All posts below this one were cut and pasted from my yahoo profile blog located at http://profiles.yahoo.com/nyphonejacks
I will be reviewing and, if needed, editing them in the next few days.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
why your communications are not secure...
CALEA - Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
http://www.fcc.gov/calea/
requires all telephone companies, including VoIP companies to provide surveillance capabilities of its subscribers
FISA - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Act
Allows for wireless wiretapping and electronic surveillance - INCLUDING US citizens... FISA amendment act provided RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY to telephone comapnies that assisted the government in the illegal warantless wiretapping of US citizens!
CARNIVORE -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore_(software)
Packet sniffer installed at ISP to monitor internet traffic
ECHELON -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
GLOBAL NSA spying network
Room 641A -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A
Confirmed location at an AT&T office where the NSA has installed equiptment to sniff, and monitor all communications through the internet backbone that goes thru this office. Other similar locations are believed to exist across the country.
Policeware -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policeware
"Law enforcement" spyware to monitor your computer usage...
TIA - Total Information Awareness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office
Renamed "Terrorist Information Awareness" to sound less threatening to your freedoms and civil liberties, this is a centrailzed database with various functions from monitoring electronic communications, to facial recognition software and cameras... INCLUDING DATA MINING OF SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND TELEPHONE AND BANKING RECORDS!
ADVISE - (Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight, and Semantic Enhancement)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADVISE
Another government data mining program, including many various forms of electronic records, such as telephone records, bank records, internet history, emails, etc... allegedly shut down after testing was done with actual citizens personal information..... likely still operational black-ops program...
MALINTENT -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MALINTENT
Non-invasive system designed to read body language, heart rate, and other bio-factors to tell if you are going to commit a terroristic attack... sounds like that movie Minority Report to me...
TALON -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TALON
Database consisting on anti-war demonstrators....
Intellipedia-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellipedia
The intellege communities wiki pages - including sensitive, secret and top secret information...
COINTELPRO - COunter INTELligence PROgram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO
ILLEGAL counter intellegence operations carried out by the FBI...
DCSnet - Digital Collection System Network
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DCSNET
FBIs point and click interface to wiretap just about any telephone or SMS communication...
SIGINT - Signals Intellegence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIGINT
Monitoring of various methods of communications, including encrypted communications...
http://www.fcc.gov/calea/
requires all telephone companies, including VoIP companies to provide surveillance capabilities of its subscribers
FISA - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Act
Allows for wireless wiretapping and electronic surveillance - INCLUDING US citizens... FISA amendment act provided RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY to telephone comapnies that assisted the government in the illegal warantless wiretapping of US citizens!
CARNIVORE -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore_(software)
Packet sniffer installed at ISP to monitor internet traffic
ECHELON -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
GLOBAL NSA spying network
Room 641A -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A
Confirmed location at an AT&T office where the NSA has installed equiptment to sniff, and monitor all communications through the internet backbone that goes thru this office. Other similar locations are believed to exist across the country.
Policeware -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policeware
"Law enforcement" spyware to monitor your computer usage...
TIA - Total Information Awareness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office
Renamed "Terrorist Information Awareness" to sound less threatening to your freedoms and civil liberties, this is a centrailzed database with various functions from monitoring electronic communications, to facial recognition software and cameras... INCLUDING DATA MINING OF SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND TELEPHONE AND BANKING RECORDS!
ADVISE - (Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight, and Semantic Enhancement)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADVISE
Another government data mining program, including many various forms of electronic records, such as telephone records, bank records, internet history, emails, etc... allegedly shut down after testing was done with actual citizens personal information..... likely still operational black-ops program...
MALINTENT -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MALINTENT
Non-invasive system designed to read body language, heart rate, and other bio-factors to tell if you are going to commit a terroristic attack... sounds like that movie Minority Report to me...
TALON -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TALON
Database consisting on anti-war demonstrators....
Intellipedia-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellipedia
The intellege communities wiki pages - including sensitive, secret and top secret information...
COINTELPRO - COunter INTELligence PROgram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO
ILLEGAL counter intellegence operations carried out by the FBI...
DCSnet - Digital Collection System Network
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DCSNET
FBIs point and click interface to wiretap just about any telephone or SMS communication...
SIGINT - Signals Intellegence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIGINT
Monitoring of various methods of communications, including encrypted communications...
WiFi and 2.4 Ghz phones (and other wireless consumer devices)
WiFi operates within the 2.4 Ghz range, along with many cordless telephones, microwave ovens, and countless other consumer electronics. Due to this fact on occasion signals may interfere with each other, and cause undesirable operation between multiple devices.
If you are experiencing interfearance issues with your WiFi and 2.4Ghz cordless telephone (or other wireless consumer device) then before replacing your phone (or wireless device) with a model operating in a diffrent frequency, like a 5.8Ghz or DECT phone, you can try changing the channel that the WiFi router operates on. Normally this will reduce or eliminate interfearance issues.
To change the channel that your router operates on, you first must log into your router, which can normally be accomplished by entering http://192.168.1.1 into your web browser. If that is not the address for your wireless router, then you need to determine what the IP address of your wireless router is, to do this click the start button and type in CMD into the search bar. At the comand prompt enter IPCONFIG then hit enter - you want to see the default gateway IP address, and then enter that into your web browser.
Once you are on the web interface of your router, you will likely need to enter a user ID and password. Common combinations are admin/admin, admin/password, and admin/(blank). If none of these user ID/password combos work then you will need to check the user manual for your router, or google the default password for your brand and model router (sometimes this information is actually located on a sticker on the bottom of the router).
Once logged into the router web interface you need to look for the wireless settings, and change the channel number that the router operates on. Once you save these new settings you are done, you do not need to make any changes to the wireless devices that you have set up to connect to your router (unless you also change the SSID of the router, or the security settings).
If you are still having issues, you can attempt to change the channel again. There are several choices, and one should reduce or eliminate the interfearance. If you continue to have issues, you may need to replace your phone (or other wireless consumer devices) or use a wired network, and disable the wireless radio in your router (also located in the web interface settings).
When purchacing new telephones, or consumer electronics try to avoid purchacing devices that operate within 2.4Ghz. If you are purchacing wireless video cameras, or video senders it may be difficult to locate products that are not within the 2.4 Ghz range. In that instance you may want to consider replacing the router with a 802.11a router which operates within the 5Ghz range, however locating 802.11a hardware is difficult, since that standard did not really take off. Also, since 802.11a operates in a diffrent frequency than 802.11b/g/n it is not backwards compatible with the wireless cards located in your wireless PCs so you would also need to purchace new wireless cards for all of your wireless PCs...
If you are experiencing interfearance issues with your WiFi and 2.4Ghz cordless telephone (or other wireless consumer device) then before replacing your phone (or wireless device) with a model operating in a diffrent frequency, like a 5.8Ghz or DECT phone, you can try changing the channel that the WiFi router operates on. Normally this will reduce or eliminate interfearance issues.
To change the channel that your router operates on, you first must log into your router, which can normally be accomplished by entering http://192.168.1.1 into your web browser. If that is not the address for your wireless router, then you need to determine what the IP address of your wireless router is, to do this click the start button and type in CMD into the search bar. At the comand prompt enter IPCONFIG then hit enter - you want to see the default gateway IP address, and then enter that into your web browser.
Once you are on the web interface of your router, you will likely need to enter a user ID and password. Common combinations are admin/admin, admin/password, and admin/(blank). If none of these user ID/password combos work then you will need to check the user manual for your router, or google the default password for your brand and model router (sometimes this information is actually located on a sticker on the bottom of the router).
Once logged into the router web interface you need to look for the wireless settings, and change the channel number that the router operates on. Once you save these new settings you are done, you do not need to make any changes to the wireless devices that you have set up to connect to your router (unless you also change the SSID of the router, or the security settings).
If you are still having issues, you can attempt to change the channel again. There are several choices, and one should reduce or eliminate the interfearance. If you continue to have issues, you may need to replace your phone (or other wireless consumer devices) or use a wired network, and disable the wireless radio in your router (also located in the web interface settings).
When purchacing new telephones, or consumer electronics try to avoid purchacing devices that operate within 2.4Ghz. If you are purchacing wireless video cameras, or video senders it may be difficult to locate products that are not within the 2.4 Ghz range. In that instance you may want to consider replacing the router with a 802.11a router which operates within the 5Ghz range, however locating 802.11a hardware is difficult, since that standard did not really take off. Also, since 802.11a operates in a diffrent frequency than 802.11b/g/n it is not backwards compatible with the wireless cards located in your wireless PCs so you would also need to purchace new wireless cards for all of your wireless PCs...
60 bonus minutes for activating a Virgin mobile phone
EDIT - THIS IS A VERY OLD POST, ALSO I AM NOT CURRENTLY RECOMMENDING VIRGIN MOBILE SERVICE!
[EDIT - I gave this phone away a while ago, so not sure if it is still an active code]
If you are planning on getting Virgin Mobile service here is an code where you can get a bonus 60 minutes of airtime...
You HAVE TO activate your phone ONLINE at http://virginmobileusa.com to get the bonus minutes, then enter this kickback code:
MLTupJJc
You MUST add $20 or more to your account within 45 days of activation to get the bonus 60 minutes.
[EDIT - I gave this phone away a while ago, so not sure if it is still an active code]
If you are planning on getting Virgin Mobile service here is an code where you can get a bonus 60 minutes of airtime...
You HAVE TO activate your phone ONLINE at http://virginmobileusa.com to get the bonus minutes, then enter this kickback code:
MLTupJJc
You MUST add $20 or more to your account within 45 days of activation to get the bonus 60 minutes.
comparison of pre-paid cell phone pricing...
FOR LATEST RATE INFORMATION CLICK HERE
EDIT - newer article posted HERE
Many pre-paid cell phone companies are offering unlimited calling packages. Some include just voice calls, while others include text and even web access. I will not be comparing those with this post. This post goes into the per-minute pre-paid cell phone pricing, and if unlimited plans are really the right option.
If you use text, or mobile web, then some of the prepaid options might be better for you, I will likely add a comparison of these services in the future, but for now I am going to focus purely on voice call costs on per-minute cell phone carriers.
I have excluded Verizon and AT and T in this comparison, because there pre-paid minutes are around 25 cents per minute, which is more than double what the carriers that I will be comparing offer.
Over the last half a month I have been using a Net10 phone, as the charger was damaged with my Boost Mobile phone. So I was able to track my usage, and determine aproximately how much minutes I actually use per month. I used 300 minutes within 16 days, so I guestamate my usage at 600 minutes per month. The following comparisons will be done with a usage of 600 minutes per month. Boost Mobile is also excluded from this test, as there per-minute rates are 10 cents per minute, and there unlimited plan is $50, making the unlimited a better option for 600 monthly minutes of usage.
Net10 offers 10 cents per minute. So for 600 minutes you would pay $60 a month or $720 per year. If you payed per-minute for Boost Mobile you would be paying the same.
The next cheapest alternitive would be TracFone, which is the same company as Net10. With this option you would purchace a $24 double minutes for life card, then a 450 minute card (doubled, gives you 900 minutes) every month and a half since the minutes expire every 90 days. This would have you buying 8 cards for the year, for a grand total of $664 ($640 for the airtime, plus $24 for the double minutes for life card).
