The number of extensions to be set up depends on you. You can have soft phones installed in 4 or 5 computers or mixture of ATAs and SIP SoftPhones. In this case, we have 8 extensions to be set up using ATA as well as softphone and IP phone as we have planned.
It’s best to avoid the following extension numbers:
70-79 - Reserved for calls on hold (Definable) 700-799 - Reserved for calls on hold (Definable)
7777 - Reserved extension for incoming calls simulation
911 - Emergency number
999 - Emergency number in some countries
5.2.1 Create Extensions
To create extensions, type of trunk e.g. SIP, IAX2, ZAP or Custom, is done from the Create Extension menu illustrated below:
There are a number of device types for the extensions. This we need to determine prior to creating the extensions.
• Generic SIP Device : SIP is the Standard protocol for VoIP handsets and ATA's.
• Generic IAX2 Device : IAX is 'Inter Asterisk Protocol', a newer protocol supported by a few devices (eg, PA1688 based phones, and the IAXy ATA).
• Generic ZAP Device : ZAP is a hardware device connected to your Asterisk machine eg, X100P TDM400, TE110P etc.
• Other (Custom) Device : Custom is a general term used for any non standard device, such as H323. It can also be used for "mapping" an extension to an external number (eg: to route extension 2010 to 1300151151, we can create a custom extension 2010 and in the "dial" text box enter:
Local/1300151151@outbound-allroutes.
We need to create a few SIP extensions. Therefore you should select Generic SIP Device from the device drop-down list then click “Submit”.
The illustration below is where you create the extension.
You will notice a few fields that you will need to populate. The important ones are:
• User Extension: 3000 (that’s the extension number I gave for reception)
• Secret: 3000 (for simplicity, I used the exten number as the secret password)
• Disable the FAX extension as there will be no FAX attached to this extension.
• Voicemail is not required.
• No Privacy manager
• Neither do we require Dictation service.
I left the rest of the fields at their default values.
Add Extension Screen
Submit when done and don’t forget the red bar to apply the changes.
If you have Elastix distribution 1.3, upgrading to freepbx 2.5 will break the Extensions GUI where all the fields will be blank. To fix this problem, Saleh, an Elastix user came up with the fix. See Users’ Suggestions.
Click on the Add Extension button to add more extensions.
We will create 8 extensions;
3000 - Main Reception
3001 - Medical Centre Manager 3002 - Dr. Stan Roberts
3003 - Dr. Susan Forbes 3004 - Dr. Francis Wong 3005 - Administration Office 3006 - Lab and X-Ray 3007 - Courtesy Phone.
For simplicity, we will allocate passwords to be the same as the extension numbers.
Where Voicemail is enabled, we will allocate the same password as well (but you don’t have to. You may also nominate an email address for Voicemail Email Notification – it’s up to you). Voicemail will be covered in more detail a little later in this document.
5.2.2 ZAP Extension
Creating a ZAP extension (for those who have FXS modules) is no different from creating a SIP or IAX2 extension except that you have to choose the appropriate technology from the Device dropdown list and select Generic ZAP device.
When creating a ZAP extension the following must be done otherwise you run the risk of getting one way audio. This also affects any Fax machines attached to the FXS ports; you will not receive faxes at all unless you do as below
As illustrated above, after having created your Zap Extension, go back in and remove anything in echo training and submit
Now you should have audio both ways and faxing inbound and out should work Note: Make sure if you are sending over SIP that the codec is ulaw or alaw or the fax will fail with any compression codec like g729
5.2.3 Extensions Batch
(Adding a large amount of Extensions Quickly)
As at the time of writing this document, it is necessary to re-submit all extensions created this way from within Elastix/freePBX to enabled freePBX to correctly register these extensions in extensions_additional.conf, otherwise you may not be able to ring those extensions because those extensions were not properly written to the said conf file.
As part of Elastix 1.x, the developers have added a new tool called Extensions Batch
This tool allows you to use a spreadsheet to setup all your extensions and users and then upload them to Elastix. This will then create all the extensions in FreePBX.
To start and learn how to use this tool, it is recommended that you setup two extensions in FreePBX as shown elsewhere in this guide. Set them up with all the options that you would normally set in an extension.
Next, click on Extensions Batch, and click on the Download Extensions. This will download a CSV file down to your local hard drive (you normally can choose where to save it). You can now open/import it with your favourite spreadsheet.
You should see a spreadsheet with headings and hopefully the two extensions that you have already setup like the following
Now you have a guide, you can setup the rest of the extensions on the spreadsheet.
Using the tools that are in your spreadsheet application, you can copy most of the fields that are common for all users, and with the rest, do a select and drop, and in the case of Excel (and probably others), as you drag and drop, it will increment the numbers for you.
Once you are satisfied the content is correct, save the file as a CSV file. You can call it whatever you like, maybe extensions_companyname.csv or
extensions_15042008.csv. Just make sure that when you save it, that your spreadsheet program is selected to save it as a CSV Text file (.CSV).
Now we need to upload you completed CSV file back to Elastix, so click on the browse button, and the following dialog box will appear
Hopefully it should default the directory where you saved your extensions to, select the Extensions file, and click on Open and you should return to the following screen.
As you can see, it has filled in the file name and directory in the input box. Now click on Save.
That’s it!!! Now go into Freepbx and check that your extensions are there, which they should be.
On a 20 user system, your time to implement extensions, can come down from 30-40 minutes, to around 5-10 minutes, and the more extensions, the more time you will save
Combined with the Endpoint Manager, this tool can literally save you hours in larger system setups.
Again another great development from the Elastix Development team!!
5.2.4 Enable Voicemail
To enable voicemail on an extension simply "enable" it when you create the extensions or it may be added later on when you decide that the extension requires a voicemail. If you require email notification of your voicemail, you may enter your email address in the email address field.
In this case let us enable voicemail on extension 3001 (the Manager’s extension).
Go back to the Extension Option of Elastix and click on extension 3001. In the Device Option’s Mailbox field, change the 3001@device to read 3001@default (this has since been rectified). Scroll down to the Voicemail and directory section and do the following:
• Status: Enabled (use the drop down selection to select it)
• Voicemail password: 3001 (for simplicity we shall use the extension number)
• Email address: Enter an email address of the person (only if you want email
notification)
• Email attachment: yes (mark the radio button)
• Play CID: yes
• Play envelope: yes
• Vm context: default
Click submit when done followed by the red bar on top of the screen.