any robocaller blocking answering machines?
When I do a web search, I find devices "preloaded with xxx thousand numbers" or room for me to add xxx thousand numbers, but IME, spam/robo calls never come from the same number twice, so that is a waste of me pressing the "block call" feature. I want an answering machine including multiple cordless phones, and maybe that will connect to bluetooth to handle mobile calls too, that will: 1. if the number is in my local directory (names I have saved as friends), act like a normal answering machine: wait 2-6 rings (selectable) while ringing all my cordless phones with the "friend" ringtone and maybe saying the name, and then answer and take a message. (This would be a short, casual, friendly message) "Hi, it's <my name>, please leave a message" 2. If the callerid is an actual name, act like a normal answering machine: wait 2-6 rings while ringing all my cordless phones with a "stranger" ringtone and saying the name. If I don't pick up, answer with a formal business-like message: "You have reached 847-333-4444, the phone of Carey Schug. He is away or busy at the moment. After the tone, please leave your name, number, and purpose for your call." 3. If the callerid is "PRIVATE", "UNKNOWN", "TOLL FREE CALL", "CELLULAR CALL", "WIRELESS CALLER", or "ILLINOIS CALL" (which can be programmed for different local service providers' defaults), answer immediately with "hello" and wait a second. A real person, admittedly including some spammers, will respond immediately. A robocaller will have a 2-second delay until they connect their end to a person, so my device will hang up. If there is an immediate voice response, record it, then when they pause, respond "please wait while I locate <my name>" and continue ringing my phone(s), with an "anonymous" ringtone. 4. If I pick up, play the message it recorded and give me the options --connect live --play a message to "remove me from your phone list and do not call back" and hang up --respond as if I did not pick up (below 5. After a while, if I do not pick up, return to the caller and say "<my name> is not available. if are you happy with the message you left, just hang up, or press 1 to leave no message, or press 2 to record a new message." 6. bonus #1 (maybe). Long ago, I saw (or had?) a phone which had a button, press it and it would emit the tones the phone company uses to indicate a non-working number, purportedly would cause the spammers to remove the number from their list. Maybe that doesn't work anymore, as I have not seen it as a listed feature. I think I have recently gotten a special tone when I called a non-working number. 7. bonus #2: let me record a special message for a specific number, e.g. Sam is coming over today, so for Sam ONLY, a message plays "I may be 15 minutes late getting home, please wait for me." 8. bonus #3: like bonus #2, but for names in my directory in a group, e.g. family members or members of a club, the message could be "our next gathering is Sunday at 4 PM". 9. the special messages above should be selectable to be for 24 hours or until I delete them. Or maybe till the person calls. Carey
On 2025-08-29 05:38, CAREY SCHUG via Talk wrote:
When I do a web search, I find devices "preloaded with xxx thousand numbers" or room for me to add xxx thousand numbers, but IME, spam/robo calls never come from the same number twice, so that is a waste of me pressing the "block call" feature.
I want an answering machine including multiple cordless phones, and maybe that will connect to bluetooth to handle mobile calls too, that will:
About 4 years ago I moved and at the same time moved my land line to a VOIP provider(voip.ms). On that line I have installed an IVR that asks the caller to press 1 to be connected. This has cut down the number of robocalls to 0. It also provides the usual features like messages but can also forward the messages as email. The one thing I have now that I did not before is SMS on my home number which is also forwarded via email. This will not solve your handset problem but you could get a cheap multi-handset answering-machine phone system and just disable the answering part. -- Alvin Starr || land: (647)478-6285 Netvel Inc. || home: (905)513-7688 alvin@netvel.net ||
Thank you, that is possibly a good idea. Up to now I have resisted giving up my copper line: 1. to have multiple accesses that should not all be down at the same time 2. Because Comcast was much less reliable than the phone company 3. "prove you are not a computer" kind of offends me philosophically by having the maximum rings before picking up, and a very long outgoing message, I haven't had to answer a robocall in months or years. My phone does announce who is calling, so for my friends, if I am actually home, I pick up immediately. Just recently, if it is any kind of anonymous and there is a possibility I want the call (e.g., I have a doctor's appointment the next day, so it may be a reminder), I may pick up and then hang up if it is a robocall. Maybe it is time to give up the copper line. Recently cable has been down less than the phone company, and I do have my mobile phone as backup. And it is expensive. Perhaps I should try adding a VOIP service, and unless get too irritated by it, then switch my historical phone number to it (34 years). Carey
On 08/29/2025 6:46 AM CDT Alvin Starr via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On 2025-08-29 05:38, CAREY SCHUG via Talk wrote:
When I do a web search, I find devices "preloaded with xxx thousand numbers" or room for me to add xxx thousand numbers, but IME, spam/robo calls never come from the same number twice, so that is a waste of me pressing the "block call" feature.
