[Asterisk-Users] Multi-line help

[Steven Critchfield]

On Sun, 2004-01-04 at 18:18, Sean Garland wrote:
> I am looking for common practice ideas on how to handle multiple line
> phones.  Is it common with asterisk to have the lines appear as
> programmable buttons? Or to just have itcm like buttons and use the dial
> 9 approach?  What I am specifically interested in, is to have my line
> one appear on the first button (sip polycom phones) line two appear on
> the second button, and use the third as an intercom (internal extension)
> button.  I have managed to get the line 1 to ring on the line 1 button
> and the same for line two.  I have even managed to get extension
> transfers to happen on the itcm button.
> 
> The trouble I have is that I don't know if someone else is on the
> particular line, and when I dial, it picks up the first available button
> (line) so even if I dial an extension, it looks like I am dialing from
> line 1 to the extension.  How do I make it pick the third button, etc...
> 
> Confusing?  I have read the "handbook" and countless searches through
> wiki and Google, but cannot find practical examples of multi-line use
> with asterisk.

The reason you didn't find anything is because the multiline approach
doesn't scale beyond a small handful of lines. It shouldn't matter what
line a call is on if you are supposed to answer it. If you have hunt or
rollover on your lines, it doesn't matter what line you dial out on. In
the long, the only thing that your phone should know is how to get you
to the PBX, the pbx will take care of the rest.
-- 
Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>