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beq
Premium Member
join:2003-01-31
Houston, TX

beq

Premium Member

[CDV] Incompatibility with Nortel Venture phones related to EMTA

We have a problem where incoming calls on the CDV line don't ring correctly on our Nortel Venture phones (PDF link). Our other phones work fine receiving CDV calls though, and conversely the Venture phones continue to work fine with a separate Verizon landline that we also have. It's frustrating.

I need to find out if this Venture phone incompatibility is dependent on the brand/model of the EMTA modem used, or fundamental to the CDV service itself regardless of the EMTA unit?

I read a previous BBR thread from last year with a similar problem. But Comcast's incompatible equipment list doesn't mention these Venture phones (which were made by Nortel, then Aastra, and have since been discontinued). FYI I think these desk phones had cost us over $500 each years ago. More importantly, my family members really want to keep using these phones.

Anyways we have CDV service at two houses: one service (a ported number) using a Scientific Atlanta DPX2203 series "WebSTAR" EMTA which snaps onto a large battery base, and the other service (a new number) using a newer SA DPC2203C2 EMTA which has front-mounted bays for battery packs.

In testing both have the same problem in that incoming calls come through as intermittent and abnormally short rings on the Venture phones, such that no Caller ID data is transmitted and the call cannot be answered unless I manage to pick up the Venture handset right in the middle of a short ring.

I went to a local Comcast service center in Houston hoping that swapping the EMTA may fix the problem, but they said that they didn't have any spare for me One guy did tell me that they're expecting to receive Motorola EMTAs soon that he heard work a lot better. Should I wait for this??

CT3
@comcast.net

CT3

Anon

Re: [CDV] Incompatibility with Nortel Venture phones related to

Not sure, you cannot however just swap the EMTA at the desk a tech must come out and provision it. Are you plugging directly into the EMTA and having this problem or is this on your house wiring? IF the latter, try plugging straight into the EMTA and then call your # on a cell phone see if that fixes the problem or not. It could be the phone is old or just never supported the standard specs the EMTA's are going bu I suppose for Ring signal.
beq
Premium Member
join:2003-01-31
Houston, TX

1 edit

beq

Premium Member

Thanks CT3. I did test by plugging the Venture phones directly into both EMTAs (at both houses) and still have the problem.

I spoke with Comcast phone tech support a couple of times, asking if a change of EMTA may fix the problem. Each time I was specifically told to go to a local service center to swap the EMTA (I guess they don't like to send a technician over). So I just assumed that the service center staff would be able to provision the new EMTA modem before I take it home -- is this not the case??

The thing is that the last time I went to the service center they said that they didn't have any spare EMTA modems in stock and that I can check back later. Which would seem to imply that they can give me a new EMTA to take home?

Anyways, the reason I originally posted was to find out if a change of EMTA can fix my phone incompatibility problem, or if the CDV POTS parameters are fixed on Comcast's end so that I shouldn't even bother swapping EMTA as it won't make a difference?
beq

beq

Premium Member

BTW I also have a few unrelated questions about our Houston CDV service:

- When will it support a second phone line? They keep telling me it's planned in the future, but not when. Yet some other CDV areas already support two (or more?) lines today.

- When will it support a distinctive ring (ie. second) number? With our Verizon landline we had two phone numbers attached to one line, where incoming calls to the second number would have a distinctive ring. We could then set our fax machine to only answer on the distinctive ring pattern. But when we ported the phone service to Comcast, we lost the distinctive ring number because I was told that it's not supported.

- I read in a previous BBR thread that 10-10 dial around services (which I like to use for international calls) don't work on CDV??

I also read that we cannot choose a different (non-Comcast) long distance provider for CDV? I know my CDV service already gives me unlimited domestic long distance which is great, but I was hoping to have the option to specify a different international call provider (if it's true that dial around services won't work)...
yurkinator
join:2007-07-30
Newark, DE

yurkinator

Member

10 10 will not work and you cannot choose a different international call provider. You can use a calling card if you wish.