3CX v16 tests on Raspberry Pi 3B + and WebMeeting update

Testing Micro PBXs on the Raspberry Pi 3B +

When we develop a corporate IP-PBX, of course, it is interesting to add more functions to it for medium and large businesses. But, you must admit, strong muscles work well only on a strong skeleton. The quality of the product architecture is more important than the nice colors in online reports. And this quality is manifested just on systems with minimal hardware capabilities.

We decided to find out how 3CX v16 turned out to be undemanding to hardware, and launched it on the Raspberry Pi. The system has passed various tests, the results of which we hasten to share.



Installing the v16 Raspberry Pi on a very simple and described in this guide . As said, you will need:

• Device - Raspberry Pi 3B +
  
• The memory card is 32 + GB Class 10 Micro SD with an access speed of at least 10 Mb / s.
  
• The case is compatible with the Raspberry Pi, preferably with a radiator and fan cooling.
  
• Power Supply - Compatible with Raspberry Pi, 2.5 A, Micro USB.
  

A similar kit is offered, for example, on Aliexpress for $ 54.



Why do we recommend a kit with a fan? It turned out that the long-term operation of the PBX with a decent load significantly warms up the device, especially if “heavy” codecs are used. Therefore, if your organization expects PBX to work actively or a lot of mobile users with G729 and OPUS codecs, be sure to install a radiator and / or fan.

Although at first we were afraid that the Raspberry Pi would not “pull” a more or less serious installation, 3CX showed excellent results for systems up to about 32 users.

• The processor load is from 4% with inaction to 46% at the peak, with an average load in the region of ~ 23.7%. This suggests the well-optimized 3CX code.
  
• Memory consumption - from 32% when idle to a moderate 38% under load. Another confirmation of the excellent quality of the code.
  
• Network Load - The Pi 3B + has an improved gigabit Ethernet controller with an effective speed of ~ 224 Mbps. The average stream with 8 simultaneous calls is ~ 1.5 Mbit / s, i.e. the load is less than 1%. Of course, a lot depends on the quality of your network and the voice codecs used.
  
• Power Consumption - If an average server on the X86-64 architecture consumes about 20.4 kWh per day, the Raspberry Pi consumes the same per year!
  
• Temperature mode - without using a radiator or fan, the Pi temperature sensor showed 47.2 ° C when idle and up to 59.5 ° C at full load. The average operating temperature is 52.5 ° C.
  

Where can I use a PBX for $ 54

Having tested, we can argue that with proper cooling, this baby will last you for many years. Currently, the recommended use case is a system with 8 simultaneous calls and 16-32 users. On the IP phone of each user, on average, up to 8 BLF indicators can be configured (their number affects the load on the 3CX SIP stack and the built-in web server). Imagine where 3CX on a Raspberry Pi + can come in handy:

• A business class PBX for a small company that allows not only employees to communicate with each other, but also members of their families - from anywhere in the world.
  
• Branches of a large company, each of which needs a full-fledged local telephone exchange in case of loss of connection with the parent telephone exchange.
  
• ATS for a residential building, residents of which will be able to use applications for iOS and Android, and connect a call panel (SIP-intercom) to the system.
  
• ATS of an educational institution for communication between employees, teachers and even student learning.
  
• A small hotel offering interesting features of a hotel telephone exchange .
  

Bonus And if something went wrong, you can quickly put the PBX in your pocket and take it with you!

Video tutorial on installing 3CX v16 on a Raspberry Pi.

3CX WebMeeting Update - Now 50x Faster

Improving Conference Opportunities

The latest update to the 3CX WebMeeting web conferencing platform offers new conference features, enhanced voice quality, and additional MCU servers for your convenience.

Conference Flipchart (Whiteboard) now provides a smoother and more accurate drawing, depending on the degree of pressure. This feature will be appreciated by users of tablets and laptops with touch screens. Also, when you hover over an object, for example, in the panel of conference participants, it is highlighted - conveniently.



The signal strength disappeared from the WebMeeting interface. It is replaced by small notifications that appear when the low speed of your communication channel causes video quality deterioration. Thanks to notifications, you can understand the causes of the problem and take action. If you are interested in more detailed information about the quality of the connection, go to the 3CX WebMeeting section “Settings”> “Network” to see advanced statistics.

Improving the quality of service

Now we hold about 100,000 web conferences per month in which 150,000 people participate. To expand service coverage and increase reliability, we are moving 3CX WebMeeting servers to the infrastructure of Google and Amazon.

Conference data (records, statistics), which are stored for a short time, are posted in the European Google data center. This provides reliability, safety and additional technological advantages. Web conferencing servers (MCUs) themselves are hosted on Amazon’s infrastructure around the world. This ensures proximity to end users and excellent performance. MCU WebMeeting is currently located in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the USA, Vietnam and India. Wherever you are, 3CX automatically tries to offer the server closest to you.

OPUS codec for voice conference participants

One of the objective reasons for the popularity of WebMeeting is its excellent sound quality. In the latest update, we connected an adaptive, high-quality OPUS codec for users who participate in the conference only by voice. Previously, the G.722 codec was used, which does not work very well on mobile networks. Of course, other voice codecs are supported if the participant connects from an IP phone.

Recording and reporting 50 times faster

In this update, we also accelerated the processing of videoconference recordings and the final report generation. Our statistics say that a 1-hour conference with 4 participants using audio and video is additionally processed approximately 50 minutes after completion. Only after that the link to the conference recording (.mp4 file) will come to the organizer's e-mail. Now post-processing takes 1-3 minutes. depending on the installed options and video quality.

→ Full changelog