sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Toshiba Telephones & Systems Options

Im posting this since I have a small window to get rid of the poor customer service company Cbeyond at 2 of our locations. We have a DK 424 C/D 4.3 with a Qwest 24 channel T1 RDTU2 that we can hook flash transfer on inbound calls but not outbound. Our outbound are call are done on with our 3 bonded T1s using 20 analog lines from Cbeyond. We recently lost the ability to do the transfer feature on the hook flash. I opened a ticket with Cbeyond and a week later no response. I call back and of course they say its the phone system, I reassure them its not, so it goes to Tier 2. No call for a week, I call back in and they tell me they upgraded there system and the transfer feature is no longer available. So, my question is, what are my options for hook flash transfer for outbound calls? I also have a CTX670 im preparing to switch to, but with all the PHDN and VM boxes I wont be ready to swap to it for a little while. Thanks and sorry for the Cbeyond rant.

This is from an email I received from Cbeyond:

Thank you for contacting Cbeyond Technical Support. Unfortunately due to the recent upgrade in your market the type of three way call and transfer you are attempting is no longer supported. If you have further issues that we can assist with please contact us.


Here are the supported methods of call transfer:

Blind Call Transfer
The following describes a typical Blind call-transfer scenario:
1. User A calls user B.
2. User B (transferrer) presses hookflash, places user A (transferee) on hold, and dials user C (transfer-to).
3. Before the Blind call transfer trigger timer expires, user B disconnects, and the call between user A and user B is terminated.
4. User A is transferred to user C and hears a ringback if user C is available. If user C is busy, user A hears a busy tone; if user C is not busy and answers, user A and user C connect.

Semi-Attended Transfers
The following is a typical semi-attended transfer scenario:
1. User A calls user B.
2. User B places user A on hold and dials user C.
3. After user B hears a ringback and user C rings, user B initiates a transfer, and the call between user A and user B is terminated.
4. User A is transferred to user C and hears a ringback if user C is available. If user C is busy, user A hears a busy tone.
5. If user C is not busy and answers, user A and user C connect.

Attended Transfers
The following describes a typical attended transfer:
1. User A calls user B.
2. User B places user A on hold and dials user C.
3. After user C answers, user B goes on-hook to initiate a transfer, and the call between user A and user B is terminated.
4. User A is transferred to user C. If user C is busy when user B calls, user A hears a busy tone.
5. If user C is not busy and answers, user A and user C connect.

Please do not respond to this email for any new requests as this is an automated tool.

From what I see the lines are presented to the PBX as analog lines.The lines will do a hook flash transfer, but only if the call is incoming, not outgoing? That is interesting that there would be a difference. I just connected a simular setup (analog over T1) with another carrier and I am about 90& sure the transfer worked with outgoing as well.

I had an interesting call to CBeyond support recently, not that I am trying to add to the CBeyond bashing. I had analog from the Cisco IAD, and 1 line out of 22 had no dialtone, and got a busy when dialed. The line was connected to a fax machine. Customer called them first and they said it was something in the line. I removed the bridge clips and found lne dead at 66 block.

While on the phone with the tech, after I told him I was the telephone vendor and I was connected directly to the terminal, he said it was something with the PBX was causing the issue. I was a bit shocked, but still said politely and calmly that the only thing connected right now is my test set, I and I know it works fine. He also knew it was a fax line from talking to the customer.

Then this very busy office suddenly got real quite . Every call dropped. I power cycled the IAD and all the lines, even my dead line started working again.

So if CBeyond can't do what you need and another carrier can, I'd say drop them and switch to someone else.

Let me chime in, CBeyond has been the WORST carrier to do cuts with that I have EVER seen. They always blame the vendor when they are unsure of anything and last year I was doing phone support with the tech on site and they couldn't make outgoing calls on a cut and their advice was to initialize the Toshiba (for some 80 phones).

Eventually it was determined that one program, I believe *76, had to be changed. CBeyond in my opinion, is simply reckless when giving advice.

I would advise them that the flash transfer is a required tool you needed when the contract was signed, that they have breached the contract and you will be switching vendors.

(Rarely would anyone update a switch and take out flash transfer so most likely the person responding asked the wrong question and gave you the wrong answer but it is a good opportunity to find a better vendor.)

Flash transfer is also called DID to DOD, Direct Inward Dial to Direct Outward Dial if you have a T-1 or PRi and may have other names in other companies so if they say they don't have flash transfer (as Telepacific insisted) get a switch technician in a conference call and explain what you want and they will know what THEY call it.

There are so many cooperative vendors out there, you don't need to stick with CBeyond.

Thanks for the replys. The problem is we have about 300 emails hosted with Cbeyond, The IT guy doesnt want to have to switch them all over. And with Cbeyond the contract auto renews, no month to month. I was planning on switching to Integra. We have 9 T1s with Integra and they are always there for us. Thanks again