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  1. #1
    N2
    Guest
    Until yesterday, I was able to check my voicemail by dialing any SPCS
    3-digit prefix followed by 6245(MAIL). For example: 845-6245. This worked
    for any local SPCS prefix, but it seems that all of them are shut down now.
    Anyone know what's going on? I used this several times/day due to horrible
    reception at my office.





    See More: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?




  2. #2
    Isaiah Beard
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    N2 wrote:
    > Until yesterday, I was able to check my voicemail by dialing any SPCS
    > 3-digit prefix followed by 6245(MAIL). For example: 845-6245. This worked
    > for any local SPCS prefix, but it seems that all of them are shut down now.
    > Anyone know what's going on? I used this several times/day due to horrible
    > reception at my office.


    Still works in my area. Besides, you can still call your phone number,
    let your Voice Mail answer, and then press *, followed by your voicemail
    passcode. That is how you're *supposed* to get into your voicemail from
    a landline phone.

    --
    E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
    Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.



  3. #3
    Frank Harris
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Isaiah Beard wrote:
    > N2 wrote:
    >
    >> Until yesterday, I was able to check my voicemail by dialing any SPCS
    >> 3-digit prefix followed by 6245(MAIL). For example: 845-6245. This
    >> worked for any local SPCS prefix, but it seems that all of them are
    >> shut down now. Anyone know what's going on? I used this several
    >> times/day due to horrible reception at my office.

    >
    >
    > Still works in my area. Besides, you can still call your phone number,
    > let your Voice Mail answer, and then press *, followed by your voicemail
    > passcode. That is how you're *supposed* to get into your voicemail from
    > a landline phone.
    >

    Still works in my area, too. By the way, it was never "any local SPCS
    prefix". And ditto what Isaiah said. Sorry yours stopped working.

    --
    Frank Harris in San Francisco with an A680



  4. #4
    N2
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?


    "Frank Harris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Isaiah Beard wrote:
    >> N2 wrote:
    >>
    >>> Until yesterday, I was able to check my voicemail by dialing any SPCS
    >>> 3-digit prefix followed by 6245(MAIL). For example: 845-6245. This
    >>> worked for any local SPCS prefix, but it seems that all of them are shut
    >>> down now. Anyone know what's going on? I used this several times/day
    >>> due to horrible reception at my office.

    >>
    >>
    >> Still works in my area. Besides, you can still call your phone number,
    >> let your Voice Mail answer, and then press *, followed by your voicemail
    >> passcode. That is how you're *supposed* to get into your voicemail from
    >> a landline phone.
    >>

    > Still works in my area, too. By the way, it was never "any local SPCS
    > prefix". And ditto what Isaiah said. Sorry yours stopped working.
    >
    > --
    > Frank Harris in San Francisco with an A680


    Hmm. Curious. Every local SPCS prefix in Vegas all worked. Calling my
    cell from my landline is a very kludgey method and not always socially
    acceptable (Hey honey, don't answer the phone, it's me calling myself....)





  5. #5
    Bob Smith
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?


    "N2" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:grxce.1$tQ.0@fed1read06...
    > Until yesterday, I was able to check my voicemail by dialing any SPCS
    > 3-digit prefix followed by 6245(MAIL). For example: 845-6245. This

    worked
    > for any local SPCS prefix, but it seems that all of them are shut down

    now.
    > Anyone know what's going on? I used this several times/day due to

    horrible
    > reception at my office.


    Still works for yours truly as well. I'd suggest going into your account on
    line and send an email about this situation. You should receive an answer
    back between 24 to 48 hours.

    Bob





  6. #6
    Jerome Zelinske
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    What is kludgey about it? If you are holding the phone or have
    temporarily turned the ringer off, she would not be likely to answer it.



  7. #7
    Ray
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Jerome Zelinske wrote:
    > What is kludgey about it? If you are holding the phone or have
    > temporarily turned the ringer off, she would not be likely to answer it.


    Still OK in Des Moines Iowa



  8. #8
    Isaiah Beard
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    N2 wrote:

    >>Still works in my area, too. By the way, it was never "any local SPCS
    >>prefix". And ditto what Isaiah said. Sorry yours stopped working.


    >
    > Hmm. Curious. Every local SPCS prefix in Vegas all worked.


