Dial Special Characters and Do not Route

[robi99]

I have tried searching, but I am not sure what to search for.

I have my home phone line connected to an alarm device that responds when I pick up my home phone and dial "**#" . The device listens for these DTMF tones and then enters a voice response system on the device that allows me to interact with my alarm system.

So, what digit maps/call routes do I need to setup to allow me to dial "**#" and leave the call on the local phone wire so that I can interact with my alarm system, without trying to route it to one of my VOIP carriers?

[jimates]

Normally when you press **# the phone line is already open. With the Obi the **# is not even sent to the service provider until after you are finished dialing. The best thing to do is press #, this will connect you directly to the POTS line's dial tone with an open line. Then press **# and proceed.

[robi99]

Sorry, I failed to mention that the alarm device is not connected to a POTS line. Actually, I don't have a POTS line. Also, I am trying to dial "*##" not "**#" (messed that up in my original post)

I have my OBI110 connected to the house telephone wiring and the alarm device is connected to that. So what I need is for the OBI to allow me to pickup the phone and dial "*##" and leave the line open while I interact with the alarm device without trying to route me to one of my VOIP providers.

More info:
On the OBI110 I have GV as SP1 and VOIP.MS as SP2.

When I initially tried to dial "*## " I got a busy signal. Then I added |*##| to my "Phone Digit Map".

After I did that I could dial "*##" but then it said there was no route defined. So I tried adding {<:*##>} to my outbound call route.

Still not working.

[robi99]

Wow, does this mean it cannot be done?

[ianobi]

The problem is that the OBi wants to send the *## somewhere and having sent it needs to see the call connected or it will send back some sort of error message.

The only answer I can see (a bit extreme) is to fool the Obi into thinking there is a PSTN line connected by connecting a suitable voltage to the line port, around 50v d.c. then jimates suggestion would work.

[hwittenb]

Since your alarm system is listening to the house line, another idea is to find a number that you can call, hopefully free, where you get silence and the number isn't affected by the *## or whatever else you dial after the call is connected.  Set the number up as a speed dial and then dial that first before you dial the *##.

[robi99]

What about putting in a digit map with a long timeout? The interaction should not take longer than 3 minutes.

Something Like *##S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9

would that work?

[hwittenb]

What about putting in a digit map with a long timeout? The interaction should not take longer than 3 minutes.

Something Like *##S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9

would that work?

Try it and see.
Edit:  jimates beat me to it.  It doesn't dial until the completion of the interdigit timeout.

Another thought: Get a free "IP Freedom" account at CallCentric.  Setup the CallCentric account to register on a softphone on your pc.  Call the CallCentric account from your OBi using a sip uri setup as a Speed Dial(call account_nbr@in.callcentric.com).  Answer the call on your pc and then start your *## routine.

[jimates]

What about putting in a digit map with a long timeout? The interaction should not take longer than 3 minutes.

Something Like *##S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9S9

would that work?

But I don't think the Obi will even open the line until after the dial sequence is complete.

[robi99]

Most of the suggestions so far will not work. The interaction I would be doing is like arming or disarming the alarm panel.

I believe the alarm control device (DSC Escort 5580) is expecting a dial tone and only listens in while there is still a dial tone on the line. When it hears the combination "*##" it intercepts the call and allows you to interact with the alarm panel. If it does not hear the correct combination while the dial tone is still active, then it stops listening. So you cannot hit the combination after a call has been placed.

Would changing the dialing pattern help any? I mean it does not have to be "*##"...

[robi99]

Actually the more I think about this, I think it could be solved with wiring. If I connect my house wiring to the Escort first and then come out of the escort to the OBI, then my Escort could seize the line when it hears the code and allow me to interact with the alarm panel.

Hook it up in-line like this:

House wiring ==== Escort ==== Alarm Dialer ==== OBI110

That way, the Alarm Dialer could seize the line during an alarm, and the Escort could seize the line for local alarm panel interaction.

Thanks for helping me think this through!

[MurrayB]

The proper way to have the security system installed is for he incoming POTS line be connected to an RJ-31X jack that connects to your security system and your phone jacks. The RJ-31X jack allows the security system to hang up any phones that are off hook and seize the line so an alarm can be transmitted to the monitoring station. Remove the connection to your phone jacks that go to the RJ-31X and replace that connection to the Line output of the Obi 110. The wires that you removed from the RJ-31X that connect to your phone jacks goes to the Phone connection on the Obi 110. This will maintain the integrity of your security system and all your phone jacks will be connected to the Obi. Be careful not to reverse the Line and the Phone connections or you will probably fry the Obi.

I have multiple locations configured this way.

Good luck!