What is Distinctive Ring?

Last Update: August 9th, 2021

Distinctive ring is a feature on a telephone or fax line. It allows for multiple phone numbers on the same line. When the line rings, each number has a different tone.

Definition

With a distinctive ring, there are multiple phone or fax numbers for the same phone line. Each phone number has a different ring to identify the called number when the line rings.

Distinctive ring is different from a “party line” although very similar. It is for use within the same building or organization. It is most often used to have extra services on a line (such as a fax machine) without having to maintain the cost (and infrastructure) of an entire extra phone line.

A party line is intended to be used across multiple buildings and organizations to share a phone line. It usually found in rural areas where phone line infrastructure is limited.

Usage

Distinctive ring is commonly used to have multiple phone numbers on the same phone line.

Common usage is to have a separate number for a fax machine, especially when there is voicemail on the primary line. Fax machines and voicemail have trouble working together (although a fax machine and a physical answering machine is possible on the same phone line).

Many fax machines have DRPD (distinctive ring pattern detection) which can answer the phone line when one tone is rung, but not the other.

Another use of the technology is to have different phone numbers for business and personal use, or for two roommates who want separate phone numbers.

Sources and more resources

• Fax Authority – How to set up a fax machine with distinctive ring – Our instructions on setting up a fax machine to work with a distinctive ring phone number.
• Wikipedia – Distinctive Ring – This entry overviews the basics of disctinctive ring, as well as provides some names that are used by different phone companies in North America.
• Brother Support – What is distinctive ring and how do I program it? – A support article on distinctive ring and how to set it up on a Brother fax machine.
• Houston Chronicle – How to set up a fax machine & phone line for a distinctive ring – A quick article on how to set up distinctive ring with a fax machine.