Is the Disconnect-Time adjustable? 2

[bryanfarrish]

My new Partner R6 is holding on to phone and intercom lines (especially intercom) for a long time after hangup. I.E., after a user checks his voicemail and hangs up, the system keeps his intercom light engaged (and thus a voicemail port used) for 30 to 60 seconds afterwards. It does it also with outside lines, just not as long.

Is there a setting to tell the partner to release the lines and intercoms sooner, after hangup?

Bryan

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hey Bryan,
There is something wrong there. The disconnect timer is for outside CO's when they drop. This is to tell the system that the CO line has been released by your LEC and to drop the connection. When you go on hook, the line should drop within 1/2 sec.(faster).
The intercom should drop very quickly. Try a reset on the system first. Then do a reset - default after saving your program. Try a basic program and test again.
-Chris

 

[bryanfarrish]

Yes, we did the default reset (to solve another problem), but the line/port still hangs... 60 seconds. Problem is worse when calling in from outside, and leaving a message; when the caller hangs up, the line and port hangs every time.

 

[ScoTTeL]

If it is specifically voicemail related, it is the voicemail card not completing the call. I have seen this many times. If it is doing the same for an intercom call to another extension, is it related to a specific extension or are all doing this? Also are all of the extensions with the problem connected to the ACS processor, or do you have an expansion card?

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Bryan,
The voicemail hang is due to the LEC not sending a positive disconnect when the caller hangs up. Once this is programmed on the line, it will release in 1/2 sec or less. It is not a problem with the voice mail. The switch tells the voice mail to release. The switch is not getting a disconnect, so it doesn't.
Not hanging up on the intercom is another thing entirely. Tell me, if you go on the intercom and dial a "1" to break the dial tone, is it absolutely silent? What do you hear?
I guess the other question would be, can you swap the processor out with another? This is not normal for an Partner processor, any release or version. Either that, or move the switch to another location just to test it with different lines and power.
-Chris

 

[bryanfarrish]

Good points. I'll see if the vendor can find out about the LEC signals, with Verizon. And I now see that the problem is not with intercom-voicemails... just outside-line-voicemails. But as for your question... entering "1" does make the intercom silent.

We have another Partner (R5) in pacbell territory, and it releases right away.

Bryan

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Bryan,
You may have to get a tester on the line to prove your case, they may want to charge you per line to make the changes. I have been able to get Bell (Canada) to do this at no charge once I prove the situation.
-Chris

 

[1A2guru]

You wouldn't happen to have a T1 and a channel bank would you?

 

[foosy]

Seeing the same problem- calls do not always disconnect after hangup. And we do have a T1 with a channel bank there. Also the ouput lines of the chnnel bank are fed into a CO surge protector. (But we did see these problems also before inserting the CO surge protector).

What is the recommended troubleshooting/solution ?

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi foosy,
The only way the system can determine the line has dropped is to have a momentary polarity reversal or an interrupton of loop current for over 600mS (or whatever you set the timer to). If the timer is set too short you stand the risk of dropping calls at random.
Look for these settings on your channel bank if available.

-Chris

 

[Dexman]

Another angle to consider.....

If the individual channels on the T1 are using loop start signaling and the originating party disconnects the call the ACS & channelbank won't get a positive disconnect and the call will remain active until someone or something on the Partner ACS/channelbank end disconnects the call.

As a central office technician, I always roll my eyes when I see an order for a T1 circuit and loop start trunks.

Ground start or E&M signaling are much better suited for dedicated T1 service.

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Dexman,
Yes, but a native system will drop the line instantly as the teardown is carried on the "D" channel. The channel bank really ought to provide loop disconnect signals out of the box. They do no harm if not needed and are very often needed.
-Chris

 

[Dexman]

That is very true Chris....ISDN service does not suffer from that problem as all messaging is sent via the "D" channel, but I do not see where Foosy said that ISDN service was being used.

