Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/tc15_143.zip/TC15-143.TXT

Text File | 1995-03-12 | 24KB | 598 lines

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 9 Mar 95 22:44:00 CST    Volume 15 : Issue 143

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Singapore's Strange Info-Police (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh)
    Re: Non-Published Phone Number and Privacy Act  (Tony LiCausi)
    Re: Requesting Information About SDH (Claes Gussing)
    Re: Help Needed With Modems for Telephony API (Tony Zuccarino)
    Re: T1 -> Modems (John Lundgren)
    Re: T1 -> Modems (Doug Fields)
    Re: Analog Interface Parameters (John Lundgren)
    Re: Caller ID Question (Stan Schwartz)
    Re: X.25 Over ISDN - Addressing (Bob Stone)
    Re: Fax Modems and Voice Lines (Tony Zuccarino)
    Re: GSM Rental in Germany (Axel Schmidt)
    Re: This Newsgroup Demo'ed on PBS's "Internet Show" (Chris Hiner)
    Re: New NPA for Houston TX(Jeff Brielmaier)

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Singapore's Strange Info-Police
From: [e-mail] (Rishab Aiyer Ghosh)
Date: Thu, 09 Mar 95 23:42:40 IST
Organization: Deus X Machina


--==(C) Copyright 1995 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh ([e-mail])

Recently the Singapore authorities have been making various
announcements on the matter of creating the first fully wired country.
In particular, they have been trying to address the possible conflicts
between the individualistic, liberal Internet, and the paternalistic
governance of the 'Asian Way'. In doing so, they have shown an
interesting mix of ignorance, hope and a remarkable pragmatism.

The government will not allow Singapore to become a source of
pornography or other improper material, according to George Yeo, the
minister for information and the arts. "Those who notice any kind of
criminal or anti-social behaviour should alert each other and the
Singapore Broadcasting Authority [SBA, their proposed Internet
police]" said Mr Yeo. Nice, law-abiding Singaporeans - all 3,100 of
them who are on-line currently - may obey. Considering that the
"information island" will eventually reach all 3 million, this call
for voluntary (or even imposed) censorship does appear somewhat
dreamy-eyed.

How exactly does Singapore plan to counter the anonymous remailers,
DC-nets and other cryptoanarchic technologies that may defeat even the
American National Security Agency? Ask the three people from the
National Computer Board of Singapore, who are subscribed to the
Cypherpunk's mailing list -- a discussion forum on cryptographic
technologies and their implications for free speech and privacy.

Singaporean pragmatism? The same Mr Yeo who would like well-behaved
wired citizens has another remedy for the anti-establishment rantings
cyberspace gives birth to, one that reflects the free spirit of the
Internet more than do the usual responses of other governments. Mr.
Yeo, who believes that "if we leave cyberspace to those with axes to
grind, there will only be ourselves to blame," would like patriotic
Singaporeans such as members of the youth league of the ruling party
to counter annoying posts on newsgroups such as soc.culture.singapore.
This reflects Singapore's "right to reply" (or "have the last word")
policy when dealing with perceived falsehoods in the country's press.
Unlike mainstream media, discussion on the Internet never ends, and
there may never be a last word.

Government sponsored flame-wars? Better than overt censorship, devious
surveillance and lengthy lawsuits, surely.


--==(C) Copyright 1995 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh ([e-mail])
--==May be distributed electronically provided that only compilation or
--==transmission charges are applied. Other uses require written
permission.


Rishab Aiyer Ghosh                   For Electric Dreams subscriptions
[e-mail]                    and back issues, send a mail to
[e-mail]                           [e-mail] with
Vox [phone] Voxmail 3760335       'help' in lower case, without
H 34C Saket, New Delhi 110017, INDIA       the quotes, as the Subject.

------------------------------

From: Tony LiCausi <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Non-Published Phone Number and Privacy Act
Organization: Northrop Grumman Automation Sciences Lab, Pico Rivera, CA
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 07:52:00 GMT


There is a better way. You may not own your number, but you own your
name. And the company doesn't really care what name appears in the
book.  Pick a name, your wife's maiden name, dog's name, favorite book
character ... and choose that to be published.

If an unwanted call comes in then "Mr. Chip's is on vacation, I'm only
house sitting ..." will get rid of 99% of unwanted calls.


Anthony LiCausi    [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: Claes Gussing <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Requesting Information About SDH
Date: 9 Mar 1995 10:32:42 GMT
Organization: Ericsson


[e-mail] (John DeHoog) wrote:

> In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (willy
> gan) wrote:

>> I'd often seen the words SDH or SDH compatible equipment
>> advertised in data communication magazines. Can anyone explain
>> or give me examples of what SDH stands for?

