Incoming calls dropped immediately or busy signal

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 6

I've been using Vonage for a few months but this problem had just started recently. When an incoming call comes in, our phones ring once only and the call will get dropped or sometimes the caller gets a busy signal. Outgoing calls seem to be fine. I called Vonage, they asked me to connect the phone adapter directly to a phone instead of a phone jack like it was before (in order to use other phones). Ok sure it worked. But my other phones no longer get a dial tone since it's unplugged from the wall jack. Vonage didn't want to do anything else since they think problem is on my end. Does this sound like an inside wiring issue? I can't understand why since I can make outgoing calls fine. I think the only option now is to buy a cordless phone with multiple handsets. Or else I will have to switch back to my local phone company.

Posts: 338 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 338

Before connecting your Vonage device to the house phone wiring, did you disconnect the phone wiring from the local phone company at the Network Interface Device (NID)?

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 6

Yes i did. Otherwise i wouldn't have a dial tone, and my phone adapter would be fried.

Posts: 338 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 338

Phone wiring doesn't just "break". If you are disconnected at the NID (I would check to make sure it still is disconnected, if you haven't already done so), go to each phone jack and unplug the phone cord from each one. Then, reconnect the Vonage device to your home wiring and reconnect each phone one at a time. Also, make sure that the phone cord you are using to connect the Vonage device to your home wiring is a single pair cord (look at the connector at the end -- make sure there are 2 pins and not 4).

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 6

trekologer wrote:

Phone wiring doesn't just "break". If you are disconnected at the NID (I would check to make sure it still is disconnected, if you haven't already done so), go to each phone jack and unplug the phone cord from each one. Then, reconnect the Vonage device to your home wiring and reconnect each phone one at a time. Also, make sure that the phone cord you are using to connect the Vonage device to your home wiring is a single pair cord (look at the connector at the end -- make sure there are 2 pins and not 4).

I've checked all of the things you've mentioned. NID is disconnected. I've unplugged each phone, even all of them at one time. Phone cord is a 2 pin not 4. The only thing left to check is the phone jack. I can't physical move everything out from one room to another to test another jack though.

I don't know if it's worth mentioning. But the phone will ring once and then I can hear a static before the line is disconnected.

Posts: 627 · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:19 pm Post subject:

Make sure there isn't some sort of analog device answering your calls. This could be in the form but not limited to Tivo, Dish Network, Home Alarm, PC modem, answering machine. Plenty of people always say no no no I don't have anything like this but 9 out of 10 times there is something answering the call that causes this.

The fact that it rings once and then you believe it is disconnected may be that it rings once because the line is answered by something and engages the line which is where your line is left open leaving you with just white noise which could sound like static.

This could also explain why a caller would get a busy signal. If something is grabbing your call after the first ring and engaging the line, while in this state, another inbound call would get a busy signal while line is open.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 6

VonTechMgr wrote:

Make sure there isn't some sort of analog device answering your calls. This could be in the form but not limited to Tivo, Dish Network, Home Alarm, PC modem, answering machine. Plenty of people always say no no no I don't have anything like this but 9 out of 10 times there is something answering the call that causes this.

The fact that it rings once and then you believe it is disconnected may be that it rings once because the line is answered by something and engages the line which is where your line is left open leaving you with just white noise which could sound like static.

This could also explain why a caller would get a busy signal. If something is grabbing your call after the first ring and engaging the line, while in this state, another inbound call would get a busy signal while line is open.

There's nothing could possibly be answering an incoming call. The phone adapter plugs right into the wall jack. The other two phones also connect directly to the jacks. I've been using Vonage for a few months, i think i would have known if something intercepts the calls. Anyway, i went out and bought a cordless phone w/ 4 handsets. I plugged the base into the Vonage device. It seems to be working fine for now.

Posts: 627 · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:03 pm Post subject:

Well I am glad it's working for you with the new phone. My point was when using the wiring in your home, it is very easy for someone to just plug anything into an unused telephone jack which they were unaware of to cause the issue. There have been numerous counts of people claiming they do not have an answering machine and sure enough it was there but was turned on accidentally by the cleaning lady.