Dial Plan
This page allows the creation of extensions that are needed for any feature in Voiceware that need to be called from a phone.
IMPORTANT! This section covers the proper setup of emergency outbound calling. Take care to set up emergency access correctly and test it before leaving the job site.
Version: 4.3.0.6
The Dial Plan is the central routing system of Voiceware. Each Dial Plan entry controls what happens when the matching digits are presented to Voiceware (through internal dialing or DID/DNIS digit match from the phone company). Extensions can be added when a Room or User is added to the system and thus don’t need to be added here saving setup time.
This pages sidebar also contains Outbound Routes and Rates which are very important to outbound dialing and must be set up to allow calling to the outside world and proper billing for those calls.
How to
Ray Baum’s Act requires that the dispatchable location (i.e. room number or location of phone) be sent to the 911 dispatch center on all 911 calls made from PBX systems. To comply with this requirement without needing a DID for each guest room a new feature has been added to Voiceware. This feature allows the dispatchable location (i.e. Room 101) to be dynamically passed when an emergency call is made, thus eliminating the need for a unique DID for every guest room and admin station.
There are currently two providers supported by Voiceware for Enhanced Dynamic Location Routing (hereafter referred to as "DLR"), https://www.bandwidth.com/voice/sip-trunking/ and http://Bulkvs.com . This document will walk you through the provisioning of DLR entries for each service and the required information within Voiceware.
Process & Feature Overview:
There are four components to the enhanced DLR feature of Voiceware 4.2. They are:
An account with an approved SIP trunk vendor capable of passing the dispatchable location dynamically. Note that a compatible provider need only be used for emergency calls. Thus an existing provider can continue to be used for all normal inbound and outbound calling.
Dispatchable location settings in the Settings page. These differ depending on what SIP trunk provider you are using.
Dispatchable location information for Devices and Rooms. Each room and device entry must have a dispatchable location added to it. This is a simple line of text (60 characters max) that describes where the phone is (i.e. Room 101, back office 204, etc). This information must be added to the system and should be approved by the phone system owner (i.e. the hotel GM).
Pool of emergency call back numbers. Part of the emergency call requirements is that the 911 operator must be able to call back a number and have it ring directly to the phone that dialed 911. To comply with this requirement a small pool of DIDs (5-10) should be purchased on the compatible SIP trunk provider, not the existing provider.
BulkVS (Bulk Solutions)
Below are the setup instructions starting with the two approved SIP trunk vendors, note you only need to use one vendor. Next is the Voiceware setup instructions and testing process. Lastly is a list of approved abbreviations for use in the Dispatchable location field and a SIP trace of a successful call.
This guide assumes you have an account already set up with Bulk Solutions, and have e911 enabled on the account. Setting up the account and enabling the e911 service is outside the scope of this document. It is also assumed that you have purchased DIDs for the emergency call back pool, this is also outside the scope of this document.
Log in to your portal account at CNAM, E911 & RoboCall Solutions | Bulk Solutions, LLC .
On the left-hand side, click on “E911”.
Select “Add Endpoint”.
On the Add Endpoint screen, Fill out the required information.
The Telephone Number is the TN you are setting up for 911 (ex. 13035551212).
The Subscriber Name should be the Site Name (ex. Hill Valley Mariott).
The Street Address will be the actual street address of the property (ex. 123 Maple St NW)
Enter “ng911” without quotes into the “Suite/Floor/Other” Field.
Then enter the City, State, and Zip code of the property in the appropriate fields.
DO NOT ENTER ANYTHING IN THE SMS NOTIFY FIELD.
Click “Validate & Provision”. Wait for the system to give a result. Correct any errors if present and repeat this step. If there are none, repeat steps 3-5 for each TN the site has (i.e. each DID in the emergency call back pool).
Go to the “Voiceware Provisioning” section and begin there.
Bandwidth
This guide assumes that there already exists a DLR account set up with Bandwidth.com; setting up such an account with Bandwidth is outside the scope of this document. Bandwidth is by far the more complex option currently and if you need help getting a special DLR account you much reach out to Bandwidth directly, Phonesuite will not be able to offer any help with the Bandwidth account.
Log into the Bandwidth portal and select (if not the primary) the account activated for DLR.
Click on the “Emergency” link at the top of the page.
Click on “+ ADD” under the “GEOLOCATIONS” section.
Enter the information for the site, using the site code as the “Geolocation ID”. Leave Address Line 2 blank. This is the CIVIC address or base address for the site.
Click “ADD GEOLOCATION” and wait for it to save. Correct any errors if any are detected and repeat this step, otherwise go on.
Click “ENDPOINTS”.
Click “+ ADD” under the ENDPOINTS section.
The Endpoint ID will be the full TN including the 1. (ex. 13035551212)
The Caller Name should be the Site Name (ie, Hill Valley Mariott)
The Callback Number will be the TN minus the 1 (ex. 3035551212).
Click the “SEARCH GEOLOCATIONS” button, and type in the site code and click “SEARCH”.
Next to the Geolocation ID click “SELECT”.
Click “ADD ENDPOINT” and wait for it to save. Correct any errors if there are any, and repeat this step. Otherwise, repeat steps 7-13 for each TN the site has.
Once this step is completed, Make a note of the Account ID (it’s in brackets [] after the account name on the Overview section, and the Site Code. You will need these to provision Voiceware.
Go to the “Voiceware Provisioning” section and begin there.
Voiceware Provisioning
NOTE: you must finish the SIP provider section above before proceeding with the Voiceware setup.
Dispatchable location settings in the Settings page
Log into the Voiceware system as Installer (or another admin user).
In the “System” section, click on “Settings”
Scroll down to “Emergency Calling Settings”
Option 34: Select an extension to notify in the event of an emergency call. This will usually be the front desk or operator extension.
Option 35: Enter an Email address to send emergency notifications to. These emails will tell the recipient the number dialed, and the extension that dialed them, along with the date and time the call was placed. If you leave this field blank, no such emails will be generated.
Option 36: Ray Baum’s Act requires the ability to call back the emergency caller for an allotted time after a disconnect of the emergency call. By default, the TN selected by the system will be reserved for 60 minutes as a direct-dial number to reach the calling device. This can be adjusted as needed, but 60 minutes or greater is recommended.
Option 37:
For Bandwidth.com users, this will be the following:
Geolocation: <https://emergency.bandwidth.com/locations/{account_number}/{location_id}?loc={device_location}>For Bulk Solutions (BulkVS.com) users, this will be the following:
X-ng911: {device_location}
Option 38: BANDWIDTH ONLY: Enter your Bandwidth Account Number.
Option 39: BANDWIDTH ONLY: Enter the Site Code (or other Geolocation ID if site code not used (rare)).
Option 40: If you’re using Bandwidth, check the box for URLEncode. If you’re using Bulk Solutions, make sure the box is unchecked.
Click “Save all Changes” and wait for the page to refresh.
Dispatchable location information for Devices
Click on “Devices” at the top of the page.
Click on the name of the SIP device to add location data to.
In the “Dispatchable Location” Field, enter the pertinent location data. (ex. FLR 4 RM 410, for Floor 4 Room 410 – see appendix A for preferred abbreviations).
Click “Save”.
Repeat steps 11-15 for each SIP device that is not a trunk or proxy device.
Dispatchable location information for Rooms
Click “Rooms” at the top of the page.
Click on the Room Name to add location data to (location data on devices assigned to rooms is ignored in favor of the room entry.)
In the “Dispatchable Location” Field, enter the pertinent location data. (ex. FLR 4 RM 410 for Floor 4 Room 410 – see appendix A for preferred abbreviations).
Click “Save”.
Repeat steps 17-19 for each room you need to add location data to.
Dispatchable location data can be added in a CSV bulk room upload. See the Rooms page help page for more information.
Pool of emergency call back numbers
Click “Dial Plan”
For any TN such as the main number or reservations number, you will want to block the 911 system from re-routing that TN when an emergency call is placed:
Click the TN (DID) you wish to block from the 911 system
Check the box labeled “Block Emergency Use”
Click “Save”.
If you purchased pool DIDs for emergency use (should have 5 at a minimum) you will add these to an emergency pool. Click “DID Pooling” in the “Extensions” section on the left side of the screen.
Click “Add Pool”
Name will be an identifier such as “Emergency TNs” or “DLR Numbers” or something to identify this pool of TNs.
Check the box “Emergency Callback Pool”
Select a Destination for the pool. This destination is where incoming calls to these TNs will ring when they are not being used for emergency purposes. Usually, the front desk or an IVR that plays a “not in service” message.
