atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Comdial Telephones & Systems DX-80 questions about call forwarding and more

Hello. Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated. Sorry this is long but I wanted to provide as much details as possible. I own a Comdial DX-80. My office was moved once and I had it moved as well. I am fairly proficient at following instructions but there are a few things that I just can't figure out. First I'll give a background:

There are 5 mailbox extensions. (I use to have 4 employees). Only one is currently being used as I have downsized significantly (to myself, a one man office). Further, there are physically only 3 phone jacks in the office and 3 phones plugged in. I can log into supervisors menu and select Box 800 which allows me to administer routing boxes, mailboxes, etc. My problems in order of importance are:

Problem #1: I would like to have calls transferred to my cell phone occasionally. I press <Feature>, then <2>, then <next>, then <ext> but then it says ECF Unavailable. Page 31 of the user guide advises that in order to set up an external call forward that "this feature must be enabled for your extension in database administration". This is the part I can't figure out how to do.

Problem #2. I would like to reduce the number of rings before the call goes to the auto attendant. When I go into the supervisors menu and select 9 to modify system parameters, then enter my database password, then the parameter 1003 (page 64 of supervisor guide)which supposedly changes the "rings before call is answered during day service hours", it then prompts for the item number. The guide says the item number is the line number. No matter what number I press (it only allows 1 through 32), it says the current setting is "1" not "4". I want to actually reduce it to one or two so people don't have to wait through 4 rings before it goes to an auto attendant when I'm not here.

Problem #3: When a call comes in on the main line, I don't actually hear a ringing. I can see the light illuminate but I don't hear a ring until the caller presses my extension. I would like to hear the phone ring so I can pick it up when I'm here (so they get a live person) so it doesn't go to the auto attendant.

Thanks in advance, hope someone here knows about this stuff!

Rob

If you haven't been into the phone system database programming or PCDBA if might be too much to do this by yourself--but at any rate--wait until one of the regular Comdial moderators comes in and maybe they can help you better than I. We have a DX-80 in our office--and I've found out that in a small (3 line--6 phones)office--it becomes -at times--more difficult to program what you want, than it does for an office with 30 phones.

#1 Need to program & allow ECF on that extension. There may be better options than this--depending on what you are intending to do.

#2 Watch out that you don't screw up the voice mail programming--what you want to accomplish is in the telephone system programming--not the VM programming. It's in the Pre-CFWD NoAns option in seting up the C.O. Lines to ring and where you want them to go if there is no answer.

#3 Same as #2

You need a tech on site--or get some advice from one of the mods. Good Luck.

JWRacedog is right (on everything he said and suggested).

On your item #2, you need to go back in and set the lines back to 1 ring. Do this for all 4 (or 8, if you have an 8-port voicemail) "lines". When voicemail refers to lines, it has nothing to do with the outside lines connected to your phone system. It is referring to voicemail PORTS. If you set rings to answer higher than 1, you are affecting how many times ANY call into voicemail rings before voicemail answers. Actual ringing and related programming for your outside lines is controlled in the phone system programming. If you have only a user's guide, and voicemail admin manual, I would also suggest hiring a tech who knows and works on the DX80 come in and help you out. Then, if you want to learn phone system administration, maybe they can SHOW you how to do the things you are talking about. You'll be much happier in the end, and not run the risk of affecting the service-level of your primary communications tool.

I understand. As a small business I was trying to change something I can live with as inexpensively as possible. I called the company that sold me the system (actually the company that purchased that company) and just to have someone show up was about $150 so I thought I might be able to do it myself.

How about item #1. Is is difficult to program one extension to allow ECF?

Yes. It's a PIA even for someone who is familiar with the database programing.

Most of what you are trying to do involves not just supervisor VM programing, but also installer level telephone & voicemail database programing. I'd like to tell you that I could provide telephone tech support by phone for a fee, but the things you want to do really need someone with a full understanding of the two systems on site. Sorry.
Mark