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

From: zanapd@wanda.pond.com (Arthur P. Dent)
Subject: Re: Help Wanted With Phone Test Device
Date: 19 Dec 1994 16:57:41 -0500
Organization: FishNet


Greg Philmon (philmon@netcom.com) wrote:

> I've seen devices that allow you to bypass the local exchange and
> perform phone testing within your office.

 ... the latest TechniTool catalogue lists:

"TLS 3 Telephone Line Simulator, the Portable CO"

It's a little black box with RJ11s and two sets of 'gators that allow
you to connect two handsets (or faxes, modems, PBX, whatever) and have
them act as if connected to a real switch.

 ... it supplies dialtone, busy tone, and ringback for two lines, 
and allows you to talk between them ... no mention of assigning 
telephone 
numbers to the lines in the ad, however.

Lists for $475.

(Incidentally, I do not work for TechniTool, and I think most of their
equipment is *way* overpriced.)

It's always interesting to look thru the catalogue, tho.

The number is (610) 941.2400


Hope this helps,

Arthur P. Dent, esq.    zanapd@pond.com

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

From: gtompk@teleport.com (Greg Tompkins)
Subject: Re: Channelling Phone Line Through a Leased Line
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1994 14:11:32 -0800
Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016


> If they are only 15 miles apart, an FX line may be cheaper than a
> leased line and there is no equipment necessary.

Unfortunately, Foreign Exchange lines are not allowed in the state of
Oregon.  I don't know why.  I called the PUC about this and they
confirmed it.  They don't allow them because of Extended Area Service.
The Portland metro EAS is the largest in the country (as far as square
miles.)  I think there are some points that are 60 miles from each
other and are still considered a local call.  Unfortunately, I only
live 15 miles from the fringe of this great region, and I want to get
a phone line to it.  That is what I want to do.

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

Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 10:35:48 EST 
Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA
From: Paul Robinson <PAUL@tdr.com>
Subject: Re: 1200 Bell Atlantic Workers Suspended in Labor Dispute


> There were roughly 1500 workers suspended for two days; 
> the CWA has filed charges with the NLRB against the company for
> ordering members to take off the T-shirts. The union had notified 
the
> company in advance that this was a concerted activity protected 
under
> Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. Freedom of speech
> either applies universally or not at all; the Constitution doesn't
> have an off switch for employers.

Yes it does, unless your employer is the government.  The only
provision of the Constitution of the United States that can be held
applicable to private parties is the 13th Amendment.  ("Neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United
States...").

Now, whether Federal Law sets restrictions on retaliatory actions by
Bell Atlantic against conduct by its employees during company time is
another matter, but the Constitution is a limitation on the actions of
government, not upon private parties.


Paul Robinson - Paul@TDR.COM


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually I think even the government
can set some limits on the speech of its employees under the theory
that the government as an *employer* is not the same thing as the
government as a *governor*. By that I mean you are free to change your
employment anytime you are unhappy with the place where you work;
likewise there is no constitutional requirement or provision that the
government employ whoever asks to be employed by it. You have no
right to government employment nor any obligation in that way, thus
the government is 'like any other employer' in that sense. Shut up
and get back to work ... no backtalk from you!  <grin> ... On the
other side of this, because it is very inconvenient to change our
governor, if not impossible, constitutional protections exist to
protect us against government excesses. You can work wherever you
please, at whatever makes you happy. You can't really live outside
the reach of the government, and that is the difference.  PAT] 

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

From: baron@aa.net (Joe Portman)
Subject: Re: T3 or T1 Demux'd to RS-232 or TCP/IP?
Organization: Alternate Access Inc.
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 18:45:01 GMT


Mark Silbernagel (marks@pacifier.com) wrote:

> I am interested in your opinion on how to best manage a point-of-
sale
> card swipe application. The plan calls for ~4000 sites, each having
> ~10 devices. At any given moment in the day, they expect about 700
> calls to be 'in progress'. Each device is one of those small boxes 
you
> see at the store which calls and authorizes card transactions.

> The idea of being able to demux a T1 (or T3!) into serial ports ... 
or
> better still a TCP/IP stream, is appealing. The data will then be
> managed by a UNIX box or boxes.

US Robotics does make a VERY nice piece of equipment, the "Total
Control" digital modem rack. With the right cards in it, two T1's (or
single E1) come in one side, ethernet comes out the other. Very nice,
and very expensive. Approximately $60,000 for 48 V.34 modems and the
required T1, IP and other cards. Your 700 simultaneous calls would
need a lot of these.


Joe Portman - Alternate Access Inc. 

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

From: michaelw@achilles.net (Michael Wong)
Subject: Commercial ATM Service and Forums
Date: 20 Dec 1994 06:06:40 GMT
Organization: Achilles Network Services - Internet Provider


The commercial ATM service is available in France where most users can
get access to France Telecom's CBDS (Connectionless Broadband Data
Service) over an ATM network.

As far as ATM-switch suppliers are concerned, we have:

(a) Alcatel based in France;
(b) SynOptics (LattisCell) and Newbridge Networks Corporation
    based in North America.

As a data carrier (i.e. AT&T or Sprint), ATM enables main offices that
process large volumes of data, to connect to fast frame relay service,
while branch offices connect at a slower frame relay speed (64Kbps).

Could anyone please tell me:

(1) is there any specification defining how frame relay frames can
    be mapped to ATM cells (i.e. agreed by both the Frame Relay and 
    ATM Forums)?

(2) Some local exchange or interexchange carriers offer ATM
    as Constant Bit Rate (CBR), Variable Bit Rate (VBR) or
    Available Bit Rate (ABR) services.

    (a) Which service is most suitable for videoconferencing 
application?
    (b) Which service is the best for LAN traffic such as E-mail and 
        file transfers using TCP/IP or IPX/SPX protocols?

(3) When is the commercial ATM service available for general use
    similar to the France Telecom's CBDS?


Thank you for your help!

Michael Wong     Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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End of TELECOM Digest V14 #460
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