Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Have a question or problem with your Fongo application? This forum is the place to get help from both staff and fellow community members.
Fongo recommends Fongo Home Phone for a fully supported Home Phone system for only $4.95/mo

Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Erft » 04/06/2020

Hi. I've solved the problem, but I'm wondering if the 911 call I made on the morning of the 4th April was responsible.

Problem: Calls were going straight to voicemail.

I called 911 at 1:10am on the 4th. Afterwards, over the course of the next two hours, the police called me back a couple of times. That was the last time my phone rang. Today, nearly 3 days later, someone left a voicemail saying that there was no ring. I got someone to call me to test the phone line (I had no troubles calling out). When they called, it didn't ring; they were sent straight to voicemail each time. I went into the app settings and fiddled around a bit to give the app a nudge. I changed voicemail from Forward to Copy, again. The line was tested again and the caller went straight to voicemail again. I went back into settings, changed the number of rings from 4 to 5, and had them call me again. This time my phone rang.

Back in the days before the phoneline developed the stuttering dialtone and "New Message" in the CID that wouldn't go away, my app settings were 5 rings, and voicemail "Forward". One day, out of the blue, people were suddenly unable to leave a voice message. Upon advice about this issue on this forum, I changed my settings to 4 rings, which got back the voicemail, and I went further and completely followed the advice and changed my voicemail to "Copy". Then the line developed the trouble with "New Message" becoming the permanent CID display, and a stuttering dialtone. I changed voicemail back to "Forward" (which made no difference to anything) and on the 4th I made the 911 call and these problems went away. But then all calls went straight to voicemail.

SO, I'm wondering if the 911 call triggered a bug. If so, does Fongo know about it?
Erft
Active Poster
 
Posts: 61
Joined: 05/14/2018
SIP Device Name: Cisco SPA122
Firmware Version: 1.3.3 (015)
ISP Name: Teksavvy, cable
Computer OS: Windows 10
Router: SPA122, LAN, 2 FXS

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Liptonbrisk » 04/06/2020

Erft wrote: Today, nearly 3 days later, someone left a voicemail saying that there was no ring.


There's an intermittent issue with voip.freephoneline.ca for incoming calls at the time of this post: visit viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19793.
Switch to voip2.freephoneline.ca or voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 for now.


SO, I'm wondering if the 911 call triggered a bug.


No.

The bug you encountered can be triggered by deleting voicemail via https://www.freephoneline.ca/mailbox
Visit this post for more info: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17194&start=25#p72630.

Something also may have occurred during server migration: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19702.

does Fongo know about it?


They're clearly aware there's an ongoing voicemail issue. Visit https://status.fongo.com/

They appear to be less aware there's an intermittent incoming call issue involving voip.freephoneline.ca.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
User avatar
Liptonbrisk
Technical Support
 
Posts: 2764
Joined: 04/26/2010
SIP Device Name: Obihai 202/2182, Groundwire
Firmware Version: various
ISP Name: FTTH
Computer OS: Windows 64 bit
Router: Asuswrt-Merlin & others

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Erft » 04/07/2020

Thank-you. Since I made the changes listed above, the "New Message" in the CID, plus the stuttering dialtone are back. It seems my choices are either to have these problems, or to not receive any calls. As I said in my other post about not being able to get rid of "New Message" in the CID, I thought the problem with the stuttering dialtone and CID display had resolved and all was well. I wasn't yet aware that the tradeoff was that no-one was going to be able to call me.

I don't know what triggered this since I had returned voicemail back to "forward" from "copy". I hadn't deleted any voicemails from the system because they haven't been there to delete. The phone calls just started to go directly to voicemail after the 911 call, and the only trigger I could think of was the 911 call. Prior to that call to 911 that I made on Saturday morning, phone calls had been coming in just fine. Voicemails had been going to email if I didn't pick up the phone. The only issues were the dialtone and CID. This wasn't triggered by deleting a voicemail, because there was nothing to delete. So today the CID was normal, but there were 2 voicemails from someone who'd been trying to call me but had been repeatedly been sent straight to voicemail. EDIT: Sorry for the lack of clarity. I meant there were 2 emails in my email.

The link you gave regarding server migration was one I'd read before, and it basically directs me to viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19702#p76878, which says that the required settings are:
SIP Server: voip.freephoneline.ca
Alternative SIP Server: voip2.freephoneline.ca
Transport: UDP
Port: 5060

These are the settings I had when the troubles started. Upon the advisement for "other users having issues connecting on port 5060", I have made my primary proxy voip2, and my secondary proxy voip4. Is this correct? And when you say ":6060 for now", do you mean port 6060 instead of 5060? I have changed that, too.I won't be able to test my changes until later today. Right now everyone's asleep.
Erft
Active Poster
 
Posts: 61
Joined: 05/14/2018
SIP Device Name: Cisco SPA122
Firmware Version: 1.3.3 (015)
ISP Name: Teksavvy, cable
Computer OS: Windows 10
Router: SPA122, LAN, 2 FXS

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Liptonbrisk » 04/07/2020

Erft wrote: Since I made the changes listed above, the "New Message" in the CID, plus the stuttering dialtone are back.


When you log in at https://www.freephoneline.ca/mailbox, do you see messages (perhaps, faxes)? Don't delete messages from there. I just want to know if you see messages. If you do see messages there that means you have voicemail waiting.

In the past FPL, used to take about 10 to 15 minutes for MWI (Message Waiting Indicator) to trigger after a voicemail had been left and 10 to 15 minutes for MWI to disappear after all voicemails had been deleted. You should only delete, if possible, voicemails by using a telephone (calling to reach FPL's voicemail system). Deleting voicemail from https://www.freephoneline.ca/mailbox can trigger the problem. Avoid deleting voicemail from the website account portal if you can avoid doing so.


It seems my choices are either to have these problems, or to not receive any calls. As I said in my other post about not being able to get rid of "New Message" in the CID, I thought the problem with the stuttering dialtone and CID display had resolved and all was well. I wasn't yet aware that the tradeoff was that no-one was going to be able to call me.


Again, voip.freephoneline.ca is having intermittent issues for incoming calls. Try voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 or voip2.freephoneline.ca.

If you trigger the voicemail bug on any server, the problem will persist on that specific proxy server until it's cleared on FPL's end. If you're having the problem described at viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17194&start=25#p72630, you must submit a ticket and hope someone responds.

Or you can turn off both visual message waiting indicator and message waiting indicator services in your ATA completely and rely on email notifications instead until both the voicemail "degraded performance" status is resolved from https://status.fongo.com/ and after support staff fixes the voicemail issue on your account (when you submit a ticket, you need to specify the proxy server you witness the voicemail issue on). To disable message waiting indicators completely, log into your ATA. Navigate to Voice-->Line (whichever Line you use for FPL)-->Supplementary Service Subscription. Set VMWI Serv to No, and also set MWI Serv to No. Click "Submit." Voicemail notifications will no longer appear on your telephone, and the stutter tone will no longer exist.

Voicemails had been going to email if I didn't pick up the phone. The only issues were the dialtone and CID. This wasn't triggered by deleting a voicemail, because there was nothing to delete


If voicemails were left at some point, and if they are gone now, they have certainly been deleted at some point.

(Deleting email, however, is not the same as deleting voicemail messages left on FPL's voicemail system; deleting email will not remove voicemail messages.)

but there were 2 voicemails


So voicemails were there. If they are no longer there, they were deleted.

Again, FPL takes 10 to 15 minutes for MWI (Message Waiting Indicator) to trigger after a voicemail had been left and 10 to 15 minutes for MWI to disappear after all voicemails had been deleted. You should only delete, if possible, voicemails by using a telephone (calling to reach FPL's voicemail system). Email notifications are delivered more quickly.

Deleting voicemail from https://www.freephoneline.ca/mailbox can trigger the problem. Avoid deleting voicemail from the website if you can avoid doing so.


The link you gave regarding server migration was one I'd read before, and it basically directs me to viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19702#p76878, which says that the required settings are


The only point in my posting the link was to indicate server migration has occurred and that possibly the issue you're encountering with voicemail notification involves the migration.

The point the link is making is that users are advised not to use IP addresses instead of proxy server names. You can use voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 or voip2.freephoneline.ca


I have made my primary proxy voip2, and my secondary proxy voip4. Is this correct?


No. FPL does not support secondary, simultaneous registration (of the same FPL account on the same ATA. Only one registration per FPL account is allowed at any time).
For example, the feature X_SecondaryRegistration in Obihai devices will not work with FPL, but it does with other service providers.
Follow the PDF guide listed here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16206#p64088. Refer to page 4.

