Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: morris@jade.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Morris) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Two questions -- CM8 Mux and Intellidial Message-ID: Date: 16 Jul 89 08:52:57 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: Mike Morris Lines: 68 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 241, message 9 of 9 (Barry Shein) writes: > >1) Our building ran out of capacity so New England TelCo told us that >they will be running a "CM8" which provides a multiplexed line >service. Any caveats regarding this, particularly with using data >modems? YES. DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KEEP YOUR MODEM CIRCUITS, ESPECIALLY ANYTHING FASTER THAN 1200 BAUD OFF THE DAMMED BOX !!!!! I installed customer premise stuff for 5 years, and still take care of several clients that have unique requirements/systems/just plain want me doing their work. One gentleman had a similar situation, and his data throughput went to hell. We ended up giving his data circuits preferential treatment- copper to the CO, and his incoming voice circuits took the copper that was left, and the carrier circuits got the outgoing voice. Oh well. If you can, force the telco to run additional pairs in from the street, if the shortage is in the cable from the manhole to your service entrance. This assumes that there are pairs in the manhole... If not, you're in deep manure if you ever run out of copper for data... Note that all of this is based on one installation datum, which makes for rotten statistical analysis. Your milage may vary... >2) New England TelCo called me and offered a new service called >"Intellidial" which claims to offer all the services of a Merlin or >similar key system onto your regular phone lines from the central >office. Since I'm about to move into new office space and I'm looking >for a key or hybrid anyhow (suggestions very welcome!) I bit. > >It can be ordered on a month by month basis and would only cost me >about $50 to try for one month in this location so what the heck. I >was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this service, >particularly things we should try or ask about before committing to it >rather than a key/hybrid system. Sounds like Centrex services in residential clothing (definition: pay Ma Bell now, pay Ma later. and later. and later.). I'd bite the bullet, and put in my own key system. Some of the stuff these days have everything you'll ever want - including SMDR, in a 6 by 16, or smaller! Find and read a copy of Teleconnect's periodic EKS summary issue. >[Moderator's Note: In reference to your question (2) above, here in Chicago >this is called "Starline", and I've had it on my phones for a couple years >with good results. In addition to intercom service between phones, Starline >(or Intellidial as you called it) offers the ability to pick up any ringing >phone from any other location; transfer of calls between phones; distinctive >ring for intercom versus incoming calls from outside, and more. I'd take >it anyday over more conventional PBX equipment. Cheaper, too. PT] Cheaper? Maybe the initial cost, but what do you spend during the time you stay at that location? And what do you have when you leave? I'd rather buy something... I picked up a second hand Comdial 6 by 16 EKS for $100, including 4 phones. And 1A2 key is damn near free (6 584 shelves, including power supplies, 4 620 panels, including power supplies, 6 KC19s 3 KC10s and a KC37, and 30-35 phones, a mix of 5, 9 and 19 line phones, about half with PC-4 speakerphones and one 5 line touch- a-matic with PC4, all for $300. That's 10 complete 1A2 systems, including all the station wire (25 & 50 pair) we could remove.. We reconditioned all the equipment (16 man-hours) and later sold 6 of them for $300-$700 each. US Snail: Mike Morris UUCP: Morris@Jade.JPL.NASA.gov P.O. Box 1130 Also: WA6ILQ Arcadia, Ca. 91006-1130 #Include disclaimer.standard | The opinions above probably do not even