Inbound Call Routes
Inbound Call Routes section allows you to associate external phone numbers (DIDs/DDIs) with Time Range Groups and Scripts thus defining how the inbound calls to each number will be handled.
Note that in Thirdlane Business Phone System you can use patterns to match a group of numbers as well as directly enter DIDs when creating Inbound Routes, while in the Multi Tenant DIDs are restricted to those assigned to the current tenant and patterns can not be used.
Note that in Multi Tenant the DIDs with assigned Inbound Routes have a checkbox next to them and can be edited, and DIDs without a corresponding Inbound Route do not have the checkbox and can be “assigned” when creating a new Inbound Route.
Creating an Inbound Route changes corresponding phone number status to “Used in Inbound Routes” and deleting an Inbound Route removes this status.
There are two types of Inbound Routes:
Time Based Inbound Routes. Time Based Inbound Routes allow you to route calls based on conditions specified in Time Range Groups. Time Range Groups can be associated with the DID such that different actions are take based on time of day, day of week and specific dates. A typical use of Time Based Inbound Routes would be to specify that the calls to a main number would execute a daytime IVR/Voice Menu during business hours, a different Voice Menu during off hours, and possibly a third one during holidays.
Operator Managed Inbound Routes. Operator Based Inbound Route Groups route inbound calls to destinations by comparing the specified conditions with the "current system state" also called "Day/Night mode" that is managed through the Day/Night Mode in web GUI or by a user(operator) dialing a feature code (604 by default).
Create/Edit Time Based Inbound Routes Group
DID. DID that can be selected from a list of DIDs for Multi Tenant or a number or a pattern that can be entered directly for Thirdlane Business Phone System.
Description. Short description of this Route Group.
Billable. Specify whether this route is billable, which will be reflected in CDR.
Language for voice prompts. Allows you to specify a language for playing voice prompts installed using Sound Packages.
Time Zone. Specify a Time Zone for this Route Group by selecting from a list of system time zones.
Add Route. This button allows you to add up to 10 time based routes - Time Range Group + Dialplan Script pairs (Time Based Routes) that comprise the Time Based Inbound Route Group and used to route the calls to the targets. Typically, 1 or 2 Routes are sufficient, with the first covering a special time condition and the second covering the rest by using tl-allhours Time Range Group or an equivalent.
Thirdlane processes Time Based Routes sequentially – if date/time of the call matches first “When” condition, the first script will be executed and the processing stops, if not, the second “When” is evaluated and if matched, the second Dialplan Script will be executed and the processing stops, etc.
Important: make sure that the tl-allhours Time Range Group is always the last in the list of Routes.
When. Name of the Time Range Group that will be used to select a time range to this route within the Time Based Route Group.
Run script. Name of the Dialplan Script that will be used to handle calls to this DID/pattern if the call time falls within the time range of the Time Range Group specified above.
Except when this variable is set. Name of a global variable which can be set to any non-empty value to disable this Route. This can be used to temporarily change the behavior of this Time Based Inbound Route.
Depending on the selected Dialplan Script, you will be presented with a list of parameters that were defined for the script. Depending on the type of these parameters you will be able to select from the lists of possible values or enter them directly.
Create/Edit Operator Managed Inbound Routes Group
DID. DID that can be selected from a list of DIDs for Multi Tenant or a number or a pattern that can be entered directly for Thirdlane Business Phone System.
Description. Short description of this Route Group.
Billable. Specify whether this route is billable, which will be reflected in CDR.
Language for voice prompts. Allows you to specify a language for playing voice prompts installed using Sound Packages.
Time Zone. Specify a Time Zone for this Route Group by selecting from a list of system time zones.
Add Route. This button allows you to add up to 10 Routes that combine Day, Night, Any Time, Temporary conditions with a Dialplan Script to route calls to the targets.
Thirdlane processes Operator Based Routes sequentially – if the current system "Day/Night mode" matches first “When” condition, the first script will be executed and the processing stops, if not, the second “When” is evaluated and if matched, the second Dialplan Script will be executed and the processing stops, etc.
Important: make sure that the catch-all "Any Time" condition is always the last in the list of Routes.
When. Name the condition that will be used to match the system state set by the operator.
Select script to execute if Operator Managed condition is met. Name of the Dialplan Script that will be used to handle calls to this DID/pattern when the current system state Day/Night Mode matches the condition specified above.
Depending on the selected Dialplan Script, you will be presented with a list of parameters that were defined for the script. Depending on the type of these parameters you will be able to select from the lists of possible values or enter them directly.