Dterm Series E (NEC) troubleshooting:

• SITUATION: you are on a conference call (using speaker phone) and they cannot hear you.
  • SOLUTION: on the top row of black buttons make sure you see "MIC" flashing on your display. Please see the manual in the link below for exactly where this MIC message should show up on your phone. Press the black button (technical term is "soft key") a couple of times until you see it flashing. The other party should now be able to hear you when you have your speaker phone enabled.

• SITUATION:
  • SOLUTION:

Dterm Series E (NEC) phone manual:

• http://its.vanderbilt.edu/voice/guide_dterm.php

Single Line Users Guide:

• http://its.vanderbilt.edu/voice/guide_single.php

Single Line Users Voice Mail Options:

Buy a phone with an answering machine. The Uniden brand model Robert Greevy bought works with calls coming from both inside and outside of Vandy. If you try this, make sure to save your receipt because not all machines work with calls coming from outside Vandy. You'll need to test your phone for compatibility.

• Pros: Works well. I can check my messages remotely using the feature that came with the phone.
• Cons: It's another inbox I have to check. I prefer having all my voice mail on my cell phone (see solutions 2 & 3).

Set "no answer" forwarding on phone. Here is how.

• Pick up phone.
• Dial #7 and wait for beeping tone. (Note you'll get a busy signal if the forwarding is already set. In this case, first unset as described below and then set.)
• Dial 9 and the 7 digit local number you want to forward to, e.g. your cell phone.
• Listen for high pitched steady tone.
• Hang up.

To unset:

• Pick up phone.
• Dial *7 and wait for high pitched steady tone.
• Pros: You can leave it set at all times.
• Cons: It takes 6 rings to forward to my cell and another 6 rings for my cell voice mail to pick up. Many people hang up before then. You can't forward to non-local numbers.

Note: All calls show up in the caller ID as Vandy outgoing number.

Set "immediate forwarding" on my phone. This is similar to the other forwarding. Just use 1 instead of 7.

• Pick up phone.
• Dial #1 and wait for beeping tone.
• Dial 9 and the 7 digit local number you want to forward to, e.g. your cell phone.
• Listen for high pitched steady tone.
• Hang up.

To unset:

• Pick up phone.
• Dial *1 and wait for high pitched steady tone.
• Pros: It's fast. You can leave it set at all times if you get a signal in your office.
• Cons: If you're not with Sprint, you probably don't get a signal in your office. You'll need to remember to unset it to take calls on your office phone.

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Phone forwarding options

ITS "Info Box" (vs voicemail)

• We have worked with ITS and created a new system that may be utilized in other departments as well. Please take the following actions:
  • forward busy to extension 6-0000
  • forward no answer to extension 6-0000
• Once you take the actions above, after the 4th ring your callers will receive the following pre-recorded message from ITS: "Thank you for your call to The Department of Biostatistics. The individual you are trying to reach does not have voice mail. You may try to call again at a later time. If you prefer, you may log onto the Vanderbilt website, type People Finder in the search option and obtain the email address for the individual. The department's preferred method of communication is email. If this is an urgent matter please call 615.322.2001. Thank you!"
• The cost of this service for unlimited lines will be $13/month.

GOOGLE Voice

1. Apply for an invitation to join Google Voice at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ . It may take a week or so for Google to send out the invitation.
2. When you get the invitation set up your account. You will need to select a Google phone number, which has a number of useful features apart from voicemail (see http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html# ).
3. Using the #7 and #4 feature of your regular Vandy phone, transfer “no answer” or busy calls to your Google phone number. This will call your cell or other numbers you select. If no one answers it will give your personalized voice message and record the caller’s message. Google will then send you an email with an attempted text translation (not bad, but it doesn’t understand Jeff’s Spanish). It also gives you the option of a voice playback.
4. If you want a speaker phone, any cheap analog phone will do. I bought an AT&T 1856 phone for $30 which works fine with Google Voice although the built in answering machine will not work with calls coming from outside of Vanderbilt.