Setting up a softphone app to work with Compass

Martijn
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You can integrate multiple types of Softphone with Compass. In this article we explain step-by-step how to set them up, both for Compass softphone app and Groundwire softphone app.

Compass softphone setup instructions

Please make sure your user has downloaded the Cloud Softphone app from the iOS or Android play store. The links for your app can be found in the Cloud Softphone portal main dashboard.

Add a new Compass Softphone to Compass

  1. Create a new phone in Compass by going to Manage > Phones > Add phone.
  2. Choose Compass Softphone as phone model and use a descriptive name.
  3. If created successfully, open the status page of the newly created phone by clicking on the name in the list of added phones.

If provisioning QR codes are enabled for your Compass company, users will be able to set up Compass Softphone by scanning the QR code on the status page with the Cloud Softphone app. It’s also possible to manually set up the app:

Set up by scanning a QR code

  1. Provide the provisioning QR code as displayed on the status page of the phone to your user.
  2. WARNING: This code contains the password of the SIP account for this phone, amongst other things.
  3. The user can scan the QR code with their Cloud Softphone app.
  4. Other QR code scanners are not supported.
  5. After scanning, two things happen: the app will be set up with the correct settings. And the app will be logged in, into this phone.

Manual set up

  1. Fill in the Cloud ID of your application (as found in the Cloud Softphone dashboard) on the login screen of your Android or iOS device. Leave the password blank.
  2. Tap on sign in.
  3. After signing in, the app will be set up with the correct settings, but it won’t have SIP account details yet.
  4. Now use the SIP account credentials from the status page of the phone in Compass to login.

Groundwire softphone instructions

Groundwire is a paid SIP softclient for both iOS and Android, which is compatible with Compass. This guide explains how to set up the app.

Preparation

The following versions were tested and found working:

  • Groundwire version 3.8.14 is known to work on iOS 12.2.
  • Groundwire version 5.2.15 is known to work on Android 6.0.

This is required before you set up the app:

  • A phone of type Generic SIP Softphone in Compass.
    • If you don’t have one set up already, open Compass and go to Phones > Add Phone.
    • Add a phone model Generic SIP Softphone.
    • Enter a name.
    • Set encryption to mandatory if you want to force encrypted calling, or optional to allow unencrypted calling, and click Save.
    • Click on the name of the phone to see the status page, which you’ll need to set up Groundwire.
  • The app, downloaded and installed from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Setting up Groundwire

First, download and install the app.

After installing, open the app.

  • Depending on your mobile OS, during or after installation Groundwire will ask for access to your contacts and microphone and will ask you to agree to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy.
  • We recommend to allow push notifications when opted. Push notifications are required to be notified of incoming calls via the Groundwire app. If you want to change your choice on iOS, go to your iOS device settings and scroll down to Groundwire > Notifications and tap Allow Notifications to switch.

If you’re opening the app for the first time, you’ll be asked to add a new account immediately.

If you’ve used the app before:

  • On iOS, go to the Keypad tab and tap the settings icon.
  • On Android, tap the three-dot menu and then Settings.

Creating an account

Then Accounts and Add new account or + to start adding a new account. In the first step you’ll set up the account username and password, which can be found in Compass on the status page of the softphone you want to add to Groundwire.

  • In the Add new account screen:
    • On iOS, select Generic SIP account
    • On Android, select New SIP account
  • Title: Enter a descriptive name for the account. This name is only visible in the app.
  • Username: Enter the username found in the softphone’s status in Compass.
  • Password: Enter the password found in the softphone’s status in Compass.
  • Domain: Enter the domain on which the softphone is registered within Compass, found in the softphone’s status in Compass under Registrar/proxy.
  • Display name (iOS only): Can be left empty because display names are overwritten by Compass.
  • Incoming calls (iOS only, under Advanced settings on Android): Use Global Setting
  • This will use Groundwire’s General settings for handling incoming calls. If you are adding multiple VoIP accounts, incoming calls for all those accounts will be handled the same way.

Setting up advanced settings

Then, tap Advanced settings and set the following options:

  • Tap on NAT Traversal for more options:
    • Send Keepalives: enabled
    • Keepalive Period: 25
    • This is best set to 25 seconds to comply with Compass settings.
    • Tap on Outbound Proxy for more options:
      • Make sure this option is enabled.
      • Host: must be set to the Outbound proxy in the softphone’s status in Compass.
        • For encrypted calling, this hostname should start with “sips.”.
        • For unencrypted calling, this hostname should start with “sip.”.
      • Transport protocol:
        • For encrypted calling, set this to tls (sip)
        • For unencrypted calling, set this to udp
    • Go Back to Advanced settings.
  • Audio codecs for WiFi and Mobile Data:
  • Enable the following audio codecs for both WiFi and Mobile data, preferably in this order (push and drag them to change order):
    • G.722
    • GSM
    • G.711 mu-law
    • G.711 A-law
    • Drag other codecs to Disabled codecs.
    • Then,
    • Packet time: 20ms
    • Go Back to Advanced settings.
  • Network constraint: in areas with 4G coverage, select Mobile Data for best performance.
  • Outgoing calls need registration: enabled
  • Transport Protocol:
    • For encrypted calling, set this to tls (sip)
    • For unencrypted calling, set this to udp
  • Voicemail Number: 1233
  • Tap on Push Options for more options:
    • On iOS, Single instance: enabled
    • On Android, Single registration: enabled
    • Go Back to Advanced settings.
  • Tap on DTMF Mode for more options:
    • Set only RFC 2833 to enabled.
    • Drag other DTMF modes to Disabled DTMF modes.
    • Go Back to Advanced settings.
  • Tap on Secure calls for more options:
    • For SDES (RFC 4568):
      • Incoming calls:
        • For encrypted calling, set this to Required
        • For unencrypted calling, set this to Disabled
      • Outgoing calls:
        • For encrypted calling, set this to Required
        • For unencrypted calling, set this to Disabled
    • Go Back to Advanced settings.
  • Expires: best set to 3600 to comply with Compass registration period.
  • Call waiting (optional): enable this to receive calls while already in a call.
  • When finished tap Done to go back to Accounts.
  • The new account will now be visible in the Accounts screen.
  • Go Back to Settings, then tap Done to go to the Keypad tab.

When the account is successfully set up, the account name will turn green when connected. The Groundwire account will act as though it is a generic desktop telephone. You can log a Compass user in by dialling *1, followed by the user’s extension and PIN code if applicable.

If there is a new voicemail message, a blue voicemail button will be added in the Keypad tab. When this button is tapped, the set voicemail number will be called enabling the user to log in to the voicemail box and listen to messages. On the Accounts overlay (tap account name in Keypad tab) the number of voicemails is visible behind the account name.

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