I hear static or noise on my line. What should I do?

First, identify the source of the problem. Is it the telephone? The jack? The telephone cable? The modem? Or the network? Read Question 1 to help you isolate the problem.

Our Technical Support agents also suggest the following advice for dealing with the problem.

• If it is background noise that increases over the course of the telephone conversation, it might be due to inside telephone wiring problems such as corrosion, wire pairs touching, a pin in the wiring or an intermittent short circuit. The problem could worsen to produce a permanent short circuit. Check your inside telephone wiring and make the necessary modifications.

• If the sound is electrical, the electrical outlet powering your modem may be the source of the problem. Disconnect the modem from the outlet, so that it is now relying on battery power. If the noise disappears, simply plug your modem into another outlet. If the problem persists, please contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611.

Also, be sure to turn off or distance any electrical appliances that may cause interference if placed in close proximity to your modem or telephones. These include wireless routers, microwave ovens and cordless telephones.

I hear music and/or other voices on my line. What should I do?

With a cordless telephone
The frequencies used by cordless telephones are public. Many devices (wireless routers, CB radios, etc.) transmit over the same frequencies. Your neighbours may be using a cordless telephone on the same frequency as you. A shared frequency may be causing the musical or voice interference on your telephone line.

Try changing the frequency channel on your cordless telephone. To learn how, consult your user guide. If this does not correct the problem, try using a corded telephone.

With a corded telephone
Check if the problem is occurring with all phones and/or jacks or with just one phone and/or one jack.

• If the problem is occurring with just one telephone jack, it is likely the jack is defective.
• If the problem is occurring with just one telephone, it is likely the telephone is defective or incompatible.
• If the problem is occurring with all phones and/or jacks, connect a corded telephone directly into the modem.

If the problem is resolved, check your inside telephone wiring. If not, please contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611. Make sure you have information ready about the interruptions, including dates and times of the interference, as well as telephone numbers of the people you were speaking to.

I hear an echo on the line, but the person I am talking to doesn't. What should I do?

Check if the problem is occurring on all of your telephones.

• If the problem is occurring only on one telephone, it is possible that the volume is too high. Lower the volume and see if the problem continues.
• If the problem is occurring on all of your telephones or persists after you've lowered the volume, please contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611.

When someone calls me and I am already on the line, they get a busy signal instead of my voice mail. What should I do?

Your voice mail service has probably been deactivated.

• To reactivate your voice mail service while on the telephone, dial *90. After two beeps, hang up.
• To deactivate your voice mail service while on the telephone, dial *91. After two beeps, hang up.

If the problem persists, please contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611.

One of my telephone jacks doesn't work. What should I do?

• If only one of your jacks doesn't work, try connecting another telephone and/or telephone cable (RJ-11) to reveal if the problem is due to your telephone or the jack. Note: the inside telephone wiring of your home is your responsibility.
• Have the jack checked, or contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611 to make an appointment with a technician.

Please note that additional charges may be applicable if a technician must pay a service visit to your home.

How do I activate my voice mail?

Your voice mail service will start recording messages even if you haven't initialized the system yet. To retrieve your messages, however, you will need to choose a new password and record your name.

Follow these steps to initialize your voice mail:

Step 1
At home, dial *98.

Step 2
The automated voice mail system will ask you to enter your temporary password, which is the last four digits of your telephone number, followed by 99. For example: if your telephone number is (514) 281-1711, your temporary password is 171199.

Step 3
Follow the instructions to enter your new password and record your name. Your voice mail is now ready to take your messages.

You'll know that you have new messages when:

• The indicator light (on certain telephones) is flashing.
• You pick up the handset and hear a series of quick beeps.

If you wish to initialize your voice mail at a later time, simply press *.

How do I access my voice mail messages?

You can access your voice mail messages in four different ways:

From your home
Dial *98, then enter your password.
TIP! If you have a telephone with memory, you can program the following sequence: *98[pause][PIN][pause]1. This will allow you to access your voice mail with one-touch dialing.

Away from home
Dial your telephone number. Once you hear your personal greeting, dial 1 and follow the instructions.

Away from home without making your telephone ring
Dial your voice mail access number, then enter your 10-digit telephone number followed by your password.

Listen to your telephone messages on your computer!
If you have subscribed to our Voice Messages by E-mail service your messages will be forwarded to your e-mail as audio attachments (.wav). Simply open the attachment in a multimedia reader to hear the message. This option is included in our feature packages.

The voice mail indicator is always on. Why?

When you have at least one new message in your voice mail, it will be indicated in one of two ways:

• By a series of quick beeps heard in the first seconds after picking up the handset.
• By the flashing indicator light on certain phones.

The quick beeping sound is the most reliable indicator that you have one or more new messages. Listen to your messages, then delete or archive them. The indicator light will continue flashing as long as there is at least one new message (a message listened to, then skipped by dialing #, will remain new).

If you have no new messages in your voice mail and the quick beeping sound persists, please contact Vidéotron.

