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Thread: Bizarre VOIP Problem - Help needed

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    Default Bizarre VOIP Problem - Help needed

    This is a strange problem. Its not often that something totally stumps me, most things can be worked out by process of elimination but seemingly not here.


    Friend has 8000/384 ADSL with Internode and VOIP with Engin via ATA voicebox. Works fine, no issues.

    Modem craps its pants (RTA1025W) and is replaced with D Link DSL 2730B. Works fine.

    Churn from Internode 8000/384 to Exetel 1500/256. Issue develops, VOIP works, but only for local calls. STD calls die after 1 ring.

    Call Engin, who claim modem (2730B) is not compatible with their service. This sounds strange as it was working fine until the churn.

    Voip disappears completly, only default Telstra working. Can log in to VOIP ATA default web page on local network, so it is on network.

    Replace with another modem. Same problem. Test ATA on my system. Works fine, dials out with their voip number so config file obviously works. Return it to their system, telstra only.

    In a nutshell, VOIP either refuses to work or work properly since churn to Exetel. Everything works fine anywhere other than their house. It now doesnt work at all.

    Any ideas ? I am scratching my head here.

    TIA



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    Engin and their stinky

    " That Modem is Not Compatible With Our Service ",

    Information that would have been handy before I spent $239 on a Billion Router,

    Farkin Answer

    As you can tell I am another happy satisfied customer of theirs LOL


    Did the high Tech Jocks recommend to you to use their SoftPhone instead ROFL

    I even think the Indian Call center Fault service could do better that what they do :P


    But enough Of my high recommendations :P

    But Seriously did you try his ATA at another House / Residence that is running a Exetel 1500/256 line

    Did you phone Exetel to see if this is a common problem

    You see the company knows all the downfalls but they don't tell you till you sign a contract , Bastards LOL

    Good luck
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    Quote Originally Posted by best4less View Post

    But Seriously did you try his ATA at another House / Residence that is running a Exetel 1500/256 line
    No, I dont know of anyone else that has that specific line speed and ISP. Up until a couple of days ago, vOIP has been working fine for local calls, but national calls would die after 1 ring. Now there is no voip at all.

    His ATA works fine at my house. The current setup (with the supposedly incompatible modem) worked perfectly until the churn when national calls started playing up.

    Did you phone Exetel to see if this is a common problem
    No, I have done a few days of Googling for any related problems cant find any thing specific. In all honesty, I cant see the point of speaking to someone in India that knows less than I do.

    You see the company knows all the downfalls but they don't tell you till you sign a contract , Bastards LOL

    Good luck
    There is no contract on the ADSL or engin, engin has been working fine for a number of years. As I mentioned, its a bizarre problem. I have also changed the line filter, changed the phone, changed the modem.

    Today I am trying a Netgear modem that I have that has built in voip with engins BYO settings to see what happens there. I think if the same problem still exists that they may have to get a line check and prehaps get telstra to have a look at their ADSL at the exchange as I am running out of options.

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    That is worth a try, using a Modem with VOIP built in

    That is what I tried with my Billion Router and she wouldn't work properly so I had to get a ATA VOIP Box, and she seems to be working fine, touch wood
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    This may be completely unrelated, but when you said you changed your ADSL line filter.... is it just a plug in line filter, or an ADSL2+ central filter/splitter?

    If seen some weird things like this solved with an ADSL2+ central filter/splitter.

    As I said, it may not be your issue, but something worth considering.

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    Exetel block nothing on their network so I can't see it being related to the churn, timing coincidence perhaps, testing the ATA at another location doesn't mean much if it were a router related issue as Engin are suggesting

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    Quote Originally Posted by jok11n View Post
    Exetel block nothing on their network so I can't see it being related to the churn, timing coincidence perhaps, testing the ATA at another location doesn't mean much if it were a router related issue as Engin are suggesting
    Its a bizarre problem.

    It was all working fine as mentioned until the churn when national calls stopped working.

    I have even taken my ata there (same make and model) and it has the same problem.

    Mtv, its just a standard filter, one in, two out if you know what I mean.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    Today I am trying a Netgear modem that I have that has built in voip with engins BYO settings to see what happens there. I think if the same problem still exists that they may have to get a line check and prehaps get telstra to have a look at their ADSL at the exchange as I am running out of options.
    Yes, I would be doing the same - as persoanlly always had equipment with built-in VOIP as basically eliminates risk of router not playing nice with ATA -> which gut feel tells me this is happening here. Also gives you an opportunity to test another VOIP provider if you find that Engin happens to be the culprit!

    Does the ATA work faultlessly at your place Sanity? As perhaps the ATA could be on its way out, and requires replacement.

    Its a real conundrum, as would send me I was originally thinking of the voip port being blocked, although the local calls previously working refutes this argument.
    We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them - Albert Einstein

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    Quote Originally Posted by porkchops View Post
    Does the ATA work faultlessly at your place Sanity? As perhaps the ATA could be on its way out, and requires replacement
    It works fine at my place, if I ring my mobile it shows their voip number as the caller so the engin config file in it seems to be working ok.

    If I take my ata to their place it wont work.


    Its the strangest problem I have ever come across.

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    I also forgot to mention, my friend rang engin who said, quote, "its like a car, it might need oil".

    I am not sure what that means and neither does he.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    ......Mtv, its just a standard filter, one in, two out if you know what I mean.
    Yep, just a standard 'in-line' filter.

    I've seen lots of odd issues solved with a central filter/splitter (completely separates ADSL frequencies from the line), not just filters the noise from a handset, which is all the line filters do.

    ADSL central filter/splitters provide a much cleaner audio and data path.

    As I said... maybe nothing related at all to your issue, but I've seen other seemingly unexplained problems solved with them.

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    You seem to have eliminated most of the potential problems. A couple of things I can think of that may be worth trying before line tests are:

    1. A softphone, which may help isolate the problem. Certainly if even a softphone won't work I would be following up with Exetel.

    2. Although it does seem bizarre, an adsl filter between the ATA and the handset as per this Whirlpool post:



    Good luck. I can vouch for the fact that, whilst Voip is great, when there are problems it usually leads to hours of frustration. And the support is generally impossible to contact quickly and usually a waste of time when they do reply.

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    Are ports 5060, 5061 & 5062 port forwarded to the ATA?

    As a matter of interest, I just set up a pennytel account with an ATA. ($0 per month and $15 for a local dial in number (For 3 years))

    I hit a problem with outgoing calls working OK, but incomming would not connect.
    Solution was to change the accound password to a new password. And it did fix it.
    Dunno why, it doesn't make sense, but it's another straw for you to clutch at
    Reality is an invention of my imagination.
    ಠ_ಠ

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post

    If I take my ata to their place it wont work.

    .
    behind the same router?

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    Sanity,

    Have you checked for postings of similar problems at the Exetel forums ?
    Posting details of the current problem might result in some useful information.

    A telephone call to Exetel support could also be fruitful as I have found their personnel to be very knowledgeable and helpful.

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    The problem appeared to be 2 things , 1. Modem appears to have issues with either Exetel or Engin. Engin claims the modem doesnt work with their service and is unsupported, they dont seem to know why. 2. Incorrect power supply plug was plugged in to one device causing intermittent issues.

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    Pleased you were able to solve it.

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    Incorrect power supply plug was plugged in to one device causing intermittent issues
    . done this myself,it will need a very similar power supply of similar amps

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    Incorrect power supply plug was plugged in to one device causing intermittent issues
    . done this myself,it will need a very similar power supply of similar amps

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