HOWTO Call Forwarding
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Call Forwarding description
The Call Forwarding feature is located under Enhanced Services of the Extension: Tenant level -> Home -> Extensions -> edit particular extension -> Enhanced Services -> Call Forwarding.
This service forwards calls to other extensions depending on the extension response/status. For example, calls can be forwarded to other extensions (local/remote) or voice boxes unconditionally, or only if the extension is busy, nobody answers the call, or the line is unavailable.
If none of the destinations answer, the call is directed to the extension's voicemail.
TIP: Access code for 'Unconditional Call Forwarding' can be customized through 'Settings: Access Codes'.
Unconditional
Forward all incoming calls.
(ex. Calls can be forwarded to other extension numbers (Local or Remote) and to local voicemail boxes no matter who is calling. The voicemail box of the current extension is the default Destination Type).
In PBXware v6.7.1 we have added the ability to set up an Unconditional call forwarding timer using an access code.
Users can now dial *71 + CFNumber + * + 99 to enable unconditional call forwarding to preferred number, with a timeout of 99 seconds.
NOTE: A timeout can only be applied in this manner to Unconditional, but not to other types of call forwarding like Busy or No answer.
Busy
Forward all incoming calls if the extension is busy.
(ex. Calls can be forwarded to other extension numbers (Local or Remote) and to local voicemail boxes if the line has reached the maximum incoming calls limit. The voicemail box of the current extension is the default Destination Type).
(Option buttons)
No Answer
Forward all incoming calls if the extension doesn't answer the incoming call.
(ex. Calls can be forwarded to other extension numbers (Local or Remote) and to local voicemail boxes if no one answers the call. The voicemail box of the current extension is the default Destination Type).
(Option buttons)
Line Unavailable
Forward all incoming calls if the line is unavailable.
(ex. In case your line gets cut off or for any reason you cannot connect the UAD/Phone to the system, all calls that were supposed to reach you can be redirected to the extension/voice box number set here. The voicemail box of the current extension is the default Destination Type).
(Option buttons)
- Destinations for External Calls
In this field, you will enter destinations to which you want to forward external calls depending on your extension's state. You can enter multiple destinations for each state, but they need to be separated by timeout seconds, meaning that when the first extension in the list hasn't answered during the timeout time-frame, the next one will be ringing, and so on.
(E.g. 2222)
- Destinations for Internal Calls
In this field you will enter destinations to which you want to forward internal calls depending on your extension's state. You can enter multiple destinations for each state, but they need to be separated by timeout seconds, meaning that when first extension in the list hasn't answered during the timeout time-frame, the next one will be ringing and so on.
Timeout
Ring time in seconds. After that, the current destination will stop ringing.
(ex. 15)
([0-9])
- Exclude list
Set up to 10 Caller ID numbers that you wish to be excluded from call forwarding, meaning that these numbers will be able to reach you. This rule is checked first before all other rules in the CF section.
Play Call Forwarding Message
Notify users of a transfer being made.
(ex. If this option is set to 'Yes', the caller would hear a 'Please wait, your call is being forwarded. You're not being charged for the forwarding part of the call' message, notifying a user that a transfer is being made).
(Option buttons)
Allow ES CallerID
Allows a callee to see the call as if the current extension is making it.
(ex. If this option is set to 'Yes' the callee will see the extension from which the call is forwarded, otherwise, it will see the original caller).
(Option buttons)
IMPORTANT: Call Forwarding has been improved in 6.0. Now you are able to differentiate between internal and external calls (those that usually come through trunks) and set different destinations for each one (or set the same destination for both). Also, an exclude list has been added where you can enter Caller IDs that will not be forwarded - please note that this rule will be checked first before all other rules in the CF section.
Call Forwarding CallerID and how to manipulate it
There are a few ways to manipulate the Caller ID that is included during the call with the Forwarding service enabled.
