A Beginner's Guide to the Internet/INTERNET.ISO/text/telediag/tc13-109.txt

Text File | 1993-02-18 | 19.8 KB | 506 lines

TELECOM Digest     Thu, 18 Feb 93 16:43:30 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 109

Index To This Issue:                      Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Administrivia: Fax Machine Contact With Digest (TELECOM Moderator)
    Touch Tone is No Extra Charge (Part 2) (Paul Robinson)
    South American Phone Service is Better Than GTE (Wayne Lorentz)
    If GTE's the Disease ... (was: GTE On the "Move") (Robert L. McMillin)
    National Information Infrastructure Conference (Matt Lucas)
    Veriphone (Credit-Card Verifier) Protocols? (Russ Nelson)
    Virtual Private Networks - Users Opinions, Please (Mikko Tapio Lavanti)
    Help With Stolen Calling-Card Number!  Please! (Joel M. Hoffman)
    Mandatory Measured Service (Steve Forrette)
    RS449 or V.35 to Fiber Line Driver (Phil Green)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: TELECOM Moderator <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fax Machine Contact With Digest
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 16:00:00 CST


Effective at this time, and for a limited trial period, you may
contact me by Fax at 312-743-0002. This machine may or may not stay
here. It is only a small machine, not a large commercial one, so
please don't send big multiple-page documents without asking me first.
My budget for paper, etc is limited. Also, this line is used for
*long* outgoing calls by a modem, so there may be times the line is
busy for extended periods, mainly late in the evening. If busy, try
later.


Thanks,


Patrick Townson

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 13:31:49 -0500 (EST)
From: Paul Robinson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Touch Tone is No Extra Charge (Part 2)


In a previous issue of the Digest I explained how I have two phone
lines and decided to install two more.  I thought I'd tell people what
happened.

Yesterday the installer from C&P Telephone of Maryland came out to put
in the two new phone lines.  We discovered the following things about
my house:

1.  The place is so old that, from the days when there was not enough
lines running out here, there is a Slick-1 on the network block,
unused, for when they had to use subscriber carrier.  It was used, not
for other phones in the neighborhood, but so that this house could
have two phone lines by using subscriber carrier.  Also, he notes that
C&P has only recently stopped using subscriber carrier as they have
sufficient lines out here to handle the traffic.

2.  The original two lines were turned on from the office; no
installer came out.  Otherwise I would have discovered I had no
protection against lightning on either line; if there had been a
lighting short, it would have fried everything: all phones, my
computers, everything.

3.  He pointed to the line running across the street to the telephone
pole.  One of the lines had a splice in it.

So he decided to rip out the two lines that ran across the road and
replace them and add the two new ones with a brand new SIX pair wire.
He even reconnected the two lines he disconnected.  Also, he gave me
about 50 feet of four-pair wire which he strung at the time he was
putting the wire.  He installed in the basement, a brand new five-pair
network block that have the best GAS DISCHARGE surge protectors.  In
the event of lightining, they will blow, disconnecting the line.  He
also threaded the four-pair at the same time he inserted the main
wire.  He then left the spool on the roof next to my second floor
window for me to install.  He also did not install the new lines (and
I thought he was correct on this point) because the phone wire he gave
me was sitting outside, in the rain.  Also, because he suggested that
because of the construction on the house, I'd be better off having a
hole drilled in the siding and add the wire instead of using one of
the older holes.

The installer stated that if I just wanted to hook up the four-line
wire myself, all that would be charged is the installation fee, which
would save at least $50 for the additional work.  I agreed.

I thought it was funny that a while after he started there was a
second installer in a cherry-picker also out there on the pole doing
my installation.  Well, it turns out that the phone company didn't
bother to run the additional two lines out to the network box on the
telephone pole until after the installer showed up here.  He spent
about two hours here installing the two lines.  I am also the ONLY
user of the network box on that telephone pole, as I am the *last
customer* at the end of that run.  The house across the street uses a
pole further up the road.  The house on the side uses a pole on the
other street in the next central office.  The house on the other side
is also on the other central office.  Also, the network box on the
pole has enough room for up to TEN telephone lines.  If I ever get to
the point I need ten lines I'll get a T1-Line and a codec.

