RECOMMENDATIONS Dial 0 for the operator

[bigunk]

Simple request that probably has a difficult answer. New client (actually, my very first asterisk install), 53 phones, PRI and 9 POTS lines. It was hell. Here's the client request, and it makes sense to me. They want to dial 0 for their internal company operator. Idle phone. Pick it up, hit 0, done. I've seen dial plans and VMX locater posts until my eyes glaze over. I don't know if I need to go that route. Anyone?

 

[rossiv]

So you just want 0 to dial an extension? Just make a ring group as extension 0 and list your target extension(s).

 

[bigunk]

Tried that already, and then I tried it again this morning. No dice.

 

[mainenotarynet]

OK - I can't find it in Piaf-Green (OP didn't mention his system color/type/setup) (Asterisk 11 /FreePBX 12)

I know what he is asking and VMX does have the option of Dialing Zero for the company operator (but what the extension of the Operator is is not known) . And in the old Piaf-Purple had a setting in the General settings tab to SET the extension OF the company Operator (defaulted to 701). In the new layout I can't find where that setting was moved to (Not in Advanced Settings)

If anyone knows where it was moved to - this is what OP is looking for. And turns out --- so do I.

 

[mainenotarynet]

OK I went Googling and hit the FreePBX site but forget that for now.

I had a thoough (yes VERY dangerous for me and the Operator extension for VMX locator to reach the Operator [from a voicemailbox] is set in Settings>Voicemail Admin

Then into Dialplan behavior and you will find the Operator Extension.

However once I set, submit and apply change on my box - I dialed Zero from a different extension and it failed so the True Operator settings are still missing from my viewpoint.

 

[rossiv]

Tried that already, and then I tried it again this morning. No dice.

Tested it on my system last night (Asterisk 11 / PIAF Green) and it worked fine. Call logs perhaps?

 

[mainenotarynet]

OK one more attempt -- this works for me.

Applications -> Misc Applications -- Create New and use

Cal the Operator -- Dial is 0 (Zero) Destination is Extensions -> [Extension of the company operator]

Submit - Apply Change then try from a different extension

The Misc Destinations (on my box) Will take the Destination description of Call the Operator but will not accept a single digit of 0 (zero) as a valid dial string.
I took the cue from the Time of day (*61) which is in both places.

Hope it works for you -- although we should NOT have to create a special way to set an operator extension. Most companies have a receptionist/operator and should be a standard setting/

 

[islandtech]

on my asterisk 11 / piaf green creating a ring group 0 with 1 extension works great.
pickup any extension and dial 0 to ring the extension designated as the operator

 

[bigunk]

Here is my machine:

PBX in a Flash PURPLE Status Program
qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
lqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqSYSTEM INFORMATION *VERIFIED*qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqk
x Asterisk = ONLINE | Dahdi = ONLINE | MySQL = ONLINE x
x SSH = ONLINE | Apache = ONLINE | Iptables = ONLINE x
x Fail2ban = ONLINE | Internet = ONLINE | Ip6Tables = OFFLINE x
x Disk Free = ADEQUATE| Mem Free = ADEQUATE| NTPD = ONLINE x
x SendMail = ONLINE | Samba = OFFLINE | Webmin = ONLINE x
x Ethernet0 = ONLINE | Ethernet1 = N/A | Wlan0 = N/A x
x x
x PIAF Installed Version = 2.0.6.5 under *HARDWARE* x
x FreePBX Version = 12.0.19 1 x
x Running Asterisk Version = 1.8.28.0 x
x Asterisk Source Version = 1.8.28.0 x
x Dahdi Source Version = 2.9.0 x
x Libpri Source Version = 1.4.14 x
x IP Address = 192.168.40.2 on eth0 x
x Operating System = CentOS release 6.5 (Final) x
x Kernel Version = 2.6.32-431.1.2.0.1.el6.i686 - 32 Bit x
x x
mqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqj

 

[bigunk]

Mainnotarynet...you are brilliant! Thank you!

 

[mainenotarynet]

Brilliant --- as a 3Watt bulb , but thanks.

On the Purple there was the General settings on the FreePBX it loads with and back then it did work. Upgrading to FreePBX12 is where the General Settings were moved (I found it in the Voicemail Admin, but it was only for the VMX Locator funcionality)

An Operator Extension should be a STAPLE of ANY PBX, IPBX or any type PBX as someone in the company should be designated as such.

From what I cam across you can create dialplan code to do it in ?Extensions.conf? in any Piaf Extensions_Custom.conf - but I think the shortcut I tried (and it worked) gets the job done AND in this way if you get a new receptionist, you can change the extension with ease --- or as others suggest setup a ring group or even a Queue to have a "Pool of Operators" and for the CID prefix on either the RG or Q put OPER: so the "pool" knows it's a call to the system Operator.

Great for scalability.

Glad it worked for you