TELECOM Digest     Thu, 3 Feb 94 09:56:00 CST    Volume 14 : Issue 58

Inside This Issue:                         Editor: Patrick A. Townson

   Book Review: "The Internet Guide for New Users" by Dern (Rob Slade)
   The Dawn of A New Age (Stephen Goodman)
   New Area Code 281 for Houston (Richard R. Guadajardo)
   Terrible Net Lag - Information Rquested (Robert Zawalski)
   Lowest Rates in the Long Distance Industry! (Dan Dindinger)
   GSDN Programming Question (Jerry Aguirre)
   Lebanon Telephone Infrastructure (Alex Cena)
   Best Low-Price Cordless Phone (Darby Holliman)
   Internet Access in Germany (Michael Weir)
   U.S.A. - Cuba Telecommunications ([email protected])
   I Want Your War Stories! (Jeff Kagan)
   Dialogic Help Please? (Rich Padula)
   PC Anywhere Disconnect in Windows? ([email protected])
   Remote Call Forwarding and Distinctive Ringing (Robb Topolski)
   That Illusive Program: swIXO (Marcus Blankenship)
   The Right Number, But Not *Quite* Right (Paul Robinson)

TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 02 Feb 1994 09:53:45 MDT
From: Rob Slade ([email protected])
Subject: Book Review: "The Internet Guide for New Users" by Dern


BKTIGFNU.RVW  931229

McGraw-Hill Ryerson/Osborne
300 Water Street
Whitby, Ontario  L1N 9B6
905-430-5000  905-430-5047 Rita Bisram, Marketing
fax: 905-430-5020
or
2600 Tenth St.
Berkeley, CA   94710   USA
510-548-2805   800-227-0900
or
1221 Avenue of th NY   10020
"The Internet Guide for New Users", Dern, 1994, 0-07-016511-4, U$27.95
[email protected]

In the Preface, Dern expands on the title, explaining the audience and
purpose of the book.  He emphasizes users, stating that the book is
not about protocols or administration.  I would second that, and note
the other boundary condition: the book is not for dabblers.  This is
for people who are serious about using the resources of the Internet.
Dern also stresses "new", proposing that the book could be for those
who have never used a computer or a modem before.

This may be stretching things a bit. There certainly is not sufficient
background here for someone who has just bought a PC to get communications
software and hardware up and running.  (Dern does suggest that you
find at least a BBS buddy to get started.)  On the other hand, no
prior knowledge is assumed: there is even a section on "Enough UNIX to
Survive," which goes so far as to explain what an operating system is.

Part one has four chapters explaining Internet history and background,
getting connected, Internet addressing and the aforementioned UNIX
overview.  This survey describes the "tools" of email, Usenet, remote
login and file transfer (ftp).  I would query the status of Usenet
here; new users generally have a function oriented approach and it
might more generally be seen as a part of the concept of discussion
groups, and refer to mailing and distribution lists.

Part three explains tools to aid in finding and accessing information;
chapter nine, in conceptual terms, and chapter ten, describing the
specific individual programs and systems.  Part four discusses
Internet "citizenship" in terms of etiquette and culture (chapter
eleven) and in getting help and assistance (chapter twelve).  Part
five is a miscellany, looking at special sites, mailing and distribution.

This book will very likely be seen as a successor to Krol's "Whole
InternUser's Guide and Catalog" (cf BKKROL.RVW).  The two share a very
common history, size and UNIX bias.  Dern's work is larger and more
complete, in many respects, and has the advantage, in this very
rapidly changing arena, of more recent information.  (Being up to
date, however, has a very emphemeral value in the Internet world.)
Dern also shows less reliance on the navigating tools of gopher and
WAIS which are still not accessible to even a majority of users.  On
the other hand, Krol's "Catalog" is a lot of fun, although far from
exhaustive. (Both major internet guides have this UNIX flavour.  Dern
does give a credible explanation of why this is so, and also tends to
use the UNIX examples in a more useful fashion.  If you are using ftp
and telnet extensively, then you should know the examples.)