Which reminds me: I humorously mentioned about what would happen if I
wanted a T1 line (or fractional one).  He pointed out that AT&T would
have to put it in; C&P doesn't do T1 wiring!  I'd order the POP at the
central office, but someone else would have to supply the drop.

End result; I got the four-pair wire running into my room; he does
nice work as the wire had 8 feet of slack.  All I've had to pay for
was the base installation so I, in effect, got the new wire for
"free".  I brought the wire in my room and hooked it up downstairs.
This morning I hooked the two lines to the two line jack I have in my
room.  I tried using the 1073214049889664 number from both lines and
it read back the xx7-xxxx numbers I was given originally.  Calling the
main hunt number when it's busy causes the second number to ring.

As to whether it works for outgoing calls, this message was posted
from my new modem line!


Paul Robinson -- [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Congratulations on getting the job done right!  PAT]

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

Subject: South American Phone Service is Better Than GTE
From: [e-mail] (WayneL)
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 08:13:50 EST
Organization: The East Wind  [phone]


Well, far be it from me to be the only one reading this newsgroup
_NOT_ to flame GTE, thus I'm blowing off a little steam.

I don't have a problem with the bill, since I only use GTE at work,
but I would like to say that I've used telephone setups in South
America that were better than what they've provided us.

A large percentage (at least 20%) of my calls within the area (914)
don't go through.  Sometimes I just get a re-order.  Sometimes it
gives me a busy signal, even though the line isn't (I tested this by
calling a phone in another studio that was empty at the time).  And if
that's not bad enough, many times if I dial xxx-xxxx I get a message
saying that I need to dial a 1 before the number.  So, I dial the same
number, with the "1", and get a message saying that the number cannot
be completed as dialed. (grumble grumble)

Since I work in the newsroom (at WALL/WKOJ) it's very important that
my calls go through the first time.  So, each reporter has come up
with their own solution ... I always diak 1-914-xxx-xxxx on ALL calls
within the area code, even if it's only down the street and in the
same prefix.  For whatever reason, it works.  Another guy uses the
social engineering approach: he ALWAYS calls the GTE operator to place
the call for him.  Every once in a while the operator protests, but it
doesn't take long for them to just put it through, anyway.

I live in a tiny tiny telephone company (The Warwick Valley Telephone
Company) that has only four pay phones in its entire operation, does
not allow Equal Access (either by 950-xxxx, or 10xxx), and has less
than 5,000 phones (split between 201 and 914).  I never thought any
telephone company could be worse, then I met GTE.

 -Flame off-


Wayne V.H. Lorentz :  WayneL  <[e-mail]>

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 04:38:36 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Robert L. McMillin)
Subject: If GTE's the Disease ... (was GTE On the "Move")


John Higdon <[e-mail]> writes:

> I have always said that GTE was a disease.

If that's true, is LEC competition the cure?  I sure hope so ...


Robert L. McMillin                     | Voice:    [phone]
Hughes Aircraft/Hughes Training, Inc.  | Fax:      [phone]
Los Angeles, CA                        | Internet: [e-mail]

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 16:57:59 -0500

From: matt lucas <[e-mail]>
Subject: National Information Infrastructure Conference


TeleStrategies Conference Announcement:

        The National Information Infrastructure Conference
             April 27-28, 1993   -   Washington, DC

                              PLUS

       "Understanding Information and Network Technologies
                       for Non-Engineers"
                    Monday, April 26, 1993


Tuesday, April 27, 1993

8:30-9:00  Registration

9:00-10:00

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: WHY DO WE NEED A NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE?

What are the decisions to be made and alternatives to be faced?
Should the NII be a single national system or specialized networks
loosely interconnected? What should federal policy be?

Senator Conrad Burns, (R - Mt.)

10:00-10:30  Coffee Break

10:30-12:00

DEFINING THE VISION AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP

The panelists will present a variety of policy views from the
perspectives of their constituencies.

Jerry Berman, Executive Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Fiona Branton, Technology Counsel, Computer Systems Policy Project
Ken Dowlin, Director, San Francisco Public Library
Marc Rotenberg, Director, Washington Office
  Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

12:00-1:30  Hosted Lunch

1:30-3:00

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

Should the Federal government build the NII, pay for it in order to
provide technology transfer, or should it just provide leadership and
articulate a national interest point of view?

