirTouch operations with what was still, I think, Bell > Atlantic's wireless business. Verizon, the original company, consists of the former Bell Atlantic and the former GTE. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Vodafone and Verizon. Vodafone owns AirTouch; Verizon never owned any part of AirTouch. (Though they were planning on buying AirTouch before Vodafone got to them!) The joint venture purchased the former PrimeCo Cellular and swapped out properties with Alltel and some smaller carriers. Ray Normandeau wrote: > SKougoures@netscape.net (h2owolf) wrote in message > news:: >> Either way, I'm getting tired of their service and I intend to change >> providers as soon as I can take my current number with me. > I got rid of them in 1998. No, you didn't. There is no way you could have ditched Verizon Wireless in 1998; they didn't exist back then. My experiences as a VZW customer have been mostly good. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: Mike Roman Subject: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 13:42:39 -0400 Hi, The local soup kitchen is looking to add voicemail to its multiline phone system but cannot afford the $5K+ for on-site hardware. Are there any services that can provide 12 or more voicemail boxes on a system with 4 physical phone lines and hunting? Thanks, Pete ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage Date: 4 Sep 2003 10:19:17 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ kesner@bigzoo.net (barryk) wrote in message news:: > Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the > estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my > bill and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that > can record the minutes I used during different times and either warn > me or stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can > not depend on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how > much time I used. > [Lisa Minter note: Would someone please explain what *4 does or is > supposed to do on the phone? I have never heard of that code. Lisa M.] *4 will show the minutes used either on the last call made or for some carriers, since the last time that *4 was used. Carriers databases are notoriously slow to update. eg how long it takes for the voicemail indicator icon to disappear after I have cleaned out my voicemail. Some carriers will let you check your usage on-line (Telus Mobility in Canada), and this will in theory be more up-to-date, as it is data to data, rather than data to voice connection to data. Prepaid works for me. I then get a nice voice telling me to top up in 10 minutes. Alex Beilby ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Blaster Worm Linked to Severity of Blackout Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 13:22:23 -0400 Exposure of communications flaws heightens concerns about security of the U.S. power grid Story by Dan Verton AUGUST 29, 2003 ( COMPUTERWORLD ) - WASHINGTON -- The W32.Blaster worm may have contributed to the cascading effect of the Aug. 14 blackout, government and industry experts revealed this week. On the day of the blackout, Blaster degraded the performance of several communications lines linking key data centers used by utility companies to manage the power grid, the sources confirmed. http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/recovery/story/0,10801,84510,00.html ------------------------------ From: kylegilligan@comcast.net (Kyle Gilligan) Subject: How Can I Keep My Cell Phone Number? Date: 4 Sep 2003 17:41:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I heard that an act was going to happen where if you switched providers you could still keep the same number. Does anyone know when this is supposed to happen? ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #634 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Sep 6 00:02:28 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8642Si23286; Sat, 6 Sep 2003 00:02:28 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 00:02:28 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309060402.h8642Si23286@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #635 TELECOM Digest Fri, 5 Sep 2003 23:59:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 635 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter U.S. Court Blocks Plan to Ease Rule on Media Owners (Monty Solomon) Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (Monty Solomon) A Media Giant is Born (Monty Solomon) Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access SpongeBob SquarePants (M Solomon) EPIC Alert 10.18 (Monty Solomon) Re: Homegrown DSL (Scott Dorsey) Re: Homegrown DSL (William Warren) Re: Homegrown DSL (Jake Dempsey) Re: LAN Cable Certification Form (SayNoToCrossposters) Re: LAN Cable Certification Form (Justin Time) Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware (C Navarro) Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (John R. Levine) "Star" Codes and Phone Usage (Mark J Cuccia) Looking for Re-Sellers to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX (doug) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Linc Madison) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 23:03:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: U.S. Court Blocks Plan to Ease Rule on Media Owners By STEPHEN LABATON WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 - A federal appeals court issued a surprise order today blocking the Federal Communications Commission from imposing new rules that would make it easier for the nation's largest media conglomerates to add new markets and areas of business. The decision came a day before the new rules, considered among the most significant efforts at deregulation adopted during the Bush administration, were scheduled to take effect. It followed two hours of oral arguments at an emergency hearing this morning by a three-judge panel in Philadelphia and was a sharp setback for the largest media companies and for the commission's chairman, Michael K. Powell. Mr. Powell, the architect of the new rules, has emphasized that the commission was compelled to rewrite the old regulations because of a string of federal court decisions in cases brought in Washington by the media companies. Those decisions ordered the agency to reconsider some of the rules. But today the appeals court voted unamimously to prevent media companies from moving forward with plans to take advantage of the new rules. The court also raised tough questions for the commission and its industry supporters about their efforts to reshape the regulatory landscape. The new regulations are already facing a challenge in Congress, where legislators have taken steps to repeal some of them. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/04/business/media/04FCC.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 23:24:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop By KATIE HAFNER with MICHAEL FALCONE THE Kiblers of Santa Clara, Calif., thought they were doing everything right. Bill Kibler, a product manager in Silicon Valley and the unofficial system administrator for his family, was nothing short of diligent about running antivirus programs. He had also erected a software firewall to shield his computer from intruders, and he regularly downloaded patches to inoculate his PC when he heard about new viruses. But over the course of six months this year, the Kiblers noticed their computer displaying some odd behavior. The automatic weekly scans by Norton AntiVirus mysteriously stopped, and when Mr. Kibler tried to run the software manually, the program would shut down before he could execute commands. By the middle of the summer, the Kiblers' computer had grown so phlegmatic that the family considered replacing the machine, a powerful Compaq desktop of recent vintage, with a new one. After many hours of computer forensic work performed by a friend, it turned out that a virus program called Klez was sapping the computer of 90 percent of its processing power. Adding to the burden was a host of strangely named files discovered on the list of programs installed on the hard drive. All of them had entered the machine from the Internet, producing a blizzard of pop-up ads. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/04/technology/circuits/04lurk.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 23:51:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A Media Giant is Born From The Economist Global Agenda Vivendi has agreed to merge its American media interests, including Universal Studios, with General Electric's NBC television network. The deal creates the sort of vertically integrated media group that GE has shied away from in the past. http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2034123 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 00:35:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access SpongeBob SquarePants, Blues Clues And Other Nickelodeon Ring Tones And Graphics On Get It Now(SM) - Sep 4, 2003 09:30 AM (PR Newswire) Television Favorites SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and More NEW YORK and BEDMINSTER, N.J., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless customers can now access Get It Now(SM) applications based on the top Nickelodeon television hits SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, Dora the Explorer, and Jimmy Neutron. This new Get It Now offering gives Verizon Wireless customers access to original and highly differentiated content specifically geared toward families, including polyphonic ring tones and character graphics. Through the agreement with Nickelodeon Online, Verizon Wireless customers can download two types of Get It Now content -- Nick PhoneTones and Nick-branded games -- co-developed by Nickelodeon's wireless content publishers, Faith West Inc. and THQ Inc. Nick PhoneTones, published by Faith West Inc., gives Verizon Wireless customers access to more than 30 polyphonic tones, show theme songs and images to help them personalize their wireless phones with their favorite Nickelodeon songs and characters. Verizon Wireless customers can select ring tones and graphics from special Nick-branded features, such as a Blue's bark ring tone from Blue's Clues, as well as polyphonic musical ring tones based on SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents and Dora the Explorer theme songs. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35568299 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 20:44:38 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 10.18 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 10.18 September 4, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_10.18.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] EPIC Releases 2003 Privacy and Human Rights Report [2] Passenger Profiling Information Sought in New EPIC FOIA Suit [3] EPIC and Friends File Brief In Supreme Court Privacy Case [4] FTC Releases Identity Theft Statistics [5] Federal Court Invalidates Washington Phone Privacy Rules [6] Congress to Consider Critical Affiliate Sharing Privacy Issues [7] EPIC Bookstore: The Governance of Privacy [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_10.18.html ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: 5 Sep 2003 10:55:21 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Ryan wrote: > Thanks for the excellent advice. I had a vague feeling that there's a > lot more to doing DSL than obtaining a "dry pair" and two capable > modems. Depends on where you are and what you want to do. I ran data over 48F four-wire lines for years and if you luck out, you can get very good performance (I only ran 56K leased-line modems, but this was a decade ago when that was mindbogglingly fast stuff). Your first job is to get the two modems working together over a four-wire link on the desk. Build a crossover cable assembly and get all the stuff configured so that you know it routes properly. Then get a four-wire circuit or two parallel alarm circuits, and hook it up. If you can, it would be a good idea to do sweep tests on the lines first and make sure the frequency response is reasonably flat, but if it isn't there won't be anything you can do about it anyway, so it might not be worth bothering with. Finding the person at the telco who can sell you loop circuits can also sometimes be an adventure. Ask the engineer at the local radio station who the radio loop guys at the business office are. If you just call the business office they will often have no clue what you want. > I've thought about some sort of wireless, but unfortunately I don't > have line of sight. I've also considered the VPN over broadband > Internet option (probably have to revisit that one). It's just that > both locations are pretty close to the CO (1 mile, and 2000 feet), so > the Cringely article really got my hopes up. Try it. It's not expensive. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it does not. Sometimes it works great for years and then the telco changes configurations and it suddenly does not. Sometimes there isn't copper in the ground and all lines between the facilities are served over SLC-56es and so you cannot get a dry copper circuit. But I have used it and I have liked it, and I still had a leased line running 56k over a pair of dry pairs from an ISP's local facility, as late as 1999 when the ISP got bought out and dumped all their older and weirder customers. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: William Warren Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: Comcast Online Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 21:13:48 GMT Ryan wrote in message news:telecom22.634.3@telecom-digest.org: > Thanks for the excellent advice. I had a vague feeling that there's a > lot more to doing DSL than obtaining a "dry pair" and two capable > modems. Yes, there is: and doing it Cringely's way might even extend to obtaining legal advice when you realize some stranger has just handed you a subpoena. In many states, tariffs have the force of law, and some even provide criminal penalties for avoiding their limits: I say "Do It Yourself" means doing it *without* resorting to underhanded tactics. Now I know that my attitude is in some ways naive: cynics amoung us might snort about the Telco's high-priced lobbyists and the best-money-can-buy regulators found at some State Capitols. I say, if you don't like the way things are, then change them, either by lobbying for inclusion of more DSL providers, or by finding other, legal, ways around the restrictions. The worst thing to do is to climb in bed with a political whore, because the disease you'll take back to your home is the notion that only money talks and only the well-connected have a say. The philosophy of public utility regulation has always held that monopolies should offset the costs of some services with the revenues provided by others, and the "dry pairs" that used to be provided to alarm-service companies are no exception. Business lines have always cost more than residential, based on the benefit the businessman received from the fact that *all* his customers could be reached by telephone, and could reach him. "Lifeline" telephone service is subsidized by other ratepayers via a "Universal Access" fee, and the fact is that *all* the ratepayers can dial 911 and quickly request a specific kind of help instead of trying to find their way to a Fire Alarm box to summon ten or twenty men and women who might be needed elsewhere. For that reason, "burglar alarm" lines have always been very conservatively priced, because the regulators felt that the comcomitant reduction in crime and the service's low maintenance record justified the lower rates. To take a circuit tariffed for a low turnover, low maintenance, "DC Only" use, and trick someone into allowing it's use for high speed data, is at best short-sited, and at worst, criminal. Cringely doesn't have to worry: he's not going to get a subpoena for saying you could, and you're not going to share in his book royalties after PBS has set him up as the "expert" in everything related to computers. > I've thought about some sort of wireless, but unfortunately I don't > have line of sight. Well, you probably have line of sight to someone who has line of sight to your destination, or to someone else who does: do some horse trading. Although cellular use has pushed the price of antenna space through the roof in many places, you might be able to add some value to an existing tower (Paint? Change the lightbulbs? Do some legal work? Dig a trench? Cut the grass?) and get a relay point without laying out any cash. Plus, there are always church steeples, water towers, or even trees to be had for a little bargaining. Why not go out in the sunlight and ask? > I've also considered the VPN over broadband > Internet option (probably have to revisit that one). That's one option, and there are many others. You might consider a network of relatively low speed links that can be aggregated via multilink-ppp, and that will allow you to use frequency bands that don't require LOS. You might choose to form a cooperative in your community, pay Ma Bell (gasp!) for a T-1 line, and share the discounted cost amount your neighbors. There are infra-red and other short range data transceivers which don't even require FCC licenses, and there's even the possibility of running your own wire between the two locations if you can negotiate the right of way. > It's just that both locations are pretty close to the CO (1 mile, > and 2000 feet), so the Cringely article really got my hopes up. I hope I didn't get you down; my intent was to show you a different, and more positive, outlet for your energies. Taking shortcuts is what got Enron and MCI and Equity Funding into trouble: I say the higher road is the shorter one in the long run. Just think "outside the box": there's plenty of darkness in the grave, so try to spread some light around while you're here. [snip] > Oh well, thanks for the info. > Ryan Thanks for listening. Bill (Remove ".nouce" for direct replies) ------------------------------ From: JakeD@rosestudios.com (Jake Dempsey) Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: 5 Sep 2003 14:27:07 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ You could always try Point to Multipoint, there is a guy in Spokane that feeds part of the valley with an Orinoco system, all you need is a place close enough, and high enough. ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: LAN Cable Certification Form Organization: Comcast Online Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 12:16:37 GMT Normally the scanner will output such a thing in ascii format. I usually just give the customer the disk or file showing that it has been done. Steve Glover wrote in message news:telecom22.634.6@telecom-digest.org: > I'm in need of the subject, a document that certifies that particular > named tests have been run, notes the results, LAN cabling conforms to > X specification (e.g. ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 and 569), etc. > Cabling professionals or customers of such, if you have such a thing, > would you please provide? ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: LAN Cable Certification Form Date: 5 Sep 2003 06:34:15 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) wrote in message news:: > I'm in need of the subject, a document that certifies that particular > named tests have been run, notes the results, LAN cabling conforms to > X specification (e.g. ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 and 569), etc. > Cabling professionals or customers of such, if you have such a thing, > would you please provide? This type of documentation is normally available on a per cable basis with the certification report from any decent hand-held cable certifier. Rodgers Platt ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 01:32:24 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online -- Northeast Ohio On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 13:42:39 -0400, Mike Roman wrote: > Hi, > The local soup kitchen is looking to add voicemail to its multiline > phone system but cannot afford the $5K+ for on-site hardware. Did you pick 5K out of a hat? Or do you love to spend $5-10 per mailbox per month forever? Take the $700 and look to buy a 2-port VM system. Panasonic makes a TVS-50 that would do what you want for that amount. eBay is filled with 2-port roll-your-own, or even an Amanda or Comdial will come pretty close to that in four ports. It comes down to what you might have for a phone system and whether you can add VM to it. A new 308 Panasonic with VM retails for less than $3k. Carl Navarro ------------------------------ From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet Date: 4 Sep 2003 21:26:11 -0400 Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA >> The technology, based on software technology that enables the >> Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that voice >> quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a conventional >> phone call. > Yeah, right. I would say they need to go get their hearing checked. I have a POTS line and a Vonage line wired up to two-line phones. My net access is a not very heavily loaded T1, and the Vonage line really does sound about the same as the POTS line. (No, I'm not deaf, I can easily tell how much worse the sound on my cell phone is.) As someone else noted, in a PBX where the calls stay on a LAN, the voice quality will be even better. Regards, John Levine johnl@iecc.com Primary Perpetrator "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://iecc.com/johnl "More Wiener schnitzel, please", said Tom, revealingly. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 21:14:46 CDT From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: "Star" Codes and Phone Usage kesner@bigzoo.net (barryk) wrote: > Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the > estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my bill > and find I'm 150 minutes over. Lisa Minter noted: > Would someone please explain what *4 does or is supposed to do on the > phone? I have never heard of that code. beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) replied: > *4 will show the minutes used either on the last call made or for some > carriers, since the last time that *4 was used. It should be noted that this feature being discussed in the thread is STRICTLY related to WIRELESS (cellular) phones. And the code *4 in this case (usage determination) might possibly only be applicable for that particular model of cellular phone and the cellular/wireless service provider. Even in the case of landline telco service, while NANPA and the INC maintain a "master list" of "star" feature codes (and remember in the NANP that '*' can also be replaced by '1-1', especially in the case of pulse/rotary dial), actual implementation of the features is up to each individual local telco, and they don't necessarily conform to the recommended "assignment" by NANPA. Also, the use of star or other feature codes in non-NANP locations is also not uniform/consistant either in implementation or recommended assignments. And these codes will probably NEVER be truly consistant or uniform, even within the NANP, among landline telcos. Payphones (mostly the privately owned ones which use internal chips for basic operation instead of central office switch coin controls) usually have their OWN programming and features/functions with their own lineup of "star" codes. PBXes as well will use '*' or '#' feature codes which are "proprietary" to that PBX vendor/manufacturer or PBX-owning customer. The same holds true for telco-switch-based Centrex service. Non-Centrex resi- and business customers on that same telco c.o.switch will probably have the "usual" lineup of "star" code assignments/features/functions, while Centrex customers will probably have their own lineup, and those could even vary from one Centrex customer to another. Even non-Centrex customers might be able to subscribe to a limited "Centrex-like" set of star code features over and above the usual POTS customers, for such multi-line non-Centrex small businesses or large family resi- customers (i.e. "Prestige" or "Premiere" feature packages offered by some BOCs). Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia [at] tulane [dot] edu New Orleans LA USA ------------------------------ From: xpl951@hotmail.com (doug) Subject: Looking for Re-sellers to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX Date: 4 Sep 2003 21:24:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I hope I am not breaking any code of ethics by asking this here. I just figured that I might get a more filtered response than cold calling. Allworx is currently looking for re-sellers to carry the Allworx 10x product line. Allworx is located in Rochester, NY and is the manufacture of the Allworx 10x. Allworx is a complete system that runs your business. We've combined the best of the power tools and performance technologies that help businesses succeed today: a sophisticated phone system, streamlined PC networking, Internet access, unified messaging, group collaboration, and even security and backup. Working together more efficiently, more reliably, more truly integrated than ever before. http://www.allworx.com Thanks, Please direct any E-mail to my office drn@allworx.com Doug Neubert Manager of Channel Sales Allworx Corp. A Division of Inscitek Microsystems Inc. 635 CrossKeys Office Park Fairport, NY 14450 1-866-Allworx (255-9679) (585) 421-3850 X131 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! From: Linc Madison Reply-To: Telecom@LincMad.com Organization: LincMad.com Consulting Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 07:08:38 GMT In article , Geoffrey Welsh wrote: > IIRC, Sobig is one of the few viruses that forge the "From" header, > and the only one that I can name which uses an address that it finds > on the victim's computer (as opposed to a fixed address.) No, actually, the reverse is true. It is now very unusual to receive a virus-infected e-mail that does *not* forge the "from" header. Most viruses now forge the "from" address using the infected machine's address book as one of the sources, along with such tricks as sending to/from "webmaster" at web sites that appear in your browser cache. I finally had to turn off my "webmaster" address completely because it was getting so inundated with spam and viruses. I've stopped even trying to count how many copies of SoBig I've received, but it's well past 10,000, probably more like 20,000, and 95% of those were to the "webmaster" address. (Even though the e-mails are discarded unopened, I still see the delivery attempts.) www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #635 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Sep 6 00:40:20 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h864eKE23952; Sat, 6 Sep 2003 00:40:20 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 00:40:20 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309060440.h864eKE23952@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #636 TELECOM Digest Sat, 6 Sep 2003 00:40:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 636 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: LAN Cable Certification Form (Dale Farmer) Re: LAN Cable Certification Form (Jake Dempsey) Research For Book: How to Lose Your High Tech Job (cary) Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware (J Dempsey) Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware (A Beilby) Re: How Can I Keep My Cell Phone Number? (Group Special Mobile) Bells Seek Delay of U.S. Telephone Sharing Rules (Eric Friedebach) Re: AT&T Launches Free Wi-Fi Service Throughout August (joe@obilivan) Consumers: Be Careful when Buying Prepaid Phone Cards from Total (sam) Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (Vidya Ramachandran) Forced Voicemail on T-Mobile (John R. Covert) Re: "Star" Codes and Phone Useage (Stanley Cline) Re: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access Spongebob (Steven Sobol) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dale Farmer Organization: Furry green fuzz in the back of the refrigerator Subject: Re: LAN Cable Certification Form Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 15:12:14 GMT Steve Glover wrote: > I'm in need of the subject, a document that certifies that particular > named tests have been run, notes the results, LAN cabling conforms to > X specification (e.g. ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 and 569), etc. > Cabling professionals or customers of such, if you have such a thing, > would you please provide? Typically it is just a cover letter that references the section of the contract specifying the test method. The test results are attached to the cover letter, paper copy of final results, and if the customer asks for it, a CD with the full test results. The test printout from the tester usually specifies which tests were run and results. --Dale ------------------------------ From: JakeD@rosestudios.com (Jake Dempsey) Subject: Re: LAN Cable Certification Form Date: 5 Sep 2003 14:22:06 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) wrote in message news:: > I'm in need of the subject, a document that certifies that particular > named tests have been run, notes the results, LAN cabling conforms to > X specification (e.g. ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 and 569), etc. > Cabling professionals or customers of such, if you have such a thing, > would you please provide? Most cabing guys will have a tester they use to verify CAT5e (current standard) by measuring NEXT, FEXT, ALF, and sorts of other things. Most of the newer ones have the ability to store and print out reports for each individual jack. you might want to call a local cabling guy and ask him how much he would charge to certify your runs. The reports get pretty in-depth. Fluke, Microtest and some others make some pretty nice testers, but you are looking at a starting price of $5000.00 to pick one up. ------------------------------ From: cary Reply-To: cary_gy_chiu@hotmail.com Subject: Research For Book: How to Lose Your High Tech Job Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 13:46:16 -0400 Organization: WorldCom Canada Ltd. News Reader Service Hi! I'm doing some research for a comedy book about how to get laid off. I'm looking for some funny anecdotes from people like you. What are some of the oddest and most absurd ways you've been let go in the office. You don't have to give your real name; however, please note that by way of sending an e-mail with your story you are giving me copyright to rewrite the story in a future publication. Give as much description as possible. I'm interested to know how much severance you might have received. What was the corporate reason for letting you go? How did your boss behave? What do you think you did to get laid off (if anything - esp. if it's funny). I'm particularly interested in 30-somethings who have been let go in high tech. I'm also particularly interested in those who actually tried to get laid off (but any kind of story of you being fired or laid off, regardless of your motives, is still appreciated). You can send an e-mail with your story to cary_gy_chiu@hotmail.com or *~cc@mondenet.com~* (please remove the ~ and * from the address, I'm trying not to get too much spam e-mail. Thanks! ------------------------------ From: JakeD@rosestudios.com (Jake Dempsey) Subject: Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware Date: 5 Sep 2003 14:24:43 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Mike Roman wrote in message news:: > Hi, > The local soup kitchen is looking to add voicemail to its multiline > phone system but cannot afford the $5K+ for on-site hardware. > Are there any services that can provide 12 or more voicemail boxes on > a system with 4 physical phone lines and hunting? > Thanks, > Pete Try Ebay, they have some cool little systems for cheap. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3044518643&category=11175 See if that one helps you at all ------------------------------ From: beilby@cuic.ca (A Beilby) Subject: Re: Looking for Voicemail Service Without On-Site Hardware Date: 5 Sep 2003 09:57:09 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Mike Roman wrote in message news:: > Hi, > The local soup kitchen is looking to add voicemail to its multiline > phone system but cannot afford the $5K+ for on-site hardware. > Are there any services that can provide 12 or more voicemail boxes on > a system with 4 physical phone lines and hunting? > Thanks, > Pete Cheap and dirty: If you can live with less mailboxes, you can usually get a multi-box VM on your main number through your carrier -- some offer 3 some offer 6 boxes. Depending on the brand of your equipment, shop around to another telecom dealer: you should be able to get by on a 2 port model, unless all 12 people are in the office at the same time, and that should cost US$2-3K. For $3K, check out Ebay - you can probably find a whole 12-phone used keysystem with voicemail. Alex Beilby ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: How Can I Keep My Cell Phone Number? Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 07:03:59 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On 4 Sep 2003 17:41:09 -0700, kylegilligan@comcast.net (Kyle Gilligan) wrote: > I heard that an act was going to happen where if you switched > providers you could still keep the same number. Does anyone know when > this is supposed to happen? After November 24, 2003. http://www.myrateplan.com/wireless/knowledge/number_portability.php#2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Bells seek delay of U.S. telephone sharing rules Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 18:01:03 -0500 Organization: Sponge Bob Wears Pants WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The biggest local telephone carriers said on Friday they have asked federal regulators to delay implementing new rules that require them to continue sharing lines with competitors. BellSouth Corp., Qwest Communications International Inc., SBC Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications asked the Federal Communications Commission to put the recently released regulations on hold while they challenge them in court. The carriers objected to the rules that require state regulators to decide within nine months whether upstart local telephone carriers still face unfair burdens when competing for service and thus should have cheap access to the dominant carriers' networks. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/05/rtr1074975.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: joe@obilivan.net Subject: Re: AT&T Launches Free Wi-Fi Service Throughout August Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 16:20:40 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications > locations can obtain high-speed Internet service at no charge until > the end of August and at $2.99 a day thereafter. How special. Only $90 a month. ------------------------------ From: chong719@hotmail.com (sam) Subject: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards From Total Date: 5 Sep 2003 18:02:42 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Beware for consumers who are about to buy Total Call International's phone cards. I bought two phone cards from Total Call International at www.totalcallusa.com with the PIN's of 671 010 3530 and 426 340 5795 in May. For the card with PIN number 671 010 3530 I first used on May 2nd, and then I tried again on July. 20, 2003, but it didn't work anymore. The card supposes to work for 90 days after first use. I called the customer service, and they said they changed the usage period from 90 days to 60 days. I did not receive a notice of the change. They refuse to refund my money. For the card with PIN 426 340 5795, the minute ran faster than I thought. When I called 1-800-620-5909 and asked for explanation, Rene Bax explained to me that there was a maintenance fee of $0.40 per 5 days. When I bought it, no one explained to me that it had a maintenance fee for $0.40 per 5 days, nor does it say that $0.40 fee anywhere on the card. (Not only they did not print or explain to me about this maintenance fee, $0.40 per 5 days is overbearing and over burdensome for consumers). They refused to refund my money. Any comments? Be Careful! ------------------------------ From: mrvidya2001@yahoo.com (Vidya Ramachandran) Subject: Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet Date: 5 Sep 2003 09:26:49 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Is the quality really as good as traditional voice services? I'm a bit skeptical especially after the power outage in the Northeast corridor that VOIP is as stable as traditional Voice. Also, I see many companies using VOIP internally amongst each other but haven't seen any large companies using VOIP for all calls? Not sure what the real reasons are in preventing everyone from the complete switchover. If you look at the average company - At least 90% of the voice traffic is still over traditional lines. I think we have a long way to go before we really see a total cutover from Traditional telephony over to VOIP. Furthermore, long distance rates are rock bottom right now. My predictions in 3 years are to see VOIP consuming 40% of the traffic. But that's in 3 years and 60% will still go over traditional lines. Any comments?? stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) wrote in message news:: > SayNoToCrossposters wrote in message > news:: >>> The technology, based on software technology that >>> enables the Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that >>> voice quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a >>> conventional phone call. >>> http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01VOIP.html >> Yeah, right. I would say they need to go get their hearing checked. > I have no direct daily experience with call quality on an Avvid/Call > Manager system, but I can't imagine any issues considering VOIP > frequently stays on the LAN and call termination normally occurs over > traditional TDM trunks. I work for an "IP Centrex" company that was > just acquired by Level(3) and our call quality is quite good (and > tested quite good by Telcordia) although some customers have insisted > on and persisted in accessing via second and third tier, "best effort" > ISPs. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 14:20:07 EDT From: John R. Covert Subject: Forced Voicemail on T-Mobile On GSM systems, Voicemail is generally implemented by activation of one or more of the conditional forwarding options: No Answer (61), Unreachable (62), and/or Busy (67). I've had a T-Mobile account since the first month or so of Omnipoint's operation, and until recently, I've had full control of this. If I cancelled call forwarding, it really cancelled it, and callers would get the appropriate recordings. If I wanted voicemail, I could explicitly enter the voicemail number. But I hate voicemail, and generally never use it at all -- you call me, you either get me or you have to call back later (and you're not charged for calling me). So you can imagine my surprise the other day when I discovered that callers were getting dropped into my voicemail which had an outgoing message of something like "I don't know how you got into this voicemail system, since I don't ever check the messages here." I tried to cancel forwarding (using all the various correct codes and menu options, which would all report that they had cancelled the forwarding, but upon inquiry (another nice GSM feature is that you can request the status of call forwarding and it will give back the number that you're forwarded to) the voicemail number was always stuck back in there. Well, it seems that T-Mobile had too many complaints from customers who had used their menu option "Cancel All" and lost their voicemail. So they decided that if you have voicemail (and of course, it's a free feature, so everyone does), you were damn well gonna use it. The solution for now is that I've had voicemail completely deactivated on my account. For me, an adamant voicemail-hater, this isn't a problem. But it might surprise others who are in a similar position. One warning: we had some difficulty in removing voicemail. We had to first remove call forwarding, then remove voicemail, and then restore call forwarding. I don't know whether this was a cockpit problem on the part of the tech working on the problem with me, or if it really was an issue with removing voicemail while call forwarding was present (or possibly activated to the +1805MESSAGE voicemail center), but be careful to make sure all of your conditional forwarding options are present after your voicemail is removed, if you decide to go my route. (*#nn# for each of the 21/61/62/67 types of forwarding to inquire that they are "off" or return a number, rather than report "Not Available".) /john ------------------------------ From: Stanley Cline Subject: Re: "Star" Codes and Phone Usage Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 04:05:25 UTC Organization: Roamer1 Communications - Dunwoody, GA, USA Reply-To: sc1-news@roamer1.org In article , Mark J Cuccia wrote: > It should be noted that this feature being discussed in the thread is > STRICTLY related to WIRELESS (cellular) phones. And the code *4 in > this case (usage determination) might possibly only be applicable for > that particular model of cellular phone and the cellular/wireless > service provider. *4 is specific to a single carrier: Sprint PCS. Verizon Wireless uses #646 for the same thing; most other carriers who offer such info have this info available as an option on their customer service lines, usually reachable by dialing 611 or *611 while on the same carrier's network. A few carriers, namely AT&T Wireless and Nextel, don't offer usage info by phone but only via their web sites. Sprint PCS also happens to be the only wireless carrier that doesn't advertise use of the usual 611 or *611 to reach customer service -- they use *2 (although 611 will still work) so that they can push roaming data updates to customers' phones as needed (phones sold for use on the SPCS network apparently treat *2 like *228, the CDMA standards' standard code for phone activation and roaming data updates.) Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/ "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access SpongeBob SquarePants, Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 23:20:01 -0500 Monty Solomon wrote: > NEW YORK and BEDMINSTER, N.J., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon > Wireless customers can now access Get It Now(SM) applications based on > the top Nickelodeon television hits SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly > OddParents Dammit, I was going to create my own Fairly Oddparents ringtone and put it on the web. No, I'm not kidding -- I own a $20 program that creates ringtones and saves them in formats appropriate for just about every phone in existence. But Nick beat me to the punch. :) (Of course, I might have copyright issues if I distributed my own ringtone.) JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #636 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Sep 6 17:58:31 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h86LwVR28953; Sat, 6 Sep 2003 17:58:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 17:58:31 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309062158.h86LwVR28953@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #637 TELECOM Digest Sat, 6 Sep 2003 17:58:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 637 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring (Lindsay Pallickal) Windows XP Unwired / A Guide for Home, Office, and Road (Monty Solomon) DISH Network Expands High-Def Offerings (Monty Solomon) Music Firms to Forgive Repentant Song Downloaders (Monty Solomon) Universities Rush to Protect Networks (Monty Solomon) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Gail M. Hall) Re: Looking for Re-seller to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX (Dana) Re: Homegrown DSL (Jan Ceuleers) Feds Counter Info Request in Qwest Execs' Case (Eric Friedebach) Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards (Tim Keating) Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (AES/newspost) Re: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access SpongeB SquarePanst (S Sobol) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 20:30:42 GMT From: Lindsay Pallickal Subject: USOC/568A/568B/258A for POTS wiring Organization: Optimum Online I've spent the last few days on google groups on what I thought was going to be a simple operation, to find the standard for POTS wiring using RJ45 plugs and jacks. If I would ever have to do this again, I think I'd rather stick a needle in my eye. Or maybe a pitchfork. So much time to gather so little information, with lots of misinformation to filter out through cross referencing. I've tried to document the standards I've come across and put them in one place for others that might try and do their own phone wiring. I was careful collecting this data, but I want you guys to review it for me and let me know if there is something I left out or got wrong. For each standard I've listed pros and cons, questions, and my judgment of its worthiness for regular phone wiring. After I get some input from you guys, I'll post a finalized, more readable, html version online. --------------------------------- USOC - RJ61 (an RJ45 plug/jack wired the USOC way) Assignment Pair Color - UTP Color - Old Style RJ11 RJ12 +--------------- Tip Pair 4 4 White/Brown Brown - - | +------------- Tip Pair 3 3 White/Green White - 1 | | +----------- Tip Pair 2 2 White/Orange Black - 2 | | | +--------- Ring Pair 1 1 Blue/White Red 1 3 | | | | +------- Tip Pair 1 1 White/Blue Green 2 4 | | | | | +----- Ring Pair 2 2 Orange/White Yellow - 5 | | | | | | +--- Ring Pair 3 3 Green/White Blue - 6 | | | | | | | +- Ring Pair 4 4 Brown/White Orange | | | | | | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | [ Female RJ45 - Front View ] | | |___ ___| |___ ___| |_____| Pros: Backwards compatibility with standard phone system wiring. 2 wire on 2 conductor plug (RJ11), 4 wire on 6 conductor plug (RJ14 wiring on RJ12 plug), and 6 wire on 6 conductor plug (RJ25 wiring on RJ12 plug), connectors can plug right into a USOC RJ61 jack. Cons: Plugging RJ11 or RJ12 into RJ61 may mangle the jack's pins some. Twisted pairs 3 and 4 separate too far from their partners, allowing radio frequency interference into those channels. Does this matters for voice? You can't use USOC wiring for ethernet. I haven't seen many 3 line and any 4 line phones that plug into this RJ61 USOC standard, so that would eliminate all of the pros USOC has over EIA/TIA 568A. Can anyone verify this? Questions: Why the heck did they swap ring and tip for pair 2, but didn't repeat that for pairs 3 and 4? From an engineer's perspective, what is the benefit of swapping? Overall: It stinks, who the heck uses RJ25 and RJ61 phones anyway. Most phones seem to take 2 x RJ12 for 4 lines. EIA/TIA 568A Assignment Pair Color - UTP Color - Old Style +--------------- Tip Pair 3 3 White/Green White | +------------- Ring Pair 3 3 Green/White Blue | | +----------- Tip Pair 2 2 White/Orange Black | | | +--------- Ring Pair 1 1 Blue/White Red | | | | +------- Tip Pair 1 1 White/Blue Green | | | | | +----- Ring Pair 2 2 Orange/White Yellow | | | | | | +--- Tip Pair 4 4 White/Brown Brown | | | | | | | +- Ring Pair 4 4 Brown/White Orange | | | | | | | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | [ Female RJ45 - Front View ] | | |___ ___| |___ ___| |_____| Pros: Backwards compatibility with RJ11 and RJ12 phone plugs. It's the latest ethernet standard, for full compatibility. Cons: Only USOC compliant for pairs 1 and 2, so not compatible with 3 line (RJ25) devices or 4 line (RJ61). Questions: Are there non-networked 3 or 4 line phones that work with this standard? Overall: Good compatibility with ethernet for flexibility in wiring, and again, few use RJ25 and RJ61 anyway. --------------------------------- EIA/TIA 568B Assignment Pair Color - UTP Color - Old Style +--------------- Tip Pair 2 2 White/Orange Black | +------------- Ring Pair 2 2 Orange/White Yellow | | +----------- Tip Pair 3 3 White/Green White | | | +--------- Ring Pair 1 1 Blue/White Red | | | | +------- Tip Pair 1 1 White/Blue Green | | | | | +----- Ring Pair 3 3 Green/White Blue | | | | | | +--- Tip Pair 4 4 White/Brown Brown | | | | | | | +- Ring Pair 4 4 Brown/White Orange | | | | | | | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | [ Female RJ45 - Front View ] | | |___ ___| |___ ___| |_____| Pros: Backwards compatibility with RJ11. Works fully with ethernet. Cons: RJ14 will work, but will yield lines 1 and 3 to a 2 line RJ14 phone as opposed to the standard lines 1 and 2. Only USOC compliant for pair 1, behavior is atypical for 2 line (RJ14) devices, while not compatible with 3 line (RJ25) devices or 4 line (RJ61). Overall: Stick with EIA/TIA 568A, why have the quirk of line 3 popping up where line 2 is typically expected. --------------------------------- AT&T 258A Assignment Pair Color - UTP Color - Old Style +--------------- Tip Pair 2 2 White/Orange Black | +------------- Ring Pair 2 2 Orange/White Yellow | | +----------- Tip Pair 3 3 White/Green White | | | +--------- Ring Pair 1 1 Blue/White Red | | | | +------- Tip Pair 1 1 White/Blue Green | | | | | +----- Ring Pair 3 3 Green/White Blue | | | | | | +--- Tip Pair 4 4 White/Brown Brown | | | | | | | +- Ring Pair 4 4 Brown/White Orange | | | | | | | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | [ Female RJ45 - Front View ] | | |___ ___| |___ ___| |_____| Overall: Identical wiring to EIA/TIA 568B, it is here for clarity. --------------------------------- Conclusion: Choose EIA/TIA 568A and split to 2 x RJ12 for the endpoint jacks and the keep the flexibility of using the wiring for ethernet later. General Questions: If I wanted to install a networked phone system, the kind that allows extensions, forwarding calls to other base stations, and multiple lines, would any of the wiring standards above offer the most compatibility? I'd really like a response to this one as I would like to head in this direction eventually. Are ethernet devices capable of withstanding the high voltages of a phone line? I have heard that an EIA/TIA 568A wired jack can be used for phone and ethernet, where the center 2 conductors carry a single phone line, since those two are only used in full-duplex communication. It would be important to know this if installing RJ61 jacks too, since all 8 conductors carry high voltage and are physically identical to ethernet jacks. The matching of solid color cable beyond red/green/black/yellow to ring X and tip X -is that standardized? is my pairing of blue & white to ring3 & tip3 and orange & brown to ring4 & tip4 correct? Thanks in advance, Lindsay ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 11:31:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Windows XP Unwired / A Guide for Home, Office, and the Road By Wei-Meng Lee August 2003 0-596-00536-9, Order Number: 5369 278 pages, $24.95 US, $38.95 CA http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winxpunwired/ http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winxpunwired/desc.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 11:42:48 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DISH Network Expands High-Def Offerings DISH Network Expands High-Def Offerings; HD Leader Packages Four Channels, Prepares Rollout of Receivers - Sep 5, 2003 01:22 PM (BusinessWire) LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2003--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH) announced today that the company's DISH Network(TM), America's fastest growing satellite subscription television service, will begin offering four channels of high-definition entertainment in a single, low-priced package Sept. 16. Further establishing itself as the leader in high-definition initiatives, DISH Network will offer ESPN HD, Discovery HD Theater, HDNet and HDNet Movies in a new package for $9.99 per month or $109.89 annually, the lowest prices in the industry. DISH Network also offers high-definition channels such as CBS-HD, HBO-HD, Showtime HD, and DISH-On-Demand pay-per-view HD movies. DISH Network's entry-level DISH 811, designed as the first affordable high-definition receiver/decoder, will be available this fall at an MSRP of only $399. DISH Network will further strengthen a high-definition product line that currently includes the popular model 6000 with the release of the DISH Player-DVR 921, available by the end of October. The first-of-its-kind high-definition digital video recorder (DVR) will carry an MSRP of $999. It will feature a 250-gigabyte hard drive capable of recording up to 25 hours of high-definition video or up to 180 hours of standard-definition content, or some combination of both. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35588887 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 11:38:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Music Firms to Forgive Repentant Song Downloaders By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Internet users who promise to stop illegally copying music will be able to avoid prosecution under an amnesty program to be unveiled by the recording industry next week, a source close to the matter said on Friday. Users would sign a notarized affidavit promising to stop using "peer to peer" programs like Kazaa to download copyrighted music for free and to delete all songs they may have acquired illegally, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Recording Industry Association of America is expected to file lawsuits early next week against hundreds of peer-to-peer users suspected of engaging in widespread copyright violations. Those facing lawsuits would not be eligible for the amnesty program, the source said. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35587210 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 15:55:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Universities Rush to Protect Networks Area Schools Adopt Strict Policies Aimed at Getting Students to Upgrade Computer Security By Brian Krebs washingtonpost.com Staff Writer George Mason University administrators, anxious to protect the school's computer network from a raft of viruses and worms plaguing the Internet, today unplugged thousands of students from the network. At 1:35 p.m. today, network administrators at the Northern Virginia school cut Internet access for all 3,600 students living on campus. The move should not have come as a surprise to GMU students. Last week, as freshmen reported for orientation, they were required to meet face-to-face with a network security expert to have their laptop or computer checked out. Upper classmen were greeted by school officials who handed out the latest anti-virus software. To get the school's message across, all students were asked to sign a document confirming that their computers were updated with all the needed security upgrades. Not enough students confirmed that their machines were updated, prompting the GMU action today. Administrators said they would try later today to reconnect dorms, weeding out students with infected PCs. Students living off campus can continue to dial in to the campus computer network. George Mason is just one of many universities in the region and across the country making computer security a top priority as the fall semester gets underway. University of Maryland residents who tried to access the school's network for the first time over the past two weeks were corralled onto a Web site to help search for and mend the security hole exploited by Blaster, a computer worm that emerged last month and infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. More than 6,000 students that had yet to apply the needed patches did so, but hundreds of other students ignored the advice and were promptly booted from the university network, said Gerry Sneeringer, an IT security officer at Maryland's Office of Information Technology. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25845-2003Sep4.html ------------------------------ From: Gail M. Hall Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 02:17:24 -0400 Reply-To: gmhall@apk.net On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 07:08:38 GMT, in comp.dcom.telecom message , Linc Madison wrote: > In article , Geoffrey Welsh > wrote: >> IIRC, Sobig is one of the few viruses that forge the "From" header, >> and the only one that I can name which uses an address that it finds >> on the victim's computer (as opposed to a fixed address.) > No, actually, the reverse is true. It is now very unusual to receive a > virus-infected e-mail that does *not* forge the "from" header. Most > viruses now forge the "from" address using the infected machine's > address book as one of the sources, along with such tricks as sending > to/from "webmaster" at web sites that appear in your browser cache. Too true! And the automatic bounce "feature" that many sites use are being used to further distribute infected messages. I have gotten several "bounced" messages from the so-called WorldSecure server at fanniemai.com. That's a big company! They should have IT people who know better than to have their auto bounce send back an entire message with the worm's payload still there! But who do I write to to complain? I suspect that many places have also turned off their postmaster names just like you did your webmaster name. > I finally had to turn off my "webmaster" address completely because it > was getting so inundated with spam and viruses. I've stopped even > trying to count how many copies of SoBig I've received, but it's well > past 10,000, probably more like 20,000, and 95% of those were to the > "webmaster" address. (Even though the e-mails are discarded unopened, > I still see the delivery attempts.) How will people be able to send you genuine bug reports they see on your web page? I hope you will provide some kind of page with a form where people can fill out the form or enter messages to report problems. If postmasters around the world want to return messages that are not deliverable, they should strip the messages of any binary attachments and just include the text. Bouncing infected messages intact should be strictly forbidden and declared as an offense that can make them liable for any damages caused by the "bounced" messages. I know that is getting away from telephony, but while we are on the subject of worms and spam AND I know there are quite a few participants in this group that also manage Internet sites to some degree, I'll put in my plug now. Turn OFF the "feature" that bounces entire messages intact!! Gail in Ohio USA ------------------------------ From: Dana Subject: Re: Looking for Re-sellers to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 22:27:20 -0800 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com doug wrote in message news:telecom22.635.14@telecom-digest.org: > I hope I am not breaking any code of ethics by asking this here. I > just figured that I might get a more filtered response than cold > calling. > Allworx is currently looking for re-sellers to carry the Allworx 10x > product line. Allworx is located in Rochester, NY and is the > manufacture of the Allworx 10x. > Allworx is a complete system that runs your business. We've combined > the best of the power tools and performance technologies that help > businesses succeed today: a sophisticated phone system, streamlined PC > networking, Internet access, unified messaging, group collaboration, > and even security and backup. It cannot replace the PBX/Key system; It cannot replace my network; It cannot replace my database; it cannot replace my print servers. In fact it needs all the above to function properly. So why get just another over priced hub that I can get real cheap from HP or Cisco? > Working together more efficiently, more reliably, more truly > integrated than ever before. http://www.allworx.com > Thanks, Please direct any E-mail to my office drn@allworx.com > Doug Neubert > Manager of Channel Sales > Allworx Corp. > A Division of Inscitek Microsystems Inc. > 635 CrossKeys Office Park > Fairport, NY 14450 > 1-866-Allworx (255-9679) > (585) 421-3850 X131 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 12:13:01 +0200 From: Jan Ceuleers Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Organization: -= Belgacom Usenet Service =- Ryan wrote: > A quick question for the telecom pros. I'm wanting to do my own DSL > between two buildings in the same city and I need a little help. One aspect that I have not yet seen discussed in this thread is crosstalk. The dry pair(s) used for this circuit would very likely form part of cable sections that also carry (in other pairs) telco-provided DSL services. DSL standards have generally been designed with the condition in mind that all "CO-side" equipment will be co-located at the CO. That is: the strength of the signals transmitted down the copper pair by the CO-side equipment is the same between multiple pairs carrying DSL service. Only in the upstream direction is there a problem of differences in signal strength owing to the differing line lengths to each customer. (I know that there are exceptions to the above assumption, but AFAIK none that are relevant to this discussion). Cheers, Jan ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Feds Counter Info Request in Qwest Execs' Case Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 09:51:08 -0500 Organization: Sponge Bob Wears Pants Reuters, 09.05.03 DENVER, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors said on Friday they have given sufficient information to four former Qwest Communications International Inc. executives charged with scheming to inflate the Denver-based telephone company's revenues. Prosecutors said they have already turned over some 50,000 pages of grand jury transcripts, financial records and other documents to the defendants. The statement was made in a filing by U.S. Justice Department lawyers to counter a request by two of the four defendants' for more information from the government. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/05/rtr1075126.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Tim Keating Subject: Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:46:51 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com On 5 Sep 2003 18:02:42 -0700, chong719@hotmail.com (sam) wrote: > Beware for consumers who are about to buy Total Call International's > phone cards. > I bought two phone cards from Total Call International at > www.totalcallusa.com with the PIN's of 671 010 3530 and 426 340 5795 > in May. For the card with PIN number 671 010 3530 I first used on May > 2nd, and then I tried again on July. 20, 2003, but it didn't work > anymore. The card supposes to work for 90 days after first use. I > called the customer service, and they said they changed the usage > period from 90 days to 60 days. I did not receive a notice of the > change. They refuse to refund my money. > For the card with PIN 426 340 5795, the minute ran faster than I > thought. When I called 1-800-620-5909 and asked for explanation, Rene > Bax explained to me that there was a maintenance fee of $0.40 per 5 > days. When I bought it, no one explained to me that it had a > maintenance fee for $0.40 per 5 days, nor does it say that $0.40 fee > anywhere on the card. (Not only they did not print or explain to me > about this maintenance fee, $0.40 per 5 days is overbearing and over > burdensome for consumers). They refused to refund my money. > Any comments? Be Careful! File a FTC complaint ... http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/products/buytime.htm ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 08:42:51 -0700 In article , Monty Solomon wrote: > By the middle of the summer, the Kiblers' computer had grown so > phlegmatic that the family considered replacing the machine, a > powerful Compaq desktop of recent vintage, with a new one. And have the same things happen all over again, on the new set of Windows security holes that will turn up next week? And the week after? Why in the world wouldn't they switch to a Mac? ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Verizon Wireless Customers Can Access SpongeBob SquarePants, Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 16:06:58 -0500 Steven J Sobol wrote: > Monty Solomon wrote: >> NEW YORK and BEDMINSTER, N.J., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon >> Wireless customers can now access Get It Now(SM) applications based on >> the top Nickelodeon television hits SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly >> OddParents > Dammit, I was going to create my own Fairly Oddparents ringtone and > put it on the web. Of course, these ringtones are polyphonic, and there are still plenty of phones that only play one note at a time, like my Kyocera. Hmmm ... **calling up Viacom's corporate offices to strike up a deal with them :) JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #637 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h883vZX07408; Sun, 7 Sep 2003 23:57:35 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 23:57:35 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309080357.h883vZX07408@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #638 TELECOM Digest Sun, 7 Sep 2003 23:57:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 638 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Court: ISP Subpoenas a 'Grave' Matter (Monty Solomon) GSM Association Downplays Mobile Security Concerns (Monty Solomon) Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring (John R. Levine) Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring (Schaffrath) Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards (Special Mobi) Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (unspammable-73729) Cordless Phone: Chained Speed Dial Functionality-For Phone Card (lcheni) Re: Looking for Re-seller to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX (News) Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (Mark Crispin) Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (Geoffrey Welsh) I Need Some Clues, Please (TELECOM Digest Editor) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 21:57:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Court: ISP Subpoenas a 'Grave' Matter By Declan McCullagh Staff Writer, CNET News.com In a decision that buttresses electronic privacy rights, a federal appeals court has ruled that attorneys violate the law when they try to subpoena e-mail messages to which they are not entitled. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that a lawyer was acting unreasonably when sending a subpoena to an Internet service provider, NetGate, that sought "all copies of e-mails sent or received by anyone" at a company called Integrated Capital Associates -- the opposing party in the litigation. "The subpoena power is a substantial delegation of authority to private parties, and those who invoke it have a grave responsibility to ensure it is not abused," Judge Alex Kozinski wrote on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel. The panel ruled that the attorney had violated two federal laws: the Stored Communications Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This case is unrelated to the ongoing controversy before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in which Verizon Communications is fighting the recording industry's use of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's turbocharged subpoena process to unmask alleged peer-to-peer pirates. In the 9th Circuit case, the subpoenas invoked the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, not U.S. copyright law. But the 9th Circuit Court's blunt warning to attorneys not to abuse subpoenas might serve as word of caution to the Recording Industry Association of America, legal experts said, especially because the same appeals court may eventually hear a case in which Pacific Bell Internet Services (also known as SBC Communications) claims that the RIAA has abused the DMCA subpoena process. The ruling should also give pause to companies that file so-called "John Doe" lawsuits to unmask online critics, said Paul Levy, an attorney at the nonprofit group Public Citizen who has specialized in Internet anonymity cases. http://news.com.com/2100-1029-5070566.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 21:53:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: GSM Association Downplays Mobile Security Concerns By John Walko CommsDesign.com LONDON - The GSM Association is playing down concerns raised by a team of Israeli scientists about the security of GSM mobile calls. The researchers, from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, revealed they had discovered a basic flaw in the encryption system of the GSM (Global System for Mobile) specification, allowing them to crack its encoding system. The GSM Association, which represents vendors who sell the world's largest mobile system, confirmed the security hole but said it would be expensive and complicated to exploit. Eli Biham, a professor at the Technion Institute, said he was shocked when doctoral student Elad Barkan told him he had found a fundamental error in the GSM code, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday (Sept. 3). The results of the research were presented at a recent international conference on cryptology. We can listen in to a call while it is still at the ringing stage, and within a fraction of a second know everything about the user," Biham told the news agency. "Then we can listen in to the call." "Using a special device it's possible to steal calls and impersonate callers in the middle of a call as it's happening," he added. GSM code writers made a mistake in giving high priority to call quality, correcting for noise and interference and only then encrypting, Biham said. http://www.commsdesign.com/printableArticle?doc_id=OEG20030903S0013 ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2003 23:50:39 -0000 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > I've spent the last few days on google groups on what I thought was > going to be a simple operation, to find the standard for POTS wiring > using RJ45 plugs and jacks. As you found out, there is no standard for POTS wiring using eight-pin plugs, which I presume is what you mean by RJ45. (An RJ45 is an eight pin connector with a data circuit on pins 4 and 5 and a programming resistor on pins 7 and 8.) Using the familiar six-pin plugs, you'll find lots of two-line phones wired as RJ14 and maybe occasionally three lines on an RJ25. Above that there's no real standard other than the ancient and now rarely used A1 key systems with big 50 pin plugs. > USOC - RJ61 (an RJ45 plug/jack wired the USOC way) I believe that it exists, but I've never seen it used. > Overall: It stinks, who the heck uses RJ25 and RJ61 phones > anyway. Most phones seem to take 2 x RJ12 for 4 lines. Right. > General Questions: If I wanted to install a networked phone system, > the kind that allows extensions, forwarding calls to other base > stations, and multiple lines, would any of the wiring standards above > offer the most compatibility? If I were you, I'd get a PBX with single line phones which is probably less expensive than a lot of fancy four-line phones. > Are ethernet devices capable of withstanding the high voltages of a > phone line? No, but I can't imagine why you'd wire a phone line into an Ethernet. If you have good quality twisted pair cable, you can usually run POTS on one pair and 10bT on two other pairs, with two separate jacks at each location. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner http://iecc.com/johnl Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 01:01:28 GMT From: Schaffrath Subject: Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring Organization: Total Disorganized Lindsay Pallickal wrote: > General Questions: If I wanted to install a networked phone system, > the kind that allows extensions, forwarding calls to other base > stations, and multiple lines, would any of the wiring standards above > offer the most compatibility? I'd really like a response to this one > as I would like to head in this direction eventually. > Are ethernet devices capable of withstanding the high voltages of a > phone line? I have heard that an EIA/TIA 568A wired jack can > be used for phone and ethernet, where the center 2 conductors > carry a single phone line, since those two are only used in > full-duplex communication. It would be important to know this > if installing RJ61 jacks too, since all 8 conductors carry > high voltage and are physically identical to ethernet jacks. > The matching of solid color cable beyond red/green/black/yellow to > ring X and tip X -is that standardized? is my pairing of blue & white > to ring3 & tip3 and orange & brown to ring4 & tip4 correct? > Thanks in advance, > Lindsay Personally, I prefer to use 568A. When the original 10Base-T specification came out, it specified 258A/568B. However, it really does not matter which standard you use if you are going from a wall jack to a patch panel since the actual connections are determined by the devices on either end. If the hub you are plugging the patch panel into is a 568B spec, the jack at the other end will be 568B as well. Robert ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 19:10:53 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:46:51 -0400, Tim Keating wrote: > On 5 Sep 2003 18:02:42 -0700, chong719@hotmail.com (sam) wrote: >> Beware for consumers who are about to buy Total Call International's >> phone cards. >> I bought two phone cards from Total Call International at >> www.totalcallusa.com with the PIN's of 671 010 3530 and 426 340 5795 >> in May. For the card with PIN number 671 010 3530 I first used on May >> 2nd, and then I tried again on July. 20, 2003, but it didn't work >> anymore. The card supposes to work for 90 days after first use. I >> called the customer service, and they said they changed the usage >> period from 90 days to 60 days. I did not receive a notice of the >> change. They refuse to refund my money. >> For the card with PIN 426 340 5795, the minute ran faster than I >> thought. When I called 1-800-620-5909 and asked for explanation, Rene >> Bax explained to me that there was a maintenance fee of $0.40 per 5 >> days. When I bought it, no one explained to me that it had a >> maintenance fee for $0.40 per 5 days, nor does it say that $0.40 fee >> anywhere on the card. (Not only they did not print or explain to me >> about this maintenance fee, $0.40 per 5 days is overbearing and over >> burdensome for consumers). They refused to refund my money. >> Any comments? Be Careful! > File a FTC complaint ... > http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/products/buytime.htm Unfortunately this practice is more common than we may realize. If you have ever *tried* to read (I say tried because it's damn near impossible to read even with reading glasses) the tiniest type they could find there are lots of "gotchas" on these cheap calling cards. If it says 1 cent a minute to call domestically or even 2.5 cents/minute you can surely bet there are several gotchas including "maintenance" charges, usurious pay phone surcharges of 60 cents per call, minimum charges of three or five minutes plus any number of other things that it's almost impossible to read as the type on the "conditions" is so tiny it's in effect unreadable and only on there to cover these companies' butts if someone should complain to the FTC or the FCC. You're much better using a real reputable company such as AT&T, Sprint (ptui) or MCI (also ptui.) To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 22:18:29 -0400 From: unspammable-73729@workbench.net Subject: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Reading Lindsay Pallickal's message about the various wiring color codes reminded me of something I've been hoping to locate for an upcoming project, with no success. About a month from now I may need to install some jacks for 4-line phones, which I am told use the usual trick of putting line 1 and 2 on one jack, and line 3 and 4 on the other. Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two screwdrivers. And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? Before any of you purists start attacking me, I'll just say that this is for a residence (of a relative), not a business, and if the proposed solution costs too much (or does not use SCREW TERMINALS) I'll just skip it, and at the meet point I'll just twist all the wires of like colors together and flow solder over them, then after the solder cools I'll dip each exposed joint into the open end of a tube of 100% silicone rubber caulk (the clear kind) for insulation. I have done that in the past and have never had a problem with the soldered joints, but in my dreams there should be a neater way to do this (so you can temporarily disconnect an individual jack without having to physically cut the wires). I haven't been down to any of the local home improvement superstores lately to see what they have, so don't be afraid to mention something they would carry. Finally, I might as well ask while I'm on the subject, if I can't get dual jacks does anyone know of a good, inexpensive online source for regular surface mount jacks that come with the double-stick pads, so you can mount the jacks without drilling holes? I bought about 50 or 100 of them maybe 10 to 15 years ago, and have finally managed to use them all up, but I don't recall where I got them. I'm pretty sure I paid well under a buck a jack, though. (Of course, the roll of solder I am using is far, far older -- I bought it when almost all the electronics kits still had vacuum tubes in them. Right after that everything went to semiconductors, so I was stuck with a one pound roll of solder that was too thick for use with printed circuit boards. But it does a bang-up job if I need to splice more phone wires together than will fit into a Scotchlok! I'm now wondering if I will leave this plane of existence before that roll runs out.) :-) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might want to check out the catalog published by Mike Sandman ( http://sandman.com ) or chat with Mike and see what he can do to help you. Mike has all sorts of obscure and not so obscure phone jacks, plugs, wiring combinations, etc. His email is mike@sandman.com and the office phone is 630-980-7710. PAT] ------------------------------ From: lcheni@yahoo.com (lcheni) Subject: Cordless Phone: Chained Speed Dial Functionality - Phone Card Use Date: 6 Sep 2003 23:00:19 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have an Nortel deskphone (Vista 200) that allows me to program into different buttons: 1. Phone Card Access # (no Change for the current server) 2. Current Card Pin # (needs update for new card) (3- **). various long distance numbers So that I only need to push buttons 1/2/** in sequence to call the selected **. (Nortel's Vista350 also allows similar functionality, except going through the directory which can hold much more phone numbers). This would then allow me to chain much more than 20 digits in dialing up the oversea numbers ( 10 in server's access #; 12 Pin#; 12-15 country+..). My Qs: 1. What's the name of this technical feature (chain call via more than one button)? 2. Which cordless phone(s)/model # provide this feature? ------------------------------ From: News Subject: Re: Looking for Re-sellers to Carry Allworx 10x Convergence IP/PBX Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 18:13:33 GMT Organization: Road Runner Dana, thanks for the reply. However it actually does most every function of a key system and more. It has every feature we have ever been asked for when it comes to replacing a PBX. Keep in mind that it is designed to fit where an 8X16 key system fits. As for the network, it does make a simple network all by itself. It is not an application server and is never sold as such. The target customer in most cases has no phone system today (or an older unit) and runs no network just stand alone PC's. > It cannot replace the PBX/Key system (yes it can and we have a 16 port > voicemail to go with it included, along with detailed call reporting > included) > It cannot replace my network (not if you have one, it can integrate into > it. If you don't have one it is one in itself.) > It cannot replace my database (it was not designed to.) > It cannot replace my print servers. (It was not designed to, offices > this small run a networked printer and print direct or share a printer) > In fact it needs all the above to function properly (in your opinion). > So why get just another over priced hub that I can get real cheap > from HP or Cisco? Because if you use a hub in a VoIP network you run the risk of packet loss which can/will cause voice issues, that is why we are actually a 4 port 10/100 switch with RTP QoS. Thanks, Doug ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 13:19:24 -0700 Organization: University of Washington On Sat, 6 Sep 2003, AES/newspost wrote: > And have the same things happen all over again, on the new set of > Windows security holes that will turn up next week? And the week after? > Why in the world wouldn't they switch to a Mac? Before the Macintosh user community gets excessively smug about recent virus activity, they should consider the potential effect of what they advocate. In effect, they are saying that the type of user who is careless enough to fall victim to an email-borne virus should switch to Mac, as opposed to learning how not to fall victim to such attacks. I have followed the history of email on Mac and UNIX for many years. My own favorite was an extremely simple email-based root attack in the NeXT fork of Mac's ancestory. There are many others. As much as we'd like to bash Outlook, examples abound in both the Mac and UNIX world of MUAs that make the same set of mistakes. You should be careful about encouraging clueless individuals to switch to your favorite platform. You will not be happy if you got your wish. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ From: Geoffrey Welsh Subject: Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 23:12:15 -0400 AES/newspost wrote: > Why in the world wouldn't they switch to a Mac? Well, there's a great plan: let's all switch to Macs which, after all, are fine systems that don't get one tenth the attention of virus writers that Wintel systems do. Do you really believe that, if 90% of the systems out there were Macs, it wouldn't be the same situation with only the names reversed?!? Geoffrey Welsh This address is not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Unsolicited bulk mail is spam, no matter what regulations (real or imagined) it complies with! FIGHT SPAM AND SCAMS: DISCONNECT CHINA FROM THE INTERNET! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 23:06:18 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: I Need Some Clues, Please Over this weekend, I receieved a check from *someone* in Burlingame, CA on Cypress Avenue. Normally when I receieve a check in the mail, I write the person's name on the envelope (and address if needed) and the amount of the check. The postmark said the person mailed the envelope on August 31. That allows me to deposit the check in the bank on the way home and write the person a thank you note when I get back home. But Saturday, I was in quite a rush because the bank closes at noon and it was about five minutes before noon, so I left the post office, and really *hustled* to get to the bank (also downtown, a block away.) I got to the bank a few minutes after it had closed, and had to use the ATM in the drive up lane. I endorsed the check, put it in the ATM deposit box and then realized I had not written the person's name down. But I do know the amount. So if the person who sent me that check will send me a note, identiying himself, his exact street number on Cypress Avenue in Burlingame, and the amount of the check (which I know) then I can send him a thank you note in return and a copy of the Archives CD. Sorry to be so screwed up today. :( PAT ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. 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From engel@parnassus.ath.cx Mon Sep 8 12:56:44 2003 Received: from mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (mintaka.lcs.mit.edu [18.26.0.36]) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) with ESMTP id h88Guhs22121 for ; Mon, 8 Sep 2003 12:56:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: from compuserve.com ([200.249.136.2]) by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (8.12.8p1/8.12.8) with SMTP id h88GuclJ005662 for ; Mon, 8 Sep 2003 12:56:40 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from engel@parnassus.ath.cx) Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 16:56:33 +0000 From: engel@parnassus.ath.cx Subject: Re: new mail T2LUne6L2Y To: Telecom-recent References: In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Windows-1251 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit hJ3BTfFktTkirGhauN0OdFCVcQFwVP8dBcN English version | Ðóññêèé âàðèàíò Ìû ðàäû ïðåäëîæèòü âàì íîâûé áåñïëàòíûé ïî÷òîâûé ñåðâèñ http://www.mail15.com. Åãî îòëè÷èòåëüíûå îñîáåííîñòè: 1) ðàçìåð ÿùèêà 15 ìá; 2) çàùèùåííîñòü è íàäåæíîñòü; 3) âîçìîæíîñòü èñïîëüçîâàíèÿ ëþáûõ ïî÷òîâûõ ïðîãðàìì(POP,IMAP,SMTP); 4) äîñòóï èç ëþáîãî ìåñòà â ëþáîå âðåìÿ; 5) ïðîñòîé è äîñòóïíûé âåáèíòåðôåéñ ñ ÏÎËÍÛÌ ÎÒÑÓÒÑÒÂÈÅÌ ÐÅÊËÀÌÛ; 6) àíòèâèðóñíûé è àíòèñïàìîâûé êîíòðîëü; 7) ìãíîâåííàÿ ïåðåñûëêà ïî÷òû. ************* We are glad to invite you at new free mail service http://www.mail15.com. The advantages of this service are: 1) mailbox, up to 15 Mb; 2) absolute privacy and high reliability; 3) ability to use mail clients (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP); 4) access from anywhere, anytime; 5) flexible light-weight web interface without advertising banners; 6) antivirus and antispam control; 7) fast mail transfer; 8) high speed network channel; 9) flexible light-weight web interface; 10) wide spread ability of mail filtering and forwarding mail; 11) clock around support; jruGJm13OTj0c802lFFtQwXnrNwFoT uIbYoVkqYb9ibkrcnNR36JA482RFTtnd2zbruxTt From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 8 19:11:42 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h88NBg408792; Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:11:42 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:11:42 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309082311.h88NBg408792@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #639 TELECOM Digest Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:11:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 639 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #398, September 8, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (John R. Levine) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Carl Navarro) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Dave Garland) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Herb Stein) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Paul A Lee) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Group Special Mobile) Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring (Jay R. Ashworth) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 10:32:53 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #398, September 8, 2003 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 398: September 8, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Bell Promises Next-Gen Network ** Hearings Begin on MCI Reorganization ** Caisse Sues BCE Over BCI Funding ** Landlords Say Carriers Ignore Key Argument ** Sprint to Launch Fido Bundle Wednesday ** Government to Beef Up TV Anti-Piracy Laws ** Northern Fiber to Build 500-Km SuperNet Link ** C-Com Offers Residential Satellite Internet ** SBC Sells Last of Its Stake in BCE ** Nortel Wins US$1 Billion Wireless Deal ** VoiceIQ Raises $2 Million ** SR Telecom Completes Netro Purchase ** World Cellphone Sales Hit New High ** Cisco Canada Names New President ** Bell Holds Wireless Data Conference ** Industry Execs at Angus Briefing ** New Options for Wide-Area Ethernet ============================================================ BELL PROMISES NEXT-GEN NETWORK: Bell Canada, Aliant, and Bell West say they will spend $200 million over the next three years to deploy new IP-based network technology developed by Nortel Networks. Commercial availability of new IP telephony and multimedia services for large enterprises is scheduled for mid-2004. ** Nortel will establish an IP application development and testing centre in Ottawa, connected to Bell research facilities in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. HEARINGS BEGIN ON MCI REORGANIZATION: Creditors of MCI (formerly WorldCom) have accepted the company's reorganization plan, under which most will receive 36 cents for each dollar of debt. Today, a U.S. bankruptcy court begins hearings on whether the company that committed the largest-ever accounting fraud can emerge from bankruptcy protection. And meanwhile: ** AT&T is suing MCI and Minnesota-based Onvoy for "substantive racketeering" over alleged illegal routing of calls through Canada. (See Telecom Update #392) ** MCI says that AT&T and other carriers also engage in call routing designed to conceal the origin of some calls. ** Former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers has pleaded not guilty to 15 felony charges in an Oklahoma court. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond. (See Telecom Update #397) CAISSE SUES BCE OVER BCI FUNDING: The Caisse de depot has sued BCE for $110 million over alleged misconduct in the restructuring of Bell Canada International in February 2002. BCE already faces a class action suit over this issue, and another shareholder, Cameron Gillespie, has now filed a similar claim. BCE says the suits are "frivolous and entirely without merit." (See Telecom Update #351) LANDLORDS SAY CARRIERS IGNORE KEY ARGUMENT: Two groups representing building owners have told the Federal Court that the carriers' attempt to have the court dismiss their application to appeal CRTC Telecom Decision 2003-45 as "premature" does not address the argument that the CRTC exceeded its jurisdiction and is unjustly infringing on private property rights. ** The Canadian Institute of Public and Private Real Estate Companies has published a new standard Telecommunications Licence Agreement based on CRTC guidelines for recovering costs from carriers. http://www.cipprec.ca/standards/telecommunications_agreement.htm SPRINT TO LAUNCH FIDO BUNDLE WEDNESDAY: Sprint Canada plans to launch its offer combining Microcell wireless service with Sprint's local phone service on Wednesday, September 10. GOVERNMENT TO BEEF UP TV ANTI-PIRACY LAWS: The federal Ministers of Industry and Heritage say the Government of Canada will amend the Radiocommunication Act to combat piracy of direct-to-home satellite TV services. ** The amendments will aim to curb the importation of illegal equipment. They will also increase penalties for satellite piracy and strengthen the right of Canadian broadcasters to sue distributors of illegal equipment and services. http://www.ic.gc.ca/cmb/welcomeic.nsf/ddb0aecf65375eb685256a870050319e/85256a5d006b972085256d970071a36b!OpenDocument NORTHERN FIBER TO BUILD 500-KM SUPERNET LINK: Bell West has engaged Edmonton-based Northern Fiber to build a 525-km fibre link that will connect 88 communities to Alberta's SuperNet. C-COM OFFERS RESIDENTIAL SATELLITE INTERNET: Ottawa-based C- Com, a supplier of two-way business satellite-based Internet access, now offers residential service. SBC SELLS LAST OF ITS STAKE IN BCE: SBC sold its remaining shares in BCE on September 2 for US$264.9 million. The shares were acquired last year when SBC sold its 20% stake in Bell Canada; SBC sold them on the first date permitted under that deal. NORTEL WINS US$1 BILLION WIRELESS DEAL: Verizon Wireless has agreed to buy Nortel Networks equipment to upgrade and expand its CDMA 1X network and connect it to Wi-Fi hotspots. The three-year deal is worth an estimated US$1 billion. VOICEIQ RAISES $2 MILLION: VoiceIQ, a Markham, Ontario-based supplier of digital voice recording software, has raised $2 million by selling shares to Sprott Asset Management. SR TELECOM COMPLETES NETRO PURCHASE: SR Telecom has completed the acquisition of Netro Corp, a California-based maker of fixed wireless equipment. (See Telecom Update #376) WORLD CELLPHONE SALES HIT NEW HIGH: Gartner Dataquest says that world cellphone sales in the second quarter reached a new high of 115 million, 11.9% more than during the same period last year. Nokia increased its market share to 36%. CISCO CANADA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT: Terry Walsh, formerly Managing Director of Cisco's operations in Australia and New Zealand, has been named president of Cisco Systems Canada. He replaces Pierre-Paul Allard, who is now Cisco's VP of Worldwide Enterprise Marketing, based in California. BELL HOLDS WIRELESS DATA CONFERENCE: Bell Mobility will hold the Fifth Annual Wireless Internet Conference in Toronto this Wednesday, September 10. www.developer.bellmobility.ca/wic INDUSTRY EXECS AT ANGUS BRIEFING: In an exclusive session at the upcoming Angus TeleManagement telecom briefings, these top industry executives will discuss the state of the industry, and respond to questions posed by Ian and Lis Angus: ** John MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Allstream ** Kelly McDougald, Senior VP Enterprise Sales, Bell Canada ** Michael Stephens, VP Marketing, Group Telecom ** Bill Linton, CEO, Sprint Canada ** Jim Peters, Executive VP Corporate Affairs, Telus This hard-hitting program will be offered once only, in Toronto, on October 15. Space is limited, so to guarantee that a seat is reserved for you -- download the Briefing Announcement and register today. www.angustel.ca/Angus-Briefing-2003.pdf NEW OPTIONS FOR WIDE-AREA ETHERNET: Metro Ethernet promises higher bandwidth and lower prices, but it's surprisingly difficult to find out who offers it and what they deliver. The September issue of Telemanagement cuts through the silence, with a feature report on what Metro Ethernet is and why it's attractive; critical issues in choosing a service; and what 13 Canadian carriers offer today. Also in Telemanagement #208: ** How CRTC Decisions Affect You ** Case Studies of Wireless Data Applications ** Coping With Interference on Wi-Fi Nets Telemanagement is available only by subscription. For more information on Canada's #1 source for expert, independent telecom analysis and guidance, call 800-263-4415 ext 500 or check our website (www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm.html). ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2003 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2003 04:51:50 -0000 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. You can get surface mount dual Keystone boxes and RJ12 jacks that snap into them. See, for example, http://www.9thtee.com/networking.htm The jacks come in multiple colors, so you can wire it up so that lines 1 and 2 are in the blue jack and 3 and 4 are in the green one, avoiding confusion down the road. > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS Sure. Go to your local Radio Shack and get some screw terminal blocks, and screw your wires into them. John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner http://iecc.com/johnl Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 05:01:18 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online -- Northeast Ohio On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 22:18:29 -0400, unspammable-73729@workbench.net wrote: > Reading Lindsay Pallickal's message about the various wiring color > codes reminded me of something I've been hoping to locate for an > upcoming project, with no success. About a month from now I may need > to install some jacks for 4-line phones, which I am told use the usual > trick of putting line 1 and 2 on one jack, and line 3 and 4 on the > other. > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. Of course there is: http://www.trynci.com/cat/telco33.htm . I guess you would get what you pay for in this case. > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have > never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one > project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? Yes, a punch down tool. If you truly need FOUR lines, you need to buy double hardware to get two pairs of jacks. For the sake of an argument, get yourself those Network Interface Devices from Rat-Shack that break out a modular plug into the 4 colored wires. You'll need two of them for 4 lines and you probably ought to get two for each two cables you run. You also need two 5-1 modular adapters to plug your 3 NID's into each one. While you're out buying the hardware, I've used a $12 block and a $25 punch down tool to finish the job. This 66 block is 10 inches by 4 inches and I've used a lot less space. You make the call and happy soldering. Carl Navarro > Before any of you purists start attacking me, I'll just say that this > is for a residence (of a relative), not a business, and if the > proposed solution costs too much (or does not use SCREW TERMINALS) > I'll just skip it, and at the meet point I'll just twist all the wires > of like colors together and flow solder over them, then after the > solder cools I'll dip each exposed joint into the open end of a tube > of 100% silicone rubber caulk (the clear kind) for insulation. I have > done that in the past and have never had a problem with the soldered > joints, but in my dreams there should be a neater way to do this (so > you can temporarily disconnect an individual jack without having to > physically cut the wires). > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might want to check out the catalog > published by Mike Sandman ( http://sandman.com ) or chat with Mike and > see what he can do to help you. Mike has all sorts of obscure and not > so obscure phone jacks, plugs, wiring combinations, etc. His email is > mike@sandman.com and the office phone is 630-980-7710. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 00:16:30 -0500 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when unspammable-73729@workbench.net wrote: > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. Don't know about surface mount, but you can find outlet-box sized jacks like you describe. Try your local "dollar stores", discount stores, hardware stores. Mount it in a surface-mount outlet box (Handi-box), and it's a "surface mount". > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have > never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one > project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? Yes. There are "do-it-yourself" terminal strips for telephone like you describe. The ones I've seen have you place the wire, then tighten a clamp down over it which forces the wire into the punchdown-like slot. The one I've got is for 4 wires, and each can split into 4 connections. I think it was sold under the ATT brand, maybe in a discount store. There are also "barrier strips" or "terminal blocks", which are usually molded of black phenolic or bakelite and have pairs of screw connections, with little ridges in between to keep wires from straying to the next screw. These are sold in places that sell electronic parts, someplace more serious than Radio Shack. Mouser and Newark Electronics are two mail-order dealers, or look for the stores the pros patronize. If you can't find one, ask the engineer at the local radio or TV station. ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:33:48 -0500 wrote in message news:telecom22.638.6@telecom-digest.org: > Reading Lindsay Pallickal's message about the various wiring color > codes reminded me of something I've been hoping to locate for an > upcoming project, with no success. About a month from now I may need > to install some jacks for 4-line phones, which I am told use the usual > trick of putting line 1 and 2 on one jack, and line 3 and 4 on the > other. > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. Even Radio Shack sells dual surface mount jacks, but the are almost assured to be crappy, not screw type. There is also an adapter available that you can plug into a single jack. The adapter has three positions, L1, L2 and L1+L2. > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have > never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one > project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? Beats me. > Before any of you purists start attacking me, I'll just say that this > is for a residence (of a relative), not a business, and if the > proposed solution costs too much (or does not use SCREW TERMINALS) > I'll just skip it, and at the meet point I'll just twist all the wires > of like colors together and flow solder over them, then after the > solder cools I'll dip each exposed joint into the open end of a tube > of 100% silicone rubber caulk (the clear kind) for insulation. I have > done that in the past and have never had a problem with the soldered > joints, but in my dreams there should be a neater way to do this (so > you can temporarily disconnect an individual jack without having to > physically cut the wires). That should work fine. > I haven't been down to any of the local home improvement superstores > lately to see what they have, so don't be afraid to mention something > they would carry. > > Finally, I might as well ask while I'm on the subject, if I can't get > dual jacks does anyone know of a good, inexpensive online source for > regular surface mount jacks that come with the double-stick pads, so > you can mount the jacks without drilling holes? I bought about 50 or > 100 of them maybe 10 to 15 years ago, and have finally managed to use > them all up, but I don't recall where I got them. I'm pretty sure I > paid well under a buck a jack, though. I don't know about jacks with the tape on them, but a roll of double-stick tape ought to be easy to find. > (Of course, the roll of solder I am using is far, far older -- I bought > it when almost all the electronics kits still had vacuum tubes in > them. Right after that everything went to semiconductors, so I was > stuck with a one pound roll of solder that was too thick for use with > printed circuit boards. But it does a bang-up job if I need to splice > more phone wires together than will fit into a Scotchlok! I'm now > wondering if I will leave this plane of existence before that roll > runs out.) :-) > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might want to check out the catalog > published by Mike Sandman ( http://sandman.com ) or chat with Mike and > see what he can do to help you. Mike has all sorts of obscure and not > so obscure phone jacks, plugs, wiring combinations, etc. His email is > mike@sandman.com and the office phone is 630-980-7710. PAT] Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 952-4601 ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:52:10 -0700 In TELECOM Digest V22 #638, unspammable-73729@workbench.net wrote (in part): > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. Some devices that appear to fit all criteria (surface-mount duplex 6P4C or 6P6C jack with screw terminals): Suttle #635D-49 Allen Tel #AT444 or #AT666 > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have > never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one > project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? You could use "standard" barrier terminal strips (Beau, Cinch, Kulka, Molex, etc.) available at Radio Shack and most electrical or electronic distributors. Or, you could use one or several of the following "telephone-specific" devices: Suttle #742B-50 or #742A-50 Allen Tel #AT742 or #AT635 Allen Tel is a Graybar brand. See Voice: +1 717 730-8355 Sr Telecom Engineer [Voice & Transmission] Fax: +1 717 975-3789 Rite Aid Corporation, Telecomm, 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:52:58 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and unspammable-73729@workbench.net said to him: > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. > And while on the subject -- let's say that at the point where the four > lines come in, I want to break them out and distribute them to half a > dozen jacks, each home run back to the common entrance point. Is > there an inexpensive way to do this that uses SCREW TERMINALS (I have > never used a punch-down tool, and don't intend to get one for this one > project)? Is there a particular product I should be looking for? With all due respect, come, join us in the 20th Century. :-) 110 punch tools without the spring impact device are under $5, and are available at Home Depot, the last time I checked. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: Group Special Mobile Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 10:29:32 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Reply-To: look@signature_for_reply_instructions On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 22:18:29 -0400, unspammable-73729@workbench.net wrote: > Anyway what I'd like to find is a dual surface mount phone jack -- by > that I mean a single unit that contains two jacks that can be wired > individually, for example the uppermost one for lines 1 and 2, and the > lowermost one for lines 3 and 4. It's a must that the jacks have > screw terminals, or failing that, the kind of terminals where you can > do a satisfactory job of pushing down the wire by using two > screwdrivers. I've seen dual mini modular jacks at both Lowe's and also at Home Depot. You have to rewire the jacks though as they're wired in parllel but they have screw terminals so it's very easy to wire them up either as RJ11 ro individual lines or wire them up as RJ14 for two line service. To send an email reply send to GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:50:58 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and John R. Levine said to him: >> I've spent the last few days on google groups on what I thought was >> going to be a simple operation, to find the standard for POTS wiring >> using RJ45 plugs and jacks. > As you found out, there is no standard for POTS wiring using eight-pin > plugs, which I presume is what you mean by RJ45. (An RJ45 is an eight > pin connector with a data circuit on pins 4 and 5 and a programming > resistor on pins 7 and 8.) To be even more pedantic, the modular connectors involved are called "8 position, 8 conductor". Such plugs come in combinations from 4p4c (a handset plug) to 10p10c (a customized "rj-45" for Digiboard serial cables). I quoted "rj-45" there, as John realizes, because it *does not describe the plug*. It doesn't really describe the *jack*, either; it actually names a *wiring pattern for the jack*. 8p8c's are used for RJ-45, RJ-48, RJ-31 (the "alarm circuit" plug, and a couple of other things. 6p connectors are used for the 3-line RJ-25 (6p6c), the 2-line RJ-14 (usually 6p4c), and a single link RJ-11 jack (usually also 6p4c, unless the manufacturer is real {big,cheap}. > Using the familiar six-pin plugs, you'll find lots of two-line > phones wired as RJ14 and maybe occasionally three lines on an RJ25. > Above that there's no real standard other than the ancient and now > rarely used A1 key systems with big 50 pin plugs. Actually, there's a USOC demarc for 25 pairs called an RJ-21X; it's the common delivery for non-T1 analog services, and the back side of channel banks. >> General Questions: If I wanted to install a networked phone system, >> the kind that allows extensions, forwarding calls to other base >> stations, and multiple lines, would any of the wiring standards above >> offer the most compatibility? > If I were you, I'd get a PBX with single line phones which is probably > less expensive than a lot of fancy four-line phones. If you're willing to maintain the model of what's going on on the phones in your head -- the tradition problem of such PBXen. If your traffic is low enough; it's fine. >> Are ethernet devices capable of withstanding the high voltages of a >> phone line? > No, but I can't imagine why you'd wire a phone line into an Ethernet. Accidental misplugging. > If you have good quality twisted pair cable, you can usually run POTS > on one pair and 10bT on two other pairs, with two separate jacks at > each location. Hmmm ... it was always my understanding that you didn't want ringing and ethernet in the same jacket. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #639 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 8 19:46:00 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h88Njxh09269; Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:46:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:46:00 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309082346.h88Njxh09269@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #640 TELECOM Digest Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:46:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 640 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Tungsten W Handheld Software Update (Monty Solomon) Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! (Joe) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (connie) Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (Linc Madison) LincMad.com Moves to New Server (Linc Madison) Re: Satellite Locator System to Watch Police Cars (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Homegrown DSL (Jay R. Ashworth) Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage (Jay R. Ashworth) Municipal Telephone Company (J Kelly) HiverCon 2003 Corporate Security Conference (Mark Anderson) Stanford Telecom MMDS/LMDS Gateway (John Pham) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 08:49:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Tungsten W Handheld Software Update MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced a software update for the Palm(TM) Tungsten(TM) W handheld. The software update includes more than a dozen new features and improvements to the previous software version and now runs on Version 4.1.2 of the Palm OS(R) operating system. With the Tungsten W Software Update 1.0, users can now enjoy the ability to lock their device keys with the keylock function, the convenience of retaining their GSM/GPRS connection even after turning off their device, crisper email and web browser displays with new fonts and colors, as well as additional access to commands from menus and buttons. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35603116 ------------------------------ From: Joe Subject: Re: Accused Sobig Virus Writer Arrested by FBI! Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 12:09:40 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com > FIGHT SPAM AND SCAMS: DISCONNECT CHINA FROM THE INTERNET! I love your sig ... that's what I just had to do because of the dictionary attacks that were crashing my server. Every time I blocked an IP, they changed to a different one, and seldom within the same Class A. I was getting 25 to 30 simultaneous dictionary attacks, generating as much as 4000 spams per minute, bringing down my server. After about 24 hours of these blocks in place, the dictionary attacks have completely stopped. Couple that with SpamCop RBL and my spam level has dropped from over 600 per day reaching 3 accounts to about 4 per day. None of the attacking IP's had RDNS entries. Here's what I did at my firewall: ######################## # Block spamming countries IPTABLES=/sbin/iptables # Amsterdam (got attacks from within every class A listed) $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 62.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 81.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 82.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 194.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 195.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 212.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 213.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 217.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP # Asian Pacific Network (I think this is every class A there) $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 61.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 140.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 202.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 203.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 210.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 211.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 218.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 219.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 220.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 221.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 222.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP # Latin America $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 200.0.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 168.243.0.0/8 --dport 25 -j DROP # ARIN Spammer blocks $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 199.227.0.0/16 --dport 25 -j DROP $IPTABLES -A INPUT -p tcp -s 66.232.42.0/24 --dport 25 -j DROP ------------------------------ From: jad@ucla.edu (connie) Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: 8 Sep 2003 10:46:15 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Hi, guys, thanks for your help. It turned out to be a short in the alarm system which was installed between the inside phone system and outside wiring. Thanks again, Connie w_tom wrote in message news:: > Is it your problem (then you pay) or theirs (they pay)? Best to first > discover before wildly calling. Within 12 inches of where your wires > meet theirs is a premise interface box typically called NID. On the > customer access side is your phone wire connected via a conventional > phone jack. Remove that phone, jack, plug the phone directly into > that receptacle, and test. If problem still happens, they fix it and > pay. If problem disappears, then hire someone or debug a problem > inside your building. > connie wrote: >> I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone >> calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. >> On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, >> it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not >> their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected >> and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the >> wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help >> please? ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop From: Linc Madison Reply-To: Telecom@LincMad.com Organization: LincMad.com Consulting Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 18:33:36 GMT In article , Geoffrey Welsh wrote: > Well, there's a great plan: let's all switch to Macs which, after > all, are fine systems that don't get one tenth the attention of virus > writers that Wintel systems do. > Do you really believe that, if 90% of the systems out there were > Macs, it wouldn't be the same situation with only the names > reversed?!? Emphatically YES. There are two opposing viewpoints I see being suggested, if not directly expressed, and both are wrong: * Macs are completely invulnerable to viruses * Macs are just as vulnerable to viruses as MS-Windows The fact is that Macs are vulnerable to some viruses, but still intrinsically *less* vulnerable than MS-Windows. Yes, the main reason that Macs get so few viruses is simply that the virus writers mostly ignore Macs in favor of the much LARGER target, but the fact remains that MS-Windows is also intrinsically a much EASIER target to write viruses for. When the Mac pioneered peer-to-peer networking, each user had to turn it on. By default, your entire hard disk was inaccessible to other users until you enabled it, at which point you selected one folder (directory) to be shared. Conversely, when Windows stepped into the game, they by default gave any anonymous guest user full read/write access to your entire hard disk, because it would be *inconvenient* to have to actually do something to let your co-worker (or someone with a cable modem down the street from your home) have his way with your entire system. That's just one of legions of examples. The simple fact is that historically Apple has been, certainly not flawless, but far more careful than Microsoft about security issues. Microsoft has always valued user convenience over user security. If 90% of desktop systems were Macs, there would be a lot more viruses for Mac than for Windows, but there would still be fewer Mac viruses than there are Windows viruses today, and there would still be more Windows viruses than there are Mac viruses today. Sometimes a car thief will choose a 1976 Honda over a brand new Lexus with an anti-theft ignition lock. (For the clue-impaired, the point of the analogy is that the old clunker is easier to steal, and may be a better choice even though it has far less resale value. Analogously, many virus writers would still choose MS-Windows as their target even if the Mac dominated the market.) Furthermore, there's a flaw in your "what if everybody did it" reasoning. Apple could quintuple its market share, and MS-Windows would still be a dominant near-monopoly. For an individual user, then, it does make a lot of sense to move to the system that receives far less attention from virus writers, because that fact isn't going to change any time soon -- certainly not in the 3- to 5-year life cycle of a typical computer. www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ Subject: LincMad.com Moves to New Server From: Linc Madison Reply-To: Telecom@LincMad.com Organization: LincMad.com Consulting Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 18:42:52 GMT As of Sunday morning, the LincMad.com web site and e-mail have relocated to a new server. As a result, there may be some disruption of e-mail and web access for the next couple of days. The main reason for the move is that the new server offers a number of features unavailable on the old server, including much greater control over the inbound e-mail service. However, the old server was also getting overwhelmed by the SoBig.F virus, to the point that, twice in two weeks, the e-mail server went down for a day or more at a time. Worse yet, when the e-mail server went down, it frequently simply silently discarded incoming mail without a failure notice or bounce message. If the mailbox for my domain exceeded its quota, the server simply silently discarded the oldest messages in order to continue to receive new mail. If you visit the LincMad.com web site, you should see a notation at the top of the main page saying "New Server." If you don't, then you are still accessing the old server. In addition, I mentioned in another thread the other day that I have discontinued the address due to the enormous volume of virus e-mail, including over 20,000 copies of SoBig.F so far. On the new server, any e-mail to that address will simply bounce; on the old server, I had to just route it to a junk mailbox and delete it myself. The web site does contain an alternate address, contact a-t lincmad d-o-t com, which can be used for technical problems with the site. However, when 2/3 of all the e-mail into my domain is viruses to that single address, I have no choice but to shut it off. www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Satellite Locator System to Keep Watch on Police Cars Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:13:30 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and Sandeep said to him: > Satellite system based location might be a better idea for things > like managing a TAXI service. > GPS equipped taxis could report their coordinates to a central > server. The server could be used for optimal customer selection. This is being done in my market; it's almost 5 years old. There was the predicted fuss ... until a cabbie got shot. The cops located him from the panic button in about 4 minutes. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:26:38 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and Ryan said to him: > Thanks for the excellent advice. I had a vague feeling that there's a > lot more to doing DSL than obtaining a "dry pair" and two capable > modems. > I've thought about some sort of wireless, but unfortunately I don't > have line of sight. I've also considered the VPN over broadband > Internet option (probably have to revisit that one). It's just that > both locations are pretty close to the CO (1 mile, and 2000 feet), so > the Cringely article really got my hopes up. > FYI - The modems are the Telmax WebExpress 2500 and can be had on eBay > for cheap. Lots of SpeedStream 5851s on there too. Both can do > back-to-back DSL. > Oh well, thanks for the info. I've got a matched pair of Lynx T-1 wireless rigs with 12" dishes I'd sell you cheap. :-) Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: Jay R. Ashworth Subject: Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage Reply-To: jra@baylink.com Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:22:38 GMT Organization: RoadRunner - Central Florida Stanley settled back into the couch, and A Beilby said to him: > kesner@bigzoo.net (barryk) wrote in message > news:: >> Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the >> estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my >> bill and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that >> can record the minutes I used during different times and either warn >> me or stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can >> not depend on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how >> much time I used. >> [Lisa Minter note: Would someone please explain what *4 does or is >> supposed to do on the phone? I have never heard of that code. Lisa M.] > *4 will show the minutes used either on the last call made or for some > carriers, since the last time that *4 was used. To clarify: *4 is a special dialing code used with $CARRIER which causes the billing system to send you a text message (the service formerly known as alpha paging) telling you how many of your free minutes you have {used,left}. Unlike the timer in the phone, which does not know whether minutes are billable or not (though, frustratingly enough, it certainly *could* given the digital air interface) the billing system does know, and that's what generates the reply on these systems. On my sister's new Virgin prepaid phone, the key which triggers the reply is built into the menu tree. Cheers, Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Member of the Technical Staff Baylink The Suncoast Freenet The Things I Think Tampa Bay, Florida http://baylink.pitas.com +1 727 647 1274 God, unlike Anya, is fond of bunnies. -- Chelsea Christenson ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Municipal Telephone Company Date: 8 Sep 2003 13:08:23 -0700 Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com] For the first time in more than 80 years, a city in rural Minnesota is starting a municipal telephone company. The City Council in Windom, population 4,500, in southwestern Minnesota voted earlier this month to go into the telecommunications business and give the city's current service provider, Qwest, some much-needed competition. Windom's decision is one community's up-by-its-own-bootstraps refusal to let Qwest's footdragging keep it in the digital dark ages. Qwest officials told Windom in 1999 that it was on the verge of bringing DSL high-speed data service to the city, recalled Windom city administrator Dennis Nelson. The telecom giant has yet to make good on its promise. Slow dial-up Internet service is crimping Windom's efforts to attract new businesses and jobs. In November 2000, the city's voters declared with a 67 percent majority vote that they were tired of waiting. Since then, the city has carefully studied the feasibility of entering the telecommunications market and the technology options a municipal phone company might employ ... http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4057012.html I registered with telecomdigest as the username and password at the Star Tribune site if anyone wants to read the rest of the article. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for registering that user name and password so that all users can stories from the Star-Tribune as desired. The City of Independence, KS (where I am located has given considerable thought to the same thing as Windom -- starting its own telephone company to compete with Southwestern Bell, who no one cares for but most people simply endure. We do have Prairie Stream, which is a ILEC, but it is not at municipal level, at least at present. PAT] ------------------------------ From: nospam@hivercon.com (Mark Anderson) Subject: HiverCon 2003 Corporate Security Conference Date: 8 Sep 2003 14:45:06 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ HiverCon 2003 nears and while Earlybird registration is still available, time is running out. This is the final week to take advantage of Earlybird registration, register online today at http://www.hivercon.com/ and save 200 Euro. The speakers have been picked, the schedule has been agreed -- all that remains is for you to register for your ticket. Some of the highlights of the conference include: -Ofir Arkin will demo and release a new version of Xprobe2, the active operating system fingerprinting tool, during his talk. -Jaya Baloo will demo a real time quantum crpyto session during her talk. -Jeremy Morton will demo an exact replica of the biometric system used at Purdue Airport using the audience as would be terrorists. -Chris Davis will demo and release a new version of Hearse, the Highly Exponential Automated Router Subterfuge Ensemble, during his talk. -Neil Costigan & Noel McCullah will demo a software suit which implements Identity Based Encryption for email messaging during their talk. -Simple Nomad will demo and release two tools ncrypt and ncovert, both used to secure endpoint transmissions in secure communication. Also speaking at HiverCon 2003 will be the industry visionary Richard Thieme, who will present the keynote speech. And George Lekatis, a legal pundit who will be discussing European computer crime law and digital evidence. After the success of the first HiverCon Security conference, no programmer, sysadmin, consultant or security practitioner can afford to miss HiverCon 2003. Register online today at http://www.hivercon.com/ I hope to see you all in November, Mark Anderson Organizer HiverCon 2003 Tel/fax: +353(0)1-2834606 Mobile: +353(0)87-7985482 Email: mark@hivercon.com Web: www.hivercon.com ------------------------------ From: John Pham Subject: Stanford Telecom MMDS/LMDS gateway Organization: Comcast Online Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 05:40:33 GMT Over the weekend, I bought this Stanford Telecom MMDS/LMDS 11051 gateway for a few bucks. Does anyone has any documentation for this black box that I can take a look? It has an ethernet port, a RS232, 2 phone ports and MMDS/LMDS RG connector (antenna?) ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #640 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Sep 9 16:39:32 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h89KdWs16155; Tue, 9 Sep 2003 16:39:32 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 16:39:32 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309092039.h89KdWs16155@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #641 TELECOM Digest Tue, 9 Sep 2003 16:39:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 641 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Book Review: "Desktop Witness", Michael A. Caloyannides (Rob Slade) CDT Urges Protections for Privacy in Copyright Enforcement (M Solomon) CDT Challenges Pennsylvania's Net Blocking Law (Monty Solomon) Comcast Says to Double Net Speed by End of Year (Monty Solomon) TiVo's Been Outflanked (Monty Solomon) Cingular FastForward Cradle (Monty Solomon) Cometa Networks Announces Seattle Market Wi-Fi Launch (Monty Solomon) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (unspammable-73729) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Joey Lindstrom) Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage (Steven J Sobol) Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage (Nathan Strom) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Rob Slade Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:27:44 -0800 Subject: Book Review: "Desktop Witness", Michael A. Caloyannides BKDSKWTN.RVW 20030819 "Desktop Witness", Michael A. Caloyannides, 2002, 0-471-48657-4 %A Michael A. Caloyannides %C 5353 Dundas Street West, 4th Floor, Etobicoke, ON M9B 6H8 %D 2002 %G 0-471-48657-4 %I John Wiley & Sons, Inc. %O 416-236-4433 fax: 416-236-4448 %P 366 p. %T "Desktop Witness: The Do's and Don'ts of Personal Computer Security" The title and the subtitle of this book are somewhat at odds. Is this text about the evidence that can be extracted from desktop machines? Or is it about protecting yourself and your personal computer or information? Caloyannides would seem to be making the point that the answer is both: that there is an overwhelming need to ensure that your computer isn't finking on you, and that you must make every effort to ensure that the government cannot obtain the information on your desktop. While he is clearly on the personal side of the privacy versus national security debate, even those who agree with him may find the arguments shrill and extreme. The subtitle of chapter one; indicating that the material is the author's opinion; should warn the reader that the discussion is editorial rather than closely reasoned. Caloyannides may, however, have hurt his own case by taking an anarchistic and almost paranoid position in stating the need for privacy against government encroachment. He does make a number of valid points, but misses other grounds that might have been convincing to a much wider audience, such as the point that the responsibility of protecting your own information is recognized in such legal areas as the difference between patent and trade secret. (A patent offers control over a device for a limited time as long as the technology is disclosed, whereas a trade secret offers protection for unlimited time as long as reasonable efforts are made to protect the information from disclosure.) The major point of chapter two appears to be that the use of encryption could, in and of itself, land you in trouble, and you should prepare to either hide the fact that encryption is taking place, or have a diversionary explanation ready for the authorities. (The recommended use of one-time-pad technology and variant keys is technically interesting, but is unlikely to survive beyond a first use. Ironically, it seems to support a point that the author made earlier: "clever" tricks that rely on obscurity provide very poor protection.) The types of information that might be available from your computer, or Internet connection, are discussed in chapter three. The material ranges over a number of topics and has a difficult structure: some points are raised more than once and there are a number of related issues that are not mentioned at all. Means of recovering some of the data, and of getting rid of it, are reported, but not consistently. Chapter four lists a vast array of protective measures. Most are very useful. Depending upon your situation, many will be considered overkill. Some are questionable: Caloyannides makes a blanket recommendation to install all operating system patches, but notes that doing so for some versions of Windows requires you to give away a lot of information. He does not, though, detail the times that official patches have made the situation worse rather than better, nor the complexity of some patches: by mid-2002 one expert noted that an effective installation of the Windows NT operating system required twenty nine steps, including no less then three separate installations of the latest service pack at different points. Oddly, while this section is supposed to review measures for computers not connected to networks, some of the points relate to activities on the Internet. Protection for connected machines is discussed in chapter five, with a heavy emphasis on the usage of the PGP encryption system. There is also an interesting insistence that steganography *is* an effective means of hiding communications: while Caloyannides points out a number of pitfalls in the use of the technology he does not mention detection measures, such as the ease of determining excessive entropy in the low-order bits of graphic images used to hide files. Secure telephony is discussed in chapter six. The legal issues reviewed in chapter seven are mostly related to recent legislation providing for additional search authority. The author does include material and actions from outside the United States. The editorial finish in chapter eight warns against a society where everything must be homogenized in order to be safe. In many places the book suffers from very poor copy editing. There are a great many instances of improper punctuation, sentence fragments, and words or phrases dropped into apparently unrelated text. Generally speaking one can discern the meaning, but deciphering the organization and intention of a section can be difficult. (Given the thrust of the book, is the author embedding hidden messages?) While there are issues of general security in the book, it is, first and last, about privacy, and primarily personal privacy. The material could have been structured more usefully, and written less stridently, but a great deal of helpful content is included. Those interested in privacy will find it interesting, and computer forensic specialists may also find it to be a handy reference. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2002 BKDSKWTN.RVW 20030819 ====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer) rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca rslade@sun.soci.niu.edu Profanity: the linguistic crutch of the inarticulate. http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: CDT Urges Protections for Privacy in Copyright Enforcement Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 14:21:16 -0400 From: CDT Info Subject: CDT Headline: CDT Urges Protections for Privacy in Copyright Enforcement Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:42:13 -0400 CDT Urges Protections for Privacy in Copyright Enforcement As the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared for a hearing on peer-to-peer file sharing Tuesday, CDT urged the Committee to consider the privacy concerns raised by administrative subpoenas, which are issued at the request of copyright holders with minimal judicial oversight and without notice to users. CDT believes that much can be done to provide better privacy protection in the subpoena process while preserving-and even enhancing-copyright enforcement. September 9, 2003 CDT Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee, Sept. 9, 2003: http://www.cdt.org/copyright/030909cdt.shtml CDT's Copyright page: http://www.cdt.org/copyright/ http://www.cdt.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-announcements ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: CDT Challenges Pennsylvania's Net Blocking Law Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 14:36:16 -0400 From: CDT Info Subject: CDT Headline: CDT Challenges Pennsylvania's Net Blocking Law Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 14:05:17 -0400 CDT Challenges Pennsylvania's Net Blocking Law CDT, together with the ACLU of Pennsylvania and Plantagenet Inc., a Pennsylvania ISP, today filed a constitutional challenge to a Pennsylvania child pornography law that results in the blocking of wholly innocent Web pages. The challenge also seeks a restraining order stopping the Pennsylvania Attorney General 's practice of imposing secret censorship orders on ISPs. CDT's lawsuit argues that by blocking Net content - including innocent websites - without notice to the publishers and without adequate judicial oversight, the Pennsylvania law violates the due process and free speech protections of the Constitution. September 9, 2003 Complaint [pdf] Sept. 9, 2003 http://www.cdt.org/speech/pennwebblock/030309complaint.pdf Memo in support of TRO [pdf] Sept. 9, 2003 http://www.cdt.org/speech/pennwebblock/030309tro.pdf CDT's Press Release: http://www.cdt.org/press/030909press.shtml More on Pennsylvania's Net Blocking Law: http://www.cdt.org/speech/pennwebblock/ http://www.cdt.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-announcements ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 22:48:34 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Says to Double Net Speed by End of Year NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA), the largest U.S. cable operator, on Monday said it planned to double the downloading capability of its high-speed Internet service by the end of this year to distinguish its product from competitors. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35608828 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 01:39:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: TiVo's Been Outflanked By Phillip Swann It's the dog days of summer. And for TiVo shareholders, their stock has been the biggest dog of all. From late July to mid-August, TiVo's stock dropped nearly 40 percent, including a 25 percent dip during a three-day period. At this rate, you couldn't blame TiVo CEO Mike Ramsay if he instinctively reached for the pause button. The sudden decline has caused many Wall Street young'uns to raise their waxed eyebrows in disbelief. From WR Hambrecht to Adams Harkness, analysts have been jumping over themselves to be the first to recommend the stock to their clients. Always on the lookout for the next Mr. Right, Wall Street insiders have fallen in love with TiVo, saying that scores of millions of Americans may buy it in the coming years. So what happened? Did the common investor watch that episode of "Sex and the City" in which Miranda's nanny "broke" TiVo by sitting on the remote? Did people get sick of hearing TiVo name-dropped in every other prime-time show? No and no. Here's the real reason: The secret is out. Despite the buzz and the quality of its service, TiVo's fate has already been decided. The DVR service will not rule the world, invading every living room with its fancy arsenal of recording bells and whistles. In fact, TiVo, which is now in fewer than 1 million homes, may never reach more than 10 million, no matter how many times David Letterman says he "TiVo-ed" last night's show. http://www.tvweek.com/technology/082503swann.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 08:43:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular FastForward Cradle Cingular Wireless, SBC Communications, and BellSouth Introduce Unique Device for Routing Incoming Wireless Calls to Wireline Numbers - Sep 9, 2003 07:40 AM (PR Newswire) FastForward(TM) Furthers Wireless-Wireline Integration Between Cingular and SBC Companies, BellSouth FastForward Cradle Allows Cingular Customers to Rollover Even More Minutes ATLANTA, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cingular Wireless and its parent companies SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE:BLS) today introduced FastForward(TM) -- one of the wireless industry's first devices to marry the convenience of wireless service with the value of a wireline phone. The patented FastForward device -- which works exclusively with Cingular Wireless service -- will be available beginning Oct. 1. This unique device -- designed as a cradle to hold a wireless phone -- simply plugs into an electrical outlet. When the Cingular Wireless phone is "cradled," calls to the wireless phone are forwarded to a designated landline phone, while the wireless phone's battery is automatically re-charged. Cingular customers with a FastForward device can get unlimited incoming wireless calls (minutes) forwarded to their landline phone in the local calling area -- without the minutes counting against their monthly wireless calling plan for just $2.99 per month plus the cost of the device. The service is free to SBC residential local phone company customers who receive a single bill for Cingular wireless and landline services, and BellSouth customers who sign up for a combined bill and two other features. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35620452 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 08:39:45 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cometa Networks Announces Seattle Market Wi-Fi Launch SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2003-- 18 National, Regional, and Local Companies Support Wide Range of Venues Delivering Convenient Public Wi-Fi Access Throughout the Seattle Market This month Seattle will become the American city with the highest density(a) and a broad diversity of urban wireless Internet "hotspots." Cometa Networks, along with Intel Corporation, IBM, AT&T and a broad range of industry and community organizations, unveiled network plans for 250 new Seattle hotspots today at the WSA (formerly Washington Software Alliance) Tech Future 2003 Conference. In addition, Cometa announced that locally based AT&T Wireless, the largest independently traded wireless carrier in the U.S., is the premier service provider for the Seattle market launch. With 250 new hotspots to be active in the Seattle metro area by the end of 2003, wholesaler Cometa is launching on Sept. 25 with more than 100 new sites with partners McDonald's Corporation (50 sites), Barnes & Noble Booksellers (12 sites), Tully's Coffee (40 sites), World Wrapps restaurants (9 sites), Equity Office (including over eight office properties in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, such as the prestigious Bank of America Tower, Seattle's tallest building), Seattle Central Community College, Overlake Golf and Country Club, and Broadmoor Golf Club. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35620349 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 01:57:18 -0400 From: unspammable-73729@workbench.net Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? I just wanted to thank everyone who responded to my request for assistance. Carl Navarro's lead on the jacks was especially helpful. Paul A Lee's suggestions were also good, but I wonder if Graybar is any more flexible about dealing with the general public these days than they were when I was a teenager? Being told that I couldn't buy from a particular place (unless I knew the magic words to say, to convince them I was someone they should do business with) always left a long-lasting, bad taste in my mouth. I just want to say a word to those who suggested I should get a punch-down tool. Sure, I could do that for this one job, and try to learn how to use it, but what happens if the person I'd be doing the wiring for decides someday that he wants to swap lines one and two inside a jack (just as an example). The thing you guys forget is that to a phone guy, a punch-down tool is among the bare minimum of things you'd carry around to a job. But few homeowners have them, whereas nearly everyone has a screwdriver. I don't want my name being cussed out some day in the future when he wants to make a minor change and finds he needs a specialized tool. (And I know, I could give him a tool. Think he could find it four or five years down the road? Would he even know what it looks like, let alone how to use it?) As for the idea of using a 66 or 110 block, are there any good references on the web that would show how to wire one to break out four lines to multiple jacks? Or is that something that you have to take a course in telecommunications to learn? I don't have weeks to come up to speed on this stuff, but if there were the equivalent of a "dummies guide to 66/110 blocks" out there, I'd certainly take a look, just for my own enlightenment if nothing else. But again, I'd hesitate to use one in a private residence since it impedes the homeowner from making any changes, or from temporarily disconnecting and reconnecting a circuit to see if it's bad. ------------------------------ From: Joey Lindstrom Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 08:33:31 -0600 Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Reply-To: joey@telussucks.info On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:11:42 -0400 (EDT), Jay R. Ashworth wrote: > With all due respect, come, join us in the 20th Century. :-) Alas, I am unable to travel backward in time. :-) -- Joey Lindstrom ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:16:48 -0500 Jay R. Ashworth wrote: >>> Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the >>> estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my >>> bill and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that >>> can record the minutes I used during different times and either warn >>> me or stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can >>> not depend on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how >>> much time I used. >>> [Lisa Minter note: Would someone please explain what *4 does or is >>> supposed to do on the phone? I have never heard of that code. Lisa M.] >> *4 will show the minutes used either on the last call made or for some >> carriers, since the last time that *4 was used. Specifically, the carrier is Sprint PCS. Other carriers use other codes. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: nstrom@ananzi.co.za (Nathan Strom) Subject: Re: Phone That Limits Your Usage Date: 9 Sep 2003 09:39:23 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ kesner@bigzoo.net (barryk) wrote in message news:: > Last month I called *4 on my phone 5 days in a row, and each time the > estimated usage was not over my alotment. However, today I get my > bill and find I'm 150 minutes over. Does anyone know of a phone that > can record the minutes I used during different times and either warn > me or stop working when I have exceeded my minues. Aparently I can > not depend on the phone company to be accurate enough to tell me how > much time I used. > [Lisa Minter note: Would someone please explain what *4 does or is > supposed to do on the phone? I have never heard of that code. Lisa M.] *4 is used by Sprint PCS cellular phones to reach a voice recording which tells you your minutes of usage. It is fairly accurate, but does not immediately report minutes (for example, if you just finished a call), and does not accurately report minutes used on a shared plan, or wireless web minutes, or so I've heard. If you want a phone that shuts off when you've exceeded your minutes, you'll want to go with prepaid cellular. If you're happy with your Sprint service, try Virgin Mobile (http://www.virginmobileusa.com/) -- they offer prepaid cellular using Sprint's network. You pay for X dollars ahead of time, and you can only use X dollars worth of calling. Verizon Wireless offers prepaid under the FreeUP plans (see http://www.freeup.com/), and Cingular offers prepaid cellular as well (see http://www.cingular.com/buy/KIC). Follups added to alt.cellular.sprintpcs, since you seem to be having an issue with Sprint's *4 minute reporting. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #641 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Sep 9 17:14:27 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h89LERh16815; Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:14:27 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:14:27 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309092114.h89LERh16815@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #642 TELECOM Digest Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:14:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 642 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Virus Spamming From epix.net (Brian Davis) Toshiba Strata DK280: Can Desk Sets Have More Than One Ext (yeltrabnhoj) DTMF Decoders (No-spam@sbcglobla.net) Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop (AES/newspost) Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet (SayNoToCrossposters) Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring (lawrence.jones@eds.com) Re: Homegrown DSL (Dave Temkin) How "Where is Raed" Came to Be (Tom.Carr@smiths-aerospace.com) Last Laugh! Re: Dave Barry on Telemarketing (Gordon S. Hlavenka) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 13:50:40 -0400 From: Brian Davis Subject: Virus Spamming From epix.net Hello ! I was just reading the 8/29 version of the TELECOM Digest. I came across the Digest because it contained both a reference to the sobig worm and epix.net. I noticed that you use epix.net as a mirror site. My problem is not your problem. But I am willing to try whatever avenue may be open to me. There exists a node in the epix.net domain with an IP address of 205.238.241.35. The computer using this IP address is sending the sobig worm to my email address at a rate of about once every 5 minutes. It has been doing so since Sept 1st. I have configured my email server to block this address. I am more upset that this rogue computer is sending the virus to other user's with my e-mail address as the source. I have contacted epix.net via abuse@epix.net and sent them an example e-mail (headers expanded) and a portion of my email server log. No direct response from epix.net and I am still being spammed and my good email address is still likely being taken in vain. If you have any contacts at epix.net, could you please nudge them to track down the source of the problem. Sorry for the interruption and thanks in advance for whatever you might be able to do or suggest. Take care, Brian email: brian@blevcr.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I put your message FIRST in this issue of the Digest in the hopes that administrators at epix.net will see it and act on it. Some users of epix.net are readers here, so I hope this will get someone's attention. PAT] ------------------------------ From: yeltrabnhoj@email.com Subject: Toshiba Strata DK280: Can Desk Sets Have More Than One Extension? Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 17:11:44 GMT Organization: (reverse username to reply) (John Bartley, K7AAY, Portland OR) Can Toshiba desk sets on a Strata DK280 have more than one extension assigned to a button on the right-side button field? I know multiple _lines_ can be assigned, but we need to have multiple _extensions_ to solve a vexing problem with the MWI lamp for a user. Your kind assistance is truly appreciated. Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT. ------------------------------ From: Subject: DTMF Decoders Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 02:11:24 GMT Hey, I'm looking for a good DTMF decoder. I want one that can be directly connected or also has a built in mic. I welcome all ideas! Thanks! ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Re: Heart of Darkness, on a Desktop Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 18:34:22 -0700 In article , Linc Madison wrote: >> Do you really believe that, if 90% of the systems out there were >> Macs, it wouldn't be the same situation with only the names >> reversed?!? > Emphatically YES. (meaning, "YES, it wouldn't be the same"} Speaking as the OP on this thread (or at least the one who asked, why didn't the virus-ravaged OOP buy a Mac instead), I'd like to thank LincMad for an excellent reply, My own opinions are exactly the same, and I've heard essentially the same points made by other people who I also believe know what they were talking about; but I couldn't have summarized them nearly as clearly, or authoritatively. Rest of LincMad's reply appended below, to keep it in the thread. > There are two opposing viewpoints I see being suggested, if not > directly expressed, and both are wrong: > * Macs are completely invulnerable to viruses > * Macs are just as vulnerable to viruses as MS-Windows > The fact is that Macs are vulnerable to some viruses, but still > intrinsically *less* vulnerable than MS-Windows. Yes, the main reason > that Macs get so few viruses is simply that the virus writers mostly > ignore Macs in favor of the much LARGER target, but the fact remains > that MS-Windows is also intrinsically a much EASIER target to write > viruses for. > When the Mac pioneered peer-to-peer networking, each user had to turn > it on. By default, your entire hard disk was inaccessible to other > users until you enabled it, at which point you selected one folder > (directory) to be shared. Conversely, when Windows stepped into the > game, they by default gave any anonymous guest user full read/write > access to your entire hard disk, because it would be *inconvenient* to > have to actually do something to let your co-worker (or someone with a > cable modem down the street from your home) have his way with your > entire system. That's just one of legions of examples. The simple fact > is that historically Apple has been, certainly not flawless, but far > more careful than Microsoft about security issues. Microsoft has > always valued user convenience over user security. > If 90% of desktop systems were Macs, there would be a lot more viruses > for Mac than for Windows, but there would still be fewer Mac viruses > than there are Windows viruses today, and there would still be more > Windows viruses than there are Mac viruses today. > Sometimes a car thief will choose a 1976 Honda over a brand new Lexus > with an anti-theft ignition lock. > (For the clue-impaired, the point of the analogy is that the old > clunker is easier to steal, and may be a better choice even though it > has far less resale value. Analogously, many virus writers would still > choose MS-Windows as their target even if the Mac dominated the > market.) > Furthermore, there's a flaw in your "what if everybody did it" > reasoning. Apple could quintuple its market share, and MS-Windows would > still be a dominant near-monopoly. For an individual user, then, it > does make a lot of sense to move to the system that receives far less > attention from virus writers, because that fact isn't going to change > any time soon -- certainly not in the 3- to 5-year life cycle of a > typical computer. > www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com > Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ From: SayNoToCrossposters Subject: Re: More Companies Are Routing Calls via Internet Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 12:00:41 GMT It's all BS. Note that they only talk about "in-house" and "ideal" situations. VOIP really only works "well" if you can guarantee a QOS that allows it to work ie ... you have enough bandwidth and the latency is good ... at all times. VOIP is nowhere near as stable as traditional voice. Not only that but alot of the VOIP systems truely suck ... and I mean really suck. Things that you take for granted on a key system ... don't expect them on some VOIP systems. The Hybrid systems are really the way to go. I have lost count how many Cisco systems I have ripped out because they just don't cut it. Don't get me wrong, VOIP ... if you go thru the pains of setting it up so you meet all the criteria needed to make it work works well. I have a ton of remote IP phones. The problem is most customers think the internet is a "free" way to get calls to remote employees ... the problem is generally you get the qualty you pay for and you don't hear that about IP. Take this from a guy who actually uses VOIP in real world situations. Vidya Ramachandran wrote in message news:telecom22.636.10@telecom-digest.org: > Is the quality really as good as traditional voice services? I'm a > bit skeptical especially after the power outage in the Northeast > corridor that VOIP is as stable as traditional Voice. > Also, I see many companies using VOIP internally amongst each other > but haven't seen any large companies using VOIP for all calls? Not > sure what the real reasons are in preventing everyone from the > complete switchover. If you look at the average company - At least > 90% of the voice traffic is still over traditional lines. I think we > have a long way to go before we really see a total cutover from > Traditional telephony over to VOIP. Furthermore, long distance rates > are rock bottom right now. My predictions in 3 years are to see VOIP > consuming 40% of the traffic. But that's in 3 years and 60% will > still go over traditional lines. > Any comments?? > stephenmglover@yahoo.com (Steve Glover) wrote in message > news:: >> SayNoToCrossposters wrote in message >> news:: >>>> The technology, based on software technology that >>>> enables the Internet to route traffic, has matured to the point that >>>> voice quality is virtually indistinguishable from that of a >>>> conventional phone call. >>>> http://nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01VOIP.html >>> Yeah, right. I would say they need to go get their hearing checked. >> I have no direct daily experience with call quality on an Avvid/Call >> Manager system, but I can't imagine any issues considering VOIP >> frequently stays on the LAN and call termination normally occurs over >> traditional TDM trunks. I work for an "IP Centrex" company that was >> just acquired by Level(3) and our call quality is quite good (and >> tested quite good by Telcordia) although some customers have insisted >> on and persisted in accessing via second and third tier, "best effort" >> ISPs. ------------------------------ From: lawrence.jones@eds.com Subject: Re: USOC/568A/568B/258A For POTS Wiring Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 16:13:01 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com Jay R. Ashworth wrote: > Hmmm ... it was always my understanding that you didn't want ringing > and ethernet in the same jacket. They're both balanced signals on twisted pairs so there's very little crosstalk and the frequencies involved are so widely separated that what little there is doesn't make any difference. -Larry Jones I don't need to improve! Everyone ELSE does! -- Calvin ------------------------------ From: dave@ordinaryworld.com (Dave Temkin) Subject: Re: Homegrown DSL Date: 9 Sep 2003 09:38:17 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ William Warren wrote in message news:: > Ryan wrote in message > news:telecom22.634.3@telecom-digest.org: >> Thanks for the excellent advice. I had a vague feeling that there's a >> lot more to doing DSL than obtaining a "dry pair" and two capable >> modems. > > Yes, there is: and doing it Cringely's way might even extend to > obtaining legal advice when you realize some stranger has just handed > you a subpoena. In many states, tariffs have the force of law, and > some even provide criminal penalties for avoiding their limits: I say > "Do It Yourself" means doing it *without* resorting to underhanded > tactics. > Now I know that my attitude is in some ways naive: cynics amoung us > might snort about the Telco's high-priced lobbyists and the > best-money-can-buy regulators found at some State Capitols. I say, if > you don't like the way things are, then change them, either by > lobbying for inclusion of more DSL providers, or by finding other, > legal, ways around the restrictions. The worst thing to do is to climb > in bed with a political whore, because the disease you'll take back to > your home is the notion that only money talks and only the > well-connected have a say. > The philosophy of public utility regulation has always held that > monopolies should offset the costs of some services with the revenues > provided by others, and the "dry pairs" that used to be provided to > alarm-service companies are no exception. Business lines have always > cost more than residential, based on the benefit the businessman > received from the fact that *all* his customers could be reached by > telephone, and could reach him. "Lifeline" telephone service is > subsidized by other ratepayers via a "Universal Access" fee, and the > fact is that *all* the ratepayers can dial 911 and quickly request a > specific kind of help instead of trying to find their way to a Fire > Alarm box to summon ten or twenty men and women who might be needed > elsewhere. > For that reason, "burglar alarm" lines have always been very > conservatively priced, because the regulators felt that the > comcomitant reduction in crime and the service's low maintenance > record justified the lower rates. To take a circuit tariffed for a low > turnover, low maintenance, "DC Only" use, and trick someone into > allowing it's use for high speed data, is at best short-sited, and at > worst, criminal. Cringely doesn't have to worry: he's not going to get > a subpoena for saying you could, and you're not going to share in his > book royalties after PBS has set him up as the "expert" in everything > related to computers. >> I've thought about some sort of wireless, but unfortunately I don't >> have line of sight. > Well, you probably have line of sight to someone who has line of sight > to your destination, or to someone else who does: do some horse > trading. Although cellular use has pushed the price of antenna space > through the roof in many places, you might be able to add some value > to an existing tower (Paint? Change the lightbulbs? Do some legal > work? Dig a trench? Cut the grass?) and get a relay point without > laying out any cash. Plus, there are always church steeples, water > towers, or even trees to be had for a little bargaining. Why not go > out in the sunlight and ask? >> I've also considered the VPN over broadband >> Internet option (probably have to revisit that one). > That's one option, and there are many others. You might consider a > network of relatively low speed links that can be aggregated via > multilink-ppp, and that will allow you to use frequency bands that > don't require LOS. You might choose to form a cooperative in your > community, pay Ma Bell (gasp!) for a T-1 line, and share the > discounted cost amount your neighbors. There are infra-red and other > short range data transceivers which don't even require FCC licenses, > and there's even the possibility of running your own wire between the > two locations if you can negotiate the right of way. >> It's just that both locations are pretty close to the CO (1 mile, >> and 2000 feet), so the Cringely article really got my hopes up. > I hope I didn't get you down; my intent was to show you a different, > and more positive, outlet for your energies. Taking shortcuts is what > got Enron and MCI and Equity Funding into trouble: I say the higher > road is the shorter one in the long run. > Just think "outside the box": there's plenty of darkness in the grave, > so try to spread some light around while you're here. > [snip] >> Oh well, thanks for the info. >> Ryan > Thanks for listening. > Bill > (Remove ".nouce" for direct replies) Let's look at this two different ways. You said: > For that reason, "burglar alarm" lines have always been very > conservatively priced, because the regulators felt that the > comcomitant reduction in crime and the service's low maintenance > record justified the lower rates. To take a circuit tariffed for a low > turnover, low maintenance, "DC Only" use, and trick someone into > allowing it's use for high speed data, is at best short-sited, and at > worst, criminal. Cringely doesn't have to worry: he's not going to get > a subpoena for saying you could, and you're not going to share in his > book royalties after PBS has set him up as the "expert" in everything > related to computers. Firstly, Yes, it is true that the telcos do subsidize some services from the cost of other services. These are clearly laid out in the tarrifs and are why you pay all of those extra taxes now for E-911 & Rural telephone service. The cost of an alarm circuit has nothing to do with the price of tea in China, nor with the price of a T1. Secondly, The telcos have not provided any other means for providing a "like" service between two buildings. It's not "tricking" them by ordering an alarm circuit, it's using an available resource. If they cared as much as you make them out to, they could very easily limit the available bandwidth on the circuits -- either electronically or physically -- but it's not worth it. The main issue here is that the telcos have not provided an alternative -- traditionally all you can get is either a DDS, T1 or T3 and nothing in between. The huge difference between ordering a T1 and an alarm circuit is exactly what you say -- the upkeep and maintenance involved in keeping a data circuit running -- and in reality, the amount of hardware and man-hours required to set up a T1 dwarf that of an alarm circuit. First, you have Smartjacks on either end. Depending on the CO setup, you either have a DACS or two crossconnects in the middle. You also have complicated test equipment. With an alarm circuit, so long as there's continuity between point A and point B, the Telco can hide behind "It works, leave us alone". When the telcos offer a service that can provide 10Mbps between Site and and Site B over a single copper pair, it will be subversive to order an alarm circuit to roll your own DSL. Until then, it's simply using what's availble and instead of going wireless, you're still giving your $ monthly to $Telco. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 13:50:40 -0400 From: Tom.Carr@smiths-aerospace.com Subject: How "Where is Raed" Came to Be Just in case you haven't seen this. _______________________ Forward Header_____________________________ Subject: How "Where is Raed" came to be Author: Tom Carr at sia-gr2 Date: 2003-09-09 01:00 PM SALAM PAX WRITES on how he became a blogger, and how it has changed his life. I won't excerpt it -- just go read it. -- posted at 07:05 AM by Glenn Reynolds http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1038253,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 14:03:40 -0500 From: Gordon S. Hlavenka Reply-To: nospam@crashelectronics.com Organization: Crash Electronics Subject: Last Laugh! Re: Dave Barry on Telemarketing I now commit the sin of following-up my own posting: Dave Barry wrote an article on telemarketing, wherein he invited people to call the American Teleservices Association, toll-free, at 1-877-779-3974 and share their views. Dave's article is at . Today, Dave's blog links to this article which reports that the ATA received a large volume of unwanted calls as a result of the article. The ATA hasn't really decided what kind of spin to put on this; first they say they've had to switch from live-operator to a recorded greeting and assigned a staffer specifically to clean out voicemail. Then, they say the impact has been "minimal" and support Dave's first amendment rights, "...the same rights we're fighting for right now." They have no plans to change their phone number, but "If it continues for a greater period of time, we might have to choose another solution." Dave's response? > Gosh, that must have been awful! Imagine! Receiving unwanted phone > calls! Without warning! How could anyone DO such a thing? :-) Gordon S. Hlavenka http://www.crashelectronics.com Grammar and spelling flames welcome. Yes, that's really my email address. Don't change it. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #642 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Sep 11 02:54:18 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8B6sIr26449; Thu, 11 Sep 2003 02:54:18 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 02:54:18 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309110654.h8B6sIr26449@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #643 TELECOM Digest Thu, 11 Sep 2003 02:54:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 643 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: China Says, No More Microsoft (SELLCOM Tech Support) Re: Wireless Internet (SELLCOM Tech Support) Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? (Paul A Lee) Re: TiVo's Been Outflanked (Thomas A. Horsley) Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards (yeltrabnhoj) For Sale: Dialogic d41 Boards; Comet Voicemail Software (Arthur Lee) Trouble With StoresOnline/Galaxy Mall Visit www.storesOFFline.com (Alex) Question About Virtual Phone Numbers (Alexei Brodnikovski) Call For Papers - USENIX/ACM Symposium Networked Systems (Alex Walker) Numbering Formats (Mike J. Wilcox) Avaya IP403 WAN Problems (jabriol) Difference Between DNIS and ANI (desafinadonospam@hotmail.com) MS03-037: Flaw in Visual Basic for Applications Allow (Monty Solomon) CDT Calls for Privacy Balance in Domain Name Database (Monty Solomon) Enhanced AOLbyPhone Service (Monty Solomon) MS03-039: Buffer Overrun In RPCSS Service Allow Code Execution (Solomon) Calif. Fines Cingular $12 mln For Termination Fees (Monty Solomon) 3GPP IMS Based Push to Talk over Cellular -PoC- Technology (M Solomon) US FCC Approves Digital Cable Accord on TV Cards (Monty Solomon) FCC to Review Local Phone Network Sharing Prices (Monty Solomon) Last Laugh! Fun With the Nigerian Scammers (Marcus Jervis) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SELLCOM Tech support Subject: Re: China Says, No More Microsoft Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 16:52:30 -0400 Organization: www.sellcom.com Reply-To: support@sellcom.com I have to agree with you about the top posting. Someone should advise the Chinese about the new Disk Operating System that they might be able to use. Steve at SELLCOM Group Special Mobile posted on that vast internet thingie: > On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:46:14 -0400, Ron Chapman > wrote: >> I'm sure Microsoft is quaking in their boots at the thought of losing the >> sale of that one copy of Windows and Office. > I think you meant they are quaking at the thought of losing the sale > of that one *legitimate* copy of Windows and Office. > To send an email reply send to > GSMthemobilestandard (@) yahoo.com > A. Top posters. > Q. What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? http://www.sellcom.com Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens AT&T Panasonic Vtech 5.8Ghz EnGenius NEW EP490 4line (the longest range), Panasonic cordless, TMC ET4000 OnHoldPlus, WatchGuard firewall, Okidata, Polycom! Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Minuteman UPS If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ From: SELLCOM Tech support Subject: Re: Wireless Internet Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 16:55:15 -0400 Organization: www.sellcom.com Reply-To: support@sellcom.com erhan_j@hotmail.com (Erhan) posted on that vast internet thingie: > Is there anyway to get my wireless palm pilot connected with out > paying for any services? Im looking for solutions such as having the > palm connected to a host computer and use the hosts internet > connection or hosting wireless internet myself (if possible). Thanks > in advance! Wireless routers are getting relatively cheap if you don't mind the cost. Many have ethernet ports and wireless. I recommend going with "G" if you do it. You might not be able to find them at the grocery store yet, but just about anywhere else. Steve at SELLCOM http://www.sellcom.com Discount multihandset cordless phones by Siemens AT&T Panasonic Vtech 5.8Ghz EnGenius NEW EP490 4line (the longest range), Panasonic cordless, TMC ET4000 OnHoldPlus, WatchGuard firewall, Okidata, Polycom! Brick wall "non MOV" surge protection. Minuteman UPS If you sit at a desk www.ergochair.biz you owe it to yourself. ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Does a Dual Surface-Mount Phone Jack Exist? Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 14:30:59 -0700 In TELECOM Digest V22 #641, unspammable-73729@workbench.net wrote (in part): > Paul A Lee's suggestions were also good, but I wonder if > Graybar is any more flexible about dealing with the general public > these days than they were when I was a teenager? Being told that I > couldn't buy from a particular place (unless I knew the magic words to > say, to convince them I was someone they should do business with) > always left a long-lasting, bad taste in my mouth. Yeah, I had the same experience with Graybar back in the '60s and '70s. In the '80s, I started dealing with them on company business. I was also able to make personal use purchases -- and get the company discount in the bargain -- by paying cash. For at least the last 10 years, they've accepted MasterCard and Visa, and now Discover. They seem quite willing to sell to 'most anyone who isn't completely clueless about what s/he's looking to buy. That probably will vary by branch and individual personality. Just don't expect the counter person to teach you how to wire a house. You can get a little better price if you're with (or drop the name of) a firm that's a Graybar customer, but it's typically only about 15% at most. Their parts prices sure as hell beat a lot of the web merchant prices I've seen -- $10 to $20 for some items I've gotten at Graybar for under $6. Paul A Lee Voice: +1 717 730-8355 Sr Telecom Engineer [Voice & Transmission] Fax: +1 717 975-3789 Rite Aid Corporation, Telecomm, 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 ------------------------------ Subject: Re: TiVo's Been Outflanked From: tom.horsley@att.net (Thomas A. Horsley) Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 22:40:33 GMT > No and no. Here's the real reason:... The article (which is only about two more paragraphs than the quoted bit) claims TiVo will die because cable operators are rolling out their own TiVo like services. I have seen a little of this from the sidelines since I work for Concurrent Computers (which makes video servers -- though I don't work for the video server part, I do read all their press releases :-). The one bit the market analysts haven't yet figured out (since they seem to operate entirely by hype, not by facts) is that the server-side PVR technology (at least the stuff Concurrent offers) appeals to the cable companies because the server side stuff can be configured to do things like not allow users to skip over commercials. (Much like DVDs can be authored to force you to watch 20 minutes of previews :-). If the cable companies actually take advantage of this tech (and the history of cable companies certainly tells me they are stupid enough to), the question then arises: "How long will it take consumers to figure out that a PVR they control is better than a PVR the cable company controls?". I suspect the answer is "Not long." Personally, I just bought a Panasonic DMR-E80S which I consider far superior to even a TiVo. It doesn't have any smart-alec software trying to help me out -- it just records what I tell it to, and I can get the captured digital recording off it on DVD-RAM for editing on my computer, something that is near impossible to do with a TiVo without delving into the world of TiVo hacking. >>==>> The *Best* political site >>==+ email: Tom.Horsley@worldnet.att.net icbm: Delray Beach, FL | Free Software and Politics <<==+ ------------------------------ From: yeltrabnhoj@email.com Subject: Re: Consumers: Be Careful When Buying Prepaid Phone Cards Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 23:00:36 GMT Organization: (reverse to reply) (John Bartley, K7AAY, Portland OR) On 5 Sep 2003 18:02:42 -0700, chong719@hotmail.com (sam) wrote: > Beware for consumers who are about to buy Total Call International's > phone cards. Suggest you also post this with the Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT. ------------------------------ From: itsoktopickyournose@yahoo.com (Arthur Lee) Subject: For Sale: Dialogic d41 Boards; Comet Voicemail Software Date: 9 Sep 2003 16:43:39 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have Dialogic boards, and comet voicemail. Comet's website is www.stok.com, Also some rhetorex boards, skutch autoreboot, misc. ------------------------------ From: thetruth@storesoffline.com (Alex) Subject: Trouble with StoresOnline/Galaxy Mall? visit www.storesOFFline.com Date: 9 Sep 2003 18:28:17 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Having trouble with StoresOnline/Galaxy Mall? visit www.storesOFFline.com which shows a collection of links and stories that prove these companies are frauds and form probably the biggest internet scam to date. ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Alexei Brodnikovski Subject: Question About Vitual Phone Numbers Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 17:29:56 +0400 Organization: TestFiber Dear Editor, I have one question. I would like to have virtual phone number in Toronto (or in Canada) with simple service -- notification via e-mail regarding incoming calls with information and sometimes -- call forwarding (for certain numbers). Ideally I would like to have sort of voice recognition option to use it in e-mail notification (if possible). Could you please advise which Company could provide such a service and cost of it? Thank you in advance, Dr. Alexei Brodnikovski. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 10:50:17 -0700 From: Alex Walker Reply-To: alex@usenix.org, alex@usenix.org Organization: USENIX Subject: Call For Papers - USENIX/ACM Symposium on Networked Systems USENIX/ACM Symposium on Networked Systems Design; Implementation (NSDI '04) March 29 - 31, 2004 San Francisco, California, USA http://www.usenix.org/nsdi04/ NSDI '04 is a new conference focused on the design principles of large-scale distributed and networked systems. We believe systems as diverse as scalable Web services, peer-to-peer file sharing, sensor nets, and distributed network measurement share a set of common challenges. Progress in any of these areas requires a deep understanding of how researchers are addressing the challenges of large-scale systems in other contexts. Our goal is to bring together researchers from across the systems community -- including operating systems, distributed systems, and computer networking -- to foster a cross-disciplinary approach to addressing our common research challenges. NSDI will provide a high-quality, single-track forum for presenting new results and discussing ideas that overlap these disciplines. The NSDI '04 Program Committee seeks work that furthers the knowledge and understanding of the systems community as a whole, continues a significant research dialog, or pushes the architectural boundaries of large-scale network services. We solicit papers describing original and previously unpublished research and experiences. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Scalable techniques for high availability and reliability * Security and robustness of highly complex systems * Novel architectural approaches for specific application domains * Network measurements, workload and topology characterization * Autonomous and self-configuring network and system management * Network virtualization and resource management * Distributed storage, caching, and query optimization * Network protocols and algorithms for complex distributed systems * Operating system support for scalable network services * Relevant application or system experiences (e.g., in sensor nets, P2P systems, overlays, pervasive computing) Important Dates: Paper titles and abstracts due: September 15, 2003 Final paper submissions due: September 22, 2003 Notification of acceptance: December 11, 2003 Papers due for shepherding: January 26, 2004 Camera-ready final papers due: February 9, 2004 For more information, please visit http://www.usenix.org/nsdi04/. We look forward to receiving your submissions! Robert Morris, MIT Stefan Savage, UCSD Program Chairs ------------------------------ Subject: Numbering Formats Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 12:46:37 -0700 From: Mike J. Wilcox PAT & Lisa, Where can I find numbering formats for different countries? It would be helpful for allowing calls to certain areas of international destinations. Thanks, Mike Wilcox Voice Transport Engineering Intel Corp. 916-356-5266 ------------------------------ From: jabriol Subject: Avaya IP403 wan problems Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 02:50:12 GMT All, I have been trying to test an Avaya IP Office 403's WAN port with no success. Connected two IP 403 units together via their WAN ports to see if a call can be made to the other unit using digital phones (Avaya type 6408). Everytime I try calling to the other unit's phone I keep on getting "UNOBTAINABLE" on the phone's display. Now I'm wondering whether I have the configuration in the Avaya IP Office Manager correct or if there is a hardware issue like a missing connection that's needed. Unfortunatly, documentation for configuring a WAN port on this unit is hard to find; I only found general procedures on how to configure the port. Can anyone help with some ideas on how to solve this problem or point me in the right direction? ------------------------------ From: desafinadonospam@hotmail.com Subject: Difference Between DNIS and ANI Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 03:57:20 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Hi, Dialed Number Identification Service in terms of a DNIS string to identify multiple tollfree numbers riding/pointing to a voice T1 is something I understand. You use a DNIS string to identify each tollfree number. But Dialed Number Identification Service also implies that the Caller's number is sent along with DNIS string, correct? It's sent as a string such as "* ANI * DNIS" or "*DNIS*ANI" depending on which is sent first in a string sequence by the IXC. Now is this what's referred to as DNIS delivering the caller's number (a caller using a specific number assigned to a facility (e.g. trunk, POTS line)? How does DNIS actually works in terms of sending the caller's number? Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:11:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: MS03-037: Flaw in Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow Title: Flaw in Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow Arbitrary Code Execution (822715) Date: 03 September 2003 Affected Software: Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 5.0 Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.0 Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.2 Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.3 Products which include the affected software: Microsoft Access 97 Microsoft Access 2000 Microsoft Access 2002 Microsoft Excel 97 Microsoft Excel 2000 Microsoft Excel 2002 Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Microsoft Project 2000 Microsoft Project 2002 Microsoft Publisher 2002 Microsoft Visio 2000 Microsoft Visio 2002 Microsoft Word 97 Microsoft Word 98(J) Microsoft Word 2000 Microsoft Word 2002 Microsoft Works Suite 2001 Microsoft Works Suite 2002 Microsoft Works Suite 2003 Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains 7.5 Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics 6.0 Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics 7.0 Microsoft Business Solutions eEnterprise 6.0 Microsoft Business Solutions eEnterprise 7.0 Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 4.5 Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 5.0 Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 5.5 Impact: Run code of attackers choice Max Risk: Critical Bulletin: MS03-037 Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletins at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-037.asp http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-037.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:52:34 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CDT Calls for Privacy Balance in Domain Name Database From: CDT Info Subject: CDT Headline: CDT Calls for Privacy Balance in Domain Name Data Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 12:52:51 -0400 CDT Calls for Privacy Balance in Domain Name Database CDT has written to the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property urging it to consider the privacy concerns raised by the "Whois" database of personal contact information for domain name registrants. At the Subcommittee's hearing Thursday, witnesses called for new measures to force accuracy in the database. CDT has argued for some time that privacy protections can be added to Whois without compromising its valuable uses. September 4, 2003 Letter to Reps. Smith and Berman, September 4, 2003: http://www.cdt.org/dns/030904cdt.shtml http://www.cdt.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-announcements ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 08:55:35 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Enhanced AOLbyPhone Service America Online Launches Enhanced AOLbyPhone Service; Makes it Easy for AOL Members to Listen to their E-mail Over the Phone and Stay Informed While on the Go - Sep 10, 2003 07:30 AM (BusinessWire) DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 2003-- Upgraded Premium Service Offers AOL Members Convenient, Easy-to-Use Features Including Ability to Reply to E-mail in their own Voice and Get Unlimited Directory Assistance, News Headlines, Weather, and More. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35639081 ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Buffer Overrun In RPCSS Service Could Allow Code Execution Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 15:42:38 -0400 The fix provided by this patch supersedes the one included in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026. Title: Buffer Overrun In RPCSS Service Could Allow Code Execution (824146) Date: September 10, 2003 Software: Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Microsoft Windows NT Server(r) 4.0 Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Microsoft Windows 2000 Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Impact: Run code of attacker's choice Max Risk: Critical Bulletin: MS03-039 Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletins at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-039.asp http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/MS03-039.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 19:49:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Calif. Fines Cingular $12 mln For Termination Fees SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - California regulators on Tuesday fined Cingular Wireless $12.14 million for violating state laws by not allowing customers to cancel service during a trial "grace period." Cingular prohibited customers from canceling cell phone service early unless they agreed to pay a $150 fee, the California Public Utilities Commission said in a statement. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35634090 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:38:40 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 3GPP IMS Based Push to Talk over Cellular -PoC- Technology Mobile Industry Leaders Complete Joint Specification for 3GPP IMS Based Push to Talk over Cellular -PoC- Technology - Sep 10, 2003 09:48 AM (BusinessWire) HELSINKI, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 2003-- New Specification from Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Siemens Mobile Provides Seamless Push to Talk Experience for Consumers and Business Users around the Globe Industry leaders Ericsson, Motorola (NYSE:MOT), Nokia and Siemens mobile announced today the completion of a jointly developed Push to talk over Cellular (PoC) specification based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) as defined by 3GPP. This specification is intended to reduce marketplace fragmentation and provide end users with an easy-to-use push to talk experience wherever they may travel in the world. It was completed to meet a tremendous market interest in push to talk and IMS. The PoC specification leverages existing 3GPP, OMA, and IETF specifications making the service easy to integrate in operators' existing access and packet core network infrastructures. The PoC specification is a bundle of six specifications including: Requirements, Architecture, Signaling Flows, Group/List Management, and two User-plane specifications (Transport and GPRS). - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35641123 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:43:27 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: US FCC Approves Digital Cable Accord on TV Cards By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - A deal between television manufacturers and cable operators to replace digital signal converter boxes with a small card that slots into new televisions won approval from U.S. regulators on Wednesday. The Federal Communications Commission action is expected to simplify connections to digital service, which offer sharper images on the new sets, and spur cable operators to expand their presence in retail stores. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35648149 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:45:16 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC to Review Local Phone Network Sharing Prices WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - U.S. telecommunications regulators on Wednesday launched a review of government mandated prices that local telephone carriers like BellSouth Corp. (NYSE:BLS) charge rivals for access to their local networks. To foster competition in the local telephone market, the 1996 Telecommunications Act required that dominant telephone carriers to offer new competitors in the local market access to parts of their networks at discounted prices. But local telephone carriers have fought several legal battles over the prices charged for access to the networks, prices set by state regulators with guidance from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC developed a model to help states set those prices, basing it on what it would cost carriers to build a network under the most ideal circumstances and conditions. The agency on Wednesday tentatively concluded that the prices should better reflect real world conditions. The agency also said it would like to simplify the pricing structure and more strongly encourage new entrants into the local markets to build their own facilities to offer local service. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35651049 ------------------------------ From: Marcus Jervis Subject: Last Laugh! Fun With the Nigerian Scammers Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 06:22:30 +0000 A prankster responds to one of the Nigerian scam emails, leading the scammers on a wild and hilarious chase: http://www.quatloos.com/brad-c/rosemary.htm In this one he gradually induces the scammer to promise to show him flying pterosaurs: http://www.quatloos.com/brad-c/elvis.htm Those and others here: http://www.quatloos.com/brad-c/directory01.htm ... from this great web site: http://www.quatloos.com Have fun! ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #643 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Sep 12 01:40:01 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8C5e1503657; Fri, 12 Sep 2003 01:40:01 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 01:40:01 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309120540.h8C5e1503657@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #644 TELECOM Digest Fri, 12 Sep 2003 01:40:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 644 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter ICB HeadsUp Headlines For the Period Ending Sept 10, 2003 (joppenheimer) Re: Numbering Formats (Alan Burkitt-Gray) Re: Numbering Formats (Paul Coxwell) Re: Difference Between DNIS and ANI (rosenbergg@Nordyne.com) Student Given Detention For Camera-Phone Content (Robert Weller) Software for Interfacing w/DMS500 (Dave B.) What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Larry G) "Vint Cerf on the future of VoIP" (The Old Bear) DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions (lifeson@earthlink.net) AT&T Launches Bundled DSL Service in Four More States (Monty Solomon) A VCR For PDAs (Monty Solomon) A Precis of the New Attacks Against GSM Encryption (fwd) (Monty Solomon) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Subject: ICB HeadsUp Headlines For the Period Ending September 10, 2003 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:59:56 -0400 From: Subject: ICB HeadsUp Headlines for the period ending September 10, 2003 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:59:56 -0400 _____________________________________________ ICB HeadsUp Headlines for the period ending September 10, 2003 ______________________________________________ from http://ICBTollFreeNews.com - Covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800, ENUM and Dot Com. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ENUM - THE OTHER POINT OF VIEW "Participants should, in designing policies about ENUM, be aware that there are two points of view about it that have not been well-represented in any of the efforts discussed here," says John C. Klensin. "Both the ITU-T and IETF efforts have involved work by ENUM proponents to define a good way to do it given that it is to be done. Neither IETF nor ITU-T have taken a formal position that ENUM (or any other E.164-based scheme for "Internet telephony") is a good idea and should be implemented by member states." Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5883 TRUTH IN DOMAINS, OR MISLEADING LEGISLATION? "It is a dangerous precedent, from a First Amendment standpoint, to criminalize one's choice of domain names." Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5884 U.S. CELL PHONE USERS SAY KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID Toll Free Industry representation should be embedded by SNAC and 1800AFTA wherever and as often as necessary in Washington and in the myriad of industry task forces and working groups (telephony and internet), to ensure that Toll Free Industry and users' needs are incorporated from the outset. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5875 AT&T SERVICES OVER IP NETWORK EVOLUTION This AT&T Labs presentation was used last week as the outline of an ex parte meeting between AT&T and the FCC. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5878 RE AT&T'S (AND PULVER'S) PETITION FOR DECLARATORY RULING ON VOIP NARUC argues that "the FCC stated that the classification of a service under the 1996 Act depends on the functional nature of the end-user offering. In analyzing phone-to-phone IP telephony, 'from a functional standpoint users of these services obtain only voice transmission, rather than information services.'" NARUC further references the Universal Service Report: "a telecommunications service is a telecommunications service whether it is provided using wireline, wireless, cable or satellite, or some other infrastructure." Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5877 MINN PUC RULING ON VONAGE In a nutshell, its not "rocket science" to determine what telephone service is. Especially if the company's website calls it phone service. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5888 US GOV ON ENUM FORUM LLC CONSIDERATIONS "It is imperative that any [Tier 1] process that is chosen would ensure competition among providers and operators, allow for interoperability of alternative deployments, encourage innovative services and products, and protect the privacy and security of all ENUM users." Signed, Dept. of State, FCC, and DoC Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5881 ______________________________________________ ________________________sponsor _______________ 4.25 STANDALONE TOLL FREE SERVICE $25 Monthly Minimum, No Contract Required! Free Toll Free Numbers, Free Vanity Numbers! 6 Second Billing, No Credit Card Needed! CLICK HERE: http://WhoSells800.com Or call 1-800-EVERYONE (1-800-383-7966) ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ SMT ADDRESSES USE OF SMS/800 DATA IN ENUM "Providing query access via IVR or web access to the SMS/800 to non-Resp Orgs who are not subject to the FCC tariff, would not be permitted under the rules outlined in the tariff... would be tantamount to a disregard of the FCC #1 Tariff and the provisions that govern this service ... In addition, downloading information to an IVR, web access, or other system on a set time interval other than real-time, would mean that ENUM is utilizing SMS/800 data that is not current and is potentially inaccurate." Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5886 LLC FORMATION MEETING MINUTES There is a proposed $35,000 "capital contribution" buy-in per RespOrg. Missing from these minutes is a list of who attended, referenced only as "several toll free service companies." A routine request for a phone bridge so that more RespOrgs could participate, had been denied. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5885 UDRP'S RELATIONSHIP TO NATIONAL LAW "Trademark holders -- and especially WIPO, which is nominally responsible to its member states' governments -- couldn't admit that their goal was to overrule (... bypass, make irrelevant, whatever you prefer) national legislatures. So the official line was that the UDRP would seek to replicate the results that would be available in national courts, only quicker and cheaper -- which in fact is a perfectly worthy goal." Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5882 THREE-DIGIT NATIONWIDE TOLL FREE NUMBER SYSTEM Abbreviated dialing for one call notification is being pursued by NANC. Wireline and wireless assumptions will be "national in scope and uniformity," and vanity codes are under discussion. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5876 4TH CIRCUIT REVERSES BARCELONA.COM DECISION The 4th Circuit Court of Appeal has overturned a lower court decision that effectively upheld an ICANN UDRP decision to transfer barcelona.com to the City of Barcelona. The court ruled that it would not grant ICANN UDRP decisions any deference. The court also noted that the ACPA explicitly requires the application of U.S. law. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5871 WHAT IS A GENERIC TELECOM DATA DICTIONARY? Few people seem to know. Continued here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article_free.cfm?articleId=5872 ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Subscribe and unsubscribe to this MailList at http://ICBTollFreeNews.com. copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ------------------------------ From: Alan Burkitt-Gray Subject: Re: Numbering Formats Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:47:36 +0100 Mike J. Wilcox asked: > "Where can I find numbering formats for different countries? It > would be helpful for allowing calls to certain areas of > international destinations. Good luck -- this is an amazingly complex challenge, as there are almost 200 countries and almost 200 sets of rules for showing numbers, including half a dozen in North America alone. Best source of information on the web is the World Telephone Numbering Guide, http://www.wtng.info/ But the world authority for numbering, which you *should* be using if you're Intel and therefore likely to get your interpretation of the rules onto systems worldwide, is the International Telecommunication Union, www.itu.int, an agency of the United Nations. One of the really irritating features of Microsoft Outlook is the way it tries to force every phone number into a US-like format, complete with brackets round what it determines to be an area code, even when you enter the data without brackets. There seems no way of stopping it: type +33 6 ab cd ed fg into Outlook, which is supposed to be a French mobile number, and the system will force it into +33 (6) ab cd ed fg -- as though the 6 is an area code which shouldn't be dialled in certain circumstances. There are no circumstances when the 6 isn't needed in any dialing string (just as these days in many US cities you always have to dial the area code even when it's a local call, but Outlook hasn't yet recognised this). Rant over: I don't usually do rants about MS, so forgive me this one. Alan Burkitt-Gray Editor, Global Telecoms Business Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, Nestor House, Playhouse Yard, London EC4V 5EX, UK tel +44 20 7779 8518 fax +44 20 7779 8248 e-mail aburkitt@euromoneyplc.com Global Telecoms Business www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com is publishing its special OSS supplement and daily conference bulletins at TeleManagement World (www.tmforum.org), Dallas, Texas, on November 10-13 2003. ------------------------------ From: PaulCoxwell@aol.com Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 05:58:38 EDT Subject: Re: Numbering Formats > Where can I find numbering formats for different countries? It would > be helpful for allowing calls to certain areas of international > destinations. > Thanks, > Mike Wilcox > Voice Transport Engineering > Intel Corp. > 916-356-5266 The World Telephone Numbering Guide site is a good starting point: http://www.wtng.info Paul Coxwell Norfolk, England. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Difference Between DNIS and ANI Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:31:19 -0500 From: desafinadonospam@hotmail.com wrote on Wed, 10 Sep 2003 03:57:20 GMT asking about Difference Between DNIS and ANI. > Hi, > Dialed Number Identification Service in terms of a DNIS string to > identify multiple tollfree numbers riding/pointing to a voice T1 is > something I understand. You use a DNIS string to identify each > tollfree number. > But Dialed Number Identification Service also implies that the > Caller's number is sent along with DNIS string, correct? It's sent as > a string such as "* ANI * DNIS" or "*DNIS*ANI" depending on which is > sent first in a string sequence by the IXC. ** Not correct. DNIS and ANI are individual services and can be had independently. DNIS (associated with a T-1 trunk group) indicates which toll free number the caller has dialed. ANI indicates the caller's number. Now is this what's referred to as DNIS delivering the caller's number (a caller using a specific number assigned to a facility (e.g. trunk, POTS line)? How does DNIS actually works in terms of sending the caller's number? ** DNIS does not send the caller's number, ANI does. ** DNIS is a "free" feature. You pay for ANI delivery which is the delivery of caller number in real time. NOTE: The caller's number is provided with every toll free number when you receive your invoice. Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:42:42 -0700 Subject: Student Given Detention For Camera-Phone Content From: Robert Weller A Texas school student was given three days of detention after school officials said they found pictures of drugs, guns and gang-related activities on the student's camera phone, according to a report by a local TV station. School officials alerted police to the images on the phone. Officials at Por Vida Academy said the teen was showing the photos to other students. Mobile phones are prohibited at the school. Student Gets Detention Over Cell Phone Pictures Student Given 3 Day Detention SAN ANTONIO -- A student at a South Side public charter school was given three days detention after school officials caught him with a cellular phone that allegedly had pictures of "gang-related activities." Officials at Por Vida Academy called police Tuesday after they confiscated the student's cell phone. The phone has the capability of capturing pictures. "Pictures of students with drugs, students with guns, and quite a few gang symbols and gang-related activities going on," Por Vida Principal Steven Langseth said. Langseth said the teenage boy was allegedly showing the pictures to other students. "What I saw on that phone gives me a good picture of what that kid's life is like," said Langseth . School superintendent Joseph Rendon said school officials care about their students and it's important to figure out what's happening in a student's academic life as well as their personal lives. Rendon added the incident raised a red flag that signaled that some students may need help with problems outside school. All types of cellular phones are banned at Por Vida Academy. ------------------------------ From: cimdxb2@comcast.net (Dave B.) Subject: Software for Interfacing w/DMS500 Date: 11 Sep 2003 10:11:19 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I work for IT in a company that is closely looking at a DMS500. Currently we are under a resale local/LD model. From what I understand our engineering department will be able to provide me AMA records. I also have been told that I need some mediation software to change those formats into what I am used to getting from the LEC. Does anyone out there have experience with this? I have heard these mediation software packages can get pricey. What do they do for all of that money? Am I underestimating the task? I work in the Chicago area. Anyone with the above expertise from an application software perspective that wants to moonlight (or sunlight), please email me. I am looking for possible contract work to guide my IT team through this process. We are also going to need to update the switch on the provisioning side. Anyone that knows the language to key directly into the switch would be helpful as well. Especially for PRI's. Dave ------------------------------ From: Larry G Subject: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 06:27:03 -0700 About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? Does anyone know if it's still a go? Also, is anyone aware of any fundamental reorganization of the numbering system before we run out of area codes altogether? At this rate of area code growth, it's looking like that will happen sooner rather than later. Larry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 15:16:09 -0400 From: The Old Bear Subject: "Vint Cerf on the Future of VoIP" As summarized in NewsScan for September 11, 2003: VINT CERF ON THE FUTURE OF VOIP Vint Cerf, senior VP of Internet Architecture and Technology for MCI, talks about the next-generation phone services based on VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) that are now being rolled out: "You can show up at a hotel and register your normal telephone number -- as long as you can plug in your PC to an Internet service. What that means is your visibility in the communications world is now portable. Wherever you are, your communications are (there also). You can control where things go. If someone's trying to send a fax, you can vector that to your e-mail as an attachment or vector it to a different fax machine. There's an incredible amount of interaction over what had been completely separate services." Looking to the future, Cerf says the most important next-generation service is the ability to use the Internet as a household control system. "If you're like me, you have consumer equipment with remotes around the house. I can't figure out which one's which. And once I get the right one, the batteries are dead. Why not Internet-enable everything? Then it's possible to just have a single radio-based device, maybe 802.11-enabled, that lets you interact with all those appliances. You don't even have to be home. Obviously there are some security issues involved. You need strong authentication to make sure some 15-year-old next door won't reprogram your house." source: CNet News.com (10 Sep 2003) http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5073025.html ------------------------------ From: lifeson@earthlink.net Subject: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:14:30 GMT DID is confusing me. I know it can be configured on either 2-way or 1-way (incoming). But the majority is in-bound only. Here is where I need some basic info. Let's say a small company with 100 employees, purchases 10 DID trunks for inbound-only. Now the employees can be called directly without the caller having to first reach an automated attendant. So I can see the need for DID ... BUT not for inbound only. But what about the employees calling out? I assume the company has to buy out-bound trunks as well. But I can't find info on outbound only trunks anywhere, and I read that 2-way trunks are used for outbound calls. So the company would have to buy 2-way trunks. Now they have DID inbound only trunks for incoming calls, and 2-way trunks for outgoing calls. Why not buy 2-way DID trunks exclusively? If they want DID, then why buy one way, in-bound only DID? I do not understand -- is it cheaper? I mean, if the incoming calls are via the DID, then they are not handled by the 2-way trunks, and it seems they are wasting 50% of those lines (the incoming call capability). Now, I realize that Call Centers usually have workers that just answer calls all day and do not need to call out normally. At first I thought that would be the reason for in-bound only DID trunks. But DID allows you to directly call one station -- not needed for a Call Center. Also, these places use Toll-Free, and even if they are not TollFree, they don't need to have callers dial directly to any one individual, which is what a DID will do. Can someone explain why you might want to buy in-bound only DID trunks instead of 2-way? TIA ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:15:14 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AT&T Launches Bundled DSL Service in Four More States New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland Join New York as Part Of Nationwide Rollout MORRISTOWN, N.J., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today introduced its new residential digital subscriber line (DSL) high speed Internet service in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland. The four new states join New York as part of a nationwide rollout of DSL service that can be packaged as part of an AT&T local and long distance communications bundle. AT&T intends to eventually offer the new DSL service in all states in which it provides bundled local and long distance residential services. AT&T now provides local phone service to more than 3.1 million consumers in 13 states and expects to expand its footprint by testing or marketing its bundled local and long distance services in 35 states by year-end. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35655529 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 23:47:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A VCR For PDAs Arik Hesseldahl, 09.11.03, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - Is watching recorded TV shows and movies the killer application that will finally make handheld computers a must-have device for the masses? There's nothing to suggest yet that it is, but if you've been watching the actions of several electronics manufacturers, you get the idea that it won't be long until video becomes just another bit of data you'll be able to carry around with you on a PDA or other handheld device. Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ) has announced a curious device that is essentially a piece of infrastructure that will allow that to happen. It's PEGA-VR100K (yes, another wonderfully memorable name from Sony's branding geniuses) is, for lack of a better description, a VCR for Sony PDAs. It records TV shows and movies on Sony's Memory Stick flash memory devices. But the video images aren't for general-purpose uses. They're recorded in MPEG-4 video format at a resolution of 320 pixels by 420 pixels--which just happens to be the right size to fit on the screen of the Sony Clie, its line of PDAs that run the Palm operating system, run by PalmOne's (nasdaq: PALM - news - people ) subsidiary PalmSource. http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/11/cx_ah_0911tentech.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:03:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A Precis of the New Attacks Against GSM Encryption From: Lukasz Luzar Subject: A precis of the new attacks against GSM encryption (fwd) Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:21:33 +0200 (CEST) An interesting summary about recent attacks against GSM. http://lists.netsys.com/pipermail/full-disclosure/2003-September/009856.html ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #644 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Sep 12 15:46:17 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8CJkG707961; Fri, 12 Sep 2003 15:46:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 15:46:17 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309121946.h8CJkG707961@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #645 TELECOM Digest Fri, 12 Sep 2003 15:46:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 645 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Linc Madison) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (lifeson@earthlink.net) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Steven J Sobol) Re: Future Area Code 951 in So.Cal; NANP "Exhaust"? (Mark J Cuccia) Re: Numbering Formats (Linc Madison) Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions (Carl Navarro) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? From: Linc Madison Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:16:08 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net In article , Larry G wrote: > About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area > code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? > Does anyone know if it's still a go? The proposal as it existed then, has been killed completely. The plan was to split off part of 909 into 951, and then overlay the remaining part of 909 with 752. However, the people of California let it be known that having to dial 1+10D would be an unbearable burden, so all overlays in California were cancelled. For more information on the 909/951 situation, go to the California Public Utilities Commission at However, please note that the maps linked from the CPUC page are absolutely useless, since you can't actually see the proposed area code boundary through the thicket of extraneous information. Download the PDF of the Industry Plan (1.0 megabyte) and jump to page 75 of 86. > Also, is anyone aware of any fundamental reorganization of the > numbering system before we run out of area codes altogether? At this > rate of area code growth, it's looking like that will happen sooner > rather than later. There will definitely not be a fundamental reorganization of the numbering system before we run out of area codes, unless you count the full implementation of various forms of local number pooling. However, area code growth has just about stopped completely. Texas added three new area codes earlier this year (an overlay in the northeast and a three-way split in the west), but the only places with new codes looming on the horizon are: * Urban Utah, with the 801/385 split, which has been delayed (again) until at least 2005, and which may be postponed even farther. * Coastal Los Angeles County, with the 310/424 geographic split set to roll out with less than 6 months to elapse between the announcement of the official dates and the reassignment of the old prefixes. It's quite a challenge for businesses in what will be the 424 area code, because they don't want to print stationery or brochures listing 424 yet, but within 6 months calls to their old 310 number could go to a completely unrelated subscriber in a different part of metro L.A. [sarcasm] It's such a brilliant plan, I'm surprised that neither the Florida nor Minnesota regulators had a hand in drafting it. [/sarcasm] * Riverside and San Bernardino, with the new, improved 909/951 split being worked out. There were public hearings in mid-July. Roughly speaking, the part of 909 in Riverside County would change to 951, while the part in San Bernardino would keep 909, with the usual caveat that the actual boundary will follow exchange boundaries rather than the county line. Pretty much everyone else in the U.S. is chugging merrily along with number pooling and other conservation measures pushing back the horizon for any sort of area code relief. Of course, the NANPA NRUF projected exhaust dates do still show several area codes exhausting in 2004: IL-815, MS-601, IL-618, IN-812, KY-270, and IL-630, plus another 13 codes in 2005, and another 63 codes through the year 2009. The date at which the NANP runs out of 3-digit area codes has been projected as far out as 2025, to as soon as 2005 or 2006. The current landscape looks like probably at least 15 to 20 years from now. When we do go to longer numbers, though, there is talk of relaxing many of the restrictions on numbers, so that you might have a number like 2130-0xxx-xxxx. The Industry Numbering Committee (INC) is also intent on eliminating all vestiges of 1+ dialing; you will always dial the area code and number without the 1+ prefix, whether you are dialing the same or a different area code, and whether the call is local or toll (if that distinction still exists by then). For information on that angle, and some of the bizarre assumptions under which the INC is operating, check their web page: Items of interest include "D Digit Report" (plan to relax the restriction that the fourth digit of a NANP number be 2-9), and the two reports about NANP Expansion. ATIS = Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions CLC = Carrier Liaison Committee (defunct, but subcommittees remain) INC = Industry Numbering Committee NANC = North American Numbering Council NANP = N.A.N. Plan NANPA = NANP Administrator ------------------------------ From: lifeson@earthlink.net Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Organization: home Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 12:31:59 GMT A couple of years ago 951 was assigned to take over part of the 909 area code in Southern Calif in a split. I don't know what has occured recently with it. Is Western Riverside in Southern CA ?? On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 06:27:03 -0700, Larry G wrote: > About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area > code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? > Does anyone know if it's still a go? > Also, is anyone aware of any fundamental reorganization of the > numbering system before we run out of area codes altogether? At this > rate of area code growth, it's looking like that will happen sooner > rather than later. > Larry ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:06:59 -0500 Larry G wrote: > About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area > code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? > Does anyone know if it's still a go? I don't know, but according to my Verizon phonebook, a lot of splits/overlays in the SoCal area have been delayed. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 07:35:36 -0500 (CDT) From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: Future Area Code 951 in So.Cal; NANP "Exhaust"? Larry wrote: > About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area > code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? > Does anyone know if it's still a go? The California PUC ordered a "moratorium" on all new area codes within the state prior to the actual implementation of the 951 split from 909. There are still plans to implement this "if/when needed", and the Ca.PUC has had some hearings and investigations on the situation this past Summer, but I don't think that there are any formal/official dates for implementation as of yet. See the following sites for further info when available: http://www.nanpa.com/area_codes/ http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/industry/telco/area+code+info/index.htm http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/industry/telco/area+code+info/909areachange.htm > Also, is anyone aware of any fundamental reorganization of the > numbering system before we run out of area codes altogether? At this > rate of area code growth, it's looking like that will happen sooner > rather than later. Actually, with more porting of numbers now possible (including cellular/ wireless numbers later this year), initial assignments of numbering/code resources down to the "thousands" level of the -xxxx line-numbers instead of initial assignments of an entire NPA-NXX c.o.code (of all ten thousands), and with the change in the economy and overall oversaturation of "fly-by-night" telcos that happened over the past 2-3 years, there is actually a DOWNTURN in the number of area codes and other numbering/code resources requested. The NANPA has actually projected "exhaust" of the area code format further out, now in the 2030 to 2050 time-frame, which was the projection made back during 1990-95. So, *IF* the NANP format of ten-digits in the NXX-NXX-xxxx format is going to "exhaust", it is now back to *LATER* than sooner! :-) Last year (2002), there were only eight new area codes activated in the NANP, and all within the (continental) US -- nothing needed in Canada, the Caribbean, nor the Pacific. A year with only eight new area codes is actually *LESS* than the "max" year of the pre-1995 period, when 1957 had TEN new area codes. This year (2003), there are only THREE new area codes activated, all within the Republic of Texas, 430 overlaying 903 in northeastern TX in late April, and 915 in west Texas going into permissive dialing of a three-way split in early April (mandatory use of the two new codes in this 3-way split takes effect in early October). El Paso/etc. retained 915. The Midland/Odessa/etc. region in the "middle" of "old" 915 changes to 432. The Abilene/Sweetwater/etc. region in the northeastern part of "old" 915 as well as the GTE-VeriZon San Angelo region in the southeastern part of "old" 915 changes to 325. SO FAR, as of next year, the only "known" new area code to take effect is when American Samoa officially joins the NANP/DDD Network, when the numerics of its existing *country* code +684 becomes NANP *AREA* code 684, within our Country Code of +1. i.e., +684 becomes +1-684 This is to take effect in October 2004, with permissive/parallel type dialing possible until Spring 2005. It is also "possible" that 424 will split from the existing part of 310 in so.Cal, as well as "possible" that 951 will also split from the existing part of 909 also in So.Cal. But the Ca.PUC website will have the latest info on those decisions. In March 2005, it is also "possible" that 385 will split from the (discontiguous) northern and southern end suburbs of metro Salt Lake City UT (presently all area code 801), but that new 385 split from 801 was originally scheduled to take effect in Dec.2000 yet keeps getting postponed every year. It could also happen that the next projected date will be changed to later than 2005. Canada has three future area code overlays "in the works": 226 to overlay 519 in southern Ontario, presently planned for Feb.2005, yet this could be postponed YET AGAIN to a later date. 438 to overlay 514, Montreal PQ "itself", presently planned for Oct.2005, yet even this has been postponed several times in the past and is likely to be postponed yet again. And 613 in eastern ON (which includes Ottawa ON) is under relief planning, along with adjacent 819 in PQ (which includes Hull PQ across the river from Ottaw ON) could go into mandatory ten-digit local dialing to be consistant with 613 (when it goes into mandatory ten-digit dialing) since there are numerous local calling arrangements between various metro areas straddling 613/819 which presently still retain seven-digit local dialing. But the new code to overlay 613 hasn't been made public yet (343 is the guess that many of us have), nor have there been any "formal/official" dates for mandatory ten-digit dialing between Ottawa/Hull or any other cross-boundary local arrangements, nor for mandatory ten-digit local dialing *within* 613 or *within* 819, nor for the overlay (343?) to 613. Things are in a VERY slow period regarding new code assignments of ANY kind in numbering in North America, and possibly even elsewhere in the world. Projections of NANP "exhaust" (as I mentioned earlier) as well as individual area codes within the NANP, keep getting pushed further and further into the future according to various NPA/area code documentation at NANPA's website, see http://www.nanpa.com and related sub-pages at that site. Another site you might find of interest is the ATIS website, especially for the INC (Industry Numbering Committee) of ATIS, see: http://www.atis.org Mark J. Cuccia New Orleans LA USA mcuccia [at] tulane [dot] edu ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Numbering Formats From: Linc Madison Reply-To: Telecom@LincMad.com Organization: LincMad.com Consulting Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 06:29:38 GMT In article , Mike J. Wilcox wrote: > Where can I find numbering formats for different countries? It would > be helpful for allowing calls to certain areas of international > destinations. Depends on what you want to do, more specifically. * Allow/disallow calls to certain countries -- very easy. * Allow/disallow calls to different numbers in the same country -- extremely complicated in many instances. If you have the full international number, even if it's presented without spaces (e.g., 442072221234), it's trivial to parse out the country code. However, most countries have varying lengths to the city codes. For example, in the UK, London is 20, but Chester is 1244. In quite a few countries, the total number of digits may vary within a country or even within a city. There are even some cases where it can be very difficult to distinguish that similar numbers go to different cities. For example, it used to be that +52 3 XXX-XXXX was a number in Guadalajara, but +52 322 X-XXXX was in Puerto Vallarta. (The new numbering scheme now in full effect in Mexico has cleared out those ambiguities, with the Guadalajara number now +52 33 3XXX-XXXX and the Puerto Vallarta number now +52 322 22X-XXXX, but the point remains that it is insanely difficult to parse any arbitrary international number. I can't think of a current example of overlapping code ranges elsewhere, but I also can't say that there isn't one to be found.) Even just separating out the mobile ranges (which are often surcharged) is ridiculously complicated. Some countries make it relatively easy, like the UK and France with their +44 7 and +33 6 ranges, respectively, but other countries make it very difficult, like Brazil and Mexico with their mobile numbers interspersed with ordinary geographic numbers in the same area codes. Within Mexico, you have to dial a different prefix to call a mobile number, but calling from elsewhere you dial it just the same as a geographic number in the same area code. [Extreme trivia: all cellphones in the UK and France are in +44 7 and +33 6, but there are also other services in those ranges.] Of course, if you want to take into account all the variations, such as listing domestic numbers and international numbers in the format in which they are dialed from a particular country and figuring out how to dial a given number from a given location, you will find yourself up to your eyeballs in rules, exceptions, and exceptions to the exceptions. Oh, and of course, it's all subject to change without notice ... www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 13:53:22 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online -- Northeast Ohio On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:14:30 GMT, lifeson@earthlink.net wrote: > DID is confusing me. I know it can be configured on either 2-way or > 1-way (incoming). But the majority is in-bound only. > Here is where I need some basic info. Let's say a small company with > 100 employees, purchases 10 DID trunks for inbound-only. Now the > employees can be called directly without the caller having to first > reach an automated attendant. So I can see the need for DID ... BUT > not for inbound only. > But what about the employees calling out? I assume the company has to > buy out-bound trunks as well. But I can't find info on outbound only > trunks anywhere, and I read that 2-way trunks are used for outbound > calls. So the company would have to buy 2-way trunks. Now they have > DID inbound only trunks for incoming calls, and 2-way trunks for > outgoing calls. This is all true. You just don't publish the directory number or put the 2 way trunks in a hunt group. > Why not buy 2-way DID trunks exclusively? If they want DID, then why > buy one way, in-bound only DID? I do not understand -- is it cheaper? > I mean, if the incoming calls are via the DID, then they are not > handled by the 2-way trunks, and it seems they are wasting 50% of > those lines (the incoming call capability). First, not all telco's have or states tariff 2 Way DID and not all manufacturers make 2 way trunks. And, no, it is not cheap(er) to equip two sets of trunks (DID and 2 way) vs. 2 way DID. You may notice that not many companies buy DID at all when an auto-attendant on 2 way trunks will work. > Now, I realize that Call Centers usually have workers that just answer > calls all day and do not need to call out normally. At first I > thought that would be the reason for in-bound only DID trunks. But DID > allows you to directly call one station -- not needed for a Call > Center. Also, these places use Toll-Free, and even if they are not > TollFree, they don't need to have callers dial directly to any one > individual, which is what a DID will do. > Can someone explain why you might want to buy in-bound only DID trunks > instead of 2-way? Keep in mind that this technology is 30+ years old. In DID trunks YOU supply the Central Office battery. Thirty years ago, my C.O. was a stepper and there was -NO- DTMF. DID trunks were wink start pulse dial affairs that were just amazing stuff. The PBX that received the call was just as amazing (O.K. Leich crossbar and later Stromberg-Carlson new fangled Cross-Reed was pretty heady stuff). In that regulatory climate the operating companies saw a source of dual revenue and maybe didn't have technology to provide dual service on a trunk that the customer controlled. There are very strict rules on how a DID trunk performs (ie giving answer supervision, intercept and busy tone) and the phone company must have wanted to make sure that a customer didn't screw up the "network". See, some things don't change :-) Carl Navarro ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. 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See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #645 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Sep 14 15:24:55 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8EJOsl20712; Sun, 14 Sep 2003 15:24:55 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 15:24:55 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309141924.h8EJOsl20712@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #646 TELECOM Digest Sun, 14 Sep 2003 15:25:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 646 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter ORG Users to Benefit From Increased Speed of Service (Michael Ward) Local Number Portability Question (John R Levine) Re: Numbering Formats (Paul Coxwell) BigChampagne is Watching You (Monty Solomon) On Campuses, Handhelds Replacing Raised Hands (Monty Solomon) Re: Difference Between DNIS and ANI (desafinadonospam@hotmail.com) SBC Asks Appeals Court to Block New FCC Rules (Eric Friedebach) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Jeff Sutter) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Steven J Sobol) Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions (desafinadonospam@hotmail.com) Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions (lifeson@earthlink.net) Re: Elisha Gray (Don Parrish) Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise (Michael A. Covington) Embedded System for Detecting Call Phone Numbers (rajanish@softhome.net) Last Laugh! Funniest Phone Call of the Day (Michael A. Covington) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 13:48:51 -0400 From: Michael Ward Subject: ORG Users to Benefit From Increased Speed of Service PUBLIC INTEREST REGISTRY MEDIA ALERT Date: September 8, 2003 Contact: Julie Williams Phone: (703) 464-7005, x111 Cell: 703-402-6715 E-mail: JWilliams at pir.org .ORG USERS TO BENEFIT FROM INCREASED SPEED OF SERVICE New domain name registrations/modifications will be visible within minutes, a key benefit for organizations that rely on Internet visibility. Reston, VA - September 8, 2003 - The Public Interest Registry (PIR) today announced the implementation of a change that enables .ORG names to resolve through web browsers worldwide within 5 minutes, providing a speed enhancement that will significantly benefit .ORG users. This is possible because PIR has completed the final step in switching the publication of its zone file to Afilias Limited, its backend registry services provider. This change will enhance the speed of registration/modification-to-resolution of .ORG names to less than 5 minutes, from the previous average of 12-24 hours. "Today's announcement is another significant step in PIR's commitment to establish a new level of exemplary registry services for our .ORG users internationally. We are now the world's largest registry to offer registration/modification-to-resolution in less than five minutes. Previously this was an ordeal that took a minimum of 12 hours, often longer. While .ORG is unrestricted, the primary users of .ORG are the members of the non-commercial community. As our customers, the community deserves and will continue to receive leading edge technology and services from PIR," said Edward G. Viltz, PIR's President and CEO. The improved registration/modification-to-resolution time is one of many improvements PIR is making to the .ORG domain to better serve the noncommercial community and all .ORG domain holders. After a smooth transition of the database (with no disruption to customers) from the former registry operator to PIR in January of this year, PIR began the transition from a thin to a thick registry. This will provide .ORG users technical and operational advantages including central registry escrow benefits and centralized Whois information. Another recent improvement was the implementation of the Redemption Grace Period (RGP), which will give .ORG domain holders an additional 30 days to recover their domain name if it is deleted inadvertently. This additional safeguard will help prevent .ORG name holders from accidentally losing their names. PIR will continue to offer innovative new services in an effort to provide superior support and cutting-edge technology. PIR has also established a global Advisory Council of international leaders in education, policy, technology and the non-profit sector to ensure that PIR is aware of issues facing noncommercial organizations throughout the world. The Advisory Council is actively reviewing services to benefit .ORG users. PIR is also sponsoring a series of training seminars to help staff of global non-profit organizations learn how to effectively use the Internet to build community and attract philanthropic support online. Additionally, PIR is helping fund research on policy areas critical to noncommercial organizations. ABOUT .ORG The .ORG top-level domain has come to be associated with noncommercial activities. It is the Internet's third largest "generic" or non-country specific top-level domain (behind .COM and .NET), housing over 2.8 million domain names worldwide. The .ORG domain is an unrestricted domain, meaning that any entity or person may register a .ORG domain. PIR's mission is to promote the .ORG domain to noncommercial organizations throughout the world so that they may better use the Internet to outreach to their constituencies. Late last year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Board of Directors selected the Internet Society's Public Interest Registry proposal from among 11 organizations bidding to operate the .ORG top-level domain. PIR assumed control of the registry on January 1, 2003. ABOUT PIR Public Interest Registry (www.pir.org) is a not-for-profit corporation created by the Internet Society (ISOC) to manage the .ORG top-level domain. PIR's mission is to manage the .ORG domain in a manner that supports the continuing evolution of the Internet as a research, education and communications infrastructure, while educating and empowering the noncommercial community to most effectively utilize the Internet. PIR is based in Reston, Virginia. For additional information on PIR and the .ORG registry please visit www.pir.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Sep 2003 16:29:28 -0400 From: John R Levine Subject: Local Number Portability question I have a question about LNP to which nobody seems to know the answer. SO I hope someone here does. The way that LNP works in North America, when you call a portable number, the calling switch or incoming long distance carrier looks up the called number in a shared database to get its routing number. If the number hasn't been ported, the called number is the routing number. If the number has been ported, the routing number is a number assigned to the new switch. Either way, the call is then completed using the routing number to find the target switch, but using the original called number to determine who you're calling. If I port ten numbers to a new switch, all ten can have and probably will have the same routing number. The routing number does not affect billing at all, since billing is based only on the calling number and the L for Local in LNP means that porting doesn't change your rate center. The mystery question is whether the routing number has to be in the same rate center as the called number. It's very common for a CLEC to have one switch located down the hall from the ILEC's tandem, with prefixes assigned to it all over the LATA, but typically not in every single rate center. If the routing number has to be in the same rate center, you can only port numbers in rate centers where the CLEC has a prefix. If not, you can port numbers from anywhere in the LATA. If the routing number can be anywhere in the LATA, it could potentially save vast amounts of numbering space. In the common case that the CLEC is providing modem banks for ISPs and wants to provide local access all over the LATA, they need only set up one prefix somewhere in the LATA, then get a few ILEC numbers in each place where they want to provide local calling and port them. If it has to be in the same rate center, the CLEC has to get a prefix (or at least 1/10 of a prefix, with number pooling) in each rate center. Does anyone know which way it works? Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com Primary Perpetrator "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be http://iecc.com/johnl Sewer Commissioner "I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly. ------------------------------ From: PaulCoxwell@aol.com Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 17:22:56 EDT Subject: Re: Numbering Formats > If you have the full international number, even if it's presented > without spaces (e.g., 442072221234), it's trivial to parse out the > country code. However, most countries have varying lengths to the city > codes. For example, in the UK, London is 20, but Chester is 1244. In *TRIVIA: +44 20 7222-1234 will get you the recorded announcements for London Transport, giving information on works and delays on the capital's bus and subway systems. Take away the area code splits and changes ofd recent years and it's still the same number that has been in use for decades, listed originally as ABBey 1234. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 03:35:29 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: BigChampagne is Watching You In fact, they're tracking every download and selling the data to the music industry. How one company is turning file-sharing networks into the world's biggest focus group. By Jeff Howe Joe Fleischer twists restlessly in his Aeron chair and nods at the voice on the other end of the telephone. Tapping his fingers on his computer's mouse, he stares out the window of his Beverly Hills office at the new BMWs and battered Celicas inching down Wilshire Boulevard. "Uh-huh, uh-huh," he says. "Got it." Fleischer is talking to a client, an executive at one of the major labels who's working a band he's sure could go platinum, if only radio would give the group a chance. The band's first two albums earned it a fervent fan base, but to get bigger, its new single needs airplay, the all-important spark of sales. "Give me a story I can take to radio," the executive on the other end of the line tells him. Fleischer hangs up, turns to his computer, and clicks through an online database. On his screen, he can see in astonishing detail when, where, and what Internet users are sharing on peer-to-peer file-swapping services like Kazaa, Morpheus, and Grokster. He searches for cities where downloads of the band's single are outpacing its exposure on radio. He likes what he sees. In Atlanta, sharing of the group's new album is up more than 1,200 percent over the previous week; in Houston and New York, 300 percent. So Fleischer checks to see how much airplay the track is getting on alternative rock stations in those markets. Very little, it turns out - less than five spins per week in each city. "Jesus," he whispers. In Houston, "KTBZ only spun it once, and it still got into the top 15 downloads. This is hot." http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/fileshare.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 10:46:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: On Campuses, Handhelds Replacing Raised Hands By Jenna Russell, Globe Staff, 9/13/2003 AMHERST -- Hoping to make large classes more interactive, a growing number of professors on large campuses are requiring students to buy wireless, handheld transmitters that give teachers instant feedback on whether they understand the lesson -- or whether they're even there. Use of the $36 device has exploded this fall at the University of Massachusetts, where faculty say class sizes are creeping up following $80 million in systemwide budget cuts. Close to 6,000 of the 17,500 undergraduates on the Amherst campus are required to have transmitters in classes this fall, compared with fewer than 500 two years ago, said Richard Rogers, an economics professor and adviser to the provost on the classroom experience. To connect with students in vast auditoriums, professors sprinkle multiple-choice questions through their lectures. Students point and click their transmitters to answer, pushing blue buttons numbered 1 through 9 on their keypads. A bar graph appears on the professor's laptop, showing the number of right and wrong answers; teachers can slow down or backtrack when there are too many wrong answers. Each device is registered and assigned a number, so professors can check who is present, and reach out after class to those who give wrong answers frequently. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/09/13/on_campuses_handhelds_replacing_raised_hands/ ------------------------------ From: desafinadonospam@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Difference Between DNIS and ANI Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 07:08:05 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:31:19 -0500, wrote: > desafinadonospam@hotmail.com wrote on Wed, 10 Sep 2003 03:57:20 GMT > asking about Difference Between DNIS and ANI. >> Hi, >> Dialed Number Identification Service in terms of a DNIS string to >> identify multiple tollfree numbers riding/pointing to a voice T1 is >> something I understand. You use a DNIS string to identify each >> tollfree number. >> But Dialed Number Identification Service also implies that the >> Caller's number is sent along with DNIS string, correct? It's sent as >> a string such as "* ANI * DNIS" or "*DNIS*ANI" depending on which is >> sent first in a string sequence by the IXC. > ** Not correct. DNIS and ANI are individual services and can be had > independently. DNIS (associated with a T-1 trunk group) indicates which > toll free number the caller has dialed. ANI indicates the caller's > number. > Now is this what's referred to as DNIS delivering the caller's number (a > caller using a specific number assigned to a facility (e.g. trunk, POTS > line)? How does DNIS actually works in terms of sending the caller's > number? > ** DNIS does not send the caller's number, ANI does. > ** DNIS is a "free" feature. You pay for ANI delivery which is the > delivery of caller number in real time. NOTE: The caller's number is > provided with every toll free number when you receive your invoice. > Thanks. Thank you! ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: SBC Asks Appeals Court to Block New FCC Rules Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 10:11:46 -0500 Organization: Sponge Bob Wears Pants NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) - SBC Communications Inc. said on Friday it asked an appeals court to stop the Federal Communications Commission from enacting new unbundling rules the telecommunications regulator recently issued. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/12/rtr1080832.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: lurkeroo@yahoo.com (Jeff Sutter) Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Date: 13 Sep 2003 04:43:52 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Linc Madison wrote in message news:: > In article , Larry G > wrote: >> About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area >> code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? >> Does anyone know if it's still a go? > The proposal as it existed then, has been killed completely. The plan > was to split off part of 909 into 951, and then overlay the remaining > part of 909 with 752. However, the people of California let it be known > that having to dial 1+10D would be an unbearable burden, so all > overlays in California were cancelled. Dialing 1+10D for local calls is not simply a burden, its completely unnecessary, and a tad ridiculous. The good folks of 310 were exposed to this nonsense prior to the proposed 424 overlay/split, and we fought back. It was particularly funny to see the CPUC, state assembly, FCC, Congress, and industry all simultaneously disclaim responsibility and jurisdiction, while lamenting that "there is no time for an alternative to the overlay/split". Fortunately, there were some 'can do' politicos on the job, and three years later, we have our 7 digit dialing back, while industry is still playing the same tune. I'm perplexed why Linc would have us dial extra digits. You can implement a tech overlay without requiring 1+10D. ------------------------------ From: Steven J Sobol Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:43:12 -0500 lifeson@earthlink.net wrote: > A couple of years ago 951 was assigned to take over part of the 909 > area code in Southern Calif in a split. I don't know what has occured > recently with it. Is Western Riverside in Southern CA ?? Riverside is in SoCal. JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950 Steve Sobol, Proprietor 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net ------------------------------ From: desafinadonospam@hotmail.com Subject: Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 07:05:13 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 13:53:22 GMT, Carl Navarro wrote: > On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:14:30 GMT, lifeson@earthlink.net wrote: >> DID is confusing me. I know it can be configured on either 2-way or >> 1-way (incoming). But the majority is in-bound only. >> Here is where I need some basic info. Let's say a small company with >> 100 employees, purchases 10 DID trunks for inbound-only. Now the >> employees can be called directly without the caller having to first >> reach an automated attendant. So I can see the need for DID ... BUT >> not for inbound only. >> But what about the employees calling out? I assume the company has to >> buy out-bound trunks as well. But I can't find info on outbound only >> trunks anywhere, and I read that 2-way trunks are used for outbound >> calls. So the company would have to buy 2-way trunks. Now they have >> DID inbound only trunks for incoming calls, and 2-way trunks for >> outgoing calls. > This is all true. You just don't publish the directory number or put > the 2 way trunks in a hunt group. >> Why not buy 2-way DID trunks exclusively? If they want DID, then why >> buy one way, in-bound only DID? I do not understand -- is it cheaper? >> I mean, if the incoming calls are via the DID, then they are not >> handled by the 2-way trunks, and it seems they are wasting 50% of >> those lines (the incoming call capability). > First, not all telco's have or states tariff 2 Way DID and not all > manufacturers make 2 way trunks. Do you mean PBX manufacturer or carrier switch manufacturers like Nortel and Lucent? > And, no, it is not cheap(er) to equip two sets of trunks (DID and 2 > way) vs. 2 way DID. You may notice that not many companies buy DID > at all when an auto-attendant on 2 way trunks will work. Then how are the analog trunks configured? One DID inbound trunk handling the Directory number for inbound calls to that DN? I thought a DID trunk ( a true one) only handled inbound traffic only. You can have 5 let's say set up in a hunt group where a block of DID numbers are pointed to those 5 trunks. (Similar to current digital local voice T1 ckts). How do 2-way trunks work? I've heard that they can handle two-way traffic ( inbound & outbound) but can DID numbers point to them similar to a local voice T1 which may have a block of DID numbers pointing to a 24 trunk hunt group ( the entire T1's 24 trunks). Also, do you know anything about coded trunks? My understanding is that a "real" DID is assigned to an analog trunk. Other trunks in that hunt group has "fake" numbers or none at all. Tx! >> Now, I realize that Call Cent >> calls all day and do not need to call out normally. At first I >> thought that would be the reason for in-bound only DID trunks. But DID >> allows you to directly call one station -- not needed for a Call >> Center. Also, these places use Toll-Free, and even if they are not >> TollFree, they don't need to have callers dial directly to any one >> individual, which is what a DID will do. >> Can someone explain why you might want to buy in-bound only DID trunks >> instead of 2-way? > Keep in mind that this technology is 30+ years old. In DID trunks YOU > supply the Central Office battery. Thirty years ago, my C.O. was a > stepper and there was -NO- DTMF. DID trunks were wink start pulse dial > affairs that were just amazing stuff. The PBX that received the call > was just as amazing (O.K. Leich crossbar and later Stromberg-Carlson > new fangled Cross-Reed was pretty heady stuff). > In that regulatory climate the operating companies saw a source of > dual revenue and maybe didn't have technology to provide dual service > on a trunk that the customer controlled. There are very strict rules > on how a DID trunk performs (ie giving answer supervision, intercept > and busy tone) and the phone company must have wanted to make sure > that a customer didn't screw up the "network". > See, some things don't change :-) > Carl Navarro ------------------------------ From: lifeson@earthlink.net Subject: Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 16:37:28 GMT Thanks ... good info. As far as those crossbars ... I saw them in an old video. They look like something out of the Flintstones, hehe. On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 13:53:22 GMT, Carl Navarro wrote: > On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:14:30 GMT, lifeson@earthlink.net wrote: >> DID is confusing me. I know it can be configured on either 2-way or >> 1-way (incoming). But the majority is in-bound only. >> Here is where I need some basic info. Let's say a small company with >> 100 employees, purchases 10 DID trunks for inbound-only. Now the >> employees can be called directly without the caller having to first >> reach an automated attendant. So I can see the need for DID ... BUT >> not for inbound only. >> But what about the employees calling out? I assume the company has to >> buy out-bound trunks as well. But I can't find info on outbound only >> trunks anywhere, and I read that 2-way trunks are used for outbound >> calls. So the company would have to buy 2-way trunks. Now they have >> DID inbound only trunks for incoming calls, and 2-way trunks for >> outgoing calls. > This is all true. You just don't publish the directory number or put > the 2 way trunks in a hunt group. >> Why not buy 2-way DID trunks exclusively? If they want DID, then why >> buy one way, in-bound only DID? I do not understand -- is it cheaper? >> I mean, if the incoming calls are via the DID, then they are not >> handled by the 2-way trunks, and it seems they are wasting 50% of >> those lines (the incoming call capability). > First, not all telco's have or states tariff 2 Way DID and not all > manufacturers make 2 way trunks. And, no, it is not cheap(er) to > equip two sets of trunks (DID and 2 way) vs. 2 way DID. You may > notice that not many companies buy DID at all when an auto-attendant > on 2 way trunks will work. >> Now, I realize that Call Centers usually have workers that just answer >> calls all day and do not need to call out normally. At first I >> thought that would be the reason for in-bound only DID trunks. But DID >> allows you to directly call one station -- not needed for a Call >> Center. Also, these places use Toll-Free, and even if they are not >> TollFree, they don't need to have callers dial directly to any one >> individual, which is what a DID will do. >> Can someone explain why you might want to buy in-bound only DID trunks >> instead of 2-way? > Keep in mind that this technology is 30+ years old. In DID trunks YOU > supply the Central Office battery. Thirty years ago, my C.O. was a > stepper and there was -NO- DTMF. DID trunks were wink start pulse dial > affairs that were just amazing stuff. The PBX that received the call > was just as amazing (O.K. Leich crossbar and later Stromberg-Carlson > new fangled Cross-Reed was pretty heady stuff). > In that regulatory climate the operating companies saw a source of > dual revenue and maybe didn't have technology to provide dual service > on a trunk that the customer controlled. There are very strict rules > on how a DID trunk performs (ie giving answer supervision, intercept > and busy tone) and the phone company must have wanted to make sure > that a customer didn't screw up the "network". > See, some things don't change :-) > Carl Navarro ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:17:18 -0500 Subject: Re: Elisha Gray From: Don Parrish Dear Pat, Thanks for your follow thru. It is nice to see the link to Elisha Gray's grave on your site. I also noticed that Google has discovered both my site and my letter to you on your site when you do a search for "grave of Elisha Gray". Well we were lucky this year in Chicago weatherwise, while you, France, Germany, etc were setting heat records, we had a very mild summer. I just got back from a trip to Germany where I was Best Man in a wedding and a trip to Texas for my father's 89th birthday. Next week I'm off on a trip to Russia and the Baltics. Normally I don't travel at quite this rate! Thanks again for your efforts on behalf people trying to locate the grave of Elisha Gray. Nice working with you. Best wishes, Don P.S. I'm a friend of Bob Colby who gave me your website address. on 8/17/03 3:36 PM, TELECOM Digest Editor at ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu wrote: > Well happy holiday or whatever until September when you return. No > vacation time here, but very sluggish in the heat of southeastern > Kansas which has been in excess of 100 degrees for the past two > weeks. For example, right now 105 degrees at 3:30 PM, yesterday > 110 degrees at 2 PM. Air conditioning works but has to strain > a lot. > I am going to work on getting the link to Elisha Gray installed > today, and thanks very much for the heads up on it. > PAT [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I printed this letter because I wanted all of you to know about the new link on our website for anyone who is interested in seeing the burial place of Elisa Gray and reading other interesting biographical facts about the man who was 'one of the inventors' of the telephone and who was intimatly involved in the founding of Graybar Electric Company. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Michael A. Covington Subject: Re: Help -- Phone Rings Only Once Then Noise Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 11:54:36 -0400 Claude J Ortega wrote in message news:telecom22.633.8@telecom-digest.org: > In article , jad@ucla.edu says: >> I have a problem with my newly installed phone line. When someone >> calls the number from outside, there is only one ring and then noise. >> On the phone side, the phone only rings once. If someone picks it up, >> it still connects. The phone company tested the line and said it's not >> their problem. I tried with different phones and no phone connected >> and the problem is still there. I suspect it's the wiring inside the >> wall but I don't where to start or how to test it. Can someone help >> please? > I had a similar problem recently. The lineman checked and replaced the > lightning arrester gadgets in the demark. They had developed a low > resistance short. Electrically, that makes sense --- the high voltage that rings your bell also causes the lightning arrester to start conducting, and in a few seconds the exchange thinks you've answered, whether you have or not. ------------------------------ From: rajanish@softhome.net Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 23:19:00 -0600 Subject: Embedded System for Detecting Cellphone Numbers Hi! I am interested in developing a embedded system for detecting cellphone number of a person. When the system is vicinity of the person it should detect the cellphone number he has been using (i.e. when he is dialing a number with that cellphone). I would like to know whether such a readymade system is available. If yes, then the manufacturer and cost. If no, what kind of electronic circuits are required. Regards, Rajanish Email: rajanish@softhome.net ------------------------------ From: Michael A. Covington Subject: Last Laugh! Funniest Phone Call of the Day Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 11:50:33 -0400 This actually happened to me at 7:30 this morning, which is rather early to get up for Sunday School (which is at 9:45 at most churches around here): (Phone rings) "Hello?" "Mannie?" "Ma'am, what number are you trying to reach?" "Mannie, y'all get up now, cause y'all are goin' to Sunday School, okay, sweetie?" "Ma'am, I am not your sweetie. You have a wrong number!" "Okay, sweetie, see you soon!" (Caller ID traced it to the University of Georgia's exchange; presumably it was a night-shift worker about to head home to her children.) I just hope she didn't get too angry at Mannie! ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. 