    I think the voicemail backdoors are being shut down as the systems get
    reconfigured. There might be some security issue involving the backdoor
    system that has Sprint concerned. Or, it could simply be that Sprint
    wants to reclaim as many numbers as they can for use by customers.


    > Calling my
    > cell from my landline is a very kludgey method


    Actually, it's the standard method, and the MAIL suffix is the kludge
    (hence the term "backdoor"). Have you even dialed into a business PBX
    system? Most of Lucent Audix systems in use today (and even their
    competitors) usually require you to dial your extension, let the
    extension ring and roll to voicemail, and hit a key sequence to get to
    the login menu whenever you're calling in from an outside line.

    > and not always socially
    > acceptable (Hey honey, don't answer the phone, it's me calling myself....)


    That's why the phone has a power button. Then it won't ring at all.

    --
    E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
    Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.



  9. #9
    Isaiah Beard
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Ray wrote:
    > Jerome Zelinske wrote:
    >
    >> What is kludgey about it? If you are holding the phone or have
    >> temporarily turned the ringer off, she would not be likely to answer it.

    >
    >
    > Still OK in Des Moines Iowa



    For those of you who are really concerned about checking your voicemail
    and not using up minutes, have you tried the 11+ method? If you dial
    your Sprint PCS number from your handset with a "11" prefix, the call
    rolls immediately to voicemail, and you can hit * to log in. Also, if
    you have PCS 2 PCS calling on your account, then the call will be billed
    as a PCS2PCS call (as opposed to straight-dialing your number, which
    will NOT count as PCS2PCS when it hits voicemail).

    Incidentally, you can call other Sprint PCS phones with the same 11
    prefix and it will roll to their voicemial as well. Convenient if you
    want to send someone a voicemail but aren't sure if it's a good idea to
    disturb them and make their phone ring.

    This doesn't always work for everyone, but it seems to work for more
    people than the xxx-xxx-MAIL backdoor. And hopefully Sprint won't be
    too motivated to fix this loophole.

    --
    E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
    Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.



  10. #10
    Tinman
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Isaiah Beard wrote:
    > Ray wrote:
    >> Jerome Zelinske wrote:
    >>
    >>> What is kludgey about it? If you are holding the phone or have
    >>> temporarily turned the ringer off, she would not be likely to
    >>> answer it.

    >>
    >>
    >> Still OK in Des Moines Iowa

    >
    >
    > For those of you who are really concerned about checking your
    > voicemail and not using up minutes, have you tried the 11+ method? If
    > you dial your Sprint PCS number from your handset with a "11"
    > prefix, the call rolls immediately to voicemail, and you can hit * to
    > log in. Also, if you have PCS 2 PCS calling on your account, then
    > the call will be billed as a PCS2PCS call (as opposed to
    > straight-dialing your number, which will NOT count as PCS2PCS when it
    > hits voicemail).
    >
    > Incidentally, you can call other Sprint PCS phones with the same 11
    > prefix and it will roll to their voicemial as well. Convenient if you
    > want to send someone a voicemail but aren't sure if it's a good idea
    > to disturb them and make their phone ring.
    >
    > This doesn't always work for everyone, but it seems to work for more
    > people than the xxx-xxx-MAIL backdoor. And hopefully Sprint won't be
    > too motivated to fix this loophole.






  11. #11
    Tinman
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Isaiah Beard wrote:
    > Ray wrote:
    >> Jerome Zelinske wrote:
    >>
    >>> What is kludgey about it? If you are holding the phone or have
    >>> temporarily turned the ringer off, she would not be likely to
    >>> answer it.

    >>
    >>
    >> Still OK in Des Moines Iowa

    >
    >
    > For those of you who are really concerned about checking your
    > voicemail and not using up minutes, have you tried the 11+ method? If
    > you dial your Sprint PCS number from your handset with a "11"
    > prefix, the call rolls immediately to voicemail, and you can hit * to
    > log in. Also, if you have PCS 2 PCS calling on your account, then
    > the call will be billed as a PCS2PCS call (as opposed to
    > straight-dialing your number, which will NOT count as PCS2PCS when it
    > hits voicemail).
    >
    > Incidentally, you can call other Sprint PCS phones with the same 11
    > prefix and it will roll to their voicemial as well. Convenient if you
    > want to send someone a voicemail but aren't sure if it's a good idea
    > to disturb them and make their phone ring.
    >
    > This doesn't always work for everyone,


    (Whoops, helps if I actually write something.)

