Really annoying intermittent problem dialing out.

It's really getting annoying. I am CONSTANTLY (yet randomly) having to dial a number 5,6,7,8 or more times before "anything happens." I dial then dead air. I wait 30-40 seconds then it becomes a FAST busy. It happens to some numbers then they are fine. Sometimes when I call my daughter in VA it happens and sometimes it does not. On a rare occasion her phone will ring she will answer it but we can't hear her and there would be absolutely no indication she answered.

I have just called this number 1-877-855-7201 about 7 times and nothing other than after 40 or so seconds later I get a fast busy. Now I just tried it again (after about 10-15 minutes of having problems) and it is connecting. I can just imagine this happening on an emergency 911 call. It could be disastrous. Really very frustrating.

When I have this problem I immediately try it from my cell phone and it goes through immediately then I go back to VOIPO and it still fails.

Am I alone with this issue or are others seeing it as well?

I have experienced a similar issue but not as severe. I will sometimes dial a number and it may take 20 seconds before I hear the phone ringing. The call eventually goes through but it takes a long time for the connection to be established and the phone to begin ringing. This doesn't happen a lot, but sometimes there seems to be a problem connecting the call.

I'm getting the same thing, Ed. It first started with a few toll free numbers I couldn't reach. I called support, and after some waiting, Daniel said he fixed it. He was right about the toll free numbers, but shortly thereafter I had the same problem with a non-toll free number. I called support again, and they are working on it now.

I guess I don't have a ticket number, since it's being handled over the phone.

Edit: I was wrong, there is a ticket: FLW-937159

One of our upstream vendors is reporting post-dial delay issues so these issues are likely caused by that. The problems are particularly with toll-free numbers. We've re-routed all outbound toll-free traffic around it for the time being, but if any local calls are directed there, you may see issues. This wouldn't automatically fail over to the next carrier since technically the call connects...just a delay long enough to cause eventual failure.

http://twitter.com/voipo

This is affecting other providers as well:

http://twitter.com/flowroute

This type of issue is likely network related in the provider's facility and we don't expect it to last long.

Interestingly, one of the parties I was trying to call told me, "I saw that you called." I assume she meant the call showed up on her caller id, just as the outbound call showed up in my call history. It just didn't ring or really connect.

I think it was mostly audio delay. We're told all is well now.

This has been happening to me for weeks. Usually it's OK but sometimes it takes 1 or 2 tries to go through. I (usually) wait until I get a result (fast busy or eventual ring) then try the cell then go back to Voipo. Last week when this happened to a call to my daughter in VA on one of the tries her phone rang but we didn't hear her and she didn't hear us. Two other tries to that same number right before was totally dead then timed out to a fast busy. The 4th call connected immediately.

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Originally Posted by MisterEd

This has been happening to me for weeks. Usually it's OK but sometimes it takes 1 or 2 tries to go through. I (usually) wait until I get a result (fast busy or eventual ring) then try the cell then go back to Voipo. Last week when this happened to a call to my daughter in VA on one of the tries her phone rang but we didn't hear her and she didn't hear us. Two other tries to that same number right before was totally dead then timed out to a fast busy. The 4th call connected immediately.

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Please work with support on this then. Doesn't sound like it would be related to today's issue if it's been going on that long.

I've seen this problem sporadically for an extended period of time, too (a few weeks). I didn't report it until today, because I was not the one making the calls, and I wasn't at home to do any troubleshooting. I also hesitate to submit tickets, because I'm BYOD and want to be sure that the problem isn't something I should fix with my setup first... I'm seeing this problem with a few local numbers (Raleigh, NC mobile #'s)--when the call rang through, the voipo line would have dead air; the call would almost always drop 1-2 sec after answering. Still dropping on my mobile phone.

Support has asked me to be sure ports are open, etc. When I have better time to babysit while troubleshooting, I'll follow through on that--the requests leave things too open for me to allow unattended.

If you're having issues, definitely work with support.

We process tens of thousands of calls per day now and support is virtually dead. Right now there are 6 open support tickets in our general queue and 5 in Tier II.

