Vonage and Answering Machines

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 3:46 pm Post subject: Vonage and Answering Machines

I'm a new Vonage user and for several reasons (including all of the problems that I've read about on this forum as well as my girlfriend's hatred for it) I do not use the built-in Voicemail feature.

As an alternative, I've hooked up my AT&T answering machine to my Vonage line. However, I noticed that when a caller hangs up the Cisco ATA 186 box doesn't actually drop the line but it begins transmitting a fast busy signal. As a result, the answering machine keeps recording until it eventually times out (after about 3 minutes).

Anyone else try using an answering machine with a Vonage line and have this problem? Are there any possible workarounds or am I just gonna get a ton of replies teling me to use voicemail? Any thoughts?

-Scott

Posts: 20 · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 5:00 pm Post subject:

The answering machine on my Siemens 8825 does the same thing with Vonage, but works fine on a POTS line.

Posts: 20 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 12:39 pm Post subject:

I received an email reply from a tier II Vonage engineer regarding the answering machine in my Siemens 8825 not releasing after a caller leaves a message. Seems there is an incompatibility issue between the Siemens 8825 and Vonage that causes the answering machine to not release the connection. My guess is that there is some kind of timing issue between the 8825 and the Cisco ATA-I1. Your AT&T answering machine is probably suffering from the same "issue".

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:14 pm Post subject:

I spoke with Vonage regarding my AT&T answering machine and they said the same thing. However, I started using the built-in answering machine on my Uniden cordless phone and it seems to work fine with Vonage.

The Uniden, unlike the AT&T machine, senses the repetative fast busy at the end of the call and after a few seconds disconnects on its own. I guess some answering machines are as "sophisticated." I know the AT&T will hang up if it answers and hears a dialtone but I guess it's just not programmed to do the same when it hears a fast busy.

-Scott

Guest

I've called using my Vonage line and left messages on my answering machine, built in to my Panasonic cordless phone, with no problems. I also was able to send a fax to my fax machine which is connected to the same Vonage line as my answering machine.

Guest

I have been having the same problem with my AT&T 1725. It hangs up on it's own after 5 or 10 seconds of the busy signal. It's annoying but I can live with it.

But I'm having another problem that I'm hoping someone can advise me on. Every once in a while (maybe 1 or 2 times per week), a message gets completely garbled on my (digital) answering machine. It ends up sounding like loud unintelligable electronic squawking & chirping. Sometimes all of the mailbox LEDs will blink as well, instead of just the one that the message is in. Now, this does NOT happen when the machine is plugged into a POTS line, only on Vonage and only occasionally. Anybody got any thoughts on this or similar experiences?

Neil

Posts: 67 · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 5:54 pm Post subject: Re: Vonage and Answering Machines

Anonymous wrote:

doesn't actually drop the line but it begins transmitting a fast busy signal. As a result, the answering machine keeps recording until it eventually times out (after about 3 minutes).

Anyone else try using an answering machine with a Vonage line and have this problem? Are there any possible workarounds or am I just gonna get a ton of replies teling me to use voicemail? Any thoughts?

-Scott

I have the same problem with my Siemens Gigaset 2420 answering system. Anyone know of a solution - other than to buy a Uniden system?

Posts: 433 · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:01 pm Post subject:

Your answering machine is awaiting a "tone" that the bell system puts out to indicate the end of the call. (I cannot recall at the moment the name).

Vonage does not generate the tone. Your answering machine then times-out based on how long a message is allowed to be. This is the reason for the long busy tone.

Just a thought.

Posts: 1 · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 3:54 am Post subject: Re: Vonage and Answering Machines

Anonymous wrote:

I'm a new Vonage user and for several reasons (including all of the problems that I've read about on this forum as well as my girlfriend's hatred for it) I do not use the built-in Voicemail feature.

As an alternative, I've hooked up my AT&T answering machine to my Vonage line. However, I noticed that when a caller hangs up the Cisco ATA 186 box doesn't actually drop the line but it begins transmitting a fast busy signal. As a result, the answering machine keeps recording until it eventually times out (after about 3 minutes).

Anyone else try using an answering machine with a Vonage line and have this problem? Are there any possible workarounds or am I just gonna get a ton of replies teling me to use voicemail? Any thoughts?

-Scott

I believe the Tone your referring to is the Supervisor Deconnect Tone provided by Ma Bell.

Posts: 67 · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:57 pm Post subject:

houuser wrote:

Your answering machine is awaiting a "tone" that the bell system puts out to indicate the end of the call. (I cannot recall at the moment the name).

Vonage does not generate the tone. Your answering machine then times-out based on how long a message is allowed to be. This is the reason for the long busy tone.

Just a thought.

What does "does not" translate to? "Can not" or "will not"?