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TELECOM Digest Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:02:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 446
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Telecom Update #499, September 30, 2005 (Angus TeleManagement Group)
Toshiba Delays Launch of HD DVD Players (Monty Solomon)
Look at TV To See Who is Calling (Sanford Nowlin)
San Francisco and Oakland Exchange Numbering (Anthony Bellanga)
2L-4N, 3L-4N, 2L-5N Numbering (Anthony Bellanga)
Site Survey Shows Lots of Info on Nearby Wireless Networks (apngss@yahoo)
Re: Change MAC Address Can Change IP Address (Dave Garland)
Re: VOIP Service Providers (John Levine)
Re: Can't Trust Spyware Protection? (George Berger)
Re: Can't Trust Spyware Protection? (beavis)
Re: Electric Powerlines to be Used For Broadband (Jim Haynes)
Re: Electric Powerlines to be Used For Broadband (Daniel AJ Sokolov)
Re: Why is VOIP Getting Hot Now? (Tony P.)
Re: When Students Open up - a Little Too Much (Jim Haynes)
Re: Getting Rid of "Legal" Spam? (John McHarry)
Re: Bell System Phone Label Code? (Allen Newman)
Re: Life Beyond Earth (Brad Gut)
Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet. 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:37:04 -0700
Subject: Telecom Update #499, September 30, 2005
From: Angus TeleManagement Group <jriddell@angustel.ca>
Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group <jriddell@angustel.ca>
************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
************************************************************
published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 499: September 30, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/
** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com
** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions
** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca
************************************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
** Carriers Debate Local Deregulation
** Telus and TWU Resume Negotiations
** Alberta SuperNet Now Complete
** Bell Buys Quebec Integrator
** RIM Shareholders Hard to Please
** Nortel Reorganizes Again
** Ottawa Updates PCS Spectrum Availability
** Telehop Intros Business VoIP Service
** Yak Sales Up, Profits Down
** Telemarketing Scammers Shut Down
** Allstream Launches Hosted IP Contact Centre
** Most U.S. VoIP Customers Accept 9-1-1 Limits
** Report Sees Phone Gains for Cablecos
** Conference Adds Telecom Management Tutorials
============================================================
CARRIERS DEBATE LOCAL DEREGULATION: This week's CRTC hearings on
criteria for deregulating the incumbent telcos' local telephone
service went into overtime: the commission held evening sessions and
extended the sitting to Friday in order to hear all the submissions.
As expected, the contentious issues were what percentage market share
loss would trigger deregulation, and how large an area should be
included in calculating the percentage.
** Full transcripts of the hearings are posted at
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/process/2005/sep26_t.htm
TELUS AND TWU RESUME NEGOTIATIONS: On Tuesday, for the first time in
three months, Telus and the Telecommunications Workers Union met at
the bargaining table. CEO Darren Entwistle has agreed to participate
personally, and both parties have imposed a news blackout on the
talks, which are being held in the Toronto area.
ALBERTA SUPERNET NOW COMPLETE: Alberta SuperNet is now connected to
4,200 learning and health facilities, and to government offices in 529
communities. Prime contractor Bell Canada says SuperNet's focus is now
shifting to the development and delivery of multimedia applications.
BELL BUYS QUEBEC INTEGRATOR: Bell Canada has acquired The Createch
Group, a Quebec-based information systems integrator that specializes
in business process optimization. Createch's 160 employees will work
with Bell's enterprise wireless data group.
RIM SHAREHOLDERS HARD TO PLEASE: This week, Research In Motion made a
deal to use a new Intel processor in future BlackBerry devices,
obtained another favorable ruling from the U.S. Patent Office in its
dispute with NTP Inc, and released second quarter results that showed
sales up 58% and profits up 57%. Despite that, RIM shares fell more
than 10%.
NORTEL REORGANIZES AGAIN: Nortel has reorganized its product,
technology, services, operations, and sales groups into two product
divisions -- Enterprise Solutions and Packet Networks led by Steve
Slattery, and Mobility and Converged Core Networks led by Richard
Lowe -- as well as four region-based marketing divisions.