The final two options that I researched were both Virgin Mobile. I came up with two options to save almost half of the other options above. The first method is to purchace a $50 (1000 minute) airtime card one month, then the following month purchace a $20 (200 minute) airtime card. Repeat this step over and over. Total cost for the year would be $420. (6 $50 cards, and 6 $20 cards per year). The second option that I came up with was to purchace a $50 (1000 minute) airtime card one month, then the following TWO months purchace a $30 (400 minute card). While I thought that this option might be cheaper then the previous option, because of the discounted minutes, it actually cost $20 more per year for a total of $440 per year (4 $50 cards, and 8 $30 cards per year).
I will try to make a crude chart here...
MONTH 1 thru 12
NET10 $60 = $720 per year
MONTH 1, 2 1/2, 4, 5 1/2, 7, 8 1/2, 10, 11 1/2
TracFone $80 = $640 + one time payment of $24 for lifetime double minutes = $664
MONTH 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Virgin Mobile $50
MONTH 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
Virgin Mobile $20 = $420 per year
MONTH 1, 4, 7, 10
Virgin Mobile $50
MONTH 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Virgin Mobile $30 = $440 per year
EDIT - newer article posted HERE
Many pre-paid cell phone companies are offering unlimited calling packages. Some include just voice calls, while others include text and even web access. I will not be comparing those with this post. This post goes into the per-minute pre-paid cell phone pricing, and if unlimited plans are really the right option.
If you use text, or mobile web, then some of the prepaid options might be better for you, I will likely add a comparison of these services in the future, but for now I am going to focus purely on voice call costs on per-minute cell phone carriers.
I have excluded Verizon and AT and T in this comparison, because there pre-paid minutes are around 25 cents per minute, which is more than double what the carriers that I will be comparing offer.
Over the last half a month I have been using a Net10 phone, as the charger was damaged with my Boost Mobile phone. So I was able to track my usage, and determine aproximately how much minutes I actually use per month. I used 300 minutes within 16 days, so I guestamate my usage at 600 minutes per month. The following comparisons will be done with a usage of 600 minutes per month. Boost Mobile is also excluded from this test, as there per-minute rates are 10 cents per minute, and there unlimited plan is $50, making the unlimited a better option for 600 monthly minutes of usage. Net10 offers 10 cents per minute. So for 600 minutes you would pay $60 a month or $720 per year. If you payed per-minute for Boost Mobile you would be paying the same.
The next cheapest alternitive would be TracFone, which is the same company as Net10. With this option you would purchace a $24 double minutes for life card, then a 450 minute card (doubled, gives you 900 minutes) every month and a half since the minutes expire every 90 days. This would have you buying 8 cards for the year, for a grand total of $664 ($640 for the airtime, plus $24 for the double minutes for life card).
The final two options that I researched were both Virgin Mobile. I came up with two options to save almost half of the other options above. The first method is to purchace a $50 (1000 minute) airtime card one month, then the following month purchace a $20 (200 minute) airtime card. Repeat this step over and over. Total cost for the year would be $420. (6 $50 cards, and 6 $20 cards per year). The second option that I came up with was to purchace a $50 (1000 minute) airtime card one month, then the following TWO months purchace a $30 (400 minute card). While I thought that this option might be cheaper then the previous option, because of the discounted minutes, it actually cost $20 more per year for a total of $440 per year (4 $50 cards, and 8 $30 cards per year).
I will try to make a crude chart here...
MONTH 1 thru 12
NET10 $60 = $720 per year
MONTH 1, 2 1/2, 4, 5 1/2, 7, 8 1/2, 10, 11 1/2
TracFone $80 = $640 + one time payment of $24 for lifetime double minutes = $664
MONTH 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Virgin Mobile $50
MONTH 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
Virgin Mobile $20 = $420 per year
MONTH 1, 4, 7, 10
Virgin Mobile $50
MONTH 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Virgin Mobile $30 = $440 per year
magic jack review
The magic jack is a revolutionary product, at an unbelievable value. Because everyone has become accustom to the rates of land line telephone service, and even VoIP services many people ask if this product and its service is too good to be true. Some have even asked if the product is legal.
I do recommend the magic jack to people. I think it is a great little gadget. At $40 for the device, and $20 a year for service after the first included year how can it NOT be worth the money?
I do however warn people that the magic jack (referred to as MJ hereon out) is not suitable as a land line replacement.
Here are the faults of the MJ to keep in mind:
* USB device - requires PC to be on and connected to high speed internet to work.
* Does not support data transmissions such as fax or dial up modems
* Does not offer call forward on busy (useful if you were considering using this for a business line, it will not "roll over")
But for the cost of the device you get
* A US telephone number for life (my MJ has been disconnected for several months, and the number still forwards to my home, and I am still able to log into the MJ website)
* Unlimited US/CAN long distance calling
So, with its limitations why do I still recommend this device?
Well, cheaper long distance calling then your current telephone provider. As a secondary line, so that more than one person in your home can use a phone at the same time. For traveling, so that you do not have to pay high rates to keep in touch with people when away from home.
I do recommend the magic jack to people. I think it is a great little gadget. At $40 for the device, and $20 a year for service after the first included year how can it NOT be worth the money?
I do however warn people that the magic jack (referred to as MJ hereon out) is not suitable as a land line replacement.
Here are the faults of the MJ to keep in mind:
* USB device - requires PC to be on and connected to high speed internet to work.
* Does not support data transmissions such as fax or dial up modems
* Does not offer call forward on busy (useful if you were considering using this for a business line, it will not "roll over")
But for the cost of the device you get
* A US telephone number for life (my MJ has been disconnected for several months, and the number still forwards to my home, and I am still able to log into the MJ website)
* Unlimited US/CAN long distance calling
So, with its limitations why do I still recommend this device?