    That method doesn't work for me. We have 7-digit local dialing, so
    trying it from my home area didn't work. It also didn't work when I
    tried it with two different calling cards (which will allow me to dial
    to my cell via 1-###-###-####). Finally, it didn't work when I had my
    (remote) office try it from out of state. Nothing but error messages.

    Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about just dialing your own
    number. If you have physical possession of your phone, mute the ringer
    for a moment. As to others answering the phone: no one but me answers my
    phone. I don't answer my wife's phone, and she doesn't answer mine.
    ('Course, who am I to criticize: ###-MAIL still works for me.)

    Still, it would be nice if you could use a reliable toll-free (or not)
    number to get into the VM system (but that security thing still might be
    an issue, considering it's only a matter of knowing the phone number and
    PIN). If there was an 800#, I would be OK with the minutes spent on that
    call (after logging into VM) being deducted from my monthly allotment.
    If I don't want to be charged minutes, I could still call my own phone
    number. Seems reasonable to me.


    --
    Mike





  12. #12
    Steve Sobol
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Tinman wrote:
    > Isaiah Beard wrote:
    >>Incidentally, you can call other Sprint PCS phones with the same 11
    >>prefix and it will roll to their voicemial as well. Convenient if you
    >>want to send someone a voicemail but aren't sure if it's a good idea
    >>to disturb them and make their phone ring.
    >>
    >>This doesn't always work for everyone,

    >
    >
    > (Whoops, helps if I actually write something.)
    >
    > That method doesn't work for me. We have 7-digit local dialing, so
    > trying it from my home area didn't work.


    From your landline or your cell?

    11-xxx-xxxx didn't work for me either, but 11-760-xxx-xxxx did.
    Tried it with my wife's phone too :>

    We'll see how it's billed, though.

    Isaiah - Are you sure this isn't some brokenness in Sprint's system that isn't
    supposed to be there?

    > to my cell via 1-###-###-####). Finally, it didn't work when I had my
    > (remote) office try it from out of state. Nothing but error messages.


    This method is meant to be used from a cell phone, not a landline.

    > Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about just dialing your own
    > number.


    If what Isaiah said is correct, it means you can call your voicemail from your
    cell phone and have it billed PCS-to-PCS which means it doesn't subtract peak
    minutes if you have free PCS-to-PCS calling.


    --
    JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
    Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

    "The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
    --New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"



  13. #13
    Tinman
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    Steve Sobol wrote:
    >
    > If what Isaiah said is correct, it means you can call your voicemail
    > from your cell phone and have it billed PCS-to-PCS which means it
    > doesn't subtract peak minutes if you have free PCS-to-PCS calling.


    I realize that now; and it does work from my cell phone. I was still in
    the mindset of reaching VM from a landline, and apparently skipped over
    the first sentence ("...those of you who are really concerned about
    checking your voicemail and not using up minutes"). I never even come
    close to going over my anytime minutes, and hadn't considered the fact
    that checking VM used my minutes.

    HOWEVER, I think I might use Isaiah's suggestion to, for instance, leave
    a VM on my wife's phone. "Honey, I did try to call and let you know I
    was going out with a few friends after work, to that place that has no
    cell reception. But for some reason your phone went straight to VM. You
    did get my message though, right?"

    ['Course if she reads this, I'm sunk...]


    --
    Mike | Last words of Thomas Grasso, executed in 1995:
    | "I did not get my Spaghetti-O's, I got spaghetti.
    | I want the press to know this."






  14. #14
    Johnny Kapikki
    Guest

    Re: Voicemail Backdoor Shut Down?

    On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 00:53:53 -0700, "N2" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Calling my
    >cell from my landline is a very kludgey method and not always socially
    >acceptable (Hey honey, don't answer the phone, it's me calling myself....)
    >


    If you get horrible reception in your office, you could forward your
    PCS calls to your office's landline ($.10/minute), and keep your phone
    off. Otherwise, just leave the phone off, and check voicemail by the
    method Isaiah mentioned. I do it all the time.



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