Using VoIP Softphones

1
Using VoIP Softphones

• 3UET
• Session 4

2
Introduction

• Lesson objectives
• Describe what is a PBX and its features
• Explain what is Asterisk and list its features
• Connect to and use Asterisk

3
Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• A PBX is a telephone exchange that serves a
  particular business or office
• As opposed to one that a common carrier or
  telephone company operates for many businesses or
  for the general public.
• Also referred to as PABX - Private Automatic
  Branch eXchange
• The general term "extension" is used to refer to
  any end point on the branch, e.g phones, fax
  machines, etc

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• The PBX handles calls between extensions as
  connections to the PTSN
• As PBXs gained popularity, they started offering
  services that were not available in the operator
  network, such as
• hunt groups,
• call forwarding, and
• extension dialing.

5
Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• The PBX performs three main duties
• Establishing connections (circuits) between the
  telephone sets of two users. (e.g. mapping a
  dialed number to a physical phone, ensuring the
  phone isn't already busy)
• Maintaining such connections as long as the users
  require them. (i.e. channelling voice signals
  between the users)
• Providing information for accounting purposes
  (e.g. metering calls)

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Two significant developments during the 1990's
  led to new types of PBX systems
• Massive growth of data networks
• The availability of the Internet as a global
  delivery system made packet switched
  communications even more attractive

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• This led to the development of the VoIP PBX
• Technically, nothing was being "exchanged"
  anymore, but the acronym PBX was so widely
  understood that it remained in use.)
• Idea of focusing on core competence (something
  the business can do)
• PBX services hard to arrange for smaller
  companies
• Many companies realized that handling their own
  telephony was not their core competence

8
Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Concept of hosted PBX
• In a hosted setup, the PBX is located at and
  managed by a telephone service provider
• Features and calls are delivered via the
  Internet.
• The customer just signs up for a service, rather
  than buying and maintaining hardware

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• PBX System Components
• The PBXs internal switching network.
• Central processor unit (CPU) or computer inside
  the system, including memory.
• Logic cards, switching and control cards, power
  cards and related devices that facilitate PBX
  operation.
• Stations or telephone sets, sometimes called
  lines.

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• PBX System Components
• Outside Telco trunks that deliver signals to (and
  carry them from) the PBX.
• Console or switchboard allows the operator to
  control incoming calls.
• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) consisting of
  sensors, power switches and batteries.
• Interconnecting wiring.
• Cabinets, closets, vaults and other housings.

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Home and Small Business Usage
• Historically, the expense of full-fledged PBX
  systems has put them out of reach of small
  businesses and individuals
• Consumer VoIP PBXs now available

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Home and Small Business Usage
• Open source projects have been available since
  the beginning of the 90s.
• These projects provide flexibility and features
  (often not needed or understood by average
  users), plus the means to actually inspect and
  change the inner working of a PBX.
• They have also opened business opportunities for
  newcomers to the market of mid-size PBXs, since
  they have lowered the entry barrier for new
  manufacturers

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• PBX Features
• PBXs offer many other calling features and
  capabilities, including
• Call accounting
• Call forwarding
• Call transfer
• Call waiting
• Conference call
• Interactive voice response
• Music on hold
• Voice mail

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Asterisk
• Complete IP PBX in software
• Created by Mark Spencer of Digium, Inc in 1999
• Cross platform - Linux, Mac OS X, OpenBSD,
  FreeBSD and Sun Solaris
• All common features, and many advanced features
  that are often associated with high end (and high
  cost) proprietary PBXs
• Many protocols VoIP protocols

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Asterisk
• Wide interoperability with almost all
  standards-based telephony equipment
• Open Source - GPL
• Most popular open source VoIP software available
• Key Features All of the above PBX features and
  more

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• FreePBX
• FreePBX is a Standardised Implementation of
  Asterisk that gives you a GUI to manage your
  system
• You cant plug a phone into Asterisk and make it
  work without editing configuration files, writing
  dialplans, etc
• FreePBX simplifies this by giving you a
  pre-written set of dialplans that allow you to
  have a fully functional PBX

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• FreePBX
• Some of the features that FreePBX supports out of
  the box are
• Unlimited number of Voicemail boxes
• Ring Groups with calls confirmation (so if, eg, a
  mobile phone is out of range and diverts to
  voicemail, all the other phones keep ringing)
• Unlimitied number of Conferences (limited by
  available CPU power - about 300 simultaneous
  users in conferences on a P4 3ghz dual core!)

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• FreePBX
• Music on Hold (via MP3s, or streamed off the
  internet)
• Call Queues

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Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• Extensions
• An extension refers to any end point on the
  branch exchange
• Phones, Faxes, Modems can all be connected to
  extensions
• Codec issues make connecting Faxes and Modems to
  VoIP PBXes difficult

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Asterisk - Activities

• Practical Exercise Connect to a static Extension

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Asterisk - Activities

• Practical Exercise Order a wakeup call
• Dial 62
• Enter time in military format (e.g. 0800 for 800
  am)
• PBX will call your extension at nominated time

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Asterisk - Activities

• Practical Exercise Order a wakeup call
• Dial 62
• Enter time in military format (e.g. 0800 for 800
  am)
• PBX will call your extension at nominated time

23
Asterisk

• Creating Extensions
• An extension needs to be created on the PBX
  before phones can connect to it
• FreePBX is a web based tool that allows an
  operator to create extensions and generally
  configure Asterisk

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Using FreePBX to create new
  extensions

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Asterisk - Demonstration

• Demonstration Quick Tour of Trixbox /FreePBX
• Welcome Page
• System Status Overview
• System gt System Info
• OS and Hardware Info
• System gt System maint
• Shows service status and allows shutdown/reboot
  of server

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Asterisk - Demonstration

• Asterisk gt Asterisk Info
• Shows SIP registrations
• Shows Trunk Status
• Asterisk gt CDR Report
• Shows all calls made/received
• Asterisk gt FreePBX

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Asterisk

• FreePBX is used for the majority of the Asterisk
  configuration
• Setup Creation of Extensions, Feature Codes,
  Trunks, etc
• Tools FreePBX admin Adding Modules, etc
• Reports More Dialed/ Received Call Reports
• Panel Flash Operator Panel
• Recordings Web based access to voicemail and
  recordings

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Spoken Extension Number
• Dial 65
• Asterisk will tell you your extension number

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Echo Test
• Dial 43
• After a short introduction everything you say
  will be repeated

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Speaking Clock
• Dial 60
• Current time on Asterisk Server will be read out

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Use freePBX to create a
  voice mailbox
• FreePBX gt Extensions

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Use a softphone to configure
  voicemail
• Dial 97
• Enter password
• Follow the prompts

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Use a softphone to access
  voice mail
• Dial 97 from your own extension or 98 from
  someone elses
• Follow the prompts

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Asterisk - Activity

• Practical Exercise Use Asterisk Recording
  Interface to access voice mail
• Click on the Recordings option in FreePBX
• Sign in with extension and Voice Mail Pass
• Intuitive Web Interface for access to voice mail
  recordings