[asterisk-users] Using * in extension name

[Daniel Hazelbaker]

I am trying to setup an extension of *7XXX that will allow me to dial  
*7 and then any extension and use the Pickup application to pickup a  
ringing phone.  Ideally it will also check if the phone is ringing  
somehow and then either dial the extension or pick it up if it is  
ringing.  But I can't get that far.  If I use *7268 specially it works  
fine, but as soon as I introduce any wild card char (X, N, Z, !, .) it  
responds with 404 and nothing is logged.

Can * be used in this manner in a dialplan?  If so then any  
suggestions on what I can check to see why it is doing this?  If not,  
does anybody have a better suggestion for me?  I'd rather not use a  
regular digit as the "begin" code.

Daniel Hazelbaker