SIP Softphone Lines

This chapter describes how to add and configure SIP softphone lines. The line can be used by the ProCall client to make phone calls via a SIP PBX by assigning the line number to a user.

Add and configure new lines

The connection to the telephone system is displayed as "Line Group". In the Context menu of the line group you can choose "Settings" to enter the connection data for your telephone system. After successfully establishing a connection and setting up the lines, the lines will be displayed under the line group. For information about setting up the SIP connection for your telephone system, please consult the instructions on the web pages at Connection Instructions for Telephone Systems.

Configure the location settings in the Line Group.

Registrar

• Name of the Line Group
  Choose a unique name as desired for the group of lines.
• Registrar/IP Address (of the PBX)
  Please enter here the FQDN or the IP address of the PBX registrar. Enter the port number (typically e.g. 5060). The UCServer requires access via LAN using a local IP address of the PBX registrar. The registrar is also be used as proxy.
• Domain
  Some telephone systems require a distinction between Registrar and Domain. In this case, deactivate the Apply Registrar as Login Domain field and enter the desired value in the Domain field. This menu item is only available for specified telephone systems (e.g., SIP Provider).
• Register expires
  UCServer will send a SIP REGISTER notification to the telephone system so that the softphones will be made available for calls. If necessary, choose the time period that should be entered for cyclical SIP REGISTER notifications in accordance with RFC3261 using the Expires entry. The value should be equal or greater than the related configuration at the PBX registrar. A value too small may lead to registration problems. In case of the PBX registrar responds with a different value during the registration process, it is being used by the UCServer automatically.
• Register delay
  UCServer can insert a delay between SIP REGISTER messages. This makes it possible, in large installations with many registrations, to avoid overloading the telephone system when starting UCServer. If necessary, deviate from the default value and select an appropriate value.
• NAT Refresh
  The UCServer can send cyclical "NAT Refresh" messages to the SIP registrar, in case the SIP registrar is located behind a NAT Device. This is the case e.g. if a UCServer located in the internal LAN has to log on to an SIP registrar of a SIP provider in the public internet (WAN). In many cases, the time between two SIP registrations is sufficient (see menu item Reregister after) to keep the ports on the NAT open for incoming calls. Then cyclical NAT Refreshes can be deactivated by setting 0 s. However, if there is not enough time, a corresponding value may be selected. The value does not depend on the set SIP provider, but rather depends on the used NAT Device. This menu item is only available for specified telephone systems (e.g. SIP provider).
• SIP Transport
  In some cases it is desirable to set a different value for the SIP Transport Protocol than the default. However, it is recommended to leave the default settings, since they have been tested for proper function. If you make changes to the settings, you are doing so at your own risk. The UDP, TCP and TLS/sRTP transport protocols are offered. If TLS (in the signaling) is set, sRTP (for Media) will automatically be used. Please also make certain to use a port suitable for the transport protocol, which is set at the Registrar (e.g., for UDP usually Port 5060 and for TLS Port 5061, depending on the setting of the telephone system).

Softphone registrations

Softphone registrations at the PBX correspond to the Softphone lines in UCServer.

• User name(s)
  Enter the user name for logging on to the SIP Registrar here. The user name usually corresponds to the call number of the SIP-Softphone line. If you wish to register several call numbers at the PBX, which have the same password, you can also define several call numbers (e.g.e.g. 123 or 100-120 or also 150;177;200-220). If the user name does not match the call number of the line, a call number can be manually assigned to the line.
  If multiple phone numbers should be registered with the PBX, activate the Configure Additional Softphones option. Doing so will list all registrations from that group of lines. The registrations can be changed, deleted or others added. New registrations can also be added by importing softphone lines.
• Password
  Enter the password for SIP authentication, if present.
• Auth. user name
  If you have to configure an authentication user name please uncheck Take authentication user name from user name. Enter the value into the field Auth. user name. If you enter multiple numbers and these are a part of the authentication user name you may use the place holder <*>. At the appropriate place in the Authentication user name, <*> is replaced by the number entered in the User name field.
• Phone number
  Some telephone systems require a manual configuration of the call numbers when the user name of the Softphone registration does not match the extension number of the line. For manual configuration, deactivate the Apply Call Number from User Name field. Enter the desired value in the Call number field. This can be the extension or the canonically formatted number (e.g., +49123456781). The number must correspond to the location settings. This menu item is only available for specified telephone systems (e.g., SIP providers). However, it is also visible when the parameter Automatically set call numbers is deactivated in the Settings of the line group.

Import of Softphone lines

In the case of a large number of Softphone lines, manually entering the user name, password and call number via dialog box is rather time-consuming. For this reason, there is an import function available for importing the line information from a CSV formatted file. In the dialog box for Softphone registrations the Add button can be expanded by the Import option. The import file can be selected there.
The data records to be imported must be present in the import file in the CSV format (values separated by commas). For each Softphone line to be imported, one line must be provided containing the required parameters.
The sequence of the parameters is strictly defined. Missing values must be marked with a comma.

Value: User name (mandatory field),
Value: Auth.User name (optional),
Value: Password (optional),
Value: Call number deviating from user name (optional).

Example of data records to be imported with non-used Auth. User name:

abc_xxx,,asdfghjklö,+49123456781
abc_yyy,,asdfghjklö,+49123456782
abc_zzz,,asdfghjklö,+49123456783
...

The Import function only allows new user name entries to be added. Existing user name entries are skipped over in the list of Softphone registrations, even if parameters in those entries have been changed. An import also cannot be used to delete user names from the list.

Line group name (defined under Registrar)

• Line group properties
  

PCAP-Log

• SIP PCAP log files
  You can find more information in the chapter Creating SIP PCAP Log Files.

Activation of the SIP Softphone Lines

Once the SIP softphone line appears as a line in the group(s) of lines, the line can be activated by checking the left checkbox and clicking the Accept button at the top. A colorful icon symbolizes the line status or the success of the SIP registration with the telephone system. Green indicates successful registration. A mouse tooltip will provide additional indicators about the current status (such as Line is functional). To see the SIP notifications, the corresponding line can be right-clicked and Display SIP Events selected from the context menu to inspect them more precisely and track the SIP notifications in an event window. To reset the line (send a new SIP registration message), right-click on the corresponding line and re-start by selecting Reset Line on the context menu.

Once registration is successful (the icon is green), the line can be assigned to a User (see User Administration - Users). Right-clicking on the corresponding user and selecting Properties from the context menu will display the Telephone Numbers tab page where the line can be selected from the Business entry or the First Telephone entry using the button on the right. Alternatively, the number that corresponds to the line number can be entered manually.