[MikeHou]

Before the ViP622, I had a 510 DVR. Phone service is Vonage, and nothing has changed regarding that since I had the 510. E* is hitting me with the dreaded PAF of $5.00 each month. I've been calling them each month and they remove it, but it shows up again the next month.

I'm having trouble understanding why this would work under 510 but not with the 622. Is there something different about the components used for the phone on the 622?

I went thru a round of tests per the semi-helpful CSR, and everything tested out fine. I wasn't asked to do this, but I did select the Dial Out function to see what happened... it progressed to where it said Connecting, then failed after that. I'm assuming it's unable to call the mothership each night and thus I get hit with the fee. (BTW, I did verify the phone line is live).

I've adjusted my Vonage bandwidth (before the last testing I did) so that I'm full bandwidth, but still the same results. Interestingly enough, I was on the lowest bandwidth with the 510 and never had a problem.

Is it as simple as using a DSL filter?

 

[harsh]

E* is hitting me with the dreaded PAF of $5.00 each month. I've been calling them each month and they remove it, but it shows up again the next month.

I'm having trouble understanding why this would work under 510 but not with the 622. Is there something different about the components used for the phone on the 622?

The 5xx receivers aren't subject to the additional tuner fee; after all, they have only one tuner. Chances are that your 5xx receiver wasn't getting through either.

You're solution is probably going to have to come from Vonage as that is likely where your failure is coming from. I should note that I recently had some troubles with calling a particular number from my SunRocket phone and it turned out that my sister's phone company (AT&T/PacBell) was blocking my number at some level.

You may need to tinker with some parameters in your SIP adapter or rearrange your cabling to insure better transmission quality.

As for the DSL filter, that doesn't come into play if you don't have POTS phone service. You might want to plug in a filter and a phone and see if there is any noise on the line.

 

[huntrm]

Before the ViP622, I had a 510 DVR. Phone service is Vonage, and nothing has changed regarding that since I had the 510. E* is hitting me with the dreaded PAF of $5.00 each month. I've been calling them each month and they remove it, but it shows up again the next month.

I'm having trouble understanding why this would work under 510 but not with the 622. Is there something different about the components used for the phone on the 622?

I went thru a round of tests per the semi-helpful CSR, and everything tested out fine. I wasn't asked to do this, but I did select the Dial Out function to see what happened... it progressed to where it said Connecting, then failed after that. I'm assuming it's unable to call the mothership each night and thus I get hit with the fee. (BTW, I did verify the phone line is live).

I've adjusted my Vonage bandwidth (before the last testing I did) so that I'm full bandwidth, but still the same results. Interestingly enough, I was on the lowest bandwidth with the 510 and never had a problem.

Is it as simple as using a DSL filter?

I'm assumnig you have *99 prefix configured to dial-out for Vonage? Works perfectly for me with Vonage on lowest bandwidth setting (never tested other settings) and having congiured *99 (622 DVR).

 

[MikeHou]

The 5xx receivers aren't subject to the additional tuner fee; after all, they have only one tuner. Chances are that your 5xx receiver wasn't getting through either.

It was taking orders for PPV with no problem; that uses the phone line, no?

You're solution is probably going to have to come from Vonage as that is likely where your failure is coming from. I should note that I recently had some troubles with calling a particular number from my SunRocket phone and it turned out that my sister's phone company (AT&T/PacBell) was blocking my number at some level.

Since I ordered PPV with the 510 to the same number, I'm assuming it's not a blocking issue. I will investigate further with Vonage though.

You may need to tinker with some parameters in your SIP adapter or rearrange your cabling to insure better transmission quality.

Suggestion noted, but I think I'll hold off on rearranging anything for now.

Thx

 

[harsh]

It was taking orders for PPV with no problem; that uses the phone line, no?

It may queue up a small number of PPVs without being able to dial out. If you ordered ten or more PPV using the remote control, then it was probably successful registering them. If you only ordered three or less, it may be waiting to transmit.

 

[MikeHou]

I'm assumnig you have *99 prefix configured to dial-out for Vonage? Works perfectly for me with Vonage on lowest bandwidth setting (never tested other settings) and having congiured *99 (622 DVR).

Since I jacked the bandwidth up to max, I didn't think *99 would have any impact. Suppose I could try it anyway.

I'm curious; could you tell me how long the connection is when it dials out? I see 3 or 4 calls made within 2 minutes of each other for a duration of 00:01:00, which I assume to be the minimum it will register.

 

[MikeHou]

It may queue up a small number of PPVs without being able to dial out. If you ordered ten or more PPV using the remote control, then it was probably successful registering them. If you only ordered three or less, it may be waiting to transmit.

We never ordered more than 3 in a month; usually don't get PPV, so when we do it's notable. They never missed billing me for it.

 

[harsh]

We never ordered more than 3 in a month; usually don't get PPV, so when we do it's notable. They never missed billing me for it.

