EZ ADVANTAGE EZ ANSWER User manual


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EZ Answer
EZ ADVANTAGE CORP.,
221, Broad Street
MILFORD, CT-06460
U.S.A.
USER MANUAL
EZ Answer
EZ Director
2 PORT AUTO ATTENDANT

EZ Answer
EZ ADVANTAGE CORP.,
221, Broad Street
MILFORD, CT-06460
U.S.A.
EZ ANSWER User Manual
Fourth Edition
Version
Copyright 2004 EZ ADVANTAGE CORP.
All Rights Reserved
September 2004
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Table of Contents
General Features
Installation
Connection Diagram
Functional Check
Operating Basics
Programming the Unit
General Programming Rules
List of available programs
EZ Director
Trouble-shooting Guide
ANNEXURE - A
PROGRAM SHEET
WARRANTY SUMMARY
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General Features
The EZ ANSWER is a 1 Port / 2 Port Auto Attendant with 40
seconds of default messages on each port and 200 seconds of
voice recording space available to the user. The EZ DIRECTOR
has 46 seconds of default messages, 50 seconds of main
greeting and an additional recording space of 380 seconds for
voice menus.
The EZ ANSWER has an Overflow Relay Pick up facility, to pick
up and answer calls that go un-answered at the Operator
Console.
The EZ ANSWER also has a music input. While recording the
main greeting, a music source may be connected through this
input, to have background music while the main greeting is
played back.
Status lamps show the current operating status of the unit.
When the EZ ANSWER is powered on, the green colored POWER
lamp blinks a few times rapidly, glows steady for 1 second and
then flashes on-off, indicating normal operation. The OFF HOOK
lamp starts glowing as soon as an incoming call is answered and
remains on as long as that port is off-hook. The PLAY and
RECORD lamps glow while the port is playing back or recording a
voice message, respectively.
The 1 port and 2 port units are identical in all respects except for
one additional program available in the 2 port units.
A standard USOC RJ11 phone jack is used to connect the EZ
ANSWER to the property's PBX as an extension. The power
input is through a DC power socket and the unit will work reliably
for any ac or dc input voltages in the range of 9 to 15 volts.
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The EZ ANSWER may be wall mounted or kept on the tabletop.
The unit has wall-mounting eyelets on the bottom of the unit,
centered on 3.0 inch spacing.
The EZ ANSWER has a Volume Level adjust control on the rear
panel of the unit, for adjusting the output level of the voice
message played back to the caller. The control is common for
both the ports.
The EZ ANSWER does not need any batteries to retain its VOICE
MESSAGES or the Program Parameters, since both are stored in
Non-volatile memory.
The EZ ANSWER is a Plug-n-play product, which can be put to
use with a minimum of programming. It comes with default
parameters and default voice messages programmed in the unit,
which will be adequate for most installations. At some places,
the extension lengths and hook flash timings may need to be
programmed to get the unit to work properly,
The EZ ANSWER is completely remote programmable.
Installation
Unpack the unit from its shipping carton and check that all the
materials have been received in good condition. Any damages or
shortfalls must be reported immediately to the distributor from
whom the purchase was made.
Your EZ ANSWER shipping carton must contain :
The EZ ANSWER Auto Attendant
User Manual
Wall Adapter
Modular cable(s)
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Select a suitable location for the EZ ANSWER to be placed - it
may be wall mounted or kept on the tabletop. A suitable location
should have one or two phone extension sockets and a power
socket close by, should be easily accessible for any service or
maintenance work.
Plug in the Wall Power adapter into the Power socket and insert
the other end into the Power input connector on the EZ
ANSWER. Switch on the power to the unit. The Power lamp on
the unit should flash rapidly for about 2 seconds, then remain
steady for a second and then continue to flash once a second,
indicating that it is now in normal operation.
Insert the modular connector in the line jack on the unit and
insert the other end into the wall extension socket for both the
ports. Sometimes, when the power is first applied or when the
phone cord is inserted, the Power lamp may glow steadily for
about 5 seconds before returning to the slow On-Off flashing
state. This is normal and need not cause any concern.
If the OVER FLOW pickup function is also to be used, these
connections from the PBX will need to be brought to the EZ
ANSWER's location.
On the Two-port Auto Attendant, the Overflow inputs are
common to both the ports. However, to avoid both ports picking
up the Overflow call at the same time, Port 2 is programmed to
wait for one relay closure more than Port 1. For example, if 5 is
the `number of closures' programmed under program #210,
Port 1 will pick up the call after 5 closures. If Port 1 is busy
answering a call, Port 2 will pick up the call after total of 6 relay
closures.
