I've just started at a new company and they have a Nortel BCM400 which I've never worked with before ... so I apologize if this question is Nortel 101 ...
They have the T7316E handsets all over the office setup in such a way that if you unplug one from the system, the DID goes dead and reports an error to incoming carriers (i.e. if you call from an AT&T cell phone, it advises you to call 611, which is AT&T cellular customer service). As soon as you plug the phone back in, the calls ring right through.
Why does this happen instead of routing the call directly to vmail, or just ringing a phantom line? Is it normal for a Nortel system to require a physical handset to be connected in order to handle the call?

I've gone through the element manager and nothing is jumping out at me to change this behavior, so any insight into this 'feature' would be a huge help.

Thanks

"DID" numbers are directed to individual TELEPHONES. If you unplug it where would expect it to go?

Perhaps I'm a little naïve with regards to Nortel gear, but I would expect it to continue down the call path designated in the system.

DID's may be directed to handsets, but they're terminated at the PBX (at least in my mind). The voicemail, and call handling configuration is not related to, or controlled by the handset ... so it seems counter intuitive that unplugging a handset from the wall would result in an origin carrier "feature not supported" message when the PBX has other options (not even a PBX generated message).

My whole objective at the moment is getting some headless DIDs as we have ~100 DIDs, and only ~50 handsets. There are a lot of people that work remotely 100% of the time, and just use their desk phones in the office for voicemail. We have lots of empty desks for new people to sit at, but all of the phones are in use ... my initial plan was to just pull the wires in the closet and re-land them on unused ports; but as soon as I pull the wires, the old numbers go dead and even the voicemail stops working.

My initial assumption was that there may be a setting in the BCM to ignore handset status that I just couldn't find ... but maybe there is an entirely different approach that I need to take for this problem?

DID's may be directed to handsets, but they're terminated at the PBX (at least in my mind). The voicemail, and call handling configuration is not related to, or controlled by the handset. THEY ARE RELATED!!

my initial plan was to just pull the wires in the closet and re-land them on unused ports; but as soon as I pull the wires, the old numbers go dead and even the voicemail stops working.

Can you imagine that, you start pulling wires and things stop working.

What's with the sarcasm here?? The wires being pulled are just the line wires to the handset ... the equivalent of unplugging the phone at the desk.

When I disconnect a handset from an asterisk, Avaya, or Altigen system ... the PBX still handles the DID as expected; regardless if they are digital or analog lines. If I unregister a VOIP extension from any of those systems .. guess what .. they still handle the call. The handset is related in routing sequence, not in execution ... the handset has no idea what happens to the call if you don't answer it .. and it doesn't care.

If I unplug all the phones at my house, or turn off my cell phone ... the phone companies still route my calls to voicemail ... the don't return carrier errors.

A handset is a peripheral device to the PBX ... like a computer mouse. Doesn't your computer willingly boot and process data without a mouse? Or does that just stop working too?

Read Mooretels answer

Sorry but thats a no brainer

Use Express Messaging line to send DID calls to voice mail.

You also need to make the Prime Set the DN of Callpilot under Target Line/s programming.


MC

Mooretel didn't provide an answer to the first post, he made a statement and asked a question; neither of which explained WHY the PBX errors out the line to the carrier when the internal handset is disconnected, or if this is normal Nortel behavior

No idea to what statement/post you are even referring.

Curlycord

Thank you ... this is exactly the solution I needed and it works perfectly.

I'm still unclear, however, what the Nortel is trying to do in the other configuration that causes the 'feature not supported' message at the origin carrier when handsets are disconnected.

Now I have a follow up question ... How do I setup an internal extension to behave the same as the express messaging line? ... the DID goes direct to voicemail now, but if you dial the internal extension from a another internal phone ... you get a busy signal or out of service message once the handset has been disconnected.

The purpose of this forum is NOT to give step by step instructions, especially for Installer information. I suggest you call in a certified tech.

MooreTel

You're obviously right, this is not a place for step by step how to's ... but that's not what I came here looking for. You guys know these specific systems; I don't, and I was hoping for a little insight from people with experience on a system I'm now responsible for.