I am happy to see the emphasis on netiquette and online culture. Given
both the personal nature and the importance of the topic, I would
prefer to see somewhat less discussion of this area.  Dern also provides
useful lists of "common mistakes."

I am also pleased to see some prominence given to the use of various
functions via email.  Literally millions of online service users have
access to the Internet via email gateways -- and don't know it.  This
section could use some expansion; even with references to other
sections of the book, the examples are quit true of the Internet. This
work deserves serious consideration.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKTIGFNU.RVW  931229

======================
DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [email protected], [email protected], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [email protected]

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

Date: Tue, 1 Feb 94 16:48 EST
From: Stephen Goodman <[email protected]>
Subject: The Dawn of A New Age


Here is what the future could bring!!!

TCI, the nation's largest cable television company, is in talks to
launch a unique pilot project in conjunction with Pacific Gas and
Electric Co. and Microsoft Corporation to design a "smart home".  The
home automation industry is expected to triple in size, from $1.7
billion this year to more than $5.1 billion by the year 2000.

Here is the diary of a future homeowner!

                       ================

November 28, 1995

Moved in at last. Finally, we live in the smartest house in the
neighborhood.  Everything's networked.  The cable TV is connected to
our phone, which is connected to my PC, which is connected to the
power lines, all the appliances and the security system.  Everything
runs off a universal remote with the friendliest interface I've ever
used. Programming is a snap. I'm, like, totally wired.

November 30

Hot stuff! Programmed my VCR from the office, turned up the thermostat
and switched on the lights with the car phone, remotely tweaked the
oven a few degrees for my pizza. Everything nice and cozy when I
arrived. Maybe I should get the the universal remote surgically
attached.

December 3

Yesterday, the kitchen crashed. Freak event. As I opened the
refigerator door, the light bulb blew. Immediately, everything else
electrical shut down -- lights, microwave, coffee maker -- everything!
Carefully, I unplugged and replugged all the appliances. Nothing.
Called the cable company (but not from the kitchen phone). They refer
me to the utility company. The utility insists the problem was in the
software. So the software company runs some remote telediagnostics via
my house processor.

Their expert system claims it has to be the utility's fault.  I don't
care, I just weant my kitchen back. More phone calls.  More remote
diagnostics.

Turns out the problem was "unanticipated failure mode" -- the network
had never seen a refrigerator bulb failure while the door was open. So
the fuzzy logic interpreted the burnout as a power surge and shut down
the entire kitchen. But because sensor memory confirmed that there
hadn't actually been a power surge, the kitchen's logic sequence was
confused so it couldn't do a standard restart.

The utility guy swears this was the first time this has ever happened.
Rebooting the kitchen took over an hour.

December 7

The police are not happy. Our house keeps calling them for help.  We
discover that whenever we play the TV or stereo above 25 decibels, it
creates patterns of micro-vibrations that get amplified when they hit
the window. When these vibrations mix with a gust of wind, the
security sensors are actuated and the police computer concludes that
someone is trying to break in.  Go figure ...

Another glitch: whenever the basement is in self-diagnostic mode, the
universal remote won't let me change the channels on my TV. That means
I actually have to get up off the couch and change the channels by
hand. The software and the utility people say this flaw will be fixed
in the next upgrade -- SmartHouse 2.1, but it's not ready yet.

December 12

This is a nightmare.  There's a virus in the house. My personal
computer caught it while browsing on the public access network. I come
home and the livingroom is a sauna, the bedroom windows are covered
with ice, the refrigerator has defrosted, the washing machine has
flooded the basement, the garage door is cycling up and down and the
TV is stuck on the Home Shopping channel. Throughout the house, lights
flicker like stroboscopes until they explode from the strain.  Broken
glass is everywhere. Of course, the security sensors detect nothing.

I look at a message slowly throbbing on my PC screen: "Welcome to
HomeWrecker!!! Now the FUN begins ... (be it ever so humble, there's no
virus like HomeWrecker ...)". I get out of the house. Fast.

