Introduction #

Call back your colleague automatically when they are available. When you call a colleague on their 3CX extension when your colleague is unavailable, the 3CX Auto Call Back can continuously monitor their availability and connect you to your colleague’s extension when they become available.

How does Auto Call Back work? #

1. Configure an extension to forward calls to the Auto Call Back Call Flow Designer (CFD) application when busy.
2. When the extension is called when busy, the CFD application plays the following message,
   • The extension you dialed is currently unavailable. To monitor this extension call it back back automatically when it becomes available Press 1.
   • To leave a voicemail for this extension, Press 2.
   • Or hang up.
3. If you Press 1, when the call gets disconnected, the 3CX Auto Call Back service will continuously monitor the availability of the busy extension.
4. When the extension becomes available, the 3CX Auto Call Back service will automatically dial the extension for you.

Prerequisites #

Before installing 3CX Auto Call Back, you need to ensure that your computer meets the minimum requirements mentioned below:

• 3CX Version 18 Professional or Enterprise Edition.
• Windows 10 or above/ Windows Server 2012 or above.
• SQL Server (including the free SQL Express edition).
• Internet Information Server.

Installation #

Step-by-step Installation Procedure #

The following section guides you through a detailed walk-through of the installation process.

Step 1: Download 3CX Auto CallBack #

You can find the software download link in the Order Confirmation Email, or you can find it in your order history on our website.

Step 2: Install the Prerequisites #

Click on the software installer downloaded in Step 1. The installation wizard will automatically identify the prerequisites and assist you with each installation required to 3CX Auto CallBack. It includes .NET Framework (Web Installer), SQL Server Express (Web Installer), and SQL Server Management Studio.

1. Click the downloaded installer executable to launch the Prerequisites Setup Wizard and click Next.

2. In the Prerequisites window, install all the required prerequisites identified by the installer, or select/ unselect the applications based on your requirements and click Next to continue.

The installer will download and install the selected applications. It may take several minutes to complete.

3. The Microsoft SQL Server License Terms page gets displayed if you install SQL Server Express. Click Accept to acknowledge the license terms and continue.

4. In the Media Location field, browse to change the location and click Install to begin the installation of SQL Server Express.

5. Click Close when you install the prerequisites.

6. Click Next when the installation is complete.

7. Click Yes in the Confirmation Message Box to reboot the computer.

Step 3: Start the installation process #

1. Click Next on the 3CX Auto Callback Setup Wizard screen.

2. On the Select Installation Folder window, the Folder field displays the path where the 3CX Auto Callback gets installed. You cannot change the location path.
3. Click Next to continue.

Step 4: Test Relay Settings #

1. In the 3CX Relay Services window, in the Relay Host field, enter the IP address or FQDN of your 3CX server.
2. Enter 8801 in the Relay Port field.
3. Enter the public key you took from VoIPTools Relay services in the Public Key text area.

4. Click the Test Relay Settings to confirm ‘3CX Queues Wallboard’ can communicate with the Relay services running on the 3CX server.
5. If the ‘3CX Queues Wallboard’ is successfully able to communicate with the Relay services that run on the 3CX server, a Success message box appears. Click OK. If the test fails, you will not be able to continue until communication with the relay is established.
6. Click OK in the Success message box.

4. Click Next to continue with the installation.

Note:

• You must set the Relay Port to 8801.
• If the test was unsuccessful:
  • Confirm you have the correct firewall port open (default TCP 8801) on the 3CX server and the firewall protecting the 3CX server.
  • Confirm that you have entered the correct IP address / FQDN for the 3CX server.
  • Confirm that the 3CX Auto Callback and Relay use the same port and protocol.

Note:

If the Relay test fails, you cannot continue the installation until you establish communication with the Relay.

Step 5: Configure the database #

When configuring 3CX Auto Callback, select an existing Microsoft SQL Server instance in your environment. The database server can be a remote SQL Server (How-to configure SQL server to permit remote connections (https://www.voiptools.com/configure-sql-server-for-remote-access-over-internet/)) or a local instance running on the VolPTools server.