And when you say ":6060 for now", do you mean port 6060 instead of 5060?


UDP port 6060 is only used for voip4.freephoneline.ca. You enter "voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060" (without quotation marks) in the proxy field in your ATA.
You do not have to specify a UDP registration port when changing the proxy field to voip2.freephoneline.ca because the default is 5060, which both voip.freephoneline.ca and voip2.freephoneline.ca use.
By the way, voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 can be used by anyone and not only Rogers ISP customers.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
User avatar
Liptonbrisk
Technical Support
 
Posts: 2764
Joined: 04/26/2010
SIP Device Name: Obihai 202/2182, Groundwire
Firmware Version: various
ISP Name: FTTH
Computer OS: Windows 64 bit
Router: Asuswrt-Merlin & others

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Erft » 04/07/2020

Hi.

You make a lot of points so I’ll try to answer them in the order you make them.

I had no idea freephoneline.ca/mailbox existed. I don’t recall if I did in the past, but I think this is the first I’ve heard of it. So I haven’t deleted anything from there.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I said there 2 voicemails from someone who’d been trying to call me, I meant there were 2 emails in my email. Since I had voicemail set to “Forward”, they weren’t in the system. When I reviewed messages on the system immediately after discovering the voicemails in my email, those messages were not there.

When setting up my ATA I’ve only ever used voip.freephoneline.ca in Line 1 Proxy, and voip2.freephoneline.ca in Line 2 Proxy. Last night I set it up as voip2.freephoneline.ca in Proxy Lline1, and voip4.freephoneline.ca in Proxy Line2. I’ve never used an IP address in those fields.

I’m a bit confused by,
No. FPL does not support secondary, simultaneous registration (of the same FPL account on the same ATA. Only one registration per FPL account is allowed at any time).
I think, again, I was not clear. I apologise. When I said Proxy 1 & 2, I meant Line 1 Proxy, and Line 2 Proxy, in setup. Thanks for the link to the PDF.

Regarding port 6060; I didn’t understand that I was supposed to put "voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060" in the Proxy field, verbatim. I thought "6060" following the colon indicated the port number. Last night I entered voip4.freephoneline.ca in the Line 2 Proxy field, and changed the port to 6060. Line 1 Proxy is voip2.freephoneline.ca. However, It worked. The phone rings, messages go both to email and the system. I get the “New Message” indicator about 3 minutes after a message is left. I can clear the voicemail from the system through the phone, and the “New Message” and stuttering dialtone disappear about 3 minutes after I do that. Today I did change the Line 2 Proxy to voip4.freephonline.ca:6060 but I left the port at 6060; I also changed the number of rings back to 4, and everything still works. Perhaps the issues have been caused by "voip.freephonline.ca".

As the system completes its server changeover, other glitches may occur, so I'll be keeping an eye on everything.

Thank-you for your assistance. It’s much appreciated. :)
Erft
Active Poster
 
Posts: 61
Joined: 05/14/2018
SIP Device Name: Cisco SPA122
Firmware Version: 1.3.3 (015)
ISP Name: Teksavvy, cable
Computer OS: Windows 10
Router: SPA122, LAN, 2 FXS

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Liptonbrisk » 04/07/2020

Erft wrote:I had no idea freephoneline.ca/mailbox existed. I don’t recall if I did in the past, but I think this is the first I’ve heard of it. So I haven’t deleted anything from there.


Okay, so the cause is different from when I encountered the same persistent problem, but the symptom is the same.


Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I said there 2 voicemails from someone who’d been trying to call me, I meant there were 2 emails in my email. Since I had voicemail set to “Forward”, they weren’t in the system.


Oh, in your first post you say you have it set to "copy" and then your line developed persistent MWI:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19798#p77351
Erft wrote: I went further and completely followed the advice and changed my voicemail to "Copy". Then the line developed the trouble with "New Message" becoming the permanent CID display, and a stuttering dialtone.




Anyway, the cause of the persistent MWI is completely different from what I encountered a few years ago, but I was wondering whether you saw voicemail after logging in at https://www.freephoneline.ca/mailbox when the problem was occurring. If so, that would explain the constant MWI notification. Otherwise, it's an annoying bug, and you can refer to what I wrote previously to try to work around it when using the proxy server you were registered with when the problem was occurring.


When I said Proxy 1 & 2, I meant Line 1 Proxy, and Line 2 Proxy, in setup.


Okay, I thought you were referring to a simultaneous (fallback) secondary registration on the same line, but now that I think about it, I don't believe the SPA122 offers that feature.


but I left the port at 6060


The local "SIP port" is not the same as proxy server port.

voip4.freephoneline.ca's proxy server port is 6060, and must be specified in the proxy field in order to register properly and receive incoming calls. Registration is a requirement for incoming calls but not for outgoing calls.
When unregistered, incoming calls will go straight to voicemail. voip4.freephoneline.ca will not register properly on UDP port 5060. That is, if you try voip4.freephoneline.ca:5060, registration will fail. It should also fail when no port is specified, since the default is 5060. The entire purpose of voip4.freephoneline.ca is to circumvent buggy SIP ALG features in routers. SIP ALG monitors traffic on UDP 5060 and often mangles SIP headers. voip4.freephoneline.ca simply won't register properly on UDP 5060 and, instead, uses UDP 6060 for registration.
To understand why SIP ALG often causes horrible problems, please visit https://www.voip-info.org/routers-sip-alg/ (scroll down to the section on SIP ALG problems).

The (local) SIP port is not the same as the proxy server port, and for security purposes, the (local) sip port field should be set to a random number between 30000 and 60000. The default is 5060. Again, the local SIP port has nothing to do with proxy server port. Do not use the same local SIP port on both lines to help avoid potential routing problems.

Proxy server port is entered after a colon in the proxy field.

Perhaps the issues have been caused by "voip.freephonline.ca".


The intermittent incoming call problem certainly has been due to high server load.

The phone rings, messages go both to email and the system. I get the “New Message” indicator about 3 minutes after a message is left. I can clear the voicemail from the system through the phone, and the “New Message” and stuttering dialtone disappear about 3 minutes after I do that.


That's very good news. I've been avoiding testing. Thank you for reporting.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
User avatar
Liptonbrisk
Technical Support
 
Posts: 2764
Joined: 04/26/2010
SIP Device Name: Obihai 202/2182, Groundwire
Firmware Version: various
ISP Name: FTTH
Computer OS: Windows 64 bit
Router: Asuswrt-Merlin & others

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Liptonbrisk » 04/07/2020

Wow, so I tested on voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 by leaving a voicemail. VMWI came on after 7 minutes, and it disappeared 6 minutes after deleting the message. That's good.

I'm a bit reluctant to test on voip.freephoneline.ca and risk having VWMI permanently stuck on. ;)
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
User avatar
Liptonbrisk
Technical Support
 
Posts: 2764
Joined: 04/26/2010
SIP Device Name: Obihai 202/2182, Groundwire
Firmware Version: various
ISP Name: FTTH
Computer OS: Windows 64 bit
Router: Asuswrt-Merlin & others

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Erft » 04/07/2020

In my first post I did indeed follow instructions to change voicemail to "copy" as part of the posted solution to the problem with not getting voicemails. Then when the trouble with the dialtone and CID started, as mentioned in this post, I changed it back to "forward". It's now back at "copy" and all seems well.

I'm glad that things seem to be working for you. I totally understand the hesitance in fiddling around inside too much and losing everything again!
Erft
Active Poster
 
Posts: 61
Joined: 05/14/2018
SIP Device Name: Cisco SPA122
Firmware Version: 1.3.3 (015)
ISP Name: Teksavvy, cable
Computer OS: Windows 10
Router: SPA122, LAN, 2 FXS

Re: Do 911 calls change your phoneline?

Postby Liptonbrisk » 04/07/2020

Erft wrote:
I'm glad that things seem to be working for you.


I was surprised that MWI is working properly since https://status.fongo.com/ states "Degraded Performance" for voicemail services, and immediately after server migration, users noticed voicemail wasn't being delivered or notifications weren't working. So, it seems progress has been made since then.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
User avatar
Liptonbrisk
Technical Support
 
Posts: 2764
Joined: 04/26/2010
SIP Device Name: Obihai 202/2182, Groundwire
Firmware Version: various
ISP Name: FTTH
Computer OS: Windows 64 bit
Router: Asuswrt-Merlin & others


Return to Community Support

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests

cron