Manually Answer Inbound POTS Before *

I just got my X101P FXO card working…thanks to the wonderful guru Bacon Buttie for all his helpful advice.

I hooked up my POTS line and the first inbound test call I made was answered immediately by the * server. Since I only have one SIP phone and it’s in my computer room, I was thinking of how I could answer a call if I was in the living room with only an analog phone plugged into the POTS outlet before * answers.

I want to be able to answer a call in my living room on a regular phone if I can get to it before the 4th ring, otherwise I’ll let * answer and take a message. I don’t have or plan to buy any ATA devices. The one SIP phone I have will be fine. If I do answer the call what will * then do. Will it give up or will it try to eventually answer the call?

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as long as Asterisk doesn’t actually answer, then once you pick the call up with your analogue phone, the ringing condition will stop and Asterisk is no longer interested.

remember that Asterisk/Zaptel on FXO seems to know nothing about lines being in use, so dialling out from Asterisk will happen regardless of whether someone is using the analogue device or not.

you’re very welcome to the advice/help :blush:

I’m going to test somethings now but I assume that I need to make * wait to answer like so:

[incoming]
exten => s,1,Wait,15
exten => s,2,Answer

I will have to test if 15 seconds is long enough to allow me to run from the shower to the extension in the bedroom, since everyone always waits until you’re in the shower to call… :smile:

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Alternatively, you could attempt to install a phone in your shower. I have been looking for waterproof phones for exactly this purpose but all I’ve found are pay phones or phones in waterproof boxes :frowning:

You could always just put your cordless phone in a ziplock bag. Don’t use the cheap ones though, get the good Yellow and Blue make Green GladLock bags! :laughing:

If I’m in the shower, I let * take the call. There isn’t many calls that are important enough to ruin my shower over! :smile: