Device and user lines
From SIPfoundry sipXecs IP PBX, The Open Source SIP PBX for Linux - Calivia
Identifying phones and users with lines
This page describes how you assign a unique identifier to each sipXphone by configuring a device line for the phone. It also describes how you can set up user lines to identify the people who use a specific phone. Each sipXphone requires at least one line, usually the device line, to assure that:
- Incoming calls can be routed to that phone
- Outgoing calls are identified with their source
All sipXphones start with identical default values for the device line. Additional lines are optional. Setting up both device and user lines on a phone can provide flexibility for routing calls to, and identifying calls made from, a phone.
Note: The use of multiple lines is best suited to production installations with a Directory Server and SIP Registry Server (I.e. using sipX, The open source SIP PBX for Linux).
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Example 1: A Phone with Multiple Lines |
You install a new sipXphone in a cubicle in the customer support group. This phone will be used by a particular support representative (John Doe) who is responsible, along with other support reps, for answering customer calls. In order to direct incoming calls that are addressed explicitly to the phone in that cube, specifically to John, or to the support group in general all to that one phone, you:
When you�re finished, anyone who makes a call to cube75, jdoe, or support will have their call routed to the phone in that cube automatically. If you also set up a user line for sip:support@regsrvr.myco.com on other phones, all of those phones will ring whenever a call comes in that is addressed to support. |
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Example 2: A Temporary User Line |
Your company�s CEO has an sipXphone identified with the device line SIP URL of sip:1032@sip.yourco.com. This phone also has a user line for the CEO of sip:1600@sip.yourco.com. Your company�s CEO goes on site to a field office for a week, and will use an office there temporarily. The phone in that office just has the device line defined, with SIP URL sip:2437@sip.yourco.com. To provide uninterrupted phone service to the CEO, you set up a user line on the phone in the temporary office with the CEO�s assigned resource ID: sip:1600@sip.yourco.com. Calls addressed to the CEO at 1600 are now routed to the phones in both offices. At the end of the week, you delete the user line on the temporary phone. Once you delete that line, only the phone in the CEO�s permanent office rings for incoming calls addressed to sip:1600@sip.yourco.com. |
Identify the phone
When you install sipXphones in your network, you assign a unique identifier to each phone, such as an extension, telephone number, or description of its physical location. To associate a unique identifier with a phone, you configure the phone�s device line.
To configure a phone�s device line, you specify:
- A SIP URL, which includes the phone�s unique identifier. The SIP URL identifies the phone as a resource in your network, and is included in SIP messages sent by the phone.
- Whether or not the phone�s call forwarding preferences should apply to incoming calls addressed to this line.
- Whether or not the phone should periodically send registration messages to another network resource, such as a SIP Registry server, for this line.
- Whether or not outgoing calls should use this line�s SIP URL to identify the caller. (This option is relevant only if you set up more than one line on the phone.)
Components of SIP URLs
The first value you specify for a line is its SIP URL. SIP URLs are similar to email addresses: they require a resource identifier and a host, and use this format: sip:resourceID@host. The resourceID may be numeric, such as an extension or telephone number, or alphanumeric, such as descriptive text.
In addition to the required elements, you can include optional elements such as "displayname"<sip:resourceID@host:port;URLparam=n>;fldparam=n
- "displayname": If you define a display name, other elements of the SIP URL must be enclosed by angle brackets (< >). Quotation marks around the display name are required only if the display name string contains special characters or leading spaces.
- port: The port number to connect to; if not specified, port 5060 is used.
- URLparameter=value or ;headerparameter=value
- The name of a URL or header parameter and a specified value. To supply more than one parameter, insert a question mark (?) after the first parameter�s value, then add the next parameter name and value. Delimit subsequent parameters with ampersands (&).
For example, to specify both the transport URL parameter and the replaces header parameter: ;transport=TCP?replaces=call-6
In a SIP URL that includes a quoted display name, any URL or header parameters should be enclosed by angle brackets (< >).
For more information on ABNF (Augmented Backus-Naur Form) notation, see RFC 3261.
- fieldparameter=value
- The name of a field parameter and specified value to include in the To field of SIP messages. Use a semi�colon (;) to delimit field parameters. For a SIP URL that includes a quoted display name, field parameters should be added after the closing angle bracket (>)
. For more information on ABNF (Augmented Backus-Naur Form) notation, see RFC 3261.
For example, "Jean Szeto"<sip:jszeto@sip.pingtel.com:5062> A phone sends its identifying SIP URL in all SIP messages.
Applying call forwarding preferences
The second value you specify for a line is whether or not the phone�s call forwarding preferences for incoming calls apply. These preferences include whether or not to forward incoming calls in different situations (when busy, on no answer, or all calls), and the destinations for call forwarding.
Preferences for forwarding calls apply to the phone as a whole. When you configure a line, you specify whether or not the phone�s call forwarding preferences should apply to that line.
- If you enable call forwarding for a line, the call forwarding preferences are applied to all incoming calls addressed to that line.
