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servicewatch needs you! Problems with your network operator? Technical mishaps? We want to know: E-Mail to servicewatch. For confidential hints we recommend PGP and/or an anonymous remailer.

servicewatch via E-Mail: servicewatch-subscribe@lists.ccc.de

Please read: Disclaimer

Network outage at Viag Interkom's E2
11.3.1999
Currently Viag Interkoms E2 does not work anymore in München and Nürnberg. According to the hotline the outage will last several hours.

E-Plus numbers not reachable
7.3.1999
Torben and Michael informed us that the bigger part of the E-Plus numbers starting with 7 or 8 are currently deactivated. As of this morning the affected customers cannot log into the E+ network anymore. Callers get the announcement, that the dialled number is not connected. According to E+ work on the network is to blame. The hotline says, one should try logging in every one to two hours.

The same problem surfaced last december. (We reported on 5.12.)

E-Plus SMS problems
5.3.1999
Hans reported that E-Plus says the almost daily problems with the SMS service are normal. Trying to send a message in the evening or night hours often results in a "message sending failure", but the message gets delivered and accounted for. There is no way for the sender to find out if the message actually reached the recipient. E-Plus says that most of the capacity of the SMSC is needed at night to delete expired messages.

Also, the SMS notification about new voicemail messages often gets sent with a big delay.

Viag Interkom's E2 allows incoming data and fax calls
3.3.1999
Malte informed us that is possible to receive incoming data and fax calls on the mobile network E2 without subscribing to this service for DM 15 a month. Since you do not get the additional numbers for fax and data calls, you have to use your normal mobile number for receiving such calls. This is not a problem as long as the bearer capability is set correctly.

Voicemail system "T-Net-Box" unreachable
1.3.1999 (Update: 1.3.1999)
Currently (1:00 am, MET) Deutsche Telekom's voicemail system "T-Net-Box" is unreachable from the Berlin/Brandenburg region. The caller gets an announcement that the "number is currently unreachable". Unfortunately not only the owner of a "T-Net-Box" gets the announcement, but also someone who tries to reach a number for which a "T-Net-Box" is activated.

Update:
The system is reachable again. (10:00 am MET)

Deutsche Telekom has accounting problems with "CityPlus"
26.2.1999 (Update: 5.3.1999)
Jörg reports us that the DT has problems with accounting of their "CityPlus" tariff plan. In some cases, calls to "CityPlus" numbers will not be charged at all - not even outside the time of day where "CityPlus" applies. The connections are not listed on the detailed call report. Also, the prepaid "CityPlus" tariff units are listed as unused. The basic fee, however, will be charged two or more times.

"CityPlus" is a DT discount plan where one can buy tariff units in advance at a lower price.

Update:
Johnny informed us that with the february invoice the accounting for "CityPlus" seems to work again.

Viatel Call-by-Call enables unwanted call monitoring
25.2.1999 (Update: 2.3.1999)
Acid Aphid informed us that it is possible to listen in to calls when using Viatel Call-by-Call (01079). After dialling the destination number, sometimes one gets connected to an already existing connection. It is only possible to listen to the conversation. The monitored parties do not notice the invasion of their privacy. After about 30 seconds, one gets kicked out of the conversation.

Update:
Teldafax seems to have similar problems.

When using Viatel or COLT Telecom for calls to mobile networks the called party numbers sometimes get mixed up. (Caller A wants to call B, C wants to call D, but A gets connected to D and C to B.)

Thanks to Jörg and Falk.

Failure of Viag Interkom's E2 within area code 07
25.2.1999 (Update: 26.2.1999)
From the viagmobil mailing list we came to know that since noon (MET) today E2 does not work anymore in large parts of the 07 area code. Either the network is comletely gone (the phone cannot find the network anymore) or it can be found but not logged in to.

The hotline is aware of the failure but they do not make any statements about when the situation will be resolved. Instead, they tell you things like "please be patient, other networks have overload problems instead".

Update:
According to reports, a massive outage of Deutsche Telekom leased lines could have been responsible for the E2 failure.

Faulty base stations lead to D2 capacity problems
24.2.1999
Customers of the D2 network are currently facing more and more capacity problems in the network.

As Christian reported us, these problems are not necessarily connected to a network overload. It seems that D2 rather has substantial difficulties with base stations of a certain manufacturer. Though the base stations have sufficient capacities, they are not able to make them available. Mannesmann, the operator of D2, now established a crisis management group to take care of the problem.

