I've had the same phone set up and hardware here for the past 11 years.

In the last couple of weeks, I've gotten calls each day that I can't figure what's going on or if I need to schedule a technician to check out.

The caller ID on my phone simple says "Incoming call". The call log never even shows a number. Will ring 2-3 times and stop. If I pick up as soon as it rings ... no one is there. It's not like someone is there and isn't speaking ... no one is there.

Only happens in the evenings. Had two of these such calls in the last hour. I've stopped answering them.

My NID on the side of the house is set up such that I have a switch for a "homerun" DSL and a switch for all the other phone outlets. I have not tried moving the phone base to a different phone jack. I have one wireless extension phone in use that just plugs into any electrical outlet. I haven't tried leaving the extension unplugged.

I don't think there is any issue on my side of the NID but honestly have no idea what's going on with the "ghost" calls. There were a couple of days last week when DSL dropped 3-4 times a day but only for less than a minute each time and I thought that might be associated with the ghost calls but the DSL dropping issue cleared up as I continue to get ghost calls every evening.

Maybe a problem with the neighborhood punch board box a couple of blocks away? The "problem" is so random I don't know if a tech would ever even see it if I did get one to come out, but feel it's something on the telco side of things IF something nefarious isn't going on. Every issue I've ever had in 11 years has been on the telco side of the NID in one form or another. But in this case, is it possible something else is going on?

Telemarketing calls that check to see what hours you are home before having a human call?

Every known telemarketer I've had, at least had a number and there was a number even if bogus, in the call log. No number logged for these "Incoming Calls".

And one other thing ... normally when I don't answer a call, the phone displays "1 missed call" ... but does not do so in case of these "Incoming Calls". If I weren't here to hear it ring, I would not even know of the Incoming calls what so ever. According to my phone display and logs ... never happened.

It's driving me a bit nuts not knowing what's going on or what I might try to resolve it.

We have had a few calls like that recently. Sometimes it disconnects after three rings or so without pickup. Curious, but I am not especially concerned. We have AT&T U-Verse.

I have Century Link. My base and extension are AT&T units. I use *60 Selective call blocking that catches most telemarketers. I have *77 Anonymous call rejection available but not activated. I might give that a try.

What's weird and leads me to believe there may not be an issue with my Telco or my side of the NID is that it only happens late afternoon and evening ... anywhere from about 4 or 5, to 7 or 8. I'm retired and here most days, all day and all night. At least the calls aren't in the middle of the night !!!

Could it be a sign my line is tapped or anything?

Just a WAG, but it's possible you have the equivalent of a cross. You mentioned DSL, so that came along after my working with POTS lines. A cross is when your pair of wires and someone else's pair of wires get electrically crossed up with each other. It could be damp/wet cable pairs or a physical rubbing of the conductors. Symptoms can be all sorts of things, phantom ringing is just one. Sometimes you get to hear parts of the other subscriber's conversations. With DSL thrown in there, I suppose it's possible you are on the field side of a SLC or electronic hub where basically a carrier system is broken down for distribution. I would place a ticket with your provider and describe the symptoms. They will generally check your line remotely and may be able to detect a cross provided it is solid enough.

Thanks for chiming in JB. I had a ticket last week but canceled the ticket when the DSL drops sorted themselves out. If these ghost calls continue, I'll have to get it checked out. Weird how it only occurs in the late afternoon and evenings and generally only once or twice. But a cross makes sense and time of day would be when most are home from work and may be on the phone.

Last issue I had was two years ago and it was with my DSL and phone service down hard. Tech arrived at my home and I explained the problem. He said, "I think I know where the line problem is. We've had some problems there recently." He drove off and within 10 minutes, DSL and phone service was restored. I think he went to the neighborhood punch board box to fix it. The integrity of the enclosure could be compromised or something. We've had lots of recent wet weather with day after day of at least some rain. I'm sure it would wreck havoc if it compromised the punch board (or whatever it's called) enclosure.

I've had a few of those this past week. I just assumed it was someone trying to find out if I were home. I don't answer any calls I don't recognize.

flashguy

We get them from time to time-usually two or three rings, never long enough for the answering machine to pick-up. On the few occasions that I have picked-up I get only an open circuit hum.

