Any 'Dial Plan' gurus out there? These days, I do much more SIP trunks now than any other type trunks and am trying to figure out how to alter the dial plan (on the 5000, aka mv250) so that my users do not have to dial the 1 on 'outside area code' calls. They prefer to dial just like they do on their cell phones. Can anyone lead me in the right direction? THANKS folks! -Mike

Here’s how I did it:

Modified Dial Rule 8, to Add digit 1.

Built a Route Group for 911.

Built a Route Group with Dial Patterns for our local office codes: 860201+, 860202+, etc. They point to a Facility Group with Dial Rules 3 and 4, so calls get placed as xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Built a Route Group with Dial Pattern N+ that points to a Facility Group with Dial Rules 8, 3, and 4. Any calls that don’t match the Dial Pattern for 911 or local calls get placed as 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.

I left the Toll-Long Distance, Operator and International Route Groups at default. If someone dials a toll call including the 1, it will route normally. Same with Operator or International.

The Route Groups need to be listed in the proper order: 911, Local, Toll, Toll-Long Distance, Operator, and International. Remember, calls will route as soon a match is made: 911 is a match for N+.

The challenge is keeping the local office codes up to date. Occasionally, a new local number will pop up that can’t be dialed – because it’s not on the local table and it’s being placed as a toll call.

Our redundant site is two counties away, in a different area code. I get to do this twice, with a total of about 700 local office codes between the sites. I have 800 DIDs to maintain on both sites on the incoming side, so it just comes with the territory.

We did this for our fax servers, not for our end users. End users can fend for themselves.