Linux Networking Cookbook

5.13. Routing Calls to Groups of Phones

Problem

You want callers to be directed to departments, instead of individuals, where they will be answered by whoever picks up first. Or, you have more than one phone, like a desk phone and cell phone, and you want your incoming calls to ring all of them.

Solution

Create ring groups. This is a simple configuration that assigns a group of extensions to a single extension, like this:

	[tech-support]
	exten => 380,1,Dial(SIP/604&SIP/605&SIP/606,40,t)
	exten => 380,2,VoiceMail(220@local-vm-users)

The caller dials extension 380. The listed extensions all ring at the same time. If no one answers it within 40 seconds, it goes to voicemail. Extensions 604, 605, and 606 must already exist, and a voicemail box configured. Transferring is enabled with the lowercase t.

This example is for ringing a desk phone and a cell phone sequentially:

	[find-carla]
	exten => 100,1,Dial(SIP/350,20,t)
	exten => 100,2,Dial(Zap/1/1231234567,20,t)
	exten => 100,3,VoiceMail(350@local-vm-users)

If there is no answer at the first number, Asterisk tries the second number. If Carla is slacking and doesn't answer that one either, it goes to voicemail.

Both phones can be configured to ring at the same time:

	exten => 100,1,Dial(SIP/350&Zap/1/1231234567,20)
	exten => 100,2,VoiceMail(350@local-vm-users)

Discussion

This recipe demonstrates that extension numbers and voicemail boxes don't need to be the same.

The Dial command will dial anything that you can dial manually—whatever your Asterisk server ...