Call Handling Issues

Use the following information to help you with problems you may encounter while making and receiving calls with Avaya IP Softphone.

Making Calls

• Problem 1: When you place a call, the wrong telephone number is dialed.
• Problem 2: You are unable to hear digits being dialed when making calls with Avaya IP Softphone (or other TAPI applications).
• Problem 3: When you try to make a call, you receive the following message: "Your call could not be completed. The number you dialed is not supported."
• Problem 4: You are unable to specify the Phone Directory entry you want Avaya IP Softphone to dial to access the voice messaging system.
• Problem 5: You make a call from the Call Bar window, and a call appearance for that call is displayed. However, the call was not placed, and you hear dial tone.
• Problem 6: When a call appears in Avaya IP Softphone, the title bar for the Avaya IP Softphone window displays special characters improperly.
• Problem 7: You cannot dial an international telephone number. You receive the following message: "Your call cannot be completed. The telephone number you entered is not in the proper format."
• Problem 8: You dial a number from a TAPI-assisted dialing application (for example, Schedule+ or Palm Pilot Contact Manager), but the Avaya IP Softphone window does not appear. (Avaya IP Softphone only appears minimized on the Task bar.)
• Problem 9: You make a call from a TAPI-assisted dialing application when Avaya IP Softphone is not running, and the Avaya IP Softphone windows does not appear, preventing you from handling the call.

Answering Calls

• Problem 10: Incoming calls ring at your extension and then disappear.
• Problem 11: The PC keeps ringing after you answer an incoming call.
• Problem 12: You click the Answer button to answer a ringing call, and the call is disconnected.
• Problem 13: Caller information is not displayed for an incoming call.
• Problem 14: You are unable to answer a call using your PC keyboard.
• Problem 15: Your telephone does not ring when you receive a call in Telecommuter mode.
• Problem 16: While you are using the Telecommuter configuration, incoming calls receive the voice mail for your separate telephone line.
• Problem 17: While you are using the Telecommuter configuration, incoming calls receive constant ringback.

Conferencing Calls

Transferring Calls

• Problem 25: You are unable to transfer a call.
• Problem 26: You are unable to transfer calls with Avaya IP Softphone when other TAPI applications are also running.

Miscellaneous

• Problem 27: You receive the message, "Communication to the server has been lost. You will be logged off by the server." Your only option is to click the OK button. If you click the OK button, you will be logged off and brought back to the Login dialog box.
• Problem 28: The Mute and Volume Control buttons are disabled.
• Problem 29: When you try to hang up a call using Road Warrior mode, Avaya IP Softphone "faults."
• Problem 30: Avaya IP Softphone features are not working properly (for example, you cannot use call appearances and/or features).
• Problem 31: The Audio Control toolbar disappears.
• Problem 32: Some of Audio Control toolbar buttons are not displayed.
• Problem 33: The toolbar buttons disappear or change.
• Problem 34: You receive the following message: "Call could not be completed."
• Problem 35: The labels in the Picture of Phone window are incomplete (for example, the second line of a call appearance label is not displayed).
• Problem 36: You are unable to activate the Call Forwarding feature. (Avaya IP Softphone dials the destination telephone number you specified for the Call Forwarding feature instead of activating this feature.)
• Problem 37: You cannot close the Picture of Phone window.

Making Calls

Problem 1: When you place a call, the wrong telephone number is dialed.

Make sure the area code displayed in the Windows Dialing Properties dialog box (which you can access from the Settings button in the Login dialog box) matches the area code of your telephone system. For example, if your telephone system is located in the 732 area code, the area code displayed in the Dialing Properties dialog box must be 732. If the area code in the Windows Dialing Properties dialog box is different from the area code of your telephone system, you may have problems placing calls to the correct destination.

