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ORCON @HOME PHONE LINE

If you’ve got a normal home phone line with Orcon @Home, then you can just plug your phone into a normal jack point. Make sure you use an ADSL filter, or else your internet connection can degrade or disconnect.

ORCON GENIUS PHONE LINE

If you’ve got a Genius phone line on ADSL, VDSL or UFB, then you need to set up your home phone by plugging your handset or base station directly into the telephone slot on the modem. This is different from how you may have previously set up your home phone as the normal jack points in the house will no longer work. Please note that our homeline service only operates through an Orcon supplied modem.

See the following examples, depending on which modem you have:

Fritz!Box

Netcomm NF4V

Orcon Genius Modem

Orcon Genius Modem with Genius handset

How can I troubleshoot my landline phone?

If you're an Orcon customer using a traditional home phone line, the steps included in this guide will be able to help if you're experiencing problems with your home phone service.

Orcon Genius customers, try this guide here instead.

NO DIAL TONE

Check all the phones are on the hook and sitting correctly in the cradle - if you do find that a phone was off the hook then you should hang the receiver back into the cradle and check that the dial tone has been restored.
Ensure that both the handset and the line cords are plugged in firmly. You may need to unplug and re-plug each phone to "reset" the dial tone.
Conduct an isolation test:
1. Disconnect all private equipment plugged into a jackpoint e.g. the phone, double adaptors, extension cords, fax machines, modems, Sky etc.
2. Allow for at least 30 seconds to elapse to reset the line. Plug your phone in and test the line to see if the problem has gone.
3. If the problem has disappeared, plug equipment back into jackpoints one at a time whilst checking the line after each new piece of equipment is plugged in. When the problem returns you will have identified the faulty equipment. Don’t forget to check all equipment.
4. If the problem still exists, move to the next step.
If you have only one telephone but more than one jackpoint try a test call from the other jackpoint. If the phone works it may be the first jackpoint that is faulty.
If you have another telephone but only one jackpoint, try a test call from the other phone. If the second phone works it may the original phone that is faulty.
If the fault still hasn’t been resolved, please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/request_support.

I’M SUFFERING FROM NOISE, STATIC OR MY PHONE RINGS ONCE ONLY

Make sure you don’t have call diversion/call forwarding active by picking up your phone and dialing *72
If you have only one telephone but more than one jackpoint try a test call from the other jackpoint. If the phone works it may be the first jackpoint that is faulty.
If you have another telephone but only one jackpoint, try a test call from the other phone. If the second phone works it may the original phone that is faulty.
Check all of your cables are firmly connected
Conduct an isolation test:
1. Disconnect all private equipment plugged into a jackpoint e.g. the phone, double adaptors, extension cords, fax machines, modems, Sky etc.
2. Allow for at least 30 seconds to elapse to reset the line. Plug your phone in and test the line to see if the problem has gone.
3. If the problem has disappeared, plug equipment back into jackpoints one at a time whilst checking the line after each new piece of equipment is plugged in. When the problem returns you will have identified the faulty equipment. Don’t forget to check all equipment.
4. If the problem still exists, move to the next step.
If you’re using cordless phones, try unplugging the TV, microwave and your wireless modem. If the problem disappears, then your phone is suffering from interference. Consult your owner’s manual to find out how to change the cordless frequency or channel on your phone.
If the problem still has not been resolved, please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/request_support.

Is this affecting all calls or just mobile/national/international calls?

All calls:

Check that all cables are firmly connected
If you have only one telephone but more than one jackpoint try a test call from another jackpoint. If the phone works it may be the first jackpoint that is faulty.
If you have another telephone but only one jackpoint, try a test call from the other phone. If the second phone works it may the original phone that is faulty.
Can you hear a beeping noise when you first pick up the phone? You may have a voicemail you need to clear – see voicemail instructions here

Mobile/national/international calls:

There may be a restriction or lack of toll service on your line. Please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/request_support and check with us.

