911 doesn't work, try a FAX
At the last NANOG several folks chuckled when I pointed out that many real emergency plans include sending a FAX as a backup when the phones don't work. I thought I would pass this news story along. http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070399/com_phonesout.shtml -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation
This is why HAM radios and the appropriate licenses can come in very handy, especially in cases of emergency or natural disaster. Does anyone in the business use RF for backup communications? -- Joseph W. Shaw - jshaw@insync.net Freelance Computer Security Consultant and Perl Programmer Free UNIX advocate - "I hack, therefore I am." On Sun, 4 Jul 1999, Sean Donelan wrote:
At the last NANOG several folks chuckled when I pointed out that many real emergency plans include sending a FAX as a backup when the phones don't work. I thought I would pass this news story along.
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070399/com_phonesout.shtml -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation
On Sun, 4 Jul 1999, Sean Donelan wrote:
At the last NANOG several folks chuckled when I pointed out that many real emergency plans include sending a FAX as a backup when the phones don't work. I thought I would pass this news story along.
To make things worse, many of the new CLECs don't have adiquite trunking to the 911 tandems or PSAPs. Many of my CLEC customers try to only run the minimum number or channels to get approved. Most of them also run all of the 911 over the same circuit or if they have more then one, out of the same MUX. So, don't count on much working during an emergency with deregulation many times comes less stable networks. -- Check out the new CLEC mailing list at http://www.robotics.net/clec
<> Nathan Stratton Telecom & ISP Consulting http://www.robotics.net nathan@robotics.net
Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation
Faxes tend to be on analog phone lines. They will still work even when a companies phone system is down. Dirk On Sun, Jul 04, 1999 at 01:54:07AM -0500, Sean Donelan wrote:
At the last NANOG several folks chuckled when I pointed out that many real emergency plans include sending a FAX as a backup when the phones don't work. I thought I would pass this news story along.
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070399/com_phonesout.shtml -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation
I've found, from my experience, they tend to be on analog PORTS on phone systems (e.g., they're given a DID in the PBX, but it just comes out on an analog port instead of a digital one). Thus, if the PBX dies, so do most of the fax machines, at least in larger companies... D At 09:51 AM 7/4/99 -0700, Dirk Harms-Merbitz wrote:
Faxes tend to be on analog phone lines. They will still work even when a companies phone system is down.
Dirk
On Sun, Jul 04, 1999 at 01:54:07AM -0500, Sean Donelan wrote:
At the last NANOG several folks chuckled when I pointed out that many real emergency plans include sending a FAX as a backup when the phones don't work. I thought I would pass this news story along.
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070399/com_phonesout.shtml -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation
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I've found, from my experience, they tend to be on analog PORTS on phone systems (e.g., they're given a DID in the PBX, but it just comes out on an analog port instead of a digital one).
Thus, if the PBX dies, so do most of the fax machines, at least in larger companies...
That's why you always use the phone in the elevator. North Carolina building permits REQUIRE the phone in the elevator to be analog, and dedicated. AlanC
On 4 Jul 1999, Alan Clegg wrote:
That's why you always use the phone in the elevator. North Carolina building permits REQUIRE the phone in the elevator to be analog, and dedicated.
So as part of your New Year's Eve plans this year, all NOCs in buildings with elevators should make arrangements with their building superintendents for one of those keys that allows you to lock an elevator open at a specific floor. I like it! :-) But I'd still put my money on the local ARES chapter of ham radio operators. -- Michael Dillon - E-mail: michael@memra.com Check the website for my Internet World articles - http://www.memra.com
So as part of your New Year's Eve plans this year, all NOCs in buildings with elevators should make arrangements with their building superintendents for one of those keys that allows you to lock an elevator open at a specific floor.
Oh yeah! I've seen those before. They're called doorstops shoved in the elevator's doorway :-) The phones in the elevators here are closed circuit, they just communicate with the security desk in the lobby. -Phil
participants (8)
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Alan Clegg -
Derek Balling -
Dirk Harms-Merbitz -
Joe Shaw -
Michael Dillon -
Nathan Stratton -
Phillip Vandry -
Sean Donelan