** Malcolm Collins, who has been president of the Enterprise
Division, is leaving the company.
OTTAWA UPDATES PCS SPECTRUM AVAILABILITY: Interested in becoming a
cellular carrier? There's unused PCS spectrum in parts of B.C.,
Saskatchewan, Quebec, and New Brunswick: it will be assigned to
applicants on a first-come-first-served basis. Industry Canada has
posted an updated summary at
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf08451e.html.
TELEHOP INTROS BUSINESS VoIP SERVICE: Toronto-based Telehop
Communications, known primarily for dial-around (1010) long distance
service, has introduced a business version of its VoIP-based telephone
service. Starting at $53.99/line/month, the SOHO version of Broadtalk
includes a 416 number, unlimited calling to most of Ontario and the
Montreal region, 1,500 Canada/U.S. LD minutes a month, and various
calling features.
YAK SALES UP, PROFITS DOWN: Another dial-around operator, Yak
Communications, reports revenue of US$92.7 million for the year ended
June 30, 15% higher than the previous year. Net earnings declined 16%
to $4.18 million. Between April and June, 905,000 customers used the
service.
TELEMARKETING SCAMMERS SHUT DOWN: Telemarketing operations at four
locations in Toronto and Calgary were raided and shut down on
September 22 and 27, and criminal charges have been laid. The
Competition Bureau says the boiler rooms ran scams that offered
pre-approved credit cards to American consumers with poor credit
history.
ALLSTREAM LAUNCHES HOSTED IP CONTACT CENTRE: Allstream has introduced
a managed IP contact centre service based on Cisco technology that
allows agents to interact with customers voice, email, web chat, and
fax.
MOST U.S. VOIP CUSTOMERS ACCEPT 9-1-1 LIMITS: Most of the 2.7 million
U.S. Internet phone subscribers have said they understand and accept
the limitations of 9-1-1 service on these phones. The Federal
Communications Commission had ordered VoIP providers to disconnect any
customers who had not responded positively by September 28; it has now
extended this deadline again, by another month.
REPORT SEES PHONE GAINS FOR CABLECOS: A new report from the
Convergence Consulting Group predicts that Canadian cable TV companies
will capture 16% of residential phone lines by the end of 2007, and
27% by 2009. By contrast, the report says, the telcos will get only 4%
of the TV market by 2007 and 9% by 2009.
** For more information on the report, see
http://www.convergenceonline.com/reportE.html
CONFERENCE ADDS TELECOM MANAGEMENT TUTORIALS: The first day of year's
Telemanagement Live conference (Toronto, October 17-19) features six new
in-depth tutorials for managers of enterprise telecommunications and
networking. Topics:
** IP-Based Convergence How to Make the Right Decision
** Telecom Cost Control Reducing Your Bills Without Sacrificing Service
** Single or Multiple Vendors Selecting the Better Approach
** Transitioning to IP The Megatrade Story
** Managing Change in the Telecom Industry
** IP Security The Threat and Risk Assessment
Telecom Update subscribers who register online now will receive a $200
discount on an All Access pass, including all sessions and meals and a
ticket to the Telecommunications Hall of Fame Dinner. To qualify,
register at Telemanagement Live website http://www.telemanagementlive.com
and enter AMBP95 in the "promotional code" field.
============================================================
HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE
E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca
===========================================================
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE)
TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There
are two formats available:
1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the
World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week
at www.angustel.ca.
2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge.
To subscribe, send an e-mail message to:
join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com
To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send
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Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add
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We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail
addresses to any third party. For more information,
see http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html.
===========================================================
COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus
TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please
e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca.
The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no
warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on
interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If
expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a
competent professional should be obtained.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:54:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Toshiba Delays Launch of HD DVD Players
By PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- In an apparent tactical retreat in the high-stakes
battle for the next generation of video discs, Toshiba Corp. has
delayed the U.S. launch of the first players supporting its HD DVD
format.
Instead of being available late this year, the players will launch
next year, probably in the first quarter, said Toshiba spokeswoman
Jodi Sally.
That brings the launch of the HD DVD closer to the expected U.S.
debut of its main competitor, the Blu-ray disc, which is backed by
Sony Corp.
Sony's next-generation videogame console, the PlayStation 3, is
expected next spring and will read Blu-ray discs.
The HD DVD delay is due to marketing considerations, not manufacturing
problems, Sally said. The consortium behind the disc wants to avoid
repeating 1997's slow launch of the DVD, for which only a few titles
were initially available.
Studios and manufacturers also want more time to develop interactive
features like games, extra audio tracks and Internet tie-ins.
- http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=52057675
------------------------------
From: Sanford Nowlin <express-news@teleco-digest.org>
Subject: Look at TV To See Who is Calling
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:37:29 -0500
by Sanford Nowlin, Express-News Business Writer
Time Warner next month will flash caller ID on customers' TV screens
when they get a phone call, a sign that the cable company is taking
SBC Communications Inc.'s television aspirations seriously.
Time Warner will make the new feature available Oct. 10 to all San
Antonio customers who subscribe to both its digital phone and digital
cable service. It will be free, and customers have the option of
turning it off.
The on-screen caller ID concept is something San Antonio-based SBC has
touted as a perk of the video-over-Internet television service it
plans to launch in major markets about the end of the year.
"This just shows that where there's competition, the customer wins,"
said Jeff Kagan, an Atlanta-based telecom analyst. "When you've got
the phone company getting into the TV business, you'll see the prices
drop and the innovation start to go up."
SBC is spending $4 billion to provide video service over its broadband
Internet lines. It hopes to reach 18 million of its customers -- or
about half its service area -- by mid-2008.
All along, the company has said it wants the added features made
possible by its Internet-based system to be a prime selling point.
San Antonio will be the first of Time Warner's 31 U.S. cable divisions
to get on-screen caller ID. The rest will follow over the next two
months.
Time Warner officials said they selected San Antonio because it's one
of the cable giant's best phone-service markets. Since launching
digital phone service here a year ago in competition with SBC, it has
signed up more than 50,000 households.
"We think SBC will notice that it's being launched here and in a big
way," Time Warner Vice President Jeff Henry said. "This is just the
tip of the iceberg."
Time Warner will introduce other high-tech features in coming months,
Henry said. Among them is a service that lets customers keep track of
their bids on the eBay online auction service via a TV set.
SBC officials said they're not surprised a major competitor wants to
introduce perks such as on-screen caller ID as the company gets closer
to breaking into the TV business.
But they questioned whether the cable company could duplicate other
planned features - from the ability to record a favorite program via
cell phone to picking your own camera angle for basketball games.
"Caller ID has been around since the '80s, and the ability to bring it
to the screen isn't necessarily new either," SBC spokesman Selim
Bingol said. "There are lots of other features of our service that
will make it stand apart."
snowlin@express-news.net
Online at:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA092905.1E.TimeWarner.1633ed
e1.html
Copyright 2005 San Antonio Express News
NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 19:07:55 -0600
From: Anthony Bellanga <anthonybellanga@notchur.biz>
Subject: San Francisco and Oakland Exchange Numbering
Reply-To: anthonybellanga@com
In an ongoing effort to TRY to eliminate or at least reduce $pam,
please REMOVE my email address from display in the "from" line, AS
WELL AS in the "reply to" line.
Regarding Lisa Hancock's post on Oakland and San Francisco and
2L-4N numbering ...
Los Angeles had mixed 2L-4N and 2L-5N from the 1920s thru the
mid/late 1950s.
Toronto ON was 2L-4N and began phasing to 2L-5N in the early 1950s
thru mid-1950s.
and so forth ...
Wes Leatherock posted about all kinds of mixed numbering/dialing plans
in various cities. There was no real consistancy to numbering plans
until the later 1950s when the Bell System began plans to introduce
customer originated Direct Distance Dialing.
