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A Whitelist for Phone Calls?

Posted by Cliff on Tue Jun 19, 2007 06:50 PM
from the i'd-settle-for-a-blacklist-on-my-cell-phone dept.
Communications Spam
javacowboy asks: "I've been getting lots of strange phone calls lately. Most of the time, my phone would ring less than three times and then stop before I can answer. Then, a couple of nights ago, I got a call at 3am in the morning. It had stopped ringing by the time I woke up. *69 revealed a number with an area code of 632, which does not exist. I called the number, and the call would not complete past the area code. I want a product or service with which I can set up a -whitelist- of numbers that I allow to make my phone ring. Any number not on the list, or an unlisted phone number, tries to call me, and the phone doesn't ring at all. I would pay as much for this service as I would pay to have my number removed from the phone directory. Is something like this possible? If so, how would I do it?"
I'm getting fed up with: wrong numbers; callers hang up on me as soon as I speak into the phone; telemarketers; crank calls; late night calls; people I know that I no longer wish to speak to; etc. My telco charges $8 a month for call display, which is exorbitant. Still, a call display won't prevent my phone from ringing. A do not call list will not prevent my phone from ringing. Getting my phone number removed from the phone directory will not prevent wrong numbers. How can filter out the calls that I don't want to deal with?"
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  • An end- user solution (Score:3, Insightful)

    by vonsneerderhooten (254776) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @06:56PM (#19572781) Homepage
    I remember seeing a while ago a device that you can program with a passcode. If you know the passcode, it lets the call through, if not, it emits a fast-busy signal. Damned if i can find a link to it, though.

    • telezapper (Score:5, Informative)

      by phatvw (996438) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:10PM (#19572955)
      I think you're talking about the Telezapper [telezapper.com] A quick google search turned up a nice privacy page with useful, although fairly obvious recommendations: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs3-hrs2.htm [privacyrights.org]
      • From the article you linked to, the very last item mentioned is 'Privacy Manager'. My brother had it (or something remarkably similar ... he said it was from the phone company, not a device) for a few years, before he just went and got his number un-listed.

        The only time he ever had a problem was when he was waiting for a call from our step-father, who it seems had problems with his cell phone, and was trying to call from a pay phone, and kept getting blocked ... but he wasn't presented with the prompt to e

      • Re:telezapper (Score:4, Informative)

        by stephanruby (542433) on Wednesday June 20 2007, @12:55AM (#19575195)
        Someone mod the parent down before too many slashdotters waste their money, the telezapper used to work -- but now it doesn't anymore. A few years back the automatic dialers relied on the standard telephone tones to know that a telephone had been disconnected, or busy, or whatever. The telezapper exploited that functionality by faking those tones whenever someone called. And the telezapper got so popular, that the makers of the automatic dialers stopped relying on those tones alone to know that a phone was disconnected, so now the telezapper is completely useless. Not only that, but the telezapper was also rarely used once purchased since *everyone* not just the telemarketers -- got to hear the annoying tone at the beginning of the call. Now, the people selling telezappers are just rip off artists, they know their products don't work -- so don't expect a refund.

        No, the real solution is to get caller id from your phone company (assuming you live in a State or a Country that allows it) and buy one of those devices that white lists the phone numbers you want to receive, and otherwise allows your callers to punch in a special code in case they're not white listed yet. That special code, you could give it out only to your friends, or you could simply leave it on your outgoing message -- since even leaving it as an outgoing message will probably screen out a good portion of automated telemarketers. And notice, I said buy a device, don't rent, do not lease it from your phone company, those things are dead cheap, and the phone company is just going to make a nice profit on the monthly fee.

        And someone said it already, but I just want to repeat it in case some of you missed it. If you have a cell phone, check your manual to see what kind of built-in functionality it already has. Even the basic cell phones these days have some pretty decent scheduling functionality, ring tones or vibrations for different numbers (or categories of numbers), and automated forwarding of certain phone calls directly into voice mail.
  • Looks like your mysterious 632 area code is really Manila [howardforums.com], probably an outsourced call center in the Philipines.

    Your topic is a Dupe [slashdot.org], but a simple google search turned up these guys [sentinelco...ations.com].

  • Asterisk / Broadvoice? (Score:5, Informative)

    by karnal (22275) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @06:57PM (#19572791)
    I have two solutions:

    1. If you're a geek, try to wrap your head around Asterisk - I'd have to think either it would have that functionality built in, and if not - wouldn't be too hard to tell it to pass whitelisted #s, but dump everything else to voicemail....

