My Exchange With My Phone Carrier

[SlowwHand]

I don't know. To me, this was surely a strange exchange.
The phone wasn't working. The phone service is one of those that works through pc, utilizing broadband connction.

What grew to be irritating was their habit of marking the case "Done", even though the service was still out.

I start to put just the last part, but maybe it will help to see the total exchange. My side is in blue.

***********************************

Status: New Date: Opened 11-Oct-06 at 21:31
Any ideas? No dial tone or anything.

Status: Done
Date: Added 11-Oct-06 at 22:55

We apologize for the inconvenience. We’ve been experiencing a short lived tech problem that is now resolved, there maybe a few more interruptions that might last 2 to 3 minutes at the time.
Again we apologize for the inconvenience.

The Support Crew

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 12-Oct-06 at 08:17

It's not resolved here. Phone still has no dial tone.

Thanks.

Status: Done
Date: Added 12-Oct-06 at 14:07

It appears as though there has been a routing issue effecting how some ISPs connect to the voip.com network. Our engineers have assisted in circumventing this outage and are working to ensure that these ISPs can now connect.

Please reboot your router and this should reactivate the registration.

Sincerely,

voip.com

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 12-Oct-06 at 17:11

No, the telephone STILL isn't working.
I suppose one could call the "echoing line noise" some kind of progress, but it's still not working.
I can't keep this trend for very long. If I didn't need the telephone, I wouldn't have it.

Status: Done
Date: Added 12-Oct-06 at 20:09

In case this is a block from your ISP, we have used a different port to connect to. This change will take effect within 3 hours or immediately if you reboot the adapter.

If this still does not resolve the issue please describe the following:

Your current home Internet set-up, such as...
Are you using DSL or Cable?
Do you have a router built into your modem?
What type of modem are you using?
Is the voip.com router plugged directly into your modem?
Is the phone light 1 on?

We thank you for your patience and thank you for using voip.com.

Sincerely,

Customer Support

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 11:10

Tried all you listed. Nada. So are you now saying it's a problem with my ISP, Time-Warner Cable? I doubt it. ISP hasn't changed.


Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 12:05

Finally you get the name right. Would the fact that you were checking "Dear Andrea Guy" hinder your efforts?

To answer your questions:
We have cable,
RCA Modem,
The voip router is hooked up to our home network router. It worked before so why not now?
Yes the phone light 1 is on as well as power and internet.

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 12:06

Could it be that I need to add this new port to my router so it opens it? If so, What is the port # please.

We are still able to check voicemail if that means anything.

Status: Done
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 13:11

The ports for the phone adapter are 5060 to 5061 (UDP) as well as high end ports (>10,000).

You may also wish to plug our phone adapter directly to your modem to see if this resolves your issue. (or at least helps us to find the cause of the issue)

Sincerely,

voip.com

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 13:51

If I plug it into the modem directly, I lose my home network. Any suggestions?

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 14:07

Plugged your router directly to my modem. I have no phone or network. Is this worth it if it cant be fixed??

Status: Done
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 14:25

Can you tell us when the phone went down? Did anything change prior?

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 19:00

It went down when I initiated this report. Wednesday 11th. To my knowledge, nothing has changed. In fact, minutes before it went out, I was on the phone with my daughter.

Status: Done
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 21:01

Do you have an alternate number for us to call you?

Sincerely,

voip.com

Status: Comments Added
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 22:48

We switched the phone modem back to original configuration, and phone is working. I'm assuming that wasn't the problem though. Whatever it was is cleared now.

Good thing, because no, I have no alternate number.

Thanks for your efforts.

Status: Done
Date: Added 13-Oct-06 at 23:22

[LordShiva]

I avoid problems like this by carrying my phone myself. It's a Razr, so it's light, and doesn't cause me any undue inconvenience.

[Dis]

why fix something that isn't broke?

My old phone works great. you pick it up, you hear a ring tone. You can even push numbers and call other people!

[SlowwHand]

This is 25 dollars a month, period. No long distance charges at all. Of course, that's not worth spit if the damn thing isn't working.

[Nubclear]

Looks like its worth more than your previous carrier

[SlowwHand]

I know I shouldn't ask, but why do you say that?

[snoopy369]

The reason they wanted you to plug it in directly to the cable modem was to see if the problem was with the router or with the [phone, cable connection] ... not as a permanent fix

Good thing it worked though

[Veritass]

We got rid of land lines a couple of years ago, because we are seldom home. My wife and I each have cell phones on a shared plan. We have plenty of minutes, can talk together any time with unlimited in-plan calling, and she can talk an hour "long distance" to her mother every weekend at no charge.

There are only two drawbacks: (1) you can't pick up the extra line and both be on the same call, and (2) your 9-1-1 emergency services work different, so you need to have the local police and fire handy in your cell phone.

[SlowwHand]

I've has a company cell phone a couple of times, but I hate them. I don't like talking on the telephone anyway. After a couple of minutes, I'm ready to end the call. A necessary evil.

[LordShiva]

Text messages

[SlowwHand]

Smoke signals.

[MRT144]

head nodding

[BlackCat]

Silbo

[Dis]

I actually turn my home phone off because right now I'm getting tons of election surveys and calls. And I have bill collectors after my brother.

If anyone wants to reach me they can call me on my cell phone. It's actually my company cell phone, but don't tell them that. I'm only on it a minute, then I call the person I want to talk to on my home phone.

I could get caller id or some fancy thing like that, but I'm cheap. And I don't need long distance because I have no one I want to talk to outside the city . I have my relatives, but I just use email for them. I pay $16 a month for my local phone service.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Somehow this makes the Vonage adds seem a bit off. The whole stupid decision/ good decision just doesn't square with the above exchange.