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FreePBX caller name is missing, wrong or stale

Trace one inbound caller number through route selection, the assigned lookup source, live or cached result, channel caller name and the final endpoint display.

Reviewed 2026-10-12FreePBX CallerID Lookup release/17.0 metadata, generated-dialplan and configuration source plus current Asterisk caller-ID, party-ID and internal-database documentation reviewed October 12, 2026; the exact module version, inbound route, source assignment, normalized number, external result, AstDB key, channel identity, destination device and display behavior remain deployment-specific, and no PBX, source, credential, database, cache, call or endpoint was inspected or testedAdvancedDocumentation based · not lab tested

Freeze one affected call and its identity stages

Choose one authorized non-emergency inbound call and retain timestamp, timezone, SIP Call-ID where available, called DID, received caller number, received caller name and presentation state, matched inbound route, intended destination and the text shown on the endpoint. Record whether the symptom is blank, unchanged carrier text, wrong person, old value, truncation or inconsistent devices.

Do not begin by clearing every cache entry or changing carrier identity. A missing source assignment, number-format mismatch, empty response, stale key, later dialplan rewrite and endpoint display rule can produce similar screens but have different owners.

Prove the matched inbound route selected the intended source

Confirm the affected DID and optional caller-number route, their precedence and the selected CallerID Lookup source ID. The release/17.0 module adds a lookup subroutine to qualifying inbound-route paths; a source that exists but is not attached to the route cannot affect the call.

Compare the saved assignment with generated and loaded dialplan. If the call matched another inbound route, correct that route decision first. Do not edit the generated cidlookup context or widen an Any DID route to conceal the mismatch.

Compare the exact number used by the source

Preserve the number and presentation fields before lookup and the exact value sent to Contact Manager, OpenCNAM, ENUM, HTTP or HTTPS, MySQL or the internal directory. A leading plus, national prefix, privacy token, extension-like value or missing number can select a different record or no record.

Normalize in one documented owner only after proving the expected source key. Do not invent an identity for prohibited or unavailable caller information, and do not assume the endpoint-formatted number is the value the lookup subroutine evaluated.

Distinguish a cache hit from a live source result

For lookup types that permit it, the reviewed dialplan checks the AstDB cidname family before calling the source and can write the resulting name afterward. Inspect only the demonstrated caller-number key and retain its value. A correct live database or API result cannot replace an older cached value when the call returns before the query.

If the key is stale, preserve it, correct or delete that key through a bounded operational procedure and repeat the same call. Do not remove the entire family. If the call did not use the cache, continue to the source path rather than treating AstDB as the cause.

Prove the selected source returned a usable name

For a local directory or Contact Manager path, verify the selected group, stored number format and returned field. For HTTP, HTTPS, MySQL, OpenCNAM or ENUM, preserve the request boundary, timeout, authentication result, status, response text and empty-result handling without exposing credentials or personal data. The release/17.0 generated HTTP path uses a seven-second Asterisk CURL timeout; repository behavior does not prove the running configuration or elapsed call delay.

A transport success with an empty or malformed body is not a successful name lookup. A slow or failed enrichment service is also not proof of a carrier, inbound-route or phone defect. Correct only the demonstrated source contract, access path or result parser.

Follow the name from the channel to the endpoint and retest

Capture CALLERID(name) immediately after the lookup and again before the final Dial or Queue path. Identify any later Set operation, application, transfer leg, Local channel or endpoint directory that can replace or format it. Asterisk treats caller name, number, character set and presentation as separate fields; a correct channel name can still be truncated or superseded on one device.

After one evidenced correction, repeat the bounded call and preserve route, source or cache decision, returned name, post-lookup channel value and endpoint display. Retest an unknown caller and a privacy case so fallback does not fabricate or leak identity. Restore the prior assignment or key if acceptance fails. No live system or call was tested for this workflow.

Sources & applicability

Primary references for the technical details above. Operational examples and planning checklists are VoIP.info editorial guidance.

Examples require adaptation to your topology. No live PBX or hardware testing is claimed.

Continue your research

Guide · FreePBX CallerID Lookup release/17.0 repository, module metadata, generated-dialplan source and configuration class plus current Asterisk caller-ID, party-ID, internal-database and TXTCIDNAME documentation reviewed October 12, 2026; repository metadata reports module 17.0.1.1 and FreePBX 17.0 support but does not establish the installed module, saved source, inbound-route assignment, generated or loaded dialplan, database value, external response, channel identity, endpoint display or call result; no PBX, module, source, credential, database, cache, route, call or endpoint was inspected or tested

FreePBX Caller ID Lookup Sources: route, source, cache and displayed-name evidence

Follow one incoming number through the matched inbound route, selected lookup source, returned value, optional AstDB cache, channel caller name and final endpoint display.

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Troubleshooting · Current Asterisk res_pjsip, party-ID, CALLERID and BLACKLIST references; FreePBX Blacklist 17.0.1.2 release/17.0 metadata and current source; plus FreePBX 17 on Debian 12 reviewed October 11, 2026; Sangoma GUI 13 screen guidance is version-scoped, and no PBX, carrier, blacklist rule or live call was inspected or tested

Caller ID is missing or wrong

Trace calling, connected and redirecting identity across FreePBX policy, Asterisk channel state, SIP headers and carrier treatment.

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Troubleshooting · First-party Asterisk documentation and SIP standard reviewed September 30, 2026; FreePBX 17 terminology retained; no PBX, provider, number, route or live call test

Inbound VoIP calls do not reach the business

Trace carrier delivery, Asterisk endpoint identification, DID matching and the final destination without collapsing the boundaries.

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Troubleshooting · FreePBX inbound-route and example documentation plus current Asterisk PJSIP troubleshooting and res_pjsip references reviewed October 5, 2026; exact FreePBX 17 module fields, generated dialplan and provider delivery format require runtime verification

FreePBX inbound route mismatch: trunk identity, DID, CID and destination proof

Trace one inbound call from the accepted trunk through delivered number and caller identity to the selected FreePBX destination.

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Guide · Current Sangoma Contact Manager, User Management permission, UCP Contacts, DPMA Contacts and Bulk Handler documentation plus the FreePBX release/17.0 Contact Manager repository reviewed October 10, 2026; several interface examples identify older PBX GUI versions and are treated as semantic evidence rather than an exact FreePBX 17 screen map; no PBX, module, directory, user, group, contact, permission, UCP session, phone application, generated phone file, speed dial, import, call or performance limit was inspected or tested

FreePBX Contact Manager: ownership, groups and consumer evidence

Separate User Management, internal and external contact ownership, then verify group visibility and delivery in each authorized consumer.

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Guide · FreePBX 17 on Debian 12; route semantics cross-checked against Sangoma PBX GUI 13 guides and current FreePBX Blacklist 17.0.1.2 release/17.0 source on October 11, 2026; exact installed modules, generated or loaded route hooks and calls were not tested

FreePBX inbound and outbound routes

Follow the incoming number and outgoing dial pattern as two separate routing decisions.

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Guide · FreePBX 17 on Debian 12; Bulk Handler 17.0.7.1 release/17.0 metadata and Sangoma Bulk Handler workflow reviewed October 11, 2026; repository state does not prove the installed module or runtime, and no import or Apply Config operation was tested

FreePBX changes: submit, apply and verify

Keep GUI settings, generated configuration and runtime behavior aligned during routine administration.

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Guide · Asterisk CDR, CEL, Local Channel and AMI v2 documentation reviewed October 6, 2026; no PBX, channel, call, Local pair, optimization event, CDR, CEL event, backend, database, report, billing calculation or retention workflow was tested

Asterisk CDR and CEL: which record answers the question?

Choose a CDR summary or CEL event chronology deliberately, preserve channel relationships and prove the selected record path before using it for billing or operations.

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