TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Mar 94 23:25:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 127

TELECOM Digest Fri, 11 Mar 94 23:25:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 127

Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson

GSM and TDMA Problems (Stewart Fist)
Canadian Internet Handbook Released (Rick Broadhead)
Racal AT Settings Needed (Alan McCowan)
Sky Radio Service ([email protected])
Calling North Korea and Cuba ([email protected])
Miscrosoft Visual Basic Drivers for IEEE Test Equipment (Bill Steedly)
Request for Demon Dialers (Zoom Electronics) (Al Cohan)
Re: Prisoner Starts Own 900 Number (Colin Owen Rafferty)
Re: Phones in the Movies Again (Steve Forrette)
Re: Phones in the Movies Again (David Breneman)

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Date: 11 Mar 94 21:34:21 EST
From: Stewart Fist <[email protected]>
Subject: GSM and TDMA Problems

John Sims <[email protected]> asks about the problems with GSM.

They are pretty much the same as with all TDMA systems, including the
TDMA now being introduced into the USA -- and they'll be worse with
DECT and DCS1800 which are designed to be used indoors in large
offices.

You can look at these problems in a number of different ways and at a
number of different levels. The primary problem is that they were
introduced in competition to perfectly good analog cellular networks,
and they failed to provide any real customer advantages. A system
needs to be better than the one it replaces. The magical name
'digital' doesn't carry much weight with customers after a while.

Coverage area is another major problem, and here the American TDMA has
a better solution than GSM because it emphasised dual-mode handsets
with analog providing coverage where digital wasn't available. GSM
didn't do this, so in most nations with the system (except Germany)
you are limited to a very small coverage area, and a very limited
range of base-stations, often with minimal equipment, and with great
holes in the cells. Drop outs on the Sydney GSM networks seem to
range between 40% and up to 80% for a car crossing the city.

Sound quality in all digital systems seems to be consistent, but only
'acceptable'. While good static-free reception extends to the
boundaries of the cell, they do all suffer from a staccato-like effect
when driving down tree-line corridors (especially after dew or rain)
and they drop the link precipitously, without warning, at the
boundary. This is not how consumers think a phone system should
behave.

Within buildings, they have many more penetration and Rayleigh-fading
problems than analog also. Range of a GSM cell, at present is limited
to 35kms, which is too small for Australia, but this will be fixed in
1996 by slot-stealing.

GSM and TDMA base stations also need to radiate from higher points for
good coverage, but if they do that, they then interfere with other
cells. Capacity is set by the amount of general R/F interference
being introduced, and generally they seem to be only getting two to
three-times that of AMPS.

International roaming was the big story behind GSM, and it is
certainly important to 2% of European owners who daily drive across
the Continent. However AMPS is a far better system if an Australian
wants International roaming, because it is used in New Zealand,
Australia, most of Asia, and the America's. What we needed for good
international roaming was a dual-mode AMPS/TACS handset (and the
difference is really only in the R/F stage, so this would have been
easy to do).

The main problems are the R/F interference effects, and these are
common to all TDMA systems (including the new DECT and DCS-1800) and
they are cumulative -- so we see only a few signs of the problems now,
but like automobile pollution growth in cities, it will get worse as
the population of users grows. There are four main problems here:

1. General R/F pollution. Any system that switches its R/F
transmitter on and off rapidly (GSM does it 217 times a second, TDMA
does it 50 times) will scatter EMI throughout the adjacent radio
spectrum. And the sharper the edge of the switch power (on and off),
the wider the band of hash it scatters. These sets need a 3-5MHz
guard-band between them and analog AMPS channels,and they try to ramp
up the power, and still they scatter crap into nearby television
broadcast bands. We've never had anything that generates EMI like a
GSM handset before in these bands. We need large numbers of them like
we need a hole in the head.

2. Audio-Hz interference. The on-off cycle of transmission power will
be read by any analog circuit nearby (with any rectification or
asymmetrical circuits) as an intrusive audio tone of 217Hz, and the
two major harmonics above. This buzz intrudes into hearing aids at
distances up to 30 metres, and is often intolerable at 2 metres. It
also gets into cassette recorder, wireline systems, and into modems as
a carrier tone.

