From: pat@tstc.edu (Patrick E. Hykkonen)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 06:51:57 PDT
To: clark@metal.psu.edu (Clark Reynard)
Subject: Re: Super Phones?
In-Reply-To: <9309080603.AA04729@metal.psu.edu>
Message-ID: <9309081345.AA09213@tstc.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> Now, here's my problem with this nice-sounding product.  I called
> the 800 number to ask for an explanation of this product, which
> immediately aroused my suspicion.
> 
> >From my conversation with the receptionist on the other end
> of the phone, which was somewhat less than informative, the
> idea of Spread Spectrum technology is that the signal is
> spread out into individual packets on different wavelengths,
> then reconstituted at the other end, using some sort of session
> key generated at the beginning of each transaction.

Essentially this is correct, but as Phil Karn already pointed out... spread
spectrum is easy to de-spread.

However, Motorola has a cordless phone called the Secure Clear phone that
operates at 46 to 50 MHz (standard cordless phone freqs.) that has 
"encryption" between the handset and the base.

After calling motorola I am not impressed... they use frequency inversion.
Their support person stated that the goal is to "stop casual eavesdroppers 
that might use baby-monitors or police scanners."  Which is fine and good.
I know, from personal experience, the problems that can arise from cordless
telephones being monitored and the information used against a person.

The Motorola and Cincinatti Microwave phones can help with the casual listeners
that are out there (and there are quite a few of them!), but neither will
stop an interested party with resources to spare.  :)

-- 
"I'm not being irrational, I just know to much."  - Tim Allen
--
Pat Hykkonen, N5NPL                     Texas State Technical College at Waco
Internet: {pat,postmaster,root}@tstc.edu       Instructional Network Services
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