Separate VOIP Provider entry for toll free number

[techmikeny]

We're having an issue where calling into our 3CX phone system (most recent version and service pack) with a toll free 888 number
and pressing buttons in the Digital receptionist has no effect. The caller is unable to dial a direct extension or an option in the digital receptionist. The buttons make a tone when pressed, but don't cause any action.
Our regular toll numbers work successfully with no issues.

I had created a separate VOIP provider entry for the 888 number. Is this required?
Our SIP service is Sotel. I have a separate VOIP Provider entry for our 4 regular toll numbers, which has no issues.

In the Edit VOIP Provider page, we have termination2.sotelips.net and
port 5060 for SIP Server and Outbound Proxy settings
And in the account details, External Number and Authentication
password is the full toll free phone number 1888XXXXXXX

Source Identification is by ID
PBX delivers Audio is checked.
STUN is off and our public IP is specified accordingly.

Not sure what other settings I'm missing. I've reviewed this document provided by Sotel and am relatively sure all is good
https://sites.google.com/a/3cx.com/3cx-wiki/voip-provider/3rd-party-supported/sotel-trunk---configuraton-guide


Please advise. Assistance in this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

 

[leejor]

DTMF over VoIP is "done" in one of two ways, audio, or a SIP message (several types). I suspect, you should be receiving DTMF audio and that perhaps the level or duration, of the tones, is not sufficient for 3CX to recognize.

You may need to do some testing to see exactly what 3CX is "hearing" during an incoming call. Try directing calls, from that number, directly to an extension, answer a call and have the caller send some DTMF tones. How do they sound? How does it compare to a call from one of the working toll free numbers?

You may have to go back to your provider, for this number, or service, and get some help in investigating why this service is behaving in a different manner from the other services that work correctly. If the call is getting through (to the automated attendant), then you should not have to add anything else to 3CX as fas as additional trunks.

 

[techmikeny]

I determined the 888 toll free number forwards to one of our regular toll numbers on Sotel 's end, so there was no reason to have the additional voip trunk provider entry with inbound and outbound rules like I had previously.

To test,
1. I setup the toll number forwarded from the 888 number to go direct to my extension, when I answer the call, and press keys from my cell phone I can hear clicks on my 3cx phone.

2. If I dial the toll number instead of the toll free number, and answer the call forwarded direct to my extension, then I also hear the same clicks on my 3cx phone.

3. If I dial the same regular toll number, directed to the automated attendant, tones work normally and cause the desired action of the call.

So tones only have an effect while listening to the automated attendant into a regular toll number. I can hear tones when I press the keys on my cell phone when I dial the toll free 888 number, but they don't have any effect.

Not sure what the issue is here. We've had this problem for a while, but the 888 number doesn't get much use, so we were unaware of the issue until a customer notified us by email.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[leejor]

If the toll number does forward to one of your "regular" VoIP lines (which are otherwise working correctly), and you don't hear DTMF, just clicks. then I'm going to make another assumption that the DTMF is being sent using SIP messaging. It may be that your VoIP provider is having an issue picking up, and then converting the DTMF it gets from the forwarded Toll Free number, to SIP messages, to then pass onto you. It sounds like an issue that needs to be worked out between Sotel and whoever is providing your Toll Free number. There may be some settings that one, or the other, can change, to enable it to work.

I would approach the Toll Free number provider first, and see what they suggest, since it is their service that is not working.