Caller ID
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Blog Article
What Is CNAM and How to Leverage It for Your Business?
Caller ID
Caller ID is a telephone service that transmits the calling party´s number to the called party´s telephone . When available, the Caller ID number can be complemented with Caller ID name (e.g., John Smith).
If you are placing outgoing calls, you will need to pass a Caller ID to ensure proper termination of your calls.
There are two types of caller ID and it is important to differentiate them: Caller ID Number (CID) and Caller ID Name (CNAM).
Please note that the Caller ID is only guaranteed when using Premium routes, and only for US48 and Canadian calls. In Canada you may find Caller ID working on some Value routes.
Incoming Caller ID (from people calling you) is addressed below.
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Outgoing Caller ID number
Caller ID number is the most common Caller ID type passed. If a more complex system capable of passing its own Caller ID is being used, such as a PBX, the Caller ID field is likely set from the trunk, or one of its extensions.
If you are using devices like Analogue Telephone Adapters, IP phones, or softphones, the Caller ID number is available to be set from your VoIP.ms account via the customer portal.
Caller ID Rules
In line with all the rulings in favor of protecting and empowering consumers, VoIP.ms enforces valid Caller IDs as per the NANPA and ITU-T E.164 standards.
Therefore, calls displaying the following Caller ID information will be rejected:
- International calls with Caller ID containing less than 7 digits and greater than 15 digits;
- North America calls with Caller ID not containing exactly 10 digits (exception will be made for 7 digits for 310-xxx numbers);
- North America calls with Caller ID containing 10 digits, but with an unassigned NPA (first 3 digits of the number);
- North America calls with Caller ID containing 10 digits, but where an unassignable NXX is used (i.e. the second block of 3 digits where the first digit is either zero (0) or one (1)).
Main account
To set the Caller ID number for your Main account, access:
- "Account Settings" from Main Menu -> Account settings
- Go to General Tab and there set the CallerID number
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Account settings
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CallerID field
Sub accounts
The Caller ID number for a sub account can be set during the creation process, or later by clicking Edit on the subaccount.
* For calls to US and Canada, a 10-digit Caller ID number is required to ensure proper call termination. The portal's Caller ID field only supports numerical digits. * Toll free Caller IDs are not recommended, especially when Calling Toll free numbers, to reduce potential connection issues.
Listen to the current account's Caller ID Number
To listen to the caller ID set in the account you're dialing from, please dial 822 and the Caller ID number will be read back. Notice that it will depend on your device's dial plan or dial pattern for this to work.
These test calls won't have any cost for you and will appear in your CDR as "CallerID Testing".
Outgoing Caller ID name
The Caller ID name is an additional information you can pass along with your Caller ID number. This will be received on the callee's end and it could be your given name or the name of your business.
For example: "John Smith"<9145551234>
The sample above is a Caller ID that includes both Caller ID name and Caller ID number, commonly abbreviated as CID and CNAM among other variations.
It is not possible to set a Caller ID name from the VoIP.ms portal.
If you plan to make calls to Canadian numbers, you can simply pass the Caller ID name from your device or system as most of them support this. You will need to check for a field on the interface from the device to enter this setting, and in case you are using a more advanced system, get assistance to set the outgoing Caller ID name set up.
The Caller ID name on US calls works differently, this is controlled by a national CNAM database with records of numbers and names matching each number. When you make a call to a US number, you will send a Caller ID number and the system will check the CNAM database for a name matching that same Caller ID number in order to display both name and number to the final phone.
CNAM is only available for some USA numbers. In order to update your Caller ID on the CNAM database for your US calls, there is a process to follow which has a cost of $10 USD (one time only fee). Please contact the VoIP.ms support staff to get further details on what information you need to submit and to confirm if your local US DID is available for a CNAM update.
CNAM update is only available for some Local US DIDs. Toll frees cannot have their Caller ID name updated.
Incoming Caller ID number and name
You will receive the Caller ID number and Caller ID name that the VoIP.ms server receives from the caller, this is exactly what will be sent to you on Incoming calls. You can always check what Caller ID number VoIP.ms receives by going into your Call Detail Records to check the incoming calls.
The incoming Caller ID name works almost the same way, except that this is an optional setting that you need to enable per DID number on the DID settings page. This option is called "CallerID Name Lookup". When enabled, the system will perform a query on the LIBD/CNAM Database, for callers with Canadian or US CID number, in order to find a name matching that CID number. The system then will display the result of this query in the Caller ID name portion of the Caller ID, leading to a "Caller ID name"<5551231234> when people call your number.
If the calling number is already in your phone book, the name will be taken from there instead of doing a CNAM lookup on an external database.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CANADIAN DIDs
The majority of the Canadian DID numbers support CNAM Pass-Through. This means that for your incoming calls the system won't do a CNAM query (and also not charge you) if the incoming call already has a Caller ID name, even if the DID receiving the call has the CNAM queries enabled in your VoIP.ms customer portal.
- On a side note, outgoing Caller ID is not guaranteed on calls to Canadian cellular numbers, even when using the Premium route. This is due to the way Canadian carriers work - they sometimes pass a random Caller ID that they have on record, changing the original. This is out of our control as it is the way Canadian carriers handle calls to cellular numbers. There are also issues with incorrect Caller ID being sent on outbound toll-free number calls from Bell Mobility (and its resellers); the display shows a disconnected Bell number in an area code corresponding to the caller's location instead of the caller's mobile number.
