many calls just not getting through

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 27, 2004 Posts: 1

I have read a lot through these forums trying to find a similar problem. My issue is not dropped calls, or poor quality. Many calls just never ring. People get one ring and straight to voice mail. I have to keep unplugging the ATA, it works for a while, then starts doing this again. I have had Vonage for almost 6 months, and this has occurred over and over again. I have never had a problem making a call accept on rare occation. My ISP Adelphia cable seems to be pretty good where I am. The problem is more consistent when heavily using the internet, so I was thinking of dumping the LS BEFSR81 and switching to that wirless g one everyone is using with the updated firmware. Never being able to get through to Vonage has brought me to you all. I hope someone has some ideas.
It is really annoying missing phone calls, and my wife is driving me nuts complaining about it. Smile

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

Welcome to the World of VoIP!!!

This is a well known issue and one likely to have Vonage already scratching their head and it has nothing to do with your MOT or Cisco box, so leave it alone - it's not at fault.

I've done some pretty extensive digging trying to find the cause. Basically, your call is NEVER being presented to your MOT or Cisco box. Thus the problem lies further up the food chain.

Here's my best guess ...

Your incoming call is initially handed by an INBOUND 'softswitch' (or software based switch) by Vonage. The INBOUND switch figures out what softswitch YOU are actually REGISTERED with (which may change). If the INBOUND switch can't dump the inbound call to your REGISTERED switch, then it sends the call to voicemail.

What wouldn't the REGISTERED switch be able to handle the call. Perhaps it's already handling too many other calls (meaning it's close to overloading). My guess again -- this is an engineering load balancing issue they're trying to work thru.

Unplugging and resetting your Cisco or MOT box DOES in fact force it to re-register and perhaps you'll be dynamically moved to a less busy REGISTERED softswitch. I am NOT sure if your box is preconfigured for a specific softswitch address or simply load balanced across any number of available resources.

In any event -- this is unacceptable and no doubt a BIG issue that Vonage has to fix or allocate MORE resources so that overload doesn't happen.

BTW ... no big surprise this problem rears it's head during the BUSY HOUR typically 10-12 and again after lunch with a final surge at the close of business day.

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

With a little more thought, here's is the other possibility.

At each CLEC POP where Vonage has local telephone numbers terminating. Your incoming call is handed off by the CLEC's traditional PSTN switch to Vonage's Voip Gateway.

The interface between the PSTN switch and the Gateway is normally via T-1 lines supporting 24 calls per T-1 (with potential for multiple T-1's into the Vonage Gateway).

If all of the interfaces between the PSTN and Gateway are busy (meaning handling calls for other Vonage customers). There is no way for your call to get thru.

Thus it's likely that on an ALL TRUNKS BUSY situation, the CLEC switch has been told to forward calls (using the normal PSTN) to Vonage's voicemail system.

In either case, I believe, the issue is related to traffic engineering.