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The incredible Help Program for Blue Boxing --------------------------------------------- Presented by Keepermann You can read downside the using of our little Program -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Better Homes and Blue Boxing Part I Theory of Operation =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To quote Karu Bluel Marx, blue boxing has always been the most able form of phreaking. As opposed to such things as using an MCI code to make a free fone call, which is merely mindless pseudo-phreaking, blue boxing is actual interaction with the Bell System toll network. It is likewise advisable to be more cautious when blue boxing, but the careful phreak will not be caught, regardless of what type of switching system he is under. In this part, I will explain how and why blue boxing works, as well as where. Ind h later parts, I will give more practical information for blue boxing and routing information. To begin with, blue boxing is simply communicating with trunks. Trunks must not be confused with subscriber lines (or "customer loops") which are standard telefone lines. Trunks are those lines that connect central offices. Now, when trunks are not in use (i.e., idle or "on-hook" state) they have 2600Hz applied to them. If they are two-way trunks, there is 2600Hz in both directions. When a trunk IS in use (busy or "off-hook" state"), the 2600Hz is removed from the side that is off-hook. The 2600Hz is therefore known as a supervisory signal, because it indicates the status of a trunk; on hook (tone) or off-hook (no tone). Note also that 2600Hz denoted SF (single frequency) signalling and is "in-band." This is very important. "In-band" means that it is within the band of frequencies that may be transmitted over normal telefone lines. Other SF signals, such as 3700Hz are used also. However, they cannot be carried over the telefone network normally (they are "out-of- band") and are therefore not able to be taken advantage of as 2600Hz is. Back to trunks. Let's take a hypothetical phone call. You pick up your fone and dial 1+806-258-1234 (your good friend in Armarillo, Texas). For ease, we'll assume that you are on #5 Crossbar switching and not in the 806 area. Your central office (CO) would recognize that 806 is a foreign NPA, so it would route the call to the toll centre that serves you. [For the sake of accuracy here, and for the more experienced readers, note that the CO in question is a class 5 with LAMA that uses out-of-band SF supervisory signalling]. Depending on where you are in the country, the call would leave yq iour toll centre (on more trunks) to another toll centre, or office of higher "rank". Then it would be routed to central office 806-258 eventually and the call would be completed. Illustration: A---CO1-------TC1------TC2----CO2----B A=you CO1=your central office TC1=your toll office. TC2=toll office in Amarillo. CO2=806-258 central office. B=your friend (806-258-1234) In this situation it would be realistic to say that CO2 uses SF in-band (2600Hz) signalling, while all the others use out-of-band signalling (3700Hz). If you don't understand this, don't worry too much. I am pointing this out merely for the sake of accuracy. The point is that while you are connected to 806-258- 1234, all those trunks from YOUR central office (CO1) to the 806-258 central office (CO2) do *NOT* have 2600Hz on them, indicating to the Bell equipment that a call is in progress and the trunks are in use. Now let's say you're tired of talking to your friend in Amarillo (806-258-1234) so you send 2600Hz down the line. This tone travels down the line to your friend's central office (CO2) where it is detected. However, a that CO thinks that the 2600Hz is originating from Bell equipment, indicating to it that you've hung up, and thus the trunks are once again idle (with 2600Hz present on them). But actually, you have not hung up, you have fooled the equipment at your friend's CO into thinking you have. Thus,it disconnects him and resets the equipment to prepare for the next call. All this happens very quickly (300-800ms for step-by-step equipment and 150-400ms for other equipment). When you stop sending 2600Hz (after about a second), the equipment thinks that another call is coming towards it (e.g. it thinks the far end has come "off-hook" since the tone has stopped. It could be thought of as a toggle switch: tone --> on hook, no tone -->off hook. Now that you've stopped sending 2600Hz, several things happen: 1) A trunk is seized. 