Ring group + BLF lights - no indication who is on a call (solved)

#1

We have a ring group where several people are not in the same office space. When a call comes in all BLF keys in the ring group flash red indicating incoming call.

Is there a way to have it so if someone is already in a call the BLF key just glows read instead of flashing. This way staff in the ring group can tell if the someone else already busy on another call. Currently we can’t tell who is busy and who is free to answer a ring group call.

We are using fusionpbx/freeswitch PBX.

#2

The way forward might be installing a Grandstream HT81x ATA and putting that extension only in the Ring Group / Queue as the recipient of the incoming call and then MAP to that extension via BLF - using BLF pickup to intercept the call.

#3

How would the phone ring if the end users are not in the ring group?

#4

The phones themselves wont ring - the ATA extension will.

You wanted an answer to the above - if you use an ATA and map a BLF key to the ATA - you could even connect up an analogue extension bell / analogue handset to make that ring so you can hear it in the office.

This method will allow you to see who is actually on the telephone, when there is a new call ringing, and can pick up the call by the blf that flashes for the ATA extension.

#5

Try to deactivate “Call waiting” at those extensions who are in this ringroup.

#6

Forget the ring group issue for the second.

If an extension is engaged in a call, either in, out or internal to another extension, does the BLF show the extensions to be in a call (solid red)?

If the PBX is setup correctly and sending the NOTIFY messages to the phones, the BLF for an extension will show (*) -

  1. Green, Idle, available to take a call, pushing the BLF will usually result in a speed-dial to the monitored extension.
  2. Blinking Red, Ringing, pushing the BLF will usually result in an intercept of the call ringing the monitored extension.
  3. Solid Red, Actively in a call or DND, pushing the BLF will result in a speed-dial to the phone and depending on the condition, will allow it to ring or follow the busy route set for the monitored extension.
  4. No indication - the monitored extension is not registered to the SIP server and is off-line. Pushing the BLF will cause the call to follow an unavailable routing set for the monitored extension.

(*) all of the above is somewhat conditional on what the PBX programming is set to do. The phone is only reactive to the NOTIFY message sent by the PBX. When the subscription is active to monitor an extension, the BLF for that extension will always show one of the 4 light patterns mentioned above, but the conditions may be somewhat different. As an example, some systems will show an extension as in a call when the extension is set DND, others will not.

If you have a BLF set, and it is not showing an active call (solid red), then the PBX is not sending a Notify.

#7

Yes normally:

  • Solid Green = Free
  • Flashing Red = Ringing
  • Solid Red = Busy

This PBX is working great in this manner. The problem is when a ring group call is coming in, we would like have the extensions that are busy on a call not flash as ringing.

Thanks.

#8

I think granddad is on the mark and I understand what is desired what happens in different scenarios.

So, if a call has arrived at the ring group, the lights blink for ringing -

  1. When the call is answered by one of the agents, does the BLF turn solid at this point?
  2. If, while on the call, another RG call comes in, I assume that all agent’s BLF start to blink for ringing again, to include the agent who is already engaged? And does that same agent get a call waiting tone?
    If yes, then you have accept multiple calls enabled (call waiting). You have essentially told the PBX and the phone that even though they are busy on one line, they have others by which to handle other calls and the BLF will blink until such time as someone else answer at which point the agent with the prior call will go back to solid.

This is pretty much standard as it allows non agent extensions to possible monitor the RG by using a BLF key and still answer the call even if the agents are busy or don’t answer.

To disable the flashing you need to disable the call waiting or accept multiple calls. You want to do this as the PBX level as the PBX needs to stop the call from being sent to a busy in the first place as it might cause a breif chirp from the phone while waiting for the phone 486 Busy response.

#9

Try to deactivate “Call waiting” at those extensions who are in this ringroup.

That worked. Thanks.

Pushing it to ring group phones.
Disable Call Waiting. 0 - No, 1 - Yes. Default is 0
P91=1

I just have to remember not to enable this on a receptionist phone.

#10

I hope that will take a few more years :grin:
But I’m seriously thinking about a nickname change.:thinking: Granddad sounds cool too … :sunglasses: