The Nortel Millennium Payphone: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know By: Syko416 Syko416@hotmail.com www.deathsdoor.com/syko The reason that I am writing this is because I saw an article in 2600 (Volume 15 Number 2) about the Nortel Millennium Payphone that was pretty lame (sorry Phluck). I have looked on the net and haven't found a lot of articles about Millenniums. So I decided to write my own. First of all you have to know what the Millenniums look like. Millenniums are those new payphones that have been popping up all around Canada in the past couple years. For all you newbies that have no idea what they look like (maybe you shouldn't be reading this file) I'll tell you. There are two types of Millennium payphones, "Universal", "Card Phone" and "Desktop". Universal has a coin slot and are the ones you mostly see. Card Phones are found in places like train stations, airports, etc. They are exactly like Universals except it doesn't have a coin slot. You have to use a calling card, credit card, smart card or cash card. The newer Desktop looks almost completely different. It looks more like a Vista 3000 phone. It has a port on the side that you can plug in your laptop. These phones are usually found in hotels, I found some in an airport. This is what a Universal looks like. It's black with a silver front and a two line display screen. Under the display screen, there are 4 buttons. The first two control the volume in the ear piece (higher or lower). The next one controls the languages (English or french). And the last one hangs up on your call in order for you to make another call. (personally, I think this button is pretty useless) At the Top (where you put in the coins) it's blue. At the bottom, there is a yellow card reader (I'll get into that later) There are also 4 key holes. Two key holes are on the top left side of the phone. Those are for changing the display screen which I'll get in to later. Another key hole is below the yellow card reader. That key hole is for the coin box. On the side of the coin box there is yet another key hole. You need both keys to open the coin box. You also need an access code (or PIN) to get to the coin box. This is for extra security on Nortel's part. Speaking about coins, Nortel has also installed a computer inside that actually reads the coins you put in the coin slot. This means that you can't use slugs or foreign coins to make phone calls. The computer allows you to use $1 coins (loonies) but they don't give you change. Nortel has also put a recording of a dial tone in the ear piece. (and some operator saying: "Please insert your card") Don't be fooled. You DO NOT hear a dial tone on Millenniums, EVER! They are all recordings. You put in a quarter, and enter your number. After you entered the number, the computer reads the number you entered, and dials it. You do not dial the number yourself. Because of this recording, most phreaks think that you can't red box. That is not true. It's just harder. You need to call up the operator (press 0, dumbass), and tell her that some asshole covered a couple numbers with gum (or some other excuse why you can't call the number yourself) and ask her if you could put in a quarter and she can dial the number for you. She'll say yes. You tell her the number and you play the red box tone. If you do it right, she'll say thank you and connect you to whoever you are calling. Another thing at Nortel in installed was a yellow card reader. These can be ripped out with a screw driver. You can bring them home, hook them up to your computer and read/modify cards. These read calling cards, credit cards, smart cards and cash cards. They make a loud beep if you hang up the phone and you leave a card in the slot. The yellow card reader also checks your card against a list of fraudulent cards in a matter of seconds. The Nortel Millennium Payphone also has a display screen. The display screen has 2 lines. On the top line, it has the date and time. On the bottom line it usually has advertisements. Most phreaks would love to change the screen to display something like: "THiS P4YpH0n3 iS 0WnED bY _______" Well, to do this, you need the two keys for the key holes on the top left side of the phone. After you unlock them, you have to enter an access code (or PIN) from the keypad. (If you do not enter the PIN the computer inside sets off an alarm, I am not sure if it's silent or a loud beep) After you do that you can take off the top part of the Millennium. Inside you'll find a port that you plug a keypad into. Then, and only then, you can change it. I have never seen anyone actually do these but that is what most phreaks have told me. I don't know where you can get a keypad or who makes them. If you raid a phone truck you'll probably find one. I think Nortel makes them but I am not sure. You need the keyboard to write custom messages on the screen but you can change what is written on the screen. There are several preset, unchangeable, messages you can make appear on the Millennium's screen from the keypad. You can't put whatever you want but you can put other things. To do this, you must have op codes. Opcodes are short strings of numbers that are preset functions on Millenniums. However, you must correctly enter a PIN before you have the chance to input Opcodes. I heard from a phreaker that what you have to do is dial 2541965 with the hook down. Another (but unconfirmed) number was 2727378. After you dialled it, you would be asked for an access code (or PIN). One of the PIN was 25563. I think there's more than one PIN. After you entered the PIN, you could enter any opcode. Here are a list of opcodes: 267 # Answer detect 274 # Display brightness control (down?) 277 # Display brightness control (up?) 349 # Unknown - Someone know this one? 636 # Memory Access 688 # Unknown - Possibly the "Out of Service" message 66666 # Motor sound, prompts to open phone - Probably coin removal 996 # "Error has occurred" You can enter the opcodes above or scan to see if you can find anymore. There are many other opcodes that I haven't found. However, the first known "config" number that I said above, 2541965, doesn't work now. I am not sure if the PIN still works on another number. We are working to find out any other config numbers. Try your phone number, it might work. If you find one, send it to me. The Millennium also has a small computer inside (not surprising) but most phreaks do not realise the power this small computer has. It keeps a log of EVERY call made (including 800, 888, 877, 911, 611, 411, 311, and 0) and how the person paid for the call (collect, card, coin) but that's not all, It also knows exactly the number of coins in the coin box. It also keep an eye on all the other systems (yellow card reader, display screen, etc) and if there is something wrong, it sends an alarm to Bell Canada, and Bell sends a lineman to check it out. I am not sure of this but I think that it might have a tracking device inside or maybe every time that it's connected to a phone line it calls bell and gives it's location. Either way, that means that if you want to steal the payphone they probably will track you down. The computer also makes a log about every time a linemen (or phreak) changes something like the display screen or if someone open the coin box or if anyone opens the top part (just to look around). So be careful if you try to mess with it. Many, many people think that Millenniums can't ring because if you call them, you get a message saying: "This line is for outgoing calls only" but they all have a bell inside and they can ring. If you look under the place where the number of the phone is located, you will see a small speaker. This is where the ringing comes from. The only reason that most people thing that Millenniums can't ring is because only operators can call Millenniums. When you call up the operator, the op will see 0(+) MIL_CARD or 0(+) MIL_UNIV on her computer screen along with your location. If you want to hear a Millennium ring, you have to call the op and ask her to call you back (you must convince her), or you can harass the op until she get so pissed off at you that she calls you back. I don't think she would call you back because most ops don't think that they can call payphones so they'll call the cops. I have also hear from a follow phreaker that 911 operators will also call you back, but I have never tried. There may be some Millenniums that have never rung, but they all do have an internal ringer. Well, that's all I know about the Nortel Millennium Payphone. I hope this helps you. Later All! Shout outs to 416/905, Korben416, C/NR, XYU416, Demos416, Hexnix, Mojo, Twiggy, HEX5, and [r]adead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you want more information on Millennium payphones, here are some numbers for you to call. 800-268-5933 Bell Canada, Payphone Department (Toll Free) 800-4 NORTEL (800-466-7835) Northern Telecom (Nortel) 214-684-5930 Northern Telecom (Nortel) 416-748-2694 Bell Canada, Payphone Department 1998