Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Having trouble placing or receiving calls or using your voicemail system on Ooma Telo VoIP Phones? Post your questions here.
parrothead61
Posts:9
Joined:Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:21 am
Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by parrothead61 » Fri Dec 11, 2020 5:53 am

It's a robo call blocker/screener. The URL is:

https://www.telsentry.com/

It plugs into any phone jack like an answering machine. When someone calls you, it plays a message and requires them to press 0 to continue, then it rings. So it weeds out robo calls by requiring the 0 press. And it adds their number to a white list so the next time they call, they don't have to press 0 again. You can pre-load numbers in the white list as well to skip the 0 thing.

I bought one of the Sentry v3.x units open box from eBay. The problem with it is it doesn't recognize caller ID when anyone calls us. Since it can't see the caller ID, it requires _everyone_ to press 0 to continue each time. The rest of our phones get caller ID fine. In fact, we even have a phone connected through the Sentry unit and that phone also shows the caller ID okay. I've read that the version 3.x units don't work with Ooma but no specific reason why - maybe this is it. For whatever reason, the Sentry unit isn't able to read the inbound caller ID, but otherwise works as advertised.

I was going to relist the unit we have on eBay and try a version 2.x Sentry which I've read does work with Ooma. I contacted Sentry to see if they could verify this. They are supposed to be sending me one to try out but I'm still waiting and thought I'd start this thread in the meantime. If/when I get the new Sentry unit, I'll post results here but thought someone else might have experience.

Our Telo firmware is 450992 in case that makes a difference.

Thanks,

Pat

murphy
Posts:7554
Joined:Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:49 pm
Location:Pennsylvania

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by murphy » Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:22 am

It's probably answering on the first ring. Caller ID is sent between the first and second ring. It should be waiting until after the second ring to answer. It would have to save the caller ID and then send it after the first ring it presents to you.

I doubt it knows how to do that. The only workaround is to put a caller ID box ahead of the unit.
Customer since January 2009
Telo with 2 Handsets, a Linx, and a Safety Phone
Telo2 with 2 Handsets and a Linx

parrothead61
Posts:9
Joined:Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:21 am

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by parrothead61 » Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:11 am

murphy wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:22 am
It's probably answering on the first ring. Caller ID is sent between the first and second ring. It should be waiting until after the second ring to answer. It would have to save the caller ID and then send it after the first ring it presents to you.

I doubt it knows how to do that. The only workaround is to put a caller ID box ahead of the unit.
Hi Murphy,

Thanks for the reply. The Sentry 3.x that I was testing had the option to allow 0 rings or allow 1 ring. I had it set on the default, to answer after 1 ring. The problem was the Sentry was not getting the caller ID. To me it seems if it were answering too soon, the other phones in the house would not be able to display the caller ID, but they were. In fact, the only device _not_ seeing the caller ID value was the Sentry device itself. So without that, it's not able to compare the incoming caller ID to its white list and each caller is prompted to press 0 to continue on each call instead of just the first one.

When you say to put a caller ID box in front of it, you mean just the simple devices to display the CID of an incoming call, right? I don't believe that would help the call blocker detect the number so it could compare with its white and black lists.

Thanks,

Pat

Stelcom66
Posts:226
Joined:Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:26 am
Location:Connecticut

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by Stelcom66 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:30 am

I didn't read the entire description or how the unit is wired - but after it answers and the caller presses 0, is the caller ID information stored and then sent to the phones with the ring voltage as usual? If yes - then the unit is seeing caller ID. If not - the phones just ring without caller ID, then it may not be recognizing caller ID. I'd think it should store and send the caller ID, you'd still want to see who's calling.

That would be nice if the Telo had an integrated option like this.

parrothead61
Posts:9
Joined:Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:21 am

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by parrothead61 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:50 am

Stelcom66 wrote:
Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:30 am
I didn't read the entire description or how the unit is wired - but after it answers and the caller presses 0, is the caller ID information stored and then sent to the phones with the ring voltage as usual? If yes - then the unit is seeing caller ID. If not - the phones just ring without caller ID, then it may not be recognizing caller ID. I'd think it should store and send the caller ID, you'd still want to see who's calling.

That would be nice if the Telo had an integrated option like this.
The unit is wired just like a standalone caller ID box. It has two ports, one to connect to the wall and one to connect to an optional phone. It doesn't forward caller ID as it doesn't need to - the other phones see the caller ID from the Telo at the same time as the Sentry. If the Sentry recognizes the incoming number as one on the white list, it does nothing and all phones ring as normal. If it is an unknown number, the Sentry answers it and if it gets a 0 press, it rings itself (built in speaker/ringer). The other phones don't ring in that case.

The problem seems to be with the Sentry 3.x not being able to read the caller ID from the Telo. All calls show "no CID" on the Sentry LCD, even while other phones in the house show the correct CID. The result is the Sentry playing the press 0 message for each and every call.

I'm hoping that the older, version 2.x Sentry will work correctly. I've sent another e-mail to Sentry tech support to see if they are still planning to send me a test unit.

Re. integrated into the Telo, that would cut into the Premier profits. :)

Pat

Stelcom66
Posts:226
Joined:Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:26 am
Location:Connecticut

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by Stelcom66 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 12:12 pm

"it rings itself (built in speaker/ringer). The other phones don't ring in that case." - Got it, so it's not in between the Telo and the rest of the phones in the house, it's a device connected like any other as you mentioned earlier.

Like you said - it simply seems like the Sentry just doesn't recognize the CID from the Telo.

"integrated into the Telo, that would cut into the Premier profits" - or another option they could charge for and add to their profits! When the Sentry is working correctly a possible drawback would be not being able to hear the Sentry ring. I just came in from splitting firewood - I sometimes have a cordless phone with me. There's been many times where I'll stop what I'm doing to look at the CID on the cordless phone. Yea it does have a 'Talking Caller ID' option but it barely sounds like English, and some of the pronunciations are amusing. Ideally the Telco wouldn't ring unless it received a digit pressed by a caller. I know his should be a subject for 'Suggestions and Features' - but the Sentry concept is a good one.

parrothead61
Posts:9
Joined:Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:21 am

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by parrothead61 » Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:18 am

Just an update on this - I received the new Sentry from their tech support group. I believe this is a 2.1 version. I've had it for a couple of weeks now and it seems to be working fine. I've called it from my cell phone without my number being in the white list, got the recorded message, pressed 0 and the Sentry rang to alert this was a "good" call. Called back and this time the Sentry didn't do anything (recognized the caller ID was now on the white list) so the phones in the house rang as normal. I've also had several other incoming calls pass through without having to press 0 because they were numbers I'd preloaded into the white list. I should mention that our Telo is set to alarm mode, so I don't know if this helps with the recognition of the DTMF 0 press. Alarm mode uses higher bandwidth for more faithful tone reproduction. But anyway, I'm satisfied and wanted to pass the info along.

Pat

Nevada County
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Joined:Wed Dec 04, 2013 7:43 pm

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by Nevada County » Tue Aug 10, 2021 4:22 pm

I ordered the 3.1 unit to use with my Ooma. Because of comments here, I tried to call the Sentry people to see if I would have any problems and they did not respond. It does not work with my Ooma. I'm going to try to find the earlier unit which people here seem to have had some success.

parrothead61
Posts:9
Joined:Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:21 am

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by parrothead61 » Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:05 am

The 2.1 version I have still seems to be working fine. It was very tedious entering a large number of entries into the whitelist since it does not have a numeric keypad but other than that it's fine. The only other thing is that every once in awhile, it gets into a state where it answers the phone with a fax/modem tone. Apparently it has a built in modem chip. But pulling the batteries to reset it works, and it doesn't happen that often. Good luck with yours.

Pat

Nevada County
Posts:8
Joined:Wed Dec 04, 2013 7:43 pm

Re: Anyone using a Telo with a Sentry call blocker?

Post by Nevada County » Wed Aug 11, 2021 9:36 am

Thanks for the reply. Could you explain how you connected your 2.1? I assume Option 1? The 3.1 instructions recommend that with a Panasonic or Uniden phone system (which I have) that you use a line splitter as shown in the attachment that I've shown the Ooma. I tried every which way that I could come up with and was unsuccessful. I hope to have the 2.1 next week.
Attachments
SentryHookup.jpg
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