Click “Save”
Click “Dial Plan”
Click “Add Extension”
Select a number that would not be easily dialed by accident, such as **5959.
Extension Type should be “DID Pool”
You can add the first DID to the pool by adding it with the DID assign/add selection if you wish. Otherwise leave it as “None”.
Destination will be the pool you just created in step 24 above.
Click “Add.
If you have not yet added the emergency use TNs to the system:
Click “Add Extension”
Enter the TN as the Number/Pattern
Extension Type will be “DID”
Destination will be the pool you just created in step 24 above.
Click “Save”
Repeat this process for each TN you need to add.
If you already have the emergency use TNs added to the system, but not pointed at the pool:
Click on the TN to assign to the pool.
In the “Edit Extension” page, change the Destination to the pool you just created.
Click “Save”
Repeat this process for each TN you need to reassign.
Testing
You are now ready to place a test call from one of the configured devices. Make sure you have your routes set up properly (including a route for 933 as an emergency route) and trunk devices for the appropriate carrier set up. Dial 933 from a device on the system and you should hear back both the number the system selected for callback (one of the emergency use TNs) along with the address and location specific details.
Note on how TNs are selected
First, the system will utilize a TN assigned to the user/room/guest/etc. who made the call, if available. If not, the system will check for a previously used TN in the expiry period for the device making the call and re-use that TN. If a TN is still not found, the system will then choose a TN from any DID pool(s) marked for emergency use. If there are none available (already used and within timeout period or none defined) the system will choose a TN from the system that isn’t marked with the “Block Emergency Use” flag. The TN that is chosen in any instance will be directly linked with the device making the emergency call for the expiry period and not usable by anyone else on the system until the expiry period is over. This is to ensure a direct call-back from the emergency call taker.
911 Address Abbreviations
Here are several examples of Dispatchable Location values and the abbreviations specified by NENA to conserve space:
Address Input Abbreviated Output
suite AA STE AA
building A floor 3 room 7 BLDG A FL 3 RM 7
wharf 7 pier A WHARF 7 PIER A
A full list of unit type abbreviations is below:
Input Unit Type Abbreviated Unit Type
APARTMENT APT
BASEMENT BSMT
BUILDING BLDG
DEPARTMENT DEPT
FLOOR FL
FRONT FRNT
HANGAR HNGR
LOBBY LBBY
LOT LOT
LOWER LOWR
OFFICE OFC
PENTHOUSE PH
PIER PIER
REAR REAR
ROOM RM
SIDE SIDE
SLIP SLIP
SPACE SPC
STOP STOP
SUITE STE
TRAILER TRLR
UNIT UNIT
UPPER UPPR
Video
Visual Overview
This page lists all system extensions, direct inward dial numbers (DID), and the rules regarding outbound calling (Outbound Route). Most extensions will be created when adding a user or room, however many other extension types exist and can be crated manually. Below is a list of the most common and a short description.
DID: Each inbound number must be uniquely defined as a DID type extension. Each DID is then assigned to a preexisting internal extension. CID options can also be checked to append, prepend, or replace existing caller ID information provided by the Telco.
Directed Pickup Prefix: Allows the creation of a prefix for a directed call pickup. For example, if *9 is entered here the user would dial *9[ext] (i.e. *9301) to pickup a call ringing at extension 301.
Emergency Broadcast: This system feature is used to alert all check in guest rooms (omitting non-guest rooms, and guest rooms without a guest checked in) with a custom announcement. In practice the user at the front desk would call this extension, enter their extension and PIN, then record a message. Once done a call is placed to every check in guest room where in the recorded message is played when the phone is answered. If not answered the message is placed in the voicemail box.
To setup Emergency Broadcasts:
Click on Mange Broadcasts from the left-hand sidebar
Click Create Call In Broadcast
Enter the Broadcast’s name (normally “Emergency”), the caller ID (normally “Emergency”), the PIN used to access the feature, the number of channels to use at one time (normally 2), and the minutes between retries.
Click Save
Click Dial Plan --> Add Extension
Enter the extension number, select Emergency Broadcast as the extension type, Destination as the broadcast setup in step 3, and tries the number of attempts this broadcast will try each guest room (normally 1).
Setting the channels to a higher number might overload the system if multiple broadcasts and wakeup calls are happening at the same time.
