Administration

UCX Administration
  • PBX Configuration, UCX Administration
Applications – Paging and Intercom

Overview

This module is for specific phones that are capable of Paging or Intercom. This section is for configuring group paging and intercom, which are configured in the Feature Codes page. Intercom must be enabled on a handset before it will allow incoming calls. It is possible to restrict incoming intercom calls to specific extensions only, or to allow intercom calls from all extensions but explicitly deny from specific extensions.

This module should work with LG Nortel, Aastra, Grandstream, Linksys/Sipura, Mitel, SNOM, Yealink , and possibly other SIP phones (not ATAs). Any phone that is always set to auto-answer should also work (such as the console extension if configured).

Example usage:

*80nnnIntercom extension nnn
*54Enable all extensions to intercom you (except those explicitly denied)
*54nnnExplicitly allow extension nnn to intercom you (even if others are disabled)
*55Disable all extensions from intercom you (except those explicitly allowed)
*55nnnExplicitly deny extension nnn to intercom you (even if generally enabled)
NOTE

Intercom and Paging can be used only with phones that support this feature.
This feature works with XSTIM IP and digital phones.
This feature also works with a number of SIP phones that include LG Nortel, Aastra, Grandstream, Linksys/Sipura, Mitel, SNOM and possibly other SIP phones (not SIP ATAs).
Beside the phones above, any phone that is always set to auto-answer should also work.

Intercom

To enable intercom calls (also known as the Voice Call feature), perform the following steps:

  1. From the PBX tab, select PBX Configuration
  2. From the left side column, select Feature Codes
  3. On the Feature Code Admin page, scroll down to locate the section Paging and Intercom
  4. Enable the Intercom prefix feature (the default code is *80) by setting the value in the drop-down list box beside this feature to Enabled
  5. To allow users to control if intercom calls to their sets are allowed or disallowed (from all extensions or from specific extensions), you can also enable the User Intercom Allow and User Intercom Disallow features


Disable/Enable Intercom calls to phone

To disable all intercom calls to their phone, users can dial the code *55.

To enable all intercom calls to their phone, users can dial the code *54.

Disable/Enable intercom calls from specific extension

To disable intercom calls from a specific extension, users can dial the feature *55 followed by the extension (for example *55300 to disable intercom calls from the extension 300).

To enable intercom calls from that specific extension later, users can dial the feature *54 followed by the extension.

Paging

To configure paging groups, perform the following steps:

  1. From the PBX tab, select PBX Configuration
  2. From the left side column, select Paging and Intercom
  3. Press the Add Paging Group button
  4. Enter the extension for the page group in the Paging Extension field
  5. Enter the description of the page group in the Group Description field
  6. Select extensions that are to be included in the page group by dragging the the extension from the Not Selected box into the Selected box under Device List
  7. For the Busy Extensions field, the option selected determines the action taken when an extension is busy:
    • Skip – Will not page any busy extension, all non-busy extensions will be paged.
    • Force – Will page all extensions even when busy. This means conversations can be interrupted by a page. This is useful for ’emergency’ paging groups.
    • Whisper – Will attempt to use ChanSpy feature on SIP channels to ‘whisper’ to user but will not be heard by the remote party. If ChanSpy feature is not enabled then extension will not get page. If this mode is selected, then the following ‘Duplex’ field should not be checked.
  8. The field Duplex when checked will make paging duplex, allowing all phones in the paging group to be able to talk and be heard by all. Effectively making it a conference call.
  9. If you have equipment that needs to receive DTMF tones for capabilities like multi-zone paging, select the Allow DTMF check box.
  10. If the group is to be the default page group, mark the Default Page Group check box
  11. Press the Submit Changes button to save the page group

PageGroupDTMFSetting.png

Default Page Group

When a default page group is configured, extensions can be easily added to this group from the Extension page using the Default Page Group drop down list box.

There can be only one default page group. If you mark the Default Page Group check box for a new page group, the option is automatically removed from the previously configured default page group.

Paging using feature codes

If you want to use BCM feature codes (F60, F61x) to initiate paging to specific page groups, you must define your page groups in a way that allows association of page groups with page zones 1 to 6. Rules described in the following table are used to associate page zones with configured page groups:

Feature CodeDescriptionPage group that is called
F60Page GeneralDefault page group
F611Page Internal Zone 1First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 1 (for example “Page Zone 1”, “Sales – 1”)
F612Page Internal Zone 2First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 2
F613Page Internal Zone 3First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 3
F614Page Internal Zone 4First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 4
F615Page Internal Zone 5First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 5
F616Page Internal Zone 6First page group with Group Description that ends with digit 6

Changing Maximum Page Call Duration

The maximum duration of page calls is set to 120 seconds by default. To override the default value, you need to set the variable PAGE_MAX_DURATION to the desired duration:

  1. From the PBX tab, select Tools
  2. From the left side column, select Configuration File Editor
  3. Press the Show Filter button
  4. Enter globals in the File field and press the Filter button to search for the file globals_custom.conf
  5. Click on the file link to edit the file
  6. Add the following line to the file where N is the duration in seconds:
    PAGE_MAX_DURATION = N
  7. Press the Save button followed by the Reload Configuration button
  8. Click on the Back link to exit the file editor

Changing Page Tone

The page tone that is used for page calls can be configured using the Announcement control on the PBX Configuration – Paging and Intercom – General Settings page.

