Ringtone overrides are critical for managing customized ringtone behaviours in various call scenarios. This guide helps users configure and verify the functionality of ringtone overrides through proper setup and understanding of their behaviour.

Key Configuration Settings

To ensure that ringtone overrides work correctly, incorporate the following setting in your configuration file:

account.1.alert_info_url_enable=1

This setting is essential for enabling the alert info URL, which supports the override feature's functionality. Missing or incorrect configurations of this setting may cause intermittent issues with the ringtone override functionality.

Behavioural Scenarios for Ringtone Overrides

Internal Call Transfers from External Calls

Ringtone overrides are designed to function in specific scenarios, such as when an external call is transferred internally. The receiving device's ringtone should change according to the override configuration in these cases. Proper setup ensures this behaviour, enhancing call management efficiency.

How it works 

The HostedPBX can include an Alert-Info value on calls (e.g., on ring groups/queues/IVRs, and on "internal" calls such as departmental calls). Phones read that header and pick a distinctive ring. 

Known-good Alert-Info strings you can send.

Most SIP phones understand one or more of these:

Alert-Info: Bellcore-dr3 (or Bellcore-dr1..dr5)

Alert-Info: <http://127.0.0.1>;info=Bellcore-dr3 (RFC 7462 style)

Brand-text mapping (e.g., ;info=internal) when the phone is provisioned to match that text

Parsing differences matter. A few brands require an HTTP URL form (e.g., Alert-Info: <http://127.0.0.1/Ringer3>), and some literally match the angle-bracketed value, so make sure your phone-side pattern matches exactly what your SBC/PBX sends. 

Distinctive Ring

This feature allows different incoming calls to be identified by different ring patterns or tones. It can be helpful in various scenarios, such as distinguishing between internal calls, external calls, priority calls, or calls from specific groups or individuals. This will utilize the platform's "Alert-info" feature.

There are two ways to set up a Distinctive ring within our platform, depending on your SIP device.

1. Distinctive Ring by Department
2. Distinctive Ring by DID

The Distinctive Ring feature adds a department name to the Alert-Info header of the SIP INVITE message of internal calls. An endpoint that receives such an INVITE can be configured to play a special ringtone based on the content. For example, in the INVITE, the Alert-Info header contains the text "info=Restaurant" because the caller has been assigned to the "Restaurant” department in the portal. Therefore, any endpoint that receives this call can be configured to play a special ringtone with the overrides. 

Distinctive Ring by Department

This feature can easily be added to the profiles of all the users for whom you want the Distinctive Ring in their department affiliation. Please see the screenshot below, which shows that the Department of user 102 is "Sample.”

If a user is already a part of a Department and you want them to ring differently from external calls, then all you need to do is add the overrides for their specific SIP device, which will be discussed in this article.

Add overrides to the receiver's SIP devices.

Here are some of the most common SIP devices with their Overrides. Please note that we have modified the override to use the Sample above.

Yealink

account.1.alert_info_url_enable="1" distinctive_ring_tones.alert_info.1.text="Sample" distinctive_ring_tones.alert_info.1.ringer="2"

This will use the Ringer 2 if the user receives a call from a member of the "Sample" Department or from the DID with the "Sample" placed as their Alert-info in the backend.

If you have two Distinctive Rings with "Office" as the Alert-info, you can place another override, but the number will change. Here's an example: account.2.alert_info_url_enable="1" distinctive_ring_tones.alert_info.2.text="Office" distinctive_ring_tones.alert_info.2.ringer="3"

Polycom

se.rt.1.ringer="ringer2"
se.rt.1.type="ring"
voIpProt.SIP.alertInfo.1.class="1"
voIpProt.SIP.alertInfo.1.value="Sample"

This will use the Ringer 2 if the user receives a call from a member of the “Sample” Department or from the DID with the "Sample" placed as their Alert-info in the backend.

If you have two Distinctive Rings with "Office" as the Alert-info, then you can place another override, but the number will change. Here's an example:

se.rt.2.ringer="ringer3"
se.rt.2.type="ring"
voIpProt.SIP.alertInfo.2.class="2"
voIpProt.SIP.alertInfo.2.value="Office"

Grandstream:

Grandstream devices utilize "P-codes.” Each P-code is different for every override you add to your Grandstream device.

Here are the P-codes for the Distinctive Ring, which most models of Grandstream use:

P1488="Sample"
P1489="3"
P1490="Office"
P1491="2"

This will use Ringer 3 if the user receives a call from a member of the “Sample” Department or from the DID that has the “Sample” placed as their Alert-info in the backend. The same will be true for users or numbers with "Office" in them.

Cisco SPA Series Distinctive Ring

The Cisco SPA series phones (501G, 502G, 504G, 508G, 509G, 525G) do not allow you to customize the content of the Alert-Info header with an override. To use a distinctive ring, you must set the Caller’s department to be one of the following values:

• Classic-1
• Classic-2
• Classic-3
• Classic-4
• Simple-1
• Simple-2
• Simple-3
• Simple-4
• Simple-5
• Office

The Cisco phone will play the ringtone that matches the name of the caller’s department.

Best Practices for Troubleshooting

To maintain proper ringtone override functionality, follow these best practices:

Verify Configuration Files: Regularly confirm that the specified settings, like account 1.alert_info_url_enable=1, are active.

Test Scenarios: Simulate common call scenarios (e.g., external to internal transfers) to ensure the expected ringtone behaviour aligns with your customization preferences.

Consult Documentation: Always refer to the UnitedCloud support resources for additional button and ringtone customization guidance.

By ensuring correct setup and testing functionality, you can optimize the behaviour of ringtone overrides to meet organizational needs efficiently.