Using The Answering Machine And Voicemail Together; Message Capacity - AT&T CL83217 Complete User's Manual

Answering system
About the answering system

Using the answering machine and voicemail together

You can also use your telephone answering system and voicemail together by
setting your built-in answering system to answer before voicemail answers,
as described below. To learn how to program your voicemail settings, contact
your telephone service provider. If you are on a call, or the answering system
is busy recording a message and you receive another call, the second caller
can leave a voicemail message.
Set the answering system to answer calls at least two rings earlier than your
voicemail is set to answer. For example, if your voicemail answers after six
rings, set the answering system to answer after four rings. Some voicemail
providers may program the delay before answering calls in seconds instead
of rings. In this case, allow six seconds per ring when determining the
appropriate setting.

Message capacity

The answering system can record up to 99 messages, depending on the
length of each message. Individual messages can be up to three minutes,
and the maximum recording time is approximately 22 minutes. The actual
recording time depends on individual message characteristics. Messages
remain available for replay until you delete them.
When there are new messages (including memos) on the answering system,
the number of messages stored shows in the message counter.
If the answering system has less than three minutes of recording time
left, it announces, "Less than three minutes to record," before message
playback at the handset or the telephone base. Rec mem low displays on the
device screen in idle mode. When you turn on the answering system at the
telephone base, it announces, "Calls will be answered. Less than three minutes
to record."
If the memory is full, the answering system announces, "Memory is full,"
before message playback. The device screen displays Rec mem full in idle
mode. Once the memory is full, you cannot turn the answering system back
on if it has been turned off, nor can you record new messages until old ones
have been deleted. Memory full displays if you want to turn on the answering
system on the handset but there is no memory.
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