Dual-extension suggestions

1

We have a user who requires two physical handsets assigned to the same extension, so he has access to the phone from two locations.

I plan to address this as follows, but I’m interested to see what other ways may be better.

Issue two handsets, extension 1001 and 1002. Use the CID alias in freepbx to set outbound calls from both phones to appear from extension 101. Create a ring group 101 and put extensions 1001 and 1002 in it. Use the DND button on the phone to make it not ring when he’s not in front of it.
This does require pressing DND before leaving the desk.

What I’d like is for a button (or shortcode) on each phone that when pressed makes that phone ‘active’ and deactivates the other phone. I’m thinking a queue may be the way to go.
Need to be ‘boss-proof’.

I’m sure people have addressed this in a couple ways, care to discuss them?

2

cellphone :slight_smile:

But seriously, I did what you suggest with ring group. You can also set the voicemail on the second extension to 101@default so the MWI works. it worked fine. The one problem you will notice is the voicemail is defined to one of the extensions 1001/1002 and not the 101, so if dialing from outside or using *98, would have to know the “real” extension. It would be nice to be able to tell them they are just extension 101 and keep it simple.

I never tried a button to change destination.

I was planning on changing it to pjsip and just have two destinations on the same extension, and set ringer volume to 0 when not needed. I played with it this weekend and setting DND on one of the lines disables both (makes sense).

3

I did find another way:

  • Create call flow toggle control, ‘Day’ goes to 1001, ‘night’ goes to 1002
  • Put a speed dial button on each 1001 and 1002 that dials *281 (the call flow toggle code)
  • Create two recording saying “home” and “office” and assign them to the call flow feature in the right place.
  • Create a Misc Application, give it the feature code of 101 and point it at the call flow

Now dialling 101 will route to either 1001 or 1002 but never both, and the routing can be controlled from either extension.

Needs a light on it to indicate status, but I don’t think I’m going to find a way to trick these Cisco handsets into that type of thing!

4

Your hint for the BLF (which may not work in the SIP load) should look like this:

*281@timeconditions-toggles

5

Thanks Dave, I found that adding *subscribe=281 to the sip_custom_post.conf did the trick.
I didn’t really expect it to work, amazing how a little light coming on when it’s supposed to can cause so much joy :slight_smile:

I think I’ll use this method for him, as it allows one to forget to switch it over and ‘pull’ the calls from any location. If I label the softkey 'OfficeCalls" then when it is lit, the calls go to the office, and when not lit, they go to the home phone.