Make a Long Test Call to Test Connection?

[kgjulie]

Hello -- I have an Obi202, which I have used for several years now. GV and PhonePower are my service providers.

For work, I frequently have to make long calls (~4 hours) into a conference line. I am leading the calls, using a cordless phone (speakerphone).

I usually use PhonePower for these calls since GV limits calls to 180 min (3 hours). Before today, I never had any problems with my setup.

Today, my call "stopped" after 110 min. After I dialed back in, it stopped again at 64 min, then again at 16 min, then again at 10. By "stopped," it seems the call just stopped receiving/transmitting. I could not hear them and they could not hear me, but I only got a disconnect (hang up/dialtone) after the 16 min drop. The other times, the line just went silent and the call appeared to stay connected. My cordless phone has two handsets and this happened with both.

After searching the forums, I have tried a few things in the handset -- making sure it was plugged in all the way (might not have been), moving it farther from the Obi (it was basically right next to it), moving it farther from the router (ditto).

I would like to now test the phone to see if this solves the problem. I have another 4-hour long call with the same client tomorrow and don't want to go through this again with the call dropping over and over. The problem is, I don't know how to conduct a 4-hour long test call?

Any other suggestions welcome as well. Thanks.

[LTN1]

Open a free account at Free Screen Sharing: https://www.freescreensharing.com/

Host a meeting then call into the conference number that the meeting gives you. See if it stays for 4 hours. Free Screen Sharing allows conference calls up to 6 hours I believe.

[kgjulie]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm guessing that I would need something that would have sound on the other end, so I could gauge whether the call is still going. What happened on my conference today is that the line just went silent. I couldn't hear them, and they couldn't hear me, but the call only actually disconnected once (got the dial tone). Do you know of any way to test that the call is still active/working and connected? I don't know anyone who wants to actually talk to me for four hours just for test purposes, lol.

[kgjulie]

Nevermind -- that gave me an idea. I do have a free conference call service that plays hold music until the other party joins. It's a really dreadful song (lyrics about having to stay on hold "alllll daaaaaay waiting for my frieeeeeeeeends to joinnnnnnnnn") but it should work for my purposes. I'll let you know -- thanks again!

[kgjulie]

I called my free conference line and listened to the hold music for 1h07m and it worked fine. I guess placement of the phone vs. the Obi really does matter. Also ensuring your devices are fully plugged in. Crossing my fingers for tomorrow.

Side note: that hold music song kind of grew on me. It has some twangy guitar and I kind of liked that too. 

[kgjulie]

Today was the day I had another 3+ hour call with the same client from yesterday.

My call died again at the 110m mark, just like yesterday. When I say "died," I mean that the client could no longer hear me, I could no longer hear them, but the call did not terminate with a hangup and dial tone.

When I hung up and dialed back into the conference, it "died" again after 48 minutes, and again after 7.

This was all using PhonePower as my service. I did test yesterday with both PhonePower and GV after changing the placement of my devices and after ensuring everything was well plugged in, on calls just over one hour, and had no trouble.

Any suggestions where I can start troubleshooting? I do plan to reach out to PhonePower. Thanks.

[LTN1]

Happening for the second time to the same client--that can be quite embarrassing.

I know you are looking for a solution to this VoIP issue with PhonePower and the OBi. I hope someone can provide a helpful solution.

Personally, for business and especially to ensure that no disconnections on a 4+ hours phone call, I would use my landline...and if I didn't have a landline, I would get one--for the sake of the business value to cost.

I enjoy my OBi and VoIP lines--and use it all the time--but for serious business, including important and long faxes, I will typically fall back on my landline.

[azrobert]

If you are calling an 800 number, there are several free tollfree termination providers you can try. I don't know if there is a limit on call length with these providers.