E911 disabler

[wakewatcher]

I've got a SunRocket VOIP system and it works great BUT they provide no way to disable E911. I use it my Mexico condo which I also rent out and am concerned that someone might accidently dial 911 which will dispatch someone to my Seattle area home. Not that useful. Anyway I'm looking for a circuit perhaps using a pic and dtmf dedector which sits between the phone and the VOIP box which waits for the phone to go off hook and then waits for a 91 immediately after going off hook and then forces a on-hook condition. So basically allows anything but a call starting with 91. Would like it to be powered off the phone line. Does such a device exist?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I wouldn't have thought so, and I imagine disabling the ability to call emergency sevices would be seriously illegal?.

 

[wakewatcher]

No what's illegal is generating false 911 calls. Other VOIP services such as broadvoice.com have software to disable E911. SunRocket just doesn't have their act together. There are already boxes out there that block calls. This is what I have now on my Mexico line. It blocks all international calls except to my US home and I had to explicitly allow the Mexican 911 equivalent number to go through.

 

[Sceadwian]

No what's illegal is generating false 911 calls.

Right, which makes you the legally responsible party, not them because they're in Mexico, and it's your acount generating the calls. Doesn't make them a good company, but doesn't make you less responsible. Get a local line for the condo and disable your personal VOIP acount, otherwise you're personally responsible for anything that occurs over it, no matter how much you don't like it.

 

[wakewatcher]

Wasn't really expecting a lecture or debate. I can get that in other forums. I'm looking for a technical solution. If I can block 911 from reaching the the voip interface box then that takes care of it. Sounded like a simple pic/dtmf circuit to me.

 

[mroberts]

So the blocker box you have can't be set to disable 911 ?

What about finding an Australian or British made one that only blocks *their* local emergency numbers, and treats 911 like any other number ?

 

[wakewatcher]

The problem is that the box I have is set to 'allow' numbers not block them. It does use wild cards but I don't have enough memories to allow everything but 911. It blocks all number except those allowed such as 1425* (which would allow anything in area code 425 to be called.) I will change service in a year but I've got a year contract on 4 voip lines. So I was looking for a cheap solution that would last me a year.

 

[mroberts]

What do Mexican numbers start with ? If US and Canada can all be dialled with 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX, then you could allow 1* and mexican emergency.

It may be a pain to have to always dial the full country and area code, but it would let you block anything that didn't start with a 1 (911)

 

[wakewatcher]

Excellent suggestion! To dial Mexican numbers you would dial as if dialing internationally from the USA or 01152... So I could allow 1* and 0*. It's great to see there is at least one Roberts thinking out there! -steve (roberts)-

 

[Oznog]

Can't you call up your VOIP provider and provide them with your new location, even if it's Mexico?

If someone does dial 911 that should be what comes up for a location, at which point they have a problem but it's not your problem.

 

[Optikon]

Wasn't really expecting a lecture or debate. I can get that in other forums. I'm looking for a technical solution. If I can block 911 from reaching the the voip interface box then that takes care of it. Sounded like a simple pic/dtmf circuit to me.

Ridiculous.

You can be found liable by disabling some 911 feature with some hack job circuit. I hope you understand those consequences. I know you are not looking for a debate but you should be. Above all else (nussance false 911), be responsible. I wouldn't trust it, why should your tenants?

 

[wakewatcher]

Given that these phones are in Mexico where USA emergency services can not respond I'm not worried about liability of someone in Mexico thinking calling 911 would get them any help. Calling 911 doesn't get you emercency services in Mexico. The liability is causing nussance 911 calls which this prevents. Your logic suggests that if I had telephone without a 9 key then I'd be liable for disabling 911. I doubt it.

 

[justDIY]

DTMF decoder chips are inexpensive from surplus websites. The datasheet should have the example circuit for interfacing it with a POTS line (standard analog phone line).

Alternately hacking websites will show you how to unlock your voip adapter, and you can change your dial plan to ignore 911. Problem here is the next time your voip provider pushes out an update it'll either fail since you tampered with 'their' box, or more likely, it will overwrite your changes.

I have a very small personal PBX based on asterisk, and since the actual pots interface circuit is not at the same location as the extension phones, dialing 911 would result in the wrong ID showing up. So I programmed my pbx to playback a recording when an extension dials 911 explaining they need to dial it differently and to give their actual location.

 

[Sceadwian]

Why not call the service provider and have e911 disabled? It may be legal and okay if you 'opt out'

 

[justDIY]

The OP mentions in his first post, the provider offers no way to disable the e911 service.

Sounds like the OP needs to search for a new provider imho.

 

[Optikon]

Given that these phones are in Mexico where USA emergency services can not respond I'm not worried about liability of someone in Mexico thinking calling 911 would get them any help. Calling 911 doesn't get you emercency services in Mexico. The liability is causing nussance 911 calls which this prevents. Your logic suggests that if I had telephone without a 9 key then I'd be liable for disabling 911. I doubt it.

It doesnt matter where. If someone tries for an emergency 911 call and it didnt work because of some modification you made (for WHATEVER REASON) you think you cannot be sued? You most certainly can and it doesnt matter whether or not they are in Mexico or on Mars.


Just have the service properly disabled. Why even take the chance?

 

[mneary]

If someone tries for an emergency 911 call and it didnt work because of some modification you made

Re-read the thread. I think the original poster has the right idea; allow the Mexico emergency number through and leave the emergency services in Seattle out of this.

If somebody dials 911 in Mexico they are supposed to get nothing; they aren't in the US. They need to dial the Mexico emergency number.

Allowing 911 calls from Mexico or even Mars can only (illegally) harass some PSAP back here in the USA. It will not get them help.

 

[philba]

my guess is that the SP doesn't know that the box is in mexico.

Since there are several that pointed out legal issues in disabling the US 911 functions, could one of you point out the relevent law on disabling US emergency services in Mexico?

As I understand it, there are targets, not laws, for getting a certain percentage of phone numbers under 911. The VoIP phones are the most difficult for obvious reasons. My VoIP provider (Vonage) is hard core about this but, due to a stupid postoffice, they can't find my address in their database and my VoIP line doesn't have 911. It doesn't matter since it plugs into a home PBX and all my phones' default CO lines are 911 enabled.

There may well be potential legal liability for preventing outbound 911 calls in the US but I think that is different from a law.

 

[mroberts]

It doesnt matter where. If someone tries for an emergency 911 call and it didnt work because of some modification you made (for WHATEVER REASON) you think you cannot be sued? You most certainly can and it doesnt matter whether or not they are in Mexico or on Mars.


Just have the service properly disabled. Why even take the chance?

If I dial 911 in an emergency, it doesn't work. Can I sue Telstra and Optus ?

 

[mneary]

If I dial 911 in an emergency, it doesn't work. Can I sue Telstra and Optus ?

If you're located in Mexico and you dial 911, you can sue anyone you like. It still won't get you an emergency response. Mexican cities have their own emergency system and it is not connected to the US '911' system.

If you like, you could even try to sue the person who took you to Mexico. Good luck.