Caller ID Info

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 21

Hi all,
I am a new client and when making my first call to a friend I was told that my Caller ID now displayed my phone number twice. Whereas it used to display our Last Name and then our phone number. I sent an email to support and their response was quite nebulous.

Does anyone know if we have the option to have the caller id information be changed back to what it used to be? Name and Number?
Thanks,
RA

Posts: 656 · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

Since Vonage opened in 2001, there has been no support for Outbound name on Caller ID. There are many posts on this forum in which I have explained the expectations. I will give you a quick run down.

When placing calls to people, their display may show many acceptable industry standards for CNAM display. This is due to the receiving carrier of the call can chose how to display name when the CNAM database does not have a name for the referenced phone number.

This is what your name may display on your outbound calls and is within acceptable industry standards.

1) Your Number
2) Unknown
3) Unavailable
4) The City / State your number comes from

These are the main 4 but there could be others.

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 21

VonTechMgr wrote:

...This is what your name may display on your outbound calls and is within acceptable industry standards.

1) Your Number
2) Unknown
3) Unavailable
4) The City / State your number comes from

These are the main 4 but there could be others.

Thanks for your reply. But what do you mean by "What is acceptable?" Acceptable by whom? Do you mean by Vonage? All I am saying is it is helpful when I call someone (and when I receive calls) for them to know it is me. By displaying my phone number on line one and then repeating it on line 2 that is not adding value. Am I missing something?
RA

Posts: 656 · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:24 am Post subject:

Vonage does not supply name on outbound calls at all. Callling to Vonage will not help you since this not a setting that can be turned on by tech support.

The way caller ID works is the provider who owns the number publishes the name of the registered leaser of the phone number into a CNAM database. When a call is placed, the receiving carrier does a dip into a CNAM database using the phone number and pulls the name associated to provide a display to the person being called. Since Vonage DOES NOT publish names into a CNAM database, there wont be any name record for your phone number when the receiving carrier does the dip. Therefore they will populate name with one of the acceptable values.

By acceptable I mean by national telcom industry standards, these are acceptable values when a name is not present. These values are not passed by Vonage. These values are passed from the receiving phone provider to the receiving customer when the calling phone number does not have a name in a CNAM database.

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 21

VonTechMgr wrote:

Vonage does not supply name on outbound calls at all. Callling to Vonage will not help you since this not a setting that can be turned on by tech support.

The way caller ID works is the the provider who owns the number publishes the name of the registered leaser of the phone number into a CNAM database. When a call is placed, the receiving carrier does a dip into a CNAM database using the phone number and pulls the name associated to provide a display to the person being called. Since Vonage DOES NOT publish names into a CNAM database, there wont be any name record for your phone number when the receiving carrier does the dip. Therefore they will populate name with one of the acceptable values.

By acceptable I mean by national telcom industry standards, these are acceptable values when a name is not present. These values are not passed by Vonage. These values are passed from the receiving phone provider to the receiving customer when the calling phone number does not have a name in a CNAM database.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. Now I understand what you are referring to. It appears that Verizon somehow merges what is in the CNAM database along with the account holders' name... Seems if Verizon could do that others should be able to. Maybe I am oversimplifying things...

Again, I do thank you for your explanation. At least I know the status of this item.
Regards,
RA

Posts: 656 · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

Most phone companies do provide name because they have LEC status and have full control of their numbers. Vonage is not a LEC. Vonage does not own any phone numbers. Vonage leases them and resells them to their customers.

LEC = Local Exchange Carrier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_exchange_carrier

Vonage has to use a CLEC in order to connect calls to the traditional phone service providers. The CLEC owns and maintains the numbers used by Vonage customers. There is a high cost that comes with the maintaining of a CNAM database. Vonage has multiple CLEC's that are used to be able to provide Vonage with phone numbers all over the country.

So in theory, Vonage is not a traditional phone company. It only provides the ability to route calls via IP which is how it can keep the costs down. But Vonage has to interconnect to PSTN using a carrier for outbound calls as well as for inbound calls.

When using Voip, many providers do not offer name on caller ID but some do. There will be limitations as well as advantages. A limitation with Vonage is no name on outbound calls.

But at the same time, call Verizon if you live in NY and tell them to assign you a phone number in California so your friends and relatives that live in LA can call you as if you lived next door. Guess what? Not possible because a traditional phone company is limited to provide you with a working phone number from your LOCAL area only. Vonage does not have this type of restriction. You can live anywhere in the US and get a number from anywhere else in the US Vonage has a foot print in. You can even get virtual numbers from other countries.

So there is a trade off on what you can and cannot do.

On a side note, Verizon wireless does not populate their database with customer names. That is why when calling from a Verizon cell phone, the name will most likely read Wireless Caller. That is what they populate all their phones number's names with in the CNAM database.