Well, cheaper long distance calling then your current telephone provider. As a secondary line, so that more than one person in your home can use a phone at the same time. For traveling, so that you do not have to pay high rates to keep in touch with people when away from home.
vonage vs ooma
$50 off Ooma!! Click HERE or use code VEF3711 Ends 7/31/12
[EDIT: .I have 3 single use codes for Ooma that will save you $50 that must be redeemed by November 15, 2011 - email me if you want one. These are first come first serve]
[EDIT: .
[EDIT 6-13-10: Since posting this I have purchased an Ooma Hub
(the Telo requires premium service for many features that are included with the "free" version of service provided by the Hub. Also Ooma has initiated an annual fee for taxes and fees of about $12 per year since I published this post]There are many VoIP providers available, I am going to provide a comparison of two of the most popular ones...
Vonage
is a SIP provider that offers unlimited calling to 60 countries for $25 per monthOoma is a VoIP provider that uses proprietary hardware and a P2P network to complete calls, and charges $250 up front for "lifetime" service [EDIT - Ooma no longer uses P2P to terminate calls]
Vonage
includes over 25 features (according to there website). Ooma
requires you to subscribe to premier service @ $100-$120 per year (the TOS has changed, and new customers will be paying $120, current customers continue to pay $100)So to level the playing field, with similar features, we need to compare Vonage
world call @ $25/month to Ooma premier @ $250 + $120/year. **keep in mind, the Vonage plan offers unlimited calling to 60 countries, Ooma only does US and CAN... international is additional.... First year -
Vonage
@ $25/month = $300Ooma
@ $250 + $120 = $370Second year -
Vonage
@ $25/month = $300 total 2 year cost = $600Ooma
@ $120/year total 2 year cost = $490the Ooma
device does not break even with the Vonage service until 19 1/2 months. So which one is worth it?
Well Vonage
is one of the pioneer VoIP companies. They were strong enough to do battle (lawsuits filed against them) with Verizon and still come out a profitable company. Ooma on the other hand is just a few years old, and not using the industry standard SIP protocol. If I am looking to cut expenses, and bills I am looking to do so now, not wait until I am more than 1/2 way into my second year of service to finally break even. I do not make international calls, so having them free is not a draw to me, but if I did, that would be another point towards Vonage
. But, with the Ooma premier, they do have an instant second line feature - so it is like having 2 lines instead of one. I am not trying to steer you to one company or another, I would love to get my hands on an Ooma
to play around with it, but can not justify the cost of the device. My money would go to Vonage if faced with a choice between these two companies. [EDIT - i had some disposable income since posting this, and purchased an Ooma hub to play around with, used it for about a month, and it currently sits unused in my closet. I will likely be playing around with it some more when I set up a PBX in my home.]
free information (411)
[NEW 7/1/11] 1-800-500-0000
1-800-FREE-411 (1-800-373-3411)
1-800-GOOG-411 [discontinued]
1-800-BING-411 (1-800-246-4411)
1-800-CALL-411 (1-800-225-5411)
DIR-ECT-IONS (347-328-4667) [reorder]
1-800-FREE-411 (1-800-373-3411)
1-800-BING-411 (1-800-246-4411)
1-800-CALL-411 (1-800-225-5411)
EDIT 12/3:
1-800-THE-INFO (1-800-843-4636) ["we are experiencing technical difficulties, please hang up and try your call again later" - 4/1/11]free long distance
If you have a google voice number, you can pretty much have free home phone service
EDIT- 1-29-10
http://phonehog.com provides free calling card service, i have never tried this service so I do not know how it is, just providing information.
http://www.freebuzzer.com/en/index.php? another service I just located... you enter your number, and the destination number in the website, and the call is connected.
internet disconnects with incoming call
If your internet is getting affected by your telephone service, either one of two things is happening...
1- If you have DSL, ensure that ALL devices connected to your phone line EXCEPT for the DSL modem is properly filtered. Every telephone, fax machine, dial up modem, satellite box, alarm system, and any other device connected to the phone line needs to be filtered (of course except for the DSL modem it self)
On occasion the DSL signal may still leak thru a filter, so with some installations you may require adding 2 filters to your phone line...
2- You are using a 2.4Ghz cordless telephone, and have wifi. If this is the case, before you run out and replace your telephone there are a few things that you can attempt to resolve this issue. First try to change the channel that your wireless router operates on. Normally the address for your router is located at http://192.168.1.1 but if this is not the address for your modem, then you can go to the start menu and type in CMD then hit enter at the command prompt type in IPCONFIG and then hit enter look for the default gateway, and enter those numbers into your browser.
The standard default user ID and password combinations are:
User ID: admin
Password: admin =or= password =or= just leave blank
if none of these combinations work, you will have to search for the default password to your router in the manual, or online. Sometimes the password may be located on the router itself.
Once logged into the router, look for the wireless settings and change the channel that the wifi operates on. You do not need to change the settings for the devices that connect wirelessly to your router, if this is the only setting that you change. Changing this setting should reduce or eliminate the trouble between your 2.4 Ghz phone, and you wireless router.
If you continue to have problems with the above troubleshooting tips, try moving your cordless phone further away from your wireless router, and/or plugging it into a different power outlet. If all else fails, replace your 2.4Ghz phone with a 5.8Ghz phone, or a 1.9Ghz DECT phone.
1- If you have DSL, ensure that ALL devices connected to your phone line EXCEPT for the DSL modem is properly filtered. Every telephone, fax machine, dial up modem, satellite box, alarm system, and any other device connected to the phone line needs to be filtered (of course except for the DSL modem it self)
On occasion the DSL signal may still leak thru a filter, so with some installations you may require adding 2 filters to your phone line...
