Manual Configuration

If you do not want to use the automatic configuration, open the Agent Dashboard, select File>SoftPhone Options, click the SoftPhone tab and deselect the Automatically configure the SoftPhone check box on the SoftPhone Options dialog box. Click the Apply button to apply your changes. Click the OK button to close the SoftPhone Options dialog box when you are done.

If you select the Automatically configure the SoftPhone check box, most of the editable fields on the Endpoint and SIP Registration tabs on the SoftPhone Options dialog box disappear. When you deselect the check box, the editable fields reappear.

Endpoint Tab

Enables you to make general configurations to your desktop phone. Restart the Agent Dashboard to enact these changes.

If the Automatically configure the SoftPhone check box is selected on the SoftPhone tab, the Endpoint tab does not display all the fields shown in the screenshot.

The Endpoint tab contains the following fields:

  • Display Name field - The name of the softphone user as it will be displayed on the other party’s phone display (if equipped) when dialing out.
  • Extension Number (ANI) field - The extension of the Agent Dashboard's SoftPhone as established in the dial plan.
  • SIP Port Number field - The local UDP port number for the SIP Softphone. If you do not use registration for this softphone then this port number should match the value specified in the SIP server's dial plan.
  • First RTP Port Number field - Enter the first RTP port number specific to the workstation using the Agent Dashboard.
  • Override IP ToS for RTP - Select this option if you want to use precedence bits for QoS implementations. The higher the precedence you set in the text field, the less chance packets will get dropped in fair queuing systems. Do not use this option if you have Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 installed, since these newer operating systems contain advanced QoS functionality which should be used instead to set packet priority (refer to the Microsoft TechNet Library for details).

If you enable this field, you must then create a new registry key in Registry Editor to notify the operating system to utilize this setting: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DisableUserTOSSetting REG_DWORD, set to 0, then restart the computer.

  • RTP NAT Bypass - Select this option if you want the Agent Dashboard to send voice packets to the source IP address and port of the voice packets received from the other party. This enables the traversing of port-translating NATs.

SIP Registration Tab

Enables you to specify the SIP Soft Switch and, if needed, enable the registration and associated settings.

If the Automatically configure the SoftPhone check box is selected on the SoftPhone tab, the SIP Registration tab does not display all the fields shown in the screenshot.

Fields on the SIP Registration tab:

  • Primary Proxy Name/Address field - Enter the network name or IP address of your primary SIP Soft Switch.
  • Primary Proxy Port field - Enter the port number of your primary SIP Soft Switch.
  • Domain - Enter the IP address or host name of the SIP Soft Switch.
  • Backup Proxy Name/Address field - If you have set up a backup SIP Soft Switch, enter the network name or IP address of the backup SIP Soft Switch.
  • Backup Proxy Port field - If you have set up a backup SIP Soft Switch, enter the port number of the backup SIP Soft Switch.
  • Domain - Enter the IP address or host name of the SIP Soft Switch.
  • Register with SIP Registrar - Select this check box if you want the SIP softphone to dynamically register with the SIP registrar. Use this check box in conjunction with the Registration Interval field. If you do not select this option, your extension must be statically configured in the SIP Soft Switch's dial plan.
  • Registration Interval field - Enter the number of seconds you want to lapse before the proxy server refreshes registration with the SIP registrar.

In order for this field to take effect, you must select the Register with SIP Registrar check box.

  • Primary Registrar Name/Address field - Enter the network name or IP address of your primary SIP registrar. The SIP Soft Switch usually serves as your SIP Registrar.
  • Primary Registrar Port field - Enter the port number of your primary SIP registrar.
  • Backup Registrar Name/Address field - If you have a backup SIP registrar, enter the network name or IP address of the backup SIP registrar.
  • Backup Registrar Port field - If you have a backup SIP registrar, enter the port number of the backup SIP registrar.
  • User Name and Password fields - If you created a username and password for this extension in the Management Portal, enter those credentials here. If not, leave these fields empty. Refer to Configure Phone Entries.

Additional Softphone Configurations

This section describes general Agent Dashboard softphone configuration options, all of which are optional. Disregard this section if you are using a SIP-enabled desktop phone.

These optional softphone configurations are on various tabs in the SoftPhone Options dialog box. Click the Apply button to apply your changes, then click the OK button to close the SoftPhone Options dialog box.

Softphone Disable Option

If you are using a SIP-enabled desktop phone instead of the Agent Dashboard softphone, you can disable the softphone so the SoftPhone tab does not appear on the interface. This causes the Agent Dashboard to display only the Queue tab (and the Quality Management tab if the user has the necessary privileges).

To Disable the Softphone:

  1. Select File>SoftPhone Options... and click the SoftPhone tab.
  2. Select the Do Not use SoftPhone check box.
  3. Click Apply.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Close and restart the Agent Dashboard.

Auto-Answer Option

On the SoftPhone tab in the SoftPhone Options dialog box, select the Allow auto-answer incoming calls option if you want the Agent Dashboard to allow voice applications to force the Agent Dashboard to automatically answer an incoming call. If you do not select the option, the Agent Dashboard cannot automatically answer a call, even if the voice application attempts to force the call through.

Inbound Call Limit Option

On the SoftPhone tab in the SoftPhone Options dialog box, select the Limit number of simultaneous incoming calls check box if you want to limit the number of simultaneous incoming calls the Agent Dashboard can receive, and specify the maximum number of calls to allow in the adjacent text box. After reaching the limit, the Agent Dashboard rejects new calls, and the callers hear a busy signal.

