1 edit | [General] Why won't my phone number work??? I have a phone number, 1-800-637-xxxx with Callcentric. When I try to call the number from an AT&T small business line in Chicago or from an AT&T residential line (2 miles away from the small business line) it gives me that automated "Either the area code or telephone number is not valid" error message. The same thing happens with Comcast Xfinity Voice phone service.
If, however, I try to call the number through Skype, Google Voice, or my Verizon cell phone it works just fine.
I've contacted Callcentric and they cannot figure it out. I'm on hold with AT&T but I'm worried they won't be able to figure it out.
Can anyone think of a technical reason why my phone number can't be reached from some phones.
I've made sure over and over that I'm calling the right number, tried calling other local, long distance, and toll-free numbers and I can't seem to figure anything out.
If you wish to give it a try and report your service and whether or not it went through that might help too.
I've had this number for over a month but have only noticed the problem today. I also have a second Callcentric account with a different 800 number and am having the same problem. |
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| Was the number ported to CC or was it obtained directly from CC?
I am aware that ported numbers sometimes take a while to be propagated to all carriers. |
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| I obtained it directly from Callcentric however I don't know if it was ported before that because the number was in their recently deactivated inventory. |
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| reply to broadring
I just got off the phone with an AT&T rep. She listened to the error message (I held one phone up to another) and said it wasn't theirs so it was leaving their network. (I recorded the error message and will attempt to attach it to this post.)
She said it was a porting issue. She said she would put in a support request anyway and that they would try to get back to me.
I hope they can figure it out because Callcentric seems to think it's AT&T's problem. It might be except this number also can't be called from Comcast so it seems like it's Callcentric's upstream provider. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
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·Gizmo5
| Remember that AT&T is your local provider (ILEC) in Chicago. It would not surprise me if Comcast terminated their local calls through AT&T also, making the AT&T and Comcast problem the same.
My gut feeling would be that it IS likely to be an AT&T routing problem....
In addition to contacting AT&T though, you should contact Comcast as well.
Just tell them that when you make the call on Comcast, it won't go through, even though you know the number works from other carriers like Verizon Wireless. Let Comcast try to track it down. Do NOT mention VoIP, it will just confuse them.
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Another question: Where are the calls being routed to? An ATA or IP phone hooked to CallCentric? Or are you forwarding the calls to a CallCentric DID, an AT&T DID, or some other DID?
You never know when conflicts will arise....
As an experiment, try forwarding the calls to somewhere totally different---such as your cellphone---and see if THAT works. |
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| The calls get forwarded to my cell phone right now with CallCentric DID (though technically using their "call treatments" feature). I tried it with just regular DID feature as well. I tried having it forward to several different numbers as well as a SIP phone. Nothing changed. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
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| said by broadring:I tried having it forward to several different numbers as well as a SIP phone. Nothing changed.
It was good to try, sorry it was not successful.
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I've listened to the recording that you posted, which includes the phrase, "The following tones are for the hearing impaired".
This is followed by special TTY (Baudot) tones for the deaf.
AFAIK, that IS an AT&T recording, probably dating back to the predecessor company Ameritech which served Illinois, Michigan, etc. I used to live in Michigan and I've heard it before, and there are various online references to it.
I know that the AT&T rep said otherwise, but people are often incredibly unaware of what their own companies are doing, especially in the case of AT&T. AT&T could even have a base on the moon with 98 percent of the employees not knowing.
Now, I don't know who is at fault. Of course, continue to work with CallCentric.
But I would also pressure AT&T---
---and as above, I would ALSO contact Comcast!
Those are the people who can't do the hookup.
If your TF number IS reachable from GoogleVoice and from Verizon Wireless, this is [not] likely to be a CC problem.
Hope it works out for you....  |
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| Thanks for the help PX Eliezer!
AT&T called me back and said to call XO Communications because it's not AT&T's problem. I called XO and the rep told me he can't open a ticket for me because I'm not a direct customer (CallCentric has to do it) but he did let me put in a live call while on the phone and said he did not register the call on his system meaning it's not routing to them.
He said there was a lot to check in terms of routing and that they might need to "resporg" the number. He also explained to me that they can put all types of restrictions on the number at different steps of the routing and that those would have to be checked.
