the low-down on the recent caller ID problem

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 3

I have seen a lot of you speculating on what Vonage did with recent firmware updates that have in a lot of cases broken the caller ID functionality.

So once again I am here to give you all the skinny!

The last stable firmware version for caller ID was 1.00.50 - with the release of 1.00.52, the caller ID problem surfaced. Unfortunately 1.00.52 fixed a few very important issues so Vonage WILL NOT roll you back to 1.00.50 so don't even ask.

Vonage did quickly identify the caller ID issue and began working on a firmware update to correct the caller ID problem.

1.00.55 was supposed to do just that. But with the release of that firmware some of the other operating parameters of the device were altered also. In cases where 1.00.55 did NOT fix the caller ID problem, Vonage CSRs were instructed to alter the on hook voltage value from 45 to 48 volts to correct the problem.

This value has since been introduced as a default value so if your device for some reason is still operating on an old profile all you should have to do is reboot the device and it should go and download itself a new profile.

Something very similar occured which was the cause of the new problem where you can receive incoming calls, but have no dial tone and can't place calls which I will go over in the next post!

Posts: 2257 · Last edited by NateHoy on Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:35 am; edited 1 time in total

Thanks.

Posts: 2257

skinnydude wrote:

Unfortunately 1.00.52 fixed a few very important issues so Vonage WILL NOT roll you back to 1.00.50 so don't even ask.

Can you drop a few hints as to what those issues were?

For the WRTP54G, the 1.00.52 release really, really ruined the unit's capabilities as an actual router, at least for P2P users. I can barely maintain a stable connection, without port forwarding, with simultaneous connections clamped to 25, for more than a day. Under the old firmware, I had port-forwarded connections exceeding 300 at a time.

A couple of hours after I turn on port forwarding, even with very low connection counts, the router pukes.

Any skinny on what Vonage might be doing to turn the WRTP54G into a real router again?

Posts: 129

skinnydude wrote:

1.00.55 was supposed to do just that. But with the release of that firmware some of the other operating parameters of the device were altered also. In cases where 1.00.55 did NOT fix the caller ID problem, Vonage CSRs were instructed to alter the on hook voltage value from 45 to 48 volts to correct the problem.

Do we have to call and instruct them to do this? I'm assuming they are going to do this only for those who call and complain about this caller id problem.

Posts: 2257

Disturbed wrote:

skinnydude wrote:

1.00.55 was supposed to do just that. But with the release of that firmware some of the other operating parameters of the device were altered also. In cases where 1.00.55 did NOT fix the caller ID problem, Vonage CSRs were instructed to alter the on hook voltage value from 45 to 48 volts to correct the problem.

Do we have to call and instruct them to do this? I'm assuming they are going to do this only for those who call and complain about this caller id problem.

I suspect the next line of his post reveals the answer:

"This value has since been introduced as a default value so if your device for some reason is still operating on an old profile all you should have to do is reboot the device and it should go and download itself a new profile."

I read that to mean "reboot your Voip adapter and it will up your voltage to 48V."

Posts: 129 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:45 am Post subject:

I have rebooted my device for the last 3 days and still no caller ID. I have not done it since very early tuesday morning (4am). Has something changed since then?? I get Caller ID with the first call after rebooting - then it's gone until I reboot again.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:35 am Post subject:

Disturbed wrote:

I have rebooted my device for the last 3 days and still no caller ID. I have not done it since very early tuesday morning (4am). Has something changed since then?? I get Caller ID with the first call after rebooting - then it's gone until I reboot again.

Unfortunately, upping the hook voltage by 3V is not going to solve everyone's problems. I think the voltage increase is a patch to try and solve the problems for some people, to get the complaints down to a dull roar so they can figure out what the real problem is. Wink

Posts: 129 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:41 am Post subject:

Well, I can't wait for a permanent fix. As a workaround, you can SimulRing to your cellphone to view Caller ID. That always works.

I wish there was a place where Vonage could post known issues so we could actually see that it is officially acknowledged and also see the current status.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:47 am Post subject:

Disturbed wrote:

I wish there was a place where Vonage could post known issues so we could actually see that it is officially acknowledged and also see the current status.

Cool concept. Be sure and post that on the feature request section of this discussion board. No idea whether anyone from Vonage will ever read it, or if they'd dare publish all 80 known bugs (as rumored on the boards here last week) and any sort of a plan to do anything about it.

It would be nice to have more transparency, though. Sort of a "here's what the new problem is, here's the old problem we fixed when we introduced the new problem and why you cannot go back, and here are a few things we are trying to fix the new problem."

Vonage faces a major challenge. They are trying to fit all the functionality of a big neighborhood POTS switch into a little teeny box with low voltage and limited memory. However, this is what they have committed to doing. I'd love to hear more from them about the challenges they face in doing it, though. Might even make some folks more patient if they understand the process, though they have every right to be impatient of course if promises aren't being kept.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:57 pm Post subject:

Just a confirmation, I am experiencing the same problems as many others on Caller ID now. I get it the first time after a reset, and never again thereafter.

I've just had to reset my WRTP54G so often lately because of the OTHER problems introduced by .52 and .55 that I've never noticed it, because I've never gotten two calls in a row between router reboots since the .52 upgrade. Rolling Eyes

Caller ID isn't important to me, since I usually know who is calling anyway (it usually starts with an IM conversation going to "let's talk about this instead of typing, ok?) and I usually call out anyway since I don't pay long distance. But just to add one more name to the hat.