How to Set Up a Cloud Phone System on Your Raspberry Pi with 3CX

Learn how to install the popular open-source cloud phone system, 3CX, on your Raspberry Pi and turn it into a powerful business communication tool. …


Updated October 22, 2023

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Learn how to install the popular open-source cloud phone system, 3CX, on your Raspberry Pi and turn it into a powerful business communication tool.

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In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about installing 3CX on Raspberry Pi - from hardware requirements to configuration steps. 3CX is a popular open-source cloud phone system that provides advanced features like voice and video calling, SMS messaging, and conference calling. It can help transform your Raspberry Pi into a powerful communication tool for businesses of all sizes.

Hardware Requirements

Before you begin the installation process, make sure your Raspberry Pi meets the following hardware requirements:

  • A Raspberry Pi 3 or higher model
  • At least 2GB RAM (4GB recommended)
  • MicroSD card with Raspbian OS installed (8GB or larger)
  • Ethernet cable for internet connection
  • Monitor, keyboard, and mouse (optional - you can use SSH to connect remotely)

Software Requirements

You will also need the following software:

  • Raspberry Pi OS Lite (preferably the latest version)
  • 3CX PBX software (also known as 3CX Phone System)
  • An active internet connection

Preparing Your Raspberry Pi

  1. Insert your MicroSD card into your Raspberry Pi and connect it to your monitor, keyboard, and mouse if you have them. If not, you can use SSH to connect remotely using a separate computer or device.
  2. Connect your Raspberry Pi to power and boot it up. You will be greeted by the command line interface. Log in with the default username “pi” and password “raspberry”.
  3. Update your system by running:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
  1. Install Docker, a containerization platform that simplifies deployment of 3CX on Raspberry Pi. Run the following commands one by one:
curl -sSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker pi
  1. Reboot your Raspberry Pi with sudo reboot and log in again.
  2. Verify that Docker is installed correctly by running docker --version. If it returns a version number, you’re good to go!

Installing 3CX PBX

  1. First, create a folder where we will store the 3CX files:
mkdir -p ~/3cxpbx && cd ~/3cxpbx
  1. Download the latest version of 3CX PBX from their official website (https://www.3cx.com/phone-system/) or GitHub repository (https://github.com/3CXPhoneSystem/PBX). Extract the files into your ~/3cxpbx folder:
wget https://downloads.3cx.com/download/releases/pbx/3cxpbx-latest-linux-armhf.tar.gz -O 3cxpbx-latest-linux-armhf.tar.gz && tar xzvf 3cxpbx-latest-linux-armhf.tar.gz
  1. Create a new Docker container and install the necessary dependencies:
docker create --name=3cxpbx -p 8080:80 -p 5060:5060/udp -v ~/3cxpbx:/usr/local/3cxpbx -d 3cx/pbx-armhf:latest
docker start 3cxpbx
  1. Now, access the 3CX PBX web interface by navigating to http://<your_raspberry_pi_ip>:8080 in your browser. You will be prompted to set up a new admin account and configure your system settings. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
  2. Once the installation is finished, you can access your 3CX PBX web interface at http://<your_raspberry_pi_ip>:8080. You can also use your Raspberry Pi as a SIP phone by downloading the 3CX Phone app for Android or iOS.

Conclusion

Installing 3CX on Raspberry Pi is a straightforward process that takes just a few minutes. With its powerful features and low cost, 3CX can be a valuable addition to any business communications toolkit. This guide has covered the hardware and software requirements, as well as the installation steps for setting up your own cloud phone system on Raspberry Pi. Enjoy!