Anyone else having trouble with Caller ID?

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 23, 2005 Posts: 3

Bottom line is it should work after 3-4 weeks. I've resorted to letting calls go to VM and if they don't leave a message logging into my account every few hours to see who called. Every though caller ID is not working on the line it's still getting picked up in the call log under your login.

However I know a lot of non tech people looking to use this service and problems like this just make it impossible for them to deal with. We as consumers expect things that we pay for to work. CallerID is included with the service right? SO if that part of the service is not working shouldn't those of us without it working be subject to a service refund? Technically we are not getting the service we are paying for are we? I have also been checking daily to see if the firmware has changed with no luck.

I for one plan on trying to get a free month of service since I do rely on callerID to decide if I know the person calling and I am not getting the service I am paying for.

Twisted Evil

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

DucBoy wrote:

I for one plan on trying to get a free month of service since I do rely on callerID to decide if I know the person calling and I am not getting the service I am paying for.

I'm sure you'll get some disagreement on this one, but I've been thinking the same thoughts. Let us know how it turns out.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 3

I checked this morning and I've been upgraded to firmware 1.00.55 on my WRTP54G router! Now I'll have to experiment to see if the Caller ID is no longer intermittent.

Router WRTP54G
ISP Comcast
Download 6,343,992 bps
Upload 331,000 bps
QOS 99%
RTT 18 ms
MaxPause 16 ms

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 3

I have the WRTP54G with Firmware version 1.00.55 and still do not have CallerID - this started a few days ago for me and it is getting very annoying.

I have done the power off thing for 2 minutes, etc., and still nothing. I am not going to go around and remove ANY phones from my setup as some have suggested. Why should I? It worked before and it should work now. Shouldn't firmware "updates" FIX THINGS and not make them worse?

So far, not so impressed with Vonage the 2nd time around. Maybe now I remember why I left them a few years back.

Anyone else having any luck? I really hate to have to call and have a trouble ticket created - it is like pulling teeth most of the time.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:28 am Post subject:

tazmaniand wrote:

I have the WRTP54G with Firmware version 1.00.55 and still do not have CallerID - this started a few days ago for me and it is getting very annoying.

I have done the power off thing for 2 minutes, etc., and still nothing. I am not going to go around and remove ANY phones from my setup as some have suggested. Why should I? It worked before and it should work now. Shouldn't firmware "updates" FIX THINGS and not make them worse?

So far, not so impressed with Vonage the 2nd time around. Maybe now I remember why I left them a few years back.

Anyone else having any luck? I really hate to have to call and have a trouble ticket created - it is like pulling teeth most of the time.

I just tried a couple of times, and Caller ID seems solid for me. Both calls were from POTS lines, and both from a major corporation (my company) that blocks caller ID, so I just get "Anonymous", but it appears to be actual caller ID data. The timestamps, etc, are correct. Now, if I could only get the Internet routing side of the router somewhat stable, I'd be a happy Vonage camper again.

Mine isn't based on rigorous testing like some of the other folks here, but I have seen a couple of Caller ID's come through.

EDIT: Just confirmed it with another company that DOES allow some level of Caller ID info through. Got Caller ID after about one ring, which is about right for Vonage.

WRTP54G, 1.00.55

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:42 am Post subject:

tazmaniand -

I agree with you that, if it worked before, it should work again. However, I would still mess about with phones to isolate the problem.

It is possible (possible, not certain) that something in the firmware change lowered the REN capacity of the router/adapter, or something. If it works with one phone but not more, you still have a valid gripe to Vonage, but you can add up the REN numbers for your gear and tell Vonage that you need them to re-enable support for at least that REN.

At least when you called Vonage, you could tell them for sure what the problem is, rather than a generic "caller ID broken" call.

Also, while it's unlikely, it is also possible that you are getting some new interference coincidental to the firmware change. I realize this is unlikely, but it's almost certain that at least one or two Vonage customers have had some environmental change that is causing their problems, but at the same time as the firmware was loaded.

