Utilizing A Line With Vg

[Zoltan]

Can VG give a solution for the following problem?

 

I will have 4 telephone lines with hunting service. It means I will have 4 phone numbers but I will use only one number for business purpose. Maximum 4 calls can be made at the same time for the same number and I can determine the orders which line to be tried first. I will make line no.4 the less busy and would like to give its phone numbers to my friends so I can save paying for 5th, private line. All the lines will be at my home.

 

So on line no. 4 most of the calls will come from friends and occasionally a business call will be routed here when the first 3 lines are busy. From the wall the line no.4 will have 2 cords: 1 goes to Dialogic card, the other to a telephone set.

 

How can VG distinguish whether the caller dialled the business number (for line no.1) or the number for my friends (line no.4). The telephone company said there is no duplex ringing and I cannot determine the number the caller dialed.

Can VG provide a solution? I read the help file and know that a VoiceGuide script can be configured to start running without answering the telephone line.

 

I do not want to give VG "a list of friends' phone number" or a list of business callers' phone number" because they may call from unspecified phone numbers.

 

I would like VG to pick up the business calls at the second ring so when it rings 3 times or more, I know it is friend and I can pick it up the handset.

 

One idea I am thinking about that friends can press an extra number that only they know - before the second ring without making the dialling fail.

 

Can VG know which of my telephone number was dialled by the caller? Because if yes, I probably can set VG to answer only to calls where the business telephone number was dialled.

 

How can VG help to solve this problem?

[fluffybunny]

Why dont you programme Voice Guide to answer all the lines as business lines, but tell your friends to press the # key as soon as they are answered. All your app needs to do then is to look for the # tone and route the call depending on how you like.

 

Various options would be to put the VG system behind a simple PBX, and have a spare extension available for your friends to be transferred to. Alternatively you might be able to bridge the call across a VOIP connection and take your friends calls on your PC.

 

Not sure if this helps but it might stimulate some thought

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Zoltan]

Thanks for trying to help.

I realized that my "friends" category is actually all non-business calls. Unfortunately, non-business callers who do not know the secret method to signal me would end up talking to my PC.

 

So the only solution would be if VG could know which number was dialled. It is only possible with digital lines -according to the VG help file.

[fluffybunny]

The only way you will be able to do this is, as the VG help file suggests, either use a digital line equipped with DDI (or if you are in the US they call it DID), or alternatively the network operator might be able to provide a distinctive ring tone to indicate which number a caller had dialled. There is no other way VG (or any other app gen come to think of it) can tell who is dialling a particular number / line.

 

One final option would be to have a welcome prompt played when VG answers saying if you want XYZ Co. press 1, to speak directly to me press 2, for support press 3, for sales press 4 etc etc. and then transfer the call accordingly.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[ktruk]

You need to take a look at ISDN BRI lines which support DNIS (Dialled Number Indication Service) as DID/DDI is an analog line service and may not be available for just two numbers. DNIS may also be available over VoIP channels.

 

In the UK, can also get MSN (Multiple subscriber numbering), which is a simpler way of getting a limited form of DNIS on a BRI line.

 

If you can afford ISDN PRI then DNIS is available there too.

 

Problem with ISDN BRI is you can only use the TAPI version of VG as Dialogic do not make/support BRI anymore, and going with something like a passive BRI card (eg AVM Frtiz) or active Eicon Diva Server card. Usually can only fit one passive card in a PC supporting 1 line/2 channels, ie: 2 calls, but server card can support many channels, depending upon your budget/needs. Also, you may also have to buy ComISDN TAPI driver to work with VG and ISDN/BRI.

 

For analog, go distinctive ring if only one number decision to make: ie: bis/home, go DNIS if many decisions to make, eg: bis1/bis2/bis3/bisx...

 

I would think that VoIP is the best option to investigate and the cheaper solution.

 

Also, getting an extra line may solve your problem ;-)

[fluffybunny]

Actually DDI is available on digital ISDN BRI as well as analogue. In fact I do not beleive it is available on analogue anymore in the UK, I think BT have now phased it out. I have ISDN BRI here, and 20 DDI numbers, although I can have as many or as few numbers as I like. Mind you, as ktruk says, it will be cheaper to put another line in, but isnt that so defeat-est?!!!

 

There is another option and that is sign up to one of the VoIP providers who give you an inbound number as well. Non business callers can ring this number and the VoIP provider will route them across the internet to your PC. It can work out cheaper than installing a new line.

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon