[ale] OT help ENDING unsolicited phone calls

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

Hi Guys,

You all are always a good source of geeky info, even if something doesn't relate just to Linux. This year, for whatever reason, I've been getting more and more unsolicited phone calls, from politicians, charities, surveys, telemarketers, etc. They're amounting to several per day, and I'm sick of it. I've exceeded the 12 # limit on the block list for comcast phone service, and I'm about to get some bigger weapons. I'm thinking of moving from a black list concept, where I block what I don't want, to a white list concept, where I allow what I do want. Everything else goes to an answering machine. 

I've found this device: http://www.jfteck.com/caller-id-with-ring-controller.php and a few similar ones which can do what I want. However, there are a couple of problems I need to solve. For this device to work the way I described, you would wire it from the telephone source, in my case the cable modem, to an answering machine, then to the ring controller, then to the rest of the house. In my case, the original bellsouth phone lines coming to the outside of the house are disconnected. Under normal conditions, the cable modem phone output drives all phones in the house. In this case, the ring controller output drives the whole house. I'm not totally sure it can drive the whole house, but assuming it can, there is still a problem.

In this scenario, if someone on my white list calls, the phones ring as normal. The device I mentioned has two white lists, so I can restrict my vendors I deal with to business hours, etc. If someone not on my white list calls, they get sent to the answering machine, and if they have a legit reason to call me, they can leave a message. But, what's cool is that my phones never ring except for people on the white lists.

Now, assuming the device can drive all my phones, one problem remains. Because my phones never ring for non approved calls, their caller id never activates. Since the cable modem is in the basement, that's where the ring controller will be. So, there is no way to easily check the caller id list to see what calls came in that weren't on the white list, in case I missed some that I actually want to ring. I'm not even sure my phones will get caller id if they do ring, because the ring controller has to detect the first ring and the caller id, before deciding to ring my other phones.

So, what I'd like to do is put remote, preferably wireless, caller id displays in certain rooms and have their base down in the basement, before the ring controller. That way, those devices will have a record of all the calls, and I can review the list. That way, if "cousin joe" calls and I want to let his calls ring through, I can add him to the white lists. Also, I wouldn't mind if the caller id devices have an OPTIONAL ring indicator. So, I'm OK if there is a minimal beep or something when a restricted call comes in. Then, I can just glance at the caller id device and either ignore it, or make a note to add it to the white list. I don't know for sure what would happen if I pick up the phone when a restricted call is coming in, whether it would work, or whether I get nothing. Since the phones never ring, it may be nothing.

I'd like suggestions as to how to solve the caller id problem, or, how to tackle this problem in general.

Sincerely,

Ron


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Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O) Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
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