Incoming call routing - changed by ext keys

[pjetson]

I have a 4L system currently set up as follows:

Under Telephony | FXO Settings, all incoming calls are routed to ext 60.

Under Users | Extension Management, I have added three extensions - 60, 61, and 62.

For extension 60, under Caller ID Based Services for Any Address, I have MER set to four extensions, and No Answer Call Forwarding set to extension 61.

For extension 61, under Caller ID Based Services for Any Address, I have MER set to the same four extensions as in 60 above plus three more extensions, and No Answer Call Forwarding set to extension 62.

For extension 62, under Caller ID Based Services for Any Address, I have MER set to all extensions.

This is intended to create a scenario where incoming calls initially ring at four phones, then if not answered after 10 seconds, ring at those phones and three more, then if still not answered after 10 more seconds, to ring at all phones.

This works, which is great.

What I've been asked to do now is program buttons on the first four phones so that those people can either have the above routing, or another mode where all phones ring immediately on incoming calls.

The way I think this might work is to route all FXO calls to another extension, say 63, and somehow forward ext 63 to ext 60 or to ext 62 based on buttons on the phones.

I believe this will involve the Call Routine Table, and Enabler/Disabler settings. However, even though I've successfully worked out how to use the CRT on outgoing calls, I can't work out how to use it for incoming calls, and how enablers/disablers work.

For example, in the CRT Wizard, what is the Destination Number Pattern for incoming FXO calls? Do I just put an * there?

I'm afraid I'm really lost with this - can anyone please help with a step-by-step?

Regards,
Peter

[RubenS]

Hi,

The scenario you have created surely will work, but instead of using so many extensions and MERs on them you can use the Find Me/Follow Me service on just one extension. By FM/FM you can define when the destination(s) should be called after receiving the call.

Some answers:

...though I've successfully worked out how to use the CRT on outgoing calls, I can't work out how to use it for incoming calls...

You should direct the incoming call to the CRT, and when the call gets to CRT the Called number (Called ID) will be taken to match the Call Routing Rule patterns. For example in case of incoming FXO calls; for "Route incoming FXO call to" (in Telephony>>FXO Settings) you need to select "Routing" and define some call routing pattern.

...and how enablers/disablers work.

You can enable/disable the Call Routing Rules using the *77 feature code (if the "Enabler Key"/"Disabler Key" are configured for Call Routing Rules)

For example, in the CRT Wizard, what is the Destination Number Pattern for incoming FXO calls? Do I just put an * there?

As the FXO call can not have the destination number and you are just receiving that call on FXO line, you need to manually specify where that call will be directed. From Telephony>>FXO Settings you can either configure to direct the call to some extension or to CRT with some defined pattern.

There are several ways to complete the task with the mentioned scenario. I'd prefer it to do with one virtual extension with two rules in Caller ID Based Services, one for FXO-* and the other for FXO-all*. Then have two Call Routing Rules, one of which will add the prefix "all" to the caller ID.
How this all should be configured:
FXO Settings
In Telephony>>FXO Settings select the "Routing" for "Route incoming FXO call to" and specify 555 route destination

Call Routing Settings
On the first page of all fallowing call routing rules enable the "Filter on Source / Modify Caller ID".

Create a rule with following settings:
Destination Number Pattern: 555
Number of Discarded Symbols: 3
Prefix: 60
Destination Type: PBX
Description: Call to sequent ring
Enabler Key: 123
Disabler Key: 321
Source Number Pattern: *
Source Type: FXO

Duplicate created rule and change it to look like:
Destination Number Pattern: 555
Number of Discarded Symbols: 3
Prefix: 60
Destination Type: PBX
Description: Call to All
Enabler Key: 321
Disabler Key: 123
Source Number Pattern: *
Source Type: FXO
Caller ID Modification
Prefix: all

Extension Settings
In the "Caller ID Based Services" of ext.60 create two rules; one for FXO-* the other for FXO-all*. For FXO-* rule enable and configure the FM/FM, for the FXO-all* enable and configure MER.

Now if the first Routing Rule is enabled the call is going to ext.60 without modified Caller ID and the FM/FM is activated. If the second rule is enabled and the first disabled, the call is going to ext.60 with modified Caller ID (with prefix "all") and the MER is activated.
And any local extension is being able to dial *77 then either 123 or 321, which will enable one of our created Call Routing Rules and disable the other one.

My post became really huge, but I preferred to bring some gracious solution for this scenario. I tried to be as clear as I could and ready to clarify it more if required.

Thanks,
Ruben

P.S. If the local extension is the Aastra phone or some Aastra-like which can send all entered digits sequentially but not call to *77 immediately, you can configure some speed dial to "*77123" and "*77321" under the phone's functional keys and enable/disable the routings by one key press on the phone.

[pjetson]

The scenario you have created surely will work, but instead of using so many extensions and MERs on them you can use the Find Me/Follow Me service on just one extension. By FM/FM you can define when the destination(s) should be called after receiving the call.

Hi, Ruben, and thanks for your detailed answer. I didn't know about FM/FM, so I had to read up about it, and it seems a complicated way to achieve what I want, and I'm still not sure that what I want to do is possible with FM/FM. I went through trying to set FM/FM up, and it appears (from the prompts and descriptions on the Quadro GUI) that my only options are to have phones ring immediately, or after a few seconds. It doesn't seem possible to have three layers, nor to have the initial phones continue to ring.

What I want to do, for example, is to initially have four phones ring on all incoming calls - exts 19,20,21 and 27. If these exts are not answered within 10 seconds, I want three more phones to ring - exts 17, 24 and 25 - while the first four phones continue to ring. If the incoming call is still not answered after a further 10 seconds, I want all 16 extensions to ring.

I can't see how to achieve that with FM/FM.

What I've done at the moment, which does work, is to direct all FXO calls to virtual ext 60, which rings the first four phones using MER. Ext 60 has call forwarding on no answer to virtual ext 61, which rings the same four phones plus three more using MER. Ext 61 has call forwarding on no answer to virtual ext 62, which rings all phones using MER.

All I still want to achieve, from my (probably inelegant) point of view is to have an enabler/disabler function that changes the initial FXO routing between virtual extensions 60 and 62. I'll call this Day/Night switching for want of a better term.

I'm not sure that's possible directly - I suspect I may have to introduce another virtual extension (say 64), and direct all FXO calls to that. Then, I could (I hope) add the enabler/disabler rule to that extension to swap between forwarding to exts 60 (Day routing) and 62 (Night routing). This is the part that I haven't worked out yet, but I'm hopeful that your description will help me to achieve it. I'm thinking that I will try changing the "Prefix" in your two rules to 60 in the first rule, and 62 in the second rule. Would that do it?

One final question - do you know if there is any way to see or find out which routing is enabled? For example, can a BLF key show whether the Day routing or the Night routing is enabled?

Regards, Peter