Community Forums

MSHappyCampers · 06-02-2016, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Podivin

My home phone is part of a bundle from Comcast (Xfinity). I was mucking about on their website last week and stumbled across an option to block all calls without a valid caller ID. I was right quick to activate that option! (it's free).

I don't see how this would help, since as I stated earlier, they can make your caller ID show any number they want, including legitimate ones!

Podivin · 06-02-2016, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I don't see how this would help, since as I stated earlier, they can make your caller ID show any number they want, including legitimate ones!

I agree, it won't stop them all because of that number spoofing.
However stopping ANY of them is a good thing, add to that it's free and painless and you've got nothing to lose.

It may be coincidence, but the calls slowed after I set that up. There was one number in particular that called multiple times per day and I haven't been pestered by them since then.
I work at home, so I'm always aware of when the home phone is ringing, even if I never answer it. Anybody who really knows me will call me cell phone.

Timon · 06-02-2016, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I don't see how this would help, since as I stated earlier, they can make your caller ID show any number they want, including legitimate ones!

That's the nice thing about moving our landline number to google voice, they keep a spam database of numbers and trap them before they get to us. We hardly ever get a telemarketing call these days.

nothermark · 06-03-2016, 07:02 AM

Two things.

VOIP is not a land line thus it is subject to the same problems as the cell phones in terms of availability.

Automatically blocking unknown callers has it's downside. When I did some outside service customers were losing appointments because I was required to call and verify they were available. If they did not answer I did not make the trip to service their equipment.

Timon · 06-03-2016, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

Two things.

VOIP is not a land line thus it is subject to the same problems as the cell phones in terms of availability.

Automatically blocking unknown callers has it's downside. When I did some outside service customers were losing appointments because I was required to call and verify they were available. If they did not answer I did not make the trip to service their equipment.

Although VOIP is not POTS it's not the same as cell phone service when is comes to being overloaded. I would rate them in order of reliability during emergencies POTS, VOIP then cell in terms of physical availability.

However I remember when the Bay Area had that large quake. I was in the LA area and was communicating with someone in SF over the Internet. Phone service was basically down in Bay Area but Internet was still up. So VOIP calls could have gotten through while POTS and cells were jammed.

This is why your best bet is to have more than one way to communicate.

baraff · 06-03-2016, 03:37 PM

One of those boat air horns let loose into the receiver might not do much but it sure makes you feel good!
Seriously, we got rid of the landline years ago. I don't answer any call I don't recognize, if it's important they'll leave a message or call back. Very, very few ever leave a message.