can't use after porting my homephone to Fongo

[Philip1999]

I ported my home phone number over to Fongo and I've received the ATA and configuration but my home phone with Fongo has never been working since July 18. The dial tone, the ring are there but I could not hear anything when I pick up the phone (while the caller got my voice mail). I contacted Fongo tech support each day and reported the same issue and I was told to do a few things and I have to call again but the same issue. I called Customer Support and asked for help because we have a 5 weeks old daughter and an elder at home. We can't afford not to have our homephone not working. Again, I got the promise that someone (even layer 3 support) would look into my account and help me with the troubleshoot. I waited and no one call me back since July 18 (They did call back before the number was ported to Fongo.) I am a very frustrated Fongo customer.

I should have taken a different approach by having a temp phone number and try out first, then port my home phone number over to Fongo ONLY when the temp phone number works. I made a big mistake on this porting (because I believed VOIP should be straight forward since the technology was available many years now and the service is available by many service provider. I choosed Fongo because I could not port my number with MagicJack plus.)

I do highly recommend everyone who want to port your phone number. A/ a temp phone number and B/ make sure it is working fine first. Then, C/ port your home phone number to Fongo. If you do this, you will save a lot of frustration, times wasted and most important of all...you will not experience the suffering we've been through. I posted a message before this message but I got no reply. Hope that anyone of you out there who did experience the same issue as I have (recieve the ring but could not hear anything!), please share. We are greatly appreciate your help. Sincerely thanks.

[dibsmft]

Can you get to the configuration web pages of your ATA?
What model number is your D-LinK router?
Have you forwarded the required ports from your router to your ATA?

Meanwhile, your should be able yo run the PC version of FPL/Dell Voice on your home computer to keep contact with the outside world AND, whether or not there are problems here as well, is a good test of your connections. SIP/Voip is straightforward as long as it is connected correctly but the configuration is in your hands rather than the phone company as is the case with PSTN.

[Philip1999]

Thanks dibsmft for the suggestion. I called Fongo Tech Support and then Customer Service everyday in the past 10 days and no help. They promised to call me back, update the record and escalate to Layer 3. But no one call me back ever. Yes, really. I am very unhappy with the services. I don't mind to lose my $117 Cdn investment with Fongo on the ATA, porting and technical support. I am just afraid another delay if I port the number back to Rogers (which may take another 2 weeks.) I have been downed 10 days now. Hope that help will be arrived soon.

[TheHardy]

Can you use the PC softphone correctly at this point tho?

We have some Tier-3's here (Mike, Neil, Dom, and a Super3 -- Steve) ... maybe flag one of them with a PM and see if they can intervene for you a bit in this....

[dibsmft]

Yes, can you use the PC Softphone?
The problem that you have is most likely with your router but we cannot help you unless your give us more information.

When you are called and it goes to voice mail I assume that you get it sent by email from Fongo? If you did then your number is working and you probably have a simple problem with your router and ATA set up.

[FONGO_mike]

A good option to verify the configuration of the router you have would be right here in these forums. We have an area devoted to different configurations. If you were to go into it, you could look up your particular device (making sure to use your number and SIP password. ( http://forum.fongo.com/viewforum.php?f=15 )

[Philip1999]

Thanks for the respond. Finally, I've got a technical person called me back on Friday before 6 pm and was with me to troubleshoot a few things but does not resolve any issues yet. To the technical person, it is a strange issue. I can not make/receive phone call yet.
Here is my issue: I can not make or receive phone call. (I have dial tone and the phone ring when people call me but when I pick up the phone, I can't hear anything - Meanwhile people that call me just hear the ring and ring and eventually it goes to my voice mail. When I pick up the phone and call, I hear the dial tone, the phone is dial, but then it is just silent.)
To me, it should be straight forward as VOIP was well established. I received the ATA and very little to no instruction. Everytime I called Fongo I got a little info of do this and do that to make it work. Very frustrating. There should be a common info of what to do and troubleshooting page - All should be in 1 page link!!!
Hope I'll have my homephone working since I have been down for 14 days now. Help.

[TheHardy]

VOIP is a fairly standard and straightforward thing. Have you verified that your router (Dlink _____ ) is configured as close as possible to what established working configs are posted in the section for working configs???

Firewall or port forwarding messed up somewhere? There is no reason at all why it should not work straight forwardly unless there is some weird or funky config errors somewhere. If the provisioning on your account is OK at the Fongo end, then I do not get it at all.

To isolate whether it is a router (most likely) or ATA issue, can you PLEASE try running just the PC SOFTPHONE client and seeing how that works out for you? We can help you out a lot more if we know if it is a router or an ATA issue, or perhaps a firewall or port fwd'ing problem. There are several choke points that could be misconfig'ed that would cause this, but straight out of the box with no funky underlying config, it should have been more or less working.

More information for us to help you troubleshoot == faster resolution of the problem!!

[Philip1999]

Thanks TheHardy, I thought it should be straight forward to use Fongo VOIP on my exiting internet and that was why I ported my homephone number. I should be told to do all of those on July 18th or Tech Support should walk me through in the past week. Or send me the instruction of what to do. Like I have mentioned on the phone to Tech Support and then customer services of the problem since July 18. After 14 days, I am now told (via this forum) that I have to do port forwarding on my router, check my firewall setting.
Could you show me which port(s) and how to do that please? (I was told to call Rogers to open many ports from my rented modem. I called Rogers and they said that they don’t block any ports. I told Fongo Tech support more than a week now. I still have no phone service. Layer 3 supposes to call me back today to do further test/config or they’d have to send me a new ATA. But it is close to 10 pm now, I have not received a phone call yet.)
Please show me which ports and how to do that on my D-Link DIR-615 hardware version: C1, Firmware Version: 3.11 NA. And where can I download PC Softphone for testing. I don’t see how I can keep up with Fongo – Just to be honest with you. Thanks.

[TheHardy]

a) Crappy deal yeah. Fongo tech should have been able to walk you thru the port forwarding etc.

b) I don't own an ATA ...

c) Softphone can be downloaded from the website after logging in ... same section that has the call logs, follow me etc --- click on the DOWNLOADS tab....

d) For the port forwarding etc, just do a quick search on the forum here for PORT FORWARDING --- top right corner of screen. There are MANY others here whom have posted much better than I can on this.

e) the 615 is not a great VOIP router, tbh. I think that there should be a config for it in the working config area ...

[Bloodsong]

I'm sorry for the trouble you've encountered so far, but I assure you we loyal forum users here will take care of you (Steve et al count in my description of users as it's a volunteer position that they have taken on in addition to their day-to-day duties.)

First thing I will say is this: Ports 5060-5061 TCP/udp (SIP protocol) 10000-20000 UDP (You don't have to enable all of these; RTP protocol)
SIP takes care of things like dial-tones and ringing, RTP carries your voice and on some services, video.

Next, the DIR-615 has a broken implementation of the "SIP ALG" (application level gateway) protocol. It is difficult at best to get SIP working behind a DIR-615 while SIP ALG is active. This may mean updating the firmware on your router as I know of at least one version of the DIR-615 which didn't have a toggle for the SIP ALG in the web-gui.

Bonus: All versions of the DIR-615 are supported by DD-WRT and related projects. (For advanced system set-up, likely supported by one of the more knowledgable networking folk around.)

Assuming you can forward the ports, AND turn off SIP-ALG you should be fine as is... If for some reason the phone still has issues, attempt to configure your SIP settings on the second FXS port of your ATA and disable the first. (Stranger things than broken hardware have happened in less complex systems.)

Finally, I know not everyone here is willing to, or probably even should, muck around with your computer systems and network. However, as I have offered others in the past, I am more than happy to use remote-desktop software (Preferably TeamViewer) to check your configs for you. I prefer TeamViewer because I find it has the fewest issues with firewalls, and has a one-time use client that you may use for free. When I disconnect, that session is forever gone, and you are safe and secure knowing that I, nor anyone else, may use that connection again.

Also happy to make house calls for those near to my geographical location (southern 705 area, occasionally 416/905 for visits, and northern 519). Just cover my gas, it's almost like having your own fongo technician (Almost because as much as I help, I'd be a security risk if they actually gave me a VPN into their network and proprietary software systems.)

[Philip1999]

Hi Bloodsong, I did forward all of the ports from 5000 to 20000. No work. Please send me a note on how to get help from you. I don't mind to pay (hope you don't charge much) and/or if you can teamviewer to my system and take a look at my router and fix then it is great great. I can be reached at philipphilip1999@gmail.com. I do appreciate your help to make it work. I got the complaint from my wife and my mother every single days.

