Always visit https://status.fongo.com/ first to check for reported issues.
Please read #20 down below and also understand that NAT corruption can develop between a router and ATA without a user doing anything (no matter how long FPL has been working for someone).
Check all cables and cords to ensure they're all secure (try a different phone as well).
Device registration is a requirement for incoming calls but not for outgoing ones. Only one registration is permitted per FPL account at any time. A single line (FXS) on an ATA is one registration. A SIP app is another.
For Asus router users following the steps below, first login to your router’s web UI.
Navigate to Advanced Settings–>Administration–>System (tab)–>Basic Config–>
Change “Enable WAN down browser redirect notice” to "No".
Click “Apply”. That fixes potential problems with an ATA attempting to register with 10.0.0.1
when it's booted before the ISP's modem is fully up and running first (after a power outage, for example).
Follow the steps, step by step, down the list, please. Some ATA models may have menu locations that differ. Some options may require updating ATA firmware versions.
1. If you're using a modem/router combo, gateway, or hub issued by your ISP (and are NOT using your own additional separate router), contact your ISP to ask for assistance for disabling SIP ALG in the modem/router combo, gateway, or hub. Disable SIP ALG. Refer to point 1 from viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20199.
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).
2. Make sure whatever modem/router combo, gateway, or hub your ISP gave you is in bridge mode if (and only if) you are using your own separate router as well. Call/contact your ISP if you have to.
For Bell and Virgin Hubs, I find it's often simpler to perform PPPoE login in your own router (this is PPPoE Passthrough) and disable Wi-Fi in the hub. You will need the PPPoE Username and Password from Bell or Virgin.
For Rogers, visit https://www.rogers.com/customer/support ... ridgemodem.
Shaw users will have to call Shaw to enable bridge mode at the time of this post.
For Telus Wi-Fi Hubs, put LAN port 1 on the Hub in bridge mode. Then connect your router to LAN port 1.
Alternatively, contact Telus and ask them how to enable bridge mode.
3. If you're using your own router in addition to the gateway or hub provided by your ISP, ensure SIP ALG or SIP Passthrough (Asus routers) is disabled in your own router. Refer to your router's manual.
4. Disable DMZ and all port forwarding in your router. Port forwarding is a security risk. Only port forward if you have no other choice.
5. a) If you're using an Ubiquiti router, disable jumbo frames.
b) This may affect pfSense users (and some others), depending on configuration: don't block incoming UDP connections from 208.85.218.146 and 208.85.218.147 if you want to hear audio. At the time of this post, those are the RTP IP addresses. Those IPs may eventually change.
6. If your ATA is connected to the internet using a third party VPN service, disable the VPN while troubleshooting.
7. Login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/voicemailSettings
Ensure "Rings Before Voicemail" is greater than 1.
8. While troubleshooting incoming call issues, disable Follow Me: login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/followMeSettings.
9. Freephoneline doesn’t support ATAs’ call forwarding features. Incoming calls will drop to FPL’s voicemail system immediately once call forwarding is attempted by the ATA. It’s possible to enable call forwarding by accidentally dialing star codes.
a) To cancel Unconditional Call Forward, dial *73, wait for dial tone, and then hang up.
b) To cancel Busy Call Forward, dial *91, wait for dial tone, and then hang up.
c) To cancel Delayed Call Forward, dial *93, wait for dial tone, and then hang up.
10. Dial *79 to disable Do Not Disturb. It’s possible to accidentally dial a star code and enable Do Not Disturb (all incoming calls will drop directly to FPL’s voicemail system when DND is enabled). I don’t know whether HT-286 has the *79 star code option.
Also check your phone handset to ensure Do Not Disturb isn’t enabled in it.
11. a) Dial ***
b) Then dial 02
c) Enter the IP address you hear into a web browser.
d) Login to your ATA.
Default login password is admin.
12. The setting locations may differ depending on the firmware version used (the locations mentioned may not be accurate; double check).
For HT-286/7 series, navigate to the Advanced Profile tab used for FPL.
For HT-503, navigate to the FXS Port tab.
For HT-701/2 (firmware 1.0.8.2 or newer) and HT-8xx, navigate to the FXS Port used for FPL.
A. If you could be dealing with a SIP ALG problem (ISP's hub or gateway that’s been provided has SIP ALG on with no way for the user to disable it, or if you can't figure out how to disable SIP ALG in your own router), navigate to “Primary SIP Server”.
For HT-286s, the setting is called “SIP server”.
Enter "voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060" (without the quotation marks) to help avoid any potential SIP ALG bug (even if SIP Passthrough is disabled in stock Asus firmware, try voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 if you're experiencing issues). You should be testing with voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060 if you're getting 1-way audio problems (one side hears audio, and the other side doesn't). Anyone can use voip4.freephoneline.ca:6060, even people who don't use Rogers. If you have 1-way audio problems, use it.
(Also remember to enter your SIP UserID, Authenticate Password, and anything else from the PDF configuration guides on the Fongo forums; I’m just emphasizing important settings. The guides are located at viewforum.php?f=15.)
B. “NAT-Traversal” should be set to “Keep-Alive” (newer ATA models) or “Yes” (HT-286)
C. Enable SIP OPTIONS/NOTIFY Keep Alive
Select “Notify”
HT-286 doesn’t appear to have this setting.
D. Set SIP OPTIONS/NOTIFY Keep Alive Interval to 20 seconds.
HT-286 setting is called “keep-alive interval” and should also be set to 20 seconds.
E. Register Expiration needs to be 3600 seconds or 60 minutes.
Please take note of whether your ATA’s firmware designates minutes or seconds for this setting.
The value needs to be either 60 minutes or 3600 seconds (1 hour).
You can’t enter 60 seconds without getting your Freephoneline account blocked. Be careful here.
HT-286/7 ATAs appear to use seconds for this setting. If so, the correct value is 3600 seconds.
HT-503/701/704/8xx series ATAs appear to use minutes for this setting. Double check. If so, the correct value is 60 minutes.
F. i) Set “Use Random SIP Port” to “Yes”.
ii) Set “Random RTP Port” to “Yes”.
HT-286 users should select “Yes” for “Use random port”.
G. Set “SIP Registration Failure Retry Wait Time” to 120 seconds
H. Set “SIP REGISTER Contact Header Uses” to “WAN address”
This helps to ensure data is sent back to your public IP address as opposed to
your LAN IP address (192.100.1.x, for example). If Freephoneline were to send data to 192.100.1.x, it would never reach you. It needs to be sent to your WAN or public IP address first before your router can send or route the data to the local IP address of your Grandstream ATA.
Enabling this setting helps to ensure one-way audio issues don't occur.
I don’t believe this setting is available for HT-286 or HT-503.
HT-7xx users may need to update firmware before this setting is available.
I. Disable "Allow Incoming SIP Messages from SIP Proxy Only". Change that to "No". FPL to FPL and Fongo to FPL calls may not work with that setting enabled, depending on the server being used and how switches FPL uses are configured. Fongo Home Phone has this setting disabled
13. Update/Apply ATA settings if changes were made. Turn off modem, router, and ATA. Turn on modem. Wait for it to be fully up and running first. Turn on router. Wait for router to be fully up and transmitting data first. Lastly, turn on ATA after everything else is up and running. That's always the proper device boot order. Your ATA should always be booted last in the device chain. 1. Modem (wait) -->2. Router (wait)-->3. ATA
14. Login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/showSipSettings.
SIP Status needs to indicate "Connected", and SIP User Agent should reflect the device you're using.
15. Login to your ATA. Ensure your FPL account is registered with your ATA.
For HT-286, navigate to Status–>Registered
For HT-503/701/704/8xx series ATAs, navigate to Status–>Port Status–>FXS–>Registration (also ensure DND shows “No”).
Note that unless you own two VoIP unlock keys, you can't register two Grandstream FXS ports with your FPL account simultaneously.
When there are multiple devices/softphones/FXS ports (on an ATA) using the same FPL account and SIP server, only the most recent registration is valid. The previously registered device (or FXS port, in this case) will lose registration, and, consequently, incoming calls will not ring on it. This is especially important to consider if someone else is using your SIP credentials (username and password) that are found after logging in at https://www.freephoneline.ca/showSipSettings or if you're trying to register your FPL account with a smartphone SIP app (or FPL desktop app), with another device, or more than one ATA line. Registration is required for incoming calls. It is not required for outgoing calls. Only one registration per FPL account is allowed at any time. A single FXS Port on a Grandstream ATA counts as one registration. A SIP app is another.
16. Test incoming calls, preferably with a traditional landline or regular (non-VoIP) cellular number so that you don't have to spend time troubleshooting the other side of the call too. If incoming calls work at this point, you can stop at this step, but I suggest reading step 20 regardless.
17. If incoming calls are not working, login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/callLogs to confirm whether incoming calls are reaching your FPL account (they should be if incoming calls are reaching your FPL voicemail message). Only calls that are answered in some manner (including being answered by FPL's voicemail system) will appear in FPL's call list. Calls that aren't answered aren't listed. Duration is rounded to the next minute. Check the disconnect reason.
Incoming calls must reach FPL first in order for them to also reach your ATA.
18. If incoming calls are not reaching your ATA but are reaching FPL’s voicemail system, attach the ATA directly to the ISP's (gateway or hub in bridge mode) modem via ethernet cable. Test briefly for incoming calls. If incoming calls suddenly start working properly, you've narrowed down the problem to something involving your router. Keep in mind your ATA will not be protected by your router's firewall during this step. After testing, revert back; that is, ensure your ATA is protected by a firewall again.