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TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #646 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Sep 14 23:23:01 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8F3N0t23202; Sun, 14 Sep 2003 23:23:01 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 23:23:01 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309150323.h8F3N0t23202@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #647 TELECOM Digest Sun, 14 Sep 2003 23:23:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 647 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter 11 Days of Sheer Terror: Cellphone Bomb Threat Diary (Marcus Jervis) Re: Local Number Portability Question (Michael A. Desmon) Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? (AES/newspost) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Steven Lichter) New Password for NT Times Readers (TELECOM Digest Editor) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Marcus Jervis Subject: 11 Days of Sheer Terror: Cellphone Bomb Threat Diary Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:45:07 +0000 http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/6767156.htm Sun, Sep. 14, 2003 The Macon Telegraph Macon, GA Bomb threat diary: Caller left wake of terror By Liz Fabian and Sharon E. Crawford Telegraph Staff Writers One federal investigator called it "11 days of sheer terror." Bomb threats hardly strike fear in the hearts of veteran law enforcement officers. But the caller who taunted Macon police for 11 days, making more than 180 calls, was different: A computer-generated voice threatened the mayor, toyed with the police chief and vowed to kill one prominent officer. While most Macon residents went about their business, the caller vowed to poison food, leave bodies scattered in the woods and blow up much of this "city of sin." He demanded money for himself, told police to distribute $25,000 to the people of the city and asked for $125,000 for the Salvation Army. But he also told one store employee: "You're going to die today." Investigators walked a fine line between gathering information about the caller and goading him into action. Officers wrestled with how much to tell the public. Police believe the case concluded Thursday, with the arrest of Eddie Milton Garey Jr. on three federal charges. Interviews with investigators, incident reports and an affidavit of facts filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Macon show how the threats grew from a seemingly random threat to one store into a case that involved dozens of investigators and disrupted much of the city. Day 1 - Sept. 1 On the night of Labor Day, a caller rings Wal-Mart on Gray Highway warning everyone to leave the store. "You have one hour to clear the area," the caller said. "I'm going to blow it up." Shoppers and employees evacuated while members of the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department searched the building. They found nothing. The employee who answered the call described the caller as a white male between 20 and 40 years of age. It was only later that investigators realized the caller may have been trying for hours to get someone to take the threat seriously: Phone records revealed similar calls made around noon. Day 2 - Sept. 2 At about 5 p.m., a computerized-voice threat came into the customer service desk at Colonial Mall Macon. While officers checked for a bomb, a second call came in. "I am also a sharpshooter," the caller said. "I can hit anyone up to a mile away. I can see everything you are doing through your security cameras." The third call threatened a "show of force." He called Macon "a city of sin" and referred to a biblical passage, Romans 1:1. He said he was associated with the Ku Klux Klan. A police officer who heard one of the 21 calls that day described the caller as a white male in his mid-20s. A call to 911 threatened that the caller had placed a bomb near City Hall and the mall, but police would have to figure out which one was real. No device was found at either location. But police launched an active investigation, questioning an employee at a mall store whether anyone had purchased a voice-disguising gadget. Day 3 - Sept. 3 By now, federal and state investigators are brought in and form a task force with local authorities: Two suspicious devices were found, stopping railroad travel through the city. The calls started coming to the 911 center shortly after 10 a.m., taunting dispatchers with talk of a bomb at the corner of Ash and Shamrock streets. Police went there, but found no device. The caller kept calling and used a racial slur against Mayor Jack Ellis, adding, "When I walk through the unemployment line to get food stamps, Jack Ellis will be with me." Hours later, Bibb County sheriff's investigators searched the area at the end of Shamrock Street and found a package that sheriff's Capt. Mike Smallwood said "looked like the real deal." An agitated-looking Chief Rodney Monroe arrived and ordered officers and reporters to move back a safe distance. Police Lt. Jimmy Barbee was one of about three dozen officers who waited around for several hours and watched as the bomb squad blasted the suspicious package. There was no explosion. "All this for a false alarm," Barbee said casually. But, he said later, that was when he realized the gravity of the situation. "It was a dud, but that didn't mean he didn't have the capability to load that sucker up with something," Barbee said. While they were waiting, other calls came into the 911 center. The caller claimed he was watching the Shamrock Street scene and knew what was going on. Officers searched the neighborhood looking for suspicious-looking people, but found none. Police Maj. David Matthews called out, "There's been another threat at Fox 24." Several investigators quickly took off in their patrol cars. Officers listened to 911 tapes in which the caller claimed to have "hundreds of warheads," and threatened to use them "if demands are not met." By this time, the caller had also demanded sheriff's officials give out $25,000 to the public on the steps of the Bibb County Courthouse. Later that night, the threats escalated with the report of another device and dead bodies in the woods at the Bank of America on Pio Nono Avenue. At the stroke of midnight, officers kept vigil at the bank where a package was left in the parking lot. Sheriff's Maj. David Montford had spent his entire 51st birthday tracking the caller. He was now beginning his 30th anniversary of joining the Bibb sheriff's department waiting for a helicopter to arrive at the bank. After robots determined the device was harmless, Sheriff Jerry Modena, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a rifle, led officers on a march into the woods to search for victims or the caller. No one was found. But the caller was beginning to talk more and stay on the phone longer. Agents, working around the clock, had sent serial numbers from the two devices off to be traced and were waiting for the calls to come in. They wouldn't have to wait long. Less than a minute after midnight, the caller phoned into Emergency 911 and talked to law enforcement for 24 minutes. Monroe debated whether to make public the description of the "military artillery type of devices" recovered. "He's shown some indications he likes the publicity," Monroe said. Day 4 - Sept. 4 The caller gave task force members most of the day off before calling in at 5:21 p.m. He called three more times before making a bomb threat at Best Buy, saying "there are bombs in the building and across the city." "What happens next is up to you," the caller said. The store employee hung up, and the caller rang again. "You're going to die today," the caller told her. The woman hung up the phone. The caller called back 10 minutes later. "There are bombs inside the store and across the city," the caller said again. By this time, the call was transferred to the store manager, who described an "automated and recorded" voice that demanded $75,000 and made references to the Bible and "points of light." After everyone had evacuated Best Buy, a bomb threat was called in to the nearby Target. Away from the cameras officers discussed keeping a bomb-sniffing dog on standby and doing a risk assessment for weapons of mass destruction. Monroe tried to keep the mood light as he flipped a coin with his high-ranking officers to determine who would brief the media. Despite the outcome, the chief faced reporters himself. Day 5 - Sept. 5 Now, members of the task force met throughout the day to discuss possible suspects. Tips from the public were not coming in, and investigators talked about the possibility the suspect may be one of their own. They learned the two devices found earlier this week were both harmless, 40 mm artillery shells, wrapped in black plastic and held together with a rubber bands. Inside the devices are metal objects that could easily turn into shrapnel. The caller has been busy, making calls to 911 since shortly after midnight. He threatened that it would be his last call to them. "The citizens will ..." he said before hanging up. Within a minute, he called three Bibb County residents, saying there was a bomb in or around their homes that would detonate within 24 hours. At the beginning of the calls, he identified himself as Chief Monroe or McGruff the Crime Dog. One man, thinking it was a prank, hung up twice. After reading about the bomb threats in the newspaper the next morning, the man called the sheriff's department. The caller had better luck at two Waffle Houses in Bibb County, the Waffle House and Wal-Mart in Forsyth, and the Holiday Inn on Habersham Road. Everyone described the caller as a white male, but some couldn't detect if the voice was computerized. All of those calls were made before 8 a.m. The next threat was not until 7:12 p.m., to 13 WMAZ. The caller said a tape in the building contained C-4, a military explosive. The building is evacuated, but nothing was found. Fifteen minutes later, the caller struck again: He told the Kroger on Pio Nono Avenue that there was a cyanide container in a blue package inside the store. "Pop, pop," the caller said. "(The emergency room) will be overflowed with injury." Police Maj. Matthews said he watched a mother scoop up her baby and run out of the grocery store. "That made me think, 'Does this guy know what he's doing to people?' " Matthews said. Five minutes later, the caller phoned The Medical Center of Central Georgia's police department warning of incoming casualties from Kroger. The store was cleared and again, nothing was found. Just after 11 p.m., the caller tells 911 he's going to kill officer Robert Eley. The CrimeStoppers director said his parents and daughters were worried. His friends were afraid to visit. "I was more than ready for him," Eley said. "I took tons of precautions and informed my neighbors." Days 6 through 8 - Sept. 6-8 As if he could feel the anxiety in the air, the caller suddenly stopped. "He's definitely changed his pattern," said police spokeswoman Melanie Hofmann. Two calls came in shortly after midnight on Sept. 6, when the caller talked to a Macon police officer. Other than that, nothing. The silence made law enforcement wonder if they had scared the caller into giving up his efforts. By this time, task force members had determined the calls were coming in from multiple cellular phone numbers, using some sort of computerized device. They had listened to calls when the person on the other end of the line seemed to be typing into a keyboard. They were looking at a few suspects, but were determined not to rule anyone out, even officers. Day 9 - Sept. 9 The caller came back with a vengeance. Once again, he called 911 just after midnight, and talked about Fox 24 coverage of the recent bomb threats. "Now it appears Fox 24 has not learned anything at all about teaching us how to break the law, to wit: bomb making" he said. "You got it buddy. Today, they showed our kids how to rig timing devices." He mentioned an abandoned car on the southbound Interstate 75 exit ramp to Hardeman Avenue. "Tell me why that car has been sitting open on I-75 at Exit 164, 163 southbound," he said. Police and fire crews rushed to the scene to find the vehicle parked underneath the walking bridge across I-75. Shortly after 3 a.m., they closed the southbound lanes of I-75 and brought in a bomb-sniffing dog. Meanwhile, the calls kept coming into E-911. Before 6 a.m., all of southbound lanes of I-75 through Macon were open. The car was removed and police found it was not connected to the case, other than being an object of distraction. By this time, Macon Regional CrimeStoppers had offered a $3,000 reward to the person whose tip led to the caller's arrest. But no tips were coming in. Day 10 - Sept. 10 Three calls came in through the same cellular tower on Bloomfield Road. This time he quoted Scripture as investigators tried to zero in on his location. Keep him talking, officers thought. "Give them enough rope, in this case phone line, and they'll hang themselves," said police Lt. Barbee. The CrimeStoppers reward hit $5,000. Day 11 - Sept. 11 In a 9:24 a.m. call to 911, the caller tried his hand at riddles. "What's black and white and red all over?", the Macon Telegraph. "Bleach and ammonia don't mix, and it has a switch," he said next. Telegraph workers stopped what they were doing and left the building. Again nothing was found. The next call, shortly after 10 a.m., ordered $125,000 be delivered to the Salvation Army. Technicians with the FBI determined the calls came from mobile phones being used without the owners' knowledge, prepaid phones and old phones long since disconnected from a service provider -- but still able to call 911. A log of all the calls revealed repeat numbers. The task force obtained court orders authorizing the use of high-tech devices to trace the signal when calls were made from those numbers. When the next call came in at 10:52 a.m., the man demanded $50 million. Officers hit the jackpot and determined the call came from 2832 Barrett Ave. in south Macon's Bloomfield area. Armed with a search warrant, officers lay in wait for the next call. At 2:21 p.m., another computerized call came in to the 911 Center. With the caller on the line, the SWAT team broke down the door and charged in. Police say they found Garey lying naked in a prone position in his bedroom. The 911 center advised them that the call had ended. "We had no problems making entry. There was no resistance. He obeyed our commands. It went a lot easier than we thought it would be," said Lt. Wayne Shepherd, SWAT team commander. Cindy Allard, the FBI's lead investigator on the task force, called it "11 days of sheer terror ..., but it all came to a safe, nonviolent conclusion." Bomb threats are not unusual, she said, but it is unique for someone to make so many calls over such a long period. Once Garey was taken away, a pack of smiling officers began gathering computers, cell phones and what could be bomb-making components from the home. With his trademark grin back, Chief Monroe said, "There's no better feeling." ------------------ *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------- [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The poor guy ... I wonder what possessed him to act out like that? I wonder if they have, or are going to take him to the insane asylum? What a sick puppy! PAT] ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Michael A. Desmon Subject: Re: Local Number Portability question Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:14:14 -0400 John R. Levine wrote: > The mystery question is whether the routing number has to be in the > same rate center as the called number. It's very common for a CLEC to > have one switch located down the hall from the ILEC's tandem, with > prefixes assigned to it all over the LATA, but typically not in every > single rate center. If the routing number has to be in the same rate > center, you can only port numbers in rate centers where the CLEC has a > prefix. If not, you can port numbers from anywhere in the LATA. > If the routing number can be anywhere in the LATA, it could > potentially save vast amounts of numbering space. In the common case > that the CLEC is providing modem banks for ISPs and wants to provide > local access all over the LATA, they need only set up one prefix > somewhere in the LATA, then get a few ILEC numbers in each place where > they want to provide local calling and port them. If it has to be in > the same rate center, the CLEC has to get a prefix (or at least 1/10 > of a prefix, with number pooling) in each rate center. > Does anyone know which way it works? I've been working on LNP for a couple years now and I can help with some of this. The LNP databases are maintained by Neustar. Most of the larger service providers maintain their own databases that receive regular updates from Neustar. Smaller companies, like the one I work for contract with service providers like SBC or Illuminet for LNP database dips. We also have dial-up access to Neustar's Midwest Region NPAC for our porting orders, when we're porting numbers from a different service provider. We also have to send a Local Service Request (LSR) directly to the service provider, so that due dates, etc. can be agreed upon. I also had to load all of our exchanges into the NPAC. The routing number you're referring to is known as the LRN, or Location Routing Number, which is a ten digit number consisting of the area code, exchange (which has to belong to the service provider) and four digits the service provider chooses. The LRN does not have to be in the same rate center as a number that a service provider is porting and numbers can be ported from any rate center that the CLEC chooses, as long as they have at least one LRN in that LATA. The CLEC that I work for in Michigan has one LRN per LATA but other CLECs I'm familiar with have multiple LRNs. I guess it just depends how difficult they want to make things for themselves. For example, I ported a number from SBC 248-851-XXXX to our switch. The rate center is West Bloomfield and we don't have an exchange there. When an SBC caller dials that number, the originating switch first determines whether 248-851 is marked as portable, which it is. The switch then does a database dip to determine the LRN, which in this case is 248-724-0099, which is our LRN for LATA 340. The call is then routed to us via FG-D or EOI trunks. If a caller dials one of our ported numbers in Saginaw (LATA 344), for example, the LRN 989-596-0099 is returned, the call is routed to us via our FGD or EOI trunks, and backhauled back to the switch in Southfield on our fiber. There are some interesting problems that pop up at times. We were assigned several thousand blocks throughout the state earlier this year. One of these blocks in southeastern Michigan was carved from an exchange that formerly belonged to Level3, before number pooling began. Focal Communications was routing calls directly to Level3, instead of doing an LRN lookup, finding the numbers belonged to us and routing them thru the Wayne tandem. Level3 was then forced to do the LNP lookups (incurring charges for the database dips) and send the calls to us thru Wayne. I received a call from one of the LNP administrators at Level3 who was complaining to me about the "large volume of LNP lookups" they were having to do, which was costing them money, and that I had to call Focal and clear it up. I told Level3 that I have no control over how Focal routes their calls and they need to be calling them and not me. This so called LNP Specialist had no idea how LNP worked and I ended up giving her an LNP tutorial. I'm assuming they got the problem cleared up because I haven't heard from her since. We don't have direct trunks to most CLECs and other service providers. When we're sending a call to a Comcast subscriber, for example, we take the dialed number and LRN and dump the call to the appropriate SBC tandem. SBC then looks at the LRN, sees that it belongs to Comcast and sends the call to one of Comcast's trunk groups. The cost to us includes a charge for the database dip, a tandem transit access fee and recip comp to Comcast, or whoever the service provider happens to be. As for the necessity of getting exchanges in every different rate center, thanks to local number portability that's not always necessary. We have several ISP customers that had dial up numbers all over the state. All we had to do was send an LSR to their old service providers, enter the numbers in the NPAC, and activate the numbers in the NPAC and in our switch on the designated due date. It doesn't matter if we don't have exchanges in those rate centers. As long as we have an active LRN in that LATA, we can port numbers from any rate center (as long as it's marked as portable in the LERG). Some websites that have some LNP info are www.npac.com, which is maintained by Neustar and www.ported.com. Hopefully that made sense. There is a little more to it than that and if anyone is interested, I would be happy to add to it. ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 17:39:42 -0700 Anyone have experience with or comments on the Habeas Warranty Mark system for authenticating email? http://www.habeas.com/report/ Encountered it for the first time today. ------------------------------ From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? >> Linc Madison wrote in message >> news:: > In article , Larry G > wrote: >> About three years ago, Western Riverside County was to get a new area >> code, 951, but this was delayed. Whatever happened to the proposal? >> Does anyone know if it's still a go? Meetings again were held all over Riverside and San Bernardino Counties again a month or so ago; with a host of options. They got an earfull. That prompted the PUC to cut the number that the companies can hold in reserve and get at a time when they need them. This is supposed to extend the life of the 909 area code. 30 plus years with a telephone company and I still don't understand. If the NPAs had not been extended out of the country we would have had more then enough area codes and when cellular was first on scence they should have been put into their own area codes; but then I guess no one thought it would catch on like it did. IMTS never did, at least not on the West Coast. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. The only good spammer is a dead one!!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot In Hell Company. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:43:45 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: New Password for NT Times Readers Some bozo went and changed the password for our group account when reading the NY Times without telling anyone *what* the 'new' password was. So I had to create a new account and password so it would work again. New York Times on line group user name is now telecomdigest9 and password is telecomdigest9. Note the only difference is the addition of '9' to the user name and password. The old user name is still active; the computer would not give it back to me. PAT ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #647 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 15 13:23:52 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8FHNqd27634; Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:23:52 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:23:52 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309151723.h8FHNqd27634@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #648 TELECOM Digest Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:24:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 648 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Telecom Update (Canada) #399, September 15, 2003 (Angus TeleManagement) Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions (Gawain) Wi-Fi Whistle Blower Faces Criminal Charges (Monty Solomon) Terror Law Nabs Common Criminals (Monty Solomon) Radio Tag Debut Set for This Week (Monty Solomon) Change of Username/Password for NY Times Readers (TELECOM Digest Editor) Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? (Tom Betz) Re: Local Number Portability Question (Stanley Cline) SMS Standard (rounner) Private Video Transmission (Dan McKeon) Re: Software for Interfacing w/DMS500 (Dave B.) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 10:18:36 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #399, September 15, 2003 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 399: September 15, 2003 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Supreme Court Won't Hear Ledcor Appeal ** ... Or Videotron Appeal ** 3Com to End Manufacturing, Lay Off 1,000 ** Telus Gets National Video Licence ** Sprint Intros Wireless Bundle ** Another Security Flaw in Windows ** Mitel Lays Off 50 ** Single Number Reach Approved ** Bell to Expand Western Research ** Caisse Sells TIW Stake ** SaskTel MDU Tariff Approved ** Sight Impaired Get Free Call Completion ** Shaw Buys Part of Monarch Cable ** Telecom Executives on the Move ** How to Cut Telecom Bills Safely ============================================================ SUPREME COURT WON'T HEAR LEDCOR APPEAL: The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities against the CRTC's "Ledcor Decision" that restricted the municipalities' ability to charge carriers for using rights-of-way. (See Telecom Update #268, #354, #363, #374) ** FCM says Parliament should now intervene to give cities "full authority to manage their public lands." ... OR VIDEOTRON APPEAL: The Supreme Court has also declined to hear Videotron's appeal of a CRTC ruling that limits the rates it can charge to competitors who use its cable in apartment buildings. (See Telecom Update #371) 3COM TO END MANUFACTURING, LAY OFF 1,000: 3Com Corp. will outsource all manufacturing operations to two Singapore-based companies and lay off 1,000 people worldwide this year. TELUS GETS NATIONAL VOD LICENCE: CRTC Broadcasting Decision 2003-453 grants Telus Communications a licence to offer a national video-on-demand service largely composed of feature films. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-453.htm SPRINT INTROS WIRELESS BUNDLE: As predicted in Telecom Update last week, Sprint Canada has introduced a wireless/wireline bundle for residential customers. The deal provides Fido wireless service and Sprint home phone service for $44.95 or $64.95 a month, depending on the wireless plan selected. All charges will appear on the customer's Sprint bill. ** Sprint has also launched a new consumer awareness program, under the slogan "Red is Smarter." ANOTHER SECURITY FLAW IN WINDOWS: Microsoft says it has found another "critical flaw" in Windows, similar to the one that was exploited by the Blaster Worm in August. A patch is available at www.microsoft.com. MITEL LAYS OFF 50: Mitel Networks has laid off 50 people from its operations in Ottawa. This is the latest of many cuts that have reduced the total staff to 950, down 30% from the number employed when Terry Matthews bought the company in 2000. SINGLE NUMBER REACH APPROVED: CRTC Telecom Order 2003-365 approves Bell Canada's tariff for Single Number Reach, a service that allows subscribers to redirect incoming calls as they move from place to place. The Commission has not yet ruled on a related Bell proposal to stop offering a similar service, PrimeLine Executive, and to migrate its users to SNR. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-365.htm BELL TO EXPAND WESTERN RESEARCH: Bell Canada says it will invest $5 million over the next five years to expand the Bell University Labs program in B.C. and Alberta. The recipients have not been named. CAISSE SELLS TIW STAKE: Quebec's Caisse de depot has hired BMO Nesbitt Burns to sell its 14% share of Telesystem International Wireless, for $82.9 million. SASKTEL MDU TARIFF APPROVED: CRTC Telecom Order 2003-373 approves SaskTel's tariff revisions implementing the new rules for competitive access to wiring in multi-tenant buildings. (See Telecom Update #390) ** Call-Net and Allstream told the Commission that SaskTel's tariff should be used as a model for other incumbent telcos' tariffs. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2003/o2003-373.htm SIGHT IMPAIRED GET FREE CALL COMPLETION: CRTC Telecom Decision 2003-61 approves an application by Advocates for Sight-Impaired Consumers to exempt blind and visually impaired customers from the 35 cent charge that applies when Telus's Directory Assistance system connects a call to a requested number. Telus supported the application. ** SaskTel and MTS already allow such an exemption; the CRTC has directed Bell and Thunder Bay Tel to show why they should not be required to do so as well. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/dt2003-61.htm SHAW BUYS PART OF MONARCH CABLE: Shaw Communications has agreed to pay $90 million for assets of Monarch Cablesystems that will give Shaw 35,000 additional subscribers in Alberta and B.C. Monarch retains a B.C. cablesystem and an Alberta fibre network. TELECOM EXECUTVES ON THE MOVE: Last week saw several important executive appointments: ** Tal Bevan, former President of Business Operations at Group Telecom, has joined Allstream as Executive VP, Sales. ** Clarence Chandran, who resigned as COO of Nortel Networks in March 2001, has been named President of the Business Process Services division of CGI Group. ** Peter Daniel, who has been Senior VP at the Canadian International Development Agency, will become EVP Communications at BCE on October 6. ** James Parm has been named the new President and CEO of Stratos Global. He was head of Shell Offshore Service, a company acquired by Stratos in 2000. HOW TO CUT TELECOM BILLS SAFELY: The afternoon session of the Angus fall Telecom Briefing focuses on Telecom Cost Control: Reducing Your Bills Without Sacrificing Service. Presentations include: ** John Riddell: The Telecom Cost Crisis ** Michael Dunne: How to Audit Bills Effectively ** Henry Dortmans: Tested Techniques for Cost Control & Optimization This hard-hitting program will be offered once only, in Toronto, on October 15. Space is limited, so to guarantee that a seat is reserved for you -- download the Briefing Announcement and register today. www.angustel.ca/Angus-Briefing-2003.pdf ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2003 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Reply-To: Gawain From: Gawain Subject: Re: DID (Direct Inward Dial) Questions Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 02:48:44 GMT wrote in message news:telecom22.644.9@telecom-digest.org: > DID is confusing me. I know it can be configured on either 2-way or > 1-way (incoming). But the majority is in-bound only. > Here is where I need some basic info. Let's say a small company with > 100 employees, purchases 10 DID trunks for inbound-only. Now the > employees can be called directly without the caller having to first > reach an automated attendant. So I can see the need for DID ... BUT > not for inbound only. > But what about the employees calling out? I assume the company has to > buy out-bound trunks as well. But I can't find info on outbound only > trunks anywhere, and I read that 2-way trunks are used for outbound > calls. So the company would have to buy 2-way trunks. Now they have > DID inbound only trunks for incoming calls, and 2-way trunks for > outgoing calls. > Why not buy 2-way DID trunks exclusively? If they want DID, then why > buy one way, in-bound only DID? I do not understand -- is it cheaper? > I mean, if the incoming calls are via the DID, then they are not > handled by the 2-way trunks, and it seems they are wasting 50% of > those lines (the incoming call capability). > Now, I realize that Call Centers usually have workers that just answer > calls all day and do not need to call out normally. At first I > thought that would be the reason for in-bound only DID trunks. But DID > allows you to directly call one station -- not needed for a Call > Center. Also, these places use Toll-Free, and even if they are not > TollFree, they don't need to have callers dial directly to any one > individual, which is what a DID will do. > Can someone explain why you might want to buy in-bound only DID trunks > instead of 2-way? TIA In some markets, DIOD is not tariffed, or PRI is not available in sub-23B channel configs. Perhaps a company's PBX or KSU cannot accept a T1 which many DIOD type services ride on. A company with 50 employees can be easily served by 50 DID numbers, and 5 to 7 DID trunks and 5 to 7 DOD/Analog trunks. It's really a business decision. Two-way circuits could be saturated by outbound calls, preventing inbound contact by customers etc. Most call-centers will use dedicated inbound and outbound circuits. To reply, take the "cut" away. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 23:52:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wi-Fi Whistle Blower Faces Criminal Charges By John Leyden A North Carolina man faces criminal charges after his attempt to expose the insecurity of his local medical facility's wireless network landed him in hot water with the authorities. Clayton Taylor Dillard, 29, an information security consultant, is accused of breaking into Wake Internal Medicine Consultants' computer system and illegally accessing information of hundreds of patients. Dillard is charged with one felony count of computer trespass, one felony count of unlawful computer access and one misdemeanor count of computer trespass, according to a report by local TV station WRAL. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/32799.html ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Terror Law Nabs Common Criminals Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:04:55 -0400 PHILADELPHIA -- In the two years since law enforcement agencies gained fresh powers to help them track down and punish terrorists, police and prosecutors have increasingly turned the force of the new laws not on al-Qaida cells but on people charged with common crimes. The Justice Department said it has used authority given to it by the USA Patriot Act to crack down on currency smugglers and seize money hidden overseas by alleged bookies, con artists and drug dealers. Federal prosecutors used the act in June to file a charge of "terrorism using a weapon of mass destruction" against a California man after a pipe bomb exploded in his lap, wounding him as he sat in his car. A North Carolina county prosecutor charged a man accused of running a methamphetamine lab with breaking a new state law barring the manufacture of chemical weapons. If convicted, Martin Dwayne Miller could get 12 years to life in prison for a crime that usually brings about six months. Prosecutor Jerry Wilson says he isn't abusing the law, which defines chemical weapons of mass destruction as "any substance that is designed or has the capability to cause death or serious injury" and contains toxic chemicals. Civil liberties and legal defense groups are bothered by the string of cases, and say the government soon will be routinely using harsh anti-terrorism laws against run-of-the-mill lawbreakers. http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,60440,00.html ------------------------------ Reply-To: Monty Solomon From: Monty Solomon Subject: Radio Tag Debut Set for This Week Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:02:31 -0400 By Mark Baard A consortium of retailers and consumer goods companies plan to unveil the replacement for the bar code next week. The upgrade will use a controversial radio technology that critics say will significantly expand the powers of retailers to track the whereabouts of their goods and the people who buy them. The Auto-ID Center at MIT will release the Electronic Product Code Network at a meeting of the center's sponsors in Chicago. With the EPC, retailers and suppliers will track not only product codes -- something bar codes already do -- but serial numbers for each individual item. Some of the tags can also send out signals when perishables reach their expiration dates. In addition, the group will demonstrate radio frequency identification tags that can be embedded in product labels. These so-called RFID tags can broadcast information about products, including their location, when exposed to a radio signal. With a quick scan, a retailer can take a complete, accurate inventory of its shelves, helping to cut costs. But critics of the technology say RFID tags would enable massive privacy violations by retailers, governments and crooks. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60408,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:08:07 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: Change of Username/Password for NY Times Readers There was a small 'problem' with the NY Times group username/password our readers experienced recently. Someone -- I do not know who -- changed the group *password* so none of us could get in. I was notified about this over the weekend. I had to go and establish a new user name (telecomdigest not available; someone still has it) and a new password for us. Now, it is telecomdigest9 and pwd telecomdigest9. Note the only change is the addition of '9' to the name and password. If this was an accident, the person is forgiven for it. If it was willful and malicious I guess we will find out soon enough. Patrick ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:20:00 -0600 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 17:39:42 -0700, AES/newspost wrote: > Anyone have experience with or comments on the Habeas Warranty Mark > system for authenticating email? > http://www.habeas.com/report/ > Encountered it for the first time today. It's a litigation-based approach for dealing with spammers. It's one of several such system; this company appears to be more litigitous than the others. It requires that there be a criticality of users on the Internet who will only receive mail with the Habeas watermark in the header. That would then require that all of us pay this private company a "tax" for the privilege of sending out e-mail. Of my associates who have studied this system, they're convinced that this "cure" would be far worse than spam. One of the best forums for looking at information is to go to the Usenet archive at www.deja.com and search for habeas -spamnews group:news.admin.net-abuse.email Spam is a very complicated issue; this newsgroup has many volunteers and professionals who understand these better than anyone that I know on the planet. The CEO of habeas.com, Anne Mitchell, was ousted from the company last month. I haven't seen any of the details. Before starting this venture, Mitchell was an attorney for the Mail Abuse Prevention System, LLC (mail-abuse.org). IMHO, the MAPS online databases have been some of the most effective means of dealing with SPAM so far. You can see an announcement about the ouster at: http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=24801 The net-abuse discussion group participants do not seem pleased about Mitchell's ouster. --phil ------------------------------ From: Tom Betz Subject: Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:10:20 UTC AES/newspost wrote in news:telecom22.647.3 @telecom-digest.org: > Anyone have experience with or comments on the Habeas Warranty Mark > system for authenticating email? > http://www.habeas.com/report/ > Encountered it for the first time today. I (and others) have received spam from Topica bearing the mark; a short time after the second documented occurrence, Habeas dropped Topica as a partner, making a public announcement of that fact. Habeas has sued and won against other spammers using the mark, and has dropped some public partners after it was brought to their attention that they were spammers; however, Habeas has recently replaced the founding CEO primarily responsible for creating and enforcing that strategy, so I personally consider it questionable as to whether or not the Habeas mark will remain trustworthy in the future. If I should see Topica return as a Habeas partner, I will consider the presence of the Habeas mark to be sufficient reason to block an e-mail as probable spam. You can read much discussion of these and related matters (beginning with the most recent) at , or do your own search of news.admin.net-abuse.* at groups.google.com. ------------------------------ From: Stanley Cline Subject: Re: Local Number Portability question Organization: Roamer1 Communications - Dunwoody, GA, USA Reply-To: sc1-news@roamer1.org Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 04:29:48 GMT On 12 Sep 2003 16:29:28 -0400, John R Levine wrote: > The mystery question is whether the routing number has to be in the > same rate center as the called number. It's very common for a CLEC to It doesn't -- a carrier can have a single LRN for an entire LATA. I know of quite a few CLECs that have a single NPA-NXX -- or even a single thousands block in areas that have implemented pooling -- in a given LATA who have numbers in dozens of rate centers where they have no number assignments (either NPA-NXXs or thousands blocks) of their own. That said, I have seen a few small independent ILECs who aren't used to working with LNP get confused when they see an LRN in a rate center that isn't a local call from the ILEC's rate centers; one (in Virginia, IIRC) actually charged toll on calls to a local number based on the fact the LRN was "toll" until I and some techs from the CLEC involved explained to them in great detail to them how LNP works. :) Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/ "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune ------------------------------ From: rounner@yahoo.com (rounner) Subject: SMS Standard Date: 14 Sep 2003 21:33:49 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I am a programmer and wish to send SMS to a mobile using a pc with a modem. I have no idea about the SMS protocol. Could anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks. ------------------------------ From: dmckeon@ameritas.com (Dan McKeon) Subject: Private Video Transmission Date: 15 Sep 2003 04:32:47 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ I have a pretty technical question that I'm hoping someone out there will have some info on. I will preface my question by telling you that I am a writer, and I have a character who has a video feed of illegal activity from his house to a portable hand-held television monitor. The police know he has a video feed, but they cannot see it. I need to know how my criminal would go about transmitting this private signal just to his potable (wireless) TV and how the police might go about trying to detect it, decode it, whatever. For example, could the criminal encrypt the signal somehow? If so, could the police scan for an encrypted signal, lock in, and then work on the encryption pattern? If this is not the correct group, please let me know. I wasn't sure the best place to post. Thank you in advance. I'm sure this sounds like a sort of random question! ------------------------------ From: cimdxb2@comcast.net (Dave B.) Subject: Re: Software for Interfacing w/DMS500 Date: 15 Sep 2003 07:04:04 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ cimdxb2@comcast.net (Dave B.) wrote in message news:: > I work for IT in a company that is closely looking at a DMS500. > Currently we are under a resale local/LD model. From what I > understand our engineering department will be able to provide me AMA > records. I also have been told that I need some mediation software to > change those formats into what I am used to getting from the LEC. > Does anyone out there have experience with this? I have heard these > mediation software packages can get pricey. What do they do for all > of that money? Am I underestimating the task? > I work in the Chicago area. Anyone with the above expertise from an > application software perspective that wants to moonlight (or > sunlight), please email me. I am looking for possible contract work > to guide my IT team through this process. We are also going to need > to update the switch on the provisioning side. Anyone that knows the > language to key directly into the switch would be helpful as well. > Especially for PRI's. > Dave I had an email from a person named "AL". I am interested in talking to AL, but his email keeps bouncing back. Al, if you read this, please provide alternate email. Thanks, Dave ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #648 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Sep 15 23:48:59 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8G3mwK01009; Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:48:59 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:48:59 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309160348.h8G3mwK01009@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #649 TELECOM Digest Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:49:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 649 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? (temp7@thewolfden.org) U.S. Phone Firms Face Slow Growth Prospects - S&P (Eric Friedebach) Microsoft's Wireless Aspirations Get A Boost (Eric Friedebach) ISART 2004 Call-for-Papers (J. Wayde Allen) Re: Change of Username/Password for NY Times Readers (Anonymous) Hollywood Faces Online Piracy; It Looks Like an Inside Job (M Solomon) Verizon Has "811-xxxx"-Like Problem? (Carl Moore) Kansas City Teacher Caught up in Child Porn Case (Lisa Minter) Re: Private Video Transmission (Hudson Leighton) Re: Private Video Transmission (scosu) Last Laugh! Telemarketer Association Toll-Free Number (yeltrabnhoj) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:04:30 CDT Subject: Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? From: Reply-To: temp7@thewolfden.org Phil Earnhardt wrote about Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? > On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 17:39:42 -0700, AES/newspost wrote: >> Anyone have experience with or comments on the Habeas Warranty Mark >> system for authenticating email? >> http://www.habeas.com/report/ >> Encountered it for the first time today. %> It's a litigation-based approach for dealing with spammers. It's one %> of several such system; this company appears to be more litigitous %> than the others. Well, since that's how the whole thing works, I would think so. Only non-spammers who have an agreement with Habeas can use the mark, so spammers using it can be sued to make them stop, thereby making the mark *trustworthy*. > It requires that there be a criticality of users on the Internet who > will only receive mail with the Habeas watermark in the header. I fear you do no understand how that system works!! In does *not* require that everyone use the mark. What it DOES say, *as long as Habeas sues violators*, is that email WITH the mark does not need to pass through the normal spam checking hoops. Therefore, the more people who use/send it, the better, but for those that don't use/send it, continue the "normal" spam checking techniques. It's designed for emails that are not spam but for which senders are concerned about it being caught by aggressive spam filters. ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: U.S. Phone Firms Face Slow Growth Prospects - S&P Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 14:48:18 -0500 Organization: Sponge Bob Wears Pants NEW YORK, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Mounting competition is hurting growth prospects for local U.S. telephone companies, and debt ratings could suffer over the long term, rating agency Standard & Poor's said in a report on Monday. "No longer can any company be confident that its customers have no real alternative," S&P analyst Richard Siderman said. "With limited growth prospects for the overall telecom pie, there is a fight for market share." Local carriers, known as regional Bell operating companies, are losing a significant number of residential lines for the first time in recent memory as long-distance giants aggressively target their customers, Siderman said. http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/15/rtr1081833.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Microsoft's Wireless Aspirations Get A Boost Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 14:52:41 -0500 Organization: Sponge Bob Wears Pants Arik Hesseldahl, 09.15.03, Forbes.com Microsoft's aspirations to produce a wireless phone that runs its Windows Mobile software for handheld computing are finally coming to life, thanks to a partnership with Motorola -- rumors of which we reported on in July. The world's biggest software concern and the world's second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones behind Nokia announced the tie-up today. They also introduced the first Motorola-branded phone to use Microsoft's software, the MPx200, which will go on sale first in the U.K. with French wireless carrier Orange. The phone will come to the U.S. later this year, carried by AT&T Wirless. The device will hit the market just as PalmOne and its soon-to-be subsidiary Handspring launch their PDA-mobile phone combination device, the Treo 600. http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/15/cx_ah_0915motmsft.