Which number are they calling?

[jonathanc]

Forgive me if this is obvious, but having spent some time investigating DIDs and the like I haven't been able to find an answer.

I have just set up 3CX free edition on a Windows XP machine and use DrayTEL as my VoIP provider and my iPhone 4s as an extension. I have bought three numbers from DrayTEL - let's call them *1234, *3456 and *5678.

I run a small business and also work for a charity. I want to associate *1234 with the business, *4567 with the charity and use *5678 for personal calls.

So I need my iPhone to tell me which number is being called, so that I can answer appropriately - 'Good morning - ABC Ltd' when the business number *1234 is called; 'Good morning - Crocodile Rescue' when the charity numer *4567 is called; and 'Hi - it's Jonathan' when the personal number *5678 is called.

If the display can tell me it's a 'Personal' call or an 'ABC' call or a 'Crocodile Rescue' call that would be better still.

I'd be very grateful for help in setting this up, as all I can see on the screen at the moment is the caller's number, no matter what I do.

Many thanks

 

[mixig]

Hi,

go to your inbound rule, select one of your DID numbers (e.g. *1234) and on the right side there is an empty field "inbound rule name" you put ABC Ltd , same story for the rest of your DIDs

on your phone there will be : ABC Ltd + callerID

 

[jonathanc]

Thank you, mixig, but Ican't make your suggestion work.

I click the + beside 'Inbound Rules', click on a DID and see an 'Edit DID' window which has near the top a pane labelled 'DID/DDI Name'. In the same pane there is an empty field with the same label, but no matter what I enter in there (and click OK!) my iPhone still reports: '3CX Phone. Incoming call from 01234 567 890' - not a mention of which DID has been called.

I assume I am altering the correct field: I cannot find a field labelled 'Inbound rule name' anywhere. I am using 3CX Free Edition v 10.0.24018.2322.

Have I misunderstood you, please? Or is there something else I should have done?

 

[craigreilly]

The DID Name is what will appear on the display. then umber/mask is what you need to match based on what the provider is sending you.

Under Settings, General, Global Options - is "Add Queue, Group and DID name to Caller ID" - ensure that is ticked.
Finally, just below that you have option to Prepend or append the Caller ID (before or after)/

 

[craigreilly]

Also - I would upgrade to v11. I think the verbiage on v10 is a little different.

 

[lneblett]

How does the iPhone get the call? Presumably, the call is coming in from Draytel to 3CX, but you are either using the 3CX iPhone application or the call is being forwarded via a forward to rule which uses a cell carrier?

 

[jonathanc]

Sorry for the delay: the forum seemed to be inaccessible. And thanks for the ideas.

I have now upgraded to v11 and followed all your instructions.

As a test, I have inserted the Inbound rule name 'Personal' against one of my DIDs (*6614); the Inbound rule type is "DID/DID number/mask" and the DID/DDI number/mask itself is "*6614".

Under Settings > General > Global options, "Add Queue, Group and DID Names to Caller ID" is indeed ticked, and "Prepend" is dotted.

When 3CX receives a call it passes it to my iPhone 4S (Extension 100, and the only member of the Management Group" via WiFi - perfectly, except that the display says the calling number and not "Personal".

I can't help feeling there's something really obvious I've overlooked which I hope will occur to more experienced users!

Thanks again for your help.

 

[mixig]

can you try with real IP phone instead iphone? only for test?

 

[mixig]

Update:
I just tested with iphone 4 (not 4S) and it is working normally

 

[jonathanc]

mixig, thank you for your perseverance. Nothing I try seems to work. I'm loath to invest in a dedicated IP phone until I know that the system will do what I want it to do.

I know this is a big ask, but is there any chance, please, that you could find to time to glance at the attached configuration backup file to see if there's some error which is blindingly obvious to you but which I have missed?

Don't worry if you don't have the time - I much appreciate the help you've given me so far, and the knowledge that it can work with an iPhone.

Many thanks

 

[leejor]

I'm loath to invest in a dedicated IP phone until I know that the system will do what I want it to do.

You could try the Windows version of the 3Cx phone (on a PC), and see how that goes. If you have a PC then there is no cost involved, just your time.

 

[jonathanc]

Erm... leejor, this is going to sound really daft, and I hope I'm not like that apocryphal person who asked a helpline why her PC wasn't working, only to reveal late in the conversation that she was in the middle of a power cut. You may remember she was told to pack the whole lot up and send it back to the store, explaining she was too stupid to own a computer.

So I hope you don't think I fall into that category, but what do you mean by "the Windows version of the 3CX phone"?

I have installed on the PC hosting the PBX, under the 3CX Phone System program group

• Windows Management Console
  3CX Log Folder
  Backup and Restore Tool
  Management Console
  MyPhoneClient
  Phone Provisioning
  Uninstall
  3CX Web Reports
  Wallboard

and separately

• 3CX MyPhone

Is it one of these you mean, please? Or is there another piece of software I need to download? None of the above seems to provide the sort of instant monitoring system which mimics a physical telephone instrument - eg 3CX MyPhone doesn't say "01234 567 890 calling". And Windows Management Console > Server Activity Log makes no mention of DIDs.

Sorry to be so thick, but you'll appreciate I'm new at this game - and I really have searched the User Guide!

 

[mixig]

you must download 3cx softphone for windows separately, link is here:

http://www.3cx.com/VOIP/voip-phone.html

 

[jonathanc]

Aha! Thank you. I've got to turn my attention to other projects for the next few days, but will return to the quest next week.

Thanks again