VMB (Voice Mail Box)

A VMB (Voice Mail Box) is a computer that acts as an answering machine for hundreds or thousands of users. Each user will have their own Voice Mail Box on the system. Each mail box will have a box number and a pass code.

Without a passcode, you will usually be able to leave messages to users on the VMB system. With a passcode, you can read messages and administer a mailbox. Often, mailboxes will exist that were created by default or are no longer used. These mailboxes may be taken over by guessing their passcode. Often the passcode will be the mailbox number or a common number such as 1234.

Common VMB Systems

Two common VMB systems are Avaya’s Audix system and Northern Telecom’s Meridian Mail.

How to Check Voice Mail

Every voice mail system is different, but these instructions should work on most systems.

Dial the phone number of the phone you’re interested in contacting. For example, if you were calling your cell phone, you could either use your land line phone or another person’s cell phone. Allow the phone to ring until it gets to the answering machine. Once the message starts to play, hit the star button. What this will do is prompt the phone to access the voicemail box.

An automatic recording should prompt you to put your voicemail box password or pin. End it with a pound, unless the recorded message says otherwise, and then allow it to connect to the voicemail box. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to access everything in the voicemail box. The recording will tell you how many messages are in the voicemail box and give you the options to listen, delete and save messages.

Once the messages have been played, simply hanging up with disconnect the land line phone from the voicemail box.