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NethVoice Installation

NethVoice is a VoIP application that requires a specific installation on NethServer. This guide will walk you through the installation process.

tip

If you want a ready-to-use NethVoice installation, please consider:

  • our NethVoice SaaS service, which provides a fully managed NethVoice instance in the cloud
  • a VoiceBox Appliance, a hardware appliance with NethServer and NethVoice pre-installed

Overview​

NethVoice is installed in two steps:

  1. NethVoice Proxy (required first)
  2. NethVoice module(s)

The NethVoice Proxy is a mandatory component that must be installed and configured before deploying NethVoice instances. This applies even if you are installing only a single NethVoice instance.

Installation Order

NethVoice Proxy must be installed FIRST, before NethVoice.

The proxy handles all external internet access and manages SIP/RTP traffic routing. It is required for:

  • External access from the internet
  • Traffic delegation to multiple NethVoice installations on the same node
  • Managing SIP and RTP connections for all NethVoice instances
  • SSL/TLS termination for internet-facing VoIP traffic

Even with a single NethVoice installation, the proxy is essential for proper network traffic management.

Installation Steps​

Step 1: Install NethVoice Proxy​

  1. Access the Software Center on your NethServer 8 system.
  2. Search for "NethVoice Proxy" in the Software Center search bar.
  3. Click "Install" next to NethVoice Proxy.
  4. Wait for installation to complete (this may take a few minutes).
  5. Proceed to proxy configuration before moving to the next step (see NethVoice Proxy Configuration).
Important

Ensure NethVoice Proxy is fully installed and configured with proper FQDNs and DNS records before proceeding to install NethVoice instances.

Step 2: Configure NethVoice Proxy​

Before installing NethVoice, you must configure the NethVoice Proxy:

  1. Configure the proxy domain this is the public FQDN where the proxy will be reachable. Do not enter NethServer FQDN but use a dedicated one, like proxy.nethserver.org. This name will be used by external clients to reach your VoIP services, but it will not be used directly by final users.
  2. Set the network interface that will handle VoIP traffic
  3. Configure public IP address if different from the interface IP

Above configuration will be the entry point for all external VoIP traffic.

Make sure that:

  • the configured FQDN resolves correctly to the public IP address
  • any DNS records are properly set up to point to the proxy

Those requeirements are critical to obtain a valid SSL/TLS certificate for secure communications.

See NethVoice Proxy Documentation for more info.

Step 3: Install NethVoice​

Once the NethVoice Proxy is running, you can install NethVoice instances:

  1. Return to Software Center on your NethServer 8 system.
  2. Search for "NethVoice" in the Software Center search bar.
  3. Click "Install" next to NethVoice.
  4. Wait for installation to complete.
  5. Proceed with Module Configuration as described in the next section.
  6. Access the NethVoice instance and follow the initial configuration wizard to complete the setup.
Multiple Instances

You can install multiple NethVoice instances on the same node. Each will use the shared NethVoice Proxy for external access and traffic routing. Each instance requires separate configuration and dedicated FQDNs.

Module Configuration​

Required Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the configuration of any NethVoice instance, ensure:

  1. NethVoice Proxy is installed - See NethVoice Proxy Installation
  2. NethVoice Proxy is configured - Proxy domain (FQDN) must be set and DNS records created
  3. NethVoice Proxy is running - Verify proxy status in the node management interface
  4. User Domain is created - See User Domains in NethServer Installation (required for NethVoice users and extensions)

The NethVoice module requires at least one user domain to manage users, extensions, and authentication. If you haven't created a user domain yet, follow the User Domains setup guide before configuring NethVoice.

To set up NethVoice, you need to have two dedicated virtual hosts:

  • one for the NethVoice administration page, eg. nethvoice.nethserver.org
  • one for the NethVoice CTI web application, eg. cti.nethserver.org

Before proceeding with the configuration, ensure that you have created the corresponding DNS records for these FQDNs in your DNS server.

If you plan to use a Let's Encrypt certificate as the default certificate, make sure you have the necessary public DNS records.

During the module configuration wizard, you will be prompted to provide the following information:

  • NethVoice base host: Insert a valid FQDN to access the application administration page, this is where you will manage NethVoice settings, eg. nethvoice.nethserver.org.
  • NethVoice CTI base host: Insert a valid FQDN to access the NethVoice CTI web application, eg. cti.nethserver.org.
  • User Domain: Choose one of the user domains already configured.
  • Timezone: Select the appropriate timezone for your NethVoice instance, this is important for accurate call logging and scheduling.
  • Request Let's Encrypt certificate: If enabled, a Let's Encrypt certificate will be requested for each of the two hosts.
  • Reports Prefix: Insert the international telephone prefix to be considered local in the reporting system.
  • Reset NethVoice admin password to access user interface: Insert a valid password for the NethVoice administrator user (optional, the default password is Nethesis,1234).

Advanced configuration options:

  • Deepgram API Key: Insert your Deepgram API key to enable advanced speech recognition features and voice transcription.
    • Enable call transcription: Enable this option to allow users to transcribe calls in real-time using Deepgram's speech-to-text service. This feature incurs additional costs based on your Deepgram usage.
    • Voicemail transcription: Enable voicemail transcription to convert voicemail messages to text using Deepgram. This feature also incurs additional costs based on your Deepgram usage.
Voice Transcription

For detailed information on how users can access and use voice transcription features, see Voice Transcription in the User Manual.

The following options are available only with an active Enterprise subscription:

  • Enable Hotel module: Activate the Hotel module for managing hotel-specific telephony features. See NethVoice Hotel Module Documentation for more details.
  • Hotel FIAS server host: Enter the IP address or hostname of the Hotel FIAS server.
  • Hotel FIAS server port: Specify the port number for the Hotel FIAS server connection.

Next steps​

After saving the configuration parameters, NethVoice will be accessible on its base host, eg:

https://nethvoice.nethserver.org

To access the NethVoice administration interface, use the following credentials:

  • User: admin
  • Password: Nethesis,1234, the default password if the Reset NethVoice admin password to access user interface option was not used during the configuration
NethVoice 8.0