You are now ready to do a Functional Check of the unit and then
put it into operation.
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Functional Check
After the Installation has been completed satisfactorily, you will
need to carry out a few preliminary checks, before putting the
unit into operation.
If you are looking at the EZ ANSWER while you are running the
functional check, it will be very easy to solve any problems that
may be encountered as well as understand the programming
methods.
You will need another extension from which you can call into the
EZ ANSWER to go through the functional check. Ascertain the
extension number of the EZ ANSWER and call into it from the
second extension. The unit should pick up the call after the
second ring and start playing the main greeting.
If the EZ ANSWER does not pick up the call by the second ring -
observe whether the Power lamp on the unit is steady or flashing.
If it is still flashing, it means that the unit is not getting any RING
signal. Check the extension into which the EZ ANSWER is
plugged in - may be the extension is faulty or you may be calling
some other extension number.
If the Power lamp is steady, wait for at least 16 rings - if the unit
picks up the call before 16 rings, it may be, because, the
parameters were changed while testing prior to dispatch. If the
unit does not pick up the call even after 16 rings, most likely, the
ringing signal received from the PBX is faulty.
Once the unit picks up and answers the call, listen to the voice
message and adjust the output level if necessary. The Volume
adjust control is located at the bottom of the unit. As long as the
unit remains off hook, the OFF HOOK lamp will be glowing
steadily. Whenever the unit is playing a voice message, the PLAY
lamp on the unit will be glowing.
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Go into the programming mode and run program #999 to set all
default values. Change the Extension Length (program # 204)
to the desired value and exit programming mode.
Now call into the EZ ANSWER and dial an extension number
while the unit is playing the main greeting or during the 5-
second's silence after the greeting message. Confirm that the
unit transferred the call to the extensions that you had dialed.
If these basic functions worked properly, go into programming
mode and set all the other parameters to suit your site.
To check the OVERFLOW pickup function (without connecting to
the PBX), take a piece of wire and lightly touch the two terminals
a few times - observe the Power lamp stop flashing, the Off-hook
lamp coming on and then the Play lamp start to glow. This
indicates that the unit has picked up the call.
Most of the common problems are listed at the end of this
manual along with the possible causes and remedies. If you
faced any problem during the basic functional check, look
through the Trouble-shooting guide before calling for Tech
support.
Operating Basics
The EZ ANSWER is a 1 port / 2 port Auto Attendant with several
built in facilities. To make the best use of these features, it is
necessary to understand the working of the unit as well as some
features of your PBX and the site where it is being installed.
The default parameters have been designed to work straight
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away for most of the installations. However, there may be some
problems in some sites. Although the user is permitted to record
the main greeting message, (on a Generic Voice module) it must
be noted that, the default main greeting, once recorded
over, cannot be retrieved. If the user tries to record the main
greeting in a Custom voice module through program #104, the
unit will prompt with the message This entry is invalid.
The Hook Flash duration and the Delay after Hook flash are two
parameters, which need to be programmed properly before the
unit can function correctly.
The unit will accept any digits that are dialed while the main
greeting is being played. If no digits are dialed till the main
greeting is over, the unit will wait for 5 seconds before
transferring call to the operator.
A call routed normally by the PBX to the EZ ANSWER will have a
higher priority over the Overflow Pickup call. And hence, if a
normal call comes in while the unit is waiting for the requisite
number of Overflow relay closures, it will abandon the Overflow
call and answer the normal call.
It is suggested that the users familiarize themselves with the
programming of the unit and then change the default password
so that unauthorized changes of the parameters will be avoided.
The 2 port unit can function as 2 individual ports (totally
independent of each other) or as a common 2 port unit.
In the `individual' mode of operation, the two ports are not
linked together in any way except to be physically packaged into
one unit. Each of the two ports may be programmed with a
separate set of program parameters; different main greeting
messages and also be connected two different PBXs.
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In the `common' mode of operation, when one port goes into
the programming mode, it will signal the other port, which will
then terminate all activities. If it is in the middle of answering a
call, it will disconnect the caller - and both ports will remain in
the programming mode, till the caller exits from the
programming mode. Here, all the program parameters are
common between the two ports.
Programming the Unit
The EZ ANSWER Auto Attendant is shipped from the factory
with default settings, which should be good enough to work in
most installations. However, some site-specific parameters may
need to be programmed, before the unit is put into operation.
The available programs along with the valid input parameters
and the defaults already programmed in the unit are given on
Page 14.
The unit has a built in set of voice prompts, which are used to
guide the user during programming and also to ascertain the
currently programmed values in the system.
The unit is fully remote programmable. The user can
program and check all of the values as well as record the main
greeting, from any remote location, by calling into the unit from
a standard touch tone phone instrument.
To enter the Programming Mode:
Call in to the EZ ANSWER by dialing the extension to which it is
connected. The unit will pick up the call and start playing the
main greeting. At any time while the main greeting is being
played, or during the 5 second silence after the main greeting is
over, press the `star' key (*) to enter the Programming mode.
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As soon as *is pressed, the main greeting will stop playing. Now,
enter the 5 digit password followed by the `pound' (#) key. The
default password is 12345.
If the password is valid, the unit will prompt you with the
message Enter Program Number. If the password is invalid,
you will hear the message This entry is invalid and the unit
returns to the main greeting.
Press 12345# to enter programming mode.
Press ### to exit programming mode.
Normally, a single # is enough to take you out of the
programming mode. However, ### is guaranteed to take you
back to the main greeting.
General Programming Rules
All the digits for the program number and the values for that
program should be entered one after the other - except for
program numbers 107, 109 and 207.
If the unit responds with the message This entry is invalid, it
means that either you entered a program number which does
not exist or that the parameters for that program are invalid /
out of range.
If a digit is input while the unit is playing a voice prompt, the
voice prompt will be terminated and the unit will wait for further
inputs. Hence, until the user is familiar with the programming
methodology, it is recommended that the user wait for the voice
prompts to finish playing fully before proceeding with the next
program inputs.
Some programs require a variable number of digits to be
entered, while the rest of the programs require a fixed number
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of digits to be entered. Where a variable length entry is
permitted, if less than the maximum number of digits permitted
for that program are entered, the # key is used to terminate the
entry sequence.
For the fixed length entry programs, the unit will start
processing the entered digits as soon as all the digits are entered.
The # key is not to be used for terminating the entry
sequence for these programs.
If no digits are input for 60 seconds, the unit will time-out and
exit from the programming mode.
On successful completion of a program, the old values will be
overwritten with the new values in the unit's non-volatile
memory and will come into effect after exiting from the
programming mode. The unit may take about 1 second to write
the values in the non-volatile memory. If more than 1 digit is
entered during this period, it will lead to an error or unexpected
consequences.
Hence, if you are using a butt set to program the unit, it is
advisable to wait for at least 1 second before continuing with the
next program.
The values that are currently programmed in the system may
also be ascertained by `listening' to the values prompted by the
system. The # key is not prompted since it is used to terminate
an entry.
After the programming is over and the user exits the
programming mode by pressing ###, the unit will start
playing the main greeting and the user can now transfer
to another extension or test the parameters that were
just programmed.
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List of available programs
Program
#Program description Default
value
101 / 141
102 / 142
103 / 143
104 / 144
105 / 145
106 / 146
107 / 147
108
109 / 149
110 / 150
201 / 241
202 / 242
203 / 243
204 / 244
205 / 245
206 / 246
207 / 247
208
209 / 249
210 / 250
211 / 251
300 – 321
999
Change the existing password
Set the hook flash timing
Transfer type selection
Record main greeting
Operator extensions
Invalid leading digits
Valid extension list
Delete valid extension
Single digit dialing plan
Fax extensions
Conflict timer
Number of rings to pick up
Off hook to Message delay
Extension length
Delay after hook flash
No. of rings for no answer
Invalid extension list
Delete invalid extension
Overflow relay pick up code
Reroute on busy extension
Operation mode
Listen to default messages
Set all default values
12345
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0
-
0
56789
-
-
-
-
2
1
5
3
2
5
-
-
5*67
-
0
-
-
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Program # 101:
To program a new 5 digit password -
Enter 101 nnnnn.
`nnnnn' is the new password that you want to set. The password
may include * but not # as a digit.
Length of entry = fixed 5 digits
Default password = 12345
Program # 141:
To listen to the currently programmed password
You will hear:
“ One Four One (0.6 sec silence) One Two Three Four Five”
Program # 102:
To program the Hook flash duration -
The hook flash duration is programmable in steps of 50 msec
(0.05 sec) from 0 to 2.45 seconds.
Enter 102 nn.
