At present I am forwarding all my incoming calls on pstn line out to my cell/mobile phone.
I don’t use followme yet, but a simple dial(DAHDI/2/7773333XXX) in dialplan.
It takes quite a while to route the call, and I got it into my head that I had read somewhere to use the # hash sign at the end of the number to dial. So I tried it and it knocked 4 seconds off the time-to-ring-mobile time.
I’ve seen the hash used at the end of followme statements but I’m wondering, am I right in thinking that the # hash sign tells asterisk or pstn device not to wait for any more user-entered digits and immediately dial the number? I seem to think I have read that somewhere but can’t recall.
If it isn’t for that, what is it for and why does it reduce the dial out time?
I’m not sure why in forwarding of a call a hash would matter.
But generally yes, a hash is used as a terminator. It depends on your equipment. For instance, a Voip phone will not know when you are done dialing. So you use a terminator to tell it or program in a local dialplan so that it will know what your numbers look like.
Ie, 2XXX is for extensions, when the phone receives 4 digits starting with a 2, then you are done dialing, the phone can automatically send.
Example of my local dial plan in my aastra phones.
[2,3,6]xxx|911|91xxxxxxxxxx|9[2-9]xxxxxx|9011x+#|0