# No caller ID



## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

Just got my phone connection switched from [email protected] to Time Warner VOIP. I didn't have caller ID with my [email protected], but do have it now with TW. The TW tech tested it by calling my number from his cell, and the ID came up on my home phone without problem. 

After he left I changed the setting on the 722, to enable the on screen caller ID function. I called my home phone with my cell, and no caller ID on the screen. I have a phone line connected to the 722, and it has been performing the updates with no problem, so I assume that part is OK.

I called DN service and a very nice lady walked me thru her script of steps to troubleshoot the problem, but nothing worked. Any ideas, besides replacing the 722?


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Just be glad the caller ID will not be interrupting your TV viewing.

IMHO caller ID on any TV appliance is a nuisance.


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

My family really likes the feature. I can see that it would become annoying after a while.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Updates do not come across the phone line, so this is not proof. There is a menu option under Installation to test the connection.

What troubleshooting did you already do?

Is your system grounded? Not being grounded is a cause of CID failure for the older 501 receiver.


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

BobaBird said:


> Updates do not come across the phone line, so this is not proof. There is a menu option under Installation to test the connection.
> 
> What troubleshooting did you already do?
> 
> Is your system grounded? Not being grounded is a cause of CID failure for the older 501 receiver.


The updates themselves don't come across the phone line, but I believe the receiver initiates the downloads by dialing into DN, at 3AM or whatever time is set, and then the satellite sends down the updates.

The test for phone line connection passes, and I tried a hard reboot by unplugging the receiver and then plugging back in. I also plugged a phone into the same cable that connects to the 722 and it worked fine.

The house box that connects the dish itself to the coax going into the house is not grounded. I questioned this when the tech did the install and he said the system is grounded through the 722's ground prong on the power cord, so no external ground is needed. I'm sure I buy this since, if lightning hits the dish, I'd rather have the hit go to a ground outside the house, than traveling through the attic until it reaches the box's power line ground. I remember back before cable, dish, etc, in the days of outside antenna's, it was required by local codes to drive a rod into the ground and run a wire to the antenna mast to provide a true "grounded" connection.

The screen pop for caller ID is no big deal, and I can live without it, since my cordless phone has ID capability and I use it when I'm watching TV. It's just that it kind of bugs me that a feature that's supposed to work doesn't.

I don't want to go through the hassle of replacing the 722, since a new receiver probably won't correct the problem anyway. I just thought someone out there might have experienced the same issue and had a quick fix.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

The phone line is only used to report PPV and VOD orders as well as use some of the interactive Apps like the Customer Service Apps. Phone line has nothing to do with the nightly system/firmware/EPG update cycle.

That said... if it passed the phone line connection test, then you're probably ok. I have heard before where some VOIP didn't work with all Caller ID setups. Never sure who is to blame in those scenarios, but I have heard of that being a problem not just with Dish receivers.


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

Stewart Vernon said:


> The phone line is only used to report PPV and VOD orders as well as use some of the interactive Apps like the Customer Service Apps. Phone line has nothing to do with the nightly system/firmware/EPG update cycle.
> 
> That said... if it passed the phone line connection test, then you're probably ok. I have heard before where some VOIP didn't work with all Caller ID setups. Never sure who is to blame in those scenarios, but I have heard of that being a problem not just with Dish receivers.


I fixed the problem, just not sure why what I did solved it. The fix itself was much easier to do, than to explain, so bear with my long winded, probably very confusing post.

I forgot to mention in my OP, that since I don't have a phone jack near my 722, I am using one of those EZ Jack boxes, that enables connectivity of a phone line through the power lines in the house.

I had the base unit of the EZ jack connected to a wall outlet in a bedroom that was close to an existing wall phone jack. I had a corded phone nearby, and only one phone jack, so I used one of those "one into two" spiltter type connectors to give me the ability to plug in the corded phone and the EZ Jack base unit to one wall plug at the same time.

Just for the heck of it, I was going to try plugging the EZ jack base unit into an outlet in another room, that also had a phone plug nearby, just to see if that made a difference.

When I unplugged the base unit, to make the switch, I noticed it had 2 modular jacks, one for the incoming phone line, and another for plugging in a corded phone, thus eliminating the need for spiltting one wall connector jack into two.

Just for the heck of it, I unplugged the corded phone from the spiltter, and plugged it directly into the EZ jack phone connector, and what do you know, the caller ID popped up on the TV, just like it should.

It appears the EZ Jack does not like to "share" it's input with another phone, at least not when using it with caller ID.


