Talkswitch 24-CA, CTTS001021001 User Manual 2

USER GUIDE

TALKSWITCH 24-CA

v3.21

Reproduction, adaptation or translation without prior written permission is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws.

Information in this user guide is subject to change without notice and does not represent any commitment on the part of TalkSwitch. No part of this user guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, or translated to another language, for any purpose other than the licensee’s personal use and, as specifically allowed in the licensing agreement, without the express written permission of TalkSwitch.

Second Edition, May 2005. CT.TS005.021.EN

TalkSwitch is a division of Centrepoint Technologies Inc.

Table of Contents

1.0 Installing TalkSwitch

1.1 What’s included with TalkSwitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1.2 Front Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

1.3 Back Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

1.4 Plugging into the Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.4.1 Attaching telephone lines to TalkSwitch line jacks . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.4.2 Attaching phones to TalkSwitch extension jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.4.3 Connecting Devices to the Music and PA Jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

1.4.4 Connecting TalkSwitch to a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

1.4.4.1 USB connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

1.4.4.2 Serial connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

2.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.1 Installing the TalkSwitch Configuration Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

2.2 Running the TalkSwitch Configuration Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

2.3 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2.3.1 System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

2.3.1.1 Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

2.3.1.2 Telephone Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2.3.1.3 Line Hunt Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

2.3.1.4 Fax Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

2.3.1.5 Local Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

2.3.1.6 Remote Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

2.3.1.7 Extension Ring Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

2.3.1.8 On-hold/Ringback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

2.3.2 Voicemail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

2.3.2.1 Local Extension Voicemail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

2.3.2.2 Remote Extension Voicemail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

2.3.2.3 General Voicemail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

2.3.2.4 Global Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

2.3.3 Call Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

2.3.3.1 Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

2.3.3.2 Auto Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

2.3.3.3 Telephone Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

2.3.3.4 Local Extensions — Call Cascade . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

2.3.3.5 Remote Extensions — Call Cascade . . . . . . . . . . .44

2.3.3.6 Extension Ring Groups — Call Cascade . . . . . . . .46

2.3.4 Call Back/Call Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

2.3.4.1 Auto Call Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

2.3.4.2 Prompted Call Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

2.3.4.3 Call Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

2.3.5 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

2.3.5.1 Audio Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

2.3.5.2 Manual Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

2.3.5.3 Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

2.3.5.4 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

3.0 Using TalkSwitch

3.1 In the Office — Receiving calls with or without the Auto Attendant . . . . . . . .67

3.1.1 Receiving calls using the Auto Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

3.1.2 Receiving calls without the Auto Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

3.2 In the Office — Making and Receiving Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

3.2.1 Making calls from a Local Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

3.2.2 Receiving calls at a Local Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

3.2.3 Placing calls on Hold at a Local Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

3.2.4 Transferring calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

3.2.5 Call Park — Parking and retrieving callers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

3.2.5.1 Parking a caller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

3.2.5.2 Parking a caller using Auto Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

3.2.5.3 Retrieving a parked call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

3.2.5.4 Using Call Park with the External Paging option . . .71

3.2.6 Call Queue — Queuing and retrieving callers . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

3.2.6.1 Queuing calls to a single extension . . . . . . . . . . . .71

3.2.6.2 Queuing callers to an Extension Ring Group . . . . .72

3.2.7 Using the TalkSwitch Call Waiting feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

3.2.8 Conference calling with TalkSwitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

3.2.9 Using Phones connected in parallel to TalkSwitch . . . . . . . . . . .74

3.2.10 External modem telephone line access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

3.3 Out of the Office — Receiving Calls through Call Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . .75

3.3.1 The three ways to forward calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

3.3.2 Transferring calls from a Remote Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

3.3.3 Screening options for forwarded calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

3.4 Using the TalkSwitch Voicemail System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

3.4.1 Activating Voice mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

3.4.2 Retrieving Messages/Accessing a Voice mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . .78

3.4.3 Pager and Cell Phone notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

3.5 Music-on-Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

3.6 Mode Switching Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

3.7 Out of the Office — Making Calls with Call Back and Call Bridge . . . . . . . .82

3.7.1 Using Call Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

3.7.2 Using Call Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

3.8 Upgrading the TalkSwitch Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Appendices

Appendix A — Help & Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Appendix B — Using TalkSwitch with Telephone Company Calling Services . . . . .97

Appendix C — Quick Commands and DTMF Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Appendix D — Safety Precautions and Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Appendix E — TalkSwitch One Year Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

Appendix F — Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Appendix G — Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Appendix H — TalkSwitch and Power Interruptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

1.1 What’s included with TalkSwitch

The TalkSwitch products come shipped with the following items:

1. The TalkSwitch Unit

2. AC Power Adapter (Warning: never use any other Power Adapter other than the one provided with the TalkSwitch.)

3. USB cable

4. 6' RJ-11 Telephone Cable – (2)

5. Software CD (This contains the configuration software and documentation)

6. Quick Reference Cards – (Local Extension Use)

7. TalkSwitch Start Guide

8. TalkSwitch Memory Card (optional purchase)

If any of these items are missing, please contact your reseller.

The TalkSwitch Line jacks are sensitive to high voltage spikes from lightning. If you live in an area where electrical storms occur regularly, we recommend that you protect TalkSwitch by plugging the telephone cords coming from the TalkSwitch line jacks to a surge protection device connected to the incoming telephone lines.

When you first receive TalkSwitch and live in an area with cold temperatures, do not plug TalkSwitch into a power outlet until the system has warmed to room temperature. Otherwise condensation could build up on the electronics and cause damage when powered up.

11.0 Installing TalkSwitch

Installing

TalkSwitch

1.2 Front Panel Descriptions

TalkSwitch’s front panel consists of a power button (“Power”) and 5 LED lights that do more than let you know TalkSwitch is plugged in and turned on.

What do the LED lights tell you?

LED light State Description

Line 1 On Solid Line 1 is currently in use.

Pulsing Slowly The Line 1 caller is on hold. Flickering Line 1 is ringing. Quick Pulse Line 1 is engaged by another device on the line.

Line 2 On Solid Line 2 is currently in use.

Pulsing Slowly The Line 2 caller is on hold. Flickering Line 2 is ringing. Quick Pulse Line 2 is engaged by another device on the line.

Power / Data On Solid TalkSwitch is powered on.

Flickering The PC connected (via Serial or USB) to

TalkSwitch is either sending or retrieving information from TalkSwitch.

Pulsing Slowly Global Message Waiting Indicator (optional).

Line 3

On Solid Line 3 is currently in use. Pulsing Slowly The Line 3 caller is on hold. Flickering Line 3 is ringing. Quick Pulse Line 3 is engaged by another device on the line.

Line 4

On Solid Line 4 is currently in use. Pulsing Slowly The Line 4 caller is on hold. Flickering Line 4 is ringing. Quick Pulse Line 4 is engaged by another device on the line.

For more details on Line LED Error codes, see Troubleshooting — Appendix A

Line 3 and 4 lights apply to TalkSwitch 48 models

2 TalkSwitch User Guide

1.3 Back Panel Descriptions

Before connecting all your phones and lines to TalkSwitch, you may want to proceed with configuring the unit first. (See section 2.1) This will minimize the disruption time for your telephone lines while setting up the system.

1.3.1 The TalkSwitch 24

Jacks/Ports What to plug in

MUSIC Plug in a radio, CD player, PC soundcard or any other

device that emits an audio signal if you wish to use TalkSwitch's Music-on-Hold feature. This is a 1/8" (3.5 mm) phono jack. Mono cables are recommended.

PA Connect to a P.A. system if you wish to use the external

paging feature. This is a 1/8" (3.5 mm) phono jack. Mono cables are recommended.

E1, E2, E3, E4 Plug in any analog device that uses a standard (RJ-11)

telephone jack, such as: telephones, answering machines, fax machines, internal or external PC modems. Once these devices are plugged in TalkSwitch will recognize them as Ext. 111, Ext. 112, Ext. 113, or Ext. 114. Consider connecting the receptionist’s phone to Extension 114 as this will allow for calls to be received or made through Line 1 of TalkSwitch.

L1/L2, L2 This is where you plug in your telephone lines (RJ-11).

If you have 2 lines out of 1 phone jack, you can plug into the L1/L2 jack. Use a surge protector if you live in an

area prone to lightning strikes.

USB Use the USB port if your PC supports USB connectivity. If

you use the USB port, you cannot use the serial port simultaneously.

31.0 Installing TalkSwitch

SERIAL* You can use a serial cable (RS232) that connects

TalkSwitch to your PC. If you use the serial port you cannot use the USB port simultaneously. *Serial cables are not supplied with the TalkSwitch unit.

POWER Plug the supplied AC Power Adapter in here. Rating:

16VAC 1.1 A output. Do not use any other power adapter as this may cause damage.

MEMORY SLOT Memory expansion slot (located on side). Used to

expand internal memory for voicemail and Auto Attendant messages. TalkSwitch Memory cards can be purchased from your local TalkSwitch reseller. Simply place the memory card in the slot and TalkSwitch will automatically detect and start using the extra memory within 20 seconds.

The ‘PF’ box in between E4 and L1/L2 represents power failure support. In the event of a power failure or loss of power to TalkSwitch, Extension 114 will be able to receive calls and make calls on Line 1.

1.4 Plugging into the Back Panel

1.4.1 Attaching telephone lines to TalkSwitch line jacks

You can connect your telephone lines from the wall jack(s) to the TalkSwitch Line jacks with the phone cables provided. Take note of which telephone line is connected to which Line Jack on TalkSwitch - this information will be used in the configuration section. In order to minimize disruption to your business, you may want to configure TalkSwitch first before connecting it to your lines and phones.

We recommend that you connect surge protectors between TalkSwitch and your telephone lines to protect against lightning damage.

1.4.2 Attaching phones to TalkSwitch extension jacks

You can connect any analog device (regular telephone, cordless phone, fax machine, answering machine, modem) to TalkSwitch's extension jacks. Multiple devices can be connected to each extension jack by ‘chaining’ them together or using a line splitter.

4 TalkSwitch User Guide

To Attach a Single Line Corded or Cordless Telephone, Fax Machine or Answering Machine:

Connect your single line analog telephone or fax machine to one of TalkSwitch’s extension jacks E1 to E4 just as you would if you were plugging them into a standard telephone wall jack.

To Attach a Two-line Telephone:

Option #1 (Use it as one TalkSwitch extension.)

Disregard the telephone’s Line 2 jack (plug-in). Connect the telephone’s Line 1 plug-in to any one of TalkSwitch’s extension jacks. You will still be able to access both telephone lines in the same manner as if you were using a single line telephone attached to TalkSwitch.

Option #2 (Use it as two TalkSwitch extensions.)

You could use your two-line telephone as two separate TalkSwitch extensions. Connect the telephone’s Line 1 and Line 2 plug-ins to two separate extension jacks.

Most two-line phones have separate plug-ins for two incoming telephone lines (Line 1 and Line 2). If your two-line telephone does not have separate plug-ins, you can use a “Line 1/Line 2” line splitter to separate the two lines.

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To Attach an Internal or External Modem:

Simply plug the modem’s telephone cable into one of TalkSwitch’s extension jacks. Your modem is now a TalkSwitch extension and will be able to access all lines and take advantage of TalkSwitch’s call routing features.

If you don’t want to change your dial up settings for the modem, you will need to enable Direct Line Access for the extension associated to the modem. See section 2.3.1.4 for more details on configuring Direct Line Access.

1.4.3 Connecting Devices to the Music and PA Jacks

The Music jack is designed to support any audio source (CD player, radio, tape player, sound card etc.) for playing music or messages to callers while on hold. Simply connect the audio source via its headphone output to the Music jack. The Music jack requires a 1/8'' (3.5mm) phono connector. If you have more than one TalkSwitch connected to a LAN, you will need to provide audio to all the Music jacks on each TalkSwitch.

51.0 Installing TalkSwitch

The PA jack can be connected to a PA System for external paging or to an amplification system to screen voicemail or to use as a line simulator. The PA jack requires a 1/8'' (3.5mm) phono connector. If you have more than one TalkSwitch connected to a LAN, you will need to provide a connection from each TalkSwitch to the PA system.

1.4.4 Connecting TalkSwitch to a PC

There are two ways to connect TalkSwitch 24CA directly to your PC for configuration — USB or Serial

USB: Use the provided USB cable to connect TalkSwitch to an available USB

port on your PC or USB hub.

Serial*: Use a serial cable (RS232) to connect TalkSwitch to an open COM port

on your PC. *Serial cables are not provided with TalkSwitch units.

1.4.4.1 Connecting TalkSwitch to a PC using a USB cable

If you have an available USB port then connect TalkSwitch to the PC using the USB cable. When you run the TalkSwitch software, you will need to select ‘USB’ as the connection type then press connect.

1.4.4.2 Connecting TalkSwitch to a PC using a Serial cable

If you have an available Serial port, then connect TalkSwitch to your PC using an optional Serial cable.

When you run the TalkSwitch software, you will need to select ‘Serial’ as the connection then select the Serial Port associated to this physical Serial port on your PC.

Make sure you do not have any other communications programs running at the same time you want to use the TalkSwitch configuration software. These may include Palm Pilot, Hot Sync, TalkWorks, Digital Camera software. These programs tend to ‘hold’ onto COM ports and not make them available for any other programs.

If you are having problems communicating with TalkSwitch, please check the Troubleshooting section of the manual.

6 TalkSwitch User Guide

72.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Configuring

TalkSwitch

2.1 Installing the TalkSwitch Configuration Software

Insert the TalkSwitch CD into your CD drive. The Install program will automatically launch. If the software does not launch automatically, you can use Windows Explorer to explore your CD-ROM drive. Double-click the Setup.exe file, then follow the instructions on the screen. If you are installing on a Windows XP machine, do not enable Windows 98 compatibility mode for the TalkSwitch software. The TalkSwitch software can also be downloaded from the TalkSwitch website (www.talkswitch.com).

Configuration software system requirements:

PC running Windows XP/2000

120 MB free hard disk space

128 MB RAM

800 x 600 minimum video resolution

If you are having problems retrieving the settings from TalkSwitch, please check the Troubleshooting section of the manual.

8 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.2 Running the TalkSwitch software

After installation is complete, double-click the TalkSwitch icon. The following screen provides different connection options.

Connection Type: USB

If TalkSwitch is connected to the PC via a USB cable, then select this option and press ‘Connect’ to continue.

Connection Type: Serial

If TalkSwitch is connected to the PC via a Serial cable, then select this option and choose the Serial Port associated to the connection. Press ‘Connect’ to continue.

Connection Type: Ethernet

Ethernet is not a supported connection type for the TalkSwitch 24CA. Only USB and Serial are supported.

Connection Type: Internet

Internet is not a supported connection type for the TalkSwitch 24CA since it does not have an Ethernet port. Only USB and Serial are supported.

Connection Type: File

If you wish to work offline on a configuration file, select this option then press the Browse button to select the file you wish to view/edit.

Restore Firmware:

This activates the TalkSwitch Firmware Update procedure in the event a firmware update has failed. Follow the instructions accordingly.

92.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3 Configuration

The configuration screen consists of 4 parts:

1. Menu Items

2. Configuration Navigation

Controls what is displayed in the configuration window.

3. Configuration Window

Displays configuration information.

4. View System Information

Click this button to view each TalkSwitch unit’s MAC address, IP address, hardware version and firmware version.

5. Resize

Grabbing this corner by left-clicking on the mouse allows you to increase or decrease the window size.

There is context sensitive help information available for each option in the configuration software. Simply rest your mouse cursor over any control for a second or two and then information related to that control will appear.

10 TalkSwitch User Guide

Menu Items - File

Open File...

Opens existing configuration files from the PC. Default configuration files are included with the software. TalkSwitch also backs up to a file called “LastSavedConfig.dat” every time you save settings to TalkSwitch.

Save to TalkSwitch

Saves the current configuration to TalkSwitch.

Save to file...

Saves the current configuration to a file.

Exit

Closes the Configuration.

Retrieve settings:

Retrieves settings from TalkSwitch connected to the PC.

Update Firmware:

This action locks the system down and then proceeds with updating the firmware once all calls have terminated. For more details on upgrading the TalkSwitch Firmware, see Section 4.8.

Menu Items — View

Toolbar

Toggles the toolbar on/off.

Status Bar

Toggles the status bar on/off.

Menu Items — Tools

Memory Usage:

Displays a dialog box showing internal memory usage for Voicemail or Auto Attendant messages.

Voicemail Manager:

Displays a dialog box giving you options to check the status of all voicemail, delete a mailbox password, and reset mailboxes to factory default.

112.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Terminal Window:

Displays a command line interface to enter commands. Useful for troubleshooting in conjunction with technical support.

Defaults:

Select this option to reset the current page or the entire configuration back to defaults.

Menu Items — Help

Support on the Web:

Launches your browser and directs you to our support site.

About TalkSwitch:

Displays the TalkSwitch software version number, TalkSwitch firmware version number and Copyright information.

Additional PDF help documents can be located in the Start Menu> TalkSwitch folder.

Configuration Navigation

The Configuration Navigation organizes all the configuration topics within folders. The following is a brief description of each configuration folder:

About TalkSwitch

This tab displays version information about the TalkSwitch software, firmware and hardware. It also displays memory usage with details about voicemail messages and Auto Attendants.

System Information

This folder allows you to configure the system setup. This includes activating lines, extensions, VoIP and music-on-hold.

Voicemail

This folder allows you to configure each individual voice mailbox and also some global settings for the voicemail system.

Call Handling

This folder allows you to configure how you want incoming calls to be handled. It allows you to setup your Auto Attendants and individual call handling for each line and distinctive ring number for both operating modes.

12 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.1 System Information

2.3.1.1 Administration

It is recommended that you enter an Administrator password to prevent tampering with the system configuration.

System Name:

The system name is for informational purposes to confirm the identity of the system when connected.

Administrator password:

To activate the use of an administrator password, enter a 4 to 8 digit password. The password can only contain numbers since it is also used to gain access to the system using a touch tone phone.

If the administrator forgets their password, the only option to gain access to the configuration settings is to contact TalkSwitch.

132.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.1.2 Telephone Lines

This section is used to inform TalkSwitch about the lines or VoIP ports plugged into its back panel. Simply select a line and fill in the information. For each line there is a status message (“Line detected at initialization”) indicating if TalkSwitch detected a line plugged into the associated line port. If a line is plugged into a line port and is not detected, check your telephone line, and then choose File>Retrieve settings to update the screen.

Connection type:

Select what’s connected to the Line jack on TalkSwitch. Selecting VoIP means that

you have a VoIP device plugged into the jack. This will now enable callers to select

250-299 from a local extension or auto attendant to speed dial a VoIP location.

In the “Phone numbers” section:

Enter the ‘main’ telephone number for the appropriate line connected to TalkSwitch. Enable the Distinctive Ring Numbers 1 and/or 2 if you have this service on the current line and wish to have incoming calls handled 'differently' on the basis of the distinctive ring. If you want Distinctive Ring numbers handled the same way as your 'Main' number, do not place a check mark in the box.

Next, enter the ‘Distinctive Ring’ telephone number for each of the Distinctive Ring numbers associated to this line. Distinctive Ring 1 corresponds to any double ring pattern. Distinctive Ring 2 corresponds to any triple ring pattern.

14 TalkSwitch User Guide

In the “Telephone company services” section:

Select any of the Telephone Company Services that you currently have for each line. The following is an explanation of each service and the impact of selecting each option with respect to how TalkSwitch handles calls. For definitions and details on how to use these features with TalkSwitch, see Appendix B.

3-Way Calling/Conference:

TalkSwitch can work with either service to forward calls to Remote Extensions or other external phone numbers while using the same line (Same Line Connect). You can also use this service as an option for bridging calls to external numbers when calling into TalkSwitch from the outside. If you find that you are having difficulties with line levels when forwarding calls to Remote Extensions or using Call Bridge, you should use 3-way calling to forward calls as a solution.

Transfer and Clear (Centrex/Plexar transfer):

TalkSwitch can clear the line after forwarding a call to a Remote Extension if your telephone line supports this feature. If you enable this feature without actually having the service, callers will be disconnected after the call is forwarded to the Remote Extension.

Call Waiting:

Check this box if you have Call Waiting service on the current line. It is recommended that you remove this service from your line(s) since there is no way for TalkSwitch to handle a second call on the same line while it is handling the first call. You may want to instead consider adding the Hunt/Rollover service to your lines.

Caller ID:

Check this box if the current line provides Caller ID information. TalkSwitch will pass along the Caller ID information to selected extensions. Also, TalkSwitch can use the time information provided by Caller ID to update TalkSwitch’s internal clock. (see section 2.3.5.4).

Telephone Company Voicemail:

Check this box if you are subscribed to a Telephone Company Voicemail service.

Hunt/Rollover/Busy Forwarding:

Check this box if the current line is associated with a Line Hunt or Line Rollover service from the Telephone Company. In general, any lines that belong to a Hunt/Rollover group should be configured to handle calls the same way.

In the “Calibration” section:

After you have configured the lines, it is recommended that you calibrate the lines. Completing this procedure optimizes your telephone line volume levels for the Call Bridge and Call Forwarding (with Remote Extensions) features.

152.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Note: Only lines that are detected can be calibrated.

2.3.1.3 Line Hunt Groups

There are a total of 9 Line Hunt Groups for controlling outbound call line selections. These Line Hunt Groups are used by the Local and Remote Extensions, and when using the Call Bridge feature. Each Hunt Group can support several line choices and will attempt to grab an available line in the order that they are listed (Lines to hunt) for that Hunt group. These settings have no effect on incoming calls.

The default setup:

Hunt Group 9: selects any available line Hunt Group 81: selects Line 1 Hunt Group 82: selects Line 2

First select a Line Hunt Group then name the group(s) if desired.

Under Set Line Hunt Group, select the lines you wish to add to the Hunt Group by clicking the check boxes left of the line. Repeat this process for the other Hunt Groups. Lines will be hunted in the order they are listed from top to bottom.

16 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.1.4 Fax Information

The information in this tab helps configure TalkSwitch to handle faxes.

If you have a dedicated fax line or a Distinctive Ring number for faxing associated to a line, please choose this ‘Fax number’ in the list. If you don’t have a line dedicated for inbound faxing, select ‘none’.

If you do not see your fax number in the list, make sure you have activated the appropriate line or Distinctive Ring number in the Telephone Lines section under System Information.

Next, select the extension number where you have your fax device connected. For example if you have your fax machine connected to E3 on the rear of the TalkSwitch, then select extension number 113.

By default, when both a dedicated line and fax extension have been selected for the first time, the software automatically configures the incoming call handling properties for that line to ring only the fax extension you specified on this page.

172.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.1.5 Local Extensions

Local Extensions are phones or devices connected to any of the extension jacks at the back of TalkSwitch. See sections 1.3 and 1.4 for more details on connectivity.

Select any of the extensions that you wish to configure.

Local Extensions are by default activated with the associated Voice mailbox. Voice mailboxes for each Local Extension can be de-activated in the Voicemail section in the System Information folder.

Last Name/First Name:

Enter the first and last name of the person associated to the extension. The last name is required if the person is to be included in the ‘Dial by Name’ directory listing used at the Auto Attendant level. The person using that extension must also record their name for the directory. Instructions for recording the name are listed in the interface. Whatever name is entered will appear on the Caller ID of another Local Extension during an intercom call.

18 TalkSwitch User Guide

Direct Line Access:

Direct line access allows you to configure the extension to access a specific Hunt Group automatically for outbound calls when the extension goes off hook. For example, you may have a fax machine connected to this extension and don’t want to reprogram the speed dial phone numbers. In this case you would select ‘Direct line access’ and choose the appropriate Hunt Group. As soon as the fax goes off hook, TalkSwitch will hunt the specified lines for an available line. This feature is also useful if you want to avoid dialing any digits for accessing a line.

Warning: When using Direct Line Access, telephone company line dialtone is first available when picking up the handset. The following features are only available from TalkSwitch internal dialtone: Intercom Calling, Hold Retrieve, Line Hunt Groups, Voicemail Retrieval/Access, Call Pick Up, P.A. Access, Parked Call Retrieval, Do Not Disturb functions and entering Command Mode.

TToo oobbttaaiinn iinntteerrnnaall ddiiaallttoonnee ffrroomm aann

eexxtteennssiioonn wwhhiicchh hhaass DDiirreecctt LLiinnee AAcccceessss eennaabblleedd,, ddiiaall FFllaasshh aafftteerr ggooiinngg ooffff hhooookk..

Hunt Group Access:

This is used if you want to permit or restrict specific Hunt Group access to the extension. Click the button and simply organize the appropriate Line Hunt Groups that are permitted for this extension. (All extensions are defaulted to have no restrictions.)

2.3.1.6 Remote Extensions

With TalkSwitch’s Remote Extensions, you can have calls forwarded directly from your home/office to any phone number you choose. Your cell phone, pager or any out-of-office number becomes a ‘Remote Extension’ of your office system.

You can have calls forwarded directly or screen callers. If you are unavailable or choose not to accept calls, they can be transferred back to your office (e.g. to voicemail or another extension) or forwarded to another out-of-office telephone number (e.g. to a business partner’s cell phone) depending upon the Cascade configuration.

For details on how to use Remote Extensions, see section 3.3.

TalkSwitch assigns a Remote Extension number to each call forwarding telephone number. Calls can then be forwarded by the Auto Attendant or transferred by someone in your office simply by dialing the Remote Extension number. There are 8 Remote Extensions available per TalkSwitch unit.

192.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Choose a Remote Extension to configure. After you have activated a Remote Extension, you must enter a phone number in order for the extension to be considered active and usable by the system.

Remote phone number:

Enter the phone number of the Remote Extension (note: no specific prefixes are required - put the number in just as though you were dialing it from a regular phone). You may use the following in the space provided: digits 0 – 9, space, comma, dash, #and *.

Last Name/First Name:

Connect using:

Select the Line Hunt Group that TalkSwitch will use to connect to that Remote Extension. For example if you have an inexpensive long distance carrier setup for the lines in Hunt Group 84, you may want to use this Hunt Group for your long distance Remote Extensions.

20 TalkSwitch User Guide

Use Same Line Connect

Enabling this option allows incoming calls, when forwarded to the Remote Extension, to use the same line in which the originating call came in. Using this feature allows only one line to be used when forwarding incoming calls to a Remote Extension. This feature can only be used when the line that the originating call came in on has the 3-Way Calling/Conference or Transfer service (Centrex/Plexar). If the line does not have any of these services, the call will be forwarded using the Hunt Group chosen in the “Connect using:” section.

If you have a ‘Transfer and clear’ service on your line(s) and want to have TalkSwitch clear lines after forwarding calls to Remote Extensions, you will need to enable ‘Centrex/Plexar transfer’ on the Miscellaneous tab under ‘Options’. If your service requires the remote end to answer the call before the transfer can be made, then you should use ‘play accept/reject prompt’ or ‘play caller’s name first’ screening option set on the ‘Answered at ext.’ in the Remote Extension section under Call Handling.

Note: Remote Extensions do not have the ability to manually transfer calls when using ‘Same Line Connect’.

When using Same Line Connect, callers will hear silence while they are on hold since the callers are on hold at the Telephone Company and not at TalkSwitch. If you want callers to hear music while they are on hold for calls forwarded to Remote Extensions, do not use Same Line Connect. It’s best to experiment with different settings in order to decide what works best for your configuration.

2.3.1.7 Extension Ring Group

There are a total of 10 Extension Ring Groups available for your use. Ring Groups are extensions 300 to 309. By default, extension 300 is configured to ring all extensions.

Different uses for Extension Ring Groups:

Example 1: You are the president of a company and you don't want to handle

calls from the general public, yet you want to be alerted when your important colleagues try to contact you. Your regular Local Extension may be 111 for most people, but you can also configure a Ring Group such as extension Ring Group 300 to ring your extension with a different ring pattern. You then tell your colleagues to always choose extension 300 at the Auto Attendant or ask to be transferred to extension 300 when speaking to someone in the office. Now without being subscribed to Caller ID, you can tell just by how your phone rings if you consider the caller to be important or not.

212.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Example 2: You have a company with several departments . You may want to configure Extension Ring Group 300 for the Sales Department, in which case it will ring extensions 111, 112, 113, and 114. You may want to also set up Ring Group 301 for Technical Support, in which case it will ring extensions 115 and 116.

First select an Extension Ring Group (300-309) that you would like to configure and activate it. If desired, name the extension in the ‘Ring Group name’ space.

Ring pattern:

Choose how you want the phone(s) to ring for the Ring Group.

Set Ring Group:

To configure, select each extension that you wish to add to that Ring Group. Ring Groups must have at least one extension checked in order to be accessible.

22 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.1.8 On-hold/ Ringback

If you wish to have callers listen to music or advertising while they are on hold, you will need to enable Music-on-hold in this tab.

On-Hold Settings:

If you have a music source connected to the MUSIC jack, then you can select the ‘play music’ option. Otherwise leave the option set to play a ‘double beep’ when callers are placed on hold.

Transfer Settings:

Select the option that best suits your environment and system configuration.

Note: If you connect a music source to the Music jack and do not enable Music-onhold, the caller will hear both music and a beep sound when on hold. Also when the caller makes a selection at the Auto Attendant to go to an extension that has call screening enabled, they will hear both ringing and music.

232.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.2 Voicemail

This section deals with the internal voicemail system included with TalkSwitch. It allows you to activate Local, Remote and General mailboxes and change global settings to the voicemail system. For details on how to use voicemail, see section 3.4.

2.3.2.1 Local Extension Voicemail

By default, all Local Extensions are activated with the associated voice mailbox.

Play announcement only

If you want to use this mailbox for informational purposes only and prevent callers from recording messages, then check the 'Play announcement only' box.

If a caller presses ‘0’:

Select what action to take when a caller presses “0” during the different modes while in a voice mailbox:

24 TalkSwitch User Guide

play announcements: Callers will be transferred to the specified announcement. go to auto attendant: Callers will be transferred to the Auto Attendant. perform no action: No action will be performed when ‘0’ is pressed.

Load Greeting:

You can load a pre-recorded voicemail greeting from your PC to TalkSwitch. The file must be an 8khz, 8-bit, mono µ-law .wav file.

Voicemail Notification Settings:

Set the manner in which you want to be notified when new messages arrive.

Remote Phone Notification:

If you want to be notified at another location when new messages arrive, you can use Remote Phone Notification. Simply enter the phone number of the cell phone or location where you want to be notified.

