From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Oct 9 16:13:55 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.6) id i99KDt710198; Sat, 9 Oct 2004 16:13:55 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 16:13:55 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200410092013.i99KDt710198@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 V23 #478 TELECOM Digest Sat, 9 Oct 2004 16:14:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 478 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Re: VOIP Home Connection (Jack Decker) Cogni?? (Michael Muderick) Why There's no DNS or Distributed Naming Service in SS7 (A. Burbaickij) Re: 911 Address Display Delays Police Response = T911 (Rick Merrill) Re: Multipled Pairs: (was: VOIP Home Connection) (Robert Bonomi) Re: OSP Identifiers / Verizon Repair (jared) Panasonic KX-TMC 98 Help Needed (PeterV.) Definity PBX Password Needed (Billy) Oklahoma State University Simplified Admission Requirements (Chas Gray) 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. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 06:33:10 -0400 From: Jack Decker
Subject: Re: VOIP Home Connection Pat, please conceal my e-mail address. On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 20:18:46 +0000, Marcus Jervis wrote: > You might check Viking (http://www.vikingelectronics.com/) for a > similar competetive product. Actually, my page on "How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home" at http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html specifically mentions one Viking product, the Ring Booster (Model: RG-10A). The description given for this device is as follows: Boost Ringing Power to Ring up to 15 Additional Phones The RG-10A ring generator is designed to increase ringing power of an existing telephone line, analog PABX extension, analog ISDN Terminal Adapter port, or any other telecom device which provides ringing. The RG-10A duplicates the incoming ring frequency and cadence allowing it to be compatible with custom ringing features. The RG-10A is capable of ringing fifteen standard (1 REN) telephone devices and does not affect the normal operation of the telephone line or features provided by the phone company such as "Caller ID" and "Call Waiting." (End of description) The only problem with this device is that, in my opinion, it costs about three or four times as much as it should. They could probably sell a boatload of these to VoIP users if they'd price them at under $50, but I can think of few people who'd pay over $150 for such a device (the lowest price I could find using Froogle is $155.34, see ). I have to think that someone could build a similar device and manufacture it for $10 or so (maybe not in the United States, but certainly somewhere in Asia) and retail it here in the $30-$40 range. Certainly there will be a growing need for such devices as residential VoIP catches on (unless the makers of the adapter devices decide to support more ringers on a line). Of course, another possibility would be retrofit signaling devices that create a loud ringing sound on very little current. For example, if you had the proper manufacturing facility, you could make an inline "barrel" device (similar to a DSL filter) that plugs into the phone (or a wall jack) and then itself has a jack to plug the normal line cord into. When ringing current comes down the line, this device could fire off a highly efficient noisemaker of some kind to let you know the phone is ringing (if you build this, please make it sound like an old-style two-gong mechanical ringer, as found on a 500/2500 style phone!) ;-) Then you just turn off the ringer on the phone and connect this thing (or I suppose if it were really well designed, the device could itself prevent ringing current from ever reaching the phone). (Also if you build this, may I suggest you include on the device a "hold" button and LED to indicate that the line is on hold, since so few of the cheapie phones you buy in stores seem to have one of these. Every time I see a phone with a "mute" button [which I NEVER use -- I can simply put a finger over the microphone!] but no "hold" button, I feel like hunting down the designer, "hold"ing him down and "mute"ing him permanently! :-) Just kidding, but too many phones have a bunch of buttons that are useless to the typical residential user, but a hold button would allow moving from one room to another without leaving the phone in the room you just came from off the hook). Anyway, mark my words, unless the VoIP adapter manufacturers wise up and start making their boxes power a normal complement of phones in a home (at least 5 REN), there's going to be a market for add-on ringing current boosters. I realize some people think we will all be talking into special IP phones (that connect directly to our computer networks) soon, but I don't believe that for a moment. Even many of the geeks among us wouldn't touch VoIP until they could use a regular telephone, and if there is any intent to "mainstream" VoIP, it has to look like something the end user is already familiar with. When a phone that plugs into the local network sells for $10, and can let you transfer a call within the home by simply letting another household member pick up another phone (with NO dialing of codes or anything like that, and no additional monthly charges for each additional phone) then regular people might accept them. A lot of residential users will never accept having to remember to flash, then dial an extension to transfer a call to another room, and they certainly won't accept paying for a separate account for each IP phone. So I personally think the VoIP adapter and the traditional analog phone (or something very much like it) are going to be with us for a very long time. ------------------------------ From: Michael Muderick Subject: Cogni?? Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 07:46:57 -0400 I am thinking of changing long distance provider. I currently have a toll free number which I rarely use, but want to keep and keep the same number. My usage is quite low. And I don't want to pay minimum fees. I've come across Cogni as seeming to fill all my requirements. Anyone have any experience with them? Thanks for your input. Michael Muderick ------------------------------ From: Ariel.Burbaickij@web.de Subject: Why There's no DNS or Comparable Distributed Naming Service in SS7 Date: 9 Oct 2004 04:48:41 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hello dear newsgroup participants, Could someone explain to me why there is no such service as DNS/whois towards it in SS7 network? After all, we have exactly same concerns here (distributed and independent administration of different subsets of address space, mapping must be often provided between pointcodes (numerical address) and its current owner), so why it was decided not to do it this way but instead some arcane lists are distributed by ITU exclusively? With Best Regards, Ariel Burbaickij ------------------------------ From: Rick Merrill Subject: Re: 911 Address Display Delays Police Response = T911 Organization: Comcast Online Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 12:33:55 GMT Wesrock@aol.com wrote: > --- From The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for October 8, 2004 > Dispatch error leads police astray > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is unfortunate, but not unusual, > since it would appear the bank branch was on the *bank's* telephone > system (sort of like a foreign exchange on the bank's centrex) instead > of on the *Albertson's* phone system. Of course there is no guarentee > that the Albertson's phone system was not part of some phone system at > Albertson's headquarters instead of based out of that local store as > well. So this should be a good lesson to the telecom adminstrators in > our readership. Make certain all *critical* phones at locations other > than your main, directory-listed business location are correctly > listed in 911 databases, etc. PAT] Maybe what is needed is a T911 - TEST 911 - that would permit on-site verification that the location is correct! - RM ------------------------------ Organization: Robert Bonomi Consulting Subject: Re: Multipled Pairs: (was: VOIP Home Connection) From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 13:48:39 +0000 In article , AES/newspost wrote: > In article , TELECOM Digest > Editor noted in response to Nick Landsberg > : >>> wires) makes an appearance. Its very common in older outside plant >>> (dating back, lets say to the 1940-50 era) in dense inner city areas, >>> to do it that way: string one cable with maybe 500 pairs therein >>> down the alley, open each pair at each possible location or house, >>> and attach it to the demarc. In the 1940-50 era, things were 'different' > For those of us not familiar with the hardware, did these "demarcs" > somehow come with all 500 pairs already pre-attached somehow? Or was > there some quick and simple one-step process that made it easy to > attach all 500 pairs to each demarc in one step? > I'm having a hard time visualizing the situation where an installer > would laboriously connect all 500 pairs, one at a time, to each and > every demarc at each and every house, when only one or a few pairs > were likely to be needed in that house ... ??? There's a good reason you're having trouble visualizing it. They didn't do it that way. The reasoning behind the concept is that you need 'spare pairs' available "everywhere", in case something happens that renders an 'in use' pair un- usable. It is _dreadfully_ inefficient to bring 'unique' spares to each location, so you terminate multiple pairs at every location, with each pair terminated at multiple locations. This way you can get by with only a 'few' extra pairs for that entire group of locations. The trade-off between how many pairs you terminate at a given location, and (directly related) how many 'multiples' per cable group, vs. the cost of pulling a replacement cable, when you do not have enough 'operational' pairs for the customers in the locations served. is a *complex* question. Telcos put a lot of effort into finding the 'least cost' solution. For 'single-family house' territory, the 'feeder' cable ran down the right-of-way, either overhead, or in-ground. There were 'tap points', typically every 4 houses (2 on each side of the feeder cable location), from which drop cables ran to each house. The drop cable usually had 2 or 3 pairs in it -- so that a single failure did -not- require replacing the entire 'drop', and to accommodate those _rare_ cases where somebody needed a 2nd line in the house. (remember _when_) this wiring was originally installed) At the 'tap point', there was usually a 25-pair splice block. 