If test voice notifications via VOIP are experiencing difficulties, we recommend the following tests and procedures:
Make sure you're running the most recent version of TopView possible, along with any patches for that version.
Verify that the authorization name and password are correct for the SIP server
Can a softphone installed on the same computer as TopView connect to the SIP server? Can it also make and receive calls from the VOIP system? One softphone you can use is the 3CX Phone 6 for Windows (use this one over newer versions, which restrict access to only 3CX servers).
Is it possible the firewall is blocking SIP calls? Test your computer's firewall and port settings with the 3CX Firewall Checker client application (instructions below)
Audio issues are typically due to the network or a firewall blocking or filtering the communication. SIP communication (call setup) and media (audio) communication happen on different ports, so both the SIP port (5060, or as specified in your SIP server address TopView setting) and the media ports (10000-20000 are the defaults, or as specified in TopView settings) need to be allowed through all firewalls and networks.
Run the "RemoteConnectionTest" and verify that the registration test passes.
In this example, we ran the checker against a Grandstream VOIP device located in our office.
3CX Server IP Address: port Enter the IP address or hostname of the SIP Server. If you are not using the default SIP port (5060) enter:port after the SIP Server
Extension Enter the phone extension that you plan to use in TopView. In the TopView Voice Notification setting, this field is named “User name”
Authentication ID Enter the registration name. In the TopView Voice Notification settings, this field is named “Authorization name”
Password Enter the password for the registration name/Authentication ID.
Echo text extension Enter the number that you wish to call through the SIP Server. In our example, the Grandstream is configured to make external calls through the analog phone line if the number starts with a 5.
Callback test extension Do not enter anything here
Click [Start test] Perform a test call and report any discovered problems. If the test works you should receive a call at the entered “Echo test extension”. If you receive a call you can ignore the Echo Call: Failed! result since the number you called does not perform an echo.
Other resources
We have a few general posts on TopView's use of VOIP for voice notifications:
DTMF (Dual-tone multi-frequency signaling - Wikipedia) is responsible for communication of key presses over the phone call. TopView can use these key presses to allow calls to proceed, or to acknowledge alarms via voice notifications. Here are some ...
Overview TopView supports online/hosted SIP Servers for TopView Voice Notification call out. SIP.US is a hosted SIP Server. While most SIP Servers will work with TopView, we have tested a few and can recommend them for use with TopView: see TopView ...
From Twilio's notice - IP Addresses for SIP Services | Twilio: Starting 26 September 2023 Twilio will begin migrating the media IPs and port ranges for Voice SDK calls in all regions to 168.86.128.0/18 and expanding the UDP port range to 10000-60000. ...
Overview TopView Voice Notification makes VOIP phone calls for alarm notification. The VOIP protocol is SIP. TopView is a "SIP client" that connects to the SIP Server to make phone calls. Each phone call in TopView is made by a separate call process ...
For many years TopView has supported voice call-out notification over traditional phone lines but, due to both hardware and software developments, voice notification via TAPI modems is much less reliable than it used to be (see the reliability ...
