VoIP Lab

Installing 3cxpbx should put you into a configuration prompt that starts with a licensing and agreements section. When it asks you to select how you would like to run the tool, select the first option using the web tool. Then, you will be given a URL to go to in your browser where you will continue to configure your 3cx phone system.

Web Configuration

At the configuration screen, you’ll be asked for your license code. Go to https://www.3cx.com/pbx/free-pbx/ and sign up to get a valid license. When getting the license, choose self-hosted and on premise when prompted. The license will be emailed to you after you confirm your email.

After you’ve entered your license, set up your username and password. Just use the standard NeatRack username and password. When asked if you want to use your public IP, select No and manually enter the device’s WAN address. On the following page, select dynamic. Make your FQDN whatever you want and leave ports as-is, then choose WAN as the default network adapter.

After the FQDN setup is finished, select 3-digit extension length. Enter an admin email you can access. For the operator extension, give it a name and enter an email you can access. Leave country and language alone. For Registration Details you should see the information you entered to get your license key. Create a company name and click finish.

After setup is complete, you should be able to access the web configuration through either WAN or LAN using http on port 5000 (5015 is just for setup).

WAP Configuration

If you would like to connect a device via a Wi-Fi network, you have two options. The first is to configure a WAP to create the Wi-Fi. If you have a WAP, you can most likely find an online configure guide.

The second option is to configure a Raspberry Pi as a WAP. You can follow this guide here: https://richwebinc.sharepoint.com/sites/neatrack2/SitePages/Raspberry-Pi-WAP-Configuration.aspx

You’ll need to use one of these options for any computer acting as on a Wi-Fi network.

Provisioning Phones in 3CX

3CX is a phone client that supports multiple different phone solutions. As long as you have internet connection, 3CX probably has a way to connect you to the server. They do this by creating a custom tunnel from whatever machine you are on to the server you are trying to access. Lucky for you, 3CX does this automatically on soft phones.

The objective of this lab is for you to call from one phone to another through 3CX. The way that you achieve this, however, is up to you. There are a few options you have for different phone types to use:

• Hard Phone: Aastra, Grandstream, etc. SIP phones plugged into the switch

• Soft Phone on Windows/MacOSHard Phone: Machine running Windows/MacOS connected to the 60 or 80 network*

• Soft Phone on Linux: There is no guide for this below, but it is possible with a WINE setup. At the time of creation, there is no tool that supports this functionality, but one may be created in the near future. *

• Soft Phone on iOS and Android: This setup requires the device to be connected to a WAP (Wireless Access Point) on the network. There is a guide to do this here: https://richwebinc.sharepoint.com/sites/neatrack2/SitePages/Raspberry-Pi-WAP-Configuration.aspx

* = These machines need access to the internet and access to the server separately. They will be moved around. They also need permissions to run executables.

There will be a guide below for how to provision each of the following phones. While you can do two of the same, we would recommend trying out as many new ways as possible.

Hard Phone Provisioning

Hard phone provisioning is relatively simple. This is used when you have a physical VoIP phone that 3CX supports. You can check to see if your phone is supported here: https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/

If your phone is listed here, you can continue with hard phone provisioning. Make sure your phone is initially unplugged before we begin.

There are two Ethernet ports on the bottom of the phone. The first, named “PC” is used as a passthrough. This means that you can plug in another machine to that port if the phone is working and get access to the network. The LAN port is the input for the phone and is therefore necessary to connect to the network.

Most hard phones run through Power over Ethernet (PoE). This means they can either take power from an Ethernet port or from a power adapter. You can see that there is a power plug in addition to the Ethernet ports. You don’t need to use the power adapter IF your switch is PoE. To figure out if your switch is PoE (on a Cisco switch), look the model number, normally located in the top right.

Reset your phone to factory defaults. You can search the internet on how to do this; each phone is different.

Enter the 3CX Web Configurator. Click on the Extensions tab on the left-hand side and add an extension. Make sure to give your extension a number and name (either first, last, or both work) so that you know which phone is which. Click on the Phone Provisioning tab on the top bar.

Under Your Phones, you will see that there is a drop-down menu with 3CX Client listed. Click the add button above that.

A menu will come up with two options. Choose your phone model from the drop down. If your phone model isn’t listed, you can try selecting the closest number to your phone, but it isn’t guaranteed to work. Find and enter the MAC address into the blank below. MAC addresses follow the format “xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx”, sometimes without the colons and can usually be found on a sticker or label on the phone. Click the ok button to close the pop-up window. If this is the first hard phone you are provisioning, be sure to copy the provisioning link under Provisioning Method (in the IP Phone category). Make sure the IP address is the 3CX LAN address, and if not change it. Make sure the selected interface (Under the IP Phone category on that page) is the LAN network. Click ok again to save the extension.

If this is your first hard phone, you will need to add the provisioning link you copied to your DHCP server. This will tell hard phones where the 3CX server is on the network and allow them to provision. To do this, we need to add a line to the subnet we set up in the DHCP config like so:

option tftp-server-name "http://172.30.80.10:5000/provisioning/abcdefghij";

Remember to run “service isc-dhcp-server restart” after editing this configuration file.

Without this option, hard phones will get an IP but will not provision and connect to the server.

You can now plug the SIP phone in. If your switch is PoE, your phone should start to turn on when you attach it to the switch. If it isn’t, plug in a power cable to your phone after plugging in the Ethernet cord and your phone will boot.

From here on your phone should boot then start provisioning on its own. Most phones restart when they correctly provision and either show their extension number or 3CX when they are provisioned. Try calling another phone to see if the phone is provisioned.

If the phone is not provisioned, it will probably say something along the lines of no connection and instantly hang up or give static whenever a call is attempted. Always try rebooting the phone from scratch first. Some common problems to check if the phone doesn’t provision:

• Make sure you entered the MAC address correctly

• Make sure you have the phone on the correct VLAN

• Make sure the phone is supported by 3CX and you selected the correct model

• Make sure your extension saved by pressing “ok”

If none of these fixes correct the issue, there is a chance your phone doesn’t work with 3CX.

Note: If you correctly provisioned the phone, but it doesn’t ring when called, click on your extension in the administrative window and go to options. Deselect any restrictions.