We just installed a KX-TDA50 with 10 PT extensions and a TVA50 with 4 ports. The voice mail is set up for auto attendant. The call volume is such that a 4 port voice messaging system can handle the calls.

The customer informed me today that this is what is happening when people call in. The caller hears the main company greeting, then they enter the digits for the extension they are trying to reach. Instead of getting the person they are calling, they hear the system say, "that is not a valid extension number." I am told that this happens with not only their customers, but also with their employees when they are calling in. I made a test call today to see what would happen and the same thing happened to me; I got the system recording "that is not a valid extension number." I then made a second test call and my call was processed correctly.

This is the first time I have experienced this specific problem and I do not know where to begin looking for the resolution. The phone system and the messaging system both have basic programming....the same as many other installations that I have done. I even looked at other customer's system programs that I have saved on my laptop to compare with this customer's program and there is nothing that looks different.

Has anyone come across anything like this before and if yes, what did you do to fix it.

Thet's what the system trace command is for. I'm guessing you have a bad port, or a bad or different trunk coming in that is seeing double digits. As always, try to isolate it down to a specific port or trunk or phone or class of phones (cell, PT, POTS, etc.)

Turn on your log file and then let it run for a couple of hours. You may find the pattern.

Carl

Gotta agree with Carl. In my experience, it's usually 1 phone line. Panasonic, esp when it's new, is pretty darn reliable. Are the lines POTS or something from a Voip, or cable outfit, or?

I am guessing that you are using custom service menus in the TVA50.

Under the Menu & Transfer section in the custom service menu, look at the "Wait for second digit" time. By default this is set for 1 second. If you pause any at all while dialing the extension number, you will have the problem that you described.

In my experience, it works much better if this is set to 3 seconds.

Also during the Company Greeting no digits work you can only enter digits after the Company Greeting is done and you're into the Custom Service Menu.

Thank you all for such good suggestions.

All CO lines are POTS; and I am using custom service menus in the TVA50.

I will be going to this location after lunch today, so you all have given me several things to check. I appreciate the input!

I have to go with Brian H on this one. We had the same problem with our TVA200. It was the craziest thing as we spent at least 3 weeks trying to figure out why a handful were getting incorrect entry, until we drilled down to dialing while driving & slow typing of extensions. All the problems went away then, plus the great help of the forum here

Same porb. Boiled down to a recording system installed by customer on Telco side of rj21x block. Bad port on the recorder. It was on line 1. Would not pass DTMF properly either way.

I'm happy to report that Brian hit the resolution to my problem right on the nail head! Made test calls at the site before changing the setting in the TVA50 custom service under the menu and transfer section....got the recording telling me that the extension number I was trying to reach was not a valid extension number.

I changed the setting for waiting for second digit from 1 sec to 3 sec, made a dozen or more test calls, purposely taking my time while inputting the extension number I wanted to reach, and the call processed correctly every single time!

Once again, the forum came through! Thank you!

Nice. This is how these places are supposed to work. Kudos to everyone here. There is a lot of knowledge on this site.

Why they default that way is way beyond me!

Why, to make you earn your keep. And the customer is impressed with your knowledge, IF you work it right.