VOIP Tech Chat → [Voip.ms] I want a busy signal when calling busy numbers

On VOIP.MS, I use Grandstream phones and ATAs. When I call a busy POTS number,
I get 60 seconds of silence, then 3 rings, then finally a busy signal. (I don't see any
settings on my VOIP.MS accounts or on my Grandstream devices that would change this,
but I might be overlooking something.)

What should I do to get an immediate busy signal instead?

If you have VOIP.MS, please call a busy number and tell us what you get with your device.
You can use this one if you like: 1-510-848-8228 (it will be busy continuously through
April 14).

I got about 25 seconds of silence followed by a busy signal using VoIP.MS.

With Anveo I got part of an immediate (false) ring followed by a busy signal.

With Localphone I got a couple of seconds of silence followed by a busy signal.

With Voxbeam I got about 7 seconds of silence followed by a busy signal.

Same.

OE

Callcentric gives maybe two seconds of silence, then a busy signal.

Likewise:

CallCentric gave about 2 seconds of silence, then a busy signal.

LocalPhone gave about 20-25 seconds of silence, then a busy signal.

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If Voip.MS is giving you [60 seconds of silence] !!!! before getting a busy signal, that ain't right.

I would talk to them about that.

I called the number OP provided with GV and got one immediate ring then busy signal.

However, in the past when I used GV to call international number overseas, it kept ringing as if waiting for someone to pick up while the line was actually busy.

Don't understand why the behavior is different with different numbers...

VoIP.ms: 60 seconds of silence, then busy signal.

Because a lot more handoffs are involved, with a lot of equipment that is not as easily compatible as within North America, many companies, suboceanic cables, etc....

Transcoding is probably involved also, calls sent in G.711 may be redone as G.729.

Think about having sex with a Vulcan or Klingon woman. You wouldn't expect everything to be the same, would you?

False answer supervision (FAS) may also be involved in overseas calls.

I use Vestalink (Obivoice) via a PBX and get an immediate busy dialing that number:

[2014-04-09 21:10:05] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] pbx.c: -- Executing [s@macro-dialout-trunk:22] Dial("SIP/41961-0000001f", "SIP/obivoice/5108488228,300,TWw") in new stack
[2014-04-09 21:10:05] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] netsock2.c: == Using SIP RTP TOS bits 184
[2014-04-09 21:10:05] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] netsock2.c: == Using SIP RTP CoS mark 5
[2014-04-09 21:10:05] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] app_dial.c: -- Called SIP/obivoice/5108488228
[2014-04-09 21:10:07] VERBOSE[6507][C-0000000d] chan_sip.c: -- Got SIP response 486 "Busy Here" back from 54.200.193.145:5060
[2014-04-09 21:10:07] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] app_dial.c: -- SIP/obivoice-00000020 is busy
[2014-04-09 21:10:07] VERBOSE[14861][C-0000000d] app_dial.c: == Everyone is busy/congested at this time (1:1/0/0)

Interesting. Using Voip.MS, I get similar results on my PBX. You can see that it took almost 1 minute to process the busy:

[2014-04-09 21:33:46] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] pbx.c: -- Executing [s@macro-dialout-trunk:21] GotoIf("SIP/49701-00000021", "0?customtrunk") in new stack
[2014-04-09 21:33:46] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] pbx.c: -- Executing [s@macro-dialout-trunk:22] Dial("SIP/49701-00000021", "SIP/VoIPMS4970/5108488228,300,TWw") in new stack
[2014-04-09 21:33:46] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] netsock2.c: == Using SIP RTP TOS bits 184
[2014-04-09 21:33:46] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] netsock2.c: == Using SIP RTP CoS mark 5
[2014-04-09 21:33:46] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] app_dial.c: -- Called SIP/VoIPMS4970/5108488228
[2014-04-09 21:34:01] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] app_dial.c: -- SIP/VoIPMS4970-00000022 is making progress passing it to SIP/49701-00000021
[2014-04-09 21:34:22] VERBOSE[6507][C-0000000e] chan_sip.c: -- Got SIP response 486 "Busy Here" back from 68.233.226.97:5060
[2014-04-09 21:34:22] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] app_dial.c: -- SIP/VoIPMS4970-00000022 is busy
[2014-04-09 21:34:22] VERBOSE[15185][C-0000000e] app_dial.c: == Everyone is busy/congested at this time (1:1/0/0)

I'm unable to reproduce the problem. I tested by calling a Telus landline that was off hook.

Using voip.ms I got 35 seconds of silence, then a busy signal.

Use a TELUS land line to call a busy SHAW line.
I get 3 rings before busy in Vancouver.
I once asked Digital Voice (Infinet) about the delay to a non-working number recording.
The answer was: "because we try twelve routes".

Localphone- 2 sec
Callwithus 30 sec
Callcentric 2 sec
GV 1 false ring followed immediately with busy signal

.
CWU comment deleted, see post below

If it's not already in your digitmap, use a # after dialing with LP.

Gigasets don't have much of a dial plan, and to have the call go out on LP which I have on Line 4, I need to press [#4] after I dial. Pressing [##4] results in an error.

That might be the problem, you can have significant delays with LP without a #.

BTW I guess I figured out the reason for the 30 second CWU delay- if you chose a specific route through *4SSS dialing you will have the busy signal after 2 seconds like with CC or LP.
On edit: However, it's important to realize that because without testing it I assume that the same problem will occur using Callback or a Calling card. i wonder whether a *4SSS dialing can be used with those services.

I have never seen that, so my "control group" is that I don't see any delays using LP when calling other numbers.

There's no # characters sent to Localphone. The # you press at the end of dialing is to tell the ATA that you've entered the last digit. Except for a couple of cases (dialing 7-digit and international numbers), the ATA shouldn't need the trailing # if the dialplan is written properly (a # isn't part of the dialplan). Call processing should begin immediately with x11, 10-, and 11-digit numbers, regardless of the service provider.

I'm the original poster. Thank you to everyone who responded with their own
experience.

My VOIP.MS calls to busy numbers have been taking th 60-75 seconds for a long time,
perhaps years. Starting a few hours after my original posting, such calls began
to produce a busy signal after 20 seconds, so maybe someone at VOIP.MS read the
thread and tweaked VOIP.MS's system favorably.

My experience is largely based on calling international numbers indeed and I certainly trust your opinion . Also, Localphone recommends using # when calling via the Calling Card feature and you certainly get a delay there if you do not do it.

Their system behaves similar to an ATA. It doesn't necessarily know when you've entered the last digit of an unknown length number until (1) you enter a # or (2) you wait with a long timeout. A # is just an indication that you've entered the last digit, but the # itself is otherwise ignored.

Alternatively, you can limit the max number of route in your user settings. Min is 1, Max is 9.

Yeah, but I get that delay although I limited the number to 3 and I do not consider it practical to limit it to one. Also I like the control of the route and it's costs on some international destinations.

I set my max route to 5 and I got no more than a few seconds delay. You may want to find out which particular route is giving you excessive delay and put it in your exclude list.

I don't think voip.ms have changed anything as I just tested and it takes 39 seconds for me to receive the BUSY response.

However, when I place a call, on my Verizon Wireless Phone, and the called party is on the line I get a busy signal within 3 to 5 seconds

It rang immediately -- hung up. That was me...LOL.

voip.ms with Cisco ATA.

For domestic calls, I use CWU almost exclusively for toll free. With international calling, with 5 routes you take chances of paying significantly higher prices than anticipated.