2) A "wink" is sent to the CALLING end from the CALLED end indicating that the CALLED end (trunk) is not ready to receive digits yet. 3) A register is found and attached to the CALLED end of the trunk within about two seconds (max). 4) A start-dial signal is sent to the CALLING end from the CALLED end indicating that the CALLED end is ready to receive digits. Now, all of this is pretty much transparent to the blue boxer. All he really hears when these four things happen is a <beep><kerchunk>. So, seizure of a trunk would go something like this: 1> Send a 2600Hz 2> Terminate 2600Hz after 1-2 secs. 3> [beep][kerchunk] Once this happens, you are connected to a tandem that is ready to obey your every command. The next step is to send signalling information in order to place your call. For this you must simulate the signalling used by operators and automatic toll-dialing equipment for use on trunks. There are mainly two systems, DP and MF. However, DP went out with the dinosaur , so I'll only discuss MF signalling. MF (multi-frequency) signalling is the signalling used by the majority of the inter- and intra-lata network. It is aO also used in international dialing known as the CCITT no.5 system. MF signalling consists of 7 frequen- cies, beginning with 700Hz and separated by 200Hz. A different set of two of the 7 frequencies represent the digits 0 thru 9, plus an additional 5 special keys. The frequencies and uses are as follows: Frequencies (Hz) Domestic Int'l -------------------------------------- 700+900 1 1 700+1100 2 2 900+1100 3 3 700+1300 4 4 900+1300 5 5 1100+1300 6 6 700+1500 7 7 900+1500 8 8 1100+1500 9 9 1300+1500 0 0 700+1700 SM Code 11 900+1700 STp Code 12 1100+1700 KP KP1 1300+1700 ST2p KP2 1500+1700 ST ST The timing of all the MF signals is a nominal 60ms, except for KP, which should have a duration of 100ms. There should also be a 60ms silent period between digits. This is very flexible, however, and most Bell equipment will accept outrageous timings. In addition to the standard uses listed above, MF pulsing also has expanded uses known as "expanded inband signalling" that include such things as coin collect, coin return, ringback, operator attached, and operator released. KP2, code 11, and code 12 and the ST (STart "primes") all have special uses which will be mentioned only briefly here. To complete a call using a blue box, once seizure of a trunk has been accomplished by sending 2600Hz and pausing for the <beep><kerchunk>, one must first send a KP. This readies the register for the digits that follow. For a standard domestic call, the KP would be followed by either 7 digits (if the call were in the same NPA as the seized trunk) or 10 digits (if the call were not in the same NPA as the seized trunk). [Exactly like dialing a normal fone call. Following either the KP and 7 or 10 digits, a STart is sent to signify that no more digits follow. Example of a complete call: 1> Dial 1-806-258-1234 2> wait for a call-progress indication (such as ring, busy, recording, etc.) 3> Send 2600Hz for about 1 second. 4> Wait for about 2 seconds while a trunk is seized. 5> Send KP+305+994+9966+ST The call will then connect if every- thing was done properly. Note that if a call to an 806 number were being placed in the same situation, the area code would be omitted and only KP+ seven digits+ST would be sent. Code 11 and code 12 are used in international calling to request certain types of operators. KP2 is used in international calling to route a call other than by way of the normal route, whether for economic or equipment reasons. STp, ST2p, and ST3p (prime, two prime, and three prime) are used in TSPS signalling to indicate calling type of call (such as coin-direct dialed). This has been Part I of Better Homes and Blue Boxing. I hope you enjoyed and learned from it. If you have any questions, comments, threats or insults, please fell free to drop me a line. If you have noticed any errors in this text (yes, it does happen), please let me know and perhaps a correction will be in order. Part II will deal mainly with more advanced principles of blue boxing, as well as routings and operators. Note 1: other highly trunkable areas include: 816,305,813,609,205. I personally have excellent luck boxing off of 609-953-0000. Try that if you have any trouble. Better Homes and Blue Boxing Part II Practical Applications =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= (It is assumed that the reader has read and understood Part i of this series). The essential purpose of blue boxing in the beginning was merely to receive toll services free of charge. Though this can still be done, blue boxing has essentially outlived its usefulness in this area. Modern day "extenders" and long distance services provide a safer and easier way to make free fone calls. However, you can do things with a blue box that just can't be done with any- thing else. For ordinary toll-fraud, a blue box is impractical for the following reasons: 1. Clumsy equipment required (blue box or equivalent) 2. Most boxed calls must be made through an extender. Not for safety reasons, but for reasons I'll explain later. 