'Big' telephone cables are made up in multiples of 25-pair groups. They would tap off -one- 25-pair group at each tap point. Now, you tap the -same- 25-pair, at 4 or 5 different locations. When you get into higher-density housing, the same idea still applies, although it gets tempered by the number of units in a single location. Broadly speaking, when you get past a 'handful' (4-6) apartments in a single structure, they will tap off a full 25-pair group for the building. *NOT* a _dedicated_ 25-pair -- it _will_ be 'multipled' at other locations, to ensure 'relatively' full usage of all the pairs in that group. For bigger properties, multiple 25-pair groups will be 'available' at that site. Which may, or may _not_, be tapped off at other locations. For truly =large= buildings (on the order of a couple of hundred units) you can justify 'dedicated' wiring to the building, including a limited number of dedicated 'spare pairs' for that building. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Just to elaborate a little on what Mr. Bonomi said, *no one*, in a residence setting in those days had two telephone lines in their homes. Extensions, yes, *additional lines*, no. In fact, during World War II, Bell went around and asked their subscribers to give up their extensions (voluntary, did not require it) in order that people who did not have any phone service at all could have an instrument, and service to go with it. Western Electric had been nationalized for the duration as part of the War Effort in 1942, through sometime in early 1946. No more manufacturing for Bell! Many or most large highrise apartment complexes had switchboards in their lobby as a courtesy to tenants, to provide the tenants with phone service. Just like a telco central office, those switchboards were designed according to Erlang formula to accomodate 'busy hour' and other periods of time. The building I lived in in Rogers Park had 200 apartments; the switchboard had about a dozen 'outside lines' coming in to it, plus three or four 'dedicated long distance trunks' which reached directly the long distance operator, plus a couple other specialized pairs; one was for the Western Union clock and one was for the telex machine, plus a few of the more important tenants such as the manager had 'private lines' of their own in addition to their switchboard line. Most tenants were not allowed to have their own private lines (or else their rent carried a surcharge for the same) since that cut the owner out of the commission he received for handling their calls over his switchboard. But times and circumstances changed: the war ended, Bell regained possession of Western Electric, the building owners finally got their mortgages paid off -- owned the building free and clear -- and probably for the first time ever began to see a profit on their buildings with no more debt service. The same original owners also grew older, more cranky and impatient, etc and sold their buildings to younger guys who wanted their big break as an apartment building owner. Many times the old owner even carried the paper on the building sale (often times he had to, the banks were not fools after all) so the end result was the old owner got all the money but none of the headaches of maintainence, etc. New owner got all the headaches and expenses of maintainence, which were now considerable in older high rise buildings. New owner looks over the mess he foolishly bought in a moment of optimistic thinking, and realizes he is going to have to make some serious cuts and changes in order to survive on his investment. First thing let's do, he decides, is let's cut out the maid service. (Yes, all those old high rise apartment buildings had *daily* maid service for each tenant. Where early on, custom had been they had *white* maids to clean the apartments, by the end of World War II, they couldn't get white ladies to work at that job any longer, so they had to 'relax their standards a little' and settle for black ladies who needed the work. The building I lived in had a *white* housekeeper [maid supervisor] and about 15 *black* maids.) All the buildings were the same way. Then comes 1968 and the assassination of MLK and the black ladies refused those jobs as well. So the new owner, already playing games with the utilities and payroll in order to meet the mortgage payment to the old owner who by now had retired and gone to live in senior citizen housing in Florida decided to ditch the maids. And while we are trimming our payroll, let's get rid of the front desk service also. (Front desk/switchboard operator was *always* white, as was the building manager; maids were *always* black; that's the way I grew up with it). The maintainence man or building engineer was usually a white guy also, but the janitor who worked under him was usually a black guy. Tenants of course were *always* white people. The new owners had begun to see the handwriting on the wall in the early 1960's, those who had not made the decision to convert the (name of place) Hotel into the (same name) Apartments by 1968 surely did so after MLK was killed and all the maids went on a two or three day sympathy strike that week, leaving their housekeeper supervisors to make all the beds and vacuum all the white people's carpets and clean their bathtubs and toilets. In our building alone, on one day the new owners dismissed 15 maids and the housekeeper, retaining only the building manager and the maintainence man. That was a major payroll burden lifted from his shoulders. He kept the four front desk people (grudgingly) since the switchboard had to be serviced until such time as Bell could make the necessary changes. But they were gone also a day or two after the phone conversion was finished. The last day or two, the clerk/operators sat there answering the phone telling people "if you want to speak with