The options provided for the Announcement are:

  1. Default (the default page tone is used)
  2. None (no tone is played)
  3. All single file system recordings (i.e., not a combination of multiple sound files)

To use a custom tone, create a system recording with that tone and then select it as the page announcement.

To eliminate the tone, select None as the page announcement.

To reduce the volume of the default page tone, download the default page tone file “pagetone.wav“, use a sound utility to set the volume of the wave file to the desired volume, upload the file as a system recording and then select it as the page announcement.

Limitations

IMPORTANT

Do not configure more than 100 phones in the same paging group. When the number of phones exceed 100, paged phones will start to experience delays.
 
Also note that the Galaxy Mini limits the number of phones in a page group to 16.

USEFUL TIP

The UCX now supports the ability to send DTMF tones to devices in a Page Group to support multi-zone paging devices.

External Speaker Output

Configuring paging for external speaker output is only supported on the Galaxy Mini.

Enable External Speaker Output (SPKR jack)

By default, paging via the external speaker output is Disabled.
To enable the functionality on a Galaxy Mini system, perform the following steps:

  1. From the PBX tab, select PBX Configuration
  2. From the left side column, select Feature Codes
  3. Scroll to the Paging and Intercom section
  4. From the External Speaker Output dropdown menu, select EnabledGalaaxyMiniPagingviaSPKR.png
  5. By default, the feature code is set to *62 (or Feature 62 on Nortel or E-MetroTel XSTIM sets). If you wish to use a feature code other than the default, you may change the value here.
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit Changes and the Apply Config (at the top of the page).
The SPKR port uses standard PC level impedance and output levels. If you are connecting to an overhead paging system you may need to use impedance matching amplifiers that are specific to the Paging Amplifier of your choice!

Paging directly via the SPKR jack

Once configured, a user may dial the feature code (*62 or F62 by default) from any telephone. The UCX software will immediately open the path between that telephone and the speaker (SPKR) port and the user can begin speaking when the paging system is ready.

An XSTIM phone will display External Speaker, *62, is online.

GalaxyMiniAPaginActive.png

To end the page, hang up the phone.

Troubleshooting

  • If you do not hear anything from the SPKR port, test the system using PC speakers or a PC headset that use a common 3.5 mm male headphone jack.
  • If you are using UCX Release 6.0 and there is no audio path established, then verify that you have deleted the LineIn Music On Hold category in the Music on Hold settings (see Adding Line-In Source).

Paging the SPKR jack and speakerphones

You can create page groups and allow the page to be sent to speakerphones and the SPKR jack port. This requires configuring a CUSTOM Extension to be associated with the SPKR jack port.

Creating the CUSTOM Extension

  1. From the PBX tab, select PBX Configuration
  2. From the left side column, select Extensions
  3. In the Add Extension / Device drop down box, select Other (Custom) Extension
    PagingCustomExtension.png
  4. In the ADD CUSTOM Extension page, add a User Extension and a  Display Name in the Add Extension section
    PagingCustomExtensionNumberName.png
  5. In the DIAL field of the Device Options (This device uses CUSTOM technology) section, add the text: Console/dsp
    PagingCustomExtensionConsoledsp.png
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit Changes and the Apply Config banner (at the top of the page).

You can test the result by dialing the newly created extension from any phone, and a direct speech outbound path should be heard.

Add the CUSTOM Extension to a Page Group

  1. In Add Paging Group (for new groups) or Modify Page Group (to add to an existing group), drag and drop the newly created CUSTOM Extension into the Device List – Selected box
    PagingCustomExtensionPageDevice1.png
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit Changes and the Apply Config banner (at the top of the page).

You can now dial the Paging Extension associated with the group to which you just added the CUSTOM Extension from any extension. Upon dialing you will hear the page tone followed by an open voice path on both the output of the SPKR jack as well as on any phones configured in that Page Group.

Limitations

  • The External Speaker Output paging capability can only be enabled on the Galaxy Mini.
  • The Galaxy Mini can support either paging to an external speaker via the SPKR port or Music On Hold via the MIC input; they cannot be used simultaneously (Restriction applies to UCX Release 6.0 only).
  • Starting from UCX Release 7.0, both the SPKR output and the MIC input jacks can be used simultaneously on the Galaxy Mini.
 

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