3. Digital byte intrusions. In digital circuits, where the track on a
circuit board is about the length of a GSM antenna, the on-off cycle
of transmission power is often being read as a data-byte. If only one
GSM handset is operating in a vicinity, it will pulse in the first (of
eight) slots in a frame, and so produce a 1000 0000 byte at 217 bytes
(1736 bits) a second. This can also be read as 1100 0000, 0000 0000
at 3.4kbit/s, or 1110 0000 etc. at 5.2kbit/s (and so on).

When two or more handsets are working in the same location, they are
all synchronised to the same base-station (same or different
channels). So amplitude effects (same slot, different channels) are
cumulative: the fact that they may be using different channels is
immaterial, so the range of interference can increase. A number of
handsets will combine to create what amounts to random number
generation (they are also frequency hopping) of power pulses in
digital control circuits nearby.

This seems to hit some electronic equipment (laserprinters, modems,
PCs, TV controllers, possibly air-bag triggers) hard, and have wierd,
and often un-reproducable effects. The randomness seems to be the
problem in detecting what caused some 'event'. It is virtually
impossible to reproduce the conditions.

This is why some people report no problems at all, others say it
knocks out their Powerbook or modem or multiplexer, occasionally, or
every time. Obviously some equipment is far more susceptible than
others -- but not just in terms of needing EMI shielding.

4. The last EMI problems is the remote possibility (and I stress
'remote possibility') that the pulsation of the microwaves can create
a different type, or order, of health problems to analog. Analog is
expected to only have a 'brain and eye-lens' heating effect (but not
everyone is convinced about this).

Digital TDMA introduces a new factor. It is known for instance, that
some enzyme reactions in chemical processes are sped up enormously
when hit by pulsating R/F, but no one seems to know why. This needs a
lot more research, but is no reason for panic. However, it can't be
dismissed, like may technophiles seem to do.

The real problem with both GSM and American TDMA is the way in which
all these problems were kept secret, and the systems were rolled out
slowly and quietly without anyone admitting problems until the press
started shouting. When they play these sorts of games, they have only
themselves to blame when the press reacts strongly and shouts 'foul'
especially when it is likely to be hearing-impaired people who suffer
in office environments.

Later, problems were reluctantly admitted, but always the admission
was associated with "Don't worry, well fix it!" which is just another
of their lies. Most of these problems are intrinsic in time-division
power pulsing.

More recently the tactic has changed once again: now they blame the
lack of shielding on hearing-aids and other electronic equipment, and
want to boost the standard of immunity, rather than reduce their own
emissions.

It's the smoke-stack blaming inefficiencies in gas-masks for the
problems. ETSI is its own worst enemy.

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

Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 19:34:26 EST
From: Rick Broadhead <[email protected]>
Subject: Canadian Internet Handbook Released

Pat,

When I announced the Canadian Internet Handbook on TELECOM Digest last
year, a number of your readers contacted me. Now that the book is
finished, I thought they would be interested in seeing what the final
product looks like. The book was officially released on March 3rd.
It is the first book to cover the Internet in Canada. We also believe
that it is the first Internet book to focus on one country.

Rick Broadhead [email protected]

Canadian Internet Handbook, 1994 Edition
Published By Prentice Hall Canada
ISBN#: O-13-304-395-9
by Jim Carroll and Rick Broadhead

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FOREWORD
by Jean Monty, President and CEO, Northern Telecom Limited

1. INFORMATION HIGHWAYS

Knowledge Networking
Ask the World a Question, and You'll Get an Answer
How Are People Using the Internet?
Why Should You Use the Internet?
E-Mail - Keeping in Contact With the World
Knowledge Networking - Ask the World A Question
Finding a Video
Knowledge Access
Excitement and Fun
The Growth of the Internet in Canada
The Internet Index
Why Do You Want to Be Part of the Internet?

