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The Telecom Digest for August 26, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 182 : "text" Format
====== 32 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 04:59:18 -0500
From: gordonb.7wlpt@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Play voice message after answering phone?
Message-ID: <Ft-dnX0sTfrrr4rPnZ2dnUVZ_qydnZ2d@posted.internetamerica>
> Using the AT commands, I'd like to know if it's possible for a voice
> modem to play a message *after I answered a call by picking up the
> handset*, with the handset and the modem plugged into the same analog
> line.
>
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_modem_command_set
>
I see on that page a section called "Answering calls", which suggests
AT+VLS=1 , and in some cases, ATA (which might answer in data mode,
so AT+VLS=1 is preferred). There should be no problem with having
two extensions off-hook at the same time. That's worked for a
LONG time before the invention of "3-way calling".
A key problem with this is that you'd need to know WHEN the modem
is supposed to answer. If it's OK for you to manually answer, then
click on one of "Play driving directions to store", "Play instructions
for putting out a cellphone battery fire", or "Play notice that
bomb threats are not accepted unless you have a paid-up service
contract on the bomb", wait to hear the recording start, then hang
up, then you should be OK. Schemes involving waiting for a "RING"
response and timing are likely to answer calls that have already
hung up (no human answered it), or interrupt the human.
It is unlikely that the modem would be able to detect when the human
hangs up, answer fast enough to keep the call from dropping, and
play something. (If the modem detects it, chances are a good
percentage of COs would detect it also, even if the timing is
designed to be faster on the modem.)
I think some modems had features that detected if the line is in
use (due to an extension being off-hook), and aborted dialout
attempts in that situation (which is presumably a human using an
extension for a voice call). I've heard about dial tone detection
and off-hook detection, which might get confused with each other.
TiVo modems are supposed to have this feature (unclear if it's dial
tone detection or off-hook detection, or both). You might have to
turn this off as it might apply to answering also. Generally, you
have to be able to turn it off or on some lines the modem refuses
to dial out, because of non-standard dial tones, loop-start vs.
ground-start issues, or whatever voltages/currents are used to
detect off-hook being out of range, which happen often enough to
cause customer service problems.
> Or is it only possible if the modem takes the call first?
Really old-style modems used to have an associated handset which
had enough signals passed between it and the modem to permit manual
(human) answer, followed by either voice conversation and hanging
up, or transfer into data mode. This included the era when Ma Bell
was the only source for modems connected for dialup lines, and
somewhat after that (into the late 1970's at least) when manual-dial
and manual-answer were much more common.
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:32:27 -0700
From: dplatt@coop.radagast.org (David Platt)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Play voice message after answering phone?
Message-ID: <r5niea-m34.ln1@coop.radagast.org>
>Hello
>
>Using the AT commands, I'd like to know if it's possible for a voice
>modem to play a message *after I answered a call by picking up the
>handset*, with the handset and the modem plugged into the same analog
>line.
>
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_modem_command_set
>
>
>Or is it only possible if the modem takes the call first?
Try doing an AT+VLS=1 or AT#VLS=1 - this should "answer" the call (go
off-hook) regardless of whether the line is ringing or not.
You can then try AT+VTX or AT#VTX to start the audio transmission
process.
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 12:51:35 -0400
From: unknown <arnie.goetchius.remove-this@and-this-too.att.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: MetroPCS 4G Service Issues
Message-ID: <kvdcmi$tnp$1@dont-email.me>
Joseph Singer wrote:
> Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:05:20 -0400
>
> It was recently written:
>
>> This a 2 story residential colonial with a basement with cinder
>> block walls so I don't think there is any rebar or screening in the
>> walls. If I'm in the basement and go to "Network Selection", the
>> only thing I see on the "Network List" is AT&T. If I go to the
>> second floor, I can see both AT&T and T-Mobile on the "Network List"
>> with no problem. Even though I am retired AT&T, I still prefer
>> T-Mobile but only if it works in the basement.
>
> Unfortunately T-Mobile's spectrum only uses 1700 and 1900 Mhz spectrum
> for their network. The 1.7 and 1.9 Ghz range does not do as well as
> lower frequencies such as 700 and 850 which AT&T possesses for
> building penetration as well as the area it covers. AT&T inherited
> the 850 "cellular" spectrum the ancient days of analog cellular when
> only two entities were awarded cellular licenses in an area the "A"
> and "B" carriers. T-Mobile never has had any of the lower spectrum
> frequencies whereas AT&T has the legacy cellular spectrum and have
> also acquired some 700 Mhz spectrum.
Aha! Thanks for that explanation. So it looks like T-Mobile will never
work in the basement unless I employ other solutions mentioned by
several OP's in another section of this thread.
Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 16:37:34 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: The Public-Private Surveillance Partnership
Message-ID: <kvb5ic$hqf$1@dont-email.me>
The Public-Private Surveillance Partnership
By Bruce Schneier Jul 31, 2013 6:00 PM ET
Imagine the government passed a law requiring all citizens to carry a
tracking device. Such a law would immediately be found unconstitutional.
Yet we all carry mobile phones.
If the National Security Agency required us to notify it whenever we
made a new friend, the nation would rebel. Yet we notify Facebook. If
the Federal Bureau of Investigation demanded copies of all our
conversations and correspondence, it would be laughed at. Yet we provide
copies of our e-mail to Google, Microsoft or whoever our mail host is;
we provide copies of our text messages to Verizon, AT&T and Sprint; and
we provide copies of other conversations to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,
or whatever other site is hosting them.
The primary business model of the Internet is built on mass
surveillance, and our government's intelligence-gathering agencies have
become addicted to that data. Understanding how we got here is critical
to understanding how we undo the damage.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-31/the-public-private-surveillance-partnership.html
-or-
http://goo.gl/QHuYEb
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
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