Configuring Sip to Skype Gateway - 3CX Gateway for Skype

Important: Starting from Version 5.5 of the Skype client, the Extras Manager is no longer obtainable. This effectively means that it is no longer possible to deploy the 3CX Skype Gateway unless you have access to an older version of the Skype client that still has the Extras Manager included.

Pre-requisites
The following pre-requisites are needed for the 3CX gateway for Skype to operate:

  1. Skype version 4.1.0.179 or above is required.
  2. The Skype Client must be installed on the same machine as 3CX Gateway for Skype. Skype can be downloaded from here: http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windows/
  3. 3CX Gateway for Skype must be installed on the same machine as 3CX Phone System. You can download 3CX Gateway for Skype from here: http://www.3cx.com/downloads/3CXGatewayforSkype2.msi
  4. Audio drivers must be installed and configured correctly – this is a Skype pre-requisite.
  5. 3CX Phone System Version 7.1.7137 or higher is required
  6. The 3CX Gateway for Skype was tested on the following operating systems Windows XP, Vista 32/64 bit, server 2003 32/64bit, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7.
  7. Known issues in the Skype client:
    a. Display status on ringing will show green on multiple incoming calls
    b. The Skype client does not appear to be 100% stable on Windows 2008 which obviously effects 3CX Gateway for Skype
  8. 3CX Gateway for Skype can not be installed on a domain controller
  9. To interface with the 3CX Skype Gateway, Skype Extras Manager must be installed on your computer. To check if Skype Extras Manager is installed, in the Skype menu bar click "Tools -> Extras". If this option is greyed-out and you cannot select it, you will need to install the Skype Extras Manager. To do this, first uninstall and then reinstall Skype (using the Regular version, not the Business version). When reinstalling Skype, click Options on the Hello screen, and on the next screen enable the option labelled "Install Skype Extras Manager", then click the "I agree – Install" button.

Part 1: 3CX Management Console Gateway creation

Step 1: Add a Skype PSTN gateway from the 3CX Management Console

Create a PSTN gateway from the 3CX Management Console. Click on Add Pstn Gateways, select the 3CX Gateway for Skype template and specify a name for this gateway.

Step 2: Configure IP, and Port for 3CX to communicate to the 3CX Skype Gateway

Specify the Gateway, Hostname and IP of the machine where 3CX Gateway for Skype will be installed. Because the 3CX gateway for Skype will be installed on the same machine, specify 127.0.0.1 (localhost) and port is 6060.

Important : When creating additional 3CX Gateway for Skype ports you must increment the port by 2. For example: the second gateway must have 6062 set.

Step 3: Creating the port for the 3CX Gateway for Skype

Take note of the details presented in this page and click Next to proceed. These details will be needed when creating a Skype Channel in 3CX gateway for Skype to enable it to register to 3CX Phone System.

Step 4: Outbound rule creation

Create an outbound rule for this Skype Gateway with a prefix.

Part 2: 3CX Gateway for Skype Configuration instructions

Now download 3CX Gateway for Skype package from the following link. After the installation steps have been completed, clicking Finish on the last screen will open the initial window that will enable you to start the configuration for the Skype Gateway.

Step 1: Creating of windows user accounts.

Each Skype gateway created in the Management console needs a corresponding Skype channel. Each channel created in turn needs to have
    • Skype ID
    • A newly created Windows User account associated with it. This Windows User account cannot be an already existing account - it will be created by 3CX Gateway for Skype.

Now Click Create. Enter the 3CX Hostname or /IP. In this case the 3CX GFS will be installed on the same machine so you can enter localhost or 127.0.0.1

All Channels created will need a separate Windows User Account to operate under. In the computer account settings section you can configure a prefix for computer accounts that will be created every time you create a new Skype™ port. If, for instance, the prefix is 3cxskypeacc, accounts will be created as 3cxskypeacc01, 3cxskypeacc02 and so on.

Step 2: Creating of Channels to communicate with the gateway ports.

Here we need to enter the details taken during the Port Creation in the 3CX Management Console (Step 3). Enter the Virtual Extension number, Authentication ID and Authentication Password. The SIP TCP / IP port for this port should match the Gateway Port Setting in the Management Console.

After you click OK, you should receive a success message stating that this Skype port has been created.

Step 3. In order to work properly, 3CX Gateway for Skype™ requires each port to have an Skype™ account configured with the “Sign me in when Skype starts” option. Every time you create a new account by pressing the “Skype™” button, the following “splash” dialog will be displayed:

After this “splash” is shown, port’s corresponding Skype™ client account will open. Type the associated Skype™ account and password, CHECK the option “Sign me in when Skype starts” and UNCHECK the option “Start Skype when computer starts”, then sign in. Once you signed in, the splash will show “Pending authorization”.

Skype will ask you to “allow 3CXSkypegateway.exe”, click the “Allow access” button.

The dialog will now display “Configured as…” with the Skype account you’ve set, and the Done button becomes enabled. By clicking it, the Skype™ client will close and the port is considered Skype-configured!

Step 4: Starting the 3CX Gateway Service

The Gateway service is responsible for registering with 3CX Phone System, handling of calls to and from Skype, and Signing in with the Skype ID’s associated with each channel. Click on the Start Button on the right hand side of the 3CX GFS to start the gateway service.

Immediately you will see that the PORT ID 10000 is registered with the 3CX Phone System and the solid Green LED status is shown in the Port column. Status: Online

Congratulations – you have successfully configured the 3CX Gateway for Skype.


NOTE - Audio Hardware required for 3CX Skype Gateway You must have audio hardware for the Skype Gateway to function, because the Skype Client requires audio hardware to function.

Note also that when you connect to a machine using RDP, the RDP client creates a virtual sound card on the machine you are connecting to. This virtual sound card emulates speakers, but sometimes will not emulate microphone - especially with older servers or RDP clients. So you could expect to have 1-way audio when making 3CX Skype Gateway calls when connected to the machine using RDP.

The best way to avoid this is to change your RDP client (mstsc.exe) options before connecting to avoid this problem. To do this, before connecting, in your RDP client go to the "Local Resources" tab, and in the "Remote Audio" section, click on the "Settings" button. In the "Remote audio playback" section, select "Play on remote computer". In the "Remote audio recording" section, select "Do not record".

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