I want an answering machine including multiple cordless phones, and maybe that will connect to bluetooth to handle mobile calls too, that will:
About 4 years ago I moved and at the same time moved my land line to a VOIP provider(voip.ms).
On that line I have installed an IVR that asks the caller to press 1 to be connected.
This has cut down the number of robocalls to 0.
It also provides the usual features like messages but can also forward the messages as email.
The one thing I have now that I did not before is SMS on my home number which is also forwarded via email.
This will not solve your handset problem but you could get a cheap multi-handset answering-machine phone system and just disable the answering part.
-- Alvin Starr || land: (647)478-6285 Netvel Inc. || home: (905)513-7688 alvin@netvel.net mailto:alvin@netvel.net ||
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On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 8:39 AM CAREY SCHUG via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
Thank you, that is possibly a good idea.
Up to now I have resisted giving up my copper line:
1. to have multiple accesses that should not all be down at the same time 2. Because Comcast was much less reliable than the phone company 3. "prove you are not a computer" kind of offends me philosophically
by having the maximum rings before picking up, and a very long outgoing message, I haven't had to answer a robocall in months or years. My phone does announce who is calling, so for my friends, if I am actually home, I pick up immediately. Just recently, if it is any kind of anonymous and there is a possibility I want the call (e.g., I have a doctor's appointment the next day, so it may be a reminder), I may pick up and then hang up if it is a robocall.
Maybe it is time to give up the copper line. Recently cable has been down less than the phone company, and I do have my mobile phone as backup. And it is expensive.
Perhaps I should try adding a VOIP service, and unless get too irritated by it, then switch my historical phone number to it (34 years).
Carey
On 08/29/2025 6:46 AM CDT Alvin Starr via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On 2025-08-29 05:38, CAREY SCHUG via Talk wrote:
When I do a web search, I find devices "preloaded with xxx thousand numbers" or room for me to add xxx thousand numbers, but IME, spam/robo calls never come from the same number twice, so that is a waste of me pressing the "block call" feature.
I want an answering machine including multiple cordless phones, and maybe that will connect to bluetooth to handle mobile calls too, that will:
About 4 years ago I moved and at the same time moved my land line to a VOIP provider(voip.ms).
On that line I have installed an IVR that asks the caller to press 1 to be connected.
This has cut down the number of robocalls to 0.
It also provides the usual features like messages but can also forward the messages as email.
The one thing I have now that I did not before is SMS on my home number which is also forwarded via email.
This will not solve your handset problem but you could get a cheap multi-handset answering-machine phone system and just disable the answering part.
FYI, voip.ms has a very nice mobile app that does SMS, of course you can always set up Linphone or similar applications (I have Linphone on my Linux desktop setup with voip.ms)
Additionally, if you are a Cogeco customer, they are running a promo for their new mobile service, $10/mo for 25G, rollover data, and unlimited phone/sms in Canada. I haven't had a "land line" in 10 years, it was just a spam destination in the last couple of years of use, and the only thing I really needed it for was the alarm service, and that was solved using a GSM modem. On an unrelated note, anyone using LoRa? I am thinking of getting a device, but wanted to check if there any users close by before start testing. -nick
On 2025-08-29 08:51, Nick Accad via Talk wrote:
I haven't had a "land line" in 10 years, it was just a spam destination in the last couple of years of use, and the only thing I really needed it for was the alarm service, and that was solved using a GSM modem.
I'm thinking to get rid of my landline number, which is now a VoIP ($10/month) from Teksavvy. I'm reluctant to give it up, because I had it for so long. - When they started to do 2factor authentication, they used to give me choice of text, email, or phone call. Now, more and more are dropping phone call option. So, it's the choice of text, email, or app verification ("most secure", they say). - Most land calls are spams.
On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 3:19 PM William Park via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On 2025-08-29 08:51, Nick Accad via Talk wrote:
I haven't had a "land line" in 10 years, it was just a spam destination in the last couple of years of use, and the only thing I really needed it for was the alarm service, and that was solved using a GSM modem.
I'm thinking to get rid of my landline number, which is now a VoIP ($10/month) from Teksavvy. I'm reluctant to give it up, because I had it for so long.
- When they started to do 2factor authentication, they used to give me choice of text, email, or phone call. Now, more and more are dropping phone call option. So, it's the choice of text, email, or app verification ("most secure", they say).
- Most land calls are spams.
You can port the number to voip.ms, this is what I did with my old "landline" number anyway. I get charged $0.85/month for the number, and 0.009/minute, I think I spend something like $10-20/year, of course it depends on usage.
On 2025-08-29 15:40, Nick Accad wrote:
On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 3:19 PM William Park via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org <mailto:talk@lists.gtalug.org>> wrote:
On 2025-08-29 08:51, Nick Accad via Talk wrote: > I haven't had a "land line" in 10 years, it was just a spam > destination in the last couple of years of use, and the only thing I > really needed it for was the alarm service, and that was solved using a > GSM modem.
I'm thinking to get rid of my landline number, which is now a VoIP ($10/month) from Teksavvy. I'm reluctant to give it up, because I had it for so long.
- When they started to do 2factor authentication, they used to give me choice of text, email, or phone call. Now, more and more are dropping phone call option. So, it's the choice of text, email, or app verification ("most secure", they say).
- Most land calls are spams.
You can port the number to voip.ms <http://voip.ms>, this is what I did with my old "landline" number anyway.
I get charged $0.85/month for the number, and 0.009/minute, I think I spend something like $10-20/year, of course it depends on usage.
Their website doesn't say anything about hardware, other than "bring your own". My current ATA box is locked to Teksavvy server. - How do you use your current "landline" after porting to VoIP.ms? - Are you using "VoIP.ms Softphone" app from Google store?
On 8/29/25 8:38 AM, CAREY SCHUG wrote:
Thank you, that is possibly a good idea.
Up to now I have resisted giving up my copper line:
1. to have multiple accesses that should not all be down at the same time 2. Because Comcast was much less reliable than the phone company 3. "prove you are not a computer" kind of offends me philosophically
by having the maximum rings before picking up, and a very long outgoing message, I haven't had to answer a robocall in months or years. My phone does announce who is calling, so for my friends, if I am actually home, I pick up immediately. Just recently, if it is any kind of anonymous and there is a possibility I want the call (e.g., I have a doctor's appointment the next day, so it may be a reminder), I may pick up and then hang up if it is a robocall.
Maybe it is time to give up the copper line. Recently cable has been down less than the phone company, and I do have my mobile phone as backup. And it is expensive.
Perhaps I should try adding a VOIP service, and unless get too irritated by it, then switch my historical phone number to it (34 years).
