[Solved] Ring group, can't add extensions after 64 (limit=255 chars max)

FreePBX
1

I have created a ring group to forward incoming calls to all phones when secretary has left the office.
Secretary leaves and activates a forward to the ring group.
It works as expected.
When trying to add new extensions for new people, (I have already 64 extensions in the list) typing a number in the extension list or selecting with extension quick pick, no new number is added. After “Submit change” the list is unchanged.
Am I missing some limit ? or do I have to add in a different way (file editing?)
Thanks

2

Holy crap! Really?

How important is your secretary? :smile:

If it was me, I’d set up your environment this way:

  1. Add a Do Not Distrub setting on her phone.
  2. Add a Find Me/Follow Me option that rings a couple of phones.
  3. Put everyone in the same “Pickup Group” as the secretary and, when the phone rings, give them a button to pick up her phone from the network.

Other ways to handle it are:

  • Set up an IVR that she can enable with DND that allows the customer to self direct their call down to a department and ring the phones in that department.
  • Drop them into a company directory and let them go by name.
  • Assign people to be her backup and ring their phones from the ring group.

There are LOTS of ways to handle what you’re trying to do that doesn’t involve giving everyone in the place “Quasimodo Syndrome”. :wink:

3

I second directing the calls to an IVR when she’s on DND, and have users select a department “1 for sales, 2 for accounting, etc” and then that rings each department.

You CAN, however, including a ring group within a ring group:
Ring group 9990:
9991#
9992#
9993#

This includes ring goups 9991-9993 inside of 9990. The # is important.

This is highly unusual, and I would recommend against. The goal with that many users should be to route the call to the person most likely to be able to help with the call with as few steps as possible. You could also designate a person or two within each department to be the first point of contact if the secretary isn’t available.

You might also consider hiring a second secretary and have them stagger their breaks.

4

Ring group “group input” is limited to 255 chars. The shorter the extensions the more you can fit. I recommend using queues as there is no such limit.

5

Or you can report a bug to increase the length and we will do so.

6

I was initially asked to reproduce exactly what the old PBX was doing. Very clear users request.
Currently, every incoming call is “filtered” and going to the secretary (a ring group of 2 extensions actually), then forwarded internally “manually”. 2 secretaries (the 2 extensions) covering 12 hours.
Only after they both have left, anyone still in the office should kindly answer incoming calls.
That was the request.

Your answers are clearly of big help. Thanks a lot.

The IVR route seems logical (at least very very common, even if I personnaly don’t like to loose time in press 1, press 2, and I agree with the user request: “customers calls should not be lost because of a boring procedure”). I will any way experiment. And try to convince before trying nested ring groups or queues.

BTW. chars in the ring group are 64 x 3 = 192. far from 255. strange.

7

Are you counting the CR delimiter between extensions?

8

64x4 sounds correct. OK for 3 chars + CR.

9

Using a queue instead of a ring group is a good enough solution to my basic question.

I have not explored all the queue settings and possibilities, but it does what I was looking for. I could add all the extension I wanted, and they all ring. FINE.

Thanks to TheJames and the others…