Phone Phreaking: Innovation at 2600Hz

[@CaptainKRB]

Corrections: 1. In the video, I only mention DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) when describing the methods used by phone phreakers. However, both DTMF and MF (multi-frequency) were used as telecom signaling systems throughout the 20th century, and both saw their fair share of manipulation through phone phreaking. 2. While the publishing of the Bell System Technical Journal did reveal the workings of multi-frequency signaling to the general public, it should not be considered the sole reason for the popularization of phone phreaking, nor should (in my opinion) the technologies used by Bell System have been considered proprietary in the first place.

[@m.streicher8286]

Phone freakers are a natural market force and phone companies were made to improve because of them.

[@T.Imhotep]

“Exploding the Phone” by Phil Lapsley is an essential read for anyone interested in phone phreaking. A well researched and thoroughly outstanding book.

[@Ganerrr]

yo if you keep up this type of content you will become huge, love the topics and aesthetic

[@addiesworld1855]

I have no idea if you are still reading comments on this video but you have to check out Evan Doorbell. Classic phone phreaker kid in the 70s, but he has a lot of recordings and recreations and explains how all of the old equipment worked and what machines you pass through on certain long distance calls. Absolutely stellar.

[@SharpForceTrauma]

There's entries in the Anarchist Cookbook 2005 edition about phone phreaking, I was admittedly born too soon to know what the hell that was, so learned something new here!

[@Wenlocktvdx]

I read a story in the early 80s that happened in the UK during WWII. An officer in the British army was required to serve in London and would call his wife frequently. She lived in the North of England and complained about the enforced separation. The calls kept getting disconnected and the GPO conducted an investigation as the officer complained the calls being disconnected on purpose. They soon found that the lady’s wails of complaint had imitated the frequency of the cleardown tone. Operators saw the hangup indication and disconnected the calls. Back in the 70s in Australia, there were a lot of payphones that had a black button which was used when an operator assisted in connecting a call. I had been able to whistle that tone and make the operator think the button was pressed. Confusing when you whistled it from a house phone. Lol

[@mirskym]

It's the computer system that reacted to the whistle, not a human. And they didn't have these during WWII so the story is bogus.

[@Wenlocktvdx]

Correct that it wasn't a computer and long distance calls were mainly manual at that time. What did exist was a filter, relay and lamp on the operators board. When the local exchange registers reset, a relay sends tone to the LD line. The filter passes it to an amplifier, which operates the relay to send power to the lamp. So, the lady's squeals managed to get through the filter and turn the lamp on. Operators would then pull the jacks and return the line to the pool.

[@nodraw_]

I never thought that it can be such a deep topic! Once again, brilliant video, cap! I loved your playlist as well! You are criminally underrated

[@Triamgle]

After vibing to the album for 4 hours straight i can 100% say that all the songs slap hard

[@eneaceribelli8023]

13:01 Exit the Premises - Kevin Macleod Excellent musical choices

[@occamsrazor1285]

4:43 Someone set us up the bomb?

[@bekocef4278]

i remember seeing this in a movie, now I understand how it works

[@AustinD233]

I know right

[@himanbam]

Same. In the show Raising Hope the grandparents have to use a recorder (like the instrument) to dial numbers because they were still using a rotary phone on the newer system. I never knew there was this much to it.

[@mailman019]

Phreddy Phreaker

[@ludditeneaderthal]

As a youngster in the late 60s, i remember one of my dad's pals had a "quarter box" (generated the tone dropping a quarter in a payphone made) that fit in a marlboro cigarette hard pack. Squeeze where the surgeon generals warning currently resides, "beeep" resulted. He presumably made years of free long distance calls at nyc payphones with that little toy, lol

[@yadoriyadori]

suprised you're not at 20 billion subs yet . criminally underrated .

[@GuyNamedSean]

I'm even more shocked that the content has been this good and this consistent and he's still small.

[@deliboy8895]

Gatekeeping

[@Immortalrounin]

Honestly yeah every video I've seen so far is well made and captivating.

[@maikelfeskens9322]

He has no subtitles.....

[@Prezzen77]

@@GuyNamedSean 20 Million would still be impressive honestly

[@kevinthefox]

It took them 50 years to figure out an exploit in the system they themselves designed. And the fix was shutting it down. Geniuses there at bell

[@Ronnocbot]

Amazing production quality of this video! Also, I love the random Windows sounds that were sprinkled in :)

[@louie9373]

To think that someone with a telephone could whistle a frequency and rotate the earth in the opposite direction so long as the frequency was properly routed... [wilhelm scream] says to me that we are living in a hackable system and choice is the precursor to infinity.

