The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

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mdewitt
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The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by mdewitt » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:25 am

Can somebody please help!

I cannot get through to technical support over the phone nor do they return emails.

The situation I face has to do with a fast busy signal. I receive the dial tone every time I pick up the phone and the ooma tab is blue (there are no flashing lights), but none of my calls go through...after about ten seconds after dialing ANY number, I hear a fast busy signal. I tried calling local numbers with and w/o the are code, 800 #'s, long distance numbers...all with the same result. I have tried unplugging the OOMA hub to see if that restarts anything, etc - that did not help.

Some specs: I use a linksys router, with a cable modem - very fast. My computer is also running fine.

When I initially set this up, I attempted to port my old landline number over, but customer servive stated that there is not a major carrier in my area to do this...they said it is rare, but about once a week, this happens to someone. I live in Des Moines, IA - that is shocking to me still. Didn't know if this has anything to do with what is happending.

Can anyone help me????? Thanks in advance.

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Soundjudgment
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Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by Soundjudgment » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:51 am

I take it you went through the process of signing up and REGISTERING your Ooma Hub with a proper MAC Address obtained from the sticker on the bottom of the Hub. I also take it that you chose and were assigned a proper new Telephone number (since you aren't through with the Porting process or you chose not to Port over any old numbers). Given those things are done, and you see the solid-blue tab, there is no reason why you cannot make or receive telephone calls on that new phone-number.

The Fast Busy would seem to indicate that the Ooma Hub is under the belief you want to work an existing phone line in the House. But the fact is, you don't need to be connected to ANY old phone service or phone jack in order to use Ooma... just the Cable and/or Router box. I chose this method to wire things up and it works great right from the start:

Cable Modem ---> Linksys Ethernet Router ---> Ooma Hub ---> Standard Panasonic telephone.
ooma customer since December 2008
ooma hardware: core (hub/scout) and Telo
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Dennis P
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Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by Dennis P » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:00 am

mdewitt - we've looked at the problem that you are experiencing and you appear to have a hardware problem with your device. A customer service agent should be following up with you shortly to replace your Hub. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience.

lszyjka
Posts:20
Joined:Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:00 am

Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by lszyjka » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:39 am

I am having the same issue. I just got ooma, installed it and got a new number in my local area code. I do not have a landline, i am still Vontage customer. I am able to receive calls, i am able to call my vontage phone number and both cell phones.
I tried calling my mom, which is in the same area code and each time i try i get a fast busy signal and ooma drops the line. I can call my mom usving vontage phone. I read something on line to reboot the ooma device but that didnt help me. I am still not able to make outgoing call to my mom, i didnt try other people.
There is a troublshooting step in the guide that say to make sure you connect your ooma to the local phone jack in the wall, well i dont have a local service so that does not apply to me.
I am on hold with ooma for 15 min and does not seem like i will get anywhere with this. Anybody else had this issue?

Thanks

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Soundjudgment
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Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by Soundjudgment » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:34 pm

Two things to try when calling a LOCAL *same area-code* number. Depending on the CO in your area, this may or may not work:

1. Dial ONLY the seven-digits of the local number. NO area code or any prefix.

2. Dial a 1 + the area code (even though it is local) + the phone number. Yes, dial everything including a "1" at the beginning.
ooma customer since December 2008
ooma hardware: core (hub/scout) and Telo
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lszyjka
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Joined:Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:00 am

Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by lszyjka » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:02 pm

Oh, believe me i've tried all possible combination i could think of:
1+(xxx) xxx-xxxx - works on all numbers that i got through
(xxx) xxx-xxxx - does not ever seem to work
xxx-xxxx - works on local numbers for my area code (734) that i got though.

But like i said, i cant get through 745-845-xxxx numbers, where (734) is my area code. I have also since noticed that other number around the country do not allow me to dial out as well, one being a internaltion access number i use for my calling card 1+(973)474-2141 which works just fine from my cells, and Vonage. Try it yourself and tell me if you actually got through. Maybe it's my ooma box that's busted.

Thanks for the reponse.

Leszek

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Soundjudgment
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Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by Soundjudgment » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:53 am

Calling-card numbers could be tricky in this case. Simply because it might be *assigned* an area-code pertaining to a customer's local calling area, but the Number itself isn't located in that region. So whatever database that Ooma uses for its servers might not have that actual number/service as flagged as being in the United States even with the area-code given out. I know that sounds weird but it could be like saying, that Air Canada flies into and across US Cities, but it isn't really a US airline (poor example, I know).

So I wouldn't trust the use of International calling card numbers in this service even if they DO work on cell-phones which might not have such border-restrictions for service.

Now, if you have Ooma Credit for dialing out Internationally, then nevermind. It might then be a bad Ooma box (or internal misconfiguration) after all. ;)
ooma customer since December 2008
ooma hardware: core (hub/scout) and Telo
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lszyjka
Posts:20
Joined:Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:00 am

Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by lszyjka » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:22 am

Thanks for your comments. I am still not convinced to what the root cause of the problem is. I care less abour the one international access number that does not work as i have 5 other access numbers all across the country that work just fine, and i am pretty sure these numbers are valid and not some virtual number.

i am more concerend with not being able to call regular local numbers in my area like the one to my mother that i am not able to reach whatever i try and believe me it's a regular land line. I wonder how ooma will explain that one.

A bigger concern is not being able to reach other local numbers, say an emmergency care or a hospital when you need it. Of course i realize i can't trust / fully rely on VOIP phone, what happens when my internet is down or ooma has an outage, so yes both me and my wife have cell phones but the whole idea that there are numbers that i can reach otherwise but not via ooma system just does not sound right to me.

It's like there is no customer in the area i am calling so ooma system just does not connect becuase it has nobody to pass the call through. I dont know i've been reading on the whole concept of p2p and how ooma really work and unless i get some answers from ooma i don't think this system is somethink i want to invest my time in.

I love VOIP, i've been with Vonage forever now, but VOIP that's unreliable and without real answers or people that stand behind their product, i don't think i can take that.

Anyways, thank you again for your comments. If there is anybody that can either confirm my issue calling local numbers in their area and getting a busy signal, that would great as ooma would realize there is a problem somewhere, either the device or some kind of routing on their end.

thanks again

Leszek

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Soundjudgment
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Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by Soundjudgment » Sat Dec 27, 2008 9:15 am

"" It's like there is no customer in the area i am calling so ooma system just does not connect becuase it has nobody to pass the call through. ""

I don't fully understand that one. Why would 'ooma system' need some stranger's phone service to 'pass a call though??' Ooma doesn't care if it has local customers in some area or not. All their connectivity to land-lines is through nation-wide leased or owned Telco Switches, Hubs and Data COs, just as any other Voip or cell-phone system would depend upon. This crazy mythical nonsense about Ooma stealing someone else's local phone-service to make a neighborhood phone-call is funny to read about, but has no basis in reality for true Internet dialing and connectivity. :)
ooma customer since December 2008
ooma hardware: core (hub/scout) and Telo
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lszyjka
Posts:20
Joined:Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:00 am

Re: The Fast busy signal - any help PLEASE!!!!!

Post by lszyjka » Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:36 am

Well, if that's not the case then, I will wait to hear from OOMA support soon I hope as to why I can call some (734) 845-xxxx numbers in my area code and not others, example being my family I can't reach without getting the busy signal when using OOMA.

Hope they can put demistify this issue me.

Thanks for all your comments.

Leszek

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