2- You are using a 2.4Ghz cordless telephone, and have wifi. If this is the case, before you run out and replace your telephone there are a few things that you can attempt to resolve this issue. First try to change the channel that your wireless router operates on. Normally the address for your router is located at http://192.168.1.1 but if this is not the address for your modem, then you can go to the start menu and type in CMD then hit enter at the command prompt type in IPCONFIG and then hit enter look for the default gateway, and enter those numbers into your browser.
The standard default user ID and password combinations are:
User ID: admin
Password: admin =or= password =or= just leave blank
if none of these combinations work, you will have to search for the default password to your router in the manual, or online. Sometimes the password may be located on the router itself.
Once logged into the router, look for the wireless settings and change the channel that the wifi operates on. You do not need to change the settings for the devices that connect wirelessly to your router, if this is the only setting that you change. Changing this setting should reduce or eliminate the trouble between your 2.4 Ghz phone, and you wireless router.
If you continue to have problems with the above troubleshooting tips, try moving your cordless phone further away from your wireless router, and/or plugging it into a different power outlet. If all else fails, replace your 2.4Ghz phone with a 5.8Ghz phone, or a 1.9Ghz DECT phone.
N11 codes
*Some of these codes are not available in all areas, or with all carriers.
211 - information & referral search
311 - non-emergency local government services
411 - information
511 - traffic and travel information
611 - telephone company repair (many land line carriers no longer use this code, so check your local telephone book, or phone bill for the repair telephone number)
711 - telephone relay service
811 - call before you dig... utility location services
911 - emergency
211 - information & referral search
311 - non-emergency local government services
411 - information
511 - traffic and travel information
611 - telephone company repair (many land line carriers no longer use this code, so check your local telephone book, or phone bill for the repair telephone number)
711 - telephone relay service
811 - call before you dig... utility location services
911 - emergency
toll free ANAC numbers - what is the number of the phone you are calling from... EDIT 1-29-10
if you need to know the number of the telephone that you are calling from... perhaps you are trying to see if that payphone accepts incoming calls, or you forgot your cell phone or house phone number, because there are so many numbers to remember now-a-days (i know there are at least 5 numbers that can be used to reach me - 2 cells, magicjack, google voice, and optimum voice) you just need to dial an ANAC number to read back the ANI of your number...
1-800-444-4444
are the ones I use most often... there are plenty of others....
EDIT - 1-29-10
here are a bunch more...
888-MCI-LOCAL - 888-624-5622
800-235-8378 - PANTLINE?
800-950-9999 - MCI
800-314-4258 - MCI
800-444-0800 - MCI
800-444-3333 - MCI
800-444-4444 - MCI
888-776-5733 - PANTLINE?
800-235-8378 - PANTLINE?
800-660-2626 - ATT
416-981-0001 - TEST LINE (CLAIMS CALL BACK DID NOT GET ONE) not toll free
800-221-1950 - PANTLINE?
800-263-8071 - PANTLINE?
800-314-4258 - MCI
800-333-3232 - MCI
800-420-0040 - PANTLINE
800-437-7950 - MCI ANI VERIFICATION
800-444-2222 - MCI
800-444-5555 - MCI
800-492-0295 - PANTLINE?
800-555-1221 - MCI
800-584-9139 - PANTLINE
800-584-9149 - PANTLINE
800-584-9159 - PANTLINE
800-797-6088 - PANTLINE
800-803-6528 - PANTLINE
800-803-6594 - PANTLINE
800-888-7737 - MCI
800-950-5555 - MCI (DIFFERENT)
800-950-9999 - MCI
EDIT-
608-884-1206 (not toll free)
804-222-1111 (reads back caller ID info, not toll free) much more cool stuff @ this number check http://testcall.com for more info on this number.
How to find out who your long distance carrier is
If you are unsure of who your long distance provider is, or if you do not know if you have a long distance provider... perhaps you are afraid that you have been slammed (switched to a different carrier with out your knowledge or consent) then you just need to dial this toll free number and it will tell you what your current long distance provider is...
1-700-555-4141
EDIT - strangely, when tested with optimum voice so far all 1-700-555-xxxx numbers go to optimum voice directory assistance... further testing needs to be done... (the above number supposedly only works with land line carriers)
EDIT - when calling with a sprint (boost mobile) cell phone you get a recording "the number or code you have dialed..."
EDIT - when attempting to call from google voice it says "it appears that that number is not valid"
1-700-555-4141
EDIT - strangely, when tested with optimum voice so far all 1-700-555-xxxx numbers go to optimum voice directory assistance... further testing needs to be done... (the above number supposedly only works with land line carriers)
EDIT - when calling with a sprint (boost mobile) cell phone you get a recording "the number or code you have dialed..."
EDIT - when attempting to call from google voice it says "it appears that that number is not valid"
Trace private callers
This is one of the most common questions on Y! answers... "how can I trace the last call who called me with there number blocked?" or some variation of this question...
the answer is, with a land line telephone you can not unmask the caller ID information... at least not directly...
what you can do is block private callers by activating ACR... to do this just dial *77 you will hear an announcement that the ACR service is active.. if you ever wish to disable this feature in the future and get calls from private numbers you just need to dial *87. When this feature is activated callers with private numbers will need to dial *82 before calling you to unblock there number on a per-call basis.
you can place a trace on the last call that came in by dialing *57, I have a blog entery that explains this in better detail, so read that entry if you wish to learn more about this feature..
for cell phones, there is a new service called trap call that will unmask private callers telephone numbers, this service will also work to defeat people who call with spoofed caller ID information. what you need to do is go to http://trapcall.com and sign up for the service, and set your phone up to forward rejected calls to trapcall's toll free number. once the call is rejected it goes to trapcalls toll free number, and then the call is rerouted back to you with the ANI information displayed for the caller ID information. this is why it is useful in unmasking private callers, and spoofed caller id.
to use trapcall from your landline, you would need to forward ALL of your landline calls to the cell phone that you set trapcall up on... you may not want to do this on a normal basis, and it may be difficul to know when someone is going to call you with a private number that you want unmasked, but if you have been getting harassing calls in the middle of the night, you can forward your calls to your cell at night (most cell plans have free nights and weekends anyhow) so the call will forward to your cell, and you will be able to activate trapcall on the private caller...
EDIT - Trapcall no longer offers a free service, all levels of service are now paid.
the answer is, with a land line telephone you can not unmask the caller ID information... at least not directly...
what you can do is block private callers by activating ACR... to do this just dial *77 you will hear an announcement that the ACR service is active.. if you ever wish to disable this feature in the future and get calls from private numbers you just need to dial *87. When this feature is activated callers with private numbers will need to dial *82 before calling you to unblock there number on a per-call basis.
you can place a trace on the last call that came in by dialing *57, I have a blog entery that explains this in better detail, so read that entry if you wish to learn more about this feature..
for cell phones, there is a new service called trap call that will unmask private callers telephone numbers, this service will also work to defeat people who call with spoofed caller ID information. what you need to do is go to http://trapcall.com and sign up for the service, and set your phone up to forward rejected calls to trapcall's toll free number. once the call is rejected it goes to trapcalls toll free number, and then the call is rerouted back to you with the ANI information displayed for the caller ID information. this is why it is useful in unmasking private callers, and spoofed caller id.
to use trapcall from your landline, you would need to forward ALL of your landline calls to the cell phone that you set trapcall up on... you may not want to do this on a normal basis, and it may be difficul to know when someone is going to call you with a private number that you want unmasked, but if you have been getting harassing calls in the middle of the night, you can forward your calls to your cell at night (most cell plans have free nights and weekends anyhow) so the call will forward to your cell, and you will be able to activate trapcall on the private caller...
EDIT - Trapcall no longer offers a free service, all levels of service are now paid.
How to set up call forwarding
To set up call forwarding you need to pick up your phone and dial 72# (in some areas *72) you will hear a stutter dial tone, then just dial the number you wish to forward your number to. When the line you are forwarding to is picked up your calls will now be forwarded to that line.
To disable call forwarding pick up your phone and dial 73# (*73 in some areas)
Call forward is NOT a free service, it may be ordered by your local phone company either separately, or as part of a calling package. Service will NOT work unless you have this feature!
EDIT-
***NOTE: Call forwarding will only forward the FIRST caller. It will not forward more than one caller at a time. If someone calls your number that is being forwarded while you are on a call from someone else who has called your forwarded number the second caller WILL get a busy signal. *** This is especially important to note for businesses porting lines from POTS to VoIP. I would recommend you leave your POTS phones on the desk for incoming calls until the port process to your VoIP provider is completed.
To disable call forwarding pick up your phone and dial 73# (*73 in some areas)
Call forward is NOT a free service, it may be ordered by your local phone company either separately, or as part of a calling package. Service will NOT work unless you have this feature!
EDIT-
***NOTE: Call forwarding will only forward the FIRST caller. It will not forward more than one caller at a time. If someone calls your number that is being forwarded while you are on a call from someone else who has called your forwarded number the second caller WILL get a busy signal. *** This is especially important to note for businesses porting lines from POTS to VoIP. I would recommend you leave your POTS phones on the desk for incoming calls until the port process to your VoIP provider is completed.
Star codes (Vertical Service Codes)
[EDIT: These are the standard codes used by most land line carriers. Cell phone or VoIP providers may not use all of these codes, or have different codes]
*77 Activate ACR (block private callers) FREE w/CID service
*87 DEactivate ACR FREE w/CID service
*82 UNblock restricted number to show your CID per call FREE
*67 BLOCK CID info per call FREE
*72 or 72# Activate call forward SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*73 or 73# DEactivate call forward SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*57 Call Trace POSSIBLE PER USE FEE check carrier for possible charges, or 1-866-trace-4-u for more into on this feature...
*69 Call back (provides number of last call) PER USE or SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*70 disable call waiting per call (use this before number for dial up networking so you do not get kicked off line by call waiting)
all star codes can be accessed with a rotary phone by replacing the * with 11 for example *69 would be dialed as 1169 on a rotary phone....
*77 Activate ACR (block private callers) FREE w/CID service
*87 DEactivate ACR FREE w/CID service
*82 UNblock restricted number to show your CID per call FREE
*67 BLOCK CID info per call FREE
*72 or 72# Activate call forward SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*73 or 73# DEactivate call forward SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*57 Call Trace POSSIBLE PER USE FEE check carrier for possible charges, or 1-866-trace-4-u for more into on this feature...
*69 Call back (provides number of last call) PER USE or SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE check carrier for rates
*70 disable call waiting per call (use this before number for dial up networking so you do not get kicked off line by call waiting)
all star codes can be accessed with a rotary phone by replacing the * with 11 for example *69 would be dialed as 1169 on a rotary phone....
How to wire a telephone jack
EDIT Color codes can be found HERE
If you are able to wire speakers to your stereo system, you have the skills to install a telephone jack.
1-Purchase quality wire and jacks. You can use either CAT3 (voice grade) or CAT5 (data grade) UTP (unshielded twisted pair). Do NOT use any other type of wire, as it was not designed to carry voice communications, and may pick up interference.
2- Gather your tools and materials. You will need the following tools:
screw drivers (flat & phillips)
wire cutters (electricians scissors recommended)
wire stripper
T-18 or T-25 wire stapler and staples
1/4" - 3/8" diameter by 18" long drill bit
1/4" drill bit for plastic anchors if needed
drill (if going thru masonry a hammer drill is recommended)
wire coat hanger straightened out.
3- Once you have your supplies, and tools together you want to do a walk thru to see where you will run your telephone cable. If you are able to snake up the wall to the attic, basement, or crawl space, this would be the most "hidden" way to run your wire. Keep in mind, the best option is to run wire from each jack to a single point, but it is acceptable to go from one jack to another.
4- Once you have the route you want the wire to be run drill all of your holes that the wire will pass thru. You do NOT want to run the wire thru a doorway, you should drill a hole for the wire between each doorway.
5- With all of your holes drilled you can now pull your wire. It is preferred you leave the box of wire at the common point where all of the wiring will come to. Pass your wiring thru all of the holes you just drilled.
6- Once your wire is pulled, and still slack (not stapled to the wall yet) determine exactly where you want to place the jack. remove the cover from the jack and connect the blue/white wire to the green terminal of the jack, the solid blue wire to the red terminal of the jack, and if you are wiring your jack for 2 lines you can also connect the orange/white to the yellow terminal of the jack, and the solid orange to the black terminal of the jack, if you are only wiring for a single line you do not need to connect anything to the black/yellow terminals on the jack. leave 3-6 inches slack of wire rolled inside the jack for future repairs, or additions.
7- Once the jack is wired, install it onto the wall. If you are using plastic anchors, put the jack against the wall, and with a pencil mark the screw holes, take the jack down, drill 1/4" hole for the anchors (dont drill too deep) push the anchors in with your hand, then tap them all the way into the wall with the back of your screwdriver, then screw the jack onto the wall, and put the cover on the jack.
8- Starting from the jack begin to staple the wire, use the length of the stapler as a guide as to how far to space the staples. double up on staples around corners and bends. Pull some slack from the box if you need more wire..
9- Once you stapled the wire all the way up to the common point of where all your inside wiring is going to (ideally at the NID) then you can connect everything to your dial tone. If connecting to the NID connect the blue/white wires to the red/green wires of the dial tone for line 1, and the orange/white to the green/red terminals for the dial tone of line 2
For more complicated wiring, such as wiring VoIP to existing wiring, while using DRY/NAKED DSL for your broadband provider email me at nyphonejacks@yahoo.com for assistance.
If wiring VoIP to existing inside wire and jacks, you MUST go to the NID and disconnect the wiring going to the telephone pole or terminal or you may damage your equiptment, or have troubles with your service.
If you are able to wire speakers to your stereo system, you have the skills to install a telephone jack.
1-Purchase quality wire and jacks. You can use either CAT3 (voice grade) or CAT5 (data grade) UTP (unshielded twisted pair). Do NOT use any other type of wire, as it was not designed to carry voice communications, and may pick up interference.
2- Gather your tools and materials. You will need the following tools:
screw drivers (flat & phillips)
wire cutters (electricians scissors recommended)
wire stripper
T-18 or T-25 wire stapler and staples
1/4" - 3/8" diameter by 18" long drill bit
1/4" drill bit for plastic anchors if needed
drill (if going thru masonry a hammer drill is recommended)
wire coat hanger straightened out.
3- Once you have your supplies, and tools together you want to do a walk thru to see where you will run your telephone cable. If you are able to snake up the wall to the attic, basement, or crawl space, this would be the most "hidden" way to run your wire. Keep in mind, the best option is to run wire from each jack to a single point, but it is acceptable to go from one jack to another.
4- Once you have the route you want the wire to be run drill all of your holes that the wire will pass thru. You do NOT want to run the wire thru a doorway, you should drill a hole for the wire between each doorway.
5- With all of your holes drilled you can now pull your wire. It is preferred you leave the box of wire at the common point where all of the wiring will come to. Pass your wiring thru all of the holes you just drilled.
6- Once your wire is pulled, and still slack (not stapled to the wall yet) determine exactly where you want to place the jack. remove the cover from the jack and connect the blue/white wire to the green terminal of the jack, the solid blue wire to the red terminal of the jack, and if you are wiring your jack for 2 lines you can also connect the orange/white to the yellow terminal of the jack, and the solid orange to the black terminal of the jack, if you are only wiring for a single line you do not need to connect anything to the black/yellow terminals on the jack. leave 3-6 inches slack of wire rolled inside the jack for future repairs, or additions.
7- Once the jack is wired, install it onto the wall. If you are using plastic anchors, put the jack against the wall, and with a pencil mark the screw holes, take the jack down, drill 1/4" hole for the anchors (dont drill too deep) push the anchors in with your hand, then tap them all the way into the wall with the back of your screwdriver, then screw the jack onto the wall, and put the cover on the jack.
8- Starting from the jack begin to staple the wire, use the length of the stapler as a guide as to how far to space the staples. double up on staples around corners and bends. Pull some slack from the box if you need more wire..
9- Once you stapled the wire all the way up to the common point of where all your inside wiring is going to (ideally at the NID) then you can connect everything to your dial tone. If connecting to the NID connect the blue/white wires to the red/green wires of the dial tone for line 1, and the orange/white to the green/red terminals for the dial tone of line 2
For more complicated wiring, such as wiring VoIP to existing wiring, while using DRY/NAKED DSL for your broadband provider email me at nyphonejacks@yahoo.com for assistance.
If wiring VoIP to existing inside wire and jacks, you MUST go to the NID and disconnect the wiring going to the telephone pole or terminal or you may damage your equiptment, or have troubles with your service.
No dial tone, but DSL works
DSL does not work the same way that a telephone works.
The voice side of your telephone line requires a pair, 2 wires, and these wires can not have a short, ground, or open to function properly (there are many other types of troubles, these are just the main troubles)
The DSL side of your telephone line can function when one of the 2 wires of your pair has been broken, or if your pair has a short on it.
