Automatic Line Selection

This chapter describes automatic line selection feature in Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (Cisco Unified CME).


Note

This feature is applicable for SCCP phones only. For newer SIP phones (Cisco Unified IP Phone 7800, 8800 series) with new user interface, this feature is not applicable. The user selects the line and the focus would be on that selected line. Both incoming and outgoing calls changes the focus based on the line selected or line answered.

Information About Automatic Line Selection

Automatic Line Selection for Incoming and Outgoing Calls

On multiline IP phones, lifting the handset automatically selects the first ringing line on the phone or, if no line is ringing, selects the first available idle line for outgoing calls. This is the default behavior for all multiline IP phones.

Under some circumstances, however, you might want to require that a line button be explicitly pressed to select an outgoing line or to answer an incoming call. In Cisco CME 3.0 and later, you have the flexibility to assign the type of line selection that each IP phone uses.

The Automatic Line Selection feature allows you to specify, on a per-phone basis, the line that is selected when you pick up a phone handset.

Any of the following behaviors can be assigned on a per-phone basis:

  • Automatic line selection—Picking up the handset answers the first ringing line or, if no line is ringing, selects the first idle line. Use the auto-line command with no keyword or argument. This is the default.

  • Manual line selection (no automatic line selection)—Pressing the Answer soft key answers the first ringing line, and pressing a line button selects a line for an outgoing call. Picking up the handset does not answer calls or provide dial tone. Use the no auto-line command.

  • Automatic line selection for incoming calls only—Picking up the handset answers the first ringing line, but if no line is ringing, it does not select an idle line for an outgoing call. Pressing a line button selects a line for an outgoing call. Use the auto-line incoming command.

  • Automatic line selection for outgoing calls only—Picking up the handset for an outgoing call selects the line associated with the button-number argument. If a button number is specified and the line associated with that button is unavailable (because it is a shared line in use on another phone), no dial tone is heard when the handset is lifted. You must press an available line button to make an outgoing call. Incoming calls must be answered by pressing the Answer soft key or pressing a ringing line button. Use the auto-line command with the button-number argument.

  • Automatic line selection for incoming and outgoing calls—Pressing the Answer soft key or picking up the handset answers an incoming call on the line associated with the specified button. Picking up the handset for outgoing calls selects the line associated with the specified button. Use the auto-line command with the button-number argument and answer-incoming keyword.

Configure Automatic Line Selection

Enable Automatic Line Selection

To enable automatic line selection for answering incoming calls or making outgoing calls, perform the following steps:


Restriction

Automatic line selection is bypassed if it is configured for a trunk directory number and the line is seized by pressing the Park or Callfwd soft keys. The first available directory number is seized.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. ephone phone-tag
  4. auto-line [ button-number [ answer-incoming] | incoming]
  5. end

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

enable

Example:

Router> enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

ephone phone-tag

Example:

Router(config)# ephone 24

Enters ephone configuration mode.

  • phone-tag —Unique sequence number for the phone on which you want to configure automatic line selection.

Step 4

auto-line [ button-number [ answer-incoming] | incoming]

Example:

Router(config-ephone)# auto-line 5 answer-incoming

Assigns a type of line selection behavior to this phone.

  • auto-line —Picking up the handset answers the first ringing line or, if no line is ringing, selects the first idle line. This is the default.

  • auto-line button-number —Picking up the handset for an outgoing call selects the line associated with the specified button. The default if this argument is not used is the topmost available line.

  • auto-line button-numberanswer-incoming —Picking up the handset answers the incoming call on the line associated with the specified button.

  • auto-line incoming —Picking up the handset answers the first ringing line but, if no line is ringing, does not select an idle line for an outgoing call. Pressing a line button selects a line for an outgoing call.

  • no auto-line —Disables automatic line selection. Pressing the Answer soft key answers the first ringing line, and pressing a line button selects a line for an outgoing call. Picking up the handset does not answer calls or provide dial tone.

Step 5

end

Example:

Router(config-ephone)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Verify Automatic Line Selection

Procedure

Step 1

Use the show running-config command to verify your configuration. Automatic line selection is listed in the ephone portion of the output.

Example:


Router# show running-config 

ephone  2
headset auto-answer line 1
headset auto-answer line 4
ephone-template 1
mac-address 011F.9010.1790
paging-dn 48
type 7960
no dnd feature-ring
no auto-line

Step 2

Use the show telephony-service ephone command to display only ephone configuration information.

Example:


Router# show telephony-service ephone 

ephone 4
 device-security-mode none
 username "Accounting"
 mac-address FF0E.4857.5E91
 button 1c34,35
 no auto-line

Configuration Examples for Automatic Line Selection

Example for Automatic Line Selection

The following example assigns no automatic line selection to phones 1 and 2 and assigns automatic line selection for incoming calls only to phone 3: 


ephone 1
mac-address 00e0.8646.9242
button 1:1 2:4 3:16
no auto-line
!
ephone 2
mac-address 01c0.4612.7142
button 1:5 2:4 3:16
no auto-line
!
ephone 3
mac-address 10b8.8945.3251
button 1:6 2:4 3:16
auto-line incoming

The following example enables automatic selection of line button 1 when the handset is lifted to answer incoming calls or to make outgoing calls. 


ephone  1
mac-address 0001.0002.0003
type 7960
auto-line 1 answer-incoming
button  1:1 2:2 3:3

Feature Information for Automatic Line Selection

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to https://cfnng.cisco.com/. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Table 1. Feature Information for Automatic Line Selection

Feature Name

Cisco Unified CME Version

Feature Information

Automatic Line Selection

4.0

The answer-incoming keyword was added to the auto-line command.

3.1

The button-number argument was added to the auto-line command.

3.0

Automatic line selection was introduced.