‘Call Failed’ error when making calls

[Retired-George]

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

[Ian1903]

Having these same problems with an iphone 3GS. VSS1. IPhone on 4.3.5 struggle to make ooutgoing calls.

I also however seem to struggle with 3g problems that are not to do with the VSS.

[guyfi]

I've just joined the forum to add my comments in the vain hope that Voda will actually fix this problem if enough people complain.

My sure signal is an early version (bought when it was called Voda Access Gateway) & what I've come to accept as the norm - calls going straight to voicemail without ringing & never being able to make a call first time,are getting progressively worse.

The usual things have been suggested - reset the box,check port forwarding,reset the phone,turn wifi off on the iPhone etc etc,none of which make any significate difference to the problem.

We can't all have defective iPhones & someone from Vodafone should take responsibility & actually acknowledge there is a problem & that they are genuinely trying to fix it.

Surely (if you pardon the pun) if enough people demonstrate the same problem & nothing is ever done to solve the problem,is that misselling a product & should the Trading Standards be on your case?

Come on Vodafone,generally your products are great - this one has too many people having the same problems for you to bury your collective heads in the sand & point the finger at someone else.

It's just not good enough.

[gfendle]

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@guyfi wrote:

We can't all have defective iPhones & someone from Vodafone should take responsibility & actually acknowledge there is a problem & that they are genuinely trying to fix it.

That would be BenJ.

113

He took ownership of this on the 28th June...

[vinsup]

I am sure that BenJ and his team-mates are burning the midnight oil so that we can get our money's worth.

One small suggestion though to the Mod community - it would make us, the actual sufferers, feel better if an action plan were put up somewhere for us to see as we are the main stakeholders in this technical issue and would like to see a solution in our lifetime. What says VSS (non)users?

You see we are under this impression that we are being facilitated a unique technology in the UK which would give us a full-blown covearge in the otherwise 3G deprived desolute place which we call as home. This mobile mast in our house which is supposed to sort out our problems is actually a tool to sort out their coverage issues at our costs.  The irony of situations is that we will be paying the Operator to use our own bandwidth paid for by us. On top of this, we are now being told that there are 'some' issues and the matter is under investigation with no idea how long it would go on for.

Could BenJ or anybody please tell us how much longer? I know the current answer - being looked in to, being worked upon or to be truthful we have no idea and so forth. 

Anybody?

[guyfi]

What's slightly concerning is that this thread was started in October 2010.

Regardless of whether Ben J took ownership of the problem in June this year,the fact is that this has been a problem for some time now with no apparent urgency on Vodafone's part to sort it out.

None of the fixes suggested by the tech support team over the phone work & they seem more than willing to lay the blame squarely at Apple's door.

If that is seriously the best they can come up with,then the marketing for the sure signal should have a caveat saying Doesn't Work With Current iPhone model - just so that everyone is clear from the start what is & isn't possible with the sure signal.

Somehow,I doubt that would happen.

Patchy at best is how I would describe the sure signal service and unfortunately is seems to be getting worse.

Let's see whether Voda actually get round to finally fixing the problem we're all having - but on previous evidence,I'm not holding my breath.

[steffangl]

Also still having this problem.  Getting beyond ridiculous now. 

Come contract renewal time I'll be seriously considering other networks - I'd much rather be on O2 who are providing good 2G to my house.  I can then use Wi-Fi for any data.

[railwayman3]

I've started getting this "Call Failed" error regularly during the last few days, with my BB Torch and SS Box!!!

As I work entirely from home and rely on the system for business calls, this is  worrying...and not helped by finding this thread from nearly a year ago!

Come on, Vodafone, look after your customers (and as a shareholder....I don't want to have to email your CEO yet again!).   

[gfendle]

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@vinsup wrote:

I am sure that BenJ and his team-mates are burning the midnight oil so that we can get our money's worth.

---

Are you still so sure about that, or was it a response laced with sarcasm?

I'm assuming the latter, because it's now clear that my earlier fears may well be confirmed. 

The owner of the problem has been in here recently and completely ignored most of the comments. We've heard nothing from anyone about this for weeks, despite being told that the issue has been tracked down and a solution was being worked on.

Smoke and MIrrors. Vodafone have a habot of doing this. I've been here before. 

[railwayman3]

After 6 months with VF, I'm just awaiting the end of my business contract so that I can go back to 02.
My experience is that VF is such a big organisation that everyone can hide in their own little office, and ignore anything which doesn't fit their tick-list or phone script. Even complaints to the CEO just get a standard company-speak fob-you-off reply. No pride or interest in their job, their company or their customers.
Come on 02, Orange, etc., the market is open for you!

[ktsangy]

I have not been able to make a single outbound call today whilst connected to the SS!

In before we hear the words "Sorry we do not have any more information at this time but as soon as we do we will pass it on" oh and also "we know how frustrated you are etc etc". *yawn*

Vodafone pull your finger out....get this call escalated and sort this issue out which has been going on forever! You already told us that you have identified the problem so how difficult is it to implement a fix?? There is not even a workaround solution provided. You have sold us a product that is not fit for purpose and is nothing more than a paperweight at the moment.

I will be reporting this to watchdog and if anyone else wants to do the same, you can do it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/