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| PBX service provider vs Shaw Hi, I'm hoping someone has the expertise to help with some issues I am having.
We have a PBX system connected to 4 trunk lines provided by Shaw. It has a number of extensions, and 2 reception phones. The system works, to a point. Several times a day, usually when the office is quite busy, the phones all quit working. Calls to the PBX service provider usually end in them recommending that we reboot the PBX box, an NEC.
Problem is, this happens frequently enough, we're having complaints about callers being unable to get through. We have called both tech support desks, with the PBX company saying Shaw's lines are at fault, and Shaw saying the PBX is faulty.
Given that rebooting the PBX temporarily resolves the issue, I lean toward believing Shaw's version of events. I have observed other odd behaviors from the PBX that reboots help with.
We have picked up a quote from a competitor, and the person mentioned disabling a feature from the PBX providers' website - "automated attendant", but he said that it should be disabled from Shaw's end. I can't find any mention of an automated attendant feature on shaw.ca, but maybe it's something they don't advertise?
What I am hoping for, is some way of diagnosing, and ideally fixing, the problems before we rip and replace the phones at considerable expense. What settings might be adjusted/what could I try? If not, can you suggest other companies to get quotes from?
Thanks very much in advance. | |
1 edit | This might not be the proper place for this, but lets take a try.
Are you using the Shaw phone service using 4 analog lines? - Standard Shaw Cable - Shaw Digital Phone service? Or a fractional T1?
When this happens, take an analog wired phone, unplug one line on the Shaw hardware, plug this phone in, does it work? Go through each of the 4 lines, if they all work, it is not a Shaw issue.
Is your PBX able to make internal only calls, extention 1001 able to call 1005 for example? This will not have anything to do with the Shaw.
Automated attendant does exist as a Shaw feature on business lines, if all lines are busy an incoming call with sit on-hold until one of your lines are free, than it rings through.
This shouldn't affect the PBX system in any way.
Automated attendant on the NEC, maybe. When a caller calls in, does it play a recording asking to enter an extension? Or does it directly to a receptionist who transfers the call.
I do have some experience in phone systems, send me a PM with what you need and want from a system, can probably figure something out.
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Yes, I am not employed and looking for IT work. Have passport, will travel. | |
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| reply to baller
kevinds's advice is good. Using an analog wired phone will tell you definitively whether the fault is with your PBX or with Shaw.
Also, it worries me that the competitor in question doesn't know that Shaw doesn't provide automated attendant. If they're good at their job, they should be familiar with the features from large carriers such as Shaw.
Please update us when you find out what the problem is, or if you need any more assistance. | |
 PaoloMr. Wireless
join:2004-05-29
Canada | i agree, this is the best step | |
| reply to baller
Sorry about the delay, getting information about their setup has been more difficult than I had expected. This is all in my wife's office where they have no one with networking/telephone expertise, so I volunteered. Happy Valentine's day! :-P
Thanks for your suggestions! Part of my problem has been getting some clear answers from the staff on how, why, and when the system is failing, and what needs to be done. It is becoming clear that there are at least 3 problems to fix. It looks like there are some minor misconfigurations that they just need me to call the PBX provider and clearly articulate what changes are needed alongside the larger issue of the system going down randomly. The system hasn't done its completely unresponsive trick in the last few days, so I haven't had the opportunity to test using the analog phone, or calling internal extensions.
More details: They have Shaw business service using an Arris TM608G, connected to a NEC SV8100. Calling the main number gives customers the auto attendant in the NEC, which plays a recording of 5 of the extensions customers would want to reach, including main reception. It turns out there are 7 trunk lines connected, not 4. There are 4 numbers in the hunt pool (source of my earlier confusion), and 2 'silent' lines that bypass the automated attendant and a fax line. Also, after asking some more questions, it turns out they have been rebooting both the cable modem and the PBX, so my earlier thinking that the NEC box was totally to blame might be wrong. It also looks as though the SV8100 has a few different firmware versions out there, so I'm planning on asking the provider what version they have running, and if they can try an update. Maybe there is a bug-fix out there.
There is a second issue that if you call in and don't press anything on the touch pad (or the system doesn't recognize your presses, it did that for my cell), it plays over and over, not defaulting to main reception- a second issue that we will take up with the company to get the change made to the PBX. Seems like a little change that will help some customers. It's painful dealing with irate people, who don't always offer a detailed explanation of what happened when the phone didn't work for them. :-\
The 3rd issue (that I know of) is that callers call in, get put on hold waiting for someone at main reception to answer, stay on hold for a long time, without anyone at reception being notified that a call is in the queue, and finally the call gets dropped. Shaw's automated attendant might be the issue here. 4 lines in the hunt pool are all busy, then get freed up and the people who call in while the lines are busy aren't appropriately transferred so the receptionist sees that they are waiting. I need to be in the office when it's not running to test my theories here, and occupy all the lines and see what happens to caller #5. There is also a troubleshooting guide on page 2-9 of the SV8100 guide, so we have things to try and ask. Alternatively, it could be a training issue for their receptionists. Won't know until I test.
»www.telecomcepts.com/downloads/S···nt_1.pdf
It might be a few days before I can get to test this. It depends on me being able to get access, which is somewhat challenging, but I thought I would share what I've learned here. We have been asking around at what other offices like ours use, and two of them have an identical set up. Funny enough, you can never get through on the phones at those offices either...
Thanks again for your help, and I'll post back once I know more. | |
| quote:
The 3rd issue (that I know of) is that callers call in, get put on hold waiting for someone at main reception to answer, stay on hold for a long time, without anyone at reception being notified that a call is in the queue, and finally the call gets dropped. Shaw's automated attendant might be the issue here. 4 lines in the hunt pool are all busy, then get freed up and the people who call in while the lines are busy aren't appropriately transferred so the receptionist sees that they are waiting. I need to be in the office when it's not running to test my theories here, and occupy all the lines and see what happens to caller #5. There is also a troubleshooting guide on page 2-9 of the SV8100 guide, so we have things to try and ask. Alternatively, it could be a training issue for their receptionists. Won't know until I test.
This could be Shaw's auto-attendant. After a line becomes free, it should ring one of the lines, as a 'new' incoming call to the PBX system, not sure if the caller misses the answering of the PBX.
What you need to do to try and 'test' the system, is have a few cell phones, or VoIP soft-phone lines.
When you said 3 lines not in the hunt-group, 2 of them direct phones directly - similiar to a manager/owner having their own incoming phone line/number?
I would be confirming with Shaw, that that number, is not in the hunt group.
Do you have the list of all 7 phone numbers? Try calling them indvidually and make sure the PBX responds to each properly.
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Yes, I am not employed and looking for IT work. Have passport, will travel. | | |
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| said by kevinds:When you said 3 lines not in the hunt-group, 2 of them direct phones directly - similiar to a manager/owner having their own incoming phone line/number? Exactly, they call them 'silent' lines, for reasons that escape me, but they are supposed to reach the staff/manager instantly, rather than going through the queue/list of extensions. AFAICT, they work.
Many thanks! With the list of things to try, it should be possible to diagnose, fix or replace the malfunctioning bit. | |
| Usually those are put in places that do not have an IVR to enter an extension, all calls going to reception, and the receptionist transfers the calls to the person.
The outside (outside the PBX) numbers, would ring the person without going through the receptionist - as I said much more useful and common on PBX systems without the IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
I hope this infomation helps, signup on DSLReports so you can PM if you need further help, but as I said in my first post, I'm not sure this forum is the correct place for this kind of help.
Good luck.
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Yes, I am not employed and looking for IT work. Have passport, will travel. | |
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