Night Service (Auto Answer) - Not Working

[Borvik]

First I'd like to mention that I don't know much about our system - it was installed well before I started working were I am now and no one around here knows much about it.

I do know that it is a Merlin Legend system and that all the phones have Avaya on them - hence this forum.

I'm not entirely sure of the version some of our documentation says Release 5.0, but I don't know if it's changed since then. It is an MLX system.

Apparently our system was originally setup to first play an announcement (could be auto-attendant, I'm not sure), and then get forwarded to a mailbox we had setup for this purpose (separate from each extensions mailbox). There was nothing automated during the day.

I got more of the story just now. Apparently no one was retrieving the messages from this mailbox so we had it turned off - this is probably it isn't working now. This was done several years ago.

The main phone at our front desk does have a Night Service button, that gets pushed every night (green light goes on) and every morning (green light goes off). But when someone calls it just keeps ringing.

How can I get this working again? Also possibly how-to change the mailbox that gets used for our "Night Mailbox"?

The only computer software we have (that I know of) is MERLIN LEGEND Reporter, so I don't have access to system programming via a PC (again that I know of).

Thanks.

 

[tdaugirdas]

Do you have an MLX-20L phone at the operator station?

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

Yes we do.

 

[tdaugirdas]

Well then - if you have an MLX-20L - you can program the system directly from that phone.

What kind of voicemail system do you have? You may have to go back to where the system is mounted to look at the modules. The only voicemails directly installed in the system would be a Legend 001 MLM or a Merlin Messaging. You may have a standalone Merlin Mail 3 - which would be a small computer-box mounted not too far from the system.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[tdaugirdas]

Sorry - I meant an MLM 007

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[merlinman]

I think you need real help, not something this forum can provide.

That is, I think you are in WAY OVER YOUR HEAD to try to get help in a Text Format.

You need someone to dial in and fix this.

Otherwise, you are going to just struggle along....

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman/index.htm

 

[Borvik]

merlinman - possibly, but I've got to try. From the story I've been getting (and looking at the sparse documentation we have), the night auto attendant was turned off - and the auto attendant after saying a greeting forward the call to a separate voicemail box we had setup. It could be as "simple" (used very loosely) as turning on the night auto attendant, and determining/changing the mailbox it forwards to.

Tom - I looked at the mounted system but I didn't see anything that you mentioned (doesn't mean it's not there just that I don't know exactly where to look). We do have a computer hooked up directly to it for the MERLIN LEGEND Reporter program. Is there any other place I can look?

As you mentioned we do have system programming access on that operator's phone - we also have a menu map (with our access codes) on access the system administration through the voice mail service. (ie. Voice Mail Service -> System Administrator Extension -> System Administrator Password -> Administration Menu -> System Administration Password).

I have determined that the Auto Attendant Schedule is in "Follow MERLIN LEGEND Mode" but I'm not entirely sure what that means in reference to when it is supposed to run.

 

[tdaugirdas]

You can a listing of the modules installed from left to tight by pressing menu, maintenance, system, inventory - and then pressing the more key to scroll through the installed modules. Post the model# of the processor and software release/version (1st module you will see at slot 00); pressing next will give you info on your next installed module, etc.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

Ok here is what it says:

Board Processor: CKE5
HW Vtg: 02
MAGIX 3.0 V7.0
Ser Num: NotAvailable

 

[tdaugirdas]

OK - that's the processor (slot 00) - but I needed to know the info for the rest of the installed modules. Each time you press the more key - it will give you information about the next module/slot - so list them all. It will say FF when you go beyond your last installed module.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

Ok here's the rest:

Slot 01
Board 408 GLM-U
HW Vtg: 11
FW Vtg: 42 App Vtg: 27
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 02
Board 408 GLM-U
HW Vtg: 11
FW Vtg: 42 App Vtg: 27
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 03
Board 400 GS/LS/TTR
HW Vtg: 03
FW Vtg: 13 App Vtg:
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 04
Board 016 MLX-U
HW Vtg: 10
FW Vtg: 10 App Vtg: 15
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 05
Board 100D-U
HW Vtg: 0A
FW Vtg: 91 App Vtg: 18
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 06
Board 012
HW Vtg: 03
FW Vtg: 52 App Vtg:
Ser Num: NotAvailable

Slot 07
Board 800 DID
HW Vtg: 05
FW Vtg: 18 App Vtg:
Ser Num: NotAvailable

 

[tdaugirdas]

Ok - it looks like you have T1/PRI or some sort of digital telephone lines in your system in addition to/instead of regular analog Telco lines - which can complicate routing to the autoattendant. You need to get WinSPM and get a "print all" of system programming - so that someone (including you) can understand how this system is currently setup. I agree with Merlinman - that you will need some professional help here.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

Oh well - looks like we'll have to go with professional help then.

With both recommendations, I have a better chance of convincing my boss that we NEED the help - I tried it before, and he just says "See what you can do." - Aren't all bosses that way though .

Thanks.

 

[merlinman]

Perhaps some of us 'sperts can help....

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman/index.htm

 

[Borvik]

merlineman - in reference to your previous post, I feel uneasy about granting someone outside access to our phone system administration. I was hoping I could find some help walking through the process online OR the answer that was given me (mainly to convince the boss). Either answer would have worked.

We do have someone we can call - we were just hoping to avoid it.

Unless you feel it can be walked through now?

btw - I just found a disk labelled WinSPM - Release 2 (okay so it was 5PM last night), and tried setting it up on my local machine (Vista Business) and it just crashed. Would I have to install this on the box connected to the phone system?

 

[tdaugirdas]

That program version is well out-of-date. Do you a have a PC with Windows XP? If so load the program on it. Go to the Avaya.com website. Under Support, click on documents - wait for the alphabet bar - click on the M. Scroll down to Merlin Communications System and click on it. Click on all documents - scroll down to software and click on it, choose WinSPM - and successively download and install all of the upgrade patches up to Release 9.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

I got a laptop with WinXP, loaded it up on there and updated to current.

I was able to create a site this time without it crashing on me (must be the updates, as I tried creating the site just before I updated and it still crashed).

However I was not able to connect to the system. I found a serial to rj45 adapter around here and hooked it up to my com port and attempted a Direct Connection to the admin port - but it didn't work - I'm betting on an incompatible adapter (as I tried both baud settings, although it could be the wrong port, though unlikely it only has 1 port).

Internal modem connection would probably be best for me, but I'm not sure on the dialing string (leave default "*10" ?), and I'm also not sure on where to plug the darn thing into as all the phone jacks seem to be RJ45 not RJ11.

 

[tdaugirdas]

If you have an 012 Basic Telephone or 016 module - you can connect from a laptop/computer modem directly to an open port using an RJ11 cable - then configure WinSPM for internal connection via modem - it will dial the *10 sequence for you. Otherwise to connect to the Admin processor port directly you need to make-up a special 9-pin serial (com 1) cable that terminates in an RJ45 jack. Normally you would need to go through a 355AF adapter - but you can make your own cable. The pinouts are in the FAQ section of this Forum - or you can Google 355AF adapter pinout.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[Borvik]

Thanks for that - I found some cables I can canabalize and am working on soldering it together.

I'll post back when I've finished.

 

[Borvik]

Ok, my cobbled together cable does work.

I received a warning error though, when it connected:

WinSPM cannot recognize the circuit pack in slot 3.
Quick Access will not be available until this situation is resolved.

Note: ATL circuit packs can only be used on MERLIN LEGEND systems.