Solved Forward remote PSTN line to central 3CX

[jakthree]

Both sites are 3CX v16.0.1.273 Pro Linux on-site
Site-1 is central (main)
extensions: 1000-1100
bridge (master) to site-2: 10100
sip (4-line FXO): 10000
inbound rule: DIDs from 10000 get routed to ring group 8000 which includes 1000 (receptionist for site-1)
outbound route: 4-digit, beginning with 2 get routed to site-2
Site-2 is remote
extensions: 2000-2100
bridge (slave) to site-1: 10100
sip (4-line FXO): 10001
inbound rule: DIDs from 10000 get routed to ring group 8000 which includes 2000 (receptionist for site-2)
outbound route: 4-digit, beginning with 1 get routed to site-1

Each site can intercom the other. Each site can answer and call out on their local SIP trunk. My problem is that site-2 receptionist is out on extended leave and the site-2 manager (part of the ring group) is now forced to answer incoming calls. The manager has asked if incoming calls can be routed to site-1 so that the site-1 receptionists ring group can answer the calls.

I have tried changing the site-2 inbound rule forwarding from 'forward to extension 8000' to 'forward to number 1044'. ext1044 is an extension at site-1 used for testing. The incoming call fails to route to site-2 1044 because it can't find a matching local extension number. The log file reports

1. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Leg L:151.1[Line:10001<<1234567890] is terminated: Cause: BYE from PBX
2. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503020]: Call(C:151): Normal call termination. Call originator: Line:10001<<1234567890. Reason: Not found
3. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503014]: Call(C:151): No known route from Line:10001<<1234567890 to target: <sip:[email protected]:5060>
4. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Call(C:151): from Line:10001<<1234567890 to 1044 doesn't match any known extension number.
5. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Call(C:151): from Line:10001<<1234567890: Office hours override is active, now it is set to OUT of office hours
6. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503010]: Call(C:151): Making route(s) from Line:10001<<1234567890 to <sip:[email protected]:5060>
7. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM500002]: Call(C:151): Info on incoming INVITE from Line:10001<<1234567890 :

How to I set the site-2 inbound DID rule so that it will forward to the site-2 receptionist group 8000?
Thank you,

 

[Evolute IT]

Both sites are 3CX v16.0.1.273 Pro Linux on-site
Site-1 is central (main)
extensions: 1000-1100
bridge (master) to site-2: 10100
sip (4-line FXO): 10000
inbound rule: DIDs from 10000 get routed to ring group 8000 which includes 1000 (receptionist for site-1)
outbound route: 4-digit, beginning with 2 get routed to site-2
Site-2 is remote
extensions: 2000-2100
bridge (slave) to site-1: 10100
sip (4-line FXO): 10001
inbound rule: DIDs from 10000 get routed to ring group 8000 which includes 2000 (receptionist for site-2)
outbound route: 4-digit, beginning with 1 get routed to site-1

Each site can intercom the other. Each site can answer and call out on their local SIP trunk. My problem is that site-2 receptionist is out on extended leave and the site-2 manager (part of the ring group) is now forced to answer incoming calls. The manager has asked if incoming calls can be routed to site-1 so that the site-1 receptionists ring group can answer the calls.

I have tried changing the site-2 inbound rule forwarding from 'forward to extension 8000' to 'forward to number 1044'. ext1044 is an extension at site-1 used for testing. The incoming call fails to route to site-2 1044 because it can't find a matching local extension number. The log file reports

1. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Leg L:151.1[Line:10001<<1234567890] is terminated: Cause: BYE from PBX
2. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503020]: Call(C:151): Normal call termination. Call originator: Line:10001<<1234567890. Reason: Not found
3. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503014]: Call(C:151): No known route from Line:10001<<1234567890 to target: <sip:[email protected]:5060>
4. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Call(C:151): from Line:10001<<1234567890 to 1044 doesn't match any known extension number.
5. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - Call(C:151): from Line:10001<<1234567890: Office hours override is active, now it is set to OUT of office hours
6. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM503010]: Call(C:151): Making route(s) from Line:10001<<1234567890 to <sip:[email protected]:5060>
7. 11/12/2019 12:46:24 PM - [CM500002]: Call(C:151): Info on incoming INVITE from Line:10001<<1234567890 :

How to I set the site-2 inbound DID rule so that it will forward to the site-2 receptionist group 8000?
Thank you,

You should be able to if you set the forwarded extension to "Forward to External Number" and then in the field, set the ring group extension of the remote site with the prefix (if any). The call should be routed through your outbound rules so if you did your configuration correctly, the call will be sent to your remote 3CX.

We do this currently with a Teams SBC. The number uses the prefix 9 to go to that SBC and then MS Teams does the rest. In your case, 3CX should ring the ring group like if you called it directly from a phone.

 

[jakthree]

Frederick,
Thank you for your reply,
I am not running SBC. The sites are connected via VPN.
"You should be able to if you set the forwarded extension to".
What do you mean by "forwarded extension"? I am not forwarding an extension. I want to forward a PSTN connected to a FXO gateway. I have a FXO gateway with 4 PSTN lines. Each PSTN line is assigned a DID number. I have created an Inbound Rule for each DID. I have set the DID's Inbound rule's Route calls to - Destination for calls during office hours to 'Extension', Extension number: 8000.
This is working and allows inbound calls from the FXO/DID to be routed to the site-2 (local) 8000 ring group. My problem is that the primary receptionist is on extended leave and the other extensions in the ring group are not always available to answer calls. I want to temporally route calls to the site-1 (remote) 8000 ring group (or a single site-1 extension 1044).
I have changed the DID's Inbound rule's Route calls to - Destination for calls during office hours to 'Forward to Outside Number', External Number: 1044. The call fails because (refer to first message 4) doesn't match known extension (i.e 1044 because it exists on site-1 remote) and/or (3) no known route from line 10001 (i.e. the FXO line can't find a route to the bridge to site-1)
If I understand correctly, my prefix it the first digit of the remote extension (1xxx). I have an outbound route set for four digits length beginning with (1). The outbound route allows my local 2xxx extensions to call remote 1xxx extension. This works well. The call fails because there is not a local 1044 and 3CX doesn't seem to check the outbound routes for a matching 1xxx.
"set the ring group extension of the remote site with the prefix (if any)"
A possible problem is that I have a local 8000 ring group and a remote 8000 ring group. This is the reason I am using single remote extension 1044 for testing. This has not been a problem so far because neither site has a outbound rule set for (8xxx) so the call is not routed thru the bridge. If I set the destination to Extension 8000 then the call will get routed to the local RG (normal operation).
If I use a prefix (i.e. 98000), do I enter 'Forward to Outside Number', External Number: 98000?
If yes, then how does 3CX know to where to route 98000?
If no, then where is the prefix entered and how does 3CX know were to route the prefix?

Any help will be appreciated,
Thank you,

 

[SweetAction]

Let me make sure I understand. You want to route inbound calls to a destination that is on a remote bridged PBX?

You can accomplish this by making a dummy extension and having that extension forward to the remote PBX. I'm not aware of a way to set an inbound rule to a remote PBX directly.

 

[jakthree]

Follow up,
You are correct, I want to forward inbound PSTN site-2 calls to site-1 to be answered by site-1 receptionists ring group.
Giving credit to SweetAction...
I found that I the Inbound Rule could not find a route to the bridge, probably because it is not considered and extension. I did this
Site-2
Created a 2803 local extension 'Dummy Forward to Site-1 1803' to forward to number 1803.
Changed DID Inbound rule to forward to extension 2803.
Site-1
Created a 1803 ext on the remote 'Dummy From Site-2' to forward to extension 8003 receptionists RG.

So far this has worked great. Only problem is that site-1 receptionists are trained to answer the phone as 'Site-1 Company Name'. They have no way (yet) to know which site is ringing.

Thank you all for the help. You can change this thread to solved.