Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: The ABCs of Telecom Service 7
Chapter 1: A Buyer’s Scoop on Telecom 9
Chapter 2: Making (And Living with) Telecom Decisions 23
Chapter 3: Getting Around the Telecom Neighborhood 43
Part II: Reviewing Telecom Products and Prices 53
Chapter 4: Understanding Dedicated Service Requirements 55
Chapter 5: Meeting Toll-Free Service, the Red-Headed Stepchild of Telecom 65
Chapter 6: Getting the Non-Accountant’s Guide to Your Phone Bill 89
Part III: Ordering and Setting Up Telecom Service 111
Chapter 7: Ordering Regular Phone Lines and New Long-Distance Service 113
Chapter 8: Ordering Dedicated Service 133
Chapter 9: Ordering Toll-Free Service 165
Chapter 10: Activating Your Dedicated Circuit and Toll-Free Numbers 193
Part IV: Taking Care of Your Telecom System 209
Chapter 11: Maintaining Your Telecom Services 211
Chapter 12: Troubleshooting Switched Network Issues 233
Chapter 13: Troubleshooting Your Dedicated Circuits 259
Part V: What’s Hot (Or Just Geeky) in the Telecom World 293
Chapter 14: Transferring Data, Not Just Voice Content 295
Chapter 15: Riding the Internet Wave: VoIP 309
Part VI: The Part of Tens 325
Chapter 16: Ten Acronyms and What They Really Mean 327
Chapter 17: Ten Troublesome Telecom Traits to Avoid 331
Chapter 18: Ten Places to Go for Hints and Help 337
Appendix: Making a Loopback Plug 343
Index 347
