Specifications

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master PC as a fifth extension. In addition,
it allows you to attach modem-equipped
PCs to extensions to create a network.
The GUI
The Switchboard’s main GUI gives
you easy access to dialing, speed dial-
ing, transfer, and other call controls
(Figure 10). Another screen, called the
Advanced Setup Screen, lets you exer-
cise a different type of control. Here,
you can adjust the bit rate (the default is
4800 bits/second), select “pass
through” options, and determine the
valid flash hook length (Figure 11).
The Switchboard also has a monitoring
utility for viewing the status of all the lines
and extensions. In Figure 7, the
Switchboard Monitor shows that exten-
sion 1 is connected to line 1.
Another monitor, called ScanView,
depicts call flow and connections.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
Call Forwarding
The Switchboard’s call forward fea-
ture, which allows you to automatically
direct an incoming call to another loca-
tion, performed flawlessly. We particu-
larly liked the way it used voice
prompts, such as “to accept, transfer to
another extension.”
To activate the call forward feature,
you need either two lines or three-way
calling service from your central office.
With the Switchboard, you can call for-
ward from the product’s OGM prompt
or from an extension connected to the
Switchboard.
To give a caller access to the call for-
ward feature, we just had to include this
information prompt in our active OGM.
When an outside party calls, that party is
instructed to dial an extension or to dial
“6,” which will instruct the Switchboard
to dial the call forward number.
A local extension can also dial the
call forward number by placing the
incoming call on hold and dialing “6.”
The recipient at the call forwarded
number will then hear the Switchboard
prompt, which sounds within five sec-
onds and indicates a “call forwarded”
call). Then, the recipi-
ent is given the option
of selecting keys “1”
through “5” (to route
the call back to a
Switchboard exten-
sion) or “6” (to accept
the call). Once the
recipient selects “6,”
the Switchboard con-
nects the caller to the
recipient.
When both parties
hang up, the Switch-
board does as well. If no one at the call
forwarded number presses a valid key
within seven seconds, the Switchboard
will perform the action specified by the
No Remote Answer field in the auto-
attendant section.
Switching From The Speakerphone
To The Handset
We plugged in a microphone and
speaker into the back of the
Switchboard. In the ScanView main
window, we opened the menu item
Dial. This is the interface that allows
you to dial using the Speakerphone
(microphone and speaker). Next, we
dialed an outgoing number as if dialing
from a phone, then pressed the Dial
button. At any time you can press the
Speakerphone button to toggle between
handset and speakerphone mode. After
we clicked on this button, we were able
to pick up the telephone extension,
which we specified in Local Ext. in the
Miscellaneous Setup Section.
We also tested the Switchboard’s
ability to call you back at a pre-deter-
mined number in an overseas or foreign
location, thereby enabling you to bene-
fit from the lower North American
long-distance call rates. This was a nice
feature, and it worked quite well.
Call Pick Up/Call Grab
To pick up a call destined for another
extension, we took advantage of
Switchboard’s Call Pick Up/Call Grab
feature. While connected to an outside
party, we could hit single or double
C T I LABS
FFiigguurree 1100..
Switchboard: Main GUI.
FFiigguurree 1111..
Switchboard:
Graphical moni-
toring program
for determining
phone line and
extension status.