Sound Recorder: Can be setup to record a new system sound (common) or to re-record over an existing sound. Setting up a re-record can be a useful way to allow the hotel to change IVR greetings or other commonly changed messages on their own without needing to access the configuration GUI.
User Extension: Normally created during the user creation process the Dial Plan entry offers many additional options. Voicemail can be enabled or disabled here as well as being able to use uploaded sound files in the user’s voicemail. Greetings can also be managed via the Manage Greetings link in the sidebar under Voicemail.
Wakeup Call Setup & Wakeup Call Cancel: These two extensions allow quick access to setup and cancel wakeup calls for system users via an extension. This is helpful for sites where the Browser Console is not commonly used. Note that a user must have permissions to manage wakeup calls enabled in their user’s page before being able to access this feature from their phone.
CID Routing Rules
This page allows the creation of rules to route calls from specific DIDs to locations outside the normal path for inbound calls. For example, one could setup a rule to router all calls from 303-555-1111 to an IVR, whereas normally all inbound calls route to a call group. This can be used to block unwanted calls to the hotel.
A CSV file can also be created if many rules are needed. The format is dialed extension, pattern, destination extension.
Outbound Routing
Any outbound call must match a pattern in the outbound routes. Each rule then tells the system how to route that call, any digits to strip or add, and what to rate the call.
Note also that outbound rates should be added before adding the outbound routes. Otherwise routes might not have rates associated with them.
Important! 911 and [8-9]911 must be manually setup and tested before completing the installation.
911 and 9911 patterns.
Outbound Test
This page shows how a call dialed would be routed (if routed at all). This can be used to check the logic of the outbound routes without making test calls.
DLR codes are used for cordless SIP phones. It allows the phone to set a dynamic location to be used for emergency calling. For example, if a staff person takes a cordless phone to the 2nd floor maid office, they can dial a code to set “2nd Floor Maid Office” as the dynamic location. Should an emergency call be placed from that phone it will send that dynamic location to the 911 operator.
To use this feature there are two things that must be setup.
Setup DLR Manual Locations.
Simply enter a code and the corresponding location to pass with an emergency call. These codes should be numbers but otherwise can be anything.
Note: locations can be set without codes but its best practice to assign all locations codes.
Setup dial plan entries to assign / clear DLR addresses
There are three new extension types that can set or clear DLR codes, they are:
Set specific DLR location will set the assigned DLR location when that extension is dialed. For example, *80 could be setup to set the DLR location to the Front Desk.
Set DLR Location Prefix is normally setup in the dial plan as *81! (*81 is an example, the lead in extension could be anything). Using the above example, a user could dial *81500 *81502, or simply *81 and when prompted manually enter 500 or 501.
Reset Manual DLR State simply clears any DLR location info assigned with that device. When cleared emergency calls will use the DLR info assigned at a Device or Room level.
These extensions can be created as speed dials to aid users in quickly assigning DLR codes.
Some phone vendors allow an ELIN code to be set on the base station for cordless phones. This code will be automatically passed to Voiceware when an emergency call is placed. This simplifies the process because users are no longer required to remember to change the ELIN code manually when they move location. Support with this feature is something that should be verified at the SIP phone vendor level and tested before deploying the solution.
Manage Greetings
This page allows uploaded sound files to be used in a user’s voicemail. This can also be adjusted in the Dial Plan entry for a user’s extension.
Line by Line Explanation
Each item in the help page will have an expand along with the information from the help page.
Sidebar
Extensions
Routing
DLR Codes
Voicemail
Here a range of Voicemail settings can be adjusted. It is recommended that these settings only be changed under the guidance of a Voiceware factory technician as misconfiguration of any of the values here might cause the voicemail to email system to stop functioning.
Broadcast
Manage Greetings:
Here all voicemail greetings for all system users can be managed. Note that sounds must be uploaded via the Sounds page before this will be available here.
Manage Broadcast:
Here a reverse 911 broadcast can be setup. Once setup a dial plan for the broadcast must also be setup to allow a hotel employee to begin the broadcast.
Directory
Printable Extension List:
After all users and Rooms have been added to the system it might be helpful to use the “Printable Extension List” link to print out an extension list for hotel management and installers files. This list can serve as a helpful tool in troubleshooting the system later.
Parking
Session