Mrs. Smith in 2309, she now has a direct number you need to dial, xxx-xxxx". And from a telecom perspective, that was a major hassle for Bell; they did it time and again in the 1960's and 1970's as building owners pulled out their old switchboards (which were, remember, installed originally on an Erlang formula regards usage) and demanded that all tenants get their own telephones as desired. Where a half dozen or a dozen pairs was quite adequate before, now telco had to scrounge around in the old pre-historic cables and find maybe two hundred pairs to be wired 'straight across' to the tenants. And today, thirty or forty years later, and at least one or two 'new owners' later you still see those monster wooden cabinets from Western Electric in the basement or back room where the switchboard used to be, usually full of cobwebs and string-tagged notes from long since departed OSP guys dated in the 1930-50's era telling interested parties 'this fifty pairs wired straight across to (address). PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 07:49:26 -0600 From: jared@nospam.au (jared) Subject: Re: OSP Identifiers / Verizon Repair > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: > This reminds me of a situation about 1970 or so: Something to do with a > loose contact. It appears it was the 'first selected trunk' in a group of > several circuits running from the central office. Since it was > the 'first selection', during the day in busy hours, it was always > being seized. One seizure after another. When a subscriber tried to > make a call (to that central office from my central office) it was > only rarely the subscriber would land on that first selected trunk. Here's a modern variant -- an ISP has banks of modems. There are likely a few 'bad' modems. Normally, if one gets such a modem, a redial will get a good one. Let the number of users approach the number of modems, say during the 9pm internet rush hour. The chance of getting a bad modem is quite high, because the pool of available modems is now the small number of bad modems. ------------------------------ From: pvava@yahoo.com (PeterV) Subject: Panasonic KX-TMC98-B Caller Id Problem Date: 9 Oct 2004 11:02:18 -0700 Hi, I have had a Panasonic KX-TMC98-B phone for several years now and have been very happy with it. I have not used the CallerID before since I din't really want to pay for it. I have justed switched to VONAGE and setup up my home wiring to accomodate it. Basically I removed the phone companies wiring from my internal wiring and then attaching my Vonage line. Everything works fine except on my KX-TMC98 when I receive calls the CallerID flashes and then resets the date and time. Now I am using just one line instead of two. All the wiring is just using two wires. Interestingly, when I attach my phone line to the Line1/2 connector on the TMC98 the CallerId registers it as a LINE2 CallerID, even though the call is coming in on Line1. When I attach the phone through LINE2, the call comes in on Line2 and it registers the CallerID as a Line2 ID. In both situations the time and date get reset, and not just to 0 but to some strange characters for Month and Day. I have another more recently bought single line phone that works fine CallerID. Any ideas? I have played with the line type and cpc to no avail. Thanks in advance, Peter ------------------------------ From: Billy Subject: Definity PBX Password G3 Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 15:16:04 -0400 Does anyone know the default password for the init login ID on a Definity G3V4 PBX. I tried initpw, but that did not work. This system is old. Possibly an old Avaya/Lucent or AT&T tech could help out here. This is the si model I believe. Any help is greatly appreciated. TIA, Bill ------------------------------ Subject: Oklahoma State University Simplified Admission Requirements From: Charles G Gray Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 10:38:20 -0500 Pat, we would appreciate it if you would post the following update on the MSTM Program. In an effort to simplify the admission requirements, Oklahoma State University has made the following revisions in requirements for candidates for the Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) Program. The requirement for GRE or GMAT examination is waived for part-time student applicants who meet the following criteria: - Two or more years experience in telecommunications - Have a technically-oriented undergraduate degree with a 3.2 (out of 4.0) or higher GPA. Details may be obtained at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu/prospective_stu/admission_requirements.htm. See also the MSTM sponsorship note toward the end of each issue of the Digest. The purpose of these changes is to attract more working professionals into the MSTM program. The MSTM degree program requires 35 credit hours, all of which may be obtained via distance learning. All class materials are posted to the respective class web sites, and lectures are delivered via streaming video, DVD or VCR tape. Currently, students are enrolled from Virginia to California, and recent students have completed internships (the "Practicum" requirement) in Germany, Guatemala, and Botswana - as well as in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Regards, Charles G. Gray Senior Lecturer, Telecommunications Oklahoma State University - Tulsa (918)594-8433 ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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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