Support / VoIP
VoIP Support
Everything you need to set up, use, and troubleshoot your UltraWISP VoIP service. New to VoIP? Start with our service overview.
What you need to get started
Required
A good internet connection
Any reliable internet works — we just need stable bandwidth. UltraWISP customers qualify for a bundle discount when adding VoIP. See VoIP service for details.
Required
Ooma Telo
The small device that bridges your home phone to the internet. Pricing and ordering on the VoIP service page.
Strongly recommended
UPS Battery Backup
Keeps the router, radio, and Telo running during power outages so your phone doesn't die with the lights. See our recommended UPS units.
Activate the Telo before you plug it in
The Ooma Telo needs to be activated online before you plug it in. During activation, Ooma will ask for an ISP Account Number — this is your UltraWISP account number with us, which Ooma uses to label their charges when they bill UltraWISP for your service.
- Don't plug the Telo into anything yet.
- Go to Ooma's activation site at www.ooma.com/activate and follow their prompts.
- When asked for the ISP Account Number, enter your UltraWISP account number. To find it, sign into the Client Zone Portal — in the icon menu on the left side of the page, click Settings (the gear icon), then Account. Below your username you'll see an ID value — that number is your UltraWISP account number. Enter it on Ooma's prompt.
Important: the ISP Account Number cannot be entered or changed later from inside the Ooma account. If it's left blank or wrong, fixing it requires a call to Ooma support to have them set it for you. Please double-check the value before submitting.
- Once activation finishes, follow the setup steps below to plug everything in.
Setting up your Ooma Telo
Ignore the cabling diagram in the Ooma box.
Ooma's instructions tell you to put the Telo between your internet connection and your router. Do not do that. On UltraWISP installs the Telo goes off a router LAN port, like any other device on your home network. Follow the steps below.
Why: Ooma's recommended position would put the Telo in charge of your network — it would replace your router's connection to us with a private one of its own, which breaks our ability to manage your Wi-Fi and support you. We handle voice-call priority at the network level instead, so the Telo doesn't need that job. Just plug it into a LAN port like you would any other device.
- 1
Run an Ethernet cable from any LAN port on your router to the "Internet" port on the back of the Telo.
Use a regular LAN port — not the WAN/Internet port that goes to your modem or outdoor radio.
- 2
Plug your home phone into the "Phone" port on the back of the Telo.
Standard RJ11 phone jack. Cordless base stations work the same way.
- 3
Plug in the Telo's power adapter.
The blue Ooma logo on top will start blinking.
- 4
Wait for the Ooma logo on top to turn solid blue.
First-time setup takes longer than later boots — the Telo may pull and install firmware updates from Ooma. Do NOT power it off while this is happening; interrupting a firmware update can permanently damage the Telo. Give it 5–15 minutes to settle before doing anything.
- 5
Pick up the handset. You should hear an Ooma chime followed by a dial tone.
The chime — a short pleasant tone before the dial tone — is the Telo telling you it's registered with Ooma and ready to make calls. If you hear a normal dial tone with no chime, or no dial tone at all, submit a ticket or call us (from a different phone) and we'll walk through it.
How to use Ooma during your number transfer so you don't lose calls at the handoff
Number porting (transferring your existing phone number from your current carrier to Ooma) usually takes 1–3 weeks. Your existing service keeps working the whole time it's in progress. The risk is at the handoff: on the day the port completes, your old service stops ringing and the Ooma starts ringing — but only if your phone is plugged into the Ooma. If your phone is still plugged into the old service, you don't hear those calls anymore.
Here's how we set things up so the handoff is invisible:
- 1
Activate the Ooma Telo first — with the temporary number Ooma assigns.
When Ooma activates, they assign a brand-new temporary phone number. Your existing number is still ringing on your old carrier's line — nothing has changed there yet. Both lines are working separately at this point.
- 2
Set call forwarding on your old carrier — forward all calls to the Ooma temporary number.
Most carriers let you turn this on with a code from your phone (often
*72+ the temp number). We'll show you exactly what to dial. - 3
Move your phone over to the Ooma Telo.
