THE MARK TABAS ENCOUNTER SERIES                _______________
PRESENTS...                                   / Thrown to    /
                                             /80- columns   /
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=     / for all of   /
      BETTER HOMES AND BLUE BOXING         / you out there/
                PART II                   /who want it, +/
          PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS         /even those who/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= /    don't.    /
                                       ----------------
(IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE READER HAS READ AND UNDERSTOOD PART I OF
THIS SERIES).

  THE ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF BLUE BOXING IN THE BEGINNING WAS
MERELY TO RECEIVE TOLL SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE. THOUGH
THIS CAN STILL BE DONE, BLUE BOXING HAS ESSENTIALLY OUTLIVED ITS
USEFULNESS IN THIS AREA. MODERN DAY "EXTENDERS" AND
LONG DISTANCE SERVICES PROVIDE A SAFER AND EASIER WAY TO MAKE
FREE FONE CALLS.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN DO THINGS WITH A BLUE BOX THAT JUST CAN'T BE
DONE WITH ANY-THING ELSE. FOR ORDINARY TOLL-FRAUD, A
BLUE BOX IS IMPRACTICAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

  1. CLUMSY EQUIPMENT REQUIRED (BLUE BOX OR EQUIVALENT)
  2. MOST BOXED CALLS MUST BE MADE THROUGH AN EXTENDER. NOT FOR
     SAFETY REASONS, BUT FOR REASONS I'LL EXPLAIN LATER.
  3. CONNECTIONS ARE OFTEN SACRIFICED BECAUSE CONSIDERABLE
DISTANCES MUST BE DIALED TO CROSS A SEIZABLE TRUNK, IN ADDITION
TO AWKWARD ROUTING.

ARE USUALLY MADE THROUGH AN EXTENDER. THIS IS FOR BILLING
REASONS. IF YOU RECALL FROM PART I, 2600HZ IS USED AS A
"SUPERVISORY" SIGNAL. THAT IS, IT SIGNALS THE STATUS OF A TRUNK--
"ON-HOOK" OR "OFF-HOOK." WHEN YOU SEIZE A TRUNK (BY BRIEFLY
SENDING 2600HZ), YOUR END (THE CALLING END) GOES ON HOOK FOR THE
DURATION OF THE 2600HZ AND THEN GOES OFF-HOOK ONCE AGAIN WHEN THE
2600HZ IS TERMINATED. THE CALLED END RECOGNIZES THAT A CALL
IS ON THE WAY AND ATTACHES A REGISTER, WHICH INTERPRETS THE
DIGITS WHICH ARE TO BE SENT. NOW, UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN
THOUGH YOUR END HAS COME OFF-HOOK (NO 2600HZ PRESENT), THE OTHER
END IS STILL ON-HOOK. YOU MAY WONDER THEN,
WHY, IF THE OTHER END (THE CALLED END) IS STILL ON-HOOK, THERE IS
NO 2600HZ COMING THE OTHER WAY ON THE TRUNK, WHEN THERE SHOULD
BE. THIS IS CORRECT. 
     2600HZ *IS* PRESENT ON THE TRUNK WHEN YOU SEIZE IT AND
AFTERWARDS, BUT YOU CANNOT HEAR IT BECAUSE OF A BAND
ELIMINATION FILTER (BEF) AT YOUR CENTRAL OFFICE.
  BACK TO THE PROBLEM. REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU SEIZE A TRUNK,
2600HZ IS INDEED COMING THE OTHER WAY ON THE
TRUNK BECAUSE THE CALLED END IS STILL ON-HOOK, BUT YOU DON'T
ACTUALLY HEAR IT BECAUSE OF A FILTER. HOWEVER, THE
BELL EQUIPMENT KNOWS IT'S THERE (THEY CAN "HEAR" IT). THE
PRESENCE OF THE 2600HZ IS TELLING THE BILLING EQUIP-
MENT THAT YOUR CALL HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED (I.E., THE CALLED
END IS STILL ON-HOOK). WHEN FINALLY YOU DO

2600HZ FROM THE CALLED END TERMINATES. THIS TELLS THE BILLING
EQUIPMENT THAT SOMEONE PICKED UP THE FONE AT THE CALLED END AND
YOU SHOULD BEGIN TO BE BILLED. SO YOU DO START TO GET BILLED,
BUT FOR THE CALL TO THE TRUNK, NOT THE BOXED CALL. YOUR BILLING
EQUIPMENT THINKS THAT YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH THE NUMBER YOU USED
TO SEIZE THE TRUNK.

