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Knowledge document #62

Automatically diverting anonymous calls to the integrated answering machine

You can automatically forward unknown callers to one of the FRITZ!Box's integrated answering machines. This does not work for anonymous fax calls because the answering machine checks every call to see whether it is a telephone call or a fax. The answering machine automatically forwards faxes to a fax configured in the FRITZ!Box. If you want to block anonymous fax calls and are using a separate fax number for faxing, as an alternative you can block all anonymous calls to the fax number.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Preparations

Configuring and disabling the first answering machine

It is not possible to only use the first answering machine as the destination for diverted calls from anonymous callers because this answering machine always also reacts to external calls. If you would use this answering machine, callers who transmit their telephone number would also be diverted to the answering machine. Therefore, you must first configure and then disable the first answering machine if you have not configured an answering machine in the FRITZ!Box yet:

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Telephony Devices" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Click the "Configure New Device" button.
  4. Under "Integrated in the FRITZ!Box", select "Answering machine" and click "Next".
  5. Enter a name for the answering machine and click "Next".

    Note:It does not matter which settings you select for the operating mode, greeting delay or recording length because this answering machine will be deactivated.

  6. Select a telephone number.

    Note:It does not matter which number you select because this answering machine will be deactivated.

  7. Click "Next" and "Apply".
  8. Use the on/off slider to disable the answering machine.

Configuring the answering machine for anonymous calls

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Telephony Devices" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Click the "Configure New Device" button.
  4. Under "Integrated in the FRITZ!Box", select "Answering machine" and click "Next".
  5. Select the operating mode, greeting delay, and recording length, enter a name for the answering machine, and click "Next".

    Note:It does not matter which setting you select for the greeting delay because calls to the integrated answering machine are always diverted immediately.

  6. Do not select a number and click "Next" and then "Apply".

Now this answering machine only accepts calls that are forwarded to it via call diversion.

2 Setting up call diversion

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Call Handling" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Click on the "Call Diversion" tab.
  4. Click the "New Call Diversion" button.
  5. Enable the option "All calls without a telephone number to" and select a telephone number.
  6. Enable the option "Divert calls to internal answering machine" as the destination for the call diversion and select an answering machine from the list.
  7. Click "OK" to save the settings.

Now all unknown callers are automatically diverted to the integrated answering machine in the FRITZ!Box.

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