I told Callcentric to open a ticket with XO as per the XO rep's instructions.
It does seem like AT&T's problem though considering it's only their phones that won't work.
I'll try to press AT&T and Comcast tomorrow if this is not resolved. I've been dealing with this all day and am just so exhausted with it. |
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| reply to broadring
AT&T called and said the problem is not theirs and that the number belonged to XO Communications and they must have a routing issue. They gave me their service number (888-575-6398) to call.
I really don't think this should be my problem but here we go. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
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·callwithus
·Callcentric
·Vitelity VOIP
·Optimum Voice
·Gizmo5
| I certainly agree. Let CC handle it in the morning.
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By the way, if you go here
»www.800forall.com/
and use the search box in the upper right hand corner ("Who Owns This Number") you can double check on the carrier.
It seems to be accurate.... |
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Mangowww.toao.net
join:2008-12-25
Alberta
kudos:8 | Thanks for that! |
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 TrevIP Telephony GuruPremium
join:2009-06-29
Victoria, BC
kudos:3 | reply to PX Eliezer
said by PX Eliezer:By the way, if you go here
»www.800forall.com/
and use the search box in the upper right hand corner ("Who Owns This Number") you can double check on the carrier.
It seems to be accurate....
Too bad it's "temporarily unavailable" right now.
I was somewhat interested to see what it has to say about my toll free numbers.
--
Wondering what I do? Find out at »www.digitalcon.ca |
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| reply to broadring
That recording does sound like an AT&T recording. Back when they added the 872 overlay area code to 773 and 312 and you were forced to dial the area code for calls within the same area code I would get that same exact recording if I didn't dial the area code first. This was of course from one AT&T business POTS line to another. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
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·Optimum Voice
·Gizmo5
| reply to Trev
said by Trev:Too bad it's "temporarily unavailable" right now.
I was somewhat interested to see what it has to say about my toll free numbers.
It's working now.
Just don't everybody do it at once.
Even Madonna can only do one at a time. |
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| reply to broadring
Well Callcentric seems to have taken the initiative to get it working. Still no luck though. I called AT&T in hopes of getting someone to come out but they told me they can't open a ticket for me, only a carrier can open a ticket about this. So basically CC opens a ticket w/ XO which opens a ticket w/ ATT. Seems a bit unnecessary but what can you do.
CC also gave me a different XO 800 number to try and it seemed to work fine. So I'm pretty lost at this point. Hopefully AT&T gets someone to try to make the call locally who can then trace down the situation. |
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 N9MDPremium
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL
kudos:5
·VOIPo
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·Callcentric
·PHONE POWER
| Let's see if I can be of help. From a PSTN phone, dial AmeriTech's RespOrg line ... Responsible Organization ... 1-800-337-4194. Be very patient because the voice response system has long pauses between requests.
When asked, enter your problematic 10-digit TF#.
The auto-voice will read back the number.
When asked if the number is correct, press the "#" (pound) as instructed.
Wait a bit and, if the TF# is in the database ... not necessarily AmeriTech's database ... you will hear the name of the TF Carrier and a contact phone number.
(Unfortunately, in some cases, even though the TF# is active, AmeriTech can't provide the RespOrg's name.)
If you recognize the RepOrg's name, then you have an answer to give to CC, ATT and whomever. If you get a name you don't recognize, such as LDDI (which became MCI which was then bought by Verizon), Google that name (or post it in this thread) because most of the "old" TF providers have been purchased by the major companies --- such as Qwest (which is now CenturyLink). So one of the older names may confuse you.
In essence, if you can identify the current RespOrg, you may use your newly found information to help your cause.
RespOrgs are not CLECs. They are companies that are permitted to draw numbers from the Toll Free pool which is maintained by SMS/800 ... the equivalent of NANPA which assigns non-TF area codes & phone number blocks to PSTN, Cellular, Beeper, PCS, CLECs. |
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mrcamp
join:2003-08-04
Lake In The Hills, IL | reply to broadring
A while back, may be 3 years or so, I had an 800 number from Kall8. All numbers connected to it except my AT&T cell phone.
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So Much trouble in the world...Bob Marley |
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