Same VM for 2 Extensions

[kraichle]

Hi,

Is there a way to specify the same Voice Mail for two different extensions?

It would be to have an office phone and a work phone at home, but both log into the same VM.

Didn't seem like that's possible on V14 anyway.

Thanks.

 

[pact]

Yes, but probably in a different way to you're thinking

Simply set Ext2's Forwarding rules to not go to 'voicemail', but go to 'extension', then in that drop down you can select 'voicemail of - ext1'

Ext2 will then send all unanswered calls to Ext1's VoiceMail.

If you are then emailing VoiceMail files out of the system there is nothing further you need to do.

(Alternatively, you could just set both phones up as the same extension, 3CX supports SIP Forking, but there are advantages to having different extensions between home and work as well in some scenarios).

 

[kraichle]

One of the things I'd like to have on both extensions is MWI notification. The only way that would seem to work correctly is with the alternate option as you suggested.

And by "setting up both phones as the same extension" as you suggest, means to have both phones register using the same credentials, correct?

 

[leejor]

Unfortunately, one mailbox can't notify two different extension numbers. This sort of feature (a department mailbox) had been suggested a long time ago. If the set you have at your home location has the ability to host more than one line, then you could duplicate the work location extension on one of the keys. This would allow MWI for your office set extension to show at home. That key could be set NOT to ring (only flash) if you didn't want to be disturbed. A second key could be provisioned with a different extension number that would ring allowing you to be reached by people you had given that number to.

 

[kraichle]

Maybe I should qualify what I want a little better. If I just want both phones wk/hm to act exactly the same could I register them both with the exact same extension credentials? The person using either phone (my wife in this case) will only be in one location or the other, never both at the same time.

The only thing I see that would be contention is if they wanted to use something like intercom. Not sure how that would work, but only one of the two phones supports intercom, so that shouldn't be a problem, not to mention intercom isn't used yet.

Do you see any issues doing it this way?

 

[Sopock]

* This way when your extension rings, it will ring both at the office and at home.

* The 3CX client for Windows is capable of automatically detecting whether you are in or out of office (based on your IP) and will automatically switch to the appropriate setting set by your administrator.

I wonder how to combine this?

 

[pact]

Maybe I should qualify what I want a little better. If I just want both phones wk/hm to act exactly the same could I register them both with the exact same extension credentials? The person using either phone (my wife in this case) will only be in one location or the other, never both at the same time.

The only thing I see that would be contention is if they wanted to use something like intercom. Not sure how that would work, but only one of the two phones supports intercom, so that shouldn't be a problem, not to mention intercom isn't used yet.

Do you see any issues doing it this way?

Yes, this is called SIP Forking, so simply register both phones to the same extension and they will both ring when the extension is called.

This will allow the user to be the same Extension at home and at work.

3CX will show both phones registered against the same extension as well, so you'll still be able to see which Handset is which.

 

[kraichle]

Oh cool, I'll have to try it. So under extension status it'll show just one extension, but under registered phones both phones should show up I'm guessing?

What's the negatives about doing this? Intercom would be one that comes to mind.

 

[leejor]

I use this all the time, and, personally, and have not come across any negatives. One option, to consider, if you do go with SIP forking, is the extension option of being able to receive more than one call at a time.

If someone were using the set at the office, and this option were off, then the phone at home would not ring on an incoming call, as the line would be seen, by the PBX, as busy, the call going off to voicemail (probably). If the option is set to allow more than one call, then the home set would ring even if the office set were engaged.

Something to keep in mind.

 

[kraichle]

Thanks

 

[yrabinovich]

We did this for a customer with Yealink phones that had multiple general mailboxes that they wanted 5 users to get WMI notifications for.

In your scenario, create a new extension, eg. My VM and setup the call forward no answer for each extension (work/home) to go to the voicemail of the new extension. Then on each phone, manually add (or put it in a template and reprovision) the newly created extension as line 2 (Match the advanced settings from the main line for the WMI to work). Then when that mailbox gets a message, both phones will notify you, and you can check it from either phone.