Landline Phone Can Call Out But Can’t Receive? – (Fix Guide)

Whenever a landline phone can call out but can’t receive calls, we can safely assume that the phone device and network line are working well.

The fact that you can’t receive any calls suggests that the phone’s settings are misconfigured or there is a locally bound phone problem.

When a landline phone can send calls, but can’t receive any, then you’re dealing with wiring or line interference, on your side.

To resolve the problem you need to disable any service-restricting settings such as DND or Call Forwarding before inspecting the setup.

Let’s continue to unwrap!

Landline Phones | How They Work | Not Receiving Calls?

Concise explanation…

Landline phones are quite an old technology, which converts your voice into electrical energy onto a metal disc-shaped “diaphragm”.

Then the electrical impulses unwrap the same way at their destination (the call receiver), and vice versa so you can communicate with each other.

Why is my Landline Not Receiving Calls?

The fact that you can receive calls, only suggests that the issue is not related to the landline network, instead, you’re facing an issue on your side.

Let’s unwrap all of the possibilities:

• The landline handset ringer is not enabled.
• The landline handset ringer volume is low.
• Phone line interference of different kinds.
• A service provider infrastructure fault.
• Enabled call forwarding phone option.
• Malfunctioning landline phone hardware.

Landline Phone Can Call Out But Can’t Receive – Solutions!

Note: The below’s solutions address issues and cover many different models of landline phones as well as different phone line installations. 

1. Enable the Landline Handset Ringer!

One of the primary reasons why your landline phone won’t ring and receive calls is due to a not enabled handset ringer.

This means exactly the way it sounds, hence your landline phone is actually receiving the calls, but it’s not ringing or indicating in any way.

With landline phones and different brands, the settings on the handset are not the same hence, we’re going to provide you with a universal guide.

Follow the steps to enable the ringer easily:

1. Grab the handset and detach it from the base unit.
2. Press the “Menu” or “Settings” button from the pad.
3. Use the Volume Up and Volume Down to scroll.
4. Locate the “Ringer” menu option and select it.
5. You will see two options, Ringer – Ringer Volume.
6. On the Ringer option, ensure to set it to Enabled.
7. On the Ringer Volume, increase as high as possible.

Note: Your landline handset might have different menu options and labels so if you’re struggling to find the “Ringer”, consult with the user’s manual.

2. Verify the Landline Phone Wiring!

There are two general ways of connecting a landline phone, based on whether your service includes other benefits, such as internet.

In those cases, the landline connects to the modem via coaxial cable, and in contrast, for landline services only, the coax comes from a wall outlet.

The image below shows the correct wiring, when you have a modem/router phone line combo:

The general wires that you need to inspect are the following:

1. The Coaxial or DSL cable from the service outlet.
2. The back output port connection on the modem.
3. The phone cable from the mode/router to the phone.
4. The power supply cables of the modem and phone.
5. Inspect the cable ports and all cable connectors.
6. Verify that the power outlet and adapter are functional.
7. Closely inspect the phone’s cord for visual damage.

Info: If your landline phone connects directly to the service cable without any modem or router in between, you need to inspect the service cable for faults.

3. Disable Landline *Call Forwarding*

Put simply, the call forwarding feature allows your landline phone to instantly redirect an incoming call to another phone number.

When this feature is enabled and set for call redirect, your landline will not receive calls, instead the call will be forwarded to the preset number.

In those cases, you will be able to call, but when someone calls your landline phone, you won’t hear a ring and you won’t notice the handset screen changing.

Pretty much the phone will not ring when the call forwarding is enabled, so we need to disable the option.

• To stop the call forwarding, simply dial *73 from your landline phone handset.

Info: Some modern landline handsets include a dedicated forwarding option in the menu so it might be useful to control the forwarding from the phone’s settings.

4. Power Cycle your Equipment

In case the previous steps didn’t help, one of the best-working methods would be to perform a power circulation on your entire equipment.

Even if you don’t have a modem or router to your phone line, you only need to unplug all cables, including the power adapters from the wall.

The power circulation requires about 60 seconds so when you replug your equipment back into the power, test whether the landline can now receive calls.

In case you’re still not receiving any of the calls, then continue reading.

5. Disable the DND – Do Not Disturb

Many modern landline phones come with a feature called “DND” (Do Not Disturb), which pretty much does exactly what it says.

To clarify further, the DND mode, when enabled, prevents your phone from disturbing you, hence any incoming calls will be ultimately blocked by the phone.

The DND feature on your landline could be accessible differently:

• Disable DND from the Settings of the handset.
• Disable DND via a button on the landline base.
• Without a softkey, search for DND in the menu.

Note: If you’re unsure whether your landline phone comes with a DND feature, simply consult the user’s manual for more functionality information.

6. Factory Reset the Landline Phone

The factory reset is the ultimate solution that resolves any settings or software-related faults, such as the issue of the receiving call you’re facing.

However, resetting a landline phone is fairly different between models, so we’ve created a universal guide for you to take a look into.

How to Reset Wireless Landline?

1. First, open the battery compartment cover on the back.
2. Eject both batteries from the handset of your landline.
3. Press and hold the Star (*) and Pound (#) buttons.
4. While holding, reinsert the batteries into the handset.
5. Wait for a long beep, which indicates an ongoing reset.

How to Reset Wired Landline Phone?

Some wired landline phones cannot be reset. However, some of the modern models include a reset button on the base in the settings of the handset.

So, to reset your wired landline phone you need to check for an existing button or an option, either in the handset or in the base menu.

How to Reset Landline from Panel?

Some landline phone installations have a Telephone Network Interface located in a panel in your house or apartment.

By unscrewing the cover you can review the service cable that can be reconnected and hopefully resolve the issue.

7. Test with a Different Landline Phone

In case you’ve attempted all of the solutions in this guide but your landline phone is still not receiving any incoming calls, you need to perform a test.

This is the conclusion method that will answer the question of whether the issue is on your side or from your service provider.

If you have a different landline phone to connect to the service cable, good, you can test.

In contrast, if you don’t have a secondary device, you might need to contact your service provider for additional information and troubleshooting.

You’ve Got a Spare Phone Cord?

Well, if you have a spare DSL or Coax cable (based on your wiring), feel free to test whether replacing the cord will solve the incoming calling issue.

In addition, you might also want to inspect the ports for any visual defects or obstructions that might be impacting the functionality.

Need More Help?

In case nothing helps, you would need to contact your service provider.

Then report the issue you’ve been facing with as many details as possible. Also don’t forget to share what you’ve tried in this guide to save some time. Good luck.

Quick Recap:

Whenever a landline phone can call out but can’t receive calls, the first step is to check for any service-restricting features such as “Call Forwarding” and “DND”.

In case those are not enabled, you need to inspect the landline wiring and perform a factory reset.

We hope that this guide was helpful so follow us for more!

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