Notification Settings:

Detailed instructions are provided for how you may want TalkSwitch to handle notification calls being considered successful or requiring another attempt.

Pager Notification:

Use Pager Notification if you want to be notified by pager when new messages arrive. Simply activate the feature then enter the pager phone number and the numeric message to be displayed on the pager.

Message Waiting Light:

Click on this option to set a message waiting light to indicate when a message has been received for an extension. You can select on which local extensions in your system the light will be activated when a message is received. By default, the message waiting light will turn on at the extension associated with a local mailbox.

Configuration Notification Options:

Define how TalkSwitch will dial out of your office when notifying you of a voicemail. If the first connection is not successful, define how many times, and at what intervals TalkSwitch will continue to attempt to reconnect.

Under the conditions where you choose to be notified by both pager and remote phone, TalkSwitch makes sure that both locations have been contacted before finishing the notification process.

252.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Dial notification phone number…

These parameters control which Hunt Group is used for both the Remote Phone and Pager Notification calls. It also allows you to adjust the number of rings before it will abort the attempt then follow the parameters listed in the next section.

If attempt unsuccessful…

These parameters control how many times TalkSwitch will try to notify the Remote Phone or Pager before it will abort the entire notification attempt. You can also specify the time interval between attempts.

2.3.2.2 Remote Extension Voicemail

26 TalkSwitch User Guide

Remote Extension voicemail is similar in features to the Local Extension voicemail. Ensure that the remote extension has been enabled, otherwise you will not be able to activate its voicemail.

Play announcement only:

If you want to use this mailbox for informational purposes only and prevent callers from recording messages, then check the 'Play announcement only' box.

If caller presses ‘0’:

Select what action to take when a caller presses “0” during the different modes while in a voice mailbox:

go to voice mailbox: Callers will be transferred to the specified mailbox. go to local extension: Callers will be transferred to the specified local extension. go to remote extension: Callers will be transferred to the specified remote extension. go to ring groups: Callers will be transferred to the specified ring group. play announcements: Callers will be transferred to the specified announcement. go to auto attendant: Callers will be transferred to the Auto Attendant. perform no action: No action will be performed when ‘0’ is pressed.

Load Greeting:

You can load a pre-recorded voicemail greeting from your PC to TalkSwitch. The file must be an 8khz, 8-bit, mono µ-law .wav file.

Voicemail Notification Settings:

Set the manner in which you want to be notified when new messages arrive:

Remote Phone Notification:

Notification Settings:

Detailed instructions are provided for how you may want TalkSwitch to handle notification calls being considered successful or requiring another attempt.

Pager Notification:

2.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Message Waiting Light:

Click on this option to set a message waiting light to indicate when a message has been received for an extension. You can select on which local extensions in your system the light will be activated when a message is received. This option can be useful since remote voice mailboxes are not associated with any local extensions.

Configuration Notification Options:

Under the conditions where you choose to be notified by both pager and remote phone, TalkSwitch makes sure that both locations have been contacted before finishing the notification process.

Dial notification phone number…

If attempt unsuccessful…

28 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.2.3 General Voicemail

General Voicemail is similar in features to both Local and Remote Extension Voicemail. These are generic mailboxes used for general purposes, such as messages for a sales team, or technical support group.

Play announcement only:

If you want to use this mailbox for informational purposes only and prevent callers from recording messages, then check the 'Play announcement only' box.

If a caller presses ‘0’:

Select what action to take when a caller presses “0” during the different modes while in a voice mailbox:

292.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Load Greeting:

You can load a pre-recorded voicemail greeting from your PC to TalkSwitch. The file must be an 8khz, 8-bit, mono µ-law .wav file.

Voicemail Notification Settings:

Set the manner in which to be notified when new messages arrive.

Remote Phone Notification:

Notification Settings:

Detailed instructions are provided for how you may want TalkSwitch to handle notification calls being considered successful or requiring another attempt.

Pager Notification:

Message Waiting Light:

Click on this option to set a message waiting light to indicate when a message has been received for an extension. You can select on which local extensions in your system the light will be activated when a message is received. This option can be useful since general voice mailboxes are not associated with any local extensions.

Configuration Notification Options:

Under the conditions where you choose to be notified by both pager and remote phone, TalkSwitch makes sure that both locations have been contacted before finishing the notification process.

30 TalkSwitch User Guide

Dial notification phone number…

If attempt unsuccessful…

312.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.2.4 Global Settings

Any changes made to Global Settings will affect all system voice mailboxes.

Global Message Waiting Indicator:

This option can be useful if you only use one or a couple of voice mailboxes. Anytime a new message is left in any active voice mailbox, the Power/Data light will pulse very slowly to indicate that there is at least one new message in one of the mailboxes. Once all new messages have been heard, this light will return to the default state of being on solid.

Mailbox Settings:

The first option controls the order that messages are played back when listening to voicemail. The default setting plays messages back starting with the newest message and working back to the oldest messages. This setting is convenient since many people store several saved messages and don't want to skip through these messages every time they want to listen to newer messages.

The second control can be adjusted so that you can have the system page or call your remote phone for every new message received in voicemail or only the 1st new message received in voicemail.

32 TalkSwitch User Guide

Automatically remove blank and short messages:

Enable this option if you tend to get several messages where callers hang up rather than leave messages. The advantage of not clearing the short messages is that employees can listen to the Caller ID information played at the end of the message to identify callers

*Caller ID service required from your telephone company.

View Mailbox Data:

Details are provided for each voice mailbox and announcement. This tool is useful for better managing the voicemail resources of the system.

Reset Mailboxes:

Use this feature if for example an employee has left the company and all greetings, messages and settings for a particular mailbox need to be reset. If you need to simply delete a password, use the Voicemail Manager located under ‘Utilities’ in the menu bar.

332.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.3 Call Handling

2.3.3.1 Modes

The use of Modes allows you to run different call handling configurations at different times. For example, you may want calls handled one way during business hours and another way for non-business hours. Modes can be switched either manually or automatically with the use of Automatic Mode Switching.

Name the modes if desired. The labels will be displayed elsewhere in the configuration software whenever modes are used.

To use the Automatic Mode Switching feature, you must first activate it by clicking ‘Use Automatic Mode Switching’. Next, set the start times for each mode. If you want TalkSwitch to change modes more than twice in one day, you can activate up to two extra mode changes for that day.

If you do not want to use Automatic Mode Switching, you can still switch modes manually in the software or through any telephone using touch tone commands. Enter command mode by dialing then your password if required. Next, dial any of the following commands followed by to confirm.

31 Changes TalkSwitch to mode 1 32 Changes TalkSwitch to mode 2 30 TalkSwitch tells you what mode it currently is using

34 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.3.2 Auto Attendant

The purpose of the Auto Attendant is to greet callers and instruct them as to which number(s) they should press on their telephone keypad to reach a particular extension, person, message, or department. Callers can also directly dial Local Extensions (1xx), Remote Extensions (2xx), Extension Ring Groups (300-309), Voicemail (both leave messages and access messages), access Call Back, access Call Bridge and enter Command mode for making changes to the system configuration.

*400 series mailboxes can be dialed at the Auto Attendant without having to press first. This can be useful for providing ‘virtual’ extensions associated to a mailbox for telecommuters or other part-time staff.

A total of 9 different Auto Attendants can be recorded or loaded with a combined total time of 30 minutes (shared with voicemail, but can be expanded using TalkSwitch Memory cards). You do not have to use or record all 9 Auto Attendants. The Auto Attendants can be recorded from any Local Extension or remotely using touch tone commands.

352.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Recording Auto Attendant messages using touch tone commands:

Pick up any Local Extension or dial into TalkSwitch and at the Auto Attendant enter command mode by pressing . If you have the Administrator password

enabled, you need to enter this password. Next, begin entering the proper touch tone commands listed on the next page. After entering a command, you

will need to press to confirm the entry before entering another command or exiting command mode. To exit command mode, press or hang up.

Auto Attendant Record message Playback message Erase message

1 41 51 041 2 42 52 042 3 43 53 043 4 44 54 044 5 45 55 045 6 46 56 046 7 47 57 047 8 48 58 048 9 49 59 049

Example: Recording and playing back Auto Attendant

1. Press to enter command mode, then dial 4 1 .

2. After the tone, record your Auto Attendant message. Press when you have finished.

3. Press 5 1 to listen to your recording.

Note: If you have the Administrator password enabled, you will need to enter this password after you hit the first time to enter command mode.

Recording Auto Attendants from an out-of-office phone:

1. Dial into TalkSwitch and wait for the Auto Attendant message.

2. Once the Auto Attendant is playing, use the same keypad commands as you would from a TalkSwitch extension (in the ‘Recording Auto Attendants using touch tone commands:’ section). If you have Password Protection enabled, you will be prompted for your password.

36 TalkSwitch User Guide

In the “At the Auto Attendant, perform the following actions:” section:

If the caller selects ‘0’:

In general, the ‘0’ option is used to direct callers to a receptionist. You may want to configure this option to ring a Local Extension. For an after hours auto attendant, you might want to use this option for forwarding to a Remote Extension for emergency purposes or simply direct callers to a voice mailbox.

If the caller selects ‘1

’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’ or ‘5’

If the caller presses ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’ or ‘5’ at the specified Auto Attendant, TalkSwitch can perform one of several actions. You may wonder how a caller can press just a single digit like ‘1’ or dial extension ‘111’ at the Auto Attendant and the system understand what it is supposed to do. TalkSwitch waits 1.5 seconds for another digit after receiving the first digit. If another digit is not received, then TalkSwitch will follow the action set for the digit ‘1’.

If a caller selects one of the single digit options, you can configure to direct the call to one of the following options:

–– ppeerrffoorrmm nnoo aaccttiioonn::

If you don’t want to use a particular option, then set

it to perform no action.

–– ggoo ttoo vvooiiccee mmaaiillbbooxx::

You can configure any single digit option to send a caller immediately to voicemail. Select the appropriate mailbox or ‘new’ to create a new mailbox if required.

–– ggoo ttoo llooccaall eexxtteennssiioonn::

If you are a small company, sometimes it is useful

to provide a single digit option to ring an extension as opposed to 3 digits.

–– ggoo ttoo rreemmoottee eex

xtt..::

If you are a small company, sometimes it is useful to

provide a single digit option to ring an extension as opposed to 3 digits.

–– ggoo ttoo rriinngg ggrroouupp::

If you are a small company, sometimes it is useful to

provide a single digit option to ring an extension as opposed to 3 digits.

–– ggoo ttoo aauuttoo aatttteennddaanntt::

TalkSwitch can direct callers to multiple levels of auto attendants. For example, you might want to use your main auto attendant to provide language options such as “press 1 for english, 2 for spanish.” Then you configure option 1 to go to auto attendant 2 (english version) and option 2 to go to auto attendant 3 (spanish version).

–– qquueeuuee aatt rriinngg ggrroouupp::

Some might consider this feature to be equivalent to ACD. It can be useful for businesses that want to direct calls to a group of employees and keep callers on hold until a member of the ring group is free to take the call.

–– ppllaayy aannnnoouunnc

ceemmeenntt::

Announcements are useful for providing directions,

business hours or other information. You can inform callers that they can press to return to the previous greeting.

–– ggoo ttoo ddiirreeccttoorryy::

If you want callers to be able to locate employee extension

numbers by last name, then enable this option for one of the selections.

372.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

If a fax call is detected:

If TalkSwitch detects a fax call (by CNG detection), it has the ability to route it to a Local or Remote Extension or if you do not want to use fax detection, you can have TalkSwitch perform no action when detecting a fax call.

After the Auto Attendant has finished playing and no selection has been made within x seconds:

If no selection is detected at the specified Auto Attendant, TalkSwitch can route the call to any Local or Remote Extension, Ring Group, Voice mailbox, Auto Attendant, Announcement, dial by name directory, queue the caller or simply hang up. This feature is included in case someone does not have a touch-tone phone or if it is a fax call where the calling fax machine does not emit a CNG tone. It can also be used to forward calls immediately after the Auto Attendant answers the call. You will notice that you can specify the length of time after the Auto Attendant has finished playing before it performs the ‘no selection’ action.

Fax calls are detected by what's called a CNG tone. If a fax machine sends this tone while trying to establish a connection to a fax machine connected to TalkSwitch, TalkSwitch will handle the call accordingly. Not all fax machines emit a CNG tone, and as a result TalkSwitch will not be able to detect the fax call and route it to the fax machine. To guarantee the reception of every fax, we recommend the use of a ‘Distinctive Ring Number’ added to one of your lines for fax calls. TalkSwitch can then handle every fax call consistently.

The digits 6, 7, 8 and 9 are not available as programmable options since they are used for other system features:

If 6 is dialed:

If you press ‘6’ at the Auto Attendant, you will be able to configure and use Auto and Prompted Call Back. See section 2.3.4 for more details about configuring Call Back and section 3.7.2 for details on how to use Call Back.

If 7 is dialed:

This digit is used to precede PBX extensions of another Centrex or PBX system. If TalkSwitch is not connected to another system, then you need not worry about this setting. If TalkSwitch is connected to a PBX system, then see section 2.3.5.4 for more details.

If 80 - 88, or 9 is dialed:

If you press ‘80 – 88 or 9’ at the Auto Attendant, you will access Call Bridge if it has been permitted. See section 2.3.4.3 for more details on configuring Call Bridge and section 3.7.1 for details on how to use Call Bridge.

38 TalkSwitch User Guide

Utilities for Auto Attendants:

Record Instructions

Selecting this button displays a dialog box showing the instructions on how to record and playback an Auto Attendant using a telephone. No adjustments are required for the recording volume as TalkSwitch automatically adjusts the recording volume for optimal recordings. If you find that the playback of your Auto Attendant messages are too low, you can adjust the playback volume on the Audio Controls page located under ‘Options’.

Load Auto Attendant

Selecting this button displays a dialog box with instructions on how to load an Auto Attendant using a pre-recorded wav file. If you want to have Auto Attendants professionally recorded, make sure you specify that the files need to be 8KHz, 8bit, mono, and saved as a mu-law format wav file.

Erase Instructions

Selecting this button displays a dialog box showing the instructions on how to erase an Auto Attendant using a telephone. It is a good idea to erase any unused Auto Attendants since they share the same memory as voicemail.

392.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

View Auto Attendant Memory Usage

Selecting this button displays the amount of time used by all of the Auto Attendants. This feature helps you keep track of memory usage as you may have unused Auto Attendant messages that can be deleted to free up more memory.

2.3.3.3 Telephone Lines

This section deals with how TalkSwitch will handle incoming calls based on the incoming line and ring cadence (distinctive ring numbers).

First select a line to configure then the appropriate mode you want TalkSwitch to use these settings. If you entered the phone number in the Telephone Lines section under System Information, then the number will appear on the corresponding button.

40 TalkSwitch User Guide

Ring extensions only (no Auto Attendant is played)

If you don’t want the Auto Attendant to answer calls on this line, then select this option. By default all the Local Extensions are set to ring immediately during an inbound call. If you select this option, no Call Cascade actions (such as voicemail) can be performed. If you require a ‘fall through’ sequence such as going to a voice mailbox, you can configure this line to have an Auto Attendant answer after x rings then perform an action configured for that Auto Attendant.

If you call in on any line, TalkSwitch will answer after 15 rings with a generic Auto Attendant so that you can still access the system to make configuration changes, change modes, access voicemail, or dial extensions.

Play auto attendant...

If you wish to have the Auto Attendant answer calls to give callers options, select the appropriate Auto Attendant and number of rings before the Auto Attendant answers . The caller will always hear one more ring than the number of rings you select since TalkSwitch uses the first ring to determine the ring type and support Caller ID information.

Go to voice mailbox...

If you don’t need to provide dialable options for callers and simply need to record messages (for example after hours), then you can configure TalkSwitch to send callers straight to a voice mailbox. Select the appropriate mailbox and number of rings before voicemail is engaged. Select the extension(s) you want to ring before voicemail is engaged.

The next section controls how the extensions will ring before the Auto Attendant answers the call.

• If you have chosen the Auto Attendant to answer calls immediately, this section does not require configuration and will be greyed out.

• If the Auto Attendant is set to answer after 1 or more rings, then you can configure when specific extensions will ring before the Auto Attendant answers.

• If no Auto Attendant is chosen to answer on the specified line, then you can configure when specific extensions will ring (up to 9 rings).

Extensions to ring on an incoming call...

Select the Local Extensions you would like to ring — including before the Auto Attendant answers or voicemail is engaged. By default, all activated Local Extensions will ring. If you require certain extensions to ring in a sequence, i.e. one extension rings first, then another on the 2nd ring, click the “Adjust Sequence” button to configure.

412.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Remember: Callers can only be directed with the aid of an Auto Attendant. Calls will not follow the Call Cascade settings of any of the Local Extensions programmed to ring on any incoming call.

Adjust Sequence:

This section controls how the extensions will ring before the Auto Attendant answers the call.

• If you have chosen the Auto Attendant to answer calls immediately, this section does not require configuration and will be greyed out.

• If the Auto Attendant is set to answer after 1 or more rings, you can then configure when specific extensions will ring before the Auto Attendant answers.

• If no Auto Attendant is chosen to answer on the specified line, then you can configure when specific extensions will ring up to 9 rings. Remember that no calls will go to voicemail unless you first have an Auto Attendant answer.

42 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.3.4 Local Extensions — Call Cascade

This section configures the incoming Call Cascade options for the Local Extensions. The Call Cascade routing options are only engaged if the extension is chosen from the Auto Attendant or if a call is manually transferred to the extension. Once a call enters an extension’s Call Cascade sequence, the extension “owns” the call. It will not follow any other extension’s options even if chosen in the Cascade sequence — what you see in an extension’s Cascade sequence is exactly what you will get. You can set up the Call Cascade sequences differently for both scheduling modes (the scheduling for these modes are set up on the Modes tab).

Even if a call is manually transferred to a Local Extension and that extension is busy, TalkSwitch will follow the Call Cascade options for that extension.

For Local Extensions, there are 4 different ‘Call Cascade’ situations; Busy at extension, No answer at extension, Answer at extension(routing when a call is rejected) and Do not Disturb (when turned on at an extension). For each of these situations, you can control how and where you want the incoming call to the extension handled with up to 3 ‘cascade’ destinations available.

1. Busy at extension — routing options when this extension is busy Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote

Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, invoke Call Waiting, Auto Attendant, play busy tone (for example: used if a fax

432.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

machine is at the extension), queue caller, or hang up. For more information on these features, see chapter 3.0 — Using TalkSwitch.

2. No answer at ext. — routing options when this extension does not

answer after a specified number of rings.

Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant or keep ringing.

3. Answered at ext. — routing options when this extension ‘rejects’ a

screened call.

Selecting ‘play caller’s name first’ will prompt callers, when they choose this extension at the Auto Attendant, to record their name. When you answer the call at the extension, it will announce the caller (by playing their recording), at which time you can choose to accept the call by pressing or reroute the call to the Cascade options on this tab by either hanging up or pressing . Routing options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant or hang up. In the case where ‘hang up’ is selected, TalkSwitch will first play the following prompt before hanging up: “I’m sorry, that extension is unavailable at this time. Please try again later.”

4. Do not Disturb — routing options when this extension has engaged the

‘Do not Disturb’ feature.

The Do not Disturb feature is toggled on or off by dialing 62 from a Local Extension handset. Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant or hang up. When Do not Disturb is enabled, you will hear “Do not disturb on” before the dialtone as a reminder since no calls will ring through to your extension. You may still dial any digits during this prompt.

In the Cascade sequence, only choosing an extension (Local, Remote or Ring Group) will allow you to choose an option in the next line. Any other selection is considered an end-of-call option. Note as well that the last line in the Cascade sequence only allows the choice of an 'end-of-call' option. This is done so the chance of a caller being “looped” within the system is removed.

Adding selections to a Call Cascade that are not yet configured:

If while configuring the Cascade sequence you require a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Ring Group, Voice mailbox or Announcement that has not been activated as yet, you can easily add the required selection by choosing ‘new’. If chosen, a screen will appear (depending upon which type is chosen). Simply fill in the required information to add the new option to the selectable list.

44 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.3.5 Remote Extensions — Call Cascade

This section allows you to configure the incoming Call Cascade options for the Remote Extensions. The Call Cascade routing options are only engaged if the extension is chosen from the Auto Attendant or if a call is manually transferred to the extension. Once a call enters an extension’s Call Cascade sequence, the extension “owns” the call. It will not follow any other extension’s options even if chosen in the Call Cascade sequence — what you see in an extension’s Call Cascade sequence is exactly what you will get. You can set up the Call Cascade sequences for both modes (the scheduling for these modes are set up in the Modes tab).

For Remote Extensions, there are 3 different ‘Call Cascade’ options. For each of these options, you can control how and where you want the incoming call to the extension handled with up to 3 ‘cascade’ destinations available.

1. Busy at extension — routing options when this extension is busy Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote

Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant, play busy tone or hang up. If voicemail or a phone company prompt answers calls when your cell phone is busy, you may want to consider using the ‘Play accept/reject prompt’ option under the Answered at ext. tab.

452.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2. No answer at ext. — routing options when this extension does not

answer after a specified number of rings.

Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement or Auto Attendant, keep ringing or hang up. If you have cell phone voicemail or a phone company message that answers after a specified number of rings, and you want the calls redirected to TalkSwitch voicemail, please ensure you set the number of rings for this extension to a number less than the cell phone company voicemail or system prompt.

3. Answered at ext. — routing options when this extension ‘rejects’ a call.

With Remote Extensions you have the choice between two different Call Screening methods, ‘play accept/reject prompt’ and ‘play caller’s name first’. ‘Stay connected’ is the default setting which means that as soon as the remote phone number is dialed, the call is connected. Selecting ‘play accept/reject prompt’ will prompt the Remote Extension when answered by stating “This is call forward”. Selecting ‘play caller’s name first’ will prompt callers to announce their name. When you answer the call at the extension, it will announce the caller (by playing the recorded name). After hearing either message, the Remote Extension can choose to accept the call by pressing or reroute the call to the Call Cascade options on this tab by either hanging up or pressing . Routing options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant or hang up.

If you select ‘stay connected’ you will notice that the Call Cascade options are greyed out. TalkSwitch can only control forwarded calls when prompting is enabled. Also, if you use one of the prompted methods for this Remote Extension, have Music-on-hold enabled, and are not using 3-way calling to forward calls to this Remote Extension, the Call Cascade will be seamless to the caller as they will only hear music throughout the entire process of trying to locate you.

If a call is forwarded to a Remote Extension from a Call Cascade sequence and has either ‘play caller’s name first’ or ‘play accept/reject prompt’ enabled, the Remote Extension will hear “This is Call Cascade...” instead of “This is Call Forward...”. This is done so that you know when the call is rejected, it will send the caller to the next Call Cascade option of the extension that forwarded the call and not follow the Remote Extension’s ‘Answer at ext.’ Call Cascade options.

46 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.3.6 Extension Ring Groups — Call Cascade

The following section configures the incoming call routing options for Ring Groups. The Call Cascade routing options are only engaged if the Ring Group has been chosen from the Auto Attendant or if a call has been manually transferred to the Ring Group. Once a call enters a Ring Group’s Call Cascade sequence, the Ring Group “owns” the call. It will not follow any other extensions options even if chosen in the Call Cascade sequence — what you see in a Ring Group’s Call Cascade sequence is exactly what you’ll get.

For Ring Groups, there are 3 different Call Cascade options. For each of these options, you can control how and where you want the incoming call handled with up to 3 ‘cascade’ destinations available. You can set up the Call Cascade sequences for both Modes (the scheduling for these modes are set up on the Modes tab).

472.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

1. Busy at extension — routing options when all the extensions in the Ring

Group are busy

Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant, play busy tone, queue caller or hang up.

2. No answer at ext. — routing options when all the extensions in the Ring

Group do not answer after a specified number of rings.

Cascade options include forwarding calls to a Local Extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant, keep ringing or hang up.

3. Answer at ext. — routing options when any of the extensions in the Ring

Group ‘rejects’ a screened call.

Selecting ‘play caller’s name first’ will prompt callers (when they choose this Ring Group at the Auto Attendant) to record their name. When you answer the call at a Ring Group extension, it will announce the caller (by playing their recording), at which time you can choose to accept the call by pressing

or reroute the call to the Cascade options on this tab by either hanging up

or pressing . Routing options include forwarding calls to a Local extension, Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, built in Voicemail, Announcement, Auto Attendant or hang up.

2.3.4 Call Back/Call Bridge

Working together, Call Back and Call Bridge act as your personal long distance operator. Whether you are across town or around the world, you can place calls from your home/office telephone line(s) accessing your long distance savings plan. Call Bridge allows you to place calls from your office telephone lines when you are not in the office.

You can make a direct call to TalkSwitch, activate Call Bridge and enter the telephone number you want to dial. TalkSwitch dials the number from your home/office telephone lines and connects the two calls together (the call you made to TalkSwitch and the call TalkSwitch made from your home/office to the dialed party).

48 TalkSwitch User Guide

Here is how it works:

SStteepp 11::

Call your TalkSwitch telephone number to activate Call Back, then hang up.

SStteepp 22::

TalkSwitch calls you back within 10 seconds. You answer and accept Call Back. Your Auto Attendant will play or if you have none recorded, the TalkSwitch message will play.

SStteepp 33

: You can now access any TalkSwitch extension, voice mailbox or use Call Bridge to make calls around the globe just as if you were sitting in your own office.

There are two ways to activate Call Back:

1. Auto Call Back — Auto Call Back is immediate and eliminates the initial long distance call charge required to activate Call Back. When using Auto Call Back, all the Call Back settings must be pre-configured before Call Back is activated. To use Auto Call Back activation, simply dial your home/office telephone number, let the call ring twice and then hang up. Call Back is instantly activated!

492.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2. Prompted Call Back — Prompted Call Back offers the convenience of entering or changing your Call Back telephone number and message each time Call Back is activated. To use Prompted Call Back activation, simply dial your home/office telephone number. When the Auto Attendant answers your call, you dial ‘6’ to access the Call Back settings through a series of prompts which allow you to:

a) Enter the telephone number where you would like TalkSwitch to

call you.

b) Record an ‘Announced’ message if required. Call Back will be

activated right after you initiate Prompted Call Back and hang up. It is important to remember that a small initial long distance charge will be incurred at your current location when activating Prompted Call Back.

By default, Prompted Call Back is not activated in the TalkSwitch configuration. You will need to activate Prompted Call Back before you can use this feature.

The call back out of the system to the number programmed always uses the same line that was dialed.

50 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.4.1 Auto Call Back

There are 4 Auto Call Back numbers that can be configured. Choose an Auto Call Back to configure and then activate it.

Number to call back:

Enter the Call Back number. This phone number should be entered exactly as you would normally have to dial the number from this line (i.e. do not enter a Line Hunt Group in the dialing string).

Use dialing prefix:

If you usually have to dial the same prefix when using Auto Call Back (for example a long distance calling card number), you may want to enable ‘Use dialing prefix with Call Back number’. Enter the dialing prefix including any

required pauses or feature keys such as or . The corresponding key for inserting a 2-second pause is the comma. For example, if you want to disable Call Waiting and want to dial a long distance prefix before dialing the long distance number you could enter the following:

*70,1010555,, This corresponds to 70 for disabling the Call Waiting feature, a 2 second pause to wait for the new dialtone, then 1010555 for the long distance prefix, and a 4 second pause to wait for the new dialtone before dialing the actual long distance phone number.

512.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

In essence this saves you the hassle of having to always enter the same prefix every time you want to set up an Auto Call Back phone number.

Number used to trigger Auto Call Back:

Select the line/phone number when out of the office that you will be dialing to trigger this Auto Call Back. TalkSwitch will initiate the Call Back using the same line you initially called. You can make configuration changes to this Auto Call Back by dialing into this phone number only.

Use Password on Call Back:

This option is designed to give you security and to restrict who can use this particular Call Back number. Simply fill in a 4 to 8 digit password for the Call Back. When TalkSwitch calls you back, you will be prompted to input the password to accept Call Back to access Call Bridge or any TalkSwitch extension.

Use Announced Message:

This option is recommended if the number TalkSwitch will be calling back corresponds to a hotel or a location where somebody else will be answering the call. The Announced Message option allows you to record a message that will be played when the call is initially answered during a Call Back. For example, you may want to say “Please transfer this call to Bob in room 307”. When the hotel receptionist gets the Call Back and hears this message, they will know to transfer the call to your room.

The Announced Message can be recorded using an extension handset or remotely when you access Call Back from the Auto Attendant. The Record message button gives the instructions to record the message. They are as follows:

Pick up a telephone handset connected to the TalkSwitch and use the following keypad commands to record the specific Auto Call Back Announced Message:

1) Press to enter command mode. If required, enter the password.

2) Next, enter the appropriate command as listed below. After each command, press to confirm the entry.

Auto Call Back Recording Playback

1 61 71 2 62 72 3 63 73 4 64 74

52 TalkSwitch User Guide

There are 4 Auto Call Back accounts per TalkSwitch. If you need to record an Announced Message for a particular Auto Call Back account, this needs to be done on the same TalkSwitch unit as the account.

If you need to configure and/or record an Announced Message from a remote location and do not have the Auto Attendant set to answer this Call Back line, you can call your Call Back number and let it ring 15 times. A generic Auto Attendant will answer and you can configure Call Back by pressing 6.

Allow Call Bridge:

To allow Call Bridge after a Call Back has been accepted, check the Allow Call Bridge box. You may also restrict the Hunt Group access using Call Bridge from this Call Back by choosing the Hunt Group Access button. By default, Call Bridge is enabled when Call Back is activated. You will not be prompted for another password when you choose a Hunt Group at the Auto Attendant.

When entering a Call Back phone number using a telephone, you can enter special characters using a special prefix. The default prefix is the key. To enter a in a dialing string you will need to dial , for a 2 second pause dial 0, and for a

, dial . When you have completed the entire dial string you need to dial .

532.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.4.2 Prompted Call Back

If you are travelling to a location where you do not yet know the phone number, you can use Prompted Call Back to save on your long distance charges. For details on using Call Back, see section 3.7.2.

Number to call back:

This phone number should be entered exactly as you would normally have to dial the number from this line (do not enter a Line Hunt Group in the dialing string). TalkSwitch will Call Back out on the same line the call originated.

When you access Prompted Call Back from out of the office, you may change this number before initiating Prompted Call Back. This is the benefit of Prompted Call Back — you do not need to preset the number before you leave the office.

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Use dialing prefix with Call Back number:

If you usually have to dial the same prefix when using Prompted Call Back (for example a long distance calling card number), you may want to enable ‘Use dialing prefix with Call Back number’. Enter the dialing prefix including any required pauses or feature keys such as * or #. The corresponding key for inserting a 2-second pause is the comma. For example, if you want to disable Call Waiting and want to dial a long distance prefix before dialing the long distance number you could enter the following:

In essence this saves you the hassle of having to always enter the same prefix every time you want to set up a Prompted Call Back phone number.

, dial . When you have completed the entire dial string you need to dial .

Use password on Call Back:

This option is designed to give you security and to restrict who can use Prompted Call Back. Simply fill in a 4 to 8 digit password and when TalkSwitch calls you back, you will be prompted to input the password to accept Call Back to access Call Bridge or any TalkSwitch extension.

Use Announced message:

As was described in the Auto Call Back section, this option is recommended if the number TalkSwitch will be calling back corresponds to a hotel or a location where somebody else will be answering the call. The Announced message option allows you to record a message that will be played when the call is initially answered during a Call Back. For example, you may want to say “Please transfer this call to Bob in room 307”. When the hotel receptionist gets the call and hears this message, they will know to transfer the call to Bob’s room.

552.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Pick up a telephone handset connected to the TalkSwitch and use the following keypad commands to record the Prompted Call Back Announced Message:

1) Press to enter command mode. If required, enter the password.

2) Next, enter the appropriate command as listed below. After each command, press to confirm the entry.

To record message: 65

To playback message: 75

Allow Call Bridge:

The call back number shown will always be the last number TalkSwitch dialed in the last Prompted Call Back session.

56 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.4.3 Call Bridge

Call Bridge is a useful feature for saving money while using Call Back or on it’s own to avoid inflated long distance rates such as with cell phones.

How to use Call Bridge:

1. Call into TalkSwitch from any out-of-office telephone.

2. At the Auto Attendant message, dial the Hunt Group you know you have the account password for, (let’s say it’s 9 —- the default) you will then be prompted for the account password.

3. You dial the password and then the key to access a TalkSwitch telephone line.

4. At this point you can dial a number as though you were sitting in the office.

There are four Call Bridge accounts activated by passwords. Each account can be configured to allow access to certain Hunt Group(s) when using Call Bridge. To activate an account, check the ‘Activate Call Bridge’ box and fill in a 4 to 8 digit password. Next, select ‘Hunt Group Access’ and assign the Hunt Groups you want to make available for this account.

Call Bridge account passwords are only valid when using Call Bridge by itself, not when used in conjunction with Call Back.

572.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.5 Options

2.3.5.1 Audio Controls

This section deals with the adjustment of volume and system gain controls. All the controls on this page update TalkSwitch in ‘real time’. This allows you to adjust levels during a conversation without having to first save the configuration to TalkSwitch.

Line Controls:

If callers complain prompts and conversations sound too loud, then levels can be decreased to a suitable level. Click on ‘Calibrate Lines’ to calibrate lines whenever a line is added or changed.

Extension Controls:

If you need to increase the volume of conversations through the system to extensions, you can adjust the gain for each extension individually.

58 TalkSwitch User Guide

2.3.5.2 Transfer Options

This section deals with actions TalkSwitch makes when calls are transferred manually.

Transferring a caller to a Local Extension:

When performing this action, in the case of the extension not answering or being busy, you have the choice of TalkSwitch either ringing back the extension that transferred the call or performing the “no answer” or “busy” action of the extension that the call was intended for.

You also have the choice to adjust this setting for both the Remote Extensions and Extension Ring Groups. Any changes made in this section affect the entire system.

Transferring from a Home phone:

You can transfer a call from a phone connected in parallel to one of the incoming TalkSwitch lines (Home phone) to a Local or Remote Extension, Extension Ring Group, an Announcement, or a Voice mailbox. This section allows you to choose which transfer prefix you would like to use to perform the action. The transfer prefix ‘wakes up’ TalkSwitch and can be considered the equivalent of the Flash or

Link action at a Local Extension. By default the prefix is .

592.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Example: Let’s say you receive a call on a phone in your home that is not an extension of TalkSwitch and you want to transfer the caller to Remote

Extension 215. You would then dial , wait for the ‘double beep’ then dial 215 and hang up. TalkSwitch will now handle the call. For more details, see section 3.2.8.

Transfer and clear:

TalkSwitch has the ability to clear lines after a call has been transferred. Ensure you have this service/feature activated on your line(s).

Remote Transfer:

When calls are transferred to a Remote or VoIP Extension, calls can be transferred back to another extension or voice mailbox by dialing to place the caller

on hold then enter the extension or mailbox. If this is set to Allow screening of calls, then you would dial 4 to complete the transfer. If you want to cancel the transfer, then dial 5. If you have selected ‘Perform a blind transfer’,

then the call will be automatically transferred and the line released once the extension or mailbox has been entered.

2.3.5.3 Miscellaneous

All of the following options affect TalkSwitch as a system. Adjust them according to your needs.

Caller in queue reminder

When a caller is in queue at an extension already in use, a reminder tone is played at the extension to let them know they have a caller in their queue. This option allows you to turn off this function.

Call Back ring return

You can adjust the number of rings during a Call Back session before TalkSwitch disengages the Call Back (i.e. hangs up). Depending upon the situation you may want to give yourself more time to pick up and accept the Call Back by increasing the number of rings.

If being used with another PBX

This feature can only work with PBXs that use “flash-hook” as a transfer method. Please contact your PBX manufacturer for transfer details.

PBX extension length:

If TalkSwitch is being used as an Auto Attendant with another PBX, you can set the number of digits the PBX uses for its extensions. This allows TalkSwitch to know what digits to pass on to the PBX to complete the transfer.

Setting up TalkSwitch behind an existing PBX:

1. Connect the PBX extension to one of TalkSwitch’s Line jacks. You may do this with all your TalkSwitch lines (1 PBX extension per line) depending upon how many Auto Attendant ports you would like on the PBX.

2. Configure your PBX on incoming calls to ring the extensions you have allocated to the TalkSwitch Lines.

3. Configure TalkSwitch’s Auto Attendants to answer at which ring (answer immediately is used most commonly).

4. Record your Auto Attendants. The Auto Attendants should indicate that the digit ‘7’ with the PBX extension should be dialed.

Example: If you have chosen the PBX extension length to be 3 digits (and let's say John Doe's extension is 111 on the PBX), the Auto Attendant should say “To speak with John Doe, press 7111…”. Now when 7111 is dialed, TalkSwitch puts the caller on hold and transfers the caller to extension 111.

Internal clock setting:

TalkSwitch can obtain time information from Caller ID for it’s internal clock. If you have indicated that you do have Caller ID on any of the lines, this option defaults to the active position. If it is de-activated, TalkSwitch can obtain it’s time information from the time and date set in the ‘Mode’ tab under Automatic Mode Switching. TalkSwitch’s clock information is used for Automatic Mode Scheduling and for internal Caller ID information when intercom calls are placed in the office.

60 TalkSwitch User Guide

Internal Caller ID options:

TalkSwitch has the ability to generate name and number Caller ID to each extension during intercom calls. If your Caller ID unit/telephone does not support the name option, you can choose to have TalkSwitch send the number only.

Prompt function key options:

Some phone cards and phone services use different keypad digits for some of their features. Four options are given to allow flexibility with other systems. If required, choose an option that best suits working with your phone card or phone service. You can use these prefixes for entering phone numbers when calling into TalkSwitch and using Call Back and Call Bridge using 3-way calling.

The following describes how to input special prefixes depending upon which key is used.

When using the key: When using the key:

= = 0 = 2 second pause 0 = 2 second pause 1 = Wait for dial tone 1 = Wait for dial tone

= =

Example: You want to change the Prompted Call Back phone number remotely and the special prefix key is the key. After you dial into TalkSwitch and press

‘6’ for Call Back, you go into the options for Prompted Call Back and select to change the phone number. When prompted to enter the phone number, you enter:

70 018005551212

This tells TalkSwitch that you want it to dial:

70 (2 second pause) 1-800-555-1212

Audio output options:

The following controls can be used for various reasons including demonstrating TalkSwitch and screening callers using Voicemail. By default the system is set to play only PA announcements through the PA output when 0 is dialed at a Local Extension.

If you are a single person operation and would like to screen all voicemail messages being left on TalkSwitch, you can connect a speaker to the PA output and select ‘Play Voicemail prompts and recordings through PA’. When a caller goes to voicemail, you will hear your greeting and the caller leaving a message. If you wish to interrupt and speak to the caller, dial 9 from any Local Extension.

612.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

2.3.5.4 Troubleshooting

The following controls should not be changed unless you are familiar with the effect they will have on TalkSwitch’s operation. If your system does not appear to be functioning properly, please contact your reseller for assistance.

Flash Lengths

Accepted Flash Length:

These options control the allowable Flash length from a Local Extension that TalkSwitch will consider to be an intentional Flash. The range can be adjusted to accept anything from 50ms to 1 second. The default range for accepting a Flash signal at a Local Extension is between 200 ms and 800 ms. Most phones emit a 500 ms Flash signal when the ‘Flash’ or ‘Link’ button is pressed.

Transmitted Flash Length:

This option controls the transmitted Flash length from TalkSwitch to the Telephone Company lines. TalkSwitch emits a Flash when forwarding or bridging calls using the 3-Way Calling/Conference or Centrex Transfer service, or when transferring calls through an existing PBX system. The value can be adjusted from 50 ms to 900 ms. The default setting is 400 ms. If you notice that you are having problems with any of the TalkSwitch features that use 3-way calling, you may want to experiment with this value.

62 TalkSwitch User Guide

Double Flash time:

When two flashes are detected, TalkSwitch needs to calculate the time between the flashes to establish if they were intended to propagate a flash at the CO or if it was the intention to place a caller on hold then quickly retrieve them. The Double Flash time values signify the maximum time between two flashes that TalkSwitch will recognize as an intended flash to the CO. When two flashes are detected with a time gap larger than the value displayed, no flash will be propagated at the CO. The value can be adjusted from 200ms to 2000ms with the default set at 1200ms.

3-Way Calling wait time:

This option adjusts the time required between flash hook and a dial string. Some telephone company 3-Way Calling/Conference services require different time allowances after the flash signal to re-establish dial tone. The default time is 2 seconds so that TalkSwitch can let the lines settle after going off hook before sending the DTMF digits.

Non-detection of disconnect-clear:

This option controls the length of time when TalkSwitch will "drop" a line when silence is heard. This safeguard is very useful when a telephone line does not send out the disconnect-clear signal that tells TalkSwitch the call is finished.

Auto Attendant Adjustments:

Since TalkSwitch allows callers to dial 100, 200, 300 series extensions and 400 series mailboxes, and also allows fall through options for the single digits 1, 2 and 3 at the Auto Attendant, there needs to be a time limit placed on how much longer after the first digit is pressed that TalkSwitch will wait for another digit before following the single digit option configured for that particular Auto Attendant. There are 3 ways to make use of this control. You should be careful not to isolate your callers from having both choices as listed in (1).

1) With the current setting, callers can dial any Local Extension (1xx), Remote Extension (2xx), or Ring Group (3xx) as long as the second digit is pressed within 1.5 seconds of pressing the first digit. Callers can also press just 1, 2, or 3 for options and when TalkSwitch detects no second digit within 1.5 seconds, it will follow the programmed option for that Auto Attendant.

2) If you don’t want to use the options 1, 2, and 3 for any of the Auto Attendants, you can set the option to ‘4 seconds’. This pretty much guarantees that callers will have more than enough time to dial all 3 digits of any extension without accidentally falling through to one of the Auto Attendant options.

3) If you don’t want to give callers the ability to dial any of the extensions and only permit them to access single digit options, set this value to ‘immediately’. As soon as TalkSwitch detects the first digit, it will follow the specified option for that Auto Attendant.

631.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

Troubleshooting — Advanced

DTMF Detection:

If callers are complaining of being misdirected when they select options at the Auto Attendant, then these values might need to be adjusted.

Minimum time: The default setting of 45ms should be adequate for most environments. It may however be necessary to lower this value if TalkSwitch appears to have trouble ‘hearing’ digits when dialed at the auto attendant. It might need to be increased in cases where the system is ‘hearing’ ghost DTMFs and accidentally misdirecting callers.

Maximum time: The default setting of 65ms should be adequate for most environments. In most cases this value only needs to be bumped up a bit to help the system deal with echoed digits seen from cell phones. For example: calls keep being misdirected to extension 111. This usually indicates that even though the caller may have dialed 113, TalkSwitch sees 1113 because the ‘1’ was echoed by the cell phone network. Once TalkSwitch captures 3 digits, it will ignore the rest, hence the digits ‘111’ will be accepted and the ‘3’ ignored.

64 TalkSwitch User Guide

Line CPC/ Disconnect Clear:

If calls are being disconnected accidentally in mid conversation, this usually indicates a problem with the telephone line. TalkSwitch is always looking for a ‘hangup’ signal from the phone company called a CPC or Disconnect Clear signal. If the line has ‘shorts’ or even the line card at the central office is defective, then CPC signals in the 250ms range might come down the line and cause TalkSwitch to hangup. Try bumping up this value if this seems to be occurring.

Ringback Control:

If an extension seems to ring back as if a caller was on hold, but when answered, no one is there, this could indicate a debounce problem with the phone hookswitch. When someone at the extension hangs up, the handset bounces slightly to cause a flash signal to be seen by TalkSwitch before the hang up. As a result TalkSwitch puts the line on hold. To help with this problem, this value can be increased to the point where it will stop the ringbacks.

Line Impedance:

This setting should not be adjusted unless you understand the impact. Line impedance is set to match as best as possible the line interface from the telephone company. A good match ensures good levels and low echo.

Fax Detection:

If fax calls are not being directed properly to the fax machine, then you may need to set this option to detect 1 tone. If it’s set to detect 1 tone and people complain they have been accidentally routed to the fax machine, then set this value to detect 2 tones.

652.0 Configuring TalkSwitch

673.0 Using TalkSwitch

Using

TalkSwitch

3.1 In the Office — Receiving Calls with or without the Auto Attendant

3.1.1 Receiving calls using the Auto Attendant

If you don’t have a receptionist, then using the Auto Attendant will help you handle all your inbound calls and help improve your corporate image. Once it has been configured and its messages have been recorded, that's it! The Auto Attendant takes care of the rest. It will follow whatever instructions (configuration) it was given. For details on configuring the Auto Attendants, see section 2.3.2.2. For details on configuring TalkSwitch to answer calls using Auto Attendants, see section 2.3.2.3.

When calls are answered by an Auto Attendant, callers can dial any Local Extension (1xx), Remote Extension (2xx), Extension Ring Group (300 – 309), choose options 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 if configured to perform specific actions, dial voicemail direct ( + mailbox), send faxes, or remain on the line to follow an action programmed for that Auto Attendant. TalkSwitch owners and employees can also access other options at the Auto Attendant including Call Back (dial 6), Call Bridge (dial 80 – 88, 9), retrieve voicemail (dial + mailbox), enter command mode to make system changes (dial ). All of these features can be password protected to eliminate system tampering from outside users.

