Partner Call Forwarding to Cell not working

[mharbo]

I posted this as a reply to another thread before I realized how old it was, so I apologize for sticking this out there twice.

I am not an Sys Admin or very technical, so I apologize if I sound a little out of the know. Basically we share an office with another business and utilize two of their extensions for our own (they're small as well without any Sys Admin to assist). For the examples, our lines are 14 and 16.

The problem that we are having is that we cannot get these extensions to forward to an outside cell for when we are away from the office (it will forward to the other extension).

I followed the instructions here on the site and confirmed with various other 3rd party examples out there. In short:

I did the SYS ADMIN bit on EXT 10, to make sure that these two lines (14 & 16) allowed call forwarding using the #322 function. I also made sure that call forwarding was allowed for EXT 10 and 11.

Then I went to each extension and setup a speed dial for the outside line (set to 99) and then I programmed Function 11 to a button and set each phone to forward to the outside extension.

I did it F11 14 99 and F11 14 *99 and the same for ext 16. I programmed a button to have this as a preset. I did it every which combination that you could and, I could always get the forward to go to the other in-house extension and I could always dial the outside number with the new speed dial number, but I could never get the extension to forward an outside call to the cell phone number assigned to the speed dial number.

In every case, the phone rang as if call forwarding was not on (even though it clearly was). Again, if I assigned it to the other in house extension it worked just fine.

As far as I can tell our phone has a late enough firmware release and is clearly capable of the task - it just doesn't seem to want to work.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[thiel2]

Don't put a * in the forwarding command - it's just Feature 11-14-99 and Feature 11-16-99

How do the calls get to Ext. 14 and 16 in the first place? Via an automated attendant? Or just that your lines ring on these two extensions?

Remember that your extension must have at least one other available line for outgoing calls, and that must be in the automatic line select sequence - so if you lift your handset (when it isn't ringing, but when you want to make an outside call), the phone must give you one of your outside lines, and if that line is already in use, it must give you a different outside line. This is the order that the system will select lines for your forwarded calls.

And of course you must set the extensions for RCF, in #322, and not toll restricted. You should make sure pressing Feature 99 will select an outside line and call your cell phone properly.

Then turn on the forwarding with the button or the feature code, go to another extension, and Intercom the forwarded extension. The forwarded extension should beep, you should see a line go off hook, and the call should ring on the outside number.

Then place an outside call on another extension, and transfer it to the forwarded extension, to see if that also forwards out.

[mharbo]

replay to thiel2 re: cannot get phones to forward to an outside line

I apologize for the delay. I thought that the forum would automatically e-mail me when there was a reply and didn't check the forum until now.

Thank you for the reply. I had found the bit about the '*' before on one of the Avaya support pages regarding cells. I will be sure to leave that out.

As for our extensions, we have a dedicated phone number that will go to either of the two extensions (14 or 16), where as the other company has the same deal with their extensions (e.g. a single phone number that rings on all of their assigned extensions. I believe our provider (AT&T) set that up for us. Although the single number can be answered on one extension, we can make or answer two calls simultaneous on the two separate lines.

The RCF #322 should be setup properly. Each extensions is set to 1 to allow for outgoing call forwarding (in fact, I did this for all of the lines in house just to make sure there wasn't something that we are missing). I tested it by selecting F99 and it did call the outside line from either extension.

I ran through your tests at the end and, it's strange.

I setup forwarding on each line and then called that forwarded line from the other and it forwarded to the cell as designed.

Then I did the same by calling from an outside line and was able to transfer it to the forwarded extension and that also seemed to work fine.

However, as soon as I set forward on both phones and call from an external cell or land line, both phones ring as normal, do not forward and you can answer the handset.

The problem is, because our one number rings for both lines, we need both to forward when we are out of the office. Does anything sound out of place to you?

Again, thank you so much for your help.

[thiel2]

Let's clarify our terms, because I'm getting confused.

You have 1 telephone number that rings to Extension 14 and 16, but you have 2 lines from AT&T. The 2nd line actually has its own telephone number, but you never give that out to callers, because the 2nd line is where the call "hunts" or "rolls over" from the 1st line when the 1st line is busy.

The 2 lines connect to 2 line ports on the Partner ACS control unit, and you need to know which ports they are.

So at one of your telephone sets, press Feature 00, and then press each of the buttons where your lines appear. The display will give you the line port number, when it says something like "L04 Immediate Ring" and "L04 Immediate Ring".

If the call comes in on your 1st line, the call will forward out on your 2nd line, and if the call comes in on your 2nd line, it will forward out on your 1st line.

When forwarding is turned on, you will never get more than one call at a time, because both lines will be in use, and any simultaneous callers will get a busy signal until you hang up.

Pick ONE of your extensions, make sure that both lines ring on that extension, and that when you lift the handset, it connects to your 1st line, and if that is already in use it connects to your 2nd line, and if both are in use it connect to the Intercom.

Assume the line ports are L04 and L05, and you want to use Ext. 14 to control the forwarding, you would program #322-04-14 and #322-04-14. Program #322-14-1 as well. Put the cell number in Feature 99 on Ext. 14, and program a button as Feature 11-14-99.

Now Ext. 14 "owns" both line ports, and when you turn on the forwarding, and call your main number from an outside telephone number (such as your cell phone), you will see your 1st line light up green, hear a beep on Ext. 14, see your 2nd line turn green, the forwarded cell phone ring, and the line buttons will change to blinking green indicating the lines are in use being forwarded.