My daughter wants a new DCT phone and would like caller identification. Been reading up and it appears that many types of calls do not display the caller. Is this a fact?
Do they only display names where the number and name has been programmed in (like with a mobile?) or do they display all numbers?
Is it reliable?
The only information sent by the phone company is the phone number or a code to indicate the number is "unavailable", "withheld" etc. Your phone, will then look through its own address book and try to match the incoming number with a name. If it finds a match then it displays the name. If no match is found then it displays the number. So they work just like a mobile phone would.
Chris
My cordless phones display all UK landline and mobile numbers unless they're withheld. If a caller from foreignland is trying to scam me/get me to buy a mobile phone it says "out of area".
Si
Oh...and it displays 0845 (etc) numbers too.
In message , John wrote
With BT, when presented by the caller the telephone number is displayed. If the number is withheld then 'Withheld' is displayed. Most junk calls that I get now come from aboard and the display just shows 'International'.
My display unit can display names but this is a function of my own equipment changing programmed numbers to names.
You're lucky.
Most networks are incapable of telling the difference between "customer withheld" and "lost somewhere by the network".
My BT phone shows "Private" rather than "witheld " but that might be down to my Binatone cordless phone setup. .Otherwise either numbers are shown or the name of the caller if it is my phone's Memory
The system allows for the use of 'presentation' numers instead of the real number. A displayed 0845 number will be the one that has been deliberately presented to you, as no-one actually dials out from an 0845 number.
This system is used by corporates who want all of their outgoing calls presented as coming from the one number. This is so that people don't ring back to the outgoing operator who just happens to be sitting at the desk that your call came from
tim
Yes, many calls using third party handlers such as 18866 or VOIP originated calls will not show caller ID (and in some cases misleading information like "overseas"!).
Some places which have a single incoming number, such as Doctors surgeries, often withhold caller ID on outgoing calls from other numbers. They could show something called a presentation number but few do.
Some sales organisations show withheld or completely garbage numbers (the latter invariably because of badly configured systems rather than malign intent).
Yes.
Where number information is provided by the exchange.
What do you mean by reliable? For all practical purposes it cannot be spoofed, so if 01442 123456 is displayed the call will be coming from that number or that organisation (if it is a presentation number). A normal caller cannot fool CLID (although VOIP originated calls can appear to in some cases).
Will it display all numbers - no, as many calls don't include number information.
Is what it says correct - no in that indirect calls and VOIP calls may show as international when they are local (this isn't a fault - the indirect carriers and VOIP suppliers find it cheaper to route calls via overseas links at certain times of the day).
Be aware that if your phone service is provided by other than BT some cable operators exchanges still use a different CLID system to the BT one so make sure you get a phone which suits the system you have.
However, as it is free and as nearly all DECT phones incorporate it, it is worth having. Don't forget you do have to ask for it to be activated on the line.
snipped .
Free ONLY with BT Privacy At Home as far as I know .
For me that's quite useful. If I get an international call displayed on the unit, I pick up the handset and *wait* until the other caller speaks before making any sound.
If it is a genuine international call I will respond, if it is a 'congratulations, you have won blah..' tape i will drop, if it is silence I will hold until they cut off (10 seconds or so off *their* phone bill)
If you make a sound when you pick up the call, then the calling centre routes the call to a human who you really don't want to talk to.
-- Adrian C
I received a spate of 'silent calls' and some displaying the word 'INTERNATIONAL' too; eventually one of the calls conected to a guy claiming in an almost unitelligible accent to represent 'INTERNATIONAL ... SURVEYS (Ltd?) of Grenada (in the Carribean). I'm assuming that 'INTERNATIONAL' was the same outfit with the 'silent calls' and that my Phone's LCD panel wasn't long enough - perish the thought that they'd thought through the misleading title and tried to entice folks into answering ... ! Complaints to TPS evoked a response ;- 'International Surveys are seeking your opinion and not directly trying to sell you anything - nothing we can do!' ( I paraphrased ).
True.
No,
A name is never transmitted to your phone.
Only a calling number or the withheld/unknown/etc code.
This is then converted to a name by your phone.
tim
Nice bit of information there :-)
Many thanks, Dave
Hmm ? My 'phone doesn't have an alphastring of 'INTERNATIONAL' anywhere in it's library of names .... examines handset ( six stored in total with alphastrings of WORK, MOBILE, DOCTOR etc. ). What is the source for 'INTERNATIONAL' ? {Philips DECT ... model not discernable }
It's really annoying BT won't give you the international number. If you divert the call to your mobile, you will get the international number presented.
BT sends it in the name field of the callerid for international calls, and also sets the unavailable flag. Other strings I've seen turn up in there are PAYPHONE, WITHHELD (matches the withheld flag), UNAVAILABLE (matches the unavailable flag, except when international), OPERATOR.
The phone firmware - also for "unavailable" and "withheld" (which is why different people see different words on different phones - it depends what the manufacturer has put in so withheld may display as "private". CLI is passed in the UK between the first a second ring as a tone burst and comprises only numbers.
I don't say anything until the reciever is at my ear for all calls. If there is no background noise, just silence, I don't say anything. What happens next depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I wait the 10 seconds or so until the call centers equipment finally finds a free operator and connects me to them. I then only say "hello" a few seconds after each time they have finished speaking. Other times I just place the reciever next to me and carry on with what ever I was doing, ignoring the little voice saying "hello? hello?". Can take quite a long time before they give up, Iike this one as if the CCO is trying to talk to me they aren't annoying someone else.
I don't think that happens. Silent calls are just the call centre kit dialing calls before there is an operator free to take the call the moment it is answered (if it is). Having a CCO not talking to someone costs money.
I let the answerphone respond to these 'international' calls. Unfortunately these bastards have a habit of using an automated message to fill up the message space in the answerphone. I've recently had six calls in the space of half an hour all leaving a two minute repeating message ' Congratulations you have won ..............just phone this (premium rate?) number to claim your prize"
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.