[@zeldafreak247]

I subscribe to you when you released your Bruno Powroznik video. All of your videos are incredibly high quality and I'm surprised you don't have a higher subscriber count at this point. Almost all of your uploads have piqued my interest as soon as I saw they were uploaded. I really hope you blow up someday soon, you deserve it

[@entropynme]

Look mum no computer has a couple of really interesting videos messing around with a telephone exchange. Actually seeing how the pulse dialing routes the physical electrical connection made it all click for me

[@samhain183]

I remember making a Blue Box out of a modified DTMF module I got from radioshack. By the late 90s, the transmit microphone was shut off until you connected a call, in order to combat the Red Boxes. You got around it by calling an 800 number then getting the receiver to hang up so you could drop tones.

[@SaanMigwell]

Yep, we called those trap lines. Ironically they had to remain vulnerable by law, still true to this day, I use them to unmask *67 callers.

[@samhain183]

@@SaanMigwell I wasn’t aware they had to remain vulnerable by law. Phones/trunking etc always fascinated me but, that only partially followed me to computers. I am in no way a hacker, not sure I could be considered a phreaker.

[@SaanMigwell]

@@samhain183 Toll Free numbers, in order to remain toll free they had to always be ready to accept the Toll Free 1-800 prefix. essentially whenever you call Toll Free, the line has to accept tones, or it can't be toll free. (you can switch hook it too, but that takes forever) Toll Free numbers are still around and the PSTN is still used around the world. The US keeps saying they are going to send it the way of analog TV signals, but it hasn't happened yet.

[@kreuner11]

Also, DTMF is what the user uses, but the inter exchange communication is called MF signaling Also also, the major reason prheaking died out was the fact that digital systems replaced analog ones, thus the MF signaling system was only used to call older analog systems still present

[@jayst]

Love the pilotredsun music in the background 😎 Edit: oh crap I just realized you made that first song too? Dang man I really dig it

[@octosalias5785]

I never hear anyone bring this up anymore, but its always fascinated me

[@CryptoTonight9393]

In the early 2000's I made a redbox out of my ipod. You had to get an operator on the phone and get them to place the call since the payphones mic was disabled till the call was connected but it worked.

[@LaughingManCK]

I really enjoyed this. It reminded me of a thing I did in the late 90s. SMS was between 10 and 20p per message, but I got them for free by changing the service centre number to one that looked like it was frem somewhere in Israel or Jordan or somewhere near there. I was never charged for sms for a few years!

[@BobyTechno]

You always find the craziest obscure topics to talk about !

[@ipaqmaster]

KZbin just showed me this and I absolutely love the analogue hacking world especially phreaking. Its such a fun and interesting topic I couldn't not click. Your video format and editing quality is fantastic. I look forward to your channel's inevitable blowup

[@sourdface]

No phreaking way. What a phreaking story.

[@astroluxx4351]

I can't help but giggle like a child when you say phreaking lol. "Automate the Phreaking process."

[@Dekkia_]

I strongly dislike the narritive that this was only possible because Bell Labs published the technical data on how DTMF works. That's called security be obscurity and only works if nobody ever gets courious enough about it to figure it out themselves.

[@RingoBuns]

Love the casio SK-1 usage on the last track of the video!

[@RagaThrone]

might be one of your most interesting videos as of now. very nice.

[@maritimehal]

Incredibly interesting video, very well put together.

[@jacobnash1759]

Found this channel recently, seriously high quality content.

[@ProjectRedfoot]

I remember hanging out at a McDonald's in the '90s and one of my brother's friends showed us how to get money back from the pay phone, then he used the quarters to call a dirty 900 number lmao (probably dimes & nickels, now that I think about it

[@poweradereal]

absolutely killer music choice omg

[@xenonquark996official]

New phreaking video from KRB let’s goooooo!!!!!!

[@nathanbackner8742]

Modded a radio shack pocket tone dialer for free phone calls from pay phones back in the day. 2600 is an awesome mag named after this shit.

[@Vinpupx1]

Great video! I was always curious about phone phreaking.

