Change Outbound Caller ID for a PBX User
- Last updated on December 1, 2022 at 5:49 PM
It's important to state Outbound Caller ID refers to the number being sent and not outbound Caller ID Name (CNAM) - the name associated with that number.
An Outbound Caller ID Number is a telephone number defined in the system used when sending a call outside the customer's domain. The party receiving the call will see the Caller ID Number, which can be used by the terminating provider for the CNAM association.
When a domain is added in the PBX, you must set the Caller ID Name and Number defaults for the domain. These defaults will be used when new users are created and can be changed for each user on their Profile Tab.
Using a Toll-Free number as the outbound Caller ID is not recommended. Many carriers will reject the call because proper taxation requires knowing the originating location based on NPA-NXX. Toll-Free Number to Toll-Free Number calls will rarely work because the accepting party calculates the toll charges based on NPA-NXX.
A step-by-step guide to changing Outbound Caller ID Number
- Navigate to a User's Profile Tab
- Select from the drop-down list next to Caller ID one of the telephone numbers in the domain's inventory.
3. Click Save
A step-by-step guide to changing Outbound CNAM (Caller ID Name)
The Caller ID Name field in the PBX is represented in the CDRs for outbound calls, but is NOT used over the PSTN.
Outbound CNAM operates differently than the Caller ID Number. In the United States, the party responsible for delivering the Caller ID Name is the terminating carrier. In most cases, CNAM sent with the call is striped when sending over the PSTN, so if outbound CNAM is desired, the origination service provider has to push CNAM to a CNAM Storage Provider. The terminating carrier/provider uses the Caller ID Number to look up the Caller ID Name.
Various CNAM Storage Providers maintain their own correlations between a Caller ID Number and the corresponding CNAM. Most mainstream providers have agreements to share and update records regularly, but not all providers share or pull from the same sources.
During the setup of a call to an end user from a DID that has CNAM Storage provisioned, the terminating carrier will look up the CNAM from their preferred provider and deliver it to the end user. Because of the sharing of information between providers, it can take up to 30 days for CNAM to start reflecting correctly.
If you are looking for instructions on how to view/change/remove a phone number's CNAM Details, please see Change Outbound CNAM for a Phone Number (CNAM Storage).
For how Canadian CNAM works, please see Canada CNAM - The Technical Difference between US & Canada CNAM.