ILLUSTRATION:

  1. YOU CALL 1+806-258-2222     (DIRECTLY)
  2. STATUS OF TRUNKS:
<----------------------------------->
(YOU)                    806-258-2222
NO 2600HZ-------> <------------2600HZ

  WHEN YOU SEIZE A TRUNK (BEFORE THE NUMBER YOU CALLED ANSWERS)
THERE IS NO AFFECT ON YOUR BILLING EQUIPMENT. IT SIMPLY THINKS
THAT YOU'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE CALL TO COMPLETE
(THE CALLED END IS STILL ON-HOOK; IT IS RINGING, BUSY, GOING TO
RECORDING OR INTERCEPT OPERATOR).
  NOW, LET'S SAY THAT YOU'VE SEZIED A TRUNK (806-258-2222) AND
FOR EXAMPLE, KP+314+949+1705+ST. THE CALL IS ROUTED
FROM THE TANDEM YOU SEIZED TO: 314-949-1705.

ILLUSTRATION:

<------------------>O<--------------->
(YOU)              806         314-949
                 TANDEM  


  NOTE THAT THE ENTIRE PATH TOWARDS THE RIGHT (THE CALLED END)
HAS NO 2600HZ PRESENT AND IS THEREFORE "OFF-HOOK." THE ENTIRE
PATH TOWARDS THE LEFT (THE CALLING END) DOES HAVE 2600HZ
PRESENT ON IT, INDICATING THAT THE CALLED END HAS NOT PICKED UP
(OR COME "OFF-HOOK"). WHEN 314-949-1705 ANSWERS,
"ANSWER SUPERVISION" IS GIVEN AND THE 2600HZ TOWARDS THE LEFT
(THE CALLING END) TERMINATES. THIS TELLS YOUR BILLING EQUIPMENT,
WHICH THINKS THAT YOU'RE STILL WAITING TO BE CONNECTED
WITH 806-258-2222, THAT YOU'VE FINALLY CONNECTED. BILLING THEN
BEGINS TO 806-258-2222. NOT EXACTLY AN AUSPICIOUS BEGINNING FOR
AN ASPIRING YOUNG PHONE PHREAK.

  TO AVOID THIS, SEVERAL ACTIONS MAY BE TAKEN. AS PREVIOUSLY
MENTIONED, ONE MAY AVOID BEING CHARGED FOR THE NUMBER CALLED TO
SEIZE A TRUNK BY USING AN EXTENDER (IN WHICH CASE THE
EXTENDER WILL GET BILLED). IN SOME AREAS, BOXING MAY BE
ACCOMPLISHED USING AN 800 NUMBER, GENERALLY IN THE
FORMAT OF 800-858-XXXX (MANY AMARILLO NUMBERS) OR 800-NN2-XXXX
(SPECIAL INTRA-STATE CLASS IN-WATS NUMBERS).
HOWEVER, BOXING OFF OF 800 NUMBERS IS IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS.
IN MY AREA, DENVER, I AM SERVED BY #1A ESS AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE
FOR ME TO BOX OFF OF ANY 800 NUMBER.
  YEARS AGO, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF BLUE BOXING (BEFORE MY TIME),
PHREAKS OFTEN USED DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE TO BOX OFF
OF BECAUSE THEY WERE "FREE" LONG COMPETETIVE LONG DISTANCE
COMPANIES,
DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SURCHARGES ARE NOW $0.50 IN MANY AREAS. IT
IS ADDITIONALLY ADVISED THAT DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE NUMBERS NOT BE
USED TO BOX FROM BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING:
  AVERAGE DA CALLS LAST UNDER 2 MINUTES. WHEN YOU BOX A CALL,
CHANCES ARE THAT IT WILL LAST CONSIDERABLY LONGER. THUS, THE BELL
BILLING EQUIPMENT WILL MAKE A NOTE OF CALLS TO DIRECTORY
ASSISTANCE THAT LAST A LONG TIME. A CALL TO A DIRECTORY ASSISTANT
LASTING FOR 4 HOURS AND 17 MINUTES MAY APPEAR SOMEWHAT
SUSPICIOUS.
  ALTHOUGH THE DATE, TIME, AND LENGTH OF A DA CALL DO NOT APPEAR
ON THE BILL, IT IS RECORDED ON AMA TAPE AND WILL TRIP A TROUBLE
REPORT IF IT WERE TO LAST TOO LONG. THIS IS HOW MOST
PHREAKS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE OLD DAYS. ALSO, SOMETIMES TOO MANY
CALLS LASTING TOO LONG TO ONE 800 NUMBER MAY RAISE A FEW EYEBROWS
AT THE LOCAL SECURITY OFFICE.
  ASSUMING YOU CAN COMPLETE A BLUE BOX CALL, THE FOLLOWING ARE
LISTED ROUTINGS FOR VARIOUS BELL INTERNAL OPERATORS.
THESE ARE IN THE FORMAT OF KP+NPA+SPECIAL ROUTING+1X1+ST, WHICH I
WILL EXPLAIN LATER.
 THE 1X1 IS THE ACTUAL OPERATOR ROUTING, AND 
NPA AND NPA+SPECIAL ROUTING ARE USED FOR OUT-OF-
AREA CODE CALLS AND OUT-OF-AREA CODE CALLS REQUIRING SPECIAL
ROUTING, RESPECTIVELY.

