Home phone/landline voicemail

Hi,

I replaced my home phones and the new ones don't have a built-in answering machine.

I am unable to get the Xfinity service to work.

When I dial *99 I am able to access the menu normally (I believe).

They were messages going back several years since I never checked this voicemail relying on the answering machine of my phone.

Also, strangely the phone has not wrung since being replaced when it usually rings often with telemarketing.

It does ring when I call it with my cell phone. ?

Thank you, Mary