Playback your own telephone line number to identify wires/jack.

[LuxLuthor]

In my older house, I have phone jacks all over the place, and a number of phone lines and multiple wires in cables for more than one line. You used to be able to use a phone repairman shortcut of *91 which played the phone line you were on back to you...but they stopped using it a while ago.

Now I just use the free MCI service 1-800-444-4444 which does the same thing. Obviously, if you only have 1 or 2 lines going into your house, you don't need this.

 

[Enzo Morocioli]

Ah.. yes.. the most straight forward psudo-ANAC ever..

reminds me of the good ole' days of beige boxing.

(800)444-0800 works too

 

[Norm]

Same thing for Australians.
Test Numbers

• Telstra Landline Test numbers
  • 12722123 - Playback the last connected or current landline number
  • 12722199 - Ringback the current landline number

• Optus Landline Test numbers
  • 1272312 - Playback the last connected or current landline number
  • 1272399 - Ringback the current landline number

 

[LuxLuthor]

One of the things I find particularly interesting is if you first choose caller ID blocking by punching *67, and then dial the numbers, it doesn't matter.

 

[BB]

In the US, 1-800 (and other toll free) number calls are paid for by the party you are calling--Therefore, you have no "right" to block your number from the 800 number's owner.

-Bill

 

[Enzo Morocioli]

In the US, 1-800 (and other toll free) number calls are paid for by the party you are calling--Therefore, you have no "right" to block your number from the 800 number's owner.

-Bill

There are ways around it though.. Usually by means of op-diverting.

A method I used to use, which may or may not work in your calling area is:
10102880...(ATT Chime)...8004444444

You'll notice that it'll actually read out the number of the central office that the long distance carrier operates from, not your house line.

 

[BB]

Yep, agreed that there are ways around caller ID (like going through a long distance carrier or various online IP phones, and even services that allow you to program anything you want on the caller ID--to trick people to answer the phone who are avoiding bill collectors and such).

Sometimes see it several times day on our cell phones with random numbers telling me it is my last chance to sign up for extended warranty on my car...

Caller ID Spoofing

Be aware, that they are trying to pass laws to make this illegal in the US:

On June 27, 2007, the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved and submitted to the Senate calendar S.704, a bill that would make it a crime to spoof caller ID. Dubbed the "Truth in Caller ID Act of 2007", the bill would outlaw causing "any caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information" via "any telecommunications service or IP-enabled voice service". Law enforcement is exempted from the rule. A similar bill, HR251, was recently introduced and passed in the House of Representatives, making it a real possibility of becoming law. It had been referred to the same Senate committee that approved S.704. [1] [2] The bill never became law due to the full Senate never voting on it; it was added to the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders, but no vote was taken, and at the end of the 110th Congress the bill expired (all pending legislation not voted into law at the end of the House term, aka end of a session of Congress, is dead).[3] The bill was reintroduced in the Senate on January 7, 2009 by Senator Bill Nelson (FL) and 3 co-sponsors as S.30, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, and referred to the same committee.[4]

I am for privacy--but I am also against fraud... Maybe this will fit me well: :tinfoil:

-Bill

 

[DonShock]

....Sometimes see it several times day on our cell phones with random numbers telling me it is my last chance to sign up for extended warranty on my car....

I used to get those too. I answered the phone the first time or two. Thankfully, they were somewhat predictable in the timing so I just started ignoring them.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Most telcos have local anac numbers for their field techs, but these days they're often password protected. This is really becoming superfluous though, when you can simply call your cell phone from the line in question to identify the number.

 

[Enzo Morocioli]

Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009.... I suppose too many people began fiddling with the telephone systems at the same time.

you can simply call your cell phone from the line in question to identify the number.

Indeed, but then there are records.....

 

[ftumch33]

958 for Verizon in NY if it`s a Verizon line

 

[Wattnot]

Yikes. I have two lines. One is a standard telco line and the other is my VOIP line through Vonage. The standard line reported back accurately but the Vonage one came up completely off, area code and all! Weird.