6.2.4 Options

Options

Under Options, you have the following:

Redirect after timeout

Activates/deactivates redirecting a call after a specified timeout; optional setting.

The default value is 15.

The timeout delay is used to specify how long, in seconds, the telephone system will make the phone extensions that are members of that group ring. 

Most telephone handsets are configured with a hard timeout setting, upon which the phone will give up and reject the call (stop ringing). Note that this value depends on the handset manufacturer, so there is no guarantee that all phones will ring for the same length of time if you use different device manufacturers and models.

Bear in mind that, unlike other services, the ring group won’t try to deliver calls to the phone extensions again. It will only try once and give up.

Timeout (seconds)

Sets a timeout for the group after which the call is redirected.

Action on timeout

Selects an automatic action on timeout from a drop-down list

The options are

  • Busy

  • Hang up

  • Forward to target

The action on timeout will be used when:

  • The timeout has been reached, and the call hasn’t been answered by any group members

  • All devices for all phone extensions have rejected the call. This could be because:

    • The call has been ringing for longer than the manufacturer's hard-coded timeout in the device

    • The device is not currently reachable (unregistered)

    • The device is on DND

Target

Selects a redirection target from a drop-down list.

Please note that you can redirect the call either to a phone extension or its voicemail.

Please note that you can only select an existing target from the drop-down list, and you won’t be able to set the destination to an external number. Should you need to do so, you will need to configure a phone extension with a default call forwarding configured to that external phone number and then select that phone extension as a destination.

Important

Bear in mind that if the call the ring group is trying to deliver is an inbound call from an external caller, some mobile or landline telephone providers have timeout settings of their own that dictates how long they will try to connect a call before giving up. For instance, many mobile phone service providers will cancel the call attempt if a call is not connected within 60 seconds.

Therefore, never leave something to chance and always configure a timeout delay.

[We would recommend setting the timeout delay to value between 15 (this will give a chance to the end user to answer the call) and 60 seconds (you don’t get dropped calls by the caller telephone provider).

Important

You should be particularly cautious when using ring groups in conjunction with the DFN mobile client.

Bear in mind that should the mobile client be unreachable over a data connection (3/4G or Wi-Fi), the DFN mobile app controller will attempt to reach the mobile by calling its GSM / mobile number.

What does this mean in the ring group context? If one of the devices on a phone extension is an DFN mobile client, which is not currently reachable over the data connection, there is a risk that the call coming via the ring group will end up in the mobile phone voicemail box. Furthermore, the caller could hear the following message from the mobile network on which that mobile phone is connected: “This mobile phone is not accepting calls at present. Try to call again later or try sending a SMS”.

TIP

Please note that the ring group will stop ringing all the other members as soon as someone from the group answers the call.

You can use Busy Lamp Field buttons to pick up calls:

When a call rings on another phone extension and, if the phone extension of the user trying to pick up that call is in the same group, pressing the flashing BLF button on their phone handset will initiate a directed pick-up.