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-
- The Hacker's Handbook
- [ Definitions ]
-
- Phreak ["free"k] Verb--1. The act of "Phreaking" 2. The act of making
- telephone calls without paying money [Slang]
-
- Phreaker ["free"-k-er] Noun--1. One who engages in the act of "Phreaking"
- 2. One who makes telephone calls without paying money [Slang]
-
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-
- [ Introduction ]
-
- Phreaking is a method used by most intelligent people {most often those
- who use a computer and a Modulator-Demodulator (MoDem)}. If you happen to
- resemble the major mass of people who do not have the income to afford large
- phone bills then phreaking is for you. If you live in an area with an
- Electronic Switching System [ESS] then phreaking is something which should be
- done in moderate amounts.
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-
- [ Switching Systems ]
-
- Three types of switching systems are present in the United States today:
-
- [1] Step by Step
- [2] Crossbar
- [3] ESS {Electronic Switching System}
-
-
- <] Step by Step [>
-
- First switching system used in America, adopted in 1918 and until 1978 Bell
- had over 53% of all exchanges using Step by Step [SxS]. A long, and con-
- fusing train of switches is used for SxS switching.
-
- [> Disadvantages <]
- [A] The switch train may become jammed : Blocking call.
- [B] No DTMF [Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency]["Touch-tone"].
- [C] Much maintenance and much electricity.
- [D] Everything is hard wired
-
- +> Identification <+
- [A] No pulsing digits after dialing or DTMF.
- [B] Phone Company sounds like many typewriters.
- [C] No: Speed calling, Call forwarding, and other services.
- [D] Pay-phone wants money first before dial-tone.
-
-
- <] Crossbar [>
-
- Crossbar has been Bell's primary switcher after 1960. Three types of Crossbar
- switching exist: Number 1 Crossbar [1XB], Number 4 Crossbar [4XB], and Number
- 5 Crossbar [5XB]. A switching matrix is used for all the phones in an area.
- When someone calls, the route is determined and is met up with the other phone.
- The matrix is set-up in horizontal and vertical paths. There are no definite
- distinguishing features of Crossbar switching.
-
-
- <] ESS [>
-
- You probably were hoping I wouldn't talk about this nightmare, if you did you
- will know why everyone doesn't want to be reminded about Bell's holocaust on
- America. With ESS Bell knows: every digit dialed {including mistakes!}, who
- you call, when you called, how long you were connected, and in some cases,
- what you talked about! Yes, this is the closest anyone has come to true
- Totalitarianism. ESS is programed to print out the numbers of people who make
- excessive calls to WATS numbers [Wide Area Telephone Service][1-800 numbers]
- or directory assistance. This deadly trap is called "800 Exceptional Calling
- Report." ESS can be programed to print logs of who called certain numbers.
- Electronic Switching System makes the job of the FBI, Bell Security {The
- Gestapo in phreakin' tongue}, NSA, and other organizations which like to invade
- our privacy, extremely easy! Tracing is done in microseconds, and the results
- are printed out on the monitor of a Gestapo officer. ESS can also pick up
- foreign tones on the line, like 2600 Hz. {used in blue boxes, discussed later}.
- Bell claims that the entire country will be plagued by ESS by the 1990's!
-
- +> Identification <+
- [A] Dialing 911 for emergencies.
- [B] Dial-tone first for pay-phones.
- [C] Calling services, like: Call forwarding, Speed dialing, Call waiting.
- [D] ANI [Automatic Number Identification] for long-distance calls.
-
-
- [[[Note]]] of the above identifications of the three switching systems, do
- not solely rely on these descriptions, the best way to find out
- is to [no!] call your local telephone company.
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-
- [ Long-Distance Services ]
-
- To attempt to help the community {and for private business} companies developed
- ways to lessen the costs of long-distance calling charges. The companies own
- their own switching systems and use extenders for callers to call. The way
- extenders operate: 1] Customer calls service, 2] He/she hears a low tone which
- sounds like a dial-tone, 3] She/he either dials the access code then the phone
- number, or dials the phone number then the access code, 4] Is connected to
- whatever he/she calls. Aside from Ma Bells collection, the customer receives a
- bill for calls made with his/her long-distance company {a supposedly cheaper
- bill than Ma Bell's}. Thought: Hey, I could randomly pick access codes and
- use them to call whatever area the company services! Right, that's what basic
- phreaking is! A wise idea, though, is to have many access codes and many
- service numbers to rotate throughout your average life as a phreaker. To aid
- in your quest to beat the system I have provided many 1-800 numbers which
- anyone can call, aside from local numbers, such as Sprint, or MCI. The reason
- for providing you with WATS numbers is because all of us aren't in a big city
- where Sprint or MCI even exist, this way everyone can phreak! A way to find
- more access codes is by using your old modem. Yes, your modem can imitate DTMF
- tones!
-
- {>Procedure: 1) dial 1-800 + service number
- 2) dial access code->area code->phone number, or
- 3) dial area code->phone number->access code
-
- [ Colored Boxes ]
-
- A more shrewd, technological, safer {without ESS} way to phreak is with a piece
- of hardware known as a ________ Box. Boxes are many different colors {I don't
- know ALL the colors because it seems like every time I turn around there's some
- new color out!}. Colors I have heard of: Blue, Black, Red, White, Silver,
- Clear, and MANY, MANY more... Plans for making these boxes can be obtained by
- calling different boards [BBS's], AE lines, or whatever. But!, if you have an
- Apple Cat modem then do I have good news for ->you<-!! The Apple Cat modem
- can emulate the frequencies {usually 2600 Hz.} made by ________ Boxes with the
- help of a handy little program called "Cat's Meow!"
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