If you subscribe to Caller ID service, you may want to set the Auto Attendant to answer after at least 1 ring to give TalkSwitch a chance to capture the Caller ID information. All calls ring at least one more time than what’s listed for the configuration in the Telephone Lines section under Call Handling. TalkSwitch ‘absorbs’ this first ring to determine the ring pattern of the inbound calls so that this same ring pattern can be duplicated to the Local Extensions.

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3.1.2 Receiving calls without the Auto Attendant

If you choose not to use the Auto Attendant to answer calls, please note that the Call Cascade options for the Local Extensions will not be engaged.

IInn oorrddeerr ffoorr ccaallllss ttoo ggoo ttoo aann eexxtteennssiioonn’’ss mmaaiillbbooxx,, tthhee AAuuttoo AAtttteennddaanntt mmuusstt ffiirrsstt aannsswweerr tthhee ccaallll oorr ssoommeeoonnee iinn tthhee ooffffiiccee aannsswweerr tthheenn ttrraannssffeerr tthhee ccaallll..

For details on configuring TalkSwitch to ring specific extensions during inbound calls, see section 2.3.2.3. Once calls have been answered at a Local Extension, they can be transferred to any extension or voice mailbox. See section 3.2 for more details.

3.2 In the Office — Making and Receiving Calls

3.2.1 Making calls from a Local Extension

Placing Intercom calls from one Local Extension to another Local Extension, Remote Extension or Extension Ring Group:

You can place intercom calls from one Local Extension to another Local Extension, Remote Extension, VoIP Extension or Extension Ring Group by simply picking up the extension's handset and dialing the number of the extension with which you wish to intercom. An Intercom call can be identified by a unique ring cadence (2 short rings) except in the case of a Remote Extension Intercom call where the phone will ring as usual or if a Ring Group has selected a different ring cadence other than ‘normal’.

IInntteerrccoomm ccaallllss ddoo nnoott ffoollllooww CCaallll

CCaassccaaddee sseeqquueenncceess ooff tthhee eexxtteennssiioonnss.. CCaallll CCaassccaaddee iiss oonnllyy ffoolll

loowweedd aafftteerr tthhee ccaallll

hhaass bbeeeenn ttrraannssffeerrrreedd..

Placing ‘out-of-office’ calls from a Local Extension:

To place a call to an out-of-office telephone number from a Local Extension you must first access an available line by choosing a Hunt Group (9, 81 – 88) at the internal dial tone. Restrictions to specific Line Hunt Groups can be configured per extension. Your extension can also be configured to Directly Access a specific line (i.e. when a handset is picked up, you will hear the Telephone Company dial tone (not TalkSwitch’s) and can dial an outside telephone number as usual).

If you have Direct Line Access enabled for a Local Extension, you will need to dial ‘Flash’ before dialing any extensions, accessing voicemail or other system features.

3.2.2 Receiving calls at a Local Extension

To receive calls at a Local Extension, simply pick up the extension's handset when the extension rings. If the call went through the Auto Attendant to the extension and it has call screening enabled (configured on the Local extension and Ring Group

pages), you have the choice of accepting the call by pressing or, re-routing the call to it’s ‘Answer at ext.’ Call Cascade options by pressing or hanging up.

693.0 Using TalkSwitch

Call Pick Up/Call Grab:

To intercept a call that is ringing on any other Local Extension before or after the Auto Attendant has engaged, pick up your handset and at the TalkSwitch internal dial tone, dial 9. This will route the call to your Local Extension.

To “Grab” a call ringing specifically at another extension before or after the Auto Attendant has answered, dial 7 + the extension number (ie. 7112 to grab a call ringing at extension 112). If you are in the middle of a call and want to connect to another caller calling in, press ‘flash’ to place the first caller on hold, then dial 9 or 7 + <ext.> to connect to the second caller. Once you are finished the second call or you would like to return to the first caller, press ‘flash’ ‘7’.

3.2.3 Placing calls on Hold at a Local Extension

To Place calls on hold:

To place callers on hold, press ‘flash’. Follow the same procedure to take callers off immediate hold. If you have multiple callers on hold or in queue at your extension, you can press ‘flash’ ‘7’ to retrieve callers on a first in/first out basis.

If you use the ‘Hold’ button on a regular phone, you will not be able to access any of the TalkSwitch features while the caller is on hold. Also, if you have Music-on-hold enabled, the caller will not hear music while they are on hold.

3.2.4 Transferring calls

From a Local Extension to another Local Extension, Remote Extension or Extension Ring Group:

To initiate an Unscreened Transfer — Put the caller on hold (by dialing ‘flash’), dial the appropriate extension number and hang up. The caller will be taken off hold when the receiving extension is answered. If the transferred call is not answered after the number of rings specified in the No Answer setting for the destination extension or, if the extension is busy, either of the following will happen:

efault:

The transferred call will be handled according to the destination extension's No Answer or, Busy at extension settings.

Option:

The call will be transferred back to the transferring extension.

The option is chosen in the Manual Transfer tab in the Options folder.

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To announce calls before transferring (Screened Transfer) — Put the caller on hold and dial the appropriate extension number. If the person at the receiving extension answers and wishes to take the call, simply hang up or dial ‘flash’ ‘4’ to complete the transfer and get internal dialtone. The caller will immediately be taken off hold and connected with the receiving extension. If the person at the receiving extension does not wish to take the call, you can press ‘flash’ ‘5’ to return to the caller.

Keep in mind that if you dial an extension and it is busy or not answered, you can still complete the transfer so that the caller will be directed according to that extensions’ Call Cascade settings.

If you tend to handle many calls, you may want to complete or cancel a transfer without hanging up. Flash ‘4’ will complete the transfer and then provide internal dialtone while flash ‘5’ will cancel the transfer and connect you back to the caller.

From a Local Extension to any outside telephone number:

To initiate an Unscreened Transfer — Put the caller on hold, select a Line Hunt Group (dial 80 for Same Line Connect), then dial the outside telephone number then press ‘flash’ ‘4’ to complete the transfer.

YYoouu ccaannnnoott ssiimmppllyy hhaanngg uupp ttoo

ccoommpplleettee tthhee ttrraannssffeerr ootthheerrwwiissee tthhee ccaallllss wwiillll bbee ddiissccoonnnneecctteedd..

If the person at the receiving extension does not wish to take the call, you can press ‘flash’ ‘5’ to return to the caller.

If you have the 3-Way Calling/Conference or Centrex Transfer feature enabled on the current line, you can select the Same Line Connect (80) to make use of these features. Everything proceeds as outlined above other than the fact that you are using the same line to transfer the call.

3.2.5 Call Park — Parking and retrieving callers

Call Park is a useful feature for placing a caller on hold and then being able to retrieve them from any other Local Extension. TalkSwitch has 10 Park Orbits for all models.

3.2.5.1 Parking a caller

To place a caller in a Park Orbit, press ‘flash’ then and choose a Park Orbit (500 to 509). You will hear a confirmation after parking the caller that indicates the caller has been parked successfully. If the Park Orbit is already occupied, you will hear “I’m sorry, that extension is unavailable at this time.” then dialtone. Once again press and choose a new Park Orbit.

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3.2.5.2 Parking a caller using Auto Park

To place a caller in the next available Park Orbit, press ‘flash’ then 510. You will hear a confirmation that indicates the caller has been parked successfully and into which Park Orbit.

3.2.5.3 Retrieving a parked call

Once the caller is parked, you can retrieve the caller at another Local Extension by pressing and the appropriate Park Orbit. If Direct Line Access is enabled at

the extension, then you must press ‘flash’ first.

3.2.5.4 Using Call Park with the External Paging option

If you have the External Paging option enabled on TalkSwitch, you may choose to announce over the P.A. system (by pressing 0) that there is a call parked in a specific Park Orbit for a co-worker. For example: “Bob, please pick up 501.” — which tells Bob that he can retrieve the parked call from any extension by getting dial tone and pressing 501. The caller will now be connected to Bob at that extension. If you have Direct Line Access enabled at your extension, you will need

to press ‘flash’ first before retrieving the parked call.

3.2.6 Call Queue/ACD — Queuing and retrieving callers

3.2.6.1 Queuing calls to a single extension

Call Queue is a useful feature for placing multiple callers on hold at your extension while you are on an existing call. Call Queue is enabled in the Call Cascade section in the Call Handling folder for Local Extensions and Extension Ring Groups. Callers will get queued at your extension if you set the first level in the ‘Busy at extension’ Call Cascade to ‘queue caller’.

If an extension is chosen at the Auto Attendant or the caller is transferred from another extension and the extension is currently busy and has ‘queue caller’ set for the ‘Busy at extension’ Call Cascade, the caller will hear one of the following prompts then music (if enabled) while they are on hold:

If the call came from the Auto Attendant and the extension has a voice mailbox:

“The extension you have reached is currently busy. If you wish to continue holding, please remain on the line. To leave a voicemail message, press 1, and to return to the main menu, press ”

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If the call came from the Auto Attendant and the extension has

nnoo

voice mailbox:

“The extension you have reached is currently busy. If you wish to continue holding, please remain on the line and to return to the main menu, press .”

If the call was transferred from another extension, there is no Auto Attendant on this line and the extension has a voice mailbox:

“The extension you have reached is currently busy. If you wish to continue holding, please remain on the line. To leave a voicemail message, press 1.”

If the call was transferred from another extension,there is no Auto Attendant on this line and the extension has

nnoo

voice mailbox:

“The extension you have reached is currently busy. If you wish to continue holding, please remain on the line.”

While the caller is on hold at your extension you will hear a ‘Call Waiting’ beep in your ear every 60 seconds. If you want to rotate through queued callers, dial ‘flash’ then ‘7’. The caller you are speaking to will be placed on hold, and the first caller in the queue will be retrieved. If you have multiple callers queued up, pressing ‘flash’ then ‘7’ will retrieve callers on a first in/first out basis.

3.2.6.2 Queuing callers to an Extension Ring Group

If you want to queue callers for a Ring Group, you can configure this action using an Auto Attendant. This feature is sometimes referred to as Automatic Call Distribution.

Example: Configure Auto Attendant 1 so that if callers press ‘5’ they will be queued to ring group 301 for technical support. Now when a caller presses ‘5’ for tech support, they will immediately enter the queue. Every 60 seconds the caller will hear the following prompt: “Your call is important to us, please remain on the line. To return to the previous menu, press star.” Extensions that are part of the ring group and are available will start ringing within 5 seconds of hanging up the phone from a previous call. The 5 second delay gives you time to make a new call or activate ‘Do not Disturb’ as a log out option. After your extension rings 5 times, it will ring once every 16 seconds and when picked up, you have the option to take the call or make a new call.

3.2.7 Using the TalkSwitch Call Waiting feature

The Call Waiting feature can be activated as a ‘busy’ option for the Call Cascade routing for any local extension. When activated, and the extension dialed is in use, the caller will hear ringing or music depending on the music-on-hold settings. The person at the extension will hear the following:

1. If the phone supports Call Waiting Caller ID (Type II signaling), then you will hear a beep followed by a short blip then depending on your phone, you may hear something similar to a modem noise. This is normal. During

733.0 Using TalkSwitch

this notification, the Caller ID information will be displayed on the phone. The caller will not hear the beep as the phone mutes the other side.

2. If the phone does not support Call Waiting Caller ID, then you will hear a beep. When the Call Waiting notification beep is heard, the person at the extension can dial ‘flash’ ‘7’ to put the current caller on hold, then grab the new caller. They also have the option to terminate the current call and connect to the new caller by dialing ‘flash’ ‘7’. If the person at the extension does not want to take the new call, they can simply ignore the Call Waiting beeps and then TalkSwitch will direct the caller to the next level of the Call Cascade for that extension (for example send the caller to the associated voice mailbox).

3.2.8 Conference calling with TalkSwitch

2 TalkSwitch Local Extensions and 1 outside caller:

You do not require access to the telephone company's 3-Way Calling/Conference service to use TalkSwitch's conference calling capabilities.

1. Establish a call with an outside party.

2. Place the outside caller on hold by pressing ‘flash’ and dial the number of the Local Extension you wish to conference with.

3. When the extension is picked up, you can establish the 3-way call at anytime by pressing ‘flash’ then ‘6’.

2 outside callers and 1 Local Extension (eg: Line 1 and Line 2):

You can do this type of conference call using two different methods.

The first method is similar to above, using only TalkSwitch for the conference function.

1. Establish a call with an outside party.

2. Place the outside caller on hold and dial the number of the other outside party you wish to conference with. If you have ‘Direct Line Access’ enabled at your extension, you will first need to dial ‘9’ or another Hunt Group before dialing the second phone number.

3. When the call is answered, you can establish the 3-way call at anytime by pressing ‘flash’ ‘6’.

When using the telephone company's 3-Way Calling/Conference service you can conference by following the instructions below:

1. Establish a call with an outside party.

2. Place the outside caller on hold by pressing ‘flash’ twice and then dial the number of the other outside party you wish to conference with.

3. When the call is answered, you can establish the 3-way call at anytime by pressing ‘flash’ twice.

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If you are experiencing problems with pressing the flash key twice in a rapid succession (ie. pressing the flash key twice within 1.5 seconds), then you can make changes in the software that will make it easier to accomplish this task. See section 2.3.5.5 for details on setting the Double Flash Time.

3.2.9 Using Phones connected in parallel to TalkSwitch

Phones connected in parallel (not connected to TalkSwitch but connected to the same line) with TalkSwitch will always ring at least once before TalkSwitch starts ringing its extensions or the Auto Attendant answers the call. This occurs because TalkSwitch uses the first ring to identify the incoming ring pattern before passing it on to the extensions or the Auto Attendant (e.g. TalkSwitch determines if the call is a Distinctive Ring and detects any Caller ID information). A parallel phone can ‘barge in’ on any telephone call on any of TalkSwitch’s Lines.

Making and receiving calls on phones connected in parallel with TalkSwitch:

Making Calls:

Make calls on parallel connected phones just as you would if

TalkSwitch were not sharing the telephone line with them.

Answering Calls:

If a call is answered on a parallel connected phone before the Auto Attendant engages, simply continue with the call as per usual, TalkSwitch will take no further action. If a call is answered on a parallel connected phone after the Auto Attendant engages, you can turn off the recorded Auto Attendant

message by using the phone’s touchtone keypad to dial ‘

’. You may then

continue the call on the parallel connected phone.

Transferring calls on parallel connected phones:

Calls answered on a parallel connected phone can be transferred to any TalkSwitch extension or voice mailbox. If you want to transfer the caller, simply

key in the ‘Transfer Prefix ’, after you hear 2 ‘beeps’ enter the extension or voice mailbox number then hang up. You cannot announce a caller to the transferred extension, but if you do stay on the line, you will be in a ‘conference call’ state. You can hang up at any time.

If you transfer a call from a parallel connected phone and then hang up, the extension will ring the number of times selected for that extension. If the extension is not answered within the specified number of rings, the call will be handled according to that extension’s Call Cascade actions.

When a phone in parallel with TalkSwitch is off-hook, you will notice that the corresponding line light will flicker to indicate the line is occupied. TalkSwitch will not allow extensions to barge in on a call when that line is in use.

753.0 Using TalkSwitch

3.2.10 Modems and telephone line access

If your modem is attached to TalkSwitch as an extension, you can configure it to access your telephone lines in one of two ways:

Direct Line Access:

You can give the extension to which your modem is attached ‘Direct Access’ to one of your telephone lines (i.e. you don’t have to dial 9, or any other Hunt Group to access an outside line). This can be a useful option if you don’t want to change your dial-up options for the modem. See section 2.3.1.4 for more details on configuring Direct Line Access.

