From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Oct 4 20:39:47 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.6) id i950dlZ14800; Mon, 4 Oct 2004 20:39:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 20:39:47 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200410050039.i950dlZ14800@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #469 TELECOM Digest Mon, 4 Oct 2004 20:38:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 469 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson SBC Has One-Stop Message Service (Jack Decker - VOIP News) Broadvox Lowers Monthly Subscription Fee (Jack Decker - VOIP News) Cascading Hubs (Gordon S. Hlavanka) Voice PRI T1 vs CAS (jaarons) Switching to Lingo as VOIP Provider, Chapter 2 (Ted Koppel) Re: Toll Free Number Registry? (Judith Oppenheimer) Re: Voicepulse Disconnects Remote Computers When Phone Used (D Garland) Re: More on "Social Activists" and Public Utilities (Paul Vader) Re: Cell Phone Attracts Lightning? (Truth) Re: The Technologist Who Has Michael Powell's Ear (Truth) Oklahoma State University Changes Requirements for Telecom (Chas Gray) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jack Decker Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 09:09:40 -0400 Subject: SBC Has One-Stop Message Service Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.freep.com/money/business/sbc4e_20041004.htm Mailbox holds faxes, e-mail, voice mail BY ALEJANDRO BODIPO-MEMBA FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER Residential and small business customers of SBC Communications Inc. in Flint, Ann Arbor and metro Detroit can now access their home and wireless voice mail as well as e-mail accounts and faxes from one point with a new Internet product. Starting today, San Antonio-based SBC plans to offer the Unified Communications package to some Michigan customers. The new service brings together voice messages, faxes and e-mails into one mailbox, which is accessible through the phone or online. The technology uses Internet Protocol, which allows voice data to be sent from one computer to another. Full story at: http://www.freep.com/money/business/sbc4e_20041004.htm How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 12:20:55 -0400 Subject: Broadvox Lowers Monthly Subscription of Unlimited Residential Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-04-2004/0002264941&EDATE= Broadvox Lowers Monthly Subscription of Unlimited Residential Plus Plan by Thirty Percent Plan Offers Subscribers Superior Service and Reliability, Unlimited Calling and Advanced Features for Just $19.95 per Month CLEVELAND, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadvox Direct announced today that it has lowered the price of its Unlimited Residential Plus calling plan to $19.95 per month from $29.95 per month. The new pricing became effective on September 30th at midnight. "We are very conscious of the great confusion in the marketplace about calling plans -- and Broadvox wants to take the lead in combating this problem by streamlining its offerings. This new strategy is designed to make things as clear and simple as possible for our subscribers," said Jeffery Williams, Chief Information Officer at Broadvox. "The Unlimited Residential Plus Plan is designed to give callers unlimited local, regional and domestic long-distance calls, as well as a broad variety of convenience and productivity features, at one low and affordable price." The Unlimited Residential Plus plan includes a number of popular features that enhance the usability and efficiency of the system. The company's unique Friends and Family program allows plan subscribers to receive a phone number in a specified calling area that will ring on their primary Broadvox line. The number can be used by a friend or family member without any usage charge to either the calling party or the subscriber. Meanwhile, the Find Me Follow Me option lets subscribers create multiple specialized call forwarding instructions, which are specific to each pre-established call-group. The call forwarding feature will automatically try up to four different phone numbers before sending the caller to voicemail. Subscribers can also us the Click to Call feature to make calls through Broadvox Direct's online portal while they are way from home in order to avoid expensive pay phone charges and to take advantage of the service's low rates at any time. Subscribers also have the option of automatically forwarding voice messages to their email account as a sound (.wav) file for easy access while on the road. In addition, faxes may be sent to the subscriber's phone and then automatically forwarded to email as a graphic (.tif) to allow for quick access to the documents without a fax machine. Broadvox Direct offers more than 25 standard features such as call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, voicemail and three-way calling, all free of charge with any service plan. The company is the only carrier of its kind that runs entirely over its own facilities-based network for superior voice quality and service continuity. Broadvox services are delivered over the subscriber's cable or DSL Internet connection, and can be accessed using a corded or cordless analog phone fitted with the supplied adapter that converts digital voice packets into an analog signal. The adapter, which is supplied by Broadvox at no charge to the subscriber, can be used for all the phones in the home or office, and for up to two distinct lines. The company has also eliminated its Regional Plan, which offered users unlimited local and regional calls and 300 minutes of non-regional long distance calls for $19.99. Current subscribers to the Regional Plan have been migrated to the Unlimited Plan, in order to provide them with extended services for the same price. The new rates will be reflected on the invoices of current subscribers immediately. About Broadvox Direct Broadvox Direct provides residential and small office/home office telecommunications services over broadband Internet connections. The company is a subsidiary of Broadvox, llc, the market's largest privately held Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) carrier, which has been providing broadband Internet phone service to enterprise and carrier customers since early 2002. The privately held company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio; which locations throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.BroadvoxDirect.com . SOURCE Broadvox Direct Web Site: http://www.BroadvoxDirect.