Saddle up, we’re about to send out emails to custom addresses whenever a particular Extension starts ringing - using CID Superfecta

Introduction

CID Superfecta was originally designed for Caller ID (CID) interaction on incoming calls from the PSTN to your PBX.

By utilizing Local channels in ASTERISK - a core feature - we can extend CID Superfecta to support interaction on both external and internal calls to phones. Find Me Follow Me and other modules already use Local channels behind the scenes, so either of the methods outlined below should work on most systems.

There are many ways to send alerts when extensions are dialed, including the use of custom dialplan, Custom Destinations, etc; however, these CID Superfecta approaches use standard modules with only one minor customization and no direct configuration file editing.

Supplies Checklist

Method I: New CUSTOM Extension

Step 1: Add new CID Superfecta Scheme focused on email notification

Navigate to Admin → CID Superfecta. Click the “+ Add Scheme” button in the upper-right corner as shown in Figure 1.A.

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Figure 1.A: Add Scheme

Type in a New Scheme Name eg. PseudoEmailFecta and hit the Submit button at bottom of the page as shown in Figure 1.B. Default settings are fine.

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Figure 1.B: Adding a new Scheme to CID Superfecta called PseudoEmailFecta

Organize scheme

Open and configure the new scheme. Set the Abandon lookup and Send to email data sources as Enabled and in 1-2 priority order per Figure 1.C by scrolling around and clicking your mouse a few times on the appropriate buttons (Yes, , , etc.)

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Figure 1.C: Enabling two modules in the new PseudoEmailFecta CID Superfecta Scheme.

OPTIONAL: Click on the wrench icon next to the Abandon lookup data source and consider changing from the default word “unknown” – as shown in Figure 1.D – to something like “PseudoFecta”. Click Save when done.

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Figure 1.D: Changing the CNAM (Caller ID Name) in Abandon lookup data source.

Send to email data source

REQUIRED: Click on the wrench icon next to the Send to email data source and enter an email address as shown in Figure 1.E below. Click Save when done.

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Figure 1.E: Configure an email address to receive your notifications in the Send to email data source.

Step 2: Add pseudo Inbound Route that triggers CID Superfecta then immediately Hangs Up

Navigate to Connectivity → Inbound Routes and click the button to “+ Add Inbound Route” as shown in Figure 2.A.

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Figure 2.A: Add Inbound Route

Choose your number

In the Inbound Routes page “General” tab as seen in Figure 2.B, Pick a number not already in use on your system that is unreachable via any known telco route to your system eg. a Hollywood number like 555-2368 (Or choose something that looks like your extension but has extra digits in the front eg. 10001234).

Then change Set Destination to Terminate Call - Hangup. You may also want to enter a Description in the first entry box at the top.

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Figure 2.B: Adding Inbound Route that terminates immediately.

Connect route to scheme

Click the Other tab as shown in Figure 2.C and set Enable Superfecta Lookup to Yes and select the new CID Superfecta Scheme PseudoEmailFecta that you made above in Step 1 PBX GUI - Superfecta Extensions | Step 1: Add new CID Superfecta Scheme focused on email notification 📧

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Figure 2.C: Enabling Superfecta and choosing the new Superfecta Scheme.

Step 3: Add CUSTOM Extension to Dial the new Inbound Route using Local channels

Navigate to Applications → Extensions. Instead of standard extension using default PJSIP technology, you need to Add New Custom Extension per Figure 3.A.

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Figure 3.A: Add New Custom Extension.

Enter the pseudo Inbound Route number you chose above in Step 2 PBX GUI - Superfecta Extensions | Choose your number per Figure 3.B.

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Figure 3.B: New CUSTOM Extension 5552368.

Local channel dial string

Click on the Advanced tab and enter the Local channel information per Figure 3.C. DO NOT ASSIGN A DID ON THIS TAB. Enter only the Dial string by substituting your number, for example:

Local/5552368@ext-did

The “Local/” part before the number and the “@ext-did” part after the number are very important.

The “Local/” part is specifying the Local channel technology. This is a part of Asterisk that lets you connect to your dial plan and is used in a number of areas of FreePBX.

The “@ext-did” is the context (section) of the dial plan that you are connecting to. This specific context is used by external direct inward dial numbers AKA phone numbers from the phone company that external people call to reach your PBX from their own phones.

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Figure 3.C: Local dial string format in Advanced tab of new CUSTOM Extension.

Step 4: Add a Find Me/Follow Me entry to any extensions that you want notifications about

Enable Find Me/Follow Me on an existing extension that you want to get email about whenever that phone is ringing per Figure 4.A. Be sure to include the extension number itself if you still want it to ring (which you probably do!) Adjust the other settings to your liking.

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Figure 4.A: First line in Follow-Me List shows the new 5552368 pseudo CUSTOM extension.

Step 5: Test your work

Make some test calls. Check your emails.

Method II: Extend Existing Extension Dial Line

Largely the same process as Method I, this option might be a little quicker to setup but take more time to manage long term. It also avoids Find Me Follow Me so you’ll always be notified immediately when the calls come in (which may or may not be what you want.)

Step 1: Same as Method I Step 1

PBX GUI - Superfecta Extensions | Step 1: Add new CID Superfecta Scheme focused on email notification 📧

Step 2: Same as Method I Step 2

PBX GUI - Superfecta Extensions | Step 2: Add pseudo Inbound Route that triggers CID Superfecta then immediately ...

Step 3: Overload the Dial line for an existing extension

Hold on tight! Almost there!

You will be setting up a parallel dial of both the existing extension and the pseudo inbound route. No Find Me/Follow Me is required; however, this is kind of how FMFM works internally, using parallel dials, if you care to read the generated dial plan of such things.

First, choose the existing extension you want to be notified about. Navigate to the Advanced tab for the extension.

Enter the Local channel dial information as an additional argument to the standard Dial line for the extension as shown below in Figure II. Enter only the Dial string by substituting your number, for example:

PJSIP/111&Local/5552368@ext-did

The “PJSIP/111” part is the first leg of the call and (probably) the existing direct dial of extension 111.

The “&” part means that two separate legs will be dialed in parallel.

The “Local/5552368@ext-did” part is the second leg and very similar to Method I Step 3 PBX GUI - Superfecta Extensions | Local channel dial string

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Figure II: Parallel dial of existing extension and pseudo inbound route.

Step 4: Test your work

Make some test calls. Check your emails.

Conclusion

Please test your setup thoroughly by: