What a softphone is and when it makes sense
A softphone is a program that does what a VoIP desk phone does: it registers to a SIP account and makes and receives calls. Instead of a handset you use your computer's headset, or your mobile's microphone and speaker.
It makes sense in many real situations:
- someone who works from home a few days a week and wants to answer the office number
- a consultant who spends the day at clients' premises and calls from a laptop
- a call centre, where every desk already has a computer and a headset
- a small business that does not want to buy phones, at least at first
A softphone does not always replace a desk phone: someone at a garage reception desk, with their hands full, answers better with a real handset. For desk phones there is the guide on how to configure a VoIP phone. Often the right answer is to have both on the same account, as we will see further on.
The three options with Vohippo
With a Vohippo SIP account you have three ways to make calls from a computer or mobile, and you can combine them.
| Browser webphone | Vohippo app | Third-party softphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Computer, in the browser | iPhone and Android | Computer and mobile, depending on the program |
| Setup | None | Sign in with the account | SIP fields filled in by hand |
| In-call features | Mute, hold, DTMF keypad | Speaker, hold, keypad | Depend on the program |
| When it makes sense | Occasional desks, testing, external colleagues | People often out of the office | People who want a specific program or already use one |
The browser webphone
The webphone is a phone inside a web page: nothing to install, just a browser and a headset. During a call you have mute, hold and a keypad for DTMF tones, useful when you need to choose an option in an automated menu.
A handy feature is the shareable link: you can generate a link to an account's webphone and send it to whoever needs to use it, for example an external collaborator for a week. The link can be revoked at any time, and from that moment it stops working.
The Vohippo app for iPhone and Android
The app uses the same SIP account as the desk phone or softphone. In a call you have speaker, hold and keypad. The advantage over a generic softphone on a mobile is how incoming calls wake it up: when a number rings an account that uses the app, the app is woken with a push notification, so it does not have to stay open in the foreground and uses less battery.
The fields common to every softphone
Every program has its own menus and labels, but the details to enter are always the same. Here are the ones you will find in Zoiper, Bria and practically every other softphone, with the value for Vohippo.
| Field (most common names) | Value |
|---|---|
| Username, User, User ID | The SIP account's username, from the portal |
| Password | The SIP account's password |
| Domain, Server, Registrar, Host | sip.vohippo.com |
| Port | 5060 |
| Transport | UDP |
| Authentication username, Auth ID | The same username, if the field exists |
| Outbound proxy | Empty |
| Display name | Whatever you prefer, for example "Giulia - Accounts" |
In some programs the username and domain are written together, in the form [email protected]: it is the same information in a single field. Usernames and passwords are in the portal under SIP accounts: one account per person makes it easier to read reports and set limits.
Codecs and tones
If the softphone lets you choose codecs, put them in this order: G.722, G.711 A-law, G.711 µ-law; disable the others. For keypad tones choose RFC 4733, which some programs still call RFC 2833. We explain why these in the guide to VoIP codecs G.711 and G.722.
Network settings
Leave STUN, ICE and public address switched off unless you have a specific reason: the Vohippo server already corrects addresses for anyone behind a router. If the program has a registration expiry, set it between 300 and 600 seconds; if it has a keepalive, between 15 and 30 seconds. The details are in the guide to NAT, firewalls and ports for VoIP.
Setting up a softphone step by step
The procedure is the same for every program; only the menu names change.
- In the portal open SIP accounts and create an account for the person who will use the softphone, or open the one they already have.
- Copy the username and password.
- In the softphone add a new SIP account. If the program offers a guided setup for a list of providers, choose the manual or generic option.
- Fill in the fields from the table above: username, password, domain sip.vohippo.com, port 5060, transport UDP.
- Save. After a few seconds the account status should change to registered, usually with a green icon or the word "Registered" or "Online".
- Make a test call to a mobile and check that you can both hear each other clearly.
- Get someone to call you: if the account is in a number's call flow, call that number from a mobile.
Zoiper
Zoiper is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with a free version and a paid one with more features. You set it up with the fields listed above: when it asks for the account type, choose SIP. If it finds several transports, choose UDP.
Bria
Bria is a paid softphone designed for professional use, also for computers and mobiles. You set it up by adding a SIP account with the same details: username, password, domain, and in the advanced settings the UDP transport and port 5060.
The screens of these programs change from version to version: that is why we list the fields rather than exact menu paths. If a field from the table is missing, it usually means the program already uses the right value.
