‘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

[TopDog129]

geraintd,

Yes I see exactly the same.  Can't receive inbound calls until I make an outbound call then inbound calls will come through. Also if people have sent you a txt msg in that time you will see a rush of messages come through as well when you make that initial outbound call.

As a temporary solution I am going to get the iPhone removed from VSS and live with normal cell tower signal. However problem is that the VSS will need to be changed to a different account as it is currently owned by the iPhone number!

[woolfie]

Hi there,

I am another ss and iPhone user that has been going nuts with all the failed calls. I have now switched off my ss and that seems to have cured the problem but unfortunately I dont get much of a signal in the house! I am on my 3rd iphone and second ss because amazingly the tech people at vodafone dont seem to know what the problem is. i have been reading throught this post and it seems that there is no real ownership been taken of this issue. If any of the moderators disagree then I am sure we would all like to know what the SLA is for the fix on this issue?

my wife has a HTC and the kids have Niokia and they dont have this issue so it is obviously an iPhone problem

[jennig]

hello BB user here and long time SS user-- Ive had 78 failed called over the last 2 days... and about 200+ over the last week.

Gettign annoyed calling CS to be told to reset. I reset it works for a call or 2 then im back at Called failed.

Any help VF?

[repoguy]

Another customer with the same problem.  Sure signal box has worked great until I returned from holidays last Wednesday.  Realised after a few emails asking if I was still away, as my calls were going to voicemail that there was something wrong. Tried to call myself and realised out of 5 calls, 4 would go to VM.  Outgoing has a similiar issue with others, majority not connecting, some when connecting having no audio.

Phone gets emails, (BB) no problem and watching the screen when I try and call it, the arrows on right, showing something is happening, show for a split second when I ring the phone, before I get the voicemail coming on.

Have spoken with customer service, who have suggested turing voicemail off etc, (which one phone already has off, all that happens to that is the caler gets the Vodafone is unavailable message), have hard reset box numerous times, etc etc.

Went away at the weekend, so no problems as place had good coverage, back today and really first day back after holidays and its a disaster!

Missed numerous calls, cant make outgoing calls without delay in trying to connect, all phones using box are the same, only phone thats works is my wifes, which is on Orange!

Spent the last 3 hours speaking with cusomer services again, who have suggested to turn the box off for 2 hours, whilst they reset it!!

I have no idea what to do if its the same tomorrow, apart from go back to putting the phone on a certain part of the window it can get some coverage and then have to take the call outside, at least I dont miss the call.

Seems to be something going on, as like the others, nothing has changed my end, to speak, as it has worked so well previously, I swapped networks to VF as contracts came up, which is a nightmare when something like this happens..............at the moment with work being harder to get, a missed call can mean a missed contract and if needed, its time to move to another network, its that important.

Vodafone please take note of this issue with us.

[SynthFG]

Starting to notice similar myself over the past couple of days

Tho calls from another voda handset always seem to come straight to me,

calls from outside of voda go straight to voicemail

[jororiggs]

I have had my Sure Signal for few months and it has worked well with the exception that there has always been a problem when making outgoing calls.  About 8 times out of 10 I get "Called Failed".  However, the second attempt is almost always successful. 

Text messages are always sent at the first attempt and there are no problems with incoming calls.

I have re-booted the Sure Signal to no effect.

Is this likely to be the same problem which is the subject of this thread or is it something different?

[jororiggs]

This is an update to my own post.  For the last week or so all my outgoings calls have been connecting first time.  I've done nothing so presumably there has been an update, or what ever was causing the problem has been fixed, in my case, at any rate.

[reggiesamuel]

Sure signal (new version) > Apple Airport Extreme > Cable Modem > Virgin Media 50Mbps

Internet working fine on all other clients on LAN.

Sure signal light sequence looks OK - solid red light, solid status light.

Iphone has full 3G signal when sure signal is on.

Outgoing call on iphone = call failed.

Outgoing SMS/iMessage = OK

Incoming call on iphone = OK

Incoming SMS/iMessage = OK

Apple Airport Extreme configured for inbound and outbound port forwarding for UDP and TCP:

8, 50, 123, 500, 4500

The primary purpose of purchasing the sure signal device was to obtain a strong signal within this office for outgoing calls.

At present the sure signal device is not working.

This is possibly a EFT135 Sure Signal SAC Issue.

Sure signal serial number = 40120104415

Please can you assist?

thanks Reggie

[Retired-James]

Hi dannyboy1121, reggiesamuel,

I have sent you both a PM so we can investigate your issues further.

Please follow the instructions on the PM and one of our team will be able to pick this up for us.

You can find your PM inbox here.

James

[ksamtani]

Hi James,

I am having the same problem as the customer above. Please could you PM me details of how to get this sorted. I am very fustrated now by the lack of help with the call centre service staff. I have even provided with a replacement.