The phones I've had and those of some friends all just show a number
> for caller ID but not a name. On my home phone these same callers will
> show with name and number. Is it certain phones, or certain services,
> or the whole cell/mobile system that drops the name? And why? Caller
> ID loses most of its value when the name is dropped.
Essentially the number is passed from the service provider where the call originates. The receiving service provider must look up the name in a directory. Some do, some don't.