December 18

They think I've digitally desinfected the house but the place is a
shambles.  Pipes have burst and we're not completely sure we've got
the part of the virus that attacks toilets. Nevertheless, The
Exorcists (as the anti-virus SWAT members like to call themselves) are
confident the worst is over.  "HomeWrecker is pretty bad," one tells
me, "but consider yourself lucky you did'nt get Poltergeist. That one
is really evil".

December 19

Apparently, our house isn't insured for viruses. "Fires and mudslides
yes," says the claims adjuster, "viruses, no."

My agreement with the SmartHouse people explicitly states that all
claims and warranties are null and void if any appliance or computer
in my house networks in any way, shape or form with a noncertified
on-line service.  Everybody's very, very sorry but they can't be
expected to anticipate every virus that may be created.

We call our lawyer.  He laughs.  He's excited.

December 21

I get a call from a SmartHouse sales rep.  As a special holiday offer,
we get the free opportunity to become a beta site for the company's
new SmartHouse 2.1 upgrade.  He says I'll be able to meet the programmers
personally.  "Sure, I tell him"...

To Be Continued ...

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

Date: Thu, 03 Feb 1994 02:31:42 CST
From: "RICHARD R. GUAJARDO" <[email protected]>
Subject: New Area Code 281 for Houston


Houston, Tex. will be getting a new area code, probably 281, in 1995.

The {Houston Chronicle} in an article by Dwight Silverman (Jan. 21,
1994) states than a number of ways to implement the new code are
currently being studied.  More details were expected in about two
months.  Area code 713 currently serves the Houston metro area (Harris
County and small parts of adjoining counties)

According to the news article the following options were being considered
for the new area code:

1) an overlay of 713, assigning 281 to new installations
 (neighbors would have different area codes)
2) an overlay of 713, assigning 281 to all pagers
 and cellular phones
3) a split of 713, half of Houston in 281 and the remaining
 half in 713

Previously 713 was split to create 409 for East Texas (1983).


Richard Guajardo   [email protected]

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

From: [email protected] (Robert Zawalski)
Subject: Terrible Net Lag - Information Requested
Date: 3 Feb 1994 00:45:17 -0800
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access


In the last two weeks I'm experiencing terrible net-lag at the
Canadian servers. Running a version of "traceroute", and running a
"ping" script that returns a summary of transfer times leads me to
conclude that something is quite broken along the path.

I'd like to learn about the implementation details of network
connections before being the four-thousandth person to call sys-admin's
at the problem sites. Yes I know the net is always slow in Canada, but
until a few weeks ago, this was moot. It was easily fast enough for my
fingers and modem :')

Please email suggested information to read etc. if this topic is
outside the usual scope of discussions among this group.


Thanks,

Bob Zawalski  [email protected]

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

From: [email protected] (UtiliComm Consultants)
Subject: Lowest Rates in the Long Distance Industry!
Date: 3 Feb 94 08:42:35 GMT
Organization: UtiliComm Consultants


QUALITY & SERVICE FROM $0.0895/min TO $0.1495/min

I need to inform you of a company out of San Francisco called Phoenix
Network.  Phoenix (NASDAQ Symbol: PHXN) has been in business since
1987, with 1993 revenues surpassing $30 million.  Phoenix is in
business because it can save small to medium sized businesses money on
their long distance phone charges.

Phoenix offers a range of rates starting from $0.0895/min up to
$0.1495/min.  These rates are flat rates, which means they are good
anytime/anywhere throughout the U.S.  Phoenix also offers
International rates which are discounted 50% off that of major
carriers.  (The rates that are basically the same for outgoing calls
and for incoming 1-800#'s.)

WHAT ABOUT QUALITY?

You can be assured of the highest quality transmission, as your actual
service will continue to be with the major carriers (ATT, MCI &
Sprint) but at a huge discount.  Phoenix is a re-biller which
purchases large volumes of long distance service, and is able to offer
your business the lowest rates possible.  Phoenix also offers a
customer service center with over 60 employees ready to help.

Phoenix can offer your company a customized long distance service to
match your exact needs -- PLUS it will save you money.  There is no
fee to sign up, so give me a call at (303) 797-7034 for a demonstration
of how much you can save.


