Hi there. Brand new to this forum, and new to working on a Samsung system. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Short version: how do I program an incoming trunk line on a Samsung iDCS 16 system to ring only to two specific extensions, and then go to the voicemail box of one of the extensions if nobody answers?

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The (very) long version:

Being the "phone guy" for a friend, I was tasked with doing some programming on an existing Samsung iDCS 16 system. I have never worked on one of these systems before, and could use some advice on the best way to set up what my friend wants.

The existing system is installed at a golf course clubhouse, and my friend is now running the restaurant in the clubhouse. They want to have a specific incoming phone company line to the system be designated for the restaurant, and have that number ring exclusively at the phone(s) in the restaurant.

Any suggestions on how to accomplish that? In some Internet searches prior to posting this, I have found some light documentation about how to do some programming (phone speed dials and the like), but I haven't found a technician's manual. Is there one out there? Also, is this programming I can do on a system phone, or do I need to hook up a computer to the system to program it?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.


UPDATE:

I couldn't get Samsung OfficeServ Manager to connect to this system, even with a nice old Windows XP laptop with an actual DB9 serial port which I've successfully used to communicate with other old computer systems that require a DB9 serial connection.

Regardless, I was able to muddle through some of the programming from a phone handset with the limited documentation I had found. Right now I've used MMC 406 (Trunk Ring Assignment) to change the line we wanted to ring directly to the restaurant to ring to the specific extension (previously it was ringing to the calling group for the Auto Attendant, as the other incoming trunk lines did). So far, so good, but there are actually two extensions in the restaurant (#207 and #209), and we'd like to set it up so that both of them ring when someone calls that number. I set up a normal calling group with "unconditional" ringing via MMCs 601 and 602 (group number 505) and put both restaurant extensions in that group. I then used MMC 406 (Trunk Ring Assigment) again to have the designated incoming trunk line to ring to 505.

That worked -- incoming calls would ring to both extensions, however, if nobody answered the phone I ran into problems:

1. I don't entirely understand the difference between Overflow time and Group transfer time. Can anyone explain that to me?

2. If I set the "next port" to the Auto Attendant/Voicemail group (group 509), the voicemail system would pick up, and would direct callers to leave a message at box 505. There is no box 505, and I don't want the restaurant folks to have to check two different boxes for voicemail messages.

3. If I set the "next port" to 207 (the restaurant extension that has an established voicemail box), the line would just ring forever when called, and never go to voicemail.

Can anyone help me with what settings I need to tweak to get both extension to ring when there's an incoming call to a specific trunk line, and how to get it to send unanswered calls to a specific voicemail box (207)? I'm really close with the way I left it -- just the second extension (209) doesn't ring right now since it's set to have that trunk only ring to 207, since ringing to the group didn't work to be able to leave a message -- that's all I'm missing now. Thank you in advance.

What you done is half right
you need to overflow from that group to voicemail group
then on your voicemail make a mailbox for the group for the group both extns are in then make a key on both extns with vm groups to receive your messages

Thank you for the reply.

So, if I understand correctly, I'll need to have the trunk ring to group 505, and then overflow that to group 509 (the VM group). I will also need to configure the voicemail system to have a box 505 for the restaurant, and then change the "message" keys on both extensions 207 and 209 to be VM access for group 505 instead of VM access for 207 and 209?

As I mentioned in my first post, I'm brand new to working on a Samsung system, and I know nothing about how to program the voicemail system, nor do I know how to change the button assignment on the handsets to change the function of the already-programmed "message" key. It looks like I use MMC 722 (Station Key Programming) to change the current function of that button. I can't tell for sure which function to assign to that button to get it to recognize that it's to be a button to access the voicemail for group 505?

If someone leaves a message on the group 505 VM, will both extensions in the group receive a notification of there being a message (ie. the red light and "new message" on the displays)?

Is there an installer/technician manual for the voicemail system anywhere? I haven't found one yet, just end-user operations.

Sorry for all the n00b questions , and thank you for your help.

You would need to put a mw505 key on the keyset(s) where you want to see the messages.Yes the light will flash and show messages on the sets.
Or you could autoforward the message in mailbox 505 to one of the extensions mailboxes.That would require you connecting a pc to the voicemail system and a little programming.

To be honest it sounds like you had it working when you set the next port to 509 with the line ringing the 505 group.You said it went to say a 505 box but there wasn't one.Maybe there was and it was just playing the default greeting?

Excellent, that helps. Thank you.


Despite having an ancient bare-bones Windows XP laptop with a working serial port that I've used successfully for other old electronics that require such communication, I couldn't get any love with the OfficeServ Manager program -- it just wouldn't connect -- I tried both DB9 ports on the SIO3 board, but couldn't get anything -- not even any garbage in HyperTerminal, even while power cycling the system. I'm just helping out a friend as a favor to him, so I'm going to try and go for the simplest working method since I can't get my PC to connect, which leads to...



I think you're right, and I was unclear. Even though to the best of my knowledge a 505 box wasn't previously configured on the system (I picked calling group 505 since there wasn't previously anything assigned to it), the VM was picking up unanswered calls with that configuration and saying that the party at extension 505 was unavailable. For lack of knowledge on how the system worked, I was saying that there wasn't a 505 box since one had never been set up. Maybe it's enabled by default?

Once I assign the mw505 key on the keyset, will that allow me to configure a custom greeting for box 505 if I log in as the end-user with a password of 0000? Is there any other configuration I need to do from the technician level to make that work? My ignorance of the system is showing, obviously, but I have no idea how the VM system gets setup.

