Configuring an auxiliary answering machine.

[mimeryme]

Hello, I'm a newbie to phone system programming and am currently trying to setup an auxiliary answering machine to a Partner ACS phone system.

The system uses Partner release 3.

The manual I downloaded explained how to setup a single answering machine, but I am not confident that I understand the whole thing.

What I would like to do is for an answering machine to be setup with a specific phone number that can be turned on at night. (ie. night calls to main number will remain unanswered, but an alternate number can be dialed that will be immediately answered by an answering machine.)

From the instructions, I gather that I should assign a line to an extension. Set the line ringing for this line to immediate and that should be pretty much it. Of course, I would have to figure out what I actually need to press to accomplish the above task.

I also would like to know the following: whether or not calling this number will always trigger the answering machine or would this feature be able to be turned on and off as needed, would transferring a call to this extension trigger the answering machine.

Thanks for any help.

 

[392]

Several ways to do this sensibly.

One is to just plug the answering machine into the aux port on the bottom of any phone which rings when that number is called. Hit the ON button to pickup calls after hours.

Another is to assign the answering machine its own extension port. Then you can adjust how long it takes to pickup the line by the ring selector on the machine + adding delayed ringing on that extension + using coverage from another (even a phantom) extension. Or, you could forward the phantom to the answering machine extension to make it answer when you wanted. Or you could make the answering machine extension part of the night service group and it would only receive ringing when the night button was pushed on 10.

Need to know more about when the answering machine needs to pickup, how many rings before pickup, how the office works before an optimum programming choice could be made or offered.

 

[mimeryme]

Thanks for the quick reply 392.

Here is a more detailed explanation of the office setup:

One extension is designated for the receptionist and that is the only one that rings.

A call made to an alternate number goes to a certain line, but not to any specific extension. So basically, the call can only be answered on that line, but can be picked up by anyone that sees the call (only the receptionist can hear the call).

I would need the answering machine to pickup on 2 or 3 rings. The office closes at 6pm and no one answers after that. The answering machine should answer.

Thanks again for all your help.