One main number and several incoming lines

“We would like to have a main phone number and several phone lines to call.” Can a request like this to your phone company be simpler than that?

You’d be surprised how many different ways a phone company can go about setting up their lines. And each solution has its own set of pros and cons.

Overlines, hunt-groups, roll-over lines, pilot number, real number are the common terms to keep in mind here.

Overlines: There is a main number or pilot number that is the first line, and then there are additional overlines or lines. Each line is physically connected to your phone system in order to provide you with multiple lines to dial.

For example, if you need three lines coming into your office, then the request would be for a main number or pilot line and 2 top lines, or you can call it one plus two line system.

If you need 4 lines to enter, then the request would be for 1 main or pilot line and 3 overlines, that is, one plus three overline systems.

Each of the top lines are separate phone lines, with the same phone number attached, that is, your primary or pilot phone number for your company.

The over-line system ensures that when your first line is busy, the next incoming call will ring on the next over-line, until all your lines are busy.

And most importantly, it will make sure that each of them shows your MAIN phone number as a caller ID when you call.

This is not the case with the hunt group or multiline system.