Configuring call routing tables can be tedious. Enterprises would love to have nice, clean blocks of thousands of numbers, but in reality that just does not always happen. Number blocks get broken up and you have to account for that in your routing patterns. In addition to more workload, choppy number blocks and sophisticated routing plans can create a looping calls scenario.

What Comes Around Goes Around
Did you know that a route error may not just cost you thousands of dollars but could also consume all your call channels and dramatically impact your call performance. No one likes a fast busy when they attempt to place a call. Here’s a simplified example to highlight a real use case from an existing client (names and numbers changed):

• Your enterprise recently was assigned number blocks of 314-555-1xxx and 314-555-5xxx. The first range was entered into your routing table but somehow that second range was overlooked and was never entered.

• As a last step in your routing plan, you have a wildcard entry that if there is not a match in your table, send the call to the central office.

• Let’s also assume your enterprise simplified the dialing plan so your users do not have to be concerned about dialing a “9” or some other access number to reach an outside number.

• So, when someone dials 314-555-5555, the call is routed to you, the PBX runs through the route patterns, doesn’t find a match until that last wildcard entry and routes the call back to the central office. Your provider gets the call, looks up the number, sees it assigned to you and we are officially on the merry-go-round until all your channels are filled up! Now you have all trunks busy and fast busies for the rest of your folks trying to place calls to the PSTN.

Visibility to Find the Problem Fast
With Traffic Analyst, abnormal call termination trending analytics quickly spot any abnormalities you need to investigate. In this call looping case, our customer saw a spike in “No Circuit/Channel Available” codes within 30 minutes. With a single mouse click they drilled down to the details, noted the dialed number and updated their routing tables.

This is one small piece of what we call Total Caller Experience. To learn more about the four links for a successful call and putting today’s voice network management to work for you, contact us today.