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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-lcc!well!msudoc!crlt!michael
From: michael@crlt.UUCP (Michael McClary)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Call waiting--call forwarding
Message-ID: <670@crlt.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Mar-87 19:48:26 EST
Article-I.D.: crlt.670
Posted: Sun Mar 15 19:48:26 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 16-Mar-87 06:38:43 EST
References: <8703111444.AA27190@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <9@nonvon.UUCP>
Organization: CRLT , Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 37
Summary: There is a number...

in article <8703111444.AA27190@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, forman@CEEE-SED.ARPA says:
 
> I have signed up to add call forwarding. I would like to forward to a 
> busy signal, as many people know we have both call waiting and an 
> answering machine now, and thus could be puzzled if they got an 
> unanswered phone. 
> Does anyone know to locate a line that gives a busy tone?

At one time, all Bell crossbar-5 switches had a number that gave a permanent
bussy signal, and I think this is true of their other switches as well.  I
believe it was used to test the quality of the busy signal - they needed a
number that would always get a busy through the normal switching network.

You could try calling your local tellco office.  If the office personell
can't help, try calling repair service.  You might be able to sweet-talk
the repair operator into having someone who knows the number call back.

You could also try to hunt the number out yourself.  Bell companies
generally reserve numbers of the form xxx-99xx for company phones
(just as they generally reserve xxx-9[^9]xx for payphones), and the
higher numbers in the next-to-last digit (8,9,0) are usually test
numbers of various sorts.  If you get one where a person answers "Frame!"
you've got somebody who can answer your question.  (Be nice - he can also
screw up your phone if you bother him, and he's likely to watch you to
see if you're a phone-phreak if you ever reach him at all.  Around here
his number usually ends in 3, like xxx-9983, and sometimes the magic
number 311 gets him.)

A problems with hunting: you might get a tellco office or service that
just happens to be busy when you try it.  Pity your poor callers then...

  "I've got code in my node."	| UUCP:  ...!ihnp4!itivax!node!michael
				| AUDIO: (313) 973-8787
	Michael McClary		| SNAIL: 2091 Chalmers, Ann Arbor MI 48104

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