14 OPERATOR PANEL

Operator Panel is a switchboard type application for the Asterisk PBX. Typically, it runs on a web browser. It is able to display information about your PBX activity in real time. – The Flash Operator Panel is the one that comes with TRIXBOX.

Apart from Flash Operator Panel, There are a number of operator panels available. One that comes to mind can be found at SOFTPEDIA and another is HUDLite from Fonality. HUD will integrate nicely with TRIXBOX and the support for HUD is already integrated within TRIXBOX.

14.1 Flash Operator Panel (FOP)

This is the standard Operator Panel that is already part of TRIXBOX – some loved it while some hated it.

The layout is configurable (button sizes and colours, icons, etc). You can have more than 100 buttons active per screen. It also supports contexts: you can have one server running and many different client displays (for hosted PBX, different departments, etc).

It can integrate with CRM software, by popping up a web page (and passing the CLID) when a specified button is ringing.

FOP can be activated either from within freePBX by clicking on the Panel option on the top right hang corner of the freePBX screen or from TRIXBOX Welcome screen.



The following information are displayed on FOP:

• Which extensions are busy, ringing or available
• Who is talking and to whom (CLID, context, priority)
• SIP and IAX registration status and reachability
• Meetme room status (number of participants)
• Queue status (number of users waiting)
• Message Waiting Indicator and count
• Parked channels
• Logged in Agents

Functions you can perform on FOP:

• Hang-up a channel
• Using drag-&-drop to transfer a call
• Initiate calls by drag-&-drop
• Barge in on a call using drag-&-drop
• Set the caller id when transferring or originating a call
• Automatically pop up web page with customer details
• Click-to-Dial from a web page
• Mute/Unmute meet-me participants

For more details refer to: http://www.asternic.org/

14.1.1 Setting the Admin Password

It is desirable to change the FOP password to something easy and simple to remember such as the number 2 for example. The simple method is by logging in to your asterisk box either remotely using putty or directly on your box console.

In this example, Putty is used to log in remotely to TRIXBOX. Once logged in, change the directory to /var/www/html/panel



Using nano as the editor, open the configuration file op_server.cfg



Go to the line that says security code=passw0rd
(in FOP that comes with TRIXBOX, the default password is “passw0rd”)

Replace the “passw0rd” with the password of your choice.

security_code=cowscomehome

Close off nano and putty. Open your web browser and go to FOP. You should now be able to click on the little lock, put in your password and you will see it lock up. Now you can begin to have some fun.

14.1.2 Hang-up a Call

You can end a call by clicking the big red button.

14.1.3 Transfer a Call

Simply drag the little telephone over to the new extension and it will transfer the call.

14.1.4 Initiate a Call

If you are lazy, like me, not bothered to pick up the phone and dial, you can drag and drop your little telephone to another extension it will start by ringing your phone, when you pick up and then it will ring the other extension. Once the destination phone is picked up it will initiate the call.

14.1.5 Barge in or Create a Conference

Say there is a call already going and you want to jump in. Well all you have to do is grab your little phone in the flash panel and drop it into the conversation and it will connect you. Great if you want to see if your employees are making lots of private calls.

14.2 HUDLite.

HUDLite from Fonality integrates very nicely with TRIXBOX and the HUD manager is already incorporated in TRIXBOX. It has most of the necessary functionalities (if not all) of a modern operator switch panel where you can tasks such as:

• Answer Calls
• Transfer calls
• Hang up calls
• Put calls on hold etc.
• Monitor status of extensions just like the default FOP that comes with TRIXBOX and more.

You can download HUDLite directly from the site here.

14.2.1 Setting up HUD Manager

Before you start installing HUDLite, you will need to populate HUD Manager from your TRIXBOX Configuration and Administration screen.



Click on HUD Manager to populate it.

You will be presented with the screen as illustrated below.



To populate the HUD Manager, click on New device and the manage device fields will be expanded. This is where you enter the credentials of the extensions that you want to register with HUD Manager.



In the manage device fields I have entered the following:

Device: SIP2001 (the device for my extension)
Ext: 2001 (my extension)
Name: Ben Sharif (that’s my name if you don’t know)
Username: 2001 (that’s the extension ID)
Password: 2001 (I like it real simple)

The other three fields are not mandatory and you can leave them blank.

Click save.

If you have more extensions to register, click on New device again and repeat this process as many extensions as you have.

Once this is done, you may proceed to install HUDLite.

14.2.2 Setting Up HUDLite

After downloading, simply click on the EXE file and HudLite will be installed in your Windows XP machine. Select the Typical setup option.

Once installed, run HUDLite you will be prompted to enter your Username and Password:



Enter your username and password as required. I would enter one of my extension number here and the extension password.

In my case I use my main office extension 2000.

Username: 2000
Password: 2000

Click Next

Next you will be asked for the server details. This is your TRIXBOX credentials. However in the password field, don’t use your server password, instead use HUDLite default password of password.



In the Server name I entered my TRIXBOX IP address: 192.168.1.100
Server password, I simply use the default password: password.
(I strongly urge that you use the default password for this initial installation. You can change it later when you are more comfortable with tinkering around)

Then click Finish.

HUDLite will now start. Initially you will see just a blank hudlite screen like the illustration below, as it will take a few seconds for it to gather some details.



After a few seconds, it will populate all the extensions that you have added in the HUD Manager.



If any of the extension is being called or making a call, you will see it highlighted just like the main office extension on the top left corner (the main number rang as I was capturing the illustration).

14.2.3 What if it does not work?

If after following the above instruction, and it does not work, make sure that you have the correct values in the setup above.

Click on File -> Setting on the HUDLite screen, expand the Advanced setting and make sire that the fields are correctly set as the set-up instructions above.

Username: 2000 (you may have different extension)
Password: 2000 (you may have different password)
Server Name: 192.168.1.100 (your TRIXBOX IP may be different from mine)
Server Password: password (it must be password)

Leave the other 3 fields at the default value.

Note: The default password for HUD admin is password.

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