Cannot make outgoing calls from a landline
A phone connected to the FRITZ!Box doesn't work? ✔ This simple guide shows you how to set up your FRITZ!Box to make calls over a landline.
Outgoing calls cannot be made from a landline with a phone registered with the FRITZ!Box.
Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.
Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.
1 Enabling the landline settings
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Phone Numbers' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Click on the 'Line Settings' tab.
- Enable the option 'Landline enabled'.
- Click on 'Apply' to save the settings.
2 Entering your location information
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Phone Numbers' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Click on the 'Line Settings' tab.
- Select your country from the drop-down list under 'Location Information'. If your country is not listed, select 'Other country'.
- For the 'Country code', enter the leading zeros in the first field and the country code in the second field (for example, enter '00' and '49' for Germany, see fig.).
- For the 'Area code', enter the leading zero in the first field and the area code in the second field (for example '0' and '30' for Berlin, see fig.).
Fig.: Entering the country code and area code (e.g. for Germany and Berlin)
- Click on 'Apply' to save the settings and on the FRITZ!Box, confirm that the procedure may be executed, if you are asked to do so.
3 Deleting call blocks
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Call Handling' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Delete call blocks for outgoing calls to individual numbers or ranges of numbers that you want to call.
4 Selecting the correct connection type for use behind a device
If you connected the FRITZ!Box to the landline through another device (for example a cable modem), you must configure the correct connection type in the FRITZ!Box. The connection type depends on the cabling and not the number of available phone numbers. If you connected the FRITZ!Box to an analogue extension, you must select 'analogue line' and if you connected it to an S0 bus you must select 'ISDN line'.
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Phone Numbers' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Click on the 'New Phone Number' button.
- Enable the option 'Landline number' and click on 'Next'.
- Select the type of landline and click on 'Next'.
Important:You are only asked to select the type of landline (analogue or ISDN line) when you configure the first landline number. If you want to change the connection type later, you must delete all of the landline numbers you configured first.
- Enter your landline number or ISDN phone numbers (MSNs) and click on 'Next'.
5 Disabling HD telephony
- Enter #962*2* on your phone and press the call key (pick up the handset).
- Hang up again after about 3 seconds.
Note:You can re-enable HD telephony by entering #962*1*.
6 Checking the cabling
Errors in the cabling often go unnoticed. Therefore, make sure that the FRITZ!Box is correctly connected to your line:
- Check the cabling to your landline.
7 Connecting and configuring an analogue phone
Setting your analogue phone to tone dialling
- Set your device to 'tone dialling' (DTMF) and not 'pulse dialling'. Pulse dialling is no longer state of the art and can lead to dialling problems on a phone system. We therefore cannot guarantee that devices with pulse dialling will operate correctly with the FRITZ!Box. With tone dialling, you hear a tone when you press a number key; with pulse dialling, you hear clicking sounds. Refer to the manufacturer of the device for information on how to set it up, for example consult the manual.
Only one FON socket can be used
'FON 1' has two options for connecting devices: An RJ11 socket on the back and a TAE socket on the side of the FRITZ!Box. You can only use one connection option at a time:
Example:
If you connected a phone to the RJ11 socket for 'FON 1', you cannot connect a device (for example a fax machine, answering machine) to the TAE socket.
- If you connected devices to both of the sockets for the same extension, disconnect one of the devices from the FRITZ!Box.
8 Connecting and configuring an ISDN phone
Preparations
- Configure the phone so you can send keypad sequences (sequences of characters and numbers, such as *121#) and enter special characters such as * and # with it. On many phones, you can configure this function in the menu 'Operation at a PBX > dialling options > Dial * and #'.
Disabling transmission of text information for ISDN phones
During call setup, the FRITZ!Box transmits various text information to ISDN phones. This allows you to see on the phone display which number is currently being used to make a call, for example. However, some ISDN phones do not process this text information correctly. Therefore, disable the function in the FRITZ!Box for testing purposes:
- Enter #960*0* on your phone and press the call key (pick up the handset).
- Hang up again after about 3 seconds.
Note:You can re-enable this function by entering #960*2*.
Disabling the energy-saving mode for ISDN phones
The FRITZ!Box is equipped with a number of energy-saving mechanisms. For example, communication between the internal S0 bus and ISDN devices is terminated when there are no active connections. Some ISDN devices have problems with this function. Therefore, disable this function in the FRITZ!Box if ISDN devices are having problems establishing connections:
- Enter #966*1* on your phone and press the call key (pick up the handset).
- Hang up again after about 3 seconds.
Note:You can re-enable this function by entering #966*0*.
Disabling 'call-back on busy / no response' for ISDN phones
If the line being called supports the 'call-back on busy / no response' feature, after several rings the FRITZ!Box transmits the signal for this feature to the ISDN phone. Some ISDN phones cannot process this signal correctly and then abort the call as a result. Disable this function in the FRITZ!Box if ISDN phones are having problems establishing connections:
- Enter #960*4* on your phone and press the call key (pick up the handset).
- Hang up again after about 3 seconds.
Note:To use the 'call-back on busy / no response' feature if required, press the call key again after hanging up and enter 37#. Enter #960*6* to permanently enable this feature again.
Resetting the ISDN phone
- Delete all numbers (MSNs), call-by-call prefixes, and dialling rules on the phone itself.
Connecting only an ISDN phone
- Disconnect all devices (such as phones, phone systems, faxes) and cables from the 'FON S0' socket.
- Connect a phone to the 'FON S0' socket. Do not use a phone system or an ISDN distributor to connect the phone to the FRITZ!Box.
- If you cannot make calls, continue with the next section. Do not connect the other ISDN devices yet.
- If you can make calls, another device or its cable is defective, or a device is incorrectly configured, for example incorrect phone numbers, dialling rules.
- Reconnect the other ISDN devices to find out which device causes the problem. Do not connect more than one ISDN device without its own power adapter.
- If the error occurs again after you connect a particular ISDN phone, that phone or its cable is defective.
- If the error occurs again after you connect a phone system, the phone system is either defective or incorrectly configured, for example incorrect phone numbers, incorrect dialling rules, or call-by-call prefixes.
9 Defining phone numbers for FRITZ!App Fon
- Start FRITZ!App Fon.
- Tap the gear symbol
(Android) or the three-dot menu (iOS) on the top right and then tap 'Settings'. - If you are using FRITZ!App Fon in iOS, tap 'phone Numbers'.
- If you are using FRITZ!App Fon in Android and use the app with several FRITZ!Boxes, first tap the gear icon next to the desired FRITZ!Box.
- Under 'Outgoing calls', select the number to be used by FRITZ!App Fon for making calls.
- Under 'Incoming Calls', specify which phone numbers FRITZ!App Fon should react to when you receive calls.
10 Configuring the FRITZ!Box
Reconfiguring your phone
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Telephony Devices' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Delete the phone that you cannot make calls with. To do so, click the corresponding
(Delete) button. - Use the wizard to reconfigure the phone: To do so, click the 'Configure New Device' button and follow the instructions.
Important:Do not use the wizard configure FRITZ!App Fon. FRITZ!App Fon is automatically set up again if you delete the app from your smartphone and reinstall it.
Deleting dialling rules
- Click on 'Telephony' in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click on 'Call Handling' in the 'Telephony' menu.
- Click on the 'dialling Rules' tab.
- Delete any dialling rules for numbers or number ranges you want to use your landline to call. In the factory settings, two dialling rules are configured for emergency numbers. You can edit these rules, but you cannot delete or block them.
- If a 'Global Provider Prefix' ('Global Carrier Prefix') was entered on the 'Provider Prefixes' ('Carrier Prefixes') tab, delete it and click on 'Apply'.
- Do not configure any new dialling rules until you are able to make calls from the landline. If the error occurs again, the dialling rule is not suitable.
11 Checking the landline
- Disconnect the FRITZ!Box from the landline.
- Connect a phone to the same line.
- If the phone also does not work when connected to the line, contact your telephony provider and have your line checked.
ATTENTION!You may be charged for checking. Ask your telephony provider about charges in advance!