I apologize for all the questions, but I want to have my ducks in a row for the next time I go out on site to try and get this thing working the way they want it, which will be in a few days.

Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated.

If you get the message that the party is not available to try a different extension ....etc then the mailbox is there and just hasn't been set up. The system will have a mailbox download in mmc741 that will show you what is automatically set up. You can always access a mailbox by pressing any voicemail key .If you get the enter access prompt then you are at the mailbox for the extension you are at.To go to a different mailbox press * to get to the auto attendant then # + mailbox number.
Having a mw505 key is the easiest way to access the mailbox and "see" the messages.

Here is the best advise I can give you.CHANGE THE PASSWORDS ON ALL MAILBOXES IN USE.Very important to help prevent hacking.Delete mailboxes you aren't using and set that mmc 740 to not download automatically when the system starts to avoid creating mailboxes you don't use.And don't forget to change the admin password as well.It's no use doing everything else and letting a hacker access the admin mailbox and create their own mailboxes to hack.

As for pc access,it's probably the cable you are using. Hyperterminal is used for the voicemail access and OSM for the phone system.To be honest I'm not sure you would even get garbage with hyperterminal connected to the sio ports. But you would with the voicemail with the wrong settings.

Pvj correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't keys for v/m on older systems was the vg key not mw key

That's a good question ,I've never done this on a 616 just the 7XXX series and looking at available key codes you may be right.I looked in a OS100 that I have beside me and it would use a MW key there is no VG key code avialable

We'll have to see what the OP ends up doing.

Thanks Gerrya and pvj.

I'll see what the button is configured as currently, and go from there. The documentation I'm working off of is called the "DCS Combined Programming Manual", where most of the MMCs have matched up, although the document is not specifically tailored to the iDCS 16 system I'm working on. Is there a copy of the tech manual for the iDCS 16 out there anywhere?

Specifically, in the documentation I have, MMC 740 is listed as "Station Pair", which coincidentally looks like it might work to accomplish what I want, which is to have the second phone (209) ring when the primary phone does, and to also access its voicemail (or maybe I could just reprogram the message key on 209 to access 207's VM)? I might try that, unless you cannot use a keyset as the secondary station.



That said, I don't think MMC 740 will allow me to tweak any settings in regards to the voicemail system, but I guess I'll see when I'm out there again. I should be going there this coming Saturday -- I'll update here with my findings. Thanks again for all of your help.

Not to reply to my own post, but I didn't address this in the last post:

Should I be using something other than a straight-through DB9 male-to-female cable? I tried two different ones and no love on either.

You don't use a straight through cable.
You need to swap pins 2 and 3 at one end, 4 and 5 stay straight

Well, that's certainly useful information that I didn't have before. Does it matter which end has pins 2 and 3 swapped (edit: well, I suppose it wouldn't)? Is there a diagram posted anywhere?

Thanks!

On a 9 pin serial cable you only need pins 2-5, with 2 and 3 reversed at 1 end, and the others straight through.

I usually use a db9 female to rj45 female connector which lets me put the pins in whatever config I want, then put a cat 5 in between so I can have whatever length I need.

This is the type of connector I'm referring to.

Very helpful, thank you again.

With the documentation you have it sounds like it's European it's definitely not North American talking about DECT phones.And yes mmc 740,741 are for the voicemail here.

Sent you a pm

Excellent observation. The documentation I was able to find is a 2001 programming manual from the UK. I am, in fact, located in the United States.

Thanks for all of your help -- this is a very friendly and helpful forum.

An update and hopefully the end of this thread. I was back out on site today and after talking to my friend who had asked me for help, I used the "Station Pair" function to make extension 209 the secondary station to 207. As such, if someone calls, or is transferred by the Auto Attendant or by another extension to 207 (the original and main phone for the restaurant), both 207 and 209 will ring, and if there's no answer then the caller can leave a message on 207. About the only thing this doesn't easily allow is the notification of and checking of new messages from 209, but they're fine with that -- 209 is at a desk not always staffed, 207 is the main phone used.

The bonus of this is that I didn't have to attempt to tweak the settings for the Auto Attendant, which obviously was set up by the original installer, and is not something I've ever worked on before.

For kicks, I did play around with setting up a button to check the 505 group voicemail box, just to see how to do it. The function was, as Gerrya mentioned above, "VG505".

Thanks to everyone who posted and messaged me with help on this -- you all are very friendly and helpful.

Pins 2 and 3 on the DB9 need to cross over. I am sure you could use a null modem adapter, but you only need pins 2,3,4 and 5. I build my own cables with DB9 to RJ45 hoods and a CAT5 patch cable.

By the way the method outlined above will not give you any message count on the display and the phone will have to have a MWXXX button and a VMMSG button if that extension wants to have it's own voicemail.

There are other ways to do it.............

Opps, looks like a was several post behind on this....

You could also put a MW207 on the 209 extension and then both could get into that mailbox and have some status.

Hi Todd,

Thanks for the idea. I looked into trying to do this when I was out there last, but I believe it was determined earlier in the thread that this older iDCS 16 system doesn't have the "MW" function. Looking through the documentation I have, that's not an option for key programming. I did try programming a VG207 button on x209, but it wasn't having it, presumably since 207 isn't a group.

Realistically I think we're good where it's at now -- I don't think people will frequently be calling this restaurant after-hours and leaving messages.