Route Identification:

• Route Name: Clear, descriptive identifier
• Include call type and restrictions
• Use consistent naming convention

Naming Examples:

• Local-Calls-All-Users
• Long-Distance-Managers-Only
• International-Executives
• Toll-Free-Sales-Team
• Emergency-911-All-Users

Route Documentation:

Add detailed information:

• Purpose of the route
• Which departments/users can access
• Cost implications
• Special restrictions or requirements

Example Description:

Local calls within area code 555. Available to all users.
No cost restrictions. Uses primary trunk with automatic
failover to backup trunk. Updated: 2025-11-01

Enable/Disable Route:

• Enabled: Route is active and processing calls
• Disabled: Route is ignored (calls may match other routes or fail)

Use Cases for Disabling:

• Testing new route configuration
• Temporarily blocking call types (cost control)
• Troubleshooting routing issues
• Scheduled maintenance

Pattern Matching Characters:

• X: Matches any digit 0-9
• Z: Matches any digit 1-9
• N: Matches any digit 2-9
• . (dot): Matches any sequence of characters
• !: Matches immediately (no additional digits)
• [ ]: Matches one of the digits inside brackets
• [^]: Matches anything except digits inside brackets

Pattern Matching Rules:

• Patterns are matched left to right
• Longest match wins
• More specific patterns should have higher priority
• Users can dial additional digits after pattern match

Standard Dial Patterns:

Emergency (US):

• 911! - Emergency services (immediate dial)

Local 7-Digit (US):

• NXXXXXX - 7-digit local calling

Local 10-Digit (US):

• NXXNXXXXXX - 10-digit local
• Can't start with 0 or 1

Long Distance (US):

• 1NXXNXXXXXX - 1 + 10 digits
• North American long distance

International:

• 011. - International prefix + any digits (US)
• 00. - International prefix (Europe)
• +. - Plus format international

Toll-Free (US):

• 1800NXXXXXX - 800 numbers
• 1888NXXXXXX - 888 numbers
• 1877NXXXXXX - 877 numbers
• 1866NXXXXXX - 866 numbers
• 1855NXXXXXX - 855 numbers
• 1844NXXXXXX - 844 numbers
• 1833NXXXXXX - 833 numbers

Number Manipulation:

Strip Digits: Remove leading digits before sending to trunk

• Strip 1 digit: Remove international prefix user dialed
• Strip 0 digits: Send number as-is

Prepend Digits: Add digits before sending to trunk

• Prepend 1: Add "1" for long distance
• Prepend 011: Add international prefix
• Prepend nothing: Send number as-is

Why Manipulate Numbers?

• Match provider expectations
• Convert between dialing formats
• Add required prefixes
• Normalize number format

Example Transformations:

User dials: 911
Strip: 0, Prepend: (none)
Sent to trunk: 911

User dials: 5551234
Strip: 0, Prepend: 555
Sent to trunk: 5555551234

User dials: 15551234567
Strip: 1, Prepend: (none)
Sent to trunk: 5551234567

User dials: 005551234567 (intl)
Strip: 2, Prepend: +
Sent to trunk: +5551234567

Real-World Pattern Examples:

Pattern 1: Emergency

Pattern: 911!
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Result: 911 sent immediately to trunk
Priority: Highest (1)

Pattern 2: Local 7-Digit

Pattern: NXXXXXX
Strip: 0
Prepend: 555 (area code)
Result: User dials 1234567, trunk receives 5551234567
Use Case: Add area code to local calls

Pattern 3: Local 10-Digit

Pattern: NXXNXXXXXX
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Result: Send as dialed
Use Case: Standard local calling

Pattern 4: Long Distance

Pattern: 1NXXNXXXXXX
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Result: Send with "1" prefix
Use Case: US/Canada long distance

Pattern 5: International (US Format)

Pattern: 011.
Strip: 3 (remove "011")
Prepend: + (add plus format)
Result: User dials 0115551234567, trunk receives +5551234567
Use Case: Convert to E.164 format

Pattern 6: International (Plus Format)

Pattern: +.
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Result: Send as dialed
Use Case: Already in E.164 format

Pattern 7: Toll-Free

Pattern: 1[2-9]XXXXXX (matches 1800, 1888, etc.)
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Result: Send with "1" prefix
Use Case: All toll-free prefixes

Single Trunk Configuration:

Select one trunk for this route:

• Trunk: Choose from configured trunks
• All calls use this trunk
• Simplest configuration

Use Cases:

• Single provider setup
• Dedicated trunk for call type (local, international)
• Testing new trunk
• Provider-specific routing

