Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
We've added a new "2 Line" feature that's now available for all of you to test. It's still considered "BETA" and we need to have it tested from some more types of connection setups to have more data on it to be 100% sure it's set before we start pushing it.
This is similar to the "2 Line/Cloned Line" feature that PhonePower and VT offer.
Basically port 2 on your adapter is now active.
You can connect another phone to it and use it independently from the other. It's a "clone" of your first line, but it's not a "real" 2nd line is that it does not have its own phone number.
Here's what happens:
1) Incoming calls will ring both lines. If you're on the phone on, that line will get call waiting...the other will ring. The line that answers first gets the call.
2) Outgoing calls on the two are completely independent and can happen simultaneously.
Again, this is available now. If it's not already active for you, just reboot your adapter and it'll pick up the new change. Please test this and let us know if you run into issues and how it works for you.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
For those that have it, does it look like two devices registered in vPanel now?
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
My vpanel still shows just 1 device. Can't try dial in yet; family sleeping. But the outbound seems to be stable. It did require a reboot. I had dial tone, but couldn't dial. After reboot, all was well.However, the reboot was freaky. After the normal stuff with lights, the 2nd and 3rd lights (WAN and LAN) continued to flash on and off for more than a minute. It finally stabilized. It appears to be all OK. I'll test more with incoming tomorrow. later... mike.....
P.S. I just read the other post about the firmware check on reboot. That's why this one took longer and went ape shit. No problems here. later... mike....
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
usa2k
For those that have it, does it look like two devices registered in vPanel now?
Yes, my vPanel shows 2 devices. Each with it's own port assigned.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
yes, after a couple of reboots (I've been doing too much testing); my vpanel does show 2 separate devices. 1 for each port. later... mike...
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Montano
Yes, my vPanel shows 2 devices. Each with it's own port assigned.
Yup, mine also shows 2 devices with separate ports.
212372xxxx
sip:212372xxxx@192.168.1.3:5062 2008-12-17 17:38:00 Grandstream HT-502 V1.1B 1.0.1.8 212372xxxx
sip:212372xxxx@192.168.1.3:5079 2008-12-17 17:37:59 Grandstream HT-502 V1.1B 1.0.1.8
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
So is anyone having problems with this?
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Not yet; but I will be going balls to the wall tonight testing it. later... mike...
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Working fine at my house.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
I rebooted and it looks like it is working great.
My question is if we have both lines going at the same time, are there any additional charges? If my wife is on line 1 and I want to make a call out on my cloned line 2, will I be charged for that 2nd call? It seems like I remember reading somewhere that 3-way calls were billed this way. When making another outbound 3-way call, the 2nd call was billed a per-minute rate. Maybe that wasn't VOIPo, I can't remember!
Scott
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
OK; here's a problem tim. Probably not with 99% of all people, but with my configuration, it IS a problem. So much so, that I would probably only use this clone feature as an OUTGOING LINE ONLY. I would NOT use it to answer calls. Ok, here's the deal.
The most basic of setups; NO PROBLEM. 1 phone in port 1 and a 2nd phone in port 2. Calls out simultaneously on both lines. Works fine. Incoming call; answer either phone and it's fine. Talking on one; incoming call; call waiting beep (I believe) and I can answer with the 2nd phone. ALL GOOD NO PROBLEM.
Advanced Setup: My port (line 1) is my standard line. I have it wired into my house wiring. I have 6 phones currently connected into the house wiring. I have had more, but currently just 6. All normal outgoing and incoming calls work fine. If I add the 2nd phone to port 2; all OUTGOING calls are still fine. I can have a call in progress on port 1, and make a 2nd call on port 2. HOWEVER; if during an incoming call, if I have the 2nd phone connected to port 2 and I try and answer an incoming call on that phone, I get dead air, the distant end continues to ring, and then the GS 502 reboots itself.
Again; OUTGOING is fine; but answering incoming on the 2nd port locks up the adapter. This ONLY happens when I have my house phones all connected to port 1 at the same time. If I only have 1 phone connected to port 1, no problem.
So, it's probably a current issue with the 502. We can't expect that little box to handle the type of line current that ma bell sends down the line. I will experiment to determine if it's a PARTICULAR phone on my house line, or just when it's "MORE THAN SO MANY" phones connected. I'll let you know.
On a side note; I assume that this is a feature that a person could have turned OFF if they wanted to. 1st: Not everyone has a need for it. 2nd: Some people, if they wanted a 2nd actual number/line would prefer that port 2 be used for that INSTEAD of having to have a 2nd adapter. Just an observation. Personally, based on our call usage, I really don't have a need for this feature. But it is definitely something that could be very useful to some people no doubt. Anyway, that's the issue I am having. Something you might want to jot down some place in case other have their adapter wired into their house wires and are using numerous phones. Also, part of my test will be to change around and have the single phone in port 1 and the 6 wired house phones in port 2. I'll let you know. later.... mike.....
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
scott2020
I rebooted and it looks like it is working great.
My question is if we have both lines going at the same time, are there any additional charges? If my wife is on line 1 and I want to make a call out on my cloned line 2, will I be charged for that 2nd call? It seems like I remember reading somewhere that 3-way calls were billed this way. When making another outbound 3-way call, the 2nd call was billed a per-minute rate. Maybe that wasn't VOIPo, I can't remember!
Scott
No additional billing.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
christcorp - This sounds like it's just running out of power with too much connected to it. Let me know how the switch goes.
Yes, we can activate a full line on Port 2 now as well. In the past we had to send out multiple ATAs because our system wasn't designed to handle 2 ports (made for 286), but now we can consolidate them provisioning wise with no issues.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
buckethead
Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.
Yes, it will.
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
buckethead
Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
VOIPoTim
Yes, it will.
That's interesting... The way I understood VT had implemented their 2-line feature, the second line had a completely different set of SIP credentials. If I understand what you're saying here, Tim, both lines operate on the same set of credentials, correct? Does this mean that one of us lucky few Beta users with Asterisk would have 4 channels available with the one registration? If not, would we simply create a second trunk line (each line having two channels) that connects on a different SIP port?
Re: Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line
Quote:
Originally Posted by
christcorp
After reboot, all was well.However, the reboot was freaky. After the normal stuff with lights, the 2nd and 3rd lights (WAN and LAN) continued to flash on and off for more than a minute. It finally stabilized. It appears to be all OK.
Ahh, yes -- we pushed out a firmware downgrade since GrandStream's latest firmware created some issues with call waiting -- the HT502's WAN and LAN LED's blink in unison while it's updating (or in this case, rolling back) firmware. ;-)