[seagame2001]

If you are in GTA area I can help you out. I have D-link and it work great for me not problem at all

[Philip1999]

Thanks Seagame2001 for the help. It turns out my D-link wireless router has a problem and we could not fix. So, we used the old router to test out and it works just fine. I also know from Seagame2001 that If I go with FreePhoneLine (currently I am with Fongo), then I don't have to pay the $5 a month for the essential service. I think I'd need to do something about this change. Thanks Seagame2001 again and everyone for the inputs. Good night everyone.

[seagame2001]

You are welcome. However you are switch to FPL then you have to pay for SIP account with FPL and $25 to port out from Fongo

[Bloodsong]

You are welcome. However you are switch to FPL then you have to pay for SIP account with FPL and $25 to port out from Fongo

Which would pay itself off in the first 18months at the rate of $5/mo

[Bloodsong]

Hi Bloodsong, I did forward all of the ports from 5000 to 20000. No work. Please send me a note on how to get help from you. I don't mind to pay (hope you don't charge much) and/or if you can teamviewer to my system and take a look at my router and fix then it is great great. I can be reached at philipphilip1999@edit. I do appreciate your help to make it work. I got the complaint from my wife and my mother every single days.

I'm glad you had another router to try and that it is now working.
Just let us know on the forums if you have any other questions, we love to help.
And like I said the only way I'd ask compensation for FPL support is to cover my gas to get there
Team Views are always free, though may have to wait for me to have an hour free.

For you and anyone else here, feel free to PM me when you think I can help as PMs will ping my e-mail

[seagame2001]

to verify that D-link 615 works fine with FPL after flashed DD-WRT

[futureshark]

i am considering switching to fongo from rogers but i am wondering if all this hassle (and possible no phoneline) is worth the savings? any longtime fongo users - any opinions appreciated. please and thank yo

[Jake]

i am considering switching to fongo from rogers but i am wondering if all this hassle (and possible no phoneline) is worth the savings? any longtime fongo users - any opinions appreciated. please and thank yo

I have been with FPL since 2009. The service has been a bit bumpy of late, but when I think of the money I have not given to Bell since then - bumpy is fine with me. We are not a power phone user household, and we do have a mobiles for backup.

I recommend Fongo to my friends and whoever that asks. It can be a bit fiddly to set up, but if you are willing to roll up your sleeves when needed, it is worth switching.

[futureshark]

great thanks for the response - appreciate it. i just worry that if i am not home, my wife and kids can still use the phone... just sick of paying $40/month with $5/mo is so much better. also should i port my number or run it in parallel for a short while?

also, i am already frustrated with customer service with fongo, over a week and no response to my email as i am having trouble registering...

[Jake]

great thanks for the response - appreciate it. i just worry that if i am not home, my wife and kids can still use the phone... just sick of paying $40/month with $5/mo is so much better. also should i port my number or run it in parallel for a short while?

also, i am already frustrated with customer service with fongo, over a week and no response to my email as i am having trouble registering...

If you don't mind getting your hands dirty a bit, consider signing up on freephoneline instead of Fongo Home phone. You basically get the same thing, apart from 'supposed' support. You will have to buy your own ATA and the config file which run at about 50$ each. What you won't have is the 5$ a month fee. You are a bit on your own though as they don't really offer any support (that isn't account related) to FPL customers. There is always a lot of people here to help though.

What I did when I joined was signed up to FPL and bought the config file and put those details into my ATA. I still had my Bell line as a backup until I was happy with FPL - then I just turned the Bell line off and haven't looked back since.

What you can do is either sign up for Home Phone is you are not to technically minded or FPL is you are and test the system out, keeping your Rogers line as is for now. Once you are happy with thing you can then port your number over. Porting doesn't have to happen when you first sign up for anything, it can be done at any time.

Support is going through a metamorphosis and things should be a lot better in the coming weeks. If it means better support in the future, I am willing to cut them some slack for the time being.

[futureshark]

thanks so much - i am not technically minded at all so i have no idea what you said about ata and fpl and especially config file.
i bought nettalk thing from costco today but it doesnt work with my rogers SMC router so i can dial out but no incoming... it is a lot harder to save 40$ a month than plug and play.

but if you have an easy way for me to hook up home phone, it would be great. Fongo customer service still hasn't responded so i cant sign up with them anyway. consider going to vintone.ca but it is $9/month wahhhh!

[seagame2001]

if you have DSL modem and router combine then connect to a router then it would be a nightmare to get your voip phone work

I would get a separate modem and a router it works with voip

I think FPL and Fongo to make a list of router that work with FPL or Fongo.