📄 Vertex: Extra Characters Before Caller Name — Dots, Dashes, [V] and Ignore 11
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Vertex: miscellaneous characters before the caller name

Technical bulletin: dots, spaces, dashes, [V], strange symbols, unwanted prefixes and shortened caller names on a POS screen.

Resolution at a glance

  • Potential solution: ignore 11 leading characters only when the received name has the exact eleven-character prefix shown below. Removing it puts the first real letter of the name in position 1. Confirm the result on the POS; this is not a universal setting.
  • Maximum name display: 14 characters, including spaces and dashes. Removing the prefix does not increase that limit or restore letters already truncated.
  • If prefixes vary, do not keep a fixed ignore-11 setting. Ask the VoIP provider or SBC administrator about conditional display-name cleanup that preserves clean names and call security.

Exact prefix and example

This illustrative name is fictitious. Each space below is significant.

Before:    "[V]. .  -  GREEN VALLEY"
Ignore 11: "GREEN VALLEY"

The prefix consists of [V] (three characters), two periods, five spaces and one hyphen: eleven ASCII characters total. Its bytes are 5B 56 5D 2E 20 2E 20 20 2D 20 20. The quotation marks delimit the SIP name; do not count them as name characters. Removing exactly this prefix puts G first.

Why ignoring eight may leave a dash

On the illustrated eleven-character prefix, ignoring eight leaves a hyphen and two spaces before GREEN VALLEY. However, a name with only . . - has eight prefix characters. Applying ignore 11 to that shorter format deletes the first three real name characters.

A comparative support capture showed eight leading characters in From, Contact and X-cnam in one call; another showed eleven in From/Contact because of [V], while X-cnam still had eight. These captures did not contain identifiable Vertex-to-POS output, so the device's selected source and trimming behavior were not proven. Do not assume a universal header choice or recommend a nonexistent user-adjustable SIP-header selector.

Safe test procedure

  1. Record the current Vertex ignore-leading-characters setting and firmware. Obtain the exact unwanted text, preserving spaces; a photograph alone may not establish the count.
  2. If the incoming name has the exact eleven-character prefix, temporarily set ignore leading characters to 11 and confirm the setting was applied.
  3. Place a test call and check the POS: the name should begin with its first real letter, without the prefix, subject to the 14-character display limit. This assumes trimming is applied to that value before truncation.
  4. Test calls with no prefix, the eight-character prefix and the [V] prefix. If real letters disappear, restore the previous setting and contact support. Do not repeatedly increase the ignore count.
  5. For mixed formats, have the provider/SBC administrator evaluate conditional prefix removal from display-name text only. Preserve the calling number, routing, call-authentication information and carrier-side TLS.

What does [V] mean, and can it be removed?

Comcast documents [V] as a verified-calling-number label. It does not mean the caller is necessarily trustworthy. Its source in a particular installation must be confirmed; dots and dashes may have a separate source. A supported provider option or SBC/POS rule may remove the literal leading marker from display text. We have not verified a dedicated Vertex remove-[V] option. Do not disable STIR/SHAKEN, remove every letter V, or describe the marker as permanently unremovable.

Comcast explanation of the [V] verification label.

Is this malformed or encrypted SIP?

Readable punctuation inside a quoted SIP display name is valid text, not proof of encryption failure or malformed SIP. Compare authorized provider/SBC traces to identify where decoration begins. A network capture of incoming SIP does not prove what Vertex emitted to the POS.

Checking Ethernet output, if needed

The Vertex configuration tool cannot capture outgoing POS data. With IT approval, use Wireshark with Npcap on the actual receiving POS computer: select its Ethernet interface, start without a capture filter, make one test call and stop. Apply display filter udp.port == 3520, or the configured output port. Save the .pcapng privately for support. An empty result is not proof that nothing was sent; check the selected interface, configured port and capture scope. A separate computer may need an IT-configured mirror port. Do not post customer capture files publicly.

Questions this article answers

  • I am getting miscellaneous characters before the name. How do I fix it?
  • Why are there dots, spaces or a dash in front of the caller name?
  • Vertex sends strange symbols, junk characters or extra text to my POS.
  • Why does my caller name begin with [V]?
  • I ignored eight characters but a dash remains.
  • Should I ignore eleven leading characters?
  • Why is the caller name cut off or missing its first letters?
  • How many characters can the caller-name display show?

Suggested support response

One possible cause is a provider-added prefix. If the name starts with the exact eleven-character prefix [V] followed by the dots, spaces and dash shown in this article, ignoring 11 can put the real name first. Please confirm the exact prefix before changing the setting: clean names and eight-character prefixes would lose real letters. The display maximum is 14 characters, including spaces and dashes. If calls have different prefixes or the test still fails, restore the previous setting and ask support to inspect the input and POS output.