Return-Path: Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.7.4/NSCS-1.0S) id BAA23004; Fri, 18 Apr 1997 01:50:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 01:50:00 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <199704180550.BAA23004@massis.lcs.mit.edu> To: ptownson Subject: TELECOM Digest V17 #94 TELECOM Digest Fri, 18 Apr 97 01:49:00 EDT Volume 17 : Issue 94 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Don't Forget Our New Addresses (TELECOM Digest Editor) Book Review: "How to Use the Internet" by Butler (Rob Slade) Atlanta NPA Relief Plans (Stanley Cline) Book Review: "Network Security" by Kaufman/Perlman/Speciner (Rob Slade) Ten-Digit Dialing and Overlays (was Re: FL PSC and 904 Split) (Mark Cuccia) Lan + Voice Over Frame (Royal E. Frazier Jr.) Internal Termination, Specialized Cable Runs? (Steve Bagdon) NYNEX Offers Free CLID Boxes (No Purchase Necessary) (Ross E. Mitchell) Whowhere, Database America Pulls Reverse Lookup Service (John Cropper) CTI May Meeting Announcement - St. Louis (Robert Becnel) NPA 425 Working Two Weeks Early (Tad Cook) PUCO Announces Informational Hearings on 614/740 (John Cropper) Fiber/Copper Breakout or SLC? (Pat Talbot) 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 public service systems and networks including Compuserve and America On Line. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Subscriptions are available to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * subscriptions@telecom-digest.org * The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. You can reach us by postal mail, fax or phone at: Post Office Box 4621 Skokie, IL USA 60076 Phone: 847-727-5427 Fax: 773-539-4630 ** Article submission address: editor@telecom-digest.org ** Our archives are available for your review/research. The URL is: http://telecom-digest.org (WWW/http only!) They can also be accessed using anonymous ftp: ftp hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives (or use our mirror site: ftp ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) A third method is the Telecom Email Information Service: Send a note to archives@telecom-digest.org to receive a help file for using this method or write me and ask for a copy of the help file for the Telecom Archives. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from the * * International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland * * under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES) * * project. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 01:00:00 EST From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: Don't Forget Our New Addresses All mail to TELECOM Digest and the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup should be addressed as follows effective immediatly: article submissions: editor@telecom-digest.org list maintainence: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org archives file requests: archives@telecom-digest.org *personal* mail to me: ptownson@telecom-digest.org mailing list problems: postmaster@telecom-digest.org The Telecom Archives Web Site is now via URL: http://telecom-digest.org To this address you may append various areas of the service, including: /chat for the interactive webchat feature. /search for the Digest search engines. /TELECOM_Digest_Online for the messages each day. ---------------------------------- In other administrivia news, new subscribers added to the mailing list today. This is a record for a single day's work here. I'll be watching my post office box for seventy-three subscription fees ... ... the mailing list now numbers well into the thousands; if ten percent of the people on the list made a donation or assisted in sponsoring the web page I could go back to working on the Digest full time as I did last year. Hopefully I will get some time to work on updating the Archives; real soon now. Finally, if some of you got two copies of issue 93, that's just the way things are around here. I know you understand. PAT ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 11:10:39 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "How to Use the Internet" by Butler BKHTUINT.RVW 961216 "How to Use the Internet", Mark Butler, 1994, 1-56276-222-2, U$17.95/C$24.95 %A Mark Butler markhb@shell.portal.com %C 201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290 %D 1994 %G 1-56276-222-2 %I MacMillan Computer Publishing (MCP) %O U$17.95/C$24.95 http://www.mcp.com info@mcp.com %P 145 %T "How to Use the Internet" Prepared for a sort of "Internet for the Brain-Damaged", I was surprised, pleased, and impressed to note the quality, choice, and accuracy of information presented in this slim volume. While it could not provide the sort of resources the larger references do, it could still play a useful role as a starter guide to the net. This book is at least two years old. It's emphasis, however, is even older. The content of the book dates to a period when UNIX shell accounts were the primary means of access to the net. There is, therefore, a lot of material on UNIX and shell applications, while nothing is said about SLIP (and very little about the World Wide Web). My, how time flies, eh? copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996 BKHTUINT.RVW 961216 roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@freenet.victoria.bc.ca link to virus, book info at http://www.freenet.victoria.bc.ca/techrev/rms.html Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER) ------------------------------ From: roamer1@RemoveThis.pobox.com (Stanley Cline) Subject: Atlanta NPA Relief Plans Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 20:06:54 GMT Organization: An antonym for Chaos Reply-To: roamer1@RemoveThis.pobox.com According to several stories in local media (most of which is controlled by the Cox family :) ) BellSouth has proposed to the Georgia PSC a relief plan for the 404/770 metro Atlanta area. IT'S AN OVERLAY! Of course, whether the Georgia PSC approves the overlay (remember 404/706?) is another matter altogether. BellSouth wants to overlay BOTH 404 and 770 (the two main NPAs in the Atlanta local calling area) with a SINGLE area code -- much like the 917 overlay of 212/718 in NYC, although in Atlanta, the overlay would be a general-purpose overlay, *not* a wireless one. Ten-digit dialing would be mandatory, of course (it's already optional for HNPA calls.) The NPA *rumored* to be desired for the overlay is 678. Doing an overlay of 404/770 could, in theory, eventually eliminate the geographic distinction between 404 and 770 (whose boundaries are confusing as it is, given the mess^H^H^H^Hproliferation of CLECs and cellular/PCS carriers) and could eventually result in a TRIPLE overlay for metro Atlanta (404/770/678? all being used THROUGHOUT the metro area!) =20 770 seems to be strained much more than 404, so I believed BellSouth would propose yet another split of 770 and THEN overlay 404 ONLY -- but doing so would affect some of the areas that were in limbo for several months during the 706 split (Cartersville, Canton, etc. -- initially placed in 706 and moved BACK to 404, now in 770.) BTW, I hope the straggling NPA 706 NXXs local to all of metro Atlanta (Braselton, Gay, Jasper, and now Fairmount/Ranger) are moved OUT of 706 and INTO the overlay NPA. There are MANY customers, especially in Jasper, STILL paying for RCF from 404/770 because of people, COCOTs, etc. not recognizing 706-692, etc. as "local"! It would make COCOT, PBX, etc. programmers' life *much* easier... :) Stanley Cline (Roamer1 on IRC) ** GO BRAVES! GO VOLS! Unofficial MindSpring Fan ** mailto:scline@mindspring.com mailto:roamer1@pobox.com ** http://www.pobox.com/~roamer1/ From: line changed so I get NO SPAM! See http://www.vix.com/spam/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 11:03:12 EST From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Network Security" by Kaufman/Perlman/Speciner BKNTWSEC.RVW 961209 "Network Security", Charlie Kaufman/Radia Perlman/Mike Speciner, 1995, 0-13-061466-1 %A Charlie Kaufman charlie_kaufman@iris.com %A Radia Perlman perlman@novell.com %A Mike Speciner ms@color-age.com %C One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 %D 1995 %G 0-13-061466-1 %I Prentice Hall %O +1-201-236-7139 fax: +1-201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com %P 505 %T "Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World" For communications security, this is the text. A solid conceptual background covers cryptography and authentication. The number theory basis of much of modern encryption is provided as well. In addition, there is overview coverage of specific security implementations, including Kerberos, PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail), PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), and a variety of proprietary systems. Where many security texts use only UNIX examples, this one gives tips on Lotus Notes, NetWare, and Windows NT. The explanations are thorough and well written. The organization of the book may be a bit odd at times (the explanation of number theory comes only after the discussion of encryption that it supports), but generally makes sense. The end of chapter "homework" problems are well thought out, and much better than the usual reading completion test. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996 BKNTWSEC.RVW 961209 roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@vanisl.decus.ca ------------------------------ From: Mark J. Cuccia Subject: Ten-Digit Dialing and Overlays (was Re: FL PSC and 904 Split) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 10:46:31 -0500 Organization: Tulane University In comp.dcom.telecom, wollman@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu wrote: > I would like to know what the origin of this persistent load of > nonsense is ... the same (completely specious) issue came up in > the 617 and 508 relief discussions last year. There is absolutely > no connection whatsoever between area code overlays and mandatory > 10-digit dialing! Only when one's area code differs from the called > number is 10D or 1+10D (depending on the jurisdiction) necessary. > Furthermore, as previous TCD contributors have noted, there will > /always/ be a supply of individual numbers for residences and small > businesses in the ``old'' code, so it is very unlikely that even new > residences would receive a new code. There is an INC (Industry Numbering Committee) document at the ATIS website regarding the Uniform Dialing Plan. It mentions that the FCC has required that with future overlays, that mandatory ten-digit dialing be implemented. See the following URL for other downloadable INC documents: http://www.atis.org/atis/clc/iccf/inc/incdocs.htm The Uniform Dial Plan document (and attachments) in MS-Word are FTP downloadable from: ftp://ftp.atis.org/pub/clc/inc/dialplan.doc ftp://ftp.atis.org/pub/clc/inc/dpatta.doc ftp://ftp.atis.org/pub/clc/inc/dpattb.doc The following text is two paragraphs from the INC's Uniform Dialing Plan document: "No discussion of alternatives for uniform dialing can take place without referring to the impacts on dialing caused by the two principle methods used to provide numbering relief to NPAs nearing exhausting their NXX codes (i.e., NPA splits and NPA overlays). For NPA splits, the exhausting NPA is split into two geographic areas, leaving the existing NPA code to serve, for example, the area with the highest customer density (to minimize number changes), and assigning a new NPA code to the remaining area. An The term 'NPA overlay' applies occurs when more than one NPA code serves the same geographic area. In an NPA overlay, code relief is provided by opening up a new NPA code within the same geographic area as the NPA requiring relief. Numbers from this new NPA are assigned for new growth to all service providers and customers." "In the United States, per the FCC ruling in the Second Report and Order (R&O) in CC Docket 96-98, the implementation of an NPA overlay for code relief will require 10-digit dialing within and between NPAs for local calls to ensure dialing parity among all service providers." The FCC URL's which can be used to get further info are: http://www.fcc.gov/ccb http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier I understand that if southwest Pennsylvania's overlay actually does take effect on 1-May-1997, and intra-NPA-code dialing is still allowed as seven-digits, with local and toll calls to the overlaid geographically co-existing area code dialable only as 1+ten-digits, the FCC has required that this be only temporary, with ten-digit dialing for all calls, by 1-November-1997. If the overlay and ten-digit dialing does take effect, I don't know what Pennsylvania regulatory is going to do about any 1+ or lack of 1+, toll vs. local. Houston (281) and Dallas (972) were supposed to have been general purpose overlays. Houston actually had a temporary wireless overlay for new wireless NXX prefixes beginning January 1995. Both 281 and 972 became splits last year. Southern California was supposed to have a wireless overlay (562) to take effect in Summer 1995, but that evolved into a split which took effect January 1997. And look at the other new NPA splits to take effect in that region: 626, 323, 949 (not to mention 760's split from 619; and the upcomming splits of existing 805 and existing 909, relief codes yet to be announced by Pac*Bell and NANPA). Chicago did have 630 as a temporary wireless overlay for new wireless NXX prefixes beginning January 1995, but that changed into a split last year, along with the additional 847 and 773 splits. Is Pittsburgh going to become the next numbering administrative nightmare that the above metro areas have become? MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- ------------------------------ From: royalef@aol.com (Royal E. Frazier Jr.) Subject: Lan + Voice Over Frame Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 00:46:51 GMT Organization: http://members.aol.com/royalef/ Reply-To: royalef@aol.com We are currently using Micom Marathons to multiplex voice lines (KTS + E&M) and ethernet LAN data over WAN frame relay links of DLCIs of 32k to 64K CIR (aggregate up to 256k CIR-512K local loop). We have 15 LAN locations(and increasing) around the world using a variety of PBXs. We will have a few sites backed up by ISDN dialup. We want to have management or statistical polling capabilities of the box at the WAN and LAN levels through open standards such as SNMP and RMON. We are looking at evaluating other vendor's solutions that can meet our needs. Vendors and end-user comments/info welcome. Contact by post or email. Phone followup. Thanks, Royal Frazier royalef@aol.com http://members.aol.com/royalef/royal.htm Family Genealogy and GIF Animation ------------------------------ From: bagdon@rust.net (Steve Bagdon) Subject: Internal Termination, Specialized Cable Runs? Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 16:25:03 GMT Reply-To: bagdon@rust.net Just bought a house a few months ago, and it's *completely* low-tech! But that's great, in that I can do up the cable-runs the way I want (video, data, voice, etc). But I've run across a couple of 'situations', when dealing with my service-providors (and I use 'service' loosely!), as this is my first house that I've owned (rented before). I've requested termination inside the basement for my new phone line, for fear that someone will walk up to the back of my house and slap a phone ot the termination box (to the RJ-11 jack!), and make calls on my line. Is this founded? If someone does this, am I responsible for the charges? Logic would say if the termination is inside the house they would have to B&E to get to the phone (and I have a police report to back up my no-pay claims) or else cut the phone line (which is on the phone companies side of the point of termination). Any thoughts, anyone? Also, I'm trying to run a massive cable run form my basement to my attic (home-run of video, data and voice to every room in the house), and have only about a 3/8" hole to work with. As I have two floors of studs to go through, I figure this might be the *one* thing that I would actually pay someone else to do (expand the holes all the way up, and thread through some string). Is there a 'standard' place to look in the yellow pages, or do I have to rely on word-of-mouth to find a *good* company to do this work? Thanks in advance to anyone who can shed some light on the termination and cable-run issues. Steve B. ------------------------------ From: rem@world.std.com (Ross E Mitchell) Subject: NYNEX Offers Free CLID Boxes (No Purchase Necessary) Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 15:05:17 GMT They call it (internally) the "blitz" campaign. Businesses can sign-up for Caller ID with no installation charge AND a free box. But in the small print it says "No purchase necessary." Turns out that the FCC won't allow them to require people to sign up for Caller ID in order to get