3. Connections are often sacrificed because considerable distances must be dialed to cross a seizable trunk, in addition to awkward routing. As stated in reason #2, boxed calls are usually made through an extender. This is for billing reasons. If you recall from Part i, 2600Hz is used as a "supervisory" signal. That is, it signals the status of a trunk-- "on-hook" or "off-hook." When you seize a trunk (by briefly sending 2600Hz), your end (the CALLING end) goes on hook for the duration of the 2600Hz and then goes off-hook once again when the 2600Hz is terminated. The CALLED end recognizes that a call is on the way and attaches a register, which inerprets the digits which are to be sent. Now, understand that even though your end has come off-hook (no 2600Hz present), the other end is still on-hook. You may wonder then, why, if the other end (the CALLED end) is still on-hook, there is no 2600Hz coming the other way on the trunk, when there should be. This is correct. 2600Hz *IS* present on the trunk when you seize it and afterwards, but you cannot hear it because of a Band Elimination Filter (BEF) at your central office. Back to the problem. Remember that when you seize a trunk, 2600Hz is indeed coming the other way on the trunk because the CALLED end is still on-hook, but you don't actually hear it because of a filter. However, the Bell equipment knows it's there (they can "hear" it). The presence of the 2600Hz is telling the billing equipment that your call has not yet been completed (i.e., the CALLED end is still on-hook). When finally you do connect with your boxed call, the 2600Hz from the called end terminates. This tells the billing equipment that someone picked up the fone at the CALLED end and you should begin to be billed. So you do start to get billed, but for the call to the trunk, NOT the boxed call. Your billing equipment thinks that you've connected with the number you used to seize the trunk. Illustration: 1. You call 1+806-258-2222 (directly) 2. Status of trunks: <---- you -------------------------------> (You) 806-258-2222 No 2600Hz-------> <------------2600Hz When you seize a trunk (before the number you called answers) there is no affect on your billing equipment. It simply thinks that you're still waiting for the call to complete (the CALLED end is still on-hook; it is ringing, busy, going to recorder or intercepts operator. Now, let's say that you've sezied a trunk (806-258-2222) and for example, KP+314+949+1705+ST. The call is routed from the tandem you seized to: 314-949-1705. Illustration: <------------------>O<---------------> (You) 806 314-949 tandem No 2600Hz----------> <----------2600Hz Note that the entire path towards the right (the CALLED end) has no 2600Hz present and is therefore "off- hook." The entire path towards the left (the CALLING end) does have 2600Hz present on it, indicating that the CALLED end has not picked up (or come "off-hook"). When 314-949-1705 answers, "answer supervision" is given and the 2600Hz towards the left (the CALLING end) terminates. This tells your billing ! nequipment, which thinks that you're still waiting to be connected with 806-258-2222, that you've finally connected. Billing then begins to 806-258-2222. Not exactly an suspicious beginning for an aspiring young phone phreak. To avoid this, several actions may be taken. As previously mentioned, one may avoid being charged for the number called to seize a trunk by using an extender (in which case the extender will get billed). In some areas, boxing may be accomplished using an 800 number, generally in the format of 800-858-xxxx (many Amarillo numbers) or 800-NN2-xxxx (special intra-state class in-WATS numbers). However, boxing off of 800 numbers is impossible in many areas. In my area, Denver, I am served by #1A ESS and it is impossible for me to box off of any 800 number. Years ago, in the early days of blue boxing (before my time), phreaks often used directory assistance to box off of because they were "free" long distance calls. However, because of competetive long distance co mpanies, directory assistance surcharges are now $0.50 in many areas. It is additionally advised that directory assistance numbers not be used to box from because of the following: Average DA calls last under 2 minutes. When you box a call, chances are that it will last considerably longer. Thus, the Bell billing equip- ment will make a note of calls to directory assistance that last a long time. A call to a directory assistant lasting for 4 hours and 17 minutes may appear somewhat suspicious. Although the date, time, and length of a DA call do not appear on the bill, it is recorded on AMA tape and will trip a trouble report if it were to last too long. This is how most phreaks were discovered in the old days. Also, sometimes too many calls lasting too long to one 800 number may raise a few eyebrows at the local security office. Assuming you can complete a blue box call, the following are listed routings for various Bell internal operators. These are in the format of KP+NPA+ special routing+1X1+ST, which I will explain later. The 1X1 is the actual operator routing, and NPA and NPA+ special routing are used for out-of- area code calls and out-of-area code calls requiring special routing, respectively. KP+101+ST ...... a toll test board KP+121+ST ...... inward op KP+131+ST ...... directory assistance KP+141+ST ...... was rate & route. Now only works in 312, 815, 717, and a few others. It has been replaced with a univer- sal rate & route number, 800+141+1212. KP+151+ST ...... overseas completion operator (inbound). Works only in certain NPAs, such as 303. KP+181+ST ...... in some areas, toll station for small towns Thus, if you seize a trunk 806 NPA and wanted an inward (in 806), then you would dial KP+121+ST. If you wanted a 312 inward and were dialing on an 806 trunk, an area code would be required. Thus, you would dial KP+312+121+ST. Finally, some places in the network require special routing, in addition to an area code. An example is Franklin Park, Ill. It requires a special routing of 032. For this, you would dial KP+312+032+121+ST for a Franklin Park inward operator. Special routings are in the format of 0XX. They are used primarily for load balance, so that traffic flow may be evenly distributed. About half of the exchanges in the network require special routing. Note that special routings are NEVER EVER EVER used to dial normal telephone numbers, only operators. Operator functions: TOLL TEST BOARD- Generally a cordboard position that assists in trunk testing. They are not used by operators, only switchmen. INWARD- Assists the normal TSPS (0+) operator in completing calls out of the TSPS's area. Also, inwards perform emergency inerrupts when the number to be interrupted is out of the area code of the original (TSPS) operator. For example, a 303 operator has a customer that needs an emergency interrupt on 215-647-6969. The 303 operator gets the routing for the inward that covers 215-647, since she cannot do the interrupt herself. The routing is found to be only 215+ (no special routing required). So, the 303 operator keys KP+215+121+ST. An inward answers and the 303 says to her, "Inward, this is Denver. I need an emergency interrupt on 215-647-6969. My customer's name is Mark Tabas." The inward will then do the interrupt (off the line, of course). If the number to be interrupted had required special routing, such as, say, 312-456-1234 (spec routing 032), then the 303 operator would dial KP+312+032+121+ST for the inward to do that interrupt. DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE- These are the normal NPA+555+1212 operators that assist customers with obtaining telefone directory listings. Not much toll-fraud potential here, except maybe $0.50. RATE AND ROUTE- These operators are reached by dialing KP+800+141+1212+ST. They assist normal (TSPS) operators with rates and routings (thus the name). The only uses I typically have for them are the following: 1. Routing information. In the above example, when the 303 operator needed to dial an inward that served 215-647, she needed to know if any special routing was required and, if so, what it was. Assuming she would use rate and route, she would dial them and say nicely,"Operator's route, please, for 215-647." Rate & route would respond with "215 plus." This means that the operator would dial KP+215+121+ST to reach the inward that serves 215-647. If there were special routing required,such as in 312-456,rate & route would respond with "312 plus 032 plus." In that case, the operator would dial KP+312+032+ST for the inward that serves 312-456. It is good practice to ask for "operator's route" specifically, as there are also "numbers route" and "directory routes." If you do not specifically ask for operator's route, rate & route will generally assume that is what you want anyway. "Numbers" route refers to overseas calls. Example, you want to know how to reach a number in Geneva, Switzerland (and you already have the number). You would call routing and say "Numbers route, please, Geneva, Switzerland." The operator would respond with: "Mark 41+22. 011+041+ST (plus) 041+22" The "Mark 41+22" has to do with billing, so disregard it. The 011+041 is access to the overseas gateway (to be discussed in Part III) and the 041+ 22+ is the routing for Geneva from the overseas sender. "Directory" routings are for directory assistance overseas. Example: you want a DA in Rome, Italy. You would call rate & route and say, "Directory routing please, for Rome, Italy." They would respond with "011+039+ST (plus) 039+1108 STart." As in the previous example, the 011+039 is access to the overseas gateway. The 039+1108 is a directory assistant in Rome. 2. Nameplace information. Rate & Route will give you the location of an NPA+ exchange. Example: "Nameplace please, for 215-648." The operator would respond with "Paoli, Pennsylvania." This isn't especially useful, since you can get the same information (legally) by dialing 0, but using rate & route is often much faster and it avoids having to hang up when you are already on a trunk. *NOTE on Rate & Route: As a blue boxer, always ask for "IOTC" routings. (e.g., "IOTC operator's route", "IOTC numbers route", etc.) This tells them that you want cordboard-type routings, not TSPS, because a blue boxer is actually just a cordboard position (that Bell doesn't know about). OVERSEAS COMPLETION OPERATOR (inbound)- These operators (KP+151+ST) assist in the completion of calls coming in to the United States from overseas. There are KP+151+ST operators only in a few NPAs in the country (namely 303). To use one, you would seize a trunk and dial KP+303+151+ST. Then you would tell the operator, for example, "This is Bangladesh calling. I need U.S. number 215-561-0562 please." (in a broken Indian accent). She would connect you, and the bill would be sent to Bangladesh (where I've been billing my KP+151+ST calls for two years). Other internal Bell Operators. KP+11501+ST ...... universal operator KP+11511+ST ...... conference op KP+11521+ST ...... mobile op KP+11531+ST ...... marine op KP+11541+ST ...... long distance terminal KP+11551+ST ...... time & charges op KP+11561+ST ...... hotel/motel op KP+11571+ST ...... overseas (outbound) op These 115X1 operators are identical in routing to the 1X1 operators listed previously, with one exception. If special routing is required (0XX), then the trailing 1 is left off. Examples: A 312 universal op ... KP+312+11501+ST A Franklin Park (312-456) universal op (special routing 032 required)................... KP+312+03 2+1150+ST [The trailing 1 of 11501 is left off]. Purposes of 115X1 operators. UNIVERSAL- Used for collect/callback calls 2+1 to coin stations. CONFERENCE- This is a cordboard conference operator who will set up a conference for a customer on a manual operation basis. MOBILE- Assists in completion of calls to mobile (IMTS) type telefones MARINE- Assists in completion of calls to ocean going vessels. LONG DISTANCE TERMINAL- Now obsolete. Was used for completion of long distance calls. TIME & CHARGES- Will give exact costs of calls. Used to time calls and inform customer of exactly how much it cost. HOTEL/MOTEL- Handles calls to/from hotels and motels. OVERSEAS COMPLETION (outbound)- assists in completion of calls to oversead Ls points. Only works in some, if any NPAs, because overseas assistance has been centraized to IOCC (covered in Part iii). Note that all KP+1X1+ST and KP+115X1+ST operators automatically assume that you are a TSPS or cordboard operator assisting a customer with a call. DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THIS! If you do not know what to do, don't call these operators! Find out what to do first. This concludes Part II. There is one final part in which I will explain overseas dialing, IOCC (International Overseas Completion Centre), RQS (Rate/Quote System), and some basic scanning. ...................................... Better