Dan Dindinger   UtiliComm Consultants
Voice: (303) 797-7034   Fax: (619) 287-4188

P.S. This offer is only available to businesses that use over $200/month in
long distance telephone service.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ah, I see -- just skimming the cream from
the better business customers; smart thinking!  PAT]

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

From: [email protected] (Jerry Aguirre)
Subject: GSDN Programming Question
Date: 3 Feb 1994 06:56:25 GMT
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, CA; USA


We, along with other locations of our company, are members of GSDN.
Our lines to AT&T come in on a T1 to a system 75 Generic 1 switch.
When promoting GSDN the sales people said that calls to other sites
that were part of GSDN would automatically get billed as GSDN calls.
(Explaination by hand waving!)

Now that we see the bills it is obvious that the only way calls route
as GSDN is if we manually dial the trunk access code, GSDN code, and
extension at the other end.

Now one method is to tell everyone about the new method of calling the
other offices; And then hope enough of them use it to achieve better
rates.  Does anyone have any suggestions on a more transparrent, or at
least easier to dial, method?

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

Date: Thu, 03 Feb 94 08:12:48 EST
From: Alex Cena <[email protected]>
Subject: Lebanon Telephone Infrastructure


The Lebanese government has approved contracts to buy one million
telephone lines from Alcatel Alsthom NV, Siemens AG and AB L.M.
Ericsson.  How the work will be divided between the three vendors will
share the work still has not been decided.  Can someone tell me what
role if any wireless technology, especially cellular, may play in this
project?

Thanks in advance,


Alex M. Cena, Lehman Brothers, [email protected]

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

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 1994 08:56:00 +0000
From: Darby Holliman <[email protected]>
Subject: Best Low-Price Cordless Phone


Which of the lower priced cordless phones has the best reception.
I've heard Panasonic makes a good phone for the price.


Darby Holliman  Northern Telecom
[email protected]  (404)496-2280

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

From: [email protected] (michael weir)
Subject: Internet Access in Germany
Date: 3 Feb 1994 03:15:17 GMT
Organization: Umich


I am searching for Internet access for a friend of mine who lives in
Wiesbaden Germany.  There are three different types of access that I
am interested and they are as follows: (in order of preference)

1) My friend is an Opel employee and the first option would be to
obtain an account through Opel.  Does anyone have a contact within
Opel or know what Opel's procedure is?

2)  The second type of access would be through a local Freenet.  Does
anyone have any information regarding Freenets in the Wiesbaden area?

3)  Third and finally would be pay access.  This would preferably be
a last resort but if that is all that's available that's fine.

Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

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

From: [email protected] (Raymond Luxury Yacht)
Subject: U.S.A. - Cuba Telecommunications
Organization: nbnet
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 1994 23:37:02 GMT


Is there anybody out there who knows anything about the present Cuba --
USA telecommunications regulation situation or even anything about
telephony in Cuba? Specifically, I would be interested in knowing
anything you can tell me about:

- Is it possible to call from the USA to Cuba today? I understand the
old Florida City radio link was wrecked during Hurricane Andrew. Is it
illegal under the embargo, or are there just no facilities? If it is
possible, do you have any idea of the aproximate cost/min?

- What is the penetration of telephones in Cuba? How many phones are
installed and where are they?

Also, any general info about the state of telecom in Cuba and between
Cuba and the USA would be appreciated.

No need to post unless someone else shows interest -- just email me.

TIA

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

From: [email protected]
Subject: I Want Your War Stories!
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 94 21:02:35 -0500
Organization: Delphi ([email protected] email, 800-695-4005 voice)


I am participating in an article on phone company overcharging and
gouging, etc. I know there are a million stories in the naked city (as
Joe Friday of Dragnet used to say).

Let me hear yours!


Jeffrey Kagan   Tele Choice Consulting
Atlanta         [email protected]

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

From: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 94 21:37:18 EST
Subject: Dialogic Help Please?


SOS!

I am trying to write a program for the Dialogic D/40B in QuickC. I
thought things were OK, but I've found that when a user holds down a
DTMF keypress, my program skips though many states, as if the long
DTMF is being seen as many DTMF presses.

If anyone out there has any helpful hints, could we discuss in e-mail?

BTW, QuickC = V2.0, D/4X driver = V2.98


Thanks,

rich

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

From: [email protected]
Subject: PC Anywhere Disconnect in Windows?
Date: 4 Feb 94 00:28:50 -0500
Organization: University of Massachusetts Lowell


Anyone know any reason why Norton PC Anywhere (v 4.5) disconnects
after it paints the opening screen in Windows?  It disconnects, then,
when I dial back in, Windows runs fine the rest of the time.

Please EMail, I don't follow this group much.

Thanks in advance!


Pete   [email protected]

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

From: [email protected] (Robb Topolski)
Subject: Remote Call Forwarding and Distinctive Ringing
Organization: KJ6YT
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 1994 20:53:11 GMT


Just so there's no confusion, in my area:

Remote Call Fowarding is a seven-digit number that exists in the CO
only that your callers call to be connected with another (usually
distant) number.

Distinctive Ringing is a feature on your telephone that provides a
distinctive ring (short-long-short) when a call originating from a
particular number is received.  You create this list by inputting the
number or by pressing *61 immediately following a call from a number
you want added to the list.

QUESTION:  If a caller (from 555-1133) dials my Remote Call Forwarding
number (555-9922) which is forwarded to my home, which number is
evaluated by Distinctive Ringing?


Robb Topolski KJ6YT   [email protected]

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

Date: Wed, 2 Feb 1994 10:04:58 PST
From: [email protected]
Subject: That Illusive Program: swIXO


While reading through the archives trying to find shareware/PD
software that sends text messages to Motorola Advisor pagers via the
IXO protocal I found a message that refered to a free program called
swIXO.  The message even contained a portion of the README.TXT file
that came with the program.  Unfortuantly, it did _not_ tell where the
program could be retrieved from.  If someone know where/who has this
please e-mail to my address.  Any ftp sites or shareware companies
would be appreciated.


Marcus Blankenship Alpha-Telcom Inc.  Payphone Tech.

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

Reply-To: [email protected]
From: Paul Robinson <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 03 Feb 1994  01:36:58 EST
Subject:  The Right Number, But Not *Quite* Right ...
Reply-To: Paul Robinson <[email protected]>
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring MD USA


Today we had a problem with one of the employees that wanted to call
the University of California at Davis, in that he said that the main
number - 752-1011 - wasn't working, and he was unable to get through.

He told me he had tried calling the number, and even Directory
Assistance in area code 707 had given him the same number.  So I tried
calling that number both via the government FTS network and as a
commercial call.  <SIT TONE> and an announcement that the number was
bad occurred in both cases.

I called 707-555-1212 on the FTS network and asked for the main number
of U.C. Davis.  The computer read off the *same* number: 752-1011.
Still didn't work.  I called the FTS trouble hotline and they got the
same recording and directory assistance in 707 gave them the same
number.

If it was "Joe's Bar" I could understand that it could be out of
service, but the main number for a State University?  (This is in
Central California, far outside the earthquake zone.)

Then we discovered the problem.  Davis is in the *916* areacode, *NOT*
in 707.  And the funny thing was, living in the Washington, DC area,
I'm used to hearing the local DA recording give the area code before a
number.  Later tonight, in repeating the experiment, I called 707
information.  The first Directory Assistance operator informed me that
the area code for Davis is 916, and to dial 916-555-1212 to get
Directory Assistance there.  The second call to 707 DA gave me the
752-1011 number without mentioning the area code.


Paul Robinson - [email protected] / [email protected]


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The way it works is that a lot of DA
Bureaus are handled from the same location by the same operators and
they are *supposed* to pay attention to what lines the incoming calls
arrive on, but they do not always do that. You'd think it would be
just as simple to ignore the identity of the incoming trunk and just
always recite the response with an area code on the front to avoid
this kind of confusion, but the answer to that is that since most
people do in fact call the correct area code (plus 555-1212) to obtain
the desired number, the recital of the area code at the start of the
number would confuse people (the local people) into thinking *they*
had to dial the area code first also.  PAT]

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

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #58
*****************************


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