Merlin Magix PRI - group ring question

[SteveFlyer]

I have a merlin magix and all my incoming lines are on a PRI. I want to map calls to my main number xxx-5000 to ring on a group so that the first person to pick up will get the incoming call. I tried to map the 5000 number to a group and set that group to group ring, but the calls don't seem to queue right so that when someone answers the phone the call don't move up to ring those extensions right. Is there some other way to have incoming calls ring on multiple (> 8) phones when they come in via a PRI?

Any help would be appreciated.

Steve

 

[SYQUEST]

One way would be to use SSA (Shared System Access) with the DID number. You can set it up like KTS with multiple appearances on up to 16 phones. No Queing required. The complete description of the SSA feature is covered in the Magix FEATURE REFERENCE document. If you don't have it, you can download it for free from support.avaya.com.

Hope this helps!

....JIM....

 

[phonesaz]

What do you mean by "they are not ringing right?" Calling groups on the Magix are generally a wonderful application - very robust for the price point - but you need to make sure they work the way you want them to. One of the things you may want to check is the type of choice it is using - linear, circular, or least idle. The feature manual is also an excellent resource for calling groups - I have read the whole section more than once....

 

[SteveFlyer]

Ok, I tested using the SSA buttons, and here is my results.

I have the did number that I want answered by multiple people mapped to extension 176. On 4 other phones I added SSA buttons for extension 176. I need to test what happens when multiple people call in at the same time. So I call into that DID number from an outside phone and all the phones with the SSA button ring. I let that call ring and call in from another number and that call appears to be queued waiting on the first call. Then I call in from a 3rd phone and that phone gets busy, because there aren't any more line buttons on the original extension 176. I need for the incoming calls to queue ringing until they get picked up from one of the ringing phones.

With respect to the group calling, I tried mapping my incoming did number to a calling group. That calling group is set to group ring. When I call into the did number all the phones ring properly. Then I call in again and the call gets queued. Then I call in again and the call gets queued, still all the phones in the group are ringing as they should be. I answer a call on phone #1 in the group and the other phones keep ringing as they should. I answer the second call on another phone and the other phones keep ringing. I hangup the first call and that phone does not ring, even though there is a call still in the queue waiting to be answered. Same thing when I hangup the second phone I answered. The third incoming caller hears ringing, but all the phones in the group aren't ringing.

Any more suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[SYQUEST]

Lots of suggestions...

In order to use the SSA feature there are different ways to configure the feature in relation to what you want it to do. To have multiple calls ring in on line appearances, you have to add the amount by adding more SA buttons on the Primary phone or Adjunct. Then you would add those same multiple SAs as SSAs on the phones you want to use. The SSAs will use lots of buttons, so depending on how much traffic you want, you may need something like the MLX16DP set or even MLX20Ls or MLX28s. For the complete description and interactions of SSAa read the Feature Reference document for the Legend. It is very complete in its coverage on all the features. It is free for the download: support.avaya.com.

Call Groups are like ACD groups in other PBX systems. They can be configured in different flavors. They are covered in the Feature Reference document also.

After reviewing, ask more questions, if you need more help.

Happy reading!

....JIM....

 

[SteveFlyer]

I have a large number of incoming trunks and I don't have enough buttons to put 10 SSA buttons on every phone that will take incoming calls. I'd rather have a group ring solution where I can just put users in the incoming calling group.

I've read the feature manual (more than once) and configured a calling group with "group ring" as the hunt type. It doesn't quite work as I expected.

Here is what is configured and what happens.

I have a calling group configured as group ring hunt type. I have five extensions entered as members of that group. I have put login buttons on their phones and logged them into the group.

I have a PRI dial plan that routes the calls to group 777.

I make 4 calls to the PRI DID that is mapped to the group (call 1,2,3,4).
1. All the phones in the group ring and the call is from (call 1, I can tell from the caller-id displayed on the phones).
2. I pick up the call from extension 1.
3. The other phones in the group continue ringing and now have call 2 (as shown in the caller id)
4. I pick up the call from extension 2.
5. The other phones in the group (except extension 1, which is still in the first call it answered) continue ringing and now have incoming call 3.
6. I hang up extension 1 from its call. It starts ringing, but it has call 4. The other extensions still have call 3.
7. I hang up extension 2. It does not ring at all, but the other phones in the group continue to ring, some have call 3 and one has call 4, and this extension doesn't have any calls.

It appears that as phones in the group hang up they are allocated the next call in the queue, not the currently ringing call from the group. This is a problem as not all persons in the group will be available to answer the incoming calls, that is why I want all phones to ring.

Is there something in the group configuration that I have overlooked, or some other way to get a group ring from an inbount PRI DID to work right.

 

[tdaugirdas]

Well - not sure if this suits your situation or not. But I have used loop-arounds to emulate a phone company linear hunt group of ringing lines.

You would need an 016 T/R or Basic Telph module and spare CO line ports to make this work.

Create a group (linear ring hunt type - autologin) - and make the members 3 or 4 016 T/R ports.

Loop those 016 T/R station ports to unused line ports.

Now put those lines on each "real" hunt group members telephone as an immediate ring line button.

When an incomming call to the group rings - all phones ring on the first "phantom" line. A 2nd call rings on the phantom line 2, and a 3rd call on phanthom line 3, etc.

Members can answer a call, put the call on hold, answer a 2nd call, etc. - it's really flexible - and you are basically emulating a Telco linear hunt group of CO lines.

If you want to add voicemail - just create an overflow group to the voicemail calling group - and assign the "phantom lines" to that calling group. In voicemail admin - give that overflow group a mailbox and/or an AA.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[SYQUEST]

I have another suggestion that is sort of like Tom's but might be simpler. If you have a spare analogue station available, you could connect it to a ringer that could be mounted on the wall in the area of your group. Then you would assign as many SA buttons as you want incoming calls to ring inward to that station. Assign the DID number to the analogue station port. The call answering folks would use the Call Pickup feature to answer the call. This would only take one button on each phone, unless you already have the feature assigned. Other features would be available if needed, primary and secondary covers, voice mail, etc. There might be other variations of this you could try.

....JIM....