Today we add a new version (for 5 clients) into miniSIPServer lines. This version is FREE! That means you don’t need a license and don’t warry about expired problem.
This “5 clients” version is perfect for small VoIP delpoyment, such as family communication, testing and so on. You don’t need to pay a cent to get full VoIP functions. Of course, the clients are limited to be no more than 5 clients.
In another way, free versions are not available for commercial usage.
With previous versions, if you want to configure miniSIPServer to relay media streams, miniSIPServer will only relay audio streams and discard video streams.
It is because video streams require much more bandwidth and calculation capability. Some devices cannot support that. But more and more customers require us to refine it to relay video streams at the same time since most devices are more powerful and they have enough bandwidth.
It seems reasonable and we think we need upgrade miniSIPServer to fit such requirements.
So the latest versions (build 20210604) are released. If miniSIPServer is trying to relay media streams, it will relay audio streams and video streams together.
You don’t need change your configuration. And please pay attention to your device capability and bandwidth.
Sometimes, we want to know the details of real-time call status, such as who is calling, how many incoming calls, and so on. In fact, miniSIPServer has a real-time CDR window which can display CDR records just finished their calls. That means the real-time CDR window only has a half real-time function, and it cannot display the details of calls which are still in calling status.
Obviously, we think we need to upgrade such windows to display more details. And here we get:
Truly real-time CDR window
In the new window, the call which has been released or disconnected is in gray. If the call is calling, it will be in black. When the called party is ringing, it will be changed to be in blue. Once the called party answers the call, it will be red immediately.
So you can get real-time status of all concurrent calls. That’s interesting.
Of course, you need to configure miniSIPServer to display real-time CDR and what kinds of CDR should be generated. Please click menu “data / system / call detail record” and get configuration below.
CDR items
Most important, you need to configure “generate fail call CDR” and “show real-time CDR information” items. Please visit manual document for more details about other items.
In normal, we configure ringing group information in local users’ profile. And one user can only be assigned to one ringing group. It works in most scenarios.
As you know, it is hard time now. Some companies reduce their human resources to save cost, so someone has to take more works. For example, it is possible that someone could be assigned to several ringing groups at the same time. In fact, some customers have requested us to fit this requirement.
We understand that completely, so miniSIPServer is upgraded to have a new method to provide ringing group service.
Two independent tables are added. One is used to define ringing groups and their users. Please refer to below figure.
ringing group users
Another table is used to detect ringing groups according to called numbers in different calls. Please refer to below figure.
ringing group detection
Service document has been updated. Please click here to get more details about this new feature.
Sometimes we need to use customized resource files, such as audio files, special IVR flows, certificate files and so on. With previous versions, all these files are stored in miniSIPServer install directory or its sub directories.
It could be a management problem when trying to uninstall or upgrade miniSIPServer. We have to be very careful to backup our own resource files.
V38 (build 20210108) is released to refine this. Customized resource files are separated to be stored in independent directories which are in application data directory.
For example, customized audio files will be stored in ‘custAnn’ directory. Once miniSIPServer is uninstalled or upgraded, these audio files will be kept without any affection.
Before V38, miniSIPServer stores its configuration data in the install directory. In some scenarios, it could be a problem. For example, if miniSIPServer is installed in disk C on Windows system, it is possible that Windows will reject miniSIPServer to write data into disk C unless the user has the right to do that.
In Linux system, it could have the same problem. By default, miniSIPServer is installed in ‘/opt/sipserver’ directory. If root user started miniSIPServer and created local configuration files in such directory, other users could have no right to read and write the files and fail to start miniSIPServer.
So V38 will store configuration data in user’s own directory. In windows, it is the user’s application data directory. In Linux, it is the user’s HOME directory.
Please refer to online document for more details about this modification.
In another way, when miniSIPServer starts up, it will prompt where its data is stored no matter it is on Windows or Linux.
Our data center updates us that maintenance is required for one or more of our servers’ physical hosts. The hosts will be rebooted, and a number of critical updates will be installed.
The maintenance schedule in UTC is as follows:
2020-08-07 03:00:00 AM UTC
Important to know: (1) A 2-hour window is allocated, however, the actual downtime should be around 45 – 60 minutes. (2) Your virtual server(s) will be cleanly shut down and will remain inaccessible during the maintenance window. (3) You might reboot your SIP phones/devices to register to virtual server(s) again once the virtual server(s) is(are) back to work.
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!
When deploying a VoIP network, we often have one-way or no-way audio problems. It is caused by private network, for example, some SIP phones or miniSIPServer are behind routers and other SIP devices are in another different network which could be a private network or public network.
To resolve such problem, we often suggest to configure “forwarding ports” in routers manually. If you are familiar with routers, it is easy to do that.
But someone might not know how to do that, or someone might make mistake in router’s configuration. So we add a new feature in miniSIPServer to help that.
It is UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). UPnP can help miniSIPServer to map necessary ports automatically.
Firstly, you need confirm that your router can support UPnP and it has been enabled.
Then, you can click menu “Data – System” in miniSIPServer and enable the item “Enable UPnP to ask router to map ports”. Please refer to following figure.
UPnP configuration in miniSIPServer
By default, miniSIPServer will map SIP (over UDP) port and audio ports for relaying audio streams.
In another way, there is a limitation in routers. Most routers limit the number of UPnP ports, for example less than 30 ports. So if you are deploying a miniSIPServer for 50 clients or more, you will still have to configure “forwarding ports” manually.
Ubuntu 20.04 is the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version, so it is very important for miniSIPServer to support this platform.
Unfortunately, Ubuntu 20.04 has cut Qt4 and all its libraries, so we have to upgrade miniSIPServer to V37 (build 20200424) with Qt5. Now it is perfect to run miniSIPServer on Ubuntu 20.04. Please refer to following figure.
miniSIPServer on Ubuntu 20.04
By the way, miniSIPServer for Windows will stay with Qt4 since we have to support several old Windows systems, such as XP and 7, and so on. In the future, as planed, V38 will say goodbye to Qt4 finally on all platforms.