Range for `nn' = 0to 49
Hook flash duration = nn x 0.05 sec
If `nn' = 0, then no hook flash will take place.
Default value = 13 (650 ms)
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Length of entry = fixed 2 digits
Program # 142:
To listen to the currently programmed value for the Hook flash
duration,
You will hear: “ One Four Two (0.6 sec silence) One Three”
Program # 103:
To select the TRANSFER TYPE
EZ ANSWER Supports 3 types of transferring an incoming call.
Type 0 - Semi supervised
Type 1 - Fully supervised
Type 2 - Blind mode
Semi supervised: In this mode, the unit will transfer the call to
an extension, if that extension returns a ring signal. If that
extension is busy or invalid, the appropriate message is played
back to the caller.
Fully supervised: In this mode, the unit will wait for the
extension to answer before transferring the incoming call. If
there is no answer from the extension, the unit will play back the
message “ I am sorry, there is no answer from that room”
and then allow the caller to dial 0 for the operator or hang up.
The number of rings that the unit will wait before deciding there
is no answer from the called extension will depend on the value
programmed under program # 206.
Blind mode: In this mode, the unit will not check for `ring - no
answer', `busy', `re-order' signals from the PBX. The call will be
transferred as long as it is not part of the invalid extension list.
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The unit dials the extension and hangs up.
Enter 103 n where n = 0, 1 or 2
If any other value is entered, the unit will prompt the message
“This entry is invalid”.
Default value = 0
Length of entry = fixed 1 digit
Program # 143:
To listen to the currently programmed value for the Transfer type
You will hear: “ One Four Three (0.6 sec silence) Zero”
Program # 104:
To record the main greeting - EZ ANSWER has a default main
greeting already recorded in it. To record your message over this
default greeting, do as follows:
Enter 104 - You will hear a long tone. Begin speaking after the
tone. Press #to terminate the recording.
A main greeting of up to 50 seconds may be recorded. Once a
new greeting is recorded, restoring the factory default settings
cannot retrieve the default greeting.
Program # 144: To listen to main greeting
After the main greeting is played back, the unit will prompt with
Enter program number indicating that it is ready to accept the
next input.
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If a digit is input while the main greeting is playing, the unit will
terminate the greeting playback and accept the dialed digit as
the first digit of the next program number.
Program # 105:
Operator extensions - The user may program up to 3
extensions as “Operator extensions”. These extensions may be
of different lengths. For example, you may enter 105 0 * 261 *
3564 #
In the above example, one Single digit, one 3 digit and one 4
digit extension has been programmed, Press *to separate two
extensions. Press # to terminate the entry. At least 1 digit
must be programmed. For example, the entry 105 1 # is a valid
entry.
When a caller requests a transfer to the Operator extension, EZ
ANSWER will dial the first extension in the above list. If the unit
encounters a busy signal from the first extension, it will try the
second and if even that is busy, it will try the third extension in
the list. If a blind mode of transfer has been selected, the unit
will dial the first extension and hang up.
However, even if a Fully supervised mode has been selected, the
unit will not perform a `no answer' check on the operator
extensions. The call will be transferred to the first operator
extension, which returns a ring signal.
Default value = 105 0 #
Length of entry = maximum of 16 digits, including the #key
The # key is used to terminate the entry sequence. If a *
is entered as the first digit or if two consecutive *s are
entered anywhere else in the string, the system will treat
it as an invalid entry.
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If 16 digits are entered and then the #key is pressed, the unit
will check for validity of the 16 digits and then store them if valid.
But the # key will be processed as the first digit of the
next program number - which will make the unit exit the
programming mode. Hence, the # key must be used only if
the total number of digits entered is less than 16.
Program # 145:
To listen to the currently programmed value for the Operator
extensions -
You will hear: “ One Four Five (0.6 sec silence) Zero”
The #at the end is not prompted as it is an indicator of the end of
the string.
Program # 106:
Invalid leading digits - All extensions with these leading digits
will be taken as invalid extensions, except if that specific
extension is listed as a Valid extension OR if that leading digit is
part of the Single digit dialing plan.
For example 106 3456789# would make all extensions whose
first digit is 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 will be treated as Invalid.
So, if the caller dials 301, he would hear the message “This
entry is invalid” unless the extension 301 is programmed in
the VALID LIST of extensions.
Enter all digits one after other and press # to terminate the entry.
Default value: 106 56789#
Length of entry = maximum of 9 digits, including the #key
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