Introduction 1

Part I: The ABCs of Telecom Service 7

Chapter 1: A Buyer's Scoop on Telecom 9

Chapter 2: Making (And Living with) Telecom Decisions 23

Chapter 3: Getting Around the Telecom Neighborhood 43

Part II: Reviewing Telecom Products and Prices 53

Chapter 4: Understanding Dedicated Service Requirements 55

Chapter 5: Meeting Toll-Free Service, the Red-Headed Stepchild of Telecom 65

Chapter 6: Getting the Non-Accountant's Guide to Your Phone Bill 89

Part III: Ordering and Setting Up Telecom Service 111

Chapter 7: Ordering Regular Phone Lines and New Long-Distance Service 113

Chapter 8: Ordering Dedicated Service 133

Chapter 9: Ordering Toll-Free Service 165

Chapter 10: Activating Your Dedicated Circuit and Toll-Free Numbers 193

Part IV: Taking Care of Your Telecom System 209

Chapter 11: Maintaining Your Telecom Services 211

Chapter 12: Troubleshooting Switched Network Issues 233

Chapter 13: Troubleshooting Your Dedicated Circuits 259

Part V: What's Hot (Or Just Geeky) in the Telecom World 293

Chapter 14: Transferring Data, Not Just Voice Content 295

Chapter 15: Riding the Internet Wave: VoIP 309

Part VI: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 16: Ten Acronyms and What They Really Mean 327

Chapter 17: Ten Troublesome Telecom Traits to Avoid 331

Chapter 18: Ten Places to Go for Hints and Help 337

Appendix: Making a Loopback Plug 343

Index 347