I didn't set out to ask for any step by step information in any of my posts .. and although Curlycords comment about 'use express messaging line' could have simply stopped there, and was hugely helpful in partially working around the issue I'm trying to understand ... even that didn't answer the basic question that I came here for; "is this normal?, or is this a setting that can be changed" (paraphrasing myself) - I've come to the conclusion that this IS normal, and it can't be changed (easily); but no one bothered to just say that.

I apologize if my follow up question was poorly phrased with 'how do I', that was my error ... as it should have said 'is there an equivalent' since that's all I needed to know so I can go find it. I'm not looking to install anything or become a Nortel master .. just understand enough to manage the basics of what I have.

Regardless, as a moderator, I suspect you have the power to delete this thread, and my account, please do so on both counts.

I will do neither, yet.

The point of the last post is that if you know nothing of a system that you are now in charge with, contact the proper sources & take their courses. This will not be FREE, so inform your employer that just because you are in IT, that does NOT cover the telephone system at Installer level.

By all means get the user manuals and help the other employees work with their TELEPHONE (not HANDSET). That in itself will save them from calling in & paying a Telephone tech to do the simple user actions.

Anything above that is out of your expertise without the proper training.

I understood the point, and I'm not disputing my current level of expertise/familiarity with this system/installation (or its appropriate terminology; I resisted the urge to use STATION and figured I'd just remain consistent with myself), but we seem to have different perceptions on what 'installer level' knowledge extends to.

I don't consider being able to manage basic call flow, voicemail, auto-attendant trees, call center skill queues, and other various, regularly adjusted things 'Installer' functions ... and I fully intend to verse myself on them to a moderate level as time permits, regardless if that means taking classes reading the manuals, or trial and error. There was a hit list of things to be corrected on this system that, to my understanding, the last outside telephone tech they hired (prior to me starting here) couldn't seem to fix as this 'system was to old for those features'. I'm half through that list and plan to finish it.

I may not be familiar with this system specifically, but I have installed from scratch (wires through software) multiple Asterisk, and Altigen systems, and worked a good deal with an older Avaya system. I will figure this one out too ... I only came here hoping for some basic insights and to be pointed in the right direction (not for hand holding). I don't mind reading, but I'd rather not need to read the documentation cover to cover just trying to figure out what it is I'm actually looking for. If that kind of information is beyond the 'purpose' of this forum I will gladly go elsewhere. I may speak Nortel with a foreign accent, but I do understand telephony.

When I hit a wall or conclude that something is beyond my grasp, I'll be the first one that refuses to touch it and hire someone.

See this topic in General

Basically if it's not in the customer users manual it's installer level programming.

I'm sure if you requested off forum support you could find some, but it won't be free, just as your talents in IT are not given away.

That was good for a laugh, This is why I leave the IT stuff to the IT pros and wish they had the sense to do the same to the Telecom pros, same with camera guys, had one at a job I was at last week that thought he knew everything telecom, I was running some plenum cable (in Vegas the codes are tough since the MGM fire) He told me that I needed "special" jacks for plenum and he had some he could sell me lol, then he asked what the software was, I told him 4.1 and he went and told the customer he could change the software to 7.1 by downloading something off the internet and they would have the top software (I'm SERIOUS!) the customer came to me and asked what he was talking about, I said I don't know and the guy was clueless, Customer called his boss and he was fired and they sent out a new security camera installer. The point is, Don't tell a customer you can do something that you clearly have no clue how to do it.

Another example of 'know alls' is people (notably IT experts), is the approach that 'upgrading the software' will fix all manner of issues.
For instance, if a line is locking up on a system, then obviously 'the software is no good, as not running the latest available version'. Of course it doesn't fix the system, but strangely replacing the line card does, by someone with proper experience.
Simple rule, newer software, won't fix faulty hardware.

They forget that cards like line cards, are subject to outside forces like lightening & power surges.

Kevin Martin

I don't think it's unreasonable to unplug a phone and have an incoming call still ring somewhere in the system.
We had an executone customer who would manually busy their lines at lunch.
They went to a 5000.
Couldn't do it. Tech supports suggestion involved going off hook with phones and then putting the phone in a drawer.
They said "we make phone systems to answer calls".
With intertel/5000's, if you have a DID pattern set to ring "NONE" I think the system will default and send it to whatever the operator is defined as.
Not tell the caller they've dialed in error.
I understand it with the nortel though, every single option can be defined, like a bare bones skeleton. If you chose not to define "it", error.