When we have a widespread issue, we see hundreds almost instantly.

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Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

If you're having issues, definitely work with support.

We process tens of thousands of calls per day now and support is virtually dead. Right now there are 6 open support tickets in our general queue and 5 in Tier II.

When we have a widespread issue, we see hundreds almost instantly.

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I believe this is an issue that some people might just let go by as I did until today when the (other) 800 number problem reared up. My initial reaction was ... "oh well, shit happens." But it was really annoying trying to call that 800 number so it just put me over the edge. They obviously are 2 SEPARATE issues but the one that has been continuing will hopefully be resolved.

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Originally Posted by MisterEd

I believe this is an issue that some people might just let go by as I did until today when the (other) 800 number problem reared up. My initial reaction was ... "oh well, shit happens." But it was really annoying trying to call that 800 number so it just put me over the edge. They obviously are 2 SEPARATE issues but the one that has been continuing will hopefully be resolved.

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Do you know if FiOS has possibly pushed out an update to your router like UVerse did recently?

I know you were problem-free for a while and we haven't' really had any changes, so it's odd that you'd start experiencing issues unless something changed.

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Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

Do you know if FiOS has possibly pushed out an update to your router like UVerse did recently?

I know you were problem-free for a while and we haven't' really had any changes, so it's odd that you'd start experiencing issues unless something changed.

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I stopped using the Fios router months ago which is what cleared up my problems. Everything is exactly the same. Absolutely nothing has been moved or replaced. I've been having problems again for the last couple months as mentioned in a ticket when it re-started. I have the date somewhere in an old ticket when it all started again. Not NEARLY as bad as before except for the "unable to dial out" issue. One problem (has not occurred recently THAT I NOTICED) was my 2 lines were randomly going down then coming back up. That lasted about a week.

I have had the same problem for a while now as well, dial out and nothing - but person on other end can answer sometimes and I never heard anything, hang up and call again no problems. I do have a ticket open, however the person working it said that a callID I provided that had this problem showed no problems. While it does not happen enough to be a big problem right now, it is sure annoying when it happens.

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Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

One of our upstream vendors is reporting post-dial delay issues so these issues are likely caused by that. The problems are particularly with toll-free numbers. We've re-routed all outbound toll-free traffic around it for the time being, but if any local calls are directed there, you may see issues. This wouldn't automatically fail over to the next carrier since technically the call connects...just a delay long enough to cause eventual failure.

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Could this be causing inbound issues as well? I have had several instances over the last few days where an inbound call appeared to drop when I picked it up, but then found the caller had left a voicemail. Almost as if the ring itself was delayed so that the call went to voicemail by the time I picked it up.

I first reported this issue on Jan 8, 2009 - it still persists; often with toll-free numbers and at other times with random numbers.

As a pre-launch customer, I have been through some very difficult periods with VOIPo and have submitted 40 trouble tickets since Dec 2008. One reaches a point when they tire of trying the same things over and over and come to the realization that the problem(s) will most likely never be corrected and simply accepts the shortcomings.

I used Vonage for 4-years without any of these issues and am currently evaluating another VOISP.

Sorry, but I just can't depend on VOIPo service.

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Originally Posted by KenH

I first reported this issue on Jan 8, 2009 - it still persists; often with toll-free numbers and at other times with random numbers.

As a pre-launch customer, I have been through some very difficult periods with VOIPo and have submitted 40 trouble tickets since Dec 2008. One reaches a point when they tire of trying the same things over and over and come to the realization that the problem(s) will most likely never be corrected and simply accepts the shortcomings.

I used Vonage for 4-years without any of these issues and am currently evaluating another VOISP.

Sorry, but I just can't depend on VOIPo service.

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First thing I always have to ask.... Do you have all the appropriate ports forwarded? VOIPo cannot guarantee reliable service without 5004-65000 UDP forwarded. If the ports are not forwarded you are very likely to have issues unless your router handles the traffic perfectly. I know it may seem redundant for me to ask that, but I see tons of people who don't forward them when support tells them to (often saying they've never needed to) and then they have issues, so I always like to confirm since it may just solve all your issues.