    2. I use Broadvoice at home, and when I don't want to be disturbed, I *77 the phone. *78 unblocks it (takes it out of Do Not Disturb) - of course, this doesn't help when it's late at night and I don't do the *77 ahead of time, but I can make sure I don't get awoken again.

    Both of these implementations almost require an internet connection. While you can purchase FXO modules for Asterisk, I've just not had the interest in making a go at it with a PSTN connection....

    Another alternative - only one phone in our whole house rings. I sleep rather well, so I probably wouldn't hear it if it rang at night...

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Southpaw018 (793465) *
      Asterisk will handle this easily, but will only work if all phone in question are tied directly into it. For example, a cell phone won't be included in the solution. Just a note, since the submitter doesn't specify.
      • You could route the cell phone through Asterisk. (Incoming call connected to outgoing call to the cell phone, cell phone dials Asterisk to call out)
      • Actually, I think the submitter mentioned a fee for caller ID - I'm not sure that there's any cell service that actually charges for that, right?

    • Re:Asterisk / Broadvoice? (Score:5, Informative)

      by darnok (650458) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @11:55PM (#19574889)
      > 1. If you're a geek, try to wrap your head around Asterisk - I'd have to think either it would have that
      > functionality built in, and if not - wouldn't be too hard to tell it to pass whitelisted #s, but dump everything
      > else to voicemail....

      Absolutely - I'm putting in an Asterisk box progressively over the last few nights to do all this and more. The rules aren't absolutely fixed in my head yet, but will be something like:
      - voicemail for everyone in the house; if someone calls, they can choose who they leave a message for
      - no calls after 10pm, unless it's from a whitelisted number (i.e. parents, friends)
      - no calls between 7pm-8:30pm, unless it's from a whitelisted number
      - *all* calls from numbers without caller ID go direct to voicemail (i.e. phone doesn't even ring), regardless of when the call comes in

      Asterisk basically gives you full-on routing capability for your incoming and outgoing calls. You can define rules based on caller ID, time of day, ... - pretty much any "property" of either incoming or outgoing calls.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        I did this with asterisk earlier this year. When a call comes in, the number is checked against a mysql database to see if the number is whitelisted or blacklisted. Whitelisted calls go straight through, and blacklisted calls hear a message that their number is blacklisted and then asterisk hangs up. Greylisted calls go to a message that says telemarketer calls are not allowed, then proceeds to give the user the option of ringing through or leaving a message. Calls between 10pm and 9am get an 'after hou

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by walt-sjc (145127)
      If you are running asterisk and don't want to be disturbed at night, use time based routing. It's quite simple. Between 9pm and 7am, I have it setup so you have to press 5 to get through unless you are on the "family" whitelist. This allows emergencies to get through, and zero automated calls. I also require non-whitelisted calls to press 5 at all times. This has stopped all automated calls. The wording of the message strongly discourages non-personal calls from continuing. End result is that I have peace a

  • Missed calls (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Propaganda13 (312548) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @06:59PM (#19572807)
    Whitelists will prevent
    1. your stranded grandma from calling you
    2. friends calling from their friends house
    3. that cute girl you just met
    4. various official phone calls that you really needed to receive

    Luckily, whitelists will still allow your mom to call from upstairs when dinner is ready.

    • Re:Missed calls (Score:5, Funny)

      by thegrassyknowl (762218) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:12PM (#19572985)
      > Whitelists will prevent
      > 1. your stranded grandma from calling you

      Why she can't call your mum is beyond me! Why is granny your problem?

      > 2. friends calling from their friends house

      Geeks don't have friends, remember. They have online acquaintances who use IM or
      VoIP these days. Worst-case they might email you.

      > 3. that cute girl you just met

      Calls from girls? You're mistaking us for people who actually know how to talk
      to girls!

      > 4. various official phone calls that you really needed to receive

      When was the last time you were required to receive a phone call? If it's that
      important they kick in your door and confiscate your computer equipment using
      rent-a-cops looking for any music at all.

      > Luckily, whitelists will still allow your mom to call from upstairs when dinner is ready.

      Damn, the one person I dont' want to call. Mum just doesn't make enough geek food
      like pizza and she confiscated all my twisties. How am I supposed to write code with
      broccoli and mash as the fuel?