Suppose you are using a PC in the 213 area code, and the area code in the Windows Dialing Properties dialog box is set to 213. The area code of your telephone system is 732. You log into the server. Using Avaya IP Softphone, you then try to make a call to a telephone number in the 213 area code (for example, 213-555-5555). To make this call, you enter the 10-digit telephone number (213-555-5555). Since the area code in the Windows Dialing Properties dialog box is set to 213, Windows automatically removes the area code from the number, and passes the 7-digit telephone number (555-5555) to the telephone system. The telephone system then dials the 7-digit telephone number. However, since your telephone system is located in the 732 area code, it places the call as a local call in the 732 area code (732-555-5555) instead of as a long-distance call (213-555-5555)

To help prevent this problem, create a new location for your company's telephone system in the Windows Dialing Properties dialog box on the PC you are using. This new location must have the same area code as your company's telephone system. Before logging into the server, be sure to use this new location in the Login tab of the Registration Options dialog box.

Problem 2: You are unable to hear digits being dialed when making calls with Avaya IP Softphone (or other TAPI applications).

When using Avaya IP Softphone, you will not hear the digits being dialed when you make calls and enter touch-tone digits during calls. Even though you cannot hear the digits being dialed, the call will be completed properly.

Problem 3: When you try to make a call, you receive the following message: "Your call could not be completed. The number you dialed is not supported."

This problem may occur if you configured the current Windows Dialing Properties Location to use a calling card. Avaya IP Softphone does not support using calling cards in Windows Dialing Properties.

If you want to dial the telephone number from Avaya IP Softphone, you must dial it as you would from your telephone.

Problem 4: You are unable to specify the Phone Directory entry you want Avaya IP Softphone to dial to access the voice messaging system.

This problem may occur if the Phone Directory entry you want to use for voice messaging access is a subset of another Phone Directory entry. For example, suppose you have Phone Directory entries labeled "Voice Mail" and "Voice Mail 2." You will be unable to use either of these entries to access the voice messaging system.

Change the label of one of these Phone Directory entries, and then configure Avaya IP Softphone to access the voice messaging system.

Problem 5: You make a call from the Call Bar window, and a call appearance for that call is displayed. However, the call was not placed, and you hear dial tone.

This problem may occur if you are using the Directory feature button in the Picture of Phone window, and you do not exit the Directory feature. Exit the Directory feature in the Picture of Phone window, and then make the call again.

Problem 6: When a call appears in Avaya IP Softphone, the title bar for the Avaya IP Softphone window displays special characters improperly.

This problem will occur if the caller/calling name contains special characters (such as ~) and the font selected for the Active Title Bar (which is set in Windows Display Properties) does not support special characters.

Problem 7: You cannot dial an international telephone number. You receive the following message: "Your call cannot be completed. The telephone number you entered is not in the proper format."

The proper format for an international telephone number is

+country code (area code) number

Examples: +61 (2) 1234-5678 and +1 (212) 555-1212

Problem 8: You dial a number from a TAPI-assisted dialing application (for example, Schedule+ or Palm Pilot Contact Manager), but the Avaya IP Softphone window does not appear. (Avaya IP Softphone only appears minimized on the Task bar.)

This problem may occur if you did not start Avaya IP Softphone before dialing the number from the TAPI-assisted dialing application.

Perform the following steps:

1. Right-click the mouse on Avaya IP Softphone on the Task bar, and select Close.
   
2. Right-click the mouse on the Login icon in the system tray, and select Log off & exit Avaya iClarity IP Audio.

Be sure to start Avaya IP Softphone before using TAPI-assisted dialing applications.

Problem 9: You make a call from a TAPI-assisted dialing application when Avaya IP Softphone is not running, and the Avaya IP Softphone windows does not appear, preventing you from handling the call.

Right-click the mouse on the Login icon in the system tray and select Log off & exit Avaya iClarity IP Audio to log off the server and end the call.

To prevent this problem from occurring, you must start Avaya IP Softphone and log into the server before making a call from a TAPI-assisted dialing application (such as Microsoft Schedule+).

Answering Calls

Problem 10: Incoming calls ring at your extension and then disappear.

The Send All Calls (SAC) feature or the Call Forward feature may be active for your extension or the service link cannot be established (if you are using the Road Warrior configuration). Perform the following steps:

1. In the Avaya IP Softphone window, program a Send All Calls (SAC) Off Function button, and then click on that Function button to turn off the Send All Calls feature for your extension.
   