I CAN'T RECEIVE CALLS FROM OTHERS

Is the problem related to all incoming calls, or is it isolated to one telco/mobile/international calls?

All incoming calls:

Please check all of your cables are firmly connected
If you have only one telephone but more than one jackpoint try a test call from the other jackpoint. If the phone works it may be the first jackpoint that is faulty.
If you have another telephone but only one jackpoint, try a test call from the other phone. If the second phone works it may the original phone that is faulty.
Check all of your cables are firmly connected
Conduct an isolation test:
1. Disconnect all private equipment plugged into a jackpoint e.g. the phone, double adaptors, extension cords, fax machines, modems, Sky etc.
2. Allow for at least 30 seconds to elapse to reset the line. Plug your phone in and test the line to see if the problem has gone.
3. If the problem has disappeared, plug equipment back into jackpoints one at a time whilst checking the line after each new piece of equipment is plugged in. When the problem returns you will have identified the faulty equipment. Don’t forget to check all equipment.
4. If the problem still exists, move to the next step.
If you’re using cordless phones, try unplugging the TV, microwave and your wireless modem. If the problem disappears, then your phone is suffering from interference. Consult your owner’s manual to find out how to change the cordless frequency or channel.
If the problem still has not been resolved, please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/request_support.

One telco, mobile or international calls:

Please collect a few examples of the types of calls that aren’t coming through, taking note of the caller type and the phone number if possible.

Once you've collected your examples please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/request_support and we will run some tests to establish what the problem is.

How do I set up and use my Orcon voicemail?

To set up Orcon voicemail, dial 789 and follow the instructions.

Note: 789 won’t work for all customers (it depends what network you are on) . If 789 fails to let you access your voicemail, then dial 083210 and follow the instructions.

PSTN Shutdown

PSTN is the old phone network that is provided directly through your phone jack, due to how old it is (built in the 1980s), parts to maintain it are no longer being made and so Exchanges that still use this network are having the equipment turned off.

What is PSTN?

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is a network of switches that connects calls from one person to another over copper lines. It’s an old system that was built in the 1980s. The parts needed to keep these switches going aren’t being made any more, so it’s time for them to be retired.

When is this happening?

Not every exchange is being turned off at once. First up is the old PSTN equipment in the Devonport and Miramar exchanges will be turned off on the 15^th December 2020. This means any customer with a copper analogue line off one of these exchanges will need to migrate to Fibre.

The good news is Fibre is available in these areas and it brings more reliability to both your internet and phone. We’ll be able to upgrade your internet connection and your phone line at the same time.

FAQ's

Can I choose not to upgrade my connection?

The equipment needed to run your copper analogue line is end of life and parts to maintain it are no longer available, therefore the decision has been made to retire analogue services attached to the Devonport and Miramar exchanges. Your analogue line will no longer work after the 15th December 2020. We will work with you to move your services to Fibre, which will improve your internet speeds and reliability of your phone services.
Can I change now?

Absolutely, just call our sales team to start the process.
I have ADSL / VDSL broadband internet, will this still work?

If you have ADSL or VDSL broadband internet you will need to migrate this to Fibre. The good news is Fibre is faster and more reliable.
If I have naked broadband, will I still need to migrate off the PSTN?

ADSL or VDSL Naked broadband service is delivered over copper, which are also delivered through systems associated with these old switches. We’ll need to migrate you to Naked Fibre Broadband.

Phone Features

Orcons Phone features allow you to customise your homeline with additional add-ons. Learn how you can add and manage your phone features here.

Depending on if you are on a business or residential plan with us there are different features available.

What phone features are available for me?

