[asterisk-users] Dial plan constructions suggestions?

[Gordon Henderson]

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007, Ed W wrote:

> Can I ask for some advice on dial-plan construction please
>
> I have setup my dialplan to use 9 to get a zap trunk, leaving everything else 
> for internal extensions.
>
> However, this creates a problem in that my callerid is correct, but doesn't 
> work to re-dial the incoming caller.  So if I simply click "missed calls" on 
> my Snom phone and hit redial then it tries to dial an internal extension.
>
> So I then setup Asterisk to add a "9" to the incoming callerid for all calls 
> which come via the Zap trunk, but now this creates some issues with 
> applications like Snapanumber and perhaps HudLite, which are trying to map 
> the caller ID to numbers in the addressbook (and I don't really want my 
> internal Outlook address books to have everyone listed with a "9" in front of 
> their number)
>
> How are others handling this?

There was a thread about this not too long ago, so the archives may have a 
bit more on it...

The way I handle it is by forcing the caller to dial the full number 
starting with zero (normally 10 or 11 digits in the UK - which I'm 
guessing you're from too)

Zero is the new "9" ;-)

This mimics the way mobile phones work here too where you need to dial the 
full number with the leading zero, even if you'd think it's a "local" 
call. Incoming caller-id always provides you with the full 10 or 11 digit 
number with the zero (or with the country code prefix when that works)

The ability to dial the full number in the UK has been avalable for some 
years now...

In my dialplan I look for a leading zero, and when I see one, after 
premissions checks, etc. I just route the outgoing call with the zero to 
the relevant zap device.

I just tell my clients that they now have to dial the full number 
including STD code - just like they do on their mobiles.

I still provide a traditional '9' for an outside line though - there are a 
few numbers in the UK that don't start with a leading 0 - 'operator' 
(100), directory enquriries (118xxx) and a few others for reporting 
faults, last number dialled and so on. So if they like they can dial 9 
then the 5 or 6 digit "local" number, or just dial 0 for everything.

Don't forget to add rules for 999 (and 9999) to force out-dialling to 999 
via a Zap line...

And I guess you could eliminate the leading 9 too, if you had explicit 
entries in the dialplan for these non-zero numbers (or to deny them!)

Gordon