Is my Ooma telo defective?

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eliane
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Joined:Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:59 pm
Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by eliane » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:48 pm

Hello,

I bought a new Ooma Telo last April directly from Ooma. I connected it without any problem just as advised in the SET UP page Modem-Router-Ooma, the first few times I tried it, it seems to work fine, so I ordered my old home phone number to be ported to Ooma but then discovered that my new phone system is not reliable, there are lots of dropped calls, people I talked to can only hear every other syllable of what I said. Many times I cannot dial a number at all, the line is totally dead, though I have no problem dialing the same number with my cell phone. I have been going back and forth with customer service who advised me on all the different ways mentioned here in the forum, nothing works, I keep having the same unexpected dropped calls and poor voice quality.

I read somewhere and on this forum that if I change the order to Modem-Ooma-router that it could work, so I tried that yesterday, I connected the modem to Ooma "To internet" and connected Ooma "Home" to the router. Somehow the Ooma symbol kept blinking red and never turned blue. I am rather disappointed because I was hoping I could fix all the issues with this new set up. If the Ooma flower keeps blinking red when setting up Modem-Ooma Router, does it mean my Ooma device is defective?
Thanks for any info on this.

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lbmofo
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Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by lbmofo » Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:12 am

Probably just need a power cycle on the modem.

Turn everything off, then turn on modem (you'd need to remove the battery to completely power off, if there are batteries)
Then after modem comes online, turn on Ooma.

thunderbird
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Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by thunderbird » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:06 am

eliane:
After you reboot your Modem and Ooma Telo, and the Ooma symbol turns blue, do the following below for dropped calls. (If you can't get the Modem-Ooma-Router connection to work, re-connect Modem-Router-Ooma and reboot everything in order of connection, starting with the Modem.)

To help stabilize your Ooma Internet connection turn off MAC address Spoofing, which can cause dropped calls, garbled voice, and other problems, by doing the following:
If your Ooma device is connected Modem-Ooma-Router, access your Ooma Setup pages by typing http://172.27.35.1 in your computer browser window. The Ooma Setup pages open. Click on Internet, go down to INTERNET Port MAC Address: and change setting from Automatic to Use Built In. Click on Update device. Remove power from your Modem and the Ooma Device. Repower the Modem. When the Modem is done booting repower your Ooma device.

If your connection is Modem-Router-Ooma, temporarily connect a network cable from your Ooma device home port, to the wired LAN port of a computer. Temporarily turn off Wi-Fi in the computer, if turned on. Reboot the computer. Access your Ooma Setup pages by typing http://172.27.35.1 in your computer browser window. The Ooma Setup pages open. Click on Internet, go down to INTERNET Port MAC Address: and change setting from Automatic to Use Built In. Click on Update device. Remove power from your Modem, your Router and Ooma Device. Repower the Modem. When the Modem is done booting repower your Router. When the Router is done booting, repower your Ooma device.

Next:
The Quality of Service setting in Ooma Setup Advanced page will need to be set.
If you are using a Modem-Ooma-Router connection, access Ooma Setup by typing http://172.27.35.1 in your computer browser window. The Ooma Setup pages opens.
Go to the advanced page. Set the Quality of Service Upstream Internet Speed (kbps):, and Downstream Internet Speed (kbps): to 80% of the Download and Upload speeds as measured by http://www.phonepower.com/speedtest . (After runing Phonepower, click on the Phonepower Advanced tab to view speeds.) Click on the Update button in Ooma Seup Advanced page, and then reboot your Modem, Ooma Telo, and Router, in order of connection, starting with the Modem.
--OR--
If you are using a Modem-Router-Ooma Connection, temporarily connect a network cable from the Ooma Telo Home port to the wired LAN port of a computer. If Wi-Fi is turned on in the computer, temporarily turn Wi-Fi off in the computer. Reboot the Computer. Access Ooma Setup by typing http://172.27.35.1 in your computer browser window. The Ooma Setup pages opens.
Go to the advanced page. Set the Quality of Service Upstream Internet Speed (kbps):, and Downstream Internet Speed (kbps): to Zero. Click on the Update button in Ooma Seup Advanced page, and then reboot your Modem, Ooma Telo, and Router, in order of connection, starting with the Modem.

eliane
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Joined:Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:59 pm

Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by eliane » Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:51 am

Thank you Thunderbird for your detailed instructions. Currently the only way I can setup my Ooma is Modem-Router-Ooma, the other way, the symbol keeps blinking red...
I have spent hours with customer service support before coming to this forum, they have advised me to do exactly what you just instructed me for Modem-Router-Ooma. I have done everything possible and each time I was so hopeful it would work until I get to make an important call and then had to end up using my cell phone instead because the receiver kept saying "I was breaking up". There is no pattern of when Ooma goes bad. Sometimes I can make the call, talk normally for one minute and then the person at the other end complains they can't hear me, worse still we get disconnected all of a sudden with the Ooma dial tone ending the call. If I tried to redial that same number I got disconnected from, I do not hear the bell ring but I hear the other person saying Hello but he obviously could not hear me however loud I scream. It happens the same way if he tries to call me back, I could hear but he couldn't. It seems the issue is always the outgoing stream, I never have any problem with the incoming voice stream (if the call is not disconnected). Sometimes I can't obtain a number at all even though I could without any problem from my cell, and again at times it seems to work fine. This is what is so frustrating, I do not know if this is normal for Ooma to be so unreliable or if it's only my Telo device that is defective. I hope it's the latter because if it's defective I could get a replacement but if it's normal for Ooma to work sometimes and not at other times then I have to stop using Ooma.
Please tell me if it would help if I get a new replacement, customer service seems to think so but I am skeptical. I don't see how it would help unless the fact that I can't connect Modem-Ooma-Router is an indication that something is wrong with my device.
Thanks for your advice.

thunderbird
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Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by thunderbird » Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:30 am

eliane:
Are you using DSL or what Internet service are you using?

Temporary work around that helps some people:
For an Ooma Telo, try dialing a *98 or *96 prefix before dialing the number. Example: *98-1-xxx-xxx-xxxx .

Next:
Run http://speedtest.phonepower.com/ to see how your modem and Internet connection is doing. Then click on the Advance tab on the lower left side of the Phonepower page, and post the following values here in this thread, by clicking on "Quote" in the upper right hand corner of this Ooma Forum post. Then fill in the blanks.

Download Speed: ________________
Upload Speed: ________________
Download Consistency of Service ________
Upload Consistency of Service _________
Maximum TCP Delay _____________
Jitter you server __________
Jitter server you _________
Packet loss: you server_______
Packet loss: server you ______
Packet discards _________
Packets out of order _________
Estimated MOS score ________

eliane
Posts:5
Joined:Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:59 pm

Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by eliane » Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:28 am

Hello Thunderbird,

To answer your question about my internet connection: I have Comcast Xfinity.

As to getting the info from phonepower.com, it's not possible to run their application "Test Your Connection", it doesn't work as much as I double click on it. The only thing that would work on that page if I want to join them as a paying customer.

Please tell me if I would have better luck with a new device. I have 4 colleagues of mine using Ooma and they have no problem like mine and 3 of them use the same plan from the same internet provider than I do. If you don't think a new device would make a difference then I think I'll give up on using Ooma. It is more trouble and frustration than I am willing to put up with and it's getting too expensive to pay for Ooma and my cell phone minutes at the same time because of Ooma unreliability...
Thanks for your help.

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lbmofo
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Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by lbmofo » Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:37 am

If you connect Modem-Ooma-Router and you still have issues, your internet service maybe an issue.

But you'd have to have your Ooma up and running in that configuration first. Did you have Comcast voice phone service before? If so, you'd need to remove the battery from the cable modem to power off the modem and then power back up so your Ooma connected directly to the modem would work.

Also, the phone power speedtest website needs Java downloaded and enabled to have it work.

In either case, before you get to your answer, you'd need to get Modem-Ooma-Router config working and also the phonepower website testing working.

For your reference, a post on "voice quality:" viewtopic.php?t=10023

thunderbird
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Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by thunderbird » Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:55 am

eliane:
From what you have discribed, I would be inclined to believe that there probably is a problem with your Modem or Internet service. The http://www.phonepower.com/speedtest needs to be run to check this out.

Go here for a free JAVA download and install so that Phonepower Speed test will work. http://www.java.com/en/ .

Once you post the Phonepower results, then there is more things that probably can done to correct the problems that you are having.


Something else to try, place your Ooma Telo at least three to four feet away from all other electronic and electical devcies.

eliane
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Joined:Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:59 pm

Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by eliane » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:15 pm

To lbmofo: Thank you for trying to help but as I said I am unable to connect modem-ooma-router, the ooma symbol keeps blinking red. I never had phone service with Comcast and the modem I have does not have batteries, at least I can't seem to see them.

To Thunderbird: I'll download Java and try again and will give you the specifics. I'll move the Ooma device as far as I can from the electrical cords, but only as far as its own cables and cord will allow since they do need to be plugged in.

To your observation from both you and lbmofo that there must be something wrong with my internet service, I strongly disagree. It's working fine, I am communicating to you from home via my internet service.

Thank you both for trying to help, I was hoping you would say that something is wrong with my device and that a new one would solve the problems. The Ooma customer service support people seem to think so...

eliane
Posts:5
Joined:Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:59 pm

Re: Is my Ooma telo defective?

Post by eliane » Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:14 pm

[quote][quote="thunderbird"]eliane:
Are you using DSL or what Internet service are you using?

Temporary work around that helps some people:
For an Ooma Telo, try dialing a *98 or *96 prefix before dialing the number. Example: *98-1-xxx-xxx-xxxx .

Next:
Run http://speedtest.phonepower.com/ to see how your modem and Internet connection is doing. Then click on the Advance tab on the lower left side of the Phonepower page, and post the following values here in this thread, by clicking on "Quote" in the upper right hand corner of this Ooma Forum post. Then fill in the blanks.

Download Speed: 2.66 mbps_______________
Upload Speed: 3.39 mbps_______________
Download Consistency of Service 66%_______
Upload Consistency of Service 19%________
Maximum TCP Delay 95ms____________
Jitter you server 1.3ms_________
Jitter server you 409ms_________
Packet loss: you server 0.0%_______
Packet loss: server you 15.2% ______
Packet discards 0.0%_________
Packets out of order 0.0%_________
Estimated MOS score 1.0________

Thunderbird,
Above were the numbers when I ran the test you asked. Please let me know if they are in order.

Thanks.

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