2. In the Avaya IP Softphone window, program a Call Forward Off Function button, and then click on that Function button to turn off the Call Forward feature.

Problem 11: The PC keeps ringing after you answer an incoming call.

Reboot your PC.

Problem 12: You click the Answer button to answer a ringing call, and the call is disconnected.

If your PC is performing slowly and you click the Answer button more than once to answer a call, Windows queues the button clicks and then performs these clicks as soon as it is capable. After the first button click is performed, the call is answered, and the Answer button is changed to the Hangup button. Unfortunately, the second button click in the queue then clicks the Hangup button, disconnecting the call.

Be sure to click the Answer button only once.

Problem 13: Caller information is not displayed for an incoming call.

If you are using a 6400 Series telephone, caller information for an incoming call will not appear while the telephone is in a mode such as Directory mode. To ensure that caller information for an incoming call is always displayed, ask your System Administrator to program an Inspect button on your telephone. Once the Inspect button is programmed, your telephone will be forced out of Directory mode when you receive an incoming call, and the caller information will be displayed.

Problem 14: You are unable to answer a call using your PC keyboard.

This problem may occur if you enable the Display the main window for incoming calls option and the Flash window for incoming calls option in the Incoming Calls section of the Program Options dialog box. When these settings are enabled and you receive a call, the Avaya IP Softphone window appears, and the Avaya IP Softphone button at the bottom of your desktop flashes. Even though the title bar of the Avaya IP Softphone window displays the "color" you specified for the active application, Avaya IP Softphone is not the active application.

To answer this call, you must click on the Avaya IP Softphone window to make it active. Once the Avaya IP Softphone window is active, you can answer the call from your keyboard.

Problem 15: Your telephone does not ring when you receive a call in Telecommuter mode.

This problem will occur if a coverage path has been administered for your station by your System Administrator. In this case, you will see an incoming call appear in the Avaya IP Softphone window, but the telephone connected to the "Telephone At" number you specified for Telecommuter mode does not ring.

Perform the following steps:

1. When you receive an incoming call in the Avaya IP Softphone window, click the Answer button for that call appearance.

   Your telephone starts ringing.

2. Answer your telephone.

Problem 16: While you are using the Telecommuter configuration, incoming calls receive the voice mail for your separate telephone line.

This problem can occur if you are active on a call on your separate telephone line, and you receive a call at your extension. When a call arrives at your extension, the telephone system places the call to the separate telephone line. If your separate telephone line is busy, the call from your telephone system is answered by the voice mail. Make sure you are not active on a call on your separate line (that is, use the separate telephone line for Avaya IP Softphone).

Problem 17: While you are using the Telecommuter configuration, incoming calls receive constant ringback.

This problem can occur if you have Call Waiting active on your separate telephone line, and you receive a call from the telephone system while you are active on a call on your separate telephone line. Answer the call from the telephone system or cancel Call Waiting prior to logging into the server.

Conferencing Calls

Problem 18: You are unable to conference a call.

There are several possible solutions to this problem:

• If your telephone system has a multiple digit dial plan (for example, there are 3-digit extensions and 4-digit extensions), the telephone system will take additional time to place a call to an extension that has fewer digits than the maximum. For example, this situation can occur if your company has 3-digit and 4-digit extensions, and you try to conference a 3-digit extension (such as 101). The telephone system will take additional time to place the call, causing the call to timeout. To solve this problem, include the # character at the end of the extension you want to add to the conference.

• If you started the initial call using the Picture of Phone window or by clicking the Dial Number button in the Avaya IP Softphone window and then dialing the telephone number (that is, you went offhook and then dialed the telephone), you will be unable to conference the call.
  
• You only have one appearance of the extension on your Avaya IP Softphone. You must have at least two to conference.
  
• Your telephone is configured with one bridged call appearance or multiple bridged call appearances to different extensions. (This situation will not occur if you have more than one bridged appearance for each number.)

Problem 19: You are unable to add a participant to a conference call. You receive the following message: "Unable to add the party to the conference. You may have reached maximum number of conferees allowed by the telephone system or you may have to wait until the party answers the call."