Hunt Groups:

If you have decided to use a telephone and modem on the same extension, Direct Line Access may not be the best solution. TalkSwitch extensions with Direct Line Access immediately connect to one of your lines when you pick up the telephone’s handset. Therefore, you are unable to select a specific telephone line or access voicemail, intercom or access other system features without first pressing ‘flash’.

To have your modem access a specific line using a Hunt Group:

Change your modem's ‘Dial Properties’ to include the intended Hunt Group (81–88 or 9) followed by the letter ‘w’, before the ‘Dial up Networking’ telephone number (e.g. 9w555-5555). Including the letter ‘w’ after your ‘Dial out Access’ number instructs your modem to a) dial the access number 81-88 or 9, b) wait until it detects a dialtone, and then c) dial your ‘Dial up Networking’ number.

If your modem is having problems dialing out, you may have to use a comma ‘,’ which represents a 2 second pause, instead of the ‘w’ for ‘wait for dialtone’.

If you use Direct Line Access, you do not need to put the Hunt Group in the dialing string.

3.3 Out of the Office — Receiving Calls through Call Forwarding

3.3.1 The three ways to forward calls

Automatic call forwarding

— The Auto Attendant can automatically forward office calls to your call forwarding telephone number(s) (Remote Extensions). This is done by using the Auto Attendant message to prompt callers to select your Remote Extension number(s). (e.g. “To speak to John Doe, press 211.”)

Manual call forwarding

— If someone in your office has answered a call at a Local Extension, the call can be ‘transferred’ to one of the call forwarding (Remote Extension) numbers. Simply put the call on hold at the Local Extension, dial the Remote Extension number (e.g. 211) to which you want the call forwarded and then hang-up. The call will be handled according to the Call Cascade options of that Remote Extension.

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Conditional call forwarding

— If the Auto Attendant answers a call and the caller selects an extension or Ring Group number that is already busy or is not answered, the Auto Attendant can forward the call to a Remote (out of office) extension number. Conditional call forwarding is configured using the Call Cascade’s ‘No answer’ or ‘Busy at extension’ settings configurable for each Local Extension, Remote Extension and Ring Group.

3.3.2 Transferring calls from a Remote Extension

Remote Extension Call Transfer is a new feature introduced in version 2.39 of the TalkSwitch firmware. Calls forwarded to a Remote Extension (not using Centrex or 3-Way Calling services) can be transferred to any local or remote extension, ring group or voice mailbox. This feature also applies to VoIP Extensions 250-299.

Transferring calls:

Calls can be placed on hold at a Remote Extension by dialing anytime during a conversation. You will then hear dialtone as you would hear at a Local Extension. At that time, you can perform any of the following actions:

1) Press again to retrieve the call placed on hold.

2) Dial any Local Extension, Remote Extension or Ring Group.

3) Dial + mailbox to transfer a caller to a voice mailbox.

If the system is configured in the Troubleshooting2 tab to perform blind transfers only, then the system will then play the prompt “Call Transferred. Goodbye.” and hangup after the extension or mailbox is dialed.

If the system is configured in the Troubleshooting2 tab to allow screening of calls, then you need to dial **4 to complete a transfer or **5 to cancel the transfer and return to the caller.

3.3.3 Screening options for forwarded calls

The screening options for Call Forwarding are configured using the Call Cascade’s ‘Answer at ext.’ options available in the ‘Remote Extension’ tab, see section 2.3.3.5

Forwarding calls with screening:

When ‘play accept/reject prompt’ is configured in the ‘Answer at ext.’ Call Cascade option, TalkSwitch plays a pre-recorded prompt to the caller asking them to hold, and then dials your call forwarding telephone number. When you answer the forwarded call, TalkSwitch plays a pre-recorded prompt to you that identifies the call as having been forwarded from your home/office (“This is Call Forward”). You then have the choice of accepting the forwarded call by pressing on your telephone keypad or, re-routing the call to it’s call screening Call Cascade options by pressing or hanging up.

773.0 Using TalkSwitch

When ‘play caller’s name first’ is configured in the ‘Answer at ext.’ Call Cascade option, TalkSwitch plays a pre-recorded prompt to the caller asking them to record their name at the sound of the tone. TalkSwitch then asks the caller to hold and dials your call forwarding telephone number. When you answer the forwarded call, TalkSwitch plays a pre-recorded prompt identifying the call as having been forwarded from your home/office (“This is Call Forward, you have a call from...”) and then plays the recording of the callers name. You have the choice of accepting the forwarded call by pressing on your telephone keypad or, re-routing the call to it’s call screening Call Cascade options by pressing or hanging up.

When either screening option is used, and you have music on hold enabled and you are not using the 3-way calling feature (Same Line Connect) to forward calls, then the caller will hear music while TalkSwitch is waiting for the Remote Extension to accept the call.

If a forwarded call is not answered or the line is busy, TalkSwitch will perform the following based upon how the call was originally forwarded:

If the call was automatically forwarded:

the call will follow the Remote

Extension’s ‘No answer at ext.’ or ‘Busy at extension’ Call Cascade action.

If the call was manually forwarded:

The call will follow the Remote Extension’s ‘No answer at ext.’ or ‘Busy at extension’ Call Cascade action. This action can be changed to ring the extension back who performed the transfer in the Options>Manual Transfer tab.

If the call was conditionally forwarded:

The call will follow the following Call Cascade action in the ‘No answer at ext.’ or 'Busy at extension' for the original extension chosen.

3.4 Using the TalkSwitch Voicemail System

Your TalkSwitch system comes with 30 minutes of voicemail recording capacity shared with Auto Attendant greetings. This capacity can be increased with the addition of TalkSwitch memory cards. You can add another 1/2, 1, 2 or 4.5 more hours of storage. Contact your reseller to purchase memory cards. When a TalkSwitch memory card is inserted in the memory slot, the system will automatically configure

the card within 20 seconds to make it fully functional.

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3.4.1 Activating Voice mailboxes

A Voice mailbox is activated from the TalkSwitch configuration software. There are 3 series of Voice mailboxes that can be activated in the Voicemail section of the configuration:

Local Extension mailboxes:

These mailboxes are generally associated to the Local Extensions. By default, all Local Extensions are activated with their respective mailbox.

Remote Extension mailboxes:

The Remote mailboxes are associated with the Remote Extensions. If you activate a Remote Extension and want a voice mailbox associated with that extension, you can activate that mailbox in the Voicemail tab.

General mailboxes:

These mailboxes are activated in the Voicemail tab. They are not associated to any particular extension.

If you want inbound calls to go straight to a voice mailbox after x number of rings, then you need to program an Auto Attendant to answer first, then provide a fall through to voicemail. See section 2.3.3.3 for an example of this configuration.

Callers can reach voicemail or announcements via the Auto Attendant, Call Cascade, or transferred from a Local Extension. If an employee wants to leave a message in a

particular mailbox, they can pick up a Local Extension and dial + <mailbox number>. To transfer a caller to voicemail, press ‘flash’ then + <mailbox

number>.

When a caller presses after leaving a message or 2 minutes has elapsed (timeout period), TalkSwitch will play a prompt asking the caller if they wish to keep the message, listen to the message or record a new message.

3.4.2 Retrieving Messages/Accessing a Voice mailbox

When a new message is left at a Local Extension mailbox, TalkSwitch will play stutter dial tone to that extension when the handset is picked up. It can also light up the message waiting light on a phone if it supports FSK Message Waiting Indicator.

To access a mailbox to retrieve messages or change mailbox options, dial from a Local Extension or +<mailbox number> from a Local Extension or at the Auto Attendant if dialing from an outside location. Employees can also transfer other employees to access voicemail by pressing ‘flash’ then dialing + <mailbox number>. If you have Direct Line Access enabled, be sure to press

‘flash’ before accessing your mailbox.

793.0 Using TalkSwitch

If you have a line configured to go straight to voicemail, then you can dial ‘8’ during the greeting to access messages.

The first time you access your voicemail, you will be prompted to setup your mailbox by optionally assigning a password, recording a greeting and recording your name for the dial by name directory. Since there are no directory listings for the general mailboxes, you will not be prompted to record a name for the directory. Keep in mind that you should always use the mailbox associated to the same extension since the directory is related to the extension and voice mailbox.

Once your mailbox has been setup and you access your mailbox, through prompt instructions you may do the following:

Listen to messages (press 1):

If there are any messages in your mailbox, you will be able to access them by pressing 1. TalkSwitch will always start with new messages before playing back any older messages. You have the ability to perform the following actions while listening to a message and after listening to the message:

Dial 1: Rewind 10 seconds

Dial 11: Rewind to beginning of message Dial 3: Skip ahead 10 seconds Dial 33: Skip to end of message Dial 5: Listen to time and date stamp Dial 6: Forward the message Dial 7: Delete message Dial 9: Save message Dial

Back up one level

Dial

Skip to next message — New messages left as new.

Change greeting options (press 2):

This section allows you to record a new personal voicemail greeting. The default greeting is “The extension you have reached is unavailable at this time. Please leave a message after the tone”.

Keep in mind while recording your greeting or announcement that callers can press

to return to the previous Auto Attendant (if the call came from the Auto Attendant) while listening to your greeting and can press when they are done recording for more options. You may want to give your callers these options for their convenience.

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Change personal options (press 3):

This section allows you to change your current password, turn auto date and time stamp + phone number on or off and setup or change Pager and Remote Phone Notification for new messages. By default, auto date and time stamp is on and this information is played at the end of each message. If you have Caller ID service, then the phone number is also included with the time and date.

Record name for Dial by Name Directory (press 4):

If you have not already recorded your name for the directory or wish to change the recording, you can do so here. The dial by name directory is accessed at the Auto Attendant according to your configuration. Callers are directed to enter the first 3 letters of the employee’s last name. The system will find the exact or closest match then play the recorded name + the extension number, then give them the option to connect to that extension.

3.4.3 Pager and Cell Phone notification

When a new message is left in a voice mailbox, it can notify a pager, cell phone or any remote number if the mailbox has been configured to do so. Each mailbox can be configured to notify you for every new message or for only the first new message received since the last time new messages were accessed.

If using Remote Phone Notification, you have the option to accept or reject the notification call once you answer. To listen to messages, press and to put off listening to messages, press .

For details on configuring Pager and Remote Phone Notification, please see section 2.3.2.

3.5 Music-on-Hold

TalkSwitch can play music to callers when they are on hold, parked or queued. The music played to the callers will be provided by whatever source you have connected to the MUSIC jack.

If you ENABLE Music-on-Hold and have an audio device plugged into the back of TalkSwitch:

1. When callers are put on hold at an extension, callers will hear your music instead of TalkSwitch’s default on-hold beeping tone.

813.0 Using TalkSwitch

2. When the Auto Attendant answers a call and transfers the caller to an extension; the caller will hear a pre-recorded message saying “One moment please”, and then hear your music.

Music-on-Hold and Call Forwarding to Remote Extensions:

If you are using the telephone company’s 3-Way Calling/Conference service (Same Line Connect) to activate TalkSwitch’s Call Forwarding, callers will not hear your ‘music’ when being forwarded to a Remote Extension. When calls are forwarded, the caller is put on hold by the telephone company central office switch rather than at TalkSwitch. Therefore, the caller hears silence while being transferred.

A system prompt will indicate that callers will hear silence while the system tries to locate their party. This prompt helps explain to callers why all of a sudden they may hear silence for an extended period of time before possibly connecting to the Remote Extension. This prompt cannot be disabled.

3.6 Mode Switching Options

Manual Mode Switching:

You can use Telephone Keypad Commands at either a Local Extension or at the Auto Attendant to have TalkSwitch switch Modes.

At Local Extension dialtone or at the Auto Attendant, dial to enter command mode, then enter a password if necessary. Next, dial any of the following Quick

Commands followed by the sign:

Activate Mode 1: 3 1 Activate Mode 2: 3 2 Check Current Mode: 3 0

Automatic Mode Switching using the Time Scheduler:

Use the Configuration software or Telephone Keypad Commands to activate TalkSwitch’s Time Scheduler feature. You can configure TalkSwitch to automatically switch between Modes by configuring the times for Mode changes in the ‘Modes’ tab located under Call Handling in the configuration software.

If at anytime you switch modes manually, TalkSwitch will automatically switch to the proper mode during the next scheduled mode change.

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3.7 Out of the Office — Making Calls with Call Back and Call Bridge

Working together, Call Back and Call Bridge act as your personal long distance operator. Whether you are across town or around the world, these two features allow you to place calls from your home/office telephone line(s).

3.7.1 Using Call Bridge

Call Bridge allows you to place calls using your office telephone lines when you are not in the office. You can make a direct call to TalkSwitch, access a telephone line connected to TalkSwitch and enter the number you want to dial. This is especially useful when you are out of the office with your cell phone and need to dial a long distance number. To avoid the inflated long distance cell rates all you need to do is make the local call to TalkSwitch to access Call Bridge, then make the long distance call — accessing your office savings plan.

How to use Call Bridge:

Dial into one of TalkSwitch's Lines (Main or Distinctive Ring). When the Auto Attendant answers, select a Hunt Group (81-88 or 9) or Same Line Connect (80). You will then be asked to supply your Account password to receive dial tone. If you are using Same Line Connect 80, and the line you are on supports the 3-Way Calling/Conference service, you will be prompted to enter the phone number.

When you have completed your call or if the telephone number dialed was busy, you can do one of the following:

Make another call:

Press . TalkSwitch will disconnect you from the call

in progress and you can dial another number or redial the same number.

Activate the Auto Attendant:

Press . TalkSwitch will end the Call Bridge session and activate the Auto Attendant. Once the Auto Attendant message begins playing, you have the following options:

• Dial (and enter a password if applicable) to enter Command Mode.

• Dial '6' to change/enter Call Back settings.

• Dial one of your extension numbers (Local, Remote or Ring Group). This option allows you to use Call Back to contact someone in your office, check your voicemail, etc.

End the Call Bridge Session:

Simply Hang up. This will end your Call Bridge session and disconnect you from TalkSwitch. If you want to guarantee that TalkSwitch disconnects at the end of a Call Bridge session,

dial , then hang up.

833.0 Using TalkSwitch

If you changed the ‘Special Prefix’ to instead of , you will need to dial to make another call, and dial to return to the Auto Attendant. To enter command mode, you will still need to enter .

The Call Bridge telephone number dialed can be any telephone number: local, long distance, toll free (800 and 888) or international. Simply enter the telephone number as you would if you were sitting in your office. For long distance calls, do not forget to include the ‘1’, country code, and area code if applicable.

3.7.2 Using Call Back

The Call Back feature allows you to initiate TalkSwitch to call you at a specified telephone number. This gives you access to any of the following:

• Call Bridge

• Local Extensions, Remote Extensions and Extension Ring Groups

• Voicemail

• Configuration settings

Using Call Back involves ‘3’ easy steps:

1. You call your TalkSwitch telephone number to activate Call Back.

2. You answer and accept the Call Back. (TalkSwitch calls you back within 30 seconds.)

3. At the Auto Attendant you can: choose to perform Call Bridge, dial any extension, access and retrieve voicemail or configure TalkSwitch.

