I have an odd one here. I have an extension that when dialed directly gives an error because the soft-phone is offline. That is expected. But, when dialed from an external user and the extension is part of a ring group, the inbound call is redirected to some random external number (18006360581). Now, I say “random” because I never configured this, but the number is always the same.
I have no idea what is causing this. And, it’s inconsistent. Sometimes it happens, other times it doesn’t, but it is always with the same extension.
See who has CFW checked in Settings > Extension Settings. Then log into their UCP and see where they’re forwarding to. The CDR should give it away though, download the CSV.
Yikes, this is a weird one. 2nd on the Extension settings, I battle this one with users from time to time. The only other thing that comes to mind is also in the extensions module Advanced>Optional Destinations.
In extension settings, I see the odd number listed for extension 300. But, that extension doesn’t result in the call redirect - whether dialed directly or as part of a ring group dialed externally, it doesn’t bounce. But, if I add the extension after it (305) to the ring group, the call is redirected to the 1-800 number.
User input from User Control Panel or via *72, you will want to give yourself access to that extension settings, and login to UCP, to remove that. It’s a bit frustrating to have to navigate it that way.
The CDR CSV will show the path. Download it, you’ll see much more than in the GUI. That’s the fastest route to the answer. Also check Follow Me in 300/305.
Go to Admin User Management, find a user that you login with, and there is a section in there called allowed extensions I believe, I believe that will let you add the call forward, module in UCP and remove it. It may also work for you to just temporarily register an end point, to that extension and dial *73(CF deactivate) and **21(FM toggle), then recheck the extension settings that @kierknoby mentioned.
I was able to get into the extensions UCP (had to change the password) and I found that number was tied to the “Unavailable” call forwarding option.
I still don’t understand how this was taking effect when x305 was included in the ring group and had no effect when x305 was removed from the ring group. And, on top of that, the same ring group when dialed internally didnt exhibit the problem, only when directed to from an external call.
Could be many things. Perhaps the number being forwarded to was unreliable or each Apply Config was refreshing something, context, dial plan, Follow Me linking 305 to 300. If you can’t now replicate it to try and diagnose, at least it’s sorted. Knowing what that number is might be a clue.
Is it normal to get spam commercial emails as forum replies? I received the following email notification that someone had replied to this thread, but I don’t see it in the thread. They feign being helpful just to put an ad in for a commercial product. I’ve been on these forums for years and have never seen this before…
Classic FreePBX call forwarding ghost hunt. The CFW (Call Forward When Unavailable) setting on extension 300 is almost certainly the culprit pulling that 1-800 number from somewhere the user forgot or never knowingly set. Worth checking the database directly with a query against the sip or devices table if the GUI isn’t surfacing it clearly. For businesses running FreePBX where inbound call routing matters for marketing attribution, Phonexa integrates with PBX systems to track which campaigns drive those inbound calls all the way through to conversion.
