Strange problem: Normal calls being redirected to Viber?
Strange problem: Normal calls being redirected to Viber?
Author
Discussion

extraT

Original Poster:

1,876 posts

180 months

Wednesday 27th May 2020
quotequote all
Anyone here have any idea what’s going on here?

We have VOIP phones in our office- physical phones on desk.

When we call Croatia, it seems the call is being bounced around the globe and when it finally rings at destination, it can:

- have a different country code on display (example: +7 for Russia when we are in Austria) or UK, or any other country for that matter
- sometimes calls will go to the receiving handset as normal
-or calls will direct through to WhatsApp or viber calls
-No pattern from the receivers side (example: low signal strength on mobile) problem is seemingly random

Our provider says everything is working fine their end, and (as expected) they have no control over how the receiver (or receiving handset) handles those calls. This problem only happens when we call Croatia.

How it is possible that calls from a physical handset on a desk is then being redirect through to viber/WhatsApp (closed apps with end-to-end encryption) as far as I know, cross platform calls aren’t possible, but somehow we are managing it!

Receiving handset is an Android. Receiving party say they haven’t changed any settings and everything is working their end?

Any ideas??!

Defcon5

6,476 posts

221 months

Wednesday 27th May 2020
quotequote all
That doesn’t sound possible. Are you calling a Croatian mobile number?

Is the rest of the number displayed on the recipients handset what you expect, barring the international prefix?


Scooobydont

410 posts

224 months

Wednesday 27th May 2020
quotequote all
The call needs investigated at the receivers end if your SIP provider is confirming the calls are being routed directly to the number you are calling.

extraT

Original Poster:

1,876 posts

180 months

Wednesday 27th May 2020
quotequote all
Thank you for the replies! Pretty much as I thought but both sides can’t find anything wrong. Very strange indeed.

Scooobydont

410 posts

224 months

Wednesday 27th May 2020
quotequote all
Then someone isn't looking or cannot be arsed into looking into the calls hard enough. Your SIP provider will probably log all calls and use wireshark to review the data packets in the call, it breaks down the SIP data and shows exactly what is happening. The SIP providers we use ask for 3 examples with approx time, date, calling number and receiving number, from that they can analyse the call to the point where they hand the call over to the next hop. Once confirmed handed over, the next provider can check their end in the same manner to see what happens, rinse and repeat.

It's data packets at the end of the day. It needs to be traced from source to end point and all the bits in between, once done on an example that has gone AWOL you will have your answer (no promises given, but usually).

Treat it a bit like old fashioned post. You send a recorded letter by taking it to the post office, the post office deliver it to the recipient and confirm it is delivered but once the recipient gets it the post office have no idea what happens to it next (hope this make sense!)

It sounds like a misconfig somewhere as that's usually what causes unexplained behaviour.

Edited by Scooobydont on Wednesday 27th May 23:22


Edited by Scooobydont on Wednesday 27th May 23:24

Defcon5

6,476 posts

221 months

Thursday 28th May 2020
quotequote all
Scooby - how on earth could the calls be delivered via WhatsApp to the receiving handset?

Scooobydont

410 posts

224 months

Thursday 28th May 2020
quotequote all
Defcon5 said:
Scooby - how on earth could the calls be delivered via WhatsApp to the receiving handset?
I haven't got even the slightest clue. I am merely trying to assist.

sociopath

3,433 posts

96 months

Thursday 28th May 2020
quotequote all
It's because the Chinese secret service and cia are rerouting incorrectly after they've decrypted it