Alcatel Unleashed

Does any of you have integrated an Alcatel 4400 with asterisk? Not only with call routing, but also with the callerid's being passed from one to the other? and what about callbacks?
I've tried doing it with an ISDN or QSIG trunk, but with no success (only the call routing is working)....

Can someone give me any help?

For me (using basic ISDN) caller id works but with a couple of issues. Caller id number comes across but not name, though I can see the name in the trace.

Secondly, when the Alcatel system receives the number from Asterisk it puts a 0 at the beginning of it, so an Asterisk extension 555 will show up on an Alcatel phone as 0555. I'm not sure where that comes from.

How did you get QSIG working, did you have to do anything different to how you set up ISDN, besides changing the type of the trunk?

No, I changed 3/4 parameters on the 4400 but didn't noticed any improvement...

I receive the name and number too on the trace, but have the same problem: only the number is shown, even with the names configured in the abbreviated numbers...

Any more help is welcome

a)
The "0" problem comes somewhere from asterisk it self. It've the same issues with asterisk and any Telco or Asterisk w/ 4400 or OXE or even Chorus (5.0 Ux 4400).

b) Caller ID on PRI link will be only with numbers. Names are sent through but are not even considered. It comes from some ITU norm/recomendation.

Maybe you could share ISDN+QSIG configuration for asterisk and 4400/oxe ?

That 0 in front of the number is because you have in the Translator/External numbering scheme/External Callback Translator something like this:

Basic Number: DEF
Nb. of digits to be removed: 0
Digits to add: 00

For Alcatel to display the name for the number received, you have to check in the Phone Book if the link bettwen number and anme is created when you create abbreviated number. If it is not, you must create it manually.

To enable Caller ID NAME display go to:
System
---> Other System Param.
-------> External Signalling Parameters
and check <b>Calling Name Presentation</b> option.

This helped in my situation. Caller ID num along with NAME are displayed and it works both ways (Asterisk -> Alcatel; Alcatel -> Asterisk).

In 4760.2.1.15.01 firmware version there is another possibility (a BUG) to display the name, though no CID number is displayed (This works only Asterisk->Alcatel):
in Asterisk set caller id num to some invalid value, i.e.: Set(CALLERID(num))=foobar;
Now Alcatel will try to display <i>anything</i> it can so the CID NAME will be shown.

Ok,

to sum it up:

my ivr-like connection works, for some time like year in production.

Advantages are:
+ low cost of IVR software, comparing to CCivr (it's 4025/4015? or what?) i've got webservices for auth against external system via the Internet acros half a country.
+ cards w/ 4 E1/PRI are like USD 1000 or less, with one PRI from USD 350-400, dialogic is more expensive.
+ integration is done via callerid, so it's easy-to-do, i've tested 20-digit numbers
+ no need for CSTA-licensing
+ fax2email is done very easilly hint: hylafax
+ easy to write some managment tools in php/www ivr tree is stored in SQL (mysql, postgressql or any ODBC)
+ voiceguides are in any format wav, mp3, .au

Disadvantages
- no QSIG ( or i don't know how to use it)
- i use 2 B-channels and "call tromboning", or don't know how to 2BCT or ECN
- no CSTA link, means olny callerid changes, no CSTA-attached-data

Main + is "low cost" and great posibilities, main '-' is that the integration is done only via callerid, and IVR uses 2 channels and tromboning.