Incoming calls - virtual # rings, home # doesn't

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 15, 2009 Posts: 2

Hi - bought the V-portal adaptor today, installation went fine. Completed my number transfer form.

Incoming calls to our original # result in no phones ringing, although Caller ID is OK (over DirecTV, but NOT on any handsets). If we pick up an extension the we get a dial tone.

Tried a call to the virtual # Vonage assigned to us during our transfer period, and the phones ring, Caller ID okay on handsets (NOT DirecTV), and a good connection is made. I suspect the DirecTV won't display CID for the virtual # based on DirecTV setup.

Do I need to wait longer for the transfer to work before this [hopefully] fixes itself or should I call Vonage Tech Support?

Posts: 656 · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject:

If you place a call to the phone number your transferring, it will not ring through Vonage. It will ring through your existing phone company.

So you really didn't mention your setup. I am guessing you connected your phones to the Vonage telephone adapter but no phones are connected to your existing wall jacks.

1) Do you have a phone connected to the jacks in your wall and is the Ringer on that phone on?

2) Did you disconnect your home wiring already and connect the Vonage adapter into your wall jacks?

3) Do you only have phones connected to the Vonage adapter and nothing else?

You must keep in mind that while your number transfer is in progress, you essentially have 2 phone service providers. Vonage is providing service through the telephone adapter you got from Vonage and your existing phone company is still providing service through your wall jacks.

What might be confusing is that when you call out from Vonage, it shows that is coming from the number you are transferring. This is because it is in the Vonage database. However, since the number still resides on your previous carrier's switch, inbound calls will terminate to the original provider. That is why Vonage issues the temporary Virtual number in order for you to receive inbound calls on the Vonage network during your number transfer process.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 15, 2009 Posts: 2

My setup is Cable Modem (TWC) - WiFi Router - vPortal - Uniden Phone Base Station.

I ran the Voip speed test and got 81% QOS almost 6mbps download speed and 1.7 upload

We have 4 cordless handsets throughout the house.

There is a 'feed' that comes from BellSouth into our patch panel/distribution.

1) the only phone connected to any jack is the base station plugged into Phone port 1 on the vPortal
2) the 'feed' cable from BellSouth is unplugged from the distribution panel. The outside cable is still plugged into the box on the side of the house, but that is where the feed cable comes from, so I believe the provider is cut off.
3) yep. One base station phone connected to port 1 on the adapter, 4 cordless handsets throughout the house.

Is there a waiting period where the number being transferred can't be called if I've cut the provider 'feed? Do I need to keep the 'feed' connected until the number is fully transferred?

Can I leave the provider 'feed' connected AND the Adapter with phone in port 1 connected at the same time?

Posts: 656 · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

You have 2 options at this point in time:

1) Connect 1 phone directly to Vonage adapter port 1. This is so you can make all your outbound calls through Vonage in order to take advantage of the Unlimited calling and to test the service out. You will also need to keep your current phone service connected to your Demarcation point so that the phones connected to the wall jacks will have dial tone and ring when your phone number is called.

2) If you have call forwarding feature through BellSouth, forward calls from your BellSouth service to the Vonage virtual phone number. By doing this, you can disconnect the feed from the current provider at the Demarcation point and then run your home wiring off of the Vonage telephone adapter. This will provide you with inbound calls since any person dialing your main number will route through your BellSouth which will forward the call to the Vonage virtual number and ring any phones connected through the Vonage adapter.

The reason it can't be called now is because you unplugged the BellSouth connection at the box and therefore BellSouth is sending the calls to your house but you can't get them now that the wiring is disconnected. It will be like this until the number transfer completes and calls route to the Vonage partner carrier switch instead of the BellSouth switch.

You have to use one of the above methods in order to receive calls on your main number.

Posts: 433 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:16 pm Post subject:

Number transfer is not immediate.

Posts: 183 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:34 pm Post subject:

You can check the status of your LNP request (phone number transfer) on Vonage's website. Go to www.vonage.com and enter your username and password in the upper right hand corner. Once you login, on the right panel in the mid section there is a hyperlink that reads "Existing Phone Number Transfer Status". If you click there you can see updates to the transfer. Your Vonage phone won't ring on that number until it says: "Transfer Completed".