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 18:21:39 -0500 From: Gordon S. Hlavenka Reply-To: nospam@crashelex.com Organization: Crash Electronics Subject: Cascading Hubs (was Re: Voicepulse Disconnects Remote Computers) > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Does anyone know how to patch two > routers together if four holes is not enough? Or is that even > possible? PAT] You don't need two routers, all you need is one router plus a hub or switch. Plug one of the four "holes" in the router into one of the holes on the hub, then plug additional devices in the other holes. Read the little booklet that comes with the hub as there are some caveats about which holes you should use ("uplink," for instance) and these may vary somewhat depending on whose hub you buy. There are also limits on how deep you can cascade hubs. Note that most routers incorporate "switches" which are different. You can cascade switches without getting into trouble, although latency accumulates as you stack them deeper. In a SOHO environment you won't have anything to worry about, though. A hub works at the most basic level of connection (OSI layer 1) and so it is fast but usually less efficient. A hub takes any data received on any port and immediately transmits it to all ports. Whereas a switch operates on a higher level (OSI layer 2 or 3) and examines the data passing through it. Switches connect ports on-the-fly based on MAC or IP addresses, and so they can allow much more efficient use of your LAN wiring. But since they have to look at every packet to see where it goes, they can't transmit the packet until they've received and parsed a good chunk of it -- thus the latency. Gamers generally prefer hubs (better ping times). Gordon S. Hlavenka http://www.crashelectronics.com "If we imagined he could _find_ the car, we could pretend it might be fixed." - Calvin ------------------------------ From: jaarons@hotmail.com (jaarons) Subject: Voice PRI T1 vs CAS Date: 4 Oct 2004 15:20:34 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Is there a price difference between a Voice PRI T1 (ESF/B8ZS/23 channels) and a Voice PRI CAS (24 channels D4/AMI, Wink). About 8-10 years ago a telco voice PRI was billed at a higher rate. I don't think PRIs are charged premium rates anymore. Can anyone attest to this? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 18:12:56 -0400 From: Ted Koppel Subject: Switching to Lingo as VOIP Provider, Chapter 2 Some may remember that I described my early experiment with switching to Lingo for VOIP back in late July. I have now had the service for a little over 2 months. Here's what I have to report. - I originally asked for my local number to be ported from Verizon to Lingo. I filled out the form, faxed it to Lingo, who sent it to Verizon around August. And I waited. and waited. and waited. Lingo has been excellent (customer service wise) in trying to pursue the porting, but it is clear to me that Verizon is stalling. There is no earthly reason why it should take 2 months (40 business days) to handle a simple request. - So, today I called Verizon to disconnect (i.e. forget about porting, it's not that major a problem for me). Attendant's first question was "why are you disconnecting" -- and I told her it is because Verizon was screwing me on the porting and I was tired of doing business with that type of company. She didn't even try to talk me out of it. - Lingo assigned me a permanent number, which will take effect in 4-5 days, at which time the temporary number they assigned in July will cease to be operative. - Service and pricing have been consistently high. Can't beat the price, quality has been excellent under normal use; occasionally some warbling when I have a voice conversation at the same time as a serious download. But that's not really an issue. - Lingo appears to be phasing out their English speaking Indian support staff -- the last two calls I made (related to the porting) I spoke to (a) Reston, VA, and (b) Winnipeg, Canada. This by itself is a *major* improvement. So far, so good. Ted ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Subject: Re: Toll Free Number Registry? Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 15:57:43 -0400 Organization: ICB Inc./WhoSells800.com dcs@mail.myacc.net (CrowT) wrote to ask about Toll Free Number Registry? on 2 Oct 2004 06:42:14 -0700: > Is there a central registry where I can find out who owns > certain 800 number? No, there isn't. Feel free to contact me. Judith Oppenheimer joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com 212 684-7210 ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Voicepulse Disconnects Remote Computers When Phone is Used Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 15:29:12 -0500 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when PAT wrote: > Does anyone know how to patch two routers together if four holes is > not enough? Or is that even possible? You don't want another router, you want either a hub or a switch (in your usage, it doesn't really matter which, you can get a cheap switch for $20, a hub, which is less sophisticated, should be even less). Your router apparently has a 4-port one built in. The new one will need either a crossover cable to connect it to the router, or often the last port is (or can be set to be) a crossover port, in which case you can use a regular patch cord. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is the second suggestion. The first suggestion, in the last issue of the Digest, was to make sure the DHCP on one of the routers was turned off. I will ask at Radio Shack when I go downtown tomorrow about hubs and switches. I am not sure what the difference is between a 'hub' and a 'switch' and why one of those would be better than using another router but 'with the DHCP turned off on it'. Still a third suggestion which was made to me in a conversation a few minutes ago was to get one or two more wireless cards and use those instead, making certain of course to have them on separate channels and telling the NetGear router to only respond to instructions from the (names of those PCMCIA wireless cards). After all, the wireless router I have now can handle DHCP assignments from .2 through .51 (.1 is the gateway, the router itself) and I am only using at present .2 through .6 (.2 through .5 are the four ports or holes on the back of the box and .6 is my sole existing wireless card.) And speaking