With the VOIP services you can do more interesting things than your usual POTS phone. 1. You can have multiple phone numbers in multiple area codes 2. You can have things like ring groups. For example my home phone would ring a cottage land line and a SIP app on my cell phone. 3. You can have multiple SIP devices with their own call features. 4. You can manage your caller ID. 5. The cost is WAY lower than a Bell Landline or a cable company "homephone". 6. You can have SMS capabilities on any of your phone numbers. I used an inexpensive ATA from Amazon to connect my old answering machine with multiple handsets. The biggest problem I find is that there are so many features that your tempted to use more of them and then you are stuck with managing how they operate. If you want to take advantage of a fancy SIP phone then there is the programming of buttons and the like. The SMS features work well for the most part but I have found a few multi-factor-authentication services that do not allow SMS numbers from VOIP providers. -- Alvin Starr || land: (905)513-7688 Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133 alvin@netvel.net ||
On 8/29/25 3:28 PM, James Knott via Talk wrote:
On 8/29/25 15:21, Alvin Starr via Talk wrote:
The cost is WAY lower than a Bell Landline or a cable company "homephone".
My home phone from Rogers is part of a bundle with Internet & TV service. There is no separate charge.
Because you don't get a separate charge for it does not mean that you are not paying for it. I have 4 phone numbers 10 sip accounts and I spent a total of about $150 last year. At the end of the day most all carriers and cable companies are not inexpensive. You can do much better by managing all your own services. -- Alvin Starr || land: (905)513-7688 Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133 alvin@netvel.net ||
On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 7:39 AM CAREY SCHUG via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
Thank you, that is possibly a good idea.
Up to now I have resisted giving up my copper line:
1. to have multiple accesses that should not all be down at the same time 2. Because Comcast was much less reliable than the phone company 3. "prove you are not a computer" kind of offends me philosophically
by having the maximum rings before picking up, and a very long outgoing message, I haven't had to answer a robocall in months or years. My phone does announce who is calling, so for my friends, if I am actually home, I pick up immediately. Just recently, if it is any kind of anonymous and there is a possibility I want the call (e.g., I have a doctor's appointment the next day, so it may be a reminder), I may pick up and then hang up if it is a robocall.
Maybe it is time to give up the copper line. Recently cable has been down less than the phone company, and I do have my mobile phone as backup. And it is expensive.
Perhaps I should try adding a VOIP service, and unless get too irritated by it, then switch my historical phone number to it (34 years).
Greetings One possible advantage that a copper phone line has is that such is run on a separate power system (I believe its 48V and they have serious battery back up). This means that in a serious power outage it is possible to still have telephone access. Here we had an outage due to main line disruption and inside a lot too long a time cell phones didn't work and the internet was also down. (We are now on fiber optic internet and who knows the level of backup that is there.) HTH
On 8/29/25 17:18, o1bigtenor via Talk wrote:
One possible advantage that a copper phone line has is that such is run on a separate power system (I believe its 48V and they have serious battery back up). This means that in a serious power outage it is possible to still have telephone access.
Don't bet on that. The old twisted pair back to the CO POTS line is fading fast. Both Bell and Rogers run fibre to a node in the neighbourhood. Both Bell and Rogers also offer fibre to the home, where available. With service these days, your POTS line is likely VoIP over fibre, at least most of the way.
but at least in the states, the fiber nodes have battery backup (and generator?), so no matter how your copper gets to your home, its covered. with a short power outage, the cable company has battery backup I think, and for long power outages they have brought in little gas generators by their distribution box. but the modem in my house for cable does not have battery backup unless I provide it. yes, if I had a generator and whole-house battery the cable would be good, but until/unless I install that, the ip phone dies with power outage and POTS is still there to call the fire department, etc. my mobile phone is good for a day or two if it wasn't low when the power went out, and I have a small solar panel that might keep it charged, but not current on other power backup. Carey
On 08/29/2025 4:33 PM CDT James Knott via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On 8/29/25 17:18, o1bigtenor via Talk wrote:
One possible advantage that a copper phone line has is that such is run on a separate power system (I believe its 48V and they have serious battery back up). This means that in a serious power outage it is possible to still have telephone access.
