Bit Maestro
BitMaestro@email.ro
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When I started phreaking I noticed how out
of date and complicated many of the phreaking texts I read were. This is intended to be a new guide to phreaking in the '90s.
It will include several other things besides just how to phreak, although many sections will be devoted to that topic from
before the phreak, during the phreak, and after the phreak. This guide will also concentrate on phreaker ethics, and several
other related issues.
I. Explanation of what we do and why we do it
A.Intro
II. Before
the phreak
A. Tools
B. Location
III. During the phreak
A. What to do and how to do it
B. Novices exercises
C.Dozens of other
things to do with phones
IV. After the phreak
A. Clean up and other assorted misc.
V. Conclusions
If
you are anything like I was when I started to learn, you just got internet access right? One of the first things you typed
into your browser was hacking wasn't it? So at night and when your parents were away you poured over hacking text files and
web pages. You understood less than half of what you read but it was interesting you wanted more of it. It led you to other
areas of the electronic black arts didn't it? You saw words you've never seen before, things like phreaking or warez or carding
or virii. You guessed at how to pronounce them, you guessed at what they meant. Then you started finding out more about them.
Phreaking turned out to be telephone hacking in a sense. You read and read more and more about all of it. You read about different
things about phones that you never knew before, the mere possibility of which made you tingle. This is all in the spirit of
hacking and phreaking, learning and the intense desire to know more, to know how things work. If you are anything like I was
when I started to learn, you wanted and needed an up to date, easy to understand text file. Well here it is. Phreaks have
ethics, contrary to the belief of many a phone company. You've probably seen and read several different versions of the phreaks
ethics and the 10 commandments of the phone phreak and other files. They are all good and all say the same thing more or less
and I'm not going to rewrite them here. I have my own code of ethics, which is just a variation of the foundation rules set
in place. NEVER cause intentional damage to a phone or phone system. If you insist on causing damage or it is unavoidable
to attain your goal don't cause permanent or expensive damage. This kind of damage is never necessary and should be avoided
at all costs. As for the rest of the ethics it's up to you to decide how to proceed, I can't force (nor would I try to) you
to follow any code of ethics, however a phreak without ethics is just a jackass who knows something about phones. I can guarantee
you that if you don't have a code of ethics, you will be black balled from the phreaking/hacking community.
What do
you need in the way of tools? For starters go to garage sales...find a phone that has the key pad on the receiver (the end
of the phone you talk into and listen from). Now get yourself some phone cord. Cut off the modular plug (the phone jack. the
little plastic thing the wires go into) on ONE end. You will see 4 different colors of wires red, green, yellow, and black.
For the most part the important ones are the green and the red. Strip the casing from the four wires, now strip the insulation
from the red and green wires...yellow and black too if you're bored.Get yourself some alligator clips...I prefer the color
coded/insulated kind. Now attach the alligator clips to the wires..if you have color coded clips like I recommend then put
them on the corresponding color wire. Plug the cord into the phone you got at the garage sale. You now have the basic version
of what is known as a beige box or a lineman's handset. This is a necessary tool for any phreak. Other tools I recommend (as
you progress in your training you'll figure out why) are: a 7/16 hex wrench, a phone cord stripping device (it's a bitch to
strip those wires isn't it) wide assortment of phone connectors, and an assortment of small tools like pliers and wire clippers
and screwdrivers. These are the BASIC tools. As you become more advanced you'll want more and more tools to build boxes (more
on this later) and other things. But for your first phreak you'll only need the beige box you've built and a screw driver
or usually a 3/8 inch socket drive with ratchet (the locking bolt is 3/8 inch, but usually has a slot for a screwdriver).
First you need to find a secluded spot...this wasn't hard for me because I lived in a rural community, but it may
be harder if you live in the city. The spot you choose for your first phreak should have access to a phone box (I used the
one on the side of a house). If you're dealing with this kind of set up good, it's easier for the first phreak. Where I was,
the boxes on the houses where gray or green. As you become more advanced you'll move on to the big green or gray boxes
you see along the road and other more complicated things. Now that you have the right tools and the location for your first
phreak you're ready. This is how to proceed. Open the box by unscrewing the screw labeled "open". Now you'll see a jumble
of wires...no problem...find the red and green wires...if there is more than one set of these pick a set..any set. Now look
at where the wires are attached...they are attached to some screw terminals right? good. Look at them closely see how the
wire is stripped to fit around the terminal...see how the end of the wire is available to you. Attach your red alligator clip
to the end of the red wire in the box...and the green to the green. (of course you can always use a standard modular
plug and plug it into the test jack...but doesn't that kind of take out some of the fun of it). Listen to your phone..hear
the dial tone...if not make sure your clips are making good contact and are not touching each other. Now call a number...not
your own house of course...and not a friend.
CONGRATULATIONS you've just completed your first phreak. I know it wasn't
much but it got you started didn't it. Now disconnect from the box and close it up...just the way you found it. If you haven't
called any unusual numbers like the 900 variety or the long distance kind the person you just phreaked off of will never know.
However if you need to make long distance calls or anything of the like you now know how to do it at no cost to you.
A word of caution is...don't always use the same house to phreak off of. This is the simplest form of phreaking. But it gives
you a base to build off of. Think about the possibilities. You could get longer cords and connect them permanently to a neighbor's
house and Bury the cord so you have instant access to their phone...or set up a recording device and every time they have
a phone conversation you will know exactly what goes on in their lives...trust me it gets old after awhile unless you have
very interesting neighbors. Pay phones offer dozens of opportunities to the phreak. You can make free calls with the right
tones, get coins back, or turn it into your personal bank, and any other number of things. There are endless possibilities
of things to do on phones. Read the other text files out there and you will find out what they are. What the hell are boxes?
I asked myself this question a lot. Boxes are devices the phreaks build to do literally hundreds of different things. Boxes
are identified by colors such as red and green and blue. They all serve a different purpose. Some boxes don't have anything
to do with phreaking such as the chrome box...but they are useful and provide great entertainment. Over the course of your
learning you will find out about the different colors of boxes and their functions. Most boxes are easy and cheap to make
and you'll learn to build them and use them effectively.
©1997 L.I.S.T. Publications This file may be posted freely as
long as this notice stays on the file. All rights reserved.