Multi-Trunk Configuration:

Select multiple trunks in order of preference:

1. Primary Trunk: First choice
2. Secondary Trunk: Backup if primary fails
3. Tertiary Trunk: Second backup
4. Additional trunks as needed

Selection Order:

• Drag trunks to reorder
• Top trunk tried first
• Falls to next trunk on failure
• Continues until call succeeds or all trunks exhausted

Benefits:

• High availability
• Automatic failover
• No manual intervention needed
• Reduced downtime

Automatic Failover:

How Failover Works:

1. Call attempts on primary trunk
2. If primary fails (busy, down, error), tries secondary
3. If secondary fails, tries tertiary
4. Continues through trunk list
5. Returns error if all trunks fail

Failure Conditions:

• Trunk not registered
• All channels busy
• Provider error
• Network timeout
• Invalid credentials

Failover Speed:

• Typically 2-5 seconds between attempts
• Caller experiences brief pause
• Transparent to user in most cases

Testing Failover:

• Disable primary trunk
• Make test call
• Verify routes through secondary
• Re-enable primary trunk
• Confirm returns to primary

Distribute Calls Across Trunks:

Why Load Balance?

• Maximize capacity
• Prevent single trunk overload
• Better cost distribution
• Improved reliability

Load Balancing Strategies:

Strategy 1: Sequential (Default)

• Use primary until full
• Overflow to secondary
• Best for different providers/costs

Strategy 2: Round Robin

• Rotate between trunks equally
• Distribute load evenly
• Best for identical trunks

Strategy 3: Weighted

• More calls to higher-capacity trunks
• Example: 70% trunk A, 30% trunk B
• Requires custom configuration

Example Setup:

Trunk A: 10 channels (primary)
Trunk B: 10 channels (secondary)
Total capacity: 20 concurrent calls
Failover: Automatic if either trunk fails

Grant Access to All Users:

• Permission: All Extensions
• Every extension can use this route
• No restrictions

Best For:

• Local calls
• Emergency calls (911)
• Toll-free calls
• Internal network calls

Example Routes:

• Emergency services (911)
• Local 10-digit calls
• Company toll-free numbers
• Frequently called business numbers

Grant Access to Selected Users:

• Permission: Selected Extensions
• Choose specific extensions from list
• Granular control

Use Cases:

• International calling (executives only)
• Long distance (managers)
• Premium numbers (accounting)
• Mobile calls (sales team)

Configuration:

1. Select "Specific Extensions" permission
2. Choose extensions from list
3. Multi-select for multiple users
4. Save permissions

Example:

Route: International-Calls
Dial Pattern: 011.
Permitted Extensions:
- Extension 1000 (CEO)
- Extension 1001 (CFO)
- Extension 1100 (Sales Manager)
- Extension 1101 (International Sales Rep)

Grant Access by Group:

• Permission: Extension Groups
• Assign permissions to user groups
• Easier management for large organizations

Group Types:

• Department (Sales, Support, HR)
• Role (Manager, Staff, Executive)
• Location (HQ, Branch Office)
• Custom groups

Benefits:

• Easier permission management
• Consistent role-based access
• Fewer permission changes when users move
• Scales better for large organizations

Example Structure:

Group: Executives
Route Access: All routes (local, long distance, international)

Group: Managers
Route Access: Local, long distance, select international

Group: Staff
Route Access: Local, toll-free only

Group: Sales-Team
Route Access: Local, long distance, mobile numbers

Time-Based Route Access:

Control when routes are available:

Business Hours Only:

• Route available Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 6 PM
• Prevents after-hours toll abuse
• Reduces fraud risk

After Hours:

• Emergency calls only after hours
• Limited calling outside business hours
• On-call staff exceptions

Day-Specific:

• Reduced access on weekends
• Holiday restrictions
• Shift-based permissions

Example Configurations:

Route: Long-Distance-Business-Hours
Dial Pattern: 1NXXNXXXXXX
Time: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Outside Hours: Route disabled or different route active

Route: Emergency-24x7
Dial Pattern: 911!
Time: Always enabled
No restrictions

Route Priority:

Determines which route is checked first when multiple routes could match:

• Priority 1: Highest priority, checked first
• Priority 2-9: Checked in order
• Priority 10+: Lower priority routes
• No Priority/Last: Checked last

How Priority Works:

1. User dials number
2. System checks routes in priority order
3. First route with matching dial pattern wins
4. Permission check occurs
5. Call routed through matched route
6. No further routes checked

Priority Structure:

Priority 1-2: Emergency & Special

• 911/999/112 emergency
• Special service numbers
• Company-specific numbers
• Highest priority, exact matches

Priority 3-5: Specific Patterns

• Toll-free (1800, etc.)
• Local 7-digit with area code prepend
• Specific geographic patterns
• Mobile prefixes

Priority 6-10: General Patterns

• Local 10-digit (NXXNXXXXXX)
• Long distance (1NXXNXXXXXX)
• Common calling patterns

Priority 20+: International

• International calling (011., 00., +.)
• Premium numbers
• Expensive call types
• Least restrictive patterns

Priority 99: Catch-All (if used)

• Pattern: `. (dot matches all)
• Last resort routing
• Default handling

Example Priority Structure:

Priority 1: 911! → Emergency trunk
Priority 2: 1800NXXXXXX → Toll-free trunk
Priority 3: NXXXXXX → Local (prepend area code)
Priority 5: NXXNXXXXXX → Local 10-digit
Priority 7: 1NXXNXXXXXX → Long distance
Priority 15: 011. → International

Priority Best Practices:

1. Emergency First: Always highest priority
2. Specific Before General: Exact patterns before wildcards
3. Local Before Long Distance: Lower cost routes first
4. International Last: Expensive routes lowest priority
5. Gap Numbering: Use 1, 5, 10, 15 to allow insertions

Why Gap Numbering?

Priority: 1, 5, 10, 15 (not 1, 2, 3, 4)
Benefit: Can insert Priority 3 later without renumbering all routes

Common Mistakes:

• ❌ International pattern higher priority than local
• ❌ Wildcard pattern blocks specific patterns
• ❌ No emergency route or wrong priority
• ❌ Overlapping patterns with wrong priority
• ❌ Catch-all route too high in priority

Verification:

• Document priority structure
• Test each pattern with actual numbers
• Review call logs for unexpected route usage
• Audit quarterly

Outbound Caller ID Override:

Control what caller ID is sent on this route:

Options:

• Default: Use trunk's default caller ID
• Extension's DOD: Use extension's configured outbound caller ID
• Route-Specific: Override with specific number for this route
• Dynamic: Select from available DIDs

Use Cases:

Route-Specific Caller ID:

Route: International-Calls
Caller ID: +15551234567 (main office number)
Reason: Show consistent caller ID for all international calls

Department Caller ID:

Route: Sales-Team-Outbound
Caller ID: +15551234570 (sales department line)
Reason: Sales team shows department number

Extension DOD:

Route: Manager-Long-Distance
Caller ID: Use extension's configured DOD
Reason: Managers show their direct lines

Automatic Route Recording:

Enable recording for all calls on this route:

Configuration:

• Enable Recording: Yes/No
• Announcement: Play "call may be recorded" (legal requirement)
• Both Directions: Record both parties
• Storage: Local or cloud

Use Cases:

• Compliance (financial, medical)
• Quality assurance
• Training purposes
• Dispute resolution
• Sales verification

Legal Considerations:

• Check local laws (one-party vs two-party consent)
• Play announcement if required
• Document retention policy
• Secure storage
• Access controls

Call Accounting & Cost Tracking:

Track costs and usage per route:

Configuration:

• Cost per Minute: Rate for this route
• Cost Center: Department/project code
• Billing Code: For chargeback purposes

Reporting:

• Total minutes per route
• Cost per department
• Usage trends
• Budget tracking
• Chargeback reports

Use Cases:

• Department cost allocation
• Project billing
• Usage monitoring
• Budget management
• Fraud detection

Example:

Route: Local-Calls
Cost: $0.01/minute
Cost Center: General

Route: International-Calls
Cost: $0.15/minute
Cost Center: Sales-Department

Reports show:
- Sales: 500 minutes international = $75
- Support: 100 minutes international = $15
- Total international: $90

Additional Number Manipulation:

Advanced strip/prepend options:

Prefix:

• Add digits before number
• Different from general prepend
• Route-specific manipulation

Suffix:

• Add digits after number
• Special provider requirements
• Rarely used

Custom Manipulation:

• Regular expressions
• Complex number rewrites
• Provider-specific formats

Example Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Provider Prefix

Pattern: NXXNXXXXXX
Strip: 0
Prepend: (none)
Prefix: 9 (provider requires "9" for outside line)
Result: User dials 5551234567, trunk receives 95551234567

Scenario 2: Account Code

Pattern: 1NXXNXXXXXX
Prefix: *123* (account code)
Result: *123*15551234567 (for billing tracking)