PBX making calls on it's own

[jbower]

Okay i know this sounds crazy but here is what is happening with my PBX. I work for a college that has an older cable plant. On rainy days this is apparent because we have strange events that take place. On our campus we provide dial tone to all 2300 students rooms. We do not provide physical sets. We have had multiple sets place phone calls to 911. The thing is there are no phones connected in these rooms. I can verify this happens when there is a short on the line. I verified it by shorting one of the phone pairs this has happened on. I have provide this information to Alcatel and there response is that fix the short and you have solved the problem. This does not solve the problem it only corrects one of the symptoms. Why would it dial 911 when it shorts out???? Has anyone else heard of anything like this. Can someone point me in some direction of what to check out? Before long the local county govt is planning on fining us for false 911 calls.

[dtmftones]

What type of system is this exactly ? Its certainly an odd problem. I have seen issues in the past with older underground cabling on a campus that was breaking down. This was causing random things to be dialed in a Decadic style. This was purely by random and took many hours to actually dial up something that was valid. Things like the other exts getting odd voice mails left and phantom calls to the Operator.
What your implying is some sort of hotline effect just by shorting out the line. This happens every time without fail and isnt dependant on some random effect. Are these 2 statements correct ?

[jbower]

First of all my PBX is a 4400 running R9.1.
And yes it consistently dials 911. On various extensions that have shorts on the lines. It will dial 911 as many as 20 times in an hour period of time.

[dtmftones]

Ive no idea really on this. If you do this at the main distribution frame on a ext with a short on the line while having the rest of the campus isolated does it still dial 911 or is it only while you have the rest of the campus connected ?
I assume we are tallking about analogue exts here also. How many exts are doing this ? Can you create a temporary diversion to stop 911 going off to the emergency services and send it somewhere like a 24 hr switch operator on site ? Maybee with ARS .This may also help you get a listing of which exts are the culprits.

[jbower]

For legal reason routing 911 calls is not an option. It is on analog lines as i mention initially and i can duplicate this by shorting the line at the frame but no there is no way to do it with the rest of the campus off line. I know all the extension that have done it. That really is not the issue. The issue is that when a short occurs the PBX for some reason dials 911. To me this is a programming glitch or configuration issue. So I am really looking for some direction to look. I actually am a AQFE so i know the basics of setting up a system from scatch and can find nothing now. However i now work for a campus and i am a little rusty since it has been awhile since i set up a 4400. So that is where i find myself right now.

[sadim]

Hi,

I am not sure that it will solve the issue, but there is a system parameter that allows/disable to take the line by R key. Try to disable it.

Regards
Sadim

[jbower]

Could you explain what parameter exactly and what is the R key? Not quite sure i follow what i should do?

[dtmftones]

I tend to agree that this is a programming/config issue now I see the answers to those points. Ive never seen this. Some things to look at. Try and compare the parameters of the exts that have this problem with those that dont. The telephone Facility categories Network access caterories , Associates etc. In Facility categories take a look at the relavant categories involved and see if there is any setting for Off Hook routing . Sometimes from memory these systems allow for Delayed routing. Also check out the System speed dials. Is there a speed dial for 911 ? This may also contain a clue.

[vad]

As I understand - your problem - PBX dial 911 when shorted analog line?
This is can be in next case:
- in user parameters you have "phone feature COS".
- in COS/ phone feature COS managed item "routing mode at off-hook"=direct routing or delay routing.
- in user parameters you have "routing table".
- specific telephone services/ routing table - for this routing table you have something like prefix+911.

If you want to disable dialing 911 - or manage "routing mode at off-hook=non", or manage another phone COS in user parameters, or declare another routing table in user parameters (non exist in specific telephone services/ routing table).

[jbower]

I checked the parameters you mentioned Vad. All of my analog sets us Phone Features COS that is set to NO Routing. So i was a good suggestion. Any other suggestion i would gladly welcome.