3300 Forward DID to external

[thesavo]

I am attempting to forward a legacy DID to an external Number.  We have a block of DIDs 212-555-8300 through 212-555-8399. Specifically 212-555-8302 is a FAX Machine connected to an ONS card.  The office has a new fax on a POTS line 212-555-8901.  The pots line is not connected to the PBX in any way.  The users would like to remove the their old fax machine to free up some space used by 8302. 

I created a System speed call number #8302, that dials 95558901 (new pots).  Type is INt, Toll-override enabled.  It works, I can dial from any extension, #8302 and it rings the new Fax machine.

I created a Call Rerouting Always Alternative assignment  99.    I changed the Originating Device DID, Originating Device TIE, Originating Device CO,  Originating Device INT from No Reroute to Reroute; and gave it the Directory Number of #8302.

I changed the Call Rerouting Assignment for Number 8302, Call Rerouting Day,Call Rerouting Night 1, Call Rerouting Night 2 from 1 to 99.   Now if anyone calls extension 8302 internally it rings the new Fax Machine 8901.  If I call from my Cell phone or another POTS line it indeed rings the new Machine 8901 as well.

The problem:  I reached out to my 5 other offices to send test faxes to the Legacy Number 212-555-8302.  (2) of them made it through to the new fax machine,  and (2) reported that the number rang indefinitely, the other said their fax machine read PAUSED.  Is there something I missed?  Anything that has to do with 1st, 2nd Alternative routes?  Do I have to compensate for a busy signal?   

[jrg0852]

I wonder if you didn't give the fax line enough time to "clear down" and the line was in a busy state when they got that response.

[thesavo]

Would this be a real world example of two different providers sending a fax to the Legacy number at the same time?

[jrg0852]

I'm just throwing that out there as a possibility. This may or may not be what's happening. I just like to start with the easy stuff before going deeper. Thanks.

[thesavo]

Actually. I found this thread.
http://mitelforums.com/forum/index.php/topic,4759.0.html

I wonder if it wold be easier to change the Number of the port PLID 6 1 2 4 connected to the legacy number from 8302 to 8304. 8304 is not in use.

I could create a Speed call for 8302 -> 95558901.  That may be simpler.  Any thoughts?

[johnp]

I wonder if it wold be easier to change the Number of the port PLID 6 1 2 4 connected to the legacy number from 8302 to 8304. 8304 is not in use.

I could create a Speed call for 8302 -> 95558901.  That may be simpler.  Any thoughts?

That is what I would do

[LoopyLou]

I wonder if you would receive busy tone back if the external fax is busy. The call comes in on the DID and then if forwarded out to the external number. If the external number is busy would the system simply not forward the call and the result would be RNA?

Not sure if it would be cheaper to simply convert the external line to a DID and point it to the same fax as the one currently connnected to the ONS port. What is the cost of two DID's versus one DID ( which is forwarded ) and a seperate POTs line. In our area it would be the two DID's.

One final point to keep in mind is that this setup uses two trunks ( one in one out ).

[thesavo]

@johnp  I did end up renumbering the Legacy device from 8302 to 8304.  I was then able to create a speed call to the POTS Line using 8302 as the dialed SC number. Type=INt, Overrides Toll Control =yes. This eliminates unnecessary programming of call Rerouting.

@LoopyLou you are dead on about the Busy tone of the POTS line being the issue.  Since this is a legacy number the users won't be too bothered by it.  Also neither am I now that I know the root cause.   They rarely receive FAX'es to that number anymore. 

To be honest, The work-group seems to like the external lines for FAXing.  A couple of years ago, one of the ONS card was having severe issues that was never diagnosed, properly. The ONS cards were only used for legacy FAX numbers and Polycom Speaker Phones. The Polycom's worked flawlessly, and Faxing was intermittent.  Management thought that intermittent faxing was "The fault of the PBX".  So the company installed 4 POTS lines, one for each workgroup.  They would send and receive their faxes from the POTS devices.  Most of their providers, clients and vendors use the POTS lines anyway.   

Last year sometime, that ONS card died complely. It was replaced by the VAR because the DIDs to some of the Polycom's and legacy FAXs were failing incoming and extension calls.  Once replaced, FAX'ing from the PBX "miraculously" started to work every time.   However, they still prefer to fax from the copier with the POTS line.