Setting Up PLAR on Microsoft Teams Common Area Phones

Configuring Private Line Auto Ringdown (PLAR) on Microsoft Teams common area phones can significantly enhance communication efficiency in shared spaces. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you set it up:

Amazing feature, However a bit of delay from Microsoft end even though Teams certified phones were in the market. Cisco call manager or Cisco DI had it for a longest time according to what i learn! Having said that this feature must be there with other legacy PABX for sure. 

What is PLAR/Hotline? 

PLAR, or Private Line Auto Ringdown, is a feature that allows a phone to automatically dial a pre-configured number when the handset is picked up. This is particularly useful in common areas where quick access to specific contacts or services is essential.

Why Use PLAR on Common Area Phones? 

Mostly following features: Good for emergency, safety &  compliance, convenience

Steps to Set Up PLAR on Microsoft Teams Common Area Phones

1. Assign license - Microsoft Teams Shared Device License 

2. Set up the PLAR Number & Turn on TAC and Teams Phone Device

    -     Sign into the Teams admin center with a Microsoft 365 admin account. 

    -     From the left navigation, select Teams devices, select Phones and then select the Configuration profiles tab.

    -    From the list, select the configuration profile assigned to your common area phone. 

    -    Under the Call settings section, turn on the Enable hotline toggle and then select Save.

Note: Verify the Advanced Calling setting is disabled when you are enabling the hotline setting in Teams admin center. Also verify the Team app version on the Android phone is version 1449/1.0.94.2023082303 or later.

    -     Sign into your Teams phone device and select Settings > Device settings > Admin only > Calling > Hotline.

    - Enter a contact or phone number to be autodialed.

    - Enter the display name you want to show on the phone's home screen and Save. 

3. [Optional] Create a policy and assign. to disable Advanced Calling settings and push all the site available phones bulk. 

Reference from Microsoft - Set up the common area phones for Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

Teams calling user cannot assign a phone number due to licensing and usage

Overview 

Admin experience when he/she try to assign a number to an user, "No results were found" 

1. Replication delay &  License status 

To address the delay in license assignment and replication from Microsoft, connecting to PowerShell is indeed a practical approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you figure out the status of the license assignment:

• Check License Status,

• Open PowerShell: Start by opening PowerShell with administrative privileges,

• Connect to Microsoft Teams: Use the Connect-MicrosoftTeams cmdlet to establish a connection to your Teams environment

   and try following,

• Wait for Replication: Keep in mind that after assigning a Microsoft Calling Plan to a user, it can take up to 24 hours before they’ll see the dial pad in their Teams client,

Get-csOnlineUser -Identity "madushkadias@deployskypeforbusiness.com" | fl 

Output shows following and Provisioned plan missing, and so, my assumption become valid.  

PreferredDataLocation                  :

PreferredLanguage                      :

ProvisionedPlan                        : 

UsageLocation                          : US

UserDirSyncEnabled                     : True

after few hours following reflected,

ProvisionedPlan                        : {MCOMEETADD, MCOPSTN2, MCOEV}

2. Usage Location 

Since we are using Teams calling, it is required to have the correct usage location matching the emergency address assigned. Try to assign the number again, assuming all is done with the license, but still, the Teams calling number cannot be assigned to the user. The next step was to try again via PowerShell command and the following was found: 

Unfortunately above error doesn't show in the GUI, Modified this field on Azure AD and use PowerShell to assign the number and it was success. 

 

3. After everything failed for you then only option will be opening a ticket with Microsoft.

Enjoy!

Microsoft Teams meetings - End Meeting for All Participants

Lot of customers looking way to end the meeting for all,  when presenter is done with the meeting.

first of for this function to work correctly, it required correctly organize the meeting. 

Step #1 add the co-organizer is a must.

Step #2 More option in the Teams meeting

Step #3 Chose co-organizer(s) 

Once meeting options has been added and done, as Co-organizer you will be able to have following option in addition to LEAVE the meeting.  

This feature will help you to have after meeting ends participant use for gossip using same meeting or avoid unwanted chat usage. 

Enjoy!

Teams dial pad missing due to Microsoft backend replication (The issue is due to RegistrarPool being Null after migrating users to Teams)

I had very interesting experience recently related to user migration from Skype for business to Teams direct routing. 

Most common issue is to missing dial pad would be following, 

- Teams license assigned or assigned license change not replicate on time or delay.
   License was PhoneSystem since this was Direct Routing work. 

- is enable for Enterprise voice

- Whether the user assigned a VoiceRoutingPolicy

- Whether the user assigned a TeamsCallingPolicy

Addition to this i checked following, 

-Homed location/HostingProvider of the users and whether user has been       migrated successful or not. 

