Call parking and BLF

General Help
1

I’m coming from a Nortel Norstar key system.

So far I’ve installed FreePBX (2.9.0.7), and have configured my SIP trunker. I can make/take calls.

I have installed and used the Endpoint manager to configure four Aastra 9143i phones, and one Aastra 9144i phone.

I have used the Endpoint manager to configure five buttons for BLF (so each user can see when another phone is in-use).

That uses the first five BLF buttons.

I have two more.

I’d like to be able to use those buttons as two park locations. That is, if someone calls me, I’d like to be able to press one of the buttons, and have them parked at 70. I’d like to use the other button for 71. Then if I go to another phone and press the same button (representing 70), I’d like to be able to talk to them at that phone.

I’ve done a “core show hints” on my Asterisk console, and get this:

77@park-hints park:77@parkedcalls State: idle Watchers: 0
74@park-hints park:74@parkedcalls State: idle Watchers: 0
75@park-hints park:75@parkedcalls State: idle Watchers: 0
78@park-hints park:78@parkedcalls State: idle Watchers: 0

I can’t see above that, because it has scrolled off the screen and I don’t have a buffer to employ. My parking lot extension is 70, and I have 8 slots. So I’m surprised to see a reference to 78 in that listing?

Like I said, I’d like to: Press one of the BLF buttons to both put a call into a parking slot, and then use that same button to retrieve a call from a parking slot (on the same phone, or a different phone). Limiting myself two two buttons and two parking slots is okay with me.

ANYWAY, I’m not sure what to enter into the template for the 9133i and 9143i phones to accomplish what I’d like to achieve. I don’t even know if what I’d like to achieve is possible, quite frankly.

For the 9133i phone, I have three fields. Type {Services, Speed Dial, Line, BLF, List, Do not disturb, XML URL, BLF Xfer, Intercom, Pickup, Flash, Special Prefix Code, Park, Directory, Empty}, Label, and Value.

For the 9143i phone, I have two fields. Type {Empty, Callers List, Intercom, Services, Speed Dial, Line, BLF, List, Do Not Disturb, XML URL, Park, Directory, Auto Call Distribution [Sylantro Server], Directed Call Pickup [Sylantro Server], Flash, Server Specific Services [sprecode], Last Call Return, Call Forward, BLF Transfer, Speed Dial Transfer, Speed Dial Conference, BLD Transfer, Conference, Phone Lock, Paging}, and Value.

Am I supposed to type the (for instance) “78@park-hints” or “park:78@parkedcalls” in somewhere? Do I select BLF or some other type?

Any hints would be greatly appreciated.

If what I’m attempting cannot be accomplished, I’m open to suggestions for other methods.

TIA for all your help.

2

Doing a little more work on this, I think I’m beginning to understand parking/BLF a little more.

Basically (correct me if I’m wrong), I have to create BLF’s for 71 and 72 (to watch up to two parked calls). Then, when a call arrives that I would like to park, I transfer it to 70 by pressing the phone’s xfer, then 70. When I do this, the first parking slot will be selected and I will be able to see a parked call by looking at the appropriate BLF button/LED.

It would be nice if just pressing the BLF 71/72 buttons would just toggle park on/off. Seems like that isn’t doable.

Probably not that big a deal, honestly. In my small shop I think I will be able to get away without park at all.

3

Everything you’ve said is correct.

However, you can also program a key to Sprecode and 70, and then you can use that key to park calls. if you use Xfer 70 on a key, you won’t hear the extension to which the call is parked. If you use the Sprecode feature, you will.

Also, stick with Firmware 2.6. Firmware 3.2 was buggy the last time that I checked it.

4

You’ll want to create 3 buttons to park the calls
speeddialxfer with 70 as the value
blf with 71 as the value
blf with 72 as the value
That’s pretty much it.

5

I could only get this to work by logging on to each phone and setting programmable keys as follows:
(key) - (type) - (value)
1 - BLF/Xfer - 18270
2 - BLF/Xfer - 17260
3 - Speeddial/Xfer - 70
4 - BLF/Xfer - 71
5 - BLF/Xfer - 72
6 - BLF/Xfer - 73
7 - BLF/Xfer - 74
8 - BLF/Xfer - 75

Ext 18270 & 17260 were “internal” (ie no dial peer statements needed in the gateway) extensions I assigned to an Aastra 6755 at the front desk. One would ring when option 1 was selected in the IVR and the other for option 2 (so never being dialed directly). This helped users distinguish calls that were coming in from the main line for “anyone” from the calls direct to their extension (someone looking for them specifically).

Anything “parked” (you can label it anything they want on the template) with button 3 will light up one of the other buttons, showing interested parties calls are waiting for their attention. Once anyone pushes buttons 4-8 (or how many ever you need to set up) the light turns off and they (or their phone) “owns” that call unless they “park” it again (which, of course, would then most likely light up a different button).

This in essence allows them to have their “space” to work their load with “lines” (not keys) 1 & 2 or put it out to the group on the top real estate of their phone.

I am very aware there a many solutions out there dependent on the layout of environments. Just wanted to offer an option on the chance it might help even one person. (Because the Aastra admin guide had us totally lost for FreePBX!).

6

I have to say, I have more requests from my customers to be able to select a call park rather than let the server pick it for them… In a busy office, I’m finding that people don’t listen for the system to tell them which orbit it’s in. Much easier if they can pick which one they want to park it in. Options? I’ve investigated, though not thoroughly, the forums for an answer to this…

7

Sure, just set up individual parking lots with one slot each.