Set up an Outbound Route

An outbound route decides two things every time a user dials an external number: whether the call is allowed out at all, and which trunk carries it. A trunk is the connection between your phone system and your service provider that carries calls to and from the outside world. Until at least one outbound route exists, no extension can place an external call.

Cloud Voice ships with a built-in outbound route whose dial pattern is X.. That pattern matches any dialed number, so out of the box every extension can call any external number. You can leave this route in place, or delete it and build your own routes that spell out exactly which numbers, trunks, users, and hours are allowed.

Caution

If you delete the built-in X. route without adding a replacement that matches the numbers your users dial, outbound calling stops for everyone. Add and test the new route first, then remove the default one.

Before you begin

Make sure you have at least one trunk configured for outbound calling. Without a trunk, the route has nothing to send calls over.

Add the outbound route

1. Sign in to the PBX (Private Branch Exchange, your phone system) web portal and go to Call Control > Outbound Route, then click Add.

2. Under General, fill in the following:

   • Name: A label that helps you recognize this route later.
   • Outbound Caller ID: Optional. Caller ID (caller identification) is the number the called party sees. Every trunk already carries a main caller ID, and that number is what the called party normally sees. Entering a value here replaces the trunk’s main caller ID for calls that use this route. For background on the different caller ID types, see Caller ID Overview.

   Caution

   Only set an Outbound Caller ID if your trunk provider supports caller ID override. If the provider does not, calls placed through the route may fail to connect, or the caller ID simply will not be replaced.

3. Under Dial Pattern, define the rules that determine which dialed numbers this route handles and how those numbers are rewritten before dialing:

   1. Click Add.
   2. Configure the pattern:
      • Pattern: The rule used to match dialed numbers. A call only travels through this route when the number the user dials matches this pattern.
      • Strip: Optional. The number of digits to remove from the front of the dialed number.
      • Prepend: Optional. Digits to insert at the front of the dialed number.
   3. Repeat the steps above to add any additional patterns this route should match.

   Tip

   In a dial pattern, X stands for any single digit and . matches the remaining digits, so X. matches any number a user dials. Use Strip and Prepend together to reshape numbers before they leave the system. For example, if users dial a leading 9 to reach an outside line, set Strip to 1 so the 9 is removed before the call goes out.

4. Under Trunk, choose the trunk or trunks that carry calls for this route:

   1. Move one or more trunks from the Available box into the Selected box.
   2. Optional: When you select more than one trunk, decide the order in which they are tried:
      • Default trunk sequence: Use the move-to-top , move-up , move-down , and move-to-bottom buttons next to the Selected box to arrange the trunks. The system works down the list from top to bottom, picking the first idle trunk (a trunk not currently carrying a call) to place the call.
      • Rrmemory Hunt: When this option is selected (the label is spelled exactly as shown, short for round-robin memory), the system remembers the trunk it used last and moves on to the next idle trunk for the following call, rather than always starting from the top. This spreads calls more evenly across your trunks.
   3. To restrict who can dial out on this route, set the Outbound Route Password:
      • Disable: No password is needed to call out.
      • Single PIN: One shared PIN (Personal Identification Number). Every user enters the same code before an outbound call goes through.
      • PIN List: A predefined list of codes. A user must enter a code from the list before the call connects. Typically each user is assigned their own PIN; see Add a PIN List for details.

   Caution

   Leaving the Outbound Route Password set to Disable on a route that can reach long-distance, international, or premium-rate numbers exposes you to toll fraud if an extension or device is ever compromised. Require a Single PIN or a PIN List on any route that can place billable external calls.

5. Choose who can use the route. In the Extension/Extension Group section, move extensions, extension groups, or organizations from the Available box into the Selected box.

   Note

   • Organizations appear here only when the Organization Management feature is turned on.
   • Selecting an organization also selects its sub-organizations by default, so review your choices carefully.

6. Optional: Under Time Condition, use the Available Time drop-down to set when the route can be used:

   • Always: Allowed extension users can use the route at any time.
   • Based on Business Hours Configured for the Time Zone: Allow or block the route separately during each of these periods:
     • Business Hours: The Business Hours defined for the chosen time zone.
     • Holidays: The Holidays defined for the chosen time zone.
     • Outside Business Hours: Any time in that time zone that is neither Business Hours nor Holidays.
   • Based on Custom Business Hours: Define your own business hours against the system’s default time zone, then allow or block the route during:
     • Business Hours: The custom hours you set.
     • Holidays: The Holidays defined for the system’s default time zone.
     • Outside Business Hours: Any time that is neither your custom hours nor a holiday for the default time zone.
   • Based on Custom Time Periods: Define one or more time periods for the route against the system’s default time zone. You can also choose whether the route is available during the Holidays set for the default time zone.

   Danger

   Dial patterns, PINs, and time conditions can all stop a call from going out. Make sure emergency numbers (such as 911) can always route out: do not hide them behind a PIN, do not limit them to Business Hours, and confirm a route and pattern exist that match them at all times. A user who cannot reach 911 in an emergency is a life-safety risk.

7. Click Save, then Apply.

   Caution

   Clicking Save stores the route but does not put it into service. The route only takes effect after you click Apply. Until you Apply, calls keep following the old routing.

What to do next

Once the route is saved, review where it sits in your list of outbound routes and adjust its priority if needed, so the system matches calls to the right route. See Adjust priority of outbound routes.