Text 12685, 49 rader
Skriven 2006-08-25 06:18:00 av Geo (1:379/45)
  Kommentar till text 12679 av Tony Williams (1:379/45)
Ärende: Re: Is this a pc?
=========================
From: "Geo" <georger@nls.net>

"Tony Williams" <tonyw@blarg.net> wrote in message
news:44ee7d5f$1@w3.nls.net...

> > NEC systems included a switch on the front panel to put it into
maintenance
> > mode, that was their solution after I demonstrated how easy it was to do
it
> > remotely..
>
> Do tell ...

I used to run ASTRA systems, the local tech knew me and one weekend offered me
decent money to go on an install with him. While driving to the site I got to
read thru the service/install manuals and discovered that there were ways to
test a system when the systerm wasn't working. There was a special adaptor that
would convert triax cable to a com port adaptor and then you would run a
program that would put the system into monitor mode and give you error codes.

I discovered that I could hook up to the computer com port from another
computer and monitor what it was sending, that led me to find out the top
secret ascii sequence that put the system into monitor mode.

Well this particular install had a modem on it, so once we got it up running I
dialed in and at the login prompt I typed this ascii sequence, poof system goes
into monitor mode, no login required.

Monday morning me and the tech called NEC and tried to convince them that this
was possible, they laughed at us. I asked for the phone and while talking to
the guy I dialed into their support line. I asked if they were in front of a
terminal, guys says yes, so I put their main system into monitor mode which of
course has the side effect of hanging the hundreds of terminals they had on it.
Said to the guy I just did this and he tries typing on his system but it's
locked tight. I then took it out of monitor mode (with the same ascii sequence)
and asked him to try again, rinse and repeated it. I then made the point that
as long as they had a modem I owned their ass..

After that all NEC ASTRA systems had a button on the front that needed to be
pressed before you could put the system into monitor mode, we were most amused
at this new feature when we saw it 8 months later.

To this day Nick (the tech) and I are still friends, he works for unisys now
and refuses to let me see any of their tech manuals :)

Geo.

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