- If you disable call forwarding for the line, the phone does not forward any incoming calls made to that line.
You choose to enable or disable call forwarding individually for each of the lines you set up on a phone. For example, a phone is set to forward on no answer: after three rings, calls go to the phone user�s personal voice mail box. For each line set up on the phone, you can decide whether it�s appropriate to apply that forwarding preference.
- For calls addressed to the device, you choose to apply this forwarding preference.
- For calls addressed to the personal user line of the phone�s owner, you also apply this forwarding preference.
- For calls addressed to the user�s group (for example, support), it is the group�s responsibility to answer calls personally (even if it takes more than three rings). You choose not to apply the call forwarding preferences to this line.
Initially, call forwarding is enabled for a phone�s device line; you can change this default setting to disable call forwarding for the device line. When you add subsequent lines, call forwarding is disabled by default. You can change this default setting to enable call forwarding for specific lines.
Registering the line
The third value you specify for a line is whether or not the phone should send registration messages to the host in that line�s SIP URL.
- For production installations that include a SIP Registry server, you are likely to want the line to be registered. For the phone to send registration messages to a SIP Registry server or other network resource automatically, you must choose to register the line and include the server�s fully qualified domain name as the host in the line�s SIP URL.
- For evaluation installations that do not have a SIP Registry server, or if you do not want the phone to register a line, you indicate that the line is provisioned as is.
Establishing outgoing call identity
Whenever you make a call, the messages sent by the phone include information to identify the source of the call. Caller ID services, for example, make use of this information. The sipXphone sends a SIP URL as identification, and you choose one line�s SIP URL as the default to send with all outgoing calls.
- If you configure just one line for a phone, the SIP URL for that line is sent with all calls to identify the caller.
- If you set up more than one line on a phone, you choose which line�s SIP URL to send by selecting one line as the �Call Out As� line.
When you take a sipXphone off hook to make a call, the Ready screen includes this SIP URL as the default identifier.
End users can select a different line to send with the call as the caller ID.
Modifying default device line values
sipXphones must have at least one line defined in order to receive or make calls. As a result, all phones have these default values for the device line:
Device line option Default value SIP URL Allow forwarding Registration state Call Out As Authentication credentials sip:4444@. All phones have the same resource ID. At startup, the phone supplies its IP address as the host to create the SIP URL sip:4444@<IP address>. When you change the supplied resource ID, you should also specify a host. Disable. Provision. Registration messages are not sent. The device line. None.
To configure a sipXphone�s device line, you modify these default values. To configure the device line, you use the phone�s browser-based interface. 1 On a PC, open a browser. 2 In the browser�s Address or Location field, enter the protocol and the phone�s IP address in http://<phone IP address>/ format. A dialog box opens. 3 Enter the admin user name and password, then click OK. The myxpressa home page opens. 4 From the Preferences menu, choose Lines. A page displays the phone�s current line data. 5 To configure the phone�s unique device line, click Edit in the device line�s Line Edit column. A page for editing device line values opens. 6 Edit the SIP URL to: . � Replace �4444� with the unique identifier you assigned to this phone. . � Include a host. 7 Select other device line settings as needed. For information on authentication credentials, see See Automating authentication for outgo�ing messages on page 134. 8 Click Update. You return to the page that displays all phone lines.
To review information about a phone�s lines on the phone top, you use the Line Manager. The Line Manager only displays data. You can only change line data with the browser-based interface.
To open the Line Manager: 1 From the phone�s home screen, press MORE. 2 On the Apps tab, press Prefs. You may need to scroll down to find the Prefs application on this tab. 3 Scroll down to the Line Manager category. 4 Select Line Manager, then press Adjust. 5 Select a line, then press Line Info. Your settings for the line display. If registration fails for a line that is set to register with its host, a message displays on the phone�s home screen.
The phone user can press the button to the right of this message to open the Line Manager and obtain more information about the error.
How phones store device line configuration
When you configure a phone�s device line, the phone saves values in two �config� files. The config files store the parameters that control how the phone operates, along with the values defined for each one. The phone�s pinger-config file stores these device line parameters:
- PHONESET_LINE.URL
- PHONESET_LINE.ALLOW_FORWARDING
- PHONESET_LINE.REGISTRATION
The phone�s user-config file stores the USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE parameter. If you configured a phone to have the device line in the example above, these parameters would be saved with the following values:
PHONESET_LINE.URL : sip:cube75@regsrvr.myco.com PHONESET_LINE.ALLOW_FORWARDING : ENABLE PHONESET_LINE.REGISTRATION : REGISTER USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE : PHONESET_LINE
Descriptions of each of these parameters follow.
PHONESET_LINE.URL
This device line parameter stores the SIP URL that uniquely identifies each phone in your network. You provide a value for the PHONESET_LINE.URL by using the browser-based interface.
