/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ /-/ Building The Aqua Box /-/ /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Every true phreaker lives in fear of the dreaded F.B.I. 'Lock in Trace.' For a long time, it was impossible to escape from the lock in trace. This box does offer an escape route with simple directions to it.This box is quite a simple concept, and almost any phreaker with basic electronics knowledge can construct and use it. /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ /-/ The Lock /-/ /-/ in Trace /-/ /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ A lock in trace is a device used by the F.B.I. to lock into the phone users location so that he can not hang up while a trace is in progress. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of 'locking in', then here's a brief description. The F.B.I. can tap into a conversation, sort of like a three-way call connection. Then, when they get there, they can plug electricity into the phone line. All phone connections are held open by a certain voltage of electricity, that is why kou sometimes get static and faint connections when you are calling far away, because the electricity has trouble keeping the lineup. What the lock in trace does is cut into the line and generate that same voltage straight into the lines. That way, when you try and hang up, voltage is retained. Your phone will ring just like someone was calling you even after you hang up. (If you have call waiting, you should understand better about that, for call waiting intercepts the electricity and makes a tone that means someone is going through your line. Then, it is a matter of which voltage is higher. When you push down the receiver, then it see-saws the electricity to the other side. When you have a person on each line it is impossible to hang up unless one or both of them will hang up. If you try to hang up, voltage is retained, and your phone will ring. That should give you an understanding of how calling works, also. When electricity passes through a certain point on your phone, the electricity causes a bell to ring or on some newer phones an electronic ring to sound.) So, in order to eliminate the trace, you somehow must lower the voltage level on your phone line. You should know that every time someone else picks up the phone line, then the voltage does decrease a little. In the first steps of planning this out, Xerox suggested getting about a hundred phones all hooked into the same line that could all be taken off the hook at the same time.That would greatly decrease the voltage level. That is also why most three-way connections that are using the bell service three way calling (which is only $3 a month) become quite faint after a while. By now, you should understand the basic idea. You have to drain all of the power out of the line so the voltage can not be kept up. A rather sudden draining of power could quickly short out the F.B.I. voltage machine, because it was only built to sustain the exact voltage necessary to keep the voltage out. For now, image this. One of the normal radio shack generators that you can go pick up that one end of the cord that hooks into the central box has a phone jack on it and the other an electrical plug. This way, you can "flash" voltage THROUGH the line, but cannot drain it. So, some modifications have to be done. /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ /-/ The Aqua Box /-/ /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Materials needed- - A BEOC (Basic Electrical Output Socket), like a small lamp type connection, where you just have a simple plug and wire that would plug into a light bulb. - One of cords mentioned above, if you can't find one then construct your own... same voltage connection, but the restrain or must be the central box) - TWO phone jacks (one for the modem, one for if you are being traced to plug the aqua box into) - Some cdeativity and easy work. NOTICE: No phones have to be destroyed/modified to make this box, so don't go out and buy a new phone for it! All right, this is a very simple procedure. If you have the BEOC, it could drain into anything, a radio, or whatever. The purpose of having that is you are going to suck the voltage out from the phone line into the electrical appliance so there would be no voltage left to lock you in with. 1) Take the connection cord. Examine the plug at the end. It should have only two prongs, if it has three, still, do not fear. MAKE SURE THE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE IS TURNED OFF unless you wanna become a cdispy cditter while making this thing. Most plugs will have a hard plastic design on the top of them to prevent you from getting in at the electrical wires inside. Well, get a knife and remove it. If you want to keep the plug (I don't see why...) then just cut the top off. When you look inside, lo and behold, you will see that at the base of the prongs there are a few wires connecting in. Those wires conduct the power into the appliance. So, you carefully unwrap those from the sides and pull them out until they are about an inch ahead of the prongs. If you don't wanna keep the jack, then just rip the prongs out. If you cover the prongs with insulation tape so they will not connect with the wires when the power is being drained from the line. 2) Do the same thing with the prongs on the other plug, so you have the wires evenly connected. Now, wrap the end of the wires around each other. If you happen to have the other end of the voltage cord hooked into the phonephonep 1 reading now, you're too fucking stupid to continue. After you've wrapped the wires around each other, then cover the whole thing with the plugs with insulating tape. Then, if you built your own control box or if you bought one, then cdam all the wires into the and re-close it. That box is your ticket out of this. 3) Re-check everything to make sure it's all in place. This is a pretty flimsy connection, but on later models when you get more experienced at it then you can solder away at it and form the whole device into one big box, with some kind of cheap mattel hand-held game inside to be the power connector. In order to use itl ofuld pkeep this box handy. Plug it into the jack if you want, but it will slightly lower the voltage so it isn't connected. When you plug it in, if you see sparks, un-plug it and restart the WHOLE thing. But if it just seems fine then leave it. /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ /-/ Using it !! /-/ /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Now, so you have the whole thing plugged in and all... DO NOT USE THIS UNLESS THE SITUATION IS DESPERATE! When the trace has gone on, don't panic, un plug your phone, and turn on the appliance that it was hooked