Ralph Andreotta, Director, Technology Infrastructure, AT&T
John Clement, Director, Consortium for School Networking
Stewart Personick, Vice President, Information Networking and
  Research, Bellcore
Paul Peters, Director, Coalition for Networked Information

3:00-3:30  Coffee Break

3:30-5:00

WHO WILL BUILD THE NII?

This session will focus on issues related to building the NII.
Panelists will discuss the parts of the infrastructure that are
already in place and examine the components that still need to be
added. The roles of the following players will be described: TCP/IP
network service providers; the Community Learning & Information
Network; industry and manufacturing nets (EINet); and the Internet
Society and its role in international issues.

Rick Adams, Chairman, Commercial Internet Exchange
Ken Fiduk, Director, Enterprise Integration Network, MCC
Anthony Rutkowskii, Secretary, Internet Society
Sam Wyman, Chief Operating Officer
  Community Learning & Information Network

5:00-6:00  Reception

Wednesday, April 28, 1993

8:30-10:00

THE ROLE OF THE NSFNET AND NREN

Where do the NSFnet and NREN fit in the context of a NII? How is the
role of the NSF changing in terms of the final backbone solicitation?
How will (or should) NSF subsidies affect the NSFnet mid-level
infrastructure?

Gordon Cook, Editor & Publisher, COOK Report on Internet -> NREN
Tom Grunder, President, National Public Telecomputing Network
John Rugo, Project Manager, NEARnet
Steve Wolff, Director, NSFnet

10:00-10:30  Coffee Break

10:30-12:30

THE ROLE OF CARRIERS, CABLE AND WIRELESS

A NII will bring new opportunities for delivery of information to the
home and business. What are the risks and potential rewards facing the
telcos, cable TV, and wireless industries as they make their plans to
participate in these new services?

Mark Coblitz, Vice President, Strategic Planning
  Comcast Corporation Bob Doyle, Director, Marketing, Science and
Education, US Sprint Lucie Fjeldstad, IBM Vice President and General
Manager of been serving as a testbed for new ideas and services.
Senator Kerrey has ambitious plans to pick up the pace of Nebraska's
involvement by funding a grassroots computer network within the state.
Issues involving access to the NII will also be discussed.

Carolyn Fuller, Counsel, Office of Senator Kerrey
Frank Odasz, Director, Big Sky Telegraph
Roy Perry, Network Architect, U S West Advanced Technologies
Samuel A. Simon, President, Issue Dynamics Inc.


For complete information call TeleStrategies at [phone]

Conference Hotel: The conference will be held at the SHERATON
RESTON HOTEL 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA  22091, (703)
620-9000. THE HOTEL IS LOCATED 15 MINUTES FROM DULLES AIRPORT.

Seminar Hours: Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, April
26 and Tuesday, April 27. Seminar hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
on Monday and Tuesday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday,
April 28

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

From: [e-mail] (Russ Nelson)
Subject: Veriphone (Credit-Card Verifier) Protocols?
Date: 18 Feb 93 02:57:10 GMT
Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam NY


Does anyone have the specification used by a VeriFone credit-card
verifier?  I borrowed a friend's and did a little reverse-engineering
on it.  It dials a pre-programmed phone number, and connects at 1200
baud.  It waits for ENQ, sends the info on the transaction, then waits
for ACK followed by something (don't know what).

ASCII ENQ  ->
       <-    ASCII STX
       <-    Merchant account number
       <-    ASCII FS
       <-    @
       <-    credit-card number
       <-    ASCII FS
       <-    four digits of expiration date
       <-    ASCII FS
       <-    dollar amount to be verified
       <-    ASCII ETX
ASCII ACK  ->
something??->


russ <[e-mail]> Businesses persuade; Governments force.

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

From: [e-mail] (Mikko Tapio Lavanti)
Subject: Virtual Private Networks - Users Opinions, Please
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 12:43:15 GMT


Hello!

I'm doing my final thesis on Virtual Private Networks in the Helsinki
University of Technology, Finland.  I have a lot (about 1000 pages) of
written material but most of them are seen from the Operator point of
wiew.

