DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

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bc3tech
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DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bc3tech » Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:08 am

According to the Ooma Quickstart guide, when you have a DVR it does NOT need to go through a scout. However, I have tried every manner of hooking my DVR into my phone line (I get my internet from DSL) both with and without the DSL filter, and cannot for the life of me get my DTV box (HR22-100) working w/ the phone line when I run the system check.

Can somebody please answer: For DVR installations using a phone line, with DSL as the internet connection method, does the DVR have to dial through a scout (as a normal phone would) or should it be hooked up as it outlined in the ooma quickstart guide on page 11 - https://www.ooma.com/content/en/us/supp ... e_revA.pdf - with no scout connection?

FWIW - I did do a search on these forums but didn't come up w/ a straightforward answer....

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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by Groundhound » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:21 am

First of all, my Internet is via cable, not DSL, so I'm not sure if my experience will help you or not. Your subject line mentions caller ID, but the content of your post regards outbound dialing issues for the HR22, so I'll assume both are issues.

Caller ID
I have a DirecTv HR22 connected to the line1 circuit in my house, which in turn is fed from the phone port on my hub. The only reason I have it connected at all is for the caller ID feature of the HR22. If you do a bit of searching regarding this feature and the HR22, you will find that it is a common problem regardless of the phone company. Occasionally the HR22 stops displaying caller ID and the only fix is a red button reset, after which it begins to work again. I found this to be true before and after ooma. So if your HR22 is connected to your hub's phone port, a reset of the HR22 may be all that's needed.

Outbound calls by the HR22
I'm not going to be much help here because I have my HR22 connected via its Ethernet port to my network - I won't get into the details of how I have that configured unless you're interested. On-Demand and PPV are handled via my Internet connection, and my HR22 does not attempt any outbound calls. Since On-Demand is done via Internet download, I recommend this method as more satisfactory than the phone connection for this.

bc3tech
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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bc3tech » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:34 am

Groundhound wrote:First of all, my Internet is via cable, not DSL, so I'm not sure if my experience will help you or not.
it doesn't. DSL comes in over the phone line, so i don't think i can feed my ooma back over it. it is likely my issue is unique to DSL, hence the reason for putting it in the subject of this topic.

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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by Groundhound » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:44 am

Is your hub close enough to your HR22 to, as an experiment, allow direct connection between the hub's phone port and the HR22? For the purposes of caller ID, that would remove DSL interference from the equation.

bc3tech
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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bc3tech » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:52 am

Groundhound wrote:Is your hub close enough to your HR22 to, as an experiment, allow direct connection between the hub's phone port and the HR22? For the purposes of caller ID, that would remove DSL interference from the equation.
no but i am going to try a HR22 -> Scout sometime in the near future, just didn't think i'd have to given the Manual's instructions. Was looking for some input from an Ooma rep on it, since it'd be a clear misprint in their guide if this is the case.

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bw1
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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bw1 » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:49 pm

bc3tech wrote:
Groundhound wrote:Is your hub close enough to your HR22 to, as an experiment, allow direct connection between the hub's phone port and the HR22? For the purposes of caller ID, that would remove DSL interference from the equation.
no but i am going to try a HR22 -> Scout sometime in the near future, just didn't think i'd have to given the Manual's instructions. Was looking for some input from an Ooma rep on it, since it'd be a clear misprint in their guide if this is the case.
I don't think it's a misprint in the quick start guide. In the picture on the page it shows the DVR connected to the wall jack through a splitter with a hub and phone on the other connection of the splitter. The guide also says these devices do not need to be connected though an ooma device and refers to the User Guide for more information. It is, however, not clear that it should be connected to a landline.

On page 38 of the User Guide, it says:
Devices such as digital video recorders, satellite receivers, and security systems require a landline to function properly. These devices should not be connected through an ooma device. Leave them connected to the landline, as-is.

bc3tech
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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bc3tech » Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:43 am

Is ooma not my landline now? I have a hunch that if I were to run my HR22 through a scout and use the calling prefix setup screen on the HR22, things would work just fine. However according to the manual, that shouldn't be necessary.

Ooma's basically saying, if you are correct, that you can't cancel your landline service if you have an HR22, and should continue paying for that (my min cost was $40/mo thru Qwest, a little ridiculous to keep on just for a DVR), but get ooma as well - doesn't make much sense to me.

niknak
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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by niknak » Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:56 am

let's start at the beginning...
do you have dialtone at the wall jack you are using to connect the DVR to?

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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by Groundhound » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:09 am

Niknak raises a good question. In addition to dial tone, if you plug a phone with caller ID display into that jack, does it work as expected?

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Re: DirecTV w/ DSL - getting caller ID

Post by bc3tech » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:35 am

Groundhound wrote:Niknak raises a good question. In addition to dial tone, if you plug a phone with caller ID display into that jack, does it work as expected?
why would i expect it to? my standard phone service has been completely disconnected from my home, i only have standalone (dry loop) DSL service. I expect no dial tone from any jack in my home since I run a multi-handset DECT cordless phone system right from my ooma. that being said, i haven't checked it out for this reason. I assume ooma was doing some "magic" to let DVR boxes work w/o any scout or filter since the manual shows they are not needed.
this is what i'm trying to get an answer to.

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