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Ability to call and to call back to a telephone extension

Started by RuiD, January 04, 2012, 09:58:14 AM

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RuiD

I have two OBi devices (1 OBi100 and 1 OBi110), and I am very pleased with the functionality, but, there is a specific feature (the ability to call a telephone extension) that would be very useful to me, and I suppose for many others.

Description of my need :

I have the OBi110 at Home and I need to use the AA Callback Service from my office.
The problem is that, at the office, I do not have a direct phone number, to call me at the office is necessary to :
-       dial first the main phone number with nine digits;
-       do a pause (to give time for the call to be answered);
-       dial the internal extension number with five to ten digits;
-       and finished with a "#".

I also need to call some office  telephone extensions from the OBi110 when I'm out of office, and it was good to be able to use the Speed Dialing to store a telephone extension.

I know that it's possible to call the AA with a number and the AA Callback a different number (I have tested with success), but my problem is to dial the internal extension, because it is not possible to include the pause function between the main number and the internal extension number.

My suggestions for possible ways to implement this feature:

The pause is a functionality available in most phones (fixed and mobiles) and is normally represented by a "p", it is something that I use all the time to call from my mobile phone to the office. Is also available in Microsoft Outlook Contacts represented by a ",". Therefore, one possibility would be to include the character "p" or "," to represent  the pause in a phone number.

Other possibility, would be to define a Voice Gateways to access the main phone number. Ex:
AccessNumber :  SP1(main number)
DigitMap : (as needed)
AuthUserID : (leave it blank)
AuthPassword : (leave it blank)
When this Voice gateway is used, the OBi call the AccessNumber using SP1, do a pause of 1 or 2 seconds and send the destination phone number.

I wonder if there is any chance to include this functionality in a future release.

Stewart

You might be able to use the extension dialing capability of a free PBXes account to accomplish the callback.  Or, there may be an external provider that can complete the callback call at the same or lower cost.

What country are you in?  Which providers do you have on SP1 and SP2 of your OBi?  Which is used to make the callback?  Which is used for the outbound leg?  Where are you calling?  Landline or cellular?

Do you have Web access at your office, when you are initiating the callback?

RuiD

I'm in Portugal. I use SP1 (proxy=proxy.voip.sapo.pt port=5070) and SP2 (outboundproxy=sip.12voip.com port=5060). To make the callback I'm using SP1 that has better sound quality and the call is free. For the outbound leg, depends on the number to call, can used SP1 for Portugese landline or SP2 for mobilphones or to call other countries.
I can call from landline or cellular, my main need is to call from cellular (normaly in the car), my cellular works as a Phone Extension of my office for free, so the idea is :
- Call from the cellular (911234567) to the OBi110 at SP1 Nb. (301234567) and disconnect before the AA answers the call;
- Wait for the callback to be made to Nr. "211234567(pause)0911234567#";
- Answer the call, dial "2" to Start a New Call;
- Diale 1 or 2 digits of the Speed Dials and enter "#" to start the call.
Yes, when I'm physically at the office I have Web access, but most of the time I'm out of office.
I will create an free PBXes account to accomplish the callback an and test it.
Tks.

RonR

RuiD,

The Auto Attendant doesn't have the capability to dial a number, pause for that number to answer, and then output more DTMF digits using a VoIP provider.

If you can use the LINE Port for the callback instead, try the following:


Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute : {(<+>911234567):aa($1)},{ph}

Voice Services -> Auto Attendant -> OutboundCallRoute:

{(<+911234567:211234567,,,,,0911234567#>):li},{([1-9]x?*(Mpli)):pp},{0:ph},{(<**1:>(Msp1)):sp1},
{(<**2:>(Msp2)):sp2},{(<**8:>(Mli)):li},{(<**9:>(Mpp)):pp},{(Mpli):pli}

Each comma will introduce 0.2 seconds of pause.

Incoming calls from 911234567 to SP1 which are aborted before the Auto Attendant answers should cause the Auto Attendant to make a callback to 211234567 (pause) 0911234567# using the LINE Port.

RuiD

I have open one account (MyAccount@ pbxes.com) at "pbxes.com" as suggested by Stewart. I have created one Extension pointing to PSTN_Number "00351211234567pww0911234567#", one Trunk using the same provider I have in SP2 of the Obi (I cannot use the provider I have in SP1 because He do not accept the connection from a pbxes.com free account), one InboundCallRoute that point all incoming calls to the Extension and one OutboundCallRoute that point all outgoing calls to the Trunk.
In the Obi I have create SpedDialing 5 as "SP2(MyAccount@ pbxes.com)".
If I dial the Sped Dialing 5 from the Phone connected to the Obi, it works perfectly, but if I tried to use the Sped Dialing 5 from the AA it just don't work, start the call from the AA to MyAccount@ pbxes.com, PBX answers the call, but the call drop before PBX complete the call to the destination number. I suppose there is timeout problem somewhere.
Unfortunately I cannot use the LINE Port because at the moment I just have VoIP connections at home.

RuiD

Eureka !!!!!
I finally found a solution. It's not perfect, because it needs additional hardware and is more expensive, but serves as a temporary solution.

As I said at the beginning, I have two OBi devices (one OBi110 and one OBi100), so, I took RonR's idea and adapted it as follows:
- As I do not have a real telephone line at home, I connected the LINE Port of the Obi110 to the PHONE Port of the OBI100 to simulate a telephone line.
- I put the following rule in the InboundCallRoute of the Obi110 : {(+351911234567):aa(LI(211234567,,,,,0911234567#))}.

And it's done. I call the Obi110 SP1 service number from my cellular phone (911234567) and disconnect. The AA of OBi110 start's a callback using the LINE Port to the number "211234567,,,,,0911234567#". The OBi100 receive that call thru the PHONE Port, and use is SP1 to start a call to the number "211234567", wait a few seconds, dial "0911234567#" just how I want, and my cellular phone starts to ring.
Anyway, I still hope to see this feature (allowing this type of connection not only through the LINE Port, but also through the SP1 and SP2) implemented in a future release. It makes no sense to have to use two OBi devices in this situation, is to expensive, and I need the OBi100 to install in other site.
Thank you all for your help.

Stewart

I'm happy to hear that you have a solution.  A few other suggestions that may help:

1. If you set up your OBi110 to not answer the LINE port (InboundCallRoute left blank), you should be able to connect the LINE port to the PHONE port of the same OBi (through a splitter, so you can also connect a phone).  I believe that this should give you the same functionality that you have now, though I didn't originally recommend it, as it adds latency, and the extra A/D and D/A conversion reduces quality.

2. If the PBXes problem with SP1 was on their side "for security reasons ...", you can usually work around that with a dynamic DNS name.  If you still have trouble, post details of the error and the server to which you are trying to connect; I may be able to help.

3. You can troubleshoot the other PBXes problem by calling into the AA (from other than your mobile) and calling out to the speed dial (not as a callback).

4. Though not free, you could have the OBi call back to your mobile directly.  Voxbeam Premium route to PT mobile is fairly inexpensive (US $0.052/min., billed by the second, no connect charge, no VAT).  You get $1 credit at signup, so you can do quite a bit of testing without making a payment.  I've used them for FR and IT mobile and found quality to be excellent (though they may not do as well to PT).  They will work in a VGx slot, so you won't "burn" one of the SPx.  You may also find them useful for the outbound leg to some destinations.  (In general, Voxbeam is more expensive than the Betamax companies, but I've found quality and reliability to be better.)

RonR

Quote from: RuiD on January 06, 2012, 05:02:49 PM
- I put the following rule in the InboundCallRoute of the Obi110 : {(+351911234567):aa(LI(211234567,,,,,0911234567#))}.

And it's done. I call the Obi110 SP1 service number from my cellular phone (911234567) and disconnect. The AA of OBi110 start's a callback using the LINE Port to the number "211234567,,,,,0911234567#". The OBi100 receive that call thru the PHONE Port, and use is SP1 to start a call to the number "211234567", wait a few seconds, dial "0911234567#" just how I want, and my cellular phone starts to ring.

Depending on the rules you have in the OBi100 SP1 DigitMap, it might be beneficial to use:

{+351911234567:aa(LI(211234567#,,,,,0911234567#))}

in order to start the SP1 outbound call immediately if it doesn't do so already (i.e. eliminate any short timer interdigit delay).  If your OBi100 SP1 DigitMap is such that there is no two second delay after 211234567 is received, then the additional # won't help (nor should it hurt).

RuiD

Thanks for your tips,
I have set up my OBi110 to not answer the LINE port and connect the LINE port to the PHONE port of the same Obi and it works perfectly. It's a possible option when I move the other Obi to the other site.
The PBXes problem with SP1 was in fact "for security reasons ...", but I don't have tested yet the work around, because first I need to solve the problem of the drop call.
I tried to troubleshoot the other PBXes problem by calling into the AA from other than my mobile and calling out to the speed dial, but the result is the same as the callback. The call drop in the same second as the connection to the PBX is established.

OBi110 Call History :
Call 1 01/08/2012    22:33:30 
Terminal ID AA1 SP1
Peer Name   
Peer Number SP1(MyAcount@pbxes.org) MyAccount@pbxes.org
Direction Outbound Outbound
22:33:30 New Call 
22:33:31 New Peer: SP1(+351918888888) Transfer Target, Continue At Ref:23678 
22:33:38  Call Connected
22:33:38  End Call
Call 2 01/08/2012    22:32:34 
Terminal ID SP1 AA1
Peer Name   
Peer Number +351918888888 
Direction Inbound Inbound
22:32:34 Ringing 
22:33:04  Call Connected
22:33:31 Call Transferred Transfer to SP1(MyAccount@pbxes.org)

PBXES Call Monitor :
Date Time Caller ID Number Destination IP Trunk Context App Duration
2012-01-08 22:33:39 MySP2 00351211234567p0911234567# /77.72.­169.129 12Voip from-internal-cont Dial 00:00:19   
2012-01-08 22:33:38 "Anonymous" <+351309999999> 100 pbxe­s.org  ext-local Dial (00:00:19)
2012-01-08 22:33:30 MySP2 00351211234567p0911234567# /77.72.­169.129 12Voip from-internal-cont Dial 00:00:00   
2012-01-08 22:33:30 "Anonymous" <+351309999999> 100 pbxe­s.org  ext-local Dial 00:00:00

What is strange is that, in the PBXES the connections are duplicated in this case and, in the case that I start a call directly from the Phone connected to the Obi110 and it works, I do not have duplicated call in the PBX side.

I have add the extra "#" in the number, as suggested, and it seems to be a little faster.