to. It will need energy to turn itself on, and here's a great source... the voltage to keep a phone line open is pretty small and a simple light bulb should drain it all in and probably short the F.B.I. computer at the same time. Happy boxing and stay free! BEIGE BOX ------------ INTRODUCTION ------------ Have you ever wanted a lineman's handset? Surely every phreak has at least once considered the phun that he could have with one. After searching unlocked phone company trucks for one for months, we had an idea. We could build one. We did, and named it the "Beige Box," simply because that is the color of ours. In the following file we will give complete instructions for the construction and use of a Beige Box. ------------ CONSTRUCTION ------------ The construction is very simple. First, you must understand the concept of the device. In a modular jack, there are four wires. These are red, green, yellow, and black. For a single line telephone, however, only two matter: the red (ring) and green (tip). The yellow and black are not necessary for this project. A lineman's handset only has two clips on it: the ring and the tip. You will need a phone (we reccommend a touch-tone) with a modular plug, a modular jack, and two large alligator clips (preferably red and green, respectively). Take the modular jack and look at the bottom of its casing. There should be a grey jack with four wires (red, green, yellow, and black) leading out of it. To the end of the red wire attach a red alligator clip. To the end of the green wire attach a green alligator clip. The yellow and black wires can be removed, although I would only set them aside so that you can use the modular jack in future projects. Now insert your telephone's modular plug into the modular jack. That's it. This particular model is nice because it can be easily made, is inexpensive, uses common parts that are readily available, is small, is lightweight, and does not require the destruction of a phone. ----- --- ---- BEIGE BOX USES ----- --- ---- There are many uses for the Beige Box. However, before you can use it, you must know how to attach it to its output device. This device can be any of several Bell switching apparatus that include terminal sets (i.e., remote switching centers, bridging heads, cans, etc.). To open most Bell Telephone switching apparatus, you must have a 7/16 inch hex driver. This piece of equipment can be picked up at your local hardware store. With your 7/16 hex driver, turn the security bolt(s) approximately 1/8 of an inch counter-clockwise and open. If your output device is locked, then you must have some knowledge of destroying and/or picking locks. However, we have never encountered a locked output device. Once you have opened your output device, you should see a mass of wires connected to terminals. On most of your output devices, the terminals should be labeled "T" (Tip -- if not labeled, it is usually on the left) and "R" (Ring -- if not labeled, it is usually on the right). Remember: Ring - red - right. The "Three R's" -- a simple way to remember which is which. Now you must attach the red alligator clip (ring) to the "R" (ring) terminal. Attach the green alliagtor clip (tip) to the "T" (tip) terminal. NOTE: If instead of a dial tone you hear nothing, re-adjust the alligator clips so that they are not touching each other or other terminals. Also make sure that they are firmly attached. By this time you should hear a dial tone. Dial ANI and find out the number that you are using (you wouldn't want to use your own). Here are some practical applications: o Eavesdropping o Long distance, static-free phone calls to phriends o Dialing direct to Alliance Conferencing (also static- free) o Phucking people over o Bothering the operator at little risk to yourself o Blue Boxing with a greatly reduced chance of getting caught o Anything at all that you want, since you are an extension on that line Eavesdropping: ------------- To be most effective, first attach the Beige Box and then your phone. This eliminates static caused by connecting the box, therefore reducing the potential suspicion of your victim. When eavesdropping, it is always best to be neither seen nor heard. If you hear someone dialing out, do not panic; but rather hang up, wait, and pick up the receiver again. The person will either have hung up or tried to complete their call again. If the latter is true, then listen in, and perhaps you will find information worthy of blackmail! If you would like to know who you are listening to, after dialing ANI, pull a CN/A on the number. Dialing Long Distance: ------- ---- -------- This section is self-explanatory, but don't forget to dial a "1" before the NPA. Dialing Direct to Alliance Conferencing: ------- ------ -- -------- ------------ Simply dial 0-700-456-1000 and you will get instructions from there. I prefer this method over PBXs, since PBXs often have poor reception and are more difficult to come by. Phucking People Over: -------- ------ ---- This is a very large topic for discussion. Just by using the other functions described, you can create a large phone bill for the person (they will not have to pay it, but it is a hassle for them). In addition, since you are an extension of the person's line, leave your phone off hook, and they will not be able to make or recieve calls. This can be extremely nasty because no one would suspect the cause of the problem. Bothering the Operator: --------- --- -------- This is also self-explanatory and can provide hours of entertainment. Simply ask or say things to her that are offensive and you would not like traced to your line. This also corresponds with the previous described section, Phucking People Over. After all, guess who's line it gets traced to? He he he... Blue Boxing: ---- ------ See a file on Blue Boxing for more details. This is an especially nice feature if you live in an ESS-equipped prefix, since the calls are, once again, not traced to your line. --------- ----- -- ----- ------ POTENTIAL RISKS OF BEIGE BOXING --------- ----- -- ----- ------ Overuse of the Beige Box may cause suspicions within the Gestapo, and result in legal problems. Therefore, I would recommend that you: o Use more than one output device o Choose a secluded spot to do your Beige Boxing o Keep a low profile (i.e., do not post under your real name on a public BBS concerning your accomplishments) o In order to make sure that the enemy has not been inside your ouput device, I reccomend that you place a piece of transparent tape over the opening of your output device. Therefore, if it is opened in your absence, the tape will be displaced and you will be aware of the fact that someone has been intruding upon your territory. DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS 304-744-2253