u/tyroredome

Note: I said CLEC in the title, then realized that for a toll-free number, the correct term is RESPORG. I can't edit the title, but I made the substitution below.

My large VOIP provider offers SMS and MMS messaging for regular phone numbers. For toll-free numbers, they offer only SMS: no MMS. They told me that their upstream carrier doesn't allow MMS on toll-free numbers, so they can't enable MMS on my toll-free number.

The RESPORG for my toll-free number is Bandwidth.com .. On this page:

https://www.bandwidth.com/support/en/articles/12823214-what-is-mms

...Bandwidth says this:

https://preview.redd.it/5fqx4btwv6jh1.png?width=1791&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7960410e198f91f37f9b83fbebeae6f38870563

So I conclude that the upstream carrier does in fact offer MMS for toll-free numbers.

However, some possibilities:
• Maybe my VOIP provider would have to pay extra (and charge extra) for toll-free MMS, so they opted to enable just SMS on toll-free numbers.
• I assume that the RESPORG (Bandwidth) is the "upstream carrier" that my VOIP provider refers to. However, maybe the "upstream carrier" is another company that resells Bandwidth service to my VOIP provider.

Any thoughts about this?

In April, I prepaid for one year of Mint service. Now I'd like to port in my other cellular number that's currently at Verizon Wireless, and have that number replace my current Mint phone number on my current Mint account. (I could create a new Mint account and port the Verizon number to it, but I don't want to do that because I've already prepaid for the next eight months of service on my current Mint account.)

Mint customer service at 800-638-7392 told me that porting in a number to replace an existing number is only possible within the first week after a Mint account is created. I hope that customer service is wrong.

Can I port a number into my four-month-old Mint account to replace my current Mint number?

If so, how would I do that?

If not, could you explain why Mint erected this obstacle?

In the BBC Sounds app, when I bring up a program and click "Download", then about 80 percent of the time, the download fails to start within five attempts. (I don't try beyond five.) This happens on my Android and my iPhone, both of which have recent versions of BBC Sounds.

Is this a common problem? Does it happen to you? Any suggestions?

At the very beginning of Thursday's PM on Radio 4, Evan Davis says the drought is worst in "North Wales and the upper seven". I googled "upper seven" and failed to find a relevant hit.

What does "upper seven" refer to?

I'd like a router with these features:

• WireGuard VPN
• for wifi, a captive portal (aka landing page or hotspot login)
• option to change to a custom WAN MAC address
• dynamic DNS (DDNS)
• encrypted DNS (such as DNS over TLS, aka DoT)
• an LED indicator for power, WAN, wifi, and each ethernet port

Wifi is optional.

Any suggestions?

I just created a TM account, which apparently can't function until I pay them $72 in advance for a year's service. If I cancel within 14 days, I'd get a full refund. After 14 days, no refund is given.

I'd like to test TM for a while to see whether it's good, and 14 days isn't long enough. So I'd much prefer either:

• a time-limited free trial that requires no prepayment, or

• a paid account whose mid-term cancellation would result in a pro rata refund of the annual payment.

I have new Xfinity fiber internet service. The Xfinity installer connected the fiber ONT via ethernet to an Xfinity XB8. It works, but I'd like to replace the XB8 with my own router.

I swapped in my new TP-Link Archer AX55 router, but the internet didn't go live on it, even after I rebooted the ONT.

When I called Xfinity about this, the rep told me that, based on the TP-Link's MAC address, it isn't compatible with Xfinity fiber internet service.

I asked the rep which routers are compatible, and they didn't know. I then visited a nearby Xfinity store the ask the same question. They had no idea.

I've been unable to find any solid information about this online.

Please note: I'm not looking for a modem because the fiber ONT is used instead of a modem. And I'm not looking for a gateway because a gateway is a combination router/modem, which is not what I need.

Do you know where I can find a credible list of router brands and models that will successfully connect to my Xfinity fiber internet service ONT?

For a Grandstream phone or ATA, here's a dial plan that allows calls to regular numbers and to 911:

{ 1[2-9]xx[2-9]xxxxxx | 911 }

A dial plan entry in this format ..... <AAAAA=BBBBBBBBBBB> ..... means "whenever AAAAA is dialed, send the call to BBBBBBBBBBB instead"

So if someone wants to avoid paying a VOIP company's E911 fee (typically around $1.50 monthly) but still have substantial 911 functionality, they could learn the local 911 center's 10-digit alternative number for emergency calls (example: 477-262-8080) and change the dial plan to:

{ 1[2-9]xx[2-9]xxxxxx | <911=14772628080> }

(By the way, 477 is a non-existent NANP area code.)

I haven't tried this.

Possible complications:

• If the premises has multiple ATAs or IP phones, the custom dial plan must be entered in each.

• On E911, the 911 center automatically receives the caller's address for each 911 call. But with the redirect method that I describe, they receive only the caller ID (and maybe a CNAM). So an emergency caller who can't state their address might be unhelpable (unless the 911 center can immediately contact the carrier and learn a probable service address for the calling account, which would introduce a delay, if it works all).

• Grandstream's firmware might be programmed to forbid a dial-plan entry that has "911" left of the equal sign, specifically to prohibit the entry that I describe.

I invite comments and feedback.