      • Calls from girls? You're mistaking us for people who actually know how to talk to girls!
        No, parent was right. In the unlikely event that one of these things they call "girls" *does* call, it is absolutely vital that the call get through. The odds of it happening twice in a lifetime are so astronomical as to be the stuff of fiction.
        • I must admit that one of these things called "girls" did call me twice. Turns out they were both wrong numbers, so that doesn't really count.
        • If you do meet a 'girl', she may just email you anyway. When I met my wife, we just exchanged AOL screen names. (Yes, I used that awful service in the 90s) No need for one of those pesky phones. I didn't even know her number for the first month.
      • I generally just answer everything that comes from my local area code. If it doesn't or isn't of a small group of people I expect to call long distance I don't answer it. Would be nice to be able "whitelist" by area code. Most of the time the girl you just met will have a local number, if not do you really want a long distance relationship?? (Well if it means no commitment booty call??.. maybe)
        • A lot of people in LA are from other states, and still have their old cell numbers. Even people who have been here years, i've found.
    • If the system doesn't allow the phone to ring, but accepts a voice message, then most of the time, it's not a problem. If "stranded grandma" has a phobia of leaving a voice messages, then she f**king needs to get over it.
    • I do have a whitelist on my mobile phone (the only phone I have), for both mail and calls. Nifty thing is, if a number or email is in my addressbook, it'll automatically be on the whitelist. So anybody I've exchanged contact info with can reach me, no problem. I would like the phone to whitelist any number I've called as well; perhaps in the next one.

      1. your stranded grandma from calling you

      Where she's stranded, no phone calls will go through. If I get a call from my grandmother it's time to call Max von Sy
      • >> 3. that cute girl you just met

        > I'm married.

        Then you DEFINITELY want that call to forwarded to another number!
  • Stop telling your one night stands your phone number.

    • Exchanging numbers at clubs is now considered normal.
      • No, I ment if he stops scorning women then he'll stop receiving fury at 3am.

        • Who says the 3am calls have to be full of fury? The person you origionally replied to was talking about calls from women not getting through your whitelist because they weren't added to it.

          Maybe I'm not the standard geek, but I've gotten a whole lot of calls at weird hours that were more interesting than they were furious. Of course, I was usually out at the time and the calls were coming to my cell. If I'm asleep, I turn off the ringer. =]

          However, I have to admit that getting called by drunk people who
    • "Phone number? No I don't have one, and I don't have a last name either. My parent's were very postmodern, so they didn't give me a last name" ... Works everytime !!!

  • Use Asterisk (Score:3, Informative)

    by ResQuad (243184) * <slashdot@nosPAM.konsoletek.com> on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:02PM (#19572855) Homepage
    The scripting for the extensions.conf file is more than powerful enough to have a CallerID based whitelist, heck, you can even have it database powered. You can have the Asterisk PBX do what ever you want. How about:
    Step 1: Phone call comes in, Asterisk picks up
    Step 2: If the CallerID is whitelisted, ring internal phone.
    Step 3: If the CallerID is blank/unknown, prompt for CallerID or send to voicemail.
    Step 4: If the CallerID is black listed - do whatever you want (perma-onhold, disconnect, fast busy, etc)

    Its not hard, really. It would only take a few minutes to setup once you have asterisk running.

  • Grand Central (Score:5, Informative)

    by EMeta (860558) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:04PM (#19572879)
    The NYT had a very interesting article about Grandcentral.com, which I believe would whitelist and much more, if you sign up for them, which at the time, I believe was free. Here's the article. [nytimes.com]
  • I need something like this as well, but there are plenty of situations where I might need to get a call from a number I've never encountered. E.g., sometimes my wife forgets her phone (or it runs out of batteries) and ends up calling me from a friend's phone.

    I get junk fax calls sometimes between 3-5am on my cell phone (beep ... beep ... for a couple of minutes and hangup). They either have no caller id, an invalid phone number, or a phone number that the phone company doesn't think exists.
  • Don't have a phone. Well to be more realistic don't have a land line. I rarely get wrong number calls and never get telemarketing calls, but that's because I do not have a land line of any sort. Because of the rate structure in the US of cell calls it is illegal for you to receive unsolicited marketing calls on a cell phone.