[@UXXV]

Great video - MF / DTMF was only glaring problem that could confuse folks

[@prinzchen17]

That was a wonderful made piece❤ You deserved to be picked up by the algorithm a long time ago! 💫

[@raycarney5941]

This bring back memories of my early days phreaking. Still have by blue box

[@hansoak3664]

Switch Hooking worked on rotary and touch-tone phones. It wasn't dependent upon the dialing method provided by the phone as the hook switch operating the same regardless of the dialing method provided by the device. There were several local bars that used cheap payphones that simply disabled the dial pad. Switch Hooking allowed anyone to use the phone without paying. I found out about it one day when I was bored and playing with the hook switch on my own phone. If memory serves, it was one more pulse than the number. So to dial 1, you did two pulses. Or, maybe it was the same number and 0 was ten pulses. It's been a long time so memory fades. Timing was everything though when dialing that way. With enough practice you could even do it drunk... We did. 😂 I dialed that way regularly even on my home phone instead of using the touchpad. It was good practice and kind of fun.

[@bromisovalum8417]

Reminds me of the early 1990s when I downloaded plans for various color boxes from BBS's h/p/a section (hacking/phreaking/anarchy). I only managed to build a simple black box though (voltage when ringing is kept after picking up). Blueboxing must have still worked in my country in those days as I remember reading about a guy in another city getting caught and charged with fraud, had to sell his car in order to pay the fine.

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

This was very interesting; thanks for making it!

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

"Phreaking was no longer the anonymous act it had always been..." ...before this point.

[@neXxsuss]

- this takes me back.

[@lewddrip5383]

your videos are simply amazing.

[@efnln-t4m]

Whistled DTMF? WHAT A FEAT!

[@noswad7898]

I love this kind of content man. Keep up the great work and you will blow up like yo deserve!

[@jasonhoch7105]

As a teen in the late 90s, I caught the tailwind of this. I quickly discovered I could use my the Talkboy I got for Xmas one year to use pay phones…with no change required. I downloaded a few mp3s with the required tones (took quite a while with a 33.6k modem), then transferred them to a cassette in a particular order. Had one cassette that was just the tone pattern for a quarter played over and over. Sadly, cell phones destroying the need for pay phones ruined my fun very quickly. lol Such a stupid simple system to hack. I’m amazed the phone companies kept it that way for decades.

[@embasorangiratina36]

Huh so thats where the whistle part in Jazzpunk is from. Fascinating.

[@thomthumbe]

I recall subscribing to 2600 magazine. I’ve got years and years of 2600…stuffed in boxes, somewhere in my basement. I wonder if they are still in business? My brother-in-law worked for Ma Bell, and he would get bell system, Western Electric and AT&T books and manuals for me. Some pubs I wore out…..others got read and then tossed into a box. Fun times!

[@petermarshall1634]

Nice minecraft background music Edit: Gartic phone sound effects at 3:38

[@Anamnesia]

I briefly met John Draper in the mid-90's... Odd guy, but mostly harmless.

[@thenifell]

Such a comfy subject.

[@WeightlessBallast]

A fascinating video, well done! Subscribed! (Pun not intended.)

[@Sintoolkicks]

Wish you had more subs and views. You deserve it.

[@noThankyou-g5c]

the _freaking_ subculture

[@namesdom]

Fitting that aria math plays during the mathematical section 7:23

[@enamitv]

Great video! Was searching to see what could be done in this day & age - In the UK (aged 12) our friend group found a way to exploit crossed lines for free calls. I also got a hack code that made free calls from phone boxes in 1988.... (through my Dad of all things)

[@CharlesVanNoland]

lol, the Zero Wing jam on there. #AYBABTU

[@G1itcher]

Really great video. Interesting, well researched, engaging, nicely edited. Instant sub!

[@meperorold]

Whoa that is pretty cool

[@wasa1207]

Yay! people get to experiment with their stuff that they bought! Hack and stuff, but not other people's stuff.

[@DavidPopeOfficial]

Around 2003/2004 there was a payphone in my neighborhood where we could still drop in a dime to flip the switch, and then play quarter tones from a tape recorder, and then hit coin return to get roughly $5 at a time and then go buy a few sodas. We did it at least 3 times a week. Around 2005 though, they had switched the system and it no longer worked and not long after that the phone disappeared as did most payphones.

[@PopYTP]

fascinating video, you're very underrated for the type of content you make. kinda reminds me of emplemon... keep it up dude!

[@daviddickey9832]

IIRC this is where the title for 2600 magazine came from

[@NotLe0n]

Absolutely banger of a video! I have no idea how this has so few views.

[@PixelatedCube64]

Wow! A video exactly the day I get back home :)

[@TDGalea]

Fantastic quality video with Minecraft music in the background? I am a happy man.