Unplug your home phone from the old service jack and plug it into the Telo's "Phone" port. From now on, calls to your real number ring through your old carrier → forwarding → Ooma temp number → Telo → your phone. You answer them on your existing phone the whole time.
- 4
Submit the port request to Ooma and wait.
The port runs in the background — typically 1–3 weeks depending on the old carrier. Your callers don't notice anything; they're already being forwarded.
- 5
When the port completes, your real number lands on the Ooma — and your phone is already plugged in.
The temporary number goes away. The old service stops ringing. Calls to your real number now go directly to the Ooma — no forwarding hop, no missed calls. Because your phone was already moved over in step 3, the transition is invisible.
Critical: do NOT cancel your existing service until the port completes
If you cancel your old account before the port finishes, the port fails and you can lose the number entirely. There can also be expensive fees from your old carrier and/or Ooma for a cancelled-mid-port number transfer. Let the port complete first — Ooma will tell us when it's done — then cancel the old service.
Same applies once a port is submitted: don't cancel the port request itself. Once it's underway, let it finish.
A few more things to know about porting
- Your first number port is free; additional ports are $39.99 each. UltraWISP is an Ooma ISP reseller, which means our VoIP customers get two perks Ooma doesn't offer to direct retail customers: the first number port is free, and the account is on Ooma's Premier service plan (which adds features like advanced call blocking, instant second line, three-way conferencing, voicemail-to-email, and the Ooma mobile app). Each additional port after the first is a one-time $39.99 fee charged by Ooma per their published rate.
- You request the port through your own Ooma account. After your Telo is activated, sign into my.ooma.com, go to the Add-Ons tab, and select Number Port. You can check the status of an in-progress port at the My Ooma Porting Status page (from your account, or directly at my.ooma.com/porting_status). Ooma also sends a Firm Order Confirmation (FOC) email when the carrier release date is set.
- Pick the ported number as your "main number" when Ooma asks. During the port request, Ooma will ask which number should be your primary. Choose the number being ported in. If you leave the temporary number as primary, the ported number becomes a secondary line with limited features, and fixing that requires a phone call to Ooma support — it can't be flipped from inside the account.
- Keep your my.ooma.com setup minimal until the port completes. Your Ooma login uses your phone number, not your email address. While the port is in progress you log in with the temporary number; after the port completes you log in with your ported number. Anything you set up under the temp-number login — phone contacts, the cell-phone Ooma app, custom settings — is tied to that login and is lost when the login number changes. Stick to the basics until the port is done, then do the bulk of your personalization under the new ported-number login.
- Don't install / configure the Ooma cell-phone app on the temp number either — same reason. Wait until the port completes, then install and link to your real number.
- If your old line is bundled with TV / internet, only port the phone — keep the rest until you're fully switched over.
- Some carriers charge a small fee for call forwarding while it's active; usually it's pennies a day. Worth it during the port window.
Managing your phone settings online
Most day-to-day phone settings live in your Ooma online account at my.ooma.com. Sign in with the email and password you set up during activation. From there you can:
- See your call history and listen to voicemail
- Update your 911 service address if you move
- Set up call blocking and a personal blocklist
- Turn voicemail-to-email on or off
- Configure call forwarding
- Add or change the cell-phone number Ooma should also ring through to the Ooma app
If you can't sign in or you're not sure what your account email is, please submit a ticket or call us — we can help you reset access.
Common problems & quick fixes
Try these first — most issues are fixed by a quick power-cycle of the Telo or the router. If nothing here resolves the issue, see the catch-all card at the bottom of this section.
No dial tone, no Ooma chime
Check that the Telo's top logo is solid blue. Blinking blue means it's still booting; red or off means it hasn't connected to Ooma. Verify the Ethernet cable runs from a router LAN port to the Telo's "Internet" port, not the "Phone" port.
Power-cycle the Telo (unplug for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait 2–3 minutes for the logo to go solid blue), then try the handset again.
Calls have echo, robotic voices, or drop
Voice quality issues are almost always network-related. First check whether your internet itself is acting up (run a speed test or browse a few sites) — if internet is degraded, voice will be too.
If internet looks fine, power-cycle the Telo. If quality problems continue, please submit a ticket — we tune voice priority at the network level and may need to adjust something on our end.