We also get an occasional call from 000 000 0000 with nothing on the name line at all.

I have also received calls which show my name and number on the caller ID.

I always assume they are scams gone wrong.

Had it happen years ago. Two rings, then nothing. As I recall it's a test of the phone lines. apologies, I can't find any information on it.

Likely just some asshole testing to see who will answer a call when the caller ID is spoofed to say "incoming call".

It's just telespammers/telescammers checking for valid numbers & numbers that are answered for their databases. We used to get those.

When I moved us to VoIP, the provider's service included call treatments that allowed me to tell anonymous callers the number is disconnected. So we don't get those anymore.

Coupled with call treatments that specify that calling numbers with a "high" or "medium" probability of being spammers or scammers have to dial "1" to complete the call: Our annoyance call volume has dropped from 3-5/day to maybe 3-5/month.

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:
I recall it's a test of the phone lines.

Yep, that's the kind of calls these are. I've had known calls like this in the past that were tests. But I can't imagine them doing it everyday for a couple of weeks.

Century Link has online tests for line integrity and mine shows no problems. Furthermore, customer service also runs a line test when called with a complaint or to put in a ticket ... and they said they found no problems on my line either. Actually how good those two line test are though, I have no idea ... and the phone doesn't ring as the tests are run while I'm actually using the line.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
It's just telespammers/telescammers checking for valid numbers & numbers that are answered for their databases.

I tried googling this issue and that's what I'm seeing others say as well. Your other comments lead me to think maybe *77 Anonymous call rejection might work. I hate to activate that though. It's rare but I have gotten 2 or 3 valid calls from anonymous numbers over the past 11 years but not for a long time now. Think I'll go ahead and activate *77 just to see if it takes care of it. I can always deactivate in a month or so thinking maybe the scammers have given up by then.

I get numerous calls each week. Here are some of the variations:

- Rings a couple of times (or I pick up and get dial tone from already disconnected call)
- Pick up, get a delay, then a hang up
- Pick up, get a delay, then hear a person who is in a boiler room call shop (had one try to convince me that I was eligible for lower rates from my gas company - even used my last name and zip code. The giveaway was her THICK accent)
- Pick up, get a recording
- Answering machine picks up, gets one of the above variations

So, you're not alone. I never give new companies my mobile number until I have a better idea of how they operate. I don't want or need all the calls to my mobile.

Could be a bridge tap.

The phone is actually ringing another persons phone but also hitting your line.

They are a bitch to find.

It took the phone company over a year to fix one of my multi bridged tapped lines.

I am thinking this because you have a DSL line.

A tech installing a phone line and hits your DSL pair with no dial tone.

Uses it for part of the path to the new phone line.

When that line rings so does yours.

Every time it rings it should knock your DSL line off line momentarily.

Just one more thing to look for.

Could it be possible your provider is Windstream? A middle ages outfit that found its fcc license in a Crackerjack box. I am not joking. They are really that bad and there is no other choice here in this specific area.

Just to add a bit, ring current, which is AC not 48v DC, may help clear the problem temporarily, particularly if there's moisture involved. I can say this now that I'm well removed and I think the statue of limitations has expired. I have been know to use a breakdown set to clear such issues when everything else had failed. Breakdown sets had 4x90 volt batteries in them. You isolate the pair from the central office and the customer, then you zap the pair. Supposed to be used for floating grounds and such, it would do a fine job of drying out moisture if it was just mildly damp or it would break the pair making it easier to find.

Afternoons bring people home as you surmised and depending on weather, may make conditions ripe for a cross to be more apparent.

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:
Had it happen years ago. Two rings, then nothing. As I recall it's a test of the phone lines. apologies, I can't find any information on it.

It's been quite a while but IIRC, those tests were routinely run by the LECs to ensure that all of the phones combined on a particular line did not exceed a REN of 5...practically impossible with today's wired phones but a real problem with the old 500/2500 sets, each of which had a REN of 1. I'd be surprised if those tests are still run with today's phone's electronic ringers, however.