San Francisco and Oakland were 2L-4N thru at least the end of WW-II
(i.e., mid-1940s). I don't know if the entire area was flash-cut to
2L-5N or if it were phased, and if it were phased over, how long it
would have taken.
BTW, when I say "phased", I am *NOT*, repeat *NOT* referring to a
permissive dial period. NO, "phased" means that each individual
c.o.building would covert all of its own c.o.names into a "common
name", or add a new "third digit" to existing names in the same
building, on a FLASH-cut basis.
Maybe two or three exchange buildings would "flash cut" to 2L-5N
on the same Saturday night / Sunday morning....
But it could take a year or several years (five years in the case of
the some metro areas, 1955-60) for ALL exchange buildings to each
individually FLASH cut their 2L-4N numbering over to 2L-5N.
San Francisco / Oakland would have fully cutover to 2L-5N by 1950 (if
not 1949 or 1948 or so).
Remember that SF/Oakland was one of the 15 or so metro areas that were
customer-dialable from Englewood NJ starting in November 1951. ALL of
those areas that were customer-dialable from Englewood NJ were on a
full 2L-5N basis, just look for the booklet instructions that was
posted to the Telecom Digest Archives some years ago.
All of the SF/Oakland Bay area (except for some of the more outlying
communities which were also part of the customer dial plan) dialed
each other on a 2L-4N basis prior to the "cut" in the later 1940s, and
then on a "standard" 2L-5N basis afterwards. There were *NO*
code/name/letter conflicts! (The more outlying areas that were
customer dialable with SF/Oakland had special one/two/three-digit
"access codes" or prefix codes that needed to be dialed before the
2L-5N number).
I don't have any documentation for the "exact" reason, but for the
Englewood NJ customer dialing program staring in Nov.1951, San
Francisco and west bay communities (including those north of the
Golden Gate) were dialed from Englewood NJ by customers as 318+2L-5N.
Oakland/East Bay customers were dialed from Englewood NJ by customers
as 415+2L-5N.
I don't know if this difference in NPA codes was for routing purposes,
or for discrete ratings purposes, or a combination of both. HOWEVER,
OPERATORS who called the Bay Area, regardless of which side of the Bay
the desired called customer was located in, was reached as 415+2L-5N.
I don't know exactly "when" Bell reclaimed 318 from use by Englewood
NJ customers though ... I guess by the mid-1950s (maybe as early as
1953?) they started dialing 415+2L5N for ALL Bay Area numbers that
could be reached by CUSTOMER dialing.
Bell System journals of the early 1950s which dealt with Area Codes,
DDD, etc. always referred to JUST 415 if there was a map included in
the article. The use of 318 was only for instructions for Englewood NJ
customers. But again, the use of 318 *AND* 415 for this situation was
*NOT* because of any potential duplication of c.o.codes/names/letters
... since both sides of the Bay could already "locally" dial each
other on a "pure" 2L-5N basis (and quite possibly a "pure" 2L-4N basis
prior to the mid/late 1940s).
By 1957, 318 was officially assigned to the (first) split of 504 in
Louisiana. 318 covered all of northern and southwestern Louisiana,
until 337 split off from 318 in 1999. 318 now covers only northern and
central Louisiana (Shreveport/Alexandria/Monroe), while 337 covers
south-central (Lafayette) and southwestern (Lake Charles) Louisiana.
- Anthony
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 19:42:33 -0600
From: Anthony Bellanga <anthonybellanga@notchur.biz>
Subject: 2L-4N, 3L-4N, 2L-5N Numbering
Reply-To: anthonybellanga@com
In an ongoing effort to TRY to eliminate or at least reduce $pam,
please REMOVE my email address from display in the "from" line, AS
WELL AS in the "reply to" line.
Further, re, Lisa Hancock's post on Oakland and San Francisco and
2L-4N numbering ...
Numerous cities and large towns throughout the US and Canada developed
with 2L-4N numbering, sometimes mixed with 2L-5N as previously
mentioned.
Only the largest of cities actually had 2L-5N numbering from the
earliest days of local dialing within those cities or metro areas.