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## Ddavis (Jan 15, 2004)

Quick test, connect a phone to the phone cable going to the 722 and see if it displays the callerid. Sometimes when the callerid stops displaying, I would turn the option off, exit from the menus, then turn it back on. This would re-activate the callerid display.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

AED55 said:


> The updates themselves don't come across the phone line, but I believe the receiver initiates the downloads by dialing into DN, at 3AM or whatever time is set, and then the satellite sends down the updates.


NO!!!

The phone only tries to dial in when you initiate a dial in (checking for mail and account information), do a PPV or DISH Network sends a command to your receiver to dial in.


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## SaltiDawg (Aug 30, 2004)

Jim5506 said:


> Just be glad the caller ID will not be interrupting your TV viewing.
> 
> IMHO caller ID on any TV appliance is a nuisance.


Doh. That's why you can either turn the feature On or Off. 

Many of us value the feature.


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

Stewart Vernon said:


> The phone line is only used to report PPV and VOD orders as well as use some of the interactive Apps like the Customer Service Apps. Phone line has nothing to do with the nightly system/firmware/EPG update cycle.


I don't ever intend to order PPV or VOD movies, and don't use the interactive apps, so why does DN require I have a phone or internet connection to the receiver?

My understanding was that if you don't have a connection, an extra monthly charge is applied to your bill.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

AED55 said:


> I don't ever intend to order PPV or VOD movies, and don't use the interactive apps, so why does DN require I have a phone or internet connection to the receiver?


So that they have some hope of verifying that you're not moving the receiver around from location to location. IP addresses aren't as good as phone numbers, but you can be pretty sure that the IP number won't change more than once a week.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

harsh said:


> The phone only tries to dial in when you initiate a dial in (checking for mail and account information), do a PPV or DISH Network sends a command to your receiver to dial in.


This fee must be something they're doing on new accounts or newer boxes. I've never had any kind of phone line connected to any of my boxes. I guess I should say 'either' instead of any since I've only had a 3XX series and my current 5XX series. No fee has even been applied.

I did a PPV or two a few years ago just to try them out. They appeared in the Purchases screen for months since the box could never dial out with no phone line. I kept expecting Dish to somehow read the Purchase screen during one of the system updates, but nothing ever changed.

Those purchases may still be in the 3XX box I removed when I got the 5XX series box. Of course, it has been unplugged and stored for about 3 or 4 years now, so I don't know if anything is still saved in it.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

SayWhat? said:


> This fee must be something they're doing on new accounts or newer boxes. I've never had any kind of phone line connected to any of my boxes. I guess I should say 'either' instead of any since I've only had a 3XX series and my current 5XX series. No fee has even been applied.
> 
> I did a PPV or two a few years ago just to try them out. They appeared in the Purchases screen for months since the box could never dial out with no phone line. I kept expecting Dish to somehow read the Purchase screen during one of the system updates, but nothing ever changed.
> 
> Those purchases may still be in the 3XX box I removed when I got the 5XX series box. Of course, it has been unplugged and stored for about 3 or 4 years now, so I don't know if anything is still saved in it.


The fee was always potentially there as the small print requires ALL receivers to be connected. However they normally only charge on a second Duo box that does not connect. If you have a multiple receivers not connected you are also likely to get an audit call that requires you to go to each receiver and read off the location id. The location ID changes regularly and is generated by each receiver using an algorithm that includes some info about that receiver (smartcard or receiver number?) and so is unique.

I believe that charges are kept on the Smartcard. And are transferred to the new smartcard during card swaps. And they might very well charge you if you ever reconnected your receiver and had a internet or phone connection. To stop people from charging lots of things and not having a connection, there is a limit to how many are stored before it rejects new PPV without having a connection.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

For the most part, the requirement of a phone line connection is meant to be a deterrent to signal theft, and it helps them to determine that receivers are where you say they are...

but the bottom line is that in the Terms of Service they do say "all recievers must be connected to a phone line"... so they could always decide to fully enforce that one day, even though the seem to mostly enforce today with the dual-tuner dual-output receivers & accounts with multiple receivers.


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

I appreciate all the comments about this. The input you provided has helped clarify the whole phone/internet connection thing.

It occured to me there might be another DN "incentive" for requiring a telephone connection. 

When the tech installed my system, one of the first things he pointed out to me was the lack of a phone jack, where the 722 was to be placed. He insisted this connection was a must in order for him to complete the install. Of course he had a quick "extra cost" answer to the problem. All I had to do was buy an EZ Jack box from him for $59.99. Well, so much for the "free" installation, that's what I get for not reading the fine print.:lol:


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Installing a conventional phone jack used to be part of the "Standard Professional Installation".


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

harsh said:


> Installing a conventional phone jack used to be part of the "Standard Professional Installation".


One good thing. It appears they didn't overcharge me for the EZ Jack. I saw it at Lowe's for the very same price.


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