    The other solution, as a friend of mine has taken on, is to switch to texting for anything you can.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Akaihiryuu (786040)
      On my cell phone, I set custom rings for everyone in my address book. I can turn off the default ring on my phone by setting it to "alarm only". Anyone in my address book will still ring, anything else is silent. I just use this setting when I don't want to be disturbed. The only time I answer an unrecognized phone number is when I'm expecting to possibly get calls, for example right now when I'm looking for a job in another state. If it really is important, and I don't answer it because it's an unreco

  • I'm one off from the local... (Score:5, Funny)

    by iknownuttin (1099999) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:07PM (#19572915)
    Marriot Hotel. Lots of wrong numbers which isn't a problem. The one time it was a problem was when some teachers group had some sort of convention there.
    Their people printed our number on their fliers. Most of the folks were nice when we told them they had the wrong number, but a few got really pissed and insisted that they had the right number. I really wanted to say after they "insisted" rudely for a few times, "OK, you got me! This really is the Marriot and because I, Joe Schmoo, gave you a hard time, you can have the presidential suite and a bottle of Dom every night - free of charge. Here's your confirmation #." And then I would then let them go.

    My wife vetoed that. Sign....

  • The feature already exists.... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Yuan-Lung (582630) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:07PM (#19572917)
    I want a product or service with which I can set up a -whitelist- of numbers that I allow to make my phone ring. Any number not on the list, or an unlisted phone number, tries to call me, and the phone doesn't ring at all.


    Many modern phones already have this feature, in the form of custom ring. Just set the numbers in your contact list that you would like to whitelist to have a ring, and set the default ring to silent.

    • Anyone know how to get a silent ringtone on a t-mobile phone?

      I've looked into the normal SMS format (basically prefix the content of the message with a "port number" that defines what kind of data follows) but apparently t-mobile screws with incoming messages and puts a header on them, causing the port number to be treated like normal text.

      While I would reluctantly pay a few bucks for a truly silent ringtone, I don't want to use one of those 3rd party services that will sell you ringtones because I don't tr
      • Are you talking about a cell phone? If so, why does your provider have anything to do with it? Personally, I use mp3s as my ring tones, and making a silent ring tone is as simple as making a silent mp3.

  • Super Simple (Score:4, Informative)

    by TubeSteak (669689) on Tuesday June 19 2007, @07:14PM (#19573027) Journal
    I'm not sure how this made it to the front page.

    The easiest solution:
    Go down to your local big box store & check out the various cordless phones. You'll find the ones with fancier base stations will allow you to deal with incoming calls however you like.

    After the person has called. You just setup that # not to ring, to go directly to voicemail or if the phone supports it, it'll just hang up.

    You don't even have to give up your corded phones & buy extra handsets.
    • Your idea is probably one tenth of the cost, certainly one hundredth of the effort and most likely ten times as reliable as using Asterisk as some other posters have suggested....

      Therefore your geek credentials are hereby revoked.
  • "I got a call at 3am in the morning"

    As opposed to 3am at night?
  • My phone line doesn't allow calls from people I don't want calling. If you're not from my area code, and you don't have CLI in the whitelist, you can only make my phone ring if you know the correct PIN. Otherwise, sorry.

    If you are a telemarketer or other phone spammer who has annoyed me in the past, you might get worse treatment. Depending on my mood, or based on your CLI, I might have the phone network tell you that my line isn't in service. Or I might consign you to "virtual ring" hell, where you will hea
    • I should add that all these call treatments are handled by the network; I don't manually decide what to do with each call when it comes in; I have programmed these behaviours in advance.
  • Not sure if a cellular phone is acceptable for your situation or not, but one of my favorite features is "custom ringtones" based on caller-ID.
    If you set the main ringer to silent, and custom audibles for your friends, should work no problem!

    Which brings up another good question, in that i have a cellular phone the size of a pile of credit cards, with all these awesome features. but every cordless phone on the shelf looks like the same basic piece of shit they have been since the 80s. sure, maybe a color di
  • Why not just leave the phone of the hook or unplug it from the wall overnight?

  • I am using a web-based service that, among other features, helps to control which calls will ring my phone(s): GrandCentral [grandcentral.com]. It allows to define several groups of white-listed numbers with separate response behavior (ring, send to voicemail, etc.) and also includes a couple of different screening options. For dealing with known telemarketers they even offer to play a "number not in service" message, but most auto-dialers can't get past the call screening anyway. It's a free service while in beta, but they p

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