You have reached the maximum number of parties that you can conference. Contact your System Administrator to determine the maximum number of parties you can conference.

Problem 20: When you click the Drop button during a conference call, a party other than the one you intended is dropped.

During a conference call, clicking the Drop button will disconnect (that is, drop) the last new call you added to the conference. (A "new call" is a call that you created by clicking the Conference button, which puts the conference on hold, enabling you to make a call to the next party you want to add to the conference.)

However, if you add an existing call to a conference, this existing call will not be dropped if you click the Drop button. (An "existing call" is a call that is created without using the Conference button.) For example, suppose you are on a conference call, and a call arrives at your phone. You place the conference on hold, and then you answer the incoming call. You then add this existing call to the conference. When you click the Drop button, the previous call you added to the conference via the Conference button will be dropped instead of the existing call you added last to the conference.

To prevent this situation from occurring, be sure to avoid adding existing calls to a conference ( that is, add new calls that were created by clicking the Conference button).

Problem 21: When you conference two existing calls, those calls are conferenced together and placed on hold, another call appearance appears, and you hear dial tone.

This problem may occur if you conference two existing calls via the Drag and Drop procedure or the Conference command from the Call menu. Hang up the new call appearance, and answer the conference, which is on hold.

Problem 22: When you try to start a conference with two ringing calls, you receive one of the following error messages: "Call cannot be conferenced" or "Unable to add the party to the conference. You may have reached the maximum number of conferees allowed by DEFINITY or you may have to wait until the party answers the call."

You cannot start a conference with two ringing calls. Make sure at least one of the calls you want to conference has been answered by the other party before starting a conference.

Problem 23: You are using Windows NT, and you try to start a conference with two ringing calls. You receive a TAPI error message, both calls remain ringing, and you are unable to handle any calls with Avaya IP Softphone.

You cannot start a conference with two ringing calls. Make sure at least one of the calls you want to conference has been answered by the other party before starting a conference. Reboot your PC.

Problem 24: While using Avaya IP Telephone mode, you receive an "extra" dial tone when you start a conference.

The Select Line Appearance Conferencing feature is enabled on the server. A workaround to this problem is to start the conference using the Picture of Phone window in Avaya IP Softphone.

Transferring Calls

Problem 25: You are unable to transfer a call.

There are several possible solutions to this problem:

• If your telephone system has a multiple digit dial plan (for example, there are 3-digit extensions and 4-digit extensions), the telephone system will take additional time to place a call to the transfer destination if the transfer destination is an extension with fewer digits than the maximum. For example, this situation can occur if your company has 3-digit and 4-digit extensions, and you try to transfer a call to a 3-digit extension (such as 101). The telephone system will take additional time to place the call, causing the call to timeout. To solve this problem, include the # character at the end of the extension to which you want to transfer the call.

• If you started the initial call using the Picture of Phone window or by clicking the Dial Number button in the Avaya IP Softphone window and then dialing the telephone number (that is, you went offhook and then dialed the telephone number), you will be unable to transfer the call using Unsupervised Transfer or Supervised Transfer.
  
• You only have one appearance of the extension on your Avaya IP Softphone. You must have at least two to transfer.
  
• Your telephone is configured with one bridged call appearance or multiple bridged call appearances to different extensions. (This situation will not occur if you have more than one bridged appearance for each number.)
  
• If other TAPI applications, such as Snap Connection, were running on the PC when you started Avaya IP Softphone, you will not be able to transfer. Close the other TAPI applications, open Avaya IP Softphone first, and then open the other applications.

Problem 26: You are unable to transfer calls with Avaya IP Softphone when other TAPI applications are also running.

If you are running Avaya IP Softphone and other TAPI applications (such as Snap Connection) at the same time, and you did not start Avaya IP Softphone first, you will be unable to transfer calls using Avaya IP Softphone. If you are going to use Avaya IP Softphone with other TAPI applications, make sure you start Avaya IP Softphone before the other TAPI applications.

