Merlin Legend Forward all incoming calls to cell phone 2

[ChrisAring]

Hello,

I have never used this system before but have been able to make some progress through the online documentation and manuals but am having trouble with one ting.

I am trying to setup my system to forward all incoming calls to an external cell phone.

I figured out how to forward calls to a cell phone from an extension when dialing internally. (When I go to a local phone and call an extension, it will forward to a cell phone).

I was reading about having a principal extension where all incoming calls go to an extension and thus are forwarded out?

I am not sure how to make this work and am looking for some help!

Thank you.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Google for the Feature Reference for your particular release

Here's one for Magix R3

Look up Primary User (sample pdf starts on page 566 (or 594 of the pdf))

Are your lines assigned to pools, or are they set up as individual lines? If they are in pools, the Operator extension will usually have the lines assigned on individual buttons, so it can be set up as the Principal User. If not using pools, then you can pick the extension that will "own" the lines.

Menu -> System Programming -> Exit or Start -> LinesTrunks -> More -> PrncipalUsr -> {Dial Line/Trunk number} -> Enter -> {Dial Extension number} -> Enter or Delete -> Back -> Back

Now the lines will follow the coverage of the Principal Owner. If you forwa4d the extension to an outside number, calls will follow the forward. If you have forwarding turned off, calls will go to the Voicemail of the Principal User, so you may also need to change the voicemail for the Principal User to point to the Automated Attendant instead of a mailbox

 

[ChrisAring]

I actually tried this solution before and it didn’t work. I set line 1 (801) to an extension (101) which had forwarding active. (This worked for internal calls to the extension where it forwarded out).
I confirmed with INSPECT that it is the right phone number assigned to 801.

How can I tell if it is setup in pools? I took over for a property with this system so I am not sure how they set it up. Is there an easy way to see how it’s setup without a PC?

Is it possibly an issue with some other settings?

Thanks for the help!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Do you dial 9 to make outgoing calls? Or do you press a line key and dial away? Dialing 9 means you have lines in pools.

You're also going to need to have lines that have reliable disconnect, and the extension being forwarded needs to be allowed trunk to trunk transfer.

PRI service provides reliable disconnect, loop start lines need to be confirmed and programmed as such.



Extensions→ More→ More→ TrkTransfer→ dial ext. no.→ Enter→ Back→ Back


LinesTrunks→ TT/LS Disc→ LS Disconnect→ Yes→ Enter→ Exit→ Exit

 

[ChrisAring]

Hello,

When dialing from one of the phones, I do not need to dial 9. I just dial the number and it goes through. However, if I try to set the forwarding on one of the landlines, it makes me put a 9 first or it will just clear out the number im typing after 1-2 digits. (I assume that's because without the 9 its expecting an in-house number). Does this mean the lines are setup in pools? Im confused because one way uses the 9 prefix and one doesn't...

I tried all the steps above setting Dial Line/Trunk number to 801 and Dial Extension Number to 101. and then forwarded 101 out. It didn't work.

Also, I'm not sure if its worth noting, but all the extensions ring simultaneously when there is an incoming call and they ring a long time before giving the caller a busy tone -- if this is at all helpful.

Some other random info that may not be helpful:
We have three individual phone lines coming in to the system and it's in Key mode.

Any thoughts?


Thank you Tommy.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Key mode is good, that tells us that there are no pools.

Programming an outside number for Remote Call Forward IS going to require the 9 before the telephone number, to distinguish from an internal extension number.

As long as you've programmed the lines as Reliable Disconnect, Ext. 101 is the Principal User of the line, and Ext. 101 is forwarded to the outside number, it should be working.

Also, I don't know if the Auto Line Select of x101 matters for RCF, but make sure it is Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, etc.

Testing:
Forward 101 to the outside number
Call from another internal extension, does the call forward? (I read that you've done this successfully)
Call from your cell, answer from another extension, transfer the call to x101. Does the call forward?
Call from your call to a number that x101 is the Principal User of, does the call forward?

When an extension is programmed as the principal user of a Personal
Line, calls arriving on the Personal Line can be forwarded to an outside
number (if the extension can use Remote Call Forwarding) as long as the
Personal Line is not a loop-start line with unreliable disconnect.

And finally, if you don't have voicemail coverage, and are not forwarding to an outside number, an incoming call should ring forever until it is answered or the caller gives up. If your phones ring a bunch of times and then the caller gets a busy signal, that is the phone company telling the caller that they are done ringing phones that aren't going to be answered. Normally, the only time a caller should hear a busy signal is when the number is already in use.

 

[ChrisAring]

Hello,

So for the testing:
Yes calling internally to 101 forwards to my cell. I just tried calling the main landline from a friends cellphone, answered it on extension 104, forwarded to to 101 (which has forwarding on and worked as started above for forwarding out), but it didn’t forward to my cell in that case.

I’m a little confused by your third test.

Could every extension need to be allowed to do RCF? 101 can but the others still are set to not allow external call forwarding..
Or all extensions needing TrkTransfer?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to allow Trunk to Trunk transfer on ALL extensions.

Test 1 - does x101 forward internal calls to the outside number

Test 2 - does x101 forward a Transferred external call to the outside number. (Answer at x102, press Transfer, dial 101, press Transfer again)

Test 3 - program x101 as the Principal User of Line 1. Forward 101. Call Line 1. Does the call forward out (on line 2) to the outside number.

Can't proceed to test 3 until test 2 is working.

 

[ChrisAring]

So test 1 is successful.

Test 2 is not.

Is sys program -> extensions -> LinesTrunks -> 101 or any importance? It lets me assign lines 01-20, 21-40,… to the extension. Is that separate?

Is it something with it not picking the second line to call out from? It’s a different phone number. Maybe something has to be set for line/trunk 802? Maybe make ext 101 the principal extension for 802 as well?

I have made sure everything suggested above is correct so I’m quite lost. I appreciate your help Tommy. Thank you for the quick responses.


UPDATE:

All the above is still true, however, I just tried calling the second line (under 802) from a friends phone and it worked fully!

It just doesn’t work if I dial the first (801) number… it seems like it only uses that one to dial out so if I’m calling that number from the outside it doesn’t use the second number to forward my call out. But it will work the other way.

Voices are quite quiet on both ends, any way to help this issue?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Sounds like you have assigned x101 as Principal User of 802, but not 801

Turn ON Ringing/Idle Line Preference at x101 - Intercom *343

Set the Auto Line Selection to Line 1, Line 2, Line 3 - Intercom *14, press Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, **14
(how many line do you have? I thought I read 3 somewhere, but just press the active lines in order)

Make sure you have assigned ALL the lines to x101 as Principal User -

LinesTrunks→ More → PrincipalUsr→ 801→ Enter→ 802→ Enter→ 803→ Enter (etc.)→ Back→ Back

When programming Lines to phones, because the maximum number of lines is 80, and you toggle buttons to assing/unassign lines, you need to switch to different ranges of lines. The 20 line buttons represent the 20 lines in the range, if you are on 21-40 range, button 1 represents line 21, button 2 represents line 22, etc.

 

[ChrisAring]

Thank you much, I’ll try these steps later as for my case I’m perfectly okay with line 1 ‘not working’.

I’d there a setting I can adjust to increase the gain through the system? After forwarding, the voices on each end of the call are very faint.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

You gotta get that Feature Reference!

Considerations and Constraints
Calls transferred to outside numbers may vary in transmission quality.

 

[wireboy]

it may be advisable to consider any toll fraud risk before allowing all users to be able to forward/transfer trunk to trunk calls.

42

 

[ChrisAring]

Thank you wireboy! I’m aware of this possibility but this setup is for a private estate so I am not worried about that possible issue.

But thank you for the heads up.

 

[Dexman]

The drop in audio volume is a reason why it is preferred to utilize call forwarding via the service provider rather than through a telephone system.

I "FEATURE 00

 

[ChrisAring]

Thanks Dexman for the info, luckily for me one of the connecting wires was a bit worn and when I replaced it the volume issue was fixed!

The reason I’m not going through the provider is they charge $12.99 a month for call forwarding!