Use sp1 only if sp2 is busy

[HMishra]

Hello,

I have an Obi202 which is working fine with CC configured on sp1 and GV configured on sp2. I do need the functionality of being able to use both CC and GV lines at the same time for those times that I and wife need to be on the phone ahd have independent base unit connected to phone port.

However, my question is, since I am on a pay as you go plan on CC for making calls, is it possible to setup my Obi to use GV for making outgoing calls as a default  from either phone and only use CC for those times when I need to make another outgoing call at the same time? In other words, I want to remove the guesswork for my family members as to which phone to use for free outgoing calls and only use the paid option if the free one is already in use.

Thanks,
Hiranmoy

[ianobi]

To achive this you will need to use a trunk group. I do not have your exact digit maps in front of me, so I will set out how it would work assuming most digit maps etc at default. I will assume that you want Auto Attendant to behave the same way as phone ports.

First set up trunk group:

Voice Services > Gateways and Trunk Groups > Trunk Group1
TrunkList > sp2,sp1
DigitMap > ((Msp2)|(Msp1))

Set up Primary Lines:

Phone 1 PrimaryLine > Trunk Group 1

Phone 2 PrimaryLine > Trunk Group 1

Auto Attendant PrimaryLine > Trunk Group 1

This does not affect incoming calls.

This will do what you ask, all calls from both phones will attempt to use sp2 first and only sp1 if sp2 is busy or out of use.

Caution! Consider 911. I guess you use CC for 911, so you do not want 911 to use tg1. If you want 911 to go out to CC on sp1, then add this rule to the front of both Phone 1 and Phone 2 OutboundCallRoutes:

{(911):sp1},

[ianobi]

More thoughts 

I do not know much about Google Voice, as it is not much use to we non-North Americans. Maybe someone else can comment on this:

The Trunk Group set up outlined above may need three calls to test it. Am I right that GV supports two sessions, so a call from each of the two phone ports could both go out on GV at the same time?

I guess a third call could be incoming and use auto attendant to get to the trunk group and prove the call would then step onto sp1.

Life just keeps on getting more complicated 

[HMishra]

Thanks, ianobi. That gives me somewhere to start the experimenting with.

BTW, I always thought that the 2 channels GV provides was just for incoming, not for outgoing. I think I faced this situation with even CC which supposedly provides 2 channels for incoming but not for outgoing calls.

[ianobi]

Let us know how you get on. This will be of interest to other OBi202 owners.

[HMishra]

Ok, I am happy to report of limited success. Not sure if I can test if the situation I am trying to address works.

Ianobi,

Dialing the first number from either phone does use GV to dial out on sp2. As you correctly suspected, using the other phone for another outgoing call, does use the GV second channel, so CC is still unused. However, to test the 3rd call, as per your suggestion, I tried to use AA to route an incoming call from my cell# to make an outgoing call through CC but AA does not recognize my cell# keypress of 2 to allow me to make the 3rd outgoing call.

When I logged into CC website, in each of those instances, the cell# call was shown as an incoming call hence my assertion that it was limited success. What do I do to make AA recognize my cell# keypress so that I can really test it out?

Thanks,
Hiranmoy

[ianobi]

I don't think that your cell digits not being recognised is connected with this new set up. Maybe we can come back to that after we prove the new set up.

How about use your cell to call in on one of the gv lines (that busies one gv channel), then make two calls at the same time from the two OBi phones. The first OBi phone call will busy the second gv channel and the second OBi phone call should go to CC. Try the OBi phones 1 first then 2, followed by 2 first then 1. This should prove that both phones use gv first then CC.

I hope that's not as confusing as it sounds 

[HMishra]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious alternative way. Had I not been thinking in such a one track way, I might have tried it this way too instead of waiting to be pointed out.

Anyway, using this method, I was indeed able to verify that for incoming call from my cell, GV channel 1 was used, for 1st outgoing call from my CC connected phone port, GV channel 2 was used and for the 2nd outgoing call from my GV connected phone port, CC was used. I suppose I need a 4th call to verify if CC also allows a 2nd channel for outgoing calls. SUCCESS!!! Is there no end to what this little device can do?

--Edited out previously mentioned irrelevant information--

[ianobi]

Hiranmoy,

I'm glad to see you are up and running with the new config. This was a case where the configuring was easier than the testing!

As well as the obvious methods of testing, phone calls in and out etc, I find a softphone very useful. I use Phonerlite as it can have multiple accounts and it is free! I have my Obi 290xxxxxx number on it for calls via OBiApp to test incoming and outgoing OBiTALK configurations. Also on the same Phonerlite are various registered and unregistered accounts. It also has a very good debug function. It does only work on Windows not Mac.

[HMishra]

Ianobi,

Thanks for all your help in achieving this solution. I can only hope that this will help someone else out too.

I generally have not had a lot of success with softphones especially when it comes to voice quality, so don't usually think of using one if an alternative is available. But it could definitely be used for testing such use cases. I will give Phonerlite a shot....

-Hiranmoy

[GregoryZ]

Great Job, Ianobi!!!

I've been wanting the same setup.

Thanks! 

-G

[ianobi]

Thanks, GregoryZ. I think that trunk groups are more useful than most people realise.

Do be careful of emergency number routing. If your 911 service is on sp1 and using a trunk group fails all your calls onto sp2, then you have a problem!

On the other hand, on my OBi110 I use a trunk group of li,sp1 and my emergency calls go out on line. In a fail over situation to sp1, my emergency calls can also be dealt with by my sp1 provider. This way provides a back up emergency calls service.

[ProfTech]

That is an interesting tweak. I also use Trunk group li,sp1 and hadn't thought about the possibility of backing up my 911 on PSTN with Callcentric on SP1. I'm paying for the service, might as well have the back-up!