the box. So, I tried calling the business office and told them I wanted the box but not the service. They said that couldn't be possible, but I disagreed. They contacted the product manager for CLID and, voila, my free box will be sent within ten days. Why get a box without the service? Well, you might want it for a residential line. You might want to wait and sign-up for Caller ID at a later date. You might want to give it to a friend. Whatever ... Sometimes it pays to read the fine print. Regards, Ross ------------------------------ From: John Cropper Subject: Whowhere, Database America Pulls Reverse Lookup Service Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 11:27:04 -0400 Organization: lincs.net Reply-To: jcropper@NOSPAM.lincs.net The last two directory service providers to supply reverse lookup capabilities have pulled their reverse lookup services over privacy concerns. Whowhere pulled its listing quietly around mid-week, while Database America pulled it while in the process of a merger with American Business Information. Both had been receiving complaints over privacy concerns, even though both provided a means for people to DE-LIST themselves. John Cropper, Webmaster voice: 888.NPA.NFO2 Legacy IS, Networking & Comm. Solutions 609.637.9434 P.O. Box 277 fax: 609.637.9430 Pennington, NJ 08534-0277 Unsolicited commercial e-mail is subject mailto:jcropper@lincs.net to a fee as outlined in the agreement at http://www.lincs.net/ http://www.lincs.net/spamoff.htm ------------------------------ From: becnel@crl.com (Robert Becnel) Subject: CTI May Meeting Announcement - St. Louis Date: 17 Apr 1997 15:35:59 -0700 Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [Login: guest] MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT Contact: Tony Zafiropoulos (314) 878-9855 www.ctitek.com/ctiusers/ctiusers.html Meridian Technology To Present CTI Program on Telecommuting St. Louis-based Meridian Technology will discuss its new CTI product that directly provides a unique solution to organizations with telecommuting requirements. The presentation will discuss the need and deployment of telecommuting, as well as the product. The product was co-developed with Data Race, Inc. The presentation will be given by Mr. Gary Liming, Vice President of Engineering. Meridian Technology Corporation, founded in 1983, is a privately-held communication software company that continues to be managed by its founders. Meridian's senior management collectively applies over 100 years of industry experience to every corporate decision. The result is a technically proficient and fiscally sound company. Meridian's web site is located at www.meridiantc.com. Date/Time: Wednesday, May 7, 1997; 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (approx) Location: Bridgeton Trails Library (Rm #2) - 3455 McKelvey Road St. Louis, MO (one block south of St. Charles Rock Road) Cost: None. New members welcomed monthly free of charge. Robert G. Becnel becnel@crl.com (email) http://www.crl.com/~becnel (www) ------------------------------ Subject: NPA 425 Working Two Weeks Early Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 16:52:47 PDT From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook) NPA 425, which covers Redmond, Bellevue and other areas east of Seattle, is scheduled to cut for permissive dialing from 206 as of April 27. I tried dialing a Redmond number with the 425 area code from the Lakeview CO in Seattle a few days ago and got through. I'm sure that not all CO's are set up yet, but the one serving my home in Seattle (206-527 and others) is. Tad Cook tad@ssc.com Seattle, WA ------------------------------ From: John Cropper Subject: PUCO Announces Informational Hearings on 614/740 Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 20:27:46 -0400 Organization: lincs.net Reply-To: jcropper@NOSPAM.lincs.net On Wednesday (16th) the PUC of Ohio held the first of several informational meetings on area code 614's relief. The PUCO annouced that relief would take the form of one of two splits. One option would keep only Columbus and immediate surrounding communities in 614. The second would add two more counties to 614. Also announced was the reserved NPA code, 740, and the tentative date, November. Expect a three month permissive period, lasting into early 1998. More detailed info is at http://www.lincs.net/areacode/headline/oh970417.html John Cropper, Webmaster voice: 888.NPA.NFO2 Legacy IS, Networking & Comm. Solutions 609.637.9434 P.O. Box 277 fax: 609.637.9430 Pennington, NJ 08534-0277 Unsolicited commercial e-mail is subject mailto:jcropper@lincs.net to a fee as outlined in the agreement at http://www.lincs.net/ http://www.lincs.net/spamoff.htm ------------------------------ From: Pat Talbot Subject: Fiber/Copper Breakout or SLC? Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 19:57:07 -0500 Organization: The Bama Companies, Inc. Reply-To: ptalbot@ionet.net Hello all, I am extending a network to a building about a quarter of a mile away from my central facility via arial fiber (12 strand). I'm looking for a box that will let me convert 50 or 100 copper pairs down to a single fiber pair, and then convert back from fiber to the 50 or 100 copper pairs on the far end. Does a SLC provide this functionality? At the central site, we have a large PBX and would like to connect phones at the far end using the above scenario. The far end currently has a separate key system phone switch that I would like to eliminate from our midst. :) Thanks in advance for your help, Pat Talbot The Bama Companies, Inc. Tulsa, OK ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V17 #94 *****************************