Dialing of Non-Digit Characters Option

On the SoftPhone tab in the SoftPhone Options dialog box, select the Allow dialing of the following non-digit characters check box if you want to let the Agent Dashboard accept non-digit characters, such as asterisks (*) and pound signs (#). In the adjacent text box, specify each non-digit character you want the Agent Dashboard to accept.

Bring Main Window to Front Option

On the SoftPhone tab in the SoftPhone Options dialog box, select the Bring the main window to front when an inbound call arrives check box if you want the Agent Dashboard to automatically become the active window on the agent’s computer when an inbound call arrives.

Automatic Configuration Option

Refer to Endpoint and SIP Registration Configuration.

Show Active Directory Users in the Address Book

On the SoftPhone tab in the SoftPhone Options dialog box, select the Show Active Directory users in the address book check box to let the Agent Dashboard display additional tabs in the address book for each Active Directories and Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) user folder in the Windows domain the user is logged into. Each tab shows the last and first names of contacts, and a phone number for contacts that have only one number. For contacts that have multiple phone numbers, an ellipses appears instead of a phone number. Users can move the mouse cursor over the ellipses to view all the contact’s phone numbers.

Payload Types Tab

The Agent Dashboard supports four different voice codecs (payloads):

  • G.711 u-law - 64 kbps, common for North America
  • G.711 a-law - 64 kbps, common in Europe
  • GSM - 13 kbps
  • G.729A - 8 kbps

Only payloads added to the Preferred Payload Types group will be actually used. The specific payload for every particular call is negotiated when a call is initiated. Add at least one Preferred payload.

Media Tab

Enables you to designate and configure the speaker and microphone the Agent Dashboard uses. The controls are for:

  • Voice Output - The volume of the caller’s voice.
  • Voice Input - The volume of your voice.
  • Tones Output - The volume of the Agent Dashboard tones, such as alerts and rings.

The Agent Dashboard automatically locates the audio devices (such as soundcards and headsets) installed on your computer, and lists them in the drop-down lists. You have the option to select different audio devices for different functions. For example, if your computer has a microphone, earpiece, and speakers installed, you can select the microphone to handle voice input, the earpiece to handle voice output, and speakers to play Agent Dashboard tones.

Fields on the Media tab:

  • Voice - Select Output device automatically - If you do not select the Select Output device automatically check box, a drop-down list shows the soundcards on your system, enabling you to select the one you want to handle the sound going to the agent’s speakers or headphones.
  • Voice Output slider - Controls the level of sound coming from the soundcard to the speakers or headphones.
  • Voice - Select Input device automatically - If you do not select the Select Audio device automatically check box, a drop-down list shows the soundcards on your system, enabling you to select the one you want to handle audio input from your microphone.
  • Voice Input slider - Controls the level of sound going into the soundcard from your microphone.
  • Tones - Select audio device automatically - If you do not select the Select audio device automatically check box, this field lists the soundcards on your system, letting you select the soundcard the Agent Dashboard uses to generate tones.
  • Tones Output slider - Controls the volume of the tones your soundcard generates.

STUN Tab

The STUN settings allow traversing the NAT when the Agent Dashboard and the SIP Soft Switch are on different sides of the NAT.

Enable NAT traversing by selecting the Use STUN to traverse NAT check box. You also need to specify your STUN server address, port and refresh interval (in seconds) in the appropriate fields.

Recordings Tab

The Agent Dashboard provides agents with the option of recording phone conversations. The default location of the audio files containing recorded conversations is the local My Documents folder.

You may record phone calls through the use of the licensed software. The laws on recording phone calls vary from country to country and state to state. FrontRange Solutions recommends you inform the other party or parties to your phone call that you are recording their conversation; however, it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your use of the licensed software. You agree to abide by all applicable communication, privacy, and similar rules, directives, and other laws in your use of the licensed software. In no event will FrontRange Solutions be liable for any action or inaction on your part which leads to or causes you to break the law.

You can change the recorded files folder by doing one of the following:

  • In the Recordings Files Folder field, type the path to the folder containing the recorded files the softphone uses.
  • Click the Browse button and navigate to the folder containing the recorded files the softphone uses.

You can click the Open Folder button to open the folder you specify in the Recordings Files Folder field.

The Agent Dashboard can automatically record all phone conversations, temporarily storing each one in a buffer until the conversation ends. This lets users capture an entire conversation, even if they do not click the Record button until the conversation is halfway over. When a user clicks the Record button, the Agent Dashboard saves the buffered conversation to disk.

Since buffering consumes system resources, administrators might want to restrict buffering. The Recordings tab lets you configure the buffering:

  • Keep the entire conversation in memory - Configures the Agent Dashboard to buffer the entire conversation. The buffer clears after the conversation ends.
  • Limit the recording buffer - Specifies how many seconds of the recording the buffer keeps. For example, if you set the value to 30, the buffer keeps the last 30 seconds of the conversation; 31 seconds into the conversation, the buffer keeps the part of the conversation from seconds 1 to 31; 32 seconds into the conversation, the buffer keeps the part from 2 to 32, etc. The buffer clears after the conversation ends.
  • Do not buffer conversations - Disables the buffering mechanism. In this mode, the Agent Dashboard only records the part of the conversation after the user clicks the Record button.