2. USING THE INTERNET IN CANADA

The Canadian Forest Service
Midland Walwyn Capital
The Daily News,Halifax, Nova Scotia
Regina Public Library
Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta
PEI Crafts Council, Charlottetown, PEI
Shell Canada Ltd, Calgary, Alberta
Enterprise Network, Newfoundland
Front Page Challenge, Vancouver, B.C.
Canadian Space Agency, Montreal, Quebec
Bank of Montreal, Toronto, Ontario
Park View Education Centre, BridgeWater, Nova Scotia
The Polar Bear Heaven BBS, Rankin Inlet, North West Territories
Summary

3.THE INTERNET IN CANADA

Internet Myths
The History of the Internet
Acceptable Use Policies
The Internet in Canada
Regional Networks In Canada
CA*net - The National Coordinating Body for Research Networks
Regional Networks
ONet
NSTN Inc.
Commercial Networks in Canada
UUNet Canada
HookUp Communications
U.S. Commercial Networks
Commercial Use of the Internet
The Impact of Commercialization
Message Routing
Who Pays for the Internet?
Where Is the Internet Going in Canada?
An Evolution in Acceptable Use Policies
Corporate Involvement
Larger Network Capacities
CANARIE
A Mandate for CANARIE
Evolution of the Network

4. INTERNET FUNDAMENTALS

Internet Organizations

TCP/IP Basics
Why Is This Important?
IP Addresses
Internet Domain Names
The Domain Name System
Top Level Domains
Subdomains in Canada
Registering Domain Names
Registering Under the .ca Canadian Domain
Registering Directly with the InterNIC
Other Issues Related to Domain Names

Client/Server and the Internet
A Technical Definition
A Practical Definition
The Impact of Client/Server on the Internet
Direct Connections to the Internet
Shell Account Limitations
The Location of the Client
Client Located on a Remote Server
Client Intelligence Located on Internet Service Provider
Client Located on Your Own Computer or Network
The Impact of the Location of the Client

5. INTERNET ELECTRONIC MAIL

A Global Standard for E-Mail
What Is Internet E-mail?
E-mail Client Software
How Many E-Mail Users Are There?
Creating Internet E-Mail Messages
The Structure of an Internet E-Mail Message
Answering Messages
An E-Mail Signature
What Do Canadian E-Mail Addresses Look Like?
E-mail Styles
Other E-mail Systems
Consumer Oriented Systems
Commercial E-Mail Systems
What About Envoy 100?
How Complex Can Internet Addressing Get?
E-Mail Etiquette
E-mail Is Different
Flaming
E-Mail Guidance
Smileys
How Do I Locate an Internet E-mail Address?
Simple Solutions
WHOIS
Postmast
Periodic Postings

6. REMOTE ACCESS APPLICATIONS FTP AND TELNET

Telnet and FTP Clients
Telnet
Telnet Command
A Sample Telnet Session
Special Notes About Telnet
Seeking Help
Telnet resources
FTP
Using FTP
FTP Basics
A Sample FTP Session
FTP Directories
Basic FTP Commands
Other FTP Issues
File Types - Format
File Types - Compression
File Retrieval Via E-Mail

7. TOOLS FOR KNOWLEDGE NETWORKING

MAILING LISTS AND USENET
A Quick Definition
What's the Difference?

Mailing Lists
Types of Lists
Using Lists - The Mechanics
LISTSERV and Other Methods
Examples - Joining, Sending, Leaving
Joining a List
Sending to a List
Leaving a List
Starting Your Own List
Information on Lists
Major Sources

USENET
Newsgroup Categories
Subtopics
Canadian Newsgroup Categories
Major Canadian Newsgroups
A Sample USENET Message
How Does USENET Work?
Creating a Newsgroup
Reading News
Newsreader Software
USENET- What It's Not!
Network Etiquette
Using USENET
Lists of Newsgroups

8. TOOLS FOR KNOWLEDGE RETRIEVAL

Limitations of Internet Information Sources
Commercial Information Services
Multiple Sources of Information
Gopher
A Sample Gopher Session
Using Gopher
Gopher Jewels
Using Gopher to Find an Organization
Mailing a Gopher Document
Gopher Bookmarks
Other Gopher Information
The Growth of Gopher
Hytelnet
Sample Hytelnet Session
WAIS
Sample WAIS Session
WAIS Searches
World Wide Web
Sample WWW Session
Organization of WWW Information
Archie
Sample Archie Session
IRC
Finger
The Future of Information Retrieval

9. CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET

Electronic Mail Access Only
Access as an Individual
Access from a Corporate E-Mail System
Via UUCP
UUCP Explained
How Does UUCP Work?
UUCP Software
Linking Individual Users Via UUCP
Linking LAN E-Mail Systems Via UUCP
Access via a Shell Account
Through a Canadian Internet Provider
Via a Commercial On-Line Service
Direct Connections to the Internet
Benefits of a Direct Connection
Nature of the Connection
Hardwired Connection
SLIP/PPP For Casual Modem Connection
Bundled Software
Direct Connections to the Internet and E-mail
Summary

10. PUTTING THE INTERNET INTO PERSPECTIVE

What's Wrong with the Internet?
Is It Too Difficult to Use?
It's Difficult to Find Information
There is Too Much Information
Internet Is Subject to Abuse
It Suffers from Too Much Hype
Its Culture Is Changing
Its Competitive Advantage Might Be Fleeting?
Will The Internet Be Easier to Use?
Be a Pioneer
Tell Us About It

APPENDIX A - CANADIAN INTERNET DIRECTORIES

Directory of Canadian Internet Service Providers
Directory of Community Networking Organizations in Canada
Directory of Gopher Servers and Campus Wide Information Systems in Canada
Directory of Internet-Accessible OPACs in Canada
Directory of World Wide Web Servers in Canada
Directory of Archie and IRC Servers in Canada
Directory of Canadian USENET Newsgroups
Directory of Canadian Internet Resources
Directory of Organizations Registered in the .CA Domain

APPENDIX B - INTERNET FORMS

APPENDIX C - SCHOOLNET

APPENDIX D - INTERNET RELATED PUBLICATIONS

INDEX

Rick Broadhead | Co-Author, The Canadian Internet Handbook
Faculty of Administrative Studies | [email protected], ysar1111@yorkvm1
York University | +1 416 487-5220
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA |

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

From: [email protected] (Alan McCowan)
Subject: Racal AT Settings Needed
Date: 11 Mar 1994 17:01:33 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems (UK)
Reply-To: [email protected]

Folks,

I have been given a Racal Milgo Maxam 3+ modem, but unfortunately
minus the manual. Could some nice person supply me with the AT command set
for this beast, and also tell me what the options are on the front panel.

Alan McCowan Sun Microsystems Linlithgow.

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

From: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 15:51:00 BST
Subject: Sky Radio Service

I read that a new audio service is being offered to airliners in
flight. It is called Skyradio and is delivered via satellite. I
would like to know the technical details on the service. What bird is
used? What is the frequency and modulation used? What type of antennas
are used while in-flight. Any other technical information would be
appreciated as well.

Dave

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

From: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 15:52:00 BST
Subject: Calling North Korea and Cuba

Recently I saw an article about a US company that wants to setup phone
service from the States to Cuba. This brings to mind a few questions.
In view of the poor relations between the US and Cuba how can this be
done? What about phone service from the US to other nations such as
North Korea and Vietnam. Does such service exist?

Dave

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

From: [email protected] (Bill Steedly)
Subject: Miscrosoft Visual Basic Drivers for IEEE Test Equipment
Date: 11 Mar 1994 12:46:46 -0500
Organization: The Analytic Sciences Corporation

Please forgive the following repost, but my mailer hasn't been working
and I missed any replys that might have been made.

Is there anyone out there who has or knows of (ftp sites, etc.)
programs developed under Microsoft Visual Basic to control any of the
following communications test equiqment over an IEEE 488.2 interface:

HP8593A
HP83731A
HP8782A
HP3708A
HP11758A
TTC-1402
gigaBERT 1400 Tx and DRx
CSA-907

Please e-mail any responses (I won't be able to read news) to
[email protected].

Thanks,

William M. Steedly
The Analytic Sciences Corporation [email protected]
12100 Sunset Hills Road (703)834-5000x2884
Reston, VA 22090 (703)318-7900 FAX

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

Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 14:39 EST
From: Al Cohan <[email protected]>
Subject: Request for Demon Dialers (Zoom Electronics)

Can anyone direct me to a source for used (or new???!) Demon Dialers
that were manufactured by Zoom Electronics?

I have an old friend that loves these dialers despite the 95% failure rate
I experienced!

Thanks in advance,

Al Cohan

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

From: [email protected] (Colin Owen Rafferty)
Subject: Re: Prisoner Starts Own 900 Number
Organization: Lehman Brothers
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 22:26:47 GMT

In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (TELECOM
Digest Editor) writes:

> [ long description of John Wayne Gacy's murders, subsequent appeals,
> and his 900 service elided ... ]

I am curious as to why you find it outrageous that someone is trying
to raise money to save himself from being murdered by the state.
Simply because he was convicted of horrible crimes doesn't mean he has
no rights. The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution is set up not to
protect the unaccused and unconvicted, but to be certain that the
accused and the convicted are judged and punished fairly.

The First Amendment explains how people may not have their speech
limited. How can we reconcile not allowing Gacy his own 900 number
with this?

The Eighth Amendment explains how cruel punishments shall not be
inflicted. What can be a crueler punishment than execution?

The "group calling itself the American Civil Liberties Union" is well
known for trying to be certain that the government follows the rules
under which it was formed.

If the families of Gacy's victims have judgments against Gacy, they
should be receiving money from his income. If his attorney wants the
money for his fees, he may have to fight with the families. If Gacy
was not fined, why should the jail be charging him for incarceration
when they don't charge anyone else?

If you are unfamiliar with anything that I said in this, I might refer
yo u to a copy of the United States Constitution. It can be very
enlightening.

By the way, what is that number?

Colin Rafferty, Lehman Brothers <[email protected]>

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

From: [email protected] (Steve Forrette)
Subject: Re: Phones in the Movies Again
Date: 12 Mar 1994 02:04:07 GMT
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc.
Reply-To: [email protected] (Steve Forrette)

The payphone gaffes that I always notice in movies are the inaccurate
sound effects for the coin mechanism:

- Often, a modern-looking Bell payphone will "Ding-ding" when the
coin is inserted, instead of the silent operation that most of the Bell
payphones have now (at least they could keep pace with inflation and
make them "Dong" instead of "Ding Ding").

- When the caller hangs up, you don't hear the totalizer drop the coins
into the coin box (now who said that the Digest is not sufficient in its
technical detail? :-))

Steve Forrette, [email protected]

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

From: [email protected] (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Phones in the Movies Again
Date: 11 Mar 94 20:30:05 GMT
Organization: Digital Systems International, Redmond WA

Alain Fontaine ([email protected]) wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Bill
> Mayhew) wrote:

>> bulbs, which thread into their sockets. European bulbs have bayonet
>> type sockets (similar to over-grown automotive turn signal lamp
>> sockets) so the gag makes sense if you understand this.

> And in 'America', everyone rides a horse, wearing a big hat and a pair
> of colts. Now, I was born here in Belgium (Europa) in 1951, and I have
> never encountered a bayonet socket except for the small lamp in my
> wife's sewing machine ... /AF

Well, boy dowgies, pardner; y'all just don't know whar to *look*. The
main problem with them Yuropeons is they're all *ferigners*! Every
last one! Tarnation, but all us 'Maircins will jus' keep our
Edison-base bulbs -- hell, pard, yer voltage is too high anyway -- no
wonder yeh needs push-in bulbs -- they keep burnin' out! Har Har!
Happy trails now, y'hear?

Tex Breneman Email: [email protected]
Systeem 'Ministrator, Voice: 206 881-7544 Fax: 206 556-8033
Product Deevel'pment Platferms
Digital Systems International, Inc. Redmond, Washington, U. S. o' A, Texas

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End of TELECOM Digest V14 #127
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