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Answering Machine - FIOS Digital Voice Incompatibility

Whenever a message is left on my machine it ends with the "fast busy signal". It's almost as if the answering machine can't detect the switchhook signal and the fast busy signal is FIOS digital voice dropping the line. I've had various phone carries prior with this same answering machine (Verizon POTS, Vonage, Optimum Voice) and never this problem. Is anyone aware of a way to resolve it?

Comments

Eric_VZ

Hello it is hard to discern exactly what the issue may be, but if you could please follow this link {edited for privacy} and fill out the form. We would be happy to help.

Eric_VZ

Notice: Content posted by Verizon employees is meant to be informational and does not supersede or change the Verizon Forums User Guidelines or Terms or Service, or your Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions or Plan.

DanGino

I have the same exact problem when the call is dropped with the answering machine - fast busy. Verizon support ran a diagnostic and it reported a ground fault problem. This has only happened since Digital Voice was turned on. If there is a ground fault, it never caused a problem before but perhaps DV is more sensitive? Anyway, a Verizon tech is coming out on Feb 5 to check the ground fault problem. But if that's not it (and I'm skeptical that this is the problem), then I'm wondering if we need a newer model answering machine (mine is 9 years old).

DanGino

The problem was not a ground fault. The Verizon tech who came to my house indicated that because of fiber that test will always result in a ground fault problem. They should train the call center on that. The problem appears to be a 9 year old answering machine which picks up the fast busy when the digital call is dropped. The only thing left to try is a new answering machine which may handle digital calls better.

DanGino

I'm hesitant to purchase a new answering machine. Checking in other forums it appears that this problem occurs with all carriers who deploy digital phone to the house. With digital, when the call is completed (to the answering machine), it is dropped immediately. When it was analog signals, the call drop signal was delayed by up to a minute and the answering machine would shut off before the fast busy signal occured. With digital voice (all carriers) it appears that it is the immediacy of the timing that allows the fast busy to trigger while the answering machine is still on/recording.

So perhaps this is a carrier (in this case Verizon) issue to program a delay in the dropped call signal so this doesn't occur.

Another possibility is to find an answering machine made to work with digital phone signals to the home. I'm not sure that exists however.

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DanGino

You can mask the sympton by turning "Call Monitoring" off. This is the feature that allows you to listen to message while it is being recorded. But if you do, you'll also listen to the fast busy (due to the stated call drop handoff from digital signal to your answering machine). So it's a trade off. Turn off Call Monitoring silence and you have to hit play for the message. Leave Call Monitoring on and you hear the annoying sound.

Bry_88

Having the same problem. Used the same answering machine on Verizon POTS and Vonage VOIP. On Verizon FIOS Digital my answering machine keeps recording the fast busy "off-hook" signal. I remember on the old copper POTS, there used to be a CPC (calling-party control disconnect) signal sent nearly immediately when a caller hung up, during the answering machine message. Then there was about 20-30 seconds of silence, then the fast "off-hook" tone. On FIOS, my answering machine isn't seeing any CTC signal, there is about 1 second of silence then the machine starts recording the fast busy tone. The answering machine thankfully identifies the off-hook sound in about 2 seconds and stops recording, but that is too late!

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