Ring Groups Module User Guide

Owned by Nathaniel Halbrooks
Last updated: Jan 17, 2024
6 min read

THIS WIKI HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR VERSION 13 OF YOUR PBX GUI

Overview

The Ring Groups module provides a method to ring several extensions with a variety of ring strategies. It allows for several useful features such as announcements, CID name prefix, call confirmation, and others. Ring groups can include local extensions and DIDs (which become outbound calls from the system).

Logging In

  • From the top menu click Applications

  • From the drop down click Ring Groups

Adding a Ring Group

Ring Group Number

The number to dial to reach this ring group. After the ring group is created, this number cannot be changed.

Group Description

A descriptive title for the ring group to help you identify it.

Ring Strategy

Choose from the following methods in which the extension list can be dialed:

ringall

This will ring all available channels simultaneously until someone answers. This is the default.

hunt

This will take turns ringing each available extension one at a time.

memoryhunt

This will ring the first extension in the list. After that, it will ring the 1st and 2nd together, then the 1st, 2nd and 3rd extensions together, and so on.

*-prim

This suffix changes the behavior of the other ring strategies. When -prim is selected, the first extension listed becomes the "primary" extension.

  • If the primary extension is occupied or in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, none of the extensions will be rung. Caller is sent directly to the "no answer" destination set at the bottom of the module.

  • If the primary is set to Call Forward Unconditional, the primary extension (its call forward number) will not be rung, but the other extensions will be rung.

firstunavailable

This will only ring the first available channel.

firstnotonphone

This will only ring the first channel that is not off-hook, ignoring call waiting.

random

Calls ring extensions without a predefined priority in a random order. This helps spread ring group calls evenly among the group, which can simulate queue behavior when a queue cannot be used.

Ring Time (max 300 sec)

The time, in seconds, that the phones will be rung. For hunt-style strategies, this is the ring time for each iteration. (i.e. Ring first extension for 60 sec., then first and second together for another 60 sec., etc.)

Extension List

List extensions to ring, one per line, or use the “Agent Quick Select” for quick insertion. You can include an extension on a remote system or dial an external number by suffixing the number with a “#.” For example, “3609319999#” would route out whichever trunk is set for 10-digit outbound dialing, and “2000#” would route out whichever trunk is cross-connected to the remote system (via SIP/IAX2) and matches “2XXX” for outbound dialing. See the Outbound Routes user guide for more information.

Extensions that are not suffixed with a “#” will not ring a user's Follow Me. To dial Follow Me, queues, or numbers that are not extensions, use “#” at the end.

Announcement

Message to be played to the caller prior to calling the ring group. Default is "none." You can select a system recording from the drop-down list. To create additional system recordings, visit the System Recordings module.

Play Music On Hold

The default setting is to play ringing to the caller. Alternately, a Music on Hold (MoH) class can be set to play instead of ringing.

CID Name Prefix

(Optional) You can prefix the caller ID name when ringing extensions on the system. For example, a prefix of “Sales:” would make a caller ID name of “John Doe” appear as “Sales: John Doe.”

Alert Info

(Optional) ALERT_INFO for devices that support distinctive ringing. For example, “<Bellcore-dr4>.” (For supported phones)

Ringer Volume Override

For supported Sangoma devices, allows the PBX admin to set the ring volume which will override of the default ring volume set on the phone.

Send Progress

If enabled, the PBX will send a "SIP 183 Progress" or it's equivalent to digital channels where supported. Some providers require this to keep the channel up while it's waiting to be answered.

Mark Answered Elsewhere

This parameter controls whether or not a 'missed call' notification shows on a phone if a ring group call is not answered. Provided it's supported by the ringing device, when 'answered elsewhere' is sent to ring group devices that were not answered, the missed call notification is suppressed

Always

Always send answered elsewhere so a missed call notification is never displayed

Yes

If one of the devices in the ring group answers the call, then all other devices will receive "answered elsewhere" and not show a missed call

No

Answered Elsewhere is not sent to any device for any condition.

Ignore CF Settings

Yes/No: When set to Yes, agents who attempt to call forward will be ignored. This applies to call forward all/unconditional (CF), call forward unavailable (CFU), and call forward busy (CFB). Extensions entered with “#” at the end, such as an extension's Follow Me, may not honor this setting.

Skip Busy Agent

Yes/No: When set to Yes, agents who are on an occupied phone will be skipped as if the line were returning as busy. This means that call waiting or multi-line phones will not be presented with the call. In the various hunt-style ring strategies, the next agent will be attempted.

Enable Call Pickup

Yes/No: When set to Yes, calls to the ring group can be picked up with the directed call pickup feature using the group number. When set to No, individual extensions that are part of the group can still be picked up by doing a directed call pickup to the ringing extension. This works whether or not Call Pickup is enabled here.

Confirm Calls

Yes/No: Set this to Yes if you’re calling external numbers that need confirmation. For example, a mobile phone may go to voicemail, and that will pick up the call. When Confirm Calls = Yes, the remote side must press “1” on their phone before the call is put through. Note that this feature only works with the “ringall” ring strategy.

Remote Announce

Message to be played to the person receiving the call, if “Confirm Calls” is enabled above. Default is "none." You can select a system recording from the drop-down menu. To create additional system recordings, visit the System Recordings module.

Too-Late Announce

Message to be played to the person receiving the call, if the call is accepted by someone else before they press “1.” You can select a system recording from the drop-down menu. To create additional system recordings, visit the System Recordings module.

Change External CID Configuration

Select from the following modes.

Default

This transmits the caller's CID if allowed by the trunk.

Fixed CID Value

This always transmits the ”Fixed CID Value” entered below.

Outside Calls Fixed CID

This will transmit the “Fixed CID Value” value only on calls that come from the outside. Internal extension-to-extension calls will still operate in default mode.

Use Dialed Number

This will transmit the number that was dialed as the CID for calls coming from the outside. Internal extension-to-extension calls will still operate in default mode. There must be a DID on the inbound route for this. This will be blocked on trunks that block foreign caller ID.

Force Dialed Number

This will transmit the number that was dialed as the CID for calls coming from the outside. Internal extension-to-extension calls will still operate in default mode. There must be a DID on the inbound route for this. This will be transmitted on trunks that block foreign caller ID.

Fixed CID Value

When needed, enter your “Fixed CID Value” here. Enter digits only, except the “+” prefix can be used with the E164 format.

Call Recording

Force/Don't Care/Never: You can always record calls that come into this ring group (Force), never record them (Never), or allow the extension that answers to do on-demand recording (Don't Care). If recording is denied, then one-touch on-demand recording will be blocked, unless the user has the "Override" call recording privilege.

Destination if no answer

Choose where to send the call after the ring time has been exceeded or after a -prim mode prevents ringing the group. Most often, this is set to an extension or a general voicemail box.

Save

When finished click the Submit button, then click the Apply Config button.

Editing / Deleting a Ring Group

From the module home screen:

  • To Edit: Click the edit button , make changes, click the Submit button, then click the Apply Config button.

  • To Delete: Click the trash can button  , click the OK button in the alert window to confirm deletion, then click Apply Config.

 

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