Comments appreciated, please, on the issues we've found with PBX Caller-ID settings not working as our clients have expected.

Several notes first:

We made all tests using the same phone. Settings on the phoine have nothing to do with this.

It is not our intent to break any laws by spoofing Caller-ID. We're trying to have the flexibility to allow our users to use any phone number they have the legal right to use in their outgoing Caller-ID, even if it is not the same number as on the phone they are using, and even if the number they want to use is NOT routed through our VOIPo PBX or a VOIPo number. A recent study we held with multiple focus groups shows this to be an important issue with our clients using a PBX.

We would expect that Caller-ID would work as we and our clients would expect. If they set an extension Caller-ID they would expect that to be sent, even if it's not a number hosted with VOIPo. If they set no extension Caller-ID then they would expect the Default Caller-ID to be used, again, even if it's not a number hosted with VOIPo.

Our tests show that this is NOT what we get:

If both the Default Caller-ID on the Account setup page and the Extension Caller-ID are blank, then the Caller-ID shown on the called phone shows as the same number as the outgoing line.

If extension Caller-ID is set the same as the outgoing phone, number, then the Caller-ID on the called phone is correct.

If extension Caller-ID is not set the same as the outgoing phone number, then the Caller-ID on the called phone says 'anonymous'.

If extension Caller-ID is unset (blank) then the Default Caller-ID under 'Account' should be used. However, this doesn't work.

If the Default Caller-ID is set to the same number as the outgoing line, and the extension Caller-ID is unset then the Caller-ID on the called phone reads 'Anonymous'.

If the Default Caller-ID is set to the same number as the outgoing line, and the extension Caller-ID is set to a different number, then the Caller-ID on the called phone reads 'Anonymous'.

If the Default Caller-ID is set to the same number as the outgoing line, and the extension Caller-ID is set to the same number as the outgoing line, then the Caller-ID on the called phone is correct.

If the Default Caller-ID is set to the same number as the outgoing line, and the extension Caller-ID is unset (blank), then the Caller-ID on the called phone reads as it should; the same number as the outgoing line.

Any comments? All appreciated. Though I find it hard to believe our clients (and we) are the only usrs who want this, I don't mind hearing that we are, and that we're wrong.

Thanks.

Jeff