DnA 8-5: The British Phone Users Guide To Service #175
Using Tones
When you call 175 on your phone a nice recorded message will inform you of the number you called from. Then it will say "Start Test" and repeat what its just said. The line will die so put the phone down and in 15 seconds it will reconnect the phone and after 25 seconds it will call you back, not the usual ringing, it will ring 3 times then return to the normal ringing ... If you held the phone up when it calls you back it will say "Earth B" twice. If you had the phone down it should say "Line testing Ok". You can leave the phone down without answering it for up to 2 minutes and 15 seconds, after that it will timeout and return your line to normal service (it may also notify an engineer that the line is fucked so be carefull). Now it will say "Dial next test" ... It will now give you some bleeps, dial "1" it will say "Start test" then dial in order "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,*,0,#" and if they sound ok to the exchange it will say "Dial testing ok" twice then "Dial next test". Now "2" is invalid so dial "3" ... "Start test" then some fast bleeps ... Nothing works from here as its a payfone test (Mmmm, must try something out). It will come back to you and say "Incorrect coin pulsing" then the usual "Dial next test". "4" gives off "Sorry, not available on your line" and the rest of them "5,6,7,8,9,*,0,#" are all invalid options.
Using Pulses
Using pulses instead is fine because it recognizes them ! For the dial test just dial "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0" don't press with "#" or "*" as they turn your phone (when in pulse mode) into tone mode for the duration of the call ...
Uses ?!?!?!?!?
When your parents are skinflints like mine and they don't like you calling out and stuff ... Dial 175 then hangup and go talk to your parents about something give yourself 25 seconds to get from the phone to a parent and when the phone goes off walk over to it and pick it up, say "Yeah, just a minute I'll get you on the other phone, don't hang up ..." put the phone down and goto your room and call who ever you want, it doesn't make it free but will keep you safe until your itemised bill comes in ...
Thats all really ... I dunno if 175 is free but I guess it would be as its a test line, no wait British Telecom are such buttheads they probably change 48p per minute for their engineers to check your line ! <g> ... Nah my guess is its free ...
One last point, unlike some other British Telecom services, you cannot access service #175 by dialing (0800)-800-175, this number is unassigned at present.
Anyway happy phreaking, and remember ... A phone system is just a computer waiting to be explored ... L8r.
-[ Z-N0TE (znote(82)@uabbs / underground.cove) Or +44 (0)41 779-4095 (Rik) ]-