Get-CsOnline -Identity xxx@abc.com | fl DisplayName, LineUri, EnterpriseVoice*, HostingProvider

This where the interesting part came in found a difference in another attribute which never had seen before. 

Get-CsOnline -Identity xxx@abc.com | fl DisplayName, LineUri, EnterpriseVoice*, HostingProvider, RegistrarPool

(NEW) 

Issue was due to RegistrarPool being Null after migrating users to Teams.

Only option is to Microsoft support since its SaaS product. So, opening a ticket to Microsoft Support will fix the problem and it went to PG folks. Issue was RTCProv is skipping registar pool during that time for unknown reason in Microsoft Teams Phone System.  

Once the replication done in few hours time 

RegistrarPool shouldnt be empty. It should change to Teams: like above screenshot.

Enjoy!

   

Azure vSBC App Registration for Teams Direct Routing (Cont)

Teams SBA registration was showing different errors due to couple reasons and this article share the experience i went through on that. 

This is the 3rd error

Classic mistake i did was coping the Secret ID provided below because in Microsoft article says Application (Client ID) and Client secret. 

I copied the Secret ID (which is wrong) instead of that it should be Value should be copied and thats the client secret.

Following is from Azure App registration. 

Thanks to Nathan, he had a chance to work on App registration for another product prior and he was showing the mistake.

This was the 1st issue which i faced, during that time i created the secret ID and App ID which i was used in wrong way but the error message i got was nothing to do with it. My expectation was is secret is wrong then Auth failure in seconds.

This was the 2nd issue, This came when i try to do it on the SBA by providing Azure Application credential (being global administrator will do) 

One of the following permission will do and check the Microsoft Article on App registration on Azure - Quickstart: Register an app in the Microsoft identity platform - Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Docs

-     Application administrator

-     Application developer

-     Cloud application administrator

Microsoft Teams user administration using Set-CsOnlineVoicemailUserSettings

Now tenant admin can help with user for custom greetings, 

DefaultGreetingPromptOverwrite and DefaultOofGreetingPromptOverwrite many other user settings on behalf of users. This may help to end users when they are away to set up forwarding rules to another colleague or external number etc.

Set-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity "madushka@abc.com" -IsForwardingEnabled $True -ForwardingType Immediate -ForwardingTarget taniya@abc.com -ForwardingTargetType SingleTarget - Verbose

Note: You must have PhoneSystem License attached for you to have this forwarding to a another person. Basically both users must have PhoneSystem License. 

Forward to external number when you try this make sure you are using E.164 standard for phone numbers. 

Set-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity "madushka@abc.com"  -IsForwardingEnabled $True -ForwardingType Simultaneous -ForwardingTargetType SingleTarget -ForwardingTarget "+1365888xxx" - Verbose

Note: You must have PhoneSystem License attached for you to have this forwarding to a number. 

Immediate transfer to voicemail 

Set-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity madushka@abc.com -IsForwardingEnabled $true -ForwardingType Immediate -ForwardingTargetType Voicemail -Verbose

Delegate scenario when manager secretary or Team member after few seconds rings Unanswered delay is 30sec

Set-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity madushka@abc.com - IsUnansweredEnabled $true -UnansweredTargetType MyDelegates -UnansweredDelay 00:00:30

You can review the change settings by following PS commands

Get-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity "madushka@abc.com" | fl

Finally removed the configuration 

Make sure once end user comeback from vacation or whenever user want change it, use following PS command. Which will reset user configuration what you made. 

Set-CsUserCallingSettings -Identity madushka@abc.com -IsForwardingEnabled $false

Enjoy!

Teams - SfB Hybrid and federation

Hosting Provider 

To share the same SIP address in On-prem and online (Teams) required hybrid to set/change Hosting Provider. 

for you to run get-cshostingProvider you will required Skype for business Online (old) module or Skype for business ISO mount and install the tools.

Hosting provider identity should be Office365 

Proxy FQDN should be "sipfed.online.lync.com"

Enable to $True

Enabled Shared Address Space $True

Host OCSUsers    $True

VerificationLevel    $True

AutoDiscoverUrl  need to set https://webdir.online.lync.com/Autodiscover/AutodiscoverService.svc/root

 

Tenant Federation Configuration 

SharedSIPAddressSpace should be True 

Access Edge Configuration 

Make sure set all the important properties you need to True 

Check default configuration in this article - Manage Access Edge Configuration for your organization - Skype for Business Server 2015 | Microsoft Docs