What can keep a Service Mode from operating?

[DumpsterDiver]

We have a Nortel 6 x 16 Compact with DR5 disconnect software. Yes, this is old stuff!

I think the root of the problem lies in this question, Is there anything that would keep a service mode from operating, even though it was displayed as "ON" in the Control Set display?

We just set up two service modes, one automatic and one manual, to enable the phones to ring in the other offices when the main office was closed (the automatic mode) or when the receptionist left her desk (the manual mode). The normal mode was for the phones to ring only in the main office. That system had run for months, reliably. We were using AA to answer outside of business hours, it worked well. The secretary switched it on when she was out of the office. AA continues to pick up after three rings as we had set it up.

After we set up the two new modes, we tested the system and the changes, and everything worked as planned. By playing with the system time, we simulated office hours open or closed, everything worked fine.

The office was closed the next day, but the following day when they opened, they had a dead trunk (Verizon's problem) and had lost an additional trunk because it "got unplugged". Also, every incoming call rang on every phone on the system. We switched the modes on and off manually, using Feature 87, we checked our settings and still had only four (out of 10) sets listed in the two modes. When we turned the modes on, the phones rang every where. When I turned the modes off, the normal setting had been that the office phone would be the only one to ring, the phones rang every where. I set up a mode that only permitted the lines to ring on a single main office set, they still rang everywhere. I powered down the switch and restarted it, same behavior. The only way that I can get the phones to not ring on a particular set is to set them to not ring at all on the incoming lines.

I'm thinking my only option is to wipe the programming and start over with a clean slate. Any thoughts?

 

[curlycord]

Well I must admit I am confused and cannot figure out what your saying but then again it's 1 am.

Maybe state what you want to happen? what's to happen in the day and what's to happen in the night.

Cheers

 

[tsplusone]

The system may have lost power when they were closed & lost programming, or could have been caused by loss/reactivation of Verizon's lines.

Did you check Service Modes programming to make sure it is still setup as intended? If so, start from scratch.

 

[DumpsterDiver]

Thanks to both curlycord andtsplusone for your help, here's my answers to each of you:

tsplusone - Service mode programiming is set eactly as intended. We redid all the service mode programing from scratch. All other aspects of switch and voice mail programing remain intact. I surmise that there wasn't a total programing loss during the weekend.

curlycord - I have the service modes set up to do what I want. I will give more detail on that below. The problem is, the service modes don't appear to be active, even when the control set read out says the mode is on.

My three modes are as follows: 1. nonbusiness hours, automatic, sets all incoming calls to ring on 4 extensions.
2. businesshours, automatic, all incoming calls ring on receptionists phone. 3. Outofoffice, manual, same as nonbusiness, but turned on by secretary if she steps out of the office.

I'll post a copy of the modes as I have programmed them later tonight.

I still think the problem is something that is keeping the service modes from operating. Thanks for your help.