With the introduction of Hosted by 3CX, the 3CX SBC takes center stage. It’s the best way to connect your remote-site IP handsets and simplify your deployment. Here’s why! V18 Update 6, currently in Beta, allows you to set up a low-cost IP Phone and run the 3CX SBC on dedicated and StartUP instances. This removes the need for dedicated hardware on your remote site, solving supply shortages of Raspberry Pi as well as associated cost increases. Let's check out this new feature in more detail.

What is the 3CX SBC?

The 3CX Session Border Controller (SBC) is a software service that installs in your local network. This allows easy connection of IP Phones to a 3CX instance in the cloud, hosted either privately or by 3CX. The 3CX SBC combines all SIP (signaling) and RTP (media) VoIP Packets from one location and delivers them to the cloud PBX. This overcomes common firewall and networking issues that can affect reliability.

How does the router phone simplify deployments?

Setting up a router phone via 3CX

With the introduction of IP handsets supporting the SBC software service, 3CX deployments are even easier. 3CX setup is now accessible to everyone, no matter your technical expertise. By setting up a router phone, a separate piece of hardware on the network is no longer required. This saves on costs and cuts configuration time.

All call traffic between IP phones running via a router phone, is kept local. This cuts down on the bandwidth required, as traffic isn't going up to the 3CX and back again.

By deploying a router phone to your remote location, you can connect up to 10 handsets that can proxy or ‘sit behind’ the router phone. However, due to IP phone hardware limitations, if more than 10 handsets are required, we’d recommend you deploy a stand-alone SBC machine.

…and before you ask, yes, the router phone can also be used as a user's handset!

Which IP Phones are supported?

Update 6 has seen some major improvements, including the ability to carry out much of the configuration from the Web Client. Now, all IP phones can be set up and managed by an admin via the Web Client. Check out the updated IP phone guides.

Currently we support the following IP handsets as router phones. More models will be added.

What settings / options are available via the Web Client?

In order to make phone management as easy as possible, the following settings/options are available from the Web Client.

  • BLF configuration and provisioning
  • Phone reboot and reprovision
  • Language, ringtone, and queue ringtone
  • Firmware upgrade
  • IP-Phone web interface hyperlink
  • Reset IP-Phone web interface password

Save time and cut hardware costs

Setting up remote IP phones is now even easier with Update 6. Router phones are central to the ongoing development plan to make 3CX more accessible and easier to configure.

Existing 3CX instance admins should upgrade to Update 6 without delay. Benefit from this new feature, a revamped Facebook integration and much more. If you’re new to 3CX, why not get it free forever for up to 10 users with 3CX StartUP.