[@uhhnoah7991]

Pilotredsun appreciater let's go

[@barnabywilde374]

there was also pay phone phreaking where the action of inserting coins for a pay phone call were faked by the phreaker with a tape player or DIY module, thus making all pay phone charges, local and long distance, FREE. The faked tones and clicks would fool even a live operator as inserted nickels, dimes and quarters each had their own "sound". The steel cable on the handsets of pay phones were installed to prevent a very simple act of early phreaking. Before the steel cables were in place, you could stick a needle or pin into the pay phone handset wire and "short dial". Whereas a pay phone needed the appropriate coin deposited before releasing a dial tone, you could pierce the handset cord and electrically short the wiring with the needle and THAT would release the dial tone, and you could dial away FREE. Then there was amateur "phreaking" where you'd call your parents or such from a pay phone, let it ring let's say 3 times, and hang up. Those 3 rings were code for your parents to come pick you up after the movie you went to see with your friends was over. As long as no one answered while the 3 rings occurred, the caller would get his dime returned from the pay phone because of an incomplete call. Thus, FREE.

[@estcoco4life]

I learn something today

[@erikschiegg68]

My HP41 calculator had back then a synthetic programming module that allowed to play the sounds for dialing a phone number etc.

[@pedrocx486]

Come to think of it… isn’t the iPhone a Phreaking box? When you press a number in the dialer (without silent mode) it outputs pretty accurate DTMF tones. Other smartphones I believe also do it, but the iPhone I believe is pretty accurate in the frequency it emits. Someone at Apple had the last laugh…

[@davef21370]

I remember in the 90's calling a freephone number that got through to a defunct exchange in Trinidad & Tobago that just played a recorded message saying it was no longer in use. Used a pre-recorded 2600 tone played from a Sony Walkman in a phone box and hey presto, not as defunct as they let on! Just for fun of course ;) Also wrote a software wardialler and blue box for the Mac, wish I still had the code.

[@Varaldar]

Only 24k views after a year? This video is great!

[@kif8522]

His intro voice has a smoldery, teen anakin angst to it.

[@langap1]

give this man some views youtube

[@flyingblind5677]

There’s gonna be a movie about this

[@gonzo_the_great1675]

Interesting that at 11:36 there is a picture of a British phone, an a documentary by a US channel. Though phreaking was going on in the UK too, at the time.

[@poindextertunes]

Has anyone seen Pirates of Silicon Valley? They briefly touch on Blue Boxes

[@wallaceorin7887]

These Phreakers remind me of the Freqs that built the pyramids.

[@johnwayneasgenghiskhan4699]

Love it, subbed. 👍

[@JesusRocksTryPrayin]

Where does this guy find these stories? And the videos are so quality!! :D like.. The one "Mini-clips" episode that was a few hours.. That thing should be a resume for, whoever. It had intros between everything AND KEPT IT'S FLOW. Idk :D I wanna get away from film... but the production of these vids needs to be called out. WELL DONE.

[@maxammo]

Phreaking perfect.

[@gnarfarmer]

bro accidentally created hacking as a child

[@sudofox]

I think you should have better differentiated DTMF from MF tones because they are different things, DTMF tones could just be dialed from any touch tone keypad, they're not special, MF tones on the other hand, that's the ticket. Joybubbles couldn't whistle MF tones because they're comprised of two different frequencies, I think rather he would be using bursts of 2600 hz. For wardialing, you could also call it Janning.

[@Lucas_McToucas]

aria math goes hard

[@L0rdOfThePies]

0:51 hey lol i have a phone exactly like that stock photo from 1970s

[@CTLanni]

In the 1970's one could use a diode to prevent the coins from dropping into the cashbox on payphones. After the call just hang up , pick up the handset, and hang up again. Voila, out comes the cash... (not that I ever did such a thing!)

[@wallaceorin7887]

This is freaking awesome! Rick James would have been proud.

[@ButcherTTV]

Such interesting history

[@kreuner11]

I have a better explanation for switch hooking Before DTMF button dialing, sending your desired phone number to your local central office required sending pulses, one pulse was 1, nine pulses was 9, ten pulses was 0. To assist with this, a phone dial would do this automatically, however it can be done by quickly pressing the hook switch usually used to detect the phone has been hung up

[@mikebell2112]

A sequence of pulses on the hang up switch? Well I'm sighted and did it for the heck of it when I was 12. Let's say the sequence is very... obvious.

[@arojaaspmf]

Ready player one

[@Povilaz]

Very interesting!

[@NotOnLand]

I wish I had known about this as a kid, I would've gotten so many free calls lmao