Installation Guide

Internet connection required

You must have an “always-on” Internet connection at the desired installation location for your PBXtra Server. Even if you are not using VoIP, your PBXtra will still need to communicate adds, moves, and changes with our central system. Note: if your Internet connection goes “down”, your PBXtra 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”.

Working routers -- based on customer network survey:

Fonality does not support customer networking equipment.  We recommend researching the equipment and determining what fits your organization needs.

This is not an endorsement of any product listed.  Nor is it a blacklist.  This simply reflects our real-world experience with particular models of networking equipment installed by our customers, and is for informational purposes only:

• Linksys (by Cisco) RVS4000
  Firmware version 1.2.1 is required for good VoIP behavior.  If your firmware requires upgrading, you must register with Cisco (free).  On their site, look under Router Software -> Cisco Small Business Routers (Linksys Business Series).
   
• Linksys WRVS4400N
  Wireless variant of the above model.  May run hot if mounted vertically.
   
• TRENDnet TEW-633GR
  Uses the Ubicom StreamEngine IP5160 hardware QoS chip.  You must disable SIP ALG under Advanced -> StreamEngine.  Also, be very careful to only get the six-three-three model.
   
• Linksys WRT310N
  Rudimentary QoS settings, but it seems to work well.  May run hot if mounted vertically.
   
• Linksys BEFSR81
  Much older wired-only model, eight ports, less options, but effective hardware QoS (by MAC address of the PBX or Ethernet port).

Unsuitable routers / firewalls

Remote phones and VoIP connections are very dependent on the type of firewall or router between the PBXtra and the Internet.  An incompatible router can result in minor call quality issues, or be completely unworkable.

Fonality recommends that you *avoid* using the following firewalls or routers:

• Edgewater Networks EdgeMarc 4500T4
  Cannot disable the SIP ALG without also disabling SIP QoS, unless you use a second public IP to allow remote phones to connect.
• Linksys WRT45G (series)
  Call quality issues, loss of registration.  Can /sometimes/ be made to work at a remote location, but usually with slight interruptions of voice traffic
• Linksys BEFSR41
  Reliability issues.
• Microsoft ISA Router/Firewall/Proxy
  Will not pass phone traffic, and HUD traffic requires special setup.
• Netgear FVX538
• DSL or cable modems (by themselves)
  Put them into bridge/passthrough mode and use a third-party VoIP-friendly router.  Your ISP should be able to provide help or instructions for bridge/passthrough mode.

Larger / Enterprise-class routers - observations only

You MUST have someone that is qualified configure these.  Unlike SOHO and Small Business routers, these can be difficult or impossible to make work if one is not familiar with them.  But when properly configured by a network engineer, they're often great.  Suggested for larger installations of 40 users and up.  Do your research.

• Cisco router with QoS capability (2600 series, etc.)  To be specific, real Cisco routers using the Cisco IOS.  SIP fixup must be disabled.
• Edgewater Networks EdgeMarc 4200 series
• Fortinet Fortigate 50 (remote telecommuter)
• Fortinet Fortigate 60 (main office)
• Sonicwall.  Reported working models include (but may not be limited to) the TZ170 and TZ180.  Content filtering and SIP transformations must be turned off for the PBX.  Anonymous UDP packets inbound and consistent NAT must be turned on.
• Watchguard Firebox.  Disable all packet filtering to/from the IP address of the PBX.  Do this even before you activate the PBX.

These lists are by no means all-inclusive.

Required / recommended outbound ports

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 (allow outbound traffic to certain destination ports).

In most cases, the traffic goes out an arbitrary unprivileged source port; as is normal for IP.

Primary DNS Server Requirement

If you're just using your router/firewall for DNS service, you must reconfigure it to point all phones to use the PBXtra IP address as the first DNS server.

There are workarounds if you have Windows Domain Controllers.

Please see Why must I use the server as my Primary DNS? for details.

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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra installation.

Network Setup

Installing your PBXtra server at the correct location on your network will ensure optimum system performance. Diagrams are included below for your reference.
Avoid configurations where phones must traverse firewalls or NAT routers to get to the PBXtra .
Avoid configurations where phones must traverse firewalls or NAT routers to get to the PBXtra .

For maximum performance, we recommend connecting the PBXtra 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 PBXtra on its own independent network or Internet provider, please review Configuring two Internet Providers

Use a static IP address if possible (private or public)

A static IP address should be manually assigned to the server to avoid unexpected IP address changes.  Static IP Addresses are not all 'static-public' addresses that you must purchase from your ISP.  You can set a static private IP address that you exclude from your DHCP scope.  By keeping the IP of the server the same, you ensure maximum reliability.

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 PBXtra

Temporarily connect a PS2 keyboard (do not use a USB keyboard) and monitor to your PBXtra 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)

Verify connection to Fonality’s web servers

From another PC (*do not* use a Fonality PBXtra , go to another PC with internet access) browse to cp.fonality.com and log in using the credentials mentioned in section 2.1 of this guide. If you see an error indicating that your PBXtra 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 PBXtra to be recognized by the PBXtra admin panel you may need to adjust your firewall configuration to allow outbound access to the following ports from the PBXtra :

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.

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:

   1. Enable a DMZ

          A DMZ setting to allow all unknown incoming packets to be routed to the static IP address of the PBXtra system on your private network.

   2. Configure a Firewall rule

          Configure your firewall such that it allows the IP address of the PBXtra 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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra . See your firewall vendor/manufacturer for details about how to accomplish this configuration.

DNS service must be available

If your network does not have functional DNS servers, or the DNS configuration manually programmed into the PBXtra 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 PBXtra as primary DNS

If you skip this step, you will have problems with your PBXtra . Please use this guide to configure your DHCP server to give out the IP address of your PBXtra as the primary DNS server:

Connect your IP phones to the network

Once you have confirmed that your PBXtra 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 PBXtra . 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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra Admin Web Interface. This will show the IP address of each phone that’s on- line. Use the credentials referenced above to log into the web interface at cp.fonality.com .

Connect your phone lines

You may now connect your phone lines to the PBXtra . Be sure that the phone lines have been tested by your phone company or inside wiring technician before they are connected to your PBXtra . 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 PBXtra will be connected to a T1/PRI circuit, additional configuration may be required. Please connect your T1/PRI circuit to the PBXtra 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?

PBXtra 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.

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 PBXtra Admin Panel to adjust the dial plan inside your PBXtra . 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  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 PBXtra 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 PBXtra . 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

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 PBXtra 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.