 

[BigWill]

It is my experience that dialtone going into a system as a loopstart trunk is about 48 Vdc. When the line is off hook I measure about 8.1 Vdc. If you have a multimeter you can watch this transaction. The point is after the outside caller hangs up you can watch the multimeter dip almost to 0Vdc which is the loopstart disconnect. This is a tangible and testable feature if you have the equipment. When I test the disconnect feature which is usually insufficient comming out of some channel banks, I will call my cellphone from a system phone, put myself on hold, hang up on my cell phone, that held call on the phone should disappear within 1 second. Try these.

Will

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Dexman,
Good point, he only indicated T1, not the flavour, and a channel bank. Even so, the inband T1 disconnect signal would tear the call down right away, the channel bank is not providing a disconnect signal, or the disconnect timer on the Partner needs to be adjusted to the disconnect the channel bank is sending. I haven't seen one in Canada. I do know for sure the Partner will drop the call in about 1/2 sec when a positive disconnect signal is received from the CO. Mostly DMS100's and 250's out here.

-Chris

 

[Dexman]

Hey Chris,

I want to give a brief description, for those who may not be familiar, of what a central office tech sees when working with a T1 circuit with 24 loop-start trunks. If you've seen this stuff before skip down to the last 3 paragraphs.

When dealing with a dedicated T1 circuit, signaling bits are the driving force behind call setup and disconnect. When the signaling bits go high, the ring generator then sends the usual 90V AC towards the CPE. When the signaling bit go to an idled state, the ring generator in the CPE or channel bank should drop voltage forcing a disconnect.

With E&M signaling, you do have a positive disconnect via your A&B signaling bits. (Add C&D signaling bits for ESF). Those signaling bits will be in a high state for an active call and a low state for an idled condition.

With loop-start trunks, there is no real positive disconnect sent from the central office back to the CPE to cause a voltage drop and a subsequent disconnect if the originating party drops the call first.

So if person calls a toll-free number that terminates on a dedicated T1 with loop-start trunks......reaches an auto attendant and hangs up....depending on how the CPE is programmed......the call with either go to the timeout extension or stay stuck in the auto attendant until the call is manually released, or a timeout timer of some kind shuts the call down.

The 1 and only way I have been able to work around this situation is with a Newbridge 3624 channel bank. Using LGS modules, you can do a special configuration to the channels so facing the central office, the 24 channels look like they are configured as T1 E&M but the CPE will see what looks like a loop-start signal from the Newbridge. The central office sets their side up as T1 E&M and signaling is more reliable.

We have 2 TDM switches in our office that service our customers. Customers connected to either switch have the same issue.....(Alcatel DEX-600E and a Nortel DMS-500).

If the problem is calls coming in on a POTs line not disconnecting, then there is something up with the LECs equipment. If the problem is calls getting stuck on a dedicated T1 circuit with loop-start trunks, my suggestion would be to change the signaling to either ground-start or T1E&M.

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Dexman,
Well, I learned a fair bit just now. Thank you indeed, I'm sure that helps lot's of folks out there.
From the CPE side, I just know on a real POTS line, we need disconnect supervision. I generally go native with T1 circuits, no intermediate gear. So my Partners are not on T1's at all. When the smart jack plugs into the switch I have no issues at all.
-Chris

 

[Dexman]

Hi Chris!

Disconnect supervision is a nice thing to have.

Didn't some Vonage customers run into a problem where their boxes didn't send a disconnect signal to their telephones causing calls to get humg up in answering machines?

Paul

 

[Dexman]

If Foosy could tell us what type of signaling is being used, I think this problem can be resolved prretty quickly.

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi Paul,
We provide local lines and LD (rebiller). We avoid VoiP for home and small business because those users will depend on it too much (read screamers). Failure to release will just add to that, so yes, I can see some problems coming.
I just programmed two CO ports on a PII for VoiP service. I already know the switch will not release the lines while connected to the voicemail. I am ready for the crying, hung line to India (yuk yuk yuk). The guys that sold the iP service haven't a clue (I met them, opinions held to myself).
Connected to an iP Office or the new Eon card, I don't see a problem.

foosy's problem has been identified I think. His channel bank is not sending a disconnect signal, not the first issue with this.

-Chris