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Before you start the installation process, we recommend that you check a couple of things to ensure your system will be working properly. |
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Server
Make sure you have a server (either hardware or virtual machine) to install the software on. Here is the hardware compatibility list.
Internet connection
You need a very stable, low-latency Internet connection which supports voice traffic (VoIP). Please make sure your Internet provider is familiar with your usage scenario and does not enforce VoIP restrictions.
Physical gateway
Connecting VoipNow to a legacy phone network requires a physical gateway or compatible telephony card in order to connect to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). If you're using VoipNow through the SIP server or your SIP trunk provider provides PSTN connectivity, you may skip this step.
IP PBX
The IP PBX is VoipNow, so you've got that part covered! You have already received two automated emails that the server sent you. They contain the credentials you will need in order to use our software.
Phones
To be able to make and receive calls, you need to decide between soft-phones or IP phones.
If you're using soft-phones, you will need one installed on each computer in the network. Soft-phones are available for online purchase and some of them are actually free. Most soft-phones on the market are compatible with VoipNow, but here is a list of soft-phones that might come in handy.
| Provider | Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Blink | Blink | Free/Pro on Mac only |
| CounterPath | Xlite | Free |
| Ekiga.org | Ekiga Bria | OpenSource |
| jitsi.org | Jitsi | OpenSource |
| Kapanga.net | Kapanga | Paid |
| linphone.org | Linphone | OpenSource |
| sjlabs | SJPhone | Free |
| Zoiper | Zoiper Classic | Free/Biz 21-29$ |
| Zoiper | Zoiper Communicator | Free/Biz 27-33$ |
If don't want to switch to soft-phones, you can buy IP phones or VoIP adapters for regular phones. VoipNow is compatible with any IP phone that uses the SIP protocol. However, here is a list with all the phone models VoipNow has been tested with.
SIP carriers
To get in touch with the outside world, you will need one or several SIP trunks. SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and is the most common protocol for VoIP on the Internet today. SIP trunking providers operate an infrastructure that can route and connect the calls originating from your system to phone numbers on other infrastructures (IP networks or PSTN).
Your local telephone company provides one or several trunk lines for the connection to your PBX, allocates a range of telephone numbers to this line (or group of lines), and forwards all calls to such numbers via the trunk.
Check the VoIP providers in your country.
DIDs
The DIDs (Direct Inward Dial) are the individual numbers you will use for the service you offer. These numbers can be acquired from providers like:
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