Beta Feature - 2nd Line/Cloned Line

[christcorp]

OK; here's a problem tim. Probably not with 99% of all people, but with my configuration, it IS a problem. So much so, that I would probably only use this clone feature as an OUTGOING LINE ONLY. I would NOT use it to answer calls. Ok, here's the deal.

The most basic of setups; NO PROBLEM. 1 phone in port 1 and a 2nd phone in port 2. Calls out simultaneously on both lines. Works fine. Incoming call; answer either phone and it's fine. Talking on one; incoming call; call waiting beep (I believe) and I can answer with the 2nd phone. ALL GOOD NO PROBLEM.

Advanced Setup: My port (line 1) is my standard line. I have it wired into my house wiring. I have 6 phones currently connected into the house wiring. I have had more, but currently just 6. All normal outgoing and incoming calls work fine. If I add the 2nd phone to port 2; all OUTGOING calls are still fine. I can have a call in progress on port 1, and make a 2nd call on port 2. HOWEVER; if during an incoming call, if I have the 2nd phone connected to port 2 and I try and answer an incoming call on that phone, I get dead air, the distant end continues to ring, and then the GS 502 reboots itself.

Again; OUTGOING is fine; but answering incoming on the 2nd port locks up the adapter. This ONLY happens when I have my house phones all connected to port 1 at the same time. If I only have 1 phone connected to port 1, no problem.

So, it's probably a current issue with the 502. We can't expect that little box to handle the type of line current that ma bell sends down the line. I will experiment to determine if it's a PARTICULAR phone on my house line, or just when it's "MORE THAN SO MANY" phones connected. I'll let you know.

On a side note; I assume that this is a feature that a person could have turned OFF if they wanted to. 1st: Not everyone has a need for it. 2nd: Some people, if they wanted a 2nd actual number/line would prefer that port 2 be used for that INSTEAD of having to have a 2nd adapter. Just an observation. Personally, based on our call usage, I really don't have a need for this feature. But it is definitely something that could be very useful to some people no doubt. Anyway, that's the issue I am having. Something you might want to jot down some place in case other have their adapter wired into their house wires and are using numerous phones. Also, part of my test will be to change around and have the single phone in port 1 and the 6 wired house phones in port 2. I'll let you know. later.... mike.....

[VOIPoTim]

I rebooted and it looks like it is working great.

My question is if we have both lines going at the same time, are there any additional charges? If my wife is on line 1 and I want to make a call out on my cloned line 2, will I be charged for that 2nd call? It seems like I remember reading somewhere that 3-way calls were billed this way. When making another outbound 3-way call, the 2nd call was billed a per-minute rate. Maybe that wasn't VOIPo, I can't remember!

Scott

No additional billing.

[VOIPoTim]

christcorp - This sounds like it's just running out of power with too much connected to it. Let me know how the switch goes.

Yes, we can activate a full line on Port 2 now as well. In the past we had to send out multiple ATAs because our system wasn't designed to handle 2 ports (made for 286), but now we can consolidate them provisioning wise with no issues.

[buckethead]

Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.

[VOIPoTim]

Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.

Yes, it will.

[fisamo]

Will it work the same with a soft phone - i.e. on the phone through X-Lite and then able to make outbound calls on hard phone through ATA? So that X-Lite functions as the 2nd port on ATA.

Yes, it will.

That's interesting... The way I understood VT had implemented their 2-line feature, the second line had a completely different set of SIP credentials. If I understand what you're saying here, Tim, both lines operate on the same set of credentials, correct? Does this mean that one of us lucky few Beta users with Asterisk would have 4 channels available with the one registration? If not, would we simply create a second trunk line (each line having two channels) that connects on a different SIP port?

[VOIPoJustin]

After reboot, all was well.However, the reboot was freaky. After the normal stuff with lights, the 2nd and 3rd lights (WAN and LAN) continued to flash on and off for more than a minute. It finally stabilized. It appears to be all OK.

Ahh, yes -- we pushed out a firmware downgrade since GrandStream's latest firmware created some issues with call waiting -- the HT502's WAN and LAN LED's blink in unison while it's updating (or in this case, rolling back) firmware. ;-)