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 14:17:10 MDT From: J. Wayde Allen Subject: ISART 2004 Call-for-Papers INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCED RADIO TECHNOLOGIES (ISART 2004) MARCH 2-4, 2004 Boulder, CO CALL FOR PAPERS =========================== The ISART technical program committee is soliciting papers describing geolocation methods, new radio technologies, analysis, and innovation of business, economic, and policy concepts. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: - GEOLOCATION: Advances in radio navigation, localization, direction finding, Internet localization, and cellular and WLAN user tracking - LOCATION-BASED SERVICES: Privacy, anonymity, policy, business models, applications, E-911, public safety, security - ELECTROMAGNETICS: propagation, antennas, direction finding, RF-front ends - RADIOS: software defined radios, cognitive radios, RF software, spectrally efficient systems - SPECTRUM: usage, policy, management, regulation, economics, cooperative usage mechanisms - TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT: improving digital access, wireless broadband deployment, alternative communication networking in developing countries, impact on economy - WIRELESS NETWORKS: scaling to large networks, ad hoc networks, Internet over wireless, convergence of WLANs and 3G, 4G Students are especially encouraged to submit their work. IMPORTANT DATES: Oct, 10, 03 - Deadline for submission of paper abstract Nov. 12, 03 - Notification of acceptance to authors. Jan. 30, 04 - Deadline for submission of final paper. CALL FOR PAPERS FORMAT: - Maximum 3000 words. - Indicate the contact author with an e-mail address. - Indicate the topic area from the above list. The paper should summarize research results and not be a proposal for research since very little time is available between the acceptance notification and the final paper submission. The final paper will be 6 pages, double column, 10pt text (maximum 3000 words). HOW TO SUBMIT: Submit all materials to Jeanne Ratzloff at the address below. All submissions should be electronic. Authors will be notified of receipt of submission via e-mail. If you do not receive notification contact Jeanne. Jeanne Ratzloff DOC/NTIA/ITS.M 325 Broadway Boulder, CO 80305-3328 Tel: 303-497-3330 Fax: 303-497-5323 e-mail: ratzloff@its.bldrdoc.gov MORE INFORMATION: http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/meetings/art/ ------------------------------ From: anonymous Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:06:10 EDT Subject: Re: Change of Username/Password for NY Times Readers A reader who asked not to be named sent me this note: In article you wrote: > There was a small 'problem' with the NY Times group username/password > our readers experienced recently. Someone -- I do not know who -- > changed the group *password* so none of us could get in. I was notified > about this over the weekend. I had to go and establish a new user name > (telecomdigest not available; someone still has it) and a new password > for us. Is there some reason you can't just use the 'Forgot your password?' link to get the new password e-mailed to you so you can change it back? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The 'forgot your password' link asked me to enter the email address used to open the account; since I did not start the account I had no idea what to use; anyway the password answer would have gone to that person. So that was not an option. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 17:33:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Re: Hollywood Faces Online Piracy; It Looks Like an Inside Job > By JOHN SCHWARTZ > http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/15/technology/15MOVI.html Analysis of Security Vulnerabilities in the Movie Production and Distribution Process Abstract Unauthorized copying of movies is a major concern for the motion picture industry. While unauthorized copies of movies have been distributed via portable physical media for some time, low-cost, high-bandwidth Internet connections and peer-to-peer file sharing networks provide highly efficient distribution media. Many movies are showing up on file sharing networks shortly after, and in some cases prior to, theatrical release. It has been argued that the availability of unauthorized copies directly affects theater attendance and DVD sales, and hence represents a major financial threat to the movie industry. Our research attempts to determine the source of unauthorized copies by studying the availability and characteristics of recent popular movies in file sharing networks. We developed a data set of 312 popular movies and located one or more samples of 183 of these movies on file sharing networks, for a total of 285 movie samples. 77% of these samples appear to have been leaked by industry insiders. Most of our samples appeared on file sharing networks prior to their official consumer DVD release date. Indeed, of the movies that had been released on DVD as of the time of our study, only 5% first appeared after their DVD release date on a web site that indexes file sharing networks, indicating that consumer DVD copying currently represents a relatively minor factor compared with insider leaks. We perform a brief analysis of the movie production and distribution process and identify potential security vulnerabilities that may lead to unauthorized copies becoming available to those who may wish to redistribute them. Finally, we offer recommendations for reducing security vulnerabilities in the movie production and distribution process. http://lorrie.cranor.org/pubs/drm03.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 17:55:25 EDT From: Carl Moore Subject: Verizon Has "811-xxxx"-Like Problem? I still have a Delaware telephone number, which is a remote-forward since I no longer live there. There is a problem with the bill for that account (a check for $16 was mistakenly put through for $10, and the $6 difference continues to be billed despite a debit memo issued by the bank after I found a discrepancy). But when I call the 800 number listed for billing questions, after I have punched in the telephone number (including area code), I eventually am told by the automated system that I have reached the wrong office! Could this have something to do with me living and working in Maryland (not Delaware)? "811-xxxx" in subject header is reference to advertised business- office numbers in some part(s) of California years ago. The company which advertised them also had to advertise other telephone numbers for people who needed to call (regarding their accounts) from outside of that company's service area. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:04:31 EDT From: Lisa Minter Subject: Kansas City Teacher Caught up in Child Porn Case This report comes from the 9/15/03 edition of Independence Reporter. An elementary school teacher in Kansas City, Kansas has been accused of having child pronography on his classroom work computer, police are saying. Joseph T. Martin, 46, of Olathe, Kansas (suburb of metro Kansas City area) was charged by police on Friday after pornography was found on his computer at John Greenleaf Whittier Elementary School, in Kansas City, Kansas. School officials discovered 'inappropriate materials' in Martin's computer after the close of school on Wednesday, said Linda Murray, an assistant superintendent for the Kansas City, Kansas School District. The district suspended Martin on Thursday, asked him to leave the school building, and notified police, Murray said. The district also printed out for police the materials it discovered, she said. Martin, who teaches computer classes for students in various grades, has worked for the district since 1996. "There is no evidence whatsoever of Mr. Martin having any innappropriate contact or inappropriate behavior with any students at Whittier or any other of our schools," Murray said. Lisa ------------------------------ From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Private Video Transmission Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:46:58 -0500 Organization: MRRP In article , dmckeon@ameritas.com (Dan McKeon) wrote: > I have a pretty technical question that I'm hoping someone out there > will have some info on. I will preface my question by telling you > that I am a writer, and I have a character who has a video feed of > illegal activity from his house to a portable hand-held television > monitor. The police know he has a video feed, but they cannot see it. > I need to know how my criminal would go about transmitting this > private signal just to his potable (wireless) TV and how the police > might go about trying to detect it, decode it, whatever. For example, > could the criminal encrypt the signal somehow? If so, could the > police scan for an encrypted signal, lock in, and then work on the > encryption pattern? If this is not the correct group, please let me > know. I wasn't sure the best place to post. > Thank you in advance. I'm sure this sounds like a sort of random > question! Do a Web Search for ATV, Amateur Radio Operaters do this all the time, we have a local group that does a balloon launch with a ATV transmitter and other fun things on board every now and then. http://www.bsrg.org/ in Atlanta, GA has some ATV info and links -Hudson http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl ------------------------------ From: scosu Subject: Re: Private Video Transmission Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 19:53:03 -0700 http://www.valleycomputer.net/default.asp?MainCatID=800 http://www.spooktech.com/cctv/index.shtml http://support.tandy.com/support_video/26224.htm Ok - here's how you could do it: A Closed-Circuit Camera - run that output to the Archer/Rabbit VCR Multipying Transmitter. Then, the receiver attached to your portable TV (and, potentially - a VCR in a SEPARATE location to RECORD the output). The system is no longer sold new -- so you'd have security through obscurity. Good Luck! Scott Summers Techno-Geek www.scosu.com > I have a pretty technical question that I'm hoping someone out there > will have some info on. I will preface my question by telling you that > I am a writer, and I have a character who has a video feed of illegal > activity from his house to a portable hand-held television monitor. The > police know he has a video feed, but they cannot see it. > I need to know how my criminal would go about transmitting this private > signal just to his potable (wireless) TV and how the police might go > about trying to detect it, decode it, whatever. For example, could the > criminal encrypt the signal somehow? If so, could the police scan for > an encrypted signal, lock in, and then work on the encryption pattern? > If this is not the correct group, please let me know. I wasn't sure the > best place to post. ------------------------------ From: yeltrabnhoj@email.com Subject: Last Laugh! Telemarketer Association Toll-Free Number Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 22:23:33 GMT Organization: (reverse to reply) (John Bartley, K7AAY, Portland OR) As noted in today's OPINION JOURNAL (Wall St Journal): Wow, are we mightier than Dave Barry? On Friday we noted Barry's http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004008#phone Aug. 31 column http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/6649728.htm in which he suggested his readers call the American Teleservices Association's toll-free number to let the telemarketing trade group know what they thought of unsolicited phone calls. After Barry's column appeared, the association stopped answering its phones; callers were greeted with a recording claiming, with astonishing chutzpah, that "due to overwhelming positive response to recent media events, we are unable to take your call at this time." Within 2 1/2 hours of our publishing Friday's column, the number was disconnected altogether. Barry noted the disconnection http://davebarry.blogspot.com/2003_09_01_davebarry_archive.html#106355720435558155 in his blog yesterday, though without giving us credit. "I got a few emails from telemarketers, who needless to say think I am vermin scum for trying to put them out of business, take away their jobs, etc.," he adds. "To them I say: First, I'm not calling you. The people calling you are your 'customers,' the people you call all the time. And they're not taking away your jobs; they're just doing what you do. If you think it's unpleasant to receive unwanted phone calls, hey, welcome to our world." The ATA Web site http://www.ataconnect.org/contact.htm lists another toll-free number; you can also find it here: http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?p=%22toll%20free%22&ei=UTF-8&url=AnThRCKggWQJ:www.ataconnect.org/phoenix/contact.htm If you call, please be sure to follow the association's code of ethics http://www.ataconnect.org/ethics.htm . Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 775-306-8390 Fax 3: 775-642-0603 Fax 4: 530-309-7234 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- A new sponsor for the Digest is Teledeal. They offer Directory Assistance (411) Savings. TeleDeal Inc. specializes in helping businesses and organizations save over 80% on live operator directory assistance calls. Rates are as low as $.27/411 call. TeleDeal also offers a premium real-time 411 Internet database service. Visit http://www.1800teledeal.com or call 1-800-TELEDEAL The Directory Assistance Experts * We Know 411 TeleDeal Inc. George Jones, President ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. 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. End of TELECOM Digest V22 #649 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Sep 16 14:16:00 2003 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id h8GIG0u05816; Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:16:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:16:00 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200309161816.h8GIG0u05816@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V22 #650 TELECOM Digest Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:16:00 EDT Volume 22 : Issue 650 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson and: Lisa Minter IBM Announces Comprehensive New RFID Service (Monty Solomon) W Hotels Now 100 Percent Wired; World's Fastest-Growing Style (Solomon) Microsoft Wireless-G (Monty Solomon) Ex-Quest Executive Protests Charges Tied to Aide (Larry Friedebach) Third Generation Adoption Aided by Intel (Larry Friedebach) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Larry G) Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? (Linc Madison) Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Private Video Transmission (Dan McKeon) Cases of Telephony Frauds (Jonathan Orlev) KX-TA 308 (MP) Verisign Gets Even Sleazier, Breaks Anti-Spam Technique (Joey Lindstrom) Re: Kansas City Teacher Caught up in Child Porn Case (Gail M. Hall) Re: Private Video Transmission (Tony Pelliccio) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. WE DO NOT PERMIT NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS HARVESTING FROM THIS JOURNAL. 'SALTED' EMAIL ADDRESSES APPEAR HEREIN TO VERIFY THIS. YOU GET SUED IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPAMMING OR SENDING VIRUSES. DON'T DO IT. See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 01:17:13 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: IBM Announces Comprehensive New RFID Service CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 2003-- Helping retailers and consumer packaged goods companies boost accuracy in picking, packing, shipping; cutting theft in the supply chain IBM today announced a comprehensive new service to help retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies harness radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for advanced product tracking and inventory control. IBM made the announcement at the Electronic Product Code Symposium here, where the company conducted live demonstrations of pallets and computer read-outs that show how goods move through -- and are automatically tracked by -- the RFID system, and how payments and inventory are expedited. IBM's offering, which comprises consulting and implementation services as well as specialized software, gives companies a phased approach to RFID. The IBM offering is based on open standards and leverages existing technology investments by linking with the retailer's existing back-end inventory system. It is based on Websphere Business Integration running on WebSphere Application Server, DB2 Information Integrator, Tivoli Access Manager, and WebSphere Portal Server. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35681065 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 01:21:41 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: W Hotels Now 100 Percent Wired; World's Fastest-Growing Style Brand Offers High-Speed Internet Access at all U.S. Properties WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 2003--W Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts' style brand, has announced that all 16 of its U.S. properties are 100% wired, with high-speed Internet access (HSIA) in all guest and meeting rooms. In addition, all W properties in the continental U.S. feature Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) -- also known as wireless 802.11b -- providing accessibility in the hotels' public spaces including Living Room lobbies and welcome desk areas. WiFi will be accessible in all W guestrooms in the United States by the end of 2004. The brand's flagship -- the W Times Square-New York -- is already 100% wireless throughout the hotel. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35681765 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 09:39:10 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Microsoft Wireless-G Microsoft Unleashes New Fast and Easy-to-Use Home Networking Products With Automatic Security Ratified and Wi-Fi-Certified, the Wireless-G Lineup Includes the Only First-Party Solution for Wireless Xbox Gaming REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today unveiled Wireless-G, an innovative Wi-Fi(R)-certified 802.11g wireless networking solution. Utilizing powerful security technologies, the new lineup of wireless networking products enables consumers to simply share a broadband Internet connection, information files, printers and more between all the computers in the home -- at up to five times the speed of a typical 802.11b wireless network. The new products introduced today are Microsoft(R) Wireless Base Station MN-700, a router with an integrated 802.11g wireless access point and four-point Ethernet switch; Wireless Notebook Adapter MN-720, which adds a notebook computer to the wireless network; Wireless PCI Adapter MN-730, which adds a desktop computer to the network; Wireless Notebook Kit MN-820, with everything users need to create a wireless network for a desktop and notebook; and Xbox(R) Wireless Adapter MN-740, the only comprehensive, first-party solution for high-performance Xbox gaming without the hassle of wires. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=35694649 ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Ex-Qwest Executive Protests Charges Tied to Aide Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 12:51:33 -0500 Organization: Standard Operational Bull DENVER, Sept 15 (Reuters) - One of four former executives at Qwest Communications International Inc. under indictment for inflating the telephone company's revenues said the government was being unfair by tying his actions to that of his unnamed assistant. Grant Graham's attorney Daniel Sears said in a filing made public on Monday that his client should be judged on his own account, not that of his assistant. In the indictment federal prosecutors lay out charges against the four former executives and also refers to an unidentified assistant to Graham who is "known to the grand jury." http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2003/09/15/rtr1082095.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Eric Friedebach Subject: Third Generation Mobile Adoption Aided By Intel Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 12:58:05 -0500 Organization: Standard Operational Bull Provided By Pinnacor, 09.16.03 Intel last week unveiled a low-cost mobile device chipset based on Edge technology, which could let carriers offer a cheaper alternative to 3G by mid-2004. Edge, or Enhanced Data GSM Environment, is cheaper for operators to deploy and could fill gaps in high-speed coverage until 3G networks are extended beyond big cities. However, it is still unclear which UK operators will back the technology. Lars Westergaard of research firm IDC believes that many mobile operators are reluctant to reveal Edge plans for fear of alarming financial backers. He said the City is keen to see carriers reduce operating expenditure rather than increase capital investment in network infrastructure. http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/16/0916mobilepinnacor.html Eric Friedebach ------------------------------ From: Larry G Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:13:44 -0700 wrote in message: > A couple of years ago 951 was assigned to take over part of the 909 > area code in Southern Calif in a split. I don't know what has occured > recently with it. Is Western Riverside in Southern CA ?? Yes. Sorry about not adding that, I meant too. Steven Lichter wrote in message news:telecom22.647.4@telecom-digest.org: > Meetings again were held all over Riverside and San Bernardino Counties > again a month or so ago; with a host of options. They got an earfull. > That prompted the PUC to cut the number that the companies can hold in > reserve and get at a time when they need them. This is supposed to > extend the life of the 909 area code. 30 plus years with a telephone > company and I still don't understand. If the NPAs had not been > extended out of the country we would have had more then enough area > codes and when cellular was first on scence they should have been put > into their own area codes; but then I guess no one thought it would > catch on like it did. IMTS never did, at least not on the West Coast. > Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the > Apple II 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. Interesting. Thanks for the info. :) Thanks for the info, everybody. :) Larry ------------------------------ Subject: Re: What Happened to 951 Area Code? From: Linc Madison Reply-To: Telecom@LincMad.com Organization: LincMad.com Consulting Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 07:47:00 GMT In article , Jeff Sutter wrote: > Linc Madison wrote in message > news:: > Fortunately, there were some 'can do' politicos on the job, and three > years later, we have our 7 digit dialing back, while industry is > still playing the same tune. I'm perplexed why Linc would have us > dial extra digits. You can implement a tech overlay without > requiring 1+10D. No, you can't implement an overlay in California without 1+10D. Dialing 7D in an overlay area is not allowed because it's not competitively neutral. You can't have 7D in an overlay area anywhere in the USA. You could do something like 10D for calls within the overlay area and 1+10D for calls outside, but it's easier and less confusing just to say 1+10D for all calls, since California doesn't have the "toll alerting" feature of "1+ means toll." Yes, you have 7D in 310, but you are also living with the Sword of Damocles hanging over every business in the southern half of the area code. The following scenario is possible: Let's say you have the phone number (310) 241-xxxx in San Pedro. October 1, 2003: CPUC announces dates for 310/424 geographic split. December 1, 2003: Permissive dialing begins. Your number can be reached as either (310) 241-xxxx or (424) 241-xxxx. March 1, 2004: Mandatory dialing begins. Your number must be dialed as area code 424. Calls to (310) 241-xxxx will receive an intercept recording telling the caller to redial with area code 424. May 1, 2004: the prefixes that changed to 424 become available for reassignment in 310. Thus, someone dialing (310) 241-xxxx would simply reach a wrong number, with no indication that your number still exists with only a change of area code. That's seven months from the date of the final CPUC announcement to the date that your old number no longer works AND no longer gives any indication of the correct new number. Those time ranges are the minimums, but the draft decision that the CPUC considered in June 2003 called for recycling prefixes on April 22, 2004, less than 8 months after the beginning of permissive dialing on September 5, 2003. (Obviously that schedule was not adopted, but it's the most recent specific proposal the CPUC has considered.) That's not at all what I call "can do" planning. In article , Steven Lichter wrote: > If the NPAs had not been extended out of the country we would have > had more then enough area codes. Not true. First of all, Canada has been included in the NANP numbering scheme from the very beginning. Secondly, even if you include Canada, the non-US NPAs are not a major factor in the life expectancy of the current numbering scheme. There are only about 40 NPAs outside the U.S., and the 17 of those that are not in Canada represent a one-time- only expenditure of numbering resources. None of those 17 area codes is projected to exhaust in the foreseeable future. > and when cellular was first on scene they should have been put into > their own area codes; That would have helped, but what brought us to the precipice wasn't cellphones or faxes or modems or any of the other customary scapegoats. It was the advent of landline CLECs, coupled with a scheme for allocating numbering resources that hadn't yet been adapted for the era of local competition. There are three main reasons that the growth in new area codes has slowed to a trickle. First, the allocation scheme has been overhauled, providing for LNP and thousands-block pooling, now reaching most parts of the country. Second, the "bubble" in the telecom sector has burst, leading to a dramatic consolidation of CLECs. Third, the general economic slowdown has reduced overall numbering demand. www dot LincMad dot com / Telecom at LincMad dot com Linc Madison * San Francisco, California ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Email Spam and Habeas Warranty Mark? Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 03:27:38 -0600 On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:04:30 CDT, wrote: >> It's a litigation-based approach for dealing with spammers. It's one >> of several such system; this company appears to be more litigitous >> than the others. > Well, since that's how the whole thing works, I would think so. That would really depend on who Habeas litagates against. If they also try to sue any other waterbase-type system out of business, I would not view that as a positive thing. > Only non-spammers who have an agreement with Habeas can use the > mark, so spammers using it can be sued to make them stop, thereby > making the mark *trustworthy*. That's what makes the whole deal with the CEO's getting ousted look fishy. Look at Tom Betz's post on this topic. If Habeas is going to let spammers use their mark, then it makes the entire system worthless. If not, Habeas needs to explain to the world exactly why they removed their CEO from the company. Exactly what was the difference in philosophy that led to her ouster? >> It requires that there be a criticality of users on the Internet who >> will only receive mail with the Habeas watermark in the header. > I fear you do no understand how that system works!! > In does *not* require that everyone use the mark. It does require that recepients use the watermark as a whitelist. Do you think there is a criticality of users who honor it that way? At least at this point in time, there definitely is not. > What it DOES say, *as long as Habeas sues violators*, is that email > WITH the mark does not need to pass through the normal spam checking > hoops. Will Habeas allow other watermark vendors to be in the marketplace? Or will they also attempt to sue them. IMO, that's just as important a question. > Therefore, the more people who use/send it, the better, ... the better for Habeas, at the very least. Whether or not that company's profits are "better" for the Internet as a whole is an open question. > but for those that don't use/send it, continue the "normal" spam > checking techniques. That would all depend on how critical it became to have such a whitelist mark on your e-mails. If it is not at all important -- as is the case now -- then there is no value proposition for Habeas. > It's designed for emails that are not spam but for which senders are > concerned about it being caught by aggressive spam filters. ... that would have to be modified to be less agressive on Habeas watermarks. Do tell: what percentage of spam-filtration systems have been so modified? Which systems have a Habeas watermark increase the odds of delivery of the e-mail? Of the systems that have it, what percentage of the users of those systems have modified their configuration to allow the Habeas watermarks? Do you think that Habeas should be entitled to have exclusivity to the entire "watermark" concept for this use in e-mail? I think that Habeas will go down as a quaint footnote in the history of the war on spam -- nothing more. --phil ------------------------------ From: dmckeon@ameritas.com (Dan McKeon) Subject: Re: Private Video Transmission Date: 16 Sep 2003 04:35:21 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ scosu wrote in message news:: > http://www.valleycomputer.net/default.asp?MainCatID=800 > http://www.spooktech.com/cctv/index.shtml > http://support.tandy.com/support_video/26224.htm > Ok - here's how you could do it: > A Closed-Circuit Camera - run that output to the Archer/Rabbit VCR > Multipying Transmitter. > Then, the receiver attached to your portable TV (and, potentially - a > VCR in a SEPARATE location to RECORD the output). > The system is no longer sold new -- so you'd have security through > obscurity. > Good Luck! > Scott Summers > Techno-Geek www.scosu.com >> I have a pretty technical question that I'm hoping someone out there >> will have some info on. I will preface my question by telling you that >> I am a writer, and I have a character who has a video feed of illegal >> activity from his house to a portable hand-held television monitor. The >> police know he has a video feed, but they cannot see it. >> I need to know how my criminal would go about transmitting this private >> signal just to his potable (wireless) TV and how the police might go >> about trying to detect it, decode it, whatever. For example, could the >> criminal encrypt the signal somehow? If so, could the police scan for >> an encrypted signal, lock in, and then work on the encryption pattern? >> If this is not the correct group, please let me know. I wasn't sure the >> best place to post. Thank you both for your replies. Another idea I had/was mentioned to me is to use a web cam on a private network with a wireless NIC. The signal could be encrypted pretty securely with a 256 bit WEP encryption. Do you see any benefit to one solution over another? If I did no with the closed-circuit approach, would the transmitter be wireless? Could the signal be encrypted? Also, once it is all set up, how would the police go about detecting the signal, decrypting it, and tracking down its source? Thanks again for your post! ------------------------------ From: Jonathan Orlev Subject: Cases of Telephony Frauds Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:04:27 +0200 Hello everybody, I want to ask if someone knows a web site with information about telephony frauds (cases,descriptions, etc). I refer to frauds of stealing phone calls, long distance frauds, and any frauds against phone companies, not to frauds made by using the phone, such as telemarketing frauds. If the information also include VoIP telephony,it will also be appreciated. Any other information will be most appreciated. ThanQ very much, Jonathan Orlev ------------------------------ From: MP Subject: KX-TA 308 Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:30:40 +0200 Organization: Aster City Net Hi, I've got a problem with programming KX-TA 308. I've got two CO lines: a) the 1st line doesn't need any digit to make a call; b) the 2nd line needs digit "9" to make an outgoing call, because this line is connected to another PBX. How to make that KX-TA 308 will automaticly add digit "9" when will make an outgoing call using CO 2. I made it by ARS, but I think this is not a right solution. Please help. Mike ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 08:30:54 -0600 From: Joey Lindstrom Subject: Verisign Gets Even Sleazier, Breaks Anti-Spam Technique Reply-To: joey@garynuman.info This story is about a week old: http://www.cbronline.com/latestnews/d04afc52ae9da2ee80256d9c0018be8b In doing a wee bit of testing this morning with NSLOOKUP, I see that Verisign has already started some of this. If you type in the name of any nonexistant domain (ie: typo), you now get an answer: Verisign's servers. As near as I can tell, typing "www." plus the mistyped domain name does not, as yet, get you any page at all, but it's coming. In the meantime, this breaks an anti-spam technique, specifically that of rejecting incoming mail if it is from a domain name that does not exist. Now, all domain names in .COM and .NET "exist" when your mail server checks -- they even have an MX record. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried this from massis.lcs.mit.edu and got these results for 'somenamesomeplace.com' and 'nosuchplace.com': > nslookup somenamesomeplace.com Server: lampang.lcs.mit.edu Address: 18.24.0.120 Name: somenamesomeplace.com Address: 64.94.110.11 > whois 64.94.110.11 Whois Server Version 1.3 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net for detailed information. No match for "64.94.110.11". >>> Last update of whois database: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 06:19:27 EDT <<< NOTICE: The expiration date displayed in this record is the date the registrar's sponsorship of the domain name registration in the registry is currently set to expire. This date does not necessarily reflect the expiration date of the domain name registrant's agreement with the sponsoring registrar. Users may consult the sponsoring registrar's Whois database to view the registrar's reported date of expiration for this registration. TERMS OF USE: You are not authorized to access or query our Whois database through the use of electronic processes that are high-volume and automated except as reasonably necessary to register domain names or modify existing registrations; the Data in VeriSign Global Registry Services' ("VeriSign") Whois database is provided by VeriSign for information purposes only, and to assist persons in obtaining information about or related to a domain name registration record. VeriSign does not guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a Whois query, you agree to abide by the following terms of use: You agree that you may use this Data only for lawful purposes and that under no circumstances will you use this Data to: (1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail, telephone, or facsimile; or (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that apply to VeriSign (or its computer systems). The compilation, repackaging, dissemination or other use of this Data is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of VeriSign. You agree not to use electronic processes that are automated and high-volume to access or query the Whois database except as reasonably necessary to register domain names or modify existing registrations. VeriSign reserves the right to restrict your access to the Whois database in its sole discretion to ensure operational stability. VeriSign may restrict or terminate your access to the Whois database for failure to abide by these terms of use. VeriSign reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. The Registry database contains ONLY .COM, .NET, .EDU domains and Registrars. > nslookup nosuchplace.com Server: lampang.lcs.mit.edu Address: 18.24.0.120 Name: nosuchplace.com Address: 207.136.80.201 > whois 207.136.80.201 Whois Server Version 1.3 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net for detailed information. No match for "207.136.80.201". >>> Last update of whois database: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 06:19:27 EDT <<< (Followed by repeat of earlier disclaimer message.) Very interesting. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Gail M. Hall Subject: Re: Kansas City Teacher Caught up in Child Porn Case Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 00:52:06 -0400 Reply-To: gmhall@apk.net On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:04:31 EDT, in comp.dcom.telecom message , Lisa Minter wrote: > This report comes from the 9/15/03 edition of Independence Reporter. > An elementary school teacher in Kansas City, Kansas has been accused > of having child pronography on his classroom work computer, police > are saying. > Joseph T. Martin, 46, of Olathe, Kansas (suburb of metro Kansas City > area) was charged by police on Friday after pornography was found > on his computer at John Greenleaf Whittier Elementary School, in > Kansas City, Kansas. > School officials discovered 'inappropriate materials' in Martin's > computer after the close of school on Wednesday, said Linda Murray, > an assistant superintendent for the Kansas City, Kansas School District. Wow! That would be a good way to get rid of a teacher we don't like! Someone on staff who doesn't like him could access his computer when he is out of the room and load some scummy pictures on his machine and then holler for the bosses. I hope before they put the handcuffs on this teacher that they can prove that he *alone* could access that computer and download the inappropriate files to it. > The district suspended Martin on Thursday, asked him to leave the > school building, and notified police, Murray said. The district also > printed out for police the materials it discovered, she said. > Martin, who teaches computer classes for students in various grades, > has worked for the district since 1996. Is he the only teacher who does this? If so, then maybe he had more time to fish around for pictures on the Internet when he is pretending to be doing "maintenance" on the machines. But he would sure be stupid to leave the pictures on the school's computers! That's why I think they should double check and make sure others could also be involved. > "There is no evidence whatsoever of Mr. Martin having any innappropriate > contact or inappropriate behavior with any students at Whittier or > any other of our schools," Murray said. There are too many people in administrations of companies, schools, etc., who don't have much knowledge about computers and don't hire competent people to set them up. Certainly, schools should set up ways for tracking what users do with the machines and make sure there is no chance for children to see inapporpriate stuff on them. Someone can also steal your phone when you are out. It's easy to get at the little box where the phone line comes in, unplug your wire and plug in a phone there. They can then use your line for whatever they want. If they threaten people, it will be YOUR number on the caller ID. We can't very well lock that box because whenever the phone company repair people need access to the box, they would need a key. Obviously, it would totally impractical to carry thousands of keys around in the trucks to access the boxes. Gail in Ohio USA [Lisa Minter note: I think Mr. Martin has claimed (when he recovered from the shock of getting fired and arrested in the same day) that the porn stuff had arrived -- he thinks -- with the daily load of garbage on the internet in email. He disavows any knowledge of it at all and has suggested that maybe an 'open relay' in the mail processing was involved. Of course police are not asking his opinion on the matter, and don't all pedophiles lie about everything anyway? I do not know if there was any 'inside job' from other teachers or staff involved, or if in fact it was some garbage which spilled out of the wagon as it made its daily rounds on the net. I do know it all sounds and smells sort of fishy to me. Lisa M.] ------------------------------ From: Tony Pelliccio Subject: Re: Private Video Transmission Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 00:59:17 -0500 In article , hudsonl@skypoint.com says: > Do a Web Search for ATV, Amateur Radio Operaters do this all the time, > we have a local group that does a balloon launch with a ATV transmitter > and other fun things on board every now and then. > http://www.bsrg.org/ in Atlanta, GA has some ATV info and links > -Hudson > http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl Problem is you can't legally encrypt ATV. And the call sign has to be in there somewhere. Of course if it were a criminal enterprise the rules don't apply. Better would be an 802.11 system with either a directional or omnidirectional antenna system mounted in the attic, or on the roof. We're talking the size of a well known potato chip can here. Had a situation recently where we were thinking of wiring a home for audio/video for surveillance. Plus you can run encryption on 802.11 legally. ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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End of TELECOM Digest V22 #650 ****************************** From james_lokdee@fantasysquare.com Tue Sep 16 16:24:53 2003 Received: from mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (mintaka.lcs.mit.edu [18.26.0.36]) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) with ESMTP id h8GKOrs06458 for ; Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:24:53 -0400 (EDT) Received: from omta01.mta.everyone.net (sitemail3.everyone.net [216.200.145.37]) by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (8.12.8p1/8.12.8) with ESMTP id h8GKOqlJ056655 for ; Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:24:52 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from james_lokdee@fantasysquare.com) Received: from sitemail.everyone.net (216.200.145.29.everyone.net [216.200.145.29]) by omta01.mta.everyone.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 745B71C3C39; Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:24:51 -0700 (PDT) Received: by sitemail.everyone.net (Postfix, from userid 99) id 8A9FF3CB4; Tue, 16 Sep 2003 04:19:40 -0700 (PDT) Content-Type: text/plain Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: MIME-tools 5.41 (Entity 5.404) Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 04:19:40 -0700 (PDT) From: James Lokdee To: james_lokdee@fantasysquare.com Subject: James Lokdee Reply-To: james_lokdee@fantasysquare.com X-Originating-Ip: [193.220.188.167] Message-Id: <20030916111940.8A9FF3CB4@sitemail.everyone.net> ATTN: I AM JAMES LOKDEE FROM LIBERIA WEST AFRICA PRESENTLY RESIDENT IN COTE D'IVOIRE/IVORY COAST. DUE TO THE POLITICAL WAR THAT HAS CLAIM THE LIVES OF MY PARENTS THAT CAUSE ME TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. THEREFORE,UPON THIS BACK GROUND I AM KINDLY ASKING YOU TO HELP ME GET OUT OFF AFRICA INCLUDING THE FUND OF EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($8.000.000.00) WHICH MY FATHER DEPOSITED IN A BANK HERE IN COTE D'IVOIRE FOR SAFETY BEFORE HIS DEATH. I AM SOLICITING FOR A GOOD AND LONG TIME RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IN HELPING ME TO TRANSFER THIS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT OR COUNTRY FOR INVESTMENT. AS YOU MAY KNOW I DON'T HAS IDEA OF INVESTMENT OR BUSINESS MATTER. MAY GOD GUIDE YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. I AM HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON AS POSSIBLE. RESPECTFULLY ONE. JAMES LOKDEE _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________ Your Final Fantasy Community http://www.fantasysquare.com