KP+101+ST ...... TOLL TEST BOARD
KP+121+ST ...... INWARD OP

KP+141+ST ...... WAS RATE & ROUTE. NOW ONLY WORKS IN 
                 312, 815, 717, AND A FEW OTHERS. IT HAS
                 BEEN REPLACED WITH A UNIVERSAL RATE & ROUTE     
            NUMBER, 800+141+1212.
KP+151+ST ...... OVERSEAS COMPLETION OPERATOR (INBOUND). WORKS
                 ONLY IN CERTAIN NPAS, SUCH AS 303.
KP+181+ST ...... IN SOME AREAS, TOLL STATION FOR SMALL TOWNS

  THUS, IF YOU SEIZE A TRUNK IN 806 NPA AND WANTED AN INWARD (IN
806), THEN YOU WOULD DIAL KP+121+ST. IF YOU WANTED A 312 INWARD
AND WERE DIALING ON AN 806 TRUNK, AN AREA CODE WOULD BE REQUIRED.
THUS, YOU WOULD DIAL KP+312+121+ST.
   FINALLY, SOME PLACES IN THE NETWORK REQUIRE SPECIAL ROUTING,
IN ADDITION TO AN AREA CODE. AN EXAMPLE IS FRANKLIN PARK, ILL. IT
REQUIRES A SPECIAL ROUTING OF 032. FOR THIS, YOU WOULD
DIAL KP+312+032+121+ST FOR A FRANKLIN PARK INWARD OPERATOR.
  SPECIAL ROUTINGS ARE IN THE FORMAT OF 0XX. THEY ARE USED
PRIMARILY FOR LOAD BALANCE, SO THAT TRAFFIC FLOW
MAY BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. ABOUT HALF OF THE EXCHANGES IN THE
NETWORK REQUIRE SPECIAL ROUTING. NOTE THAT SPECIAL ROUTINGS ARE
NEVER EVER EVER USED TO DIAL NORMAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS,
ONLY OPERATORS.

  OPERATOR FUNCTIONS:

TOLL TEST BOARD- GENERALLY A CORDBOARD

THEY ARE NOT USED BY OPERATORS, ONLY SWITCHMEN.

INWARD- ASSISTS THE NORMAL TSPS (0+) OPERATOR IN COMPLETING CALLS
OUT OF THE TSPS'S AREA. ALSO, INWARDS PERFORM EMERGENCY INERRUPTS
WHEN THE NUMBER TO BE INTERRUPTED IS OUT OF THE AREA CODE
OF THE ORIGINAL (TSPS) OPERATOR. FOR EXAMPLE, A 303 OPERATOR HAS
A CUSTOMER THAT NEEDS AN EMERGENCY INTERRUPT ON 215-647-6969. THE
303 OPERATOR GETS THE ROUTING FOR THE INWARD THAT COVERS
215-647, SINCE SHE CANNOT DO THE INTERRUPT HERSELF. THE ROUTING
IS FOUND TO BE ONLY 215+ (NO SPECIAL ROUTING REQUIRED). SO, THE
303 OPERATOR KEYS KP+215+121+ST. AN INWARD ANSWERS
AND THE 303 SAYS TO HER, "INWARD, THIS IS DENVER. I NEED AN
EMERGENCY INTERRUPT ON 215-647-6969. MY CUSTOMER'S NAME IS MARK
TABAS." THE INWARD WILL THEN DO THE INTERRUPT (OFF
THE LINE, OF COURSE). IF THE NUMBER TO BE INTERRUPTED HAD
REQUIRED SPECIAL ROUTING, SUCH AS, SAY, 312-456-1234
(SPEC ROUTING 032), THEN THE 303 OPERATOR WOULD DIAL
KP+312+032+121+ST FOR THE INWARD TO DO THAT INTERRUPT.

DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE- THESE ARE THE NORMAL NPA+555+1212 OPERATORS
THAT ASSIST CUSTOMERS WITH OBTAINING TELEFONE DIRECTORY LISTINGS.
NOT MUCH TOLL-FRAUD POTENTIAL HERE, EXCEPT MAYBE $0.50.

RATE AND ROUTE- THESE OPERATORS ARE REACHED BY DIALING
KP+800+141+1212+ST.

WITH RATES AND ROUTINGS (THUS THE NAME). THE ONLY USES I
TYPICALLY HAVE FOR THEM ARE THE FOLLOWING:

1. ROUTING INFORMATION. IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE, WHEN THE 303   
OPERATOR NEEDED TO DIAL AN INWARD THAT SERVED 215-647,
  SHE NEEDED TO KNOW IF ANY SPECIAL ROUTING WAS REQUIRED AND, IF 
 SO, WHAT IT WAS. ASSUMING SHE WOULD USE RATE AND ROUTE, SHE  
WOULD DIAL THEM AND SAY NICELY, "OPERATOR'S ROUTE, PLEASE, FOR
  215-647." RATE & ROUTE WOULD RESPOND WITH "215 PLUS." THIS  
MEANS THAT THE OPERATOR WOULD DIAL KP+215+121+ST TO REACH THE  
INWARD THAT SERVES 215-647. IF THERE WERE SPECIAL ROUTING  
REQUIRED, SUCH AS IN 312-456, RATE & ROUTE WOULD
  RESPOND WITH "312 PLUS 032 PLUS." IN THAT CASE, THE OPERATOR  
WOULD DIAL KP+312+032+ST FOR THE INWARD THAT SERVES 312-456.
  IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO ASK FOR "OPERATOR'S ROUTE" SPECIFICALLY,
  AS THERE ARE ALSO "NUMBERS ROUTE" AND "DIRECTORY ROUTES." IF  
YOU DO NOT SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR OPERATOR'S ROUTE, RATE & ROUTE  
WILL GENERALLY ASSUME THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT ANYWAY.
"NUMBERS" ROUTE REFERS TO OVERSEAS CALLS. EXAMPLE, YOU WANT TO
KNOW HOW TO REACH A NUMBER IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
(AND YOU ALREADY HAVE THE NUMBER). YOU WOULD CALL ROUTING AND SAY
"NUMBERS ROUTE, PLEASE, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND."
THE OPERATOR WOULD RESPOND WITH:
     "MARK 41+22. 011+041+ST (PLUS) 041+22"
THE "MARK 41+22" HAS TO DO WITH BILLING, SO DISREGARD IT. THE
011+041 BE DISCUSSED IN PART III) AND THE 041+ 22+ IS THE ROUTING
FOR GENEVA FROM THE OVERSEAS SENDER.
  "DIRECTORY" ROUTINGS ARE FOR DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE OVERSEAS.
EXAMPLE:
     YOU WANT A DA IN ROME, ITALY. YOU WOULD CALL RATE & ROUTE
AND SAY, "DIRECTORY ROUTING PLEASE, FOR ROME, ITALY." THEY
WOULD RESPOND WITH "011+039+ST (PLUS) 039+1108 START." AS IN THE
PREVIOUS EXAMPLE, THE 011+039 IS ACCESS TO THE OVERSEAS GATEWAY.
THE 039+1108 IS A DIRECTORY ASSISTANT IN ROME.

2. NAMEPLACE INFORMATION. RATE & ROUTe WILL GIVE YOU THE LOCATION
OF AN NPA+ EXCHANGE. EXAMPLE: "NAMEPLACE PLEASE, FOR 215-648."
THE OPERATOR WOULD RESPOND WITH "PAOLI, PENNSYLVANIA."
THIS ISN'T ESPECIALLY USEFUL, SINCE YOU CAN GET THE SAME
INFORMATION (LEGALLY) BY DIALING 0, BUT USING RATE & ROUTE IS
OFTEN MUCH FASTER AND IT AVOIDS HAVING TO HANG UP WHEN YOU ARE
ALREADY ON A TRUNK.