As for 3L-4N, only four cities in the US (none in Canada) ever used
3L-4N:
New York City during the 1920s had 3L-4N, but changed to 2L-5N around
1930 or 1931. I don't know how consistant New York Telephone was
regarding the third dial pull letter being converted to a digit, i.e.,
was it the actual digit that the original letter corresponed to, or
was it something different, and if the latter, were there some few
cases where the third letter actually did convert to the corresponding
digit.
Philadelphia changed from 3L-4N to 2L-5N shortly after WW-II, either
1945 or 1946. In MOST cases, the third letter changed to a numerical
digit that did NOT correspond to the original letter. But there were
a few cases where the conversion to a digit did correspond to the
original third letter.
Chicago changed from 3L-4N to 2L-5N around 1948; Boston changed from
3L-4N to 2L-5N around 1949. My understanding for both Chicago and
Boston, is that in most cases, the third dial-pull letter did
changeover to the corresponding digit, but there were some exceptions.
There were a handful of cities in the United Kingdom which had 3L-4N
numbering. Every other place in the UK had less-than-seven digits
(or dial pull) local numbering throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s,
80s.
These UK locations that did have 3L-4N were the "director" cities,
the largest of all metro areas, and also had the shortest STD codes
ending in a '1' (or having the only digit of '1').
(0)1 London
(0)21 Birmingham
(0)31 Edinborough (SCOTLAND)
(0)41 Glasgow
(0)51 Liverpool
(0)61 Manchester.
Note that (except for London with just the digit '1' as its
significant STD code digit), that the first digit of the STD code also
corresponded to the first letter of the town:
(0)B-1 Birmingham
(0)E-1 Edinborough
(0)G-1 Glasgow
(0)L-1 Liverpool
(0)M-1 Manchester
Circa 1990, London split into "inner London" (0)71, and "outer London"
(0)81. Circa 1994/95, most STD codes in the UK had an extra digit '1'
tacked onto the front (following the leading '0' indication digit),
although some completely changed to new STD codes with a '1'.
Starting circa 2000, the largest cities in the UK changed their local
numbering plans (and dialing plans in some cases) as well as their STD
Code -- particularly London:
(0)171 + NXX-xxxx (inner London, seven-digits) changed to
(0)20 + 7NXX-xxxx (note the first new digit of the eight-digit number
begins with '7', that '7' signifying the old 1990s era STD code)
(0)181 + NXX-xxxx (outer London, seven-digits) changed to
(0)20 + 8NXX-xxxx (note the '8' in the old STD code and the '8' as the
first digit of the new eight digit local number)
Paris FRANCE also had 3L-4N (later seven-digits) at one time, the
change to 7-digit ANC (All Number/figure calling/dialing) took place
in the early to mid-50s. I think that ANC format numbers corresonded
exactly to the previous letters of the exchange names.
In the UK (at least London), they actually numbered previously named
EXChanges with totally different numerics, possibly to "force" people
to think of telephone numbers now as numericals, not with letters.
I can't think of any other places in the world ever having had 3L-4N.
- Anthony
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Didn't London, England also use
WEATHER (seven letters, seven digits) for the recorded weather
forecast at one time? I know that Chicago used WEAther-1212 for
the recorded forecast at one time. Chicago began their conversion
to dial from manual in 1939, doing one or two exchanges at a time.
Then in 1942, with the advent of the war, when the United States
government nationalized Bell System for the duration of the war,
conversion was halted to be resumed again in 1946. However, in
1939 when conversion first began, some changes in the numbering
was done to have 'consistency' for everyone in the 3L-4D scheme of
things.
