Problem with receiving incoming calls on Andrews & Arnold VoIP

[#1]

Dear Forum users and helpers

I appear to have the same problem as some other users who have posted the same thing about VOIP and A&A.  I have tried to look at the threads, but confess to being lost quickly in the technical detail.

We ordered my elderly mum a Grandstream HT 801 ATA Adaptor (1 FXS) - which connects an analogue phone to a VoIP
service which included a RJ11-to-BT adapter. We were told that all we would need to do is plug the new BT handset into this box, and plug this box into the new PlusNet router. This is not the case.

2 months later, and after numerous calls and email exchanges with PlusNet and A & A, we are no further forward.  If I phone mum's number, it diverts to her mobile (I had asked for this to be set up by A&A after having had no landline service for a month).  However, there is no dial tone when picking up the phone, we can't call out and it won't take incoming calls. A&A replaced the Grandstream box yesterday, and when we plugged it in there is still no dial tone.

A&A's latest advice is that we Disable UPnP on the router and Disable SIP ALG on the router. We are not near mum so this is not an easy thing to do (she doesn't have the skills to do this herself). A&A thought PlusNet would be able to do this remotely, but having just come off their helpline, they don't think this can be done remotely.

In simple terms and language please, can someone assess if this is the fix we need, or would something else work/is something else needed?  It amazes me that we are so close to losing all landlines, yet the VOIP transition does not appear to be smooth.

The other option is we bin A&A, send them their box back and go with a provider that works - but I don't want to go through all of that and end up with the same problem from a different provider unless there is a solid recommendation.

Many thanks

[#2]

@MartyLock

A&A's latest advice is that we Disable UPnP on the router and Disable SIP ALG on the router

which Plusnet router do you have ?

However, there is no dial tone when picking up the phone, we can't call out and it won't take incoming calls. A&A replaced the Grandstream box yesterday, and when we plugged it in there is still no dial tone.

TBH that sounds like the HT801 isnt configured properly and so is not registering with the A & A service.

You can check remotely by logging in to the A & A control pages

I didn't think that A & A supplied a completely configured HT801, I thought you at least had to generate a password on the A & A control pages and configure that in the HT801 ?

edit: there's a couple of threads worth a read for background information

https://community.plus.net/t5/Home-Phone/VOIP-using-Plusnet-Grandstream-A-amp-A/m-p/1969698#M39443

https://community.plus.net/t5/Tech-Help-Software-Hardware-etc/Plusnet-Grandstream-HT802-and-A-amp-A-...

[#3]

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Broadband to My Router

[#4]

---

....but confess to being lost quickly in the technical detail....

.....We were told that all we would need to do is plug the new BT handset into this box, and plug this box into the new PlusNet router. This is not the case.....

A&A's latest advice is that we Disable UPnP on the router and Disable SIP ALG on the router. We are not near mum so this is not an easy thing to do (she doesn't have the skills to do this herself). A&A thought PlusNet would be able to do this remotely, but having just come off their helpline, they don't think this can be done remotely.

In simple terms and language please, can someone assess if this is the fix we need, or would something else work/is something else needed?  It amazes me that we are so close to losing all landlines, yet the VOIP transition does not appear to be smooth.

The other option is we bin A&A, send them their box back and go with a provider that works - but I don't want to go through all of that and end up with the same problem from a different provider unless there is a solid recommendation.

---

@MartyLock 

I've been trying to set up a Grandstream HT801 (also with A&A) for my father yesterday. His was preconfigured with the account details, but some of the other settings were (some still are) wrong.

My thread is here: https://community.plus.net/t5/Home-Phone/Problems-Setting-Grandstream-HT801-ATA-for-A-amp-A-and-Plus...

A very helpful thread is here: https://community.plus.net/t5/Home-Phone/VOIP-using-Plusnet-Grandstream-A-amp-A/td-p/1969698

My father is using a Plusnet Hub 2 router and none of the settings on this have been changed from the default options. If your mum is also using a Hub 2 router, it should be able to connect without changing any settings on the router.

I had thought this was going to be virtually a Plug and Play install, but it's certainly not.

For a solution that should be Plug and Play, it might be better to go to BT for both Broadband and Digital Voice. It will cost more, and you will need to purchase a call plan, as any calls outside the plan will be expensive. With BT, you plug the phone directly into their router.

Am fortunate in that my father lives nearby, and it isn't too much of an issue to visit to try solutions.

[#5]

Thanks for the reply. I think its a Plusnet Hub 2 as well - but I will check when I go to visit on Friday.

Hopefully enabling the "Loop Current Disconnect" setting will do the job.  I have seen the guide on the other thread you pointed to so will give this a go.  I will post back here when I try it.

[#6]

Thanks for the reply.  I think its the Hub 2 but will check when I next visit on Fri.  Thanks also for sending the links to the other threads, I will give them a go.  A&A told me it was going to be fully configured and was just a case of plugging in, how can they have made this so difficult and so many people are struggling?  You would have thought that they would provide a simple guide and that there tech team might have had an idea of solutions...

Fingers crossed.

[#7]

@MartyLock The loop disconnect setting will not cause your problem. 

Did you log in to the A & A control pages and check if the phone was showing as registered ?

[#8]

Thanks for the message.  Its a 3 hr round trip so I am going to go down on Friday and see if I can sort it.  Whilst I am there I will check the control panel as you noted in your message.

[#9]

You can login to the control panel from anywhere, as long as you know the username and password.

[#10]

@MartyLock  for completeness

To login to the control pages , go to https://control.aa.net.uk/ , enter the account username & password ( you should have been sent that in an email )

Click on the phone number link in the Telephony section and then click the Incoming tab

In the Target section you should see 'Registered devices : 1' with the IP address and time last registered

Have you thought of setting up some form of remote access to allow you to sort some things remotely ?

[#11]

Thanks.  I have now remotely accessed and can see the following under DTMF

SIP Phone

Delay:

 

0 secs 3 secs 6 secs 9 secs 12 secs 15 secs 18 secs 21 secs 24 secs 27 secs 30 secs 40 secs 50 secs 60 secs

Registrar:

 

voiceless.aa.net.uk (Do not set a proxy)

Account:

 

+44172471**** (I have blanked out the last 5 numbers - but this number is correct)

Password:

 

SIP Password, as set above

Tag:

 

 Prefix to calling name. (SIP calls only. Use 0 to normalise UK CLIs instead.)

Registered devices:

 

1

17:33:28

A.Voiceless

18:33:28

209.93.243.233

Grandstream HT801 1.0.53.2

There is also a Target to also ring which is set up as a call forward to mum's mobile.

Is there still something missing in these settings?

[#12]

No, that looks ok, the HT801:is registered fine. 

Can you still not make or receive calls ?

[#13]

I haven't actually changed anything, I just logged in and these were the settings.  I looked at the link to the guide of settings, and couldn't see those pages on my Control Panel that would allow me to make any changes.

[#14]

You said in your first post that you couldn't make calls or receive calls.

From the control pages status , The HT801 is registered ok so you shouldn't have any problem making calls at least. There may still be other settings not quite right on the HT801 that may prevent incoming calls but outgoing should be fine.

Is that not the case ?

[#15]

There hasn't been a dial tone to dial out on.  I will be there on Friday and have a look and a play and report back on here in case anyone has any ideas.  Thanks all.