The billing is the key. Obviously the calls from the 510 were getting through. Have you had Vonage all along or is it a new development?

 

[mdewitt]

I used to have a 625 and I now have a 622 and mine seems to be dialing out just fine with Vonage and I do not do the *99.

I believe you can tell the last time your receiver connected by going into the menu, then system setup, then diagnostics. Choose counters and then find last connection date. This is all from memory so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[MikeHou]

Okay, found last connect date of 10/28 on the Installation menu, so I guess it's getting thru at least occasionally. Guess I'll wait for the next bill and see what it says.

Thanks all.

 

[kb7oeb]

Another way to test the modem is to go to DishHome and access your account. It has to dial in to get your bill.

 

[huntrm]

Since I jacked the bandwidth up to max, I didn't think *99 would have any impact. Suppose I could try it anyway.

I'm curious; could you tell me how long the connection is when it dials out? I see 3 or 4 calls made within 2 minutes of each other for a duration of 00:01:00, which I assume to be the minimum it will register.

Seems to be very short (30-45 sec) - definitely under a minute.

 

[Flasshe]

I also got billed every month for the PAF even though my phone line was hooked up and apparently working (caller id works, and you can definitely hear the 622 trying to connect through the phone line when I do a test dial). The last CSR I talked to said that it sounded like a problem with the modem in the 622, but neither of us was real hot on exchanging the unit. So they agreed to take off the fee for the length of my lease and I haven't been charged for it since. I can't order PPV over the phone line, but I never order PPV anyway, so that doesn't bother me. If you keep having trouble, you might want to try to talk them into removing the fee permanently like I did.

 

[tedb3rd]

2 Questions:
-I know the receiver dials at 'regular' intervals to verify, upload PPVs, etc. Is there a way to 'force' it to dial in. (...Like some of the old systems you would power on/off 3 times or something like that.)
-Does DN use CallerID to verify where the receiver is calling from? I want to drop local phone service. ...live close enough to the neighbors to run a phone cable and allow the receiver to dial-in once/month. But I figured DN would go ape-you-know-what if it popped up as dialing from a different location. (...no, voIP is not an option for us--no DSL, no cable at least through 2008. WildBlue is what I'm looking at in the near future but understand voIP doen't work well with satellite internet)

 

[James Long]

If the receiver needs to dial in you can force it from the Diagnostics screen.
But if it isn't at a point where it needs to dial in it will just say "no dialout pending".

 

[xasx]

Dish Network claimed I needed the phone hookup for the DVR and PPV had nothing to do with it, from what I have been reading this sounds false and it should be the other way around. I don't order PPV and have been trying to get SunRocket to work with it before I switch my number, do I even need the phone line if I don't order PPV? Has anyone had any luck using a Wireless Phone Jack? Seems like they have too much static for modem use. Has anyone implemented anything else to hook up their receivers at long distances when using VOIP?

 

[bderouen]

Hi Xasx!
I agree that it is very unclear as to why they insist on the phone line for the 622s. And you CAN do without it, but they charge you an additional $5 a month if you don't have it hooked up. I know when i was with DTV, they SAID you must have a phone line hooked up, but I never bothered and I was never charged anythying. I jsut couldn't order PPV with the remote, but I didn't do that anyway. The once in a whie that I did order PPV, I did it over the internet from their website!

As far as the Wireless Phone jack, I am using one right now and it is works great! I have Vonage and at the advice of one of the members here, I bought a wireless phone jack. (Go on Ebay and get one...MUCH cheaper! That's what i did!) I have my main jack hooked into the outlet near my broadband connection and my Vonage DTA. I have the line from the DTA run to the jack, and then a line from the jack to my VTech cordless phone system in my house. Then behind my receiver,I plugged in the extension for the wireless jack and run a line from the receiver to the jack. It works great!

And sicne I only paid about $30 for the wireless phone jack on Ebay (as opposed to almost $100 in Radioshack), I figure in about 6 months (saving that $5 a month) it'll pay for itself.

 

[xasx]

Update:
I actually have RCA Wireless Phone Jacks, I just figured out half hour ago that they work when connected to Verizon land line to connect to Dish, but not when connected to Sunrocket. I have moved them around and now get almost no static, but since it worked with Verizon, I guess it may be a problem with Sunrocket and the Linksys Gizmo.

 

[bderouen]

Yeah, if you have a regular land line, then that may be a better option. I'd say that the static may be a problem with SunRocket. I have a LInksys router, if that's what you're talkng about, and it's not a problem at all. My Vonage DTA (digital phone adapter) is connected to my router, of course, but then the line from the DTA goes as described above.

Hey...as long as it work, then you're set!!

 

[xasx]

I'll have to keep on working on this since I want to get rid of Verizon. I also realized I can't do inside wiring since I have DSL and probably would need those lines outside my house connected. I thought about switching to Cable Internet, but they would charge my another 14 a month plus the fine for not having cable.