One account on several devices
On Vohippo each account can register up to 5 devices at once. A typical scenario: Giulia has a desk phone in the office, the app on her mobile and the softphone on her laptop at home, all on the same account. When a call comes in for her, they all ring; she answers wherever she is.
When you want different people to ring instead, it is better to give each of them their own account and choose in the number's call flow whether they should ring «All together» or «One after the other». We explain this in the guide to simultaneous or sequential ringing. Accounts belonging to the same customer can call each other on short extensions of 2 to 6 digits, for free.
For offices with staff spread between the office and home, you will find more ideas on the page about multiple sites and remote teams.
Headsets and audio: what to choose
With a softphone, call quality depends a lot on the headset. The program can be perfect, but if you use the laptop's built-in microphone the other person will hear the keyboard and the echo of the room.
- Headsets with a boom microphone. A microphone close to the mouth picks up the voice and keeps out the noise: the right choice for anyone on the phone for hours a day.
- USB or Bluetooth. USB headsets are the most stable; Bluetooth ones are convenient, but some drop to lower audio quality when the microphone is active, and the battery needs watching.
- Pick the right device in the program. In the softphone's audio settings, or the browser's for the webphone, select the headset as both microphone and speaker, and perhaps the ringtone on the computer's speakers so you hear it even without the headset on.
- Avoid the laptop's speakerphone in an open-plan office: as well as noise, it creates echo for the person on the other end.
The most common problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The account does not register, error 401 or 403 | Wrong username or password | Copy the credentials again from the portal, without spaces |
| After a few attempts no device in the office registers | Address blocked after too many errors | Fix the credentials, then unblock from «IP address security» |
| They hear you but you cannot hear them, or vice versa | NAT or the router's SIP ALG | Switch off SIP ALG, remove STUN from the softphone |
| They cannot hear you at all | Microphone permission denied or wrong microphone | Allow the program or browser to use the microphone and check the selected device |
| Incoming calls do not ring on the mobile | The system closes the softphone in the background | Use the Vohippo app, which is woken by a push notification |
| The outbound call is rejected | Caller ID not authorised or limit reached | Check the call report and the caller ID guide |
| Choppy audio | Weak Wi-Fi or overloaded network | Move closer to the router or use a cable |
Blocked after too many errors
The server blocks an IP address after 5 authentication errors in 10 minutes, with longer and longer blocks for anyone who persists. With softphones it happens often: you changed the password and an old program on another computer keeps trying with the old one. Since everyone in the office goes out under the same address, the block also hits your colleagues. Fix or close the misconfigured program, then unblock the address from the portal's «IP address security» page. To find out which device is failing, look at the extension's SIP logs, which cover the last 7 days.
Caller ID and account limits
If outbound calls are rejected while registration works, the call report shows the reason: for example «Caller ID not allowed», when the number you present is not verified. How to set it is explained in the guide to caller ID. Other causes are a «Daily spending limit» that has been reached or a destination excluded in the account settings: these are useful protections, described in the guide to VoIP security.
Getting started
To try it you need just one account and a few euros of credit: sign up at https://cloud.vohippo.com/register, create the SIP account and open it in the webphone for a first call. Calls are billed per second at the prices in the price list; if you want customers to call you on a local number, you can add one of the virtual numbers in 232 Italian cities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free softphone?
It depends on the system you use. Zoiper has a free version for computers and mobiles that is fine to start with; if you do not want to install anything, the Vohippo webphone works in the browser with the same account. On a mobile the Vohippo app is the simplest choice, because it receives calls through push notifications.
Can I use the same SIP account on a desk phone and a softphone?
Yes, a Vohippo account can register up to 5 devices at once and calls for that account ring all of them. If they are different people, though, give each one their own account: it makes reports easier to read and limits easier to set.
What details do I need to set up Zoiper or Bria?
The SIP account's username and password, the domain sip.vohippo.com, port 5060 and UDP transport. The outbound proxy field stays empty and, if there is a field for the authentication username, enter the same username.
Why does the softphone on my mobile not receive calls?
Many operating systems close apps running in the background to save battery, and a generic softphone stops receiving calls. The Vohippo app for iPhone and Android, on the other hand, is woken by a push notification when a call arrives.
Does the webphone work in any browser?
You need an up-to-date browser on a computer, and you have to grant microphone access when the page asks for it. If the other person cannot hear you, check in the site settings that the microphone is allowed and that the headset's microphone is selected.