Inbuilt call service

BAS-IP Link has an inbuilt service for calls within the Link numbers. The Web dialer is available if the server uses a domain name and valid SSL certificates. Also, the license with the feature must be bought. This service is available for users accessing the server web interface, i.e., administrators and concierges. 

Except for calls between devices and users, the service allows intercept calls from visitors to residents. It is intended for the scenario when a visitor from the panel calls any apartment, but the concierge intercepts the call and (instead of the apartment residents) communicates with the visitor. For more details, refer to the Call interception section.

Web dialer configuration

To enable the Web dialer, select the dialer virtual number (from the previously created) in your or user profile.

Open

To disable the feature, delete the dialer virtual number in your or user profile.

Open

Permissions

Be aware that you or the user must have the following permissions to use the feature:

• can call to all and can call to intercom for administrators using the web dialer

• can receive calls like concierge and can call to intercom for concierges using the web dialer

• can intercept call like concierge if the Call interception feature is going to be used

Web dialer usage

The buttonto open the web dialer is in the low right corner of any page in the Link web interface.

Contacts

In this section, you can find the list of all created in the Link virtual numbers. Use Search, if you need to find the concrete number.

You can call any number by pressing. During a call, you can enable/disable your microphone, adjust the volume, and open the lock (if the call is directed to the panel). Below the call window, you can check the history of incoming/outgoing calls during the session.

Keypad

In the low right corner, there is a keypad to enter the required virtual number manually and call it with or without the video.

Interaction with devices

In the section shown on the image below, you can interact with the required device directly.

In the Door field, you can select the required panel and call it or open its door by clicking the corresponding buttons.

Call interception

As mentioned previously, it is possible to intercept calls from visitors to residents. If you have, the Can intercept call like concierge permission, you can receive calls from the entrance panel instead of apartment residents to whom the call is originally directed.

Virtual camera

A virtual camera is required if you do not have a web camera or do not want that video from it (e.g., the image of the concierge) to be displayed for visitors on the entrance panel. With the help of the virtual camera, you can set the image (e.g. company logo) to be shown on the panel screen during the conversation. To set up the virtual camera complete the following steps:

1. Download the OBS Studio program. We recommend using this instrument as it is user-friendly and quite easy to set up.

2. Open the downloaded file and install the program on your computer.

3. Open the installed OBS Studio. By default, the application starts with an empty scene. We need to configure the scene to be displayed on the panel during the conversation.

4. In the Source section, click the Plus icon to select a source of the scene.

5. Select an Image from the list, name it, and click OK.

6. In the opened window of source settings, click Browse to select the image to be displayed on the panel during the conversation. Click OK when the setting is done.

7. After adding the image source to the scene, change its position and size on the scene with the mouse if necessary.

8. In the Source section, click the Plus icon to add a background and make the scene full-screen.

9. Select a Color source from the list, name the background, and click OK.

10. In the opened window of source settings, click Select color and pick the required background color. Click OK when the settings are done.

11. Drag the White background source below the Logo with the mouse as the first source in the list is displayed in the foreground.

12. Open the File menu in the upper left corner and go to Settings.

13. In the Video tab, select the lowest output resolution to reduce the traffic broadcast by the virtual camera. When settings are done, click OK.

As a result, the virtual camera is ready for work. To turn the camera on, click Start Virtual Camera in the OBS Studio window.

Call interception functioning

You can intercept calls only within groups you have access to, in other words, groups from the root group you are added to. You can find the list of your available groups by pressing the Group button. By ticking the groups, you can select for which groups the interception of calls is enabled. You can also, add some specific groups (e.g., unit group instead of the whole house group). So, you can anytime enable or disable the Call interception for required group(s).

To start the feature functioning, click the corresponding button in the Call interception section.

The feature status changes to Active. To disable the feature, click Stop in the Call interception section.

So, when the feature is active, the concierge receives all calls from the panel to selected groups. The concierge answers these calls and can open the door for a visitor by clicking the corresponding button in the conversation window.

Also, the concierge puts the call on hold (by clicking the Pause button) and contacts (by clicking ) the required apartment to find out whether to open the door for the visitor or not. Afterward, the concierge returns to the conversation with the visitor, opens the door as described previously, or ends the call.

'Has no media support' notification 

Sometimes, you can meet the Has no media support notification when using the web dialer.

It means that the web dialer is trying to access the microphone and camera to make calls from the web, but nothing has worked. The problem can happen because of 2 reasons: 

• you have not provided the required permissions to your browser; 

• you do not have an encryption certificate for the server. 

The solution for the 1st reason is to provide access to the microphone and camera in your browser settings.   

For the other problem, you are required to have a certificate signed by a public certificate authority. You can easily get this certificate from the Let's Encrypt.