Trixbox Pro Installation Guide
From Trixbox Pro Help
Warnings, Cautions, and Prerequisites
Please review the following list of requirements. If any of these items are performed incorrectly or out of order, it may result in problematic system performance, and dissatisfaction with the product.
Internet connection required
You must have an “always-on” Internet connection at the desired installation location for your trixbox Pro Server. Even if you are not using VoIP, your trixbox Pro will still need to communicate adds, moves, and changes with our central system. Note: if your Internet connection goes “down”, your trixbox Pro should still function normally, you will simply not be able to use the web-based Admin Panel to make changes until your Internet is back “up”.
Warnings about Firewalls
Special precautions must be taken when setting up your trixbox Pro in regards to firewalls. If you plan on either using remote phones or a 3rd party VoIP connection you will need to take special care in setting up your network. Many popular firewalls and routers prove to be incompatible or unreliable with remote phones, and 3rd party VoIP connections. trixbox recommends that you *avoid* using the following devices:
•Microsoft ISA Router / Firewall •Linksys / Cisco WRT45G series routers (Newest firmware is known to be OK) •Netgear FVX538
trixbox Pro has had qualified and tested the following routers for SIP compliance:
•Edgewater Networks EdgeMarc 4200 series •Fortinet Fortigate 50 (remote telecommuter) •Fortinet Fortigate 60 (main office) •Cisco router with QoS capability (2600 series, etc.) •Linksys BEFSR81 (remote telecommuter)
It is highly recommended that you read the following article for more information on these topics:
Normally, there is no special configuration required of the firewall that connects your facility to the internet. In some situations, though, modifications may need to be made to open up specific ports on your firewall. The following link will give a list of ports used by the Fonality system.
Use the built-in trixbox Pro DNS Server as your primary
Your trixbox Pro server includes a high performance DNS service. Please configure your DHCP network to use this DNS server as your primary DNS server. If you do not know how to accomplish this step, either contact your local computer consultant, or the manufacturer of your office router. For reference information, check this location:
Primary DNS Server Requirement
CAUTION
Failure to use the built-in trixbox Pro DNS server is a very common mistake, and will result in intermittent system outages where the IP phones on your network will be unable to reliably contact your trixbox Pro server. For reference information, check this location: Primary DNS Server Requirement
Avoid unexpected IP address changes
If DHCP IP addressing is used, be sure to use a DHCP reservation to avoid IP address changes. See section 3.2.5.2 below for details.
CAUTION
Failure to use a DHCP reservation or a static IP address for your trixbox Pro server will result in the IP address of the server changing unexpectedly, and will interrupt the connectivity between the server and your IP phones.
Testing of network wiring and equipment is required
All network equipment and LAN network cables used in the installation of trixbox Pro should be tested and certified in advance. If possible use new cables supplied with your Server and Phones. If additional wiring is required, please be certain that it’s been tested and certified as functional before attempting the trixbox Pro installation.
Testing Ethernet Switches
Consider testing each port of your Ethernet switches using a computer to verify proper operation before installing IP phones.
Testing LAN Cables
Consider using a LAN patch cord testing device to verify proper continuity of all LAN wiring.
Avoid damage to your analog phone ports
If you purchased trixbox Pro with any analog phone ports (FXS ports) for connecting analog phone stations, be careful not to damage them by connecting analog phone lines to them by mistake.
WARNING
You can permanently damage your analog phone station ports if you connect an analog phone line to them. If the phone line rings when it’s wired to an analog phone station port (rather than an analog line port) the 200VAC ring voltage will damage the circuitry in the module. The product warranty will not cover this damage. Carefully review the labeling on each port before connecting any phone lines to your system. See section 3.6 for details.
Preparing for your installation
You can view this installation guide online by visiting this URL:
- Trixbox Pro Installation Guide
Fonality also recommends you review the following articles before starting an installation. They cover many common questions and issues our customers have raised:
*Primary DNS Server Requirement *Planning Your Network for VoIP *Tips for security and Performance *Setting Caller-ID *How to change Caller-ID Information *trixbox Pro and 911 *How to use Call Queues *How to add multiple Auto-Attendants *How to change extension numbers *How do I change the volume level *Setting Up Remote Phones
This section will explain IP address assignment and proper placement of the trixbox Pro system on your LAN. Please to not connect any IP phones to your network until you have carefully configured your trixbox Pro server in accordance with these directions.
