3CX PBX + GrandStream HT801 + BT DECT phone BT4600 (Calls don't get the 4600 "announce" message)

[Burt99]

Hi All,

V18 PBX up to date on Raspberry Pi, Grandstream H801 ATA with BT DECT phone BT4600 attached.

The BT4600 connected to the ATA is one of these anti cold call DECT phones that sensing a callers number that is not in its directory asks callers to announce themselves and (only then) rings the BT4600 and plays their recorded message to you. You then choose to answer the call or not (e.g. hit number "1" on keypad to accept). This worked fine on copper twisted pair.

With ..... All Phones / Grandstream / Edit / Forwarding Rules set at default, calling the landline number (via the SIP trunk now) either goes straight through if just answered OR goes to the PBX voicemail.

i.e. The PBX simply answers the call (as it should) and rings the DECT phone attached to the Grandstream ATA.

I suspect that as most DECT phones don't have this announce facility that this is the normal process and as noted the call gets through. The process being you are NOT ringing the DECT phone but the ATA and that the ATA just treats the DECT phone as a handset not a phone system in its own right.

The External Calls section of All Phones / Grandstream / Edit / Forwarding Rules has the following options.


A. Forward to Extension
B. Forward to Voicemail
C. Forward to Extension's Voicemail
D. Forward to Mobile
E. Forward to Extension
F. Forward to Number
G. End Call

I have tried "A" , originally it was set to B (and it did to PBX voicemail) neither do more than answer the call as normal but don't present the DECT phone's announce yourself message.

I may have tried "C" but this if working would not allow a call through to be answered.

D not relevant, E & F require a number to be added to be forwarded to and so not relevant.

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I suspect there isn't a 3CX menu option that will fix this problem.
I have not as yet looked at the Grandstream options, I presume some sort of pass-through if it exists.

I will start a search on Grandstream but I thought I would check here first.

Regards....

 

[leejor]

I'm not certain as to what the actual issue is...is it that calls don't go to voicemail, or can they not be answered at all on the DECT set? If it is is the screening service not working, then that is a set issue and may be caller ID (type?) related.

Have you tried disabling the screening feature, on the phone to see if things function as you want them to. As the phone is actually answering the call, to be able to screen the number, and play a message, the call will not then go to 3CX voicemail if you choose not to take the call, if that is the issue.

Please provide more information about what is not working.

That sort of set it not intended to be used behind a PBX, so it may not do what you want.

 

[Burt99]

On a "normal" copper twisted pair phone line the Bt4600 can be setup to screen calls as follows...

Assume no names/numbers in the DECT phone's directory.

A person calls you, The DECT phone picks up the call but does NOT ring the phone.
The caller hears a recorded message saying "call screening, please announce yourself"
The caller records a message, Like "It's Mike from the supermarket."
Once recorded the the caller waits whilst the phone actually rings, you answer the phone, you hear the callers recorded message, and then the phone says, Hit one to accept the call, or do XXX to reject the call...... etc.
On assuming you know the caller you hit "one" on the keypad and you get to speak to the caller.

If you then add the caller to the directory the next time they call they don't get the announce yourself message etc. the phone just rings and you answer and speak.

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With the ATA a new caller, one not yet known and therefore not in the phone's directory does not get the "announce yourself message" the DECT phone simply rings straight away.

In this case if you don't answer the caller gets the 3CX voicemail message.

======================================================================================

Basically with the DECT phone connected to the ATA the phone works but the caller it put straight through the screening function does not cut in.

Essentially the BT4600 phone does the function of the older system where the call went to the operator first, they questioned the caller and then as necessary they put the call through, or not.

Regards...

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Burt,

Start from the basics: first connect a plain old analog phone to the HT801 to see if it can receive calls and you have two way audio as soon as the call is answered.

Call the phone like you normally would expect to receive calls (Trunk > HT801 Extension > Answer on analog phone) and press some of the DTMF keys from the external side to hear whether the analog phone gets them.

If this test passes then your trunk, PBX, and HT801 are working fine. The rest depends on what that specific DECT phone expects.

While we do support the HT801, we remain unaware of what you end up connecting to it on the analog port, so it's unknown whether it will work as intended. Perhaps the DTMF is not being heard by the DECT phone, or the HT801 is not providing it with what it wants to work as intended.

 

[SweetAction]

As an alternative, this type of call screening can be done natively in 3CX a couple different ways. Nothing as simple as turning a checkbox on but it can be built.

 

[leejor]

My first guess is that the DECT phone is not receiving any (or usable) caller ID. Have you confirmed, using another caller ID device, that the HT801 is indeed sending a valid caller ID?

The only other thing that is sent to the phone, and may be different from a "standard" BT line. is ring cadence.The region settings on the HT801 should be changed to correctly simulate a BT PSTN line.