Activating Call Back:

There are two ways to activate Call Back, Prompted and Auto activation:

Using ‘Prompted Call Back’ Activation:

From your out-of-office location,

dial a TalkSwitch telephone number (

‘

Main’or ‘Distinctive Ring’). Let the

line ring until the Auto Attendant answers your call and then dial

‘6’

on the telephone keypad. If you have enabled password protection you will be asked to supply your password and TalkSwitch will then offer a series of prompts. Now you can either enter 1 and hang up to initiate the Call Back or, if you need to enter a new Prompted Call Back number, enter 2 to access the Prompted Call Back settings then follow the prompts.

For Prompted Call Back, TalkSwitch always dials the last Prompted Call Back number entered. If you do not have the Auto Attendant set to answer a line, a generic TalkSwitch Auto Attendant will answer after 15 rings and you can then dial 6 to access the Call Back settings.

84 TalkSwitch User Guide

Using ‘Auto Call Back’ Activation:

From your out-of-office location, dial one of the Call Back telephone numbers that has been pre-configured for Auto Call Back activation. Let the line ring at least once, but no more than three times and then hang-up (before the call is answered). Within 20 seconds, TalkSwitch will dial your Auto Call Back number.

It is important to remember that all the Call Back settings must be pre-configured before using Auto Call Back. Please be sure that the Auto Attendant for the line using Call Back does not answer before 4 rings.

Accepting the Call Back:

There are two ways to accept a Call Back from TalkSwitch.

1. Call Back is normally accepted by answering the call and pressing , then if required, entering your password. This option is used when you have a direct line to your Call Back telephone number.

2. The ‘Use Announced message’ option allows the Call Back from TalkSwitch to reach you even when you are staying at a hotel or are in an office where calls are intercepted by a receptionist or switchboard operator. When the Call Back is answered, TalkSwitch will begin playing your pre-recorded message (e.g. “Please forward this call to Jane Doe in room 312”). The message will be played repeatedly for ‘2’ minutes. When the call is forwarded to you, press , then enter your password on the telephone keypad to accept the Call Back. (If the Call Back is not accepted within the initial ‘2’ minute period, TalkSwitch will disconnect the Call Back.) After you accept the call, you will hear the Auto Attendant, and you can now make your selection to check your voicemail, ring an extension, use Call Bridge, or enter command mode.

3.8 Upgrading the TalkSwitch Software and Firmware

We are continually looking for ways to enhance your communications capabilities. When new features are added, we want TalkSwitch users to have immediate access to the update.

TalkSwitch supports firmware updates for adding new features. Because of this ability, you can easily update your TalkSwitch by visiting our website at: www.talkswitch.com/support

853.0 Using TalkSwitch

Step #1 — Check current version

To identify the appropriate update file, you must first determine your TalkSwitch firmware and software versions. You can find your TalkSwitch version numbers by selecting ‘About’ from the Help menu in the configuration software.

Write down the software and firmware version numbers and then go to the TalkSwitch website at www.talkswitch.com/support. You will find instructions there to help you to select and download the appropriate upgrade. Follow the instructions on the site, as they will take precedence over any instructions in this manual.

Step #2 — Download new software and firmware

When you select and click on the appropriate version for download, a screen will appear asking you what you would like to name the file you are about to download, and in which folder/directory you would like to save it. We suggest leaving the file name as is (eg. install.exe) and saving it on your Desktop. Once the download is complete, you can begin your upgrade by double clicking on the install file or using the ‘Run’ option on your Windows ‘Start’ menu. A series of windows will guide you through the installation process.

This process updates your configuration software to a newer version. You still need to update the firmware to take advantage of new features. The new firmware file will have been placed in the TalkSwitch directory after running the install program.

Step #3 — Updating the firmware

The final step in the upgrade process is to update the firmware. Follow the instructions listed on the website carefully for performing the update.

The actual update process will take approximately 1 to 5 minutes, depending on how many files are needed for the update. During the update, the LED lights on TalkSwitch’s front panel will show diagnostic indicators for the update.

In the event the firmware update was unsuccessful, please follow the instructions through the update process again. If you continue to have problems, please contact your reseller or TalkSwitch.

Firmware updates will not alter your system configuration. In the event of a major system update, it may be necessary for the configuration file to be reset to default values. In this case you will need to reconfigure the entire system. In the case of a major system update, TalkSwitch will mention any issues involved with the firmware update.

If you replaced your computer with a new one, please use the software that matches the latest version of firmware running on TalkSwitch. If obtained from our website, you can once again download the install file. All install files found on the website have both the entire software program and the latest firmware.

86 TalkSwitch User Guide

87Appendices

Appendices

Appendix A — Help & Troubleshooting

Appendix B — Using TalkSwitch with Telephone

Company Calling Services

Appendix C — Quick Commands and

DTMF Functions

Appendix D — Safety Precautions and

Regulatory Information

Appendix E — TalkSwitch One Year Warranty

Appendix F — Return Policy

Appendix G — Specifications

Appendix H — TalkSwitch and Power Interruptions

89Appendices

Appendix A — Help & Troubleshooting

If you are having problems with the configuration or operation of TalkSwitch, please check the Troubleshooting section starting on this page. If you don’t find the solution to your problem, next try checking the FAQ section located under the Support area at our website: www.talkswitch.com/support. There is a vast amount of information available on the website.

If you cannot resolve your problem and require further assistance, you can do one of the following:

1. Contact your TalkSwitch reseller.

2. Contact our Customer Support department by e-mail: support@talkswitch.com.

3. Ask for a ‘Technical Support Specialist’. If you would like to speak with a Technical Support Specialist, call TalkSwitch at 1-866-393-9960 or (613) 725-2466 weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST.

Please have the following information available when you call:

a) Your e-mail address and telephone number.

b) The serial number located on the bottom of TalkSwitch and your date

of purchase.

c) The number of telephone lines that you have connected to TalkSwitch.

d) The telephone company services that you are using with TalkSwitch.

e) Your PC’s operating system (e.g.Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP)

Troubleshooting

This section of the manual is designed to help you quickly resolve problems that can be experienced by new TalkSwitch users. The problems and their corresponding solutions are organized in the following manner.

1. Problems that can occur when installing the Configuration software.

2. Problems that can occur during Configuration.

3. Problems that can occur while using TalkSwitch's features.

Before examining the ‘Problems’, review these common installation checks first!

TalkSwitch User Guide

The first things you should check

1. Check that your telephone cables are connected to a wall jack at one end and TalkSwitch at the other. Ensure the devices you are using as TalkSwitch extensions (phones, faxes, etc.) are plugged into the extension jacks located on the back panel of TalkSwitch. (Do not plug your extensions directly into a wall jack unless that jack is wired to a TalkSwitch extension jack.)

2. Check the Serial or USB connection between TalkSwitch and your PC.

3. Ensure that TalkSwitch’s power adapter is plugged into a working power outlet and that TalkSwitch is turned on. Please make sure that you are using the power adapter that was provided with TalkSwitch. This is a unique adapter and it cannot be substituted with any other adapter. If your adapter appears to be defective, please contact your reseller to order the proper replacement adapter.

Diagnostic codes for the lights flasing on the front panel of TalkSwitch

Line 1,2,3,4 lights flashing simultaneously: The Unit ID of this TalkSwitch is in

conflict with another TalkSwitch unit on the same LAN. Make sure you assign a different Unit ID to each TalkSwitch unit.

Line 2 and 3 lights flashing simultaneously: There is a file system error. To fix the problem, reboot TalkSwitch. It will do a file system check and fix any problems encountered. If this does not resolve the problem, contact your reseller.

Line 1 and 4 lights flashing simultaneously: There is a voice mailbox error. To fix the problem, reboot TalkSwitch. It will do a file system check and fix any problems encountered.

Line 3 and 4 lights flashing simultaneously: Firmware not loaded or corrupted error. To fix the problem, reload the TalkSwitch firmware. Make sure you update with the last version you updated with. Do not use an old version off the install CD if you have updated your system at least once.

Line 1 and 4 then Line 2 and 3 lights flashing alternately: System prompts not loaded or corrupted error. To fix the problem, reload the TalkSwitch firmware. Make sure you update with the last version you updated with. Do not use an old version off the install CD if you have updated your system at least once.

91Appendices

Problems that may occur during Configuration

Problem: I am not able to “Retrieve settings” from my TalkSwitch.

• Make sure your TalkSwitch is turned on and plugged into a working power outlet. Then select “Retrieve settings”, available under the File menu in the Configuration Software.

• From the Control Center, choose ‘PC Connection’ and then select COM Port. Ensure that the Configuration Software is using the correct port to communicate with TalkSwitch. Then select "Retrieve settings", available under the File menu in the Configuration Software.

• Try ‘resetting’ TalkSwitch (turn the power off and then back on). Then select “Retrieve settings”, available under the File menu in the Configuration Software. This will often correct any ‘miscommunication’ that may have occurred between TalkSwitch and your PC.

• Make sure you do not have any other communications programs running at the same time you want to use the TalkSwitch configuration software. These may include Palm Pilot, Hot Sync, TalkWorks, Digital Camera software. These programs tend to ‘hold’ onto COM ports and not make them available for any other programs.

Problem: I am unable to configure TalkSwitch using a touchtone phone and the Keypad Commands.

• TalkSwitch cannot be configured using a phone connected in parallel to TalkSwitch.

• If you are trying to configure TalkSwitch using an Out-of-Office phone, you must first enter Command Mode. If you have enabled password protection, you must also first enter the correct password.

• If you are trying to configure TalkSwitch using a Local Extension, make sure the extension has not been given 'Direct Access' to your telephone lines. If so, you will have to dial ‘Flash’ to receive internal dialtone.

• If the TalkSwitch configuration software is open, you cannot configure TalkSwitch using DTMF. If the software is closed and you continue to get the prompt “I’m sorry, TalkSwitch is currently being configured.” Try resetting TalkSwitch. It is possible that the software did not close properly and as a result TalkSwitch still thinks it is in ‘configuration mode’.

TalkSwitch User Guide

Problems that may occur while using TalkSwitch’s features

The Auto Attendant:

Problem: The Auto Attendant does not play when calls come in.

• Make sure you have recorded the Auto Attendant message.

• Check your Call Handling settings for the ‘Auto Attendant answers’ number of rings. It may be that the number of rings after which the Auto Attendant is set to answer calls is set too high.

• Check what mode TalkSwitch is currently running. It is possible that you are in Mode 2 and have not configured TalkSwitch properly for this mode. Check what you have programmed for Mode 2 in the Telephone Lines section under ‘Call Handling’.

• The line is not connected properly to TalkSwitch. Check to see that the line light associated to the line ringing in is flickering. If not try replacing the phone cord.

Problem: The Auto Attendant message is broken up or very faint.

• Adjust the line volume control in the Audio Controls page. Ensure the actual recording is comparable to the prompts already on the system.

• The quality of the microphone in the telephone handset that you are using to record your Auto Attendant also affects the quality of your recording. Try recording the Auto Attendant using another extension/telephone.

Problem: The Auto Attendant answers calls before any of the extensions ring.

This is a problem for those TalkSwitch users who wish to have their Local Extensions ring before the Auto Attendant picks up incoming calls.

• Check the ‘Extensions to ring’ column in the Telephone Lines tab in the ‘Call Handling’ folder. It may be that the number of rings after which the Auto Attendant is set to answer calls is set too low.

Problem: The Auto Attendant is transferring calls to the wrong extension.

• Verify which extension jacks your devices (phones, faxes) are attached to.

Problem: The Auto Attendant answers calls, but does not transfer them to the extensions.

• Make sure your extensions are plugged into the extension jacks on the back panel of TalkSwitch (instead of your telephone wall jacks).

• Check your settings in the Auto Attendant page. Are all the options pointing to the correct extensions or other options?

93Appendices

Music-on-Hold:

Problem: Callers hear music and 'ringing' when the Auto Attendant transfers their call to an extension.

• You have an audio device plugged into TalkSwitch, but have not enabled (turned on) the Music-on-Hold feature found on the On-Hold/Ringback tab in the System Information folder.

Problem: Callers hear music and a beeping sound when put on hold at an extension.

• You have an audio device plugged into TalkSwitch, but have not enabled (turned on) the Music-on-Hold feature found on the On-Hold/Ringback tab in the System Information folder.

Problem: Callers hear ‘One moment please’ message and then total silence when the Auto Attendant transfers their call to an extension.

• You have enabled (turned on) the Music-on-Hold feature, but have not attached an audio device to the MUSIC jack on TalkSwitch.

• There is a problem with the music source. Check all connections and power.

Problem: Callers hear only silence when put on hold at an extension.

• You have enabled (turned on) the Music-on-Hold feature, but have not attached an audio device to the MUSIC jack on TalkSwitch.

• Make sure you use the ‘Flash’ or ‘Link’ button to put callers on hold. If you use the ‘Hold’ button on a regular phone, callers will be placed on hold at the phone and since TalkSwitch didn’t receive a signal to indicate a caller is to be placed on hold, no music can be played.

Call Routing with Local Extensions and Home Phones (Transfer and Intercom):

Problem: Callers are disconnected when transferring calls from one extension to another.

• It is possible that if you are using the hookswitch to put callers on hold rather than a Flash button, you may be holding the hookswitch down too long, and as a result are actually hanging up on the caller.

Problem: I can’t use my Conference/3-Way Calling feature from the phone company.

• You need to make sure you have checked the box indicating that you have 3Way Calling or Transfer and clear on the appropriate lines. This option is located on the Telephone Lines page in the ‘System Information’ folder of the configuration.

TalkSwitch User Guide

Problem: Unable to place intercom calls from a Local Extension.

• If the Local Extension has been given ‘Direct Access’ to your telephone lines, then you need to press ‘Flash’ before intercom calling.

Answering and Fax Machines:

Problem: The answering machine and/or fax machine picks up calls before they can be answered by telephone extensions.

• Check your settings in the Telephone Lines tab in the ‘Call Handling’ section in the Software Configuration. The problem may be that your fax machine/answering machine extension is set to answer calls at the same time as your telephone extensions. To fix this problem, remove the fax or answering machine extension from the list of extensions to ring on an incoming call.

Problem: Incoming faxes are not automatically detected and routed to the fax machine.

On the Auto Attendant tab of the configuration software, check to ensure that you have chosen the appropriate extension for the field labeled ‘if a fax call is detected’.

• Not all fax machines emit a CNG tone that TalkSwitch can detect and route. Therefore, it is wise to consider incorporating an additional method of fax routing. This may include the use of a distinctive ring number or giving the caller the option to select the fax extension.

• On average, fax machines/modems will ‘time out’ or disconnect after 25 seconds if they have not connected with another fax machine/modem. If you are using the ‘User does not make a selection’ option to route incoming faxes, the fax call may ‘time out’ before it reaches your fax extension. If your Auto Attendant is lengthy, you may want to shorten it or use another fax routing option.

• The level of the Auto Attendant is too loud and as a result is overpowering the CNG tone effecting detection. You may want to lower the volume level of the Auto Attendant.

Other Possible Local Extension Problems:

Problem: I am unable to access TalkSwitch's Lines with a Local Extension.

• Check your ‘Direct Line Access’ settings on the Local Extension page under ‘System Information’ of the Software Configuration. If a Local Extension has not been given ‘Direct Access’ to your telephone lines, you must dial (81-88 or 9) to access one of TalkSwitch’s Lines.

Talkswitch 24-CA, CTTS001021001 User Manual 2

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual