Greetings and a question

[MottMcfly]

Hi there and thanks for having me aboard.

I'm new here and I guess you could call me an Administrator. I don't hold any certifications and until our telecom Admin quit I was just the help desk guy. I did go to training for a week, does that count?

Anyhoo..

I have an eight site network that spans the US, Asia and Europe.

Our last install was the main office here in LA. What we just noticed was that all of the analog polycoms can only conference two other callers. The next time you attempt to conference it drops that call and the one before it leaving you on the line with your original call.

I know the IP560 and 560Gs operate much the same until you add conference ports to the switches which we did. Phones are no prob and can conference until the phone runs out of line appearances.

So I'm a little dumbfounded. I'll admit I have little expertise to troubleshoot this but I am assuming that the Polycoms must act the same way and move the call to the switch once a larger than three conference call is initiated. If that's true, do those conference ports need to be on the same switch as the Polycom analog ports are?

Thanks in advance and again, thanks for having me.

Mott

[eazeaz]

Conference Ports

It sounds like you just need to mark some ports at the LA site for "Conference".

It doesn't have to be on the same switch, but it does have to be in the same "site" as defined in the shoretel system. If you want a 6 party conference you need 6 ports marked conference. If you want 2 6 party's at the same time by different people, you need 12.

We don't have a conference bridge so we bought a few 60/12 switches and marked all ports for conference.

You can have up to 6 party (5 + yourself) without a bridge.

If you go into the switch through director you should be able to see how many (if any) ports are marked for conference.

[MottMcfly]

It sounds like you just need to mark some ports at the LA site for "Conference".

It doesn't have to be on the same switch, but it does have to be in the same "site" as defined in the shoretel system. If you want a 6 party conference you need 6 ports marked conference. If you want 2 6 party's at the same time by different people, you need 12.

We don't have a conference bridge so we bought a few 60/12 switches and marked all ports for conference.

You can have up to 6 party (5 + yourself) without a bridge.

If you go into the switch through director you should be able to see how many (if any) ports are marked for conference.

Thanks for the reply. We are all stocked up on conference ports. If they dont have to be on the same switch then I guess the question changes. Why aren't the analog Polycoms using them? I'm also making an assumption that, that is whats going on.

[Smithermang]

Have you checked the polycom user group? I think by default the max is 3.

[MottMcfly]

Have you checked the polycom user group? I think by default the max is 3.

I did. Group is fine as well as COS.

[aclements]

What procedure are you using to add the 3rd+ party?

[MottMcfly]

What procedure are you using to add the 3rd+ party?

There's a "conf" button on the Polycom itself. You press that, make the next call and hit it again once the call has been established to conference. On the older Polycoms it's the "flash" button.

[aclements]

From the 'Analog Phone Quick Reference Card':
After the conference call is in progress, you can drop the last person added by pressing Flash.

So, I don't know how the switch would know you wanted to add the 4th+ party. It looks like ananlog devices can only do 3 party calls.

Based on ShoreTel's instructions on multi-party calls on the IP8000 phone, I'd bet their position is that you should use a conference bridge with your Polycom, not that that is helpful now.

You could attempt to establish the call on an IP phone, then conference in the Polycom (from the IP phone). Or you could establish the conference call on an IP phone and try barging in from the polycom (*16+ext).