I'd like to have as well some oppinion from the VPN users. Does anyone
here have experience in using VPN (say SDN,Sprint VPN, GVPN or others)

What have been the greatest benefits/disadvantages in using VPN?  What
should be considered in taking VPN in use for the company?  Is there
any good material seen from this point of view?

How about using international virtual private networks?


Thanks in advance,


Mikko Lavanti

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

From: [e-mail] (Joel M. Hoffman)
Subject: Help With Stolen Calling-Card Number!  Please!
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 15:29:09 GMT


Two months ago someone got hold of my calling card number (from AT&T).
My bill for last month was well over $500, and included two carriers.
My bill for this month is also well over $500, but includes dozens of
LD carriers.  The phone calls are to such places as Guam and Saudi
Arabia; there can be no doubt that the card was used illegally.  I'm
having three problems resolving this issue.  Can anyone help??

1.  Last month I only paid for the calls I made, and wrote a letter to
the local telco explaining that the other calls were not made by me.
They ignored my letter and sent me a notice that my phone service
would be cut off.  When I called them about it, they told me that I
have to resolve the problem by speaking to someone on the phone; a
letter is not good enough!  I know this isn't possible.  What should I
do?

2.  The local telco told me that I have to resolve the problem with
each LD carrier independently.  They will not act as a go-between for
my and the LD carriers.  Based on my experience in 1. (above), this
would entail HOURS and HOURS of work.  Is the local telco right?

3.  Somehow, one of the LD carriers lists a calling-card call from MY
HOME PHONE.  I >KNOW< I didn't make that call, because I never use the
calling card from home and I've never heard of the LD carrier.  How
could that have happened?  Is it possible that this is an "inside
job"?  Is there any other explanation?

Please help.  This has become an administrative nightmare, and I
really don't have time to spend hours on the phone and writing
letters.

MANY thanks in advance!


Joel    ([e-mail])


[Moderator's Note: Let me ask this: Has AT&T now killed the PIN so the
card can no longer be used?  If so, then it is likely they are
investigating the charges. It is really inconvenient for them and
telco to put a hold on your bill and send you a manually corrected
one, so you may be living with false charges coming through for a
couple more months. And, if your call to telco or AT&T came too close
to your billing cut off date the first time around, then it is likely
the credit did not make it through in time causing your bill to become
delinquent and obviously quite large. It is true each long distance
company will have to investiogate the phraud calls which pertain to
it, but telco can assist by charging back all the phraud as you
identify it each month. You did the right thing by paying onyly foe
what was yours.  See if the billing settles down back to normal over
the next couple months.   PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 19:43:56 -0800
From: Steve Forrette <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mandatory Measured Service


There are bills pending in both houses of the Washington State
legislature which would permanently ban mandatory measured service in
this state.  Sounds like a hard thing to argue against, doesn't it?
Well, guess who is against the ban?  The PUC!  That's right, the
Public Utility Commission in WA is against a ban on mandatory measured
service.  They say that it would possibly interfere with their ability
to guarantee universal telephone service!  Their argument goes that if
some point in the future it would become necessary to enact a tariff
containing mandatory measured service in order to maintain universal
telephone service availiability, that this law would prevent them from
approving it.  Now I've heard everything.


Steve Forrette, [e-mail]


[Moderator's Note: Believe me, there are people who prefer measured
service because their use of the phone is so minimal. Modem users and
telecom 'enthusiasts' like ourselves may find measured service not in
our best interests, but for lots of people, it is a great deal. When
we went to measured service here several years ago, with the complete
elimination of plans which allowed unlimited calling across northern
Illinois for a flat fee, a local consumer utility watchdog group gave
the new (measured rate) plans a great deal of support because they
perceived their constituents to mostly be people with limited
financial resources who make limited use of the telephone.  For quite
a few people here, measured service cut their monthly bill in half.  PAT]

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 10:32:56 MST
From: Philip Green <[e-mail]>
Subject: RS449 or V.35 to Fiber Line Driver
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM


I am looking for a device that will convert a rs422 or v.35 sync
signal to fiber. The driver needs to handle up to 1.5mbit/sec. I want
to connect a sync high speed line from a T1 mux to a router that is in
another building.


Thanks,


Phil Green      [e-mail]
NRAO        505.835.7294

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

End of TELECOM Digest V13 #109
******************************