Installation
Network Setup
Installing your trixbox Pro server at the correct location on your network will ensure optimum system performance. Diagrams are included below for your reference.
For maximum performance, we recommend connecting the trixbox Pro server on the same LAN segment as the location where the majority of your IP phones will be installed. They should use the same IP Address subnet if possible. If you plan to connect the trixbox Pro system on its own independent network or Internet provider, please review Configuring two Internet Providers
Use static IP address if possible
A static IP address should be manually assigned to the server to avoid unexpected IP address changes.
Identify a free IP Address
To set a static IP address manually, first identify an IP address that is outside the range of IP addresses assigned by your DHCP server.
Get additional information for this address
Once the IP address has been identified, confirm that you have all of the associated information required: Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, Network/Broadcast Addresses, and DNS server IP addresses.
Verify the address is available
Use Start->cmd to run ping for your intended IP address to be sure it’s not already in use by another device on your network.
- Example
ping 192.168.1.10
If you see timeouts, then the IP address is available, if you see responses (< 10 ms) then the IP address is in use. In that case you’ll need to select another IP address.
Set the Static IP Address on the trixbox Pro server
Temporarily connect a PS2 keyboard (do not use a USB keyboard) and monitor to your trixbox Pro server and log in at the “login:” prompt using these case sensitive credentials:
Username: ip Password: ip
Use the IP address wizard
Select the “Set IP Address...” option from the menu. The wizard will display on the text screen. Follow its instructions to set the IP address and restart. (It is here where you choose an external DNS server, such as your ISP)
Use DHCP reservation if static IP is not possible
If static IP address assignment is not an option on your network, be sure that your trixbox Pro server is given a DHCP reservation in your DHCP server so that it’s always given the same IP address. For more information please visit Avoiding IP Address Conflicts
Verify connection to Fonality’s web servers
From another PC (*do not* use a Fonality trixbox Pro server, go to another PC with internet access) browse to http://cp.trixbox.com and log in using the credentials mentioned in section 2.1 of this guide. If you see an error indicating that your trixbox Pro server cannot be reached over the internet, please resolve this problem before continuation of the installation process. If you see a welcome message, then you are ready to proceed.
Firewall configuration changes may be required
If you are unable to get your trixbox Pro server to be recognized by the trixbox Pro admin web interface you may need to adjust your firewall configuration to allow outbound access to the following ports from the trixbox Pro server:
TCP/80 TCP/443 TCP/8000 TCP/9000 UDP/53
Additional configuration will also be required if you plan to support remote telecommuters over the Internet. See section 3.8 of this guide for details.
If you are unable to establish the connection to Fonality’s web servers using the information above, you should consider the following alternative configurations for your firewall:
- Enable a DMZ
- A DMZ setting to allow all unknown incoming packets to be routed to the static IP address of the trixbox Pro system on your private network.
- Configure a Firewall rule
- Configure your firewall such that it allows the IP address of the trixbox Pro system to make an outbound connection to any host on any port.
- Example:
ALLOW TCP FROM 192.168.1.10 to 0.0.0.0 ON ANY PORT ALLOW UDP FROM 192.168.1.10 to 0.0.0.0 ON ANY PORT
It may be necessary to reboot the trixbox Pro system with CTRL+ALT+DEL on the system console or by disconnecting and reconnecting the power in order to re-initiate a new connection from your trixbox Pro system to the Fonality web servers.
Note: If you have a Watchguard firewall, or any firewall that examines the actual data payload of TCP/IP packets, you may need to disable this functionality in your firewall for traffic originating from the trixbox Pro system. See your firewall vendor/manufacturer for details about how to accomplish this configuration.
Please read section 3.8 (and sub-sections) for additional information about setting up your firewall, and associated troubleshooting.
DNS service must be available
If your network does not have functional DNS servers, or the DNS configuration manually programmed into the trixbox Pro server is invalid, the server will not be able to connect to Fonality’s web servers. This must be resolved before installation can continue.
