I have a customer that has a CICS with one line on it. They have ordered a second line from Quest with distinctive ring (two short rings)on line one.I have turned on distinctive ring in programming with two but it does not seem to work. Is there something I'm missing?

So what you are saying is, you still only have one physical line (Line 1) going into the CICS system?

That service was called Ringmaster a few years back with Bellsouth. I never used it much, and only with fax machines and such. You have to have an external switch, similar to a fax switch. Again, Bellsouth called them Ringmaster switches.

Even with a switch like I have described in place, you would only be able to recieve calls on the 2nd number. All outbound would still go out on the single POTS in the CICS. And, without call waiting, anyone calling EITHER of the 2 numbers would get a busy.

Anyway, I understand what you are trying to do with the CICS. Distinctive ring is not gonna do the trick. Nor is there anything more that the CICS can do for you.

If the line was added for incoming traffic you could use call waiting. But, that would only allow one person to handle the calls. If a 2nd line was added so more than one person can be on the phone at the time, you will need a physical 2nd line.

Hope this helps

Take a look at this from Mike Sandmman: https://www.sandman.com/lineshar.html

Distinctive ring uses two numbers on one pair of copper. One copper pair into the box and two outlets, phone and fax for instance.

If you dial the 1st number, it rings to the phone, if you dial the 2nd number it rings to the fax.

No matter what you only get one call, voice or fax, at a time.

Verizon is about $6 a month for the second number and if you get few faxes a month, its much cheaper than a second line.

I think he is trying to get a different ring on line 2 on the CICS.

It may be

If thats the case, as long as he sets the line for distinctive ring first, and does not set distinctive ring on the set afterwards (Line DRP overrides the set DRP), it should work. If he is trying to pass two short rings from telco THRU the CICS, it will not work.

Distinctive ring on the MICS/CICS only gives one of four different sounds to a ringing line, set or hunt group. It is in no way affliliated with telco distictive ringing (in Bell Canada world it's called identi-call).

Thanks for the reponsces. I guess all I really needed to know was if the CICS would give me the double ring of the distinctive ring so that the person next to the phone could answer it accordingly (business A or business B).

If you really needed that, you could use a second pair to a low-REN electronic chirper on line 2.

You could use a distintive ring line share device and send long to line 1 and short to line 2.

I think you are saying that the ring signals would still come across as normal to the ksu but each line could be programmed for a different ringing sound?

Smart idea telemarv.