NPA NXX question - suddenly can't dial one exchange... 2

[LeeMcCauslin]

Since last Friday can't dial one exchange in a neighboring area code. I believe it should be long distance but when we dial it, we get the message "You do not need to dial a one or a zero to place this call" so we try without the 1 and we get a message that says "You must first dial a one or 0 to make this call". It's a vicious vicious cycle. My vendor says the switch is fine (61C) - we can make all other LD calls like we are suppoded to - even LD calls to that area code but different exchanges. Our service provider (TWC) swears it's our switch. I think the phone company changed something and our provider didn't update something correctly. They are both (Vendor and provider) looking into it but are mostly pointing at each other and taking too dang long. So I reckon I'm just looking for any input from you guys so I don't feel like an idiot when talking to these people - especially the provider. Anything else I should check?
This problem was first reported to me last Friday but I don't know if it's because it was previously working fine or if Friday was the first time we tried to call that area (The telemarketing department reported the trouble). If it means anything, we are in 407 area code, we use 10 digit dialing and the problem area code is 352 (all problem numbers are 352-429-xxxx) That area is literally just 10 miles from here and could easily be part of an expanding metropolis plan that just hasn't been updated everywhere. I can dial the numbers from my cell phone but my vendor says cells work a little differently so that soesn't mean much (I was able to dial successfully both with and without the 1+)


As usual, thanks!

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

Were you able to call this previously?

check in LD 90 for the NPA/NXX


>ld 90
ESN000

MEM AVAIL: (U/P): 4700989 USED U P: 2507275 246455 TOT: 7454719
DISK SPACE NEEDED: 379 KBYTES
2MB BACKUP DISKETTE(S) NEEDED: 1 (PROJECTED LD43 - BKO)
REQ prt
CUST 0
FEAT net
TRAN ac1
TYPE nxx or npa
NXX

NXX 1440
RLI 0
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE

NXX 200
RLI 0
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE

NXX 201
RLI 0
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE

NXX 202
RLI 0
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE

NXX 203
RLI 0
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE


JohnThePhoneGuy

"If I can't fix it, it's not broke!

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

Is this what you need?

NPA 1352
RLI 1
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE


NPA 352
RLI 2
SDRR NONE
ITEI NONE

I don't know if it worked previously - We may have never tried to call those numbers previously - We opened a new branch near there about 2 months ago so it conceivably would have taken this long to get people in that area to come in, register, give us their phone numbers, become eligible to donate again and get called. We probably wouldn't have had reason to call that area prior to that.

The new branch is a different exchange but same area code and we can call it just fine.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

now check for the 429 in your NXX. if that is there then most likely it is your provider blocking you.

JohnThePhoneGuy

"If I can't fix it, it's not broke!

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

Yup - we had a different provider in the loop - I just got off a conf call with TWC and my vendor and they were able to narrow it down to a USLEC pri (Free long distance isn't very free if it gets blocked!). Gonna call them now.

As always, y'all keep me sane. Thanks!

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

OK. Now it turns out my outbound provider (USLEC) is telling me that what historically was a long distance call is no longer true. NXX 429 along with about 15 other exchanges is a local call. I did a
ld 90
REQ prt
CUST 0
FEAT net
TRAN ac1
TYPE nxx
NXX 429

ESN071 (does not exist)

So does that mean that since it used to be all long distance to that area code, these exchanges were not entered exclusively so they are being blocked in my switch?
and if so, then how do I add them? Ld 90 new?

it just never seems to end!

 

[acewarlock]

To call this number do you need to dial the NPA or can you just dial the NXX-xxxx. bypass the system programming by dialing the trunk access code and thy making the call usin just the NXX-xxxx, than just NPA-NXX-xxxx than, 1NPA-NXX-=xxxx and see which one works.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

I just get busy signal with all those options. We use 10 digit dialing even for local calls within this area code.
I tried with both our local and LD trunk access codes.



Before trying the above,
As an experiment, I did
ld 90
REQ new
CUST 0
FEAT net
TRAN ac1
TYPE nxx
NXX 429
RLI 2 (Same RLI as our 407 area local calls)

And I still get the messages to dial 1 or 0 if I didn't or don't if I did.

 

[acewarlock]

Don't change any programming until you can determine how you need to dial out of your site. Can you get directly on a trunk and thy the 3 way I listed above. If you still can't make a call, the problem is with the service provider NOT your Switch.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

No - just get busy signal on all the above when I use the trunk access code. I can dial regular LD calls just fine by dialing 9+1+ the number but not to that NPA NXX.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

Now I know the hard way not to make changes I don't know what I'm doing. I can't use the trunk access code to make any calls - but I can't use dial 9=1...
But I know the trunk access codes worked for other numbers before I started mucking around....at 5:00 on a Friday. Me and my stupid fingers. Now I'm stuck here til it's fixed.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

I meant I CAN dial 9 and get out...I just can't dial the Trunk access code and get out - I get dial tone but busy after dialing

 

[acewarlock]

Do you have a FAX machine that isn't on the system but on a TELCO trunk? This would be any phone/FAX that you don't need to dial 9 first. Or do you have any way to hookup a phone directly to a trunk at the demarc?

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

All our fax machines dial 9. I have a butt set I could jack onto the 66 block - hopefully pick the right line...would it matter which line?

 

[acewarlock]

I was going to ask you if you had a buttset but I didn't think you would. If you get dialtone try it.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

OK - found a line that didn't require 9 to get out and I successfully dialed a number (10 digit) in that exchange without dialing 1. I tried with a 1+NPA+number and got the message that I don't need to dial one. SO that must mean I'm dialing out of my switch incorrectly.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

Oh, and my butt set ain't fancy - just a GE handset phone with a Testar-2 66>rj11 plug on the end. Plugs right onto the 66 block. But it works! ;o)

 

[acewarlock]

If your switch is sending the correct number and you get a busy, then the problem is in one of the TELCo's switche's. I have had this problem about 20 times in the last 10 years and it has always been Translation problem at the TELCO.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

local trunk access code is 7920
LD is 7921
7920+NPA+NXX-xxxx = busy signal
7921+1+NPA+NXX-xxxx = busy
9+1+NPA+NXX+xxxx = "We're sorry, it is not necessary to dial a 1 or 0..."
9+NPA+NXX-xxxx = "You must first dial a 1 or 0 ..."

Buttset at the demarc - NPA+NXX-xxxx call goes through just fine. So the provider was right about it being a 10 digit local call.

But I couldn't tell if it was going out a USLEC trunk or a TWC trunk. We have TWC for all incoming calls. USLEC for all outgoing calls - because we get LD for virtually free with USLEC. When we bought that plan, we still had a contract with TWC so we kept them for incoming. We are set up to roll over to TWC on outgoing calls if all the USLEC trunks are busy. When our TWC contract esxpires we will most likely consolidate to all USLEC and get a new incoming PRI but that's still a year away.

The message about dialing a 1 or 0 says it's a TWEC error message at the end. It shouldn't be...any outgoing should go to USLEC first and I know we aren't busy right now.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

I fear I may have effed up the RLI's while changing things around - I did fix the one acd that ncfw's to an outside line - it was using and working with the ACOD until today - ichanged the ncfw to 9+number and now it works.

That will get me through the weekend. (THAT number has to work - the 352 area code numbers don't have to work tonight - telerecruiters are gone for the weekend) I have little hope of getting both my vendor and provider on the phone right now anyway - couldn't do it all day so after 6 on friday is out of the question. I reckon we'll try again on monday - put them in a ring and see which one comes out.
Steel cage match, PBX style.

Thanks a ton for bearing with me!