Vonage Hangup problem and the Uniden 5.8GHz TRU8885-2 phone system

I splurged on a Uniden 5.8GHz TRU8885-2 phone system with digital answering machine, support up to 10 handsets, Caller ID, handset-to-handset calling, baby monitor feature, and more. "Splurged" probably isn't the appropriate word, since it was a $119 necessary purchase I had to make - wife's orders and all . She was sick and tired of the old Sony cordless phone/answering machine which was incompatible with Vonage causing the answering machine to play a fast-busy tone for up to 3 minutes (maximum record time) the majority of the time the remote caller hung-up. The damn Sony answering machine had a problem detecting the remote hangup or the fast busy so it wouldn't drop the line and would play an irritating fast busy over the Sony answering machine speakerphone for 3 minutes. The other problem with the Sony cordless phone was that it used 2.4Ghz, the same as my wireless router and Linksys Media Extender, which caused major interference issues.

So last night I hooked up the Uniden TRU8885-2 which comes with 2 handsets, plus I purchased a 3rd handset separately so that we could have a cordless phone in the bedroom, downstairs family room, and the kitchen. The included two phones automatically registered as Handset 1 and Handset 2. To register the third phone purchased separately I simply places the handset on the base station charger for 5 seconds.

After hooking up the phone system I made a test call from my cell phone to my home number. All the phones rang once, I could hear something "seize" the line and then I was hung up on. Thinking perhaps my cell connection died, I tried again - same result. One ring - line seized, hung up on. I then turned off the Uniden answering machine, tried once more and the same result. Frustrated at this point, I tried calling again but this time answered on the first ring and it worked. I was able to have a test conversation without getting hung up on. However, all attempts to let the phone ring more than once caused the line to hang up.

So I reconnected the Sony phone system to see if the Uniden system was causing the problem. Maybe I had a defective Uniden unit? I made another test call and the same thing happened with my ORIGINAL configuration. Now I'm like "What the heck is going on here?" Did the Uniden system somehow "fry" my Cisco ATA-186 ringer voltage generator? So I reset my Cisco ATA-186 by disconnecting it for 10 seconds and tried again. No change.

At this point there were two possibilities.
1) The Uniden system somehow sent incorrect voltage into the Cisco ATA-186, which "partially" broke the ATA.
2) Vonage was having service problems.

The 2nd option seemed implausible since what are the odds that JUST as I installed a new phone system that Vonage is having service issues? It just can't be I thought to myself. But then I remembered Murphy's Law and all the times I encountered one problem, I think I have the problem fixed only to have something coincidentally occur at the exact same time which causes the original problem to persist. Don't you just hate that?

So at midnight last night I told my wife "Well, I have the phone system hooked up, but it's hanging up if you don't pick up before the 2nd ring. My guess is that it's a Vonage service issue." I suspected the problem would go away by morning. Sure enough, the problem disappeared on its own this morning. This is the first time in the 4 years I have had Vonage that I have encountered this issue. I wonder if anyone else has seen this - if so post a comment. In the meantime, if you're looking for a good expandable (up to 10 handsets) phone system with integrated answering machine, 100 memory phone book, distinctive ring by CallerID, and a plethora of other advanced features, then the Uniden 5.8GHz TRU8885-2 phone system might just be for you!