Orcon Residential
Phone features provide you with access to 3 great add-ons that you can you use to customise your landline phone:
- Voice mail
  This is your personal answering machine hosted from Orcons end, this provides callers with the option of leaving a voice message if they are not able to reach you.
- Caller ID
  Allows you to see who is calling. Their number is displayed on the phone screen before you pick up. You will need a Caller ID compatible handset with an LED/LCD Display.
- Call Waiting
  Allows you to switch between calls. You will hear "beep beep beep" during a call if someone else is trying to call you. Simply hit the recall button to answer the call.
Orcon Small Business
All business broadband plans come with a landline, free local calling, and the following smart phone features
- Voice mail
  This is your personal answering machine hosted from Orcons end, this provides callers with the option of leaving a voice message if they are not able to reach you. Dail 789 to hear your voice messages.
- Caller ID
  Allows you to see who is calling. Their number is displayed on the phone screen before you pick up. You will need a Caller ID compatible handset with an LED/LCD Display.
- Call Waiting
  Allows you to switch between calls. You will hear "beep beep beep" during a call if someone else is trying to call you. Simply hit the recall button to answer the call.
- Call Forwarding
  Allows you to have your call forwarded from your home line to a number of your choice, you can even choose when it will forward the number. see the manage features below

Managing Calling Features

Below you will find how to manage your calling fatures and what the Star Codes you can use directly on your handset to use the calling features too.

Voice mail (all Orcon Homeline Plans)

In the table below you will find the number to access/listen to your voicemail and also a code to dial to turn it on and off. pretty neat right?

Star Code Feature

789 Access Voicemail

*77 Enable Voicemail

*78 Disable Voicemail

Star Code	Feature
789	Access Voicemail
*77	Enable Voicemail
*78	Disable Voicemail

Call Forwarding (Orcon Small Business Plans)

To set up call forwarding, you will need to contact us and advise what number you want to have your call forwarding set up to, simply contact us here. Once set up you can use the Star Codes in the table below to turn Call forwarding on/off

Star Code	Feature
*71	Call Forward Always Activation
*72	Call Forward Always Deactivation
*73	Call Forward on Busy Activation
*74	Call Forward on Busy Deactivation
*75	Call Forward No Answer Activation
*76	Call Forward No Answer Deactivation

Caller ID & Call Waiting (all Orcon Homeline Plans)

These features are on by default with all our calling feature plans. if you would like one of them changed you will need to get in touch with us through email or live chat.
How do I hide my number?

Call privacy is a free feature available on all Homeline/mobile services we offer. Depending on what you are using, we have a code that you can input before making an outbound call that will hide your number. Check out this page for the full details.

How can I hide my number?

At Orcon, we take customer privacy very seriously. Depending on what you are using, we have a code that you can input before making an outbound call that will hide your number. How great is that?

Hiding your landline number on outgoing calls

You can still hide your landline number for single calls, dial 0197 and then the outgoing number.

Hiding your mobile number on outgoing calls

For mobile, simply dial #31# before the number you want to call. Simple right?

FAQ's

Do I have to dial these numbers on every landline call?

Yes, at this stage this is the only way to hide home-line numbers through Orcon.
Is there any other way to hide my mobile number?

Unfortunately we do not have another option to offer you at the moment.
It is worth checking the manual/settings on your mobile device as it may have this capability built in!

Malicious and Unwanted Calls

We here at Orcon take such matters very seriously and recommend taking precautions if you receive such calls.

Scam Calls

New Zealand, like many other countries, is targeted by off-shore based phone scammers calling or texting national landline and mobile users. The scammers attempt to persuade anyone who answers their call, or receives their text, to cooperate in some way. Their objective is to extract funds from the recipient by deception or extortion and often involves obtaining remote access to victim's computer and stealing internet banking details or convincing the victim to make a payment to an offshore account.

What do I do if I receive such calls?

If you are contacted by someone you suspect is a scammer, we want to hear from you as soon as possible. That way we can work with the industry to try and block the scam and prevent it from impacting others. The best way to let us know is by sending our team an email through our contact form with the details listed below.

