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Telephone Services

Distinctive Ring

What Is Distinctive Ringing?

Telephone Services offers Distinctive Ringing by Directory Number (DRDN) on campus telephone sets. This feature will support up to four additional distinctive rings based on the telephone set being called and the directory numbers programmed on the set.

  • every set can be programmed with one of four distinctive rings
  • on multi-line sets, every extension number on the set can be programmed to any of the four distinctive rings

Applications and Benefits

  • telephone sets that are located close together can be programmed to a distinctive ring that people in the immediate area can recognize
  • multi-line sets can have each extension number on it programmed to one of four additional distinctive rings
  • the time an extension number rings before being transferred to voicemail can be extended by choosing a different ring

Available Options

The total number of different ringing cadences is limited to five: the default plus four programmable options. If your workstation has a soundcard, you can click on the links listed below and get an idea of how the different rings would sound. The rings are:

DEFAULT
This is the Default Ring. It is a repeating sequence of 2 second rings/warbles and 4 second pauses.
Ring Option 1
Ring Option 1 is a quick 'chirp' followed by a 2 second ring/warble. Except for the initial 'chirp' it is identical to the default, repeating every 6 seconds.
Ring Option 2
Ring Option 2 is a 'ring-ring' to emulate the sound of a British telephone. Two 'ring-ring's are separated by a brief pause and the whole sequence repeats in the standard 6 seconds.
Ring Option 3
Ring Option 3 is three short rings, a short pause, two more short rings and a longer pause. This sequence repeats in a time of 6 seconds.
Ring Option 4
The last Ring Option 4 is slow ring. A 1 second ring is followed by short pause and then a 2.5 second ring. The ring repeats in 8 seconds.

Requests to activate Distinctive Ring should be sent to IST Request . A charge of $10.00 will apply.

Questions should be directed to telephoneadmin@uwaterloo.ca