-The first and main option is 'Allow ES CallerID' on Enhanced Services under Extensions settings -> Call Forwarding. This option allows a callee to see the call as if the current extension is making it. If this option is set to 'Yes' the callee will see the extension from which the call is forwarded, otherwise it will see the original caller.
-Additionally, to see the original CallerID, please have the following set on the extension that is forwarding the call in question (on the extension level and trunk level, if the forwarded call goes over the trunk):
Trust Remote-Party-ID: ‘Yes’
Send Remote-Party-ID: ‘Use Remote-Party-ID’
-Also, an exclude list has been added where you can enter CallerIDs that will not be forwarded - please note that this rule will be checked first before all other rules in the CF section.
Exclude list - Set up to 10 Caller ID numbers that you wish to be excluded from call forwarding, meaning that these numbers will be able to reach you. This rule is checked first before all other rules in the CF section.
-The second important option is 'Force "Allow ES CallerID" for Call Forwarding' in the tenant settings.
This option overwrites the passed through Caller ID when it gets to the forwarding part.
If you have set the option to 'Not Set', you would see an additional option now in the Call Forwarding enhanced service, which is 'Allow ES CallerID' so that it can be manually enabled on the extension level when needed.
Call Forwarding to External number use cases
If you would like to forward calls to an External number, you would need to create a dummy extension on which you would configure unconditional call forwarding to the desired external number. That extension would only be used for call forwarding. Then you should point all DIDs to this dummy extension, and all calls towards these DID numbers would be routed to the external number.
Example:
I want to forward all calls from my DIDs to 123456 external number. This should affect all calls during off hours that is after 6 PM. In either case, you would create a dummy extension on which you would configure unconditional call forwarding to number 123456. That extension would only be used for call forwarding. Then, on each DID, you would configure operation times for tomorrow that satisfy your need, in this case, the closed hours, and specify the default destination which should be the extension number of the previously created 'dummy' extension. This way, all calls would go to that dummy extension which will then forward the call to the set external number.
When Call Forwarding will not be applied
Call Forwarding would not be applied for Ring Groups and Queues if the option 'Disable Member Enhanced Services' is set to "Yes".
Question: I have a dial group with multiple members. If one of the members has enabled call forwarding, and a customer calls the dial group, will the forwarded member still receive the call?
Answer: Yes, call forwarding will be applied unless the option "Disable Member Enhanced Services" is set to "Yes" (the default setting is "No"). However, please be aware that when a member forwards a call to another number, the remaining members in the dial group will no longer ring, as the call is effectively transferred out of the group.
This same option is also available for queues/ERGs), where it is set to "Yes" by default.
How to troubleshoot CLIR for Call Forwarding feature
If we want to troubleshoot the CLIR for the Call Forwarding feature, we need to look in the CLIR to see if the feature was used and how.
The first message we should see is that the feature is enabled:
'Call Forwarding' is enabled ...
After that, a message about the type of Call Forwarding used during the call should follow, for example:
Detected 'Unconditional' call forwarding ...
In the continuation of the CLIR, we could find more information related to the Caller ID used. For instance, in this example call, the original Caller ID that initially entered the system was used, since the 'Allow ES CallerID' option in Extension -> Enhanced Services -> Call Forwarding is set to No:
ES -> CallerID is disabled ...
If the 'Allow ES CallerID' option in Extension -> Enhanced Services -> Call Forwarding is set to Yes, this means that the callee will see the Caller ID of the extension from which the call is forwarded, and in the CLIR, you would be able to see a message:
ES -> CallerID is enabled...
Voicemail if Call Forwarding destination does not answer
If the Call Forwarding destination does not answer the call, the Voicemail of the extension where the Call Forwarding feature has been defined would be used, for both local and external calls.
Example: call to the DID that points to extension 158, the extension where the Call Forwarding feature has been defined. There is an Unconditional forwarding enabled under Enhanced Services of extension 158, to forward the call to the Destination (extension in this case) 110.
In the CLIR, you would see the message:
Dialing Voicemail 158 ...
