Conference 7.286::maynard

    It's not unusual to get a bit of garbage when using a modem, Frank,
    although it sounds like your case might be a bit more than usual.  This
    is probably not the problem, but do you have the "call waiting" feature
    with your telephone service?  Actually, I think this might break the
    link altogether rather than cause on screen garbage, but it is a thought.
    
    					Steve

I too have problems from time to time but did not have one at the time you
mentioned.  In my case it seems like I have more problems if it is raining.
Also, at times the phone line sounds noiser than at other times.  I have not
found the phone company to be too helpful in this matter since I am using a 
"voice grade" line (or at least this is what they told me last time I called
to complain).

    I have the same problem dialing direct to AKO.  I have more problems 
    when its windy and/or raining.  This occurs any time of day.  I have
    had a line noise problem for the last 14 years, sometimes to the point
    you can't hear at all, but the phone company says there's nothing
    wrong.
    
    Chris

    RE: .1:  Steve, I don't have call waiting (after a day at work, I 
    only want to talk to one person at a time, at most).  There is a 
    procedure to disable the call waiting feature when you use a modem,
    and if anyone's interested I'll get the details.
    
    I can understand normal line garbage, but the timing of exactly 10:00
    seems to be more than that.  Somebody somewhere in the phone system
    does something every night.  I should have explained that I access 
    a DTN line in the Mill then use DTN to get to my system in Marlboro
    to avoid a charge for the call.  So the problem could be within DTN.
    It may not actually be the Maynard local office, but rather something
    in the Mill switch.  
    
    I'll check further and keep you informed.
    
    For those of you who have voice phone problems, it may be that 
    you have too many extensions tied to the incoming line.  I have nine
    phone jacks in my house but only four active phones.  I know you can
    get the phone service boosted to accomodate extra phones on the line
    but I don't have any reception or static problems with the voice 
    lines so I haven't explored the boost option.  Since the phone company
    breakup, the local office has been installing base jacks at the
    incoming point which you can use to check incoming quality.  This is 
    the end of the phone company's responsibility.  Beyond this demarc
    point, the distribution of phone lines within your house is your
    responsibility.  Chris, (.3), if you have this incoming box in your
    house, connect a phone at this point and see if you get the line
    problems you describe.  If so, it's the phone company's problem.  If
    the line is clear at this point, the problem is within your house
    distribution system.  The phone company will always tell you it's 
    your problem unless you can prove them wrong, so check at the demarc
    point first.
    
    Frank
         

I frequently have problems dialing into Maynard, but not at 10:00 PM.  I
only have line noise problems when I stay on *real* late - like 2:00 AM.

-Mike

    To disable call waiting dial *70 on your touchtone.  That will disable
    call waiting for that one call only.  Once you hang up call waiting is
    re-enabled.  I've programmed my scholar plus to dial *70 when I connect
    to work.
    
    Joel

re: disabling call waiting

I use 1170 to disable call waiting.  Must be the alternative for rotary phones.

re: bad line noise

If you determine the problem is somewhere outside of your house, and have no
luck in convincing the telephone company, you may want to consider using
error-correcting modems.  I say "modems" because you need one at each end 
(your house and the computer/LAT you're connecting to) in order for the
error-correction to work.  Some folks around here (LKG) who live in Shirley 
have consistently bad line noise, and have been forced to go the 
error-correcting modem route.

re: Franks's 10:00 problem

I used to dial into MLO, and before that I'd dial in to a MRO exchange and
use DTN to get to MLO.  I had sporadic problems, but never detected a pattern.
Maybe the cleaning people vacuum then?   8^)

    Just another idea, but almost every time MY refrigerator starts/stops
    it's cooling cycle, I get some noise on the line (not exactly sure
    why). Is it possible that something in your home is going off each
    night at 10?
    
    John

    I have been dialing into Littleton for 5 years now.  Before that, I
    dialed into VRO and PKO before that.  At PKO, I dialed out to most of
    the facilities in the 3M area.  I used to get alot of noise (esp with a
    DF03 which I replace with a Bell 212).  The line quality has been
    exceptional ever since DEC when to a 493 exchange.  I now use a
    standard Skolar (not the Skolar-plus).
    
    During this time, I have seen two reocurring line noise:
    
    1) a huge burst of noise (80+ characters) that may or may not hangup
    the line.  In some cases, it actually hangs the terminal without
    hanging up the line.  I haven't seen this in quite a while.
    
    2) "receive only" noise ie I see it but it really isn't there as shown
    by a ^W
    
    If you are sure that the problem is not at the office, you can call and
    report the noisy line.  While your line is probably not rated for data, my
    experience is that the phone company will try to correct the problem if
    they can find it.
    
    Phil
    

    
    Phil and others, I have tried to stay off the tube during the 10:00
    to 10:30 space.  Last week, I had to answer my pager a couple of 
    times during the 10:00 timeframe and picked up cross-talk on the
    line.  I've never had this problem before so now I think I have
    something to ask the phone company.  I am running through a 
    Scholar Plus which is historically a freaky instrument, but it
    has been generally reliable, even in my humid basement study.
    
    The possiblility of power disturbances was discounted early on,
    since I manage a group of Environmental Consultants and see this
    type of problem on a weekly basis and know the characteristics
    pretty well after all these years.  I have a 200 amp service and
    a clean circuit for the terminal and modem.  
    
    Thanks for the help.
    
    Frank

    It has been a long time since I updated this note so here's the 
    answer to my mysterious 10:03 line garbage problem:
    
    1.  I had a business line added to my phone service.  No effect
    on the garbage problem.
    
    2.  I then started asking questions in my building (IND) and found
    that one of my employees had the same problem under the same
    conditions (using a modem).
    
    	He was more upset than I, since he had a proposal blown away by
    the 10:03 problem, so he went bonkers and started digging.  
    
    	The problem turned out to be a programmed back-up on our SL1 
    Phone Switch in IND.  Every night at exactly 10:03, the switch did
    a back-up which caused the garbage.  NOW, this back-up is moved to
    3:00 AM, (and I am usually asleep by then), so the problem has gone
    away.
    
    	The irony is that the Switch and the back-up are both controlled
    by people in my own Group!!  The problem and the solution were down 
    the hall from me all the time.
    
    Frank