New sign-up; Can't receive calls

Posts: 274 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 274

I've been a satisfied Vonage customer for several months already, and last night my father finally decided to take the referral and sign up for Vonage. He's got three lines in his house, one of which is used mainly for faxes.

When he signed up last night, he went to his Vonage account and entered his cell # as his network availability number for his two main lines--OK, no big deal there. Today, however, whenever I call either of his two house lines, I'm immediately transferred to his cell phone and get that voice mail. In effect, there is no way to call him or the family on their two main numbers.

Now, I realize it'll take a few weeks for those numbers to port from AT&T/SBC to Vonage, but in the meantime, can't he still receive calls on them? I know that I was able to receive calls during this transition time.

He's got virtual numbers for each line, so is there something that should be done with those? Truthfully, he's going to be ticked off to no end if everyone has to dial those numbers for the time being.

Edited to add: I just noticed that when I call my folks' house from my cell phone, I get through to both of their numbers, but when I call from my home phone--a Vonage phone line--I immediately get my father's network availability number (his cell phone).

Posts: 37 · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject:

I assume you are trying to call from your Vonage line. Vonage to Vonage calls are routed within the Vonage network. His numbers are already in the Vonage database and therefore if you call it tries to route your call to his Vonage phone. Does he have the adapter plugged in yet? If not, that would explain why you get his cell phone instead. The number transfer only matters for calls originating from the POTS network. If you call the numbers from a POTS line you will still be routed to his old analog line until the number transfer is complete and such calls will get routed to his Vonage phone as well.

Posts: 2 · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: Transfer in process

let me just ask, did your father unplug the phone from the wall jack?if so, ask him to plug a phone on the wall jack for him to be able to receive calls while the transfer is still in process.

you can use those virtual number to reach these numbers.

Posts: 274 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 274

superswiss wrote:

I assume you are trying to call from your Vonage line. Vonage to Vonage calls are routed within the Vonage network. His numbers are already in the Vonage database and therefore if you call it tries to route your call to his Vonage phone. Does he have the adapter plugged in yet? If not, that would explain why you get his cell phone instead. The number transfer only matters for calls originating from the POTS network. If you call the numbers from a POTS line you will still be routed to his old analog line until the number transfer is complete and such calls will get routed to his Vonage phone as well.

I figured this was the case, which is why I edited my original post to state that this was happening only when my brother and I, both Vonage customers, called from our Vonage home lines. When we call our father from our cell phones, the calls go through.

Because he signed up via the Internet, he won't get his adapters in for a few days.

Posts: 274 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 274

He actually has three lines in his house: two for voice and one for mostly faxes. IMHO, Vonage doesn't make it that simple to sign up for more than one line via the Internet.

I was with him when he signed up online for service. Then he wanted to add (port) his two additional lines. He did it online, but then the order summary showed multiple orders with multiple activation fees and multiple, duplicate charges and all. He then had to call Vonage--his first experience with Vonage support, ugh!--to get it all straightened out.

The biggest argument was with the Vonage rep. telling us that he couldn't use a fax machine on a voice line; it wouldn't work. They tried to tell him that if he ported his current fax number, because it's a voice line, a fax machine wouldn't work; it had to be a data line only. Of course, he repeatedly told the rep., "My two sons ported their fax numbers and are using their fax machines on secondary voice lines, so don't give me that crap." The rep. kept trying to get him to add his fax to a new Vonage-provided tel. #.

I can't wait to see what happens when he tries to get the three lines up and running. I see problems cropping up if they don't send him two adapters for the three lines.