Index
1. Instruction
To setup a local VoIP network, please refer to our another stey by step document.In such document, we describe some basic concepts about VoIP and how to build a local VoIP system.
In this document, we will describe how to build a virtual VoIP system with miniSipServer cloud step by step. We assume you have learned some concepts about VoIP.
2. What's cloud VoIP?
Sometimes we also name it as hosted-VoIP or virtual VoIP. In cloud VoIP system, "PBX" or "call server" is running on a cloud computer system. You don't need to purchase a hardware, such as PBX/PC/Server, to run and maintain it. You can setup a virtual PBX in our cloud. You will pay for what you use with rich services. It is very flexible.
"miniSipServer cloud" is a kind of cloud VoIP system. You can treat it as some miniSipServers running on a cloud computer system. Each customer will have his/her own virtual miniSipServer. All operations are almost same with local miniSipServer.
3. Scenario
Following figure describes a simple environment for small business or home based business.
In our demo scenario, the small company only has two members: Holly and G.T.
Holly's extension number is 100, and G.T's extension phone number is 101. Both of them have PCs based on windows system. The IP address of Holly's PC is 192.168.1.100. The IP address of G.T's PC is 192.168.1.101. miniSipServer is in the cloud.
The company establishs connection with PSTN through a VOIP carrier's network.
We will follow subsequent steps to establish our VOIP network.
Step 1: Setup cloud-miniSipServer. Following figure describe it.
Step 2: Connect local users to cloud-miniSipServer.
Step 3: Connect cloud-miniSipServer to VoIP providers' network.
Step 4: Configure some wonderful advance services for our small company, such as auto-attendant, ring group and pick-up.
4. Configuration
4.1 Step1: setup cloud-miniSipServer
This step could be the easiest one in our configuration.We just need sign up or sign in an account in website.
Once you sign in your account, please click "system information" at the left side to get basic information of virtual miniSipServer. Please look at below figure:
In our demo scenario, our virtual miniSipServer address is "7859.s1.minisipserver.com". Each account will have different virtual miniSipServer address.
4.2 Step2: connect local users to cloud-miniSipServer
First, we need add two extensions in cloud-miniSipServer.
4.2.1 Add new local users
Please click "local users" and click button "Add a new record" to add a new extension:
By default, we can just assign extension number and password to a new extension. The new employee can use this new account information to configure his/her Xlite or SIP phones.
4.2.2 Connect local users
We begin to configure Holly's softphone to connect miniSipServer.
Holly use Xlite4 as her softphone. The Xlite4 is a wonderful SIP client and can be download from http://www.counterpath.net/x-lite.html.
After install Xlite, please click menu "Softphone -> Account settings".
In the pop-up window, please add a SIP account like following figure.
The key configurations are described below. Please pay attention to the "Domain" item. It is the virtual miniSipServer address.
| User ID | 100 |
| Domain | 7859.s1.minisipserver.com |
| Password | 100 |
| Authorization name | 100 |
| Register with domain and receive call | Yes |
| Send outbound via | domain |
Please click 'OK' button to complete the Xlite configuration. Xlite will try to register to miniSipServer. If it successes, it will display 'Available' information.
Now, Holly's extension has connected to miniSipServer. We can follow the same step to configure G.T' extension. If you have other kinds of SIP clients/phones, they should also be configured same information.
Both Holly and G.T' extensions have been connected to miniSipServer. We can show miniSipServer' local user information to check their status. Their icons should be blue.
After we finish this step, the basic VOIP network is established. Holly and G.T can call each other. Holly can dial '101' to call G.T, and G.T can also dial '100' to call Holly.
4.3 Step 3: connect miniSipServer to VoIP provider
After establish internal VOIP network, it is time to establish connection with outside customers now.
If we want to make call to outside or receive a call from outside, we need a VoIP gateway to connect our miniSipServer and traditional telephone, or we need VoIP provider to do it for us. We decide to connect our virtual miniSipServer to VOIP providers' network and we select BroadVoice as our VOIP provider.
After we request a SIP account from BroadVoice, for example, the account is '723123456', we will use use this account to configure miniSipServer to connect BroadVoice.
In the miniSipServer main window, please click 'External lines' to add an external line information.
In the pop up page, please click button 'Add a new record' to add an external line with BroadVoice account information.
The key informations are described as below table. Of course, you can update it according to your own configuration.
| External line type | Connect to peer SIP/VOIP server |
| Peer server address | sip.broadvoice.com |
| Peer server port | 5060 |
| External line | 7321234567 |
| Password | 1234 |
| Automatic attendant | Yes |
| All local users can use this external line to make outgoing calls | Yes |
Because we hope both Holly and G.T can make outgoing call, we must select 'All local users can use this external line to make outgoing calls'.
Here we configure 'automatic attendant' to support receiving incoming call from outside.
If the external line success to connect to peer server ( VOIP provider's network or VOIP gateway), the icon of the external line should be gray and without cross flag.
Then, we describe some details about making outgoing call and receiving incoming call.
4.3.1 Make outgoing call
As we have confirmed in above sections, Holly and G.T can call each other by dialing their extensions number directly. If we want to make outgoing call to our customers, how can we do it?
Since the external line is connected to VOIP provider's network ( or VOIP gateway), it is no problem to call outside customers, but we have to mention that we need add prefix '9' before we dial our customers numbers. In miniSipServer, prefix '9' is the default outgoing prefix which is used to distinguish call type. For example, if the customer's number is '7321234568', we need dial '97321234568'.
4.3.2 Receive incoming call
When we configured external line before, we has indicated 'auto attendant' at the same time. So when the customer calls in, miniSipServer will prompt him/her to enter extension number. For example, once the customer calls "7321234567" ( the external line number provided by VOIP provider and configured in miniSipServer ), he/she will hear "Welcome, please enter extension number" and the customer can enter '100' to call Holly or enter '101' to call G.T.
Because miniSipServer uses "RFC2833" DTMF mode to collect the customer's input digits, we must confirm with our VOIP provider that they can support this DTMF mode.
5. Advance configuration
When we finish above configurations, we success to establish our basic VOIP system. Is it enough? Of course, no! We want more useful services to support our communication, such as Voice mail, ring group, etc.
Here, we just have a brief look at these services in this document. The operation of cloud-miniSipServer is same with local-miniSipServer, so we can share local-miniSipServer's services documents.
Please visit MyVoipApp documents for details
5.1 Voice mail
Sometime we maybe miss some important call because we have left the office. That means the business is possible gone! How to avoid this? The answer is voice mail. We hope the customer can leave their voice message and the miniSipServer mails these voice messages to our e-mail box, so we can check them at any time.
5.2 Ringing group
"Ringing group" is another useful service for our business. For example, when the customer calls Holly, the Holly's phone and the G.T's phone can ring at the same time if they are in the same ring group. So anyone of them can pick up the call.