I just had a really weird phone experience. I was on line but working

[1monster]

on a document when I heard my phone start to dial (I'm on dial up). I realized that I had lost my connection and my computer was trying to reestablish the connection. Then I hear that metalic, static recording telling me to please hang up and try again or contact the operator. Then the modem started dialing again with the same effect.

So exited the modem and picked up my phone receiver to make sure I had dial tone. No dial tone, but the sound of voices in the background. I called helloooo a couple of time down the line and then got,

"Whose this?"

I answerd back (as I felt entitled to since it was this person who interrupted my phone lines) "You called me. Who are you? What have you done to my phone?"

"I don't know," came the reply. "I don't know what I did." Then, "Hang on a moment."

I waited a bit and called "Hellooo" again.

"I'm here," came the voice, this time impatiently. "What do you want?" :eyes:

"Hang up, please!" from me.

The person hung up, and I got my dial tone back.

What I want to know is how someone completely unknown to me is able to not only call my number, but interrupt and disconnect a call already in progress (my online connection) and keep me from using my phone for about three minutes.

And just now as I was typing this, I lost my online connection again! :grr:

[Junkdrawer]

1. Broken modem and a wrong number???? n/t

[NV Whino]

2. Telephone repair guys

sometimes check out surrounding lines when they are repairing others. They also sometimes cross lines and you pick up other conversations.

On the other hand, it could be agent Mike. :hide:

[1monster]

4. It was an indeterminate voice. I couldn't tell if it was male or female,

adolescent or adult...

Hmmm. That would be a perfect voice for Agent Mike... }( Donning my :tinfoilhat: now, just in case.

[GrumpyGreg]

3. Looking forward to the answers--I have dial-up too.

[Junkdrawer]

5. Auto dialer virus????

Avoiding The Auto Dialer Virus

http://www.windowsecurity.com/whitepapers/Avoiding-The-Auto-Dialer-Virus1532.html

[fasttense]

6. Sounds like a virus

I had the same problem when a trojan horse took hold of my computer. It would dial sex lines in foreign countries and it showed up on my phone bill. I fought the charges and they took the costs off but it was a hassle. I then got myself better virus blocking software. But I'm on a cable connection now and haven't had a problem.

[1monster]

9. That would only make sense if my computer had made the call...

It was the other person who dialed...

[Junkdrawer]

13. Imagine a virus that allows others to make calls through your phone....n/t

[1monster]

24. I sure hope not!

That would really cause me so serious frustration.

[Junkdrawer]

26. Actually, that would only work if you had high speed and left the modem...

in your machine as a backup.

It's probably not your problem.

[1monster]

7. The really weird part is that I have Call Wave. When I am online

all my calls are routed to an 800 number which then allows me to hear a message from the caller. I can choose to answer the call or call back later.

[Junkdrawer]

11. I would definitely update my virus protection and do a scan...

Here's a good free one:

http://www.avast.com

[1monster]

16. Thanks. I have a pretty recent update, but will use your link to double

check.

[soup]

8. If it happens again,

can you do a 'redial' on the phone and see what happens? (before reconnecting with your modem)

Or

If your phone logs the incoming calls, can you dial back the last number that called in?

weirdness abounds...

[1monster]

12. Already checked my caller ID and the call did not register there.

I checked my Call Wave log, and it didn't show up there either.

[Truthiness Inspector]

10. That is weird

Aside from the computer issue, I can't stand rude people who call YOU and then demand, "Who's this?" Grrr.

[Kali]

14. the internet tubes got some dirt in them

they just need to be rinsed out

[Rosemary2205]

15. I had the same thing happen to me a couple years ago

My computer lost connection and the phone rang once. I could not get a dial tone for anything and finally there were voices on the telephone. It was a phone repair guy and he apologized and said he'd made a mistake and would get my dial tone back. An hour later he managed to blow out the entire neighborhood and everyone's dialup modems and telephones. It took 3 weeks for the phone company to fix what that idiot tore up.

If I thought agent Mike was listening in I'd jerk his chain with a lot of nonsensical conversation or break into pig latin on a regular basis.

[MercutioATC]

17. Simple explanation:

A question: Do you have call waiting?


The person on the other end had inadvertently called you (wrong number).

The call interrupted your online session, so your computer attempted to reconnect, which it couldn't because the line was still open. When you picked up the phone, they were still there. Once they hung up, the line was clear and your computer could redial.

[1monster]

19. I do have call waiting, but all of my calls are routed through Call Wave

when I am online. There would have had to have been at least two glitches happening at the same time for the call to come through my phone while I was on line.

[MercutioATC]

25. It looks like Call Wave failed.

I wouldn't be too concerned about it unless it happens repeatedly...then, I'd call the Call Wave people.

[leftofthedial]

18. space aliens kidnapped someone from the NSA

and replaced them, using alien cloning technology.

They are watching you because modem users are a "national security" threat.

[1monster]

20. That would explain the indeterminate voice.

There was an "other worldly" aura about the whole experience. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[leftofthedial]

21. glad I could help.

:hi:

[treestar]

22. Of course it was Agent Mike!

Who else does stuff like that?

:tinfoilhat:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. Telephony gear is hardware and software. Such things do botch up at times.

Your phone operator has buggy equipment.

Edit: By "bug" I mean "defect," not "wiretap."

[Cleita]

27. Hah! Yesterday a friend called me from L. A. There

was clicking a couple of times. I asked her if she heard that, but she said she didn't. So I rather sarcastically said that NSA probably was tapping me because of my political activism. She said she had nothing to hide. I told her not to be so sure. She could think she's innocent but they could twist anything she said for their purposes if they wanted to. The clicking stopped. I thought it was hilarious.

[TexasProgresive]

28. I work for a telephone company

If this happens again and/or you notice slower dial up speeds with your modem dropping out more frequently then you need to call your dial tone provider. Copper lines can and do get crossed because of insulation breakdown. That's what it sounds like to me that your line and someone elses are crossed. But I would see if it happens again before reporting it may have been a one time glitch in the switch. Thankfully telecom switches don't use windows so these things are rare:sarcasm: