General Launch Update

**NY Tel Guy** · 04-12-2008 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

The good thing is that with porting, Level3 does NOT notify the actual customer (like VT). Most Tier1's are like this. That's why with VoIP providers you typically need to cancel your service AFTER the port whereas with traditional landlines, the cancellation would be automatic.

While this is traditionally a pain, it can be used to your advantage because VT won't know when the port completes and you can form a strategy as to how to time your cancellation to avoid the ridiculous cancellation fee hoops (IMO) they've recently added.

When they started the nonsense with the 2.50 a month extra fee, I never updated my credit card and stopped using the account. I will send them back their TA (I'll need a Grandstream from you) after I cancel them.

**burris** · 04-22-2008 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by Montano

My port was painless. Took about a couple weeks to complete and my Voipo line started ringing without any service interruptions.

My VT line still works for outbound calls, but I'm paid up for a few more months anyways.

After you ported your VT line away, did you ask or did they give you another temp number that would continue to work for inbound?
You mention outbound, but this would also require some number to relate to..

**Montano** · 04-12-2008 09:09 AM

I have my main voipo line on a PAP2T, alongside my VT PAP2. I have had no issues with calls longer than 15 minutes. Or any issues with calls for that matter

I have another voipo line on my Grandstream GXP-2000, and I've had no issues there either. I've been using voipo for about a year (roughly ?) on various devices and they have all worked fine.

**Montano** · 04-22-2008 07:36 AM

I'm playing the 'don't ask, don't tell' game with VT right now. I did not 'ask' for a temporary number, as I'm not interested in paying the monthly garbage fees they are now charging. And I'm not going to 'tell' them I have already ported my number until It's time to cancel my account.

Oddly, I did receive a call from someone named Michael from VT yesterday. He said it was a 'customer service fallow up' call, but I have not called or submitted any tickets in over a year.

Outbound continues to work fine.

**dswartz** · 04-22-2008 08:35 AM

Speaking of VT, very frustrating thread over on dslreports in the VT forum. Apparently they use some 3rd party platform to send out their invoices now. Brendan does not seem to understand why it is not good practice to send mail supposedly from billing@viatalk.com but have the email say foobar@somerandomthirdpartycompany.com. We've been trying to point out that this is indistinguishable from the plethora of phishing mails people get, so some non-trivial percentage of customers will delete them (or they will be in their spam folders). He got all huffy and sarcastic. Sigh...

**burris** · 04-22-2008 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Montano

I'm playing the 'don't ask, don't tell' game with VT right now. I did not 'ask' for a temporary number, as I'm not interested in paying the monthly garbage fees they are now charging. And I'm not going to 'tell' them I have already ported my number until It's time to cancel my account.

Oddly, I did receive a call from someone named Michael from VT yesterday. He said it was a 'customer service fallow up' call, but I have not called or submitted any tickets in over a year.

Outbound continues to work fine.

Interesting...makes sense, but I don't understand how you can make an outbound call without a number behind it. What shows up in your recipients CID when you make that call?

I suppose I should handle it the same way. Then I will have use of an outbound line during my 'free' year. I wonder if I could spoof the CID from that line so my friends and family and subscription services that pick up the CID would be able to recognize it.

The other curiosity would come about, if/when VT begins to realize what is happening and wants to accrue the fees. I wonder how that would fit into the scheme of things?

Now I need to figure out how to utilize that line for inbound if it doesn't have a number assigned.

burris

**dswartz** · 04-22-2008 11:37 AM

Whether the ATA or VT's server provides the CID info, I don't see how they would know they don't own the number anymore, so spoofing it at that level is not unbelievable. Or am I misunderstanding?

**burris** · 04-22-2008 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by dswartz

Whether the ATA or VT's server provides the CID info, I don't see how they would know they don't own the number anymore, so spoofing it at that level is not unbelievable. Or am I misunderstanding?

I suppose the short answer would be to ask the person or better yet the persons being called, what they see on their screen.

Typically, the outbound call will dip into one of the national CID tanks and send that on to the receiving end...if the number resides in the tank.

When I get a chance, I will make a few calls to try for an answer on this.

**fisamo** · 04-22-2008 12:06 PM

When I had a ViaTalk trunk set up on my Asterisk/Trixbox server, I found that VT's system would override the CID setting I had indicated in the FreePBX trunk setup. I'm fairly certain that calls from your VT line will send the VT-assigned number for CID purposes. One thing that seemed to work for CallVantage (but does come at a price): Consider getting a virtual number for your VT line after you port your primary number away. That way, outbound numbers would still show your (now-ported-away) number, but anyone dialing the virtual number would still ring through to your VT line.

**NY Tel Guy** · 04-22-2008 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by burris

Interesting...makes sense, but I don't understand how you can make an outbound call without a number behind it. What shows up in your recipients CID when you make that call?

I suppose I should handle it the same way. Then I will have use of an outbound line during my 'free' year. I wonder if I could spoof the CID from that line so my friends and family and subscription services that pick up the CID would be able to recognize it.

The other curiosity would come about, if/when VT begins to realize what is happening and wants to accrue the fees. I wonder how that would fit into the scheme of things?

Now I need to figure out how to utilize that line for inbound if it doesn't have a number assigned.

burris

Your inbound is automatically sent to the carrier who hosts your phone number. Your outbound simply originates from any number of carriers you may have used and it is possible for you to place 2 outgoing calls simultaneously:
1 from VT
the 2nd from the new provider
and both would say your current phone number. If those 2 separate people tried to return your call, the incoming would be routed ONLY to the new provider.
Just the way the phone network works.

Incoming calls to your old ported out line will not be possible with one exception: Most probably, VT subs will still reach you on your old line since their database does not know any better. Everyone else who calls you will get you at your new ported location.