Sentry 3 FAQ


How does the Sentry work?
The Sentry uses the caller id from your phone service provider to screen all incoming calls. During an incoming call, the Sentry will compare the CID with the system’s accept and reject list. If the caller id matches a phone number on the accept list, the call will come through and ring all your telephones continuously. If the phone number is on the reject list, the phone will ring once and the Sentry will immediately terminate the call. The unlisted callers will receive the Sentry’s outgoing message, “If you are a telemarketer or solicitor of any purpose, please hang and remove our phone number from your list. Otherwise, press 0 and leave a message after the beep. Thank you.”

The caller’s phone number will be automatically added to the accept list when the caller dials 0, and the Sentry will ring up to 9 times. If the call isn’t answered within the 9 rings, the Sentry will emit a beep and the caller can leave a 20 second message on the Sentry. The screener will play the OGM twice and terminate the call if the 0 is not pressed.

*Note: The call can be intercepted during the screening and after the dialing of 0 when the Sentry rings.

Does this work with Ooma?
We do not recommend using it with the new TELO. Please contact our customer support at (714)361-4615 to check if the unit will work with your communication set up.

Does the sentry 2 or 3 work with internet voip? 
The Sentry 3 does work with VoIP. Each and every house hold are configured differently, please contact our customer support at (714)361-4615 (M-F 9am-1pm Pacific) to check if the unit will work with your communication set up.

Does sentry 3 work on a DSL line?
Yes, the Sentry 3 does work with a DSL line. DSL filters may be necessary.

Does it work with a wireless system?
We do not recommend using Sentry with wireless phone services such as, Consumer Cellular or any phone service through cellular network. Please contact our customer support. (714)361-4615 (M-F 9am-1pm Pacific).

Can I use SENTRY for my business?
Yes, but we recommend running the Sentry on basic mode(OFF). This mode allows all calls to come through except the numbers on the Reject List. Having the Sentry ON may annoy your callers unless you record a custom greeting with specific message and instructions.

Should I setup the Accept List first?
Yes. SENTRY 3 allows you to preload phone numbers, with or without names, to your Accept List at setup.

How do I add a friend's number to Accept List?
To create an Accept List without names, enter the phone number using the key pad. Press ACCEPT button to save onto the Accept List.

How to delete a number from the Reject or Accept List?
From the home screen, go to the call log, Acceptor or Reject List pressing the UP/DOWN button, ACCEPT or REJECT. Find the number you want to erase, press the “DEL/EXIT” button twice to delete.

Do I need to add “1” to phone numbers when creating the Accept List?
Please check the caller IDs showing on the Sentry's display. If you see CID displaying as “1+10 digit”, then you need to add “1” to each phone number you put in the Accept List.

Don't like the warning messages?
SENTRY's warning voice is meant for spam callers. The Sentry 3 allows you to record a custom outgoing message or use the factory default greeting. Your friends and family will not hear it once they are on your Accept List. So it is important to preload the "good" numbers to your Accept List at setup.

Can I receive calls from people not on the Accept List?
Yes. They will hear the SENTRY's voice and can press "0" to come in. By pressing "0" their number will be automatically saved to the Accept List and ring the Sentry unit.

Do I need to reject a Spam call by pressing the REJECT button?
No. You don't need to reject any calls. SENTRY will screen all unknown calls. Spam calls cannot get past SENTRY's defense.

Can I block all calls that show no CID(Caller ID)?
Yes, on the home screen press and hold the “REJECT” button for 2 seconds until ALLOW/BLOCK NO CID appears on the screen. Then use UP/DOWN buttons to toggle between ALLOW and BLOCK. Press DEL/EXIT when done.

Do Reject List callers hear the warning message?
No. These calls will be hung up automatically.

Do Accept List callers hear the warning message?
No. SENTRY will recognize their number and let them in directly.

Does the caller ID screen show caller names?
SENTRY 3.1 does display the caller's name and phone number.

How do I get to Home Screen?
Just press DEL/EXIT once.

How to delete a number from caller ID list?
From home screen, press up/down arrow to find the number, then press “DEL/EXIT” twice


With the ability to press "0" to automatically add a phone # to the Accept list, I assume any scammer who calls can just press "0" to bypass the block?
Yes, there is a slight possibility that a persistent caller will press “0” to get their call through. When they do, you can add their phone number to the Black List.

How many Accept-listed phone numbers can the unit store?
The Sentry 3 can hold up to 1500 numbers of both the Black and Accept lists combined.

Does this also block Skype type calls and international calls?
The Sentry will screen and block all calls with caller id or no caller id.

Does the Sentry 3 run of mains power, or a transformer, or the phone line, or is it battery powered?
The Sentry 3 requires both 3 AAA batteries and the telephone line’s power for it to operate.

Will the caller ID show on my phone and ring, if the device is plugged in serially?
Yes, the Sentry 3 allows most phones to connect in series without any caller id issues and without the phones emitting a single ring. Make sure to enable ALLOW 0 RING (press and hold the */RINGER button) For Panasonic and Uniden phones, these phones process the CID data between the first and second ring, therefore the caller id may get suppressed if the 1 ring is suppressed.

Does this device allow you to input the calls you want to answer?
The Sentry 3 allows users to manually enter phone numbers for both Accept (calls you want) and Black (calls you to reject) lists with the new alpha numeric key pad.

Can you edit a phone number on the Accept list to add a name or make changes?
The Sentry 3 does not have the edit function. The phone number will have to be deleted and re-entered in order to add a name or to make any type of changes.

When does the unit record messages from incoming callers?
The answering function on the Sentry will only activate when an unlisted caller dial 0. The Sentry will ring 9 times, and then beep  

Can I set up the Sentry to where all the phones will ring when an unknown  caller dials 0?
No. The unit does not have the capability to generate an AC current to ring all the phones when 0 is dialed. The only way around it is to record a custom greeting that instructs the caller to dial 0, hang up and call back in 30 seconds.

Can we use our existing answering machine or voicemail with the device?
Yes. Sentry is not designed to store recorded message, but it can store up to 2 messages for callers who dials 0 for the first time. The Sentry will only allow callers on the accept list to have access to your answering machine or voicemail.   

How do I stop the 1 ring on the telephones when an unlisted or a rejected caller calls?
The Sentry can only suppress the 1 ring if the devices connected in series and with the “Allow 0 Ring” enabled. Any devices parallel to the Sentry will always emit a single ring. *Note: Some phone brands may not allow you to connect in series. Ex. Panasonic and Uniden.