Configure DHCP to use the trixbox Pro as primary DNS
If you skip this step, you will have problems with your trixbox Pro system. Please use this guide to configure your DHCP server to give out the IP address of your trixbox Pro server as the primary DNS server: Reliable phone service during Internet outages
You can use your existing DNS server address as a secondary DNS server. However, the trixbox Pro system must be the primary.
Note that the built-in high performance DNS service that comes with trixbox Pro can easily handle DNS service for networks with hundreds of devices on them. Under normal circumstances using it as your primary DNS service will not adversely impact your phone system performance at all.
Connect your IP phones to the network
Once you have confirmed that your trixbox Pro server is properly connected to Fonality’s web servers, it’s then safe to unpack and assemble your IP phones, and connect them to your network.
If you are unable to use the default “DHCP” configuration of the phones, it is possible to assign static IP addresses using the LCD menus on the phones. Please avoid setting IP addresses manually if possible. If you must use static IP addresses, Polycom, Cisco, and Snom phones allow you to do this using the LCD menu on each phone in the network settings section.
Verify correct DNS server assignment
Verify that each phone is using the primary DNS server that you configured in step 3.3. It must match the IP address you manually assigned or reserved for the trixbox Pro server. Return to step 3.3 if it’s not using the right DNS server IP address.
Verify proper phone operation
Verify that each phone can communicate properly with the trixbox Pro server by lifting the handset on each phone and dialing “0” for your main menu. You should hear the default auto attendant greeting. This is the same greeting your callers will hear when trixbox Pro answers incoming calls. You can use the admin web interface to adjust the configuration of your call menu. To do this, you will need to log into the admin web interface, and click on the “AutoAnswer” tab, and then click on the “edit call menu” option. You can see the status of each IP Phone using the Extensions tab in trixbox Pro Admin Web Interface. This will show the IP address of each phone that’s on- line. Use the credentials referenced in section 2.1 of this guide to log into the web interface at http://cp.trixbox.com.
Set time zone settings in your IP phones.
Each IP phone has it’s own time zone setting. If your phones are not displaying time in the correct time zone, please use the instructions provided in this help document: How To Set a Time Zone on Your Phones and Server
Connect your phone lines
You may now connect your phone lines to the trixbox Pro system. Be sure that the phone lines have been tested by your phone company or inside wiring technician before they are connected to your trixbox Pro server. Lines that are inverse polarity or shorted together with another line will cause system instability.
WARNING: If you connect an analog phone line to an analog phone station port, you will damage the hardware. See the warning in section 1.5.
T1/PRI lines may require Fonality Assistance
If your trixbox Pro system will be connected to a T1/PRI circuit, additional configuration may be required. Please connect your T1/PRI circuit to the trixbox Pro server once your local telephone company has tested it.
Analog lines must be connected in specific order
If you are connecting analog phone lines to your system, they should be connected in reverse hunting order. Your busiest incoming lines should be placed in your highest port numbers. For details see this help reference: What order should I connect my lines in?
trixbox Pro dials out from the lowest port numbers first, so to avoid placing an outbound call while an inbound call is ringing this reverse order connection of your lines is essential.
Vacant phone line ports will cause problems
If you have analog phone line ports that you leave vacant with no line connected, this may cause you problems when you try to dial out while all other lines are busy. You will hear your own voice echo back to you, and your call will not connect. If this happens, and you have purchased support, contact Fonality Support by visiting http://trixbox.com/support to have your vacant ports deactivated.
Echo on analog phone lines
If you hear echo when using analog phone lines, don’t worry. This is normal when installing a new IP PBX. The echo cancellation inside the server may need to be calibrated in order to eliminate the echo. Here are two help documents that will help you start this process:
If you need additional assistance, please contact Fonality Support by visiting http://trixbox.com/support and we will happily help you sort this out.
Configure your Dial Plan
Depending on the dialing requirements in your country or state, the dialing plan in your systems and/or IP phones may need to be modified. For example, if you need to use 10 digits to dial local numbers instead of 7, your dial plan will need to be adjusted.
Use the trixbox Pro Admin Panel to adjust the dial plan inside your trixbox Pro server. Click on the Options tab and select “dial plan”. You can adjust these settings to match the dialing requirements for your local phone company. You can also indicate how each type of call should be routed.