If everything is setup correctly with port forwarding and your router is configured as we recommend, you shouldn't be having issues. If that's the case and you still have ongoing issues for that long, there may be some kind of underlying compatibility issue between VOIPo and you.

All VoIP services design their networks very differently. There's almost no standardization in the industry. So what works well with one combination of ISP/router may not with another.

There will always be occasional issues with VoIP since it uses the public internet as there are issues there and it will never be as reliable as POTS service since it does use the public internet. You shouldn't be having ongoing constant issues though which is sounds like you're describing in your post. If Vonage worked well for your setup and you're having ongoing issues with VOIPo, it may be best to move back to Vonage unfortunately. Their system design may be more compatible with your setup.

Too many variables to pinpoint exactly what is happening here, but it's not a case where VOIPo has ongoing service issues. While there are a few people in this thread reporting issues, there's still not a large enough group of people out tens of thousands to indicate any kind of wide-spread issue. We typically see hundreds of support tickets within minutes when there are widespread issues. Our support levels are at all time lows and we are doubling in size every few months.

If anyone has this type of issue, please contact support with call examples and we'll be able to look at the specific calls to see what's going on.

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Originally Posted by caseydoug

Could this be causing inbound issues as well? I have had several instances over the last few days where an inbound call appeared to drop when I picked it up, but then found the caller had left a voicemail. Almost as if the ring itself was delayed so that the call went to voicemail by the time I picked it up.

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The carrier that confirmed issues was only for about an hour period the day we posted it.

Tim,

Thank you for your thoughts.

As you might imagine, short of changing ISP's, all options have been exhausted:

1. Three different ATA's
2. Two different routers using three different firmwares
3. All suggested ports are open
4. As a grandfathered BYOD user, I've tried different servers

I've always wanted VOIPo to work - I fought for you during the bad times when the WAF was extremely low. As one who spent 32 years troubleshooting sophisticated electronics systems, I thought it could be fixed, but never knowing if a call will ring/complete or dealing with choppy audio is difficult. Just yesterday, a friend had to call back on my other number when he said I "just faded out".

I won't return to Vonage, I left because they raised their rates, but as I said, I'm in the process of evaluating another VOIP service.

I'm still have the trouble, but in all fairness, I have to claim some responsibility. I am running on an Asterisk system, and it's only failing with certain numbers, one of which being my personal cell phone... :mad:

Support asked me to put my Asterisk system in my DMZ and to disable iptables. Those suggestions are very understandable from a troubleshooting perspective, but I'm not too keen on having an Asterisk system wide open on the net. :eek: (at least, not without more research on my part in terms of security).. My troubleshooting solution? I put my BYOD creds into my PAP2, and calls to my cell phone went just fine. Put everything back to Asterisk, and the call to my mobile failed again. :mad:

Support had closed my ticket (new automated script?) since I didn't respond within 48 hrs of their last communication, which is OK by me at this point. The trouble I'm having is outside their reasonable level of support (BYOD problems). I'm hoping I can figure out where the problem is in these calls, because I like the setup I have.

More information:

I've been doing some troubleshooting, and it appears that some of the trouble comes with whether or not certain media gateways accept the G722u codec. When I attempt to call my mobile phone (only allowing g.722u), I get an error indicating that my requested CODEC was not accepted.

I *think* that this issue will resolve if Voipo will be willing to proxy the audio for my calls. OTOH, I do not know what new issues doing so will bring up (aside from more load on their system and possible latency in my calls). I've floated the suggestion to Support - we'll see what they have to say.

uhm, i can not recall experiencing such problems
perhaps, we do not use our phone that often? Or im just having good luck with my setup/service

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Originally Posted by KenH

Tim,

Thank you for your thoughts.

As you might imagine, short of changing ISP's, all options have been exhausted:

1. Three different ATA's
2. Two different routers using three different firmwares
3. All suggested ports are open
4. As a grandfathered BYOD user, I've tried different servers

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I'm sure you've thought of this, but could it be the telephone instrument itself? I sometimes suspect that my old Siemens two-line cordless system has caused problems.