If the indicator light continues flashing, but you do not hear the quick beeping sound, follow these steps:

• Is the indicator light flashingon all phones? If not, the telephone itself may be the source of the problem.
• The beeping indicator is updated in the seconds following hang-up. We recommend checking your messages again (even if you don't have any new messages), hanging up and waiting 30 seconds before picking up the handset.

If the problem persists, please contact one of our Technical Support agents at 1 877 380-2611 with the following information:

• The type of indicator that remains active: sound (quick beeping on the line) and/or visual (flashing light on the telephone).
• The model of the affected telephone(s).
• If the problem occurs on all telephones.
• The date and time when voice mail messages were last retrieved.

How do I delete an overly long message from my voice mail?

To delete a long message, simply press 77 while listening.

Can I add a fax to my cable telephony?

Cable telephony allows you to send faxes without additional configuration: simply plug your fax machine's telephone cable directly into any jack in your home.

If you wish to receive faxes, choose from the following options:

How do I activate call forwarding (*72, *73)?

Take advantage of the call forwarding feature to have all your calls redirected to the telephone number of your choice (cellular or other). Call forwarding can only be activated/deactivated from the telephone line from which you wish to forward the calls.
 
Step 1
Activate call forwarding *72

• Pick up the handset and dial *72.
• Dial the telephone number to which your calls are to be forwarded.
• If someone answers, stay on the line at least five seconds to establish the service.

If the line is busy or there is no answer, follow this procedure:

• Pick up the handset and dial *72 again.
• Dial the telephone number to which your calls are to be forwarded.
• You will hear two confirmation beeps.
• Hang up. Call forwarding is now activated.

Step 2 (optional)
Confirm that call forwarding has been activated
To make sure that Call Forwarding is activated, dial *72. The busy signal confirms its activation.

Step 3
Deactivating call forwarding
To deactivate Call Forwarding, dial *73. Listen for the two beeps and hang up.

Please note: If you forward your calls to a telephone number outside of your local calling zone, long-distance charges will be applied according to your long-distance plan.

How do I send all calls directly to voice mail?

You have two options:

• If you do not wish to be alerted to incoming calls, change your settings for number of rings to zero. To do so, pick up your handset, then dial *94 followed by zero.

• If you wish to know when calls are incoming, program your call forwarding to redirect to your voice mail access number. Your telephone line needs to be equipped for this option.

How do I make a three-way call?

While talking on the telephone, it is possible to bring a third party into your conversation for a three-way conference.

Step 1
Activating three-way calling *71

• Press the “Link” or “Flash” button, then wait for the tone and dial *71.
• Dial the third person's number.
• If the third person responds, press the “link” or “flash” button again to establish three-way communication. If the third person does not answer, press “Link” or “Flash” twice to return to your initial caller.

Please note: using three-way calling temporarily suspends your call waiting option.

How does my calling card work?

Your calling card enables you to make calls from any telephone in Canada and the United States and have them charged to your telephone account.

• To make a call, you must first dial 1 888 666-5557 toll-free to access the Vidéotron network.

Please note: you can change your PIN as many times as you like by following the access number menu options.

The calling card cannot be used overseas. If you are overseas, we recommend that you purchase a prepaid calling card, which is the most economical way to make calls abroad.

The company that provides me with DSL Internet services asked me for a circuit number. What number do I give them?

At Vidéotron, we don't use the same wire pairs used by traditional telephone companies. Therefore, there is no circuit number.

The company that provides me with DSL Internet services asked me for a circuit number. What number do I give them?

At Vidéotron, we don't use the same wire pairs used by traditional telephone companies. Therefore, there is no circuit number.

I receive many unwanted calls. How do I block them?

You can add your telephone number to the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) to stop calls from telemarketers.

If the calls are of a threatening nature, you can dial *57 and then call the police. There is a service charge of $5 per use.

To address unwanted faxes or other unsolicited calls, you may attempt to contact the caller by dialling the telephone number on your display.

Vidéotron cannot block a particular telephone number from calling you.

In certain circumstances, however, you can change your telephone number with no additional charges.

I'm moving and want to take my multi-function modem with me, but it's locked. What should I do?

When you move, you must take your modem to your new address.

• Disconnect your modem's electrical power cable.
• Using wire cutters, cut the coaxial cable (plugged into "Cable")at least 10cm (4") from the lock. This action is absolutely safe, as there is no electrical current in the cable.
• One of our technicians will take care of the installation at your new address.

If you would like a technician to come to your residence to prepare your equipment for the move, one can be sent free of charge to unlock your multi-function modem. You are, however, still responsible for transporting the modem to your new address.

I am being invoiced for 1-900 calls. What is this?

1-900 lines offer services at a cost that is essentially determined by the service provider. Videotron simply acts as a call carrier and billing agent. The types of services available may vary from contests, government services, etc. These calls are invoiced by the minute and/or per use and can prove to be expensive. In all cases, the service providers must mention all applicable fees at the beginning of the call.

To prevent 1-900 calls to be made from your line, contact our Customer Service directly at 1-888-433-6876. The blocking of 1-900 calls will be activated free of charge.

If you think you have been the victim of fraud or that you have been charged for 1-900 calls by mistake, contact our Customer Service directly at 1-888-433-6876.

For more information on 1-900 calls, visit the CRTC website.