sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information This makes me mad!

Have any you guys seen these web pages giving instuctions how to destroy and sabatoge phone equipment? Came across one tonight and it really upsets me. I never work on stuff outside but I hate to see peoples work just trashed by punks. You AT&T techs do you have problems like this alot?


www.flashback.se/archive/bell_system.txt

I drove past an AT&T box yesterday that some kids had torn apart. At least it looked like it.

As far as going down manholes, the only time I ever see AT&T people doing it they have recirculation equipment running. I'd imagine there's alot of other equipment to worry about as well, besides just finding out there isn't any oxygen past a certain point.

If a kid is dumb enough to go down a manhole for the sole purpose of vandalizing, not knowing there's a good chance they won't be coming back up... well, that's Darwin for ya. Also being the article is 16 years old, I have to imagine things have changed quite a bit, but have no way of knowing what's down there. Almost sounds like they were part of the "phone phreaker" phenonema that was popular for awhile in the 70s/80s, until technology evolved past 'em and some laws got changed.

Still, nothing's gonna stop a teen with a sledge.

Except maybe 4800 volts.

I was thinking the same thing. Confined spaces require some protective measures. Sniffers, air pumps, etc.

On a lighter note, some have taken to smashing cell phones. See the Phonebashing gallery for (hopefully) a guiltless laugh. The site features movies from a young male couple who go around mashing cell phones while wearing stolen Nokia foam suits. Only in America.

Exactly what is a "Bridging Head"? I've never heard such silly home-grown terminology in my life, but I suppose that we should consider the source.

I think that this fool was referring to a cross-connect cabinet, "SAC" cabinet or "RAI" cabinet. He was also referring to very brand-specific product thievery steps. Last time I checked, there have been at least 5-10 different manufacturers of these, each with variations of terminations. Further indication of his nationwide knowledge instructs the thieves to steal the roll of white/red jumper wire. Around here, Bell uses white/violet and GTE uses white/orange.

Matt, you do bring up an interesting point. Yes, it is very dangerous to enter a manhole without the proper equipment with fresh air and gas detection equipment being #1. Not to mention, these manholes are frequently flooded, so it's likely that they will need to be pumped out prior to being accessible. There is always the issue of lack of oxygen, methane, radon or other gases. In metropolitan areas, there's also the risk of natural gas seepage from minor leaks in mains. A manhole without proper fresh air and evacuation equipment is a proverbial gas chamber for the inexperienced.

Then, there is the issue of snakes, rats, spiders and even flying/stinging insects. That little "hole" in the manhole cover (there are actually several) is a perfect place for other uninvited visitors to enter.

There's also the fact that all it takes is one pedestal with the cover left-off to become an express entrance for snakes and rats. They come on down and make themselves at home throughout the entire local manhole distribution network.

There aren't any colored conduits or any racks of computer equipment in manholes. It is nothing but black or lead cables on wall racks and watertight splice cases. Maybe some load coil or repeater cases, but those are also sealed and nearly impossible for a novice to enter. True, there will likely be some colored fiber-optic innerduct, it too will probably be covered with mud residue just like everything else in there.

Our rocket scientist is probably referring to a CEV (Controlled Environment Vault), which can be above or below-ground. In those cases, yes there are racks of electronic hardware, but this is in a very tightly-sealed room with air conditioning and everything. You don't pry up an iron manhole cover with a crowbar to enter a CEV. Breaking into a CEV is about the equivalent of breaking into a central office building.

What this fool is encouraging is for people to break and enter into private property and then to steak while they are in there. I sure hope that there aren't any people still out there doing this stuff.

Ed, While I was reading your post, I could almost see a vandal finding out about repeater voltage while standing in a wet manhole. That would sure give them what they deserved!

Ed:

A bridging head is any cable terminal (feeder or distribution) that shares all or part of its cable count with another. The key word is "bridging" not head. A cable head is any terminal. The term refers to the act of "heading up" a cable onto individual terminal lugs or screws. A bridged terminal is sometimes still called a bridging head, but that is a rather obsolete cable splicers' or cable record clerks' term.

The term is generally used during a conversation among craftspeople when discussing a repair operation performed to ensure that a subscriber's line has not had an inadvertant (or sometimes an intentional) connection at another bridged location. The job is known as "clearing a bridging head". The expression is rarely used during any other operation or procedure.

That said, the quoted document is filled with more BS than real info.

There is no square opening in the center of any manhole cover that I have seen. The slots that allow the insertion of a manhole hook (which only slightly resembles a crowbar) are located in pairs, each pair 180 degrees apart, at the circumference of the cover. The covers weigh up to 450 pounds; far too heavy for some snot-nose peckerwood who is high on glue and his own ego to handle alone. The part about taking a flashlight to use until you find the light switch is priceless.

I have been in several hundred manholes, and I have never yet seen any electronic equipment other than air pressure transducers.

The part about finding/using/stealing a test set from behind the door of a crossbox is also laughable. There is no such thing as a black box with buttons that will do what the 'tard author described, either.

Under many manhole covers is an inner cover, which is locked by a cam-operated bar. It is a bitch to open these holes, and as you said, the space between the top cover and the inner cover is a wonderful place for all manner of science experiments to live and breed.

It is grounds for dismissal to open, enter, or work in, a manhole without assistance. Ditto for not first testing the atmosphere, and continuing to test and record the findings, during operations. The hole must be purged continuously using a blower. The purging procedure is very time-consuming and must be performed exactly as described, or bad things will happen.

Entrances to CEV's on Long Island are alarmed and anyone entering one, and not inputting the proper code will be arrested rather quickly. I suspect that these days, post 9-11-01, the police would be real jumpy and less than courteous when confronting someone taking an unauthorized tour of a CEV.

ive seen some verizon Under Grounds that I was certain some kids had vandelized..

only to find out it was just sloppy prideless work ..

Years before there were hackers there were "Phone Phreaks".

Back in the day when the Bell System ran most of the telephone world and all knowledge telephonic was proprietary it was a challenge for some young rebels to learn all about the telephone set in specific and the telephone network in general.

These were the days of Boxes - Black, Red & Blue. Of Captain Crunch whistles, of making butt sets out of rotary phones.

That was in the '60s and '70s. This kid is writing in the '90s. He must have found an old copy of 2600 magazine and is trying to show how cool he is.

I've never been in a manhole in California, but I'm sure they're not that different from the ones on this coast, and I've been in hundreds here.

The kid is just a twerp. The worst he's going to do is get someone ruptured trying to pry off a manhole cover with a crowbar.

Sam

Well I'm glad at least this guy doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. I did read about the old phone phreaking. Interesting how they used to simulate the tones to reach a long distance line.