Also sprach Scot Desort
Sorry, the specific setting is PriSw5ESS (but when I talked to my PRI provider, they could only set it one of 2 ways -- 5ESSCustom, and NI2 - so I assume 3COM's 5ESS is 'custom').
Yes, 3Com's PriSw5ESS is for Custom 5ESS.
My trunktype is E&M Type II
Which has nothing to do with PRI's, and probably isn't even referenced in MessageOriented (or PRI) mode. E&M is, at best, a channelized T1 type of setup. (To get technical, E&M is emulated over a channelized T1 running a robbed-bit type of setup. E&M is actually a specification for an analog trunk type) For more about these topics, I would recommend the book (by Cisco Press) _Integrating Voice and Data Networks_. The book is intended as a primer/overview of the process of implementing Voice over IP and moving towards a converged network setup...but in the process of getting there, there is actually a pretty good set of chapters that give a lot of background info on voice networks and the different types of technologies.
Also, the only cause code that I could get to work with my PRI vendor is cause code 58. This allows me to return busy signals to the switch on all trunks full, or when channels are busied out.
When all trunks are full, its highly unlikely that your PRI provider is even sending a SETUP message to your system to even give a cause code in response. The switch will just look at the trunk group, see that there are no free bearer channels and send back its own cause code, typically an all circuits busy which will result in some sort of message to the user, or more likely, a fast busy signal. It might be possible to get an additional call appearence (its possible for BRI's, don't know if the trunk-side setup of PRI's allows this), where you could get a SETUP message even if all of the bearer channels are full...this would allow you to send back a tailored cause code when your B channels are all full. I've never explored this possibility with a telco, so I don't know if this is feasible on PRI's (let alone any specific translation type).
I played with all of the other possible settings that 3COM lists, and every single one would cause the switch to return an intercept like "all circuits busy", or "call cannot be completed as dialed". While they all have the same result, to the end user, they understand BUSY - they don't understand intercept messages.
Try #17, this is "user busy" which should generate a normal busy signal.
Generally speaking, NI2 is usually preferable in the PRI provider's eyes as it offers a bit more for 2-way PRI users (folks who use it for DID, DOD and call-by-call service). But since we don't use PRI's that way, we'd much rather have service messaging capabilities.
Custom5ESS provides all of those features...the reason most PRI providers prefer NI-2 is that its easier for them to set up because its a standard setting...they choose NI-2 and its done...with a custom setup, they have to go in and set all sorts of parameters and stuff (at least potentially) to tailor the exact config. -- Jeff McAdams Email: jeffm@iglou.com Head Network Administrator Voice: (502) 966-3848 IgLou Internet Services (800) 436-4456