Date and time of call:
The number they called from (if possible):
The number they called:
Nature of call (what was said):

Nuisance Calls

We want to help you as much as possible to put an end to abusive, unwanted and malicious phone calls. With this process we will require your cooperation in obtaining relevant details related to the call and caller. These calls are understandably difficult to deal with and we wish to immediate concerns arising from such calls.

What do I do if I receive such calls?

If you are receiving such calls, the first step of action is to log all unwanted calls with the details listed below:

Date and time of call:
The number they called from (if possible):
The number they called:
Duration of call:

We recommend collecting 3-5 examples within a 48-72 hour period. Once you have collected this information, send our team an email by using our contact form. If the calls are of a threatening nature or you believe your health and safety is at risk, please contact the New Zealand Police immediately on 111.

How do I check to see if my Genius phone is registered in the Modem?

The easiest way to check to see if your phone is working is by having a look at the lights on your modem.

The Genius Black modem will have a Blue indicator light next to Phone

The Genius White modem will have a Green Indicator light for Telephone 1

The Fritz!Box modem does not have a readily available light for the registration of your phone.

If you want to check the modem settings to see if your phone is working you can follow the steps outlined below for your type of modem.

Black Genius Modem (Boblite)

Navigate your web browser to http://10.1.1.1
On the front page of the modem you can check the registration of your phone under option 7 My Primary netphone account is set up correctly?

White Genius Modem (NF4V)

Log into your modem by navigating your web browser to http://192.168.20.1 or http://192.168.1.1 (this depends if you have the latest firmware on your modem)
When prompted, enter the username of admin with the password admin, if your modem has the latest firmware then the password is the last 6 characters of the modems MAC address (found on the bottom of the modem on a sticker)
In the left-hand menu, click on Voice
In the main screen you will be able to see your phone number and it’s registration status

Fritz!Box 7490 (Gigabit fibre customers)

Log into your modem by navigating your web browser to http://192.168.178.1
When prompted, enter the default password of admin, here you can choose to keep using the default password or you can change it if this is the first time you are logging in
On the main page you should see a green light next to Telephone if your phone is registered.

How do I use call waiting?

Call Waiting allows you to answer a second call if you are already on the phone. Call Waiting works on all touch-tone phones. When you are on the phone you will hear 4 beeps telling you that someone else is trying to get through. If you want to take the call coming through you can either:

Hang Up - If you want to end your current call and answer the incoming call just hang up the phone. The phone will then ring with the second call.

Press the recall button - This will switch you to the incoming call. If you want to switch between the two calls keep pressing the recall button.

You can turn off Call Waiting if you are making an important call or dialling up to the internet by dialling *52 at the start of the call.

Once you have finished the call, Call Waiting will automatically be reactivated.

Why can’t I use my other phone jacks with Orcon Genius?

Because your phone calls will go over the internet, all phones in your house need to be directed through the modem. This means any other jackpoint in the house (except the one that your Orcon Genius is plugged into) will stop working.

If you need more than one phone at your place, then the best option is to purchase a cordless phone set that includes a base station with one or two extra handsets with their own charging cradle. Then you can plug the base station into the modem and place the other handsets around your home.

Can other VoIP products be used on Orcon Genius?

You can use all web-based VoIP service (like Skype, or gaming console VoIP services) as you would on any normal broadband line, but these will count towards your data cap. However the average voice call is very small.

How do I register and use the Genius Handset?

These instructions only apply to customers that have Genius Full (modem+handset).

Follow the instructions below if you want to register your new Genius handset., or if you want to re-register a handset as part of troubleshooting.

Want to access all the cool features the Orcon Genius handset offers? There's a manual at the bottom of this article you can download!

How to register/de-register/re-register your Orcon Genius handset.

