Hunt Configuration
In the Hunt Configuration tab, Hunt Group Details includes the name of the group and the phone number assigned to it. To add a new Hunt Group or change a group's name or routing phone number, please contact Customer Support.
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Hunt Configuration Switch
Under Ring Strategy, you can see which option is currently enabled:
Line Hunt: Calls to the hunt group are following the line hunting configuration.
Forward: Calls to the hunt group are being forwarded using the code selected below. To change which forward code is enabled, select a different code and click [Save].
These tabs act as a switch that allows you to choose which setting is currently enabled for the hunt group. For example, if you want to turn off forwarding and enable line hunting, select the Line Hunt tab then click [Save], and the new setting will be applied immediately.
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Ring Strategy
To configure a hunt group, choose a ring strategy (Linear, Sequential, or Simultaneous) and then assign lines to the group. At least one line is required. Click [+ Add] to add another line to the configuration.
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Linear: Ring first available line
A linear configuration is meant to provide a solution commonly referred to as “Rollover Lines” in the telecommunications industry. The first line that is available (in service, not on a call) will ring for the time designated in the Unanswered Call Handling rules. Only one line will ring per call. Lines that are busy or out of service will be considered unavailable.
Use the arrows on the left to change the line order or click the X on the right to remove a line from the configuration.
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Sequential: Ring lines in order
In a sequential pattern, calls will ring each line in order until answered or the ring timeout is met. Lines that are busy or out of service will be skipped in the hunting sequence.
Each line has an individual timeout setting. For example, a business may want to have a front office to ring for 10 seconds and then allow the back office to ring for 20 seconds and so on. One ring is 6 seconds. The default timeout setting is 18 seconds per line (3 rings).
Add the lines and enter a timeout setting for each. A sequential configuration allows for a maximum of 20 line rules. A line can be added to the configuration more than once. Use the arrows on the left to change the order of the lines or click the X on the right to remove a line from the configuration.
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Total Ring Time
The Total Ring Time, which is the cumulative time set for all lines in the group, is listed under Unanswered Call Handling. The maximum total ring duration is 150 seconds (2.5 minutes). Lines that are busy or out of service will be skipped in the hunting sequence, resulting in a shorter total ring time.
Simultaneous: Ring all lines at the same time
All lines will ring at the same time, so the order of lines doesn’t matter. Lines that are busy or out of service will not ring. To remove a line, click the X to the right.
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Forward Strategy
When the Forward tab is selected, calls to the Hunt Group are being forwarded using the code selected below.
To change the active Forward Code, select a different code, and click [Save].
To add or modify a code, go to the Forward Code Management tab.
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Unanswered Call Handling
Unanswered Call Handling is where you set up the failover options that determine what happens when a call isn’t answered by any line in the group.
In a linear or simultaneous configuration, Unanswered Call Handling rules apply to any line that does not answer. If all lines are out of service, the call follows the Out of Service rule. If all lines are busy, the call follows the Busy rule.
In a sequential configuration, Unanswered Call Handling rules are determined by only the last line in the sequence. See how this works in the examples below.
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Total Ring Time
For a sequential configuration, the Total Ring Time is listed here. The maximum total ring duration is 150 seconds (2.5 minutes). Lines that are busy or out of service will be skipped in the hunting sequence, resulting in a shorter total ring time.
Failover Options
There are three failover types:
No Answer. Choose what happens when the call is not answered. For a linear or sequential configuration, also enter the number of seconds a call will ring before it times out. The default is 24 seconds (4 rings).
All Lines Busy. Choose what happens when all lines are busy. In a sequential configuration, this will apply if the last line in the sequence is busy.
Out of Service. Choose what happens when the last line is not registered. In a sequential configuration, this will apply if the last line in the sequence.
Each failover type can be set to one of the following settings:
Busy Tone. The caller will hear a busy tone.
Forward to. Enter a phone number for calls to be forwarded to. When forwarding calls, hunt groups use the account's calling plan.
Send to Voicemail. Choose an existing voicemail box or to create and use a new one.
Once saved, the settings are immediately applied to the hunt group.
Sequential Ring Scenarios
In a sequential configuration, Unanswered Call Handling is dependent on the status of the last line in the sequence. This is different from the other configuration types, in which Unanswered Call Handling will be applied to any line that does not answer.
To explain how this works, a few call scenarios are outlined below using the following hunt group configuration. In each scenario, Line 3 is the last line.
Settings
Hunt Configuration
| Unanswered Call Handling
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Results
Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
All Lines: Available | A new call will ring Line 1 for 18 seconds, line 2 for 18 seconds, then line 3 for 18 seconds. If Line 3 does not answer, the caller will hear a busy tone. |
All Lines: Out of Service | Because Line 3 is out of service, a new call will be immediately forwarded to the specified number. |
All Lines: Busy | Because Line 3 is busy, a new call will be immediately sent to voicemail. |
Line 1: Busy (on a call) Line 2: Out of Service Line 3: Available | A new call will ring Line 3 for 18 seconds. If Line 3 does not answer, the caller will hear a busy tone. |
Line 1: Available Line 2: Available Line 3: Busy (on a call) | A new call will ring Line 1 for 18 seconds, then Line 2 for 18 seconds. Then, because Line 3 is busy, the call will be sent to voicemail. |
Line 1: Busy (on a call) Line 2: Available Line 3: Out of Service | A new call will ring Line 2 for 18 seconds. Then, because Line 3 is out of service, the call will be forwarded to the specified number. |
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