Ooma Forums

I tried a search, couldn't find this discussed.

Just hooked up ooma, very pleased with ease of use and quality. Only one issue has come up: Twice I have called cell numbers to let friends know my new number and I get a recording asking me to enter my password. It's as I am calling my own cell number to check messages.

Does this mean the cell numbers have my ooma number blocked? Or is ooma sending some extraneous signal that causes the cell lines to go straight to their own message system? Or....???

TIA for help and suggestions.

Just curious. Did you port in a phone number that was previously with a cell phone? And if so, are the numbers you're calling that ask for a password with that same cell phone company?

I did not port a number -- I grabbed one in my area code that ooma offered when I did my initial setup. It's possible that the number used to be a cell phone, I have no idea.

I believe that both numbers that asked for a password were AT&T; the recordings were identical.

I haven't been trying any more numbers. At this point I'll just see if it happens again, maybe I can narrow down the possible cause. I suspect my new ooma number is blocked on their end.

If it matters, I have made a few cell phones to AT&T cell phones and I get the "Password" message. I'm in RI and have a 401 # if that matters.

I just installed two days ago and have experienced this problem multiple times, all to at & t phones. Two of them are my wife and daughter and I have tried it while they are here and the phone rings but when it should be going to voicemail it gives the message please enter your password. BTW the voice saying password sounds like the ooma woman. If they pick up before it goes to voice mail then you connect just fine.

If anyone has a reproducible situation, please e-mail me with a date/time and the phone number that you called. I would like to investigate further. Thanks.

After talking to one of your customer representatives she tried turning off the viral tone that plays after connecting to see if that would allow us to get vm instead of asking for the password. We tried for a while and the viral message still was playing a good ten minutes later so we gave up on trying that to fix the problem. Well, later I tried and the viral was off so I tried calling my wife and instead of getting the request for password I got her actual vm. I only tried it once but turning off the viral tone may be the fix.

""Or is ooma sending some extraneous signal that causes the cell lines to go straight to their own message system? Or....???""

""If it matters, I have made a few cell phones to AT&T cell phones and I get the "Password" message. ""

""Well, later I tried and the viral was off so I tried calling my wife and instead of getting the request for password I got her actual vm. I only tried it once but turning off the viral tone may be the fix.""

"Winner! Winner! Chicken-dinner!!" It would seem in your particular situation (and maybe that of the others) the 'viral tone' is being interpreted by the VM system you are calling as an attempt to make use of some of its features by remote-dialing. Hence, the service expects you (the owner of the VM box, or so it thinks) to cough up the Password for that other-person's account, first.

Answer to everyone affected by it: TURN OFF THE D*MN VIRAL TONE(S)!

The actual way to turn off the viral tone when your phone call is connected is to go to the ooma lounge and log in go to preferences and then to system and disable connection tone. Then of course save and it may take it a while before it actually disables it.