README.md

Dahua-VTO-Custom-Ringbacks-Tutorial

Tutorial for using custom ringbacks with Dahua VTOs and freePBX with automatic changes for holidays, events, birthdays, time of day, etc.

Based on original information found at

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/comments/kb7oxz/merry_christmas_with_dahua_vto_home_assistant_and/

1. Setup freePBX

Create a pjSIP extension for your VTO in freePBX

• Go to Applications → Extensions
  • Click on Quick Create Extension

- Type → SIP [chan\_pjsip]
- Extension Number → The extension of your VTO (I used 8001)
- Display Name → What you want your caller ID to show up as (I used Doorbell)
- Outbound Caller ID → Leave this blank
- Email Address → Leave this blank

• Click Next

- Enable Find ME/Follow Me → No
- Create User Manager User → No preference, but usually No
- Enable Voicemail → No

• Click Finish
• Click Apply Config
• Click the Pencil Icon to Edit the newly created extension
• Click on the Advanced Tab
  • Scroll down to Extension Options

- Internal Auto Answer → Intercom
- Intercom Mode → Enabled
  - These will allow you to dial the VTO directly with auto answer by the VTO from your softphone

• Create additional extensions for softphones, tablets, etc. as necessary

• Go to Applications → Ring Groups

  • Click on Add Ring Group
    • Ring-Group Number → 8999 (any number you want, but remember it)
    • Group Description → Quick description of this ring group
    • Extension List → List each extension you want to ring as a group on separate lines
    • Destination if no answer → Voicemail
      • Select a main extension with (Busy)
    • Click Submit
    • Click Apply Config

• Go to Applications → Extensions

  • Click on Quick Create Extension

- Type → Virtual
- Extension Number → The extension of your virtual call group (I used 9001)
- Display Name → Virtual Extension to Call Group
- Outbound Caller ID → Leave this blank
- Email Address → Leave this blank

• Click Next

- Enable Find ME/Follow Me → Yes
- Create User Manager User → No preference, but usually No
- Enable Voicemail → No

• Click Finish
• Click Apply Config
• Click the Pencil Icon to Edit the newly created extension
• Edit extension 9001
  • Go to Find-ME/Follow Me Tab
    • Follow-Me List → 8999#
    • Click Submit
    • Click Apply Config

2. Setup Dahua VTO (example for my VTO model)

• Log into VTO webpage and go to Local Settings

Fill in the following (and remember for later)

1. The your VTO will be calling (The virtual extension we created in freePBX)
2. Your VTOs extension

Go to Local Settings → Video & Audio → Audio

Disable all sounds except for Ringback Sound

Go to Network → SIP Server

• SIP Server → Disabled
• Server Type → select either Asterisk or Third-Party
• IP Address → Your freePBX Server Address
• Port → The port required for your extension registration (I used pjSIP, so my port is 5060)
• Username → the extension reserved in freePBX for your VTO
• Password → Secret found in freePBX for Extension 8001
• SIP Domain → VDP
• SIP Server Username → Leave Blank
• SIP Server Password → I used the same secret for Extension 8001 here
• Click Save

3. Additional freePBX Setup

• Go to Settings → Music on Hold
  • Click +Add Category
    • Category Name → the name of your holiday, event, etc, or your default ringback (MeowMix is the default for my example)
    • Type → Files
  • Click Submit
  • Click Apply Config

• Click Edit for the new category (MeowMix)
  • Type → Files
  • Enable Random Play → If you want a mix of songs to be played, select Yes
    • I did this for Halloween and Christmas
  • Convert Upload/Files To → g722, sin, ulaw, wav

- After selecting conversions click Browse
  - Select the music file you want to make a ringback
  - continue uploading files to the specific category by selecting Browse
- Click Submit
- Click OK
- Click Apply Config

• Go to Admin → Config Edit
• Click extensions_custom.conf (this is where all of the details come into play)
  • First, let's create some music categories for the ringback
    • Create a Label
      • [meowmix-music]
    • Create some functions
      • exten => s,1,Dial(PJSIP/8004&PJSIP/8005,30,m(MeowMix))
      • exten => 9001,2,Hangup()
    • looking at the first line, here is how it is used
      • s → specifically defined extension in Asterisk
      • 1 → priority of the function for the specific function label we created
      • Dial → instruction
      • PJSIP/8004&PJSIP/8005
        • these are the specific extensions that will receive the call from the VTO
        • if you want more extensions called (example a SIP extension 8006), then it would look like:
          • exten => s,1,Dial(SIP/8006,30,m(MeowMix))
        • I have not figured out the syntax for Virtual Extensions or Ring Groups, yet here.
      • 30 → the time in seconds the ringback plays
      • m(MeowMix) → the On Hold Music category we are selecting for this category
      • 9001 → the extension that will be dialed by the VTO
      • Hangup() → instructs the system to hangup after the time we selected for music to play if no answer

• Now, we will instruct freePBX on what to do when the VTO calls and automate how the ringback is selected

- These instructions must be before the labels created for the music categories
- create the label
  - [from-internal-custom]
- Define the functions
  - exten => 9001,1,Ringing()
    - tells the system if 9001 is dialed to ring as 1st priority
  - exten => 9001,2,Answer()
    - Allows extension 9001 to be answered as the 2nd priority
  - exten => 9001,3,GotoIfTime(00:00-23:59,\*,\*,oct?halloween-music,s,1)
    - Priority is important here as the highest priority (lowest number) match will take priority over any other match
    - We use the GotoIfTime function to automate the parameters of when a specific music On Hold Category will be played category
      - The syntax of GotoIfTime for our example is:
      - GotoIfTime(<time range>,<days of week range>,<days of month range>,<months range>?[Label if true],[extension],[priority])
        - So our example will play Halloween Music any time, any day, and on any date in October
        - See line 6 in the photo for an example that is a little more defined around St. Patrick's Day
  - The last line for this label, use Goto for the default ringtone music Group you want to use

• Click Save and then Apply Config (may have to reboot freePBX to take effect)