International calling on a Merlin Legend over ISDN PRI 3

[noisecode]

I have a customer who is having problems dialing international calls over an ISDN PRI. Previously, they had a tie trunk to the CO but have recently upgraded to the PRI. I see an ARS area code table with an entry for "011" setup with a route to the PRI pool. As far as I can tell, ARS is not inserting or absorbing any digits. When the customer tries to dial the international phone number, they just get a busy signal. Any ideas on what I need to check? This is a Merlin Legend 5.0.

 

[Pepperz]

Delete the 011 in the PRI special services table 0. It is sending out 011 twice, and the LD carrier stops the call.

Pepperzgm at gmail dotte comm

 

[ken1713]

Go into Lines/trunks>Pri>outtbl>>specsvc>Deldig>Entry 0 and change number. If its 3 change to 0 if its 0 change to 3.

 

[noisecode]

So do I also need to remove the ARS area code table entry for "011" ? Right now it appears as though the call should be routed via ARS. Do I need the ARS entry AND the special services table setting?

 

[ken1713]

Try it both ways.

 

[noisecode]

I found the root of the problem. The special services table 0 entry for "011" was removing 3 digits. With ARS not adding/removing any digits this caused a busy signal. Then I thought 011 was being sent twice, so I tried to have ARS absorb 3 digits. This made the special services table remove 3 and ARS remove 3, leaving us with an invalid phone number. At this point I got CO wave off saying "Number cannot be completed as dialed". What I had to do was have ARS absorb 0 and special services entry 0 absorb 0, leaving the entire phone number sent to the CO (with the 011). This appears to have worked.

The moral of the story: With ISDN PRI trunks, some switches at the CO that you are connecting to expect the 011 while others use the signaling on the ISDN PRI D Channel to determine it is an international call and do not need the 011. In my case, the CO DID want the 011, so I had to change the default value of the special services table entry 0.

 

[phonesrus]

As a general rule of thumb, PRI on CO Switches from major carriers, ie. SBC, Verizon, Bell South, etc.using 5ESS and DMS 100 switches require 1+ or 011+ output from your switch, unless you are doing Call-by-Call or some special services.
Dedicated L/D from AT&T, Sprint, MCI using 4ESS or DMS 500 switches usually require you to strip the prefix because those switches are already L/D switches.
The occasional DMS 250 switch is a Hybrid local & L/D and can go either way.
The providers that do dialtone thru Cisco routers (read IP)ie. CBeyond, you better ask because they may go any direction.
Most other switches, ie. 1A with Channel banks, Dex, etc, require 1+/011+ output.
The best solution is to ask the carrier what they are looking for.