Don't bet on that. The old twisted pair back to the CO POTS line is fading fast. Both Bell and Rogers run fibre to a node in the neighbourhood. Both Bell and Rogers also offer fibre to the home, where available. With service these days, your POTS line is likely VoIP over fibre, at least most of the way. ------------------------------------ Description: GTALUG Talk Unsubscribe via Talk-unsubscribe@lists.gtalug.org Start a new thread: talk@lists.gtalug.org This message archived at https://lists.gtalug.org/archives/list/talk@lists.gtalug.org/message/7BPUT6W...
On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM James Knott via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On 8/29/25 17:18, o1bigtenor via Talk wrote:
One possible advantage that a copper phone line has is that such is run on a separate power system (I believe its 48V and they have serious battery back up). This means that in a serious power outage it is possible to still have telephone access.
Don't bet on that. The old twisted pair back to the CO POTS line is fading fast. Both Bell and Rogers run fibre to a node in the neighbourhood. Both Bell and Rogers also offer fibre to the home, where available. With service these days, your POTS line is likely VoIP over fibre, at least most of the way.
Well as I live rural I would, and do, bet on it. Regards
On 8/29/25 21:31, o1bigtenor wrote:
Well as I live rural I would, and do, bet on it.
Sooner or later it will be gone. The world is moving to VoIP. The 4G & 5G networks only run it and as more and more customers move to it, there will be less and less reason to keep the old gear running, especially since the hardware, including spares, is no longer being made. If you can get Internet, you can get VoIP. Also, some areas are now using 5G to provide Internet, instead of running cables.
o1bigtenor via Talk said on Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:18:50 -0500
One possible advantage that a copper phone line has is that such is run on a separate power system (I believe its 48V and they have serious battery back up). This means that in a serious power outage it is possible to still have telephone access. Here we had an outage due to main line disruption and inside a lot too long a time cell phones didn't work and the internet was also down.
I was going to mention this. I've been in several earthquakes and several hurricanes (not in the same place), and my landline kept working. This is the only reason we still have it. SteveT Steve Litt http://444domains.com
On 8/30/25 1:15 AM, Steve Litt via Talk wrote:
I was going to mention this. I've been in several earthquakes and several hurricanes (not in the same place), and my landline kept working. This is the only reason we still have it.
SteveT
There is something to be said for the reliability of the old POTS systems. We recently went through a power outage and our cell phone connection to rogers lasted just a few hours. We dropped our old copper service since Bell pushed through so I cannot comment on weather the dial phone would still have been up but the fiber network was up for the full 2 days of the outage. -- Alvin Starr || land: (905)513-7688 Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133 alvin@netvel.net ||
Remember that major major ice storm in perhaps 2016? I lived in a building at that time, when we lost power, everything was gone..save my landline phone. Without it, I could not have left my house, only way to reach wheel-trans. speaking personally,I simply do not understand completely removing such a basic, not tied to easy to interrupt mode of communication. Karen
Alvin Starr via Talk wrote on 2025-08-29 04:46:
a VOIP provider(voip.ms)
Does anyone know the background of voip.ms? I seem to recall hearing it was founded by some KW / southern Ontario people, but I may be confusing it with something else.
Looks like they’re actually registered in Quebec (Montreal to be precise) according to https://voip.ms/our-company Rouben On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 20:10 Ron via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
Alvin Starr via Talk wrote on 2025-08-29 04:46:
a VOIP provider(voip.ms)
Does anyone know the background of voip.ms?
I seem to recall hearing it was founded by some KW / southern Ontario people, but I may be confusing it with something else.
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On Fri, 29 Aug 2025 at 20:10, Ron via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
Does anyone know the background of voip.ms?
I seem to recall hearing it was founded by some KW / southern Ontario people, but I may be confusing it with something else.
They are based in Terrebonne, Québec: https://www.facebook.com/VoIP.ms/ I have been using them for my main landline since 2009, and now I have six or seven additional Ontario-based phone lines (DIDs in their parlance). Cannot complain. - Val
participants (11)
-
Alvin Starr -
CAREY SCHUG -
James Knott -
Karen Lewellen -
Nick Accad -
o1bigtenor -
Ron -
Rouben -
Steve Litt -
Val Kulkov -
William Park