Customer Controlled Call Forwarding

[paul.obrien]

I have a customer who has ISDN2 lines - with customer controlled forwarding. They use this feature to divert their phones out of hours to an on-call mobile (they are Vets). Currently, their existing system manages this feature for them. They are very keen to change to 3CX, but must retain this facility. I believe the line expects something from the phone system to tell it what to do with the calls. The call must be forwarded with the callers number.

Can anyone advise if they have this operational? Or, how I would achieve this?

Many thanks

Paul

 

[leejor]

It all depends on what digits are sent to activate and de-activate the call forwarding and if it will accept all of the digits together or if there has to be a pause inserted.

 

[nwhitfield]

I would imagine that it's something that the adaptor you're using for the ISDN lines handles - assuming you're not wanting to replace the ISDN with a SIP trunk (which is what I've just done, in the UK).

Certainly, with the BT ISDN2e service, there aren't dial codes that the line expects to receive to control call forwarding, because it's all done over the D channel. So, when I had my old Euracom plugged in, I could control the call forwarding using that, via a code specific to the Euracom; and when I switched to the Fritzbox after the Euracom died, the code was completely different. (For example, #611x9number# on Euracom, or *21*number*msn# on Fritzbox, where x is the id of the Multiple Subscribe Number on Euracom)

I think you need to say more about exactly which bits of kit will be replaced, and how you envisage connecting to 3CX

 

[paul.obrien]

At the moment, they have a siemens system - they use *69 with the siemens kit to set up the call forwarding.

I'm proposing to use a Patton Smartnode 4634 - would the call forwarding be initiated via 3CX to the Patton - by dialling a similar shortcode to those you mention?

Paul

 

[mfm]

Hi,

With version 9 specifically, the clients can have various statuses , away, out of office etc, these all can be changed either using there assistant or else using their voicemail on the extension and swap it automatically for example.

Come into office set extension to available, calls are routed to normal extension / ring group / que.

Our for lunch set it to away, away sends it to a Voicemail saying "we are out for lunch right now please leave a message "

Out of office > Divert to external Number > Mobile.

Hope this is a more clear setup.

 

[paul.obrien]

Thanks Mark

Perhaps I am not being clear.

I want to forward all the calls for a particular site to another number - with the original caller id maintained.

So my number is 01234 567890 - I'm calling 01234 567891 - which is forwarded to 01234 567892 - I want them to see my number calling, not the diverted site.

Paul

 

[leejor]

The problem(s) with using the call forward feature (or any network feature) on PSTN/ISDN lines, in most cases, is the sending of * and # ,if required, and the insertion of a pause, if required. Since the activation and deactivation varies greatly depending on who you have your service with, you need to specify what is sent now to use these features. Is the *69 the digits sent to the provider or the code that they dial from their set that is then translated to something else and then sent to the provider?

I have encountered problems with Gateways not translating the * and # properly. The entire digit string needed can be created in an outbound rule so that to activate the customer only need dial a short code, like 222 and the number to call forward to. You would strip the 222, and prepend with whatever digits were needed and then add the forwarded number. For fixed call forwarding, where you've told the phone company to always forward to one number only, you would translate the 222 into the activation code and send it out on the trunk. This is the difficult part. Because many of these feature do require the use of * and # you would have to test to see if your gateway (analogue or ISDN) is able to handle the sending of those special characters.

 

[mfm]

From the point of view of 3cx:

When a call comes in, 3CX takes note of this called ID and passed it trough every forward and divert it does, that means it tells the patton, original called id is for example 123456 and dial number 00456345 , the patton sends to your telco the original callers ID and the number it wishes to dial. Now if your telco does not allow this, thats another story and beyond the scope of the entire PBX as you would have to change dial code mappings in the patton and force the telco by using the dial code to do it.

For that you would have to contact patton support.

But start bya asking your telco if this can be done.

 

[leejor]

Mark
He's talking about making use of the call forwarding feature that his phone company provides, on the line, not using call forwarding through 3CX.