What are Remote Agents?
Remote agents are call center agents who work from a location outside the physical office where the Vicidial server is hosted. They connect via the internet using a softphone application (or WebRTC browser) and the Vicidial web agent interface.
Remote agents are ideal for: work-from-home setups, distributed teams across multiple locations, disaster recovery / business continuity, and scaling operations quickly without physical infrastructure.
Network Requirements
Bandwidth
100 Kbps per call (G.711) Important:WiFi connections introduce jitter. Wired Ethernet is strongly recommended for remote agents. Use QoS (Quality of Service) settings on the agent's router to prioritize VoIP traffic.
Required Firewall Ports
| Port(s) | Protocol | Service | Direction |
|---|
5060 | UDP/TCP | SIP signaling | Bidirectional |
5061 | TCP/TLS | SIP over TLS (secure) | Bidirectional |
4569 | UDP | IAX2 (if using IAX) | Bidirectional |
10000-20000 | UDP | RTP media (audio) | Bidirectional |
8089 | TCP/WSS | WebSocket for WebRTC | Inbound to server |
443 | TCP | HTTPS (agent web UI) | Inbound to server |
Server-Side Configuration
Step 1: Create a Phone Entry
# Admin → Phones → Add a New Phone
Extension: 8001
Dialplan Number: 8001
Server IP: (your Vicidial server IP)
Phone Type: SIP
Phone Login: 8001
Phone Password: (strong SIP password)
Registration String: SIP/8001
Active: Y
Step 2: Asterisk SIP/PJSIP Configuration
; In /etc/asterisk/sip.conf (for NAT traversal)
externaddr=YOUR_PUBLIC_IP
localnet=192.168.0.0/255.255.0.0
nat=force_rport,comedia
qualify=yes
directmedia=no
Step 3: Assign Phone to User
In the user record (Admin → Users), set the Phone Login to match the extension (8001) and set the Phone Password to match the SIP password in the phone entry.
Recommended Softphones
| Softphone | Platform | Free | Notes |
|---|
| Zoiper | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes (basic) | Most popular for Vicidial. Easy setup, good codec support, IAX2 support. |
| MicroSIP | Windows | Yes (fully) | Lightweight, SIP-only. Good for Windows-only environments. Open source. |
| Overkill WebPhone | Browser (any OS) | Included w/ Vicidial | WebRTC-based, no install needed. Requires HTTPS and WSS configuration on server. |
| Linphone | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | Yes | Open-source, supports SIP and SRTP. Good alternative to Zoiper. |
| Bria (CounterPath) | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | No (paid) | Professional-grade. Excellent call quality and enterprise features. |
| Overkill (built-in) | Browser | Yes | Built into Vicidial agent screen. WebRTC-based, simplest for agents. |
Zoiper Setup Example
- Download and install Zoiper from
zoiper.com - Open Zoiper and click Settings → Accounts → Add Account
- Select SIP as the protocol
- Enter: Username =
8001, Password = (SIP password), Domain = (Vicidial server IP) - Under Advanced: set Port to
5060, Transport to UDP - Enable STUN if behind NAT: use
stun.l.google.com:19302 - Set Codec priority:
G.711 ulaw first, then G.711 alaw - Click Register and verify status shows "Registered"
NAT/Firewall Troubleshooting
One-way audio:Ensure nat=force_rport,comedia in sip.conf. Set directmedia=no. Open RTP port range (10000-20000 UDP) on server firewall.
Registration fails from remote:Check that port 5060 UDP is open on the server. Disable SIP ALG on agent's router. Verify credentials match phone entry.
Calls drop after 30 seconds:SIP ALG on agent's NAT router is rewriting SIP headers. Disable SIP ALG. Set qualify=yes in Asterisk.
Audio choppy/robotic:Bandwidth issue or high jitter. Switch from G.711 to G.729 codec (lower bandwidth). Use wired connection. Enable QoS.
Agent shows UNREACHABLE:Firewall blocking qualify OPTIONS packets. Ensure bidirectional UDP 5060 is open. Check agent's internet connection.
Quality Monitoring for Remote Agents
- Listen (Silent Monitor) — Supervisors can listen to live calls without the agent or customer hearing.
- Whisper — Supervisor can speak to the agent without the customer hearing (coaching).
- Barge — Supervisor joins the call as a three-way conference (both parties hear).
- Call Recording — All calls are recorded automatically. Review via the recording search interface.
- Real-Time Dashboard — Monitor agent status, call duration, and pause codes in real time.
WebRTC Alternative:Instead of softphones, you can use Vicidial's built-in WebRTC support. Agents need only a web browser — no software installation required. See the
WebRTC Setup Guide for configuration details.