Area code 710 • Hacker News Board

Re: Area code 710

#11

Post by nsaslideface » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 9:26 PM UTC

I imagine this was part of what was dialed in last week's Twin Peaks

Re: Area code 710

#12

Post by schoen » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 9:32 PM UTC

I remember something in an old Phrack or another hacker zine where someone was recounting a rumor about this mechanism that he heard from someone who worked in a telco (viz., that there were special government phone numbers that were treated differently by the telephone system). It's interesting to see the progression from underground rumor to Wikipedia article.

Re: Area code 710

#13

Post by 813594 » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 9:32 PM UTC

I have a GETS account too (I work in healthcare). T-Mobile provides WPS service free, whereas Verizon charges $5/month per enrolled line. More info here https://www.dhs.gov/publication/getswps-documents and https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/HOW%20I...

Re: Area code 710

#14

Post by cbanek » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 9:49 PM UTC

nodesocket wrote: post #2

I'm guessing don't try calling the number? Don't want to flood some poor government operator with internet trolls.

Makes me wonder if the call center will see the HN effect. I was tempted to call it just reading the article!

Re: Area code 710

#15

Post by akhilcacharya » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 9:52 PM UTC

kijeda wrote: post #9

nodesocket wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you a fire/police chief or in command of some public safety entity?

No, but I do work on what is considered critical infrastructure.

Power grid?

Re: Area code 710

#16

Post by wonderous » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 10:07 PM UTC

Here are more docs on the 710 area code via a simple Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22710-NCS-GETS%22+card+ext:...

For example, this PDF explains a lot than anything present on HN or Wikipedia: http://chicagofirstdocs.org/resources/060912-GETS.pdf

Here's a doc that covers all US Federal emergency communications: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/nifog-v...

Re: Area code 710

#17

Post by yodon » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 10:23 PM UTC

When I was in college in the '80s, My roommate and I got curious about unused area codes (and/or prefixes? I forget). We started dialing some. Within about 15 minutes we stumbled on some government service with a scary-official sounding operator on the other end (I've no idea if it was this service or a different one).

The really scary part was after dialing the number and encountering the operator, we were unable to hang up (any time we hung up and picked back up, the operator was still there, even after waiting about two minutes). Fortunately this was (a) at MIT which still had a central electromechanical telephone switch for student phone lines in the '80s and (b) I had keys to the switch as a student phone repair tech.

I still remember grabbing my keys, running over to the switch, and physically pulling the relay contacts to release the call and prevent a trace to our location in case that was the motivation for holding the line (nowadays traces are digital and instantaneous, but when looking at old-school electromechanical switches you really did need time to trace the call physically through the relays).

Yes, we were aware the operator was probably just messing with us by showing he could hold our line against our will to discourage us from calling again, but it still scared the crap out of us just in case.

Re: Area code 710

#18

Post by hashmymustache » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 10:34 PM UTC

yodon wrote: post #17

When I was in college in the '80s, My roommate and I got curious about unused area codes (and/or prefixes? I forget). We started dialing some. Within about 15 minutes we stumbled on some government service with a scary-official sounding operator on the other end (I've no idea if it was this service or a different one). The really scary part was after dialing the number and encountering the operator, we were unable to…

Very interesting story, curious if you remember the number. Reminded me of my favorite scene from Community: https://youtu.be/xx_MkKJPNjQ

Re: Area code 710

#19

Post by MichaelRenor » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 10:42 PM UTC

wonderous wrote: post #16

Here are more docs on the 710 area code via a simple Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22710-NCS-GETS%22+card+ext:... For example, this PDF explains a lot than anything present on HN or Wikipedia: http://chicagofirstdocs.org/resources/060912-GETS.pdf Here's a doc that covers all US Federal emergency communications: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/nifog-v...

Basically it sounds like GETS is QoS for land and wireless lines for critical or emergency personnel.

Re: Area code 710

#20

Post by yodon » Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 10:45 PM UTC

hashmymustache wrote: post #18

yodon wrote: post #17

When I was in college in the '80s, My roommate and I got curious about unused area codes (and/or prefixes? I forget). We started dialing some. Within about 15 minutes we stumbled on some government service with a scary-official sounding operator on the other end (I've no idea if it was this service or a different one). The really scary part was after dialing the number and encountering the operator, we were unable to…

Very interesting story, curious if you remember the number. Reminded me of my favorite scene from Community: https://youtu.be/xx_MkKJPNjQ

My recollection is we were specifically curious about what today would be called invalid address space patterns, aka numbers that were outside the patterns used in valid phone numbers at the time (such as area codes could have a 1 in the middle digit but prefixes could not have a 1 in the middle in the 1980's).

We pulled out a paper phone book, devised a set of criteria for potentially interesting superficially invalid phone numbers, and started dialing them. On a rotary dial phone. And we found one pretty quickly. And it was a much scarier experience than we had expected.

The exact number we dialed is unfortunately(?) lost to the passage of time.