Preventing certain numbers from reaching my phone or even my voicemail

[puzzeld]

Need some help in preventing certain numbers from reaching my phone or even my voicemail

I have looked in the OBiTALK Community and got some bits and pieces but they still confuse me so let me get to my problem then:

I have two Obi110 in two different locations:

Location1: OBi110 with one line from a local phone company and one line form local SIP provider

Location2: Obi110 with one line from a local SIP provider.
I would like to add, whatever needs to be added, form web and not on Obi110 itself.

Here is what I have done so far:
Location1:
Telco Line: *77 (to block anonymous callers)
Inboundcallroute: {(x.4035551212|x.2135552345|x.9055559874):},{ph} (some these callers might be local or long distance so is this string correct for both?)

SIP provider:
*77 (to block anonymous callers – but right now when anonymous caller calls instead of giving him/her short busy signal it transfers them directly to my voice mail. But I don't always want that. What can I do so the anonymous callers get short busy signal and not my voice mail.

SPx X_InboundCallRoute: {(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|!x6475556542|!x4135551234|!x9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

Please note that example number 6475556542 might have additional numbers in front of its number (e.i 16475556542 or 016475556542 or 0116475556542 – this is what I have found in the phone history!)
I would like those phones to get short busy signal and not having them transfer to my voice mail as it is happening now. Also I would like "anonymous callers" to be transferred to my voice mail but on occasion I would like to program OBi110 so that the "anonymous callers" to get short busy signal.

Location2:
SIP provider:
SPx X_InboundCallRoute: {(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|!x6475556542|!x4135551234|!x9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

I would like the block callers and anonymous callers to get short busy signal and I don't want them to be transferred to my voice mail.

How can I do this? Please help.

[daman]

The simplest way to do it is thru GV.

[puzzeld]

GV is not an option here. It must be done with what I have.

[Nervpop]

Transfer the unwanted callers to a "dead end" phone number, for example 800 directory assistance (800-555-1212).

[ianobi]

puzzeld,

You may be getting odd results using this rule:

SPx X_InboundCallRoute: {(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|!x6475556542|!x4135551234|!x9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

Using the barring symbol "!" inside a rule that itself is directing calls to nowhere (which gives fast busy) may be barring those numbers from the rule itself. I have had odd results using "!" within other rules. If you drop the ! the numbers will be sent to the same nowhere as the other rules and should get fast busy.

I suggest:

{(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|x6475556542|x4135551234|x9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

Please let us know if that changes anything.

[Phillip]

Be civic minded. A good place to forward unwanted numbers to are public service numbers or dial a prayer.

Transfer the unwanted callers to a "dead end" phone number, for example 800 directory assistance (800-555-1212).

[Nervpop]

I like that dial-a-prayer idea. The caller can sit there and pray that he can somehow get through to you on the phone.

[puzzeld]

ianobi,

I have tested your idea with my cell (ten digit) number and it did not work.

{(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|x6475556542|x4135551234|x9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

For the following: |!x6475556542| and |x6475556542| OBi110 allows the call to go through but |6475556542| instead giving the caller fast busy signal, it transfers the call directly to my voicemail. So again, what can I do here so the callers get fast busy signal?

This is what I use right now:

SPx X_InboundCallRoute:{(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|6475556542|4135551234|9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

Some additional questions:

1. With the string above in X_InboundCallRoute do I still use *77 to block anonymous caller or is this string above already applying this rule for me?

2. Sometimes I see additional numbers like 1 or 01 or 011 before my blocked number so, do I have to use three different rules like |16475556542|016475556542|0116475556542|in order to block this caller or is there some special rule that I use that will ignore any numbers before my 10 digit blocked number |6475556542| or do I just use 10 digit number and any additional numbers will be ignored and the rule will be applied?

Thank you in advance ianobi for all your help.

[ianobi]

puzzeld,

The "?" should be blocking all anonymous calls all the time. Using this format x.6475556542 will match 6475556542, 16475556542, 016475556542 and 0116475556542.

I suggest this for your SPx X_InboundCallRoute:
{(x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx|x.6475556542|x.4135551234|x.9065556565|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

Now you can use *77 to apply blocking to anonymous calls and *87 to remove that blocking.

Please do more testing using your cell phone. If you can look at what your sip provider call history shows that might help. The OBi Call History can be found by accessing your OBi local web page (find ip address by dialling ***1). Look at Status > Call History. For rejected calls there will be no record. If a call gets through to your OBi then there should be a record.

What may be happening here is that the OBi correctly rejects the call, but your SIP provider is routing the rejected calls to your voice mail account at the SIP provider.

[puzzeld]

OK! I think, I have found the solution to my problem. All entries are done through OBiTalk Web Portal.

For Location1: Telco (PSTN) and SIP provider

Telco Line:
*77 to block anonymous callers. Blocked anonymous callers would be transferred to my voice mail so my phone will not ring. To completely block anonymous callers from my phone and from my voice mail see below.

To block unwanted callers by forwarding their calls to the phone that does not exist (i.e. 9065551212; replace first three digits with your area code) and transferring all anonymous callers to my voice mail.
(x. before the number means: for calls coming from any number that ends with "whatever the number is" so the end result is that I don't have to worry what numbers come before blocked number):

Inboundcallroute:
{(x.4035551212|x.2135552345|x.9055559874):sp1(9065551212)},{(?|un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

To transfer blocked callers and anonymous callers to the phone that does not exists which will in turn play the message "the phone you are trying to reach is no longer is service":

Inboundcallroute:
{(x.4035551212|x.2135552345|x.9055559874|?|un@@.|anon@@.):sp1(9065551212)},{ph}


SIP provider:
To block unwanted callers by forwarding their calls to the phone that does not exist (i.e. 9065551212; replace first three digits with your area code) and transferring all anonymous callers to my voice mail. You don't need to use *77 here to block anonymous callers here because the string below will do it for you.
(x. before the number means: for calls coming from any number that ends with "whatever the number is" so the end result is that I don't have to worry what numbers come before blocked number):

SPx X_InboundCallRoute:
{(x.4035551212|x.2135552345|x.9055559874):sp1(9065551212)},{(?|x|xx|xxx|xxxx|xxxxx|xxxxxx||un@@.|anon@@.):},{ph}

To transfer blocked callers and anonymous callers to the phone that does not exists which will in turn play the message "the phone you are trying to reach is no longer is service" (none of these calls will be forwarded to voice mail):

SPx X_InboundCallRoute:
{(x.4035551212|x.2135552345|x.9055559874|?|un@@.|anon@@.|):sp1(9065551212)},{ph}

Thank you all (especially ianobi) for your help and input.