Telephone Service

Installation and Repair

Telephone Repair

1. Maharishi International University services all campus telephone wiring at no charge. If you have a problem with your line, please make these simple checks before calling Communications:

  • Borrow someone’s working phone and see if it works in your phone jack.
  • Borrow someone’s working phone cord that connects the phone to the phone jack and try the cord in your phone jack.

2. If the problem is not with your phone or cord, then please go to the following link to create a Help Desk ticket:
helpdesk.miu.edu
For the category please chose telephone.

Calling to and from campus phones

  • Campus phones are installed by MIU in offices and hallways of residence halls.
  • Non-campus phones are installed in your room by other providers, such as Iowa Telecomm or LISCO, and are outside of the campus network.

Calling campus phones from other campus phones

Do not dial “472” before an extension number or you will get the wrong number and disturb someone in town. To dial a campus phone number (indicated by “ext.” in this directory) from another campus phone, dial just the four digits listed after the “ext.”

Calling campus phones from non-campus phones

Dial 472-7000 to reach the campus network. Then:

  • IF YOU ARE CALLING FROM A TOUCHTONE PHONE, you may dial any four-digit campus extension at any time during the Automated Attendant greeting.
  • IF THE EXTENSION IS BUSY, you will hear the greeting begin again after only one ring. At this point, you may try another campus extension, or dial “0” to reach the Campus Operator. The operator can put you on hold for the busy extension, and/or take a message.
  • IF THE EXTENSION IS FREE, the call will ring for 30 seconds. If no one answers by then, the greeting will start again. To continue ringing, simply dial the extension again.
  • TO REACH THE CAMPUS OPERATOR, dial “0” at any time during the greeting (during business hours only).

NOTE: Outside of normal business hours, calls to the Campus Operator will be connected to the MIU Message Center. Please leave a clear message after the beep, spelling both your name and the name of the person you are calling, and leave your contact information (phone number and/or email address).

Calling non-campus phones from campus phones

  1. To dial a local Fairfield phone number, first dial 9, and then dial the full number (all seven digits), e.g. 9 + 472-6531. The following prefixes for the 641 area code may all be dialed this way: 472, 469, 470, 209, 233, 451, 919, 693, and 695
  2. To dial “800,” “866,” “877,” or “888” numbers, dial 9-1-8XX-XXXX
  3. To make a collect, third party, or charge card call within North America: dial 9 + 0 + area code + number. You will be connected to an operator who will assist you in placing your call.
  4. To call a number outside North America, dial 9 + 011 + country code + city code + number.
  5. To make a collect, third party, or charge card call outside North America: dial 9 + 01 + country code + city code + number.

Telephone System Features

Transferring Calls to Another Number

  1. After receiving the call and determining that you must transfer it, depress the switch hook briefly (or press the “flash” button if there is one on your phone); you will hear an interrupted dial tone.
  2. Dial the number of the person you are transferring the call to; it will start ringing.
  3. When someone answers, announce that you are transferring a call. When you hang up, the first and third parties will be connected.
  4. If the third party is busy or does not answer, depress the switch hook or “flash” button again to return to the first party.
  5. If you are transferring to a Fairfield number, do not hang up until at least 20 seconds have passed after dialing the last digit of the outside number. NOTE: this procedure works only when transferring a call from another extension to a Fairfield number! If you try to transfer a call from outside the university to another number outside the university, when you hang up the call will be disconnected. (See “NOTE” below under Three-Way Calls.)
  6. If the third party answers and is unavailable, you are automatically reconnected to the original call when the third party hangs up.
  7. To transfer back to the operator, use the above procedure using “0” as the third party number.

Setting Up a Three-Way Call

  1. While connected with the first party, depress the switch hook or “flash” button; you will receive an interrupted dial tone.
  2. Dial the third party; wait for an answer.
  3. Announce that you are going to get the first party on the line; depress the switch hook again.
The three-way call is now established.
NOTE: Any party may hang up at any time. The other two parties will remain connected, unless both parties left are off-campus in which case they will be disconnected.

Putting a Call on Hold and Calling Another Party

If, while talking to someone, you determine that you need to call someone else:

  1. Depress the switch hook or “flash” button; you’ll receive an interrupted dial tone. This puts the other party on hold.
  2. Press *4; receive a normal dial tone.
  3. Your call is now on hold and the line is free to make another call.

To release the 2nd call and return to the original call:

  1. Replace the handset, releasing the new call.
  2. Your phone will ring with the original call.
  3. Lift handset and continue with the original call.

To put the 2nd call on hold and return to the original call:

  1. Depress the switch hook or “flash” button to receive an interrupted dial tone.
  2. Press *4; the 2nd call is now on hold, and the original call is automatically returned. By repeating these procedures, you can converse alternately with two parties, but they cannot speak to each other. To conference call, see “Setting Up a Three-Way Call.”

Automatically Calling Back a Busy Number

This feature lets you connect to a busy number as soon as the busy number becomes free (provided your phone is also free). If you are talking on the phone, you will miss the call-back.

  1. After you call someone and receive the busy tone, depress the switch hook or “flash” button; you’ll hear an interrupted dial tone.
  2. Press *0; you’ll hear the service set tone (it is a constant tone).
  3. Hang up.
  4. When the desired number becomes free, your phone will ring for 30 seconds. When you pick up the receiver, the number you have set on call-back will ring. If you do not pick up your receiver within 30 seconds, the call-back will automatically be cancelled.

To cancel the call-back:

  1. Lift the handset and receive a dial tone.
  2. Press #0 and receive a service set tone.

NOTE: Only one call-back can be set at a time. Also, if you try to set a call-back and instead of receiving a service set tone you receive an interrupted tone that means that someone else has already set a call-back to that phone.

Forwarding All Calls

This feature lets you route all incoming calls to another phone.

  1. Lift handset; receive a dial tone.
  2. Press *2; receive an interrupted dial tone.
  3. Dial the number you want calls forwarded to; receive a service set tone.
  4. Remember to cancel your call-forwarding. You won’t be able to call out until you do.

To cancel call-forward:

  1. Lift handset; receive a dial tone.
  2. Dial #2; receive a service set tone.
  3. You will not be able to call out from a call-forwarded phone, except to the campus operator. (If you try, you will always receive a fast busy signal.)
  4. Only the phone you have forwarded to can call you.

Forwarding Calls If Your Number Is Busy or There Is No Answer

This feature lets you route incoming calls to another phone if your phone is busy or if no one answers your phone within 30 seconds:

  1. Lift handset; receive a dial tone.
  2. Dial *7; receive an interrupted dial tone.
  3. Dial the number you want calls forwarded to; receive a service set tone.
  4. Please remember to un-forward your calls. unless you want this to be a permanent situation. Some people who have two lines use this feature like a “rollover” so they don’t miss calls.

To cancel:

  1. Lift handset; receive a dial tone.
  2. Dial #7; receive a service set tone.

Picking Up Calls from Other Phones

This feature lets you answer any calls directed to other numbers in your office (contact the Communications Office to set this feature):

  1. A phone within your pickup group rings.
  2. Lift the handset; receive a dial tone.
  3. Dial *9.
  4. The call is connected to your phone.

Retrieving Calls at Another Phone

If, while speaking to someone, you decide to move to another phone, you can park the call, and then retrieve it at the other phone to continue your conversation from there.

  1. Depress the switch hook briefly and receive an interrupted dial tone.
  2. Dial *3; hang up.
  3. Go to the desired phone location.
  4. Pick up the receiver; dial #3.
  5. Dial the extension number where the call originated (i.e., the extension from where you “parked” the call).
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