But it's perfectly valid to call Vonage and at least ask them what the max REN should be on the new firmware. If that number has lowered, then Caller ID is not going to work until you remove enough devices to fall under the new number, or until they increase that number. Obviously, they should increase the number if that's the case. Again, I'm not saying that IS the problem, but you can tell for sure by unplugging all but one phone and testing it that way.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 3

I'll have to check on what you suggested. I have NO idea how to check a REN number and things of that nature, but know someone who probably will Smile

As far as the caller ID not working at all, I just got a call a few minutes ago from a BIG company and it came through. I then called from my cell and that came through (which didn't before). I then had another person call me from a business line that does NOT block Caller ID (I know this because I get calls from that # all of the time) and the information DID NOT come through. That person then called me from their cell phone (same provider as mine) and the caller ID call waiting worked just fine with their cell number.

This is all very maddening. It's just amazing that 4 days ago everything worked fine. I wish Vonage would quit "updating the firmware" unless SOMEONE WANTS IT!

I now also noticed that my new VM indicator light isn't working when I got the voicemail earlier from the big company that had Caller ID info come through. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:42 am Post subject:

tazmaniand wrote:

I'll have to check on what you suggested. I have NO idea how to check a REN number and things of that nature, but know someone who probably will Smile

Ren is brain-dead simple. It stands for Ringer Equivalence Number, and is an indication of how much current the phone pulls to operate its ringer.

REN is printed on every single phone in existence that I've ever seen, usually stamped into the plastic. You probably haven't noticed them because there's generally no reason to look, but they are there. A REN of 1.0 means that the phone pulls the voltage of an old-style phone where the ringer is run completely from telco voltage.

Your Voip adapter will have a published REN number, which can be changed in the firmware. The default for most is between 4.0 and 5.0 in my experience. Go around to all your phones, get their REN's, add them up, and you have the REN your router needs to support.

If your REN's add up to a very low number, say under 2.0, then I can pretty much guarantee REN is not the problem. I have about 3.5 worth of REN running off my lines and no problemo.

It is also possible that you have a phone that has coincidentally failed, about the same time as the firmware upgrade, and is drawing more than published REN or feeding bad data into the line, interfering with the rest. To test that, isolate which phone is muching up your CID, if one of them is. Test that phone alone on the Vonage adapter. If it still doesn't work, with just that ONE phone, then chances are that phone has a serious problem, and no one can help you unless you can exchange that phone out.

I'm not trying to tell you what the problem is, or tell you that Vonage is not responsible. Just trying to help narrow down the problem to something very specific so your call to Vonage, if you need one, can be more fruitful. Preparation now saves frustration later. Wink

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 3

Very cool! Thank you for all of your help. I can honestly say I have never heard the term "REN" before now. I knew of there being a limit to how much you can have on a line and such, but didn't know it had a name...

I started with pulling one phone off of the line and now everything seems to work. It was a regular "corded" phone and it uses batteries for storage of phone numbers and such - looks like the display was dead, so for some reason it may have started pulling more "REN" from the line. However, I will still check everything down to ONE phone plugged into the adapter and go from there.

It may just be time for a phone upgrade in my house to ones that are more "efficient".. Of course, I still plan on letting Vonage know that I want my REN back Smile

I'll need to add everything up to know what I need it back to, though..

Thanks again and I will keep you updated.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:04 pm Post subject:

tazmaniand wrote:

I started with pulling one phone off of the line and now everything seems to work. It was a regular "corded" phone and it uses batteries for storage of phone numbers and such - looks like the display was dead, so for some reason it may have started pulling more "REN" from the line. However, I will still check everything down to ONE phone plugged into the adapter and go from there.

It may just be time for a phone upgrade in my house to ones that are more "efficient".. Of course, I still plan on letting Vonage know that I want my REN back Smile

I'll need to add everything up to know what I need it back to, though..

Thanks again and I will keep you updated.

If removal of that phone with a dead display fixes the problem, I'd say it's quite possible that Vonage never took any REN in the first place. A dead display means it's quite possible that the CID unit is fried on that phone, and it may be sending gibberish back on the line. Check the REN total. Unless you were close to the limit to start, I don't think it's that. Just a guess, but I would be willing to place a small wager (very small) on that phone being the culprit, and not Vonage changes (other than their obvious recent screwup of CID, that is). I bet 1.00.55 fixed your Vonage problem, but your old phone died while they were fixing it and you have a second root cause for the continuing problem.

Replace the phone, and if it works, it works. The phone is obviously bad anyway... Wink