> SDH stands for Synchronous Digital Hierarchy, for starters.  I'm not
> sure that tells us much, and it's not even necessarily an apt term;
> but what I do know is that it's an optical signal interface standard
> used in optical fiber networks, to transport digital voice, data, and
> video signals over long distances.  Here in Japan, some major telecom
> makers have developed SDH equipment based on the CTRON specifications.

SDH - Synchrounous Digital Hierarchy

SDH is the latest way of transporting digital signals. It is defined
to be able to carry both the old US standards (1.5, 6.3, 45 Mbps),
and the old standards for the rest of the world (2, (8), 34, 140 Mbps).

All these signals are to be mapped into the SDH-signals, which are:
(M = Mbps = Million bits per second)
STM1: 155 M, maps 1 * 140M, or 3 * 34/45M, or 21 * 6.3M, or 63 * 2M,
                   or 84 * 1.5M

STM4: 620 M = 4 * STM1

STM16: 2.5 Gbps = 4 * STM4 = 16 * STM1

STM64: 10Gbps (standardized??)

Also will the SDH-networks be able to carry the ATM-signals.

Part for pure data, the SDH-signals carry a lot of overhead
information, etc.

I know that "Artech House Books" offer a few books with plenty
of informtation about SDH. Fax: [phone].


Regards,

Claes Gussing   [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Zuccarino)
Subject: Re: Help Needed With Modems for Telephony API
Organization: Rockwell International
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 02:24:48 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
wrote:

> All modems support Microsoft's Telephony API, but only if they have a
> suitable driver.  Modem manufacturers have been slow to provide these
> drivers because Microsoft distributes a free generic modem driver with
> the TAPI SDK, because Microsoft distributes the source code for a
> rudimentary voice modem driver free (by ftp "ftp.microsoft.com" and
> Compuserve "go winext"), and because Microsoft intends to provide a
> generic modem driver (Unimodem) bundled with Windows 9x.

> The problem with these Microsoft drivers is that they are limited,
> since they do not properly support voice features.  Also the Unimodem
> driver appears to be a "dial only" driver since it does not pass rings
> back to the application.

> Regular modems are actually poor candidates for TAPI, since they
> provide meager call control features.  Best for telephony are boards
> like the IBM Mwave, which allow for full duplex speaker phone, touch
> tone recognition, Caller ID, handset state detection, control over the
> handset connection to the line and software upgradability to features
> such as VoiceView.  Somewhere between regular modems and Mwave type

Actually, there are chipsets other than MWave which do deliver all
these features today. In fact, most of Rockwell chip based voice/fax
modems provide DTMF tone detection, CID, handset state detection,
VoiceView today (not future availability). Check out the voice command
set available on the WWW server posted by Steve Palm of Rockwell
(comp.dcom.modems).  You can easily see the extent to which you can
control the telephony functions.

> cards in terms of telephony features are voice/fax/modems, which can
> record and play sound from the line, but still provide poor status
> sensing (like handset on/off hook), and which are intrinsically

See above.

> unreliable for two reasons: 1. the burden of voice data through the
> serial port and 2. the inclusion of status and control signals in-band

Voice data in 90% of Rockwell based boards goes through a soft UART
that provides greater than the 16 byte FIFO of the typical 16550 UART.
How do you avoid inband signalling? Two hardware ports? How does that
make things more reliable?

> in the voice data stream.  The first of these deficiencies is
> addressed by some modems, such as those based on chip sets by Sierra
> and Cirrus that do their voice with DMA rather than through the serial
> port.  Of course modems using this technique must be internal.

Cirrus does not use DMA. Rockwell uses a sort of soft DMA that
allows for upwards of 2 Mbps of data rate transfer. Work on a TAPI
driver is underway for the Rockwell voice chipset.


Tony Zuccarino        Internet: [e-mail]
Product Marketing     Rockwell International

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Lundgren)
Subject: Re: T1 -> Modems
Date: 8 Mar 1995 06:45:57 GMT
Organization: Pacific Bell Knowledge Network


ScottPCS ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I need to bring in a T1 line to 24 1200 baud modems for my company.
> It seems like an inefficient solution to run the T1 into a channel
> bank to end up with 24 phone lines and then plug in 24 modems plugged
> into 24 serial ports.  Is there any type of hardware that can handle
> this T1 / modem problem better?  Preferrably something PC based
> (Windows NT) and cheap <g>.

It might be that the cables from the modems to the PCs will be more
expensive than the modems.  Modems of 2400 baud and below are being
practically given away.  In fact, you may not be able to get 1200, and
have to use 2400 baud modems instead.  Maybe.  At the prices that
14,400 modems are going for, you may end up with them instead.  Cheap.