Throughout the war, Chicago was partially dial and partially
manual. Manual customers could reach dial customers by just asking the
operator for the number; for dial customers to reach manual customers,
there were three digit codes which connected them 'as though they were
manual customers' to the desired central office, ie, '311', '511' 711'
etc. After dialing the desired three digit access code, they then
spoke to the operator and gave their request. During the war, in
addition to '211' being used for 'long distance', '811' was used
for 'priority long distance', that is, for government employees,
usually military personnel who were allowed to take over needed
circuits for calls when circuits were otherwise all busy. When the
war ended and things got back to normal, '811' was kept as an
alternate way of reaching '211' when 'time and charges' were needed
by the customer. PAT]
------------------------------
From: apngss@yahoo.com
Subject: Linksys Site Survey Shows Lots of Info on Nearby Wireless Networks
Date: 30 Sep 2005 10:23:51 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com
I am using a Linksys Wireless Adapter. On site survey, I am able to
see the list of nearby wireless networks. For each wireless network, I
am able to see the SSID, wireless mode, channel, security mechanism,
and MAC address.
It is quite scary because we could see MAC address too? That means
people can hack the system?
I have seen some SSID that doesn't use any encryption at all. Does it
mean I am able to login to that wireless network without any security?
But I tried and it says couldn't find the access point. I am confused
because that wireless network can be scanned on site survey, then how
come it says couldn't find the access point?
Please advise. Thanks!!
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: First, I want to apologize that no
one seemed willing to talk about this to you yesterday when you first
wrote me, asking about WEP encryption. I provided you with a few
links to examine, they were easily found through Google with the
search key 'WEP Encryption Tools'. I hope that helped you out some.
Perhaps why it displays these places to you on site survey yet
claims it is unable to reach them is because although encryption
is a powerful tool to keep people out of your business (I use 64-bit
encryption with my wireless card) there are a couple other lines of
defense: One is to tell your router/adapter/whatever "do not broadcast
my name" leaving intruders to guess at whatever name you call your
wireless link and/or your computer, and two, telling your router/adapter
"do not respond to anyone but myself (MAC address, etc). By using
64-bit encryption along with 'do not broadcast' and 'do not respond'
you do make things more difficult, essentially if not totally, private.
PAT]
------------------------------
From: Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com>
Subject: Re: Change MAC Address Can Change IP Address of a Machine?
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:27:26 -0500
Organization: Wizard Information
It was a dark and stormy night when jrefactors@hotmail.com wrote:
> Is there any way to change the MAC address of a machine?
What they said. There are also Windows programs, both shareware and
freeware, that will change a computer's MAC address (check repositories
such as http://www.tucows.com).
------------------------------
Date: 30 Sep 2005 20:27:49 -0000
From: John Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Subject: Re: VOIP Service Providers?
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
> I currently have Vonage for the last 4 months and have noticed the
> quality degrade and problems increase.
I also gave up on Vonage after the quality plummeted and there was no
customer service to be had. After looking around, I switched to Lingo
and have been reasonably happy with them.
See my page at http://net.gurus.com/phone/ which has a discussion of
VoIP providers and links to sign up and give me a kickback.
R's,
John
------------------------------
From: George Berger <gberger@his.com>
Subject: Re: Can't Trust Spyware Protection?
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:46:42 -0400
Organization: Heller Information Services
In article <telecom24.444.11@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
wrote:
> Why can't the operating systems be set up to block them out?
They can, and they exist. They're called Mac Panther (OS 10.3.x) and
Tiger (OS 10.4.x).
George
I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am
not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
-- Robert McCloskey, State Department spokesman (attributed)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Can't Trust Spyware Protection?
From: beavis <nobody@nowhere.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:54:31 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
In article <telecom24.444.11@telecom-digest.org>,
<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
> Those companies claiming their spyware is "benign" ought to be shut
> down and its management thrown in prison....
> Why can't the operating systems be set up to block them out?
They can:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Electric Powerlines to be Used For Broadband
Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu
Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni
From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes)
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:24:57 GMT
In article <telecom24.444.7@telecom-digest.org>,
<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
> Well, now they are working to use power lines to bring in broadband
> service, so consumers will eventually have a third independent choice
> of communications providers.
Have you been hiding under a rock? This activity has been hotly
debated for a couple of years at least.
The fact is that power lines are not designed to conduct high
frequency signals, so they work more as antennas than as conductors.
