[OT] How to get calling number when CallerID reports "unknown"

Neil Joseph Schelly neil at jenandneil.com
Sat Jan 15 06:38:14 EST 2005


On Friday 14 January 2005 10:57 pm, Derek Martin wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 14, 2005 at 12:23:20PM -0500, Larry Cook wrote:
> Incidentally, if someone is using caller ID blocking, there is a
> feature you can use to prevent them from being able to call you --
> that is, their calls won't get through unless they disable caller ID
> blocking.  Don't remember how to activate it, though.  I'm sure the
> phone company can give you details.  Don't know if it would work with
> business phone systems (i.e. on the receiving end), but I imagine so...

There's another down-side to this feature, that some may not foresee.  My 
mother had this activated, such that anyone without caller ID wouldn't get 
through to her phone line.  In her case, there was no way for me to get 
around it when I tried calling her from out of the country.  I called from my 
cell phone in Malta and even tried from the hotel phone, just to let her know 
we'd arrived alright and such, but couldn't get through.  I just kept getting 
a message that her phone line was configured to ignore calls without Caller 
ID information.  I don't really know the impact of international dialing on 
caller ID, but it seems it doesn't necessarily transmit through.
-N



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