Anonymous Call Rejection / Screening not working

Posts: 233 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:12 am Post subject:

There are so many loopholes in the Do Not Call Registry. I had a funny call back in my Verizon days. Verizon called me with a sales call to extend my services. I told them I didn't want sales calls and I was on the Do Not Call Registry. They reminded me that the Do Not Call Registry doesn't apply if you are a customer of the company. So I told them not to call me back. Verizon said they would put me on their own Do Not Call list. The very next evening I got a call from Verizon asking me if I was sure I wanted on their Do Not Call list. It was difficult to maintain myself, but I told them I did not want any further contact. I guess there is no honor if they find you.

I'm glad to hear you have a solution, I just hate to hear you have to change companies to get there. I can understand your frustration. In my own case I guess the features at Vonage just out weigh my other options. The toll free number option has been a life saver. So we each land where we find our needs met. Hopefully we can influence the companies to advance and meet all of our needs. I still wonder why Vonage has not moved forward with the feature. Maybe I missed the explanation somewhere. Good luck!

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:55 am Post subject:

The last explanation I ever heard from anyone is the supposed fact that older devices cannot support ACR. Which is probably true enough, I suppose, but I'd rather see ACR implemented directly on the Vonage server and not on my device.

If ACR was implemented on the Vonage server, calls would go immediately to voicemail (or be rejected, or whatever) before my device rings and realizes that it is a call I want rejected. Also, I would think that it would allow me to put specific phone numbers on a list of callers to reject, which could be a useful feature if someone was bothering me. I'm pretty sure the devices don't have anything resembling that feature.

It is rather sad that they don't have it. Of course, I've never had a use for it, but I'm one of the lucky ones that got a "pure as the driven snow" number from a brand new exchange, so it's never been circulated anywhere. I can see where it would be useful, and it would be nice if Vonage would add it.

It would also be nice if their reps would stop saying they do have it. Reports of it being said by a Vonage rep are rare, but this isn't the first time it's been reported, and it's certainly not good for Vonage's reputation...

Posts: 328 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 13, 2005 Posts: 328

If you put ACR in your Voip device (ATA), then your phone will not ring. The device gets the caller ID as part of the call setup and it need not ring the phone.

As an example, the F1000 WiFi phone (and the F3000 as well)does include this feature and will not ring at all if it gets a "black listed" or if the call is anonymous. The phone sends the "rejection" message back to the server without indicating anything to the user. The server then sends the call to voice mail. This works fine with Vonage (I have it on a soft phone account with an unlocked phone).

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:19 am Post subject:

howiewifi -

Thanks for clearing that up.

So the Vonage adapter gets all the information it needs, then "holds on" to it until after the first ring, where it presents the caller ID data packet to the analog line. That makes perfect sense, and I wish I had thought of that before opening my stupid mouth. Smile

Posts: 328 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 13, 2005 Posts: 328

That is how it works. The Analog phone needs the first ring to "wake it up" to read the Caller ID. The adapter (or WiFi phone) is on all the time and in communication with Vonage so it gets the Caller ID as part of the set up and then holds it for the phone.

I am not sure, but it is possible that some of the integrated cordless phone devices (Uniden or V-Tech) would do the same thing, at least they could technically do it.

Posts: 83 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:50 pm Post subject:

If you have a modem in your computer...split off the phone line from Vonage and plug 1 end into your modem...then let this free program take care of unwanted calls....Phone Tray..you can download it here..
http://phonetray.traysoft.com/freecalleridsoftware_features.htm

Posts: 282 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject:

NateHoy wrote:

galion wrote:

...I have considered a device from Privacy Corps. I hadn't bought it yet so I can't testify...

I've never used such a device, but there is one problem with it (not a fatal flaw, but not something you can easily work around, either)...

Devices like that depend on caller ID data, of course. Caller ID data is sent from Vonage between the first and second rings. That means that, while Anonymous/unwanted calls will be rejected if you have one of those gadgets set up right, the calls will ring at least once before rejection.

While I was a Vonage customer, I bought and used the CallerID box from Privacy Corps and it works very well.

It does not ring your phone at all for any blocked or anonymous numbers, because it collects the CallerId before passing ringing to your phone line (if you install it between your Voip adapter and house wiring). It provides multiple options on what and how to block numbers.