The result of broadband over power lines (BPL) is to create a high
level of pollution of the high frequency radio spectrum. Radio
amateurs have made the most noise about this, since they stand to lose
the use of the HF spectrum; but shortwave radio listeners and business
and government users of the spectrum are also complaining. The FCC
seems to be taking a position that it is OK to foster the growth of a
new business rather than to protect the existing radio users. Field
trials have been done here and there and have shown that the radio
interference potential of this activity is serious. There is also the
possibility that nearby radio transmitters will disrupt operation of
the BPL system.
It's not something you want to invest your savings in.
jhhaynes at earthlink dot net
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:29:34 +0200
From: Daniel AJ Sokolov <sokolov@gmx.netnetnet.invalid>
Subject: Re: Electric Powerlines to be Used For Broadband
am 29.09.2005 17:44 schrieb hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com:
> Recently this newsgroup debated the barriers for entry for new
> communications carriers.
> Well, now they are working to use power lines to bring in broadband
> service, so consumers will eventually have a third independent choice
> of communications providers.
> The ability of power lines to carry comm signals has been known since
> the 1930s. Apparently some practical ways to utilize that have been
> developed and there have been several pieces in the press about it.
And it is a technological dead end.
First, the effort to make it happen is big. You have to lay fibre to
the transformation substation closest to the user. Still, the bandwith
isn't very good. And, last but not least, the wires are unshielded. So
they are acting like *huge* antennas - emitting a lot of garbage waves
and flooding big parts of the frequency spectrum. Radio traffic often
is disturbed, and, of course, you neighbours can easily listen in on
what your doing - more easily than with Wi-Fi.
Daniel AJ
My e-mail-address is sokolov [at] gmx dot net
------------------------------
From: Tony P. <kd1s@nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net>
Subject: Re: Why is VOIP Getting Hot Now?
Organization: ATCC
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 17:37:26 -0400
In article <telecom24.444.10@telecom-digest.org>, harold@hallikainen.com
says:
>> In my case it was $88 a month to Verizon vs. $27 a month to
>> Vonage. Big difference. It's the only thing that hasn't inflated in
>> the last year or two.
> Of course, Vonage does not have to pay for the local loop, so there's
> some savings there. How much are you paying for "last mile"
> connectivity (cable modem or DSL or whatever)? I'm currently paying
> Verizon about $25 per month for local dialtone. I'm paying about $3
> per month in long distance to another company (about 5 cents per
> minute, probably much of that is compensation to the terminating
> carrier). I'm paying $70 per month to cyberonic.com for DSL (6Mbps per
> second AND they let me run my own servers). I pay $0 per month to
> http://www.sipphone.com . I also pay about 1 or 2 cents a minute to
> them for calls into the PSTN. SIP calls (within siphone, to FWD,
> Google, etc.) are free. I use http://www.ipkall.com to get a POTS
> number on SIP for free (though the number is in Washington).
> There certainly are LOTS of options.
> Harold
I justify it by the fact that I've had the net connection and paid the
$35 a month for it for several years.
So not only do I get to use the phone but I get to play on the net.
Could it get any better?
------------------------------
Subject: Re: When Students Open up - a Little Too Much; Colleges Cite Risks
Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu
Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni
From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes)
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:12:33 GMT
Some years back I worked in computer administration for a university.
At that time we allowed students to pick their own login names. At
first the accounts were created by a manual process, so the
secretaries who handled the work were given veto power over names they
considered too raw. Which turned it into a game of just how spicy a
name you could invent and still get it past the secretaries.
Later the process was automated. Students were warned at the outset
that it was very hard to change a name -- later we instituted a fee of
something like $25 for name changes. And still every year we would
get several requests for name changes, along the lines of "My parents
just got email capability, so I don't want them to see the name I have
been using among my friends."
We also quit doing file backups on the mail server machines, figuring
that people have the expectation that when they delete email it is
gone. If they store it in their home directories and later delete it,
then it will be on the backups for their home directories prior to
deletion; but at least if they deleted it immediately on reading it it
would indeed be gone.
jhhaynes at earthlink dot net
------------------------------
From: John McHarry <jmcharry@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Getting Rid of "Legal" Spam?