*NOTE ON RATE & ROUTE: AS A BLUE BOXER, ALWAYS ASK FOR "IOTC"
ROUTINGS. (E.G.,"IOTC OPERATOR'S ROUTE", "IOTC NUMBERS
ROUTE", ETC.) THIS TELLS THEM THAT YOU WANT CORDBOARD-TYPE
ROUTINGS, NOT TSPS, BECAUSE A BLUE BOXER IS ACTUALLY JUST A
CORDBOARD POSITION (THAT BELL DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT).


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
OVERSEAS COMPLETION OPERATOR (INBOUND) THESE OPERATORS
(KP+151+ST) ASSIST IN THE COMPLETION OF CALLS COMING IN TO
THE UNITED STATES FROM OVERSEAS. THERE NPAS IN THE COUNTRY
(NAMELY 303). TO USE ONE, YOU WOULD SEIZE A TRUNK AND
DIAL KP+303+151+ST. THEN YOU WOULD TELL THE OPERATOR, FOR
EXAMPLE, "THIS IS BANGLADESH CALLING. I NEED U.S.
NUMBER 215-561-0562 PLEASE." [IN A BROKEN INDIAN ACCENT]. SHE
WOULD CONNECT YOU, AND THE BILL WOULD BE SENT TO BANGLADESH
(WHERE I'VE BEEN BILLING MY KP+151+ST CALLS FOR TWO
YEARS).
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

OTHER INTERNAL BELL OPERATORS.

KP+11501+ST ...... UNIVERSAL OPERATOR
KP+11511+ST ...... CONFERENCE OP
KP+11521+ST ...... MOBILE OP
KP+11531+ST ...... MARINE OP
KP+11541+ST ...... LONG DISTANCE TERMINAL
KP+11551+ST ...... TIME & CHARGES OP
KP+11561+ST ...... HOTEL/MOTEL OP
KP+11571+ST ...... OVERSEAS (OUTBOUND) OP

  THESE 115X1 OPERATORS ARE IDENTICAL IN ROUTING TO THE 1X1
OPERATORS LISTED PREVIOUSLY, WITH ONE EXCEPTION. IF
SPECIAL ROUTING IS REQUIRED (0XX), THEN THE TRAILING 1 IS LEFT
OFF.

EXAMPLES:

A 312 UNIVERSAL OP ... KP+312+11501+ST A FRANKLIN PARK (312-456)
UNIVERSAL OP (SPECIAL ROUTING 032 REQUIRED)....KP+312+032+1150+ST
[THE TRAILING 1 OF 11501 IS LEFT OFF].



UNIVERSAL- USED FOR COLLECT/CALLBACK CALLS TO COIN STATIONS.

CONFERENCE- THIS IS A CORDBOARD CONFERENCE OPERATOR WHO WILL SET
UP A CONFERENCE FOR A CUSTOMER ON A MANUAL OPERATION BASIS.

MOBILE- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO MOBILE (IMTS) TYPE
TELEFONES MARINE- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO OCEAN GOING
VESSELS.

LONG DISTANCE TERMINAL- NOW OBSOLETE. WAS USED FOR COMPLETION OF
LONG DISTANCE CALLS.

TIME & CHARGES- WILL GIVE EXACT COSTS OF CALLS. USED TO TIME
CALLS AND INFORM CUSTOMER OF EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT COST.

HOTEL/MOTEL- HANDLES CALLS TO/FROM HOTELS AND MOTELS.

OVERSEAS COMPLETION (OUTBOUND)- ASSISTS IN COMPLETION OF CALLS TO
OVERSEAS POINTS. ONLY WORKS IN SOME, IF ANY NPAS, BECAUSE
OVERSEAS ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN CENTRAIZED TO IOCC (COVERED IN
PART III).

  NOTE THAT ALL KP+1X1+ST AND KP+115X1+ST OPERATORS AUTOMATICALLY
ASSUME THAT YOU ARE A TSPS OR CORDBOARD OPERATOR ASSISTING A
CUSTOMER WITH A CALL. DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE

**DON'T CALL THESE OPERATORS! FIND OUT WHAT TO DO FIRST.**

  THIS CONCLUDES PART II. THERE IS ONE FINAL PART IN WHICH I WILL
EXPLAIN OVERSEAS DIALING, IOCC (INTERNATIONAL OVERSEAS COMPLETION
CENTRE), RQS (RATE/QUOTE SYSTEM), AND SOME BASIC SCANNING.

.......................................
(C) FEBRUARY 6, 1900         MARK TABAS
.......................................