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Originally Posted by voxabox

uhm, i can not recall experiencing such problems
perhaps, we do not use our phone that often? Or im just having good luck with my setup/service

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Not sure if you're talking to me or others indicating the trouble. In my case, it seems to be a small number of specific people I call. Unfortunately, one of them happens to be my mobile phone. I can call my daughter's phone (same carrier, different exchange), but not mine. The problem seems to go away (for me) if my ATA is directly connected to Voipo, but I've not had to operate that way in the past 2-3 years, and it's not the configuration I'd like to run...

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Originally Posted by fisamo

More information:

I've been doing some troubleshooting, and it appears that some of the trouble comes with whether or not certain media gateways accept the G722u codec. When I attempt to call my mobile phone (only allowing g.722u), I get an error indicating that my requested CODEC was not accepted.

I *think* that this issue will resolve if Voipo will be willing to proxy the audio for my calls. OTOH, I do not know what new issues doing so will bring up (aside from more load on their system and possible latency in my calls). I've floated the suggestion to Support - we'll see what they have to say.

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That could definitely be it. Some of our vendors only support G.711.

Oops--I meant G711u, not G722u. The problem I'm having is that at least one of the media gateways my calls connect to does not accept G.711u but seems to require G.729 instead. I configured my trunk (briefly) to use ONLY G.729, and calls to my mobile phone worked, but then calls to several other numbers failed (which was expected behavior). Allowing both CODECs seemed to cause a 'battle of the codecs' based on my Asterisk log, and although the call stayed connected, no audio was transmitted. (I included a snippet of my logs in my ticket.)

Is it possible that there are some 'rogue gateways' that are causing this intermittent problem for other users?

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Originally Posted by fisamo

Oops--I meant G711u, not G722u. The problem I'm having is that at least one of the media gateways my calls connect to does not accept G.711u but seems to require G.729 instead. I configured my trunk (briefly) to use ONLY G.729, and calls to my mobile phone worked, but then calls to several other numbers failed (which was expected behavior). Allowing both CODECs seemed to cause a 'battle of the codecs' based on my Asterisk log, and although the call stayed connected, no audio was transmitted. (I included a snippet of my logs in my ticket.)

Is it possible that there are some 'rogue gateways' that are causing this intermittent problem for other users?

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The only thing I could think of would be peering. All the primary trunks are def 711 enabled. Can you send me some numbers you've seen this message on so I can see how they are routing out? If already in ticket, a ticket number is fine.

The numbers are listed in this ticket: RHG-145807.

This issue has only started occurring within the last few weeks (at most) for me. There are a few call reference IDs in the ticket that should help you see what's going on, too.

Thanks for checking on this!

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Originally Posted by caseydoug

I'm sure you've thought of this, but could it be the telephone instrument itself? I sometimes suspect that my old Siemens two-line cordless system has caused problems.

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Thanks for the suggestion, but I have two separate systems connected and both exhibit the same symptoms. I will admit that a corded phone does have better audio quality than my two cordless systems.

I have tried several times to dial out an 866 number(HostGator). I get a dial tone, then after I dial the # I get complete silence. This seems to be a recurring issue.

The problem dialing out occurred again tonight. I tried two times tonight to place a call. During both attempts I heard the dial tone, dialed the number, but then nothing happened. I finally heard a fast busy signal after 40 seconds. Ticket HDP-724236.

Odd... My problem was just resolved. Out of curiosity, what model ATA do you have?

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Originally Posted by fisamo

Odd... My problem was just resolved. Out of curiosity, what model ATA do you have?

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Apparently, this was related to the Voipo database problem last night. Everything is fine now.

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Originally Posted by mikeb

Apparently, this was related to the Voipo database problem last night. Everything is fine now.

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What was the database problem? I haven't heard about it.

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Originally Posted by caseydoug

What was the database problem? I haven't heard about it.

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