Placing calls to vonage user

Posts: 81 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:05 pm Post subject: Placing calls to vonage user

In the past when I placed a call to my friend's POT It would automatically switch over to his Vonage phone. Now it no longer does this. Is this a change in the Vonage system???

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: Placing calls to vonage user

stretch1 wrote:

In the past when I placed a call to my friend's POT It would automatically switch over to his Vonage phone. Now it no longer does this. Is this a change in the Vonage system???

I doubt it.

If a call is forwarded to a Vonage telephone number, then it should ring that number. Vonage lines are just telephone numbers to the outside world calling them.

I suspect either your friend took his POTS line off forwarding, or he has a problem with the forwarding on his POTS line. I can't imagine the Vonage line even KNOWING the call was a forwarded one, much less caring.

Posts: 81 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:39 pm Post subject:

I don't think that you understood my question. When my friend first recieved and activated his Vonage phone I could not get his POTS phone even if I dialed it. I asked this forum and they replied that the Vonage system allways converts that call to Vonage to Vonage not Vonage to POTS phone. Now all of a sudden this is changed and I was wondering if this was a change to the way the system works. It has nothing to do with call forwarding.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:49 pm Post subject:

stretch1 wrote:

I don't think that you understood my question. When my friend first recieved and activated his Vonage phone I could not get his POTS phone even if I dialed it. I asked this forum and they replied that the Vonage system allways converts that call to Vonage to Vonage not Vonage to POTS phone. Now all of a sudden this is changed and I was wondering if this was a change to the way the system works. It has nothing to do with call forwarding.

Sorry, I think I'm still misunderstanding your question.

My Vonage line looks like a POTS line to everyone but another Vonage user, and even then it's identical. I pick up the phone, dial a number (Vonage or POTS or whatever) and Vonage calls the number I've asked for. That number could be Vonage, it could be POTS, it could be a cell, or it could be a SkypeIN or other line. As long as it's a valid 10-digit phone number, Vonage calls it. I'm not aware of any way Vonage could know that there was another line to connect to unless forwarding was involved. A POTS line and a Vonage line will have separate phone numbers, and Vonage would have no way of saying "hey, this guy at 555-555-1111 has a Vonage line at 555-555-2222 - let's save money and automagically route it there". If you dial 555-555-1111, then 555-555-1111 will ring, unless call forwarding is set up.

If he transferred his telephone number to Vonage, then it's likely that the only things that has changed is that the phone number has been transferred successfully, which takes a while.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound stupid, but I'm honestly having trouble grasping your question.

Posts: 400 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 400

Your freind has probably disconnected his POTS line at the NIC and now all calls go directly to Vonage.

Posts: 81 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject:

Absolutely wrong on both answers. There has been NO change at his send or mine. Vonage's policy and equiptment setup was to connect Vonage to Vonage users regardless of which number was called. That seems to have changed. You can dream up all the scenarios you want but it remains a change in Vonage equiptment.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:13 pm Post subject:

stretch1 wrote:

Absolutely wrong on both answers. There has been NO change at his send or mine. Vonage's policy and equiptment setup was to connect Vonage to Vonage users regardless of which number was called. That seems to have changed. You can dream up all the scenarios you want but it remains a change in Vonage equiptment.

How would Vonage know that your friend HAD a Vonage line, much less to forward it to him at his Vonage line when you called his POTS line? If you called his POTS line from a Vonage line, his POTS line would ring. I know several people who have cell, POTS, and Vonage lines. I call my cell from my Vonage, and my wife's, all the time.

If you called his Vonage line, his Vonage line would ring. If you called his POTS line, his POTS line would ring, unless his POTS line was forwarded to his Vonage line or vice versa.

So, again, I'm unclear on the scenario you are laying out. Lay it out to me, type slowly 'cause I can't read fast. Wink

Your (assumed Vonage) phone number is AAA-AAA-AAAA.
Your friend's Vonage is BBB-BBB-BBBB
Your friend's POTS is CCC-CCC-CCCC

From AAA-AAA-AAAA, you dial CCC-CCC-CCCC. Are you saying that BBB-BBB-BBBBrings, but that BBB-BBB-BBBB was *NOT* forwarded to CCC-CCC-CCCC via your friend's POTS telco?

How would Vonage know that BBB-BBB-BBBB and CCC-CCC-CCCC were the same person (one their customer and one the telco's, but the same person)?

I've had my Vonage line since July, and I know several people with both POTS and Vonage lines, and I've never seen this behavior. I've never seen it documented anywhere. I've never even heard of this capability.

So, I guess if it's not forwarding the calls to Vonage any more, then you can call it a change (I call it "what it was supposed to do all along") and you can call his Vonage number if you want to talk to him there, and call it a success. Wink

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

stretch1 wrote:

I don't think that you understood my question. When my friend first recieved and activated his Vonage phone I could not get his POTS phone even if I dialed it. I asked this forum and they replied that the Vonage system allways converts that call to Vonage to Vonage not Vonage to POTS phone. Now all of a sudden this is changed and I was wondering if this was a change to the way the system works. It has nothing to do with call forwarding.

The forum responders may have misunderstood you and told you about the situation when a transfer of a POTS number to Vonage is in process but not complete. In that case, if a Vonage caller calls the new Vonage user using the number whose transfer is in work, then the call will be transferred to the new Vonage phone. If a POTS caller calls before the transfer is complete, it rings the POTS phone. After the transfer is complete, the POTS service no longer exists and all calls go to the Vonage phone.

This doesn't seem to be the situation that you are now describing. If your friend had requested a number transfer and then cancelled the transfer, that might explain the situation. Could that be it? Vonage can't simply transfer any Vonage originated call going to a POTS number, because they have no way of knowing that the owner of that number is a Vonage customer. They can do it when a transfer is in process, since that tells them who owns that number.

Posts: 81 · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject:

All I know is that for 6 months when I called his POTS number the Vonage phone rang. Vonage has your POTS number. I contacted this forum and asked why and was told by a Vonage rep that they will always connect Vonage to Vonage. Obviously that practice has ended. I really don't care, just curious.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

stretch1,

that is indeed news for some on this forum who have been complaining about it for some time. perhaps Vonage has changed their policy and not immediately send all LOA POTS phone numbers directly to the virtual/temporary Vonage line. It's curious indeed.

just out of curiosity, did your friend try to transfer his POTS number or not?