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jeffbx's profile

Contributor

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3 Messages

Thursday, May 14th, 2015 1:39 PM

Caller ID not showing names

Hi all - thanks for reading.  I recently switched from AT&T POTS to AT&T Wireless Home Phone (we don't have U-Verse, so hopefully this is the right forum to post).

 

So on the POTS line, the caller ID would show the name as well as the number that was calling.  This is not anything we set up on a phone - this is just info that was automatically delivered to us through caller ID.

 

With the Wireless Home Phone, now all we get is the phone number on the caller ID - no name.  Is there a way to get the name to appear as well as the phone number?

Thanks!

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Community Support

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15.2K Messages

9 years ago

Hi there @jeffbx

 

I’d be happy to help! Due to wireless network protocols, the Wireless Home Phone will only display the calling number and not the name of the caller through Caller ID. We do not have a way to have the device display the name also at this time.

 

I hope this helps!

Charise

New Member

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1 Message

@ATTMobilityCare Not true for Panasonic. I changed today to AT&T cordless from Panasonic Cordless only because Panasonic can block only up to 250 robocalls while AT&T is supposed to block up to 1000. That's great! What is not so great and defeats the purpose is suddenly my caller ID does not show who is calling other than the city and number. An hour ago while still using my Panasonic I did not have that problem. Why have caller ID if what it shows means nothing to me unless I take the call? I tested by calling my landline using my cell. Now if the problem only exists with calls from cells and not landlines that doesn't help much since the great majority of calls are from cells.

Official Solution

Contributor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

There are other providers of devices similar to the WF720 who take the approach of showing caller names that are saved to the wireless phone's contact list. Although that wouldn't solve the issue of showing all Caller IDs that would be available via a POTS connection, it would provide the end user with an alternative to number-only displays. Can the WF720 device be accessed via a web or mobile app to save contacts from a contact list info and use the names in those contacts for display in the caller name field of the phone display when a call from an associated number is received?

Expert

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20.4K Messages

9 years ago

@jeffbx Actually is an ATT Wireless product, ie the Wireless forum. 😉

 

Chris
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Contributor

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2 Messages

9 years ago

Response referring to "wirelss protocols" does not help understanding as to why caller ID cannot show names. We had Vonage VOI for a decade with a multitude of services that we sadly have found AT&T does not, and regret our decision. What are these alleged protocols, and who establihed them? Where is the concern for the multitude of AT&T customers who are greatly disserviced by their inability to provide such service? FUrthermore-- upon upgrading my wife's wireless phone yesterday, I saw an available option for the smartphone was a monthly charge for what appeared to be caller id-- how is this possible, if it is, vis a vis those "protocols"?

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

Vonage VOIP is not wireless, it's different than wireless. The WHP is just like any cell phone, it only displays the number.

Contributor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

I believe that you're responding to the comment regarding Vonage VoIP, not to my question.

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

No space for contacts. There isn't really any kind of application that can be run on the WHP because it doesn't have an operating system like other devices. Basically it's a feature phone without any features. A 3G device that does voice calling only. The caller ID system it uses is the standard system that all wireless phones uses, it only delivers the number. POTS and some VOIP systems have the names because the caller ID protocols and databases they use are different than wireless.

 

Basically, it's something that cannot be altered or fixed in any way. The WHP has no storage for contacts or any type of caller ID apps.

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

The Caller ID application for smartphones is able to access databases like POTS does. It needs internet connectivity to work. It's an extra feature because while it may say AT&T it is actually a service provided by a third party. Across the wireless industry the only caller ID information displayed on cell phones is the number. It's been this way for an eternity.

 

No wireless carrier does caller ID names for free. It's an extra feature available via carrier applications. The standards and rules for wireless caller ID are in place by the FCC and FTC. AT&T is following the guidelines set by them. I would suggest writing to any government agency in charge of these standards and letting your opinion be heard. If they change the requirements then the industry will have to follow them.

Contributor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

Your point about the limitations of the WHP device is understood. However, you might want to consider offering another device that CAN store contacts for the WHP service with whatever feature specific pricing might be involved for making the caller name "feature" offering available, and let the customer decide whether the uplift to include this feature - which most would have had on their VoIP or POTS service prior to switching to WHP - is worth the added cost.

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

Totally. The current hardware offerings don't have this feature. Maybe in the future a different device could offer AT&T Caller ID or something along those lines. For now it just works like a cell phone would, number only. 

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