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CallForwarding vs. CallBridging rates?

Started by NoHomePhone, October 11, 2014, 09:55:42 AM

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NoHomePhone

Hello all!

I recently setup ItsLenny for telemarketer blocking on my DID, as its a newly ported pstn line which use to have an abundance of marketing calls;  Now through my providers website I am seeing telemarketers show in my log and its deducting my monthly quota, I know I pay a termination/connection rate fee for all inbound or outbound calls, but it would appear I pay for the entire length of the forwarded call (even though its to a sip uri?  Would it be possible to have the obi it self bridge or forward to lenny and can it be done without me paying for the entire call?

Telemarketer -> Inbound SP1 DID1 -> OBI -> use SP2 DID2 outbound to SIP forward to Lenny (since it has unlimited) ?

Would this make me pay the first minute connection/termination fee to get it to the OBI and then after the OBI send it out on the unlimited service provider I would no longer be paying per minute on my DID original inbound did.  I don't really have a clue how forwarding charges etc,. go.

I tried forwarding it on the obi but i think I set it up wrong as i was still charged.  Any advice would be recommended.  Maybe I could forward through an inum or sip to get around the additional fee?

Thanks & Hope everyone has a good weekend =)
VoIP Adapter         : Obi202
VoIP Provider         : CallCentric, FreePhoneLine, GoogleVoice, Voip.ms

SteveInWA

It looks like you're using Callcentric.  I suggest a better approach, using nomorobo.com, which is the FCC-supported method of dumping telemarketing calls quickly:

Set up a Callcentric extension for your DID number, and then set up a call treatment for all calls made to your inbound number.  Using simultaneous ringing, have it go to your extension (which is provisioned on your OBi box), and also have it ring the nomorobo.com toll free number.  Nomorobo will only answer the call if the inbound caller ID is on its database of telemarketer numbers.  So, it costs nothing to use this service unless it answers a call.

CC outbound calls to toll free numbers are billed at $0.0088/minute.  So, if the call actually gets answered by nomorobo, it costs you less than one cent.  It's worth it.

I've been using this service for several months, and it catches almost all the junk calls made to my numbers.  It's satisfying to hear the phone ring once, and then stop ringing, after the call gets dropped, and I see some telemarketer's caller ID on the display.

Sign up your inbound DID numbers on nomorobo.  Tell it that you are a Vonage customer, since it doesn't know about any other SIP ITSPs (yet) that support simulring like Vonage.  The provider doesn't matter; it will just give you a toll free number to use for simulring.


NoHomePhone

Sorry for the late reply, I have had a hectic week with family emergencies.  This looks like a good solution to thanks SteveInWA, I will give it a testout and see how it does.  This will minimize the up keep on my own personal blocklist as well.  Thanks for the advice, I already use simulring so this should be an easy setup.

I think the tip of claiming you have vonage to get nomorobo, might be useful to others too.  Thanks and have a great weekend.
VoIP Adapter         : Obi202
VoIP Provider         : CallCentric, FreePhoneLine, GoogleVoice, Voip.ms

azrobert

Don't send the call to the your NoMoRobo 800 number.
Send it to an SIP URI like this:
YourNoMoRoboNumber@tf.callwithus.com

This will save you $0.0088 per blocked call.

McInnis

I know this topic is ancient, but I'm looking to use NoMoRobo with my OBi200 and trying to figure out all the steps. Azrobert, you suggested sending the call to a SIP URI - I don't see where this can be configured, can you point me to the correct screen to do this? I can't find it. Thank you!

Taoman

Quote from: McInnis on April 27, 2018, 12:47:58 PM
I know this topic is ancient, but I'm looking to use NoMoRobo with my OBi200 and trying to figure out all the steps. Azrobert, you suggested sending the call to a SIP URI - I don't see where this can be configured, can you point me to the correct screen to do this? I can't find it. Thank you!

Are you using Callcentric for your incoming calls? If so, it's better to do it there with a call treatment (using SIP Broker so there is no charge).

If not, you would put the SIP URI string in your X_InboundCallRoute under Voice Services. Something like:

{ph,sp3(TollFreeNoMoRoboNumber@switch.starcompartners.com;ui=$1)}

SP3 (or wherever you point it) must be configured for SIP .......dummy or real.

McInnis

Thanks for the reply Taoman. Yes, I'm using Callcentric for incoming calls. Bear with me - I'm a complete neophyte trying to configure this, so I need more details to compensate for my lack of experience.

You say it's better to use a call treatment using SIP Broker. OK, I've googled SIP Broker and see that's a service to call VoIP numbers. So I think what you're suggesting is to:

-Create a new call treatment in Callcentric, redirecting calls coming from any number,
-Redirect to Simultaneous ringing
-Send to this number: [and here's where the NoMoRobo number goes: 8776593620]
-No changes needed for the Obi200 configuration.

Is that outline about right? For the send to number, based on what I see at SIP Broker, the number needs a prefix to get to the right network, meaning I suppose the network that NoMoRobo is on. What would that be? I don't see any match in the SIP Broker list.

Thanks again!

azrobert

Callcentric supports sending a call via SIP URI.
Taoman suggested using the free tollfree provider switch.starcompartners.com.

Redirect to Simultaneous ringing
Send to this number:
TollFreeNoMoRoboNumber@switch.starcompartners.com

Taoman

https://www.callcentric.com/faq/4/130
Notice in the last paragraph where it says the access code for a FWD is **275. Important detail.

You can use simultaneous ring. I prefer using a hunt group so you don't get that initial ring if Nomorobo gets a hit. I use a 5 second ring time for Nomorobo and 30 second ring time for my extension (so GV voicemail will pick up if I don't answer)

If that's the number you're using your SIP Broker number would be **275*18776593620

I would also recommend this call treatment be your very last call treatment.......especially if you use a hunt group.
If you keep your contacts in the Callcentric phone book I would recommend your first call treatment sends all calls from the "general" group to your extension. (Assuming your desired contacts are indeed in the general group)
I would also recommend a call treatment for anonymous/private callers (if desired).
I would definitely recommend a call treatment that routes any "High" Spam call probability calls to purgatory. Perhaps "Medium" to voice mail?

Edit: Or you can use azrobert's suggestion of going straight SIP URI. I've had great success using SIP Broker.


McInnis

Thank you again azrobert and Taoman for your kind replies.

I'm first trying out azrobert's suggestion of simultaneous ringing as that sounds a little simpler to me - I will probably try the hunting method too once I know better how the first method works.

So I've set up a new call treatment like this:
--------
Calls from any number, redirect to Simultaneous ringing,
(1)
  Send to the number: TollFreeNoMoRobo@switch.starcompartners.com: Ring for 5 sec
  Send to my extension: 100 - Default extension: Ring for 30 sec
(2) Busy tone
---------

This will undoubtedly sound stupid to an experienced user but humor the new guy (and future novices): Is "TollFreeNoMoRobo" literally what is supposed to be in the Send to the number field, or did you mean I should substitute that with the numeric toll free number (i.e. 8776593620)? I couldn't answer that by my searches regarding SIP URIs (they seem to reference both numeric and character for the user component of the address), and I don't know how to test SIP URIs to determine which is correct.

Taoman, to use the hunt group method, I assume that the "Send to this number" field (first entry in a new "Hunting" call treatment) is where you enter "**275*18776593620", correct? And why do you recommend that as the last treatment - wouldn't you want to check to see if the call is spam first? (So far most of my treatments are to kill numbers I've already identified as spam, but perhaps your rules are working to process numbers from calls you want?)

I'd already created a treatment to take care of high probability spam calls, but took your suggestion and added another for anonymous/private callers - thanks for that.

Cheers to you both for help with spam!

Taoman

Quote from: McInnis on April 29, 2018, 12:24:57 PM

This will undoubtedly sound stupid to an experienced user but humor the new guy (and future novices): Is "TollFreeNoMoRobo" literally what is supposed to be in the Send to the number field, or did you mean I should substitute that with the numeric toll free number (i.e. 8776593620)?
Yes, we mean enter your literal tollfree Nomorobo number.