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 00:06:48 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net
On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 12:05:40 -0700, hancock4 wrote:
> Several years ago I signed up for the big PC Expo show in New York
> City. I included my real email address.
> Since then I have received many advertisements for subsequent
> technology shows and from various vendors. Early on I sent in a
> request to remove my name; that request was ignored.
> The promotors of PC Expo are not some "fly by night" basement outfit,
> they are supposedly a legitimate organization. But I am angry that
> they released my email (which was required) to outsiders and that I
> continue to get spam from them. The latest spam came from: ITD
> Holdings <dnina@itdholdings.com>
> Any suggestions?
Kill file them and their vendors. Report them as spammers to your
email provider and to the various blacklist maintainers, if you feel
like it.
Just because they are a large outfit doesn't mean they don't carry on
some sleazy business practices. Being wealthy doesn't mean you aren't
trash. Nor does being poor and unknown mean you are.
------------------------------
From: Allen Newman <anewmanagn@excite.com>
Subject: Re: Bell System Phone Label Code?
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 06:42:35 -0500
That's a pretty good guess. I saw a touch-tone wall phone that's
still hard-wired (non modular) where Ma Bell put it and still has its
original number card (this one happens to be a card, not a sticker),
and sure enough there's no M on it. This phone is in Northwestern
Bell territory and was probably installed between 1967 and 1969 based
on it being touch-tone and not having the 1969-present Bell logo on
it.
If it stands for Modular, I wonder if it's sort of a disclaimer, since
the reality of a modular phone is that it's far easier to move it,
therefore there's more of a chance that the number card/sticker could
be wrong if the customer connected the phone to a different line.
I don't think all telcos used the M, though. I'm seeing the non-M
layout on some modular phones on ebay.
In article <telecom24.439.10@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
wrote:
> Allen Newman wrote:
>> On the number cards/labels affixed to latter-decades' Bell System
>> phones, there was a letter M stamped like this:
> Could it have meant "modular" since that number card was intended for
> modular phones installed by the customer? They used to give them out
> at Phone Center stores.
> I didn't care for them since it was a sticker, not a card. Admittedly,
> for most people that what was best. However, since I knew how to open
> a dial, I wanted a card to mount behind it and didn't want some sticker
> fouling my dial. Also, they used a stamper that was in relatively
> small type size compared to the bigger size used by traditional
> installers. Of course all they had was all-number, no letters. In our
> area, we were still using letters in a limited manner. To this day,
> the official internal identifier for telephone districts in our area
> was the old exchange name from way back.
------------------------------
From: Brad Guth <ieisbradguth@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Life Beyond Earth
Date: 30 Sep 2005 08:18:11 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Peter N. Spotts,
This "Life beyond Earth?" is yet another very nicely composed article.
However, I've also noticed as to how nicely you've avoided the nearest
of such orbs as having been perfectly good for another chapter or two
within your "Life beyond Earth" topic, that are by far the most
humanly accessible and should perhaps remain as keen interest to
humanity for less than a penny on the dollar.
Not that most folks these days have been all that media focused but
perhaps you'd be, in the potential of such other life that's highly
ETI worthy about Venus or, perhaps closest to home being that of our
own DNA/RNA and thus microbe worthy aspects as to the icy proto-moon
of sequestered life that was obtained from our very own moon?
Therefore, instead of further suggesting to your readers that we
should be looking and thus funding into the sorts of places that are
so gosh darn far away and thereby nearly if not entirely inaccessible
to humans, and certainly otherwise horrifically spendy and time
consuming even for robotics, it seems that another message could be
shared as to where our vast oceans most likely came from, and of the
vast numbers of extremely complex life within which needs another
honest look-see as to whatever an icy proto-moon could have easily
accomplished.
Are you and of your readers up for the task of an icy proto-moon or
that of Venus?
Of course, scientifically and probability wise there's been yet
another strong possibility that's entirely within the lines, that the
origin of our moon and Venus could have once upon a time been closely
related to one another.
Regards,
Brad Guth
------------------------------
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