7-Digit Dialing?

[tjabaut]

How does one enable a 7-digit dial plan. This is very easy in Asterisk, but I have not found any way to accomodate this in 3CX.

If there is noway to ahandle this, what are you other users doing to allow for short dialing - i.e. instead of having to dial 1-518-615-xxxx, my users simply dial 615-xxxx as area codes are not required for local calls.

 

[RobLloyd]

Are you using PSTN lines? If you are then this should be done on the Outgoing Rules - Apply This Rule To section - Calls to Numbers starting with and also the Transform Mask section.

 

[tjabaut]

How could this work for VoIP?

PSTN should work just fine, but I need to be able to have a customer enter only a 7 digit number and have the system prefix it with the necessary 1+ area code.

 

[RobLloyd]

You can use the Transform to remove or add digits.

Lets say you want to call 345-6789, but your VoIP provider requires 1-860 in front of it.
Your transform mask would be 1860. You would end up dialing 18603456789

You could also change the rule applies section to any numbers dialed that start with 345,346,663 add the transform mask to it.
Another rule could have any numbers dialed starting with 265,277,592 and add a transform mask 1203 so you can avoid 10 digit dialing. Of course there is maintenance to do if you phones are being added and changed all the time like there are in my state.

 

[tjabaut]

That is terribly cumbersome. Even the very inexpensive Linksys SPA9000 can do a better job of handling dialing rules, with regular Expression matching.

I have to say this is a very weak "feature" of this system, albeit the only actual "problem" that i have seen so far.

In Asterisk it is very easy to say if I only dial 7 numbers, always add 1xxx as the area code. and if I forget to add the "1" for long distance dialing, but do 10 digit dialing it will add the 1.

I think someone should look into this to make this system more of a apples to apples comparison with other open systems.

 

[RobLloyd]

Maybe you're thinking too much into this. The SPA9000 (which I've used for about 5 months now on 4 seperate systems) was much harder to do these types of dialing rules. I feel you get more control with 3CX than the 9000.
If you just want to add 1 and an area code you just need the Transform Mask - r1203
r - remove the "9" to get out of the office
1203 to add 1-203 to the 7 digits dialed.

How much easier to you need? Unless I'm not clear on what you need to do? :?

 

[tjabaut]

Well once you have figured out how the syntax for the RegExpression in the SPA9000 works it is very easy to replicate. And, since, it is a RegExp it will pattern match say when I enter exactly 7 digits.

The problem that I have with your proposed solution is yes, if they dial 9 strip that off then add 1+ xxx to the digits dialed, but what if they dialed 9+ 1+(areacode)+ (exchange)+xxxx (ie 1518615xxxx). Then the dialing rule would strip off the 9, but would also append the 1518 to the already correct number and the call would not go through. they would be left with

15181518615xxxx

Am I correct here in my logic?

I think that not have the system be able to match a set number of characters/digits is the real problem here. If it would ONLY prefix if exactly 7 digits were entered then that would solve the problem.

 

[RobLloyd]

Now I got what you're saying. Sorry if I didn't at first. I'll check on the pattern match and get back to you.

 

[SY]

How could this work for VoIP?

PSTN should work just fine, but I need to be able to have a customer enter only a 7 digit number and have the system prefix it with the necessary 1+ area code.

Do you try to implement local VoIP provider using 3CX PBX?

 

[tjabaut]

I dont understand what you are asking, "did I impllement local VoIP provider"?

 

[RobLloyd]

Do a transform rule with calls matching option:
# dialed is 345-xxxx
Match 345 (you can put in singles - (345,234,789), ranges (345-400) or mix
Transform r1203

If the # dialed is 203-345-xxxx
it should not match because it starts with 203. At least that's my take on it. I am going to try it out.

Well once you have figured out how the syntax for the RegExpression in the SPA9000 works it is very easy to replicate. And, since, it is a RegExp it will pattern match say when I enter exactly 7 digits.

The problem that I have with your proposed solution is yes, if they dial 9 strip that off then add 1+ xxx to the digits dialed, but what if they dialed 9+ 1+(areacode)+ (exchange)+xxxx (ie 1518615xxxx). Then the dialing rule would strip off the 9, but would also append the 1518 to the already correct number and the call would not go through. they would be left with

15181518615xxxx

Am I correct here in my logic?

I think that not have the system be able to match a set number of characters/digits is the real problem here. If it would ONLY prefix if exactly 7 digits were entered then that would solve the problem.

 

[tjabaut]

Rob,

That sounds great, but can it work in reverse?

Think about what you are saying - if a foreign area code is matched dial it.

I don't know about you, but I do not know, nor would I care to input ALL of the area codes which are not mine. A better approach would be if the area code matched strip it off. But then we are right back to the original question. How to get the system to understand 7-digit dialing.

Maybe we can get one of the developers involved in this thread. I can't be the only one to have thought of this.

 

[tjabaut]

I correct myself. I thought this was pertaining to the area code, when in fact you are dealing with exchanges. Sorry for not reading fully.

This might be on the right track, but what we need is to pattern match as follows:

User dials number
--------->if only 7 are submitted
-------------->then prefix
--------->elseif 10 numbers
-------------->then prefix with 1
--------->else all 11 numbers dialed
-------------->then just dial as entered.

 

[RobLloyd]

It's not that hard to do:

My prefix is 345. Some other local calling prefixes for me are 346, 347, 663, 666, 289.

In the outbound rule:
Calls to Numbers Starting with: 345-347,663,666,289

In the Transform Mask: r1860

That would take any number dialed 93450000 would go out to the VoIP as 18603450000

Another rule (you'd need a bunch to cover everything)
Transform Mask: r

That would cover anything dialed that doesn't start with the 1st rule.
They run in order so if it doesn't match the 1st rule, go to the 2nd rule, etc.

Simple right?

 

[tjabaut]

rob

we are not required to dial an area code for any exchange within or area code. here in New york there are well over a hundred exchanges in my area code, so to add them all would be quite a task.

this is not really the answer that i was looking for.

i still really think that this feature is lacking or else i have relying on a feature in asterisk too much. i am open to suggestions as to a better way of dealing with this, but my requirements are:

i can guarantee that clients will not dial 10 or 11 digits for every call including local. it is just ingrained in their brain that they do not need to do so.

it has to be faily easy and quick to administer. cannot justify entering 100-200 exchanges and billing the client for it.

if we had command line access to the config files it could probably be scripted, and thus alleviate the time constraint.

I really hpe someone in this community has a better answer for me. i would have thought that 7 digit dialing would have been a no brainer.

 

[tjabaut]

bump