Can you believe this? A number you can't call!

Posts: 16

I signed up with Vonage today using my friend's e-mailed recommendation. My home number will be transferred, but my LOA has not yet been sent in.

When my friend tried to call me after Vonage e-mailed him that I had signed up, the call was routed to my Vonage account, directing him to my mail box which isn't set up instead of ringing to my home phone. However, if he calls from his cell phone, the call goes through as do calls from all other callers.

Much to my amazement, when I called Customer Service to alert them to the problem, I was told that it is supposed to work that way! He can't call me using his Vonage line until I get my adapter and hook up! Surprised

Go figure.

I guess many of you already know this.

BTW, the adapter being sent is the Linksys RT31P2 (with 3 computer ports).

Posts: 2252

gridbias wrote:

When my friend tried to call me after Vonage e-mailed him that I had signed up, the call was routed to my Vonage account, directing him to my mail box which isn't set up instead of ringing to my home phone.

You need to login to DashBoard and change the forwarding on your Vonage number to your home number until your box arrives, that’s all. Smile

Quote:

Much to my amazement, when I called Customer Service to alert them to the problem, I was told that it is supposed to work that way! He can't call me using his Vonage line until I get my adapter and hook up!...

Well, what did you want the call to do?, seeing that you do not have the box pulled in yet? Ring where? Defaulting to your voicemail (until you change that via DashBoard) seems like the right thing to do, correct me if I am wrong.

Posts: 16 · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 7:37 am Post subject:

Hi Dan,

Thanks for setting me straight. My friend, who has had Vonage for several months was as amazed as I was. I just didn't seem logical that calls via Vonage to a non-Vonage number would be routed to a mailbox. My home number is not a Vonage number until the changover takes place.

Well, at least I know what is is what is supposed to be. I can live with it.

Thanks again.

Posts: 16 · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:58 pm Post subject: Turns out it's a Vonage problem

Update:
My friend called Vonage to find out why he couldn't call my home number. Then Vonage tried to call and could not reach me either.

Vonage tech. service finally reached me and said that there is a technical problem which is blocking my number. They are working to fix it.

I think Customer Service and others who read my post did not understand what I was trying to explain. The fact was that no Vonage phone was able to reach my home number, a number which will be switched to Vonage but is still with Verizon at present. At the same time, any non-Vonage phone could successfully reach my number.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 5:14 pm Post subject:

The "problem" you are describing is normal and to be expected as far as I can tell. The "problem" is that Vonage has setup your account as being an active Vonage phone number, so the Vonage system goes to dial and sees that the # is local to Vonage and instead of going out a gateway it is sent directly through the Vonage server to your ATA...upon not getting an answer/not reaching the ATA it goes to VM.

Now what you should do is just go into your account settings, go into the Features and make a few changes. Change the Network Availability Number to point to your cell phone, this tells the Vonage system that if it cannot reach your ATA to forward the call to your cell phone...this would work if your cable modem is out, power out, etc...all incoming calls would just forward to your cell. You can also setup other forwarding options so that it can forward after you don't answer, or rings your cell and home/Vonage line at the same time, etc.

I personally took my landline phone and forwarded it to the Vonage temporary/virtual #. This way I could simple disconnect my landline and forget it existed until the transfer went through. All calls would come to my Vonage line and voicemail...instead of having to deal with 2 different voicemail boxes.

Posts: 16 · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 2:15 pm Post subject:

I think you are right. This situation is normal. It is also a moot point now, since my adapter came yesterday and I am running on my temporary number.

Apparenly what takes place is that Vonage IMMEDIATELY switches my original number as to what Vonage calling numbers see. My friend tried to call my original number, but since it was switched within Vonage, it wanted to ring on my Vonage phone. This didn't work because I had not yet received my adapter. Now that I am connected, my friend connects via my Vonage connected phone no matter which number he dials (my original or my temporary).

No matter at this point, as my Vonage connection is connected and working perfectly, and I love it! Very Happy