Viag Interkom's E2 not reachable from abroad
24.2.1999
Customers of the mobile network E2 can currently only be reached very limited from abroad. The caller gets a busy signal, a recorded message like "all lines are busy" or even "please check the number...". This also makes the use of callback services nearly impossible.

The Viag hotline had once again no clue whatsoever.

SMS crashes Nokia 5110
23.2.1999 (Update: 25.2.1999)
Roland reported that Nokias GSM900 phone 5110 cannot cope with a short message (SMS) that consists of 160 dots ("."). Upon displaying the message the phone crashes. The exact effect differs between the versions of the firmware but seems to exist in all versions from V4.59 (query with *#0000#).

As always we are interested in more information on this matter.

(Thanks to Dirk.)

Update:
Several sources told us that the error seems to exist from version V4.11 already. In some cases the phone does not crash completely, but returns to normal after about 30 seconds of beeping and blinking.

T-Net-Box notification to Cityruf pagers does not work
22.2.1999
Dirk informed us that the free notification about new messages on the T-Net-Box (Deutsche Telekom's voice mail system) to Cityruf pagers stopped to work in the beginning of January. Deutsche Telekom claims to be working with high priority on the solution of the problem, but nothing happened so far.

The only remedy so far is to activate a "notification to a fixed or cellular phone line" with the pager's number. But Deutsche Telekom will probably want to charge for these connections.

Faulty Viag Interkom SIMs
21.2.1999
Many of the Viag Interkom SIMs seem to have the GSM Phase II feature "Fixed dialling" implemented incorrectly. This feature usually allows the user to restrict calls from his phone to a range of numbers selected by him. Unfortunately the Viag SIMs still allow calls to all numbers after "Fixed dialling" has been activated - instead the phone book on the card completely disappears! Only if the number barring (which is disfunctional anyway) is switched off, the numbers on the card are accessible again. Due to the incorrect implementation, the deactivation is only possible with certain phones (e.g. Siemens, but not Nokia).

Nokia 6150 problems
19.2.1999
The GSM900/1800 dualband phone Nokia 6150 has some annoying firmware problems:

All versions through V4.02 have problems finding the network after the phone lost coverage or simply with logging into another cell. Until V4.12 the phone does not support SIM clock stop with Phase-II SIMs, which leads to considerably reduced standby times. In V4.13 these problems have been removed, but the message (SMS) settings menu cannot be accessed with SIMs for the D2 network. In addition, with some D2 and all E+ SIMs the phone crashes if you select the "Services" menu.

Rumors say that there is a new version V5.02 that fixes these problems, but is not yet available in Germany.

The Nokia 6150 software version can be queried bei entering *#0000#.

Thanks to Markus!

"9090" rumor
19.2.1999
For some days a rumor has been floating around the Internet that one should not enter "9090" into your mobile phone if requested so by an alleged technician. Allegedly it would otherwise be possible to make calls at the expense of the owner of the phone.

This rumor is technically completely unsubstantiated. The origin seems to be in the USA, where in some mobile phone network the number of the voice mailbox is "9090" - but even there you cannot make calls at other peoples expenses with this number.

Furthermore nobody should enter anything into his phone if some dubious person calls and asks him to so.

Problems with Cellinfo at the D2 network
18.2.1999
Apparently D2 has problems with the cellinfo transmission of the area codes in the Giessen area.

Jens mailed us to tell that not only the correct area codes 0641 and 0640 are beeing transmitted but also 0644, 090, 0732 and 0827. Mannesmann, the operator of D2, first admitted that there is a technical problem, but denied it later. The area code is needed to determine the tariff for a call to a fixed network. As usual we are interested in more details on this problem.

Y2K-problem at GSM operator?
16.2.1999
servicewatch received a message which stated that at least one billing software package for mobile phone service providers is affected by an severe Y2k bug. The message said that it is questionable if the affected company will have fixed the problem in time. As always we are interested in more details.

Costly problems with ISDN data connections
15.2.1999
servicewatch has monitored heavy problems with ISDN data connections in Berlin over several month. Under certain circumstances, like when switching off the ISDN router while the connection is up, an ISDN data connection will not be ended anymore, but stay up. The connection, which may even last several weeks, will be fully charged for. There is no way for the user to end such a connection.

servicewatch investigations showed that the problem is not dependent on the type of switch or end user equipment. Repeated complaints by customers did not lead to serious efforts by Deutsche Telekom to solve the problem. At least one affected company is now sueing Deutsche Telekom.

We recommend a thorough study of your the call record in your bill if you use ISDN data connections.


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