Dish Network DVR & Vonage

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 3

Thank you alchemy....

When you say "They do care where the number is from, tho, as in location of number"...do you mean they look at the area code? When click on dialout or connection in the diagnostics menu, I do see that the connection is successful sometimes and failed to connect most of the times.

I argued with DishNetwork's customer/Technical support for more than an hour about this setup! Though I requested for a receiver that supports two Televisions, I just have one television connected to the receiver right now. After reading the posts on this forum, I increased the bandwidth saver on Vonage to 90K.....not sure if that will make a difference now....but, I still cannot view my statement on the TV. The worst part is, they wouldn't replace the receiver without a fees Cry

and also they tell me that they don't recognize Vonage as a Telephone company!...so I need to get a landline if I should not be charged the $4.99 fees every month. So, DishNetwork is sort of offering their services only to non VOIP customers!

Posts: 14

gelli786 wrote:

Thank you alchemy....

When you say "They do care where the number is from, tho, as in location of number"...do you mean they look at the area code? When click on dialout or connection in the diagnostics menu, I do see that the connection is successful sometimes and failed to connect most of the times.

I argued with DishNetwork's customer/Technical support for more than an hour about this setup! Though I requested for a receiver that supports two Televisions, I just have one television connected to the receiver right now. After reading the posts on this forum, I increased the bandwidth saver on Vonage to 90K.....not sure if that will make a difference now....but, I still cannot view my statement on the TV. The worst part is, they wouldn't replace the receiver without a fees Cry

and also they tell me that they don't recognize Vonage as a Telephone company!...so I need to get a landline if I should not be charged the $4.99 fees every month. So, DishNetwork is sort of offering their services only to non VOIP customers!

My sympathies, gelli786. I've had similar frustrating conversations with Dish. In the end, when they say "VoIP phone lines are not supported", they mean it. Cry

So, we're on our own, and I'm grateful to forums like this for allowing us to share knowledge, opinions, and occasional rants Smile

I do not know for sure, but suspect that as far as the receiver calling in, they only use some kind of receiver ID that the receiver passes thru the modem, not area code, etc., because Dish supposedly uses ANI for all their lines, which means they are getting a New Jersey area code, and yet I can reliably do PPV data on my Vonage lines. (If the receiver-dialed 800 numbers were CID instead of ANI then they would get the correct area code, and then location would be a factor, but that would be mighty strange because 800 numbers standardly use ANI.) They definitely use ANI for dial call in to order PPV lines, as it misidentifys us as New Jersey, and wont allow telephone PPV orders.

What's this all mean? In my opinion its that the modems in the receivers don't like VoIP lines - not high enough quality/bandwidth to make a reliable connection. Conspiracy theorists would say Dish did it on purpose - I don't give them that much credit. They send such a tiny amount of data back and forth that, if they wanted to be nice, they would just "slow" the modems down. Connection time on that 800 number is awfully short, and I'm sure they get great rates anyway. Don't forget that the roller-guide data is sent over the satellite, not the phone line.

One factor that keeps popping up is that those of us that have the Moto VTs seem to have better luck. I have 2 Moto VTs, and my receivers [811 w/*99 predial, 921 w/o predial b/c they have * locked out purposely] can each successfully call Dish on either line. If you have any friends you recruited for Vonage that would loan you their Moto VT you could try replacing the Linksys with it for a test and seeing if the problem went away. Its only one of a number of possible reasons the modems wont connect, but maybe worth a try. Based on the above comments, I don't think Dish would care if its a different number (mine always is, anyway). We might gain some info. My friends have been stubbornly resistant to trying Vonage, or I'd try it in reverse for you.

Then there are the creative approaches, like a wireless modem adapter, and a close, friendly, trusting neighbor's phone, or selling your dual receiver box on ebay (assuming you own it), and buying another single receiver box (verify that the serial number is okay [not write-off or stolen] with Dish before you give any seller money on ebay, or you may buy a paperweight).

I wish you continuing Good Luck! - Alchemy

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 3

Alchemy...you are awesome!! Not sure if I can solve my problem yet....but, the information you provided is great! I will try the stuff you mentioned in your response.
Thank you...gelli786

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 20, 2005 Posts: 1

[quote="espaeth"]If you have a 5xx series Dish DVR, I had great success with enabling the "wireless jack" setting which slows down the modem. Your bandwidth saver setting should also be 90k

] Rolling Eyes

Thanks for the great tips. I have a Mot VT with Charter cable and a DVR522. I changed the setting to 90k and now it connects. I literally had my box dial out a couple hundred times over a couple day period trying to handshake and then disconnect. Dish even replaced my box as a defective modem return. I talked to about a half dozen tech support personel and when I explained I was using VoiP I could tell I was getting the deer in the headlights response. I am curious as how to enable the wireless jack setting, I could not find it anywhere on the menu for the 522. Thanks.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 15, 2005 Posts: 4

I set up my DVR 625 and a 322 via RCA RC930 56K Wireless Phone Jack System adapters. Plugged both receivers in and they work fine on my vonage using the linksys router.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 13, 2004 Posts: 16

I have a 522 and a 322. All I did was plug them into the Motorola ATA. I cannot download my bill, but neither receiver complains about being connected. When I purchase a PPV movie, it shows up on my invoice, so I assume the receivers are successfully calling the mothership.

What kind of ATA are you using? Maybe you need to change.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 11, 2006 Posts: 2

Sounds like you have Vonage and the Dish 501 DVR. You can test the dial out by using the Menu Button and then go to System Settings and then Diagnostics, then click the Connection Button to test your connection. Please let me know how you set your system up since I really want to get Vonage but the dish connection issue has really been holding me up.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 13, 2004 Posts: 16

ryerye wrote:

Sounds like you have Vonage and the Dish 501 DVR. You can test the dial out by using the Menu Button and then go to System Settings and then Diagnostics, then click the Connection Button to test your connection. Please let me know how you set your system up since I really want to get Vonage but the dish connection issue has really been holding me up.

The test connection only checks to see if there is a dial tone. It doesn't actually dial out.

I suggest you sign up for Vonage (there is a 30-day return guarantee). Connect the DVR to it and see if it complains about the connection. You can check the vonage dashboard to see if the DVR dialed out.

It calls 800-267-9084. Check the dashboard to see if a call was made to this number. If it did, check the duration. As an ultimate test, purchase a PPV movie. Check for the call and for it on you bill. If it shows up, it works.

Good luck.

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Apr 03, 2005 Posts: 23

You could go to dish home, (ch 100) and goto no 1, customer service, and view your statement, it will have to connect to get that info.

The 508 I have calls the number listed above and another one.

Both are
18667672759
18002679084

Good luck.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 13, 2004 Posts: 16

Frostwolf wrote:

You could go to dish home, (ch 100) and goto no 1, customer service, and view your statement, it will have to connect to get that info.

The 508 I have calls the number listed above and another one.

Both are
18667672759
18002679084

Good luck.

I have a 522 and Vonage. While it can connect (for the $5.00 charge) and upload PPV data, it cannot download my statement. I have to do that online or via mail.