Homes and Blue Boxing Part III Advanced Signalling =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= (It is assumed that the reader has read and understood parts I & II before proceeding to this part). In parts I & II, I covered basic theory and domestic singalling and operators. In this part I will explain overseas direct boxing, the IOCC, the RQS, and some basic scanning methods. Overseas Direct Boxing. Calling outside of the United States and Canada is accomplished by using an "overseas gateway." There are 7 over- seas gateways in the Bell System, and each one is designated to serve a certain region of the world. To initiate an overseas call, one must first access the gateway that the call is to be sent on. To do this automatically, decide which country you are calling and find its country code. Then, pad it to the left with zeros as required so it is three digits. [Add 1, 2, or 3 zeros as required]. Examples: Luxembourg (352) is 352 (stays the same) Spain (34) becomes 034 (1 zero added) U.S.S.R. (7) becomes 007 (2 zeros added) Next, seize a trunk and dial KP+011+ CC+ST. Note that CC is the three digit padded country code that you just determined by the above method. [For Luxembourg, dial KP+011+352+ST, Spain KP+011+034+ST, and the U.S.S.R. KP+011+ 007+ST]. This is done to route you to the appropriate overseas gateway that handles the country you are dialing. Even though every gateway will allow you to dial every dialable country, it is good practice to use the gateway that is designated for the country you are calling. After dialing KP+011+CC+ST (as CC is defined above) you should be connected to an overseas gateway. It will acknowledge by sending a wink (which is audible as a <beep><kerchink> and a dial tone. Once you receive internat- ional dial tone, you may route your call one of two ways: a) as an operator-originated call, or b) as a customer-originated call. To go as a operator-originated call, key KP+ country code (NOT padded with zeros)+city code+number+ST. You will then be connected, providing the country you are calling can receive direct-dialed calls. The U.S.S.R. is an example of a country that cannot. Example of a boxed int'l call: To make a call to the Pope (Rome, Italy), first obtain the country code, which is 39. Pad it with zeros so that it is 039. Seize a trunk and dial KP+011+039+ST. Wait for sender dial tone and then dial KP+39+6+6982+ST. 39 is the country code, 6 is the city code, and 6982 is the Pope's number in Rome. To go as an operator-originated call, simply place a zero in front of the country code when dialing on the gateway. Thus, KP+0+39+6+6982+ST would be dialed at sender dial tone. Routing your call as operator-originated does not affect much unless you are dialing an operator in a foreign country To dial an operator in a foreign country, you must first obtain the operator routing from rate & route for that country. Dial rate & route and if you're trying to get an operator in Yugoslavia, say nicely, "IOTC Operator's route, please, for Yugoslavia." [In larger countries it may be necessary to specify a city]. Rate & route will respond with, "38 plus 11029". So, dial your overseas gateway, KP+011+038+ST, wait for sender dial tone, and key KP+0+38+ 11029+ST. You should then get an operator in Yugoslavia. Note that you must prefix the country code on the sender with a 0 because presumably only an operator here can dial an operator in a foreign country. When you dial KP+011+CC+ST for an overseas gateway, it is translated to a 3-digit sender code of the format 18X, depending on which sender is designated to handle the country you are dialing. The overseas gateways and their 3-digit codes are listed below. 182 ..... White Plains, NY 183 ..... New York, NY 184 ..... Pittsburg, PA 185 ..... Orlando, FL 186 ..... Oakland, CA 187 ..... Denver, CO 188 ..... New York, NY Dialing KP+182+ST would get you the sender in White Plains, and KP+183+ST would get the sender in NYC, etc., but the KP+011+CC+ST is highly suggested (as previously mentioned). To find out what sender you were routed to after dialing KP+011+CC+ST, dial (at int'l dial tone): KP+0000000+ST. If you have difficulty in reaching a sender, call rate and route and ask for a numbers route for the country you're dialing. Sometimes, KP+011+ added country code+ST will not work. I have found this in many 3-digit country codes. Lexembourg, country code 352, for example, should be KP+011+352+ST theoretically. But it is not. In this case, dial KP+011+ 003+ST for the overseas gateway. If you have trouble, try dialing KP+00+ first digit of country code+ST, or call rate The IOCC. Sometimes when you call rate and route and ask for an "IOTC numbers route" or "IOTC operators route" for a foreign country, you will get something like "160+700" (as in the case of the Soviet Union). This means that the country is not dialable directly and must be handled through the International Overseas Completion Centre (IOCC). For an IOCC routing, pad the country code to the RIGHT with zeros until it is 3 digits. Then KP+160 is dialed, plus the padded country code, plus ST. Examples: The U.S.S.R. (7) ...... KP+160+700+ST Japan (81) ............ KP+160+810+ST Uraguay (598) ......... KP+160+598+ST You will then be routed to the IOCC in Pittsburg, PA, who will ask for country, city, and number being dialed. Many times they will ask for a ringback[thanks to Telenet Bob] so have a loop ready. They will then place the call and call you back (or sometimes put you through directly). Some calls, such as to Moscow, take several hours. The Rate Quote System (RQS). The RQS is the operator's rate/quote system. It is a computer used by TSPS (0+) operators to get rate and route information without having to dial the rate and route operator. In Part II, I discussed getting an inward routing for dialing-assistance and emergency interrupts from the rate and route operators (KP+800+141+1212+ST). The same information is available from RQS. Say you want the inward routing for 305-994. You would sieze a trunk and dial KP+009+ST (to access the RQS). Sometimes, if you seize a trunk in an NPA not equipped with RQS, you need to dial an NPA that is equipped with RQS first, such as 303. Anyway, after you dial KP+009+ST or KP+303+009+ST, you will receive a wink (<beep><kerchink>) and then RQS dial tone. At RQS dial tone, for an inward routing for 305-994 you would dial KP+06+305+994+ST. That is, KP+06+NPA+exchange+ST. RQS will respond with "305 plus 033 plus". This means you would dial KP+305+033+121+ST for an inward that services 305-994. If no special routing were required, RQS would have responded with "305 plus" and you would simply dial: KP+305+121+ST for an inward. Another RQS feature is the echo feature. You can use it to test your blue box. Dial RQS (KP+009+ST) and then key KP+07+1234567890+ST. RQS will respond with voice identification of the digits it recognized, between the KP+07 and ST. RQS can also be used for rates and directory routings, but those are seldom needed, so they have been omitted here. Simple Scanning. If you're interested in scanning, try dialing on are a trunk, routings in the format of KP+11XX1+ST. Begin with 11001 and scan to 11991. There are lots of interesting things to be found there, as Doctor Who (413 area) can tell you. Those 11XX1 routings can also be prefixed with an NPA, so if you want to scan area code 212, dial KP+212+ 11XX1+ST. There, now you know as much about blue boxing as most phreaks. If you read and understand the material, and put aside preconceived ideas of what blue boxing is that you may have aquired from inexperienced people or other bulletin boards, you should be well on you way to an enlightening career in blue boxing. If you follow the guidelines in Part i to box, you should have no problem with the fone company. Comments made by "phreaks" on bulletin boards that proclaim "tracing" of blue boxers are nonsense and should be ignored (except for a passing chuckle). NOTE 1: CCIS and the downfall of blue boxing. CCIS stands for Common Channel Interoffice Signalling. It is a signalling method used between electronic switching systems that eminiates the use of 2600Hz and 3700Hz supervisory signals, and MF pulsing. This is why many places cannot be boxed off of; they employ CCIS, or out-of-band signalling, which will not respond to any tones that you generate on the line. Eventually, all existing toll equipment will be upgraded or replaced with CCIS or T-carrier. In this case, we'll all be boxing with microwave dishes. Until then (about 1995 by current BOC/AT&T estimates), have fun! If you have ANY questions about this text, please feel free to drop me a line. I will respond to all mail, messages, etc. Insults are also welcomed. And if you discover anything interesting scanning, be sure to let me know. Mark Tabas $LOD$ This text was prepared in full by Mark Tabas for: K.A.O.S. Philadelphia, PA. [215-465-3593]. Any sysop may freely download this text and use it on his/her BBS, provided that none of it be altered in any way. Technical acknowledgements: Karl Marx, X-Man, High-Rise Joe, Telenet Bob, Lex Luthor, TUC, John Doe, Doctor Who (413 area), The Tone Sweep, Mr. Silicon, K00L KAT, The Glump. References: 1. Notes on the BOC Intra-LATA Networks Bell System publication, 1983. 