Vdoacom call problem older phones

[skitrav]

The craziest thing keeps happening to my grandfather and today I went to see and try for myself.

He using an old Alcatel Seniors phone from a few years back on vodacom network. When you call him, the phone rings and when he awsners, I can hear him speaking, but he can't hear me speaking back. Same thing if he dials out. The voice only works one way. He also had another old Nokia phone from the stone ages, with a different vodacon Sim and the same thing happens. The signal shows a good strength too. However my S21 on vodacom works perfectly in the building with no issues.

I then took his phones with me down the road a few kms and obviously it connects to a different tower, because the both of his phones works perfectly again. When I come back to his apartment, same issues again. It happens temporarily.

Wonder if it's to do with vodacon switching off some of their 2G towers in the area or if anybody ever experienced this previously?

Not sure how I am going to get vodacom to fix this one!

 

[RogueTr00per]

It's like reading OP was a post made by alternate me.... Similar is happening to my old man's phones. 2 main issues, one is pretty much what you described (family members and my old man are telling me this) and the other issue I can attest to first hand is that his phones go straight to voicemail 70% of the time.

Rewind 2 months back, he was using a Nokia 105 feature phone (with a vodacom sim) and the ALCATEL 2017 Senior Phone (with a telkom sim) and he was complaining about these various issues. I had bought him the ALCATEL 2019 Senior Phone end of 2020 and he had been complaining that the Nokia buttons were too small, so we then put his telkom sim into the ALCATEL 2019 Senior Phone and his vodacom sim into the ALCATEL 2017 Senior Phone.

I've been perplexed as to what's going on and haven't had the time to give this proper attention, and it made no sense, 2 different networks, 2 or 3 different phones but yet the same problem! I suppose it's quite likely that the telkom sim is roaming on vodacom's network

He's in the lower Claremont (Cape Town) area, close to Kenilworth Centre, is your grandfather by any chance in the same vicinity?

I would think that one could log a fault with Vodacom but whether they will do so who knows?

edit: His Nokia seems to be the Nokia 105, it looks like this:

 

[skitrav]

He is on the Berea in Durban . Yes, I have logged many faults with Vodacom previously but its always such a mission.

I gave him an MTN Simcard to use for now, and that appears to work so I might just switch him to MTN as he is only a prepaid customer.

So just to confirm, the newer 2019 Alcatel Senior phone with a vodacom sim, made no difference?

 

[RogueTr00per]

Oh the newer 2019 Alcatel Senior phone has a telkom sim now. I can't put the Vodacom sim into it without doing a sim swap first. The Vodacom sim is a full size one and the 2019 phone needs a micro sim.

 

[skitrav]

His phone only started working the next day. Very frustrating on vodacom!

 

[RogueTr00per]

Here is a cheap option perhaps,

The R299 4G Wi-Fi hotspot that comes with WhatsApp

Vodacom recently launched the Vibe 4G – a “smart feature” phone with LTE support.

mybroadband.co.za

I was led to that article by this one:

Dumping of cheap 2G phones in South Africa a big problem – Vodacom

South Africa, together with many other developing nations, has become a dumping ground for devices which are cheaply manufactured overseas using obsolete 2G technology, according to Vodacom.

mybroadband.co.za

I might try this Vibe 4G R299 phone for my old man if i can find where to buy one; he will likely complain about the small buttons. I also bought the Xiaomi Redmi 9C a month ago with the intention of giving that to him as well but he has resisted smart phones in the past.

edit: Out of stock it seems after a quick google, R299 on Takealot:

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.

www.takealot.com

 

[Dups!]

Here is a cheap option perhaps,

The R299 4G Wi-Fi hotspot that comes with WhatsApp

Vodacom recently launched the Vibe 4G – a “smart feature” phone with LTE support.

mybroadband.co.za

I was led to that article by this one:

Dumping of cheap 2G phones in South Africa a big problem – Vodacom

South Africa, together with many other developing nations, has become a dumping ground for devices which are cheaply manufactured overseas using obsolete 2G technology, according to Vodacom.

mybroadband.co.za

I might try this Vibe 4G R299 phone for my old man if i can find where to buy one; he will likely complain about the small buttons. I also bought the Xiaomi Redmi 9C a month ago with the intention of giving that to him as well but he has resisted smart phones in the past.

edit: Out of stock it seems after a quick google, R299 on Takealot:

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.

www.takealot.com

View attachment 1074673

Thanks for that, I will have to buy it for my mother.


She has a Nokia 105 and is having intermittent issues, like, she can't hear people or they can't hear her.

Other times the phone simply goes to voicemail when it is on and shows full bar strength in terms of signal.

She is also on Vodacom and this started as recent as two or three months ago

 

[RogueTr00per]

Jeez, the amount of stress and time wasted trying to pinpoint the issue, meanwhile it's bloody Vodacom turning off their 2G equipment! Old folk already aren't the best at dealing with technology, now throw in seemingly faulty equipment into the mix and its a recipe for major frustration for all involved