Called number "not recognised" from landline, but connects from mobile

thefirs

A curious phenomenon; I call my daughter's quite new landline (only there to exploit a Sky broadband offer, but got a handset on it) and the announcement says "...number not recognised". Called from my mobile, it rings and we speak.

I had imagined that it might be to do with a database not being updated somewhere, and raised the matter with my supplier, a small telecoms outfit. They have responded by simply saying it rings for them but without offering any further possible explanations.

No, she has not blocked my number. If I try connection via 18185 from the landline, it rings.

This is not really a big deal, but the call quality is better via landline and I have some inclusive minutes that could be well employed. Any of the more technical users care to hazard a guess, that I could potentially advance to my supplier?

Ian011

It will likely be a database or routing error of some sort.

I assume she can ring you without issue.

Keep calling the number and keep complaining that you can't get through.

iniltous

Has the number been ported between providers recently ?, quite often a messed up number port can mean incoming calls to that number fail from some providers but are successful from others, who is your daughters current landline provider and do you know which comms provider is the number range holder ?

thefirs

It's a Sky number, 020 3981 xxxx. No knowledge of the provenance of tbe line prior to her having it reconnected, but possibly a BT line, though I thought they'd likely be in the 0208 outer London series?

Ian011

Ofcom's numbering site details all UK numbering allocations:
http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/

Details for numbers starting 02 are in this file:
http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/sabcde2.xls

These show the original rangeholder and take no account of number porting.

iniltous

020 3981 ***** appears to be a 'Gamma' telecom number range, I have no idea if this is part of Sky or not, but if your daughter has recently changed phone company to Sky from someone else, than perhaps the port never was completed properly, or if your daughter hasn't recently changed provider, and this problem has just occurred , or the line was 'new' and the number was any old Sky number that Sky allocated from its own number range, then there is a translation problem (not a porting issue) but good luck trying to sort it out, you could try reporting the issue to your provider ('I cannot get through to 020 3981 numbers etc') or your daughter reports to Sky 'I cannot receive calls from 01*****( your number) but I doubt they will bother, apart from saying 'it tests ok'...It's possible it may resolve itself eventually , if they periodically refresh databases etc.

LazyTyper

thefirs wrote: »

It's a Sky number, 020 3981 xxxx. No knowledge of the provenance of tbe line prior to her having it reconnected, but possibly a BT line, though I thought they'd likely be in the 0208 outer London series?

The range 020 3981 xxxx is not one Ofcom has allocated to any communications provider.

Anyway, if the range is quite new it's possible that other providers have not yet built it on their network. Some are very slow to do so.

If you are unable to make calls from a certain provider but you can others then the fault needs to be investigated by the provider used to make the failed call.

teddysmum

Have you actually tried more than once, as there are odd glitches from time to time.


Only yesterday, my husband rang me from his mobile (auto-dial), yet the house phone didn't ring. It was right by my chair so not a case of not being heard and a later call was successful, ring volume included.

scones

thefirs wrote: »

It's a Sky number, 020 3981 xxxx.

As LazyTyper has spotted, there aren't any 020 numbers starting 3981 in circulation yet, according to the official data. Ofcom's lists show that they've got as far as handing out 020 3949 xxxx but nothing higher than that.

Hate to state the obvious, but is it worth just one more check that you've definitely got the right number written down?

There is a block of Sky Talk phone numbers in London that starts with the very similar digits of 3891. If by any chance her number starts 3891 (rather than 3981) there's no excuse for any phone company being unable to connect to them as they were issued all the way back in July 2016!

thefirs

Thank you to all for your input, I've passed some of the technical suggestions on to my supplier and await a more considered response.

Yes, well spotted, 3981 was a spoonerism, but I have certainly been calling 3891 when getting the error.