On your computer, open your web browser and go to the address 10.1.1.1 to log in to your modem (Default password is ‘admin’)
Click "Setup my Voip"
Click "Dect settings" from the left side menu
Check to see if the handset is registered (should be visible on this screen) - If the handset is registered unregister it by clicking "Unregister" button.
Enter the old pairing key "0000" then enter the new pairing key "1234". Confirm the new pairing key "1234" then save the new pairing code (default pairing key is "0000" - the new pairing key can be any four digits you like, "1234" is just an example).
On the handset, press "->" (right option/arrow on the square pad under the "OK" button of the handset)
Select "Settings" on handset press "OK" button
Select "Handset" on handset press "OK" button
Select "Register handset" on handset press "OK" button
Enter the pairing code "1234" and start pairing, as soon as you do this make sure you click the "Register" button on the "Dect settings" page
You should now see that the handset is registered on the "Dect settings" page

Can I use my existing home phone with Genius? What about multiple handsets?

If you've already got a home phone that you'd like to keep using, then you're fine to just plug it in and you're away. You just plug your existing handset into the 'Phone' port on your Genius modem and it works as usual.

If you need multiple handsets, or if you need your phone to be in a different place to your modem, then you can go with the following option:

Genius Black or Genius White + a multi-handset cordless phone base station: there are a number of cordless phone products that include one base station as well as one or two extra handsets with their own charging cradle. Simply plug the phone cable of the base station into the phone port on the Genius, and place the rest of the handsets around the house.

How does my homeline work on fibre?

With fibre, your homeline goes over the internet. Just plug your standard home phone into your new modem and get calling!

If you need help setting your homeline up, check out this article: How do I set up my home phone?

How do I access my voicemail from another phone?

Checking your Orcon voicemail from another phone such as a mobile or from overseas is easy, just follow these instructions:

Dial 09 550 0781, or 0064 9 550 0781 if you're overseas.
Enter your mailbox number - this is your phone number and area code minus the first zero (e.g. 09 550 0000 becomes 95500000)
Then enter your voicemail PIN (please note - if you have not set up a PIN from home you will not be able to access your voicemail from another phone)
Follow the voice prompts.

If you normally dial 083210 for voicemail, this number works from other phones too. If you're calling from overseas you'll need to dial 0064 83 083210.

Dial 083210 (press * if that number also has Voicemail)
Enter your mailbox number - this is your phone number and area code minus the first zero (e.g. 09 550 0000 becomes 95500000)
Enter your PIN
Follow the voice prompts

For the complete guide to using Orcon Voicemail, check out these handy downloadable guides

How can I troubleshoot my Orcon Genius home phone line?

Sometimes a hiccup may occur when using an Orcon Genius home phone line, but these hiccups can usually be resolved by following a few simple troubleshooting steps.

The Genius phone line works over the internet, so the first step is to check your internet connection is active by visiting a website on your computer.
1. If your internet isn’t working, please follow the steps in the broadband troubleshooting guide here
2. If your internet is working, but your phone is not, please see the next step.
If you’re experiencing noise, static, or an echo on the line, please conduct an isolation test by following the instructions available here. Once complete, return to these instructions.
If you can't hear the caller on the other end of the line, please make sure your handset's volume is turned up. On the Genius handset, press the 'up' button on the control pad to access the call volume menu.
If you are using the older Genius Full, with the Genius Handset, please follow the instructions here for unregistering and re-registering your handset.

If you're having trouble making or receiving calls you can try:

Resetting your Genius modem.
Ensure that your phone is connected to the Green Phone Port/Telephone 1 port on the Genius Black/Genius White respectively. Ensure this is connected directly into this port (No filters, not running through any internal house wiring.)
Test a different handset/phone. Try a different cable.
If the ‘Phone/Telephone1’ light is not showing on the modem, please remove your phone from the aforementioned port, and perform a factory reset on your connection. This will reset the modem settings to default, including your wireless network and any port forwarding you might have set up. Click here for a guide.

If your problem still persists, please contact us at https://www.orcon.net.nz/contact.

Still have questions?
Request support