Monitoring Line Usage 2

[Chim]

We have 10 analog trunk lines on our Merlin Legend 7.0 through 3 408 cards.

I want to do some basic usage monitoring to see how busy those 10 trunk lines get. I have a feeling we're occasionally maxing them out. Is there an easy way to see the usage stats in WinSPM, or do I need to purchase an accounting package and hook up to the SMDR port?

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[t3chhelp]

Usually when a pool is busy, you would get a error log. Other than that you pretty much gonna need some form of a call accounting software.

 

[merlinman]

phoneguysfault is correct, assuming you have pools.

Also, assuming you have all these lines in the same pool, an easy "TRICK" to see if they do get busy would be to put a button for that pool on your phone.

When it lights up SOLID, then the pool is busy.

(Set it to "NO-RING" and pay no attention when it flashes.)

 

[pete01]

MerlinMan.......cool

I was trying to figure that out this morning, just tried it as you said solid green when full.

thanks.............pete

ps
gonna write a letter to santa, ill put in a good word for ya.

 

[pete01]

Oops.....merlinman

Just used your trick, my lines are all busy....now what do i do. I have 7 lines in pool 70, there also in a verizon hunt group. Just converted from old system 2 days ago.

I have more lines available but how do i add them to this hunt group. I cant unless i call verizon right.

Can i created a new hunt group in the merlin and add these 7 lines plus more ? If yes is Group calling the section i need to look in to figure out how.

hmmm i may have to write santa two letters..........thanks.......pete

 

[merlinman]

OK, here's the deal.

You're telling me you have 2 sets of lines.

I will assume NOTHING, but tell you how I would do it if this was my switch.

You are already using the 70 pool for OUTGOING.

Hopefully, that is not also your INCOMING POOL.

If it is, we will need to talk. (or at least look at the rest of this info....)

HOWEVER, you said you ALSO have another set of lines.

I WOULD DO THIS:

Assign the "other" lines to the 890 Pool, and set ARS up to use the 890 Pool as one of your choices for outbound routing.

sys prog> tables> ars> sub a pools (for DAY TIME) sub b pools (for night time)....

NOW, here's where you gotta figure out how you want to change these things.

ROUTE 17 is the DEFAULT TOLL, choice 1 here is the FIRST pool you select, and, of course, choice 2 is the 2nd pool.

So, which pool is NORMALLY used for INCOMMING CALLS, make that choice 2, and the other pool choice 1.

Do the SAME THING for route 18, DEFAULT LOCAL (WHAT YOU GO TO IF YOU ARE NOT DIALING A 1 or 0)

Also, print out the ARS and see if there are any special considerations for any other routes.

ARS was developed to help you do LEAST COST ROUTING, that is, if it's cheaper to call Dallas over your 891 MCI lines, then route 214 to the 891 pool, if it's cheaper to call Ft. Worth over your SPRINT 892 pool, then route 817 over the 892 pool. With a little imagination, you can make ARS do many things for you....

But alas, most vendors any more charge the same no matter where you call. So that's kinda' a wash.....


Lot's o' luck.....

 

[Chim]

The lines are in Pool 70.

I'm still new to all this; how do I add Pool 70 as a button to my phone. I don't see anything that stands out under the normal phone programming options.

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[merlinman]

I will assume you have a NON-ATTENDANT Phone.

All you have to do is this:

System Program > Exit > Extensions > Lines & Trunks > enter the extension number > then touch 1 line that is in the 70 pool.

They will all light up and the next available button on your phone will have them there...

 

[taverny]

Hi MerlinMan,

your post was very helpfull, but I wanted to know if it was possible to assign the firsts few incoming lines into different button on the QCC.
Right now,Everytime that the phone rings on the QCC it shows the name of the lines:
out817
out818
out819
...

I wanted to have a button to led for each different line.
I know we cannot put all the lines on one phone , but at least if I can have 10 button that show the first 10 lines , it would be great .

Does it makes sense.

Thanks,
David

 

[merlinman]

QCC has NO programmable buttons.

A DLC can have seperate buttons.

Usually, a QCC is needed when you have a need to answer more than 18 lines. (There are other reasons, but normally, a QCC is not really needed.)

If there is not a strong need for the QCC, you could convert it to a DLC.

Then you could put lines on buttons.

 

[taverny]

Hi MerlinMan ,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

the only reason that I want to assign the line to a button, is because everytime that the operator transfer a line to a phone and that nobody picks-up , it will bounce back to her( the operator), then she will have to page the person , but the outside line number doesn't show anymore so she has to transfer the call unless that she remember the line and then they can do a general pickup.

 

[merlinman]

The operator should use PARK.

That would make things better.

 

[taverny]

Thank you MerlinMan.

I just used park,And it works perfectly .
I never used this feature before.
Thank again,
David

 

[taverny]

Ok I have another challenge.

I am trying to delete a button from a MLX 10D phone but a line is associate to the button and I cannot do anything with it.
The phone used to have a direct line before we changed our system to PRI.

I tried to do LINES/TRUNK
principalUsr
814
Delete
but nothing happened

Any idea?

 

[merlinman]

Hmmm....

You are saying you have a line assigned to a button that you want to eliminate.

Go to System Program...Extensions....LinesTrunks (Enter Extension Number) and Touch the LINE you want to delete...

Bear in mind, the Buttons you are looking at (in admin mode) are the ACTUAL LINE APPEARENCES in the SYSTEM, not on the PHONE.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Once you know the trunk number, from inspecting it on the set you want to remove it from, when you get into extensions->lines and trunks, press Entry Mode. Then you can DIAL the trunk number and press delete.

 

[taverny]

Thank you guys ,
It works again, you are the bests.
It's a litle confusing , but I got it . you were right I had to remove the line from the extension and not from prog.

ok, you ready for the next question.


Now , I am trying to have 3 operator covering for the first one , so I setup a button on each one that has the cover in group 30 for extension 510(the operator)
now the button can be either primary, secondary and group .
I guess group doesn't work, so I choose primary or secondary.
when I choose primary the 510 and the other ones ring at the same time.
If I choose secondary it rings twice on the 510 and then it ring on the other ones.
I would like that if the operator(510) is online, it rings once on her phone and then rings on the other phones right after.

I know there is something to do with delay cover , but it doesn't seem to work.Or I think I don't get it.

Thanks in advance !!

 

[Pepperz]

You can get varying amounts of delay cover. Be careful, though, or you may be having the caller hear a dozen or so rings before answering. It gives the impression that nobody's home. Anyway, here's the order: Primary Cover, Delayed Primary Cover, Secondary Cover, Delayed Secondary cover. The delayed covering can be done in programming with *36. This will give several "tiers" of coverage depending on what you want.

Pepperz@charter.net

 

[taverny]

Hi Pepperz,

Thanks for your reply.
I don't quite folllow.
let's say that 511 needs to pickup 510 after one ring.
I setup the button for cover secondary 510 . now the phone rings once on 510 and start ringing after the 3rd ring on the 511.
If I put the button cover 510 as primary it will ring at the same time than the 510
do I have to program the delay for the extension 510 or 511 and should it be primary or secondary?.
I went to "extension" "cover delay" and then 511 and try to play with the rings, but no luck.

 

[Pepperz]

Cover delay is the delay time for that particular extension for that particular coverage. In this case, put primary cover on 511 for the 510 operator. Then, while in extension programming, press *36. That will change the Primary cover 510-I to Primary Cover 510-D, or delay. Now you can change the cover delay in centralized programming for the number of rings.

Pepperz@charter.net