How to add a SIP or IAX phone, step by step

Every agent who logs into VICIdial needs a phone entry behind them. The phone entry is the record that tells the system which device an agent is using, what password that device registers with, and which server it lives on. Adding one is quick once you know which fields actually matter, so let's add a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or IAX2 phone from start to finish.

Open the add-a-phone screen

From the admin pages, click ADD A NEW PHONE in the left menu. The add screen is a short form on purpose. It only asks for the fields needed to create a valid record, and the rest of the options appear once you save. SIP and IAX2 phones get their Asterisk settings built for them automatically within about a minute of submitting the form, so you do not edit config files by hand.

Fill the eight required fields

The form will not save unless these eight are set. Take them one at a time.

• Phone extension — the device name as the server sees it, without the protocol prefix. For SIP/test101 the Extension is just test101. For SIP, PJSIP, and IAX entries, use only letters, numbers, and no dashes.
• Dialplan number — the number you dial to make this phone ring. Pick a value that does not trigger a Reserved Dialplan Number warning, or you will not be able to dial it.
• Server IP — choose which server the phone is active on.
• Agent Screen Login and Login Password — these two log the user into the web client. They are not the device password.
• Full Name — shows up in the list of active phones.
• Protocol and Local GMT — set the client protocol to SIP, PJSIP, IAX2, or EXTERNAL, and set the GMT offset where the phone sits.

One field trips up almost everyone. The password your device registers with is the Registration Password, not the Login Password. The Registration Password is the secret written into the auto-generated SIP or IAX config for this phone. Its default is the word test, and a strong one runs at least eight characters with upper and lower case letters and a number. Keep the two passwords straight and most registration problems never happen.

What happens after you save

Once you submit, the system writes the device config for you and the new record drops into the phones list. Within roughly a minute the SIP or IAX account exists on the server, and your physical or software device can register against it. EXTERNAL protocol entries are the exception, since they place calls straight through the dialplan and need no auto-generated config at all.

flowchart LR
  A[Open Add a New Phone] --> B[Fill 8 required fields]
  B --> C[Set protocol SIP or IAX2]
  C --> D[Submit form]
  D --> E[Asterisk config auto-built ~1 min]
  E --> F[Device registers with Registration Password]
  F --> G[Phone shows in active list]

Where to go next

If you want the deeper context on every field and how phones fit into the wider setup, the VICIdial phones pillar guide ties it together. For the exact list of fields that block a save, see the required phone fields. Adding a phone is the foundation that lets a Softphone or deskphone connect at all.

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