cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
1

Ask

2

Reply

3

Solution

‘Call Failed’ error when making calls

Retired-George
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

This issue has the following symptoms:

 

For version 1 Sure Signal (the one with four lights on the front):

  • Lights one, two and four are all solid
  • Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
  • When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed

 

For version 2 Sure Signal (the one with 3 lights on the front):

  • The power and system lights are both solid
  • Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
  • When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed 

 

For version 3 Sure Signal (the plug in version):

  • The power, internet and service lights are all solid and the in use light is either solid or flashing
  • Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
  • When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed


Troubleshooting steps:

Check for planned maintenance:

Planned maintenance can cause periods of downtime, so check the forum for any planned maintenance. If there is, this will be announced at the top of the Sure Signal forum.

 

Reset your Sure Signal:

 

For versions 1 and 2:

  1. Hold in the reset button until all lights go solid
  2. Pull the power lead out with the reset button still pushed in
  3. Continue to hold down the reset button and reconnect the power lead
  4. Wait for all lights to come on and then release the reset button

 

For version 3:

  1. Locate the button on the base of the box next to the Ethernet ports.
  2. Press and hold the button for approximately 30 seconds.
  3. Once the lights come back on, release the button.

 

The Sure Signal will be back online in around 1 hour.

 

If you’re still unable to make calls, there may be a compatibility issue with your Sure Signal and your location information (also known as SAC/LAC compatibility).

A SAC (Service Area Code) connects to a mast and is used to determine the rough location of where a call’s made. It's needed for the emergency services to know where a call was made from.

 

As a Sure Signal can be used anywhere in the country, it doesn't automatically come with a SAC. The SAC is generated based on the postcode you enter when registering your Sure Signal and it's created based on the nearest cell to your location.

In order for calls to be made, they must go over an MSC (Mobile Switching Centre). If the MSC doesn't hold the SAC for your area on its database, the call will fail.

 

The MSCs should now hold all SACs for Sure Signal calls. For anyone who is still affected please post in this thread and we can look into it further.

 

Thanks,

 

Jenny

686 REPLIES 686

gfendle - just a tiny ray of light in your reply..."Alcatel have a fix....rolled out in the next couple of weeks"....IF Alcatel really are aware, might there be some hope that THEY might just know what they are doing?
Maybe I expect too much, but isn't this the first time VF have even acknowledged the problem or offered a plausable solution?
(I've also put forward a separate idea in the other thread regarding conflicts between the SS and a stronger mast signal....probably rubbish, but I am trying to get an answer....)

Hi Pappin,

 

To extend the time before the Voicemaile cuts in, put the following code into your phone:-  **61*121(your mobile number without the first 0)*11*(then a number between 5 - 30 depending on the number of seconds delay you want) # send.

 

Going back to our original problem, I was rather miffed that I'd had to shell an extra £50 out to buy the Sure Signal Device just to get a Vodafone Signal never mind the extra on my electricity bill each month.  Now to find out that it doesn't work is ridiculous !!!

 

Like you, I've been with Vodafone since the first mobiles came out 20+ years ago, but customer loyalty seems to count for nothing nowadays.  At the very least it would be nice if this problem is ever sorted for Vodafone to refund the cost of the Not So Sure Signal !!!

 

Mr CEO, are you listening ???

It's definitely not specific to iPhones. We have a Samsung Omnia WinMo 6 phone here (don't say it!) and we're having the same problems. Yesterday we were able to show via 1471 that there was a call to the phone, but the call went directly to voicemail despite a 5-bar signal from the sure signal.

 

G
 

I  have an HTC and a Blackberry Torch both with the same problems so I  switched my Sure Signal of on friday which has had an intresting effect with the phones, now they both last a couple of days without recharging them instead of having to do them daily.

 

 

 

 

The problem seems to be getting worse for me over time (8 months). It started with occasional inbound call failing, but the SS would come back to life after making an outbound call. Now most of my inbound and outbound calls fail, despite the SS showing a good connection. It is critical to the company that I work for that I be contactable at all times.

 

I use an iPhone 3GS and I am on a good quality Virgin Media coax/fibre cable internet connection.

 

Like everyone else, I am deeply concerned and frustrated at the lack of VF action on this issue. Despite being in a built up area of Manchester, my 3G signal is virtually nonexistent, so I really need the SS to work....

 

Same issue here... had the SS since near the beginning and recently the reliability had been greatly improved. But I am having the same problem of straight to voicemail and fail to connect outbound calls, with it being progressively worse... both iPhone 4 and Nokia E72.

 

So I called the 191 line.... what a TOTAL waste of time..... it is still a complete joke since the last time I had to call them. Advised to turn my voicemail off, then on again.... WTF?! 

 

Vodafone - your customer service is a total joke. It's embarrassing...

 

I asked if there was a widespread issue - apparently there had been with 3G but it was all fixed.... eh... ..... WRONG! What a muppett.

 

Last time I had a problem with the SS, someone I got through to by mistake took on the (unrelated to this issue) problem and got it fixed for me - they couldn't have been better. But this was only after having to go through the TOTAL NIGHTMARE of the call centre system

 

I have no option for my mobile phone carrier.... it's Vodafone Sure Signal or bust for me ... and right now it is BUST - BIG time

 

Do I expect a call back to discuss this? Well even if they try it will go to voicemail..... unless they get lucky with the 1 in a 100 chance the fault will have temporarily cleared.

 

Actually, this is now beyond a joke for me. Unreliable service from a non customer focused organisation. USELESS Indian call centre which heaps on the frustration. Please can I speak to someone who doesn't call me Mr (my first name not my second name) and especially someone aware of the BIGGER picture - like this is an issue being suffered by a multitude of users and yet we are treated as individual unrelated cases.

 

If I could leave this network I would do so in a heartbeat.....

 

COME ON VODAFONE - FIX THIS, and whilst you are at it, FIX your rotten to the core, offshore call centres. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that Chunkyis

 

Pappin


@railwayman3 wrote:
gfendle - just a tiny ray of light in your reply..."Alcatel have a fix....rolled out in the next couple of weeks"....IF Alcatel really are aware, might there be some hope that THEY might just know what they are doing?

Actually, having read some of the comments here since I posted my response from 'customer relations', I reckon I might have been sold a pile of the steaming proverbial. 

 

Given the ineptitude which seems rife about these parts, it wouldn't surprise me if they (VF/Alcatel/Whoever) are messing about with the network and randomly breaking stuff until they stumble across something that might work. Of course, the gauge as to what's worked is how many people stop complaining, not any technical measurement. 

 

And, by the way:

 

WHERE ARE THE STAFF IN HERE?

 

Incredibly rude how this topic is now being completely ignored. I remember the 'Guaranteed Signal' topic going the same way, then eventually everybody gave up trying to get someone from Vodafone to admit what they'd done.

i have the same problem i have an htc sensation and the wife has a iphone 3gs , i have 2 sure signal boxes one at home and one at work as i live close to work and vodafone signal is abismal, over the last week i have been having voice messages like there is no tomorrow the phone shows full signal but even when i ring off my landline it goes straight to answerphone also when i try to make a call i have to try 4 or 5 times before it will do so this is at home or work i have reset the boxes and reregistered them more times than i care to mention.

vodafone this is on 2 phones at 2 separate adresses on 2 different routers bt business and talk talk home broadband which have excellent speeds.

i have this down as a vodafone fault as i do not believe 2 phones 2 boxes 2 routers at my end are the problem.

 

Still don't understand why the change that caused all the problems can't be backed out. One minute voice is working the next it isn't - simple change management isn't it?