‘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

[Ben_H]

Hi folks,

I can appreciate it's frustrating having to troubleshoot this sort of thing with us. We have to have all customers follow the troubleshooting guide first as the vast majority get a fix using it. I'd just like to give you both a bit more background on previous SAC queries I've seen to help you to understand why the first fix isn't always the last one.

With some customers I've dealt with in the past, there can be several SAC's in the surrounding area, not just one or two. As such, it can be a process of elimination to find the right one. It once took me five different SAC requests to finally get the correct one for a customer on the eForum. It's a regrettable delay that I wish we could avoid but such is the technology. We will however always see each case through to the end one way or another. 

Now we have your details on Private Message, we'll be speaking to each of you offline to discuss your details in a more secure environment. Feel free to keep this thread updated throughout as the eForum is after all a place for discussion. Just be a aware that moving forward, support for each of your individual cases may only be given away from prying eyes due to the sensitivity of your account info.

Cheers, Ben

[mbookham]

Thank you Ben.

That will be the 4th SAC reset, it is very annoying when I have to go through the whole process of requesting help via the website contact page, rather then just responding to PM's direct every time I need to contact the Vodafone SS team.

Please can you sort the SAC out for the 5th time - it is still not working and please contact me and don't ask for to complete yet another contact form, I have given you my contact details 4 times already.

[Ben_H]

Hi mbookham,

Thanks for replying. We don't keep your details after we email you for Data Protection and security reasons. There's no need to fill in a fresh form if you've already spoken to my team about this though. Replying to the last email you had from this department will mean we can get in touch with you again sooner to troubleshoot this further. Just remember to keep the subject code we gave you the same to ensure it's routed directly back to us.

Cheers, Ben

[mbookham]

Ben,

I have only received auto generated emails, so how do I reply when the PM states?

Please don’t reply to this PM; the team are focused on answering questions on the forum and by secure email or phone call, and will be unable to respond directly to any private messages.

[Retired-Kay]

Good Morning SPW999 and mbookham, 

We can get this sorted but we will need access to your accounts first. Can you both please follow the instructions in the private messages I've just sent you. Once we have your emails a member of the team will be in touch.

You can find your PM inbox here.

All the best, 

Kay

[mbookham]

I have replied to the PM, please check the whole of this forum topic to find out about my previous correspondence. Everytime the SAC is reset and I am asked to restart my SS a day or so later and suprise suprise nothing changes.

What will be differant this time?

[ywu]

May I get a PM too please? I can make a call but after a few mins, I get the Call Failed message. Same again after retrying.

[mbookham]

My Sure Signal is still not working for outbound calls. It has supposedly had the the SAC set-up, but after numerous resets it still drops the calls straight away. I did a test call to a landline and the mobile and landline ring once and then it gets cut off instantly.

This has never worked.

Also there was a problem a few week ago when my wife's GiffGaff (O2) phone would not send a text (left for over an hour and re-treid several times) but as soon as I turned off the SS the text went within a minute.

Please sort this issue out, I first reported the SS not working 23-08-2012

[Retired-Lee]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your posts. I'll answer each of you in turn.

@ ywu - The calls would instantly fail if this was a SAC issue. The call wouldn't even connect.

Can you let me know your speedtest results the next time a call fails mid call?

@ mbookham - I've sent you a PM which can be accessed here. If you could follow the instructions in the PM and send us your details one of the team will be with you as soon as they can.

Cheers,

LeeH

[jmax]

I am having this problem as well.  It crops up around once every two weeks and goes away after I restart the Sure Signal.  Not too terrible a problem, but rather annoying that it keeps occuring.