WebFones Documentation

Administrator Guide

Menu

Switch to User Guide

Troubleshooting FAQ

Why do my phones stop ringing after a brief internet outage?

Even a short internet interruption can break the connection between your phones and the VoIP server. Although your internet may appear restored immediately, the phones themselves may not realize the connection was lost. During this period:

  • The phone still thinks it's registered.
  • The server knows the phone is offline.
  • Incoming calls can’t be delivered and may go straight to voicemail.
Most phones will automatically detect the problem and reconnect, but this can take a few minutes. If you want to speed up the process, simply reboot the phone.


After an internet outage, why can I make outbound calls but incoming calls still go to voicemail?

Outbound calls behave differently from inbound calls:

  • Outbound calls create a new connection from the phone to the server, which typically works immediately once internet service is restored.
  • Inbound calls rely on the server contacting the phone using an existing connection.
If the existing connection broke during an outage, the server cannot reach the phone until the phone updates its registration. This is why incoming calls may continue going to voicemail even though outbound calls appear normal.

To fix this quickly:

  • Reboot the phone
  • Or unplug and reconnect the network cable
Any of these actions force the phone to immediately re-register with the VoIP server.


AI Documentation Assistant

Suggested Questions

How do I set up call forwarding? What is a ring group? How do I check voicemail? How do I add a new extension?
Thinking...