Check the blog for troubleshooting no dial tone and static troubles for more information on how to troubleshoot your problems.
The voice side of your telephone line requires a pair, 2 wires, and these wires can not have a short, ground, or open to function properly (there are many other types of troubles, these are just the main troubles)
The DSL side of your telephone line can function when one of the 2 wires of your pair has been broken, or if your pair has a short on it.
Check the blog for troubleshooting no dial tone and static troubles for more information on how to troubleshoot your problems.
Troubleshoot no dial tone and static
No dial tone troubles are fairly easy to isolate. Static troubles can be difficult to find and repair.
For both troubles the best thing to do is to get a corded telephone, and get to the NID (normally a gray box on the side of the house) and plug a known working corded telephone in here. If the trouble still exists, then you are done troubleshooting, call your local telephone company the trouble is outside, and they need to come out to make the repairs.
If the trouble goes away at this point, then you need to troubleshoot further.
I will start with no dial tone troubles, since they are the fastest and easiest to troubleshoot. After checking for dial tone, and finding it working at the NID, remove your corded phone from the test jack. Dial your number. Does it ring busy (or go straight to voice mail)? This indicates that there is a short. If there are multiple wires on the customer side of the NID remove one wire at a time, and dial into your number, or check each pair with a continuity tester. If the trouble persists, or there is no continuity on the separated wiring, go to the next set of wires until the trouble goes away, or you get continuity on one of the wires going inside. The wire that is removed has the defect on it, find the phone with no dial tone, and you found your problem, it is either the phone, the jack or the wire... first go back and reconnect this wire at the NID, then go unplug this phone, if the trouble still exists, seperate the wires at the jack, if the trouble still exists go back to the NID and connect a diffrent color wire (orange/white, yellow/black) then check, if it goes away, use this same color to reconnect the jack inside, if not you need to replace this wire, follow the instructions on my blog how to wire a telephone jack.
For static, if you read the above, you should have an idea what we are in for. but first...
do you have DSL? are your filters all in place?
is the static on a cordless phone? is the cordless a 900mhz? try changing the channel.
is the cordless a 2.4ghz? if you have wi-fi change the channel of the wi-fi ROUTER! and move the phone away from the refrigerator, and microwave. (5.8ghz and DECT phones should not have this type of interference)
Static normally only exists past the trouble, but not always. is it on every phone? try another phone at the same jack... check the jack for greenish color where the line cord plugs in, this is an indication of water damage, remove the cover to the jack and check for blackish color on the striped back copper wire, this is also an indication of water damage, if either exist, strip back the wire a little bit, and replace the jack. Also check the ends of the line cord for similar discoloration, and replace the line cord, and "coil" cord (handset cord) for corded phones...
trace the wire back to the NID checking all terminations inbetween are tight, and have no water damage.
If none of the above resolved the trouble, and the line is clear at the NID, you should replace the wiring, and jack as a staple may have punctured the wire when the wire was installed or repaired, and water may have entered somewhere in the wire, or the wire may be nearly broken. Replacing with new is going to be faster, and more effective in providing a quality connection, then searching every inch of the wire for damage, and taping the wire up.
Go to my blog how to wire a jack if you need to rewire your jack.
For both troubles the best thing to do is to get a corded telephone, and get to the NID (normally a gray box on the side of the house) and plug a known working corded telephone in here. If the trouble still exists, then you are done troubleshooting, call your local telephone company the trouble is outside, and they need to come out to make the repairs.
If the trouble goes away at this point, then you need to troubleshoot further.
I will start with no dial tone troubles, since they are the fastest and easiest to troubleshoot. After checking for dial tone, and finding it working at the NID, remove your corded phone from the test jack. Dial your number. Does it ring busy (or go straight to voice mail)? This indicates that there is a short. If there are multiple wires on the customer side of the NID remove one wire at a time, and dial into your number, or check each pair with a continuity tester. If the trouble persists, or there is no continuity on the separated wiring, go to the next set of wires until the trouble goes away, or you get continuity on one of the wires going inside. The wire that is removed has the defect on it, find the phone with no dial tone, and you found your problem, it is either the phone, the jack or the wire... first go back and reconnect this wire at the NID, then go unplug this phone, if the trouble still exists, seperate the wires at the jack, if the trouble still exists go back to the NID and connect a diffrent color wire (orange/white, yellow/black) then check, if it goes away, use this same color to reconnect the jack inside, if not you need to replace this wire, follow the instructions on my blog how to wire a telephone jack.
For static, if you read the above, you should have an idea what we are in for. but first...
do you have DSL? are your filters all in place?
is the static on a cordless phone? is the cordless a 900mhz? try changing the channel.
is the cordless a 2.4ghz? if you have wi-fi change the channel of the wi-fi ROUTER! and move the phone away from the refrigerator, and microwave. (5.8ghz and DECT phones should not have this type of interference)
Static normally only exists past the trouble, but not always. is it on every phone? try another phone at the same jack... check the jack for greenish color where the line cord plugs in, this is an indication of water damage, remove the cover to the jack and check for blackish color on the striped back copper wire, this is also an indication of water damage, if either exist, strip back the wire a little bit, and replace the jack. Also check the ends of the line cord for similar discoloration, and replace the line cord, and "coil" cord (handset cord) for corded phones...
trace the wire back to the NID checking all terminations inbetween are tight, and have no water damage.
If none of the above resolved the trouble, and the line is clear at the NID, you should replace the wiring, and jack as a staple may have punctured the wire when the wire was installed or repaired, and water may have entered somewhere in the wire, or the wire may be nearly broken. Replacing with new is going to be faster, and more effective in providing a quality connection, then searching every inch of the wire for damage, and taping the wire up.
Go to my blog how to wire a jack if you need to rewire your jack.
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