PHONESET_LINE.ALLOW_FORWARDING
Because only one set of call forwarding destinations can be stored on a phone, you use this parameter to indicate whether incoming calls addressed to the device line should be forwarded as specified. This parameter stores either ENABLE or DISABLE. Initially, this parameter is set to ENABLE for a phone�s device line. Subsequent lines default to DISABLE and do not use call forwarding settings unless changed to ENABLE. You provide a value for the PHONESET_LINE.ALLOW_FORWARDING by using the browser-based interface.
PHONESET_LINE.REGISTRATION
This parameter stores either REGISTER or PROVISION to define whether the phone should register with another system resource or if it is fully provi�sioned without registration. Defaults to PROVISION. You provide a value for the PHONESET_LINE.REGISTRATION by using the browser-based interface.
Tip: If you set PHONESET_LINE.REGISTRATION to REGISTER, you can specify how frequently registration messages should be sent.
USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE
This parameter controls the identity that a phone sends with outbound calls. Defaults to PHONESET_LINE, which sends the device line�s SIP URL as the identity.If you set up user lines on a phone, you use the browser-based interface to specify one phone line to be the �Call Out As� line. If you select a user line as the Call Out As line, the value for this parameter represents the specified line in this format:
USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE : USER_LINE.1
Tip: Any defined phone user, not just the admin user, can change the �Call Out As� line with the browser-based interface.
Deleting a line
Each phone must have at least one line defined. If a phone has more thanone line set up, you can delete the device line or any user line. 1 Follow step 1 through step 4 on page 47 to display the phone�s lines. 2 Click Edit in the Line Edit column for the line you want to delete. 3 Click Delete.
Note: Only a user with the admin password can delete a phone�s device line; however, any phone user with a valid user name and password can delete user lines.
You can define individual SIP URL resource identifiers for the people and organizational groups who use sipXphones at your installation. Once you�ve assigned a resource identifier to each person and group, you set up a corresponding user line on the phone(s) they use. User lines provide callers with an address for contacting people that does not rely on their proximity to a particular phone. If you�re working in a lab temporarily, set up a user line on the lab phone that registers with your SIP Registry server. Your calls get directed to the lab phone as long as that user line remains on the phone.
When you set up a user line, you define the same values as for the device line. For each user line, you specify:
- A SIP URL. Unlike the SIP URL for a device line (which should be unique to a particular phone), you can assign the SIP URL that identifies a person or group to multiple phones.
- Whether incoming calls addressed to this line should use the phone�s call forwarding preferences
- Whether or not the phone should register the line.
- How outgoing calls should be identified.
Any phone user with a valid user name and password can add, change, or delete user lines.
Setting up a user line
To set up a user line on a phone, you use a process similar to the one used to configure a device line. 1 On a PC, open a browser. 2 In the browser�s Address or Location field, enter the protocol and the phone�s IP address in http://<phone IP address>/ format. A dialog box opens. 3 Enter an authorized user name and password. 4 From the Preferences menu, choose Lines. A page displays the phone�s current line data. 5 Under User Lines, click Add New Line. A page for creating a user line opens. 6 Enter the user line�s SIP URL. 7 Choose appropriate settings for the other user line options. 8 Click Update. You return to the list of the phone�s lines.
To edit a user line, click Edit in the Line Edit column for that line. 9 Optionally, set this new user line to be the phone�s "Call Out As" line. 10 Click Save. Repeat this procedure to set up each phone user line.
How phones store user line configuration
When you set up a user line, the phone adds these configuration parame�ters to its user-config file:
USER_LINE.1.URL USER_LINE.1.ALLOW_FORWARDING USER_LINE.1.REGISTRATION
The browser-based interface automatically assigns the identifying number that appears in these parameter names. If you add a second user line, user-config stores a second set of these parameters with a different identifying number in the parameter name. If you set the phone�s �Call Out As� line to be the new user line, the user�config file saves the new value for USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE as USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE : USER_LINE.1. If you set up all the lines in the example on page 38, these parameters and values would be saved in user-config:
USER_LINE.1.URL : sip:jdoe@regsrvr.myco.com USER_LINE.1.ALLOW_FORWARDING : ENABLE USER_LINE.1.REGISTRATION : REGISTER USER_LINE.2.URL : sip:support@regsrvr.myco.com USER_LINE.2.ALLOW_FORWARDING : DISABLE USER_LINE.2.REGISTRATION : REGISTER USER_DEFAULT_OUTBOUND_LINE : PHONESET_LINE
Descriptions of these configuration parameters follow.
PARAMETER MISSING ................... This parameter defines the SIP URL of an optional user line. For a user who receives calls on more than one phone, you can set up user lines on multiple phones with the same SIP URL.
For each line, you define whether or not the preferences for forwarding calls (which you set for the phone as a whole) should apply. This parameter accepts ENABLE or DISABLE. Defaults to DISABLE.
USER_LINE.<n>.REGISTRATION
This user line parameter indicates whether or not the phone should attempt to register this line with the host in its SIP URL. This parameter accepts REGISTER or PROVISION. Defaults to PROVISION.
Answering incoming calls
To help users answer calls appropriately, every call that comes in to the phone displays the line to which it is addressed:
Users can identify at a glance who is calling and for whom.
