Telephony gateways & trunks
Telephony is the bridge between CXGear and the phones your agents actually use. CXGear coordinates who should ring, when a call starts, and what the agent sees in the browser. Your gateway and trunks carry the real voice audio.
Think of it this way: CXGear is the control room; telephony is the phone network.
What you configure
Section titled “What you configure”| Piece | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway | Your PBX or SIP platform (for example Asterisk) | CXGear talks to one gateway per org setup |
| Trunk | A path for outbound or inbound calls on that gateway | Routes and calling lists pick a trunk |
| Extension | An agent’s desk-phone number on the PBX | Inbound offers and click-to-call need it |
You set gateways and trunks under Integrations. Agents set their extension on the Dialler Agent desk.
src/assets/screenshots/35-telephony-gateways.pngWhy this is separate from channels
Section titled “Why this is separate from channels”Messaging channels (WhatsApp, SMS, email) send templates and messages. Telephony is for live human voice:
- Outbound lists and click-to-call
- Inbound DIDs ringing agents
- Human agent call steps in outreach spinners
You can have WhatsApp fully working and still have a silent dialler if telephony is missing.
How to set it up
Section titled “How to set it up”1. Add a gateway
Section titled “1. Add a gateway”- Open Integrations → Telephony.
- Add a gateway (Asterisk is the common type today).
- Enter the connection details your telephony team provides (host, credentials, API key for call events).
The gateway is the “brain” CXGear calls when it needs to originate or control a session.
2. Add trunks
Section titled “2. Add trunks”Trunks are the lines on that gateway:
- Outbound trunks — used when CXGear places a call (lists, click-to-call, spinner human-call steps)
- Inbound trunks — used when the PSTN or carrier delivers a call into your PBX
Give each trunk a clear name (“India mobile outbound”, “Main DID inbound”) so routing rules are easy to read later.
src/assets/screenshots/36-telephony-trunk-form.png3. Wire routing and agents
Section titled “3. Wire routing and agents”After trunks exist:
- Open Dialler → Call routing and map dial patterns / DIDs to trunks and extensions.
- Each agent opens Dialler → Agent desk, enters their extension, and goes Available.
Without those two steps, trunks alone do not ring anyone.
What success looks like
Section titled “What success looks like”- Gateways and trunks appear under Integrations with sensible names.
- An outbound route matches a pattern (for example numbers starting with
+91) to an outbound trunk and caller ID. - An inbound route maps a DID to an agent extension (or queue).
- An agent with that extension set can receive the floating call bar and hear audio on their desk phone.
- Starting a calling list no longer fails with “configure outbound trunks.”
Common problems
Section titled “Common problems”| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| List start fails | No outbound trunk or route | Add trunk under Integrations, then a route under Call routing |
| Agent never rings | Extension missing or wrong gateway | Agent desk → save extension; confirm gateway is Asterisk type |
| UI shows ring but no audio | Media is on the desk phone / SIP, not the browser | Check the physical phone or softphone registration on the PBX |
| Events never update in CXGear | Gateway event API key mismatch | Confirm the key Asterisk posts matches the gateway config |
| Admin sees no call bar | Admins are not agents by default | Assign Agent/Supervisor and configure extension + presence |
How this fits CXGear
Section titled “How this fits CXGear”CXGear is a communication OS: outreach automation, dialler for live voice, and Post Call Analyzer for recordings. Telephony is the shared foundation for the dialler (and for any spinner step that places a human call). Messaging integrations stay under Channels; AI keys stay under AI providers.