of wireless routers and cards: I was priding myself on probably being the only person in my immediate neighborhood with such a card, thus not to worry about people driving down the street deciding they wanted to stop and 'check their email'. And Hotwire and other directory services of public wi-fi has nothing listed for zip code 67301 which is all of Independence. The nearest *public* wi-fi is in Wichita (110 miles northwest) or Tulsa (80 miles south). So yesterday, Sunday, I was out and about on my block, in front of my house sitting on the cement ledge there when I finally lost my signal (I think I mentioned how a couple of mods got me up to speed: I put up a little tin foil reflector behind my single rubber ducky antenna, and I re-installed the router software and told it I was in *Asia* instead of in the USA, presto I can now get over all my house and into my back yard.) But I tried it yesterday in front of my house on the street and the sidewalk out there. I finally lost my own signal, but when I looked at 'site survey' I found a neighbor listed! hahahahaha, and giving almost as much of a push power-wise as mine started giving once I moved to *Asia* and constructed my flimsy little EZ-10 tin foil and cardboard reflector. I tracked the signal down to being right across the street from me (because *he* had not told his base unit to 'not broadcast your name' but he had told his base unit to encrypt everything). *His* unit uses the name '2WIRE895' which sounded very much to me like a default name or phrase, and like cockroaches, where you find one default, chances are there are other defaults hanging around. I tried to connect with '2WIRE895' and kept getting told 'if you want to join, then turn on your encryption'. I lost 2WIRE895 when I got back on the sidewalk on my side of the street, and my router took over once again. I came back inside and tried Googling 2WIRE895 and found it one place only, a list of statistics on someone's Earthlink site but no where in this part of the country. I was hoping I would find it as some router's brand name or something, but no such luck. However I did learn an important lesson: don't ever assume no one is not close enough to spy on you. I also told *my* base unit to use encryption and to only respond to my MAC address and to not broadcast its name. So even my one-volt, frequently overloaded and burned out deseased brain is capable of grasping some new facts each day or three. Like the cartoon which illustrates 'this is your brain on drugs' my brain is much the same way post-aneurysm. PAT] ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: More on "Social Activists" and Public Utilities Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 20:48:08 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) writes: > As mentioned, my experiences with social activists left a very > unpleasant impression with me. In short, they are incompetent, have > hidden agendas, and do more harm than good for the people. This is called a 'sweeping generalization', and should be avoided. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ From: Truth Organization: http://www.x.com Subject: Re: Cell Phone Attracts Lightning? Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 21:27:51 GMT > What do people think about this? Forget what people "think" about it. It doesn't work like that, it did not happen like that. > On 15th September a lightning killed a person while in excursion at > high altitude on Etna. HIGH ALTITUDE is the key here. Also, the person being the highest point in relation to everything around him. The cellphone had nothing to do with it. Go in your basement and hold a cellphone during a lightning storm and you will not get hit. > He was a mountain expert He was an IDIOT. > Mobile telephone could be reason he was hit by a lightning. Nonsense! If he was holding a carrot, the same thing would have happened. ------------------------------ From: Truth Organization: http://www.x.com Subject: Re: The Technologist Who Has Michael Powell's Ear Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 21:30:46 GMT Mike Powell is Colin Powell's son. Thus, when Bush wants BPL so that US citizens can no longer listen to unbiased news via international shortwave that will be jammed via BPL, Mike Powell does as commanded and approves BPL no matter how much the ARRL shows and proves of the disaster in interference BPL causes every time it is tested. ------------------------------ Subject: Oklahoma State University Simplified Admission Requirements From: Charles G Gray Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 10:38:20 -0500 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is a repeat of a message here from earlier Monday telling about changes in admission policy at Oklahoma State University Telecom program. OSU is a regular sponsor of TELECOM Digest. PAT] Pat, we would appreciate it if you would post the following update on the MSTM Program. In an effort to simplify the admission requirements, Oklahoma State University has made the following revisions in requirements for candidates for the Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) Program. The requirement for GRE or GMAT examination is waived for part-time student applicants who meet the following criteria: - Two or more years experience in telecommunications - Have a technically-oriented undergraduate degree with a 3.2 (out of 4.0) or higher GPA. Details may be obtained at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu/prospective_stu/admission_requirements.htm. See also the MSTM sponsorship note toward the end of each issue of the Digest. The purpose of these changes is to attract more working professionals into the MSTM program. The MSTM degree program requires 35 credit hours, all of which may be obtained via distance learning. All class materials are posted to the respective class web sites, and lectures are delivered via streaming video, DVD or VCR tape. Currently, students are enrolled from Virginia to California, and recent students have completed internships (the "Practicum" requirement) in Germany, Guatemala, and Botswana - as well as in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Regards. Charles G. Gray Senior Lecturer, Telecommunications Oklahoma State University - Tulsa (918)594-8433 ------------------------------ 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 networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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