Connecting Two FreePBX/Asterisk Systems Together Over the Internet
- Nathaniel Halbrooks
- Kelli Higdon
Can I connect two FreePBX/Asterisk Systems Together Over the Internet?
Yes. You can connect as many systems as you want together over the internet, even if all of them are behind a NAT Firewall. For the purpose of this Configuration Guide, we're going to assume that you have two systems, configured as listed below:
System 1: Los Angeles Extensions Numbered: 40 to 49 |
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System 2: New York Extensions Numbered: 50 to 59 |
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There are four simple steps:
Configure an IAX2 Trunk on System1, The Trunk will establish a connection with System2.
Configure an Outbound Route on System1. The Route will tell System1 which calls to send out to System2.
Configure an IAX2 Trunk on System2. The Trunk will establish a connection with System1.
Configure an Outbound Route on System2. The Route will tell System2 which calls to send out to System1.
1. Configure an IAX2 Trunk on System1
Access the Trunks Module on System1.
Click on the "Add Trunk" link at the top, right hand side of the screen in the Trunks Module.
Choose to create an IAX2 Trunk.
Use these parameters in the Trunk Settings:
Trunk Name: System2
Outbound Caller ID: CallerID
Dialed Number Manipulation Rules: Usually Blank
Trunk Name: System2
PEER Details:
username=System2 secret=password host=system2ipaddress type=friend context=from-internal qualify=yes qualifyfreqok=25000 transfer=no trunk=yes forceencryption=yes encryption=yes auth=md5 |
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Registration String: Blank.
Notes:
Replace System1, System2, CallerID and password with whatever you want. However, be consistent! If you change System1, System2, or password in one spot, you must change it to the same thing in all of the other spots (on both systems).
Capitalization Matters: System1 is not the same as system1 or SYSTEM1.
If you have trouble making calls, your version of Asterisk may not have the encryption routines installed. Try deleting the last three lines in the PEER details on both systems.
If you only want to be able to place calls to the remote system, but do not want the remote system to be able to call you directly, change "context=from-internal" to "context=from-trunk".
If one of your systems has a dynamic IP address, you should register that system with a dynamic DNS service like DYNDNS and use domain names (i.e., xxxxxx.dyndns.com) instead of IP addresses in the host= field.
2. Configure an Outbound Route on System1
Access the Outbound Routes Module on System1.
Click on the "Add Route" link at the top, right hand side of the screen in the Trunks Module.
Use these parameters in the Route Settings:
Route Name: InterOfficetoSystem2
Route CID: YOURNUMBER
Route Type: CHECK Intra-Company.
Dial Patterns that will use this Route:
Patterns: () + | 5X () + | *805X () + *81 | .
| What it does: If a user dials extensions 50 through 59, the call will be sent to System2. If a user dials *80 (or presses an intercom button) and then extensions 50 through 59, the call be sent to System2. If a user dials *81 and then dials anything, the *81 will be removed and the rest of the numbers will be sent to System2. |
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Trunk Sequence: System2
Note:
If your System2 does not use extensions 50 to 59, you'll want to change 5X to match whatever pattern you use. For example, if your System2 uses extensions in the 500 range, you might change 5X to 5XX. See the Dial Patterns tooltip for more examples.
If your System2 has extension numbers that are the same as the extension numbers of your System1, then you should delete the first two dial patterns.
If you do not want users on System1 to be able to dial *81 and then any feature code on System2, delete the third Dial Pattern.
If your System2 has extension numbers that are the same as the extension numbers System1 and you do not want your System1 users to be able to dial *81 and then any feature code on System2, then you should delete all of the dial patterns and replace them with these:
It appears that the username has to be the actual trunk name from the opposite end
() + *81 | 5X () + *81 | *805X | If a user dials *81 and then extension 50 to 59, the *81 will be removed and the rest will be sent to System1 If a user dials *81 and then *80 and then extension 50 to 59, the *81 will be removed and the rest will be sent to System1 This is used for intercom calls. |
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3. Configure an IAX2 Trunk on System2
Access the Trunks Module on System2.
Click on the "Add Trunk" link at the top, right hand side of the screen in the Trunks Module.
Choose to create an IAX2 Trunk.
Use these parameters in the Trunk Settings:
Trunk Name: System1
Outbound Caller ID: CallerID
Dialed Number Manipulation Rules: Usually Blank
Trunk Name: System1
PEER Details:
username=System1 secret=password host=system1ipaddress type=friend context=from-internal qualify=yes qualifyfreqok=25000 transfer=no trunk=yes forceencryption=yes encryption=yes auth=md5 |
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Registration String: Blank.
Notes: See the notes above, with respect to "Configure an IAX2 Trunk on System 1."
4. Configure an Outbound Route on System2
Access the Outbound Routes Module on System2.
Click on the "Add Route" link at the top, right hand side of the screen in the Trunks Module.
Use these parameters in the Route Settings:
Route Name: InterOfficetoSystem1
Route CID: YOURNUMBER
Route Type: CHECK Intra-Company.
Dial Patterns that will use this Route:
Patterns: () + | 4X () + | *804X () + *81 | .
| What it does: If a user dials extensions 40 through 49, the call will be sent to System1. If a user dials *80 (or presses an intercom button) and then extensions 40 through 49, the call be sent to System1. If a user dials *81 and then dials anything, the *81 will be removed and the rest of the numbers will be sent to System1. |
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Trunk Sequence: System1
Note:
If your System1 does not use extensions 40 to 49, you'll want to change 5X to match whatever pattern you use. For example, if your System1 uses extensions in the 400 range, you might change 4X to 4XX. See the Dial Patterns tooltip for more examples.
If your System1 has extension numbers that are the same as the extension numbers of your System2, then you should delete the first two dial patterns.
If you do not want users on System2 to be able to dial *81 and then any feature code on System1, delete the third Dial Pattern.
If your System1 has extension numbers that are the same as the extension numbers System2 and you do not want your System2 users to be able to dial *81 and then any feature code on System1, then you should delete all of the dial patterns and replace them with these:
() + *81 | 4X () + *81 | *804X | If a user dials *81 and then extension 40 to 49, the *81 will be removed and the rest will be sent to System1 If a user dials *81 and then *80 and then extension 40 to 49, the *81 will be removed and the rest will be sent to System1. This is used for intercom calls. |
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What Ports do I need to Forward?
None.
If you use IAX2 Trunks and configure them as indicated above, the IAX2 protocol will keep the ports open for the other system.
What If I Want to Connect More Than Two Systems?
There are two ways to do this.
You can connect each system to the other independently following the instructions above, i.e.
System 1 to System 2
System 1 to System 3
System 2 to System 1
System 2 to System 3
System 3 to System 1
System 3 to System 2
You can:
Connect System 1 to System 2
Connect System 2 to System 3
Configure the Outbound Route on System 1 to send calls intended for System 3 to System 2, which will then forward those calls to System 3.
Configure the Outbound Route on System 3 to send calls intended for System 1 to System 2, which will then forward those calls to System 1.
The first option is far more reliable, as it permits each system to connect directly to each other system.
What if I want to use SIP Trunks?
If you want to use SIP Trunks, then at least one of your two systems must have external ports forwarded or be exposed directly to the internet. Setup is much more complicated, and you should also carefully set-up your firewall to keep out unauthorized users.