[ale] OT help ENDING unsolicited phone calls

[simontek at gmail.com]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Place number on that, anytime you get a call, get info, and have them fined  
$16,000, each time.

On , "Ron Frazier (ALE)" <atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:
> 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





> --



> Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9  
> Mail.

> Please excuse my potential brevity.



> (To whom it may concern. My email address has changed. Replying to former

> messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong

> address. Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)



> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to

> call on the phone. I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy

> mailing lists and such. I don't always see new email messages very  
> quickly.)



> Ron Frazier

> 770-205-9422 (O) Leave a message.

> linuxdude AT techstarship.com


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