My number was ported but calls aren't coming in
If you set up call forwarding on your old carrier as part of our no-downtime port trick, double-check that forwarding is still active until the port completes. Once Ooma confirms the port is finished, the forwarding becomes irrelevant — try calling your number from a cell phone to confirm the Telo rings.
If the port is finished and the number still won't reach the Telo, that's carrier-side and we need to escalate.
My phone doesn't work during a power outage
VoIP needs power for the router, the CPE radio, the Telo, and your powered phone (most cordless / feature phones need their own power too). A UPS keeps all of them running through short outages — see the UPS & getting through extended power outages section on the Internet support page and our recommended UPS units.
On our end: UltraWISP maintains commercial battery backup systems at the main network operations center and at each distribution point, plus generators for extended outages — so as long as you can keep your equipment powered, voice service should still work.
911 dispatch sent help to the wrong address
The 911 dispatcher uses the address registered against your Ooma account — usually correct out of the box, but it doesn't auto-update if you move. Sign into my.ooma.com and update the 911 address there, or submit a ticket or call us and we'll fix it.
I'm not getting voicemail-to-email
Sign into my.ooma.com and confirm voicemail-to-email is enabled and the email address is correct. Also check your spam folder — Ooma's voicemail messages sometimes end up there until you mark one as "not spam."
None of the above solved your issue?
Please submit a ticket or call us — we'd rather walk you through it (or schedule a service call) than have you guess or spend hours frustrated trying to figure it out, especially when the issue may be one only we can fix from our side. Mention what you've already tried so we can pick up where you left off.
Frequently asked questions
Does VoIP need internet to work?
Yes. Your phone calls travel over your internet connection. If your internet is out, the home phone is out. Your gear also needs power: the router, CPE radio, Telo, and your powered phone all need to be running for the home phone to work — so power outages take VoIP down too unless something is keeping the gear alive. A UPS battery backup is the answer; see the My phone doesn't work during a power outage card above and the UPS & getting through extended power outages section on the Internet support page, plus our recommended UPS units.
Will my old phone still work?
Almost certainly. Any standard cordless or corded home phone with a regular phone-jack connector (RJ11) plugs straight into the Ooma Telo. You don't need to buy a new phone.
What about 911?
Yes — 911 works. During Ooma activation you fill in your service address and accept Ooma's 911 terms — that address is what the dispatcher sees when you dial 911, the same way a traditional landline works. If you move, sign into my.ooma.com and update the 911 address there (or submit a ticket or call us for help).
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes. Your first number port is free — that's a perk UltraWISP gets to pass along to you as an Ooma ISP reseller. Additional ports are $39.99 each, charged one-time by Ooma. You request the port yourself through my.ooma.com → Add-Ons → Number Port; status shows up at my.ooma.com/porting_status. The full process — including how to avoid losing calls on the handoff day — is in the Number porting section above.
Do I need a separate phone line for the fax / alarm / medical alert?
Sometimes. VoIP is excellent for voice calls but some fax machines, monitored alarm panels, and older medical-alert devices use signaling that doesn't survive being digitized. Tell us what you're using before you port — we'll let you know what works and what doesn't.
What happens during a power outage?
Without power at your home, the router, CPE radio, Ooma Telo, and your powered phone (most cordless / feature phones need their own power too) are all off — so the home phone is off with them. A UPS battery backup keeps everything running through short outages; see our UPS & extended outage tips on the internet support page for runtime-stretching tricks. On our end, UltraWISP maintains commercial battery backup systems at the main network operations center and at each distribution point, plus generators for extended outages — so as long as you can keep your equipment powered, the network will most likely still be there.
How is call quality?
On a good internet connection: indistinguishable from a landline, often better. Heavy network use during a call (large uploads, many devices streaming 4K) is the only thing that hurts quality.
Can I take my number with me?
Yes — install the Ooma app on your cell phone and you can place and receive calls on your home number from anywhere with internet, including hotel Wi-Fi while traveling.
Ready to switch?
We'll walk you through the port, set up the Telo, and stay on call until your phone is ringing the way it should.