If any changes are made to your server’s dial plan, the same changes also need to be made in your IP phones. Please contact Fonality Support by visiting http://trixbox.com/support to arrange for your phones to be adjusted accordingly.
Prepare your system for remote telecommuters
If you plan to use one or more of your IP phones in a remote location, and connect to your trixbox Pro over the internet, those phones need to be reconfigured to work remotely. Detailed instructions are provided in this help document: Setting Up Remote Phones
Configure DMZ settings
It may be necessary to configure a DMZ setting in your router/firewall at both the local and remote locations in order to ensure proper communication between the remote telecommuter IP phone and the trixbox Pro server. If you experience inability to get or place calls from a remote location, or if calls appear to connect but have no audio, the DMZ settings will be needed. Detailed instructions are provided in this help document: How to set a DMZ Host/Server setting
Check firewall logs
If you have difficulty configuring remote telecommuters, check the log in your firewall for clues about what’s preventing the communication. Also consider using a Linksys BEFSR81 router at both locations and configuring DMZ settings on both ends. Also consider configuration of QoS as described in this help document: How do I use QoS on my network?
If you need to change any extension numbers
Fonality goes to great lengths to try to get all of the required information in advance and pre-configure all of your extensions to avoid the need to change extension numbers during the system installation process. If you must change an extension number in one or more of your IP phones, please see this document: How to change extension numbers
Setting up your Call Menu
When an inbound call arrives at your trixbox Pro system on one of your phone lines, it’s answered by the auto-attendant. The call menu allows you to configure how your call is handled by the auto-attendant.
Before you begin
When you first begin using the trixbox Pro Admin Panel, we ask that you confirm your contact information. Once you log in, click the “Options” tab, and then click “customer”. Please make any needed corrections or additions. It’s important that we maintain a current email address so we can reach you in the event of product upgrades or required maintenance.
Learning how to use the call menu
Use help mode in the Admin panel
The Admin Panel has a large orange question mark near the bottom right of the screen. If you click it, you will be entered into help mode where you can find detailed instructions about every item in the call menu.
Use contextual green question marks
Each individual item in the call menu also has a small green question mark over it. You can hover your mouse pointer over this question mark to get details about what each item is.
Avoiding pitfalls with the Scheduler
If you plan to have scheduled greetings in your call menu, read this document first. If you try to set up after hours-schedules instead of business-hours schedules you will get unexpected results. For more info, see: Building-Schedules
Using Blast Groups
Blast groups allow you to ring multiple phones at once. If you plan to use a blast group, read this help document first: Using Blast Groups
Using the Conference Bridge Feature
If you would like to use the conference bridge in the trixbox Pro server, see this help document: How to use the Conference Bridge feature
Using Advanced features of Call Center Edition
If you have the Call Center Edition version of trixbox Pro, you can learn about how to use the advanced features by looking in the ACD tab of the Admin Panel, and by reviewing this help document: How to use Call Queues
Locating Phone Manuals
If you are looking for a manual from your IP phone’s manufacturer, they are available here Phone Manuals You can also search our KB for your phone’s manufacturer or model number.
Note that the Swissvoice manual makes reference to a Conference feature. Many versions of the Swissvoice phones do NOT support 3-Way conferencing. If you need conferencing, we recommend that you use a Polycom phone.
Post Installation Support
If you have questions about your installation, you may contact the Fonality installation team by visiting http://cp.trixbox.com/support and entering your trixbox Pro admin Username and Password, your full name, and email address. The “Request Type” should be ‘Support’, the “Category” should be ‘Installation’, and the “Symptom” should be what ever best matched your issue. Please be as detailed as possible in the body of your request. If you purchased a support contract with your trixbox Pro system you may contact the Fonality support team for assistance with your trixbox Pro system. Our scope of service is outlined in our terms and conditions, and is published on our web site:
http://www.trixbox.com/terms-and-conditions/
In the Support Contract section, our response times are also published, along with a list of supported and unsupported items. It also includes details about how to contact Fonality for support and our hours of availability.
Fonality's trixbox Pro Web site:
