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How it works

From first conversation to live calls

Every deployment follows the same six steps. Each one produces something you can review, so you know what has been agreed, what has been tested and what happens next.

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  • Compatibility reviewed first
  • Written configuration sheet
  • Test plan before go-live
Engineer holding a laptop in a server room

Onboarding

The six onboarding steps

The same sequence applies whether you are connecting one PBX or rolling out numbers across several countries. The scale of each step changes; the order does not.

The steps apply to SIP Trunking, Cloud PBX and Virtual Numbers. For a hosted phone system, step four also includes setting up extensions, menus and handsets.

  1. Share your requirements

    You tell us about your phone system (platform, version, on-premises or hosted), how many people make and take calls, the numbers you need or want to keep, the destinations you call and roughly how busy your peak hour is. Estimates are fine at this stage; we will help refine them. The quote form or a short call covers everything we need to begin.

    Input: quote request or scoping call

  2. Review compatibility and coverage

    We check your PBX and network against the trunk configuration: SIP support and version, authentication method, codecs, DTMF handling, firewall and NAT behaviour. In parallel we confirm availability of the numbers and outbound routes you need, and any documentation regulators require. Anything that could block the project is raised here, before you commit.

    Output: compatibility notes and availability confirmation

  3. Confirm configuration and terms

    The agreed design is written down: authentication method, signalling addresses and ports, codec order, channel count, numbers and how each is routed, caller ID rules, failover destinations, calling permissions and spend controls. Commercial terms are itemised alongside it. Both are agreed before any provisioning starts.

    Output: configuration sheet and itemised terms

  4. Configure the connection

    We provision the trunk, numbers or hosted system on our side. Your PBX is configured with the values from the configuration sheet, by your team, your IT partner or with our assistance, as agreed. Firewall rules, SIP ALG settings and RTP port ranges are set at the same time so that test calls reflect the real network path.

    Output: working connection ready for testing

  5. Test inbound and outbound

    We work through a written test plan with your team: inbound calls to each number, outbound calls to representative destinations, keypad tones, caller ID, call quality and failover. Failures are diagnosed with SIP traces and response codes, corrected, and re-tested. Live traffic moves only once the plan has passed.

    Output: completed test plan with results

  6. Go live and review

    New numbers are published or existing numbers are ported on the agreed date, and live traffic is checked as it begins to flow. After go-live we review early call records and any issues with you, adjust settings where needed and update the configuration sheet so it matches what is running.

    Output: go-live review and updated documentation

Preparation

What we need from you

Having these ready shortens the review and avoids rework later. If you do not have something yet, tell us; most items can be worked out together.

  • PBX or phone platform, software version and where it runs
  • Public IP address(es) if you will use IP authentication
  • Firewall or router make and model, and who manages it
  • Peak concurrent calls, or call reports from your current system
  • Numbers to keep (with a recent bill from the current provider) and new numbers required
  • Main outbound destinations and approximate monthly minutes
  • Caller ID numbers you need to present and evidence you hold them
  • Failover preferences: second site, mobile number or alternative trunk
  • A named technical contact available during configuration and testing
Person on a video call at a desk

Testing

What the test plan covers

The test plan is written for your configuration, so the exact list depends on your numbers, destinations and failover design. These are the checks it normally includes.

Standard checks in a pre-go-live test plan

  • Inbound to each number

    Every number rings the intended destination on your PBX, in the expected number format, with caller ID received correctly.

  • Outbound to key destinations

    Calls connect to local, national, mobile and any international destinations you need, and blocked destinations are refused as agreed.

  • Caller ID presentation

    The numbers your PBX presents are accepted and displayed as intended, including withheld presentation where you use it.

  • Two-way audio

    Audio flows in both directions for the full call, with no one-way audio or drop after a fixed interval (common NAT symptoms).

  • DTMF

    Keypad tones are recognised by menus, voicemail and external systems such as payment lines, in both directions.

  • Codec negotiation

    Both sides settle on the agreed codec without unnecessary transcoding.

  • Failover

    Inbound calls reach the agreed alternate destination when the primary PBX is made unreachable, and return when it recovers.

  • Limits and controls

    Channel limits and destination restrictions behave as configured, so a call above the limit is rejected cleanly.

For the technical background on each check, see How to connect a PBX to a SIP trunk.

Go-live

Go-live and number porting cutover

How you go live depends on whether callers will use new numbers or the numbers they already know.

Aisle between server racks in a data centre

New numbers

New numbers can be routed and tested before anyone outside your organisation knows them. Go-live is simply the point at which you publish them on your website, stationery and listings. There is no cutover risk, which is why some organisations start with new numbers and port their main number later.

Ported numbers

Moving existing numbers requires a letter of authorisation signed by the account holder, and the details on the request must match the current provider’s records exactly. The port date is set by the losing and gaining carriers, not by either of us. Before the date, your trunk is already configured and tested, so on the day the only change is where the carrier network delivers calls.

  • Keep your current service active until the port is confirmed complete.
  • Agree who will be available on the port date to make test calls.
  • Plan for a short period where some networks route to the old provider while the change propagates.
  • Check outbound caller ID once the port completes, as presentation of ported numbers may need updating.

More detail on number types and porting is in Understanding DIDs and virtual numbers.

Timelines

How long it takes

A compatible PBX that only needs outbound calling can move through the steps quickly. Numbers, regulated countries and porting add time that is outside our control.

Responsibilities

How responsibilities are typically divided

This is the usual split. It is confirmed for each project in step three, and can change where we have agreed to manage more on your behalf.

Typical division of responsibilities during onboarding

  • Requirements and call data

    Your team
    Provide platform details, call reports and destinations
    Our team
    Ask scoping questions and help estimate capacity

  • Compatibility review

    Your team
    Share PBX version, network and firewall details
    Our team
    Review against the trunk configuration and report issues

  • Numbers and porting

    Your team
    Supply account details, authorisation and any regulatory documents
    Our team
    Check availability, submit orders and port requests, and track them

  • Trunk and platform provisioning

    Your team
    Not applicable
    Our team
    Provision trunks, numbers or hosted system on our platform

  • PBX and firewall configuration

    Your team
    Apply settings, or give access to whoever will
    Our team
    Supply the configuration sheet and assist where agreed

  • Testing

    Your team
    Make and receive test calls, confirm results on site
    Our team
    Run the test plan, trace failures and correct our side

  • Internet connection and LAN

    Your team
    Bandwidth, quality of service and local network
    Our team
    Advise on requirements and symptoms of network issues

  • After go-live

    Your team
    Report issues with call examples (time, number, direction)
    Our team
    Investigate with traces and response codes, and keep documentation current

FAQ

Questions about the process

All frequently asked questions

Do we have to configure our own PBX?

Not necessarily. Often your own team or IT partner applies the settings from the configuration sheet, because they manage the PBX day to day. Where we have agreed to assist, we can work with your team on the configuration. The division of work is agreed in step three, before provisioning starts.

Can we keep our existing lines running during testing?

Yes, and we recommend it. The new trunk is configured and tested alongside your current service, often using a temporary test number. Your existing lines are only switched over or ported once testing has passed and the go-live date is agreed.

What happens if a port request is rejected?

Port requests are usually rejected because details do not match the losing provider’s records: the account holder name, address, account number or the list of numbers. We tell you the reason given, help you correct the details and resubmit. Your numbers stay with your current provider in the meantime, so service is not interrupted.

How do we report a problem after go-live?

Contact us with examples: the time of the call, the number dialled, the calling number and the direction. Those details let us find the call in our records and SIP traces quickly. Our contact page lists how to reach us.

Next step

Start with step one

Send us your requirements. We will review compatibility and coverage, and reply with notes, a proposed configuration and an itemised quote.

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Helpful to include

  • PBX platform and version
  • Peak concurrent calls
  • Numbers to port or order
  • Destinations and monthly minutes