Quote from: McInnis on April 29, 2018, 12:24:57 PMTaoman, to use the hunt group method, I assume that the "Send to this number" field (first entry in a new "Hunting" call treatment) is where you enter "**275*18776593620", correct? And why do you recommend that as the last treatment - wouldn't you want to check to see if the call is spam first?

Depends on strategy used for your call treatments. If your call treatment applies to all calls, you're not using the Callcentric phone book for your contacts, and you're not using a hunt group then yes, it makes sense to have it as your first call treatment. Personally, I don't want that call treatment to run if it's one of my Contacts calling me which is most often the case. However, that may have more to do with my anal-retentive nature and the fact I managed dozens of servers for many years. For me, it's a mortal sin to put an unnecessary load on a server......even a very small one. I try and make my call treatments, and their order, as efficient as possible.

A hunt group is sequential in nature. I only give a 5 second ring time for Nomorobo because I know that works with SIP Broker reliably. If I were to use SIP URI I would make it a 10 second ring time. If you use a hunt group and make it the first call treatment then you are subjecting all your incoming calls to a 5 second delay before your OBi phone would start ringing. Presumably, the majority of your calls are not from spammers. Do you really want to subject friendly callers to a 5 second delay unnecessarily? You're already forwarding from Google Voice which introduces X amount of delay. By having my Nomorobo call treatment last, it means it had to have gone thru my other call treatments first which means it is an unknown number and most likely a telespammer so I don't care about a 5-second delay and I never hear that initial ring on my OBi phone if Nomorobo gets a hit. Personal preference.

Yes, if using SIP Broker you would literally enter **275*18776593620 as your number for either simultaneous ring or a hunt group.


Taoman

Quote from: McInnis on April 29, 2018, 12:24:57 PM
So far most of my treatments are to kill numbers I've already identified as spam

I hope you're not making individual call treatments for individual spam numbers. If so, try this instead:

In Callcentric phone book, Manage Groups and make new group called DieEvilSpammer! (or whatever)
Edit one of your existing call treatments for a spammer number and change it to "Number in my Phone Book" and in the drop-down box select the DieEvilSpammer! group and then save your changes.

After you get a spammer call, go to your call history (Reports) and click on the number and add it to your Phone Book and select DieEvilSpammer! as the group. So you only need a single call treatment for all the spam numbers you've collected as long as they are in your Phone Book and in the group DieEvilSpammer!.
Much easier and more efficient than making individual call treatments for individual numbers.

McInnis

Taoman, good idea re. making a group and adding spam numbers and applying a call treatment to that group. The only downside I see there is that it looks like the numbers in groups can't use wildcards (like '*') which is helpful when the spammer's phone number uses the same first 6 or 7 digit but varies in the final 3 or 4 digits (example: 1571348* to catch any phone number starting with 1571348). But hopefully NoMoRobo will catch most of those now anyway, so I'm using that suggestion.

Re. the format of the number in the Send to the number field, this then should be 18776593620@switch.starcompartners.com in my Simultaneous ringing treatment if I understood properly.

Thanks also for the explanation about order of the call treatments while using a hunt group - that clarifies things greatly.

Taoman

Right. If using a wildcard to filter your calls you need a separate call treatment..........which is a great idea. I had to do that with the area code of my Callcentric DID.

Hopefully you will have better luck with Nomorobo than I have. Ever since robocallers started spoofing their CID with local area codes and/or prefixes I have found Nomorobo of little use. The numbers just change too quickly.

I've had to move to whitelisting only. If it's an unknown number and it passes spam detection it gets routed to voicemail.

That's the correct format. If doing simulring you might as well make the Nomorobo ring time 10 seconds. That's actually what Nomorobo recommends.

McInnis

Just a follow-up: Nearly three weeks since setting this up, and it's working extremely well. I think only one or two spam calls have slipped through in that time, compared to multiple spam calls per day before going to this solution. The combination of filtering out anonymous/private calls and high spam probability in Callcentric, and checking others with NoMoRobo (I used the SIP Broker with **275*18776593620), is doing a really great job in keeping my phone quiet, while the calls I want are getting through just fine. Many thanks for all your help!