Miscellaneous

Problem 27: You receive the message, "Communication to the server has been lost. You will be logged off by the server." Your only option is to click the OK button. If you click the OK button, you will be logged off and brought back to the Login dialog box.

If you are on an active call and do not click the OK button, you can continue on the call for one minute (that is, ignore the message until your call is completed). This problem arises when a �Keep Alive� signal may have been lost between the PC and the telephone system. Reestablish the data connection and then click the Cancel button.

Problem 28: The Mute and Volume Control buttons are disabled.

The Mute button and Volume Control buttons are enabled when you are using Avaya IP Softphone in the Road Warrior configuration and you have a PC sound system that is working properly.

Problem 29: When you try to hang up a call using Road Warrior mode, Avaya IP Softphone "faults."

This problem may occur if the call you are trying to hang up has poor voice quality. Log off the server and then log in again. In the Avaya Login dialog box, be sure to specify how your PC connects to the server. (This is the network bandwidth setting.)

Problem 30: Avaya IP Softphone features are not working properly (for example, you cannot use call appearances and/or features).

Avaya IP Softphone features may not operate properly if the System Administrator modified the settings for your extension (for example, added/removed call appearances or added/removed features). For example, if the System Administrator added a new call appearance, you would see the new call appearance in Avaya IP Softphone, but you would be unable to use this call appearance.

Perform the following steps:

1. Log off the server and exit Avaya IP Softphone.

2. Reboot your PC.

3. Start Avaya IP Softphone and log into the server.

Problem 31: The Audio Control toolbar disappears.

Perform the following steps:

1. From the View menu, select Toolbars.

   A submenu appears.

2. Select Audio Control.

Problem 32: Some of Audio Control toolbar buttons are not displayed.

Perform the following steps:

1. From the File menu, select Exit. (There is no need to log off the server.)

2. Restart Avaya IP Softphone.

Problem 33: The toolbar buttons disappear or change.

This problem may occur if you move the toolbars.

Place the mouse on the buttons.

Problem 34: You receive the following message: "Call could not be completed."

This problem may occur if you try to use more call appearances than are administered for your phone (for example, your station is administered for 3 call appearances, there are three calls currently on your phone, and you try to make a call).

Perform the following steps:

1. Click the OK button in the message box.
   
2. Wait a minute and then try to make the call again. If you receive the message again, go to Step 3.
   
3. Exit Avaya IP Softphone, reboot your PC, and then try to make the call again.

Problem 35: The labels in the Picture of Phone window are incomplete (for example, the second line of a call appearance label is not displayed).

You can resolve this problem by selecting a smaller font size for the Windows display setting in the Control Panel. To select a smaller font size:

1. Close the Picture of Phone window in Avaya IP Softphone.
   
2. From the Start menu, select Settings.

   A submenu appears.

3. Select Control Panel.

   The Control Panel window appears.

4. Double-click on the Display icon.

   The Display Properties dialog box appears.

5. Click on the Appearance tab.

   The Appearance tab is displayed.

6. From the Item box, select Menu.
   
7. From the Font box, select a font that will allow you to select a size of 8 or less.
   
8. From the Size box, select a smaller size, and then click the Apply button.
   
9. Open the Picture of Phone window and check whether both lines appear on the labels.
   
10. Perform one of the following steps:
    
    • If both lines appear on the labels, go to Step 11.
      
    • If both lines do not appear on the labels, close the Picture of Phone window and repeat Steps 8 through 10.
      
11. Click the OK button to close the Display Properties dialog box.
    
12. Close the Control Panel window.

Problem 36: You are unable to activate the Call Forwarding feature. (Avaya IP Softphone dials the destination telephone number you specified for the Call Forwarding feature instead of activating this feature.)

This problem may occur if you try to activate the Call Forwarding feature within 10 seconds after you log into the server. After you log into the server, wait 10 seconds before you try to activate the Call Forwarding feature.

Problem 37: You cannot close the Picture of Phone window.

Perform the following steps:

To prevent this problem from reoccurring, download and install the latest video drivers from the web site of your PC manufacturer (for example, Dell Computers).