But the hardware isn't going to be the main expense.  The installation
and monthly charges for the phone lines are going to be.


John Lundgren - Elec Tech - Info Tech Svcs
Rancho Santiago Community College District
17th St. at Bristol \ Santa Ana, CA 92706
[e-mail]\[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Doug Fields)
Subject: Re: T1 -> Modems
Date: 9 Mar 1995 12:59:39 -0500
Organization: Panix in NYC, Admiral's Account


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (ScottPCS)
writes:

> I need to bring in a T1 line to 24 1200 baud modems for my company.
> It seems like an inefficient solution to run the T1 into a channel
> bank to end up with 24 phone lines and then plug in 24 modems plugged
> into 24 serial ports.  Is there any type of hardware that can handle
> this T1 / modem problem better?  Preferrably something PC based
> (Windows NT) and cheap <g>.

I don't know about cheap, but US Robotics has exactly what you need. A
rack-mount system which will take the T1 and directly put it into
modems (you'll need six 4-modem cards).

They have it with V.34 modems, I'd imagine slower ones are available.
They also have lots of other networking cards for the rack, so you can
do more than just run 24 modems.

I don't remember the phone number off the top of my head; it's in the
800-directory. Maybe it's 800-DIAL-USR.


Cheers,

Doug Fields, http://www.interpage.net
PGP key: "finger [e-mail]"

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (John Lundgren)
Subject: Re: Analog Interface Parameters
Date: 8 Mar 1995 07:08:42 GMT
Organization: Pacific Bell Knowledge Network


Eli Cohen (gandalf![e-mail]) wrote:

> I'm looking for information in the form of articles research papers
> etc. on the topic of Analog Interface Parameters.

> The parameters I'm looking for (such as Line Impedance, Dial Tone,
> Cadences, etc.) should be categorized be country of origin.

Bell has a book called Transmission Systems for Communications that
should have some of this info.  Also, the Radio Amateur's Handbook has
some info on this in the phone patch chapter.  Of course, this is for
the U.S.


John Lundgren - Elec Tech - Info Tech Svcs
Rancho Santiago Community College District
17th St. at Bristol \ Santa Ana, CA 92706
[e-mail]\[e-mail]

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Stan Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Caller ID Question
Date: 9 Mar 1995 22:18:49 -0500
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


USCG TELECOMMS ([e-mail]) wrote:

> In Caller ID the privacy indicator can be overridden on 911, 800, and
> 900 calls.  We understand that 911 is ANI-based and 800/900 is
> SS7-based.  Is it technically feasible to override the privacy
> indicator to calls placed to a public agency's emergency seven-digit
or
> ten-digit emergency number (non-911, non-800, non-900)?  If not, what
> would be required to make this feasible?  Please reply to
[e-mail].

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Nope, not possible. Not at least
> without a massive lost of trust by the public in what telephone
> privacy is available. That is the purpose of 911: Emergency calls are

Here in the NYC/Metro area, NYNEX has tariffed four exchanges that
WILL provide ANI, regardless of the privacy indicator.  I don't know
of any companies using them yet, but they are:

  212/718:  810, 910
  516:      820, 920

There was a bill insert about these exchanges about a year ago, but I

·
haven't heard anything about them since.


Stan

------------------------------

From: Bob Stone <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: X.25 Over ISDN - Addressing
Date: 10 Mar 1995 03:49:50 GMT
Organization: JT&T, Inc.


In article <[e-mail]> Azriel Heuman,
[e-mail] writes:

> or other X.25 network providers shed some light on this subject?

Our company, Voice & Data Systems, manufactures a new telecom
technology, based on a recent ITU Recommendation called FaxPAD. FaxPAD
sends fax in real-time compressed 16 to 1, as packets of X.25 data.

This is a very powerful fax solution both for multinational companies
and soon for small users, as well. Multinational companies may intall
FaxPADs in their offices connected to their data network. If the data
network is paid for on a fixed monthly fee basis, then the fax which
used to travel over voice circuits generating toll charges, is now
sent at no cost!

Our company is working with international carriers to set up a FaxPAD
based, discount, fax service that can be accessed by a local phone
call.

Please let me know if either of these solutions would be helpful to
you.  I can fax you more information, specs, etc.


Rgds.

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Tony Zuccarino)
Subject: Re: Fax Modems and Voice Lines
Organization: Rockwell International
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 22:14:13 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (K. M.
Peterson) wrote:

> My advice is to purchase an inexpensive desktop modem for home use.
> ZyXELs offer "distinctive ring" decoding, which is an alternative to
> "Silent Answer" requiring "Ringmate" or some other type of distinctive
> ring service from your local telco.  ZyXELs, however, are _not_
> inexpensive; if you don't want to go this route call Hello Direct
> (1-800-HI-HELLO), and order a box from them that will do this
> discrimination externally and allow you to use any modem you wish.

ZOOM has just announced their distinctive ring solution as well,
at what should be economical prices.


Tony Zuccarino        Internet: [e-mail]
Product Marketing     Rockwell International

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Axel Schmidt)
Subject: Re: GSM Rental in Germany
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 95 09:41:50 GMT


In article <[e-mail]>, John R. Covert
<covert@covert.
enet.dec.com> wrote:

> I want to rent a GSM phone with a German number in Germany in about
> three weeks, but I can't find any rental companies.  I'll be in
> Germany for about nine days.

Uff, I'm a bit surprised. There are many rental companies around.  I
took a quick look at the magazine "Connect" and found two ads
immediately.  One of the companies is here in Berlin, so I could
inquire for you.  I don't want to advertise here, so I'm sending you
the addresses seperately.


Greetings from Berlin,

Axel
[e-mail] | FidoNet 2:2410/121.21
Homepage: http://www.snafu.de/~schmidt
Erstellen von WWW-Seiten (HTML)

------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Chris Hiner)
Subject: Re: This Newsgroup Demo'ed on PBS's "Internet Show"
Date: 10 Mar 1995 01:23:00 GMT
Organization: GMI Engin. & Mgt. Institute, Flint, MI


Robert Casey ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I saw a show about the Internet on PBS Saturday, Mar 4.  It actually
> talked about something other than porno and child molesters on the
'net.
> They actually did a reasonably good job talking about newsgroups,
ftp'ing,
> telnet'ing, golpher, and such.

> They did a demo of newsgroup reading, think it was this very group,
and they

> demo'ed how to post. They responded to a question about how many long
> distance lines crossed the USA (he said he was sure the number was
42).

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Unfortunatly, I don't think it would
have
> been this Digest, since I don't recall a question like that appearing
here
> at any time in the recent past. It probably was one of the telecom
related
> newsgroups on Usenet. None the less, the intentions were good and the
> producer of the show is to be congratulated for showing something
positive
> and tasteful about the information superhighway. Lord knows there are
> enough newspaper writers out there more than willing to discuss the
milieu
> of the public toilets at the rest stops along the information highway
which
> disguise themselves as 'news groups'.   PAT]

Actually, I'm positive that was comp.dcom.telecom that they chose for
a newsgroup to demo ... the dates on the postings, I recall, were about
August 1994.

Not a bad show.


Chris Hiner    [e-mail]


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: According to John Levine, who seems to
have had something to do with it, it *was* this newsgroup; he said the
reason the commentary he 'posted' to the group on the show was just a
demo; in fact the question/answer/comment was not really sent out.  That
is aparently why I did not see it here.  Hearing about this show from
the person who wrote was the first I knew anything about the show and
its content.   PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: New NPA for Houston TX
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Brielmaier)
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 95 06:13:00 -0600
Organization: Ye Olde Bailey BBS - Houston, TX - 713-520-1569
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jeff Brielmaier)


> An article in this week's {Information Week} mentioned that the new
> NPA's are confounding numerous PBX's that haven't had a recent
> software upgrade to handle the new NPA format (a graphic showed 360,
> with the '6' having devil-like horns and tail).

That's not surprising ... it's unfortunate since the change has been
publicized by the telcos (perhaps not as well as it should have
though).  Of course, here and in other telephone related conferences
we have known about this change over a lot longer :)

> They mentioned that 334 in Alabama, 360 in Washington State, and 281
> in Texas were already active.  I don't remember anyone here mentioning
> 281's activation, but upon dialing 1-281-555-1212 I received a
> "Southwestern Bell" chime and the DA operator told me that 281 is the
> cellular overlay area code for 713 (Houston), which became active
> 3/1/95.

281 is an overlay on top of the 713 area code.  Until 03/01/96, SWBell
will assign "wireless" (pager, cellular, etc) callers to the new area
code.  After 03/01/96, SWBell will begin assigning "normal" (wired)
users to the new area code.

Until 03/01/96, local calls w/i the 713 area code can be dialed as
seven-digits while all calls to the 281 AC will be 1 + 10D.  After
03/01/96, all calls will have to be dialed as 1 + 10D.


* KingQWK 1.05 # [PK] * Houston:
Home of the "Houston Livestock & Rodeo Show"
Ye Olde Bailey BBS Zyxel 713-520-1569(V.32bis) USR 713-520-9566(V.34/FC)
   Houston,Texas             yob.com           Home of alt.cosuard

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V15 #143
******************************