meaning of 'assign to existing extension'?

[asinshesq]

Sorry for the newbie question, but if I assign a phone to an existing extension will that phone (and the other phone that shares the same extension) effectively become a party line? I have a wired phone (yealink t20) and a wireless phone (yealink w52p) in the same room and ideally I would like them both to act like a party line where if I pick up one and start talking and then pick up the other both will be on line at once. Is that what assigning to an existing extension means or is there another way to do that?

 

[leejor]

The only way to accomplish what you are describing is to plug two analogue sets into one ATA.
In VoIP you can have SIP Forking, that is, assign the same number to two devices. Both will ring when the extension number is called, but each can make outgoing calls independently of the other. In 3CX this is an option selected when creating the extension...allow this extension to accept more than one call.

 

[asinshesq]

Thanks. If I understand you right, when I get an outside call and pick up on one phone I will no longer be able to pick up that same call on the other (other than via the conferencing feature). Correct?

 

[asinshesq]

And one more question (assuming my last post is correct): if I assign the two phones to one extension and a call comes in and I pick up one phone, is there a way for that phone to conference in the other phone?

 

[asinshesq]

And sorry, but here is still another question:

If I want to replace one phone with another (in this case a yealink t46 for a t20), is it ok to assign the new phone to the same extension as the old, get it provisioned correctly (which may take a while) and then delete the old phone once the new one is working (so that I assure there is no downtime)? Any downside to replacing a phone in this way?

 

[ian.watts]

Correct.. once the call is handled (answered by one handset), the INVITE is over.. and stops ringing at the other handset. No "party line" is available.. though at times would be semi-nice versus conferencing in an extension.

I believe you can conference the extension from that extension. Hmm..
Registered a v6 handset.
Called in from my cell.. picked up on my SPA504G, rang both at the time.
Tried to conference in my own extension number.. no ring.
Set the option to accept more than one call at the same time.
It "rang" barely.. maybe an tenth of a second.
I even tried the auto-answer on 3CX Phone 6.. no dice.

So.. "maybe".. but "probably not".