Phone Numbers and Outbound Calls

Phone numbers are supplied by your SIP carrier and entered on the corresponding trunk. SessionPBX can route each number independently and presents the caller ID set on the trunk. For carrier-specific setup, see Carrier Guides.

Add or remove inbound numbers

1. Open Call Routing and stay on SIP trunks.
2. Edit the required trunk.
3. Add one number per line under Inbound numbers.
4. Use international format with the + and country code, such as +442071234567. Numbers in other formats aren’t accepted.
5. Save the trunk.

Your carrier should send each call with the dialled number in international format with the +. A leading 00 is converted to +. National formats, such as 02071234567, don’t match, so calls sent that way won’t ring.

The Inbound number routing table appears when at least one trunk contains a number.

Route an inbound number

In Inbound number routing, choose a destination in the Rings column:

• All extensions (ring all) — the default when no specific destination is selected
• An individual team member
• A ring group
• A call queue
• A published call flow

Create the destination before assigning the number. For business-hours or IVR routing, select the call flow rather than its first member or queue.

You can also attach numbers from the Start node in the call-flow designer. Saving the flow updates the same inbound-number route.

Enable public outbound calls for a member

Outbound calling is denied for new members by default.

1. Open Team Members.
2. Edit the member.
3. Under Access & features, enable Outbound PSTN.
4. Select Save member.

The member can now place public calls through an enabled outbound or bidirectional trunk, subject to carrier permissions.

Choose caller ID

Caller ID is set on the trunk, not on the member. Each outbound call presents the trunk’s Caller ID, or the caller ID on the Outbound number rule that matched the dialled number. See Connect a SIP Trunk. A member’s Outbound Caller ID setting doesn’t change the number presented, so leave Outbound Caller ID on Default (trunk number).

Caller ID is policy-controlled by the carrier. If the called party sees the wrong number or an anonymous call, confirm that:

• The number is in international format.
• The number is assigned to your carrier account.
• The carrier permits it as a presentation number.
• Assert caller ID in on the trunk matches where the carrier reads caller ID: From, P-Asserted-Identity or Remote-Party-ID.
• The correct trunk is enabled for outbound calls.

Forward to an external number

Member and ring-group fallback rules can send a call to an external number. Enter the destination in E.164 format, beginning with + and the country code.

External forwarding creates an outbound carrier leg and may incur carrier charges. Confirm that the forwarding member is allowed to use public calling and that fraud controls at the carrier are appropriate.

Test every number

For each public number, record the expected destination and test:

• During business hours
• Outside business hours
• No-answer or queue-overflow behaviour
• Voicemail delivery where configured
• Outbound caller ID for each trunk and outbound number rule

Retest after changing a trunk, number route, call-flow number or extension.