Unexplained calls

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40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am
Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 9:32 am

Over an eleven minute period Sunday morning, thirteen calls showed up on my call log with various versions of a phone number with calls lasting from 19 to 43 seconds. Differing prefixes of 913, 818, 888 with similar numbers afterward as if a particular # was being called with different prefixes and with/without a 1-. Only my mother-in-law was home while we were at church and she says she did not use the phone.
Mystery to me!?!
Bill

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lbmofo
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Location:Greater Seattle
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Re: Unexplained calls

Post by lbmofo » Wed May 09, 2012 9:51 am

Do you feed Ooma dialtone throughout your house? Another device calling some mothership? Maybe security company? LA Best Security?

40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 1:34 pm

We are hooked to ADT but it was not "armed" this time and fire alarm did not sound. There were some major storms with lightening in the area with a lot of rain dumped. Maybe "storm interference" but that has not happened before. By "...feed Ooma dialtone throughout your house..." I am not sure what you mean. Every phone in the house has the Ooma dial tone from line #1 and that is the line all the calls supposedly went out on. ADT is tied to that one also. #2 line is not used and nothing other than ADT and the phones use line #1. One possibility could be that one of my Tivos and my Replay use the network to connect for channel updates but they previously used a phone line. They are not connected to the phone now though. Don't think they could access the phone line through Ooma from their network connection.
Thanks,
Bill

thunderbird
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Re: Unexplained calls

Post by thunderbird » Wed May 09, 2012 1:50 pm

40winks wrote:Over an eleven minute period Sunday morning, thirteen calls showed up on my call log with various versions of a phone number with calls lasting from 19 to 43 seconds. Differing prefixes of 913, 818, 888 with similar numbers afterward as if a particular # was being called with different prefixes and with/without a 1-. Only my mother-in-law was home while we were at church and she says she did not use the phone.
Mystery to me!?!
Bill
See the following Ooma Support topic:
https://www.ooma.com/app/support/advanced-setup

Ooma says that they don't support alarm systems, but if search the Ooma forum, you will see that many people are successful using the Ooma phone system with their alarm. But some can't use Ooma for one reason or another, and have to have a land line also.

40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 1:55 pm

I tested my Ooma with ADT and they stated that they got my alarm signal so I think I am good there.
Thanks,
Bill

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

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by murphy » Wed May 09, 2012 1:58 pm

With an alarm system the Phone jack of the Ooma box must go directly to the alarm panel's input terminals and no where else.

The alarm panel's output terminals must feed all of the phone jacks in the house.

This allows the alarm panel to grab the line and make a call no matter what else is happening. It disconnects all of the jacks in the house when it makes a call.

ADT's default is to make a timed call once a month to let the ADT servers know the panel is still there.
It does this no matter what state the panel is in.
Customer since January 2009
Telo with 2 Handsets, a Linx, and a Safety Phone
Telo2 with 2 Handsets and a Linx

40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 2:12 pm

Interesting. I certainly have not done that. I guess I need to search other threads too. I just assumed my ADT was covered since they got my test alarm.
Thanks,
Bill

WayneDsr
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Location:Northern Indiana

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by WayneDsr » Wed May 09, 2012 5:30 pm

Do you have Direct TV? Could be DTV calling the mothership.

Wayne
ooma customer since January 2009
ooma hardware: core (hub/scout) and Telo
Lifetime Premier Member

40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 5:41 pm

Nope, Time Warner and I don't use their DVR.

40winks
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:33 am

Re: Unexplained calls

Post by 40winks » Wed May 09, 2012 6:16 pm

OK, I have gone back as far as my call log will go (early March). I have also tried to be more diligent with studying the numbers. On May 6th, 3 different numbers were called a total of 13 times. On April 27th, 2 numbers were called a total of 5 times and these two numbers were repeated in the May 6th episode. On March 28th, 1 number was called once. And, on March 22nd, one number was called twice. On both of these dates the number was the same and was later repeated on those two later dates. The number called most frequently was (888)-816-8653. I dialed it and got some loud single tonal beeps a few seconds apart, none repeated the same sound and it lasted about 10-15 seconds. No fax line that I have heard before. (913)-888-1686 got me a fax line. And the last number, (913)-881-6865 would not go through. All three numbers have similar numbers in assorted sequences so you might see my confusion. It certainly seems like something here is trying to communicate elsewhere. All call times are under a minute.
Have I muddied the waters more?
Thanks,
Bill

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