2. Notes on the Network Bell System publication, 1983. 3. Engineering and Operations in the Bell System Bell System publication, 1983. 4. Notes on Distance Dialing Bell System publication, 1968. 5. Early Medieval Architecture. ....................................... (c) February 6, 1900 Mark Tabas ....................................... Call 1-305-994-9966 -- End of File HOW TO 'BLUE BOX' INTO 'RUSSIA' BY: MARK TABAS AS POST .......ED ON THE GREEK INN BBS 312-774-2035 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HELLO , LATELY, I HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF BOXING INTO THE SOVIET UNION. WHILE I AM BY NO MEANS AN EXPERT IN THIL S, I HAVE PICKED UP A FEW THINGS. STANDARD DIALING TO RUSSIA WOULD BEGIN SOMETING LIKE THIS: KP+011+007+ST (FOR INT'L, SENDER) KP+0+95+295+9051+ST (FOR NUMBER) IF ALL WENT WELL, YOU WOULD BE ROUTED INTO RUSSIA AS AN OPERATOR-ASSISTED CALL. (BY THE WAY, THE NUMBER ABOVE IS THE KREMLIN). HOWEVER, SINCE ALL IS NOT WELL BETWEEN US AND THE SOVIETS, YOU WILL PROBABL Y GET A RECORDING. THIS WILL GO SOMETHING LIKE, "INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-DIAL SERVICE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO THE SOVIET UNION-.." OR "DUE TO CIRCUT CONGESTION IN THE COUNTRY YOU DIALED, YOUR CALL DID NOT COMPLETE..." THESE RECORDINGS, HOWEVER, LIE. THEY ARE MERELY PLACED THERE TO DETER THE BLUE BOXER. HE HEARS THEM AND THEN, BELIEVING THEM, GIVES UP. SEE, THE LAST THING THAT AT&T AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL NEED IS A BUNCH OF 11-YEAR-OLD BLUE BOXERS CALLING RUSSIA AND SAYING SOMETHING LIKE: "HA HA, YOU FORNICATING COMMY PINKOS,WE'RE GONNA BOMB THE HELL OUT OF YOU!" SO, THEY MAKE IT *VERY* DIFFICULT TO BOX THE CALL. AS I SAID BEFORE, THE RECORDINGS THAT YOU GET ARE FAKES. WHEN NORMAL TSPS PLACE A CALL TO RUSSIA (LEGALLY), THEY MUST CONTEND WITH THE SAME RECORDING, ONLY INTERNATIONAL HAS THIS NEAT EQUIPMENT THAT KEEPS DIALING THE NUMBER OVER AND OVER UNTIL THE CALL GOES THROUGH. THIS NORMALLY TAKES A FEW HOURS. IT WOULD TAKE YOU A YEAR ON A BLUE BOX. THIS IS WHY WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO PLACE A LEGAL CALL TO THE U.S.S.R., IOCC (TSPS) WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A 2-3 HOUR DELAY. OFTEN IT IS MORE THAN THAT, IF THEY HAVE A LINE OF CALLS. TO HAVE IOCC PLACE A CALL, ONE WOULD BOX KP+160+700+ST FOR RUSSIA. THIS WILL GIVE YOU AN IOCC OPERATOR WHO ASKS FOR COUNTRY, CITY AND NUMBER,AND A BILLING NUMBER (THINKING THAT YOU ARE TSPS YOURSELF). THEN THEY WANT A CUSTOMER RINGBACK NUMBER (LOOP OR PAYFONE, IF YOU PLAN TO HANG AROUND FOR A FEW HOURS OR SO). HOWEVER, ON CALLS TO OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY WILL CONNECT YOU DIRECTLY AND DO NOT REQUIRE RINGBACK. IOCC COUNTRY ROUTINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: KP+011+XXX+ST, WHERE XXX IS THE COUNTRY CODE PADDED TO THE *RIGHT* WITH ZEROS. TO CONTINUE ABOUT IOCC ROUTINGS,THE COUNTRY CODE IS PADDED TO THE RIGHT WITH ZEROS. THUS, AUSTRALIA (COUNTRY CODE OF 61) WOULD BECOME 610, AND THE ROUTING WOULD BE KP+160+610+ST. THIS MESSAGE HASN'T SAID MUCH SINCE I HAVEN'T TOLD HOW TO BOX A CALL TO RUSSIA, I'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH CALLING THERE. THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DO. UNLESS YOU ARE VERY PATIENT AND FEEL LIKE TRYING TO BOX IT ABOUT 5000 TIMES BEFORE YOU FINALLY GET THROUGH (IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD BE BUSY ANYWAY) THEN YOU NEED THE HELP OF THE BELL SYSTEM OR POSSIBLY SOME INFERIORS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE IRON CURTAIN. TO PLACE A CALL TO RUSSIA, OTHER THAN GOING THROUGH IOCC, ONE MIGHT TRY TO CONTACT SOME SORT OF INWARD SOMEWHERE, LIKE YUGOSLAVIA (KARL MARX'S SUGGESTION), OR MAYBE EAST GERMANY. TO BEGIN WITH, CALL RATE & ROUTE FOR THE IOTC ROUTING (SAY YOU ARE ON CORDBOARD) FOR INWARD IN YUGOSLAVIA. SHE'LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE "038 PLUS BLAH-BLAH-BLAH" SO YOU WOULD BOX KP+011+038+ST, WAIT FOR INT'L TONE, THEN DIAL KP+0+38+BLAH BLAH BLAH+121+ST. THAT SHOULD GET YOU INWARD, YUGOSLAVIA, WHO SPEAKS LITTLE OR NO ENGLISH AND IS AT BEST UNPLEASANT TO DEAL WITH. THAT'S ALL I KNOW. IF YOU HAVE A BETTER WAY (OR ANY WAY AT ALL) TO CALL MOTHER RUSSIA, LET ME KNOW.