1. On the SQL Database window in the Server field, select the desired instance of SQL Server.
2. To use SQL Authentication, uncheck the Trusted Connection checkbox.
3. In the Username and Password fields, enter valid SQL login account credentials.

Note:

• We recommend you use SQL Authentication rather than Windows authentication. Many of our tools leverage a Call Flow Designer (CFD) application running on the 3CX. Frequently our CFD applications require access to a SQL database. If the 3CX server and the database server are not in an Active Directory domain, Windows authentication will fail.
• To use SQL Authentication, you must configure the SQL server to run in Mixed Mode. If you install SQL Server with our tools, we configure SQL in Mixed Mode.

4. To use Windows Integrated Authentication (not recommended), check the Trusted Connection (Windows integrated authentication) checkbox.

Note:

In the Database field, the installer will automatically display the default database name. We encourage you to use the default name. To upgrade or reinstall 3CX Auto Callback, select the current database name from the list.

6. Click the Tool buttons to confirm connectivity to SQL Server. and click OK on the Test Results message box.

6. Click the CFD buttons to confirm connectivity to SQL Server and click Ok on the Test Results message box.

6. Click OK on the Test Results dialogue box.

Step 6: Installing 3CX Auto Callback #

1. Click Install in the Ready to Install window.

The application installation may take several minutes to complete.

2. Check the Launch 3CX Auto Callback checkbox and click Finish when the installation is complete.

Web Portal #

To access the ‘3CX Auto Call Back’ web portal, click on the desktop icon that was created during the installation process (‘3CX Auto Call Back’ Web).

1. In the Extension field, enter your 3CX extension number.
2. In the PIN field, enter your 3CX voicemail PIN.
3.  Click Login button to login to your account.

Note:

Only a user with ‘Manager’ privilege can log-in to the application.

License Screen #

Registration is required to authorize your license key. Registering also makes it possible for VoIPTools to provide a replacement key if your license key is ever lost. Also, it enables VoIPTools to notify you of any product updates, and reminders if your key is reaching the renewal date.

1. In the License tab, and in the License Key field, enter the valid license key.
2. Enter appropriate details in all the other fields of the page.
3. Click Register

Note:

The license key permits you to install this software on one computer. This is not free software.

Settings Screen #

The Settings screen enables you to monitor the status of the ‘3CX Auto Call Back’ service (Running, Stopped, Unknown), that runs in the background. You can also configure CFD settings such as ‘Max Wait Time’ and ‘Frequency’. If you make changes to any of the settings, it is necessary to stop and start the service

Service Status #

1. To start or stop a service, click Start/ Stop button.
2. Click the Refresh link to update the status if changes to the service status were made directly in the Windows Service Snap-in.
3. To know the current state of Windows Service (started/stopped), view the Status field.

Note:

If the service status is “Unknown”, this is typically caused by the 3CX Auto Call Back IIS Application Pool user having insufficient rights.

CFD Settings #

1. In the Max Wait (In Minutes) field, configure the maximum amount of time (In Minutes) to monitor the agent available status.
2. In the Frequency (In Seconds) field, select the time (In Seconds) that you want the application to initiate the frequency of monitoring until the Max Wait Time.
3. Click Save. Confirmation message box appears, click OK.

Note:

If you make changes to any of the settings, it is necessary to stop and start the service.

3CX Console Management: Configure CFD to Extensions #

The following section guides you how to configure CFD to Extensions in ‘3CX Console Management’

1. Login to 3CX Console Management with valid credentials.
2. Navigate to Advanced and then in the Call Flow Apps screen, you will observe that CallBack CFD file is automatically created.

1. Navigate to Extensions, select the desired extension to which you want to apply the ‘CallBack’ feature and then click Forwarding Rules tab.
2. To configure CFD to Extensions that are away: