I'd like to second Kelly's request for references to plainspeak explanations
of telco infrastructure. I hate to say it, but trying to get *any*
information from our telco (Bell Canada) is like pulling teeth, but worse.
Often it takes weeks to get questions answered, even minor ones - I think I'm
beginning to like dentists better. Most of the customer liason in my
experience is done by people who don't know much more about the technical
side of things than I do, and unfortunately that isn't enough. Engineering
staff who can answer these questions are at a premium, and tend to be
reserved for *big* corporate accounts.
Although the discussions in this group have been very helpful, enlightenment
from this source alone comes in rather small doses, and a source of sound
reference material would be incredibly valuable.
Dave